5 comments about Polk: The Man Who Transformed the Presidency and America.

1. While I would recommend "Polk" to all fans of the period I would caution that it seems to lack a little in the life of the man. While I doubt that this is the fault of the biographer since outside of his presidential diary - Polk did not leave a large written record. Borneman deicated less than 20 pages to Polk's early life, and hardly mentions his times growing up in Pineville, N.C. - my question is this because there is little known or was it left out to help the book flow?
   
   Having mentioned this fault, I do find the book to be both readable and entertaining. In fact, Broneman has written one of the best political accounts of the turmaoil that lasted between the end of Jackson's term and the end of Polk's.
   
   My final tally - if you are looking for a biography that is an equal of "John Adams" you may be disappoined, but if you are looking for an interesting overview of the 1830's and 1840's.. you probably have found the very best possible book!
   
   Score "B+"



2. James K. Polk always shows up on the best Presidents' list along with the obvious Washingtons, Jeffersons, Lincolns, etc. Mr. Borneman delineates why this is the case, in a clear, concise writing style, and illuminates both Polk's personal and political life. This book is a must-read, not only for would-be historians, but also for people like me, who had never had a complete understanding about this important period in American history.



3. As the book's subtitle suggests, this is an account of a President who had an enormous impact on the contiguous 48 states. He was a brilliant visionary and leader. The author has done an excellent job of research and tied it all together into an enjoyable, fascinating account of a critical period in US history.



4. This book was well-written and easy to read. The subject was engrossing, so it was hard to put down. He did this all without demonstrating political prejudice, too. I will read it again.



5. James K Polk was barely a generation removed from our Founding Fathers when it is taken into account that he was mentored by Andrew Jackson and had John Quincy Adams in the House of Representatives during his Presidency.
   
   When one considers that Abraham Lincoln also served in the House during his Presidency, and Ulysses S. Grant served in his army, the shadow that Polk cast over 19th century politics becomes huge.
   
   Conventional wisdom has been that between Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln, there was a tremendous vacuum of Presidential leadership. This book moves a long way toward debunking this notion. In fact, James Polk is arguably the greatest one-term President this country has seen.
   
   Rarely has a President moved into this position with such a clear and well defined set of objectives and stayed so focused on carrying them out.
   
   Polk's continuation of Manifest Destiny, and his no holds barred tactics of achieving land expansion puts him in a pantheon and league with the few Presidents who have achieved greatness in their tenures. When we now look at our map, it has Polk's clear stamp on it.
   
   This book must have been difficult for the author to write, in that there was little written about Polk, in light of the Civil War, and his story has been lost to obscurity. In that he has been deceased for 160 years, there are few sources to get an accurate gauge of his personality, or his actions, other than what is recorded.
   
   Still, this book brings him to life, and paints a clear picture of the political times.
   
   For the afficionado of the Presidency, and its inhabitants, it is a must read story.

5 comments about FDR.

1. FDR was well-written and it did not seem like a chore to plod through like a lot of other historical nonfiction. Smith does a great job with research and puts together a cohesive story. However, I feel that in many points, she could have gone deeper and attempted to shed light on what went on behind the scenes. You do not get the sense that you really know how FDR worked his political magic beyond the legends that are common knowledge. I would have liked to hear a bit more about the back-room deals and political battles FDR fought, even if she would have had to speculate and do some guesswork to tell the story.



2. I purchased this book on my Kindle because I felt woefully uninformed about FDR. My parents, born after the turn of the 19th century felt that FDR literally saved them and this country from a fate that had been launched by government policies of lassez faire that left everyone to their own devices. On the other hand, for years I have heard FDR put down as someone who opened up the country to big government and set the country up for a spend expansion that lives on to this day.
   
   While this book does not put an end to that debate, it does shed remarkable light on FDR the person - the good, the bad, and otherwise. Some of my key take-aways are that all strong leaders have some aspects to their life and personality that are not to be admired. On the other hand, FDR had a wonderful ability to pick great people, give them a job, and watch great things happen. In addition, FDR exemplified a capability sorely needed today - try, experiment, if you fail, change and try something else.
   
   I honestly was not ready for the story to end, nor for FDR to pass from the scene.



3. I confess - I didn't think Jean Edward Smith was capable of writing something like this. Smith's other biographical works (John Marshall, Lucius Clay) were enjoyable but by no means exceptional. As a one-volume "popular" presidential biography his "FDR" stands with McCollough's "Truman" and Donald's "Lincoln" as a modern classic.
   
   Smith does an exceptional job developing and co-mingling two distinct storylines: FDR the man and FDR the politician.
   
