The Velvet Room is a realistic story with much of the majic and suspense of The Secret Garden. Additionally it gives readers insight into the hardship of migrant farm workers and develops empathy for Robin's hardworking family. For almost 30 years I have kept my paperback copy. Last summer my 8 year old daughter read it and loved it. She finished rereading it today and claimed it was still one of the best books she has ever read

This was one of my favorites as a child. I can only share the thoughts of others by saying what a great book this is. This book has all the best offerings; mystery, suspense, secrets, and a heroine who loves to read. ...please put this book back in print and share it with a new generation of readers.

I've been looking for The Velvet Room, which I read in fifth or sixth grade (I'm now 38) for my daughter. I want to pass on to her the "can't put it down" feeling you get from a good book. Secrets, mystery, magic... all of these elements are present in The Velvet Room. I want my daughter to be able to escape to a quiet corner and enjoy this experience (and me again, too!) But where can I get it?

When I opened this book, the first of Selby's I've read, I was prepared to feel sad. But there is no word for the pain and emotion I felt when I'd finished it.

The story revolves around four characters: Sara Goldfarb, a desperately lonely widow who wants nothing more than to be on a television quiz show, her junkie son Harry, his girlfriend Marion, and his best friend Tyrone C. Love.

As Harry and his friends come up with a plan to become powerful heroin dealers, Sara, the most innocent and loveable pathetic character ever, becomes addicted to diet pills, the only way she can see to loose weight so she can fit in her red dress for the television.

Each character slowly begins to descend into the hell of addiction, and as they do the reader is subject to the most brutal passages of drug abuse and false hope found in literature.

If you're one who responds to emotions in a book or a movie, read this book. It will not be forgotten.

Let me say this up front - Requiem is very, very dark - the setting, the characters, and the message of the book are pretty bleak and hopeless. So why should you read it? First, the characters - Selby has drawn each of the four participants in this race to hell with stunning precision - after reading the book (and seeing the largely faithful movie) you feel as if you honestly know these people. Second, the terrifyingly accurate portrait of the downward spiral of addiction. Each of these characters reacts differently to his/her being hooked, but, with the exception of Sara, the brutal truth finally becomes too evident to ignore, at least until the next "little taste". The isolation of the addict is brilliantly rendered as Sara declines to go out, Tyrone gladly says goodbye to his "fine fox", and Harry and Marion lose the intensity of their love for each other to their more urgent love of heroin. Finally, it is Selby's gifts as a storyteller that provide the main reason for this book's classic status - I have read "stream of consciousness" before, but never have I been so riveted by it. The final 50 pages or so just go by in a horrible blur. Don't expect a light at the end of the tunnel - Selby doesn't celebrate dreamers, he condemns them for obscuring their view of what is with delusions of what could be. Powerful stuff.

Even though, on the face of it, this book may appear excessive and brutal in the latter stages, the true worth of this novel comes from its subtlety. The reader stands in the foothills of hope and glory for all 3 characters at the start, expectations high, their hope feeding into us as we watch there small lives unfold. The book has a pivot that lasts for a very short time as we see them at the pinnacle of their hopes and we are drawn into thinking it all could happen.

But with a Selby novel, you know that things will not work out the way you think. What happens is a set of events whereby with each downfall we wonder how the character got there but know that the reasons are imperceptible from the last event.

On a downward spiral, this book shows human determination in the extreme. Each person, with only one thing in mind, do anything to sustain the dream, deceiving each other and themselves.

I almost wanted to cry after reading this book, coupled with the fact that I have read most of Selby's books, I feel as if I have read the best set of books ever written about human nature, and I am hollow in the knowledge that I will not find anything quite the same

Mike Gray has written an excellent book exposing the disaster that is US drug policy. This book's value is in bringing the war to the general public, who may not have a taste for detailed policy reportage. Using real life examples, Gray communicates his message clearer than if he had filled the book with dry statistics and legal reasoning.

But therein lies what kept me from giving the book five stars. Gray's book does a great job of showing the drug war to be a total failure, but Gray leaves us with our hope eviscerated. Do we legalize drugs, or should we force people into "treatment?" Gray appears to prefer option two, which may turn out to be just as bad as the current system of forced imprisonment.

