Book Description
What is the difference between Kurdistan and Kazakhstan?
Why did North Korea's leader kidnap his favorite actress?
Why is Osama bin Laden so mad?
Which countries still have slaves?
Why is Kashmir "the most dangerous place in the world?"
What country has the most Muslims?
Why are they fighting in Chechnya?
What little box prompted Hutus to kill Tutsis?
Who is Prince Turki and how did his hunting trip change history?
How are cows fueling the fighting between India's Muslims and Hindus?
Which country drew maps that have resulted in the most intractable wars?
What is controversial UN Resolution 242?
What makes Qatar stand out?
What country does Sumatran coffee come from?
What country's fakes forced the US to redesign the $100 bill?
Who is the FARC and why have they been fighting for decades?
Confused about the news? Slip out of the room when friends talk current events? Now you can keep up with ease.
An entertaining guide to political science, current events, foreign affairs, and history, What Every American Should Know about the Rest of the World gives you the vocabulary and background you need to decipher the modern world in a simple-to-understand format.
Customer Reviews:
Uggh!.......2006-11-28
Sit down, kick back, and get plastered while you read this book.
Obviously the author did when she wrote it!
So full of holes, contradictions, and glaring fairy tales that it makes "Peter Pan" look like a history channel documentary!
STUPID AMERICAN ROBOTS.......2006-06-11
M.L. Rossi did it again,blowback,collateral damage,nutralize.The
Robuts retention rate memory wise is ZERO.The Law of civilization and Decay Brooks Adams,War is a Racket,GEN.Smedley Butler,the retart ROBUTS do not remember,no wonder they are Robuts with a consumer,and self destruct program.Georgraphy stupid,only 10 percent travel international,but they know how to be Robuts.20 percent think Canada is part of america.50 percent do not know U.S. history.The head of U.S. bar in speech said this at Boston University Law school.Further bar will organize internationally to enforce law according to constitution, and international law .In 1927 Van Loon historian says children learnd about constitution and Bill of rights in low grades of school.They were proud to be americans,climb trees,play cowboy,wanted to be strong,had manatory physical exercise,went camping,etc.No wonder you are weak now you have been made a ROBUT.No child left behind,destorys our nation.No IQ okay,math,science stupid,cannot add one forth and three eights.Up to 50 percen percent did not graduate high school in 1960.Van Loon in his book america states that it was to late to stop the immigration in 1927,if your read what he said it will make you sick.I say artificial because of the corporat which we have to regulate NOW before they kill us,free trade has to be stopped as it is the driving force of the corporat to destory the world,greed and power dominate.Repeal death tax,they want to pay nothing as always.Their days are numbered along with the supreme court,senate,and congress.The entire government has to be replaced,They are beyond rehab,send them to JAIL.
What every american should know about the rest of the world,and who runs the world another book by author makes every thing crystal clear,but ROBUTS are to stupid to comprehend.These books should be required reading for a PHD what do they know??????,they do not say anything,who owns them???????????????
Central america was not describe in any detail,or if so I could not find it,so I will mention it,index latin america.
Central america start at south border of Mexico and ends at north border Colmbia.Costa Rica is the odd one as they have a different situation than the other central american countries.They are democratic,no army,There has been land disputes with natives and foreigners,resentment,anger.Agraculture main business,coffee,Tourist,Foreign investment.Foreign retirement.
The followng are countries in central america.Belize,Nigaraqua,Hondurus,Guatemala,El Salvador,Costa Rica,Panama.U.S. involment in these countries is not good,Costa Rica may be exception,but ???????.General Butler in is book War is a Racket says it all.Monroe doctrine states U.S. dominates in the americas.Poverty breeds communism,democratic socialism.These nations have been occupied since the spanish inslave them,and other powers that took their place,the game is still the same.What about United Fruit company,what does bananna republic mean.
Rossi gives fast facts at beginnig of each decription of country,also there are E-mail addresses in the back of the book.Rossi did this in both books mentioned,have I lost you MORON.If you are not a ROBUT do not read futher,you know it all.
The Prince,and The Art of War explain how to evaluate a situation,by knowing character you know the animal.A cat is not a dog PHD.For this subject when you look at a country findout what countries border them,What do they produce,and who wants what they have.Who are the investors,maybe international bankers,and their corporat puppets.What did Gen BUTLER say.What have many marines and army generals said about Iraq and U.S. policy lately 2006.CHAracter DOES NOT CHANGE---only who has power changes.It is the peoples turn,it will be first time in history???????????????2006-2008 vote,FREE or SLave ROBUTS.WMD
Hot spots in the world Isarel,nuclear weapons,etc,1967 border,violation UN resolutions,free lunch U.S. tax payer.Spying on US.Neo con Zionist high percent.The chosen people.If people knew the methods to found Israel they would not support it,yet maybe they would since they look at TV and say nothing ROBUTS.Most prone place for WW111.
Korea north and south want to come together.U.S. military pull back from border,possible engagement in future.ally of China north Korea.South korea conflict unions car manufacture,etc
Japan conflict north korea possible cause of wwIII
Taiwan,China,U.S.India, North Korea,Japan what a cup of tea.
