5 comments about Sleeping Where I Fall: A Chronicle.

1. I lived through the '60's, but on a different, more acceptable level....married to a student. I did, however, live in Vancouver's "hippie district", and had a half-hearted admiration for those who thumbed their noses at society's norms. This book gives me a better insight to the ideals and the guts to live those ideals the hippie culture evoked. Peter Coyote's book was honest, insightful and informative. He creates a feeling in the reader of having been in San Francisco and in the communes. I couldn't help but being impressed by his knowledge, abilities and his joy at being what he had been.



2. I've read several books on this era, books I consider definitive. Specifically, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, Ringolevio and Hell's Angels, by Hunter Thompson. This may be a late addition but it actually points out a quite amazing fact, my claim of which I'm certain will be looked upon as utterly outrageous. But I've read this book and I know psychology. And I've read between the lines. The fact is this. If it weren't for Peter Coyote, the sixties would NEVER have happened. Not anywhere remotely resembling what happened. It would have been a rather disjointed affair and wouldn't have gone anywhere but Peter Coyote's involvement in the Diggers was what changed the world. And I'm not talking about any butterfly effect. I'm talking about an entirely NEW WORLD that was the inevitable result of Peter Coyote's having done what he did, all those years ago. HE himself never made such a claim. He simply states, in no nonsense terms, the specific things that he was involved in, things that were done BECAUSE HE MADE THEM HAPPEN - things that snowballed into an entire counter culture. The movie Forrest Gump was about a retard who caused world events to unfold. Peter Coyote was NEVER a retard but he has had more effect on the world than ANY HUMAN BEING ALIVE TODAY and more effect on the world than any human being in the last century save for Nicola Tesla. And I mean any politician, doctor, scientist, entertainer, what have you, Peter Coyote stands head and shoulders above anyone you can name as having some kind of effect on the world.



3. Peter Coyote, was that incredibly cool "older brother", born just in time "to do" the sixties in all its guts and glory, that later generations would look back on with envy. Tall, dark, handsome and talented Coyote (are you really surprised that's not his real name) from out east lands smack dab in the heart of San Francisco just at the moment when the town is experiencing the labor pains that will soon give birth to hippiedom. We begin the journey of the sixties when Coyote was a twenty-something grad student sharing digs with the daughter of legendary Americana painter, Thomas Hart Benton, and continue to watch in fascination as he becomes an active participant in street theater, the Diggers (a band of revolutionary artists), the drug scene of Haight-Ashbury, radical politics, commune life and a lover to many lovely young women. Coyote and his friends drifted outside their urban existence when they took to the road like modern day gypsies in a beat up school bus carrying their caravan into the wilderness. It is there that they attempted to build a walden pond utopia in northern California; shooting and growing their own food, making their own clothes and birthing & raising the next generation, on a rustic farm. In his tell-it-like-it-was warts and all style, Coyote depicts how the unhygenic conditions they lived in lead to a bout with hepatitis and his baby daughter getting sick from eating dirt from the ground. Despite that rough road of youth, Coyote came out alive, and with his political & social beliefs mostly intact. Unlike many who never made the journey back from their drug addled and counter-culture adventures, Coyote, has made hay with the 2nd half of his life as an actor, political activist and can stake a claim to one of the most recognized voices in commercial television, audio and documentary narrations. Oh yes, and he can write.



4. This book is almost completely unreadable, a puff piece, really, navel-gazing by yet another grown child, raised in wealth and privilege, who turned his back on his family in order to drop out of society during the turbulence of the late 1960's.
   
   Peter Coyote's personal life story is nauseatingly boring, a life without any particular real angst or pain, a life in which one must import and manufacture angst and pain. One is reminded of Candice Bergen's autobiography Knock Wood, in which she admits that as a very young actress, a director tried to elicit some kind of sense memory within her, one of grief and loss, and she had nothing in her past upon which to draw upon the needed emotions. Coyote's life and self-realization in Standing Where I Fall just isn't very interesting, and beyond being some kind of catharsis for him as the author, there isn't much here to interest any reader.



