Bruce Catton received the Pulitzer Prize for this final volume in his three-part History of the Army of the Potomac. Catton's greatness was that he combined historical accuracy with poetic insight, writing from the perspective of the citizen-soldiers who fought the Civil War and whom he had come to know and respect growing up in Michigan. "A Stillness at Appomattox" covers the last cruel year of the war, when the Army of the Potomac had become an engine of war under the leadership of Ulysses S. Grant. Although on paper the Army still belonged to George Gordon Meade, it was Grant who was the head of all the Union forces and who ran his command in the field. In this final volume Catton traces the Army's inevitable progress towards its grim victory, through the battles of the Wilderness, the Bloody Angle, Cold Harbor, the Crater, and on through the last months of the war to the moment at the MacLean house when the nation was made whole again.

Like its predecessors, "A Stillness at Appomattox" is divided into six sections: (1) "Glory Is Out of Date" follows Grant as he arrives from the West to check out the Army that needs to whip Bobbie Lee; (2) "Roads Leading South" relates the horrors of the Battle of the Wilderness and the new mood as the Army relentless pushes South towards Richmond; (3) "One More River to Cross" covers the bloody mess of the final assault on Cold Harbor; (4) "White Iron on the Anvil" details the final hemming in of the Army of Northern Virginia into a defensive position around Richmond, including the Battle of the Crater: (5) "Away, You Rolling River" deals with both the Siege of Richmond and Sheridan's efforts in the Shenandoah Valley; and (6) "Endless Road Ahead" finally brings us to the Fall of Richmond and Lee's surrender to Grant. Catton's History of the Army of the Potomac was unique because it insisted on telling the story of the Civil War from the perspective of the fighting soldiers, creating for an entire Union army what regimental historians and the memoirs of individual soldiers had done on smaller levels. His success is due to his ability to create a spellbinding narrative that is more reminiscent of literature than what we would expect to find in a history book.

With "A Stillness at Appomattox", Bruce Catton has achieved the high water mark for Civil War, and for that matter, Military history writing. The winner of the Pulitzer in 1953, this story is still fresh and energetic today, far outdistancing many other more modern accounts. Told from the Union soldier's perspective, this book isn't so much a history of battles, tactics...etc. but how the "everyday" soldier fit into the confrontations and how he subsequently responded to Union leadership. This volume (Vol 3 of the Army of the Potomac series) traces the War in Virginia in 1864 from the crossing of the Rapidan River for the Wilderness battle up to and including the final surrender at Appotmattox and what a story it is! Catton manges to weave the story of each engagement with just the right amount of personal and historical content that makes this very much accurate as well as incredibly readable. Nowhere can you find such elegant writing describing the horrific actions of both the Union and Confederate Armies as they battled from the Wilderness to Spotsylvania to North Anna and onto Cold Harbor in the first part of 1864. His descriptions and analysis of the battlefields and troop movements at Cold Harbor, for example, border on genius... I really felt like I knew how the Union soldiers felt and what drastic measures and portenting doom they went through preparing for and fighting this incredible battle. The subsequent movement to and siege of Petersburg is also wonderfully told with emphasis on the "Crater" fiasco, Fort Stedman and trench life in general... you get a true feeling of the frustration and, finally, the exhilaration that the Union soldiers and generals must have felt when the final breakthrough of the Confederate lines was achieved. Finally, the scene at Appomattox was presented in a completely different manner then I've ever read before...very little is discussed concerning Grant's and Lee's surrender actions...it's all told from the battlefield perspective and (to use a previous reviewer's words) is breathless. This "Army of the Potomac" series, needless to say, is very definetly essential Civil War reading with "A Stillness at Appomattox" the high water mark...extremely highly recommended!

Bruce Catton grew up in Benzonia, MI in the early 1900s. There were still Civil War Vets living at that time and a few lived in that same town. It was listening to their stories as a child that inspired Catton to write the Army of the Potomac Trilogy, of which A Stillness at Appomattox is the third and final installment.

Stillness, along with the other two books, Glory Road and the other's name escapes me, paints a picture of the Civil War few have been able to duplicate. He tells the story of the Civil War from the perspective of the common foot soldier.

Drawing heavily from personal correspondence and regimental histories, Catton puts us smack in the middle of the Wilderness, at the breastworks of Spotsylvania Courthouse and in the trenches around Petersburg as well at the surrender of Lee to Grant.