Africa,oil,HIV,Puppets of different western countries,chiefs who run them I mean.War LORDS,selling the resourses of their nations to capitalist who only want profit.Do not forget dimonds,medals,agraculture,slaves. Nigeria,Shell Dutch oil,who owns it,how are they treating the natives,Like animal,maybe they think they are.This is what Gen.Butler was talking about it the same all over the formula for explotation.China is in Africa now good luck.
Iran wants nucleur,they have the right,Israel what are they doing with nucleur weapons the english help them which has been expose.They lied about having them.Palestine will be a slave state with a slave puppet for Israel.Gods chosen people,they own all the land according to god.They fought the Romans?????????????They are a world power,and they are SUPERIOR.
Why do more jews live in U.S. than any other place,why do they not go to Israel,were is the new Juruseum.WW111???????????????
Pakistan nucleur weapons,muslems in factions,India ,Pakistan WWIII Kashmir or other provocation world wide.
Middle East hot bed people hate their chiefs for U.S. support in many countries,high unemployment,two examples Egypt,Saudi Arabia,do not like ruler,Egypt paid by U.S.to not fight Israel.
IRAQ WMD no,Why are we in it,what right, we made mistake,no we should not stay>the people who got us in to this war are U.S.,England,Israel,who is running state department NEO CONS who are they on percent,you know who,like homeland security?????????
Bush and his friends the corporats gentiles the same ,but not the same.Why is biggest U.S.Embassy and 12 to 14 military instalations established in ERAQ, setup,Gen.Butler.What stupid Robuts,we are never leaving,unless we have a puppet government,or are forced too,as viet nam.They made their money.
Caucasus Combo OIL,pipelines,border disputes,factions,old soviet countries,who going to have the power Many dead from war and mistakes,are they really.Gazprom,seven sister,international bankers Same old same old.Devide and conquer.
Brazil may have nukes,or will in near future.Trading with china.
Venezuela and other countries going socialist in south america U.S. is losing grip.All these countries have extreme poverty.Small percent rich and puppets control these nations.U.S. Has supported dictators all over the americas.Mexico,central and, south america. Anyone who opposes free capitalism,free trade,The people have to do what the corporats want,or they are communistThey do not need food clothing or shelder.We have heard this lately about Venezuela.Chavez took power away from oil corporat and rich.U.S. says he is bad,did we try to take him out a while back,yes we did.He gave poor in NY oil for winter,bad man helping is country.The rich only love their own unless their is money involve,then they will sell themselves to ,who is 666???????????????????????????????????????????The upper classes think they are loved,but when push comes to shove,the elite only exist.Not in the future they are finished,but do not know it.
Rossi should push these books for college text,but the schools would not permit it.The elite are afraid of you having knowledge ROBUTS,that is why your are stupid americam robuts.
Charles Beard basic history of U.S.,Constitution,etc.Hendrick Van Loon,AMERICA,Story of Mankind,,Georgraphy,etc could help your brain.Everyone should be required to know the constitution,bill of rights,pleg to the flag,and their history.Education was better before 1960.Multiculturallism has diluted our culture.We would not be americans if not for those who fought for our rights.The corporats never gave anything to the people.
You do not have to believe in god to believe in the ten commandment,or to practice them.The jews believe in ten commandments,probably for them only in many cases.Man has to get along with man or there is nucleur war.Charging excessive interest is not christian,or moslem.No wonder the corporat want to do away with religion.It is true that religion is used as a means to control,and has caused much death,yet the ten commandments do not advocate 666.For robuts who think if there is not a god then I can do anything I want.They should consider prison,hatred,might is right,and kill everyone to keep power.You see where we are at today.
Rossi mentions immigration in this book.She states that many countries are opposed to it.Free Trade and Immigration are the cause of the down fall of nations.You can vote out those who support free trade and immigration.The constitution is hated by the corporat as it is blowback,it is blocking there way to the New World Order,Globalism,no borders all third world.KING
There is no energy shortage,there is alternative energy.Our system is artificial a monopoly of the rich,a dead horse.
You can control the nation by stopping all immigration.Legislate to regulate free trade as soon as we change government.No insiders in third party,create after we change government by the vote,or ask the military to enforce the constitution,but high level military who are corporat could not be involved.We must take back our country and our idenity as the american people who created this country.American citizens who are the majority,the democratic way,get rid of electorial college,No electric voting,they have already cheated.
Criminals run our country along with all those who benefit from ripping off the ROBUTS,they are all the same.How did you let these fools sellout our nation.Any cost is worth our freedom.We can ration,they did in world war 11.How could there be an energy shortage.The corporat is expanding.Brooks Adams Law of Civilization and decay.The bankers are relentless they will centralize the governments,the E.U. and north america,and then desentergrate.They are inferior,they must be stopped.I read two books with different conclusions in Adams book Law.The one I remember is the man on the white horse,the military may be only solution,we may have been Robuts to long,we have to fight to the death,better dead than slave.Take our nation back,save america.STOP IMMIGRATION.Augustus will come again,he will arrive in near future.The Old good boy clubs will not stop him,you cannot fool all the people all the time.Those boys are international and in every government.
Russia has enough nuclear weapons to blow up the world many times over.They do not want unlimited immigration.They want to keep their idenity and culture.The west tried to eat them alive after the fall.Putin has fought the mafia and western capitalist.Russia may become the last hope for western culture.
