5 comments about For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War.

1. James M. McPherson's For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War aims to answer the simple question of what motivated the men who became solders in the Civil War to fight and die in this conflict. The simple answer according to McPherson was duty, honor, patriotism, ideological beliefs such as liberty and freedom, and religious beliefs. These ideals or ideas are pretty much the same motivating factors soldiers from other wars in the 20th Century or those historians of ancient wars give to explain why they fought and died. McPherson certainly did his homework by reading twenty-five thousand letters and two hundred fifty diaries from soldiers to come to his conclusion that it was truly duty, honor, patriotism, ideological beliefs in liberty and freedom, and religious beliefs that motivated these men to fight and die in the Civil War cause. As a reader I was hoping for something more or different than the tired and tedious five reasons that every soldier indicates as motivating factors for them. There is not a dispute that these five factors are for the most part true. The excerpts from the letters indicate these five motivating factors over and over. Even though these were excerpts and pulling text out of the original context of a document can significantly change its meaning, for the most part the excerpts painted the picture that supported McPherson's argument that, "Yet for Civil War soldiers the group cohesion and peer pressure that were powerful factors in combat motivation were not unrelated to the complex mixture of patriotism, ideology, concepts of duty, honor, manhood, and community or peer pressure that prompted them to enlist in the first place." (p. 13)
   
   The reading of For Cause and Comrades felt as though it was another book that put soldiers and war up on a pedestal of what a great sacrifice soldiers gave to their country by participating in the horrors of war and akin to a child's hero worship. For Cause and Comrades also seemed as though it was reiterating the tired and worn out American patriotic themes of liberty, freedom, duty, honor, and religion. The book generated visions from daily life on par with "The Few, the Proud, the Marines" commercials on television to recruit soldiers, or popular mass media inundating the masses with typical American ideology such as Superman standing for truth, justice, and the American way, or another person who feels a particular generation was the "Greatest Generation" above all others. Watch out Tom Brokaw, McPherson feels Civil War soldiers out does any other group of soldiers including your beloved World War Two soldiers in the area of duty, honor, patriotism, freedom and liberty loving, and devotion to a higher power. McPherson did mention through the words of the soldiers that war was a horrible affair, but then uses it to idolize these men in their accomplishment of overcoming adversity and "staying the course" instead of ever mentioning that war is lowest form and action of human existence and should be something to be avoided at all costs. A true hero is one that can solve problems without resorting to violence. A truly wise hero knows not only how to solve problems without violence but also knows that war that involves murder, gruesome mutilation, and destruction which result in unspeakable pain, misery, and suffering whether physical or the destructive psychological impact on soldiers and civilians of the society and is a course that should never be traveled.
   
   McPherson's expertise in writing about this subject is not disputed nor is his findings. McPherson has been a professor at Princeton University since 1962 and his entire academic career has been focused on many aspects of the Civil War era. He has been nationally recognized numerous times for his work in this field including receiving the Lincoln Prize for For Cause and Comrades. For Cause and Comrades has made an important contribution in historical research by giving a voice to people who can no longer speak for themselves and illustrates their experience to give a more in depth well rounded picture of history. Futhermore, everyone is entitled to their own perspective and interpretation on any subject. Unfortunately, for this reader, it was filled with too much hero worship, idolization, and the standard tired historical interpretations of soldiers and war as being something someone does if they have a sense of duty, are honorable, patriotic, revere freedom and liberty, and are spiritual. These themes should stay in fiction such as stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable. People in the real world should find other avenues besides war to achieve the admirable qualities of duty, honor, patriotism, believing in ideals, and spirituality and it should be the responsibility of learned people to point that out instead of seemingly making war and people who fight in wars the pillar and standard for achieving all those admirable qualities.



2. ...well almost. In 'For Cause & Comrades' James McPherson has set out to explain exactly why the average soldier sacrificed so much for his respective cause in the American Civil War. He has succeeded in convincing me. As the backbone of his thesis, McPherson has used hundreds of letters and diary entries from both Confederate and Union soldiers that offer some glaring insight into their motivations and beliefs. He first touches on the more universal motivations of warriors such as honor, duty, comradery, religion, vengeance and so on. And while these all played a significant part in the Civil War, McPherson argues that what ultimately separated Civil war soldiers from those of most other wars was a fervent belief in the righteousness of their cause. In other words, this was a truly ideological war and these convictions of righteousness, on both sides, was what carried these men through such horrific fighting to the bitter end.
   
   While I can't say there were any shocking revelations here, I was slightly surprised, for instance, at how many Union soldiers were fervently dedicated to their cause. It usually goes without saying that the Confederate side was truly motivated to defend their cause, but I had always assumed that most Union men served out of a grudging sense of duty. It turns out that many truly felt that they were defending the American experiment as a whole from the despised "traitors and rebels." In fact, this seems to have been a bigger factor than slavery for most, as a large portion of Union men were just as racist as their Southern adversaries. Which makes it somewhat ironic that they felt they represented the cause of the entire free world against tyranny and oppression. It should be noted though that many Union soldiers did passionately oppose slavery and this was an equally compelling cause for them. The Union side seems to be very complex. On the other hand, the Confederate cause seemed to be much less complicated. They were fighting not only for the right to continue slavery, but also for their independence from the hated Yankee. As much as white supremacy was a chief motivator (even poor, non-slaveholders resented the notion of black equality), most Southerners truly believed they were fighting for their own liberty and way of life.
   
