5 comments about Before the Wind: The Memoir of an American Sea Captain 1808-1833.

1. Charles Tyng tells a most exciting real life tale which is better than the fiction which movies are made of.
   To think of the hardships of a rather rebelious little boy from his mother dying who overcame to become a most successful gentleman is a profile in courage and chivalry. Tyng honestly overcame more by the time he was 15 than most people do in their entire lives.
   This would make a most telling movie, but for now this is the perfect diary of life almost unknown from 1812 in America.
   A 5 star enthusiastic review.



2. While Charles Tyng's brothers became wealthy as doctors, lawyers and land-based businessmen, Charles (due to his poor study habits) was forced to pursue the much more dangerous and uncertain vocation of sailor and sea-merchant. This is definitely no dry account of business deals. This story is about Charles' struggles against cruel and incompetent superiors, ferocious storms at sea, mutinous and violent crews, pirate attacks, shark attacks and, for good measure a bout with cholera. If even half of Tyng's account is true, he was very, very lucky to live to old age. Tyng was obviously a man who was very curious by nature and so he was able to describe in detail many aspects of the people, places and operations that he witnessed (such as whale hunting, sugar processing, and opium smuggling). Most of it is very interesting because it paints a piture of a world very different from our modern world. Tyng himself is likable, for the most part, although he definitely was a bit of a rogue; he pulls a few pratical jokes on people that adds some humor to the story. I only give it four stars because there were a couple short dry patches in the book. Overall, though, very enjoyable.



3. If you're not already into this stuff, it will put you to sleep.

   If on the other hand, like me, the mere mention of the days of tall ships fills your lungs with salt air, gets your sea legs in motion, and gives you a faraway thrill, then this becomes the definitive life story of every sailor who ever went to sea.

   And this guy has been through it all: pirates, mutinies, shipwrecks, storms, cruel officers, exotic foreign shores, wars (on both land and sea, including the American revolution and the China traders), sharks, starvation, marriage (that ultimate adventure), disease, and even "haunted" ships.

   Beautifully written in the eloquent style of a man who had been an illiterate cabin boy and eventually educated himself with distinction, it even chronicles the effects that his life at sea had upon the way his family saw him and the business world dealt with him, and contains vignettes about minute aspects of life back then that I'd never been aware of.

   What a find!




4. A delight to read, Tyng's memoir only disappoints by ending too soon. For anyone who has read Morison's Maritime History of Massachusetts or my own recently published BULLOUGH'S POND and wondered what merchant shipping was really like, Tyng has the answers. But you can enjoy this book even if you bring no questions to the table, as long as you enjoy a good adverdure story well told. Diana Muir



5. I came across a reference to this book when checking the book reviews of another amazon.com reviewer. It is an autobiography of Captain Charles Tyng, covering the early part of his life and, in particular, his career in as a merchant mariner from the time he was 13 to the time he was 31. It was taken from a hand written manuscript which he wrote 45 years after the last event detailed, and not published until 120 years after his death after being found by one of his descendents. He started as a ship's boy, shortly after the end of the War of 1812 on a voyage to Canton, China; rapidly rose to a ship's captain by his own initiative, family connections, and matters of chance; and established his early fortune by the private trading allowed to ships' captains, trading in things as exotic as live monkeys, parrots, bird nests, and other commodities. He had an eye for potential profit. The book details the harsh life of merchant sailors, with miserly ship owners often giving them insufficient food and low pay (if they did not try to steal even that), and bad treatment from some sadistic ships' officers. Captain Tyng managed to become a ship owner at an early age, and was a successful merchant brokering cargo by the time he was 31 (the ending point of the tale). The last chapter covers a conflict in Charleston, SC, between the State and the Federal Government about 30 years before the Civil War when South Carolina passed the Nullification Act, refusing to pay duties on imported goods, and President Jackson sent a frigate to Charleston to enforce the customs and General Scott to restore order in the city. The book is the manuscript pretty much as written and has a few flaws as a novel, e.g., excessive repetition of the phrase, "I can't remember his name," some repetition of descriptions, and a lot of short digressions. It is an interesting historical account providing details of the U.S. merchant service during the early 19th century including shipwrecks, pirates, mutinies, connivery, etc., as well as extensive details of the merchantile business of that era when it was possible to make large profits on a well placed investment. There are some side details such as the U.S. and British business of smuggling opium into China.

