Product Description

Some people are born to lead and destined to teach by the example of living life to the fullest, and facing death with uncommon honesty and courage. Peter Barton was that kind of person.

Customer Reviews (40)

Stays with you
It's been a few years since I read this book.I still think about the story and suggest the book to my friends who may be at a crossroads in life.I've often contemplated whether I would prefer to "go out in a flash" or to have an illness that allowed me time to know that death was coming.This story will give reason to pause and reflect both during and after you've consumed it.Enjoy.

A book to give
I have given this book to several friends when they have helped me or needed some help themsleves in those dark moments in life. Will make you cry mostly joyful tears when you recognize something or someone in your life that is relative to what is on the page. Not phony or trumped up. Ignore the few moments when the "ghost author" interjects himself. The voice of the man makes you know him, feel joy with him, but never pity him. A great emotional read from a good man dying.

inspiring story and life
I found Peter Barton and his life inspirational.I liked his practical and unconventional viewpoint.For example, the way he described the Harvard MBAs as being sold to the highest bidders, like Arabian thoroughbreds, was amusing and true.(I also have an MBA.)

I have read through the 38 reviews here and find it interesting that some people apparently read the book and think that Laurence Shames had cancer and died!!Sometimes I guess you wonder if people read the same book you did!

Does Success Ensure Confidence?
Laurence Shames and Peter Barton wrote a good book. I like that the authors traded off narrating chapters, which is an interesting spin on writing a memoir/biography. I especially like Barton's self-reflective honesty, honesty that's helped me out several times when my lack of confidence threatened to "give me away" to associates and clients.

Although Barton was famous as a pushy, brash, and successful businessman, few people knew he could also be unsure of himself. He says: "(There was) a truth that at the time I hid even from myself, but that now, with the bracing candor that comes with being close to death, I can readily admit: I had a lot of bluster but very little confidence."

He also says: "There's no surprise in a truly brave person acting brave; it's when the erstwhile coward rises to the occasion that we feel pride in our humanity. Similarly, it's not great accomplishment for a genuinely confident person to seem confident. But I had to work at it every time. I had to suck up fear over and over again. (This, by the way, is a trait I seem to share with many of the most successful people I have met in business.)"

Barton's thoughts make me feel more secure with my insecurity, and they reassure me I don't have to be confident to be successful.

A winner on all counts
I just finished reading "Not Fade Away" for the second time.The first time I read it a couple of years ago I remember taking it very slowly because I felt each word was so important.Usually a very fast reader, I would stop and go over sentences because I didn't want to miss anything. Impactful ideas were there in every sentence.

I just finished reading it again because I wanted to see how it stood up against "The Last Lecture."And it held up very well.The two books are by (and about) similarly energetic, optimistic men dying of cancer, but they tell very different tales in different styles.I'm glad to say that there's an honesty in this book that wears well with time.Re-reading it again made me very glad that I recommended it last year to a friend whose brother was dying of cancer. They say the best gifts come in small packages, and that's certainly true here. Powerful and enjoyable! Read it. ... Read more

Product Description
In spring 1917, Allied troops on the Western Front began the largest ever artillery barrage on German positions, using over 2.7 million shells. During the battle they succeeded in capturing the famous Vimy Ridge. But the ultimate cost of fighting was immense, with a daily casualty rate 40 per cent greater than the Somme and almost double that of Passchendaele - making it hour for hour the most dangerous major campaign of the First World War. In this major new account of the conflict, Peter Barton showcases over 50 re-discovered British and German panoramic photographs of the battlegrounds, from the start of the first Battle of the Scarpe to the final push on Vimy Ridge. Taken at huge personal risk by specialist photographers, they reveal what no other photographs can - the view beyond the trench parapet - and a view not seen for over 90 years. Also included are unpublished testimony, letters and memoirs from the different serving regiments, sourced from archives across the UK, Canada, Germany and elsewhere; and stunning mapping, plans and diagrams throughout. In association with the Imperial War Museum. ... Read more

Product Description
A lonely young tooth goes in search of a smile and finds thirty-one compatible friends along the way. ... Read more

