John La Gatta : An Artist's Life

Book Description

Glamour, grace, and beauty epitomized John La Gatta's work and life. This book tells the extraordinary story of the artist's career and the loving partnership he shared with Florence, his beautiful wife of 58 years. As one looks at La Gatta's illustrations from the 1920s and 1930s, one cannot but feel the nostalgic tug of a time when a life of elegance and glamour was a fantasy harbored by the American masses. What was fantasy for the many, however, was reality for a few. While America was plunged into the Great Depression, La Gatta's ability to portray the well bred, the refined and the sensual, afforded him a life that reflected the characters he created for the pages of Amaerica's most popular magazines. John La Gatta's story is classically American--an immigrant's successful rise to wealth and fame by dint of his talent, ambition, some luck and extremely hard work. After the death of his mother, La Gatta left the graceful life in Naples he had known as a child for the rough Lower East Side of New York at the turn of the century. His early aptitude in art was recognized and nurtured so that by the time he was in his late teens he was already a working illustrator. Rising quickly in his profession, La Gatta made a fateful trip to Cleveland to join one of the burgeoning art studios. There he met Florence Olds, an art student herself, whom he wooed and wed. Although La Gatta's early advertising work often featured workingmen in overalls, he longed to illustrate women. A six month sabbatical produced a portfolio that changed his life. From then on he filled the pages of the top periodicals with elegant, sensuous women in posh settings. Though he did the occasional advertising campaign, most of his remarkable output was for the more prestigious and more highly paid editorial pages of America's most prominent magazines. The La Gattas lived lavishly, as befitted their place in society. The handsome and dapper artist was a celebrity in his own right. With showplaces on Long Island and in Woodstock, a yacht and custom-made cars, the La Gattas kept servants, belongs to prestigious clubs and traveled in style. Memorabilia from the La Gatta family archives show the couple's brilliant life in the days before the illustration profession was forever changed by photography and television. In his later life, La Gatta pursued his love of fine art and became a respected teacher. In 1984 the Society of Illustrators inducted him into their Hall of Fame. Readers who are familiar with La Gatta's work, will be in for a treat within the pages of this lavishly illustrated book. Those who have not yet had the opportunity to familiarize thmselves with his work will find themselves introduced to a world of bygone beauty and elegance.

Customer Reviews:

A sensitive portrait of the artist.......2001-03-07

Jill Bossert has captured the essence of this fascinating artist from his immigrant beginnings to his lavish life style at the height of his career. It's a captivating story of a time when illustrators lived the life of celebrity equal to today's most famous movie stars. Bossert's sensitive descriptions of John La Gatta's work shows she's knowledgable about the art of illustration and that she appreciates the fact that La Gatta's work is worthy of acclaim.

What A Treat!.......2001-02-23

This book communicates an era when illustration dictated taste and artists were as famous as rock stars. I recommend it to anyone interested in American popular culture. The reproductions are first rate, very high quality.

A significant book about a significant artist........2001-01-29

John La Gatta bridged the enormous gap between the disciples of the Pyle-Wyeth school and the candy box illustrators who eventually closed down a great century of American illustration. Unlike the photo-dependent noodlers who followed him, La Gatta carefully chose his models and worked directly from life, a fact clearly evident in the pieces selected for this well-crafted book. I would have liked an index and another signature or two to accomodate larger reproductions of his earlier work from the 1920s and 30s, which I feel would have more than justified a higher cover price. This book is a bargain considering the importance of John La Gatta and his place in the history of this uniquely American art form. La Gatta and his tasteful style of illustration are to art what Ellington and the American Songbook are to music.

Customer Reviews:

Great Images; But Name-Dropping, Child-like Writing.......2002-04-27

I think I will probably have to pick up this book again and re-read it in a few years--after I've had a chance to more fully research the era on which it's written. Despite its wonderful photos, it doesn't seem to be exactly suitable for someone who isn't already versed in the details of the decades it describes.

