American Ground Zero: The Secret Nuclear War

Book Description

American Ground Zero is the extraordinary product of one photojournalist's decade-long commitment, a gripping, courageous collection of portraits and interviews of those whose lives were crossed by radioactive fallout.

For twelve years beginning in 1951, the United States government conducted above ground testing of nuclear weapons in the deserts of Nevada. For more than four decades it has tried to cover up the human and environmental devastation wrought by this testing. In American Ground Zero, Carole Gallagher has penetrated the veil of official secrecy and anonymity to document the incredible untold story of the Americans whose misfortune it was to live downwind of the nuclear detonations - those citizens described in a top-secret Atomic Energy Commission memo as "a low-use segment of the population" - and of civilian workers and military personnel exposed to radiation at the Nevada Test Site.

The above ground nuclear testing was "the most prodigiously reckless program of scientific experimentation in United States history," Keith Schneider notes in his foreword to the book. Many of its 126 fallout clouds floated across the American West and eastward with radiation levels comparable to those released at Chernobyl. Yet residents of the downwind areas were consistently told that there was no danger, and were even encouraged to "participate in a moment of history" by coming out to watch these fallout clouds drifting over their homes.

Abandoning her career as a successful New York photographer, Carole Gallagher moved to Utah in 1983 and spent the next seven years networking among radiation survivors' groups and finding people willing to be photographed and tell their story. She covered six downwind states in all, including Test Site workers and atomic veterans. The result is a striking gallery of the undecorated casualties of an undeclared war. Never exploitative, Gallagher's photographs only rarely convey the subjects' considerable physical sufferings: instead, they invite the viewer to witness the beauty and value in these ordinary lives.

Carole Gallagher is a photographer whose work has been shown in galleries and museums around the world. She is currently living in New York City.

Customer Reviews:

Should be required reading in every school!!!.......2006-06-15

I've read and reread this book so many times I've lost count. In addition I've loaned it out to multiple friends just to get them to open their eyes. Each time I read it I'm still amazed at the liberties taken by the military during this period of time. There is so much important information here I could never even scratch the surface in a short review. The poignant stories told by the victims of these nuclear tests (mostly patriotic mormons who felt the govt. could do no wrong) will move you emotionally, besides backing up Gallaghers claims. If you consider yourself a patriot, prepare to have your world shaken. Just buy it, you wont be sorry.

a very compelling set of stories and B&W photographs..........2005-04-19

I'm a science writer, and I was conducting some research at the M.I.T. library regarding the 1962 series of nuclear tests at Johnston Island in the Pacific. Mostly I was seeking highly technical information -- but I saw this volume sitting on the shelf next to the monographs I was reviewing, so I took what I originally intended to be a quick glance.

After several hours' reading of "American Ground Zero", I found myself quite upset, for this collection of highly credible, first-person accounts clearly demonstrates ongoing efforts of the federal government to ignore, downplay -- even falsify -- data regarding the atomic testing of the 1950s, '60s, '70s, and '80s, particularly the atmospheric tests conducted at the Nevada Test Site near Las Vegas up through 1962.

In today's debate regarding DOE's Yucca Mountain Project, the credibility of the federal government and its experts is a big issue in Nevada. This volume shows why -- through first-hand accounts and compelling photography, presented with the perspective of subsequent time. (Yucca mountain is an underground facility located on a corner of the old Nevada Test Site, and it is to become the nation's primary repository for high-level nuclear waste.)

For at least fifteen years, I have been following in the scientific literature the research & development of Yucca mountain. My own feelings on the matter had been ambivalent for high-level waste must be stored somewhere. Recently, I had become concerned with revelations regarding falsification of data by DOE employees and its contractors.

However, in one fell swoop -- this book completely persuaded me to the righteousness of the cause of those many Nevadans who oppose Yucca mountain. It clearly shows that Nevadans (along with residents of Utah and other downwind states) have already suffered far beyond their fair share of the nation's nuclear burden.

Sadly, the sacrifice of these citizens is not only largely unacknowledged today -- this work clearly shows that their earlier "cooperation" was concurrent with misrepresentations by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), the predecessor to today's Department of Energy (DOE), as well as by various military authorities.

Many of the individuals profiled in this volume are (were) former employees of the AEC and its contractors, or are (were) military veterans who participated in these atomic tests. Their accounts all seem to have one common thread -- that there were repeated efforts by authorities to downplay, or ignore, radioactive releases and associated health effects from both above- and below-ground nuclear tests.

The author, Carole Gallagher, deserves our nation's appreciation for documenting so eloquently the experiences of these otherwise ordinary citizens and bringing them to our collective attention. Unfortunately, their living testimonies and images are quickly passing...

Gallagher's book is conduit for voices of the downwinders.......2002-02-25

I grew up in Northern Arizona on the Utah border. Living close to St George and Cedar City, Utah, we heard rumors of families with unusually high incidents of leukemia and other cancers and the ensuing speculation about the cause. Gallagher's compilation of stories supplies the most human view of the downwinders. She documents a dark and frightening chapter in our goverment's history. Most compelling were the stories of the workers at the test site who were not even afforded the pretense of protection from exposure. I would have appreciated additional focus on the effects of the testing on the Native American tribes in Utah and Northern Arizona.

Gallagher has given us a treasure by documenting the stories of radiation exposure victims who deserve to have their stories told. Once started, I could not stop reading this book and found myself studying each photograph for several minutes before reading the accompanying story.

Thank you Ms. Gallagher for leaving your New York roots, succuming to the fashion dictates of southern Utah and permitting yourself to become the blank slate upon which these stories were etched.

Should be required reading in every school!.......2001-12-06

Compassionately denying one's ability to hide truth........1999-06-05

I have had this book for two years. Reading it completely 9 times and countless partial times. Gallagher in her effort "to become a blank slate upon which the stories could be written" has embodied the voice of a people not just a position of personal opinion. Hearing that voice cause's the reader to open there eye's to the stark reality of what "we the people" have allowed to happen. Revealing just how fast the holocost of the WWII was pushed out of the conscientious of the people. Allowing the same mentality that drove the Nazi's, to develope in the country "were that could not happen". Without a doubt this "work" is not for the light hearted. Reality with weight, forces the reader to think. Cause's the reader to question not only the government structure and poilcy's we have let be set but the moral code by which we justify a means to a end. How do you determine who live's and who dies? What and Who determines the worth of a human being? You will be challanged, morally, and emotionally. Carole Gallagher has painted people, words, and pictures together in a way that you will not shake off anytime soon. Personal stories will bury themselve's deep into your heart and mind. You will hear the echoed cry's of a people for which there was no justice, no hope. The bottom line reality is we let it happen. This is "the wake up call" Gallagher presents the reader with. It is very disturbing wake up call.

