Customer Reviews (2)

An open-minded guide to living in peace and happiness
I wrote a nice a really nice review about this book earlier, but wasn't able to save it and now I don't have time to re-write it. So, I just want to say that this book is great. It contains lots of information, resources and ideas to live in happiness with yourself, others and nature. It's my daily guide.

A powerful tool for self healing and understanding.
Sun Bear gives his advice freely and compassionatly. He combines his knowledge of the earth as a native american indian and his knowledge as an american living in todays modern world. Working together, these two worldscombine to make sense. Sun Bear helps you learn that you and every livingbeing in its own right was created for a reason and is special in their ownway. There are no'big' terms used in this book. It was written in a verysimple straightforward manner. ... Read more

Product Description
The Russians were wrong-footed from the start, fighting in Manchuria at the end of a 5,000 mile single track railway; the Japanese were a week or so from their bases. The Russian command structure was hopelessly confused, their generals old and incompetent, the Tsar cautious and uncertain. The Russian naval defeat at Tsushima was as farcical as it was complete. The Japanese had defeated a big European power, and the lessons for the West were there for all to see, had they cared to do so. From this curious war, so unsafely ignored for the most part by the military minds of the day, Richard Connaughton has woven a fascinating narrative to appeal to readers at all levels ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Poor leadership costs lives
A very good look at the Russo-Japanese war. The Russian ground forces had many chances to win but poor training with even worse leadership threw them away. The Russians were good at defense but it was a case of "almost won". This war in fact started the downfall of the military that fell in world war one. They were not ready for the next war. This war started Japans case of "victory fever" that ended in world war two. A good book on a little known subject.

Mandatory reading for history buffsand for a layman
Connaughton's book is a good ,comprehensive history of Russo -Japanese war. Both were expansionist powers .So confrontation seemed inevitable. Budding Japanese nationalism collided head-on with Russian imperialism.. Creeping Russian expansion into Korea posed a threat Japanese national interests. Tokyo reacted violently.

On February 6,1904 Admiral Togo launched a pre-emptivestrike on Russian fleet that lay at anchor at Port Arthur. Though Togo failed in destroying the fleet , he succeded in crippling its movements. Japanese landed troops on the west coast of Korean peninsula and soon effected a crossing of river Yalu. This marked the beginning of demise of Russian power in the Far East.

Here I wish to make a few comments which a student of War/Historymay find it enriching. Russian withdrawl from Yalu togetherwith its failure to fall back upon Liaotungpeninsulaunbarred the road to Port Arthur which came to be besieged by Japanese forces. Subsequent Russian attempts to relieve the siege were foiled. However the striking feature of these campaigns were Japanese inability to gain decisive victory. Japanese armies often managed to pierce or outflank Russian positions but failed in enveloping it. Russians refused pitched battles and effectedtactical retreats into the depths of Manchuria.

Author has arguedRusso-Japanese war as harbinger of First World War : machineguns, barbed wire entanglements, artillery, Japanese use of arsenic smoke during the siege of Port Arthur. I endorse this view. Coming of machineguns bestowed lethal firepower on defending forces making massed frontal assaults suicidal and costly. This led to emergence of no man's land which gradually widened separating combatants making decision increasingly difficult. Japanese came to depend on artillery overwhelmingly to suppress enemy fire zones which at that time were not too deep. It sound ironical experience derived from this war was not incorporated into the training manuals of Western armies. As a result, European had to re learn this experience painfully during Great War. Equally significant was the importance of troop morale in war.Japanese morale was superb. Japanese soldiernever shrank from courting death. He knew only one thing ,advance,Advance despite all obstacles strewn across the path. Victory at all costs. The abovecombined with a fanatical respect for authority [personified in the form of Emperor] transformedJapanese soldier into formidable fighting machine.

Regrettably , this was a war ignored by historians and academics though this cause a tectonic shift in forces which drastically re arrangedworld affairs. What were they?

