4 comments about How Can I Keep from Singing?: The Ballad of Pete Seeger.

1. Since 1971, I have been a fan of Joan Baez, whose anti-war songs I liked, and still like. At the same time, I had a friend who was a fan of Bob Dylan. Often, when I visited my friend, we would first play Joan Baez and then Bob Dylan. (Unfortunately, my friend died in 2004.) He and I were knowledgeable in folk music and soft rock. At one point,in the late 90's, I asked him if he knew of a good version of the song "Down By The Riverside", and he recommended the version sung by Pete Seeger. I am not joking when I write this, but this is the first time I had ever heard of Seeger. Of course, I bought a CD with that song, and it turned out to be part of the album LIVE AT NEWPORT and is very well done. I also learned that both Joan Baez and Bob Dylan were influenced and inspired by Pete Seeger, as were Peter, Paul, and Mary, of whom my late wife was a fan. This in turn made me develop an interest in Pete Seeger and his life and work. When I learned of this book, I decided to buy it, and have just finished reading it. It is one of the best biographies I have ever read. Pete Seeger is described as courageous and steadfast, even under the most difficult of circumstances. The book describes how he is literally persecuted by Joe McCarthy and company as well as the J.-Edgar-Hoover-run-FBI. Of course, it becomes evident that Joe McCarthy is a senseless witch hunter, and that J. Edgar Hoover runs the FBI as if it were his own private property and business (which indeed he did). Seeger stands tall at all times, is not intimidated, and eventually makes a great name for himself as a musician. He earns the like of his fans and, of course, singers like Joan Baez and Bob Dylan who are full of praise for him. Indeed, his life is a ballad which goes on and on for the cause of harmony and peace. Seeger stands tall to this very day, as the book clearly describes.



2. "The Ballad of Pete Seeger" is a great book. It not only gives a lot of new information about Pete Seeger; but also is a history of the US and the world with new insights that covers almost 90 years.



3. If you worry about individual rights, government trampling of the Constituion and cause oriented people you'll be interested in this book.



4. David King Dunaway has done a wonderful job in updating his classic biography of Pete Seeger. Dunaway, with excellent narrative skill, tells not only Seeger's life story, but also gives us a mini-history of the progressive movement in this country for the last eighty years or so. Seeger's involvement in the labor movement, the civil rights movement, the peace movement, and the environmental movement are all covered in depth. Also the struggle to be able to sing his songs in a supposedly free America is explored in the tales related to the riots at Peekskill, the McCarthy era, the blacklist, and right-wing bigots picketing his concerts.
   
   The best part of all of this is that Pete Seeger, at age 89, is still actively writing and singing. I had the pleasure to see him in concert, along with his grandson Tao Rodriguez-Seeger, and Guy Davis two nights ago at the Sellersville Theater. He can still get a crowd to sing along with him. While his voice is perhaps not what it used to be (but as Arlo Guthrie told him "neither is our hearing"), the magic is still there.
   
   This book captures as much of that magic as the printed page can hold, and is a great book for people of all ages to read. I highly recommend it if you are interested in reading about a real, authentic, inspiring American hero.

5 comments about The Motorcycle Diaries (Movie Tie-in Edition) : Notes on a Latin American Journey.

1. If this book were written by any other person, I'd give it 2 Stars. But because it's by Che, you at least get some insights into him, and that makes it a 3.
   
   This was a turning point adventure for Che; it's the trip that turned him from curious medical student to doing down the path of revolutionary. For that alone, it's worth the read.
   
   But if you're looking for an even better book about Che, and with all the adventure, get "Chasing Che" by Patrick Symms. It's an excellent read.
   
   And if you're looking for a motorcycle adventure book, look no further than One-Man Caravan by Robert Fulton. Imagine traveling around the WORLD on a motorcycle BACK IN 1932. Complete with pictures, drawings and great writing ... simply a masterpiece within the genre.
   
   Back to Motorcycle Diaries ... I think this book could have been so much more. Che was a good writer, but he stumbles on himself a lot. And, because he actually wrote this book AFTER the adventure was over, it feels like there is a lot of glossing over and "story fill" that robs it of the spontaneity it could have had.
   
   Still, if you're into Che, it's probably on the "must read" list.



2. Che Guevara... Whether you respect him or not there is absolutely no denying the fact that he had a profound impact on the history of Central America and the Caribbean. This book is plainly and simply about a young man on a journey to become the person everyone knows in history. He sets out as a college student in his early twenties on the motorcycle La Poderosa II with Alberto Granado. When he returns a year later he has aged a hundred years. It is almost as though he has become a different person.
   
   On his journey he saw the impoverished and the ignored. He saw indifference and hate. He saw racism and inequality... especially inequality.
   
