Samuel May Williams : Early Texas Entrepreneur

Book Description

Long recognized as America's most brilliant jazz writer, the winner of many major awards--including the prestigious National Book Critics Circle Award--and author of a highly popular biography of Bing Crosby, Gary Giddins has also produced a wide range of stimulating and original cultural criticism in other fields. With Natural Selection, he brings together the best of these previously uncollected essays, including a few written expressly for this volume. The range of topics is spellbinding. Writing with insight, humor, and a famously deft touch, he offers sharp-edged perspectives on such diverse subjects as Federico Fellini and Jean Renoir, Norman Mailer and Ralph Ellison, Marlon Brando and Groucho Marx, Duke Ellington and Bob Dylan, horror and noir, the cartoon version of Animal Farm and the comic book series Classics Illustrated. Giddins brings to criticism an uncommon ability, long demonstrated in his music writing, to address in very few words an entire career, so that we get an in-depth portrait of the artist beyond the film, book, or recording under review. For instance, Giddins offers a stunning reappraisal of Doris Day, who he terms "the coolest and sexiest female singer of slow ballads in film history." He argues eloquently for a reconsideration of the forgotten German-language novelist Soma Morgenstern. In a section on comedy, he offers fresh perspectives on the three great silent film stars--Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd--while resurrecting the legendary Jack Benny and reevaluating the controversial Jerry Lewis. There's also a memorable look at Bing Crosby's film career (he calls Crosby's blockbuster Going My Way "a neglected masterpiece") and a close examination of Marcel Carne's beloved Children of Paradise. Of course, Giddins also supplies excellent commentary on jazz: major and underrated figures, and especially the uses of jazz in film. A wonderful gathering of little-known treasures, Natural Selection will broaden the perception of Gary Giddins as one of our most important cultural critics.

Customer Reviews:

More Praise.......2006-08-30

Sunday August 27's NY Times review, while positive, seemed somewhat cold - here's another review that might help!
***
July 23, 2006

A master craftsman by Richard Schickel, film critic for Time and the author of many books, including "Elia Kazan: A Biography" and "The Essential Chaplin."

TO write seriously about topics - movies, jazz, popular fiction - that many people regard as peripheral or totally irrelevant to their lives is among the least gratifying of occupations. That's particularly true now, when the pendulum seems to be permanently stuck at the burbling end of the spectrum, where the bloggers - history-free and sensibility-deprived - weekly blurb the latest Hollywood effulgence and are rewarded by seeing their opinions bannered atop movie display
ads in type sizes elsewhere reserved for the outbreak of wars and the demise of presidents.

Even in the dwindling realm where critics still attempt to make fine distinctions, there are problems, mostly of tone. For my sins, I enjoy the wise-guy riffs of Anthony Lane in the New Yorker, but I have to admit that his manner is not well-suited to the middle range, where many of the movies that are most interesting to write about uneasily reside. At the spectrum's other end is Stanley Cavell - the professor Irwin Corey of film studies - who has never met a movie he cannot obfuscate with a viscous prose style that reaches ever higher levels of unintended risibility. Where, I've often wondered, is a critic who wears his erudition lightly, writes with an impeccable combination of verve and sobriety and, above all, makes you see (and hear) the objects of his ruminations? Is it possible to find such a critic whose medium is prose (always slow-footed in comparison, say, to a Bryan Singer movie) and topics evanescent: a perfect cut between scenes in a movie, for example, or a four-bar melodic fragment in an arrangement of Gil
Evans' song "La Nevada."

I think I've finally found my man. His name is Gary Giddins, and he has, of course, long been known as a premier jazz critic (even by tin-eared me). I took to reading him on that subject purely for the pleasure of his company, long before I actually met him. (Full disclosure: We enjoy a pleasantly collegial relationship, tempered by the fact that we live at opposite ends of the continent.) He has previously written occasionally about the movies but in recent years has started regularly reviewing DVDs for the New York Sun while contemplating larger cinematic topics for other publications. These pieces are mainly about the "classics" - a kiss-of-death word - but they bring him into a world I know at least a little about, and they
offer a vitality of insight that's inspiring. You read Giddins and you start adding to your Netflix queue.

DVDs represent a technology that is a boon (in image quality) and a nuisance - they are often stupidly manufactured, technically speaking, and are still too fussy to handle without damaging. But they are vital to Giddins' critical practice, for he is a master of the rewind and pause buttons, which give him the ability to move back and forth, studying his material and making up his mind at leisure. (Actually, of course, the remote is available to all of us, but few of us have Giddins' passionate thumb.)

The results of his devotion are immediately apparent in the first two sections of "Natural Selection" (to be published early next month), one consisting of long essays on great comedians, the other of pieces about older movies and their stars and directors. The first thing you notice is the casual comfort with which Giddins introduces lofty critical references into his considerations of humble popular culture. He smoothly eases Henri Bergson and Ralph Waldo Emerson into his superb
essay on Jack Benny, for instance. But he also introduces us, via a quotation from Larry Adler, the harmonica player who toured with Benny, to a radical conception of what Benny was actually up to: Adler said the comedian "not only epitomized Jewish storytelling and intonation, but showed everyone else how to do it." The high-low range of Giddins'references never fails to stir me to envy and despair.

