1 comments about William Howard Taft and the First Motoring Presidency, 1909-1913.

1. I found this book for a research project for school, and I was captivated by it. It's a fresh look at the progressive era, and, as far as I can tell, the first happy look at the Taft presidency around. I read the Pringle book, too, and was I glad that the Bromley book references areas of disagreement with Pringle, which helped me make my own conclusions. The Pringle book and all the other biographies of Taft are stale. This one stands out! Above all, the text flows easily and the story moves in and out of an amazing array of information presented. A must for any student of the progressive era, and a fun time for anyone who enjoys history.

5 comments about Arafat: The Biography.

1. This book needs some clerification. I reccomend Harts "Arafat" and Aburishs 'Arafat' above this. This book tries to paint a picture of Arafat as a great legitimate political leader. But this book does not show the whoel picture. It makes Arafat out to be more then a terrorist and does nto weigh the effort that he was a viscious murdered of children(which he was for most of his life). THis book does take into account his many twists and turns but it probably gives Arafat too much credit and is not as interesting as other works on the man.



2. This book paints far to nice a picture of Arafat.

   That any American can be pro-Arafat is mind-boggling. Arafat hates the West just a bit less then he hates Israel.

   He has murdered thousands. He is a despicable person and is in no way a legitimate political leader.




3. Arafat! The leader who knew how to move all the power of the palestinian revolution from Tunisia into the heart of palestine!!
   Arafat! The only arabic leader who was elected democratically in 1969, 1985 and 1994!!
   Arafat! was smart enough in to survive for more than 35 years in the jungle of all the pro-american and anti-palestinian regimes(namely: Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria)!!
   Arafat! THE NOBLE PRIZE WINNER !!
   The ex-prime israeli minister Goldameir said: "They (the palestinians) do not exist, We (the jewish) are the only palestinians..." !! Arafat told Goldameir: "WE EXIST HERE, THERE, AND EVERYWHERE...." !!
   Arafat! The military leader who won against the IDF in the battle of Karama, Beirut and finally in the humiliating defeat and withdrawal of the israeli army from the Gaza!!
   Arafat! "OH MOUNTAIN!! THE WIND WILL NEVER SHAKE YOU!!"



4. Arafat was an evil man.
   
   In his life, what did he achieve?
   
   He killed a lot of Americans and Israelis. His Palestinian people are in lousy shape. While Israel has built up a democracy and world class economy, and have created tens of thousands of jobs for Americans, all the Palestinians can do is create more suicide bombers.
   
   Thus us the legacy of Arafat. A failure and a loser.



5. 
   
   The author did not describe the drama encroaching Lebanon when the heavy exchange of artillery struck horror into the hearts of the unprepared Lebanese people in the areas of Tyre, Sidon and Beirut now congested by hundreds of thousands of refugees uprooted from the South.
   PLO presence and activities (whether justified or not) in South Lebanon prompted sever retaliations from Israel to the detriment of all (Christians and Moslems) Lebanese.
   
   At times Arafat's reactions to present events unfairly summoned up the images of historical past occurrences.
   For example: In 1982 and in the middle of the raging war between PLO and Israel, Beirut was described `the next Stalingrad' - to emulate the Soviet's army victory over the Germans in 1942 -.
   
   Like a wounded leader amid very tough and challenging circumstances, Arafat transpired prowess born of ignorance.
   Arafat was the honest image of a man whose sickness of heart was mixed in reports from the foreign correspondents to show us the picture of a foxy leader mingled in fear, steadfastness and foresightedness.
   
   Arafat's interference in Lebanon's petty politics prompted many Lebanese to emigrate. Outside the foreign consulate buildings people queued for a visa to `security and freedom', some tried to storm the premises, some guaranteed a place in the long line of waiting since mid-night, only to submit their applications to be able to leave.
   The pandemonium outside and on the stairs was worse than ever especially during rainy and cold nights.
   
   Perhaps one point of common consolation is, like the Palestinians, also the Lebanese had feeling of humiliation and unjust.
   Standing at the doorsteps of foreign embassies to quit one's country was an appalling sight.
   It was inhuman.
   It was dishonouring.
   It was offensive
   It was misdemeanour.
   
   Arafat knew how to fight a war, but the irony is that he couldn't learn how to win one.

No comments about Executive Orders And the Modern Presidency: Legislating from the Oval Office.

No comments about A Lincoln: His Last 24 Hours.

5 comments about Andrew Jackson: The Course of American Freedom, 1822-1832 (Andrew Jackson).

1. In this, the second (and shortest) installation of three volumes on the life of Andrew Jackson, Robert Remini covers the decade between Jacksonýs ostensible retirement from public life after serving a short ý and miserable ý term as governor of the newly acquired Florida territory to the culmination of his first presidential term.