This book is an excellent demonstration of the failure of the drug war. Anyone who needs a short, well-written introduction to this issue should read Gray's book. For greater depth from a public policy, philosophical, or legal perspective, read, "Drug Warriors & Their Prey," or "Friedman & Szasz On Liberty And Drugs."

I have recently finished reading an excellent book about what is probably the most important issue in America today, the War on Drugs. Titled "Drug Crazy" (How We Got Into This Mess and How We Can Get Out Of It) by Mike Gray, it is a candid expose of the political hot potato that presents a greater threat to the Bill of Rights than most people suspect. Well organized, almost conversationally written and thoroughly annotated, it is a fast read - hard to set down. I breezed through it in two days, and then spent a couple of hours on-line spot checking some of his citations. It's all there. This is not the raving of some conspiracy theorist; rather, it is an appeal to reason, a revealing look at the many sides of a complex issue that has been thus far addressed with only the most simplistic remedies. Read it. It could change your perspective on a lot of things. It is probably the most important book you will read this year.

Book Review : Drug Crazy by Mike Gray (Random House, N.Y.- June, 1998)

America's War on Drugs, declared originally by Richard Nixon and waged with varying degrees of enthusiasm by every President since, has become a nearly invulnerable monster, thriving on its own failures and seemingly capable of destroying anyone reckless enough to speak out against it. Its simplistic central premise- drugs pose unthinkable dangers to our children, and therefore must be prohibited- has helped elect legions of politicians who then cite the latest drug scare as reason for tougher crack-downs, harsher laws, and more prisons. So completely has this idea of "illicit drugs" become society's default setting, and so beholden are politicians and others to it, the policy itself receives no critical scrutiny from government and little from academics dependent of federal funding. "Legalization" is a deadly brickbat hurled indiscriminately at all critics without thought that in a society based on capitalism, it is the illegal markets which are abnormal.

Although several scholarly, historically accurate books have pointed out shortcomings of this policy since the late Sixties, not one author has effectively attacked drug prohibition as a policy based on a completely false premise, incapable of preventing substance abuse problems; indeed, certain to make them worse. None, that is, until Mike Gray. A professional from the film world, Gray may have written the book no one else has yet been able to: a concise, readable, historically accurate, and well documented indictment of our drug policy. Very few reading his book all the way through will see the drug war the same way they did before. A major question then becomes: how many people will read it? Will it sink without a trace, overlooked like so many earlier criticisms of official policy- or will it be discovered by a public growing increasingly disillusioned by a perennial policy failure which is jamming prisons, impoverishing schools and colleges and effectively canceling! many Constitutional guarantees of personal freedom? Read by enough people, "Drug Crazy" could do for drug reform what "Silent Spring" did for the environment in 1962.

Like the film maker he is, Gray opens with a tight close up: Chicago police on a drug stake-out. The view quickly expands to the futility of enforcement against Chicago's massive illegal market. first from the perspectives of an elite narcotics detective and then through the eyes of a dedicated public defender. A comparison with Chicago seventy years ago during Prohibition reveals that police and the courts were equally unable to suppress the illegal liquor industry for exactly the same reasons: the overwhelming size and wealth of the criminal market created by prohibition. This beginning leaves the reader intrigued and eager to learn more; he's not disappointed.

The rest of the book traces the history of our drug crusade from its idealistic populist origins, starting in 1901 when McKinley's assassination thrust a youthful TR into the White House. The 1914 Harrison Act, purportedly a regulatory and tax law, was transformed by enforcement practice into federal drug prohibition with the assistance of the Supreme Court. Drug prohibition not only survived the demise of Prohibition, but emerged with its bogus mandate strengthened.

Thirty years of determined and unscrupulous management by Harry Anslinger, the J. Edgar Hoover of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics shaped drug prohibition into what would eventually become a punitive global policy. Anslinger was dismissed by JFK in 1960, but not before politicians had discovered the power of the drug menace to garner both votes and media attention.

