5 comments about Open Doors: Vietnam POWs Thirty Years Later.

1. I just can't get enough of this book. It's simply amazing to ponder that these men have been imprisoned and tortured, some for as long as eight years. Then you see their recent pictures and they're almost all smiling. Some in their offices, many outdoors, some with their wives, some with grandkids and dogs. But smiling genuine smiles.
   
   It's a tribute to the human spirit that these men not only endured their captivity but actually thrived in life after the war. Some went on to become renowned government officials, others in Academia, and others in the private sector, but all were able to find balance and joy beyond the horrors of their experience.
   
   The book accomplishes more that one could reasonably expect and the authors did a great job. In one black and white photo and a couple of pages of text, the reader gets a real feel for the POW and what makes him tick. I'm glad that the book's focus is on the positive achievements these men have accomplished since the war, and only addresses their incarceration in how it strengthened their core values or how that experience helped them later in life.
   
   This book can be seen as a catharsis for what ails us today as a society: It puts what is important in life into perspective, and makes the reader truly thankful for and appreciative of his or her blessings. It should be required reading for high school students.



2. This is a Great book that every patriotic American should read. I served in Viet Nam and our group is a much greater group of veterans than we will ever get credit for. The ultra left media and Hollywood has blasphemed us unjustly for years. Thanks to Mel Gibson for making "We Were Soldiers" also.



3. This is a captivating little book that reveals how 30 Prisoners Of War (POWs) from Viet Nam have coped with life after their horrible privation and suffering while imprisoned in North Viet Nam. A number of well known POWs, like Senator John McCain and Medal of Honor winner Bud Day, are included. Authors Howren and Kiland have skillfully probed the inner man within each of these heroes, revealing to the reader the unique traits these men possessed that helped them survive their ordeals. These traits more often than not have stayed within their personas and have helped to mold them in their post-POW lives. Very professional black and white photographs show these men, often with family members, in contemporary settings and the photos reveal their essential humanity better than the written word ever could. While their POW experiences were horrific, these men come across thirty years later as not only quite normal, they seem to possess very unique insights into the persons they have become. Each POW's story is presented in two parts; the first is their thirty years later story, followed by a separate section with photos from before or just after their captivity ended and more comprehensive career histories. This arrangement gives a "before and after" which clearly shows the contrasts in their lives over time. The last portion of the book includes some excellent analysis of the demographics of POWs and insightful discussion of some myths and facts that help put them in proper context. This is a unique and professionally done book, easy to read and sure to hold the interest of anyone who wondered what became of the POWs of Viet Nam.



4. Perhaps the most striking part of this book to me is the simple number, the number of days that these men spent in captivity in Vietnam: 2,381; 2,432; 2,676; 3,113. To me this made a stronger impact than saying 5 years or whatever. Three thousand days. These people sat there with nothing to do, scared, being mistreated, tortured, no idea if they would ever return home.
   
   But return home 661 did. And the overwhelming percentage brought home with them a dedication to life. Most seem to have stayed in the service (some of them had been promoted twice while in captivity), most after the service went on to successful careers in a wide variety of fields. Coming to mind is the title of David Halberstam's book, 'The Best and the Brightest.' It would be difficult to find a better group of men than these.
   
   This is the story of what happened afterward to thirty of these men.



5. The book was quick to read and the type was easy to read. There were numerous photographs and reasonably good writing. The POW issue is one everyone should be aware of, especially since there were so many men left behind and so many returned POWs who are living witnesses to that fact. Most of these men who survived and returned home have gone on to live active and productive lives.

2 comments about Little Phil: The Story of General Philip Henry Sheridan.

1. This book is a "must read" for anyone interested in biographies and/or the Civil War. The author's unique viewpoint and comforatable writing style make this a pleasure to read! His fresh perspective on a well-covered topic has the reader enthralled. Here you begin to see and understand Sheridan not only as a Civil War General but also as a father, husband, and brother. Because of the author's close association with the family, he relates personal details never before told. A fascinating story and a must read book!!



2. Little Phil: The Story of General Philip Henry Sheridan
   
   Superior book, well written, interest and vital resource of knowledge.
   KCP

4 comments about Sam Patch, the Famous Jumper.

