5 comments about The Legacy of Luna: The Story of a Tree, a Woman and the Struggle to Save the Redwoods.

1. First the book was inspiring having been out of the "Environmental Movement" for 15 years, it was a breath of fresh air on a personal level. This is motivation to do more, to put action to the rhetoric. It brought into focus the simple fact that we are all connected to this living planet via creation.
   
   As I read I was left wanting more details. More information about the people in the book. I would like to see a daily journal. It was a little disjointed in places... jumping from one thought to the next with out clear transitions.
   
   It still is a great book and worth the money and time to read. I read it in 2 days... quick read.



2. Julia Butterfly Hill's father taught her a good lesson early in her life. The lesson was to stand up for what you believe in and not to give up. Julia obviously took this to heart. In her mid twenties she was looking for a meaning in her life. So she sold many of her valuables, "hit the road", and came into contact with an organization that was involved in the fight to save the redwoods. One of their main actions against the chopping of these trees is to put people up in a tree on a small platform for about a week.
   Soon after meeting people in the "Earth First" organization, Julia managed to sign up and sit in a tree. After a week she was more than willing to come down, but she was back up not too long after. But she became very sick and needed a long time to recover after her trip back down. When she found out that the association was having a hard time finding people to stay in the tree, she saw a solution: she would stay up in Luna (the tree she had spent time in before and was going to spend a lot more time in) for an extended period. The longer she stayed in Luna the harder it got: the weather worsened, the Pacific Lumber corporation which was targeting cutting down Luna started pressing harder and harder for her to come down, and even the corporation she supposedly was signed up with started to turn their back on her and beg her to come down. But with the lesson from her dad, her faith, and the friends she had made inside the corporation, she stayed up for longer, and longer, and longer.
   After her one hundred day mark in Luna, she started to become a very popular news target. Pretty much all day and night she was part of interviews, meetings and the growing struggle to save the redwoods. The people of Pacific Lumber really started to get ticked and did all they could to get her down. There were bills and pressure so they could finally have Luna in their own hands. But then an employee of this company started to treat her as a person and give her respect. John Campbell was the person who finally started to negotiate with Julia and respected her. They finally came to an agreement about a year and a half into her sit, but when she was supposed to come down, things got messed up with the agreement, so she still had to wait and sit and interview. But then came the fateful day about sixth months later in which she got a call that informed her that Luna and a buffer zone around her were safe. After two years in the tree, she had done her job, Luna was safe. So on December 18, 1999, Julia Butterfly Hill descended Luna and touched ground in the first time in two years.
   The Legacy of Luna was an enjoyable read with a good message, but I did have mixed feelings about it. While reading this book, you see that Julia is a unique person. She has a very broad faith and is very extreme in her love for Luna. At some times she would pray to Luna, and I found that to be a little weird, but then again I wasn't with this tree for 24/4 for 730 days. Also the book does get a little confusing when it starts to talk about the political essence of the tree sit. I don't know if it was just me, a high school student with little experience in this area, or if it was poorly explained, but I did get lost easily. I would recommend this book to someone who was excited in the environment and in the saving of the forest, but probably not for a Sunday afternoon read.



3. I had seen the documentary and was interested to read the book. It was enjoyable, well written and an interesting report of a woman's total belief in what she was doing, along with her lessons in dealing with the very personal issues and fears that arose in her. An easy read and worthwhile.



4. I read this in one day, it's almost as if reading a letter from a friend. I had heard about the woman who sat in a Redwood Tree in California, and after seeing the documentary about it, I had to read the book. The writing isn't outstanding, but I got everything I'd hoped for: A detailed description of life in Luna, which is amazing to say the least, and a much better insight on the activism to preserve old growth forests. I couldn't put it down. Read it for another perspective on life, and to learn more about Julia Butterfly Hill: A truly amazing activist.



5. A wonderful book about environmental activism that left my inspired to do more to save our great forests and outraged by what the major timber companies are doing to our old growth forests and the environment. I particulary felt disgust and sadness for the disregard by Pacific Timber Corp for trees that were centuries old and using diesel fuel, napalm and other harmful chemicals/substances on pristine areas. Profit at any cost is unfortunatley what it is about. It was refreshing to learn of Julia's stand against all odds. A great book that everyone should read.

5 comments about A Man Called Peter: The Story of Peter Marshall.

1. The works of both Peter and Catherine Marshall live on even though they are no longer among us. Fortunate for us that their legacy is still available, as we're richer for it.
   Peter was Chaplain of the U.S. Senate, a position he had not sought. He was a Scottish immigrant to this country. This book describes how God orchestrated the circumstances that led to a life of accomplishment from an eternally significant perspective.
   On page 15 she tells us, "Peter Marshall did not grow up wanting to be a minister. That was God's idea--not his." She says often God has to shut a door in order for us to go through the door he wants us to go through.
   Eric Liddell was a significant influence in Peter's younger years. He was the Scottish olympian who was more committed to Jesus than to winning international acclaim.
   I underlined what was said about dreams in the part of the book on Peter's early years. "I learned that just because God loves us so much, often He guides us by planting His own lovely dream in the barren soil of a human heart," she notes. Later on she adds that if the dreams are really of God, even though they may be carried a long time, they often suddenly become reality.
   I also love what the way she describes the book-lined place Peter inhabited. "Books lined one wall--good books--inspiring and instructive--good books--good friends."
   One of several idiosyncrasies I share with Peter Marshall is that we're both "night owls." She says he was usually his best and brightest around midnight.
   Throughout this book on her late husband, Catherine puts her thoughts into a reflective framework. She talks about Jesus and living life with the long view in mind. Along those lines she talks about Jesus, noting that he never refused anyone who came to Him for help. She says even if we lack faith, we can ask Him for it because faith is a gift of God.
   She modifies the phrase which is so commonly cited, "God helps those who help themselves," by writing that actually, "God helps those who trust Him to solve their problems."
   This is a well-researched, well-written, inspiring, faith-building, positive book that will make you a better person from having read it.