I don't mean to imply that Giddins is more reliant on his research than he is on his own questing eye. Here he is on Charlie Chaplin: "There is a difference between sentimentality, which is almost always crass and phony, and pathos, the comedian's acknowledgment of tragedy. Chaplin has ruined numerous comedians who wanted his tears but didn't possess
his equilibrium.... Movies always try to manipulate our emotions. We are pleased to admit that a filmmaker can make us laugh or keep us in suspense, but we are reluctant to credit one who makes us cry. Yet the latter effect requires as much precision and perhaps even more taste."

This bold and provocative generalization is, typically, contained in a very close reading of "City Lights," in which Giddins carefully demonstrates the balance Chaplin maintains between hilarity and a sadness that always stops short of the bathetic. He also gives this care to the DVD extras, which he holds to high standards, and this treatment is an extension of his greatest critical virtue, his patience. He will get a movie right even if it is 60 years old and probably unknown to most of his readers.

Take, for example, his piece on the nine nonhorrific horror films that Val Lewton produced at RKO during World War II. From the start, they were praised for the subtle way they suggested the unspeakable without showing it, but only Giddins has the sense to observe that "Lewton's films, like certain books, ought to be experienced in childhoods that they can be returned to later in life, the indelible moments now cast amid subtler evocations and themes." And he alone, of the critics I've read on the filmmaker, notices that these pictures reverse the genre's previous stress on masculine issues and "are keyed to mother-daughter disorders, sisterhood crises, sexual assertion and repression,lesbianism, romance, loneliness, vulnerability and suicide."

In other words, Lewton at least briefly feminized horror - and it takes an awful lot of back-and-forthing with your clicker to catch that invaluable point. And that says nothing about Giddins' shrewd references in the same piece to a Jean Rhys novel, a Richard Dix performance and the witty homage to Lewton in "The Bad and the Beautiful." This is typical of Giddins, whether he's doing an ironically tolerant (and manically detailed) history of lip-syncing, devastating a Norman Mailer novel or finding the value (previously unobserved by me) in Steve McQueen's sullen silences.

Indeed, the more I read (and reread) "Natural Selection," the more I thought of Edmund Wilson, when he was reviewing "Classics and Commercials" on a regular basis in the 1940s. A lot of the literature Wilson was obliged to evaluate was no more "important" than the movies and discs Giddins grapples with. But he took the job seriously - people were reading this stuff, which meant that it was having some
sort of possibly permanent effect on their sensibilities, which meant, in turn, that it deserved serious, historical, cross-culturally attentive criticism. The difference between the two writers is that Giddins has a wit that Wilson only rarely mobilized. Considering the "whirring vibrato" of Alanis Morissette's "Let's Do It" on the soundtrack album of the execrable "De-Lovely," he finds "it recalls Alvin the Chipmunk, except that Alvin sang in tune." Now that's de-licious.

Does it matter in the end? Won't a peppy blurb give us all the consumer guidance we require - especially if we're talking old movies and music? I think it does matter, and not only because a good critical essay - featuring an engaging mind fully engaged with significant cultural objects in which it finds useful, surprising resonances - is its own reward. It is also a defense against lazy nostalgia. (There is no other kind.) Most important, smart readings of Garbo's (or Lon Chaney's) masks or the three distinct phases of Billie Holiday's career enrich our understanding of modern movie stardom, modern horror and modern music respectively. We see our culture more clearly because of
the force, intelligence and alertness to overlooked detail that Giddins brings to his readings of a past that remains stubbornly, if sometimes only subliminally, present in our own less acute remembrances.

Fine writing, sloppy editing.......2006-08-16

Taking nothing away from Gary Giddins' command of the English language or his encyclopedic understanding of the American cultural landscape, this collection of essays on music, books and film is nonetheless marred by some of the worst copy editing I've seen -- by Oxford University Press, of all publishers. In just the first hundred pages, the names of Brendan Behan, Jean Hagen, Henry Daniell, Darryl Zanuck, and Melvyn Douglas are all misspelled. With this many goofs, it's tough to focus on Giddins' insights; after awhile, one's attention is drawn (however unwillingly) down the page to the next name, expecting the worst.

I sincerely hope the hardbound version of Natural Selection sells enough to warrant a paperback edition; maybe by then Giddins and/or his agent will have insisted on better proofing.

A remarkably incisive collection of essays/reviews on the lively arts.......2006-08-07

Whether writing on films, TV, music, books, or comedy, Giddins displays in this volume an impressive perspective and depth of knowledge about his subject matter. Within this compendium, the author gives thoughtful discussion to an array of diverse topics: ranging from Jerry Lewis's artistic standing to an evaluation of a Doris Day DVD collection, to a nostalgic discussion of the Modern Library book series, to the impact (or lack thereof) of the Frank Sinatra TV miniseries produced by the crooner's daughter.

Giddins is proof that a critic/reviewer/essayist can be astute, articulate, amusing, and exceedingly informative.

A great read.

Natural Wonder.......2006-08-03

Gary Giddins' latest anthology of essays and reviews, "Natural Selection", is a thoroughly enthralling read that's both entertaining and intellectually enriching--not only the pieces that cover his main area of expertise, Jazz, for which he is justly renowned; but also for the enticing spectrum of cultural categories he taps, both highbrow and mainstream, with which he is every bit as comfortable and knowledgeable. I was absorbed from the moment I picked it up, first skipping among the pieces that cover subjects of primary interest to me, then branching out into less familiar territory. Both routes were enjoyable and illuminating.

