Everybody rates this book EXCELLENT except for one reviewer on this web site who must be one of those sub skippers who kept his boat under at 60 ft day and night. I've read about 20 WWII submarine books and Gene Fluckey's book about the Barb is one of the best. It's the equal to Dick O'Kane's book on the U.S.S. Tang. Both were outstanding submariners and both later went on to become Admirals. BOTH skippers won the Congressional Medal of Honor, something awarded to only 7 WWII sub skippers out of more than 200, and 4 of the 7 were posthumous. Gene Fluckey was one of those who received the medal for daring and successful action, not for going down with his ship. They don't give the medal out lightly, especially in the United States Navy.

Very simply, if you could only buy one book on WWII American submarine experiences - this is the one.

I have read many others, Wahoo, Clear the Bridge, Commander Submarines, Run Silent Run Deep, and many others - and with all due respect to the books listed, none give the reader the experience the will achieve in reading Thunder Below. The biggest problem with this book is that it ends.

This is the best first person account of submarine operations in the Pacific I have read to date. Adm. Fluckey does a great job of taking the reader through each of the patrols and how the Barb truly does revolutionize submarine tactics as well as strategies. If you own just one book on the Silent Service operating in the Pacific, then but this book.

I Say a Prayer for Me is part autobiographical, part self help, and one hundred percent inspirational. Stanice Anderson has shared more than just her life story, but also her personal testimony. She shared her experiences with drug addiction and the lifestyle that goes along with it, as well as her strained relationship with her parents and child. The story chronicles her spiritual journey from addict to the strong Christian that she is today. The book goes far beyond the mere description of events by delving into the emotions related to the decisions she made. Each chapter of the book covers an important emotional lesson, Anderson uses her own life to illustrate a problem and then uses Biblical text to shed light on the lesson she learned. The chapters conclude with a scripture reading and a prayer.

I highly recommend this book because of the variety of subject matter it covers including, relationships with God, parents, children, friends, spouses, and coworkers. Indeed, it has something for everyone. While the format of the book was confusing at times because the experiences were not always presented chronologically, it was still a pleasure to read. Stanice Anderson has truly been blessed and her candor and willingness to share her testimony will be an inspiration for anyone who reads this book.

I read the book and love it!! It is a ten star must read. This book is so inspiring and spirit filled that you have to thank God for bringing it to you and Stanice for writing it. If you haven't read it yet, my advice go out and purchase it ASAP!!!!! This book has brough me closer to the All Mighty Maker and I love it!! There are so many chapters that you can relate to even if your experience isn't exactly the same. Again one of my favorite books and I only have two!!!!!!!!!!!

THIS IS THE BEST BOOK I HAVE READ IN A LONG TIME, EVERYONE WHO READS THIS BOOK WILL WALK AWAY A BETTER PERSON,EVERYONE ALWAYS MAKES THE MISTAKE OF THINKING THEY HAVE TO GET THEIRSELVES TOGETHER BEFORE THEY ACCEPT GOD,WHICH IS TOTALLY WRONG, GOD LOVES US ALL,WE ARE ALL SINNERS, GOD WORKS THROUGH US, READING THIS BOOK AT WORK, I FELT LIKE GOD WAS IN THE SAME ROOM AT ME,I BECAME OVERHEATED,THIS BOOK WILL LEAVE EVERYONE WITH SOMETHING..THANK YOU SO MUCH STANICE ANDERSON,ALSO THANK YOU GOD FOR GUIDING HER IN WRITING SUCH A OUTSTANDING BOOK,I WENT TO STANICE'S WEBSITE AND COPIED THE FIRST CHAPTER AND HANDED OUT COPIES AT WORK,EVERYONE IS BUYING A COPY OF THE BOOK.SIMPLY EXCELLENT, THANKS AGAIN.BONITA

Palmer's book was my introduction to the blues and I'm very glad of it because it's so wide and deep (like varying parts of the Mississippi River). You read this, you get the big picture story of the Delta Blues, how the music migrated to Chicago and other big cities and why it's so important to so much great music that came after it. It begins with musical historian Alan Lomax's fruitless search for Robert Johnson and ends with an older Muddy Waters, successful and wealthy, reflecting on his amazing journey. In between, we meet all the other players in Delta Blues, learn how the genre sprang up and see how it was adopted and copied wholesale by a slew of successful British and American rock 'n' rollers. Palmer never talks down to the reader but keeps his prose lively enough to entertain and educate a person with knowledge of the blues yet accessible enough to teach a neophyte. I find I come back to this book often to flesh out details of stories or anecdotes I've read elsewhere.