Illegal drug markets have since thrived on the free advertising of their products which inevitably accompanies intense press coverage of the futile suppression effort and dire official warnings over the latest drug scare. This expansion was accelerated when Nixon declared the drug war in 1972. Gray covers that expansion beyond our borders in Colom! bia ("River of Money"), in Mexico (Montezuma's Revenge"), and also at home ("Reefer Madness"). He also describes how some European countries have blunted the most destructive effects of our policy forced on them by the UN Single Convention Treaty ("Lessons from the Old Country").

In his final chapter, Gray opines that the push to legitimize marijuana for medical use may have exposed a chink in the heretofore impregnable armor of drug prohibition. Beyond that, he believes that the policy, having thrived on relentless intensification, can't allow relaxation without risking the sort of scrutiny which might reveal its intrinsic lack of substance, therefore, any change must come from outside government. He doesn't offer a detailed recipe for a regulatory policy to replace drug prohibition; rather he suggests that it will be very similar to that which replaced alcohol Prohibition after Repeal in 1933- a collection of state based programs, sensitive to local needs and beliefs.

There is a desperate need for this book to be read and discussed by hundreds of thousands of thinking citizens. The pied piper of drug prohibition has beguiled our politicians and led us dangerously close to the edge of an abyss. Mike Gray's warning has hopefully come just in time and could itself be a major factor in initiating needed change of direction toward sanity.

Thomas J. O'Connell, MD

James Robertson has written an extensively researched life of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, acknowledged as one of the finest military tacticians of the Civil War on either side. He covers Jackson's ancestry, childhood, West Point career, early military service during the Mexican War and afterwards, his tenure at the Virginia Military Institute, his family life, and his Civil War service in the Shenandoah Valley, the Seven Day's Campaign, and in Northern Virginia/Antietam. He includes a short epilogue which discusses the conclusion of the War after Jackson's death at Chancellorsville, his legacy, and the subsequent lives of his family and fellow Confederates after the surrender at Appomattox.

Throughout the book, Robertson devotes much attention to Jackson's strong Christian faith both in his beliefs and in his actions. Some other reviewers have found fault with this emphasis but given the predominance of his faith in his daily life, Jackson's religious beliefs could no more be ignored than could an author ignore anti-semitism in a life of Hitler. Jackson's faith was not an ASPECT of his life, in many ways it WAS his life and everything else he did was incidental to his faith.

Contrary to some others, I don't think Robertson has glorified Jackson at all. Although a pious man and a military genius, all of Jackson's many shortcomings as a man and as a commander are brought out in the book. Jackson was a hypochondriac, a contentious subordinate, an incredibly boring and ineffective teacher and a man who saw everything in stark black and white. As a commander, he was hard on his men, compulsively secretive about his plans and movements even with those subordinates who needed to know and a harsh and unsympathetic taskmaster who constantly quarreled with and berated his staff. On at least one occasion, he had EVERY ONE of his major subordinates under arrest for one or another offense in his command. Although harsh with his underlings, he was popular among his men and in the Confederacy because of his victories, his acceptance of hardship along with his men and his single minded determination to drive the Yankee invaders out of the South.

"Old Jack holds himself as the god of war, giving short, sharp commands distinctly, rapidly and decisively, without consultation or explanation, and disregarding suggestions and remonstrances. Being himself absolutely fearless...he goes ahead on his own hook, asking no advice and resenting interference. He places no value on human life, caring for nothing so much as fighting, unless it be praying. Illness, wounds and all disabilities he defines as inefficiency and indications of a lack of patriotism. Suffering from insomnia, he often uses his men as a sedative, and when he can't sleep calls them up, marches them for a few miles; then marches them back. He never praises his men for gallantry, because it is their duty to be gallant and they do not deserve credit for doing their duty." Genl Alexander Lawton (c20,n120)

"He is the idol of the people and is the object of greater enthusiasm than any other military chieftain of our day... notwithstanding the fact that he marches his troops faster and longer, fights them harder, and takes less care of them than any other officer in the service...This indifference to the comfort of his men is only apparent, however--not real. No man possesses a kinder heart or larger humanity; but when he has something to do, he is so earnest, so ardent and energetic that he loses sight of everything but the work before him." quote in Southern paper. (c22,n64)

