I'm currently taking my first course in Asian Art history, and I wish we were using this text! The Art of East Asia is eloquently and insightfully written and stunningly produced. The authors do an excellent job of bringing the art into the historical and cultural contexts of the time periods when it was produced. The color photographs are plentiful, large, and beautifully printed -- this is an important point, as black and white photos fail to capture the details of either fine brushwork or three dimensional pieces. This book is a tremendous value; it is far superior to other volumes costing almost twice as much. The only limitation to be aware of is that it does not include the art of India.

The entire book is a mine of information complemented by wonderful photographs. It is perhaps the best introduction to an ancient and profound culture. The Japanese and Korean section is a must for any person seriously interested in trying to understand what is a complex and usually inaccessible subject. In particular the masterful text on Japan by Michael Dunn illuminates the often misunderstood area of the overwhelming influence of Zen on Japanese Art. He should be encouraged to write in more detail on subjects with which he has such a commanding knowledge and insight.

This book manages to present East Asian art without mystification, but also without academic stuffiness.An extraordinary combination! If you want an accessible (but not vulgar) introduction to the subject that will whet your appetite for more, this is the book. The illustrations are exceptional. It's incredible that the publisher can put this kind of quality out for the price.

Arz, the tree, very frequently mentioned in the Bible, put together in a story to present the most fascinating picture of the holy land before Christ set foot on.

A the highest peak in Lebanon, stand majestically the Cedars or Arz from whose wood boats and coffins were made for the pharoahs of Egypt. Arz has the most unsual and moving story ever told.

A very interesting story of a young boy and his family struggles in Lebanon. This book gives true meaning to the word "FAMILY". It will touch your heart!

In this trilogy, Kerry Collison captures 3 decades of Indonesian political upheaval from the standpoint of someone who has actually lived through most of what he writes about. When I first picked up Freedom Square I felt it must be strongly based on fact - after reading recently declassified State Department documents on the US role in Indonesia at that time, I find that the books are even more fact-based than I had thought. Before reading them, I knew almost nothing about Indonesia except that it sounded exotic. After reading them, I can't understand how I could have been satisfied with that level of ignorance for so many years.

Collison writes with authority about a subject he knows as well as anyone else in the world. The books are hard to put down, and I lost a LOT of sleep because I couldn't stop turning the pages. If you are interested in exotic locations in general or Indonesia in particular, you must read these books.

An exciting, obviously thoroughly researched trilogy of books which not only carry the reader through the exciting periods commencing with the Years of Living Dangerously to the present but also provide a clever insight into the dangerous machinations of our own political leadership with respect to how we have treated emerging Asian powers. A great read!

What a great way to learn about the Asian cutltures and business practices yet be entertained whilst doing so. I was captured from the outset, the author's style and obvious in depth knowledge of the people and the shadowy world of politics and spies. Kerry B. Collison rates up there with Michener, Forsythe and Wilbur Smith.

HI THERE...I LIKE TO SAY THAT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I READ THIS BOOK, IT AMAZED ME BY THE DETAILS IT PROVIDES AND HOW EASY IT IS TO COMPREHEND THE CONTENT OF THE BOOK...IT MADE GET MORE INTERESTED IN THE MIDDLE EAST ..I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO KNOW THE FACTS AS THEY ARE .

This book is a must read,to anybodyinterested in the Sadat era.It comes from a famous journalist,who is close to power in many countries,and with sources of information that are full of intrigue.A very realistic book,loaded with facts,and analysis...it gives youthe answer to what happened on theday of october 6th 1981,why did ittake place,and why the end had to belike this.i highly recommend this book,thankyou Mr. haykal

This book is one of the best if you are interested about egypt's recent history...it comes from a great writer..and at the same timesomeone who's been close to all parties involved in the story. Full of secret details, relatesfacts together..and makes alot ofsensable interptation of well knownbut poorly understood incidents. This book is a must have.i personally read it more than 11 timesi highly recommend it.

