5 comments about Ronald Reagan: An American Hero.

1. This is a stunningly beautiful book for those of us who loved what Ronald Reagan did as President. I was a single mom receiving no child support. I'll never foget the hit that inflation was delivering. With the tax rebate, lower taxes and inflation sinking, thanks to President Reagan, he will forever be my hero. I love this man and all he stood for.



2. What an imagination this lady has. This book is well written but not even close to reality. The Fuzzy glaze the writer puts on Ronnie is disgusting. Try Reagan's America by Lloyd Demause or Blinded by the Right the much more informative.



3. 
   This magnificent tribute to Ronald Reagan is introduced by William Buckley Jnr and contains a foreword by Nancy Reagan. It recounts the story of this beloved leader's trials and triumphs in over 500 splendid black and white and full-color photographs of people, places, events and memorabilia.
   
   The section An Emerging Voice deals with the years 1911 to 1932: From Dixon to the Gridiron. There are pics of Reagan as a baby, the Reagans' first home in Dixon and Reagan as a handsome youth and attractive young man.
   
   An Aspiring Voice 1932 to 1954: Always The Performer covers the Hollywood years, his time as a broadcaster and as an actor. It includes a double page spread of movie posters from 1937 to 1964.
   
   His years as governor of California are covered in A Voice For California 1954 to 1980: The Citizen-Politician and includes reproductions of fascinating political billboards, posters and buttons.
   
   A Voice For America 1981 to 1984: Casting A New Vision deals with the presidential years and contains reproductions of amusing cartoons and magazine and newspaper covers. My favorite photograph here is the one of Reagan dancing with Princess Diana.
   
   A Voice For The World 1985 to 1988: Triumph Over Evil contains many pics of world leaders, including a poignant one of Ronnie kissing Maggie. This section also contains covers of magazines like Time, Newsweek, Life, National Review and many others.
   
   An Enduring Voice 1989 to present: A Legacy For Tomorrow deals with the twilight years and his legacy, including the presidential library. It also includes a reproduction of Reagan's handwritten note to the nation announcing his illness.
   
   The impressive visual history chronicled in these photographs is elucidated by the captivating text and about 200 quotes from world leaders, actors, journalists, family and friends.
   
   The book is a stunning work of devotional art that may be opened at any page to find inspiration from the life of this great leader who revived America and whose vision led to the liberation of millions of people.
   
   I also recommend the 5-CD set Speaking My Mind: Selected Speeches With Personal Reflections, and the books When Character Was King by Peggy Noonan and Ronald Reagan: How An Ordinary Man Became An Extraordinary Leader by Dinesh D'Souza.



4. What can I say? This is the book that the Gipper deserved. The respect and affection for the man is obvious on every page. The pictures are gorgeous. Reagan was certainly the most handsome of American presidents. Everyone will have their own favorites. Mine are (pg. 216): Ron in his leather flight jacket giving an affectionate kiss on the cheek to Margaret Thatcher upon her arrival at Camp David; and (pg. 224): Ron and Nancy walking along a road at Camp David during a gentle snowfall . . . Nancy walking a little dog wearing a red sweater and Ron playfully chucking a snowball. Any fan of the Gipper would love this book.



5. What does it say about the gestalt of America that this man could have remotely been considered a hero? Are we truly so blind, so lulled into bovine somnabulance that we can't separate myth from true heroism? Every GI in harm's way right now in the killing fields of Iraq has more heroism in his or her pinky than this first figurehead puppet of the Neocon death cult ever had.

2 comments about American Heretic: Theodore Parker and Transcendentalism.

1. Grodzins has written an astonishingly thorough and readable biography of an important but neglected 19th Century American. Parker is one of the most influential Americans of the mid-1800s, a brilliant scholar and powerful preacher who became a crucial figure in our religious and political history.

