My father was on this ship when he was in his early 20's. Over the years, I'd read about the Frankiln and the "13". He always said it was his lucky number. Now I know why. What an outstanding book!

Saving Big Ben is a captivating story about the naval war in the Pacific Fleet in WWII. Told from the perspective of the U.S.S. Franklin (CV 13), the most decorated crew in naval history, it's a riveting tale of courage under fire. Unlike many other historical accounts, Saving Big Ben captures the personal side of the story- the hopes and fears, the courage and the heartbreak- of her crew. It includes the stories of two Medal of Honor winners and their shipmates, following them through the incredible drama as they fought to save their crippled ship.

Based on actual ships logs, the story follows the Franklin and her crew through the battles of the Coral Sea, Leyte Gulf and the Sea of Japan. It also provides a birds eye view of the Fleet commanders, Admirals Nimitz and Halsey, painting a compelling view of the strategy, challenges and triumphs of the Pacific Fleet. This story will have you on the edge of your seat, as it could only be told by someone who was there.

In Saving Big Ben, Peter Prato combines the style of W.E.B. Griffin (Brotherhood of War), the narrative drama of Hapton Sides (Ghost Soldiers), and the historical accuracy of Mark Bowden (Black Hawk Down). Once you start this book, you won't want to put it down.

I watched the daring efforts to save the Franklin while amnning a fire hose on the fantail of the USS Santa Fe. Saving Big Ben enables the modern reader to experience those frightening yet courage-filled times. An outstanding book. Congratulations to Peter Prato for returning those valorous memories.

Tom Paulovich, S1C

In this story, Ehrhart beautifully tells of the I Corp Marine's experience in '67-68. The cost, both physically and spiritually,to the soldier has to my mind never seemed so true. Can the innocence and ignorance, if indeed they are different things, last in the face of the reality of war's warped and mishapen environment? What happens to the soldier when faced with his own ignorance and the evils of war, for which he is in many ways responsible? The tension between the two different Ehrharts in the book lies in the attempt to justify his actions in Viet Nam to himself, and if nothing else, to find some comfort even from outside himself. He is both proud and disgusted (I wish I had a stronger word here) by his "accomplishments" in Viet Nam. Where do we find ourselves when the conflict is over? The answer is perhaps nowhere, perhaps in the shower. (You must read the book to understand my last statement):)

Was required reading in a class I took about the Vietnam War. Reading this memoir rapidly went from a school assignment chore to pleasure. I read the next two books in the series the following summer. Ehrhart exposes his inner self on the page to the point where it can actually be somewhat difficult to read. He gave a lecture to our class at the end of the semester, and it was quite moving. Do check it out.

The Vietnam war, what was it like for a combat marine? Read this book and its sequel to find out. Mr. Ehrhart is a gifted storyteller. His story is unique. It's amazing how little it is referred to in bibliographies.

I received "The Buckley-Class Destroyer Escorts" as a gift and I consider it priceless. Having commissioned and served as a Gunners Mate on the USS Sims DE 154 (ESCORT DIV.6) until she was converted into the APD 50, I am familiar with some of the action in the Atlantic and Eastern Areas. Being able to follow the history of the Division, after I was reassigned, was a treat. Some of the inserts, the experiences of former crew members, struck pretty close to home. They well may have been in the bunk next to mine. The photographs were great. This book contains the only photo that I have seen of the "SIMS" underway. Compiling all of the information in this book, so long after the fact, is almost unbelievable. It is, in many respects, a record of a piece of my life. Any Sailor that served on one of "The Little Wolves" should own a copy of this book.

I recommend this marvellous book to all naval enthusiasts because they can easily see all of the Buckley class on it. Especially I am very glad to see all of the Captain class. I couldn't find which ship of the Royal Navy had 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns on X position before I purchased this masterpiece.

