5 comments about Sam Houston and the American Southwest (Library of American Biography Series) (3rd Edition) (Library of American Biography).

1. Texas's Savior Ever since Texas was a territory in the middle of no where, one man stood up to lead the way to statehood. That man who rose above the rest and conquered endless, unimaginable barriers was Sam Houston. Rudolph B. Campbell wrote a chronologically correct book about Houston entitled Sam Houston and the American Southwest. He became the most popular and most honorable man in Texas. The battle of San Jacinto, acquiring Presidency of the Republic of Texas, and obtaining a place in the United States Senate all proved that Sam Houston was a competent and trustworthy leader. First and foremost, the battle of San Jacinto was one Houston's greatest accomplishments, defeating Santa Anna and shamefully returning him to Mexico. This battle turned out to be the turning point in Texas's becoming a Republic and Sam Houston's popularity beginning to soar across Texas. Even though the revolution was a failure and Mexico still didn't recognize Texas as a republic, Houston still received the recognition that he deserved. It happened "...at three o'clock in the afternoon, Houston ordered his 'effectives' into battle formation that stretched across the prairie" (Campbell 68). After this strategic move, Sam Houston attacked and eighteen minutes later ended the battle. With this fight under his belt, Houston slowly arose to become a powerful and noteworthy man. This rise in power enabled Houston to become the first President of the Republic of Texas on September 18th, 1836. He was basically the only man for the job, supported by a landsliding "5,119 vote to Smith's 743 votes" (74). Houston saw himself as the candidate who could bring unity to Texas, despite its ambiguity and immense size. With Mirabeau B. Lamar at his side as vice president, Sam Houston would find as much

   money for Texas as he could, balance the budget, and keep good relations with Mexico. In order to make and save money, Houston sold Texas's navy. Even the money gained from this sale didn't help the budget at all. By the time Houston's term of presidency was over, the debt had grown to roughly two million dollars. As far as keeping relations with Mexico, Houston must have apparently done a very good job because they did not attack again for a long period of time. Plus, he helped the Indians, especially the Cherokee, as much as he could, considering how he U.S. was driving them farther and farther away from their land. After Houston's three-year term was over, he resigned and moved to a higher position. In addition to already being President of the Republic of Texas more than once, Sam Houston became one of the first senators of Texas as well. Nothing is more suitable for a man with Houston's recognition and fame than to represent "his" state in the United States Senate. Even a more powerful and demanding job than president of a republic, Houston represented Texas better than any man possible. As a senator, and included in his inaugural address, Houston believed that "...finance, Indian policy, and relations with Mexico" were the most important things needed to be taken of in Texas and all over the United States (93). In the interest of finance, Sam Houston recommended that suspending all payments of interest and principal on the debt should be done. In addition, signing treaties, describing boundaries, with the Indians would depress war and bring on peace. Finally, the Texas senator thought it would be best to "...leave the Mexican nation alone," since "diplomatic relations had not been improved" (93). Overall, Sam

   Houston improved Texas by taking its troubles all the way to Congress by using his intelligence and popularity to serve as a weapon for political listeners. Rudolph B. Campbell showed how Sam Houston became the most prominent, influential, and powerful man of his time. Houston basically devoted his entire life to serving other people's needs and wants. There wasn't a man during his time that was even close to becoming as great a hero as Sam Houston.




2. This particular portrayal was a mandatory reading in a History course in college, and by far, the depiction from Campbell is astounding, and amazing. He brings to the surface far more than just the fable you hear about in junior high Texas history. The man was tall, but this piece makes him larger than life.



3. Randolph B. Campbell writes about a man I never knew had that much impact on Texas and the United States in Sam Houston and the American Southwest. The writing is quick and simple to read, and flows from one topic to the next easily.
   
