No comments about George Washington: Foundation of Presidential Leadership and Character.

No comments about El Neron del Siglo XXI: George W. Bush, Presidente.

2 comments about Rare Personal Accounts of Abraham Lincoln.

1. This was a very intersting book! It contains letters that invidivuals have written about Abraham Lincoln that met or knew him personally. If only someone would build a time machine!



2. One of the satisfactions of being so involved in reading and reviewing books is that I get to meet some fascinating people with some truly wonderful books. Sure, there is some dross, too. However, because of what I like to read and review I avoid most of the stuff I would hate. This is a very special book that we came amazingly close to never having at all.
   
   By a very unlikely set of circumstances I happened to meet one of the editors of this book. We fell into a conversation about reading history and he told me about this book. It turns out that his brother was an avid collector of historical memorabilia, some of it amazingly valuable. As he was caring for his brother's estate there was a flood in the basement where this manuscript was stored. They were busy throwing away a lot of stuff that was ruined and material that seemed to have no value. Something told him to take a closer look at the books that were the manuscript of this book. He soon realized what a treasure it is.
   
   The manuscript was put together in the first couple of decades of the Twentieth Century when some of those who had seen Lincoln were still alive. John E. Boos was an avid autograph collector, a devotee of Abraham Lincoln and the soldiers who fought in the Civil War. His text for the book does not give a complete transcript of each item he collected, but does talk about the items and provides some context for the items. Some get more extensive treatment than others. The Boos manuscript is NOT a finished or even polished text, but that isn't at all important. What is important is that the editors have not only included the Boos text, but PHOTOCOPIES of the original documents. We can see the handwritten documents and glean all kinds of interesting information from them.
   
   For example, there are many accounts of the Lincoln-Douglass debates from people who attended one or the other of them. I learned that Lincoln was dressed more casually than Douglass. Lincoln wore Kentucky jeans and could have used a haircut in at least one of the debates. Another recounts Lincoln wearing a long duster coat. Douglass is remembered by one has having worn a blue swallowtail coat with a shirtfront stained with tobacco juice. He noted that Douglass liked to drink and looked like he had come to the debate looking as if it were the morning after the night before. Another fascinating detail was how Lincoln would bend his knees and the quickly rise to his full height to emphasize a point.
   
   There are also many accounts of soldiers and officers who served in the Civil War. Getting information on the battles in which they fought, their wounds, and their lives after the war is all quite interesting. It seems to me that the material in this book would be of interest to historians and history buffs interested in Lincoln and the Civil War. If there is any new nugget of information provided in this manuscript it could be quite valuable to our understanding in reconstructing various events. Given the attention any new scrap of information about Lincoln gets, the accounts presented in this book would seem to me to deserve careful examination.
   
   Granted these folks were all aged when they gave these accounts. Everything they say should be checked for plausibility, but it sure reads as if it were true. One person admits being unsure if one of their memories is something he experienced or something he read about or from a photograph he had seen. This is always the problem with accounts taken decades after the events. I do think that going through these accounts is more like looking at a site of possible gemstones rather than panning for gold. John Boos has done all the collection. Some might be quartz, others might be glass, but there just might be a diamond or two that can really help our understanding of events. In any case, they are all interesting. Even just looking at the handwriting from a century ago is fascinating. Some historian should not only look this over in book form, but contact the editors and make sure that these manuscripts and original documents are properly preserved for future generations.
   
   Of course, I am strongly recommending this book.

No comments about The Re Lincoln: A Portrait (1922).

No comments about Jefferson: A Monticello Sampler.

No comments about The Life Of Napoleon Buonaparte V3.

2 comments about Lyndon Johnson and the Kennedy Mystique.

1. Absolutely the most brillant piece of histo-drama ever written on the political affairs of men and their madness.



2. Absolutely the most brillant piece of histo-drama ever written on the political affairs of men and their madness.

No comments about Winston Churchill : The Greatest Briton.

No comments about Papers of John Adams, Volume 14, 27 October 1782 - 31 May 1783 (Adams Papers).

5 comments about The Lion's Pride: Theodore Roosevelt and His Family in Peace and War.