   The central issue covered in this volume ý indeed, the central issue in Jacksonýs political life, as Remini later concludes in Volume III ý is the presidential election of 1824 and the so-called ýcorrupt bargainý between John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay to deprive Jackson of the presidency despite his commanding lead in the popular vote. For Jackson, it was conspiracy of the wealthy elites against a commoner, and it proved that the American republic itself was in mortal jeopardy. The defeat served as a catalyst for Jacksonýs passionate, almost obsessive commitment to ýreform and retrenchment,ý which Remini weaves together with the character developed in Volume I. It was his quest to avenge the loss of 1824 (and the honor of the American people who had been swindled) and sweep the ýaugean stablesý of corruption and graft in Washington that led to the great democratic movement that bears his name. (It should be noted that Harry Ammon and other leading historians of the Monroe and Adams administrations stridently contest Reminiýs assertion that the Era of Good Feelings was actually the ýEra of Corruption.ý)

   For those of you who puzzled over Washingtonýs obsession with the Monica Lewinsky affair, you will be amused to read that the dominating issue of Jacksonýs first term was the reportedly lascivious nature of Peggy Eaton, the wife of Jackson's old friend and secretary of war. This so-called ýPetticoat War,ý which saw the wives of other cabinet members and senior officials ý mostly notably vice president Calhounýs wife, Floride ý shunning social interaction with Peggy, literally ripped the cabinet asunder and very nearly toppled the government. Remini tells the story with verve and wit, which at times reads more like a Sidney Sheldon novel than a volume in a definitive presidential biography.




2. When we last left Andrew Jackson, he had just quit his job as governor of the Florida territory. Having built his reputation on his military actions against Indians and his rout over the British in the Battle of New Orleans, Jackson now had two goals: first, recovering his precarious health, and second, becoming president.

   In this second volume of Remini's biography of the seventh president, Jackson rises to the pinnacle of his power, though it is by no means easy. First, there is his health: having abused his body over the years in war and duels, Jackson was not in good shape and probably spent the last decades of his life in constant pain which only his vast willpower could overcome.

   In 1824, Jackson ran for president and despite getting a plurality of the popular and electoral votes, wound up losing to John Quincy Adams that makes the 2000 election seem non-controversial in comparison. Getting cheated (as many felt) would lead to a second, successful campaign in 1828, but even this had a high price, as the slander he was subjected to due to the dubious circumstances of his marriage would emotionally wreck and eventually lead to the death of his wife.

   The second half of the book focuses on Jackson's first presidential term, ending with his election to a second term. In many ways the first populist president, Jackson redefined the role of the presidency by expanding the power of the veto (rarely used previously and only in limited circumstances) and attempted to clean up the corruption left over from the so-called "Era of Good Feelings."

   Remini is a great biographer and this book is every bit as great as the first volume. He holds back few punches when it comes to Jackson's negatives, especially his treatment of Indians and his tendency to dwell incessantly on little things (such as the Eaton affair). Nonetheless, this is a generally positive biography, as Remini demonstrates that despite the view that Jackson was an ignorant backwoodsman manipulated by his aides such as Van Buren, Jackson was both intelligent and independent.

   This is the definitive biography of Jackson. If you want to learn of the man or the era, this is a must-read.




3. This is the second book in Remini's trilogy and it's an extremely detailed, well-researched book. So many biographers bury their subject and forget that most readers what to know who their subject *was*, not merely what they *did.* Remini doesn't fall into this trap. He gives the reader a well-grounded and detailed look at Andrew Jackson as a man: his foibles, passions and prejudices, as well as his extreme ambition and vacillating brilliance.

   Remini strikes a beautiful balance when examining Jackson's private life and military/political life. His examination of Jackson's personal life is exceptional, and he weaves Jackson in and out of the narrative with rare poise and skill. The reader can actually picture Jackson in the midst of his political battles, feel his emotions and understand the decisions he made. When a biographer can paint such a vivid picture, the reader will always be rewarded.

   This is an excellent book for the entire spectrum of people interested in Jackson. Whether you are a neophyte or an established Jacksonian historian, there is much to enjoy, as well as new material. The footnotes and bibliography are excellent resources and lead to additional sources for the reader. Highly recommended.




4. The second volume of Remini's celebrated biography is inevitably rather less intriguing than the first. While it's predecessor was largely about military campaigns and duels, this volume is more focussed on such dynamic topics as debt repayment and, especially, the controversy over renewing the charter of the US Bank.

   The controversial election of 1824 is covered in detail and well explained. Remini also shows how the aftermath of that election reshaped American politics - the parties became far more organized. Although the Democratic Party is spoken of as having been created by Jefferson, Jefferson was the leader of a group or faction more than a true party. In a real sense it was created as a party when Calhoun and Van Buren agreed to unite their factions behind Jackson for the election of 1828. The new era of national parties was illustrated in 1831-32, when, for the first time, national conventions were held to nominate presidential candidates. (The Democrats were so firmly Jackson's party that they didn't bother to formally nominate him, meeting mainly to ratify his desire that Van Buren replace Calhoun as the Vice Presidential candidate.)

