Another Brummie in Burma (Once Upon a Wartime)

Book Description

This first book by the author describes history in the making. It is a first hand account of a man's journey from adolescence into the life and death realities of World War II. As a member of the First Special Service Force -- a unique international commando unit later nicknamed The Devil's Brigade -- the author experience the war from unusual angles. His various wartime travels took him to locales as different as the Aleutians and the Atlas Mountains, and ultimately to Italy and southern France. The author's "baptism of fire" included the siege of LaDifensa, the landing at Anzio, the hard-fought road to Rome, and the French Riviera. His tale is a compelling one, of high adventure and the camaraderie of youth, of tragedy and triumph, of the near misses that only a survivor can tell about -- all of it told from the perspective of age.

Customer Reviews:

A Valuable and Personal History.......2002-04-11

Having read almost every available book and text published about the First Special Service Force, this book is not only one which I found hard to put down but is also one of the few that I look forward to re-reading.

Mr. Cottingham's recollections are obviously the product of a sharp mind and are doubly valuable when recounted through his clear and concise writing style. The historical events described are obviously important in and of themselves, but the reader becomes much more engaged by the fact that Mr. Cottingham and his fellow Forcemen are sympathetic men rising to face the extraordinarily difficult demands made of them.

This is not a "blood and guts" book thrusting the subject before the reader and attempting to impress by grandious "war stories". Rather, this is a personal recollection presented in a self-deprecating style that allows readers to come to their own conclusions that these men were true heroes at a time in our history when they were needed.

We should be thankful for the wartime contributions of the men of the First Special Service Force and grateful to Mr. Cottingham for this historically valuable, well-written contribution to the topic.

Brief well paced narrative.......2000-11-23

Cottingham does a very good job of tracing his war experiences from the Aleutians to Italy and France. His description of a naer attack of walruses in the Bering Sea is facsinating as well as his near death in Italy under tank fire. The only weakness is the inability to develop the profile of his friends and fellow soldiers. A good well paced narrative.

Devil's Brigade-One man's story.......2000-02-22

A very well written book that follows one man through his training and fighting with the First Special Service Force. There are a lot of mini stories that show the bravery and tenacity that these hardened and well trained men possessed. This is not the glossy, "hell is for heroe's" kind of story, but it tells of the boredom and fear of waiting for combat and combat itself. The movie(Devil's Brigade) shows just a portion of what these soldiers went through..."Once Upon A Wartime" gives it a face and a shot of reality. Hats off to Mr. Cottingham and his fellow "Forcemen". Well worth reading

Thank God for England: Escape from Germany 1939 (Once Upon a Wartime)

Average customer rating:

Thank God for England: Escape from Germany 1939 (Once Upon a Wartime)
Esther Gutman
Manufacturer: Barny Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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You Shook My Hand (Once Upon a Wartime)
William Rose
Manufacturer: Barny Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Japan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Prisoners of War | Military | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1903172314

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Once Upon a Wartime
Edward E. Gordon
Manufacturer: Vanguard Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1843862360

Customer Reviews:

This could have been so much better.......2006-11-25

Given the topic I bought this book with much anticipation. I felt sorely let down. The author and the editor missed an opportunity to make this a truly fascinating account of what happened. Instead, after the opening of the book detailing his background and his capture, until the end detailing Mr Hargrove's release, it was a dull detailed account of not much happening. Nothing was mentioned of what his family were enduring, or of the efforts to secure his release and any negotiations going on behind the scenes. Whilst the approach taken accurately describes and conveys what Mr Hargrove was going through and how he got through each day, it made the book feel like it was lacking the balance of what was going on with his family. What would have made this book far more interesting is if it had also included details of the efforts made on his behalf to release him interspersed with the account of his captivity.

A harsh account of a long ordeal.......2003-03-23

"Long March to Freedom: Tom Hargrove's Own Story of His Kidnapping by Colombian Narco-Guerrilla," is a harsh account of a long ordeal. Hargrove is a a nice guy. He's in Colombia as an expert agronomist to improve agricultural output. Prior to Colombia, Hargrove worked in Vietnam and the Philippines...hence he knew of the many dangers of working in foreign countries. Moreover, he was well aware of the wave of kidnappings in Colombia but nevertheless chose to continue his work.

