Amazon.com
Dower's premise in War without Mercy is a startling one: Though Western allies were clearly headed for victory, pure racism fueled the continuation and intensification of hostilities in the Pacific theater during the final year of World War II, a period that saw as many casualties as in the first five years of the conflict combined. Dower doesn't reach this disturbing conclusion lightly. He combed through piles of propaganda films, news articles, military documents, cartoons--even entries in academic journals in researching this book. Though his case is strong, Dower minimizes other factors, such as the protracted negotiations between the West and the Japanese.
Book Description
Now in paperback, War Without Mercy has been hailed by the New York Times as "one of the most original and important books to be written about the war between Japan and the United States." In this monumental history, Professor John Dower reveals a hidden, explosive dimension of the Pacific War -- race -- while writing what John Toland has called "a landmark book...a powerful, moving, and even-handed history that is sorely needed in both America and Japan."
Drawing on American and Japanese songs, slogans, cartoons, propaganda films, secret reports, and a wealth of other documents of the time, Dower opens up a whole new way of looking at that bitter struggle of four and a half decades ago and its ramifications in our lives today. As Edwin O. Reischauer, former ambassador to Japan, has pointed out, this book offers "a lesson that the postwar generations need most...with eloquence, crushing detail, and power."
Customer Reviews:
A Look At Selves and Others.......2006-08-22
This is a thought-provoking treatise about the hate and racism found in all peoples of the world. It causes one to take stock of what is, and what was in a very violent and trying time. Both the Japanese and the Americans, among others, propagandized their populations to get them to hate "the enemy." This book looks at the techniques and substance used by both sides in the Pacific War of 1931 to 1945 and how it affected the attitudes of each toward the other.
I recommend this as a good read for anyone who is interested in the Pacific conflict and what was used to fan the antagonists into the fury that brough about, fought, and ended the bloody Pacific War.
A book to set you thinking about the present.......2006-08-03
War Without Mercy is not a comprehensive history of the Pacific War; if that's what you want, look elsewhere. Neither is it an "apologist's" account of the American conduct of the war, as some reviewers have suggested. If your mindset is "the Japanese deserved to suffer," don't read this book. If, however, you are interested in how racial stereotypes--views of the enemy as subhuman, primitive, childlike, animalistic, and so on--play a role in wartime, then read Dower's scholarly, engaging account of how the Americans thought about the Japanese and how the Japanese thought about the Americans. Dower never minimizes the atrocities perpetrated by the Japanese as they set about conquering other Asian countries and building their Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, but he provides a brand new perspective on why the Allies despised the Japanese as a people far more than they did the Germans. Not only will this book help you to understand how the dehumanization of the enemy makes possible the devastation of civilian populations, it will also make you think about the stereotypes of the enemy we encounter every day as the U.S. continues to fight wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Race and power in the Pacific War.......2006-07-21
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian John Dower begins "War Without Mercy" with an amusing account of his inspiration for the book: While working on a history of postwar Japan, Dower wrote a sentence noting how quickly and easily the virulent race hatred of the war years dissipated during the American occupation. Of course, he then had to include another sentence explaining the racial aspects of the war itself, which quickly became a paragraph, then a section, then a chapter, and finally this book, "War Without Mercy". The original history of postwar Japan, meanwhile, sat unfinished on a shelf.
The main criticism of "War Without Mercy" given by other reviewers is that it is too narrow to serve as a comprehensive history of the war -- in particular that it tries to explain the entire conflict only through race and does not devote enough attention to Japanese atrocities and war crimes. This criticism unfortunately misses the point of Dower's book: he is studying racism itself, but for some reason many of his critics seem to think he is trying to use it to explain all and sundry. "War Without Mercy" is not and makes no pretense of being a book about the Pacific War in general or even about atrocities and war crimes themselves. Instead it started as a mere tangent in a larger work and focuses on racial aspects of the war between Japan and the United States, especially the images each side used to describe the other and the war itself, along with some study of how they evolved after the fighting stopped.
