Across the Dark Islands: The War in the Pacific

Book Description

ACROSS THE DARK ISLANDS
The War in the Pacific

Floyd W. Radike
Brigadier General, U.S. Army (Ret.)

“I remember sitting in a foxhole on Guadalcanal in the rain. The sergeant I shared the hole with shook his head and asked me: ‘What in the hell are we doing on this godforsaken island? Why don’t we let the Japs keep this stinking rock?’ I didn’t have an answer.”

The war in the Pacific has never been portrayed more honestly—or in prose more powerful—than in Across the Dark Islands. In this unflinching account, Brig. Gen.Floyd W. Radike remembers how he started his military career in the mud and mayhem of Guadalcanal, fighting a campaign as crucial to the war’s outcome as it was chaotic and cruel.

Here is no whitewashed view of that war or the men who waged it. Here instead is the sobering story of a junior officer in a National Guard unit suddenly shipped off to the front lines, disdained by “regular army” elitists who served beside him, and given second-class status so that others could earn headlines and promotions. While struggling to survive amid dirt and disease, routine and monotony, Radike endured harrowing missions incompetently, arrogantly, or just impatiently planned.

As no book ever has, Across the Dark Islands reveals shocking details removed from myth and sentimentality: how American commanders were intimidated by the Japanese stereotype of fearlessness, night attacks, and cries of “banzai” . . . how imitations of John Wayne heroics caused immediate death . . . threats of court-martial quieted accusations of Army injustice . . . and panic and flight destroyed a fight for the enemy’s Munda Field airstrip, an event that “disappeared from the record and appears in no official history.”

Emerging from the hellish conditions and military miscalculations is a tribute to common sense, courage, and respect for proper procedure, attributes that would help the author and soldiers like him to save their lives, succeed in battle, and win the war. From Guadalcanal to the Philippines to a planned invasion of Japan ended by the atom bomb, General Radike’s experience spanned the entire course of the pivotal Pacific theater conflict. Candid and cautionary, his memoir is an important work whose writing rivals that of classic novels like James Jones’s The Thin Red Line and Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the Dead. It should be read by anyone looking to join an army or wage a war.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

An engrossing first person account that reads like a novel........2007-02-02

This is one of the best books I've ever read, about any subject, hands down. Floyd W. Radike was a Lieutenant in Company B, 161st during WWII. They were a Washington State National Guard unit that was attached to the 25th Infantry Division after Pearl Harbor in 1942. I bought this book because I wanted an on the ground account of what the men of the 161st actually experienced during WWII. I was not disappointed and I believe that any person wanting a first person account of the war will not be disappointed either.

Brigadier General Radike never intended to publish this as a book. These were his private memoirs. His wife, Lydia, was not even aware that he had written them until after his death. She did us all a great service by deciding to publish his memoirs. She is a really wonderful woman who deserves our thanks and appreciation for publishing this book. Nothing has been omitted or rewritten. What you read are the true words of Floyd W. Radike.

Inside this book, you will find accounts of hardship, humor, bravery, cowardice, friendship, and rivalry. You will come away with the understanding that the Marines and Navy were not the only branches of the Armed forces to deserve widespread recognition for their service in the South Pacific. The Marines were first in, but the Army stayed for the long haul and finished the job while battling some of the worst conditions men ever faced during WWII. They fought while suffering from dissentary, malaria, jungle rot, dehydration, and exhaustion. They waded through mud up to their knees in sweltering heat and lived in constant tension and fear. Despite the horrendous obstacles they had to overcome, they got the job done. That's why the 25th I.D. earned the nickname "Tropic Lightning" during the Pacific Campaign.

The words of Floyd W. Radike sum it up best: "Ninety percent of the casualties (death, wounds, disease) were borne by the infantry. Since replacements were slow in coming, infantry companies were the size of platoons after Guadalcanal and the size of squads after New Georgia. In contrast the reduction in strength for support troops was minimal. When we speak of war, in its fullest sense, we speak of the fighting men-the infantry. Only the medics shared-often in heroic fashion-the stringencies of the front line."