Besides critical analyses and appreciations of luminaries of the Jazz world (Fats Waller, Glenn Miller, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Paul Whiteman, Count Basie, B.B. King, Billie Holiday, et al.),"Natural Selections" encompasses a surprising (though maybe not so surprising if you're familiar with Giddins' equally eclectic "Faces In the Crowd") range of subjects, which includes comics Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd, the Marx Brothers, Jack Benny (the lone holdover from "Faces", with updated footnotes), Bob Hope, and Jerry Lewis; Thomas Edison and the Invention of the Movies; directors Fritz Lang, William Wyler, Jean Renoir, Martin Scorsese, and Robert Bresson; animation pioneer Ray Harryhausen; horror films, films noir, Vitaphone and Looney Tunes shorts; actors Brando, Garbo, Lon Chaney (Sr.), Doris Day, and Steve McQueen; films "Children of Paradise", "Nightmare Alley", "La Dolce Vita", "Glory", and "The Big Red One"; folk music archivist Alan Lomax; writers Norman Mailer, Saul Bellow, Moss Hart, and Robert Christgau; even Sammy Davis Jr. and Bob Dylan are included in the mix, among several others. Mr. Giddins is well versed in each of these subjects, and his usual level of painstaking research is evident in every paragraph, while he displays that rarest of writers' gifts: authoritativeness without arrogance.

While inducing ingestion of fresh, thought-provoking perspectives on some of the artists, films, and writings with which I was already familiar, "Selection" has inspired me to pull down from the shelf a few books, DVDs, and CDs I haven't perused in awhile--and to search out and explore some of those that I never have.

Giddins gives greatness its due in his overviews of consensus geniuses: Ellington, Armstrong, Holiday, Dylan (Mr. G was the only contributor to "Studio A: The Bob Dylan Reader" who chose to write about Dylan's singing), Bresson, Brando, and the prophetic Lang (I now desperately want to see his "Spies") among them. He boldly says of Buster Keaton's masterwork, "The General", "As an evocation of American History, it is the equal of Griffith or Ford."

But he also throws us a few curves, proffering a surprising intercession for Jerry Lewis, for example, which he leads off with a possible explanation--by way of Aldous Huxley and Edgar Alan Poe, no less--for the mystifying infatuation the French have with the Nutty Patsy. Giddins argues convincingly for a reassessment of Lewis' films, but Jerry doesn't escape unscathed, as Giddins claims that the comic's ambition to be in a perpetual state of Holden Caulfield is partly responsible for "the infantilization of a culture that produces film stars like Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Tobey Maguire..."

He urges a fresh look at the oversimplified and undervalued Doris Day, who "survived more than three generations of leading men, representing three generations of style and/or beefcake; most of them quickly faded while she marched cheerfully onward." The author of the definitive bio of the grossly underrated Bing Crosby, Giddins suggests a reconsideration of "Going My Way", for which Der Bingle won a Best Actor Oscar in 1944. "Bing's performance is astonishing--convincing, appealing, and original", he persuades. (The film's Best Director Oscar winner, Leo McCarey, doesn't fare so well in Giddins' review of his ill-conceived final effort, "Satan Never Sleeps".)

In fact, there are a few less-than-complimentary musings: the Tina Sinatra-produced miniseries on her father receives a deserved drubbing, and "Ancient Evenings", Norman Mailer's "windbreaking novel" is . . . well, you get the idea. There's also a fascinating discussion of lip-synching, covering many of its practitioners, from Al Jolson to Ashlee Simpson.

All of which adds to the colorful tapestry that is this can't-put-it-down kind of book. In his appraisal of Chaplin and Keaton DVD releases, Giddins says of Buster's 46-minute "Sherlock Jr.", "its length is mandated by its content and not the reverse." Though most of the word counts were no doubt predetermined to one degree or another by available magazine or newspaper space, the statement nevertheless applies to each of the separate entities which makes up "Natural Selection"--Giddins eloquently yet efficiently tells us much in amazingly few well-chosen words, and makes it fun to boot.

Book Description

18 delightful songs made popular on the favorite children's animated shows, Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears, Disney's Duck Tales, Chip 'N Dale Rescue Rangers, and Disney's Tale Spin. Illustrated with Disney characters throughout.

Customer Reviews:

it seems to me.........2001-06-30

well i personally dont play the piano, but when hard pressed to do so i can pound out hot cross buns, but i thought it was extremely funny that my friends, who do play the piano, and well might i add...had a tad bit of difficulty playing the songs. Of course the book was said to be easy piano, and i cant refute that, but one thing i did notice was that to actually sing half of those songs you had to be one heck of a soprano. at least thats my opinion. other wise it was a great book. the songs were fun, and i am glad i own it. now if i coudl only get it back from my friend.

Great reference for any Disney fans!.......1999-07-23

I love this book! I bought it in order to bring the magic of the disney songs to my home. It is easy to understand and easy to play on many different musical instruments. I would highly recommend this songbook for anyone that has kids or just loves the Disney Afternoon songs. After listening to the songs and reading the lyrics, I decided to buy it. I have never regretted it and LOVE it!

Average customer rating:

Disney Afternoon Songbook, The #340

Manufacturer: Hal Leonard Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0793505674

Average customer rating:

Podcasting the do it yourself guide

Unfortunately, out of date...

