Product Description
For the fourth edition of this introduction to Italian sculpture, the author has thoroughly revised the text, notes and bibliographies, incorporating all the significant new research and publications since the last major revision in 1970-2. Volume II, spanning the 15th century, is dominated by the revolutionary genius of Donatello, whose work is illustrated. The author traces through this period the development, or revival of the free-standing statue, the relief, the bronze statuette, the equestrian monument and the portrait bust. Other great masters include Luca della Robbia, Verrocchio, Antonio Rossellino, Desiderio da Settignano, Riccio, Francesco Laurana and Tullio Lombardo. The new edition of this work provides an accessible introduction to the subject for scholars, students and all lovers of Italian art. At the same time its scholarly notes make it a valuable reference work. Each volume in the set of three can be enjoyed in its own right. ... Read more

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The author is definitive in his works:
The author is so well-known in his highest quality scholarly works that if the book is by him, one can rest assured that you are reading among the very best in art history. Enough said. ... Read more

Product Description
The "New Sea" was teeming with a secret life. It was the greatest engineering feat -- the flooding of part of the Sahara Desert. But the new waters that covered up the land also threatened to destroy an ancient, secret civilization beneath the earth. When Mark Sunnet's plane crashed into the New Sea, he and his beautiful companion, Margaret Lawn, were taken prisoner by these secret people. They were taken deep beneath the earth into strange, dark caverns. Caverns that seemed to hold no hope for escape. But Mark and Margaret had to escape. For now, suddenly, they were faced with two terrors -- the secret people who were to be their executioners and the merciless New Sea that threatened to kill them all. . . . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Not Free SF Reader
A lost race type novel. A large reclamation project to turn desert to
arable land will have a large effect on the people that live under that
desert. A couple of surface dwellers get caught up with these people.

You'd have to really, really like mushrooms to stay.

a very early science fiction piece entertains..
'The Secret People' was written in the 1930s, back in the days of Buck Rogers stories.It has a certain charm and innocence compared to the more complex (and lengthy) modern science fiction novels.Its author, John Wyndham, had written some wonderful pieces some twenty years later.However 'The Secret People', while entertaining, is not of the same calibre.

In our story we have the Earth some 30 years in the future.The French and British governments decide to harvest the Sahara desert by flooding it, creating "the New Sea".Yet we discover that underneath the desert floor exists a huge colony of 'secret people', ... actually ancient pygmies.A dashing British couple unfortunately find themselves underground and held as prisoners by these people, in addition to hundreds of other prisoners.Of course the flooding of the desert and the yearning to escape unsettles matters....


Bottom line: a simple, naive and fun little book.John Wyndham fans will enjoy it.

Kept in the Dark
I'm always finding a John Wyndham novel I haven't read before. And yes, I did find this in a used book store. This was John Wyndham's first novel, originally serialized in a magazine, written when he went by the name John Beynon.

Published in 1935 but set in 1964, "The Secret People" takes us to a place intruders never leave. After Mark Sunnet's rocket plane crashes in the Sahara Desert, which is being turned into a "New Sea" by France and Italy in a monumental feat of engineering, he and his girlfriend Margaret find themselves prisoners of a people determined to keep their existence secret. Hence the title of this book.

These short-statured people (who resemble white pygmies) dwell in an underground network of vast caves and are, on the face of it, mired in primitivism. The caves are lit by luminous globes of unknown power, suggesting that this civilization was once highly developed technologically but is now long past its time of glory. While Margaret and her cat become a focus of worship, Mark is thrown in with the other prisoners. These are people of various nationalities who were unfortunate enough to stray into the pygmie's domain over the years - destined to live out their lives subsisting on the fungus of giant mushrooms which grow in the caves. While many are slumped in apathy, some of the captives have preserved their sanity by working on an escape tunnel. The rising water levels have heightened the sense of urgency.

Because Wyndham was a fan of H.G. Wells, it is reasonable to guess he had read "In the Abyss", a story with a similar theme. The characters are an ever-resourceful set, which, apart from Mark and Margaret, include a couple of can-do Americans to boost morale, an English academic speculating on the history of the pygmies, a slimy villain, a good-natured African giant, and, to represent the pygmies, a philosophical priest. Wyndham's style in the 1930s is different to his more acclaimed style of the 1950s, but it remains readable today, even if it is a little dated.

