Book Description
By the early l940s, when Ukrainian-born Irène Némirovsky began working on what would become Suite Française—the first two parts of a planned five-part novel—she was already a highly successful writer living in Paris. But she was also a Jew, and in 1942 she was arrested and deported to Auschwitz: a month later she was dead at the age of thirty-nine. Two years earlier, living in a small village in central France—where she, her husband, and their two small daughters had fled in a vain attempt to elude the Nazis
—she’d begun her novel, a luminous portrayal of a human drama in which she herself would become a victim. When she was arrested, she had completed two parts of the epic, the handwritten manuscripts of which were hidden in a suitcase that her daughters would take with them into hiding and eventually into freedom. Sixty-four years later, at long last, we can read Némirovsky’s literary masterpiece
The first part, “A Storm in June,” opens in the chaos of the massive 1940 exodus from Paris on the eve of the Nazi invasion during which several families and individuals are thrown together under circumstances beyond their control. They share nothing but the harsh demands of survival—some trying to maintain lives of privilege, others struggling simply to preserve their lives—but soon, all together, they will be forced to face the awful exigencies of physical and emotional displacement, and the annihilation of the world they know. In the second part, “Dolce,” we enter the increasingly complex life of a German-occupied provincial village. Coexisting uneasily with the soldiers billeted among them, the villagers—from aristocrats to shopkeepers to peasants—cope as best they can. Some choose resistance, others collaboration, and as their community is transformed by these acts, the lives of these these men and women reveal nothing less than the very essence of humanity.
Suite Française is a singularly piercing evocation—at once subtle and severe, deeply compassionate and fiercely ironic—of life and death in occupied France, and a brilliant, profoundly moving work of art.
Download Description
Irène Némirovsky was born in Kiev in 1903 into a wealthy banking family and emigrated to France during the Russian Revolution. After attending the Sorbonne, she began to write and swiftly achieved success with her first novel, David Golder, which was followed by The Ball, The Flies of Autumn, Dogs and Wolves and The Courilof Affair. She died in 1942.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Suite Francaise.......2007-10-17
This is one of the most well written compelling books I have read. The author captures the people of France (and the German soldiers) at their most vulnerable, describing them so vividly that you believe them to be real; capturing their faults, their courage and their desire for peace. Her descriptive language brings the country side to life...you can almost smell the flowers. Most importantly, as I read the book I was haunted by the fact that this author, who had so much to live for, was killed shortly after this story was written. I found it amazing that she could convey with such tenderness the raw detail & complexity of the people of France during the early war years knowing that her life was so obviously at risk.
Deeply Moving and Evocative.......2007-10-16
This posthumously published pair of Novellas deserves all of the praise being heaped upon it by all of the reviewers below. It is a remarkable portrait of real people in extraordinary circumstances.
In the First section the reader follows a mixed group of Parisians who are desperately fleeing the oncoming german army. The characterizations of people reacting differently to the stressful situation they find themselves in and the degradations they suffer is poignant and stunning.
In the second section Dolce the Germans are now an occupying force and the tension between conquerers and conquered is palpable. The way the Frrench villagers and citizens adapt to their challenging circumstances is as strong a testament to those who lived through these times as any written record.
Suite Francais is destined to become one of the classics of WWII literature. The writing is incredibly beautiful even in translation.
"Based on true history...".......2007-10-14
The history behind the author of the book is what appealed to me, but the story lines kept me entertained to the end. Some parts dragged, but for the most part, the characters were very relateable and it is interesting to see how their lives intertwined in fictional WWII France. The fictional occupation and end to the war in France portrayed by the author in some ways leaves you hanging but also conveys what the uncertainties and tragedy of war can be like.
not pleased.......2007-10-14
I cancelled this order within 12 hours of placing it and it was a holiday weekend. I got the book anyway and then Amazon told me I would get full credit but I didn't. I got charged for the freight. Not happy.
France and the French during the German Occupation-a portrait, not a snapshot.......2007-10-10
Irene Nemirovsky-a superb author. Her historical novel is well written, well conceived, and ceretainly presents a true and real picture of France and the French people during the German Occupation. The world lost a wonderful woman of letters when she was murdered at Auschwitz.
Amazon.com
The Byzantine Empire, one of its most eminent students reminds us, lasted "for a total of 1,123 years and 18 days," which is an astonishing duration matched by only a few others. Condensing Norwich's three-volume history, this overview captures the splendor and strangeness of Byzantine rule, marked by family intrigues, constant warfare, political and religious strife, and personal ambition--a "somewhat lurid background," as Norwich modestly declares in passing. Norwich is a master of the telling vignette. In one, he writes of imperial guards made up of "Anglo-Saxons who had left their country in disgust after Hastings and had taken service with Byzantium." Facing a Norman enemy in southern Italy, these Anglo-Saxons exacted terrible vengeance until the Normans rallied under the leadership of a fearless woman, one Sichelgaita, and massacred their enemy. Norwich's book abounds in similarly surprising and absorbing episodes.
Book Description
Published to coincide with a major exhibition on Byzantium at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the spring of 1997, Byzantium tells the dramatic story of Byzantium, from its beginnings in A.D. 330, providing readers with a spirited, gripping, and original account of a great lost civilization and its magnificent artistic heritage. 24 pp. of illustrations, 8 pp. in full color. Size C. 432 pp. 20,000 print.
Customer Reviews:
An Endless list of Emperors..........2007-10-15
"A Short History of Byzantium" is a condensed version of author John Julius Norwich's three volume work. It covers the Byzantine Empire from its founding by Constantine the Great in AD 330 through its final destruction by the Turks in 1453.
I began the book with little knowledge about the Byzantine Empire with which to place what I was reading in context. This may have handicapped me as I proceeded through it. Much of this book consists of a seemingly endless list of Emperors, Empresses and challengers. It contains relatively little about other pieces of the Byzantine puzzle, such as the economy, the arts and other social forces which contributed to the whole picture. I did find interesting the sections dealing with the relationship of Charlemagne to the Empire and the occasional attempts, usually the result of foreign pressure, to heal the breach in Christendom.
Overall, I was somewhat disappointed with this book. I finished it with little more understanding of Byzantium than I had when I started. It may be the nature of the subject itself, but I feel that I need to look elsewhere for a good initiation into the Byzantine World.
Standard, Fast-Moving Poltical/Military History.......2007-08-19
A Short History of Byzantium is aptly-named. It covers over a thousand years of history in 381 pages. As such, it is necessarily short on depth and contains no analysis--or footnotes for the serious historians. More concerning to me, however, was its lack of any material beyond male military leaders and emperors. There is no cultural history, a little religious history, and the presentation of the few women in the book is a joke. Casual readers will probably won't be bothered, but anyone with a serious interest in history should read the original three volume work and be prepared to supplement it with additional works.
