This book is a fascinating read. Chowdhury draws on his own experiences as a technical diver as he tells the story of a father and son, Chris and Chrissy Rouse--"the Bicker Brothers."

The Rouses' heavy involvement in SCUBA diving led them to pursue becoming part of the diving community's elite. The author relates his own experiences, both diving with the Rouses and doing the same kind of extreme diving the Rouses, and he, were compelled to do. As he relates these experiences Chowdhury lays open his own soul so the reader can glimpse inside the minds of those who reach into the watery depths.

Was it merely a father and son adventure, the thrill of doing something few others dared, or the siren song of mystery that led the Rouses' to the U-WHO and ultimately their deaths? In all probability it was a combination of the three. The author examines the controversies over deep, technical, wreck, and cave diving. He also show how these various communities draw an uncommon type of person. While these may be thrill seekers, they could probably be described more as hard-driven adventurers. These individuals want to reach past the ordinary and excel in the process. Sometimes the drive exceeds judgement. When that happens fatal results can and do occur.

Chowdhury is in effect eulogizing his friends, but he also is exorcising the demons of "survivor's guilt." Just a year prior to Chris and Chrissy's fatal dive the author had a similar experience with aborted decompression and being evacuated by the Coast Guard for recompression therapy. Chowdhury barely survied his ordeal. Fate was not so kind for the Rouses.

The Rouses went from being open water divers, to cave divers, then to extreme wreck divers. They made dives on the "Everest of Diving" the Andrea Doria and the Empress of Ireland. They were using cave diving techniques to push the edge of technical wreck diving, often to the disdain of "pure" wreckers. Each of the extreme diving communites--deep, wreck, or cave--have strongly held opinions about the way in which a dive should be conducted. What is ironic is the fact that the arguments are still going on among the various diving "communities."

For anyone interested in adventure, irony, or tragedy--The Last Dive will draw you in and leave you gasping for air. While much of the book examines technical diving it does not dwell on the technology of diving as it does the psyche of diving and, for that matter, any adventure sport.

There is one factual misstatement about cavern diving depth limits being 130 feet. Actually the cavern diving depth limit is 70 feet and total depth plus penetration into a cavern shall not exceed 130 feet.

Also, toward the end of the book, there is strong speculation about Sheck Exley's death. Exley was someone that Chrissy Rouse admired. Chowdhury stated that Exley had miscaluated the amount of gas needed to make the dive and when he realized this he tied himself into the line so his body could be recovered.

Reports that I read stated Exley's body was entangled in the line. Exley knew his gas consumption rate and meticously planned each dive. He should have had enough gas with him and he certainly cached enough extra gas for stage decompression. No one knows why Exley died--equipment problems, narcosis, or oxygen toxcity. The author was speculating here, but the text makes you think he had inside knowledge. (Note: I have learned that Exley would wrap the line around the valves of his tanks in order to rest--this is exactly how he was found.)

Aside from these two problems I found the book compelling. A must read for the techinal diving crowd. The book is also an insightful, introspective look at why people love high-adventure.

If adventure novels are your primary reading genre pick up "The Last Dive." It contains as much drama, but with added facet of being a true tragedy.

This book laid around in the seconds bin at my supermarket for weeks before i finally picked it up, attracted by the awesome cover. It turned out to be one of the best non-fiction books I've read in years! Completely riveting from start to finish. Fascinating in its explanation of the technical aspects of various types of diving, and also a highly engaging story of the fates of individual divers including the author and the duo who made the eponymous Last Dive. Whether you dive or not (i am *barely* a diver), this is a terrific book that I'd recommend to anyone. I don't know where this Chowdhury guy learned to write (in the book he is a computer geek by day and diver on weekends though evidently he now owns a magazine) but he is right up there with Jon Krakauer, IMHO. Thanks for the gripping insight into a world few of us will ever see.

I picked up the Book & started reading it in a Bookstore. Couldn't put it down. Bought it.
Read it going home, late at night, going to work. Solid, engaging style.
Like Krakauer ( into Thin Air ) & Junger ( the Perfect Storm) Chowdhurys "The last Dive" takes you into a beautiful, exciting; intoxicating, sometimes dangerous world. The book covers everything from Cave diving & Wreck diving, swimming down the silent aisles of The Andrea Doria, inside a ship hundreds of feet below the surface, to sitting in the moonlight staring up at the night sky from twenty feet below . Like Krakauer, Chowdhury uses his own Diving experiences to amplify the story.
Fascinating, funny, beautiful, hypnotizing.
A very good read.

