I just finished Odom's book. This is a masterpiece. What I find very very interesting is that the mainstream media just can't seem to find this information. Why is that? If Mr. Odom could find it, with his limited resources, why can't the New York Times?

Richmond Odom has nailed it. Bill Clinton's climb to political power, first in Ark., and then nationally, was financed in large part by CIA drug money. The Mena airport operation, headed by Barry Seal (who was murdered before he could talk), raised tens of millions of dollars. And Mr. Clinton was the direct beneficiary of a lot of those dollars. Odom explains why and how in this book.

Rich Odom has done a masterful job of sorting through the details of Bill Clinton's drug-trafficking money-laundering network in Arkansas. Odom even mentions the small banks in the Land of Opportunity. Several CEOs of those banks have already gone to jail for bank fraud or violations of the laws Odom mentions in the book. Every time a new story breaks, I'm on top of it because I read "Circle of Death."

I was dying, ha ha, to read Ms. McMillan's book and got tired of waiting for the paperback, so I ordered online, used, from Amazon.[com] I was not disappointed. Her Civil War mystery series is getting more in depth.
This time the story seemed to focus more on Narcissa and less on Judah; it seems like the last book had more of Judah and less Narcissa; which I suppose is as it should be. Poor Brit Wallace isn't mentioned in the attempts to get you to interested in these mysteries (jacket cover, publisher summaries, etc)---however, as the newspaperman from Britain in Richmond, he is just as much a "detective" as the other two.
I kept going back and forth between Brit and Cameron Archer; which would be the better suitor for Narcissa? Theres plenty of tentative romance to keep us on tenterhooks for a few more books; do we have to wait that long?
The story does have more of the hospital and nursing aspects; we learn about smallpox in the city of Richmond and the possible threat of an outbreak when a contaminated jacket is stolen.
Ms. McMillan kept me guessing but I was grateful that I could actually figure out "whodunit" before she let us in on it.
Isn't that the goal of every mystery reader? To figure it out before the author lets you in?
Anyways. Very good. She has a way of writing that makes you feel like you're really there. I don't know what it is. Thats why I was a bit out of sorts at the end---I thought it ended abruptly.
Is that another typicality of a mystery series?
Looking forward to buying a used hardback of the next book! :)

Smallpox breaks out in an American city. The country is at war, and the ethics of combat in question. Has the horrid disease been loosed intentionally? And by which side? Have children been enlisted in this war? The plot lines in "Civil Blood" could be lifted from today's headlines, but this is a mystery about Civil War Richmond (published months before 9/11/01). For all its eerie relevance to the present, this book is rooted unerringly in its era. Ann McMillan's well-drawn characters never warp out of the 1800s. They deal with the anguish of their own war and their own time. A mystery of substance. Another brilliant installment in McMillan's series.

In 1862 the American Civil War heats up with the Northern Army nearing the Confederate capital of Richmond. However, a greater threat to the lives of military in the area and the citizens of Richmond occurs when small pox is the cause of a death. Soon other deaths and accusations of germ warfare follow.

Southern nurse Narcissa Powers, English reporter Brit Wallace, and former slave healer Judah Daniel look for the source of the deadly disease. As they separately dig deeper, each one shares the findings with the other. No segment of the city from the elite to the slums or of the two armies escape their evaluation as the trio tries to prevent an epidemic from happening.

Fans of Civil War novels will, upon reading CIVIL BLOOD, play trumpets in tribute to the author for an entertaining historical who-done-it. The story line starts off very powerfully as a vividly graphic opening hooks the audience while introducing the lead characters. The tale slows down a bit during the investigation because the key players literally exchange notes from their respective interviews even though that technique smoothly blends into the main theme. However, the story line ends with an incredible finish that will fully satisfy the audience, sending them marching to the nearest bookstore to purchase Ann McMillan's previous historical mysteries.

Harriet Klausner

Finally, an erotic novel in which the story and the writing are just as good as the sex scenes. My book club spent half an hour discussing the scene in the cave...Richmond combines lush, poetic prose with page-turning suspense. A book club winner!

This book is brilliant! It hit me hard on so many different levels that it makes moving on to another book a recipe for disappointment.

The plot, for starters, is impossibly compelling. By page ten I was completely hooked: the dynamics between Jenny (a married woman) and Graham (a mysterious and intriguing stranger she meets late at night on a boat) and Dave (Jenny's husband who sleeps in their cabin below) are rich and complex. You can sense danger ahead but can't help moving towards it, page by page.

