Product Description
This series of essays aims to expand understanding of the Battle of Gettysburg. They offer controversial interpretations, to prompt re-evaluation of several officers - such as Robert E. Lee, Daniel E. Sickles and Henry W. Slocum - who played crucial roles during the second day of the battle. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Studies of the Second Day at Gettysburg
This book is the second of a three-volume collection of essays edited and introduced by Gary Gallagher that explore leadership and other critical issues during each of the three days of the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1-3, 1863. On the first day of the Battle, elements of the Union and Confederate armies collided to the North and West of Gettysburg with the result that the Union Army was pushed back to a strong position on Cemetery Hill and Cemetery Ridge to the South and East of the town. The five essays in this volume explore important and controversial actions in the following second day of the Battle.

The first essay in the volume is by Professor Gallagher himself, "If the Enemy is There, we must attack him." This essay explores an underlying issue of the entire battle -- Confederate commander Robert E. Lee's decision to assume the offensive on July 2 and to attack the powerful Union position. General Lee's decision was opposed at the time and for many years thereafter by General James Longstree, Lee's primary subordinate. Longstreet favored a movement around the right of the Union army. Other options that Lee might have considered include assuming a defensive posture and awaiting a Union attack. Professor Gallagher explores each of these options and comes to a measured assessment of Lee's decision.

The second essay "The Peach Orchard Revisited: Daniel E. Sickles and the Third Corps on July 2, 1863" is by William Robertson, Professor at the Combat Studies Institute, U.S. Army. Professor Robertson examines the decision of Union General Dan Sickles, commander of the Third Corps of the Army, to move his Corps from the position that Union Commander George Meade assigned to it on Cemetery Ridge to a salient about 3/4 mile in front of the Union line. Controversy has raged over the years over the wisdom and effect of Sickles's unauthorized move on the result of the Battle. Professor Robertson makes an excellent attempt to examine this issue afresh. He concludes, probably contrary to the opinion of most students of the Battle, that Sickle's move had a great deal to commend it, even though Professor Robertson is highly critical of Sickles's failure to coordinate his action with Meade.

The third essay, "If Longstreet Says so it is most likely not true" by Robert Krick, a biographer of Stonewall Jackson, is polemical in character. It is highly critical of the role Longstreet played in the events of Gettysburg, particularly on the second day. Most of this essay is a discussion of various statements of other Southern leaders critical of Longstreet and a criticism of Longstreet's actions at places other than Gettysburg. A more careful examination of Longstreet's actions during the second day of the Battle itself would have been welcome.

The fourth essay, " A Step All-Important and Essential to Victory": Henry W. Slocum and the Twelfth Corps on July 1-2, 1863" is by A. Wilson Greene, executive director of the Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites. It discusses and assesses the leadership of the Commander of the Union Twelfth Corps, General Slocum, during his tardy march to the Battlefield on July 1 and during the defense of Culp's Hill on the extreme Union right on July 2. Culp's Hill remains a relatively little-known part of the Battle, but it was the scene of furious fighting. The climax of the action on Culp's Hill was General "Pap" Greene's holding of the position with only a single brigade against a force that outnumbered him 3-1 during the evening of July 2. Wilson Greene's essay argues that this aspect of the Battle was, indeed, not of the greatest significance to the ultimate result. He is also critical of Slocum's performance throughout the Battle.

The final essay in this collection is by Scott Hartwig, a ranger and historian with the National Park Service at Gettysburg, titled "No troops had done better": John Caldwell's Division in the Wheatfield, July 2, 1863". This essay is unique in the collection in that it examines command at the Division rather than the Corps or Army level. It focuses on the bloody fighting in the Wheatfield which resulted from the position assumed by General Sickles (essay 2). Caldwell's Division was sent to reinforce the position and fought heroically, if ultimately unsuccessfully to hold the Wheatfield. This essay does an excellent job in exploring command under combat conditions featuring lack of knowledge of the position, lack of coordination, and difficulties of communication among the troops. I recently attended an anniversary battle walk at Gettysburg which covered the fighting in the Wheatfield, and Caldwell's role, in great detail. I learned a great deal by following-up with Hartwig's essay.

This book presupposes a basic familiarity with the Battle of Gettysburg and with the chief areas of controversy resulting from this great Battle. These essays are thoughtful and provocative and will enhance the student's understanding.

Narrow Focus and Krick Uses Canister on Longstreet
This book is the third in a series of essays on the Gettysburg battle and as much as I thoroughly enjoyed the First day and the Third, this book is my least favorite. Although, Gallagher as usual writes a very fair and well researched essay on REL and his reasoning and actions at Gettysburg, the remaining three authors are a little too narrow in scope on their topic or in the case of Krick to eager to harpoon the great white whale. Gallagher has the best essay as he explains Lee's position, options and reasoning in a very logical format. He also underlines well Lee's interactions with his generals.

It was very disappointing that Krick who is a tremendously well researched writer on Jackson and who adores him writes the critical essay on Longstreet who Krick has a long history of open disgust. Krick starts off his essay with a collection of everything ugly that was ever said about Longstreet to incredulous proportions that he even includes the relatively few comments made by Longstreet's trusted subordinates. Often quoting McLaws who called Longstreet a "great big humbug", in contrast it was noted in Jeffery Wertz's more recent book that recently discovered documentation between Longstreet and McLaws indicated that Lee wanted Longstreet to either ride McLaws hard to keep him from being lethargic or lose him, which may explain the strains in their relationship. It's no secret that Longstreet was not motivated for a frontal assault and he is taken to task for trying to conceal moving 20,000 men from an open field although I would agree he could have done it more effectively. Krick roasts Longstreet every which way, he criticizes him for not embracing Lee's attack plan and arguing but then beats him up for refusing Hood's last minute desire to flank the round tops. By this time, Longstreet played Lee too long for the same request thus he ordered the attack a fact Longstreet never hid even in his writings; however, poorly written. Krick in effect makes Longstreet look like such a dolt that it reflects negatively on Lee, as if he was incapable of either command or command changes. Looking at the number of officers that Lee moved out after the Seven days and at Antietam, Lee could and did reassign anyone that displeased him. The second day was the heaviest fighting on the field and in spite of the Union position; the First Corp almost breaks through. This should have been the best and most critical essay in the book and I think more even handed in the analysis.