Product Description
The complete panoramas of Passchendaele from the author of "The Battlefields of the First World War". Today, concertina'd into a single sombre entity known as Passchendaele, the British 1917 offensives in Belgian Flanders have entered the English language as the epitome of all that was both wretched and noble about the Great War. Collectively known as the Third Battle of Ypres, the fighting raged from early June until mid-November, and revealed new depths of tragedy, heights of gallantry, astonishing stoicism, humour, loss, grief, and terrible human suffering. The remains of no less than 200,000 soldiers still lie unfound within the narrow boundaries of the battlefield of Passchendaele. The German panoramas - many of which have not seen the light of day since the end of the war - match and often surpass the Imperial War Museum for both scale and quality. Like their British equivalents, they were taken at huge personal risk by specialist photographers. All the panoramas reveal what no other photographs can - the view beyond the trench parapet - and a great deal more.Also included are unpublished testimony, letters and memoirs from all the different regiments who served on the Somme, sourced from the regimental archives across the United Kingdom, Ireland and elsewhere; stunning mapping, plans and diagrams throughout; and equivalent aerial photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

beautiful and touching
what an incredible, in depth, visually stunning, and emotionally moving book this is.The Passchendaele campaign has never been written about with such thoroughness, and the photos, maps, and panoramas are profuse.Combining text of the battle and all its aspects with first hand stories of the battlefield troops involved, this book is the complete story, from British perspective on this horrible battle, in this atrocious salient, where hundreds of thousands of bodies, English and German, have never been discovered to this day.This is simply an incredible book.A mind blowing achievement by an author who takes an obvious personal interest in his work.This book combined with Jack Sheldon's book of the German experience at Passchendaele are the books to read on this story.But this book is the more thorough of the two, and delves in greater detail on support forces involved, and on the stretcher carriers who suffered so much.It is quite complete in all aspects of the battle and of the British side of things.It is certainly a pricey book, and quite bulky to carry and read, but it is well worth the price and awkwardness.A must read for students of the Passchendaele campaign, history buffs, and those who have an interest in the human side of that terrible war.A brilliantly done story, and fantastic painstaking work by Mr. Barton.Very well done indeed.

Passchendale: Unseen PAnoramas of the Third Battle of Ypres
This a book of stunning and haunting beauty.The pictures are amazing and the text is outstanding in its own right. ... Read more

Product Description
This spectacular visual chronicle brings together 200 previously unseen panoramic images of World War I, covering the Western Front from end to end and from all years of the war. Taken at huge personal risk by the Royal Engineers for secret intelligence purposes, they reveal what no other photographs can. Each panorama offers a view of up to 160 degrees, so sharply focused that the individual figures of a waiting sniper or a louse-tortured infantryman can be made out. Introduced by historian Richard Holmes, and published in association with London's Imperial War museum, this collection reveals the landscape of World War I as it really was: rural landscapes and villages appear alongside the ruinous muddy wastes that epitomise war-torn France in the modern imagination. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Battlefields of the First World War: From the First Battle of Ypres to Passchendaele
Stunning!An incredible book.Both for subject matter and photographs, this is an amazing book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Brilliant, detailed and well laid out.
The book was brilliant, detailed, meticulously written and the lay out was superb. I would like to endorse this book to anyone interested in the Great War especially as this specific part of it has not received the recognition that it deserves from both sides of this epic struggle. The book will interest all not only people with military back ground.

From an Avid war history reader and earlier special forces UDT EOD solder.
Paal S. Dinessen.

A MUST HAVE!
I was vaguely familiar with the extent of mining in WWI due to a TV special on one of the history channels, so I decided that I would like to know more and bought this book.The team of authors with various backgrounds put 25 years worth of research into this work, and man, does it ever show.Superbly researched, extremely well written, and jammed full of crisp, rare period photographs and maps, topped off with a high quality printing.No way will you be disappointed with this book, and should you ever have the opportunity to tour the WWI battlefields, you'll never look at the ground beneath you feet the same again!

I can't recommend this book enough
This is how books should be produced. Clear reproductions of contemporary photo's, beautifully executed line drawings that help explain & illustrate the text and clear color modern photos of what remains on site today.

The book covers the deep tunneling 'war' in Flanders in great detail, with the other tunneling sectors - where conditions were less difficult - in less detail & in their own section. And does so from both sides, which is still uncommon in any modern military books - most being written from the point of one side or the other.

I have also recommended this book to acquaintances well outside the military history field - it is an excellent book for those interested in 20th Century engineering and equally to those with an interest in archeology - I expect to see some of the techniques described in this book being used in future field excavations in anthropology. ... Read more

Product Description

In spring 1917, Allied troops on the Western Front began the largest ever artillery barrage on German positions, using over 2.7 million shells. During the battle they succeeded in capturing the famous Vimy Ridge. But the ultimate cost of fighting was immense - with a daily casualty rate 40% greater than the Somme and almost double that of Passchendaele - making it hour for hour the most dangerous campaign of the First World War.

