Teachers Have Class: A Tribute (Quote-A-Page) (Quote-A-Page)

Book Description

Here's a better way than a shiny apple to pay tribute to those favorite teachers. Teachers Have Class deserves an A for its stylish approach to appreciation.

Teachers Have Class: A Tribute
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Teachers Have Class: A Tribute
Editor Mary Rodarte
Manufacturer: Andrews McMeel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J3YJ0K

Book Description

In this important collection of fifty pieces, Edward Said questions the very foundations of the Oslo accords. Signed in September 1993 on the White House lawn by Israel and the PLO, the accords were immediately hailed as a success and a breakthrough for peace in the Middle East, but Said realized that the imbalance of power between the signees would set up a problematic dynamic, bringing only an illusionary stability. The later interim agreements of Taba, Hebron, and the Wye Plantation would already limit the next phase -- the final-status negotiations set to conclude this year, when the future condition of refugees, Jerusalem, borders, water and compensations must be decided.

Incisively cutting through the hyperbole in the press surrounding the accords, these pieces document the historic content but also give otherwise unreported accounts of what has really gone on in the occupied territory since the signing. The continuing expansion of Israeli settlements, the repressive leadership and inflated bureaucracy of Yasir Arafat, Said's own return to Jerusalem after forty-five years, the subsequent banning of his books by the Palestinian Authority, and Oslo's inability to recognize Palestine's self-determination are among the issues of peace and justice he discusses.

Together these essays are an eloquent and courageous statement for peaceful coexistence and equality between two peoples, and for an end to the separation of Jews and non-Jews -- the only hope for a lasting solution in the Middle East.

Customer Reviews:

Just another fanatic, albeit an articulate one.......2006-08-17

I am reading a bunch of stuff on the Middle East and the various issues and conflicts in the region, and I came across several names often enough that it seemed reasonable I should read something by each of them. One of the names was Edward W. Said, whose book Orientalism was apparently considered very influential when it was released about 20 years ago. I found this other book more current, and bought it instead. The current volume is a collection of newspaper articles (most editorials) that were published between 1995 and 2002. The majority of them first saw print in the years 1996-8. They are, whatever else you think of them, quite well-written and articulate, and the author makes his points convincingly, provided you accept the underpinnings of what he says. Therein lies almost all of my difficulties with this book.

The author is, to be frank about it, profoundly intellectually dishonest, and also something of an idealist when practicality is much more reasonable. Much of the book is spent discussing Israeli occupation of various Arab lands, and Israel's abuse of the people living there, at least as Said sees it. He is incredibly disdainful of Israeli fears and caution with regards to the Arabs that surround the nation, apparently taking for granted that Israel can't be overrun no matter what the circumstances (something I don't think Israelis have ever seriously thought) and so he takes the attitude that when they won't give "back" land that the Arabs claim, they're merely being stingy and mean-spirited.

Much of his attitude is directed towards the Palestinian people who live in the Gaza, and especially the West Bank. Said grew up in Jerusalem, at least part of the time, and his mother was from Nazareth. He apparently felt a very strong attachment to the residents of this area, and sympathised with their plight a great deal. The difficulty with this is that Said shows almost no compassion for the Israelis (though he does show some for them with regards to the Holocaust, interestingly, something Arab intellectuals are often at pains to minimize or downplay) when terrorists attack or they feel threatened.

As a result, the book has a number of very strange characteristics. While the vast majority of terrorist acts by individuals are committed in the region by Arabs and Palestinians, the only one Said mentions (his name comes up several times) is Baruch Goldstein, the doctor who shot up the mosque in the West Bank back in the mid-90s. Said bemoans the hardships laid onto the Arabs who live in Jerusalem, and loudly denounces Sharon's famous walk under the temple mount through the tunnels beneath it. At the same time, he ignores the fact that things were much worse under the Arab regime of Jordan between 1948 and 1967, when Jews weren't allowed to visit the Wailing Wall, as a for instance, and had to evacuate their whole neighborhood because it was on the wrong side of the cease fire line.

