Book Description
Putting aside the personal chaos that has plagued her, rogue Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin must rally the remnants of the Weather Warden corps against a double threat-the Djinn who have broken free from Warden control, and a cranky Mother Earth who's about to unleash her full fury against the entire world.
Customer Reviews:
Another excellent story in the series.......2007-05-19
Consistent and driven, a good book; it appears that Ms. Caine is beginning to deepen the characters while simplifying their relationships, as well as focusing to a greater degree on the struggle without granting sudden god-like powers to the protagonists.
The reintroduction of certain characters in an ambiguious way lends to the charm of this particular story, and clearly is an indication of returning elements as the plot unfolds in the next books.
A good read, and I'll be continuing to follow this series!
It's Not Nice to Fool with Mother Nature! Best Weather Warden book yet.......2007-04-06
Why did I give Firestorm 5 stars? Why do I love it so much more than some of the other reviewers? First, I do not necessarily like my books soft, sappy soap operas that always have a 100% happy ending. I love adventure, adversity, excitement, humor, depth of character and a plot that encourages me to read the novel again and again to catch the nuances I missed the first time (and let's not forget sheer paranormal coolness - reading about the "magic" of the earth, fire and weather wardens is hair-raising fun). FIRESTORM has all of the characteristics I love in a paranormal fantasy and more.
Second, Joanne, David and to a lesser extent Lewis grew in this book because Rachel Caine didn't spend so much time fleshing out side characters. Don't misunderstand me, I adore Rahel and Paul, and I loved Jonathan and so many others (you hear the "but" coming, don't you?) but I was tired of the continuously growing list of characters that detracted from Ms. Caine's ability to develop Joanne, David and Lewis and the world in which the Wardens and Djinn live and the (now changing) rules by which they operate. In each of the previous books, we learned more and more about the side characters - enjoyable, of course - leaving less time for the key characters and long-range plot development.
In Firestorm, Ms. Caine is getting back to basics and that's a Good Thing. You will be amazed at the changes in the Warden & Djinn Rulebook (my phrase, not hers). Remember those commercials in the 70s with the catchphrase "It's not nice to fool with Mother Nature!"? That phrase should be the subtitle of Firestorm. I stand in awe of Ms. Caine's imagination and creativity in this novel - she's changing the rules on us, but the new rules are so fascinating I not only don't mind, I'm looking forward to reading the new playbook. Personally, I love the tension in the Weather Warden series - in fact, it's easy to see why Jim Butcher (the Harry Dresden novels, and quite possibly my favorite author) loves Rachel's books - since his books are similarly action-packed.
I also recommend visiting Ms. Caine's website, where you can read what appears to be two chapters in the sixth book, Thin Air, due August 2007. Although part of this work is contained at the end of Firestorm, more is found at Ms. Caine's website. It's worth reading, especially if you're like me and can't wait for August to arrive.
Lastly, some good news - I believe ROC has agreed to publish three more Weather Warden books after Thin Air. Go Rachel, you deserve it!
Great as part of the series, not meant to read as a standalone.......2007-04-03
As the latest installment of the Weather Warden series, Firestorm delivers a knockout punch and keeps you going. However, if this is the first book you read, you won't like it as much. Firestorm relies heavily on the books that have come before it: Ill Wind, Heat Stroke, Chill Factor, and Windfall. These books are definitely written as books that continue the same story.
However, as a series goes, Rachel Caine has written a fascinating story. Her characters are vivid and consistent; the action is always fast-paced and exciting; the world is always evolving and engaging; and the pace keeps you reading from start to finish. Bear in mind that it is a series, and you'll do fine.
Just be forewarned. This book, like the books before it with the exception of Ill Wind, ends on a huge cliffhanger. By the time you read the last page, you'll be wanting to read the next installment, Thin Air, which debuts August 7, 2007.
Rachel Caine is Great! Firestorm is Hot!.......2007-03-19
I've read all the books in this series, and eagerly await the next. Fast moving, romantic interest, magic, everything I want.
Not Exactly the Best of the Series.......2007-02-11
This was the first book of this series where I found my attention drifting, and found I was wanting to skip portions of the story. Bummer, because I SO loved the first four books.
The last few chapters picked up a bit for me, an became more of what I've come to expect from this series, but I did find that a lot of the book seemed superfluous.
For example, I guess I understood why she added the subplot with Joanne's sister and Eamon...it gave Joanne another obstacle to overcome...but, I didn't really see the purpose of that subplot or how it fit in with the rest of the book. Maybe I'm missing something?
The ending was a cliffhanger, but I wasn't as excited or angry about it as others seem to be. I felt the cliffhanger was interesting, but I'm not cursing Caine over it, good or bad.
Overall, this one seemed a bit disjointed. Not sure why. But I am looking forward to the next one.
Average customer rating:
- Great read.
- Another worthy effort from Barr
- The best in the series so far
- Anna Pigeon is faced with the choice of her lifetime.