1. If you have never heard of Sam Patch, it is because you are not living in the nineteenth century. Sam Patch was America's first celebrity daredevil, someone who made his fortune and his fame by spectacularly endangering his life, jumping from waterfalls. Paul E. Johnson, in _Sam Patch, The Famous Jumper (Hill and Wang), has not exactly brought Patch back to life. As Johnson explains, people like Patch did not have linear careers that lent their lives to being told as stories; they had episodes, not biographies. Patch only lived thirty years, and jumped professionally only for the last two of those, but he did have a wonderful career, and even some meaning within American history and sociology. Johnson has, though Patch's story, examined some details of Jacksonian America, industrialization, philosophies of art, and aspects of fame from self-endangerment and self-promotion rather than self-improvement and civic involvement. Patch was, after all, a lout and a drunkard, but it must mean something that he achieved such a level of fame that his feats could be cited by Melville, Hawthorne and Poe. Even Andrew Jackson's favorite steed was named Sam Patch.

   Sam was around seven years old when he took up work in a mill; families in the early eighteenth century were being drawn to mill towns since mothers and children could easily get work. He was good at the work, and fiercely independent in the craft of "mule spinner". The independence manifested itself in his jumping as well. He learned the craft of jumping as other boys did, but when he moved to another mill town, his jumping acquired a social and political aspect that endeared him to the populace. He jumped to spite a rising industrialist in Paterson, New Jersey, and then in support of his own class when there was a dispute over how the town should celebrate the Fourth of July, and jumped again during the first labor walkout. People loved the jumps, and newspapers reported them. Patch became a working-class hero. He went on to jump into Niagara Falls twice, and finally in Rochester. On 13 November 1829, he took a plunge into the Genesee Falls, into which he had jumped successfully a week before. He was drunk, and hit the water out of control. It was months before the body was found, but respectable Americans had found a new cause to rail against; one preacher spoke of the "strange and savage curiosity" of the crowds who came to see the jumps, and another told his Sunday school class "... that any of them who had witnessed Patch's last leap would be judged guilty of murder by God."

   Sam Patch could have been an emblem against the masses, but it did not work out that way. He became the subject of poetry, comic stories, and stage plays. "What the Sam Patch!" became a common way of swearing. There was a Sam Patch cigar. He has even recently been the subject of a novel. Rochester has welcomed his memory as if it were that of a favorite son, and you can buy souvenirs at Sam's Gift Patch. There are those who insist that any American Dream must be built on hard work, domestic harmony, and sobriety. Johnson's able and well-researched portrait, with its many digressions into aspects of our fledgling democracy, shows a different sort of dream and a new sort of celebrity. Americans, bless their hearts, had from the beginning a delight in one who tweaked the nose of his betters and got fame for lots of wrong reasons.