The remaining two essays maintain a more narrow scope. Greene expertly explains the bewildering day of Slocum and the 12th Corp. Slocum inexplicitly does not march to the sound of the guns embracing orders that are out of date and when he pulls into Culps Hill to become the senior commander he seems to lose control of his corps not even knowing the whereabouts of his divisions. Fortunately for the Union, no great attack occurred while 2/3's to the division marched away from their positions to assist the Union Center and left flank and while Geary inexplicitly marched from Culps Hill away from the battle essentially getting lost. Only Greene's division hang's on beating Johnson's dramatic attack in which he out numbered Greene 3 to 1. Slocum's units return at the end of the day. The one piece that would have added an interesting aspect to the essay was how the Confederates just missed out on having over whelming numbers in the attack phase to the point of success. Part of it is explained in that the Stonewall Brigade had to watch a threat from the east but a little more detail would have been wonderful. It sounds that this was the great possibility for a breakthrough while the maligned Longstreet's attack took much of the focus of the Union's attention away.

The last essay by Hartwig is a detailed study of General Caldwell's division filling the breach at the Wheatfield stemming the attack by the First Corp led by Kershaw, Anderson and Semmes. Plugging the hole expertly and timely without any leadership from either Corp commanders on the field. He borrows commands to fill holes in his line and he stymies the Confederate attack until Barksdale and Wofford's brigade ruptures Sickles line collapsing Caldwell's exposed right flank. In spite of high casualties and expert service, Caldwell is castigated by his superiors and eventually loses his command. He's never properly appreciated and perhaps is made inappropriately culpable by his inept Corp commander whose ruthless critique may have been the cover for his own limited performance.

Another essay was needed, what was A. P. Hill doing?

Leadership: Decisions....decisions...
Gary Gallagher has brought together the 2nd Day at Gettysburg in a format similar to his 1st Day book in regards to Union and Confederate leadership.This 2nd Day book offers insight to popular questions and accusations made towards officers involved in various battles during the second day of events.As with other publications by Gallagher, Gallagher teams up with other noted historians in a series of chapters that offer their viewpoints to popular battles during the 2nd Day.Gary Gallagher takes on the tough task of questions that arise to Lee�s decisions to attack in the early morning of July 2nd, 1863 while William Glenn Robertson tries to answer questions in regards to Daniel Sickle�s 3rd Corps movements.

Robertson defines Sickle�s with great biography to paint a picture of a man whose military leadership is often backed by political tension and propaganda.Robertson does a fine job in looking at Sickle�s reasons for moving the 3rd Corps and also Meade�s reaction to such positioning.As the book continues Robert Krick looks at General James Longstreet and tries to answer questions as to why this general was slow to react to Lee�s orders on the 2nd how others around the man were upset with his sluggish approach to handling the 2nd day affairs.Krick points out key elements to Longstreet�s decision making as it was typical of the commander to be defensive and stubborn throughout the Civil War.It was interesting to read Krick�s views on Longstreet�s career and how Longstreet handled southern verbal attacks made against him for years after the war.

Wilson Greene brought on his chapter in regards to Howard Slocum�s defense of Culp�s Hill.Greene initially captured the flavor of Slocum though soon ran into a lengthy discussion of Culp�s Hill deployment and battle which did not seem to compliment this chapter�s basis of discussion.I felt it painted a good picture of the events though didn�t associate with enough impact to Slocum.Slocum I felt became a less-than central figure in the discussion which seemed to lessen the importance of titling the chapter �Henry J. Slocum and the Twelfth Corps on July 1-2, 1863.� I was disappointed with this chapter.

Scott Hartwig brought on a very intriguing and worthwhile chapter in regards to the Wheatfield which centered on General Caldwell and his command.This was a very refreshing chapter after being bored with Green�s Slocum chapter. Hartwig wanted to show that Sickle�s blunder had brought about chaos and confusion for other commanders such as Caldwell.Over years Caldwell has taken much blame for his rigid task at hand at the Wheatfield conflict in the 2nd.Hartwig defines the movments and executions carefully with maps and thorough research making this chapter probably the best written of all.It reads well and also shows that Caldwell had a huge undertaking thrust upon him that afternoon on the 2nd and respectively handled a burdensome task.

This book is a great read for those looking to deepen their Gettysburg research.For the novice I would not recommend this book as it does not bring forth the entire 2nd Day battle, it only answers questions popular to 2nd Day events.For the student looking for further insight, I highly recommend this book.It�s a must read!!

Thoughtful, thorough, but arid.
An excellent, thoughtful work for the serious student or researcher.Gallegher seems to have made something of a cottage industry of these edited collections of late, but he does it well.Probably not of much use,however, unless one has a good overall view of the second day, for whichI'd recommend Pfanz's work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Marcel: The Mystery Revealed
Professor Gallagher: Thank you for your study.I was a student of Professor Henry Bugbee, who wrote The Inward Morning.Because of my interest in Professor Bugbee, I began to read Marcel.I have read Marcel for years without any real understading.Within a few pages in the "Winding Path", the first chapter in your study, matters began to fall into place for me.I now begin to see why Professor Bugbee was so drawn to Marcel. I am grateful indeed for your elucidation of Marcel. The Inward Morning a Philosophical Exploraton in Journal Form ... Read more

Product Description
Second in the breathtaking Irish trilogy from the #1 New York Times bestselling author.

Nora Roberts returns to Ireland in this tale of a talented musician and the beautiful tomboy who's been secretly in love with him for years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (191)

Another fave!
'Jewels of the Sun' and 'Tears of the Moon' (books 1 and 2 of the Gallagher series) are among my favorite NR books. They are both full of characters I wish I knew and places I'd love to visit. I finished the books feeling that I'd lived a short time in an Irish village!

I loved the characters of Shawn and Brenna. It was fun to watch them move from a lifelong friendship into a great love story. The struggle of meshing Shawn, the sensitive artist, with the no-nonsense, no-frills Brenna was realistic, often funny, sometimes heartbreaking, and very right. It takes them a while to figure out how much they each need the qualities of the other, even when it makes them crazy. As in Book 1, the secondary characters are well written, interesting, and give depth to the story. My favorite of this trilogy!

thank you for creating it on kindle, finally
I heart all of the books from this series greatly, but this is one of my complete favs. Thank you for finale putting this one on kindle, it was weird that you had the other 2 but not this one, so again, thank you kindle, finale. Indeed.

Unavailable??
Only giving it a 1, because it is irritating to be able to order books 1 and 3, but not 2 - unavailable in the US.I understand the publishing rights and money exchange between publishers, author, and Amazon/kindle; however, if you can order 2 of them you should be able to order the 3rd.Happening with other Nora Roberts books as well.

Nora Roberts books
the book is in great shape and I only read Nora Roberts book do need some more of the trilogy books to complete the sets I have purchased at garage sales so will be ordering more as soon as I finish this set. Thank you Priscilla

Nice Romance with a touch of fantasy.Wonderful.
I had always thought Nora Roberts probably wrote those romantic books that were so mushy and treacly that you were ill by the end of it.Instead I found a writer that mixed romance with humor and a dash of fantasy.Total fun.I found I could not put this book down and I recommend it for anyone who likes "romance lite".It is the second in the Irish or Gallagher Trilogy and I recommend starting with the first book, Jewel of the Sun.

