Tornado! 84 Minutes, 94 Lives

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant!.......2006-10-04

Someome had to capture the history of the tornado that took 94 lives in 84 mnutes. I agree it helps if you know the area, but it's written in a way that is reminiscent of any closely knit town.

Only interesting to survivors.......2003-05-15

This book was totally uninteresting to anyone trying to learn anything factual about the tornado. Personal accounts are interesting, but there are too many of them. This book is for you if you are a survivor of the tornado and can't remember anything about it. My mother and grandmother are survivors and both found it lacking.

Interesting content; poor delivery.......1999-11-19

Whew! Try reading one of O'Toole's run-on, rambling sentences aloud! Great picture collection; but editor was asleep at the wheel. The drama would flow much more smoothly and the prose be far more digestible if O'Toole would decrease his convoluted sentence length by an average of two-thirds. His writing style does not leave one with the impression that he has taken many writing seminars; (from what literary institution does he hail! ) Whereas a skilled writer draws one into his prose, a clumsy one deters his reader.

Book Description

This guide to adventure along the New England coast includes information on dozens of sports and outdoor activities. Stephen Jermanok has traveled the New England coast from Connecticut to Maine to recommend dozens of outdoor sports and activities for travelers. The book is organized geographically to give information on outdoor activities along the seacoast in each state. Also included is information on state parks and recreation areas, wilderness areas, and camping opportunities. A sport-by-sport index in the back lets you go right to the action. Activities include: backpacking • beachcombing • birdwatching • camping • canoeing • fishing • golf • hiking • horseback riding • mountain biking • road biking • rock climbing • sailing • scuba diving • sea kayaking • swimming • surfing • walking. 45 black and white photographs, 5 maps, index.

Customer Reviews:

An engaging travel guide by an experienced travel writer.......2002-10-10

New England Seacoast Adventures: A Complete Guide To Outdoor Recreatoin From Connecticut To Maine is an engaging travel guide by experienced travel writer Stephen Jermanok and written specifically for anyone with an interest in enjoying outdoor activities to be found along the seacoast of of all the Atlantic bordering New England states. Listing data sport-by-sport for each state, along with information on state parks, camping places, historical landmarks and much more, New England Seacoast Adventures is a superbly presented and highly recommended "user friendly" guide for people who enjoy camping, kayaking, sailing, beachcombing, rock climbing, scuba diving, surfing, golfing, fishing, camping, or a wide variety of other memorable seacoast area activities.

Listing data sport-by-sport for each state.......2002-09-07

Book Description

This volume provides a timely and thorough review of the current state of understanding of a fascinating type of cell that is capable of forming many or all cells in the body. In humans and other mammals embryonic stem cells, the immediate offspring of the fertilized egg, are capable of forming any type of cell in the body. Moreover stem cells are present in many different tissues in adults that are capable of dividing and differentiating into the specific cell types that comprise the organ in which they reside.

A major focus of the book is to provide the reader with up-to-date information on the molecular mechanisms that regulate the proliferation, differentiation and survival of stem cells, and how aging and age-related disease impacts on stem cells. Leading authorities detail the properties and therapeutic potential of embryonic stem cells and stem cells of the nervous and immune systems, muscle and bone. Particularly exciting are emerging technologies for using stem cells to treat human age-related diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

This book will be a valuable reference for developmental biologists and for scientists and clinicians who study and treat a variety of diseases.

Book Description

Presents recent developments in the areas of differential equations, dynamical systems, and control of finke and infinite dimensional systems. Focuses on current trends in differential equations and dynamical system research-from Darameterdependence of solutions to robui control laws for inflnite dimensional systems.

Book Description

First published in 1844, this is Thackeray's earliest substantial work of fiction and perhaps his most original. The text is that of Saintbury's 1908 Oxford edition which incorporates Thackeray's revisions.