It stimulated revolutionary tendencies in Russia which for a long time was gnawing at its vitals.

By removing Russianthreat ithelped Kaiser's Germany to focus effortsin the West .This altered balance of power in Europe. In order to restore equilibrium Britain ended her policy of isolation and entered into an alliance with France.

But biggest impact of Japanese victory was felt in Asia, Africa. It infused confidence and boosted the morale of peoples who were struggling to free themselves from European tyranny. In India ,the effect was profound. During wintry nights people sat in circles and spoke about Japanese victories while passing huqqa.

Finally, it sowed the seed of future confrontation with US. Covert American support emboldened Russians turn down Japanese demand for war reparations. Tokyo now started viewing Washingtonwith suspicion, hostility and distrust.

Author was unable to attach sufficient importance to the above aspects. Be as it may,the book is an essential reading for history buffs and laymanalike.

An Rich, Detailed Military History
There are not a great number of modern histories of the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War, but Richard Connaughton's Rising Sun and Tumbling Bear is clearly the best. The author, with 30 year's experience in the British Army and access to British official records on the war, brings a richer and more detailed military account than Denis and Peggy Warner's The Tide at Sunrise (which is also very good, but less detailed). While the author leans toward admiration of the Japanese war effort - at one point, describing the Japanese army as "a well-oiled machine with high morale, confident, well practiced and undefeated" - he is more than fair to the Russian side as well. This book is marked by superb detail, superior organization and insight derived from sound military judgment and experience.

Rising Sun and Tumbling Bear consists of 15 chapters, with a conventional chronological structure based upon major topics. The author also provides 15 sketch maps, which are a bit skimpy but adequate. Connaughton provides a succinct but excellent background chapter on events leading up to the war, followed by an even better chapter on opposing forces. In addition to excellent detail on both ground and naval forces, the author cites the main Russian weakness as an over-abundance of elderly, ineffective leaders. In the sections on early ground and naval actions, the author notes that a British correspondent reported the attack on Port Arthur as it was occurring- a first in journalism. Throughout the book, the author makes the point - and supports it with evidence - that Japanese operations were facilitated by a superb intelligence effort, while Russian efforts were hindered by awful intelligence support. Despite the fact that the Russians usually had numerical superiority on the ground and at sea, they continually thought they were out-numbered.

Although many historians have been very harsh on the Russian war effort, Connaughton notes that Russian strategic plans were usually sound, but poorly executed. On the ground, the Russians were also hindered by commanders who adhered to outdated tactics, such as volley firing and attacks in mass formations across open ground. The Russians did enjoy some advantages, such as a superior logistic capability based upon the China Eastern Railway and new quick-firing artillery pieces. Russian infantry units were also quite good at building defensive positions integrating machineguns and barbed wire, intimating conditions that would soon appear in the First World War. The author also notes that the Japanese were unsuccessful in following up after their victories, with pursuits being hindered by inadequate cavalry and weaker logistics. I also noted from this account, that the Japanese made the mistake of using landmarks such as rail lines as boundary markers between their formations - which usually leads to no one really controlling the rail line.

The sections on the siege of Port Arthur are particularly interesting since they allude to the slaughter that modern weapons could inflict on infantry. The author is equally harsh on General Nogi's wasteful attacks (which Allied generals would repeat in 1914-16) and the self-defeating behavior of General Stoessel. Interesting details include the Russian use of naval torpedoes on land and the Japanese mistake in making their assault ladders too short. Russian heroes, such as Smirnov, Tretyakov and Kondratenko do get their due in these pages, as well. Amazingly, the author notes that the Japanese prepared the surrender document two years before the war began (talk about prior planning!). Japanese success in blasting the Russian defenders off the vital 203 Meter Hill with heavy artillery may have convinced European military observers that firepower could break any defense.

