Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Book Description

On a quiet fall evening in the small, peaceful town of Mill Valley, California, Dr. Miles Bennell discovered an insidious, horrifying plot. Silently, subtly, almost imperceptibly, alien life-forms were taking over the bodies and minds of his neighbors, his friends, his family, the woman he loved -- the world as he knew it.

First published in 1955, this classic thriller of the ultimate alien invasion and the triumph of the human spirit over an invisible enemy inspired three major motion pictures.

Customer Reviews:

Attacked by Tranquil Vegetables?.......2007-09-11

This was first published as a short story in 1954 'Collier's' magazine, then expanded into a novel in 1955. This is the 1978 version. It was made into a film in 1956, 1978, and in 2007. A good story bears repeating, like those 'James Bond' films.

Dr. Miles Bennell, M.D. practices in Mill Valley California. His father has a successful practice in this town. Late at night Becky Driscoll asks him to talk to her cousin Wilma, who believes her Uncle Ira is somehow "different". Becky was his teenage girlfriend. Miles was married and divorced at age 28. Doctor Miles can see nothing strange in retired Ira Lentz. But Wilma, a middle-aged spinster, is convinced he is an impostor. Dr. Miles tells Wilma it is impossible for two people to look exactly alike, even identical twins can be identified by close friends. Wilma's belief must be wrong. Wilma says the difference is in the emotions. Aunt Aleda has also changed. Dr. Miles suggests a psychiatrist.

The next morning Dr. Miles has a patient who ways her husband was somehow different. Over the next couple of days five more patients arrive with the same complaint. He learns another doctor has patients with the same complaint. How can nine people suddenly and simultaneously acquire identical delusions? Then Dr. Miles makes a house call. There is a strange object on a table in the basement! [The title gives away the secret.] Even if you think you know how it turns out you'll still find this novel very interesting. You can compare this novel to the filmed versions. Chapter Seven has a lesson on mass hysteria, or the unreliability of eyewitnesses. (You may figure out the reasons behind this lecture!) Chapter Eight warns about believing in strange stories printed in a newspaper. [They had weekly tabloids in those days.]

There are some false notes. People living in a rural area would likely have a dog; their keen sense of smell might detect differences in a person. People would have firearms handy. A small-town doctor who was divorced would be an oddity in 1955. Can a telephone call to Washington solve a local problem? One big problem is disposing of the bodies of the replaced people. That is always a problem in the real world. It would also be unusual for a doctor to have a separate office from his home in the 1950s. The most difficult problem is the physical impossibility of a vegetable to become an ambulatory animal. H.G. Wells' "War of the Worlds" had a better ending. This novel would be better if the aliens were damaged by the pollution in the air, water, and earth. "It's only a story."

Entertaining Sci-Fi classic.......2007-07-02

A small town doctor Miles Bennell receives a surge of neurotic patients with the same delusion: their relatives are not their relatives. Referring the patients to a local psychiatrist, he soon begins to wonder if something MORE might be happening. Teaming up with a local girl, Becky, the two and another couple soon are on the run from a strange menace which has infiltrated their small town.

I really enjoyed "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." I remember only snatches of the film, and the book goes into much more detail, including more details about the alien, Dr. Miles' relationship with Becky, and the reactions of the town.

Entertaining without being gory. 5 stars.

Classic 1950's Sci-Fi.......2006-08-14

This is a great one, born amidst the tail-fin laden anxiety of the 1950's. Thanks to multiple movie adaptations, and the descriptive title, the storyline here is probably familiar to most. Strange aliens invade small town and slowly and systematically take over the bodies of the unsuspecting inhabitants. The invasion is methodical, deliberate, and non-violent. Our protagonist and his delicious love-interest trip across the invasion, and become mankind's last hope of resistance before a complete invasion of the world is inevitable.

The overriding sense of suspicion, doubt and anxiety that was typical of Cold War fantasy literature pervades this book. Also, Finney, speaking in the first person through the voice of a Mill Valley family physician, wrote with a rye sense of humor. The plot itself is a bit absurd, from the improbable contained invasion of Marin County's jewel town to the ease with which our heroes turn back the invasion. It is hard to understand how our chief protagonist can remain such a horny SOB during civilization's darkest hour. There are gaps in the plot too - like what exactly happens to the 'old' human body when the alien duplicate body takes over?

Be advised, the book bears little resemblance to the 'modern' movie version with Donald Sutherland. That makes reading the book more worthwhile. Give it a try.