2. Sam Patch was an American original who escaped my attention for forty-eight years. Professor Johnson's study of this mostly forgotten, irreverant showman has piqued this reader's thirst for more of the bold, eccentric and sometimes ambivalent personalities that have shaped this nation in often subtle ways.
   Not long after completing the author's chronology of the Patch family's slide from the respectability of the rural New England landholder and the influence of Calvinism, it becomes apparent
   that a documented record of just what manner of man Sam Patch really was is not to be had. From the standpoint of social status, Patch was a non-entity, a skilled textile laborer his sole identifying trait; that is, until he made public his hobby.
   Just what spurred Patch to leap the Passaic Falls at Paterson,NJ on July 4, 1828, effectively upstarting the elaborate holiday ceremonies planned by one of the city's wealthy and genteel manufacturing elite is uncertain. One effect of the feat was the galvanizing of the local labor force into an awareness of their potential to force reform in mill working conditions. No sooner had Patch had dried himself off when a consortium of mill owners issued an edict altering the daily work schedules of its employees, needlessly disrupting the domestic routines of thousands. Patch then betrays a political motive in answer to management with an encore jump during work hours just one week after the new schedule had taken effect. Patch's exploit was followed by a strike, arbitration and comprimise. The Paterson jumps gave birth to Patch's intriguing motto "Some things can be done as well as others."
   The cynical critic questions the depth and genuineness of Patch's social altruism based upon his lack of education, predilection to alcohol, and the complete absence of any concern, stated or implied, other than self-promotion during the remainder of his career. In fact, Patch, at the age of twenty-seven, having worked in the mills for twenty years, resigned his vocation permanently upon departing Paterson shortly after the second jump. After a brief exploit from atop a ship's mast in Hoboken,NJ, Patch emigrated to Niagara Falls for bigger game.
   Now an avowed professional jumper, backed by resort developers and sporting gentlemen, Patch thrilled crowds of commoners and elicited enmity from the Whig sophisticates and press. After a few successful performances, the venue shifted to Rochester,NY and Genesee Falls where class distinctions and responses to such behavior were at a premium. After an initial jump, a plan was hatched to erect a platform some forty feet above the millrace which paralleled the falls, raising his leap to an uprecedented one hundred-thirty feet. Unfortunately for our hero, he met his ultimate fate that day in 1829 when, unable to contain his passion for the bottle, he endeavored to jump while in a well-lubricated state, lost his form early in the air, hit the water on his side, and disappeared for four months before his body was hauled from under the ice of the Genesee River some seven miles downstream.
   On reconsideration, it is perhaps the case that Patch had an angle along reformist lines. Though unsophisticated in its method, the very inanity of Patch's nonconformist act served as a slap in the face to the righteous, overbred conceit of the upper classes and their proclivity for circumscribing the limits of self-determination for those less fortunate. In appropriating a mere mill-boy's pastime Patch defied the ruling gentry and diletantes of morality to prevent his freedom of expression. Although his jumps lacked the ingenuity, utility or permanence of the engineering marvels which buoyed the emerging industrial revolution, they gave notice that democracy entitles a man to make his mark after his own fashion and, notwithstanding limited means, proof that "Some things can be done as well as others."
   Despite the absence of source material Professor Johnson has done a comendable job of resurrecting Patch's story from the confines of legend. Johnson's tedious labor is evidenced by his notes--drawn almost entirely from periodical literature.
   While it is not possible to forge an intimate acquaintance with Sam Patch, Johnson has provided the detailed social, political and religious mileau needed to understand his role in history.
   Johnson is also to be credited for the modesty of his prose, which makes this book smooth and entertaining.



3. This is a biography of Sam Patch, the famous jumper from high places into swirling chasms. Yet it's more than a biography; it's also a social history of the times (1820s) and the places where Sam made his daring leaps (Paterson, NJ, Niagara Falls, and Rochester, NY). Sam's early life was spent working in the cotton mills of first, Pawtucket, RI, and then Paterson, NJ. He learned the "art" (Sam's word, and an important one in defining how Patch saw himself) of jumping while a boy performing daredevil stunts in the Blackstone River of Pawtucket. Later, in Paterson, he leaped into the Passaic Falls more as a "rebel-victim" - Timothy Crane had erected a bridge across the falls, which was considered a social good; but when he bought land adjacent to the falls that was popular as a recreational retreat for the working people of Paterson and turned it into a private park for the wealthy, Crane became a villain to the many factory workers of Paterson. Sam timed a number of his jumps there to coincide with events designed to honor Crane, to humiliate him or at least take away some of his thunder. In these instances, Sam Patch was a jumper for Democracy.
   
   After Paterson, Sam leaped off the mast of a sloop anchored off Hoboken, NJ into the Hudson River, which was reported widely in the press, and Sam became a celebrity. Now his leaps would be for fame and fortune. He jumped twice at Niagara Falls to great success, and then went to Rochester to leap the Genesee Falls. His leap was successful, but a second jump on a cold November day proved to be his undoing; his body wasn't found until the following spring.
   
   Then of course, Sam Patch the legend took off. The real Sam Patch was a drunkard and millworker, raised in poverty, who discovered he had a talent for surviving high leaps into dangerous waters, and decided that exploiting this talent brought a big improvement to his otherwise futile existence. (It's the classic American story: think of all the ballplayers, actors, singers, etc. who saw even the worst of times in their chosen endeavors as better than "going back" to the mines, or the mills, or the empty windswept towns on the bleak prairie.) But for the decade or two after his death Sam was transformed into a gentleman's son who overcame timidity and learned to face danger and be "a man." Then, of course, even this made-up image of Sam disappeared from the scene - until 1945 when folklorist Richard Dorson rediscovered him and grouped him with such legendary characters as Davy Crocket and Mike Fink.
   
