The Confederacy's Fighting Chaplain, Father John B. Bannon by Phillip Thomas Tucker, is an excellent biography and Civil War History. The book gives the background of Father Bannon, beginning with his education in Ireland and his service in St. Louis. The conflicts which were tearing St. Louis, as well as the nation, apart are well reflected in the life of Bannon as he was making his decision as to how to respond to the gathering storm. Not limiting his narrative to a mere recitation of facts, Tucker acquaints the reader with the factors working on, and the thoughts going on within Bannon's mind which led him to his conclusion that the Confederacy represented the cause of freedom and Christian civilization in America. The chapters covering Bannon's service as chaplain for the First Missouri Confederate Brigade skillfully blend the details of the chaplain's life with the greater history of the War in general. The final section of the book relates Bannon's unique service as a diplomatic agent on behalf of the Confederacy and his role as personal emissary from President Davis to Pope Pius IX. Davis had asked Bannon to undertake a mission to Ireland to attempt to dissuade Irish from enlisting in the Union Army. It was Bannon's initiative to undertake the overture which almost resulted in recognition of the Confederacy by the Vatican. The unique intertwining of Bannon's roles as chaplain and diplomat within the larger story in which he played a part, make this a very worthwhile addition to the Civil War literature

The Confederacy's Fighting Chaplain, Father John B. Bannon by Phillip Thomas Tucker, is an excellent biography and Civil War History. The book gives the background of Father Bannon, beginning with his education in Ireland and his service in St. Louis. The conflicts which were tearing St. Louis, as well as the nation, apart are well reflected in the life of Bannon as he was making his decision as to how to respond to the gathering storm. Not limiting his narrative to a mere recitation of facts, Tucker acquaints the reader with the factors working on, and the thoughts going on within Bannon's mind which led him to his conclusion that the Confederacy represented the cause of freedom and Christian civilization in America. The chapters covering Bannon's service as chaplain for the First Missouri Confederate Brigade skillfully blend the details of the chaplain's life with the greater history of the War in general. The final section of the book relates Bannon's unique service as a diplomatic agent on behalf of the Confederacy and his role as personal emissary from President Davis to Pope Pius IX. Davis had asked Bannon to undertake a mission to Ireland to attempt to dissuade Irish from enlisting in the Union Army. It was Bannon's initiative to undertake the overture which almost resulted in recognition of the Confederacy by the Vatican. The unique intertwining of Bannon's roles as chaplain and diplomat within the larger story in which he played a part, make this a very worthwhile addition to the Civil War literature.

THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!

To all who contributed to this fine book, my undying gratitude!

When first diagnosed with COPD, all I wanted to do was research, research, research! The more I read, the more frustrated I became - that is until I located Courage and Information. This book is so down-to-earth! And it is filled with prospectives of not only a physician (with no medical "jargon"), a psychiatrist (without all the normal "stuff") and...can you believe it?...A PATIENT. How unusual to find a book written, at least in part, from the patient's prospective. What a great idea! Like I said earlier, just good, practical, common-sense information.

Even my pulmonologist agrees that it is the best resource material he has seen! And as far as I'm concerned, that's the best recommendation of all!

It really WILL help me to live a better, more fulfilling life. It will help you too. But you've got to read it first. You'll be glad you did.

I KNOW I AM.

If you or someone you love has been given the diagnosis of COPD, you may be asking, What now? Is there anything that can be done? Is there hope? The answer is, Yes! Life can be good with COPD and this book is a most valuable resource for the COPD patient, caregiver, and health care professional.

As a respiratory therapist working in Pulmonary Rehab I see that patients who learn about their disease and how to cope with the changes it brings live healthier, happier lives. They know that education, exercise, and support as well as a positive attitude are so important.

Courage and Information for Life with COPD is not only your map to learning, among other things, about finding a great specialist, taking breathing medications, using supplemental oxygen if needed, and finding help and support in your community. It is the story of a lady who has experienced the devastation of the diagnosis and not only lives, but thrives with COPD! Jo-Von Tucker's search for knowledge has helped her to move from the role of patient / victim to that of person / survivor. You must know that you do not have to face COPD alone! When reading Courage and Information you will surely say, That's me. Jo-Von's been through some of the same things that I'm going through.

There are so many things you can do to help yourself. Changed as it may be, you can live a rich and full life, even with COPD. Courage and Information willl help you find the way.

