Unto the Breach (Paladin of Shadows, Book 4)

Book Description

Sequel to Ghost, Kildar and Choosers of the Slain.

Michael Harmon has been there and done that. Rescued co-eds, killed major terrorists, stopped nuclear assaults. Now he'd just like to kick back and relax with his harem of lovelies. Unfortunately, the world keeps turning. Mike and the Keldara are back tracking down terrorists, rogue Russian bio-scientists and the doomsday weapon to end all doomsday weapons. It's going to take some very tough, hard and nasty people to stop the end of the world. Fortunately, there's Mike Harmon. The Hero of Ghost, Kildar and Choosers of the Slain, along with his company of elite mountain fighters, is sent on a mission to stop an advanced smallpox plague from being turned over to terrorists. But that will only be the beginning as the Kildar and his Keldara rush to stop a host of WMD attacks, coordinated to take out the very heartland of terrorism's enemies. It's a battle for culture, and this time the terrorists aren't aiming at just one building. . . .

Customer Reviews:

Appreciation of John Ringo........2007-07-20

I'm glad to see Ringo get out of the crotch novel attitude. Now if he could just quit the typical recruit use of excessive vulgarities; so when he does use them they actually mean something, that would be much better. I really enjoyed the action in this book but I wonder where Ringo is going to get replacements for his Keldera, he's going through them like free salted peanuts at a bar hosting a sergeants convention.Unto the Breach (Paladin of Shadows, Book 4)

Excellent, fast paced, exciting action.......2007-04-18

Once again John Ringo has added a great action book to this series. The action is explosive, the personal interactions between characters is how real people act when in extraordinary circumstances. This continuing saga should become a very favorite of Ringo's fans and action adventure readers for a long time.

Worth reading.......2007-03-16

John Ringo is a great writter I love his books and read them all over and over.
If you don't get it yet I HIGHLY recommend his books, All of them!

Great Book.......2007-03-09

I really enjoyed the latest book (and I hope not the last) of the "Kildar" series. Mike Jenkins and his Keldara fighters - both male and female - do a great job against seemingly insurmountable odds. A really exciting combat oriented book with just enough of Mike's diversions occuring to make the book balanced. A great read and as I say, I truly hope this is not the end of this series - the adventures are too good to stop now.

On a mission to thwart Armageddon........2007-03-05

Ringo's UNTO THE BREACH continues the saga in a new series: again Michael's looking to kick back from intrigue, espionage and violence - but a visit with the President leads to an unexpected assignment deep into Islamic terrorist strongholds, again on a mission to thwart Armageddon.

Breach of Faith: Hurricane Katrina and the Near Death of a Great American City

Average customer rating:

book- never received
Clearer Perspective on a True Life Experience
Clarity at a Cost
Inside View
Quality journalistic effort

Breach of Faith: Hurricane Katrina and the Near Death of a Great American City
Jed Horne
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1400065526
Release Date: 2006-07-11

Book Description

Hurricane Katrina shredded one of the great cities of the South, and as levees failed and the federal relief effort proved lethally incompetent, a natural disaster became a man-made catastrophe. As an editor of New Orleans’ daily newspaper, the Pulitzer Prize—winning Times-Picayune, Jed Horne has had a front-row seat to the unfolding drama of the city’s collapse into chaos and its continuing struggle to survive.

As the Big One bore down, New Orleanians rich and poor, black and white, lurched from giddy revelry to mandatory evacuation. The thousands who couldn’t or wouldn’t leave initially congratulated themselves on once again riding out the storm. But then the unimaginable happened: Within a day 80 percent of the city was under water. The rising tides chased horrified men and women into snake-filled attics and onto the roofs of their houses. Heroes in swamp boats and helicopters braved wind and storm surge to bring survivors to dry ground. Mansions and shacks alike were swept away, and then a tidal wave of lawlessness inundated the Big Easy. Screams and gunshots echoed through the blacked-out Superdome. Police threw away their badges and joined in the looting. Corpses drifted in the streets for days, and buildings marinated for weeks in a witches’ brew of toxic chemicals that, when the floodwaters finally were pumped out, had turned vast reaches of the city into a ghost town.

Horne takes readers into the private worlds and inner thoughts of storm victims from all walks of life to weave a tapestry as intricate and vivid as the city itself. Politicians, thieves, nurses, urban visionaries, grieving mothers, entrepreneurs with an eye for quick profit at public expense–all of these lives collide in a chronicle that is harrowing, angry, and often slyly ironic.

Even before stranded survivors had been plucked from their roofs, government officials embarked on a vicious blame game that further snarled the relief operation and bedeviled scientists striving to understand the massive levee failures and build New Orleans a foolproof flood defense. As Horne makes clear, this shameless politicization set the tone for the ongoing reconstruction effort, which has been haunted by racial and class tensions from the start.
Katrina was a catastrophe deeply rooted in the politics and culture of the city that care forgot and of a nation that forgot to care. In Breach of Faith, Jed Horne has created a spellbinding epic of one of the worst disasters of our time.

Customer Reviews:

book- never received.......2007-10-01

I have still yet to receive the book I ordered. The shipper e-mailed me he had the wrong address??? How is that possible? Now he has correct address and claims he shipped it. I still do not have it. I will not be purchasing from Amazon again.

Clearer Perspective on a True Life Experience.......2007-09-24

This is an excellent account of the author's take on this nation's worst catastrophe which my state continues to try and rebuild from to date. Thank you for writing such a wonderful book...your perspective is right on the mark and the lives you detail are remarkable to say the least.

As someone who lost their home during Katrina here in Baton Rouge, but not her two children, two dogs, mother, or her own life, we give thanks daily to God first, and then our many family members, friends, and the generosity of complete strangers for their love, assistance, and kindness in our time of greatest sorrow. We have garnered the strength to go forward even stronger and more blessed than before, and we pray for all the thousands still struggling to rebuild their lives.

Thank you for insight that will bring so much to others when they read your book.

Clarity at a Cost.......2007-09-12

As a displaced resident of lower Plaquemines Parish and a guardsman mobilized for aid, I have seen and heard a lot about Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. This book was great to finally put to rest so many rumors (some of which I believed two years later) and bring light to facts that were buried under sensationalism. The only problem I had with this book is that it jumps around too much. However, with the wealth of information and the thousands of people involved the author did an outstanding job tying as much as he could together, but there were just some frayed ends.

Inside View.......2007-08-12

I can't add much to the editorial review that appears on the product page, except to say that in many ways I'm glad that Horne used the balance of head and gut that he did in recounting the damage and aftermath of Katrina. The stories of the survivors are so gripping--sewage, snakes, stinging mosquitos, searing heat while waiting to be rescued followed by squalid conditions at the various collection sites--the Superdome, the Convention Center and a variety of road overpasses--then the gruesome cleanup stories (the exploding hamburger story is guaranteed to make anyone's stomach flip). Had the accounts been any more personal, I couldn't have finished the book. But this is coming from someone who experienced the storm just 75 miles up the road in Baton Rouge, where the story was already personal enough. Our suffering was very limited--some hours without electricity; days without cable TV; working around and with the thousands of evacuees, but we know how profoundly the storm and flood have affected Louisiana in general and the New Orleans metro area in particular.