I looove podcasting

Good Solid Intro

Simplistic

Podcasting: Do It Yourself Guide
Todd Cochrane
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Podcast Solutions: The Complete Guide to Podcasting (Solutions)

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Tricks of the Podcasting Masters

ASIN: 0764597787

Book Description

Listen up! Podcasting, which has taken the online world by storm, involves recording a broadcast and embedding it in an RSS feed so listeners can download it to their PCs, iPods, MP3 players, or even their cell phones
Written by one of the first and most popular podcasters, this cutting-edge book will have readers not only finding, downloading, and listening to podcasts, but creating and broadcasting their own
Shows how to find podcasts to subscribe to; use podcasting software including ipodder, doppler, and more; create a podcast with just a PC or Mac; or build a professional studio for recording podcasts
Addresses copyright issues and music ownership and offers helpful advice on understanding the "geeky stuff": RSS, XML, and Enclosures
Mainstream media, including MSNBC and Time magazine, have recently started advertising on podcasts

Download Description

Listen up! Podcasting, which has taken the online world by storm, involves recording a broadcast and embedding it in an RSS feed so listeners can download it to their PCs, iPods, MP3 players, or even their cell phones. Written by one of the first and most popular podcasters, this cutting-edge book will have readers not only finding, downloading, and listening to podcasts, but creating and broadcasting their own Shows how to find podcasts to subscribe to; use podcasting software including ipodder, doppler, and more; create a podcast with just a PC or Mac; or build a professional studio for recording podcasts Addresses copyright issues and music ownership and offers helpful advice on understanding the ""geeky stuff"" RSS, XML, and Enclosures Mainstream media, including MSNBC and Time magazine, have recently started advertising on podcasts

Customer Reviews:

Podcasting the do it yourself guide.......2007-08-06

The cover made me do it. The appealing green shiny cover and great looking microphone sucked me right in on this book. It did not weigh a lot, allowing me to carry wherever I wanted. Basic enough for the beginner, good step-by-step info. Good information on the history of podcasting, although I wish he had used that information in other areas. I didn't really care about the history of it, just tell me how to use it, was my direction.

It really bothered me that it was so out of date. My first thought when I began to read this was, why am I reviewing a book that is two years and two months old. Everyone knows that technology moves so fast that when this book hit the shelves it was already out of date. I talked with a friend of mine who is into podcasting quite heavily and asked him if we could read together and then discuss it.
Well we did and we had very different views. He told me to put it in the trash. Everything I needed to know could be found on line and would most assuredly be more up to date than this "piece of junk." Yes he was quite unimpressed with it. He started talking about all kinds of other stuff that is out now like Garageband 3 (even the version that I just got 3 months ago was to old he said, Garageband 2). He started talking about other new things that are out now and I know I didn't read about them in the book. And no I can't tell you what they are casue I didn't understand.

This is one of the reasons I enjoyed this book somewhat. It was quite simple to read, no big lingo or stuff, just the basics. It was lacking in luster, the cover was what got me. The pictures in it were black and white (lame) but the content and description of how to do things was good for me, a serious beginner.
I on the other hand found some good information on it. I am new to podcastig and can still be swayed by older stuff, just because it is more information that I have. However, I do know that technology moves extremely fast and so I kept that in mind while I read. "Most of this stuff is out of date and may not be applicable anymore, especially the websites he tells me to go to." Ok enough slamming about it, what did I get from it?
I am new to podcasting and therefore I am new to Mac's also. One of my big complaints was that it seemed that a lot of the stuff in the book was geared toward PC users. I found small sections dedicated to Mac users, but all the screen shots were on PC's for sure. Since I am new to Mac's it would have been helpful to have Mac info clearly delineated. I kept wondering, where all my peeps were?
Another thing, I hate my voice on my podcast. I looked at the section on microphones and Todd does give ample amounts of information on microphones to choose from, so I really liked that. Info on how to change my voice to sound better would have been appreciated. The information on the many websites is good. I didn't get to check all of them but some are still up for sure.

I think it lacked some information on how to work on personal websites. I just put mine up and a bit more information on that would have greatly helped me out. Perhaps its in there and I didn't see it.

Overall I got some information that I can apply when conducting my own podcast. So its not all bad... if we were allowed to use fractions or halves. I would definitely go right in the middle with this one with 2.5 out of 5. But I am not allowed to use halves so Ill give it a 3; I know the author had to put a lot of work into it.

Unfortunately, out of date..........2007-05-31

The tough thing about tech books is that they are out-of-date as soon as they make it to print. While this book gives a great overview of the origins of podcasting and the different technologies that lie behind the craze, it's almost a history book now. With the advent of GarageBand (which isn't even mentioned in the book) and free podcast hosting sites, information about the ins and outs and nuts and bolts of RSS and FTP upload sites is woefully archaic -- and unnecessary.

Still, it's a great overview for the geeks out there who want to know everything from the ground-up. And Cochrane's writing is entertaining, light, and self-deprecating. I look forward to an updated version soon.

I looove podcasting.......2007-04-23

This is the book that got me started. I have a very popular podcast Food for the Soul and this was the book that everyone recommended. It is a great starting point and makes the process much easier.

If you are thinking about getting into podcasting this is a must read! I could never have done it without Todd's book.

Good Solid Intro.......2007-04-03

Worth buying if you're deciding how and why to do podcasts, and not up-to-speed on the technology. I had to do telephone interviews, and this book solved a lot of problems for me.

Simplistic.......2007-03-23

A lot of people will find this book overly-simplistic, but it has a lot of valuable infortaion and tidbits of knowledge tucked here and there.

It has a wealth of basic information that covers many things you'd otherwise overlook in the course of trying to set it up yourself.

Average customer rating:

A MUST READ ! ! !

