5 comments about Doc Holliday: The Life and Legend.

1. This book by Mr. Roberts was so detailed and was so descriptive, that I felt I was there. Lots of information that you would never know without reading this book.
   
   Not as many pictures as I would have liked...but then...maybe not many are available.
   
   Well worth reading!



2. I think back to some of the Westerns I watched on TV many decades ago. "Wyatt Earp," with the theme song's words, "Wyatt Earp, Wyatt Earp, Brave courageous and bold." Or Bat Masterson, "He wore a cane and derby vest. . . . They called him Bat, Bat Masterson." One thing in common with both? John Henry "Doc" Holliday.
   
   This is a detailed biography of Doc Holliday, the notorious gambler and gunman of the West (called Doc because he was a dentist who, from time to time, actually earned his keep by plying that trade, although gambling seemed more compelling to him!).
   
   He died young, at age 36, of tuberculosis (how many readers recall some actor playing Doc Holliday with an ever present cough, signifying his ailment)? Gary Roberts, the author, notes that Holliday has an elusive element to him. He notes (Page 3): "Yet the measure of the man remains incomplete." Roberts does yeoman work pulling together what is known about Holliday--but there are gaps in our understanding of the man. He notes that (Page 5) "This work, then, is not the final word on the life of Doc Holliday. . . ."
   
   The book begins, in standard fashion, of examining the character's youth. He was a southerner, and his family moved when he was young to get out of the way of Sherman's march to the sea. As a young man, he studied dentistry at the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery. Then, after a time working as a dentist, he moved westward, for reasons not completely ascertained. Surely, he had come to know that he suffered from "consumption," but that probably was not the sole reason for his peregrinations.
   
   The book goes on to detail his life in the West, wandering from one place to another (one almost gets weary at the travels of Holliday and his companions, including the Earp brothers). There is the tale of his saving Wyatt Earp's life in Dodge City, of his move to Tombstone (where he took part in the famous battle at the O. K. Corral), of his gambling, of his turbulent relationship with Kate Elder (possessor of several names), of his work as a "shootist." His many entanglements with the law (while sometimes serving with the law, to make things more confusing!).
   
   Then, his last few years, with some peaceful and some not so peaceful moments.
   
   All in all, a good biography, although sometimes one can get lost in the details and even though sometimes one wonders if a single individual, suffering from tuberculosis, could have wandered so widely across the land. Nonetheless, a good starting point of the reader wants to understand a bit more about this rather mysterious historical figure.



3. Given that Doc Holliday left virtually no record of his own behind, Roberts has done an amazing job of researching and piecing together this detailed portrait of Holliday's life, those whom he encountered and the worlds he inhabited. Copiously footnoted but eminently readable, Roberts' book uncovers some of the man inside the legend. Highly recommended.



4. Doc Holliday books always suffer from the well-known fact that Doc left absolutely no written record of his own. He is, as has been noted, known only through the eyes of others. Some of his contemporaries, like Bat Masterson, are probably accurate in their appraisals. However we can never know much more about Doc himself unless something that he wrote shows up. And, it probably never will. The letters from him to his cousin are probably all gone. So we are left with a bunch of facts that we can rearrange and interpret all we want, without any guarantee that we are any closer to the truth. The author of this latest book does a good job of arranging and stacking what is known about Doc, and does a nice job of interpretation. I liked his ideas about Doc's gravesite, but wonder about the pictures...a couple of them don't seem to be of Doc (are they generally accepted to be, or not?). The author also does a nice job of questioning, appropriately, some truths that have been more or less accepted with little proof over the years (like Doc riding alone across the High Plains). A final comment: this book is dry, but is written in such a way that readers can make their own interpretations about Doc and his motivations, character, etc. Overall, a good, worthy addition to the Doc library; unless something new is discovered, this book will give you everything there is to know about Doc Holliday.



5. This is a truly masterful work. I bought it as I was interested in Holliday and the development of the West. What I found was an historical book with much about the society, economics and culture of the mid-19th Century South, as well as the rapid migration to the central and Southwest. Facinating and exceedingly entertaining and informative.

5 comments about The Lady in the Palazzo: At Home in Umbria.

1. I bought this book last month (October 2008), while on my 5th visit to Orvieto. I was hoping for an insightful portrait of Orvieto, a place for which I have enormous regard. Unfortunately, this book is primarily about Ms. De Blasi, not about Orvieto. I find her writing style to be self-consciously florid, almost equivalent to "reading" a Thomas Kinkade painting. I also found somewhat disconcerting her assumption that the reader (I!) should know of her past, i.e., that I should have read her previous books. I also don't care for her somewhat sophomoric philosophizing. I should admit: I am not a fan of this genre, but at least Peter Mayles had a certain ability to evoke a sense of place without making himself the center of the story.



