This first full-length study of Walker Evans offers insights into his artistry and a fresh look at every state of his career.

Walker Evans' photography rates amongst the best. His ability to capture a scene of everyday life and extract from it the beauty often overlooked by others is remarkable. The skill displayed in taking these photographs demonstrates why he has earned an enduring reputation as a master photographer. An inspirational must have for amateurs and professionals alike.

Of course everyone else knows what an ampersand is but me. Right? Well I know now. & for the first time it is clear to me what a nonrestrictive clause is. It seems I've learned from this great book that, as important as a nonrestrictive clause is, it is not essential to the sentence.

Oh--commas! Where do you put the blasted things? The world would be better off if we had less of them and could just concentrate on more important things like how to spell such words as superkalafragilisticexpalidoshious--did I spell that correctly?

As my friends at Amazon Books will attest(comma) I am not the best when it comes to punctuation. I'm becoming confident, however, in my abilites to put such things as commas in their place. My confidence didn't come from a school teacher. How many teachers do you know that tell you what the name, pro-noun, means? I did not honestly know that (pro) meant for the noun. Oh, I knew what pronouns were; I just didn't know where they were coming from.

I'll tell you something else (as long as my wife doesn't read this). I am an indefinite pronoun to her. In our house it's always, "Somebody didn't hang up their towel." Or, "I could sure use someones help with these dishes. Now I have a new name, it's called: Indefinite Pronoun. "SOMEBODY GET THE PHONE!" "Yes dear."

My apologies to my wife, she really is an angel.

So, why did I give this book a five-star rating? I think it was because of what is written at the top of page 29. If you have problems with punctuation like I do, or you realize your new name is, Indefinite Pronoun. You need a book like this one so at least you can say, "Hey, somebody left thier pantyhose hanging on the shower rod again."

There are larger punctuation guides but this one has all the rules you will ever need. Why spend more?

I'm the author of a novel about a Jewish mother whose lesbian daughter wants a traditional Jewish wedding ceremony, so when I came on this true life account of a gay Jewish wedding, I had to read it. I was drawn to it also because I have a gay child myself, and am active in Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), an organization which offers support, education and advocacy for equal rights. I've seen even the most "accepting" parents draw back in dismay when their son or daughter desired a same-sex wedding ceremony.

As the book description notes, this story of one such wedding is told from four different viewpoints, the two halves of the gay couple, Douglas Wythe and Andrew Merling, and Andrew's parents, Roslyn and Sheldon Merling. Though the four viewpoints are presented as a dialog, alternating with one another, the narrative is blended into a coherent whole by a skilled editorial hand.

The Merlings consider themselves accepting of their gay children. (Andrew's older brother is also gay.) Roslyn, a social worker, helped found a synagogue-affiliated support group for parents of gays and lesbians. And Sheldon states over and over that he has no objection to a small, private "commitment ceremony" between Andrew and Doug. It's the vision of a big public affair that takes him aback. That, and the fact that both Doug and Andrew want to be married under a chuppah (canopy), an essential part of all Jewish weddings, and follow the other traditions that mark a Jewish wedding ceremony. Most of all, Sheldon adds, he wants to avoid having whatever ceremony is held turn into a political statement.

By the day of the wedding, it is clear to the other three, if not to Sheldon himself, that this is impossible. Like any other wedding, a wedding between a same-sex couple is a personal affirmation of love and commitment. But dignifying same-sex ceremonies with the term wedding, as opposed to commitment ceremony or holy union, seems upsetting to both homophobes and to those who believe themselves to be free of prejudice. This account by Doug, Andrew and Andrew's parents is both honest and moving as they describe both the conflicts that arise between them and their own internal struggles with the vestiges of homophobia and of concern with their wider community's reaction. Nor are these limited to the parents, as both young men describe their own struggles with self-acceptance. (As an example of the latter, the two decide against dancing with each other in a "first dance" at their wedding reception.)

