Painted Buddhas of Xinjiang: Hidden Treasures from the Silk Road

Painted Buddhas of Xinjiang: Hidden Treasures from the Silk Road
Average customer rating:
Painted Buddhas of Xinjiang: Hidden Treasures from the Silk Road
Jacques Gies
Manufacturer: Art Media Resources
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Asian | Regional | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1588860272

Book Description

Hidden away beneath the mountains of Xinjiang, in former Chinese Turkestan, are a series of caves along what was once the Silk Route, but which have been inaccessible for half a century. After thirty years of negotiation, the photographer Reza finally gained permission to visit the caves became the first Westerner to record the extraordinary frescoes they contained.

Intended as a focus for pilgrimage and prayer, these paintings, produced by monks in the kingdom of Kucha between the fourth and seventh centuries AD, depict scenes from Buddhist mythology, its symbols, characters and creatures, and tell the story of the Buddha Shakyamuni and his previous lives. Their freshness and contemporary quality, their rich colors and combination of Persian, Afghan, Indian and Chinese styles, are astonishing to the Western eye. Here are flying angels, bodhisattvas and demons; here too are princes, musicians, hunters, merchants, and some of the ordinary people of the vanished kingdom of Kucha. Perhaps most enchanting are the paintings of animals, whether the local wildlife or exotic species that were conveyed along the Silk Road towards the Chinese court: despite their simple style, they perfectly capture the movement of breasts and birds alike.

Painted Buddhas of Xinjiang : Hidden Treasures from the Silk Road
Average customer rating:
Painted Buddhas of Xinjiang : Hidden Treasures from the Silk Road
Jacques Gies
Manufacturer: Art Media Resources Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OMGEG8

Book Description

Chronicles the metamorhosis of a frumpy pudgy sloane, via the intensive training of Vogue, to the fashionable trend setter of the 90's, and culminates in the extraordinary New York sale of her dresses.

Customer Reviews:

Facinating evolution - Diana's clothes...................2007-08-06

I really enjoyed learning about Diana and how her taste in clothes evolved and improved. I was pleasantly surprised to find out how she had clothes re-worked and how many times she wore the same outfit - or an outfit without a portion of the outfit (i.e. the Elvis dress - without the jacket), and dresses, etc. reworked to update or change the look of it - making it new again. The impression I believe the public was left with was that she never wore anything more than once which was not true. She learned well and knew what she needed to fulfill what task she would wear the outfit to. She was adept at working her wardrobe around where she would be traveling to..... no one missed the attention she made to detail and loved her for it..... she will always be well remembered by the publich who loved and still love her.

Diana's fashions head to toe.......2006-06-24

I LOVED this book for it's beautiful color fashion photos of the Princess Diana. In particular, I really enjoyed that there were many head to toe photos of many of her most famous outfits. There was also was a nice section on her hat makers as well as Jimmy Choo and some of the shoes he made for her. This book has many photos showing her shoes which is something I really enjoy seeing as part of her outfit. She was very coordinated with her shoes and her hats which was pointed out in this book. It also had many nice close-ups of the materials used in her outfits, which brought out details that I had never seen before, in some smaller pictures in other books. Overall, if you enjoyed the fashions of Princess Diana, I think that you are going to LOVE this book. To me it is a "must have".

One of my Favourites!.......2001-11-24

I have a vast collection of Princess Diana memorabilia. My collection of Diana books is quite enormous, and sometimes I lose track of the books I own, but this book is one in my collection that ALWAYS comes to mind first! It is one of the most well done books I have seen. The photos are fabulous, and the design of the book is very cleverly done. It shows Diana in her most famous outfits categorized on each page by colour.(Her red gowns, her blue gowns etc.). If your a Di collector, this book is a must for your coffee table.

Beautiful.......1999-07-11

This book will attract two kinds of individual: those who loved Diana and those who love fashion. Everyone would agree that Diana was one of the most stylish women of our day, and this photographic visit to her clothes closet is a wonderful opportunity to browse and maybe dream a little.

best.......1999-07-02

this is the best pictur biography the princess could have asked for

Advancements in wound management come in the form of dressings and topicals.(Wound Care) : An article from: Dermatology Nursing

Average customer rating:

Advancements in wound management come in the form of dressings and topicals.(Wound Care) : An article from: Dermatology Nursing
Diana Gorgos
Manufacturer: Jannetti Publications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Science & Technology | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Dermatology Nursing, published by Jannetti Publications, Inc. on October 1, 2004. The length of the article is 1776 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Advancements in wound management come in the form of dressings and topicals.(Wound Care)
Author: Diana Gorgos
Publication: Dermatology Nursing (Refereed)
Date: October 1, 2004
Publisher: Jannetti Publications, Inc.
Volume: 16 Issue: 5 Page: 463(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Average customer rating:

