In 1527 Cabeza de Vaca was sailing to the "New World" with a Spanish expedition of conquest. As his ship ran aground in rough seas off the coast of Florida strife erupted and his detachment was abandoned, 300 Spaniards in all. Eight years later Cabeza de Vaca and two other Spaniards arrived in Culiacan--the northern most Spanish settlement in Mexico--more than 6,000 miles from their starting point. This book is their harrowing story.

If one considered only the duration of the trip and the circumstances under which it was undertaken, De Vaca's journey would surely rank among the most miraculous tales of human survival ever recorded. And yet that accomplishment is only part of de Vaca's amazing story. For this narrative is much than another story of the human struggle against the apathetic forces of nature, while some aspects of it do indeed have this flavor. On the contrary, Cabeza de Vaca's Relacion represents an extraordinary account of the de Vaca's harrowing encounters with several indigenous tribes, while wandering what is now the Southern US and the cooperative, interdependent relationship which resulted. During De Vaca's travels he and his companions encountered numerous tribes, forging unlikely alliances and friendships. During this journey de Vaca details his self-transformation from conquistador to Indian medicine man.

In addition to supplying invaluable knowledge about a variety of indigenous peoples and their "exotic" customs, de Vaca was also the first to describe the flora and fauna of what is now the Southern United States: Florida, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Even nearly 500 years later, de Vaca's account is still considered an indispensable source of first-hand information on the pre-colonial Southwest.

Ultimately, de Vaca's narrative is the story of teh triumph of simple understanding and human cooperation. For during the eight years of travel, not only did de Vaca come to a greater understanding of himself and his purpose in life, but, more importantly he was one of the first Spaniards to acknowledge the humanity of those he first thought only to be "barbarous savages". It is in the playing out of this cultural dialectic and transformation of one conquistador's colonial consciousness, which is where its most enduring value lies.
--Hayduke66

Cabeza De Vaca's account of his expedition into the new land is a grand tale of true adventure and survival. The degree of privation and outright danger with which his ever-dwindling band of explorers was constantly faced is perhaps unmatched in any other annals. Separated from their ships early on, and led by inept commanders, the survivors are left to fend for themselves as they make their inexorable trek across the continent and towards "civilization." Along the way, De Vaca describes the various tribes he is at turns befriended, then enslaved by as he makes his way west. Some of these tribes live on the lowest rung of subsistence, and engage in the most savage customs, such as killing all the females in their societies, and even their young boys, in some convoluted system they have worked out with enemy tribes. All they have for food is roots, pecans (when in season), and the occasional insect or salamander. De Vaca is subjected to the worst privation of all when he loses his clothes when a barque, which he and a couple of escaping comrades have constructed, capsizes and he is forced to go naked for almost twenty months. The tide turns finally in his favor when the Indians come to believe that he and his fellows are blessed with healing powers. As they make their way west, from tribe to tribe, news of their great power precedes them and they are given gifts, which they turn over to the guides that accompany them. By the time they reach what is now New Mexico, their fame has spread and they are seen as gods who bestow healing and blessings on the Indians they encounter, whereas the other Spanish Conquistadors in the new world have instilled fear and suffering amongst the native peoples. This does not go over well with Diaz' captain who first encounters them after their long trek. Instead of welcoming his long-lost compatriots with open arms, he orders their arrest. The survivors do eventually make it to Mexico City, however, where they are much more warmly received and after a harrowing sea voyage, involving storms and pirates, they finally make it home.

What really distinguishes De Vaca's account from those of Diaz, Pissarro, Cortez and other explorers is his humane view of the tribal cultures with which he interacted. Apart from being extremely brave, he is also truly "Christian" in his willingness to forgive even those at whose hands he received the cruelest treatment. He implores his King, at whose behest the account is written, to show mercy on the natives, maintaining that a great deal more could be accomplished through helpful assistance, than by force and slavery. Unfortunately, given what history tells us of the Spanish conquest, the royal ear was never truly turned De Vaca's way.