   The book covers everything from Sam Houston's beginnings, to his forrays as a military man and finally to his exploits as a political leader. He impacted Texas more than any other person, and was a leading voice in both the War against Mexico and the Civil War. To characterize his impact on Texas, one would only have to look at the political atmosphere of Texas in their early Republic days. Texas was a two party state, those who were Houston supporters and those who were anti-Houston.
   
   I loved learning about Sam Houston's command during Texas's fight for independence, his thoughts on the Civil War (always a Union man, something unusual for a southerner), and the love he had for his wife (his last words will emphasize this). He was the first President of the Republic of Texas, served as a senator after the state was annexed, and is the only man to serve as governor in two states (Texas and Tennessee). I would have never known three fourths of this information if it wasn't for Randolph B. Campbell's Sam Houston and the American Southwest. I highly recommend this read, for literature lovers and history buffs and all those in between. Everyone enjoy!



4. This is an excellent little book. It's entertaining reading and highly informative. I'm not only glad I read the book but I find myself wanting to know much more about Sam Houston and his era. I think Texans and all Americans are much more indebted to men like him than we realize. Would to God we had some Sam Houstons today!



5. Though the seller responded promptly, i would have liked to received a message that told me they no longer had the book that i was supposed to be buying, instead of me waiting three weeks for it to arrive.

5 comments about Trust No One: The Secret World of Sidney Reilly.

1. I bought this after watching the BBC miniseries on Sidney Reilly. Spence has produced a very scholarly book written in a friendly tone. While I still view the Ace of Spies (the series, not the man) with affection and admiration, this book demonstrates that Reilly's life was much more complex than the BBC series made out. While not wanting to give too much away, I'll just say, watch the series, then read the book.



2. It is obvious that Richard Spence is a diligent researcher and he did a great deal of homework for this book. The result is an exhaustive (and exhausting) compilation of Sidney Reilly's activities and associations over the course of his career. Unfortunately this wealth of information is not really drawn into any themes or any kind of coherent narrative. Some of the "Reilly myths" are convincingly de-bunked, but there's not much on offer here to replace them. This might be a helpful work for the history scholar looking for names, dates, and places associated with Sidney Reilly but it isn't much fun for the armchair history buff.



3. In the end, Sidney Reilly has the last laugh. He spent a lifetime covering his tracks, weaving a trail of deception and misinformation intended to obscure every aspect of his personal history and career. Spence takes on the noble task of trying to sift through the voluminous, vague, and usually contradictory material about this character. Unfortunately, almost nothing can be said with certainty about Reilly. We are unsure of his real name, place of birth, parentage, marriages...and those are just the biographical details. His work was obviously and carefully kept clouded. The author assembles as much data as one will probably ever find on this subject. He tries to be objective. However, the end result is a compilation of information mixed with supposition and conjecture. Yet, it is doubtful if anyone could have done more than Spence given the nature of the subject. In the end, we are not even sure if Reilly died as legend holds or if he lived on in mystery. No one will ever accurately chronicle the life of this remarkable enigma wrapped in a riddle...and that is exactly how Sidney Reilly wanted things to be.



4. Richard Spence's research is astounding in its depth. Although this is in some ways a very "scholarly" work and demands effort on the part of the reader, it's worth it. It's obvious that no easy or pat answers to the mystery of Sidney Reilly are possible....and any book that pretends otherwise is just another red herring being dangled before the gullible.



5. Oh dear. This guy has read about 27 too many Russian novels.
   
   The author sifted through a sea of jumbled information about one of the craftiest characters in the long history of espionage, and produced, well, another sea of jumbled information. After three paragraphs in any chapter, it's not clear what or whom he's talking about -- or even why.
   
   Less detail and more careful analysis and supposition would have been MOST helpful, thank you.
   
   I'm about to stop reading, give up, and stick with the TV series.

5 comments about The Coldest War: A Memoir of Korea.

1. I found this book to a fine novel of the Korean War.Written from the perspective of a young Marine Lt.It had grit and also some light moments.I recommend it.



