Andrew Santella begins "The Battle of the Alamo" with the dramatic moment when William Travis drew a line in the sand and asked that those who would stay and fight to end should cross over and stand with him. Santella then provides the historical background on the founding of the mission at San Antonio de Baxar and the political climate in the area after Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821. This juvenile history of the battle (technically it was really a siege) focuses on the most important details of the 13-day period. I have reason to believe that Santella takes pains to correct some of the errors in the John Wayne film version (e.g., a defender failed to put a torch to the Alamo's gunpowder). The aftermath of the Alamo is covered very briefly, in a single page, ending with the admission of Texas into the union. "The Battle of the Alamo" is illustrated with reproductions of documents and drawings from the period, as well as later paintings of the battle and contemporary photographs of the shrine to Texas independence. Although there is a juvenile history of the Alamo that provides more details, the Cornerstones of Freedom series remains an excellent place for students and teachers to turn to for more information about key events in American history that go well beyond what can be found in their class textbooks.

Andrew Williams has presented us with a true gift in historical writing - a narrative account of the U-boat menace against merchant shipping in the North Atlantic during the Second World War.

The author taken words from the mouths and memoirs of the participants and affected people to develop a fascinating portrayal of the war at sea between the German U-Boats and the merchant marine vessels of Britain and America.

Starting with the creation of Donitz's fleet and progressing through the high times (or, as the sailors called them, the "happy times") of the U-boat war, on to the final defeat of the German navy, this book is one not to be missed. The boat touches on such important topics as Operation Drumbeat and the Enigma machine, both of which were critical to the success (or failure) of the U-boat war.

The book does not focus primarily on life on a submarine, as might be expected, but instead truly focuses on the war within the war - the German effort to isolate Britain and starve her by sinking ships faster than the Allied forces could build them, and the Allies' desperate efforts to prevent the Germans from achieving this goal. In line with this effort, Williams brings the participants in this war back to life with his choice of utilizing their words and memoirs.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the naval war in the Atlantic ocean or the reason why the Allies were finally able to defeat the German naval threat and go on to win the Second World War against the Germans.

It's a shame that this highly interesting book has been permitted to go out of print, particularly as the era it describes is one widely ignored by naval historians. At the end of the Napoleonic Wars, it rapidly became evident that steam was going to supplement and eventually replace sail as the motive power of future navies. Lambert describes in fascinating detail the efforts of the Royal Navy to make the transition, first by equipping older ships with auxiliary steam engines, then by purpose-designing wooden battleships to be fitted with engines from the start. For a short period, these massive, dignified-looking ships with their retractable funnels, hoisting screws, and enormous, often badly-stressed wooden hulls ruled the seas. Lambert's research into the original sources is comprehensive and his discoveries often clash with accepted wisdom; it's Lambert's opinion that explosive shells did not doom the wooden fleet, but the lesser-known and extremely deadly Martin's molten iron shell, which was essentially a hollow cannon ball filled with molten iron and an understandably effective incendiary. The molten iron shell and the fact that wood had reached (and passed) its limit as a structural material ended the wooden steam battleship; when HMS Warrior appeared on the scene, the wooden ships vanished rapidly into harbor service and the breaker's yards. Lambert covers this period well and if you can find this book it's a great addition to your naval history collection.

This is laid out so well in a series of articles that Beard writes on his experiences with food, chefs, and restaurants. He not only talks about the purchase, prep and cooking, but also exquisite accounts of his memories of the recipe as he ate, sometimes with others.

Especially see his ideas about grilling hamburger. So luscious, with heavy cream, onions! So good!

This volume is chock full of treasures of tidbits from the easily recognized giant of the American culinary craft.

This is probably the most insightful, compulsively readable, scholarly biography I've ever read. It delves deep into the heart of the elusive, mysterious Patricia Highsmith and provides answers to all the most important questions. Where did Highsmith get her ideas from? How did she transform her life into art? What made her the woman she was?

It's obvious that I'm not the only one who thinks so. Paul Bailey in the Sunday Times (1 June, 2003) called it 'exemplary' and a 'triumph'. Craig Brown - who met Highsmith on a number of occasions - writes in the Mail on Sunday, 8 June 2003, that this is a 'masterly, utterly absorbing biography...One of the many virtues of Wilson's biography is the seriousness with which he takes the novels, showing them to be deeply attuned to the strange rhythms of guilt, jealousy and fantasy that affect all of us in different ways.'

He also says: 'Now that she is dead, Wilson has delved with extraordinary diligence, and everything he has unearthed is remarkable.....'

The distinguished novelist PD James, in the Sunday Telegraph, 8 June, says this:
'Andrew Wilson's fascinating, beautifully balanced and meticulously researched biography examines the dark obsessions which gave rise to Ripley, telling us as much as we are ever likely to know about Highsmith the woman and bringing us as close to understanding the writer as we are ever likely to get.'

I can't imagine any other biographer getting as close to his subject as this. Don't wait for anything else. Buy this book - now.

