Book Description
The Extraordinary New York Times Bestseller
In California's central valley, five women and one man join to discuss Jane Austen's novels. Over the six months they get together, marriages are tested, affairs begin, unsuitable arrangements become suitable, and love happens. With her eye for the frailties of human behavior and her ear for the absurdities of social intercourse, Karen Joy Fowler has never been wittier nor her characters more appealing. The result is a delicious dissection of modern relationships.
Dedicated Austenites will delight in unearthing the echoes of Austen that run through the novel, but most readers will simply enjoy the vision and voice that, despite two centuries of separation, unite two great writers of brilliant social comedy.
“This exquisite novel is bigger and more ambitious than it appears… Fowler's shrewdest, funniest fiction yet, a novel about how we engage with a novel. You don't have to be a student of Jane Austen to enjoy it, either. . . Lovers of Austen will relish this book, but I envy any reader who comes to it unfamiliar with her. There's no better introduction.”
—Patrick T. O'Connor, The New York Times Book Review
“Karen Joy Fowler creates a novel that is so winning, so touching, so delicately, slyly witty that admirers of Persuasion and Emma will simply sigh with happiness.”
—Michael Dirda, The Washington Post Book World
“Start quoting a few of Fowler's puckish lines and it becomes damnably difficult to stop. . . The Jane Austen Book Club amounts to a witty meditation on how the books we choose, choose us too.”
—David Kipen, San Francisco Chronicle
“The Jane Austen Book Club offers a sparkling rumination on the act of reading itself and how beloved books can serve as refuge, self-definition, snobbish barricades against other people or pathways out of the old self to a wider world. [It is] a terrific comic novel about a closed society merrily transforming itself by reading.”
—Maureen Corrigan, NPR's All Things Considered
[Fowler] does so terrific a job of bringing her characters to life that Austen's work falls away like a husk. It's an impressive feat of homage, since Fowler essentially borrows Austen's great themes…and makes them her own. Miss Austen would be proud.”
—John Freeman, The Denver Post
Customer Reviews:
You Don't Have to Like Austen to Like This.......2007-10-03
I'm not a huge Jane Austen fan, but I saw the trailers to this movie and wanted to read the book first...well, the book was a delight! You don't have to be familiar with Austen's world to appreciate Fowler's world. This novel had me laughing out loud on several occasions.
I'm dissapointed, but not surprosed, to see that in the movie versions the characters are all younger by about 10 years. I guess Hollywood believes that no one is interested in women characters in their 50s and 60s. Sad.
Yawn :-0.......2007-09-22
I wanted to like this book, but it just bored me to death. I kept reading and reading, hoping to find something that would make it interesting, unfortunately, that something never came.
Not my favorite of Fowler's, but still fun........2007-09-18
When I found out that _TJABC_ had been made into a movie, I figured I'd better re-read it (in part to find out just how egregiously the film-makers tarted up the story for the big screen - judging by the trailer, *quite* egregiously).
It's a fun short novel that doesn't ask for an emotional commitment. I can imagine Fowler writing this as r&r after finishing Sister Noon. Her dry, wry style saw me through. But there's not quite enough there there for me to revisit these particular characters a third time.
well written complex character study .......2007-09-01
Six people with a "private Austen" philosophy decide to form the "all-Jane-Austen-all-the-time book club". Jocelyn's private Jane is love without marriage; Bernadette felt Austen was a comedic genius; Sylvia's private though is she is everyone's favorite single female relative; Grigg the lone male member seeks the masculinity of Jane; Allegra's Austen wants financial female independence; Prudie desires solace in reinterpretation and early death.
Over the months this sextet discussed Austenian views on the requirements by society to marry whether love entered the relationship or not and other societal demands on individuals to conform. However, these discussions serve as back drop to the emotional uproars in each of their lives. Jocelyn has never tasted love and fears she never will; Prudie desires untouchable males, but wants never to have a fantasy thought about her spouse; Bernadette in her sixties figures she can do anything so no longer uses a mirror to look perfect; Sylvia is heartbroken as she loves her spouse even as they divorce; Allegra and her girlfriend split; Grigg understands first hand unrequited love.