Invasion of Our Nightmares.......2005-02-19

Miles is beckoned to his friend's house after several cases of people reporting their friends' family and loved ones are not themselves. As it turns out what was originally thought to be a possible case of mass hysteria turns out to be an invasion of a sleepy town by pod-like aliens who then take over the populace's appearances and identities.

Admittedly other reviewers summed this book up better than I, which I attribute partly to my not wanting to give any plot away (for those Amazonians that have not had the pleasure of reading this book yet), and partly because as one reviewer pointed out the alien invasion plot was hardly original even at the time of this title's publication. Writers of Finney's era seemed to thrive on metaphorically writing about the "red" threat of communism.

Finney may not have been the first or last to write on the theme but he did an exceptional job re-visiting other author's alien plots and using his unique style and imagination to write perhaps the seminal novel on the subject. From the opening pages I was scared. Reading each paragraph with a mounting sense of dread as Finney did an excellent job pacing his novel.

Certain scenes jumped out in this relatively thin tome(compared to some horror novels Body Snatchers is almost a novella with an economy of words to do the job of scaring readers) placed within the story for maximum effect. When Miles, and Jack discovered the "blank" slate of a body in Jack's basement I thought "oh sh*t" presumably as Finney intended I should.

As stated this isn't longest horror novel ever and there was no need for it to have been. Finney uses the perfect amount of words to tell his open ended tale of alien takeover elegently and with such an influx of paranoia in the text I reflected upone completion "they sure don't write them like that anymore but I wish they did."

In summation a classic in the genre in the purest sense of the phrase.

Invasion!.......2005-02-06

Everyone knows about the movie adaptation of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" -- pod people, creepy takeover, lots of suspense. While the movie was good, the original novel is perhaps a more enjoyable story -- a creepy, tense novel that raises some intriguing questions about human nature.

Dr. Miles Bennell receives an odd patient from his old ex-girlfriend Becky: Her cousin Wilma is making bizarre claims about her relatives. She claims that while they look, talk, dress and act just like Uncle Ira and Aunt Aleda, they are fakes. Miles talks with Wilma, but she doesn't show any typical signs of insanity. What's more, other people are insisting similar things about their friends and family -- that they seem just the same, but that they aren't themselves.

Then things get more complicated. Miles's pal Jack and his wife Theodora have an "unfinished" person in their basement, a never-been-alive-and-not-living-now human being that is slowly turning into a duplicate of the real person. Growing out of alien pods that have migrated to our planet, the pod people are slowly and seductively working over the town -- and they will soon have the entire world.

This now-classic SF book was published in the 1950s, before the advent of space opera and Star Wars. (It also has a noteworthy resemblance to Robert Heinlein's "Puppet Masters," a similar book published four years before) Finney's book can be a bit dated in places -- for example the female characters are kind of wimpy -- they tend to get hysterical and follow the level-headed manly men. Fortunately these flaws are few and far between.

The writing and dialogue are solid, not outstanding, but pretty good. It does raise some interesting questions about human nature: In one scene, Miles is offered a life without strife by the pod people, and quickly turns it around to reveal that not only would a world of pod people be doomed, but also would have no drive, no enjoyment, no real living as we know it. It would all be bland, with no suffering but also no pleasure. Finney's writing is probably at its peak there, especially given the cold, pleasant attitude of the pod people -- no mustache-twirling and cackling for these villains.

As with many first-person narrators, Miles is not a fantastic character, but he does develop a certain strength and intelligence as the story goes on. Writer pal Jack is a bit more interesting -- I wonder if he was a sort of alter ego for Finney. Becky and Theodora have secondary roles, but are nevetherless fairly good. All other supporting characters, unfortunately, are pretty forgettable.

Though the movie deviated strongly from the book, fans of that film might want to check the origjnal story out anyway. Interesting and pretty well-written, especially for fans of horror/SF.

Average customer rating:

The Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HHU312

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Didn't Live Up
I never wanted it to end!! Fabulous!
An all-star cast of my generation! I swooned over Rod Taylor and Robert Culp!
WONDERFUL cast, beautifully performed, an EXCITING thrilling journey you won't forget!
"Hard Rock Lovers".....Beautifully done!!

Hard Rock Lovers
Paul Kyriazi
Manufacturer: Ronin Audio Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 0971618321

Product Description

Computer programmer Alan Bartlet takes his new girlfriend to Las Vegas. There he meets Medusa, a backup singer for the now dead rock star Shane. She hints that Shane might be alive. In flashback, we see the rise and fall of Shane. Alan pursues Medusa and descends into a world of mystery, lust and murder to find out: Is Shane Alive?