They want demodratic socialism which is dirty word in america.The corporat cannot control everything.They took back the oil company.one in jail one they want in Israel,Isarel will not allow extradition,gods law.Iran,Russia,China,Pakistan,North Korea,south america???WW111
Largest munition dealer U.S.. Against land mine regulation.Encourages countries to buy arms.England arms dealer,Isreal arms dealer.Did Israel have problem with U.S.about what it was selling to China.
Stop immigration,stop Free Trade,vote out the present government period.
Good idea and well organized, but too many errors.......2006-05-27
I bought this book last year because I really liked the concept - a sort of brief guide to the world for Americans. Many of us, myself included, are lacking a good understanding of other parts of the world. And we rely too much on the dominant media to "educate" us on the facts, conditions and histories of countries that are important or where problems make them a place to be concerned about.
That said, this book gets a mixed review from me because it does well in some areas and poorly in others.
What I liked:
It's organized well - starting with the places that are "ticking" time bombs and gradually working down the ratings of volatility to the nations that are "talkers" (as opposed to "doers" I suppose). That concept groups countries with similar problems, outlooks, histories, etc. near each other in the book. Because so many issues tend to cross national boundaries it makes it easy to see how the same situation developed or has been addressed in neighboring places.
It's not a big book, especially since the topic is the world, and so it has to boil down the issues and histories into some brief points. For the most part the author does a good job of identifying what is really important to know.
What I didn't like:
Some of the synopses are so brief as to not be very useful.
Inaccuracies were too common. Both my sons take honors level history classes and while reading this book they complained of statements that they thought were wrong. We sat down together and researched the points that they found fault with - and the boys were on the money. Much of it has to do with how brief some of the author's comments are - it resulted in over simplification of some complex subjects that came across as misleading. Not exactly wrong, but if you are familiar with the subject being discussed you would likely shake your head and say "that's really not an accurate way to describe the facts."
There were several points on which the author just got the important facts wrong. For example, in the section on Somalia on page 143 there is a box containing one very long paragraph that describes what is commonly known as the "Battle of Mogadishu". Among the things the author got wrong was an allusion that warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid might have been tipped off about the US operation by his son who was a Marine "supposedly helping out the U.S. with translation." Aidid's son Hussein Farrah Aydid was a Marine Reservist and had been sent to Somalia to translate and serve as a liaison with his father. However, that had only lasted for three weeks and the younger Aydid had been back at his job the City of West Covina engineering department, updating water maps, counting cars in traffic, etc. for more than ten months before the battle took place.
The same section is full of other blatant errors, some of which are minor - "the image of a dead Marine being dragged through the streets..." is inaccurate because there were no Marines present in Somalia or participating in the operation. The Marines had operated in country earlier, and from time to time there were some Marine units offshore, but not for the events described by the author.
Some are significant errors. Such as the author's statement that the Somali militia forces brought down two Blackhawk helicopters using "land-to-air missiles..." Inaccurate because the Somali's actually used Soviet era Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) which are relatively unsophisticated weapons compared to ground to air missiles. The realization that a Blackhawk was susceptible to incapacitating damage by something as simple and cheap as an RPG was something of a shock. That is an important point. Perhaps more importantly, it is a unproven but widely held belief that Al Qaeda was responsible for discovering this weakness and providing slightly modified RPGs and training to the Somalis in an effort to hurt and embarrass the U.S. The author failed to mention that and it would seem important considering the importance given in other parts of the book to Al Qaeda and terrorism in general.
The same paragraph has inaccurate statements about the goal of the mission that sparked the battle and the basic facts of when and how elements were introduced into the operation and what role they played.
Others have commented on what appears to be the interjection of politically motivated bias on the author's part. It was apparent when I saw it, slightly annoying (just give me the facts and let me make up my own mind about how I feel about what I've learned) but I learned to just discount it and skip past it.
Conclusion:
A darn good idea and well organized, but too skimpy on details in some parts and too many major errors to be trusted. That last part was the kiss of death for the book as far as I'm concerned. If I can find that many blatant errors in one paragraph I have no confidence in anything else I read. I might give it another half star if Amazon would let me, but not a full three stars.
Basic primer for the uneducated masses.......2006-02-04
Hey, I liked the book- its written simply, with some humor, and it punches the major points. In Depth analysis it isn't and wasn't meant to be, but let's face it, most Americans don't want any in depth analysis of world issues- heck, half of them can't point out the Pacific Ocean. This will have to do for those folks. It hits the lowlights and highlights, gives some easy to read charts and maps, and while simplistic- covers enough for the USA TODAY types who want the picture, map, and easy bullet list.
Frankly, I think this book is a necessity for schools- or something like it- it may be the only way for kids to find Africa on the map or understand between Hutus and Tutsis.
not bad but def. left of center.......2005-10-21
I actually own this book and for some reason never thought about it being biased until I delved into topics I know more about than she does apparently. I could go into detail about it but won't bother.
She tends state her opinions as fact and it is obvious that she takes a "blame America first" attitude; almost as if she is taking the standpoint of somebody who lives in Europe who wants to placate her European friends by showing she is subtly embarrassed to be American.
