This book literally changed my life.

In the eleventh grade in Greenville, South Carolina, i had an English teacher who designated Thursday as "Free Reading Day" and encouraged the entire class to read anything they wanted to (well, within limits -- "Playboy" would have been Right Out, i'm sure.) -- and, in case you had nothing of your own, she laid out an assortment of magazines and books on a table at the front of the room.

On that table, one Thursday, was a copy of "The Cruel Sea". Since i've always been at least a bit interested in sea stories, and it looked interesting, i picked it up. From the first i was hooked solidly.

In the next three or so years, i reread it twice at least, possibly more than that.

And then i joined the Navy -- and i am sure that it was because of what i read in this book, and what i sensed behind it, in what Monsarrat -- who, like his viewpoint character, Lockhart, was there from the beginning, working his way up to command his own ship before the end of the war -- didn't so much say as assume about the sea and the Navy -- *any* Navy.

Monsarrat presents us here with a brotherhood of the sea, corny as that idea may sound. Sailors, more than the other Armed Forces, tend to regard other sailors -- even enemy sailors -- as brothers in arms, and, as Monsarrat says, the only true enemy is the cruel sea itself.

As he shows us here, the sailor who was your enemy five minutes ago, who was trying to kill you as you tried to kill him, is merely another survivor to be rescued from the cruel sea once you've sunk his ship.

And, even more so, as Monsarrat portrays it, there is a kind of brotherhood that binds sailors in the same Navy together in very mcuh a family manner -- you may not like your cousin, but you want to know what's happening to him and, when all is said and done, he IS your relative.

The best summation of this sort of attitude (which i felt to some extent myself during my time in the US Navy) comes when Ericson, the Captain, is touring his new ship as she stands under construction in a Glasgow shipyard; he meets one of his future officers, and mentions the name of his previous ship, which was lost with over three-quarters of her crew, and realises that

"He's heard about 'Compass Rose', he probably remembers the exact details--that she went down in seven minutes, that we lost eighty men out of ninety-one. He knows all about it, like everyone else in the Navy, whether they're in destroyers in the Mediterranean or attached to the base at Scapa Flow: it's part of the linked feeling, part of the fact of family bereavement. Thousands of sailors felt personally sad when they read about her loss; Johnson was one of them, though he'd never been within a thousand miles of 'Compass Rose' and had never heard her name before."

To be part of a band of brothers like that is a proud thing, and Monsarrat captures it perfectly.

He also captures the terrified boredom of being in enemy territory with nothing happening as you wait for the enemy to make the first move, and the shock, confusion and horror of combat (particularly sea combat, in which the battlefield itself is the deadly, patient enemy of both sides).

And he captures the glories and rewards of life at sea, the beauty of a glorious clear dawn at sea, the stars and the moon and the wake at night and so much more.

This is the book that made a sailor out of me.

It will tell you what it is to be a sailor.

Although written for the Royal Navy corvette duty of World War II it brings the adventure of the sea to life for anyone. As a U.S. Navy veteran, I found this book to be outstanding in its reality of the sea, the ships, the men, and the tensions of war. The Cruel Sea is difficult, if not impossible, to put down. I'm ready for other books by Nicholas Monsarrat, he is a powerful and enlightened writer.

The Cruel Sea is perhaps the finest novel written out of World War II. It is drawn on the actual service in the Royal Navy of the author. It is the story of two ships, maybe 200 men, German submarines and the constant relentless ocean. Even when there is no combat action, the sea is always there in all its forms - just waiting for a small defect to occurr and then it will claim another victim - be it man or ship.

The sailors of the Compass Rose are a dramatic cross section. The captain is a reservist from the merchant navy while his officers are all volunteers from the civilian sector. One officer's only sea going experience is crossing the channel in a small yacht with a one woman crew. Not the best of material.

The crew is even more diverse. The senior ratings, coxswain, signalman, engineer and several others, are all professional Royal Navy and it is one these men the captain will lean the most. The remainder of the crew is drawn from all walks of life from clerks to vet assistants. Together they are all molded into a working crew.

The contacts with the German submarines are numerous but the end result is disappointing to some in that only two submarines are sunk between the two ships. Lots of survivors are pulled from the sea though as the submarines whittle away at the convoys chugging across the sea.