2. When I travel, I enjoy reading novels about the place I'm going to - it adds an extra dimension to all of the new sights and cities. To this end The Lady in the Palazzo was a good book to read about Umbria, with lots of fun anecdotes about the towns and culture of the region. However the writing is run-of-the-mill and at times awkward. For example, in the middle of the book two chapters are devoted to the back stories of the novel's supporting characters. While flashbacks like this can be an interesting literary device, these chapters seemed like they were just randomly and clumsily pasted into the middle of the novel. What's more, the books finale seemed like it was more for the author's benefit than for the readers (I won't spoil it).



3. A fabulously well written story of their continuing adventures of living in Italy. Her observations of the idiocyncracies of the villages of Tuscany and Umbria are close to the mark and full of humor and "stranger in a strange land" frustration and successes.It is as lovely as her first book about Venice and meeting Fernando, and the recipes are the next thing I will want to try. Marlena gets better and better.



4. I read 1000 Days in Tuscany and found it lovely. This, I thought, was a bore. It felt as though she was just fulfilling the obligation of a trilogy and had to come up with something. Yes, her writing is gorgeous, but she writes of the mundane..no matter it is Umbria.



5. Marlena de Blasi's writing just gets better and better. I loved her first two books but found this latest one the best yet. Marlena's beautiful soul really shines through in her uncontrollable need to befriend, nurture and "feed" people in her new home. Francisco still tries to hold her back and keep her within the cultural norms of Italy, but they both seem to have mellowed. Ms. De Blasi portrays wonderful characters and manages to relate something quite profound in the simple tale of finding a new home in Oriveto.

5 comments about The Incredible Shrinking Critic: 75 Pounds and Counting: My Excellent Adventure in Weight Loss.

1. I had trouble finishing the book. I did not find the inspiration I was hoping for as I have with other books. Writing down one's journey through weight loss is a daring move yet not all are worthwhile for everyone to read. I am in my late twenties and feel maybe this book is better for someone in their 30s or so given the age of the writer.



2. I have suffered through one thing or another connected to my body "issues" and losing weight since forever. This is the first book that really inspired me. If you are looking for a boring how to book--this is not for you--buy an atkins diet book or some other "amazing weight loss book that will ensure you lose weight this time around" book (translation ANOTHER waste of MONEY & TIME). This book deals with the fundamental issues involved with why you gained so much weight and how to get it off with a little honesty, humor and plain old fashioned hard work.



3. The thing about this book is that Jami, who lost 75 pounds, lets you see inside her head while she was taking the weight off. Let's face it, those of us who've tried to take this weight off before know all we need to know about weight loss: eat less, move more, stay focused. But Jami lets you inside her head, she shares the frustrations, the joys, the buried issues, the past hurts, the broken relationships, and the need to truly look at one's self to take this weight off. She lets you know that if you don't/won't dig deep into who you are and who you want to become then your shot at losing this weight is pretty small. I needed to hear this story. She's humorous and witty and real. Her writing is engaging and she's a great story teller. Don't miss out!



4. I loved this book, it's just as good as the other personal weight-loss story I read called "Secrets of a Former Fat Girl". I love Jami Bernard's style of writing and her sense of humor. She told her story and made it interesting, while giving tips of useful advice throughout the book. She lost 75 pounds in over 2 years, so her weight loss was slow but she wanted it that way, so that she could get used to the changes she made and make it part of her lifestyle. It's true that slow weight loss is the way to go if you want to be able to maintain a healthy lifestyle and maintain your weight in the end. Jami goes into details about just how she went about losing weight and what she did to make changes in her life little by little (For example, when she was 230lbs, she would eat large amounts of full-fat ice cream. She then changed to frozen yogurt, saving hundreds of calories a day, and then finally after some months, switched to 50-calorie jello and didn't end up missing her full-fat ice cream) She talks about her past and how she was offered free pizza for life at the age of twelve if she would "spend just one night" with the man who owned the place. (She was thin until her 30's) She talks about incidents that happened when she was fat that might hit close to home for some people! Overall her story is really motivational, interesting, helpful, and just fun to read.



5. Its smart, funny, and full of great and helpful information. I love this author's style of storytelling. When I was done reading I felt like Jami and I were good pals. So I read it again and loved it just as much. I hope to see more from this author.

5 comments about Washed by Blood: Lessons from My Time with Korn and My Journey to Christ.

1. Like many others, I purchased both books thinking that they were different ("Washed" being the sequal), but as you know from reading the other reviews, they're basically the same book.
   
   My initial reaction was frustration. I felt like I had been duped by the publisher....especially since the front cover of "Washed" says that it's by the author of "Save Me From Myself" and the back cover says "You think you've heard this story before but you haven't". Yes, I have! It was called "Save Me From Myself"! I think that instead of giving different titles and cover pictures to the books, they should have simply released them as the same book; one being the "Adult" version and the other being the "Teen" or "Young Adult" version with a simple explaination of the differences.
   