The side of war that isn't often talked about........2007-01-22

Across the Dark is Brigadier General Radike's descriptions of his own personal experience of World War II where he was in the National Guard and was involved in many of the combats in the Pacific (NOTE: he was not a Brigadier General during the war).

Radike is very specific in his opinions of the way the situations he was involved in were handled and he doesn't hold anything back so he is quick to point at flaws of the US Military, but he does try to be fair in pointing out the things that are done right.

While reading this I got the feeling that this was written during the war or immediately after because it sounds very simliar to the way a lot of people complain about their current companies. I also came to that conclusion since this was not published until after his death, almost as if he didn't want to publish it, but who knows.

With that criticism in place, I thought this was a very well written book that helps to explain the parts of war that are not always advertised. Most of us have heard about Iwo Jima or Normandy, but not many people have heard about the events that took place on all of the other Pacific Islandsd and he does a great job of explaining all of the obstacles that had to be overcome and the lack of knowledge that soldiers often had to deal with such as landing on an island and not having a map available.

The one thing I really wish would have been included would have been an introduction or prologue by Radike describing his thoughts on everything after making it to the ranking of Brigadier General and having that much more experience under his belt. It would have been truly interesting to see how his thoughts might have changed if at all.

More than a well-written war yarn.......2006-10-26

"Across the Dark Islands" seems to have been completed by 1984 but was not published until after Floyd Radike's death. No wonder. This is one of the harsher indictments of Army incompetence and dishonesty to come out of World War II.

In addition to that, it is a finely-crafted, too brief memoir of a platoon leader's three campaigns in Guadalcanal, New Georgia and Luzon. Radike was a National Guardsman (apparently originally in a Michigan outfit, later in California) who went through OCS shortly before Pearl Harbor. He ended up in the 1st Battalion, 161st Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. (Not the 37th, as one sloppy reviewer in a military publication has it.)

The 25th was a wartime incarnation of the old Hawaiian Division, a Regular outfit, but the 161st was a Washington National Guard unit. Radike was a double outsider -- the Regulars weren't going to let the Guard get ahead, and the Washington Guard officers formed, he says, a tight clique. The result of this careerism and militia incompetence was needlessly dead young GIs.

Radike is scathing in his criticism, but this, the most important part of the book, is ignored by all the published reviews I have been able to find, which have been in military specialist magazines (mostly of the yahoo blood and guts variety). Too bad. "Across the Dark Islands" deserves more and more thoughtful attention than it has gotten.

The book is particularly valuable because Radike tells what he knows of the American regiment that turned tail and ran on New Georgia. The 161st was attached to the 37th Division to plug this hole. According to Radike, the story of the panic-stricken regiment of the 37th (which he calls X Regiment) is not included in the Army's official histories, and even the name of that regiment has been suppressed.

The Navy knew, though, and while details are made available here that have been lacking in the naval histories, the disgraceful slowness, confusion and incompetence of the Munda campaign are sketched out in the naval histories. Radike's is, however, the closest to an eyewitness account I have discovered.

On a more personal level, "Across the Dark Islands" would be a wonderful gift for any young infantry officer or enlisted man. Radike, who eventually became a one-star in the Michigan National Guard, was a thoughtful officer, and there's more here about how to lead and fight a platoon than in a stack of Field Manuals.

Last but not least, Radike, a teacher in civilian life, is a graceful and careful writer.

All in all, the book is a pleasure to read, a valuable if small contribution to Pacific War history and a cautionary tale that our 21st century higher command ought to become familiar with: the stupidity that Radike had to live with in 1942-45 is still killing young GIs in 2006.

reads like you're right there with the author.......2005-06-13

i couldn't put this book down. the author gives a very graphic & detailed account of the war in the pacific. what i found idelible, was the authors desciption of the whole setting of the war. it was as clear and detailed as the moment he had experienced them.
the WWII generation was truly the most extraordinary generation of americans, complaining very little, & offering everything to their country for a better and safer future. to hear their experiences in their own words, is a truly invaluable.

