No comments about The Life of William Jennings Bryan.

5 comments about ELEVEN DAYS OF HELL: MY TRUE STORY OF KIDNAPPING, TERROR, TORTURE AND HISTORIC FBI & KGB RESCUE.

1. This is a true story of "man's inhumanity to man" and a wake up call for those living in the television provided security of their living rooms. One cannot accuse Yvonne of of any zest for growing roots into the sofa, au contraire. However, the dangers she encounters go far beyond anything she ever imagined. Russia's organized crime proves too tough, too well organized, and too cruel, when Yvonne and her former husband, Danny Wienstock, are kidnapped by predatory thugs. This terrifying account of the torture and dramatic rescue is recounted in vivid detail Bornstein's suspenseful tale, ELEVEN DAYS OF HELL.
   
   
   Yvonne's testimony drives home the fact that the events taking place in Russia affect everyone ... it's a small world we live in today. This is a read that tears at the nerves; Bornstein paints a lucid picture of the events of her and her husband's captivity in the town of Noginsk, involving horrible mental and physical abuses heaped on them. Fortunately, back at the ranch some good guys still work at the CIA, and they manage to unite forces with Russian and Australian authorities. The two stories are entwined in a way that builds tension nicely to a thrilling rescue, yet this is not the end. Yvonne must now grapple with the internal demons unleashed by her tormentors. The made for TV drama may be over, but, in the aftermath, her real battle has only just begun.
   
   For anyone who wishes a peak into the horrors and mind set created by events that few of us have or will ever experience, this book is a must read. That said, those who have already experienced "man's inhumanity to man" may have a difficult time getting through the disturbing sequence of events. On the other hand, other victims of violence may be reasssured that justice does exist in the world, and it is sometimes served to the thugs who deserve it.



2. In a popular Hollywood movie, one of the characters, playing a tough businessman who fancied himself a master of negotiating, expressed the opinion that in a business deal, there is no difference between a gun and a fountain pen. To believe that this is true is to believe that the use of force or violence to obtain monetary reward is equivalent to using artful negotiation, rational persuasion, or skillful selling. Coercion then becomes just another technique for the acquisition of wealth, and individuals in the business community who refrain from using it are to be viewed as "unrealistic" or even weak-minded. Strength of character therefore has its origins in a willingness to intimidate physically other people in order to bring about a desired end. Real business involves "doing whatever it takes" to increase wealth, even if this means causing extreme pain or even death.
   
   There are many who believe in this equivalence, but thankfully there are many who do not. As the events of her life and skill in entrepreneurship indicate, the author of this book is a member of the latter category, and in this book has written an engaging (and terrifying) story of how she and her business partner/husband were forced to deal with some individuals of the former category. Kidnapped for eleven days, where they were beaten and intimidated by a collection of moronic and confused thugs, who could not distinguish the acquisition of wealth from its plundering, and who sadistically enjoyed the pain they gave their captives, the couple nevertheless got away with their lives, with the assistance of a unexpected collaboration between East and West.
   
   For those, such as this reviewer, who are extremely skeptical of the competence of governmental security personnel, and of their abilities to cooperate constructively with foreign governments, this story will alleviate some of this skepticism (although the author describes the FBI as being reluctant to get involved). There are not too many things that are more frightening than the prospect of being caught in a foreign country where the laws and sense of justice are different, and where envy towards Westerners is predominant. And if one does find oneself in such a situation and does survive it, the natural thing to do it seems would be to obliterate it from memory. Reminders of it would be draining, both emotionally and intellectually, and would serve no useful purpose in everyday living.
   
   The author though has chosen to tell her story, and has written one that is fast moving but still gives insight into her moods as well as her captors. It focuses of course on the concrete details of her captivity, but also motivates the reader to consider why her captors behaved as they did, and whether the wealth that they expected to obtain was really worth the energy they expended to get it. It is always perplexing to see a group of individuals conniving, planning, and engaging in violent acts, and expending vast amounts of energy just to obtain by relative standards a paltry sum of money. Considerably less energy is needed to obtain the same sum by legal and creative means, but for some reason these types of individuals cannot see this. The answer must be that they love the intimidation and sense of power that violence gives them. The neurons in their brains are over trained by sadism, polluted with cynicism, and allow no expression of compassion or empathy. The money they obtain is spent in no time flat, on fruitless physical indulgences or one meaningless card game after another. They idolize and prop each other up, with their handshakes and backslaps, and any real sense of achievement is completely alien to them. Taking is always better then earning. They unite under the creed that "only suckers work."
   