2. As someone related to those who have served in the clergy, I found Catherine Marshall's ardent tribute to her late husband, Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall particularly heartwarming and inspiring.
   As her husband (who became affectinately known as "Twittering-Birds Marshall" because of the flowery phrasing he gave to his wonderful sermons) painted vivid imagery with the parables he told, she paints a vivid image of his all-too-brief life.
   Through her words, we see the winsome Scottish lad who suffers the tragic loss of his father at age four, whose hardscrabble experiences and humble beginnings would lead him to have great compassion for others in similar circumstances, the spiritual depth he developed on the occassions when his Inner Voice saved him from accidental death, the inspiration he received from fellow Scottish churchman Eric Liddell, his Scottish wit, and fun-loving style. He was a man I feel I would have liked, as did many, and had he lived a few more years, he might have been highly instrumental in the struggle for Civil Rights, judging from the deferrence he gave to the writings of African American men of faith, James Weldon Johnson, and George Washington Carver, and his expressed concern for underpriviledged minorities. His sermon, "The American Dream", is still very timely in the modern world.
   Readers follow him through his immigration to the United States, his entrance into the clergy, his meeting of Catherine, the difficulty of finding time to spend with her due to mounting ministerial duties, his marriage, his camaraderie with other ministers, the high emotion of embracing U.S. Citizenship, the use of his sharp sense of humor to win people over to Christ, his enthusiasm for board games, sports, life itself, and also his great love for his family and humanity in general.
   I can hear the melodic trill of his brogue when his quotes appear in the story as his wife recaptures the rhythm of his speech patterns, and each chapter is headed with appropriate Biblical verses that summarize their contents.
   Dr. Marshall was nonimated as Senate Chaplain while serving in the church where Abraham Lincoln once worshipped, and upon his election became a much-loved confidant of Senators on both sides of the aisle. Michigan Senator, Arthur Vandenberg (who himself passed away around the time of this book's publication in 1951), affectionately called him, "Dominie", the Dutch word for "Parson".
   We share the couple's delight at the birth of their son, "Wee Peter" in the years prior to Dr. Marshall's rise to the Chaplaincy of the Senate, the challenges to their faith brought on by Catherine's bout with tuberculosis, and Peter's heart trouble, and see how much prayer meant in their lives at such time. We also see how Peter's illness inspired others to pray. But we are also made aware that not everyone admired the Marshalls and that the Good Reverend was subjected to anti-immigrant backlash as well as misinterpretations of the meaning of his sermons. He had his moments of self-doubt, as does everyone.
   Dr. Marshall's instinctiveness in changing his sermon for the graduating class of the Annapolis Naval Academy, which he gave just hours before the announcement of the attack on Pearl Harbor is formidable, and through his warm, consoling mannerisms, Christ became warm and alive in the hearts and minds of many. Through Marshall's example, many lives were changed for the better.
   We also see how this spiritually attuned couple helped produce some of Peter's best sermons in joint ventures that made their life's pilgrimage a real partnership.
   Five days after his attendance of President Truman's second inaguration, this fine representative of Christ on Earth was lost to the world. But his sweetness, and love for his wife were evident until the very end. As he passed from this life, the Holy Spirit gave Catherine the strenghth to carry on with her life, and to console others. As she worked on her late husband's story, he appeared to her in a dream, providing encouragement, but still letting that sparkling Scottish wit shine through, perhaps more eminently, in the afterlife.
   The last words he spoke to her, "See you in the morning", would carry her through the years.--Through the acclaim of this biography, the 1955 film of the same name in which Richard Todd gave an adorable performance as Peter, an eventual second marriage, the entrance of her son into the Presbyterian ministry, her own success with the novel, "Christy" and other religious literature, and eventually, her own undoubtably happy reunion with Peter in March, 1983.
   Her son honors the rich spiritual legacy of his parents by continuing the family tradition. As did his own father, Peter John Marshall lost his father in childhood, and perhaps strives to know him by following in his footsteps. Perhaps he knows the Senate Chaplain who was his father better than the elder Dr. Marshall knew his father through the availability of the Senate Chaplain's recorded sermons and writings.
   Christ said"...Whosover liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"--John 11:25, 26
   As the life of Dr. Marshall continues to inspire many all these years later, I'll say that I do.



3. I have both the movie and the book. I saw the movie when I was a child and it made an impression on me. I never forgot it. I have a grandson who is becoming a minister and I wanted him to see the movie. I haven't read the book yet, but I will soon. I feel sure it is better than the movie. I believe Peter Marshall was an outstanding minister and we can learn a lot from him. I am now 60 years old. This man has touched many lives over the years even since he died. I also have the book of his sermons. Catherine Marshall has kept his memory going and she is an awesome writer.



4. Dr. Peter Marshall's story about his rough childhood with the endless desire to go to sea,
   his eventual immigration to America after the LORD's calling him into the ministry,
   his seminary education,
   his marriage to Catherine Marshall (then Catherine Wood),
   his pastorate at N.Y. Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington
   D.C.,
   the birth of his son Peter John Marshall,
   his appointment to the position of Chaplain to the U.S. Senate,
   and his tragic death in 1949,
   are all wonderfully brought to life in this amazing biography of one of America's greatest preachers.
   Catherine Marshall has been a blessing to my life and has brought me closer to Christ through her many Christian books. Dr. Marshall himself has allowed me to probe deeper into the meaning of salvation by faith alone and his audio tape entitled "Can You be Wrong?" available at Peter Marshall Ministries - have been instruments used by God in the event of the salvation of many. His sermons included at the end of this book, especially the one entitled, "The American Dream", has been especially pertinent to issues that still exist in the USA today, and served as my Speech and Debate piece as a high school senior. Although Dr. Marshall was more of a story teller, rather than an exegetical minister, his sermons are up there with Dr. John MacArthur and other ministers who I love and trust. I would recommend this biography over the biographies of any other minister I have read to date.
   If the LORD had this much in mind for a poor Scottish immigrant with nine and a half dollars in his old brown wallet when he arrived at Ellis Island almost 90 years ago...imagine what he could have in store for you and me!



5. Peter Marshall was a man of God and yet he contemplated suicide in the play, "A Man Called Peter," based on this book. One of the school plays during the year I took Dramatics class and we were able to watch rehearsals. He was an inspiration to all who knew him. Some of his sparkling observations in our country are expressed here where he had a great ministry as minister to the presidents (before Billy Graham), he began in Birmingham, Alabama, as a newspaper reporter. He believed that each of us is responsible for helping our Christian brothers and sisters, especially the weaker ones.
   
   In one of his soul-searching, gut-wrenching sermons, he compared America to his native Scotland: "We have in the United States today a higher standard of living than in any other country, or at any other time in the world's history. We have more automobiles, more picture shows (movies), more telephones, more money, more swing bands, more radios, more television sets, more night clubs, more crime, and more divorce than any other nation in the world." In another, this truism based on Jesus' teachings" God speaks through our circumstances and guides us, closing doors as well as in opening them." All things work together for good for those who love God. The promises of God found in the Bible can give us hope, but many times we do not claim them as our own until we face a crisis.
   
   Andrew was chosen to be the Patron Saint of Scotland, and Saint Andrew's cross, a diaganol white cross on a blue ground, is the foundation on which St. George's cross of England and St. Patrick's cross of Ireland were laid to make the Union Jack. Alec, my youngest (son of the oldest son) was born on March 17 and reportedly looks just like Geoffrey (named after Chaucer). "A tired-ooout rail splitter, crouched over his tattered books, by candlelight at the day's end, preparing for his future, instead of snoring or sky-larking like his co-laborers, Abraham Lincoln cut out his path to later immortality in his spare time. Georgia Sharpe, an admirer of Peter Marshall, wrote: "A stranger entered a church during the sermon and took a seat in the back row. After a while, he leaned forward and asked the elderly man in front of him, "How long hs he been preaching?" "For about forty years, I think," the man replied. "I'll stay then," said the stranger;" he must be almost finished.
   
   Peter Marshall left behind just such home-spun philosophy in his teaching and ministering to the members of government at First Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. and a wonderful wife who shared (as did JoNell Allen) her husband's sermons with the public.

5 comments about Radio Free Dixie: Robert F. Williams and the Roots of Black Power.