Nothing is predictable and yet the events unfold as you fear (hope?) they must. I don't want to ruin anything and so will just say that it's a book that you will wish that you could read more slowly.

The characters are the reason this book stands above so much of contemporary fiction. They are complex and nuanced. And, most importantly, they are real--as real as anyone that I know: flawed, maddening, endearing, and just plain interesting. When Jenny describes the visceral power of her estranged husband's smell she captures the essence of her conflicting feelings for him beautifully:

"I haven't washed his pillowcase since he moved out. Each night I go to bed with his pillow positioned neatly on the left side of the bed, but in the morning I wake with my arms around it, like a grieving widow..." Richmond makes you care about every character; they invade your brain. I find myself referring to them in conversation, months after I finished the book, as if they are real people.

Anyway, I wish that I could give this book more than five stars. I just love it. Buy it. Read it. And then buy copies for your friends so that you can share the experience.

The setting in this book is described so vividly that it almost becomes a character itself. The Yangtze River and the small Gulf Coast town where the main character grew up are so clearly drawn, you feel like you're actually there. The most moving aspect of this novel is the love story between the main character and Amanda Ruth, who is murdered when she's 17. A great book for summer!

As an avid dreamer and someone who dreams nightly and remembers thier dreams, I was always asking myself "what the hell did that mean"! This book not only helped me in understanding what my dreams meant but taught me valuable skills that I could use myself to unlock the messages of my dreams. Moreover by listening to and understanding my dreams I have been able to use them to great success both in my personal and professional life. It's like having my own private, personal adviser. I'm reading it again!

This is a great book. As a person who dreams every night AND remembers his dreams I've oftened wondered "what the hell did that mean". This is the first book I've read that not only tells what my dreams mean but also taught me how I could interperate them myself. What's more by understanding what my dreams mean I've been able to use them to benefit my personal and professional life. It's lke having my own private, personal advisor. The book is easy to read and well laid out, the author speaks in her own comfortable voice and doesn't bog us down in a lot of psycho babble. I'm reading it again!

I think this is a great book i have not finnished it all but i have to tell you how wonderful it is!

We own the Legacy Ranch high in the mountains of Northeastern Utah. For years we have loved the beauty of the unspoiled wilderness. Nursing newborn elk calves, watching Canadian Lynx outside their lairs, and many other adventures have cast us in the mold of lovers of the wilderness. To read the adventures of true cowboys, who started with nothing else but their "grit" and ended up with lives spent plumbing the depths of fun and hard work was one of the top literary experiences of our lives. This book, far better than the sequels, will be part o four Christmas giving this year.

Nothing to reading it, that is. This is one of the first nonfictions books I've read that I have ever liked. I got interested in it when I saw the TV show 'Nothing Too Good For A Cowboy' and had to read the books. This book made me laugh and almost made me cry. The characters are too funny and very heart-warming.

Outstanding! This book was an absolute, heart pounding thrill to read. An epic illustration of the unstopable drive of the human heart and the unyeilding will of man to print his own name across the pages of time. Men and women of a class that survives now, only in the memories or our lost heritage. People with unconquerable spirit and no notion of the impossible. If comparison were possible, this book would be the Bendigo Shafter of non-fiction but even the endless imagination of the great Louis L'Amour could not stand against the unforgiving truth of a land not tamed by man. The writing is clear and descriptive, showing the obvious education and experience of it's author, a man who chose ranching by choice rather than out of necessity. As the pages turn, the reader gets a look into the lives of these mountain men and without effort, we learn to understand each and every character, almost to the point of friendship. Quite an accomplishment in a fast-paced 250 page book. The pride, drive, knowledge, and respect of these men for the world they lived in is unparelleled. Though I was forced to perform certain daily activities, my mind never left the book until I could complete it's last inspiring page and sit breathlesly paralized in awe and admiration of this newly created dream world. This is the greatest book that I have ever been given the pleasure to read and I don't hesitate to say that the next two books I read will be the conclusion to it's sequence.

"The Gift of a Memory" is written from the heart and is both touching and comforting to someone dealing with grief. It combines beautiful illustrations and familiar feelings to make a perfect book for anybody suffering the loss of a loved one. I absolutely love the book and plan to share it with anyone that needs to keep a memory alive! Thank you so much!