I am looking forward to reading more of Ms. Roberts trilogies! ... Read more

Product Description
Claudia, Becca, and Monica have their own club the Whatever Club.What are they supposed to do when Claudias friend Adam wants to join?He doesnt play by the clubs rules, and hes making the Whatever Club miserable.But Claudia doesnt want to lose one of her best friends. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Excellent Service.
Excellent service.
The book was in excellent condition.
I received the book in a very timely manner.
Very well pleased.

a wonderful guide for meditative prayer
I bought thisand several other books at a silent retreat recently attended and this is the one I found most interesting and helpful.I spend about 10 minutesreading, reflecting, praying and imaging the scripture and have been truly blessed by this experience.

Just what I needed spiritually
I have been interested in Ignatian Spirituality for some time. This book is just what I needed to better understand it and Ignatian Prayer.

Praying with scripture
This is an excellent book for beginners, very easy to read and understand, with examples of prayers.If you are just starting to pray with scripture this book is for you. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (106)

A bit disappointing...
I loved the first two books in this series. They are among my favorite NR books. I'm sorry to say that I was a bit disappointed in this book. The character of Darcy had so much potential in the first two books and I was really looking forward to her story. Unfortunately, I didn't see much of the warmth and depth of her personality that seemed was coming from the other stories. She was more shallow, not as lovable as before. Not a bad character, but not what I was hoping for. As for Trevor, another okay character, but not one I could love. I'm not completely sure why the book didn't do it for me, as it seems many people loved it. I liked it in that it rounded out and finished the story, both for Darcy and for the other main characters. It also gave us the resolution to the fairy part of the story. For these reasons, it's on my keeper shelf, but I was really hoping for a little more punch.

I NEVER recieved it!!!!!!
I never recieved this Trilogy!I order alot of books on CD in addition to borrowing them from individuals & the library so I did not
notice that it never arrived until after looking over my records.If I am misaken about ordering itin the first place, please correct me but I belive I recall paying for it!Thats when I said to myself, I never got this!Heart of the Sea: Irish Jewels Trilogy, Book 3
Thank you,
b

Drivel - Beyond Belief
My only excuse for having read this to the end is that I was stranded and had nothing else to read.It's silly, predictable and boring, with one-dimensional characters in a stereotypical setting.Beware!It is mind-numbing - there are plenty of good reads around, don't bother with this one.

Great Nora Roberts Trilogy
I was missing the 3rd book in this trilogy by Nora Roberts so I was very pleased to find a good used one at Amazon.com.I like ordering from Amazon.com because they have such a huge selection of items and the delivery is always speedy.

Wonderful!
This trilogy is one of my very favorites!I love the setting in Ireland, the characters are real, believable and interesting.The mix of the magic and fairies to the plot adds just a little extra without detracting from the rest of the plot.I loved this trilogy!!! ... Read more

Product Description

CMMI-ACQ^® (Capability Maturity Model^® Integration for Acquisition) describes best practices for the successful acquisition of products and services. Providing a practical framework for improving acquisition processes, CMMI-ACQ addresses the growing trend in business and government for organizations to purchase or outsource required products and services as an alternative to in-house development or resource allocation.

Modeled after CMMI^®, Second Edition, which documented CMMI for Development, this book is the definitive reference for the current release of CMMI for Acquisition (version 1.2). In addition to the entire CMMI-ACQ model, the book includes tips, hints, cross-references, and other author notes to help you understand, apply, and find more information about the content of the acquisition process areas. The authors also have added two chapters to illustrate the application of CMMI-ACQ in industry (a case study from General Motors) and government. Whether you are new to CMMI models or are already familiar with one or more of them, you will find this book an essential resource for managing your acquisition processes and improving your overall performance.

The book is divided into three parts.

Part One introduces CMMI-ACQ in the broad context of CMMI models, including essential concepts and useful background. It then describes and shows the relationships among all the components of the CMMI-ACQ process areas, and explains paths to the adoption and use of the model for process improvement and benchmarking. Finally, two separate chapters describe special acquisition needs in a government environment and real experiences with CMMI-ACQ from industry.

Part Two first describes generic goals and generic practices, and then, in twenty-two sections, details each of the CMMI-ACQ process areas, including specific goals, specific practices, and examples. These process areas are organized alphabetically by process area acronym to facilitate quick reference.

Part Three provides several useful references, including sources for further information about CMMI and CMMI-ACQ, acronym definitions, a glossary of terms, and an index.

Customer Reviews (2)

CMMI-ACQ book
This is a good book but it does not have anything about implementing in government sites.

This official review is a must for a deep model understanding
This is the official guide to the ACQ constellation so it's a must.

Beyond that, it include very useful comments and tips, although do not forget it, it's a reference book which the authors tried to make easier to read and practical.

If you are going to work with Project Management Offices on environments where the projects are usually outsourced, a formal or unformal CMMI-ACQ implementation is a very good idea.

Alex Ballarin Latre / Barcelona ... Read more

Product Description
Dorothy Gallagher began her literary career fabricating stories about celebrities for a pulp magazine. Nothing she invented, however, could rival the facts surrounding her own family.

In a singular voice–intimate, fierce, hilarious–Gallagher takes you into the heart of her Russian Jewish heritage with stories as elegant and stylish as fiction. From the wrenching last stages of her parents’ lives, Gallagher moves back through time: to her parents’ beginnings, the adventures of her extended family, and the communist ideology to which they cling. Her aunt Lily sells lingerie to prostitutes; a family friend is found murdered in a bathtub; her cousin Meyer returns to the Ukraine to find his village near death from starvation; and a young Gallagher endures sessions in self-criticism at a Workers’ Children’s camp. Together these episodes tell the larger story of a generation living through tumultuous history, and record the acts of loving defiance of a daughter on her path to independence.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

perseverance
Inheritance is usually synonymous with money. Gallagher has to fight for hers and eventually wins. It's a story of semi-neglect and confusion that has a satisfying ending.But the true legacy of her parents is revealed in the remaining stories. Her own stubborn inherited character comes out in "No", "Good For Nothing", and "How I Became a Writer". Her memoir discusses love obliquely, with dark humor, and there is little mention of tenderness and affection by her mother and father. But it's there. Between the lines. Some parents are that way sometimes.

Family snapshots
HOW I CAME INTO MY INHERITANCE by Dorothy Gallagher is a story of family, or rather, episodes from a family history. About halfway through, I realized that Dorothy's immediate forebears had a history much similar to mine. Around the time of the Bolshevik Revolution, her maternal grandparents and their youngest children emigrated to the U.S. from the Ukraine, following their three eldest children sent over previously. About the same time, my paternal grandparents emigrated to America from Romania with their youngest offspring, the oldest son having gone on before. In both cases, additional children were born in the States. There was a shared experience there, however nebulous, that made me appreciate this book more than I might have.

