The first part of the book Van Creveld describes German air operations in the early phases of the Second World War. The Luftwaffe was extremely effective in interdicting and preventing enemy counterattacks, also Luftwaffe officers and army officers directed the attacks. But Van Creveld argues that the Luftwaffe wasted their resourcers against civilian targets such as railroads. The next air force that Van Creveld analyzes is the Soviet air force. The Soviet air force was under complete control of the army and acted as flying artillery to prevent any German counterattacks from appearing, but the Soviet air force engaged in hardly any interdiction missions against the Germans. According to Van Creveld the Soviets had the most effective form of aerial warfare since their role as flying artillery impeded the Germans from stopping the Soviet attacks. The final air force that Van Creveld evaluates is the Israeli air force. During the Six Day War, the Israeli air force was able to destroy lightly armored trucks but could not due any damage to the Arab tank forces. In the 1973 war the Israeli airforce couldn't provide close air support due to the presence of SAMS. Van Creveld than concludes the book by writing a chapter about the Gulf War that is strongly crititcal of the USAF. In Van Creveld's opinion if the USAF wasn't addicted to strategic air warfare than it could have closely cooperated with the ground forces in destroying the Iraqi army. In the appendix chapters USAF generals reply to Van Creveld's criticisms by stating that the Allied bombing campaign in Western Europe allowed the Russians to gain air supremacy and have effective close air support operations and the same applied to the IAF's performance in the Six Day War. The only weakness of Van Creveld's book is that he ignores Allied close air support operations in Western Europe from 1944-45, but otherwise this an excellent description of how the Russain and German airforces operated in the Second World War and how the IAF operates today.

Blargh! That was the sound of my brain spewing out all the garbage thoughts I had about strategy before I read this book. Dr. van Creveld, et. al., provide a remarkable (and concise) analysis of manuever warfare and the coexistent application of airpower. You're missing the boat if you think this book is Stewart Smalley self-motivational testimony for the "Zoomies" (Air Force). This book concisely provides the six tenets of maneuver warfare within the first 10 pages, giving the lay-reader an excellent oversight into how it is that the United States dominates every battlefield (and by extrapolation, the reader can figure out why disasters such as Somalia occur when the military deviates from that 'winning' formula).

In describing the history of maneuver warfare, van Creveld pre-empts the maneuver warfare nay-sayers by going beyond simple parallels of the German model. Yes, he gives the reader an outstanding version how Nazi Germany 'Blitzkrieg' tactics (really the application of maneuver warfare concepts) devasted Europe in the opening months of the Second World War. But Dr. van Creveld also goes into detail regarding the Soviets' masterful turning of the tables on the Eastern Front, Israel's decisive brilliance in the Six Day War, and maneuver warfare's direct role in the defeat of Iraq in 1991.

Now, who should read this book? In my humble opinion this book should be mandatory for all new military officers and senior non-commissioned officer. Not because it espouses air power's importance in modern warfare, but because it gives the reader an excellent template from which to build a cohesive team and winning strategy for overcoming challenges. Hell, you could even cull out all references to air power and strictly look at the six principles of manuever warfare - I'm strongly considering doing my master's thesis on "Maneuver Warfare Concepts and Modern Business Strategy".

In short, whether you're a military member, aspiring military historian, or a business person looking for new creative techniques to conquering the competition, this book is for you!

From the Bascove illustration on its cover to its haunting last line, Valerie Martin's "Alexandra" will hold you in thrall like a witch's spell. Martin's plots are so devious she simply cannot be outguessed. All you can do is hang on for dear life as her story careers exhilaratingly through its endless thrilling surprises and shocking revelations. After reading this novel I was unable to read another book for nearly a week. Everytime I tried "Alexandra" kept intruding between me and the new story. I couldn't get it out of my head, and neither will you be able to. Valerie Martin's imagination ought to be registered with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms as both a dangerous implement and an addictive substance. Do yourself a favor and get hooked.

