Of Earth and Timbers Made: New Mexico Architecture

Book Description

From the author of the best-selling The Bedford Boys, the remarkable story of America's most decorated platoon that miraculously halted Hitler's massive offensive at the Battle of the Bulge

On the morning of December 16, 1944, eighteen men of the Intelligence and Reconnaissance platoon attached to the 99th Infantry Division found themselves directly in the path of the main thrust of Hitler's massive Ardennes offensive. Despite being vastly outnumbered, they were told to hold their position "at all costs." Throughout the day, the platoon repulsed three large German assaults in a fierce day-long battle, killing hundreds of German soldiers. Only when they had run out of ammunition did they surrender to the enemy.

But their long winter was just beginning. As POWs, the platoon experienced an ordeal far worse than combat-surviving in wretched German POW camps. Yet miraculously the men of the platoon survived-all of them-and returned home after the war. More than thirty years later, when President Carter recognized the platoon's "extraordinary heroism" and the U.S. Army approved combat medals for all eighteen men, they became America's most decorated platoon of World War II.

With the same vivid and dramatic prose that made The Bedford Boys a national bestseller, Alex Kershaw brings to life the story of these little-known heroes-an epic tale of courage, duty, and survival in World War II and one of the most inspiring episodes in American history. The Longest Winter is an intensely human story about young men who find themselves in frightening wartime situations, who fight back instinctively, survive stoically, and live heroically.

Customer Reviews:

excellent story of heroism.......2007-08-08

The other reviews tell it much more eloquently than I can. I would only add that I especially liked the scene after Bouck has been captured and Joachim Pieper enters the house demanding to know why the attack has been held up.

The Baum Task force story illustrates that even Patton was not beyond making mistakes, and for selfish reasons: to save his son-in-law Lt. Colonel Waters.

An excellent read.

Another great story of heroism from America's citizen soldiers in WWII Europe.......2007-03-10

Kershaw does a wonderful job of finally completely documenting the story of these men on the front lines of the Bulge. His writing style is "reader friendly". I think the area where he particularly deserves compliments is the time he's taken to locate and personally interview the men still living or those family members of the now-deceased. For me, the conveyance of the first-hand experiences and recollections makes Kershaw's books more personal, aand I appreciate that.

Fascinating, too long forgotten tale of American heroism deserves a better telling.......2007-02-19

Alex Kershaw has developed into in an excellent popular chronicler of World War II. "The Longest Winter" is an earlier effort and reading it after first encountering his later - and much better - works demonstrates how Kershaw has grown.

The story, far too long forgotten and untold, of an American platoon that performed heroically in the first hours of the Battle of the Bulge is fascinating and inspiring. One despairs of ever seeing patriotic Americans so willing to sacrifice everything to protect their comrades and their nation.

The problem is that Kershaw hadn't developed his style yet or, one suspects, his confidence. The telling is overlong, much too detailed and far too broad and meandering. Kershaw follows many of his subjects, both the American and German combatants over fifty years. While his knowledge of these men is impressive, displaying it wasn't absolutely necessary. In fact, in some cases it detracts from the story.

Kershaw's writing style is, as well, too matter of fact when he describes the heroic, desperate combat as a handful of young American soldiers held up a mighty German offensive for hours and may have saved the Allied forces from a crippling blow. Again, Kershaw's research was prodigous, but he seems to have felt the need to include all of it. A few facts too many - and not enough drama in his descriptions of the combat.

All in all, Kershaw has still delivered an exceptional military history. The story of the heroic platoon deserves telling and retelling until the end of time. A few men stood firm against a tidal wave of tanks, infantry and artillery. Those who survived were taken prisoner and suffered for months in prison camps and some for decades after because of their wounds and mistreatment. Yet, honors didn't find them immediately and their heroism went unrecognized for decades.