Customer Reviews:

Didn't Live Up.......2007-07-03

I absolutely love "The James Bond Lifestyle Seminar," but this audiobook fell short. The plot was decent, but nothing better than you'd expect based on the synopsis. The main character is supposed to be 33 years old, yet his voice sounds like an old man. He sounds very unsure of himself. Also, a lot more could have been done with the sound effects. They did not immerse me in the scenes, as another reviewer claimed.

I never wanted it to end!! Fabulous!.......2007-01-16

Mr Kyriazi's production of Hard Rock Lovers was just fantastic! I was on the edge of my seat on a daily basis! I put the audio book on my iPod and listened while I jogged. I gotta say it motivated me to get out there and I am so sad it is over! I cannot wait for his next Audio production!

The story is fantastic, gripping and sexy. I absolutely loved it!

Bravo!!!!

An all-star cast of my generation! I swooned over Rod Taylor and Robert Culp!.......2006-05-22

Wow! My sister pointed me to this audio book and I couldn't believe my ears. I just relaxed on my bed to listen and was absolutely delighted with the movie-quality of the sound effects. Not only is this a masterful, well-written plot, it's also a quality production. The best I've heard.

And those stars that the magnificent author/director Paul Kyriazi lined up for this special version of his book!!! Well, all I can say is that I remember swooning each time I saw any of them on the big screen. (I hope my hubby doesn't read this.) But when I saw Rod Taylor--who narrates this story, with such a come-hither voice--starring in The Birds with that gorgeous Tippi Hedren, I almost fainted. Yes, he was that much of a hunk ... and still is, according to my sister!

Incidentally, people used to say I looked like Tippi. Ah-hhh, memories ... But getting back to this audio book, I loved it to pieces.

Keep up the excellent work, Mr. K. You're terrific, and almost as handsome as the great Rod! Ciao, baby ...

WONDERFUL cast, beautifully performed, an EXCITING thrilling journey you won't forget!.......2006-03-15

From the moment Hard Rock Lovers comes on ... it takes you by the hand and mind, and immediately draws you into this intriquing story, narrated by the imcomparable Rod Taylor, of revenge, love, lust, cold reality and spiritual enlightenment.

Robert Culp kept me laughing with his perfect low-life agent performance, always the best! James Darren was the perfect rock star, mean, talented but sad, his performance was # 1. Ishtar Uhvana was great as Medusa, she added the sweetness to keep some reality in the rock world and her ending dialoque brought tears to my eyes. Loved Russ Tamblyn, George Chakiris was brilliant as the evil Reynaldo, and Nefta Perry as Connie played the perfect Rosie Perez.

The ending gives you hope and leaves you with happy feelings. You will want to play it again and again; it only gets better each time you listen.

Paul Kyriazi is my hero. I am his BIGGEST fan.

Thank you Paul for the fun and exciting adventure!

"Hard Rock Lovers".....Beautifully done!!.......2006-03-14

The "Hard Rock Lovers" audio book was not at all what I expected, but what a wonderful surprise! It's a twisted, tangled web of events played out by a handful of multi-leveled, intertwined characters. The story is well written, beautifully told and convincingly enacted centering on the heights of a successful rock star and the terrible costs that are paid when that success is abused. People and events are manipulated by all the characters to satisfy their own needs and agenda.

"Good" and "evil" are blurred. "Life" and "death" are blurred. Relationships are blurred, but the irony of fate is boldly presented and it's made abundantly clear that our "next" existence offers another chance to hopefully do better. The inevitability of change, the subtle and sometimes dramatic interrelationships between cause and effect as well as the ever-present, ever-looming scales of divine and poetic justice are persistent threads. A beautiful blending of drama and melodrama are used to develop both the story and the characters. The audio presentation is top-notch entertainment, particularly when you consider that all acting is accomplished solely through vocal artistry. The actors do a fantastic job of inviting the listener into their world and moving you effortlessly through the story.

I really enjoyed listening to this audio book. It is wonderful from start to finish and my congratulations go out to all involved. It's a winner on all levels.