I salute the doughty Picayune for publishing throughout and Horne for publishing such a thorough account just a year after the disaster. I also thank Horne for presenting a more comprehensive picture of Louisiana Governor Blanco's actions during and after the storm. The reputation of this dedicated and experienced public servant took a heavy hit from the storm, enough so to discourage her from running for a second term. Horne reveals that in the context of the event and the politics surrounding Washington's response, Blanco probably did about as well as anyone could, and better than many other political figures managing the response to the storm.

Horne also adds some structure to the story of the chaotic "planning process" (or lack thereof) that's taken place in New Orleans since the storm. This process goes on to this day as people and businesses make decisions about whether or not to return.

As fellow Louisianans, we do our best to support the recovery of New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina and the resultant flooding. Horne has helped us in that effort with his thorough and thoughtful account of the tragic events.

Quality journalistic effort.......2007-06-17

This book is a very good read. It tells the story of Katrina from many different perspectives and the author seems to present each view fairly. I live in Baton Rouge, and I have friends who lived in New Orleans and have left the city since. I feel the book is an accurate portryal of Katrina and how it affected the great city of New Orleans.

Average customer rating:

Highly Enjoyable Detective Story
Jance does it again!!
A GUTCHECK FOR J.P.
Jance does it again
Native American giver.

Breach of Duty: A J.P. Beaumont Mystery
J.A. Jance
Manufacturer: Avon
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 038071843X
Release Date: 1999-11-09

Amazon.com

In Breach of Duty, after a three year hiatus, J.A. Jance resumes her Seattle-based mystery series featuring homicide detective Jonas Piedmont Beaumont. The novel begins on Lake Chelan (in eastern Washington State) as Beau scatters his grandfather's ashes in the water. The reflective moment offers Jance a perfect opportunity to get new readers up to speed with her hero (and offers a quick refresher course for the many ongoing Jance fans). Beau has struggled through a hard life of alcoholism and two failed marriages, but now, just maybe, he's pulled things together. After his return to Seattle, his new partner, Sue Danielson, bombards him with two cases and a number of leads. A 67-year-old woman named Agnes Ferman burned to death in her bed. After $300,000 was discovered in her garage, the police rightly began to suspect murder. At almost the same time, a group of teenagers discovered the long-dead body of a Native American man--possibly connected to recent hate crime. Sue and Beau plunge into both cases while they begin to learn a bit more about each other.

One of the pleasures of Beau's narrative is his constant, unspoken (and often hilariously sarcastic) asides to the reader. Meanwhile, Beau's sensitivity to Sue and her personal struggles suggest great promise for this couple. In the end, a diverse collection of oddball characters, a comprehensive sense of Seattle and environs, and a strong pairing of mystery plots make this another winning installment in Jance's much-beloved series. The tale of J.P. Beaumont began with Until Proven Guilty in 1985, and has included award-winners Without Due Process and Failure to Appear among its 14 books. --Patrick O'Kelley

Book Description

The Seattle that Beau knew as a young policeman is disappearing. The city is awash in the aromas emanating from a glut of coffee bars, the neighborhood outside his condo building has sprouted gallery upon gallery, and even his long cherished diner has evolved into a trendy eatery for local hipsters. But the glam is strictly surface, for the grit under the city's fingernails is caked with blood. Beau and his new partner Sue Danielson, a struggling single parent, are assigned the murder of an elderly woman torched to death in her bed. As their investigation proceeds, Beau and Sue become embroiled in a perilous series of events that will leave them and their case shattered -- and for Beau nothing will ever be the same again.

Download Description

"New York Times bestselling author J.A. Jance presents another extraordinary adventure featuring hard-bitten homicide detective J.P. Beaumont, in the series that earned Jance the American Mystery Award. The Seattle that Beau knew as a young policeman is disappearing. The city is awash in the aromas emanating from a glut of coffee bars; the neighborhood outside his condo building has sprouted gallery upon gallery; and even his long-cherished diner has evolved into a trendy eatery for local hipsters. But the glam is strictly surface, for the grit under the city's fingernails is caked with blood. Beau and his new partner, Sue Danielson, a struggling single parent, are assigned the murder of an elderly woman -- torched to death in her bed. As their investigation proceeds, Beau and Sue become embroiled in a perilous series of events that will leave them and their case shattered. And for Beau, nothing will ever be the same again."

Customer Reviews:

Highly Enjoyable Detective Story.......2006-02-26

While reading this book I would sometimes portray this in my mind as a black and white "Dragnet." Jonas Beaumont (Beau), a tough talking twice divorced, recovering alcoholic (and in my mind, quite handsome) has been a long time detective with the Seattle police department. Even his speech is reminiscent of an old fifties television show: "The whole idea of having him in charge made me want to gag first and shove my fist through a wall of Sheetrock second."

The two mysteries that Beau and his partner must solve were quite interesting and naturally spanned the entire book. But if you are looking for a nice neat ending, this book didn't have it; there was a great tragedy that made me give 4 stars instead of 5. I like happy endings and this book didn't end nicely.

BREACH OF DUTY was given to me by some friends who are BIG J.A. Jance fans. They coincidentally live in Seattle. When I finished this book, I confessed to Susi that I had a little crush on Beau. She said most women do!

Jance does it again!!.......2001-04-10

I began reading the Beaumont series about nine months ago. I started with "Breach of Duty" this was a mistake. When I found out there were 13 books before this one I desided to go back and read them all...in order. I just finished "Breach of Duty" for the second time and this time the book had so much more to offer....I understood the relationships. I have enjoyed each book in its own right but when I finished this one I was sad. I already miss the "J.P. Beaumont" character. Let's hope Jance isn't finished with "beau" yet. Enjoy!!

A GUTCHECK FOR J.P........2000-12-10

This is at the same time the best and worst J.P. Beaumont novel I have read. During the course of trying to untangle two cases at the same time, several things happen which alter his life. I won't go into details, that would ruin the book for you, but this book is a must for Beaumont fans. I have read some reviews which speculate that J.P. won't be back, but I believe differently. He will be back, maybe as a tougher, smarter, changed J.P., but he will be back. I can't wait.

Jance does it again.......2000-10-26

In a word: Wonderful! All of JA Jance's books are page turners all the way up to the end, and this one is no exception. You will find yoruself enthralled with this one. If you haven't read any of her other work, start with the Seattle series, but read them all!

