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Customer Reviews (690)

A must read!
This book is just great what can I say. Its perfect for people who read a lot and for those who want a great story or looking to find a book once ina blue moon to read when on a trip or such. For most readers once you get past the setting you will not want to set this book down. I read it before the movie came out, not sure if this version has anything extra attached to it. The characters being based on real people just make it so much more entertaining. The only sad part is reading about real people dying, and the terrible things that befall some of them. The movie is close to the book but there are a few things it got wrong. I will not say which as they are called spoilers for a reason. So if you liked the movie , i think you will really like the book. If you have never seen the movie, read the book then watch the movie. I think you will appreciate even more.Hollywood does not get that many right, but this one was close enough. There are some slow spots in the book, but once the action starts you wont want to miss whats on the next page.

Modern military history at its best
i distinctly remember seeing the news reports that something had happened in Somalia, i9 recall the warnings of graphic images, followed by video of a dead soldier being dragged through a dusty street surrounded by a cheering crowd.i also recall that the story effectively disappeared.A year later and people didn't seem to remember that anything happened in Mogadishu at all.Then Mark Bowden published this book.It is easily the most accessible work in the field of military history, partly because Bowden isn't an historian.

There are some flaws, some parts of the narrative seem far shorter than others (due to how much info could be had from each soldier interviewed), some assertions are based upon the impressions of the participants and may not reflect the actual situation (ranger impressions of the 10th mountain come to mind), and some elements of the task force are almost ignored in the narrative (the SEAL contingent, the Airforce Combat controllers, etc.).but overall this work provides a fine framework for understanding the events of Oct. 3rd 1993.

for personal accounts, i would recommend reading The Battle of Mogadishu: Firsthand Accounts from the Men of Task Force Ranger, and In The Company Of Heroes.but really these books should be read as a set, as each provides different impressions of events, and the feelings of the participants; so that together they provide a more complete picture of how events transpired.

Unbelievable!
Unbelievable book about one of the most harrowing war events in history. Such heroism, tragedy, and survival. What these soldiers endured is awe-inspiring. Bowden's insight in to the events of this debacle were straight on. Definitely a highly recommended war story.....

Invasion from Mars (The Sequel)
My reaction; Logically , how is it sanity to be so idealistic to rationlize an attempt at correcting another Nation's anarchy, by sacrificing American lives ?. I just can't wrap my head around losing American lives to try in vain to save a recalcitrant country from it's own fate, regardless of the possible European colonial roots of this anarchy. Furthermore, I feel it's timeour Elite, suffering from cracking faces ( addicted to spending and debit ) spend more time using their nobler intentions instead of using their balls. This post-cold war euphoric fog has been around for way too long and people need to start dealing with our children's future economic reality. Getting back to this book, details, angles, tons of it. This story is not a Cowboy and Indian story, it's a story of 100 or so of our American boys being thrown into a hellish meat grinder of a nightmare. Some other food for thought, No Somalia 1993, No Rwanda 1994 ?, on a whim or not commander.

Great book! Couldn't put it down.If you liked the movie, read the book.
When I read "Lone Survivor" it gave me the itch to read more non fiction war stories.I more specifically wanted to read more modern war stories that have happened in my lifetime.I really enjoyed the movie "Blackhawk Down" and remember speaking to an ex Air Guard pilot tell me a little bit about his memories of being active Air Guard at the time it happened.The author has obviously put tons of man hours into research and recounts many first hand accounts of the Rangers and Delta soldiers involved.You'd think that it was being written by a soldier that was there first hand.Very interesting that the US public really had no idea that this went on until much later...Pretty crazy considering that so many casualties were suffered. ... Read more

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A world that exists in the shadow of our own . . . the thrilling conclusion to John Twelve Hawks's Fourth Realm trilogy, The Golden City is packed with the knife-edge tension, intriguing characters, and startling plot twists that made The Traveler and The Dark River international hits.

John Twelve Hawks's previous novels about the mystical Travelers and the Brethren, their ruthless enemies, generated an extraordinary following around the world. The Washington Post wrote that The Traveler “portrays a Big Brother with powers far beyond anything Orwell could imagine . . .” and Publishers Weekly hailed the series as “a saga that's part A Wrinkle in Time, part The Matrix and part Kurosawa epic.” Internet chat rooms and blogs have overflowed with speculation about the final destiny of the richly imagined characters fighting an epic battle beneath the surface of our modern world.

In The Golden City, Twelve Hawks delivers the climax to his spellbinding epic. Struggling to protect the legacy of his Traveler father, Gabriel faces troubling new questions and relentless threats. His brother Michael, now firmly allied with the enemy, pursues his ambition to wrest power from Nathan Boone, the calculating leader of the Brethren. And Maya, the Harlequin warrior pledged to protect Gabriel at all costs, is forced to make a choice that will change her life forever.

A riveting blend of high-tech thriller and fast-paced adventure, The Golden City will delight Twelve Hawks's many fans and attract a new audience to the entire trilogy.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (53)

Golden City - Closed for Renovations
A classic example of an author who has run out of ideas. Or an author who has kicked to touch while he writes a "proper" 4th book that should have been the third one. I feel that I must take some personal responsibility for the poor conclusion to this book, as obviously JTH had written the book that I described when I had a vision when I travelled to the 7th realm, which was filled with cake recipes and knitting patterns, the so called "Womans Realm". Just for your edification, I have included some of my review for The Traveller below..

..."what you need to give your books some direction is a "set piece". Look, (places guiding arm around Mr Hawks' shoulders, or can I call you "Twelvy") with your global super-villains, you need 3 things. Firstly they should have a big base under a volcano or in space or something, secondly they should have a clear mission statement detailing their evil plot ("We intend to be a world class evil organisation, which values its employees, instils a shared responsibility to meet organisational aims and plans to use giant lasers to make the sun explode (or similar). The Tabula promotes total evil quality management and is ISO 9001 certified) and thirdly, there needs to be a set piece in the third book where people in black tactical suits storm the evil base, there are some explosions, some shooting and sword play, and ends with the sexy Harlequin lady having a big swordfight with the head of the Tabula (who is actually UK TV presenter, Noel Edmonds), who although fatally injured, manages to escape to one of the other "dimensions" as he is a Traveller himself! Maya then engages in some nooky, settles down into a humdrum family life and has a daughter, who shock horror is a Traveller herself!! This leads to further books etc etc.. Now, there you go! .."

So obviously, he had to use some of my ideas, but seriously, (plot spoilers) in this book, the Bretheren are relegated from some sort of global super villains to an organisation who can be defeated by some dreadlocked youths with spray cans and a "can-do" attitude (and possibly skateboards as well, it isn't clear), the Demi-Gods realm is based on the film "Flash Gordon" and the Golden City is closed for the winter, with only Corrigan senior giving the place a lick of paint and working on his golf game on one of the many 6th realm golf courses surrounding the golden city. I implore JTH to contact me through this site to go over his plans for the next book, as everyone would have been much more happy, if he had written the book I describe in the review above. The only change I might consider is that Noel Edmonds might be replaced with Simon Cowell who I feel is an obvious global super villain.

A terrible tragedy
Sadly, HTH is unable to sustain the momentum of a the first two books in this third volume to complete the series. I was actually furious and disappointed when I turned the last page, not only at the wasted potential, but at the time I wasted reading this piece of formulaic and sophomoric junk. I'd seriously question reading anything by him again-he may well be a one trick pony who has given it his best shot.

Listing all the flaws in this book will take too long, but he commits some inexcusable errors. He appears to forget the ending of the second book, which had considerable ambiguity. He picks up as if it never happened, leading to a resolution that drains all the tension of the previous story line. He lets the romance between the two main characters, and the complex feelings there devolve into a classic duty-and-honor -before-personal-life scenario, again bleeding all of the emotional color from the work. He follows the story lines of a bunch of minor characters that add little in the way of plot development; its fluff before substance. Essential aspects of the character's motivations are dispatched in a routine and perfunctory fashion (SPOILER ALERT: the main characters emotional ambiguity upon finally meeting his father is resolved in a single, sparse paragraph. This would be the response of a person "abandoned", whose life is colored by that one event?). The ending ranges from deus ex machina to completely incomprehensible. About the only nice thing I can say is HTW retains his ability to get inside his character's heads-but he does this within the small world view of individual observations and neglects the big picture.

I've seen some bad series ending before (see: Simmons, Dan; Farmer, Philip Jose), but this is about the worst. My advice-don't bother reading this book if you liked the first two. If you haven't started the serious, think seriously about doing so.

Very disappointing.
I enjoyed the first two books in the trilogy, but had nearly forgotten there was to be a third book.This book started off okay, but by the time I was half way trough it, it was obvious that the author had run out of story.To plagiarize Eliot, this the way the book ends, not with a bang, but a whimper.

Fourth Realm Trilogy
This was fairly good wrap up for this Trilogy but the ending lacked the bit of the fist two books.Leaving the two maint characters in the fifth realm and Gabriel(THE GOOD BROTHER)Harlequin Warrior protector Maya pregnant with his child and no doubt another Travler.Perhaps a forth Travler novel in the furture? Only John Twelve Hawls knows.

A great conclusion to an amazing trilogy.
Though this book was much anticipated it took me 8 months to read it. Now to be honest I read it in three sittings. The reason it took so long is that when the first book, The Traveler came out 5 years ago, it was one of the best fiction books I had read in more than ten years. Once I started the book, I realized the series would end, I have heard nothing about more books by John XII Hawks, so I did not want the story to end. Then when I sat down and started it again I raced through to the finish. I plan on reading the whole series again soon.

No one really knows who John Twelve Hawks is, his interviews use a voice modulator, he supposedly has never met with his publisher, and only communicates electronically or through a satellite phone. That mystery was intriguing when the first book came out, and rumors have abounded about who he might be. But I do not think that really matters, he writes under a pen name and wants to keep his privacy. What matters is that he is an excellent story teller and has crafted an excellent dystopian trilogy. If you have not read the first books, I highly recommend them.

A battle rages between two brothers Michael and Gabriel Corrigan, but also between two groups, the Brethern who want to control every person on the planet and will use almost any means to achieve that control, and a resistance movement lead my Gabriel Corrigan, a traveler who can leave this plane of existence and travel to other realms, and his Harlequin guardians. The Harlequins have protected the Travelers for generations. Historically the Harlequins stayed out the of Travelers plans and only protected them from the Breathern who want to hunt them down and kill them. Now Michael Corrigan has usurped control of the Breathern and wants to control the whole world and use his power as a Traveler to plan and achieve that control. Gabriel and an interconnected groups of different people do not want to allow that to happen.