In this major new account of the conflict, Peter Barton showcases over 50 re-discovered British and German panoramic photographs of the battlegrounds, from the start of the first Battle of the Scarpe to the final push on Vimy Ridge. Taken at huge personal risk by specialist photographers, they reveal what no other photographs can and a view not seen in over 90 years.

Also included are unpublished testimony, letters, and memoirs from the different serving regiments, sourced from archives across the UK, Canada, Germany and elsewhere; and stunning mapping, plans, and diagrams throughout.

Customer Reviews (26)

Must read follow-up to the Satanic Bible.
Very good reading.Most people will be surprised that the Church of Satan is not really evil but a real viable philosophy with tenets that many of us already adhere to. Peter H. Gilmore is an interesting speaker and very good writer.

Not as illuminating as other books on Satanism..
The first half of this book is very good, but mostly due it being based on older writings that were previously published in various Church of Satan outlets. It slowly degenerates into things that most people have no concern about such as Gilmore's musical tastes and opinion and his doctrine of elitism. The ultimate mark of elitism is not having any need to identify yourself as such for your actions speak. I can't tell you of anything personally that Gilmore does other than run the CoS and write this book. Some of the text is outright militant towards you if you happen to favor a flavor of Satanism that doesn't meet his definition if your beliefs are deist, spiritual, or non-alien elitist. At best, one could view this as an attempt to copy "The Devils Notebook" or "Satan Speaks!" without the entertainment value.

You cannot be so naive as to believe that just because someone believes in some cosmic dark force that they aren't a Satanist as The Satanic Bible professes more of a life philosophy than a religion and the text therein is compatible with many Left Hand Path followers. It just doesn't address the issue other than to balk at herd conformity in other organizations which you don't need to participate in to have such beliefs. If a Satanist is just truly and atheist why waste your time with rituals and calling yourself Satanic? If you don't believe in the forces which you intend to utilize it really doesn't come off as being something worth your time and it seems more that you are running a Vampire: The Masquerade troop where people can wear fangs and look cool saying silly stuff like "Hail Satan!" I'm sure you guys could put on a fabulous rendition of The Rockey Horror picture show as well if that is what you really are into. I can shop at Hot Topic too!

Possibly the most retarded chapter in the book is "The Myth of "The Satanic Community"" where Gilmore spends an entire chapter railing people that don't agree personally with him and his definition of Satanism and that if anyone starts some "other" group then they couldn't possibly be genuine. History has told us that many new ways have been thinking have been built upon the ashes of preceding lines of thought, and old lines of thought have been summarily destroyed in the process. Anton's work in the late '60s and early '70s is simply the gold standard, but nothing else of note has risen from the Church of Satan since that time so I hardly feel you can do more than say that you are riding these coat tails very well. Other groups and individuals have sought to improve on Satanism and Left Hand Path lines of thought since that time so don't seem too shocked when they refuse to agree with you as they have been evolving their structure while your organization has been doing its best to remain stagnant.

I'm giving this book 3 stars mostly due to the fact of the first half, and the rituals are interesting. I'm not a member of any of these organizations, but I'm not afraid to disagree where required. Take my advice as coming from a true follower from the path who doesn't give a crap about the politics of these organizations who would like to steer his good friends in the right direction.

Peter Gilmore
LaVeyan Satanism... without LaVey. Doesn't have his wit, I believe LaVeys wit made the Church of Satan material so enjoyable. If you haven't read anything from the Church of Satan I suggest you start with The Satanic Bible.

A House Has Been Built
If The Satanic Bible is the principled foundation upon which satanism exists, then this book is the house built upon it!I cannot emphasize enough just what an elucidation of satanism this book is.With precision, Peter Gilmore hones satanic theory and in the process, destroys any misconceptions about satanism while ushering it into the contemporary age.It is for this reason that this book is so valuable.This is satanic theory that is particularly relevant to the new millenium.

And at no point does the intellectual exploration take away from the sheer joy of a read this book is.Mr. Gilmore's wit cuts like a knife as he exposes everything from "Satanic Panic" nutjobs to "green eyed hamsters".Like the third angle cutting down between the two upright tops of the inverted pentagram, the axioms he presents are undeniably grounded in pragmatism and realism with no mercy shown for anybody who isn't prepared to look into the mirror of their own pretension.It is a brutal but necessary evaluation that seems long overdue.