5 comments about Looking for Gatsby: My Life.

1. Being a long-time fan of Miss Dunaway, I bought this the day it was released and read it straight through when I got home. Frankly, I wasn't expecting much. I always got the impression she has no sense of humor, particularly about herself. I also figured she was writing this for the money, and it would be a typical take-the-money-and-run, say-nothing bland autobiography like most of the other celebrity junk that's out there. Boy was I wrong! While Miss Dunaway is certainly a very serious person, the book was pretty candid, the good and the bad, covering topics I didn't think she'd cover much like Mommie Dearest, Marcello Mastriani, her two marriages, etc. She covers it all pretty thoroughly and candidly. While this book is certainly not a "tell-all" or at the Shelley Winters level (thank goodness), it's pretty thorough. She also covers a lot of her early career, college, and her growing up in rural Florida, a lot of information you can't get from magazine articles or prior media materials about her. It was very, very well done, well written, and is obviously must-read material for any fan or someone interested in the premier actresses of her generation. You won't be disappointed. It also has some great photographs in the center section, and Terry O'Neill did the cover. Great stuff!



2. Not knowing quite what to expect, I was happy to read a very warm, candid story by an actor whose work I admire a great deal. As Dunaway told her story, I could not help but think that her body of work would stand side by side with those actors of her generation who are so glorified -- Beatty, Nicholson, et. al. That she is not appreciated in the same way as those actors explains her vulnerability all the more. After reading this book, I would definitely have her over for dinner.



3. With startling honesty, Dunaway intimately details her fascinating life. The book does lapse into mild self-indulgence at times, but her introspection reveals an interesting mind. Her fierce determination and dedication is vividly depicted, hinting at the price she paid for stardom, as well as painting an interesting portrait of what it is to be a female actor of her calibre and over fifty in Hollywood today.



4. First of all, let me say that as "celebrity biographies" go, this is one of the better ones. Rather than produce a mere catalogue of people, places, and events, Faye Dunaway gives her readers impressionistic peeks into her life; her words are used like water-colored pastels to create a pleasing but not too controversial work. Although she overemphasizes pop-psychology explanations, Faye Dunaway still manages to bring her readers closer to Faye Dunaway the Woman and the Actress while chipping away at Faye Dunaway the Icon. It's a nice compliment to her work on film.



5. Faye Dunaway, a terrific actress, should, as they say, not quit her day job. Her book is poorly written and redundant, redundant, redundant! A superb technician on the stage, she paradoxically has a room-temperature IQ, to judge from this memoir. And her accounts of some parts of her life, such as the filming of Roman Polanski's Chinatown, are self-serving. It's too bad we never get beneath the veneer in this boring read.

5 comments about An American Life.

1. Reagan's autobiography presents a dual account into the mind of one of the most charismatic leaders of the 20th century as well as a deep view into the extraordinary political events that shaped the world in the 1980s.
   
   Regardless of where your political views lie, if you have a sincere interest in events and decisions shaping both fiscal and foreign policy, An American Life will deliver. From his near fatal shooting, his correspondence with Gorbachev, to events leading to the Iran Contra scandal, Reagan lays it all on the line. The basis of his positions via his own words provides you the full scope of his reasoning, which is fascinating insight no matter what your persuasion.
   
   A historical account written straight from a man in one of the worlds most prominent positions should be of interest to anyone with an attraction to historical accounts. Having it come from one of our most enigmatic presidents only raises the bar.



2. This is one of the best bigraphies I have ever read on anyone. It was excellent from beginning to end. It spoke alot of his Christian character and upbringing and it covered politics but it was never boring. The author never goes on and on.
   
   Ronald Reagans Christian upbringing and morality is so encouraging.