One gets a sense of the unending grind that the men endure as the ships make thier rounds from Liverpool to New York with a side trip to Russia for variety. Even shore time is not enjoyed as the local Liverpool area is pounded by German bombers and wives and girlfriends are not willing to endure the constant seperation.

Compass Rose is sunk and the crew, once more, is held together by the captain. Some men are heros and die a heros death and others are simply freightened men trying to stay alive which few do. It is a sobering time for the survivors as they look back at their life in Compass Rose.

The captain and one officer move on to another ship and finish the war in her. Again, it is a return to the grind of fighting the sea and occassionally fighting the Germans. One submarine is sunk by the new ship and the war ends.

There is little glory to be earned in this story, rather it is a tale of survival, hanging on to make it through the day or night. Everyone is a hero in this story from the junior sailor to the captain. It is a story that is being remembered less and less as the survivors of World War II diminish in numbers. It is a story to be read and remembered - when there was no array of electronic weapons and nuclear energy to draw upon to destroy an enemy; rather it was skill, patience, persistance and a willingness to endure that saw a successful outcome from a combat between corvette and submarine. Sometimes the corvette won and sometimes the submarine won. Many times it was a draw.

I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the war at sea during World War II. It should be in every naval officer's personal library regardless of nationality. Once read, it should never be forgotten.

This is a book for anyone with dreams, or for someone who just wants to be a better person.

Howard Griffith is a first-class football player. In my honest opinion, Howard is the most underrated football player in the NFL. Year in and year out he is busting his butt for guys like Terrell Davis and Mike Anderson, and not complaining about it. This man made Terrell Davis. And hopefully he will get his pro-bowl before its all over.

Enough about him as a football player, on with the book. In this book, Howard talks about his life and the trials he has been through. This is a story of a man who never lost sight of his goals. While he has had a tough life, he never gave up, and always does his best to help his team - even if that means taking blocking assignments and never getting the ball. "Laying It On The Line, Notes Of A Team Player" teaches people to better themselves... ...to better the world. With his actions speak louder than words attitude, he teaches independance, how to be a person free from following others and just being the best person you can possibly be. He teaches about responsibility and maturity, and taking life seriously.

Reading this book was a turning point in my life. Before i read it, I was, simply stated, and punk kid. This book taught me the importance in doing your very best at everything you do and how important things like you education are to you. He shows you how you can be indepent but still conform, not to stick out. After reading this, It opened my mind really. Before hand I was quick to judge just about anyone that didn't believe exactly how I felt. Now I think empathatically, and am not so quick to judge. I know it's irrelavant, but its amazing what certain situation you can be put in can change you life around in a totally different manor.

Props to Howard Griffith with this truly inspiring story. This is a perfect book for anyone with dreams, and that is willing to work. Howard Griffith's book deserves every 5 stars I gave it, maybe more (if I could). Simply stated, this book can change you life.

This self-proclaimed bookworm ranks this book as one of her all-time favorites. To those who aren't necessarily interested in football, to those who don't understand football, and for those who don't even know what football is, believe me when I say, you will undoubtedly connect with some, if not all of this autobiography. Indulge yourself in this down-to-earth, eye-opening, and often comedic drama that chronicles the ups and downs of life, as it relates to Griffith's chosen career of football. I see this book as more of the spiritual journey of a young man's life, explained through the metaphor of football. It could easily be a training development manual for any business consisting of more than one person - it's all about teamwork and the success, respect, honor and glory that can be achieved if all involved are confident and secure with their individual roles and truly understand the concept of "team." If you need to be "pumped up" and inspired about anything you're trying to accomplish in your life right now, I suggest you purchase this book - it just may be the medicine you need.

This a truly remarkable account of Griffith's story and the obstacles that he's faced to get where he is today(the best fullback in the NFL). There were so many points in his life that he could have given up--but he didn't. Don't think that it's your "typically" sports book--it's not! This book is for anyone that aspires to fulfill their dream. I highly recommend this book. Kudos to Griffith!!!

Reading the first chapter was all it took for me to be convinced Jane Latimer was talking directly to me. Her description of the experiences, and resulting thought processes, that shaped my relationship with food was validating. I felt more at peace with who I am.

