1 comments about Against the Pollution of the I: Selected Writings of Jacques Lusseyran.

1. Jacques Lusseyran writes with a love that you can feel permeating you as you read his words. My favorite essay in this collection of 6 was "Jeremy," the story of a blue collar saint in Buchenwald. I found myself crying and feeling wonderful at the same time. This writing defies description.

2 comments about The Confederate State of Richmond: A Biography of the Capital.

1. I set off for a trip to Richmond, VA last year confident that I could pick up a copy of this useful little book while there.

   I was astonished to find that I couldn't buy a copy in any of the downtown bookstores or museum shops. How I would have loved to have had this history and guide with me to make me fully aware of how each place I visited was connected to some stirring or painful act of our great national tragedy.

   This book is a fine companion piece to Margaret Leech's wonderful "Reveille in Washington".

   Emory Thompson has written a remarkably interesting and able history and one that no visitor to Richmond should be without.




2. Eminent Civil War historian Emory Thomas has another winner with this, his first book. I previously read Thomas' book, The Confederate Nation, which, although written in the late 1970s, is still the best work on the history of the Confederacy's non-military side. This book is just as good and is one of the best of a growing list of works on Richmond. Thomas, a native of the city, writes the book in such a way that you feel like you are there in the city. He starts off with a brief sketch of the city and notes that Richmond had often led in revolutionary times. He quickly jumps to the war years and does a great job of using a variety of sources such as newspapers, diaries, journals, memoirs, secondary sources, congressional records, and the minutes of the city council to paint a portrait of the capital city. The chapters fly by in this very readable book. A very interesting book to read, easy to read, and as entertaining as history gets. Along with Ernest Fergusun's Ashes of Glory, the best book on wartime Richmond during the Civil War.

No comments about Brave Men in Desperate Times: The Lives of Civil War Soldiers.

1 comments about The Life of Andrew Jackson/3 Volumes in 1.

1. Remini's text provides the reader with an excellent synopsis of the life and times of Old Hickory while condensing three volumes into one. While the author at times defends the General loyally, Remini attempts to provide details of both Andrew Jackson's many triumphs and pitfalls. for someone trying to become acquainted with this president or Jacksonian American, this is an excellent text. It provides narrative details of the facts and the context surrounding President Jackson, but it is also highly readable. All in all, I would recomend the text highly.

5 comments about Behind Rebel Lines: The Incredible Story of Emma Edmonds, Civil War Spy (An Odyssey/Great Episodes Book).

1. Behind the Lines is an adaptation of the Emma Edmonds story for young adults. Emma Edmonds was a native of Saint John New Brunswick, Canada who left for the United States several years prior to the war. She eventually found her way to Michigan where, following the outbreak of war, she under the alias Franklin Thompson enlisted with the 2nd Michigan Infantry. She served with the unit as an orderly for about a year before she volunteered herself as a spy, and during the course of the next year went on eleven assignments. Not only were her spying activities dangerous, but she always had to remain vigilant among her comrades as well, lest her identity be discovered. This is a very interesting and entertaining bit of history, one that is sure to interest even some of those who insist that history is "bo-ring".



2. My grandma forced me to read "Behind Rebel Lines". But it turned out to be an awsome and interesting book!



3. I didn't really like this book. I didn't really like the author's writing style, it was a little hard to understand and follow. The subject wasn't very interesting to me. I think that it would have been hard to try to re-create a story about the civil war. I think that the author did good on that.
   
   I wouldn't really recommend this book unless you are interested in things about the army. I think that it was cool though that a woman would take that kind of risk just to be in combat. Also it was cool that she was that passionate about serving her country.



4. Emma Edmonds is a young girl from Canada, living in the North during the Civil War. She's always been outgoing and bold- never able to stay in one place at a time. So when she feels a calling to join the Union army, she does what any rebellious girl would do- cuts her hair, gets the uniform, and joins up. At first she's awkward and unsure- terrified that she'll be discovered. She sees the whole thing as a big adventure-that is, until an old love interest of hers is killed in the war. She decides to really take a stand and looks at the war in a whole different way. She fights with all her power-until she gets word that a Union spy was recently killed by the Confederates. She quickly lands the job of replacement. She goes across the rebel lines, a different disguise each time, and collects useful information which helped to save many battles.
   Emma Edmonds, whom I had never heard of before reading the book, is a facinating character. How she summoned the courage to join the army I will never know. A very good book, but a little slow in places.