The world is being turned upside down, governments are using fear to control people and systematically strip their freedom. There is a vast machine of security camera's, email sniffing programs, facial recognition ... growing in our world, and there are dark forces behind the scenes pulling all those resources together into an electronic prison for each of us.

Michael and Gabriel have both experienced the other realms but both come back with a different vision for mankind. Who will win this battle for mankinds hearts and minds.

The story has a fast pace, and a number of surprising twists in the series storyline. It also leave the ending open to a continuation and a few interpretations. One of the best things about the series is that it will cause readers to ask questions! Questions about what really matters in life, how intentional they are about how they live, about freedom and purpose in life. It is a great book and I can only hope for more from the author.

Fourth Reams Trilogy:
The Traveler
The Dark River
The Golden City

(First Published in Imprint 2010-07-30.) ... Read more

Product Description
THE LEGEND OF THE HIGHLAND GUARD CONTINUES. . . .
 
Handpicked by Robert the Bruce to help him in his quest to free Scotland from English rule, the elite warriors of the Highland Guard face their darkest days. When Bruce is forced to flee, his bid for freedom rests on the shoulders of one extraordinary warrior.
 
Erik MacSorley is a brilliant seafarer who has never encountered a wind he could not harness or a woman he could not win—until he drags a wet, half-naked “nursemaid” out of the waters off the Irish coast. Ellie’s ordinary appearance belies the truth: She is in fact Lady Elyne de Burgh, the spirited daughter of the most powerful noble in Ireland.

Worse, this irresistible woman is determined to prove herself immune to Erik’s charms—a challenge he cannot resist.
Her captor may look every inch a rugged warrior, but Ellie vows that it will take more than a wickedly suggestive caress to impress her. Yet Erik will sweep away Ellie’s resistance with a desire that resonates deep within her heart. Still, he is a man driven by loyalty, and she is a woman with secrets that could jeopardize Bruce’s chance to reclaim his throne. As the battle for king and country sounds across the shores, will Ellie’s love be enough to finally tame the legend known as the Hawk?
 
Surrender to the pleasure of this novel from the Highland Guard series ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

The Hawk
The Hawk was not surprisingly just as great as The Chief.The depth of character was beyond wonderful.I look forward to the rest of the series.

I enjoyed this book
I loved the chemistry between Erik and Elle. While Erik struggled with his attraction to her with both his sense of duty and the honorable thing between right and wrong, Elle was seeking adventure and love from someone who could look past her title and position. I found Erik's character to be adventureous, fun loving, and reckless, but he was also loyal to a cause, serious when he needed to be, and fearless when it was required. But, like all men, he also has his pride and was often at times arrogant. Definately, the sexy alpha male hero who had a good heart.

I felt Elle's character was strong and independent. While she was innocent, she wasn't naive. She was intelligent enough not to mention her true identity....As time went on, she fell in love with Erik, even when he was being an arse. He had issues with many of her actions, yet she always had a reason for them and I liked her for it.

I think the author did a wonderful job with the historical detail when describing the world within the book. I have always been fascinated with the highlanders and their power struggles to keep Scotland. I also enjoy the cultural differences between the Highlanders and the English regency. I find the politics of it all to be very intriguing, the different mannerisms to be funny, and the romance of it all to be enthralling.

Overall, I found this book to be more engaging than it's predecessor, The Chief. I enjoyed the intrigue, but in truth, I would have liked a little more action. I had fun getting to know the characters better and it was nice to see a couple of returning characters. But, I would have loved an update on Tor and Christina. That being said, this story is a real page turner and I look forward to reading Monica McCarty's next installment in the Highland Guard Novels, The Ranger.

Great Hero
Hawk is a great hero - larger than life - and Ellie, while endlessly referred to as plain, is at least a mature heroine (unlike in the Chief).It's a good read. The history is meticulously researched and the story woven around it is good.

I do wish the author would choose either the guard member's real names or the warrior names - not both - for the secondary characters. It's annoying and jars the flow of reading to constantly have to read Ewen "Hunter" Lamont, Eoin "Striker" MacLean, Gregor "Arrow" MacGregor every time another guard member is mentioned in the book.

Well-written addition to the series
Monica Mccarty is one of my favorite romance authors and this story didn't disappoint.

A solid addition to the Highland Guard series, I really enjoyed the chemistry between Ellie and Erik. Great banter and steamy romance, the only point that could make this story better would be tightening the storyline a bit more towards the end.

Acceptable.
This writer has a long history writing fanciful action-romances set in/around Scotland.Her mastery of this setting is superb and many times it's like you can feel the cold mist off the North Sea.Like so many writers in this genre, her male characters are memorable.Highly skilled warriors and military strategists, handsome and an obvious hit with many of the local ladies--considering the time period--it's impossible to find an equally matched female lead.This happens--again--in this book.Historically it is accurate that women had little to do but create children and their biggest "selling point" was the size of their dowry.Still we can bend so many rules in the service of story, can't we improve the female characters?Worthwhile use of time, but not close as a keeper. ... Read more

Product Description

Only two Americans held positions of great influence throughout the Cold War. The two men embodied opposing strategies for winning the conflict. Yet they dined together, attended the weddings of each other’s children, and remained lifelong friends.

Paul Nitze was a consummate insider who believed the best way to avoid a nuclear clash was to prepare to win one. George Kennan was a diplomat turned academic whose famous “X article” persuasively argued that we should contain the Soviet Union while waiting for it to collapse from within. A masterly double biography, The Hawk and the Dove “does an inspired job of telling the story of the Cold War through the careers of two of its most interesting and important figures” (The Washington Monthly).

Customer Reviews (36)

excellent introduction to US schools of thought on Cold War
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this book, not only the scholarship and the writing, which are excellent, but the balance and fairness of the author, who is related to the "Hawk" of the title.

The story of, and the rivalry between, George Kennan and Paul Nitze are essential for understanding US policies and attitudes during the Cold War.This is an excellent introduction to the subject.If I were teaching a course on the Cold War, I would probably use this as a required text.Highly recommended.

Well-written, fair, and easy to read
The Cold War was not merely the competition between two powerful countries looking to gain the upper hand in global affairs but a complex series of events which led the world in a topsy-turvy ride for more than four decades.At the base of all these events were the most significant variables which lengthened, shortened, escalated, de-escalated, and ultimately ended the Cold War, individual political and military leaders.There are those whose portraits and statues towered in public squares, those whose powerful and eloquent speeches deployed thousands to their deaths, and then there are those special class of persons whose actions and words were secret to the world at-large but pivotal to the play-makers.Two such individuals, whose careers span everyday from the end of the Second World War until the dissolution of the Soviet Union, are Paul Nitze and George F. Kennan.
This book describes the friendship, rivalry, and intertwining lives of the two great individuals of the Cold War.On the one hand was the older Kennan, who served mostly in State Department capacities and mentored Nitze for much of his early career.On the other, Paul Nitze whose fierce military based theory, strategy, and tactics made him a close ally to Pentagon and hawkish interests throughout every administration.The two, while friendly, were locked in constant intellectual battle which spared no barb or sting.This pair both agreed on only one principle: both were totally committed to bring an end to the Cold War and then ultimately to nuclear weapons.Both figures were powerful and influential advisers to every administration, simultaneously using proxies to try to argue their policy and tactical arguments.
White House tapes and personal testimonials attest to the fact that there was not a President, Secretary of State, or Defense which did not rely heavily on the advice of one or both of these men on all issues dealing with the Soviet Union since the Truman administration.From the younger harried intellectual geniuses they grew into the statesmen and policy-pushers of later administrations.At first it was their reports that drew attention, such as Kennan's infamous Mr. X 'long telegram' from Moscow, then it became their sharp and quick minds which were in demand, Nitze and Kennan were both informed on and kept closely updated on the Cuban Missile Crisis, and beginning in the 1970's they were both valued at the highest levels for their experience and knowledge of what seemed like every important fact and detail of Soviet and friendly individuals, defenses, and policy.
The biographies point out that although there was great rivalry this never became personal or antagonistic and they both remained good friends and often even matched quick wits at the hundreds of dinner parties they attended together with their wives.There was little to agree on between the two after the close of the 1940's but there were moments when the two agreed and it would be that moment that so many others would become convinced of a policy or individual's weaknesses or mistakes.One such moment of singularity was their agreement on the misguided United States efforts in the Vietnam conflict.Together they agreed that the policy and tactics being used were only leading to one thing, more American troops dead.Another such moment described by Thompson was their agreement that President Carter's policy of moral reasoning with the Soviet Union could never succeed as a tactic or as a general strategy.While they agreed that the policy would not work, that was the limits of their coalescence of thought; Kennan believed that more arms talks were perfect for this time while Nitze drew up plans for the Carter administration's Strategic Air Command center for the "possibility of winning a nuclear war against the Soviet Union, using our first strike capability."
The author, Nicholas Thompson, provides a very detailed and fair image of both these men from a wide variety of sources.One of the greatest surprises provided by the book is the fairness of the book between the two men considering that the author is the grandson of Paul Nitze.There is no ideological or personal favors done to either one of these men and the book remains very much accurate to the sources provided.The book was the conception of the author's when he heard his father talking so fondly of Kennan as a friend and confidante although they shared so little in common in professional opinions.Although he is a mystery writer and journalist by profession his historical sense and focus on the facts is commendable.
Mr. Thompson uses a wide variety of sources but each is well documented and used well.He uses personal interviews, news reports, government documents, and even personal belongings of both men to establish their character.The evidence is used skillfully to never under or overuse every piece of data from every stage throughout the Cold War, from Kennan's stay as US Ambassador to the USSR after V-E Day to Nitze's personal conferences with Reagan in Reykjavík. His style as a news journalist and columnist in Washington allows him to deliver political news and anecdotes in a very easy and flowing manner, inviting the reader to delve into the lives of these powerful men as though they were reading a magazine article.The book's length is an indicator of just how much these two men have accomplished in their lives regarding the Cold War and Thompson does a great job with all of it.In good times or bad, both men get a fair shake and a never hurried tone.
One of the unique factors which really made this an interesting read is that George Kennan and Paul Nitze are rarely criticized in any personal capacity.Generally the greatest criticism of the two is ideological differences which are understandable given the powerful role they both had.Neither man came under scrutiny for personal problems; both were family men with no records of violence, drug-use, or abuse of power.A part of this strong character came from the friendship they shared, often arguing and discussing their clashing worlds over glasses of single-malt scotch or brandy.This book does not really refute anything that has been written about the professional or private lives of the two men, instead it only seeks to highlight them as an intellectual adversarial team.
Much has been written about the enormous role which individuals have in the foreign policy of the United States and elsewhere, almost as a reminder that ultimately it is human beings which make decisions not constructs like political states or agencies.As more information about the Cold War becomes apparent and declassified it has become easier to explore and develop the characters of the conflict and their stakes and functions within the grand scheme of affairs. As such it matched very well with other similar books detailing the rise or fall of two seemingly tied individuals, such as an excellent book I read just recently on President Nixon and Chinese Premier Mao titled Nixon and Mao's Week that Changed the World authored by Margaret Macmillan.
To conclude, I would recommend this carefully and well-written book on the relationship of two men with one another and their incalculable affect on diplomacy to anyone interested in how the political and diplomatic events of the Cold War transpired.This book is worthy of academic scrutiny as well as general reading for the lay person.