Offshore: The Dark Side of the Global Economy

Average customer rating:

Some Good Information, but Too Long and Divergent
A flawed gem
Offshore: The Dark Side of The Global Economy
An important glimpse in to the world of Money and Power
A Primer on Offshore Banking

Offshore: The Dark Side of the Global Economy
William Brittain-Catlin
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0312425589
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Book Description

An unknown realm to many investors, offshore finance allows giant corporationssuch as Wal-Mart, British Petroleum, and Citigroupto legally keep huge profits out of sight of regulators and the public. William Brittain-Catlin tells the story of how tax havens in the Cayman Islands and Malaysia have become central to global finance today. He takes us into the secret networks of Enron and Parmalat, behind international trade disputes, and into organized crime and terror networks, giving disquieting evidence that, through offshore practices, the key value of capitalism and civilization alikefreedomis being put in grave danger. Offshore is an unprecedented exploration of perhaps the most mysterious aspect of global society today, and one of the most provocative books about money and business to appear in the decade since the age of globalization began.

Customer Reviews:

Some Good Information, but Too Long and Divergent.......2005-12-26

Brittain-Catlin begins by observing that the Cayman Islands are the 5th largest banking center in the world, with over $700 billion in assets.

These assets, however, are largely not physically held on the island - simply notations in accounting books for the purposes of reducing or eliminating taxes. Corporations taking advantage of this include GM, ExxonMobil, Ford, IBM, Wal-Mart, G.E. (reduced its 27% '99 tax rate to 16% in '03), Citigroup (saved $778 million in '03 taxes), Apple, Enron, Halliburton, Tyco, Global Crossing, Long Term Capital Management, Global Crossing, and Enron.

"Transfer-pricing" manipulation is the main tax-avoidance mechanism afforded by offshoring. This involves corporations maximizing overseas production profits in a non-taxable offshore subsidiary.

Unfortunately, Brittain-Catlin seeming dwells forever on his basic facts, and even spends considerable time exploring the philosophy of Kant. (I tried reading Kant long ago - Brittain-Catlin's version was no more interesting.)

A flawed gem.......2005-10-03

Offshore is a solid attempt to explain the fact that modern capitalism has become dependant upon the offshore, largely unregulated, international financial system. The cost of making tax-rate shopping a profit center in a corporation's strategic plan when revenues land back 'onshore' is paid by all of us. Essentially multi-nationals are competing to see who can pay the least tax. In the end, this behavior is to an economy what eating your seed corn is to farming. Brittain-Catlin is sounding an alarm hoping public policy makers and the public will heed.

The author's prose is sometimes purple and his discursions into tangental topics is somewhat distracting, but on the whole, the book is worth reading for the very approachable manner in which it explains the history of offshore banking and how it ties into subjects such as BCCI, terrorism finance, drug money laundering, the 'private' bail out of the hedge fund LTCM, the capital flight that hammered Indonesia and other developing nations, and the collapse or corruption of companies such as Eron, Tyco, and Global Crossing.

After reading this book, the business news achormen chattering about the 'mood' of international capital will begin to make some sense to you.

Offshore: The Dark Side of The Global Economy.......2005-09-07

This is one of the most poorly written books I have ever read. It seems to be a compilation of news clips, some history, with pages and pages of endless, obstruse, mind-numbing attempts to tie corporations, offshore banking centers and governments into some sort of socialogical, philosophical analysis. Totally boring, informationally just about useless, wordy, diffuse, and a true waste of money and time....even a one star rating is too much....if you want to learn about offshore...don't try it here.....

An important glimpse in to the world of Money and Power.......2005-09-06

"Offshore" is a compelling and disturbing glimpse into the dark underworld of global money and power. It is extremely well-researched and comprehensive, covering international dirty-dealing and capital from Enron to Parmalat to LTCM. Very illustrative and thought-provoking.

A first-rate primer on International Capital and also a great read. Pay special attention to the segments on "the secret realm," where capital is free of all national identity and boundaries.

