5 comments about Barefoot Gen, Vol. 1: A Cartoon Story of Hiroshima.

1. Keiji Nakazawa, Barefoot Gen (New Society Publishing, 1983)
   
   Keiji Nakazawa's four-volume graphic epic Barefoot Gen has become legendary in the field of graphic literature, and also, in no small way, out of it. While many Japanese artists working in every medium have examined the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and their aftereffects, Nakazawa, who lived in Hiroshima at the time the bombs were dropped, has an understandably closer perspective than most others who have tried it. For sheer power, Barefoot Gen's only rival in the subgenre is the similarly legendary Grave of the Fireflies.
   
   This eponymous first volume takes us through the life of Gen, an elementary school student, and his family in the months before the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima. Gen's father, while not a pacifist, is notorious in town for his speaking out against the war, which gets him and his family branded traitors. Because of this, they don't have an easy life. The family members try to find various ways to survive in the face of shunning at best, and aggression at worst, from the rest of the townspeople.
   
   Do you need to be told that this is a book that's going to hit you in the face like a sledgehammer with its message? The artistry, or lack of same, in the delivery is the place where Grave of the Fireflies is clearly superior to Barefoot Gen, but while Nakazawa is not above letting his message get in the way of his story on occasion, it never happens for too long a period of time. Nakazawa's characters are well-drawn, and the story spends more time focused on its characters than on its message. There is a lot to be liked here, and a good deal to be mulled over, as well. Well worth your time. ****



2. The manga form of presentation makes reading about the prelude to this event easy and fast. The book seemed to be reasonably accurate with historical documentation and the visual format allowed the author to include detail that might otherwise have become difficult to work into the story. The clothing, clogs, air raid hoods, etc. that are be depicted add depth of information to a quick read.



3. In our present time this portal to the topic of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and our nature as the only nation to build and to use nuclear weapons, and against strictly civilian population centers may inform our moral consideration of the present failure of our total war alone against civilians to establish a peaceful and stable and democratic society.
   
   This present volume serves as an excellent introduction to the topic. Centering on Hiroshima, as may supplement this strong introductory reading with the recent study by Prof. Takaki, or the new Racing the Enemy, which explores the lack of military reason for dropping the Bomb against an already defeated Japanese Empire. We may also read on this specific event of crisis the moving Letters from the End of the World, or HIroshima Diary, written as was Gen by eyewitnesses and civilian victims of this our nuclear holocaust. Hershey is also important to read of course, and the reissue of Hiroshima Mon Amour, but I keep returning to this child's eye view in Barefoot Gen.
   
   We are fortunate in this reprinting for the informed and astute introduction by Art Spiegelman, the creator of the Maus series which does a similar though more symbolic treatment of the Nazi Holocaust. Art strongly recomends this first person account of a small boy on the morning of the Bomb, and its immediate effects upon himself and upon his family. Please read this book and remember. Our Popes continue to visit the Peace Park at Ground Zero in Hiroshima, to pray for peace and nonviolence and for the development of peoples.



4. Barefoot Gen - I grew up with this famous comic series by Nakazawa. It's about a boy called 'Gen' and his life in Hiroshima during the WWII and soon after the atomic bomb. Volumes 1 & 2 are probably the most important ones. After I read them in English, I just had to lend them to everyone I knew. If you read this story, you'll realise how silly to hear some popular opiniton 'Dropping two atomic bombs in Japan was necessary to end the war'. The author Nakazawa says that each and every event illustrated here is a true story. You'll see, for example, that two young brothers fight against each other for a little grain of rice. Gen trying to encourage a girl who used to be dreaming about one day becoming a professional dancer, but now her face was badly burnt by the bomb, although she still didn't know it - he refuses to let her see the mirror.
   
   The bombs were dropped onto civilians in the two cities, and, in Hiroshima alone, 100,000 people, including children, elderly people and western prisoners of war, were killed instantly, and the pain they suffered from it was tremendous. The way some of Gen's family members, including a new born baby sister, were slowly dying is simply too sad to look at. But the reality is that it actually took place and was caused by human hands.
   
   I sincerely hope that many people will find the opportunity to read this book at least once in their life-time, and I strongly believe that this book will enlighten the whole world with the message: 'What really happens when a nuclear bomb is dropped onto humanity', which hasn't really been talked about in history books for some reason. But I think it's time to face reality.



5. This manga is unsophisticated in its artwork, storytelling, and politics. Yet that very lack of sophistication seems to me to be what gives it power that probably could only otherwise be generated by poetry, or perhaps opera.
   