This is a relatively short, but extremely interesting, even compelling, read. It would serve well as an entry-level portal into the history of Spanish exploration and conquest for young readers. I would recommend that if you find the subject interesting that you go on to read Diaz' account and Prescott's monumental work.

Most recent translation by the US Hispanic Literary Heritage. This story is one of the most important and incredible works in the world. It relates the adventures of a Spaniard who travelled on the first foray into Florida, under the command of Governor Narvaez who was eager to find rich cities to conquer, as Cortez had recently done against the Aztecs. Navarez, however, was no Cortez, and one mistake after another put the entire expedition in jeopardy. De Vaca's account relates what became of this expedition into Florida and the American West. It is no exaggeration to claim that this is one of the most significant books ever to be written. This translation surpases that of Cyclone Covey for its readability. Explanations are given in endnotes and requires some page flipping, but at least provides it for those who are interested. It would have been nice to see more maps and photos, but there is one map included. The only thing I missed was that they didn't include an Afterword like Covey's had. I look forward though to other books from this series dealing with the conquest.

I only wish this book was available for me when my daughter was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome back when she was 12. By the time ADHD was diagnosed she was 19 and we had gone through many years of disruption and blame. I will recommend this book to family and friends.

Carol Goldberg Maeder, Mother

This book is easy to understand for the layman or professional. It addresses everyday problems and how to deal with them by a doctor who is not only intelligent, but compassionate.

This is an excellent book on ADHD. It is informative, comprehensive and easy to understand. A must have for those with ADHD and their families! Teachers will also find this book a valuable resource. It provides many different types of therapies for parents and teachers to use when dealing with someone who has ADHD. Dr. Martin Kutscher gives those without ADHD insight into the world of those living with ADHD.

First you have to know that my name is in the book, so you know my bias. I'm the guy who hired Martin Perlich to (1) do an all-night Friday through Saturday music program on WCLV, Cleveland, and (2) do the Cleveland Orchestra intermission interviews. And I am the one who talked him into interviewing Leonard Bernstein twice - at Cleveland Hopkins Airport when we were told that Bernstein didn't do interviews, and in again in 1970, when he hijacked a Bernstein press conference and ended up being the only member of the press asking questions. So what hath Conrad wrought? A consumate interviewer who has developed an ansenal of weapons designed to bring down the elusive flying answer. In his book, he demonstrates that interviewing is indeed an art, not just a skill, and shares his knowledge of how to use these weapons to the interviewer's best advantage. This is a valuable book for anyone aspiring to sit in the interviewer's chair, either on radio or television. And Martin's dry wit makes it a very good read for those who simply enjoy good talk radio.

A sleeper! This is one of the most delightful books I've read recently. It will become a holiday gift for friends and clients. I've decorated this book with food stains since it stole my attention, accompanying me to every possible solo meal for a week.

It's as if Kurt Vonnegut was writing for and editing People Magazine. Perlich can write. His style is more compelling than one expects to find in such a slim volume (don't ask me why), and hardly a sentence goes by without a fresh turn of phrase.

From the first page I felt pulled by the current through some interesting canyons, those being both of the call and response of interviewing and then also of the pantheon of musical and social icons he has interviewed over the decades. Having done some interviews myself lately, I was very interested in the interview process, but I found it was his interview stories that just take off. Many are lifetime "keepers," like the one with Jerry Lee Lewis, where Perlich raises a question that goes directly to one of Lewis' shall we say, less well considered life decisions, even though it takes up less than a page.

The range of personalities is not only wide but the list has gravitas and covers about 40 years of interviews. Normally wide range could be expected and gravitas is a plus, but this is 141 pages! There are some great chuckles and genuinely intimate 'revealings' of such a wide ranging characters as Leonard Bernstein and (the aforementioned) Jerry Lee Lewis, Isaac Stern and Oscar Brown Jr., Ron Kovic to Bill Evans. I mean, them's some heavy and very interesting folk, and nothing as dopey as a Hillary Clinton.