Cold War Warriors: Lessons to be Learned


Anyone old enough to remember the throes of the Cold War will be familiar with the names of the two protagonists in this well-written book. Paul Nitze and George Kennan go together like ham and eggs did in the pre-cholesterol era.

It is hard not to have an impression of both men. Our individual views will be affected by our particular experiences and our level of intimacy with the dominant issues of the Cold War. This book adds considerable data and detail which hopefully might provide more light rather than more heat.Some will be so set in their ways that nothing they read will change their views.Others will be surprised by what they read and it might influence their intellectual bottom line.

The world's hopes and dreams of a utopian world faded quickly after the Second World War. Unfettered nationalism, ancient enmities, economic realities, rank selfish ambition and paranoia among other reasons doomed the hope for world peace once again.

Russia established her harsh hegemony over Eastern Europe and vigorously launched their atomic bomb and missile developments.The United States was divided in its reaction. Churchill gave his "Iron Curtain" speech in Missouri and many Americans became alarmed with the growing imperialist designs of the Russian Empire. Others felt they were war mongers and felt we should adopt a more passive role towards Russia.

Paranoia and fear in both countries lasted for four decades. Many fully expected the other side to launch a secret atomic bomb attack.An arms race and far too many threatening words fostered a balance of terror.

With the passage of time reasonable heads on both sides came to agree that nuclear war was too horrible to be contemplate; it should be avoided at all costs. However, some argued that the existing balance of power would accomplish just that.

Thompson's book discusses the careers of Kennan and Nitze during the cold war and how they affected policy makers. They were both active in the public arena throughout the period.Kennan began as a hawk but ultimately moved to "containment" by military and political means, and became more dovish.Kennan opposed the creation of the H-bomb, and even opposed the creation of NATO for fear it would divide Europe.

Nitzewas hawkish from the very beginning, he feared Russian power,and drifted away from his former friend, Kennan. He allied himself closely with Secretary of State Dean Acheson.

Their views and declarations on Viet Nam War and the Cuban Missile Crisis are covered in this book by Thompson as well
This is a carefully researched and judicious book. Thompson chronicles their activities carefully but doesn't jump to conclusions about either one, doesn't second guess them.He leaves those value judgements to his readers.
**************

Professor Mellander was a university administrator for 15 years and a college president for 20.

hawk & dove
Although this book a while to come and it was a gift the recipient was thrilled with it.

The "Mr. Inside" and "Mr. Outside" of U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War

As countless other reviewers have correctly noted already, this is a brilliantly written analysis of a relationship between Paul Nitze (1907-2004) and George Kennan (1904-2005), one that is juxtaposed with their individual and shared relationships with American foreign policy throughout several decades prior to, during, and following the Cold War. Both Nitze and Kennan were on some issues a "hawk" and on others a "dove." However, the differences between them (and there were several) are only partly explained by the policies they advocated or repudiated. As Nicholas Thompson so thoroughly reveals, they had quite different strengths and weaknesses, passions and fears, articles of faith and targets of revulsion. That said, both were exceptionally intelligent and, over time, widely recognized for their analytical skills, knowledge, and experience.

To indicate the thrust of Thompson's thinking as well as the flavor of his writing style, here are some of his observations that caught my eye:

"What follows is a story about friends, but not about friendship...They were good friends but not best friends; perhaps if they had been closer, they would have fallen out. They did, however, greatly respect each other and admire each other's seriousness of purpose, demeanor, and dedication...Most important, they represented two great strains of American thought during the second half of the twentieth century. And per haps they realized something I came to believe as I worked on this book: one can understand much of the story of the United States during the Cold War by examining the often parallel, and sometimes perpendicular lives of Paul Nitze and George Kennan." (Page 6)

"As would be the case throughout the Cold War, Kennan cared deeply about principles and patterns, and he placed no intrinsic value on idealistic statements about the importance of freedom or any other vague case...Nitze, however, believed in the power of American idealism and example. The United States was the greatest country on earth, and it should not shy away from using its power to improve the rest of the world. Equally important, America had been tested by the crisis in the Mediterranean and responded immediately in the appropriate way. For Nitze, that was good enough." (Page 72)

According to Dean Acheson, "Mr. Kennan has never, in my judgment, grasped the realities of power relationships, but takes a rather mystical attitude toward them." He went on to suggest that Kennan's policy recommendations were a "futile - and lethal - attempt to crawl back into the cocoon of history." Although Nitze also disagreed with Kennan's recommendations, he did not participate with Acheson in a statement for the press. "I refused, saying that I had served as Kennan's deputy, was close to him as a friend, and although I agreed with Acheson's criticism, I do not want to criticize [Kennan] in public." (Paged 168)

Later in the book, Thompson observes, "The fundamental difference between Nitze and Kennan was grounded in two long-running arguments. The first was whether the United States, or anyone, could handle nuclear weapons. Nitze had always believed that the answer was yes...Kennan, forever scarred by [events in] Hamburg, believed it was no. Nuclear weapons were far too dreadful to leave in any human hands. The second disagreement was perhaps most important, and it came from their differing views of the United States." As Thompson explains, Nitze's goal was to make the U.S. arsenal "more survivable" and the Soviet arsenal to be "less well-equipped to launch a first strike" whereas Kennan rejected Nitze's "vision of American benevolence" and was convinced that the U.S. could launch a nuclear war "either through malice or through folly."(Pages 270-271)

"Kennan gave one final public interview, in 2002, when he was ninety-eight, warning that the United States should nit rush into Iraq. `War has a momentum of its own, and it carries you away from all the thoughtful intentions when you get into it. Today, if we went into Iraq, like the president would like us to do, you know where you begin. You never know where you're going to end.'" (Page 318)

George Kennan died, at age 101, on March 17, 2005, just 149 days after the death of his lifelong friend and rival, Paul Nitze. In this context, I am reminded of another pair of lifelong friends and rivals, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, who died on the same day, appropriately July 4th, in 1826. A non-scholar such as I who nonetheless has a keen interest in U.S. history could do much worse than to include these four patriots as guests at a fantasy dinner, perhaps joined by Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Thompson, and Neil Sheehan.

I conclude this brief review with a few brief comments about Thompson's relationship with Paul Nitze. Although a grandson who loved and respected him very much, Thompson somehow manages to present what seems to me to be an exceptionally balanced account of each of the two complicated persons "who were good friends but not best friends."Warts as well as halos are revealed. Although Nitze and Kennan were frequently viewed as icons, Thompson portrays them each as an admirable but flawed human being. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (10)

A Good Reference
I found this book to be a good reference, but not as a stand-alone reference for identification of hawks. I live along a major autumn hawk migration route where more than 15,000 raptors are seen almost every year, some at a considerable distance. This book is very helpful for comparing similar looking species, but I have found that several references on hawks are sometimes needed to make a reliable identification.

Marshall Faintich, author of "A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Wintergreen."

Hawks - in great detail
A very detailed book - lots of good info - this book has the important points about identifying these birds, in flight, and at a distance. It will still take a lot of work, and a good pair of binoculars, and a lot of practice (none of which I have yet done) to be able to identify a hawk. I'm not a 'birder', per se (at least I don't think I am), but I am interested in learning more about the birds that are around, at different times, where I live in West Michigan.

Helpful even for a bird-challenged guy like me
I'm a bird guy.I absolutely love birds, and the birds I love more than any others are hawks.When I die, I want to come back as a hawk.

The problem (if it is a problem) is that I'm no naturalist.I seem constitutionally incapable of identifying most birds.Get me past the typical visitors to my backyard feeders--the junkos, sparrows, wrens, cardinals, goldfinches, thrushes, humming birds, and occasional woodpecker--and I'm pretty lost.

But because I so love hawks, and because they've recently reappeared in great numbers in my neck of the woods (central PA), I thought I'd give Liguori's book a try.

I'm glad I did.The photographs are stunning--beautiful enough to please the eye, but at the same time crisp and detailed enough to serve as a guide for hawk-spotting.I found especially helpful Liguori's shots of hawks at different flight positions--soaring, gliding, stooping, hovering, and so on.Equally helpful are the charts he provides that compare body, wing and head shapes of different kinds of hawks, falcons, and eagles.Ditto on the migration charts.

There's only one thing Liguori's guidebook doesn't have that I wish it did:photographs of perched hawks.I see lots of hawks when I'm driving that are perched on tree branches and electric lines, and I still have difficulty identifying them:redtail?Swainson's?Cooper's?Hopefully, the next edition of Hawks from Every Angle will include the perch angle as well.(In all fairness to Liguori, however, his book is subtitled "How to Identify Raptors in Flight.")

It would also be convenient were the book a bit smaller in size.It's broadness makes it a little burdensome in the field.But it could well be that a smaller format would've meant less precise photographs.If that's the case, the tradeoff is a good one.

Hawks
The illustations make it much easier to identify hawks in the sky and on the ground.It will be a valuable companion on my bird walks in the Audubon and to ID the hawks soaring overhead and through the woods by my home.

Libbie

Extremely informative, with excellent photography
I though this was an excellent resource for identifying hawks in flight. The photos are very informative, and attractive as well. The guide is, in my opinion, very comprehensive and extremely well written. ... Read more

Product Description
The Virgin Groom

He was every kid's idol, every man's envy, every woman's fantasy. And then Mac Macready's fiancée dumped him, and his future was looking mighty uncertain. The most shocking thing of all was that the only woman who could save him was notorious Jewel Whitelaw….

The Substitute Groom

He'd taught his best friend's girl how to kiss—and had never forgotten the touch of Jennifer Wright's lips. And now that Huck couldn't marry Jenny, U.S. Air Force major Colt Whitelaw vowed to make the ultimate sacrifice. But first Colt needed to convince Jenny this was right—so he drew her close once more…. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Endearing small-town romances
1st story: Injured pro-football player goes back to hometown to recuperate & finally rid himself of his virginity with his childhood BF who was raped at 16 & still struggling with her sexual self-confidence esp since she has large breasts. But both are not being very upfront about their issues/motives with each other.