Dressing Diana
Tim Graham
Manufacturer: PHOENIX ILLUSTRATED
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000SN2T30

Average customer rating:

Dressing Diana
Tim Graham
Manufacturer: PHOENIX ILLUSTRATED
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000TXN8DE

Dressing Up: How to Look and Feel Absolutely Perfect for Any Social Occasion

Average customer rating:

Dressing Up: How to Look and Feel Absolutely Perfect for Any Social Occasion
Marisa Berenson , and Diana Vreeland
Manufacturer: Pan Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0283992581

Homeseller Strategies in a Soft Market (Oceana's Legal Almanac Series Law for the Layperson)
Average customer rating:
Homeseller Strategies in a Soft Market (Oceana's Legal Almanac Series Law for the Layperson)
Jeremy D. Smith
Manufacturer: Oceana Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Investments | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0379111802

Homeseller Strategies in a Soft Market, Law for the Layperson Oceana's Legal Almanacs. Second Series.
Average customer rating:
Homeseller Strategies in a Soft Market, Law for the Layperson Oceana's Legal Almanacs. Second Series.
Jeremy D. Smith
Manufacturer: Oceana Publications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NXPCR0

Book Description

Fill up at the concession stand before taking a front row seat to watch your favorite classic movies on radio! Each of these 2-cassette collections features the complete and unedited radio adaptations of classic movies as originally broadcast on the Lux Radio Theatre. These dramatic double features include the original commercials and have been digitally restored and remastered for your listening ease. Also includes special introduction by WNBC-TV movie critic Jeffrey Lyons. Radio Movie Classics Starring Barbara Stanwyck in "SORRY, WRONG NUMBER" 01-09-50 AND "STELLA DALLAS" 10-11-37

Customer Reviews:

A Change of Pace.......2006-07-14

These two Radio Movie Classics are broadcasts of the Lux Radio Program, a popular radio show that brought famous actors to the radio to recreate roles from films. Cecil B. DeMille ran the show as the host, but the film stars were the ones that really shone.

Before the broadcasts, an announcer explains the show and goes over the life of Barbara Stanwyck briefly. Then the show begins.

First we have Stella Dallas, a film that really helped Stanwyck to remain a star in Hollywood. She transforms from a young woman to an old lady. First, she is an excited but poor girl who meets a rich man who is willing to transform her. When she does not take well to society manners, the two divorce and share their daughter. Over the years, the two become very close, but Stanwyck has to make many sacrifices for her daughter.

Sorry, Wrong Number is a film noir from later in Stanwyck's career. She plays a bedridden woman who hears through telephone coversations and such that a murder is going to take place. Bit by bit, she learns that the killer might just be after her!

Both programs are read with heart on the part of Stanwyck and are interesting to hear for major fans of her work.

Book Description

Comprised of works from Volumes 1, 2 and 3 of the SUZUKI VIOLIN SCHOOL, which have been arranged for string quartet by violinist/arranger Joseph Knaus. With lower string parts providing melodic and rhythmic counterpoint to set off the simple melodies (which match the Suzuki Method repertoire), these quartets are nevertheless simple enough for beginning level players ready for their first chamber music experience. STRING QUARTETS FOR BEGINNING ENSEMBLES are sold in sets including full score and one part book per instrument. Optional string bass parts for each quartet are also available upon request.

Pojo's Unofficial Total Pokemon 2004
Average customer rating:

A short review, and a clarification

Not for little kids

CCG Player's Love This Book

A 2004 update of Pojo's Awesome Big Book of Pokemon

Pojo's Unofficial Total Pokemon 2004
Bill Pojo Gill
Manufacturer: Triumph Entertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Card Games | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Pokémon | Popular Characters | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Books | Pokémon | Amazon.com Stores | us-stores
Similar Items:

Pokemon Pokedex Collector's Edition (Prima's Official Pokemon Guide)

Pokemon Guide Book

The Official Pokémon Handbook

How to Draw Pokemon

The Big Book of Pokemon: The Ultimate Player and Collector's Guide

ASIN: 1572436794

Customer Reviews:

A short review, and a clarification.......2007-06-04

This is Officer Jordan, Pokemon defender, clarifier of assumptions, and here's his latest review. The book itself is very informative. Has pretty much everything a fan needs to know, straight from the fun world that is Pojo.