Native American giver........2000-08-02

Breach of duty is the story of a disillusioned police detective named, J.P. Beaumont, a male detective from a squad in the Seattle Police Department. Beaumont, besides being a little on the shop-worn side, has a problem with authority, mostly in the form of a newly appointed squad commander jumped up from below Beaumont in seniority. Beaumont also has a reputation as a jinx whose partners seem to get killed with alarming regularity. Does a lot of this sound slightly over-used in recent day crime fiction?

Jance, in this novel (as well as in this series, no doubt,) undertakes a degree of difficulty that many writers simply shun. She writes a detective series in the first person of a male central character...In the episode titled Breach Of Duty Vance pushes Beaumont through a number of events that have no special intensity, but the plot surrounding two separate investigations and a goodly dose of Native American mumbo jumbo is intriguing enough in itself to allow for continued interest in spite of the lackluster action. The character of the squad commander comes across as woefully one dimensional, This self serving, untalented martinet who badgers Beaumont's every move is a stick figure antagonist created for the purpose of providing conflict...the author, who never gives us a fully developed image at which to aim our righteous indignation.

Beaumont's partner is a woman with two young boys at home and her hostile former husband serves as a wild card in the mix...Breach OF Duty is crime drama for the faithful, but not for the seeker of truly powerful fiction. It does however, manage to keep one reading until one finds out who did what to whom and why. In this fundamental requisite of the mystery genre, Vance does not fail the reader. Even if the events are less than eventful in the story, the author provides the mandatory level of intricacy in the weaving of the plot. I found it quite readable, even though the book lacks depth in places and wants for more engaging action.

Amazon.com

Incident Response fills a need that's existed in the security book market for some time. The authors--a pair of accomplished incident response experts, not merely researchers--have converted to book form their accumulated wisdom on the question of how to respond to an attack on computer systems. Their expertise is only partly technical; much of what Eugene Schultz and Russell Shumway have written has to do with legal questions and policy decisions. It's a reasonable balance, considering that the state of the art in network intrusion (and defense against it) changes frequently and security administrators are better armed with concepts and strategies than with "click this, type that" instructions. The explicit technical material that does appear here is nicely balanced between Windows and Unix systems, and clearly explains networking details of interest to security people and their managers. The explanation of how a spanning port can make a switch work like a hub for purposes of packet monitoring--nearly entirely prose--is one example of high-quality technical coverage that will remain valuable as operating systems and other network details change over time.

Unlike many books about computers, this one deserves to be read cover to cover. The authors have points to make, and they generally build on their earlier thoughts as they go. Some material in these pages seems somewhat obvious--the advice to dress nicely for a media interview, for example--but it all fits with the authors' goal of showing their readers how to react (in all respects) to security problems when they happen. Read this, be prepared for trouble, and know how to educate others about incident response. --David Wall

Topics covered: How an organization should react--organizationally, technically, legally, and in terms of public relations--to incidents of unauthorized access (originating both internally and externally) to its computer systems.

Book Description

This book teaches readers what they need to know to not only set up an incident response effort, but also how to improve existing incident response efforts. The book provides a comprehensive approach to incident response, covering everything necessary to deal with all phases of incident response effectively ¿ spanning from pre-incident conditions and considerations to the end of an incident.

Although technical considerations, (e.g. the particular binaries in Unix and Linux and dynamically linked libraries in Windows NT and Windows 2000) that need to be inspected in case they are corrupted, the types of logging data available in major operating systems and how to interpret it to obtain information about incidents, how network attacks can be detected on the basis of information contained in packets, and so on ¿ the major focus of this book is on managerial and procedural matters. Incident Response advances the notion that without effective management, incident response cannot succeed.

Customer Reviews:

Very nice high-level book.......2003-04-11

Being the third book with the same title that I reviewed, "Incident Response" by Eugene Schultz and Russell Shumway had to overcome a certain expectation barrier, even though the authors are recognized experts in the security field. It passed the barrier with flying colors, being different, but still covering many facets of the intricate incident response (IR) process, such as technology, procedures and especially people.

The books starts with security basics. A risk assessment overview with loss estimates and a summary of digital risks (such as privilege escalation, break-in, denial-of-service, etc) is provided. It appears to be useful mostly for newcomers to the security field. Formal six stage incident response methodology is then presented by the authors. Preparation, Detection, Containment, Eradication Recovery and Follows-Up (PDCERF) process helps create a solid skeleton to support the fluid form of the IR process.

Admittedly, the book is less hands-on oriented than some other IR manuals; the reader will not find things like computer forensics tool command line options and ext2fs filesystem internals there. However, the book shines brightly in the area of human aspect of incident response. Written by a ex-CIA Ph.D. Psychologist, the amazing chapter on social sciences and incident response covers a diverse range of topics. Cybercrime profiling techniques such as victim counseling and victimology, identifying 'modus operandi' and attack pattern recognition, establishment of threat level and communication with attacker are all covered in the chapter, which provides an exciting journey into the mind of a computer criminal, a cyber-sleuth and a cybercrime victim. Also covered are insider attacks, often considered to be the doom of information security. A number of reasons "Why insiders attack?" are analyzed. The author overlays the social methods over the standard procedure of incident response

(detection->containment->eradication->recovery), which helps understand the crucial role the human element plays in any security incident.

Two chapters are devoted to high-level computer forensics overview. Hard disk basics are explained - FAT, cluster, secure deletion are all given an appropriate space. The book then goes to talk about the "guiding principles" of the investigation. The brief overview of forensic software and hardware is also provided. It only serves to familiarize the reader with the names of common packages and utilities. For example, TCT coroner kit is only given about 15 lines of text.

Honeypots also take an honorable place in the book. Their role in IR is studied in detail and is deemed important. Honeypots are also tied to the PDCERF methodology (namely, to detection, eradication and follow-up phases). The value of honeypots is recognized for studying attackers, shielding of IT resources and even gathering evidence for court prosecution. Some common ways of implementing honeypots (such as via virtual environment) are discussed. The authors even digress to touch upon the ethical implication of honeypots.

Another gem is a stimulating chapter on future direction in IR. The ambitious prediction of intelligent automated incident response and attacker tracking tools is made by the authors. While it is known that automated response to security incidents must be viewed with caution, the potential seem to exist for future automated IR "helpers".

Legal issues overview is a must for any IR book. A brief and to-the-point section on US laws and international cybercrime treaties is available.

Last, but not least, a short response and reporting checklist is compiled by the authors. It is based on the six step IR process and will help investigators to structure their efforts and assist with data collection. Also included is a copy of a Site Security Handbook (RFC2196) with an extensive list of references.

Overall, the book is an extremely useful guide for security managers and those tasked with organizing/maintaining incident response teams. It will not reveal any technology secrets to a skilled computer crime investigator. However, he is likely to enjoy the book anyway!

Anton Chuvakin, Ph.D., GCIA, GCIH is a Senior Security Analyst with a major information security company. His areas of infosec expertise include intrusion detection, UNIX security, forensics, honeypots, etc. In his spare time, he maintains his security portal info-secure.org

Excellent overview of Incident Response.......2002-04-10

Incident Response: A Strategic Guide to Handling System and Network Security Breaches provides an excellent introduction into the concepts of IR.