Parts of Hargrove's diary are heartbreaking while other sections are pathetically boring. Consequently, this book lacks the backbone of a true narrative. One is subjected to the day to day ordeal of over 300 days of captivity. If anything, this book is glaring evidence of the brutality of this guerrilla captors. Fortunately, Hargrove does march to freedom and he is able to publish his diary in captivity. I would love to see a follow-up book with Hargrove's inner thoughts and reflections apart from his diary.

Very gripping, honest and real..........2002-03-07

Thomas Hargrove's "Long March to Freedom" was the primary source of inspiration for the blockbuster hit, "Proof of Life," that starred Meg Ryan, Russell Crowe and David Morse. The movie is a spinoff of his book. However, don't expect the book to discuss anything other than his experiences as a hostage. The book is mostly comprised of the journals he kept while kept hostage for the 11 + months.

I've had the opportunity to view Dr. Hargrove's journals first hand. The writings are almost impossible to comprehend unless you are an ant as he wrote small words and sentences to maximize his limited ability to write. Needless to say, I can't begin to fathom what it must have been like. Yet, his words give me all the imagination I could ever want. It is a sad tale, but a real one that is packed with his very real experiences. His strength, wit and personality saved him.

As others have stated in other reviews, his journal gives you the feeling that you are right there with him. You can mentally picture where he is with his descriptions. Unfortunately, the movie doesn't focus enough on him as it does with a ficticious love affair, but it does capture some of what I imagine by reading his book.

Today, he continues to better humanity and we should all be greatful for his humanitarian efforts. Unfortunately, there are those that aren't as greatful as they should be. If you are lucky enough to meet Dr. Hargrove as I have been, you'll be simply amazed by the man and his lifetime of experiences around the world!

I HIGHLY recommend this read. It is one you'll not soon forget!

Extraordinary book on a tough ordeal.......2002-01-09

This book is the diary kept by Thomas Hargrove during his 300+ days in captivity after being kidnapped by Guerrillas in Columbia.

While I believe that the book contains exactly what was in Dr. Hargrove's diaries, the way it comes together in the book is ingenious. The way the book came together, you can feel emotionally everything Dr. Hargrove goes through. In the beginning, the diary entries seem slightly upbeat as it seems the ordeal will not last long. As you read on, boredom and sickness set in. As the days drag by, there are many highs and moments of hope as well as many lows and letdowns that could crush a person's will to live. This book has it all!

This book gives the reader a sense of what it is like to be kidnapped and held against your will. As you read, when Dr. Hargrove is happy, the reader is happy. When Dr. Hargrove is bored, the diary entries are boring and the reader gets kind of bored. When crushing blows are dealt to Dr. Hargrove, it makes you feel sick inside.

The only thing I would have liked to see in the book is a little more detail on the ransom negotiations. It would have been great to read from the point of his wife and children, what happened during negotiations, how it happened, and what they were feeling.

If you want to read about the story of a captive who was held for 300+ days, this is a tremendous book. However, just as I said before, when days get long in captivity, the diary entries are not that interesting. Even so, it was well worth reading the book from cover to cover.

Wonderful, emotional book.......2001-07-18

excellent book. the diaries were interesting and personal. my only complaint was that there was not more information about what went on between FARC and thomas hargrove's family to try and gain his release. in some senses, i felt that we got a great picture of hargrove's story but were missing too much of what went on on the outside -- how the negotiations went, etc.

overall, though, a great read. interesting, scary.

Amazon.com

We catch every green light, get a parking space in the busiest section of town, lose a job and get a job offer the very same day. Most of know it as synchronicity. Authors Charlene Belitz and Meg Lundstrom call it flow--the times when things happen effortlessly, everything falls into place, and timing seems perfect. Unfortunately, being in the flow often feels like an accident rather than a choice. By interviewing over 50 "flowmasters" and incorporating their own professional experiences, the authors came up with 14 practical steps to help us find our flow.

Book Description

Imagine feeling as though the world is working with you, not Àagainst you. Imagine a day in which you make every green light and slip effortlessly into a parking spot in the most crowded part of town. You make a To Do list, and the people on it call you first. You turn on the radio just in time to hear the exact information you need. These meaningful coincidences, called synchronicity, are sure signs you are "in the flow."

Based on new, groundbreaking research, The Power of Flow goes beyond other books on synchronicity to provide you with sixteen easy-to-understand techniques that allow you to access this magical state of flow and create a richer, more satisfying life.