As a history of race and power in the Pacific War, "War Without Mercy" is superb: well-organized, clearly written and offering interesting insights. It is divided into four sections, the first of which establishes the importance of the subject by showing how it contributed to the unique ferocity of the war in the Pacific: "Race hate fed atrocities, and atrocities in turn fanned the fires of race hate" (11). The second section studies American images of their Asian enemy, as apes, primitives, children, and 'little yellow savages', and of the war itself as a racial war between white and colored, while the third does the same for the Japanese side. Although the Japanese portrayed Europeans and Americans as decadent, impure, and downright demonic, they viewed their Asian neighbors in much the same contemptuous way as did Western imperialists. The final section explores the transition from war to peace, and the ways in which images and symbols were transformed: the apes became pets and the children became students, while on the other side the western demons shared their secret knowledge. At the same time, the negative images used during the war were transferred to the Soviet Union and (especially) Maoist China.
Meticulously documented, "War Without Mercy" reveals many fascinating aspects of the Pacific War commonly overlooked in more comprehensive studies. I was especially interested to read about contemporary concerns that American rhetoric of racial war would drive Chiang Kai-shek into an alliance with the Japanese (166-169), and that such language caused fully 18% of African-Americans to express "pro-Japanese inclinations" in a confidential poll conducted by black interviewers (174). "War Without Mercy" isn't a comprehensive history of the Pacific War, nor is it for everybody. It is, however, the best explanation I have seen of the merciless nature of the war itself and the psychology of the societies involved. If you have even the slightest interest in that subject, "War Without Mercy" will not disappoint.
The racism of imperialism, America's racist war in the Pacific.......2005-09-16
Dower's book unearth's a major missing or rather hidden peace of the history of the United States: how the Pacific War against Japan was prosecuted openly, publicly as a racist war with a totally different policy and deeper atrocities than was waged against Germany and its European allies. Of course, attempting to balance the study, Dower also points to how racist attitudes toward other Asian peoples were propogated to justifty Japanese imperialism's brutal exploitation of the areas it conquered. All of this emphasizes how racism is really a fundamental aspect of the modern imperialist order, not some aberration left from another time.
What is sensational here is the documenting not only of the racist explanation of the war by the United States and Britain, but his detailing of atrocities carried out against the Japanese by the US and its allies in the Pacific. Indeed, the general explanation of the Pacific war, not as a war for democracy, but as a war to maintain the supremacy of the "White race" was such a strong part of popular, political, and even academic discourse that experts on Asia like novelist Pearl Buck and Chinese/American author Lin Yuitang, believed the US was headed for a confrontation with all non-white peoples in Asia and Africa, not just Japan.
Worse, Dower documents the many atrocities carried out against Japanese civilians and prisoners during the war. While much is made of Japanese soldiers fighting to the death, Dower explains one reason for this is that US and British troops rarely took Japanese prisoners during most of the war. He notes not only where Japanese troops slaughtered without quarter, but a public--as in on the cover of Life magazine as what a soldier boy sends his girl friend home--trade in Japanese sculls and golden teeth from Japanese soldiers--sometimes taken out before the soldiers were dead--blossomed in the early years of the war. Dower quotes one US general who said he wished such atrocities were not carried out, as it stiffened resistance by Japanese soldiers and civilians.
Dower also points to the racist justification that the Japanese used to justify their exploitation of their Asian conquests. It is interesting how he shows their debt to European racist ideology. This seems to be the way nations justify the domination of weaker, less-developed nations, a requirement of the imperialist order, whatever the race of the dominant powers.
Dower's section on the United States provides a quick, but very useful, explanation of the development of racist attitudes in the West in general and the United States in particular. He notes what many forget, the key role that Thomas Jefferson played in launching the pseudo-science of racism, that Blacks and other inferior "races" were less human, lower species than the white Europeans.
This is quick summary of a very serious book that delves deeply into iconography and the structures of racism in imperialist society in general.