In addition the writing is very fluid, clever and witty. An important book.

A Primer on Offshore Banking.......2005-08-31

This is kind of two books in one.

On the one hand there is an explanation of how corporations basically avoid taxes by setting up perfectly legal tax shelters around the world.

The second part of the book is rather philosophical in tone, emphasizing the point of view that somehow these corporations shouldn't be doing this.

Way back when the Beatles were popular, I remember being surprised when I heard that they were really employees of a corporation set up offshore somewhere. The taxes in England at the time were something like 90%. Hey, it made good sense.

As I grew older I learned more about taxes, usually by having to pay them. But I also learned that there are limits to taxes at which it is more beneficial to find a way to not pay them than it is to make more money. Of course you want to stay on the legal side of the boundry, because jail is not a good thing -- ask Martha Stewart. Of course if she had done her stock trading with an account in Vanuatu or some place like that she almost certainly wouldn't have done jail time.

This book talks about what companies do to reduce their tax burden. And it's a pretty good primer on how to do it. His philosophical point of view is another matter. He seems to feel that there is something basically imporal about this. Be assured though, that the politicians and the tax authorities know all about this. Knowing that this will happen, they simply raise taxes a few percent.

Average customer rating:

The Dark Side of the Island
Jack Higgins
Manufacturer: Ulverscroft Large Print
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0708913881

Book Description

The Greek islands, sun-drenched and tranquil, evoke pictures from a tourist brochure. It takes a special imagination to dredge their blood-soaked history when, as a subject land in WW II, island revolts were crushed by the occupying Germans.

Book Description

Every monster can be overcome if you know the right way to go about it.

Maddy has always loved scary stories, especially the spooky legends of her Native American ancestors. But that was before she heard about the Whisperer in the Dark, the most frightening legend of all. Now there's an icy voice at the other end of the phone and a chilling message left on Maddy's door. Suddenly this ancient tale is becoming just a bit too real. Once, twice, three times he's called out to her. Where will she be when he finally calls her name?

Dark Harbor: Building House and Home on an Enchanted Island

Average customer rating:

Travails and Tantrums of Building a (blind man's) House
A Disappointment
the man is interesting, not the house
"Dark Harbor" filled with insight and wit
Quirky, Equivocal Man Builds Ugly House on Beautiful Island

Dark Harbor: Building House and Home on an Enchanted Island
Ved Mehta
Manufacturer: Nation Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1560255285

Book Description

When Ved Mehta was invited to Islesboro, a thirteen-mile-long island off the coast of Maine, he could not have imagined the far-reaching consequences of his visit. Seduced by the dream of setting roots in the New World, Mehta finds himself buying a fifteen-acre parcel of land in the rugged terrain of Dark Harbor. To build his house, he hires the architect Edward Larrabee Barnes, famous for designing, among other things, the IBM Building in New York. With echoes of Ibsen's Master-builder, Mehta details the folly of a blind man constructing a house on an island far removed from that other island, Manhattan, where he lives. Underlying this narrative is a richly allegorical tale about Mehta's own struggles as a writer and as a man. In the middle of it all, he falls in love with a much younger woman, whom he ultimately marries.

Customer Reviews:

Travails and Tantrums of Building a (blind man's) House.......2004-03-15

Why should you read a book about building a house? Aren't millions of them built in the US every year? What's special about them?

Well, the author (who is building the house) is blind for one. Add to it the fact that, he couldn't afford it when he started building. And then he was building it on a remote island in Maine. If you thought that this is a recipe for disaster, you are correct. But he seems to persevere through the whole thing and builds a fabulous house in the end.

Two of the reviewers (I couldn't help notice both are from New England) seem to think that the book is about the beauty of Maine. And therefore conclude that the book is not a good book. So what is the book about? .. it is about a blind mans life, his aspirations and desperations; about how a house project always costs much more than is budgeted; about how a house is a never ending project; about architecture; and of course about the beauty of an island in Maine (but not just that).

All in all a very interesting read.

