Creative Pattern Skills for Fashion Design (F.I.T. Collection)

Book Description

He descended into hell. Hans Urs von Balthasar, one of the most influential theologians of the twentieth-century, placed this affirmation of the Nicene Creed at the heart of his reflection on the world-altering events of Holy Week, asserting that this identification of God with the human experience is at the "absolute center" of the Christian faith.

Alyssa Lyra Pitstick's Light in Darkness — the first comprehensive treatment of Balthasar's theology of Holy Saturday — draws on the multiple yet unified resources of authoritative Catholic thinking on Christ's descent to challenge Balthasar's influential conclusions. This carefully argued, contrarian work is sure to spur debate across the theological spectrum.

Customer Reviews:

HVB's hangups on Hell.......2007-03-18

HvB was a master stylist of rhetoric and literature, and a brilliant theologian. He came to the fore at a time when liberals were dismantling the orthodox foundations of Vatican II's ambiguously-spun final decrees. Cleaving to tradtion as he did, he became a lifeline to a rising generation of seminarians seeking to be true to Catholicism. Along with DeLubac and Congar, he managed to champion Biblical fidelity while also fostering forward-looking theological explorations.

In many ways von Balthasar was a Catholic counterpart to that great if stange Protestant watershed figure Karl Barth. And like Barth, despite essential soundess on most points, he could not escape being a child of his age and hoping towards a theology of Universalism. This tendency was stoked by his passionate vision of God's all-conquering love on the cross. In a sense he became a reverse Calvinist: if Jesus' mission did not result in the successful application of that love to every soul intended, how could it be termed a success? The logic of limited atonement was transposed and became the 'theo-logic' of an all-encompassing atonement.

Which of course is hopeful thinking at best, skewed exegsis and heresy at worst. Pitstick gives a good, succinct autopsy of the problems. Many HvB defenders have railed unsuccessfully (see the edgy arguments at the First Things website), but impressive endorsements for Pitstick come from heavyweight HvB afficionados and RC literati including Neuhaus, Nichols, Saward, and Thomas Howard... all of which makes you respect these men that much more. She is a precise and unornamental prose writer, and certainly not one you'd term 'irenic' by any stretch, but I'd wager Pitstick's ripples will be felt for years. Given the clergy's ongoing avoidance of Hell as theological subject matter, her surgical dissection is a saluatory one.

CS Lewis' literary inspiration George MacDonald harbored similar fancies about damnation, but like HvB managed to compose a crackerjack corpus despite such novelties. It all points to a healthy reminder: there is no such thing as the infallible theologian. For a counterpoint to Pitstick and tour of HvBs strengths, check out for starters his "Three Garlands," "Primer for Unsettled Laymen," "Anxiety," and "Prayer." Edward T. Oake's primer on the guy's theology is a necessary clarifier given HvB's staggeringly prolific output. And not to be forgotten is the tributes to HvB from the ultimate fans, JP II and B XVI, at the Vatican website.

Descent into Darkness: Pearl Harbor, 1941: A Navy Diver's Memoir

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Excellent snapshot of Diving History
descent into darkness
DESCENT INTO DARKNESS
History written by a eyewitness
A Great Preservation of History

Descent into Darkness: Pearl Harbor, 1941: A Navy Diver's Memoir
Edward Raymer
Manufacturer: Presidio Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Naval | Military | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0891415890
Release Date: 1996-06-01

Book Description

A tribute to the audacious Navy divers who performed the almost super-human deeds that served to shorten the war.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent snapshot of Diving History.......2007-04-14

Commander Raymer did a fantastic job setting the mood of this story in the first chapter as he described his first dive into the sunken Arizona (it was the first ever dive on the ship), months after it had sunk. His descriptions are so vivid, I often pictured (what he experienced) as if I were there.

Other reviewers mention Raymer's escapades into early WWII Honolulu and his encounters with the the locals, but this story really focuses on what the divers did, hazards they overcame, and innovations they devised as they fought to return the heavily damaged warships back to the fleet.

descent into darkness.......2006-10-20

what a great book! i couldn't put it down. commander raymer and the men working with him were brave heroes.this book gives a glimpse of life in hawaii in the early forties as well as the navy's diving program in its infancy.not to mention the unique problems of salvaging the ships that were damaged in the pearl harbor attack.i highly recommend this book.

DESCENT INTO DARKNESS.......2005-08-29

Most books on WWII center around specific battles. However, Commander Raymer gives the reader a somewhat different perspective of WWII. Although, Raymer discribes several important engagements and the sinking of his own ship by Imperial Japanese naval forces, he also concentrates on the overwhelming and depressing daily tasks of the Navy salvage diver stationed at Pearl harbor shortly after the infamous attack. His objectives; recover bodies, raise or salvage the flagship U.S.S. Arizona, and other capital ships such as the U.S.S. California, U.S.S. West Virginia, and others.