   The book is destined to become the standard biography of Parker for generations. Anyone interested in American political thought and the evolution of American religious doctrine will find this book invaluable. Any New Englander will find this a treasure trove of well-written stories.




2. Transcendentalism has never been easy to define, all the more so because its two most well-known adherents, Emerson and Thoreau, were highly poetic souls who had much better uses for their rhetoric than in crafting creeds or clear-cut manifestoes. It is a pleasure then to read Grodzins' biography of Theodore Parker, in whose life and work we can see more clearly the philosophical and personal dramas that played themselves out within the Unitarian Church in regard to its Transcendentalist sympathizers - in particular, the attempts of one Transcendentalist to define his views against the charges of Deism. Religion is a key concern for Transcendentalism, though in Emerson and Thoreau there is no sense that organized religion can play a key role in the individual's enlightenment. Parker remained in the Church as he struggled to know and preach Truth, and gained a large following. Our understanding of Transcendentalism is eminently richer for our appreciation of his struggle.

2 comments about Bombay Anna: The Real Story and Remarkable Adventures of the <i>King and I</i> Governess.

1. What a wonderful book! So full of information, so well-written and easy to read, I couldn't put it down. Author Susan Morgan not only brings Anna Leonowens's remarkable life to life, she makes the reader see why Leonowens made up so much of her "official" life story, and why the (false) image of blond Anna (a lie) dancing with King Monghut (played by Yul Brynner) in The King and I, has had such a powerful grip on our imaginations. Anna Leonowens could do a lot more than dance, and Susan Morgan can really tell a story.



2. We all know the story of Anna and the king of Siam through the books, Broadway play and movie. But that romanticized version is more fiction than fact. What a shock to learn that Anna, the British governess to the king, really came from India! The daughter of an Englishman and a woman of mixed Indian and Anglo descent, she grew up in crowded military barracks, far from the ideal fantasy that she created. She married Corporal Thomas Leon Owens when she was eighteen, and had four children. After the deaths of her husband and two of her children, Anna took her remaining children to Singapore, arriving with the fantastic story that has clung to her all these years: that she was a British gentlewoman from Wales, widow of Major Thomas Leonowens, with two children born in England. But the true story is much more compelling.
   
   Anna had a photographic memory. She was multilingual and tolerant of all cultures through her association with the people in India--Buddhists, Muslims, and Hindus. She learned Sanskrit and traveled extensively lecturing and teaching after her position ended in Siam.
   
   Anna was the only Western person allowed in the king's harem of over sixty children, their mothers, and servants. Since they could not leave the harem, she viewed them as being incarcerated, and she worked diligently for their release. As researcher and author Susan Morgan writes, "Her critiques of Siam were not about how the West should treat the East. They were about how men should treat women, about the immense potential women have if only allowed to develop it freely, and about the equalities that should exist between people everywhere as a natural and spiritual right."
   
   Morgan's extensive and careful research provides the reader with the facts of Anna's life and shows how this amazing woman truly lived and fought for women's rights by exemplifying the principles she espoused in her own life. Throughout the book, pictures of Anna at various ages add to the narrative. The only drawback is the repetition that makes some of the chapters sound as if they may have been written as stand-alone articles. Recommended for women's and multicultural collections.
   
   by Susan Andrus
   for Story Circle Book Reviews
   reviewing books by, for, and about women

5 comments about Behind the Scenes: or, Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House (Penguin Classics).

1. In 1868, three years after the War Between the States ended and Abraham Lincoln was murdered, Elizabeth Keckley sat down to write a partial history of her life as a slave and modiste (dressmaker) for Mary Todd Lincoln at the White House. If readers judge "Behind the Scenes" by the standards of modern biographies, they won't do the book justice.
   
   "Lizzie" Keckley was a slave who insisted on buying her freedom, even after being offered it for nothing. In modern terms, she was an "Aunt Tom" for validating the notion that any human being can be bought and sold for a price. By her own standards, she was affirming her value to society. It's impossible to judge such a person in contemporary terms.
   
