"This book has everything: action, adventure, superb characterization, vivid dialogue, a strong sense of place, and a plot that will seize your heart and not let it go until the last page. Patrick Dearen has written an instant classic that deserves a place on anyone's list of Best Western Novels." -- D. R. Meredith, Roundup Magazine of Western Writers of America.

"Admirable . . . a powerful novel reminiscent of Edward Abbey's `The Brave Cowboy' . . . . Excellent." -- Dallas Morning News.

"The tale of . . . a cowboy born a century too late . . . . Bright and poignant . . . . A sharply drawn and memorable novel." -- Dale Walker, Rocky Mountain News.

"Departs intriguingly from classic western form . . . . A tale of a cowboy born 100 years too late and of his desperate run from the law." -- Publishers Weekly.

"A spellbinding tale of the modern world against the last cowboy." -- San Angelo Standard-Times.

"Pits one man's nineteenth century dreams against another man's twentieth century reality." -- Books of the Southwest.

"The last cowboy in our modern world decides to risk his life by stealing a horse and escaping to the Colorado Divide where he can live as cowboys did a hundred years ago . . . . Inspired by an actual horseback-helicopter manhunt in Texas . . . . Presumably a `western,' this novel surprising grows into mainstream fiction." -- Review of Texas Books.

"Takes a keen look at the mythology . . . of the Western cowboy, a free, independent loner who savors his life on the range." -- West Texas Historical Association Yearbook.

"Justifies the resurgence of interest in fiction about the American West . . . . [Dearen's] skills . . . argue for the survival of America's most fascinating and probably only authentic myth." -- Texas Books in Review.

"A modern chase novel that pits cutting-edge technology against a lone cowboy. It sounds like a complete mismatch--and it is, though not in exactly the way one might think." -- recommended reading list, What Do I Read Next?, 1995 edition.

"The story of a modern-day cowboy who is determined to live or die by the cowboy code . . . . The reader can almost hear the serenades of the crickets, cicadas, and coyotes. You will want to read this book even if you don't normally read westerns." -- Austin American-Statesman.

"Patrick Dearen . . . is of the [Elmer] Kelton School . . . . The story gains color and character from [Dearen's] incredible 74 interviews with men who took up cowboying between 1899 and 1931." -- Kent Biffle, Dallas Morning-News.

"If you're a western fan and have only $20 to spend in the bookstore this year, spend it on `When Cowboys Die.' And when you close the book, step outside and look toward the west and whisper, `Keep on riding, Charlie--for all of us.'" -- Amarillo Sunday Globe-News.

"This book has everything: action, adventure, superb characterization, vivid dialogue, a strong sense of place, and a plot that will seize your heart and not let it go until the last page. Patrick Dearen has written an instant classic that deserves a place on anyone's list of Best Western Novels." -- D. R. Meredith, Roundup Magazine of Western Writers of America.

"Admirable . . . a powerful novel reminiscent of Edward Abbey's `The Brave Cowboy' . . . Excellent." -- Dallas Morning News.

"The tale of . . . a cowboy born a century too late . . . . Bright and poignant . . . . A sharply drawn and memorable novel." -- Dale Walker, Rocky Mountain News.

"Departs intriguingly from classic western form . . . . A tale of a cowboy born 100 years too late and of his desperate run from the law." -- Publishers Weekly, July 18, 1994.

"A spellbinding tale of the modern world against the last cowboy." -- San Angelo Standard-Times.

"Pits one man's nineteenth century dreams against another man's twentieth century reality." -- Books of the Southwest.

"The last cowboy in our modern world decides to risk his life by stealing a horse and escaping to the Colorado Divide where he can live as cowboys did a hundred years ago. . . . Inspired by an actual horseback-helicopter manhunt in Texas. . . . Presumably a `Western,' this novel surprisingly grows into mainstream fiction." -- Review of Texas Books.