William Manchester's memoir of World War II is quite good - although in my opinion there are better personal narratives of the war in the Pacific. What makes this out of the ordinary is that Manchester travels across the Pacific revisting the battle sites, re-telling their stories - and his own.

His description of Guadalcanal is the best part, which is unfortunate, as it happens in the first half of the book. Manchester's strength is as a biographer - which does Goodbye, Darkness somewhat of a disservice. He does an outstanding job of painting vivid characterizations of Vandegrift, Nimitz and MacArthur, but at the expense of weakening what could have been a more memorable memoir. Manchester does a decent job of providing an overall view of the conduct of the war; but as far as personal accounts go, Eugene Sledge's With the Old Breed is by far a better read.

A wonderful and well-deserved tribute to those who gave the last full measure during the Pacific War. Certainly does not sugar-coat the realities and horrors of combat. Reads well--incredible imagery as only Manchester could write it. However, Manchester the biographer and Manchester the autobiographer are two different authors, meaning that this book is not nearly as objective as his other works. He spends no small amount of time pontificating about the moral and social decay of America's younger generation, as he basically "vents" thirty years' worth of frustration and emotion. Provides an outstanding broad overview of the entire Pacific War, not just Okinawa. Once again, he uses incredible imagery to paint vibrant word pictures of all the places he visits or re-visits, including Guadalcanal, Tarawa, New Guinea, Leyte, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, etc. He also introduces the reader to the local inhabitants of some of these places. You read this book in full color.

If one could read two accounts of the Pacific War written from the perspective of Americans this book and Sledges "With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa" would be the best that one can get. There are a lot of very good narrative history books on all aspects of the Pacific War, but the poet-gone-to-war genre is something that really the British usually do much better than the Americans. That is why when I stumbled upon Manchester's memoirs I was immediately sucked into the guts of wartime experience.

Manchester writes with passion borne from desperation and experience of long times in the firing line. He waxes from the lyrical experiences of a fireside chat on the battle-line with a student of philosophy (himself?) regalling the troops with an exposition on the nature of time. One is left with the images of hard worn veterans from small American towns, experiencing the wonder of ideas for the first time on the eve of battle. Their far off, empty stares as the philosopher marine finishes his exposition in sheer silence is something that one can almost feel. That very same night they cut up a large Banzai charge on Guam --- one can cut the atmosphere of the book with a knife.

Manchester can then go on an describe his visceral uncomfortable feelings of being close to the Japanese today. Their inability to admit to former attrocities is something that Manchester admits, planted the seed of dislike deeply inside him. Try as he might he cannot shake it and we are at least amazed with his honesty. This contrasts with the cerebral, fair-minded Manchester we all know from his biographies.

I have read more than 200 narrative histories and memoirs of the Pacific War, British, American, Japanese, Indian and Chinese, Australian, Canadian ... and this is one of the best. Like all good books, it stays with you for a long time....

It's a real shame that Jack London coupled one of his most fascinating and full-blooded characters with a stinker of a love story which carries no conviction.

Maud Brewster, like many of London's female characters (from Skeet, Curly and Mercedes in The Call of the Wild to Beth, Alice and Collie in White Fang), is underdeveloped, a mite hysterical, and completely dependent on the male characters. Without much in terms of psychological complexity, Maud provides a poor, poor reason for Humphrey Van Weyden to rebel against Wolf Larsen.

The first half of this book and its final few chapters are superb because London's male characters and their struggles are vividly portrayed. The knife-whetting contest between Mugridge and Hump; the homoerotic segment where Hump tends to a naked and wounded Larsen; Johnson and Leach's struggle against Larsen's iron fist -- London obviously loves these characters and gives them the light of day. Maud is another story.

In any event, the first half of this book is the top-notch tale of a Miltonic hero's slow slide from power, and the ending a moving fulfillment of this character's destiny (life, in the end, *is* yeast...but a savagely active and beautiful yeast, at that). Another one of London's terrible worlds unfolding its brutal majesty before us -- and, of course, another book inexplicably relegated to the children's section of many a book store.