Unlike the five-star SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS by Laura Shaine Cunningham, HOW I CAME INTO MY INHERITANCE is less of a warm and fuzzy celebration of family. The latter is perhaps more interesting than engaging, more poignant than charming. Each exhibits its author's own brand of humor, Gallagher's being a bit drier. Cunningham's pivot is always herself growing up, while Gallagher's stories often focus on her mother, father, and various aunts with only tangential reference to herself. Gallagher's have a discontinuous feel, although there is a broad, overlying time frame.

The politics of Dorothy's parents and aunts is perhaps unusual among written memoirs of the U.S. between the world wars. They were passionately Red. Lenin's photo had a place of honor on the wall; Uncle Joe Stalin and the victories of the Soviet armies against the Nazi invaders were much admired. During the Depression, capitalism in America appeared to be moribund, and the family was prepared to welcome the new socialist world order. Oddly, Gallagher doesn't mention how much of this revolutionary spirit she retained. Apparently, it just failed to take, as the political and religious passions of parents often do in their offspring.

For me, HOW I CAME INTO MY INHERITANCE hit its stride and was at its most interesting when Gallagher recounts her early efforts as a writer, first scribbling dubious stories about celebrities in such scandal mags as "Screen Stars" and "Movie World", forerunners of today's checkstand tabloids. Then, there was the agony of her first book, ALL THE RIGHT ENEMIES: THE LIFE AND MURDER OF CARLO TRESCA. Saddest is the second-to-last chapter, "The Last Indian", about her youngest aunt, Rachile, otherwise mostly ignored up to that point. Rachile outlived all of her siblings, dying convinced that she'd been terribly wronged throughout life by her brothers and sisters.

HOW I CAME INTO MY INHERITANCE suffers greatly from not including a section of visual snapshots. While Dorothy can see with her mind's eye, the reader needs to be shown faces. While it might not have made the narrative more joyful, it would've put flesh on the past and given it a more balanced perspective. (I remember my own maternal grandmother dying as a bitter, unhappy old woman. It's good that I have photos of her cheerfully and vibrantly young. One forgets from where the aged come.)

It appears to me that writing this book was the author's way of seeking closure. In the very last chapter, she recounts visiting Romania - as near as she could get to the Old Country - five years after her parents' deaths, and writes in the last paragraph:

"And now, in this odd and wracked corner of the world, on this hill ... grief slipped away. I felt happy as the day is long."

The Long and the Short of It
Dorothy Gallagher's "How I Came into My Inheritance" is a Hoot: rich with the humor of real events derived from real experience and real people. Even though Gallagher seems like she doesn't mean to be funny, she is...and some of these anecdotes are laugh out loud hilarious.
In many ways, we can all relate to this type of family expose in that most of us have had these same types of experiences with our own families. What most of us don't have though, is Gallagher's talent and her facility with the English language, which makes all of this come alive.
Though some of "HICIMI" is sad as befits the subject matter, most of this book is dangerously witty and underhandedly sly. This is the perfect book to give to your Mom, Dad, Aunts and Uncles for Christmas. Then you can all read from it around the Christmas dinner table and laugh till you puke.

Excellent and different
I've read any number of books -- memoirs and novels -- about women growing up in the late thirties/early forties in New York City, with immigrant parents involved in Communism. This was among the best -- clever, ironic, touching, laugh-out-loud funny. Only complaint: too short. I wanted to know more and more about Dorothy Gallagher and her family.

acerbic, caustic memoir examines Jewish immigrant culture
Dorothy Gallagher's trim memoir, "How I Came into My Inheritance," reminds readers that autobiographical writing can indeed be morbidly funny and acidic in its portrait of family life.Never once stopping to worry about the level of acid in these wonderfully crafted stories about her Russian-Jewish immigrant family, Gallagher at one glorifies and criticizes the conflicts, expectations and ambitions her parents' generation manifest after having arrived in the promised land, the United States.

Gallagher rebels against her family's orthodox ideology, not of being Jewish, but of complete devotion to communism.She notes that "a photograph of Lenin hung on the attic wall (I used to think it was my grandfather)."Perpetually a disappointment to her cantankerous father and her sarcastic and manipulative mother, Gallagher fights to reconcile her "evidently selfish and frivolous nature" with her parents' zealous dedication to "the Struggle for a Better World [emphasis is the author's]."Despite Gallagher's evident creative, discursive personality, nothing she can do measures up to her mother's morally rigid standards.Thus, readers observe Gallagher as a disappointment to her parents and at odds with herself.

Not once does the author lapse into self-pity.Instead, her chaotic, sarcasm-laden life becomes grist for a vocation which at least sounds respectable, that of being a writer.Her account of her evolution as a writer is the highlight of the memoir.She rubs shoulders with such luminaries as Bruce Jay Friedman and Mario Puzo while pounding out bilge for pulp magazines.As she hones her skills, she dismisses her later books with a self-deprecatory wave.Her willingness to mock her own self-presumed failures--as a daughter, as a wife, as a worker--makes one wonder how much of her parents' lack of approbation she absorbed during her childhood.

Dorothy Gallagher would dismiss sympathy for her life as misplaced sentiment.Instead, she writes her memoir with enough tartness to make any reader's mouth pucker.Her relatives are rough-and-tumble greenhorns who may or may not make peace with their new land.Foibles, failures and faults flow throughout this slender, wry memoir.As to her inheritance, Dorothy Gallager permits the reader to discern what wealth truly exists in her family. ... Read more

Product Description
The first three paperback books in the sensational Gallagher Girls spy-girl series.
  ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Gallagher is back with a belter of a book
I must admit to being a fan of Gallagher's work since Valley of Lights came out. It has been a long time since his last novel, but I think it was well worth the wait. Although slimmer than many of his later books, this serves to focus the intense emotions invoked in the reader. Certainly there is suspense, as in all of his books, but in this volume, more than some others there is the panic of being up against the clock.

This book is well worth seeking out for its adrenalin fuelled chills.

3 1/2 stars
This isn't what I would call a white knuckle thriller as mentioned by PW, though it was a solid effort. It seemed to drag on at times and was a little wordy, and it just didn't have that 'ooomph' I'm used to in a good thriller. I thought the cover to be very misleading too. I would have never looked at this book in the book store (I read the review in PW and got it from the library.) because the cover--which looks like it might be a spiritual story of a modern day tribe--doesn't give a hint that this might be a thriller at all. Well it's an average thriller at best so your better off getting it at your local library. ... Read more

Product Description
"Gracefully written and moving ... Things Seen and Unseen starts with Nora Gallagher entering the labyrinth of her life ... and ultimately it leads to the center of her being."--The Boston Globe

It started with an occasional Sunday, a "tourist's" visit to a local church. Eventually Nora Gallagher entered into a yearlong journey to discover her
faith and a relationship with God, using the Christian calendar as her compass.