I'm not quite sure for exactly *what* audience Horsham intended his book. Regardless that it initially appears to be a general overview, or primer, on the styles predominent in the twenties and thirties, Horsham writes like a name-dropper at a party--with frequent allusion to designers, art movements, political events, and various other artworks and objects. He *very* seldom, however, provides his readers with any additional information on them, rendering his references useless to anyone less well versed in the details of the two decades covered in the book.

My other great problem with Horsham is the fact that he writes on what appears to be a college freshman composition level. The book reads more like a beefed-up outline instead of a more organic, flowing text. Each chapter starts out with a thesis, upon which he expands (and frequently leaves to introduce several tangents--apparently at random) and eventually concludes with a *very* obvious transitional sentence introducing the reader to the next chapter. Except for his tangental excursions, this is a technically acceptable, if irritatingly obvious and un-artistic, writing style.

Book Description

Play Jazztime presents a selection of world-famous hits from the Roaring Twenties and Thirties arranged for alto sax and piano. Relive the age of Gatsby with the great tunes included, from the seductive melodies of Gershwin to the archetypal 1920s hit "Charleston." Features 8 songs in all: Charleston * Do It Again * He Loves and She Loves * I Got Rhythm * I'm Getting Sentimental over You * Pennies from Heaven * Someone to Watch Over Me * Swanee.

20th Century Design: Between the Wars (20s and 30s) (20th Century Design)

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20th Century Design: Between the Wars (20s and 30s) (20th Century Design)
Fiona Hackney
Manufacturer: Heinemann Educational Books - Library Division
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0431039526

Great Songs of the Century: Best Songs of the '20s and '30s

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Great Songs of the Century: Best Songs of the '20s and '30s

Manufacturer: Alfred Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Songbooks | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Style In Motion: Munkacsi Photographs of the 20s, 30s and 40s

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Style In Motion: Munkacsi Photographs of the 20s, 30s and 40s
Nancy White; And John Esten
Manufacturer: CLARKSON N. POTTER, INC.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OKQH44

Customer Reviews:

/\/\3g4+0| .......2004-06-05

THis is possibly one of the funniest things I've ever read. The plot is good and the is a ton of humor. SW33t.

come on it's Megatokyo.......2004-02-24

ok. Let me start of by saying this. ANY WHO ARE FANS OF ANIME/MANGA NEED THIS BOOK! Ok. The rest of you who don't know what I"m talking about need this book for two reasons.
1. It'll get you into the world that is manga/anime
2. It spoofs both rather well.
So, why are you still here. GET THIS NOW!

Chapter Zero the best.......2004-02-10

If you have read any of Fred Gallagher's recent comics, you may find them good, but slightly boring. Well, chapter zero, when Rodney Caston was still co-writing was, in my humble opinion, the best of the comics. It may be a thin book, but it's worth its weight in gold.

Megatokyo- pl-l34l_ t3l-l p0w3r.......2004-01-23

This was written as a 7th grade school project.

After being kicked out of a game convention, two college grads take a trip to Tokyo, Japan. Suddenlt stranded with no money, food, or place to live, they must find their way back from Tokyo to America. They begin to settle into their new enviroment, starting off anew in this strange place. Throughout their "adventure' they met many new friends, including a humanoid PS2 accessory, and a hamster that is supposedly one of their "consciences." In the end, however, they begin to blend into this strange new world and live in it, wondering whether or not going back home would be better than styaing in Tokyo.

I loved this book since it is, basically, a story for gamers, nerds, and artists by gamers, nerds, and artists. It has a morbid sense of humor that many people enjoy, and it shows some problems that happen in real life. The true purpose of this book, to show how life looks from the views of people that are called "geeks," is amazing, and somehow inspiring. This book still makes me want to sit down and create a novel of my own, to show the life of these two guys is like the ones other people do live. In summary, this book should be read by everyone, no matter what age, or interest.