   FDR the man, as described by Smith, is a mixture of casual cheerfulness, a boyish teller-of-tales -- and utterly consumed by ambition. He was a man devoted to his mother, deeply inspired and motivated by his cousin Theodore (as a 23-year-old, FDR told fellow law clerks -- in complete earnestness -- that he was planning on becoming president), and ultimately trapped in a loveless marriage and at the head of a dysfunctional family (the five Roosevelt children to reach adulthood were married a total of 19 times).
   
   The most insightful chapter on FDR's personal life deals with his relationship with Lucy Mercer, his winsome, Catholic office secretary during his stint as assistant secretary of the navy in the Wilson administration. Smith argues that FDR was deeply in love with Mercer and that it took the opprobrium of his boss, Josephus Daniels, and the credible threat of divorce from his wife, Eleanor, to break it off. The affair nevertheless essentially ended his marriage and, as Smith claims, motivated a devestated Eleanor to establish a public and private life of her own.
   
   If FDR the man was more human and sympathetic than I was anticipating, FDR the politician was much coarser and less principled than I had assumed. Smith argues convincingly that "[FDR] was the most calculating and hard-nosed politician of his generation." At several points, Smith emphasizes that FDR's two most influential and trusted advisors - Louis Howe and James Farley - were steely-eyed politicos, unencumbered by any ideology and blindly devoted to just one objective: the election of Franklin Delano Roosevelt to the presidency. One cannot help but get the sense that FDR was no different, only self-absorbed.
   
   What Smith does not make clear is how and why FDR developed his plans for massive government intervention and social programs that fell under the umbrella of the New Deal. The president comes across as a man propelled mainly, if not purely, by self-interest and self-aggrandizement. Perhaps FDR developed a deep and abiding sympathy for the indigent people he met when he established his polio camp in rural Warm Springs, Georgia; but if so, Smith fails to convey the intensity and sincerity of that emotion in the same way that he describes FDR's feelings for Lucy Mercer.
   
   FDR's style of administrative leadership, as described by Smith, is also less than flattering. He comes off as czar-like, issuing ukases on the most important and far-reaching issues of war and peace with little to no input or collaboration from anyone. For instance, according to Smith, FDR decided some of the more momentous steps leading up to WWII, such as Lend-Lease, completely on his own and without consultation with his cabinet. Smith also stresses that FDR had little use for his own State Department and purposively kept his secretary of state and the career foreign service out of nearly every major diplomatic issue of his presidency (they were perceived as silk-stocking elitists out-of-touch and in fundamental opposition to the core principles of his administration).
   
   On balance, Smith is incredibly fair in his treatment of FDR; he goes across as one of the truly great American presidents but not without a vulnerable and endearing human dimension. That said, Smith lets FDR off easy on a few of his more glaring shortcomings. He admits that FDR did next to nothing for civil rights over his unprecedented four terms, but Smith defends his actions by noting the president's need of Southern Democrat votes (the same can and has been said about Wilson). The most shocking thing is how the future "chairman of the American establishment," John McCloy, is hung out to dry for two of the indelible stains of the FDR administration: the decision to intern Japanese-Americans in California and the failure to bomb the Nazi concentration camps. In both cases, Smith concedes that FDR had ultimate authority but more pressing issues to worry about and places culpability squarely on McCloy's shoulders.
   
   Finally, I was surprised how positively FDR's 1940 Republican presidential opponent, Wendell Wilkie, is portrayed by Smith. Wilkie is described as a formidable force that genuinely gave FDR a scare in the election and forever earned his respect and admiration for his unwavering support of key Roosevelt initiatives, such as the need to establish a draft and support for Lend Lease, which ultimately secured their passage from a skeptical American public.
   
   In all, this is a superlative one-volume life on a flawed but genuine American giant.



4. An intricate look inside the life, family and administration of FDR. What courage it took to be the president of the United States during the late crises of the "Hoovervills", Great Depression, and the beginning of World War II.
   Smith covers the whole life of Roosevelt from a young lad till his tragic death while serving president. The New Deal put hundreds of thousands of jobless people to work, conserved forestry, and created Social Security. This book is well written, and very informative inside the personal and public lives of FDR and FR.



5. The book "FDR" by Jean Edward Smith was an excellent biography. At first glance, the book looks intimidating. However, once the reader dives in, it is an excellent read. Mr. Smith's detail to FDR's early and mid life was exceptional. The nature and extent of his relationships to his family and friends provided a roadmap as to his leadership skills and abilities. This explained his presidency to a great extent. The author provides enough details to cover the terms of FDR and the WWII. The only thing that precluded this reviewer from giving this book the fifth star was the lack of depth towards the end of his life. For instance, the story was told through Pearl Harbor to D-Day and Yalta without any coverage between his last inaugural address and his death. Perhaps I expected more than what is available in terms of facts. In sum, FDR by Jean Edward Smith is an excellent read even to the non-historian.

5 comments about The Greatest Presidential Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy.