3. My first vote in a presidential election was for Ronald Wilson Reagan. I was a freshman in college and quickly coming to grips with my political philosophy and world view, when this idealistic, bright ray of sunshine declared it was "morning in America." Having remembered all to well the horrors of Watergate, the tepid Ford presidency, and the...well...you fill in your own perjorative for Jimmy Carter's presidency, Mr. Reagan, for me at least, was a breath of fresh air.
   
   If you are looking for pure history of the Reagan years, the works of Lou Cannon and Richard Reeves will provide more objective views; i.e. the type of stuff political junkies like myself love to chew on. However, if you are looking for a first person account of a uniquely American story, this memoir will both uplift and inspire.
   
   This book is quintessential Reagan. Missing is the self-adulatory, self-promoting tripe you read in autobiographies. Also, although he was bitterly opposed by "The Establishment," the literati, Hollywood, socialists, communists and the like, there is not an ounce of rancor to be found.
   
   An American Life, despite the fact that it is 700+ pages, is a quick and fairly easy read. In order to obtain a full view of his presidency, I not only recommend this work, and the aforementioned volumes, but also the book that is the compilation of his letters. Far from being the "amiable dunce," you'll discover that "Dutch" was a unique and complex man and we are a better country for having him a part of the body politic for as long as we did.



4. A very good book. Contains much history which either wasn't or couldn't be reported at the time it was happening. Although it is over 700 pages, it was a good and enjoyable book.



5. Apart from the first few chapters about his own path to success, the book's an introductory history lesson on the u.s. and international political scene of the 80's. Easy to understand. Reagan explained very clearly on his ratinales behind the things he did. It was like listening to a wise old man telling his story. His international policies, as indicated in the book, made far reaching impacts on the development of world events then and afterwards. A great read. The book lets me understand this great man more and made me remember him more.

5 comments about The Life and Times of Queen Elizabeth I/the Life and Times of Queen Elizabeth II (Naxos Audio).

1. I have an old copy of the book, which I have reread a couple of times. This is the most readable biography of Elizabeth I that I have read.



2. This book is incredibly well written. It also has the ring of truth. It is not just a biography of Elizabeth I, though it does that superbly, with great insight and scholarship, and always with documentation so that there is a tie-in to actual happenings. But this book also writes in depth about the key people around Queen Elizabeth, so that they too come alive, and sets them all firmly in a vivid and well-described background. This book is fascinating, literate, and a great read, especially for those of us who have an interest in this period in history and its characters.



3. A truly excellent book for someone who, like me, wants to find out not only about the events of Elizabeth's life but also what Elizabeth was like as a person. The writing style is clear and very enjoyable and makes Elizabeth seem alive again. As a schoolboy in England, I studied the Tudor Period, but this book goes way above and beyond what one is taught at school level. I learned so much more about Elizabeth's life and personality, that it has given me a whole new level of respect for someone who I had already held in high esteem. Highly recommended.



4. This excellent book paints an unforgettable portrait of Elizabeth I, "Good Queen Bess" to her loving subjects. Her fascinating life and vibrant personality are caught with great truth and clarity. Elizabeth Regina-LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!



5. This book is not a 'life and times' volume. It is single-minded in its telling of Elizabeth's life. I found the book to be captivating. I keep it on my desk at work for those rare days when I don't go out to lunch. I know that I can always open the book to any page and find an interesting story ahead.

No comments about The Life and Work of Marcel Proust: A Biography (Naxos Audio).

5 comments about Lost in the Funhouse: The Life and Mind of Andy Kaufman.

1. The narrative style of this book perfectly translates the performance style of Andy Kaufman to print, this is NOT for the casual reader.
   
   As many reviewers have stated this book is not a mindless "This Is Your Life" reading experience. The narrative moves between straight biographical text to excerpts from Andy's unpublished semi-auto-biographical writings and his many personas.
   
   It's like being inside the mind of Andy Kaufman! And if you are familiar with his work you will know that it was not an easily traversed territory.
   
   The book is an extremely detailed account of Andy's life, it almost seems to go minute by minute, so it will take some time to get through, but the understanding it provides of this complex performer is amazing.
   
   I only recommend this book to die-hard Andy Kaufman fans, who really appreciate his subversive and deceptive performance art.
   