On top of it all, the book is laced with outstanding pieces about the New York City blackout of 2003 and newly publicized satanic rituals.His style of commentary is rich and robust, precise and unflinching, eloquent and graceful.

A must-read for all satanists.A daring read for everyone else.

For the youth...
I'm a satanist, I'm glad I found LeVeys philosophy. Peter H Gilmore very intellectual and the rest in the Church of Satan.I wish people were more self aware, and unfortunately the majority of the people aren't, but I hope the youngster would start picking up the satanic bible and see what is reality.... ... Read more

Product Description
Unique panoramas reveal new truths about the Battle of the Somme, in association with The Imperial War Museum. The Battle of the Somme began on 1 July 1916 with the bloodiest day in British military history. After four months it had etched itself deeply into the collective memories of a dozen nations as an enduring emblem of suffering and loss. The landscape profile of Picardy has changed little over the decades. Here, more than in any other sector of the Western Front, the unique Imperial War Museum panorama collection offers the most complete 'then and now' impression available. In this volume, over 50 extraordinary panoramas illustrate almost the entire battleground - views that are often starkly counterintuitive to pictures conjured by our mind's eye. They show us what no other photographs can: the view from the trench parapet, and a great deal more. The symbolic and controversial first day is looked at afresh, with new research uncovering the perplexing choice of ordnance to counteract the German dugout threat, and the use and misuse of an extraordinary network of 'Russian Saps' installed during the two months prior to battle.These tunnels beneath no man's land often brought the British - unseen - to within 10 metres of the German trenches, yet over-secrecy and poor communication led to many being left unexploited. In the sectors where they were employed, however, success was dramatic. Also included is a host of previously unpublished personal testimony, and a fresh look at several unseen and forgotten aspects of the battle such as the Royal Engineers' Push Pipes, Bored Mines and huge Livens Flame Projectors. Full of photographs, original mapping and plans, and specially commissioned drawings, here is the Somme as you have never seen it before. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Impressive visual account
The Imperial War Museum in London is a solid authority on military research into the two world wars. This book, compiled with help from experts from the museum is illustrated throughout with great photos and maps from the collections. It is a magnificent effort into bringing the memory of one of the most unbelievably brutal battles of the first world war into the present time.

I bought this book in the visitors center of the famous WW-I memorial at Thiepval, in the heart of the Somme region. A days later, after finishing reading it, I felt that I had relived all the impressive moments from my travels along the front lines of the Great War. Highly recommended for both those who like a thorough written account, and those who want a visually striking book. ... Read more

Product Description
Whilst the war raged across Flanders fields, an equally horrifying and sometimes more dangerous battle took place underground. "Beneath Flanders Fields" tells the story of the tunnellers' war, which still remains one of the most misunderstood, misrepresented and mystifying conflicts of the Great War. A wealth of personal testimonies reveal the engineering, technology and science behind how this most intense of battles was fought - and won. They speak of how the tunnellers lived a relentless existence in the depths of the battlefield for almost two and a half years, enduring physical and mental stresses that were often more extreme than their infantry counterparts. Their lives were reduced to a complex war of silence, tension and claustrophobia, leading up to the most dramatic mine offensive in history launched on 7 June 1917 at Messines Ridge. Yet, Messines was not the end of their story, which continued with the crafting of a whole underground world of headquarters, cookhouses and hospitals, housing the innumerable troops who passed through this part of the Western Front.Here, this extraordinary, hidden world is revealed and the fragile legacy it has left behind on Flanders fields is brought to light. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

excelent book about an important detail of WW1
When you are interested in World War 1, western front then this is the book for you. It gives great and interesting details about the war under ground. Not only easy to forget facts, but knowledge about how they did it. For example, how did they create the tunnels in quicksand like ground and in the blue clay.

fine account of a largely forgotten aspect of WW I
For a variety of reasons, the tunnellers of WW I never got the recognition they deserved.Many of the techniques and tools were never given much publicity at the time, and the work lacked the heroic aspects of "going over the top" or fighting in the air.Beneath Flanders Fields is one of just a few books that address the war underground, and it does a superb job:there are firsthand descriptions, black-and-white photos from WW I, excellent line drawings (on a par with, say, Biesty), loads of maps and sketches, and to top all of that off, many color photos done long after WW I showing the remains of dugouts and other underground works.Looking at a black-and-white photo from 1917 may not be too bad, but looking at a color photo done much more recently of disused tunnels, with rotting supports, knee-deep water, badly rusted bunks, etc, is something else altogether.I would not have enjoyed venturing in to take those photos.