More 1930s science fiction
Like the same author's Stowaway to Mars, this is a fast-paced early novel. The plot concerns a pilot and his girlfriend who are swept into a secret world of caverns beneath the Sahara inhabited by a race of troglodytes.There they meet other unluckywanderers who are unable to find a way out.The imprisoned surface dwellers bicker and battle among themselves whilethe subterranean pygmies continue their rituals even as the huge lake beingengineered in the Sahara above begins to flood their domain. Will our heroand his girlfriend, and her cat, escape in time? It's a quick and easy readto find out. Worth picking up in a used book store if you are a Wyndhamfan. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

One of my favorite books!!
I found this book in my school library in my freshman year of high school.I checked it out and got partway through,then had to return it.I was hooked,though,and finally found a used copy here on Amazon,which seems to be the only place you can get it now,since it's out of print.That said,it's worth tracking it down and paying S&H and a private seller to get your hands on this book.If you're serious about sci-fi,or have even a moderate interest in AI,this is a requisite.It's a compilation of sci-fi short stories about Artificial Intelligence that ranges in date from the earliest robot story to debate the ethics of the field--"Moxon's Master",written in 1894 by Ambrose Bierce--to classics of and groundbreakers in the genre--with a heavy dose of Asimov,"The Founder of Robotics"--to more modern stories written in the 1970s and 1980s.That's one catch:the book is an old one,so the most recent stories are from right before it was published.However,the book is organized into thematic sections,which is helpful for a disscussion-based reading of the stories.It contains some of the stories you kind of have to read to be considered to know AI sci-fi--several of Asimov's more important ones,two by Philip K Dick,one by Arthur C Clarke and another by Poul Andersen,but a bunch of others as well.The one problem I have with the book is that Asimov is an editor of it,and while he's undoubtedly contributed a plethora of work to the sci-fi genre and a good deal of it is important,I feel he's tooting his own horn too much by giving himself four spaces in this anthology.Otherwise,the pieces in here,while maybe not all well-written overall(a lot of it is pulp sci-fi),contribute important ideas to thinking about AI. ... Read more

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It all began with a series of fireballs fall ing into the oceans. When the Admiralty began to investigate , they found that their equipment and personnel disappeared deep underwater. ' ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

UK disaster SF
During the late 50s/early 60s, a distinctive genre of science fiction story was coming out oF Britain.These stories of quiet SF horror were penned by, among others, JG Ballard, John Christopher and John Wyndham.The formula involved some type of ecological disaster, sometimes tied to alien invasion.Many of the better stories were told from the fringes of the disaster showing the common man involved in the changes.Kraken Wakes is a marine version of Waar of the Worlds, with objects falling into the ocean and sea tanks coming ashore to facilitate the invasion.The invaders also begin to melt the ice caps to raise the ocean level, flooding the earth.The aliens are never seen andf most of the novel is given to the reaction of several characters caught up in the changes.No whizbang pyrotechnics here, just the quiet horror of slow change which sems unstoppable.

Kraken Wakes or how to make an alien invasion dull & cliched
There are some SF stories that are truly timeless. It doesn't matter when they were written, the people, events and themes remain relevant decades after they were first published. This, however, is definitely not one of them. Wyndham is capable of much better than this (Day of the Triffids, anyone?) and the entire novel feels like it was just phoned in.

The plot is a fairly standard alien invasion story which wasn't particularly original even back in the early fifties when this was written. Ironically, despite a character stating early on that this invasion is 'completely different from that envisioned by H.G. Wells', the story follows almost exactly the same arc as The War of The Worlds - even the deus ex machina ending. We have the same derision of the scientists who sound the first warnings, the same idiotic and futile military response, the same alien environmental attacks and the same 'magical' solution that permanently solves the problem without mankind having to lift a finger. There were better alien invasion stories written years before this saw print.

What's truly bizarre and dated about this book is that it has the same Anglo-centric attitude as War of The Worlds. In that novel, hundreds of martian ships invade the tiny island of England and the rest of the world is completely ignored. In The Kraken Wakes mysterious sea tanks emerge from the deeps and begin depopulating coastal areas and sinking ships. Of course, since this all happens everywhere else EXCEPT Britain, no one is particularly upset about it. The British press takes great pains to mock anyone who treats this invasion seriously and savages anyone foolish enough to suggest that the invaders are extra-terrestrial in origin. Even the protaganists remonstrate with the one scientist who understands what's going on: they don't particularly disagree with him, they'd just rather see him keep quiet than expose himself to further ridicule.