In a few cases the author overstretches himself. At one point, he states that "an approach march at night culminating in a dawn attack was a new phenomenon of warfare." Didn't Washington teach the British that lesson at Trenton and Princeton in 1776? At another point, he notes the appearance "for the first time in modern warfare [of] the construction of opposing lines of trenches.." which ignores the appearance of trench warfare at Petersburg in 1864. However, these omissions are not that for a British military historian, since they rarely acknowledge or utilize examples from American military history. In a few cases, the author may have used `facts' that were unconfirmed, such as Japanese heavy artillery consumption at Port Arthur (the figures sound unreasonably high) and the infamous Samsonov-Rennenkampf brawl (which probably didn't happen).

The author asks two key questions: why were the Japanese able to consistently defeat the Russians and why were the lessons of this war not understood before World War One? As for the first, the author believes that the Japanese had a distinct advantage fighter closer to home, which led to higher morale. The Japanese military also benefited from a leadership structure based more on merit and ability, rather than political connections. As for the second, the author notes that different observers took home different lessons from the war and often drew diverging conclusions, often in line with their own prior biases.

Good Background but often confusing and tendious
Chapters One and Two were extremely interesting. However, the author often allowed the story to become bogged down in the tactical minutia--Regiment X advanced on Hill Y to attack Brigade Z.Connaughton demonstrated very little ability to convey the wider importance of individual engagements or make the reader care.Despite maps included at the beginning of almost every chapter, I rarely understood who a particular engagement fit into a larger battle.Thus, chapters five through nine and parts of nine and ten were painfully dull.If Connaughton was intent on writing a comprehensive tactical history of the Russo-Japanese War, it needed to several times longer to adequately explain events.Given how well this book started, I was very disappointed with the final product.

On a side-note, the chapter in this book on the Russian Fleet's journey around the world seems to be more-or-less a summary of The Fleet that Had to Die, by Richard Hough.At times he even uses similar phrases!Also, the absense of citations was bothersome.

Good book with significant flaws - regarding a very important war !
There aren't NO footnotes to this Cassell edition of this importantbook. It is indeed sad - and very unprofessional -that an otherwise very good book of this level of narrative detail would omit its reference sources. Additionally, the narrative detail is degraded by the poor quality of maps provided. The maps in this book are of such extremely poor quality, they provide barely enough detail to orient yourself to the flow of combat. As a result you cannot adequately envision a lot of of important details regarding the conduct of operations. If you can locate some independent maps, the narrative detail is much more meaningful. Most people are highly ignorant regarding the importance of this war in regards to the military operations througout the 20th Century. Both of these significant inadequacies (no sources and poor maps) in this edition only exacerbate our lack of knowledge regarding this important war. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Sun Bear, a visionary
There has been a lot of controversy surrounding Sun Bear and his books.Seen as a new age huckster by some, he was also seen as a visionary by others.He shared Native American spirituality when it was NOT cool to do it.He believed that it was time for all people, regardless of color, to work together to save themselves and Mother Earth.
This book is his story, and it is well worth the read, whether or not you agree with his ideas. ... Read more

Product Description

"This book came about as the result of a vision that I had long ago...." So writes Chippewa medicine man, seer, and Indian leader Sun Bear. In The Medicine Wheel he and his medicine helper, Wabun, share his vision, setting forth a whole new system of earth astrology to help guide people not only in their daily living but in their life path as well. A beautiful and inspiring new approach to astrology, The Medicine Wheel will help people of all earth signs "walk in balance on our Earth Mother." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Inner Peacefulness
I have previous Medicine Wheel Calendars.They provide a daily connection to Earth, Nature, and Self to start a day. What else can I say; there is no more to say or needs to be said.

medicine wheel
This book is good for young men to read. People of Indian decnt will find it interesting

Not traditional but interesting nonetheless.
I bought this book years ago (before Amazon.com even existed). I've met Sun Bear, Wabun and the whole Bear Tribe in person, when they were located near Spokane, WA. (I even met Medicine Story, one of the reviewers up there. Hi again!)