His writing style is simple, and straight to the point. His ongoing descriptions of the scenes he saw and experienced in Hawaii and through the divers helmet port are well worth the read!

If, you liked the movie; "Men of Honor" then I guarentee you will like "DESCENT INTO DARKNESS!"

History written by a eyewitness.......2004-05-31

This really is a first-rate account of a process that has largely been ignored by writers and historians. I think it's a "given" that diving around sunken, fully armed and fueled battleships would be dangerous, but until I read this book I didn't realize just how MANY different hazards there were. For example, who would have known that it's dangerous to enter a previously-sealed but empty compartment that contains rust? (the formation of iron oxide [rust] depletes oxygen in the space)

The reader gets a firsthand account of the daily lives of salvage divers, and how frequently solutions to problems were devised on the spot. Rather unexpectedly, readers also get a firsthand description of what life was like "on the ground" during the Guadalcanal campaign.

Anyone wanting to know more about the Pearl Harbor attack really should read this book. Many people tend to think of the battle as being over when the last Japanese plane returned to its carrier; in truth, the battle had just BEGUN.

A Great Preservation of History.......2002-11-19

I recieved Descent In to Darkness as a Christmas pressent from my sister. I could not stop reading the book. I have always been a huge history buff as well as a great interest in diving . Febuary of this year (2002) I went to Maui to visit my cousin. While in Maui I got my scuba certification. My last day we flew over to Pearl Harbor to see the USS Arizona. It was very moving because I had more of a conection to the Arizona due to Raymer's detailed report on Pearl Harbor and the Arizona in the salvage eforts to raise our Pacific Fleet.

Average customer rating:

Horror that is sometimes scary and sometimes funny
Creepy and humorous at the same time

Descent Into Darkness
Jay, Troy Seate
Manufacturer: Seaboard Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1596635568

Book Description

Jay Troy Seate has assembled a collection of stories that will appeal to genre readers who enjoy everything from dark fantasy, to the supernatural, to murder mysteries. Within these pages reside: a world without sight, uptown vampires, a tough little bird, a movie world gone terribly wrong, a campfire story, beings in floors and beneath them, a mystical merry-go-round, a haunted cottage, and a myriad of femme fatales and dead bodies thrown in for good measure, all with fascinating tales to tell. The novella, Descent into Darkness, is a story of paranormal love and hate gone awry. In this intimate mystery, the protagonist relates his tale of a man trying desperately to hold onto something that could destroy his sanity, cost him his life and yes, even his soul. Passion, loss, the supernatural, and murder all form parts of the puzzle. Mr. Seate's anthology explores the human condition, and the universal struggle of good and evil within us all, from many angles-creating thirteen thoughtful, varied and highly entertaining worlds of horror, humor and mayhem. Jay Troy Seate has written everything from essays to humor to the macabre. "Mysteries, thrillers and the unexplainable are what I find myself invariably picking up and this is the genre I most enjoy writing, the type of story that stimulates me." His short stories and poems have appeared in numerous magazines, journals and webzines. He has two previously published novels, the suspense thrillers, Chosen, and its sequel, Shanghai is Crying, he is currently working of the third installment of the Swann sage. Mr. Seate currently Troy lives in Golden Colorado. Visit him at his website at www.geocities.com/jtroyseate

Customer Reviews:

Horror that is sometimes scary and sometimes funny .......2007-07-06

There are some pretty cool short stories in this book. Most of them stick with you after you have read them. I think anyone who likes Stephen King's stories would like these -- Joe Costantini

Creepy and humorous at the same time.......2007-06-02

I like Mr. Seate's short stories as much as I do his novels. There is something for everyone from fantasy, to mystery, to evil monsters. The novella was especially enjoyable as supernatural forces slowly take over a forbidden romance. As he promises in his forward, the stories are brief but energetic. Keep writing, Mr. Seate, and I'll keep reading.

Average customer rating:

A must own book.

Descent Into Darkness
Cindi Mason
Manufacturer: PublishAmerica
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 142412834X
Release Date: 2006-04-10

Book Description

ItÂ's someoneÂ's worst nightmare come true. Tara Casentini is an ordinary, hard-working woman who goes out for a night on the town. She has harmless fun, drinking and dancing the night away. But then morning arrives, and her life is permanently altered. She blacks out and has no memory of the last hours of the previous night. And what she discovers in her garage is only the beginning of a harrowing journey into a dark pit of betrayal and terror.