Disappointment.......2007-07-22
I had high hopes for this book. A Short History of Byzantium, however, reads like little more than a laundry list of people, places, and dates, all passing by at a breakneck pace.
Norwich formula for writing about Byzantine history goes something like this:
Emperor X... 1) assumes the throne, 2) eliminates any perceived threats to his authority, 3) weds a young woman (probably named either Theodora, Eudoxia, or Zoe) in the hopes of siring a male heir, 4) sends his army to wage war against Enemy Y, and 5) is subsequently overthrown by conspirator Z, who now becomes Emperor Z. Repeat steps 1 to 5. Norwich's approach nicely illustrates an antiquated approach to historical writing that focuses exclusively on the lives of the sovereign, his family, and high officials.
Even more unfortunate, Norwich makes little effort to place those people, places, and dates within any broader cultural, social, or political context, resulting in a tedious and lifeless narrative. He also neglects to discuss topics that may interest the average reader, such as Byzantine art, culture, or military tactics. He does spend some time describing events surrounding the great monophysite debate (which concerned the nature of Christ), but still fails to adequately discuss the ideas that made the debate important in the first place. So what's the point?
Norwich is correct in asserting that the Byzantine Empire has been long neglected in Western scholarship (see the book's introduction). Unfortunately, I cannot imagine how this book could help to reverse that inattention. I love reading history, but Norwich made it impossible for me to get excited about the Byzantine Empire. It is books like this that give the field of history a bad name.
True, Norwich's prose is smooth and the book provides some detailed maps and thorough chronological listings of emperors, popes, and sultans. Still, if the author's overall approach is terribly flawed and the storytelling dull, who really cares to know that Alexius Comnenus ruled from 1081 to 1118?
Istanbul and Constantinople.......2007-03-11
It's fascinating to come upon the reviews for John Julian Norwich's, "A Short History of Byzantium" and see how many reviewers are complaining about the pace. Mr. Norwich has explained the difficulty of reducing three volumes into one volume of 380 pages and I wonder if he had to do it over again if he would. It must have been a hair raising editing process and for anyone so inclined by all means get the three volume version (but it's hard to find) and give the author a break. One reviewer who did said she was very much more enjoying the pace and seemed quite settled down. This shortened version has made me hungry to find all three but in the meanwhile I found it a very compelling read, jam packed with information about the Empire of the East. What a story! I think Norwich is right in saying that this is a whole forgotten chunk of time and place in the west and it seems to have been his pleasure to help us find it and unravel it. To say that a situtation or relationship or organization is "Byzantine" implies all of the tangled confusion which we have associated with that civilization for centuries and this short history now makes me totally aware of how that word is applicable. And I thought the Plantagenets were confusing! This work has at least begun to clarify for me the movement of power from west to east, the movement into orthodoxy and finally into islam. And how it remains with us today throughout the Middle East, the Balkans and Central Asia. For anyone who would like some enlightenment on this long period of history pick up a copy of this book, then hold on to your seat. It's quite a ride.
A narrative summary of the Byzantine empire, not an academic work.......2007-02-12
I've noticed a number of reviewers complaining that this book, A Short History of Byzantium, contains absolutely no analysis. They seem surprised at what the book is: a brief summary of Byzantium. It doesn't claim to be anything else. In the introduction, John Julius Norwich clearly states that it is not an academic work for the purpose of historical analysis. It is a summary of a relatively unknown and overlooked empire in history, written for the purpose of spurring interest in the Byzantine world.
Having defended the purpose of Norwich's work, I still can't give it an wonderful review because of some pronounced internal problems. Such a short summary of over 1100 years naturally feels like the reader is racing through events, and soon the names and controversies blur into one another. For this reason the reader can expect to have an unusually low rate of retention for the information presented in the book. On a better note, the maps and family trees in the front of the book are helpful to keep things straight.
Norwich likes to put in exact dates of events, but often leaves out the year so that you have to stop and do simple math for context. For instance, here is an excerpt of page 134:
"They had captured Alexandria in 818; seven years later, forcibly expelled by the Caliph Mamun, they headed for Crete...Within only two years of the capture of Crete another company of Arabs invaded Sicily..." Of course the math is easy, but it interrupts the reader's flow of thoughts on the content itself.
Furthermore, because Norwich has created a non-academic work, some of his choices for the flow of the story are controversial. The reader must therefore approach the events cautiously. For instance, Norwich narrates the life of Constantine the Great as if the emperor truly believed Christianity was the true religion. And yet in a class on Constantine and the Council of Nicea I took in college, an excellent case was made that Constantine used Christianity almost solely for political gain.
I have not read the longer, three volume version of this work, but since the biggest issue is the neck breaking pace, I would imagine the longer works would do much to overcome the major problem of this specific edition.
Book Description
Most policymakers in the United States and Israel have it wrong. Hezbollah isn't a simple terrorist organization--nor is it likely to disappear soon. Following Israel's war against Hezbollah in the summer of 2006, the Shi'i group--which combines the functions of a militia, a social service and public works provider, and a political party--is more popular than ever in the Middle East while retaining its strong base of support in Lebanon. And Hezbollah didn't merely confront Israel and withstand its military onslaught. Hezbollah's postwar reconstruction efforts were judged better than the U.S. government's response to Hurricane Katrina--not by al-Jazeera, but by an American TV journalist. In Hezbollah, one of the world's leading experts on Hezbollah has written the essential guide to understanding the complexities and paradoxes of a group that remains entrenched at the heart of Middle East politics.
With unmatched clarity and authority, Augustus Richard Norton tells how Hezbollah developed, how it has evolved, and what direction it might take in the future. Far from being a one-dimensional terrorist group, Norton explains, Hezbollah is a "janus-faced" organization in the middle of an incomplete metamorphosis from extremism to mundane politics, an evolution whose outcome is far from certain. Beginning as a terrorist cat's-paw of Iran, Hezbollah has since transformed itself into an impressive political party with an admiring Lebanese constituency, but it has also insisted on maintaining the potent militia that forced Israel to withdraw from Lebanon in 2000 after almost two decades of occupation.
The most accessible, informed, and balanced analysis of the group yet written, Hezbollah is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the Middle East.
Customer Reviews:
Primer on Lebanese politics.......2007-09-12
This book is entertaining, all too short and rather sloppily edited -- for example whether Israel destroyed 15000 homes (p.111) or 1500 homes (p.144) in the 2006 bombardment, as well as several typographical errors you wouldn't expect in few pages with large print. Moreover it is less about Hezbollah than about Shi'i politics in Lebanon since the 1970s. There are no interviews with Hezbollah officials and only a few quotations from public sources. This is understandable, however: I wanted a book, in 2007, that said _something_ about Hezbollah in the context of the 2006 war, and this provides it. Lebanese politics are intricate and this book doesn't seem to oversimplify matters. Plus there's a chapter that first appeared in a drama journal on the dramaturgy of Ashura. As others have implied here, the book probably assumes sympathy for the Shi'a in Lebanon, as against Israel in particular: that's fine with me, but it's obviously not fine with everyone.
