1 comments about The Autobiography of General Ulysses S Grant: Memoirs of the Civil War.

1. General Grant's firsthand accounts of the campaigns that won the Civil War. Grant discusses his strategy and tactics, accompanied by maps and detailed descriptions of his actions. An indispensable source for anyone who is interested in the history of the Civil War.

5 comments about Prisoner of War: Six Years in Hanoi.

1. Capt. McGrath just came to the Air Force Academy for a question and answer session for us cadets. If you have any interest in knowing what true endurance and pain are, or you want to know what war is really like, I advise you to read this book and see the movie Return With Honor.



2. I have read this book many times and each time I get chills at the thought that a human being suffered through this. Mike McGrath and the other POW's are our nations guardians of liberty and freedom. There time spent in the cells in Hanoi stand as a testament to the human will. They emerged bruised and battered but they returned with Honor.



3. If you are looking to read, forget this one. 100 pages( 50 of which illustrations) of under sized print, not to mention its inordane shape left this book without a chance from the moment I opened it...



4. Capt McGrath captures the essence of human depravity in a manner that makes humanity ashamed of its cruelty and proud of its resilience. A book such as this is a great thing to have on one's desk to look at when times get tough - a quick look at it will serve as a definitive reminder of how good one really has it! I have the utmost respect for Capt McGrath and his fellow POWs who served their country honorably and admirably. If you want further insight into Capt McGrath and his fellow POW's plight, I HIGHLY recommend the documentary "The American Experience - Return With Honor."



5. I purchased this book from the author when he was a Navy commander and the commander of VA-97. He was my squadron commander for a West Pac cruise on the USS Enterprise in 1978. Although I was only an ordnance petty officer, he treated all of his men with the greatest respect. I was touched by his story and eventually became an Air Force officer myself and then a writer. The author sketches are just as dramatic as the writing. One can imagine but never really understand the torture he and many others endured.

5 comments about Wounded Soldier, Healing Warrior: A Personal Story of a Vietnam Veteran Who Lost his Legs but Found His Soul.

1. Allen Clark's book is a very poignant and compelling recounting of an American patriot's answering his country's call to arms. Set during the timultuous 60's when America was mired in those unpopular and far-off jungles and ricepaddies known as Vietnam, "Wounded Soldier, Healing Warrior" tells the story of a scrapy Texas kid who yearned to get into the Military Academy at West Point, how he graduated and became an elite Combat Special Forces Officer and then volunteered to go into battle overseas; how he was wounded and knocked down by the enemy and then how he was picked back up and learned to walk yet once again via the Guiding Hand of GOD. This is indeed a timeless story of one soldier's ability to triumph and overcome some of the most haunting and hurtful exeriences of war; A war fought first against the enemy without and then fought again against the enemy within. As a Vietnam veteran who knows both Allen Clark and some of the soldiers mentioned herein, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who may need to encounter firsthand the very essence of HOPE, COURAGE, FAITH and LOVE.



2. Allen's book tells the story of a remarkable journey taken by an even more remarkable man. In the face of adversity, he summons the courage to face each situation head on, learns from it, strengthens his faith, and moves on to the next challenge. I highly recommend this book.



3. I read this book at a very important time in my life, when I needed to learn from a man of courage, faith, and selflessness. Allen Clark is all that, and this book moved me greatly. His open heart, quick wit, and trust in the Lord will inspire all who read it. It's not a book about Vietnam. It's a book about a man's journey through life under extraordinary circumstances who is lifted up by his faith and becomes a disciple we should all emulate.



4. I've had the privilege of knowing Allen and his family for some years. While I knew the stories behind his long and fruitful journey, in reading this book, I was still moved by the intensity of the pain that he met head on with steady determination. His testiment to Christ is clear. For those who will come to know him through this wondrerful book, his capacity to place himself in others' thoughts, sentiments and needs is also clear. So too is his wit throughout it all. Read this book for the journey to the sure, certain peace that we all seek. While his journey is unique, as is all of ours, his approach and commitment to the journey through his embrace of God and fellow man is universal. Allen's story is for the ages.



5. While the loss of both legs gets your attention, the way Allen has chosen to live his life since is the real story, making him a true American Hero. This book illistrates his courage and struggles openly as he shares the unabashed truth of his entire life with no holds barred.
   I had the rare privledge of introducing Allen to a group of 200 stout hearted men where he highlighted his book "Wounded Soldier, Healing Warrior". He was an inspiration for all in attendance who learned he is indeed a healing warrior and patriot.
   You are in for a real treat... an inspiring, must read.

1 comments about Meade: Victor of Gettysburg (Military Profiles).

1. "Meade: Victor of Gettysburg," by Richard A. Sauers, is a short (121 plus xv pages) biography of the man described on the book's dust jacket as "one of the Civil War's most underrated leaders." The book features three maps, a chronology of Meade's life, black-and-white photographs, endnotes citing Sauers' sources, and a short bibliographic essay that covers biographies of Meade and original source material about him. The book covers the whole span of Meade's life, including his early military career, work as a civil engineer, reentry into the Army, Mexican War service, work on lighthouses as a military engineer, and family life.
   