Kershaw is to be lauded for discovering and telling this story and it is to his further credit that he has gone on to develop a more sophisticated style and greater competence. A good book that could have been made better with judicious editing, but still a book every military history buff will delight in.

Jerry

Great story told well........2007-02-14

This book is a bit slow getting started, but becomes a real page-turner in no time. A great example of what made this country's finest generation so great. An absolute must-have for any WWII buff. This book is on the "top shelf" of my collection, and I have let many friends read it. Highly recommended.

A Window Into December, 1944.......2007-01-24

Having read numerous books on various wars and battles it is always nice to get 'down into the foxholes' with the troops on the front lines. This is such a book. We are transported to the 394th I & R company who held a 'very thin line' on the Ghost Front. This story is the encounter that 22 men had against an overwhelming force of 500 paratroop units of the Germans. Snow had fallen, and they had reinforced their foxholes with cut logs, creating a wooden bunker with rifle slits. A tremendous field-of-fire was had from the woods-edge of a snow-filled meadow that lead away down to the town where the Germans began their operations.

Wave after wave attacked throughout the day, until the U.S. troops had lost most of their ammo, and had lost their .50 caliber MG due to overheating the barrel. The book leads you through this with alacrity. From the point that they are taken in as P.O.W.s the book began to drag for me. I prefer the action, not the post-action.

It does give you the sense of urgency that the 394th felt, and the sinking feeling of being ordered to "Hold the line at all costs!" Then losing contact with HQ...

The Longest Winter: The Battle Of The Bulge And The Epic Story Of World War Ii's

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The Longest Winter: The Battle Of The Bulge And The Epic Story Of World War Ii's
Alex Kershaw
Manufacturer: Sound Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 0792734327

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The Longest Winter
Julie Harris
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0312131151

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LONGEST WINTER
Katherine Lambert
Manufacturer: Smithsonian
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ASIN: 158834195X

Book Description

The unknown story of Scott's Northern party and their desperate struggle for survival.

Lost to history until now, The Longest Winter is not only one of the greatest unknown survival stories to come out of the heroic age of polar exploration, it's easily one of the greatest survival stories ever. In addition to the doomed team Scott was leading back from the South Pole in 1912, there was a six-member scientific expedition stranded several hundred miles to the north. The men endured almost seven months in one of the harshest climates on earth, living in an igloo dug out of a snowdrift. What makes their story uniquely compelling is that it is primarily based on the unpublished diaries of the members, particularly the man who came to be the hero of the party, Dr. Murray Levick. His day-to-day entries offer a rare glimpse into the psychology of a group of relative strangers who must depend on each other for survival while suffering through subzero weather, starvation, dysentery, and mental breakdowns. They finally embarked on a grueling 37-day, 230-mile journey to an unknown end; yet all six men survived—to a large degree because of Dr. Levick—only to learn the terrible fate of the polar party. 27 b/w photographs.

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Longest Winter
Daphney Wright
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0385252099

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The Longest Winter
Alex Kershaw
Manufacturer: Michael Joseph Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0718147456

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Kershaw, Alex. The Longest Winter: The Battle of the Bulge and the Epic Story of World War II's Most Decorated Platoon. .(Brief article)(Book review): An article from: Kliatt
Raymond Puffer
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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ASIN: B000F7CHX6
Release Date: 2006-03-28

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This digital document is an article from Kliatt, published by Thomson Gale on March 1, 2006. The length of the article is 426 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Kershaw, Alex. The Longest Winter: The Battle of the Bulge and the Epic Story of World War II's Most Decorated Platoon. .(Brief article)(Book review)
Author: Raymond Puffer
Publication: Kliatt (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 40 Issue: 2 Page: 39(2)

Article Type: Book review, Brief article

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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The Longest Winter
Ian Roy
Manufacturer: Broken Jaw Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0921411952

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Doctor Rabbit's Longest Winter
Anne-Marie Dalmais
Manufacturer: Price Stern Sloan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0448144964

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The Longest Winter
Alex Kershaw
Manufacturer: Da Capo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OSY7LQ

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Wonderful, dry, British Humor but with an American twist.......1999-05-28

This book of postcards lambasting the legal profession says it all. A wonderful way to share the wit and timeless humor that captures the spirit of how today's public feels. Simon Bond takes his brilliance from "101 Uses for a Dead Cat", his blockbuster first book and applies it mercilessly on the Legal community. Great fun and a clever way in postcard form to share the laughs with friends and associates.