I would ask Mr Norton for more detailed information about Hezbollah's connections with Iran and for some characterization of the social or class position of Hezbollah among Lebanese Shi'a, as against AMAL's, say.
This book has some useful material but it's too biased.......2007-08-12
Norton says that Hezbollah came about as the result of the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. And he quotes Prime Minister Rabin as asking what he was supposed to do about the threat to Israeli towns anywhere near the Lebanese border. Well, I would like to ask Norton the same question. He sure does not answer it in this book.
Norton also challenges the idea that Hezbollah is a terrorist organization, but I think this merely confuses the issue. Hezbollah clearly has a goal of getting rid of human rights for Levantine Jews, by violent means. And Norton says in his conclusion that he hopes that Hezbollah will play a constructive role in the future of Lebanon. But I think that is a little like saying that one hopes the National Socialists will play a constructive role in the future of Germany. I think we all ought to hope that they don't. We ought to be opposing counterproductive organizations, not hoping that they will fare well.
This book has met with a very negative review from Jonathan Schanzer in the Jerusalem Post, and I think it is worthwhile to see if that review makes some valid points.
Schanzer notes that Hezbollah "exists to further the violent aims of Iran, to demonize and attack the US and to destroy Israel." And he says that Norton "neglects to state this unequivocally and, for that reason, he should be publicly shamed." I agree. By the way, Shanzer has also pointed out that Norton and Sara Roy have written an article in which they say that there can be no Israeli peace process that excludes Hamas. Given that Hamas insists on destroying Israel, this seems to show more than a little bit of bias on Norton's (and Roy's) part as well.
There are numerous places in the book where Norton does indeed give some rationalizations for Hezbollah's violent acts, and Shanzer names some of them. And I agree with Shanzer that it would show far more academic honesty, objectivity, and integrity on Norton's part were he to show how weak some of these excuses happen to be.
There's some useful material in this book about the nature of Hezbollah, but I think we readers deserve a less biased accounting.
Interesting, but ultimately less than satisfying, account of Hezbollah.......2007-07-12
Dr. Norton's short history of Hezbollah provides a nice introduction to the birth, development, and evolution of this complex organization for American (and other English speaking) readers. The US media almost always portrays Hezbollah as an anti-Semitic, Islamofascist, terrorist organization that is opposed to Israel, America, and freedom because they are `evil'. The reality is, of course, much more complex. If you are tired of reading the US media's propaganda about Hezbollah and want to learn a bit more about reality, this is a good place to start.
There are several strengths to this book, and in particular, there are several key points that Norton addresses that I feel are especially significant. First, I think that the reader who is relatively new to Hezbollah and/or Lebanese history and politics in general will better understand the complexities and non-linearities amongst the various confessional groups. The relationships, both internal and external, between the various actors in Lebanon CANNOT be simply understood in terms of the Arab/Israeli, Shi'ite/Sunni, Muslim/Christian, and pro/anti Syrian forces. The alliances among all the major players inside Lebanon (e.g. Hezbollah, AMAL, the various Maronite and Orthodox groups, etc.) as well as with the outside players (primarily Syria, the US, France, and Israel) are constantly changing. Second, I think that the centrality of the Palestinian issue will become clearer to most readers. There are hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees living as non-citizens in Lebanon, and this was the most important (but certainly not only) cause of the disintegration of the Lebanese govt in the mid-70s. This problem still hangs over everything else in Lebanon. Any permanent resolution of the internal problems in Lebanon MUST be part of a larger Arab/Israeli (i.e. Palestinian/Israeli) settlement. Third, this book explores some of the religious and ideological underpinnings of the revolutionary worldview of Hezbollah. The nature of this worldview is widely misunderstood by Western observers, and Norton attempts to explain some of the underpinnings of this world view. Fourth, Hezbollah has always claimed that its existence is necessary to defend Lebanon from Israel. Norton discusses this point at length and presents in detail the opposing view that Israel would have left Lebanon long before 2000 and would not have bombed Lebanon in 2006 if Hezbollah disarmed. We'll never know what would have happened if Hezbollah had disarmed after the 1989 peace agreement, but my personal feeling is that the Israelis would today be draining the water from the Litani river to fill the swimming pools of their settlers without Hezbollah. Finally a significant fraction of the book is devoted to the build up and events of the Israeli attack on Lebanon in 2006. Dr. Norton presents an informative and balanced view of events here in my opinion (in spite of what Mr. Frantzman writes in his review).
The major negative comment that I have about this work is that it is too short. I know that this is supposed to be a `short history', but I think that the astute reader will readily discern that an enormous amount of detail has been swept under the rug. In the end, the interested reader will be left wanting more, and will only start to understand some of the complexities of Hezbollah. Bottom line though is that whether you support Hezbollah, view them as a terrorist organization, or have no opinion and simply want to learn more, I think that Dr. Norton's work is well balanced introduction into the complexities of Hezbollah.
Problematic.......2007-06-07
This book bills itself as a history of Hezbullah but the cover migth begin to betray the viewpoint expressed within. It is an exact copy of the Hezbullah flag, as if this were in fact a Hezbullah official document. In fact this is mostly a pro-Hezbullah story about an 'indigenous' organization of 'resistence' that grew up after the 1976 Lebanon Civil war and in the wake of the Syrian and Israeli invasions of Lebanon. As a Shia movement it was not unique, Amal existed before, but as a fighting organization it became perticularly brutal and strong, evnetually forming a Shia mini-state in Southern Lebanon after the Israeli withdrawel of 2000. Minorities disappeared from thin its midst and it had pretensions to run Lebanon as the Shia birthrate is the highest in the country. It thus became opposed by the Druze, Maronites and Sunnis.
But in 2006 it launched a war against Israel, pretending that it was fighitng to 'defend Lebanon' or to get back Shaba farms or for 'prisoners' but in reality it wanted to provoke a war that would bring it to power and make Lebanese think that it was neccesary.
This book tries to prove that Hezbullah is not a 'terrorist' organization and that it really is a defensive resistence movement aimed at waiting in case Israel "decides to re-ignite the war." It is supposedly given legitimacy because of the Shia backing it has, but this is an illogical statement, many countries have minorities, it doesnt mean they should have their own minority malitias? This book doesnt give any blame to Hezbullah for starting the war in 2006 or give any critique of Hezbullah methods. This is too bad and makes this a very biased account.