It sounds so prophetic

A must read

Excellent

An Extraordinary Biography and Full Frontal View of War

"I'm Staying with My Boys..." The Heroic Life of Sgt. John Basilone, USMC
jim Proser , and Jerry Cutter
Manufacturer: Lightbearer Communications Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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I'm staying with my boys...the Heroic Life of Sgt John Basilone USMC

ASIN: 0975546104

Product Description

I'M STAYING WITH MY BOYS... is a first-hand look inside the life of one of the greatest heroes of the greatest generation. Sgt. John Basilone was lauded by General Douglas MacArthur as ...A ONE MAN ARMY and awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic defense of a vital airfield early in World War 2. It was the turning point of the war and Basilones foxhole was the site of the turning point in that battle. Distinctive among military biographies, the story is narrated by Sgt. Basilone himself allowing readers to experience the development of Johnny Basilone, the aimless youth, into Gunnery Sergeant MANILA JOHN Basilone, the clear-eyed warrior, undefeated light-heavyweight boxer and nationally revered war hero. This publication is the only family-authorized biography. The story is woven with surprising personal details such as Sgt. Basilones uncanny premonitions. Three times he confided to his family unlikely visions of his future. All three times the visions came to pass - including the final one that foretold his death. In spite of his final revelation, and true to his unwavering dedication to his men, he returned to battle and was killed on the beach at Iwo Jima - an emotional true story

Customer Reviews:

A MUST READ ! ! !.......2005-09-15

My friend loaned me this book to read and I must say that it gave me a new found appreciation of what those men and women did for us in WWII. This book was very easy to read, and should be included in the curriculum of every Recent American History course taught in High School or College. I HIGHLY recommend picking up a copy of this book. I have already purchased a copy for myself after reading my friends copy.

It sounds so prophetic.......2005-01-26

He knew he was going to die, and he just kept on fighting. He never abandoned his marines and thats just what he should have done. Its how the writer makes this so real that is so inspiring, not that his deeds werent great, but there have probably been thousands who have done just what he did, they just werent famous. But overall this is a good book. I like how it takes us to a time when being "patriotic" didnt get us arrested or sued.

A must read.......2005-01-06

Wonderfully moving and well written insight into a true American hero. It is a must read for all patriotic Americans and almost a responsiblity for us all to be aware of one of the US Marine's best.

Excellent.......2004-10-25

If you are interested in a personal story of WWII, then this is an excellent book. Rather than getting into the details of the conflicts this book focuses on the personal story of John Basilone - one of the handful of true American Heroes from WWII.

Written in the first person with an ample dose of personal details from his family, this book truly brings Manilla John back to life for many. I've been studying WWII for only 10 years and have read my share of the technical assessments of the important battles in WWII. This book stands out in my mind because it puts the reader in touch with the qualities of America's best young men and women of the 1940's; selflessness, courage, a supreme sense of duty, and in Basilon's case, a supreme sense of destiny.

Highly recommended for anyone with a passing interest in WWII, or for anyone who wants to learn about what made America's young people "tick" 60 years ago.

An Extraordinary Biography and Full Frontal View of War.......2004-08-28

Author and Film Producer Jim Prosser has created a richly detailed, raptly written, devastatingly powerful book about the life of American War hero John Basilone. This book is especially pungent at this time in history because it revives a lost tradition of the country's view of maritime heroism. Since the atrocities of the Vietnam mistake to the present harrowing details of a similar (or worse) war in Iraq the concept of war is now very much in a negative light. Even the words 'war hero' seem an oxymoron, so strident are the feelings about America's latest aggressions. But to appreciate this fine book requires a return to the mindset of the US during World War II when not only was Europe under the vile threat of Hitler and Mussolini, but the Japanese warriors were annihilating China, Korea, and ultimately the Philippines in the mission to own the Pacific Ocean. And even in those early years the threat seemed frightening but distant until the Japanese successfully decimate the US Pacific Fleet on December 7, 1941. That incident unified the country, creating a fighting force and support system at home that eventually resulted in the defeat of the massive evil outside the borders of the USA.

Given that atmosphere of over a half century ago, author Proser has created one of the most convincing portraits of a military hero in literature. And the intensively researched and detailed approach results in a biography that fully restores the ambience of WW II. John Basilone was a nice Italian boy form Raritan, New Jersey, a lad who quit school to follow his recurring visions. He caddied for Japanese businessmen at a country club, seeing in his prophetic mind that at some day he would be at war with Japan. After trying multiple jobs he finally enlists in the Army, makes the best of boot camp by gambling and boxing, and is shipped to the Philippines where he spent time waiting, boxing (becoming a champion nicknamed Manila John), running a little bar with his Island sweetheart, and finally returning home. Frustrated once again with the boredom of work and the embarrassment of not having finished his education, Basilone finally returns to the military by signing on with the USMC, trains hard at Quantico, Cuba, and other US training camp swamps, and finally is shipped to Guadalcanal where his brilliance and dedication to his commanding officer ("Chesty" Puller) through one of the most devastating battles in the Pacific arena earned him not only the respect of his men, but also the Medal of Honor - the highest commendation offered by his country. Returning home form this mission he ride the waves of adulation form the American people, hobnobs with movies stars, sells War Bonds, and falls in love, only to be shipped out once again to the Pacific where he is killed in action in the battle for Iwo Jima.