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Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Manufacturer: Warner Books Inc (Mm)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0897520033

Invasion of the Body Snatchers: A Tribute

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Invasion of the Body Snatchers: A Tribute

Manufacturer: Stark House Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1933586079

Product Description

Invasion of the Body Snatchers starring Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter is one of the most revered films in international film history. For many critics it began the serious cycle of science fictions films that now include "Alien" and "Blade Runner." Thanks to the novel by Jack Finney, the screenplay by Daniel Mainwaring and especially the direction of Don Siegel, "Invasion" runs on television somewhere virtually every day. This original book brings together interviews with Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter and also includes pieces by Dean Koontz (introduction), Stephen King (an essay); and interviews with Philip Kaufman, who directed the 1978 remake; Robert H. Solo, who produced the remake; W. D. Richter, who wrote the remake; and Abel Ferrara, who directed the 1997 remake. Packed with insights into the production of a classic film, filled with moments of humor and a few moments of angst, and as entertaining as a "behind the scenes" look at the movie business--this is a tribute to Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Rutgers Films in Print)

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about the 1st review (tommys)
Very Good

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Rutgers Films in Print)
Al Lavalley
Manufacturer: Rutgers University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0813514614

Customer Reviews:

about the 1st review (tommys).......2005-05-24

I dont know why you said "if you like the 1978 version of the film you'll love this book" when this book is the script for the 1956 version, directed by Don Siegal (who later directed "Dirty Harry"). By the way, the original 1950s version was only about 95% better than the re-make, which is why i had a problem with the comment. Thank You

Very Good.......2001-07-31

If you liked the 1978 version of Invasion of the body snatchers, than you'll love this book! I was at the edge of my seat reading this. It took me all day but it was worth it. I recomend buying this book because then you can let all your friends borrow it!

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Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Jack Finney
Manufacturer: Dell First Edition
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GTBL0I

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The Invasion Of The Body Snatchers
Jack Finney
Manufacturer: Award
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GQGHPA

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Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Jack Finney
Manufacturer: Recorded Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: 078876327X

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Invasion Of The Body Snatchers
FOTONOVEL (Jack Finney)
Manufacturer: Fotonovel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GGUZ6W

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Couldn't put it down

Everyone Needs This!

"Tall Order" by Honoree Corpron

Great Coaching Concepts

Tall Order! Seven Master Strategies to Organize Your Life and Double Your Success in Half the Time
Honorée Corpron
Manufacturer: Leading Edge Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1598723901

Product Description

Honorée Corpron, Personal Transformation Expert, shares her most effective business strategies, tools and ideas in this engaging and insightful book. Every page bursts with immediately applicable and practical procedures for focusing vision, goals and actions on the attainment of the life you desire. Includes how to: *create your ideal vision *identify motivating goals *construct a tangible plan for growth *find a mentor *create an empowering environment *put strategic success systems into place *find the perfect coach to guide you on your journey

Customer Reviews:

Couldn't put it down.......2006-05-15

This is a must read for those of you who are struggling to find extra hours a day. Tall Order! helped me better organize my business and personal life so that I had "free time" everyday. This book definitely helped lower my daily stress level at work by being better prepared for business challenges.

Everyone Needs This!.......2006-05-12

A must-read for business execs to soccer-moms who need help getting and staying focused! A fast read with great tips and a step-by-step approach to identifying and reaching your goals.

"Tall Order" by Honoree Corpron.......2006-05-09

Great Read! "Tall Order" provides clarity to defining our priorities in order to achieve our personal and professional goals. A must for anyone hitting the wall or who wants to go to the next level!

Great Coaching Concepts.......2006-05-09

Especially for those who haven't figured out the importance of hiring a business coach, this is a great summary of how to streamline your effectiveness to work smarter and not harder. Honoree explains how to exponentially increase your success by laying out the steps needed to make it happen. She believes in shunning those people who do not support your success and eliminating the "tolerations" of day-to-day life that drain your time. Great ideas that I implement on a regular basis!

Perfect Spy: The Incredible Double Life of Pham Xuan An Time Magazine Reporter and Vietnamese Communist Agent

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You Cannot Have it Both Ways
the worst book to read! just a waste of time.
Interesting, and Eerie!
Just another Communist propaganda book
A great read, a great man for his country and a sad commentary of our press corps

Perfect Spy: The Incredible Double Life of Pham Xuan An Time Magazine Reporter and Vietnamese Communist Agent
Larry Berman
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060888385
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Book Description

Pham Xuan An was a Vietnamese nationalist and member of Ho Chi Minh's army in the 1950s. Knowing that war with the United States was inevitable, the Party sent An to America to study journalism (for his cover) and observe its people and culture. He attended community college in California, worked for the Sacramento Bee and traveled across the country making friends.

