This book is very helpful for somebody familiar with C++ and wanting to start using the STL. It is clear and complete if you're willing to read each chapter end to end. But if you're reasonably familiar with STL's concepts, or comfortable with abstract container classes in general, this book will frustrate you to no end.

The book could be very good if the "reference" section really was a reference, and not just a rehash of the description. Instead of just having lists of methods and descriptions of what they do, the reference is written in lengthy prose, and must be read sequentially in order to be understood. Rather than each entry standing on its own, method descriptions say "hardly any change from the similar method in the *blah* class." This makes looking up information extremely difficult.

It was great to get me on my feet. Now I'm really sick of it.

The book is kinda old and slighty out of synch with the latest achievements of the C++ standard-makers. And yet! it is the best tutorial book on STL there is: no hype, lotsa code, good explanations. I keep using it and I'm very happy. The only worthy addition to it I'd like to mention is the "Cow" book by Koenig. Not one from among the latest flood of the stl books is even close to the usefulness of Mark Nelson's book--one can only wish he issued an update.

Unlike some authors, Nelson doesn't oversell the STL or try to defend its most ill-advised features and peculiar terminology. He addresses the readers as respected colleagues with whom we wants to share some exciting information.

The 21 chapters are orgazized into three main parts:

I. Introducing the STL

II. The essentials: containers, iterators, algorithms, functions.

III. The public interface: reference information If you're a experienced C++ programmer, the first two parts are must reading. The third part is a bit too detailed and repetitive.

The index is comprehensive, and definitions are provided for important terms (exception: "algorithm complexity" and O(n) notation, concepts well known to Computer Science majors but not to every practicing programmer).

An offbeat entry to the series - the various mysteries are more engrossing than the feline hero for once. The reader gets to hear Max's side of the story (one of 2 men PR-person and sometime-sleuth Temple Barr is attracted to) while getting caught up in a mystery involving a haunted house and a seance. There's also a fascinating sidebar with Temple's other fellow, Matt, and his glimpse of an-all-too-real ghost from his past. The overall atmosphere of the book is rather haunting and melancholy, marred only by Louie's slightly ridiculous take on things. I'm fond of the feline, but kitty seanaces? A little too over the top for me....

Cat With an Emerald Eye sees that irresistable inter-species team of Temple Barr and Midnight Louie, PI up to their respective heels and paws in the occult when a psychic is murdered at a seance held to contact the ghost of Harry Houdini. When it turns out that the victim was really a magician attempting to expose phony psychics, this dynamic pair is off searching for the killer. Temple must turn to one of her beaux, the Mystifying Max Kinsella, a friend of the victim while juggling her feelings for Matt Devine, the handsome ex-priest and martial arts practitioner. Louie, on the other hand, must reluctantly rely on Karma, the mystical Birman who lives with Temle's landlady, Electra Lark. While Temple and Max search for the killer in the victim's own files, Matt sees a ghost from his past-the once and future Cliff Effinger. Meanwhile, Louie's life is complicated, not only by murder but by his relationship with his daughter, Midnight Louise, his own father, Three O'Clock Louie and the revelation that his now has his own neamisis, a dude who threatens his very future. Once again, the reader is taken on a roller coaster ride in this, the sixth book in the Midnight Louie series and left wanting more, more mysteries and more of the characters Douglas so skillfully creates.

Midnight Louie is known as a big, bad, streetwise kind of guy, but in his latst antic adventure, the beguiling cat-about-town shows his sensitive side. In "Cat with an Emerald Eye" both feline super sleuth Louie and his human companion, Las Vegas public relations woman Temple Barr, find themselves communing with the occult, and Louie, needless to say, proves to be the more adept. "I am beginning to think that I am as superior at seeing what is not there as I used to be at seeing what was there," the super sleuth meows. There is indeed a murder involved...but you get the feeling that the murder is almost incidental in Carole Nelson Douglas' mysteries. The real mystery is which of her two beaux will win Temple-Mystifying Max the magician, who is "like a volcano, unpredictable and exciting," or the ex-priest, Matt Devine,"who made her feel so utterly secure it was...divine. Max was caffeine, Matt was...chamomile tea. Max was edgy nerves, Matt was nirvana." The two men are linked not only by their love for Temple but also by two dead bodies, a connection that is played out slowly, book by book. In this one, Matt believes he glimpses one erst-while corpse, his wicked stepfather, making his way through Las Vegas. But the advantage, nevertheless, belongs to Max, for whom the dead magician/medium was a mentor. Though Max "needed to keep secrets about himself the way some other peole bled personal data like information-age hemophiliacs," he does, at last, give Temple some insight into his teenage summer in Ireland, when all his troubles started and he got into hot water with the IRA and involved with Interpol. But the motely crew of psychic suspects, Temple's tempestuous love life (not to mention her world-class shoe collection) and Max and Matt's past and present problems are just part of the fun. It's hard not to be charmed by Temple's eccentric landlady and her astral-projecting cat Karma ("the little piece of pussycat pixiedom" Louie calls Klinkerball). Louie's semi-retired father, Three O'Clock Louie, also makes an appearance, as do shades of Elvis, Amelia Earhart, Orson Wells and the late, great Harry Houdini. You never know what madness and mayhem you'll find in Douglas' mysteries, but you can be sure it will be wild, witty and utterly irresistible.--reviewed by Alix Madrigal

