This volume is the finest hour in the massive "official" biography which was started in the mid 1960's by Winston's son Randolf and continues to this day with the relese of the "document" volumes of the later years of Churchill's life.

Most of the narritive volumes in the biography (there are eight) nessasarily cover a long period of time; after all, Churchill lived into his ninth decade. But Finest Hour covers only a little over two years, from September of 1939 to Pear Harbour in 1941. They were, however, two of the most important years in Churchill's life. There were also two of the most important years for the free world.

This volume, like the others in the series, is magnificently written and reproduces the drama and fear of living in those deadly times. From the begining of the second world war to the entry of the United States in the conflict, every action of Churchill is closely examined. Particular attention is paid to the spring, summer and fall of 1940, as Churchill readied his nation for invasion even as he inspired his people to never surrender. Churchill would say that that that summer would be his nations finest hour, when the tiny Island stood up alone againsed the most deadlly power in the world, and won. Gilbert's message is clear: yes, it was the nation's finest hour, but it was also Churchill's. Only he could lead the nation, not only because of his moral position (he had opposed Hitler from the begining) and oratical skills but also because, after appeasement, his nation wanted to beleive in him. He gave them something to believe in.

The book is highly detailed, at times going to an actual day by day description of Churchill's life. The casual reader who simply wants to learn more about Churchill would do well to read Gilberts one volume Churchill: a life or William Manchester's biography. But for anyone truly interested in World War Two and how the allies won, this book is a must read. More importantly, if anyone wonders why Churchill will soon be named man of the century, reading this bok will provide all the answers.

It is without question the finest biography of its kind that I have ever read.

If you are a fan of Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, or Dale Earnhardt Jr. this book will not disappoint you. There are lots of pictures in it too.

I'm not a huge fan of contemporary romance, prefering historicals, but this compilation of three short stories about handsome, sexy, and all-round nice guys the Winston Brothers was a really fun change of pace!

Cole and Sophie were so cute and sweet; Chase and Allison were so tempestuous and funny; Mack and Jessica were the unlikely but perfect fit. I have to agree with another reviewer that Mack and Jessica's was the weakest of the three. My favorite was Cole and Sophie's story. Cole could pull me out of my shell anytime!

I think the short story format works well for these stories as I don't know that they would hold up to a full novel. Fourth brother Zane's story is in a full novel - "Wild" - which I have not read (other than the excerpt at the back of the book). I have my doubts about there being enough substance for a full novel, but who knows? Don't know if I'll read that one, but these stories are fun and I anticipate re-reading them often.

Too bad more men can't be like these great guys - but then that's why they call it fiction!

This book is actually a reprint of three of Lori's stories that appeared in seperate anthologies. I am so happy to finally see the stories in one book. This was a reread for me and I must say one that I didn't put down until I finished the book. The book is a super hot read and for those that missed these stories the first time a must read. Lori has a way of writing that keeps you spell bound until you finish the book. The book is about three brothers Cole(Tangled Sheets), Chase(Tangled Dreams) and Mac(Tangled Images). There is a fourth brother Zane who has his own book(Wild) coming out this January. Lori Foster has written another great group of siblings who are sexy, smart and funny. The heroines in each story more than meet the challenge of loving such great guys. If you haven't ever(as if that is possible) read a Lori Foster book then this one is a great way to get started.

Wow - Talk about some really hot/steamy stories... 4 brothers, 3 stories. These brothers are incredible!!!!!!

Cole, Chase, Zane and Mack make up the Winston Brothers. Cole's story starts the book. He is the oldest brother who's raised his 3 younger brothers. He bought a bar (previously known as The Stud) - changed its name to Winston Tavern. The bar is notoriously packed (mostly with female clientele) because of the sexy Winston brothers. All 4 brothers tend and manage the bar... Cole meets Sophie when the brother's create a Valentines Day Contest; Chase meets Allison at the bar during Halloween; and Mack meets Jessica as a favor to his sisters in law, for a male lingerie photo shoot. Each story centers around the bar, the brothers, and their heart-melting charm.

Zane's story is big enough for its own book "Wild".

Very steamy, erotic stories. Great material from Lori Foster. I am hooked on her books for life now!