Back in Saigon he worked as a reporter for Reuters and Time in the early 60s. He befriended numerous British and American journalists, including David Halberstam, Neil Sheehan and Stanley Karnow who came to regard him as a friend and trusted source. Meanwhile, he was providing intelligence to Hanoi; his early reports were so accurate that a general joked "we are now in the US war room." For twenty years An lived a lie and no one knew because he was so good at his day job, which was interwoven with his assignment in espionage.

Several years after the war, the new Vietnamese Communist government revealed that An had been one of its most effective spies. He was publicly awarded six medals and named a "Hero of the People's Army" – one of only two intelligence officers during the war ever promoted to the rank of General and Hero. But An's disaffection with the new government's treatment of their southern countrymen and his close friendships with Americans made him suspicious in the eyes of the Communist government. He was soon placed under housed arrest and to this day he is banned from leaving the country.

Customer Reviews:

You Cannot Have it Both Ways.......2007-10-01

I might not be as forgiving as some people, but I certainly would have felt betrayed by this man. He seeks to justify everything by stating that he felt the Americans did not belong in Vietnam. Maybe so. But what he did was so deceiful.To just look at the fact that he often helped those closest and known to him from suffering any harm, neglects the hundreds of thousands who died and were wounded as a result of his actions. To top it all off he sent his family to the US when the Communists came !! No doubt for a better life !!This fellow must have been of fairly limited intellect , or at least uneducated.And don't tell me was educated in the US - they let him do some courses... big deal! Did he really believe the Americans would attempt to rule Vietnam the way the French did ? Yes, they would take advantage of economic opportunities ( who does'nt), but what did he think they would have done if the South succeeded ? A good insight into blind nationalism and deceit by one of the most two faced people I have ever encountered. I still cannot understand his mindset.

the worst book to read! just a waste of time........2007-09-18

This book is nothing but full of communist propaganda. To most of the Vietnamese people, I say not including the 2% of the communist population, An is a betrayer. Don't waste your time being brain-washed by communist ideology.

Interesting, and Eerie!.......2007-09-09

Pham Xuan An was recruited by the Communist Party in Vietnam and sent to the U.S. in 1957 to learn journalism as a cover - long before the U.S. took a major role in the conflict. An quickly came to admire the U.S., did well in his studies (Orange Coast College) and internships, and was had several attractive offers for permanent work upon their completion. Yet, despite fear that he would be arrested by the South Vietnamese government upon returning to Vietnam, An returned, first reporting French troop actions, then also working for various government military figures (eg. teaching English to future VN spies; helping set up the Vietnamese spying service), and finally for various American publications - Time magazine in particular. Several times the CIA even tried to recruit An, with no success.

Early in his career An risked exposure to save the life of a Time reporter captured by the VietCong in Cambodia because he knew the reporter had saved a number of Vietnamese children's' lives from various Cambodian army massacres. This conflict between his spy role and friendship with Americans continued up to America's last day in Saigon when An helped a Vietnamese friend who had worked for the Americans escape. These actions, however, did not dull An's effectiveness - his insights and reports based on conversations and documents played key roles in VietCong/NVA tactics and strategy development. After the war ended, An was promoted to Maj. General, and collected his ten top-level medals.

An received no formal spy training - instead, he read a number of books by others who were past masters. Communications involving An were almost entirely one-way - towards nearby VietCong and much farther away NVA leaders in Hanoi. His methods were to use melted rice as invisible ink (revealed by pouring iodine over the paper), and secreting both the paper and film rolls in food materials handed off to a vendor.

An's career spanned 30 years - longer than any other spy. Consequently, after the war there was considerable suspicion by the communists that this was due to his having played both sides. He was even forbidden from leaving VN to attend a post-war correspondent's conference in NYC.

Some of the most impactful portions of "Perfect Spy" involved stories about eg. another VietCong spy who pushed the Vietnamese government to move peasants into more defensible self-contained villages. His rationale - he knew this would greatly upset the peasants and turn them against the government. An himself declared several times that the U.S.'s biggest failure was to develop a new cadre of leaders after Diem was deposed. It was also quite jarring to read details from the "other side" about so many areas that I had been to - Nha Trang, Siagon, Ban Me Thuot, Pleiku, Vung Tau, Khe Sanh.

My one wish is that "Perfect Spy" included more planning details from the VietCong and NVA side. Unfortunately, even the author (Larry Berman) sensed several times that An left much more unsaid than revealed.

Bottom Line: I was taken aback by An's working against the U.S. after having made so many friends here, how well the VietCong/NVA infiltrated U.S. planning, and how long ahead their thinking ran. The book also brings an eerie sense of wondering what is happening along these same lines now in Iraq.