Jack London's stated intention in writing this book was to place a man and a woman, both intellectual, well-to-do, yet socially soft (physically and psychologically). into the very challenging world of a seal hunting boat and watch them strive for survival. In this context, he has created one of the most fascinating characters of all literature, Wolf Larson, the inhuman captain of the "Ghost." Larson takes great delight in the suffering he brings to Humphrey Van Weyden and Maud Brewster, but they steadily grow to meet the challenge. This book can be read and enjoyed on two levels: As a rousing sea adventure, or as a discourse on society and sociology. Jack London is my favorite author -- I am in the process of collecting first editions of all fifty of his books -- and yet I find Sea Wolf ranks head and shoulders above all his other works. It could explain why this story has been turned into a film seven times, more than any of his his other stories, including The Call of the Wild. Two of cinema's great Wolf Larsons have been Edward G. Robinson and Charles Bronson.

The Sea Wolf is a gripping, thrilling and stunning peice of work. Van Weyden and Larsen come to grips with eachother and with themselves in this book. The confrontation scenes between the two are amazingly written and the stark realism of the boat, it's crew and the violence that is almost an everyday occurence combine to make this a book that can not be put down.

The introduction of the female slows the book considerably but in my honest opinion, the ending is fine. Larsen's final fate is surprising and heart rending. The repeated phrase "Bosh" leads to one of the books best moments. While I wish London hadn't included the female, the book is well worth the read. At least before the female comes in, the book is darkly violent and challenging. The social implications of the debates between Van Weyden and Larsen are extremely sobering. All in all, this book is one of the best I have ever read. Brilliant is the best word I can come up with.

Even though I believe that the Aubrey-Maturin series is one of the great works of prose fiction of the 20th century, the latest (and 20th) book in the series, Blue at the Mizzen, is a disappointment. Indeed the last few books in the series (starting with the Wine-Dark Sea, have gotten progressively weaker, but even they have always had many compelling pages. The great humor, the exciting naval action, the lovely historical feel, but above all the wonderful language and psychological acuity are missing here. The female characters are, no surprise, mere plot devices. (Both Sophie and Clarissa barely figure, and the smart and beautiful Mrs. Wood, who Maturin falls for, makes little sense as a character.) But the subordinate characters in general lack interest, even the prominently featured midshipman Hansen, the bastard son of the Duke of Clarence. The local color in early 19th century Chile seems washed out, insubstantial. Worst of all, the two principals are presented pro forma, as if O'Brian is just tired of them. While there is a satisfying (finally) move up to Admiral for Aubrey, the story (with no more Napoleonic foes, and no more money worries) has run out of gas. Is this the last of the novels? Aubrey-Maturin fans will be disappointed that we have lost track of Pullings, Babbington, Mowett, and Martin completely-what happened to them? Where oh where is to Aubrey's illegitimate son, Sam Panda, last seen in nesrby Peru-and why do Jack's thoughts never run to him? This is, of course, a must-read for Aubrey-Maturin fans, but compared to the invigorating, full-blooded novels in the series, this one reads like the weak, lukewarm tea that Jack and Stephen so detest.

The Hundred days read like a ghost-written book based on O'Brian's notes. The scene in the desert listening to lions was O'Brian's voice, pure and sweet. The rest was cloudy. I advised friends -don't waste your money.

Blue at the Mizzen (an Adm of the Blue broad flag flying at the mizzen - a squadron commander -as opposed to a "Yellow Adm " a passed over reject) is a saga worth buying. The sweet digressions are closely edited and battle scenes longer - this book sounds more like Alexander Kent than O'Brian.

From the wretched Hundred Days, a glow remains in the hearth. At his worst - and this certainly isn't - O'Brian is miles ahead of the competition.

The grief over a lost friend and (a little bit) a wife gets a mention here - response to the astonished reaction to the blaise reaction in the previous book?

I hope this is the last, before the embers die out completely. This is still O'Brian - not at his best - but still in the game.

The jacket cover picture is the best of the series

The Twentieth (and Final) novel in the Aubrey/Maturin series finds our heroes engaged in a solo night raid against the Spanish viceroy in Peru. The goal, as it has been for the last several books, is to help Chile gains its independence from Spain. On the personal side, Stephen Maturin is reconsidering marriage while Jack Aubrey dreams of finally becoming an Admiral. But as readers of this series are well aware, just because one of these books heads off in a particular direction is no guarantee it will ever reach any given destination.