Customer Reviews:

A must own book........2006-06-22

I was lucky to stumble upon this book, having known some people who have read this. It is refreshing and exciting to have a book of this length contain so much in such a small volume. There is not a lot of clutter to the story and it keeps you riveted to your seat and looking over your shoulder the entire time.

As for the story: it is a cat and mouse game between a psychopath and an innocent woman. There is a lot of intrigue and drama that adds weight to the story and keeps it from becoming more than a Fugitive-esque "now you see them and now you don't" run and catch them story.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes excitement without overdone verbose filler. If you enjoy literary roller coasters I would highly suggest you give this author a try, I gaurantee that you will not be disappointed. I greatly look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

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Descent into Darkness: Pearl Harbor, 1941 A Navy Diver's Memoir
Edward C. Raymer
Manufacturer: Presidio Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PSHA4Q

Descent into Darkness: The Destruction of the Catholic Church in Russia, 1917-1923

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Descent into Darkness: The Destruction of the Catholic Church in Russia, 1917-1923
James J. Zatko
Manufacturer: Univ of Notre Dame Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Textbook Binding
ASIN: 0268000778

Descent Into Darkness: The Destruction of the Roman Catholic Church in Russia: 1917 - 1923

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Descent Into Darkness: The Destruction of the Roman Catholic Church in Russia: 1917 - 1923

Manufacturer: University of Notre Dame Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GSWRKM

Living Jonathan's Life: A Doctor's Descent Into Darkness and Addiction

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Living Jonathan's Life: A Doctor's Descent Into Darkness and Addiction
Davis Scott M.D.
Manufacturer: HCI
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Medical | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Drug Dependency | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0757306497

Kingdom of Mugabe: three volumes chronicle Zimbabwe's descent into the heart of darkness.(Books & Arts)(Robert Mugabe)(Where We Have Hope: A Memoir of ... An article from: The Weekly Standard

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Kingdom of Mugabe: three volumes chronicle Zimbabwe's descent into the heart of darkness.(Books & Arts)(Robert Mugabe)(Where We Have Hope: A Memoir of ... An article from: The Weekly Standard
Roger Bate
Manufacturer: News America Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0009GYGJ6
Release Date: 2006-07-14

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Weekly Standard, published by News America Incorporated on March 14, 2005. The length of the article is 1601 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: Kingdom of Mugabe: three volumes chronicle Zimbabwe's descent into the heart of darkness.(Books & Arts)(Robert Mugabe)(Where We Have Hope: A Memoir of Zimbabwe)(The Battle for Zimbabwe: The Final Countdown)(The Collapse of Zimbabwe in the Wake of the 2000-2003 Land Reforms: Studies in African Economic and Social Development)(Book Review)
Author: Roger Bate
Publication: The Weekly Standard (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 14, 2005
Publisher: News America Incorporated
Volume: 10 Issue: 24 Page: 38(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Descent Into Darkness
Commander Edward C. USN. Raymer
Manufacturer: Presidio Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NZX5ZO

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Buddhist Monasteries and Monastic Life in Ancient India, From the Third Century BC to the Seventh Century AD
Rekha Dawani
Manufacturer: Aditya Prakashan,India
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Buddhism | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 8177420674

Product Description

New critical study, detailed study of education, community life, transfer of traditions, communication networks, and relationship of Buddhism to politics and economics.

History of Humanity: From the Seventh Century BC to the Seventh Century AD (Routledge History of Humanity)

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History of Humanity: From the Seventh Century BC to the Seventh Century AD (Routledge History of Humanity)
Erik Zurcher
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0415093074

Book Description

The third volume of History of Humanity deals with the period between 700 BC and 700 AD. This period saw the explosion of new technologies in iron and irrigation, the rise of the classical cultures of China, India, Central and South America and the Mediterranean and the emergence of the universal religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. The technologies and ideas of this period opened new ways of human communication and led to the formation of extended cultural areas. Written by an international team of experts, this volume has a comprehensive bibliography, a detailed index for ease of reference, and is illustrated with black and white plates, figures and maps.

Book Description

Performing Gender and Comedy explores comedy as a place where gender and sexuality, through performance, challenge sexist and heteronormative forces in Western culture. Contributors investigate the effects of gender, sexuality, sexual identity, race, class, and nationality on humor and comedic performance. Each chapter, distinct in its voice and content, addresses how particular historical periods seem to affect who laughs at what, why, and with what consequences. This volume not only spans a broad range of historical and literary periods, but also engages in a critical conversation with past and present thinkers to articulate the political, cultural, and social effects of comedy.