Just another Communist propaganda book.......2007-07-23

It was a good read, but it just followed the line of typical Communist propaganda.

It is laughable for anyone to think An spied for his "country", that he was a "patriot", or a "nationalist" for that matter. An was a Communist through and through. Communist propaganda and the book want you to think that the Vietnam war was about fighting off foreign invaders/aggressors.

Make no mistake. An and his comrades fought for one sole purpose: put the entire country of Vietnam under Communism, and strip the Vietnamese people of freedom and basic human rights.

Hanoi successfully exploited the American involvement to justify their aggression in South Vietnam, and masked their communist proliferation campaign under a "patriotic" theme: war against foreign invaders.

It was Communist activities in South Vietnam that brought in US soldiers, and they made it looked like the American invasion of Vietnam that forced them to start the war to save the country.

An was lying when he implied that he didn't know how bad the Communists were when they took over the country. He fought for a regime that killed hundreds of thousands of innocent land-owners in North Vietnam in the late 50's during the bloody land reform campaign. He fought for a system with outdated economic (communism) theories that turned Vietnam into one of the poorest countries in the world. He fought for a totalitarian state that took away the people's basic freedom and human rights, where free-thinking was not allowed. If An had any doubt during his spying days, he just had to look to the iron curtains of the Soviet Union, China, North Korea, Cuba, East Germany, ... where the people were oppressed, and all would leave if they had a chance.

As well informed as he was, An surely must have known how brutal the Communists were, and still chose to be on their side. Instead of helping to promote freedom in Vietnam, he worked hard to crush it. If An was truly disillusioned after the war, then he was a fool to fight for a system that he knew nothing about.

I am shocked and appalled that many freedom-loving Americans failed to see this, and continued to think of An as a patriot, a nationalist, and that they would probably do the same if they were An. Naive Americans.

Also, the book repeatedly mentioned An's American acquaintances admired him for being a spy without injecting any pro-communist ideas onto them. Are you kidding? That's what he was supposed to do to keep his cover. To this day, many Americans still love this guy and be fooled by his deceiving charm, buying into his Communist propaganda line that he was just fighting foreign invaders to save his country. Naive Americans.

An was responsible for thousands of American and hundreds of thousands of South Vietnamese deaths during the war. After the war, tens (if not hundreds) of thousands more died in re-education camps, or during their escape journey from Vietnam.

Unification without freedom is worst than death. To this point, An helped kill his fellow Vietnamese and the country. He was a traitor!

A great read, a great man for his country and a sad commentary of our press corps.......2007-06-15

As a former Marine sniper with two straight years in the Vietnam War, the early part, I couldnt pass this book up. An, the spy, is the perfect spy and by the end of the book you can see he duped our press, his 'friends', not only in Vietnam during the war, but all the way to his recent death. He certainly played a central part in the demise of our strategy and as one soldier to another, my hat goes off to him. He was good at what he did and so were my fellow Marines and I. He fought for his country in his way and we in ours. An incredible man.

Now for my disdain. The author did an excellent job researching and writing this book. Except for his bias to continue to make the North Vietnamese out the good guys and us the bad. I understand they fought for 'their He continues to this day, forty years later for me, to herald the very pr' country and to get foreigners off their soil. But this author contuess corp that were hopefully duped by An, some probably not. They continues the US press corps position that the people in the south had no right to their way of wanting their country back. The author supports the media in their current dismantling of US efforts in Iraq. I do not believe we should have gone to Iraq, but now that we unraveled their lives, we owe it to them to see it to the end. Yet just as it outlined well in this excellent book, they are undermining US efforts to help a people who strive for freedom like the millions of South Vietnamese that are barely mentioned in this work.

This is an important work on the Vietnam War, which I have studied for my forty years since being there. It tells a compelling story of a proud warrior who did what he had to do for his country. He did it well. And it shows the dispicable US media, lead by Time magazine, and their work which ended up aiding our enemy at the time.

And then they proudly, according to the author, pull out all the stops to bring the son of this perfect spy, back to the US to educate him as we did his father. He continued perfect to the end and his great friends in the media still believe his line. We just never learn.