Customer Reviews:

Connecting with a Higher Power.......2006-08-09

This book gives exercises and examples of how a person can connect with the Flow of life and have more peace, joy, connection, and love in your life. Easy to read and easy to follow. Great addition to any spiritual library.

Really worth exploring despite its new agey inclinations!.......2006-03-01

Despite the attendant new agey inclinations, I would like to say that most of the stuff in this book are really worth exploring. There are fourteen practical techniques based on indepth interviews with fifty people who had lived at high levels of flow.

Personally, and through adaptation and experimentation, I have played with varied forms of most of the techniques.

To read this book, and apply the stuff, one must approach it with an open and curious mind. A sense of discovery and anticipation certainly helps. As an engineer trained with a logical and analytical mindset, I can well understand the fears and apprehension of many readers, as well as the cynicism of some early reviewers.

Synchronicity is hard to explain. It's also hard to prove its existence but it exists, whether you like it or not. To me, sometimes it's better not to intellectualise it. Just go with the flow.

Over the many years running my own business, and doing what I love and loving what I do, I have personally "engineered" the many flow moments described in this book. The fruits have been very rewarding and fulfilling.

I believe in the motto: No venture, No Gain. Life is a daring adventure, or nothing (according to Helen Keller).

The Power of BS?.......2006-02-19

I don't think this books was poorly written, as the 1-star reviewer did. But the whole flow/synchronicity angle is questionable, at best, and as the authors present it, it has about as much credibility as "crystal power," or pick-your-new-age-pabulum. Perhaps my problem is that I was expecting something less fluffy and new-agey.

The book relies heavily on anecdotes to show the power of flow, but they seem--to me--little more than the sort of fortuitous coincidences that we all occasionally experience. Many of the anecdotes illustrate coincidences that are similar, but beyond that similarity apparently meaningless. The authors' suggestion that we can make meaning out of anything we want to is, of course, silly.

I tried some of the exercises, and did not find them particularly effective. Nor did I notice fewer or more synchronicities in my life...coincidences happen, whether I will them to or not.

Some of the sections of this book are so empty of substance that I wonder how they got past an editor. The chapter on divination, for instance--there is nothing there but the broadest imagineable survey of different divination systems like astrology, tarot, I Ching...nothing about how to use them, of course.

Your mileage may vary. If you dig the whole new age angle in your self-improvement books, you might love this.

Great Book Ignore Swizterland.......2005-10-29

I agree with most of these reviews, but not the OneStar Review. He says its written unprofessionally, maybe he doesn't speak English. The book is written in a friendly way, as if someone you've known for a while is sharing something they've found out with you. And on top of that it's a good something. This "flow" is something I wish everyone had. It makes people happier and it adds something magical to your life. The book does a good job explaining this and it includes some good techniques to induce the "flow". When your in the flow you can't help but feel a certain "oh yeah, baby" feeling inside each time something goes right your way. Just one bad review often puts me off of a book with lots of good ones so I wanted to address that ONE for you. Why should you listen to me instead of that dude? That's obvious, Im the Coolest. Or at least me and my mama think so. Hope this helps.

Flow to go.......2003-12-10

I have read many books which are directly about or recount examples of synchronicity and this is the one that absolutely resonated with my life experiences. If you cannot figure out why sometimes everything just clicks into place and why sometimes roadblocks show up at every turn AND you are willing to accept responsibility for the way your fears, prejudices, hopes, beliefs, experiences and dreams control the flow of your life, then this is the book for you. This book shows you how to assimilate key principles of self-awareness, self-love, trust, acceptance, gratitude, and responsiblity in very practical ways. If the exercises are done correctly they begin a very intense, honest, and ongoing self-examination of everything you hold dear or fear in this life. If you are ready to take the risk of coming face to face with who you truly are as a person, then buy this book. The benefit is that you become much surer of who you are, clearer on what you want from life and more directed on how you need to accomplish it. This book rates as one of the most valuable books I've ever purchased.

Average customer rating:

Not much nes under the sun

Just One Pot: Over 320 Simple and Delicious Recipes, from Hearty Stews to Tasty Tangines
Reader's Digest Editors
Manufacturer: Readers Digest
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Soups & Stews | Meals | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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Cooking at the Kasbah: Recipes from My Moroccan Kitchen

Tom Valenti's Soups, Stews, and One-Pot Meals: 125 Home Recipes from the Chef-Owner of New York City's Ouest and 'Cesca

Vegetable Harvest: Vegetables at the Center of the Plate

ASIN: 0762106832
Release Date: 2006-12-28

Customer Reviews:

Not much nes under the sun.......2007-02-24

A convenient collection of doable dishes, but not much new here, and most of the recipes are on the cautious side. I would recommend this to novice cooks just beginning their libraries, but don't find much for the experienced cook.