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Barry Lyndon - far from the best known, but by some critics acclaimed as the finest, of Thackeray's works - appeared originally as a serial a few years before VANITY FAIR was written; yet it was not published in book form, and then not by itself, until after the publication of VANITY FAIR, PENDENNIS, ESMOND and THE NEWCOMES had placed its author in the forefront of the literary men of the day. So many years after the event we cannot help wondering why the story was not earlier put in book form; for in its delineation of the character of an adventurer it is as great as VANITY FAIR, while for the local colour of history, if I may put it so, it is no undistinguished precursor of ESMOND.

Customer Reviews:

A Victorian faces the XVIIIth. Century........2003-06-03

When one is about to take the big plunge and give oneself the trouble of making what is always -in our age of lighter reading, of course - the strenuous effort of reading a XIXth. Century novelist, one - at least me - must make the following question: What was this author's particular attitude, as a man (or woman) of the most bourgeois of all centuries, towards his/her preceding century, the most aristocratic and un-bourgeois XVIIIth. Century? If s/he scorns the XVIIIth. Century, or is indifferent to it, it's quite likely that the author in question is a bourgeois philistine regarding Victorian times as the undisputed acme of human civilization. If s/he is an admirer, than s/he is obviously starting out of a clear sense of alienation from his/her own society, and one should expect at least for this XIXth. Century _avis rara_, genuine sense of humor. Thackeray was one of such Victorians who realized the philisteism of his own society;Eça de Queiroz, his Portuguese disciple (who seems to have learned a lot from reading him) was another. Therefore: Read this book, QED.

A Satirical novel about a rascal's rise and fall........1998-12-08

Having seen the movie "Barry Lyndon" by Stanley Kubrick years ago, I was taken aback by this book which is so markedly different than the 1975 film. In the book, Lord Bullingdon is actually the hero, where Kubrick presented him merely as a cowardly cad. Redmond Barry (later as Barry Lyndon)deserves all the evils that befall him and his first person narrative is quite humorous especially when blaming everyone for his own shortcomings. Unfortunately, the ending leaves one a bit unsatisfied, quite like the dismal end of Mr. Lyndon himself. This novel is not on the level of Thackeray's "Vanity Fair", but fun to read nonetheless.

A Satirical novel about a rascal's rise and fall........1998-12-08

An excellent book on one man's rise and fall........1997-03-19

Here, in this relatively obscure work, Thackeray is at his ironic and satiric best. Modern critics lightly dismiss the book as a piece of journalistic hack work, but it is much more than that. Redmond Barry, later Barry Lyndon, chronicles in a fairly sophistocated and always lighthearted manner his rise from a poor Irish country boy to the astral heights of polite English society from 1750-1820. Mr. Barry is always Machievellian in his way, and is quick and efficient with his sword. He is Odysseus, Holden Caulfield, Don Juan, and Nabokov's Humbert Humbert merged. In a word, he is very, very entertaining and very, very good. The book's only glaring flaw is it's belabored and uninspired ending. But it is much worth reading to watch Redmond Barry when young

The History of Henry Esmond, Esq.: a Colonel in the Service of Her Majesty Queen Anne; The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq.; Denis Duval

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The History of Henry Esmond, Esq.: a Colonel in the Service of Her Majesty Queen Anne; The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq.; Denis Duval
William Makepeace Thackeray
Manufacturer: Samuel E Cassino
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

The history of Henry Esmond, Esq: A colonel in the service of her Majesty Queen Anne, written by himself : the memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq., written by ... : Denis Duval (Thackeray's complete works)

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The history of Henry Esmond, Esq: A colonel in the service of her Majesty Queen Anne, written by himself : the memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq., written by ... : Denis Duval (Thackeray's complete works)
William Makepeace Thackeray
Manufacturer: Estes and Lauriat
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

The History of Henry Esmond, Esq; The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Denis Duval

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The History of Henry Esmond, Esq; The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Denis Duval
Henry Esmond; William Makepeace Thackeray
Manufacturer: John B. Alden
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000QI3SE6

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The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon ESQ

Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Product Description

NOT THE ORIGINAL BOOK FROM 1844. The book is a fairly new reprint (1990s?), with no date given anywhere in the book. The famous story of the handsome, spectacular Irish rogue, Barry Lyndon, a proud offshoot of a boozy clan, aspires to rank as a gentleman. He tells the story of his duels, drinks, lies and cheats, and gambles and women. He gallantly pursues Lady Lyndon, the most sought-after princess in England. He also faces some personal tragedies including his wealth and rank. Mildly resembles Thackeray's life in that he too lost his fortune and made his way by his wits.