Between Heaven and Ground Zero: One Womans Struggle for Survival and Faith in the Ashes of 9/11

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It's rare that I read a book that is so graphic in its depiction of horror...
Scary
Inspirational
Moving
powerful

Between Heaven and Ground Zero: One Womans Struggle for Survival and Faith in the Ashes of 9/11
Leslie Haskin
Manufacturer: Bethany House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0764202863
Release Date: 2006-08-01

Book Description

On the sunny morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, terrorists murdered more than twenty-seven hundred people in an attack on New York City. Thousands died when a hijacked Boeing 767 slammed into Tower One of the World Trade Center. It was first blood. For Leslie Haskin, it was a second chance at life. This is the riveting account of Leslie's harrowing escape--down 36 floors in a doomed and dying building and away from a life focused on perks, prestige, and power. The intervening months brought crippling mental and emotional distress, but from the rubble and ashes, the corporate climber rediscovered the faith of her childhood and now embraces a new life of serving others.

Customer Reviews:

It's rare that I read a book that is so graphic in its depiction of horror..........2007-06-06

It's rare that I read a book that is so graphic in its depiction of horror that I feel like I need to set it down and walk away for a while. Between Heaven and GROUND ZERO is such a book. In it, Leslie Haskin, an insurance company executive, pulls no punches in recounting her harrowing escape from the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

"More than anything, I wish I could speak of joy that came through all of the suffering on that particular morning, but I cannot. There was none, " she writes. "However, in the greatest moments of desperation and overwhelming sorrow, God's loving and outstretched arms were waiting for my acceptance. I now know that His holy presence and peace called to me at every point of overwhelming despondency and paralyzing trepidation.

I know that the Lord walked with me through that concourse. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death...

He held me as my head turned about quickly and my eye scoped every inch of what remained. I will fear no evil.

It was another place entirely. It was surreal, like a 3-D movie; too gigantic and slow to participate in, yet too fast for retreat. I felt vulnerable and very mortal. For thou art with me.

Everything I saw broke my heart a little more. Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me... Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the hour of the Lord for ever.

Amen."

In a note to the reader and at the beginning of the book, Haskin acknowledges that her story is just one fragment of the mosaic of personal stories that make up the truth about what happened on 9/11. Her retelling is flawed insomuch as she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and the factual details of that day continue to be shrouded in a veil of pain. And yet, Haskin provides a brave and powerful testament to the horror perpetrated on 9/11 through her willing to tell us what she remembers, so that we, too, never forget.

The details of Leslie's descent from her top-floor office via a staircase after the planes hit the World Trade Center is like a vision of a descent into hell. Her vivid descriptions of the warped building and suffering people around her are harrowing and disturbing. Even after all the media and cultural attention paid to this event, I gained a new sense of what evil was perpetrated on 9/11.

But more than being a story of collapsed towers, Between Heaven and Ground Zero is the story of a woman undone in a moment of extreme suffering. Leslie freely admits to the pride and hubris she had cultivated and harbored as a result of her successful career. By the morning of 9/11, she had long since strayed from the Christian faith of her childhood, instead worshipping the gods of money and power. And of course, these gods proved fickle during the slow march to safety that started in her office and forced her to continue walking in fear and pain many months after the attacks.

In the years that followed 9/11, Leslie lost her job, her car and her home. Her bout with PTSD has been severe and required intense medication and therapy. Her life as she knew it lay in rubble not unlike Towers 1 and 2. But, very much unlike those towers, Leslie has been rebuilt and stands tall again --- not in her own strength, but in the steadfast love of God.

She writes, "And so I have learned that my life does not belong to me. I understand now how words exhale life, and I will never again hold my breath for so long a time as this. I have relearned to inhale and then to exhale, and as I breathe through Him, the Lord, that is, something wonderful happens --- distance. Space comes between my emotions and me, and it yields an unexpected but welcome gift --- faith. My world broadens until my vision lifts high above the 'soils of despair' and I am soaring. Hallelujah!!"

Hallelujah, indeed.

--- Reviewed by Lisa Ann Cockrel

Scary.......2007-04-11

The first half of this story was ....as I had expected......terrifying. Knowing it was all too true made it even more so. However....the second half of the book became repetitious. Perhaps it had to be written that way but I felt it really let down more and more to the finish.

Inspirational.......2007-03-29

Leslie Haskin begins this first-person 9/11 account by stating that she suffers from posttraumatic stress disorder. Given that she barely escaped from the 36th floor of the World Trade Center's Tower One, Haskin's anguish is understandable. In her diary-style memoir, this highly successful businesswoman details the events of that horrific day along with the dramatic changes made to her life - and worldview - following the attacks. Although Haskin's writing tends toward stream of consciousness, which can be difficult to follow, her story is both riveting and inspirational.

Moving.......2007-01-11

I am a member of the Book Babes Book Club in Georgia, and we have had the opportunity to read many different books from many different authors. Leslie Haskin's account of what happened on that day moved me. She clearly showed how that horrific day started, normally, as any other. What touched me the most was the horrible aftermath that she endured. She really portrayed the suffering that many people went through and are still going through as a result of 9/11. I have a new respect for the survivors, and I know that God brought Ms. Haskins through this ordeal to share her story and motivate others to focus on what is truly important in life. Even after all that she went through, and all that she lost, Ms. Haskins has found peace and a way to give back to those less fortunate. This is an excellent book.

powerful.......2007-01-09

This book has blown my mind we used it for our book club in the month of October, every single person cried, our life and faith in God has been change to a higher demension.
Thanks to Leslie Haskin for allowing us to read another miracle from God may you be bless forever.
Marlene.

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A bit repetitive and....flight 587?
Hearing it from the men and women who were there
Dennis Smith is 9/11's Studs Terkel
Poetic, Journalistic, Compelling
One part of the story of that horrible day.

Report from Ground Zero
Dennis Smith
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0452283957
Release Date: 2003-02-25

Download Description

"The definitive account-with a new afterword-from the author of the classic Report from Engine Co. 82 The tragic events of September 11, 2001, forever altered the American landscape, both figuratively and literally. Immediately after the jets struck the twin towers of the World Trade Center, Dennis Smith, a former firefighter, reported to Manhattan's Ladder Co. 16 to volunteer in the rescue efforts. In the weeks that followed, Smith was present on the front lines, attending to the wounded, sifting through the wreckage, and mourning with New York's devastated fire and police departments. This is Smith's vivid account of the rescue efforts by the fire and police departments and emergency medical teams as they rushed to face a disaster that would claim thousands of lives. Smith takes readers inside the minds and lives of the rescuers at Ground Zero as he shares stories about these heroic individuals and the effect their loss had on their families and their companies. "It is," says Smith, "the real and living history of the worst day in America since Pearl Harbor." Written with drama and urgency, Report from Ground Zero honors the men and women who-in America's darkest hours-redefined our understanding of courage."