If you're a Civil War buff, and you haven't read Catton, you're not a Civil War buff.

I got this book as a Mother's day present and finished it in two days. That is no small feat considering I have two kids under 2.5. I could relate to so much of it! There were moments when I laughed so hard I woke the sleeping baby on my lap. By the end of the book I was in tears. This is definitely a must-read for every mom. Ayun Halliday is incredibly articulate and honest in sharing her observations and experiences of motherhood.

Kudos to Ayun Halliday for writing a book 'from the trenches' of motherhood! Our culture is filled with messages about parenting and mothering that are, quite frankly, way off the mark. "The Big Rumpus" is a fun, funny, creative and well written book. Beyond that, its a way for us mothers to unite in our struggle to blast stereotypes and get down to the business of reality. The stories and anecdotes from the book are as funny as they are insightful. They serve to remind us that we don't need to feel isolated as mothers. We all feel frustrated and bored with our jobs as parents at some time or another even though we love our children more than anything! I highly recommend this book to mothers and fathers, and anyone who is thinking of becoming a mother or a father in the future.

Okay, I've read something like 20 books about parenting but I related to none of them. They all embraced scrapbooking, stenciling, etc. and I thought 'Who does this?' Then I read The Big Rumpus, a refreshing look at life from a real mother's perspective. Halliday is an intelligent woman who does endless mom tasks, struggles with philosophies of motherhood, and (YAY) nurses her babes while figuring out how to get around NYC. She says things that I've thought but never dared say - (Sigh) I'm not alone! If you are a mom, want to be a mom, care for children, or want to read about a cool woman's adventures in the big city, read this book. If you nurse, have an intact son, co-sleep, wear your baby, and/or know how to laugh at yourself, buy this book. If you are 30-something and want to remember high school, read this book. If you love or hate the holidays, read this book. Heck, I think anyone will find this book touching, funny and just plain entertaining. Buy this book, you'll be glad you did.

This is a keeper book! I keep going back to it month after month. It has home styles as they came thru history grouped by style. It has pictures of house features that help identify what style a home is. It has lots of pictures. The only weakness I can think of is it does not have a lot of information on Home-styles being built right now. AntBiscuit@cs.com

It was during a conversation that I was having with a co-worker at a major N.Y. cultural institution that I was first handed a copy of this book. I needed it too, because I cound not identify the architectural style of my own house!! This book changed all of that! You will find every architectural style in covered in this book along with some fabulous illustrations, with variants and details. I was absolutely delighted to see a section devoted to Native American architecture, and eclectic architectural styles. The photographs are excellent as well. This book is perfect for students of architecture and Historic Preservation. In the many years since I was first introduced to this book I have yet to see any other publication beat it, and I don't think any will.

If I could only keep one volume from my small library of books on home architecture, I would probably stick with "A Field Guide to American Houses," by Virginia and Lee McAlester. This is a true encyclopedia of the American home.

The McAlesters combine an informative introduction with a chapter-by-chapter guide to each of the major styles of home architecture in the United States. Each chapter includes both crisp, detailed line drawings and a wealth of photographs of actual houses themselves. The photographs alone--there are literally hundreds of them--make this book an invaluable reference work.

The McAlesters also provide newcomers with a useful primer to the language of home architecture. After reading this book you might find yourself using terms like "hipped dormer," "decorated verge board," "roof-line balustrade," and "ogee arch" when you visit a new neighborhood.

From Native American tipis to geodesic domes, from Chateauesque mansions to mobile homes--all this and more is in here. This book is a monumental achievement.

What a visceral impact Tom Childers' Wings of Morning had on me. Unable to put the book down, I read it in two days. Not only does the author vividly describe the training and every day life of a WWII bomber crew, he also makes you feel like Goodner's family, anxiously awaiting the next letter. Not wanting to give away the results of a frantic search to find out what happened to this crew after being shot down over Germany, let me suggest that you buy the book, curl up in your chair, and read as one hell of a story unfolds. Next to Guy Sajer's "The Forgotten Soldier", you'll have a hard time finding a better account of the war and the men who fought it. As an aside, Professor Childers has a superb course on WWII available through the Teaching Company. And I encourage all of you to seek it out as well.