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THE MEMOIRS OF BARRY LYNDON, ESQ
WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY
Manufacturer: THOMAS NELSON
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq. (THE SIGNIFICANT ENGLISH NOVELS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY - THE LOUIS XVI BINDING)

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The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq. (THE SIGNIFICANT ENGLISH NOVELS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY - THE LOUIS XVI BINDING)

Manufacturer: International Collectors Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq. (Written By Himself)

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The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq. (Written By Himself)
William Makepeace Thackeray
Manufacturer: Estes & Lauriat
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VDT8YA

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The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq. Written By Himself
William Makepeace Thackeray
Manufacturer: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq. Written By Himself
William Makepeace Thackeray
Manufacturer: Grosset & Dunlap
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Product Description

Tempo Library Edition

Book Description

In 1971 former Cold War hard-liner Daniel Ellsberg made history by releasing the Pentagon Papers-a 7,000-page top-secret study of U.S. decision-making in Vietnam-to the New York Times and Washington Post. The document set in motion a chain of events that ended not only the Nixon presidency but the Vietnam War. In this remarkable memoir, Ellsberg describes in dramatic detail the two years he spent in Vietnam as a U.S. State Department observer, and how he came to risk his career and freedom to expose the deceptions and delusions that shaped three decades of American foreign policy. The story of one man's exploration of conscience, Secrets is also a portrait of America at a perilous crossroad.

Customer Reviews:

History behind the Pentagon Papers.......2007-09-03

This provides Ellsberg's history behind his release of the Pentagon Papers. Included is (obviously) his motivation and reasoning behind why he thought they had to be released to the press. In addition, there is a discussion of his the papers themselves but, ironically, the weakness of the book was not enough discussion/analysis of the papers and the conclusions reached therein.

Rare History.......2007-07-23

Ellsberg is a driven man--driven toward solving puzzles and righting that which is wrong. The intensity of his intellect and the breadth of his insider experience would have made Daniel Ellsberg an amazing historian of the Vietnam War even if he hadn't become an anti-war activist. The fact that he had--in the end--studied both sides, and that eventually he had access not only to the Pentagon Papers but also the Nixon Whitehouse tapes allowed him to explain the war and its perpetrators with a rare combination of vividness and authority.

Judging from what is written in today's newspapers, the patterns Ellsberg describes in Secrets are repeating themselves in the Iraq War. _Secrets_ deserves to be widely read, as a lesson in courage, as history, and as a warning to those of us who might be tempted to sit back and trust unquestioningly those who would lead us into war then resist bringing us back out.

book.......2007-01-19

Just got it today, but know that my son will enjoy reading it. He loves history and asked for this book specifically.

how and why our government lies to us.......2007-01-18

A year into the Iraqi war, an increasing number of people are comparing the debacle to the quagmire that was Vietnam. In one interview about the American torture of Iraqi prisoners, even Secretary of State Colin Powell made an unsolicited comparison with the Mai Lai massacre. Most people now acknowledge that the Bush administration has been less than candid about not only the war in Iraq but also its policies and decisions before and after the 9/11 attacks. Enter Daniel Ellsberg.

In this memoir Ellsberg documents how five successive presidential administrations (Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon) systematically lied to the American people and to congress about the Vietnam war. His story is especially compelling because (similar to John Kerry in at least this regard), he served patriotically in Vietnam, only to have that experience convince him how terribly wrong his own government was about the war. As a Marine company commander in Vietnam, Ellsberg was an enthusiastic supporter of the war. But two years of wading through swampy jungles, and extended study of classified documents, convinced him that government rhetoric and empirical realities were two very different things. Ellsberg came home and became an outspoken critic of the war, and in an aggressive effort to stop the war he leaked the so-called Pentagon Papers to congress and then to the media, 7,000 pages in 47 volumes of top secret documents.