This book is currently also a webcomic. Read it at- www.megatkyo.com

Alittle bit for Everyone.......2004-01-12

When my brother sent me the link to MT (MegaTokyo) about a year ago, I really wasn't into reading webcomics. Well, I blame him for my time online reading and the money I spend buying great books like this.

Fred began MT just to shut up a friend... well you see where its gone from there. ^_^ I think you will find a character for just about anyone, male, female, shy, outgoing or simply out-of-touch. That's why there is such a great reader following... MT isn't just for guys, girls or gamers. This is a great book written with a flavor of manga. (though not written backwards, so no worries there if you don't want to adjust)

This issue is Pre-Dark Horse publishing, that is why the cover is different and is out of print. DH is publishing Vol 1 again (possible rerelease in March) and Vol 2 is due for release this month.

For further info, read Fred's rants on www.MegaTokyo.com. He keeps us up to date. (probably out of fear) :P

I hope this helps! Maybe I'll see you on the forums. ;)

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Remembering Valentino

A Nice Surprise

Forever Rudy

A Hidden Story of Hollywood - Told Well!

Delightful Retrospective of an Age-Old Hollywood Tradition

Valentino Forever: The History of the Valentino Memorial Services
Tracy Ryan Terhune
Manufacturer: AuthorHouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Rudolph Valentino: The Great Lover - A Documentary

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ASIN: 1418405221

Customer Reviews:

Remembering Valentino.......2007-07-23

What a great book! It gave quite an insight into the yearly services for "The Great Lover", as well as entertaining reading about those who attended them. I highly recommend this book, it's fascinating.

A Nice Surprise.......2007-07-01

This is a wonderful addition to Rudy Lore. Not very well edited, but full of new facts/info and many never seen photos. Detailed accounts of EACH yearly Memorial Service since 1926! Well worth the price. Thanks to the author for such a well-researched Labor Of Love. thank you, Tracy!

Forever Rudy.......2006-09-06

This book delivers exactly what it promises. An asset to any Valentino collection. I'm planning a visit to the mauseleum after reading this!!!

A Hidden Story of Hollywood - Told Well!.......2005-07-09

For nearly 80 years, a memorial service to honor the memory of Rudolph Valentino is held every August 23rd at Hollywood Forever (formerly Hollywood Memorial Park). What may seem as a bizzare ritual to some (over the years, it has been just that), it is also a heartfelt tribute to a silent star who, it really seems, will*never* be forgotten.

Tracy Terhune has taken great pains to take us back through the years to experience the grief and remorse felt by family and fans in 1926 and onward through the decades as the memorial services continued amid acrimony between competing factions of Valentino fans and the drama of the mystery of the original and one and only "Lady in Black." Having amassed an amazing collection of original materials that belonged to Ditra Flame, the Lady in Black (it appears she never threw anything away and thank goodness she didn't), Mr. Terhune sets out the story, the highlights, the bitch fights all in an entertaining and very readable fashion. One cannot help but be impressed with the photographs in the book. It is profusely illustrated, many of the photos are one-of-a-kind and have not been seen since they were used in the newspapers in August 1926 (if they were previously published at all). It's fun to see all the players through the years and all the new faces who were born decades after Valentino died, who take part in paying tribute to this day.

While books on Valentino's life abound, the story of the ritual of the only annual memorial held in Hollywood for a departed star was a story that needed to be told. With a literal cast of thousands, Mr. Terhune does just that, he tells it like it is, warts and all when warranted! Ultimately, the book is quite touching and heartwarming to think that there are still so many people who are touched by this silent and shadowy figure. It is a unique phenomenon, a story that needed to be chronicled and Mr. Terhune wove a tale that is quite an entertaiing read. Anyone who loves old Hollywood would love this book.

