5 comments about Piano Lessons: Music, Love, & True Adventures (Thorndike Press Large Print Paperback Series).

1. Noah Adams enchanted me with his touching--and at times very amusing--memoir of learning to play a deceptively simple piece of music on the piano.
   
   I read this book years ago, when it was recommended to me by pianist Robin Spielberg. At the time, Piano Lessons struck me as the first prose I had encountered that accurately described the rush of elation musicians experience when successfully conquering the chaos of a difficult phrase. On a second read-through, almost a decade after its publication, Adams' words remain as crisp and as playful as a perfectly played arpeggio. This is a writer who hears what he writes. He has a musician's ear and a writer's sensibility--a rare combination.
   
   In music, as in writing, achieving an air of effortlessness distinguishes a true master. It's not easy to describe joys of music, but Adams pulls it off with a lightness that will inspire the secret musician lurking in the hearts of so many adults.
   
   Robin Meloy Goldsby is the author of Piano Girl: A Memoir



2. It's been years since I read this book, but I have fond memories of it and dropped in here trying to relocate it again. I have to laugh at those who have given this book such harsh reviews with their literal impressions, and I'm very much in agreement with the others, like Bron Mitchell here, who enjoyed it for the right reasons. This is not necessarily about piano. It is about struggling to fulfill a passion in the face of your limitations. About confronting your fears and inadequacies, in the bravest attempt you can muster, given your amateur talents and spare time.
   
   I don't play piano, but I've been struggling for years to play my swing violin in much the same way Noah Adams approached his music. I thoroughly enjoyed the side trips and distractions and intermittent and yet consistent efforts to pursue the unrelenting dream.
   
   For those who play professionally, and for others who come by music easily with talent to spare, his struggles may seem frustrating and self-indulgent. But I would simply say to them, do they have a powerful dream to develop another talent that they may not be so blessed to possess? For example, have they ever wanted to build a boat and sail it to some far off destination? Or play professional baseball? Or be a comedian onstage? Paint a masterpiece? What would it be like to take on your dream, whatever that may be, regardless of your current profession? If you can't imagine putting yourself out there bravely to take it on, then you won't appreciate the subtle, comic travails of this author. And your own life will be much less interesting for it. Cut the brave souls some slack for they know the enjoyment and challenge of really living and appreciating life.
   
   I wholeheartedly recommend the book to any amateur adventurer out there. It is very similar to another book I thoroughly enjoyed and laughed out loud at called "Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod" by Gary Paulsen.



3. I think it is misleading that some have written very poor reviews of "Piano Lessons" by Noah Adams. They say the book does not have enough material about how to play the piano, or that he does not have enough patience to learn to play, and the book minimizes how much hard work it takes to play.
   
   But the goal of this book is not to teach one to play piano. It is to trace an adult's foray into piano playing. Mr. Adams chose to begin by using a book rather than hiring a teacher. Though hiring a teacher would be a far better way to begin, by reading his story one can learn a great deal. Because he didn't just hire a teacher, we learn about all his travels through piano educational techniques and materials. We learn of Denise Kahn who teaches adults on the upper west side of Manhattan- this in fact is how I found Denise, through this book- and she is a superb teacher. We read of the Van Der Lindes piano camp for adults. Mistakenly I tried to locate them in NY rather than Vermont, so I was not successful. But I did learn of Bruce Potterton's Summerkeys program in Maine, from Denise, and spent a very valuable week there. The progress one can make in an intensive week in the summer is powerful, and will reinforce your desire to continue studying. Finally, the material with Ned Phoenix makes clear how good used instruments can be, often superior to new ones, even if they need a rebuild. I in fact, bought a used Kranich and Bach for $400. The tone is wonderful and it holds a tuning real well. It is worth around $2,000.
   
   If you want to learn HOW to play piano i.e. technique, buy other books. If you want to read about lots of ways adults can learn piano and supplement their private lessons, and read a book with feeling that will encourage you to practice and truly learn to play well, then I highly recommend Piano Lessons.



4. I was instantly intrigued by this book. I was disappointed that of the 242 pages, it take until page 181 for him to decide to even play Traumerei for his wife.
   