Couldn't put it down -- Calling Valeria Martin "the female Faulkner" doesn't do her justice... a tour de force to be able to write a sexually charged novel from the male perspective... Gave me much insight into my own dark feelings of sexuality. No coincidence that her most famous work, "Mary Reilly", is based on "The Strange Tale of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde," by Robert Louis Stevenson. He wrote, "All men have thoughts which would shame Hell." Martin explores this familiar-but-taboo terrain, uniting us all in the humanity of our deepest desires. This book grows on you, and you will be haunted by it if you're at all fascinated by the mystical nature of sexuality!

Isaacs' algebra text is probably the best math book I've encountered so far as an undergraduate student for several reasons.

First, the structure of the book is unique- most introductory algebra books tend to cover groups, rings, and fields in that order. More mathematically mature students, though, can gain a greater appreciation for rings by first understanding modules. Most texts tend to introduce rings first, because the classic examples of rings are easy to understand, and then generalize to modules. Isaacs instead builds upon the composition structures of groups to introduce the topic of X-groups (this is the only introductory graduate text that covers this extensively), so that modules and rings are not only presented at the same time, but in such a way that the reader can see the interplay between the two. This presentation also makes it easier to discuss the Jacobson radical and by the time the Wedderburn-Artin theorems are presented, the reader is familiar enough with the necessary elements of the proof that it actually becomes easy.

Another reason this book is good is because Isaacs includes difficult topics not generally covered in an introductory text, but in a way that they seem to be just a simple extension of the more basic material. For example, at the end of the noncommutative section (the first half of the book), Isaacs proves the algebraic foundation of character theory using the Wedderburn-Artin theorems, showing the module presentation of a representation as well as the classic homomorphism presentation. He then proves the basic results about characters, giving a very powerful tool to analyze the structure of a group.

In a more applied vein, Isaacs proves the steps used in the Berlekamp algorithm in the finite fields chapter, which not only allows the reader to gain experience using the generalized Chinese Remainder Theorem but also to apply it to the study of fields. After covering integrality, Isaacs explains the role of rational integers in character theory and applies it to prove Burnside's celebrated solvability proof, whose statement about groups seems to have nothing to do with integrality, or even noetherian rings for that matter.

While Isaacs covers other advanced topics (for example, Transfer theory in the study of groups, or the Schraier-Artin theorem), the text is excellent because he proves the basic results so clearly. While he doesn't talk about the geometric significance of groups that much, he does talk about groups from a stabilizer-orbit perspective that makes further study of symmetries a lot easier.

The proofs of the Fundamental Theorem of Galois Theory, Galois' proof of solvability, the Principal Ideal Theorem, and a stronger form of Sylow's theorem are particularly elegant, along with the chapter on solvable and nilpotent groups. What makes the book far superior to others, though, is the problems. If you can understand the hard proofs of this book, you should be able to do the problems in easier books (Dummit and Foote, Hungerford) pretty easily. Be warned- the problems are not there to have you "fill in the details" Isaacs left out (because his proofs generally don't leave even minute details out) or to get practice, but to actually prove new results. For example, important topics such as metabelian groups, supersolvability, and the structure of a field with an abelian Galois group are presented as problems.

In sum, anyone who wants to appreciate the beauty of algebra and understand more than just the basic concepts should learn it from Isaacs' book. While it is self-contained, one may want to study Herstein's book first and do some problems so that this book doesn't seem as intimidating. After studying this, you should be prepared to answer any basic algebra question on any prelim exam in the country and be sufficiently prepared to tackle more advanced branches of algebra.

If you are looking for a great first book on abstract algebra, this is it! Dr. Isaacs has written a self-contained work that covers the basics of the subject in an easy to read manner. This book assumes that the reader has no previous knowledge of modern [abstract] algebra, though some mathematical maturity is required. It also avoids the twin pitfalls of mathematical writing: "Theorem, proof, theorem, proof,...", and "The details are left to the reader."