   Upon closer comparison, I felt a bit better about "Washed" leaving the vulgar language and graphic details out, but in essence still delivering the same message. I also like how at the end of each chapter there discussion questions. I lead a small group for the Jr. High boys at our church, and each semester we study books together and meet once a week to do discussion questions on what we've read. Most of the teens in the group are really into music, and I think a book like "Washed By Blood" would hold their attention a lot more than some other books. Also, I would never encourage them to read "Save Me From Myself", but "Washed By Blood" on the other hand is clean, slightly abridged, and the discussion questions make this a book that i'd definately like to study with them. So there's a good possibility i'll be ordering several more copies of "Washed By Blood" to use for our group study, but even if we don't end up doing it together i'd still highly recommend it to them.
   
   So if you know a teen who loves music, or even an adult who might not want to read all of the graphic details about sex and drugs, this is the better choice of the two books to recommend to them.



2. I have not read this specific book, but I listened to an interview with Brian Welch on the radio recently and he said this book is the same autobiography as "Save Me From Myself" but it leaves out some of the more in depth details making it more appropriate for a younger audience than the other version. So do not purchase both books! But if you are looking for a book for your teenager, this version may be a better fit.
   
   I hope this helps clear some of the confusion on these books.



3. 
   Okay, everyone has been rating this a 1 JUST because they think it's the same book with a differnt name. It is the same, but a kid friendly version with less description with the drugs and stuff. Rating this a 1 because they didn't do the research is pathetic. They are lowering the score making other people think it's not a good book...yet they were buying it because they liked the one they had so much..does not make sense! People help out and give it a 5 (just 3 people) to average it out from the bad reviews over "it being the same book". Remember, you are reviewing it so that other people who haven't read it can determine if they want it.



4. It is so encouraging to read about the miraculous change that Jesus Christ made in Head Welch's life. I recommend this for any non-believer you know... especially teens and young adults who struggle with belief and/or with drugs and alcohol. Its an amazing story and I know God used this book to change my life and will use Brian greatly for the Kingdom! This book is REAL....



5. To the people saying it's the same as his first book... this was well documented and announced well in advance:
   
   "Also on June 24, 2008, Harper Collins Publishers will simultaneously release the young adult version of Save Me From Myself, entitled "Washed By Blood". "
   
   It's basically the same book but re-written for younger adults. Still worth reading.

3 comments about Cheech & Chong: The Unauthorized Autobiography.

1. I'll admit: I've never really been a fan of the so-called "stoner" humor that was Cheech and Chong. I never particularly liked their records nor their movies other than perhaps 15 minutes worth of each of their first three, where the best scenes are pretty much recycled. While Chong's book has some interesting anecdotes, mildly amusing at times, basically what we have here is a rambling chronicle of Cheech and Chong (with emphasis on their early days) told through the blood shot eyes of the latter, who wants to make sure we understand that he was the much greater creative force of the two. After reading the book, it was obvious to me why Richard "Cheech" Marin, who we all know was, by far, the superior actor(based on all the subsequent body work) wanted to get away from his partner who, to put it mildly, suffered (and probably continues to suffer) from a case of arrested development. That being said, I had Tommy Chong sign my book at the Border's Book Store near my work, and he seemed like a nice guy.
   
   Here are some of the pearls of wisdom we learn from the author in his biography "Cheech and Chong":
   
   1. While Chong was married (to his first wife) and had a baby, he moved in with his girlfriend and had a baby with her too. He justified having two families by stating that he was a "black man" (having played with alot of black musicians) "and that's what black people do." Rascist and not funny.
   
   2. Smoking alot of Marijuana is good. Really good. Marijuana will help you through all of life so you should smoke it constantly even when you're driving, because, unlike alcohol, someone under its influence actually drives better (I kid you not -- this is what he actually says in the book). To his credit, he does say cocaine is bad.
   
   3. All of the "brilliance" of Cheech and Chong, including almost all the writing of the skits and movies, was Chong and not Cheech. Chong feels unappreciated by this confusion.
   
   4. Chong reminds us a number of times that he was the one who directed the movies, all of which he apparently considers comedy classics. If only.
   
   Anyway, this account of Cheech and Chong will, no doubt, please fans, but for the rest of us it's only slightly amusing.



2. Chong provides a very interesting walk through his life and career and tells some good "behind the scenes" stories, but I would have liked more detail in certain areas. More info on how they made the movies and albums would have been nice. It would also have been interested to hear Cheech's side of some of the stories, but it is understandable why that isn't in there. Still, it is a very entertaining read overall.



3. Although there times when Chong, repeated stories, it was a funny, an insightful view into a wonderful career

5 comments about Blood Done Sign My Name: A True Story.

1. Nevada County is our chosen home, but we previously lived for almost a decade in North Carolina near where the events in this book took place more than 30 years ago. We feel it is an important book in illustrating racial attitudes that were present, and still are in the south today.
   
   Being native Californians, we didn't really realize these subtle attitudes fully until we lived and experienced them ourselves. This book written by a native North Carolinian Timothy Tyson, is well worth reading for bringing an even deeper layer to our understanding of racial issues. He is a professor of African American Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His style is full of the color and expression of a great storyteller as he relives his personal experience of the tragic event in a small southern town in such a recent history...our history.
   