The above is part of a larger pattern throughout the book. The author has a very dishonest habit of doing what I call cherry-picking. He'll discuss only those facts which support his conclusion, and ignore facts which directly contradict what he's saying, even those that make it completely unworkable. He seems to think that if he talks authoritively about something, that will refute reality, and no one will notice. As a result, you wonder, at times, if he's talking about the same Middle East as the rest of the authors who write on the subject. To here Said tell it, the Palestinian people are pretty much universally a reasonable, secular, intelligent group, unsympathetic to terrorism, and constantly victimized by the mean, nasty, racist Israelis who have no reason for their mistrust other than their own cultural imperialism and greedly land-hunger. Islamic radicalism is a tiny movement that's been horribly blown out of proportion by the Zionist-controlled news media. Arabs and Jews could easily live beside one another in a secular state with a right of return for both Jews and Palestinians, or for neither, and there would be no violence. You get the picture.

Some of the reviewers here seem to think Said wanted to destroy Israel. I don't think that's exactly true. From my point of view, he was a fairly typical American academic (his day job, after all, was teaching American literature at Columbia University in New York City). Most of these guys are hilariously out of touch with reality, ridiculously liberal, and impractically idealistic in the face of facts that would convince anyone else that another path should be taken. Said seems to think that if he writes enough editorials, Arab radicals that fly planes into buildings and strap bombs to themselves to kill children will instead turn themselves into valuable members of society. Even entertaining such thoughts betrays an amazing level of unreality.

One side issue, where I frankly agreed more with the author than I expected to, was in his view of Yasir Arafat. The author despises Arafat, and spends a lot of time discussing how corrupt and inefficient he was. The author makes it clear that he feels that as long as this is the standard of government in the Arab world, progress towards peace is unlikely. However, he strangely leaves aside the issue of how Arab countries, and Palestine, can move from their dictatorships and corrupt political systems towards a more transparent, responsive, representative government. He just leaves this aside, as if the Israelis should make peace with the various Arabs and Palestinians and trust them to do their part to improve things. Like I said above, he seems to have no idea how the real world works.

I enjoyed this book in some ways, but I had to read it slowly over a period of a month and a half because the one-sided nature of the author's opinions was too much to take in large doses. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject, but readers should be aware of the author's biases.

Very one-sided.......2006-01-13

Read also a thorough review of Said in Shoher's book Samson Blinded: A Machiavellian Perspective on the Middle East Conflict. Shoher shows many factual errors and contradictions in Said's arguments.

The truth may be dark and depressing, and yet true.......2004-05-12

This book starts where Said's "Peace and its Discontents" ends, so read that book first. It's indeed a gloomy picture. Arafat's puppet administration sinks deep into corruption whilst steaming in impotent helplessness, as the so-called peace process becomes a transparent tactic to block all real Palestinian aspirations for a viable state in the occupied territories. The Israelis and the US continue to block all real statehood negotiations until 'violence stops', overlooking the crucial fact that Palestinian violence is largely a reaction to the brutal Israeli occupation, and is impossible for Arafat to control while the Israeli settlement and occupation policy continues. So things remain in a deadlock. And meanwhile Said's health deteriorates. Sad indeed, but unfortunately it's the truth of the situation.

A piece of propaganda.......2003-12-14

The book starts with what should be shocking statement by Kirkus Reviews, referring to the fate of Palestinians as one of the greatest tragedies of our time. Now, what's wrong with the life of Palestinians? They were not exterminated. They property was not looted and their women were not raped. They are not forced to work in concentration camps, but live in more comfortable conditions than Jewish immigrants fifty years ago. They are not starving but are provided with unprecedented welfare benefits, now in third or fourth generation. How odd is to compare this situation with real tragedies, like Holocaust of Jews and Gypsies in WWII, slaughter of two world wars, millions dead in Algeria and Rwanda, and other catastrophes, which are distinguished by most important feature: a desire to murder for the sake of it. No sane person can claim that Jews want to kill Arabs. There is a well-established record of Israelis taking heavy losses, such as in Lebanon and Palestine, in street fights instead of burning the place to the ground, as just about any other army would have done.
Speaking of Holocaust, the author mentions, many of us [Arabs] may wish to regard it as none of our business. But do not forget that major Muslim authority, mufti of Jerusalem, spent the wartime in Berlin, actively collaborating with Nazis in eradicating Jews.