About the breasts thing... oh yes. That's exactly why the episode was banned in America. Japan has slightly higher standards than America, and some things that are considered unhealthy for American viewers are considered a tad extreme, but still okay for Japanese viewers. (Japanese Pokemon watchers are from 9-15.) And even then, this is definitely not the norm for Pokemon. The episode has never been shown again. I agree it was kind of silly to put the picture there, but in the context, if you read closely enough, it would've made sense. And five years old is still a little too young for that book's level in general... try maybe eight, at least.

(I wonder if I should've told them it was Jam- OOPS. Well, not my problem they zoomed through the book without a second glance.)

- Officer Jordan, the same person who wrote the Pokemon defense on another page. Remember, kids, happiness is a warm Pokeball.

Not for little kids.......2004-09-30

This low rating is based on my perspective as a buyer for a 5 year old little boy.

This book covers many aspects of Pokemon, including the cartoon. In a section where they are telling about episodes that were not televised in the U.S. they show a picture of big breasted females. As a reader of this book, you can't overlook this picture because the female with the biggest breast is holding her big breast. On another picture in the book there is a lady with breast so big that her face looks like it is off in the distance. The closeup is on her breast.

[...] This book is not the best choice for young Pokemon fans.

CCG Player's Love This Book.......2004-05-06

I always like these Pojo books on all of the collectable card games that are there now. It really helps to keep up with what's been going on and they're also fun to read. They pay good attention to all the cooliest graphics that make the games and anime really fun to be involved with. The deck advice is really valuable if you like to play or get into tournaments and stuff. The Total Pokemon book, like their other books, is really really comprehensive and I use it as a gaming resource book all the time. The best part is that they're great for gamers at ANY level, newbie and experienced.

A 2004 update of Pojo's Awesome Big Book of Pokemon.......2004-04-09

Pojo made their awesome "Big Book of Pokemon" in early 2000 I think. It has been 4 years since then, and a lot of stuff has happened in those 4 years in the World of Pokemon. The Pojo writers do their best to get everyone up to date on what has happened.

First, there's a History of the Pokemon Phenomenon. Then Pojo breaks the book into 3 sections: Anime, Video Games, and Trading Card Game.

The Anime section has a list of every episode, and highlights from each League/Region. It details when everyone left, joined, etc. Kind of cool.

The Video Game section has a brief look at all the Pokemon Video Games. Then there are quick walkthrough's for all the handheld RPG's (Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal, Ruby & Sapphire). This actually had me breaking out Pokemon Red again and starting it over. I forgot how fun that game was again!

The last 1/2 of the book is all about the cards. There's a review of every set ever created in the U.S., and a Top List from every set. There are also over a dozen Killer Decks from the Pojo writers. Then Pojo has a look at the rarest and most collectible Japanese Cards. Writers include Pokepop, STS Champ Heidi Craig, Gym Leader Phil, Otaku, Meganium45, Bondi and other popular TCG Pokemon players.

If you are at into Pokemon, and want to get re-caught up with what has happened the last 4 years, this book is a lot of fun ... and well worth 10 bucks.

Chic Simple Dress Smart for Women: Wardrobes that Win in the Workplace
Average customer rating:

Is not worth it

Found help to professionalize my image

One of the Best

I have enjoyed and employed this book since the eighties

Good buy

Chic Simple Dress Smart for Women: Wardrobes that Win in the Workplace
Kim Johnson Gross , and Jeff Stone
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Fashion & Image | Business Life | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Etiquette | Business Life | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Workplace | Organizational Behavior | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Chemical | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Business Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

New Women's Dress for Success

Chic Simple Dress Smart Men: Wardrobes That Win in the New Workplace (Chic Simple)

5 Steps to Professional Presence: How to Project Confidence, Competence, and Credibility at Work

Chic Simple: What Should I Wear?: Dressing for Occasions (Chic Simple)

The Pocket Stylist: Behind-the-Scenes Expertise from a Fashion Pro on Creating Your Own Look

ASIN: 0446530441

Book Description

In a nation recovering from economic turmoil, today's business men and women need every advantage to keep precious jobs and get new and better jobs. In the CHIC SIMPLE DRESS SMART books, veteran style mavens Kim Johnson Gross and Jeff Stone walk readers through the basics of building a work-appropriate wardrobe that provides a look of confidence and competence, and expresses personal style. Whether its buying the right blazer for a middle management position, or assembling the most versatile pieces for someone just entering the workforce, these savvy and informative guides provide the straight answers to how people can put their most positive image forward at work.