Navy men always did there job with out asking if our ship was Special.Now that I have read Bruces book, I know now that the DE sailor was on one of the greatest fighting ships in the Navy. the history of these ships as written in this book "The Buckley Class Destroyer Escorts". The people that made the history will be the proud ones.

I found "The Philosophy of Consciousness Without an Object," one of the two books making up this volume, by chance a few years ago. Dr. Wolff is like pure gold. He provides independent confirmation and explication of mystical experience outside of religious traditions.

To existing reviews I just want to add that one of the deep joys of this book is Dr. Wolff himself, as transmitted by his language. Extremely literate, deeply kind, considerate, powerful, courageous, patient, thorough, Dr. Wolff is beautiful to read. This book contains the truth, in sentences that are so precise that they are like mathematical equations, and so vast in scope that they are themselves like books.

Franklin Merrell-Wolff's memoir of and reflections upon his experience of "Realization" is one of the most engaging and intelligent accounts ever written. His path was that of the jnani and the philosopher, and his lucid critical thinking is a rarity in this sort of literature. But this story is far from dry, and the mysticism is genuine and deep. This book got me through a series of "spiritual" crises in the mid-80s and has come around several times since, and is richer and more suggestive on each reading, as few books are. There is a subtle chemistry to "mystical" writers; one person's revelation is another person's tedium. Merrell-Wolff's work has a particular ineffable quality, a flavor that appeals to me immensely. He was an inspiration to Richard Moss, whose works are also highly to be recommended to those pursuing the path that disappears into God's country.

It is quite rare to come across a book on "mysticism"--the perennial philosophy, that is--which is written by a person who is not only speaking from a very advanced level of direct Realization but, at the same time, is a very well-trained and highly skilled philosopher. This is such a book. After years of wide study, deep thought and serious practice in the world's wisdom traditions, including formal training in both Eastern and Western philosophy and religion, this book still blew my mind from cover to cover. It will help to clarify significant points in your understanding, even if you are an advanced jnana yogi or a professional philosopher.

Ghost in the wire is a fascinating account on the Vietnam war. I was riveted to the book, and didn't want to put it down, it was like a roller coaster. I difinately have mixed emotions of the Vietnam War, wondering if it's a just war or not, but this book took all of the politics out and it was just an awesome read. I believe it's a must read for anyone.

I recommend this book because it explains better than others I have read about the Vietnam war veterans and what they went through when they returned from the war. It is sad in parts, but the humor and almost poetic cadence of Mr. Rast makes me feel that at least no matter how hard the obstacles---most of the soldiers still had a heart and sense of humor. It gives a good view for people my age on what the 60's and early 70's were all about---the Vietnam conflict, racial unrest, drugs, and an almost reverance for those that returned to tell their stories in a manner that is well-captured by Mr. Rast. The thoughts in the book seem to stay with me, and it is very different from other books about the war I have read.

This is the second book I've read by Mr. Rast and he seems to not have skipped a beat in his manner of bringing characters in the true-life situations that draw a reader into the story. It picks up where his first book Don's Nam ends. The flashbacks, highs and lows and really unpredictable (both comical and sad) plights of returning Vietnam vertrans make this an easy-reading, entertaining but yet truly informative narrative that is highly recommended.

I think it was November 1997 that I drove to Detroit for a tribute to Robert F. William. When I arrived I learned that he had succumbed to cancer two weeks earlier. Although I had spoken to Williams briefly by telephone on a few occasions, I never had the opportunity to meet him personally, a fact that I deeply regret. I did meet his wife, Mabel, and found her to be the other half of Williams' heroic story. It was at the tribute, however, that Tyson announced that his biography of Williams would soon be completed and published. Although the biography was not published for another year or two, it was well worth the wait. Tyson is to be commended for a job well done in recognizing another face of the civil rights struggle that, although well known among AfroAmericans, never has received the publicity that the nonviolent movement did, and in recognizing Williams' significant contributions to the right of AfroAmericans to defend themselves against armed, violent racists, not all of whom wore sheets. This is a book that anyone interested in America's history, especially in what I consider its hidden or secret history that has only lately begun to be revealed, must have in their library.

