Appearance
Horsefeathers : And Other Curious Words
Boring, small print. Difficult to read. Not a fan. I bought as a gift, but couldnt bring myself to give it!
Handbook of turtles;: The turtles of the United States, Canada, and Baja California (Handbooks of American natural history)
This book not only is an invaluable factual resource for anyone interested in turtles, it's written in Carr's delightful and completely readable style. He says, for example, about people who intentionally run over turtles, that there "is probably nothing much that can be done about these people except to hope they skid." A great book for anyone who loves nature, turtles, or just good writing.
Handbook of turtles;: The turtles of the United States, Canada, and Baja California (Handbooks of American natural history)
I bought this book because I read good things about it and I like turtles. I thought it was another field guide that specialized in turtle. It turns out that the good things said about it are true. This is a classic among turtle guides as it cover anatomy and physiology of turtles and provides extra incite on species. The book was revised in the 1995 mainly to update the scientific names and the maps may have been updated. This book was not revised by Archie Carr since he had passed away. However the original content of the book has not changed. Mr. Carr makes this guide interesting read which is a great feat when you do nature, field or animal guides. The book is hard to find since it has not been reprinted since 1995. If you can get one at a reasonable price and you like turtles this is a book you want to add to your personal library.
General Custer's Final Hours: Correcting a Century of Misconceived History
This is a virtual 40 page mini-thesis on the mistakes Custer made from the Crows Nest to his final rest. Darling raises good points that Custer's continuous fractionalizing of his force; leaving the pack train, sending Benteen to a left scout at the divide, sending Reno forward at Lone Teepee, Custer's turn to the north all led to his demise in the face of a concentrated enemy. The main premise is that Custer did a wonderful job of proceeding cautiously and professionally in his search for the Sioux until he got within 15 miles. The most damaging charge against Custer is that Darling states that Custer never fully believed his scouts that a large village actually existed on the LBH. The other charge is that Custer ordered Reno to attack only the small village refugees at Lone Teepee (Reno Creek) which was a small collection of 70 - 90 indians with families. And the most serious charge, Custer turned north perhaps only guessing that Reno would go north to chase the Lone Teepee village escapees.Issues that could be argued against these theories, Custer's Chief of Scouts saw the smoke from the large village at the Crow's nest and the Crow scouts said they could see a large pony herd on the LBH. In effect, it would be hard to argue that Custer totally disregarded the village being on the LBH and that his turn to the right along the bluffs was a calculated guess. Benteen was told to scout on the left but not go indefinitely in that direction to infinity as Benteen later charged. Darling fails to mention that Custer sent Benteen two messengers to keep abreast of Benteen's progress and he was expected to rejoin the main column after his scout. Reno's alledged order to only attack just the Lone Teepee village seems hard to swallow since Custer said he would support Reno with the whole outfit which would be a greater need than chasing 70 - 90 Indians. Besides Scout Gerard, riding with Reno, came back to Custer's adjutant Cook to report the LBH village size and that the Sioux and Cheyene stopped running and were fighting. Custer certianly knew this after Cook reported. Also, Darling fails to mention that Boston Custer, the civilian younger brother, passed Benteen watering his horses on his liesurely pursuit of Custer's trail and that Boston reported and died with Custer . Thinking that Benteen would soon catch up with his battalion, most likely impactd Custer's decisions perhaps causing a delay. Finally, Custer had four Crow Scouts and Mitch Boyer with him that knew the territory and most of which were at the Crows Nest. They knew the terrian and probably offered alternatives to attack the Sioux and Cheyenne using the geography of the land. In Darlings great book "A Terrible and Sad Blunder" Darling offers that Reno strayed from his ordered reconnaissance to determine the direction of the Sioux but also because the scout Mitch Boyer offered an alternative trail to follow. Why isn't it reasonable to presume that Boyer did the same for Custer? If Boyer did the same for Custer providing an alternative attack approach and Reno held and Benteen rejoined the command perhaps the outcome would have been different, perhaps not a Custer victory but survival of much more of his command. Darling invokes a good argument but leaves out some critical points but it is a good read and at times a relatively reasonable argument. Perhaps if Custer had the advantage of hindsight, he wouldn't have made the decisions that he had but in the midst of fast moving action he did so with the information and history that he had at present.
What Happened to Henry
This is an author who should be getting more attention. Her writing is lovely and her story equally so. From the first sentence you know you are in the hands of someone who can write and has a story to tell. It is a rare combination of talents. I loved these characters. They were beautiful and moving and REAL, and I missed them when the book was over. I can't wait for her next book.
What Happened to Henry
This book is a beautifully written account of a family and the Japanese spirit that inhabits one of the children. While it might sound far-fetched, the presence of Asagao is perfectly natural and is essential. What Happened to Henry is a special combination of great writing, strong characters, and good dialogue. I was sorry to see it end and I look forward to Pywell's next novel.