This book is really good. It is sorta boring at the beginning, but its good at the end. My favorite part is when they took the monkey to the zoo, and got chased. I think you should read this book because its about a monkey that has a big effect on a girl. I would recommend this book to you.

I think this book is good because it has a lot of action. My favorite part was when they got chased in the zoo. I think you should check this book out because its grabs your mind. We read this book in our Principal's Book talk, so it has to be good. At the very beginning its not as good as you think it would be, but at the end it gets better.

A monkey, an island, a secret treehouse, and a cast of characters to fall in love with -- who could ask for more? This was a wonderful book that I won't forget! I am recommending it to all my friends. I'm also going to pick it as a monthly selection for my kids reading club. I loved this book!

Courtesy of Love Romances

Gerek Gunn, The Beast of Battle, called so for his skill and stealth in war, has known his entire life he was illegitimate. One thing he did not know however, was who his real father was. His mother had always promised to reveal the secret to him when he was older, but alas, she died before she could. Gerek took this as a personal slight and decided then and there he would never trust another woman.

Someone wants him dead, though, unhappy with the role he plays in his grandfather's life. In order to protect him, his grandfather, The Gunn of Killearnan, sends him off to foster with a loyal friend. He tells Gerek he will have to earn his way to the title of Clan Chief, proving he has what it takes. And the way to do that is by becoming the best and most resourceful warrior out there.

Her father and brothers hate Catriona MacFarr and she has no idea why. They have always treated her terribly, abusing her and later sending her away to be a kitchen servant at another keep. The only people she feels she can count on are her mother and her one dear friend, Mag. But the MacFarr has sorely treated her mother as well; to the point she really doesn't live anymore, but merely exists.

When Cat was a child, she had been promised in marriage to the bastard grandson of The Gunn, in the hopes this marriage would help him to be accepted as the Gunn. To make Gerek go along, the condition is made he must marry by his thirtieth birthday, or the title will pass to his cousin, Baen. When Cat is sent for to return home for marriage, she refuses, swearing she will never marry anyone of her father's choosing, especially someone known far and wide as The Beast of Battle! Cat distrusts all men, convinced they are all like her father so she runs away, hoping to find her adventure somewhere she will be appreciated.

Gerek is also on the run. Covenanters had just executed the man who fostered him, The Earl of Montrose and they were after him. He needs to hide out to save his life, so he can make it back in time for his wedding. All he desires is to be The Gunn, nothing else matters. When he comes upon a cottage, disguised as a monk, he is surprised to find it occupied already by Cat, he is disguised as a peasant boy.

He knows right away this is no boy and he finds himself inexplicably attracted to Cat, as she is to him. Tensions flare between the two, especially when she finds out Gerek knew all along she was no boy but was toying with her. But both are hiding from something, telling lies upon lies to protect themselves. Can either one really believe what the other says and that what they feel is real? Even more so when there true identities are revealed and their destinies become entwined? Who wants Gerek dead? Can they build a true and loving relationship on packs of secrets? And plenty of secrets will be revealed, some shocking to the core!

This story is full of adventure and excitement. Ms. Nelson has a sure-fire winner in this tale! Cat and Gerek's lives are complex and full of hidden agendas for those closest to them. The journeys they undertake to find the answers to their questions and the mysteries surrounding them are never dull filled with plenty of passion. As much as they distrust and dislike one another, they can't resist their burning desire. Their path to the altar is a roller coaster ride of emotion. Cat and Gerek are perfect for each other, if only they could realize it!