2nd story: Fighter jet-pilot comes back to hometown to tell his BFF's longtime GF/fiance, who he's been in love with since a teen, that BFF died in action.He proposes to marry her on the day of her wedding with BFF to supposedly help her with her ramshackle, deeply-in-debt ranch but hard-working & self-sacrificing heroine struggles with guilt about being so attracted to hero esp compared to her deceased fiance at such a short-time after fiance's death & keeping her secret that may affect his desire to marry her.

My 1st Johnston read & was pleased. Both were solid romances. Good chemistry & love scenes were ok. Other characters were interesting & didn't get in the way of main romance.Am actually looking forward to reading about these other characters' own stories.

Recommended.

Good Book
Avery good book recommend to all. Joan Johnston is a good writer and i have read lots of her books.

I Love Joan Johnston
I have just about read every book by Joan and love them all. this book is a reissue of two different grooms so you get double the pleasure. I highly recommend this book.

Hawk's Way
Sorry to see the story end.Ended like there could be more.
Characters were real and the story lines could have been true. ... Read more

Product Description

Evil has come to a distant land high among the snow-capped mountains of Midkemia, as an exterminating army wearing the colors of the Duke of Olasko razes village after village, slaughtering men, women, and children without mercy. And when the carnage is done, only one survivor remains: a young boy named Kieli. A youth no longer, there is now but one road for him to travel: the path of vengeance. And he will not be alone. Under the tutelage of the rescuers who discovered him, Kieli will be molded into a sure and pitiless weapon. And he will accept the destiny that has been chosen for him ... as Talon of the Silver Hawk.

Customer Reviews (88)

Not the place to start the series, but a good continuation!
This new series had a strong opening and focuses on a new and quite likable character. The geographic focus has shifted as well - and since I am reading this on the Kindle, I do wish that the maps from previous books showed this area in a bit more detail. And though series staple characters like Pug, Nakor and Miranda made cameo appearances (and Rupert Avery even has a book written about him... though the exact timing of this seems a little skewed...).
Still, this was an interesting continuation of the series, but as a starting point, I think that the shadowy, evil enemy would not be enough to keep me reading, since a lot of this is buildup from previous novels. Faithful readers know more than the main character, which would be off-putting to start the series here.
Though entertaining, the plot was less complex than some of the other books, and I remain curious to see where this trilogy goes.

He reviewed.(Get it?)
Rather than focusing on the broad sweep of the fight against the Mad God, Feist chooses instead to focus on one young man, the eponymous Talon of the Silver Hawk, who, it is hinted, has a larger role to play in the world-spanning fight of good vs evil.This is the story of Talon's growth from a barbarian boy to a James Bond-esque fantasy-world secret agent.It moves along pretty well even though at times it feels more like an orientation training for the reader than for Talon, such as when we get to read about him serving tables, learning to cook, learning to paint, etc.Much of that information could probably have been covered in a few paragraphs but instead it makes up the first two thirds of the book.The amazing thing is that it still flows smoothly and it does not take long at all to get to the meatier, action-oriented final third of the novel.

Like many Feist protagonists, Talon is a bit too perfect, and when he does fail, someone is always there to save him.My suggestion (to myself): don't think so much, just enjoy the novel like the super-spy vengeance romp it is.

A little too predictable after a strong start
I imagine it's hard for a well-regarded author to launch a new series: it has to be a balance of what drew in his fans to begin with, be new enough to not be derivative from his earlier stories, and ideally not be so obscurely referential to past books as to exclude newcomers.

In this lead volume of a new series, Feist manages to largely hit those targets, by exploring a new corner of his world of Midkemia, viewing it through the eyes of a "outsider" character, and keeping with the long running plot/conflict of the previous series.A few characters from the previous series make brief appearances or are referenced, though this sometimes feels forced.The story starts strongly, exploring new rituals through the eyes of a young, new character.

But after that strong start, the plot weakens.While the ultimate events remain veiled, our hero has an oddly easy time of it.Despite grievous wounds on multiple occasions, he is always healed to full ability. Whatever his challenge, he conquers it briskly, with minimal effort, leaving the reader with little doubt of his final success.It's just a little too easy, a little too smooth sailing.This makes for good mind-candy (and enjoyable read) but lacks the gritty struggle and frequent setbacks of the previous series.It was those struggles and nuanced conflicts that made earlier Feist such a captivating read.

I enjoyed this volume and read the rest of the series as well, but I don't think a reader new to Feist would be all that impressed with the tale set forth here; since it's the allusions to the struggles of the past series that draw in the Feist fan.

Recommended for Feist fans for an enjoyable if predictable read.If you liked his earlier works, this will be pleasantly familiar.New to Feist? Start with one of the more intense earlier series (Riftwar or Serpentwar).

Feist's Brass Age (He's got a lot of brass putting his name on it)
Feist has written some excellent books, creative, complex, and interesting. "Faerie" and the "Magician" duology come to mind.This isn't one of them.This is a shallow, cartoonish coming-of-age/revenge plot that exhibits the worst excesses of fantasy today.Feist got comfortable here in Midkemia and hasn't done much that's worthwhile since then. If you want to learn about fantasy, find something that is original rather than a pastiche of every easy cliche the author has run into.BTW, 1 star for this was high.There should be a rating that says "Give me my money back."

A Silver Age for Feist!
It has been years since I've read this author's first 5 books in the original series of Midkemia. Those were great also!

But after many years, we can see that Raymond Feist still can write fantasy with the best of them. Great characters and magical settings abound. Solid stuff this. ... Read more

Product Description
In London, Maya, a young woman trained to fight by her powerful father, uses the latest technology to elude detection when walking past the thousands of surveillance cameras that watch the city. In New York, a secret shadow organization uses a victim’s own GPS to hunt him down and kill him. In Los Angeles, Gabriel, a motorcycle messenger with a haunted past, takes pains to live "off the grid" — free of credit cards and government IDs. Welcome to the world of The Traveler — a world frighteningly like our own.In this compelling novel, Maya fights to save Gabriel, the only man who can stand against the forces that attempt to monitor and control society. From the back streets of Prague to the skyscrapers of Manhattan, The Traveler portrays an epic struggle between tyranny and freedom.Not since 1984 have readers witnessed a Big Brother so terrifying in its implications and in a story that so closely reflects our lives. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (302)

One Crazy Adventure
I picked up the Traveler by chance and was a little thrown off at the beginning of the novel but I couldn't put it down.The story is a twisted adventure around the world that doesn't stop.John Twelve Hawks expertly weaves in ideas about our society under the guise of a good story.This is not my normal read but I could wait until the next one!

Mind Blowing...great action.....
WOW...this is the first book of Hawks that I have read and I have to tell you...it is great!!!! Excellent detail, great storyline....takes you to places that you never thought that you would ever go.....cant wait to read other installements.......:)

Almost a 3, but not quite
The author, with that foolish pure marketing name, knows how to write.He is very mechanically sound with his grammar and follows all the good writing checklists.However, he isn't a pure writer, as he has no real art in the writing.He is technically sound, but fails to make you like any of the characters.He also fails to bring any type suspense or mystery/thrill to the story.You basically know 90% of the info on the Brethern and the Travelers by the 2nd or 3rd chapter...no mystery in the book.

The book is ok, but if you have something else you have been wanting to read put it ahead of The Traveler.

Really, Really Dull
Reading some of the other reviews, there was apparently a lot of hype when this book came out. I completely missed that. I picked it up on CD because looked interesting. It wasn't. Paranoid fantasy at it's worst. And, did I mention this, dull. I normally listen to book CDs on my drive home from work. I kept listening to this, waiting for something to happen. Then I just wanted it to be over, just to find out how the author was going to wind up the story. With 2-3 CDs to go I found out it was the first of a trilogy. I almost gave up on it then. I should have. The ending of the first book is totally unbelievable. The author would have you believe that the Tabula (the all-controlling bad guys) have a ventilation duct that leads outside of the 10-foot wall surrounding their super secret compound. The plans for which our heroes were able to find on the Internet.Two people, armed with a sword, a rifle and a shotgun, attack the heavily guarded compound through the duct work, rescue their companions, pretty much wreck the place and get away virtually unscathed. I won't be looking for books 2 and 3.

A remarkable trilogy
If something is "funny because it is true," the best thrillers are usually grounded is some sort of reality as well. John Twelve Hawks takes us on a remarkable journey with his Traveler trilogy. We go to different realms and are presented with an entirely different version of reality, but the entire time we are still grounded in the world in which we live today. We are also given a disturbing look at the potential of the some of the negative aspects of our modern efforts to track people and monitor communication.

The Traveler series may never achieve the cultural currency of George Orwell's 1984, but it is a worthy next step in the ongoing dialog on the future of democracy. And just like 1984, it's scary because there is a lot of truth in it. ... Read more

Product Description

A fearless heroine.... A tale of brother against brother.... A battle for hope and freedom.

Two brothers born into a race of Travelers—prophets able to journey to different realms of consciousness—have just discovered that their long lost father may still be alive. Gabriel, who could be humanity’s savior, and his guardian, Maya, want to protect him. Michael wants to destroy him and with it humanity’s hope for freedom. As they race across the globe, their frantic search puts them on a collision course, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance.

Customer Reviews (70)

Love it!!!
Had to search and search to get this book.....read the first book a little bit ago...and fell in love with it....had to get book 2....and I am so glad that I did....JTH is a master of storytelling...he really helps you to feel for the characters in the series. Excellent series....excellent author..cant wait to get started on book 3....sad to see the series end.....:(

Christopher Berry

The Dark River:Paranoia?
Title: The Dark River by John Twelve Hawks

Pages: 368

How it was obtained: I either bought it at a bookstore, or perhaps my parents gave it to us as a gift. I think the latter.

Time spent on the "to read" shelf: 2 ½ years.

Days spent reading it: 2 days.

Why I read it: This book is the second book in the Fourth Realm Trilogy which starts with The Traveler. I loved The Traveler, this was a no-brainer to pick up and read.

Brief review: Take a dash of 1984, a hint of The Da Vinci Code, and add a sprinkle of spirituality and you have The Fourth Realm Trilogy. I fell in love with the story that began in The Traveler. It was fun, unique, and blew me away. The gist is that a group of bad guys known as the Tabula want to create a Big Brother kind of society. Technology is one way to oversee every part of a person's life. There is no privacy for anyone. The Tabula is resisted by a group of fighters called Harlequins. They live "off the grid." They avoid security cameras, refuse to be processed by "The Vast Machine."They value complete freedom and privacy above everything else. But the real prophets of the cause are people called "Travelers." They are protected by the Harlequins.Their task is to go to other realms and come back with ideas that always shake the institutions of the day.This pits them against the Tabula's institutions at every turn.