   Lizzie's dressmaking skill attracted the attention of Mary Todd Lincoln in 1861. Mrs. Lincoln was quite addicted to clothes, and hired "Dear Lizzie" as her private modiste. Their association solidified into a deep friendship after the death in 1862 of Willie Lincoln (in the White House); Lizzie offered warmth and solicitude, badly needed by an erratic First Lady whose intemperate ways and harsh tongue had made her perhaps the most disliked person in Washington. The friendship persisted after Lincoln's assassination, when Lizzie aided Mrs. Lincoln in purging her monstrous debts (she owed $70,000 to department stores) by trying to sell off old dresses and jewelry.
   
   "Behind the Scenes" ended the friendship. After its publication Mary Lincoln, her pride wounded, dropped "Dear Lizzie" and referred to Mrs. Keckley as "that colored historian."
   
   For students of the assassination Mrs. Keckley's reminiscences are especially helpful. Several weeks after April 14, 1865, while Mrs. Lincoln was still in mourning inside the White House, Lizzie told her "the new messenger" (not identified by name in the book, unfortunately) was on watch, he being the same man who had abandoned his post outside Lincoln's box at Ford's Theater. Mrs. Lincoln excoriated the "new messenger" and accused him of complicity in the assassination. The messenger admitted his carelessness but denied complicity, insisting he had simply taken a seat where he could better watch the play.
   
   Except for the ambiguous word "messenger," this account conforms precisely to the convential wisdom that prevailed until about 25 years ago, i.e. that John F. Parker, a Metropolitan Police officer assigned to White House duty, was responsible for guarding Lincoln's box on the night of the assassination, but left his post and allowed John Wilkes Booth clear entry (and how would Booth have known the coast would be clear?). Post-modern historians, possibly seizing on Keckley's use of "messenger" to describe Parker, contrived a theory that Parker's duties never included protecting Lincoln...which idea begs the obvious question, "Why would Mrs. Lincoln have been so angry at someone who wasn't responsible in the first place?" And, since Parker supposedly went on trial for negligence (the records were mysteriously destroyed), "Why would anyone have been put on trial for neglecting Lincoln at Ford's Theater if he had been only a White House functionary all along?"



2. I got this little book so that I could learn more about the Lincolns and their home life at the White House. It does an excellent job of telling the story of Elizabeth and Mary's friendship, which I wish could have continued, but alas, it didn't. I would recommend this book to all readers interested in US history, not matter what their age or gender, so that they can get an intimate view of the Lincoln's family life. Elizabeth was a strong and proud woman with a high moral and ethical character...if she were alive today, she would be swamped with interview requests and book deals!



3. Although this volume comes from the memories of someone familiar with the Lincoln White House and who became a close friend of Mary Todd Lincoln, it must be read cautiously. For example, despite the book's basic authenticity I find its account of Stephen Douglas's love for young Mary Todd and her jilting of Lincoln implausible despite Keckley's claim that she got the story directly from Mary Todd Lincoln and Anson Henry (a close friend of Abraham and Mary, who was a matchmaker encouraging their romance). Possibly some errors might be attributed to one or more literary assistants who helped compile the book. If a reader needs to be certain a about a particular statement, comparison with other sources is wise. Still, the volume will be valuable to anyone interested in firsthand impressions of the Lincoln White House.



4. This book was wonderful! I read it straight through on a recent trip. Hated to put it down. Very, very interesting to see another side of some great historic happenings. I felt as if I were a there, watching and developed a better understanding of several historic events. I think everyone should read it. As a background for American histroy. I am buying another copy for my daughter, as I do not want to part with mine.



5. This book gives you a lot of insight into the relationship of Mary and Abe. The writing is very poetic. Enjoyed a lot.

5 comments about Marie Antoinette: The Last Queen of France.

