5 comments about Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave: Written by Himself (Penguin Classics).

1. 87 years after the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation was enacted and after the the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution Enslaved Americans gained thier freedom.
   
   Before the civil war Abolitionist were the Advocates of change in America the struggle to gain ones freedom from the experiences of slavery in the south is told from the true experiences of Fredrick Douglass. From Slavery to the Struggle for freedom to escape is the story told here, but also the story of survival to activism in the Abolitionist movement to change America.
   
   During the nearly 100 years after the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of 1787 Black America finally found Freedom, But between Slavery and Freedom was the struggle of the freedom fighters of the Revolutionary Abolitinist Movement to bring slavery in America to an end. This is the story of the virtues of a victim of Slavery turned into a revolutionary success story, This is the story of Fredrick Douglass.



2. It had some writing in it, but overall a good deal for the price. Thanks



3. One of the fifth grade teachers at Braeburn Elementary in Houston once told us that "Slaveowners had to treat their slaves well in order to get them to work. Just like a horse. If you are cruel to a horse it won't do what you want."
   
   This type of happy apologia for slavery was still alive and openly espoused in the Houston Independent School District in the 1970's, and done in front of white, black, Hispanic, and Asian children. Perhaps Mrs. Allen would have benefited from reading Frederick Douglass's autobiography. Perhaps not.
   
   Frederick Douglass's story proves the axiom that for every life ennobled by adversity and poverty, ten thousand others are ground up in misery and waste. Douglass achieved fame, literary recognition, and assumed the role as public conscience of America during its slaveholding epoch. Douglass famously reproached the president when he believed Lincoln had backed away from his commitment to end slavery, and boldly praised the 16th President when he issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
   
   Douglass's uncompromising hatred of slavery and his tireless efforts to lay bare its horrors make this book a bitter testimonial to the evils of human bondage as it was practiced in the South and condoned by the U.S. Constitution. Anyone alive today who doubts that he is an heir to the sins of slavery need only read this book.
   
   Douglass's autobiography takes particular care to describe the physical maiming that sadistic southerners inflicted on African Americans. The beatings, the hideous torture, the murder, and the rapine practiced by slaveholders are all held up in this book for readers to quail at and digest, if they can.
   
   If there is any lesson beyond the Lincolnesque conclusion "If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong," Douglass's monumental work testifies to the boundless capacity for torture practiced by whites of European descent towards Africans. Immediately after reading this book I read King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild, and was amazed at the continuity between Douglass's description of slavery and Hochschild's description of slaughter, oppression, and murder in the Belgian Congo.
   
   These two books should definitely be read in tandem; each acts as a historic bookend of sorts to the gruesome racial predations of their respective generations, footnoted with the few and feeble efforts of those who opposed acts that can only be described as the most depraved and unforgivable crimes against humanity.



4. I wrote this review to mention the Kindle Edition. Many lower-priced Kindle editions of books have bad formatting problems that make the book difficult or even impossible to read. Not this one! I found the formatting was excellent throughout. In two places the footnotes were slightly misplaced, but it was easy to figure out from context what the text was. In general, the Kindle formatting was better than many more recent (and expensive!) books.
   
   The content was also excellent (as other reviewers have noted), hence the 5 stars. I've read of Frederick Douglass' life from other sources, but this was the first time I'd read his account.
   
   The introduction by other authors was written in a style that now feels very anachronistic. It was hard to get through those.
   
   Frederick Douglass' account, however, was fresh, engaging, and direct. I found it hard to put down. Descriptions of the atrocities of the time were very personal and not couched in the melodrama of the introduction. I think that made his account even more powerful. His description of his self-education in Baltimore was absolutely stunning and inspirational.
   
   This autobiography, from such a pivotal figure in American history, would already be required reading at any price. But the accessibility and readability of this edition make it a must-have for a Kindle.