The world is much more complex than she would have you believe, and she is by no means a well read diplomat. I mean c'mon she encourages people to read the BBC. I will credit her with her endorsement of the Economist though, I believe that is a very fair and balanced magazine.
Book Description
Written for U.S. Army Special Forces to be used in the field. Chapters on incendiary systems tools and techniques, initiators, fusecord, improvised string fuse and others. Chapters on incendiary materials napalm improvised paraffin sawdust, fire bottles and much more.
Average customer rating:
- A must-read for history buffs
- I think this is my favorite book ever
- Bizarre, hilarious, humorous, wonderful - Buy it.
- A truly crazy story!
- Fantastic
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Bat Bomb: World War II's Other Secret Weapon
Jack Couffer
Manufacturer: University of Texas Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Military
| History
| Subjects
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General
| World War II
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0292707908 |
Book Description
It was a crazy way to win World War II in the Pacific-- All the United States had to do was to attach small incendiary bombs to millions of bats and release them over Japan's major cities. As the bats went to roost, a million fires would flare up in remote crannies of the wood and paper buildings common throughout Japan. When their cities were reduced to ashes, the Japanese would surely capitulate... The plan made sense to a handful of eccentric promoters and researchers, who convinced top military brass and even President Roosevelt to back the scheme. It might have worked, except that another secret weapon--something to do with atoms--was chosen to end the war. Told here by the youngest member of the team, this is the story of the bat bomb project, or Project X-Ray, as it was officially known. In scenes worthy of a Capra or Hawks comedy, Jack Couffer recounts the unorthodox experiments carried out in the secrecy of Bandera, Texas, Carlsbad, New Mexico, and El Centro, California, in 1942-1943 by "Doc" Adams' private army. This oddball cast of characters included an eccentric inventor, a distinguished Harvard scientist, a biologist with a chip on his shoulder, a movie star, a Texas guano collector, a crusty Marine Corps colonel, a Maine lobster fisherman, an ex-mobster, and a tiger. Not to be defeated by minor logistical hurdles, the bat bomb researchers risked life and limb to explore uncharted bat caves and "recruit" thousands of bats to serve their country. Through months of personality conflicts, military snafus, and technical failures the team pressed on, certain that bats could end the war with Japan. And they might have--in their first airborne test, the bat bombers burned an entire brand-new military airfield to the ground. For everyone who relishes true tales of action and adventure, Bat Bomb is a must-read. Bat enthusiasts will also discover the beginnings of the scientific study of bats.
Customer Reviews:
A must-read for history buffs.......2006-10-30
An unknown but funny and very well-written chapter in history. The bat bomb carried zillions of bats, each of which had an incendiary device tied to it. The goal was to burn down Japanese towns. During its first test, it accidentally burned down the building housing the project! Talk about just desserts. This will cure anyone who thinks history is boring.
I think this is my favorite book ever.......2006-10-08
This book contains the funniest line I have ever read, already quoted by another reviewer: "We got a sure thing like the bat bomb going...." But there is much more to this book. The writing is incredible. For example, the author describes what happens when they use movie lights to illuminate the inside of one cave for the first time in its history. The description of almost being suffocated by clouds of bats so thick is first rate. Also, the tender retelling of his romance with Arlie is top notch. Who would have expected such deft handling of first love in a book about bat bombs? It made me want more of this material. I also treasured the retelling of the tiger mascot, "Top Sarge." Or when our hero tries to beat the cowboys at their own game in calf-roping. I could go on and on. I think the key to the success of this book is how the author treats all the characters with upmost respect. There is nothing snarky about how the author treats the self-important Patsy, who was Capone's driver, or the guano salesman.
Read this book. You won't be disappointed.
Bizarre, hilarious, humorous, wonderful - Buy it........2002-11-28
Wonderfully humorous and hilarious factual account of one of the most bizarre "weapons" developed by the United States during WW-II.
A truly crazy story!.......2002-05-06
I read this at about the same time I discovered Richard Rhodes' "The Making of the Atomic Bomb". The contrast between the seemingly insane bat bomb and the almost farcial nature of it's builder's quest contrasted wonderfully with the serious and dark tones of the Manhattan project. This book has parts that made me laugh out loud, which is something that few history books can do.
The story of prospecting the cave is priceless, and it gives me the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it...
Fantastic.......1998-04-09
BAT BOMB covers a quite unknown but important part of World War II history. It got good reviews, but the public seemed to neglect it (I don't know why). This book is not only an important history lesson, it is also a wildly entertaining read. Don't YOU neglect this book. Read it. You'll love it.