Customer Reviews:

Is not worth it.......2007-06-15

Common sense dress code. I read more informative book about dressing.

Found help to professionalize my image.......2007-02-20

My coworkers see a person destined for clerical glory when they interact with me. My wardrobe needs a serious makeover. However, my concern is not so much "the interview, succeeding in the job, and getting a better job". I'm starting a home-based business and I purchased this book to help me to kick up my image as a businesswoman. I didn't know how to put together a serious professional wardrobe until I purchased it. I love the pictures, the suggestions - I love everything about this book. I'm going to obtain the black, navy, gray, and beige suits in the high-quality fabrics recommended, as well as in a couple of other colors. I'm also going to follow pretty much all of the advice in here tweaked to my personal professional style. I most highly recommend this book.

One of the Best.......2007-02-19

I have been purchasing various books on how to dress and this is my favorite book. I love how the information was presented. I bought both the Women and Men books and I have enjoyed both. These books are essential for me in improving my dress from my current wardrobe. I also really enjoy the travel tips, very useful. I dress both my boyfriend and myself from the great tips these books offer. GREAT BOOK.

I have enjoyed and employed this book since the eighties.......2006-11-21

This book is spot-on accurate. I grew up in an exclusive area full of well-to-do people and long-time "well-bred" families. The information in here may seem outdated at times but it is still the right info if you want to make it big-time. There are people and companies that still follow these styles. If you just want to do-alright or be happy in an average job, this book will make you shine above the rest and will give you the extra push needed during an interview. If you are applying to an ivy league college, this book will help you fit in. If you have some common sense and can adapt the information in this book to your current job needs, then use this book as a guideline. Remember, don't outshine your superior! If they dress like a slob or like they shop at ross or macy's, your brooks brothers suits might intimidate them. Many jobs may require you to be less formal, but the information here reminds you that you are an employee, not a prostitute, college kid or someone who has no idea how to dress. Your job as employee is to inform your employer that you are capable and NOT to tell them what music you like, what style you wore in high school and cerainly not to tell them that you are a hottie, even if you are.

Oh, and navy is not always the right colour. Dark grey should be the first choice, navy is the second choice.

Have fun being the best you can and looking it, too!

Good buy.......2006-08-24

If you're fresh out of college and are looking for a guide to how to dress in the workplace, this book is pretty useful. If you've been in the workforce a while then it can be used to enhance your wardrobe. The tips are abundant, the language clear with lots of illustrations. It's a good gift for any college graduate and the male version is good too. Of course job culture is always evolving and sometimes the book can appear dated. In conclusion, this book is a good place to start a professional looking wardrobe but common sense is also needed to fit the adivce to the specific character of your workplace.

Book Description

The astonishing business story and management strategies of Nissan's president, Carlos Ghosn. Arguably the world's most successful CEO, Ghosn rescued the Japanese automaker from the brink of bankruptcy, achieving record profits in only two years. This is the story of how he did it.

When Carlos Ghosn, a 46–year–old, fiery Brazilian was installed as president of the Japanese corporate giant, Nissan, the automotive world was astonished. Ghosn moved to Japan and immediately promised to make Nissan profitable in one year, 2001, or he would resign. He accomplished his goal and then some, using western business techniques that had never been tried before in that tradition–bound country. The book, written in narrative style by a journalist, will have Ghosn's complete cooperation. Readers will learn how he went about remaking Nissan, cutting costs, closing plants, breaking up the Keiretsu relationships, pushing for innovative new automobile designs –– all the while defying the business and cultural taboos that permeate business in Japan. In the process, he has become a celebrity (he is hero of a series of admiring comic books) and a champion in global business circles.

Customer Reviews:

Remarkable Turnaround.......2006-08-25

David Magee provides an interesting and compelling account of how Carlos Ghosn turned around Nissan. This was a remarkable turnaround which transformed a company which was collapsing, mired in debt and lacking direction and focus to one of the leading vehicles manufacturing firms in the world.

Ghosn performed this outstanding turnaround by cutting Nissan's huge debt, drastically cutting costs, getting rid of non-performing assets, streamlining management and restoring the company's competitiveness.

The book provides essential insights into the leadership and management style of Ghosn which provides important lessons to companies that may wish to effect an economic and financial turnaround of their organization. The author has detailed knowledge of Ghosn which he often quotes, making it possible to understand his personality. Part of the secret of Ghosn's success appears to be his cross-cultural management skills. He was born in Brazil, educated in France and was of Lebanese descent. Ghosn's track record is impressive. He turned around Michelin in the important Brazil market and spearheaded the successful merger of Michelin with Uniroyal-Goodrich. He did the same trick with Renault in France where he revitalized their sales, market share and profitability.