Customer Reviews:

A bit repetitive and....flight 587?.......2007-05-05

It's hard to not give this book a 5-star rating because I was moved in many places and I'm so grateful for the sacrifice of the firemen on 9/11. This book opened my eyes in many ways to their ultimate sacrifice and their continued efforts to honor their own.

I do think, however, that this could have been edited a bit better. The aftermath section (which is about half of the book) seems repetitive to me and thus, not quite as powerful as the earlier section. Also, I found it strange that there was no mention of the crash of flight 587 on November 12th, 2001. Mr. Smith records that on that day he was in a meeting with Mayor Guilliani and other firemen about their role at ground zero. He focused on this day for several pages and failed to mention that 250+ people perished in a NY neighborhood aboard that flight and everyone initially suspected terrorism as the cause of the crash. This omission, perhaps, would have been more understandable had he not mentioned 11/12/01 at all, but there is a whole section for that day and certainly this crash was on his mind, since it did indeed involve firemen.

Overall, I recommend this book.

Hearing it from the men and women who were there.......2007-02-14

This is absolutely a great book, probably the best one for getting you into ground zero and feeling what they felt, to as great of an extent as you can. I don't quite understand all of the [---] he uses, for example, "the [firefighters] started down Vessey". Is he just trying something new? I don't care though, I have never read a book that is as honest and makes you feel like your fighting the fires with dennis more then his series of books. Great job!

Dennis Smith is 9/11's Studs Terkel.......2006-08-01

A very readable, moving book that adds still more to the memory-bank of September 11, 2001. The book is divided into two sections: 9/11 itself and the first months afterward, recounted day by day. Most of the second section is Smith's own experiences, with fewer "interviews" with others; however, this doesn't take away from the power of the work.

One peeve is that Smith too often refers to his previous work "Report from Engine Co. 82" in terms of whether or not people were aware of it--including incredulity that a police officer guarding the crime scene a few days afterwards didn't know. However, he writes some of the best descriptions of a profession, any profession, that I have ever read: "...to me it was always the best responsibility to have in a fire--to be on my stomach and to have the officer and the men shouting, 'That's it, you got it, move in, a little more, get the ceiling, get the ceiling, watch the windows, you got it now...".

One quote from an Assistant Chief of Department captures how quickly people forget--from November 5, 2001: "They came down to the World Trade Center in fire trucks and we should not let them leave in dump trucks." Five years later, don't forget all of those who did not leave that day the way they started it.

Poetic, Journalistic, Compelling.......2005-10-05

"Report from Ground Zero: The Story of the Rescue Efforts at the World Trade Center" by Dennis Smith provides a poetic-journalistic look at a tragedy which still continues to shake America. You'll find the book stronger in intensity than many of the photographic collections of September 11, 2001.

Why? Dennis Smith was a fireman who understood tragedy from an experienced viewpoint. Like all of us, he saw the worst of humankind crash into the World Trade Center. Then, he saw the best of humankind enter those same buildings to save the victims.

Now, three years later, after many in America have preferred to see terrorism as a political event and not one of evil and hate, it is important to remember the violent images, and the tender responses to the hurting and scared. America was in one its greatest moments in those torrid days, and we should never forget.

Smith's descriptions are more than photo-realistic versions of what he saw, but brings forth the anguish and passion, and the smell of wet ash and burning debris. Smith manages to connect with the reader beyond the hype and politics. You will not be able to read this unaffected.

The people in the high-rises, on the planes, and the policemen and fireman all were real people. Even the foolish young men who hijacked the planes, the ones who believe Bin Laden -- all real people who died for another man's lie. Smith draws out the real, draws out the essence as well as the actual accounts of the awful events.

I fully recommend "Report from Ground Zero: The Story of the Rescue Efforts at the World Trade Center" by Dennis Smith.

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

One part of the story of that horrible day........2004-11-24

As the brother of a New York City firefighter, I felt is was my obligation to read this book. It is a moving tribute to the survivors as well as the deceased. Please read it to understand the quality of the men who were lost and the hope that I still have because of the strength of character of those who survived.
Have your teens read the book to understand that a person is defined by their strength of character, their commitment and integrity, and not by the money they earn.

This book is about the members of the FDNY and some on the NYPD and their experiences of this monumentally tragic day. The book isn't intended to be an all-encompassing journal that recounts the thousands of stories and the experiences of the civilians who experienced first hand those events. If you expect it to be that, then you will be disappointed. If you are looking for a book that focuses on the impact of the rescue workers, with a glimpse of the brotherhood that is the FDNY, then this well written, relatively quick read is perfect.

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Dystopia USA
Cashing In on 9/11

Ground Zero
Paul Virilio
Manufacturer: Verso
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1859844162

Book Description

How would it be if what we take for human advance were simply a technological progress that literally leaves us out of its equations? What if Progress is not humanity striking out bravely towards the future, but an ultimately destructive force?

In a remarkable tour d'horizon, Paul Virilio paints a bleak picture of current scientific, cultural, social and political values. Art has succumbed to the techniques of advertising and in politics, the battle for hearts and minds has become a mere convergence of opinion. TV ratings have triumphed over universal suffrage. The events of September 11 reflect both the manipulation of a global sub-proletariat and the delusions of an élite of rich students and technicians who resemble the 'suicidal members of the Heaven's Gate cybersect'. And, in this post-humanist dystopia, we are morally rudderless before the threat of biological manipulations as yet undreamt.

About the series: Appearing on the first anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, these series of books from Verso present analyses of the United States, the media, and the events surrounding September 11 by Europe's most stimulating and provocative philosophers. Probing beneath the level of TV commentary, political and cultural orthodoxies, and 'rent-a-quote' punditry, Baudrillard, Virilio, and Zizek offer three highly original and readable accounts that serve as fascinating introductions to the direction of their respective projects, and as insightful critiques of the unfolding events. This series seeks to comprehend the philosophical meaning of September 11 and will leave untouched none of the prevailing views currently propagated.

Customer Reviews:

Dystopia USA.......2003-06-27

Incomprehensible to most Americans, this expressionist poem explains why terrorism is the new world order; a brilliant analysis of the superpower syndrome, dirge for the global glutton. An apt companion work is Emmanuel Todd's L'Apres Empire, translation due February 2004.

Cashing In on 9/11.......2003-06-18

A sloppily argued, near-incomprehensible exercise in nostalgia, nihilism, and name-dropping. This book has almost no explicit connection to the events of 9/11 or the titular "Ground Zero." Virilio may be right about the dangers of modernity, but his argument is superficial. Be sure to read translator Chris Turner's footnotes.