The lesson? Citizens would be naïve to believe all that its government says or to support all that it does. Christians, especially, believe that Caesar is not God. This was a radical notion in the early centuries of the faith, for in the Roman Empire Caesar was god, and believers paid dearly for it with two centuries of martyrdom. In fact, as Bernard Lewis has observed, it is to Christianity that we owe the novel idea of a distinctly secular state, as opposed to theocracies such as ancient Israel or modern Iran (or emerging Iraq?). If the state is secular and not sacred, if Caesar is not God, if our recent governments have shown their near pathological propensity to lie about matters large and small, and if most all governments must as a practical necessity use brutal and coercive powers to protect national interests and deliberate neglect of the weak where there is no national interest (Rwandan genocide), then it might deserve our allegiance, yes, but also our loyal opposition.

An insider's account of the abuse of power of consecutive presidents and their administrations.......2006-08-13

After finishing this book, I think the one thing that I'm left awestruck by is how little we as a country have learned in the intervening years. Daniel Ellsberg's detailed, yet gripping account of how he went from an anti-communist cold-warrior to an anti-Vietman war protestor and activist is, at times draining, at others infuriating, and yet always thoroughly engrossing.

He starts the book detailing how, as a political analyst he was eventually allowed access to some of the most highly classified documentation the goverment has, including the 7000 page collection known as the Pentagon Papers. A highly detailed look at the behind the scenes machinations that led the U.S. to go from an advisory role to the French in Vietnam, to actively participating in and continued escalation of the conflict. Those documents allowed him to see exactly how far from the truth official statements from the various administrations to the public and Congress were, even to the point of outright lying about getting out of Vietnam when they were in fact escalating involvement in the war.

Mr. Ellsberg goes on to inform the reader how his access to this information led him to eventually denounce the war as criminal, how he attempted to help stop it through "proper channels", which led to nowhere, and eventually how he decided to leak the Pentagon Papers to the press, knowing full well the toll that it would likely take on his friends and family. Although, this singular act of courage wasn't enough to stop the war in and of itself, it was a stepping stone to its end.

What struck me most as I was reading, was the incredible similarity to events going on now, right down to almost vertabum administration statements made to the public. At that time, administration officials would question the patriotism of those who didn't support the war. They called papers that printed leaked classified information, and the leakers themselves, criminal and claimed that to do so was harmful to national security. There are numerous other examples, but I encourage you to read the book for yourself. If for no other reason than to learn how easily it is for our elected officials to lie to us, and get away with it.

I wish that after reading this book I could say that we've moved past all of this, that our country has learned and it could never happen again. However, I think the similarities between this dark time in our history and the Iraq war has gone a long way to proving that isn't the case.

Read this book. Even ignoring my view of the parallels to the Iraq war, this is a highly gripping and educational look at the history and policies that led to our involvement in the Vietnam war. It's a viewpoint that you will never see in any dry classroom textbook and I think that everyone needs to learn just how humanly fallible our elected officials can be.

Secrets, A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers

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Secrets, A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers
Daniel Ellsberg
Manufacturer: Viking
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OTHS9S

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Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers.
DANIEL: ELLSBERG
Manufacturer: Penquin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UCUWO2

SECRETS: A MEMOIR OF VIETNAM AND PENTAGON PAPERS

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SECRETS: A MEMOIR OF VIETNAM AND PENTAGON PAPERS
Daniel Ellsberg
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJ5JM6

Book Description

FROM THE EUROPEAN THEATER TO PEARL HARBOR THE FULL STORY OF THE BEST AMERICAN FIGHTER PLANE OF WORLD WAR II, AND THE MEN WHO FLEW IT