John Twelve Hawks traces themes of freedom vs. security, institutions vs. free thought, love vs. reason, spirituality vs. science. Hawks is definitely paranoid of what governments are doing with technology, and he causes me to pause and think about what might really be happening. But some of his ideas are plain wacky. At one point in the book he states plainly the exact location of the Ark of the Covenant. A character just comes out and says where it is, like it is common knowledge.

But in the midst of these themes Hawks weaves a fun story. It is action packed. There is hardly a lull in the plot. And his characters, while a little one-dimensional, are also good contributions to pop lit. If you love girl power, you will love the main character, Maya. She is a beastly fighter who I would never want to meet in a dark alley.

I would definitely recommend picking up this series. It is a quick read, but it has a unique perspective on what is going on around us. And in the end, you might be a little more paranoid about being on the grid than you were when you first began. I look forward to reading the last book in the trilogy, it has been a good ride so far.

Favorite quote: "The Bronx Tabernacle of the Divine Church was an impressive-sounding name for two rented rooms above the Happy Chicken restaurant."

Stars: 4 out of 5.

Final Word: Paranoia?

Very good trilogy series.
I love John Twelve Hawks! This book is well written as are all of the books in this series, I couldn't put them down. I can't wait for the next one to come out!!

Reviews are overly critical
It is extremely difficult for me to find newly published fiction books that keep my interest, are above a high school reading level and aren't overly predictable.After reading the Traveler, I could not wait to see the next installment.Then I read the Amazon reviews, I decided not to purchase the next book in the series because of the overwhelming disappointment.

Finally I checked Dark River out from the library.I enjoyed the book VERY much!!Wish I would have purchased the second installment long ago.I'm purchasing the rest of the books of the series!And to the author - Thank you for providing not only entertaining and suprising stories, but thoughts on what we are giving up when we let fear decide our politics.

Dark river...abrubt ending
This is a wonderful follow up to the first book (The Traveler) fast-paced and intriguing
for the same reasons the first book was. Time has passed since the end of the first
book, but you are quickly oriented (although I'm not sure if this would be as much
fun to read if you had not read the Traveler). My one disappointment was the
non-ending, which clearly is meant to pull us toward the next book, but too much
is left hanging. Fortunately the next book is soon to be released in hard copy. ... Read more

Product Description

In a moment of decision, they will each face the truth of their own heart in God's presence

Customer Reviews (21)

Wonderful, inspirational
A wonderful book. One you can read more than once and I sure do, since I first bought the book several years ago.

The Hawk and the Dove Trilogy
I found this book to be quite engaging and beautifully written.While reading, I felt as though Penelope Wilcock may have had some personal experience in the matter of content and could appreciate her knowledge of St. Benedict's Rule and the interaction between the characters that portrayed the daily life of Benedictine Monks in the thirteenth century.The interpersonal relationships from whom the story is told is also very touching.It was a joy to read and found that it is worth reading again.

Beautiful - Christ Shines in Every Chapter
A moving story of people bearing their burdens in the name of their Savior.The 14th century monastery setting appeals to those in the Catholic faith but in no way excludes Protestant or readers from other backgrounds.

Insightful, Refreshing, Relevant
I selected this book because I wanted to try a new author in historical fiction and this title had a five-star rating.I read some of the reviews and decided to give it a try.I was NOT disappointed; rather, I was enriched by the relevant lessons taught through story-telling.Wilcock's skill at weaving true-to-life characters and realistic stories is magnificent.

Also, I did read this using the Kindle app for my iPhone and it did have quite a few typographical disfluencies, particularly in the third book.

It will capture you & not let you cease reading....
Father Peregrine and his companions are used by God to speak to the reader, there is no doubt.I was encouraged, shamed, joyful, despondent and every other possible emotion that can be experienced when considering the character and realizing that I too have the same struggles & victories.Father Peregrine and his companions will be people you want to know more and more.... ... Read more

Product Description
This guide shows how to recognize hawks the way we recognize friends at a distance: by body shape, movements, and locale. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Still one of the best
I bought this book when it first came out in 1989 and it was just about the only raptor-only book out there at the time, and I found it quite useful. The book contains a great deal of basic information on hawk identification for beginners, but also on the more advanced points that many times aren't discussed in the more general books. For example, I found the discussions of the differences between juveniles and immature hawks, and between males and females, and their differences, quite helpful. As one reviewer already pointed out here, one great feature of the book is to juxtapose similar birds next to each other for comparison purposes, a great help. Overall, this was, and still is, a fine book on the subject even though the topic has become much more competitive just in the last five years.

Hawks in Flight Review
Excellent book. Great black and white drawings of adults and immatures of many species as well as different "phases" of the same species. No colour drawings are provided as hawks in flight are often seen in conditions that render them in shades of gray. Excellent text with even some humour thrown in.Highly recommended for those looking for a specific hawk book beyond the standard "all birds" guide.

First class
Of the dozen or so raptor identification books I own, I have learned the most from this book. The standard Peterson's guides work pretty well if you can get within 50 feet of a sitting bird, or if you use a gun as an accessory. However for most of us, you need to be able to work from a lot further away than that. Dunne takes you beyond plumage clues to descriptions of flight cadence, behaviour, posture, and relative body proportions. He discards the trivial details not visible from less than a hundred feet. He emphasizes what is still obvious in a backlit, soaring bird even miles away. On top of that he offers visual analogies that are cool 'sound bites' to help you remember features of the species. For example think of the flying 'stovepipe', the Northern Goshawk, or the 'arthritic' wingbeats of the Cooper's hawk. These clues offer the kind of practical wisdom that a seasoned birder will use.

The only minor point I would make is that I found a few of the sentences a little hard to understand. However, like most good teachers, he explains important details more than once in slightly different form, so that understanding of key points is clear. This book is definitely a winner.

Great companion book to other raptor field guides
"Hawks in Flight" is a different kind of ID field guide.Most guides feature many colored plates and or photographs of the birds.That is very useful if you are within a reasonable distance from the bird and the light is decent.

However, with birds of prey, you frequently see them from a considerable distance and from below.Most of the time you only get a good idea of their shape and flight characteristics.That is where this book comes in handy.Featuring nothing but B&W drawings (David Sibley) and B&W photos, "Hawks in Flight" shows you the bird as you will likely see it - a shape consisting of just a few colors (white, grey, black, brown) featuring some defining marks.

The authors also do a great job of describing what are the defining marks of each species and also telling you how to make a determination between similar birds (featuring B&W photos next to each other).

Highly Recommended

Good, not perfect, but good
Buteo identification has always been a challenge for me, but over the Christmas Day Birdcount I was able to get an identification I would have never gotten without the volume.The subtle parsing of the various colors, sizes, behaviors, etc. of raptors makes this more useful then a field guide for understanding on what you should be focusing when catching that 5 or 6 seconds of "flying away raptor".

Another reviewer mentioned the grainy photographs, which is dead-on.Unfortunately, I have to say that those photographs are (approximately) how I am seeing most of these birds.So, they are an odd bit of help, really. ... Read more

Product Description

Test Your Tony IQ ...

Don't worry, this isn't some busted quiz that counts for anything. It's a simple true or false test about the most famous skateboarder in the world. There's a lot about Tony Hawk's life that might surprise you. He didn't skate out of the crib landing every trick he attempted. He had tons of ups and downs on and off his skateboard -- sometimes he landed and sometimes he slammed. Here he takes you behind the scenes of the skateboard world and describes what it's like to be Tony Hawk: Professional Skateboarder.

True or False

a. Tony Hawk ate chewing gum from between Steve Caballero's toes.

b. As a child, Tony was so competitive that he pelted his mother with tennis balls in order to win a tennis match.

c. Tony failed to land a trick for more than fifteen years.

d. Tony was such a spastic nightmare as a child that he was expelled from his preschool.

e. Tony was such a small kid that he looked three grades younger and was often picked on by bullies.

Customer Reviews (17)

tony hawk book
Product came very quickly and was in excellent condition. Would order from this vendor again.

Tony Hawk Professional Skateboarder - Great Book
I like the book because when I read it it helped me land new tricks. I learned a lot about Tony Hawk. He would never give up and he would always try to land tricks no matter what. He wanted to get better and that told me that it doesn't matter how much pain you are in when you land it. It is all worth it because now you have a new trick. He also did not let what other people thought influence him. He wanted to be a skateboarder when it was not cool, but he did not care. He knew what he liked to do and did it.

After I read the book, I was all pumped up. Whenever I would go to the gap I would always try to land this trick that I couldn't do and then after I read the book I said to myself it is worth it no matter how bad I fell just get up unless you break something, and after I said that then I went for it and did my all, and I landed the trick on my third try and from there on I have been landing all of my tricks and become a better skateboarder.

I think that every skateboarder should read this book because it will inspire them a lot like it has inspired me. Before I read this book I thought that Tony Hawk was just a pro skateboarder and I thought that he wasn't that good. When I read this book that my friend recommended, I said to him that I didn't like Tony Hawk that much, and he said just read it. So I went to the libary and checked it out. Then, I got into it. I found out that he wasn't a poser or a loser that he all he wanted to do was get kid skateboarders into it and to teach them and help them out with their skating. Because of all his success, he is able to do a lot to help kids all over the world. He is a cool guy and this is a great book.

"Tony Hawk: Professional SkateBoarder"
I injoyed this book alot because it has influenced my life. The book has influenced my life by not judging people for the things they do.Another aspect is that he has showen is Intellectual Perserverance in his every day life. He has done this by not giving up on his Skateboarding company when times were rough. He has reminded me of my own family and how we all have overcome hard times and how we still keep positive.

Same as other book
I felt like this book was pretty much the same as Occupation Skateboarder. Lots of the same pics and stories, but okay.

"Tony Hawk : Professional Skateboarder" A Skater's Point of View
Tony Hawk: Professional Skateboarder was a great autobiography. Tony Hawk is the main person. He talks about his life from when he was a baby through his adult hood with ups and downs of his skateboarding career.
Tony Hawk wouldn't be a successful pro skateboarder if it weren't for his brother. He introduced Tony to skating at age 9. Once Tony was really into skateboarding, he became pro. In the summer of 1999 Tony Hawk landed the 900.He was the fist person to ever land that. You have to spin fully around 2 ½ times. Tony made history in skateboarding. He is a great role model and gives skateboarding a good name.
I thought this book was great and if you are smart about skateboarding history, you will connect to a lot of things in this novel. This book is for all ages. I enjoyed it, and if you like skateboarding, you will like it too. If you don't like skateboarding, you might learn stuff about skating. Also, you might get interested in skateboarding. Now enough about the book review, read Tony Hawk: Professional Skateboarder.
... Read more

Product Description
Tom Barton and his Uncle Jack live on the edge of danger, smuggling goods under the very nose of the king's searchers.Shrewd, brave, desperate at times, they make run after run across the Channel, braving rough seas, heavy winds, and a growing restlessness among their countrymen.All Europe is aflame with the writing and preaching of Martin Luther.