   Johnson does a superb job in rescuing Patch from the annals of folklore and presenting him as a real historical figure. This is not an easy task since very little in the historical record is known about Sam, and much of that is contradictory. He devotes much space to what life in the cotton mills was like, how Niagara Falls was perceived in the American imagination at the time, and what the young and bustling cities of Paterson and Rochester were going through when Sam visited them. Johnson is an interesting writer - detailed and learned, but not dry and scholarly. It's a fascinating book. Highly recommended.



4. I bought this book used, but when I received it, it was in perfect condition. My child needed it for a class that she was joining mid-semester. The book is no longer being printed. However, while other students were still waiting on the arrival of their books ordered from another bookstore, she was in class with her copy in a little over a week with standard shipping.

5 comments about Richard The Lionheart: The Mighty Crusader.

1. This is the first book of Miller I have read and I was very impressed by the clarity of the text and the factual analysis. The author gives a brief but very useful introduction to the history of the previous two crusades (before Richard I set foot on the Holy Land) and then goes to the adventourous campaign of the English king, covering the lightning conquest Cyprus, the conclusion of the siege of Acre in just four weeks, the march toward Jaffa, the battle of Arsuf and of course the two failed attempts to conquer Jerusalem. The book contains also chapters on the the logistics behind Richard's moves, the sea war and the lessons Richard learned studying Vegetius' "De Re Militaris". The text is not condensed and very easy to read, featuring only 30 lines per page and the book contains some 15 black and white photographs (two of them maps)in a special section.



2. In this short book, we have an excellent study of military career of Richard the Lionheart during the Third Crusade. The entire book is basically geared toward that campaign where Richard squared off with Saladin. It pretty clear that Richard the Lionheart, may have been bad King of England but he proves to be a very able commander in battles and campaign. His ability to see the long term stratgic problems set him apart from many of his fellow European commanders. The author studied not only Richard's military efforts but his diplomatic effots as well. It bit ironic that Richard probably got along personally with his enemies better then he did with his allies, many who turned against him during the campaign and after.
   
   The book is short (only 215 pages), well written and nicely researched. The author wasn't too judgmental on Richard, choosing to look at him from the historical contemporary point of view instead of the more present politically correct perception which many modern historians falls into that trap. The book proves to be very readable because its not cluttered with overwhelming amount of information. There seem to be enough in the book to present the author's case on Richard very nicely.
   
   The book come recommended to anyone who got a close interest in the Crusades and the life of King Richard I, the Lionheart of England.
   
   Overall, a pretty interesting book that wasted no pages in bringing the reader right into the Third Crusade.



3. I would like to recommend this book, to anyone with an interest in the Crusades, Richard I, or combat leadership in general.
   I found that the focus on Richard's militay exploits to be excellent, and leaves the extraneous accusations of his activities for a reader to find else where if they're so inclined.
   I noted one date in the book that lead me to some issue and that was the reference after the battle of Hattin, the movement to and fall of Jerusalem on July 4th, 1187. If memory serves me, the battle was on July 4th, and the Holy city fell months later.
   Still all in all a great book, and a shining example for combat leaders to never ask their charges to do anything more than they would do themselves.



4. An interesting and informative read, examining Richard from a personal and politico-military perspective but also looking at the history and logistics of the Third Crusade. My only complaint is the rather naive view of the 'Saracen' army that is presented here.



5. This book is perhaps the most concise, readable book on Richard that I've come across. I would refrain from calling it a full biography, since the main focus of the book is purely on Richard's campaign in the Holy Land (and admittedly so), however, Miller uses many opportunities to dissect the tendencies and characteristics of Richard's personality.
   
   It's clear from the writing that the author served as a soldier in a previous life, and hence this book stands apart from others like it because of its heavy focus on the logistical and tactical aspects of the Third Crusade, even going as far as to specify (estimating, of course) the weight of soldier's rations, supply trains, etc. The tables and appendices are particularly valuable.
   