   Also covered at length is the bizarre 'War of the Petticoats', when Jackson's cabinet was torn apart over the fact that some officials and their wives, spreading lascivious rumors about Peggy Eaton, wife of the Secretary of War, refused to appear at social events to which the Eatons were invited. However absurd the incident sounds, the consequences were significant.

   Along the way, I learned quite a few things ranging from remarkable to trivial. For instance, I had never suspected that Jackson was the first President to veto a bill with a veto message that centered on what he believed to be the faults of the bill. All prior vetos (there were only a few over 40 years) had been based on arguments that the bills vetoed were unconstitutional. Vetoing partially on the merits (Jacvkson also thought the bill unconstitutional) was considered at the time a shocking extension of executive power. I also learned that Jackson had the first 'kitchen cabinet', a term that dates from the tensions in the cabinet over the Petticoat War. The kitchen cabinet, those friends who Jackson trusted more than many of the men in his official cabinet (also called the 'parlor cabinet' at the time) was so called because they supposedly used a back staircase from the White House kitchen to meet Jackson in his study.

   Overall, a strong history with clear writing, a remarkable central character, and intriguing glimpses at the period covered.




5. Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Freedom, 1822-1832 begins with Jackson's return home from Florida, where he served as military governor, and goes through his first term as president.
   
   There are many interesting aspects to Jackson's life covered in this volume, particularly his devotion to his wife Rachel and his devastating grief when she died a few weeks after he was elected president. But the part that I found the most interesting was how Jackson revived the American political system. In many ways he was the founder of the system we still use today.
   
   The 1820s are often mistakenly referred to as "The Era of Good Feeling." James Monroe was president, and there wasn't really any organized opposition. As Remini documents, there was very little good feeling involved except for those officials who were lining their pockets at the expense of the public. Needless to say, there were many people who were upset and alarmed by the corruption and saw it as a real threat to the American republic (remember, it was only about 50 years since the Declaration of Independence and less than 40 years since the Constitution had been written). These Republicans wanted to restore the two-party system, reconstituting their party along the old Jeffersonian doctrines. They soon hit upon the idea of recruiting the most popular man in the country, retired General Andrew Jackson, to run for president.
   
   Jackson was a military hero, but he was much more than a figurehead candidate. Jackson was also a brilliant instinctive politician and a strong, capable executive. But the rise of Jackson was about more than the candidacy of one man. The purpose, in Jackson's own mind as well as many others, was to connect his popularity with something large and more meaningful--the restoration of the republican principles of the Founding Fathers and a constitutional form of government that adequately protected the liberties of the people. Jackson built a party organization around himself that soon became the Democratic Party, the direct ancestor of the party that still exists today.
   
   As president, Jackson discovered that the nation had changed greatly in the years since he was a boy soldier in the Revolution, and he adapted his ideas accordingly. He became president of an America that had become a sprawling land with an expanding population and a dynamic and complex economy in which industry was increasingly important. Instead of limiting power, Jackson instead changed the nature of power, shifting it (permanantly, as it turned out), from Congress to the presidency.
   
   Before Jackson, "freedom" meant the right of the individual to enjoy the fruits of his labor without interference by government. During his presidency, freedom came to mean majority rule. A free society was one that conformed to the will of the masses. Since Jackson represented the people (something of a new concept), it followed that his program constituted their sovereign command--what we would today call a "mandate."

No comments about The Story Life of Abraham Lincoln: A Biography Composed of Five Hundred True Stories Told by Abraham Lincoln and His Friends.

No comments about Margot Asquith, an Autobiography: Two Volumes in One.

No comments about Richard M. Nixon: An American Enigma (Library of American Biography Series) (Library of American Biography).

No comments about First in Peace: How George Washington Set the Course for America.

2 comments about Rafiq Hariri and the Fate of Lebanon.

1. 
   
   The murder of Lebanon's Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri is enigmatic and perplexing.
   To probe to the bottom is one thing, but to spread the truthful details of the investigation is another?
   
   Actually the persons who stand to suffer most are his direct family members and kinfolks, and the hundreds of thousands of his Lebanese (and Arab) supporters who looked at the late PM with genuine feelings of hope.
   Hariri was a man full of inspiration and creativity.
   We are hoping against hope for a change in fortunes that the investigation will lead, this time, to the `perpetrator' and to the `instigator'.
   Reading Iskandar's book takes you to the `golden' years in which Lebanon threw away its gruffly shroud to myriads of bright spots kicking off with Beirut.
   A dream relived.



2. While the book is well written, yet it is a baised account by one of the Hariri family closest associates whose livelihood depended on work with Rafic Hariri. This is not an accusation, but of course the author would not mention all the bade side of the Hariri saga and the corruption that imprinted his business dealings, which was revealed in several more objective accounts. Fortune magazine put Hariri's fortune by his admission at 4 billion dollars in 2004; yet when he was murdered in Feb 2005, the same magazine reported that his children inherited 16 billion dollars. One cannot use this book as a research reference for an academic work or an objective portrayal of the man. However, the author's facts about the economy are almost OK.