   Quite frankly, this book is filled with self indulgant nonsense. If Adams had stuck to the idea of writing a book about just learning piano , it would have been fine. Instead he meanders onto subjects such buying boats and taking trips. What does any of that crap have to do with playing piano?
   
   I think Noah Adam's experience is very indicative of the "I want everything now with little work" philosophy that pervades our country. I have very little doubt that the exquisite Steinway he bought has either been sold or is gathering dust. What a shame.



5. Two things about this book are depressing. First, the author has no patience or self-discipline, and thus cannot possibly learn to play piano well. So why does he go on this "quest" to obtain an expensive piano? The real reason, which goes unsaid but runs as a sad subtext through the book, is that it is easy for the author, who has money, to spend that money on a piano, and the satisfaction of owning the piano serves him as a substitute for the satisfaction that would be gained from learning to play it. The second reason this book is depressing is a quality that this book happens to share with countless "personal journey" memoirs that are coming out these days. It is that the author does not have the discipline, education or interest to write a serious work of non-fiction about pianos, piano manufacture or piano playing, and so turns to the much abused memoir format to squeeze a book out of what are, ultimately, mundane experiences, shallow insights and personal challenges that are ultimately abandoned.

5 comments about The Souls of Black Folk (Transaction Large Print Books).

1. In 1903, two years after Booker T. Washington's autobiography, "Up from Slavery", W.E.B. Du Bois published "The Souls of Black Folk", a series of essays which today most consider a seminal work in African-American Sociology literature. Du Bois view of race relations in American at the dawn of the 20th century was clear, critical and deeply profound.
   
   Throughout the fourteen chapters Du Bois uses a metaphor, the veil, with considerable deftness:
   "...the Negro...born with a veil...gifted with second sight...double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others."
   
   Du Bois shares his thoughts on Emancipation & the Post-Emancipation era, "...there was scarcely a white man in the South who did not honestly regard Emancipation as a crime and its practical nullification as a duty." In other chapters he covers: the education of the Negro, Negro suffrage, tenant farming, and Negro spirituals a.k.a Sorrow Songs. In the chapter, "Of the Black Belt", we take a journey with him as he travels through the Black Belt of Georgia - which is not a reference to the large number of people of color in the area but to the color of the soil. In "The Coming of John", the lone fictional chapter, Du Bois relates a short story of two Johns, one white and one Negro, both coming home to the South after attaining an education in the North.
   
   I could go on and on but this one relevant text that you must read for yourself.



2. Mr. DuBois gave a harsh reality on the struggles of the African American people. He left no stone unturned and no points missed.



3. I love this book. It is part of the best of the works of the great W.E.B. DUBOIS. My active reading of this book expanded my knowledge more on what it takes to be a blackman in America. It is a piece of identification that everyblack person in America is looking to verify about their race in the U.S.
   It's a great book.



4. "The Soul Of Black Folk" Is a book I think everyone should read regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, color, or creed simply because there's something in it for all. W.E.B. Dubois' engaging book falls more inline with the panorama of all American experiences, not just the Black experiences alone: if that makes any sense?
   This fine book was originally published in 1903 and is still a significant piece of literature today. The anecdotes that are shared in this book belong in the lexicon of American history, but what's most striking are Dubois' references to Negro music called the sorrow songs, which of course spanned through hundreds of years of sanguineous slavery. And it was these same songs that set the foundation of Gospel, the Blues, Rock n Roll, and the American dream.
   The reason I'm using this terminology is because in-spite of the torture blacks suffered they still managed to sing amazing songs such as "Steal Away," and "Poor Rosy." (Some songs were in reference to allegorical content).
   Furthermore, the British rock-band Led Zeppelin is a fine example of individual intellectualism insofar as embracing American Negro culture considering they were influenced by this book because in 1968, Led Zeppelin's first album debuted and not only did they cover blues favorites written by Willie Dixon, but they also covered Negro spirituals, which Du Bois referred to as the "Sorrow Songs."
   Led Zeppelin's song "How Many More Times" is an opus of Negro "Sorrow Songs." It's amazing that it took the bluesy cadence of an English rock band to pay homage to the very people whose hardship and strife inspired them to borrow the lyrics and the music from this book. It's a wonderful sight to see when people like Jimmy Page and Robert Plant take the time to learn about Black Americanism and about themselves. It just goes to show that all Americans should embrace their African heritage because without acknowledging the Black experience it's impossible to be a true American.
   It's upsetting to note that in today's America racism is so rampant that the subject of Rock n Roll history can't even be encroached upon like it was in the 1960's civil rights movement, due to the fact that the political language has significantly changed.
   (In layman's terms we can't be honest with ourselves and discuss the sheer fact that racism still dictates our everyday lives simply because the corporate world creates the phony left/right paradigm and ad-hominems through the media, which leaves America with an erroneous history).
   Anyway, music played a major role during the 1960's. It helped people prosper through the horrific struggle for independence. The poetry that the slaves introduced over two-hundred years ago would yet again set the recalcitrant atmosphere that was needed when Blacks won the right to vote in 1965. And it was that moment in history that systemic change began. It was almost like an ancestral eidolon cascading over America with the strength and perseverance of a god in love with his people.
   