The Berenstain Bears and the Double Dare (First Time Books(R))

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Excellent book!
Dares, Double-Dares, Dee-Double-Dares
Double Dare

The Berenstain Bears and the Double Dare (First Time Books(R))
Stan Berenstain , and Jan Berenstain
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 039489748X
Release Date: 1988-05-12

Book Description

Too-Tall Grizzly and his gang dare Brother to steal a watermelon from Farmer Ben's patch, and when the gang runs away, Brother is caught. Fortunately, Farmer Ben is a good neighbor, and offers Brother advice about standing up for what is right.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent book!.......2006-10-07

This is such a great book to teach kids not to just "follow the leader" and to think for yourself. Brother Bear goes to get his sister's jump rope back from the school bully and they dare him to do some bad things. When Brother is dared to steal a watermelon from a friend's patch, he resists at first but then they "dee double dare" him and well, off he goes. Brother finds out that he's been found out by his friend, Farmer Ben, and Ben then tells Brother of the dangers of following someone instead of thinking for yourself. It's really interesting how they did this - Farmer Ben tells Brother that sheep will follow a leader anywhere, even off a cliff. You just have to learn not to be like sheep and think for yourself. So when Too-Tall Grizzly tries once again to get Brother to do something bad, Brother calls Too-Tall and his gang, "Sheep." It's a great lesson, one that is easily remembered and very well done. If you're interested, this one is also done on a dvd and it's great too! We love it in our house. Highly recommend!

Dares, Double-Dares, Dee-Double-Dares.......2004-01-09

This is a good book about peer pressure. My 5 year-old son enjoyed the story. Some of the life lessons we talked about while reading this story are 1) thinking for yourself, 2) friends don't call friends names, and 3) never take something that does not belong to you.

I especially liked how Farmer Ben taught Brother Bear to not allow being called names (i.e. chicken) to cause him to be misled. Farmer Ben also used a story about sheep to teach a good lesson about the importance of thinking for yourself.

Brother Bear uses the lessons learned from Farmer Ben while handling his next encounter with the Too-Tall Gang (yet another double dare). This time he is not misled because he thinks for himself, sticks with what he knows is right, and says no.

Double Dare.......1999-12-03

Peer pressure is the definition of this book. A bully, Too Tall Grizzly dares Brother to steal from a close neighbor. Brother doesn't want to be a chicken - so he does it anyway and is caught. The neighbor gives Brother great advice that he carries with him and is helpful in his next encounter.

A Stitch in Time: Basket Stitch/Double Cross/Spider Web Rose/Double Running (Inspirational Romance Collection)

Average customer rating:

Pretty good, but . . .
A Stitch In Time
a wonderful read

A Stitch in Time: Basket Stitch/Double Cross/Spider Web Rose/Double Running (Inspirational Romance Collection)
Cathy Marie Hake , Tracey V. Bateman , Vickie McDonough , and Carol Cox
Manufacturer: Barbour Publishing, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Historical | Fiction | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1593101430

Customer Reviews:

Pretty good, but . . ........2005-03-11

The concept for this book is very interesting to begin with. The book contains four novellas, about the same characters, but each are written by a different author. Each novella takes the perspective of one of the Stafford siblings and his or her love interest. The book is easy to read and sewing images are clever. The first three stories were pretty good and built on each other well. The last story was disappointing. After investing myself in the first three and getting to know and love the characters, I found them to be a lot different in the fourth novella. The surface things were the same (timeline, names, position etc. . .) but after enjoying and liking the characters for the first three stories, they were not likeable or sympathetic in the last story. The wisdom and grace in the older characters (the characteristics that made them the people that you would want to go to when you had a problem) was completely missing. The Godly encouragement and lessons learned were also missing. The main characters in the third story didn't seem to grow in the Lord or even develop. I love the time period and read a lot of books in this type of setting. I enjoy the unique trials and triumphs usually found with this type of fiction, but I would have to say that I only enjoyed it half as much in this book. I would like to see this same concept (four novellas, same characters, different authors) done more often, but done better

A Stitch In Time.......2004-07-30

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and liked the way the novella's built on each other. The characters were--for the most part--realistic and the stories well-written. I loved the Testement brothers, they added a fun touch to the stories.

You won't be disappointed by this novella collection.

a wonderful read.......2004-07-17

I fell in love with the Stafford siblings and their romance troubles (and their neighbors too, especially the mischievous Testament Brothers)! It was fun to see how each brother (and a sister) fought love, only to end up right in the middle of it!

These stories, written by four authors, blend well and make you feel like you're a part of the family. I especially enjoyed the stitching theme 'woven' thru-out (sorry, I couldn't resist).

Join the family fun and read about Micah, Louisa, Josh, and Sam as love blooms in No Man's Land west of the Oklahoma territory!