   This journey across the poor and rich regions of Latin America made Ernesto Che Guevara exactly who he was. In his travels he found he could not understand why some should have more than others. His communist views developed from seeing the unfair treatment of the poor. He was ready, by the end, to do whatever it took to win equality for all: even fight. As he said at the end of his book: "I feel my nostrils dilate, savoring the acrid smell of gunpowder and blood. The enemy's death; I steel my body, ready to do battle, and prepare myself to be a sacred space within which the bestial howl of the triumphant proletariat can resound with new energy and new hope."
   
   Although a few things are lost to us English speakers through the translation and Argentine dialect this is a book which is full of rich detail and of deep internal struggle. This book was written in 1952, but edited and assembled much later. This causes some very Communist views to appear that were clearly added well after the original writings.
   Still this is a great read to see the mind of a genius in a time when the world was still reeling from the shock of a great world war and gearing up for the middle of the cold war. Che Guevara would go on in life to befriend Fidel Castro and be his right hand man in the Communist regime over Cuba. Che Guevara, whether you like him or not, is undoubtedly one of the greatest and most influential people in history.



3. I understand that he was an important historical figure but his adolescent writings are pretty uninteresting.
   I much preferred the movie over the book.



4. I read the book pretty much ignoring the Che of later years and hoping to find the adventure of a young, passionate man free on the roads. I also hoped to get a glimpse at the human underneath the Che image.
   
   As it turns out, Ernesto and Alberto were fairly forgettable guys who apparently had no particular fun on their great adventure. Maybe it is because the writing is very flat. Che was a colorless writer, noting the most banal and unexciting details that a better writer would leave out. He had no talent for descriptive, so places and people remain vague. And there is not an ounce of humor in the guy.
   
   Had Che not gone onto notoriety as a revolutionary, this book would never have been published.
   
   Even as an insight into the man, his fans will find nothing terribly revealing here, especially not what radicalized him. His enemies won't find much in particular worth hating. There is almost no political significance here, just as there is no particular adventure. What made him tick? How did he think and what did he feel? Guevara was not a good enough writer to get that on the page.
   
   All in all, Che comes across as a bit of a cold fish. I expected something livelier and more adventurous.



5. Very good book to read to learn what goes on in the head on Che. He shares his emotions and passion for life and everything that comes along with it. This book is based more on his personal opinions, likes and dislikes. You would get the opportunity to get in his head and read his thoughts. A little too complicated to read. Its not like reading a chapter after a chapter in a book. Each memoir is his personal diary entry and not based on a day to day basis. Also contains black and white pictures taken either by him or his traveling along friend.
   
   What i did not like about this book was the fact that the pages jumped around. One minute i was reading on pg33 and next minute i was on pg54 or so. It was really annoying because i had to constantly skip around and look for the pages and was always lost.

3 comments about For Freedom's Sake: The Life of Fannie Lou Hamer (Women in American History).

1. Chana Kai Lee makes a crucial contribution to our understanding of the civil rights movement with this stirring and important biography of Fanny Lou Hamer. Mrs. Hamer, an icon in the movement and a force unto herself, was one of the strongest and most influential voices in the African American struggle for freedom. Thanks to Professor Lee, that voice echoes for the ages in the pages of For Freedom's Sake. This is a book that all Americans should read and that students and general readers alike will enjoy. Like its subject, this well-crafted book will be a beacon for freedom for many years to come.



2. I have read and heard so much about men in the Civil Rights Movement, and I have read so little about women. This book for me filled a gap.It told an exciting story with great eloquence. It portrayed the life of a heroine of the Civil Rights Movement, and described the times. And it was at the same time rich and intellectually sophisticated. I cannot recommend this book enough to all readers, and I hope these comments motivate others to get this wonderful book and read it.



3. Fannie Lou Hamer was a remarkable person who may not have received the publicity and accolades of other Civil Rights personalities, but she certainly accomplished as much as anyone in the movement. Lee does a very solid job of taking the reader through Hamer's life. The only criticism I have is that Lee on occasion editorializes about contradictory things that Hamer said, as well as speculates as to what motivated Hamer in certain instances. It would have been more effective to simply let the reader think about such things and make up their own mind. This is a minor quibble, however, because Lee has contributed to the small body of work on Hamer in a substantive manner. I had a hard time putting this book down even though I already knew all the details of Hamer's life from reading other books. Lee synthesizes her information nicely which makes this book a coherent read. The reader gets a vivid picture of the ups and downs Mrs. Hamer encountered in her brilliant life. Fannie Lou Hamer's life was a testament to the human spirit and will to fight for justice. The Civil Rights Movement cannot be fully understood without knowing about the contributions of Hamer. You need to read this book.

5 comments about You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train: A Personal History of Our Times.