   Interestingly, when the author discusses her emotional state with respect to her captors, she mentions the "Stockholm syndrome." This is supposed to be a kind of brainwashing that causes the captive to express sympathy for or even admiration for the captor. On the surface this does not seem too surprising, since when in a situation of dependence one's emotional processes are completely out of equilibrium, with a consequent loss of self-esteem. It is difficult to find definitive research on the reality of the Stockholm syndrome, due no doubt to low occurrence of situations like that of the author, and lack of explicit documentation of the emotional states of the captives, before and after their confinement. Such a syndrome could explain the reason why so many abused wives tend to remain emotionally attached to their abusive husbands.
   
   At the end of the book, the author describes her homecoming and the skepticism that she and her husband encountered by some members of the press, who did not believe her story. Their business in shambles, they did pick up and move on, although the author describes her life as being very stressful for sometime after the kidnapping. And what happened to their captors? "Whereabouts unknown" says the author. Unfortunately these creeps are still wandering around, and their behaviors have been emulated on a grander scale in the form of the Russian mob, part of which is active in the United States.



3. A Fantastic book. I highly recommend that you read it. It was interesting and I learnt a lot.
   
   Monica.



4. Yvonne Borstein and her husband Danny were kidnapped by a band of Russian gangsters and ex-KGB villians in early 1991. They were tortured physically and emotionally for a 1.6 billion dollar random (which was orders of magnitude above the liquid assets of the heavily-mortgaged Australian business-couple).
   
   Was Yvonne an innocent tourist kidnapped in Russia? No. A do-gooder helping revive post-Iron Curtain Russia? Well, no. How about a profiteer involved with shady business deals on Russia's black market? Yep, that's it. In hindsight, Yvonne admits that she and Danny were dazzled by wealth, heavily over-mortgaged on their house, gambling by paying out millions in anticipation of high (but dubiously legal) returns, and they were unwilling to wake up to the many signs of trouble in their Russo-Australian import/export business. As a reader, I appreciated her candor and lack of excuses or assignment of blame.
   
   Even shady entrepreneurs in economically ravaged countries don't deserve to be tortured for an insanely high ransom. Yvonne's book is the story of her entire life, from her childhood to her early troubled relationships before meeting husband Danny. Yvonne lays out the events which unraveled and lead south to the kidnapping. In captivity, Yvonne and Danny leveraged one another's strengths, plotting to get messages out to the world and to present the right "face" to their kidnappers. The couple only survived because of their union. When Yvonne was sexually assaulted, she knew she had to hide it during the captivity, to prevent her husband from violently assaulting their tormentors.
   
   Bornstein bills her memoir as evidence of al-Qaeda alive and well in early 1990's Russia. This is certainly a good advertisement in the post-9/11 world, but it is a shaky claim at best. Sure, there is evidence of al-Qaeda, but don't pick this up expecting some all-conclusive smoking gun expose on Afghan terrorism.
   
   Yvonne is a survivor and as inspiration to women everywhere. She dug up a lot of information to provide context to her own personal (and painful) narrative. Thanks for sharing your story, Ms. Bornstein!



5. I have great admiration for Yvonne Bornstein for having lived and breathed this horrific criminal act. The people who committed this crime should be shot, drawn and quartered! No-body should have to live through this kind of horrendous ordeal.
   This book has been marvellously written and should be listed on the New York bestseller list.
   I read via Google that Ms Bornstein is currently negotiating her life rights with a major Hollywood studio.
   Out of something bad comes something good.
   I truly hope that Yvonne succeeds in her venture, she really deserves it.

3 comments about On the Trail of William Wallace (On the Trail of).

1. I picked this book up in a book store in Scotland. I am a big fan of Braveheart and the William Wallace Story. This part guide book part travel essay is a great way to read about and follow the history of Wallace. Fans of William Wallace should also check out a website this author is associated with. Its something like "mcbraveheart.com" Again, if you are planning to visit scotland and love Braveheart, get this little enjoyable book. You will be glad you did.



2. I ordered this book from Amazon,the book started out a bit slow but I was soon to find myself not being able to put it down.I think anyone who reads it will find what a well put together book this is,a must read!



3. I think this ia a great book for those who want to learn a quick history of William wallace, as well as a guid to memorials in Scotland. For those who are planning a trip to Scotland, and also are intrested in the story of William Wallace I recomend this book. I also recomend trying to find it at a local bookstor instead because I bought mine for $14.99 brand new.