This well written complex character study is not an easy book to read as the story line focuses on the modern issues of six people rotating perspective. There is a somewhat nebulous link to Jane Austen via the "private" Austen inside of each of the sextet's psyche, but that is secondary to the issues each confronts. Fans of contemporary character driven fiction will enjoy this fine tale once the nuance of the methodology employed by Karen Joy Fowler is grasped; this reviewer came close initially to quit reading, but fortunately (for my sake) continued into the second pass and became hooked.
Harriet Klausner
Left me disengaged.......2007-08-23
Although I love Jane Austen and have read all of her novels at least once, I did not love this book. I actually barely liked it. For me the high points were moments of discussion of the novels (although there really wasn't that much brought up that an avid reader wouldn't have thought of or discussed already)and parts of the characters' back stories. At moments when Fowler brings their pasts to life she gives her characters true dimension and is able to make the reader chuckle or wince. However, like some other reviewers my biggest problem with the novel is that I just didn't care about the characters in their present. It didn't matter if they ended up happy or sad. I didn't feel their joys or pain- they were just flat. I kept reading for hope of a pleasing ending, but it just seemed too wrapped up for me and as a whole was not too memorable at all.
Book Description
With just one month to go before her fairy tale wedding to the third richest man in the second largest city in Ohio, Lily Blair is suddenly beset by doubts.Even though she appears to have it all - a budding career and a five-carat engagement ring from the man of her dreams - she can't decide whether to plunge headfirst into the security of married suburban life, or follow her career dreams solo to New York. And while the zany and loving cast of friends, family, and co-workers keep pushing her towards the aisle, Lily knows that, despite the passion she feels for her fianc, she alone must come to terms with the biggest decision of her life.As she locks horns with her mother on nearly every detail, issues like veal medallions vs. chicken wings become battles in an event being staged with all the grandeur and precision of a full-scale military operation. The situation grows funnier and more desperate at every turn as Lily must confront an absurd bridal fair, an unsympathetic psychiatrist, and the local gossip column. Before she loses her sanity, she looks to her heroine, Jane Austen, for inspiration.The result is hilarious, sweet, and smart. For Lily Blair is a real heroine for the 90s and beyond, and The Accidental Bride who will keep surprising you until the end.AUTHORBIO: Janice Harayda is an award-winning journalist who spent eleven years as the book editor of a major metropolitan daily newspaper.She has been a staff writer and editor for Glamour, editorial director of Boston magazine, and a contributor to many national magazines and newspapers.A vice-president of the National Book Critics Circle, she lives in New Jersey.The Accidental Bride is her first novel.
Customer Reviews:
Self-important, snobbish, condescending, and silly.......2007-03-27
I just finished this book yesterday and I was happy to be done with it. I have never disliked a book enough to actually come onto amazon.com and write a scathing review of it, but this one inspired me. The only reason I finished it was to see if the main character was suddenly going to do something worthy of my attention, like grow up and appreciate her groom.
All the characters are flat and fit neatly into two categories: the "good guys" and the "bad guys". The "bad guys" are all "rednecks"; sports-obsessed, war-loving, anti-gay rights, corn-dog eating Republicans who all have horribly snotty children. The "good guys" are portrayed as enlightened, socially aware, psychology-hating, liberal-thinkers who raise unrealistically well-behaved children and think that Manhattan is the only cultured place on earth. What the "good guys" really come across as are self-absorbed, overly politically correct snobs who see phallic symbols at every turn. (I think the phallic symbol references are supposed to be funny.)
With all the Jane Austen quotes and references, I gather that the writer was trying to make a satirical commentary on our times as Austen did on hers. But Harayda misses the two things that make Austen so likable and powerful a writer: the "good guys" have human flaws that make us like them, relate to them, and feel empathetic towards them and the "bad guys" are either comical or pathetic, making us either laugh or feel sympathy. This book did none of these things. It insulted, belittled, and condescended at every turn. By the end, I was cringing when I saw Austen's quotes at the top of each chapter. It was a complete insult to her.