I finished "Blue at the Mizzen" a week before the death of author Patrick O'Brian, having spent the entire summer reading the Aubrey/Maturin series from start to finish. There was speculation when the book was published that it might make the end of this most remarkable series because of O'Brian's failing health. However, the author was apparently well into his next novel when he passed away.

In hindsight it is certainly remarkable that "Blue at the Mizzen" will be the final book in the series. The series does indeed a high water mark of a sort and I must express my wish that O'Brian had picked a different title in regards to that particular point. The novel begins with Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, which is also significant, for Jack Aubrey is very much a creature of the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. Although Aubrey and his particular friend Stephen Maturin had never been in the forefront of the war effort, it was against that larger backdrop that O'Brian set his novels. Whatever adventures lay ahead, they would most surely have been of a different cut of cloth. Consequently, while I will miss the novels that would have been followed this one, I am satisfied that there is a completeness to the epic.

To underscore this idea I ask you to read the final chapter of this novel and to recognize the inherent rightness in the final words of Jack Aubrey upon the printed page.

Final Note: While I give this particular novel 4 Stars the entire series. Remember: YOU MUST READ THESE NOVELS IN ORDER. This is not Horatio Hornblower.

In this book, Titanic Crossing, by Barbara Williams, the author tries to tell you how many people died on the titanic. The main character Albert, 13, his sister Ginny and his mother, and grandfather live in London where it's always dreary. The whole family boards a train and gets on the Titanic. Then they leave for Washington D.C. Along the way they are unfortunate enough to hit an iceberg and the whole family is separated. The author's purpose in writing this book is to show why it is important to remember the Titanic and the people that died on the ship. Find out what happens to Albert and his family in Titanic Crossing.

I have read this book again and again and I have yet to tire of it. Barbara Williams has captured the disaster of Titanic through the eyes of a 13-year old young man. Excited to go home, meets a 12-year old young girl named Emily Brewer who apparently likes him (nice touch, he even thinks she's pretty too!), and dealing with a bratty little sister. I took this book because I don't really care for the Titanic but liked the story of Albert Trask dealing with change and adolescence (so thanks to all those empty, negative reports out there!). But the ending leaves too much to question. Like if he even mourns his late mother and uncle, or if he will stay in touch with Emily. Good story if you focus on the fictional portion of the story. (Good work Barbara Williams, but you don't know what a real thirteen year old boy would have done in your story! ;)

I like the book the Titanic Crossing because it has good facts and its a fiction book.The Titanic Crossing is a fascinated tale. The character is Albert and he wants to sail back to America. The mood in this book is sad and happy its sad because the ship sinks and almost everybody dies. Its kind of happy because its like a comedy.I like the part where the ship is sinking.The other characters are Virginia,Ginny, and Uncle Clay are also riding theTitanic back to America.Virginia said ''shall I read you some nursery rhymes'' Albert said ''the titanic was unsinkable'' and Uncle Clay said ''does she have appendicitis.

I picked up a copy of this book as soon as it hit the shelves. I tore into it ravenously (being a Benchley fan from "Jaws" days), and found myself shaking my head at the unbelievable expectations the author wanted me to believe as the story-line unfolds. To me the whole book read like a great white shark meets a storm trooping Edward Scissorhands or, maybe, Freddie Kruegger.

First of all, the author appears to be reaching deep for any kind of sympathy or group you can hope to pull into a story -- Nazis and those who hate them, reporters and those who hate them, even sharks. Sharks are, by the way, only peripheral characters in this book, maligned and mauled by the main creature/character.

OK, I usually don't tell too much about what's in a book, but I want to save many of you who haven't read this book already. A deranged Nazi scientist develops an amphibious biological based on a human form (an ultimate amphibious warrior) that has metal teeth and claws, a ravenous appetite, and nasty disposition to match.

No one in the book knows what to make of the remains they find scattered along the beach and, later, on shore. Only at the end of a predictable series of events do the "good guys" finally figure out what's up and put and end to the situation.

I worked my way through the book in good order, mostly because I was on vacation at the time and had little else at hand to read. The book is a quick and, compared to JAWS, a shallow read.

I wish I could recommend this book, but I cannot in good conscience do that. I can't imagine who in the world I would feel good recommending it to. It's too bad that not everything out there is a 5-star item.

I gave it a couple of stars primarily because I enjoy stories with a marne setting.

I hope these comments are helpful to you.