Japan 1945: A U.S. Marine's Photographs From Ground Zero

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Revealing Photographic History
A Striking, Yet Poignant View of the Atomic Bombings
Very moving
Striking Photos of the Aftermath of War

Japan 1945: A U.S. Marine's Photographs From Ground Zero
Joe O'Donnell
Manufacturer: Vanderbilt University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0826514677

Book Description

In September 1945 Joe O'Donnell was a twenty-three-year-old Marine Corps photographer wading ashore in Japan, then under American occupation. His orders were to document the aftermath of U.S. bombing raids in Japanese cities, including not only Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but also cities such as Sasebo, one of the more than sixty Japanese cities firebombed before the atomic blasts. "The people I met," he now recalls, "the suffering I witnessed, and the scenes of incredible devastation taken by my camera caused me to question every belief I had previously held about my so-called enemies."

In addition to the official photographs he turned over to his superiors, O'Donnell recorded some three hundred images for himself, but following his discharge from the Marines he could not bear to look at them. He put the negatives in a trunk that remained unopened until 1989, when he finally felt compelled to confront once more what he had he had seen through his lens during his seven months in postwar Japan.

Now, for this remarkable book, seventy-four of these photographs have been assembled. The images of destruction—a panorama of Ground Zero at Nagasaki, a lone building still standing near the Aioi Bridge at Hiroshima, a fourteen-year-old burn victim lying in a coma—are, of course, wrenching beyond words. But the book includes hopeful images as well, and these are equally affecting—children playing on a road, young girls carrying their infant siblings on their backs as they go about everyday routines, geishas performing a traditional dance, Marine boots mingled with Japanese sandals outside a church entrance.

Exhibited in Europe and Japan during the 1990s, O'Donnell's photographs were first published in book form in a 1995 Japanese edition. This edition, the first to appear in the United States, includes an additional twenty photographs and will bring O'Donnell's eloquent testament to the horrors of war to an even wider audience.

Customer Reviews:

Revealing Photographic History.......2006-09-15

Joe O'Donnell captured the aftermath of World War II with his photographic record of the Japanese rubble. As a 23 year-old US Marine, O'Donnell served as a photographer, and a sample of the photographs he took are included in his book, JAPAN 1945: A US MARINE'S PHOTOGRAPHS FROM GROUND ZERO. The collection is a visual snapshot of the Japanese landscape of the cities and towns, Sasebo, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki, almost a month after the atomic bombings and air raids.

Indeed, JAPAN 1945 includes poignant and moving exposures of remnants of the worn torn landscape. The book is a composition of photographs of O'Donnell's seventh month long tour of the Japanese cities in which he documented what was left of the cities -- pure destruction without a living thing in sight. There are numerous shots worth mentioning, such as the boy and his young brother on the cover of the book, the boy served as O'Donnell's guide through the streets of Hiroshima, as well a man severely burned, "Victim with Rope" who is covered with an immense amount of clothing in order to protect his skin. However, there are also photographs depicting reconstruction, such as the shot where a teacher leads a class with the classroom still intact despite the outside view of the devastating rubble that lurks in the background.

JAPAN 1945 is an excellent photographic record of the aftermath of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. O'Donnell's account of what he had seen has been best described not with words, but with the photographs he presents. The book may further provide a better understanding of World War II history as well as how photographs provide a template to how history is interpreted.

A Striking, Yet Poignant View of the Atomic Bombings.......2005-08-18

Photographer Joe O'Donnell, a 23-year-old Marine assigned to the occupation of Japan, has released many of his photographs that he took while on station. Locked away for some 45 years, these vivid, graphic, and moving photos show what life was like immediately after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

O'Donnell's photo archive begins with images from his arrival in Japan. A prayer service offered aboard a landing ship, and the unloading of equipment are shown in this section. The harbor at Sasebo is photographed with many American ships filling its waters, but it is in this section where the reader gets their first glimpse of the level of destruction wrought by American planes; most of the surrounding city is literally flattened. Many displaced Japanese citizens are shown wandering the streets of what has become a barren wasteland.

O'Donnell has also included images of American soldiers giving candy to Japanese children, and Japanese geishas performing dances. Images of children with babies strapped to their backs cleaning rubble and elderly displaced civilians with few or no possessions really touch the reader.

The most eye-catching part of the book for me was the images of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Both cities were literally wiped off the face of the earth; only massive piles of rubble remained. O'Donnell had to travel by horse to navigate through the massive piles of debris. Images of people wandering about aimlessly, smashed factories, and burn victims dominate this part of the book.

The most piognant pictures I saw in the book are the one of the three brothers in Nagasaki; the eldest pushing his brothers in a make-shift cart, and the most heartbreaking one, the photo of the child who has come to the cremation site in Nagasaki with his dead baby brother strapped to his back, all the while struggling to keep from crying. I can't remember seeing a more moving photograph.

This is a tremendous book. Each photograph tells its own story, and O'Donnell has provided excellent narrative above each photo. I highly recommend this fine book. Open it up and take a photographic journey through a defeated Japan. Some photos will inspire awe; others pity, and you'll get a true sense of what it was like in Japan immediately after the war ended.

Very moving.......2005-04-24

Could it be that we see a photo of an 8 or 9 year old boy bringing the body of his dead baby brother to a site in Nagasaki for cremation? Could it be that this photo was taken by a 23 year old American Marine? Would it be possible that the Marine was mistaken, perhaps he misunderstood? Perhaps the baby is only sleeping. Alas, the older brother's face belies the truth as the baby's body hangs lifeless. Marine photographer Joe O'Donnell was obviously moved by many of the photos he took during his time in Japan, just after the war ended.

But it's not just bombed out cities that he shares with us. There are happier times when American GI's were talking to children, geisha and hotel maids and other slices of Japanese life that would interest most any foreigner (or perhaps today's Japanese even). We can only wonder how many other photos he has that are have not been published.

I think Japanese history is at its most interesting when it interacts (or collides) with other countries. O'Donnell shares with us images of a Japan that no longer is. Perhaps Japan never has publicly atoned for its war time actions sufficiently; but this book shows clearly that it certainly was punished sufficiently.

Striking Photos of the Aftermath of War.......2005-03-12

We've all seen the pictures of Hiroshima where everything but the shells of a few building is flattened. Here are seventy-four pictures from several cities, fire-bombed with conventional munitions, not atomic bombs, that look just as devastated, just as destroyed.

But more than that are pictures of the people. There's a picture of the crowd at an Athletic Day - women, children, and old men - the young men are gone, probably never to return. There's a picture of a young boy, perhaps eight years old. To his back is strapped his little brother, perhaps one year old. The little brother is dead and the boy is delivering him to the cremation site.

Yes the pictures from other wars, the child at the railway station after the rape of Nanking, those from the camps in Germany are equally tragic. Even the pictures showing Charleston after Sherman's army went through show this kind of destruction.

But there is a special feeling I get from these pictures. Perhaps it comes as a residual of the racial hatred this country felt towards Japan. I hope not, but the fact is that these striking photographs make me feel terrible.