Book Description

The first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court as well as President of the Continental Congress, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and one time Governor of New York, John Jay was a Founding Father of paramount importance to the early Republic and did much to influence the shape of America's future. Walter Stahr's lively and engaging narrative illuminates the great life of an American soldier, politician, diplomat and lawyer. Readers will follow Jay's story through key events in early American history, such as the Revolutionary War, the writing of the Constitution, the first presidencies of the country, and the creation of our most authoritative legal body, the US Supreme Court. Now, Stahr presents Jay in the light he deserves: a Founding Father, a true national hero, and an architect of America's future.

Customer Reviews:

John Who?.......2007-06-17

This is a softly written account of a most important member of the United States' Founding Father's club. Many, many people contributed to the establishment of the United States and all risked their lives and total ruin in establishing this amazing nation of ours. Obscure, overlooked and all but forgotten is New Yorker John Jay who was one of the most consistent, self sacrificing and most ardent of the Founding Fathers.

However, unlike others like Washington, Adams, Franklin, et. al., Jay left a very, very slim paper trail. He was not a fervent diarist like the others and destroyed most of his letters and correspondence. Thus, we mostly view him through his impact, through the eyes of his peers and through the major events he participated in like his negotiating the final peace with England after the Revolutionary War. John Adams, one of the pricklier and decidedly self centered of the Founding Fathers said of him, "Mr. Jay has been my only consolation. In him I have found a friend to his country, without aolly. I shall never forget him, nor cease to love him, while I live."

You will enjoy the way this author treats John Jay. There is little of the beautification of the individual so evident in works on other of the Founding Fathers. Walter Stahr does a very good job of reintroducing Jay as a pivotal figure in the founding of the United States and moves us very workman like through the key events of his life. Along the way we find a very focused patriot, a personality who gets along well with others and does not seem to need notoriety required by his peers.

Conscientious, scholarly, and accessible........2006-04-03

John Jay [1745-1829] has long deserved a full-length scholarly biography and here he receives one that does honor to subject and author alike. First-time author Walter Stahr, a practicing attorney specializing in international law, has done prodigious work in the original sources and the scholarly literature and presents his findings capably and responsibly. He blends rigorous scholarship with clear and direct prose. His work deserves a wide and grateful audience. I have one caveat. Having worked on John Jay myself, I respectfully dissent from Mr. Stahr's argument that historians have neglected Jay because of his religious and political conservatism. I think, rather, that there are three major reasons for the previous neglect of Jay. First, until the great body of his papers found a home at Columbia University, thanks to the labors of Richard B. Morris, the sources needed for a fuller understanding of Jay and his career were not readily available, and the availability of sources often shapes the kinds and varieties of scholarship that historians and biographers can undertake. Second, by one of those unfortunate historical accidents, Jay was not a signer of either the Declaration of Independence [indeed, he was a reluctant revolutionary until 4 July 1776] or the Constitution of the United States. Signers and Framers tend to get more attention from later writers than those who were neither signers nor framers. Third, not only Jay but all members of the early [pre-1801] Supreme Court have been eclipsed by the titanic figure of John Marshall. In any event, Stahr's biography should spark a reconsideration of Jay's life and career and a re-evaluation of his place in the establishment of the United States.

Long Overdue.......2006-03-09

Ask any group of American historians who the ten most important figures of the founding era were, and, sadly, the name of John Jay would be absent from a lot of those lists. I had never heard of author Walter Stahr before finding JOHN JAY: FOUNDING FATHER, so I had no idea what to expect, and though he may lack the flowing narrative of an H.W. Brands or Stephen Ambrose, a few more books like this will make Stahr a household name among history buffs.

Comparatively, there have been relatively few books written on John Jay, and what few are available, focus almost exclusively on Jay's career. Stahr duplicates those efforts by giving a wonderful account of Jay the statesman and his near unending accomplishments, but then exceeded my expectations by delving into the personal aspects of John Jay. Drawing on a substantial amount of new material, Stahr also gives us a look into Jay's wife, Sarah.

This is a compelling and enjoyable read that will, hopefully, raise public awareness and give some long overdue credit to one of America's most important Founding Father's.

Monty Rainey
www.juntosociety.com

An important man, but not a well known man.......2006-02-25

John Jay - most people know precious little about the man who is rightly considered to be one of the most important of the "second tier" of founding fathers (people like Washington, Adams, Jefferson, & Franklin make up the first tier). Prior to reading this book, I must admit that I also knew precious little about John Jay except that he was the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

Walter Stahr has done us all a favor by providing us with this portrait of Mr. Jay and explaining why he was such an important man that he deserves to be considered one of the founding fathers.