Several of the reviews take issue with the idea of an astrological-type system because there was no such thing among the native peoples of this continent. Well, Sun Bear himself said the same thing. The ideas in this book weren't meant to represent traditional Chippewa or Native American beliefs. They're a completely new idea, given to Sun Bear in a vision that he had.

Other reviewers mention that you are not locked in to particular personality traits due to the time of your birth, but that anyone can change. Sun Bear covered that as well. First, this system is just symbolism to try to give people some insight into how they are. It's not a hard-and-fast type of thing. It's more like Rosarch ink blots- just a tool to help you learn about yourself. Second, he says in the book that people often move around on the medicine wheel as they go through life, sharing traits with and seeing from the perspective of the various different totems.

As a self-analysis or self-help book I recommend Medicine Wheel. It's well worth a read.

Everything that comes around goes around.
I have only read one book by Sun Bear and was facinated by the fact that anyone, Native or not, could find peace by just doing something spiritual like this.I am a member of two Ojibway tribes, and yes, I did grow up on three different reservations in my life so I feel I can speak with confidence on this matter. I do not care if people agree or disagree with the Native religions because they are all different and it is not up to me,or anyone else, to tell you what is native or non-native so if you believe you can find happiness from reading "astrological" points of view from Sun Bear then buy the book because it is better to love and practice something than to practice nothing at all.I would also recommend traveling to a nearby "Rez" for an introduction to religion, and they don't have to be Chippewa like myself or Sun Bear, because I know the best spiritual advise cannot be found in books. To correct a few reviews and from an Anthropological view, the Chippewa, or Ojibway, were not buffalo chasers like the plains natives, but fisherman and farmers from Canada with a HEAVY influence from the French (hows that for a European astrology connection) so please correct your review Apacheman because we, the Chippewa, are woodland indians so how could you know if we kept a calender or not (especially the Apaches being a Mexico indian).Native religions do not hate like others do so please do not give us a bad name because I read your profile and it seems all your reviews were negative. And as far as two bears is concerned I would like to know who named you or what naming ceramony you attended because we all have two lives, the one everybody see's and the one we hide(naming yourself does not constitute an indian name).

Very Enjoyable
This book has come off the shelf multiple times. It has interesting insight and is enjoyable to read. If you like things like horoscopes and such, you'll enjoy Sun Bear's take on it all. ... Read more

Product Description

The Native American philosophy behind the vision of the Medicine Wheel is that all things and beings on the earth are related and, therefore, must be in harmony for the earth to be balanced. Dancing with the Wheel teaches you how to apply this philosophy to your daily life through many practical exercises and ceremonies. These exercises will help you gain energy from the spirits, which can heal both humans and the earth.

Through Dancing with the Wheel, the second book specifically devoted to the Medicine Wheel, those familiar with this vision will gain an increased understanding of the wheel and its developments over the last ten years. Those new to the Medicine Wheel will be ushered into the teachings and technique of what has come to be a source of comfort and direction for thousands of people around the world. Whether you are in the middle of the wilderness or the middle of a city, this book and its exercises will help you center yourself and establish peace with the earth and other beings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Dancing with the Wheel
I was so pleased that the book got to my firend so quickly. Thanks for the great service!

A Dance Success
As with anything I have read by Sun Bear, I come away from this read with more insight than when I started. Explanations, exercises, & a brief history, help to expand my understanding of the Journey. Sun Bear does not take for granted that we know the reasoning or traditions behind ceremony, & takes the time to explain. I am grateful for the knowledge gained from this book, & I feel the bond between Great Spirit & myself has been strenghtened. Thank you.

Dancing with the Wheel: The Medicine Wheel Workbook
I learned about the medicine wheel many years ago; much of what I know was based on this book. Since I used another person's book those years ago, I needed a copy to review and increase my knowledge. I was most happy to find a used book in good condition for a reasonable price on Amazon.

