I thought I'd read them all, all that were any good that is...Then I picked up BODY COUNT. Notice it was published in 1974: right between the "peace treaty" and the full-scale final communist invasion of South Vietnam. So maybe this is one of the first post-Vietnam novels. Yet it is still hot from the years of heaviest fighting by U.S. troops. My Dell edition doesn't give infomation on the author, but the story is so authentically written that he must have first hand experience on his subject. This is the ultimate platoon diary. There is dirt, sweat, and blood on these pages. There is the tedious labor of day to day survival in the bush to the excessive gratifications of long awaited RnRs. The author is not content to simply relate the events of the platoon; he builds his story and the characters may grow, die, or stubbornly do neither. Since this is almost a contemporary piece, social problems like racism are accurately dealt with believable results. The death of two characters in their listening post is at once horrific and beautiful-you'll have to read the book to understand what I mean. BODY COUNT is now at the top of my list of Vietnam novels. It is far better than most of the better known authors books on the war, so find it if you can.

Let tell you, this is one of the best novels I have ever read about war. Let me tell you it is increadibly realilistic (exept for a few parts) it is mind blowing in the war scenes. The last battle is amazing. The book is about some guys ina platoon during the Veitnam War. The main charicter is Hawlkins the new 2nd Letuinent of the platoon. It is also about Cheif an american indian who is fighting d'nam as they call it. Also they tell the story of two black men Carsyle and Wilson who are at the oposing ends of Black Power. The book tells of all their "adventures" in war, the rear, and R&R. Its increadibly interesting. Read this, if you can find it in a Used Book Store. It is WONDERFULL!

What an eye opener. I have read this book twice. The first time I read it was an eye opening experience for me. Being born in '63, I wasn't really aware of the war going on in Vietnam. My parents never allowed me to watch the news and to be honest- I wasn't much interested in the news. I knew that my favorite uncle went away and came back a long time later but didn't understand why. The day he came back I remember hearing him and my parents talking after I was suppose to be asleep. I heard words like "tunnel rat" and mortars and someting about a hill. When I asked where he had been my mom cut me off and changed the subject. To this day, I am not allowed to ask him any questions about his time in Vietnam. I did know that he was a Marine (whatever that meant). I have since learned through my mom that he was involve in Hill 881, but no details are forthcoming. Since reading "Body Count" the first time, I have read and studied many writings on the Vietnam War. This book is wonderfully written. The details are so graphic that I feel as if I was there with the soldiers through it all. Mr. Huggett followed Captain Hawkins through his "green" stage and we saw him become a fabulous leader and example to his men. It gave me a tiny window into the uncle that I love so very much. As I read this book, the face I saw was my uncle. The second time I read it,( I just finished it this morning), I gained new insight into the Marines. I became so involved in the book that last night I had dreams of being there with Captain Hawkins, Chief, Wilson, Big John and all the heroic characters of this wonderful book. I was deeply in my dreams when my 3 year old son woke me satnding by my bed. I sat bolt upright looking for the enemy and trying to figure out where I was. For a brief moment when my eyes focused on my son, I wasn't sure who he was and why he was there. (It did not help that he was wearing a black sleeping shirt.) That gave me an eye-opening experience. If the book affected me this way, then what must the guys who actually experienced the battles and the war feel like. This book really "takes you there" in a way that some may find enlightening and some may find terrifying. Go there and experience it for yourself. Want to understand your family memebers that were there? Read it once-then read it again. You will never be the same. The first reading was my "jumping off" point. It was my real inroduction to the war. After reading it a second time--I feel like I can go and talk to my uncle and have an understanding and respect that was not there before. I will definately say thank you and respect HIS wishes if he doesn't want to talk about it. Thank you Mr. Huggett for opening my eyes. My life has never been the same since reading this and I hope the enlightenment it has brought to me can be passed on to any and everyone that was in the "in-between" generation. Thank you to all our Vets--America owes you gratitude and admiration for everything you did in a very difficult time.

I like the theme of this book, but the author relies on too many cliches to excite the readers interest. The story is basically evil and greedy politicians conspire with the liberal anti-gun media elite to do away with the constitution and bill of rights. Add into the mix the Fidelistas (Mexican invading army) and the Patriots (a group of, well, patriotic Americans wanting to fight the evil government and bring back America's greatness) And you have all the elements fo a great story. But, this particular story doesn't go anywhere, and the book ends without any resolution. I suppose that is left up to the imagination of the reader. Maybe the author intends to write a sequel? If so, I would buy it.