   You might as well go ahead and buy the four volumes in this series now, to save time & postage. Then you can wait, like I am waiting, in the hope that Project Gen manages to publish the next six volumes in the series.
   
   Note: there is at least one prior English edition of Barefoot Gen, and the volume contents are not the same as in the latest edition. So if, for example, you buy volume 3 of the earlier edition (1979), you will find that it overlaps the latter part of volume 2 of the current edition (issued in 2004.) The volume titles seem to be the same in each edition, so things can get confusing if you don't stick with the same edition. If you buy used, pay attention to which edition you are getting.
   
   According to Wikipedia, these are the published & projected volumes in the current English translation series of Barefoot Gen:
   
   * Barefoot Gen #1: A Cartoon Story Of Hiroshima (ISBN 0-86719-602-5)
   * Barefoot Gen #2: The Day After (ISBN 0-86719-619-X)
   * Barefoot Gen #3: Life After The Bomb (ISBN 0-86719-594-0)
   * Barefoot Gen #4: Out Of The Ashes (ISBN 0-86719-595-9)
   * Barefoot Gen #5: The Never-Ending War (17 April 2008, ISBN-10: 0867195967)
   * Barefoot Gen #6: Writing the Truth (17 April 2008, ISBN-10: 0867195975)
   * Barefoot Gen #7: (Not published in English)
   * Barefoot Gen #8: (Not published in English)
   * Barefoot Gen #9: (Not published in English)
   * Barefoot Gen #10: (Not published in English)

5 comments about When Character Was King: A Story of Ronald Reagan.

1. Peggy Noonan is incredible and this book provides one of the most personal, honest and insightful biographical studies written to date about one of America's greatest leaders.



2. Peggy Noonan clearly idolizes Ronald Reagan. She was, after all, his speech-writer, and it seems that she contunues to write his speeches even after his demise. So I didn't expect a "balanced" biography in this book. I looked at it only to get a grasp on the image of Reagan that seems likely to play a role in the upcoming presidential election. If you are interested in a balanced, judicious assessment, I strongly recommend the brief biography of Reagan by Jules Tygiel.
   
   Meanwhile, with the election in mind, I've also been reading "Hard Call" by Senator John McCain, the longest chapter of which eulogizes Reagan for his "foresight." It's no secret that Sen. McCain hopes to identify himself in people's eyes as a leader in the mold of Reagan; his whole book is an obvious imitation of JFK's "Profiles in Courage", a book that helped the young Kennedy reach the White House. Curiously, though McCain attributes every wisdom short of the Deity to Pres. Reagan, it's really Gorbachev whom he identifies as the visionary, the man who had the courage and craft to change the course of his country's future. Reagan, according to McCain, had nuclear disarmament in his grasp, in Iceland, yet threw the chance away by clinging to a naive and totally unforesightful notion of a science fiction shield against missiles, SDI, which McCain grudgingly acknowledges to have been "unrealistic." Reagan meant to be an agent of change - what Prof. Tygiel calls the Triumph of American Conservatism - while McCain clearly intends to be an agent of nostalgia for the days of the Great Communicator. Reagan made clear what he hoped for. Can anyone say the same of John McCain?
   
   The one major blotch on Reagan's Presidency was the Iran-Contra scandal. (Again the term comes from McCain.) And forthright discussion of that situation is the major weakness of Ms Noonan's portrayal of Pres. Reagan's character. She was an insider; perhaps it's too much to expect for an insider to tell the whole candid truth, but isn't that what most people would like to hear?



3. Product arrived on time , the book is a very good look at what shaped President Reagen. Recommended reading, great addition. Given that it's from an insider, admirer of the President, still very insightful.



4. I thought I knew and understood Reagan. After reading this incredibly moving biography, I know now I did not but do now.
   
   Despite the bizarre comments of one recent reviewer, this is not a starry-eyed biography. This is a "warts and all" biography, with a frank assessment of "Iran Contra" and how Reagan was to blame and why. The comments to the contrary by the aforementioned reviewer are proof that he did not read that chapter or worse yet did not comprehend it.
   
   This is the only book I have ever read that repeatedly had me laughing out loud and then, in the next paragraph, weeping. This is a deeply moving book, whether you liked Reagan or not.
   
   Finally, I challenge anyone to read this book and not conclude that it is one of the five best biographies of anyone you have ever read. It is that good. Reagan was an American original. Peggy Noonan is possibly the most gifted writer of our era.
   
   Jack Thompson, Attorney, Miami, Florida



5. Peggy Noonan's "When Character Was King," examines the remarkable life and Presidency of Ronald Reagan. Ms. Noonan, a speech writer for President Reagan from 1984 to 1986, builds on her time with the President to paint a close, intimate portrait of the man so loved by millions of his fellow Americans.
   