1. This book is mediocre at best. Overall written well, but the characters are confusing.



2. Palace suspicions had kept her at arms length from the main events in France.
   Marie Antoinette, the daughter of Maria Theresa of Austria (Empress of the Habsburg dynasty), was the victim of gutter press and the intrigues of ambitious lackeys, consequently was to take part of the blame that followed.
   For example recent literature revealed she had never said `let the people eat cake if they don't have bread' - during the height of a bread shortage in Paris. The alleged quotation was magnified in the press to her detriment when the time for the Revolution came.
   
   Cardinal de Rohan, France's Envoy to Austria, whose ambition to become France's Prime Minister had been blocked several times by Marie Antoinette {because some of the Cardinal's letters were intercepted in which he said he `bedded half the royal court of Austria"}. The Cardinal worked hard to tarnish Antoinette's image.
   de Rohan propagated that the queen secretly sought to buy a necklace for two million Livres, but such accusation was never true.
   During the trial the Cardinal was acquitted, and the Queen was condemned.
   
   She was accused of amassing fortunes, jewels, wardrobe filled with myriads of latest fashions - extremely expensive dresses and hundreds of `shoes' -.
   Her husband, King Louis XVI, whose optimism with the future of France only days before the July 14th deluge, was extremely feted as much for her magnificent presence as for his known weakness of characters.
   
   As daughter of Maria Theresa, her fondness for France was in direct proportion to her natural love for Austria. The Queen carried soil from Vienna in a jewelled box and planted seeds in her garden. But politics and greed were indeed cruel to this young queen who married the King `boy' when she was only 14.



3. I absolutely loved reading this book. I found it hard to put it down. This book tells of the politics during the time of Marie Antoinette, her love life, and of the troubles that not only she faced, but also her husband. The book describes how ill prepared both she and her husband were for their roles as Queen and King of France. It is written in such an interesting way and is an easy read. The last few chapters are almost a bit emotionally hard to read because it does go into detail of the horrible conditions they had to live their last few moments in and of their death.
   A must read, even for those who are not that interested in history!



4. This is to give a little more detail about the Kings of France who ruled after Napolean and their wives. A review by Chapman disputed the accuracy of the title "Last Queen of France" and a review by Henderson stated that the title was accurate. There were two kings (Louis XVIII and Charles X) who reigned between Napolean and Louis-Phillipe and their reigns of constitute the Bourbon Restoration.
   
   Marie Josèphe of Savoy married Louis Stanislas Xavier de Bourbon, Count of Provence, the future Louis XVIII on 16 April 1771 and went with him into exile in the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1791. There were no children of the marriage. She became pregnant in 1774 and 1781, but both pregnancies ended in miscarriages. Louis XVII of France, only surviving son of Louis XVI of France and Marie Antoinette, died while imprisoned in the Temple on 8 June 1795. The Count of Provence was proclaimed King of France as Louis XVIII (16 June 1795) by the exiled French Court. Thus Marie Josèphe became "de jure" Queen consort of France. However, she died in 1810 four years before the Bourbon Restoration made Louis XVIII king. Thus she was never Queen of France.
   
   Louis XVIII was succeeded his brother Charles. Marie-Thérèse of Savoy (sister of Marie Josèphe of Savoy above) was the wife of Charles, Comte d'Artois, the youngest grandson of Louis XV of France, who would become Charles X of France. Because she died before her husband became Charles X of France, she was not Queen, instead being buried as the Comtesse d'Artois
   
   Charles abdicated on 30 July 1830 in favor of his grandson, the Comte de Chambord, and left for England. However, the liberal, bourgeois-controlled Chamber of Deputies refused to confirm the Comte de Chambord as Henri V. In a vote the body declared the French throne vacant, and elevated Louis-Philippe, duc d'Orleans, to power. He was the only House of Orléans king of France, other than Louis XII (1498-1515). The new monarch took the style of "King of the French", a constitutional innovation known as popular monarchy which linked the monarch's title to a people, not to a state, as the previous designation King of France did. Louis-Phillippe's wife, Maria Amalia Teresa of the Two Sicilies was "Queen of the French" from 1830-1848, consort to King Louis-Philippe.