"Takes a keen look at the mythology . . . of the Western cowboy, a free, independent loner who savors his life on the range." West Texas Historical Association Yearbook.

"Justifies the resurgence of interest in fiction about the American West . . . . [Dearen's] skills . . . argue for the survival of America's most fascinating and probably only authentic myth." -- Texas Books in Review.

"The story of a modern-day cowboy who is determined to live or die by the cowboy code . . . . The reader can almost hear the serenades of the crickets, cicadas, and coyotes. You will want to read this book even if you don't normally read westerns." -- Austin American-Statesman.

"Patrick Dearen . . . is of the [Elmer] Kelton School. . . . The story gains color and character from [Dearen's] incredible 74 interviews with men who took up cowboying between 1899 and 1931." -- Kent Biffle, Dallas Morning News.

"If you're a western fan and have only [$] to spend in the bookstore this year, spend it on `When Cowboys Die.' And when you close the book, step outside and look toward the west and whisper, `Keep on riding, Charlie--for all of us.'" -- Amarillo Sunday Globe-News.

This book has everything: action, adventure, superb characterization, vivid dialogue, a strong sense of place, and a plot that will seize your heart and not let it go until the last page. Patrick Dearen has written an instant classic that deserves a place on anyone's lists of Best Western Novels. -- D. R. Meredith, Roundup Magazine of Western Writers of America.

Admirable . . . a powerful novel reminiscent of Edward Abbey's "The Brave Cowboy" . . . Excellent. -- Dallas Morning News.

Departs intriguingly from classic western form . . . . A tale of a cowboy born 100 years too late and of his desperate run from the law. -- Publishers Weekly, July 18, 1994.

The tale of . . . a cowboy born a century too late . . . . Bright and poignant . . . . A sharply drawn and memorable novel. -- Dale Walker, Rocky Mountain News.

A spellbinding tale of the modern world against the last cowboy. -- San Angelo (Texas) Standard-Times.

Pits one man's nineteenth century dreams against another man's twentieth century reality. -- Books of the Southwest.

The last cowboy in our modern world decides to risk his life by stealing a horse and escaping to the Colorado Divide where he can live as cowboys did a hundred years ago. . . . Inspired by an actual horseback-helicopter manhunt in Texas. -- Review of Texas Books.

Takes a keen look at the mythology . . . of the Western cowboy, a free, independent loner who savors his life on the range. -- West Texas Historical Association Yearbook.

The story gains color and character from [Dearen's] incredible 74 interviews with men who took up cowboying between 1899 and 1931. -- Kent Biffle, Dallas Morning News.

Justifies the resurgence of interest in fiction about the American West . . . . [Dearen's] skills . . . argue for the survival of America's most fascinating and probably only authentic myth. -- Texas Books in Review.

The story of a modern-day cowboy who is determined to live or die by the cowboy code . . . . The reader can almost hear the serenades of the crickets, cicadas, and coyotes. You will want to read this book even if you don't normally read westerns. -- Austin American-Statesman.

If you're a western fan and have only [a little money] to spend in the bookstore this year, spend it on `When Cowboys Die.' And when you close the book, step outside and look toward the west and whisper, "Keep on riding, Charlie--for all of us." -- Amarillo Sunday Globe-News.

Athol Dickson is a master of metaphors, painting pictures that soothe one minute and chill the next. The twists and turns in the plot were so unexpected that I finally quit trying to guess how it would come out and just enjoyed the ride. The book has a message, but it's delivered in a way that's powerful in its very subtlety. Read this book!

Normally I am a non-fiction reader. I found alot of fiction, dumbed-down, or offensive. This Book has really stood out to me, as an excellent mystery. A couple of times I thought I knew who did it, but of course I didn't. It had such a surprising and intreaging ending.. I was totally involved in the story all the way through. It has a hint of a Christian theme, but not so much that you are bombared with theology. I am a Christian, and found,this book was not offensive, or overdone. It was a pleasure. I am reading the next one in the series. I would high recommend this book to my Chirstian friends, as well as my non-Christain freinds. In my opinion it is one of the best fiction books I have read in years. Well Done.