1. I bought 5 of these books for freinds and family. This book is very entertaining and easy to read. If you enjoy short stories and are interested in presidential facts, then this book is for you. A must read!
   
   Carl Mark



2. I bought this for my husband who loves books on historical trivia (Bathroom Readers, Almanacs, Malcolm Forbes' "They Went That-a-way"). We own all the books in this "Strories Never Told" series--three so far--and we are anxiously waiting for more!



3. I bought this book for my husband, and he loves it. He is not the kind to sit and read for very long. This book is just right. Each story is two pages long. Very interesting!!



4. I married a history buff, and never know what to get him as a gift. I usually go through old used book sales looking for out of print history books (which are so contradictory and funny) for him to read and compare to the present day truth (ok, who knows). I love it when I get a hit on a search from Amazon.com and I am able to find a book that doesn't require being around smelly people selling books out of cardboard boxes.
   This book had funny tidbits of each president that could never be denied or proven.



5. ...it's a "bathroom" book, and it serves this purpose well. The short stories are interesting and factual, albeit slightly over-dramatized. Each tale is about two pages long, and even if one particular story isn't great - guess what? It's only two pages long and then a new one begins.

5 comments about George Washington on Leadership.

1. If you are looking for a good book on leadership and you need to decide on the myriad of books available on the subject, go with this one. Drawing on experiences from Washington's life, Brookhiser gives valuable insights to how Washington handled the many challenges he faced and then explains how we can use those techniques in our lives.



2. If you enjoy history and personal examples of success and failure in leadership styles this is the book to read. The book is not a boring biography on George Washington but a living story full of events researched from historical letters, records, etc. and recorded in well organized flow by the writer.



3. I am well pleased with the book I purchased, as well as convenience
   in ordering. This is not my first purchase, and have been very
   pleased with other items I bought.



4. A fine account of Washington's trials & tribulations during the birth of our Nation as culled from his (and other's of that time) writings; an inside look at the leadership "chess moves" facing political statesmen. This account ranks up there with Machiavelli's "The Prince"...



5. Washington is one of our greatest leaders -- maybe our greatest over Lincoln, Grant, FDR and Eisenhower.
   
   That's a given, but the content of this book does not live up to its title.
   
   Leadership is the ability to get people to put aside their normal competitive instincts and work together toward a common goal. A winning coach or military officer; a successful CEO and, yes, a winning guerilla chieftan are examples of EFFECTIVE leaders.
   
   The question then is: What behaviors in these men make people want to follow them?
   
   The 7 Leadership Lessons" on the back of the dust cover provide little or nothing practical for someone hoping to improve his or her effectiveness as a leader. They're too broad, too vague.
   
   The author seems muddled in his concept of leadership. Yes, Washington held a leadership position before, during and after the Revolution, but this books does little to tell us why he was EFFECTIVE as a leader.
   
   The subject of leadership needs lots of attention -- especially today.
   This book does little to advance the debate.

5 comments about Theodore Rex (Modern Library Paperbacks).

1. I started this book right after reading "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" by Morris. While I was riveted to the first book, this one took a little while longer to read. So much detail was given to the politics of his office and the bills that were introduced, that it made for somewhat dry reading in parts. Very informative, but not as thrilling as his life prior to his presidency.



2. This is the second in a projected three volume biography of Theodore Roosevelt, and is just a delight to read. I felt while reading the book that I was inhabiting the White House in the first years of the 20th century.
   
   I agree with several reviewers here who said that the first volume, The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (Modern Library Paperbacks)was superior, but again, that was terrific, and it is not always easy to follow great success. (Ask William Taft, TR's successor)
   
   And sometimes the journey beats the destination. In the first book Roosevelt leads several different lives, and fulfills different roles as son, author, state legislator, husband, father, widower, hunter, NYC Police Commissoner, NY Governor, and then Vice President. It was hard not to feel cooped up in the White House after the rich, varied life he had led before. It is no wonder he didn't pursue a third term in 1908, despite every indication he would have won.
   
   This second volume does not address TR's private life as thoroughly as did the first. Morris may have felt he had already covered it in the first book, or more likely, that doing them justice would have required another book. TR's second wife, Edith, was his first love. They were school age sweethearts, broke up, after which TR abruptly married a younger woman, who bore him a daughter before dying in a flu epidemic. TR subsequently married Edith. Methinks there is a story there, but it is not dealt with in this book.
   
   Instead Morris focuses almost entirely on TR's public life and policies, which is certainly an understandable decision. The battles with the corporations on creating anti-trust legislation, mediating to bring a cease-fire in the Russo Japanese War and setting aside thousands of acres for national parks are all dealt with in detail here.
   
