monuments

Monuments & Melodies (2 CD Limited Edition)
$18.97
So, I haven't exactly kept up with Incubus over the years, but I have liked most of what I've heard of them. This was a great way to catch up with the band's history, get a lot of their songs, and have the various hits in one package. I'm not sure what a hard-core Incubus fan would say, but as a casual listener, I've been thrilled with this CD set. There are very few songs on either disc that I find myself skipping over.

I do have to say, my discs had to find a new home in plain jewel cases. The packaging on this disc set is unfriendly to frequent use.

Rescuing Da Vinci: Hitler and the Nazis Stole Europe's Great Art - America and Her Allies Recovered It
$39.95
This is by far, one of the most interesting books I've ever read about WWII. I took it with me to Jamaica to read on the plane & on the beach. It has amazing pictures, and some very informative text, however, I found it striking that, while the media & most teachers always portray Hitler & the Nazis as a bunch of buffoons, they took a country that had lost just about everything in WWI, were bullied by the Soviets, & the rest of Europe afterwards, had practically no resources or money, had been living in a brutal recession for years & somehow with the genius of its leaders, almost single handily took over the world. If it weren't for the Grace of God & the United States being in a depression itself & needing a war to get us back on track, German would probably be the worlds official language today. While no-one can justify the brutality of their mission & a lot of their tactics, the current leaders of the world can hardly be held up as examples of genuine behavior themselves. This book is a great read, just read between the lines, these guys also had great taste in art! And they gave us the Volkswagon Bug!

Monuments: America's History in Art and Memory
$45.00
Judith Dupre's book is a keeper, a volume to be read and treasured for generations. It's for those with a relative who fought in World War II, and those who have visited Gettysburg, seen the Liberty Bell and marveled at Mount Rushmore.
Ms. Dupre infuses major historical events with glowing new life. She fills her pages with interesting facts and profound truths, explaining, for instance, why the triumphant Indian Americans were not commemorated in the first 120 years after the Little Bighorn Battle in Montana. Other battles -- from Gettysburg, World War II, Korea -- yield important cemeteries. Ms. Dupre's presentations range from the familiar (Statue of Liberty) to the unfathomable (Saint-Gaudens's monument to Clover Adams in Washington's Rock Creek Cemetery.) In a book that easily stirs emotions her description of New York City prisoners burying the unclaimed bodies of convicts at Hart Island ("the marginalized are interred by the marginalized with dignity") is especially poignant.
The book will be valued by those with connections to these sacred sites, but it belongs in the collections of all who are tuned into American history.

The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History
$26.99
A fabulous insight into what else went on during WWII. Most instructive about the treasures of Europe. And the evilness of the Germans at the time. We thought we knew a lot about the treasures, but the book really opened our minds. J&J