Women at Ground Zero: Stories of Courage and Compassion

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Awesome & inspiring!!!
Read This Book
Heroines and role models abound!
Compassion
women at ground zero

Women at Ground Zero: Stories of Courage and Compassion
Susan Hagen , and Mary Carouba
Manufacturer: Alpha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0028644220

Book Description

This book is a powerful collection of first-person stories told by female firefighters, police officers, paramedics, EMTs, and others who responded to the events of September 11 and its aftermath. Women at Ground Zero provides a unique perspective on the events of that terrible day through the eyes of women rescuers who risked their lives to save others. Through their heartbreaking and inspiring stories, the voices of female rescue workers and their contributions at Ground Zero are finally heard.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome & inspiring!!!.......2004-03-10

I loved this book! It brought out stories that I never heard in all the media blitz after this unforgettable and horrific event. It truly shows another side of the story, and yet they made it very clear that the book was "not to diminish the contributions of the men who lost or put their lives at risk at Ground Zero". I had hesitated and worried that this might be a "feminist - male bashing" viewpoint. Not at all!

It rounds out the story. Something that needed to happen. I feel more of a connection with what happened now than ever before.

I highly recommend this to all - men and women alike. I hope it becomes a standard for reading about women in history and should be in every home for pre-teens on up to learn more about what happened and to offer inspiration.

Buy it! It's a keeper!!

Read This Book.......2003-09-11

Harrowing, engrossing, and well-written firsthand accounts put you right beside police officers, firefighters, and paramedics on that terrible day 9/11/01 (and afterward, too). I could not put it down.

Heroines and role models abound!.......2003-07-10

Susan Hagen and Mary Carouba did an excellent job of bringing to the readers of "Women At Ground Zero" the fact that women also served, were injured, or killed at the World Trade Center complex in New York City. They knew women had to be there but yet the media didn't cover them. So they went in search of them. People forget that women are also members of the fire, police and medical departments around the country. They didn't "want the women...to fade into the background of American History" nor "future generations of children...believing that only men are strong, brave and heroic."

They interviewed women from the NYPD, FDNY, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department (PAPD), and other women who were there that fateful day and many days thereafter. Each chapter tells another woman's story so be prepared to read 30 gut-wrenching stories. They also interviewed women who were at the scene in other capacities. AND something very few people know about-three women died that day while in the service of saving others: Captain Kathy Mazza (PAPD), Moira Smith (NYPD), and Yamel Merino (EMT). There are chapters about those women as well.

These women and so many others saw crushed vehicles, dead bodies and body parts, along with airplane parts. They witnessed more in a short period of time then most people do in a lifetime. Some of their stories are very graphic while others brushed over that part. They talked about what they experienced and saw, their injuries, feelings and more. Its no wonder they continue to have problems BUT more importantly-most of them have all returned to the jobs they held on 11 September 2001. They continue to serve their community. They are all heroines and definitely role models for young girls to follow in years to come.

This is a book well worth reading though if you are like me it may take you awhile to get through it. I admit I had a hard time reading each chapter. With my background I felt everything these women went through without actually having been there. Be prepared for your own emotions to run the gamut. Be prepared to relive that day and the days that followed over again through these women's eyes. But take the time to read "Women At Ground Zero".

Compassion.......2002-11-18

When I wrote my review of this incredible book, I accidentally gave it 2 stars instead of my intended 5 stars. I apologize for my mistake and give this book the highest points possible. It will move you deeply.

women at ground zero.......2002-11-17

Very good book! Amazing stories from very brave and courageous women! You Go Girls!

Reclaiming the Sky: 9/11 And the Untold Story of the Men And Women Who Kept America Flying

Average customer rating:

A passionate, involving set of experiences of ordinary individuals placed in unusual situations calling for action.
9/11 - an honest perspective
Enduring and Prevailing: the definitive roadmap
enlightening perspective
The Inside Story

Reclaiming the Sky: 9/11 And the Untold Story of the Men And Women Who Kept America Flying
Tom Murphy
Manufacturer: AMACOM/American Management Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0814409091

Book Description

On the morning of September 11, 2001, thousands of airline and airport professionals headed off for what they assumed would be just another day on the job. Of course it was anything but. Now, as the nation approaches the fifth anniversary of that tragic day, the stories of the heroes and casualties among our dedicated air travel workers remain largely untold.

Until now. Reclaiming the Sky honors not only those workers who died doing their jobs, but also the ones that soldiered through on that day and in the aftermath, tirelessly piecing back together the fragments of a shattered industry -- and indeed a critical social and economic force -- while putting aside their own fears and grief.

In conjunction with a website, reclaimingthesky.com -- where readers can share their stories and thoughts -- the book not only honors the heroes and casualties of 9/11, it also offers common ground to those seeking meaning, purpose, and the strength to move forward.

Customer Reviews:

A passionate, involving set of experiences of ordinary individuals placed in unusual situations calling for action........2006-11-06

These personal stories of aviation employees whose lives changed after September 11th, 2001 makes for an outstanding collection of memories of those who acted courageously and behind the scenes. RECLAIMING THE SKY: 9/11 AND THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE MEN ND WOMEN WHO KEPT AMERICA FLYING offers stories of professionals who were on duty on that day: it makes for a passionate, involving set of experiences of ordinary individuals placed in unusual situations calling for action.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

9/11 - an honest perspective.......2006-10-14

What strikes me most about this book is the honesty, time and care taken by the author in ensuring that the story told is true to the maturing experiences of those involved. I am sure that it would have been relatively easy for Mr. Murphy to rush a book out, given his proximity to the people and events of that terrible day. But he didn't do that. This approach must have required great patience and absolute dedication, but these traits have in the end been richly rewarded in what is a unique account and a developed perspective.

I think this is key. I myself was caught up in the '93 bombing. My experience was relatively mild of course - a bad scare and a long walk down from the 99th floor. But even in my case I've learned that it takes time and reflection to judge the true impact of these seemingly unreal events.

I loved those towers very much. As a Brit in New York I was in "adult Disneyland" - perhaps the best 3 years of my life. Whenever I could, wherever I was in New York, I'd look for the towers, as if addicted to their beauty and iconic majesty. I didn't realise that '93 was just the start of a greater tragedy. My firm relocated and our space was taken by another firm. They were a client of mine and I loved working for them - such great people, with real character. When I left New York to return to London I was given a football by my boss, with signatures of those I'd been closest to in New York. Tragically, 4 of those signatures are from people that were lost on 9/11.

Having left New York I was confined to experiencing 9/11 through a TV, remote and detached. For so long my '93 experience and also 9/11 have seemed and felt to me to be a work of fiction, something from the movies. The relevance of this to the book is that time and reflection have taught me not to gloss over or bury past events but to recognise that they were real, they did happen, it really was intended to topple the towers as I sat in them, that evil had its moment but that the memories of the spirit of the good and the great has in the end prevailed. Thank you Tom for allowing me to find my own maturity and honest perspective.