   The book focuses on Meade's role in the Civil War. Sauers covers his command technique, his planning and preparation for the pivotal battle at Gettysburg, his relationship with Ulysses S. Grant, and his relationships with the officers who served under his command. Particularly interesting are the accounts of controversy and conflict among Meade and the other Union generals, as well as of the stormy relations between Meade and the press. We also get a look at Meade's hot temper. Also significant are the many personal trials Meade endured during the Civil War--injury, illness, and a critical family crisis.
   
   Although at times the text is a bit dry, Sauers includes some elements that give nice human touches to the story, such as a brief account of Meade's reunion with Robert E. Lee after Lee's historic surrender. Sauers also discusses Meade's problematic relationship with history, and takes issue with other historians for their reliance on original sources that were hostile to Meade. Ultimately Sauers' own portrait of George Gordon Meade is that of a remarkable soldier and leader. This is a thought-provoking work of military biography.

5 comments about My War.

1. Andy above and beyond potrayed his position in WW2 if anything played down. Yes he was a private that lucked out as many do in the service,but it seems he is able to tell the truth about it and feels no lesser for the facts. He tells of several heroes and some not so good officers. We have all known those. All in all I found the book very enjoyable and would highly reccomend it to all.



2. My grandfather was in the Army Air Corp during WWII and would tell wonderful stories about his time in the war (the good and the bad). I think he would have liked Andy Rooney.
   
   I found the book very interesting particularly his insights on Patton. I have an great uncle who served under Patton. His mind never was the same.



3. This is a great book. Andy Rooney, who I hate, is likable here in his stories about the GReat War. He tells stories, and jokes, and rubs elbows with all sorts of famous people, and, yet, doesn't seem to be bragging as much as telling. Also, his descriptions of tanks running over bodies and the air war are heart wrenching, beautiful, and terrifying. This book isn't my favorite overall, but it is the biggest surprise I've ever read. I really did love it.



4. This memoir by Andy Rooney of CBS of his army days during World War II mixes humor, cynicism, and tragedy. Rooney recounts how he was drafted into the artillery in 1941, and then transferred to the army newspaper STARS AND STRIPES. The author recounts his army experiences with a mixture of nostalgia, humor and sadness. The author admits his distaste for the military, and considers him self lucky to have drawn duty as a correspondent. Yet his service record was hardly risk-free. Rooney accompanied B-17 crews on raids over Nazi Germany, then infantrymen as they battled their way after D-Day. Rooney recounts much of the war's horrors and describes several friends and acquaintances that died in combat. The author's irreverent and at times cynical tone (particularly regarding General Patton) reflects both himself and many of the GI's that served in that deadly conflict. The book is generally very readable, although it does slow in a couple spots. Still, this moving 1995 memoir written half a century after Rooney's discharge is worth reading.



5. Lately I've been reading stories about war, an unfortunate constant of human history, I'm afraid. Tales about WWII, or "The Last Good War" (a book I read many years ago), as Studs Terkel called it, abound, but I especailly recommend this one. My War, by Andy Rooney (yep, the same bushy-eyebrowed old grump you see on 60 Minutes every week), is a true gem, full of his homespun self-deprecating bits of humor and wisdom, along with the expected grim and grisly stories about the carnage that is war. As to the importance of his wartime experience, Rooney says right up front, "My life was never the same again." As a young reporter (his army ID photo looks startlingly like Audie Murphy, who of course penned his own memoir, To Hell and Back) for The Stars and Stripes, Rooney got up close and personal with both the air and ground wars in Europe, and also traveled to India and China, rubbing shoulders with Ernie Pyle, Bill Mauldin and Walter Cronkite. One particular line from the book has stayed with me: "I laugh, bitterly, when I hear the phrase, 'He gave his life for his country.' No one gives his life. His life is taken." Rooney is a newspaperman and a reporter, but more than anything else he is a damn fine writer who simply tells it like he sees it. - Tim Bazzett, author of Soldier Boy and Love, War & Polio ([...])

5 comments about Tomorrow to Be Brave: A Memoir of the Only Woman Ever to Serve in the French Foreign Legion.

1. You read this book and ask yourself, "Is this true, did this really happen?" But of course it's true. Only an honest person could bare their soul as does Susan Travers, with the brilliantly sensitive prose of co-author Wendy Holden.

   The story is spell-binding as our heroine bounces from battlefield to boudoir with breathtaking élan. So many words fall short- courageous, brave, intrepid, relentless, passionate and others- as she and her fellow Legionnaires take their stand on faraway battlefields, most notably Bir Hakeim in the desolate desert of North Africa.

   But the most appropriate word to describe ajudant-chef Travers is probably "driven". She sums it up on page 267 as she bids farewell to her dying father: "I'd spent so much of my life seeking his approval that having never really obtained it, his death only left me feeling more empty. Any chance to impress him now was gone and I felt cheated".

   'Tomorrow To Be Brave' is a work and a life. It speaks for itself. This woman knows herself and to herself she is true. How ironic and poignant that the "driven" hero of Bir Hakeim was in fact a driver (chauffeur) in the French Foreign Legion. Susan dodges pot-holes and pot-shots as she valiantly drives her paramour, the General, through the desert sands. She is truly an "angel of mercy" as she man-handles her ambulance in the muddy mountains of Italy.