Among the leadership skills that Ghosn used in his turnaround is the need to be a good listener, being transparent, be a good team player, and establish trust and respect

This is an excellent book on Ghosn and his leadership style that is recommended to those who may wish to turn their organisations around or just wish to learn about developments in the auto-industry. His simple writing style makes it easily understandable to a wide audience.

The Ultimate Motivator.......2005-12-29

If you would like to read about how a no nonsense guy took Nissan from being extinct to one of the top automotive companies in the world you need to read this book. It has many great lessons and principles that you can apply to your everyday life or job and turn your life around!

shallow.......2005-10-01

David Magee's book tells the very interesting story of how Nissan's fortunes were revived by "a fiery, intellectual, Brazilian-born, French educated man of Lebanese descent, Carlos Ghosn".
Although Nissan was established in 1933, it had its heyday in the 1960s when products like its Z car took the American market by storm and its Datsun brand was a global brand leader. By the late 1990s, Nissan had lost its focus and direction. Whereas Honda and Toyota were both going from strength to strength, Nissan languished, its glory days seemingly gone forever. Faced with a mountain of debt, they allowed the French Renault company to buy what was effectively a controlling stake in the company.
Renault dispatched Ghosn to Tokyo, where Ghosn performed what can only be described as miracles. He slashed Nissan's debt burden, he restored its cost competitiveness, he sold off non performing assets, he reorganized its finances and streamlined its management systems. Magee tells us that he even inspired the F-Marinos, the soccer team Nissan sponsor, to advance from languishing in 13th place in its league division to winning the competition, all in the space of a year.
How could one relatively young man accomplish so much in such a short period of time? Magee attributes his massive successes to the homespun wisdom of Fr. Lagrovole, a Jesuit priest, who taught Ghosn at school in Lebanon! Lagrovole advised his young charge to listen before he speaks and to understand where everyone is coming from in cultural and other terms.
Armed with this advice, Ghosn set out to take to the corporate world by storm. Before reviving Nissan's fortunes, he restored Michelin's profitability in its key Brazilian market. Having then organized the merger of Uniroyal -Goodrich and Michelin, he was head hunted by Renault and quickly revived their fortunes in Europe. Having solved their European problems, Ghosn was dispatched to Tokyo to reinvigorate the newly acquired Nissan company.
Ghosn, in some ways, comes across as a comic book hero. And in fact, he was made the hero of a Japanese manga comic book, which he helped write and which Japanese salary men eagerly read in the hope of picking up some managerial tips from this remarkable man.
Fr. Lagrovole's advice apart, they will find few tips in this book which tells us that Ghosn's forte seems to be at cross-cultural management and at paying attention to both the minutest detail and overall strategy. There are no worthwhile insights into the mind of this remarkable strategist. We hear, unsurprisingly, given his results, that he works very hard but likes to devote his weekends to his family but we get no inclination of why he is so brilliant and how we lesser mortals can learn from his successes and his failures, assuming, if we dare, that he has ever failed at anything.
We are told that the Nissan revival has been a great success. But, as with his earlier successes, the synergies to Renault are not explained. We are not even told what Renault hoped to gain by taking over Nissan. Instead, we are told on pages 207/8 that "Ghosn stressed time and time again that he and others were at Nissan for the good of Nissan, not for the good of Renault."
But it does not make sense that Renault should take over Nissan so that Nissan would benefit. Renault's management is supposed to work in the interests of Renault's shareholders, not Nissan's. We are told that Renault hopes the Nissan merger will boost Renault's sales in Indonesia. But, just as we are not told why Renault failed to merge with Volvo, so also are we not told why an unstable country like Indonesia stands at the center of Renault's projected synergy gains.
Instead, Magee informs us that Nissan has gained so much from the Renault alliance that it might soon be strong enough to divorce itself from the French company entirely. If so, how did Ghosn's successes with Nissan benefit Renault and, Indonesia apart, has the Nissan merger strengthened Renault's position in the auto market against the formidable opposition of such titans as Toyota, Honda, Ford, General Motors, Daimler and Volkswagen?
Instead of addressing those key managerial and strategic questions, Magee wastes too much time discussing such things as Mississippi's race riots in the 1960s. The result is a shallow book that does not do justice to the very important topics it purports to cover.