The book covers all of the main areas required for effective incident response. There are a lot of real world scenarios written to provide the reader with a feel for what is truly required of IR.

The book is geared towards the high level and does not provide much hands on information. Those looking for a heavy hands-on tome for IR will be better served by reading `Incident Response' by Kevin Mandia & Chris Prosise.

The only think I found lacking in the book was an overview of third-party software applications that can be used for a Computer Incident Response Team.

Other than that, Incident Response: A Strategic Guide to Handling System and Network Security Breaches is an excellent read written by two experts in the field.

"Incident Response" by Mandia/Prosise/Pepe is still king.......2001-12-28

I am a senior engineer for network security operations. I read "Incident Response: A Strategic Guide" (IR:ASG) by Shultz and Shumway to enhance my own understanding of ways to deal with security events. As a "strategic guide," the book will be useful to managers of incident response teams. Nevertheless, "Incident Response: Investigating Computer Crime," by Mandia, Prosise, and Pepe remains king of the hill.

IR:ASG is well-written, and focuses attention on processes and methodology over technical implementation. While this approach lengthens the book's shelf-life, it lessens its value to those looking for solutions to technical problems. Still, IR:ASG offers plenty of good advice, such as guidelines for users reporting security events, tips for handling the media, and recognition of the importance of operations staff. Chapter five provides useful recommendations for training and testing incident response personnel, and chapter ten's coverage of insider attacks is especially enlightening.

On the negative side, incorrect material on "packet sequence numbers" on pages 34-5 reflects the widespread misunderstanding that TCP sequence numbers count packets. As RFC 793 clearly states, "each octet of data is assigned a sequence number;" i.e., packets are NOT assigned sequence numbers; bytes of data are. The authors do not accurately represent the 2600 DeCSS case properly on p. 148, as the issue is not copy-protection but play-prevention on non-licensed platforms. The "traps and deceptions" chapter is weak compared to Lance Spitzner's truly definitive honeynet work, and in chapter thirteen the authors repeat the party line on the supposed weaknesses of intrusion detection systems.

The best reason to buy and read IR:ASG isn't written by the lead authors. Dr. Terry Gudaitis' chapter eleven, "The Human Side of Incident Response," is refreshing and educational. As a behavioral scientist and criminologist, she discusses "cyber criminal profiling." While the average security incident may not require application of her techniques, it's reassuring to know people with her level of skill and insight are available to add a human dimension when responding to serious incidents.

IR:ASG reminded me of "Computer Forensics" by Kruse and Heiser when I read this line on p. 188 in the "Forensics II" chapter: "The specific steps in analyzing a mission-critical system are beyond the scope of this book." Unfortunately for both books, most readers crave details on investigating systems for signs of external compromise and exploitation. We've heard enough about searching hard drives for remnants of illicit images, illegal software, or harassing emails. Until another set of authors can do better, "Incident Response" by Mandia, Prosise, and Pepe will be the single "go-to" book for most incident responders.

(Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of this book.)

Average customer rating:

Sob sister atharowaway
thankful gift for traveling lawyer
Good Mystery
Their best work of legal fiction ever!
Wrong, wrong, wrong

Breach of Promise
Perri O'Shaughnessy
Manufacturer: Island Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 044022473X
Release Date: 1999-06-08

Amazon.com

Fans who have been eagerly awaiting the next installment in the Nina Reilly series won't be disappointed by Perri O'Shaughnessy's latest, Breach of Promise. The creator of Invasion of Privacy and Obstruction of Justice has crafted a tale of love and murder gone awry in the material age.

Palimony--birds do it, bees do it, Liberace's heirs do it, and so do Mike and Lindy Markov. When Mike falls for Rachel, a young and beautiful vice president at Markov Enterprises, he tells Lindy (his companion and business partner of many years) that their relationship is over, leaving her, in effect, to go soak her head in one of the Markov Super Spas they've invented and sold to countless arthritics. Desperate to retain her fair share of their $250 million fortune, Lindy hires Nina to pursue a palimony suit against Mike, tempting her with an enormous percentage if they win their case.

O'Shaughnessy thus leads into the deceptively simple, deeply disturbing philosophical conundrum around which she weaves her tale of intrigue: What would you--what would anyone--do for money? As Nina pursues her case, O'Shaughnessy tests the boundaries of traditional courtroom-drama fiction by playing with the conventions of narrative form, but she remains true to the genre's ethic of devious surprises and fast-paced action.

Granted, Nina is a lawyer rather than a private investigator, and her smooth style bears little resemblance to, say, the sardonic goofiness of Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone, but she may strike a chord with fans of Sara Paretsky's Chicago sleuth, V.I. Warshawski. Both Nina and V.I. cling stubbornly to their independence and sense of fairness as they wage battle against institutionalized forces of greed; and both O'Shaughnessy and Paretsky use engaging characters, tight plotting, and clever dialogue to lure their readers into wrestling with legal and moral dilemmas. --Kelly Flynn

Book Description

Broken hearts. Broken promises. Deadly consequences.

In glitzy Lake Tahoe, couples break up every day. But few are as successful as Lindy and Mike Markov, who built a $200-million business together—before Mike took up with a younger woman. Now he's claiming he doesn't owe Lindy a dime since they never married.

Attorney Nina Reilly, struggling to make a living in her one-woman office and raise a young son alone, agrees to take Lindy's case. Nina knows winning is a long shot, even with a brilliant jury consultant and a palimony expert on her side. It's the kind of case—full of passion and explosive secrets—that could make a fortune for a young lawyer. Or drive someone to commit murder—for love, money . . . or the right verdict.

New York Times bestselling author Perri O'Shaughnessy has created a wonderfully unique and unpredictable character in Nina Reilly, a tough, tenderhearted attorney and single mother who has been hailed by critics as "one of the most interesting heroines in legal thrillers today" (the San Jose Mercury News).

Download Description

In glitzy Lake Tahoe, couples break up every day. But few are as successful as Lindy and Mike Markov, who built a $200-million business together -- before Mike took up with a younger woman. Now he's claiming he doesn't owe Lindy a dime since they never married. Attorney Nina Reilly, struggling to make a living in her one-woman office and raise a young son alone, agrees to take Lindy's case. Nina knows winning is a long shot, even with a brilliant jury consultant and a palimony expert on her side. It's the kind of case -- full of passion and explosive secrets -- that could make a fortune for a young lawyer. Or drive someone to commit murder -- for love, money...or the right verdict.