- firestorm is excellant
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Firestorm (Anna Pigeon Mysteries)
Nevada Barr
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ASIN: 0380725827 |
Amazon.com
A raging fire in a national park seems an unlikely setting for a murder, but that's exactly the circumstances that crime-fighting park ranger and medic Anna Pigeon confronts in this mystery thriller. A suspicious fire breaks loose in Northern California's Lassen Volcanic Park and Pigeon assists in battling the blaze and treating the wounds of other fire fighters. As if that's not enough, Pigeon finds herself without food and water trapped with a group of fire fighters, one of whom is a murderer. She tries to figure out who the culprit is before he, or the weather, strikes again.
Book Description
An insatiable, unstoppable beast, the wildfire called Jackknife has already devoured 17,000 acres of California's Lassen Volcanic National Park. A devastating force of nature, it has brought out the very best -- and worst -- in those sworn to defeat it.
Ranger Anna Pigeon is among the exhausted firefighters, serving as medic and spike camp security, when an abrupt weather shift sends Jackknife racing relentlessly in their direction. And when the monstrous blaze has passed, Anna emerges from her protective shelter to discover two men are dead: one a victim of the hungry flames, the other stabbed through the heart. Now, trapped in a nightmarish landscape of snow and ash, cut off from rescue by a rampaging winter storm, Anna must investigate an inexplicable homicide -- as she and nine others struggle to survive the terrible rage if nature. . . and the murderer in their midst.
Customer Reviews:
Great read........2007-08-22
This book is very well written and does a great job of keeping your interest to the very end. Although not my favorite of Ms. Barr's it certainly does not disappoint when it comes to following how Anna Pigeon works to figure out who dunnit. Ms. Barr's ability to describe scenery and her knowledge of enviro-type topics help to make the Anna Pigeon series of mysteries quite enjoyable to read. Her ability to describe the scenery and the plant and animal life present in each scenario helps to bring a sense of reality to what you are reading and makes you feel more like you are there.
Another worthy effort from Barr.......2007-07-18
Barr has a real handle for characters and Anna is eminently likable in a very human way. She does things that strike the reader as stupid and potentially self-destructive and, in that way, it is easy to relate to her. Barr does a nice job of giving us bits and pieces of Anna without giving too much away, so that we're always learning something new about her with each book.
The central mystery of this book does a nice job of bringing together seemingly disparate elements - the strange occurrences firmly rooted in the real world and those seemingly rooted in the spiritual world. There are some nice details here about the superstitions and culture of the Anasazi and Barr does a nice job of providing some detail without sounding like a preachy history teacher. The twist is very interesting and the ending suspenseful and Barr gives us a welcome character in Frederick.
The best in the series so far.......2007-07-14
This one takes place near or in Lassen Volcanic National Park. The main setting of the story is a devastating forest fire. The author's account of the fire itself, along with the firefighters' desperate attempts to survive it, is so gripping and well-written that it's hard to believe that she hasn't experienced it first-hand. Even if there were no mystery here, the book would be worth reading just for that scene.
But there IS a mystery, and it's a pretty good one. Right off the top, the reader (and Anna Pigeon!) have to wonder why anyone would commit a murder in the middle of a fire that might very well kill both the murderer and the murderee anyway.
I found only two things to criticize, both minor: Pigeon is ridiculously slow in figuring out the "occupation" of one of the members of the group that finds itself isolated by the fire. Secondly, she describes the area as part of the Cascades, but I believe she's wrong about that. Mount Shasta, which is considerably farther north than Lassen, is generally considered the southernmost point of the Cascades. If more recent geological research has changed that assessment, then I humbly apologize to Ms. Barr!
Sometimes I have found the endings of the novels in this series to be uncomfortable or distasteful, but this time she gives us an absolutely delightful scene on the last page.
Excellent.
Anna Pigeon is faced with the choice of her lifetime........2007-01-19
With a forest fire crew which encounters a murder during a firestorm, Anna has to face a terrible predicament with a good friend. Excellent, thought-provoking.
firestorm is excellant.......2006-11-04
This is an excellant read. Particularly interesting to us since we are familiar with the mountains,survival,fires,etc.
Book Description
In the Firestorm of the Last Year of the War (Wilhelm Tieke). Hard cover, small format (6"x9"), 500 pages, 32 pages of photographs, 28 maps and diagrams. The combat history of 9. SS-Panzer-Division "Hohenstaufen" and 10. SS-Panzer-Division "Frundsberg" which formed the II. SS-Panzer-Korps. This is a detailed history of both divisions from their formation, to operations in Russia in early 1943; Normandy - Hill 112 and Falaise; Arnhem; the Ardennes; 9. SS on the Western Front and 10. SS in the East; the final battles in Germany. Mr. Tieke has written a very detailed and readable history of these two very hard-fighting divisions, with many personal accounts.
Customer Reviews:
It takes great patience to finish it.......2006-03-20
Although this book is probably the definitive account of the II SS Panzerkorps in World War II, it uses dry prose and too many sub-units references that make the reader occasionaly to lose his patience. It is very useful tool for someone who wants to compile a study in depth of the two SS divisions, but I would not recommend it to the casual reader. Michael Reynold's book ¨Sons of the Reich¨covers the same subject,it is also very good and more readable.