   Moreover, Dubois elaborates on many subject matter with a linguistic style coming across as the perfect salubrious prolepsis for today's readers.
   
   Sorry to digress, but another high point in the book was Dubois' rebuttal to Booker T. Washington's bourgeois attitude. Even today many Black scholars quote Booker T, but the inquiry was...is that wise? Well, according to Dubois, promulgating Booker T's message was rather pernicious and would only lead to more draconian virulence. Booker T's stance on waiting for White America to become simpatico to the needs of the Negro, while hoping for acceptance to proliferate from them in due time was not realistic at all.
   Dubois strongly felt that Booker T's ideas were a depravity, a mummery, and an insult. Waiting for the bully to stop picking on you never works; for some reason Booker T couldn't contemplate that this scenario he was promulgating was ambiguous. If the powers that be are unwilling to negotiate with you then you have no other recourse but recalcitrancy. Booker T was in favor of slow progression, but just imagine what America would be like if Blacks took on Booker T's mindset? Life would be very different that's for sure.
   Dubois hits on many touching moments in his memoirs and the personal lives of his students, which everyone reading this will enjoy. "The Soul Of Black Folk" is required reading for all. Give this book a chance! Dubois' writings are an inspirational experience!



5. was worthless...was not the correct match for my class book requirement. Never used it...if someone wants it you can have it for free

5 comments about Miss Julia Takes over.

1. As I read this second book about the misadventures of the widowed Miss Julia, I kept trying to think what it reminded me of, and finally it came to mind: Laurel and Hardy in one widow lady. There's slapstick aplenty and also jeopardy. Oh, Miss Julia is beset by troubles gallore and lots of naive grit to overcome them.
   
   Little Lloyd's mother is missing, along with the fund raiser hired by Miss Julia's church. Two ministers are apparently in cahoots to snatch Little Lloyd to get his inheritance. And Miss Julia chases all over North and South Carolina's half-acre to try to put matters aright. She even ends up on a NASCAR race track, in winter, chased by bad guys in a Winnebago. But read it for yourself.
   
   There is delightful humor in the plot and naive observations about auto racing, Wal-Mart, and a great many other topics to engage the reader. The characters are varied and self-contradicting, just the way I like them. The setting is good. The dialogue is first rate. I can't imagine how anyone could point to a specific fault. Deep literature? Nah. Not by a long shot. Just pure entertainment.



2. Miss Julia is the grandmother we wish we all could have! This is a thoroughly enjoyable book -part of a series- Each story seems more hillarious than the first- Ann B. Ross captures a true "free spirit" if one can imagine the prim, proper, regular Presbyterian attender Miss Julia as a Free Spirit! Read all the books- you won't be disappointed!