You will know more about the Nissan revival than the one Carlos Ghosn wrote.......2005-09-16

Obviously this book has not been written by a specialist in management but it gives you some of the management tools that Carlos Ghosn and his team used to save Nissan. One of them is probably the use of cross functional teams (CFT). I bet that Carlos Ghosn is the new Jack Welch. Future will tell!

Too Much Padding.......2005-06-13

The story of how a foreigner rescued Nissan would make a great book, but this isn't it. The writing is pedestrian, but, worse, there's too much padding. Magee takes a handful of basic points about Ghosn's management technique, and repeats it throughout the book, providing little illumination about the specifics. Shorn of the repetition and generalities, you could take all the content and reduce it to maybe 25 pages.

Action. (Marginal).(Turnaround: How Carlos Ghosn Rescued Nissan)(Book Review): An article from: Automotive Design & Production

Average customer rating:

Action. (Marginal).(Turnaround: How Carlos Ghosn Rescued Nissan)(Book Review): An article from: Automotive Design & Production
Gary S. Vasilash
Manufacturer: Gardner Publications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Industry | Automotive | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Foreign | Automotive | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Automotive Design & Production, published by Gardner Publications, Inc. on January 1, 2003. The length of the article is 681 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Action. (Marginal).(Turnaround: How Carlos Ghosn Rescued Nissan)(Book Review)
Author: Gary S. Vasilash
Publication: Automotive Design & Production (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2003
Publisher: Gardner Publications, Inc.
Volume: 115 Issue: 1 Page: 8(1)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Average customer rating:

How Carlos Ghosn Rescued Nissan
David Magee
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000O92NSO

Amazon.com

It took the Russians nine months to sail their navy 18,000 miles from the Baltic Sea around the horn of Africa and to the Sea of Japan in 1905, where their Japanese enemies wiped them out in just a few hours at the Battle of Tsushima. The Japanese triumph and Russian disaster, "largely forgotten in the West," according to Constantine Pleshakov, marked a vital turning point in world history. Not only did it inaugurate a new era of naval technology, but it also announced Japan's ascent as a global force (which would culminate during the Second World War) and Russia's collapse into "the dark tsardom of Bolshevism." Pleshakov ranks the battle alongside other classic naval engagements, such as Lepanto, Trafalgar, Jutland, and Midway. Yet the bulk of The Tsar's Last Armada focuses on the Russians' long journey to doom, led by the "frightfully imposing" and "savage" admiral Zinovy Petrovich Rozhestvensky. Pleshakov has a good eye for little details. As the fleet approached the tropics, he reports, the humidity became so bad that the crew's "towels and underwear would not dry." The Battle of Tsushima receives full coverage at the end of the book, but Pleshakov's engaging account of what preceded it is what readers will find most memorable. --John Miller

Book Description

"A stirring reconstruction of one of history's great--and least known --naval battles.... Fascinating stuff. A boon for students of military history and naval warfare."-- Kirkus Reviews (starred review).

On May 14-15, 1905, in the Tsushima Straits near Japan, an entire Russian fleet was annihilated, its ships sunk, scattered, or captured by the Japanese. In the deciding battle of the Russo-Japanese War, the Japanese lost only three destroyers but the Russians lost twenty-two ships and thousands of sailors. It was the first modern naval battle, employing all the new technology of destruction. The old imperial navy was woefully unprepared.

The defeat at Tsushima was the last and greatest of many indignities suffered by the Russian fleet, which had traveled halfway around the world to reach the battle, dogged every mile by bad luck and misadventure. Their legendary admiral, dubbed "Mad Dog," led them on an extraordinary eighteen-thousand-mile journey from the Baltic Sea, around Europe, Africa, and Asia, to the Sea of Japan. They were burdened by the Tsar's incompetent leadership and the old, slow ships that he insisted be included to bulk up the fleet. Moreover, they were under constant fear of attack, and there were no friendly ports to supply coal, food, and fresh water. The level of self-sufficiency attained by this navy was not seen again until the Second World War.

The battle of Tsushima is among the top five naval battles in history, equal in scope and drama to those of Lepanto, Trafalgar, Jutland, and Midway, yet despite its importance it has been long neglected in the West. With a novelist's eye and a historian's authority, Constantine Pleshakov tells of the Russian squadron's long, difficult journey and fast, horrible defeat.