Lily, the main character, is a spoiled, snobbish, self-absorbed brat who pouts instead of opening her mouth and sharing her feelings with her fiancé. She is spineless and allows her parents and Mark (the fiancé) to dictate her life. She is also strangely obsessed with corn dogs. She doesn't want to get married and hasn't told Mark that she loves him, yet she accepts his proposal. She hates her mother, the house Mark's father bought them, his sisters, the town they live in, her boss, and her job and yet she does nothing pro-active about changing or coming to terms with any of this - she just whines and pouts and compares everyone to obscure literary characters. She views herself as a powerless victim and everyone else as merciless oppressors. I felt like I was reading about a spoiled 16-year-old.
Mark is a flat, boring, too-good-to-be-true character but even with that, he is way too good for self-absorbed Lily. He proposes to her before she has even said "I love you" and wants to marry her instead of living with her first. I kept wanting him to leave Lily and maybe teach her something.
Alas, there is no major transformation of the main character. She doesn't learn any lessons or come to terms with her own character flaws - Oh, wait. I forgot; she doesn't have any. Instead, everyone suddenly realizes that she was right all along and she gets her way in everything. And everyone admires her for it.
No wonder I found this book at the Borders outlet instead of the proper store.
As it happens, Cleveland does suck.......2007-03-11
Please ignore the poor reviews. They obviously come from the "troglodytes" of Cleveland. Look it up, Clevelanders.
Tom Heehler
Not terrible, but not terrific.......2005-04-04
I got seriously sick of the Jane Austen, as well as the author's self-congratulatory literary comments throughout the book -- I felt like the author was trying to show off a degree in Literature to the Unwashed. The ending was incredibly stupid -- not at all what I expected, and utterly disappointing. The reason for 3 stars and not 1 star was because it wasn't completely awful -- I did like to see how Jerry Springer-esque her views of her in-laws and family could get.
An Accident if you decide to read............2004-09-28
Most likely this is the first and Last book Janice Harayda will write. The Accidental Bride, Harayda's first is nothing but an accident.
Lily is a 20 something is about to get married, to one of Ohio's richest, but pulls out only to find herself making matters worse for herself. Sounds good. Yet it is not.
Harayda never gives us a description of the main character, let alone any other character in the book. Its hard to read a book where the mental image you have in your head is a paper doll. Every character is so flawed that you can not get past that fact alone. No character is likeable. Hands down. How can you like a lead character that forces herself to get married to a man who loves her, only to fake loving him to get a divorce after the wedding. Talk about low.
Then there are the facts and the non-stop Jane Austen bits. Lily our main character lives in Ohio, only to make it sound like hell. Hello!!! I live in the Ohio Valley, and we do not have crime rates that are bigger than NYC's, a climate where it snows in September (without a nor easter), we are not rich and live in look alike communities (our economy is not the best right now), and no we are not soooo out of style that we make Trailor Park Trash look like Naomi Campbell.
Jane Austen!?? You will never pick up one of her novels if you read this book, for the author dwells on Jane the whole book that she forgets what matters...the plot of her own book.
I would like to say that you could give the book a chance, but heck dont waste your time. I would have given it one star had I not had enough will to finish the thing.
Skip this read and pick up a Jane Green novel...or even one of Austens' great novels.
A humorous book that made me think.......2004-04-07
I really enjoyed this book and in fact was on this Amazon page hoping to see if there are more books by this author. The book is not Jane Austen and is not meant to be. However it is an witty look at contemporary mores involving courtship, love, romance, and marriage. It made me think about my own choices and my expectations of others. And it made me laugh! And also vow never to visit Ohio....