3. The first I've ever heard that statement was with Miss Julia. The first book was actually a whole lot better than this one for me. Miss Julia does seem to me to be the "take over" type. In this book she becomes an assistant private dectective. Although I don't know how long Miss Julia will go on breaking the law without being punished, its fun to read about her adventures. I would actually give this one 3.5 stars because it's not as good, but good enough that I will read the next in the series. This one I rented from the library because I didn't want to wait for it to arrive in the mail. Turns out that was a good idea.



4. This is such a delightful book. It is a quick, easy read but so enjoyable. I had read this book some time ago and decided to send it to my son and daughter-in-law, both big readers. They have enjoyed it as much as I did.



5. This book epitomizes the spirit of the Southern woman facing and overcoming unexpected obstacles of life. Miss Julia, recently widowed, discovers her husband didn't really live up all of the high principles and standards to which he held his wife. In the course of cleaning up the messes left behind, Miss Julia finds hidden resources of strenght and ingenuity. Wonderful read - as are all of the sequels. Highly recommended.

No comments about The Invisible Wall: A Love Story That Broke Barriers.

No comments about Like a Lampshade In a Whorehouse: My Life In Comedy.

5 comments about By Myself and Then Some.

1. This well written book covers Lauren's entire life, from her childhood in the 1920's through the new century into 2004! She writes with beautiful emotion, and shares her innermost feelings and fears with her readers. You really get to learn a lot about her as a "real" person, instead of just the stunning face we see up on the screen. She was very career driven, but also had a family. She does not write much about her children or grandchildren. I am not sure if that is because they are not very close or not too involved with her life because she was so career driven, or if she thinks we want to mostly know most about her career, or because she wants to keep those relationships private, it's hard to guess.
   I think this book is a must read for any fan or hers, or Bogarts, or anyone interested in acting, or in Hollywood's Golden Age.
   
   As for the reviews here that complain about her putting in sections about her political views... She was active in politics all her adult life. That is part of her life, why wouldn't she put that stuff in her book? And as for the end of the book where she talks about all her friend's funerals and deaths... well, if you are lucky enough to live a long and healthy life like she has, you unfortunately have to endure the deaths of all of your closest lifelong friends. Those deaths will effect a person greatly. Of course she wrote about them, that is what has been happening in her life in these later years. She was kind enough to tell us about the pain she went through and how she happily remembers those friends. I think it is beautiful how she trusts the reader with such openness. So, I am very dissappointed with the reviews that are negative for that reason.



2. I had read Miss Bacall's previous book, so thought to myself,for the price that Amazon was selling it at, so be it. I'm buying! What else could this great legend say however? A lot. The book was filled with many more personal stories and interests than I suspected it could be. It is an excllent book on one of the last of the great legends in Hollywood. I loved the book. Got her to sign it too, she was most gracious.



3. A book that just goes on about herself and people she know's --if you are a Fan this is a must to own ..



4. Follow Betty Bacal, the shy daughter of a Rumaniam immigrant, as she becomes stage struck, trains as a actress, has an overnight success modeling for Vogue, and is transformed by director Howard Hawkes into Lauren Bacall, the newcomer who sweeps Humphrey Bogart off his feet.
   
   Bacall's tale is irresistible, and she tells it well. The story of her transformation at Howard Hawks's hands into the Slim of "To Have and Have Not" is all the more delicious because Bacall remains, while the cameras are not running, an inexperienced teen who misses her mother and her family in New York. Bacall's off-screen innocence contrasts strikingly and delightfully with her knowing on-screen persona.
   
   Bacall's account of her romance and marriage to Humphrey Bogart is graceful and moving. Bacall quotes Bogart's letters to her during their courtship: these reveal his stunned incredulity at finally finding love after a lifetime of romantic failures. Their marriage is a sweet reward to Bogart after years of domestic strife, and his gratitude at finding happiness and fatherhood in midlife is tremendously affecting. Bogart's gallantry and courage in his final illness reduced me to tears, as did Bacall's despair at losing the love of her life.
   
   By her own account, Bacall's second marriage to Jason Robards was not a success. She cares for her children (two by Bogart and one by Robards), but they do not appear central to her life. The great loves dominating Bacall's post-Bogart years remain her mother and the acting profession. Bacall's dedication to her craft is evident, both on stage and on screen, and she remains ever grateful for a good role-- a gratitude that grows more poignent as she ages.
   
