World Without End

Book Description

Ken Follett has 90 million readers worldwide. The Pillars of the Earth is his bestselling book of all time. Now, eighteen years after the publication of The Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett has written the most-anticipated sequel of the year—World Without End.

In 1989 Ken Follett astonished the literary world with The Pillars of the Earth, a sweeping epic novel set in twelfth-century England centered on the building of a cathedral and many of the hundreds of lives it affected. Critics were overwhelmed—“it will hold you, fascinate you, surround you” (Chicago Tribune)—and readers everywhere hoped for a sequel.

World Without End takes place in the same town of Kingsbridge, two centuries after the townspeople finished building the exquisite Gothic cathedral that was at the heart of The Pillars of the Earth. The cathedral and the priory are again at the center of a web of love and hate, greed and pride, ambition and revenge, but this sequel stands on its own. This time the men and women of an extraordinary cast of characters find themselves at a crossroad of new ideas— about medicine, commerce, architecture, and justice. In a world where proponents of the old ways fiercely battle those with progressive minds, the intrigue and tension quickly reach a boiling point against the devastating backdrop of the greatest natural disaster ever to strike the human race—the Black Death.

Three years in the writing, and nearly eighteen years since its predecessor, World Without End breathes new life into the epic historical novel and once again shows that Ken Follett is a masterful author writing at the top of his craft.

Customer Reviews:

Well worth the wait ! ! ! ! ! .......2007-10-10

I am a big fan of Ken Follett, and admire that he moves in a seemingly effortless manner between genres. However, his best work is found in the "great historical novel", and he has delivered handsomely with this latest effort.

This is being touted as a sequel to "The Pillars of the Earth" which is true enough, but it is also a little misleading, as it is set 200 years after the tales told in that magnificent novel, and as such can definitely be read as a stand alone novel. Having said that though, if you haven't read "Pillars of the Earth" - do - it is magnificent!

Knowledge of this wonderful earlier work will be helpful, as there is reference to characters from that time and being familiar with their adventures certainly gives you some insight into what is happening at the time, but if you are new to Follett's work, please don't let this put you off. He mentions enough of the earlier characters (without being boring to those readers who know the book SO well)for any new reader to have an idea of what has happened before.

The tale seems simple enough - 4 very different young people witness a fight in the forrest which leads to death and the hiding of a great secret, and this reverberates through their lives for years to come. What is not simple enough is the detail that goes in to these character's lives - they are all wonderful in their own different ways, and we can all feel that we can see the world they live in, taste their food, smell the odours of their environment and rejoice and mourn as they do.

Follett is also the master of understanding how humans think; how they plot and scheme, and how the whims of fate can change a life that seems completely planned and organised. And all of this in a magnificent medieval setting with court intrigue, pious devotion, illness and the whims of nature! What more could you want?

If you like a good hefty historical novel with a great plot, detailed environment and well drawn and very engaging characters, you will NOT be disappointed. It is wonderful and I recommend it highly.

Very good.......2007-10-09

I am a big fan of Ken Follett's work, but know that most authors have occasional "duds", and at over 1000 pages (the British version I bought), I was concerned this would be a bloated, rambling disappointment. I also loved "Pillars of the Earth" when I read it many years ago but had forgotten all but being fascinated by learning cathedral construction techniques, so I was hesitant to read a "sequel" in case this book was dependent on remembering the first one. Still, because I read that this was a well researched and competent book, I decided to take a chance on it.

I am happy to report that my concerns were unfounded. The book is long, but it has a lot going on and is not at all bloated. There are several stories being told, but they all interweave and the elimination of one would be a loss. Although it is set in the same location and refers back to some of the original characters, reading or remembering "Pillars" is not required. I enjoy learning about the construction and medical theories of the day and wish this aspect had been further expanded, but if a reader does not, there is not so much of it that it would be detrimental.

All in all, if you like historical fiction with plenty of death, love and destruction, this book is highly recommended. The length of the book will dissuade some from trying it, but those who have longer attention spans will not be disappointed.

A Masterpiece Sequel To The Pillars Of The Earth!.......2007-10-09

The Pillars of the Earth has been one of my all-time favorite books, and so I was a little skeptical about how good its sequel could be. My concern was totally unnecessary. World Without End, which takes place in the same town of Kingsbridge almost 200 years later and has the cathedral as its backdrop, is an excellent book and I expect that in time it will also be considered to be a masterpiece. Not having read The Pillars of the Earth will not deter you in any way from enjoying World Without End, as other than the common thread mentioned above, it reads like a stand-alone. Follett 'packs it all' in this 1,024 page book -- love, greed, pride, ambition and revenge. Do yourself a favor and be one of the first on line to get yourself a copy of this very entertaining and memorable book. But be aware that your enjoyment won't come cheap -- the retail price of World Without End is $35. I think you'll find, however, that it is worth every penny.

Average customer rating:

Too many cliches. Intelligent readers should avoid.
THE CIA IS OOL
literary equivalent of a Jerry Bruckheimer film
No Sophomore Jinx
Mission Impossible W/o the masks

World Without End
Chris Mooney
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0671040642
Release Date: 2002-10-29

Book Description

The ultimate spy has stolen the ultimate weapon....

WORLD WITHOUT END

His code name is Angel Eyes. His ability to steal advanced prototype weapons is legendary in the shadowy world of covert ops. Yet the weapons are never sold on any black market. They're never used. They simply vanish.

Veteran CIA operative Steve Conway knows the next target -- a combat uniform that renders a soldier virtually invisible -- and knows it would make Angel Eyes unstoppable. But when a trap is set, things go terribly wrong. Now, to retrieve the most valuable weapon ever invented, Conway must go one-on-one with the most dangerous man in the world. As he closes in on the true identity of Angel Eyes, Conway begins to see that there are sinister forces at work. Forces that may come from within the CIA itself. Forces that want Conway dead...