Seth J. Frantzman
Too brief and off the point.......2007-05-23
This book is too quick a survey to debate the pros and cons of Hezbollah. The author's bottom line is that Hezbollah does not qualify to be an international terrorist organization and that its rank and file is made of Lebanese militants. Norton quotes Nasrallah as telling late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri that the Hezbollah members were born in Lebanon, were living in Lebanon and would die in Lebanon. The Lebanese nature of the party is granted, the problem remains in the political agenda and affiliations of the group.
Under Syrian patronage, Hezbollah was allowed to create its own state within the Lebanese state. Hezbollah has its own budget, maintains its own militia and has its own foreign policy as it decides when to go to war with Israel or not. All of these functions should be reserved for the Lebanese state only.
After the Syrian withdrawal, and as a payback for the Syrian regime's favors, Hezbollah tried to extend the Syrian mandate over Lebanon by coercing all other groups into accepting Syrian dictates, now offered in a Hezbollah wrap. While many Lebanese groups expressed their opposition to the Hezbollah mandates, the group proved to be inexperience in politics as it went around bullying everybody else especially the Lebanese government.
It would have been better for Norton had he argued whether Hezbollah is willing to give up on its loyalty to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khaminei. Even though Hezbollah was created a quarter century back, it only got engaged in Lebanese politics after the withdrawal of the Syrian troops from Lebanon in 2005. The first Hezbollah ministers to enter the cabinet did so after the Syrian withdrawal. This should tell us something. No one in Lebanon is disputing Hezbollah's Lebanese-ness or the lack of it. Everyone is contending, however, the willingness of this group to give up on its mini state and enter in partnership with other Lebanese groups as part of the national Lebanese state. This Norton fails to notice or discuss.
Amazon.com
"Jewish history is often told not as a narrative of real people with human problems and interests but as an idealized national myth," writes Raymond Scheinlin, in the introduction to his excellent A Short History of the Jewish People. Scheinlin is an observant Jew, but his book is not a history of the Jewish religion. It is a history of Jewish tribes around the world and the ways "they have interacted with the nations and cultures among whom they have lived, adapting to their environment while retaining a variety of continuities." The book's brevity precludes exhaustiveness, but its focus on particular Jewish communities and its disciplined analysis of their political successes and foibles give readers a firm grasp on the movements in Jewish history that have shaped the Middle East, Europe, and America. Amply illustrated with maps and photographs, the fluid prose of Scheinlin's History make this book a useful starting point for anyone seeking a secular history of Judaism that is neither skeptical nor hostile to religion. --Michael Joseph Gross
Book Description
Where did the Jews come from? How did they retain their strong sense of community through centuries of dispersion? How have the Jews of the present, with their proud ethnic identity and thriving national home, emerged out of the downtrodden Jews of the past? Such questions arise naturally in the minds of anyone contemplating the long history of Jewish people. In one concise, authoritative volume, A Short History of the Jewish People provides insights and answers. This sweeping and highly informative work presents the major geographical, cultural, and political forces that have determined the course of Jewish history, introducing the many individuals, both religious and secular, who have shaped the character, mindset, and prospects of the Jewish people. Organized chronologically, the narrative follows the Jewish experience from legendary times to the peace agreements currently being negotiated in the Middle East. And, to give this overview an international and timely perspective, Raymond P. Scheindlin focuses his study on the pivotal events and dominant communities within each historical period. Written by a respected Hebrew scholar, cultural historian, noted author, and rabbi, A Short History of the Jewish People carefully describes the story of a people as varied as the many cultures in which they have lived. Including detailed maps and stirring photos, as well as timelines and sidebars, this pioneering work is a valuable resource for anyone broadly curious about the Jewish people.
Customer Reviews:
Highly informative.......2007-08-24
This book is packed with information that is offered in a very readable manner. The author did an exceptionally fine job. I did not expect to learn so much or be so fascinated.
Useful book for lower division instruction.......2006-12-23
Scheindlin has managed to write nearly the perfect book for a lower division course on Jewish history. He successfully spans the entire scope of Jewish history from legendary times to the modern State of Israel in a mere 263 pages of very readable prose. His writing is neither dry nor laden with jargon. He writes like Leon Uris or Herman Wouk.
Two issues of debate in the book should be supplemented with additional readings. The first is that the portrayal of the Jewish-Christian schism is only presented in the context of medieval Antisemitism, and a more balanced and informative view of the formative period of Rabbinic Judaism and Christianity is found in From Text To Tradition by Lawrence Schiffman. The second is the lachrymos portrayal of Jewish life in the Middle Ages. That should be balanced with Salo Baron's groundbreaking article "Ghetto and Emancipation," reprinted in The Menorah Treasury, ed. Leo W. Schwarz (Philadelphia, 1964).
With those two caveats, I would recommend this book for any introductory Jewish history or Jewish studies survey class.
Good choice for lay people or undergraduates.......2005-12-09
I teach a survey of Jewish history course at the freshman/sophomore level, and this is a great text for a course of this sort. It is easily understandable, concise and has all the important information. The index is helpful. I would also recommend it for the non-student looking for a quick introduction to the basics of Jewish history. Scheindlin is particularly good with material from Jews in the Middle East. For my course I supplement it with primary texts.
Concise, Readable, Essential.......2005-01-13
In taking a "Survey of Jewish History" course this fall, which is a broad subject, a broad and sweeping primary textbook was needed. In the short space of 263 pages, Scheindlin covers equitably the history of world Jewry, balancing coverage of religious and sociopolitical elements.
Although accurately described as a secular book, Scheindlin is a practicing Jew and the book is certainly not irreligious. In most cases (esp. premodern situations,) Scheindlin approaches an event or a conflict as a neutral observer, a historian documenting causes and effects. Importantly, he explains the way Jewish societies around the world conceived of and reacted to their circumstances, without actually adopting their views in his writing. This allows both Jew and non-Jew to feel comfortable with the book.
Anyone who faults the book for its lack of detail misunderstands the point of the text and the feasability of what they are asking for. What Scheindlin does with stunning success is give an interesting, accurate depiction, albeit with broad brushstrokes, of the forces that have shaped Jewry throughout the ages.
(I especially recommend the chapter on the Holocaust as riveting and awe-inspiring. Scheindlin, in his understated tone, evokes the horror of "Shoah" (destruction) in a way that impresses even veteran readers with its vividness.)
Superb, Stylish summary of Jewish History.......2005-01-06
Although one can quibble over specific statements and interpretations (e.g. he writes that Yiddish is a dialect of modern German, when actually it derives from Middle German and is as much a dialect as English is, which also evolved from Middle German) or his inclusion or exclusion of certain figures, facts, etc.-- overall Scheindlin has created a superb work. It is concise, well written, and nicely complemented with clear historical timelines, maps, and small topical essays.