   So much history. So much romance. So much intrigue. So much honest pride. So much heartbreak. It's all there. Who needs fiction with a story like this! A little knowledge of French is helpful but read it anyway even if you don't know what "ma cherie" means.

   Bon courage, La Miss. Merci!




2. Wow, what a life! Let's be thankful that there were people who kept insisting that Susan Travers' story be written while she was still alive. And thanks to Wendy Holden that story makes such fascinating reading that you find it hard to believe this is the story of a real life. I did not know much about the events of the Second World War that took place in Africa. So, while having been interested in the personal story of this fascinating woman, I got quite a bit more insight into the political events of that time as well. This part is definitely Wendy Holden's second major contribution.



3. I'm a student of military history. I read a good deal of stuff on the Second World War, studying various battles and campaigns. A few months ago I read John Bierman and Colin Smith's book on the battle of Alamein, and it included information about a woman who'd been in the French Foreign Legion, and served during the battle of Gazala as General Pierre Koenig's driver, enduring the bombardment and siege of Bir Hakeim. I was interested in this, and obtained a copy of the book. Whoa! Susan Travers, now in her 90's, has a story to tell.

   The daughter of well-to-do English parents who lived in France for most of her adolesence, Travers spent most of the thirties on the continent, playing tennis, gambling, and cavorting with a series of lovers who were all uninterested in settling down with her. When World War II began, she decided to turn her independant streak (which had led to her learning to drive a car) into an asset, and join the armed forces, fighting for the Allies somehow. She wound up in the French army, trained as a nurse, drove an ambulance briefly in Finland, and then wound up in Africa.

   There she served briefly in the campaign in Ethiopia, then was moved to Syria. Here, the doctor that she usually drove for was greviously wounded, and his replacement couldn't stand the thought of a female driver. He complained to his superior, and the next thing Travers knew she was driving for Pierre Koenig, who at the time was a colonel in the Free French army fighting in Syria. Soon the campaign was over, and Travers could set up house with the married Koenig for several months, because the colonel's wife was conveniently absent.

   Their affair, however, had to remain secret for the most part. She stayed his driver when the unit he commanded was transferred to the Western Desert in Libya. Soon, the British ordered all women out of the Front lines, but she contrived to make her way back, and was at the post the Free French brigade held for most of the battle. This was Bir Hakeim, a crossroads in the desert that had been fortified with trenches and bunkers dug in the desert floor. Bir Hakeim was the southernmost part of the Allied position at the Battle of Gazala, and it was an important one. After initially attempting to take it quickly by storm, the Germans bypassed it and left its capture to the Italians, who repeatedly failed. The Germans then returned and also failed, and when the post was finally worn down to the point defense was no longer an option, the garrison surprised everyone by breaking out and escaping in their vehicles.

   The Bir Hakeim battle makes up the middle quarter or so of the book, and it's a marvelous story. Travers was Koenig's driver for the whole battle, which means that when the breakout occurred, she drove the general's car. The car was hit by numerous bullets, but she and her passengers survived without being harmed.

   After the battle, she and the general had to separate (the German propaganda machine made a thing of their affair) and she spent most of the rest of the war driving an ambulance or doctors. When the war ended she managed to enlist in the Foreign Legion, and served several years in overseas posts. Eventually she married a legionnaire, had children, and left the legion herself. When her husband finally passed away, she decided it was time to tell her story. I'm very glad she did.




4. This memoir of Susan Travers, "The only woman ever to serve officially in the French Foreign Legion" (book jacket) is an intriguing glimpse into the Second World War in North Africa. Travers, who in her younger life admittedly "acquired something of a reputation" (33), found the outbreak of WWII a turning point; determined to use her driving skills for a good cause, she signed up for the Croix Rouge (Red Cross). To be an ambulance driver, however, she had to become a nurse first, something Travers admits was never her strong point. Sent first to Finland, then West Africa, Sudan and the Eastern Mediterranean, Travers' driving adventures are entertaining, and the struggle between Vichy France and the Free French (led by de Gaulle) is riveting. The author does not claim to be a saint, and in fact at one point has one former lover sneaking into bed with her while she is covering up an affair with her employer - all staying in the same house! The great love of her life, according to this book, is General Marie-Pierre Koenig, commander of the North African outpost in Bir Hakeim. This is not an affair of equals, and frankly the picture of Koenig in the book seems to indicate a man who needs to be in power all the time, and will not tolerate any difference of opinion - Travers openly admits this, and by her own admission, is not always happy with the relationship. That aside, the sections on North Africa are illuminating: what the Free French forces were able to do in holding Bir Hakeim is laudable, especially with few supplies and little respect from their allies. Travers later life doesn't take up many pages, and the reader hopes that, after failed love affairs, when she finally marries, she will be happy. For a time, that's true; however, after she and her husband are sent to Vietnam after WWII, things fall apart, and after a brief separation in which he takes ill, their marriage is never the same. I found it interesting that despite her well-deserved heroics, there are many times in this book where Travers is, well, whiny - she complains about no baths or clean clothes, while it's obvious there are more important things to worry about...war is war, after all. I guess you could say these character traits are what makes the book entertaining on another level, but at times, the winging was annoying. Definitely worth reading, you'll learn a lot.