5. some of these reviews with one or two stars attached are perfectly accurate. they express far better than i can just how bad this book is. the author is so smug and full of himself as to be laughable. the author becomes a parody of himself, if thats possible, maybe better said- he is everything he claims to hate. i felt pangs of embarrassment for him. awful.

5 comments about Her Majesty's Spymaster: Elizabeth I, Sir Francis Walsingham, and the Birth of Modern Espionage.

1. After buying this book following a positive newspaper review, I was very disappointed. I was expecting a discussion of Francis Walsingham, with some historical background and supporting commentary on Elizabeth I and her times. Instead, the book is a commentary on the times of Elizabeth I and associated historical events that just happens to mention Francis Walsingham. If you're looking for a broad view of the times and events leading up to Walsingham's more well-known exploits, this book may interest you. Even then, the writing is not very compelling, and I struggled to get to the end, finding the author's writing style very dry and uninvolving - I may even go so far as to say this is a boring book. In sum, your money could be better spent elsewhere.



2. This is a popular history of events in the reign of Elizabeth I, focused on the life of Sir Francis Walsingham, a senior member of the privy council who was responsible for a wide array of cloak-and-dagger work. It includes many details of the intricate and treacherous world of spies and double agents of the period, including the intercepted letters that eventually led to the execution of Mary Queen of Scots.
   
   It is sometimes a little light, but it is very readable. It helped me better understand the connections between events such as the St Bartholomew's massacre of the protestant nobility in Paris, the Spanish Armada, the conspiracies around Mary, and the distinctly paranoid atmosphere of Elizabeth's court. It isn't surprising that the protestant leadership of England were highly alarmed after what they had seen happen to their coreligionists in Paris and amidst the various rumoured conspiracies around Mary.
   
   Elizabeth herself is portrayed as continually vacillating. Sometimes by intent, to stall and delay her enemies or to allow events to unfold, but sometimes out of mere habit and apparently sometimes out of alarming genuine indecisiveness.
   
   This is by no means a complete history of Elizabeth I's times. But it sheds some interesting light and reminds us of the long dark history of spies and double-dealing between nations.



3. I found the book interesting, but not absorbing. The writer jumps from subject to subject and event to event. The writing is good, but it could be more chronological.



4. A short, yet comprehensive study of Sir Francis Walsingham. A brilliant spy master. He coordinated espionage activities against Spain and France and internal enemies (both real and unfortunately imagined) of Queen Elizabeth I.
   
   This history shows black operations and black propaganda, influence operations, the acquisition of foreign intelligence, the recruitment of agents, covert action, mail intercept, etc. It's about the figurative "puppet master" - the Privy Councillor - that affected and influenced the course of history. He influenced the events surrounding Elizabeth's contest for power with Mary Queen of Scotts, etc.
   
   As a bonus, you will also learn about how the Spanish King Phillip managed his correspondence and managed his Empire.
   
   The study of an intelligence and political master in the context of Elizabethan England, the times of the Spanish Armada's attack on England, etc.
   
   An excellent book that I highly recommend for the serious student.



5. Tipoff at that start that this was not going to be anything but an exhaustive first draft of history: a 4-page list of names at the beginning of a small book that barely topped 200 pages. And author Budiansky proceeds to use them all in journalistic style, with no summary, narrative, or placing of Walsingham in the context of modern espionage as the subtitle claims.
   
   I ended up skimming the last 100 pages.

3 comments about Emiliano Zapata!: Revolution and Betrayal in Mexico.

1. The book centers on how the personal life of Emiliano Zapata intermingled with his revolutionary movement during the high point of the Mexican Revolution: 1910-1919. The events and historical period the book covers are hardly new to scholarly review. In his book Brunk is standing on ground elevated by previous work- particularly by John Womack's Zapata and the Mexican Revolution. Still, from this advantageous position Brunk decided to focus his attention on the personal details of Zapata and give us a fresh political biography.