In trying to find the most dramatic analogy to happenings in Palestine, Prof. Said settles on Bosnia. He has to admit that the difference is that while massacres took part in the latter, nothing of this kind happens in the former. Apparently, it does not bother the professor that this leaves nothing of similarity. To make his point by hook or by crook, he asserts that something similar to massacres is taking place daily in Palestine. What is it, you would wonder. Well, not really atrocities, just demolishing a house here and there or exiling several people. Not much of cruelty, considering the circumstances of retaliation for terrorist acts. The author fails to analyze that such actions in no way change the situation in Palestine. Even if we accept his inflated assumptions, it comes on annual basis to 500 buildings demolished, one square mile of land taken (presumably, purchased by settlers), thousand people exiled. This affects less than one-tenth of one percent of population. Indeed, the author affirms that even the Palestinians do not care, even do not see this persecution.

Indeed, there was a latent agreement on the part of some Jewish leaders to drive Arabs out, and Prof. Said is quick to condemn it. But every action should be considered in its context. You would not like to live with a next-door neighbor who tried to evict and kill you, would you? Now imagine you share a same flat with this guy. If there would be an opportunity to drive the fellow out by pressure, without undue crime against him, this is what you would embark on. Besides, Israeli measures were extremely mild by standards of establishing a state. Americans, Russians or, for this matter, Palestinians themselves readily killed people opposing them in conquest (or, if you prefer, in establishing their statehood).

The professor addresses unfairness of Jews being allowed sovereignty, while Palestinians are not. Well, both of them were allowed it in 1947. There are things, which once lost cannot be regained. Imagine a world where nations were allowed to return to status quo ante and correct their mistakes: France would surely assemble more forces at Waterloo, and Israel might have not start a war of 132, preventing formation of Palestine in the first place.

A few years passed since the publications reveal that the author's reasoning on importance of ceasing to hold the territories is wrong. He argued that it is necessary to give away Golan to Syria, some other territories to Lebanon and Palestine to achieve peace with them. During this time, Israel has indeed returned Golan, but no peace was achieved with Syria. Withdrawal from Lebanon did not bring peace, either. And, notably, Israel does not police or routinely strike these territories. So the only reason remaining for them not signing the peace treaty is their hostility towards Israel. This was perfectly evident before, with even those Muslim countries not in any contact with Israel, like Bangladesh, preserving the hostile state of affairs.

The professor leaves no doubts in defining his opponents. He expressly calls very authoritative Adam Smith Institute his enemy, precisely on the ground of its liberal orientation. The list of foes is joined by British Foreign Office (hardly an organization unsympathetic to Arabs) and, puzzlingly, Arthur Andersen consulting firm. Quite clearly, anything related to free market and non-partisan politics is abominable to him.

Prof. Said, comfortably living in New York, has leisure to advance radical slogans. Never in his book he implies that he offered any practical help, such as charity, to his fellow Palestinians. Nor did he fight Israel, even participating in demonstrations. He does not recognize hypocrisy of his position of fanning the destructive struggle from his safe haven. He wants to incite Palestinians to stick to unrealistic demands instead of quietly going on with their lives, as most of them want under beneficial and extremely tolerant Israeli administration. He does not leave the US and, I guess, did not relinquish his American citizenship, while harshly criticizing the policy of his new country. Apparently, he sees no trouble in violating the pledge of allegiance he owes to the US, being its citizen, but keeping his loyalty with Palestinians.