I thought I had healed my Inner Child. But as I've completed the "assignments" she suggests and followed her recommendations to use journaling and a source of spiritual support, I have identifed some previously unconscious beliefs and needs that were being expressed through compulsive eating.

The compulsions are all but gone, and food is no longer a major focus in my life. Thank you, Jane!

If ever there was someone who knows about healing from the inside out, that's Jane Latimer, who, in my opinion, is a true healer. She is an example of a woman who lives her life at the edge of her authenticity, utilizing her innate talents to weave a life that is rich with self-expression and creativity, of benefit to all who come in contact with her.

I am fortunate to have worked with Jane in her support and meditation groups, in private counseling, and have many of her books. Each book is wonderful in its own way, for its message, and also because of Jane's gift for writing-down-the-bones.

Beyond the Food Game is one example of Jane's ability to put down on paper an entire process - in this book it's healing from emotional eating - that enables the reader to reach deep inside themselves to extract what needs to be revealed, illuminated and healed.

This dis-ease of eating restrictively, or bingeing/overeating compulsively is ingrained, rampant, and condoned in our society. We try to manage our lives - our feeling or lack of feeling - through ever increasing compulsive behavior - restricting or bingeing - only to find that the result of this type of behavior is self-annihilation. To quote Jane "I don't see individuals who suffer from emotional eating as pathological. I see us as expressions of a pathological culture that has replaced true aliveness with soulless, empty shells of existence."

If you're looking for just another diet or quick fix to entertain yourself until the next quick fix comes along, this book is not for you. If you're motivated to do some deep work that will richly bless your life in ways you cannot even imagine, then this is the book and process for you. You read the book at your own pace...ditto the homework exercises. The chapters and exercises in the book are like treasure maps that point the way to a life of full recovery from food obsession. Even if you consider yourself hopeless, all you need to do is read the book, and do the exercises, one chapter at a time.

Jane shows us how to use the tools - we are the artist and life is our canvas. We learn step-by-step how to create our paint-by-number self-portrait that is more vivid and real than we ever imagined.

If you have dreamed of full recovery - or - even if you are skeptical, afraid that full-recovery will always be just beyond your reach, this book is for you. I also encourage you to check out Jane Latimer's website for classes and workshops which provide even more in-depth support to move you beyond the destructive games we play with food and eating behaviors. Her other books nicely supplement the homework/exercises in Beyond the Food Game. I have found the meditation exercises in The Healing Power of Inner Light-Fire to be especially helpful.

Jane Latimer really gets to the heart of it all in this book. Eating disorders are really about the wounded SELF. She gets beyond the obsessive calorie counting. This book is more about healing the wounds of the wounded self, than counting calories. Jane's voice is a gentle, caring one; she comes from a place of knowing, as a recovered bulimic herself. The "Good Parent Messages" and other healing techniques are incredible. The author sees eating disorders as "Portals to Self-Discovery" ...Wish I had this book years ago!! I would love to take one of her workshops.

I've been a fan of Captain Beach ever since I read "Run Silent, Run Deep" in grade school and have had the pleasure of meeting and talking with him a few times. Thus I've often wondered about several aspects of his life and career, such as why a Naval Aide to President Eisenhower never became an Admiral and the circumstances of his young daughter's death, although such personal items are admittedly none of my business. Salt and Steel goes a long way toward filling in the blanks in my knowledge about this man, whom I've known and admired for years. To his credit, as I expected, he does not gloat about his successes nor complain about his failures. I found every chapter fascinating and hard to put down, even very late in the evening. My only wish about this book is that he had included more information and anecdotes about the ships he served in and the people he served with, especially President Eisenhower, Trigger II and the faulty torpedoes of WWII. With the responsible parties being long-retired and in many cases deceased, I feel that the problems and the principles involved should be aired, in the hope that they might not be repeated. Even so, I would highly recommend this book to anyone with even a casual interest in any of the subjects mentioned, including the politics of the Washington, DC bureaucracy. To Captain Beach, "Well Done, Sir!"

I started reading this book in the evening, and finished it at dawn. What an interesting book! Beach is an excellent storyteller, who clearly loves the US Navy, and the story of his life is intertwined with it. His father also had a storied career, and the tales of Beach growing up, succeeding at Annapolis, submarining against the Japanese in WW II, serving as Eisenhower's naval aide after the war, and then circumnavigating the world underwater is so gripping a story and so well told that I was sorry when I came to the last page. I loved this book!