   Timothy Tyson's story has added a deeper understanding of how we must all face our history, even if we don't feel it applies to our own beliefs, before we can truly understand that we are all responsible, and move forward towards better humanity.



2. I had the pleasure of meeting and spending a week with Dr. Timothy Tyson as part of a Civil Rights Tour in Alabama with my public school district. Although I was "required" to read this BEFORE the tour, I did't pick it up until after I had returned home. Reading Tyson's words in print doesn't compare to listening to him in person, but the book is extremely powerful and eye opening to say the least. My parents were of the segregationist baby boom in Alabama and little mention of the civil rights movement was ever made to me during my childhood in the deep south. It is my opinion that most Americans are of the impression that it began with Brown v. Board and ended with the assassination of MLK. The book is only the beginning of an unearthing of long-buried truths about the struggle for racial equality and the unsung heroes who continue the fight.



3. I read this book for a college course and found it shocking and heartbreaking. I grew up very close to where the event of the story take place. After I had finished the book I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Tyson. This is when I began to become suspicious. I also met the offspring of people involved in the story. They, along with many other residents of Oxford confirmed what I already suspected. Much of this story is COMPLETELY MADE UP! Some of the events did actually happen, but are blown WAAAAAY out of proportion, and the means by which Mr. Tyson acquired some of his information are very shady. So my verdict: as a piece of fiction I think it's a beautifully tragic piece of fictions. As a "true story" this novel loses all credibility and so does Mr. Tyson for any of his other work and he should be prosecuted for his slanderous words.



4. I recommend this book not only to those of us who lived through the time but also to younger adults who care about racial issues in America. The author's personal account allows readers to experience recent history through his eyes. The book is informative and a very good read!



5. Blood Done Sign My Name is a non-fiction work that combines the personal memoirs and research of Timothy Tyson, Professor of Afro-American Studies at the University of Wisconsin. The most striking aspect of the novel is the description of Dickie Marrow's murder from the points of view of different citizens of Oxford. This unique feature makes the book appealing to many age groups. Teenage readers can relate to Tyson's personal anecdotes about growing up in rural Oxford, North Carolina. Even if younger audiences do not understand the symbolism behind the text, they can still enjoy the well-developed characters and eventful plot. Adult readers can gain insight into many themes concerning race and white supremacy. Tyson elegantly expresses the naiveté of children on the issue of morality and treatment of other races. This is best conveyed in the passage where young Tyson taunted a black child solely because his friend had started an insulting chime. The author describes that it was fear--not hatred--that bred the twisted idea of white supremacy. Parents can also connect with the decisions and actions of Vernon and Martha Tyson. The Tysons believed that their children should be exposed to many different opinions yet respect all races. The difference in perspectives in the work allows readers of all ages to enjoy and understand the truth behind the Civil Rights Movement.
   The book contains a few minor flaws that diminish the lucidity of the text. The plot is rather erratic; from time to time, the events are not connected perfectly. This technique may be Tyson's personal style of writing, but it proves to be rather confusing at major points in the plot. For example, Tyson usually explains a personal memory of the murder and follows it with completely unrelated information about another character. These discontinuities in the plot make the book difficult to comprehend at first. Gradually, however, the reader gets acclimatized to this original form of writing. The gaps between personal stories build suspense and enable the reader to process a feasible prediction for the sequence of events. The novel also includes many extraneous details about minor characters that play an insignificant part in the plot. Tyson extensively describes his mother's childhood, even though his mother does not affect the sequence of events in any fashion. This extra information, however, does not detract from the book's overall theme. Though the story contains a few negligible weaknesses, Tyson maintains his overall claim and presents it in an interesting and distinctive manner.
   Blood Done Sign My Name is an enthralling story that expresses the moral wrongs of racism. To call it a mere story does not do Tyson proper justice; it is more fitting to call the book a documentary. By citing several engrossing stories throughout the novel, Tyson maintains the reader's attention and successfully proves his thesis. Other than its occasional lack of continuity, Timothy Tyson has written a classic non-fiction work for readers of all ages.

5 comments about My War: Killing Time in Iraq.

1. I've been a fan of Colby Buzzell since his blog first exploded on the scene in 2--4. I was working in Army Public Affairs when I heard someone mention "Hey, have you seen this guy's blog? Looks like it was written by a second grader." Snobby co-workers aside, it was a little rough around the edges - but it was a powerful narrative of the everyday Joe soldier... without all of the happy-faced nonsense picture the Army and the administration insisted on trying to paint for the Iraq war.
   
   This guy got it... he understood what the war was all about - from his level. He wasn't like a number of his contemporaries who've written about the war, the ones who try to figure out what was going through the President's mind, or why our leaders made the decisions they did. Buzzell stays at the squad and platoon level the whole time, and doesn't pretend to have any idea why things happen.
   