Enduring and Prevailing: the definitive roadmap.......2006-09-19

This book is structured around the stories of about two dozen aviation industry personnel at three airports (Logan, Newark, Dulles) and two airlines (American, United) who although not at ground zero on September, 11, 2001, were on the front line in every significant sense. Although many people rose heroically that day, these stories make a strong case that the performance of those in the aviation industry was second to none, not only on 9/11 but in the days, weeks, and months following. The author has long experience in the aviation industry, largely developing and running customer service training programs. Due to a cancelled meeting that morning in the North Tower he was heading home to the west coast earlier than planned and was among the last to see from the air the twin towers standing. But professional associations and personal friendships within the aviation industry gave him many other perspectives on 9/11 and its aftermath - perspectives that in variety and scope may well be unmatched.

The stories are well told and woven together to show connections, both personal and professional, between people. In addition to their responses to the events of that day, we learn in some cases why they chose aviation as a career, their pride in the industry and part in it, and other aspects of what makes them "tick." The individuals range widely: a security agent, several flight attendants, a pilot, customer service reps, airline operation officers, to name a few. One of the more striking stories focuses on the general manager of the Newark Airport. Her sharp instincts, clear thinking, and ability to act decisively under considerable pressure illustrate leadership of the highest order. Not all these people survived that September morning but this book leaves no doubt that the memory and spirit of those who didn't are alive and well and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. These stories also give an inside look at the aviation industry beyond the gate agents and flight attendants that most of us are familiar with.

But the personal tragedies of that day were just the beginning. The economic and emotional aftermath of 9/11 hit the aviation industry especially hard. Over 100,000 jobs were lost in the first post 9/11 year alone as funding priorities shifted dramatically, and those remaining in aviation took on additional burdens. How these people not only adapted and endured but prevailed - in essence reclaimed their lives - is the central question the author explores. The later part of the book sheds considerable light on this question and distills much of value from these people. Although individual paths to personal recovery varied common themes were unmistakable. Indeed this book is an excellent guide for anyone recovering from a loss of almost any kind or severity.

At a time when the national discourse seems to dwell so much on the fearful, the negative, and the cynical it is refreshing to be reminded - as this book does - that this need not be so. Here are stories of a few, from among undoubtedly many and unsung others, who under crisis conditions were not paralyzed by fear, were able to act decisively, and were willing to reach out to others. And equally impressive they refused to become victims of that experience in the tough months and years that followed. This book provides an occasionally needed reminder of what seemingly ordinary people can do.

enlightening perspective.......2006-09-18

This book brings such a unique perspective to what happened on 9/11. There's this whole "world" of people who had to continue, not just for their own livelihood, but to help maintain one the freedoms that makes us who we are. I really enjoyed the down-to-earth way the author writes, and his honesty with how this has affected him and those around him. This is a great book that helps to explore some of the unspoken sorrows, while not replaying events we've seen so many times. Well worth it. Bravo to the author, and to all those people who kept us flying.

The Inside Story.......2006-09-14

I didn't know it when I started reading it, but this book presents a truly unique perspective on the events of 9/11. Unlike many of the "featured" 9/11 books, Tom Murphy writes not as an outside pundit,partisan political hack or foreign policy wonk... he writes passionately from his position as a long time consultant inside the aviation industry. I was amazed when I read this very insightful book how much I took for granted when I flew both before 9/11 and after. RECLAIMING THE SKY will give you an "on the ground" feel for the what the aviation industry is really like...and what the events of 9/11 meant that fateful day and all the days since. I know you've heard it all before, but when I started it, I couldn't put it down: the book is rich in human detail, conversational and warm in tone, with a depth of compassion and support for those Mr. Murphy knew,worked with and cared deeply about. It's also not just a book about aviation; it's a moving story of Tom Murphy's personal journey as well. I think it's a great book...before writing this review I ordered 3 copies for friends.

A Life In Leadership: From D-Day to Ground Zero

Average customer rating:

A compelling personal account of a life well-lived
Full of Business Nuggets
Educational, Honest, and Inspiring
One of the Best Business Books Ever Written
Incredible Business Memoir

A Life In Leadership: From D-Day to Ground Zero
John C. Whitehead
Manufacturer: Basic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0465050549
Release Date: 2005-05-31

Book Description

The autobiography of an unsung hero of the Greatest Generation, a leader on the frontlines of American history

John Whitehead began life in Montclair, New Jersey, as a child of the Depression and went on to lead an exemplary life in the years of the Greatest Generation. In this intimate, charming autobiography, he shares his stories and the lessons he's learned about quiet leadership.

He describes how on D-Day he commanded one of the landing crafts at Omaha Beach, and witnessed one of the greatest battles in American military history. Later, in his role as co-chair of Goldman Sachs, he was one of the pioneers of the globalization of international finance that was to change the face of American business. In 1985, Whitehead was appointed Deputy Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan and became the architect of the Reagan administration's successful efforts to wean the countries of Eastern Europe from the Soviet Union and to open up space there for the democratic movements that eventually resulted in the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Most recently, he was appointed by New York Governor George Pataki as Chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which is charged with the task of rebuilding Ground Zero. Whitehead provides a first-hand account of the difficult decisions the LMDC has made in meeting its goals of re-developing lower Manhattan and honoring the victims of 9/11 as the capstone of his remarkable career.

Customer Reviews:

A compelling personal account of a life well-lived.......2007-09-27

A brief summary of John Whitehead's accomplishments thus far indicates the nature and extent of his "life in leadership": most recently, chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC); previously, co-chairman of Goldman Sachs and then deputy secretary of state, second-in-command to Secretary George Shultz, in the Reagan administration; also tenures as chairman of the governing boards (at one point or another) of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the United Nations Association, the International Rescue Committee, the Harvard Board of Overseers, Haverford College from which he earned a B.A. degree, and the Asia Society. It should also be noted that, during World War Two, Ensign Whitehead commanded a Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP) or "Higgins boat" that successfully delivered troops to Omaha beach on the first day of the Normandy Invasion.

With all due respect to Whitehead's numerous and considerable accomplishments, however, what most impressed throughout his memoirs is his passionate commitment to being an effective leader of others whose welfare has been entrusted to his care. He has always cared deeply, indeed passionately about sustaining that commitment, whatever the given circumstances may be.

As a case in point, after retiring from Goldman Sachs, Whitehead was determined to disengage himself from his various responsibilities and therefore "was dead set against" accepting New York Governor George Pataki's invitation to serve as chairman of the LMDC, following the attack on the World Trade Center. After completing a rigorous analysis of the "pros" and "cons" of acceptance, "it was clear to me that I had to say no." Then, after he looked around his office at all the photographs and memorabilia, "I took a deep breath, and I knew what I had to do. I picked up the phone again and dialed the governor, and when he came on the line I told him I'd accept." There are dozens of other, comparable situations in which White also had to make an especially difficult decision, none of which he later regretted. "I don't allow myself that luxury. What's done is done."