Indispensable for answering those political trivia questions that float into awareness late at night. Who WAS the first [woman, African American, Hispanic, Asian, gay/lesbian] to hold important office in a particular locale? The answers are in this book. Knowing the names, times and places, it's fascinating to imagine what it must have been like for these courageous American political pioneers.

Women and Minorities in American Politics

An impressive collection of information. From the very first paragraph, that a women voted in the New World in 1655, yes 1655, in the colonies by right of land ownership, to the last modest note, requests for additional information, it is a mine of golden information. There is information on women, nationalities, there are lists of first in the nation, first states and first women. This is undoubtedly a book that all researchers into gender and minority issues will want to reference and likely have on hand.

In addition to being informative it is well written with a sly sense of humor that will appeal in sometimes an appalling way. Discover the only congressmen be eaten by wild animals, he was not in office at the time. More relevantly he was working as a coal miner when it happened. That may not be such a bad change of occupation. Discover which state first allowed women to vote and why elected officials, all men, revoked their privilege.

Sadly it seems too small, for a nation over 200 years old we can only list 300 pages of women and minorities in politics. It should be a long as Who's Who.

Reading this book from cover to cover would be educational journey, but probably most readers will skip from place to place, as I did. Honestly, I found the 17th Century sermons, which make up a large part of the book, quite hard to follow, though I don't doubt there is much in them that will make the effort worthwhile, if I have need to look more closely.

There is doubtless something to delight and offend everyone in this volume. The editors have been fairly conscientious in taking selections from a variety of viewpoints. Liberals may get a bit more space in the 20th Century selection, but on the other hand, J. Gresham Machen's ringing defense of the historicity of the Gospels, History and Faith, is also included. (A work that could have been written as a reply to the Jesus Seminar of eight decades later. A very devastating reply.) I also found Henry Ward Beecher's pre-Civil War jeremiad against slavery stirring and of more than historical interest. (That, too, of course. He was the brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe, of Uncle Tom's Cabin fame.) Joseph Smith's rambling funeral oration was useful in a different way, giving positive evidence for my prior feeling that the man was a bit, shall we say, close to the edge.

Agree or disagree, readers of every viewpoint will find something of interest in this volume. It would be a most valuable reference tool for any class on American history, and, I think, belongs in every school library.

Author, Jesus and the Religions of Man d.marshall@sun.ac.jp

I bought this book with an interest in the literary form of the sermon and I was also interested in religion, although I may not call myself particularly religious. I was impressed with the degree of thought that the writers of these sermons gave to their subjects. If you are even slightly interested in exploring religion, this is a nice introduction in American religious thought. The Library of America does a superb job at producing a volume that will last many generations. A nice addition to any thinking man's library.

Any American who has ever been puzzled by Korean manners, any Korean who has ever been confused by American behavior, should buy this book. As a longtime student and sometime resident of Korea, I especially appreciate the comprehensive treatment of every aspect of daily life, from birth to death, job search to friendship. These concrete matters, which take up the bulk of the book, are prefaced by an opening chapter exploring the foundations of Korean and American culture. Contrasting but not comparing the Judeo-Christian tradition with Confucianism sets the stage for understanding why Americans send written invitations in advance of important events like weddings while Koreans tend to invite guests orally much closer to the date. The authors provide practical guidance for newcomers to either country, visitors, and the increasing numbers of people ties to both countries by marriages or business agreements. The book is well organized, well written and an excellent guide to both cultures.

This book was amazing!! It accurately gave the reader a view of 2 distinct cultures in the East and West. It is well-organized, well-written, and easy to read. It is by far the best book about culture there is and a must-have for Americans living in Korea and vice-versa. But above all, it will help you understand the people. It will definitely make your life a whole lot easier!!!

Angel on My Shoulder' A definite must read. This is a book that you will not be satisfied in reading only once. I have picked this book up several times and read it again and again. Every time I read it, I feel so humble. It is informative and touching. The author has a way of making you feel the things he has experienced and yet you do not go away with a feeling that he is anything but a very spiritual man. How fortunate to be in touch with your angel. Thank you for listening to your Angel and sharing your many experiences with us. Gives the reader hope that they might one day hear or see their own angel. Keep up the good work. An inspiration to all of us doing time here on earth.