Average customer rating:

fantastic writing from an obscure drummer.

Thoroughly entertaining

Road stories for the rest of us

somebody make a movie of this book!

Riveting

Life in Double Time: Confessions of an American Drummer
Mike Lankford
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Classics | Comic | Contemporary | Literary
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ASIN: 0811823210

Amazon.com

A musician's life on the road may not be most people's ideal holiday scenario, but Mike Lankford offers a raucous and poignant perspective of America's Midwest. From the teen club in Oklahoma where at 13 he first saw a live rock-and-roll band and learned to distinguish between two camps of drummers to two years drumming as the "salt" in "Salt & Pepper," a Chicago blues band, Lankford's stories ring true while they entertain.

Book Description

Bargain Books are non-returnable.

Anyone who has ever had a set of drums -- or tapped out a beat on a table -- has fantasized about joining a band and going on tour. This gritty and hilarious memoir by drummer Mike Lankford takes readers on a wild ride, from the raucous garage band of his teenage years to the bright lights and slick sounds of his professional but small-time road band. Playing some serious blues and rock'n'roll and pushing the broken-down van in between, Mike Lankford shows us the unglamorous side of the music business -- and takes us places we never thought we'd go.

Customer Reviews:

fantastic writing from an obscure drummer........2007-02-12

along with bob dylan's "chronicles volume one," this is one of the two best music books i have ever read. mr lankford writes about his experiences on the road as a white drummer in an otherwise black blues band with great skill and wonderful narrative sense. this is a completely enjoyable book that i would recommend you best read soon.

Thoroughly entertaining.......2004-11-01

I can only echo the sentiments of other reviewers when I beg Mike Lankford to write some more.

Even if you have no interest in the subject matter, Lankford's fluid style will thrill you to the end. We start with his love affair with rock music & drumming, the numerous bands he was in as a youth and conclude with a series of anecdotes regarding his time in a small touring every-band with a couple of ageing yet highly-talented black guys who needed a drummer. Brilliant!

Road stories for the rest of us.......2004-06-21

I've loaned this book to several of my fellow musicians (most of whom have seen a little time on the road) and most of them have since bought copies for themselves. I've also recommended the book to my son, who has visions of a life in a rock band (and whom I feel hypocritical in trying to dissuade since it was my young adult dream, too). Mike's book speaks directly and honestly about the life of the journeyman musician and the danger and boredom that it entails. But at the same time, he conveys the wonder of a young teenager discovering the magic of the music. This book makes great reading for those who've been there and for those who could have been contenders.

somebody make a movie of this book!.......2002-02-06

Mike Lankford creates such a vivid picture of life on the road that I actually feel myself being tossed about in the back of that van he writes about. My only confusion: Why haven't we gotten another book from this guy?!

Riveting.......2001-07-15

This is a musician's biography that soars above its genre. The writing is so good that truth loses importance. Life meets art. If another book is not forthcoming from Mike Lankford soon, he should be incarcerated for squandering a national treasure.

Life And Times and The Fruit Of The Spirit: Double Exposure

Average customer rating:

Life And Times and The Fruit Of The Spirit: Double Exposure
Jack L Gresham MD
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Motivational | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Inspirational & Religious | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0595427138

Book Description

This work contains poetry and prose centered on events of life and one's faith in God.

Average customer rating:

Life in Double Time Confessions of an A
Mike Lankford
Manufacturer: CHRONICLE BOOKS @
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000SH1EAK

Life in Double Time Confessions of an American Dreamer

Average customer rating:

Life in Double Time Confessions of an American Dreamer
Mike Lankford
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J0S09O

Challenge times two: for this schools chief, who manages his own district and the one next door, daily life means double duties--and two briefcases.(Administrator ... An article from: District Administration

Average customer rating:

Challenge times two: for this schools chief, who manages his own district and the one next door, daily life means double duties--and two briefcases.(Administrator ... An article from: District Administration
Alan Desoff
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from District Administration, published by Thomson Gale on March 1, 2004. The length of the article is 764 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Challenge times two: for this schools chief, who manages his own district and the one next door, daily life means double duties--and two briefcases.(Administrator profile: Stan Slessor, Waverly-Shell Rock Community Schools and Janesville Consolidated Schools, Iowa)
Author: Alan Desoff
Publication: District Administration (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2004
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 40 Issue: 3 Page: 27(1)

Article Type: Biography

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Average customer rating:

Life in Double Time
Chronicle Books LLC Staff , and Mike Lankford
Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: B000H2N0DA

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