   This book sadly misses the opportunity to examine the cultural dimension of Zapata's life and achievements. Starting with his beginning, Brunk totally ignores the religious attribute intrinsic in the culture of south/central Mexico - which he later admits it had. Indeed, he only mentions the word church when referring to how a village offered a strategic position from the tower of the church. When referring to the machismo culture and Zapata's relationships with females, he could have linked gender issues to Zapata's revolution. When he touched on the regionalist tendencies of Zapatismo, he could have compared one region against the other in greater details as to illuminate why regionalism was such a strong force. There were several questions that their answers could have enriched his research. How did religion influence the motivation of Zapatistas? What was the reaction of local priest and other members of the clergy, to Zapata's actions, and what type of relationship they had? What role did women play in Zapata's movement? How did the fatalism of machismo influence the outcome of the events? If the Guerreros were not as motivated for land reform as the Morelos were, what other motivations led them to follow Zapata? What role did Indians had within or against Zapatismo?

   Brunk seems too concern at portraying Zapata as a benign leader, and worthy of idolization. While describing his childhood, he rarely criticizes the tradition as a source (with one important exemption), but it tends to place it at the center of the description. The book also has an inclination to smooth out Zapata's rough characteristics. Indeed, when there is someone to falter, there are always many candidates that are not Zapata. And when there is no way that Zapata can escape guilt, masterfully, Brunk explains out the reasons in a way that everything seems inevitable and the reader may sympathize with Zapata. The more obvious example, probably, is when a spirit of paranoia invaded the Zapata's camp, and he is not able to control it. At this moment Brunk chose to emphasize the doings of others, and when there was reference to Zapata's behavior, Brunk always did it with a compassionated tone and explaining that most convictions were done with lots of regrets. Furthermore, Zapata is presented as fair when he decided not to punish, and when he decided to punish, regardless that the cases were very similar and that the motivation for change appears to be related to mood swings more than any other factors. Undoubtedly, this book falls short of a complete description of the Mexican Revolution. This was not the intention of the book. However, the reader may gather the wrong impression of the Mexican Revolution by following the logic of the book. In many occasions the author clearly placed Zapatismo as the Revolution, and yet, in other parts he moved to explain how it was only a strand of a larger movement. This seemingly contradiction is not an isolated element. When Brunk tells about the differences on Villa and Zapata, and how that influenced the outcome of their relationship, he vacillates to use more unambiguous terms. To those fond of the scientific historical perspective and of empirical data, this book may prove a disappointment.

   What this book does is to allow the reader to appreciate the Mexican Revolution, and more specifically, Zapatismo, from the personal life of Zapata. The emphasis on Zapata's life is more on his relationships to his subordinates and enemies, and this focus brings a totally new perspective into the matter. It seems that by getting close to Zapata's leadership Brunk gained an edge in understanding Zapata. By the constant use of the word "perhaps" one can assume that Brunk commonly relies on his intuition cultivated by years of personal acquaintance with the original sources leading to Zapata.

   Through Brunk's style the reader may appreciate the influence of personalities and how power conflict influenced the Revolution and its southern strand: Zapatismo. Through this book the reader may appreciate how the unfolding of personal interaction determined the relationship between Zapata and his intellectuals. In explaining internal conflicts within Zapatismo, Brunk clearly understands how the rural people related to each other and how that differed from those coming from the city: in the country they looked in the eye, in the city they thought in terms of systems. (126) When returning to Morelos, Brunk describes a lively Zapata, full of energy as he makes his leadership, once again, dependent on his charisma and personality. Brunk also brilliantly explains how the concept of justice was more a personal matter to Zapata and how it evolved out of his relationship to others. And finally, Brunk takes the reader to Zapata's vacillation before going toward Jesus Guajardo; how he knew that he was gambling his live by doing so. This inside view into Zapata's political and military world could not be achieved without Brunk's emphasis on Zapata's personal relationships. At the end the reader may agree with Brunk in that brutality, pain, and personalism "formed an integral part of the Revolution, without which could not be understood." (238) There is no doubt that Brunk employed contemporary research and advanced analytical skills to study the political life of Zapata. Yet, he departs a little from the overly skeptic attitude of some current scholars who avoid personal worship and prefer a more depressing view of life. According to Brunk, then, the Revolution was indeed a revolution, and Zapatismo was a peasant's revolution with clear political and social significance.