Mr. Katz helps defend Israel against common lies todl in the western media by avowed Arab terrorists. It confronts the lie that Israel unfairly occupied the west bank and Gaza. It confronts the idea that the innocent arabs were forced to flee thier homes in 1948. Many myths are crushed in this short read.

Samuel Katz provides an excellent service in describing, truthfully, how the Arab/Palestinian-Israeli conflict really began and just as importantly, why it continues.

It is so refreshing to be provided with an in-depth analysis of the bitter hostilities and a factual account that will destroy and tread underfoot the propaganda, the myths, distortions, fabrications and outright lies that have served to deceive the public at large of what the situation in the Middle East is really all about.

The descriptive and relevant title which includes 'Fact & Fantasy' can never be more appropriate than when dealing with an issue such as this, where the erosion of truth has occurred at a monumental rate in recent years, especially since the onset of the two 'Palestinian intifadas'in 1987.

I possess the second edition of this book with a foreword in 1977 by then Menachem Begin, the Prime Minister of Israel. He summarises his opinions of this book by stating "...we shall continue to use truth as a main weapon. I hope that this book will play an even larger part in spreading the truth than it has done in the past."

The British Sunday Times newspaper is also quoted in the introduction from an issue in 1972, "...On some occasions, deliberate lies have been devised to bury a truth that powerful people wanted hidden...."

I cannot but only agree with Menachem Begin's every word 'spoken' by the Sunday Times. When matters such as these come to the surface, people with integrity will want to know why this deceit exists, the agendas of those who would perpetrate these policies and above all the real truth behind the lies. This book serves that purpose !

We see through Katz's writings the hypocritical, biased policies of my own British Government in the region, fuelled by self interest and their own agenda in the region.

Palestinian terrorism, refugees and a detailed history through the decisive events of 1948, 1967 and 1973 are all covered in this excellent book which has thankfully now been re-released. Samuel Katz does not rest there, but also delves into the history of the region and the Jewish presence in Palestine.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Suffice to say, please get yourself a copy. (If you are a politician, get two and give one to a colleague!)

Kindest regards & thanks for listening.

It's a blessing that this volume has been reissued.

Like the work of Arieh Avneri, Howard Sachar, Connor Cruise O'Brien, Efraim Karsh and Martin Kramer, Battleground is a magnificent piece of reporting on the history of the Middle East conflict. But in the 29 years since it was originally published, that past has grown ever more faded in public and journalistic memory.

In general, newspapers and textbooks now completely avoid the history, without explanation blaming Israel for the plight of Arab refugees that Arab nations have exploited in a 54-year war against the Jewish state. Katz clearly here delineates the role of refugees in that war. Katz also reports this important background: In 1922 the League of Nations adopted by international vote a plan to establish a Jewish National Home in Palestine, which then included all of current day Israel and Transjordan.

This book details that history. Katz shows that, within years after the Paris Peace meeting and League of Nations accorded all of Palestine to the Jewish people, Britain unilaterally and illegally granted more than 80% of original Palestine to the Arabs, creating current day Jordan.

Katz elucidates many critical parts of the historical puzzle. But the centerpiece is that in 1919, less than two years after the Balfour Declaration, Emir Faisal of Syria and Iraq--then the only recognized Arab leader in the world--declared the plan for a Jewish national homeland in all of Palestine as "moderate and proper." He even signed a treaty with Jewish leaders to accept and endorse the plan.

In short, Katz shows here that the 1922 League of Nations vote to adopt the plan did not (as conventional wisdom now wrongly supposes) unilaterally impose a decision on the Arab peoples of the Middle East without their input. In fact, the League of Nations acted directly in response to the 1919 Arab treaty with Jewish leaders.

King Faisal's approval of plans for a National Home for the Jews was no less significant because it, like the League Mandate, encompassed all of current day Israel and Jordan. In 1919, King Faisal saw the importance of recognizing the rights of the Jewish people to their homeland.