Rather suspicious.
At a first glance this book seems very cool. It's a lot of book for the money. It's tidy, with picturesque schemes, drawings and pictures. However, at a more careful reading, it sounds like a Native American version of the Western zodiac astrology. The wheel is split into four quadrants (the directions), each quadrant is divided into three sectors, thus making 12 "months" (aren't there 13 moons in the Native American tradition?). Each sector is symbolized by one stone, one plant, one animal. Everything is geometrically boxed. Everything makes perfect sense. Every page is smudged with a little bit of tribal names, a little bit of tribal cosmology, a little bit of the Kokopelli stuff, a little bit of do-it-yourself ceremonies ... Of course, the Great Spirit is there, as are Mother Hearth and the Thunderbird.
Cheesey New Age at its best in my humble opinion.

What a fabulous learning tool!
I enjoyed each and every page of this book. The depth to which he explains the conecepts of and the actual construction of Medicine Wheels is mind boggling! I cannot wait to build my own Medicine Wheel out in the woods! GREAT reference book. Thank you, Sun Bear! ... Read more

Product Description
The authors of The Medicine Wheel explore different views of dreamtime, both historic and contemporary, to provide an explanation of the dream-interpretation principles of the Native American medicine wheel--and a new framework for working with dreams. Line drawings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Many helpful techniques for remembering dreams
This is one of the most comprehensive and easily accessible books I've read on techniques for remembering dreams and categorizing their importance. I liked it so much I'm buying my own copy! I'll use itextensively as an ongoing workbook. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Medicine wheel
Complete and comprehensive explanation of the medicine wheel.We have other books and this is among the best.

Why only 2 stars?
Don't get me wrong.....the book is full of interesting information and facts, but the read is rather dry, and I lost interest numerous times before finally finishing.The Medicine Wheel gives a rather comprehensive overview of Earth Astrology as viewed by the Chippewa Shaman Sun Bear and Wabun (Sun Bear's Medicine Helper).Sun Bear has written numerous articles and papers, so his writing is held in fairly high esteem.Still not one of my most enjoyable or readable books.Recommended with reservation.

Joy in The Medicine Wheel
This is an incredibly beautiful book, and very rare in its power.It open doors for the heart and soul, in ways that stay with you, change things, and become part of one's own living.Sun Bear has successfully brought thelife of Native American spirituality to us, and the feeling is somethinglike being introduced to Thunderbird on a quiet and gentle day.Animminently accessible and easy book, I think it's impossible to not beprofoundly affected by the understanding and gifts of Spirit it offers. Those who already hold their relationship to nature and Earth'sspirituality central to their lives can benefit endlessly from Sun andWabun Bear's work, and newer seekers may find their journey illuminated anduplifted. ... Read more

Product Description
The sacred teacher and author of The Medicine Wheel offers a compelling and prophetic work that details the environmental future of every major landmass in the world. Through his own visions and dreams, and the visions of other Native American peoples, Sun Bear has seen the future of our Earth, and here he explicitly details which parts of the world will be most affected. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Sun Bearpredicted things that have come to pass since he wrote this book
My Mom gave this book to me a long time ago , I started trying to keep up with the recording ofthe " earth changes " that happen when they happen, he predicts these occurences in this book , in the back of the copy of this book we have there is a map and all the earth changes that he predicted there telling you what will occur in certain areas , I am amazed to look back and see that everything he predicted has come to pass , so many that I could not keep up on marking each event on the map, have found markings in there as far back as 1996 . He even predicted the conflicts in the middle east .I think Sun Bear passed away around the year 1991, long before any of this occured , so ifbeing able to predict the future events makes you a prophet then most certainly he would qualify because everything he predicted has come to pass,The great thing about his book is he doesnt just preach gloom and doom but speaks of the " bright day " that will come after all the changes occur .I hope that prediction comes true too .This is a good read, buy it and it will help you to put perspective on why things that are happening are and also help you to prepare your self and your family for things to come and help you to become more aware if you are not already of the damage that's been done to the earths ecosystemand understand why the cleansing (earth changes ) were inevitable .