5. I am at a loss for words to be able to explain how horrible this book is. There is no detail in Evelyne Lever's writing and you can almost hear the contempt in her words as you read it. She obviously did not think too highly of Marie Antoinette and she lets that opinion shine through all too apparently. She makes her appear to be a self-centered, spoiled woman who cared about nothing other than her own amusements and what made her happy. If you want to read a truly worthwhile book about Marie Antoinette then read Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser.

5 comments about John Jay: Founding Father.

1. I enjoyed reading about John Jay. I remembered his treaty as being far more unpopular than in the book. Overall the book is an excellent and detailed account of Jhn Jay's life. I would highly recommend it.



2. I have read many books about the founding fathers over tha last several years. I am also a lawyer and this book was written by a lawyer about John Jay who was also a lawyer. Throughout the book you could see how Jay's training as a lawyer affected the things he did, how he thought and of course it was crucial in how he drafted and negotiated two treaties with England and the New York state constitution. Of course you don't have to be a lawyer to enjoy this book-it isn't written in legalize.I do think anyone reading the book will learn something new about the revolutionary period as the book follows Jay from New York lawyer to a representative to the Continental Congress to President of the Congress to representative to Spain and France and on through his time as Chief Justice of the Supreme court to two term Governor of New York. He interacted with all the founding fathers and was particularly close to Hamilton, Adams and Washington. I thought this was an excellent book and was particularly good at showing one of the great Federalist leaders of the revolutionary period.



3. "John Jay, Founding Father" by Walter Stahr is a welcome addition to the biographies of America's founders.
   
   By examining Jay's key roles as President of the Continental Congress, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, one of three negotiators of the peace treaty with the British empire (along with Franklin and Adams), a Federalist Papers author, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, negotiator of Jay's Treaty, to preserve peace with England in 1794, and governor of New York, one can better appreciate the times and the greatness of the men who shaped events around Jay. In his concluding chapter, author Stahr rightly places Jay as seventh, behind Franklin, Washington, Adams, Hamilton, Jefferson and Madison in importance to the successful founding of America. Painting the portrait of a humble man of faith, one gets the impression that Jay would not have minded such an assessment - as opposed to his contemporaries, some of whom fought hard to ensure history viewed them more favorably.
   
   Mr. Stahr is a fine writer and "John Jay" is well-researched, leaving the reader to wish that Stahr would consent to taking another leave of his practice of law to write about another prominent American - especially as the U.S. today has a surfeit of attorneys and a dearth of historians possessing both common sense and a good pen (keyboard).
   
   I am indebted to Mr. Stahr's parents in Orange County, California, for recently telling me of their son's book, which I purchased on Amazon soon after hearing about it. Mr. Stahr's father is himself a prominent attorney and was one of the early key supporters of a previous employer of mine, former Congressman Chris Cox, now Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
   
   Reviewer: Chuck DeVore is a California State Assemblyman, he served as a Special Assistant for Foreign Affairs in the Department of Defense from 1986 to 1988, retired from the Army National Guard as a lieutenant colonel, and is the co-author of "China Attacks."



4. For all of you fans of "John Adams" and "Founding Fathers" this is a book to add to yoru collection. Stahr writes and authorative account on the life of a man that history has downplayed.
   
   While he much lesser known than Sam Adams, Aaron Burr, and (even) Paul Revere - John Jay was a critical member of the brotherhood that help to found our country. it is laughable that many of us have heard of those three, but have no clue on Jay's contributions. Jay was a co-author "The Federalist", a diplomat with Ben Franklin, first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and negoiated a treaty with Britian (The "Jay Treaty"). Make no mistake, John Jay was not a minor player in the founding of America as he was often in the middle of the action.
   