1. This book was excellent. Zinn has shown a side of history that you wouldn't get from a basic educational history class. Teachers and professors always mention a strike here, a demonstration there, and x amount of people died as a cause of this event. In his autobiography, Zinn stops and explains the history that is skipped over and dodged in the classroom. I live in Ohio (which is dominantly a conservative, republican state) and have had too much exposure to the conservative opinion. He does an excellent job of showing a liberal, more sensitive side to things.
   I had always wondered why liberal thinkers do what they do and Howard Zinn has taught me the reasoning behind their actions. He passes his beliefs of peace and love for all people in this book.



2. When I started reading this book, I wasn't all that excited because it was for a class.
   But, by the time I finished, I wanted to hold a protest of my own. Or at least do something to make this country better.
   A true hero in my eyes, anyone who believes in equal rights and doing what you have to to make things happen should read this book!!!
   I highly recommend it to everyone!!!



3. This man leads a storied life and we are all better off that he documented it in his book. It is astonishing what we aren't reminded of from the past, even the recent past. Zinn definitely makes the most of his time on this planet and his life is an example to live by.
   
   It is still shocking that within the last 50 years, our country was a much different place, specifically the deep south where Zinn began his teaching career. I wish I would have had to read this book in school.



4. If you're thinking about reading this book, you've probably read Zinn before, probably A People's History of the United States. If you haven't read Zinn before, hold off on this book and go read A People's History. This book isn't as much history as it is personal experience mixed in with history. Zinn combines his personal experience in the civil rights and (to some degree) black power movements with life lessons he learned from those experiences. After reading this book, I fell in love with Zinn's writing all over again. I feel like I better understand the man behind the books, and now I will go back and read A People's History and Declarations of Independence again. If you like Zinn, you can't miss the book.



5. A viewing of the film "You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train" sent me back to Zinn's memoir of the same title, which I first read back in the mid-90s. Elegantly written, insightful, and both inspiring and just plain fun to read, Zinn's autobiographical essays (for the book is really more that than a traditional chronological memoir) are a joy to read.
   
   The book is divided into three sections: Zinn's work in the Civil Rights movement during his years at Atlanta's Spelman College--a job he eventually lost, despite tenure, because he was just too "radical" for the then-president; his peace-making work during the Vietnam years, including the historic journey with Dan Berrigan to North Vietnam; and a miscellaneous collection of essays ranging from his jail experiences to his long battle with Boston University president Joe Silber. Also in this section is a touching memoir of Zinn's blue-collar childhood.
   
   I found the first section the most moving, as well as the most revealing. The legal discrimination that Zinn chronicles is almost unbelievable today. Just one example: Dr. Otis Smith (who only recently died, by the way) was sentenced to 8 months hard labor because he dared to tell a white woman not to interrupt a phone conversation he was having with a patient. Incredible!
   
   Zinn's personal recollections are fascinating. What makes his book valuable is that it's really, as its subtitle says, a personal history of one of the most turbulent and important periods in American history--a time in which, as Zinn often says, the voices frequently ignored by mainstream historians insisted on being heard.
   ______________
   * "To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness." (p. 208)

5 comments about A Woman in Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton (Vintage).

1. I found this book to be one of the best written about Hillary Clinton. Carl Bernstein gives a fair and unbiased view of the Senator of New York. It has helped me decide who I will voting for in the presidential election.



2. I bought this book because, as a former strong supporter of the Clintons through all of their thicks and all of their thins, I was alarmed at how angry I am becoming now at their current behavior in the primaries.
   
   It was described as "sympathetic," and I was hoping to find things there to admire in order to take a more moderate view of her and what seemed to me to be an almost pyschopathic campaign designed (at worst) to bring down the Party and or (even at best) to position herself to be the candidate in 2012 by destroying the man who might win in 2008.
   
   That didn't happen. I became more frightened than I was before of what might occur if she is elected president.
   
   There is instance after instance of REALLY bad judgment on her part (for example, when the 1994 loss of congress (considered to be partly due to the highhanded way she treated members of congress and others) forced her to back off from her role as Bill's main advisor, she turned the job over to (guess who?) DICK MORRIS.
   
   And she threatened Bill Bradley and Pat Moynihan with dire consequences if they even dared to question her healthcare plan. Then, she refused promising-looking compromises with Republicans that might have given us at least some kind of viable plan. And we have gone almost a decade and a half now with NO PLAN. Bernstein makes a strong point about her refusals to compromise and her arrogance about her own positions being above criticism. Can we really afford 8 years of that.
   
   The scariest part for me was the account of how she took charge of the "bimbo erruptions" by trying to paint Bill's mistresses as "stalkers" so as to dilute the possible effects of eye-witness accounts from people who had seen them together. It is hard for me to believe that feminists aren't disturbed by this bit of doberman-like behavior.
   