Beyond Subjectivity.......2005-08-17
John Dower wrote WAR WITHOUT MERCY: RACE AND POWER IN THE PACIFIC WAR over 20 years ago. During that time, World War II was already 40 years in the past, and the Reagan years welcomed the patriotic fervor of WWII. Retrospection and commemoration takes into account an event with its good and bad elements. It is usually the bad that is left unspoken. According to Dower, he wants to present the racial hate that existed during World War II. He presents two distinctions of racial hate, one involving US portrayal, and two, how the Japanese saw themselves. This is an important distinction in order to understand their purpose and their intentions.
WAR WITHOUT MERCY examines the intense strategy that was executed in order to bring the enemy down. In this case, World War II and the Japanese military. The strategy had been psychological warfare in the form of the propaganda war machine. This method had not been new. Dating back to World War I, the US government used the same tactic against the German army, portraying them as brutal, almost animal-like monsters pillaging the European landscape, and eating any human alive. Though, this is exaggeration, the political cartoons as well as war posters and postcards portrayed the enemy in this way. World War II was no different. Yes, the illustrations that John Dower studies and elaborately discusses were racially stereotypical and hateful during their inception. However, he strongly emphasizes that this context of the war has been neglected, and his job was to present the evidence, and to place them in the context of their time and place. If one looked at the larger context in terms of hierarchical and authoritarian thinking, there is the distinct of race and power that are inseparable (xi).
The overall debate surrounding Dower's study is that he possesses a somewhat subjective point of view resulting in bias of his subject matter. When it comes to preserving the status quo or the well-known narrative of history, it is controversial to re-create or revise history. With the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of V-J Day, bias and unequal exposure of the conflicts that occurred during the Pacific theater of the war are present. World War II involved two distinct conflicts that involved different geographical boundaries and two different oceans - the Pacific and the Atlantic. For some reason, it is only now that the horrors of the Pacific are now getting their due in order to present a more complete picture of a war that has been considered the "good war."
Dower's examination of race within a historical context is important in order to bring an understanding of why it existed. WAR WITHOUT MERCY will continue to be criticized for its bias. This is one reason why it should be recommended reading for anyone interested in the subject of race or US history.
Amazon.com
When David Breashears agreed to climb Mount Everest with an IMAX camera in order to film from the summit, he had no idea that his little expedition would become embroiled in a tragedy that would make headlines around the world. On May 10, 1996, two expeditions led by experienced Everest guides Rob Hall and Scott Fisher summited the mountain, only to suffer the loss of eight members--including the two leaders--on the way back down. At the time, Breashears and his filmmaking crew were at the base camp preparing for their own climb--originally planned for that same day but postponed after realizing there would already be several other groups on the summit. Instead of making a film, Breashears and company participated in the rescue and only later reached the summit of Everest to successfully complete their film.
Broughton Coburn, a long-time resident of Nepal and a friend of David Breashears, was commissioned to write a book about the filmmaking expedition, the tragedy on Everest, and the mountain itself. He has more than succeeded with Everest: Mountain Without Mercy, a taut recounting of disaster and triumph at 29,000 feet. But this book is about more than just mountain climbing; Coburn has also included fascinating information about Nepal, Buddhism, and the Sherpa culture, as well as the history of climbing Everest. He covers everything from the causes of altitude sickness to Nepal's increasing problems with deforestation, and through it all he weaves the story of that day in May when Everest again proved unpredictable--and deadly. For a white-knuckle climb to the top of the world's highest mountain, complete with stunning photographs, you can't do better than Everest: Mountain Without Mercy.
Book Description
Less than half a century ago, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first humans to stand atop Mount Everest and gaze outward from the highest point on our planet. Since their historic ascent, scores of other climbing expeditions have attempted these forbidding heights and many have succeeded. But though she can be climbed, "the Mother Goddess of the World" cannot be conquered.