Interesting, but questionable.......2006-01-28
Another overpriced publication by Fedorowicz. As one reviewer stated, this is a poor translation of the unit histories of the 9th and 10th SS Panzer Divisions. Why another claims it is well translated and very readable may be he is not familar with the language. True, it does cover some of the most interesting battles of World War II: Russia early 1944, Normandy, Arnhem, the Ardennes, and the final battles on the Eastern Front in Hungary and Pomerania, but it suffers from the translation. For what there is available in English, this title is still of interest for those who enjoy German WWII history and a history of panzer units.
Good book, lousy translation.......2004-09-24
If you are interested in the history of the II. SS Panzerkorps, go buy the original German book instead if you read the language. Otherwise, It's still much better than Michael Reynold's Sons of the Reich, which shamelessly lifted from Tieke's book most of its content., atrociously translated into English.
Excellent Unit History.......2001-01-01
Another superb publication by Fedorowicz, this one a translation of the unit histories of the 9th and 10th SS Panzer Divisions. Well translated and very readable, this book covers some of the most interesting battles of World War II: Russia in early 1944, Normandy, Arnhem, the Ardennes, and the final battles on the eastern front in Hungary and Pomerania. There is also a section covering the 502nd SS Heavy Panzer Batallion in the battles in and around Berlin. Highly recommended for those interested in German WWII history and/or tank warfare.
Book Description
Combat vets David Sherman and Dan Cragg know firsthand the courage, sacrifice, and hell of war–and their experiences have made the popular Starfist novels thrill rides of the highest order. Now the explosive action continues on the remote planet Ravenette, where the Marines of the Confederation’s 34th Fleet Initial Strike Team (FIST) find themselves up against a full-fledged rebellion–and a lethally loose cannon of a commanding officer.
Desperate to thwart unrelenting aliens and their quest to obliterate humankind, The Confederation has beefed up its defenses. But to the citizens on the outer edges of Human Space around Ravenette–unaware that a deadly enemy even exists–the government’s move seems oppressive, and ten planets have responded with a war of secession.
In touch-and-go battles with the seceding planets, the 34th FIST has emerged battered but unbowed, refusing to give up . . . even while under the command of a fanatical general. The enemy determined to strike, a new mission must be carried out, though the troops will likely return in body bags.
Should Ensign Charlie Bass and his Marines somehow survive the nightmarishly difficult amphibious landing, they can expect to be outmanned, outgunned, and out-armored in a fierce duel against fresh soldiers. But like any Marine worth his salt, Bass knows there’s only one way to go when facing impossible odds: on the offense with all guns firing. There’s no other choice–because if life was easy, there’d be no need to send in the Marines.
Customer Reviews:
Solid military Sci-Fi.......2007-08-17
I'm usually suspicious of trade paperback series that consist of dozen(s) of titles, which tend to be formulaic and weak on plot and characterization. While it is true that the Starfist series does tend to follow a formula of sorts, it usually does so quite well, giving the reader interesting characters and situations to go along with the excellent battle sequences. Most of the Starfist books stand fairly well on their own, but there's an overall story arc and evolving characters that ties them together that keeps me coming back for more. The author's military backgrounds and knowledge help to lend a air of authenticity to their storytelling, giving the reader at least some idea of what it's like to be "in the mud and the blood".
My only real complaint about this series as a whole is that the other armed services in their "universe" are often given short shrift. The Navy is usually portrayed as marginally competent but weak. The Army is invariably portrayed as just plain incompetent, on the level of Keystone Kops. Some of this is the (realistic) intra-service rivalry that exists between the services, and the Marine's self-image as elite combat troops. Nonetheless, it is hard for me to believe that the regular Army is as bad as they are usually portrayed in the Starfist series.
Overall, I give this series, and this book in particular, 4 stars.
As always very exciting.......2007-08-16
I haven't missed a single Starfist book yet and have not been disappointed either. Always a lot of excting and fast paced action.
You can't go wrong getting any of the books in this series.
Great wrap up on Ravenette .......2007-08-07
I really enjoyed this latest addition to the Starfist universe. I think it contained some of the best action sequences, yet. It was also rewarding to see the Ravenette campaign wrapped up- and all of the hanging threads- since it spanned previous books, including a Starfist: Force Recon book. Incidentally, I thought Force Recon book #2 Pointblank, added a very nice secondary viewpoint of the conflict.
I'm really looking forward to my favorite Marines next adventure, which was alluded to in the final pages of Firestorm.
Starfist series - Firestorm.......2007-08-07
An excellent addition to the STARFIST series - my only regret is that the authors do an excellent job of writing which means it takes so long before each new story is available!
I recommend that the series be read from the first volume forward - it isn't necessary as the books are able to stand alone, but the details carry forward from one novel to the next.
Starfist:Firestorm.......2007-08-07
The comes under the heading of a cracking good military adventure. The author's did a damn fine job with the characters and the battle the marines have to fight. This leads into and ongoing battle with aliens that have showed up in other books of the series and this leading to a major war.[note; the Starfist recon books also leave wanting more. I have it from one of the authors that STARFIST;Recon number 3 is going to be out soon and sometime next number 13 of STARFIST will out.
Book Description
From the sensuous voice of novelist Brenda Joyce comes Firestorm, the extraordinary first book in the Bragg family saga that has captured the hearts of readers everywhere. Here is the beginning of the Bragg empire-opulent and glamorous-vast, dangerous, and as untamed as the sweeping plains of Texas...