If you want to accomplish anything else in the time it takes to read this book, well, rearrange your daytimer! Athol Dickson paints the portraits, landscapes and abstractions of "Whom Shall I Fear" with a steady, artistic brush. You won't be disappointed. And if you have to put it down, it will only be with a longing look and a "See ya soon. Real Soon."

This book ranks among my top five personal favorite novels of all time. Mr. Kelton weaves a tapestry of West Texas culture and history and storytelling that will envelop a reader. The story of two men, Gideon Ledbetter, a former slave who becomes a US Cavalry soldier (or Buffalo soldier, as they were historically known), and Gray Horse Running, an American Indian fighting for his way of life, is an absolute must-read. His description of weary solidiers travelling through the West Texas desert will have you reaching for a glass of water!! I first read this book as a college assignment and have happily recommended it to friends and family for years. I consider it to be Mr. Kelton's masterpiece, even better than "The Good Old Boys" or "The Time It Never Rained" which are also outstanding. Some smart person is going to make a great movie out of this book one day.

Luther Butler THE WOLF AND THE BUFFALO BY ELMER KELTON Elmer Kelton skillfully takes the rugged geography of West Texas, accounts of the Texas Comanche wars, mixes in the Buffalo soldiers with their hair the Indians thought looked like the curly buffalo, and adds white officers, Comanches, buffalo hunters, and makes an epic struggle of two cultures that will be enjoyed by many generations of readers. And to add spice to the story, he stirs in the women of San Angelo, Texas who washes not only clothes but who provide sexual relief for the men who chase dusty savages into a world unknown to them. The story centers around two strong characters. The Buffalo is Private Gideon Ledbetter, a recently released Louisiana slave who is now a member of the Tenth U.S. Calvary stationed at Fort Concho, Texas. Hated by most of the white settlers, Ledbetter has two jobs. When he is not chasing Comanches, he spends his time building adobe buildings and shoveling horse manure at the fort, but. he prefers to be on patrol trying to make the savage Comanches go to a reservation in Oklahoma Territory. He goes out with Lieutenant Hollander under Black Sergeant Nettles. Ledbetter grows stronger in his position until he eventually takes over Nettles job. The wolf is Gray Horse, a young Comanche warrior who tries to keep the invading settlers after the Civil War from killing his people's source of food, the buffalo. In constant visions, the wolf and the raven seek to lead the developing warrior to new buffalo herds. Symbolically, Gray Horse sees visions of a red buffalo calf. Unlike Ledbetter, Gray Horse declines in prestige until he is forced to make a suicidal attack before his people go into servitude on the Oklahoma reservation. Ledbetter almost loses his focus because of the beautiful mulatto, Hannah York, who gives a purpose for him to not only live, but to advance so he can earn enough money to marry and start a family. The old woman who controls the desirable young maiden saves her charge so she can sell sexual favors to the white officers. After the young soldier has enjoyed Hannah's body numerous times, he finds her with his commanding officer, Lieutenant Hollander. Hannah is forced to leave. Sergeant Nettles saves Ledbetter's career by talking sense to the betrayed young man who planned to marry his beloved. Hollander's subsequent marriage to a proper young lady and his attempt to repair the damaged relation with Ledbetter forms a hinge that much of the latter action pivots on. Gray Horse leads Ledbetter's unit on a wild chase into a land where there is no water. The chief thinks he has destroyed the enemy only to find the new enemy is invincible Even after the white government turns white hunters loose to slaughter the buffalo for their hides, does Gray Horse fail to acknowledge that the only hope for his people lies in going to Oklahoma Reservation where the Quakers will rule them. At Adobe Walls, the Comanche leader begins to glimpse the truth when a few buffalo hunters with their rifles that can kill at over a mile, turns back a gathering of the Indian nation. General Mackenzie's rout of Comanches at their winter quarters in Palo Duro Canyon makes Gray Horse realize the end is near. Gray Horse goes to the hated reservation a wounded and beaten warrior to shed his buffalo robes and become a cattle raiser. He realizes he must make one last try to find the red buffalo calf after he finds his wife with their son who is dying because of poor living conditions. Taking a band of warriors, he goes in search of the mystical calf. After he and his men brutally slaughter a group of buffalo killers, Gray Horse realizes his dreams of being free are over. After finding the red buffalo calf, the warriors kill it and eat it! To him, a way of life ends. Out numbered by the buffalo soldiers who come to punish the Comanche band for slaughtering the buffalo hunters, Gray Horse makes a suicidal attack on Sergeant Ledbetter's unit. Even though the Indian's arrow goes through Ledbetter's shoulder, he is able to fire the final shot that brings an end to his enemy. Like the end of a Greek epic, the defeated Indian is carried off on a symbolic shield to be given a hero's funeral. Ledbetter recovers from his wound so he can fight a new enemy, the Apaches. And I hope he eventually finds Hannah, nurses her back to health, and goes into retirement to live on a small farm and raise a family. END