Whether writing about her brother's battle against cancer, talking to homeless men about the World Series, or questioning the afterlife ("One world
at a time"), Gallagher draws us into a world of journeys and mysteries, yet grounded in a gritty reality. She braids together the symbols of the
Christian calendar, the events of a year in one church, and her own spiritual journey, each strand combed out with harrowing intimacy. Thought provoking and profoundly perceptive, Things Seen and Unseen is a remarkable demonstration that "the road to the sacred is paved with the ordinary."

"Like Kathleen Norris in Amazing Grace, Gallagher is renewing the language of ultimate concerns."--San Francisco Chronicle

"The deep serenity that suffuses Gallagher's work, the lyrical cadences in which she writes, do not blunt the sharp edges of what she discovered in her quest for meaning."--Los Angeles Times


Amazon.com Review
"I came to this church five years ago as a tourist and endedup a pilgrim," writes Nora Gallagher, speaking of her year at TrinityEpiscopal Church in Santa Barbara. It started with an occasionalSunday visit, a shy toe dip into the Episcopal Church. Eventually shedelved into a yearlong journey to discover her faith and arelationship with God, using the Christian calendar as hercompass. What KathleenNorris did for the language of the church in Amazing Grace,Gallagher does for the Christian calendar--finding contemporarymeaning in an ancient calendar that is often misunderstood orovershadowed with oppressive dogma.

Starting with the chapter titled "Advent," and ending with "OrdinaryTime," Gallagher speaks to the biblical and historical themes of thechurch's calendar, then offers a translation for living in America atthe end of the millennium. Most touching is her raw honesty, whetherwriting about feeding the homeless in the Community Kitchen or theunglamorous job of caring for a friend with AIDS. Indeed, it isGallagher's humble interpretations of faith that make her seasonalwisdom so trustworthy. "I learned something about faith, its muckynature, how it lies down in the mud with the pigs and the rabble," shesays when writing about the darkness of Advent. "...God is not toogood to hang out with jet-lagged women with cat-litter boxes in theirdining rooms, or men dying of AIDS, or, for that matter, someonenailed in humiliation to a cross."--Gail Hudson ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

not as good as Practicing Resurrection
I read Practicing Resurrection: A Memoir of Work, Doubt, Discernment, and Moments of Grace shortly before I read this book, and I like _Practicing Resurrection_ much better.

Neither has a strong narrative arc, but _Practicing Resurrection_ is full of beautiful heartbreaking moments, so the lack of a strong cohesive arc isn't felt as strongly, while _Things Seen and Unseen_ feels much more stumbling. There are still plenty of bits I like, but I am both much less engaged and much less moved. (It's also somewhat ironic reading stories of her being so un-pastoral, knowing that in her next book she will discuss discerning a vocation to the priesthood.)

Book purchase
Book condition exactly as described, well-packed and promptly delivered.Would use this seller again.Thank you!

I'm sorry I bought this book
I will not even pass this book on to my friends to read. I would be embarrassed to say that I even read it. This book is so superficial that it is like gravy that is so thin, it slides off the meat of the meal and offers no sustenance at all. To tell you the truth, it is more like reading a blog than a book. From the other reviews, I thought that this book would be insightful and inspirational in an uplifting way, but it wasn't. It has everything to do with acting spiritual, but nothing to do with being a Christian. Just because you perform good works does not make you Christian, any one can do that. I longed to hear how Jesus Christ transformed the author and the characters surrounding her, but all I read was how they as a group transformed and supported one another. 2 Timothy 4:3

Things Seen and Unseen
Loved this book so much I read her follow-up book Practicing Resurrection.An introspective book that allows the reader to hear her/his voice.We feel Gallagher's struggle and she is honest about the difficult decision she must make regarding whether or not to seek ordination in the Episcopal church.I won't ruin the book by revealing which path she decides to choose.Gallagher is an excellent speaker and writer.

Affable Spiritual Memoir
Nora Gallagher's "Things Seen and Unseen" calls to mind Lauren Winner's Girl Meets God:Both are a series of vignettes about faith, structured around a religious calendar, and both women are exceptionally well-read.

Gallagher, however, lacks some of Winner's spiritual angst; while Winner bounces back and forth between Judaism and Christianity, Gallagher stays in one place (the Episcopal Church) as she tries to figure out what it means to "love God and love thy neighbor."The book covers one year in the life of Gallagher's church, during which the parish sees the deaths of several parishioners, a furor over the soup kitchen, and a difficult-but-necessary forum on human sexuality.

Gallagher is an articulate writer, who chronicles both the growth of her church and her own personal change with an honesty that makes her an immediately sympathetic narrator.However, she has some trouble "building" the world of her narrative; she mentions a profusion of people at her church, but there are so many of them, often described only in connection with their church activities, that it becomes difficult to keep track of them all.In short, I think the people of the story are so real and dear to Gallagher that she forgets to make them real and dear for her readers.

Though she does grapple with fear and doubt, Gallagher usually comes back to the comfort of a relatively conventional faith; the book might have been more fulfilling had she pursued the ramifications of her problems just a little more aggressively.Her ruminations on faith sometimes wax sentimental, but Christians should welcome this approachable fellow-seeker.

~ ... Read more

Product Description
The Maryland campaign of September 1862 ranks among the most important military operations of the American Civil War. Crucial political, diplomatic, and military issues were at stake as Robert E. Lee and George B. McClellan maneuvered and fought in the western part of the state. The climactic clash came on September 17 at the battle of Antietam, where more than 23,000 men fell in the single bloodiest day of the war.

Approaching topics related to Lee's and McClellan's operations from a variety of perspectives, contributors to this volume explore questions regarding military leadership, strategy, and tactics, the impact of the fighting on officers and soldiers in both armies, and the ways in which participants and people behind the lines interpreted and remembered the campaign. They also discuss the performance of untried military units and offer a look at how the United States Army used the Antietam battlefield as an outdoor classroom for its officers in the early twentieth century.

The contributors are William A. Blair, Keith S. Bohannon, Peter S. Carmichael, Gary W. Gallagher, Lesley J. Gordon, D. Scott Hartwig, Robert E. L. Krick, Robert K. Krick, Carol Reardon, and Brooks D. Simpson. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Nice set of readings on Antietam
Gary Gallagher has written/edited a number of books on the Civil War.This book is an edited volume, focusing on several aspects of the sanguinary battle at Antietam, fought in 1962.All told, there are ten essays in this volume, with Gallagher contributing the lead essay. As with all edited volumes, some of the works may not be up to the same standards as others.But, overall, this is a useful volume.It might best be used by reading it alongside one of the better histories of the battler, such as Stephen Sears' "Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam." Let's take a look at some of the essays to illustrate what the book is about. . . .