1. Ultimately, the notion of white supremacy and the so-called glory of the Lost Cause always devolved to the use of violence and intimidation against black people and any one who sided with them. Williams' is an amazing story of courage and determination as he challenged the KKK and assorted white rabble of rural North Carolina in the 1940s through the 1960s in his quest for racial justice.
   
   Williams, a soldier during WW2, came back to Monroe, NC after the war and took on the clowns and goons of the KKK and the local and state white government. When they fired on his home, he shot back, upsetting the applecart of segregation.
   
   Tyson's book is a powerful portrayal of a man quite willing to die for his rights, a man fed up with the violence degradation inflicted on him by southern society, and a man willing to kill to protect his property, his person and his family.
   
   Tyson's realistic and entertaining portrayal of the stupid and inane actions of white southern racists in North Carolina is another reason to read this book. The local thuggery is almost comical, until one remembers they are well armed and prone to alcholism and violence. Tyson goes into great detail about a 1958 case where two black boys, 10 and 8 were BEATEN and IMPRISONED for kissing a white girl.
   
   Williams and his wife are not well known heroes of the Civil Rights struggle. This book gave me a greater appreciation of the vicious hatred, violence, and stupidity they were fighting, and how disciplined and determined the Civil Rights struggle had to be in the face of overwhelming white resistance.



2. The civil rights movement was not created by, lead by, or moved forward by the dozen or so media heros whose names we all now know. The civil rights movement succeed because so many ordinary people decided that they could no longer stand to live in the midst of injustice, and decided to step out of their daily lives and do something about it.
   
   Robert Williams did just that. An ordinary working class guy, he used his people skills to form a network of working class black people who did not have the patience of the old line leaders of the local NAACP chapter in his hometown. He got himself elected president of the chapter, and backed by dozens of local people, formed one of the most activist chapters in the country. The national NAACP never was comfortable with Williams or the work of his chapter, and at best held them at arms length.
   
   Inevitably, Williams' hard pressure on local structures of racism lead to a backlash. When he was attacked and his family threatened with death, the local police did nothing. When he and his community defended themselves, by taking up arms to combat the armed violence of the white racists, he was charged with murder, and became the subject of a massive FBI hunt. Escaping to Cuba, he operated a radio station, beaming the "truth" along with progressive jazz and blues which would never be played on corporate radio in the south, to Dixie.
   
   Ultimately, Williams' stance of self-defense was taken up by Stokley Carmichael in the South, and by the Black Panther Party in Oakland, and is now well known as the "Black Power" movement. But at the time, it was simply a slightly more hardline version of the NAACP. Local chapters of the NAACP, building on long traditions of mutual support in black communities throughout the south, supported by thousands of ordinary people, formed the backbone of the civil rights movement. Anyone who thinks otherwise should read the statements by Bob Moses and the other SNCC organizers, who readily admitted that they could never have accomplished anything at all if not for the decades of groundwork done by the local NAACP chapters throughout the south.
   
   Great book, which everyone interested in the history of the Civil Rights movement, or just interested in the way social changes really happen, should read.



3. Mainstream history seemingly gets real nervous about who is carrying a loaded weapon and who one associates with. Combine the two and it will take an outstanding historian like Timothy B. Tyson to bring to life the tireless work and controversies surrounding civil-rights activist Robert F. Williams.
   
   Williams brought the element of armed self-defense in seeking equal rights, especially in his hometown of Monroe, N.C. Though Williams, a military veteran, stressed that the specter of self-defense was necessary - and proven successful in confronting the KKK and other racists - his stance drew the ire of the NAACP's national office, the FBI and other government agencies & those in the civil rights movement who stressed non-violent actions no matter what the situation.
   
   The book is more than a biography on Williams. It shows how his demands for equal rights meant something different to various individuals and groups, though Williams would not politically "fall in line" with any movement. It was the perceived idealism that drew many to Williams, but it was such a coalition - including Malcolm X and the Socialist Workers Party - that made him particularly dangerous in the eyes of federal officials.
   
   While in exile from the U.S. after being erroneously charged for violating several federal laws, Williams was in Cuba after the revolution, North Viet Nam during the war, China as the Cultural Revolution caught fire and travelled to Africa. His independent thinking got him in trouble in Cuba; a radio show he conducted to the U.S., Radio Free Dixie, along with public comments he made, found Williams facing the wrath of Cuban government officials and ultimately led him to China.
   
   The book also shows how his wife, Mabel and women in Monroe & in other cities not only demanded civil rights, but were willing to defend themselves and their families from violent attacks through the barrel of a gun. Mabel Williams was also an important person in the writing, editing and publishing of a newsletter that gained national and international attention.
   
   Williams was an important catalyst for Huey Newton and the Deacons for Defense in their quests to skillfully confront the haters on the streets. In yet again another example on why we must continue to look past the history as it is written in textbooks, Robert F. Williams showed what can be accomplished when the intimidators become the intimidated while trying to perpetuate the myth of white supremacy.



4. A compelling look at a fascinating figure of the modern American civil rights movement whose story continues to be relevant. Particularly interesting is the nuanced and thoughtful treatment of the complex dialogue and tension between "nonviolence" and "self-defense" in the history of the Black freedom struggle in the US.
   
   The period of Williams's life following his exile is only very tersely outlined (as the author himself admits), giving the book a bit of an abrupt end. More analysis of Williams's decision to renounce public life, of his scepticism about the later direction of the "Black Power" movement that had claimed him as one of its icons, and of his decision to seek an "understanding" with the US gov't enabling his return from exile, would probably make for most interesting reading.



5. As one reviewer notes, Robert Williams name is not noted in other books about this era. This is a great loss to history. Also reading "Blood Done Sign My Name" will give readers a more complete picture of life for Blacks in the South in the 60's & early 70's.
   However, as Timothy Tyson told me in February, "desegregation is not complete". "Blood Done Sign My Name", is in production as a major movie at this time. It is being filmed entirely in North Carolina.

5 comments about Letters from Burma.

1. This is a collection of 52 essays that Aung San Suu Kyi had written in the mid 1990's for a Japanese newspaper. She discusses a full range of topics including politics, religion, and the daily life of the Burmese people as seen through the eyes of the country's biggest proponent of democracy.

   Her tales are fascinating and well written. They offer a glimpse into the world of an almost Orwellian regime and can peak the interest of readers unfamiliar with Burma's current state of unrest.

   As a recent traveller to Burma, I was looking for more detail into Burma's history and details surrounding the nullified election in 1990. Though these issues are touched upon, each essay is a mere 2.5 page newspaper article which does not lend itself to such depth. It is however a fascinating read and a great introduction to Burma's struggle for democracy.




2. As this book is a compilation of 52 letters written to be published as a weekly installment in a Japanese newspaper (each 2 or 3 pages long), it is an easy book to pick up when you have a few minutes. (In New York, we would call it a great subway read - you can read a letter or two between when you get on the subway and when you have to get off.) The letters combine Aung San Suu Kyi's political beliefs and accounts of the remarkable work of her political party (the National Democratic League) with vivid descriptions of Burmese culture and countryside. There are probably other books that focus solely on either the politics or the culture of Burma that do a more comprehensive job of describing it, but this seems like a great introduction to both.