This all strikes the reader as positively bizarre. The idea that coastal invasions by armored, people-snatching jellyfish is barely newsworthy is ridiculous enough today. How much more ridiculous must it have been during the early years of the cold war? Bear in mind that only ten years before this was written the sinking of a passenger liner by the Nazis was considered enough to warrant a declaration of war! Yet no one has a problem with shipping grinding almost completely to a halt worldwide? Unfortunately, the tone is such that the reader gets the impression that none of this is particular important because it's happening to OTHER people - specifically, non-white, non-British, non-upper-class people.

This leads us to the next unpalatable aspect of this book - it's more than a little racist. The Caribbean islanders are portrayed as lazy, backwards savages, the Americans as ineffective saber-rattling incompetents, the Russians as moronic propoganda-spouting buffoons - the list goes on. It's even noted that one amphibious attack in Spain is particularly damaging since the inhabitants of the small village are too ignorant to read newspapers and too superstitious to run away from the approaching sea tanks (no, that didn't make sense to me either). Despite coming up with the ultimate weapon that ends the invasion, the Japanese (who we're told have suffered the most of any country) are described as 'clever little nips when their more aggressive tendencies have been subdued.' Even the Irish are mocked when the protaganist sees something particularly fitting about the first attacks in the UK happening there.

Sexism and classism are also prevalant. Even though the protagonist's wife is portrayed as a fiercly independent and unusually capable woman, she's still prone to stereotypically female habits such as hysterics and weeping fits. The only lower-class individual we ever encounter is a publican who speaks in a thick accent and spends his entire cameo bitching about how the government won't allow the common people to have guns with which to defend themselves. While this had the potential to be the start of an interesting social commentary on gun control, the issue is dropped by the next page.


The most laughable part of the book comes when the invaders resort to melting the polar icecaps in order to flood out the pesky humans. True to form, the same scientist is mocked when he points out the dangers of rising sea levels and everyone else is absolutely stunned to realize that a few sandbags aren't capable of holding back the tide. Obviously the tendency for politicians to ignore the consequences of global warming has a long and cherished tradition!

Overall, The Kraken Wakes is a poor SF novel, but a fascinating time-capsule that gives us an idea of what the idealized life of an upper-middle-class Englishman might have been like in the 50's. There aren't any signficant themes explored, so the bored reader is constantly diverted from the plot by references to 'Japs', 'atomic bombs', 'whaling season' and other such anachronisms. The whole thing comes off as a 'stiff upper lip, old boy' sort of narrative with some sort of blind faith in English superiority and eventual triumph. It would have been nice to learn a bit more about the invaders themselves, but Wyndham thinks that isn't nearly as interesting as the tribulations of a wealthy newscaster who finds that his wife hasn't been home lately and who then has to go out to dinner at his club. Pity.

Wydham reverts to standard SF; no deep messages here..
John Wyndham has written some justly deserved science fiction classics, such as The Day of the Triffids and The Chrysalids.What makes these stories so interesting are their thinly disguised attacks on real social/environmental issues.However Kraken Wakes is different, and unfortunately it's not different in a good way.

In Kraken Wakes the world is bombarded by mysterious objects falling from the heavens into the deep ocean.After considerable confusion the world realises that indeed they are have been invaded by aliens who are particularly nasty, with little effective means of doing anything about it.All this is chronicled very nicely by a married couple working for a fictitious British radio network.

Sounds interesting?It is, sort of.There are suspenseful moments, and it certainly is a creative story.However John Wyndham does a rather poor with the characterizations, and if there are any social commentaries buried in this story it is certainly buried beyond my recognition.So Kraken Wakes is simply a passably written science fiction story, nothing more.

Bottom line: certainly not a bad read, but John Wyndham has written better.For John Wyndham fans only.

Invasion story with a new angle
In "The Kraken Wakes" John Wyndham writes about an alien invasion - from the sea. The book is divided into three parts.

Phase One of the invasion begins with the sighting of fireballs that land in oceansaround the world. They are a strange phenomena but the public soon loseinterest. Then ships start to sink mysteriously...

In Phase Two more andmore ships are sinking and people are now aware of some malignant force atwork beneath the sea. In this stage of the campaign the invaders arebolder, coming onto the shores of remote islands in "sea tanks"and dragging people to their deaths.