   In short, this is an incredibly readable book on war written from a soldier's perspective, thus making it a fascinating and quick read without ever falling into the familiar sludge where rambling historians and academics seem to get trapped. I look forward to reading other military works by David Miller.

2 comments about A Doctor Looks at War: My Year in Iraq.

1. I looked forward to reading this book, having read a number of books on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, from both the troop and medical perspective. What I felt overshadowed this book was the heavy Christian leanings. I'm not one to argue one's belief or faith but it came across (and I later noticed on the back cover the subtext:War, military, Christian Life, General) heavy handed [for me]. Some may gain more from this book than I did and I certainly salute Dr. Hodges service and sacrifice his family had to make. I only wish it was broader based to really reach a wider audience.



2. My husband is retired Air Force and I a military wife for more than 20 years so I think we enjoyed this book more than anyone outside of the military or medical would. Well written and appreciated the lack of gutter language!

5 comments about Air Commando One : Heinie Aderholt And America's Secret Air Wars.

1. Having heard of Heinie Aderholt for years, I was looking forward to reading his autobiography. While the book is very informative, I was somewhat disappointed in the overall content. Maybe it's due to his age, but there were some assertions made that don't jive with the facts. He states that the Air Force misused the C-130s in Vietnam by limiting their gross weight. In reality, C-130s in Southeast Asia operated at their maximum allowable normal gross weights and payloads throughout the war - I was a C-130 loadmaster on two SEA tours and know the limitations. There is also quite a bit of personal horn-blowing, which is common with autobiographies. I found it rather ironic that Heinie's comments related to special operations are almost identical to those made by his former boss, General William Tunner, about how airlift was misused and should be a command of its own. There's also the constant refrain of "if they had left it up to us, we'd have won the war" but now that the facts are coming out, it is becoming pretty apparent that there was no way we were going to win it. Air Commando One is a good book for the military historian's bookshelf.

   Sam McGowan, Vietnam Vet and author, The CAVE, a novel of the Vietnam War




2. Heinie is a legend but not from others tales of his exploits. Heine is leader respected for his legendary achievements; some of which yet remain classified. A leader formost who undertood his men because he always remained one of them. No matter how severe the circumstance Heinie created success by unique applications in unconventional operations.

   At Nakhon Phanom for example, on the border of Laos, Heinie founded and commanded the 56th Air commando Wing into a unique force to interdict the flow of men and materials down the trails in Laos. Making the rounds nightly he remained close with his troops of all rank in a bond seldom seen where thoughts were exchanged because of mutual respect. Heinie slept less than most and almost always in his fatigues or flightsuit.

   General Aderholt's life story is compelling and well written and he continues today to make a difference in Southeast Asia. In October 2002 returning to Nakhon Phanom, Heinie procured a container of medical and school supplies with the Thailand Laos Cambodia Brotherhood and to dedicate a monument being built to honor the fallen American and Thai forces in the Vietnam War.

   The Legend Continues... read it.

   John Sweet
   56th Special Operations Wing
   Tactical Units Operations Center
   Nakhon Phanom
   Air Commando # 2924
   




3. During the Vietnam era, Heinie Aderholt was U.S. air force's patron saint of low-cost, bare-knuckled, unconventional warfare. He was one of two men -- the other being his longtime friend, the CIA's Bill Lair -- to put his personal stamp on the huge covert program in Laos, and had there been more Aderholts and Lairs, events might have turned out differently. As it was, Aderholt had to labor during his entire career under a military system that was not flexible enough, or responsive enough, for a man of his remarkable talents. But he did his duty, and then some. The Air Force historian Warren Trest has done Aderholt justice with this book; and there's some especially interesting material on Aderholt's loyal opposition, from within, to the way the Vietnam war was run.



4. Book arrived within a few days and was in the condition that it was described or better, very happy with there service.



5. Having served under Heinie Aderholt in Thailand I can certainly vouch for the accuracy of the scearios portrayed. Although I wasn't an Air Commando in the strictest sense of the word (I was a broadcaster), I was aware enough of the problems with "higher headquarters" to be genuinely incensed at the treatments ... particularly in light of the tremendously effective mission performed in spite of "direction" from above. I absolutley loved the book, as it brought back memories I'd almost forgotten. Everyone who knew Heinie HAS to have this book!!