3. This is not just a book. Along with Aung San Suu Kyi's two other major books ("Freedom from Fear" and "Voice of Hope"), this book is destined to be at the heart of the struggle - and eventually the victory - for democracy in Burma. Among the three, this is the one I found most wonderful. Vivid, direct, it makes the reader feel as if she/he is listening to Suu Kyi, with her wonderful Asian voice and Oxford accent. Suu Kyi talks about Burma, about her people, about herself. She tells of the tragedies of her people, in the most natural and serene way, as if she were telling of everyday life - because indeed, this is the Burmese everyday life. She does not inflate things, she does not push for her views, yet she reaches the reader's heart immediately - at least she did with me ! She simply expresses views and feelings along with plenty of thrilling facts and anecdotes. I can't imagine of any reader who won't love this book and won't feel inspired by this account from Burma's heroine. After reading this and the other books, I felt so close to Burma's struggle that I absoliutely had to go there and meet Suu in person. So I did, I took off for Burma and managed to meet her. I had met many world personalities before, but this was truly a unique event in my life. The pages of the book kept coming back to my mind, as I could finally see the source of all that strength and hope, the incarnation of Burma's struggle. In the end I was deported from Burma for having made contact with her. Now these books are my inspiration to keep fighting on for democracy in Burma in all ways I can.



4. An eloquently written piece that will be finished in a few sittings, Suu Kyi's Letters from Burma is a collection of short essays she submitted to the Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shinbun.
   
   It is likely that because it has been written for a mass audience, you will find 'Letters from Burma' easier to digest than her other books, Freedom from Fear and Voice of Hope.
   
   A remarkable politician, she examines Burma through its common people and the everyday lives that are led. As with all of Suu Kyi's books, she takes care to not forget why her party is fighting for democracy - its people.
   
   She discusses Burmese politics sans the jargon, allowing this book to be appreciated by everyone, even if new to the situation in Burma.
   
   She included in her writings, several wonderful quotes from English, Japanese and Burmese poems, reflecting her regard of the arts. The title 'Letters from Burma' more than merely states the intention of each of the 52 entries in this book. Her entries are personal, light-hearted, frustrated, or balanced. They are addressed to the reader, bringing him/her into the world of Burma, and seeing it as it is for a lay person.
   
   She has managed to make getting aquainted with politics so beautiful and enjoyable, through which i suppose she nurtures the concern and interest in matters of her state, that you are likely to re-read certain entries, if not the whole book again once you're through it.



5. Aung San Suu Kyi's letters are a window into Burmese culture, politics and problems the people of Burma are facing today. It is an excellent read, well written and very well worded. As you read this book, you begin to form a mental image of her as a person. Her gentle nature and positive, uplifting attitude show through. It is easy to see why the people of Burma risk their own personal freedom and safety to support Aung San Suu Kyi politically and her party.

5 comments about Cheney: The Untold Story of America's Most Powerful and Controversial Vice President.

1. This book from they guy who wrote a book about Hussein's connection with Osama-yup a true work of fiction. So you can imagine how good this book is-line your bird cage with it.



2. I doubt many historians would consider Dick Cheney the most controversial VP in US history - compared to Aaron Burr, Cheney is relatively tame.
   
   But despite the title, it is still good to see a volume that tries to cut through all the hyperbole and hatchet journalism in an effort to "stick to the facts." Cheney detractors looking for ammunition may not be satisfied, but the book certainly deserves kudos for its good-faith attempt at thoroughness.



3. There were many things that I suspected about Cheney, but never really knew, until now. The book is easy reading and very informative. It is one of the rare instances
   
   Yes, there are a few elephants in the room that are not addressed in depth, but at least they are referred to. In fact, in 20 years, they will be much less important than they seemed 5 and 10 years ago. Making this book somewhat of a glimpse into the future of how Cheney will be "remembered by history."
   
   I wish more biographies were written this well, regardless of who the subject is.



4. I suppose that when compared to other Vice President's books that Cheney is enthralling. The political scientists, who can tolerate some conservative bias, will be pleased. He is a mysterious man and this book illuminates some of our recent years with him.



5. This book appears to have been ghost written by Dick Cheney as it contains nothing but arguments always in support of his career despite the facts of his career. The author is no more than an apologist for Dick and should be ashamed of his cherry picking facts to suit his argument.

5 comments about Grover Cleveland: (The American Presidents Series).

1. This is a really great addition to the American Presidents Series. The man that historian Henry Graff dusts off for us is deserving of a good deal of respect, and certainly deserves to be remembered for more than simply having served two non-consecutive terms. In these pages we are introduced to a chief magistrate who didn't concern himself with rocking the boat or actively engaging in creating policy. Rather, Grover Cleveland saw his role as one in which he would keep government honest.
   
   Cleveland's greatest responsibility, he felt, was "the public trust" (that is, keeping government's promise of responsible representation of "The People"). That said, he also believed that, while the public should support the government, government was not in charge of supporting the people. This hurt him politically during his second term when the country fell into difficult financial times. He was thus unwilling to have the Federal government step in to enact legislation that might well have made a difference. Here, Cleveland stands in stark contrast to future Presidents (most notably FDR and the New Deal) and reveals himself to be typical of men who governed during America's "Gilded Age." In our retrospective points-of-view, however, we consider this -Cleveland's laid-back response-to be his one remarkable failing.
   
   Cleveland had no great crisis with which to contend, no nation-changing events that might have challenged him into action that would have lifted him into the category of great or near-great presidents. He was no Lincoln. Then again, he didn't need to be.
   
   Mr. Graff's book is easy to read and is a good, brief introduction to a man whose best legacy to the Oval Office was his service as a good and decent man who restored credibility and respect to the Office of President after a series of rather luke-warm, forgettable presidencies.



2. This book does precisely what it promised to do, and not one thing more... it is a compact, readable, and informative account of the life and times of Grover Cleveland. I would enthusiastically recommend it to anyone whose knowledge about this underrated president is minimal but wishes to learn more; for those who already know a great deal about him, I would recommend those books that explore the details of his life, character, and administration (like the biographies by Allan Nevins or Rexford Tugwell). This book is a primer, nothing more and nothing less.



3. Grover Cleveland's reputation among the presidents has risen over the past few years and Henry Graff's contribution to the American Presidents' series is welcome, though it is not a not terribly revealing study. Cleveland was known for his integrity but hardly remembered as a risk taker of any length as he served twice in the presidency. His years in Washington were solid, if not overly productive.
   
   This series about the U.S. presidents is designed to give a brief overview of the subects covered. This is not the best book in that series, but it is informative in many ways. The author tends to have more of a bent for covering the election process and the style of life exhibited by President Cleveland. Indeed the three elections in which Cleveland ran for president were all fairly close and worth a look, but I would like to have seen more on Cleveland's legacy and how it affected future presidencies. Graff's "Grover Cleveland" is a pleasant read, however.



4. If you want great detail on the presidents, this book series, "The American Presidents," will not be for you. If, however, you would like to get better introduced to some of the Presidents with some quick reads, this series could be very attractive. "Grover Cleveland," written by Henry Graff, is one book in the series. At the outset, I will say that this is a nice introduction to Grover Cleveland; if you want lots of detail, though, this book will not be for you.
   
