1 comments about Babe Ruth.

1. In "Babe Ruth" Kal Wagenhem introduces the reader to one of the greatest icons of American sport. From his home in Baltimore through the minor leagues, the major leagues and retirement we see the man behind the hero. Wagenhem does an excellent job of interweaving baseball with life.
   
   Through the pages we meet the dichotomy that is Babe Ruth. Though America's greatest sports hero, he never learned to take care of himself. Though he could afford any car he wanted, he needed them because he never really learned to drive safely. Despite achieving riches unimaginable for an athlete of his day, he never quite crossed to the right side of the tracks. Despite a life dripping with debauchery, he never left the Church in which he had been raised. A vocal supporter of Al Smith, he did not register to vote until long after the Smith era. After having established himself as an outstanding pitcher, he became the game's greatest hitter.
   
   The baseball world of Ruth's day is portrayed as differing greatly from that of today. In the off season players doubled their earnings on barnstorming tours. Players rode trains rather than planes. Some abused booze rather than drugs, but Oh, they played the game and the Babe dominated it as no other player has before or since.
   
   Babe's life was a combination of triumph and tragedy, fulfillment and despair. The road from the top was bumpy for he Babe. His dream to manage never fulfilled, Babe resented a world which, though it was his life, he never really understood.
   
   This book changed my view of Babe Ruth. He emerges as a figure despiseable and lovable, heroic and irresponsible, admired and pitied. The ability to lead the reader to see a different viewpoint is a test of a good book. By this measurement "Babe Ruth" hits a homer.

2 comments about The Lost King of France.

1. This book is a truly superbly written historical biography. When I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. Deborah Cadbury writes in a style that holds the reader's attention from beginning to end. The terrible suffering endured by that innocent little boy moved me deeply. How could anyone be so cruel to him as those French revolutionaries were? It was one of the worst injustices in history. Unless you've got a heart like a swinging brick, this book will greatly disturb you and upset you. But it does tell it like it was. France was, after all, in total chaos during the revolution. No one was safe. People in power who were ordering people sent to the guillotine one day could find themselves denounced the next day and sent to the guillotine themselves and no one dare show any sympathy for the cruelly treated little boy in case they were judged to be royalist sympathisers and executed for showing their concern. Perhaps this was the main reason why the boy was allowed to die in such appalling agony. The subject of this book does, however, prove one thing. If there is a God, he certainly doesn't give a damn about any of us, especially suffering little children like Louis Charles.



2. In respectful response to Mr. Raynor, I would submit that it was amongst the foremost goals of the French Revolution to remove God from human history and in particular, to destroy the Roman Catholic Church. The cruelty you witnessed in researching this low point in human history is the result of a people who forgot their God. In other words, it does not prove that God does not exist, just that frequently when He is abandoned that evil reigns paramount. The French Revolution, the Russian Revolution, Cambodia and Pol Pot, one can go on. God does not force Himself on anyone and the result of people forgeting Him is a loss of grace. It may be that we are not far from this kind of anarchy again because people have forgotten the source of their sanity, humanity and goodness.-J.M. McMillan

1 comments about Hudson Taylor: The Man Who Believed God.

1. This book should be required reading for any and all future missionaries. Broomhall does the Christian world a great service by detailing Hudson Taylors successes as well as his trials. The most remarkable feature of this book is the faith of Hudson Taylor. In the midst of incredible adversity this man abandoned himself to Jesus and the promises of Scripture. He rested soley on the provision of God, letting no man know his need. Throughout the book, Taylor's adversities and God's deliverances are a source of encouragement and inspiration that will lift the spirits of any true believer to "cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you."

2 comments about A Prophet With Honor: The Billy Graham Story.

1. If you buy only one book about Billy Graham, this should be it. Wonderfully written, it is an objective view by a writer who had full access to Graham and his staff, and full freedom to write the truth.



2. While this book ranks as the most comprehensive take on Graham's life and career, it suffers from two shortcomings. William Martin is rather too uncritical of his subject, and, like most other Graham biographers, he depends too heavily on Graham's memory. Graham has repeatedly proven to be an unreliable source concerning his own history as I documented in my own research for THE PRINCE OF WAR: BILLY GRAHAM'S CRUSADE FOR A WHOLLY CHRISTIAN EMPIRE (Brave Ulysses Books, 2007). Unlike Marshall Frady whose BILLY GRAHAM: A PARABLE OF AMERICAN RIGHTEOUSNESS (reissued by Simon & Schuster, 2006) reported out some of the preacher's less admirable endeavors, Martin participates in the general canonization of Graham.