Few know this as well as David Breashears. The first American to scale Everest twice, he was a veteran of nine previous Himalayan filmmaking expeditions when he agreed to lead what became his most challenging filmmaking experience. The expedition was organized by large-format motion picture producer MacGillivray Freeman Films and was comprised of an international team of climbers. Their goal was to carry a specially modified 48-pound IMAX® motion picture camera to the summit of Everest and return from the top of the world with the first footage ever shot there in this spectacular format. Even in the best of conditions, Breashears knew, Everest is a daunting challenge -- but in May 1996, the mountain proved how deadly it can really be.
A stunningly illustrated portrait of life and death in a hostile, high-altitude environment where no human can survive for long, Everest invites you to join Breashears, his climbers, and his crew as they make photographic history. Author Broughton Coburn traces each step of the team's progress toward a rendezvous with history -- and suddenly you're on the scene of a disaster that riveted the world's attention. Everest incorporates a first-person, on-the-scene account of the most tragic event in the mountain's history: The May 10, 1996, blizzard that claimed eight lives, including two of the world's top climbing expedition leaders. It is a chronicle of the courage and cooperation that resulted in the rescue of several men and women who were trapped on the lethal, windswept slopes. Everest is also a tale of triumph. In a struggle to overcome both the physical and emotional effects of the disaster on Everest, Breashears and his team rise to the challenge of achieving their goal -- humbled by the mountain's overwhelming power, yet exhilarated by their own accomplishment.
Arresting photographs taken by members of this courageous team capture the glory and grandeur of the highest mountains in the world -- and the grim toll they often demand. Its pages present the expertise of prominent scientists, the hard-won experience of world-class adventures, and the first-person accounts of expedition climbers including Jamling Norgay, son of Tenzing Norgay, who fulfilled a dream of following in his father's footsteps, and Dr. Beck Weathers, who after miraculously surviving a night on Everest without shelter, is rescued by helicopter in one of the highest rescue efforts in history.
Illustrated with detailed maps and more than one hundred and thirty dramatic photographs, Everest encapsulates the culture, the history, and the adventure that surround this monolithic icon.
Customer Reviews:
Mt Everest: spectacular photography.......2007-07-13
I bought this book for the photography alone: this is as close as I am ever likely to get to the Himalayas.
The photographs are spectacular, and I can see why so many people are challenged to want to make the journey to Base Camp if not further. Appearances can be deceptive: beautiful colour photographs portray a seemingly benevolent picture of Everest which is quite at odds with reality.
Recommended for those with an interest in the Himalayas as well as to those who admire beautiful photography.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Completely Fascinating!.......2007-03-29
This book is for anyone who has an interest in Mt. Everest. The photographs are magnificent. They show just how small mankind is. Our hopes, dreams and accomplishments are put in perspective. I loved it!
This Story Just Does Not Go Away..........2006-09-18
I forget you how many years ago its been since this event took place. But last month I saw the story told yet again in a national "adventure" magazine.
Pros: 1. The pictures are terrific, so the book makes a great coffee table piece. 2. The book is very informative while being a pretty easy read. 3. The side bars are really good. They are very informative and yet concise and to the point.
Cons: None
A Big Book For A Big Mountain.......2006-07-17
National Geographic has put together another epic of a book, receiving a rare five stars from this reviewer team. Supported by outstanding color photographs and an array of writings by numerous writers, this is a valued item to keep.
Everest is also a good resource for relevant maps, history, and an interesting discussion of the Sherpa people. Without the Sherpa support, Everest would still be a mountain of mystery.
Typical of the majority of Everest material, this book focuses on the South Face, virtually ignoring the popular North Face routes and climbers.
Beautiful Photography; Okay Writing.......2006-07-12
Having recently read "High Exposure" by David Breashears, I had a feeling of deja vu all over again when I cracked open this tome. Seemed to me that pages were lifted from "Exposure" and copy-pasted into "Mountain".
The photography, however, is beautiful, and provides great visual insight not only to the mountain and the people who attempt to climb it, but also into the lives of the people who live in its shadow, literally or figuratively.
Unfortunately, the text could be denser.