The Gift of a Memory is a beautifully written book that reflects exactly how one feels and copes at a time of loss of a dear loved one. I will treasure this book.

The Gift of a Memory is a poignant book that offers the reader words of encouragement and support for the painful journey of grief. Beautifully illustrated, the book invites the reader to get in touch with the heartfelt memories that remain after a loved one dies. Recalling memories is key to one's healing and the Gift of Memory certainly helps the reader begin the process of discovering these treasures that are stored in the heart. I highly recommend this book for those who grieve or for those who want to offer support to others by giving them this book.

"Entertaining, Candid, Sincere,and Unique" is how I describe this book. The stories in "My Greatest Day in Showbusiness" are remarkable. The "information" one reads in gossip columns (or books sold for shock value) doesn't even come close to giving a glimpse of who famous people really are. This did. Here we have integrity and entertaining reading at once. Refreshing.

I was at a seriously stuffy dinner party last week, and most of us did not know one another. It seemed no one could break the ice. Someone mentioned Jerry Springer for some reason, and after "normal opinions" were voiced, I related some of the highlights of his interview that are in this book. What a conversation we had because of what I'd read! Everyone ended up talking (sometimes over one another) and we forgot we were strangers. I just had to say thank you. I'm very glad I had read this book. It was most enlightening to be audience to legends we know by face and name, baring their souls about who they really are, and what has shaped them

Great stories about the famous! Fun reading! It's great to know genuine truth about who we "invite into our living-rooms" instead of superficial publicity hype. We hope Ray Richmond introduces us around Hollywood again, soon. Well written!

The Scarlet Letter puts even the most morally secure people's beliefs to the test. The line between what is really sin and what is "different" in this novel is one that most cannot define at the end of finishing this book. It makes the reader think about the choices in their own life, and the choices they would make in situations such as those of Hester Prynne, Dimmsdale, and little Pearl. The Scarlet Letter has a wonderful way of depicting the exclusiveness of the early Puritans that is not outwardly horrible, but chips away at the patience of the reader until their feelings towards the Puritans are nothing but distain. The novel uses light and dark in ways that subconsciously show what is Godly and reverent and what is evil and sin. So many elements in The Scarlet Letter just capture the reader into wanting more, and I recommend this book to anyone who wants to challenge their beliefs.

I first read this book in high school, and i didn't like it much, which was surprising because i really enjoy Hawthorne's short fiction. i again picked it up recently, and found that loved it. There no doubt that it is a difficult book to read, Hawthorne requires the reader to think as he reads. everything is symbolic of something in this book. Hawthorne has a mastery of the language that you just don't see anymore. think this is one we should re-read every few years, as we mature. I got the Norton edition, which helps a little with understanding the story, but most of the articles were not that helpful.

This was an interesting book. I liked the plot, but the author really needed to wrap up those words that I didn't understand. I mean, I can define any one of the words in the book, save few, but using about 5 of them in one sentence just makes me too confused to try to get into the story like I normally do.

This book contains all seven of Aeschylus' remaining plays. "Agamemnon," "The Libation Bearers," and "The Eumenides," (altogether, the Oresteia) are the most well-known, and, along with "Prometheus Bound," they are the best plays in this collection. The other three, in comparison, are frankly boring, so it might be worth your money to buy the Oresteia separately. But if you are curious about Aeschylus, or interested in Greek tragedy, then this book gives you all seven plays, and has introductions to each which explain the historical context and the content. Read your Homer too.

Physically, this is a nice book. It's volume one of a four volume collection, _The Complete Greek Tragedies_ (volume two is Sophocles and volumes three and four are Euripides), and all four volumes are lovely hardcovers, printed on nice paper, with handsome Greekish designs on the front and interspersed throughout. Maybe not so attractive as to go on your mantel, but their prominence in your library will not be an embarassment.

The contents are lovely to match. The translations (by Lattimore, Grene and Bernadete) are readable and flowing. The book has almost no footnotes (only Grene's translations of "Seven Against Thebes" and "Prometheus Bound" have any at all, and there they are sparse), but each play (or collection of plays, in the case of the Oresteia) is introduced by a brief explanatory essay. If you know nothing about the Greeks or Greek tragedy, these essays will not be enough to get you through (and you should check out Rose's _Handbook of Greek Literature_), but if you have a little background information already, the essays are helpful (especially the introductory essay to the Oresteia, which is the most fulsome).