Storm Bragg could outshoot and outride any man, but her family decided it was time she traded in her buckskins for a ballgown and made her debut in San Francisco society. Quickly pursued by every eligible gentleman in town, the young hellcat from Texas had eyes for only one, and he was no gentleman. Brett D'Archand was a self-made success -- arrogant, impossibly attractive, blatantly sensual -- and looking for a wife who would give him respectability.
Storm was completely bewitched by him, but she made him lose his head as well as his heart. And, threatened by scandal and ruin, they are forced to wed -- a tempestuous union of free spirits, shackled only by the irrepressible bonds of love.
Customer Reviews:
Sizzling Romance, Hot Chemistry 4.5 STARS.......2007-02-07
I love Brett and Storm. You could cut the sexual tension between those 2 with a knife. It is full of passion throughout the book. What can I say if you want an exciting, passion-lust-love filled romance, this is it!
The only disturbing and annoying thing was the incest between his 2 cousins and the fact that his uncle's wife took his virginity when he was a young teenager. Other than that...everythings fantastic!
LOVE this book.......2005-07-25
From the sensuous voice of novelist Brenda Joyce comes Firestorm, the extraordinary first book in the Bragg family saga that has captured the hearts of readers everywhere. Here is the beginning of the Bragg empire-opulent and glamorous-vast, dangerous, and as untamed as the sweeping plains of Texas...
Storm Bragg could outshoot and outride any man, but her family decided it was time she traded in her buckskins for a ballgown and made her debut in San Francisco society. Quickly pursued by every eligible gentleman in town, the young hellcat from Texas had eyes for only one, and he was no gentleman. Brett D'Archand was a self-made success - arrogant, impossibly attractive, blatantly sensual - and looking for a wife who would give him respectability.
Storm was completely bewitched by him, but she made him lose his head as well as his heart. And, threatened by scandal and ruin, they are forced to wed - a tempestuous union of free spirits, shackled only by the irrepressible bonds of love.
This was a disappointing read........2004-02-23
There were a few things that disturbed me about this book.
1. The heroine was barely 17. To me, that is really teetering on the line between "okay" and "child molestation."
2. The spanking sequence was weird. Unless you're into that kind of thing, I found it odd and totally unnecessary. It totally humiliated Storm and is not something a grown man should do to a 17 year old young woman.
3. The force-fingering of Storm on the beach to check for her virginity is more than barbaric. It's completely wrong and without merit. Any worthwhile heroine is not going to fall in love with some man that just raped her with his finger. Ugh.
Brenda Joyce can be a little too rough for my taste. I much prefer Johanna Lindsey, Julie Garwood, and others like them. I wouldn't recommend this book at all.
Did not finish.......2002-03-06
Deadly Love was the first Brenda Joyce book I have ever read. I really liked it (read it in one night) and was interested in reading her other books. I started with Firestorm and did not finish. Where all of Brett's sexual escapades are understandable considering the time period the story takes place in, his anger and how he treated Storm was something I did not like. To me he had no redeeming qualities and I just couldn't go on reading. I hope her other books are good and that the characters are better than this book, because otherwise the other three will end up with Firestorm at the book exchange unread. I would not recommend this book.
quite disturbing!.......2002-01-28
I think this novel felt more like an account of the hero's sexual escapades, and it was pretty disturbing reading about the various dalliances the hero had with all his mistresses.
the worst part of the book was the hero being seduced by his own aunt at the age of 15, and it was reallly disturbing to read that he almost fell into bed with her daughter!!(his cousin sister)
between so many ladies, the chemistry between brett(the hero) and storm(the heroine) never really excites you, though Storm's character was stronger than what you generally find in romance novels.
Customer Reviews:
made me feel a bit guilty about enjoying a book filled with so much human suffering........2007-08-18
a few years ago i was enthralled by a book titled "firestorm at peshtigo," by denise gess and william lutz. this fascinating book ("under a flaming sky") does much the same thing; bringing a place from the late 19th century alive and vivid, then describing its horrid destrucion by fire in terrible detail. i read this book compulsively, yet part of me recoiled from the fact that i could find such incredible human suffering interesting. but i did. and i'm sure most everyone else will or would, too. humans have been involved in much horror throughout history, and those of us not there seemingly can't help marvelling at the spectacle of such all consuming tragedy. who can fully understand? anyway, this was a fantastic piece of non-fiction. i recommend you read it and weep.
When Nature Strikes Back.......2007-03-29
The first sentence of the prologue, "Something was afoot that summer -- something concealed, not yet revealed .." sets the tone for the entire book. The author writes in a quaint, somewhat purple prose, detailing what turns out to be a rather personal tragedy. Mr. Brown's grandfather lost his father in this fire, and the Hinckley Firestorm was a part of his family's history. Thus it can be forgiven when Mr. Brown inserts quotes from Shakespeare, the Bible, and Keats at the top of each chapter and names them floridly "Something Wicked" "The Cauldron" "Out of the Ashes" and so on.