2 comments about Combat:: Twelve Years in the U.S. Senate.

1. Great book. I was born and raised in New Hampshire only to live in the mid-west now. There are certainly many things I love about living in this part of the country; BUT I tend to miss that NH Yankee Call It As You See It attitude. Talk about a conservative maverick!!!! Great book OH, the [editorial] review states he [was] a "Senator from Massachusetts." Of course we know that's not true.



2. As I write this in 2002, I find Rudman's book a lot more relevant than I did when I read it a year ago. Today, as in the 1980s, our politicians are no longer willing to make the tough choices needed to balance the budget. Rudman's book is a deeply personal story of how he fought against those trends. Rudman also explains how he got his friend David Souter appointed to the Supreme Court (a story that made me wince, since Souter is a bit more liberal than I). Rudman's book is not particularly deep and didn't teach me anything about policy; but certainly I learned a bit more about 1980s politics from it, and I wish he was still in the Senate.

4 comments about Two Princesses.

1. Forget what you've read in the tabloids. In this respectful and sensitively written book, Kevin Noa has masterfully chronicled the spiritual and humanitarian natures of two of the most famous women of the 20th century. In addition, for the first time, the reader will see the almost-eerie similarities in Diana and Grace's lives, and their deaths. Without ignoring the unpleasant parts of their lives, Noa casts off the luridness of other accounts, allowing these women's spiritual natures their well-earned place in history.

   If you are a fan of either princess, this is a must-add to your collection. If you've never read anything else about these two women, read this book first for the true and UNTAINTED stories of their lives.




2. In my first national radio interview, outstanding talk host Jordan Rich of WBZ AM 1030 Boston said, "Two Princeses is a terrific book and it was a pleasure for me to have Mr. Noa introduce it to my audience".



3. What I found most appealing about Mr. Noa's book is that it tells the story of Grace and Diana through its various themes in a candid, yet respectful way.
   Of all the books written about these two extraordinary women, who were so loved, is that both the flamboyant and spiritual side of each princess is told along with their problems.
   I found it a very good read and feel Mr. Noa captured each character with a very smooth style. I recommend it to all fans of either of these two great ladies.



4. I am a big fan of Grace Kelly/Princess Grace and have read many books on her life.
   This particular book seems as if it was written by a grade schooler for an English class. There are numerous grammer and spelling errors.
   As well the book is rife with silly errors about Grace. For example Mr Noa insists that Princess Grace's favorite perfume was called Fleurissimp. Fleurissismp? Try Fleruissimo. Just one example of many in this poorly written book.

5 comments about Goering.

1. ~Goering~ is an overall objective biography of the so called Iron Man, Hermann Goering. Goering is most famous for his ominous statement: "I have no conscience, Adolf Hitler is my conscience." Pragmatic, arrogant, callous, and always eager to impress his unflinching loyalty to Hitler, Goering secured a considerable power base in Hitler's Reich. Goering was an economic czar of sorts who controlled a portfolio of coveted positions in the Nazi state. He played a pivotal role in the organization of Germany's Wehrwirtschaft (i.e. war economy.) Chief among those roles: was his role as the head of the Reichswerke A.G.-a state holding company-which consisted largely of nationalized industries, properties expropriated from Jews, as well as assets captured in Lorraine, Luxembourg, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Romania, and all the way to the Donetz basin of the Ukraine. This enterprise was to supplant the primacy of the I.G. Farben conglomerate and become the fulcrum of the Nazi war machine providing steel, iron, coal, munitions and oil. Also, it was to facilitate the phased shifting of the Reich industrial base into Eurasia while ratcheting up production for the war effort. These plans never really materialized for various reasons: first, the Nazis quickly alienated the conquered Slavs; second, they recklessly pillaged and plundered-destroying many productive assets in the east, which otherwise could have been attained intact and unscathed because of the speed of the blitzkrieg; and lastly because Goering ineffectually diverted resources and manipulated the economy incessantly. Richard Overy captures some of the more naïve economic views of Goering rooted in his affinity for socialist ideas. Goering avowed, in a Nazi economic system, "Profits cannot be considered... Calculations cannot be made as to cost. " Such naïve economic thinking characterized a man greedily obsessed with bringing the German economy under his control. Likewise, he made sporadic interventions in the economy as if the law of supply and demand could somehow be negated or supplanted with the force of the Nazi will to power. Not surprisingly, the results Goering desired were seldom found. Moreover, shortages were common and production seldom met expectations. As a rule, the ambitious Goering zealously guarded his perceived prerogatives and was apt to look for more private industry to gobble up into his inefficient socialist conglomerate. Moreover, in his role as head of the German Luftwaffe (Air Force), Goering zealously pushed for an inefficient reallocation of material resources to his pet projects while diverting them from private industry and other military branches.
   