The supporting cast is always delightful and full of life as well, human or animal. Cat's father and brothers are suitably despicable and her mother seems so meek and mild until the time comes she can relax and enjoy her life once again. The Gunn is wise and full of vitality, being a very well rounded character. And who can forget the wonderful Dubh, Gerek's faithful sidekick deerhound, and his stallion, The Black? Even the animals are beautifully depicted with personality of their own.

There were a few problems in the book though. There were several grammatical errors that can pull the reader out of the story, which should have been caught in editing. There were also some inconsistencies, one blatant example being that Evina, Cat's mother is described as "tall and stately" then only 5-10 pages later is described as "petite." But these are errors, not of Ms. Nelson's, but the editor.

If the reader can get past the mistakes, this is a wonderful romantic adventure, with just enough historical fact to enhance the story, not mire it down with detail. A passionate adventure of two soul mates that believe they have every reason not to trust, but later find they can truly believe in each other and have faith all will work out in the end. Ms Nelson is on her way in the romance genre, if this book is any indication, and will leave the reader yearning for more of her spirited tales.

By TT reviewer Cindy Vallar [Full review on our website]

The bastard grandson of the chief of Clan Gunn, Gerek's prowess on the battlefield earns him the nickname, The Beast of Battle. The Covenantors, whose leaders wield the power in 17th-century Scotland want to hang him. In the guise of a monk, Gerek flees for the Highlands and the remote fastness that is home to his clan. On the way, he comes across a cottage inhabited by a red-haired lad who is none too pleased to see him. A struggle ensues and Gerek discovers that his opponent is actually a woman. Experience has taught him to trust no one, especially women, so he makes her his captive.

Since childhood, Catriona MacFarr has known only heartache and abuse. Too often she has felt the sting of her father's temper and endured the taunts of her brothers. Rather than obey her father's edict to wed the Beast of Battle, she runs away, only to become the prisoner of a man who claims to be a monk but isn't. Fearing that he will return her to her home should he learn the truth, she claims to be maid to Catriona MacFarr who has wrongly accused her of theft.

This bit of information intrigues Gerek, for he is to wed the MacFarr's daughter. Catriona tells outrageous lies about herself so that he will never suspect that she and the MacFarr's daughter are one and the same. Nor does she realize that he is the man her father insists she wed. While they live in close quarters together, each is attracted to the other. When strangers approach the cottage, Gerek remains behind to face them while sending Catriona on her way. Unbeknownst to either of them, the danger lies not at the cabin but on the path that Catriona takes. She runs into her brothers who place her in chains and return her to their father.

Baen Gunn is Gerek's cousin. Behind his facile smile and good looks lies a snake. If Gerek fails to marry before his next birthday, Baen will become chief, a position he covets. Present at the MacFarr Castle when Catriona is brought in in chains, he is smitten by her beauty and wants her for himself. He devises a plan that plays on her fear of his cousin while putting her in his debt, thus setting in motion his plan to gain supremacy over the cousin he despises and become chief of Clan Gunn.

The Gunn of Killearnan tells the story of two strong people who wage internal battles while surmounting untold challenges to find love. This is not a story for the faint of heart, for the author paints a realistic portrait of a brutal time. Although her sense of place could be stronger, Dorice Nelson seamlessly interweaves subplots of secrecy, jealousy, and intrigue with the romance. A perfect story for those who like their romance tinged with history and mayhem

I will admit it, I am a sucker for well-written historical romances. THE GUNN OF KILLEARNAN is superb. This story of romance, suspense, murder, with a touch of comedy is the best I've read in many years. Catriona MacFarr and Gerek, The Gunn, are two strong people who wage internal battles while surmounting untold challenges to find love. Cat struggles for independence as she flees her father and brothers who treat her like chattel; her strength and determination help her through the bleakest ordeals. Gerek wants nothing more than to become the Gunn of Killearnan against the odds of being a bastard and having a conniving cousin who would take his place at any cost. Dorice Nelson paints a realistic portrait of a brutal time and seamlessly interweaves subplots of secrecy, jealousy, and intrigue with the romance. I loved this book. So will you.