A book with a similar theme, but that is carried out with a lot more convincing detail is "Unintended Consequences" by John Ross. I highly recommend Unintended Consequences.

If you like Westerns, you'll like the action in this novel. If your politics are right of center, you'll enjoy the political intrigue. Even if your politics are left of center, you'll enjoy this portrayal of the US in the near future, when three political factions are fighting for control of all or part of the country and some good people have to make some hard choices about which side they're on.

When "Patriot Radio is on the air" my friends and I listen. We are still trying to stake out our own political philosophies and D. Michael Phillips does a great job in assisting us. I would recommend this book to any college- aged student wanting to strengthen their grasp on the American political economy.

Turner's writings on jazz certainly qualify him to write such a book. Like others in this genre of historical fiction, he endeavors to blend historical figures with fictional ones through whose eyes we witness events that are part of the lore of the Bix Beiderbecke and Capone sagas.

I'm not sure what level of interest the narrative will hold for readers unfamiliar with Beiderbecke. I raise the question; I'm not making a judgment so don't let an absence of knowledge about Bix Beiderbecke make you retreat. However, I would characterize things this way: The conventional plot associated with the fictional historical witnesses seems to me to be secondary to the larger character study that tries to get us inside Bix's skin. General readers may find the book "compelling" rather than a "I-couldn't-put-it-down." To the extent that this book may have the most appeal for those who know at least something of the Bix Beiderbecke's story, this is also, ironically, the community that may most bristle at it. They may also embrace it for raising the profile of one of their most closely-held heroes. I hope so; I think Turner has set out to do what he has artfully.

Although I'm sure it wasn't feasible, one might wish that such a book could be accompanied by a CD that would allow general readers to hear for themselves that the claims made so eloquently for Bix's horn in Turner's book are, in fact, no fiction at all.

So, let me urge any of you who decide to read this book and have no prior introduction to Bix Beiderbecke, that you order at least one Bix collection to make your reading of the book a more complete experience.

This novel based on the life of self-taught jazz pianist Bix Beiderbecke focuses on his career highlights and the evolution of the 1920s jazz scene, capturing a rich period in American music history by using the actual characters of the times and embellishing their stories. The result is a novel all the more compelling for its foundations in truth.

I dont particularly like Jazz .... but I loved this novel about it. Turner is a spellbinding storyteller who has spiced a sordid historical record with captivating fictional characters to produce a brilliant roman a clef.

This story is about a boy who joined the army because Abraham Lincoln asked him to so he can bring spirit to the solders. So he did and became a drummer boy. He seen things he thought a boy should never see. This is a good book for everyone. I think its a good history and lurning book.This is a magical, historical, and colorful book. So I think everyone should read it if they have the chance.Bye......

I am a fifth grade teacher who bought this picture book to incorporate into my Civil War studies. It is my favorite picture book. It has such a tremendous impact on the reader with such an economy of words that it truly drives home the image we have been using all year of words in a story being like a glass of water and food coloring: each strong word is a drop of food coloring making the liquid darker. Each weak, unnecessary word is water, making the liquid lighter. We want our stories to be bright red (or yellow, or blue, or green). This book is the closest thing to pure, undiluted red as any we've come across. The students are astonished by the power and strength of feeling that just a few words can convey.

They are equally mesmerized by the incredible imagery of the illustrations. In just 28 pages, the boy in the story changes from a fresh-faced innocent of 13 to a world-weary adult in a matter of months.

The language in the book makes it a perfect compliment to a study of metaphors and similes. He describes his attraction to Mr. Lincoln as "sometimes you take to a person, the way a horse snuffs up the smell of someone." And goes on to describe him as looking "so kind and sad, towering up into the sky like a black tree."

Like many other books with war as the theme, Drummer Boy personalizes death due to combat. However, unlike most other books, it does so in a mere 40 words that leave the most powerfully gripping image I have yet to read in a children's book. Instead of describing death and destruction in gory detail, the passage concentrates on describing the dying soldier's hand clasped in the protagonist's until he dies. Not once was blood, bullets, or wounds mentioned...