Overall, the author lacks the basic realism, and not for any idealism of his, but for the lack of even minimal understand of history. Borders of countries are in constant change. Nations come and go, or are driven away. There is no morality besides balance of power, and the power belongs to those who are willing to pursue their principles unto death.

stunning!!.......2003-11-19

This is the fourth book of his , and second after his recent untimely death, that I am reading. This is the book which gives the clearest insight into the situation in the mideast and offers ( I think ) the most reasonable solution to the problem. I do not know how to say how much I liked the book,, but this is one of the rarest book I couldn't stop reading,,,enough to bother my studying..

Cronicas Palestinas / The End of the Peace Process: Arabes e Israelies Ante el Nuevo Milenio / Oslo and After

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Cronicas Palestinas / The End of the Peace Process: Arabes e Israelies Ante el Nuevo Milenio / Oslo and After
Edward W. Said
Manufacturer: Grijalbo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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End of the Peace Process, The : Oslo and After

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Enough Said

End of the Peace Process, The : Oslo and After
Edward Said
Manufacturer: Pantheon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O63ZOS

Customer Reviews:

Enough Said.......2007-09-02

Many human beings have worked to help build a fine civilization that has allowed billions of humans to exist on this planet, many in relative comfort compared to human existence just a few hundred years ago, not to mention a few thousand years ago. Of course, the smooth functioning of society can be negatively influenced by a variety of criminals, gangs, warmongers and tyrants. And in some cases, there are ultranationalists, racists, bigots, and various other destructive people who would rather pursue a gratuitous war against a group of civilians than contribute to improving society. Ed Said was one such person. He worked hard to make the world a worse place for everyone.

Said was notorious for some of the propaganda he wrote, and this book is an example of it.

Said wrote that "peace and dialog can occur only between equals." Well, just what was that supposed to mean? Arabs have 5,500,000 square miles of land. Israelis have 11,000 square miles, even including the Golan, Gaza, all of Jerusalem, and all of the West Bank. Arabs have a higher population, and Israel has far more people per square mile. The Arabs have much more oil, and much more oil per capita. There are plenty of other ways in which the Arabs and Israelis are not equal. I think that Israelis and Arabs are all human beings who all ought to have human rights. But it does not appear to be what Said wanted.

The author did make some analogies. He liked the word "Bantustan," even though Israel is the entity in the region that looks most like a Bantustan, with its Jewish citizens not being particularly welcome in the nations on the other sides of its borders. He stated that the Holocaust during World War Two, in which around six million Jewish civilians were systematically murdered, was a crime. But what about the successful Jewish defense against Arab aggression in 1948? What did he say about that? Well, he said that it "constituted no less a crime of the same kind," and that "Israel and Germany were both guilty of heinous crimes of enormous magnitude."

Um, what about Czechoslovakia? It got attacked by Germany! And as a result, some Germans in Czechoslovakia got shown the door. Was Germany's aggression a heinous crime? What about the Czechs? Were they guilty of a heinous crime? Said, for some reason, did not ask or answer these questions.

There was a "tunnel incident," in which Israel did something good: it opened a door to a Jerusalem market so that people who were coming from the Western Wall did not have to retrace their steps. In response to this simple good deed, many Arabs rioted, and some people died as a result. Said moaned about the fact that even after the deaths, the door remained open! And that leads me back to the title of my review: enough said.

Book Description

The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art is a growing private collection of over 15,000 objects, built up over the last twenty years in London by Dr Khalili. This volume is the first in an important new academic series, complementary to the main catalogue of the Collection: it consists of a detailed study of a group of early Arabic papyri, dating mainly from the eighth to tenth centuries AD. Most are from Egypt, but the collection also includes the only known papyrus to survive from Iraq. The texts range from tax and legal matters, to business accounts and personal correspondence. Each document is transcribed and translated, and there are copious notes on historical linguistics, and palaeographic issues. These documents reflect directly the realities of life in the first centuries of the Islamic era.

