David Mccallum

It's a wonderful evening of theater for fans of composer Stephen Sondheim in a revue of some of his best-loved works. With a cocktail party serving as a backdrop, Carol Burnett is joined by George Hearn, John Barrowman, Bronson Pinchot, and others to perform songs from "Into the Woods," "Company," "Follies," "A Little Night Music," and more. 91 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital 5.1.

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"I have a bad feeling about this," says the young Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Ewan McGregor) in Star Wars: Episode I, The Phantom Menace as he steps off a spaceship and into the most anticipated cinematic event... well, ever. He might as well be speaking for the legions of fans of the original episodes in the Star Wars saga who can't help but secretly ask themselves: Sure, this is Star Wars, but is it my Star Wars? The original elevated moviegoers' expectations so high that it would have been impossible for any subsequent film to meet them. And as with all the Star Wars movies, The Phantom Menace features inexplicable plot twists, a fistful of loose threads, and some cheek-chewing dialogue. Han Solo's swagger is sorely missed, as is the pervading menace of heavy-breathing Darth Vader. There is still way too much quasi-mystical mumbo jumbo, and some of what was fresh about Star Wars 22 years earlier feels formulaic. Yet there's much to admire. The special effects are stupendous; three worlds are populated with a mélange of creatures, flora, and horizons rendered in absolute detail. The action and battle scenes are breathtaking in their complexity. And one particular sequence of the film--the adrenaline-infused pod race through the Tatooine desert--makes the chariot race in Ben-Hur look like a Sunday stroll through the park. Among the host of new characters, there are a few familiar walk-ons. We witness the first meeting between R2-D2 and C-3PO, Jabba the Hutt looks younger and slimmer (but not young and slim), and Yoda is as crabby as ever. Natalie Portman's stately Queen Amidala sports hairdos that make Princess Leia look dowdy and wields a mean laser. We never bond with Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), and Obi-Wan's day is yet to come. Jar Jar Binks, a cross between a Muppet, a frog, and a hippie, provides many of the movie's lighter moments, while Sith Lord Darth Maul is a formidable force. Baby-faced Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) looks too young and innocent to command the powers of the Force or wield a lightsaber (much less transmute into the future Darth Vader), but his boyish exuberance wins over skeptics. Near the end of the movie, Palpatine, the new leader of the Republic, may be speaking for fans eagerly awaiting Episode II when he pats young Anakin on the head and says, "We will watch your career with great interest." Indeed! --Tod Nelson

If The Phantom Menace was the setup, then Attack of the Clones is the plot-progressing payoff, and devoted Star Wars fans are sure to be enthralled. Ten years after Episode I, Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman), now a senator, resists the creation of a Republic Army to combat an evil separatist movement. The brooding Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is resentful of his stern Jedi mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), tormented by personal loss, and showing his emerging "dark side" while protecting his new love, Amidala, from would-be assassins. Youthful romance and solemn portent foreshadow the events of the original Star Wars as Count Dooku (a.k.a. Darth Tyranus, played by Christopher Lee) forges an alliance with the Dark Lord of the Sith, while lavish set pieces showcase George Lucas's supreme command of all-digital filmmaking. All of this makes Episode II a technological milestone, savaged by some critics as a bloated, storyless spectacle, but still qualifying as a fan-approved precursor to the pivotal events of Episode III. --Jeff Shannon

The STAR WARS saga continues on DVD with Episode II Attack of the Clones. Anakin Skywalker has grown into an accomplished Jedi apprentice, and he faces his most difficult challenge yet as he must choose between his Jedi duty and forbidden love. Relive the adventure the way it was meant to be seen in spectacular digital clarity, including the climactic Clone War battle and Jedi Master Yoda in the ultimate lightsaber duel. Experience this 2-disc set that features over six hours of bonus materials, and see how Episode II unlocks the secrets of the entire STAR WARS saga.