I've been a big fan of the work of the late great blues historian/folklorist, Robert Palmer, for sometime now. His book, DEEP BLUES, is generally regarded as the definitive reference on the Delta tradition... and rightly so (needless to say, if you don't have it... get it). What a treat to finally get a chance to meet the guy... albeit, on my TV screen.

In this eponymous documentary, Palmer assumes the role of the proverbial veteran "tour guide," casually offering us expert commentary, laced with entertaining anecdotes and served up with dry Southern wit. While we do hear and see a great deal of Palmer, the film never loses its main focus-- the blues and the musicians who keep this important element of American musical heritage alive and kicking. Each of the featured artists performs one or two songs in their entirety-- in sharp contrast to so many other music documentaries, which par down their musical selections to excerpted sound bites to make room for talk, talk and more talk.

Here we find everything from down-home guitars and mouth harps being played on farm house porches to full bands--influnced by the modern Chicago-style, yet still distinctly "Pure Delta"--playing in dark, smoke-filled juke joints. True to the blues tradition, the music is hot and sweaty. You can't watch this film and sit still--you gotta shake something. Highlights: cane fife player Napoleon Strickland (you can hear more of this wonderful pre-blues tradition on TRAVELING THROUGH THE JUNGLE: NEGRO FIFE AND DRUM MUSIC FROM THE DEEP SOUTH, an album on the TESTAMENT label, and several ARHOOLIE compilations); the totally stylin' Jessie Mae Hemphill (granddaughter of Blind Sid Hemphill, the pre-blues style fiddler/quills [panpipes] player documented in the Lomax field recordings); harp player Bud Spires telling a folktale about the devil, accompanied by Jack Owen's soulful guitar picking in the cranky, individualistic Bentonia style, popularized by the early bluesman, Skip James; and Lonnie Pitchford's intense singing as he accompanies himself on the diddley bow (a raised metal string nailed to the side of a house, which you pluck with a plectrum and note with a slide).

Palmer's love of the blues shines through in this exceptional book. He's not interested in showing off his knowledge of the form (although that knowledge is exceptional); he's interested in illuminating for the reader the roots of a great indigenous art form and how that form developed in the 20th century. In that effort, he succeeds masterfully.

A fine early section explores how the music that we call the blues was seeded in N. America by African music. That chapter is a mini-history lesson in itself; Palmer shows how the music of slaves from W. Africa was viewed as subversive and dangerous by whites in the new land.

The remainder of the book is chock full of portraits of the heroes of early blues in the Mississippi Delta, from Charley Patton to Son House to Robert Johnson to Little Walter to Muddy Waters and beyond. Palmer shows how these men developed a music that grew directly out of the soil of the Delta, making do with the instruments they had and often living itinerant lives, moving from tiny town to tiny town to play dances and juke joints to keep the music alive.

The book also describes the historic migration of African-Americans from the Deep South to the industrial cities of the North, most importantly, of course, Chicago, where the musicians transformed the blues again, creating the electrified sounds that exerted such a powerful influence on white rock musicians from London to Liverpool to La Jolla, California.

Palmer has given us a great work with "Deep Blues," one that should be read by students of music and social history alike. It deserves a prominent place on the bookshelf of any serious lover of music.

I first discovered this book while on vacation at Mardi Gras, it has 7 different recipes for Gumbo, humorous Cajun Poetry & a wealth of historical information. Personally I liked the Shrimp Creole, The Zydeco Chicken & The Mardi Gras King Cake Best; Great Choice!

It just doesn't get any better than this, here's a wonderful book that captures the French Quarter and the Big Easy at its absolute best. If you think cookbooks are old news & that it's all been said & done before, dare to be proven wrong by this fantastic book, it is well written by a very knowledgeable chef! Emeril look out, Todd St. Pierre (A native of South Louisiana and a real Cajun) is a talent to be reckoned with!!!