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Banking Bucks by Busting Bureaucratic Barriers: Technical Services Proposal Development
Tom Alman
Manufacturer: 1st Books Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1410738035

Book Description

With the PC's introduction, IBM stood poised to extend its dominance into the 21st century. Yet, through corporate hubris, inflexibility and an inability to understand the marketplace, IBM lost its place as a golden symbol of American corporate might.

Tracing IBM's every misstep, the author provides behind-the-scenes revelations and anecdotes about the computer industry. The result is one of the most instructive and important business stories of our time.

"Carroll (a reporter for the WSJ) creates a you-are-there feel....Looks long and hard at the texture of decline inside the greatest corporation in the world." (The New York Times)

Customer Reviews:

The Minuet of the Dinosaurs.......2003-02-07

This very readable book is the model that Gerstner should have followed. Elephants can do heavy towing, or push aside obstacles; they can't pirouette en pointe. This book is the viewpoint of IBM by an outside journalist. It lacks a table of contents. The book describes the problems, it does not tell when or why it originated.

Page 20 says IBM developed "a lush bureaucracy that prided itself on having a higher ratio of managers per employee than any other business around." Is this what they teach in business school? IBM's chairmen came from the sales force; if you can't sell it, there's no point in making it. The IBM PC was created from off-the-shelf parts so it could be quickly marketed; pre-defined interfaces too! Page 24 tells how Microsoft did an operating system: they licensed QDOS (a replica of CP/M), then bought it. It eventually made Gates the richest man in America.

Page 27 tells of the management problem in creating software. Architects spent months producing detailed designs for software. Then masses of programmers had a hard time deciphering the hundreds of pages of specifications. More time was spent in communicating than actually writing code! Isn't this a recipe for a project to be over budget and behind schedule? Estridge's habit of shunning meetings, not returning phone call, and ignoring unwanted advice could set an example of a well-ordered project manager who concentrates on the mission, not the housekeeping. Page 37 explains why standards for PCs began at birth.

Page 53 mentions the "fear of nuclear attack" as the reason for moving out of New York city. But other companies also moved out in the 1970s; the fear of a nuclear attack drained away after the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Didn't IBM build a skyscraper in the 1980s only to sell it in the 1990s? Didn't AT&T do the same?

Page 87 tells how Gates got lucky when VisiCorp began to self-destruct. Those familiar with counter-intelligence operations may think of another reason (p.192). Page 97 says IBM never wanted to have too many people in one spot. Unstated here is the fear that nearly all could walk out to a new company (p.186). Page 101 tells that IBM used lines of code as a measure of programming; what did IBM use to measure its management? Microsoft rewrote IBM code to make it faster and smaller, then; how are they doing now? The last pages of Chapter 8 deal with the OS/2-Windows politics. There is no explanation as to why they didn't share the same application interface. Page 201 tells of developing a RISC chip; didn't CDC do this in the early 1960s? Page 208 describes the chip development problem in Burlington VT. Page 217 mentions the "golden screwdriver" and how quickly some machines were upgraded. Think ahead!

Pages 245-7 tell of the PS/1 project: crippled so it would not compete with PS/2. Would General Motors restrict the sale of Chevrolets to sell more Cadillacs? Page 281 suggests Microsoft moles reported on IBM's strategies. Pages 301-9 tell of the changes in Lexington under new owners. In political history, this is like a revolution that sweeps away the aristocracy and lets the farmers and merchants rise to power. Does the description of the IBM bureaucracy remind you of France before the Revolution? Will anyone write a book to cover the last ten years as well as this one does?