5. I just finished reading Tomorrow to Be Brave a few minutes ago. What a fantastic book! I couldn't put it down. I will skip summarizing the book because others have done a fine job in doing just that. What I will say is that if you want to read a biography that reads like a novel - a novel that is full of excitement, adventure, and history - then this is a great choice. I had never learned much about the North Africa theater of WWII and it was very interesting to read about it. Especially, the section on Bir Hakeim. A final opinion, I have to completely disagree with a reviewer who said that Susan Travers was sometimes whiny. Ms. Travers was anything but whiny. For any person who has been far from home, far from the normal every day routine (to say the least), who is smelly and hungry and doesn't feel well, they can probably appreciate Ms. Travers fantasizing about a good meal and a hot bath. I honestly don't know how Ms. Travers did it. She wasn't whiny, just honest. That being said, I would strongly encourage both men and women, regardless of whether or not they have any interest in military history, to read this book. It will be time well spent.

5 comments about The Truth About Jesse James.

1. One word... WOW! Would I recommend this book? YES! History buffs or just Jesse James enthuses will be in for a treat! Betty Dorsett Duke's "Jesse James Lived & Died In Texas" convinced me back in 1998 that Jesse James didn't die in 1882, (I was a skeptic before) but her new book, "The Truth About Jesse James", should convince everyone, even if you are skeptic like I once was! Like the title, it is the TRUTH! From the beginning to the end I could hardly wait to turn the page to see what was going to happen next -- it's defiantly a GOOD read and will be timeless book.
   
   Many things impressed me with this book, I learned a lot of historical information about Jesse James, before his so-called passing which was defiantly a treat. I expected to be drawn right into the day he was supposedly shot. The research the author put into this book! Wow! Working at a community college, I see and edit history papers for peers all the time, this book would definitely be considered an "A" paper. Why? Betty Duke's research is very well done by the way it is presented and most of all you don't get bored, things stay interesting. I was very pleased with the citations, credits and how she used them properly. I wish more people would write like this.
   
   One thing that caught my attention after I read the book was a letter written by Emett Hoctor to Betty Duke, the author about this book. Mr. Hoctor was the man that pioneered the search for the truth about Jesse James through DNA testing back in 1995. Mr. Hoctor had chosen Professor Starr to head the project, and from his letter to the author he was obviously disappointed in Starr's work. The letter Mr. Hoctor wrote can be read by the public on the author's Web site: http://www.jessejamesintexas.com/emmett_hoctor_review.jpg
   
   In conclusion, I highly recommend this book to everyone interested in the TRUTH about Jesse James and his life. This book captures it all and if you are wondering if Jesse lived on after 1882 or died this book will seal the deal. I personally, feel comfortable now about what happened to Jesse James and I feel everyone will feel this way too after reading this book!



2. Following many years of exhaustive research, Betty Duke's book now gives us the real story of Jesse James. This book details so much evidence regarding the events in the life of Jesse James, after the supposed "assassination" in Missouri, that the history books may need to be re-written. We find him to be much alive, living in Texas, raising a family, and then leaving clues for those after him, regarding his true identity. This book will cause the reader to re-think what he has been told regarding the life of Jesse, the preacher's son from a little town in Missouri. Perhaps, the reader will even be inclined, like myself, to dig into his own family's history. I highly recommend this book to all history buffs, and those who want to want to blaze the trail in search of the real Jesse James.



3. someone should have proof read book before it went to print.and the more i read the more i beleave the auther is grasping at straws that her g-grandfather is jesse james.



4. A few copies of this book appeared with different cover and a different title. The earlier title was Jesse James History Mystery: Did He Fake His Death. Perhaps a more fitting title for this book would be Betty Duke in Wonderland. In this volume Duke takes us through the looking glass and down the rabbit hole. She uses a lot of smoke and mirrors. Duke would have us believe that Robert James, the father of Frank and Jesse James, did not die in California in 1850 as history relates. Instead he faked his death, acquired a new wife and began a second career as a Methodist (not Baptist) minister. Robert James becomes the father of the real James L. Courtney and then the real James L. Courtney morphs into someone named Haun.
   
   Jesse James, of course, was not shot and killed by Bob Ford on April 3, 1882, and the real Jesse James morphs into James L. Courtney, the great grandfather of the author. Jesse James did not marry his cousin Zee Mims, but Zee married a cousin of Jesse's Wood Hite. Wood Hite, according to Duke, is the man who is really buried in James' grave in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Clay County, Missouri.
   
   If this is not too confusing for you to follow, don't worry there is still a lot more smoke, mirrors, magic lanterns, secret societies, and coded diaries that are sure to disorient you. Quantrell (her spelling, not mine) did not die in Kentucky at the end of the Civil War, and "Bloody Bill" Anderson was not killed in Ray County, Missouri on October 26, 1864. Both men survived, took new identities, and had long careers in Texas and elsewhere. There is much, much more of this sort of mania in the book, including large doses of the Knights of the Golden Circle, myths, treasure tales, etc., etc., etc.
   