Customer Reviews:

Sob sister atharowaway.......2007-09-18

This has to be the most tedious and boring piece of writing concocted by the twin sob sisters that call themselves Perri O'Shaughnessy. The story line is obviously designed to tug at the heartstings of feminists. The overly detailed dialogue of the pretrial effort is difficult to wade through. The sex bits read as though some bimbo is reguirgitating a wet dream. The climax is more of the same, an implausable turn of events that further examplifies the sappy plot and writing. A wasted time for the reader.

thankful gift for traveling lawyer.......2006-02-24

I gave this audio book to a friend who is traveling a lot in the car. He thought it was a great book to listen to and he liked it a lot. I made somebody happy with it

Good Mystery.......2005-08-23

I liked how the book kept you guessing, fast read with interesting characters. The only part that I did not like was the jury deliberating, that she could have skipped. Otherwise, nice read and a good ending.

Their best work of legal fiction ever!.......2005-04-27

This is the best work by Perri ever! I was very entertained while4 I was reading it! Pam and Mary did their research very well to come up with winner. I tell you that I could not put this bestseller down! I have read everything this author has out and I am in the middle of raeding the 10th book. It is well plotted. Don't read this book at night you will lose time and it is not a great thing to do.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.......2003-02-21

This book is wrong in almost everything it says, for example:
In the trial of Mike and Lindy the jury SUPPOSE that Lindy lie when she said that she wanted to marry with Mike, but Nina proof that Mike made perjury in middle of the process, and all the jury were against Lindy because she is a liar.
The jury waste three days to take a decision, and then happened a "little" problem and when the judge make another jury they have their decision in three hours.
The worst of all the book, Paul, the boyfriend of Nina, he attacks her on the judgment, when the judgment ends, Paul investigates what happened with that "little" problem in the jury and he knows that if he does that Nina will lose everything she has, why he did that?
At the end of the book, what happened to Mike and Lindy is pathetic, but that Nina still loves Paul even if he left her is more than pathetic.

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James Scott Bell's "Breach of Promise"...An excellent story, written with knowledge and passion.
A powerful book about love and forgiveness
A great book, can Mark save his marriage and his daughter?
"Page-Turner" doesn't begin to say it...
"Breach of Promise" definitely worth reading again

Breach of Promise
James Scott Bell
Manufacturer: Zondervan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0310243874

Book Description

Actor and father Mark Gillen finds out how far modern courts will go to keep a child from a parent who has strong Christian views.

Customer Reviews:

James Scott Bell's "Breach of Promise"...An excellent story, written with knowledge and passion........2006-04-28

"Breach of Promise" is the first James Scott Bell book I've read...it won't be the last! Mr. Bell's background makes this excellent story credible, with knowledge and passion. The creation of interesting books and characters--combining suspense within a theme of a strong Christian faith--is a very positive direction, I believe. While, in my opinion, Terri Blackstock remains No. 1 in this special genre, Mr. Bell (who lends a "male view") and others are right on track. I highly recommend his "Breach of Promise." --Ron Howe (aka Toby Martin) Erskine, MN

A powerful book about love and forgiveness.......2006-02-08

When Paula, the famous actress, leaves Mark, the struggling actor, for a famous director, it seems like a story straight out of Hollywood, because we see it all the time. James Scott Bell takes us behind the scenes in Breach of Promise to see the story from the distraught husband.

Mark still loves Paula and can't comprehend why she would destroy their family. To make matters worse, Paula will resort to any method to gain custody of their daughter. This is a powerful book on many levels, but for me, the most powerful is the forgiveness that Mark displays toward Paula. It seems like an entire book could be written on the subject of a jilted husband forgiving an adulterous wife. That kind of forgiveness is easy to talk about but next to impossible to practice.

A great book, can Mark save his marriage and his daughter?.......2005-12-14

Paula and Mark have a five year old daughter and seem to have a perfect marriage. Yet they live in Hollywood, a land where bigger dreams and aspirations have crushed many marriages.
James Scott Bell tackles the subject of marriage, adultery, divorce and child custody in the novel A Breach of Promice.

Paula gets the break of a lifetime, a chance to work with world famous director Tony Troncati. She is gone for four months while Mark is at home taking care of their daughter. Paula returns and tells Mark she wants a divorce and that she is now going to live with Tony. Then she takes Maddie, the daughter, too. Breach of Promise is powerful because it is easy to relate too for most people. I'm the same age as Mark and I have 2 kids and it tore me apart to see his wife leaving him and taking his daugther because I knew how mad/angry/sad I would be if the same thing happened to me.

Mark is devestated that Paula has left him, and even more crushed when she takes Maddie from him and then battles him for custody. Of course, Paula can afford the best lawyers money can buy, and soon Paul is overwhelmed with legal problems. Bell keeps the bad news piling on Mark, forcing Mark to turn half-heartedly to God and a group of friends at a church for help. To give the reader hope that Mark has a chance, Bell throws in bits and pieces that Mark could potentially use to get his daughter back and possibly even save his family.

The entire story is from Mark's point of view, so one key thing left out is the how Paula was able to justify tearing up her family to be with the famous director. But it is believable to see how she got caught up in the typical Hollywood romance. Because of the point of view, the reader also never gets a good insight into why Paula allowed her daughter to be manipulated in order to destroy Mark. However, knowing what one knows about the seductive powers of fame, the reader can infer that Paula would do anything to please her new flame. Breach of Promise is a great book by Bell. The ending is sweet, as some reviewers have said, but it also left me wondering if I would have the strength to do what Mark did. Hopefully I'll never have to find out.

"Page-Turner" doesn't begin to say it..........2005-04-14

Breach of Promise is one of the best books I've read in a long while. It was a page-turner from the start, a book I couldn't put down, but one I hated to get to the end of. I laughed, I cried, I got right into the protagonist's skin. I really didn't know how it would end right up to the final pages...and I love that! This has been added to my list of favorites. Don't pass this up.

"Breach of Promise" definitely worth reading again.......2005-04-08

I am not a huge fan of contemporary fiction of any kind, but James Scott Bell's book gripped me right from the beginning. I appreciated the realness of the story -- the main character's emotions are just what any other human being could identify with. The writing is fresh and witty. This is definitely a read again book for me.

Breach of Trust: How Washington Turns Outsiders Into Insiders

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Self righteous pablum
At Last Someone Brave Enough to Expose Congress
This is the real thing. Why doesn't Congress work and how to fix it!!!
Extraordinary Case for a New Independent Party
A Must read about Congress. The Scum!

Breach of Trust: How Washington Turns Outsiders Into Insiders
Tom A. Coburn , and John Hart
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0785262202

Book Description

Tom A. Coburn, a congressional maverick who kept his promise to serve three terms and then leave Washington, offers a candid look at the inner workings of Congress-why the system changes politicians instead of vice versa. Breach of Trust shows readers, through shocking behind-the-scenes stories, why Washington resists the reform our country desperately needs and how they can make wise, informed decisions about current and future political issues and candidates. This honest and critical look at "business as usual" in Congress reveals how and why elected representatives are quickly seduced into becoming career politicians who won't push for change. Along the way, Coburn offers readers realistic ideas for how to make a difference.