   Of course McPherson concedes that not every soldier fit this description. There are skulkers, dodgers, draftees, and otherwise reluctant soldiers in every army, but as McPherson shows, there was a significant core of truly ideological fighters on both sides who refused to accept anything less than total victory. While those well versed in Civil War history might not find anything new here, I found it to be a concise and convincing survey on Civil War motivations and I would highly recommend it.



3. This month marks the 147th Anniversary of the beginning of the American Civil War and the fight to preserve the union and end slavery.
   
   Any war, as a violent, organized explosion of human emotions, produces some very unnatural responses on the part of soldiers and civilians alike. James McPherson, undoubtedly now the preeminent American Civil War scholar has, in the words of his own introduction, tried to make sense of what was similar to other wars but also what was different about that experience for the soldiers on both sides of the divide in that war. Working from a plethora of soldiers' letters and other observations he has tried to explain why the citizen soldiers on both sides of that bloody conflict kept at it despite the grueling circumstances, including extremely high casualty rates.
   
   I make no bones about my partisanship for the Northern, Union and anti-slavery side in that conflict. However in war, and civil war in particular, one can note the attributes of bravery, honor and heroism of the opposing side without giving an inch on the political questions. If one thinks about it if one does not recognize those characteristics in the soldiers of the other side one places oneself in a very hard place. The Geneva Conventions, weak as they are, codify that understanding.
   
   McPherson goes into great detail about the phases of the war-the general bloodthirsty and energetic desire of both sides to get at it; the sobering effects of actual combat; the psychological traumas produced in men before, during and after battle. In short, the passion and anger that drive men to fight-and soldiers to reflect a bit afterward. He details the sense of patriotism, honor, manhood, shame and other virtues of mid-Victorian America that further drove these men. Probably his weakest part is an examination of the personal politics of the soldiers, although that may be, in part, a function of the fuzziness of their goals as they became overwhelmed by the other considerations previously listed.
   
   However, overall, McPherson more than adequately makes his point that many considerations entered into the calculations of those who freely volunteered for the citizen armies on both sides, fought tremendous and bloody battles and slogged on through thick and thin. I will stop here with one comment that struck me from a Northern soldier about his reasons for fighting. Admittedly this soldier was a high abolitionist but here is what he said-" I want to be able to sing `John Brown' [John Brown's Body, the anti-slavery hymn and precursor for the Battle Hymn of The Republic] in the streets of Charleston [South Carolina]." Yes, I can, indeed, get behind that sentiment as a reason for fighting.



4. This book is mainly for academics and true historians. It's a short book, which makes it a quick read, but it's not as good as some of McPherson's other Civil War books. (like "Ordeal by Fire"). His thesis is that Civil War soldiers, both Union and Confederate, fought for three different reasons (or "motivations"). These are related to reasons why soldiers chose to enlist (enlistment motivation), to fight (combat motivation), and to stay in the service (sustaining motivation). The book seems pieced together to me and the chapters are not put in chronological order like most history books are. He uses so many excerpts from soldier's letters and diaries that it was hard for me to follow. Even though I understood his thesis, I did not like the book's style. I would give this one a pass unless you have nothing else to do!!



5. I was very satisfied with the level of customer service that I recieved from Amazon.com. I love the low prices and the customer service.

5 comments about No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II.

1. Rarely does an excellent writer appear in the biography universe. Goodwin uses her amazing skills to weave the story of two remarkable and very human people into and through a momentous time in the world's history. While she sometimes gets slowed down by statistics of limited value (for example how many rubber bands were collected in rubber drive) overall the writer has found a brilliant balance between facts, feelings and remembrances. The book's main revelations center mainly on the enormous contribution ER made to race relations and labor relations during that desperate time. One comes to feel that if not for FDR's hyperactive, agitating wife little or no social progress would have been made during the war years. I have read several biographies of FDR and Churchill and was still enriched by the layers of detail Goodwin has brought to her work, highly recommended.



2. If you enjoy history, this book is a must read. Doris Kearns Goodwin makes history interesting. Many of the programs that were instituted during the depression are still in effect today. The Roosevelt's were an amazing team, Eleanor paved the way for many women in politics and business. It's the perfect book to read in our current economic situation.



3. I know another five star rating. But She deserves it. Doris Kearns Goodwin's best book. I felt as if I was living their lives through the words of Mrs. Goodwin.
   The very essence of this marriage made a story which is better than any fiction novel. The formative years of both Franklin and Eleanor's lives tells us of the impending marriage of convenience. The starting of a family, along with the tragedy of the death of one of their offspring, tells us of their early life together. The later relationship with Lucy Mercer exposes us to an altered marriage in which Eleanor becomes a truly effective politician in her own right who in turn effected national policy.
   Mrs. Goodwin should be commmended for this truly human account of the Franklin Roosevelt period. Her writing was accurate yet highly entertaining. I learned a lot of this Brahman Family. Winston Churchill understood this family as no one else did. It wasn't until Mrs. Goodwin explained this period of extraordinary American History that I really understood the effect of their lives on the American public. Read this Book!!!!!