2. You may need a glossary for this book if you're not familiar with such terms as ejido or hacendado. I highly reccomend doing some preparation reading on the mexican revolution before starting this book. Be advised, a third of this book is notes and references! The author does a good job of showing how Zapata remained committed to his cause while many around him were traitors. The author provides factual accounts with little embelishing or unsupported speculation. This book is a must-have for those who are interested in the real Zapata.



3. Emiliano Zapata is a legendary and controversial figure in Mexican history. One of the many persons who have been intrigued by Zapata's mythical persona has been Samuel Brunk. Brunk first conducted his comprehensive research on Zapata while he was a graduate student at the University of New Mexico. Brunk's current research deals with certain aspects of Zapata not covered in this book, mainly with the accuracy of the cultural and political myth ascribed to Zapata since his death. Brunk currently teaches at the University of Texas at El Paso. His area of expertise is twentieth century Mexican history.
   Brunk states that "the primary goal of the book is to provide a . . . political biography of Zapata, and to demonstrate . . . That his choices and actions . . . [had] a historical impact." Brunk portrays Zapata as a man with utopian ideals who is plagued by personal faults. He contends that Zapata, or more precisely, Zapatisimo had, and has had, an enduring effect on th Mexican conscience and psyche. His work, over a third of which is composed of notes and references, is well researched. Brunk utilizes oral interviews, anthropological data, and newspaper and archival documents (many of which had been recently released) to develop his thesis.
   Although Brunk does a wonderful job in compiling information to narrate his thesis, there are a few aspects to the book that are disappointing. For instance, the back of the book and the introduction claim that Brunk's depicture of Zapatisimo humanizes the Zapatisimo legacy by recanting the brutality and banditry that surrounded the movement. This controversial depicture (controversial because most previous historians and scholars who have written on Zapata have minimized or left out claims of the movement's cruelty) that was promised, however, never genuinely materializes in the pages of the book. To be sure, Brunk does give attention to the banditry that occurred during the Zapata movement, however, Brunk downplays the criminal activity conducted by Zapatistas as isolated or justified occurrences. This is rather unfortunate, not because it overly influenced his work (this does not seem to be the case). But because the promotional description of the book does not accurately apply. A prospective consumer looking forward to reading book that demonizes Zapata might be led astray by the controversial advertisement. Brunk's book only mildly describes the Zapatistas as crooks and thugs. To be fair though, some reviewers seemed satisfied with Brunk's work in illuminating Zapata's unethical activities.
   Going beyond what may be construed as a misleading description of the book, Brunk offers the reader a thorough account of the situation Zapata was facing during the 1910s. Overall, this is an enjoyable book, however, at times the book's readability is rough and course. Brunk's recreation of the constitutional convention is a clear example of this. It was dull, deliberate and repetitive. On the positive side, the remaining sections of the book, particularly his description on the early days of Zapatisimo, were well written. Perhaps the most pointed and painful critique, however, comes from experts in the field. John Womack, author of Zapata and the Mexican Revolution and Harvard professor, concluded that Brunk had missed "a chance for a major contribution to scholarship" in light of all the new material available to him.
   Notwithstanding the rather disappointing aspects to the book, it is still a book worth reading. Brunk does an excellent job depicting the shifting coalitions between the various factions of the revolution. Indeed, it would not be far fetched to suggest that Brunk's depiction of the various coalitions immensely helps the reader understand the difficulties that confronted the US in its first war of the 21st Century.

3 comments about Pursuit: The Chase, Capture, Persecution, and Surprising Release of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

1. ...but that doesn't make him guilty of a crime.
   
   When the Confederacy collapsed in April, 1865, President Davis got Lee's message to leave while sitting in pew 63 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church...I have sat in that pew for Church services, and if you think that doesn't give a Southerner the shakes, think again. The civil government left town on a slow train that night..... Danville...Greensboro...Charlotte... One by one his cabinet faded away; Davis still wanted to make it to Texas, and continue the war. By then, that idea bordered on lunacy. Finally, after a month in which he ran, but not hard enough, the President was captured by Union Cavalry near Irwinville, Georgia [NOT IN VARINA'S DRESS--that story is a vile lie]. Davis was transported to Fortress Monroe, Virginia....then the real story started.
   