The 2006 limited-edition two-disc release of George Lucas's epic space fantasy Star Wars is not only the first time the movie has been officially available by itself on DVD. It marks the first-ever DVD release of Star Wars as it originally played in theaters in 1977. What does that mean exactly? Well, for starters, the initial title crawl proclaims that this is just Star Wars, not Episode IV, A New Hope. Second, the film is without the various "improvements" and enhancements Lucas added for the theatrical rerelease in 1997 as well as the DVD premiere in 2004. So no more critters and droids scurrying around the port of Mos Eisley when Luke and Obi-Wan Kenobi first arrive, no meetings between Han Solo and Jabba the Hut and between Luke and Biggs (extraneous scenes that were cut in 1977), no enhanced explosions during the final reel, and--most importantly to some fans--no more of Greedo shooting first in the bar. Instead Han is free to be the scoundrel and not even let Greedo squeeze off a shot. What do you lose by watching the 1977 version? Dolby Digital 5.1 EX sound, for one thing (only 2.0 Surround here). Digital cleanup for another--Tatooine looks like it's been coated with an additional layer of sand cloud. Yes, it's true that fans who want better sound and picture can always watch the 2004 version of the movie also included in this set. But chances are good that they already picked up the trilogy edition of all three films, so their decision to buy the 2006 two-disc edition depends on how much they want the original film. The official LucasFilm stance is that this is an individual release of the 2004 version of Star Wars: Episode IV, A New Hope, and the 1977 version of the film is merely a "bonus feature." Common speculation is that the only reason the original versions are seeing the official light of day at all is to undercut the booming black market for the laserdisc version. Star Wars fans will have to decide for themselves if that's worth the purchase. --David Horiuchi

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NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) is more than just an action drama. With liberal doses of humor, it's a show that focuses on the sometimes complex and always amusing dynamics of a team of special agents forced to work together in high-stress situations. From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, these special agents travel the globe to investigate all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties.

Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 08/23/2011

Season OneEqual parts JAG and C.S.I., NCIS does a formidable job of blending relevant military headlines with quirky characters who are tenaciously determined to solve a crime--even if it means having to sleep in the morgue to get a few minutes of shut eye. Created by Donald P. Bellisario (JAG, Quantum Leap), NCIS actually began as a two-part episode of JAG in 2003. Later that year, the drama made its full-season debut on CBS. On this six-disc set, which includes all 23 non-JAG episodes plus optional commentary by Bellisario on the first episode, viewers are introduced to an elite squad of special agents, led by Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon). Gibbs is a hard-nosed investigator who doesn't say much. But when he does, an insult usually comes out of his mouth. He's brilliant when it comes to ferreting out the truth, but he's not savvy enough to figure out how to block his ex-wife's nagging phone calls. Instead, he makes do by destroying his cell phone. Gibbs' team is fleshed out by an eclectic and somewhat eccentric set of colleagues, including medical examiner Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard (David McCallum from The Man from U.N.C.L.E.), wannabe playboy and former homicide detective Anthony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), forensics expert and resident Goth chick Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), and former Secret Service agent Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander). The murder of a peripheral NCIS agent halfway through the season is a taste of what's to come in future seasons when core characters leave the show (voluntarily or not). But in its first year, the show sets up a strong premise that (while not wholly original) is well executed. One of the more stickling aspects of the show is its reluctance to allow Tony to show signs of maturity. At times, he behaves more like a rambunctious puppy than an ace investigator. --Jae-Ha Kim Season Two NCIS takes the CSI formula, throws in a good dose of JAG, and comes up with an entertaining series that takes advantage of the actors' likeability. The season begins with the introduction a couple new regulars--agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) and assistant medical examiner Jimmy Palmer (Brian Dietzen). And one cast member departs the show by the end of the season. The six-disc set includes all 23 episodes, which aired on CBS during 2004-2005. The show's sophomore year begins with "See No Evil," in which a Navy officer (guest star David Keith) is forced to embezzle millions of dollars, or risk having his wife and blind daughter killed by a kidnapper (played by Tom Cruise's cousin William Mapother). Led by Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon), the crack NCIS team comes through to save the day and reveal the mastermind behind the twisted case. Gibbs doesn't display much more emotion this season than he did in the show's debut, but he's just as sarcastic (and even tempered) when being threatened. During one altercation, the mafia threatens to kill his father, brothers and uncles. Non-plussed, Gibbs calmly says that while he has no male relatives still alive, he'd be happy to fax over the numbers of his three ex-wives. With the help of his ace medical examiner Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard (David McCallum from The Man from U.N.C.L.E), Gibbs and his team are almost invincible when it comes to solving complicated crimes. Whether he's piecing together the bones of a body, or performing an autopsy on a crisply burnt poodle, Ducky is matter-of-fact as he talks to his dead "clients." Of his nervous but eager assistant Jimmy, Ducky notes, "He means well, but sometimes I have an overwhelming urge to slap him." This season, viewers get to see the romantic (and slightly gross) side of Ducky as he briefly romances a doctor half this age. Also on hand to aid (and annoy) Gibbs are happy-go-lucky Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), former Secret Service agent Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander), and forensics expert Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), who can solve anything if you say "please" and bring her a Big Gulp to sip. Look for a gentle guest appearance by Charles Durning as a Medal of Honor recipient who wants to turn himself in for killing his best friend and fellow comrade during World War II. While the plot twists won't surprise most viewers, the acting, writing, and spirit of the episode leaves the viewer feeling satisfied. --Jae-Ha Kim Season Three With two solid seasons already banked, NCIS returns for a compelling third year with exciting plotlines and a slightly tweaked cast. The show's second season ended with the brutal and shocking death of Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander). The first two episodes of this season deal with the aftermath of bringing her killer to justice and examining the emotional impact of her loss on the remaining members of the NCIS team, which is led by Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon). The six-disc set includes all 24 episodes, which aired on CBS during 2005-2006. Returning are happy-go-lucky ladies' man Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly, Dark Angel), forensics expert and resident Goth chick Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), medical examiner Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard (David McCallum, The Man from U.N.C.L.E), and agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray). Former Mossad intelligence officer Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) joins the close-knit cast, as does Jennifer Shepard (Lauren Holly, Dumb & Dumber) as the new NCIS director. Working on a daily basis with Shepard initially makes Gibbs wary. Not only is she a former girlfriend, but she also was his underling at one time. Equal parts CSI and JAG, NCIS works primarily because of its quirky cast, which is able to take sometimes regurgitated ideas and rework them into something engagingly watchable. Throughout this season, we will see agents endangered and framed, and one will accidentally kill an undercover detective who may not have been armed. But the explosive two-part season finale will finally shed light on Gibbs' painful history and help explain why he is who is he today. --Jae-Ha Kim Season Four The fourth season of NCIS begins with one of the investigators being charged with assassinating an Iranian prisoner. Former Mossad intelligence agent Ziva David (Cote de Pablo), who was introduced last season, has been framed, and there's only one man who can clear her name. Unfortunately, lead investigator Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) has retired to Mexico. But since Harmon is the star of the show, Gibbs returns to the United States to help out his colleague. While most of his former team is happy, Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) has mixed feelings (During Gibbs' absence, DiNozzo became the de facto head of the team, and going back to being Gibbs' underling doesn't sit well with the usually easygoing special agent.). Like William Petersen on CSI, Harmon is instrumental to the success of NCIS. Low-key and sarcastic, he injects humor and drama into a role that could've come off as dull. And while other cast members may come and go, his presence makes even some of the weaker storylines forgivable. In general, this season--which originally aired from 2006 to 2007--is full of well-developed plot lines that drive each episode along at a good pace. But there are some subplots that are trite: When agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) reveals that that book he's writing is based on his co-workers, it's not much of a reveal. Also, the serial-killer storyline in this season overstays its welcome by at least one episode. As NCIS director Jennifer Shepard, Lauren Holly makes a sometimes unlikable character come to life, especially when Shepard's