"One near me cried for his mother. I held his hand until he died, and I always feel his fingers on mine, how hot and dry they were, how they grabbed mine and crushed them until his eyes stopped seeing."

This is a book that seems to speak directly to the children's souls. It seems to touch something in them, for when the story is over there is an almost reverent silence in the room and you can almost feel them coming back from the farthest regions of their imaginations...changed by the sights and sounds of war.

I love to teach history and this book is a winner. I am always amazed how children focus on the glory of war, not the reality. This book gently brings home the reality. In the illustrations the child, drummer boy ages before the eyes of the reader. As a Civil War survivor he says what many other veterans of more recent wars have shared with me of their experiences.

This is a fairly new release that deals specifically with the foods of Bologna. Bolognese cuisine, is well known throughout Italy to be some of the country's best, and Ms. Paganini kindly shares with us the recipes she learned at the hands of both her grandmothers and mother while growing up in Bologna as a child.

The chapters are well thought, and would appeal to anyone, including such titles as "Making Biscotti For The Holidays", Christmas At Nonna Luisa's", and "Perfect Pizza" to name just a few. Each chapter combines family stories, as well as traditional recipes that are extremely easy to follow.

I have always had an interest in the tradition of one generation passing down their recipes to the next that one sees so often in Italy. Ms. Paganini intimately shares her experiences in this area with us, as almost every recipe in the book, is rich with her family's history.

Although I found it disappointing that this book contained no photographs or illustrations, which would only have enhanced my opinion of this book, I was pleased that the majority of recipes called for every day ingredients. 

I had visited the Emilia Romagno in Italy. The food in that region, around Bologna, is noted as the best in the country and the world. I bought some cook books while in Italy but wanted a few more. This book is excellent. The Bolognese sauce used for Lasagna has become a favorite, as has the vanilla gelato recipe. A number of other recipes in the book are delicious as well. I have yet to try anything I did not like. And, based on having been there, the recipes are very authentic and recreate the taste and feel of the Emilia Romagno.

Mama Leone"s cookbook from years ago is one that I treasure and use often. However, I received this recently as a gift and I find that I carry it with me just to read! The background information is so very interesting. I have tried a few of the receipes and intend to try many more. The Osso Buco is excellent and easily understandable for someone who is not as experienced. Try the Veal Scaloppine with Prosciutto on page 165 and the Bolognese Focaccia on page 17. This is a wonderful gift for someones who likes to cook or is interested in starting. I like the way the ingredients(easily found in a grocery store) are all on the side. It makes it easy when checking your supplies. Now I just have to get a passport and go to Bologna!

Despite the involving history of its freakishly dualistic and tragic subject, author Turner misses the mark here. After catchingx a couple of filmed performances from late in Gaye's career on cable - a thrilling rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" at a Lakers Game and an incandescent in-concert performance of "Sexual Healing", I realized how completely the author fails to convey the Gaye's mastery of his art . Both of these performances came after an extended period of slumping sales and inactivity and marked a final, ultimately failed attempt at a rally. Yet these brilliant appearances get scant mention in the book. As does Marvin's breakthrough appearance in the T.A.M.I. Show lineup. Often quotes by family and associates are riddled with Britishisms (the author is English) that are incongruously sprinkled into the speech of these urban African Americans. I believe that when biography writers take broad liberties in paraphrasing the words of those he interviews, it calls into question the overall accuracy of their work. (Couldn't the guy have used a tape recorder?) The book is riddled with minor errors of fact. For example, Turner refers to a town as being in "Upper California" and he often gets the names of venues wrong. I plan to read David Ritz's biography in the hope that he has done a better job in recounting this tragic soul man's life and work.