A buffalo soldier fresh out of slavery tries to enslave the free Indians of West Texas. While you read this book try to find out why. It doesn't make sense, but it makes a good story. Try my novel by searching butler, luthe

When studying in school and trying to remember dates,names and events to receive a decent grade on History Tests, this would have been the ideal book for me. It's all here compiled in a readiable story form that brings the characters and dates and ordeals that all went through in a fashion that makes it very interesting and all too true. Your heart can't help but go out to all that were connected in this important part of American History, the good with the bad. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is just interested in wanting to read about the Alamo to those who want to know the actual facts. Kudos to the Author.

This work by Mary Deborah Petite provides very clear answers to one of the most myth filled stories of Western America. It does not cause disappointment for the reader, but by providing a clear look at the facts actually enhances the story and the sacrifice of the willing and determined participants. It is concise, full of information, and a real pleasure to read. This reader is looking forward to future works by Ms Petite.

I had the good fortune to hear Ms. Petite give a lecture on The Alamo recently and purchased a copy of her newly released book immediately afterward. I was impressed by the manner in which the book dispels many of the myths surrounding that battle and the Texas Revolution, replacing them with the facts which are as interesting, if not more so. Most of the facts and some of the myths were entirely new to me.

Many of the subjects dealt with are very moving and lose none of their passion in the telling: Travis letters of determination to stand and die and calls for aid; the story of Juan Seguin, a Mexican, but no less a true fighter for Texas independence fighting along side men like Travis, Bowie and Crockett; the horrible massacres of men on both sides. I also found a lighter side to the book, including references to the famous "Yellow Rose of Texas," and some well known participants' fondness for opium and for women.

The format of the book is well suited for its apparent purposes: to enlighten and entertain. The facts and the legends selected appear to have been choosen with the utmost care, including some of the latest research. The author has managed to pair down what must have been a vast amount of material and include those facts most valuable to telling the story, and those most enjoyable to read.

Many readers who lack a deep professional interest in military doctrine may be put off by a book with the word in its title, fearing it will be a dry, abstract, and labored tome on military theory. That is true of some books, but not of this one. The author, a distinguished U.S. Army infantry officer with a history Ph.D., has really produced a history of the entire development of the service between the world wars. It makes a fascinating and often pretty colorful story, and it does a great deal to explain the Army's successes and failings in World War II.

