This is an enchanting book, so well written and beautifully illustrated and it includes a CD narrated by the author and his niece and nephew. It has a very positive message of the value of perseverace in the face of obstacles. I love this book and have given it to every child I know!!!

Our three-year-old son received this as a gift from Grandma and has been requesting it for reading sessions or listening to the CD version several times a day for the last week and a half. And amazingly, I am NOT sick of it yet.

Very enjoyable encouraging story but not at all preachy. The CD story is one of the best quality pre-read stories I have heard. It has music, sound effects, and several different and very expressive voices participating. At the same time it is not over-the-top detracting from the story itself.

My only critique is that on the CD the page turn signals are very subtle. But my son quickly memorized the book anyway and learned exactly when to turn the pages. Also, unlike some the books-on-tape there is no audio version without page turn signals. Both very minor issues.

This is a great value for both a beautifully illustrated hardcover book and an audio CD. A great gift!

Charming and delightful, Leo encourages self-confidence and perseverance while entertaining its audience. Children that don't usually enjoy books can play the CD, follow the pictures, and hear the story--good for those beginning to read and visually impaired. (Parents will enjoy it too.)

I was given this book when i was very young, and learned how to read from this book. i still have it; it is worn from years of reading it. And to this day when i want to feel like a kid again, i pick it up and read. it will always be a favorite, and I plan on reading it to my children when i am older.

My father wrote this book when I was very young and it is just gratifing to know that other people enjoyed it as much as I did growing up. A friend of mine saw a copy in my house and then told me that it was her favortie book as a child. Its nice to know that people love this book. We appreaciate your comments very much. Thank you, Celia Gorman.

I'm 16 years old now but when I was little my father read "Maia" to me every single day. It is one of my all time favourite books. It's perfect for any kid who loves dinosaurs, just like I did. The pictures are great and the story is wonderful. I still have my copy and keep it in my room so it's always nearby for whenever I want to read it again.

Great as the film is, Herlihy's book is even greater. Joe Buck, the naive Cowboy with dreams of making it big selling himself to the women of New York City, comes off better via the written word.
What the book drives home so well is Joe Buck's thorough feeling of loneliness, and filling that void in the most unlikely place, and in the company of the most unlikely character. The "country boy goes to the cold, sprawling metropolis" theme has been done over, and often with a one-dimensional viewpoint. Herlihy illustrates Joe Buck as a young man who is plagued by shallow and aloof folk from his hometown in New Mexico to the City of Houston to New York City. Ironically, it is New York City where he encounters the one person he truly can be himself around; the explanation for Joe's comradery with Ratso Rizzo is more effective on page than on screen.

This is definitely a heavy read, but James Herlihy was an excellent storyteller. His writing paints such a colorful and tangible setting, you almost wish you were hanging with Joe through his misery just to catch the scenery and backdrops! Herlihy's writing reminds me of the films by director Kar-wai Wong; no matter how dismal the situation, it is portrayed so wonderfully that you wish you could hang around the scene.

This is one underrated gem.

I couldn't put it down, simply breathtaking!

Writing that cuts to the bone of lonliness. If only Joe Buck had been born a hundred years ago he could have taken his beauty out west and lived among a gang of horse-rustlers and been considered a romantic. I never saw the movie and hopefully never will.

Having read McCarthy's Gospel According to Rome, I expected more strawmen and one sided debates. Fr. Waiss did a very good job defending the Catholic faith, and Jim McCarthy also did a nice job and was charitable. I still dont like his assumptions of Catholics not being Christian, but that is his perogative. A very useful book.

= Good example of charity displayed
Reviewer: A reader from Sacramento, CA
I started to read this book and found it sometimes difficult to continue because it seemed that Mr. McCarthy didn't always listen to the points made by Father John Waiss. Perhaps this was due to publishing restraints. Other than that, I believe the book is a great example of both parties remaining charitable in the expression of their positions and that this book would be a good study for people of both practices - so that all may be one!

As a formal Roman Catholic who has been Methodist for twelve years, I have refuted many misconceptions from evangelicals over the Roman Catholic Church. This book it fair and balanced because both authors are experts in their branch of the Christian faith, and they are given a chance to express their views on such issues as God's word, Ruling Authority, Salvation, Worship, and praying to Mary, Angels, and Saints. Both men get heated at times but always expressed brothery love during their exchanges. I thought that this book was fair to both branches of the Christial tree. My only complaint is that both men did not have time to answer all the questions between members of the two faiths.