5. Though I am skeptical about most 'history,' this book was written by a man who felt oppression and fought it. This book as well Douglass' other writing should be the primary source on slavery and the civil war.
   
   This book, as well as its excellent forward, serves to warn that slavery could happen here again disguised as something else. It reminds us that slavery is not an institution but a crime.
   
   This edition is the best as far as size and print quality. It has also best foreward and the best afterward. I hope Signet continues to keep this edition available.

3 comments about I Fought With Custer: The Story of Sergeant Windolph, Last Survivor of the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

1. This book is compiled from the found writings of a sergeant of the Seventh Cavalry who survived the Battle of the Little Big Horn. The first hand accounts of men like Sergeant Windolph and Theodore Goldin are very valuable and interesting reading. They were not men defending their performance as were the officers like Benteen, Reno, and Godfrey. They had their biases but didn't have to grind axes. This account is worthwhile reading for students of the Seventh Cavalry and the Little Big Horn campaign.



2. As a Custer buff, this book has been on my shelf for a long time. A great book to read, one that fleshes out a lot of the daily life in the Seventh as well as the battle along Greasy Grass. Right up there with "Son of Morning Star" and Walter Camp's book on the subject. Check 'em out, you won't be disappointed.



3. It is difficult to really rate a work like this. This is the story of Charles Windolph, the last survivor of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, in his own, simple words. Windolph told his story to a father and son historian team in the 1930s and 40s. Windolph's distinction as last survivor is a bit misleading--he was the last man who was present at the battle to die, but his title as last survivor does not mean he was with Custer's column of troops. He wasn't. In fact, he was under Benteen, and was one of many who survived the battle because they weren't as heavily engaged in it as Custer.
   Windolph presents an interesting perspective on the battle, and seems relatively objective. He does tend to romanticize a little, but for the most part he refrains from throwing blame on Custer, Reno, Benteen, or anyone else (though he does state up front that he is partial to Benteen). His story is not all that unique when compared to other primary accounts of the battle, but it is nevertheless valuable as the testimony of a survivor of that horrible tragedy.
   Included with Windolph's narrative are a number of primary documents, cobbled together in chapters and laced throughout with author's commentary. This is all right, but it would have been better to present these documents in their entirety, with only enough commentary (perhaps in the form of footnotes) to give the reader an idea of the background surrounding the documents. Still, the Hunts have done a relatively good job of remaining objective as well, something that is rare in a Custer historian. This is perhaps not the best account of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, but it is nevertheless an important one.

1 comments about On the Altar of Freedom: A Black Soldier's Civil War Letters from the Front.

1. "On the Altar of Freedom" was an interesting book in that it compiled the letters sent to a newspaper by Corporal James Gooding of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry (the "Glory" outfit). By reading the letters (ie the book), one can get a view of Civil War life from the view of a black Union soldier. The major drawback to the work is that Gooding was sending the letters to the newspaper for the express purpose of them being published. What would have been more interesting would have been to see his private (if any) correspondence. That way the reader would have been able to see the private man. This book is also an interesting read because of the mention of unapolgetic black CSA sharpshooters being captured by Union forces outside Fort Wagner.

No comments about Abraham Lincoln (Grandes biografias series).

No comments about Abraham Lincoln and Robert Burns: Connected Lives and Legends.

2 comments about Confederate Colonels: A Biographical Register (Shades of Blue and Gray).

1. This book is a must for anyone interested in the subject of Confederate colonels. It is similar to the books "Generals in Gray" and "More Generals in Gray", and makes a nice companion to these two volumes.
   
   The biographies, arranged in alphabetical order, include the basic information about the individual: dates of birth and death; marriages; occupations; and trivia. Most of the data pertains to the colonel's service in the Confederate Army. Surprisingly, some of these colonels have never had any biographical sketches written about them until now. As with any book of this type, a few errors can be found, but the research is otherwise solid.
   
   "Confederate Colonels" represents a tremendous amount of work, and the author deserves a lot of credit.