5 comments about A Long Way from Home: Growing Up in the American Heartland (Tom Brokaw).

1. Brokaw gives a seemingly honest and direct account of his formative years. His respect and admiration for his parents gives him guidelines for a life in the limelight where it may be easy to loose one's footing.
   
   It is interesting to get a glimpse of the life in the heartland of the U. S. in the forties and fifties when so much of my own perception of the U. S. from a Scandinavian viewpoint was formed.
   
   Congratulations to Tom Brokaw for a fine book!



2. One reviewer called this book "for simpletons by a simpleton." Well, as I have very little respect for today's mainstream media, especially Dan Rather and Katie Couric, Brokaw, though preachy, is better than most. This book is a simple book, but it's also pleasant and does lend insight into his modest upbringing in South Dakota---far different from what the elites usually value.
   
   I read it while I drove cross country, which is probably why I gave it 3 stars, rather than 2, as I appreciated it more.
   
   Brokaw may be biased and pedantic now, but he's no ninnyhammer either. He covered stories with some depth, and was rarely lazy or a liar, like Rather. And he worked hard to get where he was, without modern affirmative action. The stories of Big Sky country and the "tragedies" he observed befalling the "Natives" when he returned were unnecessary and awkward, though.
   
   He's still better than Brian Williams.



3. Been there and done that. Refreshing read! Stirred up many old memories and recollections.



4. Tom Brokaw has always projected to his viewers a caring, sincere presence
   as he outlined the happenings of the day in our nation and around the world. Even if the news he broadcasted was sad or shocking he gave us the feeling that we could get through this together. This book offers the same
   warmth and sincerity in describing my similar experiences in growing up
   during and after WWII.



5. Tom Brokaw must think that people care about every facet of his dull life--because he has elaborated on it in so much boring detail in this book that even Brokaw fans will throw their hands up after hearing another insignificant story and say "who cares."
   
   Sadly, he comes across as a person who considered himself better than others and was incredibly insensitive when it came to class status. He often mentions in the book whether someone is "working class" and he claims that in high school "I was a member of the ruling class...it was a white man's and white boy's world" and writes about racism issues that deal with his going to school with Native Americans. If he thinks he is getting sympathy from the reader because he somehow grew beyond his bigotry it is hard to come to that conclusion through this book.
   
   Brokaw is trying to build on his past "Greatest Generation" reputation by painting a picture of his childhood on the South Dakota prairie. But the problem is that it was a pretty boring childhood. Camp, summer jobs, trips to Minneapolis, fitting in at school--almost nothing happened to him that was anything unusual.
   
   There are two exceptions that are worth hearing about. First, as a teenager he headed to New York City to appear on a game show with the South Dakota governor and ended up cheating on the show. Yes, he was part of the quiz shows scandals. This is something he probably should not have revealed.
   
   Second, the only good thing about the book is that it tells the story of how this partying college kid was "counseled" to leave school by a caring professor who told him, "Get all the wine, women and song out of your system." Though this should embarrass the future anchorman, his professor used it to turn Brokaw's life around. Tom dropped out of college then begged the professor to let him back in as a serious student.
   
   The book is also deceptive in length. It may look like a long book of over a couple hundred pages, but the types is double spaced and there are about 30 pages of picture-only pages mixed in the middle of chapters, so the actual length of the book would be about 100 pages in a normal book.
   
   After reading this book any favorable opinion people have of Brokaw should decrease because he comes across as a smug, arrogant, rich guy who thinks his lowly upbringing was something special. It wasn't--he was raised the same way most other people were in the Midwest and nothing really changed for him until that college professor gave him a verbal kick in the pants to change his life.

5 comments about Gracie: A Love Story.

1. I glanced at the reviews here to see if my opinion of this book was just a fluke, but they pretty much bear me out. I didn't expect this book to be nearly as good as it is. On second thought, though, it's not that surprising. This pair was magic and it was seen in everything they touched, the prime and lasting example being the without parallel Burns and Allen Show.
   