   He may have won Hitler's respect initially, because of their shared obsession with wunder-waffens (i.e. wonder weapons.) Despite, the engineering ingenuity and pioneering ambition of Germany in aviation and military technologies, the sporadic and tempestuous state interventions in the economy made any German technological advantage superfluous. Both Hitler and Goering were obsessed with constant perfection of designs as well as getting new ones online. As a result, assembly lines had to be constantly retooled and components redesigned, typically on the orders of Goering. For all these reasons, the idea of mass production became rather comical with the incessant changes ordered by Goering. Throughout the war, Nazi Germany-obsessed with perfecting tank and aircraft designs-made piecemeal gains in productivity while the Western Allies were busy churning out far more armaments and equipment. The full potency of Allied arms and munitions was cognizable in the sheer quantity they produced. These were volleyed at the crumbling Reich with full force.
   
   The Ruhr capitalists expressed frustrations at the sporadic interventions of the state. Though, the radicalism of Goering was somewhat tempered by others in power since he would have preferred more nationalization and state control over the economy. As a practical matter, at the behest of Speer and Hitler, the power base of Goering was finally curtailed after 1943 as concessions were made to industry and 'party moderates' in vain hopes of turning things around for the German war economy. In the end, it seems that Goering's bungling, anti-capitalist tendencies, and unintentional economic sabotage coupled with the Allied bombing campaign fortunately kept the German war machine from ever reaching its full productive potential. Richard Overy captures this reality quite well. In the end, the so-called Thousand-year Reich died in its infancy. History and divine providence, which was so often was invoked by Hitler to legitimize his assent to power, proved to be against him in actuality.



2. This book is very much an analysis of the malignant effects of putting Göring in charge of the Four Year Economic Plan, the wastage and inefficiency resulting from his mis and non management of the economy. To get a better feel of Göring as a person, vile, vainglorious, vulgar, you should also read Irving's book.



3. While this book may be considered a biography it deals more with German economics and Luftwaffe related events than with the actual life of Hermann Goering.
   If you are expecting a bio along the lines of Padfield's exhaustive "Himmler" or Kershaw's masterful "Hitler: Hubris" or "Hitler: Nemesis" forget it, this isn't for you. There are other Goering Bios that do a much better job of fleshing out the life of their subject than this relatively short book.
   This book does do a passable job of covering Goering's war years and his influence on ,and failure of, the Third Reich.



4. This was a difficult book to read since it is not really a biography. In fact you would learn little about Goering's early life from reading this book. What this book reviews are the policies Goering pursued at both the Luftwaffe and his Economics Ministry. Goering was no military genius, and he certainly couldn't organize like George Marshall, so he basically was a flop at both these positions. Yet, he garnered them up and retained them throughout much of the war to the detriment of Nazi Germany. It was a good thing he was on their side.
   The other thing that is striking about this book is that Goering made possible much of the war and murderous genocide of the regime. Even though he acted as the humane face of the regime, he in fact was one of the chief devil's disciples. He deserved what he got at Nurnenburg. He was as guilty as Hitler for the genocide, slave labor, and brutal warfare.
   This is a difficult read, since it covers primarily the policies of Nazi Germany. For policy wonks, this is a great read, for the lay reader, probably not.



5. This is a good book even if it does not resemble a conventional biography. The book has scant information on Goering's private life concentrating itself, rather, on Goering's performance at the helm of the German economy during Nazi rule. The author has a superb grasp of the subject at hand and he does portray an encompassing picture of German economic affairs during World War 2. Mr. Overy is an accomplished writer; his sentences are elegant and clear. Nonetheless, the book is difficult to read because the chapters and, even many paragraphs, are overly extensive causing fatigue to the reader. Overall, it is a good book that taught me a lot about Goering, the Nazis, and the German war effort.

3 comments about The Saddam Hussein Reader: Selections from Leading Writers on Iraq.