   Not only is this book bad history, but it is bad writing as well. Duke has apparently never made the acquaintance of The Chicago Manuel of Style, or any similar guide for writers. Her punctuation, footnotes, bibliography, grammar, organization, etc. leave much to be desired. A large number of her footnotes cite various internet sources, many of dubious validity. Very few of her footnotes for books give page numbers, and for newspapers she often only cites the year, but not the month and day. She cites at least one work of fiction as if it is a valid reference for historical matters, and several of the books listed in her bibliography are totally unreliable.
   
   Much of the material in the book is not the work of Betty Duke. She quotes pages and pages of other people's work. Some of this she says she has permission to use, but she is totally mum on the subject of permission in other cases. Some of the writers that are quoted at length may want to take issue with Duke about this. It is also interesting to speculate about how the five living great grandchildren of the outlaw Jesse James will feel about Betty's claim that she is also the great granddaughter of Jesse James.
   
   In summary, this book will likely be remembered as a burr (the size of a giant tumbleweed) under the saddle of the history of the Old West. This book has been repudiated by The James Preservation Trust,which preserves the family history of the Jesse James family, and this book has been reviewed unfavorably in The James-Younger Gang Journal, by noted historian and book critic Nancy B. Samuelson, author of The Dalton Gang Story, and by the Wild West History Association of professional historians.



5. An interesting and well researched Jessie James alternate history. Ms Duke cites her sources and lays her cards on the table....... I beleive she proves her case. A must read for James scholars, Knights of the Golden Circle researchers and outlaw hunters...... What a story!!!!!

5 comments about Gray Ghost: The Life of Col. John Singleton Mosby.

1. An excellent book for anyone interested in the Civil War. Ramage has written an exciting, fast-paced biography of one of the South's most mythologized and celebrated Civil War heroes. He draws the reader into the world of Mosby from his early fights with childhood bullies to his final fight for J.E.B. Stuart's memory and legacy. Certainly one of the Confederacy's more popular figures, Mosby ruled an area of Virginia causing Union officers and privates alike to fear capture if separated from the main body. Mosby's able and selfless leadership set an example to his men, and both Stuart and Lee saw that he was no ordinary partisan ranger. Even after the war, Mosby's fight continued as he supported the Republican Grant for president. Ramage aptly delves into the now out-of-favor hero's post-war life and one of the best chapters in the book is his description of Mosby's fight against corruption as U.S. consul in Hong Kong. Ramage has gone through many sources and succeeded in bringing Mosby the man to life. The author even met with Mosby's grandson and received valuable first-hand descriptions of him in his later life. This book is destined to be the definitive work on the "Gray Ghost".



2. This book is well written by someone who likes Mosby but this nonsense about "terror" from Union troops about Mosby sounds more like the terror that was felt by the Confederates towards Sheridan or Sherman or John Brown!
   Frankly I have always considered those who hit and run or come out at night and shoot stragglers or people from behing to be somewhat -- well - gutless. Sorry.



3. This book is about as close to entertainment as history can get. This does not mean that it is fiction however. Ramage writes a sturdy bio of Mosby. And although Mosby is one of the most famous, or infamous if you are a Yankee, Civil War personalities around, there aren't many good reads on him. However, Ramage's bio is terrific from both a historian's and a reader's point of view. Ramage is obviously an admirer of Mosby's, but does not blindly believe all that comes with the "Mosby myth". Instead, Ramage uses both primary and secondary sources to try to find the real Mosby and see what his real exploits were. The descriptions of Mosby's forays are fast-paced and exciting. The chapters on Mosby's post-war career are extremely interesting as we see the hated Mosby become a Republican and friend of U.S. Grant. Mosby also became embroiled in disputes with "Lost Cause" people like Jubal Early due to Mosby's support of J.E.B. Stuart. Interesting all the way around.



4. Ramage is absolutely correct when he speaks about Mosby's effect on his adversaries. By the time the war was over, he was - after Jefferson Davis - the most hated Confederate in the North. Once, late in the war when a troop of Yankee cavalry bringing in prisoners (none of whom were Mosby's men) joked that they had 'caught Mosby', in just a few hours over 10,000 people gathered to see the vaunted guerrilla chief. Mosby's psychological tactics were such that often all he or one of his men had to do was approach a Union picket or vidette and say, "I am Mosby" and the man became paralyzed with fear. Yet, Mosby's treatment of those whom he captured was such that after the war, many of his best friends were former Union officers taken by him and his command.
   
   Unfortunately, however, author Ramage has a tendency to speculate regarding things he cannot prove. His theory of Mosby's 'bipolar' personality - he was kind, gentle and loving at home but fierce, overly aggressive and untrusting out in the world - does not necessarily equate with the testimony of many of Mosby's men who wrote about the man and the 43rd Battalion.
   