   The book is very interesting as a case study of an ambitious flawed woman who has expoxied herself to the fortunes of an equally ambitious, equally flawed man.
   
   But there was NOTHING in it that made me want to live throught 8 more years of wondering when the next shoe was going to drop and questioning how many of my doubts I would have to repress in order to defend them. Again.



3. Her US presidential campaign for the 2008 election turned out to be a disaster for her, simply because a dark-horse (Barack Obama) ran much faster than she could. However, she will not give up her life dream. I am sure she is now gearing-up for the 2016 election where this "dark horse" would no longer run after the presumed successful two terms of his US presidency at White House. She could greatly contribute to his cabinet, serving as his VP (vice-president) or Secretary of State or Health with her great expertise. So I trust this 2008 book would be very useful for readers who would follow her foot steps beyond the 2008 election.



4. Hillary is hard to hate. She is also hard to take. We owe this author and now Mr. Obama for exposing Hillary more fully than we ever thought possible. By golly, she can't hide now. The primary season seems so prolonged and such a waste of money but in some weird way, it works. It shakes the candidates down, shakes them up, and shows them for who they really are. I have never been a fan, but I know that many admirers finally saw her for what she is. I happen to have some compassion and a little sympathy for her, but I can well see that our nation has been very lucky indeed to escape her projected presidency. Much is due to this biography, all well-known facts, but as collected here by an admirer, we see how clumsy and arrogant this woman really is. What an incompetent woman. Isn't it hilarious that she has tried to run as an experienced professional; here we see her as the ham-fisted bully she is.



5. Hillary Rodham Clinton's story is both fascinating and impressive. The fact that the renown journalist Carl Bernstein chose to write it, is telling. It's obvious in reading it that Bernstein is no fan of Hillary's, though he begrudgingly tries to portray her fairly. At times he is schizophrenic in his accusations and modest bits of back-handed praise.
   
   O.K.,I'm pro-Hillary and Bernstein is not. This is no paen to the Senator-and-former-first-lady-who-would-be-President, but it is a worthwhile book because of its scope and because of the author's credentials.
   
   Overall, A Woman in Charge is a good, if harsh biography of an amazing woman. The facts speak for themselves, and Hillary's intelligence, integrity, productivity and fortitude shine through.

5 comments about White House Ghosts: Presidents and Their Speechwriters.

1. as a speechwriter, this book was manna from heaven for me. there are few books around that look at modern presidential speechwriting in depth. it also has a broader appeal as a presidential history that gets you right inside the inner circle of modern presidents. the book is well written, excruciatingly researched and filled with funny, inspiring and humanizing anecdotes.



2. It was quick, easy, amusing read; lots of historical anecdotes from each White House since FDR....but apart from that, I can't say I know much more about what makes for a good speech, a good speechwriter, or a good Presidential speaker now than I did before I read the book.
   Apart from figuring out that speeches written by committee don't make for memorable prose, the anecdotes don't really add up to much--- not much insight as to what FDR, JFK, and RR shared in common, if anything, that made them great in this department, versus what Carter and the 2 Bushes shared, if anything, that made them so mediocre....
   Look for a fun read, but don't look for any analysis or depth of understanding...



3. Schlesinger reviews each of the Presidential speech writers, from FDR through W. I found the book became increasingly engaging as he approached the modern presidential speech writers though that may be because they were the Presidents that I grew up with. The chapters on Reagan, Clinton and W are particularly interesting in that they provide a glimpse behind the idiosyncratic personalities that shaped much of our modern policy.
   
   Of the Bush team, he writes, "The troika [Skully, Gerson, McConnell] gathered to prepare the State of the Union. For eight, nine, ten days running, the routine would be the same: The three sequestered themselves in McConnell's office and word-by-word, line-by-line, wrote the speech. After several days, McConnell's office resembled, as he put it, 'the back of a cheap restaurant' - coffee stained papers piled up, books of food, half-full coffee cups and water bottles lying around. McConnell, who kept a supply of Wet Ones towelettes on hand, endured the chaos with good humor". (p. 476)



4. Abraham Lincoln, probably the finest presidential speech writer of them all, allegedly said, "For those who like this sort of thing, they'll like this sort of thing." Well, I think Abe and anyone with even the slightest interest in US politics won't just like this book, they should be very impressed with it. White House Ghosts is a powerful, interesting, entertaining read.
   
   As a keynote speaker (business, humorous, cancer - quite a juxtaposition I admit), I am enthralled by the art of good speech-writing. Schlesinger takes us on a journey from FDR to George W. Bush with some very entertaining anecdotes and commentary in a lengthy book which I am just about to re-read.
   