   For most people "Andy Kaufman Revealed!" by Bob Zmuda is a much more accessible and shorter read, but it is also a necessary companion piece to this book as it provides an inside perspective from Andy's closest collaborator.
   
   This is a great book, for the right reader.



2. Took me over a month to finish reading this book. It was almost a chore. I don't know Andy personally but have been a fan from the first sighting on SNL's inaugural show through every quirky act I could catch on tv and lately catching up what I missed back then after finding it on youtube. I don't think Andy showed anybody who he really was including his own family. This book makes him look so childish and naive as to appear almost stupid. From what I do know about him his act was sheer genius. This isn't the Andy I've come to know. My puppy seems to be a critic and chewed a good part of the front cover. I shoulda bought Zmuda's book.



3. This was an entertaining bio of Andy Kaufman although I think some of what made it into this book is probably a figment of the authors imagination because I don't think even those who were closest to Kaufman really knew what was going on inside his head. Fun to read, great stuff about Kaufmans legendary bizarre work, life and habits. Kaufman was a true original.



4. For all Kaufman lovers and those not familiar with the entertainment genius this book is a must have. Zehme does a stellar job of rummaging through countless interviews and inside information to dig for the truth of an extremely complex man. It is highly recommended that you read both "Lost in the Funhouse" as well as "Andy Kaufman Revealed" by best friend Bob Zmuda. I recommend reading this book first. There is much information in this book that is uncovered in the Zmuda book. However, the same goes for this book compared to the Zmuda book. Zehme spends an equal amount of time on Kuafman's personal and professional life. The author does such a wonderful job of opening Andy's world to the reader that, by the end of the book, you feel an undeniable connection to the late, great genius. Thus, the book saddens the reader when Andy meets his supposed demise.
   A great book on all levels and a definite must have for any Kaufman lover or new reader without previous knowledge of the great "song and dance man". FIVE STARS!



5. I was first introduced to the comic stylings of Andy Kaufman when I was eight years old; I turned on the t.v. and there he was being voted off Saturday Night Live. Kaufman intrigued me, and my interest in his work was further heightened with the release of Man on the Moon a few years later. That being said, I started reading Lost in the Funhouse as a way to get information for a research paper I was writing on Kaufman, but Bill Zehme's book entertained me so much that I read the entire thing. Writing about the performance style of Andy Kaufman can't possibly be an easy thing to do, but Zehme does so with grace and clarity, not sparing any tidbit of information that led to Kaufman's career. The best thing about Lost in the Funhouse is that Zehme has been able to capture pure Kaufman-esque moments from his early childhood. The way Zehme presents the material is like Kaufman wrote it himself, and it is by far the best information I've gotten on Andy Kaufman to date. Zehme's book is a must-read for any fan, as well as those who detested Kaufman, because it shows Kaufman as brashly as he could have ever hoped.

5 comments about Not Without My Daughter.

1. A very boring story about a seemingly very vengeful woman. We all make mistakes in life, and try to learn from it. But Betty Mahmoody is making money out of it but making up a story in which potrayes herself as the victim. I watched this woman complaining on the Dr. Phil show recently, still sobbing and feeling sorry for herself and at the same time promoting her book and trying to squeeze the last couple of bucks out of her story.
   Thanks to the Finish documentary `Without my daughter' which shows us what really happened we now know that this book is just one big lie.
   Maybe they don't show you these documentaries in the US, I'm sure your government would like you to believe that all women are suppressed in countries like Iran.
   Do not buy this book, don't buy the DVD. Dishonesty should not be rewarded.
   
   Herman, Europe



2. There is no doubt in my mind that the experience Mrs. Mahmoody has had, if one can describe that as an ''experience'' has been rather an unpleasant one. As others have pointed it it is also surprising that she has opted to travel to Iran in one of its most shacky moments, during the middle of the war between Iraq-Iran. Also, it seems that Mrs. Mahmoody was not completely out of guard to this, as she herself describes in the book that the trip was made at a moment before which there had been many struggles between her and Mr. Mahmoody, hence it seems their relation was not completely right even before the trip, well... false promises and hopes she accepts to travel to Iran to please her husband.
   