Customer Reviews:

Too many cliches. Intelligent readers should avoid........2005-11-26

I was attracted by the good reviews. However the writing is formulaic..you can pick the good guys and the bad guys fairly quickly. And there is double cross after double cross...one yawn. And almost of course there is the "ultimate betrayal" near the end...double yawn.
The characters are one dimensional. The attempt to make the story interesting by running different time lines is amateurish.
And OK maybe just maybe you could make a helicopter invisible. But there is no attempt to explain how it was made SILENT. Just not good enough.
Possibly OK for a brainless read on a long flight.

THE CIA IS OOL.......2004-05-24

Mooney's follow up to his excellent DEVIANT WAYS is so full of villains, double agents, and dastardly deeds, it's hard to keep up with them all. But Mooney's clever enough to keep the scorecard easily tabulated. One reviewer mentioned how glum the hero Steve Conway is. Granted, but take a look at his life, and you might see why he's so aloof and downtrodden. More than anything, Conway possesses the loyalty and dedication to take the risks necessitated in this cannon-fired thriller. Take a look at the villains (and I can't name them all as it would spoil the plot): Angel Eyes --- is he as bad as he seems? Gunther, his assistant; Mischa, the gigantic Russian; Jonathan Cole, a despicable earchewing maniac; Owen Lee/Chris Evans, along for a ride he's not prepared for. Are all the heroes the heroes they appear to be? Will Steve ever get a real break? Mooney keeps his labyrnthine plot moving and is an excellent technological thriller. Highly recommended.

literary equivalent of a Jerry Bruckheimer film.......2003-11-11

I have to admit right off that I only got about a hundred pages into this novel before I quit. Though the premise was interesting (Mooney is very knowledgeable about technology), Mooney falls short in the psychology department. His characters lack convincing depth and detail, and I felt like I was reading a novelization of a Hollywood movie. The fact that he took a couple chapters to describe a parachute jump didn't help. I just didn't feel it was worth the time and effort to slog through another 400 pages.

No Sophomore Jinx.......2002-11-10

After Mooney’s first book, DEVIANT WAYS, I was anxious for the publication of this second effort. WORLD is as good as if not better than DEVIANT WAYS. There are no flat portions in this novel. Mooney’s character development is excellent. This story has some nice surprises that aren’t totally predictable. This is a must read for readers of the “serious thriller” variety. Here is the basic plot: Stephen Conway is an operative for the CIA and Raymond Bouchard a father figure/mentor type is Stephen’s handler. Conway is an orphan and that experience defines his strengths and weaknesses throughout the novel. Bouchard has Stephen on the trail of an elusive arch villain with the CIA code name of Angel Eyes. (The end of the cold war has not left writers of this genre without formidable foes). It seems that Angel Eyes has an unlimited source of funds that he uses to steal the latest weapons technology from private research efforts. Angel Eyes latest project is to secure a suit that makes its wearer invisible (this is fiction remember). Stephen’s job is to prevent the theft. Well, it seems that Angel Eye’s isn’t the only one interested in securing the suit. The non-stop action flows from how all of this plays out. The other characters in the cast include double agents, the FBI, turncoats, urban street gangs and some Russian mafia types: quite an interesting mix. There is an awful lot of double-dealing, sellouts and betrayal to keep the reader locked into all of the intrigue. You will have difficulty putting this book down before the last page is read.

Now, if we could only get Mooney to write a story centered on the mysterious and intriguing Malcolm Fletcher. Fletcher makes a brief appearance here but loomed large in DEVIANT WAYS.

Mission Impossible W/o the masks.......2002-09-20

If our hero is so competent, why is he always so messed up? About three quarters in, you grow tired of the double agents, and wish for some straight ahead story line.

Argument Without End: In Search of Answers to the Vietnam Tragedy

Average customer rating:

nightmare re-visited
A difficult, but inportant read
No redemption yet for McNamara, but better than last book.
Say what? You want us to pay even more for Vietnam?
Nothing new

Argument Without End: In Search of Answers to the Vietnam Tragedy
Robert S. McNamara
Manufacturer: Westview Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1891620878
Release Date: 2000-05-16

Amazon.com

Between 1995 and 1998, Robert S. McNamara led a series of blunt conversations between American and Vietnamese scholars and officials. "The discussions were frank and tough throughout, as befits the first-ever discussion by former enemies of this tragic war," writes McNamara, author of the controversial bestseller In Retrospect and the U.S. secretary of defense from 1961 to 1968. "Had this dialogue occurred in real time, rather than in retrospect, I believe the tragedy could have been prevented." That's probably an overstatement, but it's a useful starting point for this inquiry, in which many contributors probe the causes of the war and try to draw lessons from them.

The structure of Argument Without End is unconventional, with McNamara writing introductions and conclusions to most of the chapters, which sometimes read like excerpts of transcripts and often like pieces of analytical history. Readers will get the sense of observing a graduate-level seminar on the war, with some of its most knowledgeable participants and critics making presentations. The result is a provocative text eager to challenge assumptions. McNamara's presence hangs over everything--this really is his book, despite the numerous coauthors sharing credit--and his sense of optimism is eerie. "Both Hanoi and Washington could have accomplished their purposes without the appalling loss of life," he writes. A statement like that shows 20/20 hindsight, yet it's an awfully candid remark from a man who had much to do with America's humiliation in Southeast Asia. This is an important contribution to our understanding of that terrible conflict. --John J. Miller

Book Description

Did the Vietnam War have to happen? And why couldn't it have ended earlier? These are among the questions that Robert McNamara and his collaborators ask in Argument Without End, a book that will stand as a major contribution to what we know about the Vietnam War. Drawing on a series of meetings that brought together, for the first time ever, senior American and Vietnamese officials who had served during the war, the book looks at the many instances in which one side, or both, made crucial mistakes that led to the war and its duration. Using Vietnamese and Chinese documents, many never before made public, McNamara reveals both American and Vietnamese blunders, and points out ways in which such mistakes can be avoided in the future. He also shows conclusively that war could not be won militarily by the United States. McNamara's last book on Vietnam was one of the most controversial books ever published in this country. This book will reignite the passionate debate about the war, about McNamara, and about the lessons we can take away from the tragedy.