This is a really good choice when it comes to New Orleans cookbooks, you can't go wrong with these easy to follow and delicious recipes. The author suggests other ingredients/substitutes if a particular food item is unavailable in your area. The Mardi Gras King Cake is outstanding.

This book made me mad! Not at Darcy Frey, who writes a great book, but at the combined effects of wretched public schools, which pass along students able neither to read, write nor do sums; and at the NCAA's patronizing and exploitative treatment of "student" atheletes. "Last Shot" tells of four star black basketball players on the Lincoln High School (Coney Island) team. Despite horrible poverty, housing projects overrun by drugs and violence, ans a school system which cannot keep them safe (let alone educate), these young men are good kids. They are kept alive, and their hopes fed, by a combination of (1) amazing basketball skills; (2) a coach and mentors who believe in them; and (3) the dream of a NCAA Division I scholarship leading into the big time. Unfortunately, only one makes it, and he just barely. The other three cannot meet the Proposition 48 requirement of 700 SAT scores (even though their high school grades are good), and lose their shot at a Division I scholarship.

Juxtaposed against these hopeful young men, who do everything that is asked of them but are finally betrayed by abysmal schooling, are the Division I recruiters, many of them well-known coaches. They give new meaning to the word "smarmy." They are corrupted by the system. Darcy's title "Last Shot" has a (quite intentional) double meaning. He refers first to the excitement of a well-played game, when victor and vanquished hang in the balance. More troubling, he acknowledges that, for each of these boys, the chance to escape the ghetto through a basketball scholarship has become his "last shot" at a successful (or safe) life. To mix metaphors, what angers me about the situation Frey describes -- in fact makes me so mad I will have trouble watching the NCAA Tournament this year -- is that these young men have received a raw deal. It's not right!

This book, depicting the lives of four aspiring young basketball players, is both intersting and educational. If you are an all star, or don't play basketball at all, you'll really like this book. This book is so incredible because, although it describes basketball playing thoroughly, it also describes a city life few people know of. Darcey pulls you into an interesting ride as Tchaka goes through the college recruiting process, Russell struggles with his SATS and jump shot (off the dribble), Corey aimlessly wastes his obvious intelligence, natural basketball skill and talent in rapping, and as Stephon wows everyone with his superiour skill in basketball. Where Tchaka is serious about basketball, Russell is serious about college and education, Corey is hardly serious about anything and Stephon is still finding out what he's serious about. Tchaka has charm, he's tall, thin, plays power forward, and does well enough on his SATS to get into college. Russell is dedicated, he studies nightly, practices daily, and even shoots from a lawn chair in the local park. Corey is without purpose, he's an awesome basketball player, he could easily get good grades, should he apply himself, and he rights poetry fantasticly. Stephon has an attitude, he's seen his talented brothers not go to college, and waste their talent, so he practices and studies, but he knows he's great. This is a fantastic book, and an educational read on many levels.

If you think playing the game is the only business in this sport, read this book. For players and coaches both, violating the NCAA recruiting rules is easier than it seems. This book tells how the coaches will say that they're there for the players then bolt on them for a better offer. It takes you in the high school basketball life through Tchaka Shipp, Russell Thomas(Darryl Flicking), Corey Johnson, and freshmen Stephon Marbury. Author Darcy Frey explains how no matter how great a basketball player you may be, passing the SATs is the first priority to getting recruited by a Division 1 school.

Ramiro Burr's book on Tejano and reg Mex music is the most fascinating, most comprehensive and most illuminating work in the history of this industry. If you're a novice or beginner, this book will educate you fast, with fact-based bios, tons of info and ready made lists of what CDs to buy and listen to. Or, if you're a veteran you'll get much joy of reading interesting facts and juicy biographical info on your fave artists from trio and mariachii to Tejano and norteno legends. As Mr. Burr oftens says, the book is important because the history of a music, a culture or a country is incomplete unless everyone's contributions are documented. Finally Tex-Mex has its due recognition.JR

"Tejano and Regional Mexican Music" by Ramiro Burr represents progress toward filling an information gap in Tejano Music. The book measures up in terms of providing authoritative information about a subject that's near and dear to many Tejanos, but that has not been adequately documented. It's a fascinating look at Tejano Music by a contemporary writer who is connected to the musicians themselves, their handlers, promoters and to the members of the media who cover the subject on a daily basis. As a writer for the San Antonio Express News, Ramiro is uniquely placed to gather and then spread current information on the subject, and he did exactly that in his book. But he also provides a historical perspective. The book is a real source for today's generation and for those who follow. Thanks Ramiro.