A Disappointment.......2003-11-03

I found this book to be tedious and far too concerned with the parochial, and frankly dull, details of Mr. Mehta's feelings about having a house built on an island off the coast of Maine. Not enough about Maine. Too much about Mehta. Too bad.

the man is interesting, not the house.......2003-10-18

Forget the other Great Autobiographies like Paustowsky and Proust. Ved Mehta and his Continents of exile is far better then anything in this field of writing. In very elegant, humorous English he gives you the story of his life, and the angle differs a bit each time. That counts for the disappointed readers that expect a book about The New Yorker or A House On A Maine Island. What you get is the fascinating story of a blind Indian man that grew up in India, came to America, went to England and back to America, and combines all these influences and continents with humor and an intelligent attitude.
A great series and another great book.

"Dark Harbor" filled with insight and wit.......2003-08-28

I'm not sure what the reviewer from Marblehead's beef with Mehta's book is. It seems unfair to knock "Dark Harbor" just because it doesn't portray the stereotypical "Down East" Maine preciousness he or she holds as inviolate.

In fact, to think Mehta's book is or should be solely about rocky beaches and pine trees and lobster boats is missing the larger and much more subtle and poignant points this memoir seeks to make. I found it fascinating to read Mehta's account of building a dream home in spite of his blindness. Think of the central ironies at play here--a blind man obsessed with visual and spatial architectural details he cannot detect or enjoy the same way sighted people can, and yet driven to build a state-of-the-art home for the enjoyment of those around him. It is at once an act of tremendous generosity, considerable hubris, and deep-seated insecurity and sensitivity to the opinion and approval of others.

Mehta is not the first writer to describe his descent into a house-building money pit, but he is no doubt the first to describe the experience from this unique perspective. This material is rich with psychological complexity, as well as humor and wit, and Mehta invites us along on his bricks-and-mortar journey of self-discovery. If that trip takes us from Islesboro to Manhattan to his ancestral home in India, or from the isolation of his blindess to the social swirl of New York literati and high society, so much the better. Those intertwining worlds (the "Continents of Exile" after which he named his autobiographical series) only make for more fascinating reading. And his clear and lucid prose style--an elegant, charmingly antiquated type of writing one rarely finds published anymore--enhances the experience. There is much to enjoy and savor in this book.

Quirky, Equivocal Man Builds Ugly House on Beautiful Island.......2003-08-11

Mr Mehta has a gift for writing much about nothing. To put it simply, the reader is left feeling like his psychotherapist.

Here is a man who's building a house on the coast of Maine yet wants the walls to be utterly soundproof--to lock out the slurping and crashing of the coastal waters. Sheetrock is a recurring demon that plagues his adult life. Throughout the book, Mr Mehta gives up and decides to sell off his investment. In fact, this theme is so frequent, you begin to wonder if he wrote the book to simply help market the house.

Book Description

"The Dark Side of Paradise is an effective attempt to put the politics back into Bali's twentieth-century history. With a sure mastery of both Indonesian and Dutch sources, Robinson analyzes the class tensions between aristocrats and commoners during the late colonial period."--Times Literary Supplement

"Robinson's work reaches beyond history, amply illustrating the possibilities of what might be termed a 'comparative historical sociology' approach."--Indonesia "Robinson's incisive, well-written work demolishes the fiction of the 'peaceful Balinese' that pervades academic and popular literature, and, for the first time, places modern political history directly into the middle of Balinese scholarship."--Choice

"This is a brilliant book that must be read by anybody interested in modern Indonesia."--Journal of the Royal Institute of Linguistics and Anthropology

Customer Reviews:

The Other Face of Bali.......2003-05-01

I first visited Indonesia in 1984 and fell in love with Bali. I have since returned each year to the "Island of the Gods" from where I have been exploring the rest of the Indonesian Archipelago, and since 1991, I share my time equally between Bali and Winchester, Massachusetts. Of course, I am always eager to know more about all aspects of Balinese life. Although there is a plethora of books about Bali dealing with its wonderful culture and its arts, it is not the case about its particular history. After a while, it became obvious to me that this important missing part of the puzzle was essential to further my understanding of the complex character of the Balinese. The history of Bali is clouded in the mist of time, and reliable informations on the subject tend to be scarce and are not easily available. Historical documents, written in old Balinese language are obviously not accessible to a non-specialist Westerner such I myself. Because of the special relationship between the Netherlands and Indonesia, there exist numerous documents written in Dutch, covering the last few centuries. However, as with most people, the Dutch language is not my forte.