Delightful Retrospective of an Age-Old Hollywood Tradition.......2005-06-20

"Valentino Forever: The History of the Valentino Memorial Services" is a terrifically entertaining and informative book for anyone intrigued with the fact that Rudolph Valentino's death has been formally recognized by generations of fans since his untimely demise in 1926. Tracy Ryan Terhune has amassed a wonderful array of documented details and a plethora of rare photographs pertaining to the evolution of this quirky Hollywood tradition and put them into highly readable, present day perspective. I particularly enjoyed reading about the original "Lady in Black," a legend in her own right, and her successors. Just when you think there's nothing new to learn about the legend of Valentino, Mr. Terhune surprises and delights with a story decades in the making.

Book Description

1797. This book contains the rudiments of vocal music in a plain and concise manner, and a large collection of Psalm tunes, anthems, etc. proper for divine worship, many of which are entirely new. The whole is compiled for the use of schools and singing societies. Due to the age and scarcity of the original we reproduced, some pages may be spotty, faded or difficult to read. Written in Old English.

Testimony from the W̲o̲r̲c̲e̲s̲t̲e̲r̲ c̲o̲l̲l̲e̲c̲t̲i̲o̲n̲ o̲f̲ s̲a̲c̲r̲e̲d̲ h̲a̲r̲m̲o̲n̲y̲, 1786-1803 (Music in the United States before the Civil War)

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Testimony from the WÌ²oÌ²rÌ²cÌ²eÌ²sÌ²tÌ²eÌ²rÌ² cÌ²oÌ²lÌ²lÌ²eÌ²cÌ²tÌ²iÌ²oÌ²nÌ² oÌ²fÌ² sÌ²aÌ²cÌ²rÌ²eÌ²dÌ² hÌ²aÌ²rÌ²mÌ²oÌ²nÌ²yÌ², 1786-1803 (Music in the United States before the Civil War)
John Irwin Schwarz
Manufacturer: University of Kansas]
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006XO2XC

The triumph of urbanity: Isaiah Thomas' Massachusetts Magazine and Worcester Collection

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The triumph of urbanity: Isaiah Thomas' Massachusetts Magazine and Worcester Collection
Edward A Kemp
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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USA Crosswords Puzzle Book Omnibus #2
Charles Preston
Manufacturer: Perigee Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crosswords | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Puzzles | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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USA Crosswords Puzzle Book Omnibus #3 (USA Crosswords)

The USA Today Crossword Puzzle Book 26 (USA Crosswords)

USA Today Crossword Puzzle Dictionary

Universal Crosswords: Volume 2: Editor's 100 Favorite Puzzles

Simon and Schuster Super Crossword Puzzle Book #12: The Biggest and the Best (Simon & Schuster Super Crossword Books)

ASIN: 0399530355
Release Date: 2004-11-02

Book Description

100 puzzle and answer grids from the crossword editor emeritus of USA Today

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Best Selling Process

Straight-forward, universal strategy for tracking the sale!

Must have for anyone looking to succeed in sales!

A must read for sales people

First Time Sales Manager

Baseline Selling: How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know About the Game of Baseball
Dave Kurlan
Manufacturer: AuthorHouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Sales & Selling | Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Techniques | Sales & Selling | Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Business Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Mindless Selling

Close the Deal: 120 Checklists for Sales Success

ROI Selling: Increasing Revenue, Profit, and Customer Loyalty through the 360 Sales Cycle

Questions That Sell: The Powerful Process for Discovering What Your Customer Really Wants

You Can't Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar : The Sandler Sales Institute's 7-Step System for Successful Selling

ASIN: 1420895672

Book Description

Baseline Selling - How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know About the Game of Baseball, will dramatically change the way we approach the sales process, replacing the gratuitous complexity advocated by today's sales "experts" with an elegant and very effective simplicity. Studies have shown that the selling techniques of the last two decades have had very little impact on most of the sales population-less than 75 percent of all salespeople, to be exact. Why? Because of the complexity, learning curve and difficulty in applying the concepts in these systems. In response to the urgent need for a flexible, innovative process that will enable people to grasp the essential skills necessary to close a sale in any situation, Baseline Selling reemphasizes the fundamentals of selling in a fresh, memorable way that modern sales professionals can relate to and utilize, and above all, one that complements and enriches advanced sales methodologies. Salespeople who read this book and put its wisdom to work will succeed at acquiring more opportunities as they learn to get appointments more easily. They will excel at creating opportunities with prospects who are "not interested". They'll sell at higher margins by using the "Rule of Ratios". Their closing percentages will improve dramatically as they implement the simple Inoffensive Close". Salespeople selling commodities, struggling to differentiate themselves, will love "Commodity Busters" and every salesperson will be able to shorten their sell cycle by "Taking a Lead". Quite simply, Baseline Selling introduces a way for salespeople to visualize and touch all the "sales bases" without over-complicating the process.