Gallagher begins the book with an essay on how the south saw the aftermath of the battle.He notes that, in the final analysis, southerners were more likely than not to see Antietam as a plus for the cause. In the aftermath of the Peninsula successes of General Robert E. Lee and the remarkable victory by the Confederate forces at Second Manassas, this was seen as the denouement of a stretch of marvelous fighting by the Army of Northern Virginia.

Brooks Simpson authored a more positive than usual account of Union General George McClellan's leadership at Antietam.McClellan was often accused of "the slows," because of his seeming inability to fight aggressively.Simpson argues that some of McClellan's arguments made sense, such as logistical problems associated with the movement of the Army of the Potomac toward Antietam.

The last chapter is a nice counterpoint, examining how Antietam was used by the Army for training/education before World War I.This battle was one example used at the Army War College to prepare officers for command.They would go over maps and scenarios (e.g., what if McClellan had hurried toward Antietam after finding Lee's orders as opposed to his rather movements). The students and teachers were pretty much unanimous in concluding that McClellan had not generaled his forces very well--up to Antietam and at the battle site itself.

Other chapters speak to addition key issues, such as: how poorly supplied Confederate forces were, the Confederate cavalry's and artillery's role in protecting the Confederate flank, the action at Bloody Lane, and the ineptitude of Confederate artillery chief William Pendleton.

For those interested generally in Civil War history and, specifically, the battle at Antietam, this will be a welcome volume.While there is some unevenness across the chapters, all in all this is a solid volume.

Essays on Antietam
Early in September, 1862, Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia crossed the Potomac River into Maryland in what became the Confederacy's first invasion of the North.General McClellan received command of the Union troops following the disaster of Second Manassas. In a daring move, Lee divided his army in an attempt to capture Harpers Ferry, and McClellan had the good fortune to recover Special Order No 191 detailing the movements of the Confederate units. McClellan pressed forward, albeit cautiously, and the result was the Battle of Antietam (or Sharpsburg) on September 17, 1862, the bloodiest single day in American history.Following the battle, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.Antietam, rather than the more famous Battle of Gettysburg, is increasingly regarded as the pivotal moment of the Civil War.

The Maryland Campaign and the Battle of Antietam have provoked no end of controversy.This excellent collection, "The Antietam Campaign", edited by Gary Gallagher, consists of ten essays by as many different students of the Civil War examining in detail various aspects of the Antietam campaign.The essays are thoughtful and provocative and will cause the reader to rethink commonly held assumptions about Lee's first invasion.The book is part of a series edited by Gallagher titled "Military Campaigns of the Civil War".

Various aspects of the Battle itself are examined in three essays in the volume.Robert E.L. Krick's article, "Defending Lee's Flank" explores the role of Confederate artillery in holding off the initial Union attacks early in the morning on the Confederate left in the vicinity of Dunkers' Church and the infamous Cornfield. Robert K. Krick's essay takes a close look at the Union's attack on the center of the Confederate line on what has become known as the Bloody Lane. Lesley Gordon's "All Who Went into that Battle were Heroes" is an essay in history and memory.It examines the fate of the 16th Connecticut, a unit of green volunteers, which had the unenviable task late in the battle of meeting a counter-attack by A.P. Hill's troops, after Union General Burnside had finally crossed "Burnside's Bridge" and was pressing the Confederate Army to cut-off its line of retreat.

An additional essay in the collection, "We didn't know what on Earth to do with him" by Peter Carmichael covers a little-known aspect of the Maryland campaign.A small component of Union troops attacked the rear of the Confederate Army of September 19, 1862 in an attempt to harass the retreat. Confederate artillerist "Parson" Pendelton failed to hold the line, but the small Union force was, even so, rebuffed with great loss. Carmichael, as are most scholars, is highly critical of Pendelton's role at Antietam and in the War.

The remaining six essays in the collection offer broader views of matters related to the Maryland campaign. Three essays focus on the Confederacy. Gallager's own essay, "The Net Result of the Campaign was in our Favor" explores Confederate reactions immediately after the battle.Confederates looked to the capture of Harpers Ferry, the victory at Shepherdstown, and the hard draw at Antietam as evidence of their Army's prowess, and were motivated to continue the long, hard fighting of the Civil War. Keith Bohannon's essay, "Dirty Ragged, and Ill-Provided for is, together with the essay by Carol Reardon, the finest in the collection as it explores the difficulties faced by Lee's Army resulting from lack of supplies of basics, such as shoes, rations, and ammunition, as a result of the South's inadequate logistical system. In "Maryland, Our Maryland", Brooks Simpson examines Confederate hopes that the Maryland campaign would bring the Bay State into the Confederacy.It examines the strong efforts President Lincoln made to hold Maryland for the Union.Simpson concludes that the Confederate failure to rally Maryland to its cause worked as a defining moment for Southern identity in the conflict.

Two essays take a close look at the Union side of the line.Brooks Simpson's "General McClellan's Bodyguard" challenges the view held by many students of the battle that McClellan was at fault for not pressing the attack on September 18.Simpson maintains that McClellan did about as well as could have been expected under the circumstances.Scott Hartwig's essay, "Who would not be a Soldier" compliments Simpson's in that Hartwig looks closely at the composition of the Union Army that McClellan led to meet Lee.Much of this Army consisted of raw recruits who had not had basic training, learned to march, or even to fire a weapon. These troops swelled the size of McClellan's Army but proved a liability in the heat of battle.

The final essay in the volume, "From Antietam to Argonne" by Carol Reardon takes a close look at Antietam from the standpoint of the United States War College and its studies of the battle prior to WW I.Students were given detailed summaries of the actions in the Antietam campaign and, in addition, toured the battlefield.They were asked to comment on the command decisions of Lee and McClellan, as well as subordinate officers, and on the performance of the troops on both sides. The results, as Reardon explains them, were fascinating and provide a searching look at the campaign and its leaders.For me, Reardon's essay was the highlight of an excellent volume.

This collection illuminates greatly the Antietam Campaign and shows how much can be gained by careful scholarship and the willingness to rethink received opinions.Readers coming to this book will benefit by a strong prior background in the Civil War and by a basic familiarity with the Battle of Antietam, as can be gained in works by James McPherson, Steven Sears, or James Murfin.

Robin Friedman

Informative Essays about America's Bloodiest Day of Battle
Just like previous reviewers, I agree that this book is a fine addition to the on-going series about the Military Campaigns of the Civil War. This installment about the Battle of Antietam is particularly strong because of the quality of scholarship included and the distinguished group of historians that Gallagher gathered for this edition.