Tom and his uncle come into contact with another man, William Tyndale, whose work and prayer is to put an English Bible into the hands of the common people.While Uncle Jack sees only the profit in a religious Reformation, it is Tom who sees in Tyndale's work the dawning of a new age and a new way of life for himself and England.

William Tyndale was the hawk that dare not hunt by day.Hunted, hated by many, a fugitive in several countries, this humble man's pen changed the course of history.For modern Christians, he is the symbol of scholarship and courage, determination and meekness.For Tom Barton, he was father and friend, teacher and comforter, and the first true testimony of Christ in a godless age. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A Story of History
This book is the Story/History of William Tyndale and his journey to get everyone to read the Bible so that even the plowboy will know some versus.The main characters Uncle jack and Tom Barton , smugglers, make a deal to William Tyndale promising to sell these books in England while fulfiling all of their wants. Tyndale wants the Bible to reach everyone and TOm adn Jack want to become rich, but trouble seems to head their way around every corner. This book is enjoyable full of details you might not find in other books. I suggest this book to anyone who likes old english history or enjoys a story that keeps you till the end.

THE HAWK THAT DARE NOT HUNT BY DAY
This book is about William Tyndale getting Bibles to England in the sixteenth century. William Tyndale is a preacher who wants to bring Bibles over to England that everyone can buy. He accomplishes this by smuggling the Bibles he has translated and printed over in a ship called the Black Pearl. This story mainly focuses on the captain of the ship and his nephew who smuggle the Bibles for Tyndale. This story was slow to get going but was okay by the end. I would recommend it to people who like historical fiction.

Action, mystery, and suspense!
The Hawk that Dare Not Hunt By Day is an excellent book which I would love to read again.It is full of suspense and mystery.It is even based around somebody's actual life, the life of William Tyndale, the person whofirst translated The New Testament into English.The book is by ScottO'Dell, the writer of The Island of the Blue Dolphinsand many otherchildren's novels.

Tom Barton and his Uncle Jack are the owners, as wellas First Mate and Captain, of a ship called the Black Pearl.As asmuggler, Tom is always looking for a cargo that will turn a good profit. Tom meets a man named William Tyndale who is translating the Bible fromtraditional Latin into English, something that could get him hanged as aheretic.Tyndale is the Hawk that Dare Not Hunt by Day.He lives a lifeof constant danger, always hiding from the King's officials. He driftsfrom place to place until his own best friend betrays him.

This book isgreat and I'm surprised that it didn't get some prestigious award.I wouldlove to read it again.The book has a lot of interesting vocabulary, and Iwould recommend this for ages 11 & up.This book has something to likein it for everyone, action, mystery, and suspense. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (24)

Repetitive and Tedious
This book is little more than a collection of rewritten after action reports.I admit I lost interest about a third of the way through.While the repetition of the pilots' dogfight and ground attack stories may be of deep interest to other pilots and to air warfare enthusiasts it becomes simply tedious for a general reader.After the tenth or eleventh story of how a pilot got into a scrap, was badly damaged, yet nursed his indestructable plane home I almost fell asleep.Some of the episodes are certainly colorful and are a showcase for the bravery of the pilots and their ground crews but to write a whole book based on one sortie report after another is just boring.

Hell Hawks!
Best account of the 9th Air Force written to date.Hell Hawks! is a must read for anyone who studies history, especially that of military aviation.The book brings home the cost of victory in both men and machines.The P-47 was the right airplane at the right time, flown by pilots who knew how best to use it.The Jug in the right hands is equal or superior to anything it encounters in both air to air and air to ground.Don't let the size fool you.

Hell Hawks is a must read.

Death From Above
Robert F. Dorr and Thomas D. Jones'"Hell Hawks!: The Untold Story of the American Fliers Who Savaged Hitler's Wehrmacht" allows you to journey with the 365th Fighter Group from its inception through its training in Richmond, Virginia and Millville, New Jersey across the Atlantic Ocean with on the Queen Elizabeth with 15,000 other soldiers to England where they trained and were based during the invasion. We move to their base in France and experience the close air to ground combat with them as the move across France and ultimately into Germany with a series of bases that that keep them in close support of the ground troops. It tells the story of the air to ground battle. The book is well-researched. Nearly 200 interviews of 365th FG veterans and other combat veterans, plus interviews with family are the fodder for this well written and organized book. I was shocked to learn while reading the book that 15,000 Americans dies in aircraft crashes during training and forty percent of the student pilots washed out during training.

The book tells the story of death from above. It is filled with the details of the daily combat and struggles of the "Hell Hawks!" As you read the book you will encounter the people who made up the 365th Fighter Group. I might suggest you begin the book by reading the appendix "What Happened to Them?" It gives a great overview of the key people in the book. Dorr and Jones do a marvelous job of painting the picture of the life and death fighting these young men engaged in on an almost daily basis. I loved the story of George Brooking who later commanded the fighter group. He arrived as a "senior" Captain and experienced fighter pilot having served in the Aleutians. He was shot down on his first mission, survive spending time with the Luxembourg resistance and then returning to take over the Fighter Group. I smiled when I read of Paris in August of 1944 and how few men spent much time on their feet while there. We continue to move up with the troops, survive the Battle of the Bulge, move into Germany and fight Jet airplanes. The group took a large number of causalities before their last combat mission on May 8, 1945.

"Hell Hawks!: The Untold Story of the American Fliers Who Savaged Hitler's Wehrmacht" is both an excellent military history, great book for anyone who enjoys flying and aviation writing, and maybe most importantly provides the best story of the air to ground battle. The book forcefully makes the point that the Hell Hawks with their P-47 Thunderbolts were as responsible as any other aircraft in winning the war. I highly recommend Hell Hawks! The further I got into the book the more spellbound I became. I had studied and read of the ground operations (which included the air to combat battle in the Falaise Gap) and knew the story of the B-17s and the B-24s, but was ignorant of the overall air to ground combat battle that took place across the European Theater.

Buy the book. Read it. You will love it and learn something along the way. I highly recommend the book. Thank you Robert F. Dorr and Thomas D. Jones for a needed work on a neglected subject.

Read by and Reviewed on May 4, 2010 by Jimmie A. Kepler

Outstanding account of the Hell Hawks!
Most Americans are aware of the air to air combat fought in WWII so glamorously depicted in numerous historical accounts.Undoubtedly the men who fought these battles deserve great credit for their contributions to winning the war.But there was another battle fought in the air not as well known; the air to ground battle.This story is wonderfully told by Dorr and Jones in Hell Hawks through historical records and first hand accounts of those lucky enough to survive this terrible war.Superbly written and edited, the authors place you in the air with these brave young men as they obliterated Hitler's army, enduring countless rounds of deadly flak,braving terrible weather conditions, dodging dangerous explosions wreaked by their on low flying ground hugging aircraft, as well as pilot error prone to flying so low and fast.It's a story of men, who although very young (22 was old!) were as professional and dedicated as they come, willing to place themselves in harms way day in and day out to do a job that had to be done. The authors also make it clear that the P-47 Thunderbolts flown by the Hell Hawks deserve credit as a premier aircraft responsible as much as any other aircraft in winning the war.I highly recommend Hell Hawks!Read it; you'll enjoy the story and learn about an important chapter of world history.

Hell Hawks
This is a wonderful book.It consists of a multitude of personal reports of air combat in Europe especially at Normandy and thereafter until the end of the war.It makes clear that without the airsupport we would not have done so well in the war.I had no idea before how much destruction our air cover did to the Germans.Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description

For Tony Hawk, it wasn't enough to skate for two decades, to invent more than eighty tricks, and to win more than twice as many professional contests as any other skater.It wasn't enough to knock himself unconscious more than ten times, fracture several ribs, break his elbow, knock out his teeth twice, compress the vertebrae in his back, pop his bursa sack, get more than fifty stitches laced into his shins, rip apart the cartilage in his knee, bruise his tailbone, sprain his ankles, and tear his ligaments too many times to count.No.He had to land the 900. And after thirteen years of failed attempts, he nailed it.It had never been done before.

Growing up in Sierra Mesa, California, Tony was a hyperactive demon child with an I44 IQ.He threw tantrums, terrorized the nanny until she quit, exploded with rage whenever he lost a game; this was a kid who was expelled from preschool. When his brother, Steve, gave him a blue plastic hand-me-down skateboard and his father built a skate ramp in the driveway, Tony finally found his outlet--while skating, he could be as hard on himself as he was on everyone around him.

But it wasn't an easy ride to the top of the skating game.Fellow skaters mocked his skating style and dubbed him a circus skater. He was so skinny he had to wear elbow pads on his knees, and so light he had to ollie just to catch air off a ramp.He was so desperate to be accepted by young skating legends like Steve Caballero, Mike McGill, and Christian Hosoi that he ate gum from between Steve's toes. But a few years of determination and hard work paid off in multiple professional wins, and the skaters who once had mocked him were now trying to learn his tricks.Tony had created a new style of skating.

In Hawk Tony goes behind the scenes of competitions, demos, and movies and shares the less glamorous demands of being a skateboarder--from skating on Italian TV wearing see-through plastic shorts to doing a demo in Brazil after throwing up for five days straight from food poisoning.He's dealt with teammates who lit themselves and other subjects on fire, driving down a freeway as the dashboard of their van burned.He's gone through the unpredictable ride of the skateboard industry during which, in the span of a few years, his annual income shrank to what he had made in a single month and then rebounded into seven figures. But Tony's greatest difficulty was dealing with the loss of his number one fan and supporter--his dad, Frank Hawk.

With brutal honesty, Tony recalls the stories of love, loss, bad hairdos, embarrassing '80s clothes, and his determination that had shaped his life.As he takes a look back at his experiences with the skateboarding legends of the '70s, '80s, and '90s, including Stacy Peralta, Eddie Elguera, Lance Mountain, Mark Gonzalez, Bob Burnquist, and Colin Mckay, he tells the real history of skateboarding--and also what the future has in store for the sport and for him.

Customer Reviews (71)

Tony Hawk - Hardest Working Man in Skateboarding
If you love skateboarding you better read this. This book is fun and interesting. Tony Hawk has written a personal and honest book. He takes you on his journey to the very top rung of pro skateboarding. You can see the mindset of a great skater and great athlete. He was extremely hard on himself and always worked hard to master each trick. He seemed to stay humble and was self-deprecating while becoming one of the best, if not the best, in the world. Parts of this book are very funny, when he talks about the pranks and crazy stuff skaters would do. It takes you right into the crazy 80s when skating was getting huge with the big personalities and goofy colors. Glad he wrote it!