That having been said, what I found most interesting were his philosophical insights in the instructional "how to" elements; how to communicate by the dual 'humilities' of preparing and of listening. In this respect, the book is really about mediating the two complementary "energies" in any endeavor, each of which could be characterized by the two foundational Chinese philosophies, as I understand them; Confucianism ("structure") versus Taoism ("formlessness"). The Confucian "duty" is a worship of "role"; to be the best "interviewer" you can be. Paradoxically, Perlich demonstrates how that comes about only by observing its opposite, the "Tao", (I guess that's why they have two!) the embodiment of being aware of the emptiness of the moment needing to be filled or seized, such as challenging a star like Frank Zappa with a question that might end the interview but instead yields an insight.

Perlich gives a professional bow to the marquee stars like Larry King or Charlie Rose for their preparation and abilities, although I feel betrayed by them as they invariably "soft ball" the very people we need to be made accountable. Here I think Perlich belongs to the higher school of the profession, more akin to Oriana Fallaci or Marc Cooper (however odious as a pseudo-left operative) who obviously have the depth of knowledge AND "cajones" that allow them to break new ground and ask the question the audience really wanted answered, even if the audience didn't know it. In other words, they have elevated their craft to an art.

If The Art of the Interview achieves 'Mozartian' lift, it is because it reads effortlessly but makes strong statements delicately executed, sweet or bitter. (He even admits abject failure in one interview with Peter Serkin). But he pursues The Question. That way the interviewer is fulfilling the sacred core of his role by delivering the real goods to the audience. Would that the corporate hired mega-bucksters would read this book and take it to heart.

So by all means, read all about it, but look out for the marinara sauce on the last chapter.

I don't work in the news, broadcast or entertainment media, and have never done "Professional" interviews. Yet I found "The Art of The Interview" a fast and fascinating read. My interest was piqued by the many accomplished, talented people Mr. Perlich has interviewed, over his long career in radio. These people include Randy Newman, Leonard Bernstein, Gore Vidal, Frank Zappa, Iona Brown, and Jose Carras, to name just a few. Though I wanted to learn more about them; it is not the purpose of the book to do short bio sketches of celebrities. And perhaps, what I got out of the book was also not its main purpose. What impressed me most goes beyond the nuts and bolts of interviewing. His book brings into focus the fact that people, not just "celebrities", generally like to tell their stories to others. It's flattering to most of us when others take an interest in who we are. This book has helped me to understand this and has given me valuable tools in knowing how, and what questions to ask, in order to get to know others better. This in turn, can help make me a more interesting and fun person to be around, whether I'm making business contacts, or just meeting new people at a party. Unless you're a recluse living in a cave; knowing good interview techniques, as outlined by Mr. Perlich, is a helpful art for all. Knowing how to be interested in others, makes us more interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone not living the life of a hermit.

The sixth Martin Beck novel. The crime this time around is the brutal murder of a decorated police officer in his hospital bed. Beck (now divorced from his shrewish wife) and his partner Kollberg, are on the case again.

This is the best novel in the series, masterfully interweaving the virtues of Beck's patient, methodical style of detection with a damning indictment of the pointless brutality and general incompetence of modern law enforcement. The point of the book, made in a variety of ways, is that law enforcement needs better cops, not bigger guns. Excellent as both a crime thriller and social commentary.

And don't miss the cliffhanger ending.

Unfortunately, it's out of print, and hard to find. Beg, borrow, or steal a copy, and read it.

"The Abomidable Man" is one of the better entries in the ten "Martin Beck" mysteries by the husband-and-wife team of Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo. It features the unforgettable characters of Martin Beck, Leonard Kollberg, and their colleagues at the newly nationalized Swedish Police Force as a particularly brutal murder of a police officer in a hospital is investigated. With few clues, Beck and his colleagues eventually solve the case, but are overtaken by events in the sort of bleak existential denouement that characterizes this unmatched series of crime stories. The authors use the police procedural as a prism through which to look at society, and their liberal outlook seems innocent and quaint given the passage of time. Search your local used bookstores and garage sales for any entries in this series (not too uncommon in paperback) and let's hope that Black Lizard rereleases the whole series. NOTE: This book was made into an outstanding Swedis! ! h film called "The Man on the Roof", available on video at certain outlets.