Customer Reviews:

Best Selling Process.......2007-09-27

I have been selling for 20 years, and have been exposed to a very large number of selling systems. The vast majority of selling systems are extremely complex, and difficult to remember. Baseline Selling includes all of the vital direction of the more complicated systems, without being complicated. I have read the book 5 times, and use it for training new salespeople. You lose nothing and gain everything by switching from S.P.I.N., Customer Centric, or Solution Selling to Baseline Selling. Great work Dave!

Straight-forward, universal strategy for tracking the sale!.......2007-09-13

Kurlan has created a universally adaptable flow allowing a fill-in-the-blanks mentality for tracking the sale of ANY product or service REGARDLESS OF the length of THE SALES CYCLE, COMPLEXITY of the decision hierarchy or DEPTH of the decision team! It works whether you use his easy-to-execute tactics or your own!

Must have for anyone looking to succeed in sales!.......2007-08-31

This book does a very good job of simplifying the sales process to one in which if you follow the steps...you will close the sale. A must have, it is always in my briefcase. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to succeed in sales. This book really "covers the bases"!!

A must read for sales people.......2007-06-12

A must for anyone that is in sales! The method Dave teaches is excellent and allows you to learn a different style that will produce great results.

First Time Sales Manager.......2007-06-12

At one time in my company I was the only sales person. As the company has grown so have my sales management responsibilities. I now have a team of sales people that I have never managed before this time. My sales coach - John Moore told me to read Baseline Selling and it has really helped me and my team. My thanks to John Moore and Dave Kurlan.

Book Description

Learning to Bow has been heralded as one of the funniest, liveliest, and most insightful books ever written about the clash of cultures between America and Japan. With warmth and candor, Bruce Feiler recounts the year he spent as a teacher in a small rural town. Beginning with a ritual outdoor bath and culminating in an all-night trek to the top of Mt. Fuji, Feiler teaches his students about American culture, while they teach him everything from how to properly address an envelope to how to date a Japanese girl.

Customer Reviews:

Shame on You, Mr Feiler!.......2007-09-05

I was extremely put off by the disrespectful perspective the author used to describe the people that befriended him in a country where he was a guest. Instead of progressing to some enlightenment, the author's descriptions continued to be universally shallow and derisive. He showed a definite lack of understanding about the ancient culture that he encountered. His prejoritive names for families and coworkers were offensive to me, and I imagine would be highly unkind should they be read by the people who were kind to him and allowed him into their home and their lives.

It should be noted that he did attempt to comprehend reasons for some behaviors and practices that seemed counter-productive to the students that he taught. In this way, he may have attempted to break down barriers. However, he reverted to describing people and events in detail to point out what appeared ridiculous to him.

Ever hopeful that the author would arrive at some self-awareness and some respect for the culture that received him, I read the book to the end. Unfortunately, the author never changed in his attitude, continuing to prove that he learned little about himself in that year abroad.

The result was that he provided the perfect reason why Americans are viewed as arrogant, uneducated and disrespectful of anyone except themselves.
.... The author truely revealed himself as the prototype "Ugly American".

Don't waste your time. He never "Learned to Bow".