You can even understand why he might write in such a breathless, extensively-researched manner, throwing in names, events, details as thick as the bone-dry underbrush that exploded that Sept 1st into flames hot enough to melt steel. This was a tremendously horrific event. Lives were snuffed out in an instant, and entire communties collapsed into smoking rubble.
Those who lived in the northwoods of that era were used to breathing in smoke and skirting smoldering brushfires. It was to be expected. That's what kept the timber mills running and helped folks meet the mortgage and feed the family. But something else happened that day in 1894. The combination of bad timber harvesting techniques, a hot summer's sun, atmospheric conditions, and two seperate fires joining together made for a disaster that wiped out 436 people (accounted for and interred), many native Americans (not accounted for and left unburied) and some dozens of communities.
The author does not flinch from gory details and plain medical facts, and delves into the personal backgrounds of many of the victims, and the prejudices of the day. Statistics come to life, family situations tug at the heart. The bravery of those who rescued others at the peril of their own lives and safety is excellently portrayed. He also speaks like a scientist, explaining why fire acts as it does.
Mr. Brown mentions other great fires of the time, including the overlooked Peshtigo fire, the worst fire disaster in American history and hardly recollected due to the fact that it happened on the very same day as the famous Chicago fire.
Great read - beautifully written, amazing story.......2006-10-10
I have read quite a few fire history books now, and the one complaint I often have is that the writing is mediocre compared to the story it tells. Not so here. This is an extraodinarily well written book -- poignant and moving without being heavy-handed, and it intersperses the story with facts about weather, wildland fire, death by fire, and burn treatment very well.
The only thing I wish the author had told us more about was the aftermath -- he alludes to the fact that many more people would die from their injuries, but never tells us much about how many do, or when... Perhaps that information is not readily available, though. Either way, the lack of this information in no way takes away from the book.
Bottom line: I absolutely could not put this book down, and I am glad to have learned a little history that not many people know -- and to have remembered the victims of this firestorm in the process.
WHAT A BOOK!!!!.......2006-09-10
My grandfather was a railroad engineer in southern Minnesota; he often talked about the railroad's role in this fire. I knew at a very young age that the one train was driven backwards to save people of the town. My aunt, who is almost 90, remembers going "north" on the train to pick blueberries as a very small child. She said even many years after the fire there were burned out stumps in clearings. As a young girl, everytime they went through the area everyone talked about the fire.
I could not put down the book; it was well written and kept my interest throughout. The author took time to explain many aspects of fires, human nature, health issues, and the social climate of the late 1800's.
This is a wonderful book for young adults and adults. It was not offensive in any way and even sensitive subjects were handled well.
Well written........2006-07-24
Daniel James Brown has obviously done a lot of research of the subject and has woven together a story that portrays what the survivors (and non-survivors) of the Hinkley firestorm experienced. My father was a survivor of the fire; this book made the whole disaster seem more real to me. Compelling reading.
Book Description
Shows how to avoid and overcome destructive interpersonal conflicts which many churches have experienced with members, officers, and pastors.
Customer Reviews:
Firestorm: Preventing and Overcoming Church Conflicts.......2007-01-10
A tremendous source of insight, wisdom and knowledge to help anyone who has gone through a church split of any kind. This book helped the healing process begin and come to completeness. Praise God!
Very Helpful.......2006-11-10
If your church is going through fighting and division, this book will definately help you. First it describes the stages of the "firestorm" and then how to address the issues to bring the church through the destructive battle and begin the healing. Dr. Susek has had a lot of experience leading churches through the process, we even contacted him and he is consulting with us.
Simply Excellent!.......2003-09-05
Susek in this volume provides a simply excellent treatment of the vicious, destructive nature of church conflict. In the first part of his work he gives the account of an actual church, describing how the sparks of conflict were scattered, the flames were fanned, and the fierce firestorm was unleashed. While Susek's example is extreme for many churches struggling with lesser issues, the escalation of conflict is basically the same regardless of the scale.
In the second part of his book Susek addresses the various causes of a church firestorm. The third portion offers practical instruction on getting a firestorm under control. The fourth and final section gives suggestions on binding the wounds of the various parties who have been burned by the conflict.
I recommend this title to all pastors. For most of us, it is not a matter of IF we encounter a firestorm in our ministry, but WHEN we will experience one. I also see this book as being very helpful for church leaders who are dealing with conflict situations, regardless of their severity. Susek's work here is well-worth the price, offering healing and hopes for the conflict-scorched congregation.
this book is complete garbage.......2003-07-31
Susek takes his own opinions, decorates them with scripture, and passes them off as biblical. He makes poor use of his own examples. He presents churches as being places where the people in the pews can't and shouldn't be trusted, and where pastors are properly suspicious of churchgoers. He measures success in terms of programs, budgets, and attendance, rather than spiritual growth and development.
A good way of reading this book is to look at how he presents aggregates of people: large numbers of people are almost always passive and obedient, and represented positively; smaller groups of people are sometimes good and sometimes bad, depending on whether they agree with the pastor. Individuals are almost always by turns rebellious, disagreeable, and evil.
Despite his title, he never talks about preventing church conflicts. He's like a pathologist; he's only comfortable with patients who are dead and dying.