The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is known today as a fighter airplane, but in fact it was never intended to combat other fighters, nor was it created as a fighter. It was designed to intercept and destroy enemy bombers. Simply put, it was a flying anti-aircraft weapon-not a combat plane. But, from the first test flights at Lockheed in 1937, the plane that was to become the P-38 made it clear that it truly was a new generation of fighter. And it demanded a new kind of pilot-one who could handle the kind of firepower and speed that foreshadowed the modern jet fighter. Here is the story of pilot and plane in development and in combat, as they swept the skies of Europe, North Africa, and the Pacific. A magnificent story of one of the finest weapons to be applied in World War II, told by Martin Caiden and the men who flew the "Fork-Tailed Devils.

Customer Reviews:

Captivating Chronicle of a Warbird.......2002-11-02

Having read a number of Mr. Caidin's other works (Samurai!, Zero!, B-17 Flying Forts), I picked this book up expecting similar quality and detail, and was not disappointed in the least. Whereas Thunderbolt and Samurai focus on the exploits of individual pilots, with the aircraft information as a backdrop, much like the B-17 in Flying Forts, the P-38 is the main protagnoist in this story. The pilots and their missions enable the telling of this tale, but the P-38 itself truly comes to life.

I have read the book three times in the past six months, and will likely begin reading #4 very shortly.

Thank you Mr. Caidin.

Technical and Enjoyable.......2002-05-24

This book has it all and if you can work through some slow spots you will see it has both a enjoyable histroy view point for the novice reader, a great war story aspect for the WWII junkie, and a techincal stand point for the aviation lover. A good read but maybe a lack of writing experience from the author shows through. Overall very enjoyable and different from your usual Stephen Ambrose-type work.

A Definative Work on the P-38.......2000-05-11

This book very well written with documentation and a large number of pilot testimonials. It goes into great detail about the enception, development, and attributes about the most under-rated fighter of the Second World War. Mr. Caiden, despite his obvious feelings for the airplane, illustrates the strengths and weaknesses of this amazing fighter in both an optomistic, and objective light. This book is a must read for anyone who would like to claim to know anything about the Air war in WWII.

Exciting overall examination of the P-38 and her pilots........1998-03-13

A very exciting, well-researched overview of what was arguably the finest fighter of WWII. Caidin interviewed pilots and others close to the development of the P-38, and put together an exhaustive history, replete with technical specifications, "tall tales", painful shortcomings, and historical color. A must-read for anyone enamored with the P-38, and a good read for airplane buffs and war history fans.

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MAJESTIC PLANE
Outstanding read.

Fork-Tailed Devil: P-38
Martin Caidin
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: 0345283015
Release Date: 1979-03-12

Customer Reviews:

MAJESTIC PLANE.......2007-10-16

Martin Caidin (1927-1997) was a qualified pilot who loved aeronautics and wrote nearly 50 books, many about history and airplanes.

This book from Ballantine War books tells "for the first time" a good story, "the incredible true story of the fifnest fighting machine of WWII-and the brave Americans who flew it." With Martin Caidin's knowledge, experience, and skill plus the use of 32 pages of photographs the reader can get quite alot of information concering the P-38 and its pilots.

In 1961 Caidin was one of probably the last to ever fly in a B-17 formation across the Atlantic from the U.S. to Britain. He also flew in the movie, The War Lover. He also was involved with the Luftwaffe Junkers 52 number 5489 restoration which after his death was sold to Lufthansa, and the plane still flies today on VIP missions. Caidin was recognized as not only an author but an authority as well. Books such as this one and another I have in my war library, BLACK THURSDAY, give enjoyment and understanding to anyone interested in air warfare.

The P-38 was a brand new type of aircraft and the men who flew them were of a different breed, too. This is the plane and its men who "swept the skies over Europe, Africa, and the Pacific.

Semper Fi.

Outstanding read........2000-06-30

This book includes details of the different models of this great airplane and many tales of US service men in World War II. A must read for warbird lovers.