5 comments about Hemingway: A Biography.

1. Carlos Baker is generally known as the founding father of Hemingway biographical studies. His 1969 biography, "Ernest Hemingway: A Life Story" is the so-called "authorized" Hemingway bio and it was the first book of its kind to explore the author's life. All subsequent biographers owe a great deal to Baker and the seven years he spent producing "Ernest Hemingway: A Life Story."

   Calling Baker's bio the definitive bio of Ernest Hemingway is difficult though for several reasons. First of all, being published in 1969, the book is now outdated to a great degree. Second of all, a slew of other biographies have been published since 1969 and some are very formidable. Baker's book, in my humble opinion, is probably the most tediously researched biography of Hemingway. His "Notes" section is just over 100 pages.

   If I had to recommend one standard Hemingway biography, I would likely choose "Hemingway: A Biography" by Jeffrey Meyers. I have read many Hemingway biographies and in comparing them, the work of Meyers does stand out. He offers details not present in other bios and provides fine commentary on EH's literature. Meyers gets as close to definitive as I think one can come in a single book.




2. I'm going to return this book because the printing was so poor. The photographs are unrecognizable and the type is smearing and difficult to read.
   
   There is no place in #1 for a 0 or minus rating, but this volume is unacceptable.



3. Found this first edition at our annual library sale this year for $1. After reading the other review on Amazon I am anxious to read it.



4. Jeffrey Meyers' eponymous biography of Ernest Hemingway is, as some have made it, a saltier companion to Carlos Baker's masterful 1969 definitive authorized biography. Meyers is not overly adoring of his subject and gives us a different view of Hemingway. Still, although Meyers is grittier than Baker and manages to dig deeper into Hemingway's complex and contradictory personality, he is not gritty enough nor does he dig deep enough to displace Baker as the biographer nonpareil.
   
   And neither does he capture the reader's imagination. HEMINGWAY: A BIOGRAPHY presents Ernest Hemingway in surprisingly muted tones, especially considering the almost cartoonish excesses to which Hemingway could drive himself. This is a very competent and workmanlike biography. However, its pacing and voice are didactic and dry and its portrait of the artist lacks color. Like twenty other books about the man, HEMINGWAY: A BIOGRAPHY belongs on the shelf as part of a well-rounded collection, but can replace none of them.



5. Now being well into my fifties, being in good health, and financially sound I have had the opportunity to study my favorite author. I have already traveled to his old haunts in Italy, London, and Paris (Shakespeare and Co. Bookstore) but I needed more in the way of in a truly great biography.
   
   So I decided to buy the biography of EH by J. Meyers after this book was recommended to me by a EH scholar in Paris.
   
   Anyway, what I wanted was a book that would give me insight into what kind man EH was all about. Where did he get his passion and his energy? Did he have a temper? What did he drink? What hours did he keep? Why did his love relationships fail? When did his health go bad? Why was he so prone to accidents?
   
   This book that gave me more than his life's history and I think you will have a good read, too. BTW, Key West and having a go at deep sea fishing is next of my list of things to do. This is a buy!

5 comments about Right or Wrong, God Judge Me: THE WRITINGS OF JOHN WILKES BOOTH.

1. In my opinion "Right or Wrong,God Judge Me" is a blessing;mostly for the masses growing up believing only one side to a twisting and tragic tale.John Wilkes Booth is humanized,he is presented as a multi dimensional conflicted individual,far from the "mad man" we were all taught to despise for his repulsive crime against the US government and Lincoln. The evil I once thought he posessed is not the main struggle of his personality;his struggle seems to more or less be over his love and jealousy of brother Edwin and his fears of being loved and admired.His heart is tormented by the carnage of the Civil War,which in turn causes him to side with just about anyone who hates Lincoln. As I found by reading the book,he was not as mad as I once believed,but seemed more a sad and lonely man admired mostly for his looks yet he seemed to be upset about the sexual objectivity given to his person,hence he burned fan mail sent to him by rather amourous ladies,I feel from reading this book that he needed more than theatre and adoration from screaming females;he wanted to be taken seriously and make a difference in the world.Unfortunately he chose a rather brutal means of attaining this goal. I do think that his appearance can somewhat color judgement.Do we feel more sorry for him because he was extremely handsome? I wonder if he would have been homely if he would have gotten as much sympathy? Maybe not,but still I understand his mentality better and why he turned out the way he did.