I had been a long time away from reading fantasy when I picked this one. It brought me back into fantasy stuff. The books strong points are it's agile storytelling and it's bizarre concepts. The author isn't excessively wordy, doesn't describe the settings and actions neither more nor less than he should. Concise writing. Good. He is also a little on the twisted side, as far as his villains are concerned. The evil on them is not comic book evil, or James Bond films evil - which are "light" villains. Silke's bad guys are "heavy"; really insane and mean. They don't need to boast to be cruel. There's a lot of sexuality in the book, which, added to the violence, would make me label it dark fantasy. And good one at that. For fans of the genre (who aren't disturbed by strong violence), I recommend it.

Great sequel, just like the others. He, in the mask of destruction, her, qwelling the beast within him. His axe, drinking the deformed enemies. Great, fun, Conan like adventure.

This book is one of the best books I've ever read. The whole series is just killer. If you like in your face and no-holds barred fantasy this is the series for you. I own the series once and lost it. I'm dying to get it again. the books have everything you could ask for in a series. Action, magic, suspense, and the good guys aren't always the nicest people nor do they always survive. For any SciFi/Fantasy buff this is the series to get. Have a nice day!!!!!!!!

A surprising success. Though the appeal may be quite narrow, this book does a surprisingly good job at what it attempts to do. For anyone who has enjoyed a ride on the Underground, or who has marveled and the (mostly) clean, efficient, and occasionally spectacular Underground stations, Mind the Gap provides a new, fun, and provocative perspective. James takes his camera to all (literally all) those stations that those of us who spend our time in "Zone 1" see at the fringes of the Underground map but never visit. There he captures simple, carefully composed almost documentary images that give us unique view of the history, health, and scope of the Underground system. Though the photographs are individually nothing special (I really could have taken most of them myself, and done better in many cases) the collective effect is balanced and enjoyable.

Certainly a worthy addition any collection of Underground books, and a nice alternative for one that already includes the other fine books of photographs of the Underground and its stations.

Such a charming, descriptive book with off-beat, revelatory photos, that I bought copies for a grandson who lives in London and uses the tube, and for several American friends who used it this summer. History and lots of entertaining comment. I've used the subway in Washington, Berlin, and Moscow but never in London. Now I can hardly wait to wide to the end of the various lines James tells about so winningly. Great gift for anyone visiting London or anyone who lives there.

The cover of the book draws the eye immediately because of it's unique (to me) design, and the title attracted me because it repeats the phrase heard over the loud-speaker in the "tube" as the doors begin to close. The photographs are excellent because they give a hint of mystery, solitude, history and loneliness -- all at the same time. The text just adds to the information in the photographs and shows James' thoroughness in presenting his subject to the readers.

Alot of detailed information well put together and very readable.

This slim volume recounts the history of USS Monitor which, in its famous engagement with the CSS Virginia (Merrimac) on March 9, 1862, rendered all wooden warships obsolete and initiated a naval arms race among world's navies that climaxed 80 years later in the Pacific battles of World War II.

Monitor's creator was a Swedish engineering prodigy named John Ericsson who had supervised 400 men as a canal engineer by age 16. For an 1829 railroad design competition built a steam locomotive that established a land speed record by covering a measured mile in 57 seconds (63 mph). But the contest sponsors changed the rules to defeat foreigner Ericsson and his attempts to provide innovate designs to the Royal Navy were also rejected. In frustration Ericsson emigrated to the United States and in 1837 invented the first practical screw propeller to drive steamships through the water.

In 1861 Union intelligence indicated the Confederates were rebuilding the scuttled former Union warship USS Merrimac as a heavily armed ironclad. If that ship (rechristened CSS Virginia but generally called simply "Merrimac"), broke the blockade of Hampton Roads then US coastal cities, including Washington, DC, would be vulnerable to attack. The Union needed an ironclad quickly, and Ericsson already had a plan!

Monitor's keel was laid in Brooklyn, NY on October 25, 1861, and Ericsson and his numerous subcontractors worked 108 days and nights until on February 9, 1862 USS Monitor was turned over to the Navy. Exactly one month later Monitor faced Merrimac at Hampton Roads. Objectively the battle was a tactical draw, but strategic victory went to the Union. The Union blockade was preserved, the Confederates remained bottled up and Britain and France, who were leaning toward supporting the South, decided to remain officially neutral.

This book tells the story of the design, construction, combat history, demise and legacy of USS Monitor in a well-written narrative format. It provides enough details for general readers interested in naval, engineering and civil war history. It may be too general for the serious buff, but I recommend it as an amazing tale to everyone else who wants to know more about this important historical event.