motives are questionable. As the show's name suggests, the majority of crimes featured revolve around military personnel, but some of the show's best moments occur when they touch of the personal relationships between the characters. All 24 episodes are included in this six-disc box set, which also includes commentaries, a Q&A session with cast members answer fans' questions, and a surprisingly interesting look at the props used on the show. --Jae-Ha Kim Season Five Describing season four of NCIS as "the season of secrets," executive producer Shane Brennan suggests that season five (offered here with 18 episodes, including a two-part finale, on five discs) is "the season of answers." For the most part, that’s true--but at season’s end, loyal viewers are likely to be thrown for a loop by the death of a major character and a startling set of changes bound to have a profound effect on the show’s future. Picking up where the previous year left off, this new batch jumps right in with a continuation of Special Agent Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and company’s pursuit of notorious international arms dealer La Grenouille ("The Frog," played by Armand Assante), whom NCIS director Jenny Shepard (Lauren Holly) is particularly keen on taking down--a quest that’s complicated by the fact that the bad guy is a CIA asset, and by Agent Anthony DiNozzo’s (Michael Weatherly) love affair with La Grenouille’s daughter. That storyline, barely touched on thereafter, is resolved in the 14th episode, "Internal Affairs." Meanwhile, the NCIS crew is distracted by an array of other cases, most of them involving murder. Of particular interest are several episodes related to Iraq and the War on Terror: a Naval officer of Syrian descent who’s suspected of being an Al Qaeda mole is murdered seconds after Gibbs talks him out of jumping off a building ledge; a Marine who’s having a violent bout of post-traumatic stress after returning from the Mideast turns out to be far worse off than that; Medical Examiner Donald "Ducky" Mallard (David McCallum) refuses to conduct an autopsy because of the deceased’s Muslim beliefs. There’s no doubt that NCIS is slick, entertaining prime-time television in every respect: writing, acting, production values, music, and so on. Still, one’s appreciation of the show largely depends on the characters’ likeability, and that’s very much a matter of taste. Gibbs may be a chick magnet, with four former wives and a past relationship with Shepard to prove it, but he’s also a taciturn fellow with horrible social skills. DiNozzo’s funny and insouciant, but his smugness and incessant razzing of computer nerd Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) soon becomes tiresome, while Shepard is steely and simply unlikeable (the most appealing characters are arguably McCallum’s Mallard and Pauley Perrette’s mouthy Abby Sciuto, the goth-like forensic expert). Bonus material includes cast and crew commentary on various episodes and a typical assortment of featurettes. --Sam Graham Season Six NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service is that rare TV series that grows more popular over multiple seasons. The ratings of this slick and skillful crime show’s sixth season topped the previous five--no doubt due to blending a satisfying story formula with a perfectly balanced cast. Special Agent Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon, whose long career includes St. Elsewhere and Chicago Hope) is the stern but caring father-figure to a squad of younger agents, including obnoxious, self-satisfied field agent Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), sexy ex-Mossad agent Ziva David (Cote de Pablo), quizzical cyber-expert Tim McGee (Sean Murray), goth-chick forensics whiz Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette), and crusty but wise medical examiner Donald “Ducky” Mallard (David McCallum, whose career goes back even farther than Harmon’s, to The Man from U.N.C.L.E.). The banter and tensions of this eccentric sextet provide a reliable comic foil to the frequently gruesome events under investigation. At the end of the fifth season, this crack team was scattered to the far corners of the earth by NCIS Director Vance (Rocky Carroll), leaving Gibbs with a green new crew--but within minutes of this season’s first episode, that’s revealed to be a ruse: Someone in the new team is sending secrets to the enemy. Naturally, sussing out the traitor requires pulling in the old gang one by one. From there, the season gallops along with gripping and often gory opening scenarios (A shower sprays blood! A disembowelled Navy captain has a pentagram on his back! A dying marine writes a number in his own blood--and it’s the number for Gibbs’ service record!) which are cleverly twisted to reveal even more sensational conclusions. The best episodes mislead the viewer multiple times before finally unveiling a surprise solution in the last few minutes. Gliding under these tangled threads are comic subplots about stolen cupcakes and cyberdating. Harmon anchors the show with understated gravitas (sometimes he doesn’t change expression through the entire episode), but the quirky side-players provide the juice, particularly old hand McCallum and the petulant but demanding Perrette. Though the NCIS setting means the crimes need to involve Naval personnel, that’s just window dressing--this is a show that any fan of detective procedurals will enjoy. NCIS: The Sixth Season features plenty of extras for fans, including commentaries that show the actors have the same chatty chemistry as their characters. --Bret Fetzer Season Seven "A few months ago, I had not even heard of NCIS," a terrorist remarks in the gripping season opener, "Truth or Consequences," a benchmark episode. Where's he been? NCIS was television's top-rated scripted drama, an impressive achievement for a show in its seventh season. NCIS may not have any Emmys to its credit or generate water cooler buzz, but it's got a devoted fan base who will follow Special Agent Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and the rest of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service wherever their investigations take them. In the brilliantly constructed and executed "Truth or Consequences," it's North Africa, where movie-referencing hunk Special Agent DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and McGee (Sean Murray) have been captured while investigating Ziva's disappearance. For uninitiated "probies," this episode serves as a series primer as DiNozzo, tied to a chair and shot up with sodium pentothal, gives a rundown to his captor about the rest of the team and their standing in the NCIS universe. There is considerable comfort to be taken in the show's format. Episodes usually begin with discovery of a shocking and grisly murder, then office banter and byplay until Gibbs announces said crime ("We got a dead marine, grab your gear") and then the labyrinthine investigation leading to an act 4 twist. This isn't Law and Order, where sometimes the guilty walk. This is NCIS and justice is always served. But it's not the crimes; it's the characters that are at the heart of this series' enduring popularity. This season provides Ziva (Cote de Pablo) with an especially satisfying arc as she quits the Mossad to become an actual NCIS agent and studies for her United States citizenship exam. Her will they-won't they romantic tension with DiNozzo simmers satisfactorily over the course of the season. Season 7 comes full circle with Gibbs's capture by Mexican drug cartel leader Paloma Reynosa, seeking revenge for Gibbs's murder of her father. She offers him a career change. "You might as well put a bullet in my head," Gibbs predictably replies. But she ups the ante in an unspeakably bad way that is the stuff season-ending cliffhangers are made of. This DVD contains interesting special features that immerse viewers in the production of the series, from the sound design to the design of Gibbs's house, which is seen for the first time this season. --Donald Liebenson