In Phase Three the sea level hasrisen, and cities are slowly being submerged. Morale is low, society isbreaking up, and people are living in small scavenging communities as land,food and fuel become scarce.

This is a good disaster novel and wellwritten, but it's not as good as "The Day of the Triffids". In"Triffids" the destruction was sudden and more immediate. In"Kraken" the destruction is more gradual and drawn out, like asick man fighting an illness. Like a disease, the invaders are neveractually seen, but the damage they do is great. Once more it looks like thehuman race is finished, but the book ends with optimism. A book worthreading.

A brilliantly idea brilliantly well-told
This is perhaps one of my favourite books ever!Being new to SciFi, and what with the stigma it gets, I wasn't expecting much from this, but I was pleasantly surprised!Entertaining, intelligent and beliveable characters(like everyone else I was amazed at the relationship Wyndham concoctsbetween Mike Watson and his wife Phyllis--it's also tremendously fun towatch her 'work' on prospective interviewees for their scripts) and anintelligent, believeable plot, too, which reads like a historical document. If you thought "The Andromeda Strain" was a thrillinglybelieveable foray into a possible doomsday scenario, think again--Wyndhamhas all that and more.This is a fantastic novel, and I strongly recommendit to anyone in search of a good, smart read--Sci Fi fan and non-fansalike. ... Read more

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Village of the Damned
The place: Midwich - a sleepy English village virtually undisturbed since the time of William the Conqueror.

The time: Precisely 10:17 on the night of September 26th, when Midwich is surprised by strange visitors.

The result: Every woman in Midwich pregnant - the first signs of a strange and terrifying threat to the whole human race...
... Read more

Product Description
First published as "Planet Plane" by "John Beynon." British author Wyndham was best known for his novel, "Day of the Triffids." ... Read more

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John Wyndham and John Beynon were pen names of British science-fiction writer John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris (1903-1969). His many works include "The Day of the Triffids," "The Kraken," "The Midwich Cuckoos," "Trouble with Lichen," "Chocky." This work was first published as "Planet Plane" by "John Beynon." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very close alternate version of Chrysalids, but not exact--Great Book in any event
Hi all.Many of us regard Chrysalids as John Wyndham's greatest book, and as one of the classics of sci-fi, or more accurately, speculative fiction.It combines a driving narrative with wonderful, complex commentary on intolerance, fundamentalism of all kinds, and fear of evolution (among other things).I like Wyndham's other work, especially Midwich Cuckoos, but this book is so lighter of touch, so much more inventive, and so much more moving it's almost hard to believe the same man wrote it.

So what does this have to do with Re-Birth?In 1955, when Re-Birth/Chrysalids was released, it was released under the title Re-Birth in the U.S., then under the title Chrysalids in the U.K. a few months later (interesting, given Wyndham's greater popularity in the U.K.).The two versions have some very interesting differences: nothing hugely significant in terms of plot, but very intriguing for lovers of the book in terms of theme.Eventually the book seemed to come to be known as Chrysalids most everywhere, though editions known as Re-Birth, with the altered text, survive.This one on Amazon is one of those.

SO. . .
A. If you love Chrysalids, it's worth picking up a copy of Re-Birth to see the differences.It's particularly interesting to ponder WHY Wyndham made the changes he did for the two different audiences.(Or perhaps the changes were forced on him by editors?)
B. If you teach Chrysalids (as I do), be aware that the books are NOT identical.
C. It's a great book under any name, and you'll love it if you love thoughtful fiction--don't let the sci-fi label put you off, it's pretty far from standard sci-fi.
D. English Departments in Canadian secondary schools love to teach this book: just check out the sales rankings on Amazon's Canada site.Just a fun fact!

Thanks and good night :-).
oneverystreet ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (12)

Chock Full of...
...delightful surprises!

Matthew, 11, a bright, pre-adolescent boy has been receiving visits from a mysterious, possibly alien being called Chocky.He and Chocky have long, esoteric conversations that suggest that perhaps Chocky is not a resident of Planet Earth.The question is, does Chocky exist? And what gender is Chocky? Matthew initially identified Chocky as male, then later on Chocky is referred to as being female.

The dialog is nothing short of brilliant; the dynamics are uncannily convincing. This is an excellent book.

