by James F. Dunnigan & Albert A. Nofi ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 1995
A successful one-volume encapsulation of a vast number of the elements of a tremendous war waged on land, on sea, and in the air. Dunnigan and Nofi (Victory and Deceit, p. 193, etc.) stress strategy over tactics in outlining the events of the Pacific war. They follow with analyses of orders of battle; technical descriptions of ships, aircraft, weapons, landing craft, and other equipment; as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each military unit; many charts and maps further clarify the text. The authors evaluate policies, politics, conspiracy theories, and rumors that ran rampant in the Pacific theater. They argue that the long-term cause of the war was the merciless aggressive militarism of Japan since 1870, explaining how the Japanese thought of themselves as the ``elder brothers'' of other Asians, an attitude that met resistance from Japan's Asian victims, such as China and Korea. Dunnigan and Nofi point out that Japan's military machine was useless without oil, and when the American oil embargo was imposed in 1941 it was believed that Japan would be virtually disarmed and unable to continue its aggression. Instead, Japan thought of itself as a victim of the West and considered the attack on Pearl Harbor as an act of self-defense (ideas that, according to the authors, are still taught in Japanese schools). An easy-reference ``who's who'' and gazetteer, as well as a chronology of the war in the Pacific neatly wrap up a long and complicated story. This should be useful as a concise reference for both modern students and general readers, since it conveys many technical and little-known facts in a spare, readable narrative style. A worthy addition to WW II history.
Pub Date: June 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-688-05290-8
Page Count: 576
Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1995
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by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
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by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson
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by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis
by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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developed by Ludwig Bemelmans ; illustrated by Steven Salerno
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by Ludwig Bemelmans ; illustrated by Steven Salerno
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