   That said, this is up to the usual dependable quality of works in this series. The book begins by placing the Cleveland family in context (e.g., I had never guessed that one of Cleveland's predecessors was a founder of Cleveland, Ohio, after whom the city was named!). The story of Cleveland's political career began in earnest when he served as Mayor of Buffalo, NY. This served as a launching point for his accession as Governor of New York. In the latter role, he distinguished himself as a "reformer."
   
   After that, as a result of a confluence of events, he was nominated for President as a Democrat. While running for office (not that candidates did much in the way of campaigning), it came out that Cleveland may have fathered a child out of wedlock. Indicative of Cleveland's reputation, when asked what his "handlers" should do, he said, "Tell the truth." Rather refreshing!
   
   Once elected, he served as a competent president, with some accomplishments in his first term. He was defeated when he ran for re-election, with Benjamin Harrison ousting him from office. However, four years later, he was re-elected to serve the White House. There were many challenges in his second term, some beyond his control. There was also the medical problem that was kept from public eye.
   
   The book winds down by talking of his life after the presidency. This 138 page volume gives a nice glimpse of Grover Cleveland, his presidency, his times, and his accomplishments. For what it is, it does well. Recommended for those who want a brief introduction to the presidents generally and Cleveland specifically.



5. I think there is another book out there on Grover Cleveland called an honest president. Here Graff just confirms why Grover was a straight shooting honest politician. He made the comment when faced with controversy with "Lets tell the truth". What a novel way for a politician. This is why Cleveland appeared on three presidential ballots, and was elected twice. People believed in him and his standards.
   Graff does a excellent job of detailing the 22th and 24th President. The book flowed easily, and I found myself interested throughout the book. Maybe it was because of the character of Cleveland. The nation needs leaders like him now.
   
   A very good short biography of an overlooked president. Graff sticks to the details but makes them interesting.

5 comments about Evita: The Real Life of Eva Peron.

1. This book puts into perspective many of the myths and half-truths surrounding the life and death of Eva Peron. If you believe that she was 1/4 of what the musical and the movie said she was, for heaven's sake, read this book! This is the fifth book I've read on this subject and it is by far the best. I would encourage you to follow it up with "Evita In My Own Words" - which is her alleged deathbed manuscript.



2. The book is written with a rather academic tone of detached interest. There are few personal opinions, and the position regarding Evita is neutral. This could be either an advantage or a drawback, for Evita was both worshipped and hated by millions. In the words of one Life reporter at her death, "They were genuine and deep and demonstrated that Evita, who had contributed so strongly to the totalitarianism and bankruptcy of her country, had also won its love." There's been a lot of controversy regarding her actions during the Peron presidency. She campaigned for her husband; she chaired numerous organizations to help the poor, and appeared on one end to be the giver of goodwill. On the other end of the spectrum, she got rid of all political enemies, spent lavishly.
   
   In account of what she achieved in her life, it's really surprising to think that Eva had no education past the 8th grade; she arrived in Buenos Aires at the age of 15 with nothing but the clothes on her back, endured years of misfortune as an actress, to be permanently entombed as the savior, the termagant, the heroine, and villain, but always, Evita, the legend. In fact, at her death, the phrase, "permanently entombed" became rather literal. She was embalmed by Dr. Pedro Ara, Professor of anatomy, who specialized in what, at the time, he called, "the art of death". Years later, as Peron was ousted from power, her body, a monument of the age of Peronism, a symbol from which her supporters could rally, was hidden away by political rivals. The entire process increased the enigma that had always shrouded Eva, and will continue to do so into eternity.
   
   As much as her biography does her no justice, it highlighted the main points in her life, gave information regarding her ambiguous past and even more ambiguous future, and was a wholly well written, well documented book. It's not a book for pleasure reading, even less for research. It's simply a book for a person who is curious about a subject and truly wants to learn. Because it has no plot, nor any high points of drama, it's not a book that has you "racing through the pages", but plowing stolidly through it. Eva Peron is strangely reminiscent of both "From Emperor to Citizen", the autobiography of last emperor of China, and "the Stories of my experiments with truth", the final work of Ghandi. Although both are written from different perspectives, both reflect the lives of national leaders, who during their time changed themselves and others. Today, Eva lays in an unmarked tomb in Recoleta Cemetery, supposedly bomb-proof, fire proof, and buglar proof. It reflects a fear, a fear that the body of the woman who had inspired so much hate, and love, would disappear, while the woman herself, or rather her insuppressible myth, would live on.



3. Very interesting and well written but somewhat biased toward Juan and Evita Peron. There was no mention of their Swiss bank accounts and little mention of the many schoolgirls (some as young as twelve years old) that he bedded after Evita's death.



4. One of the most misunderstood, adored, reviled women in the 20th century ... Eva Peron's fierce anger and rage against injustice fueled an ascent from third rate actress to First Lady supreme. Many myths, rumors, outright lies surround her legacy. This is one book that attempts to deconstruct it all.



5. When I was assigned to read this book I was afraid it was going to be a boring biography that went nowhere. I was pleasantly surprised at how well written and interesting her life is. Evita shaped the culture of Argentina and brought the country on the world stage. She was laughed at in the capitals of Europe on the Rainbow tour and her society was riddled with corruption. Her life is well shown here and it provides an excellent look into the culture of the country. Fraser's translation is very well done and Navarro's work is the definition of academic scholarship. For those who want to learn about Evita there is no better book.

5 comments about The Life of Thomas More.

1. I enjoyed this book, but I do think that as a narrative history it is perhaps slightly flawed. The main strength (and problem) I have with this book is that the character study is so dominant that is completely ignores the larger historical picture that More lived within and, at times the dominant philosophy, that may have allowed a deeper understanding of More.
   
   The gnawing problem I have with this book is the main currents that More struggled against and the ideas he fought for are little outlined. The church that he so selflessly defended is little described beyond its social context in which More was raised. The central point of More was that the sublimation of the time honoured traditions (though admittedly flawed) could not be merely circumvented by mans personal appeal to God. Direct dialougue with God allowed a virtual pandora's box of interpretation and clash of beliefs that could only lead to mass bloodshed --- and he was right! This belief is left unexplored and the historical events, such as the peasants revolt in Germany that More abhored and used in his polemical tracts against Luther (a thoroughly scatologically unsavoury character) is not described. In addition Charles V sack of Rome and its influence on the relations with Henry VII are not considered relevant.
   
   So I feel dissatified because I am not getting a wide historical narrative. Although I understand the texture of the stones that he worshipped upon and the feel of the robes he wore, I have little feeling of the times that surrounded him. For the first-time reader of More, this may appear disconcerting.
   
   I realise that my critique cuts another way: if Ackroyd did write the larger historical narrative I wanted, he may have digressed into the narrative historical self-abuse of the 1000 page biography (only acceptable in the most exceptional of circumstances).
   
   I also get no sense of a building dennoument in the encounter with Henry. There is a annoying blase telling of the story with some bright moments -- the book gets better as one goes through it -- it is dense and quite frankly, a little boring in the beginning.
   
   ALso the Olde Englysh translations do detract from the flow of the narrative. Although it is easily understood ones reading flow slows from 700 words per minute, to 50 words per minute in the old English translations. He should revise it from the 16th Century vernacular to modern spelling.
   