   The experiences she describes must have been very difficult, she is beaten, treated like nothing, nobody helps her or listens to her, as it seems every body is scared and tries to stay away. I completely must disagree with the way she pictures Iran and the society, about the hygiene issue particularly how she describes the food and the people in the family as being completely unclean, yes it's possible that she was not so lucky and the people she had to live with were not clean, but this can not be fitted to the society entirely, neither can it be fitted to any other society, it just seems these particular people seemed rather uncareful in this matter, though when one reads the book with no previous Eastern experience one might think that ''this is how life is over there'' I could not disagree more.
   
   Also, she describes how ''horrible'' the life is in Iran, due to its restrictions and so on. I think this is rather completely another story, and do not take for granted what she says, I have met Iranian people and have had Iranian friends and I think it's better to read further on this matter. The book is nice in my opinion, I admire the courage of Mrs. Mahmoody in her struggle to protect her child, nevertheless I do believe that the descriptions of many things in this book have been emotionally affected by her terrible experience, which may be in a way understandable, had things gone right for her and her husband perhaps she would not have described life as being ''so terrible'' in Iran, I am not sure but a pleasant read in any case.



3. When I was in high school, a friend of mine recommended "Not Without My Daughter." Twenty years later, I finally got around to reading it. I wish that friend were still in my life to discuss the book with. I recall her saying she stayed up all night, unable to put the book down, and I had much the same reaction. It is a riveting tale of domestic abuse and a harrowing escape, occuring in Tehran in 1984. Yes, there were moments that made me squirm because Betty Mahmoody seemed like a spoiled American making sweeping generalizations about a culture she had little time to experience, but the story overall is a compelling one.
   
   I recommend the book highly, with reservations. I also read "Persepolis" recently and that provided a much needed counterpoint to Mahmoody's biases. It is essential to consider more than one person's experiences. Not everyone in Iran is like the family she married into. That said, this is a compelling story and one worth knowing about.



4. Take all the figures in this painting(The Death of Sardanapalus, 1827 Fine Art Stretched Canvas Poster Print by Eugene Delacroix, 22x17) and dress them up as modern Iranians.
   
   You would get this book.



5. Great story but I am going to recommend Detained Differencesby J. Robert Rowe in conjunction with this novel

5 comments about In the Shadow of the Moons: Library Edition.

1. Nansook Hong paints a painful picture of her marriage to HyoJin Moon, but she does not own up to the full truth of her parents' machinations to get her married into the Moon family. Eyewitnesses tell of Nansook visiting the Moon household and knowing full well of HyoJin's excesses in advance of her marriage. The Hongs wanted desperately for their family to be entwined with the Moon family, and after arranging for one child to be wed to the first Moon daughter, they pushed Nansook to marry a Moon son. Though I don't know all the motives, the point is that there was an agenda behind her marriage and probably this book that Ms. Hong has not been honest about. It is only too easy to paint an unflattering portrait of Rev Moon and his wife but at least some of this is suspect, given her own deceit.



2. The only people who can dismiss a book like this are the misguided followers of the hypocritical cult leader, Sun Myung Moon. As an atheist who currently attends the University of Bridgeport, I ate this book up in a day. It bears striking resemblance to Jon Krakauer's "Under the Banner of Heaven," which documents the underpinnings of another cult, Warren Jeffs' FLDS of Colorado City, AZ.
   
   I should be careful in my use of the term 'cult,' however. What is a cult? What is a religion? They are the same entity. That judgment simply lies in the eyes of the beholder. Just as Nansook Hong points out in the epologue, all religions claim that their way is the true path to heaven. The only difference between major religions like Roman Catholicism and Judaism, and 'cults' such as the FLDS, Jonestown, and the Unification Church is their size and level of acceptance by the public. In this way, the Pope and Sun Myung Moon are both equals. They are both equally nothing.
   
   It is clearly obvious that Sun Myung Moon is a madman who takes advantage of the socially vulnerable. This is he has such a hatred for communism - he preys on those affected by tragedy by giving them some type of bright future to look forward to. He prays on the weak. He is a con man. He claims to have spoken directly to Jesus in Korea as a young man, and has duped thousands around the world into believing he IS the second coming.
   