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The Jane Austen Book Club
Karen Joy Fowler
Manufacturer: Penguin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
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| Books
ASIN: 0670915599 |
Product Description
This Audiofy audiobook chip packs Kimberly Schraf's one hour reading of "The Jane Austen Book Club" on a tiny memory card. A single Audiofy audiobook chip, hardly larger than a stamp, holds a complete digital audiobook, and saves the last listening position automatically, unlike CDs. With an SD memory card slot or low-cost adapter - like those for digital cameras - this Audiofy audiobook chip can be played on Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh desktop computers or laptops (Microsoft Windows XP/2000/Me/98, or Apple Mac OS X 10.3.9 and above) or transferred to Apple iPod media players. Audiobook chips also move seamlessly to most Palm OS and Pocket PC handheld PDAs with SD expansion slots, as well as Treo and Windows Mobile "smartphones" (Palm OS 5.2 or Windows Mobile 2002 and above)... A sublime comedy of contemporary manners, this is the novel Jane Austen might well have written had she lived in 21st century California. Nothing ever moves in a straight line in Karen Joy Fowler's fiction, and in her latest, the complex dance of modern love has never been so devious or so much fun. Six Californians join to discuss Jane Austen's novels. Over the six months they meet, marriages are tested, affairs begin, unsuitable arrangements become suitable, and love happens. With her finely sighted eye for the frailties of human behavior and her finely tuned ear for the absurdities of social intercourse, Fowler has never been wittier nor her characters more appealing. The result is a delicious dissection of modern relationships. Dedicated Austenites will delight in unearthing the echoes of Austen that run through the novel, but most readers will simply enjoy the vision and voice that, despite two centuries of separation, unite two great writers of brilliant social comedy.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Persuasions: The Jane Austen Journal, published by Jane Austen Society of North America on January 1, 2004. The length of the article is 2413 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: "Little women?": Karen Joy Fowler's adventure in Austenland.(Miscellany; Fowler's book, Jane Austen Book Club)
Author: Edward Neill
Publication:
Persuasions: The Jane Austen Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2004
Publisher: Jane Austen Society of North America
Volume: 26
Page: 249(6)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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Excaliber #-1 : A True and Terrible Sacrifice (Flashback - Marvel Comics)
Ben Raab
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
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Marvel | Publishers | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
Antiquarian & Rare Books | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Batman | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Star Trek | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000TBS2C8 |
Book Description
The pivotal story that forever alters the relationship between Superman and Wonder Woman is collected here for the first time. Max Lord has taken over Supermans mind and has him in his total thrall. With his peers and loved ones threatened, Superman is helpless. But not Wonder Womanwho must battle past the Man of Steel and decisively end the threat.Her actions, and the repercussions, are explored in this controversial saga that leads into INFINITE CRISIS.
Customer Reviews:
Wonder Woman vs. Superman.......2007-07-19
Two of the Big 3 throw down in this collection! Wonder Woman makes a life-changing decision that drives a wedge between the Big 3 (herself, Superman, and Batman) and leads directly into "Infinite Crisis." The multiple writers and artists here make for an uneven but enjoyable collection that every DC fan needs to read.
Great Superman Comic!.......2007-03-21
This comic was awesome to read and got it as a present and I have a lot of superman comics and all of them were great,but this one was better.I can't believe ruin was emil hamilton and I thought he was a friend to superman,but why would he betray superman.There's more to this than that and it took time to figure out who was ruin.Superman is the most powerful charcter that he can take down anyone.There's not much to say about this comic,but I assure you it is good and recommended.
This Goes Well with Infinite Crisis Comics!.......2007-03-21
This comic was fun to read not to mention it was the countdown to infinite crisis.This comic was the sold-out story when it came out I believe.The part were superman and wonder woman fight shows who is the strongest DC charcter and wonder woman kills max lord by breaking his neck.This comic shows that superman was taken over maxwell lord and convincing that brainiac,darkseid,and ruin are threatning his loved ones,but turns out he's almost killing batman.I didn't know batman could take it when superman heat visioned him and that could nearly kill him.Even though superman's the powerfulest hero and can't be killed,sometimes he can be under someone's control.It almost fits with infinite crisis stuff.I'm not sure if this was the sold-out story,but I'm sure it is.This comic is highly recommended.
A Great Superman Story!!!!!!!!.......2007-01-08
I just finished this story today and it was a very good story.The story made sense and to the fact that it makes a good superman story.It had lots of action in it and two of superman's enemies were in it.Superman was the main charcter in this story and the ending was a nice saying:What would superman do?.I think this comic is good comparing it with other superman comic books and I have collected different superman comic books and I am going to get new ones pretty soon and after all,I am a huge superman fan.This superman comic book is recommended to any superman fan.