We all know about the gas masks that were needed by the troops in the trenches, but the illustrations of the special equipment that was needed underground after an explosion left dangerous gas will remind you of space suits or alien monsters from science-fiction movies.Counter-mining was ubiquitous, listening devices were sophisticated (an ant crawling would sound like an elephant herd).There were occasional battles underground when tunnels met:the book describes fighting in pitch blackness, and how the tunnelers would feel for the epaulettes that the Germans wore on their uniforms.

A fine book--and certainly not for the claustrophobic!

Outstanding history of the war underground
The authors are to be commended for producing such a fine book on a little known subject, the tunnel war beneath ground during World War One. Some very rare old photos, plenty of details on the equipment, some excellent line drawings and maps and a lot of information on the brave men that fought and died underground. Well worth obtaining a copy if you are a WWI buff. Highly recommended.
... Read more

Product Description
Unlike most of the Cumbrian and Welsh peaks, the mountains of Torridon rarely have clearly defined paths to their summits, but the many excellent stalkers' paths take walkers deep into wild territory and often provide a flying start to an ascent. Exploring this remote and much-loved area of the Highlands involves free-ranging over heather, grass, rock and marsh and this guide will give experienced walkers the confidence to find the best ways across the landscape. Covering the 200 square miles south west of Loch Maree and north of the Achnasheen-Achnashellach-Lochcarron road, and also including Slioch and its environs, and taking Shieldaig as its base, this unique book offers a wealth of routes of different grades and differing characters. It is also beautifully illustrated with Peter Barton's original drawings, alongside clear OS map extracts. Routes described include 11 easy walks, 11 long or high-level walks, ascents of 32 summits over 2000ft and 5 outline suggestions for major ridge walks. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the first publication of a unique, unseen collection of over 500 panoramic photographs of the Western Front. Here are the great battlegrounds of the First World War as you have never seen them before, from the First Battle of Ypres where gallant men on horseback find things do not go to plan to the closing horror of the mud at Passchendaele. The book showcases the most eye-opening panoramas, along with poignant personal photographs and the recollections of the soldiers caught in action in the battles shown. These panoramic photographs were the nearest thing to satellite mapping in their day, taken by the British Royal Engineers for intelligence purposes throughout the war. The photographers had to spend tens of minutes with their head above the parapet - a view normally seen by the troops only through a trench periscope. Many of the images give a field of view of up to 160 degrees, and so sharp that individual figures - a soldier picking lice on his shirt, a sniper lying in wait - can be made out. The images cover the whole of the Western Front, end to end. For the general buyer they have an impact unlike anything seen before.For the specialist, they document a lost world, putting other forms of archive into temporal, topographical and geographical context. What they reveal challenges existing perceptions of the First World War. As well as tortured landscapes of featureless mud, they also show fields of flowers, beaches, churches still standing. There are desperate scenes for sure, but an important lesson is that much of the war was fought in a real, recognizable landscape. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

WARNING
The cd-roms are NOT compatible with Mac.They are for Windows users only.

An unusual and valuable addition to the WWI bookshelf
The distinguishing feature of this extraordinary volume is its collection of panoramic photos, nearly all of the Western Front. Long forgotten in the archives, these superb photographic works are used to provide a new perspective for the amateur and professional military historian.

The panoramas provide anchors for the history. Beyond the panoramas, the book is superbly illustrated with hundreds of other photos showing not only the battlefield, but the often surprisingly well-designed trench and underground bunker systems. Contemporary photos of preserved and newly explored systems are provided as well.

The text is just as rich as the photos.

Overall, a wonderful photographic and narrative history of World War I's Western Front which should be on the bookshel of everyone interested in the period. Some of the discussions, such as the ones on mining of enemy trench systems and design of the systems are not only unusual, but extraordinarily informative.

Jerry

A must have for the Great War Scholar
The text and panoramic format of this very fine volume are a must see and have for all those interested not only about the Great War but also military history in general. One will seek such volumes about other military topics only to discover how rare they are. Here we have a fine book complete with CD rom at a reasonable price. For the student of the never ending study of the Western Front this is an indispensible volume. ... Read more