5. Disguised as a union soldier, Emma would risk her life for her country. Emma Edmonds was born in Saint John, Canada in 1840. When she was sixteen years old she ran away to the United States. When she was twenty one, President Lincoln made a request for seventy five thousand men to volunteer for the Army. She decided that she wanted to be a field nurse for the Union Army but those jobs were so dangerous that they were only given to men. So she cut her hair short, dressed up like a man, and enlisted under the name Franklin Thompson. Emma was assigned to the Second Regiment of Michigan Volunteers. The next day she and all the others in her Regiment were off to training camp. Upset at hearing the news that one of her friends had died in the war, Emma went to go see a woman named Mrs. Butler who lived on the camp with the soldiers. Emma started talking and she ended up telling her secret identity. After that day, Mrs. Butler became Emma's closest friend and the only one who new here secret. One day news came to the camp that a Union spy had been killed at a rebel camp. Now they needed a new spy and Emma volunteered. So she disguised herself as a black slave named Cuff. She snuck onto a rebel camp to gather any valuable information. She found out how many weapons they had, where people were hiding, anything that would help the union defeat the rebels. Once she had gathered enough information, she snuck back to the Union camp. With this information, the union began to fight. Emma became very busy in the hospital as more and more got injured. As the union reached a river, they had to stop and make a bridge across it which would take weeks. The Union army didn't have enough information to make an attack. It was time for Emma to become a spy again. This time she dressed up as a middle aged peddler woman. In this disguise she had no trouble at all getting into the camp and she was allowed to walk around freely. She found out a lot of useful information including the fact that the rebels had an ambush waiting for the union troops. She then rode away on a one of the rebel's horses. They were so impressed with Emma's work that they made her a messenger during all the fighting. For many months Emma was sent off on spy missions and was successful on all of them. Emma returned to being a nurse as the war went on. She was then struck with malaria. She couldn't go to the hospital she worked at because then they would find out she was a girl. So she decided to leave, get the help she needed and then come back. So she left and checked herself into a hospital. Once she got her malaria under control, she saw a union poster in a window. It said that Franklin Thompson was absent without leave. He was known as a deserter. Emma was upset but she continued being a nurse under her rightful name. Later on, after she was married she petitioned the war department to review her case. She had her military rights restored and received and honorable discharge. Other troops were surprised to find out that their old friend Frank Thompson was actually Emma Edmonds. Emma lived in La Porte until her death in 1898. This is a good book full of adventure and suspense.
   
   I thought it was cool how Emma was able to pull off so many disguises. Emma's biggest disguise was being a man. She was able to fool everyone, even her fellow soldiers who she became friends with, that she was a guy. She pulled it off without anyone ever asking questions. Also, there was her favorite disguise, the black slave named Cuff. She was again pretending to be a guy and she was able to come up with something to make her skin look dark. She was able to fool everyone in the rebel camp. Another disguise was as a peddler woman. Even though she was dressed up as a girl, no one ever thought that she actually looked like a real girl. She was even able to fool them then.
   
   Emma was brave and took many risks during her life. One big risk was just signing up. She could have gotten into a lot of trouble if they found out that she was lying and was a girl. And being in the middle of a war is dangerous too. Another risk was when Emma disguised herself as Mr. Mayberry. She was supposed to lead a man, who was leaking union information to the rebels, into a union ambush. If anything went wrong she could've ended up dead and no one would have known. Also, when she was dressed up as a black slave woman, she could have gotten killed. She found secret rebel documents and was going to take them back to her camp. But if she was caught with them they probably would have killed her.
   
   When ever Emma made a decision she stuck to it and didn't turn back. For example, when she decided to run away. She was only sixteen and was afraid of her dad. But she set her fears aside and made the decision to leave and she was happy about it. Another example is when she decided to volunteer for the Army. She was scared and worried that they wouldn't believe her disguise. But she made her decision and wasn't going to second guess herself. Also, when she wanted to become a spy. It was dangerous but she wanted to do it anyway. And even after Mrs. Butler tried and tried to convince her not to do it, Emma stuck to her decision.
   
   This is a great book that will make you not want to put it down. I would recommend it to most people who like biographies and adventure story. This book may not interest everyone but overall it was good.
   
   C. Chapman

1 comments about An Artilleryman's War: Gus Dey and the 2nd United States Artillery.

1. This is another welcome addition to the history of those men who are generally forgotten but have played a major part in the conflict. In particular, the difference between the treatment of officers and the rest of the army is striking in the Official Records. It is therefore heartning to find works that tell the stories of these soldiers and NCOs.

   On a personal level, it was particularly interesting for me as my great-grandfather served with Gus Dey for many years. I found it wonderful that Peter Cavanagh has at last been remembered for his contribution to this conflict.

   I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

No comments about Lights and Shadows of Army Life: From Bull Run to Bentonville.

No comments about Voices From the Civil War - Confederate Generals (Voices From the Civil War).

5 comments about Self-Portrait of a Hero: From the Letters of Jonathan Netanyahu, 1963-1976.

1. This book gives the reader a great insight into life in the Israeli army from the inside. Johnathon Netanyahu is a real hero, not a plastic hollywood screen actor. A man of great intelligence (top 1% at Harvard), Johnathon faces not only life and death through his exploits in the Israeli army, but also life's day to day problems we all face.

   A man cut down in his prime doing what he kows best, saving others was his mission in life. He questioned what he was doing, what Israel was doing, and what the future would bring.

   Johnathon unwittingly wrote this book - not knowing that his personal letters would become the basis for this book.

   I read this book over 5 years ago, and it is testament to the power Johnathon held that I can still recall these things from memory.

   Top notch. Get it and you won't be able to put it down.