James I. Robertson, Jr.'s biography of Stonewall Jackson will long stand as the definitive summary of the life of this extraordinary military commander. Exhaustively researched and gracefully written, Robertson's biography portrays Jackson as he was - a deeply religious Sunday school teacher in Lexington, Va., a loving and devoted husband and father, and a stern and feared commander in battle. Based almost entirely on primary sources, Stonewall Jackson challenges many of the myths and misconceptions that have surrounded the general. This book also represents the culmination of Robertson's long and distinguished career as one of this country's finest Civil War historians. Without question it is his finest effort and the best biography of Jackson ever written

Author Robertson is not only a great historian, he is also an incredibly good wordsmith. Seldom in an historical biography have I seen such excellent writing combined with such in-depth and (relatively) unbiased research. This book is jammed with detailed information about Jackson: socially awkward, agonzingly shy and diffident, odedient to orders to the point of insanity, absurdly religious.Yet, this is my "take" on the book. The author never literally comes out and states this. He presents information. It is up to the reader to form his/her own opinions......After 40 plus years of studying Civil War history, I am long past hero worship. I never saw Jackson or Lee or any other general as a god - and I do not now. I don't believe that was the author's purpose. I believe his pupose was to present all the facts he could about Jackson in an organized and entertaining fashion. That the author is also a great writer makes this work all the more enjoyable. .......This is probably the BEST biography I have ever read, both in terms of scholarship and the quality of the writing. My only regret was that I did not get to read the many items that were left out of this already lengthy book by the authors and editors. I was not quite ready for Jackson to go.

"A Rumor of War" is a darkly disturbing book. It is set in what was the early, "optimistic" Vietnam in the spring of '65 when we thought we were fighting for "freedom" and before the reality of the place hit home. Vietnam hits Lieutenant Caputo very quickly, as it must have for all Marine Corps platoon leaders. It's all right there-booby traps, mines, trip wires, leeches, foot blisters, jungle rot, constant shelling, dysentery, pigs eating corpses and cold C Rations. As a Vietnam vet, I was surprised the author never mentions RATS!, but we both know they were there too. (THEY were everywhere). Lt. Caputo's transfer to a staff job is worse than the field, so he transfers back to the bush as a platoon leader.It's more of the same-patrolling and repatrolling the same trails, the same hills, the same villes. All watched over by unsupportive and bureaucratic commanders. "RW" offers yet another look at the Vietnam War, one more pessimistic than most because so many of us felt that the years of '65 and '66 were more positive than this. I might suggest reading Joseph Owen's "Colder Than Hell" to compare the Marine experience in Korea with Lt. Caputo's. Reading the late Bernard Fall's "Street Without Joy" will make us aware, again, that perhaps there was never a time to be optimistic about Vietnam. I must admit that I constantly found myself curious as to how I would have handled many situations in "RW". How would I have measured up? What would I have done? How would the men have judged me? While the story of "RW" tends to stray at times, I found no fault since the author is relating a painful part of his past. One small point: "RW" would benefit from better maps-these are so often lacking in military books. The bottom line:"A Rumor of War" belongs on the bookshelf of any serious military book reader or anyone searching for yet another angle to the frustrating Vietnam War that affected so many of us.

It is hard to imagine that such a gifted writer is also capable of being an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps. In "A Rumor of War," author Philip Caputo offers us an intimate portrait of the Vietnam conflict. Caputo uses a powerful lens and provides an up close examination of what the war is like for a Marine infantry "grunt."

This book is about the Vietnam danger, the boredom, the casualties, the weather and the mood of the American soldier. Throughout the book one can feel the soldiers enormous desire to "go home" and abandon the macho madness of the Vietnam tragedy. Caputo's protagonist, the element that moved the plot is the Marine's desire to survive. The author brilliantly uses the constant threat of "death" to act as a powerful antagonist that lurks from page to page.