1. This book made me want to be a better, more involved citizen. It really gets at the heart of this incredible family.



2. I read any book on TR. This one I was hoping would reveal more about his family. It still is a good read about TR.



3. Renehan's accounting of the last years of Theodore Roosevelt Jr. is condensed and fascinating. Mostly covering 1898 and 1910-1919, the book provides insight into the southern New York high society of the early 20th century. Famous names, including Vanderbilt, Roosevelt, Cowles, and Coolidge, parade across the pages.
   
   Nuggets include the mention of Harvard in that time as a conservative and pro-military bastion (compared to today's institution fighting military recruitment in court), Woodrow Wilson viewed as an appeaser, a coward, and an appointer of bigots in his administration (in contrast to a reputation as being a visionary negotiator), observation by Gen. George Patton that Theodore's eldest son, Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt III, was a courageous commander- but no soldier (both father and son won the Medal of Honor...a feat perhaps not matched by any other American family), and the contrast highlighted between Kaiser Wilhelm's non-combat patronage of his sons (during WWI) and the former president Roosevelt's sons participating in front line combat. Another interesting fact: three of Roosevelt's four sons died in military service--one killed in action, one dead of a heart attack a month after D-Day and one day before he was to be promoted to major general, and one a suicide). The fourth suffered from the long term effects of severe war wounds.
   
   Roosevelt is also revealed as a founding father of the original progressive movement...born out of the Republican party, no less. "Progressive" used to mean advocating sensible capitalism through the restraint of unlimited power of large corporations (through the Sherman Act) and the promotion of sound environmental policy and conservation. It also demanded the U.S. government uphold its main role--that of national defense. This is in stark contrast to today's "progressive" thinking--complete rejection of market economics and corporations, radical environmentalism, and pacifism. Roosevelt must spin in his grave.
   
   All in all a great primer of the former president. Makes you want to immediately run out and read more.



4. Completely understanding TR is impossible without considering his children, or his own childhood for that matter. These are the foci of the "The Lion's Pride: Theodore Roosevelt and His Family in Peace and War." TR was deeply influenced by his father, a wealthy and generous, many would claim great man whose most glaring defect and regret was what amounted to a buy out of his Civil War service obligation. TR called him the "greatest man I ever knew." Yet, in many respects TR spent the rest of his life attempting to overcome and reverse this blemish upon the family record through extraordinary patriotism and service. Leading at the apex of conflict and danger was the duty of a great and privileged family. This credo was embraced wholeheartedly by his children, which makes for fascinating reading. While some would argue this compulsion became excessive and detrimental, the Roosevelt's had no regrets and curiously embraced their family tragedies in the midst of great pain. This phenomenon is particularly evident in the death of the youngest, Quintin while flying patrol over German lines in WWI. On the other hand, if you are looking for an in depth look at any one or more of the children this book will not suffice. Indeed, the early chapters focus on TR's life leading up to WWI, while the latter chapters are largely dedicated to his offspring's activities in young adulthood, particularly those related to the Great War. There is little regarding TR's close and often tender relationship with his children during their childhood in the White House or at Sagamore Hill. As a result, while I greatly enjoyed this book, I was hoping for more breadth and insight into the children's upbringing and their lives after TR's death.



5. This is an excellent work about Theodore Roosevelt as a father. Although the author discusses his children throughout the book, the focus is on TR himself. One thing I have admired about President Roosevelt is that he loved being a father (although his relationship with his oldest daughter, Alice, was strained), and this drew me to read this book. I was not disappointed.
   
   The author also gives us a glimpse into TR's father, Theodore Roosevelt, Sr., who was a very generous man with his time and money. After reading about him, I understood why TR valued public service.
   
   Because the author focuses on the president, the reader will see how TR influenced his children to value public service. For example, all of his sons served in the military. Indeed, Quentin Roosevelt died as a pilot in a dogfight in World War I. The elder son, Theodore Roosevelt II, led the first wave on Utah Beach in Normandy on D-Day during World War II. He died of a heart attack some weeks later. Archie was declared 100% disabled in both World War I and World War II. Kermit also served well in both wars, but suffered from alcoholism and depression (TR's brother, who was Eleanor Roosevelt's father, also suffered from the same). Also, TR's youngest daughter, Ethel, served as a nurse in France in World War I.
   
   This book is definitely worth reading to get a view of Theodore Roosevelt as a family man. I wish we had more elected officials like him today.