My advice: Buy it used and enjoy the photography.
Average customer rating:
- Two Thumbs Up For Without Mercy
- A fast read
- Maybe He is Losing Touch, but Still Great Read
- my oh my
- This is a poor outing by Higgins. Don't waste your time.
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Without Mercy
Jack Higgins
Manufacturer: Berkley
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As Detective Superintendent Hannah Bernstein of Special Branch lies recuperating in the hospital, an enigmatic shadow from the past, burning with hatred, steals into her room and finishes the job. Consumed by grief and rage, Sean Dillon, Blake Johnson, and all who loved Hannah swear vengeance, no matter where it takes them.
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"The first-ever war memoirs of the commander of the ""Band of Brothers"" They were called Easy Company-but their mission was never easy. Immortalized as the Band of Brothers, they suffered 150% casualties while liberating Europe-an unparalleled record of bravery under fire. Dick Winters was their commander-""the best combat leader in World War II"" to his men. This is his story-told in his own words for the first time. On D-Day, Dick Winters parachuted into France and assumed leadership of the Band of Brothers when their commander was killed. He led them through the Battle of the Bulge and into Germany, by which time each member had been wounded. They liberated an S.S. death camp from the horrors of the Holocaust and captured Berchtesgaden, Hitler's alpine retreat. After briefly serving during the Korean War, Winters was a highly successful businessman. Made famous by Stephen Ambrose's book Band of Brothers-and the subsequent award-winning HBO miniseries-he is the object of worldwide adulation. Beyond Band of Brothers is Winters's memoir-based on his wartime diary-but it also includes his comrades' untold stories. Virtually all this material is being released for the first time. Only Winters was present from the activation of Easy Company until the war's end. Winner of the Distinguished Service Cross, only he could pen this moving tribute to the human spirit."
Customer Reviews:
Two Thumbs Up For Without Mercy.......2007-03-09
I recently read Jack Higgins's Without Mercy for a school assignment. I had never read anything by this author until now. I really enjoyed this fast paced, page turner very much. The Cold War thriller unites top Secret Service Agent Sean Dillion with the head of British Intelligence Blake Johnson. Together with the help of other Dark Justice Intelligence, they must stop terrorists from bombing major cities in the United States and Britain and prevent a war between the United States and Russia. The story takes an even darker turn when one of their own fellow agents is murdered by a dark shadow from the past! The Dark Justice Intelligence now must avenge their friend's death while saving the world. But what they do not realize is they are fighting a war that will forever change their lives. Around every corner there are faces from the past along with new enemies like Igor Lovin, just as determined to stop them. I would definitely reccomend this thriller to anyone looking for a quick and exciting adventure. I can not wait to check out the rest of Jack Higgins's books. If the others are as good as Without Mercy I will not be disappointed!
A fast read.......2006-10-26
Some of this book I liked ,but on the whole I felt it lacked truth in storytelling,the good guys are one step ahead, the bad guys seem like idiots and the plot is very thin, but I still read the book and I was entertained for a few hours.
Maybe He is Losing Touch, but Still Great Read.......2006-08-05
Jack Higgins is my favorite author, and his books got me reading instead of watching Beverly Hills 90210 when I was younger. However, I do agree with some of the earlier reviewers. In this book (Without Mercy), some of the activities and characters are unrealistic (too easy to gather/steal information, too friendly between the enemies, etc...). Additionally, looks like Mr Higgins is trying everything he can to tie this book to his previous books (Belov, Rashid). I think it is time to cut the cord with the current villains and come up with some fresh ideas. It is getting repetitive. However, once again the book was easy to read. No crazy descriptions and plenty of actions. I was able to read it one day. I am extremely disappointed with the fact that Mr Higgins decided to kill Hannah. She was a perfect character throughout the Dillon Saga (and my second favorite character only to Liam Devlin). If it was up to me, Mr Higgins should have killed Billy. Out of all the characters in the book, Billy is the most unrealistic character and makes the book even more unreal (read the book, Billy turns into a badge carrying-super sidekick). I would not recommend this book to anyone who has never read Jack Higgins. If you want to start reading Jack Higgins, then start with "The Eagle has Landed", "Night of the Fox", or "Eye of the Storm". You will love it. However, if you are a Jack Higgins fan like me, then we must continue to read Sean Dillon and his crazy crew. I hope this helped!!!
my oh my.......2006-07-04
i have read the book in a good time and i find reading the book a breeze .The story is good and yes it's good to read a story that you do know the background.