With the aid of an understanding family therapist, both generations gain a greater understanding of the other's viewpoint. The parents overcome their initial shock to reach the point of walking their son down the aisle together (another Jewish tradition). It is this emotional journey that is the heart and strength of this book. So it's not giving anything away to say that yes, Andrew and Doug do have the blowout wedding of their dreams. Or to add that the somewhat scandalized congregation at their wedding gains a new appreciation both of their love for one another and of the rightness of their having a wedding to celebrate it. (As members of a close-knit Jewish community, Sheldon and Roslyn attended the weddings of the children of their many friends, and were obliged to return the favor with their own invitations to Andrew's ceremony.)

Toward the end of the book, Doug writes that when gay people are "not expending energy on hiding the fact, every moment is potentially political." This account underscores not only that fact, but the costs of being less than totally honest. One of the most poignant stories in the book for me was when Doug writes a letter to his parents, formally "coming out" to them. As he had brought Andrew home for several holiday dinners, he assumed that his parents understood that he was gay, without his ever having put it in words before. As it turns out, both his mother and father had separately made this assumption, but each, fearing the other could not bear to know it, had kept it to themselves, creating an unnecessary wall of silence in their marriage. It would seem (as PFLAG stresses in support groups) that honesty is not only the best cure for homophobia, but for strengthening family relationships as well.

I recommend this book wholeheartedly. About the only criticism I can make is that it would have been nice to have a few photos of the wedding, rather than just painting the elegant setting with words.

That's the ongoing question that confronts two of the authors of this fresh and insightful book as they progress through their plans to be married. The issue, of course, is that these same authors, Doug and Andrew, happen to be two gay men trying to pull off a wedding in a society that either doesn't recognize or simply doesn't know what to make of same-sex marriage. From the point they decide to become engaged, to the night of their wedding, Doug and Andrew find themselves constantly confronted by family and friends (including gay friends) who can't understand why they feel a need to have a wedding or what they are trying to prove by having one.

What makes this book such a good read is that it it is formatted as a dialogue between Doug, Andrew, and Andrew's conservative Jewish parents, Roslyn and Sheldon. The story is told from these four points of view, each often offering conflicting or significantly different interpretations of the same events leading up to Doug and Andrew's wedding. It is this approach that enables the book to be more than a simple advocacy of gay marriage -- by enabling the reader to see through the eyes of people on different sides of this issue, the book shows the many emotional and oftentimes humorous effects such a decision can have on a family. Ultimately, a compelling read that reinforces faith in the strength and love that one often finds in the best of families in the toughest of situations.

Doug Allyn wades into a new character for this book. His name is Bobby Cruz and he's a tenacious young man determined to fulfill his contractual obligation to "dot the i's and cross the t's" in a follow up investigation into the whereabouts of father and son mobsters.
Bobby focuses in on the small town where Roland Costa and his son Rol, jr. were last seen. They had been there to attend the funeral of Roland's brother and then seemingly disappeared.
Nobody expects Bobby to discover anything new. He's just supposed to give the place a second look.
When somebody begins shooting at Bobby, it becomes obvious that in this rural setting, someone has something more than just a small town mentality resentment of this outsider.
The ending comes out of nowhere and slaps the reader right in the face, Doug Allyn style.

Doug Allyn is the most under rated mystery writer working today. Check out his latest, ... and you'll see what I mean.

Allyn is the best in the biz at conveying small towns, and the ruggedness of rural life, without overdoing it-- unlike so many big city types who tend to slip into satire or some "Deliverance" take off when doing small town suspense.

Great storytelling, and a GREAT ending.

I have read John D. Long's book: WHAT THINK YE OF CHRIST? It reminded me of so many things I already know about Christ. It taught me many things I did not know. It makes me appreciate all the more what it means to be a Christian.

The book reflects untold hours of deliberation by the author, painstaking attention to details of Scripture, and clear-cut explanations of many of the simple but yet profound teachings of Christ.

Early in Chapter 8 John Long presents what he refers to as the "Gist" of the gospel of Christ. This summary goes right to the heart of the gospel and is easy to understand. I recommend it as a good starting point for anyone interested in studying this book and thinking seriously about Christ.

The author is to be commended for his work. I highly recommend this book. It is not just for skeptics. It is also for believers. Good job, well done.