   Mainly through interviews, rather than historical documents, Ms. Noonan chronicles Reagan's life. She begins in Reagan's early years growing up in a poor family, but with a mother who passed her strong faith on to her son. She details Reagan's formative years in Hollywood where he learned firsthand of the existential threat posed to America by the Communist Party - including death threats against Reagan and his family.
   
   Reagan's jump from film to politics seems more like a hop through the pages of Noonan's book, since she makes it plain that Reagan's passion for politics and doing the right thing made his final profession seem only natural.
   
   Most of all, Noonan, in an account more personal than historical, provides a detailed, behind-the-scenes look at Reagan, the man. The resulting work makes you appreciate Reagan as a deep-thinking, passionately patriotic American with a strong sense of self and a love of people.
   
   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."

5 comments about My Early Life: 1874-1904.

1. This 372 page long book would be good, but no more, if it wasn't for the first 40-or-so pages, which are a gem. The book covers the first 30 years of Churchill's life and the first forty pages cover his childhood. Although Churchill had a miserable childhood - his father was distant, his mother more interested in lovers than in her son, and he was bullied at boarding school - Churchill narrates his story with unsurpassed wit and without any hard feelings for the ones that failed him. Some passages, like the description of how he was grappling with the beast called maths, are just hilarious. The first forty pages alone make this book a must read. In the rest of the book, the most interesting part is the story of Churchill's capture by the Boers and escape. You don't need to be interested in Churchill, the statesman, to like this book. Here he is at his most human and disarming.



2. His writing is great; his stories are told in a refreshing, whimsical tone; and one gets the sense that he loves his life. Even though I was very familiar with the event of his life before reading this, I found it thoroughly engaging and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in this extraordinary man.



3. I got this for my grandfather for Christmas. He was POW during WWII, and was wanting to read about Churchill's POW experiences. A big hit!! My grandfather couldn't put the book down.



4. If you want to know about Winston Churchill's early life and just how well he was able to write well then look no further. The prose is rich, his vocabulary is extensive and the phrasing is pure Churchill. This is a great introduction into his life and writing ability and many sayings and phrases Churchill is known for are given in this volume. Few, if any, are willing to risk potential embarrassment by stating as one of their life's accomplishments any book that they have read. However, if one is able to add having read this book among those achievements then at least that part of their life will not have been wasted.



5. To say it exudes wit, humour, intelligence and charm is a big understatement.
   He was 56 at the time he wrote it... so, we have the benefit of experience too...
   A MUST READ.
   
   ADB
   
   PS: The film done about it (using the book as the script) is also very good if a bit slow in parts (specially political speeches).

5 comments about The Story of My Life: The Restored Classic, Complete and Unabridged, Centennial Edition.

1. Helen Keller gives a sweetly innocent rundown of her life in this brief book. It's just enough to get a glimpse into her well publicized transformation into a girl lost in her own inability to communicate to a wonderfully prolific soul; a person who changed the world. She is disarming and self aware and isn't afraid to gloss over a little bit of the struggle to paint a journey of searching that led to many rivers of experience. It's a charming book and if one is curious about Helen Keller it is best to 'hear' the words from the author than another source.



2. A deaf dumb and blind girl, but no pinball. Helen Keller, bereft of the senses that your average person is able to utilise, has to learn other ways to communicate. She is instrumental in forming systems that will lay the foundation to enable other people so afflicted to do the same, with the work she does herself, and with her tutors.
   
   Well worth a look.



3. Most moving and inspiring book I have ever read. It should be required reading in all elementary schools throughout the world. I could go on and on, but that should suffice.
   
   James Donovan
   Del Mar, CA



4. Great book about a great lady who was blind and deaf. She had many struggles but became a speaker and a writter. I received the book right away without any problem, and it great condition.



5. I'm astonished by the one star comments! These people should at least read a story about the way human language emerged and evolved to writing and reading. Maybe "How Writing Came About" by Denise Schmandt-Besserat and perhaps they would start understanding the unimaginable effort done by Helen and the uniqueness of her testimony, as so well expounded by Konrad Lorentz.
   Some time ago I had the great opportunity to exchange some emails about this subject with prof. Harold Bloom. Prof. Bloom, who knows very well the story of Helen, suggest that we have not only an internal ear but even an internal eye that allowed Helen to deeply understand the classics she read: her comments are short but so deep. One last remark, a recent book " Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain" by Maryanne Wolf could be very useful to better understand the key role of Helen Keller (and Anne Sullivan!).

5 comments about Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness.