Customer Reviews:

Self righteous pablum.......2007-09-23

This book, based on the reviews here, is self-righteous pablum with little factual substance. A better, book, one that I've actually read, is Chris Edwards - Downsizing the Federal Government (Cato).

At Last Someone Brave Enough to Expose Congress.......2007-05-18

This is one of the most rewarding and enlightening books I ever read. It was a real sleeper as far as publicity goes, but everyone should read this book. Liberals who just scrunge up their faces when they hear Senator Coburns name, should think again and read this book. Senator Coburn is a very conservative republican, but he does not rail against liberals or democrats in this book. He must have rightly figured to do so would tag the book as a typical partisan effort. Instead he exposes what the Republican party establishment does and goes after Republican leaders. He only mentions Democrats when he has to in relaying information about any particular congressional bill. He surely didn't win any friends in congress when he exposed the inner workings of that body. Politicians quickly (if they didn't sart out that way) transform into playing the power game. Everything becomes about power and not what is best for the people. The bribes, strong arm tactics, threats, play along to get along, we'll do the right thing later, gotta secure power now kind of shenanigans. You definately do not have to agree with Tom Coburn politically to appreciate this book. It's great to get a birds eye view on why our government does not work. I can see what congress is doing and not doing now and understand why thanks to having read this book. The establishment doesn't want you to read this book, but do yourself a favor and read Breach of Trust. We need to shake things up in Washington and elect new people. In fact Mr. Coburn talks about the 20-25 in congress who stick to their principles and truley work to do the right thing. It's good to know who they are. Let's get a majority like them. To get a feel as to how to do that it helps to read this book. This is eye opening stuff. Thank you, Senator Coburn.

This is the real thing. Why doesn't Congress work and how to fix it!!!.......2006-12-05

Wow, and Wow again!!!! This book makes a lot of sense, no matter what your party or political viewpoint.

As a business owner who, like most, has a low opinion of Congress, this is a must read. Voters' approval ratings of Congress are widely reported to be in the low twenty percentile, are now are the lowest in history, and are still dropping. Congress is clearly broken. This unique book explains why it's broken, with many revolting but compelling examples.

And it also shows us a way to fix today's out of control, unaccountable government. It suggests practical methods for fixing Congress before matters get even worse. The author deserves a medal for responsible public service, and this book deserves to be read and understood.

John D. Trudel

Extraordinary Case for a New Independent Party.......2006-01-11

This is an extraordinary book, an easy to read book, which is organized to provide 10 truths, 3 myths, 4 dangers, and 5 actions that citizens can take to restore the integrity of the Congress (both Senate and House).

The author's conclusions, based on his experience as a three-term Congressman, are consistent with both the recent polls that show that Americans damn both the Democrats and the Republicans as corrupt and ineffective at representing We the People, and with books such as Peter Peterson's "Running On Empty: How The Democratic and Republican Parties Are Bankrupting Our Future and What Americans Can Do About It."

As a moderate Republican, I found this book representative precisely of the vision I signed up to in the 1970's--smaller government, less waste, more discretion to the states.

Two quotes really stand out:

xix: "Although the events o September 11, 2001 have focused the public attention on the threat of international terrorism, the greatest threat to the continuity of our form of government is our government itself."

79: "What makes this [Party Line] mentality dangerous is that when the team is held together by careerism and mindless partisanship, individual members are punished for thinking for themselves [or their Districts]. When members can't think for themselves their constituents are deprived of honest representation."

The book itemizes the positive aspects of the "Contract with America" that the Republican class of 1994 hoped to achieve, and blasts Newt Gingrich for failing to honor the contract and failing as a leader.

Robert Novak is to be complemented for his superb foreword and his support of this book.

All of my reading suggests that America is ready to demand that the bulk of their representatives follow the example of the Member from Vermont, and declare Independence from the two corrupt incumbent parties. America appears to be ready for a new political party that will restore government of, by, and for the people. This book is a good starting point, and makes the case for discarding both parties as being so corrupt and unrepresentative as to be beyond salvation. We are on our own.

A Must read about Congress. The Scum!.......2005-08-11

Short and sweet. Will confirm your worst fears. Leo Hamel

A Breach of Promise (William Monk Novels)

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Dress for Success
A surprise twist even for a Mystery novel
What Will We Do When The Mona Lisa Sells For One Cent?
Modern sensibilities in Victorian times
Unbelievable Victorian Mistery

A Breach of Promise (William Monk Novels)
Anne Perry
Manufacturer: Ivy Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0804118558
Release Date: 1999-09-07

Amazon.com

The promises that are breached, broken, and never born in Anne Perry's rich and resonant new William Monk mystery all have to do with the roles and positions of women in Victorian society. At the center of the book is a rousing courtroom drama, as young Zillah Lambert--daughter of a wealthy, well-meaning northern businessman and his socially ambitious wife--sues an immensely gifted architect, Killian Melville. Melville, Zillah argues, failed to live up to his promise of marriage and thereby ruined her chances of making any sort of acceptable match. Private detective Monk is brought into the case by lawyer Oliver Rathbone when his client (Melville), facing financial and social ruin, still refuses to offer any reason for his dastardly conduct.

Monk's attentions are occupied elsewhere, too. Hester Latterly, the courageous nurse who worked with Florence Nightingale in the Crimean War, and whose favors Monk and Rathbone both desire, is looking after a British officer, Gabriel Sheldon, who was badly wounded and disfigured in India. Gabriel's wife, Perdita, is having trouble adjusting to her husband's broken body and spirit. "It was not Perdita's fault that she was confused and frightened," Monk muses. "She had been protected all her short life. She had not chosen to be, it was her assigned role." Monk has also promised a housemaid in the Sheldons' service that he will look for her two little nieces--deaf and deformed from birth--who were abandoned by their mother almost 20 years before. As the cases tangle and combine (perhaps a tad too coincidentally for some tastes, but, then again, real life is full of coincidences), Perry manages to show us the many ways in which women were made to pay for their place in a male-dominated society. She also delivers a touching and surprisingly suspenseful story. Other Monk books in paperback: The Silent Cry, Cain His Brother, Defend and Betray, Weighed in the Balance. --Dick Adler

Book Description

In a sensational breach of promise suit, two wealthy social climbers are suing on behalf of their beautiful daughter, Zillah. The defendant is Zillah's alleged fiancé, brilliant young architect Killian Melville, who adamantly declares that he will not, cannot, marry her. Utterly baffled by his client's refusal, Melville's counsel, Sir Oliver Rathbone, turns to his old comrades in crime--investigator William Monk and nurse Hester Latterly. But even as they scout London for clues, the case suddenly and tragically ends. An outcome that no one--except a ruthless murderer--could have foreseen.