Therefore, it was a "revelation" to come across Robinson's book, "The Dark Side of Bali". The book covers in details the historical and political events in Bali, from the end of 19th Century until the aftermath of the 1965 coup d'etat. It relates the Balinese experience under the Dutch colonial domination, during the National Revolution, 1945 - 1949, the Sukarno era, 1950 - 1965, and the military coup of 1965 and its aftermath. It reveals another face of Bali, the hidden face of Paradise. It is a scholarly book based on Dutch and Indonesian sources. It reads well, and contains an impressive number of references. Geoffrey Robinson, Assistant Professor of History at the University of California, Los Angeles, is obviously an expert on the subject, as demonstrated by this in-depth analysis of the social and economic roots of the deep divisions that have, since colonial times, penetrated and defined the Balinese society. Robinson shows how in the 1920's, the Dutch restored and in some cases created a "traditional" Bali to counter a perceived nationalistic threat. This was achieved by resurrecting and maintaining the old ruling royal families as guarantors of these traditions. The Japanese occupation during WWII, relying mostly on the sudras (lower cast) upset the exiting social order, and explained the social problems which existed until the Sukarto period, eventually leading to the horrific massacred of 1965 and the ascend of General Suharto to power. Robinson presents a picture of Bali quite unlike the idyllic, peaceful island promoted by the tourist industry, but a society influenced by the World's politics and driven by class and ideological conflicts. This book surely belongs in the library of anyone interested in Indonesia in general and Bali in particular.

$Slow Motion: Capture The Sunrise\Dark and Dashing (Arabesque)$
Average customer rating:

Capture this book
Very Good!
5 stars for Wayne Jordan
Going through the motions
Best Romance for 2005

Slow Motion: Capture The Sunrise\Dark and Dashing (Arabesque)
Devon Vaughn Archer , and Wayne Jordan
Manufacturer: Kimani Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1583146164

Customer Reviews:

Capture this book.......2006-12-12

Capture the sunrise; wow strong emotions in this book - Wayne Jordan writes just as well as any female romance writer. His hero and heroine find their way to each other cautiously - Taurean, a man not afraid to show his emtions whether it be passion or tears and Alana having to deal with her fears. Melissa the kid was cute without being syrupy sweet and as for Blake - totally insane. And as for Barbara a real West Indian 'auntie'. I never felt compelled to visit Barbados before only been there in transit but this book changed my mind.
The other book well I give it 3 stars I also could not see the attraction - the heroine seemd to fly off the handle so easily. Why expect a guy she just met to declare a serious commitment just cos he bedded you a few times - get real woman!

Very Good!.......2006-09-21

Wayne's stroy on my goodness! There was so much emotion in that story. Both of the lead characters had a lot of issues to deal with. It was very well written. I liked the element of mystery in the story as well. I love stories with kids in them and Melissa was funny and adorable. I can seem myself reading this story over and over! I give it 5 stars! I cannot wait to see what other stories that he comes up with. Devon's was good and had it's funny moments.

5 stars for Wayne Jordan .......2006-04-20

"Capture the Sunrise" was a very good read. Taurean was a well developed character and it was a pleasure to experience. I could feel him exhale once he spoke to Alana about his guilt. I have been asked to do the same thing his brother asked of him and made the same decision that he did. Thank goodness I didn't experience the same results from that act of love.
I also enjoyed the well researched and executed back story of Alana and her daughter. It was nice to see her take time to heal herself after the years of abuse she experienced. It was realistic for her panic about starting a new relationship after rediscovering herself. The character interaction in this book was well paced and the ending was satisfying. I loved little melissa. The child-like innocence and wisdom to discern which adults were trustworthy after life with her dad speaks of the resilience of children. I thought more would be said about Alanas childhood in Barbados; but maybe that will be addressed in the coming installments of the "Buchanan Brothers". .......