I have studied extensivly the life and music of one of histories most fascinating and interesting artists. I have already read Divided Soul five times over, and Trouble Man uncovers some of the mysteries of Marvin's Life. Trouble Man picks up where Divided Soul leaves off. One of the most interesting facts about Marvin, is that he is the Biological Father of his and Anna Gordy Gaye's adopted son Marvin Jr. Until this book was published, that was a bit of information that few in the musical circles that I run in, knew about. Also the relationships that Marvin kept open with his former wives is informative. In my opinion, the man was a very talented, shy, introverted person, who just happened to also be a star. Women loved him in part because of his sensitivity, and the fact that Marvin acknowledged that he possesed a soft side. Marvin was prophetic, loving, and was years way ahead of his time. It is also reiterated in this book that there was no type of romantic relationship between Marvin, and Tammi Terrell. For anyone who believes that, listen to the end of the song "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing" whereby Tammi sings, "Oh Marvin!" If you are a true Marvin fan, you will not be able to put this book down until you are finished reading it!

To the outside observer, Marvin Gaye had it all. Millions of adoring fans around the world, a seemingly endless money supply, a loving family, and the presence of mind to deprive himself of no desire no matter how sexually deviant or socially inappropriate.

Many people would jump at the chance to trade places with Marvin Gaye during the height of his career. As fans we tend to fixate on the accomplishments of those we admire while overlooking any shortcomings they may possess until we've created the image of a perfect icon who probably never existed. These perceptions changes of course, as his fans watched his glamerous world come crashing down. In retrospect, what we are left with are countless questions and an incredible string of shocking circumstances that the music world has never recovered from.

"Trouble Man" gives readers the joy of actually knowing not only the history of Marvin Gaye but an astounding vision into the type of person he was, the lives he touched, and the inner demons that haunted him until the day he died.

The author brings us back to the upbringing of Marvin's father and his father's role in the church as a minister. The issue of religion was key in young Marvin's struggle between gospel and secular music. That battle with his family and his conscience would be the first of many struggles that ultimately defined the man we knew as Marvin Gaye.

"Trouble Man" is easily the best biography I have read to date. Readers will be taken along on a life full of so much change and up's and downs that I was left awestruck

I thought this was going to be descriptive in the sense of how a serial killer thinks. Instead, the author goes into senseless details about how fluffy the character's towels were and how the characters loved their dog, etc. I felt like I was reading a cheesy Danielle Steele novel. There needs to be more gruesome details on how the serial killer enacted his crimes, etc.

I couldn't put this book down! It is a definite page-turner; I am hoping the sequel comes out soon!

I like the way the book takes you thru the process of how someone could becomes a serial killer. The details were right on. The author kept me on the edge of my seat with the twists, turns and mazes this killer takes you on to hide himself from society until he is ready for you. After reading this book, I now understand how a serial killer could be my next door neigbor or the person I live with.

I was disappointed by the lack of advanced instruction in this book. Winning Racquetball includes precious little information that an intermediate player wouldn't already know. It seems this book is mostly filler. I was expecting insight on advanced strategies and how to improve on fundamentals. Instead I found a lot of information on how I should eat and what I should wear.

One has to apply the information that has been read from this book and use it on the racquetball court. The information is very direct, and their is no mystery to it. One of the authors who contributed information on this book [Woody Clouse] emphasizes that one has to practice hitting alot of balls on the court, lift weights, and run sprints in order to get better as a player-Male or Female. International Racquetball commissioner Hank Marcus along with Irt player Jon Ellis give this book a very positive evaluation. The book has many pictures illustrating situations where one has too be hitting the ball away from the player, etc. The book has several chapters that emphasize all the aspects of game-conditioning, nutrition. The book also has several pictures of players who play on the professional tour. Cliff Swain, Andy Roberts, Mike Ray, Drew Kachtik , and Ruben Gonzales are some of the player photographs one will see in this book. I have to say that my play was really very limited and highly primitive. I only knew how to serve the most basic serve in racquetball and that was the drive, and that was the only shot I knew since the beginning. I was very fortunate that when I was playing the game I purchased this book during the time to help improve my play. It has been a couple of months now, and my play is alot better. I can do a Z-serve, a left and right drive serve, and my lob is coming there. I also learned to hit the ball away from my opponent and not to hit the ball to him or her but away from my opponent. Alot of patience is needed, and alot of practicing if one desires to improve. So if your a racquetball player who is from Moscow, Russia, or Tijuana ,Mexico, or from Houston Texas who wants to be more knowledgeable playing the game, I highly recommend this book too you.

If you gotta have just one book to win in racquetball-- this is it! My friends (after being frustrated with my newfound techniques) were surprised about my transformation... from a novice player to a real good contender within a month. I plan to join tournaments soon and win. Thanks to this book.