I really enjoyed reading these set of books. I am a graduate of The Culinary School of Kendall College and i know for a fact that it sits on the shelf of their bookstore. Becoming a chef really tells the tale of what it is like to be in the throes of the fast and exciting world of culinary arts. It tries to give the reader a first hand look at what the experience will be like when they get out there into the field. For the culinary artistry book, i think that whoever came up with this idea is a genius! There is an ultra helpful section in there that gives you a nice and pretty comprehensive table of ingredients and all of the possible things that will accompany them or compliment them; for instance they will have rosemary as the header and then under that, an extensive list of what goes well or what foods can be paired with that (like lamb, chicken. brown sauces etc.)... There are a good number of items also, ranging from herbs, spices, vegetables, and fruits to actual meats. And hey, Don't be afraid that your certain ingredient wont be represented because i can pretty much assure you that it will. I think that this book is invaluable to those dinner party throwers/ culinary adventurians that like to use spices but need a new idea or fresh perspective! (pardon the pun!) i must say that i especially like that feature. If you are a culinary artisan (beginner or experienced) you will find that this table-index will spice up your ideas in no time at all! I highly recommend this book (or should i say cross referencing dictionary for cooking) it is well worth your money, extremely reader friendly, it assists you whether you are an expert, a novice or a beginner! so get it and have a good time with it. It also makes a great gift to any foodie that you know out there! Buon appetit! did i mention that both books offer recipes as well??? YEA!

Written by Andrew Conway (a professional astronomer) and Rosie Coleman (a primary school teacher), A Beginner's Guide To The Universe is an amazing, fact-filled science book especially recommended for inquisitive young readers ages seven to fourteen, but which would be intrinsically interesting introduction for readers of any age or background. Color artwork and photography superbly enhance the enriching and informative text packed from cover to cover with information about the solar system, planets, galaxies, and beyond. An amazing and educational guide to stir interest in the stars, A Beginner's Guide To The Universe is enthusiastically recommended for personal, school, and community library Astronomy collections.

A strong 5 stars. I read this cover to cover and have found about a dozen similar books on original mystery-initiation experiential Christianity;...One interesting proposal in this book is that the figure of Lazarus is the author, fictionally speaking, of the Gospel of John.

As is standard for almost all late 20th Century scholars, Welburn uncritically assumes that Jesus existed, even as he presents a totally non-orthodox paradigm of what Christianity was really all about and where it came from. He wonders why the canon doesn't tell about Jesus' initiation practices, even though he explains Steiner's portrayal of Jesus' betrayal, arrest, trial, judgement, humiliation, crucifixion, burial, and ascension as themselves the experiential content of such Christian-style initiation.

Actually I hope Steiner's theory here is a little more complete than Welburn's explanation, which omits the trial and judgment phase of experiential mystic Christianity. The trial and judgment phase of the mystery drama is experientially crucial -- it is here where the mind questions the concept of the sovereign egoic moral agent and judges the idea to be monstrously incoherent, suitable only for animals and children. I don't know if Steiner covers this phase; Welburn doesn't.

At this point in recent history-oriented studies, in such theories as mystery-religion Christianity, the Historical Jesus assumption is just a clumsy and superfluous complication getting in the way, adding complexity without enabling theories to be simplified.

Welburn should at least ask whether the hypothesis of the existence of a single Historical Jesus is helpful for a coherent theory of the true origins of the Christian mystery religion. The *idea* of a historical figure is great and profound, but shouldn't be confused with the *actuality* of a historical figure who undergoes literal biographical events of betrayal, trial, and crucifixion. Welburn, of all scholars, should realize this. Nevertheless, this is an excellent book deserving a strong 5 stars.

As in any study of Christianity compared to mystery religions, this has enough mentions of sacred eating and drinking to hook into the entheogen theory of the origin of religions, and enough mentions of fate, determinism, necessity, or heimarmene to hook into a block-universe determinism theory.

Top-quality scholarship. Strongly recommended for those interested in original Christianity as essentially a mystic experiential mystery-religion. The endnotes contain pointers to related interesting books.

The author often mentions Rudolph Steiner's book Christianity as Mystical Fact.

This pregnancy journal is just what I had been looking for all during my 1st trimester of pregnancy. It is simple and has a certain elegance about it. I am not attracted to all the cute cartoons and adorable illustrations on most of the baby-related things out there. That's okay for the baby, but I am an adult and felt like I wanted something that looked like it was for an adult. The binding has a off-white cloth cover over the edge, but the inside is spiral-bound, so it is easy to write in. I am a longtime journal writer, so this appealed to me and I wanted a timeless gift to give my baby one day when he/she is an adult. As the cover indicates, there are beautiful black & white photographs at the biginning of each section. The sections are divided by trimester and there are also sections titled: Considering Pregnancy and Bringing Baby Home. There are a few spots for photos, but not too many. Each trimester section has places to record your feelings, fears, questions for your monthly visits, qualities you want in your birth place and whoever delivers your baby and takes care of you in your prenatal months. (And many many more!)There is sufficient room for your thoughts and I would strongly recommend this journal if you are looking for a classic look.

Andrew Murray addresses the problem of Prayerlessness. It is a problem that seems to know no generational boundaries. He cuts to the heart of the problem offering suggestions to this problems. If you are seeking to deepen your walk with God, this is a must read. This book is as relevant today or more so than when Andrew first addressed these issues.