   Any weaknesses? A few. Then Some, penned 27 years after By Myself, doesn't live up to the magic of the first installment, although one must admire Bacall's spirit in producing it. And Bacall's rather cursory depiction of her children leaves the reader wondering about the status of her relationships with them. But these criticisms are minor ones when measured against the charm and drama of Bacall's story.
   
   Lauren Bacall is now in her 80s. Her memoirs span over 60 years of cinema and stage history. Her story is well worth reading for those who appreciate American theater and film. Highly recommended, especially for those interested in the private side of the Bacall-Bogart saga.



5. I am someone who did not read the first book. As such, this was all new to me. I can honestly say that the beginning of this book was the BEST autobiography I have ever read. Never, have I gained such insight into the things I longed to know about a "star" and their associates.
   
   When Lauren Bacall describes her growing up in New York I can see and feel all of those locations. I picture her handing out programs in the theater. I am in the room with her, and nervous, when she is meeting Bette Davis. I fall in love with Humphrey Bogart, just based on her descriptions of the early romance. She truly taps into my first love. As such, my spirit is crushed with her during his last days. I feel her upset, joy and bravery all through the book. This is outstanding, personal, and descriptive writing.
   
   I do agree that the last chapters of the book bring the book to a terrible halt. Still, this book is unfairly rated by those who read the earlier book without the stale ending. 75% of this book is still the earlier book-- the 5 star book. The ridiculously low ratings are especically unfair, when most are based on the Bacall's statements about our current president and have nothing at all to do with her book!
   
   I am giving 4 stars, and recommending the earlier (5 star) book simply because the ending of this one reads like an endless obituary. I will pass this one on and pick up the first one as I know I will want to read it again. It is wonderful!
   
   In fact, I dare you to try and read it without revisiting a Lauren Bacall/Humphrey Bogart movie and feeling like you are there.

5 comments about America's Queen: The Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

1. This was a great book - it was packed with information. Sometimes it had a little bit too much detail in certain sections and it got a little bit boring. Overall, it was really interesting and I was glad that it was so well written as opposed to a quick read that leaves you with more questions. Highly recommended.



2. Sarah Bradford has written a very complete story from Jackie's childhood to her death. There is lots of details about Jackie, as well as her husbands, JFK and Onassis. The book also focuses on JFK's affairs, and how much it hurt Jackie.
   
   Even before Jack died, Jackie was determined to be free from the Kennedy family. To separate from the Kennedy family, Jackie used wit and charm and focused on her children and her own interests, like art.
   
   One of the highlights of the book for me was how Jackie restored the White House. She asked for free donations, like a valuable portrait of Ben Franklin. She enlists the help of experts.Everyone seems willing to help her, because of her charisma and her position as first lady.
   
   I have no way to know how accurate this book is, but the author cites a lot of other books for research. Jackie was a very intelligent and determined lady. It is a shame that she died at only 64 years old.I enjoyed reading it.



3. Jackie Kennedy was the closest thing that America ever got to home-grown royalty. Her birth and upbringing in New York City, refinement, etiquette, and Olympian cool ... Jackie radiated a deep mystery that remains. She was iconic in her need for privacy and protectiveness of it. A woman of another era who remains enigmatic and unique in her persona ... an American icon who seems both American yet not typical of the United States. A sophisticate, debutant of the year, equestrienne, well-manner, posh Park Avenue social doyenne who intrigued the world until she died in 1994. Fluent in several language, a writer of poetry, political wife, patron of the arts, native New Yorker, and poised like any Queen in Europe. She wasn't perfect but she was Jackie. America may never see another quite like her.



4. My comments concern the narrator of the audio cd who felt that she had to change her voice inflection when she read quotes of various people. She talked in a soft wispery tone when quoting Jackie, however, she continued to use that same voice for any of the females quoted. She then attempted a deeper tone for the male voices. Due to all the voice shifting it was disruptive and the reading did not flow. Since it was a narrative and not a play it would have been more pleasing to the ear if the narrator did the entire reading in her natural voice.