   The great thing about TR was that in addition to his raw energy, he was also a first rate intellect. He is a biographer's dream and Morris has done a terrific job with these two volumes. While he clearly admires his subject, he also shows him warts and all, when his use of the bully pulpit sometimes turned into bullying behavior.
   
   I highly recommend both this book and its predecessor.



3. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found it difficult to put down and on the rare occasions I did, I could not wait to pick it up again. Morris managed to bring back to life a pivotal period in the history of the United States through the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. While reading, I always felt as though I was standing by T.R.'s side simply watching the events unfold. Morris' storytelling style made for easy reading.
   
   I felt the highlights were in his handling of the Anthracite Coal Strike, the Northern Securities scandal, and the origins of the "Teddy" Bear, among others. However, the opening sequence detailing his journey to Buffalo, NY following the assassination of McKinley provides a fantastic jumping off point for the fast-paced presidency he was about to take on.
   
   Reading a book like this really makes a person long for the honest, hard-working political figures of the past. It makes modern-day politics look even more corrupt by comparison.
   
   Bottom line: do yourself a favor and read this book.



4. Edmund Morris's second book in a projected three volume set about Theodore Roosevelt is an excellent tome, meticulously researched and extremely well-written. The years are pivotal in American history, from 1901 through 1909 as America becomes more involved in world affairs. Roosevelt was a larger than life character in his interests and ambitions. Morris makes superb use of TR's papers and other documents to render an accurate portrait of one of America's most beloved and energetic presidents. He makes ample use of the archives of Roosevelts observes like John Hay, William Howard Taft and others. Roosevelt was the youngest president and the books bursts with his mesmerizing accomplishments such as Western conservation, author, monopoly busting, Republican advances in race and labor as well as his quiet sponsorship of a revolution in Colombian province called Panama - where he later built that little canal. This was in an era when "Progressive" meant forward thinking rather than the socialist-left wing concept of today. He mediated war between Russia and Japan, bringing the office of the Presidency into international affairs.



5. Edmund Morris's second book in a projected three volume set about Theodore Roosevelt is an excellent tome, meticulously researched and extremely well-written. The years are pivotal in American history, from 1901 through 1909 as America becomes more involved in world affairs. Roosevelt was a larger than life character in his interests and ambitions. Morris makes superb use of TR's papers and other documents to render an accurate portrait of one of America's most beloved and energetic presidents. He makes ample use of the archives of Roosevelts observes like John Hay, William Howard Taft and others. Roosevelt was the youngest president and the books bursts with his mesmerizing accomplishments such as Western conservation, author, monopoly busting, Republican advances in race and labor as well as his quiet sponsorship of a revolution in Colombian province called Panama - where he later built that little canal. This was in an era when "Progressive" meant forward thinking rather than the socialist-left wing concept of today. He mediated war between Russia and Japan, bringing the office of the Presidency into international affairs.

3 comments about A Thousand Hills: Rwanda's Rebirth and the Man Who Dreamed It.

1. I read this book in preparation for trip to Rwanda later this year. Mr. Kinzer has done exhaustive research into the history or Rwanda from the early 20th century through the present. From the time of Belguin colonialism, the rise of the RPF in Uganda and the genocide to an a fair presentation of Paul Kagame's mission to bring peace, reconciliation and prosperity to Rwanda post genocide. Although Rwanda has a long way to go, according the author, they are on the right track - largely thanks to Paul Kagame. The author is highly critical (rightfully so in my opinion) of the Clinton Administration, the UN and France in particular in the role either ignoring or aiding the genocide. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of Rwanda and the current state of affairs in the country.



2. Paul Kagame, along with Morgan Tsvangirai and Yoweri Museveni, represents one of Arica's most brilliant contemporary leaders. Kagame was born in 1957 to a Tutsi family and at the age of three was forced to flee his country after a Hutu uprising forced more than a hundred thousand Tutsis to flee in an early form of ethnic-cleansing. In 1979 Kagame joined Yoweri Museveni's guerilla movement in Uganda, where he was residing as a refugee. Museveni was fighting the dictator Milton Obote and when Obote fell from power Kagame was able to study first hand the outcome of the overthrow of a viscious dictator. When the Rwandan genocide broke out in 1994 Paul Kagame was in charge of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, a mostly Tutsi armed guerilla group. His well disciplined army overthrew the genocidal regime and he has been in power ever since. This book examines his role in nation building and in reconciliation and it a wonderful account of the history of Rwanda before 1994 and after. In this it helps fill this important gap in the history of the country.
   
   Seth J. Frantzman



3. President Paul Kagame is a man who inspires a wide range of emotions in those who meet him. Some like me admire him...Others hate him. Certainly many in French diplomatic circles see him as the devil clothed in Anglophone robes. In the Africanist analytical world, he is either Rwanda's greatest hope or its mortal danger. Certainly his enemies have reason to fear him even as his friends love him. Both enemy and friend know that the wise respect him.
   