2. The author recounts his time in Korea where he served as a Marine rifle platoon leader during the "Forgotten War". A very intriguing narrative about a war which claimed in 3 years almost as many American lives as the Vietnam war did in ten years.



3. I first read, "The Coldest War" when I was in the military myself.
   
   My training and duty seemed hard and long to me, but compared to what the guys in the Korean War went through, it was a cake walk.
   
   This book reads smoothly, transitioning from his training to his war time in Korea. There are several pictures of his family, himself at home and in battle, letting you really get a feel for what your reading.
   
   Good book..



4. This book was just ok. What bothers me is that Brady gives intricate details of his life during the war, but that was almost 40 YEARS before the book was written. How could anyone remember the mundane details of life 40 years prior? It just strikes me as unrealistic.



5. I have read many books on the Korean war and I found this one the most difficult to read. Many grammatical errors and sentences with entire words missing.
   
   I appreciate the authors effort but feel this work should have been finely tuned by a qualified editor before publishing.

5 comments about Here I Stand - A Life Of Martin Luther.

1. This book was a great research source and a pretty easy read. I recommend this to anyone starting to study Martin Luther or the Reformation.



2. "Here I Stand" is both the keystone of Roland Bainton's series of Reformation studies, including
   his life of Sebastian Casellio, "The Travail of Religius Liberty" on Ochino, and the more condensed "Reformation of the Sixteenth Century"; it was in the years of my visits to Germany, the "1950's and 60's", regarded there as the best Luther biobgraphy ever written. All Bainton's books were enlivened by numerous rreproductions of contemporary woodcuts, few of them published anywhere else, and more accessible than even the usually shown, vividly first-hand Cranach portraits, but this biography includes the cream of the crop, whose originals were often set up on the bookshelves of his Yale Divinity School office.
   Hugh Barbour, Earlham College & School of Religion emeritus



3. This is the standard English-language biography of Martin Luther, dating from 1950 but still being reprinted by various publishers. Written by the late Prof. Bainton of Yale, it is aimed at the more sophisticated general reader rather than the scholar. The bibliography in the Abingdon Press edition has not been updated since 1978 and is heavily weighted toward German-language books and articles. There are lengthy, translated quotations (set in very small type in the paperback edition), but they are not sourced. There are probably a dozen theological terms that may require a present-day lay reader to resort to a theological dictionary.
   
   A unique strength of this book is the wide assortment of a hundred woodcuts from the Reformation period, but they are quite small and difficult to decipher in the paperback edition. It also ties in the economics and politics of the period to the Reformation.
   
   The book's longevity may be attributed to its particular suitability for the lay reader, in that it is readable and largely self-contained.



4. I am preparing for a trip to Germany where I will visit many of the sites central to Luther's life and work. This book is an in-depth study of Luther's beliefs- not an easy read but a very good source of information.



5. I used this book as one of my references when I taught a Lutheran Sunday School class of high school aged students. It examines the humanity of this very important historical figure and adds a great deal of perspective to a complex time. It's a enjoyable and very readable book and is in my personal library.

3 comments about Memoirs of Montparnasse (New York Review Books Classics).

1. It was 1927; John Glassco was 17 when he left Montreal to go to Paris with the intention of becoming a famous writer. He kept a journal of his life there for the next five years. He was convinced he was a genius who would one day produce a masterpiece. The irony is that the masterpiece turned out to be these memoirs edited and published when he was 59.



2. John Glassco writes about the Paris arts scene of the 1920s, telling the story of an artist as a young man. It's not always true, but it is always fun, as fiction and autobiography blend to create a good read. Has all the sex, boozing and pathos that was typical of 1920s Paris as its been memorialized in literature, whether that's a good thing or not is for you to decide.