4. Seemingly hundreds of books have been written about Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. Books about Franklin, written from his point of view, can be critical of Eleanor - her tendency to nag, her seriousness, her lack of personality. Similarly, books about Eleanor, written from her point of view, can be critical of Franklin - his deceptions, arrogance, and self-centeredness. "No Ordinary Time, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II," written by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, provides a unique perspective in telling the stories of both Franklin and Eleanor, incorporating each point of view into the story, describing them both as individual people and as part of a troubled yet fascinating partnership. Written in narrative form, Goodwin chronicles the war years on the home front, beginning in May of 1940 and ending in December of 1945, combining the story of the Roosevelts with that of regular Americans to demonstrate the unique relationship that was created between government and the people, making this truly "no ordinary time" in American history.
   
   In "No Ordinary Time," Franklin Roosevelt is fleshed out as a charming and charismatic figure who comes to inspire the nation through his "ebullient energy" and unlimited confidence, not only in himself, but in the country. Although he came from a wealthy, aristocratic family, Roosevelt was able to empathize with the poor and underprivileged after a bout with polio left him crippled. Although he never allowed himself to be seen in his wheelchair, and most Americans did not realize the extent of his disability, Goodwin describes one poignant scene when the president went to visit troops in Oahu and specifically asked to be wheeled around the hospital ward slowly - to, in effect, put himself, his disability, and his vulnerability on full display, so that troops who had lost arms or legs could see "living proof of what the human spirit could do."
   
   His unique ability to transmit his own perpetual cheerfulness and optimism to others was what defined his leadership. According to Goodwin, more than any previous president, Roosevelt studied public opinion (reading newspapers, analyzing polls, securing different points of view), allowing him to understand the national temperament. Even more than that, he wanted to connect to the American people. Prior to one of his fireside (radio) chats, he asked Americans to buy a map to have before them as they listened to his speech. Americans rushed to buy maps, and eighty percent of the audience was listening to the radio as Roosevelt explained to them the situation in each part of the world, bringing the war to life, so Americans could better understand the challenges they were facing and be more prepared for a new kind of war being fought on every continent. Not only did these fireside chats allow Americans to connect with their president, they allowed Americans to connect them with each other. Describing the scene on the Chicago Midway during a fireside chat, novelist Saul Bellow explained how all the taxi drivers were pulled over by the side of the road with their radios on, so that he didn't miss a word of the speech as he walked by their cars: "You felt joined to these unknown drivers, [. . . .] not so much considering the President's words as affirming the rightness of his tone and finding assurance from it." Through his leadership, Roosevelt inspired a country that had just been through an economic depression and that was woefully underprepared for a global war to come together and re-establish itself as the world's preeminent superpower.
   
   Like her husband, Eleanor Roosevelt also forged a unique relationship with the American people. Although she too had grown up in a wealthy, aristocratic family, unlike her husband she suffered through an unhappy childhood, leading to a lack of confidence and various bouts with depression. She lived a conventional subservient life as Franklin's wife up until she discovered his affair with Lucy Mercer. At that point, she decided she would no longer depend on another person for fulfillment and happiness and embarked on her own independent life devoted to her own interests, including teaching, writing, and participating in various political causes. She was not a conventional first lady but rather "challenged the traditional sense of what was possible": she was the first wife of a president to hold a government job, testify before a congressional committee, hold press conferences, write a syndicated column, and earn money as a lecturer. She didn't limit her role to staying at the White House and hosting social events, believing, if she did, she "would lose touch with the rest of the world." Instead, she traveled the country, observing poverty in Appalachia and sweatshops in Puerto Rico firsthand, reporting back to her husband when she found workers making less than minimum wage in one town. She witnessed the devastation of the war herself, also, as she traveled to Britain and to the Pacific. After seeing "the mangled bodies, the stomachs ripped by shells, the amputated limbs, the crushed spirits," she fell into a depression, trying to come to terms with her "emotionally disturbing" trip. Like her husband, she empathized with the American people and, even more than him, was determined to raise the consciousness of our country, fighting against Japanese internment and for women's rights in the workplace, an increased role for African Americans in the workplace, and less restrictive rules to allow refugees into the United States.
   