Customer Reviews:

Synopsis.......2000-06-20

This is a study of a group of early Arabic papyri, dating mostly from the eighth to tenth centuries AD. Most are from Egypt but the collection also includes the only known papyrus to survive from Iraq. The texts range from tax and legal matters to business accounts and personal correspondence. Each document is transcribed and translated and there are notes on historical, linguistic and palaeographic issues.

Book Description

The story fo the evolution of the gambling racket from mobbed-up vice to corporate success story as told through the biographies of the men who made it happen.

Customer Reviews:

Sloppy, Fragmented and Unfocused.......2007-03-22

This is a book that appeals to no one. If you're not already familiar with Vegas history, it is not a good place to start. And if you already know something about Vegas, it will not teach you anything new.

In theory, the structure of this book seems like a good idea -- devote a chapter each on the movers and shakers who built Las Vegas. The problem is that they all influenced each other, so separating them results in an arbitrary, fragmented, sometimes difficult-to-follow, narrative. Even the chapters themselves tend to jump back and forth in time and place. Structurally, the book just doesn't work.

Then there's the problem of sketchy information. Smith doesn't go into great detail explaining the why's and how's of events, leaving the reader with a great longing to know more about the individual characters of these men and what makes them tick. If you're looking for some good dish on Vegas -- which is what the snappy title promises -- there are better choices.

Compounding the reader's frustration are the numerous typos, spelling, and grammatical errors. Smith either had no editor or edited this himself. It feels like a first draft in serious need of a major rewrite and fact checking. It's difficult to believe Smith makes a living as a journalist. He must have a good editor at the Review/Journal.

The Real McCoy........2007-03-05

This book gives you the real story behind the Vegas gaming legends. Nobody does justice to this topic like John L. Smith. His research is impeccable.

It delivers on the title but in a less than thrilling way.......2006-10-31

This book is a fun read if you are someone who is familiar with Las Vegas. The book indeed delivers on what the subtitle, "..The Founding Fathers and Current Kings of Las Vegas" states. Each chapter is more or less devoted to discussing a specific person and the impact they had on setting the stage for the evolution of Las Vegas. I imagine those of you who have never been infatuated with Las Vegas will want to pass on this one.

Based on some of the anecdotes, it seems amazing that some of the Vegas hotels are still open today. The mobsters and the so called "straight laced" owners who ran (or still run) the hotels come off as either extremely brilliant or totally incompetent. It is no wonder that most of the Strip hotels have all been swallowed up by one or two companies. The author also seems to question if some hotels are completely honest when it comes to gaming.

The problem I had with the book was perhaps I was expecting something more chronological and dramatic. Instead, the book is like a compilation of old newpaper columns that are all put together in one place(of course, maybe that is not a surprise since the author is a newspaper reporter). Much like other books of that nature, the reading becomes almost repetitive and seems easier to take over a long haul rather than a week or two of reading cover to cover. Also note that there are a few typos and errors that make it seem like someone did a spellcheck with a computer rather than really proofreading it.

If you can stick with this type of book, you will probably enjoy it. Now this is the first book about Las Vegas I have read so I can not compare it to anything but I've got to believe there is probably something a bit more compelling.

Las Vegas history: from mob to corporate.......2006-03-16

The complete saga of Las Vegas from its early roots with the mob to modern corporate times is presented in a lively history of the city's real rulers in SHARKS IN THE DESERT: THE FOUNDING FATHERS AND CURRENT KINGS OF LAS VEGAS. Many made their fortunes developing the casino business the city is most famous for today - but many myths have surrounded their activities - myths which columnist Smith dispels in an investigative history which tracked mobsters and their connections to the city's rich and monied.

Great book and great shipping time.......2006-02-17

I received this book almost right away. It's a very good summary of the people of Las Vegas written by someone who knows, John Smith.

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Arizona Ocean: A Shark in the Desert
Randall C. Rider
Manufacturer: Son Power Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0971468516
Release Date: 2003-10-17

Product Description

The strengths of Arizona Ocean are its originality; the way the characters blend into and introduce each other; effective dialogue; information about the Native American Church prayer meetings; and the underlying positive messages and themes surrounding the blurry relationship between what is dream vs. reality and the wonderful creative possibilities within a self-authored story and life.