The book also shows that the Jewish people did not--as common misconception holds--steal land in Israel. On the contrary, beginning in the 1870s and 1880s, the Jewish Agency and many private groups and people purchased land (usually swamps and desert) from private absentee Arab landowners, often at wildly inflated prices. Katz documents this plainly.

Katz also establishes the number of Arab refugees in 1948 at 480,000, after seven Arab nations attacked the nascent Jewish state with the avowed intention to destroy it. Arab leaders at the United Nations admitted the relatively low number of Arab refugees from that war at the time. But gradually, over the years, he demonstrates that the number has been inflated--a point that, he reports, even the United Nations admits.

Katz also rightly recognizes the 850,000 Jewish refugees from 22 Arab and Muslim lands between 1940 and 1978, expelled with nothing but the shirts on their backs. (See also Malka Hillel Shulewitz and Itamar Levin and Rachel Neiman in The Forgotten Millions and Locked Doors.) Comparable inflation would raise the number of Jewish refugees from Arab lands to more than 3 million.

Finally, Katz explains the central problem plaguing Israeli-Arab relations since long before Israel was founded in 1948. As he notes, most Arab nations--from which he shows most "Palestinians" immigrated--have never recognized even the considerably reduced version of the Jewish state that became Israel in 1948. They would prefer a permanent state of war than to admit the Jewish people's right to self-determination, or to a state governing places in which tens of thousands of Jews have resided from a time since the Romans sacked the second Temple in 70 A.D.

Read this book to learn the region's real history. Alyssa A. Lappen

I think this book was very well written and showcases pre and post revolution Iran with great clarity. Once taken up for reading, putting it down is difficult!

Azar Aryanpour tells her story and that of Dr. Shoja Sheik with heart rending clarity. Many facts are now clarified for me. I was one of the faculty that helped Shoja in his pursuit of becoming an Orthopaedic Surgeon. Three times I visited in Iran, once for a month as he set up a residency at the "Shafa Hospital". The tragic story now clarified by his former wife moved me deeply.

Make sure that you have a lot of time before you start reading this book, because it is going to be very hard to put down. I found myself reading this book in the middle of class, anxiously wanting to find out what happens next. This book is very touching and emotional, making you feel as though you are right there alongside her through the story. She also does a great job at explaining who is who in book (former iranian officials). I only have one criticism, and that is when she referred to Baha'is as atheists. Such a statement is untrue, and highly offensive to Baha'is who have been tortured and murdered because of such ignorance. But overall, I praise her for this book.

Traditionally, four major East Asian languages have used Chinese characters for their writing systems: Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, and, of course, Chinese. Wm. C. Hannas knows all of them, and in this book he uses that extensive knowledge to deliver a broadside against the Chinese characters' lack of efficiency as a writing system.

Anyone familiar with John DeFrancis' work on the Chinese language will recognize some of Hannas' arguments (DeFrancis writes the forward for this book and was clearly an inspiration for Hannas' work). But Hannas is more wide-ranging in his scholarship and goes further with his arguments.

The first part of the book introduces the four major languages that have used Chinese characters for their writing systems, introducing them in order of the frequency they presently use the characters. Thus, Chinese -- which is comprised entirely of characters -- is introduced first and Vietnamese -- which no longer uses any characters -- is introduced last. This part describes the history of each languages' writing system and is highly readable.

After the languages have been introduced, the second part of the book critiques the Chinese character-based writing system. This part varies between highly readable sections and some more abstruse sections that deal with linguistic, analytical, and even psychological arguments that require close readings by the layman who doesn't have an expertise or at least a strong interest in those areas. But these arguments are the meat of Hannas' book as he looks at what Chinese characters represent, reading and literacy in Chinese character-based scripts, and even whether those writing systems are really appropriate for East Asian languages as some people have argued.

The third and final part winds down with a look at why reform of the Chinese character-based writing system fails (as Hannas argues it does) as well as what the future is likely to hold for it. One chapter alone is dedicated to the effect computers are having on characters. I found this part the least plausible of the three and also somewhat repetitive as arguments made earlier were restated.