Amazon.com Reviews
Warriors have used incendiary weapons from the earliest times. In this comprehensive study, English chemist and historian J.R. Partington traces their origins to Assyrian bas-reliefs from the 9th century, B.C., and even finds hints of them in the Old Testament (see Proverbs 26:18, for instance). Firearms technology took a great leap forward with the advent of so-called Greek fire, used by the Byzantine fleet to defend Constantinople against Arab attackers in the 7th century, and then later versus the Crusaders. One of history's first secret weapons, Greek fire is poorly understood today. Contemporary accounts describe nozzles spouting a fiery liquid that would burn even on the surface of the sea. Experts have tried to determine the exact nature of the substance--the recipe has been lost--but without reaching any definitive conclusions. Partington offers his own theories about one of the great mysteries of premodern warfare. He also describes the advent of gunpowder, exploring the legend of supposed inventor Black Berthold (a mythic figure, says Parrington) and examining the development of firearms in Europe, the Middle East, and China. First published in 1960, A History of Greek Fire and Gunpowder is a classic work on the development of military technology. A number of illustrations embellish the text, written in workmanlike prose that is at once scholarly and accessible to serious readers. --John J. Miller
Book Description
For nearly 600 years, from the battles of the early fourteenth century to the dropping of the atomic bomb at Hiroshima, firearms derived from gunpowder and other chemicals defined the frightful extent of war. The apparatus and materials used in World War I would have been familiar to our remote ancestors. In this classic work, first published in 1960, James Riddick Partington provides a worldwide survey of the evolution of incendiary devices, Greek fire, and gunpowder.
Greek fire, a composition Partington believes was made of a distilled petroleum fraction and other ingredients (but not saltpetre), was most famously used in the sieges of Constantinople and the Crusades. Partington moves from its antecedents--other incendiaries used in ancient warfare--to European gunpowder recipe books (The Latin Book of Fire, Bellifortis, and Feuerwerkbuch) and the history of infernal machines, mines, canon, small arms, and artillery. His book includes chapters on gunpowder and weapons in Muslim lands, India, and China--including fire books, the use of gunpowder as a propellant, the artillery of the Mughal Emperors, and the use of saltpetre in explosives. He traces the development of gunpowder to eleventh-century China and cites the first known mention and picture of a firearm in 1326.
"The history of gunpowder and firearms has attracted many authors with varying interests. The general historian must take account of major inventions effecting revolutions in the life of nations. The historian of science is concerned mostly with the invention of gunpowder. The historian of technology examines the development in the manufacture of explosives and weapons, and the way in which gunpowder has found applications in the peaceful arts. The military historian deals mainly with the use of gunpowder as an explosive and a propellant... and the development of firearms and their use in warfare. No recent book in English (or for that matter in any language) has attempted a concise survey of the subject."--from the Preface
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book, excellent service.......2006-11-08
The book was delivered in a very short time, by the way, it's an excellent book.
A mixed bag.......2003-08-03
[At the beginning, I must point out that the book I read was the 1960 hardbound edition, and some of what I have to say might not apply to later editions.]
This large book is filled with interesting information on the origins of incendiaries and gunpowder, from ancient Assyria, up to around 1500 A.D. The first chapter looks at incendiaries, and includes a marvelous investigation into the ingredients of Greek Fire. After that, the book turns to the origins of gunpowder in the West, and the evolution of its use in warfare. The next two chapters are quite fascinating, focusing on firearms and pyrotechnics in Muslim lands and China. The final chapter is a quick look at saltpeter.
I must admit to having found this book to being quite a mixed bag. F.E. Morgan's (1960) introduction bemoans the development of military technology, and seems quite out of place in this book. As for the text itself, the author wrote this book for a scholarly audience, and it shows it. That is to say, it is written in a dry, even turgid manner that is bound to put the casual reader to sleep.
The articles themselves contain information that ranges from the absolutely fascinating to the dull, overly drawn out look at obscure points. That said, though, this book is a wonderful resource, that contains a goldmine of information for anyone interested in Greek Fire or the early use of gunpowder. I give this book a somewhat guarded recommendation.
Average customer rating:
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Scorched Art: The Incendiary Aesthetic of Flame Rite Zippos
Tom Hazelmyer ,
Coop ,
Shag ,
R. Crumb , and
Daniel Clowes
Manufacturer: Feral House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book
General
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
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General
| Graphic Arts
| Graphic Design
| Design & Decorative Arts
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Pop Culture
| Graphic Design
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General
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Crumb, R.
| Authors, A-Z
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Clowes, Daniel
| Authors, A-Z
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0922915830 |
Book Description
For almost a decade, the radical art group Flame Rite has been producing Zippo lighters featuring the work of prominent comic artists. These "miniature billboards" that normally display a corporate logo have been reinvented as witty pop-art confections. Charles Burns's ominous Smoking Skull, Daniel Clowes's creepy-comic Eightball, Big Daddy Roth's wacky Rat Fink, the fabulous retroisms of Niagara's All Girls Are Bad and Shag's Ooguh Booguh — all these and more (130 total) are on lurid display. The book includes the work of more than 30 prominent artists including R. Crumb, Daniel Clowes, and Shag, exclusive, previously unpublished art from 20 artists in the Flame Rite lineup, and every "metal canvas" that Flame Rite Zippo produced, featuring rare and out-of-print models.
Amazon.com
One of the most expressive areas of the comics publishing world belongs to minicomics: self-published, usually photocopied, very personal works. Minicomics often get grouped along with zines: small-press, very individualistic, magazines. V. Vale, one of the driving visionaries behind RE/Search Publications, brought together this collection of "incendiary interviews with independent publishers," which captures the excitement and raw energy of counter-culture zine publishing.