"A few months ago, I had not even heard of NCIS," a terrorist remarks in the gripping season opener, "Truth or Consequences," a benchmark episode. Where's he been? NCIS was television's top-rated scripted drama, an impressive achievement for a show in its seventh season. NCIS may not have any Emmys to its credit or generate water cooler buzz, but it's got a devoted fan base who will follow Special Agent Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and the rest of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service wherever their investigations take them. In the brilliantly constructed and executed "Truth or Consequences," it's North Africa, where movie-referencing hunk Special Agent DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) and McGee (Sean Murray) have been captured while investigating Ziva's disappearance. For uninitiated "probies," this episode serves as a series primer as DiNozzo, tied to a chair and shot up with sodium pentothal, gives a rundown to his captor about the rest of the team and their standing in the NCIS universe. There is considerable comfort to be taken in the show's format. Episodes usually begin with discovery of a shocking and grisly murder, then office banter and byplay until Gibbs announces said crime ("We got a dead marine, grab your gear") and then the labyrinthine investigation leading to an act 4 twist. This isn't Law and Order, where sometimes the guilty walk. This is NCIS and justice is always served. But it's not the crimes; it's the characters that are at the heart of this series' enduring popularity. This season provides Ziva (Cote de Pablo) with an especially satisfying arc as she quits the Mossad to become an actual NCIS agent and studies for her United States citizenship exam. Her will they-won't they romantic tension with DiNozzo simmers satisfactorily over the course of the season. Season 7 comes full circle with Gibbs's capture by Mexican drug cartel leader Paloma Reynosa, seeking revenge for Gibbs's murder of her father. She offers him a career change. "You might as well put a bullet in my head," Gibbs predictably replies. But she ups the ante in an unspeakably bad way that is the stuff season-ending cliffhangers are made of. This DVD contains interesting special features that immerse viewers in the production of the series, from the sound design to the design of Gibbs's house, which is seen for the first time this season. --Donald Liebenson