   Furthermore, Ramage's account of Mosby's relationship with Fitz Hugh Lee - the two men detested each other - contains a vignette in which Lee supposedly offers a terrible rebuke to then Lt. Mosby when he offered Lee a captured Union newspaper. Lee, according to Ramage said "The ruling passion strong in death" a quote from one of Pope's moral essays on Lord Cobham, a religious dissenter who was hanged and burned for his beliefs. Ramage recounted that as a classical scholor Mosby would understand this statement to mean that he would deserve his fate when the Yankees caught and hanged him as a spy during one of his 'scouts' for JEB Stuart. According to Ramage, Mosby had no suspicion of Fitz Lee's hatred of him until that point. Yet in all other accounts - including Mosby's - nothing much is made of the same incident. I would not mind Ramage's account or his conclusion if only he had given a more detailed account of how he came to know that Lee said what he said and meant it as Ramage posits. Furthermore, I would have liked to know how Ramage knew that Mosby had no idea of his superior officer's feelings for him at the time. However, Ramage simply makes the statement and let's it go at that.
   
   There are certainly many psychological indicators apparent in Mosby's life which can enlighten interested parties regarding his forceful and unique personality but I must confess that I found some of author Ramage's speculations to be lacking in credible verification on such subjective matters. If one is going to speak of 'feelings' and 'passions', it is wise to have at least some documentation to back up one's claims. Otherwise, the matter becomes nothing more than another speculation regarding the individual being studied.



5. James A. Ramage has written what must be THE definitive book on the life of John Singleton Mosby. I cannot imagine a more thoroughly written book on the topic. Ramage discusses his family history, his childhood and more.
   
   Of course, the largest amount is written about his service in the Civil War as a partisan ranger that terrorized the Union troops arrayed against Robert E. Lee. Ramage is definitely a fan of Mosby, but he refuses to get involved in the hype that Mosby and his contemporaries sometimes engaged in concerning how effective Mosby's men were. Ramage agrees that Mosby was cost-effective, meaning that his small groups of men - usually around 120 or so - would tie down thousands of Union soldiers, but disagrees with Mosby himself that he tied down tens of thousands.
   
   The real strength of this biography is that Ramage covers Mosby's post-Civil War career thoroughly, including his controversial forays into politics and his government posting in Hong Kong. Ramage even includes a chapter on how Mosby has been represented in film and television, including a movie in which Mosby played himself in 1910.
   
   This is not a book for the casual Civil War reader - there is too much specific detail and an assumption that the reader knows and understands the basics of the war. However, this book will continue to serve as the reference for all things Mosby.

5 comments about The Most Famous Man in America: The Biography of Henry Ward Beecher.

1. This book is the excellent product of twenty years of research and documentation by many people. The data upon which the book is based comes from the letters and diaries of the individuals portrayed and from the newspaper accounts about them at the time. The author skillfully weaves the data into a picture spanning from the 1820s to the 1880s.
   
   Reading this book is like sitting before a window and peering into the life of an amazingly charismatic individual and those upon whom he had a great impact. You see his gradual escape from the extremities of religious fundamentalism to an extremity on the other end of the religious spectrum. Along the way he succumbed to his human weaknesses. His temptations were made more potent due to absolute adoration by his followers and his spontaneous and haphazard personality. Perhaps, in this country, he was the most skillful speaker of his century in spite of his inconsistent message. Without him England might have intervened in our civil war on the side of the South profoundly changing our history.
   
   You get, not only, a view of their lives, but also of their hearts, minds and emotions because you read their diaries and most personal letters which were concealed from others at the time. Many are famous people such as Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Mark Twain and his sibling Harriet Beecher Stowe among many others.
   
   As you read this book you begin to understand nuances of the late colonial and early Victorian era that history books miss. You see the holes in the stereotypes of the time. You see similarities to current times and you will see profound differences. You see how lack of modern medical technology and birth control put intense pressure on women. The divisive issues of the day like abortion, promiscuity, drugs (including alcohol) and religious extremes are all still issues today. They addressed them in a different manner and with a different perspective.
   
   I don't read much fiction because it is just fiction and based upon the author's perception of reality at best. This book interests me because it portrays many people's perception of the reality of their time based upon their own written records.
   
   Jim Fuqua



2. I am an author, a Christian, and a Calvinist. I love good history. However, after the deep prejudice against, and misunderstanding of Calvinism portrayed in the first two chapters, I almost put the book down.
   
   Despite these reservations, I am glad I persevered. Applegate writes in an engaging, entertaining style. I finished with fresh incite into the political machinations of early 19th century America, especialy New York, New England, and the history of the early abolitionist movement.
   
   I also concluded down deeply disturbed and distressed by the subject of the book, Henry Ward Beecher. Applegate repeatedly stresses two attributes of Beecher's moral character. The first was his lust for fame and popularity. The second is his continual compromise of conscience to obtain that popularity. These compromises ruined his life and the lives of many associated with him. She closes by comparing him to Dr. Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy, and Bill Clinton, all good comparisons, and in my opinion, all deeply distressing hypocrites like Beecher.
   
   I finished the book with mixed feelings of revulsion and empathy for Beecher. He was a first class hypocrite. He continually preached love, but abused and used his wife, his congregation, his business associates and the women with whom he comitted adultery. He pretended to be one thing, but in reality was the exact opposite. Was he weak? Yes, like all of us he was weak. But was he sincere? It doesn't appear that he was. A sincere man seeks help. He wants to change. He humbles himself and exposes his weakness. Beecher did none of these Instead, continually and habitually covered up the damning evidence that pointed to his sins. That is not the definition of a good person.
   