   Characterizing Eleanor as the agitator and Franklin as the politician, Eleanor as the one who thought about what should be done while Franklin thought only of what could be done, and contrasting Eleanor's shyness and insecurity with Franklin's confidence and sociability, Goodwin makes it clear just how different Eleanor and Franklin were. Realizing their inability to fulfill each other's needs, they established largely independent lives where they turned to others for comfort - Franklin to his "real wife" Missy LeHand, his gossipy cousins, and his aide Harry Hopkins, and Eleanor to her young political activist friend Joseph Lash and a circle of feminist friends, including newspaper reporter Lorena Hickok. Even after Franklin grew lonely as Missy and Hopkins drifted away and turned to Eleanor in the hopes they could re-establish a more traditional marriage, she refused, later writing to Lash that she felt there was "no fundamental love to draw on, just respect and affection." Yet, Goodwin makes it clear that there was a bond between them that could not be broken. In one particularly affecting passage, Goodwin quotes from Eleanor's son, who describes the aftermath of his uncle Hall's death: "'Hall has died,' Eleanor told Franklin simply. Father struggled to her side and put his arms around her. 'Sit down,' he said, so tenderly I can still hear it. And he sank down beside her and hugged her and kissed her and held her head on his chest. . . . . For all they were apart both physically and spiritually much of their married life, there remained between them a bond that others could not break." This bond was not just from nearly forty years of marriage, but from the common cause they were joined in - to better the lives of Americans. In order to advance this cause, they drew strength from each other, together creating a far different America than the one that existed when Franklin Roosevelt first took office.
   
   While it is clear that Goodwin has deep admiration for Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, she also establishes them as fully-fleshed characters - visionary, courageous, and brave, but also deeply flawed. In fleshing out their characters, she also succeeds in creating a third character, that of the American people. When Franklin Roosevelt began his second term, one-third of Americans had no running water or indoor plumbing, more than half had no central heating, and only one-fourth had even graduated from high school. America was a "pyramidal society," with a few fortunate on the top and a great mass of people at the bottom. During the war, though, Americans moved from the farm to the factory, from the south to the north, from the east to the west, as war production led to the emergence of the middle class and created the "most profound transition in American history." Most importantly, through innovations like the minimum wage, labor protection, social security, and market regulation, a new relationship between the American people and their government was formed. Franklin Roosevelt's importance is felt most at the end of the book, as Goodwin poignantly describes the public's reaction to his death - "everybody is crying" - and the long railroad trip as his body is carried from Georgia to Washington, with Eleanor looking out the window of the train and seeing hundreds of thousands of people whose lives he had touched gathered along the way to pay their tribute. In recounting the lives of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, and their impact on America, Goodwin shows readers why this was "no ordinary time," creating a vivid portrait of what American life on the home front was like during the second world war and bringing this incredible time in American history alive.



5. "Team of Rivals" remains my favorite Doris Kearns Goodwin book. But this is a very close second. "No Ordinary Time" is a brilliantly written, information-packed book that provides great insight into the FDR White House and the minds of both Franklin and Eleanor.
   
   "No Ordinary Time" covers the Roosevelts from 1940-45, focusing primarily on how they handled the home front during America's involvement in World War II. It was interesting to learn about Eleanor's deep commitment to civil rights, how polarizing a figure she was throughout the country, and her influence on the president.
   
   I was also very intrigued by the relationships between both Roosevelts and their friends and family. Goodwin occasionally breaks from the time period of the book to cover important moments in their lives pre-1940. FDR's affair with Lucy Rutherfurd, and the rekindling of their relationship in his last years, through the help of his daughter, is fascinating.
   
   If I have one criticism -- and it's a stretch -- it would be that Goodwin sometimes gets bogged down in numbers, such as statistics about war production -- the amount of planes, tanks, guns, etc., that were produced and/or shipped to England and Russia. But while those sections may have somewhat slowed the progress of the book, they were important to the story she was telling.
   
   So I consider this a 5-star book. I know Goodwin justifiably received criticism a few years ago due to some plagiarism in a previous book, but few, if any, historians combine research and writing as effectively as she does. I highly recommend this book.

5 comments about Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World.

1. An interesting perspective on not just the poor cod but of all of the great creatures in the sea on which humankind has feasted over the centuries.



2. Kurlansky takes the reader on a voyage from the beginning of the cod fishing industry through its almost complete collapse due to overfishing. He explores the effect of the industry on colonization of the New World, the Revolutionary War, slavery and more. This book was written first to show the important place cod has in the history of the world and second to warn of what can happen to natural resources if they are limitlessly exploited. This book was well written and easy to read, it was almost like reading a novel. Kurlansky added interest by including six hundred years of cod recipes, putting one at the beginning of every chapter and a section at the end of the book. A main strength of the book was that it covered a significant amount of history in very few pages. The only weakness of the book was that there were no endnotes or footnotes which left me unable to easily find the origin or support of information presented. My overall evaluation of this book is that is was very informative while still being enjoyable to read. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in natural history, ecology, fish, or conservation.



3. Mark Kurlansky has created a truly enjoyable, historical narrative of a fish that has influenced many aspects of world history. Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World, is a book that any food connoisseur, history buff, fisherman, or someone simply interested in fish, will appreciate.
   
   The book's main strength is the integration of facets of history to support the idea of cod's impact on the world. Within are discussed the influences of cod on wars, discovery, settlement, technology, gastronomy, and the effects of the dwindling cod stock.
   
   The tragic story epitomized by cod is masterfully told by Kurlansky. Until recently, the mindset of society made it impossible to fathom that such a prolific organism could ever be depleted. The book exposes a poignant message about the increasing problem of overexploitation of resources, which I believe was the author's inspiration.
   