Book Description

"Enthralling eye-witness histories."--John Keegan . On August 17th, 1943, for the first time, the entire American bomber force based in Britain struck deep in Germany. They targeted the Messerschmitt aircraft factory at Regensburg and the ball-bearing factories at Schweinfurt...with disastrous results. One in six bombers failed to return and the U.S. Air Force suffered its worst defeat of World War Two. The best-selling author of The Berlin Raids and The Battle of Hamburg now gives the same meticulous attention to this momentous setback. Working from original documents and personal accounts of survivors (military and civilian) on both sides, he reveals how the events of that fateful day, with its harrowing losses, destroyed any hopes of ending the war quickly.

Customer Reviews:

Daughter of Pilot.......2007-04-13

If you want to know the how's and why's and what happened you can't ask for better. My father was shot down in this raid and his crew and he taken POW. Mr. Middlebrook interviewed him and many other participants. Reading it gives you chills.

U.S. Air Force Navigator.......2001-04-22

Note--Middlebrook's book "The Schweinfurt Regensburg Mission" has nothing to do with Accounting. Amazon has the wrong reviews appearing with this title.

Absolutely essential reading for anyone wishing to understand American bombing operations and tactics in Germany during WWII. Middlebrook's research and attention to detail are first rate! He relies on original documents and "first-hand" accounts to paint a fresh portrait of these missions from the perspective of the American bomber crew, the German fighter pilots, and the people on the ground in Schweinfurt and Regensburg. Highest recommendation. For a great perspective on British night bomber tactics, try Middlebrook's "The Berlin Raids--RAF Bomber Command Winter 1943-44." An equally excellent companion volume.

The Schweinfurt-Regensburg Mission American Raids on 17 August 1943
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The Schweinfurt-Regensburg Mission American Raids on 17 August 1943
Martin Middlebrook
Manufacturer: Allen Lane
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NBFRWC

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Stellar

Top reading for both active and armchair military historians

Essential reading to understand USAF in Europe.

The Schweinfurt-Regensburg Mission: American Raids on 17 August 1943
Martin Middlebrook
Manufacturer: Penguin UK
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 014017947X

Customer Reviews:

Stellar.......2007-07-01

Martin Middlebrook's work is typically well-researched and detailed. His narratives are not too shabby either. His attention to detail allows the thinking reader to meticulously reconstruct the battles. If you want to know about U.S. daylight bombing over Germany during World War II, there is no better place to start.

Top reading for both active and armchair military historians.......2002-08-08

Another well researched and presented book from the Middlebrook stable. Statements are presented as usual from all 'combatants' right down to poor Hildegard cohorting with a Guest Worker and sentenced for "in ehrvergessener Weise".
I felt that this time though compared to the his books relating to Bomber Commands raids on various targets in Western Europe, Mr Middlebrook did not achieve the same rapport with the members of the Mighty Eighth. This may have been due to limited access to stateside residents or just New World cultural differences. However, this did not interfer with the usual excellent attention to detail and delivery of factual information.
One niggle was that the quality of the paperback from Cassel & Co's printers (Cox & Wyman) was not up to usual standards for binding. My copy (Y2K print run) very quickly spat out the photographic plates!
Otherwise another excellent reference and graphic literary production to my bookshelf.
Thanks Martin.

Essential reading to understand USAF in Europe........1999-06-28

This book is absolutely essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the American daylight offensive against strategic targets in Germany during WWII. Middlebrook's characteristic attention to detail, combined with copious 'first-hand' material makes this book fascinating and enthralling, whilst also bringing home the horror of the raid from all perspectives. Thoroughly recommended.

The Schweinfurt-Regensburg Mission: American Raids on 17 August 1943

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The Dream of Precision Bombing Fades
Admirably detailed and to the point.