Alan Holyoak

WHITE SHARK is perhaps one the best written dead ends in history. Although packed with ideas, some adventure, and many, many ten mile wide close calls, by the end of the book you are literally left wondering what is it you just read. Its pacing and narrative are written like the tides breaking on the shore... it rolls in, it drags out, repeat until end of novel. Every so often the waves bring up something that sparkles, but it never truly shines through. The creature here is a crackjack idea (although a lift from the film SHOCK WAVES), but Benchley spends little or no time with it. And the major players in the book are made from the thickest carboard there is - they hold no surprises, and are so routine that Benchley never breaks a sweat when writing them, because we already know them and know what will happen to them. The hero and herione will get together at the end (they do), the sidekick will pull through (he does), the son will find his first love (he does, a deaf girl with telepathic powers which Benchley mentions once, and then drops, almost like she was going to play a larger part in the story, but Benchley found it too time consuming to continue with), and the monster will die (it does, pretty quickly and easily). Not his best work. For fans, it's worth the read. For those just picking up Benchley, start and stop with JAWS.

At first glance, this book appears to be about a great white shark. This is not the case, however, as Benchley takes the reader back in time to when Germany's Third Reich is about to collapse at the end of WWII. A secret experiment German scientist's have been working on, which is nicknamed White Shark, is lost in the depths of the ocean as the U-Boat it is being transported on sinks.
Then Benchley brings the reader back to the present day where Simon Chase runs a small marine institute on a small island he bought after he and his wife divorced. His son, Max, has come to visit him, which has been rare over the years since the divorce. Simon is studying sharks with his employee, an indian named Tall Man, and much to their delight a pregnant great white shark has been hanging around. Simon and Tall Man are able to tag it and study it.
In the meantime, a whale and sea lion expert named Amanda arrives with her sea lions to study the passing Atlantic Humpback whales at Simon Chase's rather broke institute for a hefty 10,000 a month.
Strange, horrific things begin to happen around the area. People mysteriously disappear, a bird sanctuary is ravaged, one of Amanda's sea lions disappears, and the great white shark is injured. The only evidence left at each of these terrible scenes are two stainless steel teeth that resemble those of a sharks, and five slashes on the great white shark that look like those of a human hand with claws.
This book is suspenseful, engaging, and will keep you reading until the end. I liked it as much as I did Benchley's most famous book Jaws if not a little more. This is a good read for those who can suspend a little disbelief and especially good for those who like books that take place in or around a marine setting.

This is a good escapist romantic story, but you must accept the contrivance of a grieving father who leaves his grieving children in the care of their schools and his elderly and frail parents to make his own escape in America.

I do wish Robin Pilcher would do some research, or use his common sense - I know of no-one who would enter the jetway of an aircraft in New York in the summer and take a deep breath of "fresh" air. The business of taking the dog around in the car and leaving it parked with the windows cranked down an inch or so is just plain nonsense - safe perhaps for Scotland, but not for New York's summertime, where it would be dead in five minutes.

There are many other such irritations, but I did find the book a good story and fun to read. There are characters who are pleasant to know, and others who are nasty, and the story rolls along at a good pace. Just give your common sense a break while you do it.

I really enjoyed the book! I got into it more after the first few chapters. Pilcher sets his the stage for the story before really taking off with the main theme, so you need to be little bit patient as he sets the tone. Emotions are expressed VERY well as you move through the story, and you can feel for the characters and their happenings throughout the book. As I read, I could form pictures in my mind of the background scenes and the characters which were written with wonderful descriptions and scenes.

I was personally reluctant to purchase this book, because I felt as though Mr. Pilcher might be capitalizing on his mother's very good name. However, a friend and fellow Rosamund Pilcher fan insisted that I give it a try. I was delighted to find that Robin has talent in his own right. It was in fact difficult at times to differentiate his writing with his mother's but, the gift obviously runs in the family. The book was a comforting read, with pleasant characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am looking forward to Robin's next book. Mr. Pilcher, well done.