1. This is a beautifully written book about Lincoln--the complete man. Joshua Wolf Shank does a lovely job of describing how Lincoln learned from his bouts with depression and could only have persevered through his difficult, war-time presidency with the wisdom he gained from his melancholy. We often think of Lincoln solely as a pillar of strength; seeing him at his weakest paradoxically deepens his image of strength.



2. Carl Becker said that every man is his own historian, and so it seems fitting that Lincoln be reinterpreted in the light of modern approaches to depression and mental illness. What is most admirable about this book is the author's respectful approach to Lincoln and the past; he insists on viewing Lincoln's behaviors in the context of the mores and culture of his time, which were far different from those prevailing today. The author persuasively argues that there was a romantic connotation to melancholy back then. This, combined with the cultural acceptance of greater emotion from single young men, explains some of Lincoln's publicly expressed emotional troubles as a young man
   
   On the other hand, the author insists on defining Lincoln as suffering two "breakdowns." It's not clear what relevance this modern term has, nor can the author distinguish between mental illness and the culturally acceptable level of melancholy and love-sickness a young man was permitted to manifest at the time.
   
   In short, given the lack of data (most notably the inability to interview the subject, Mr. Lincoln) and the different culture back then, why even try to import these modern day notions of depression to the 1830's-1860's?
   
   Still, the book does make three points exceptionally well, which makes this a very worthwhile effort.
   
   First, he destroys the idiotic notions that Lincoln was gay by virtue of close emotional relationships with men that were permitted and encouraged by the culture back then. Superficial modern day notions of sexual identity have no place in a different time with different (and perhaps healthier) approaches toward the permissibility of emotional intimacy between men.
   
   Second, he argues that Lincoln's struggles with melancholy were part of his larger struggles against adversity that toughened him up for the greatest trial faced by any American President since Washington. This is an old theme, but it is well constructed here. On paper, hugely successful men like Buchanan, Jefferson Davis, and General McClellan should have been the ones to lead successfully during this crisis. But in some ways their previous success was a curse. The depressive's realism and ability to solider on during adversity is perhaps far better preparation. A fascinating point and one that is completley lost in modern Presidential races.
   
   Third, the author argues that Lincoln's mental makeup allowed him to resist the compromises and stop gap measures that seduced men like Buchanan, Douglas, and Crittenden. Lincoln saw that the country had to recognize the evil of slavery and put it on the path to ultimate extinction. This was, of course, Lincoln's greatest insight, though I'm not convinced that his melancholia necessarily predisposed him to accept it. But there is some appeal in the contention that depressives can be curiously more disposed to realism in a world that is frequently evil and unfair.
   
   This is an insightful book, though the ability to analyze Lincoln's psyche given the absence of data and intervening culutural changes is, of course, a doomed venture.



3. I can truthfully say that this is the first book I have ever read about A. Lincoln. I loved it! It had intimate deatils and insight looks into the depression of the former President himself. I would reccommend this book to anyone wanting to read something "different, appeal'n" on Lincoln. Great book.



4. "Lincoln's Melancholy," by Joshua Wolf Shenk, is a superb account of how the lifelong depression suffered by Lincoln was overcome by his own strength of character and led to his greatness. Initially an obstacle, Lincoln triumphed over the melancholy he probably inherited from his family by focusing on a larger goal, stopping the spread of slavery into the new, western territories and finally, preserving the Union itself.
   
   Lincoln suffered two major depressive incidents in his youth, the first after the death of Ann Rutledge, and the second when his engagement to Mary Todd was broken. His indecisiveness led to a mental breakdown which was only alleviated when he finally married her. After these incidents, Lincoln settled into a state of chronic depression, which nonetheless did not interfere with his likeability and gregarious nature. Lincoln used humor, storytelling, and reading and writing poetry to cope with his bouts of sadness.
   
   Shenk gives an account of earlier biographies of Lincoln, which were sometimes off the mark. Early in the 20th century, when Freud was the rage, it was speculated that Lincoln's sorrow was due to an Oedipus complex and guilt over his mother's death. Later writers insisted that he could not have been in love with Ann Rutledge because they distrusted the source of that rumor, William Herndon, Lincoln's law partner. It is now believed that the eyewitnesses Herndon interviewed may have been correct.
   
   The book was written in a compelling, easy-going style complete with poetic references. I especially loved the preface wherein Leo Tolstoy tried to explain Lincoln to a group of local tribesmen in the Caucasus. It is such a beautiful, concisely written biography that I have been inspired to use it as the basis of a speech on Lincoln that I will deliver on the occasion of his bicentennial in February.



