“Thickly forested regions of Phuoc Tuy including the Rung Sat swamps and farms considered to be controlled by the Vietcong, were regularly sprayed by defoliants including “Agent Orange” using aircraft. This was both an inhumane and unsuccessful strategy which only destroyed enough food to feed 245,000 Vietnamese people for a year resulting in a propaganda gift to the Vietcong. (Ham, 2007). Given that defoliation did not uncover the enemy, who kept on fighting from jungle, caves and tunnels, the whole defoliation programme must be considered a failure. Given also, that birth defects and other health problems associated with defoliants can be directly blamed upon “Agent Orange”, it stands to reason that the allies in the Second Indochina War who sprayed it upon villages and farms can in fact be said to be, “Guilty of War Crimes!”
― A Gracious Enemy
― A Gracious Enemy
“ Mary fought a savage impulse to slam the door on the couple. But they were too interesting to ignore in the circumstances of the murder. She caught sight of Richard spitting out a mouthful of hair.”
― Murder on Family Grounds
― Murder on Family Grounds
“ ‘That has to be Mr Davis,’ Semilla said with an air of complete confidence as she stared at the inferno rising above the roof tops.
‘How can you be so certain?’ Burt questioned looking slightly pensive.
Semilla gave a shrug. ‘Let’s face it he’s been in the vicinity of one or two little disasters lately.”
― Our Blue Orange
‘How can you be so certain?’ Burt questioned looking slightly pensive.
Semilla gave a shrug. ‘Let’s face it he’s been in the vicinity of one or two little disasters lately.”
― Our Blue Orange
“When I was four or five years old, my mom made me a beautiful white dress with red embroidery on the top for Christmas. I remember her laboring over it because sewing didn’t come naturally to her. I tried it on, and the gathered waistline with the fitted bodice just didn’t please her. It didn’t lie the way it should, so she ripped it out several times.”
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“He desperately tried to think of a story to explain his involvement in her sudden appearance, without mentioning the book of magic in his possession.
”
― The Three Witches and the Master
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― The Three Witches and the Master
Bertram’s 2025 Year in Books
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