All 24 episodes from season seven--including "Truth or Consequences," "Good Cop, Bad Cop," "Ignition," "Double Identity," and "Rule Fifty-One"--are featured in a six-disc set. 17 1/3 hrs. total. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: English (SDH); audio commentary on selected episodes; featurettes. **24 episodes on 6 discs. 17 1/3 hrs.**

il ncis, naval criminal investigative service, e' una squadra di agenti speciali la cui missione e' studiare tutti i crimini legati al personale della marina, indipendentemente dalla posizione occupata. spionaggio, terrorismo, omicidi e sottomarini, questi agenti speciali attraversano tutto il globo per investigare su tutto cio' che riguarda il corpo della marina militare. contiene gli episodi della quinta stagione

This warm biography of Harry Truman is both an historical evaluation of his presidency and a paean to the man's rock-solid American values. Truman was a compromise candidate for vice president, almost an accidental president after Roosevelt's death 12 weeks into his fourth term. Truman's stunning come-from-behind victory in the 1948 election showed how his personal qualities of integrity and straightforwardness were appreciated by ordinary Americans, perhaps, as McCullough notes, because he was one himself. His presidency was dominated by enormously controversial issues: he dropped the atomic bomb on Japan, established anti-Communism as the bedrock of American foreign policy, and sent U.S. troops into the Korean War. In this winner of the 1993 Pulitzer Prize, McCullough argues that history has validated most of Truman's war-time and Cold War decisions.

The life of Harry S. Truman is one of the greatest of American stories, filled with vivid characters -- Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin, Eleanor Roosevelt, Bess Wallace Truman, George Marshall, Joe McCarthy, and Dean Acheson -- and dramatic events. In this riveting biography, acclaimed historian David McCullough not only captures the man -- a more complex, informed, and determined man than ever before imagined -- but also the turbulent times in which he rose, boldly, to meet unprecedented challenges. The last president to serve as a living link between the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries, Truman's story spans the raw world of the Missouri frontier, World War I, the powerful Pendergast machine of Kansas City, the legendary Whistle-Stop Campaign of 1948, and the decisions to drop the atomic bomb, confront Stalin at Potsdam, send troops to Korea, and fire General MacArthur. Drawing on newly discovered archival material and extensive interviews with Truman's own family, friends, and Washington colleagues, McCullough tells the deeply moving story of the seemingly ordinary "man from Missouri" who was perhaps the most courageous president in our history.

In the 19th century, the Brooklyn Bridge was viewed as the greatest engineering feat of mankind. The Roeblings--father and son--toiled for decades, fighting competitors, corrupt politicians, and the laws of nature to fabricate a bridge which, after 100 years, still provides one of the major avenues of access to one of the world's busiest cities--as compared to many bridges built at the same time which collapsed within decades or even years. It is refreshing to read such a magnificent story of real architecture and engineering in an era where these words refer to tiny bits and bytes that inspire awe only in their abstract consequences, and not in their tangible physical magnificence.