Another spellbinding Martin Beck mystery that invites the reader into the world of the Swedish police in the 70's. The characters are memorable, the plot is very believable, it's an excellent piece of mystery fiction.

As a reference for thorny grammar questions from advanced students, it's fine but as a classroom book, it's too detailed and too advanced. I have a copy but I rarely use it - the Intermediate and my ol' favorite, Beginning Grammar in Use are usually better suited for my lessons.

Improving your grammatical skills may be very important for several reasons, one of which is to foster your overall language competence. The primary strength of this book is the fact it cotains both lucid explanations and numerous exercises to check your comprehension. In order to ensure understanding, simple explanations of rather advanced elements of grammar have been provided. By the time you master this book, you will have dramatically improved your grammatical skills. I guarantee that! Are you unsure when to use the past perfect vs past simple? What about the proper use of auxiliaries and modal verbs? Pronouns and prepositions? Gerunds and participles? Word order? Definitely a valuable book.

it is just very very useful book for people who study english as a second languge. perfect , orgnized , and useful.

This book provides a thorough analysis in all facets of airport operations and provides the reader with a logistical insight that is unmatched. While the book provides a great overview, it lacks information particularly on air cargo development and facility planning at airports. While the growth in air cargo traffic significantly outpaces passenger growth, air cargo development issues at airports become more significant. Air cargo development issues must be addressed by airport authorities. This book only makes scant reference to this. However, "Airport Operations" is a valuable book to all airport authorities, consultants and transport researchers. No doubt, a very timely piece of information.

This book is an excellent text to all airport related personnels. I found it's particularly useful to people working in airport and/or aviation management who want to gain more in-depth understanding to all areas of airport operations. This book can also serve as in-house classroom training text for airline personnel. A highly recommended one!

This is a great source of information and very clear definitions of many of the key issues relating to Airport Management and Operations. Although written primarily from the European and Asia Pacific Airport and Airline perspectives, the author has worked very hard to include North American issues and examples. As The Airport Industry moves continually towards privatization, these differences will move to the background and be less obvious; and less important. This is a great starting place for the researcher or the occasional affectionato

Who doesn't love a great mystery? I know that I do. The reason I love this book is that it is suspenseful and gripping. I was immediately drawn into the plot and the details that the author describes in the book. Not only is it a great mystery but it provides Roman history for its reader as well. It gives us a look into the Roman citizen and his life.

If a writer wants to introduce a new series in the somewhat crowded field of Roman mysteries, he'd better have a unique twist. Albert Bell has done that. Instead of fictional sleuths, he uses historical characters, Pliny the Younger and the historian Tacitus, in the first of what promises to be a fine series. Bell combines historical knowledge, witty writing, and a plot with just enough complications and suspects to lead to a thoroughly satisfying conclusion. Pliny and Tacitus have to find out who murdered a man travelling with them while also protecting a beautiful young slave girl who may be the killer's next victim. I can't wait for the next one!

The field of mysteries set in ancient Rome is a bit crowded, with Davis, Saylor, and Roberts, but this new entry deserves to take its place at the head of the line. It features an historical character, Pliny the Younger, with his friend the historian Tacitus playing the Dr. Watson role. While traveling back to Rome in a caravan in 83 AD, they stop overnight in Smyrna. The next morning they discover that a member of the caravan has been brutally murdered. Suspects abound: a gambler who was in debt to the victim, a group of women who may be involved in occult practices, an abused slave, and several others. With no Roman magistrates on the scene, Pliny takes charge of the investigation. He soon realizes that the case is more complicated than at first appears. He must find the killer because he himself may have been the intended victim. First rate!

I've read a lot of Chesterton in the last year or so, and I guess I have mixed feelings about his work in general and this book in particular. Chesterton provides extraordinarily beautiful word pictures. I feel like taking a trip to England just to see if the real English sky can match a fraction of the descriptions Chesterton gives it. (Smog abatement measures may have made a fair comparison impossible.) Chesterton's love of paradox can be fun, but it may be best to take it in small doses for optimal enjoyment. The Father Brown stories are short enough that the character development suffers in comparison with G.K.'s novels; on the other hand, these stories benefit from omission of some of the more bizarre flights of fancy found in his longer works.