Customer Reviews:

nightmare re-visited.......2002-08-31

To me, only three people should take the blame on Vietnam. Jo McCarthy, Jack Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. McCarthy's witch-hunt created in the American psyche an unnatural and unrealistic fear and hatred for Communism. Jack Kennedy brought in and Lyndon Johnson kept inexperienced and naive men to conduct American foreign policy. These men, most notably Bundy and McNamara with their Harvard and Yale degrees and professorships fouled up American policy and got the U.S. into the longest and most disastrous war.
Foreign policy should be run by experienced diplomats. Hopefully, this nightmare will never be repeated.

A difficult, but inportant read.......2002-01-16

I am sure that many will rate this book, based upon McNamara's performance during the Vietnam era, probably awarding only one or two stars. However, this is an important book that reveals the many and complex reasons and way that we became involved in the Vietnam war.

The book is a difficult read but is packed with insight into the thinking (or lack thereof) by senior personnel on both sides. There are also many interesting references into the behavior of the Chinese and Soviets.

This may not be the definitive book on the Vietnam war, but it should be one of the major written analyses. Read it.

No redemption yet for McNamara, but better than last book........2000-12-06

McNamara continues his quest for both personal redemption and additional explanation to back his conclusions from his last book, that "we were wrong, we were terribly wrong." THe book unites a vriety of US historians, government officials and academics with some of their counterparts from Vietnam. On paper the idea seems to be a good one, but the book does not read well nor does it contain the hoped for insights that one might have expected to take place about a war that is now some 20 years past. THe fault is not entirely McNamara's; the Vietnamese are recalcitrant and unable to get past the dogma of the one-party state they come from, they admit little and are far more willing to blame rather than pursue any meaningful discourse. There are a few good revelations; for one McNamara finally admits that the war, except at the very beginning, was never really about the Vietnamese, it gradually became more about us saving face and presenting a tough exterior to the Soviets and Chinese. Also, the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, the basis for escalation of the war, rather than being an orchestatred effortt by the Soviets or CHinese, was actually just a Vietnamese low-ranking official protecting the harbor. Mcnamara and the other participants show how misperceptions by both sides about the other's motives resulted in gradual escalation, and how these perceptions destroyed many diplomatic opportunities. THe Vietnamese indicate they were more willing to negotiate than we had thought, but only if we agreed to stop the bombing, something we never did for any length of time. Also interesting is that the Vietnamese, early i nthe war, were more than willing to consider a coalition governemnt in SOuth Vietnam, providing the NLF was part of it. This of course was the sticking point, any NLF involvement was a no-no for the US. But the book is constructed poorly, alternating between oral history, transcripts of actual discussions, and McNamara's own opinions and those of other Americans. Indeed, it often gets so confusing that we do not know who's opinion we are listening to. McNamara tells us that he undertook the project so we can learn from our mistakes, yet he fails to address the critical lesson of the war, that it had no moral basis, was inconsistent with our stated principles, and never amounted to anything other than mass devastation of a foreign land. And despite his oft repated ststement that the war was America's mistake, there is more and more evidence coming out that men like McNamara ignored the bulk of the evidence about the effectiveness of the war and the bombing during their time in power. THus the book still seems, like the first one, to be an attempt to cleanse his conscience than really uncover the truth. Finally, it is also clear that McNamara had no head for politics and still doesn't. So while the book answers some questions, it also raises some new ones. If any lessons are to be learned fro mthis book, they should be played out over decisions about future conflicts, but the authors seem unable to draw them. Ultimately, the book is a failure. especially when compared with some of the new one's coming out such as American TRagedy by Kaiser, or Choosing War by LOgevall. Buy these instead.

Say what? You want us to pay even more for Vietnam?.......2000-03-21

If Robert Strange McNamara expects to profit from his version of what most of us knew at the time, then further shame on him! He should make this available as an e-book, at no charge, to the American people. I have little doubt that Amazon.com would accomodate him in this effort.

Nothing new.......2000-01-04

When In Retrospect first came out, some of the people at the college where I teach came up to me and said: "Did you hear? McNamara's published a book and he says the Vietnam War was all a mistake!" Whoa - talk about your late-breaking news! Still, I suppose hearing those sentiments from the highest levels imparts a certain power to them that us lowly grunts could never hope to possess - but I think I recall saying "this is a big mistake" on my first patrol (I served in 'Nam in '68-'69).

The rub, of course, comes when we try to figure out WHY it was a mistake, and it is here that McNamara can give us something truly significant. Does he? I think that he does, but what he has to give us has been dished up many times before.

Apparently realizing that he hadn't provided those answers the war requires in In Retrospect, McNamara instituted a series of conferences between policy makers active during the "McNamara Years", from the U.S. and North Vietnam McNamara's stated goal is to search for "lost opportunities. Were there ways to avoid U.S. entanglement; or, having become entangled, were there ways for the U.S. to disengage before so many lives were lost? McNamara's idea here is to find those lost opportunities and lay them before the public.

So, it was with excitement that I read this book - maybe, finally, McNamara will come clean. And come clean he does, though not in the way he expects.