There are several important lessons that can be learned from Whitehead's personal as well as professional experiences that he so generously shares in this volume. Those of greatest interest and value to me include these three:

1. Effective leadership is first and foremost both a privilege and an obligation; those who would lead others must embrace the obligations of trust, compassion, and dedication as well as of rigorous preparation, precise and enlightened decision-making, and courage. It is worth recalling that Dante reserved the last and worst ring in hell for those who, in a moral crisis, preserved their neutrality.

2. Effective leadership also requires not only an understanding and appreciation of teamwork but also a determination to help develop effective leadership skills in one's associates. Hence the importance of recognizing and, yes, celebrating the achievements of others.

3. Finally, effective leadership functions simultaneously within three dimensions: the intellectual, the emotional, and the spiritual. Throughout history, the greatest leaders are those who possess (a) highly refined analytical skills and sufficient knowledge that enable them to make appropriate decisions, (b) a temperament that enables them to sustain a proper balance of what is most important, and also (c) what is often referred to as a "moral compass." As Bill George has so eloquently explained in his book True North, authentic leaders must be authentic people.

When concluding his memoirs, Whitehead observes that he can't help thinking how "lucky" he has been. "Mine has been a good life, filled with lots of fun, interesting experiences, drama, and an engagement with serious issues at the highest level...I have lived at a time when there has been a lot to be done, from fighting the Nazis to battling terrorists. I like to think I have risen to many of these challenges in my own quiet fashion, and I am confident that the next generation of leaders will meet them in their turn. I have been glad to do my part in all of these great endeavors. More than glad. From first to last, I have been thrilled to be in on the action."

John Whitehead is an exemplary leader but also, in my opinion, an exemplary human being. My hope now is that many others, especially those preparing for a career or who have only recently embarked on one, will read and then re-read this compelling personal account of a life well-lived, committing themselves to honorable and productive service when they are also "in on the action," whenever and wherever that may be.

A brief summary of John Whitehead accomplishments thus far indicates the nature and extent of his "life in leadership": most recently, chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation LMDC); previously, co-chairman of Goldman Sachs and then deputy secretary of state, second-in-command to Secretary George Shultz, in the Reagan administration; also tenures as chairman of the governing boards (at one point or another) of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the United Nations Association, the International Rescue Committee, the Harvard Board of Overseers, Haverford College from which he earned a B.A. degree, and the Asia Society. It should also be noted that, during World War Two, Ensign Whitehead commanded a The Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP) or "Higgins boat" that successfully delivered troops to Omaha beach on the first day of the Normandy Invasion.

With all due respect to Whitehead's numerous and considerable accomplishments, however, what most impressed throughout his memoirs is his passionate commitment to being an effective leader of others whose welfare has been entrusted to his care. He has always cared deeply, indeed passionately about sustaining that commitment, whatever the given circumstances may be.

As a case in point, after retiring from Goldman Sachs, Whitehead was determined to disengage himself from his various responsibilities and therefore "was dead set against" accepting New York Governor George Pataki's invitation to serve as chairman of the LMDC, following the attack on the World Trade Center. After completing a rigorous analysis of the "pros" and "cons" of acceptance, "it was clear to me that I had to say no." Then, after he looked around his office at all the photographs and memorabilia, "I took a deep breath, and I knew what I had to do. I picked up the phone again and dialed the governor, and when he came on the line I told him I'd accept." There are dozens of other, comparable situations in which White also had to make an especially difficult decision, none of which he later regretted. "I don't allow myself that luxury. What's done is done."

There are several important lessons that can be learned from Whitehead's personal as well as professional experiences that he so generously shares in this volume. Those of greatest interest and value to me include these three:

1. Effective leadership is first and foremost both a privilege and an obligation; those who would lead others must embrace the obligations of trust, compassion, and dedication as well as of rigorous preparation, precise and enlightened decision-making, and courage. It is worth recalling that Dante reserved the last and worst ring in hell for those who, in a moral crisis, preserved their neutrality.

2. Effective leadership also requires not only an understanding and appreciation of teamwork but also a determination to help develop effective leadership skills in one's associates. Hence the importance of recognizing and, yes, celebrating the achievements of others.

3. Finally, effective leadership functions simultaneously within three dimensions: the intellectual, the emotional, and the spiritual. Throughout history, the greatest leaders are those who possess (a) highly refined analytical skills and sufficient knowledge that enable them to make appropriate decisions, (b) a temperament that enables them to sustain a proper balance of what is most important, and also (c) what is often referred to as a "moral compass." As Bill George has so eloquently explained in his book True North, authentic leaders must be authentic people.

When concluding his memoirs, Whitehead observes that he can't help thinking how "lucky" he has been. "Mine has been a good life, filled with lots of fun, interesting experiences, drama, and an engagement with serious issues at the highest level...I have lived at a time when there has been a lot to be done, from fighting the Nazis to battling terrorists. I like to think I have risen to many of these challenges in my own quiet fashion, and I am confident that the next generation of leaders will meet them in their turn. I have been glad to do my part in all of these great endeavors. More than glad. From first to last, I have been thrilled to be in on the action."

John Whitehead is an exemplary leader but also, in my opinion, an exemplary human being. My hope now is that many others, especially those preparing for a career or who have only recently embarked on one, will read and re-read this compelling personal account of a life well-lived, then commit themselves to honorable and productive service when they are also "in on the action," wherever that may be.

Full of Business Nuggets.......2006-01-05

I am about through with the book and I normally don't make comment until I'm done with a book, but this man is truly remarkable. The author has lived a remarkable business life and the book is an inspirational biography full of relatable business lessons or nuggets. I have had a lot of fun laughing and learning from his life lessons.

On the other hand, I feel that the lesson I have learned most is that a balance of work and life is imperative to me. The author is twice divorced and I believe he dedicated more time to his work life than his family life. I think he is kinda reluctant to talk in more depth about it having only dedicated three pages to the topic. I think he would agree. Nonetheless, I have become a huge fan of John C. Whitehead.

Educational, Honest, and Inspiring.......2005-09-17

I had trouble finishing this book because I could barely get through a couple of pages without getting so inspired that I had to stop so I could take action on my own dreams. As a recent graduate of NYU, I was reminded that my career path will take many unexpected turns and of the possible impact I can have by following my vision and sticking to my values.

This autobiography is written with such authenticity that it is completely relatable. The author's struggle to pay his own way through college in 1939 reminded me of my own in 2000. I could relate to the feelings of triumph. And I could certainly relate to the mortifying mistakes (although perhaps I haven't yet experienced anything as bad as driving Henry Ford home in a Chevy!).