   Presidents who valued their speech writers have been well served by them, probably none more so than JFK who was much beholden to Ted Sorenson, the doyen of modern speech-writers. One of the reasons why Sorenson was so effective is because he was in general allowed a clear run to craft the final words which Kennedy would speak. He once said, "The boldness and strength of a statement is in inverse proportion to the number of people who have to clear it." Most sane people would agree with this, but it is a rule that is all but ignored in today's Washington.
   
   Schlesinger provides a brief overview of the development of Kennedy's inaugural. This is material that has been covered in depth in Sorenson's Counselor and two recent books on the topic, Thurston Clarkes' Ask Not and Tofel's better book Sounding the trumpet.
   
   The commentary on Nixon is interesting. This man will never be regarded as a great speaker, but I find many of his speeches - as written, to be really powerful and excellently crafted. This might not be surprising given that his writers included William Safire, Pat Buchanan and David Gergen, but what really intrigued me is that Nixon wrote much of his own material and that he very often spoke without a written text, but according to one speech-writer he was "painstakingly prepared."
   
   Presidents Ford and Carter had little time for speechwriters and knew even less how to utilize them, thus ensuring the writing process was confused as indeed was the message in many cases. Reagan, the great communicator was rarely involved in speech development. Indeed Peggy Noonan, the author of his much acclaimed Pointe du Hoc speech did not have her first meeting with Reagan until six weeks after the celebrated speech!!
   
   This and many other interesting insights are what makes this such a compelling book. If only more politicians would pay attention to what Kennedy and Nixon learned as they tried to understand what makes a great piece of communication - that the best speeches in most cases were the briefest ones.



5. Great inside stories. Very interesting material that you probably can't get elsewhere. However, for a book so big on detail, I am surprised that the author missed the point that Harry Truman's middle name is S and does not stand for any name. Therefore, it should not have a period after it as it does in the book.

5 comments about Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship.

1. This well written but superficial survey of the FDR/Churchill relationship, is most disappointing. For anyone who has read independently about FDR and about Churchill, there is nothing new here, no interesting new facts, no interesting new insights. Unfortunately, this felt like a book written just to write a book. It is possible, I suppose, that for a reader entirely ignorant about WWII and the role of the two English speaking leaders, there may be some value here.



2. These were this century's two most powerful wetern leaders. One had already dragged his country out a terrible financial morass and was faced with a looming conflict which would have terrible consequences for the world. The other had served honorably in opposition to appeasements offered up by misguided politicans more eager to avoid conflict than to stave off War. It was a time of giants. This book helps us understand how these two giants related, the one to the other.



3. Knowing how WWII was one of the greatest upheavals of human history, I've been a buff for years and recommend this great book to all who are also fascinated by this period. Getting a "behind the scenes" glimpse of world events is a special treat; theirs was truly a unique relationship and one arrives at a better understanding thanks to this excellent use of source materials and narrative, by Jon Meacham. I hated to come to the end of the marvelous book.



4. Jon Meacham has woven a beautiful account of these two great characters from a most human and emotional perspective. Meecham doesn't just historically replay events, he gets us inside these two great men and allows us to share in their emotional connections with the war, their families, politics, and each other. Doing this on two men at the same time is a special treat afforded by the voluminous resources available on these particular men and their interaction with each other. The ability to peer into the inner workings of two great minds during the same shared experiences is like having special powers that Franklin and Winston, who were always wondering what each other was thinking, would have enjoyed immensely.
   
   WWII is unquestionably a dramatic current that keeps the pages turning but this book is, as the author clearly states, not an academic history book on the events of WWII or even the historical conferences between Franklin, Winston and later Stalin. This book is about humanity. I found myself shedding tears at the death of Franklin because Meecham exposed the personal sense of loss Winston (and others) felt in a way that even Winston could not convey in tributes to Franklin.
   
   This book wasn't written to expose historical events, historical event collectors will be disappointed. The book exposes historical thoughts and emotions, courage and insecurities, uncertainty and stubbornness, loneliness and the joy of making genuine connections with others. This a different kind of history, one that might seem inherently speculative if it weren't for Meecham's extensive reliance on reliable sources. His references are almost 1/3 the book and are primarily Franklin, Winston, or friends and family that were immediately present and close to subjects. I'm extremely uncomfortable with whimsical author speculation and always felt comfortable with this book.
   
   I came away with little new knowledge about historical events, but a much closer personal understanding of these two men. Well worth the trip.