This book is a comical mystery about seven rich boys who live in ancient Rome and go to the Xanthos school for boys. Cauis isn't very bright, Rufus is the class clown, Aucius is a hard worker, Flavius is the slow boy, Antonius is the fast boy, Publius is the poorest one, and Julius is the boy with the best ideas. In the beginning of the book, Cauis and Rufus pick a fight with each other. Rufus, the class clown wrote, "Cauis is a dumbbell" on a writing tablet. The teacher cruelly punishes Rufus and kicks him out of school. The next day, when the teacher didn't show up for school, they went to his house and found him manacled. Everything in his house was demolished. The same day, another crime was committed. Graffiti was found on the temple wall that was dedicated to Cauis' father, Senator Vinivius...I think this was a great book with an unbelievable ending. The ending was so awesome because I never saw it coming.

My fifth grade class just read this book for our reading group. It was amazing! The suspense and the humor added just the right touch to this woderful book. I won't give too much away because it would ruin yhe suspense. Seven young Romans attend the Xanthos school. Two students, Rufus and Caius, get into a fight over a tablet reading 'Caius is a Dumbell' that Rufus wrote. The next day in red paint, the same thing is written on a temple dedicated to the Emperor, who is Caius' father! But rufus is innocent. I really enjoyed this book, and you will too! Enjoy!

Roman history, boring? You wouldn't think so, reading "Detectives in Togas." Seven high-spirited Roman boys and their crabby teacher make up the cast of this outstanding head-scratcher, set in the heydey of Rome's domination.

Rufus disrupted Xantippus's class by writing "Caius is a dumbbell" on a tablet, provoking Caius to start yelling. In the blink of an eye, Rufus has been thrown out of the schoolmates, alarming his classmates. What's even more alarming is that the same message is scrawled on a sacred temple's wall the next day -- in Rufus's handwriting. This act of sacrilege will destroy Rufus's life, and for some reason he won't deny it.

The day of the defacing, Xantippus's house is robbed and the wax tablet is taken, but the robber leaves behind a beautiful golden brooch. The boys go to the soothsayer Lukos, but that goes horribly wrong when the soothsayer chases them out, and they leave behind Mucius, who then proceeds to fall into the Baths of Diana -- discovering that Rufus spent the night there before. The boys soon become enmeshed in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse centering on politics, money and revenge.

Henry Winterfield clearly had solid memories of being a teenage boys. His gaggle of young boys are entirely realistic -- they bicker, they make idiots of themselves, they make all the wrong decisions, they all have distinct personalities. With a cast including seven young boys from similar backgrounds, you would think that they would all be the same, but Winterfield manages to make each one unique. Xantippus is the crabby grandfather with a marshmallowy interior. He clearly cares about all the boys, but is impatient about their blunders.

Kids may leave this charming mystery with a wish to learn a little more about Rome (and to read the sequel, of course). And don't be surprised if you hear someone shouting, "Mike asinus est!"

The book of Forrest Gump is very different as the film of Forrest Gump. The film is more a summary of the book. Forrest does a lot more things in the book, funny things. If you had seen the film before, and read the book after it, you don't think that it's the same story. The film is nearer the reality then the book. Because in the book there are more stupid activities of Forrest, for example the wrestling scene. But exactly those events make the book interesting!

The book is very interesting to read. It's more a biography of Forrest. But there is always some action and it's never boring to read! It's quite a funny book, and sometimes you have to ask yourself, why Forrest is calling an "idiot", because he does a lot of things in his life what "normal" people never would do in their lives. For example he goes up to space, for a lot of people that'll be only a big dream in their whole life. Or another example is Forrest's shrimp-farm, he earned a lot of respect with it. So I'd rather call Forrest Gump a special genius. Of course no "normal genius like "Einstein" or so, but on one tour he is one.

The language in this book is not absolutely school - English, it's more a dialect. But it's easy to understand this book. So I would recommend this book to you!

Groom's original work of 'Forrest Gump' is an all time, epic humor classic. The film, although entertaining, does not approach or even parallel the book. Once picked up, you will not be able to put it down. To give an example of what this book can do to you, I was in a bookstore with a dear friend of mine, found the paperback edition and flipped to the passage where our hero Forrest enters a professional wrestling match. Right there, in the midst of a busy bookstore, my friend fell down, laughing hysterically, with tears rolling down his face. The only advice I give to anyone reading this is to go to the bathroom before starting it - otherwise you may laugh so hard you have an "accident". Please enjoy.

I finished reading Forrest Gump, and the book was a lot better than the movie. In some ways the two are very similiar in other ways they are very different. It was a very funny book, and the whole time I was reading it, I had a picture of Tom Hanks in my head even though, in the book Forrest Gump is a very big man. It is a very unique story about an "IDIOT" as he is called so many times throughout the book, and his life and how he accomplishes so much during is life time, but because Forrest is such a loving person people use him and take advantage of him. Forrest throughout the book is always pushed around and always takes advice from other people, and it always turns out bad for him. I found myself not wanting to put the book down it was so exciting.