   In final analysis I feel that I really did not understand the man. I feel that I need to get a hold of a better biography of the man. So if Ackroyd succeeded in doing this, then it was worth the read.



2. Gosh, golly gee, crikey - the superlatives could go on all day. This is a superb, densely textured biography. Ackroyd revels in the complex psychology and sociology of his subject, e.g., his devotion to duty, his father fixation, etc. He also places Thomas More firmly in the London of his time and in his historical moment - the Reformation - especially through More's own writings.
   
   It has been remarked that the chapters amount to a series of vignettes. That's true, and the amount of knowledge retailed in each glimpse of More and his world is staggering.
   
   To give but a few examples:
   Chap. 3 - St. Anthony's Pigs: we follow young More through the streets of Tudor London to his school and get insight into the Renaissance education system.
   
   Ch 4 - Cough Not, Nor Spit: Thomas' early career as a page to Archbishop (of Canterbury) Morton, Henry VII's notorious "enforcer". This relationship illuminates More's later dealings with Cardinal Wolsey.
   
   Ch 8 - We Talk Of Letters: sketches of Grocyn, Linacre, Lily, Colet, More - the "London humanists", or More's intellectual circle.
   
   And so on. The book continues in the same fascinating vein. It is a hard slog to read, and I'm sorry that Peter Ackroyd did not give a glossary of A) Latin and Greek expressions, and B) even some of his more obscure English words. I also regret that there's no map to illustrate Ackroyd's loving depiction of the London where More learned, lived, worked and suffered.
   
   More's story is well known and often told. Ackroyd has given a fully-rounded portrayal of the man, his background, career, family and friends.
   
   What a pleasure to read.



3. The moment I finished Peter Ackroyd's "Life of Thomas More," my strongest impulse was to close it, open it up to the first page again, and start -- immediately -- reading it all over again, word by word, page by page.
   
   I hung on every word of this text. I wanted to understand Thomas More.
   
   I wanted to understand a man whose misogyny was obvious in his many derogatory statements about women. For example, when asked why he liked short women, he said that it was best to choose the lesser of evils.
   
   When a mature man, More married a mere girl and got her pregnant so many times in such rapid succession that she lived only a few short years after marrying him.
   
   More married his second wife, as the saying goes, while still in mourning clothes for his first. He mocked that second wife, Dame Alice, publicly. He wrote texts that associated women exclusively with sex and disgusting bodily functions like vomiting and diarrhea.
   
   And, yet, More was exceptional for his time in educating his beloved daughter, the one great passion of his life, Margaret More Roper.
   
   More persecuted his countrymen who deviated from the Catholic faith, and published vile condemnations of Luther, and eventually, knowingly, and humbly, sacrificed his own life to his own interpretation of that faith.
   
   More rose, through obediance, flattery, and dogged labor, from relatively humble circumstances to being Henry the VIII's chancellor, and a wealthy man, and then tossed away his considerable worldly goods and power to die an ignominious death.
   
   You want to understand a man who could encompass so many passionate apparent contradictions.
   
   And, so, I hung on every word of Ackroyd's detailed and yet economical text.
   
   My attention was amply rewarded. Ackroyd marshalls the kind of authentic, telling details of the Medieval life that More lived that can make an era, and its inhabitants, come alive. Even so, Ackroyd is never wordy. When he has said enough, he simply stops.
   
   Along the way, Ackroyd brings to light the life and impact of a woman he says has been nearly forgotten: Elizabeth Barton, a seeress and nun in Kent. Barton spoke against Henry VIII's divorce of his wife, Catherine of Aragon.
   
   Her voice was considered so important that Henry himself visited her.
   
   For her trouble, Barton and her priestly followers were tortured to death.
   
   As I read, I could not help but reflect: in our own age of "celebrity," we know too many details about non-entities we don't care about at all -- the Britney Spears and Paris Hiltons enjoying their fifteen minutes of fame. We can view film footage of their most intimate moments on the internet; hear their every thought in televised interviews.
   
   Thomas More lived five hundred years ago. We can't ask him to reconcile for us his hateful diatribes against women and his love of Margaret, his ant-like accumulation of worldly goods and his sacrifice for his beliefs.
   
   The records just don't exist.
   
   And, yet ... even though the More in these pages has to remain something of a cypher, even though More, as was the norm in his time, wrote with extreme caution in ambiguous, tradition-bound, unspontaneous and sometimes flowery prose, I felt I had an encounter, through Ackroyd's book, with a remarkable human being. I was in tears throughout the final passages leading up to More's death.
   
   A final word: I am a fan of "A Man for all Seasons." Again and again, reviewers pit Ackroyd's book against the Robert Bolt play and subsequent movie.
   
   One does not necessarily cancel out the other...both the film and this book work, for me, from what I know about More, as explorations of his life and impact, and his famous final choice.
   
   I never saw Paul Scofield's More as a Thoreau-like figure, as some reviewers have said; he was not depicted as living in a house in the woods, after all, and he did base his decision on adherence to a greater principle than personal conscience, i.e., the law, just as Ackroyd's More does.
   
   So, yes, do see the movie, and do read this book.



4. Thomas More lived an exemplary life during hard times. His faith in the Catholic Church was put to the test by his king, and though he failed his king and paid the price on the scaffold, he served his God and was rewarded with martyrdom and sainthood. Peter Ackroyd's book is a brilliant and dramatic telling of More's life.
   
   Thomas More was born in London in 1478. He was educated at Oxford where upon his father's insistence he studied law. But he was also interested in theology and thought for a while of becoming a monk. Famously he wore a hair shirt his entire life. Instead of taking vows, however, he took a wife and had four children. He made sure his daughters received as rigorous an education as his sons. (His wife died in 1511 and he married Alice Middleton and adopted her daughter.)
   
   The law was More's lifelong profession where he represented various groups in the courts and helped settle trade disputes abroad. He wrote a history of King Richard III, wherein he portrayed Richard as a cruel, even criminal, ruler. In 1516, he published his most famous book, UTOPIA, which described an ideal community governed totally by reason. When Cardinal Wolsey failed to secure an annulment of Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine of Aragon, he was replaced by More as lord chancellor. He worked diligently in this position and became a friend to the king. But troubles were already visible in the horizon.
   
   When Henry, through the Act of Supremacy, declared himself the head of the Church of England, More was in opposition to him: he refused to take an oath of allegiance to Henry that would deny papal supremacy of the church. He was tried, found guilty, and beheaded five days later.
   
   Ackroyd is especially good in relating the dramatic events during these last few years in More's life. He narrates this with the power and skill of a novelist; indeed, it's almost impossible to put the book down during the last 100 pages. Anyone in want of moral uplift need only read these last pages for complete satisfaction. More went to the scaffold bravely, even telling the executioner to stay calm and aim true. He joked after stumbling on the scaffold steps and received help: "When I come down again let me shift for myself as well as I can." Then "he died the King's good servant but God's first," which is his life in a nutshell. Ackroyd writes with authority and tremendous style, but it's the drama that he infuses in his account that truly sets this book apart. Highly recommended.