   I'm pleased to see his success as a writer in the years since his separation from the Army. I look for him every month in Esquire, and was especially touched by the article he wrote about being recalled in the IRR.
   
   Anyway, great read at a great price. I hope this isn't the last we see of Colby Buzzell.



2. This is the sort of war history your cousin or nephew would have written -and still might! It's not a polished meditation on the nature of war or a defense/attack of invading Iraq in the first place. Colby Buzzell's book is best described as an average combat infantryman's experience told in a vivid, raw and real way.
   
   I can easily hear my nephew's voice when Buzzell tells of his life before the Army and his reasons for joining. In his focus on certain incidents - his rejection by a bored Marine recruiter followed by an enthusiastic Army recruiter, for example - Buzzell's account must ring true for countless other soldiers. His matter-of-fact, unblinking descriptions of the mostly tedious life of occupation troops punctuated by combat with enemy jihadis is compelling reading. While every Army infantry soldier will have his own story, almost certainly all would find something in Buzzell's narrative that would make them say "Yeah. I remember that. It was like that. That's my war too."
   
   So why only 3 stars? Well, I thought we could have used a lot more "what I felt" moments, stronger characterizations (we only know Buzzell), and a better sense of how Colby thought the war and his life were going. Unlike some other reviewers, I thought the start of "My War" was the best part: Colby introduces himself as a directionless young man looking for a purpose, trying to decide what he wants to do and finally choosing to enlist as a way of doing something purposeful, something more than parking cars, earning some money, in the meantime.
   
   But while we get a good idea of the aimless pre-Army Colby, we don't get much of Colby's interior life after. He drops into a more descriptive "we went here, did this, and went there" mode. There's little of Colby's attitude to the monotonous base life, little of the feelings combat must've aroused. It's as if Buzzell doesn't have too many introspective moments that he cares to share with us. It would've helped our understanding if he'd included more moments like the 4th of July celebration and how the army's attempt to make things more like home only served to make you miss home all the more. Colby wonders then if his old civilian friends are even thinking of him and deciding that it wasn't likely.
   
   We don't even get a good sense of his army friends. Virtually none are even given a capsule description. Aside from a sentence or two on a disliked leader or a respected squad medic, we don't know these guys. A quick bio and description would've gone a long way to making the other soldiers real.
   
   I wouldn't expect Buzzell to analyze the war and his part in it to any great depth - but I did think we needed more about this infantry soldier's opinion on what he and the Army were accomplishing. Did he feel that progress was being made? What did Colby the private think of his mission? Was he finding purpose as a soldier or "just killing time".
   
   I hope that the "killing time" subtitle is not an apt one. At least, not in the "wasting time" sense. Colby has a talent for writing. I hope that he's able to direct himself into that direction. As he develops, maybe Colby can give us those characterizations we missed this time. I've no doubt he has it in him to be more introspective and not just about the war. I understand that since he's left the army, he's been divorced (his marriage was a quick, mostly unexplained paragraph or two in the book), moved back home, and seems mostly at loose ends (at least if you judge by his own writing of life after the army) again. Fortunately, his re-call to active duty in 2008 wasn't completed and Mr. Buzzell is not Pvt. Buzzell again.



3. I was also in Mosul, Iraq at this time and it is a GREAT depiction of what life was like out there before I lost my leg and came home. Anyone that wants to know what Mosul was like. READ THIS BOOK!!!



4. Colby Buzzell started one of the initial troop blogs in Iraq during his 2004 tour of duty. As time wore on, Spc. Buzzell's blog gathered steam and became popular with both military and civilian readers. He provided a grunt's-eye view of the war that drew admiration from many, but dismayed his chain of command, who eventually required him to submit his dispatches for official clearance before posting them. "My War: Killing Time in Iraq" collects Spc. Buzzell's blog posts along with additional exposition. It's a fascinating first-person literary glimpse into a war that most people follow on TV.
   
   The author begins his memoir by cluing us in on why he joined the Army. At 25 his life was going nowhere, and the military looked like a better option than low-paying data-entry work. He initially considered the Marine Corps, but they preferred a younger demographic. The Army recruiter caught him on the way out of the Marine recruiter's front door, and the rest is history. Mr. Buzzell signed up for two years of active duty as an infantryman and was assigned to a Stryker Brigade at Ft. Lewis, Washington. His unit was soon deployed to Iraq, where the author started blogging to counter the boredom between missions. Over time he garnered an avid following and became somewhat of a celebrity (as he reminds us quite often towards the book's conclusion).
   
   Spc. Buzzell posted various bits of military lore that provided context for his situation, such as excerpts from relevant Army manuals, rules of engagement, official after-action reports, and military equipment descriptions. These factoids are interesting, but he really shines when depicting grunt life in Mosul. His "Free Advice" to those deploying in-country, Q & A sessions with blog readers, and even a metal-flavored "Stryker Soundtrack" playlist on his iPod will serve as historical records of Generations X and Y at war in Iraq. Of course, "My War" wouldn't be complete without some harrowing tales of combat. Spc. Buzzell avoids flowery heroic prose in favor of a nuts-and-bolts writing style that conveys the fighting in the best "show, don't tell" tradition, providing a sense of immediacy with the action.
   