Each author includes an interesting essay that details a specific aspect of the battle. Some examples of topics that are covered include: the supply challenge the Confederacy faced, how new Union recruits reacted to the carnage of Antietam, the role Confederate artillery played, and why McClellan failed to pursue Lee after the battle. I found that every essay presented a compelling argument and really offer the reader a detailed analysis that you will not find in other books about the battle.

As always, this type of book is not aimed at telling the history of what happened at Antietam. If you are looking for a general narrative of the battle - this is not the right book. On the other hand, it is designed for those who are somewhat familiar with the battle and are looking for the most current research from a find group of historians. I highly recommend the book for people who fall into this category. It will greatly enhance your understanding of key aspects that affected the battle which has been the bloodiest day in US military history.

Outstanding information and viewpoints of Antietam!
Similar to past works of Gallagher's, this book contains invididual chapters written by popular Civil War historians keying in on battle concerns, myths, strategies and political concepts during the campaign.I really enjoyed reading William Blair's chapter on how Marylanders caught in the middle of political unrest viewed the campaign and Lee's invasion.Brooks Simpson's chapter on how the Army of the Potomac was McClellan's bodyguard according to Lincoln really made me understand the political frustrations the Lincoln party had in regards to McClellan's slow moving and cautious approach to battle.Keith Bohannon's view on Confederate logistical problems was very informative and really brought forth information as to Lee's reasons for invading the north and also his retreat.

These chapters are just some of the great amount of information brought together in a very fine book.I would recommend this book to someone who has already read a book on the battle itself before reading this one.This book contains some fighting information but isn't one for coverage on the entire battle.It is one for understanding political unrest, commander motivations, strategies and little unknown and sometimes unclear myths that surround the entire campaign in September 1862.5 STARS!!!

Gallagher has done it again! A great addition to the series!
Once again, Gary W. Gallagher has compiled a wonderful collection of essays in this latest volume of the Military Campaigns of the Civil War Series.Each chapter or essay focuses on a different aspect of thecampaign and is written by a different author.This allows for a newperspective on the campaign with each chapter.Among the topics covered bythe various essayists are Confederate perception of Antietam as a victoryor defeat, Confederate logistics, Confederate artillery, the use of theAntietam battlefield as a classroom for military leaders in the 20thcentury, the impact of new recruits on the Army of Potomac's effectiveness,and the experiences of individual units.

All of the essays arewell-written and contain wonderful insights into their selected aspects ofthe campaign. Due to the focus of the series on military events, otherimportant issues related to Antietam are only briefly mentioned.Mostnotably, issues related to emancipation and foreign intervention arementioned in passing.This, however, is a result of the decision by theeditor and the press (University of North Carolina Press) to focus onmilitary aspects.Despite this weakness, I would highly recommend this andall other books in the Military Campaigns of the Civil War series to anyonewith an interest in the Civil War. ... Read more

Product Description
Shaun Gallagher's The Inordinance of Time develops an account of the experience of time at the intersection of three approaches: phenomenology, cognitive science, and post-structuralism. Using insights developed in both the phenomenological and cognitive traditions (including the contributions of Locke, Hume, James, and Husserl, as well as a variety of contemporary thinkers), Gallagher explores the inadequacies of the phenomenological/cognitive model, the limitations imposed by introspective reflection, the concepts of intentionality and embodied existence, language and historical effect, and the extra-intentional processes that govern the operations of consciousness and memory. ... Read more

Product Description
No more deciphering long-winded and complicated instructions to get sophisticated results: these recipes show how easy it can be to create stunning dishes that will amaze your guests (and make them think you've been slaving over a hot stove all day!) Conrad's unique combinations of exciting, quality ingredients will dazzle your tastebuds., and with dishes that can be prepared in just three easy steps chef style cookinghas never been so accessible. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A book to impress company only...with a deeper pocket book.
It has great pictures, and well explaned recipes. If you want to make things that you would see in a 3-4 star resturant fast, this book has recipes to impress. I do like the desserts, like the blackberry chessecake.

Personaly, I thought this would be an easy little then better normal meal book but this book calls for ingredents like foie gras, snails, frog legs, zucchini flowers, truffle with duck egg, ostrich steak, just to name a few. I don't know about you but thats a little too rich for my current budget. It dose however like the title says, you can make it 3 steps.

I have about 4 recipes that I think I can afford to try. If I give them a try, I'll update this review. Oh ya, bn.com has it on clearance for $5.98, right now. ... Read more

Product Description

Humorous first-person narratives.These honest, humorous, and hopeful stories, told by Claudia herself, give readers a glimpse into the life of a regular 21st-century girl.Claudia handles every situation with confidence, cleverness, and a serious dash of cool.

... Read more

Product Description
Motion graphics surround us in the digital age. This book shows how to apply the design elements of color, typography, movement, and sound to a full range of digital media-from film and television to the Web, DVDs, and newly emerging technologies.Readers are inspired to experiment with motion graphics while expanding their vision to include such non-traditional media as the interactive menus of cell phones and digital billboards.Extensive coverage of the design process develops a sound understanding of the principles of motion graphics whatever the media in which they appear.A back-of-book DVD features supporting visuals and interviews that make the concepts behind motion graphics come alive. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Application of digital elements made easy
I purchased this product little less then a month ago as a present. I received great reviews about this book. It is a wonderful way for anyone learning the diverse applications of motion graphics and/or multimedia to immerse themselves into the field. The best part of the book is that it comes with a DVD that has interviews with actual motion graphics professionals. If you are looking to just understand motion graphics better or are part of this field... I recommend this book.

Very disappointed!
Actually, I bought this book a long time ago, and just stack on somewhere and forgot. Today while I am arranging my books just find this book.
Oh~ my... I hate with the fact that I bought this!

Not useful
video editor at THE largest sports network in the country. I dabble in Motion Graphics. If I were to show up with the knowledge from this book I would get nothing done. One of the other reviews mentions the book not being worth the paper it's printed on and I would have to agree. Who ever wrote this is really out of touch and really inexperienced.
There is some theory in here but God not much... find something else. Or buy my brand new copy for cheap!It's here on Amazon in the used book section

Not worth the paper it is printed on!!!
exactly what you would expect from "digital media" professors at a secretarial/technical school.obviously written by people who have little real world experience and are accustomed to giving elective classes to people studying air conditioner repair.i learned more from the wikipedia page on motion graphics.this book is a joke.