This is the central question explored by Conrad in Lord Jim. Jim is ultimately a character who inspires our sympathy due to his inability to find reconcilliation for his one tragic moment of weakness. In him we find a person of tremendous potential that remains unrealized as the tragic circumstances of his abandoning his post aboard the Patna continually haunt him and the associated guilt drives him to isolation.
Conrad successfully explores the concepts of bravery, cowardice,guilt and the alternative destinies that an individual may be driven to by these qualities.
The narrative can be a bit confusing at times as Marlowe relates the tale by recalling his encounters with Jim. The book reminded very much of Somerset Maugham's THE RAZOR"S EDGE" in style. However I believe that Maugham did a much better job of incorporating the narrator into the flow of the story. Overall LORD JIM is a wonderful classic novel that I highly recommend.

This is the fifth book I have read by Conrad, and through these readings I have come to deeply appreciate his literary power and the perfection of his stories. Conrad has the skill to border about several similar subjects, without repeating himself. "Lord Jim" is truly a Shakespearean tragedy, mainly because of the Shakespearean nature of the main character. Jim is a young naval officer with high hopes of heroism and moral superiority, but when he faces his first test of courage, he miserably fails. While 800 Muslim pilgrims are asleep aboard the ship "Patna", Jim discovers that the boat is about to sink. There are not sufficient lifeboats for everybody. Should he wake them up or not? He gets paralyzed with fear and then sudenly jumps into a boat being set up by the rest of the officers. He is taken to trial and disposessed of his working licence.

Ashamed and humiliated, Jim dedicates the rest of his life to two things: escape the memory of that fateful night, and redeem himself. This agonizing quest to recover his dignity in front of his own eyes leads him to hide in a very remote point in the Malayan peninsula, where he will become the hero, the strong man, the wise protector of underdeveloped, humble and ignorant people. Jim finds not only the love of his people, but also the love of a woman who admires him and fears the day when he might leave for good. The narrator, Captain Marlow (the same of "Heart of Darkness") talks to Jim for the last time in his remote refuge, and then Jim tells him that he has redeemed himself by becoming the people's protector. Oh, but these things are never easy and Jim will face again the specter of failure.

Conrad has achieved a great thing by transforming the "novel of adventures" into the setting for profound and interesting reflections on the moral stature of Man, on courage, guilt, responsibility, and redemption.

Just as in "Heart of Darkness" the question is what kinds of beings we are stripped of cultural, moral and religious conventions; just as in "Nostromo" the trustworthiness of a supposedly honest man is tested by temptation, in "Lord Jim" the central subject is dignity and redemption after failure.

A great book by one of the best writers.

After reading this book (along with several other of Conrad's books) I am under the impression that Joseph Conrad may very well be my favorite author. Here is another masterpiece, a deeply incisive study of character of the motivation and the ultimate failure of all high-minded ideals. Granted my own personal world view falls directly in line with this realization and therefore prejudices me towards anything the man might write, but, when considering such a lofty title as 'favorite author' one must regard other aspects of the novelist's creation. As with the others, Conrad wins by the power of his stories.

Lord Jim is my least favorite of the the four books I have read by Conrad. The story is rather scattered: a righteous young man does something wrong that he holds himself far too accountable for and the public shame the action brought him exaggerates the reality of his failure and makes him believe the rumors swirling around about his so-called cowardice. He spends the remainder of his life trying to reclaim his self-regard, mostly exaggerating his own importance in matters he hardly understands. His goal is to liberate the primitive people of the jungle paradise he inadvertantly finds himself in (due to an effort to escape every particle of the world he once inhabited) and his once high-minded ideals and regard for himself lead him to allow those people to consider him almost a God.

Jim likes being a God and considers himself a just and fair one. He treats everyone equally and gives to his people the knowledge of modern science and medicine as well as the everyday archetecture and understanding of trade that those primitive folks would otherwise be years from comprehending.

Of course everything ends in failure and misery and of course Jim's restored name will be returned to its demonic status, but the whole point of the novel seems to me that one can not escape their past. Jim, for all his courage in the line of fire has tried to avoid all memory of the once shameful act of his former life and by doing so becomes destined to repeat his mistakes.

Lord Jim is far more expansive than the story it sets out to tell, ultimately giving a warning on the nature of history and general humanity that only a writer of Conrad's statue could hope to help us understand.

If there is a flaw it is not one to be taken literally. Conrad was a master of structural experimentation and with Lord Jim he starts with a standard third person narrative to relate the background and personalities of his characters and then somehow merges this into a second person narrative of a man, years from the events he is relating, telling of the legend of Jim. It is a brilliant innovation that starts off a little awkward and might lead to confusion in spots as the story verges into its most important parts under the uncertain guidence of a narrator who, for all his insight into others, seems unwilling to relate his personal relevence to the story he is relating.