Average customer rating:

The Best Ever One Pot Recipes
Judy Williams
Manufacturer: Parragon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
ASIN: 1405416890

Book Description

One Pot cooking offers ideal, time-saving solutions to cooking delicious, flavorful meals while making less mess in the kitchen. Each recipe has step-by-step instructions, photographs of key stages of preparation and helpful tips to make your One Pot meals something you and your family will enjoy. This cookbook has a covered spiral binding which allows the book to open flat to the recipe of your choice.

Simple Soups & Stews (Better Homes & Gardens)

Average customer rating:

Soup lovers rejoice!

Simple Soups & Stews (Better Homes & Gardens)
Better Homes and Gardens
Manufacturer: Better Homes and Gardens
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Soups & Stews | Meals | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0696213486
Release Date: 2003-08-15

Book Description

Includes a variety of simple recipes giving cooks choices for meals year-round.

Cooks can prepare appetizers, main dishes, and side dishes from this one complete book.

Recipes use common ingredients that are available at local supermarkets.

Tempting color photography inspires soup and stew dishes for family meals and larger gatherings.

Fresh, up-to-date, and interesting ingredients ensure recipes will be flavorful and nourishing.

Customer Reviews:

Soup lovers rejoice!.......2006-03-23

Excellent book full of recipes for delicious meals. We've been enjoying at least one, and sometimes two, weekly soup meals from this book since purchasing it a couple months ago and still have a huge number on the to-try list.

The Simple Soups Deck: 50 Easy Recipes for Satisfying Soups

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The Simple Soups Deck: 50 Easy Recipes for Satisfying Soups
Maryana Vollstedt , and Paulette Mitchell
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Cards

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Soups & Stews | Meals | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

Meatloaf: Recipes for Everyone's Favorite

Accessories:

The Glorious Soups and Stews of Italy

ASIN: 0811853985

Book Description

The easy, inspiring recipes in this deck focus on everyone's favorite comfort food soup. From a hot and hearty Oven Beef Beer Stew to a healthy Carrot Vichyssoise there's a recipe here for every occasion.

Just Add Water: Can You Boil Water? Then You Can Make 140 Deliciously Simple Recipes for Great Soups, Stews, Chicken, Fish, Pasta, Desserts, and More

Average customer rating:

Very Impressive
Even my HUSBAND can cook with this !!

Just Add Water: Can You Boil Water? Then You Can Make 140 Deliciously Simple Recipes for Great Soups, Stews, Chicken, Fish, Pasta, Desserts, and More
Lauren Chattman
Manufacturer: Cookbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Quick & Easy | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 068816188X

Book Description

Lauren Chattman proves that if you can boil water, you can create everything from delicious breakfasts to savory dinners to sweet deserts. Whether you're entertaining friends or simply making dinner for yourself, put a pot of water on to boil and get cooking!

The simple fact is, if you can boil water, you can poach, steam, braise, and blanch. You can also make coffee, boil an egg, cook pasta and other grains, and make a custard, which means that you have a world of delicious meals at your fingertips! Start with Oatmeal with Almonds and Grated Apples for breakfast, accompanied by a cup of Peppermint Hot Chocolate; pamper yourself with Fusilli with Raw Tomato-Avocado Salad for lunch; and end the day with Beef Short Ribs with Exotic Spices for dinner, topped with Rum-Vanilla Panna Cotta! Even Cod Poached in Fennel Broth, New Potatoes with Lemon Dill Pesto and Peaches with Roesmary-Red Wine Syrup are a snap once the water is boiling!Lauren Chattman proves that if you can boil water, you can create everything from delicious breakfasts to savory dinners to sweet deserts. Whether you're entertaining friends or simply making dinner for yourself, put a pot of water on to boil and get cooking!

Customer Reviews:

Very Impressive.......2001-12-30

I am very impressed with this book. The wide variety of recipes and types of food that you can make with boiling is fascinating. I never expected to be able to cook so much with just a pot (or two) and a stove top. Very few of the recipes require anything exotic so most of the ingredients are on hand when you are ready to whip up something good. The directions are clear and easy to follow. The meals are fairly easy to make and come out tasting great!