3. It's good to see that John Glassco's hilarious if not always reliable memoir of his youthful exploits in Paris is back in print. From what I gather, this edition includes an introduction that comments on the fictitiousness of some events described in the book and its real date of composition. (I'll give you a clue: it's later than you think.) So I would like to exhort everyone and anyone with an appetite for stories about the good old days in Paris, when James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein roamed freely, to pick up this book and enjoy themselves.
   
   However, you should bear in mind that around 25 per cent of it is fiction. Also, if you really want to know who's who, you are better off with the 1995 OUP edition with notes by Michael Gnarowski. This contains a good introduction and reveals the real identity of many thinly veiled characters in an appendix. (Djuna Barnes' lover Thelma Wood is renamed Emily Pine - you get the idea.) But if you are less detective minded than me, I guess this new edition will do just fine.
   
   For further reading, I warmly recommend Being Geniuses Together by the very outspoken Robert McAlmon, with later material interpolated by Kay Boyle, yet another unreliable narrator. Both of these memoirs are infinitely more entertaining than Stein's The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas or Hemingway's maudlin A Moveable Feast. The last of these was hailed as a return to form, but I believe it contains much material that was actually written *earlier* than you'd think. Quite the opposite of Glassco in that respect!

4 comments about In the Shadow of the Mountain: The Spirit of the CCC.

1. Although expecting a technical manual on the role of the Civilian Conservations Corps in the "New Deal" era, I was pleasently surprised at the direction this book takes. "In the Shadow of the Mountain" is a first person narative of life in two separate CCC camps, one on the east coast and one on the west. This book provides plenty of insight into the accomplishments of the CCC and of the daily life of its members. I highly recommend this book to those interested in the political and economic history of the Great Depression and beyond.



2. Mr. Hill does an excellent job of weaving the personal narratives of the "We Can Take It" boys with the potentially dry historical subject of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Not only do I now understand how the boys lived, what they did, how they felt, etc., but also how, why, and when the program began. It's a rich part of our history and one that each generation should know about. This is a book each family needs to include in their family library!



3. I became interested in learning more about the CCC when so many of the National and State parks that I visit had displays lauding the accomplishments of the CCC. Over 65 years later we're still enjoying the fruits of their labor! This book was my first attempt at reading more about them and I wasn't disappointed.
   
   Mr. Hill does a very good job describing his own personal experiences, those of his personal CCC buddies, and adds several other brief first-person accounts at the end. All together, the reader gets a good overall taste for what camp life was like and the tremendous accomplishments of this civilian army (some examples: 38,087 vehicle bridges, 83,548 miles of telephone lines, 5.9 million erosion check dams, 2.2 billion trees planted, 6.3 million mandays fighting forest fires). Woven throughout is a sense of just how brillant this government program was during the desperate times of the Depression--the CCC was simply a spectacular win-win for everyone.
   
   Overall, there seems to be a lack of good detailed histories and first-person accounts about the CCC. I cannot figure out why--so many lives were benefically influenced by the CCC and their successes are almost innumerable. "In the Shadow" was a great place to start learning more about the "We can take it" boys and has only whetted my appetite for more.



4. This book should be required reading for every high school student. In the Shadow of the Mountain gives our generation an appreciation for the price that was paid by a great generation before us.
   JER

3 comments about The Four Immigrants Manga : A Japanese Experience in San Francisco, 1904-1924.

1. If you're not used to reading comics, this will seem rough and not particularly funny. Readers more familiar with the form will recognize that this book is more subtle and better crafted than your typical comic.

   It's of special interest to Japanese Americans and others interested in the immigrant experience in the USA.




2. Henry Kiyama created this terrific book in the 1930's, chronicling the lives of four young Japanese immigrants and their struggle to find work and acceptance in San Francisco at the turn of the century. It was unearthed and translated into English, giving us all the rare privelege of a glimpse into the immigrant experience of that era. Drawn in a simple and lighthearted style and told with insight and depth, Kiyama, along with the rising popularity of Japanese Anime and Manga, reinforces the notion that comics are not just for kids anymore. A great read for a comic lover, a hyphenated-American or anyone interested in the multihued experience of our country.