Kathy Tucker and Nick Sharratt have gotten together and authored a marvelous and creative picture book that tells you everything you ever wanted to know about knights, and more. Each chapter, written in joyful rhythmic verse and complemented with bright, busy, detailed artwork tells the reader a little more about the life of a knight. Find out how you get to be a knight in the first place, what he does for a living (fights bad princes and fiery dragons), what he wears, how he accessorizes and where he lives. Then, look into what bad princes and fiery dragons do that's so awful and how a knight fights and beats them. And finally discover the really important information, every would-be knight needs to know: Do knights get to eat candy, watch T.V. and take naps? Do Knights Take Naps? is a charming, witty and humorous book that's perfect for emerging readers and also makes a wonderful read aloud story the entire family will enjoy.

My two year old son loves this book. It has well-drawn, colorful illustrations and rhyming text. The rhymes are musical enough that we've been reading it as a bedtime story for about two weeks, and though it's a little complex for a two year old, my son can "read" most of it to me. While it doesn't contain the blood and gore you'd usually associate with knights, it does have jousts, dragons, swords and flails - all presented in a non-frightening way - so it's perfect for bedtime adventure.

Buy this book and enjoy reading it out loud to your little ones.

I'm from Charleston and I've been hearing about this book for months now. I finally bought it. Unfortunately, I had to call in sick to work because I just could not put it down until it was finished. Sequel? Hurry up Terry Tucker and get busy.

Review by Earl Wilcox : What if I tell you I have just read a novel that has a Charleston setting, described as flawlessly and poetically as Conroy writes, would you want to read it? What about a novel with plenty of intrigue, suspense, and characterizations that make you just want to get in the car and head for Charleston again? Maybe enough intrigue to rival Savannah's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil? On these two counts and others Terry Ward Tucker is right in the picture with Conroy, Humphries, and Berendt. Tucker's prose is at its best in two ways: her flawess descriptive passages and her compelling dialogue. In fact, Elegant Sinners is rich but not excessive in portraying Charleston itself as a character. While the hypnotic and sensual atmosphere of Charleston makes one want to linger, it is the suspense-driven plot which urges the reader on. Though this is Tucker's first novel, she has a voice and forceful quality that verify this as a work from an accomplished and serious writer.

This author is as talented at writing books as he is at acting. I do hope that another book is on the way! He is also extremely cute

he is a talented author as well as actor. I thoroughly enjoy all of his work and I think he is very adorable

As reading specialist at elementary schools, I search out books which will entice young children to become lifelong book lovers. A read-aloud book, Ben Brooks' Lemonade Parade is one read-aloud which fits the bill. A familiar situation (a not-so-busy lemonade stand), just enough repetition to give the text rhythm, a light-hearted mystery (Just why do all those customers wear the same familiar red sneakers?), and delightful drawings by Bill Slavin have captured the hearts of lots of first and second graders in my corner of the world

A basic plot with three kids selling lemonade on a hot day. Dad spots the kids at work and decides to help out. One of the clever kids is Wynona, a sly character with mother wit. The many disguises Dad wears appeal to the kid in adults and recreate the emotions most of us have felt on the hot summer day someone decided to run a lemonade stand. The emphasis on Dad's involvement is a bonus. One Dad I know actually played out the book when his own kids were flogging their liquid cooler. Slavin's illustrations are marvelous. Brooks has gone on to do sketch comedy (Joe's Convenience) in a big way. He wrote this when he was 19 and had stopped out of college

Indeed, this is a good book. But to get even more out of it, read The Illuminati Manifesto.

This book is an excellent guide for the newly-made Master Mason and the Mason who's sat on the sidelines for years watching raising after raising. It explains the symbols of the Craft and gives the meanings behind them in a clear manner. It gives plenty of food for thought, and should be read by all Master Masons that our Craft may be re-invigorated. Priced far below its worth, it is definitely worth the read. Symbols and meanings well put and applicable in your life _today_, regardless of religious belief or personal creed. Definitely Worthy.

Recently, I visited the Art Institute of Chicago to catch a two-room show by Robert Frank, which feautures classic images from his seminal work "The Americans," along with more recent fare from the 1970s through the 1990s. Also on the bill was the main showing -- a retrospective of prints by the recently deceased Louis Faurer, of whom I had only passing knowledge -- which was sponsored by Robert Frank's foundation named in honour of his daughter, Andrea. Fortunately for me, I bit the hook baited with the Frank photographs (which were beautiful to see in person for the first time) and finally got acquainted with Faurer's work.

Lou Faurer was a fashion photographer from the late 1940s through the early 1970s for such magazines as Harper's Bazaar and Vogue, but his passion was photographing Times Square in Manhattan at night. What immediately struck me about his photographs was how Faurer took the blaring and glaring crossroads in the city that never sleeps, and extracted from them utter solitude and psychic desolation. An aging woman shields herself with an umbrella from the blinding fury of incandescent lights flickering, despite the dry pavements; A family up from the farmland poses for a portrait which places their quiet dignity in the foreground against the marquees of movie theatres; a man stands along the kerb both awestruck and intimidated, in a shot which must have later been the genesis of Robert deNiro's defining role of Travis Bickle, the loner cabbie who pads up and down Broadway in total anonymity.