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Fork Tailed Devil the P 38
Martin Caidin
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IZQECK

Thunderbolt and Lightning: P-47 and P-38 The Jug and the Fork-Tailed Devil of the USAAF (New Colour Series)

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A great coffee table picture book, albeit paperback.

Thunderbolt and Lightning: P-47 and P-38 The Jug and the Fork-Tailed Devil of the USAAF (New Colour Series)
Michael O'Leary
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and Lockheed P-38 Lightning were vastly different designs, but both these aircraft served with distinction in the fighter escort and fighter-bomber role across Europe and the Pacific. The mighty Thunderbolt was easily the heaviest single-engined fighter to see operational service in World War II, attracting the nickname `Juggernaut' (soon abbreviated to `Jug') by its pilots. The P-38 offered twin-engine security and packed a devastating punch with its closely grouped combination of cannon and machine guns. Michael O'Leary's magnificent air-to-air studies of the surviving airworthy aircraft.

Customer Reviews:

A great coffee table picture book, albeit paperback........1999-09-22

Its difficult to rate a book like this. If you're looking for a great large picture format book with a few specs and some short stories, then it gets a 4 rating... its paperback, 5 if it were hard cover. However, if you compare it to others with volumes of text and vaste details then I'd rate it a 2. Surely, a warm and fuzzy photo-book. One final note - it is refreshing to find a book combining the first two key Allied fighters capable of projecting air power deep into Fortress Europe. With their brothers, the British Spirfire and Huricane on defense for England, these four aeroplanes held and then pushed back the full might of German air power. A good book.

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FORK TAILED DEVIL : THE P 38
CAIDIN MARTIN
Manufacturer: BALLANTINE BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PGNCNQ

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THE FORK-TAILED DEVIL THE P-38
Martin Caidin
Manufacturer: Blank
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000W0GXF4

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Fork-Tailed Devil The P-38
Martin Caidin
Manufacturer: Ballantine
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HKFYO0

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Fork-Tailed Devil: P-38
Martin Caidin
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVI8TU

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Fork-Tailed Devil: The P-38.
MARTIN CAIDIN
Manufacturer: See notes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RRASQW

Book Description

Kazakhstan's oil and gas reserves are among the largest in the world. At the outset of independence 10 years ago, Kazakhstan's leaders promised that the country's rich natural resources would soon bring economic prosperity, and it appeared that democracy was beginning to take hold in this newly independent state.

A decade later, economic reform is mired in widespread corruption. A regime that flirted with democracy is now laying the foundation for family-based, authoritarian rule. The first thorough examination of the development of this ethnically diverse and strategically vital nation, Kazakhstan: Unfulfilled Promise is a valuable resource for policymakers, scholars, and students concerned with the process of transition from communism to independent statehood in the former Soviet Union.

Customer Reviews:

All Lies.......2006-04-08

A big pile of lies that Ms. Olcott put together is nothing but a political order intended to badmouth and misrepresent this country. I was infuriated by this book, I lived in Kazakhstan for 20 years and nothing in this book is close to being true.

Not easy to read but so definitely worth it.......2004-07-05

If you no background whatsoever on Kazakhstan then it might be a bit difficult to follow all the events. Having said that, Martha Olcott is by far one of the biggest experts on Kazakhstan and if you want to see the opinion of the best then you should give this book a shot.