Book Description
This is the first comprehensive guidebook to the Zine Movement of self-publishing which started anew in the early 1990s, and continues with Internet blogs and publications like Found. Used in college classes, this how-to volume covers all aspects of self-publishing, including layout and design, promotion, marketing and distribution. Historical background covers everything from Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack to the science-fiction mimeographed zines of the 20s. Zines are independent, not-for-profit publications that counter the corporate monoculture of mainstream media, and are thus instrumental in keeping the torch of liberty and freethinking burning. Some very funny stories and illustrations punctuate this alternative-culture document from the underground.
Customer Reviews:
This Book Changed My Life!!.......2001-10-31
V. Vale has published a masterpiece. A slice of otherwise discarded and forgotten culture is preserved in this fantastic book. I wonder what's become of these zine makers since this book was published? I need more, maybe Zines 3 will surface! V. Vale is a true archivist of underground culture and should be rewarded for his efforts.
Independant Underground Revolution.......2000-04-16
Sounds weird eh? The whole riot of the punk zine era has to be a respected one. In order to understand it I suggest reading this book. Your given examples of some of the pinnacles of the punk zines, giving inspiration not only to myself, but those who wish to express themselves beyond their bedroom.
A pretty good book........1999-03-09
It was very interesting ,I loved it.I will definentally read it again
Book Description
When a massive suicide bomb explodes at a London soccer match a woman loses both her four-year-old son and her husband. But the bombing is only the beginning. In a voice alive with grief, compassion, and startling humor, Incendiary is a stunning debut of one ordinary life blown apart by terror.
Customer Reviews:
Disgusting.......2007-10-05
I was assigned this for a college English 101 class: be warned, it is full of sex scenes, terrible grammar, and a COMPLETE lack of morals. I am going to complain to my college; are we supposed to be LEARNING from this???!!! If you have doubts, read it yourself. The average good person will be disgusted by 'Incendiary.' This is the SLIME off the streets of London, the CAUSE of the stench from its back teeth - and the rest of the world, as well.
Some try to say that this book is a story about survival: it's not; the main character is completely destroyed, and ends up almost murdering people and going LITERALLY crazy. One of the three main characters is killed by police for pretending to have a bomb. The main character sleeps around with anybody (self-proclaimed) as a way to deal with her stress.
GO FIGURE!!!
Relentlessly Pessimistic.......2006-12-31
Reader beware! This is a relentlessly pessimistic novel that does not have a single admirable character and very few redeeming actions. The letter to Osama is a "cutesy" device that completely fails to achieve its goal of imagining a futuristic, post 9/11 world because its characters are so horrific, if not psychotic, to start with. It is hard to blame terrorism on the complete unraveling of people who were crazy to start with. There are flashes of humor, and the theme of class warfare is clear, but these do not offset a horrifying point of view.
Should be Called Waffling Woman.......2006-08-20
Even if somehow Bin Laden did pick up this book and for some reason decide to read it he would not stick with it to learn the lesson that his victims are real average struggling people. The fictional letter/diary to Bin Laden from the mother of a fictional attack victim from an Arsenal-Chelsea soccer game which eleven suicide bombers interrupted is so boring Bin Laden would give it away before learning what the author wants him to. The mother just waffles on and on and on and on and on taking forever to get to the point of what she wants to say in any paragraph. If Bin Laden is ever captured maybe force him to read this as torture or something.
Also why does Chris Cleve chose to glorify Bin Ladden by crediting him with a new attack when lets face it he hasn't achieved much since September 11 2001 other than be the world hide and seek champion cowering in a cave somewhere.
This book would have been more realistic and made more sense as a letter to the IRA, Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad or one of the current more frequently operating groups. Alternatively base it on a fictional mother of a fictional character on one of the planes or in the World trade Centre. A good concept for a book but poorly written and to be quite frank, extremely boring!
Fabulous narrator on audio .......2006-05-15
I listened to this novel on CD, narrated by Susan Lyons. What a fabulous job! This story was about the pain and the passion of the main character, who had lost her son and husband in a terrorist bombing--Ms. Lyons translated all of this pathos elegantly, missing none of the anger, the incredulity, the bitterness, the near-lunacy of the grieving woman. I think I would've have missed some of the nuance of this novel if I'd read it myself instead of listened to this fine narration.
Powerful, painful.......2006-05-10
This book is one of the most emotionally powerful books I've read in a long time. It made me want to cry at times.
The story is basically about a woman who loses her husband and son in a horrific fictional terrorist attack in London (ironically, the book was released either a day before or a day after the London Subway attacks).
The book chronicles her pain and suffering as everything she knows falls apart and she piteously tries to hold on to something, anything.
This book will seriously tear at your heart as you read it.
Average customer rating:
- A PRINCIPLED FOE OF ENTRENCHED POWER
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Beating the Devil: The Incendiary Rants of Alexander Cockburn (AK Press Audio)
Alexander Cockburn
Manufacturer: AK Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
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ASIN: 1902593499 |
Book Description
This is a "wittiest of" maverick commentator Alexander Cockburn recent talks. Whether he's skewering the fallacies of the drug war or illuminating the dark crevices of secret government, his erudite and extemporaneous style warms the hearts of even the stodgiest cynics of the left.
Alexander Cockburn writes a weekly column for The Nation and is the founding editor of the bi-monthly journal Counterpunch. His books include Whiteout: The CIA Drugs and The Press, Five Days That Shook the World, Corruptions of Empire and Washington Babylon.