Best of all, this book documents the brutality of war using the language of the Marine "grunt." Hence, it provides a front row seat to the thoughts and emotions of those who were condemned to risk their lives each day while in Vietnam. This is a great book that deserves attention..especially from the leaders of the nation who audaciously talk of war while never having the courage to set foot on a battlefield.

"A Rumor of War" is a darkly disturbing book. It is set in what was the early, "optimistic" Vietnam in the spring of '65 when we thought we were fighting for "freedom" and before the reality of the place hit home. Vietnam hits Lieutenant Caputo very quickly, as it must have for all Marine Corps platoon leaders. It's all right there-booby traps, mines, trip wires, leeches, foot blisters, jungle rot, constant shelling, dysentery, pigs eating corpses and cold C Rations. As a Vietnam vet, I was surprised the author never mentions RATS!, but we both know they were there too. (THEY were everywhere). Lt. Caputo's transfer to a staff job is worse than the field, so he transfers back to the bush as a platoon leader.It's more of the same-patrolling and repatrolling the same trails, the same hills, the same villes. All watched over by unsupportive and bureaucratic commanders. "RW" offers yet another look at the Vietnam War, one more pessimistic than most because so many of us felt! that the years of '65 and '66 were more positive than this. I might suggest reading Joseph Owen's "Colder Than Hell" to compare the Marine experience in Korea with Lt. Caputo's. Reading the late Bernard Fall's "Street Without Joy" will make us aware, again, that perhaps there was never a time to be optimistic about Vietnam. I must admit that I constantly found myself curious as to how I would have handled many situations in "RW". How would I have measured up? What would I have done? How would the men have judged me? While the story of "RW" tends to stray at times, I found no fault since the author is relating a painful part of his past. One small point: "RW" would benefit from better maps-these are so often lacking in military books. The bottom line:"A Rumor of War" belongs on the bookshelf of any serious military book reader or anyone searching for yet another angle to the frustrating Vietnam War that affected so many of us.

Autobiographies are usually enjoyable for one of two reasons. The author can possess an engaging style that piques the reader's interest regardless of the material. On the other hand, the author may have lead such an interesting life that the subject matter is fascinating despite their ability to spin a good yarn. Fortunately, in the case of HARPO SPEAKS! both conditions are satisfied, creating a well-written, intriguing look at one of the more interesting characters of the first half of the Twentieth Century.

Harpo Marx was famous for being the silent clown who never uttered a word during any of the dozen or so Marx Brothers movies. However, his story is quite a fascinating one. I'll admit to being slightly surprised at exactly how engaging the prose style of this book was. Having no idea what he sounded like, even in scripted movie conversation, I was curious as to how he'd come across in print. Fortunately, either he or his co-author, journalist Rowland Barber, was quite good at the art of storytelling. The reader really feels close to the action, as though one were really there. It's a simple and straightforward style, but it's one that is quite effective.

As I mentioned, the events of Harpo's life were extraordinary in themselves. Quite literally a rags-to-riches story about a group of vaudeville brothers who made it very big, this book is excellent at reconstructing those early days when they rarely had enough to eat, but always had a laugh and a game of cards to pass the time. The autobiography goes into great detail about his early childhood, from being literally thrown out of school (from a first floor window) and never returning, to every lousy part-time job that he had. The book spends quite a lot of time detailing the various schemes that Harpo and Chico (at that age, they were often mistaken for twins) had to try to make the largest amount of money possible while doing the smallest amount of work. Each method is equally hilarious, as are the attempts by Harpo to spend, or hide the resulting cash before Chico had a chance to "re-invest" it.

Much of the chronicle of his adolescence and early adult life centers on traveling on the road with his brothers and getting booked into a variety of theatres and clubs. Being on the road meant very little time to oneself, so we get a real sense of the relationship that existed between the members of the Marx family. Although this portion of the book is the most heavily involved in his stage performance, a great deal of time is still spent talking about different ways the Marx Brothers found themselves relaxing between shows. That means that there are a lot of anecdotes about card games, but don't worry -- the stories are wonderful.