   Stahr highlights the important career of John Jay, and recognizes the contributions that he made to American history. Stahr's biography is both well-written and insightful and helps tell our nation's founding from a slightly different angle.
   
   My recommendation read Stahr's "John Jay" and follow it with Chernow's Alexander Hamilton. Both are excellent accounts of two important (and close friends) New Yorkers that helped shape early American political thought.
   
   Grade "A"



5. During the American revolutionary era, few men (if any) exceeded John Jay in both longevity and diversity of public service. As a young lawyer, Jay attended the First and Second Continental Congresses as a New York delegate, during which he developed from a moderate patriot to an ardent separationist. He served with the rebel New York convention before and during the British occupation of New York City, and later served as President of the Continental Congress, ambassador to Spain, peace commissioner in Paris, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, first Chief Justice of the federal Supreme Court, ambassador to Great Britain, and governor of New York. Throughout this time, he also gave steady counsel to those in executive leadership of the nascent United States. In 1801, Jay stepped down from 26 years of uninterrupted public service, and retired as a revered elder statesman to spend the final three decades of his life in relative seclusion on his farm in lower New York.
   
   Stahr set himself a difficult goal in becoming John Jay's biographer. Even in Jay's own lifetime, the New York statesman had a reputation for deep reserve, sometimes interpreted even by his friends as coldness. Jay's correspondence is neither as voluminous nor as self-revelatory as are the letters and documents of other American founding fathers. In what documents remain, Jay sticks to the facts relative to the issue at hand, rarely expressing his passions or personal insights into his life and times. In that light, Stahr's biography is a notable achievement, well-written and as engaging as could be expected for a biography of such a quiet man. Perhaps the book's most significant weakness is a tendency to skim quickly through analyses of Jay's importance in his various capacities; for example, the final chapter summarizes and analyzes Jay's entire life in a mere three or four pages. As good as Stahr's biography is, there is still room for one that will explore fully the significance of this remarkable, capable, and iron-willed founding father.

5 comments about Through the Eyes of the Enemy: The Autobiography of Stanislav Lunev.

1. One hopes that Colonel Lunev's debriefings to American intelligence agencies provided considerably more detail and verification than is contained in this book. In fact, there is not much to this book other than a fairly uninteresting account of his career in Soviet, now Russian, Military Intelligence, the GRU. The book might have an appeal to readers who have had no exposure to the world of intelligence. Those familiar with the subject will have gone over this turf many times with GRU defector/author Suvorov. Furthermore, one is prompted to ask why Lunev defected when at the time he was free to resign and walk out the door like a lot of his former colleagues. Lunev makes some startling accusations/revelations which can be summed up as: (1) the Russians still consider the US an enemy, (2) Yeltsin has lost control of the government to the Russian mafia, (3) and Russian organized crime is using the GRU espionage apparat as its tool, (4) the long arm of the GRU through its new masters extends more than ever deep into the U.S. In addition, Lunev implies that the Russians have continued to target American leadership for assassination in the event of conflict, plus infiltrating tactical nuclear weapons into U. S. territory. This is pretty serious stuff! Even if Russia currently is militarily prostrate, for Russian leadership to order or condone secret operations of STAVKA/GRU to be prepared to nuke Airforce One's offsite landing strip, makes Sadaam's statemanship appear to be graced with the highest degree of Ciceronian gravitas. Lunev opened the debate. He's put us on notice. We have to come up with a sober threat assessment in light of his revelations. Are the Russians as out of control as he claims? Has Forsythe's "Ikon" nightmare become a reality? Wake up, America!



2. The book was a big disappointment! There is enough "good" information for perhaps a short magazine article. One gets the impression the author was trying to fill up the pages much the way we did when we had to write a 150-word essay in school.