My only criticism of the book is that Tyson did not offer more information about the details of Williams' sojourn in China and the agreement that ultimately allowed his return to the United States with his wife and children and free of the persecution of the FBI and local and state authorities. I'm sure that is a story by itself that is waiting to be told.

Read this book and William Ivy Hair's "Carnival of Fury: Robert Charles And The New Orleans Race Riot of 1900" available from the University of Louisiana Press. Get a new take on American history.

Excellent book! An important reminder of the fact that the history books left out a lot of important events and people. I had the privelege of once meeting a lady who knew Robert Williams as a child in Monroe NC and I was greatly inspired by this.

I hope this book encourages those who read it to seek out older peple who remember the Civil Rights movement so that they can learn more about what the history books "forgot" to mention.

Tyson's book focuses a long-overdue spotlight on the career of Robert F. Williams, an overlooked civil rights pioneer who indelibly stamped and shaped the movement during the '50s, '60s and beyond, but who has received precious little exposure, discussion or credit from the mainstream media. "Radio Free Dixie" goes a long way to setting the record straight.

The compelling thesis of "Radio Free Dixie" is that the civil rights struggle in the South featured a strong element of armed resistance against the forces of intimidation, led by the Klan, but legitimized by the legal structure of the southern states. Williams, from an early age, rejected the pacifist ideas and practices of Martin Luther King, arguing that blacks would never win their rights, much less any measure of respect until they were willing to demonstrate a willingness to defend themselves with arms. While most of the press and his supposed allies (King included) attempted to portray him as a violent revolutionary bent on overthrowing the government, Tyson convincingly shows that Williams was in fact a true believer in the U.S. constitution and that he never advocated initiating violence. Nor did his aggressive stance come from nowhere. Tyson shows that Williams' own family had a long history of determined and nonpacifist resistance, as did many other black families throughout the South.

This is also a stirring story of one community's fight against racism. The white community of Williams' Monroe, N.C. did everything it could to stop his efforts to integrate the town, but despite this, Williams built an extraordinary local chapter of the NAACP that relentlessly exposed the injustices daily heaped on blacks, even when the NAACP itself was refusing to recognize the activities of the chapter.

Tyson's book deserves accolades for exposing another layer of the complex history of the civil rights movement. The book is well-written and researched and full of genuine, yet balanced respect for its subject. A must-read for students of the civil rights movement and those searching for a real profile in courage.

Franklin Harold's the WAY OF THE CELL, by analogies with computers and machines, leads the reader closer to understanding the relationship of the 1-D genotype to the 3-D phenotype. In English, how does the DNA blueprint lead to the finished, living organism? He shows the cell as the nanobot machine able to produce the pieces of what we call life. One of his favorite thinkers is Richard Dawkins who says genes build cellular survival machines. On P. 81 Harold tells us, "from genes to cells is a journey without maps."

So what is life? This book is an apology for man's inability to create life in a test tube. Yes, the author ends the book by throwing up his hands but the journey is still exciting. Man's attempt to create life in a test tube is merely his attempt to magnify these cellular sized wonders. By magnifying the lego pieces within the cell Harold shows that man within is filled with a billion tiny oceans teaming with life. Life must lie hidden in the currents which flow within the cellular oceans. When man can navigate these currents he will understand what life is. The author helps to reveal the wonder of this fantastic voyage.

What is life? Man knows it when he sees it. The fact that we can't manufacture life from scratch is no different than not being able to create a second sun from scratch. If life were a book of blank pages, the cell is the printing press that imprints the book with words, sentences and paragraphs. Another analogy Harold uses is that of a river of DNA flowing within cellular banks. The author warns us that analogies are only half truths. Since his book is filled with analogies, the whole truth of what life is can never be told.