Matthew has a highly irritating younger sister. I just loved it when their father told her to shut up when she wanted to drone on about Twinklehooves, a fictional horse in one of her books. What a foolish girl chock full of inane chatter. I also thought that response served her right as nobody wanted to listen to her silly palaver. Matthew, on the other hand had an open, receptive mind and was able to receive Chocky.

Chocky comes through for Matthew's irritating sister.When she nearly drowns, Matthew saves her, but says that Chocky saved her.His drawings become startlingly sophisticated, a talent he also attributes to Chocky.Matthew starts to view the world through Chocky's eyes and when his work is submitted to an art show without his permission, Chocky's "existence" snowballs.

The boy's parents fear he will be kidnapped for his knowledge of esoteric matters via Chocky.Chocky realizes Matthew is in danger and that others will try to use him to get to him/her, Chocky and Chocky's information.Once Chocky imparts this final message, s/he leaves Matthew, never to return in any form.It is believed that Chocky is an extra terrestrial.

The conversations between the boy and the being are deep and profound; they expound on questions of routine existence that many take for granted.Chocky raises Matthew's level of appreciation for his life and the people in it.

Not Wyndham's best, but pretty good all the same
When young children start to hold conversations apparently with themselves, we normally pass it off as another case of `imaginary friends'. But Chocky is no figment of the imagination. 11-year-old Matthew causes his parents alarm and then concern when he holds lengthy and articulate discussions with something clearly not of this world, as the questions he seemed to hear and respond to were pertinent and intelligent ones, as though asked by a being interested in learning more about our Planet.

The being's activities were not limited to asking questions. When Matthew's younger sister was in danger of drowning, impelled by the commands of this being, Matthew, who has never been a strong swimmer, dives in and rescues her, making himself a local hero. Matthew, however, would not take credit for the brave deed and attributes it to Chocky, who he cannot determine as male or female but merely a being from another planet who is communicating with him telepathically.
Through Chocky's eyes, Matthew produces startling artwork of everyday Planet Earth things seen from Chocky's perspective. Intrigued, Matthew's schoolteacher enters, without Matthew's permission, one of these drawings to a children's art competition. This raises a lot of suspicion and also speculation on what's ailing young Matthew. The psychiatrist is convinced that Chocky is a manifestation of subconscious conflicts within the boy. Matthew's parents are not so sure.
The only grownups, apart from Matthew's parents, who are actually convinced that Matthew has been visited, in his mind, by an extra-terrestrial intelligent life form wish the boy harm and kidnap him in order that they can exploit the abundant knowledge Chocky has given Matthew. Aware of the danger Matthew is in, Chocky communicates his/her reasons for `choosing' Matthew to his parents and then leaves for good.
`Chocky' is a plausible story, beautifully written to provoke thinking and not panic. What sets `Chocky' apart from other alien-invasion / alien-possession stories of that era is the amazing dialogues Matthew has with Chocky to convince the readers that Chocky is unfamiliar with our planet and is unable to comprehend the things we take for granted, for instance, why the months have different numbers of days and why animals such as cows have limited intelligence whereas people do not. Such keen observations demonstrate that Wyndham has an analytical and philosophical mind.
After Chocky's departure, Matthew reports feeling grief, but also greater awareness of his environment. Perhaps we can all learn a lesson from Chocky and have more open and inquiring minds and no longer take our world for granted.

interesting story, but not best-of-breed Wyndham novel..
John Wyndham's Chocky is a rather humanistic story about how a family deals with one son's mysterious unseen friend, Chocky.At first they thought their son was suffering from an over-exercised imagination.Then it becomes plainly that Chocky is real, and is literally from out of this world.Trite?In a way, yes.But I found the characterizations, especially of the parents, to be very well judged.So from a science fiction perspective Chocky doesn't enthrall, but otherwise it stands fairly well on its own.

However I expected much more.John Wyndham has written some very intriguing books which really makes one think of social/environmental issues.The Chrysalids, for me, is his best.Wyndham simply didn't try to achieve such heights with Chocky, which is unfortunate.

Bottom line: a curious and very readable novel.But Wyndham has done much better.

a worthwhile insight...
Having had this book on my bookshelf for some months,i had decided to take it with me on my 3 day holiday which proved long enough to finish,this story may start off deceivingly simple but be not fooled there is alot to be learned from this book,while some may find the pace a tad slow there is meaning to this book and a suitable ending that answer enough questions that the book will probably have risen,overall i found it insightful into the human psyche relative to the universe,and our general disposition was cleverly depicted,also our protagonist Matthew is no cliche and neither are the devices the plot uses...
I have not really delved into the story as i didnt know much when i started and i found myself pleasantly suprised with the reading material...