The amazing (that is, ONE of the amazing) aspect of this book is that Proser has elected to write it in the first person of John Basilone. Everything is told as Basilone perceives it, lives, feels, and survives it. Rarely has a story been written with such clarity and perception: we truly feel that Basilone has written his memoirs. The language of the period is exactly right, the descriptions of the various battles and conditions of being a soldier under tremendously adverse conditions are vivid, and the soldiers' mentality of being in the thick of war are written with such bulls-eye focus that no matter what the reader's opinion of War might be, this book makes it all understandable form the point of view of the soldiers who fought. Some of the battle passages are tough to read: "On October 23, a light tank and infantry attack across the mouth of the Matanikau ran right into the teeth of Vandegrift's defenses. It was chewed up in short order with over 600 Japs killed, many of them trapped in a jungle clearing where US tanks just drove over them instead of wasting ammunition. They ground the poor bastards up like sausage under the tank treads until the entire clearing was covered in gore and left to rot in the sun." And a soldier's impressions: "We all heard a lot about the bravery of the Japanese soldier before we got on the island. They were supposed to be the most fearless warriors ever to fight. But I kept thinking what kind of bravery it was that sent them, one after the other, right into the same guns that mowed down dozens before them. I don't know if that was bravery. I don't know what it was. Either they were crazy or they just didn't care. So I didn't care either. They weren't even men anymore. They were dumb animals who wanted me dead and had killed all my friends."

Proser very cleverly weaves snippets of Iwo Jima from the opening of the book to its finish, which in an act of brilliance makes the whole story more pungent in retrospect. There is little doubt the Sgt. John Basilone was an extraordinary soldier and military hero along with the thousands of others who lost their lives in the incomprehensibly vast WW II. I think this is a very important book that everyone should read, and I say that as a pacifist, as a Vietnam Veteran convinced that war on any level is simply not an option. This book is vastly important, well written, and contains a story and moment of history we all should face and incorporate. And perhaps then we can all better empathize with soldiers form throughout history to the very present. Recommended without reservation!

Customer Reviews:

a bit of a slog.......2007-06-29

I was a History major in college. Though fascinated by the subject matter, I kept thinking that this was a complex topic made more difficult than need be. It makes one pine for the likes of B.Tuchmann or W. Bruce Lincoln or L.S. Stavrianos. If I can find a more readable work, I will buy it........otherwise, back to the slog!

Habsburgs research on the Great Siege.......2002-11-25

I am a history major at Indiana State University. In my spring term, I used the book (as one of my sources) for my research paper on the Great Siege of Malta of 1565. I will agree that this particular book is not the greatest reading in the world, but generally historians write books for historians. Also, I will agree with other reviewers that the book's title is misleading because it does not focus on the 16th century compared to others. The book was used in my research to help explain the rivilary between Charles V of Spain (the Holy Roman Emperor) and Francis I (King of France). The cause of the rivals were not because of the grudge with Charles V winning the election for the Holy Roman Emperor or Francis I imprisonment in 1525, but Francis saw the danger of the Habsburg Empire surrounding France.

I will recommend this book for people needing information on the Habsburgs for research and to get it at your library or buy an used copy.

History is killed in another boring text.......2002-07-24

This text is not a good history text. Any good text book will make the subject come alive, this book kills it. It is, however, extremely informative, if you can get through the introduction without dieing. NOT recommended for anyone who is not a post grad! (and even then, only if required for a class).

Dry critique on Empire.......2001-02-01

There is a reason why this book is out-of-print. It's as dry a book as I've ever read and is much more a critique on the Hapsburg Empire and less of a historical overview. The title implies that Kann will introduce the reader to the Central Europeon Power and detail much of the family's power over Europe but that's far from the case. Instead, Kann goes so in depth to pick apart the Hapsburg's, that impossible to keep track of where he's going. Although the chapters have a chronological order to them, Kann mentions events that happened during a five-hundred year span in the first three chapters and aimlessly wanders so much through the text, he should be arrested for reckless writing. Some writers can pull off writing like this and make it into a masterpiece (Son of the Morning Star by Evan S. Connell comes to mind), Kann simply makes it into a field of landmines in which the reader unexpectedly will step onto a trap and utter "Whaaat?" and have to skip back to try and figure out if Kann has a connection to the previous paragrapgh or if he's just writing instantaneous thoughts. Kann's rambling book reminds me of Paul Thomas Anderson movies - it's made purely to pleasure the writer while the rest of the world has its hands in the air wondering "What did I just read/ watch?"

An Excellent General History of the Habsburgs.......2000-11-10

Robert Kann was a Viennese Professor of History who taught at several American universities during his career. He was a recognized authority in his field, and this volume is one of the very best general histories of the Habsburg Monarchy currently in print. However, it was written in Professor Kann's second language, English; so the reading is choppy at times. In addition, the subject matter is extremely complex; so if you are expecting a page-turner, this may not be for you. Overall, if you want to know about the last 400 years of the Habsburgs, there are few better sources.

A HISTORY OF THE HABSBURG EMPIRE 1526-1918:

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A HISTORY OF THE HABSBURG EMPIRE 1526-1918:
Robert A. Kann
Manufacturer: Univ- of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GRBCEU

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Fascinating food for thought and further exploration.

Objective Evidence/ Practical Application Of Reincarnation

Questions about one soul in many bodies

matchmaker.com

Return of the Revolutionaries

Return of the Revolutionaries: The Case for Reincarnation and Soul Groups Reunited
Walter Semkiw
Manufacturer: Hampton Roads Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Customer Reviews:

Fascinating food for thought and further exploration........2007-05-12

As the author states in the preface, that his is an invitation for more research and further investigation of his premise - which if found viable would make for a "kinder gentler world". -- He makes his arguments for reincarnation and knowing about his, and your own, past lives very plausable. Spirituality is not a exact science - you must "know that you know" or go on faith. -- This book presents valid points for your own decision making. -- I would reccommend it to anyone interested in furthering their own information base on the subject. -- It is well written, current, and the most complete book on this subject that I have read.