Now for the footnotes. I've been reading Martin Gardner for a long time. As a young boy, I spent many hours in the local library reading and enjoying his columns in archived copies of Scientific American. I must say that I find his footnotes in this book somewhat obtrusive. They seem to give away too much of the plot too early, and are probably, therefore, best for a second reading of the text. Gardner has deep philosophical differences with Chesterton, and although he does a fairly good job of restraining himself, there are occasions when he apparently can't resist giving us his two cents. I found that a little annoying. The footnotes in the Ignatius edition of _The Man Who Knew to Much_ are an example of what I would have preferred in this book.

The Father Brown stories are a bit fantastic and improbable, but that is true of Sherlock Holmes too. For the reader unfamiliar with G. K. Chesterton's creation, this quiet, somewhat shy priest will be a surprise.

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are so familiar that today's readers sometimes need to remind themselves that these two friends are indeed fictional characters. For many it may be difficult to imagine, much less accept, that other private detectives were also at work unraveling crimes in the fictional realm of Sherlock Holmes.

Father Brown coexisted in London with Holmes (during Sherlock's later years), but it is not obvious that they ever collaborated. While both exhibited a unique genius, their cases and their methods were indeed different. The solutions to Father Brown's mysteries are often improbable, but logically consistent, and usually have a metaphysical or moral aspect. Father Brown is not a sheltered cleric unaware of sin and evil, but just the reverse. He is able to place himself in the mind of the perpetrator, thereby seeing solutions that the reader fails to notice. Like Holmes, he is often more interested in understanding and solving a mystery, rather than meting out human justice.

Matin Gardner's extended footnotes clarify references that otherwise might be obscure today such as Edwardian manners, outdated technology, London landmarks, literary references, etc. The footnotes are not essential, but I found Gardner's annotation useful and entertaining.

The five Father Brown collections (53 stories in all) begin with these 12 stories,"The Innocence of Father Brown". Father Brown won't displace Sherlock Holmees, but you will not regret getting to know this clever contemporary of Sherlock Holmes.

"The Innocence of Father Brown" is the first book of G.K. Chesterton's ingenious, thoughtful and lyrically written mystery short stories featuring the unassuming little priest who solves crimes by imagining himself inside the mind and soul of the criminal and understanding his motives. The stories are full of paradox, spiritual insight, and "Chestertonian fantasy," or seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary.

This particular edition is enhanced by Martin Gardner's extensive notes, which are both entertaining and illuminating. He points out that it's worthwhile to take your time in reading GKC's stories so you can savor their many arresting, beautifully worded sentences. And by reading too fast, you might also miss out on some very subtle puns (there's one in the story "The Secret Garden" that would have gone right past me had not Mr. Gardner pointed it out!).

At the end, you'll find an index of annotations, plus a comprehensive Father Brown bibliography compiled by Chesterton expert John Peterson. If you enjoy this book, you'll probably also like "The Annotated Thursday," Gardner's edition of GKC's "The Man Who Was Thursday."

I really enjoyed this book. It covers the entire Arhnem operation through British eyes. The author goes from one personal account of the action to another,which blends into a great tapestry of the battle. The only drawbacks I could comment on is the action is not fluid, Middlebrook will cover one area of the battle (e.g. Arnhem Bridge), in its entirety, and jump back (in time) to another section (Middlebrook tells of a British battalion dropped in the second lift being detailed to join in the push to the bridge, then later tells us of the second lift in which it arrived). The other is the lack of detail on the Polish cause in the battle. Overall very easy to read and enjoyable. A great companion when read with other MARKET-GARDEN books of broader (Ryan's a Bridge Too Far) and differing viewpoints (It Never Snows In September, the German point of view, Poles Apart,the Polish view). A must for any MARKET GARDEN reader.