3. This was a very interesting read, although the jokes themselves were rarely funny due to the difficulty of translating puns. It stands out mostly as a sort of documentary about Japanese immigrants in San Fransisco, specifically worker-students. We watch them struggle to find jobs in strange American homes, a social commentary about gambling and the evils thereof, a six to eight page story of the San Fransisco Earthquake, and building their families.
   
   I found it especially interesting to read the notes after each two-page "chapters" in the back of the book, which added depth to what was happening and provided historical content as well as further describing conditions in San Fransisco at that time.
   
   Comments were made at the beginning of the book that the cartoonist had limited his market because he was writing strictly for fellow immigrants, who would best understand the mixture of Japanese and English that he used in his writing. This is denoted throughout the book with shaky letters for English, which immigrants had difficulty following and plain type-set for regular Japanese, their birth tongue.
   
   As for the artwork, think more old-school Japanese and American comics than the manga that is popular today-- don't be expecting tick marks or sweatdrops for example!
   
   For me especially this had a lot of fond memories. I am not Japanese, but my family moved to San Fransisco in the early 1905 from Italy, so a lot of this made me remember stories about my great grandfather and my great grandmother--my great-grandfather built a shoe-store that was destroyed by the San Fransisco earthquake. Even if you don't buy this book for the humor, at least consider the purchase to read about immigrants to America in the 1900's.

5 comments about Up from Slavery (Dover Thrift Editions).

1. Up from Slavery, autobiography by Booker T. Washington, is a true classic in African-American literature. Washington opens Chapter 1: "A Slave Among Slaves" with his vivid recollections as a Negro child growing up in the South: a slave on a plantation in Virginia, a white father he never knew, illiterate and living in horrid conditions. After the emancipation of slaves, Washington's family moves to West Virginia where he labors at the salt furnace and in the coal mines. In his precious few moments of spare time, he learns to read and gains enough confidence to leave everything behind to journey to the Hampton Institute. Later, because of his success at Hampton, he is given the opportunity to start Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Tuskegee Institute is successful partly due to Washington's extensive travel to the North to solicit funds for the school. The students at Tuskegee, in addition to the day-to-day traditional class work, are expected to learn an industrious trade and to work at mastering that trade. Based on his own life experience, Washington believes that the most prudent way the Negro race will persevere is through this combination of education, hard work and service to others. He believes that the White race will come to appreciate the Negro race only if the Negro people prove their worth to society. Because of his passive stance, many, such as W.E.B. DuBois, et. al., labeled Washington as "The Great Accomodator." In other words, accommodating those who were the enslavers instead of advocating for the rights of those who were enslaved. You can get a sense of this in Washington's most notable speech, the address to the Atlanta Cotton States and International Exposition of 1895:
   
   "The wisest among my race understand that the agitation of questions of social equality is the extremist folly, and that progress in the enjoyment of all the privileges that will come to us must be the result of severe and constant struggle rather than artificial forcing."
   
   This speech brought national acclaim to Booker T. Washington and, at the time, placed him in the forefront as one of the leading authorities of his race.



2. Washington's relentlessly positive message is encouraging but at the same time too perfect for believability. The reader desires that Washington would once take off the mask of cheer that he appears to be putting over some parts of his autobiography and tell us what he really thinks.
   
   His optimism extended to the political status of African-Americans and their future integration into American society. As the constant threat of lynching and KKK-ism continued throughout most of the 20th Century, even as positive steps were made in racial integration, it appears his optimism was at best proven wrong, or at least premature. And it is easy to understand the criticism by other contemporary black leaders like W. E. B. DuBois for his easy optimism.
   
   But on the other hand, until and unless I read otherwise in a well-researched biography, perhaps Washington's optimism isn't a front or a mask to cover deep bitterness, but is true and sincere, and indeed, nothing in his story hear reads as if forced or fraudulent.
   