Hey, I love the Mode series books, if you haven't read this book yet you might not want to read further-- I'm going to mention things you might not want to know. First off, congrats to Darian and Colene, but also, I give my regards (trying to not spoil here). Although I like these books, I'm kinda wishing Anthony would get them to Darian's world already, but between that they sure do have hectic tavelings! Okay, listen up, anyone who knows when the 4 Mode book is coming out, and possibly what it's about, can you please write to me? Thanks!! --Jessica

You need to read the first two books if you want to understand the third book. If you don't read the first two books you will be lost, and won't even understand the story's plot. You could read it through for about five chapters, and you will start understanding what is going on. It would be better if you read the first two books because it would make more sense to you. This book is about a thrilling science fictional story of people living in the parallel worlds. In the third book three old friends unite. Their names are: Colene, a young girl from earth who is dealing with terrible suicidal depressions, Darius, from a planet who also won Colene's love, and Seqiro a telepathic horse. Some parts of this book drags on. But it's worth reading through because the action parts are so unbelievable it will blow away your mind! The author, Piers Anthony, writes every chapter with such suspense that it tempts you to read the next chapter. Once you start reading this book you can't put it down till you finish it.

I am person who finds it difficult to read books. It takes me months to read a book, even though I am glued to the story-line. The "Mode Series Books" have been the most amazing books I have ever read. I love the research that Piers does to bring his books alive. I really felt sorry in a way for Coline but I was happy to see her find a love, and excitement in her life. I also loved Marsey Doats and Seqiro who were true friends for Coline. Can't wait for the next book in the series, hurry up Piers Anthony.

I love many things about this book. The short stories at the end presented as the early writings of the Magister Ludi, the beautiful ending, and particularly Hesse's poetry. Since the day I finished the book, I've said that one can't come to a complete understanding of Hesse without reading it.

That being said, however, I have to agree with those who say that Das Glasperlenspiel is ultimately a bloody boring novel. Glorious...yes. Brilliant...yes. Bloated and overlong? Sorry, but yes. One sees fewer high school students reviewing this work (check out the Siddhartha section here), but I suspect many of them would throw this book down after 50 pages...many of their teachers would too, as a matter of fact.

By the time Glasperlenspiel was written, Hesse had become a truly poignant philopsophical/psychological figure...but it seems that some of his skill as a storyteller was lost in the process. In the end, I feel that I know something about Hesse's thinking because of this work...but I love him as an author because of Demian and Narciss und Goldmund.

This book is to Hesse as "The Brothers Karamazov" is to Dostoevsky. Throughout it are the same ideas that have been put forth in earlier works, often with similar characters, but with a fuller and more articulate expression than before. Like Dostoevsky, he finally figured out how to say *everything* he had to say in one volume. So it comes as no surprise that those only concerned with certain aspects (particularly the more spiritual ones) of Hesse's writing would find it disjointed and tedious. If you want to read more of Hesse's stories about tormented and/or confused souls looking for meaning in the world, this isn't your book - go reread Damien and Steppenwolf. This book has that esoteric search, but its main character, Joseph Knecht, pursues this search as a curiousity and not out of some desperate need. I'm sure that's why several people seem to find him lacking compared to other Hesse protagonists - they're expecting a conflict in him that isn't there.

As I read these other reviews I find it fascinating that everyone seems to come away from the book with such different things that they were struck with. In my case, this was the socio-political commentary. Through this book, Hesse comments on our own time and on a fictional opposite to it, thoroughly exposing the flaws in both. I remember most distinctly Knecht's letter of resignation from Magister Ludi, where he tells his colleagues that although they understand the importance of their society's existence, they made the fatal mistake of not educating the people who support them. That they cannot take the existence of what they have for granted, for the day would eventually come when all they built would be dismantled. Perhaps this was because I read this book when I was in an institution that resembled much of what Hesse wrote about, and exactly when Congress cut the NEA.

Reading this book changed my view of the world most in that it changed my expectations of it. More to the point, I abandoned my expectations. I am much more apt to let other people be themselves. To explain how or why would take far too long, suffice it to say that there is more to this book than a pursuit for spiritual meaning or a balance of intellectual and physical need, but also balance on many other levels, and Hesse explores all of them in his classic manner - first by their disparity, then by their eventual unity. A stunning conclusion to the career of one the greatest writers of all time.