The King James Version (KJV) is probably the best-known version of the Bible. And it is truly an excellent translation. First off, it follows a "formal equivalence" (word-for-word) translation principle. IMO, this principle is much more accurate than the "dynamic equivalence" (thought for thought) principle that most modern-day versions follow.

In addition, the KJV is based on the "Textus Receptus" (TR). And again, I consider this Greek text to be more reliable than the "Critical Text" (CT) that most modern versions utilize. Although, I actually prefer the "Majority Text" (MT) to the TR, but these two texts are very close, much closer to each other than either is to the CT.

But it must be noted that the KJV is not the only version that follows a formal equivalence principle and is based on the TR. There are several other such versions, such as the New King James Version, Modern King James Version, and the Literal Translation of the Bible, while my own Analytical-Literal Translation is based on the MT.

Moreover, each of these other versions utilize modern-day English and thus are relatively easy to read while the KJV's use of the Elizabethan English can make it very difficult to understand.

Now I know there are many "KJV-onlyists" who consider the KJV to the only true Bible, while all other Bible versions are called "perversions." And their diatribes even attack versions like the ones I list above. But I have taken the time to investigate their arguments and have found them to be faulty.

I present my counter-arguments to the KJV-onlyists' arguments in much detail in the section on "KJV-onlyism" in my book Differences Between Bible Versions, so I won't try to get into that discussion here. I'll simply encourage the reader to consider both sides of this argument before making a decision on it.

All that said, if you can understand the KJV then by all means utilize. But if you find the KJV difficult to read, then before condescending to read a less reliable dynamic equivalence version, or worse, giving up on reading the Bible altogether, I would suggest checking out one of the versions I mention above.

My Bible version book will provide aid in understanding the issues I address above and in choosing a Bible version. Along with looking at the versions mentioned above, my book also reviews over 25 other versions of the Bible.

Fabulous moral tale, really tells people how to live their lives. Without this, their would not be any morals in the western world. The end was a bit of a let down, though.

please read this book.... KJV Bible saves souls and grants immeasurable wisdom to readers through intervention of the Holy Spirit. It changes lives and is infallible in it's entirety. Many peoples condemn the Bible and Jesus Christ, but they can't understand the Sovereignty of God. Amen

When I picked up Mr. Nelson-Pallmeyer's book, I was intrigued by the synopsis. I, myself have had the very same questions as to why God in the OT is portrayed as vengeful and bloodthirsty, yet in the NT "God is Love". But "Jesus AGAINST Christianity? Hmmmmm. So read the book I did.

What I didn't like about the book:

While the author brings up interesting questions and gives some vital information into Jewish history and mindset, I felt the book was to repetative and he could have easily conveyed his message in half the words. I kept thinking, "yes, you made this point many times in previous pages and chapters". In reading it I noted his obvious axe to grind with Catholicism and I feel that bias is reflected in his writing. I also feel his interpretation of the scriptures from only a literalist/historical perspective (without tempering the spirituality or various literary styles of writing in the bible) and the conclusions he draws are strictly of his own opinion, and not necessarily accurate. While he does make some good points, I feel he misses the forest for all the trees.

What I DID like about this book:

As any good professor would like to do for his students - it gets under your skin and opens up your mind and challenges your beliefs so that one will take a good hard look at what he does believe. And this book does that very well. And we need to critique our beliefs in relation to God, our concept of him, how we manifest our belief/faith in our lives and in the world. But in the end, I just don't find Christ as missing or as mis-portrayed by the Gospel authors as Mr. Nelson-Pallmeyer suggests. So I give it a 3 1/2 stars.

This book is great. I recommend it to anyone interested in liberal theology. It is almost an apologetic for non-fundamentalist thinking.

For years I have been troubled by the discongruity between the God portrayed in some Scripture as going out of God's way to "seek and save the lost sheep" ... only to find other passages imaging God as a wrathful entity hungry to visit judgment on we mortals. Nelson-Pallmeyer, while clearly committed to the Christian faith, looks at some of the Jewish and Christian Scriptures and says the God portrayed in some of them is a pathological killer. But he is not willing to stop there. He sees in Jesus' life and teaching a relationship with a God we can embrace. The author looks at who Jesus was and how he related to God and then sets that as his standard for evaluating whether an image of God resonates with the God Jesus knew and experienced. He helps the reader understand the apocalyptic views of some of the Biblical authors and his evidence on why he thinks Jesus broke with that view that was shared by one of his mentors, John the Baptist. Jesus embraces a God who is non-violent and one who suffers along with us rather than the omnipotent, all-knowing deity people believed in until our world was confronted with the horrors of the Holocaust, Pol Pot, Rwanda, and other tragedies. The message of this book is crucial in a world obsessed with violence and environmental devastation. If our image of God is distorted, so will our values. This book will disturb you, challenge you, and hopefully give you substance to live a life of grace and mercy in the midst of one's commitment to justice. If we really want to change our image of who God is, we will have to do a lot more work not only in changing the language of worship to be more inclusive, but we must re-visit (and reject) the blood sacrifice/atonement theology found in much of the contemporary church scene.