"The typical archaeon is likely to be a lithotroph, an anaerobe, and a thermophile." (p 167)

No, the author is not addicted to Latin and Greek. His writing is colloquial and accessible. It's hard to explain, but in its context that sentence above is amusing. This book is an easygoing but fairly detailed tour of cellular life. It brings us down to the level of the cell - even the bacterial cell - and then begins to investigate how things look from that perspective.

From a cell's-eye view, big molecules are important parts of the landscape. Particular types of macromolecules and complexes have just a few (hundred or thousand) representatives, so each is important to the cellular economy. From here, it seems as if we can, almost, understand how a cell lives.

Franklin Harold shows us, in broad strokes with descents into telling detail, what he knows, and what he (and everyone else) does not know at this point about the life of cells. This book gives us a rich picture of life at the most fundamental level, and shows us, too, the puzzles that are the subjects of current research. With his pictures of cellular action, metabolism, and growth, he is attempting to answer Shrodinger's question: what is life?

We know immensely more than we used to about the details of life's machinery. But do we understand how all that intricate, mixed-up chemistry can get up and live? Harold insists that we do not, and that these questions of biochemical detail have so mesmerized us that we no longer are even asking - as if understanding emerges from a pile of facts.

Franklin Harold's motivation is not lack of interest in these details (they occupied him during his years of research), nor an anti-scientific despair that says life can only be understood in some holistic and intuitive way. Rather, it is in the spirit of what is now called Complexity Theory (and used to be called General Systems Theory). Life seems to be an emergent property of the complex system we call the cell, whose many interacting parts we more or less understand if we think about them in isolation, but whose real-time interactions are too complicated and involve too much feedback to be grasped directly.

He pursues this question, too, in reviewing the current state of science as it investigates the origin of life. His agnostic, but still hopeful, take on much of the rather vaporous speculation that fills in for any real results in this area rather appeals to me.

This book is the best sort of popular science: it gives plenty of hard fact and cogent reasoning, but avoids the trap of exhaustive textbook detail. It is a surprisingly slow read: although the author is skilled at telling us what we need to know, he is reasoning along with us about fundamental matters that are part of the dialectic of current research. When you finish this book you will feel that you have been given a straight shot of some of the heady brew that biologists these days are imbibing.

The Way of the Cell: Molecules, Organisms and the Order of Life written by Franklin M. Harold is a well-written book that helps us understand why the search for answers of the riddle "What is Life?" is one of the noblest quests. This book is not about biology, biochemistry or any other finished and finite discipline, but about life.

This book deals with what are a recognizable set of properties, to identify the essential features that distinguish living organisms from other things. That riddle embraces and transends the subject matter of all the biological sciences, and much of the phyical science as well. Now, you maybe wondering, is this book too much for the non-scientific? If you have had science in high school, you should be able to figure out this book, which touches on subjects of biology, chemistry, biochemistry, and microbiology. This book is superbly written and very accessible in its explanation making the reader an observer of science so you can understand better what the scientists are working on.

So, what is the realtionship of living things to the inanimate realm of chemistry and physics? As you read on in this book, you'll find out and understand this realtionship. How can molecular interactions account for their behavior, growth, and reproduction? Living things differ from non-living ones most pointedly in their capacity to maintain, reproduce and multiply states of matter charactered by extreme degree of organization.

This book works with research on E. Coli, though a simple organism, it manifests well the example of life, the cell is a unitary whole. This book works with a vivid picture of the cell as opposed to the sub-celluar level of the gene. Heredity is in the genes, but life is in the cells.

If you have ever wanted to know the answer posed by Erwin Schrodinger, "What is Life?" read this book as some of this question will be answered. Other authors to read are: Stephen Jay Gould, Ernst Mayr, and E.O. Wilson are only just a few. This book has a very well appointed bibliography and your reading can start from there. You'll find this book to be an extremely witty, comprehensive and up-to-date work.