lacks a lot of supporting information, no comparisons ..........2004-01-28

except for Nigeria.
For an "analytical work" the book has a few noticable biases and faults :
1. The book asserts certain claims that are either unreasonable or completely out of hand with the reality. For example, in 1991 Alash Party attempted to assasinate!!! Mr. Derbesaliev, who now became head of Kazakh moslems. FYI: Alash party existed in 1917-1918 and fought for independence from Russian Empire and later Communist Russia, however, the leaders of the party were murdered later by bolsheviks. Alash party was revived very recently (with a different agenda) as part of opposition in Kazakhstan. I am not going to touch on opposition here, because the book doesn't directly address the existence of opposition in Kazakhstan (both constructive and ultra-right/left).
2. Ms. Olcott is surprised at the fact there were no uprisings in Kazakhstan during the period of economic and political turmoil in early/mid 90's (actually, there have been none until this very day). I suppose that would in itself tell something about stability in the country. I understand that for her (or perhaps funds that sponsored her) it would have been better if there was an uprising and as a result the country would see "friendly" forces of NATO coming into the country to take care of the rich natural reserves of oil/metals/uranium/you name it, but at the same time install "democracy". I think people do remember the experience of the US in making democracies in post-WWII world; the list of Latin American and Asian countries would be a little overwhelming to be included.
3. Ms. Olcott claims that lately the difference between rich and poor grew immensely (notice, that under communism Gini index is supposed to be as low as possible). Isn't it a natural process to be observed in a country trying to go from communist society to capitalist society? Notice, Gini index in Kazakhstan is 35.4, in the US Gini index is 40.8 (data from CIA World Fact Book). Hence, the spread of incomes between rich and poor is smaller in Kazakhstan than in the US. Would that mean by Ms. Olcott's logic that the US has more issues with the layers of the society than Kazakhstan?
4. Ms. Olcott notices existence of Kazakh nationalism in the fact that Kazakhstan encourages Kazakhs to immigrate into the country. When any EU country gives a right for permanent residence/naturalization to foreign citizens based on the right of birth/ethnicity it is considered normal (of course, Ms. Olcott doesn't mention this in her book). However, Kazakhstan approved the same rights for Kazakhs living abroad, so for Ms. Olcott it is an epitome of Kazakh nationalism and attempts of Kazakh "dictator" Mr. Nazarbayev to make the country mononational.
5. The usual rule that the language of titular nation is always the state language elicits fury from Ms. Olcott when such regulations happen in Kazakhstan.
6. Ms. Olcott essentially equates the terrorism and Islam. For her, the fact that there are more Kazakhs these days who claim to be moslems is worrying and may signal the coming of terrorism. Basically, if the Americans go to church every weekend it is freedom of choice, but if Kazakh goes to a mosque that is a reason to worry. Of course she fails to mention that Kazakhstan doesn't prohibit different mainstream religions. While travelling through Kazakhstan, one can see a lot of Christian Orthodox churches, as well as a few Catholic churches and synagogues, which in Kazakhstan is certainly considered to be perfectly normal.
It seems that this book is biased in presenting the situation in Kazakhstan. I wonder who are the sponsors of this book (sounds like some oil companies could be)...

deep, heavy book but makes Kaz more understandable.......2003-11-22

We are adopting a baby from Kaz and wanted a little background on the country. This is not a light read by any means. It gives you a lot of info on the current Kaz president (and his corrupt ways), oil reserves and who's competing for them, ethnic struggles between the Russians and Kakahs, and the apathetic ways of the Kaz voters to name a few of the many topics it addresses. Get it for good background on a variety of important topics vital to Kaz's future success.

Kazakhstan, Unfulfilled Promise. (book review): An article from: Middle East Policy

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Kazakhstan, Unfulfilled Promise. (book review): An article from: Middle East Policy
David Nalle
Manufacturer: Middle East Policy Council
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008FGCZE
Release Date: 2005-07-30

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Middle East Policy, published by Middle East Policy Council on September 1, 2002. The length of the article is 1238 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: Kazakhstan, Unfulfilled Promise. (book review)
Author: David Nalle
Publication: Middle East Policy (Refereed)
Date: September 1, 2002
Publisher: Middle East Policy Council
Volume: 9 Issue: 3 Page: 144(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

This book is a true confluence of art and science, politics and pragmatism, ideas and plans for action. It highlights the ways in which rivers connect us all to one another. While our society has made great progress in terms of local environmental improvement, such as cleaner water, we’re still dodging the big issues, such as global warming. We have lost the vision of our planet gained in 1969 when astronauts sent back photographs taken from the moon.

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