While I agree with most of Hannas' general arguments and found his book both highly interesting and entertaining, I also think he greatly overstates his case. Hannas seems to actually believe that characters are on their way out. The growth in education and wealth, as well as the general social vibrance found in so many of the societies which still use Chinese characters suggests, at the very least, that perhaps inefficiency in a writing system is simply not an important aspect to a well-functioning, modern society -- that whatever impact it has is more negligible than Hannas imagines.

But disagreements over some of its points shouldn't be a reason not to read this outstanding book. Hannas' scholarship, lucid writing, and forceful exposition will give anyone who has experience with any of the East Asian languages that use Chinese characters a wonderful read.

I found this book to be a well written and interesting look at the use of Chinese characters. It uncovers some of the commonly held misconceptions about the use of the characters. It does a very thorough job of examining the differences between them and phonetic alphabetic scripts. The book covers the use of characters in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The view of Hannas is that the characters are "on their last leg". I have discussed this book with several of my Chinese, Japanese, and Korean friends and they all seem to disagree with Hannas and are not in favor of abolishing the use of the characters. Hannas claims that he is not writing from the point of view of a disgruntled Westerner, but sometimes this is hard to believe. The introduction by John DeFrancis states that Hannas is one of the few people (Western or Asian) to have mastered Chinese (several "dialects")Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese. I would highly recommend this book for anyone curious about East Asian languages. As an aside, I'm sure that an Asian could find plenty of things about English that do not make sense and should be changed!

This work is a highly polemical look at the writing systems of East Asian languages, specifically those that use Chinese characters. The author is out to demolish standard ideas about the use of Chinese characters in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese, and he does a thorough and persistent job of it. The book is accordingly much more exciting than a straightforward introduction to these writing systems could ever be. What is more, the author's insights are pretty well spot on, although not likely to endear him to those who entertain the myths that he sets out to demolish (which includes most speakers of these languages). Bold, refreshing, and definitely recommended.

Simple and straight forward writing, but not simple concepts. Taher tackles age old issues (revenge, redemption) with a kind of freshness that helps the reader see something new. He also gently leads the reader to adopt the appropriate cultural mindset so that the characters can be held close to the heart, not merely observed from afar. Sometimes, however, his writing is weighed down by awkward or repetitive descriptions . Since this is a translation, it is difficult to tell if the problem is the author's or the translator's. Anyway, it is not excessive and can be overlooked by the reader willing to forgive a little to get a lot.

This is the first book I read for Bahaa' Taher, an author previously unknown to me. His novel is describing the life in a southern village in Egypt where Copts (Egyptian Christians) and Moslems (Egyptian Moslems) lived together in peace and harmony for centuries. Suddenly, a rumor was injected by some unknown source, in order to create hatred between the villagers. Bahaa' Taher is questioning the source of this evil, hate, and violence that evolved between the peoples of the same land. Bahaa's style reflects his tender feelings and a sense of nostalgia for the past, the 'good old' and peaceful days. This book should be a must read for all schoolchildren in Egypt to teach them about Egyptian history of tolerance and peace. The novelist's style is so tender and his words flow soft like clouds. (It would be great if he would consider writing a romance). I must acknowledge Barbara Romaine for her translation of this book, it is simply flawless. This is a fascinating novel by a fine and very distinguished writer.

Bahaa' Taher's short novel, following the earlier "Duha Said," and centering around the Copts of present-day Egypt, provides an engaging glance into the relations of Muslim-Christian while offering an interesting plot and narrative technique; As with the works of Naguib Mahfouz, it is not so much history as much as a well-wrought tale. While one wishes the author would write an historic novel based upon the relations of the monophysites and neighboring sects through the ages, Taher achieves something perhaps greater; creating his own byzantine while never imposing an entirely personalized view -or judgment- upon his very believable characters. This slim, taut novel is a very good answer to anyone who believes Egypt is only about Nasser, one-eyed Nefertiti idols, or political irresolve. Strongly recommend

William Quandt has produced a brief look at the Algerian crisis that will give the reader with a time deficit a chance bone up quickly and accurately.