   Abe Lincoln has wanted a peaceful reunion of the country, and was inclined to let Davis, and the others, escape. Some of Lincoln's own people disagreed; we shall never know what would have happened had Lincoln lived. Abe was a strong leader...Andrew Johnson was not, and therin lay the problem. President Davis was locked up, even kept in chains for a week. The Union had several real difficulties...Democrat controlled newspapers came to Davis' support...good lawyers offered to defend him...the Justice Department couldn't come up with a crime to charge him with. Treason? Well...the Constitutional definition of that is very specific. Secession alone won't do it...secession had always been assumed to be legal. Overthrow of the government in Washington? We NEVER sought to do that, merely to form our own. The Yankees had treated us as a real country during prisoner exchanges; now, they were stuck. And then there was the matter of the Yankees' illegal admission of West Virginia. Does that mean I'm an unperson?
   
   Some Northerners tried to frame Davis for the Lincoln murder, but couldn't even get lying witnesses to tell a straight story. Davis would have NEVER traded Lincoln for Johnson, and Judah Benjamin would have never run such an operation without express orders from Davis. Mr. Johnson touched one interesting point, but did not elaborate: Secretary Stanton refused two different Union officers permission to accompany Lincoln to the theater. Both were strong men, who could have overpowered Booth...stories have circulated for years, hinting at Stanton's involvement, because he wanted a harsher Reconstruction than Lincoln would have allowed. The most that can be speculated is that knowing, somehow, about the plot, he withdrew protection.
   
   Finally, after two years [during which his treatment improved], President Davis was released on bail [paid by Northerners]. The Union had gotten itself in a legal mess by holding a man they dared not bring to trial, and were afraid to just let go. Mr. Chief Justice Chase came to the rescue with a novel approach to the Fourteenth Amendment, and the doctrine of double jeopardy. Davis never got his day in Court....
   
   I am a supporter of Jefferson Davis, but I will certainly not assert that he was without faults; pig-headed might be a nice way to put it. His inability to work with men he disliked led to the underuse of Generals PGT Beauregard and Joe Johnston, and hurt the South. Once he decided on a policy, he would simply not listen to reason. Still, his strength of character helped keep the South going. He gave the South someone to rally around during Reconstruction; to the day he died in 1889, he never backed down. He also committed no crime during the war...Mr. Johnson has written a superb book, part adventure story, part legal treatise, all great history.



2. There are different ways to write Civil War history. Some books that are designed for history professors are found filled with footnotes and trivial facts and esoteric comparisons which only another professor of history could enjoy wading through. Then there are others with no notes and no references to sources that tell a rousing good story but one that leaves the reader wondering if he has read a novel or a history book and no way to verify which. Clint Johnson has merged these two types of history into a book which, if you are interested in Jefferson Davis and his capture, is a must read. Johnson focuses on the details of Davis' flight and capture. For those who are looking for something new -- along with the fresh perspective that Johnson brings to the oft-told story of Davis' capture, he has unearthed interesting information, like providing newly discovered details concerning the story that Davis was wearing a dress when he was captured. Many are not aware the Lincoln actively sought to have Davis and his cabinet escape the US or that Davis was never tried for a crime because he never committed one [except in the eyes of the most radical Republicans] and Johnson lets you see the pickle the US government was in as the press and Reconstructors were screaming for Davis to be tried and hung. Johnson seems to have done his legwork. In Johnson's work I did not run across anything which seemed invented, contrived or went against modern Civil War research. Whenever I did want to check the source, I found the cited sources matched Johnson's version. The best part is that the book is well enough written that, once I started, I had to stay up till I finished it. A fascinating book about a fascinating figure in American history. If you are a Civil War history buff, or just want to read a well written account of a very interesting episode from the Civil War, then I recommend you read this book.