From his early days as a lawyer in New York through his days as a "resistance leader" then his days as a revolutionary leader, Stahr takes us on an unforgettable journey through Jay's life and the people that he meets while forming his opinions. Once Jay becomes President of the Continental Congress, we really see how much his contributions mean to the cause of American Independence.

During the American Revolution, Jay did not take the road of some of the founders, such as Washington or Edward Rutledge - he did not sign the declaration of Independence, nor was he a soldier. Instead, he became a minister Plenipotentiary to Spain, where he attempted to secure an alliance and funding for the weak American confederation. Despite his lack of success here (some say it was a failure, but he certainly did achieve more than his predecessors), he became an instrumental part of the peace process - working with John Adams, Henry Laurens, and Benjamin Franklin in Paris to build & define the peace treaty with the British. This section of the book is most enjoyable, and Stahr makes Jay's contributions, along with the process of drafting & ratifying the treaty, come to life.

Once back in the states, Jay's important duties to the new nation continue - he becomes the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and later the first Chief Justice. He later becomes the American representative to Britain, where he negotiates Jay's treaty, which is rightfully considered to be one of Jay's coups as a foreign minister.

Stahr concludes with Jay's years as governor of New York, his retirement from public service, his futhering zeal & interest in religion as he ages, and finally his death.

Stahr relies largely on contemporary sources to write this book; there are a lot of quotations direct from letters to/from Jay, or from diaries or records of the period. This makes the book eminently readable and interesting.

I gave the book only four stars because of the lack of information once Jay became Governor of New York - he served 8 years as Governor, but scarcely a chapter of the book is devoted to this service. Had further information about his success (or lack thereof) during his tenure as Governor been included, this biography could be considered complete.

Oh yea, that founding father..........2006-02-07

Remember studying the formation of the republic, or seeing various quasi-historical documentaries on TV, and how the stories typically focus on all the 'rock star' founding fathers, Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, etc? Well if you look or read closely enough, there is one man who is in the background of every important scene. One man who presence was just as vital, but just didn't have the 'groupie' factor of the others. For example, when the history channel did a special on Franklin, they gave considerable time to his signing of the treaty ending the war with Britain, they showed the actual signature and described how John Adams was also part of the effort, but below the signatures of Adams and Franklin, almost completely out of camera shot, was the name John Jay.

The author does a considerable service here by exploring the history and personality of John Jay. His leadership during the revolution, his negotiations during the continental congress, he various efforts on foreign affairs, and the tremendous respect all the other founders had for him. The political intrigue which served as the background for both treaties (one ending the war, the other "Jay's treaty") are well explored. Also being explored are the reasons why Jay never rose to the level of the other founding fathers: his physical shortcomings (he seemed to get sick a lot); his desire to focus on working within his state seemed to be more personally satisfying than working at the federal level.

By filling in the personal and professional details of this almost forgotten founding father, the author allows one to get a better understanding of the all the relationships among the founding fathers, the difficulties they faced, and the precarious nature of their efforts.

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The Federalist
Alexander Hamilton , James Madison , and John Jay
Manufacturer: Heritage Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

The Federalist: The Famous Papers on the Principles of American Government

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The Federalist: The Famous Papers on the Principles of American Government

Manufacturer: Barnes & Noble Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 076070225X

Product Description

Long editor's introduction, plus foreword by assistant editor of "The Papers of John Jay" precede the text of the famous papers.

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John Jay (Founding Fathers)
Stuart A. Kallen
Manufacturer: ABDO & Daughters
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Politics & Government | Reference & Nonfiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Forgotten founder: patriot, jurist, diplomat--John Jay gets his due.(Books & Arts)(John Jay: Founding Father)(Book Review) : An article from: The Weekly Standard

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Forgotten founder: patriot, jurist, diplomat--John Jay gets his due.(Books & Arts)(John Jay: Founding Father)(Book Review) : An article from: The Weekly Standard
Robert J. Kaufman
Manufacturer: News America Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0009GYGIW
Release Date: 2005-07-21

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Weekly Standard, published by News America Incorporated on March 14, 2005. The length of the article is 2659 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: Forgotten founder: patriot, jurist, diplomat--John Jay gets his due.(Books & Arts)(John Jay: Founding Father)(Book Review)
Author: Robert J. Kaufman
Publication: The Weekly Standard (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 14, 2005
Publisher: News America Incorporated
Volume: 10 Issue: 24 Page: 35(4)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Rediscovering John Jay.(Book review): An article from: Modern Age

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Rediscovering John Jay.(Book review): An article from: Modern Age
Jonathan Den Hartog
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000WZ6RZ0
Release Date: 2007-10-08