   Burns and Allen successfully weathered many storms, making the transition from Vaudeville and stand-up comedy to radio and later to television. The earliest TV shows are the only ones available on DVD, but in later seasons they really hit their stride. In this hilarious and ground- breaking show, George would turn on the TV in the den to see what Gracie was doing, and regularly chat with viewers about events in progress. Gracie would walk in the wrong side of the set and regale viewers (or listeners) with non-stop comedic patter, malapropisms and surrealistic humour (ala Ernie Kovaks) with George as the straightman and pinnacle of style puffing his ever-present cigar.
   
   Even as an octagenarian he could still act (Oh God, You Devil) but as a nonogenarian (92) he could still write. This marvelous memoir is not only the most delightful reading I've had in a long time, but makes me all the more want the Burns and Allen show on DVD. This book was a bestseller in hardback, but is now unaccountably out of print. Yet many readers would love this book, and would enjoy making the acquaintance of the remarkable Gracie Allen.



2. Growing up, I really only knew Goerge Burns for the occasional television special he would host. Other than that, and his "Oh, God" movie (which came out when I was very young), I was relatively unfamiliar with him.
   
   In the mid 80's, when I was about 10 years old, I found that a local radio station would run old time radio comedies from 8-10pm, and as such, I used to fall asleep nightly listening to the like of Jack Benny, Fibber McGee and Molly, and, of course Burns and Allen.
   
   I finally just purchased this book from and Amazon bookseller about two months ago, and honestly, it's as good a $2.95 as I've spent in a while.
   
   As other reviewers have said, many times bigraqphies can be a bit on the dull side, but George really did well with this. It is an easy read... a page turner. It's very interesting to get more insight on what a great performer she was, and how natural it came to her. One always got the feeling that even though she was delivering her "dizzy" Gracie charater, that underneath that was a very smart, clever person. This book certianly backs that up, and it backs it up with all the warmth and affection George Burns had for his wife.
   
   I thoroughly enjoyed this not only for the story of Gracie, but also as a way to look inside the life of an entertainer at that time. I neverquite understood before what it was to work the vaudeville circuit, but there is a ton of insight in this book.
   
   This is a must read for even the most casual fan of old time radio and the celebrities of that era.



3. If you love old Hollywood, read this book. If you loved George & Gracie, read this book. If you want to read a true life love story, READ THIS BOOK. I just love the inside scoop on the old Hollywood that George dishes out. I never knew Cary Grant sold neck ties before becoming a screen idol. Harpo Marx (the quiet one) wanted one child in every window to wave goodbye or hello when he pulled up in the drive. George wasn't all that impressed with Marilyn Monroe.
   
   This book is an easy read and so hard to put down.



4. In our disposable transient society of today, it is a refreshing change to see a love and a marriage that lasted so long. As time goes on, it is becoming an even rarer event.
   
   In this book, Mr. Burns fondly remembers his wife, Gracie Allen. The stories that he tells about her, how they met, and how they managed to stay together so long were interesting to read and entertaining.
   
   I would recommend this book to all ages. It is easy reading and also tells somewhat of the history of vaudeville, radio, television, and movies.



5. Lamb Chops...What do lamb chops have to do with this story, well everything! Lamb Chops is the vaudeville routine that brought fame to this comedic duo in the late 1920's. I have the link to a You Tube movie short that was filmed in 1929 for this popular routine here. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzFcsdgkg54 ) In this clip and others that I've seen with Burns and Allen, I think Gracie is the reason that they had so much success. She was so natural in her role as the "ditzy dame". She was good if not one of the best funnymen to a straightman role. This book takes the reader back to the waning days of vaudeville and the beginnings of film, radio and television as the new media for bringing entertainment to its audiances. George Burns takes us back down memory lane with a personnal love story that lasted nearly 40 years. His memories include many places and friends that I as a reader enjoyed visiting. I don't read love stories usually, but this love story is one that I enjoyed and won't soon forget.

No comments about The Aye-Aye and I.

5 comments about James Herriot's Favorite Dog Stories.

1. I read his books as a teen and loved them. Bought the whole set for my grandsons, [teens]. They laughed until they cried. [so did I].