Check out my book about growing up as a goofy punk kid in L.A. during the early 80s:
[...]

JordanThrower's review
He went pro at the age of 12; is credited with inventing nearly 80 tricks; won 73 contests in the course of his career; started his own (now multi-million dollar) company in 1992; had a PlayStation game named after him; reportedly rakes in over $1 million a year in endorsements (from The Gap, to Mountain Dew, to the "Got Milk?" campaigns); and during the 1999 X-Games, became the first man ever to land the 900.in the book he talks about how kids at school hassled him about how he skateboard and how he was pro. and it dident get much better for him because the older guys dident like the way he did his air's and they dident like his style I liked this book because it really shows what skaters have to go through with all the people that hassle you because you skate.

Tony Hawk
I'm sure you have heard of this skater he is very famous he was the very first person to land the 900.Can you guess who he is that's right its Tony Hawk.You could say Tony was unexpected until he was born.He said that his parents thought that they were going through a relaxing phase until he was born.When Tony's mom told his dad that he was born he had a heart attack.When he was getting older he began Pre-K and he really didn't like school.He would do anything to get out of school like cry or when his parents came to visit he would grab on to there leg and wouldn't let go or, he would grab on to the fence when his parents dropped him and he wouldn't let go so they had t pry his fingers of the fence.He would fallow the same routine over and over again each day.When he started Kinder garden he began to skate.Tony was really smart when he was little His teachers said he had a 12 year old brain in a 8 year old body.Tony fell on his head so many times (About 5 times) I think he broke a lot of bones when he was skating.Tony Hawk was very famous because he was the very first person to land the 900!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to people that like to skate or people that just want to have a good laugh.

Tony Hawk Pro Skater
Tony Hawk Pro Skater

5 star pro skater? I don't think so. When he was born his dad had a heart attack but didn't die. When he was in pre-K he never wanted to go. So his daily routine is to cry so he didn't have to go and if that didn't work he hanged on to the fence until he could hold no more. He stated skating when he was about 7 or 8 he fell on his head so much but he still continued to skate. Every day before school he would skate the curb in front of his school until the bell rang. He would watch Sesame Street and he learned most of the stuff he learned was from Sesame Street like math with count and Spanish. But after school he would get a ride from his dad or someone from his family to go to the skatepark or he would ride his skateboard there.

His two front teeth were capped because he tried to do a frontside rock and role(Which is a skate trick)and fell into the ramp on his face. His first sponsor was dog town skate comp. But it didn't last that long until they ran out of business. He was called a pro amateur and there wasn't that much in the 70s. He officially turned pro in 1999.



I would recommend this book
To people who skate and who like to laugh.

Don't judge a book by it's cover
To tell you the truth, I was suspect when I first saw this book.This probably has one of the lamer titles around.Fortunately, the book never had a dull moment.This book is well written and hilarious. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is an in-depth examination of the much needed process of 'self'-study known as self observation. We live in an age where the "attention function" in the brain has been badly damaged by TV and computers - up to 90 percent of the public under age 35 suffers from attention-deficit disorder! This book offers the most direct, non-pharmaceutical means of healing attention dysfunction. The methods presented here are capable of restoring attention to a fully functional and powerful tool for success in life and relationships. This is also an age when humanity has lost its connection with conscience. When humanity has poisoned the Earth's atmosphere, water, air and soil, when cancer is in epidemic proportions and is mainly an environmental illness, the author asks: What is the root cause? And he boldly answers: failure to develop conscience! Self-observation, he asserts, is the most ancient, scientific, and proven means to develop this crucial inner guide to awakening and a moral life. This book is for the lay-reader, both the beginner and the advanced student of self observation. No other book on the market examines this practice in such detail. There are hundreds of books on self-help and meditation, but almost none on self-study via self observation, and none with the depth of analysis, wealth of explication, and richness of experience which this book offers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A brilliant book
For anyone interested in Gurdjieff and the Fourth Way approach to self-transformation and spiritual awakening, this is an absolutely brilliant book. For the first time ever, breaking all taboos, an author presents a step-by-step, methodical approach which, ideally, should be experimented with in the context of a Group and in the presence of a Teacher. And as the author, myself, of a book in this same area, The Triumph of Self-Mastery, I know how impossibly difficult this task can be.

Congratulations Red Hawk - this is a magnificent achievement. And thank you!

A Must Read
If you ever wanted to do more than just read about making changes in your life this is the book for you. An incredible jewel that really is 'An Owner's Manual'. It outlines four simple processes, which when followed, opens up a rich, new way of life. Written with humour and heart felt human vulnerability,Red Hawk has provided an easy-to-read map away from repetitive responses. If you are going to read only one book on creating a better life for yourself, pick this one!

Something I can use for Every Day Life - Practical
I have only gotten through chapter 3 & am impressed with how much I have learned. Ways I can use this power of Self-Observation. How I can be aware of my body when we are going through a difficult time or experience. Also, I feel if I learn to observe myself I will be more observant of others. Like the TV show "The Mentalist" who obtains so much informtation about others by simple focused observation of the the 5 senses. Also, "Lie to Me" again observation of the body to tell if they are telling the truth or lying.

I'm sure by the time I get to the end of the book, I will in many ways be a different person and more focused and observant of both self and others.

Sky*

The Ultimate Summary of this Timeless Spiritual Art
This book provides the ultimate exploration of an ancient andinvaluable inner life practice. More than ever, with our vast modern "spiritual" shopping mall, sincere seekers need honest yet compassionate material to jolt them out of complacency and unseen self-deceit. This book overflows with encouragement for the few who are determined to get to the core of their life. Self-observation as a practice takes you there, and this book clarifies it like no other book for sale in this store. In a hurry to go somewhere else? Why? You've found it here.Save yourself years of search and struggle. Redhawk, thank you!

An interesting new approach to self-help and psychology
There is no one better at evaluating yourself than you. "Self Observation: The Awakening of Conscience" is a metaphysical psychology book encouraging readers to learn about and know themselves more clearly to gain a better mastery for one's life. Suggesting that an 'awakening ' is possible, but in order to attain such a thing, knowing oneself is the most important thing. "Self Observation" is an interesting new approach to self-help and psychology, and is highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
Fans of Tom Corcoran's Alex Rutledge mysteries will enjoy this compelling sixth addition to the series. It is mid-October in tropical Key West, a break between the summer and winter tourist seasons. Alex Rutledge, home two days from an advertising job in the Bahamas, is asked to investigate the disappearance of a young woman. With few skills as a private eye and no desire to learn the trade, his decision to decline is easy. Until a close friend asks that he reconsider. A freelance photographer who loves beach scenery and easy schedules and who dreads his occasional law enforcement evidence work, Rutledge must confront the private investigator job with little but instinct to guide himself. Alex digs in only to regret every step, every fact that comes his way on the ocean and in the streets of Key West. To confuse matters, on his first day of the P. I. grind, a man is found dead in a neighboring home. At first considered a suspect, Alex later is asked to take crime scene photos with no body in place. Meanwhile a Lower Keys crime scene is closed to media and local police, open only to secretive federal agents. The questions and perils multiply. And there is still that young woman who never came home... Michael Connelly, author of The Lincoln Lawyer, The Brass Verdict and The Scarecrow, said of Corcoran's previous novel, Air Dance Iguana was the reading highlight of the year for me. With characters as strong and intriguing as the story they move through, I went cover to cover without coming up for air. Randy Wayne White, author of Black Widow and Deep Shadow, said, I finished Air Dance Iguana as the last of a Category Four hurricane pounded away at my house. This book has been storm-tested and proved impossible to put down in winds under seventy knots. Tom Corcoran and Alex Rutledge are Florida treasures. Jimmy Buffett, author of A Pirate Looks at Fifty and Swine Not? stated, Tom Corcoran has put his time on the water to great use. He reconnects my heart and brain to the Key West I knew. Steve Hamilton, author of The Hunting Wind, says, Tom Corcoran knows the human heart, sure as hell knows how to write a good book, and knows Key West-a setting so real you'll get a sunburn. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Haw Channel Chase
As always Tom Corcoran spins a great tale.This book is a must read for all Florida mystery enthusiasts. Although I'm still reading the book, its hard to put it down. Thumbs up in my opinion!

He Just Gets Better
Tom Corcoran knows the Keys, but more importantly he knows how to write.You feel like you are right there with Alex, whether breathing the tropic night air (soothing), sitting at one of the favorite bars (definitely fun) or dealing with a dead body (whoa).
The publisher doesn't pay Tom enough!

Love, Love, Love Alex Rutledge
Tom Corcoran's Alex Rutledge series is gutsy and well-written with excellent character development.And, what is there not to love and appreciate about his vivid settings in the beautiful and changing Florida Keys?I can almost feel the sand in my swimsuit and the salt coating on my skin.This series is refreshing in that it grows and improves with each new installment.This author isn't sitting on his laurels, basking in the glow like so many others after a few successes.More, please!

his own rap
The author is on the top of his game. This one moves better than the last. He has created a style of conversation, tied to his hero's inner knowledge and relationships, that sometimes leaves the reader wondering where a particular piece of information has originated. A little clearer description would be appreciated. Does every woman he meets really want to bed our hero? Maybe Key West has something in the air, water? Nevertheless, well done with some interesting insights to the new national security stuff.

Hawk Channel Chase
Captivating story. Expertly written by a very entertaining writer. I recommend any and all books by this author. Never a disappointment. ... Read more

Product Description

Jill Shalvis writes from her home near Lake Tahoe. She is assisted by her husband (who can't go three minutes without wanting to tell her something), three young children (who can't go one minute without wanting to tell her something), a chicken masquerading as a dog, three hamsters, a million squirrels and the occasional wolf spider.

If she's not writing, she's shoveling snow, skiing, or coloring with her kids.

Customer Reviews (7)

Great romantic suspense
Wow - who knew the queen of romantic comedy could write such incredible romantic suspense?!

I really, really loved this book, and it was nothing like I expected. I mean, look at the cover. Sure, it might be nice for a woman to look at, but it also advertises in all its Harlequin Blaze glory that the book will be a sexathon. And it definitely isn't. In fact I don't even believe Blaze is the right category line for this book.