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Modern Age, published by Thomson Gale on March 22, 2007. The length of the article is 1958 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: Rediscovering John Jay.(Book review)
Author: Jonathan Den Hartog
Publication: Modern Age (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 49 Issue: 2 Page: 161(4)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Average customer rating:

A great and important book

Skip this mess

Irresistible Real Life Cold War Drama of Disinformation

Intrepid's Last Case: The Super Spy Who Helped Take Down the Nazis Tackles the KGB
William Stevenson
Manufacturer: The Lyons Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
General | World War II | Military | History | Subjects | Books
General | World | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

A Man Called Intrepid

The True Intrepid

Roosevelt's Secret War: FDR and World War II Espionage

The Man Who Never Was: World War II's Boldest Counter-Intelligence Operation

OSS: The Secret History of America's First Central Intelligence Agency

ASIN: 1585745219

Book Description

Intrepid's Last Case chronicles the post-World War II activities of Sir William Stephenson, whose fascinating role in helping to defeat the Nazis was the subject of the worldwide best-seller A Man Called Intrepid.
Sir William Stephenson still stood at the center of events when he and author William Stevenson discussed in the 1980s an investigation into sudden allegations that Intrepid's wartime aide, Dick Ellis, has been both a Soviet mole and a Nazi spy. They concluded that the rumors grew, ironically, from Intrepid's last wartime case involving the first major Soviet intelligence defector of the new atomic age: Igor Gouzenko. Intrepid saved Gouzenko and found him sanctuary inside a Canadian spy school, Camp X. Gouzenko was about to make more devastating disclosures than those concerning atomic espionage when the case was mysteriously terminated and Intrepid's organization dissolved.
Unraveling the implications of Gouzenko's defection and Intrepid's removal from the case, tracing the steps of Dick Ellis and disclosing much new information regarding United States and Canadian postwar intelligence activities, Intrepid's Last Case is a story that for sheer excitement rivals the best spy fiction-and is all the more important because every word is true.
Filled with never-before-revealed facts on the Soviet-Western nuclear war dance and a compelling portrayal of the mind of a professional spy, Intrepid's Last Case picks up where the first book ended, at the very roots of the cold war. It describes one of the most widespread cover-ups and bizarre betrayals in intelligence history.

Customer Reviews:

A great and important book.......2003-05-21

This important book is unjustly neglected. It shows that right at the start of the post-war period, before the term "Cold War" had even been coined, that the US and UK knew there had been extensive, ongoing Soviet espionage and penetration of the 'allied' governments. The scumbag Kim Philby (Soviet mole who later defected) managed to block much of the use of Soviet defector Gouzenko's information on the vast program of Soviet espionage in North America. "Intrepid" got involved in trying to find out why this immensely important defector was being sidelined and ignored by western intelligence services. The fact that even to this day there are people trying to malign this book and its information shows that the effects of the Soviet disinformation campaigns are with us still.

Skip this mess.......2001-04-17

William Stevenson, author of A Man Called Intrepid, is, to be blunt, an excruciatingly poor writer. His verbose, "chatty" and very British style of writing utilizes at least double the number of words necessary to convey an idea and he frequently loses the reader with his constant meandering around an issue. Additionally, Stevenson does not understand the concept of providing a proper background for a particular character and the reader is left wondering about the identity of an individual last mentioned chapters ago.

Not only is the writing itself hard to plough through, but, unlike A Man Called Intrepid, this book has no redeeming content. It is a very dull history that is dragged out excessively and is of minor value to historians, particularly given the highly conclusory nature of Stevenson's assertions. It is not an interesting story as either an historical perspective or an action adventure. The British intelligence services (and government for that matter) have a long history of misdirected loyalty toward their officers who later are shown to be spies, and I remained unconvinced of the author's attempt to clear the record for Bill Stephenson's assistant.

As a public service intended to save readers many hours of headaches and disappointment, I strongly encourage perspective readers to avoid this book. If you are a LeCarre or Ian Fleming fan looking for some historical background for those writers' novels, I suggest you try obtaining a copy of the now out-of-print Spycatcher by Peter Wright or for a more substantive, academic history of espionage, particularly Soviet espionage in Britain, I highly recommend the more thorough, academically-oriented works of Christopher Andrew.

Irresistible Real Life Cold War Drama of Disinformation.......2000-05-29

Sir William Stephenson, the subject of the excellent book 'A Man Called Intrepid' returns as the central figure in an important Cold War episode. Stephenson's aide during the second world war is accused in the press of having been a Soviet Mole and Nazi spy. The implications threaten the reputations of many of the West's top intelligence leaders.