Where is motion graphics in this book?
This book is like a communication theory course for elementary school students. Cheesy samples on jurassic theories of design and communication. I wonder how could they find this bad reference samples as "modern animation etc". They're all pathetic works even for a rookie.
So the Authors. One web designer and a journalist. Come on, do you have a clue on "Motion Graphics" around the world?
If you like the amazing work of motion graphics & animation studios such as MK12, Psyop, Shilo and want to be a professional motion graphic designer, welcome to the real world and stay away from this book.
And the production of book is really bad. Terrible binding. Full black & white pages except color chapter (19 pages) thanks god. Thin paper. Finally no thanks for the dvd.
I have almost all books about motion graphics, animation that you can find in amazon but thats only the one I never recommend.
... Read more

Product Description

More than a million patient safety incidents occur every year, and medical error is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Illuminating the experiences of those affected by medical error -- patients, their loved ones, and physicians and other medical professionals -- Talking with Patients and Families about Medical Error delves deeply into the challenges of communicating honestly and openly about mistakes in medical practice.

Based on guidelines from the Institute for Professional and Ethical Practice and the authors' own experiences, the practice-based approaches outlined here offer concrete guidance on

• initiating discussions • dealing professionally and compassionately with patients' reactions • who should be included in the conversation• what information should be documented in the medical record• how to respond to questions about financial compensation

Aimed at promoting resolution and healing, this book stresses the importance of clear, empathetic communication that will improve clinical and organizational responses to medical missteps and mismanagement. It emphasizes five features of the physician-patient relationship deserving of special attention: transparency, respect, accountability, continuity, and kindness (TRACK). Narrative examples of common situations demonstrate how conversations about medical error can lead to healing.

Customer Reviews (2)

Blackbird Fly Away
What a wonderful honest account of the struggles of a man, Hugh Gregory Gallagher who at his peak suffered a tremendous loss as a result of polio.Yet in spite of it, and in part because Mr. Gallagher was blessed with a smart mind and strong spirit, overcame the obstacles, making a statement to society about his worth as a human being, as he pursued his dreams, then ultimately made the world a better place for thosewith disabilities.As a polio survivor and one who is facing the challenges of the late effects of post polio, I applaud Mr. Gallagher for his courage and have read and re-read his book to help me gain my strength and courage to face the challenges before me.

Gallagher's polio battles, losses and victories.
From Jack Trombadore Book Reviews New Jersey Polio Network
NEWSLETTER, Fall, 1998.

In this collection ofessays, journals, writings and personalrecollections spanning almost half a century, Hugh Gallagher courageouslyreveals himselfin a compellingautobiography as bothprotagonist andantagonistin a drama with countless scenes in three acts. Throughout thefirst two acts he forces himself to overcome the role ofemotionalanti-hero until he achieves final freedom from the talons of clinicaldepression at the beginning ofa long, ongoing and productive third act.

Stricken with severe paralytic polio at nineteen, Gallagher neverwalked again. Afreshman at Haverford in the spring of 1952, he was young,beautiful and free; he was in love with a beautiful girl, the novels ofThomas Mann, Italian opera, politics, and with life. He was young, strongand invincible.

Polio, My Account, was written twenty years "after theevent" and never previously published. Here, he tells us what it"felt"like to have had a life sentence of disability imposedwithout hope ofpardon or parole. The physiological aspects ofhis poliowere justrepresentative of the inward tragedy of the collapse of a young life. Hesaw himselfwatching his own deterioration from outside his body. He sawthe horrific progression of the disease the first days: legs, trunk,breathing, arms, hands, neck, double and quadruple vision, the tracheotomyon a body too weak for anesthetics, the rush down corridors in the arms ofnon-medical personnel to the iron lung, the108 degree fever, last rites.

His body was the battlefield for the doctors and his presence was"accidental." No one disclosed what his ravaged body would be like if theysucceeded in keeping him alive. The overwhelming question became: stop orgo, yes or no, live or die. He decided to live.

After a year inhospitals, he was admitted to the Warm Springs Foundation in Georgia. He spent nine months there, learning the "functional" tricks of the trade thatwould enable him again to live in the outside world. He was physicallyindependent, healthy and in a wheelchair. He still is.

He obtained hisAmerican B.A. in 1956 from Claremont McKenna College in California. It wasthe only college ofthe forty to which he had written that was fullyaccessible. His first application for a Rhodes Fellowship to Oxford wasreturned unprocessed; Gallagher was not "fitin mind and body" as requiredby the will of Cecil Rhodes. His was the first application Oxford had everreceived from a disabled person. However, he did attend Oxford with aMarshall Fellow scholarship and studied there for three years at TrinityCollege, the only one of Oxford's thirty-five individual colleges that was"wheelchair accessible." He was the only person at Oxford in a wheelchair.There he endured unbelievable hardships.

The water closet was a blockaway, down a ramp and up a ramp, nearly always slippery from the constantrain. The bath facilities were inaccessible and he did not bathe orwashhis hair for a year at a time. His legs turned blue from the cold andstayed blue until the late spring. Despite having acquired an outstandingeducation and lifelong friends,Gallagher now looks with awe and disbelief at the hardships he willingly endured in those three years.

In 1959, asa member ofa senatorialstaffon Capitol Hill he was once again theonly person there in a wheelchair. There was no handicap parking, therewere steps everywhere, and the bathrooms were not accessible.

In 1962Gallagherbegan his life's work, the search for equal access and equalrights for disabled persons, when he joined the staffof Alaska'spowerful, popular and supportive Senator Bob Bartlett (D. Alaska), a member of the Appropriations Committee. The Senator authorized him to work ondisability issues and agreed to support this work. Gallagher drafted theFederal Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, the first legislation anywhereto treat equal access of disabled people as a civil right, and theprecursor to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

One is thrilledby the account of the political maneuvering, and the political blackmailengineered by Gallagher and the ever-willing Bartlett in the Johnson yearsto achieve accessibility to the Library of Congress, the National Galleryof Art, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, federally fundedhospitals across America, and many more sites.

On Bartlett's death in1968 Gallagher went to work for British Petroleum, Ltd., where he acted for five years as that Company's chiefpolitical officer in London andWashington. The discovery of vast oil reserves by BP on its Alaska holdingsmade it the holder of the largest crude reserves in America. Gallaghertells us he was playing with the "Big Boys."

On the 4th of Julyweekend, 1974, Gallagher left his office and never returned. He was intotal mental and physical collapse and spent the rest of the decaderecovering from his clinical depression. It had begun two years earlier athis 40th birthday party when he realized that "youth was past." He had been frozen with fear as he felt a giant black buzzard flapping its wings highabove him. The experience was repeated in a few months.He continuedworking until he could no longer do so, filled with dread and unable to goout.

"The great black buzzard sat heavy on my shoulder. It would not goaway." " ...the pain of acute paralytic polio in no degree equaled theagony and despair, the abject helplessness ofdepression." This period ofGallagher's life ended after a long andsuccessful course ofpsychiatryand psychoanalysis.

Gallagher has long since assumed center stage in theThird Act of this heroic human drama, writing (FDR's Splendid Deception),traveling, speaking, and advocating nationally for the rights of thedisabled. A must read. ... Read more