   The only weakness of Cod is that there is so much history included in this relatively small book that it is somewhat overwhelming. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and have recommended it to others. After digesting Cod, one realizes that the codfish not only influenced diets and economies, but helped steer the course of world history.



4. Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World is a fascinating picture of the influence that cod have had on civilization and that civilization has had on cod. From the beginnings with Basque fishermen producing salt cod, through the Cod Wars between England and Iceland, and including the moratorium on cod fishing off of Canada this excellent novel gives a historically accurate look at the world market, politics, and conservation efforts. The fact that overfishing has destroyed what once seemed a limitless resource is an abrupt awakening to irresponsible human behaviors and their true effects on nature and on the future. Kurlansky expertly gives a historically, environmentally, biologically, economically, and politically correct, yet easy to read, account of the history of cod fishing. This is an excellent book for anyone interested in any of the aforementioned fields, particularly those with an interest in conservation. I highly recommend this book for the enjoyable and educational experience it provides.



5. Cod is an engaging history of the fish that changed the world. As an eye opening adventure, cod takes the reader from low impact commercial fishing of ancient Europe to the destructive power of modern fisheries. Mark Kurlansky shows his creativity and skill as he brings to focus the plight of cod. The author further illustrates the ability of super consumers to deplete a previously perceived inexhaustible cod population. In this biography is shown the effect cod fishing has had on individual lives, nations and the world. The book keeps the reader thirsting for more. The main weakness of this book would be the abrupt ending to the enchanting tale. Cod is for historians and scientists alike. Fishermen and those that enjoy sea food will appreciate this book. Cod is a book that should be read and reread by everyone as a reminder of mankind's dependence upon and responsibility to conserve earth's diminishing supply of natural resources.

5 comments about Gandhi An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments With Truth.

1. I enjoyed this book. I wish this book was written sometime after India's independence as more important events unfolded later. I also think that the reader needs background on India and its culture to understand some chapters. Overall, a good one!



2. This book, the autobiography of Mohandas k. Gandhi, the father of modern India, is a must read. if you have any interest in Gandhi, non violence or just want a glimpse into the life of a spiritually guided person, then this book if a must read.



3. After hearing Mahatma Gandhi's grandson speak at University of Florida, this book was especially meaningful. If only all our world leaders would employ his wisdom!



4. Gandhi An Autobiography: The Story of my Experiments with Truth, is a culmination of the life of one of the most famous peaceful revolutionaries and supporters of non-violence. The book is basically an entire list of the life experiences of Gandhi, all of which prove to contribute to his spiritual growth, and in turn, each go to influence his way of thinking. Gandhi's autobiography reveals a vast array of experiments he performed throughout his life, leading to his praise of truth as the ultimate underlying principal, contributing to his adaptation of celibacy (brahmacharya), adherence to fasting, and development of Satyagraha: his concept of non-violent firmness.
   Gandhi's autobiography stretches back to his youth in exploring all of his life experiences. Gandhi's inclusion of all aspects of his life in his autobiography illustrates the idea that each and every experience becomes an influence; which, in Gandhi's case, means influences leading to the development of a concept of non-violence to spear-head the Indian journey for Independence.
   The strength in Gandhi's autobiography lies in his adherence to truth even as he tells his life story. Gandhi hides nothing, allowing this display of raw truth to help readers examine Gandhi's uncensored ideas and thoughts, making it possible to understand what Gandhi was thinking in even some of the most significant moments in his life.
   The main weakness in Gandhi's autobiography, however, is his obvious omission of information where the information is most definitely needed. In order to fully understand a large number of chapters, an understanding of India and its culture is necessary, but not provided. Gandhi also seems to assume that readers have knowledge of the political situation in India, so if you lack any historical knowledge, you will find yourself somewhat confused. Because Gandhi's autobiography radiates the idea that every experience is an influence for the person he eventual becomes, it obviously is a challenge to include every experience and spend an adequate amount of time discussing them. But his choice to omit quite a few particularly significant experiences will not go unnoticed. He does not, for example, spend any time describing his experiments in South Africa, and instead instructs readers to consult other works. Lack of background information regarding people who Gandhi introduces and lack of historical information on the movements he involves himself in, may lead to an incomplete illustration of Gandhi's life.
   At the conclusion of Gandhi An Autobiography: The Story of my Experiments with Truth, you are left with the desire to take a trip to the library, because you have surely reached the conclusion that there is much more to know about the teacher and leader who made the world aware of India's struggle for independence. The autobiography gives you an in-depth look into the mind of one of the most influential non-violent role models that the world has seen, with a detailed understanding of the steps necessary to try to follow in Gandhi's footsteps if you so desire. Gandhi's autobiography leaves a lot out, but it also leaves you with a strong desire to find out more.



5. This is easily the most powerful book I have ever read. Gandhi does a great job of telling the story in his life in such a way that not only tells a story, but teaches lessons that go along with it. The title explains a lot, considering that Gandhi considered his entire life to be an expirement with the truth.
   
   He is very open about the mistakes that were made (such as his marraige and bigotry at an incredibly young age) and details how he took those mistakes to make his life as consistently honest as possible. The way he organized people to non-violence in two terrible situations in Africa and India are legendary, but the way he brings it home to the individual is under-rated, to say the least.
   