Now, about the plays themselves. Of course, you have to read them. This is, effectively, the beginning of Western drama, and the combination of familiar and alien elements is fascinating. In some ways, Aeschylus's plays are like modern musicals, or like opera, with very few characters, a big role played by a chorus, and lots of long songs. Action happens all off-stage and is described by the characters.

In addition to being important as part of the history of drama, the plays are important primary sources of Greek mythology. In particular, the Oresteia is simply the most complete telling of the murder of Agammemnon and his children's revenge. In addition, "Prometheus Bound" is an important source for understanding the tale of the West's most famous fire-thief, and "Seven Against Thebes" gives detail and perspective about the tragedy of Oedipus not contained in Sophocles's retelling.

Finally, being the most ancient of the tragedians, Aeschylus gives narrative details that reflect a very ancient Greek culture, including, for instance, his ideas about justice and family and several descriptions of rites of aversion. Aeschylus is important -- read him.

Lattimore's translation, I will admit, is difficult to get into at first if you are not familiar with his style or with the Greek classics in general. I remember sitting with it in front of me, trying for about 45 minutes to get past the first page. But please, don't be scared! Once you get past the initial difficulty and really start to immerse yourself into Lattimore's style, this is probably the most rewarding and interesting translations available. It keeps the Greek alive, displaying beautifully the particulars of the original text. An excellent and literal translation.

Please remove the review that misattributes the Antigone to Euripides and misspells his name - nothing against the reviewer, but it's best not to continue to display such a misspelling. As for the Chicago translations, they are the most even and readable translations of Greek tragedy, albeit with lower highs than the Oxford translations and higher lows than the Penn translations.

This is Volume II of a four volume set "The Complete Greek Tragedies" (Volume I is Aeschylus, Volumes III and IV are Euripides). Like the other volumes, _Sophocles_ is a handsomely bound hardcover with stylized Greekish images interspersed throughout and one on the cover (in this case, a golden hoplite).

_Sophocles_ is light on interpretative materials -- no footnotes and only a brief essay introducing each play (a slightly longer essay introduces the Theban plays as a trilogy). However, since the tragedians are much simpler to translate than, say, Aristophanes (who throws in lots of puns and current event references and untranslateable jokes and therefore really requires some explanation), the lack of critical apparatus is not a problem.

Sophocles, of course, is a must-read. In his writings, drama has taken a step away from the choral Aeschylus and a step toward us by adding more actors and diminishing the role of the Chorus, so he is in some sense easier to read than Aeschylus. Sophocles is also more "tragic" than Aeschylus, less upbeat -- Sophocles's heroes are in some sense transformed and earn the respect of the gods by their subborn loyalty to their own natures, but from a human perspective they always destroy themselves. (A great introduction to Sophocles, while I'm at it, is Bernard Knox's book _The Heroic Temper_.) And, of course, you simply have to read the "Theban plays" ("Oedipus at Colonus" and "Antigone", but especially "Oedipus the King", sometimes also called "Oedipus Tyrannos" or "Oedipus Rex").

Sophocles is a beautiful, insightful writer, and an important part of the Western canon. This edition is a lovely and complete collection of his surviving plays.

I wrote the review of Aescylus below, which is a mistake. I was reviewing another part of the complete greek plays by L and G.

Greens translation and editing of Sophocles is as good as Lattimores Aesychlus(which is the best in the world of classical literature). It is often mistaken that these three plays are of the same trilogy. Actually they are parts of three unique trilogies. So don't be disturbed if you find some minor contradiction in the story lines each triology was ment to be played only once and never seen agains so the author often would be willing to use the same characters to convey different messages.

Antigone is a play about a sense of higher justice than the law. Doing what is right because it is right even if it means death. It is a great look into the greek view of justice. Still today this may be on my top ten play list of all time. I believe that this is the first of a trilogy on the King Creon and his down fall.

Oedipus Tyrannos (Oedipus the tyrant) is about hubris or man trying to rival the gods. Oedipus is also about self discovery and finding out things about yourself that lies just below the surface. It is also about stubborn pride and how it bind you and turns you against those tring to help you. As well it is about the tragedy that accompanies self discovery. Don't try to read to much Freud into this. Again one of the best playes ever written.

Oedipus at Colonus is about redemption of Oeidpus and the freedom that he achieves in admitting himself as human. This is a great play also.

This entire series is a jewel from the classics department of U of Chicago.