3. Another job well done Clint Johnson! As with all of your books you can tell immediately this one was well researched and well written. You are certainly on your way to becoming one of this generations premiere civil war historians. You write with a style that seems as though you have actually lived and experienced the very history you so ably put to type and that is what makes this book so enjoyable. Any student of American history needs this book in their collection.

4 comments about Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War: Authorized Edition (Che Guevara Publishing Project).

1. This first hand account of the Cuban Revolution through the eyes of Che give the reader the feeling and emotion that Che felt as he wrote these words. We can see and feel the emotion from his words and can see how complex he was. At times he was cruel and hard driving, at others, compassionate and unsure. Good reading for anyone interested in Che



2. This collection of memories conveys the excitement, zeal, possibilities, problems and limitations of Guevara's "guerilla warfare" strategy as it was practiced in the Sierra Maestra. At times, one can almost hear Guevara wheezing as he traverses the rugged terrain. It is, in general, light on ideological substance and heavy on battlefield drama. A classic nonetheless...



3. This book is great for getting a bird's eye of the Cuban Revolution from an individual perspective. Guevara is meticulous in his notation of events and people. This is not the book to read if you are looking for a general study of the Revolution. Guevara does speak of Castro and Cienfuegos among others but this is Guevara's story. What most impressed me was his honesty about his men, his mistakes, and the conditions under which the Revolution occured. The bugs, the heat, the lack of food, the support from the residents of the Sierra Maestro are so well described that you truly get a sense of what the experience must have been like. Don't pass this book up.



4. Che goes through memories of the Revolutionary War in Cuba. His writing style is engaging and interesting.

5 comments about The Firm: The Troubled Life of the House of Windsor.

1. 
   Before watching the film -title Queen ý'D like to have some ideas about the Royal family and ý think Watching the film after having o good idea about the family and their sufferings of being a member of a royal family will give me a total understanding and pleasure of knownig what you are going to watch.
   The book is perfect



2. I love things about the royal family. But this book put me to sleep faster than a double dose of Ambian.
   Penny is a Prince Of Wales fan, through and through. And she quite likes Camilla. This felt like reading a book written by the Prince's PR machine.
   The most disappointing book about the Windsors ever. Too much minutia and not enough substance. I agree, check it out of the library! Caution. DO NOT BUY!



3. This book is a total waste of time. It is highly subjective and very critical of Princess Diana. The rest of the royal family members come under scrutiny, but Diana fairs the worst. It is more than obvious that the author favors the queen and the Prince of Wales, especially the prince. The author lavishes praise on Kate Middleton and hopes that Middleton and Prince William will settle down and live happily ever after and bring credibility and respectability to the monarchy. Give me a break! I found the book to be tactless and devoid of any substance.



4. I tried reading this yesterday as soon as I got it, but after the first three chapters, I had to put it down.
   
   I enjoy biographies that tell both the postive and negative side of a person or insitution; this book mostly promotes the positive side of Prince Charles, and doesn't really tell of his negative side.



5. I can see what the other reviewers meant by a lack of continuity. The author has a tendency to jump around and as the book progresses her views change, which can make it seem "cut and pasted." This reason alone stopped me from giving it five stars. From an American with an interest in the monarchy, I think it gives an interesting history while touching on why a monarchy works (at least as long as the Queen is the monarch in question). It also has a bunch of tidbits that make it good reading and gave another view of the Princess of Wales. All in all, I think it was a great book and I recommend it to anyone with an interest in the monarchy - especially to us Americans that don't understand it.

5 comments about Children of Cambodia's Killing Fields: Memoirs by Survivors.

1. These are the collected accounts of children who suffered untold atrocities under the Pol Pot regime such as torture, rape, starvation, beating, and killing. People were buried alive or thrown into a pot and cooked like fish or poultry. Others had their gallbladders and liver removed to serve as meals for the Khmer Rouge.

   This is the story of a revolution going haywire and of ruthless men who, in the name of distorted and senseless ideologies, inflicted pain, fear, terror, and death on their countrymen.

   Power not backed by strong moral values could only lead to barbarism.