The book is well organized with sensitivity to the difficulty of understanding the tremendous amount of material being covered. The chapters break down as follows:
1) Israelite Origins and Kingdom [Biblical] (c1220 BCE - 587 BCE)
2) Judea and the Origins of the Diaspora [2nd Temple Period] (587 BCE - 70 CE)
3) Roman Palestine and Sassanid Babylonia [Classical Rabbinic Period] (70 CE - 632 CE)
4) Jews in the Islamic World: From the Rise of Islam to the End of the Middle Ages (632 CE - 1500 CE)
5) Jews of Medieval Christian Europe (9th century to 1500)
6) Jews in the Ottoman Empire and Middle East (1453 - 1948)
7) Jews of Western Europe (1500 - 1900)
8) Jews of Eastern Europe and the United States (1770 - 1940)
9) The Holocaust (appx. 1925 - 1946)
10) Zionism and the Origins of the State of Israel (appx. 1862 - 1948)
11) The Jewish People after 1948
This is an excellent historical primer and contains a good bibliography for further study.
Book Description
Marked by C. Warren Hollister's clear historical vision and engaging teaching style, this classic text has been judiciously revised by Judith Bennett; the tenth edition includes greater coverage of Byzantium and Islam, a revised map program, a new essay program on medieval myths, and more. In his preface to the eighth edition, Professor Hollister wrote of his realization, while in college, that our world today "is a product of the medieval past." Medieval Europe introduces today's students to the medieval roots of our own society.
Customer Reviews:
Decent Textbook.......2007-01-22
I am a graduate student who has recently begun teaching first-year undergrads. The Hollister and Bennett book is the main text book for a Medieval Period General course, and the students use it to supplement their core readings. The textbook, a general synthesis of the history of Western Europe, is decent and fairly comprehensive, written and updated by experts in the field. However, it has been a long time since I've read a general textbook, and found the lack of footnote references a bit unnerving. The book does, however, provide lists for further reading at the end of each chapter, but these are very selective.
Fantastic Introduction.......2006-05-16
Professor Hollister managed, again, to convey the thematic importance of major questions in European history in a concise and entertaining fashion. This is one of, if not, the best introductions to medieval European history out there. The only drawback is the price, which is ridiculous. This book ought to be $15 or so. Oh well.
Excellent Survey.......2006-05-14
A succinct and well-balanced survey of the European Middle Ages, this book is an excellent choice for undergraduates and other scholars needing a good overview of the period. Each edition seems to stay true to the current research of the period. I highly recommend world historians keep this on their shelves for reference.
Book Description
With unusual clarity and "from the trenches" insights, this book explores in detail the complexities of the origins, course, and momentous effects of World War I. It focuses not only on the grand scale of the war, but on its everyday realities for the common soldier and the civilian populations on the Western, Eastern, and other fronts. Explores the military and non-military aspects of the War and its causes. Synthesizes various analyses and interpretations of the many controversies of the war. Includes insights from the most recent literature on the role of women in the conflict; the war in the air; the Armenian Genocide; the assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand; Total War and the Home Fronts. Contains a graphic, in-depth account of the appalling existence of soldiers at the front -- including not only the horrors of battle, but the oppressive psychological impact of life in the trenches. Features a large number of maps and lively biographical sketches of important figures. For anyone interested in World War I, Military History, 20th Century Europe.
Customer Reviews:
Straight Facts on World War I.......2003-01-23
World War I, A Short History is one book that certainly can be judged by its cover, it is a no frills statement of all facts concerning World War I from its causes to its consequences, it is accurate, detailed and has a refreshing lack of personal opinion. Do to its overwhelming detail and lack of personal opinion Lyons's book is best suited not as a class room text but as a stand alone resource of the First World War. There is no doubt of Lyons in depth knowledge of his subject but the comprehensive manner in witch he presents it makes the book no light reading, careful note taking is required in order to make the most out of the information that Lyons presents, despite this inconvenience the book is still a valuable resource.
A clear military/political history of the First World War.......2001-04-27
This is a clear, readable textbook that covers the background of the war, wartime developments on all fronts, and the aftermath of the war. The focus is almost entirely on Europe; there is one chapter on the war outside Europe, but little attention otherwise to the involvement of non-Europeans (primarily via colonial empires) in the war effort. The focus is political and military, with occasional discussion of economic matters. There is little social and no cultural history--for those topics, look elsewhere. The maps are clear (though I would prefer more of them), and there are some photos--though for the price of this book, I would have expected more illustrations. It has a list of recommended reading and takes account of a good deal of recent research. The writing isn't gripping--it is a textbook, after all--but it's clear. Section headings help readers keep track of major trends.
Book Description
The Hellenistic era witnessed the overlap of antiquity’s two great Western civilizations, the Greek and the Roman. This was the epoch of Alexander’s vast expansion of the Greco-Macedonian world, the rise and fall of his successors’ major dynasties in Egypt and Asia, and, ultimately, the establishment of Rome as the first Mediterranean superpower.
The Hellenistic Age chronicles the years 336 to 30 BCE, from the days of Philip and Alexander of Macedon to the death of Cleopatra and the final triumph of Caesar’s heir, the young Augustus. Peter Green’s remarkably far-ranging study covers the prevalent themes and events of those centuries: the Hellenization of an immense swath of the known world–from Egypt to India–by Alexander’s conquests; the lengthy and chaotic partition of this empire by rival Macedonian marshals after Alexander’s death; the decline of the polis (city state) as the predominant political institution; and, finally, Rome’s moment of transition from republican to imperial rule.
Predictably, this is a story of war and power-politics, and of the developing fortunes of art, science, and statecraft in the areas where Alexander’s coming disseminated Hellenic culture. It is a rich narrative tapestry of warlords, libertines, philosophers, courtesans and courtiers, dramatists, historians, scientists, merchants, mercenaries, and provocateurs of every stripe, spun by an accomplished classicist with an uncanny knack for infusing life into the distant past, and applying fresh insights that make ancient history seem alarmingly relevant to our own times.
To consider the three centuries prior to the dawn of the common era in a single short volume demands a scholar with a great command of both subject and narrative line. The Hellenistic Age is that rare book that manages to coalesce a broad spectrum of events, persons, and themes into one brief, indispensable, and amazingly accessible survey.
Customer Reviews:
Concise Rendition of a Transitional Age.......2007-08-06
As the title suggests ("A Short History") this treatment of the period sacrifices depth for brevity. Not being familiar with the subject I enjoyed this well-written introduction. Not only is the book a good first overview, it has plenty of notes geared towards further study and a short guide to further reading indicating what the author considers current best texts--as well as the usual bibliography.
A solid effort by a great scholar.......2007-07-31
Hmmm... a former professor who cannot spell the word "engrossed." What did you profess, exactly? (see review above).
Peter Green is one of the world's most eminent scholars of ancient Hellas. His *Xerxes at Salamis* is a classic of historical writing and an engrossing read. While this book is not his best effort, he was hamstrung by the Modern Library's page requirements (not to mention assumptions about the readership of such a book).