Having heard all of Dr. Childer's excellent audio courses available from the Teaching Company, I had very high expectations for this book. I was not disappointed; Wings of Morning is an exceptional book that details the war time experiences of a B-24 bomber crew from their initial induction and training, to their deployment to England as part of the 8th Air Force, through their fateful final mission in the closing days of Word War II. A final mission, incidentally, that the reader can not help but conclude should have never been flown.

Based on hundreds of crewmember letters home, Wings of Morning provides insights that go far beyond the usual combat narrative. The combat experience is here to be sure, but so is the training, off-duty hours, weekend leaves, camaraderie, devotion to duty, exhilaration, boredom, bravery, fear, hope for the future, and the families back home. This book, more than any I've ever read, gave me an appreciation for the near constant tension that these men must have felt. I repeatedly found myself asking what I would have done in similar situations and realizing anew why those who fought World War II are rightly called the "Greatest Generation".

Wings of Morning does not end with the loss of a B-24 crew over Regensburg, Germany, in April of 1945 nor with the War Department notifications to the families waiting at home. Professor Childer's uncle was a crew member on that tragic flight and the final chapters of this extraordinary book detail his quest to reconstruct the final mission of a B-24 known as the Black Cat.

I've read and own many good books about World War II but none has had the impact of Wings of Morning. Thank you, Dr. Childers, for this insightful and thought provoking work...

I would conservatively estimate that I have read 500 books on WWII, and this would rate in the top three. I cannot recall a book that more completely gripped me from start to finish. Childers' unique "first person" story telling breathes life into young men that have long passed from this world. Through dialogue that seems very easy to accept as real, he makes us love and respect these true American heroes, and then causes us to feel the loss (albeit a minute fraction) that their families and friends felt almost sixty years ago. I cannot recommend a book more highly, even if you are not a WWII scholar. If you are, it is a MUST read.

The basic premise of this book is: defensive use of firearms is not just for the military and police; it is for every citizen confronted or assaulted by violent criminals violating their personal and property rights. This book contains numerous examples of citizens who used firearms to save their own lives, or the lives of others, before law enforcement arrived.

There are also examples of armed citizens coming to aid of stricken law enforcement officers, who probably owe their lives to the second ammendment rights exercised by the citizens. The stories of survival in the face of certain death at the hands of a violent criminal are gripping.

The book is a fast and easy read. Although not a great literary work, Robert A. Walters succeeds in telling the stories of victims turned defenders completely and understandably. No matter which side of the "gun control" debate you are on, this book will give you a good source of insight into the reasoning behind the pro-second ammendment advocates.

You will probably not sleep well at night after reading this book - unless you have an appropriate, loaded weapon nearby.

There are two things that I like about this book. I have always believed that the best way to learn anything in life is by following the sucessful examples of others. What better examples are there than real life ones? The book also gives good refutations on gun opponents' most popular beliefs:

1. A robber will not hurt you if you do exactly what he tells you to do.

2. Using guns as a self-defense weapon is a deployment of more than necessary force to stop a violent encounter. Martial arts and self-defense sprays should suffice in any violent confrontation

3. Silent alarms should be able to get law enforcement agents onto the scene of a crime in progress before anybody gets physically wounded. In other words, carrying a gun in a place of business is equivalent to trying to take the law into your own hands

4. Law enforcement agents are always here to protect you

Buy this book and read for yourself about the burgular who breaks into the house of a sleeping woman and, without saying a word to her, pulls out a knife and begins to slash her face. The woman did not even have a chance to comprehend what is going on before there are two deep lacerations in her face. The attacker was so strong that after the woman shot him four times, he still continues to beat her and cut her for about another hour. Ask yourself if the martial arts or pepper sprays would have been able to stop him if four .22 caliber bullets barely could. When did the police arrive? One hour after the struggle began.

Read about the jewerly store owner who quickly activates a silent alarm after seeing three men enter his store with shotguns. The first thing the robbers did was fire a shotgun shell into a nearby glass window. At this point, the store owner decided it was time to fight back. Before the police arrived, there was already an intense gun battle. Had the owner not possessed guns, the only thing the police would find upon arrival would have been a pile of dead employees and their dead employer.

Buy this book and see why every smart and responsible citizen should be armed.

I would like to recommend "STREET KARATE" by John McSweeney as a good companion to this book just in case your handgun decides not to work.