   Did he do some good? Yes. He was a key figure in the abolitionist movement. But, in other respects he was much like the men exposed in Paul Johnson's insightful book, "Intellectuals." He was a man who loved the world in general, but was incapable of loving those closest to himself.
   
   Despite these facts, the author was unwilling to call Beecher what he really was, "a wolf in sheeps clothing." She concludes, "His painful awareness of his own weakness and his ongoing battle to overcome them were the wellspring of his great and lasting contribution to American life: the all forgiving Gospel of Love. As Beecher would have said, without sin there can be no saving grace."
   
   It appears that Applegate, like Beecher, is in love with love, but not real virtue. True loves serves, expends itself, humbles itself, and dies that other might live. But Applegate's conclusion spins evil, refusing to come to grips with it or condemn it. Yes God is love, but He is also justice. The two cannot be separated.
   
   This is not the definition of a good man. I expected Applegate to draw this clear conclusion. I was disappointed.
   
   In short, Applegate writes well. I am thankful for her research, and the volumes of excellent information on Beecher and his times. I am deeply disturbed by her conclusions. They express the same loss of moral compass as the man she writes about, Henry Ward Beecher



3. This book was really great. You feel like you are alive at the time of Beecher. You watch as he emerges from his father's formidable shadow to become the most popular American preacher of his day.
   
   But in the process, you will also see Beecher jettison virtually every doctrine of Christinaity save the doctrine of love for God and for others. Unfortunately, it appears that Henry took the "love for others" part a bit too literally, as he was a very flirtatious and apparently adulterous man.
   
   It is amazing to see how he skirts out of trouble time and again. He somehow has his wife convinced that he is a man of high virtue, and he is also able to convince a number of his mistresses that their affairs with him are higher forms of love, even religious love.
   
   And yet in spite of his peccadilloes, Henry Ward Beecher was an indispuably great orator, a man who had his congregation eating out of his hand. Henry loved to preach about the pressing issues of his day, although one could accuse him of waffling on issues when the boat was rocked. He was at first neutral on the slavery issue, then he was a cautious abolitionist, then he even came to the point of advocating violence if necessary.
   
   Perhaps his most shining moment was in 1863 while preaching in England. His stirring speeches about America convinced the British not to lend their support to the South, and this may have helped Lincoln to preserve the Union.
   
   You will learn not only about Beecher's relationships with women (his wife Eunice, Elizabeth Thornton, Edna Proctor, Chloe Beach), but you will also get to know the New York newspaperman Henry Bowen, who convinced Henry to come to New York. You will also meet the complex Theodore Tilton, who goes from being a star struck Beecher fan to being a jealous husband who wants to see Beecher fall from grace.
   
   Debby Applegate writes in a stirring style, and you will want to drop everything else and keep reading. You learn a lot about history along the way.
   
   The only complaint I have is that Applegate slams Calvinism way too much. She treats it as if it is a terrible system of belief and that it makes happy people dour. She seems to think that Lyman Beecher (Henry's father) was a much better man than his theological system would allow.
   
   I am not a Calvinist, but I respect Calvinism as a viable and reasonable expression of Christian faith. The book would have been just as great without the anti-Calvinist bias.



4. A remarkable read for its insight into the America of the 1850s and 1860s and into the America of the 2000s. The only real difference is that the Evangelists of 1850-60 are now tele-evangelists, still raising money, still getting involved in politics, and still dabbling in sins of the flesh to one degree or another. The more things change, the more they remaint the same.
   
   A thoroughly fascinating read for the information it imparts about that time and the similarities to the times in which we live.
   
   Helps the reader understand in new and different ways some of the causes of the Civil War and puts those reasons in in very human terms. Politics and Religion were entangled then, as now....
   
   Henry Ward Beecher would be as much at home now, just as rich, just as popular and probably just as promiscious as he was in his day. By understanding his day, we have a better, cleaner understanding of this day.
   
   In other words, Men of God can accomplish good, sometimes great things without being perfect people.



5. Applegate's biography on Henry Ward Beecher is very readable, but too short. Some things are covered very well, and others almost ignored by comparison.
   
   You learn alot about his relationship with his father and siblings, but very little about his wife and children. His thoughts and actions regarding slavery are well fleshed out, but I wish word one had been said about his opinions regarding other controversies of the time. What did Beecher make of Mormonism, for example? Applegate doesn't have much to say about Beecher's theology either, after he breaks with his father - at least not enough to satisfy me. She prefers to pay attention to the intrigues and finances of his congregation (which, by all means, is worth while).
   
   In other words: I was left wanting more.

5 comments about Nelson: A Dream of Glory, 1758-1797.

1. This is a truly awful book. Sugden writes well enough, and no doubt the book is AUTHORITATIVE, but anyone looking to be entertained should simply forget it. The author never met a detail he didn't like, but by the end of this book, the reader will have met more than he can count. Simply put, Sugden goes into such detail about so many insignificant and downright dull matters that he loses any sense of perspective and entirely fails to creat an interesting and READABLE account of a truly interesting life. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.