Great "Infinite Crisis" compliment.......2007-01-03
Someone beat Batman to near death.
Who did it?
Why is the Justice League keeping Superman at arm's length?
This story takes a character study of several members of the Justice League. The story is deeper than what most comic book fans appreciate. If you are not a deep thinker, then leave this book alone. If you only like non-stop action with little dialogue, this book isn't for you. However, if you like moral questions, character conflict, and a walk with the gods of the DC Universe, snag this book and give it a read. This is an indespensable chapter leading to the Infinite Crisis ahead!
Customer Reviews:
Pretty decent.......2006-12-04
I just completed this book and I found it quite interesting. One complaint is the ad naseum explanation of every little acronym in the story. I felt as if the author thought the reader was stupid like the president in this book. A character would mention something and then we would get a long paragraph explaining what he/she meant. At times it made me want to put the book down. The action is good, but he needed to do his homework more. M1A1 tanks do not mount M60 machine guns for the loader. They mount M240 machine guns. The biggest complaint about this book is the unbelievable amount of time it took the USA to send multiple divisions over to fight the Russians. In the book the war lasted a couple of months. In reality it would have taken months to get all the divisions ready and deployed. It took the US almost 6 months to deploy enough divisions to Saudi for Desert Storm. It would have taken longer (especially after nuclear strikes) to deploy the amount of divisions used in this book to fight the Russians.
Not very impressed.......2006-09-05
I'm amazed everyone rates this book so highly. I found the characters extremely forgettable, barely any warmth or character depth to them. They produced no feelings of empathy in me at all. Half way in and after hundreds of nuclear detonations dotted around the US, you'd hardly have known. Most people seem to be getting on with life as if nothing had happened.
The unfolding of the plot was simply ridiculous. I know we have some inept leaders but I can't believe any group of people would act in so patently a stupid way, especially the events leading up to the impeachment process.
I only finished the book because I was hoping it might suddenly pull together at some point but it never did.
Too technical.......2006-06-19
I thought the book was a page-turner for no other reason than the subject matter and wanting to know what would happen in the end. However, I found none of the characters interesting. I really couldn't care a less if the whole world went up in flames in the end with people this thin living there. All that aside, the biggest problem is all the technical language. Unless you are a military buff who is interested in all the "Alpha Bravo 1-49603-408" lingo, then 1/4 of the book falls by the waist-side.
An Alternate Ending to the Cold War.......2005-09-10
This is an engaging account of an alternate ending to the Cold War. WWIII is an accidental outcome of a chain of mistakes and reactions that are highly plausible in the modern spin-controlled politics of opinion polls and political/military decisions. The story has a few things that don't seem realistic. For example, as we now know, global instability causes energy prices to climb to crippling levels, and this was not foreseen in the book. The book never explains why the North Koreans choose to suddenly attack South Korea, and also just as suddenly withdraw. Also, why do the Chinese halt their attacks upon Russia and sit on their hands during the US-Russia conflict? And M-16's with "recoil?" However, if you look past little details like this, the book is a fascinating and informed depiction of how WWIII could plausibly unfold with today's modern hardware and force structures. I'd always envisioned WWIII as one big MAD global mushroom cloud ending life on earth. But this book shows that life can go on after nuclear war, which was the biggest surprise to me.
The author eerily got it right in 1994 that the President (a Clinton-like character) would be impeached, and the date the nuclear war begins (6/11) reminded me of 9/11.
Overall, a good suspensful page-turner.
Absolutley riveting.......2005-06-14
I agree with the first couple of reviews. I read this book back in 1995ish and it completely drew my attention so much that I passed the book on to a friend. I never saw the book again until recently. It was noted as "out of print" but I found an old copy on Amazon. I plan on keeping it forever now. I havent had a chance to reread it but it is my favorite book. The descriptions on events such as the army station at the airport as the attack hits to the beach scene in the Russian far east, I was utterly mesmerized.