The sections dealing with his adult life revolve more around his friends than on the work he was doing with his brothers on the silver screen. Fortunately, Harpo was mixing with some fascinating people, and you hardly miss the lack of discussion about his movie career. His descriptions of the time he spent during the '20s make for fascinating reading. Who would have guessed that Harpo Marx, the clown who ran around in a slashed raincoat, was mixing with intellectual heavyweights such as George Bernard Shaw and Alexander Woolcott? Even after the market crash and the end of that decedent decade, there are numerous amusing anecdotes, my favourite being the occasion that Harpo ended up being a spy for the U.S. Government, smuggling secret documents out of the Soviet Union.

The majority of the final few chapters deal with his wife and children. It's quite obvious that he cared deeply for his family, and one gets the impression that talking about them in this way is his equivalent of showing us his cherished family photographs. While this has the tendency to be slightly tedious in places, Harpo's enthusiasm is contagious. It's fascinating to see him learning lessons from his own childhood and from his children.

HARPO SPEAKS! is quite a recommended read for anyone, whether they're a Marx Brothers fan or not. Harpo's adventures make for wildly entertaining reading. Even during his later years of declining health and diminishing energy, Harpo never stops seeming like a kid who never grew up, yet one who was never childish or petty.

The world has waited to hear Harpo talk, and speculated on what he sounded like. Well, we may never know exactly what he sounded like; that is a closely gaurded secret, which only heightens our intense interest in this funny man. However, we can now know that he actually spoke, that he had more of an intellegent side, albeit it personal, than we could ever imagine.

"Harpo Speaks" is the autobiography of Harpo (Adolph, later changed to Arthur) Marx; one of the origonal Marx Brothers. Harpo opens the dialogue with his childhood, his limited education, and every strange and twisted facet which ultimately led to the creation of "Harpo", including how he acquired his trademark "Gookie"; that strange, yet alluring face he makes by puffing his cheeks and sticking out his tongue. His entire life is revealed, including an episode during World War Two in which he delivered a top secret note that he was told not to read, upon penalty of death. The only thing we don't discover is - what did he really sound like! Well, we will just have to wait for him to do the audio cassette version of "Harpo Speaks"; then our curiousities will be settled.

Harpo's life story is fascinating and entertaining, and this book also gives those of us not around in the early 20th century a look at Vaudeville and other hallmarks of that era. The Marx Brothers' films are entertaining, but equipped with a knowledge of their history contained in this book, films like Horsefeathers and Animal Crackers take on a whole new dimension. Harpo dropped out of school in the second grade, but through a life of adventure, and through his associations with Alexander Woollcott, Dorothy Parker and other literary figures, Harpo became highly educated. He was a quietly blazing star.

Mike Yon has written a wonderful book about love, murder, and triumph. It may look like another commando telling a tale, but Danger Close is a real story, no secret punches. I found this book so hard to put down. I just wanted to keep reading and reading until the end.

Danger Close is a excellent book for those interested in the Green Berets, but it is also such a worthy story that anyone will enjoy it. Mike wrote about his life, the good and the bad. The pages of this book flow so well, it's as if Mike was telling his story right there with you. I imagine joining the Army just out of high school is challenging enough, but then volunteering for one the most elite military units in the world is a story in it self. The story doesn't end there, that's just a small piece of this superbly written book. This book is so well done that amazingly, it received the prestigious William A. Gurley Award for creative non-fiction writing.

I highly recommend this book.

Dear Amazon Books,

I recently finished reading Mike Yon's autobiography "Danger Close". Mr. Yon's moving and intensely personal story had a profound affect on me, in that I was finally able to understand and articulate some large issues in my own life.

Similar to Mr. Yon, I too lost a parent at an early age, and I also "grew up" as a young man in the Army. My father was taken from me in a tragic incident when I was 5 years old. There was no other father-figure in my life until I came under the care and guidance of some truly great NCOs.

It was painful and difficult to read of his mother's death, and I had to put the book down for a while. It was two weeks before I could pick it up again, and continue.

