An outstanding read. Not only was it difficult to ...
359603
An outstanding read.  Not only was it difficult to put the book down but even after finishing i can't forget what I read.  As a Tet Vet, not in Hue, I can readily relate to much of what is described.  I'm sure that I will read it again in the future.
1526219
A novel with a difference, storytelling that is not quite a tale, rather it is a challenging exceptionally clear reportage in lucid prose. The reader is challenged in a  Kafkaesque way to  interpret why the  main character, Oda Sotatsu, dies for a crime he did not commit. Interspersed with the story is the authors suffering, propelling him to seek reasons. Complicated truth abounds and it is the WHY that must be answered.
A sophisticated look at identity, the family, and memory.
437868
An extraordinary story! A pity that the exaggerated level of detail makes it difficult to read many of the chapters.
281279
Although the author of this volume has a reputation for ponderous prose I did not find his writing style as forbidding as I feared it would be. With determination, one can quickly adjust and fall into line with the epic  tempo of the book. An extraordinary intellectual adventure awaits anyone  who has the fortitude and time to negotiate these pages which, I believe,  provide a clearer picture of the emergence of 21st century society and  culture than anything else that I have encountered on the subject.
3862766
An Outstanding read.....It Mixes facts and real sailors of the past with creative projections of what could be if the need for Freedom and Liberty call.
As one who served on the USS IOWA in 1989 I can confirm the author captured the true spirit of the ship and those who served on her.
3340620
Ms. Seifert writes beautiful, elegant prose.  This book was hard to read because she has painted a picture of a difficult, outrageous time in history.  When I say "hard", I mean emotionally hard.  The novel has amazing texture and detail presented with care and subtlety.  As a long term student of the Holocaust, I felt myself immersed in the complexities of perpetrators, by-standers and victims.  It's a complicated subject and this novel does it justice.
4873092
The sheer brutality made it a difficult read but a must to finish. How humanity can be so inhumane to its own is a testament to the fragility of our existence. Nothing but accolades to the author from this reader.
822231
Dr. Orenstein has created an outstanding and intriguing read. The book should not only appeal to those working in the field. It will also appeal to anyone who is fascinated by hearing about the best of human values, i.e. the sharing of exceptional intelligence, kindness and pathos to the betterment of our fellow man.
1886675
From start to finish this book had me hooked. The characters are incredible, their challenges devastating in the detail that is wrought by the author and the thread of several human stories woven together is mesmerising. A thoroughly enjoyable and challenging read
527958
If you want to understand the 20th century this book is a must read, but it could also be a dangerous read.  The insights into the East/West relations, the dynamics of the fall of the Soviet Union, the incredible changes that have and are taking place often involve this one remarkable man.  The most incredible thing is that this book is more than just a story about John Paul II.  It is a real challenge to live a life of faith and hope and that is the dangerous part.  Either John Paul II has lived a life of consistently impossible coincidences, magical escapes, unbelievable long shots coming in, or God is moving powerfully in the life of this man and it is profitable for everyone to pay attention.  But that requires we change our lives to live a life of faith and hope, like John Paul II does.  Quite a challenge.
4346425
Outstanding.  An absolute privilege to read.
1633409
Though this book was at times hard to follow (mostly dates of trips, return trips, interviews and return intervies) it was an excellent read.  Difficult to put down, journalist Christina Lamb compels the reader forward with a prose that rivals many novels.  A non-american perspective also helps portray a realistic and empathetic look at past and current Afghanistan issues while adding some historical data I find useful in following the situation today.  I highly recommend.
679496
This is an outstanding book! I highly recommend it.
4511984
Dr. Maggiolo's first novel is a remarkable achievement. I became so caught up in the very real characters she portrayed that I couldn't put the book down. When I finished, not only had I been entertained, but I had been  brought to the reluctant admission that I've had my head in the sand about  what goes on in our public school classrooms. This is more than an expos -  it is also a validation of the terribly difficult experience that teachers,  administrators, parents and students find themselves in daily. Only by  admitting that her story is very, very real-to-life can we begin to look  for solutions to the problems she so vividly portrays. Everyone should read  this book, especially parents and anyone who is an educational  professional.
1080116
An outstanding work of research and writing. There are many lessons that could have been learned, but did we?
3270978
I think this is one of the most difficult books I have read about wartime experience.  The story alternates between graphically detailed descriptions of the daily life of POWs building the famous Burma railway line and their Japanese captors and the civilian life of the key characters. The main character, Dorrigo Evans, is tremendously charismatic and heroic as he leads his men under the atrocious conditions of the Japanese POW slave camp.  He has a complicated civilian life, struggling to have a normal married life whilst tormented by a passionate relationship outside his marriage.

This book is not for the faint-hearted, however it is a fascinating insight into the strength of character required to survive in inhuman conditions and the motivation of the captors to inflict cruelty and hardship upon their captives.  It is well written, but sometimes too graphic for my taste - harrowing describes it well.
2796718
What an outstanding book!  Very well researched, compiled, written, and edited.  My hat is off to Mr. Gillum.  Once I began to read the book, I didn't want to put it down.  But, I had to.  I was being wheeled into surgery to have my left hip replaced and the doctor was on his schedule, not mine.  Oh well.  I resumed reading as soon as I became coherent enough to find my glasses.  Still, I had way too many interruptions to allow me the time needed to finish one section before anotherbnyerruption arrived, in the form of another hospital person asking me the same set of questions the previous person had asked my just 20-30 minutes earlier. What's wrong with these people!?  Why don't they compare notes if they insist on asking the same questions.  What could've possibly changed between now and 2 minutes ago that would necessitate me changing my initial answer and causing me to lose my place and need to re-read the previous two paragraphs?  I believe it's a conspiracy to keep me from reading.

Anyway, I found the book to be an excellent read and well worth anyone's time should they be even the least bit interested in our Civil War history; and, especially toward the events that led to the Battle of Franklin and Nashville, in late 1864.

If I were to identify a ne thing of fault about the book,it would be that the book needs to be offered in e-book format, specifically in Kindle format as that format is the format that reaches the most readers our e-books.

I've one more item, though; since I've lived in Middle Tennessee for the past 18 years myself (not being a native), and I, too, share a deep love for Civil War history, it would've been a huge help to me and others not familiar with the way this area looked during the Civil War, if some sort of over-lay of the present roads and highways could've been added to the book.  In the past, nearly -5- years since the battles occurred, some of the roads and highways have been altered.  The overlay would give the reader(s) an idea of actual locations of the various units as it relates to present-day roads and structures.  Recently, many roads have been added to the Spring Hill area and some roads have had their names changed.

I don't mean this as a negative about this book.  I simply feel, from talking to people who've been in the area all of their lives, that due to modern construction and "the shifting sands of time," that an overlay of the present roads would better serve the reader.  Perhaps Google Earth could be used somehow.  (Hence the 4-Star rating.)