   I also question the validity of many of the so-called secrets he reveals. I've worked in the area of National Defense for many years. Much of what he claims as fact I seriously doubt is true. All-in-all the material should have been covered in about a 1000 word article.

   A disappointment! A least it is a fast read - since there are only 172 pages of text.




3. I read this book with a open mind and my heart is telling me the Spy here should not have the right to defect to our country . Lunev in my mind is still a Spy and always will be a Spy ! The only thing the reader learns is , that Lunev is a Spy ! I was counting on learning more about weapons etc in Russia . I think Lunev is lying to keep his stay in the US . We have enough problems of our own . The FBI , CIA ,NSA , and many more should be ashamed of the way they do bussiness with Russia . All they do is bring in more problems for us . You can read this book if you have a couple of hours to waste on reading about how a Russian Spy is now Spying on the US with the help of our government . Lunev should have a good life now and I wish him the best . I only hope and pray that Lunev keeps his wish for the U.S to have it's freedom .



4. The book was very disappointing. It lacks details and smacks of the GRU ego throughout. The accolades given the FBI and others makes it quite apparent who was involved in editing. Thus the lack of details, I assume. My recommendation to the author is to write another book but this time, tell the whole truth in detail - and don't let the government guys read and edit it first! Hell, it can't hurt - you have a price tag on your head anyway - maybe!



5. After reading this book, I was struck with its lack of content.

   Mr. Lunev had an interesting life in the GRU, though I'm sure his description would be somewhat less positive. Nevertheless, this book gives us a good idea of what drives a defector to seek asylum --- dissatisfaction.

   More than anything, this book is an insight not so much into what was and is going on in the old Soviet Union as what is going on inside Mr. Lunev. If you take the information he offers and move on to the next resource, you will find it a useful minor reference in the search for the truth.

5 comments about Grant and Sherman : The Friendship That Won the Civil War.

1. This is an excellent read with excellent insights into the personalities and temperments of the two great Union generals in the Civil War. The personal observations shared between Grant and Sherman show how much of the strategy of 1864 was a combination of the minds of these two military giants.



2. I loved this book! After reading various books on the Civil War, I was looking to explore more about Sherman and Grant, 2 Generals I find to be fascinating. With no pretense, I happen to come across this book. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down! It reads like a novel, it is not the usual dry history you often find. His style reminds me almost of Shaara. The author also did a good job describing the campaigns these two fought in, both together and separately. I also liked how the author delved into their past, to give the reader some background on these 2 men. If you are looking for a really good book on the Civil War that is really easy to read, then I highly recommend this one.



3. This book was OK if you haven't read any other books on Grant or Sherman or on their campaigns. However, if you've many of the excellent books that have been printed over the past 15 years on the campaigns of Grant and Sherman or the excellent biographies on the same individuals, this book pales in comparison. So, I would recommend getting some of the other books out there on this topic. (See my listing of these books for examples).



4. This book was a well-written account of a remarkable relationship between two ordinary men who became extraordinary as a function of circumstance. I learned a lot from this easy read. It doesn't disappoint.



5. A great book that goes into the background of both men and goes into the bond of these two men. They would unlike many other officers, would go out of their way to support the other in any way possible and to coordinate together, making the war more effective for the Union. Their simultaneous attacks, Grant against Lee and Sherman against Johnston and the Deep South, would be the most effective campaigns in the war.
   
   The book is well written and researched. One detail I have an issue with was how the author says that England was hurting because of a lack of cotton, due to Union blockades of Confederate harbors. What I was taught, and seen nothing to contradict this at all save this, was that the English had stock piled cotton for years and during the American Civil War they no longer had a need for cotton and so they had no need to buy Confederate cotton.
   
   The only other complaint I had was how the maps were all at the beginning of the book instead of being in the chapters that they had to do with. But over all this was a good book.

3 comments about Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy.