Nevertheless (with a heartfelt refrain), one of the best books I have ever read.

The authors have written an interesting and timely book. I liked all of the factoids and descriptions they gave about life one thousand years ago in England. Fascinating to see how our ancestors did it (life) facing challenges we have long ago conquored. The organization of the book tends to break up the narrative. It is mildly annoying in places, as are comparisons to current news that will, unfortunately quickly make this book look dated. This situation is caused by the author's using a period calendar as a backdrop to their story and organizing the book around the twelve months of the year and the seasonal activities of the Anglo-Saxons under study.

A quick read and overall enjoyable.

The book is written by journalists, not historians, and that in itself makes it all the more valuable for the general reader. Alas, too many historians write for other historians, and their prose is so stilted and dry as to be unreadable. But this book is a joy to read. Using the Julius Calendar as a device to introduce us to the everyday life of Anglo-Saxons in England in the years leading up to the first millennium, the authors present us with a perfect picture of what life must have been like on a seasonal basis, from January through December. I highly recommend this book to readers interested in the social history of that period who do not wish to wade through a thousand pages of scholarly boredom.

The authors have written an interesting and timely book. I liked all of the factoids and descriptions they gave about life one thousand years ago in England. Fascinating to see how our ancestors did it (life) facing challenges we have long ago conquored. The organization of the book tends to break up the narrative. It is mildly annoying in places, as are comparisons to current news that will, unfortunately quickly make this book look dated. This situation is caused by the author's using a period calendar as a backdrop to their story and organizing the book around the twelve months of the year and the seasonal activities of the Anglo-Saxons under study.

A quick read and overall enjoyable

"Unsinkable" (The Full Story of the RMS Titanic) by David Allen Butler is enjoyable enough, particularly for those who have never read any other accounts. There are much worse versions out there (Pellegrino) but, unfortunately for this volume, there are much better. Walter Lord's two books set the standard and Wynn Craig Wade nicely follows it. There will be nothing new in this volume, other than the author's political conservatism seeping into the account. Much like the recent spate of books concerning the disaster at the Antartic with the expedition of Robert F. Scott, this book tries to preserve the image of the heroic British empire and see these man-made failures as triumphs of the character of the upper class British (and by inference, American) male. The beating of this particular drum can get a little repetitious. The Titanic, though, is always a fascinating and tragic story and the author keeps the narrative moving along nicely.

Mr. Butler's work has been compared (unfavorably) with Walter Lord's classic "A Night to Remember." "Unsinkable" has been slammed as a regurgitation of previously published books about the Titanic disaster--unfairly, I feel. Many of the books on the market about Titanic contain a great deal of the same information--unsurprisingly! The ship *sank* on the first leg of its maiden voyage! There's a limited amount of information on the ship, its crew, and the events of April 15, 1912.

What makes a Titanic book stand out are the small nuggets of information evey autho managesto put into thei text. Each author brings something new to the subject, but it *does* require one to *read* the books, not skim through them.

Mr. Butler has very strong opinions about the Titanic disaster, and there are times when the author's "voice" comes through *very* clearly. After reading "Unsinkable," one will have no doubts at to his views on the events of April 15. He presents his arguments thoroughly and clearly, amd most emphatically. (He is also featured in the IMAX movie, Titanica. There is one portion of his interview that moved me to tears, reminding me that the story of the Titanic is about *people* and always has been.) I consider it a good addition to my library of Titanic books.

See the movie, but read this book. The movie fails to satisfy in the way "Unsinkable" will, as Butler provides us with a richly complete story of a tragedy that still grips the imagination. Walter Lord's "A Night to Remember" set the standard for non-fiction Titanic accounts; Butler refreshes the tale and provides us with even more details, and more information about the role of the Californian.

Since 9-11 it has been fashionable to say that "the world is changed forever." The sinking of the Titanic also signified the end of an era, not just Edwardian times but the end of the rigidly stratified class structure with its built-in inequities. Also, the hubris of technology suffered a blow; we were never so innocent again as to place our belief in "unsinkable" ships, or the infallibility of any work of man.

The human story, and the failure of the "state-of-the-art" ship building, are both skillfully depicted in "Unsinkable". Kudoes to the author. This book deserves a wide audience.