Objective Evidence/ Practical Application Of Reincarnation.......2006-04-17

Hello my name is Kevin Ryerson I am a colleague of Dr. Walter Semkiw and my work is mentioned in the book Return of the Revolutionaries ,the topic is the practical uses of the objective evidence of reincarnation as a tool for spiritual growth. The following is in appreciation based on the content of Dr Semkiws' book, I was honored to participate in with Dr. Walter Semkiw author of Return of the Revolutionaries. Jeff Keene a person who shares a remarkable story of his past life during the American Civil War is another person and a case in Dr.Semkiws book who tells his own story in "Some One Else's Yesterday" reviewed by Dr. Jeffery Mishlove PHD. As you proceed through Walters' book you will read information that is intended to ask questions about our Planet and its various cultures and what it would be like as objective evidence of reincarnation is documented by the scientific method. Walter is very clear that further scientific research is needed and that the data represented in the book is qualitative evidence. I hope that you add Dr.Semkiws' classic research on the subject material of reincarnation to your collection.

One of the matters of reincarnation to keep in mind is that out side of the West reincarnation is not only a given,it is an applied value system in a wide range of cultural areas. One of these is the use of past life profiles in medicine,psychology, spiritual practice, occupational choice etc. Walter Semkiw in a reference in the book makes a heart felt statement that reincarnation maybe used as a tool to guide nations and humanity to a more enlightened way of conduct.

It is my proposal that reincarnation is already a provable phenomena and that we are in a position to apply this natural human resource to the betterment of individuals and society. I invite folks to look at societies and cultures who already make open use of reincarnation. There are many such as Tibet, Aboriginal Peoples,India,etc. I am hoping that there can be a conversation based on the premise that in the Majority World reincarnation is already a practiced value system. On a daily basis billions of persons practice cultural rituals that demonstrate the validity of this value system the same way that every day there are scientific experiments that hold together our world view. In Tibet ,India,Peru,China, Japan etc. there are thousands of oracles, doctors, engineers, artists, architects working with such a world view in daily practice.It is not my intention to be the sole intellectual or spiritual arbitrator of this premise. It is my hope that as we gather ideas,rituals, technology, wisdom, healing etc. we will be able to reach a level of complexity where a natural synergy will occur and we will be able to do some serious reality engineering(the re imaging of our society and culture).

I would like to use a type visionary anthropology or Anthropological Futurism to see what Modern Western culture would look like.I am also a fan of Rupert Sheldrake and his "little science" vs "big science" as out lined in his book "Seven Experiments That Could Change the World". We are certainly not lacking precedents for this. Japan is a good example. I spent 10 years,60 days out of the year,working in Japan as an expert intuitive. The Japanese people are wonderful hosts and are well grounded in their unique culture of Shinto/ Buddhism (not all Japanese are of this religious persuasion there are Christians, Atheists, Muslim, etc).I am certain some of you have traveled to Japan. My experience of the Japanese is that they consider Buddhism to their international religion and adhere to a wide range of practices and beliefs all of which acknowledge reincarnation as playing a role. Shinto is conceived of as the National religion and is a complex system of ancient Nature Gods and Goddesses. Historically many of the Shinto and Buddhist temples have existed side by side for many generations.It was my observation that the Japanese people had a wonderful way of synergising many of the practices and rituals, particularly in private households involving ancestors, family, or local deities. It is this type of observation that I hope will be shared here.
The number one concern or question that I worked on with folks in Japan on is who were they before, what was their Karma and what were the talents that could serve them and their families.They were sometimes excited to learn about past lives outside of Japan but were always concerned in what way that might make then less Japanese(gaijin).There was some objectivity in the lives that were discovered for often the folks had traveled or spent an extensive amount of time in the countries of a past incarnation(usually work or school or sometimes a passion for the place of past origin). Folks from Tokyo were usually quite comfortable with lives outside of the country rural folks were more shy.The people of Osaka loved the the idea of lives that were adventures and involved lives as successful merchants ( often around Venice Italy).These of course are generalizations. Using such cultures as a frame work of reference I would invite folks to add their vision,as to what they would imagine this emerging society would look like, in say 2025.

My own contribution to Dr. Semkiws' work was to point out that we may now be at a point in research on reincarnation that we may begin to apply this knowledge in useful ways such as in Integrative Medicine. I point out that the greater population of the planet already accepts the belief in reincarnation and that the west is only now reaching a similar conclusion through the use of the scientific method. I am an Intuitive (trance channel) in the tradition of Edgar Cayce. That in addition to working with Dr.Semkiw I have worked with scientist such as Dr. William Kautz a former staff research scientist at SRI , Dr. Kautz book "Opening the Inner Eye" documents the use of expert intuitives in research on earth quakes, AIDS, SIDS, to name a few, and of course reincarnation.
I have begun to work with the positive cases with a process that is called Biographical Futurism. I use the case of Andrew Jackson/John Kerry (observe the portrait of Jackson on the 20 dollar bill) to point out how events in Jackson's biography were predictive of events in the Senator's Presidential campaign(for instance Jackson/Kerry were both war heroes ran against sons of a previous presidents and appointed the Senator from North Carolina as their running mates etc.) I also pointed out that the West placed more value on Karma than Dharma (service) and almost always thought of Karma as punitive. I made reference to the concept that we reincarnate to grow from our emotional intelligence and to self actualize through our eight human needs (as in Buhdism) this combined with the method of Biographic Futurism will allow us to develop even more clear life maps as a source of guidance in our near future. ***A few quotes " If Kevin Ryerson is acting he deserves an Oscar that has not been invented yet." Shirley Maclaine " Imagine my surprise when Tom Mc Phereson (Tom revealed to me his actual family name is MacFerguson from the County Kerry) spoke in the Celtic dialect of my grandparents."D.R. Irish Citizen "Whatever Kevins spirit guides maybe they had to be alive at the time they say to have the historical knowledge they have of my country M.S. Egyptologist ; Egyptian Citizen.
Kevin Ryerson