Wow, I can't share the same opinions with the rest of the reviewers on this book. The only good thing I can say about it is, being a Christian myself, who doesn't love a story about a non-believer coming to be saved with Christ!

That's the only thing I liked about the whole, long, book. At 414 pages of small typed print it just seemed to ramble on and on beyond a point where I eventually lost interest and just wanted it to end already. I found one of the characters that takes up most of this story to be completely mean spirited and rude and half way through this book I did not enjoying reading the story anymore because of her. I don't know, maybe I like lighter reads because this one certainly isn't and having the dysfunction of one family forced down my throat over and over just isn't a enjoyable read for me.

This is not one author I will continue reading as I share the same opinion of her writing sytle with the first book "Some Wildflower in My Heart". I loved the story but I hated her writing style and it ruined it for me. However, that is why the good Lord made us all different - for what others rave about, others, like me, find simply un-appealing.

I give this offering from Jamie Langston Turner four stars only because I feel that it did not come anywhere near the perfection that was "Some Wildflower in My Heart." On its own, it is a fine piece of Christian fiction that I will keep and reread in the future.

It is the story of the Biddle family, which can only be described as pitifully dysfunctional. Catherine, the mother, is almost unbelieveably hateful and rude, but, unlike another reviewer, I enjoyed reading about her outrageous comments and actions toward others - I couldn't wait to see what stunt she was going to pull next, so I could exclaim "I can't believe she did that!"

However, while the author focuses mainly on the Biddles, she uses peripheral characters in Della Boyd, Dottie, and Barb to drive the story of the Biddle family's healing and restoration along. In fact, sections of the novel are divided into points of view from each of these characters, a technique that only adds to the depth and richness of the story, in my opinion. Della Boyd, Dottie, and Barb all are confronted with the question of what a meaningful life looks like, and they each find answers through many hours of introspection, which is convincingly shared in the prose.

I think Jamie Langston Turner is one of the few authors - period - that is worth reading. The fact that she writes Christian fiction is a bonus.

Beware, this is not light fiction that one can sail through on a Sunday afternoon (the cover's misleading, isn't it?). It's engrossing, thought-provoking, and confrontational, but well worth the time and effort it takes to read it. And I should note that Jamie Langston Turner has a wonderful gift for telling a story and a keen sense of humor - I laughed out loud at some of the antics of Barb's sons.

Never before have I read a book that is broken up into 5 parts and tells a string of events from 4 different characters' points of view. This allows you to truly get to know and sympathize with your characters and feel what is going on with them.

The story is so interesting, yet remains entirely believable. It starts with Dottie's grieving of her daughter's death and moves through to Catherine's mode of dealing with her dysfunctional family, to showing Barb's heart for the non-Christians in her life as well as her love for her family, then onto Della Boyd's decision to move on with her own life...and finally back to Dottie--almost a year after we first heard from her. We see the strides she has made emotionally in dealing with the loss of Bonita.

This was my first Jamie Langston Turner novel--and it certainly won't be my last!

I read this book because it was a bookclub selection. I thought I was just being critical when I read it, but I found out members of the bookclub had many of my same thoughts. I wonder if this was personal, from things I heard about the author. I felt as though being single was one of the worse things that one could be. I found the assumption that all we want to do is trap or have sex with the pastor, deacons or bishop very disheartening. Some of the statements made in the book were so off the wall, I just wondered if they were made because it was something that happened in the author's life personally. If so, then they should not have been made as general statements. Yes, there were some parts that I could relate to in the book. The book made for a good discussion hence the 3 stars.

I found sex traps to be a very frank look at sex and christians. Mrs. Davis don't beat around the bush, she tell's it like it is. She in brings up loose tongues when women describes to much about about their mate with other women. One point I liked that she brought out is that, when you insult someone, God dosen't like it because he created everyone, so even thinking bad about someone is being bad. A good book for everyone to read.

Sex Traps is a blessing. Sister Davis-Turner is blunt and to the point. She brings up things that many of us are are still trying to ignore and does it in a fearless way. This book is excellent for both the singles, and marrieds. It's for the layperson and for the minister. I really believe reading this book will change and save lives...