5. Sir Thomas More was a Londoner from birth. He was born in 1478 in the last flowering of the late Middle Ages Roman Catholic world of that distant day. More was a brilliant student who studied at Oxford and at the law courts of Lincoln Inn. More rose high and became Lord Chancellor of England under Henry VIII. All was well with Sir Thomas as he served King and Country as lawyer, judge, diplomat, Steward of Oxford and Cambridge, pious Christian layperson and author. His book "Utopia" has become a deserved classic of satire.
   More was a humanist who was friendly with great men such as Erasmus who often visited him in his estate in Sussex. More was twice married to Jane Colt who died at 22 and the widow Alice Middleton who was witty, wealth and wise. More had a quick wit, deep love of God and strong belief in the
   beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church. More had several children by his first wife. His daughter Margaret was considered to be the smartest woman in England being proficient in Latin, Greek and the classics. All of his children loved him. More indulged in scatological jokes; had countless pets and viewed life as a grand drama with him as an actor upon the stage of affairs.
   On becoming Lord Chancellor after the fall of Cardinal Wolsey he was zealous in the persecution and burning of reformers and Protestant. More opposed the English translation of the Bible by William Tyndale. He could be cruel and was a bitter enemy of anyone who opposed the Church. Like most people of the age he was superstitious believing firmly in ghosts, omens in dreams and the literal interpretation of the Bible. More called for reform in the existing church but believed everyone should obey the Pope in Rome as a father is obeyed in the well ordered home. He would not brook breaking away from Roman Catholicism.
   More was beheaded in July 1535 and his property was attained due to his refusal to subscribe to the marriage of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. More believed Henry's marriage to his first wife Catherine of Aragon was valid. He believed that by marrying Anne the King of England was not in obedience to God's law. More believed the church should be governed from Rome rather than be ruled by the King of England. He hated Martin Luther condemning him to hell. More was inimical to the Protestant Reformation. His faith was in the old church which had governed Western religion for a millenium.
   My feelings towards More are mixed. I do not like his persecution of heretics but one most concede that he was a product of the cruel times in which he lived. I do admire his courage in dying rather than sacrifice his belief in what is right to do as God gave him the light to discern that right. More has been sainted by the Roman Catholic Church.
   Peter Ackroyd is the author of this 400 pages book making it much shorter than the definite biography of Sir Thomas by Richard Marius. Ackroyd portrays More warts and all giving a balanced view of the controversial man's life and times. More and his contemporaries are often quoted using the English of the period. This may prove annoying to many readers who prefer to read about him in a standard English format. This is a fine biography by one of England's best biographers.

5 comments about An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917 - 1963 (Dynasty).

1. This is the first full-fledged biography that I've read about JFK, and it certainly was informative and educational. Robert Dallek's access to the official medical records provided for an extremely enlightening tome. Certainly we gain appreciation for the intense physical torment which Mr. Kennedy must have felt while he was in office, and also the way that his back must have plagued him on the campaign trail. My one fault with the narrative is that I think Dallek gave short-shrift to Kennedy's affairs and sexual conquests. I do not bring this up due to a need on my part for more "juicy" details but due to the realization that his assignations were a political liability--such as when they were possibly used against him in the selection of his Vice President. It's hard to know what ever happened beyond closed doors but his relations with so many women undoubtedly jeopardized his ability to lead (due to blackmail concerns). I also felt that Mr. Dallek was rather naïve in regards to the 35th President's motivations. Did he have an overwhelming need to serve the public? Perhaps, but this, assuredly, was secondary to his need for power and status. We see here, in retrospect, how absurdly ambitious this young man was and how much his drive offended some of his contemporaries. One Senator said, "Why not show a little less profile and a little more courage?" Indeed. If he wanted to only to serve the public then he could have done so by less flamboyant means. At any rate, I still admired JFK after reading this biography, but the factual accounting of any person always tarnishes their veneer. That is inevitable as we are all human.



2. What you will like about this book:
   
   1) The apt title: it's a nice little turn of phrase which both recalls and overturns the biographical genre. Also, it reminds us that JFK's life was unfinished in two respects: he died young, and he died without completing his term in office.
   
   2) The sober treatment of the subject. Dalleck neither sensationalises JFK nor does he excoriate him. There is an admirable even-handedness in his assessment of JFK's achievements and fiascos.
   
   3) The slow, patient accumulation of facts upon facts, which might make for a long book, but which help to build up a thorough picture of what exactly happened. Especially useful if this is you first Kennedy biography or if your knowledge of this era is a little hazy.
   
   4) The sheer drama of the events that unfold. Kennedy's tenure was brief but the crises he had to deal with were of monumental proportions. Especially engrossing are his confrontations with Kruschev during the Berlin Crisis and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
   
   What you may not like about this book:
   
   1) I never thought I'd be tempted to put away a book about Kennedy, but I almost did. The first 200 pages were especially hard going. Most exasperating were the overlong, involved discussions about Kennedy's medical problems. Of course these are relevant to his life-story, but they are interesting only up to a point. Then they become tiresome and spoil the pacing of the narrative. One can safely skip these parts and move on to the "story".
   
   2) Dalleck's writing style: Now don't get me wrong...Mr Dalleck is a fine writer and his expositions are very clear and sometimes brilliant. I thought the epilogue was especially well-written. But his style is too deadpan to generate any excitement in the reader. I think a life as colourful and portentous as Kennedy's deserves a narrative with more panache and perhaps a little flamboyance.
   
   3) Whatever happened to Kennedy's private life ? There is adequate treatment of his growing up years and of his relationship with elder brother Joe. But his relations with women, with his wife and children, what he did when he was not being "political", all this gets only cursory treatment. The omission is especially glaring after Kennedy assumes the presidency. From then on the book is almost entirely political. This means that it falls short of being a complete biography.
   
   4) As an old hand at reading biographies -I've recently read books on Mao, Hitler, Gandhi, Lincoln, Napolean, Indira Gandhi, Darwin, Einstein--I know that one of the most effective things a biographer can do is to provide a sort of leitmotif, a common thread running through the book and at various lifestages, that helps to explain and understand the character. Without such a device, the reader doesn't get a satisfying grasp of the protagonist. The only recurring theme is Kennedy's medical problems and how these might explain his actions. There are others, but they are not explicitly stated. Dalleck tries to do this by rounding things up in the epilogue, but it's a case of too little, too late.



3. The esteemed author of a two-volume biography of LBJ takes a hand at a "comprehensive" bio of JFK, drawing on all that went before, and adding some new research.
   
   A lot went before. More books have been written about JFK than any other presidents except Lincoln and FDR. If you don't want to wade through them all, this is a good one-stop choice.
   
   The main new information comes from Dallek's first-ever access to cartons of unsorted medical records from Dr. Janet Travell, JFK's official in-house physician. These and other records reflect much more, and much more serious, medical problems than was known during JFK's life. In particular, he had severe intestinal problems as a teenager, which were treated with corticosteroids, then a new treatment. The steroids caused osteoporosis of the lower spine and vertebrae, leading to lower back problems as early as 1940. In addition, he suffered from rheumatic fever and, later, prostatitis, urethritis, ulcers, and malaria.
   