Mr Wyndham definitely deserves the kudos he got for this book although this book may not be for everyone

Wyndham is brilliant, every time he goes out.
Another triumph by the greatest British science-fiction writer (sorry Aldis, you don't compete; & Clarke is a purely international phenomenon)This is later in his body of work, dating to 1968 (he died in '69), but carries the same authority, the same questions, the same hope for the future as his other works of the second flowering of his talent, that dating from the fifties and sixties, when he wrote as John Wyndham and not Benyon Harris or some other variation from his name.Chocky is, apparently, a being from another planet, star system, galaxy even, who is able to communicate by mind with a young boy ~ the protagonist's son.Naturally, the alien culture, science, technology, civilisation are all well in advance of ours; Chocky's task is to be a teacher, to guide us into a more mature use of the Earth and, especially, x-x-x-x-x ~ a power system based on the interstellar radiation ~ which will enable us to develop properly.Unfortunately, for her task, Chocky becomes emotionally involved where she ought to be detached, and her mission is, this time, a failure.Wyndham's interest is not so much the story, though that is fascinating, but the ideas behind the story, and, more particularly, the questions raised by the suppositions of the plot.What would happen if a child heard a voice from outside itself?Why can mind not be cast across space since, as Chocky points out, it is massless and maybe not subject to the terminal velocity of light?And, though this is a secondary question, can there be points of contact between alien species?Wyndham's answer appears to be that at least one such point might be art, a curious suggestion.© Elsie Wilson, 2002. ... Read more

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It's not," he said, "the plain, straight-in-the-face stare which troubles me as much as the oblique method
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Cute little short story
Actually it is VERY short but typical john Wyndham.I took off one star for being predictable, not that that is necessarily a bad thing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A Parable For Modern Weapons Research
It would be a mistake to think this book is about flamethrowers. The flamethrower is really a MacGuffin for a view into the tension between operational needs on the battlefield and the political and procurement considerations for meeting those needs.

The centerpiece of the book revolves around an operational need which repeatedly manifested on the battlefield - how to efficiently clear entrenched positions and enclosed spaces such as caves, buildings, pillboxes and trenches. The most viable solution at the time was flame. However, that didn't make the decision to field and produce such weapons any less palatable to the Army. Much of the book centers on the friction between field commanders looking for a solution, engineers trying to create a reliable system and the "big Army" who reluctantly fielded flame weapons only when other options were impractical.

The missteps, delays, and spurts of progress detailed in the book are eerily familiar to the modern battlefield. A parallel book could easily be written about the modern Army's search for solutions to combat IEDs and indirect mortar fire. While the issues associated with such efforts may seem frustrating to the modern citizen, reading this book shows that the issues associated with finding solutions are as old as warfare itself.

To echo what other reviewers have said, rarely does a book cram such meticulous research into such a concise, clear and direct volume. While the subtitle states that the book covers 1918-1945, it goes beyond those years all the way to Desert Storm. The underlying message is that incendiary weapons have a place on the battlefield, no matter how we try to disguise or mask their mechanism of operation.

My only criticism is that sometimes the research gets in the way of the narrative. The ambitious scope of the book is sometimes betrayed by the amazingly engaging research that went into it. It could easily be twice the size or spawn a few sequels. The author is obviously trying to fill a void of published works on the topic, almost inviting the reader to use his research as a stepping stone for more detailed analysis. While perfect for a historian, someone reading the book for more general information may be turned off by juxtaposition between the avalanche of details and the hook of the narrative.

An amazing effort that satisfies both the academic and the military history nut. Well worth tracking down and reading.

A Superb History and Analysis of Uncommon Weaponry
It is hard to match the words of the review by Russell Proctor, or even try to say as much as the prolific review of William Schneck, but I think Ican say that in the some 1,500 books of military history and weaponry Ihave read in my lifetime, rarely have I read a book so useful and sothoroughly researched. John Wyndham Mountcastle is a superb writer, whoclearly knows his subject matter and never flinches from imparting to thereader the importance that incendiary weapons have played in so manyconflicts.He also deals with the important moral questions that arisewhenever anyone considers employing incendiary weapons.I would beinterested in hearing at some point Mr. Mountcastle's further thoughts onthe impact that these weapons had on opposing forces, if and when it becameknow to them that their opponents possessed such weapons and were preparedto use them.In other words, what was the "terror" effect ofmerely carrying these weapons in one's effecive arsenal?I never had theopportunity to use incendiary weapons during my military service, but myfather told me of their effective and devastating use on Iwo Jima in 1945. If the Japanese forces could have had the opportunity to read such aterrific book as Mr. Mountcastle's, they probably never would have given ussuch a hard time in the sands of Iwo!