This "memoir" is billed as a sequel to Beach's "The United States Navy: 200 Years" (1986). As such, "Salt and Steel" is a blend of stories from his 27 years in the U.S. Navy, and his views on theories of naval warfare and the application of grand strategy to national defense policy. The book offers some wonderful stories of his father and mother, and their lives together in the U.S. Navy before the 1920s. The story of the first dinner party given by the new wife of the new base commander is just delightful. The reader who is looking for more of the intense submarine stories which brought Beach fame in his novels "Run Silent, Run Deep" (1955), "Dust on the Sea" (1972), and "Cold is the Sea" (1978) will be somewhat disappointed as he does not spent much time telling any new stories from his submarine career. The tale he tells of the fellow officer who blocked Beach's own advancement to the rank of admiral is chilling in that it does not speak well for the Navy that allows such petty jealousy to have so much impact on a man's career. In sum, Beach is a good story teller, and when telling of his own career he does a masterful job. One can only hope that soon we'll have a full biography of both Edward L. Beach, Jr., and his naval officer/novelist father, in whose footsteps the younger Beach has so faithfully followed.

My girls and I love this book! What a pleasure to be able to look out our window and now be able to identify the types of birds that live among us. We even now can recognize a bird by sound.

This book includes wonderful pictures with easy to read descriptions of the birds and their habits.

What a great way to spend time with each other having fun exploring and learning.

A book that can be enjoyed at any age.

This really useful field guide has great drawings of over 100 species found in neighborhoods in US and Canada. Has a simple system to instantly tell you the region and feeding preferences of birds, in other words, where you are most likely to find them. The drawings are beautiful, colorful and accurate, clearly showing the difference between male and female, and defining markings. I've enjoyed mine thoroughly!

For true history buffs, this is a delight. Edward L. Beach, Jr., the author of "Run Silent, Run Deep" among others, has done a terrific job of editing and annotating his father's diary. I did not realize that both father and son were not only brave naval officers, but successful authors. As an amateur historian of the Philippine-American War, Beach Sr.'s account of the Battle of Manila Bay shed light on a mystery that has concerned a number of prior accounts of the battle: Was Dewey both reckless and lucky in evading the Spanish shore batteries on Corregidor Island when he slipped into Manila Bay? I'll leave it to the reader to discover the answer. And, I did like the section on Haiti, particularly in light of the recent history of that country.

Edward L. Beach, Sr., recounts his amazing Navy career. Ten years after he retired, he writes of these events with the clarity of someone who lived them just yesterday. His tale of the Battle of Manila Bay is an excellent first-hand account from a different perspective. The only thing he saw during the battle were the boots of a shipmate in the grating above him, thus his title "The Battle of Irwin's Boots." He tells of the sinking of the Memphis, a cruiser under his command. (His son, Beach, Jr., tells this in a recently published book.) Every account throughout the book is a tale told by this humble sailor that was just doing his job.
It is most incredible that nearly every important Naval and Marine Corps personality of the first half of the 20th century crossed paths with this sailor. Before they made a name for themselves later in life, he knew two future Marine Corps Commandants, four star admirals, CNO's, and Navy Secretaries. He met both Roosevelts, vice presidents, Senators, mayors and other political leaders.
The only drawback of the book (and a minor one at that) is the rather lengthy discussions about his workings in Haiti. These were important issues to the US and to the Navy in the early 1900's and Beach's impact was probably quite large. It just made for some slow reading in the middle of the book. This was not bad enough to change my rating to four stars, but I couldn't pick four-and-a-half.
His son, Edward L. Beach, Jr., (Run Silent, Run Deep) adds just enough comments to provide a little backgound without overwhelming his Dad's words.
This is an excellent autobiography of a man who truly loved the "soul of the Navy" and was very proud to serve his country.

Jonathan Latimer is one of the lesser know great detective genre writers from the 30's and 40's. This is a shame, since he deserves to be better known. HEADED FOR A HEARSE was his second novel, and like the first (MURDER IN THE MADHOUSE) it starred an alcoholic, wise cracking Private Eye named Bill Crane. Despite drinking enough to kill a lesser man, Crane usually found time to use what brain cells were left to him to figure out complex, mysterious crimes, and to flirt with the "usual suspects".