Patronizing rubbish, poorly written........2007-06-22

I remember when this book came out, and was a must-read for any American doing business in Japan. I didn't read it then because I 'd spent time in Japan myself, had my own ideas about it, and had many Japanese friends (Japanese-born and working abroad) living here in the United States. I figured I had better things to do than read what I suspected were the gosh-gee musings of a southern-born Yale boy, fresh out of college. Well, I just read it recently because I happened to find it lying around here (my husband's purchase, way back when), and I have discovered that my suspicions were correct. Feiler writes with a poorly disguised superiority, in which the wry amusement and wonder he aims for come across as slightly cranky paternalism. This kind of book works only when the writer (generally one more mature and less stick-up-the-wazoo than Feiler), genuinely loves the people and culture he's writing about. Or, conversely, when he's honest about disliking the country and it's people and he has the writing chops to make such misanthropy funny. Feiler straddles here. Furthermore, his writing is immature and poorly edited. He actually misuses the two-dollar word "enamored", writing "enamored with" instead of "enamored of"! In such ways do I judge young writers. If you want to sound like a big ol' Yale man, use a stlylebook and dictionary. Or get a better editor.

Don't bother with this over-hyped and outdated book.

Upsetting.......2007-05-18

I may not a good reviewer because I stopped reading at page 50 but I believe this is not at all a good book to read if you want to learn about Japanese culture. As a Japanese born and raised in Japan I find this book extremely humiliating.

"Learning" is the key idea in this nice memoir.......2007-05-16

Bruce Feiler spent a year teaching English in a Japanese junior high school in Tochigi prefecture. His book contains both his observations on the Japanese school system and his own experiences as an American living in Japan for the first time. He also takes time to explain unfamiliar aspects of the culture, from Shinto religious practices to the evolution of the Japanese school lunch. This is a very appealing introduction to Japan from a young man who admires many aspects of Japanese culture but does not hesitate to criticize other aspects. There are some wonderful set pieces, such as his introduction to an onsen (hot spring) communal bath, his stay in a hospital, and his climb of Mt. Fuji. Feiler was in Japan in the late 80's, so some of his observations are, of course, dated, but that's hardly a good reason not to read this fine book. How could a memoir not be "dated" in the sense that it conveys a particular time and place? Feiler's strength as a writer is the blend of sharp observation and humor (including the self-deprecating kind) that he brings to his book. He depicts very well the sort of "lost in translation" moments that any traveler to Japan (or any other unfamiliar place) is bound to have. A further plus is the way he avoids the hushed, reverential tone found in some other accounts by travelers to Japan. This is a particularly useful book if you are planning a trip to Japan yourself.

A Great Book.......2007-02-02

I loved this book. I had to keep in mind though, Japan has changed a lot since the author was a teacher in Japan.

Learning To Bow - Inside The Heart Of Japan

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Learning To Bow - Inside The Heart Of Japan
Bruce S. Feiler
Manufacturer: Ticknor & Fields
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NP6EXO

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Learning to Bow. Inside the Heart of Japan.

Manufacturer: Ticknor & Fields
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000I2ZSPM

Book Description

n The Cell, John Miller, an award-winning journalist and coanchor of ABC's 20/20, along with veteran reporters Michael Stone and Chris Mitchell, takes readers back more than 10 years to the birth of the terrorist cell that later metastasized into al Qaeda's New York operation. This remarkable book offers a firsthand account of what it is to be a police officer, an FBI agent or a reporter obsessed with a case few people will take seriously. It contains a first-person account of Miller's face-to-face meeting with bin Laden and provides the first full-length treatment to piece together what led up to the events of 9/11, ultimately delivering the disturbing answer to the question: Why, with all the information the intelligence community had, was no one able to stop the 9/11 attacks?

Download Description

ABC's John Miller has been tracking this story since his coverage of the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993. He was the first American journalist to interview Osama bin Laden. He has a sophisticated knowledge of the structure and workings of bin Laden's and other extremist organizations. And he has extensive sources within the federal and local law enforcement communities now conducting the investigation into the September 11 attacks. In The Cell, Miller and veteran crime reporter Michael Stone will narrate the behind-the-scenes story of this unfolding investigation. Following a handful of key agents and detectives, they will not only describe the step-by-step process of identifying and linking up suspects, but the politics and pressures, the magnitude and feel of the greatest manhunt in the history of the world.