2. If you are looking for an authentic rendering of Confederate Army Colonels who served in the American Civil War, 1861-1865, this publication is the last word. From Robert Haden Abercrombie to Leon Toll von Zinken, the1583 officers who ended their careers as colonels each have a paragraph which includes birth information, education, service, post war activities and date and place of death.
   
   Listed as appendices are 429 regularly appointed Confederate generals who had served as colonels in the Confederate army or who had been colonels in a "state" army, a full list of those who served a colonel in state armies, and at last, a list of those officers who were called "colonels."
   
   "Confederate Colonels" will stand tall in the book shelves containing Ezra Warner's "Generals in Blue" and "Generals in Gray" and Bruce S. Allardice own "More Generals in Gray." The research is astounding!
   
   Bruce S. Allardice is Adjunct Professor at South Suburban College and Moraine Valley Community College in Illinois. He is a resident of Des Plaines, Illinois.
   
   Richard N. Larsen
   Reviewer

No comments about Memoirs of General William T. Sherman.

No comments about A Confederate Legend: Sargeant Berry Benson in War and Peace.

5 comments about Lee: The Last Years.

1. Lee: The Last Years was well worth reading. A must for anyone who wants to know a little more of the Rest of The Story about a fine American, though much misunderstood.



2. Bracelen Flood clearly does extensive research in order to render this intimate and engrossing portrayal of Lee.



3. I've long considered myself a student of Southern history and the Civil War. Heck, I've been a historian at museums so I think I have a pretty good knowledge of the Civil War era. Furthermore, I live in Virginia and have been to the campus of Washington and Lee University. However, nearly every page of Charles Bracelen Flood's work on Robert E. Lee's post-war years is full of information I've never heard about. Flood has used many differing sources to pull together a wonderful, highly readable account of Lee's years after the war, how he came to be President of Washington College, and his role in the reconstruction of this country. What jumps out off the pages is that for as much as Lee has been studied and idolized for his exploits on the battlefield, his postwar years as President of the college should get just as much press. While Lee did not think defending his native state was wrong, he did wish for both North and South to reconcile as quickly as possible. After reading the book, I still do not think Lee is the god that some people hold him up to be, but he does stand out as a good man who wanted to bring the nation back together while also helping his fellow Southerners get back on their feet. While Flood's writing can be unimaginative at times and I thought he threw in little stories and vignettes that he didn't need too, the book is excellent overall and should be a must read for anyone interested in Lee. However, the book is such an easy, good read that I think almost anyone should pick it up.



4. Outstanding biography of the man. Much has been written about the general, this book brings the humble father, husband and Christian man to life.



5. Lee: The Last Years
   
   This is a wonderful book about a wonderful man. Although Robert E. Lee is most remembered as a General, for most of his adult life, he was an engineer and educator (although in the army). Mr. Lee could have become very wealthy after the war by simply allowing his name to be used commercially. However, he wanted to make a contribution and did so by accepting the position as President of Washington College. He seldom spoke of the war and brought no military flavor to the College.
   
   There is an argument that Robert E. Lee is responsible for more American dead than any other single individual. The difficult part of this book is tying to tie that Robert E. Lee to the man he was in his last five (5) years. He played Santa at Christmas, broke up a lynching, stroked the ego of his horse Traveller, was a good family man, looked out for the under dog and took care of his students, even when they were in trouble. How he handled all these situations, often minor by standards of the war, brings out the essence of the man including his character, values, wit and subtle humor.
   
   I have read/studied history and biography for 40 years. I have spent more time on Robert E. Lee than any other individual and this book someway brings all my study of Mr. Lee together and puts it in perspective. I highly recommend this book to anyone with any interest in American History. Thanks Mr. Flood.

3 comments about Abraham Lincoln: Man Behind the Myths, The.