   Over his life, he took an astonishing quantity and variety of drugs, including hormones, amphetamines, codeine, cortisone, Lomotil, paregoric, penicillin, procaine, Ritalin, antidepressants, and testosterone. During the campaign, he was followed everywhere by a "black bag" containing his medications. This was once lost, to his distress, lest the severity of his problems be disclosed.
   
   He was medicated during critical times, including the Vienna summit with Khrushchev and the Cuban Missle Crisis. Dallek opines, with expert assistance, that the medications did not impair his performance, and indeed, that he could not have functioned without them.
   
   Dallek also uncovered some five hospitalizations between 1955 and 1957 that were not previously known, raising the implication that there were others, and reconfirming Kennedy's adeptness at cover-up. Dallek's judgment on this is two-pronged: first, that JFK recklessly endangered the country by seeking and accepting the presidency in such fragile health, and was devious in covering it up; second, that he was nevertheless even more heroic than we imagined in coping with it.
   
   Dallek's most publicized revelation was of "Mimi", a nineteen-year-old intern that Kennedy had an eighteen-month affair with ("Kennedy's Monica"). The episode is mentioned only in passing in the book, but was the lead story in the press when the book was first out.
   
   On Vietam, Dallek dug up a brief oral statement taped by Kennedy days after the Diem coup in November, 1963 (just weeks before his own assassination). In it, Kennedy refers to the extreme division there had been in his government over whether to support the coup, and the regrettable murkiness of a cable sent to Ambassador Lodge, setting him on a course to which "he was already inclined". He also expressed shock at the death of Diem, and concern about whether the new government would be stable.
   
   Dallek cites this tape as evidence that Kennedy was going to order a pullout of the 16,000 U.S. advisors then in Vietnam, and that he would never have escalated as Johnson did. Other evidence consists of an order to Defense Secretary McNamara to prepare a plan to withdraw "by 1965", an order to the State Department expert on Vietnam to prepare an analsis of "all options, including withdrawal", a statement in a September, 1963 TV interview that "it's their war", and one or two "think-aloud" private remarks.
   
   Dallek is not convincing. The actual record is sparse and ambiguous. Robert Kennedy himself said later that he did not know. Against Dallek's view are Kennedy's commitment to containment of communism, his "bear any burden" rhetoric and mentality, and his professed belief in the domino theory. The one concrete action he took was to order the increase from a few hundred advisors to 16,000 in the first place. And his main advisors--McNamara, Rusk, Taylor, and Bundy--were also LBJ's.
   
   Like Johnson, Kennedy obscured the U.S. role from the public. By the time he died, the issue had not yet come onto the general public's radar screen. Even viewing his actions cynically, he was too much the politician to simply abandon Vietnam to the communists.
   
   The truth probably is that Kennedy was conflicted, that the increase in advisors was a "buy time, split the baby" measure, and that he had in fact not yet decided what to do. In all things, he was more of a reactor and improviser than a large strategic thinker.
   
   Like the LBJ books, this one is written in plain English rather than that dreadful academese that many professional historians are captives of. Apart from the disclosures above, there is little that is new. It is mainly a distillation and re-presentation of the vast prior literature. As such, it is an admirable job, worth a solid B+ if turned in by a graduate student.



4. Dallek does a very fine job of presenting a balanced look at his subject; he obviously thinks a great deal of Kennedy, but this is no hagiography; when there are mistakes or missed chances by Kennedy, he gives them as much attention as he gives the successes. Those who wish to cannonize Kennedy will be disappointed, as will those who think he is overrated, with the best reputation that his father's money could buy, as well as those intent on believing any and all conspiracy theories about his assassination. But anyone wanting an evenhanded view of the man will find this book a treasure trove of information.



5. Robert Dallek's biography is commendable for its honest approach to a biography of the 35th president. While some biographers may gloss over less flattering facts, Dallek is unflinching in his analysis and claims to have the most complete documentation of Kennedy's medical records. In this, he may have composed one of the most valuable records of the life of John F. Kennedy.
   
   The book begins with the early history of the Kennedy family including the merging of the Fitzgerald and Kennedy family which molded the political dynasty. Though Joe Kennedy modeled his oldest son Joseph to be the future president, his dreams were shattered when Joseph died in World War II. The burden was then placed on the initially unwilling second son John. With the use of his father's wealth, John experienced a meteoric rise through the House and Senate before he ran for president in 1960. Though some would suggest the Kennedy money and Chicago mayor Richard Daley "delivered" Illinois, and as a result the presidency to John, Dallek's evidence suggests otherwise.
   
   Though Kennedy is remembered as one of the great presidents in history, his work is suggested to be somewhat overrated in the broad scope. Kennedy's finest hour may have been the Cuban Missle Crisis. However, this may never have happened if Kennedy had not failed in the Bay of Pigs. Movements in civil rights were influenced by the political climate only until his conscience could not negotiate the price of political gains relative to the turmoil in the south.
   
   Relatively little time is spent on the assassination. This is a good thing in that the book is intended to focus on Kennedy's life. Ficticious or not, there are already too many books that focus on the assassination.
   
   No part of this book is more staggering than the documentation of John F. Kennedy's medical records. Even as an adolescent, he endured numerous medical issues. By adulthood, he took a drug regiment which will never be completely known. "Dr. Feelgood" was very secretive about what he gave the president. Testerone and steriods were among the drugs he took for his back and may also explain his womanizing to some degree. Even if Kennedy had not died in 1963, one must wonder how long he would have lived. One may even doubt whether living through two terms was possible.
   
   While some are far more interested in the scandals, Dallek's delightful account is detailed and reveals previously unknown facts. As a person that has difficulty staying interested in longer reads, I had no difficulty with this book. In terms of American history, this book is a must.

5 comments about Opening the Dragon Gate: The Making of a Modern Taoist Wizard.

1. Great disservices to people whom are searching for information and enlightenment on Taoism. The authors used a map of china and a few books on Taoism to take the reader on an almost 300 page fairy tale coated to read like a biography. The characters shift personality quicker than a chameleon does color. I think there is a story in the book but the contrived situations get in the way.



2. This was a very good perspective on Taoist miracle working. It briefly mentions many techniques, without explaining them, so this is not a manual for learning Taoism. Some of it is unbelievable, but as a story it is excellent. It mentions many books, mostly from the last thousand years. It provokes the reader into more study.



3. This was an exciting look into the life and training of a Taoist master in China living through the Communist Revolution. While offering a compelling tale of cultivation and growth, this book also gives the reader insight into the practice and attainment of Way. It allowed me to reflect upon my own life and inner journey and gain new perspectives for my own qi gong practice. I was truly humbled and inspired.
   
   If you practice any type of inner art or are interested in doing so, this is a great book to read.



4. This book is the best book out there, that explain how to get the highest in Chi Kung in Taoism, I had read the book in Spanish and is so beautiful and good. Let me just say that are you interesting about the history of one of the highest Master in Taoism and student training in Chi Kung, this is the best book I know, and the one I recommend you to read! I look forth, for the other books of Master Wang Liping! Thank you very much for this book!



5. Amazing story.Hard to put book away.Truly inspirational.This is not book for beginner on Path of Tao.Greatly recommended for those seriously studying Qigong Meditation or Taoism .One of most influential books had joy to read