I knew I would have a different reaction to this book when I read how shocked McNamara was to learn the North Vietnamese side of the argument wanted to start in 1945 in the search for missed opportunities. McNamara's original intent was to limit discussion to the years 1961 - 1967; his years as Secretary of Defense. Here we have a sense of the man's over-arching ego; nothing important could have occurred before or after those dates. It is simply beyond my comprehension how the so-called "best and brightest" could be surprised at the date of 1945. For those of you who don't know, that's the date when the Vietnamese, under Ho Chi Minh, declared themselves independent of France, using words from the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the French Declaration on the Rights of Man. That is the date that Baodai, the last emperor of Vietnam, formally abdicated his throne and anointed Ho Chi Minh as his successor. That is the date when Ho Chi Minh made direct appeals to Pres. Truman to ensure the rights of the Vietnamese were respected. It is a date that is no secret now, and wasn't then.

How, then, could the chief architect of American policy towards Vietnam be so awesomely ignorant of such an important starting point? The answer to that question is one of the lessons one might draw from the war: U.S. policy makers had no interest in Vietnam per se. It was merely a stage, upon which the righteous Americans would meet and defeat the forces of "the Evil Empire". The McNamaras and the Rusks and the Rostows felt no need to learn anything about their potential adversary - to our ultimate sorrow. Know Thy Enemy. That lesson is nothing new; applied to this specific war, one can find it in Fire in the Lake, Frances FitzGerald's excellent work about the war published in 1971. What is new is McNamara's bald admission that he really had no interest in learning about the Vietnamese, nor did anyone else in the American administrations.

Another interesting part of the book is McNamara's complete lack of understanding at the refusal of the North Vietnamese to negotiate while we were bombing them. Despite the numerous lessons about the failure of strategic bombing to shorten wars and "force" the enemy to the negotiating table, America pursued the continued bombing of North Vietnam in order to accomplish those self-same goals. All of this was known to McNamara and his cronies, and yet they allowed the strategic bombing of North Vietnam to be one of the major foci of American policy. And now, thirty years after McNamara's involvement in the war, he still doesn't get it.

I wish to touch on just one more facet of Argument Without End. It includes a chapter by Col. Herbert Schandler and McNamara, entitled "U.S. Military Victory in Vietnam: A Dangerous Illusion?" Most of the chapter was written by Schandler, who did his time in 'Nam in the infantry. The answer to the rhetorical question posed in the title is, Yes - a U.S. military victory in Vietnam is and was a dangerous illusion. I strongly agree with that answer, and I'm glad this chapter is in the book. But, dollars to doughnuts, this chapter won't shut up those deluded folks who think "we could've won if only the military had been allowed to win". This is because Schandler never really answers those critics who contend that the military had its hands tied in Vietnam. This is too bad, because the answer is not all that difficult to comprehend. If the military had done exactly as it pleased in Vietnam, we still would have lost. Without the support of the people we were supposed to help, there was no hope. Herein lies another lesson from the war: if we aren't true to our democratic principles in our foreign policy, our foreign policy will fail. We pontificate at great length about "self-determination", but we sure didn't allow it in Vietnam.

In the end, these two books show Robert Strange McNamara to be not very bright - certainly not the best. They show a man steeped in his own arrogance, and that arrogance in him and those around him cost thousands of American lives and millions of Vietnamese lives. But give the man credit, he doesn't flinch from laying it all before us - even if he doesn't complete understand exactly what it is he's telling us.

Average customer rating:

Blather Without End

Magnificent book!!! A must for everyone interested in the subject

Biased genetic studies?

Mostly good, but author's bias peaks through ever so subtly

Opinionated yet valuable history of 20th-century Palestine

War Without End: Israelis, Palestinians, and the Struggle for a Promised Land
Anton LaGuardia
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 031231633X

Amazon.com

In 1905, an Arab journalist and Ottoman official observed that two important phenomena were rising in the corners of the Turkish Empire: the awakening of Arab nationalism and efforts by European immigrants to found a Jewish state in Palestine. "Both of these movements are destined to fight each other continually," he concluded, "until one of them wins." So it has seemed, and the title of British journalist Anton La Guardia's book speaks volumes: for the last century, when the children of the Diaspora began to return in numbers to Palestine, two visions of that "promised land" have battled for supremacy, with no apparent resolution in sight--as witness the daily headlines. La Guardia charts the origins and course of the long Israeli-Palestinian conflict, remarking that much of it owes to all-too-human causes (the humiliation of the Arabs over having been defeated so often and so decisively in five decades of warfare; the mutual hatred of Arafat and Sharon) and offering thoughts from both sides on how peace might be reached, short of the annihilation of one or the other combatant. Those who themselves struggle to comprehend the news from the Middle East will find La Guardia to be a reliable, illuminating guide. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

The struggles of the Israelis and Palestinians command the obsessive attention of the world. Statesmen tinker with peace plans for the Middle East and generals worry about future wars there. Religious leaders stoke the passions of the devout while archaeologists dig to find the origins of humanity. Between the Mediterranean and the Jordan, dreams collide with the reality of nationalist struggle. With an experienced journalist's eye, Anton La Guardia offers a close look at the Israelis as they come to terms with the 'post-Zionist' demolition of national myths, and the Palestinians as they try to build their own state. 'Anton La Guardia's beautifully written new account provides fresh insights that expand our understanding. Pro-duc-ing an entertaining book valuable to all points of the knowledge spectrum is an impressive accomplishment.' -The Washington Post

Customer Reviews:

Blather Without End .......2007-09-02

A first-rate informative read on the modern Israeli-Arab conflict should grasp a firm grip on the intricate and coercive history of the heavily-contested Holy Land which is still ongoing today without any prospect of resolve after all these years. La Guardian's "War Without End" falls short of reciting a chronicle of the region which laid the foundation for modern Zionism far before there existed an Al-Aqsa mosque worth killing yourself for. The historical narrative of La Guardia's hack work begins with Theodor Herzl's ungrounded thirst for Ottoman land which shrouds readers from the more than three thousand year presence of the Jewish people in the region fiercely contested for today.