2. This is an interesting book regarding the state of mind of the wealthy and famous actor of the time. The book carefully places his letters chronologically and also backs them by giving historic references and explanations of the events that surrounded the man. How his "flowery-like" letters could ever hint at a man struggling with the problems of the country isn't told in them. It's ironic from such writing that this man who had fame, fortune and social approval also had a deep and ever growing anger against northern politics. His inner anger seemed depressed awaiting a chance to explode. This book easily portrays Booth as a caring man yet also one who sympathized with the Southern cause. It briskly explains his premeditated thoughts of assassinating Lincoln and has little information regarding putting his thoughts into motion. Yes, this book is about his letters and offers a quick coverage of the events surrounding Booth before and after the killing of Lincoln. For those looking for a complete biography this book isn't the one. For those looking for added insight who may have already read about Booth before, this is a great bonus of information.



3. The title is a promising one, if you're interested in JWB and the Lincoln assassination; and the compilation is thorough, if what you want is to have the complete known products surviving from JWB. The problem is that 90% of what does survive (thus 90% of this book) is really insignificant stuff that sheds very little light on the man's ideas, opinions, or thoughts. It's mostly brief, impersonal, non-revealing notes written to confirm theatrical engagements, &c., &c. Much of it is repetitive variations on a few business-oriented themes. Too bad this is al that survives from him!



4. "Right or Wrong, God Judge Me" is a fascinating collection of all the known existing hand-written documents left by John Wilkes Booth. Most of his written materials were destroyed by family, friends and acquaintances in the aftermath of Lincoln's assassination for fear that the holders of the documents may be accused of being an accessory to the crime. What is printed here (many for the first time) are those documents left by JWB that managed to be preserved. These materials include letters written to a friend William O'Laughlin (brother of Michael O'Laughlin who was a co-conspirator) when JWB was a teen-ager, poems written in autograph books of fellow actors, information on his theatre work and financial investments written to his business partners, love letters to Isabel Sumner, and a lengthy pro-Union speech intentionally preserved by brother Edwin written only a few days after South Carolina seceded from the Union. In the latter as well as the famous "To Whom It May Concern" letter also published here, JWB explains his sympathy with the southern cause, the influence of watching abolitionist John Brown hanged, his feelings towards his country, his personal views on slavery, etc. Two pocket diary entries written while he was a fugitive (surprised at the negative reaction his deed received from the public) as well as a sarcastic letter written to a doctor who would not help him as he was fleeing authorities on an injured leg are the last entries in this book.
   
   What makes this book even more fascinating than reading the words of one of the most notorious men in American history, is the incredible research completed by the editors. Every document, including letters of only a couple sentences, are followed by many footnotes detailing the people, places, and events in JWB's life pertaining to the document. This information includes theatre reviews, most in praise of Booth's performances, especially his sword fighting. The dangers and hardships actors endured traveling to shows in those days is explained. The editors also include historical background and context to the documents. Even the letters on his theatre schedule and investments were interesting because of the additional information the editors provided. I felt as though I was following JWB's life through these letters and footnotes. I've come away from this book with a much better understanding of what motivated JWB to commit his crime. Anyone interested in Booth and the Lincoln assassination needs to read this book. The 171-page book includes a section of illustrations, including photos of three of the handwritten documents.



5. this book is a decent account of John Wilkes Booth, but there is nothing that has not been already examined in countless other books pertaining to this topic. The book does not give as much detail about booth as one would expect. If you really want a great book about John Wilkes Booth, Lincoln's assaination, and the several weeks that followed, i strongly recommend "American Brutus" by Michael W. Kauffman, this was one of the best books ive ever read on the subject.

1 comments about Ordinary Courage.