1. AS exciting as the other two books.Humerous,yet portrays the adventure and hardship of that era.



2. I've read all three of Hobson's excellent books about his adventures in the Canadian wilderness. My son, who is a real cowboy in Montana, told me about the books, saying, "These books tell the real story, mom--this is what it's like out here, particularly during the long, lonely, winter days and nights." Hobson's writing style, simple yet eloquent imagery, is perfect. I actually got chills when reading about grizzly attacks and those 70-degree below nights when both man and beast had to work to stay alive. Great stories, great writing!



3. This enjoyable and well-written cowboy memoir takes readers to the hinterlands of central British Columbia during the war years of 1939-1942. The author and his partner Panhandle Phillips take over the two-million-acre Frontier Cattle Company, located in grassland valleys among the mountain ranges, several days' ride from the nearest town and over 200 miles from the nearest rail line. It is a land where winters are severe, and the first challenge facing them is a December cattle drive that ends in near-disaster as the men are overtaken by a fierce blizzard and sub-zero temperatures.
   
   The son of an admiral in the U.S. Navy, Hobson is an educated Easterner living a life of pioneering adventure on one of the last western frontiers on the continent. His story is peopled with a large cast of memorable characters, including cowhands, ranchers, storekeepers, and Indians. His gifts as a writer are many, as he intensifies the suspense and drama of several high-risk enterprises and fully relishes the humor in others. The attempt to transport a herd of wild horses by night from an offshore island to the Vancouver stockyards is told with a masterful grasp of knee-slapping farce. There's even a little romance, as our cowboy hero goes in breathless search of the girl of his dreams, armed only with a snapshot of her standing beside a prize Jersey bull. Readers will also enjoy Paul St. Pierre's short stories and novels set a decade later in the same remote ranch country.

5 comments about Jesse James: The Man and his Machines.

1. If you are a true fan, you will not support Mike Seate by purchasing this book. Jesse James, himself, has come out and publicly stated that he did not authorize this book. Mike Seate violated and abused a friendship. If you are a decent upstanding person with good morals and high standards, you will not purchase this book.



2. This book is well written, filled with great photos, and is very fair. Frankly, I don't know what the fuss is about! Did Jesse not get offered a big enough cut? LOL
   I respect Jesse a great deal, and have found in him a great role model and inspiration, since I want to become a bike builder myself. This book was cool because it cut through James' public bad-ass persona and showed the side of him that I admire: a perfectionist craftsman, a genius marketer, and a tireless worker. It is fascinating to read how this guy came from meager means to become a world hero of cult proportions. If I was Jesse, I'd be flattered by this book. But as I said before, it probably comes down to money, and who got what.



3. Maybe this was an "unauthorized" biography, but it's darned good. We get insight into how Jesse learned his craft, who he studied under and where he worked prior to starting his own shop. Jesse dreamt of having his own shop ever since he was a young boy, and this is a decent tale about how it came to be.
   
   There are lots of pictures (the book is about 50% pictures, and 50% text). We gain insight into his parts business, the custom bikes, and Jesse's evolving aesthetic.
   
   There is a section devoted to the recent Monster Garage work, and a section about Jesse's team, and what it's like to work with him.
   
   I gather that "Jesse James Inc." is angry that this book was published without his permission, probably because he doesn't get a cut of the proceeds. Too bad for them. This is an interesting read. I'm sure the style mavens a WCC would want to project pure image, whereas this book is much more honest and human, and gives the reader some real insight into the man and his team.
   
   Highly recommended.



4. I just discovered the "write a review" feature on Amazon and have been going through reviews of books I've read in the past year. The reviews of this book are completely mental. It is a great book. If anything, it makes Jesse look too good. I was hoping for a bit more dirt about his marriages and divorces and other stuff. But it is still very interesting, with great photography. For the life of me I can't figure out why Jesse hates it so much.



5. c'mon outlaw, stop whining...
   
   your marketing machine is impressive, but your fans realize there is more than the fun-but-shallow spin seen on tv.