The book opens with Anton's experiences with the Israeli's "uncalled for" anti-terrorism security measures and overall portrayal of the authorities as rude and coarse. We then move on to eight protracted chapters that lack coherency, profoundness, or organization for such a tortuous subject. Most of which focuses on the author's personal experiences stationed in Eastern Jerusalem which obscure a clear direction the story is supposed to head or any correlation to his inconsistent strife to recount, what we assume to be a, sufficient and historically balanced background of the region.

Always quick to lay out the negative and detestable acts of the arduous past of the Jewish peoples' struggle to return to Zion after thousands of years, La Guardia omits the meritable events in Israel's past so that when a reader ultimately finishes the book, they're left with a sense of resentful loathe towards the freshly painted portrait of a nation of kippah-wearing, land hungry, inequitable, adamantly ruthless gun-totting warriors. The payot-draped IDF is in many ways in the author's mind, no different from the sadistic Mongols charging across the open-plains of Asia in a quest for others' land and wealth.

Failing to recount any creditable events in history such as; the 173 Jewish Nobel Prize
winners, eight of which were Israeli, holding the best human rights record in the Middle East, or being at the forefront of biomedical innovation. No, but we are well informed of the modern nation's unfavorable acts such as political assassinations, armed security measures, and involvement in Arab-sparked wars.

It is almost as if the author remains egocentrically content on referring to the Israelis as "circumcised Cossacks". When finished a reader will be convinced Mr. La Guardia truly believes they are along with all of his other disorganized tirades jumbled up into a 500 page tedious diatribe- what chutzpah!

If you're a reader with any question or doubt over whether the modern State of Israel has any right to exist or defend itself, you will likely get your main course and second helpings in "War Without End". There is no place this is more evidently clear then in the Epilogue where Mr La Guardia reveals his "solution" to the Israeli-Palestinian problem with a "structure, perhaps a confederation, encompassing Israel, Palestine, and Jordan." so in essence, his hopes for the future is not a solution for Israel but rather a solution to Israel. Sorry to spoil the ending for you.

Whether you agree or disagree with Mr. La Guardia's inclination on the conflict, the real reason this book should elude a potential reader's bookshelf is the palpable lack of consistency of the eight arid chapters which abstain from chronology or historical background adopting to focus on petty little punitive national security measures or condemnation of sectarian conflicts where the Israelis are usually the aggressors (ie 29' Riots) and mostly neglecting altogether Palestinian terrorism or the strife of the Jewish people not to mention the double standards Israel is held to in the international community. The six year age of the book is beginning to show today; La Guardia focuses at a point on Israel withdrawing from the Gaza Strip. The ending chapters are spent sympathizing with terrorist leaders and leave a very pessimistic taste for the future of the conflict. It would be too easy to dismiss the book as big, boring, and bias but Mr La Guardia does display a great deal of effort in his writing, however this characteristic alone fails to produce an accurate retelling of events which have led to the present situation in the Holy Land but rather bring forth a low-grade, one-sided assessment of the present situation that neither sheds light on solutions nor accentuates the actual underlying causes of the dissension that continues to retrogress today.

Magnificent book!!! A must for everyone interested in the subject.......2005-07-20

This is the third booki read on the situation between Israel and Palestine and so far is the best book yet.Mr La Guardia is an excellent historian with great knowledge of the situation in the Middle East.The way he tells the story is captivating and clear.One of the things i like the most was that he explains every detail of the conflict.He explains and describes every group involved, every city or place and the importance of every conflict.For example, he explains names like Hizbollah,Hamas,Mossad and a lot others that you hear a lot in the news.He also explains both sides of the conflict with accuracy using interviews and a lot of historical sources which gives you a very good understanding of the conflict.This is the book for complete understanding of the situation between Israel and Palestine.Fantastic work!!

Biased genetic studies?.......2005-06-07

Author La Guardia mentions how the Lemba of Africa have the Jewish gene. Fine! But when he deals (in several pages mind you)with the Falashas (also of Africa) he never mentions that genetic studies have positively shown these Jews NOT to be descended from the 12 Tribes of Israel despite the Falashas's longtime rep for possibly being a Lost Tribe of Israel which, again, has now been 100% disproven through genetic studies.

Mostly good, but author's bias peaks through ever so subtly.......2004-10-26

In general, a very good read by a well-informed and articulate writer. Maybe the best book on the subject since "From Beirut to Jerusalem." And the author is very good in exploring the inner minds of a lot of his subjects, his review of history is more informative than Friedman's was. However, I think that in spite of his honest attempts to write a balanced account, the author does not always succeed. His sympathy for the Palestinian cause, conscious or subconscious, resides in many of his pages. For example, it is interesting that almost all inconsistencies of Israeli policy over the last several decades are carefully reviewed and enumerated, but no similar critique is leveled at Arafat (with the exception only single reference to him as being unreliable). In discussing some of the reasons that led to the collapse of the Oslo process, the author omits what could possibly be the biggest one of all. He described the scene where Arafat rejected Barak's offer because it would have led to his funeral. What the author fails to mention is that Arafat never made the tough political decision Rabin had made to tell his people that they would have to reach a compromise with Israel. Instead from 1994 on the told them that one day they will have Jerusalem, Jaffa, Haifa, and the rest. He was an irresponsible leader who promised something he could never deliver, who raised expectations of his people to a point where they could never be satisfied with any proposal that an Israeli politician could put forth and win a referendum on. Arafat's position in front of the Palestinians in 1994-2000 effectively precluded any possibility of a compromise final settlement. Yet in this entire work the author does not mention this once. Neither does he mention Arafat's famous doubletalk: one thing in English, another in Arabic.