This is an excellent account of the German reaction on the massive Allied air landings in Holland in September 1944, during operation Market Garden. It especially concentrates on the countermeasures of the battered German army which, barely escaped from the ordeals of the hell of Normandy, immediately launched counterattacks, often with astonishing weak and improvised units, suffering appaling losses. The legend that the elite 1st British Airborne division landed on top of two complete SS Panzer divisions is analysed by Middlebrook and he proves that both divisions hardly had the strength left of a weakened regiment. At the time of the landings some of their last remaining tanks stood ready for transport to Germany! Of course this doesn't change anything on the fact that the British fought extremely well, having the most difficult tasks in the entire operation. I enjoyed this book very much. Objective war books like this are rare. I posses hundreds of books and know what I'm talking about. Professional comments, good maps, interesting photos, some of German news reels, gripping personal accounts. I hope to see more of this author. A very well deserved five stars. This is the way history should be handled.

This book represents another great effort by Martin Middlebrook. At first, one might ask why another book on Operation Market-Garden is necessary. The answer is that Middlebrook focus just on the actions of the units at Arnhem, ignoring the US airborne divisions further south and the advance of 30th Corps. The result is an account that presents far more detail than most accounts of the Arnhem fighting, which tend to focus mainly on Lieutenant Colonel Frost's battalion at Arnhem bridge.

Middlebrook begins his account with an in-depth description of the British 1st Airborne Division that covers every battalion and subordinate unit in detail. Readers will learn what every key unit, including the oft-neglected support units, could contribute to the battle. I was surprised to learn for example, just how many anti-tank guns that the British took to Arnhem: 52 six-pounders (57mm) and 16 seventeen-pounders (76mm). Most accounts of the battle do not mention the seventeen pounders, which gave the British a decent anti-tank weapon against even the heavier German tanks in the vicinity.

Arnhem was a very controversial operation and Middlebrook does not sidestep the controversy, but he does not become mired in it. The planning errors and false assumptions of Field Marshal Montgomery and the General Browning are duly noted. Yet despite the deep flaws in the plan, Middlebrook likes to flirt with the notion of what might have been achieved with a little better luck and speed. The chapter entitled "The Vital Hours" covers the very successful initial airborne landings and then details how sluggish many units were in actually moving toward Arnhem and the bridges. Soldier load is an issue here that most writers ignore but not Middlebrook; one participant noted how the paratroopers were so weighted down with gear that they could only run a few yards and were then exhausted. The one unit that made it to the bridge, Frost's battalion, had far more contact with the enemy than most sources suggest (the film A Bridge Too Far gives the impression that Frost's battalion marched to the bridge without even seeing any Germans) and only made it through due to unorthodox means. Middlebrook notes that the British made the final stretch to the Arnhem bridge when, "Frost led most of the battalion into a garden and then through the back door of a house and out the front door into another street...".

A key question usually asked about Arnhem is why couldn't the British 1st Airborne Division break through to reinforce Frost? Answering this question is probably the greatest value of this book. First the 1st Parachute Brigade, then the 4th Parachute Brigade tried to break through in piece-meal fashion and with minimal support. This section, which covers about 100 pages, offers a great deal of information about how the British destroyed their own division in a series of futile attacks. Both the parachute brigades were destroyed in two days fighting, which fatally undermined the ability of the British to hold onto their vital drop zones for resupply. The story of Frost and the bridge defense is also well-told but I find the story of the two parachute brigades far more compelling. In essence, the British made the fatal mistake of not dropping closer to their objective and then ruined the bulk of their division trying to fight their way through to that objective. Middlebrook uses these chapters to hammer home the reality that airborne units are configured for defense after rapid seizure, not sustained offensive operations and that this was the real crux of the disaster. Had a more or less intact British airborne division with defensible drop zones established itself north of the Lower Rhine, then Montgomery might at least have gained a foothold north of the river.

