This book addresses the eternal quest by Americans to learn their beginnings, to reflect on the past, and dream of good times when life was simple. I enjoyed the book even though I was born in the 60's. I look forward to volume II.

This book is less about Nautilus than it is about the people who have attempted to discover the little creatures' secrets. A wonderful book about scientists (rather than science), with all their mistakes and genius laid plainly to view. A highly recomended book.

The book is filled with beautiful photographs, and the text borders on poetry--clearly a labor of love by the author and photographers. An excellent book for a quick overview of the islands. There is a section on each island,, with descriptions of its physical and cultural features. Text and photographs tend to weigh more heavily on the cultural. There is even a section with useful information for tourists. I would have liked to see and read more about the unique animals of these islands.

For parents of preschool-age children, and fans of cut-paper art, "Into the A, B, Sea" represents a satisfying experience. I believe Steve Jenkins represents one of the most successful artists of cut-paper collages. The rhymes are simple, and the pictures focus on the shapes and textures of the animals without any clutter. "Into the A, B, Sea" ranks up there with some other excellent titles by Mr. Jenkins including "Biggest, Strongest, Fastest"; "The Top of the World: Climbing Mount Everest"; and "What Do You do When Something Wants to Eat You". These other titles, by Mr. Jenkins alone, pack more information/education into each page. Mr. Jenkins has collaborated with more extensive poetry selections in "This Big Sky". Other books in this vein--combining bright images and simple verse, although not cut-paper, would be "In the Tall, Tall Grass" and "In the Small, Small Pond", both by Denise Fleming, "Baboon" by Kate Banks, and, of course, "On the Day you Were Born" by Debra Frasier. One of my most favorite read-aloud, cut-paper books is "Mouse Mess" by Linnea Asplind Riley. My first daughter adored this book as a preschooler, and had all the text memorized by her 3rd year.

Although oceanography is not my strong point, I did find the book interesting covering a wide range of topics from different types of tides and currents to the marine life found in the ocean. Each chapter offers math problems to help solve different equations about the oceans. Also, the chapter questions are helpful in reviewing the material found in each chapter. Overall, an interesting a well-written book for first time oceanography students!

Jacques-yves Cousteau:Exploring the Wonders of the Deep(Innovative Minds) is a very well written book. Its shows the true wonder of the sea and helps us to fathom our planets true beauty through the ocean. This book is a shining example of a book to capture the heart of Captian Cousteau in the pages of this book. The information in this documentory have shown me the true nature of this world and its ocean. This book is a wonderful resource to the ocean and not only the life, but the mind of Jacques-Yves Cousteau.

Instead of reading from the beginning, I started with The Red Rover first. I enjoyed it immensely; it was filled with sailors' superstitions, eery encounters with unknown ships, and many tales of the 'unexplained' occurances on sea. There were wonderful descriptions from Cooper that appealed to the senses. The Red Rover is a page-turning tale of suspense. The reader is left to ponder over the identity of the captain Red Rover and the nature of his near magical power over his men, yet Cooper gives the reader a slap in the face when we realize that it is our hero, "Wilder", who is not what he seems! The story continues and ends with more identity-revealing. I finished The Red Rover with a dazzled mind, and then turned to The Pilot. Expecting more intriguing tales of the sea, this book was a let-down in that it nearly focuses on two young lieutenants trying to kidnap their lovers from England and whisk them away, back to America. Redeeming the tale slightly is the vague pilot himself, never named, but patterned on a heroic and rather "chivalrous" John Paul Jones.

Marryat had a way with words (I found myself constantly looking them up in the dictionary). This is an engrossing tale of a young lad who's Father is hanged after the mutiny at Nore (where his mother also dies after the hanging). He is then adopted by the Navy and spends his life at sea. From ship's boy, to midshipman, to lieutenant, the tale encompasses engagements at sea with smugglers, pirates, and the French. The lad was also the grandson of an admiral, unbeknownst to him, and the heir to a vast estate. Thus part of the tale revolves around the inheritors of his estate, who believe him dead. Although this book is a great read, Marryat at times wanders far a field. And, at times departs completely from the story on some other tack. The ending of the book is exciting and surprising, and for Marryat, different from his other works. He apparently took a lot of flack from his readers at the time. There are some great characters introduced in the book, in particular some of the crew of the frigate that the hero (Willy Seymore) spends several years on (voyaging to the West and East Indies). The surgeon reminds me much of the good doctor in O'Brien's books. Many a good character passed before my eyes, but they were mere shadows of what could have been literary legends. In some respects, this book is disappointing; it could have been so much more. But all told mate, it is still a great read.

This book was one of about 20 or so books I used in my classroom for a self-guided and self-paced unit on oceanography. It was one of the most-used books in my selection - students were quickly absorbed by the beautiful illustrations, and used it not only for their research, but were also seen choosing it for independent choice reading. The book was useful in sparking interest in marine biology, and gave a basic understanding of the content addressed. It was useful as a starting point for further research, but did not give the detail their research required. In all, I would recommend this book as a lovely and colorful introduction to oceanography.

Given the reduced and somewhat rattletrap state of the modern no-longer-royal Canadian navy (now laboring under the bureaucratic shroud, 'Canadian Forces Maritime Command'), John D. Harbron's story of the RCN in the Second World War is an especially educational and evocative one.

The story is nothing less than one of transformation. From its 'miniscule' starting point in 1939, the RCN was by 1945 the fourth largest navy in the world, with nearly 500 ships in commission. Almost all of those had been constructed during the war in Canadian shipyards, which also were able to turn out more than 400 critically needed merchant vessels for the North Atlantic convoys. Thousands of men and women who had no experience with the sea were turned into a disciplined and efficient fighting force, building a war record of which any nation could be proud.

While not intended as a comprehensive history of fleet actions, 'The Longest Battle' nevertheless tells its story effectively. In the battle of the North Atlantic, German U-boats and Canadian ships squared off without ceasing from the start of the war to the final surrender -- hence the title, 'The Longest Battle.' The fighting often surged into Canada's own waters, sometimes as far west as the St Lawrence River itself.

Harbron also gives us a brief but descriptive look at the various classes of Canadian warships, the growth of the merchant navy, the history of the Wrens (officially, Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service, or WRCNS), and, interestingly, a chapter about the RCN's antagonists, the U-boats and their crews. There is also a touching section telling the stories of two RCN families and their wartime experiences.

Harbron also argues that the transformation of the RCN had a lasting effect on Canada's society. In the 1940s, Canada was far more British, culturally and ethnically, than it is today. He writes, 'Canadian nationalism was reborn in the wartime mess decks of the Royal Canadian Navy. In September 1939 the tiny Canadian navy went to war as a pliant auxiliary of the [British] Royal Navy. In May 1945, it emerged at the peace as a full-blown, confident Canadian national institution in which Canadians from all our geographic regions and many ethnic communities had been drawn together in a common cause' (p. 19).

A book this size can only skim the surface of all there is to tell about its subject. But packed as it is with great photos and informed, personal writing, it does credit to the ships, their crews, and the navy that at a time of crisis lived up to its stirring motto, 'Ready, Aye Ready.'