I believe Mr. Yon's story is both inspiring and an open challenge to every young person today that is the product of disadvantage and hardship, a broken home or dysfunctional family. The message in Danger Close is, "Yes, you can make it! You will succeed if you'll only reach down deep enough. Never quit!".

Thank you, Mike, for a great story.

And thanks for showing us where the energy points are.

Chief Warrant Officer John Liner US Army, Retired

For many, "Florida" conjures visions of a vacation near a sunny beach or a trip to Disney World.

Mike Yon paints an intimate picture of his life growing up in a small town in central Florida. His boyhood took place where most coast dwelling Floridians have never been. At times his adventures read like wild fictional stories... but as someone who grew up a childhood friend of the author, I can attest to the truism of his memories.

From his experiences in the military, in business, at home and abroad, Mike Yon, tells his story in a way that makes it hard to put this book down. This book is riveting from page one!

This is a great book for a person who wants to know what a war can do to a family. Ocie Mason faces a lot of changes during the war. She gets a new pa. She loses a sister and gains a brother all in the beginning.The war comes to Ocie's house,her fathers house. There she finds her first love. She's made to move when the first battle is fought on her front yard. Ocice and her family go threw a lot of changes. Her sister falls in love with a Yankee. Her mother has 2 more childeren. After living in Richmond for a while the family is moved to Appromattox. There Will Mclean thinks his family is safe.Ocie once again falls in love. This is a great and wonderful and should be read. I might be young,but I enjoyed it fully. And I thnk others would to. Rinaldi shows a lot of historical value in this book.

This was the first book I ever read by Ann Rinaldi and I have read many of her books since. I first read this book in fourth grade, I'm now in seventh and I still love it. It is a great story with history and romance woven together. I love most of her books because of the great romances they include. This one is no different, it also makes the civil war come alive to the reader. It is an excellent book.

For anyone who loves this book already:If you ever visit Washington D.C. you can visit nearby Mannassas and see for yourself the breathtaking view on Henry Hill, the feild where Benjamin Chinn's mules grazed, and Lucinda Dogan's house. At the Mannassas visitors center you can get a map of selfguided walking or driving tours. There is also a museum in Manassas which has information about Mannassas during the Civil War. One disapointing fact though is no one knew the location where the McLeans actually lived but seeing where this book took place is still highly enjoyable.

To start off the setting is placed in the south with the main character, Oscie Mason. Oscie has just gained a new step- father, Will McLean. These two are not on good terms. Both are hard headed and never give up without a fight. Soon it becomes 1861 when the war begins. As luck would have it they live near the Manassas Junction so the Confederate Army decides to make their headquarters on the McLean's plantation. There Oscie falls in love with an army general by the name of Captain Alex. One problem: he's married. Soon Oscie is forced to leave her home to a new, smaller town known as Appomattox. There she meets the charming Thomas Tibbs. As I wish to not give away the ending to those of you who still have yet to read it, i'll leave it at a cliffhanger. I have read a total of 3 Ann Rinaldi works, The last Silk Dress, Girl in Blue and In My Father's House. Each book has a great look on the Civil War and telling you what is true and what is made up. Also they tell of the war from each side. All are wonderful and i hear she has another book out i must read, Time enough for drums. This is definetly a book worth buying or just reading. ( i read mine at least 10 times!)

Owen Parry in Faded Coat of Blue introduces the reader to Captain Abel Jones a recent immigrant from Wales who serves his new country during the civil war as a way of to express his gratitude. Although injured he continues to work as a clerk until General McClellan asks him to investigate the murder of a prominent young abolitionist.

We find Washington D.C. during this time to be a seedy, dirty place where schemers are profiting from the war. At this time there are already dangerous areas of the city which the solid citizen should avoid to remain healthy, wealthy and alive.

Characters in this book are interesting and well defined. Jones is a man who believes strongly in honor. He befriends Dr. Mick Tyrone, another man of integrity and meets up again with an old comrade from India Jimmy Molloy, a roguish sort who will delight the reader

This is an entertaining read and a good historical mystery for those who are fond of the genre.