   I purchased this book at the small National Park bookstore at Booker T. Washington's birthplace in rural southwestern Virginia. The setting still matches the quiet and isolation that Washington describes, and lends credence to his tale of self-reliant optimism. I also purchased a National Park Service pamphlet Booker T. Washington: An Appreciation Of The Man And His Times, which makes a nice short companion to Washington's masterpiece.



3. Wow! What an amazing story! It is fascinating to read Booker T. Washington's account of a childhood in slavery followed by his rise to national prominence as the founder of the Tuskegee Institute.
   
   While some may argue that Washington was naive and overly accomodating, I was amazed at his ability to forgive and see the best in people. He did not nurse grudges or let others bring him down. Whether or not you feel that he should have spoken up more for judicial equality, you have to admit that he was a strong, dedicated man of character.
   
   Everyone: white, black, brown, or any other shade, can benefit from reading the autobiography of this great American.



4. Booker Ts story really inspires. It just shows that with positive thinking and motivation, tremendous difficulties, odds and challenges are beatable. It's a message many of us would gain from if we would just stop complaining and blaming others for our lot in life, and just get moving on up!
   
   I've reviewed the CreateSpace edition, ISBN 1438268165. It's a clear, easy to read version, well designed and the print and binding are excellent. Highly recommended!



5. i ordered Up from Slavery because I thought I needed to read it. However, I found I wanted to read it. I recommend it for all Americans. It was truely inspirational.

5 comments about The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Einstein, Second Edition.

1. Positive: A fairly easy read, well written.
   Good biographical material dealing with Einstein's work, social, and political views.
   Non-mathematical accounts of general & special theory of relativity, and quantum theory.
   
   Negative: discursive, somewhat superficial accounts of the history of physics.
   The thread of the author's arguments are frequently lost through his excursions into philosophy, religion, and the psychology of the unconscious. Some of this is pretty superficial and the comnnecttions made between these fields and contemporary physics is, in my opinion, a real stretch.
   The discussion of time and relativity is at times confusing because the distinction between the observer and the event is not made clear.



2. I haven't finished the whole book, but it is already my favorite. It is a trip through history. The author builds science theory, and discovery through the ages, social climates, and general thinking in the given era. It's a great quick reference for scientist, and dates of discoveries. I highly recommend this book for anyone interest in digging deeper in to science. It is fascinating.



3. "Understanding Einstein" attempts to cover major scientific developments from Aristotle to post-Einstein, as well as details of Einstein's life - all in 432 pages! Clearly anyone but a COMPLETE IDIOT would know this is not possible in any meaningful way - especially one attempting to understand relativity.
   
   Material is mostly presented as givens, with little/no insight as to the "Why?" Further, even the examples used are not necessarily correct.
   
   Example 1: Einstein's conclusion that acceleration and gravity are equivalent is first postulated, and the example utilized (a moving spaceship in which light from outside hits the spaceship's interior at a lower level - ergo it is bent by gravity - is a non sequitur because the spaceship need not be accelerating for this to occur.
   
   Example 2: Moring mentions a glitch in Mercury's orbit that is not explained by Newtonian mechanics, but is by Einstein's gravitational mathematics. That's all - no details, no insight, no understanding, and no value.
   
   Example 3: Moring ends up referencing post-Einstein theories that assert variations in the speed of light, contrary to Einstein. That's all we get - no explanation or resolution. Further, the book doesn't even reference recent experiments that have brought light to a complete stop, or attempt how this meshes with Einstein.
   
   Bottom Line: Read something else if you want to understand much of anything in the physical sciences.