A Sad Example of an Over-the-Hill Academician.......2007-06-28
Don't waste your time or money on this one, unless you really want to memorize 2000 Helenistic names or be put to sleep by an obviously self-engrosed former professor (just to set the record straight, I am a former professor myself). Note: before I wrote this, I loaned the book to an educated and urbane Middle East native, and asked him to give me his opinion. His most telling comment was, "I wonder if the author has ever been there, really talked to people, and tried to understand their perspective." My evaluation: the author is "talking at us" rather than trying to tell us a story so that we come away with an understanding. Too bad that Modern Library Chronicles had to publish this one.
Book Description
Cuba: A Short History brings together four chapters from Volumes 3, 5, and 7 of The Cambridge History of Latin America to provide for scholars, students and general readers a concise history of this important island nation. Contributors, top scholars in the field, trace the political, economic, and social development of Cuba from the middle of the eighteenth century to the present day. The concluding chapter, updated for this volume, considers the dilemmas and challenges that Castro's Cuba faces in the wake of the Soviet Union's collapse. Each chapter is accompanied by a bibliographical essay that many readers will find useful.
Customer Reviews:
Only Academic Historians Could Make Cuba this Boring!.......2002-10-11
I used this book in a Cuban history course that I taught last year, and man did the students hate it. This collection of 4 articles from the multi-volume Cambridge History of Latin America is meant to provide a concise overview of Cuban history. But they begin in the 1600s, missing the first several hundred years, and end in the 1970s, missing the last two pivotal decades. The articles themselves are informative enough, but so boring and poorly written as to make the reader weep. This is an awful book.
There is such a thing as a TOO SHORT HISTORY.......1999-10-20
I was surprised to find a so-called history book should skip the first two hundred years of any country. At the beginning of this "history" we are hurtled into the mid-eighteenth century with absolutely no preamble; no background as to what came before. Where is the history of the discovery of the island, the natives who inhabited it, the process by which we arrived at the 18th century? Add to this the fact that each successive event is treated so lightly, with scant detail and such pompous, overblown language, and you can understand why I simply put it down after a few chapters and have not picked it up since. My advise?: If you really want to learn about Cuba, don't bother with this comic book sketch.
Average customer rating:
- Concise, precise, illuminating, celebrational: a must-have
- Powerful book
- opens up the door to further research and study
- Excellent reading for the youth of today
|
100 Amazing Facts About the Negro With Complete Proof: A Short Cut to the World History of the Negro
J. A. Rogers
Manufacturer: Helga M. Rogers
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ASIN: 0960229477 |
Customer Reviews:
Concise, precise, illuminating, celebrational: a must-have.......2004-07-05
"2. Benjamin Banneker, a Negro astronomer, made the first clock made in America in 1754...
"3. The word 'coffee' comes from Caffa, Ethiopia, where it was first used and where it still grows wild...
"5. The Negro arrived in the New World free from tuberculosis and syphillis or other venereal disease...Syphillis originated in Europe in 1494, when there was a great epidemic of it...
"14. The Ganges, the sacred river of India, is named after an Ethiopian king of that name who conquered Asia as far as this river...
"42. Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States and father of the Declaration of Independence, was the father of a large number of mulatto children. His wife protested loud and long to no avail..."
J.A. Rogers
100 AMAZING FACTS ABOUT
THE NEGRO
WITH COMPLETE PROOF
"Immensely entertaining and even more instructive. There is something new on almost every page, and you present it with the utmost effectiveness...a very competent job."
H.L. Mencken
on SEX AND RACE
by J.A. Rogers
J.A. Rogers has been an unsung hero of anthropology and African-American culture of the early to mid twentieth century in much the same way Paul Robeson's cultural legacy of the same time is today. The majority of his work, dating from the early 30s to the mid 1950s, is ironically ignored inverse proportion to the degree his conclusions are proven accurate.
The beauty of this seventy-one page book, however, is the egoless nature of it all. A mental giant and world traveler, J.A. Rogers could have easily written several tomes the likes of which would be ignored by both the general public and the academic world, cutting off his nose in spite of his face for the benefit of proving the voluminous nature of his education and little else. 100 AMAZING FACTS is the exact opposite of this.
"63. The word 'slave' was originally applied to white people. It comes from 'Slav', a Russian people captured by the Germans.
"66. In 1670, Virginia passed a law forbidding Negroes from buying white people...Free Negroes bought white people in such numbers in Louisiana that the state made a similar law in 1818.
"74. The Rock of Gibraltar, the symbol of stability, is named after a Negro ex-slave. It is a corruption of 'Gebal-Tarik' or 'The Mountain of Tarik'. Tarik, who was a Moor, captured the Rock which was then called Calpe, in 711 A.D. Later he conquered Southern Spain..."
J.A. Rogers
100 AMAZING FACTS ABOUT
THE NEGRO
WITH COMPLETE PROOF
The carefully, brilliantly chosen facts which make up the first half of the book are designed to be a combination of enlightening, surprising, disturbing, provocative, even paradigm shifting...yet simultaneously always entertaining. The second half consists of essentially his bibliography, where all of the proof of every fact can be found and authenticated. Perfect for everyone from teenagers (my father first gave me his copy when I was about twelve; I bought it for my fourteen year old son just recently) to interested adults to scholars and educators, you will never spend so little money (less than ten dollars at its highest price anywhere) to get so much knowledge from such a little, entertaining book.
100 AMAZING FACTS is the perfect symbol of J.A. Rogers himself: a complete, concise, well-spoken, honorable treasure--and a gift.
Powerful book.......2002-12-08
sometimes when you want too know about Your Culture&Roots you ahve too explore things for yourself&thank goodness a book such as this brings fourth so many important facts&Historic events that have Shaped the course of America.I Really enjoyed all the Information provided.
opens up the door to further research and study.......2002-02-10
Very easy to read list of interesting facts regarding black people with references. This opens up the door to further study because some of the things seem so fantastic that one may want to look up some of the items using the references provided.
Excellent reading for the youth of today.......1999-02-02
This book should be incorporated into the mainstream of our educational system. I am still amazed at how the truth to these facts aren't recognized or known by Americans today. For instance: Just last year it was acknowledged that Thomas Jefferson had decendants that were black. This book was written in the 50's, and on page 8, fact #42 it relates how he along with other slave owners during that time often had extramarital affairs with their slaves. This was written over 40 years ago and it's now coming to pass. Please read this book to experience the truth that has for so many years been underground.
Average customer rating:
- Tops of Clouds
- My profession's "bible"
- One of a kind aviation book...