In describing various Israeli inequities towards the Moslem holy places, the author manages to complete omit the fact that in 1948-1967 no Jew was allowed to approach his holy places at all.

An interesting example is provided by the author's description of the aftermath of the massacre of praying Palestinians by Dr. Goldstein -- a despicable crime and a truly low point for the settler movement. The author mentions that after Goldstein was overcome by the Palestinians, they began clashing with Israeli soldiers even though Goldstein was a lone shooter. The author appears very upset about the fact that the soldiers "for some reason... made a provocative appearance" at the hospital and then put the town on curfew even though it was the Jew who committed the crime in this case. But are curfews not usually imposed on a rioting city? Are soldiers not typically deployed to protect a hospital in a city beset with violence? The curfew had nothing to do with the shooting, but it had everything to do with the Palestinian riots that started immediately afterwards. The better question to ask is why "for some reason" the Palestinians "made a provocative appearance" on the streets and attacked the Israeli soldiers and settlers, who had nothing to do with the morning shooting.

The author does not miss a chance to call Israeli explanations "excuses;" its leaders are "corpulent" (Sharon) or former "terrorists" (Shamir), yet such labels are attached to Arafat. Reading the author's account of Camp David 2000, one might believe that it was Barak, not Arafat, who was responsible for the fiasco. Barak was too tough and confrontational, apparently, in spite of putting forth a stunningly generous offer (the best offer Israel could ever give), but Arafat merely was "suspicious." But I digress... The book is good, read it, but look for the author's opinions encroaching on history here and there; caution is warranted!

Opinionated yet valuable history of 20th-century Palestine.......2003-09-21

A combination of history and journalism, La Guardia's useful and readable book covers the formation of Israel, its recently immigrated Jewish populations, and the exiled or (to risk a loaded word) subjugated, mostly Islamic, Arab natives. While the book sketches the historical events of the last two millennia that led the world to the current impasse and describes the rise of Zionism and its role in the creation of the state, the bulk of its pages focuses on events since 1948.

Discussion about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has become so heated that it is surely impossible to write a book that would satisfy even a plurality of readers, much less most of them. La Guardia is not impartial: on the whole, his sympathies tend to lie with the plight of the Palestinians (and part of this bias may well be unavoidable, considering the disadvantaged David vs. well-armed Goliath nature of the conflict). Yet he also understands the motives, emotions, and events that supported both Zionism and the formation of a Jewish state early in the first half of the twentieth century.

His blunt criticisms are equally harsh, directed at the international blindness that seemingly pretended that Palestine was an empty territory before and especially after World War 2, the incendiary Israeli policy of permitting settlements amidst Palestinian territory, the anti-Semitism tainting the Palestinian cause, the intractable religious fanaticism that infects both sides. Furthermore, he is scathing in his criticism of both Israeli and Palestinian leaders. For example, he excoriates Arafat's cynical manipulations, his administration of "a fiefdom in his own image," and his "laissez-faire attitude" to Palestinian violence. Similarly, he disparages Sharon for his role in the Phalangist massacre of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. Although extremists of either stripe will undoubtedly disagree, La Guardia's biases inform rather than contaminate his reporting.

The journalistic aspects of the book yield its one major shortcoming. Instead of presenting the history of Palestine/Israel in some linear fashion, his chapters divide his materials, very loosely, into a potpourri of overlapping topics: religious background, the early immigrations and kibbutzim, a history of twentieth century events, the shadow of the Holocaust and the creation of the Palestinian diaspora (provocatively titled "Victims of Victims"), the assorted native and immigrant Jewish communities, and recent political events. La Guardia mixes interviews, historical narration, and flashbacks; since he occasionally refers to people and events before he's introduced them, the result may well be confusing to those who don't already have a general historical background.

Book Description

In the 19th century American Protestants firmly believed that when progress had run its course, there would be a Second Coming of Christ, the world would come to a supernatural End, and the predictions in the Apocalypse would come to pass. During the years covered in James Moorhead's study, however, moderate and liberal mainstream Protestants transformed this postmillennialism into a hope that this world would be the scene for limitless spiritual improvement and temporal progress. The sense of an End vanished with the arrival of the new millennium.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent History of Changing of End Times Guard in USA.......2001-10-14

Moorhead provides a well-written, thorough review of the decline of post-millenialism and the rise of premillenialism in America in the 1880-1925 timeframe.

He works from the thesis that historical criticism undercutting the Biblical foundation for post-mill and thus the removal of all coping mechanisms when crisis hits (such as depression and world war and societal declline) led to this eschatological shift.

Moorhead is a fine writer and documents his research with both primary and secondary sources. I enjoyed this read immensely and will find it a worthwhile resource to turn to. Well worth the read and purchase for all interested in end times in America.

Average customer rating:

May not be for "right" everyone - was definitely "right" for me!

Wow, couldn't stop reading this novel. . . . . .

Atlantis Sinks - Plotline Treads Water!

Cochran and Murphy do it again!

This Book is for Alternative Thinkers

World Without End
Molly Cochran , and Warren Murphy
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Cochran, Molly | ( C ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0812534271

Customer Reviews:

May not be for "right" everyone - was definitely "right" for me!.......2007-07-28

Ever read a story and had it stick in the back of your mind - forever?

That was what happened to me when reading this book.

The first time I ready it was late 1998. Since then, the book has been added to my favourites list and I read it over and over (averaging once a year).

I do not know what I would give to see this done (properly) on the big screen, it would be definitely be a substantial amount. (But then Hollywood could screw it up pretty bad if they cut too many corners from the story... unless Molly was involved I would not want to see Hollywood muck it up!)