This fascinating book outlines the efforts of Soviet Intelligence to create this kind of disinformation to sow discord among the Western allies and direct attention away from their own double agents.

As gripping as any spy story of this period, this one will affect you differently because you will realize how much the security of the West was at stake in these real intelligence battles. I found myself marveling at the Machiavellian effectiveness of the disinformation, and chilled by the realization that anyone could be vulnerable to similar manipulation of the facts. We all owe Stephenson a debt of gratitude for digging out the facts and for Bill Stevenson writing this book to share the incredible tale with us.

Book Description

Decaying values. Sexually transmitted diseases.

Fatherless homes. Rampant drug use.

These aren't just problems for today's inner cities.

It's the plight of all America.

Much has been said about Bill Cosby's incendiary remarks about urban black culture and its "dirty laundry." But in this provocative book, Star Parker, one of today's most controversial commentators, goes even further, proving that urban plight simply reveals a decay that is gnawing its way throughout American society as a whole.

The sexual chaos, values disorientation, and social turmoil we see in our inner cities, Parker argues, is just a magnified reflection of the moral collapse happening all over America: in our schools, our churches, our homes. And this slide toward moral decrepitude is all due to a flagrant dismissal of and assault on America's tried-and-true values.

With startling statistics and disturbing stories about the increasing secularization and criminalization of the middle class, Parker holds a cracked mirror up to suburbia. Taking on tough subjects such as abortion, drug abuse, sexual politics, and religion, she offers a rousing exploration of the raging cultural war-taking you on a wild, eye-opening tour through the White Ghetto.

Star Parker is the founder and president of CURE, the Coalition on Urban Renewal & Education, a nonprofit organization that provides national dialogue on issues of race and poverty in the media, inner city neighborhoods, and public policy. Star is a regular commentator on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and the BBC, which reaches 300 million homes worldwide. Her articles and quotes have also appeared in major publications including the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and the New York Times, and is currently a weekly syndicated columnist for Scripps Howard News Service. Star is the author of Pimps, Whores, and Welfare Brats and Uncle Sam's Plantation.

Customer Reviews:

Personal Responsibility Helps But This Book Does Not.......2007-08-18

This is a book with some important ideas, but it is so badly done that I fear it will
not be effective at changing behaviors.

The subtitle is "How Middle Class America Reflects Inner City Decay." Parker claims the
problems of the ghetto, broken families, drug abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, bad
schools, crime, you name it, are increasing in "middle America" and we can expect the
slide to continue unless we repent and change out ways. She supports her claim with various
statistics. The first problem is "claim". There are no specific sources in the text, but
usually the name of the source of the data. There is a 17 entry bibliography, with no
cross references to the text, but all are on the web, so some might be still available.
There is also no index. The table of contents is fairly detailed, but many of the titles
will not help you find what you are looking for.

I did not try to check any of the claims; some, perhaps most, seemed right but some seemed
wrong. There were enough other mistakes in the book to make me suspect the statistics.
Some mistakes seemed like sloppy word processing, missing words or changing the wording but
not completely eliminating the old wording. Others seemed more serious, mis-attributing a
quote, or getting it wrong. In some cases she got the facts of government wrong. Judges do
not seek search warrants, they authorize them.

Here is more of her analysis. The cause of many of the problems is a victim attitude, a
lack of individual responsibility. That is caused by government and other handouts, such as
admission to schools too tough to succeed in. Along the way she attacks homosexuality,
abortion, liberals, homosexuality, abortion, the Kelo decision, the ACLU, homosexuality,
evolution, abortion, voters (for allowing all this), and homosexuality and abortion. The
cure is religion, preferably Christianity. Late in the book, the possibility of a society
without the problems she deplores, and with a strong sense of individual responsibility,
is dismissed as impossible without religion. The solution is for Christians to
stand up for their real beliefs and not treat tolerance as the greatest good and
judgment as the worst evil.

Other reviewers have noted that the book seems rambling and disjointed. I suspect that some
of the material was originally intended for an opinion column.

There are lots of shades of gray in the world, but there is still black and white. I fear
the good in this book will be ignored because of the weaknesses. I expect that much of the
criticism will be of the form, "How dare a black person think for herself and even be a
conservative."

Deceptive.......2007-07-13

Not knowing anything about the author, I picked up this book thinking it would be an interesting sociological study in the parallels between two opposite American cultures. Rather all I found was at best, a statement of obvious observations and moral presumptions made by the author on behalf of the reader, and at times based off of clearly distorted facts or quotes. Furthermore it's unfortunate that it appears to use Christianity as its base of morality, when now more than ever both the middle class and the inner city exemplify a much greater religious diversity. Sadly, the book was no where near what I was looking for. Spending half a chapter on sexuality bashing homosexuals deals nothing with suburban or urban culture. Luckily the library will take this book back!