2. I read a lot of books Cambodia. This is yet another collection of stories about people who survived the holocaust. My heart is always touched by such stories. These types of books are always similar even though the stories are specific to individuals there are common themes. If you are interested in more personal accounts there are 2 others which I would recommend. "When Broken Glass Floats," and "First They Killed My Father."



3. This is a good introduction for anyone who wants to learn about life under the Khmer Rouge. The stories may be different, but they all provide a vivid detail of children struggling to survive Pol Pot's regime.



4. This book of memoirs is deeply moving with one eulogy to a mother which I will never forget. It brought me to tears and crying out loud. Books such as these should be read by our youth before they enlist in the armed services. Naive Americans such as Jessica Lynch might not be so swept up by the manipulative promises of military recruiters if they became more informed before they enlist.



5. This is one of the most powerful books I have read. The writing may not be the greatest. After all it is not a novel; it is a composition of the stories of Cambodians that have survived horrendous atrocities. Before we blame the U.S. we must realize that The U.N. and the rest of the world failed to take action as well. Would the public have supported sending troops into a situation similar to Vietnam? Is Burma the next killing field? We still ignore similar circumstances that are occurring as I type this review.

1 comments about Remember Us: From My Shtetl Through the Holocaust.

1. This is a magnificent account of the horrors of the Holocaust as lived by Martin Small. Author Vic Shayne has been able to give the reader the feeling of presence during these horrific events. Mr. Small's recollection is vivid and tragic at the same time. Having lost 34 members of his family to the murderous Nazi's and their collaborators he has dedicated his life to memorialize these unspeakable events in his art and poetry. Now his book 'Remember Us: From My Shtetl Through the Holocaust' brings his message to new heights with the chant of 'Never Again' and 'We Shall Never Forget'. This Herculean effort should be obligatory reading for everyone so that the horrors of the Holocaust as told by survivor Martin Small to Vic Shayne are understood and remembered forever.

1 comments about Marie Antoinette: Writings on the Body of a Queen.

1. I'm not sure what Goodman was trying to do here, but it didn't work. I mean, if you're interested in Marie Antoinette as a SYMBOl of women-in-high-places brought down, then this is the book for YOU....But right now I'm wanting to know about her life. Because I can't call this book a biography, an analysis of Marie Antoinette, or a review of the revolution and how it effected her, I can't recommend it. The purpose of the book is a mystery to me, except to place Antoinette in the context of women since the beginning of time. YAWN. Yet, I read it and I find myself rereading parts of it again and again. I think I have to commend it because there is thought behind the writing. The writer does give a bit of insight into Antoinette's daughter, who is the reason I began reading everything I could get my hands on about the queen...Thing is, if you want to read about women who have been scape-goated throughout the years, turn to female writers of the 1960s and early 1970s. In their hands, this book would've burned.

3 comments about Davy Crockett: His Own Story.

1. Davy Crockett is a legend -- and Crockett knew this while he was still alive. Throughout this autobiography, he is careful to conform to his public image, while being willing to clarify some of the tall tales being told.

   Some have doubted Crockett's authorship, and he certainly used fellow congressman, Thomas Chilton of Kentucky to edit and assist in the manuscript preparation. However, the book is the work of Crockett and he wrote it in 1834, two years before the Alamo.

   Reading about Crockett in his own words (even though they may have been edited or enhanced by another congressman) is a delight.

   Well worth one's time.




2. I bought this book specifically because Davy Crockett himself was the author. I thought it would contain his entire autobiography, but the book ends before he goes off to Congress. The book and type are also much larger than I realized they would be. This book is more suitable for younger children. As an adult, I am quite disappointed.



3. 
   A great read: True, I may be prone to some bias, as Disney's first (and highly idealized) broadcast of "Davy Crockett: Indian Fighter" made its indelible print on me when I was several months shy of four years old. But Crockett's own story is a splendid, vivid, and revealing piece of work that belongs on the shelf of every student of its era. As a veteran reader of such material, and a much-published college and university educator, I commend the publisher of this work for its civil large-print edition (some of Bertrand Russell's best material is done in the same format) of this volume. KN