In this second of what would be a series of novels, Crane is hired by a millionaire on death row to try to prove his innocence. The only problem is that there are only six days left till convicted wife murderer Robert Westland is scheduled to go to the chair, along with two very different men in the cells adjoining his. The case seems open and shut, involving as it does evidence proving that Westland was at his wife's apartment (they were separated and in the process of divorcing) around the time of her murder, a weapon just like one he owns was the murder weapon, and the body was found in a locked room and he's the only person other than his wife known to own a key!

Latimer had great fun with Crane and the host of suspects and characters involved in this almost week long excursion of broads, booze, smart aleck comments, and sleuthing in the bars and mean streets of Chicago. I guarantee that you the reader will have fun too. The only drawback is that the book was written in the non politically correct 30's and contains some racial epithets and stereotypes. If you can get past that then I strongly suggest getting a copy and making the acquaintance of Bill Crane.

Five stars for humor, well drawn out mystery, and all around fun.

Jonathan Latimer was a reporter with Chicago Herald Examiner in the thirties before publishing this first novel in 1935. The central character is Bill Crane, an operative with a detective agency in Chicago. There are 4 other Bill Crane books by Latimer, all of them hilarious. Crane has to be the hardest drinking private dick in the history of literature, even surpassing Hammett's Nick Charles. This whole series is a screwball comedy lover's dream. Hearse follows the efforts of Crane and his cronies to save an innocent man on death row with only twenty-four hours until the execution (and for Crane, that's a lot of drinking!). Latimer is superb at mixing comedy, suspense and pathos. This is a great first novel.

If you want your child, or a child you know, to go to college, this book is a great source for a lot of important information.

Higher Ground should be required reading for parents and students.

"Setting your sights on the best education for your children...HIGHER GROUND is written to help black parents chart an early course for the college education that will determine their future". As the cover clearly states, this book does just that, and more. It covers parenting pitfalls that can derail a child, financial considerations and sources for help, guidelines for finding the best schools for your child, how to help with bad grades and low test scores, and much, much more. Ms. Latimer's style is clear, articulate and easy to read. Many considerations are presented in an informal and thought provoking manner. In this way, Ms. Latimer is encouraging all consumers to tailor this book to the needs of their individual students and children. Options and choices are given in chart format as well as narrative. Ms. Latimer does not stop with just giving reasons for problems, but offers many paths to solve them. This book is a must for any parent, grandparent, educator, counselor, student or adult who is looking for information, sources for help, and the courage and inspiration to help all children pursue personal excellence.

Interesting comments from other players, but not a lot of new information for fans who have followed John's career. Nice book to have for a sports collection.

I got this book from my wife as a birthday present, and immediately sat down and read it cover to cover. I knew a lot of the info in the book already, having been a Bronco fan since 1972, but it did refresh a lot of old (and somewhat painful) memories. I feel this book is a "must have" for any Bronco/Elway fan.

This book (Biography of John Elway) shows not only History of John Elway, but also of his Teamates and other Players around the NFL . This book is loaded with Players, Coaches, and the Owner of the Denver Broncos.

As all parents know, you read the same books to your kids over and over again. Some books drive me crazy, especially those movie tie-in books from Disney - ugh. But there are a few, like Mooncake, that I personally enjoy each time I read it. My kids love it too.

Even though this book was written for younger kids, my 8 and 10 year-old girls love this book! My ten year-old loved the idea of a bear wishing to go to the moon so he could take a bite out of it. We have reading time everynight and Asch's book is still popular with them. I plan to buy more books by Asch...he rates a definite 5 stars!

This book is a toddler's delight. The charming illustrations go beautifully with the story of how a confused bear travels to the "moon" and back again. Bear wonders what the moon tastes like and builds a rocket ship. However the construction goes late into the fall, and you can guess what happens when Bear climbs into the rocket ship and begins his countdown. As my 20 month old son says, "zzzzz". Bear wakes up because the wind starts to blow, and never having been outside in winter, he believes his dream has come true and he's on the moon.

When we read this book, my son likes to fill in the words he knows. He can't read, but he seems to know the whole story and can fill in more and more every day. This is a great book for toddlers, preschoolers and their parents!