There is plenty of fare available to the keen eye of the viewer who wants something off the beaten path, that's yet set on one of the most beaten paths in the world's travelogues.

Faurer was the son of Russian Jewish immigrants and grew up in Philadelphia. It was here that he began his explorations as an amateur street photographer. During World War II, he took a photographic course from the Army, and was a civilian photographer for the War Department. After the Allied victory ended the war, Faurer began working in the fashion industry. It was around this time that his friendship with newly arrived Swiss-Jewish emigre Robert Frank began, as both worked as fashion photogs, while Faurer spent much of his time sweating away in Frank's darkroom. In the 1950s, their career paths diverged, with Frank following in the steps of Walker Evans as a straight documentarian, leaving Faurer to the fashion set. Yet, the two remained friends, despite Faurer's angry demeanour. One friend described friendship with Faurer as "high maintenance."

Faurer was exacting in capturing the exact tonal range and precise contrast needed to convey the feel of New York at night. Most of his early work is printed by himself, and while technically beautiful, it is refreshing to see that Faurer was not a perfectionist -- on many of his prints he left scratches, eyelash hairs and dust spots from negatives unretouched, whereas most other exhibiting photographers would have sweated bullets in spot-toning them out of existence. Strangely, it works, giving the viewer the "you are there" feeling of being present at the creation.

Also introduced for the first time are many of Faurer's Kodachrome reversal transparencies from the same time period (taken with his Leica rangefinder, very patiently handheld at night to render acceptably sharp images at 40 ASA). The resultant C-type prints made from internegatives are very faithful to Kodachrome's trademark warm tonality, and give us an alternative take on 1940s/50s Times Square.

Despite his photography being selected by Edward Steichen for the "Family of Man" compendium, Faurer remained on the fringes of the gallery scene, never fully embraced by the art photography movement until the 1970s. In his own lifetime, Faurer exhibited mostly in group exhibitions, but had only about five solo shows. This current retrospective is a long overdue gathering of most of Faurer's important works, which was first held at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, moved to San Diego, and is fittingly due at the Philadelphia Museum of Art in June 2003.

As for the printing of the book itself, it is first rate, and both the tones and the colours are extremely true to the originals. Tucker's introductory essay is an excellent biographical sketch of Faurer the man, and Lisa Hostetler categorises Faurer within the realm of "Film Noir" photographers of his time, though she doesn't give enough background on the New York tabloid crime photographers such as Weegee and Osmund Leviness who defined what would later become the genre.

Nonetheless, this book (and the exhibition from which it was drawn) finally establishes Faurer among the top tier of art photographers where he rightly belongs.

Famed photographer Louis Faurer, who died last year at the age of 84, is remembered for his inimitable fashion photos and arresting street scenes. With camera at the ready he traversed New York City streets, searching for the moments he wished to preserve.

The child of a blue-collar Philadelphia neighborhood, Faurer taught himself photography. As a young man he went to New York City, where he became friends with and influenced Robert Frank. For almost two decades he devoted himself to work for top fashion mags, such as Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. Hollywood beckoned, and he served for a time as set photographer.

Faurer's skill as a portrait artist is manifestly apparent in his study of Walter Winchell, and Andy Warhol star Viva. Nonetheless, the New York street scenes are his most lasting legacy.

An award-winning writer and lecturer, Anne Wilkes Tucker has assembled a memorable keepsake volume for those who appreciate the art of photography.

- Gail Cooke

I bought this book in anticipation of the day when our little girl will ask who is the "other" baby on our wall. Although the book is a little long and she will need to be 3 or 4 to understand it, I think it will be a great help to us when it time to explain about her lost brother.

The first time I read this book, I knew it was going to be a world of help in explaining our miscarriage to our son. The story is very gentle, very sweet, and involves not just the mother and older child, but her father and grandmother too. There are several analogies in the book that help explain the "why" of miscarriage to a young child. It is a sensitive, beautifully written story. The foreward for adults at the beginnig is also wonderful. I would recommend it for any family who encounters the need to explain a miscarriage to a child.

As a first year nursing student, writing nursing care plans is new to me. This book not only is an excellent aid to writing care plans, but also understanding the pathophysiology, lab values expected and s/s to carefully observe. It is a very "user friendly" publication with a wealth of information. I recommend this publication to anyone in the health care field, especially students.

This is an excellent book. I am a nursing student and I was looking for a book which would help me to develop an individualized care plan for my patients and this is it! and by the way, the pathophysiology is great!