Mr. Callo's book captures the essence of Nelson and his formula for leadership. Great personal courage in combat, a truly lead from the front guy; the ability to adapt to changing circumstances under fire, today's maneuver warfare; and a personal concern for the deckplate sailor. For after all, it is he who secures the admiral's victory as well as his glory.

Callo's monograph illustrates that a great leader's weaknesses contribute as much to his success as his strengths. Nelson's weaknesses are actually the strength of his character. A man willing to risk all for what he believes is right rather than what is politically expedient. Unfortunately, in today's climate, Lord Nelson would have been retired or drummed out of the naval service long before his greatest victories.

This book provides profound insight into the life and mind of a tactical genius. I recommend it highly both as an example and as a warning.

Most books on leadership struggle to define the term, leaving the reader tumbling in the wake of writers who've never, themselves, led anyone or anything. In "Legacy of Leadership" Joe Callo avoids that trap by drawing on the insights of his own experience as a naval officer to offer a unique and revealing portrait of Admiral Nelson -- a man who consistently rose above his flaws to perform masterfully in the service of his country and the men to sailed with him. It's a helluva good read and ought to be in all the seatbacks of the Bush and Gore campaign planes!

I began expecting just another history of ADM Nelson. After completing the book I found it to be a great learning experience about his leadership skills and those characteristics of the man that are applicable to leadership in any area of business, the military or life. Joe manages to tell history in a way that makes the experiences of Nelson relevant to the world of today. He also manages to provide an fasinating view of history and a new vision of a great military leader.

NT Workstation Help Desk is a great addition to anyone's library. Microsoft has done a pretty good job of putting together common NT problems & solutions for any user. I find it especially handy being on a help desk and being able to use it as a valuable reference that saves me an enormous amount of time. Rather than having to research on Microsoft's tech net site, I can just look up the problem with relative ease. This book, coupled with the NT Resource Kit will no doubt, make you an NT expert.

I purchased this book because it had a tip for a workstation I was working on and I have not regretted this purchase. Granted, the editors could have definitely done a much better job of indexing the book but I is essentially Technet and that is what the authors based the book on. I have fixed almost twenty errors that I could not find the answers on microsoft's web site but found them using this book. I am very pleased with this and wish that they would come out with another one for W2K.

Dack N+, CNE, MCP, CCNA

While standing in the bookstore leafing through this book, I found the answers in seconds, without online search charges. You can find this stuff via newsgroups and/or MS's Knowledgebase, but here is the stuff real people needed in the real world in hard copy. Paid for itself the first day and I'm writing this on the weekend (sad?).

Anthologies are very popular these days, providing delightly appetizers that amuse and enlighten and tease while introducing readers to new and wonderful authors. An anthology may be considered successful if there are just one or even two terrific stories contained in its pages. This particular one succeeds admirably, as nearly all seventeen of them are wonderful. Two in particular stand out, however. Suppose you were asked who, of all the currently published mystery writers with whom you might be familiar, would be best suited to write a short mystery in the voice of a Tazmanian Devil? If you said Barbara Paul, you'd be absolutely correct. GO TO THE DEVIL is truly hilarious, and well worth the cost of the entire book, even if you didn't read any of the others.

But if you did that, you'd miss out on FINAL VOWS by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, in which more cats than not do have nine lives, and even if you don't particularly like cats, you'll still enjoy this whimsical bit of fantasy, in which all the neighborhood's cats (living and otherwise) catch the culprit.

Other stories (by such mystery luminaries as Anne Perry, Dorothy Cannell, and Nancy Pickard) feature other cats or kittens, a couple of dogs, a hamster, and an owl. It's a very pleasant and enjoyable read, not least of which are the terse introductory comments from the title character himself--Midnight Louie!