The Schweinfurt-Regensburg Mission: American Raids on 17 August 1943
Martin Middlebrook
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Aviation | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0140066780

Customer Reviews:

The Dream of Precision Bombing Fades.......2000-10-04

Another great Martin Middlebrook effort, this time focusing solely on the American deep penetration raids of 17 August 1943. These raids surprised the Germans - they were not expecting deep daylight raids into Bavaria by the USAF. However bad weather, some dumb decisions and bad luck hurt the bold American effort.

The Regensburg raid led by COL Curtis Lemay did fairly well, inflicting 8-10 weeks damage on the Me-109 factories there, at the cost of 14 B-17s lost. However the Schweinfurt mission went from bad to worse, losing 24 B-17s before arriving at the target, and then missing the ball bearing factories. On the way out, the Americans got clobbered even worse. A total of 60 B-17s were shot down and 11 more were damaged beyond repair; aircrew losses were 102 killed, 381 captured and 20 interned. The Luftwaffe lost 47 fighters and MAJOR "Wutz" Galland, an experten.

Middlebrook uses these raids to assert that the dream of unescorted daylight bombing was shattered by this and costly follow-up raids, and that the USAF should have considered switching to night area bombing. For once, I find Middlebrook all wet here. Forgetting the 71 lost B-17s (to Americans, material in war is expendable), the death of 102 American aircrew seem justified for reducing German fighter production for two months. The comparable British Hamburg raids lost 87 bombers over Hamburg, with 552 KIA and 65 POW, merely to slaughter 44,000 civilians. The American losses disrupted bomber units but the actual deaths of both American crewmen and German civilians were small and the industrial damage - while certainly not catastrophic - did more for the war effort than the RAF efforts. Furthermore, Middlebrook ignores the fact that fighting the daylight raids was very costly for the Luftwaffe; 47 fighters lost in one day on the western front was a big loss. The American raiders helped to wear the Luftwaffe down; in these raids the USAF shot down 1 fighter for every 1.3 bombers lost. Comparable British statistics for Hamburg are about 1 fighter shot down for every 8 bombers lost.

Middlebrook tries to defend the British theology of nighttime aerial bombing as more cost effective than the costly American daylight bombing but this book only serves to reinforce the opposite conclusion. Yes, the raids failed to cripple German industry, but they did hurt and disrupt it. American raids were costly but they did hurt the enemy militarily without inflicting undue civilian suffering. British raids were also very costly, but they inflicted virtually no military damage and inflicted horrendous suffering. I think here that Middlebrook is reluctant to speak the underlying truth: the British conducted area bombing not from military necessity but to avenge bombed British cities and spread the misery. Carried through to today, we know that precision-bombing can work to achieve military goals while indiscriminate attacks on civilians are unlikely to be decisive in themselves.

Admirably detailed and to the point........1998-07-16

This is the kind of book that will probably be priceless to future historians for its outstanding detail and strict focus on facts. The author has succeeded in the collection of interviews from a large number - if not all - of the surviving eyewitnesses from the 17 august 1943 raids, both in the air and on the ground. Inside a text which in great detail discusses the merits and flaws of decisions taken during planning and execution of the raids, as well as being a narrative of the action minute by minute, many of these interviews are generously added and gives a first-hand insight to what it was really like.

Book Description

This book attempts to create an integrated model for management and administrative practice in the management of human service organizations. The book presents a theoretical foundation for human services management and identifies the major roles and responsibilities of the manager/administrator. To date, management books have identified problems in organizational functioning and described how systems should work. This book goes beyond description. First, it identifies themes that serve as guidelines to insure internal consistency within the organization. Then it proposes what managers need to do to put their organizations back on track toward excellence. The overall emphasis is on how to get employees to perform at their optimum levels to insure organizational efficiency, effectiveness, quality and productivity. For people in Human Services Management and Social Work Administration/ Management.

Achieving Excellence in the Management of Human Service Organizations

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Achieving Excellence in the Management of Human Service Organizations
Peter M. Kettner
Manufacturer: Allyn & Bacon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OP5DTE

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