5. Anyone who suffers from depression should read this story. Lincoln was a man who learned how to overcome this illness to achieve great things for God and for himself. A very inspirational read.

5 comments about A Remarkable Mother.

1. I purchased this book for my 86-year-old mother for Mother's Day.
   She said she enjoyed it very much and learned more about Mrs.
   Carter than she knew.



2. Loved the book. It was an easy afternoon read. My husband and I took turns reading it to one another while sitting on the dock sipping cold beer. It is one of those days you hold in your heart. Laughed, cried and hated to see the end. Miss Lillian was some kind of woman!



3. This was a quick read, but well done. Mr. Carter's mother was definitely her own woman, but Mr. Carter treated her always with respect and love. A great tribute.



4. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was lovingly written by a son who adored, respected, and loved his mother very much. Lillian was such a force in the White House, and it sounds like everyone from every country who ever met her just loved being with her. She's was a woman that we could all learn from....she didn't take from anyone...even the President. The book was inspiring to me...she went into the Peace Corps at 70....enough said....very good book!



5. Very quick service. I got this book for my mom for Mother's Day and she loved it. I recommend it to anyone and use Amazon.

5 comments about The Jim Morrison Scrapbook.

1. My husband loved this book and all it has to offer. This is for a true fan of The Doors and collectors.



2. Excellent collector's edition book for any Jim Morrison/The Doors fan. Full of never before published pictures, handwritten lyrics and letters by Jim Morrison. A must buy for any Doors fan.



3. I am a devoted Jim Morrison/Doors fan but wasn't aware of this book until my nephew mentioned it to me while we were at a Ozzie/Rob Zombie concert. I promised to give it to him for his birthday. I bought it from Amazon and before I wrapped it I spent at least two hours going through it. This is the most well-conceived, cohesive, unbelievably put-together book I have ever seen. I could not stop going through it and taking all the papers out of their pockets and reading Jim Morrison's letters to his mother, report cards, letters to Jim from his pastor, teachers, etc. Every insert looks like the original document. I cannot say enough good things about this book. I gushed over it so much I hope my kids get the hint and give it to me for Mother's Day!



4. The Jim Morrison Scrapbook *****
   
   With the abundance of material that has been released and re-released and alternately released from the Jim Morrison estate in the past decade very little of it has been any good. It is mostly things that had already been released on one thing or another deeming it pointless to own, but not The Jim Morrison Scrapbook. Oh-no! This is phenomenal and a must have for Doors-geeks like myself. This shows sides of Morrison rarely or never shown.
   
   Chronicling the genius from birth, poet, songwriter, lover, performer, and death. This is a book explaining all of those things about the man, but with actually tangible documents like his will, report cards, letters, his handwritten lyrics, rare seen photos; some of which have never been released to the mass public.
   
   The Jim Morrison Scrapbook is the first in a series of "scrapbooks" being released of famous legends. As of right now a Bob Dylan, and John Lennon version is also available. This is essential for all rock fans! A must read!



5. I am a big fan of the Doors, and Jim Morrison (went to his grave in Pere La Chaise twice) and I had long been looking for a coffee table book on Jim that was both interesting to look at and a fine read, too. This pop-up book has pockets and slides of letters, photos and mementos so well reproduced they look like originals; it's a must-have for anyone who loves arts and crafts and The Doors! Enjoy it!!

5 comments about Richard M. Nixon: A Life in Full.

1. The moment I finished reading this book, the image of the late USA President came to me when he left office and waved to the crowd his last Good-bye. Nixon looked hesitant and undecided like a man relieved of an overwhelming burden. His Good-bye expressions were made indicating how far he had worn out of his Office; his eyes refused to meet the camera.
   Perhaps what is quite revealing is that Nixon policies and behaviors were formulated to keep pace with `Détente `. There has been a wave of publicity unparalleled in contemporary American foreign policies relating to the appointment of Henry Kissinger in September 1973. Never before has a President and a Secretary of State had such interest by Newsmen and Biographers alike. Both names were associated with secret channels notably in Vietnam, Arab/Israeli conflict, and of course - Detente. I can safely say that Nixon, in particular, was less a friend of the media until Watergate blew its hurdles in the face of the world and the legend `'impeachment" was then born. What followed invoked a cauldron of aggressive and sympathetic editorials. Hostile comments were destructive in character and reflected envy.
   I am convinced these 1000+ pages transpire feelings of persecution centered more upon the Office and less upon the Person whom many have loudly hated and secretly admired.
   Mr. Conrad Black could picture the late President of the United States of America at his best moments slouched back in his chair, his long legs stretched out above the table in the deceptively thoughtful pose caricaturists had made famous in their media.