- A memorable memoir
- A landmark in aviation writing
|
Fate is the Hunter
Ernest K. Gann
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
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ASIN: 0671636030 |
Book Description
"This book is an episodic log of some of the more memorable of the author's nearly ten thousand hours aloft in peace and (as a member of the Air Transport Command) in war. It is also an attempt to define by example his belief in the phenomenon of luck--that 'the pattern of anyone's fate is only partly contrived by the individual.'" (The New Yorker)
"This fascinating, well-told autobiography is a complete refutation of the comfortable cliche that 'man is master of his fate.' As far as pilots are concerned, fate (or death) is a hunter who is constantly in pursuit of them...there is nothing depressing about FATE IS THE HUNTER. There is tension and suspense in it but there is great humor too. Happily, Gann never gets too technical for the layman to understand." (Saturday Review)
Customer Reviews:
Tops of Clouds.......2007-08-06
After reading FATE IS THE HUNTER by Elmer K. Gann, I will never think of the men and women that pilot commercial planes as "glorified bus drivers", because they stand upon the shoulders of the men that Gann describes in this fictionalized biography. The book is a series of stories that takes a young commercial pilot (presumably Gann) in the 1930's, from training on DC-2's to the beginning of the commercial jet era.
Gann uses "fate" as the thread that goes through this book, the only thing in common with flight today is the air surface to weight ratio and pilot training; still "fate", not luck, has much to do with the survival of man and machine; then as now. The book opens with an altitude adjustment of 50 feet on a night flight, because not maintaining proper altitude represented "sloppy flying", moments later another airliner flies above them at the altitude they just left. This was before collision avoidance systems and sophisticated air traffic control; the pilot relied upon his skill and training.
The book is filled with adventure, from trying to find a remote village in the Amazon jungle, using vague maps and landmarks above a sea of green, to flying in fog so thick and low that a cable is dropped from the plane to determine what is being flown over. These are the days when there were no sophisticated weather reports, navigation was by radio transmitter, a strong signal meant you were going in the right direction. Gann flew the Burma route during the WWII flying a DC-3 or rather nursing them over the Himalayas and also the European theater flying out of Nova Scotia and Greenland. He and his fellow pilots and copilots flew the "milk runs" between Cleveland and Columbus or Chicago to New York learning the route by landmark and hamlets, knowing what weather to expect given the season, discovering the idiosyncrasies of equipment and the people he flew with and relied upon; navigating by the stars on night flights over water.
Gann lists pilots that he flew with who didn't make it as a tribute in the beginning of the book. There is no question that the early days of commercial aviation were difficult and dangerous, but Gann and his comrades showed us the tops of clouds and paved the way for the airway system we have today.
My profession's "bible".......2007-05-01
As an airline captain, I will occasionally ask my first officers if they have read this book. While most say 'yes', a few haven't. Some haven't even heard of it. I instruct them, no, command them to order and read it immediately! Every aviator needs to read this book, the 'bible' of our profession in order to understand our heritage, and what we have been spared. Flying is now orders of magnitude safer than it was in Gann's time, thanks in part to the courage of aviators like him, but also to the engineers he so disparages in the book! But, who can blame him after one changes all the spark plugs in three out of four engines to a useless experimental type. When I taxi by the American Airlines hangars at LaGuardia, I imagine Gann running up each engine after his close call, embarrassing the nerdy engineer who made a nearly fatal mistake. That engineer's more intelligent colleagues, however, also invented deicing equipment that works, reliable navigation, weight and balance and performance rules that prevent accidents, and maintenance procedures that head off trouble. I, and all my passengers and co-workers owe our lives and livelihoods to the brave pioneers that made it so.
This book is spellbinding. My copy is well-dog eared. Yours will be too!
One of a kind aviation book..........2007-02-23
Ernie Gann's memory abides in a special place of honor within the hearts and minds of aviators of which I happen to be one. What fliers appreciate is Gann`s ability to articulate their feelings so eloquently. He is one of them but what sets him apart and what they revere is that Gann wrote so well about flight. It is not surprising then that fliers hold him in such high regard, but the real testament to his skill as a writer comes from the acclaim of others outside this fraternity.
You don't have to be a pilot to appreciate Gann's work. It is sufficient to understand humankind's willingness to push the limits, all along knowing there is a risk to be taken. Man has always been willing to take a chance "so long as [he] insists on striving for progress." (xv) Gann, through his gift of prose, carries the reader along, not as a passenger, but as an involved observer. That is Gann's talent. The reader believes he is there with him. You don't have to be a pilot to understand Gann. He doesn't challenge you with technicalities. He presents situations whose outcome hangs by a thread. Is it fate, luck, skill, or fortune that determines the outcome? Whatever, Gann is a survivor.
In the past, as it is to this day, flight is inherently dangerous and unforgiving. The danger is mitigated in many ways. One way is told in the very first chapter captioned "The Tip of the Arrow." Gann descends his aircraft fifty feet to be precisely on his assigned altitude. By this act of professionalism he avoids a near miss when an unreported aircraft flashes by mere feet away. If he had not descended moments before, they would have collided. Striving for perfection, Gann saved their lives. "Those fifty additional sloppy feet held only a few minutes previously -so insignificant then - are now revealed as the pinion of our lives." (13) Gann, the professional pilot, saves himself and his airplane. Is that fate? Luck? Good fortune? Or is flying a game of chance that is played until your number comes up? In Fate is the Hunter, by telling of his experiences in nearly ten thousand hours of flight, Gann leaves it to us to make the final interpretation for his survival. However he gives us some clues to his thoughts. He writes "at least let us admit that the pattern of anyone's fate is only partly contrived by the individual" (384) What if the other aircraft, flown by another equally professional pilot, also had descended fifty feet? Would that have been fate or bad luck? We would never know.
Unquestionably Gann tempted fate many times, but not recklessly. He is not a daredevil. His good fortune in Fate is the Hunter though contrasts with that of many friends and companions who were not so lucky. He lists their names in the beginning pages of the book. (v-ix) Was their demise preordained? Gann doesn't tell us exactly. Instead we read, without a lot of detail, that their deaths were due to an "unknown cause", a "radio range failure", a vagary of the "seniority system", or, to explain the unexplainable, "pilot error". Humans err but is a human error by itself fate? Or is it carelessness? Or stupidity? Or, given the circumstances like a wing falling off, simply unbelievable? Flying, we know, has little regard for the careless or the foolish. One thing is certain from reading Fate is the Hunter, the line between life and death can be very fine indeed.
Even with the best of human performance possible, the odds against survival may be so overwhelming as to be insurmountable. It is then that true heroism is necessary. Heroism is not ever mandated or demanded of someone by others. Heroism comes from within. It is the disregard for personal safety or salvation that propels action against overwhelming odds. This is not Ernest Gann. He doesn't hold himself out (nor the other pilots that he holds in high regard) as heroes though some of us may believe they were. Gann writes about this in the following paragraph.