Customer Reviews:

How to Connect the Dots.......2007-09-03

Excellent non partisan narrative that takes you from an assasination plot in 1990 through the events of 9/11 and shows you how to connect the dots between the numerous events in between.

Many in our law enforcement and government were aware of the connections but were unable to convince the bureaucracy to take action. Decades of relative peace changed the makeup of the organizations tasked to protect us. Their focus shifted from those who would harm us to those who would challenge their budgets and power.

Essential reading to understand how large organizations can miss the obvious. A great primer on Osama and the Islamist threat.

Opportunity Lost .......2007-07-28

This is a great read, perhaps written too much from the FBI side of the house but nonetheless at the top of the list.

It is tough to read the book while knowing what would happen on 9-11. Monday morning quarterbacking always looks brilliant. However, the authors document the flaws at the FBI, CIA national leadership and other agencies, plus the many times that sound instincts were overruled by bureaucratic blunders and second guessing. Colin Powell in his excellent brief on leadership (prepared as the storm gathered) notes that both military and corporate leadership should start with the assumption that the people in the field know more about reality than headquarters staff.

The effectiveness of young, results oriented organizations too often matures into process oriented organizations where results are subordinate to process, career advancement and political correctness. One small example was the CIA leadership refusing authorization for a low risk intelligence field operation, but offering to send a 4 person team to the field office to provide sexual harassment training, to a 2 man field office deep in the Muslim world.

The authors note the seemingly endless stream of lost opportunities to break or at least slow the chain, some incredibly lucky events such as the fire that lead Philippine authorities to the master bomb maker. Warriors and coaches emphasize that winners make their own good luck. As a nation we did a great job of making bad luck with tragic results.

There are heroes, many of them and the authors take the reader into the daily struggle as they attempt to prevent what would become 9-11 but which might have ended with an even more deadly attack.

This would have been an easy 5 stars were it not for some troubling issues. The first is information available to both our leadership and the press in the decade leading up to 9-11 clearly showed that to be a serious threat. When my phone rang shortly after 6 am (Pacific Time) on 9-11, the first words I heard were, "You were right" from a very distraught and close friend. The tragedy was not that we had no information; but rather that so many public warnings over the prior 12 years had been ignored by both the press and our top leadership.

In the late 80's the revised "Great Reckoning" devoted a substantial portion of the book to the rise of militant Muslim fundamentalists, the challenges of asymmetrical warfare with stateless groups whose weapons were made vastly more deadly by the expansion of technology. In the following years the terrorists had struck every continent with the exception of Antarctica. There was within much of the military leadership the shared, unclassified opinion, that the "big one was coming." And finally, as is so often the case, fiction writers like Tom Clancey understood and wrote about the potential of using airliners as weapons.

The authors also note the debilitating impact of restrictions and bureaucratic roadblocks placed on the CIA's use of sources. They fail to note that the restrictions and procedures helped Ames to compromise virtually every US asset in the USSR. The rules and procedures increased the threat to those who would help us and discouraged our agents from recruiting sources.
The authors also gloss over the damage done by Adm Turner who pushed the CIA away from human sources and effective action. They do note the sign over one CIA officer's desk which summarized the Turner/Carter CIA - Big operations, big problems - Little operations, little problems - No operations, no problems. Boldness succumbed to bureaucracy and risk aversion.

The authors note that Clinton did not meet with the CIA Director for years, but offer the comment that he read the reports. However, in the world of very sensitive information, leaked documents and Freedom of Information requests there is no substitute for personal briefings. If the FBI, DOJ and CIA were not working together as a team it is a reflection of both the problems within the organizations and the leadership above.

With these issues noted the book is highly recommended. Also recommended is I.C. Smith's "Inside" which presents another view of many of the same issues and makes a great companion.