This is a rare novel, because it appeals to a wide age group. I read in the Authors Bio, that a perchantage of the sales from this book will go to St. Judes and the Shriners Hospitals for children. Truly a worthy cause! This book stresses a strong anti-drug theme and incorporates topics such as:Family Values and Love,Respect for Others,Integrity and Character,Honesty,Deity,humor,Adventure,
Mystery and Suspense, plus plenty of action. It is a hard book to put down. It appears that B. Franklin MacVane understands todays young people! I'm looking forward to reading the sequel to this book, "Curse of the COBRA," by this new, and talented Author.

I'm surprised I haven't heard more about this book. What I did near enticed me to buy it. I read the readers reviews before buying it. It is one of those rare books that holds your interest be you 7 or 60. I read it to my 7 year old grandson and he loved it. Now I am looking forword to reading all the books this unknown author writes. Keep up the good work!!!

I read Deadman's Island aloud in the car to my 3 children ages 7, 10 and 12 while on a family vacation. They all enjoyed it so much... they couldn't wait to hear what happened next! This story is a good family read with suspense, wholesome boy/girl friendships, strong family values, an anti-drug message, and some canine hijinks. Adults enjoy it, too.

Aljaz Cosini, a Tasmanian river guide, is trapped under water, his body wedged between rocks in the Franklin River, into which he has dived in an effort to save a reckless rafter. "I have entered the realm of the fabulous, of hallucinations, for there is no way anybody stuck drowning could experience such things," he thinks, as many generations of his family history pass through his mind. As this remarkable narrative unfolds, it alternates between Aljaz's dying, first person memories of his family's past and his objective, third person observations about life in contemporary Tasmania. Through Aljaz's memories, the reader learns the sad history of the island, a former penal colony for the most hardened criminals, the site of total genocide for the aboriginal natives, a remote colony with little hope and no tolerance for differences. A bright boy, Aljaz himself has intentionally failed everything in school, because "by failing, Aljaz begins to fit in with people...there is a camaraderie amongst the ranks of the fallen....They expect to be failed, to be unemployed, to be pushed around, to know only despair."

This is a story of abject hopelessness, the misery of Aljaz's family continuing through the four or five generations we meet during Aljaz's final moments and culminating in Aljaz's own predicament. The author does not even hold out the hope that Aljaz himself will be rescued, choosing to confirm the death in the book's title, before the reader even opens the book. What unites the generations (and keeps the reader going) is the clear and abiding respect for nature we see throughout the book--for the power of the river, for the unique animals of the island, for the stories and myths of the old people--and the belief that there is a unity of man and nature. And Aljaz experiences the ultimate unity with nature in his death in the river, as he becomes one with the sea eagle who "carries the spirits of the ancestors."

The characters one meets in this book are memorable, as they survive the best way they can. The tales of nature and the mystical moments that Aljaz experiences are vivid and uplifting, a fitting contrast to the reality of life. The action on the river is realistic and exciting, and there is a thematic unity which connects the generations of the past with the action in the present. It may be self-defeating, however, to create a novel in which the reader is asked to become personally involved with a main character whose death is foretold from the outset. Though that confirms and reinforces the point the author is making about the hopelessness of Aljaz's life, it certainly makes this novel a depressing ride for the reader.

Richard Flanagan has an almost unexcelled capacity to weave historical threads into his fiction. In line with many writers of the Australian scene, he deftly conveys his awareness of the Aborigine condition in this story. Despite his name, Aljaz Cosini, born far away in Trieste, yet manages to return to his ancestral homeland. Ancestral roots bear little, if any, sway on our monotheistic world. In other cultures, however, forebears are the foundation for existence, a tradition widespread and of extended duration. Flanagan's awareness of that cultural milieu is forcefully portrayed in this story of a man's final living moments.