Between Ballots & Bullets by William Quandt is an excellent and exhaustive study of Algeria's transition from authoritarianism. The book is split into two parts: political history and political analysis. In Part I, the reader gets an excellent political history of the country, beginning with the struggle for independence from France all the way to aftermath of the 1997 elections (the book was published in 1998). In Part II, Quandt offers contending "perspectives" for analyzing Algeria's plight. He details cultural, socioeconomic and political explanations for the situation, while taking care never to dismiss the power of human agency and contextualized choice. In this book review, I will briefly summarize the book, review Quandt's style, and propose future implications for Algeria based on the knowledge I have gained.
It almost seems repetitive to give a summary of this book, because Quandt is extremely concise. He begins with a political account of the Algerian struggle for independence. He observes,

...the revolution that was launched November 1, 1954 was not only against the French, but also against the existing political institutions that Algerians had forged over the previous generation. In its origins, the Algerian revolution was antipolitics and antiparty. (18)

This observation is important because it helps the reader understand the importance of nationalism in the revolution. The Algerians did not fight with a detailed governance plan in their back pocket. Rather, they fought for a chance to establish themselves as independent people.
After discussing the Revolution and its rhetorical emphasis on unity, Quandt moves into the Boumedience Era. He notes that Algeria's first president, Ben Bella, lacked an institutional base of support and spent much of his time in office manipulating factions against each other. Ben Bella quietly faded into the background and Boumediene arose as the stable and rather "faceless" leader. He downgraded the FLN (the party credited with winning independence) in importance and suppressed any emerging opposition to his regime. Indeed, after 1968, there was very little internal opposition. During the 1970s, his regime had an Islamic cultural orientation but functioned in a secular socialist manner. There was definitely not much emphasis on a transition to democracy, but "Boumedience, at least, had brought stability to a country that had known far too much political violence" (29).
In the next chapter, Quandt explains that there was inevitable pressure to change, and Boumediene, as an authoritarian ruler, was unable to enact it. Chadli Benjedid became president in 1979, and long-suppressed demands for change came with the Berber spring of 1980. This initial movement for the rights of Berber-speaking people gave rise to other political movements, the most significant being the Algerian Islamic Movement. Beginning in 1982, the Islamic Movement took up arms and gained momentum, though for the most part the stability of the existing order kept protestors at bay. This all changed in 1988, when "the bottom fell out of the oil market." The rentier state was in trouble.
Quandt writes, "the mass protests of October 1988 proved to be one of those turning points that define a country's political trajectory for years to come. It was a nationwide youth revolt, but Islamic activists soon took charge. The military was called in and violence ensued. Hundreds of young Algerians were killed in the first use of the Algerian military against its own people.
As disturbing as this scene was, Quandt notes that it could have been a dramatic turn toward political expression and eventually democracy. Indeed, in 1989 reform-minded allies of Chadli drafted a new constitution. At least on paper, it created three distinct branches of government and guaranteed individual liberties--including what was to soon become a very significant free press. The army was supposed to now be above politics, and a significant new political party, the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) challenged the government on a plethora of issues. Many young unemployed and disillusioned men joined this group. Through political mediums such as strikes and the 1991 elections (in which the FIS received about twice the number of votes as the FLN in the first round), the FIS established itself as the new power in Algeria. In June of 1991, however, the army stepped in yet again (it had stepped in during the strike and arrested FIS leaders) and showed itself to be right in the middle of politics-certainly not above it.
In 1991 the army cancelled the constitutionally mandated second round of elections and forcefully removed both Chadli and the FIS from power. Quandt explains the army's motives well:

Many in the military had fought for Algeria's independence and genuinely felt that they had a legitimate role to play in the political life of the country. The FIS was a threat to all that they had fought for and, like the Turkish military, they would not stand by and watch the principles of the state be trampled. (60-61).