The battle of the Osterbeek perimeter and the subsequent withdrawal across the Rhine are covered in detail, but not as effectively as the earlier chapters. The sketch maps supporting the text could have been better. Nor is the treatment of the Polish Brigade's performance as in-depth as the earlier chapters, although the Middlebrook admits that the relief of General Sosabowski by the British was a shameful act. There is a full chapter on the resupply flights, which are barely covered in other sources. The aerial resupply effort was a colossal failure: 66 aircraft were lost and 222 men killed in order to deliver less than 200 tons of supplies to the British 1st Airborne Division. This disaster occurred despite mild weather conditions and air superiority. Middlebrook's detailed post-mortem is very interesting. Although 21% of the division was evacuated losses among the infantry were catastrophic. Only 405 members of the two British parachute brigades returned from the 3,461 who dropped into Holland. Additionally, two experienced brigade commanders, eight battalion commanders and 26 company commanders were lost. The division was essentially destroyed and the remnants were soon disbanded or attached to other units.

Middlebrook concludes that there were numerous errors that contributed to this debacle but that the two most important were (a) the flawed air movement plan (which Middlebrook mostly blames on the Americans) and (b) the failure of the US Airborne Division to capture the Nijmegen bridge sooner and thereby facilitate the ground link-up with the British troops at Arnhem. Although there is plenty of blame for the British commanders in this volume I feel that Middlebrook is too quick to point fingers at the Americans. Market-Garden was after all, Montgomery's show. Middlebrook might have been able to use this book as an interesting examination of British operational methods in the mid-20th Century. The British army throughout the Second World War, was at its best in a well-planned set-piece battle and at it's worst in a highly-fluid chaotic battle. The inflexibility of the British commanders is readily evident here and the reader must sympathize with the Polish General Sosabowski who was frustrated by their willingness to continue with a plan no matter how flawed.

As with all anthologies, the stories here vary in quality. I particularly liked Tanya Huff's story of the brother and sister assassin team that she later featured in her novel _Fifth Quarter,_ and Fiona Patton's tale of a slightly-alternate magical Italy where "death mages" and the Church wage an underground war. The nice thing about anthologies in general is that they can make one aware of writers, and works, that one might miss otherwise. The bad thing is that the quality of stories can be very uneven, but that's not much in evidence here---Greenberg's an experienced editor working with pros.

My favorite stories are those that remind me of Looking Glass Studios' _Thief_ games; a *real* sneaker leaves no traces, other than the job having been done.

Arntzen, Bernie: "On My Honor" Nicholas, the narrator, is and isn't the Oranian Royal Assassin; he's also Roarke's most secret agent in the Oranian court. Now he's been ordered to bite off the hand that feeds him: the queen has ordered him to kill her despicable brother-in-law, the King of Roarke. (Nicholas' humor isn't quenched by his dilemma. "Assassin sarcasm. Another occupational hazard.")

Edgerton, Teresa: "Dying By Inches" Set in the same world as _The Queen's Necklace_. Few of the Rowans survived the two years of imprisonment in barbarous conditions before their names were cleared. When Odilia hears a rumour that the Marquis committed the crime that sent her family into limbo, she plans to exact revenge, with or without proof.

Edghill, Rosemary: "War of the Roses" In the Argestian States, assassins have replaced war as the last resort of diplomacy. But checks and balances are necessary: the Flower Guild exists to hunt down assassins who have become too dangerous. Redlorn, who styles himself the Red Rose, is their next target; the Guild's agent is the legendary White Rose. The feel is _Thief_-like, as Redlorn makes a point of getting into and out of his target's home without touching the guards, and *his* pursuer likewise toys with *him*.

Elrod, P.N. "Myhr's Adventure in Hell" Terrin and Myhr *really* want to earn enough gemstones to let them escape to a more civilized world, broadly defining 'civilized' in terms of plumbing. Their client's husband - this world's Hitler-equivalent - is already dead; she wants to make sure his soul can never reincarnate. Myhr, the narrator, is nominated by his wizard-partner to make the hit. (Myhr trusts him on magic, if not on splitting red velvet cake equally.)

Flewelling, Lynn: "Raven's Cut" The young foreign assassin, when it's his turn to tell the evening's tale, remembers the best assassin he ever knew.

Huff, Tanya: "Death Rites" Very Thiefy feel: the two young assassins attached to 7th Army are the best hope of prying the rebel commander out of her captured stronghold - the secret entrance can't be blocked without cutting off her water supply.