It's great to see that "Tejano And Regional Mexican Music" is available on Amazon.com and that it can be easily accessed by the thousands of Tejanos all over the world who are hungry for this type of information.

Ramiro Burr's book on Tejano and reg Mex music is the most fascinating, most comprehensive and most illuminating work in the history of this industry. If you're a novice or beginner, this book will educate you fast, with fact-based bios, tons of info and ready made lists of what CDs to buy and listen to. Or, if you're a veteran you'll get much joy of reading interesting facts and juicy biographical info on your fave artists from trio and mariachii to Tejano and norteno legends. From Adalberto, Fama, Jay Perez to Los Lobos, it has it all. As Mr. Burr oftens says, the book is important because the history of a music, a culture or a country is incomplete unless everyone's contributions are documented. Finally Tex-Mex has its due recognition.JR

This a classic ill-fated love story, which is based upon the events of the German airship the Hindenburg. It involves a love-triangle between a beautiful young German girl, Anna Becker, who flees her home in Frankfurt, Germany to escape her Nazi brother, Kurt and his wishes for her to live a life of no freedom and marry someone she does not love after her grandfather dies and the household becomes Kurt's ; Karl Mueller, the man she loved once who still holds on to her heart even though he broke it and left her without an explaination; and Erik Peterson, a mysterious, handsome green-eyed man who helps her board the Hindenburg and captures her heart. Yet when all of everyone's secrets come out, who will receive the love and trust of Anna? To find out, read this beautifully written book that will make you shout with joy and leave you in tears! Wouldn't this book make a great movie? I loved it and I hope you do!

The book Hindenburg 1937 is a well written emotionaly effecting love story that takes place during the tramatizing time of WW2. The book is about a young German girl who is living with her grandfather. He dies with his hands on a pair of ticketts to board the Hindenburg in his hands. She is sure that this means she is to board the Hindenburg and leave Germany for America but her brother won't have it. So she escapes and boards. A girl unescorted and looked for is not safe. So she simply walks up to someone and says "Hi, I've been looking all over for you". Luckly it works and everything is going well until she sees her X-long time boyfriend on the ship who is now a nazie spy. And no matter how much he hurt her she still loves him. A love story, complicated mysterie, and more aries. I cannot even express how wonderfful this book is. WARNING: Be prepared to cry after I finished reading it I cried for and hour. MUST READ MUST READ

I loved this book. I just read it for the second time recently and I am surprised and amazed every time. If you like history mixed with romance you will love this book. It says so much in so few pages. The ending was a tear jerker once again and I found that I cried just as much the second time than I did the first. It is a great book and I would recommend anyone read it! It is a classic to me!

I was deeply touched by this book. I was amazed to see what exactly a determined 23 year old teacher can accomplish. Erin Gruwell and the Freedom Writers are true hero's. Their stories will shock and inspire you. It will make you ask, "Does this type of stuff really happen in a place like Long Beach."

Its sad, but very true, that these kids are the victims of the war in America. The war of violence and destruction that is becoming increasingly apparent all over the United States, yet this book gives us hope.

It is truly touching how these kids, with the encouragement from a teacher could turn their lives around. This book should serve as an inspiration for every individual. The fact that one strong and courageous teacher could inspire 150 students to go onto college should prove what each and everyone of us can do if we are willing to help. This book is what life is all about: Courage, commitment, strength, acceptance, love, hope, faith and the willingness to help. Buy this book.

As a prospective high school teacher who will most likely work in a school demographically similar to Wilson High, I am deeply inspired by the story of Erin Gruwell and her amazing students. Branded their entire lives as underacheivers and losers, Gruwell's students, with the help of an extremely determined and passionate teacher, were able to use writing as a means of fighting back against the labels they were given and succeed despite the odds. I really liked the way Gruwell got her students interested in learning about events like the Holocaust and the war in Bosnia by relating those events to the daily gang warfare that had become so much a part of her students' lives. Not only did this lesson make learning meaningful, but Gruwell managed to get a bunch of students who "hated to read" to get excited about meeting the woman who hid Anne Frank from the Nazis, as well as spending several days with a young girl who had fled the war in Bosnia. This book is a must-read particularly for young and inexperienced teachers because it shows how Gruwell, who started the Freedom Writers as an inexperienced 23-year-old teacher, was able to make such a positive change in her students' lives. Gruwell has managed to engage her students in a way that many teachers with 30 years or more of teaching experience have yet to accomplish. The Freedom Writers Diary has taught me that even I, an inexperienced teacher only slightly older than Gruwell when she started, can potentially have the same effect on my students through determination and a strong belief in what my students can accomplish.