Published on the fortieth anniversary of its initial publication, this edition of the classic book contains a new Preface by David McCullough, “one of our most gifted living writers” (The Washington Post).Built to join the rapidly expanding cities of New York and Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Bridge was thought by many at the start to be an impossibility destined to fail if not from insurmountable technical problems then from political corruption. (It was the heyday of Boss Tweed in New York.) But the Brooklyn Bridge was at once the greatest engineering triumph of the age, a surpassing work of art, a proud American icon, and a story like no other in our history. Courage, chicanery, unprecedented ingenuity and plain blundering, heroes, rascals, all the best and worst in human nature played a part. At the center of the drama were the stricken chief engineer, Washington Roebling and his remarkable wife, Emily Warren Roebling, neither of whom ever gave up in the face of one heartbreaking setback after another. The Great Bridge is a sweeping narrative of a stupendous American achievement that rose up out of its era like a cathedral, a symbol of affirmation then and still in our time.

Esteemed historian David McCullough covers the military side of the momentous year of 1776 with characteristic insight and a gripping narrative, adding new scholarship and a fresh perspective to the beginning of the American Revolution. It was a turbulent and confusing time. As British and American politicians struggled to reach a compromise, events on the ground escalated until war was inevitable. McCullough writes vividly about the dismal conditions that troops on both sides had to endure, including an unusually harsh winter, and the role that luck and the whims of the weather played in helping the colonial forces hold off the world's greatest army. He also effectively explores the importance of motivation and troop morale--a tie was as good as a win to the Americans, while anything short of overwhelming victory was disheartening to the British, who expected a swift end to the war. The redcoat retreat from Boston, for example, was particularly humiliating for the British, while the minor American victory at Trenton was magnified despite its limited strategic importance. Some of the strongest passages in 1776 are the revealing and well-rounded portraits of the Georges on both sides of the Atlantic. King George III, so often portrayed as a bumbling, arrogant fool, is given a more thoughtful treatment by McCullough, who shows that the king considered the colonists to be petulant subjects without legitimate grievances--an attitude that led him to underestimate the will and capabilities of the Americans. At times he seems shocked that war was even necessary. The great Washington lives up to his considerable reputation in these pages, and McCullough relies on private correspondence to balance the man and the myth, revealing how deeply concerned Washington was about the Americans' chances for victory, despite his public optimism. Perhaps more than any other man, he realized how fortunate they were to merely survive the year, and he willingly lays the responsibility for their good fortune in the hands of God rather than his own. Enthralling and superbly written, 1776 is the work of a master historian. --Shawn Carkonen The Other 1776 With his riveting, enlightening accounts of subjects from Johnstown Flood to John Adams, David McCullough has become the historian that Americans look to most to tell us our own story. In his Amazon.com interview, McCullough explains why he turned in his new book from the political battles of the Revolution to the battles on the ground, and he marvels at some of his favorite young citizen soldiers who fought alongside the remarkable General Washington. The Essential David McCullough John Adams Truman Mornings on Horseback The Path Between the Seas The Great Bridge The Johnstown Flood More Reading on the Revolution The Great Improvisation by Stacy Schiff Washington's Crossing by David Hackett Fischer His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis Washington's General by Terry Golway Iron Tears by Stanley Weintraub Victory at Yorktown by Richard M. Ketchum

History at its best

You are Ser Lev Arris in this - "sequel" - to the original Privateer. Go on a search to regain your identity and memory in this interactive movie/space combat game. Along the way, you can trade commodities, go on missions, attack strange mutants, rescue damsels in distress, meet wierd characters, and visit unusual planets. You can hire wingmen and cargo ships, upgrade your ship or buy new ones, and watch lots of live-action movies. Stars Clive Owen, John Hurt, Jurgen Prochnow (of Das Boot and the Wing Commander movie), David Warner, Amanda Pays, Mathilda May, David McCallum, Brian Blessed, and Christopher Walken as Hassan. Privateer 2 Win95 Deluxe edition contains updated game code which enables the game to run natively in Windows 95. In addition to that, the box also contains a poster and the embroidered squadron patch

David McCallum has personally hand signed this 8x10 photo. The Black custom wood frame measures 14x17 inches, and includes white over black double matting. Conservation Clear glass was used on this fine piece to protect the autograph from fading due to UltraViolet (UV) Rays. This item comes with The Real Deal Memorabilia authenticity sticker on the photo and a Certificate of Authenticity.