There are some small reproductions of period etchings and photos and a good map of the Hampton Roads battle area. The only thing missing are good schematics of Monitor's interior design.

....Like the Monitor itself, this book is short and concise and yet it packs quite a wallop. In a little more than two hundred well-written pages, Mr. DeKay manages to cram a lot. The book is all about the first ironclad warship of the U.S. Navy and its duel in Chesapeake Bay with the Confederate vessel Merrimac. The book starts with a biography of the ship's cantankerous Swedish inventor John Ericsson and his efforts to get the government bureaucracies of two continents to show interest in his his prophetic ideas for naval warfare (propeller engines, armor plating, torpedoes, revolving gun turrets). The book then talks about the labyrinthine maneuvers of Ericsson and his financial backers through the government contract process to get the ship built. Finally, the author describes in blow-by-blow detail the epic battle between the "cheesebox on a raft" Monitor and the vastly larger and better-armed Merrimac. Every page crackles with factual gems (e.g. The Civil War really was "brother against brother". The Merrimac's commander rammed and sank a Union ship while his brother was on board). Landlubbers and civilians need not be discouraged from reading this book. Engineering and naval concepts are presented in jargon-free language. The book can be finished in two or three days of casual reading. Great for the bathroom-er, uh, excuse me, head.

My opinion of Jonas probably would not persuade anyone to read his works. But as I'm not aloud to review my own publications I certainly don't think James W. Drury should be allowed to give his opinion on this book since his name is credited as helping put the book into the media. Just as my opinion would not be any different than Henry Ford writting an opinion on a ford product.

In spite of the fact that my name's already listed above, from the forward I wrote for Legend of the Tumbleweed, I just had to get in here and put another note.

To those of you who might remember me, I used to play the Virginian on TV. So I've had lots of experience with different western stories. This is one of the best I've ever read. It's written all in first person, but by several different people. I had never seen that done in a western novel before, but it was extremely effective.

I would recommend this book to anyone. It is clean, with no sex, very little cussing, and no graphic violence. But it reads very realistically, all the same, without the offensive material. I can't say enough good about it. They didn't put my entire forward on this site, but if you get a chance to read the book you'll see everything I really think about Kirby Jonas and his books. I don't think he could write a bad book.

READ THIS BOOK. YOU'LL THOUROUGHLY ENJOY IT!

Make sure to read my other reviews on Kirby Jonas's books. They are all great. The fact that James Drury, one of my heroes from old time western television, recommended them sold me all the way. Kirby Jonas is better even than Louis L'Amour. He's the best western writer and maybe the best writer period that I've ever read. Don't miss this book.

James Johnston gave a vivid, poignant and heroic account of his life with the Marines fighting in the Pacific during World War II. It was fascinating to read how it life was for the Marines in the Pacific as like he said, the media tended to focus on the European theater and thought of the Pacific theater as "easy."

Using letters that he wrote home, Johnston managed to add a personal touch to his account. It was interesting to get a glimpse on how he felt emotionally, the friendship that was formed between the soldiers and how a lot of times, soldiers are fighting as hard as they did, for their friends because they did not want to let their them down. When Johnston was the section leader, he was able to show the burden of responsibilities as you were not just in charge of your life but of others too.
Lastly, how he was disappointed with the Marines. He found flaws with the system but at the same time, it was very much part of him.

"The Long Road of War" is a wonderfully-written, highly-emotional story of Marine Corps combat from the "flat-trajectory" soldier's perspective. Johnston shares his own personal horrific views of World War II Pacfic combat. With stirring text, he shows the sudden transformation from Nebraska teenager to Green recruit to hardened veteran. This book is an excellent addition to any historian's bookshelf, once they can find the time to put it down.

This was a book that I could absolutely not put down. Mr. Johnston's description of his transition from a Midwest teenager into a battle hardened, front line Marine is told with a grim honesty that is seldom found in books about war. This book does away with any glorification or self-promotion and gives you the tragic, ugly truth about the war in the South Pacific.

I was not previously familiar with the author, but loved his style. The book reminded me of the movie "Forrest Gump". An incredible life story based on a man chasing his first crush, but continually getting caught up in incredible adventures along the way. A good lesson on history, geography, and different cultures. I wish Woodrow hadn't died before we got to hear the end of his adventures! Two thumbs up.

Traveling through the lintriguing life of Woodrow, I couldn't put this one down until I learned about his world. Excellent change of pace from the one-story thriller, this book has it all!

Very enjoyable book. Well written. Found it fun to follow Woodrow Lowe throughout his life. Great summer time reading. Dry wit, lots of chuckles!