4. Understanding Einstein almost sounds like an oxymoron. Is it really possible to understand one of the most brilliant people of the 20th century? Well, this book goes a long way in trying to provide the reader with an understanding of Einstein and his contributions to science and other areas of human endeavor. The author places Einstein in the context of our unfolding history of ideas as seen from the perspectives of science, psychology and philosophy, just to name a few. Since the "Idiot Guide" series are meant to be introductions to topics and not graduate level thesis', I was amazed at how much material was actually covered in a book of this kind. Being a big fan of Einstein's and having read most books out there about him, this book goes a long way in bringing together a wide diversity of material available on his theories and life. His most important discoveries ae cleary explained and even his shortcomings are touched upon. Like the author's other book on the "Theories of the Universe", he brings an interdisciplinary approach to the material, that always gives you more than just either his theories or biographical material. You will definitely be much closer to "understanding" Einstein after you read this book.



5. Einstein was a little boy with a big brain who never quite grew up. Thank gosh! His curiosity never waned and he continued to ask tough Physics questions that many other Physicists wouldn't touch.
   
   Einstein's ability to create "Thought Experiments" set him apart from many others and helped him change the face of Physics. He explored space, time, matter, relativity, quantum particles, the big bang and came up with concepts that Physicists are still scratching their heads over.
   
   The Complete Idiots Guide to Understanding Einstein by Gary Moring is an excellent introduction to this amazing human and his accomplishments. The book also explores many major scientific developments and other prominent Physicists. In the end of each chapter there is a:"The Least You Need to Know" section which is very helpful...especially with this material!
   
   The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

5 comments about Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life.

1. I must admit; I didn't get very far, but this book is a self serving pack of lies by an apologist for the intransigence of the Arab world. For example, she refers to the "forced migration" of 1948 without ever mentioning that the ones doing the forcing were Arabs who promised their people that if they would get out they would "push the Jews into the sea". Nor does she mention the origin of the name "Palestinian" (hint: it is a Hebrew name).
   
   The saddest thing about the Arab world is that 1000 years ago they had the most advanced civilization on earth, and entirely due to problems of their own making they now preside over one giant hell hole.
   
   But if she came out and admitted this the Hashemite family would be in danger of losing their position of privilege in Transjordan.
   
   I would recommend that anyone who reads this book should also read "Warrior" by Ariel Sharon. At least he knows the history of Israel, Syria, and Egypt.



2. Here is a glimpse into Middle East history from someone who was there! My own family members have enjoyed reading it as much as I have; I think shall too!



3. Leap of Faith is interesting from the young all American becomes Queen standpoint. It really is amazing that a fairly regular young American woman gains the attention of the King of Jordan and becomes Queen.
   
   It is too bad she was not willing to be more real in her telling of a great story.
   
   The book ends up preaching about Queen Noor's view of the political world and quickly becomes tiresome and boring.
   
   It could have been a very exciting story given her exciting life but she had to go preach to us instead.



4. Unfortunately the autobiography is boring and somewhat distant and impersonal. Actually, overall the writing is uninspired and quite frankly, flat. Queen Noor, obviously a beautiful, intelligent, well-educated woman uses the book as a platform for spouting some pretty blatant untruths about the modern history of the Middle East. I guess I should have expected that, but it was disappointing nonetheless. I might have gritted my teeth and gotten past her politics if the love story was interesting. But it wasn't simply because the writing was so unemotional and disconnected. As I read the book, it was as if I could hear someone speaking in a monotone voice and it was almost sleep-inducing.



5. This biography is not great literature. It's centered in the most complex and violent regions of our times but rarely scratches the surface. Noor's diplomacy in describing people and events - always the high road, even in the midst of deceit and betrayal - is maddeningly constant and obscures rather than reveals. So what's to like about the book? It's an extraordinary story of a young western woman who embraces the east: it's people, culture, religion and thought. It's the story of her love for King Hussein, who in a world of the powerful, is largeless powerless but for his integrity in the struggle for peace. Her perspective, is that of the Palestinian Arab. Their voice needs to be heard. This book is a thoughtful start.