"Angel on My Shoulder" gives us an insight of what life was like in Vietnam, something the majority of us will never know. It also follows the author's life after the war and tells us how he has a companion who helps him get through this life. It's a very touching book that gives the reader hope that he, too, may have an angel watching out for him.

I found this book to be a very interesting accounting of the war in Vietnam through the eyes of airborne advisors and Vietnamese airborne soldiers. Having been there as an advisor to an airborne battalion, the recollections of others reminded me of many events that occurred while performing those duties. I thank Mr. Strode for putting together a book that will preserve some of the history of Americans and Vietnamese.

The best book available in English on the elite of the Republic of Viet Nam Armed Forces. Though it lacks informatio on the last two years of the war like the hard fought battle of Hill 1062 in the First Corp in 1974. Also lacking was the biography of all Airborne Division battalion commanders. Still it deserve high praise for giving credit long overdue to the heroic ARVN paratroop soldiers. The best fighters in the Viet Nam War.

The Arab-Israeli conflict is a fiercely debated topic with numerous accusations constantly being thrown back and forth. For someone just beginning to study the Arab-Israeli conflict, it can be overwhelming. This book is a collection of maps drafted by a professional cartographer to show the real dimensions of treaties, ceasefires, boycotts, and other historical moments in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Would you like to know exactly which land the Oslo Agreements included?

Would you like to know which parts of the Middle East belonged to biblical Israel?

Would you like to know which parts of Britain's Palestine Mandate they forbid Jews to dwell or buy land on?

This resource can answer all those question and more graphically showing you the exact boundaries of, countries involved in, and other important aspects of the Arab-Israeli conflict. I particularly found this resource helpful in disputing allegations by people that "such-and such a percentage" of the land was to be given up in a treaty such as the original U.N. plan for Palestine or under the Oslo Agreements. After showing my fellow debater the actual maps, the arguments were ended since I was in possession of hard fact thanks to this fine reference book.

Sir Martin Gilbert is a well-acclaimed British scholar, who has written numerous titles in the Historical Atlas series, extensively written about the Arab-Israeli conflict, and was also officially appointed to write the biography of Sir Winston Churchill.

I have reviewed the 1984 Fourth Edition, but several editions have since come out with updated information and additional maps to reflect more recent developments. I recommend getting the most recent edition available.

I highly recommend this outstanding resource for anyone studying the Arab-Israeli conflict, whether pro-Arab or pro-Israeli.

Review by: Maximillian Ben Hanan

I recomend this book for those people who would like to understand the Arab-Israeli conflict. The analisys is very racional and doesn't tends to any of the sides. Is very easy to get the ideas; the explanation, based in maps, is very clear and objective. The only misteak about it is the updating. The book's review reaches until 1993. Is known that the peace process is always moving towards an end. The inclusion of some information, like Oslo Agreement and the murder of Isaac Rabin would enrich the book.

This is a wonderful book that extensively covers the architecture of buildings in New York, from past to present. Full of interesting background information. I can recommend this book to anyone that is interested in New York architecture. Unfortunately, photographs are kept to an essential minimum. Other than that, it was everyting I hoped for.

I bought this book a few days before my first visit to New York City. However, just reading very first part of this book gave me good knowledge of both history and architectures of NYC.

This book starts with the born of New York City in 17th century, and covers many famous (and not so famous) architectures with about 200 photos taken by the author. It covers Georgian influence of 18th Century, Greek revival of 19th century, the Chicago school...etc. The Art Deco Skyscrapers, such as the Empire State building and the Chrysler building are well described. A whole chapter is devoted to Rockefeller Center. The history of MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) is interesting...

For me, this book seems to have some small shortcomings. This book lacks "up to date" information. (This revised edition was first published in 1994.) Also, as a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright, I hope Guggenheim Museum have been covered more.