5. As noted by author Jon Meacham, Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt's first meeting at Gray's Inn in 1918 was not a success. Roosevelt, 36 at the time disliked Churchill's brusqueness.
   It wasn't until 21 years later when Roosevelt wrote to the Lord of the Admiralty in reference to the German invasion of Poland that we see the start of a long friendship and political alliance.
   As Meacham states, Roosevelt was indeed the supreme politician. Winston was the warmer human being. This is a friendship of great magnitude. Both men were addicted to tobacco and favored strong drink, battleships, pageantry, high office and were great orators. Both of them possessed large egos, They both demanded nothing but the best from their subordinates.
   In the end Roosevelt held all the cards and was able to get the desired results of the War. Great Britain despite their loyalty to the Allied cause became in the end a second tier power in the postwar World. Roosevelt passes from the scene in 1945. Winston goes on to fight the demons of the Cold War.
   Meacham goes into depth in this rather awkward relationship. It is a friendship which should be studied and in the end respected for the results it gave. I commend Mr. Meacham on a perceptive analysis of a remarkable political alliance which affected mankind. Great job! Five Stars.

4 comments about The Kennedy Family Album: Personal Photos of America's First Family.

1. I am a History and Art Book Lover, as well as someone who really appreciates biographies. What a gorgeous book with rich and colorful, wonderful photos. I really enjoyed seeing these pictures and reading the stories and anecdotes that describe them. I've never seen a lot of these photos and some are very poignant shots, like the last photo taken of JFK before he left Palm Beach to head off to Dallas. It really gives a new perspective on the Kennedy Family, during the Camelot years, while they spent time in Palm Beach. I definitely recommend this book for your personal library and it also is a wonderful gift book.



2. Bob Davidoff's memorable photographs gain added power from the stories behind them, masterfully told by Linda Corley. His images are moving and memorable. Many will bring a smile to your face; others will leave a lump in your throat. It's no wonder so many of the photos are treasured by family members.
   
   Because of Rose Kennedy's trust in Davidoff, he had unprecedented access to her and her entire family. The result, through words and pictures, is a journey through history. You'll see four generations of America's First Family at work and at play.
   
   A beautiful volume, it includes some of the best shots I've ever seen of Jackie Kennedy, one of the most photographed public figures of the past half century.
   
   This vast, long-stored-away collection of photographs is so personal you'll feel like you're prying into their "family album." While some will label this a "coffee table book," it is that -- and so much more. The Kennedy Family Album is one I surely will order for my family and close friends.



3. This beautiful book offers a snapshot of one of the world's most famous families. The photgraphs become short stories with the well-written captions. I enjoyed every photo and every page that visited another time and the family-side of America's Camelot.
   Chip duPont, FIIDA



4. An incredibly heartwarming look at America's first family. This book takes you back to a time when the hopes and dreams of a nation rested firmly on the shoulders of the Kennedy's. In a touching way, you see the "real side" of the family via photos that are eerily similar to those in my own family photo album. The author does a terrific job bringing all the photos to life, and wonderfully narrates you through all the life events.

5 comments about Means of Ascent (The Years of Lyndon Johnson, Volume 2).

1. This book begins where Path to Power left off. It does give a quick recap so you can pick up here if you did not want to read the first one (although I recommend reading it as it is spectacular). The lies of Johnson's military service are almost too much to believe. His desire to retain elected office and achieve his goals remain unmatched as ever before. This book yet again shows how Johnson would lie and cheat his way to power. The Texas politics are truly among the most disturbing that you can see anywhere. The corruption is rampant and with an election where Johnson wins by only 87 votes the corruption was rampant. The race for the senate seat against governor Coke Stevenson who was one of the more principled Texas politicians is famous in Texas history. This book is wonderful at recounting that event as well as giving further insight into Johnson. Caro's writing is superb and the desire to find out what happens next is unmatched in other biographies. This is a must read for anyone interested in political history, biographies, or politics.



2. I recently read the second volume of Robert A. Caro's magisterial biography of LBJ, entitled MEANS OF ASCENT, and from that book I learned to loathe one man, Lyndon Johnson, whose signal accomplishments in civil rights and social justice are difficult to reconcile with his profound character flaws; to admire another, Coke Stephenson, who, for all the baggage of racism and reactionary ideology that came along with his frontier conservatism was, by all accounts, an outstanding, even heroic human being; and to hold in the very warmest regard one woman, Lady Bird Johnson, who, in spite of her paralyzing shyness and the outrageous abuse heaped upon her by her husband, was not only steadfast in her love and loyalty, but also took infinite pains to remake herself, agonizingly, into a successful businesswoman, canny politician, eloquent speaker, pioneering conservationist, important philanthropist, and accomplished public figure of the very first rank.