"Line pilots do not live in an atmosphere of heroism, for that is a very temporary condition better suited to wildly inspired moments in which the hero hardly knows what he is doing. The pilots know what they are doing, right or wrong, always. They wear courage like a comfortable belt, rarely giving it a thought. But a line pilot is wary all of the time, which is an entirely different matter. To be continuously aware you must know what to be wary of, and this sustained attitude can come only with experience. Learning the nature and potentialities of the countless hazards is like walking near quicksand." (109)
What Gann experiences in his career are situations that require a cool head and good judgment. "The timid, super-cautious pilot is not necessarily the safest. Coupled with knowledge, a touch of boldness is required" (52) Gann will take a calculated risk, but the decision is based on his knowledge and experience.
A high standard must be maintained. In the role of an airline pilot, Gann recognizes he is entrusted with a duty. Passengers place their trust in the airline, the airplane and him. Quite simply, his is an occupation unlike any other. The cockpit of an aircraft in flight is a place that most people normally do not get to see. In our journey with Gann we are invited into his world as he progresses from being an apprentice just prior to World War II until he becomes a seasoned veteran as a Captain of his own ship. Ernest Gann doesn't tell us explicitly, but the reader begins to sense the Captain's responsibility for his passengers, his crew and his company. This burden is not carried lightly by Gann or the other pilots. There are a couple that Gann believes do not deserve his or our respect. These he treats with disdain. However he is not malicious and so he doesn`t use their real names. To the despotic Alessandro, he wished bad luck but nonetheless remains unscathed. The pretender "Captain" Dudley, who didn't have a license, was at first pitied, then loathed. After getting properly licensed Dudley again talks himself into command of another airliner which crashes. He survives but some passengers do not.
Four decades have passed since Gann wrote Fate is the Hunter and a few more years than that since Gann lived the events he so vividly describes in his book. From today's perspective on aviation, Fate is the Hunter opens a window to another time. Unlike the present jet age, all of Gann's flying was in propeller transports - DC 2s, DC 3s, the Lockheed Loadstar, the C-54, and the C-87. In many ways it was a more challenging time. Navigation aids and flight instruments were much less sophisticated than now. Still they were light years ahead of what was available just a short time previously. Yet, while the technology was more primitive, the human factors remain remarkably similar in the present. A pilot faces the hazards of winter snow and summer heat then just as he does today. A schedule is kept just like it is today. Fuel may be critical then as now. Seniority still remains the key to advancement. Pay is determined by the minute of flight though credit time figures into pay computations today. Remarkably the report time of one hour before scheduled departure is the same today as it was for Gann. When airborne there are still the hours of droning along with only routine tasks to complete but always having to be alert for any inkling of an impending problem. I can relate to a common request from passengers interested in exactly where they were. For me the request came via the interphone and is relayed by a flight attendant. In Gann's time it was probably directly from the passenger himself. Gann notes this was "information we seldom had ready at hand" and would "assume a solemn mien and point out a town, or village -anyone visible would do - and...would say. `That is White Pigeon.`" (176) I wish I had thought of that! Thankfully though, copilots today don't have to load passenger baggage any more. Jets are so large we would never leave the gate waiting for them to finish loading! Gann has unintentionally created an historical classic encompassing an important era in aviation.
Gann's description of the aircraft he flew contrasts remarkably with
the aircraft in use now. At the time however they were the best that were available. In one episode the regularly scheduled equipment, a DC-3, is grounded for maintenance. A DC-2 is substituted for the regularly scheduled flight from Nashville to New York with Columbus, Ohio as the alternate. The flight proves to be Gann's first encounter with icing and almost his last flight, period. They encounter heavy icing and battle deteriorating sky conditions until finally arriving at Cincinnati where the weather has remarkably cleared. The fortuitous substitution of a DC-2 saved them. The DC-3 would not have been able to stay in the air carrying the same load of ice. As for the C-87 which he later flew Gann says it "could not carry enough ice to chill a highball."(214) These details provide invaluable information for aviation historians.
Inevitably, in reading Fate is the Hunter , the reader reaches a point where he might ask himself, is all this true? Gann says "insofar as one mind can reveal a vast and extraordinary complex endeavor, all the facts and events described are true." (xvi) I believe him. In nearly ten thousand hours of flying an endless array of situations are possible. Given the time frame, the aircraft he flew, and the conditions he encountered it is entirely within reason for to him have lived the experiences as he describes them. His logbook would be proof. All pilots have one. One thing is sure, if his story is not true, the people he writes about (those that have survived) would not have let him get away with it!
I only have one question. That has to do with "unporting" (368) That is a term as unfamiliar to me as it was to Gann when he was told about it. In the episode that describes the condition, Gann had "arranged the only possible combination of power, speed, and weight which would blockade the chances of unporting" (369) preventing loss of control. Another airplane crashed because of the problem but Gann was unaware except for "a certain trembling" (365) He was only told of the danger later after he came back to work from vacation. Personally I put this in an "ignorance is bliss" category. There are many things beyond the control of the pilot and if you can't do anything about it, it is not worth worrying or knowing about. Even if Gann had known of the problem it is unlikely they would have been able to determine the exact flight requirements to prevent it from occurring. That was only figured out later. Aerodynamics is not my forte but someone else may be able to shed some light on "unporting."
How does Gann's story end? In the end I think he becomes discouraged. He is caught by the seniority trap. A pilot, once he begins with a company, is locked into that company's seniority list. If he were to leave and come back later he would have to go to the bottom of the list and start all over again. Gann left American to pursue another flying opportunity. When that business failed, he was not inclined to start over again as a copilot. He became a writer.
Like a wealthy gambler, he knew when to quit.
A memorable memoir.......2006-11-28
Ernest Gann's autobiographical work is one of the very best examples of the genre ever. The settings are all over the world, but are always in flight. Each chapter is a vignette from his time as a commercial flyer during the late 1930s, '40s, and early 1950s. Every measured word is a pleasure, taking the reader into Gann's cockpit and indeed, into his state of mind. Gann's prose is deceptive in its brevity and simplicity. The proof is in the success of his purpose, which seems to have been to allow his reader to see, hear, and almost smell the experiences of a working aviator. Such a flyer's average hour on the job has been famously described as "59 minutes of utter boredom punctuated by sixty seconds of sheer terror." Gann's exquisite prose captures all sixty minutes of such hours, and does so with seeming effortlessness, but really with eloquence and elegance. Read this book if for no other reason than to study descriptive narrative at its best. You will want to add it to your personal bookshelf, and pick it up once in a while, as I do, just for the pleasure it affords.
A landmark in aviation writing.......2006-11-13
I've never read a bad Ernest Gann book, but the autobiographical FATE IS THE HUNTER marks the top of his form, followed by BLAZE OF NOON, etc.
Bill Brown
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