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The Cruise of the Northern Light (Sisters of the Hunt) (Sisters of the Hunt)
Mrs. John Borden
Manufacturer: Stackpole Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
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Hunting
| Hunting & Fishing
| Outdoors & Nature
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Shooting
| Hunting & Fishing
| Outdoors & Nature
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Arctic
| Polar Regions
| Travel
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General
| Sports
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ASIN: 0811731405 |
Book Description
Breaking the role of Chicago socialite as wife of John Borden, heir to the Borden's Condensed Milk fortune, Courtney Borden accompanied her husband on hunts and became adept at shooting and fishing. The couple, along with a small party, took a five-month voyage to hunt Alaskan brown bear, walrus, and polar bear trophies, some of which would become specimens for Chicago's Field Museum of Natural History. Courtney Borden recorded the events of the trip, and this book is her account of the Arctic adventure, from hunting walrus from a kayak to visits to Native settlements and frontier communities in Alaska.
Product Description
Joan of Arc's legend has been embraced by diverse worldly ideologies, all competing for her meaning---icon, lunatic, early feminist, possibly a man? In this book Joan of Arc's trials and imagery are traced through the centuries, leading to modern scientific research to explain what is considered, or dismissed, as miraculous. Preston Russell examines the three trials of Joan; Joan's transformation in history and literature; and, as a physician, the evolution of insanity from antiquity to current brain research, presently probing the origins of consciousness to higher sources---opening up avenues that a few decades ago would have been dismissed as scientific madness. Does God speak to individuals directly? Are some human beings born with such a keen intuitive power that they can communicate with supernatural beings? Does God use otherwise ordinary people as the conduits for his miracles? And can science provide an answer to mankind's eternal search for God? Through Joan of Arc, Preston Russell provides a startling conclusion, achieving a reconciliation of science and religion, uniting the physical and the metaphysical.
Average customer rating:
- A Book Children Will Love
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Arc of Light
Linda Jane Roberts
Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Action & Adventure
| Literature
| Children's Books
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Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
| Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror
| Literature
| Children's Books
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General
| Literature
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General
| Ages 9-12
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Fiction
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All Amazon Upgrade
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ASIN: 1412025206
Release Date: 2006-07-06 |
Book Description
Arc of Light is an animal adventure fantasy of a journey to freedom both mental and physical in which the characters triumph over themselves and every danger they encounter. The natural elements are as factual as possible so that the adventure is also a type of nature text inspired by Gunstan Hall, VA, where we walked and picnicked.
Customer Reviews:
A Book Children Will Love.......2004-10-05
PCR 10-5-04 CS Silversheen
For you cultural warriors, and for old fashioned animal lovers, good news: At last, a book you will want your children to read and one they will want to read--"Arc of Light" by Linda Jane Roberts.
"Arc of Light" is the story of a raccoon, a possum, and a groundhog, two night creatures and a day creature, who leave their comfortable abodes in the garden of a manor house on a thrilling and dangerous journey of discovery. The adventurers experience new sights and creatures, some friendly and some dangerous, and discover that "adventuring has more to do with discovering ourselves than a new world."
Night creatures have eyes for moonlight and darkness, not for the bright light of day when, they believe, monsters with sharp teeth are about. Day creatures fear night's darkness, a time, they insist, when fierce monsters prowl. The journey's dangers and tribulations, as well as its joys, cause the adventurers to travel at times by night and at times by day. To cope with challenges, the animals have to rise beyond their limits and the limits of their own worlds.
The author is clearly a close observer of American wildlife. The characters she gives the animals are both believable and insightful. Her descriptions of streams and fauna, wildflowers and trees are poetic. Beautifully written and engaging for adults as well, it is a story grownups will enjoy reading to their children and grandchildren.
"Arc of Light" will introduce your children to a world beyond the video screen. After your children have experienced the adventures of Moonbeam, possum and groundhog, don't be surprised if you are asked for a walk in the woods, especially a forest with bridges and creeks and paw prints to observe.
