Retired Brig. Gen. S. L. A. Marshall had an illustrious career. He served as an enlisted man in World War I, acted as an official historian in the Pacific and European Theaters of Operations in World War II, took up his pen again as an Army Historian in Korea, and served as an advisor and observer in Vietnam. He may be the only man to be shot at in all four of those conflicts. For more about Marshall see his memoir, "Bringing Up the Rear: A Memoir."

"Island Victory" is the first battle history that SLAM wrote. Marshall was with the 7th Infantry Division as it drove across Kwajalein Atoll. He was supposed to figure out how to produce accurate and comprehensive account of the fight. Marshall also had to figure out a means of cutting through the "fog of war" that shrouds virtually every battle. After the completion of the operation Marshall came upon a simple solution -- bring the front line soldiers together after a fight, the sooner the better, and interview them as a group. By this means he could cut through the fog of war because the collective memory of a platoon is far greater than that of a single soldier. After interviewing the men, Marshall had a clear picture of what happened and why. With the notes that came from the interviews Marshall composed "Island Victory"

Through "Island Victory" we can almost experience the fear, anger, trepidation, and all the other emotions that men in combat experience. Because he uses the men's own words, mostly paraphrasing, the reader can gain a greater understanding of what they went through and why they did what they did. Marshall shows how and why bad mistakes are made in the hopes that people can learn from other men's errors. Conversely, he describes the processes that lead to successes for the same purpose.

Until Marshall realized how powerful and effective the interviewing process was, the Army had no set policy on how to gather the extensive historical information needed to process and make sense of battles. The Army adopted Marshall's program for its historical operations in all theaters of WW II. One cannot downplay the importance of Marshall's work in the reporting of war. Because of him we now have a much greater understanding of war and its effects on the people called upon to fight.

Island Victory: The Battle Of Kwajalein Atoll by Brigadier General S.L.A. Marshall (1900-1977) is a rare primary historical source, written by at-the-time Lieutenant Colonel S. L. A. Marshall at the time of the deadly Pacific fight in World War II. Marshall was a veteran of WW I who would later serve in Korea and Vietnam and become a brigadier general. When the Seventh Infantry Division battled the Japanese across Kwajalein Atoll in February 1944, Marshall was given the official task of creating a written record of the battle. In order to be as accurate as possible, he brought front-line soldiers to a group interview and taped their conversations in order to get as clear an idea as possible. Written accounts of war simply do not get any closer to the actions and feelings of those were there. Island Victory is a highly recommended, "must-read" book for those who study eye-witness WW II accounts, and a core title contribution to World War II studies academic reference collections.

This book is thoroughly researched, and intelligent. It is simultaneously an account of the history of Hawai'i's integration into the world economy, a reminder of the complexity of social change in colonial contexts, and a rekindling of the beauty of structuralism

This book must be the bargain of the year for any small business to use as a template for succesful auditing to the international standard.
In addition the sample documents are meticulously presented and are easy to follow. Consequently it enables both the layman and the experet to develop a comprehensive audit plan, checklists and audit reports.
The contents enable current ISO 9001:1994 sytem users to easily transfer to the new standard.
As a professional trainer I have fould the book to be an invaluable aid to support training programmes.
Any company purchasing the book will save thousands in consultancy fees...

As a child, I remember reading Harry Allard and James Marshall's "It's So Nice to Have a Wolf Around the House," and feeling a deep sympathy for the main character, Cuthbert Q. Divine. All children can learn from this lovely children's tale that teaches the danger of quick assumptions. Although Cuthbert is a fugitive from the law, it is obvious that this is not the life he wants. Despite all of the stereotypes about wolves, Cuthbert truly loves the Old Man and his pets with no ulterior motive involved--"all he wanted to do was make the old man and his three pets happy." In fact, the Old man and his pets seem happier than ever when Cuthbert is around, as he takes care of all the chores while, at the same time, making the house a funloving place to live in. Cuthbert makes fancy desserts and organizes costume parties. When the Old Man discovers that Cuthbert is actually a wolf disguised as a the German Shepard he hired as his "charming companion", he feels betrayed and frightened. However, upon this confrontation, it is Cuthbert who is "pale and shaking." In fact, when faced with his sordid past, Cuthbert faints. In a sorrow-evoking mini-monologue, Cuthbert reveals that he's always wanted to be good but no one expected him to be, as he was a wolf. This is representative of many children today who feel as if they have a "label." In many schools, there is a "bully" who it seems never does anything kind or good. In so many fairy tales, wolves are depicted as a wholly evil and manipulative species. So, by Cuthbert breaking free of the stereotype his race of creatures elicits, a moral shines through for our children: Always be who you want to be, not who people think you are.

I picked up this book at a used library book sale and have just been thrilled with it. The choice of rhymes includes both the old favorites and some unfamiliar ones. The illustrations are hysterical and add such a flavor to the lines. We started reading this to our 1 year old daughter when she was a newborn and now just quoting the rhymes is enough to calm her in the midst of any distress. My husband and I are constantly finding different nuances in the illustrations that make it a pleasure for us to read to our daughter again and again and again. Finally, I applaud Mr. Marshall's choice of the upbeat, nonviolent nursery rhymes which lend themselves to years of retelling without having to explain some of the darkness of other Mother Goose rhymes. Bravo!

I haven't actually got around to buying this book for myself but I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy from a Basquiat-mad friend. It is an amazing book. The presentation and content make it a must, albeit an expensive must, for any serious Basquiat devotee! It contains a lot of images that I haven't seen before in books or galleries. I have a couple of other Basquiat Monographs but this is definitely better than the rest. Needless to say it is on my wish list....

This is one terrific book! Kay Strom has packed in so much information and excitement, it's hard to believe it's a book primarily written for kids and teens. She combines dialogue, action, and narrative into a fast-paced story that readers of all ages can enjoy. She also uses comtemporary American English to avoid bogging down in archaic terms and expressions. Now, all I knew of John Newton before reading her book was that he composed "Amazing Grace." I had no idea he'd been a slave ship captain in his early "lost" years, nor that the harshness and deprivation of his early life was crucial to his coming to belief in later life. Reading of the desperate straits he endured, and the miserable deeds he sometimes committed because of them, gives a whole new meaning to the lines from the hymn which go, "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see." This epitomizes the entire story, but an interested reader would still want to glean every detail Ms. Strom has so thrillingly and believably captured in just 125 pages. This is a story the entire family can enjoy.

This is a perfect book for children! The characters are very funny and lovely. Also, this wonderful book talk about the best feelings and the value of friendship. ¡A mis nietos les encantó!

It's Midsummer Eve, and Juliet can't wait to participate in all the festivities. But then, a valuable hunting bird becomes sick, and Juliet must travel to get medicine for it. To make matters worse, the medicine is made of powder from mummies! Juliet is horrified. Midsummer Eve, when all the witches, ghosts, and goblins are out, is no time to be carrying around a pouch of mummy powder! Will Juliet get back in time for the celebration, or will she miss out on all the fun? Read to find out.