5. It was fantastic to be able to grasp a better understanding of the stoic, graceful beauty that was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. It was great to see the different facets of her personality from political darling to yacht hopping party girl. Her desire to control and veneer everything that happened in her life was inspiring. Couldn't put it down, was consistantly interesting throughout.

5 comments about The Gift of Peace: Personal Reflections (Walker Large Print Books).

1. I found this to be a wonderful piece of work and have lent it to several friends who were diagnosed with cancer. Monsignoir Velo's reading was very delightful and I give him a lot of credit for being able to read his good friend's memoires.



2. Beautifully written. As Cardinal Bernardin reflects on the last three years of his life, he shares the importance of embracing prayer, family, suffering, beauty, reconciliation, pain, and forgiveness in order to appreciate and completely enter into the fullness of peace.
   
   For anyone who feels lost or alone in life or frustrated, angry, or scared at the thought of facing death, I recommend this book. Love and peace pour out of the pages as the author shares his life experiences, struggles, and genuine concern for others. He shared his love with countless people he encountered in his life, and his love continues to be shared after his death to any reader who has the opportunity to read this book.
   
   The book is quite short (can easily be read in one sitting) and is incredibly focused and well organized. The book title, chapter titles, and introductory letter are handwritten by the author and really add genuineness to the book. Highly recommended.



3. Those of us losing our eyesight and who love to read often turn to the audiobook. It is like having a wonderful text read to us at bedtime as we listen on levels spiritual and psychological unreached by silent reading. Please notice the audiobook of this present precious text of peace is read by a Monsignor, a close coworker of this blessed Cardinal.
   
   The false accusations of abuse made against this great American Cardinal were quickly cleared up, and this slim volume insightfully and clearly records that process and the holy process of reconciliation with his false accuser, in a lesson for us of peace and reconciliation and of forgiveness of those who most completely destroy us. The Cardinal truly lives and demonstrates for us the promise we make each time we pray the Our Father. Forgive us in the same way that we forgive those who have trespassed against us. Forgive us with the same forgiveness we show others. Just as we must do unto others what we want others to do for us, JEsus also calls us actively to forgive others in the same way we want the Father to forgive us. This saintly and courageous Cardinal Forgave the disturbed young man who falsley accused him of abuse, and this book well displays the process, that we might also learn to forgive, in the Love of God, in our interpersonal relationships and national policies.
   
   How many times must we forgive, o Lord. Not seven but seventy times seven.
   
   We need in our national Catholic Church this voice now more than ever. Read this book and weep and become renewed in our Gospel mission to love and to forgive and to spread the good news to the poor and liberation to the captives. Sight to the Blind. In this time of unjust war and overwhelming violence, we need to hear this book.
   
   Yet some Catholics for political reasons continue to condemn this saintly man (while silent on Cardinal Law), eagerly assuming the accusations true, or some association with others similarly accused, in order not to hear the exhortation by this great Cardinal that the right to life does not end at birth, but at a natural and God given death. The right to life must be supported at every point in our life and in every aspect of life. This great CArdinal elaborated for our edification the seamless garment explanation of the right to life.
   
   Womb to tomb.
   
   Please read this book.
   
   I must rush to Mass now, and I bring this book with me to help my confused prayer. I thank God this great and holy and courageous Cardinal left us this Gift of Peace in the weeks before his untimely death. As head of the USCCB at the time of the crafting of the prophetic letter The Challenge of Peace, his courageous voice is needed now more than ever. Yet we have this, his abiding Gift of Peace, and that strong letter for peace. Take and read.
   
   Pray for peace. Receive this Gift of Peace.



4. Joseph Cardinal Bernardin made a very large impact on the City of Chicago. A simple, humble, very human being, he was greatly loved by all Chicagoans. At the end of his life, two huge events impacted his life, being falsely charged with sexual molestation by a young man, and learning that his life was soon to end as the victim of cancer. This book is a moving, eloquent statement of how he dealt with these and how his faith in God was tested and ultimately made rock solid. It is an inspiration to all who who are faced with burdens beyond their strength.