1. Our family read this aloud while the electricity was out after a recent hurricane. It was fascinating to all. It's the memoirs of a regular foot soldier who fought throughout the entire Revolutionary War, and includes editorial explanatory information, including maps, on the battles, on some politics and culture, and on the author's life both before and after the narrative. It tells the experiences of real battle, soldiers' behavior between battles, and, in what was obviously a highlight to the author, a meeting with George Washington while preparing for the culminating battle of the war. This narrative is highly recommended.

5 comments about Gray Fox: Robert E. Lee and the Civil War.

1. Nicely written clear and concise facts from beginning to end. Burke Davis quotes and paraphrases several first hand accounts of civilians Confederate, and Union officers. Mr. Davis also recites several letters from General Robert E. Lee to family, Jefferson Davis, Confederate officers and General Grant.

   The reading of this biography permeates vast knowledge of Robert E. Lee. Starting with his birth, education at West Point, emergence from the Mexican War, "with a reputation as the army's most talented young officer." Mr. Davis does a great job of conveying General Lee's concerns about the possibility of civil war. Robert E. Lee made the difficult decision to resign from the U.S. military. Here is a sample of General Lee's letter of resignation. "I have devoted all the best years of my life and all the ability I posed. During the whole time-more than a quarter of a century-I have experienced nothing but kindness from my superiors and a most cordial friendship from my comrades. To no one, General, have I been as much indebted as to yourself for uniform kindness and consideration. I shall carry to the grave the most grateful recollections of your kind consideration, and your name and fame will always be dear to me."

   The book is worthy of reading I'll probably read it a few more times. Therefore five stars seems appropriate for a truly amazing book. This book is for folks from any geographical area. Whatever your race, creed, culture, religion is this book can be an enjoyable read. I leave you with one last quote this is Robert E. Lee's opinion of slavery. "There are few, I believe, in this enlightened age, who will acknowledge that slavery as an institution is a moral and political evil...I think it greater evil to the white than to the black race."




2. I wouldn't say I disliked this book, but I did find it pretty short on both style and substance. It presents a good chronology of Lee's ACW campaigns, and might make a good prelude to a more detailed account if one wanted to get that chronology straight. However the prose is limp at best and details lacking. In his descriptions of the battles (especially) Burke Davis brings very little to life. For example, in the description of Chancellorsville, one never gets a sense that the battle is slipping out of Lee's control before his and Jackson's daring and innovative masterstroke changes the outcome completely.

   Credit should be given for good use of excerpts from Lee's correspondance which paint a picture of a gentle and humane man doing his duty bravely despite a mounting sense of the long-term hoelessness of the situation. But, more interesting material can be found than this historical overview for anyone who wants something serious on the subject.




3. An excellent read on the life of Robert E. Lee. Davis does an good job in portraying the general's life, not overloading the reader with details. Those who have read more detailed books on Lee might find this one lacking, but I believe it to be worth your time and would make an excellent addition to ones Civil War library.



4. Davis is one of those rare authors who has the magical ability to to breathe life into the past through his writings. In addition to being a truly gifted writer, he is also an insightful and even-handed historian. Davis depicts Lee as a great, but not perfect general, as a complex figure who was willing to fight invading Northern armies, but who also hoped for an eventual end to slavery, as a man who while being vulnerable to pride sought the ideal of Christian humility, as kind and humane, but also willing to see men die in their thousands for the cause which he and they fought for. Moreover, while the book is written from the perspective of Lee and his army, the Northern side is still treated with respect and the same depth of understanding. Since many books on the Civil War are filled with hatred, blame, and arteficial and foolish one dimensional standards of morality, this is refreshing. I do not at all regret buying this book. I only regret that the author did not write more books. In addition to Gray Fox, I also highly recommend Davis's biography of Stonewall Jackson.



5. This was an OK book on Lee, I was expecting better from Davis. It was just too dry, and not really enough detail. More maps would have helped, and he could have written more on some of Lee's failures following the Wilderness Campaign. But overall it wasn't horrible, I did read it from cover to cover so it kept my interest. BTW, this book focuses almost exclusively on Lee during the Civil War, so you don't get detailed personal information and background on Lee (i.e. his early years before the war).