His views, analysis, and solutions are very pastor-centric: he spends three or four chapters talking about how to treat the pastor's wounds during a church conflict and only one on how to treat the people.
Finally, Susek never asks the right questions: what is a church, and what should it be? That's the only right place to start looking at church conflict, and the only way to begin responding to conflict. Because Susek doesn't do this his analysis is sloppy, ad hoc, wrongheaded, and ultimately unfocused.
A much better view is presented in Jim van Yperen's book Making Peace: a Guide to Overcoming Church Conflict. van Yperen at least asks the right questions.
Help with the Destructive Forces of Out-of-Control Conflict.......2002-02-15
The striking title evokes a powerful image of the destructive forces at work when churches are overcome by conflict. Susek, who has first hand experience of the lasting effects of church controversy, traces the stages of conflict and provides practical suggestions for dealing with each phase. The book also includes a detailed plan of action. Susek incorporates a dimension that is missing from many materials on church conflict, that of the spiritual forces of evil that are often at work. The book begins by explaining the six phases of a firestorm and how to recognize the symptoms. Next it presents four pillars of strength that are crucial for healthy churches to have spiritual power, and helps church leaders evaluate themselves in light of those strengths. Special attention is given to how church leaders' family and psycho-social needs may be affecting them too deeply, either helping to create conflicts or hindering effective resolution. The book also helps leaders to assess the presence of a number of other factors that contribute to conflict, such as cultural resistance to authority, rapid church growth, etc. Susek also includes very helpful sections on church discipline, bold spiritual leadership, the use of consultants, care for badly burned church leaders and their families, and the role of interim ministers.
Book Description
On February 13 and 14, 1945, three successive waves of British and U.S. aircraft rained down thousands of tons of high explosive and incendiary bombs on the largely undefended German city of Dresden. Night and day, Dresden was engulfed in a vast sea of flame, a firestorm that generated 1,500-degree temperatures and hurricane-force winds. Thousands suffocated in underground shelters where they had fled to escape the inferno above. The fierce winds pulled thousands more into the center of the firestorm, where they were incinerated. By the time the fires burned themselves out, many days later, a great city–known as “the Florence on the Elbe”–lay in ruins, and tens of thousands, almost all of them civilians, lay dead.
In Firestorm, Marshall De Bruhl re-creates the drama and horror of the Dresden bombing and offers the most cogent appraisal yet of the tactics, weapons, strategy, and rationale for the controversial attack. Using new research and contemporary reports, as well as eyewitness stories of the devastation, De Bruhl directly addresses many long-unresolved questions relating to the bombing: Why did the strike occur when the Allies’ victory was seemingly so imminent? Was choosing a city choked with German refugees a punitive decision, intended to humiliate a nation? What, if any, strategic importance did Dresden have? How much did the desire to send a “message”–to Imperial Japan or the advancing Soviet armies–factor into the decision to firebomb the city?
Beyond De Bruhl’s analysis of the moral implications and historical ramifications of the attack, he examines how Nazi and Allied philosophies of airpower evolved prior to Dresden, particularly the shift toward “morale bombing” and the targeting of population centers as a strategic objective. He also profiles the architects and prime movers of strategic bombing and aerial warfare, among them aviation pioneer Billy Mitchell, RAF air marshal Sir Arthur “Bomber” Harris, and the American commander, General Carl Spaatz.
The passage of time has done nothing to quell the controversy stirred up by the Dresden raid. It has spawned a plethora of books, documentaries, articles, and works of fiction. Firestorm dispels the myths, refutes the arguments, and offers a dispassionate and clear-eyed look at the decisions made and the actions taken throughout the bombing campaign against the cities of the Third Reich–a campaign whose most devastating consequence was the Dresden raid. It is an objective work of history that dares to consider the calculus of war.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting and informative.......2007-04-19
I hardly ever bother to write book reviews but this book I cannot put down. I admit I am only half way through the book but I know I will enjoy it to the last page. This is more than just Dresden, it has a lot of good insights of the thinking that led the allies to drop all of those bombs. It talks about how easy it was to expect that the victims of all of this bombing would just surrender. Lots of good aircraft info as well. I did not know how Hitler and his boys screwed up the Me-262 Jet program so badly. Lucky for the world Hitler did not know much about the potential of jet airplanes.
A fine work of non-fiction.......2007-03-13
Although the title suggests the book focuses on Dresden, this is a more complete story of air power in the European Theater of Operations. The work focuses on the strategy behind the bombing and treats the criticism of area bombing on Dresden and other cities in a fairly balanced way. Perhaps I've been ignorant or the issue has escaped full treatment, but the political firestorm arising in 1945, even within the United States, from the area bombing of cities and, in particular, the American follow-up attack on Dresden, was previously unknown to me. Unlike Ambrose's book about George McGovern and other air war books, Firestorm does not focus on the day to day lives of the pilots but is more focused with larger geopolitical issues.
My sole criticism of the work is that it is written from topic to topic rather than chronologically. As a result, it is difficult to keep in mind the timetable of which country, the Americans or British, are bombing who when and this detracts somewhat from an understanding of the course of the air war. With this one reservation, a good work about a controversial topic.
Average customer rating:
- Pollution wake-up call
- A new kind of superhero!