Odom shows an army essentially paralyzed and left in a state of suspended animation from which it was aroused only on the brink of war. Remembering the agonizing difficulties of raising, training, and equipping a mass army after America's entry into World War I, the Army's leaders and their civilian masters placed first priority on an expansible force. At the same time, shortsightedly pennypinching Republican administrations in the 1920s and the first FDR administration's absorption in the Depression kept military expenditures and manning meager. The handful of Regulars who remained after meeting needs for deployed forces in China, the Philippines, the Canal Zone, Hawaii, and on the Mexican border were scattered across America to train Guard and Reserve forces. What little money the Army had for R&D and equipment procurement went almost entirely to an Air Corps with little interest in supporting the ground forces it wanted only to break away from. With widely scattered forces, no modern equipment, and no money for "luxuries" like transportation, the rare exercises amounted to little more than musters.

Deprived of the stimulus of real-world experience in the field and muffled by senior officers and civilians unwilling to hear critical or even novel views, the Army's officers were left with little but their memories of World War I to guide them, with the natural result that the service remained backward-looking. Had the United States been drawn into World War II in 1939 or 1940 rather than late in 1941, it would have found the Army catastrophically unprepared -- not simply in terms of manpower and matériel but in ideas about how to organize and fight. Bad as the Army's condition was in December of 1941, it vastly better than it had been two years before.

All of this is made vividly clear in this well written and well structured book. Some may feel that the author pulls his punches a little bit with respect to the responsibility of the Army's own leaders. As he makes clear, they found themselves in a very difficult corner. But I think it is fair to say that they could have prepared the Army somewhat better had they been more willing to make and defend painful tradeoffs within the limited resources they were granted. (For instance, unmentioned by Odom, the Army spent relatively substantial sums on construction of buildings in the mid to late 1930s -- badly needed, to be sure, but how badly compared to other things?) Still, Odom provides us with much of the information needed to make up our own minds on these issues.

I found this book both valuable and enjoyable. I would recommend pairing it with David E. Johnson's _Fast Tanks and Heavy Bombers: Innovation in the U.S. Army, 1917-1945_ (Cornell U. Press, 1998), which complements it in many ways. Hopefully, Odom's publishers will follow the lead of Johnson's in issuing an affordable paperbound edition. When they do so, they might consider dropping the "doctrine" from the subtitle; it will still be strictly accurate, and less likely to confuse non-professional readers.

Will O'Neil

The Army is undergoing a fundamental transformation today. However, this is not the first transformation that the US Army has undergone, and if history is any judge, it won't be the last.

William Odom has captured the essence of the tumultuous transformation of our Army during the period between the two World Wars in his superlative treatise After the Trenches. The transformation of our Army during the inter-war years was as profound as the transformation we are experiencing now. If you are looking for a guide that explains the importance of doctrine, weapons, and organizations to transformation, you must read Odom's After the Trenches.

Imagine the challenges facing the US Army of 1919, one year after the end of the War to End All Wars. The years 1914 to 1918 were years of profound and dramatic change. The methods of warfare that the Army had practiced before the Great War had been completely overturned. The Army went into World War I with a tradition that was largely formed from the frontier Army of he Indian Wars and the brief fighting in the Spanish American War. Armed with revolvers, sabers and wearing campaign hats in 1914, the Army finished 1918 wearing tin helmets and armed with gas masks, machine guns, rapid firing artillery, airplanes, and tanks.

True to our American tradition, after the Great War, the Army was largely disbanded. Only a small corps of professional soldiers was retained during the period from 1919 to 1939. In that time, however, warfare continued to change. In the meantime, Germany studied the lessons of the Great War, improved on the methods and weapons of WWI, and transformed its doctrine and training.

This historical appreciation is what Odom brings so masterfully to print in After the Trenches. The author explains the evolution of Army doctrine throughout this period and traces the intellectual action of an Army trying to find its way in a brave new world. He describes how the thinkers of that time guarded their uniquely American approach to war and rejected many of the European, and particularly the French, concepts that grew out of the horror of the trench warfare.