First: From a prose point of view, I found the first 50 to 100 pages of this translation to be very difficult going. More astute readers would probably pick up on the subtle humor (Ziolkowski mentions it in his introduction) but I found it dry and tough going. I mention this because I've run into a number of people who say, "I really wanted to like it, but I couldn't even make it past the first 50 pages!" If you find this to be the case, just grin and bear it: Know that after the first 100 pages the book picks up considerably in pace.

I won't comment on the book's philosophical corollaries or references, since others better versed in such things have already done so, better than I could.

Rather, one of the aspects of the book that I found particularly compelling is the Game itself and the ideas behind it.

The Glass Bead Game, as Hesse describes it, is a meditation, seemingly both competitive and collaborative, on different fields of knowledge, where the point is to take concepts from otherwise disparate disciplines and associate them in creative, profound ways -- finding a pattern shared rhythmically by a piece of Baroque music and spatially by ancient Chinese architecture, say.

An observation I've made over time is that of all the people I know, those that I would say are possessed by genius all share a common trait, the ability, to use the cliche, to "Think Outside the Box." To realize new, previously unseen associations between things is a quality of a great mind, and here Hesse acknowledges the value of this talent, elevating it even to an artform (though I suppose the Castalian players in the novel would firmly call it "post-art".)

The analogy I make is to 2D math: Consider a point in space, represented in either Cartesian or polar coordinates. Each representation is as valid as the other, but each representation, makes different analyses easier and others harder.

Another good analogy is the Windows 98/2000/XP explorer window: the window displays a list of files, with a number of columns of various information. You can click a column header to sort the list by that information. A given sort makes certain things easier, and others harder. If I sort by file size, I can easily find the largest file. If I sort by name, I can easily find a file beginning with the letter 'C'.

The idea of the Game is, essentially, to find different "sort columns" -- to find different ways to slice knowledge to compare it and examine it and learn from it.

The fascination of *Glass Bead Game* was that, for me, it began to formalize the idea of meta-knowledge -- that is, how we think about what we know. There's probably tons of psychology literature about this phenomenon, learning theory, or whatnot, but Hesse manages to incorporate it not into a dissertation on the Game, but on a decidedly artistic book that revolves around the Game. What talent, to so eloquently present such a profound idea as merely one aspect of a larger work of art!

It took me about a month to read this entire book, consistently reading twenty or thirty pages a night. When I finished, I found that some nights I'd get so caught up thinking about the book and its implications and possibilities that I'd be unable to fall asleep.

Rarely do I have the opportunity to read something so compelling!

This is a great little book that will have you laughing out loud at times. It's the perfect way to whet someone's historical appetite to learn more about one of the most important men of the 20th Century. I hadn't given that much thought to reading about Churchill before I flipped through "The Wit and Wisdom". After reading through the collected Churchill quotes, I wanted to learn more about this witty and interesting man.

While I expected to be swept away by Churchill's superb grasp of the English language and his intelligence on a multitude of topics, I was suprised at how much I laughed out loud at this book. Churchill's wit was truly timely and amazing, and it is well-packaged here.

One notable quote was missing, however. Churchill was once reported to have said, after meeting Eleanor Roosevelt: " I have faced war, and I have faced Eleanor. I prefer war."

This book is an excellent compendium of the wit of Winston Churchill. Often acerbic, frequently self-deprecating, but always humorous and witty while exactly on point, Churchill's humor and wit collected in this book would be of great value even to professional comedy writers. The book also tells much about the man, Churchill, himself, and his inner strength, sense of proportion, his mastery of the English language and his uncanny ability to use the English language masterfully and to its maximum affect -- the qualities that made Churchill such an effective and potent world leader during the bleakest days of World War II.

First off, I need to explain that I'm a big NASCAR fan. Every NASCAR fan, no matter what they thought of Dale Earnhardt when he was alive, understands what a terrible loss took place the day of his crash. He is impossible to replace and was the one of the toughest competitors in all of sport.

That being said I looked forward to reading this book hoping to get a new insight into Earnhardt's life and the man. Unfortunately, I didn't read much that I didn't already know. If you were already a big fan of Dale Earnhardt and followed the sport closely, this book will add little to your knowledge. Mr. Montville is a great writer and he does a great job in writing about Dale Earnhardt in this book. In many ways, this is much like a good article in Sports Illustrated that has been lengthened to fit a book. If you are a casual fan or have just started to follow the sport, I would recommend the book to you.

As for myself as a long-time fan, what I liked best about the book was the stories about Dale and fellow races Neil Bonnett. It brought out the human side of two very close friends who both left the world far too early. The problem is that there isn't enough of that in the book. I already know about Dale's racing history and it's not hard to find out from many sources.