- Kids Love It
- Firestorm may not be appropriate for middle school.
- Excellent!
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Firestorm: The Caretaker Trilogy: Book 1 (Caretaker Trilogy)
David Klass
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0374323070
Release Date: 2006-09-05 |
Book Description
His mother is not his mother. His father is not his father. But if Jack hadn’t broken the high school rushing record that night, he never would have known and nothing would have changed. He’d just be going out for pizza, playing football, trying yet again to score with his girlfriend, P.J. But he did break the record. He appeared on the news. And now they’ve found him. Jack plunges into a space-time–bending game of survival with no way out. The rules are shrouded in secrets. But one thing he learns fast: Trust no one. After centuries of abuse, the earth is dying, and it’s up to Jack to reverse the decline before the Turning Point, when nothing will ever be the same again. Beaten into shape by a ninja babe and a huge telepathic man’s best friend, Jack hurtles across the ocean to save the future from the present and to solve the mystery of his purpose. Exactly who, or what, is Firestorm, and what does it have to do with Jack? And what comes next when everything you have ever known turns out to be wrong?
In the first book of the Caretaker Trilogy, readers are taken on an electrifying, fast-paced adventure of hunting truth, all in the name of staying alive.
Customer Reviews:
Pollution wake-up call.......2007-06-25
This is a great book for everyone, but I'd have to recommend it to young adults and up because there are some suggestive parts. I really commend Klass for his trasition of the normal, everyday sort of guy who plays on the football teams, has a girlfriend, etc. into the futuristic hero with a destiny to save the world. Jack is the everyday superhero, a likeable, imperfect and average sort of character who relates to the reader. His grammar may be horrendous, especially with his fragment sentences, but his vocabulary is enormous and had me reaching for a dictionary at times! Even though I generally dislike the modern-journalism style of the flawed narrative with misspelled words (I had trouble in Flowers for Algernon not taking a red pen to the page!) and fragmented sentences, when Jack did it, it hardly bothered me because it just made Jack more human and likeable as a clueless high school student ripped from everything he considered normal and thrown onto the track of his destiny without any briefing or prior knowledge.
In addition to action and fantasy and a bit of science-fiction, this book also comments on pollution and man's waste of the environment. The bittersweet nature scenes and Eko's tales of the lack thereof in the future made me realize that despite the fantastical fiction story held within these pages, there is also the truth. The truth that humans are destroying this earth without a care for the future. Therefore, I recommend to everyone because it's really worth the read.
A new kind of superhero!.......2007-06-14
I just finished "Firestorm: Book 1 of the Caretaker Trilogy" by David Klass and have a lot to say about it. It was like reading a movie (not a script, but an actual movie), but in a good way. If this book is not made into a movie I will eat my shorts. It has action from the beginning to the end, there are no lagging parts. It seems like a cross between Superman, Men in Black & Wizard of Oz, yet oddly its own unique story with messages about taking care of Earth before it is too late, but does not do it in a preachy way.
Jack, the all-American senior running back discovers that his entire existence has been a cover up for who or what he really is. He looses his family and everything he knows and discovers new friends in a large telepathic dog and hot shape shifting ninja girl. His new friends are willing to give up their lives if necessary to protect him because he is "the beacon of hope", to save the world.
The sentence structure was a bit distracting at first. I found it a bit annoying to read until I got used to it and found the poetic flow and rhythm of the writing. It was quit clever to write in poetic style yet in a paragraph narrative format. This would be a great book for teaching on many levels both the content and the writing form.
The way the story ends leaves you hanging (even though it wraps up) and waiting anxiously for the next installment. I will definitely purchase the rest of the series.
Kids Love It.......2007-04-09
I bought this for a girl who doesn't read as often as she should and she couldn't put it down. She has already asked me about the next book in the trilogy.
Firestorm may not be appropriate for middle school........2007-03-28
Just a "heads-up" for middle school folks who select books. The main character is in a car with his girlfriend & tries to convince her that "this is the night." The girlfriend says "you want me to spread my legs like football goalposts? Is that it?" "Put it away. Back in your pants." "Put that sucker away and let's go home. There'll be lots of better times. I promise. Soon." "Have you every heard of blue balls? It's a medical condition. Can be terminal."
This is a great story! Consider it for high school kids. But if you live in a community that is a bit conservative, Firestorm is best selected for the high school level.
Excellent!.......2007-03-05
Firestorm is a terrific, fast-paced, suspenseful, intelligent and humorous book! I highly recommend it.
Average customer rating:
- LOVE IT
- Deja Vu?????? Wake up Johansen!!
- Big disappointment
- Yawn
- Good Book
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Firestorm
Iris Johansen
Manufacturer: Random House Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
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ASIN: 0739318128
Release Date: 2005-03-01 |
Amazon.com
Arson investigator Kerry Murphy has a unique talent for sniffing out the cause of fires like the one that killed her mother years ago. She also has a secret, known only to the mysterious stranger named Silver, a "consultant" who needs her cooperation in stopping the psychopath who burned his brother alive and who's holding national security hostage to his own demented ego. Silver has an uncanny gift for getting under Kerry's skin, which is both the good and bad news--good because it doubles their chances of finding the man behind the terrifying weapon of the title, and bad because Kerry can't afford to be vulnerable to Silver or any other man. Johansen has written a taut thriller that's not quite as combustible as its title but one that will keep readers fired up enough to stick with it to the last page. --Jane Adams
Book Description
#1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen turns up the heat in this explosive new psychological thriller. This time a gifted arson investigator teams up with a mysterious operative to stop a killer raging completely out of control...