I finished reading this book very quickly. Every story was intense and captivating. The book was enjoyable for entertainment value alone, but it also contains critical information about personal defense.

Ever wondered what it was really like to be attacked by someone trying to kill you? These are stories of people who lived to tell the tail. Many potential murder victims only survived because they had a loaded gun handy.

On a personal note, my brother wasn't as fortunate as many of the people in this book. He was returning a tape at a well lit video store on a Sunday night when he was kidnapped by four thugs. They had his car, his cash, and all his possessions, but they murdered him anyway. Apparently just robbing people had become boring to them. They are now in jail, but I often wonder if my brother would be alive today if he had a gun with him.

In the words of Rush Limbaugh, "War is about killing people and breaking things." Personally, I think Rush Limbaugh is a jerk. And I assumed that John Carl Roat's book, CLASS-29: THE MAKING OF U.S. NAVY SEALS would be about training a bunch of 20-something jerks with inflated egos and terminal testosterone poisoning. I was wrong.

The candidates for SEAL training may well have started out that way, but by the time the few survivors had graduated (a minescule percentage of the original applicants) they were very different men indeed.

In an odd sort of way, Roat's CLASS-29 is a love story. We watch as the young trainees learn from their own experience that no matter how tough they think they are, they can only survive with help from the guy beside them. Soon this evolves into a sort of reliance, as they learn that they will only survive as a team; and then into genuine affection and respect. These kids come in all puffed up and clueless, and they come out as men who would lay down their lives for the good of the team, for the survival of their teammates. That they are superbly conditioned fighting machines is secondary - vitally important, but secondary none the less. Now that macho attitude has a vital core of respect and integrity.

It's a wonderful story. Roat spins a good yarn. The physical challenge of the training will make your hair stand on end. That these guys were able to joke in the midst of it is a tribute to their resiliance. That they came out of it imbued with absolute respect for another as well as love of country is a tribute to the training.

Too many times we have heard the stories of impossible jobs done by incredible men. John Carl Roat's "Class-29" is not the newest story or version of such. Roat's book is the unabashed and almost unbelieveably unbiased truth about the creation of a U.S. Navy SEAL. Roat's ability to write honesty and forthrightly about himself and those members of Class-29, keeps you on the edge of incrediblity as to just how much stamina and drive one can find to keep themselves going.

Most know and understand a Navy SEAL is, at minimum, most celebrated for his ability to face any and all odds and serious adversity and still successfuly complete a nasty, impossible assignment; survive, and be immediately prepared to begin and complete yet another dirty outrageous assignment.

We have all heard and read of the many stories of SEAL valor, courage and various abilities under fire and against any and all odds. But, until now, we did not have the opportunity to understand just how one becomes eligible to be a SEAL, or what testing is necessary to assure a SEAL candidate will be able to give all, take the unpredictable and indeterminate punishment, and still complete almost any and all assignments.

John Carl's book clearly demonstrates basic truth a SEAL must face to become fortunate enough to earn the right to wear the "Trident."

Roat writes in a passioned and understanding way, remarkably remembering clearly, despite his tender age during that time, the obstacles and comraderie experienced by himself and his Class 29 mates. He is able to make the training, testing and truth finding experience come alive, facilitating the reader's ability to understand how a mere man can become a U.S. Navy SEAL and the most highly trained and dangerous warrior in the arsenal of any armed force.

Roat lets the reader see that the SEAL starts with an individual's basic interior framework, and continues to test his strength with the harsh truths from which the SEAL is trained.

John Carl Roat writes from the heart and in truth. I personally vouch for his characterizations of himself and his teammates as although I did not have the honor to serve with John, I had the opportunity and honor to serve with other members of Class-29. I was fortunate and lucky enough to become a member and graduate of Class 40, and serve with Underwater Demolition Team 21.

SEALS are still created from TRUTH.

The author's retelling of what he and his fellow teammates wentthrough during U.S. Navy Underwater Demolition Team training is anexcellent account of determination and teamwork. This book is not a typical special warfare, shoot-em-up, Rambo-type story. It's just the real deal, no BS description of what it takes, and what kind of person has what it takes, to make it through the world's hardest training program. Alot of what John Roat describes about what he and his fellow teammates had to do, has parallels with many other aspects of everyday life; not just military training. Having the motivation, ingenuity, and just plain guts to tough it out when the going seems impossible, and you could just as easily quit. A great read!