The Freedom Writer's Diary is a truly amazing project that teacher, Erin Gruwell and her students created. The diary is insighful and offers much meaning to the reader. This book is the product of what young people can achieve.

The book is divided into a variety of topics where the students reflect on the assigned readings and make connections to their current realities. The parallels are often heart-wrenching and painful. These are their stories...

The Freedom Writers were students who were labelled as at-risk and unteachable until one remarkable person, Erin Gruwell entered their lives. Gruwell rejected the labels and saw the pontential that all young people possess, a lesson for us all.

The back cover of the book says it the best, through the use of literature and Erin Gruwell as the guide, the Freedom Writers, "undertook a life-changing, eye-opening, spirit-raising odyssey against intolerance and misunderstanding."

Highly recommended, read this and you will surely expand your awareness.

I read I served by Don Hall in two nights. It was so riveting I could not put it down I had to read one more page until three in the morning each night. I was in Vietnam during Tet of 1968 at Plantation Army airfield in Long Bien. I served with the 195th. Assualt Helicopter Company. I supported F. Co. 51st Inf. (Airborne) LRPs until May of 1968 when my helicopter was painted Camo (first ones in the Army) and I was assigned to MACV- SOG. Our first platoon kept on supporting F. Co 51st Inf (Airborne) LRPs. Don's story of his upbringing in an orphanage where he met his wife and then his tour with one of the greatest LRP companies to serve in Vietnam is compelling reading for anyone who would like to get a feel for combat in Vietnam. I have given the book to others to read and they all agree with me you can't put it down. As a Soggie I have supported the best and Don Hall's book tells it like it is. Don has searched the Army's achives and obtained the after action reports so his story is woven with the actual facts.

A well written factual account of what it was like to be a LRP in Vietnam.

There are veterans and there are veterans, but then there are
"Professional Veterans".

Over the years, millions of books
have been written by "combat authors", expounding on their
exploits, their heroics, regardless of war; the main theme which I've
gathered from all of these books has been "This war could not
have been won if it wasn't for me being in it", or "I won
the war by myself". The books being well written, just like a
typical "Hollywood Script", leaving the reader with that
very impression. These "Hollywood Books" will suffice the
average reader, fulfilling a need for adventure. In reading "I
Served" by Don and Annette Hall, the reader isn't left with the
two above characteristics (the book is well written too), it relates
the saga of a unit, not just about a man who served in that unit,
Co. F (LRP), 51st Infantry (Airborne). While I personally didn't care
to read about another's hardship in his early years, it set the stage
for what the author endured for the sake of life, it made the man, THE
MAN. Readers are offended about exposing the fact that mercenaries
were employed by the U.S. in the war, yes the U.S. Government did
employ mercenaries, and they were ruthless
adversaries. ... Recommending the book to a histroy student is a must,
if that student wants to read the facts about one unit and the war
which one man endured. If the student wants to read real fiction, try
one of the other million books available on the subject.

War is
always hell, dying is the easy part, surviving it is harder.

I have read this book several times, and each time enjoy itmore than the time before...................................... I think that both Don and Annette Hall did an excellent job writing about how their lives were shaped by their experiences. The Halls have a unique ability to write so the reader can hear, feel and smell what's happening. The statistics at the end of the book help the reader understand how much this honored unit contributed to the war in Vietnam. Much like "In Love and War" by Admiral James and Sybil Stockdale, this book artfully uses and interweaves the background of childhood and adolescent events to set the stage for adulthood experiences. This book also lays bare some of the less romantic aspects of war -- that interspersed among the heroic and selfless deeds and acts of compassion by good soldiers and great leaders are also those which do not bring much glory or honor. And that's what makes this a great story - it is how Don Hall remembers the events which make him the man he is today - one who served. I highly recommend this book.