2. Conrad Black is not a typical historian or biographer. Indeed his approach and style are singular. Unlike "professional" historians and idelogues like Robert Dallek, Black does not have an ideological axe to grind. Although a professed conservative, Black's biography of FDR is the best I've read, utterly balanced in its approach to the man who so divided the nation before he saved the world from the darkness of fascism.
   
   At 1,059 pages, the book is too long. Yet, if I were editing it, I would be hard-pressed to figure out what to cut from the manuscript. Even so, only the dedicated student will make it all the way through or not skim in some places.
   
   Black does not flatter his subject. He sees Nixon as a man of some great strengths and some equally great weaknesses. Thirty-some years later, in fact, and reminded by Black's book, i56 is still mystifying that Nixon was so tone-deaf in his handling of the Watergate "scandal". Black makes a solid case that Watergate was a tempest in a teapot that, with the aid of left-wing journalists, venal Democrat politicians and intellectuals and pundits, was turned into a coup against a sitting President. Certainly nothing that Nixon did was any worse than what was done in the name of national security or just plain politics by Roosevet, Kennedy and Johnson. But Nixon had been hated by the left-wing for his anti-Communism since he first appeared on the political scene.
   
   Critical phrases such as "Nixon's duplicity acheived a new depth . . . " mark Black's narrative, leaving no doubt that Black sees all sides of Nixon.
   
   Nixon was a President of great historical significance. The fact that he was so endlessly attacked by the left-wing is proof, in a way, of his power. He also made mistakes, such as imposing price controls. He never gave up, though, successfully rehabilitating his image before his death.
   
   As he did with Roosevelt, Black has written a superb biography of another controversial, immensely talented, vastly misunderstood American President. Well worth reading, but the length of the book is daunting.
   
   Jerry



3. Richard Nixon was one of the most influential man in the world, and also someone who was misunderstood



4. This was a great read. I was thrilled to discover that Conrad wrote a fair and even-handed biography of the late President. (I enjoyed Nixon's memoirs, too, so lengthy tomes aren't a problem for me, as they might be for a few of the reviewers.) I liked the book's emphasis on Nixon's persistence and ability to remain on the political scene for so many years, despite media prejudice and pumped-up mobbings. Nixon had to perform on one of the most volatile stages of American history, and this book made it clear that he managed to stay on it, decade after decade.



5. the author has his own problems, but if you want to understand the period covered by Nixon, it helps to have a full narrative without all the analysis. the new yorker has opined that this effort is essentially an apology, but in the years since Nixon's flawed presidency, we are able to see that so much of what Nixon wanted was just right, even as he also made some terrible decisions and surrounded himself with a few crooks.
   
   it is an easy though exhausting read (lots of pages) but for those of us under 70, it captures so much that after the reader is done, then he can reassess the more venomous acccounts. for example, nixon's childhood here seems less about the creation of neurosis, than simply a hard one, but his parents really did love him.
   
   but then we have watergate. oh well!

5 comments about Profiles in Courage.

1. John F. Kennedy makes an excellent contribution to history with this book. It describes the lives of several distinguished Americans who, in the course of history, have shaped the face of the United States. All these biographies are interesting. History becomes very much alive with this book, and Kennedy does an excellent job in showing how men can contribute to the life of a nation. What is even more noteworthy is that that is what he himself did. This new edition of the book has an excellent preface by Caroline Kennedy, herself an eminent legal scholar.



2. 
   I read this book quite a while back and found some great food for thought. One of my primary takeaways was that be careful when judging others motives.
   
   Kennedy (or whoever wrote the book) poses a primary question: Which is better...the man who will not compromise at all, or the man who bends but does not break?
   
   The argument is that the man who does not compromise may be considered true to his cause, but may get little done. The man who compromises to get things done may not be 100% true to his cause but is able to forward some of his ideas.
   
   The author(s) leave it up to the reader to decide (judge) if the path is right. Or, are both paths right? This is good food for thought for a critical thinker!
   
   What the author(s) is pointing at is that each man and woman must choose their own path in a situation according to their beliefs, values and morals, even if it may cause political and/or other ruin.
   
   The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking



3. This book is well written, engaging and tells stories of courageous political leaders. Once you pick this book up you won't be able to put it down, and it will stick with you for years. He won the Pulitzer for a reason; we all need a reminder that doing what's right but unpopular leaves a far richer legacy than making decisions that win short term allies.