Average customer rating:
- A story that needs to be told
- Arc Light
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Arc Light
G. V. Short
Manufacturer: 1st Books Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
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Military & Spies
| Professionals & Academics
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General
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Memoirs
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General
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Veterans
| United States
| Military
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Vietnam War
| Military
| History
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General
| Vietnam
| Asia
| History
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ASIN: 1403383154 |
Book Description
In early February of 1968, at the beginning of the Tet Offensive, Gregory V. Short arrived in Vietnam as an eighteen-year-old, Marine mortarman. Amid all the chaos, he was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, stationed near the DMZ at a place called Con Thien. While living in the horrible conditions reminiscent of the First World War, his unit was constantly being bombarded by the enemy's artillery and mortar shells. It was from this display of firepower that he would begin to learn the deadly art of survival. Then, in early April, his battalion was finally ordered to leave Con Thien and help establish LZ Vandegrift (Stud) in preparation for Operation Pegasus. It was during this period that he left his mortar crew to become an 81's Forward Observer for Hotel Company. Working with the U.S. Army's 1st Air Cavalry Division and other units; he helped relieve the siege at Khe Sanh by reopening Route 9.
As fortune would have it, his unit would remain at Khe Sanh for the next eight weeks, until they abandoned it in June. Participating in several different operations close to the Laotian border, the contact with the enemy was heavy and frequent. Then, on May 19th, Ho Chi Minh's birthday, the NVA attempted to overrun the combat base in the dead of night. Accidentally discovered by a Marine convoy, just 600 meters from the main gate, he helped participate in the destruction of an NVA regiment. Tragically, within a two-month period, one of the companies (Charlie Company) within his battalion would sustain over eighty per cent casualties.
Then, in June of 1968, Lance Corporal. Short was transferred to the 27th Marines, stationed near Da Nang. Serving with Alpha Company as a 61mm mortarman, he participated in the fight for Cam Le Bridge during the enemy's Summer Offensive. It was during this time that he had an opportunity to get acquainted with the Vietnamese culture, which he describes in his book. Then in September, the 27th Marines were sent back home and he was transferred to the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines (Walking Dead). While operating along the DMZ and near the A Shau Valley as an infantryman (grunt), he would spend the next five months patrolling the surrounding area and enduring the harsh elements.
At the beginning of 1969, he suddenly re-upped for a second tour of duty and was sent home on a thirty-day leave. Describing in detail as to how everything and everyone back home had changed in his absence, he participated in the first anti-war march in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. Then, after being reassigned to the 1st Marine Air Wing in Da Nang, he got an opportunity to experience the rear areas of Vietnam and the kids who served there.
Employing his experiences as a combat veteran and a trained historian, his book is very unique and completely different from the other books about Vietnam. In fact, he gives a completely new slant as to the reasons behind the Tet Offensive and the Vietnam War in general.
The book "Arc Light" is a compelling autobiography about a young man serving with the Marines in Vietnam during the height of the war. Direct, honest, and brutal in his observations, Mr. Short holds nothing back in describing the hardships of modern warfare and the illusions of victory held by our leaders.
Customer Reviews:
A story that needs to be told.......2006-07-22
The author does a wonderful job of telling of his experiences during a time that no eighteen year old should have to go through. He does so with total honesty and no apparent bitterness. The book is a must read if only from the historical and political presceptive. Mr. Short's comments fully explain his motive in producing this labor of love. Congratulations,
C.V. Short, for a job well done. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences with us.
Arc Light.......2003-03-09
One hell of a read. Anyone interested in Viet Nam should read this book. Greg shows brutal honesty and a great sense of humor in this book about his experiences in the war. I felt like I was there with him. Highly recommended
Average customer rating:
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Arc Light One
Don Harten
Manufacturer: Turner Publishing Company (KY)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Military & Spies
| Professionals & Academics
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
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General
| Military
| Leaders & Notable People
| Biographies & Memoirs
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Aviation
| Military
| History
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General
| Military
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Naval
| Military
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Vietnam War
| Military
| History
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General
| Vietnam
| Asia
| History
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ASIN: 1563118718 |
Customer Reviews:
must read.......2005-08-03
Very well written, keeps your attention, moving with a good history lesson on the war as well
Average customer rating:
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Arc of Light/Dark Matter
Charles Alexander
Manufacturer: Segue Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
20th Century
| Poetry
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
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General
| Poetry
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| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
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General
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| Literature & Fiction
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United States
| Single Authors
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ASIN: 0937804460 |
Average customer rating:
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Maze and Arc of Light
Hope Tod
Manufacturer: Words Distributing Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
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Mysticism
| New Age
| Religion & Spirituality
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ASIN: 0905249798 |
Book Description
This is the inspiring story of a newly canonized contemporary woman. Gianna Molla (1923-1962) risked her life in order to save her unborn child. Diagnosed with uterine tumors during her fourth pregnancy, she refused a hysterectomy that would have aborted the child, and opted for a riskier surgery in an attempt to save the baby. Herself a medical doctor, Molla did give birth to the child, but succumbed to an infection.