Customer Reviews:

Voyage to Defeat.......2007-09-04

This is the excellent story of one of the epic naval battles of the pre-Dreadnought era, and a great history of a pointless campaign on the far side of the world. It seems everyone knew it was a doomed mission except the Tsar and his cabinet, and doomed it was. But it shows the valor of the Russian sailor, and also a picture of a very different Japan--a Japan of chivalry who did not think it was cowardice for the enemy to surrender.

Story of the journey more than the battle........2007-07-08

This book is more about the journey of Admiral Rozhestvinsky's fleet from its Baltic port to its fate in the Tsushima Straits. Sabotage or surprise attack from the Japanese was suspected all along the journey, from the coasts of Europe to the coaling stations along the way in Africa. It was an epic journey only to end in tragedy for the Russian fleet in only a few hours as the tried to reach Russian forces trapped by the Japanese. Much of the book concern's Rozhestvinsky's personality, his fiery disposition, and his realization that his mission had a pretty poor chance of success, though he took his orders and carried them out to the best of his abilities, only to be out-fought by the Japanese admirals and crews. Most other books only cover the actual battle of Tsushima itself; this is an interesting aside that is found little covered elsewhere.

A good alternative view.......2007-02-02

I rated this book a bit lower than I might have, simply because the editors should have done a better job in ensuring proper grammar and usage. Again, this is not the authors fault (He is apparently Russian, and doing his best!), but the editors. As to the book itself, while it starts off a bit slowly, it quickly gathers pace and is filled with a lot of mostly anecdotal, yet valuable Russian information not available to either Western or Japanese researchers. The tale of the voyage of the doomed Russian Baltic fleet to Tsushima is a subject little known or recalled by current military historians, as is the Russo-Japanese war generally. I find this strange, since the fallout from this war has had such a direct impact on the other events of the 20th century! The rise of Communism, the Russian Revolution, the First World War, Balkan events, Japanese expansionism leading to WW2, all of these things have their source in the Russo-Japanese war, and Mr. Pleshakov does a very good job in outlining what became virtually the final act not only of the war, but European expansion into the Far East as well.

One of the best Naval histories out there.......2006-12-15

This is a great book about an event that is little studied. The Rise of Japan and the downfall of Russia leading to revolution are both seen in this event. The Armada that was launched to punish the Japanese for their transgressions was a joke. It was barely holding together and it was destroyed by the Japanese at the Battle of Tsushima which established dominance in that region until the end of World War 2. The Russian defeat only spread discontent at home and showed how impotent the Tsars navy had become. This tragic defeat was but one more nail in the coffin that would lead to revolution. The book is well written and does an excellent job of explaining the significance of the battle in addition to what happened. This is a must have for anyone studying Russian or Soviet history.

The Great Russian Anabasis to Tragedy and Revolution.......2006-06-08

Given Constantine Pleshakov's stated aims in writing this book, there is little reason to condemn the work to anything less than five stars. He tells a compelling, important story with an engaging style that makes it accessible to those who likely have little interest in the earth-shaking events described. That achievemnet alone puts his book in the highest tier. And if the measure of a book's worth is the images it leaves impressed and cemented in your mind, this book definitely deserves a top rating. Pleshakov describes the Russians and their odyssey the way most want to hear it: what is the human effect; what makes the story WORTH telling; and tell me what is important without boring me. He succeeds.

To me the most significant thing about this re-telling is that the 100 year anniversary passed with almost no notice, most certainly in the West, but even here in Japan. Yet reasons are different. In the West few really know its import even though they should. In Japan, the silence is prudent. Yet the victory and Teddy Roosevelt's Treaty of Portsmouth that resulted from this Japanese victory had far ranging ripple effects shaping world events. The Russian communist revolution's success and the emergence of a militaristic and modern Japan stemmed directly from what occurred. The world powers' Dreadnought arms race, the Washington Naval Treaty after WWI, and the genesis of WWII all have connections to this battle as well. Few in the West know what happened at Tsushima, but the Japanese have never forgotten it. Last year I heard a speech given by a JGSDF major general where he referred to the American engineered settlement between Russia and Japan in 1905. It went right over the heads of the senior American officers present--they had no idea what he was talking about. But the Japanese officers all nodded in agreement as the general remarked how the year 1905 and the Russian catastrophic loss led directly to our US military presence in Japan today. He saw the past century as painful, but leading to a healthy alliance from which both countries benefit, an alliance that implies significant geo-political realities that grew directly from what the Russian sailors endured in this saga. Pleshikov's book speaks volumes to the West about what really happened. It matters not that he doesn't describe the niceties of the Borodino class battleship or that we don't know exactly what happened on the bridge of the Mikasa.