5. I have purchased this book several times and recommended it on numerous other occasions. I bought it first for myself, and on the other occasions for friends, family members and acquaintances who were dealing with serious illness and end of life issues. The feedback received from each recipient has been very positive. Cardinal Bernardin leads the reader through his last days of life as he deals in a very graceful and touching way with terminal cancer, life's issues and personal spirituality. It's not long until the reader feels he or she is walking the journey with a close friend. Through his experinece, Cardinal Bernardin helps the reader deal with his or her own mortality in a peaceful way. He is still ministering to us. I highly recommend this book for all those dealing with illness, family members, ministers, and healthcare professionals. Incidently, You don't have to be Catholic to fully appreciate this book.

No comments about From Boyhood to Manhood (Large Print Edition): Life of Benjamin Franklin.

2 comments about Flights of Passage: Reflections of a World War II Aviator (G K Hall Large Print Book Series).

1. "Flights Of Passage" by Samuel Hynes. Subtitled: "Reflections Of A World War II Aviator". Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland, 1988.
   
   Samuel Hynes flew for the United States Marine Corps in the Second World War. God bless him. His personal memoir follows the usual pattern for many servicemen of World War II, where an entire generation left high school, received aviation training in some forsaken Southern state, and then went overseas to fight the war. Much of his book, however, is devoted to how these individuals, this special generation, grew from teen-aged youths into mature individuals: "The Flights Of Passage".
   
   With excellent writing, Hynes recounts his leaving his home state of Minnesota, his passion for flying that lead him into Naval Aviation and, incidentally, his encounters with different people, persons, as an example, with "...soft-slurring speech that at first we couldn't understand". Shopkeepers welcomed the Naval Pilot trainees as if they were old friends and said good-bye with "Y'all hurry back, heah?" As training progressed, Hynes began to sort out individuals, as an example, the city slicker and the rube. His telling comment about the know-it-all from South Dakota was how could you be a city slicker if you were from a state that had no cities? His most astute writing deals with the classification of the newly winged pilots into "Crazies" and "Sanes". Happily, the "Crazies" stayed back in the States and the "Sanes" carried the war to the enemy.
   
   Too much of the book is devoted to sexual encounters and to drinking. Samuel Hynes reflects the mores of his time when he begins with "Alice' who was pretty and in a sorority (both good), but who was a Catholic (bad). His characterization, not mine. The book is then littered with accounts of attempted sexual conquests, (not going-all-the-way), sexual conquests and then marriage. Explicit encounters with whores are described, as when "Green" tells how he got his money's worth from a prostitute. What ..."you might expect from a guy from New York who had gone to CCNY and wore a lavender sweatshirt".
   
   (City College of New York, along with Brooklyn College, Hunter College and Queens College, as part of the City University of New York, all had the colors of purple and white...NOT lavender. Further, Jesuit Fordham University and private New York University had the colors of purple and white. However, my alma mater, Manhattan College, a Catholic college in The Bronx, had the colors of Kelly green and white.)
   
   Also, there were many tales of drinking bouts and drunks. The locals were tolerant of Navy Fliers, as Hynes narrates: a drunken Naval Aviator climbs up an awning to get at a pretty girl. While climbing, he pulls down the awning and then simply walks away. No charges were pressed by the townsfolk.
   
   Little enough action is reported in this book. One pilot finally shots down a Jap plane by using air-to-ground rockets. Another pilot goes slightly daft and begins to paint everything blue: his Mae West, his helmet, his flying suit, and finally, his tent. Perhaps the most interesting event is when Hynes, and his two crew members in the TBM, wake up to find the engine off, due to lack of fuel. Hynes switches to another tank to fly safely home. Good for him.



2. Since I first read this book back when it first was published in 1988 by the Naval Institute Press, this review is not based on immediate memory.
   The story covers the author's service as a fighter pilot in the Central Pacific Theatre, both on carriers and on dusty tropic atolls. It is excellently written and is one of the few aviation personal narratives in my collection as most of my interest is in the ground wars in the Pacific and SW Pacific Theatres of WW II.
   I remember it as well worth my reading and it should be sought out if you are interested.