1. The Saddam Hussein Reader is an excellent compilation of articles on Hussein's brutal regime. There are a total of thirty-eight different articles by as many authors. Edited by Turi Munthe it is divided into three parts. The first dedicated to the Saddam's rise to power and his early years, the second part focuses on the Gulf War period while the last deals with the post-Gulf War regime.

   It's unfortunate that the Saddam Hussein Reader starts off with the interview of Saddam by Fuad Matar. While interesting in its own way it goes on far too long and is ultimately a PR fluff piece by a pro-Saddam journalist. The rest of the section is quite good. Especially notable are Said Aburish's excerpt from the Politics of Revenge, Ofra Bengio's analysis of his Arab viewpoint and Charles Tripp's analysis of the Iran Iraq war. Avia Shiaim offers up a genuine critique of US policy towards Iraq in the 1970's that supported the Iraqi Ba'athist party .

   Part II dealing with the Gulf War offers several articles from all across the political spectrum. Especially noteworthy is Saddam's own call to Jihad against the US coalition and a counter "Fatwa" by Muslims against the Iraqi regime's invasion of Kuwait. John Esposito's analysis of Islam and the Gulf War has a lot to commend it as well.

   The final portion deals with the post Gulf War era in Iraq, options for ridding it of Saddam and arguments against US involvement. All in all this is an excellent selection of articles which range from anti-Saddam to pro-Arab to anti-US. From US military officers to Israeli Academicians to Arab activists like Edward Said to left wing icons like Noam Chomsky and Saddam himself there is something for (or against) everyone.

   An excellent collection of articles and highly recommended.




2. I really did not think enough original thought went into this compilation. It was rather disappointing. You would learn more from reading a good daily newspaper once a week.



3. This book was published in 2002. Saddam Hussein was still in hiding and interest in knowing more about him and his brutal regime was still high. Now that Hussein has been captured and executed, interest has diminished. Nevertheless, this book remains an excellent resource for anyone wishing to better understand how Hussein came to power and how he was able to exercise total control over such a fractious population. One of the most interesting chapters is Hussein's "Call for Jihad" in September 1990, wherein he exhorts the Iraqi people to "save the entire human race...highlight the message of the meanings of Islam...and save humanity from the injustice of the tyrants and usurpers..." His appeal then will surely still resonate with the insurgents fighting against US forces in Iraq today. The chapters are taken from numerous articles/speeches by a variety of individuals (from Faud Matar to Noam Chomsky) who have differing points of view, some journalistic, others political or propagandistic. Nevertheless, the book as a whole is instructive and still pertinent as the US seeks a successful strategy for dealing with Iraq and indeed, the entire Middle East.

No comments about Cesar Chavez: A Brief Biography with Documents (The Bedford Series in History and Culture).

5 comments about Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant (Volume 1).

1. General Grant wrote this book while dying of throat cancer. He had been swindled by a dishonest Wall Street Broker and his trophies and possessions were stripped from him to satisfy the demands of his debtors. Bankrupt, suffering from a terminal illness and never passing a moment without acute pain, he produced this magnificent monument to his greatness. Those who denigrate Grant as a drunkard, butcher, bumbling President need to read this book in order to correct these errant assumptions. It is impossible to read this book and not realize that Grant was an inordinately intelligent man and one hell of a writer.

   Grant's Memoirs are a deserved classic in American literature and considered the greatest military Memoirs ever penned, exceeding Caesar's Commentaries. Grant wrote as he lived: with clear, concise statements, unembellished with trivialities or frivolities. The only "criticism" the reader might have is that Grant bent over backwards not to wound the feelings of people in the book. He takes swipes at Joe Hooker and Jeff Davis, but what he left unsaid would have been far more interesting. A compelling and logical reason why Grant was so spare in his comments was because he was involved in a race with death. He didn't know how long he could live and therefore, "cut to the chase."

   Grant's assessments of Lincoln, Sherman, Sheridan and other military leaders are brilliant and engrossing. His style, like the man himself, was inimitable and couldn't be copied. In everyday life, Grant was a very funny man, who liked to listen to jokes and tell them himself. His sense of the absurd was acute. It's no accident that he loved Mark Twain and the two hitched together very well. Twain and Grant shared a similar sense of humor, and Grant's witicisms in the Memoirs are frequent, unexpected and welcome. There are portions where you will literally laugh out loud.