Midnight Louie has done it again! Not only is he a sleuth extraordinaire but now an editor and reviewer of short stories with animals (not only cats) as the featured heros. If you love the Midnight Louie series here is a way to get to know him better and enjoy new stories by excellent authors!

Actually, I never heard of Midnight Louie until I read this book. My wife found it in a library search for stories by Lillian Jackson Braun. One of her stories from 1966, "The Dark One," is reprinted in this book, so it showed up in the search. The rest of the tales in this anthology are copyrighted 1998, same year as the book came out, which suggests they are new tales written especially for Midnight Louie's collection.

In each story, one or more animals plays a role in solving a mystery. In some cases, the animal itself is the detective, while in others, the animal provides a vital clue for his or her dumb humans. Not only dogs and cats, but also elephants, raccoons, an opossom, a lovebird, a robin, a half-wolf and a Tasmanian Devil take their turn at sleuthing here.

Some favorites: In "Daisy and the Silver Quaitsch," the neighborhood dogs literally dig up clues to tip off their clueless masters. "Kittens Take Detection 101," introduces us to two young cats (who don't even know how to use capital letters yet!) who find a dead body while sneaking out to explore their neighborhood. In "Final Vows," cats literally do have nine lives (or more!), and the feline detective, Colonel Mustard, returns from the dead to discover who poisoned him and help save the rest of the neighboorhood cats from the same fate. "On the Take" features a soft-hearted cop who finds a unique way to place stray cats in good homes. (If I lean toward the cat and dog stories, maybe it's because I have three dogs and ten cats. But the Tasmanian Devil get his due here, too, when a careless bomber sets off a charge near his cage, and "A Hamster of No Importance" solves a series of high-society Jewel thefts.)

Each story has an introduction by Midnight Louie, the feline detective created by Carole Nelson Douglas (who also happens to be the editor of this book.) Like I said, I had never heard of Louie before but, after enjoying this wonderful anthology, I plan to track him down and read more about his adventures. Carole Douglas, you have a new fan!

I enjoyed this book because it contained a even distribution of all elements involved in the story of this historical battle. Even though Admiral Nelson was main focus of the text, other charcters (miliatry as well as civilian) were not over shadowed. The description of the historical sites and maps were fairly good, but the auther's attempt to provide original maps (mostly from French sources) made reading them difficult for those not familiar with the language. Also the print is very small on some of the maps and required using magnifying glass. However, the prints of the paintings (mostly of the ships and harbors) provided are quite breathtaking. The text requires some basic familiarity with naval terms of the age of sail for the sake of fluid reading. The battle description are very good supplemented by diagrams and it provides a excellent survey on tactics, weaponry, and overall structure and operation of the warships of the time period. Overall, I recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of the age of sail.

Lavery's book is a comprehensive and well-balanced account of the events leading up to and following the Battle of the Nile in 1798. As well as covering both British and French points of view, Lavery refreshingly focuses some attention on personalities other than Nelson, without neglecting the great admiral himself. My only complaint is the number of unnecessary typos; too many authors rely on their spellchecker to proofread. Lavery's other books are also must-reads for anyone interested in the navies of the Napoleonic War.

This single volume combines the story of Nelson's hamstringing of Bonaparte's Egyptian and Middle Eastern ambitions with a lively overview of the mechanics and organisation of naval power at the apogee of the age of sail. The narrative shifts rapidly between the French and British viewpoints and the technical, sociological and organisational interpolations never interrupt the flow. The tension builds up rapidly as the ramshackle French task-force heads south and east, occupying Malta on the way, and as Nelson's squadron gropes to find it, encountering near disaster off Sardinia. Correctly guessing Egypt as the French destination Nelson then heads east - but chance and mischance ensure that Bonaparte will have landed his forces and conquered Egypt before the French fleet is trapped by Nelson at its Aboukir anchorage. The description of the battle is both exciting and terrifying, and the close insights that Lavery has previously given into the characters of the individual captains as well as admirals make the reader identify closely with those involved. The idealogical differences between the protagonists run as an important, but never explicit, subtext and the contrast between French improvisation and the ruthless professionalism of the British add an extra dimension. This is history in the grand narrative tradition and it reads as easily, and as enjoyably, as the naval novels of Forrester, kent and O'Brien. A splendid read - highly recommended.