In the inter-war years, the US Army, guided by men such as General John Pershing, Hugh Drum, George Lynch, Frank Parker, and Lesley McNair tried to balance technology and the human dimension of war, and came up short. Rapid changes in the methods of war during the interwar years changed military doctrine form one "built on infantry-artillery coordination to one based on a highly mobile combined arms team." Army doctrine did not keep pace with these changes. With few men, little material, almost no funding, and no maneuvers during the years 1919-1939, it is not surprising that Army doctrine was so inadequate. Bureaucratic hassling, friction between the branches of the Army, and an inept doctrinal development process combined to create a situation that was so bad that the Army failed to coordinate a combined arms doctrine up to the eve of World War II. With the German victories in Poland, Norway, and France at the outbreak of WWII providing a blueprint for doctrine, the US Army raced to catch up. In the end, our Army paid a price in blood for its inability to transform more rapidly.

The lesson that Odom provides us is that this period of rapid change almost left the Army unprepared for the kind of combat that was to characterize World War II. Odom clearly shows in After the Trenches that the single most important reason US Army doctrine lagged so far behind was the Army's institutional deficiency to employ a tightly-run, well-coordinated doctrine development process. He provides us with a very valuable precautionary story, one that is well written and thoroughly researched

Now, imagine the challenges that our Army faces today, more than a decade after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War. As Odom points out in his conclusion: "Establishment of an organization dedicated to monitoring and accommodating change is the most important element in successful modernization. This organization must address weapons, organizations, and doctrine to avoid the same calamity that befell the Army from 1919-1939. With that in mind, anyone involved in the transformation of today's Army will find After the Trenches an account worth studying.

In this book Odom sets himself up as a true groundbreaker. Many historians have looked at the interwar period (1918-1939) from a European perspective, seeking to find the start points for military success or disaster depending upon the nation under study. Odom is the first to conduct an in-depth analysis of the American Army during this period without dwelling on the mere artifacts of technology (specifically the tank and the airplane) but rather upon the heart of any military organization, their doctrine. Right now and for some time to come this is the single best source to examine how the United States military, and specifically the Army, experienced and viewed this period of important changes and developments. Odom sets the bar high and places himself on a par with such classics of military doctrine studies as Doughty's Seeds of Disaster and Winton's To Change and Army. In light of the striking parallels between that period and the present day, no professional can safely claim to understand the factors at work in either period until they read this book.

one of the excellent books to come lately on the texas ranger a most for ranger book collector.

I thought the "Real West" couldn't get any better than Knowles' collaboration with Joe R. Lansdale (Hisownself) on 1994's engrossing _Wild West Show!_ I was wrong. Knowles gets down and digs up the real history of the Rangers, and pulls no punches. It's an honest, unblinking, exciting and amazing adventure through time, with excellent photos and commentary. Whoever says history is dull hasn't seen _They Rode for the Lone Star _. This is a coffee table books that belongs everywhere but. Cant wait for volume 2!

Tom Knowles' "They Rode for the Lone Star" is a fascinating history of the early Texas Rangers. It is full of the facts on which the legendary tales are based. It is respectful but unbiased. And it is thoroughly engaging and immensely entertaining.

Filled with illustrations and annotations, it is not only a great read from beginning to end, but also the perfect book to pick up and browse when you have a few minutes. Unfortunately, it is so well written that if you start to browse through it, you may find yourself reading through to the end.

I am anxiously awaiting the second volume that brings the Rangers' history up to the present.

Homesick for Texas, and all those good eats? This is the book for you. It is much more than a cookbook, it is a piece of Texas to be read and savored. Having eaten at all the locations of Threadgill's and having spent many (too many, according to my college transcript) at Armadillo World Headquarters, opening this book was like a trip back home. Sure, there are the receipes for all the Threadgill's classics, including all the vegetable dishes. Sure you can try to make the wonderful chicken fried steak, but intertwined in all those recepies is the history of Threadgills, and the people who were there. You learn the thinking behind the place many called home, you remember the brand names of products that made Texas cooking great. You also get a bird's eye view of the Texas music scene and all the colorful people who inhabited that time and place. Threadgill's kept me from getting too homesick when I left Dallas, and moved to Austin. This book keeps me from getting too homesick for home.