Jefferson, Leyte: "He" Moonback is an assassin whose master remade him into a werewolf. His canine instincts predominate as the moon waxes; at that point, even in human form he reacts like a dog, approaching his master on his belly, licking his hands - losing some of his vocabulary, but remembering some of his professional skills even when he can't remember the word 'army'. Disturbing.

Leigh, Stephen: "Green Stones" The scarred man is only the latest in a long series of fools seeking to learn at the feet of the Green Stone. The trademark green stones left on the victims were always from the flanks of Goat Fell, so the would-be assassin's apprentice has come to Maire's lonely tavern. (Scar doesn't have the sense he was born with, but the reader shouldn't be *too* smug.)

Lindskold, Jane: "A Touch of Poison" Set in the same world as _Through Wolf's Eyes_. The assassins' tool of choice to reach the Supreme Affluent is Adalia, his chief baker; they've taken her infant son as surety. But Adalia knows she has no guarantee they'll return the baby, or that they won't reveal whose hand poisoned her master's pastry. (The culture of Waterland, where administration - there is no 'government' as such - and status are tied directly to money, is interesting in itself.)

Oster, Anna: Mallon is being stalked by a young fool who believes she killed his sister; Mallon, in exasperation, tells him he should have studied "History and Economics" instead of (obviously) poetry at university. (The Silent Guild is quite legal - and it's the client, not the assassin, the boy should be concerned with.)

Patton, Fiona: "The Svedali Foundlings" 'In Cercicava, the dead were revered far more than the living.' Coll can testify to this on several counts; he survived the burning of the Svedali Innocenti Foundling Home fourteen years ago during the duc's little expansion project for the necropolis, only to be picked up as an organ collector by the death mages. But someone else survived the burning: Drey, an assassin now stalking the corridors of power.

Reichert, Mickey Zucker: "Darkness Comes Together" Josafah envies the fame of the assassin known as Nightfall; no hire would dare waste Nightfall's time, as he'd just as soon destroy an unworthy hire as destroy his target. When Josafah encounters Nightfall outside his target's home, he suggests that they cooperate - who's to know? (Josafah's gratuitous violence contrasts with Nightfall's minimalist approach.)

Rusch, Kristine Kathryn: "Coin of the Realm" Orsem's assassins are competing for the public executioner's job - most of whose work is outside the kingdom - and the winner will be he who kills the most important victim, increasing the king's holdings in the process. *Not* the safest time to bring foreign dignitaries to court, as the king's daughter Rosalind is being sold into marriage to a neighbouring kingdom's heir.

Sherman, Josepha: "Never Say...Uh...Die?" Rather than ordinary humans, the narrator assassinates rampaging ogres, sorcerers plotting to usurp kingdoms - like that. His current target, a Koshchei, has learned subtlety in the art of hiding his heart outside his body. (*Not* a retelling of the Firebird legend.)

West, Michelle: "Echoes" Kallandras' family was murdered because someone learned they had a child with demonic powers - command-voice, among other things - and sought to take him. Kallandras survived as a beggar until the day the Kovaschii, the brotherhood serving the Lady's darkest face, took him for testing. The story is told in flashback, as the adult Kallandras remembers the tests of his training in a land far away.

Assassin's are extremely difficult characters to write. If you do it wrong, the assassin becomes a monster that no one can relate to. Or becomes self-rightous and hypocritical.
In this book there are 15 stories of assassins who are unique characters unto themselves, and no where near typical.
My favorites were Death Rites, about the brother sister team of Vree and Bannon, assassins for the empire. Also Coin of the Realm, which gave a very interesting twist, and Darkness Comes Together, about an assassin who is nearly as dangerous to his employer as his mark.
Echos was a good story to me, but then I have read the other books featuring Kallandras. For thoses who haven't, it may just be a little confusing.
I didn't care much for He, or for History and Economics or Dying By Inches. They seemed a little stilted, and not quite as smoothly flowing as some of the others.
But all in all, this was a good book, especially if you enjoy tales of darkness and deception, and of the ever mysterous assassin.
All assassin lovers should give this book a try.