Wow, couldn't stop reading this novel. . . . . ........2002-08-29

Try reading this one on the beach! You will get the shivers too. I loved the whole story line about Sam, the orphan who is taken in by the old sailer, Darian. You too will try and figure out the connection between them and the other characters they encounter. The suspense about the other Rememberers fates was gripping. I love the way the story ties into Atlantis, the Greek Gods and the state of the current world as it relates to the lost world of Atlantis.

Atlantis Sinks - Plotline Treads Water!.......2002-06-10

This engaging enough Atlantis fantasy reads extremely well for the first half, bogs down badly in time-traveling/reincarnation problems for the remainder, and suffers from a weak deus ex machina ending.

Orphan Sam Smith has suffered from psychic phenomena his entire life, unsure how to interpret it and frequently thought crazy by those who witness it. Adopted by seaman Darian McCabe, Sam hears a siren's voice calling to him from the underwater reefs, and cannot resist it. He retrieves an oddly shaped diamond from the ocean bottom - and his life will never be the same.

A wealthy industrialist wants the diamond. He belongs to the Consortium, a group who tracks down psychics with Sam's unusual blood type and kills them. The Consortium knows that those like Sam are reincarnated Atlanteans, and fears their potential power should they ever come together. The Consortium heads are aware reincarnates, themselves - of those who were responsible for the original decline of the civilization of Atlantis.

Up to this point in the story, everything is quite gripping and exciting, but then Sam makes another dive, travels through a time portal, and ends up in Atlantis before its fall. His modern-day doctor, Cory Althorpe, is the reincarnation of the woman who was known as the goddess Athena, an Atlantean noblewoman whose voice was the siren call fetching Sam back. The two fall in love, endure some ugly adventures in the shifting Atlantean political base with Hades gaining ascendancy over Zeus and Poseidon, and escape to their separate destinies - which, of course, again intertwine, in the future - before Sam and the other Atlantean reincarnates in his own time gather, regroup, and dispatch their enemies with what might as well be a magic wand.

The first part of the novel reads like an action-adventure/spy thriller, and is very good. The second half reads like a soap opera, and is too clever for its own good - it delivers too many pat explanations for the gods, the origins of various Flood myths, and the like. The psychic-bloodline angle is quite interesting, but makes most of the past Atlantean plot fairly unbelievable - these "gods" would sooner (and better) have utilized their power, and if not, the explanation for why not is simply not apparent.

Not a bad read, just be aware what you're getting into before you start.

Cochran and Murphy do it again!.......2001-06-20

First of all, I loved this book. It was just as captivating as Forever King and The Broken Sword. I just couldn't put it down. I must admit it was a little slow at the begining but then it grabs you and doesn't let go. I really liked the way they tied in the figures from Greek myths and gave a creative explanation of where the legends of the greek gods may have came from. An interesting spin on things if nothing else. The guy that gave this book only 2 stars and didn't finish reading it doesn't know what he missed.I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to read scifi/fantasy.

This Book is for Alternative Thinkers.......2001-01-13

If you believe in reincarnation, soul mates, ESP, psychic abilities, karma, and the mysteries of Atlantis, you will love this book. It is not for everyone, but certainly supports the alternative spirit.

Average customer rating:

A free-verse compilation steeped in temporal metaphors for the phases of life

A World Without End (River City Poetry)
Matthew Graham
Manufacturer: River City Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

A free-verse compilation steeped in temporal metaphors for the phases of life.......2007-10-07

Award-winning poet Matthew Graham presents A World Without End, volume six in the River City Poetry Series. A free-verse compilation steeped in temporal metaphors for the phases of life, A World Without End especially celebrates the redeeming power of love. Even as A World Without End recognizes the inexorability of time and death, the verses cherish the precious things that matter the most while they last. "Rummage": The leaves scatter like golden coins / Over the last of the yard sales. / Fifty years ago guys named Joe / Rushed east in armor. Had time not stopped / For my uncle in a stunned and smoking tank, / He'd be seventy this year. / On one of the card tables I find / An embossed souvenir trivet / From the Century of Progress World's Fair. Such hope in 1933. / I'll buy it for her. / We like things like this.

Worlds Without End: The Art and History of the Soap Opera

Average customer rating:

Essential for all die-hard fans of the afternoon serial.

Worlds Without End: The Art and History of the Soap Opera
Ron Simon , Robert J. Thompson , Louise Spence , Jane Feuer , Laura Stempel Mumford , Robert C. Allen , and James Thurber
Manufacturer: Harry N Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0810939975

Amazon.com

Perhaps when a museum dedicates a three-month exhibit to the subject of soap operas, it's time to hang up our cultural hats and admit that we now occupy a world of overstimulated philistines. With that confession happily concluded, what could we want more than this gorgeous volume documenting the Museum of Television & Radio's soap opera show. Exhaustively chronicling the life of the soap opera, Worlds Without End covers the form from its roots in radio up to the late '90s. It not only reviews the histories of every soap series ever to air (up through late 1996), but also provides a general historical overview of the changes in subject matter, racial casting, and filming styles of the genre as a whole.

Customer Reviews:

Essential for all die-hard fans of the afternoon serial........1998-04-21

A beautifully illustrated book with plenty of information on the history of soaps, this book may be as interesting to sociologists as it is to soap fans. Most noteworthy, is the way it differentiates the soaps from one another in terms of issues that each tackles and why. It is interesting to trace how soaps such as "Painted Dreams" began on radio and what appealed (and didn't) to various audiences throughout the decades. Eg: Isn't it hard to believe that "Guiding Light" (On Cable In Sydney) was orginally a 15 minute radio serial about four ministers? Many soaps mentioned in the book will probably be unknown to younger Sydney audiences such as "Search For Tommorrow" and "As The World Turns" which haven't been on the air for years (decades?) but there is good coverage on todays lineup as well. If you like this book you may want to check out A book by Jean Rouverol called"Writing For The Soaps" (1984) and "Soapbox" (1990) Hopefully a television special of a similar nature to this book could be done because the archive material itself would be priceless viewing.