By the way, the Mikasa, Togo's flagship, is enshrined just outside the US naval base at Yokosuka. It is the only surviving pre-Dreadnought battleship, and a sacred relic to the Japanese. It is poetically fitting that it rests just outside of the home of the only American fleet stationed outside US home waters. The size of a supercarrier creates a feeling of awe anyway, but when the USS Kittyhawk sails out to sea in view of the Mikasa, it is hard not to think what has transpired since Tsushima and the destruction of Tsar Nicholas's fleet. This book is a great contribution to our understanding.

Getting Haiti Right This Time: The U.S. and the Coup (Read and Reist)
Average customer rating:

Another view...

Crucial to understanding the economic and political crisis in Haiti!

Misleading title...

Badly written propaganda.

Title doesn't really reflect material.

Getting Haiti Right This Time: The U.S. and the Coup (Read and Reist)

Manufacturer: Common Courage Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Similar Items:

The Uses Of Haiti

Haiti in Focus: A Guide to the People, Politics, and Culture (In Focus Guides)

An Unbroken Agony: Haiti, From Revolution to the Kidnapping of a President

Notes from the Last Testament: The Struggle for Haiti

The Agronomist

ASIN: B000MGAI18

Customer Reviews:

Another view..........2007-10-17

There is another view of Haiti, mostly about sex tourism, but which includes a sarcastic riff on Haitian politicians that readers may find humorous. It's entitled Naked in Haiti: A sexy morality tale about tourists, prostitutes & politicians. Enjoy.

Crucial to understanding the economic and political crisis in Haiti!.......2007-06-13

For activists interested in learning more about the recent U.S. military intervention in Haiti which resulted in massive human rights violations and the kidnapping of left-wing president Jean-Bertrand Aristide, this brief anthology of essays and Democracy Now! interviews is an excellent introduction. As the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere, Haiti, a former French colony and current victim of World Bank/IMF structural adjustment programs, has suffered years of U.S. sponsored dictatorships and paramilitary violence. As a former Catholic priest who preached liberation theology, Aristide fought to improve the lives of Haiti's enormous underclass who for centuries have endured horrific levels of poverty, illness, political repression, illiteracy, and environmental destruction. For this transgression, Aristide, like Jacobo Arbenz in Guatemala and Salvador Allende in Chile, was seen as a threat to mulitnational corporate interests and overthrown. As the global justice movement maintains its focus on Venezuela, Bolivia, Chiapas and the Middle East, it's important that we also not forget the situation in Haiti. Here, in the United States, we must also not ignore the plight of Haitian refugees who face criminalization and/or deportation as a result of racist immigration policies and who, like gay and bisexual men, have been scapegoated for the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Despite the poor reviews other people have posted on this website, I found this book to be a very educational and thought-provoking tool to help us better defend the poorest and most oppressed members of human society.

Misleading title..........2006-02-12

This relatively short book is titled incorrectly. The title is derived from a statement from Ambassador James Dobbins talk on NPR, but it does not relate the actual content of this book. Also, to say the authors of this book are Noam Chomsky, Paul Farmer, and Amy Goodman, is misleading. Noam Chomsky has a short introduction (9 pages), which is not really all that informative. Paul Farmer's portion was a bit more interesting. Paul Farmer has many years experience living and working with the Haitian people and has written more in depth analysis of Haiti and the occurence of oppresion of third world countries in his books The Uses of Haiti (1994) and Pathologies of Power (2005).
The majority of this book is made up of transcripts from Democracy Now! radio and television broadcasts, and while a good introduction to the situation as it occurred in 2004, it does not adress any thing about steps to remediate the years of US and French backed coups. It does not explain the statements made by either Aristide and his supporters or the claims made by US officials - such as claims of corruption, etc.
The coverage by average US media organizations of this entire event was rather poor, much like the current coverage of the elections taking place currently in Haiti.

Badly written propaganda........2005-12-03

This is without a doubt the worst written account of the current Haitian political situation I have read to date, full of innuendo and unsupported opinions. If I wanted to read a political paphlet I would have gone to a rally.
The one redeeming feature of this pamphlet is the bodyguards account of what exactly happened in the hours prior prior to Aristide's force out, and the role of the Steele foundation.
If you want decent haitian history book look at "Written in Blood" and do not waste your money on this.

Title doesn't really reflect material........2005-07-12

Although this book offered some interesting transcripts, I was interested in reading through a comprehensive set of issues matched with potential solutions (since that was what the title implied to me).

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books