   The extremely brave Nansook Hong stood up for herself and left the Moon Compound to have a better life for herself and for her children. Any unificationist who claims to be a loving human being who would argue with her motives needs to look deep inside themselves. Sun Myung Moon's son Hyo Jin is an awful person. Nansook writes about being arranged in a marriage as a 15 year old girl, being coerced into coming to America as an illegal alien, being held against her will at East Garden, being abused, raped, and cheated on by the supposed 'Son of the Second Coming of Jesus,' and having to put up with drugs, alcohol abuse, and neglect for fourteen years of her life. Sun Myung Moon preaches to his followers about the importance of family and lineage, while his own dysfunctional family is the only one he should be paying any attention to. It is even documented in this biography as well as many other publications that Sun Myung Moon himself cheated on his wife and has a child with another woman. Both Sun Myung Moon and his eldest son are criminals, and need to be locked up. In my opinion, Moon got off light with his one year in prison for tax evasion.
   
   Unfortunately, I can hear the unificationsists already in my mind dismissing this book as 'the work of satan,' as I am going to try to show it to them next week. All I can really do is educate as many people as possible about how mentally ill and irresponsible Sun Myung Moon is and hope that his end is nearing...before more unfortunate people like Nansoon Hong are forced into a world of destruction at the hands of this 'True Family.'



3. == quote
   But, as Nansook Hong reveals in this devastating tell-all account, Sun Myung Moon does not live up to his own teachings. He has frequent affairs, which he rationalizes as "providential", that is, mandated by God.
   
   == end quote
   
   == quote
   
   "My own parents saw no evidence of sexual misconduct when they were each recruited independently to join the church in Seoul."
   (In the Shadow of the Moons, pp. 26-27)
   
   == end quote
   
   I know the UM since the mid 1970's and for a quite a long time the only accusation leveled against Rev. Moon was that he was married 4 times (while in fact he is only married 2 times) later those allegations of just being married 4 times was changed to having had sex with female followers.
   
   Chung Hwa Pak, one of Rev. Moon's first disciples, caused
   considerable controversy by confirming these accusations in a text widely circulated by critics (and later published in Japanese) called The Tragedy of the Six Marys. Pak, who had left the Unification Church, claimed that Rev. Moon practiced during the church's early years sex rituals with, among others, six married female disciples ("the six Marys") who were to have prepared the way for the virgin who would marry him and become the True Mother. The church vehemently denied the allegations. Pak eventually returned to the fold and, shortly before dying, recanted all the accusations in a second text he authored in 1995, called The Apostate.
   
   Similar accusations were discussed earlier in libel cases in Korea and not proved. In 1989, after a ten-year legal case, the Seoul District Criminal Court (79 ko dan 3372) convicted a protestant minister, Rev. Shin Sa-hun, of criminal libel after his accusations of sexual misconduct could not be proved. In another case decided by the Seoul District Civil Court (83 ga hap 3012), damages were paid by Tak Myung-hwan, a well-known critic of the Unification Church, to a woman who had been accused of having an illegitimate son with Rev. Moon and to her son.
   
   Corrections were published by the Christian newspapers Gidok Shinbo on October 8, 1983, and Hanhook Gidok Gongbo, on October 1, 1983, after printing similar accusations of sexual misconduct in the early Unification Church. Part of the retraction stated, "The article 'The Secret Sexual Practices of the Unification Religion' was a repetition of information published during the 1950s, and we have found it to have no basis in fact."



4. === quote
   
   Pay no attention to the negative criticisms by those who are obviously Moonies. This is should be required reading. Nansook Hong had the courage to endure and to finally escape the clutches of this dangerous cult led by the Korean flake who thinks he's God.
   
   === end
   
   Funny, so people should not listen to the story of those who are still within the UM, why is this?
   
   Also Rev. Moon himself doesn't claim to be God, this is always said by others, Rev.Moon stresses the point without God he would be nothing...