   Gandhi teaches that it doesn't take an army to learn the truth, nor does it take an army to become a part of that truth. His story explains that an individual dedicated to the empowerment of honesty and love can overcome any violence or hatred that can exist. It is within this context that one can use this book to change themselves.
   
   These ideas used in an individual's every day life will lead to the understanding that love is more powerful than hatred, and honesty more powerful than lies. His examples of these ideas and proof that they are true is the most inspiring part of this book.
   
   Even for those of us not religious (like myself) his use of religion is also motivating. He teaches lessons from religions and explains how to use this understanding as a way to love people of opposite religions rather than fighting them.
   
   I will leave the indivudal stories to Gandhi himself, but his life is something everyone in the world would benefit from knowing.

5 comments about Sitting Bull.

1. This was an excellent book. Hard to put down. Beautifully written and great photos. Wonderful, accurate history.



2. Purchased this for my husband who is Lakota. It is a lengthy book, but very interesting and well written.



3. I bought this book for my brother-in-law for his birthday. It was the perfect gift for him and his interest in Native Americans. Great buy.



4. Just finished reading "Sitting Bull." Enjoyed it very, very much. There are wonderful photos and maps, one including good old Highmore, SD. The book is a dramatic and scholarly accomplishment. Professor Yellowtail's glowing endorsement must feel like a crowning feather. Has he given the author an Indian name?!
   I was surprised to learn that Sitting Bull was only with Bill Cody's Wild West in 1885 and never went to Europe, never performed for Queen Victoria. As the book points out, it was his deaf stepson, later known as John Sitting Bull, who toured Europe with Cody's Wild West during a few years after the turn of the century. Indeed, the popular confusion about this persists and resurfaced the other day at lunch with our tennis players. How nice to have it right!



5. SITTING BULL
   Bill Yenne
   
   Sitting Bull by Bill Yenne is an interesting read. Yenne utilizes Stanley Vestal, Jerome Stillson of the New York Herald, Sitting Bull's Hieroglyphic Autobiography, and an assortment of first hand accounts to present this historic American Indian. For all of us "Custer People", there is a chapter on the Little Bighorn Battle in which Yenne writes "Custer probably feared that if he delayed his attack for another twenty-four hours - as he planned - then Gibbon would be a day closer and Custer would have to share this victory with him". There is an argument which establishes a good book. The book is filled with informative and controversial quotes. Yenne frequently dwells on Washington's government officials arguing over the necessary actions to solve their Indian dilemma. Politicians and red tape do not make a good western adventure, unfortunately that was their role in the history of the American West. I want to be with Custer out on the plains or in an Indian camp, not in an office in Washington.
   Overall, the book was very good. Even the cover with Sitting Bull's picture and autograph is notable.

5 comments about The Children of Henry VIII.

1. As usual Alison Weir has written a great non-fiction. The research that she does makes her my number one author.



2. From the moment I picked up this book, I got glued. I have never read anything about Henry or his children in the past. I had been wanting to read about Elizabeth but it took awhile for me to find the right book. I read many reviews on the books written about her and based on those reviews, Alison Weir was the biographer I chose. Many have commented how she has put this book and the book on Elizabeths adult life together very well. And she has by my opinion. I'm still reading the book and look forward to reading about Elizabeth's adulthood.



3. Once again (I bought three books related with Henry VIII) the contents were the expected, the conditions in wich I received the book were perfect, and in a very reasonable lapse of time



4. The author demonstrates meticulous research in this book. This is the fourth of her books I have read and find her style clear,dull and somewhat easier to read than the Congrsssional Record.If you are seeking an accurate history with overmuch detail, Alison Weir is the author for you. I prefer a history book with a theme which holds my attention and doesn't wander into taxing paragraphs of detail,dull detail.



5. This was a very well written and entertaining book. It was not dry and historical. I was very engrossed in it and found it a very good read if you are interested in Tudor history. I am glad she she spent time on Mary Tudor, because not as much is written about her or her brother as Elizabeth. I found this to be a very good book.

5 comments about Mao: The Unknown Story.

1. This is my third biography off Mao this summer, following Lucian Pye's Mao: The Man in the Leader, and Li Zhisui's portrait of Mao based on his time as the Great Helmsman's personal physician. And I'vee recently read Walter Laquer's Staklain: The Glasnost Revelations, and Dmitri Volkogonov's biography of Lenin using formerly secret Soviet archival materials. This book is in their tradition of making available invaluable new findings that give new insights into their subject.
   
   This book, based on interviews and research into state archives in China, Russia, and elsewhere, is very similar to the latter two. Previously unavailable material is presented which places a new light on the subject. Isn't this the kind of thing we look for in history? The style may not be for everyone, but no one reads history for style, so such criticisms entirely miss the mark, and border on ad hominem arguments.
   
   The funny thing is, some people feel compelled to advocate for Mao. Who can imagine why? Does Stalin still have his apologists, as he did in America in the 30s and later? Does Kim Il Sung still have votaries? Claiming that Mao unified China (and why is this good for the rest of the world?) as though this somehow justified the world's greatest starvation (the laughable Great Leap Forward) is fallacious. So what romantic dreams continues to impel Mao's defenders?
   