4. I bought this book and it's a nice read and very historical, of course. I just wanted to put it in context today. 07/31/08 The house voted 213-212 not to extend the session. The main reason it was brought up was to debate the issue of our nations energy future One vote mattered to keep Congress in session, it voted against that debate. I wonder if that can be pinpointed to a single Representative for that vote against and why they chose that. Probably not as they would not be viewed as a member or party of courage today! Then again why not? They come out on TV saying they want to save the earth (tell China, India and the rest of the world please and let me drive cheap, please), so lets get the debate going and cut the total BS. no courage on the Democrat side now a days or else you become Lieberman.



5. Profiles in Courage is a book that American lovers of history will inevitably read at some point or another...and they should. It is a solid piece of work, grounded in erudition and steeped with keeps-the-pages-turnin' anecdotes.
   
   The Senators profiled are mostly forgotten, but their stories are compelling nonetheless, and one wonders why they have lapsed into obscurity while other negligible figures (e.g. Crispus Attucks) have risen to prominence in elementary history curricula. (OK, one doesn't really wonder.)
   
   There are some eye-glazing passages of fluff and foofaraw, but the book mainly keeps a brisk pace, evoking the historical context in small prefatory chapters, and then outlining the situation wherein the Senator in question--rightly or wrongly, for good or ill--exhibited the courage that qualified him for inclusion. (One could call their courage anti-democratic...but sometimes that worked out for the best.)
   
   Besides its readability, Profiles in Courage is also strictly non-partisan--a feat I'm surprised they pulled off. Kudos to Ted Sorenson for crafting this--I'll go ahead and call it "classic"--work, which stands as an admirable piece of educational apparatus.
   
   (Too bad he didn't receive the Pulitzer.)

5 comments about Alexander of Macedon 356-323 B.C.: A Historical Biography.

1. It's obvious Mr. Green knows his stuff but I feel this was written for a few of his peers and not the average reader. He tends to explain why he thinks what he thinks, and why others might be wrong or right, or whether new research challenges long held beliefs, etc. which is fine when chatting with your pals who are also well versed in the subject but better left to an appendix in a book as it stems the narrative flow. Please just tell me what happened, tell me why you think so later. I trust you. More than once I found myself at the bottom of the page having to reread it because my mind began to wonder.
   The author assumes the reader is an academic like himself and peppers the book with phrases like, "The truth of the matter can never be known for certain. If we apply the cui bono principle, then Alexander undoubtedly had everything to gain..." and "De l'audace, toujours de l'audace, encore de l'audace: all through his life this was to be Alexander's guiding star, ..." and so on.
   This in not a friendly book for commuters or people who like to read before bed. The chapters range from 30-60 pages a piece so every time you pick it up you're making a commitment. One personal annoyance is that, when referring to something he has already touched upon, the author has the bad habit of saying (see above pg. 47) or (see above pg 123) It paints a picture of him editing it on his computer, why not just say see pg. 47 or pg. 123 why the "above"?
   Academics and those already familiar with the subject may enjoy the book, History Channel historians who saw a cool special on Alexander and want to learn more may want to look elsewhere.



2. I'm very disappointed with this book.
   I was looking for some objective and critic biography but this book have an obvious agenda from page one: put down Alexander by any possible means.
   For Mr Green every good or great thing Alexander is credited to had done is just propaganda or flattery.
   He can even doubt the result of a great battle like Granicus because our sources are few and unreliable. For him it was a defeat hidden by propaganda, a theory he make up with nearly zero backup from the ancient sources.
   But instead, he don't hesitate to follow without doubt every nasty detail some of this sources could give us about the bad acts of Alexander (the chapter about Cleitus assassination for example is pure gossipy).
   For me, thats not an historian...
   A shame...



3. Peter Green is one of the foremost scholars of Alexander the Great. His biography of the Macedonian King is based upon the evidence of the ancient sources, which are themselves only secondary sources, since the eye-witnesses to Alexander's exploits are unfortunately no longer extant. Green does not have "an agenda" as some reviewers have suggested; he is merely evaluating the evidence of Arrian, Plutarch, Quintus Curtius, Diodorus Siculus, Strabo, etc., etc. as it they read it in Callisthenes, Ptolemy, Aristobulus, Onesicritus, etc., etc. All of the non-extant primary sources had their own agendas. Callisthenes was Alexander's press agent and image maker; Ptolemy, who highjacked the king's body, wrote his subsequent history of the expediton in such a way that his own exploits were highlighted.
   
   All of what Green writes is in the ancient sources. He has not made up the facts that Alexander could be very unpleasant at times (Consider his treatment of Thebes, Tyre, and Gaza; not to mention his reported murders of Philip's general, Parmenio; Parmenio's son, Philotas; Alexander's old family retainer Cleitus; Alexander's cousin, Alexander of Lyncestis, and the king's own spin-doctor Callisthenes [Alexander ordered the last two to be carried around in cages, Lyncestis for three years and Callisthenes for several months until he died of obesity and lice in India, according to Plutarch.]).
   