Average customer rating:

A skimmer
VERY VERY GOOD!!!
Deeper is better...
This Is Fantasy...?
a riddle inside a puzzle wrapped in an enigma

World without End (Moontide Magic Rise)
Sean Russell
Manufacturer: DAW
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0886776244

Customer Reviews:

A skimmer.......2003-07-10

I'm very ambivalent about Sean Russell's work and had no choice but to give it the neutral rating of 3. On one hand, it has suspense, intrigue and a little bit of insight but on the other hand, I don't feel like it had much originality.

The book entices you to read further and further because you want an answer to the mystery, yet at the same time, it boggs you down on the details and descriptions. Therefore, I dubbed this book a skimmer. It's one of those where I just want to know the facts and don't really care to read the details of it. There seemed to be so much superflous description and text that I skipped. I actually read this book quite quickly despite it's 606 pages.

That aside, the book does have some insights that were important and nicely done. The theme that man does the most evil when he has good intentions was explored in depth. Also, the characterizations were well done. I actually found myself sympathizing for the pain of Viscount Elsworth which is quite a feat considering his deeds!

VERY VERY GOOD!!!.......2003-03-25

this book was definitely a 4 star book. I have heard tell the sequel was better but as I haven't read it I cannot say. The ONE thing that stopped this book from being a five star book was that it was a wee bit boring towards the middle. The romance with the Duchess went on FOREVER, I can't tell you how relieved I was when he finally came to his senses.wewh.
A summary of this book would be: Tristam, a naive but educated man is called from his peaceful life so he could be of service to the King, whose very life depends opona plant's amazing healing powers. But alas, this plant was slowly dying out. Tristam's friend and mentor Professor Dandish died. With his death Tristam discovers that the Duchess, a completly irrisistable woman who is the favorite of the king, had hired Dandish to look into Tristams problem years ago. Dandish left Tristam a message, torn in half, that said Dandish had discovered an answer, and knowing something Tristam couldn't guess at, had destroyed his plants. The Duchess and Tristam embark on a 2 year voyage to get Kingfoil from it's original land. On the way Tristam notices that there is a white hawk following him. The main part of the crew of the ship think him a mage and it doesn't help things that his uncle was himself rumored to be one. Tristam discovers that he does indeed have a spark of something, although of what he is not sure:end of summary.
The political intrigues of this book are astonishing as is the complex plot of this book. There are characters we know nothing about, only that they serve a purpose, but it is that foreplanning that makes me envious of this writers talent.This book is great and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes science-fiction and fantasy.
Note: this book is a cliffhanger so buy the second book along with the first.

Deeper is better..........2001-01-22

I thoroughly enjoyed this book (and the following book Sea Without a Shore). Russell does an excellent job of building a plausible, detailed and slightly divergent world. I think one of the things I enjoy most is the fact that Russell is adept at telling a story in two books (as opposed to the umteen books certain other fantasy authors require).

This Is Fantasy...?.......2000-06-28

This work has more in common with the adventures of Horatio Hornblower than Bilbo Baggins. Particularly in this first half of the duology, there's little hint of any fantastic elements whatsoever. The non-fantasy feel is further accented by Russell's creation of a world that is so clear, specific, and well-grounded.

There's politics, travel adventure, and a bit of love(lust?) interest-- this could almost be a costume drama set in 18th century France! If you can relax and let this work take you where it will without waiting for a big furry mgic something to pop up, the work has some rewards-- strong characters, grown-up plot, intrigue, and sailing adventures. Just don't expect full-scale fantastic special effects.

a riddle inside a puzzle wrapped in an enigma.......2000-06-06

This is the feel of this book. Young tristam is more than a scientist but everyone knows it but him. He becomes a pawn in a political game following a plant with reputed magical properties to a tropical island.

The characters are brightly written even if a bit cliche. The innocent hero, the manipulative dutchess, the psychopathic noble and the rought but good hearted sailors. However the author keeps the voyage alive by hints and descriptions of what is going on. At the end you still don't really now what Tristam is but you known that he is more valuable than the plant they seek. It does dry out a bit in places but not to loose your interest in the story and inspires you to read the next book

Average customer rating:
World Without End: Christian Eschatology From A Process Perspective

Manufacturer: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Eschatology | Theology | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Handbook of Process Theology

ASIN: 0802828116

Book Description

Marjorie Suchocki's groundbreaking work "The End of Evil" provides the backdrop for this high-powered discussion of the usefulness of process thought for understanding Christian eschatology in light of postmodernism and contemporary natural science.

Taking as their starting point the metaphysics of Alfred North Whitehead as well as Suchocki's creative adaptation of his thought, nine distinguished philosophers and theologians look hard at the theoretical assumptions of Christian eschatology and ask if process thought provides a more suitable language for restating these classic teachings today. The opinions expressed here range from affirmations of process theology to direct challenges to the legitimacy of framing Christian eschatology in this way. The book also includes an important afterword in which Suchocki responds to her colleagues and critics, especially those proposing new process-oriented understandings of Christian eschatology.

Both engaged and engaging, "World without End" will encourage natural scientists, classically trained Christian theologians, and process theologians to rethink their basic presuppositions about the end of the world and the future of the human race.

Contributors: Joseph A. Bracken, S.J., Anna Case-Winters, Philip Clayton, Roland Faber, Lewis S. Ford, John F. Haught, Catherine Keller, Jürgen Moltmann, Robert Cummings Neville, Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki

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