3. The second in Caro's amazingly detailed, trenchant, fascinating, truthful, insightful and heartless multi-volume portrait of Johnson. What did anyone -- even Lyndon Johnson -- ever do to deserve a biographer like this? Not that I fault Caro: His tenacious and scrupulously accurate determination that the truth be told is journalistic history at its highest level of professionalism. But under, or alongside, the chicanery, the narcissism, the shameless expediency of his subject's persona there also was a charisma, a thoroughly human drive to assert himself and make an imprint on an indifferent universe that also is breathtaking, and the sheer wonder and humanity of Johnson is not given enough due. But enough of the cavil, because this book is a supreme accomplishment, of research, writing and psychological insight. It is fascinating to see Johnson's vast inflation of his military "career," and the way he continued to lie about it to people who knew he was lying, and who he knew knew he was lying. And the account of the stealing of the 1948 Senate race is so gripping, so suspenseful even though one knows the outcome before the book is opened, that it defies the effort to put the book down. I had read the book in fits and starts until about page 210, then picked it up at about 9:30 p.m., and could not stop until I finished, at 2:15 a.m. This book will be richly rewarding for anyone interested in the 1940s, and/or in contemporary American politics.



4. Means of Ascent traces Johnson's career from a rather lackluster legislator (i.e. in passing national legislation) in the U.S. House of Representatives, to his all or nothing gamble on the 1948 Texas U.S. Senate race. In between these years, we learn of Johnson's "war service", his wife's role in her husband's congressional office, their business dealings with a radio station in Austin, and other events. All of this is integral to Johnson's story and his political ambitions. As Caro discussed, these were not Johnson's happiest years as he seemed unsatisfied with his position in Congress and his perceived lack of power.
   
   Caro introduces us to another key political figure in this book, Coke R. Stevenson. This was the man referred to as "Mr. Texas". Caro's portrayal of Stevenson offers a stunning contrast to the portrayal of Johnson. Coke Stevenson's life journey seemed to be the stuff of legends. He was a self-educated man who lived the outdoors. He reluctantly joined the world of Texas politics to get what he saw as a job that needed to be done done. He served as a state legislator, speaker of the house, lieutenant governor and governor. Stevenson seemed to represent what Texans liked most about their state and themselves. His popularity was perhaps unrivaled by any other state political figure. Perhaps Caro's portrayal of Stevenson is a bit too laudatory, but if Caro's task is to set the differences between Johnson and Stevenson in terms of their character traits, their personalities, their politics, etc., then he has succeeded brilliantly.
   
   Once again, the Johnson that emerges in the heat of another major campaign is the same tireless, unstoppable man who will go to any and all lengths to win, as seen in Caro's other books. During the 1948 Democratic Primary, Johnson even utilized a new mode of transportation, the helicopter, for his campaign stops. Stevenson, in contrast, simply drove to different towns and county courthouse squares to meet and greet people, with little press attention. Stevenson, according to Caro, trusted that Texans already knew his record and where he stood and therefore he didn't have to respond to Johnson's attacks.
   
   But once again, the nasty side of politics evinced itself. Large amounts of special interest money were used in the campaign, especially on Johnson's behalf. Votes were bought, especially from ethnic voting blocs from border counties where political bosses like George Parr reigned supreme. Additional voter fraud issues like stuffing of ballot boxes and the likes would come to light as well.
   
   Many people, even in Johnson's inner circle, knew the hurdles they faced in defeating the popular Stevenson, a man regarded as unbeatable. In the end, Johnson would win by 87 votes, made possible no doubt by the hundreds if not more than hundreds of votes added to ballot boxes such as in the infamous Precinct 13 of Jim Wells County, and probably from other counties too. Parr's right hand man Luis Salas confessed this later and even said that Stevenson votes had been counted as Johnson votes.
   
   Stevenson didn't give in without a fight. A Federal District Court judge took up the case and things began to appear bleak for Johnson's electoral "victory". Johnson's men, however, proved skillful in their legal maneuvering to halt the judge's order to open the disputed ballot boxes from Precinct 13 and possibly from other areas. With the assistance of Abe Fortas, they secured a hearing in front of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, who decided in favor of the Johnson team to stop the opening of ballot boxes. This decision ended the dispute and Johnson became the Democratic nominee and eventual winner in the fall election.
   
   Johnson had indeed staked everything on this senate race and had won. But though he won the battle, it seems almost irrefutable that his victory was tainted by real voter fraud. Caro's treatment of both Johnson and Stevenson has earned some criticism. The portrait of Johnson that emerges is not flattering. Johnson certainly had some undesirable traits, but the nature of the politics and corruption seen at that time also contributed to the unflattering picture that is presented here, though they were often connected to his campaign. Stevenson is portrayed as a rock solid character who seemingly possessed very few flaws, though Caro did briefly touch on part of his record as governor of Texas, especially concerning the lynching of a black man during his tenure, as well as other elements of Stevenson's very conservative philosophy. Whether the character portrayals of either one of or of both is totally fair and accurate, is not for me to say, but I think Caro has done his homework and his evaluations seem solid in many ways.
   
   Caro excels in presenting the human dimensions to his narrative, especially in the quest for power. The thrill of the campaign also comes to life. If you're a political junkie, you'll love this book. Overall, a great reading experience and great insights into Lyndon Johnson's life and times.