If you are looking for a cookbook that has easy to make meals with a minimum of fuss, this is a good cookbook to consider. I'm not sorry it's on my shelves.

Even my HUSBAND can cook with this !!.......1999-05-27

Tasty food that is easy to prepare. Minimum of prep time, easy to follow instructions. I am getting another copy of this to give to my friend who can barely boil water. Even my husband (who had a hard time making mac and cheese) can cook with this book. A great book for someone with a minimum of time and effort that still wants home cooked meals.

Essentials Fish & Seafood Simple & Delicious Easy-to-make Recipes

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Essentials Fish & Seafood Simple & Delicious Easy-to-make Recipes

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 1405436409

Product Description

Each recipe is photographed shrimp haddock tuna etc

Quick-Simmering Soups (Better Homes and Gardens(R): Fresh and Simple)

Average customer rating:

Almost as fast as "fast food" but with wonderful results
A very fresh approach to soup-making
Great, quick soups that taste complex

Quick-Simmering Soups (Better Homes and Gardens(R): Fresh and Simple)

Manufacturer: Meredith Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Soups & Stews | Meals | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Quick & Easy | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0696208547

Customer Reviews:

Almost as fast as "fast food" but with wonderful results.......2001-03-01

I like this cookbook so much that I bought a dozen of them to give as gifts to best friends and family. The recipes meet two major needs. First, when I'm exhausted and hungry and want real food, these soups can be made in 30 minutes with a minimum of fuss. Second, the results are amazingly complex in flavor. There is something restorative about the combination of little effort and great results. Don't mess with the recipes the first time around. You'll be surprised how good they are. Some of the ingredients will not be regular inhabitants of your larder, so pick out a few soups you want to try every week and buy the ingredients to have on hand. Because of the short cooking time, the recipes call for fresh herbs added last thing, but if you don't have any just add dried herbs with the liquid ingredients and you will get good results.

A very fresh approach to soup-making.......2000-02-15

My wife often buys me cookbooks that I wouldn't think of, with mixed results. THIS one became an instant favourite. Gorgeous fonts and use of color; perfect layout - mostly a photo on one page (for us visual-oriented males ;-), and the complete recipe on the facing page. Most important: very tasty, visually-appealing, and quick recipes.

There is nothing in the book that isn't a photograph or recipe, yet I still think of it more as a COOKBOOK than a recipe book -- after you've made a few of the soups, you'll find yourself absorbing and adopting the common philosophy behind all these recipes. Even the photographs suggest new ways of making and serving soup.

I hardly need the actual book any more -- I just head off to the produce section and grab whatever is freshest and most appealing.

Favourite recipes? Out of the 60-odd here, I haven't found a dud yet.

Great, quick soups that taste complex.......2000-01-23

The books in this series are wonderful. The crab chowder, Middle Eastern sausage and bean stew and curried mushroom tortolloni soup are tasty and satisfying without having to stand at the stove a long time, so you don't have to wait till a day off to make them. Tip: the first time you make them, the recipes will take just a few minutes longer than the book says.

Simple One-Pot Stews: Delicious, Satisfying Stews from Around the World, for the Stove Top or Slow Cooker

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Simple One-Pot Stews: Delicious, Satisfying Stews from Around the World, for the Stove Top or Slow Cooker
Maria Robbins
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Soups & Stews | Meals | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 031224312X

Book Description

Whether vegetable, chicken, beef, or seafood, nothing pleases and satisfies like a delicious pot of stew. These appealing, easy-to-make recipes can be prepared on the stove or, in many cases, in a slow cooker. Including many of the world's most delicious and popular stews, the book's fifty-five recipes include: -Moroccan Chicken Stew with Apples -Monkfish and Scallop Stew with corn and tomatoes -Flemish Beef Stew with Beer -Lamb Stew with Spring Vegetables -Black Bean Chili -Seafood Gumbo -Hungarian Goulash And many others.

365 Easy Soups & Stews Simple, Delicious Recipies to Warm the Heart

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365 Easy Soups & Stews Simple, Delicious Recipies to Warm the Heart
Cookbook Resources
Manufacturer: Cookbook Resources
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000MVPQBK

Average customer rating:

Simple Soupbook
Adelaide Hechtling
Manufacturer: Branden Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Soups & Stews | Meals | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0828310319

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