1. We invented Abraham Lincoln. Not the man, of course, but the myth, that solemn and statuesque giant memorialized eternally overlooking the Capitol mall. The power of that myth and the quiet dignity of its personage dwarfs us all. But the myth is not the man. Myths never are. Stephen Oates in his _Abraham Lincoln, The Man Behind the Myths_, does not seek to diminish the man but rather to clarify him, separating the mythos from the mortal. And it is not an undaunting task, it seems, for overly soon after Lincoln's tragic end the mills began to churn. The public's shredding of the White House interior for mementos while Mary Lincoln lay debilitated in the next room seems symbolic of the wolfpack mentality in Washington even today. And every new memoir published by another family acquaintance of the Lincoln's almost always got it wrong, and tore anew at the heart of the family. We may not have memorialized and glorified our modern-day tragic heroes to such an extent, for we have simultaneously tried to scandalize them. But the tabloid trade it seems has always been a yellow paper. Even Lincoln was vilified in his time and after. He was, Oates, reminds us, one of the most unpopular living presidents of our history. But though the legacy ballooned to heroic proportions after his passing, the man seems to have been lost in it all, remaining only in the hearts of the family leaving quietly and unattended down the steps of the White House never to return.



2. As an amateur genealogist I discovered that I was a sixth cousin, five times removed to President Abraham Lincoln through the Lincoln and Holmes families. On page 21 ( Abraham Lincoln, The man Behind The Myths ) Mr. Oates wrote that there was a mistaken belief that Thomas Lincoln was not Abraham's real father rather it was a Senator John C. Calhoun or a Henry Clay. If this was true it would mean that I was not related to President Abraham Lincoln. How would such a rumour start ? Is there any documented evidence that Nancy Lincoln had an affair with one of these men while being married to Thomas Lincoln. At the time I am trying to locate Stephen B. Oates so I can get this matter cleared up. Sincerely, Mr. Blair E. Bartlett, 87 Shillington Road, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, E2J 4K7 1-506-696-6175



3. In this small but valuable volume, Oates explores the reality beyond the two sources of Lincoln myth: the primary myth of a saintly and folkloric Lincoln of Carl Sandburg and a secondary myth of the 'white honky' Lincoln of the 1970's revisionists. Oates emphasizes that Lincoln drew deeply upon the "spirit of his age", which was a profoundly revolutionary time across the world. Oates relates how Lincoln absorbed one of the core lessons of America from the example of Henry Clay: : "in this country one can scarcely be so poor, but that, if he will, he can acquire sufficient education to get through the world respectably".
   
   That slavery was the cause of the Civil War is beyond all doubt. As Oates explains, however, the North did not go to war to free the slaves. In the standard phrasing, the North went to war to 'preserve the union'. Oates explores Lincoln's fears that the spread of slavery in the wake of the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Dred Scott decision would lead to the destruction of democratic society. The debate then still raged on the world stage whether a republican form of government could last. Lincoln rejected the "ingenious sophism" that states could freely leave the Union. "With rebellion thus sugar coated [southern leaders] have been drugging the public mind of their section for more than thirty years." Secession posed nothing less than a final challenge to popular government. If a minority could destroy the government any time it felt aggrieved, then no government could endure. Thus the war had to be fought to preserve not just the American Republic, but the possibility of republican government.
   
   Lincoln did in fact oppose slavery from early on. His views on racial matters apart from slavery became more fully progressive over time. Lincoln, however, hoped that slavery would slowly melt away in a losing competition with free labor and that liberated slaves would resettle in Africa. It is part of Lincoln's greatness that he later gave up these views. Oates explores this evolution in his thinking. Oates debunks the notion that the Emancipation Proclamation was unimportant in liberating the slaves. Oates also refutes the notion that Lincoln would have favored an easy hand during Reconstruction. On the contrary, the evidence strongly suggests he would have led the so-called Radical Republicans.
   
   Highly recommended for any reader with an interest in Lincoln, the Civil War era, or really pretty much any American.