   If Green's Alexander does not live up to the "idealized" Alexander of those who have not read the ancient accounts, it is because we are dealing with a man who, with the aid of Callisthenes, had carefully crafted his own image. That image, which was always grandiose, became even larger than life after Alexander's death, when his successors got busy rendering the Macedonian king's image into their own images.
   
   Alexander was not Alexander the Saint; Alexander the British Public Schoolboy; Alexander the Guy-I'd-Like-to-Have-a-Drink-With (Heavens forfend!); Alexander the Ideal Husband; or even Alexander the Nice, he was actually Alexander the Imperialist! And yes, he was Great! Anyone who can march an entire army--indeed a mobile state--around for ten years, traveling 22,000 miles through snow-blasted mountains and sand-driven deserts deserves the term Great, no matter how many men and women he kills in the process (and Alexander's collateral damage was not to be sneezed at!). The fact that we are even arguing about him today demonstrates that he achieved his dream in renouncing his father Philip and becoming, first the Son of Zeus-Ammon; and next the New Triumphant Dionysus. Alexander has indeed achieved immortality.
   
   Peter Green has demonstrated Alexander's Greatness in a manner that is both exciting and eminently readable. If he has knocked the Macedonian off his gold-plated pedestal of propriety, Green has done readers a singular service, and, in the process, he has brought Alexander to life as the complex, deeply disturbing--and infinitely interesting--character that, according to the ancient sources, he certainly must have been.



4. Alexander, usually known as the Great, was truly great if we are speaking of military prowess. Perhaps the greatest general the world has ever known, Alexander had an insatiable desire to conquer. His motivation did not seem to lie in wealth but in the desire for power, the lust of battle, and the march toward deification. No army could stand against him, all other men were diminished in his presence, he was the ultimate conqueror. He conquered everything except himself, and this proved to be his undoing.
   
   Today we all but idolize men such as Alexander, however it is worth noting that at his death he was universally hated. He most likely died of poisoning, possibly at the hand of his tutor Aristotle, and the entire world rejoiced. As soon as he died his empire fractured. Green writes, "He spent his life, with legendary success, in the pursuit of personal glory, ... and until very recent times this was regarded as a wholly laudable aim. The empire he built collapsed the moment he was gone" (p.488). Perhaps this is a lesson for us all.
   
   This is surely one of the best biographies on the life of Alexander the Great. I recommend it for all that have interest in such subjects.



5. I've been reading a reasonable amount of history lately, and I was starting to get worried how much of it has left me rather cold. Either I find that I can't engage with the writing, or else I find the thesis of the writer poorly supported. I had started to get the bad bad feeling that my problem with historians was more about me than about the history itself.
   
   Luckily, just about that point I picked up Alexander of Macedon. Excellent and apparently well-respected as history and delicious to read as a book. It doesn't talk down to the readers; it doesn't pretend to know more than it possibly can do. The prose is very good. The logic and structure of the book are clear and well-ordered. I really enjoyed reading it and felt that I learned a lot.
   
   When I sat down to write this, I read some reviews and letters that were written by Green in the New York Review of Books. His tone was much as this book would lead me to expect-- acerbic, smart and witty. He is a very good writer. In fact, that seems to be one of the arguments most commonly used against his books. He writes too well.
   
   A brief dip into the online world highlights two basic types of criticism for Alexander of Macedon. There are the Alexander fans who hate Green for not being flattering enough about their hero. (The fact that the book's title says nothing about "Alexander the Great" is kind of a giveaway that Green was not embarking on a course of further myth-making around the king. Shame, many seem to want him to be idolized and not studied.) The other criticism seems to come from Very Serious Academics who admit Green's enthusiasm for the subject matter, while making snide remarks about how he is more a novelist than a historian. The implication seems to be that this makes Green more suitable for armchair historians like myself than Very Serious Academics.
   
   And that may well be true. Since I'm not a VSA myself, I can only report that it seemed just right for me. I'll also note, mildly, that he does seem to be widely respected and that the people who don't respect his work appear in the minority.
   
   Alexander is a fascinating character. I have been thinking about him a lot since finishing the biography. His career raises a huge number of questions about the nature of greatness, and those questions obviously also matter to Green. I'm not sure if he ever settles for himself how "Great" Alexander really is-- but there is a firm argument made for his importance-- a hard argument to counter, in my opinion.
   
   Recommended. Best history book that I have read in a long time.