I checked this book out from my local library not really thinking that I would have the time to read it. But as soon as I finished reading the first chapter I was hooked. I mean who would have known that Lila Fowler's ancestors' stories could be SO touching. Everything was so descriptive that I could imagine myself being the characters in the wonderful story about friendship, romance, tragedies and just plain fun. If you are interested in ANY of the Sweet Valley series you will definately enjoy this book.
When I was reading this book I was really hooked on the Sweet Valley Twins Series. This book made me broaden my horizon's and got my interested in Sweet Valley Jr. High books, Sweet Valley High books and many other great Sweet Valley miniseries.
Recently, I read the book, The Wakefields of Sweet Valley. This book was even better than The Fowler's of Sweet Valley if that is humanly possible.
The only thing that I didn't like about this book and The Wakefield's of Sweet Valley is that they are SO sad. I have never cried so much in a series. The only time I could put the book down was to get a tissue.
These books in the Sweet Valley Saga series teach you a lot. I hope that you will condsider reading them.(Tip is you read any of the Sweet Valley Saga books: Get lots of tissues.)
I hated how in this book Lili never got together with her true love. It was SO sad.

The Fowlers of Sweet Valley, is, no doubt, the best book I have ever read---and that is a lot of books! I think it was even better than the Wakefield saga, which was good also. The book is truly a sweeping romance. Sensitive readers will surely cry reading this book. AMAZING WORK!

As a college student, I need some mental cotton candy every once in awhile. I found a few of my old Sweet Valley High books and I've gotten hooked on them like never before-- buying them at secondhand bookstores, etc. I have to say that I really love The Fowlers of Sweet Valley-- although-- it seems like in every single "Saga" book the generations-- in this case Beautemps vs. Oiseilluer/Fowler-- that preceed the SV characters we know and love come THIS CLOSE to falling in love and then die, move away, lose touch, etc. Every single generation-- in every book-- it starts to get just a little bit old. However, the only case where this is actually interesting and almost a little heartbreaking is when Isabelle marries Jacques' (oisiellur, who later changes name to Jack Fowler)friend when she thinks he is killed. I have studied the first world war in depth and there are cases like that where they think beyond a doubt the soldier has died and then he turns up somewhere. But with that-- and the background of Lila's parent's falling apart-- make this a wonderful read. Loved it when Celeste found out about her mother Lili!

Honus & Me By: Dan Gutman Would you like to read a book about Honus Wagner? What about baseball history? Well here it is. The book is Honus & Me. It is a very interesting book with a lot of facts about Honus Wagner. Joe Stoshack loves baseball. One day when cleaning up his next store neighbors basement Joe found a Honus Wagner card, the most valuable card in the world! In the middle of the night Joe wakes up and face to face with him is Honus Wagner. Now they will go to the past with Honus Wagner. They will go on the one of the greatest journeys ever.

The book that I read was really good. it is called Honus and Me by Dan Gutman. If you like baseball,then I think you would like this book. It is about a kid names Stosh who plays baseball, he's also a big baseball card collector. One day, he finds a Honus Wagner card! (these are very rare) Stosh isn't rich but he wouldn't call himself poor. His parents split up when he was younger and his mom doesn't make that much money. The card that he was holding was worth half a million dollars! Stosh goes to bed that night and wishes that he could go back in time and meet Honus himself. He feels a tingling sensation in the tips of his fingers just before he falls asleep. It turns out that he has the ability to go back in time! This adventure continues throughout the book as Stosh and Honus play in the world series and sign autograpghs. This action packed adventure is really good and everyone should read it. Even if you don't like baseball, you should also read other books by Dan Gutman.

This is a great book! First, Honus comes to the future to meet Joe Stoshack and then they both go back to Honus's time. Joe gets his dream and gets to play in a professionall game. At the end something REALLY COOL happens. I encourage all kids who are interested in baseball to read this book. P.S. I'm not giving any more away otherwise I would ruin the surprise!

Boston Jane was a great book. It is about a girl named Jane Peck. She is asked to be the wife of a man named William Baldt. On her voyage out to the wilderness her best friend Mary dies and she is left with a man named Jehu Scudder who happens to have a crush on her. Jane tells us that life isn't about being popular it's about being yourself and not letting bully's control your life. Read both the books to find out about what happens to her.