This is a poor outing by Higgins. Don't waste your time........2006-07-01
This is not a good effort by Higgins. I liked the beginning. The middle loses the intensity of all of the other books before this mess. A poor effort to say the least. What happened Higgins? Why did you write this supposed good book? I liked everything else you wrote. Thi is not you at all. What a shame. I was hoping fior a great book. Instead, all I got was this. Ok the bad guy didnt go through his assignment. OK the President did everything he had to. OK the other characters helped out but why? I didnt understand much of this outing at all.
Book Description
Dr. John Kappler was a well-respected physician in dozens of California hospitals, yet none of his patients ever imagined that his real profession was murder…
The horror began the day he secretly attempted to kill three patients—including a pregnant woman who suffered permanent brain damage at his evil hands. Then, in a driving rampage, Kappler rammed another car, stole it, and used it as a lethal weapon. Yet, incredibly, his fellow doctors bailed him out of jail, and he was soon back on the job.
Desperate to satisfy his lust for killing, Kappler cruelly plunged a patient into cardiac arrest. Next, he pulled the plug on a defenseless man unconscious in a hospital bed. Still, no one stopped him. Finally, he exploded in a terrifying rage of violence and murder. Pressing the accelerator of his car to the floor, he cut down a promising young doctor and seconds later maimed a toddler’s mom for life.
Customer Reviews:
A true-life Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.......2005-04-05
Dr. John Kappler was an anesthesiologist who had a nice family, lots of work, and seemed to live the good life. Unfortunately, he got it into his head every now and then that he had to kill one of his patients.
This urge of his was in definite violation of the Hippocratic Oath, not to mention the law of the land, but his wife and colleagues managed to protect him up until the day the voice in his head commanded him to run over two people on a jogging path.
The title of this book "Without Mercy" holds true for almost all of its characters, including the murderous Dr. John Kappler, and for the author himself who showed no mercy on Dr. Kappler's family when he wrote this true crime book. Nor did the jury show mercy on Dr. Kappler, who secretly attempted to kill three of his patients--including a pregnant woman who suffered permanent brain damage from his ministrations. The jurors did not believe Dr. Kappler was insane when he drove up onto the jogging path and killed a promising young psychiatrist, then permanently maimed a young mother.
The author is a psychiatrist and a friend of the young doctor who was killed on the jogging path, and wrote this book in spite of the opposition from Dr. Kappler's family. In fact, Dr. Kappler's wife is portrayed as one of the chief villains for her role in covering up her husband's tendency to murder. I thought this was a bit unfair, since her response to his bouts of madness was to hospitalize him and make sure he took his medications until he seemed normal again. I think she was hoping that her husband would regain his sanity, and their family life could go on as before. I can see my own mother putting on blinders and doing and hoping just what Mrs. Kappler did.
On the other hand, the young psychiatrist might still be alive if Mrs. Kappler had been completely honest about her husband's condition. Judge for yourself, and read the testimony of the psychiatrists who testified at Dr. Kappler's trial.
"Without Mercy" is more of a psychological portrait than most true crime books, and suffers from a languid second half when the psychiatrists are testifying. However it also gives the reader a detailed look at how our judicial system treats an obviously mental ill physician. Perhaps the most frightening part of "Without Mercy" is the long-term cover-up of Dr. Kappler's homicidal treatment of certain patients--by his own medical colleagues.