In addition, I had a few problems with the book. The problems I had is that Andy Petree is misidentified in one of the book's photos and there seems to be an effort to smear Earnhardt's business manager Don Hawk. Yes, Dale Earnhardt managed to make millions of dollars in his career, and one reason that happened was because of Don Hawk. It seems as if there is a bit of resentment out there because of Earnhardt's success off the track as well as on it.

While I recommend this book to new fans, I would urge long-time fans to find the article that Ed Hinton wrote in the Orlando Sentinel immediately after Earnhardt's death. As this book brings out, Hinton and Earnhardt were often at odds with one another, but Hinton wrote a beautiful story that shared a number of great anecdotes about some of the unknown stories in Earnhardt's life. That's what I want to read about and I wish this book would have had more of it.

This is the first Dale Earnhardt book I have found that was NOT a coffee table book filled only with captioned photos.

This book covers Dale's life from the beginning, discussing his friends and family. It tells the story of his struggle to become so successful.

Dale was always a very private person, and until now, it was difficult to find anything about his personal life away from the racetrack. The book even mentions that Dale advised Dale Jr. that he would regret living his "Club E" image in the public eye.

I been a huge Nascar fan for over 20 years, and admired Dale since he finally cast the monkey off his back by winning the Daytona 500.

All in all a very good read, leaving me the desire to find out even more about Dale.

I love books about NASCAR. As a female fan of the sport, I love to learn about not only the history of NASCAR but about the men who make NASCAR so popular. This book is not only for Dale Earnhardt fans but I would recommend it for those people who didn't like him. I think they will be surprised at how different Dale Earnhardt was off the track. "The Intimidator" only describes his on-track persona.

What makes this book a great read is that with each story you can almost hear the sadness in the voices of those folks who have lost a very special friend. Some of the tales told are humorous and with each recollection you learn more about Dale Earnhardt the man, husband, father, and friend.

Leigh Montville has put together what I can honestly say is the best tribute to a man who is missed by so many of us. He made me realize NASCAR will never ever be the same without that Goodwrench Black Number 3 Monte Carlo of Dale Earnhardt.

Dale, Rest in Peace!

J.C. Watts is a true American hero - in every sense of the word. From humble beginnings in rural Oklahoma to star Sooner QB to luminary Congressman, Watts recounts his life in expert fashion to make for an enthrallingly good read. Watts has always been a leader grounded in good faith and family values - a true original when in comes to Washington, D.C. demagoguery. And that's exactly what has endeared him to his many fans and supporters - and conversely that's what also has angered many outside - and within - the Republican pary. Watts was never known to back down from a good fight. He is willing to take a principled stand for what he believes in and resists the coercive influence to always vote in deference to party leadership.

As Watts explains, character-building experiences have helped him to see beyond political orthodoxy and the rigid constraints of group identity to make him the extraordinary leader that he is today. He is willing to embrace new models to solve old problems - unlike most politicians. Watts has always been a man of God, resiliency, resolve, unwavering principle, and old-fashioned family values. He is sorely missed in Washington as there are few true leaders like him remaining.

"No man is free who is not master of himself."

I did not know what to expect when I picked up this book, but found it was hard to put down. I was very pleased with what I found. Watts begins the book with a background of his life growing up in Oklahoma . The rest of the book flows smoothly as he chronologically describes his college days, his marriage, professional football career, and his political years. He describes certain events in his life that led him to his conservative views. I would encourage anyone to read this book, as it causes the reader to reflect upon their own childhood and politcal views.

When I picked up this book I had intentions of learning about how J.C. dealt with politics in his life. After reading it I was pleasantly surprised about how in-depth the book goes into his life in general, not just politics. He discusses in great length, what it was like for him to grow up in Oklahoma, and how the views of his parents have molded him into who he is today. Some people might disagree with a lot of his political stances, but it is hard to disagree with the merit at which he chose those stances. His views are views that many American's share, whether or not many believe it. For those who like sports, his descriptions of sport analogies, and how they tie into life, should be adequate enough to get you to understand his political views. For those who perfer a pure political book this may not be for them. In retrospect, he could have used the title Leadership in his book just as well as Conservative. I think that the title of 'What Color is a Conservative' is not quite enough, as this book touches on much more then politics, which I think is the basis of our general definition of Conservative when we discuss those who hold a political office. It is a great book, and a shame that the people of the U.S. will lose a great Congressional member. But no matter what office he holds, his legacy will be based upon his ability to lead, which nobody who reads this book should question.