Questions about one soul in many bodies.......2006-04-17

When I first read this book 2 years ago, I was impressed by the careful nature of the research and the subsequent logic of the argument from which conclusions were drawn. Having read widely and deeply in the field of reincarnation research, and with a critical eye, I appreciated the focus of the argument.

Little did I realise at the time what personal import the work of Walter Semkiw would have on my life. I am the author of a book - Letter to Anne, written 2002, but not published till 2004 - which documents a connection to Anne Frank in a past life, in a similar vein to how Barbro Karlen's experineces has suggested a strong connection to Anne Frank. The book, Letter to Anne, is reviewed on Amazon.com. Perhaps not known to many is the fact that there are at least 12 other people in this world, as reported by Miep Gies in a letter to me, who feel a past life connection to Anne Frank.

The evidence of past and present connection that Walter Semkiw offers is that of mirror image physicality and a resonance between individual aptitudes, personalities and interests. He then offers a serve of truth as perceived by Kevin Ryerson's channelling. He largely focuses on famous people.

I have a problem with the selective dimensions of truth and perception in the research methodology that have been presented as evidence in this work - more because of what is left out, than what is included. There is little or no investigation of that which does not fit in with the paradigm of life, energy and form being established here - for instance, in the case of Anne Frank, is Barbro right and everyone else who experiences a similar life connection wrong? Again, Kevin Ryerson and guides are reading the universal field yet this should be understood as reading this field at their personal level of accomplishment in field reading skills, and not to be construed as presentation of absolute truth and law.

I would like to ask Walter Semkiw how he would explain the following.

When I travelled to India in 2004 to meet with a spiritual teacher, I was sitting on the plane with my 11 year old son. I sat forward and looked to one side. The women across the aisle also sat forward, and, in an instant, her form changed, and it became me. On occasion, I have been able to see the form and shape of this, my face, within the structure of someone else's face - it's like a deep seeing. An example of the face to face identification here occurred with Tenzin Palmo, Buddhist nun, simply from the picture on her autobiography. These experiences appear to just happen to me. The only sense I can make of these at the moment is to know on an energy level, that I am me, and then I am you. And, then, if I am in your body, as me, then looking out from your body, I can also see me. By extension, we are each other. I have recently used the term, duplicating experiences, to describe these encounters.

My questions and request to Dr Walter Semkiw is:

How and why do such duplicating experiences occur?
How would you account for them in your developing paradigm?
Does reincarnation really exist, or is it a limited
understanding of a much greater phenomenom, and, in time, may
be a redundant concept?
When will you be investigating more thoroughly the one soul,
many bodies or split souls phenomenon?

matchmaker.com.......2006-03-09

Let me begin by saying, this is in no way the kind of book I would ordinarily read, in that I do not believe in reincarnation (and still don't after reading the book), however, someone gave me a copy of this book, probably because they thought it might be about the Founding Father's, and as a gift, I felt compelled to at least give it a try. Having said that, I must add, for its' content and style, RETURN OF THE REVOLUTIONARIES by Walter Semkiw was an enjoyable book.

Though I do not agree with the Doctor's assessment of things, you will find this be an entertaining read. As far as the content goes, however, the author attributes his findings to such things as science, religion and logic, coupled with dropping a few names of prominent people who support the 'theories' of reincarnation, I believe the findings could just as easily have been found using a dating service. You've all probably seen the commercials, sorry I don't recall the name of the website, as I myself am blissfully married to my right woman, but they advertise matching you up on some 27 levels of compatibility to find your perfect mate. That appears to be roughly thing that was done here. I'm sorry, but I don't believe having similarities to someone long deceased makes you their reincarnation.

I have studied and written extensively on a number of our founders. My personal favorite is Patrick Henry, as my politics most closely resemble his. And each morning after I shave, I look myself in the mirror and recite a line from another favorite, Nathan Hale, "I seek only to be honorable by being useful and necessary for the public good". But as much as I admire these men and try to pattern myself after them, I hardly believe I somehow possess their souls in my body, but that's just me.

If you believe in reincarnation, or if you don't and are just looking for an enjoyable read, you will enjoy this one.

Return of the Revolutionaries.......2006-01-15

I have never been particularly interested in reincarnation but I found this to be a fascinating book to read. It has all sorts of famous people...I find myself going back to it time and time again to check on someone I think might be in it and I missed. Walter Semkiw has done lots of research and whether you were to believe it or not it is a very entertaining book. I will always keep mine to refer back to.

Dorothy Gautier

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Environmental investments the cost of a clean environment : report of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to the Congress of the United States (SuDoc EP 1.2:EN 8/34)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Manufacturer: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Policy, Planning, and Evaluation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00010G0UI

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