Thus, the military took over the state and political violence and terrorism was the norm for most of the nineties. Within months, the FIS was declared illegal. The leader appointed by the military, Boudiaf, was assassinated, and thousands of ordinary Algerians lost their lives in the chaos. Quandt writes, "The inability-or unwillingess-of the state to provide basic security was shocking" (75). Many Algerians emigrated to other nations.
Thus, the political history of Algeria is a complex and sometimes sad one. Quandt's book covers it so well because he understands that there is hope for the country. It has experimented with liberalization and might just be able to make it work. After all, nobody really expected Algeria to rebel against France in the first place, much less win a war of independence. Quandt's book is good because it presents this history in a very detailed fashion (Part I), and then it presents various perspectives to clarify the events and give insight to the future (Part II). An alternate format, like an interwoven mixture of history and analysis, might be very confusing to the average reader.

Ballots and Bullets is only one of several books I have read dealing with Algerian Politics recently, and it amazed me how Quandt was able to grasp the fundamental themes of the transition Algeria has made in the past years. Quandt has a perspective on the subject that had never entered my mind before, and he explains it in the most comprehensive manner possible.

The author obviously has spent considerable time riding the Trace and in surrounding areas. As a result, the book serves as a useful complement to the literature available from the National Park Service on the Natchez Trace. However, the most important document that a Trace traveler needs is a Natchez Trace Parkway Map and Guide from the Park Service.

The author briefly describes the historical significance of many of the landmarks along the Trace. Of great interest to bicylists is the lay of the land (hills) which is well described. Most importantly, one can find the location of food and water and lodging just off of the Trace, that is, not managed by the Park service. The Trace itself has insufficient restroom and water stops for the bicyclist. A minor point is that the author does not indicate the hours of operation of the markets that he notes. The author notes the great amount of wildlife on the Trace; but keep a sharp eye for the snakes sunning themselves on the Trace in warm weather.

Most all of the practical advice in the book is related either to logistics or to various routes. Where and how to ship one's bike is useful. About 40 percent of the book is taken up with auxiliary routes that either start or cross the Trace and are not a part of traveling the Trace from end to end. Multi-day tours through Vicksburg and around the Tennessee River are two of those. Most of these may appeal to local residents.

Throughout the book the author mentions various rules and regulations of the Trace. Although there is a brief section, it would have been useful to see a section with a complete listing: for example, rules for speed limits, parking, picnicing, camping, hiking, etc.

What one will not find in this book is much in the way of practical and general information about bicycling or touring on a bike - what gearing to use, how to pack gear on a bike, how to ride with a fully loaded bike, what is the best way to deal with bicycle problems while on the Trace, etc. One point of interest is that the author provides an 1-800 number that can be called in the case of problems; interestingly the park service does a poor job of signage concerning this number.

The bottom line is that the book would help anyone comtemplating a tour of the Trace to get a better feel for what he or she can expect on the Trace.

Well written, accurate usable advice for bikers. The historic facts as well as geography ( mileage to stores, attractions, facilities) were right on the money. I used the book to do the northern 125 miles of the trace. I am preparing for a southbound ride next and will use this book.
john

Each year I plan one very special and hopefully very memorable ride. Still having to work for a living, and a family to spend time with, the ride I plan must fit all the schedules as well as my expectations. I first became interested in The Natchez Trace from reading some of the southern history. I was hooked! Couldn't find enough literature, maps, or books to satisfy my needs. One of the books I purchased was Glen Wanners' 'Bicycling The Natchez Trace'.. I planned for this ride for the better part of eight months using Glens' book as a guide. As this was my first solo self contained ride I wanted to do it right.When it came down to departure date I started to organize all my gear,I had a stack of maps and literature that weighed in at about 15 lbs!I quickly narrowed this down to one map supplied free from The National Parks Service and Bicycling The Natchez Trace by Glen Wanner. This book was my riding Bible,and was referred to several times each day. My ride covered 670 miles in ten days (the first two weeks in October) from Nashville to Natchez with side trips along the way. My trip was a success!Thanks to Glens' book and all the great people along the way. I would like to see Glen update this book as required so others may enjoy it as I have for years to come.