With IBM's bungling, how could Microsoft fail?.......2002-11-07

People who complain that this book is unfounded because IBM is growing and profitable forgets that over a decade ago, IBM was a stinker: the bottom had fallen out of the lucrative mainframe market, and IBM could not compete long-term in the rapidly growing PC/Workstation market. This book is a great lesson in how not to adapt to change.

Luckily, IBM has pulled itself out, but at what cost? Imagine if IBM had got the PC revolution right? There might not even be a Microsoft today and IBM could have retaken its position as THE corporate super-power.

Besides discussing poor management, I enjoyed the information and great anecdotes about IBM's relationship with Bill Gates and Microsoft. I cannot believe the number of opportunities IBM squandered to acquire, invest or eliminate Microsoft. It seems that IBM pratically pushed Gates to build Microsoft into the power it is today.

A fascinating read!.......2001-07-02

I have now read this book twice. Not only have I read the book, I remember this time period as my company worked closely with IBM. One of the other reviewers said, "An amusing book that attributes IBM's success to a couple of lucky business decisions followed by endless blunders. Carroll makes alot of assertions about IBM but provides few facts to back them up..." Obviously, this person either works for IBM or did not know what was going on at that time. What Carroll says is true. Especially if you had ANY ties with IBM during these years, you will find this book fascinating. I have referred back to it many times.

if you're in the computer industry, don't pass it up.......2000-01-11

This is a penetrating and often amusing look at the rise and fall of IBM. It's dated, much like any book about computers that was published about seven years ago is obviously expected to be.

If IBM is doing better now, this book might have had something to do with it. Things like corporate hymnals, the ponderous decisionmaking process, and the reasons for the failure of IBM's PS/2 line are all exposed in humiliating detail. As a former retail sales rep for an IBM dealer from 1988-1990, I can tell you that in that time frame the IBM I saw looked a lot like Carroll's portrayal (and completely turned me off about them). This book is worth a search.

Insightful and well Researched........1999-08-07

Paul Caroll's years of experience covering IBM and his expertise as a writer really shows in this riveting documentary of IBM. The only problem with the book is that it is out of date. IBM has turned its business around under its present management and is doing quite well.

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Big Blues - The Unmaking of IBM
Paul Carroll
Manufacturer: Crown Publishers, Inc., New York
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VZGIUA

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Big Blues, the Unmaking of IBM.
Paul. Carroll
Manufacturer: Crown Publishers, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NXJX16

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Big Blues: the Unmaking of Ibm
Paul Carroll
Manufacturer: Orion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JI3YGA

Big Blues: Unmaking of IBM: The Unmaking of IBM

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Big Blues: The unmaking of IBM corp.

Big Blues: Unmaking of IBM: The Unmaking of IBM
Paul Carroll
Manufacturer: Books On Tape
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 5557107630

Customer Reviews:

Big Blues: The unmaking of IBM corp........2000-08-08

This is a great book for anyone wanting to know more about the IBM corp and its history from day 1 and its interesting realationship with Microsoft Corp and Bill Gates during the 1980's and 90's. Much of the information in the book comes from IBMers.

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BIG BLUES: THE UNMAKING OF IBM.
Paul. Carroll
Manufacturer: NY, Crown, 1993. 375 pp. Fine copy of first edition in dust jacket.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UE01TG

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Marvelous Book!