5. The book is exceptional. Caro's central thesis with LBJ is that power not only corrupts, it reveals. LBJ's lust for power and his determination to run over any and all in his way is never more evident than his stealing of the 1948 Democratic nomination for senator from Coke Stevenson. Caro parallels LBJ and Stevenson as a contrast between the modern vs. the primitive, the unprincipled/corrupt vs. the principled/honest. And, yet, Caro is not entirely unsympathetic to LBJ. He gets to the heart of LBJ's genius in manipulating people and the political system to his advantage.

5 comments about The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made.

1. In a 1996 interview with David Gergen on NPR, one of this book's central characters makes a case for, what I will hazard to suggest, is one of the authors' central views;
   
   DAVID GERGEN: Let me ask you this in terms of thinking back over then of that period of American foreign policy in the last forty or fifty years, one of the ironies here is that in an age of information you suggest we have too little wisdom.
   GEORGE KENNAN: Yes, I do, and one of the things that bothers me about the computer culture of the present age is that one of the things of which it seems to me we have the least need is further information. What we really need is intelligent guidance in what to do with the information we've got.
   
   Thus The Wise Men becomes a paean to, as the authors' admit at the outset, "the twentieth-century tradition of an informal brain trust of internationalists who first served Woodrow Wilson at Versailles and returned home to found the Council on Foreign Relations, " establishing along the way, "a distinguished network connecting Wall Street, Washington, worthy foundations, and proper clubs." The polemics about where one finds wisdom aside, The Wise Men provides a fascinating and uncompromising study of the evolution of U.S. foreign policy vis-à-vis the Soviet Union from the establishment of formal relations during the Roosevelt administration to Vietnam from the perspective of six of it's most significant players; Dean Acheson, Charles "Chip" Bohlen, Averell Harriman, George Kennan, Robert Lovett and John McCloy with side trips into electoral politics and the Middle East. Although I found the authors' fascination with many of these individuals' membership in Harvard's elite Porcellian and Yale's Skull and Bones clubs a bit off-putting (to say nothing of the not-so-veiled apologia for a certain social elitism . . . call me a populist), it would be difficult to find six more pivotal characters. The arguably lesser stars make significant appearances, most notably the Alsop and Bundy brothers, Clark Clifford, James Forrestal and Paul Nitze. I will even forgive the authors' treatment of one of my heroes', George Kennan's, emotional shortcomings. For those of a certain ideological bent, John Foster Dulles and Dean Rusk are not treated sympathetically. It all rings true notwithstanding and The Wise Men makes an excellent post-war study of U.S. foreign policy particularly as a counterpoint to David Halberstam's "Best and the Brightest" for those too busy or cheap to subscribe to Foreign Affairs.



2. Not only kept me entertained, but completely changed my views on the post WWII era. A must read for anyone remotely interested in history or politics.



3. This is "an excellent read",, but it left me wondering why we have had no such minds in government in the last 30 years. It made me look back to our national leaders and great minds from the Founding Fathers through the short-lived Kennedy administration. From 1970 on, the bottom has fallen out. We have become late Rome.



4. All sorts of things no one knows about how decisions were made after WWII that have affected all of us ever since. Well written too.



5. ... of a ten-year-old book that shouldn't be forgotten, the "biography" of American foreign policy from the Truman years to the apotheosis of Reagan. Like most biographies, this one concentrates on the childhood of the Cold War containment/exhaustion strategy, the DNA so to speak of neo-conservatism, born of a Democratic mother and a Republican father. Any reader of my other reviews, who doubts my assertion that Ronald Reagan and George Herbert Bush were mere inheritors of a foreign policy as rigidly sustained as if by primogeniture, should take on this book as ferociously as you dare.
   
   The six Wise Men -- McCloy, Bohlen, Acheson, Lovett, Harriman, and Kennan -- would be the last to blush at being identified as "The Greatest Generation" or "The Best and the Brightest." Their egos and their sense of elite entitlement to lead are central to their story. This is a deeper portrait of their intellectual mode than either of those two just-mentioned best-sellers. Authors Isaacson and Thomas are clearly of the same "old school" as their subjects. Their admiration is in a sense self-adulation; even when the Wise Men acknowledged errors, the very nature of their errors turned out to reflect wisdom. My own admiration for the six is considerably more limited, but it's hard to deny the authors' thesis that these Yale and Harvard whiz-kids and their colleagues were the movers-and-shakers of administration after administration. Even as some of them lost a portion of their self-assurance in light of the massive failure in Vietnam, they continued to limn the hegemonist, exceptionalist conception of America which has continued to fail up to the current massive failure in Iraq. Given that all six were perceived as "liberals" aligned with Democratic administrations, some partisans of the other party may come to this book with an established antipathy toward its subjects. All I can say to that is "read it and learn!"