by Martin van Creveld ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1998
Van Creveld (History/Hebrew Univ.) offers a comprehensive account of the Israeli armed forces, tracing it back to its pre-state predecessors in the beginning of this century. The IDF (Israel Defense Force) has its roots in the early days of the Zionist enterprise—in the people who first took up arms to defend the Jewish settlers in Palestine. Its growth from “a few dozen loosely organized, inexperienced, and ill-armed men and women” into one of the world’s most technologically sophisticated and admired fighting forces is a story fraught with political and military minefields. To his credit (and probably to the dismay of some readers), van Creveld mostly picks his way adroitly through these hazards. He makes his point of view clear throughout: the once-great IDF has suffered a precipitous decline since the unpleasant surprise of the Yom Kippur War. That decline was speeded up by the brutal fiasco of the 1982 Lebanon invasion and, most painfully, by the use of IDF troops in an attempt to control the Intifada in the occupied territories. Van Creveld doesn’t stint in his analysis of the rise and glory of the IDF. But his often barbed take on the military’s political role qualifies his praise. And his work is dryly written, even though the sometimes tart-tongued author shows a welcome willingness to contradict commonplaces. In his chapter on the Six-Day War, for instance, he suggests that the danger imposed on the State of Israel was exaggerated to the benefit of the IDF. Such points will upset many supporters of Israel. Drawing extensively on Hebrew-language sources, this serves as a useful corrective to American worship of the IDF, though perhaps it’s pitched too much the other way.
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-891620-05-3
Page Count: 448
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1998
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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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