Flanagan's method is subtle. We mourn for the drowning guide as the story opens. His fate is clearly inescapable. Strangely, he condemns neither his situation nor the river that is taking his life. The attitude is far from fatalism, however. His circumstance is opening a new realm of Aljaz' awareness. As he confronts the inevitable, Aljaz comes to perceive his ancestral roots. Visions arrive of events he could not have witnessed, yet bear no skein of fabrication nor the supernatural either in Aljaz' mind or in Flanagan's depiction of them. There are no deities or spirits here. Aljaz resents that at first - "visions ought be given you by divine beings, not ... marsupials and their mates". Yet these visions are events from the reality his ancestors experienced. They are also of those real people - his father, grandmother, and most importantly, his former girl friend and the child they lost. Flanagan accepts the Aborigine view of children - love them intently, but if they are lost, long-term grief is too debilitating a luxury. The white world didn't understand this view when they first encountered it, and it remains enigmatic even now. Aljaz meets death calmly after a tormented life, but it's not release from suffering he gains, but a fuller understanding of who he really is. He is joining with a lost heritage.

Describing Flanagan's style as "powerful" is frail praise. "Formidable" might be something of a start. This is not a book to rush through, or if done, one to turn back to again. Flanagan wants to confront you with the realities of history and become aware of the long-term effects of lack of cultural awareness. These aren't lessons acquired at one sitting. He knows there are deeply set roots underlying behaviour and this book is attempt to reveal some of these to us. He has accomplished this effort with vivid imagery and exemplary characterisation. We must applaud his effort with enthusiasm. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

perhaps i found this book enjoyable because i have been a river guide and also because i enjoy magical realism. the sense of time and space throughout this book captures not only a family history but the essence of a river itself, and being caught up in it. as i began reading, i found myself hating the main character for his apathy towards his own life. i resented that i would have to wait until the end of the book for him to finally end his miserable existence and drown. but then as i read on i wasn't so sure what i wanted for the main character. a very satisfying read.

Franklin is a little cutie and he has lots of nice friends. They are all excited that Halloween is coming and they are making big plans. The bright colored, detailed illustrations of the quaint woodland world where they live are brimming with wholesome, good-natured fun. This is a good book for introducing Halloween to little ones so that they will not be unnerved by mysterious ghouls who'll come knocking on their doors on Halloween. It shows Franklin and friends getting their costumes ready for a party, painting, cutting and pasting decorations, bobbing for apples, playing a pumpkin toss game, and trick-or-treating in their neighborhood. They're a little spooked when they visit a make-believe haunted house but it turns out to be fun and they solve a mystery! They pool some of their goodies to deliver to their friend who is ill and can't go out trick-or-treating. It also shows little Franklin getting carried home in the arms of Daddy with Mommy walking along beside. It's heart-warming and has enough action to hold a little one's attention so they can become familiar with common Halloween disguises. It's easy to see from the pictures that Franklin is Franklinstein, Fox is clearly the mummy, Skunk is Dracula, and Goose is a wolf. Our friends dress up but we know it's still them underneath the make-up and masks. Franklin is a lot of fun at Halloween. Enjoy!

"Franklin's Halloween" is a book that emphasizes to young kids how much fun Halloween can be. Franklin and his friends are all looking forward to the big Halloween party and trying to come up with the best costume. What Franklin comes up with is the "Franklinstein" monster and once thing you should pay attention to are the neat little details in his costume: the drawn on stitches on his wrists, the fake forehead, and the corks for bolts (in other words, this looks like an actual costume you can make for your kid). There are actually several other costume possibilities you might pick up from this book, so kudos to Brenda Clark for drawing such fanciful but realistic costumes, as well as for providing so much detail in all of her paintings. The strength of Paulette Bourgeois story is that her characters are all having such fun that when she adds a message to her story it seems the most natural point in the world to make. Franklin and his friends are just the sort of party animals you want to spend the night with on Halloween.

My sons wants to be Franklistein for Halloween. In the book all of Franklin friends'costumes are a secret, but Bear's. They think Bear is the ghost, but it's Mr. Owl. They find out that Bear is home sick and take some of their candy to them. It teaches sharing and caring for others.