Customer Reviews:
A PRINCIPLED FOE OF ENTRENCHED POWER.......2003-01-10
Listening to these exerpts from several of Cockburn's talks is a relief from the 24/7 idiocy of the cable networks and what passes for talk radio. He covers lots of topics of recent interest(the stolen election of 2000, Clinton's disgusting final days, the proper response to 9-11) and each time illuminates a part of the story ignored by the mainstream press. My only complaint is that he was much to soft on that miserable cheerleader for our Warlord-in-Chief, Christopher Hitchens, a man who reacted to the attacks of 9-11 by throwing overboard just about all his principles. He really should have been more thoroughly scorched - that section was not sufficiently "incendiary"!
Book Description
"An uncannily honest writer." -- New York Times Book Review
The novelist and journalist Amitav Ghosh has offered extraordinary firsthand accounts of pivotal world events over the past twenty years. He is an essential voice in forums like The Nation, the New York Times, the New Republic, Granta, and The New Yorker, Incendiary Circumstances brings together the finest of these pieces for the first time -- including many never before published in the States -- in a compelling chronicle of the turmoil of our times.
Incendiary Circumstances begins with Ghosh's arrival in the Andaman and Nicobar islands just days after the devastation of the 2005 tsunami. We then travel back to September 11, 2001, as Ghosh retrieves his young daughter from school, sick with the knowledge that she must witness the kind of firestorm that has been in the background of his everyday life since childhood. With a prescience born of experience, Ghosh warned decades ago of the dangerous rise of religious extremism.
In his travels he has stood on an icy mountaintop on the contested border between India and Pakistan, interviewed Pol Pot's sister-in-law in Cambodia, shared the elation of Egyptians when Naguib Mahfouz won the Nobel Prize, and stood with his threatened Sikh neighbors through the riots following Indira Gandhi's assassination. With intelligence and authentic sympathy, he "illuminates the human drama behind the headlines" (Publishers Weekly). Incendiary Circumstances is unparalleled testimony of an era defined by the ravages of politics and nature.
Amitav Ghosh is acclaimed for his political journalism and his travel writing. The New York Times Book Review called his travelogue, In An Antique Land, "remarkable . . . rivals anything by the masters of social realism in modern Egyptian literature." He is also the best-selling author of four novels, including The Hungry Tide and The Glass Palace, which has been published in eighteen foreign editions. Ghosh has won France's prestigious Prix Medici Etranger, India's Sahitya Akademi Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and a Pushcart Prize. Educated in South Asia, the Middle East, and the United Kingdom, Ghosh holds a doctorate in social anthropology from Oxford. He divides his time between Harvard University, where he is a visiting professor, and his homes in Kolkata, India, and Brooklyn, New York.
Advance Praise for Incendiary Circumstances
"This absorbing collection of essays by the novelist, journalist, and travel writer Ghosh . . . covers some two decades of catastrophe and upheaval, from sectarian violence in his native India during the 1980s through the September 11 attacks . . . to the recent Indian Ocean tsunami. With an eye for evocative detail, he illuminates the human dramas behind the headlines: the plight of tsunami refugees trying to rebuild their lives and finances after every bank record and piece of ID is lost to the waves; the courage of ordinary Indians protecting their Sikh neighbors from rampaging Hindu mobs . . . He is equally engaging when he turns from current affairs to literary essays on, say, the international culture of novel reading or the Kashmiri poet Agha Shahid Ali. Written in luminous prose with unusual understanding . . . an insightful look at a chaotic world." -- Publishers Weekly Starred Review
Praise for Amitav Ghosh
"Ghosh is adept at delineating the complicated crosscurrents of emerging national independence movements. He is even more impressive at portraying the different ways in which individuals react to the turmoil, hardship, and disorientation wrought by war." – Wall Street Journal
"A wonderful hybrid of travel writing, reporting, historical analysis, and memoir – in other words, the kind of piece [Ghosh] writes better than almost anyone else." – Washington Times
Customer Reviews:
Good piece .......2007-01-14
A collection of articulate essays written at different times and on different places and about different experiences. Though the piece on 9/11 was disappointing. It lacks depths of the other essays. The reader gets a glimpse of different places, different people, different politics, and of course how the "incendiary circumstances" have changed/affected/moulded peoples lives across borders. A superb pastime reading indeed !
Some excellent writing.......2006-10-13
This book is a collection of essays, written from a variety of locations around the world for various magazines, over the past fifteen years or so, by the Indian journalist Amitav Ghosh. To my taste they were uneven in quality. The first piece in the book, covering the effects of the 2004 Tsunami on the Indian inhabitants of some islands to the southeast of the Indian mainland, is beautifully written, engrossing and stands out as a masterpiece. It was very worthwhile reading a piece about life in India by a gifted Indian writer.
I learned a good deal from a number of the other pieces as well. However the quality of the pieces seems to go down in relation to the distance Ghosh is removed from what he knows best (India and Indians), he has a habit of trying a little too hard to have profound insights, and seems a little preachy at times. On the other hand, as someone from a different background, I found the book quite useful for improving my knowledge of Indian viewpoints on topics dealing with politics and society.