George J. Keller Bloomington, Indiana

After many years of contemplation, the author has produced an outstanding expression of Christian faith, written in a very articulate, persuasive, and easy-to-read manner.

I would recommend this book to anyone,especially to those who know little or nothing about World War I. The Forward of the this book is excellent!! The history, causes, and effects of World War I are interesting and informative. At no time, in any history class I have taken have the facts of this War been explained and I certainly appreciated knowing more. Thank you for your insight and for writing a book from the perspective of an actual soldier and a Commanding Officer. I had tears in my eyes-of joy and sorrow- while reading these diary entries. Not until one reads actual words written by someone directly involed in any war do we really understand the heartaches of war.

I have always been a WW I buff but this is different than any historical work on the subject. You see the Great War from a personal view. By combining the accounts of a foot soldier and his commanding officer, Eisenstein has produced a work of astonishing impact. The meticulous research of all references made in the respective memoirs is an education in itself. The authors insightful commentary really helps the reader appreciate the insanity of this war. The means of mass destruction and death were available for the first time, but the ability to communicate by wireless radio and therefore control this power was absent. I highly recommend this powerful book for both the avid historian and the casual reader alike.

The White Guns is a story of officers and men of the Royal Navy at the end of World War II in Europe and how they deal with people who the day before were deepest enemies and now are a mass of destitute survivors. It is a story of men in transition and how they deal with the changes they face. Some adjust quite well, others are still fighting the war. It is a view of Germany, at the end of World War II that many Americans never saw; bombed out streets, mothers and wives huddled at the train station waiting for trains coming in from the East that might have a few survivors from the Eastern Front aboard. Faded photos on a notice board in the station and pleas for information. It is a strange world for the men of the Royal Navy assigned to Northern Germany. There is humor, tragedy and drama; but there is also hope for the survivors on both sides of the lines of World War II. A book well worth reading. This review is based on the book of the same name.

I am an avid fan of Reeman's WWII novels dealing with the heroics of British seamen in sea battles. However, the sea action, althought exciting and easy to read, usually dominates his books with too little development of his characters. In this book, which begins with the end of WWII, the guns have stopped firing. As Fraulein Geghin, a German civilian, says to her lover, British naval officer Lt. Marriott, the protagonist in this book, when a British vessel passes them: "Look at her guns. All white...the snow. They do not look so dangerous any more. He replied. "I know." This book is about the uneasy calm after the war as the conquering naval heroes now must confront the problems of a vanquished foe. Reeman intertwines several interesting personal stories-including a tender love story about Geghin and Marriott, blackmarket activities, a confrontation between the British and the Russians about dealing with the Germans, several close calls at sea-all against the backdrop of clearing up the wrecked vessels in an around the German port of Kiel. The cessation of hostilities allows Reeman room to dwell upon and develop his characters and make them and their individual stories interesting. Unlike the usual battle dominated books by Reeman, this one presents a literary slice of what it must have really been like in the first days after the war ended when the victors met their defeated enemy on the latter's soil.