Customer Reviews:

Dress for Success.......2007-04-28

In this novel the Jane Austin predatory
world of high class female society in the Victorian age
traps and railroads a man into a marriage he doesn't want.
A woman and her daughter assume that he has consented
when he had no intension of being more than a family friend
who owed his living to the father's patronage of his architectural genius.
I had just been reading "The Hours" The Hoursand after that " Mrs Dalloway"Mrs. Dalloway.
The glib supposition of history is that Virginia Woolf
like the woman of this novel was supposed to have committed suicide.
Anne Perry as admittedly an English woman of literary genius
has another understanding/ solution of the case:
it is another William Monk murder investigation.

A surprise twist even for a Mystery novel.......2006-12-12

This one kept me guessing. Anne Perry fans know her works to be well written and with great development of the characters as well as the story lines. The details with which she describes life in victorian England are delightful and a credit to serious study and research.

This volume was a well written one that kept me interested and intrigued. I enjoy each of her works a lot and this one surprised me much more than most in the outcome and details.

However, if you are not a serious Perry fan, and have already read one of her books, you will find that there is much similarity from one to another. If you were to compare it to movies, the "Action movie" may be a favorite of many men. The "romantic comedy, or drama" might be termed a Chick flick. I know that this would fall into the latter category in spite of the murder mystery and the suspence involved because the avid fans come back to Perry for her ongoing character story lines. The Charlotte and Thomas Pitts as well as William and Hester Monk.

Yes, the book is a very good book and I hope you will enjoy it. Just, if you are looking for variety and have already tasted her style, you won't find it here.

What Will We Do When The Mona Lisa Sells For One Cent?.......2005-09-06

Of course, I must not be well. Either that or I have completely lost touch with the real world. Doesn't matter really what my problem is. The issue stands this way: A Breach of Promise is not just a great mystery but also one of the finest novels written by anyone in the 20th century. Anne Perry will give you your entertainment and enthralling story. But if you seek further for some profound wisdom, truth, and light to guide your way - it is always there. Especially in this magnificent novel. What is a promise? And why do we consider it so serious when one is broken or breached? What does it say about humanity? Our values or more appropriately, our failings and need for reliance upon God, spirituality or simple justice? Perhaps, even a copy of The Mona Lisa is just easier to take in: how much of a challenge to our essence is involved? But then what does this mean for Art itself?

Modern sensibilities in Victorian times.......2005-08-02

Rathbone is the attorney for the defendant in the title case, but as is often the case in mysteries; things are not quite what they seem. Thus he requires the investigatory powers of Monk to help him find the true heart of the matter. Hester is involved in a nursing matter of her own dealing with a soldier who is horrifically injured and the difficulty he and his wife are having dealing with this condition. But the matter she is dealing with leads to a mystery as well and Monk once again becomes embroiled in a matter which seems to lead to no easy solution.
This is my first Anne Perry book and I was impressed by her ability to handle characters. They are well-drawn and convey real emotion towards each other in the way that characters in all excellent series do. The mysteries involved, while not entirely original are well-structured and although the central mystery takes far too long to be revealed the author generally plays fairly with the readers. I was a little surprised by the rather modern sensibilities that many of characters take towards Victorian morality, it seems odd that all the characters with these beliefs are portrayed sympathetically and all others are without any redeeming qualities, but this is a central point in this book. Perhaps this was not the best choice to start reading the "William Monk" series, but I was intrigued enough to give the series another shot.

Unbelievable Victorian Mistery.......2005-03-15

Anne Perry made here one more adventure with her Victorian detective William Monk and his assistant and dear loving Hester Latterly.
The story is about a strange and shocking breach of promisse in a marriage agreement. Young, briliant architect Kelvin Melville decided not to marry anymore with his beloved fiancée and her family brought him to justice searching for an indenization. Mr. Oliver Rathbone - a well known lawyer and a friend of Monk - asked for the help of the detective to investigate and discover something wrong with the family or maybe with the despised young lady, in order to help Melville's defense.
A premise not so energetic but otherwise with some potencial. But the novel offers to the readers a trifle, unbelievable and not convincing answer to the mistery behind Melville's conduct.
I think that a detective story or a mystery novel must have a believable solution, not a cheating and far fetched one. I Think that is a main rule to be always observed. And Miss Perry forgot this rule here.
The second part of the mystery has a better solution but not a suficient one to make this novel remarkable or even compelling. Another problem is that William Monk lacks some appeal, some intensity, for a lead characther. Although these problems, Miss Perry is an average writer and deserves another chance. But if you want to read a William Monk adventure, my counsel is: don't start with Breach of Promisse.

Overcoming Patent Infringement Allegations: Key Insights into Patent Licensing & Effective Strategies for Dealing With Alleged Breaches & Extortion

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Overcoming Patent Infringement Allegations: Key Insights into Patent Licensing & Effective Strategies for Dealing With Alleged Breaches & Extortion
Paul S. Hunter
Manufacturer: Aspatore Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1596220287

Book Description

From "how the patent owner makes money" to what it means for the rest of us, Hunter pulls the reader through all issues related to and consequent of an encounter with an opportunist and how a company can strategize to come out on top. Informative and illustrative appendices augment a direct and informative glimpse into the extortionist's operatives. This is a must-read for any executive or general counsel, running or advising a company in possession of patents of any kind.

Download Description

Along with the economic mainstreaming of patents has come opportunistic exploitation- the use of weak patent claims and flaws in the system to shakedown or extort money from businesses of all kinds. In Overcoming Patent Infringement Allegations, patent attorney Paul Hunter articulates "why" and "how" patent enforcement arrived at this critical juncture, how flaws in the system helped fuel and perpetuate patent exploitation by opportunistic entrepreneurs and, finally, suggests viable procedures and mechanisms to combat this problem. From "how the patent owner makes money" to what it means for the rest of us, Hunter pulls the reader through all issues related to and consequent of an encounter with an opportunist and how a company can strategize to come out on top. Informative and illustrative appendices augment a direct and informative glimpse into the extortionist's operatives. This is a must-read for any executive or general counsel, running or advising a company in possession of patents of any kind.

Breach of Trust: How the Warren Commission Failed the Nation and Why

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One of the better pro conspiracy books of recent years
Group-Think
Restrained, well documented story of a flawed investigation
Pretty Old Stuff, but Handled Adroitly
Breach of Purchase

Breach of Trust: How the Warren Commission Failed the Nation and Why
Gerald D. McKnight
Manufacturer: University Press of Kansas
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0700613900

Book Description

The Warren Commission Report on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy . . . was instantly implausible because the authors hid the secrets they knew (and ignored the ones they didn't).--David Ignatius, Washington Post Book World

That recent appraisal reflects a growing consensus that the Warren Commission largely failed in its duty to our nation. Echoing that sentiment, the Gallup organization has reported that 75 percent of Americans polled do not believe the Commission's major conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald was the "lone assassin." Gerald McKnight now gives profound substance to that view in the most meticulous and devastating dissection of the Commission's work to date.