Book Description
The Women Incendiaries tells the inspirational story of women who played a leading role in the Paris Commune, one of history's greatest moments of social upheaval. This is the first paperback edition of this vital, remarkable book.
Edith Thomas was a French writer whose books include a biography of Paris Commune leader Louise Michel.
Customer Reviews:
this book is a must for your feminist collection.......2007-09-04
The Women Incendiaries was reprinted in paperback this year from the nonprofit book publisher, Haymarket Books. This classic feminist text was first published in France in 1963 and translated to English three years later. It describes the role women played in the Paris Commune, an anarchist-socialist government that took hold of Paris for two months in the spring of 1871.
This book is not a light read, but for anyone who has interest in the current political atmosphere, this revolutionary tale provides historical significance. It was a time, much like our own, when military defeat and poor political leadership encouraged an ever-widening disparity between rich and poor. The disillusionment of the working class was at an all time high, and personal dignity was often sacrificed in the name of survival.
And of those who suffered, women were one of the most transgressed. Their mother-wife role in the patriarchal society was clear, but as the working poor they were unable to live up to this moral standard, and those with money and power condemned them for it. Many of the female revolutionaries of the time rightly believed that women's rights were an inextricable part of worker's rights, and you could not have one without the other. With this conviction in mind, they took a large part in organizing and fighting within revolutionary organizations, including the French socialist movement that gave rise to the Paris Commune. The role they played in this battle for dignity, and its effect on the future of women's liberation, is not mentioned in history books. But thanks to historian Edith Thomas, we have a detailed and unflinching account of these inspiring feminists.
Unfortunately, the author isn't writing for the uninitiated. Her audience is primarily women's studies students and historians. Thankfully, she takes extensive footnotes, and leaves a trail of books to which the reader can go for more information. If you're a fan of classic feminist literature, this book is a must for your collection.
The Women Incendiaries paints a vivid picture of turbulent era.......2007-09-03
Originally published in 1963 and translated into English in 1966, The Women Incendiaries: The Inspiring Story of the Women of Paris Commune Who Took Up Arms in the Fight for Liberty and Equality is now in a new paperback edition. The Women Incendiaries a historical analysis of the role women played during the Paris commune of 1871. In the spring of 1871, the workers of Paris claimed and held the city for two months. They elected a municipal council of workers and soldiers to govern in the interests of all workers; the Commune swiftly issued decrees ranging from an enforced limit on the highest salary for any employee of the Commune to an established separation of church and state. The Women Incendiaries especially focuses upon the true story of Louise Michel, who was eventually arrested, put on trial, and sentenced to exile. Yet when she returned to Paris in 1880, ten thousand workers gathered to greet her. The Women Incendiaries paints a vivid picture of turbulent era, and is a welcome classic for international history shelves.
The Role of Women in the Paris Commune of 1871.......2007-08-30
Edith Thomas originally produced in 1948 perhaps one of the best socio-political histories of the role women played in the Paris uprising of the modern proletariat in 1871. Thomas illuminates the contributions of the best known socialist-anarchist leader Louis Michael and others. These women demanded participation within the leadership of the uprising and the defense of the Commune. Michael according to Thomas was the unofficial representative of the Second International, then lead by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels. Much of what Marx and Engels use in their famous pamphlet on the "Civil War in France 1871" came directly from the information reported and supplied by Michel. Thomas provides significant documentation of these reports.
Seeking and locating documents of the commune in power, the personal dairies of the women participants and unearthing police documents Thomas produced one of the best seminal works in modern history on the nature of the class and sex struggle. The role of the Women in the Commune is finally coming to light and any serious student of modern revolution needs to understand the very beginnings of the issues that remain today such as free birth control on demand, 24 hour child care, equal pay and opportunity regardless of sex and the right to free abortion for all women. Many of the modern day struggles of feminists and working women today were addressed by the leaders of the Commune. Women played an essential and significant direct role in this revolutionary uprising that included participating in the direct defense of the Commune. Women fought alongside with the men on the streets of Paris and many were killed and buried in the mass graves of the communards shoulder to shoulder.
This is a worthy read for any student of social revolution who is sincerely interested in the lessons the Commune and its relevancy for the modern radical labor movement.
The fate of Louise Michael after the uprising, including her trial and sentence to France's famous penal colony on the notorious island of no return (as depicted in Papillion). Thomas documents Michael's fate as well as the fate of other women leaders of the Commune. She dispels the myth that these women were conscious incendiaries. It is important to note this book was originally written long before the modern second wave of feminism and serves as a historical backdrop of where many modern leaders and authors of the second wave of feminism learned about their herstory.
I am so glade this book is back in print and I highly recommend it.
Books:
- When Pigasso Met Mootisse
- A Good Year (MTI)
- A House for Hermit Crab (Stories to Go!)
- A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
- A Mind at a Time
- A Once-And-Coming Spirit at Pentecost: Essays on the Liturgical Readings Between Easter and Pentecost, Taken from the Acts of the Apostles and from
- A Rich Man's Secret: An Amazing Formula for Success
- Absolute Fear
- Almost Friends: A Harmony Novel (Harmony Novels)
- Angels in America: Millennium Approaches (Angels in America)
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