Bond Reviews

Brian Bond (a protege of Sir Michael Howard and retired professor of military history in the War Studies Department of King's College, London) has written an essential contribution to the historiography of the First World War. The war has produced entire libraries of literature, plays, films and memoirs and Bond argues that these have come to dominate the study of the subject rather more than any serious investigation of the conduct of the fighting and the thinking that went behind the organisation of the opposing armies. It is only relatively recently that any serious study has been made of the fighting methods that were introduced (hyperbolic odes to the exploits of German stormtroopers notwithstanding), the levels of training and equipment and the serious thought processes that lay behind them.

Bond addresses several areas including;

- Whether the common perception that the Great War was an unnecessary and foolish war is correct.
- The impact of personal memoirs and especially the impact of the war poets on the historiography of the war.
- The extent to which the war became a totem of the left in the 1960s and the extent to which this has coloured the study of the subject.

Bond also addresses the ludicrously distorted image of the war that is posessed by the average "man on the street", a view which often bears next to no relation to reality. He deconstructs a number of areas which often combine to constitute the average person's knowledge of the war - Blackadder, Oh! What a Lovely War, the changing war in which history is studied in schools, opinion articles by ill informed tabloid newspapers and finds most of them dangerously distorting (and worryingly persistent) if we seek to realise any sort of balanced understanding of the conflict. He points to the fact that the war has become emotionalised like almost no other and tries to come to an explanation of why this is. He takes on much of the received wisdom and the results will no doubt infuriate many people who are incapable of moving outside the ridiculously emotionalised box in which the war is normally viewed. Above all, he tries to move the debate out of the field of social history and sociology where many of the best known works on the war have languished and into the field of serious military history and war studies, where it belongs. Sadly, it may well be that existing views are so heavily entrenched that the game isn't worth the candle.

This is a very important book and one which should be read by everybody with an interest in the First World War.

I have the hardback edition, published in the U.S. in 1999, but the content is the same as this paperback edition.

The book start with individual skills, with the first chapter on ball control covering receiving, turning, shielding, and dribbling moves. The book has many, many, excellent annotated pictures illustrating each skill. For most skills, the book diagrams a suggested skill-builder drill, which can either be done by players working on their own ("soccer homework"), or as part of a practice led by a coach.

After the Ball Control Chapter, the book also covers Passing and Shooting, Dead Ball Skills, Defending, Attacking, Tactics, Goalkeeping, and Training and Fitness.

The passing and shooting section has helpful diagrams of where on the ball to strike, and where on the foot, and has enough detail to answer most questions players or coaches would have about the details of how a particular skill should be done.

In the tactics area, and throughout the book, there are also many diagrams and color artwork pictures illustrating player positioning and movement in a way that makes the tactics clear.

I have many soccer coaching books, but this one is the one I go to when I want authoritative information and refresher on key points for teaching a particular skill. I've used many of the drills in my practices, and they have always gone well.

The book has excellent information, and realistic and helpful step-by-step action pictures that demonstrate skills.

The only real criticism I have is that sometimes I need more steps in the action pictures, particularly some of the dribbling moves, to see how the player got from A to C, and I feel like step B is missing.

Now my two daughters (12 and 14) play with an elite club team that wins 2-5 state championships a year (out of 8 girls age groups) and I recognize so many of the key components of that program being effectively taught in this book. This book is tremendously sound in terms of both the skills and terminology it teaches, and the highly effective way it presents and teaches them.

If you are a coach looking for an effective organization of skills and tactics to teach, or a player, especially one without access to expert, state-of-the art soccer skills training, I highly recommend this book. Because a picture is worth a thousand words, and this book is loaded with well-thought out pictures, artwork, and diagrams, players as young as 10, perhaps younger in special cases, could read the material and get very good use out of it. This book is simply excellent, and highly recommended for any soccer player and coach who wants to improve by learning and mastering the details of the skills and tactics needed to become a high-level soccer player.

I think it's a lovely book, but the charactar Mickey, too me, was simply horrid. I liked Paul and Maggie and Gabe, but Mickey annoyed me, and I have met people like Mickey who annoyed me. Still, one of my favourite books. Please read.

What makes the beauty of these war plays is that they are more than just plays about people fighting against each other. It is about people fighting together to improve the next generations' lives. Reading these plays is more than just thinking about life, it makes one realize really what is life, why we should cherish it and not burn it away as a simple sheet of paper.

This book is excellent for encouragement when you are dealing with someone who has a dependency. Everyone should read this book because it will help you to find the courage to love yourself and others without becoming overbearing.

Enloy this book and then share with others.

If you like investing or curious...check this one out. The text in the book broke down simple definitions and helped me comprehend more. It was enlightening experience to find out about the bond, money market industry. If you are an investor, add this to your library. I did! it's worth it.

This book is excellent for a guide to letting go of hurt and anger and being able to live a meaningful life. David and Grace make a great writing team as they combine experience, christianity and skill into making the process of forgiveness logical and simple. The many examples they used made it a page turner for me. I definitely recommend this for it's readability, scholarship, and practicality.

Stunning large-format black-and-white photographs of buildings and people in the Greek Islands. The often minimalistic images eloquently capture the spirit of the islands and their inhabitants. Highly recommended for lovers of Greece, Mediterranean architecture and fine-art photography

The extra large size and interesting illustrations in this coloring book have made this my children's favorite for many months.This is not your typical throw away coloring book.My kids actually enjoy coming back to an already started drawing and adding to it. The extra large size also gives us a chance as a family to draw together on one page.As a mom of two pre-schoolers I highly recommend it.

"WORKING TOGETHER is an original and important book. With eloquent prose, Cynthia Estlund convincingly develops the argument, based on a careful integration of empirical studies and social and political theory, that working together enhances inter-group relations in the long run. This book has enormous relevance for students concerned about the future of civil society, and will be widely discussed and cited for many years."

---William Julius Wilson, author of WHEN WORK DISAPPEARS and BRIDGE OVER THE RACIAL DIVIDE