Essential for the Serious Military Reader
This work should be in the library of all serious students of military history and warfare.The author covers both the technical aspect of flame and flame weapons, and the strategic and tactical uses of flame fromancient times to the present.The technical descriptions of the devicesand equipment are complete, accurate and easy to understand.As with allsuch works there are some minor shortcomings, such as little discussion onthe use of the fougasse in defense of fixed fortifications againstcommunist attacks on Special Forces camps in the Vietnam War, but theseshortcomings do not detract from the great value of the total work. General Mountcastle is widely known for his leadership when Chief ofMilitary History, and this book is a good example of the thorough way heapproaches things.Readers might also note that his career includedcommand of armed formations to brigade size.He understands combat, andbrings that understanding to this book.It should be on the reading listof every military historian.

A Work Essential For the Student of Military History
The author, a distinguished retired general officer, has done an excellent job of documenting the history of the use of flame in warefare.He has very accurately described both the technical aspects of flame devices andthe tactical and strategic uses they were put to.In addition he has welldiscussed the ethical and moral issues that must be dealt with when flameweapons are employed.The only aspect of flame warefare not discussed isthe use of the fougasse, a device used in Vietnam in defense of SpecialForces camps.That said, this is a very complete work, and should be inthe library of any serious student of military history.

Flame On
This book is a detailed, scholarly work by the former chief of military history for the U.S. Army, General John Mountcastle.Beginning with incidents in the Old Testament, the author describes the history of flameweapons.He includes information on such topics as the use of a primitiveflamethrower during the siege of Delium (424 BC) and the development of"Greek Fire."However, the development of flame weapons remained episodic,until the German's modern man-packed flamethrowers made its combat debut inWorld War I. Richard Fiedler, an engineer in Berlin, invented the firstprototype in 1901.Early in the development, the German Army recognizedthat the ungainly flamethrowers required trained operators and mechanics tofunction.The Germans mounted the first attack with flamethrowers on 26February 1915 against French troops near Verdun.The French fled in panic. As a result, the Germans organized the Third Guard Pioneer Battalion.Asthe war progressed, the pioneers' flamethrowers became an integral part ofGerman "stormtroop tactics." The flamethrower was a difficult and dangerousweapon to use.However, when combined with other technical innovations andthe tactical flexibility inherent in the pioneer corps, the result was ahighly effective combined arms teams at the company and battalion level. Led by their "sturmpionier," the German stormtroopers were able to restoreoperational maneuver to the deadlocked western front by using flexible,dismounted infantry tactics at the same time that the Allies were turningto the tank. Another item of note was the use of a specialized workshopunit to maintain and modify the equipment of the pioneers as necessary,further enhancing their flexibility and timeliness. As latecomers to theFirst World War, the Americans had to `play catch up" in a number of areas. In the American Expeditionary Force, the Gas Service (the predecessor oftoday's Chemical Corps) was the responsibility of the Corps of Engineers. The 30th Engineer Regiment (Gas and Flame) under the command of LieutenantColonel Amos Fries (Corps of Engineers) was formed to provide support inthis new area of Chemical and incendiary warfare.The 30th Engineers(renamed the 1st Gas Regiment in August 1918) developed a close workingrelationship with their British counterparts, the Royal Engineers of the"Special Brigade."However, Lieutenant Colonel Fries had a strong biasagainst flamethrowers and preferred to focus on gas countermeasures.Afterthe war, Congress authorized the establishment of the Chemical WarfareService, with Fries as chief.During the inter-war period, he continued tofavor the development of chemical warfare agents over flame weapons.As aresult, the U.S. continued to neglect developments in this area. However,this was not the case within the resurgent German military of the 1930s.The German pioneers, as well as their British counterparts, havehistorically maintained a strong interest in close-combat `assaultengineering.'This was well demonstrated in the stunning German victoriesover the west in 1940.Once again, the German attack was led by thepioneers.Indeed, a platoon of about 80 airborne pioneers made a dawnglider assault on the 700 man strong Belgian fortress of Eben Emael.Thisfort