   I first met then Vice President and Defense Minister Major General Paul Kagame in the fall of 1994 when he was struggling to put the shattered country of Rwanda back together. Some were want to describe him as a "war lord" even as one could buy T-shirts with his picture on them with the phrase "Free at Last!" at Kigali's international airport. General Kagame was serious, determined, and it was clear that he was a strong man. What remained to be seen was whether he would become another "Big Man" in African politics or rise above that label to be a truly great African leader.
   
   Like no other author so far, Stephen Kinzer offered us a peak inside the complexity named Paul Kagame. Kinzer enjoyed unprecedented access to the President of Rwanda and provided a colorful and insightful biography of the man. Like any good interlocutor, Kinzer understands that listening is best technique for the interviewer. He offers Kagame's own words to the reader allowing the subject of this biography to speak on his own behalf. That is not only fair, it is probably critical to understand this man who spent much of his life fighting the status quo--and ultimately winning.
   
   According to Kinzer, Kagame's early life as a refugee in Uganda hardened him into the typical angry young man found in a life surrounded by poverty. Early on in his youth he became friends with Fred Rwigyema. Together they later would become co-founders of the Rwandan Patriotic Front. But first they would join Museveni's 40-man National Resistance Army in Uganda and overthrow Obote. When Rwigyema fell in the first few days of the RPF's 1990 invasion of Rwanda, Kagame resigned from the US Army Command and General Staff College to take command and reorganize the RPF. He and the RPF went on to win a military victory they did not really desire, sparking a genocide for which they could not be blamed.
   
   Despite Kagame's military prowess, I found Kinzer's chapters on the post-war period from 2000 on to be the most illuminating because they concentrate on Kagame's role as President of Rwanda. At the same time, they provide great hope for the country's future and portents of possible disaster. President Kagame is indeed Rwanda's greatest hope. At the same time, he is his own greatest nemesis...
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Africa, small wars, reconciliation, and development. Kinzer's prose is easy to read and entertaining. His narrative is insightful. The Paul Kagame I knew came to life when I read this book.
   
   The full review is posted on Small Wars Journal Blog at http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/2008/07/book-review-a-thousand-hills-r/
   
   Thomas (Tom) P. Odom
   LTC US Army (ret)
   Author, Journey into Darkness: Genocide in Rwanda
   Journey Into Darkness: Genocide In Rwanda (Texas a & M University Military History Series)

5 comments about Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: An American Controversy.

1. The author has done her homework and is well-versed on this particular subject. She goes into extreme detail, analyzing multiple pieces of historical evidence, both circumstantial and documented. The latest version of her book also has an introductory chapter on the light that physical evidence, DNA, has shed on what is already known.
   
   While careful not to draw a definitive conclusion about whether or not Jefferson fathered the children of Sally Hemmings, the author very tactfully points to certain pieces of evidence and interjects her opinions, sometimes subtly, while other times being quite obvious. While this may be considered bias by some, in essence, she appears to be responding to what she considers ongoing extreme bias and prejudice in past biographies by Jefferson historians. This is really what her book is about, more than anything, is how historians have, in her view, edified Jefferson and chosen to ignore certain pieces of important evidence, downplaying and ridiculing some, while choosing to emphasize other.
   
   This writing is a direct attack on the way American history has been controlled and propagated by white males at the expense of slaves and their descendants. Annette Gordon-Read is a well educated, African American historian/attorney, who is taking a stand, and she presents a compelling case. She feels the voice of blacks in history has been squelched and ridiculed, and on this particular subject she points out the shortcomings of historians who have glorified Jefferson while maintaining a stereotypical view of blacks.
   
   On the downside, I personally felt the author came across too strong in labeling Jefferson a "racist". She could have presented the facts in this area and let readers make up their own minds, rather than coming across as harsh and judgmental. She also provides a lot of speculation throughout the book. She is careful, however, to avoid statements as fact when she cannot prove them (this is what she continually accuses her predecessors as doing). Perhaps much of this conjecture is necessary to counter the multitude of speculation that has been articulated by so many historians who have downplayed or disputed the likelihood (or to them, even the possibility) of the Jefferson-Hemmings affair. The author is also very repetitive. The book could have easily been cut in half and been just as effective. However, this repetition also drives certain points home and helps the reader remember certain key elements.
   
   Overall, this is very interesting reading, and it is also very well-written. The author communicates extremely well and her writing flows nicely and is easy to understand.
   
   If you have any interest in the (likely) Jefferson-Hemmings affair, this book is a must read. I gave it 5 stars, despite my criticisms, as 4 stars would not have given this book the credit is deserves (perhaps a 4.5?).