Sun Bear Books
Interesting book; first read it a long time ago, and recently bought it for a friend.
Good "just in case" advice.

Black Dawn, Bright Day
This book is truly one of the BEST. It will raise your consciousness of the way we're living. And at the same time treating that which is providing us with life. I have ordered extras to pass out to try and help others have the same light bulb moment. I believe that nature has had ENOUGH of our craziness as far as the way we have treated earth mother. This book breaks it down to exactly what we've been doing all over this planet. We are not going to survive if this madness continues. PLEASE read and pass it on. We must change our ways in order for our future generation to have a chance.

Black Dawn,Bright Day
Sun Bear has given an excellent account of how we have abused the earth and what the consequences of that abuse will be. He also provides instructions on how to survive those 'consequences'. Sun Bear has great understanding and insight regarding the earth and its resources. It's very sobering reading and not to be taken lightly.....since many of the prophecies are already happening.

Yatahey!An Old Friend...redux
Long before, while I lived "back east", I found some wonderful books that have changed my life path, among them, I found Sun Bear. The first book of his I read was "Black Dawn, Bright Day".It struck me, as very powerful and a tad scary, but, to my then naieve self, the "millenium" was sooooo far away it was hard to take as viable, despite my mistrust of [our's most especially] government officials.We had gas shortages, we made it through Viet Nam, we know about the Ozone layer, we have learned -- I believed that they would surely do the "right thing" and fix it before his worse prophecies could materialize.With the recent onset, and increasing intensity, of many natural, and unnatural crises [eliminating "Mother Earth's Parasites i.e. humans], and now "Katrina" coupled with the [not yet declared war in Iraq], I am curious to see just how accurate the predictions were [as a personal aside, around a few months ago, the resident eagles were missing for a long while, and whales have been grounding themselves again, and I couldn't help recall that this was one of the portents Sun Bear spoke of, re: huge changes afoot].Recently the Eagles have returned, sporadically, and I can only hope that they are letting us know that if we "do the right things" we still may have a good chance of turning things around.What I want to say to potential readers is, at worse, this book is written beautifully, with the late great Sun Bear's voice and wit, and at best, it's a hopeful warning.I'm going to peruse my shelves and /moving boxes right now for a reread myself. ... Read more

Product Description
In The Path Of Power, Sun Bear's life and lessons are told subtly through stories of his experiences, including the founding and growth of The Bear Tribe. Through his teachings, readers can discover how to accomplish their goals, survive this time of earth cleansing, and follow their own path of power in life. ... Read more

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Describes the physical characteristics, behavior, habitat, and life cycle of this tropical bear, the smallest bear in the world. ... Read more

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Take an exciting trip to the rainforest and discover the animal world! Pacjed with full-color photos, this book brings the sights and sounds of the rain forest creatures to life. How animals survive in the rain forest, the future of rain forest animals are

... Read more

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The horrors of the First World War - the machine guns, trench tactics, barbed wire and pounding artillery - came as a ghastly surprise to the Generals. Yet they should, and could, have known better. In 1904 Japan and Russia had gone to war for dominance of the East. Journalists and military attaches had made meticulous observations, but the lessons of this dramatic conflict were dismissed as irrelevant. The war which caused the "Russian Bear" to tumble and the "Rising Sun" of Japan to begin its ascendancy in the East has long deserved the full and vivid analysis which Richard Connaughton here presents. This book should be of interest to students and teachers of military history, modern history and politics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good general history
non-academic history (no foot notes or refences) by an experinced military writer.Well written, flows well.Good discussion of key events.Light touch on impact of the war on future conflicts, esp WWI. ... Read more