"Dark and Dashing", I found very uneven and confusing. I couldn't figure out why Maurice was attracted to Conneca since everytime he tried to engage her attention she would fly off the handle. There was too much introspective thought and not enough dialogue between the characters. At times it seemed as if it was write by numbers; (insert name here, give fashion info there, feel emoition here.... etc.) They were contemplating their futures without interaction. ????? I liked Lee and Nadine though.

Going through the motions.......2006-01-04

In the enticing novella SLOW MOTION, readers are introduced to BET Publications' first male Arabesque romance authors Wayne Jordan and R. Barri Flowers, writing as Devon Vaughn Archer.

Capture The Sun by Wayne Jordan takes us to a little cottage situated on the enchanted beaches of Barbados where Alana Smyth-Connell and her daughter are hiding out from her ex-husband. However, they are not alone. Taurean Buchanan, in need of solace from the outside world, is also there. His brother has offered him the use of his vacation house for a few months. Unbeknownst to Tauren and his brother, his sister-in-law has also granted Alana use of the cottage. Although they decide to make the best of the situation, the instant attraction between them will cause some problems.

In Devon Vaughn Archer's Dark and Dashing readers are introduced to Conneca Sheridan owner of the Sheridan Seaside Inn. While at a charity auction to promote literacy, one wrong move causes Conneca to offer the highest bid for renowned author Maurice Templeton. After a night on the town followed by a passionate kiss, Conneca makes it clear that she is not interested in a relationship. Maurice, however, has other plans. Deciding to stay in town for a few more days, he tracks Conneca down and makes a reservation to stay at her inn. What follows is a fairy tale romance, until Maurice's ex-wife/writing partner shows up.

SLOW MOTION is a well-written book with two tantalizing tales of romance. Jordan and Archer have penned wonderful stories. The storylines, characterizations and plots were on point. Each page flowed from chapter to chapter without missing a beat. Highly recommended, SLOW MOTION is a novella that will be enjoyed by readers for years to come.

Reviewed by Pamela Bolden
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Best Romance for 2005.......2006-01-01

I just bought this book today and all i can say is wow. I have not read a book this good in a long time. The fact that it is a romance book written by men was also a delight because it shows just how romantic a man can be. However, my all time favorite was Capture the Sunrise...too good beyond words. Its a well written story about two people who learn to trust and learn to love again. I couldnt put it down untill i was finished.

Average customer rating:

A novel about a house(not haunted) with a past
Elegant, atmospheric, amusing
It's just like a good dessert

Dark Harbor House
Tom DeMarco
Manufacturer: Down East Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0892725117

Book Description

Bring together a wonderfully varied mix of characters in a once-grand Maine island summer cottage, leave them to their own devices over the course of a long, idyllic summer in the late 1940s, and you have all the ingredients for a fine comedy of manners. Author Tom DeMarco starts with a simple little love story, weaves in tantalizing details of the old mansion's not totally respectable history, and adds a hint of gentle satire to create a novel that is touching, memorable, and deliciously entertaining.

Customer Reviews:

A novel about a house(not haunted) with a past.......2001-10-18

Many novels are about people with a past, but in this case the main character is a house with a past. Not only has the house been the host of many unusual circumstances and characters, but it is also past its prime and has fallen into disrepair, although still heavily inhabited. While the past is regularly revisited, the main story is about a group of people who spent a summer at the house in the late 1940's. The story concludes with the young men and women pairing up for a sexual conclusion to the summer and engaging in a reenactment of the great zucchini war.
In between there are revelations of much of human behavior. The person closest to a main character is a man who calls himself Liam and is passing himself off as a fine arts student at Cornell University. His real name is Charles Liam Dwyer, and his change of name was an attempt to impress the others with his cultural sophistication. It also turns out that he is a student of animal husbandry rather than fine arts.
Dark Harbor House was built by the moneyed class before the turn of the century and there are many additional buildings on the estate. Through the years, the people engaged in many eccentric pursuits, such as model trains, unusual diets, religious revival, voyeurism and many hinted sexual escapades.
However, the titillating features are secondary to the characters and how they live out a summer vacation spent in their own version of fantasyland. The story moves along well, although with so many characters, it is at times difficult to keep all of them straight. While most of the characters are fictional, there are many instances of plot themes from other sources. There is a monsignor who claims to be able to use the new science of psychohistory to predict the future. Of course, this is from the Foundation series of science fiction books by Isaac Asimov. Furthermore, the predictions are all hopelessly wrong and it is clear that the monsignor is a muddle headed buffoon.
The most amusing point of the book is the description of the lack of rubber for elastic during the war. This led to the occasional, unfortunate event of the elastic of women's panties failing and causing them to drop at inopportune moments. The funniest part was when the reteller of the tale noted that when it happened, there always seemed to be a man nearby who would say, " well, we all must make sacrifices for the war effort."
This is not a novel with a powerful tale to relate. It is just a story about a group of typical, yet unusual people who summer together at an old house, sharing that part of their lives that they are willing to reveal. In that sense it works and I enjoyed it immensely.

Elegant, atmospheric, amusing.......2001-08-28

A charming summer idyll that re-creates the gracious era of great houses, wealthy eccentrics, langourous flirtations among the well-mannered guests. The authentic period details and likable characters make this a wonderful vacation book...or a book to help recapture that hedonistic vacation mood.

It's just like a good dessert.......2000-12-04

Dark Harbor House is like a good dessert--delicious, satisfying and memorable. It is a combination drawing room comedy and coming of age story, set on a Maine island at the end of the 1940s, filled with genuinely funny, touching and believable characters, all of them keenly but gently observed, and written with care and verve. The book takes place in more innocent times than today, and yet there's plenty of delicious "hanky panky," as it was once called, and many other high jinks to smile at. It also features some intriguing background history involving, of all people, three turn-of-the century cereal kings, W. K. Kellogg, C.W. Post, and Dr. Ralston, as well as a pair of beautiful and eccentric female evangelists. If you feel the urge to escape the digital age for a few hours, I can think of no more felicitous way than to lose yourself in Dark Harbor House.

THE BLACK HEART - Classic Strange Tales Including: the Complete Novel The Dark Other, Plus Proteus Island and Others

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THE BLACK HEART - Classic Strange Tales Including: the Complete Novel The Dark Other, Plus Proteus Island and Others
STANLEY, G WEINBAUM
Manufacturer: Leonaur Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1846770491

Book Description

This is a book of strange tales about strange people and sometimes stranger places. It includes Weinbaum's novel The Dark Other, in which Nicholas Devine and his girlfriend Pat are deeply in love, but before they can fulfil their dreams they must exorcise a demonic presence that threatens both their future together and their lives. Also included is another love story that takes place in a tranquil world of beauty and innocence that can only be seen through the lenses of "Pygmalion's Spectacles", and several other surprising tales.

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The Dark Island (Real People)
Robert J. Conley
Manufacturer: University of Oklahoma Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0806132779

Book Description

"No one weaves a tribal story quite like Robert Conley. Conley's books are entertaining, colorful, and chock-full of tribal history and culture."--Wilma P. Mankiller, former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation

Few writers portray Native American life and history as richly, authentically, and insightfully as Robert J. Conley, an important voice of the Cherokee past. The novels in his Real People series combine powerful characters, gripping plots, and vivid descriptions of tradition and mythology to preserve Cherokee culture and history.

The sixth volume of the Real People series, The Dark Island is the story of Asquani, the son of an escaped slave and a Spaniard. Asquani must decide whether to join the Spaniards or defend the Cherokee homeland.

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