2. Jefferson owned slaves. As did his father before him. Jefferson was a man of his times and Sally Hemings a slave woman of hers. There is no big 'mystery' here. Jefferson and Hemings had a sexual relationship that produced offspring. DNA is not necessarily needed to help prove that. Reed does not state this in her book as fact, but she makes it clear that this was the most likely scenario. And exposes the bigotry throughout the centuries that have tried to cover it up. Great book if you're really interested in this subject. I have never read a finer book on it.



3. Shame, on these so called Historians, that turn away from what is so plan to me and anyone else with common sense. Why is it so hard to believe that Thomas Jefferson did in fact have a relationship with his slave, Sally? Yes, he is one of the key figures in establishing the United States, Yes; he spoke of freedom and equality. However, he did not practice what he was preaching. He fought for freedom and independence and kept slaves in bondage, he recorded births of his slaves along side the inventory of his animals. They were property no more, no less, including Sally, she was taken advantage of, and that is the bottom line. A 40+ male having sex with a 14 yr old child, makes me sick to my stomach. I visited Monticello last week, the view was breath taking, the house was all it appeared on television, but I secretly mourned for the slaves that were made to live, work and die there. No matter what they individually wanted to call it, love, lust, rape, what it was, was wrong. And, why the Jeffersonians don't want to acknowledge it, is simple, it is racism, fueled by some magnificent notion that Jefferson was better than they average slave owner. He kept all his fair colored slaves close to the house and all the darker slaves in the fields. He would leave the plantation when they were whipped; he was no better that any other slaveholder. He violated rights, and profited from their labor, and what was their reward ....he had them sold off to get out of debt, with the exception of Sally's children. If he thought slavery was so wrong, why did he do nothing to stop it?
   As my 11 year old said to me; if he was president why didn't just stop slavery? After all he was so moral, respected and powerful. Wasn't he?
   Check out Jefferson's Blood on PBS website...very interesting.



4. This is a very solid and well researched book. The author makes a very thorough and logical presentation to prove her case. Much in the manner of a courtroom argument. It is effective. I came away from reading the book convinced that Jefferson, in all reasonable liklihood, did father Sally Hemings five mixed race children.
   
   Sally Hemings was 1/4 African in descent, 3/4's European. By all accounts, she was a picture of beauty. Jefferson was, apparently, unexpectedly presented with her youthful beauty when Sally accompanied his youngest daughter from his former, deceased wife to France where Jefferson was representing US government interests.
   
   Some reviewers have referred to Jefferson as a rapist and a child molestor. I think that's a bit much. The "past is a different place" as some thoughtful historian once described it. Teenage girls in the 18th century--and for much of the 19th century--were seen as legitimate romantic interests and potential wives for middle aged men of substance. It, apparently, was not particularly frowned upon during that period. Gordon-Reed gives an example of this with Jefferson's friend James Madison who was hopelessly in love with a teenage girl. She rejected him for someone closer to her own age. However, he eventually wound up with a much younger Dolly Madison for a wife. And apparently was not socially condemned for it. The past is a different place. Not better by any means, necessarily, but different. Something to keep in mind....
   
   The author makes the argument that Jefferson's real sin was not in loving a "slave girl." The real sin was his enslavement of other humans for his own financial benefit. He couldn't let go of the financial benefits and the ease of living that his slaves brought him. He could never close the distance between his high sounding and beautifully eloquent rhetoric about human equality, fraternity, and liberty and his actual practices--however relatively enlightened for the times--as a slave owner at Monticello.
   
   It's far from inconceivable that Jefferson and Hemings might have been lovers and even married in a social environment with slavery extinct. She was, after all, the 1/2 sister of his beloved deceased wife. And as stated, she was 3/4's European descent. If one--or society for that matter--wants to set up a binary system of black/white, then it sounds like Sally Hemings would logically be more closely classified as "white." However, Americans, then and even now, subscribed to the slavemaster's logic of "one drop of African blood" means that the person must be "black." An artifical social construct, but one tune many of us still dance to. I think humans are far more complicated and multi-faceted than "racial fundamentalists" would have us believe.
   
   Jefferson is guilty of being a slaveowner and of being a hypocrite given his political and philosophical idealism. However, if he did love and have affection for Sally Hemmings in the manner that the author implies and suggests, then I am in agreement with the author that that would be no crime. However, we'll never know for sure, because the probable relationship was so evidently carefully concealed, as best as it could be, from the prying eyes of future generations.
   
   I first heard about the Sally Hemings "scandal" from Gore Vidal. He said that the conventional historians who defend Jefferson against the "abomination" of loving a slave girl argue this way:
   
   Thomas Jefferson was a great man.
   Great men do not live with their slave girls.
   Consequently, Thomas Jefferson did not live with Sally Hemings.
   
   This is the type of conventional idiocy that sometimes passes itself off as "history."
   