Excellent read, however those not versed in the WWII military venacular (e.g. B.A.R., D.Z., O.P., etc.) may have problems following some aspects of the book. Those who have read other accounts of the Normandy campaign (or other millitary history of the european theater) will tear through this easy and enjoyable read. Burgett was a very hard man, who killed 27 germans in one fire fight, and scores of others during the war. He proclaims to not understand the need for his colleages to mourn the loss of a buddy when there were still more nazis to kill! This book is a perfect compliment to Band of Brothers, it details the same training and battles of the same regiment only A company instead of E company.

Burgett's memoir was initially published in 1967. It came out when most books on World War II were about generals, or not even about the fighting. Burgett's book was a reminder that war is essentially about young men trying to kill other young men and the hell of it all. I purchased this book when Bantam reissued it under the title "As Eagles Screamed." I still have that copy and have read it several times.
All I can say is that if you're picking up this book for the first time, you're in for a treat. If you've already read it, well then you know how good it is. Burgett's books are a fine companion piece to Ambrose's "Band of Brothers." In some ways, it's even better because we see the whole war through the eyes of one man who survived it's most horrible moments.

The successful book and mini-series _Band of Brothers_ prompted a re-read of Donald R. Burgett's timeless classic: Currahee: A Screaming Eagle in Normandy (the subtitle was added to the reprint editions). First published in 1967, Burgett was ahead of his time in paving the way for a no holes barred narrative and chilling memoir. Some of the more recent World War II memoirs will attest that there are several pit-falls awaiting the well intentioned autobiographer. For example, a combat veteran's world was very small. He was rarely aware of events transpiring outside the realm of his squad or platoon. He oftentimes knew not where he was, nor was he aware of the grand strategy of which his unit was a small yet intricate part. All he knew was that he had to keep going on to victory, not so much for his country as a whole, but for his buddies who depended on him, as he relied on them for survival. Also, there is a tendency for the humorous memories to over-shadow the horrors of war in many recent accounts. The result is often a personal anecdotal approach. Although this style is significant to understanding the culture of the World War II veteran, it can also bore the reader quickly. Not so with Burgett's first effort. Burgett blends the anecdotal with the overall picture splendidly. He made a smart decision to have a military historian edit his manuscript and fill in the holes with facts Burgett could not possibly have known at the time. This collaboration is done with finesse, lending just enough factual military history to Burgett's personal experiences to make for a riveting read (This delicate ingredient will become more abundant in Burgett's subsequent installments). Burgett takes the reader from paratrooper training, overseas deployment, and eventual night drop into Normandy on the eve of the D-Day invasion. His attention to detail is remarkable. Every facet of training from the technical to the ironic is covered with crystal clear prose. If it were not for an injury suffered during Burgett's first qualifying jump, he would have crashed and burned with his original stick in an unfortunate training accident. Burgett's acclimation to combat appears to occur rapidly. He soon learns to think like an infantryman: is this ditch a safe place to spend the night, he wonders, or does the enemy have it zeroed-in? Burgett soon learned to trust no one outside his circle of squad buddies in the second squad, second platoon of A Company, 506th Parachute Infantry, 101st Airborne Division. He would make the grateful French citizens drink the wine and cider they happily offered their liberators first to insure it was not poisoned. Thinking three moves ahead in the game of survival became a way of life for Burgett. Burgett's re-telling of the sporadic fire fights among the hedgrows of Normandy are vital to a thorough understanding of the Airborne operations on D-Day. The reader may wonder whether the paratroopers preference for screaming frontal assaults directly into the mouths of German machine guns and deadly artillery is the result of elite combat training or youthful bravado (Burgett was only nineteen). Burgett makes no bones about his macabre desire to scalp the blond locks from a dead German soldier he felled with his M-1 Garrand. Only intense enemy machine gun fire prevented him from performing this gruesome deed. Burgett comments on the one topic no one likes to talk about: friendly fire. Burgett tells us that not only were his comrades killed by mishaps during Allied air and artillery support missions, but also short rounds fired from ships off-shore as well. Without a doubt, Burgett's tell-it-like-was memoir will become a timeless classic. All veterans contemplating preserving their experiences to paper should consult Burgett as a model.