   Despite his talent as a writer and fine service to the nation, I found myself a bit confused about Mr. Buzzell as a person. He gives positive portrayals of his fellow soldiers and chain of command (no "Captain America" portraits of incompetent officers here, as in "Generation Kill"). But in the end, Mr. Buzzell vehemently dislikes the Army, the Administration, and the mission in Iraq. What made him that way? Unlike the constant stream of sparse yet heartbreaking situations presented in the excellent "The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell," Mr. Buzzell merely teases us with a couple examples of high-command doublespeak and Iraqi brutality. Perhaps he was unable to blog more explicit reasons due to fear of retaliation from his superiors, but this book would've benefitted from deeper insights into the birth and development of his "FTA" attitude - because his distain comes across as merely the "cool" thing to do vs. the result of sustained trauma, betrayal, and disillusionment.
   
   Then again, perhaps it's best not to burn bridges while still attached to one's nemesis. I checked the author's website while writing this review, and it appears that he's been recalled to active service. One thing about enlisting in the military is that they still have you by the shorthairs for a number of years after your active duty time expires. Apparently volunteer manpower must be short, and I wish the author good luck on his second tour. I recommend "My War" for its keen portrayal of a warrior's first go-around in Iraq (along with "One Bullet Away" by Nathanial Fick, "Generation Kill" by Evan Wright, and "The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell" by John Crawford). The question is: will we see "My War II: Killing Even More Time in Iraq?" I know I'll be looking for it.



5. I just finished reading My War - Killing Time in Iraq by Colby Buzzell. I bought this book some time ago and started it but was more than a little put off by the first couple of chapters quite frankly because his lifestyle prior to joining the Army is a total antithesis of my own.
   
   I really enjoy military history but I couldn't get into reading it and it eventually ended up in a plastic storage container under the bed in the spare bedroom which is where all my "to read eventually" books end up.
   
   A few days ago, I dug it out, forced myself to start over and to say I'm glad I did is a total understatement.
   
   Very engrossing read. The author is irreverent, loyal, absolutely laugh-out-loud hilarious at times, self-deprecating and honest in his accounting. I'm impressed with his writing style, his total lack of pretension and snobbery and most especially his honesty both about his own life pre-Army and of course, while in Iraq. No "spin doctor" here. These are his experiences, warts and all. His writing drew me in so much and was so vivid that his accounting of an ambush/firefight entitled "Men in Black" had me on the edge of my seat. Very you-are-there-ish. Once started, I couldn't put it down.
   
   I love this book. I read a lot and every once in awhile I get the pleasure of reading a book I hate to finish because I enjoy it so much and this is one of those few books for me.

5 comments about The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur.

1. This book is mesmerizing in it's simplicity. The story is told so matter of factly that it is chilling. I have read several books about Darfur, yet this one really made me understand the historical and geographical reasons for its brutal upside-down reality.



2. Normally "I couldn't put it down" is something I say about a novel. This true account of the author's life in the Sudan, Darfur, was spellbinding. I've been concerned about Darfur for such a long time - concerned and confused. I just didn't understand all the nuances. This personal account helped clear up a lot of that confusion as well as connect me with the real people and the heartbreaking realities. Please read this book!



3. I just finished Hari's book and must say that I believe it deserves no less than seven out of five stars! Although Hari is responsible for helping dozens of journalists write the articles they needed to get the story of Darfur to the world, I don't believe anyone can come close to Hari's first hand account. In Hari's book we learn of the culture and lifestyle of the Zaghawa (those natives of Darfur who are targeted by the government of Sudan)--a complex people with ancient traditions and a keen knowledge of survival. We learn of their rich family tradition, hospitality, generosity and wisdom. This introduction to the Zaghawa makes their situation real and urgent to the Western reader and is most important if one is to understand the consequence of the genocide. Hari is a master at subtle and poignant prose. He writes in a simple manner that is as keen to letting the reader in on the details that make the landscape of Darfur come alive as he is at keeping together the big picture. His humanity is magnetic and his recounting of violence and tragedy unforgettable. I would recommend this book as required reading for any political or history classroom. It is easily read and its message is profoundly communicated.



4. Daoud Hari's powerful, penetrating, concise eyewitness account brings the life-or-death struggles of his people into our minds and hearts.
   
   His descriptions of horror can make you weep or retch, yet the book is infused with humanity, dignity, and even humor--a testimony to the worst and best humankind has to offer. Daoud Hari has witnessed utmost cruelties and survived unspeakable crimes which struck down his family, his village, the region of Darfur, and which continue to corrupt and cripple the nation of Sudan, as its tribal citizens are wiped off the face of the earth or turned into unwelcome refugees.
   