   Annette Gordon-Reed's book is well worth the effort of reading if you're interested in the subject. I thought it a very well balanced and intellectually honest effort.



5. I bought and read this book before the DNA results. This is the most unbiased look at the Jefferson-Hemings story I have read so far. The author examines the facts pro and con. According to Madison Hemings, Sally's son, the child she had after returning to Monticello from Paris died. Why can't this be believed? This would explain why the Woodson DNA test was negative. Despite all his greatness, Thomas Jefferson was just a man, subject to all the weaknesses that we all possess. The true feelings that these two had for each other will never be known but I choose to believe that he loved her. That is the only way that I can forgive him for being a slave owner.

5 comments about Assassination Vacation.

1. This book makes me want to throw my kids in the car and drive them as quickly as possible to the nearest historical memorial/museum/old graveyard/bronze plaque and giggle, tell stories, do ANYTHING other than fret over their brains turning to mush on a Webkinz/Sims diet. Assassination Vacation is not just history for a witty leftie reader. Can you imagine how someone in the future will write the history of OUR time? Do you want just the mentioning of a war in Iraq and details about the number of people who died, or do you want someone to read the part about missing weapons of mass destruction? If you're the kind of person who thinks details like missing WMD's makes the story of our time come alive, you'll really 'get' Assassination Vacation. And you might also learn to love James Garfield and his special, comfy reading chair, which is worth the price of purchase by itself. Great writing.



2. I really enjoyed the first half of this book. It focused on Abraham Lincoln and took the author to some interesting places. I found it educational and entertaining, even though it isn't something that I would normally read about.
   
   I am not that into recent American history, and that may be why I didn't enjoy the second half of the book as much. Presidents Garfield and McKinley aren't that interesting to me. I didn't think that it was any fault of the author, for she seems to really get into geeking out at historical sites, and likes things that make my eyes melt from the boredom.
   
   I think the book is worth reading, just for the first half, and if you are interested in the other two men, you will enjoy it even more.



3. America needs more Sarah Vowell. Perhaps more importantly, I need more Sarah Vowell. I know this review won't exactly make me one of Amazon's Top Reviewers. Nevertheless, I'm just saying. Sarah Vowell, here's five stars -- for you.



4. I usually don't write reviews, but when i saw that this book didn't have 5 of 5 stars i was shocked! I loved it. Not only do I own the book, I own the author narrated audio version!



5. Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell is a trippy field trip to both the exciting and the mundane locations along the way to three presidential assassinations--Abraham Lincoln's, James Garfield's, and William McKinley's. Vowell, the NPR commentator, is forthright in her disdain for our current president, analyzing her feelings against the backdrop of those just crazy enough to commit murder for their ideology. Vowell is humorous and her opinions are clear without being overwrought, but more than anything she is informative. She's fascinated by presidential history, and reveals details both obscure and eye-popping. Even after reading Manhunt, the excellent analysis of Lincoln's murder by James Swanson, I still picked up new insights from Vowell, particularly the preponderance of evidence against Dr. Samuel Mudd, the doctor who assisted the fleeing John Wilkes Booth. The life of Garfield's killer, Charles Guiteau, is explored and the reader is acquainted with the odd Oneida Community cult of the 19th century. Guiteau was a frustrated failure at this free-sex community where he was often referred to as "Get Out" by the non consenting ladies. Finally, McKinley's murder in Buffalo (by Leon Czolgosz) is explored, a story which features the assassin's punch-out by a waiter and the dramatic ride of Theodore Roosevelt from the crest of the Adirondacks to take command of the country. A great read through-and-through, Assassination Vacation scores an A-.

5 comments about American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson.

1. I am a well educated person with a particular interest in Jefferson. I was amazed at the assertion by Ellis that Jefferson formed the republican party. The republican party was not established until 1854. The party the Jefferson formed evolved into the democratic party. Are we living in the soviet union now? if you don't like real history you just change it. How do I get my money back on his piece of crap book? I knew this guy has a history of stretching the truth but I didn't know it went this far!



2. A common theme amongst many reader reviews that appeared to be neophytes to American history was that this book is painfully slow and lacking a compelling narrative. While I disagree with the former claim, I agree with the latter. I believe this is a book that best serves more ardent students of history who've already studied Jefferson and are more than willing to wade through a lot of uneventful anecdotes to get to know the man better, which Ellis does a great job on the subjects he covers except Jefferson's position on religion - so for those that want to go deep into history, this is a very interesting, worthy book. Ellis purposefully strips out much of the narrative by design, it is a character analysis (see subtitle of book for goodness sakes!), and therefore a narrative would threaten the very purpose of the book.
   