A Doctor Turned Killer.......2003-11-25
The style of this book was quite a change from the way Keith Ablow has previously written. Instead of writing fiction, he has chosen to write a bio about Dr. John Kappler. In 1975, Dr. Kappler, an anesthesiologist, secretly attempted to kill a pregnant patient by giving her the wrong anesthetic, deliberately sent a patient into cardiac arrest and with his car, ran down two innocent people. His fellow doctors not only rescued him from jail, but also allowed him to continue practicing medicine. At his trial, Kappler pleaded insanity, claiming he had heard voices telling him to kill people. This is the story of a doctor who became a killer and the medical establishment that looked the other way.
Average customer rating:
- Another Money for Hire Story!
- Good read
- Good Read
- Punk Rock connection
- Without Mercy, murders in Homestead, Florida
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Without Mercy: Obsession and Murder Under the Influence
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Customer Reviews:
Another Money for Hire Story!.......2007-06-12
I have a lot of questions about the sentences of the people involved in the brutal murders of Art Venezia and his mother. Art who was in love in a disastrous homosexual relationship with James Allen Bryant who was the mastermind behind killing him for his money, property, estate, etc. Art even bought a restaurant for his lover to manage but he robs him blind. In the meantime, Allen falls for Henry Ramos, a Latino bisexual gigolo, while the waitress Dee Casteel, a troubled alcoholic in a bad marriage and mother of neglected children during this time, has feelings for Allen like a schoolgirl crush despite his homosexuality. Anyway Dee's ashamed face is on the cover of the book while the other three men are shown later. I have a trouble with reading this book because the writing is somewhat poor compared to other true crime books. I'm sure that I'll read it in a day. I do feel sorry for Dee but it was a no win situation for her. I don't have pity for Allen because I think he's just using Art for his own financial means. While the case is almost 25 years old, it's not incomprehensible that these crimes don't happen for money and it spins out of control just like alcoholism and drugs sometimes.
Good read.......2007-04-05
Just finished the book; fascinating case study of a female alcoholic. I found some information about Dee Casteel on the web; her sentence was reduced in 1990 to Life In Prison. After that, the trail on her runs cold. Is she still in prison? Released? Dead? Anyone know? Tried to find out through the author, but apparently, he is dead now.
Good Read.......2006-01-26
I read this book years ago - right after it came out. As a distant relative of one of the participants, it was of intrest. Well written, easy to read, informative, and more than likely accurate. If you like 'true crime' books, this one is for you.
Punk Rock connection.......2003-11-30
This book mentions the singer for the now infamous punk rock band, Against All Authority. I have spoken to him about this and he tells some chilling tales about jumping their BMX bikes over the open grave that smelled of death, and trying to figure out what the puddle of stinky fluid was that leaked out all over the floor underneath where the bodies were stored. He and Dee's sons hid on top of the shed while they watched the hit men steal things. He spent many nights in the house because the boys were afraid to be in there alone. Apparently there was more to the story but at the time thebook was written the hitmen were out of jail and most of the people that new things were afraid they would be next.
Without Mercy, murders in Homestead, Florida.......2002-01-25
This is an excellent book, could not put it down. I live in Homestead, I have never heard of this crime. Everyone I talk to wants to read this book. They have said to me, I can't put this thing down, it is so interesting. Of all the places they describe in the book, landmarks, people and place of business, I know them all. All of these places actually exist. You really need to read this book. I would like to get my hands on the re-trial book !
Average customer rating:
- Disappointing
- Great Entertainment!
- Couldn't put it down!
- Exciting contemporary suspense
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Without Mercy
Lois Gilbert
Manufacturer: Onyx
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Book Description
The acclaimed author of River of Summer delivers a compelling and emotionally moving novel of what happens when murder touches the heart of a family-and forever changes their past, present, and future....
Brett McBride is walking in the woods near her grandmother's farm when she discovers a dead body. The police, headed by her ex-husband, believe that no one is above suspicion. And when a devastating blizzard leaves the family snowbound, three generations will be forced to unlock thirty years of silence....