2. This is an exceptional book of true stories from the author's actual experiences... a heart-warming book that will bring laughter, tears, and a thorough enjoyment for readers of all ages.



3. I drive an hour each way to and from work, and this enjoyable book made the time go by quickly.



4. All of James Herriot's books are great. This is another one. All dogs are unconditional love on four legs.
   
   Stephen Richey author of The Galley



5. James Herriot's Favorite Dog Stories is a short but delightful book written by the world famous veterinarian. It is beautifully illustrated by Lesley Holmes.
   
   This book consists of ten stories from Herriot's previous books that feature dogs that he has treated over the years. It's difficult to pick a favorite as they all have amazing personalities. There is Brandy, who is such a scrounger that he gets his tongue stuck in tin cans that he digs out of the trash can. TrickiWoo, a Pekingese, picks winning horses at the races. And Gyp, an epileptic sheepdog, only barked once in his entire life. Although all the dogs have special characteristics, it is obvious that it would take a veterinarian with compassion and humor to see that these animals are more than just pets.
   
   I truly enjoyed Favorite Dogs Stories. However, if you've already read Herriot's other books (which I haven't), you will find that they're repeats.

5 comments about Native State.

1. Tony Cohan, an incredibly gifted writer - his account of finding a new life in Mexico, 'On Mexican Time', is a superior contribution to the genre of literary travel memoir - has written a sort of early prequel to that book, a fascinating and heartrending story of one man's search for a meaningful life. This is played out in retrospect as he watches his father die in present day Los Angeles. He takes us back to his boyhood in the shadow of a belittling and domineering man, who shaped him for all that was to come. Young Cohan was an accomplished jazz drummer playing with greats like Dexter Gordon in Copenhagen - and pre-Ringo Beatles in Hamburg! - but he gave this up to follow a trickier path of self-expression as a writer. This led him through the early days of the counterculture that began in the late 1950s and flowered into the sex,drugs, rock and roll, Buddhism of the 60s. Cohan hung out with Paul Bowles in Morocco, Jim Morrison in LA, Burroughs in Paris. But this is much more than a name-dropping memoir. It's the paradigm voyage of a generation, and Cohan is its very best, most moving explicator. A great and moving book.



2. I purchased this book based on the author's experiences with many artists that have touched my life. I found this to be a slow read and not particularly thought inducing. Perhaps someday as my father is aging I will re-read it and find a new appreciation for it, but until then I would suggest avoiding this one.



3. This is a favorite for me - a retrospecitve on real life adventures of a man experiencing life with reckless abandon, yet searching for something - meaning, fulfillment, legacy...
   
   Tony Cohan bares his sole, show his flaws, character strengths and character failings. No glossing over the facts, just tells it like it was. Easy to relate to for those with a sense of wanderlust. His failings are our failings. We experience his adventures as if we were there.
   
   A really good read if you like biographies, adventure, character studies...
   
   Cohan's "On Mexican Time" was also a very good book.



4. Tony Cohan's attempt to cope with the father who dominated his life has produced this splendid tale of escape into adventures literary, musical, and romantic in lands far and near. Mr. Cohan's abundant talents enabled him to find acceptance among musical and literary figures whose names will surely inspire threads of memory for readers of a certain age, say 60 and older. The memoir thus opens many more windows than would the ramblings of a less gifted protagonist.
   
   The writing is more than equal to the images it is called on to create, and the influence of Mr. Cohan's father is delineated touchingly and understandably as it evolves from early days in New York and Hollywood up to the day of the elder Mr. Cohan's death.



5. I'm quickly approaching the end of this book and already saddened by that fact. This has got to be one of the best books I've ever read. I'm principally a fan of non-fiction and this memoir has really touched me. If you fancy yourself as musical, nostalgic, cosmopolitan, idealist or perhaps, simply human in the least bit, you will undoubtedly find yourself attached to this book. Maybe I relate to it more than others will but the wanderlust, the music, the cast of shadowy figures, the distance (figurative and literal) between self and family all tug at my heart with a true, visceral immediacy. I found it extremely thought-provoking and wisdom-imparting. With jazz in my ears, misadventure on my mind, and a bittersweetness in my heart, I will be reading this one again and again.

No comments about 2.5 Minute Ride.