blocked the advance of the northern German pincer into the Netherlandsand was considered to be one of the strongest forts in the world.Usingflamethrowers and shaped charges, the latter were a secret weapon makingtheir combat debut, the pioneers shocked the world by neutralizing the fortin 30 minutes.Through the insightful writings of Captain Paul Thompson(Corps of Engineers), this stunning victory served as a `wake up' to theAmericans on the importance of flame weapons and close-combat assaulttactics.However, the engineers lacked the doctrine and training toeffectively use the new weapons, which also suffered from lack of care andproper maintenance.The development of vehicle mounted flamethrowers alsosuffered, due to a strong aversion to the development of special-purposearmored combat engineer vehicles on the part of the US Army. The lack ofarmored flamethrowers in Europe may have contributed to the difficultiesthe Americans had on Omaha Beach on D-Day.In fact, on several occasions,the American had to request support from the British Crocodile flamethrowertanks in order to reduce German fortifications.The Americans found thatoften times, just a demonstration of a flamethrower within sight of thedefenders was enough to induce surrender or withdrawal.In fact, GeneralPatton was forced to improvise flamethrower tanks in the field.He wasquite pleased with the results. In the Pacific Theatre, however, theprevalence of close-combat operations against the Japanese in prepareddefenses forced American units in the field to develop effective flametactics.As a result, thoroughly trained, properly led flamethrower unitswere developed by the infantry and engineers of the Army and Marines. Indeed, the Marines stated that man-pack flamethrowers were responsible forbreaching the Japanese defenses on Tarawa, in November 1943.When somesoft-hearted Americans protested the use of flame weapons, General GeorgeC. Marshall stood-up for the lives of the American citizens serving on theline in combat and stated, "Vehement protests I am receiving against ouruse of flame throwers don't indicate an understanding of the meaning of ourdead on...Tarawa." American armored flamethrowers (fabricated in workshopson Hawaii using Sherman tanks) made their Pacific debut on Iwo Jima, wherethe first eight proved their worth.By the time the attack on Okinawa waslaunched, the 713th Armored Flamethrower Battalion had been formed with 54flame tanks.It was credited with 4,788 kills, with no loss to themselves. As one magazine summed up, "There are few arguments about fire; it savesU.S. lives and kills Japs." Although this review has focussed on theflamethrower, this book also provides an extensive discussion ofair-dropped incendiaries and the moral issues involved in the use of flameweapons, particularly against cities like Hamburg, Dresden, Yokohoma, andTokyo. Combat engineers should find this book to be fascinating reading. It is recommended to all who are interested in weapons and tactics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Same story over and over
While I did enjoy the book, most particularly the title story, maybe 5 of the stories have the same conceit--something happens to move someone through time.Whether it's an experimental drug or a physics experiment or a bump from a streetcar, the character is moved to another time and there's the story.Wyndham writes well and this is a quick book, but whoever edited this should have built in some variety.Nonetheless, 4 stars

Curiouser and Curiouser
"Consider Her Ways and Others" is another collection of short stories by John Wyndham. A book of stories covering a variety of weirdsituations, this is a book that is sadly hard to find.

The best story isthe first one, "Consider Her Ways". Set in a future where men areextinct, female society is regimented and "perfect". The storyhas something of a "12 Monkeys" feel to it, especially at theend. It also pre-dates the Women's Lib movement by a decade. Feministswould love this story.

Another memorable story is "RandomQuest", in which a scientist is accidentally transported to analternate reality where his other self is a successful writer. (This storywas filmed as "Quest For Love" in the 1970s. Denholm Elliot wasone of the stars.)

"A Long Spoon" involves the devil. This is ahumorous story that comes at the end.

"Consider Her Ways andOthers" is a perfect companion to John Wyndham's other collection ofstories "The Seeds of Time". This is genuine science fiction.Overall, there are six stories in the book. And there's not a single spaceship in any of them!

Brilliant and chilling
This fabulous novella is, in my opinion, John Wyndham's best work.The possibility of a future such as the one painted here is horrifying, and we find ourselves identifying with the torment of the central character.Justwhen we think it has all worked out, we find a twist in the tale, and theend is truly chilling.

A definite must read. ... Read more