   Ellis' Jefferson comes off as perfectly brilliant, utopian, progressive, somewhat dogmatic, impractical, subversive, and most importantly - all too human. Ellis does a wonderful job of describing the events where Jefferson was obviously on the wrong side of history as we look back in time - e.g., Jefferson's belief that the states would better defend individual liberty rather than the federal government, especially the Supreme Court which has ultimately become our greatest defender, along with eloquently analyzing his greatest accomplishments and contributions to mankind. Ellis brings Madison and Adams into this study in just the right amounts to provide an understanding of how Jefferson interacted with the other framers along with how Jefferson viewed the Revolution and ratification of the Constitution vs. their very different perspectives.
   
   Ellis's treatment of Jefferson's contributions to promoting the limits of government and its obligation to defend its citizens' liberty rights was well covered from a philosophical perspective but completely lacking from a constitutional perspective. While Ellis covered Jefferson's firm position on the importance of secular government if men were to fully enjoy liberty was noted, this analysis was all too brief given the current times where the religious right continuously mischaracterize Jefferson's position on religious freedom, e.g., President Bush's 2008 Independence Day speech is a good example of a modern day character distorting Jefferson's writings to achieve a political objective perfectly contrary to Jefferson's clearly stated position. Given that Jefferson believed that individual freedom is only possible with a secular government with zero evidence to date he was incorrect; Ellis shortchanges his readers by not spending more time on this critical contribution, especially given Jefferson's radical position, and in hindsight his genius on this subject. In fact, Jefferson's position is still so radical there is no way a modern-day politician could espouse views like Jefferson's and get elected in America.
   
   Ellis also leaves out some out critical time periods in Jefferson's life, like Jefferson's second term as President. Given the paperback's main body comes in at 367 pages, I felt one hundred fifty more pages to include more on Jefferson's religious viewpoints and his second presidential term was well deserved given the importance of Jefferson relative to America's founding ideals passed down by him and the other framers.



3. This book is quite pleasing, it is well argued and well written. If you like "juicy" biographies full of details and trivia you will be disappointed, nonetheless, it still has a wealth of biographical data that makes the book interesting and instructive. The main focus of the book is on Jefferson's achievements and legacy. The man (Jefferson) was an intellectual colossus and was never short on peculiar and original ideas; he remains an icon for all Americans that are wary of big government and all Americans that defend the sovereignty of the individual. I am glad I picked up this book as my starter on Jefferson.



4. Absolute claptrap from a morally bankrupt excuse of a human being who cannot find his niche in his pathetic underachieving life. He resorts to "tabloid" history, finding it makes up for his inability to do real research or be able to critically evaluate it. His personal ability to read into the heart and motivations of the founding fathers is ridiculous.
   Save your money and buy a real book by a real historian. The more read you are on one of his "targets", the more you will find his writing vacant. He must have worked for the enquirer.



5. This book is a wonderful insight into the character of one our most esteemed "founding fathers." But Ellis presents him in a light that we seldom see him in. History is a strange thing, especially popular history. Unlike other areas of scholarship, every American has his/her own interpretation of who the so-called founders were. Ellis seeks to crack the halos and clip the wings to portray Jefferson for who he really was- or at least what all the available evidence best suggests.

5 comments about State of Denial: Bush at War, Part III.

1. Woodward writes a scathing expose of Don Rumsfeld and the mistakes that led us to war. I found myself smiling wryly time and again, shaking my head that there could be so much incompetence in a group of supposed professionals. Again, makes one wonder about the true reasons for going to war in Iraq.



2. Without a doubt this book should be required reading for every American. In clear and precise detail Bob Woodward lays out how the Bush administration mislead this country into a war with Iraq. And that isn't even the only provocative detail in this astounding book. It's filled with astonishing details about the way the Bush administration operated during the run up to the war and during the war. An important book that every American NEEDS to read.



3. Either Woodward is making this book up as he goes along or he feels the best way to communicate Bush's character is to tell as many lies as he possibly can. Beginning in the prologue (xiii), we are told that in the mid 1970's, the CIA fresh from turning most of Latin America into military dictatorships, "was at perhaps its lowest point." On page 3, we are told that although George W. Bush is not known to have shown up for duty with the Texas Air National Guard (all the records of this Congressman's son's service, if there were any, having mysteriously disappeared) he learned to fly the F-102 jet (and why not, many a movie has shown us that a child can do it first time out of the box.)
   
   I'd relay more lies had I not stopped reading.



4. Bob Woodward once again shows his ablity as a writer. His book is not partisan and clearly states the background regardin Bush' decision to take the country to war. It is easy to read and quite informaive regardless of your political ideology. I would highly recommend it to those who don't feel they get the facts from the newspapers or the Sunday morning tald shows.



5. This is an excellent study of how bureaucratic politics can deform the foreign policy process. You don't have to agree with Woodward's conclusions to benefit from this book.