While searching the teen shelves at my local libarary, i came across this very exciting read....

The story starts off with Jane Peck, the main character in the story, in Philadelphia around the 1850s. She is a rather tomboyish, improper child, who adores her father and is interested in his job as a doctor.But, as she grows into a young lady, she is teased because of her behavior, especially by a wealthy bully, and decides to attend Miss Hepplewhite's Young Ladies Academy to improve her manners and apperance.
In the mean time, she falls in love with her fathers's apprentice, William Baldt, who has dreams of sailing, exploring the frontier and starting a lumber business. He leaves Jane, and keeps in touch with her by letters. Finally, he proposes, and she decides to leave for Washington Territory, much to the disapproval of her father.
At the moment she starts her journey, she encounters many hardships, and as she arrives in Shoalwater Bay, set to start her new life right away with William. But things do not go as smoothly as she expected, and through self exploration, her life takes a unexpected twist of fate!
Read Boston Jane to find out!

I don't think I've spent a more enjoyable two days while reading this book! Unless you count the one day it took to read it's sequel Boston Jane: Wilderness Days! A combination of historical fiction, adventure, and romance you come to know Jane so well, she becomes one of the family. It's truly a book for all ages, so girls (ages 12-15), when you finish it, please pass it on to your mothers! It's going to be tough to wait for the third installment due Winter of 2003!

I got the book "Hooker" over a year ago. It came in the mail at 4:30 p.m on Tuesday and I had read it completely by 6:00 p.m. Wednesday. I could not quit reading it. It is one of the best books I have ever read. Lou Thesz is one of the greatest wrestlers that this business has ever produced. I promoted several towns out of Nashville booking office and I had the privilege of having Lou wrestle for me several times. On one occasion we started selling tickets at 5:00 p.m. and was completely sold out at 6:30 p.m. The matches did not start until 8:30 p.m. and the fans sat there for two or more hours waiting for that match. We turned several thousand people away. Anytime Lou would wrestle in a town for me;the attendance would stay up for several months eventho he was not on the card. He had that kind of impact on wrestling. After the matches we went out to a nightclub in Memphis and Lou had all the respect of everyone there. He has been an inspiration to me for all my entire wrestling life (45 years in the wrestling profession as wrestler and promoter). If you have not read this book;be sure and purchase it as it is one of the best and informative books I have ever read.

If you think the WWF is all there is to pro wrestling, prepare to learn a thing or two. Lou Thesz's life story not only takes you through his career, which lasted from the 30s to the 80s, it provides a history of pro wrestling. He tells you how the game was played inside and outside the ring. A fascinating, behind the scenes look at wrestling before the term "sports entertainment" was coined. Set aside a few hours and get a bedside book light, because you'll need them. "Hooker" is one of those books you won't be able to put down...and you'll find yourself reading it over and over again. Lou Thesz and Kit Bauman are the tag team champions of wrestling writing!

Professional wrestling is caught in a paradox. On the one hand, the matches are not genuine contests but pure performance, with the winner decided by the promoter in advance. On the other hand, though in these days of absurd gimmicks and sensationalism this is difficult to realize, wrestling is a high and difficult art. No one who had the good fortune to see Lou Thesz, usually ranked the foremost wrestler of the past half-century, can be in any doubt on the latter point. Thesz's mastery of technique, together with his phenomenal speed, made him a wrestler of surpassing excellence. As he reveals in Hooker, his skill was carefully honed in years of training. He draws sharply etched portraits of his mentors George Tragos and Ad Santell. He learned from them holds of devastating effect, enabling him quickly to dispatch any wrestler so foolish as to challenge him to a real contest. As Thesz recounts his wrestling career, which lasted from the 1930s to the 1970s, the reader gains a clear impression of his strong character. Thesz is fiercely loyal to his friends. He reacted sharply when Buddy Rogers made a slighting reference to his hero, Ed "Strangler" Lewis, and rushed to Lewis's defense. He is a man of strong likes and dislikes. He conceals neither his contempt for those, e.g., Primo Carnera, whom he views as incompetent, nor his admiration for those few who meet his exacting standards. Readers who want an account of professional wrestling by the ultimate insider should immediately secure a copy of this excellent book. Those who do so will encounter a genuine Amercan original.