5. Pay no attention to the negative criticisms by those who are obviously Moonies. This is should be required reading. Nansook Hong had the courage to endure and to finally escape the clutches of this dangerous cult led by the Korean flake who thinks he's God. Not only is it run by one of the worlds most selfish and greediest families, they stand to gain even more under the President's Faith-Based program. Your tax dollars at work.

5 comments about Entering the Circle: Ancient Secrets of Siberian Wisdom Discovered by a Russian Psychiatrist.

1. A fascinating look at how Siberian shamanic practices fit into the work of psychiatry. I always love it when two seemingly unconnected parts of the world slide together, especially in the world of medicine and healing. Suddenly we realise that we were talking about the same truths in the first place, only we approached it from different directions.
   I would like to honour Olga for her bravery in setting her experiences down on paper in order to share more healing with the world



2. I would give this book four out of five stars simply because I believe the message within it is so profound. However just as I have found with other Russian novels, the narrative and setting are so gloomy and depressing - so Russian - that I found myself feeling less than uplifted at the end. Nevertheless, having bookmarked the relevent passages, I was able to reread the important message contained within the book.
   On the whole it was like wading through mud with gumboots full of treacle but worth it in the end. Definitely worth a read.



3. The book is quite insightful and honest. It's a blessing that Shamanism, which was oppressed for years and banned from practice by Russians themselves, is still alive and getting interest from all around the world. During the Soviet Russia, Shamans were killed, their drums and villages were destroyed with the fear that it'd be transferred to next generations. The birth place for Shamanism is Altais, and several Turkic nations are keeping the tradition alive today, including Sakhas and Tuva Turks. After reading several reviews, I needed to make certain points for the beginner in this magical world of spirituality. Umai is the most beloved wife of Sky God, protector of the unborn and guardian for children. Umai is considered to be the hihgest Goddesss by Turks and Mongolian alike. Another point is that Shamanism, pronouced Shaa-manism, is a Turkic word and do not belong to Mongols only. It's not a religion yet a way to worship and honor Kok-Tengri (Sky God), and all the spirits, which in the perception of Shamanism, everything has a soul.
   
   For the enthusiast, also Animal and Shaman is a good beginning book.



4. If you read my review of The Altai Chronicles by Carol Hiltner and you read this book you will see why I said Hiltner's book was phony. This is 100 times better. As a long time student of shamanism I see the ring of truth here; if she is conning us as one reviewer suggested then she did a super job. I enjoyed her second book but not quite as much. So Olga, when can we expect number three? (not counting the one in French)



5. As I read through this book I found it to be a lifting experience. Olga is a very talented writer and I was swept away by her story. I almost felt like I took her journey with her.
   
   This is a very eye-opening experience. To see a medical doctor, going through something that she could not believe herself, and becoming a true shaman was a thrill. I learned a lot about shamans, Siberian wisdom and the Russian traditions.
   
   Very enjoyable.

5 comments about Reach for the Sky: The Story of Douglas Bader D.S.O., D.F.C..

1. I ordered this book for myself after having read a borrowed original first edition hard cover from a friend.
   The story is wonderful and inspiring, and I wanted to own this book. This soft cover reissue version is O.K.,
   but the photo reproductions in it are shamefully bad. I'll continue to search for an original copy ...



2. I read this book in middle school YEARS ago, well, ok, I wore this book out in middle school. When I saw it on Amazon I had to get it! What an amazing, inspirational story. Anyone with an interest in flying or history will find this a fantastic read!



3. An excellent and accurate story of a historical figure, Douglas Bader. It was interesting to read and thoroughly enjoyable.



4. I read this book when I was 9 yrs. old and now that I read it again I think that this is one of those books that I will keep and read over and over.
   This is a riveting story that makes you feel like you are there experiencing the events yourself.



5. This was one of the first war ace biographies I've ever read, back when I was fourteen.
   
   It's a pleasure to see it published again, to replace my old copy.
   
   Of course, Mr. Brickhill seems to be a huge fan of Bader, but who in England is not, even those who realize that Bader had a difficult temper, but a difficult temper that was responsibels for getting back in a warplane in war tiem RAF without both legs!
   
   Good read, a classic.