Hawk is a former Special Forces soldier who now works for ATF as a field agent. He and a few others are set up for a string of bad crimes, and Hawk has no choice but to go on the run until he can prove his innocence. The problem is now ATF communications worker Abby has also been put in danger, and he has to take her with him - against her will - in order to keep her alive. What he does not realise as he's doing this is that Abby is still recovering from another mission that went terribly wrong where she was captured and tortured. She sees Hawk's actions as something different to what they are because she associates everything he does with what the people did to her in the past. They have to figure out if they can trust each other because they're both on the same side and they're both in danger.

Shalvis has a way with words like no other writer. Most of her books are laugh out loud funny, but it doesn't come from slapstick humour. It comes from her ability to create excellent dialogue and real characters. So all of those wonderful qualities are present here in this far more serious story, even in many of the most serious scenes.

As always in Shalvis' books there's an excellent and engaging secondary romance that doesn't get in the way of the main story but instead complements it. Shalvis' characters are always individual and interesting, and she manages to find the right balance between humour and heat.

This is a category romance, and so things have to move fast. But this is an author who knows how to handle the category restrictions without resorting to clichés and stupidity, and I got to the ending feeling it was a very satisfying read.

I just loved this book. I've never before read a Jill Shalvis book that was so strong in the suspense aspect, and I liked the way she handled it so much I wish she would write more books in this genre!

More action between the sheets

This book quickly starts with pulse pounding excitement...a raid on a warehouse searching for a man named the Kiddie Bomber along with weapons and bombs.The ATF agent Hawk ends up set-up and on the run with another agent Abby as his hostage.The main story is the love story of these two.She is psychologically damaged from her previous mission and Hawk helps her to overcome her fears.Hawk's best friend, an agent named Logan, is wounded and sent to the hospital, where his angel, a nurse named Callen becomes his love interest.

The intrique is an interesting story but is breezed over in the writing and only presents itself again towards the very end of the book with a too swift wrap-up.

Great Read
I liked this book because it combined action, romance, and mystery in a believable plot. It was the kind of book you had to finish in one sitting.

Exciting Read From Beginning to End
ATF agent JT Hawk knows he has been set up by one of his own.As he flees trying to prove his innocence, he takes fellow agent Abby Wells along for the ride.He knows she is in danger also, but convincing her of that takes persuasion and proof on his part.Follow them on a very exciting journey!!

These are two very complicated, and likeable characters.They have great chemistry that will draw you from the beginning, and keep you interested throughout the entire book.The secondary characters Logan and Callen were very well written, and you end up rooting for them as much as you do Hawk and Abby.The mix of action, suspense, and romance makes this a very good read.

A great read
Take one strongly capable male and one fiercely independent but completely feminine female, add some bad guys, suspense and intrigue, and then top it all off with smoldering sensuality and you've got the makings of SHADOW HAWK, the latest Blaze offering from the talented Jill Shalvis.

When a mission to recover over 300 rifles stolen from ATF storage goes to pieces while agent Abby Wells listens from a mobile communication center, she can't help but rush out into the action to see if she's needed.Abby was formerly active in the field herself, until an earlier mission went wrong and left her emotionally scarred.Someone within the agency is assisting the criminals, and as soon as Conner Hawk grabs her and forces her to go on the run with him, Abby thinks that he is the rogue agent and she is determined to escape him.When Hawk tells her that he suspects their director is involved, Abby is disbelieving, as the man who has raised Hawk's suspicions is the very man who rescued her several months before. Almost as quickly as Abby is convinced that Hawk's suspicions are true, the two have an incredibly passionate encounter that leaves both of them a little confused, yet wanting much more.

Hawk realizes that he has deeply frightened Abby by kidnapping her and that he's asking a lot in wanting her to believe him.He realizes that Abby's life is also in danger and that the race is on to find the true bad guy while fighting to keep them both alive.Hawk has always been attracted to Abby, but never dreamed that the two of them would actually get together.Hawk now needs to get Abby to drop her defenses so she can open herself up and accept his feelings for her.

Jill Shalvis has penned a fast-moving romantic suspense with intriguing lead characters that readers will quickly become attached to.Secondary characters are equally important and a sensual side romance is an added bonus.SHADOW HAWK is a bit of a change from the humorous, quirky characters that Jill Shalvis often gives her readers.Abby and Hawk aren't the light and fluffy characters you might associate with a Blaze.Each is dealing with serious issues; current dangers for Hawk and indescribable horrors in Abby's past, give this book the bones of an excellent suspense.
COURTESY LAURIE/ROMANCE JUNKIES
... Read more

Product Description
What happens when fire-breathing dragons battle Stukas for aerial supremacy over a battlefield? Can an earth wizard's magic defeat a panzer? Krish, a farmhand turned mercenary, witnesses this and much more as he confronts the Necromancer King's new war machines resurrected from before the First Civilization's fall. Worse yet, a wounded prince tasks Krish to find the fabled Colonel of the West and barter the royal family's malevolent Blood-Sword for a weapon to thwart the Necromancer King's victory.Flank Hawk is set in the distant future where magic exists and brutish ogres are more than a child's nightmare. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Epic Fantasy Meets Horror
Flank Hawk is the first fantasy novel I've read in ages. I used to read in the genre all the time, but got away from it. Fortunately, Ervin's novel reminded me of all the reasons why I loved fantasy in the first place: quests, epic battles of good vs. evil, lovable heroes, etc. The fact that the book mixes WWII technology, zombies, elementals, wizardry and dragons makes me give it an enthusiastic review. BUY IT!

Action Packed Page Turner
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1X25DO28E6IKJ Video made with Xtranormal's State.Terry W. Ervin II's debut novel is an action packed page turner.

Flank Hawk rocks...
Terry Ervin II, has written a great epic fantasy tale. "Flank Hawk" starts out with action and keeps the pace throughout. I pride myself on knowing an ending prior to getting there and I totally missed it with Ervin's book. The ending was a surprise that I did not see coming.A wizard raises the dead Nazi empire to take on men using swords, dragons and magicians. They go against Nazi Stukas, panzer tanks, Ogres, giants and zombies. It is a good tale of good against evil with some unexpected twists, turns and some hair raising fights along the way. A solid good read.

Ervin Not Only Has the Magic But a Great Story
Flank Hawk is a sensational debut for author Terry W. Ervin II.

Ervin's writing style could be best described as economical.Every word has a purpose.Every scene pushes the story forward as Krish, a farmer, must endure an array of obstacles to reach his goal- finding the weapon to kill an evil king.

I highly recommend Flank Hawk.

A Fun Read!
Magic meets technology with explosive results! Flank Hawk is fast-paced, full of great action and well-rounded characters that I quickly grew to love. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a great fantasy adventure. ... Read more

Product Description
Memed, My Hawk is an epic story of the Middle East by modern Turkey's greatest novelist. Memed grows up in a remote and desperately poor mountain village that suffers under the thumb of the local landlord. Lively and adventurous, young Memed seeks to escape from a life of grueling toil. He runs away, but is quickly tracked down; brought back, he finds himself subjected to an even more backbreaking and spirit-crushing burden of work. When Memed escapes again, it is to set up as a roving brigand, celebrated in song, perhaps a liberator of his people. Or perhaps, twisted like the thistles that cover the windy slopes of the mountains, his character has taken on an irremediably harsh and brutal form. Tenderness and violence, generosity and ruthlessness explode unpredictably in this tale of high adventure. In Memed, My Hawk, the most intimate allegiances draw them a dense and clinging web of history and politics, and the story, full of passion and excitement, is overshadowed by a sorrow that is tragic and real. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

Memed, My Hawk
Besides a universal mystery story that draws you in and makes you reluctant to put it down, it gives an intimate view into the everyday workings of the rural Turkish Culture.The title, which has rich meaning in that culture but is not well understood by or inherently attractive to Westerners, should be translated into English words that will indicate the excitement inside for readers regardless of their cultural origin.

Ince Memed
Kemal provides the reader with a window into life and constant struggle for justice in feudal Anatolia through Memed. The novel is written beautifully by Yashar Kemal's lyrical style and mastery of the Turkish language (translated seamlessly into English). Recommended for lovers of fine literature.

Cinemagraphic
Thanx to the reviewer who identified the film version with/by Peter Ustinov (but an absurd British Hollywoodization). Yes, Memed reads like a script for a film by Sergei Eisenstein--but a very, very good book, as has been vigorously noted, in a poetic yet naturalistic style redolent of East European writers. It is a tribute to the forebearance of Turkey's ruling elites that the book not only was allowed publication in 1955 (during the cold war), but also was allowed critical acclaim. So vigorous a denunciation of a country's large landowners could not have been published in England or the U.S.A. in the 1950s (in 19c English lit., the bad guys are almost always the noisy working class; in this regard, read David Lodge's Nice Work). Yes, Orhan Pamul, Turkey's Nobel lauriate and a fellow Istanbulite, presents a different style and milieu, that of the sophisticated, urban intelligensia in witty and philosophical and naughty interplay.

"There are no fields, no vineyards, no gardens. Only thistles."
It does not surprise me that this book, written in 1953 and translated into English in 1961, was made into a movie in 1984, starring Peter Ustinov, who also directed it. Its author, Yashar Kemal, was born in southern Anatolia and at the age of 5, witnessed the brutal murder of his father. His family lived in the shadow of the great and beautiful Taurus Mountains, which is the setting of this tale. It's clear the author knows his landscape well, and the characters that appear in this work were inspired by real bandits who inhabited those mountains and whom he knew as a child and young man.

"Memed, My Hawk" is cinematic and filled with extremes of emotion, a true action-packed adventure story that sometimes resembles a wild Western and at other times seems biblical in its descriptive power. True oppressors of the people, the landlords or "aghas," take on the profile of evil dictators as they steal the people's crops and land and relentlessly brutalizehelpless villagers. The land is the most treasured object there is. In this oppressive atmosphere, there is one who will not allow himself to be oppressed. And although he takes on heroic proportions in his grim struggle for justice, Memed is also compassionate and human. The author takes great pains to ensure that Memed is a real human being and not just a stock character, and he succeeds brilliantly.

Violent vengeful emotions and tribalism play big roles in this book. Villagers silently express themselves and support their heroes by banding tightly together and cursing their enemies. Evil acts are never forgotten. And vindication is what drives these characters forward every day. This book is a classic, a heavy dose of Turkish adventure, beauty, and cruelty. Although I was sometimes jarred by what must have been a rushed translation, I found myself thoroughly engrossed in this work. I recommend it as a quick read and as a way to achieving insight into oppressed peoples and their longing for liberation.

An Eastern Western
This is a shoot-up in the old Zane Grey style......lots of swash and buckle. The setting may be the rugged outback of Anatolia in the 1920's but the plot is pure horse-opera. Scarcely worth the time of day for a grownup, alas.

John Truman NYC ... Read more