Hands down, the greatest cookbook ever written (take that, Better Homes & Gardens!). If you've never been to Threadgill's, you've never truly experienced the bounty of God's green earth - but you can get a fantastic taste of it with this book. I cook something from this book almost every day, which may not mean I'm the healthiest soul alive, but I sure get my veggies! If you thought a down-home cookbook was just a bunch of artery-clogging recipes for fried vegetables, you're only 10% right. In addition to fabulous recipes, this cookbook is actually an entertaining book to sit down and read! Trust me, it will find its way to that revered shelf in your bookcase that's reserved for the family Bible and the baby books. Yee hah!

As someone who moved from Austin to Washington, DC years back---and whose friends still ask me why, I don't have an answer. But I can tell you one of the things I miss is Eddie Wilson and Threadgill's. It's not fancy, it's not meant to be, but as Eddie says "This is not a lobster taco". This isn't fancy food, this is just good food, something you could eat every day, something that doesn't require an engineering degree to assemble and a degree in civil engineering to balance on the plate.

This book is a definate read. Daniel has always been one of my favorite brother's, and this book allows you to get a better feel for him as a character. Karlee is so dynamic and brave, yet she's always filled with self-doubt. Watching these two fall in love was such an enjoyable experience. But to avoid confusion, be sure to read, "The Texan's Touch" and "To Kiss a Texan"

This series was so informational and funny. Please read these in in order. She ( Jodi Thomas ) makes learning about the history of Texas fun. I couldn't put these down til the last book. I'm still finding her other books also very good and funny. Worth rereading over and over. Keepers.

If you read the title TO WED IN TEXAS and expect a typical historical Texas romance then you've never read Jodi Thomas' work. The first chapter of this gentle romance will capture you and draw you into a warm, charming, and sometimes harrowing read.

Daniel McLain is a man of God, raising his twin girls in the newly- developed and dangerous town of Jefferson, Texas. When he appeals to his family for help, Daniel expects a family member to arrive and help him. What he doesn't expect is a distant cousin who's travelling companion is "bad luck." Upon arriving on a steamboat in the most unusual way, Karlee learns that although the Civil war is over, there are those who still want to fight, and endanger lives. Pleasing her employer and keeping the three-year-olds safe isn't going to be easy.

Ms. Thomas has written her characters so well that as I read I found instant compassion for Daniel and the girls. My heart went out to the character Karlee and wanted to see her triumph in more ways than one. In some parts, the written environment took me back to the old John Wayne movies and the realistic atmosphere and mood that was portrayed them. Ms. Thomas is an artist of the western love story.

Great book on a little covered area of the U-boat war. I recommend it.

As a former submaring officer, I was particularly interested in the risky and sometimes foolish tactics that U-Boat skippers used in heavily traveled and very shallow coastal waters. It was more incredible when one considers their lack of any sophisticated electronics.

Ms. Wiggins has covered the human aspects of this part of World War II submarine operations with a fresh and interesting perspective. Her inclusion of personal interview material make the story more credible. A good read for any history buff.

Cdr. John A. Holt USN(Ret)

A truly beautiful book. I walk in the fields and identify most of the flowers. There is one however, that I can't seem to find in the book. Will send a picture of it, if you like. Please advise. rosalee

This book was a great help to my classmates and I. We had a project and had to look up flowers the names and scientific names and it was so easy to use it took us no time at all.

I have found this wildflower ID book extremely useful to my students because they do not have to wade through the selections by families but can narrow down their searching and time by going directly to the color section for the flower they have. The page size of the book makes it more useful for field ID than bigger sized books. A few of the photos lack definitive pictures of leaf, bud, and stem structures and may give a mistaken impression of flower size.