   This book gives great insight into Mao's background, his beginnings, his early manipulations of others, and his consistent (and quite imaginative!) scheming to get control of the party. His ingenuity at destroying and controlling others is remarkable! His provocations of Chiang kai-shek, trying to provoke civil war to compel Soviet assistance are quite creative as well. Most interesting to me has been the deconstruction of the culture of Yenan, where Mao et al invented Chinese totalitarianism. Tragically, he turned against everyone who was close to him, and inevitably, this led to his disgusting episodes of self-pity later in life.
   
   Those who fault this book should go the historian's route, and look at the same evidence and draw their own conclusions from it. Mao's been dead for 30+ years. Get over it, and get informed. It would be good to see more biographies of Mao. After all, there is a cottage industry on Hitler biographies, and Mao Tse-tung is a subject to (at a minimum) rival him in complexity and influence.



2. Hitler, Stalin, Mao--of the three towering totalitarian dictators of the 20th century, Mao Tse Tung has always been considered the most benign. Darling of western leftists, Warholian pop icon, the "people's" chairman, Mao has long been a symbol for many who had absolutely no idea of the reality he represented.
   
   In *Mao: the Unknown Story,* authors Chang and Halliday seek to correct the misperception. They portray Mao as a cold, cruel, asocial nihilist who believed in nothing--nothing, that is, except for Mao. Communism was merely a vehicle to achieving the power and privilege that Mao sought in what he considered a strictly material existence--the point of which was to personally appropriate as much material as possible. "When a man is dead," Mao reasoned, "what does he care about his reputation?"
   
   So he'd hardly care about the conclusions Chang and Halliday advance in this scathing biography. The authors seem determined to re-establish the balance thrown off by decades of ignorance, silence, and oppression--all of which have contributed to a pseudo-heroic view of Mao. Chang and Halliday's evident "agenda" unfortunately give their book a less than objective feel--as if they felt it necessary to pile upon Mao as much dirt as possible. Mao, in these authors view, does absolutely nothing right, or for any good reason, and is virtually void of any decent motivation whatsoever. Their account is a bit like watching a prosecuting attorney giving an entirely one-sided and negative interpretation to the evidence with the sole intention of convicting the accused. There's hardly any doubt that Mao is guilty--but one can't help but feel that he's got at least a few arguments to make in his defense.
   
   Mao's improbable rise to power makes for fascinating reading. He basically became a communist because as a young schoolteacher the Party would pay him a stipend to recruit members. Mao seems to have gone about this task a lot like an un-enterprising girl scout might sell cookies--by signing up members of his family to be communists but almost no one else! From there Mao rose through the ranks primarily by doing the opposite of whatever he was ordered or agreed previously to do. His favorite modus operandi seemed to be one of a number of variations of "I didn't get that memo." Time and time again Mao claimed that messages were lost, orders were misunderstood, phone calls disconnected. He simply "disappeared" whenever it was convenient, and then popped up again after whatever self-serving antic had become a fait accompli.
   
   The famous Long March? -it was all a tragic sham, according to the authors, in which Mao led his followers on a wild goose chase like a crafty Moses who knew very well where he was supposed to be going but purposely took the longest most disastrous route possible to eliminate his competition and consolidate his own power. He was going to make sure that when he entered the Promised Land it would be as king. For Mao, 90% of the population was unnecessary, expendable, a point he made time and again when discussing the perfectly--in his view--option of all-out nuclear war.
   
   From Mao's birth to his wretched death of Lou Gehrig's disease, it's all here--the purges and great leaps, the civil wars and cultural wars, the super-secret nuclear weapons programs and politically-induced famines, the Nixon/Kissinger visits on-stage and behind-the-scenes--and all of it recounted in a briskly paced, mesmerizing, almost novelistic narrative.
   
   While it often seems one-sided and as if the authors, especially Ms. Chang, have a personal ax to grind with the chairman, *Mao* must nonetheless be considered essential reading at this point in understanding the rise and regime of Mao Tse Tung. Other more balanced books will probably pop up in its wake, but for now this one establishes an important and much-needed corrective to the popular view of a dictator all too often regarded as one of the champions of humanity's underdogs.



3. You want to know the truth about Mao? This is your book! Mao was a sociopath and a monster.



4. I must say that I was eager to begin reading this widely appreciated biography. Unfortunately, I was turned off by Mao's self indulgent character. Perhaps one day I will pick it up again, but I didn't want to waste a day of my summer vacation by reading about someone I wouldn't care to meet.



5. I must admit, that this is my first biography of Mao, actually my first book on Chinese history; while I have been to China at least 25 times.
   
   Not being a professor of history, I cannot judge the truth of the book, but it certainly seems EXTREMELY well researched. There is no doubt, that the authors despise Mao, they make no apologies about it.
   
   After a bit of a slow start (reading the "first few dozen pages" is not enough!), the book does get very interesting and very scary.
   I read biographies of Stalin and of course (being a German) of Hitler. If only 20% of this book is true, both Hitler and Stalin were "harmless" compared to Mao.
   One difference between Mao and Hitler / Stalin seems Mao's total lack of purpose, other than his personal power.
   