As a reader with a lifelong interest in the Civil War, I was absolutely knocked out by this incomparable novel. I have never found the atmosphere and character of the Civil War era so accurately portrayed--beyond which, the writing itself is superb. Mr. Parry has a flawless ear for dialects--yet he never overdoes it. The book reads very quickly, and leaves the reader hungry for more--as all the best books do. From the portrayal of wartime Washington to the joys and sorrows of a soldier's life, this book rings truer than any other I've read. And Abel Jones is one of the most interesting characters I've encountered in a lifetime of reading. This book is also a mystery, of course, but I valued it just as a terrific story and a wonderful portrait of our past. I do, however, have to take issue with one of the other reviewers who criticized Mr. Parry for mentioning the Thanksgiving holiday a year before it became an official national holiday. In fact, it's Mr. Parry, the author, who's correct. Parry never said Thanksgiving was a national holiday at that point in 1861, only that it was widely celebrated, which was absolutely true. As a former history teacher myself, I can assure all readers that Thanksgiving was very widely celebrated prior to the Civil War, especially in the North. Parry's portrayal of the unofficial celebrations in the Army of the Potomac in 1861 are completely accurate, and the historical records support it. In New England, it was already an established family holiday, with reverential tones. In the Union Army, it was a great excuse for getting drunk. When Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday later in the war, he was simply formalizing a celebration that already had a long tradition. Overall, Mr. Parry's book is incredibly accurate--the details are marvelous and telling--and I personally could not find a single error in this very-well-researched novel. But, ultimately, what matters is just that this is a great read. Were I still teaching, I would use it to lure my students into the realms of history. Bravo!

Owen Parry is a new historical novelist to watch. In "Faded Coat of Blue", Parry (pseudonym of an established writer of both thought-provoking non-fiction and modern thrillers) has produced a moving and evocative protrait of Civil War-era Washington. The murder mystery carries the story along, but the book is really the chronicle of the love affair of a Welsh immigrant Indian Army veteran for his new country. Accurate in portraying time and place, the prose often becomes lyrical, conveying the touch, feel and smell of the era. As Owen Parry, the writer has achieved a new "voice", displaying a storytelling skill rarely matched. Students of American history will gain new insights into our past through the eyes of the protagonist, Abel Jones. Owen Parry and Abel Jones will be names to watch as this continuing Civil War saga unfolds in the coming years.

This compelling novel was difficult to put down once I started it. The characters seemed so real. I felt as if I was actually drawn into the personal events of their lives. That's a feature I consider essential to excellent storytelling. Susan Sloan achieved it masterfully! Read this book! It will be a long time before you forget its awesome surprise ending.

Karen Kern learned a lesson the hard way........The strangershe met at a party asked to walk her home, late at night.....on the way, he brutally beat and raped her in Central Park.......This was Dec., 22, 1962.....a time when families liked to "sweep under the rug" incidents such as this.....no one would even let Karen talk about it....she was told to just "forget it ever happened".....she was also thought to be the one to provoke such behavior! It took Karen 30 years to exact revenge, and Oh, how sweet it is! ... You must read this book for yourself........I guarantee you will stand up and cheer at the end..........and whatever you do, do NOT read the last page first! This story was an emotional roller-coaster, a "stay-up-all-night till it's done" reading!

The Most Unforgettable Book!!!

When I rented this book from the library I expected nothing of it.But boy was I wrong.This is one of the most amazing books Ive ever read and is definitely my all time favourite book. I had to purchase it for my collection. Susan R Sloan deals with the topic of rape with such sensitivity .Also the book is not written in your typical best seller style.Being from India you can totally identify with the kind of society potrayed in the 60s cos that's how the society in India is now.The way Karen s family blames her and ostracizes her for bringing shame to the family is how a lot of people would react.
Anyway the book is not only about her suffering but its also one of the best revenge thrillers .The ending is really gonna shock you.This is one book which all my college pals and even our mothers swear by it.Once you ve purchased this book you ll keep on passing it on cos you want to the whole world to read itI also recommend An Isolated Incident by the same author.The best thing about Susan R Sloan books are that you can read them again and again and they get better each time.