At the same time, the book is incredibly educational. History, business, political, and leadership lessons are encapsulated in every story. As Whitehead describes his experiences, certain themes begin to emerge, giving the reader tools they can apply to their own life. I found myself using lessons I derived from Whitehead's diplomacy missions in my work with others!

One of the Best Business Books Ever Written.......2005-06-27

I would highly recommend this book to anybody interested in leadership, but especially young business people at the beginning of their careers. This memoir gives an incredible inside and frank perspective on leadership of an individual who has had a more ecclectic and successful career than most people could ever hope for. Furthermore, this book is also fascinating because it provides a historical insight into the business world that a history textbook could never provide.

Lastly, I recommend this book because the leadership lessons it provides are universal. They aren't fly-by-night strategies, but basic and simple values that can be applied to almost any leadership position at any time.

Incredible Business Memoir.......2005-06-25

In my opinion, this is one of the best business memoirs ever written. While John Whitehead may not be as well known as Jack Welch or Mayor Giuliani and other individuals who've written best-selling autobiographies, in many ways his career and character are no less impressive.

This book was extremely readable and I finished it all in one day! What I appreciate the most is its honesty and integrity. As I reader, I felt that John Whitehead, now in his late 70s, wasn't writing this book as a tool to step up his own career or feed his ego. I felt that he genuinely wanted to share his experiences and the lessons he's learned from them.

Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed was the focus on character. Unlike other business memoirs, which focus on business strategies, this book focuses on simple values such as hard-work, honesty, integrity, humility, and friendliness. It is inspiring to see these values in somebody who achieved massive success as a business man, states man, and philanthropist.

Average customer rating:

Classic Deathlands is Back!!
AMAZON, WHERE'S DEATHLANDS: BLOODFIRE?
Finally, A Long Time Waiting!
DEATHLANDS IS FIRMLY BACK WHERE IT BELONGS!

Ground Zero (Deathlands 27)
James Axler
Manufacturer: Gold Eagle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0373625278

Book Description

Judgment day has come and gone. Now only the strongest survive.

Law of the Lawless
A century after the nuclear conflagrating almost destroyed the world, humanity endures in a lawless land. Those who inhabit Deathlands are either killers or those who would be killed. But an elite few defy the laws of this new nautical selection -- playing both sides of the eternal game of life and death. Ryan Cawdor and his band of warrior survivalists never leave a friend behind. . .or a coldheart alive.

Legend Reborn
Stranded in the salty desert wastes of West Texas, Ryan and his companions find pre-Dark wheels and set out on a treacherous journey across inhospitable terrain. Hopes for a hot meal and a clean bed in a isolated ville die fast when the companions run into a despotic baron manipulating the lifeblood of the desert: water. But it's his fortress stockpiled with enough armaments to wage war in the dunes that interests Ryan, especially when he learns the enemy may be none other than the greatest -- and long dead -- Deathlands legend: the Trader.

In the Deathlands the future is here,
but the past is never far behind.

Customer Reviews:

Classic Deathlands is Back!!.......2005-08-06

Now this writer has got what it takes to write this series.

I've followed this series for many years, and this writer takes this double header couple of books to give fans a treat for their money.

Forget Boot. He can't write this series. But this guy, along with Milan, can take this adventure series and spin action/adventure gold.

I'll be only buying books written by these two writers. Awesome stuff.

AMAZON, WHERE'S DEATHLANDS: BLOODFIRE?.......2004-02-13

This review is for the missing BLOODFIRE novel, published in Feb. Why is Amazon.com not showing it here?

Anyway, it is the exciting conclusion to The Scorpion God, chock-full of adventure and action that would make Hollywood scream for sequels, if they only had half a brain to develop it in!

A must read for action/adventure fans. Nick Polatta, (the author for this particular novel), knows how to write about savage struggles for survivial. Here he writes, yet again, a fast speed driven story that is guaranteed not put you to sleep.

Deathlands seems to be finally coming out of its slump.

Finally, A Long Time Waiting!.......2004-01-28

This book provides the formula Deathland's fans have been waiting for for so long. The spark is finally back with this action packed adventure. I couldn't put the book down. Great job for the guys following the Axler legacy!

DEATHLANDS IS FIRMLY BACK WHERE IT BELONGS!.......2003-09-26

DEVIL RIDERS is by far one of the most exhilerating Deathlands reads in a while. Even the original author would've raised his eyebrows at this one.
The ever legendary and elusive Trader that hardcore fans of this ultimate action/adventure series have been hanging onto, just might be making a comeback.
DEVIL RIDERS is chock-full of nail biting adventure that new and old fans will (and should) recieve with open arms. Nick Polatta writes some of the best stripped-down savage struggles for survival in a post-holocaust world that has ever been written.
With never a dull moment, Devil Riders takes you on a roller coaster thrill ride that Hollywood needs to take a double take at. This novel left me not only breathless, but wanting more right away. Its been some time since this series made me feel that way. But one thing, Nick. He made a mistake of saying a diesel engine has a carburetor, which it doesn't. Despite that little mistake, do yourself a favor, and pick up this most entertaining novel.

Out of Ground Zero: Case Studies in Urban Reinvention (Architecture)

Average customer rating:

revisión comparativa

Out of Ground Zero: Case Studies in Urban Reinvention (Architecture)

Manufacturer: Prestel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 3791327909

Book Description

The events that took place on September 11, 2001, in New York City are the background for a series of essays exploring the response of different cities at different times to natural or man-made disaster. How have cities coped with cataclysmic change in the urban fabric both physically and psychologically? How have they memorialized what they have lost, and how have they imagined their future? What have been the effects, in both the short and long term, of these efforts to rebuild the city?

From the devastating earthquake that shook Lisbon in 1755 to the Great Chicago fire in 1871; from the bombing of Hiroshima to the destruction of Rotterdam and Plymouth during the second World War; from the cities and towns ravaged by the Bosnian War to the symbolism of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem—this book offers varying perspectives on how cities have responded to catastrophic disasters. Following these case studies is a history of destruction and rebuilding in Manhattan, and a reflection on the role of cities in sustaining democratic culture concludes the book. Contributors to this volume include leading urban theorists, architectural historians, cultural critics, architects, and a film-maker.

Customer Reviews:

revisión comparativa.......2004-09-11

Son pocos los esfuerzos editoriales por mostrar casos de proyectos de reconstrucción de ciudades a lo largo de la historia (de los cuales se cuentan infinidades) de una manera comparativa e intencionada para mostrar experiencias que puedan marcar un camino en estos episodios en la vida de tantas ciudades. La muestra seleccionada es buena; las descripciones de los procesos también. Quizás le falta ser más propositivo en los capítulos finales donde intenta dar unas conclusiones un tanto flojas.

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