   The authors do not mention even one good thing about Mao. It is inconceivable to me, that Mao was ONLY bad.....even Hitler built the famous German autobahns. This is the main point against this book.
   
   After having read biographies of Hitler, Stalin and Mao, it is scary, how easy ruthless people can deceive their fellow country men.
   ( While I am certainly NOT putting Mr. George W. Bush ANYWHREE close to these villains, it is telling, how easily he could get things like Guantanamo Bay and the Patriot's Act passed.......)

1 comments about Giordano Bruno: Philosopher/Heretic.

1. Here Ingrid Rowland continues to demonstrate her profound mastery of the society and space of sixteenth-century Rome. Unlike most other accounts, Rowland emphasizes Bruno's role as a writer and shows that his fiery death at the stake in the Campo de' Fiori provoked change in the policy of the Roman Inquisition's treatment of intellectuals. I admire most of all Rowland's ability to bring forth vivid details from Bruno's beginnings in Naples, from his travels through France, England and even to the Frankfurt book fair, and from his obstinate conclusions both religious and scientific. She does much to humanize both Bruno and his chief prosecutor, Cardinal Bellarmine, and in the end suggests how science and religion soon found that they belong together rather than in conflict. This bright and polished biography does much to put the imagination of Bruno and his moving historical context in this reader's mind.

4 comments about Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, Written by Himself (The Bedford Series in History and Culture).

1. The honesty with which this is written is amazing. I was glued to it from page one. I felt disgusted by the human race, saddened by his traumas and guilty just for being white. I think this needs to be read more. Especially in schools. Why isn't it???



2. I read this book as part of a summer assignment entering into the 11th grade in addition to "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" by Harriet Jacobs. Both are great pieces of African-American historical literature and well worth the read. I couldn't read this book all in one sitting, due to the need to fight the urge to throw up. He detailed descriptions of physical, psycological, and emotional abuse are enough to sicken any one and make you disgusted with the human race.



3. Frederick Douglass is the complete ressurection of the saying, "Knowledge is Power." With the more information he aquired as a slave the more he lusted for freedom. He also provides an excellent example of what black people in this country could do for themselves, interms of their economical status. Looking further, Douglass loved to think and imagine the endless possiblities, while he was still in bondage physically. When he began to read and understand the "Hypocrasy" that this country was based on, using christianity as it main tool, and what every human should be allowed by right, this released his psychological enslavement. If blacks throughout this country could read and understand there were blacks that went through worse situatians and overcame them, and the current situation that destroy the black communities were created for them to fail, just like slavery, many would wake up and take on the mask of Douglass. The mask that says, "regardless of class, race, or creed, this world was created for everyone to enjoy including me."



4. In the classic slave narrative genre, Frederick Douglass' narrative of his life brings to life, in all its horrors, American slave society, and one slave's life-long protest against it.
   
   When we read Frederick Douglass in his own words, he is less the radical and more the reformer than we've been led to believe. He is also more the Christian statesmen and less the Christianity critic than we might imagine. Douglass' oft quoted comments about Christianity had much more to do with a righteous critique of distorted Christian living practiced by white masters than with any critique of Christianity or of Christ. In reality, Douglass, like so many enslaved African Americans before and after him, saw in Jesus a Savior they could identify with--a suffering Savior.
   
   Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction , Soul Physicians, and Spiritual Friends.

5 comments about Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage.

1. This book was exactly what I wanted and it arrived in great shape. The service was excellent; thank you!



2. The extraordinary record of Ernest Shackleton and his company of the "Endurance". They set out for the South Pole, but their shp was caught in pack ice, and eventually destroyed. Read how Shacckleton and a few members of his crew set out in one of the ship's boats to find rescue for the remaining men. Courage and loyalty in the extreme.



3. The true story of Shackleton's exploration is an amazing testament into the power of strong leadership. Shackleton's leadership skills helped the entire crew to overcome seemingly impossible circumstances to achieve the end goal. This book chronicles a life lesson for all of us to know and understand. Although parts of it are hard for the non-seaworthy to understand, the book is still a good read. I found it hard to put down.



4. This account of Shackelton's expedition to Antarctic is a read like no other. I could not put this book down,nor could I believe the constitution each person on the crew had to continue forth under such insurmountable odds. The author, Lansing has provided a compelling book. His research of events are smoothly seamed together captivating the reader. Even if ones interest usually doesn't lean toward the topic of explorer, I promise you this book will consume you. Its message is especially good for any of us who may be feeling "overwhelmed" by what our lives are tossing our way... you will be giving thanks at the comforts you have by comparison to this expeditions minimal articles to provide their continued existence. As another reviewer mentioned, buy the hard or soft-cover not paperback version as these include all of Hurley's photographs which are essential to this book-seeing is believing and you won't believe what this photographer captured. Enjoy, you will share the events of this book over and over with many.



5. Aptly named, this is a stunning story of courage, strength and perseverance. Good medicine for a nation of whiners.