Provides strong, direct, and user-friendly help

Excellent for those who manage the CI function

The Complete Guide to Competitive Intelligence (2nd Edition)
Kirk W. M. Tyson
Manufacturer: Kirk Tyson Intl Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Strategic and Competitive Analysis: Methods and Techniques for Analyzing Business Competition

Early Warning: Using Competitive Intelligence to Anticipate Market Shifts, Control Risk, and Create Powerful Strategies

Business and Competitive Analysis: Effective Application of New and Classic Methods

The Secret Language of Competitive Intelligence: How to See Through and Stay Ahead of Business Disruptions, Distortions, Rumors, and Smoke Screens

Proven Strategies in Competitive Intelligence: Lessons from the Trenches

ASIN: 0966321928

Book Description

The Complete Guide to Competitive Intelligence is an invaluable source for the CI professional. Far-ranging in scope, comprehensive in detail, it establishes a blueprint for conducting the entire competitive intelligence process from start to finish. This 300-page book provides you with all the methodology necessary to gather and analyze intelligence, establish networks, conduct intelligence interviews, and more. Plus, it offers detailed instruction on designing and implementing a corporate CI process that can operate as an integral function of a corporation, company, division or an individual business unit.

Customer Reviews:

Marvelous Book!.......2007-04-05

I would say that this book is made for every single Business Manager even the ondes who are not at all interested on this area. A Basis and basic Book for driving information.

Provides strong, direct, and user-friendly help.......2003-12-08

This book is derived from the workbook that Kirk Tyson developed for (and from) his global workshops over many years. This second edition is a little longer than the first, which I reviewed for the Competitive Intelligence Review, vol. 9(4), October-December 1998. It is still a document that provides strong, direct, and user-friendly help, particularly for the organization starting up, or considering starting up, its own CI unit.

As with the first edition, the book is carefully done, with an easy style, walking the reader through the entire process of CI. Given the strengths of the first book, Kirk did not have to "reinvent the wheel." He took a solid work, made a few changes to update it, added some additional charts, and replaced the entire 15 page "published sources" appendix.

What I think is most helpful is that it reflects Kirk's clear desire to give his readers something which they can use - and use right away.

The book includes direct, easily understood lessons throughout, such as "No published information should be accepted at face value....[P]ublished information should not be used for intelligence purpose until it has been confirmed with non-published sources." (p. 8-1). This warning is not an over-simplification. As Kirk says, it (and all of the other important lessons throughout) reflects his experience with hundreds of assignments.

Kirk provides in the text, and also in PowerPoint on the two accompanying disks, a set of overheads to help a new CI unit improve CI awareness within the company. These were provided on disk with the First Edition and are, as far as I know, still a unique feature. While the overheads should be adapted for each individual situation, the set provides a quick start for the individual who has to make a presentation - tomorrow - on the company's need for CI. And not only are the overheads direct and useful, there are many other helpful items, including many forms, also provided on the disks. That touch makes the adaptation of these forms smooth and relatively seamless.

Overall, the book's strength is that it reflects both Kirk's broad experience in CI as well as his personal vision of its place in the development and implementation of corporate strategy, about which he has earlier written so well.

For those starting a CI unit from scratch, or just thinking about it, I highly recommend the second edition of this thorough and lucid work.

Excellent for those who manage the CI function.......1999-06-08

There is a 2nd edition available now. Tyson's COMPLETE GUIDE is my first choice for a text that supports the instructional objectives of the capstone (graduate) CI course at Drexel University. The needs analysis portion of the text differentiates between specific CI needs at the strategic, tactical and operational levels of an organization. Through efficient discussion and extensive forms and examples, Tyson provides guidance in acquiring and distributing CI in a form that meets the learning styles and information needs of the users.

This handbook will surely frustrate those who are looking for a tutorial in the "basic" analytical skills of CI, but CI is an applied professional discipline that is grounded in the fundamental and technical knowledge of many other disciplines. Since Drexel's CI students are working professionals who often have advanced degrees in business and related scientific and technical discipline, what they need--and this book quite efficiently provides--is a managerial overview of the CI process.

Book Description

Provides an overview of competitive intelligence practices and gives extensive guidance on where to learn more. ...an excellent introduction and overview...the best bibliography on CI currently available... enjoyable and easy to read...strongly recommended. --BUSINESS INFORMATION ALERT

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