   Overwhelmed by the senseless loss of his brother, the escape of his aged mother into the wilderness to hide, the dangerous roaming of his aged, noble father, the author sought to do something meaningful in the wake of madness that engulfed everyone and everything he knew. Armed with the ability to speak Zaghawa, Arabic, and English, and with intimate knowledge of Darfur's geography, Hari became useful to aid organizations and journalists. He became determined to help bring to the outside world the stories of those who died, who killed them, how, and why. The courage and humanity of journalists and other individuals who gathered eyewitness accounts of the genocide in Sudan comprise an essential part of his story. He also supplies significant insights into the historic and cultural contexts of the strife in his country.
   
   In a growing field of compelling books on the urgent, deplorable, confusing situation of war and genocide in Sudan, Daoud Hari's _The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur_ stands out in its ability to pervade the reader's conscience. Moving us beyond feeling outraged and overwhelmed by man's inhumanity to man, we develop a deep connection to the author and feel moved to do something to help.
   
   Related readings: _They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan_ by Benson Deng, Alephonsion Deng, and Benjamin Ajak, with Judy A. Bernstein (PublicAffairs, a member of the Perseus Books Group 2005, 311 pp) _What is the What, The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng, A Novel_ by Dave Eggars, 2006 (Vintage 2007, 339 pp) _Emma's War, A True Story_ by Deborah Scroggins, 2002, (Vintage 392 pp)



5. Daoud Hari has written a painful, unglossed but also celebratory novel of the Darfur region of Western Sudan, and with his understated approach, genuine character, and very unexpected humor, reminds us that Darfur was a place well before it was a tragedy.
   
   This approach allows Hari to engage his readers on a personal level: he asks them to consider their response to losing their cities and their children; he reminds them of the simple connecting power of cellular telephones, and the vital necessity of friendship. Few individuals presented in Hari's narrative escape as caricatures of evil. Instead, their histories are contemplated, their motivations explored, and the Sudanese government's pitting tribe against tribe is revealed as a manipulative orchestration that will make a man a soldier one week and an enemy the next.
   
   But what makes The Translator most remarkable is that its author exists. Hari does not take credit for much, but his grace, his honesty, and his willingness to learn the individual stories in the murderous epidemic that dominates his land, demonstrates him to be of a completely singular character and a person whose love and friendship will, for some, hold back a end that we might wrongly feel to be inescapable and, for Sudan, inevitable.

5 comments about Almost French: Love And A New Life In Paris.

1. I ompletely understand how Sarah felt. I also am married to a frenchman from the north of France. Every story she tells I have also lived. I understand how you are invisible at parties, the need to be well dressed always. I am American and have been in those uncomfortable situations where politics has been brought up in conversation making you want to crawl under the table rather than try to defend (in french no less)your country's actions. I have also wished my husband was from a nice town in Provence rather than a amall village in the Pas de Calais. But I wouldn't give up my French family and friends for anything. This book is right on. I laughed so much and read passages outloud to my husband.



2. The first time I came to visit Australia, this book was a big hit. Obviously because I am French and my husband Australian, people gave it to us. It was 6 years ago. Back in France I read it curious to see my country being described by one of my husband's compatriots.
   
   Unfortunately, not only this book was a big deception regarding its style or lack of it but I was getting annoyed and frustrated. In fact, I thought with a journalist background, the author, Sarah Turnbull, would have been more incline to go beyond the usual stereotypes. On the contrary, her book is filled with articles of hers, describing the French bourgeois, having expensive wardrobe and $2000 pet dogs. Owners, of 400 years old farm, people dancing rock in line, frustrated woman who cannot dare to laugh, etc.
   
   I thought I was taking it too personally and waited 6 years to read it again, but now that I am living in Australia I can understand why this book has this effect on me. I see how the French lifestyle is imagined in Australia, and I have to say distorted. But for a journalist living in France, I find incredible that Sarah cannot or doesn't dare to deepen her knowledge about French and the French culture. It is a superficial, badly written book about a capricious girl's experience in Paris. In a way it is very Australian as she doesn't try to go beyond the generics. All French are the same from one extreme to another, all French are unhappy and frustrated, all French are old (no mention of youth in her book!), all French are tied with conventions. A part from one trip in the centre of France and her regular trips in the North, never does she mention going and travelling around France, meeting other people that her bourgeois surrounding. Never does she mention, that France is NOT Paris.
   
   But let me tell you that all French are NOT Parisians, that 4 millions live in the centre of Paris but 56 millions lives all around France. Not everyone is from a bourgeois' background and has a lawyer for boyfriend to answer to every caprice the girlfriend might have. Most of the people in France laugh loud (and when I do so here in Sydney I am badly looked at!), drink a lot, dance randomly, enjoy life, love to share with others, are curious minded and love to learn about others' experiences and culture, furthermore, love to meet new people.
   
   This time I am not going to finish the book. I know very well how she described becoming the ones she once disliked deeply.
   