Praise for River of Summer:
"An odyssey of self-discovery...a complex emotional drama."--Romantic Times
Customer Reviews:
Disappointing.......2004-10-02
This book came highly recommended, but I ended up sorry I'd used the time to read it. The beginning is excellent; the main character and her nearly-pathological needs are absolutely riveting. But as soon as the plot begins to move, the character retreats to normalcy and the magic dies. Then it's a very ordinary story of family problems and secrets, made even duller by lack of logic: WHY do they let this stranger do as he pleases? WHY does the main character, again and again, not ask the next question that anyone would ask? WHY did nobody hear a horse moving quickly through the empty forest; Why no hoofprints; why is everybody so dam*ed dumb that you'd shake them except that you don't like them enough to bother?
If this is a typical Gilbert novel, I'll pass on the rest.
Great Entertainment!.......2000-09-26
Lois Gilbert's Without Mercy is a wonderful read! It is a fast-paced, action filled, suspenseful thriller. I couldn't put it down. Her characters are fully developed and richly drawn. Particularly poignant is Gilbert's portrayal of the lead character's (Brett) relationship with her teenage daughter. It reminded me of my own parenting tribulations and how difficult it is to be either a parent or a teenager. Without Mercy moves very quickly and has a wonderful mix of intrigue, romance, and humor. The excitement and uncertainty build with every page until a final astonishing climax. I can't wait to read Gilbert's next book!
Couldn't put it down!.......2000-09-14
This is a real page turner -- an absolutely riveting, compelling thriller, about family secrets, romance and murder.
Exciting contemporary suspense.......2000-09-13
On her beloved gran's farm near Ithaca, New York Brett McBride recovers from the illnesses that she caught while spending a year in Africa providing medical relief. She has spent the past year at home and away from the disasters and death she saw in Ethiopia. However, she still has not reconciled with her teenage daughter Amy, who lived with her dad while Brett played doctor overseas. Amy hates the farm and wants to go back to the total freedom she had with her dad.
While hunting on the property's woods, Brett spots the mangled remains of a murder victim. Brett calls the police. Her ex-husband heads up the investigation that soon points towards Brett, her family, and a hired hand as the prime suspects. However, the identity of the corpse leads to more mysteries that threaten to destroy the loving McBride clan.
WITHOUT MERCY is an exciting contemporary suspense with a pinch of romance that centers on the unraveling of ties that bond a family together. The cleverly designed story line focuses on the fully developed charcaters as they react to the murder especially who the victim is. The audience understands what motivates the cast notably Brett and Gran. Fans of Hoag and Johansen will enjoy Lois Gilbert's taut family thriller.
Harriet Klausner
Book Description
The White House Connection:
Someone is killing off the members of a splinter group known as the Sons of Erin, normally not a cause for much concern, but the consequences are much greater than anyone realizes. For in these actions lie the seeds of disaster: the fall of two governments, the derailing of the Irish peace process. Dillon and Johnson must stop this unknown assassin, the heads of state agree, quickly, quietly, before all hell breaks loose...
Dark Justice:
Someone is recruiting a shadowy network of agents with the intention of creating terror. White House operative Blake Johnson and his opposite number in British intelligence, Sean Dillon, set out to trace the source of the havoc, but behind the first man they find another, and behind him another still. And that man is not pleased by the interference. Soon he will target them all: Johnson, Dillon, Dillon's colleagues. And one of them will fall...
Without Mercy:
As Detective Superintendent Hannah Bernstein of Special Branch lies recuperating in the hospital, a dark shadow sent by a figure from the past steals across the room and finishes the job. Consumed by grief and rage, Dillon, Blake, Ferguson, and all who loved Hannah swear vengeance, no matter where it takes them.
Average customer rating:
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Murder Without Mercy
Tammy Ingram
Manufacturer: PublishAmerica
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Mystery
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1424102081 |
Average customer rating:
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Jews without mercy: A lament
Earl Shorris
Manufacturer: Anchor Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0385178530 |
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