One Star for Star.......2007-01-19

Wow! This book is utterly ri-donk-ulous. Mistress Parker perpetrates yet another volume of sensationalist punditry upon our poor, brainwashed souls. You know, if her crazy rants weren't so boring, I could at least write this off as feelgood toilet reading. I mean, at least Rosie O'Donnel makes crazy-and-stupid entertaining for the masses. Even Nancy Grace manages to conduct this type of circus act with a little dignity and humor. Honestly, Madame Parker's points and topics are all very compelling, but she's about as convincing and about as appropriate as Al Jolsen in blackface.

An Awesome Book!!!.......2006-11-03

I grew up conservative, but going to college, watching lots of TV and working with teens, I slowly began to wonder if "liberals" could be right in some areas. Isn't helping the poor a good thing, and don't we want to be free to make choices?

Star Parker clearly and boldly shatered the lies that I had begun to believe and has helped me to be more sure than ever of the biblical principles of hard work and Biblical morality. These fondations are the only way for "middle America" to help the poor and at the same time stop our own slide toward imorality and socialism!

Con Game.......2006-05-23

Star Parker's latest rant shows marked improvement in literary composition compared to her earlier attempts. Despite being a little rambling, it is awash in the current right-wing hot-buttons and assuredly helps her quest for funds from the "better" half of society. Perhaps she had some help in writing this, because I did not find an Ebonic faux pas, such as appeared in "Pimps, Whores and Welfare Brats", i.e. "You kiddin, right?".

She's now heavy into the homophobia so dear to fundamentalists. Perhaps gays are taking the bread right off her table, but I'm 73 years old and never witnessed any problems with gay people, or witnessed any gays at all other than a friend's daughter and her partner. According to Star, they are everywhere, and they're nothing but trouble. Moreover, Star claims homosexuality is merely a choice, but I don't recall ever making a CHOICE . . . I liked women from day one. Interestingly, she did not claim homosexual activity among her youthful indiscretions, so Star perhaps didn't need to choose either.

Ms. Parker's asserted cures for the country's economic ills, especially as those ills apply to black America, are what she categorizes under TRUTH, and she's quite willing to pad them with some distortions of economic history (e.g. Reagan cut taxes and spending???). While escaping poverty is difficult, it has a simple formula, according to Star. Regardless of race or origin, if everyone will only adhere to virtues (chastity and fidelity), have faith in Christian values (like hers) and avoid any support from government, everyone will move up from poverty to what has been called the American Dream. Don't you wonder why those blacks in New Orleans hadn't thought of that? Why didn't they simply work in better paying jobs during those intervals between sermons at the neighborhood church? Perhaps they were too busy gorging on welfare supplied caviar to let the idea sink in. Also, they probably were influenced by those nefarious liberal secularists.

As an affirmed liberal (lewd-leftist in Star's lexicon), and a secular Zeaist to boot, I have to question the moral and intellectual authority that this gal poses to us. Both she and I came from honest, decent, lower class families. I went on to higher education on the (liberal) government sponsored GI Bill, started and owned two small but successful businesses and, aside from a few traffic tickets, I never came close to breaking the law.

She, on the other hand, was caught shoplifting, blew up a couple cars owned by her teachers, beat up weaker white kids so she could steal their money, played the old Murphy game with other hoods, took sexual promiscuity to new heights, had four abortions before having a baby fathered by someone other than her boyfriend, etc, etc. She excuses all that now by saying she was a secularist in those days, and hadn't yet found religion. Besides, none of it was her fault, as she earlier wrote "If just one person had said, `Star, what you're doing is wrong.' it might have changed the destiny of my life." What??? She didn't know what she did was wrong????

The certainty with which this expert makes her assertions brings the question: Where does she get her profound wisdom? Is she really all that smart? In her first book, Star mentions that she couldn't understand why anyone would steal her bicycle, while also claiming she didn't have a clue that a shoplifting record could stay with her for the rest of her life. Such naivete is just a smidge this side of stupidity.

But Star is really good at one thing . . . shilling for the conservatives who pay her to spew their hateful and exclusionary notions. She does that by speaking before conservative groups and on radio, as well as publishing stuff like White Ghetto. Also, she formed a non-profit organization (to help others, of course), an organization that will - for a donation of a hundred bucks - send you one of her autographed books. Donations to this organization probably go 100% to and for the unfortunate, and can't possibly be used to provide Star with the luxuries she thinks she deserves.

You kiddin', right?

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