   I am now a languages teacher in Australia and among others languages teacher I am trying to fight stereotypes. For me, it is the cause of too many misconceptions and misunderstandings and above all, the cause for a lack of interests about others in Australia. When people mention this book as an example of a French experience, I cannot stop myself of imaging a capricious little girl who gets easily frustrated when her wishes are not granted. Definitely, this book is not the work of a woman who embraces her new experience with a wide open eyes.
   
   This book is NOT a good and truthful description of the French and their cultures.
   I just want to mention that my Australian husband read the book 6 years ago and got really shocked by the degree of superficiality. I may say, we have the same idea about the book.



3. I loved it, simply because Sarah Turnbull captivates the reality of so many people who end up living in another country and even though they start a new life, with new people and new meaning around them, is never quite the same... You find yourself in the new place wishing you were somewhere else, and when you return to your country you wish you were back in the other one. It explains the struggle of culture integration and the differences that may seem to drive you crazy, but in the end those things become part of your every day life. The book inspired me to make the best out of my personal situation, I felt so identified with her and so encouraged to embrace who I am and at the same time embrace my new life in another country. I loved it!



4. Our family lived in France from 1992-1995. Though it has been a few years now, all the memories of trying to adjust, fit in, make sense of France and the French, came flowing back through my mind as I read Sarah's book. Very well written, easy and enjoyable to read, she nails the frustrations, the puzzlements, and the occasional delights of living in this special European country.



5. I really enjoyed this book. The author gives the reader
   a taste of what it is to live in Paris. I highly recommend
   this book for anyone who is interested in France, Paris,
   culture, or people.

4 comments about The Book of Mychal: The Surprising Life and Heroic Death of Father Mychal Judge.

1. 
   The writing was superb. But the life of Mychal Judge surpassed anything that I could have ever envisioned. This priest was the true definition of the word, Catholic, which means universal. His priesthood, his faith and his life were all embracing, all encompassing. He listened. He did not judge. He understood. As a Franciscan, he knew humility and poverty intimately and he owned them. The goodness of his life allowed him to interact with people of all faiths. He was as comfortable in the White House as he was in the slums of New York. All people were equal. He befriended and respected those of different faiths. He befriended those who were no longer practicing any religion. He did not judge them; he honored and treasured them for their own innate goodness.
   
   He had trials and tribulations and he met them head-on while he monitored a flock that he adopted. Spending hours at the bedside of firemen, comforting their families, administering to the victims of AIDS when others shunned them, offering solace to strangers who became his friends, seeing goodness in others - these are just the highlights of this saintly man's life.
   
   I cried and yet I was comforted. Michael Daly tells of the tragedy and he blends humor and laughter throughout the book. Father Judge always balanced his ministry with laughter.
   
   Michael Daly is an excellent writer. However, his admiration for Father Mychal gave this book "heart."
   
   If you do not read another book for the rest of the year, read this one. It will restore your faith, hope and charity towards one another.
   
   I recommend this book highly.



2. This book brought tears to my eyes. We know that Mychal Judge's life was tragically ended on September 11, 2001 but this book told his life's story in a very real and touching way. The lessons of Mychal Judge's life will stay with you for a lifetime.



3. That's what this book clearly is - a labor of love, a probing biography by a Daily News columnist. The author delves deeply into Judge's Irish upbringing, the Catholic church, the Fire Dept, and New York City politics. A Pulitzer-worthy book.



4. Daly, Michael. "The Book of Mychal: The Surprising Life and Heroic Death of Father Mychal Judge", Thomas Dunne Books, 2008.
   
   A National Hero
   
   Amos Lassen
   
   Father Mychal Judge became a hero after his death. He died while he was helping victims at the World Trade Center after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He was the chaplain for the New York City Fire Department and he soon became the supreme symbol of those who put their lives at risk so they could help others and he paid the highest price. He was loved by his fireman and was always ready to listen to anyone who needed to talk. He not only was minister to firemen but to gay New Yorkers as well even though many of his firemen had no idea that he was gay and did not learn that until he was dead. Father Judge had problems with reconciling his private life with his public life and this was discovered in a journal he began keeping in 1999. We read that he yearned to speak out but he felt that coming out would cost him his ministry, his friends and his standing in the Catholic Church.
   Michael Daly, who was Judge's friend and who wrote this book, had access to the journals and gives us the thoughts of Judge.
   Judge's life was gripping from being a youth in Depression Brooklyn to his Catholic upbringing. The last section of the book hits hard as it deals with September 11 and the days following. I love the way we get to see Father Judge as he tries to balance his work with the fire department and his life as a gay man especially during the 1990's when New York City was engaged in a war between the church and the gay community. Daly gives us a peek into Judge's private life as well and with great sensitivity. We read of his involvement with the AIDS crisis, when he bucked his church's official policy on homosexuality. We also learn of the priest's ten year love affair with a much younger man but Daly says that it was never consummated because of the Church.
   What makes the book so special is reading about Judge's inner thoughts and turmoils as well as the love his fireman felt for him. He was quite a man and Michael Daly has done both the man and his memory justice.