I do not like to reveal the plot on my reviews as others do, but keep in mind this series are the better novelization of the Crimean Campaign around.
In the USA "Attack on the Redan" fifth and last of the Crimean War volumes will be released on October (and no I am not the author neither the editor...). The end of the last one is a little syruped or coated in sugar (at least the ending chapters)and you get the impression a book started by Andy McNab is finished by Barbara Cartland (OK this is an exageration but to a point there is some truth in it...).
If you have read the series you would have noticed Crossman peloton is something like the Roots of the SAS aproach to warfare... so the comparaison with Andy McNab novels was compulsory.
I loved the series as a fan of the Crimean War and the XIXth century, but also for the rich "secondaries" on the novels wich reminded me a lot of John Ford's film characters.
RECOMMENDED.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, set during the Crimean War (1854-1855), which focuses upon Sgt. "Fancy Jack" Crossman and his ragtag peloton (platoon) of (misfit) soldiers. Fancy Jack is actually the illegitimate son of a lord who opts for anonimity in the ranks as opposed to being an officer. He is in charge of a peloton of possibly the most unlikely band of soldiers, including a Turk, a Canadian (or American), and a sharpshooter who is actually a woman. They are the prototype of today's special forces, acting as saboteurs behind enemy lines, destroying a Russian crane, as well as performing the less savory tasks of hunting down a band of renegade British army deserters and gathering evidence of a British general's corruption and incompetence. Towards the end of the novel they participate in the attack on Kertch Harbor, but this is the only "traditional" battle that they see.
The author does an excellent job conveying the hopelessness and the futily of the Crimean War--the squalor, the mud, the entrenched lines which cannot be broken, the incompetence of the generals and the waste of lives, as well as descriptions of those Britons who went to Crimea as sightseers, along with servants, picnic baskets, wine, wives and mistresses, to witness the battles. I also like that Kilworth spends time describing the British class system and how it permeated the army (the younger sons of the aristocracy often went into the army as officers; their rank was purchased rather than awarded according to merit), thus keeping the officers forever separated from the men in the ranks and causing a great deal of anomisity on both sides.
I also like that the author has taken the time to develop his characters thoroughly. Readers have a good sense of exactly who Fancy Jack is, his strengths and weaknesses both as a soldier and as a human being, his strained relationship with his father, his love and admiration for his half-brother, his complicated relationship with Lavinia Durham (told with plenty of humor), an old flame now married to an officer, his uncertain feelings about his cousin (he comes across as a bit of a nerd), his good relationships with his superior officers (except Pirce-Smith) and with his peloton. The other characters are also fully developed, from the insecure whiner Wynter to the boastful (been everywhere, seen everything, done everything) Gwilliams to Peterson, the woman sharpshooter. They rag on eachother, pick on eachother, squabble just like siblings, yet when they have to operate as a unit, they do so. This unusual blend of war and personal relationships makes this an interesting change from the usual war novels, which tend to focus much more upon the fighting than the soldiers. I shall look for the earlier novels, and look forward to the further adventures of Fancy Jack and his peloton. Highly recommended.

I borrowed it from a friend for my first reading, but found there was too much essential stuff here. This book is for the more mature Christian who is interested in exporting the deeper aspects of spiritual warfare.

How can a book with such an ominous title raise one's spirit to praise as this one does? The 13 chapters (nine of them with responses) read like a Marine Corps recruiter's call to join the action. Taking just three chapters as examples, the authors declare that "We Are At War" (Dr. Ed Murphy), that we must reckon with "Deception: Satan's Chief Tactic" (Dr. Timothy M. Warner), but that we may rejoice by "Finding Freedom in Christ" (Dr. Neil Anderson). The authors and respondents offer well-reasoned, helpful insights into the very real battle that has to be fought if we are to fulfill the Great Commission. The contributors do not live in a side eddy of the evangelical church, but serve in such respected institutions as Seattle Pacific University, Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL., Church of God School of Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary, Canadian Theological Seminary, Talbot theological Seminary, and others. Like its theme, this is a powerful book.

I received this book to read as a school assignment. After I read the first ten pages, I thought it was going to be pretty boring. I mean, how interesting is a book about getting in a quarrel about tripping over someone's feet. I wondered how Henty managed to write a book that goes on for 360 pages with really small print that kept going on like that. Then, I decided to read a little more. The second chapter wasn't quite as bad so I read a little more, until it got so interesting I didn't want to stop!

G. A. Henty wrote a scores of historical fiction stories about the Middle Ages and other time periods, including Ancient Civilizations, the Renaissance, and even journeys to the new world. At the turn of the century, he was a renowned author, especially among high-school boys. I am surprised that he has been almost completely forgotten today. Henty is a marvelous author who wrote exciting, historically accurate, action-adventure books.

Wulf is a Saxon thane who is under the command of Earl Harold of Wessex. He is always by Harold's side, ready for adventure with his right-hand man Osgod and his best friend Beorn. They fight the Welsh, the Bretons, Vikings, and finally the Normans under the command of the Duke of Normandy, a.k.a. William the Conqueror at the final conflict at Hastings.

If all Henty's books are like this one, I'm going to ask my parents to order the whole set! The only downside to investing your time in this book is the beginning is a little slow. But after that, It's Great! I can't wait to read the next one.

This is an excellent book as well as all of the other books by this author. Get them all.