2. Its difficult for me to improve on the several excellent reviews of this work that have preceded mine. But most importantly I want to state quite categorically that this is not a boring book. Biographies by their nature are not action stories, they must discuss periods of their subjects life that are perhaps bland and slow, but without this our understanding of the person would be incomplete. Nelson was not solely defined by his actions in the great naval engagements in which he fought.
   
   Nelson was a fascinating bundle of contradictions, self serving and adulterous, disparaging of superiors he perceived as inept yet immensely loyal to able subordinates, devoted to his country, and personally courageous. He was a man who embodied the fighting spirit of the Royal Navy at the peak of its prowess and whose methods of warfare continued to influence the navy for another century.
   
   I await the second volume of this work with great expectations.



3. As we know, not all history books are alike. Many are dry, while others try to make it interesting by either making stuff up or writing like Tom Clancy. Sugden does a good job of engaging the reader with interesting narrative, while clearly distinguishing facts from conjecture. You definitely get a taste for Nelson's charm, drive, as well as foibles. There is a lot of maritime terminology, but if you're interested enough to read an 800-page book about a naval hero, you can probably handle an occasional trip to the dictionary.
   So I found the book very exciting, but I have one major complaint. The author claims to aspire to make this book the new definitive Nelson biography. He tells in great detail his glories of the Battle of Cape St. Vincent, and then his great failure at Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where he lost his arm. Nelson gets really depressed, and returns to England. Then there is a conclusion of his career. Sugden observes that even though Nelson was depressed at the time, and likely to retire, no one could have imagined what glories were still ahead. The end.
   How can you have a definitive Nelson book, 800 pages long, and not include the Battle of Trafalgar? Argh! Admittedly, the vook title tells it right there, since these things happened after 1797. But if you're reading the book to learn about these things, well, you get the idea. I guess I'll have to read a different book to discover why his statue is in Trafalgar Square...
   NOTE: Rumor has it this is part one, and supposedly Sugden will be writing another book, to tell the rest of the story.



4. This is a very detailed biography of Nelson, the best that I have read. It really deserves a high rating.
   
   At almost 800 pages of narrative and 943 pages total, you really get your money's worth here (if money was an issue). It's thicker than your phone book if you're from Montana or the Dakotas. Heck, it's almost as thick as my Seattle phone book. And after reading it, my wrist muscles have become curiously strong.
   
   What I like about it:
   
   It is very detailed, this author really has spent the time to do the research and read the correspondences and contemporary accounts, it's no summary of already written books. That's very heroic in itself. I have a feeling that it's one of those rare books where academia is it's own reward and not just the profits, not that a biography of Nelson is going to be a bestseller (Maybe would have been in 1806).
   
   Gives a very good feel of what Nelson was like as a person and professionally. All over the book Sugden gives us his impressions of Nelson and backs it up with correspondence and notes from either him or the people he dealt with.
   
   Discussed his personal life in some detail, which is good because many other authors glossed over it, especially historical authors who had certain limits of decorum.
   
   Gives a very good background of the naval service in Nelson's day and the political situation, that in itself was worth reading the book for. In fact, I can also say that it's the best description of the Royal Navy and the political situation from the naval services point of view at that time that I've ever read - not only informative, but serves as a backdrop of how Nelson developed and why he did the things he did.
   
   When some things could not be explained, he did explain that no accounts or correspondence could be found to explain it.
   
   This is not a book for the amateur. For the serious reader, the detail is what makes the book so absorbing, I revel in the detail, keep it coming. This book is not exceptionally easy to read. Again, serious readers will not find that a hurdle. For readers looking for a lighter (and shorter book) a search through Amazon will give you a lot of hits - just look for one about 100 pages long.
   
   The minor negatives of the book
   1) Some of the minutae was too minute, however, I easily skipped over those small parts. For a book of this caliber, better to have too much (which I can always skip over) rather than to have too little.
   2) I wished that some actions were described in more detail, but perhaps there were no good accounts.
   3) I wish there were some more maps and maybe some diagrams, but this ain't a picture book.
   
   Overall, a very, very good biography. Highly, highly recommended. I look forward to part two. Meanwhile, some wrist strengtening exercises with the barbells.



5. There are possibly more books on the shelves of bookshops (certainly in England) about Nelson than any other English hero and because of the recent anniversary of Trafalgar many more have either been written or re-printed. How does the reader pick one out from the rest. Well my own recommendation would be to buy this particular volume,
   
   In the historical time scale, Nelson lived and died in the fairly recent past, so many of the books written about him are only regurgitated facts that have never been checked properly, or may have no foundation in factual terms. John Sugden has left no stone unturned in his quest for the truth, not only about the public persona of the man, but also gives a brilliant insight into the life of the private man. His hopes, his fears, his weaknesses and his strengths.
   
   John Sugden's writing style is both lively and stylish and does not leave the reader feeling overpowered with dull facts that he or she cannot take on board. Yes the book is a historical work, but it is written with a sensitive touch that almost makes the reader think they are reading an adventure novel. This is achieved without prostituting the historical content in any way. I enjoyed it immensely.