   Though Grant's Memoirs were written 113 years ago, they remain fresh, vibrant and an intensely good read. I have read them in! their entirity 30 times in my life and I never weary of the style and language that Grant employed. He was a military genius to be sure, but he was also a writer of supreme gifts, and these gifts shine through on every page of this testament to his greatness. All Americans should read this book and realize what we owe to Grant: he preserved the union with his decisive brilliance. In his honor, we should be eternally grateful.




2. General Grant wrote this book while dying of throat cancer. He had been swindled by a dishonest Wall Street Broker and his trophies and possessions were stripped from him to satisfy the demands of his debtors. Bankrupt, suffering from a terminal illness and never passing a moment without acute pain, he produced this magnificent monument to his greatness. Those who denigrate Grant as a drunkard, butcher, bumbling President need to read this book in order to correct these errant assumptions. It is impossible to read this book and not realize that Grant was an inordinately intelligent man and one hell of a writer.

   Grant's Memoirs are a deserved classic in American literature and considered the greatest military Memoirs ever penned, exceeding Caesar's Commentaries. Grant wrote as he lived: with clear, concise statements, unembellished with trivialities or frivolities. The only "criticism" the reader might have is that Grant bent over backwards not to wound the feelings of people in the book. He takes swipes at Joe Hooker and Jeff Davis, but what he left unsaid would have been far more interesting. A compelling and logical reason why Grant was so spare in his comments was because he was involved in a race with death. He didn't know how long he could live and therefore, "cut to the chase."

   Grant's assessments of Lincoln, Sherman, Sheridan and other military leaders are brilliant and engrossing. His style, like the man himself, was inimitable and couldn't be copied. In everyday life, Grant was a very funny man, who liked to listen to jokes and tell them himself. His sense of the absurd was acute. It's no accident that he loved Mark Twain and the two hitched together very well. Twain and Grant shared a similar sense of humor, and Grant's witicisms in the Memoirs are frequent, unexpected and welcome. There are portions where you will literally laugh out loud.

   Though Grant's Memoirs were written 113 years ago, they remain fresh, vibrant and an intensely good read. I have read them in! their entirity 30 times in my life and I never weary of the style and language that Grant employed. He was a military genius to be sure, but he was also a writer of supreme gifts, and these gifts shine through on every page of this testament to his greatness. All Americans should read this book and realize what we owe to Grant: he preserved the union with his decisive brilliance. In his honor, we should be eternally grateful.




3. Much to my surprise and delight "The Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant" are surprisingly readable and full of a dry understated sense of humor. U.S. Grant's memoirs give a very down to earth approach to his personal history starting in Ohio and continuing through his education at West Point and his involvement in the Mexican-American War. I highly recommend this book to anybody who enjoys Antebellum U.S. and Civil War history, or just history in general. Personal memoirs are an excellent medium for getting into the shoes of some of histories greatest figures and seeing the world as they saw it. U.S. Grant's memoirs do all that and more. You will not be disappointed.



4. To start off, I am usually relectant to read autobiographies, as many should be considered works of fiction. I have read countless book on the Civil War and several on Grant, but I had shamefully neglected reading his Memoirs-my mistake. Several years ago I got a copy on sale and thought I would give it a read-I was a born again Grant fan!
   As many know, after leaving the presidency he lent his name and money to a failed business venture in New York and was near bankrupt. He had been approached by many to write his memoirs, but always resisted. The prospect of his beloved Julia not being provided for plagued him and so he consented to write them. He intially had a fairly good contract to write a subscription book, but his friend Mark Twain interviened and got him a deal that was substantially better. For an excellent overview of this, see Mark Perry's, "Grant and Twain".
   After reading this, I came away with a completly different view of Grant. The only job he suceeded at was the one he disliked the most-a soldier. He served with distinction in Mexico, but was opposed to the war. All he wanted to do was to teach math at West Point.
   The real heart of the memoir is, of course, the Civil War and here a masterpiece was made. He writes in a simply, though not an uneducated style. He is quite defferential and praising to his subordinates and clear describes where he made errors in judgement, not the usual justifications seens by so many. He cannot say enough good about Sherman and tactfully puts down Henry Hallecks meddling. The book ends with the end of the war and his last words were written only a week or so before he died.
   In my opinion this is a classic in history and needs to be read by anyone interested in knowing how the North really won the war. The copies of the original maps leave a lot to be desired, but this is trivial. My only regret is I cannot give it a higher rating than 5 stars!



5. Amazon and its various sub-concerns obviate customer inconvenience- and any reasonable complaints! First-class people of merchandising withal.

No comments about The Spy Within: Larry Chin and China's Penetration of the CIA.