2. having read this book many times over and will continue to read it again and again and discovering more & more about a national hero



3. One plausible reason for the serious level of Jew-hatred in anti-
   Israel Arab countries(see for example,Palestinianmediawatch.com),is because if some of their
   troops were aware of who they were messing with,they would think at least twice about fighting the Jewish army and there can be no more powerful document of the Israeli army they are fighting-rather than the Israeli army,they've demonized than 'Self-Portrait'. Yoni's letters to his family-from 1963-1976-he wrote his last one in the book to his girlfriend on June 29,five days before the July Fourth Entebbe raid which he led -and for which he died at 30- the only Israeli military victim.General Shlomo Gazit had this to say following the Entebbe operation(p.297-298)"...The IDF operation at Entebbe was a brilliant military victory,reflecting imagination,daring,courage and professional skill of the highest quality anywhere in the world.The success of the main objective-storming the terminal building,wiping out the captors and guards and speedily liberating the hostages so that nearly all of them remained unharmed-this success must be credited in decisive measure to the commander of the force who planned,prepared and rehearsed the breakthrough-that is ,to the credit of Yoni.Perhaps it may be said paradoxically that precisely the success of the operation after Yoni was hit and did not live to see its extraordinary conclusion testifies,more than anything else,to the extent to which he prepared the force for its mission,to its precise and meticulous execution,so that it could be completed flawlessly even without its commander..It is of course, difficult to know how Yoni would have continued and what height he would have reached in whatever course he would have followed-military or academic.But whatever that course might have been,we have all lost one of the most wonderful,promising and outstanding young men of Israel."



4. "...I don't think he wore his rank insignia...word spread our commanding officer had arrived...I don't remember what he said, but I remember the spirit...He was not merely a commanding officer but an educator-a great educator I believe".
   
   My favorite accounts of his bravery under fire are the ones listed in the last chapter "From the Yom Kippur War to operation Jonathan (1973-1976)".
   
   Another soldier recalled the first contact with the enemy on the Golan Heights in October 1973 on Yom Kippur:
   
   "We were standing on the road looking for the enemy when suddenly heavy fire was opened on us, killing one of our officers...I was very frightened. What I saw then was a picture I'll remember all my life: suddenly I saw Yoni stand up quite calmly, as if nothing had happened...he signaled to the men to get up...he began to go forward as if it were a firing exercise...he walked upright giving orders...I remember my thoughts then as his soldier: Hell, if he can do it, so can I!"
   
   I love this account given by his second-in-command in 1973 and his deputy at Entebbe airport in Uganda:
   
   "Yoni conducted a battle the likes of which I've not come across even in the books...the Syrians were firing at us...I shouted to Yoni to cover us...but before I could move, Yoni had taken his men and in a matter of seconds stormed the place...And the picture I always remember is that of Yoni running ahead of 8 men and destroying the enemy force...This was a classic example of leadership under fire with relatively small losses."
   
   Reading this for me was a real treat, stumbled upon this reading an Amazon friend's review. Would like for my nephews to read this. His life and attitude are truly inspirational, a great role model for youth. Hard to imagine in America the kinds of hardships and true tests of courage that daily meet these young men in Israel.
   
   Not all of his letters are about fighting. The letters reveal the life and thoughts of an outstanding Israeli boy from his teen years up to the last few days of his life 30 years ago (+7 days to be exact).
   
   I was laughing out loud in the car with family when I read what he wrote to his fiancee before the outbreak of the 6 day war in 1967. Israeli soldiers it seems like to tell jokes before the campfire to calm nerves. The joke goes like this:
   
   "An Englishman, an American and an Israeli were caught by a tribe of cannibals in Africa. When they were already in the pot, each of them was allowed a last wish. The Englishman asked for a whiskey and pipe and got it. The American, for a steak, and got it. The Israeli asked the chief for a good kick in the backside. At first the chief refused, but...finally did it. At once the Israeli pulled out a gun and shot all the cannibals...(they) asked him..."why didn't you kill them sooner?" "Are you crazy," answered the Israeli, "and have the U.N. call me an aggressor?"!
   
   He evidently wrote very little about his military activities as I've heard the wisest soldiers do. You simply don't say a word. And under such intense pressure day by day, an intense faith is surely required.
   
   For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion...He shall set me upon a rock. Psalm of David 27:5



5. I first read this collection of letters when I was 18 years old and was totally entranced by Yoni's style, the imagery he evoked, and his sense of connection with the vast memory of the Jewish people--all in translation from Hebrew to English, with little or none of the literary impact lost. He wrote of the beauty and wonder of Israel, of the day-to-day struggle to defend his country, and of his own hopes and doubts and dreams, and he did so in a way that binds you to him. He loves Israel intensely, believes passionately in the idea of Israel, yet he is also keenly aware of Israel's challenges, not only from outside but from within. Yoni befriends you and becomes part of you in these letters. In the past several years, I finally made it to Israel and volunteered with the Israel Defense Force and brought "Self-Portrait" with me, walking the same streets, climbing the same hills, even helping out at one of the bases where Yoni was stationed. From experience, I can wholeheartedly recommend this book to you, for it is real and it is moving and it will help you to comprehend the wonder of Israel.

No comments about High Seas Confederate: The Life and Times of John Newland Maffitt (Studies in Maritime History).