Sleeping Giants.......2006-11-12

The authors of "The Cell" provide the reader with a step-by-step on how the terrorist's cells evolved and developed. The terrorist cells had its beginnings not in Pakistan or Iran but in the United States of America in the heart of the city of New York!

The authors write in detail about the catastrophe of the World Trade Center on September 26, 1993. They provide inside information on the worst tragedy of September 11, 2001. The authors show how all could have been averted if it had not been for the sleeping giants, the FBI, NYPD, JTTF (Joint Terrorism Task Force) and the CIA. Not only were those powerful agencies asleep, but they were, in every way, trying to be the number one and all-powerful individual agency. This was mistakenly done by not sharing important and critical information. Moreover, the different agencies failed to act on the clandestine information, each one had about the Muslim immigrants from Pakistan. The agencies knew ahead of time a large group of immigrant Muslims were busy gathering bomb-making materials and being trained in American soil to bring the twin towers down and kill as many American people as well.

I compare the way the authors of "The Cell" present the reader the story much like paint-by-number's painting. Once the reader finishes painting all the numbered pieces the reader wind up with an extremely disturbing painting of how the terrorists managed to accomplish doing the inconceivable in the heart of America.

As American's we continue to believe in the fallacy that we are a giant that cannot be touched. We see ourselves as a giant elephant and the terrorist as a gnat buzzing on our giant elephants' ear. We fail to give that gnat more attention and instead gently try to swat it off our ear.

The reader might have seen the incidents of the World Trade Center tragedy on TV. The reader might have witnessed the pulverizing of the twin towers on 9/11 on TV is well, but the authors of "The Cell" provide the inside story never seen and or witnessed by the public at large, and they paint the catastrophically numbered slots in a factual, but disturbing way.

"The Cell" is necessary read for everyone.

Left Leaning Hoosier- Thank You for being a Hysterical Moron.......2006-09-13

any leftish baffon who writes comments like yours proves that i need to read the book. i look forward to a terrific read.

No ZERO stars option?.......2006-09-12

Does anyone even care that the "Author" John Miller, formerly of ABC's 20/20 and then the head of counterterrorism for the LAPD, is currently the Assistant Director of Public Affairs for the FBI in the BUSH regime...I mean...Administration.

This book is Propaganda. Period.

The Cell: Inside the 9/11 Plot, and Why the FBI and CIA Failed to Stop It

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The Cell: Inside the 9/11 Plot, and Why the FBI and CIA Failed to Stop It
Stone, Mitchell, John, Michael, Chris Miller
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
ASIN: B00006SL49

La celula terrorista / The Cell: Inside the 9 / 11 Plot and Why the FBI and CIA Failed to Stop It: Inside the 9 / 11 Plot and Why the FBI and CIA Failed to Stop It

Average customer rating:

La celula terrorista / The Cell: Inside the 9 / 11 Plot and Why the FBI and CIA Failed to Stop It: Inside the 9 / 11 Plot and Why the FBI and CIA Failed to Stop It
John Miller , Michael Stone , and Chris Mitchell
Manufacturer: Diana/Mexico
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Terrorism | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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The Cell: Inside the 9/11 Plot, and Why the FBI and CIA Failed to Stop It
John, et al Miller
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NQNP94

Product Description

The Pictorial Atlas will serve astronomy professionals, amateurs, and even uninitiated, interested persons with insight into the makeup of binary star systems, some of which have their component stars so close together as to be in actual physical contact. Nothing like this atlas has ever existed in the field. Each page shows one binary star system at about ten positions in its orbit, so as to provide perspective for the viewer as the system turns, and shows a listing of the fundamental dimensions, mass data, radiative quantities, etc., which are known or estimated for the binary. This book will be of interest to theoretical astronomers, observers, and amateur astronomers. Further uses include the atlas being an adjunct to graduate school courses in the analysis of binary star observations, or fundamentals of binary star research. It could also well be a reference book for university undergraduate laboratories.

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