The Warren Commission produced 26 volumes of hearings and exhibits, more than 17,000 pages of testimony, and a 912-page report. Surely a definitive effort. Not at all, McKnight argues. The Warren Report itself, he contends, was little more than the capstone to a deceptive and shoddily improvised exercise in public relations designed to "prove" that Oswald had acted alone.

McKnight argues that the Commission's own documents and collected testimony--as well as thousands of other items it never saw, refused to see, or actively suppressed--reveal two conspiracies: the still very murky one surrounding the assassination itself and the official one that covered it up. The cover-up actually began, he reveals, within days of Kennedy's death, when President Johnson, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, and acting Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach all agreed that any official investigation must reach only one conclusion: Oswald was the assassin.

While McKnight does not uncover any "smoking gun" that identifies the real conspirators, he nevertheless provides the strongest case yet that the Commission was wrong--and knew it. Oswald might have knowingly or unwittingly been involved, but the Commission's own evidence proves he could not have acted alone.

Based on more than a quarter-million pages of government documents and, for the first time ever, the 50,000 file cards in the Dallas FBI's "Special Index," McKnight's book must now be the starting point for future debate on the assassination. It should also inspire readers to echo the Journal of American History's praise for his previous book: "McKnight's insistence upon remaining within the bounds of the evidence inspires confidence in his judgment."

Customer Reviews:

One of the better pro conspiracy books of recent years.......2007-01-04

This is a well written and welcome addition to the seemingly Himalayan pile of works on the world's biggest unsolved murder case and a subject that still haunts America to this day. It is fair to say that the FBI never closed the case and it is no surprise then that works such as this continue to appear. So many however are poorly written, cover the same old ground and present largely unsubstantiated theories of conspiracy. Whilst I disagree personally with the authors stance that Oswald could not have been the lone assassin on the assumption that the single bullet theory must be incorrect, I found much of the text on the on the Commission's work generally to be of high value. Of the many recent ie, post 2000 publications on the subject, I would recommend this book as a good example of a well written pro conspiracy text. It is frustrating though to find yet another author who fails to analyze the magic bullet theory in an open minded fashion - ignoring the ground breaking work of the Discovery Channels documentary "Unsolved History: JFK - Beyond the Magic Bullet DVD" including the work undertaken by a team of Australian medics and wound ballistics experts who reconstructed the shot meticulously to show that it was indeed possible and highly probable that all the non fatal wounds of Kennedy and Governor Connally were caused by the same bullet.
An interesting exercise would be to compare this to Earl Warren's chapter on the JFK assassination in his 1977 memoirs. One would find a resolute assurance that the Commission acted honorably in all aspects from Warren himself, this book however contests that whilst the Commission acted benignly in its path to the conclusion that there was no conspiracy, it failed to investigate properly some key aspects of the case and that had they done so we would have been left with a much less murky past and a rather less suspecting general public.

Group-Think.......2006-12-06

Groupthink is defined as `a mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members' striving for unanimity overrides their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action.' If one reads McKnight's exhaustive book about the Warren Commission, this definition would fit precisely to this group of men. In a recent survey, it was revealed that over a third believe that 9/11 was the efforts of a government conspiracy. Be that as it may, it is not a stretch then to assume that more Americans believe that the Kennedy assassination was a result of a conspiracy. However, the harm that that belief can cause now is minimal at best, because it is more then 40 years after the event, and our citizenry has become predisposed to ignore history. McKnight's large book presents very persuasive arguments that the Commission itself was flawed at the outset, by bureaucratic infighting and persistent groupthink. Early on in the investigation, McKnight argues, the FBI and the White House knew that the answer to the murder must be Oswald acted alone. This is justifiably the way that the new administration should have acted, since we must remember that November 1963 was very near the mid-point of the Cold War, and any thought of a Soviet plot would have stirred a massive amount of unrest.

When the Warren Commission was formed, the Commission at the very least should not have assumed anything when it came to ballistics, suspects, witnesses or foreign connections. Instead, it became merely a rubber stamp for the Hoover-Johnson `official' story that began taking shape even before Kennedy was buried. The very disturbing aspect of the whole investigation is that early on, the FBI and other agencies knew that there were more then 3 shots. How this was swept aside immediately has led some people to believe that a government conspiracy was in effect to hide a previous conspiracy. McKnight contends that dissatisfied elements of the CIA who were incensed with Kennedy's Cuba policy executed the killings as sort of a bureaucratic grudge match. The point, McKnight contends, is that the CIA was trying to force the new administration's hand in dealing with Cuba from a more hard-line perspective. McKnight writes that they were disappointed, because Johnson merely continued the Kennedy policy of politely ignoring Cuba. Not the most well thought out plan! While I find this theory interesting, it does not account for the fact that Central Intelligence, throughout several administrations, has had long standing grudge matches with the executive branch. Yes, the CIA operated with impunity in Iraq, Nicaragua and the Congo, but it should not be assumed that just because the CIA executed these missions that they would have showed the same kind of impunity against an American president on American soil. When McKnight sticks to the leads and the information that the Warren Commission choose to ignore, the book can be very good, but the careless postulating later on becomes a drag on the books' central topic.

Restrained, well documented story of a flawed investigation .......2006-03-27

McKnight's book contains little that is "news" those familiar with this case. This is not a book of new disclosures, or examinations of trails gone cold, but perhaps something that will be valued more for it's refusal to move outside it's narrow focus: the conduct of the Warren Commission, and it's relationship with the various investigatory agencies and the handling (and mis-handling) of those who testified and their information. This is a "safe" book, in that there is no speculation (or even examination) of the motives of the WC or possible explanations for the many gaffs pointed out in the committee operations. This is a well documented examination of the flaws in the structure and function of the WC , and ultimately an interesting book for those students of history or government who may be less interested in the results than in the process. This is Meagher or Weisberg without the passion, but very well documented, and of use to those seeking a more recent view of WC activities and participants based on current information.

Pretty Old Stuff, but Handled Adroitly.......2006-02-28

Everything you read in this book has been published or aired before. However, the writer has a certain flair and is a tremendous story-teller. It is ten times the book that Joan Mellen wrote about Jim Garrison -- which was an embarrassment to thinking people.

Breach of Purchase.......2005-12-16

By now, any and all people who view the work of the Warren Commission have come to the conclusion that their product was rushed and baised. Unfortunately, that is all past history--or I thought it was. This book merely rehashes the very old (1967) arguments into a 2005 package. Who really wants to argue the single bullet theory again, based on the holes in JFK's shirt and coat? The autopsy pictures are availible now.
Someone stated that this merely carries on the work of Harold Weisberg. I beg to differ. Harold Weisberg accused the Commission of a deliberate cover-up as opposed to a benign one. If you wish to read the old arguments, read Whitewash and Whitewash 2. If you like old stuff in a new package, get this book.

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