For Kerry Murphy, the inferno is never far away. The flames of that long-ago night still burn in her nightmares: the heat, the choking smoke, the helplessness. She can never run fast enough...
Now Kerry works as an arson investigator with her evidence-sniffing dog, Sam. Together they're a great team, but her life is about to change in the time it takes to strike a match. The deadly flames of her past are back, and from out of the ashes a stranger appears. Who is Silver? And why has he chosen her in the desparate race to find a killer determined to ignite hell on earth? Kerry and Silver may not have a chance against a psychopath as coldhearted as his method is red-hot. To save themselves and the innocent lives at stake, Kerry will have to do what she hoped she'd never have to do: fight fire with fire.
From the Hardcover edition.
Download Description
#1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen turns up the heat in this explosive new psychological thriller. This time a gifted arson investigator teams up with a mysterious operative to stop a killer raging completely out of control.
For Kerry Murphy, the inferno is never far away. The flames of that long-ago night still burn in her nightmares: the heat, the choking smoke, the helplessness. She can never run fast enough...
Now Kerry works as an arson investigator with her evidence-sniffing dog, Sam. Together they're a great team, but only Kerry knows the real reason that they're so good at what they do—only Kerry and someone from a past she thought she'd put far behind.
But all that is about to change in the time it takes to strike a match. Suddenly the flames of her past are back, and this time Kerry may not be able to put them out. From out of the ashes of another tragedy a stranger appears. Who is Silver? And why does this mysterious man need her help? Even more disturbing, how does he already know so much about her? All Kerry is certain of is that he's come to enlist her in the hunt for a psychopath who has left a trail of gruesome, fiery deaths in his charred wake—a human monster determined to bring his own private version of hell to earth.
But the killer Kerry is supposed to find has already found her—and in his twisted thoughts and burning obsessions, the nightmare of her own past threatens to ignite and destroy her. When tragedy strikes, Kerry's one hope is Silver: a man who seems to have no alliance to anyone and no authority to answer to—a dangerous man who seems to know Kerry's mind almost as well as she does herself.
But even together, Kerry and Silver may have met their match in a killer as coldhearted as his method is red-hot. To save themselves and the innocents whose lives are at stake, Kerry may have to reach deep into the very past that nearly destroyed her—to do what she hoped she'd never have to do: fight fire with fire.
"[A] rip-roaring thriller... just might increase the sale of fire extinguishers."
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Terrific romantic suspense... While there are sparks of romantic tension in Firestorm, it's the hunt itself that's so consuming."
THE DAILY NEWS (NY)
Customer Reviews:
LOVE IT.......2007-03-09
I LOVE IRIS JOHANSEN!!!! ALL OF THE BOOKS I HAVE READ OF HERS ARE GREAT!!!!! READ THEM, YOU WON'T BE DISAPOINTED!
Deja Vu?????? Wake up Johansen!!.......2006-11-13
I have always enjoyed Johansen's books but they are getting
pretty predictable with the female protagonist and the male protagonist at odds with each other, building into an
obsession and her finally succumbing to his charms. Its the same story with her other female protagonists as well. Other than a little different type of killer, these stories are as redundant as a Victoria Holt gothic novel and I gave those up many years ago for the same reason.
Big disappointment.......2006-09-03
I used to enjoy Iris Johansen. This book is a super natural psychic thing. The book flap describes it as "psychological thriller", but it's not. If you enjoy the super natural type of book (Stephen King, etc) then this is good. If, like me, you dislike that type of book, STAY AWAY from this one. The main character Kerry can get into peoples minds. The other main character also does that. Yes,that is the basis of this book.
Yawn.......2006-08-15
A pathetically boring book. It just carries rhetorical dialogue between the two main characters & never really develops the main story well. The bickering between Kerry & Silver becomes boring drivel & is endless. The Firestorm, & how it's carried off, remains mostly a mystery hidden away. There's a devious North Korean who remains faceless and is never developed. The author tries to save it with a twist toward the end, but by that time you're so bored it's anti-climatic and I didn't care. The best thing about the book is it's cover. Bottom line? Save your money, unless you have trouble sleeping, that is.
Good Book.......2006-08-09
This was a good book. The plot was perfect. The only thing that I didn't like was the words that Johansen used. In a lot of her books now, she likes to use "the hell i will" or "you bet i would" so many times that i'm so tired of it. That's the only downside of her books. But other than that, this book is pretty worth it.
Books:
- Flying Without Fear
- Forever a Hustler's Wife: A Novel (Nikki Turner Original)
- Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire: What Happens When God's Spirit Invades the Hearts of His People
- Green This! Volume 1: Greening Your Cleaning (Green This!)
- He Loves Me, He Loves Me Hot (Warner Forever)
- Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
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