An Italian woman who loved skiing, playing piano, attending concerts at the Milan Conservatory, Molla was a dedicated physician and devoted wife and mother who lived life to the fullest, yet generously risked death by cancer for the sake of her child.
A unique story, co-authored by her own husband, with his deeply moving personal insights of the heroic witness, love, sacrifice and joy of his saintly wife. A woman for all times and walks of life, this moving account of the multi-faceted, selfless St. Gianna Molla, who made the ultimate sacrifice to save her unborn child, will be an inspiration to all readers. Illustrated
Customer Reviews:
My favorite saint!.......2007-03-27
It is difficult for me to think of a Saint I relate to more than St. Gianna Molla. She didn't live hundreds of years ago, but rather is a modern woman. St. Gianna was a pediatric surgeon, a mother, a wife, and a holy woman who died a martyr's death.
If you are looking into buying this book, you probably know Dr. Molla's life already. In case you do not: She was a mother of three, who upon hearing of her fourth pregnancy, decided she would give up her work as a Doctor to focus all of her attention on her own family. During her pregnancy she was diagnosed with a cancer on her uterus. She had three choices. She could a) do nothing and have the baby and almost certainly die, b) remove most of the tumor and keep the baby. This would be VERY risky with lots of potential complications, but there was a greater chance she would survive. Or she could c) do what the doctor's advised and terminate the pregnancy as a result of a more radical surgery to remove her entire illness.
She chose option (b). She didn't seek martyrdom. She wanted to live and raise her family. She could have chosen (c) if she wanted. The abortion would not have been direct. Rather, it would have been an indirect consequence of a surgery designed to save the mother's life. Thus, under Catholic teaching, the operation would have been morally acceptable.
However, St. Gianna was a hero of the faith. Rather than take the easy road, she decided to do what she could to save her own life, while at the same time defending the young life within her.
St. Gianna died after childbirth. She got to hold her baby, and name her "Gianna." This Gianna, a Doctor now herself, was present along with her father at her mother's canonization. St. Gianna Molla is a hero for life. She is a Saint whose witness we need now more than ever.
I recommend this book completely. Reading about this saint will enrich your life.
Good Short Read.......2006-05-18
I liked this book, it was a good short read. It gives the history of St. Gianna and her husband and their families. The reason this only got 4 stars was because it didn't explain the miracles that got St. Gianna her sainthood. So if that is what you are looking for, this book is not it. But if you are looking for the history of St. Gianna, you will be pleased.
Fantastic Book on an Awe Inspiring Woman.......2005-11-21
This is an amazing book on St. Gianna Molla. It is written in part by her husband [who is still alive and well in Italy] through interviews with Elio Gurriero and includes some of St. Gianna's own writings.
I found this book very touching and inspiring. Most of us know of St. Gianna because of her death - as a martyr for Life as it were - but this book introduces us to the very real, loving, devout, strong woman that Gianna was in life. How wonderful to read about her youth, her courtship and marriage, her love for her small children, her devotion to her patients, and her heroic decision to risk death so that her baby could survive.
This book was easy to read and entertaining while really packing a spiritual punch. I got so much from it and feel like a better person for having read it.
Books:
- The Jump-Off Creek
- The Key & Diary of a Mad Old Man
- The Mammoth Cheese: A Novel
- The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break: A Novel
- The Motorman...and His Duties The Classic Handbook for Electric Trolley, Streetcar and Interurban Motormen
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- The Number We End Up With: A Novel
- The Pleasure of Eliza Lynch: A Novel
- The Plum Thicket (G K Hall Large Print Book Series)
- The Powwow Highway (Contemporary Fiction, Plume)
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