5 comments about The Rebel and the Rose: James A. Semple, Julia Gardiner Tyler, and the Lost Confederate Gold.

1. In April 1865 the Civil War was over for most - but even after the Confederate government dissolved, one Jefferson Davis felt compelled to carry on the struggle, journeying best entrusted with all the remaining gold in the Confederate treasury: some, $86,000 in coins and bullion. It and its carriers disappeared - and their fate is revealed in THE REBEL AND THE ROSE: JAMES A. SEMPLE, JULIA GARDINER TYLER, AND THE LOST CONFEDERATE GOLD, which follows Davis' journeys and considers what happened to the gold. Both military and general-interest libraries will find it engrossing.



2. I really enjoyed reading this book. The depth of the "detective work" done by the authors is outstanding. The mystery and the relationships amongst all the individuals was developed and explained very well. Thank you for bringing this portion of the Civil War into such outstanding light.



3. For any Civil War or history enthusiast, The Rebel and The Rose is by far one of the best novels written to date. The author's writing keeps the reader locked in to each page desperate for more. While historically the whereabouts of the lost Confederate gold remains a mystery, you have to enjoy the detail for which is was written.
   The book is very enjoyable, a fun read with facts and intrigue and lost rebel gold! This book is one of my absolute favorites in my Civil War collection!!



4. Explores events which are mentioned in passing elsewhere, uncovering fascinating story. Hated to finish it, because much mystery remains. Presents facts more sympathetic to Jefferson Davis than generally understood, and adds to understanding of turbulent end of war.



5. The Rebel and the Rose is an extraordinary - and true - tale of the final days of the Confederate government, its exit from Richmond, the Confederate treasury money and the relationship between Julia Gardiner Tyler and James A. Semple. For all the books over all the years written of this era, The Rebel and the Rose manages to uncover a little known story full of interesting details and mysteries. The research put into this book is impressive. Highly recommended for those interested in the Civil War and history in general. You wont be disappointed.

4 comments about Princes of Ireland, Planters of Maryland: A Carroll Saga, 1500-1782.

1. I was originally attracted to this book out of a simple curiosity about the last surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence (Charles Carroll outlived Adams and Jefferson by about six years, or about 56 years after 1776!). On a deeper level, I hoped to learn more about the kind of early capitalist that would be attracted to signing on to the American Revolution in general. What this book helped me discover was a family that had over time become focused, almost obsessed, with making a buck under fairly adverse circumstances (namely, continuing in their Roman Catholic faith that made it difficult for them to thrive, even in an enclave as seemingly sympathetic as colonial Maryland, with its relatively large Catholic population). But when the time came for this family to rise above its simple wealth building and to champion the cause of the Revolution, it did indeed rise to the occasion, however brief and painful the process might be. (Hoffman attends to both the private and public lives of the Carrolls.) The history of the Carrolls is a part of the history of the magic that was the American Revolution. It is not surprising that the book ends abruptly with the death of Charles Carroll's father and his wife, about 10 days apart from one another in 1782 (though there is a brief summing up of Carroll's remaining 50 years and the attention attracted by his death in 1832). The story is told, the dynasty pretty much complete.

   What's the book like? At times it seems downright willfully prosaic, and the story proceeds much like a carefully written doctoral dissertation - all conclusions fully supported and made in as logical a context as possible, all contentions politically correct for our time. Hoffman's goal is of course to be scholarly and thorough, not to be entertaining or controversial. Thus the sweep of this history must emerge and coalesce in the mind of the reader. Leave being beaten over the head with the broader conclusions inherent in the narrative to more popularly written histories.

   Suffice it to say, if you're a municipal library and you need to beef up your Revolutionary War material, this is a prime buy. If you're a true history buff, this would be an excellent choice to work into your reading list. It has the effect of immersing you into the spirit of the times and providing you with detail you could not have imagined you would find interesting (but you do). If you're a casual reader, just be advised - this is heavy stuff. It's not an easy read, but it is ultimately a rewarding one.




2. Ronald Hoffman is an excellent historian who has brought great knowledge of Chesapeake social and cultural history to this biographical work that places three generations of the Carroll family within their colonial context. It is a wonderful biography that gets the reader into the minds and lives of these three Charles Carroll's. But for me the best thing was the number of times it made me think, "Oh, that's how it was." I have read enough colonial history to know that there were lots of tenant laborers and not just slaves in the region, to know that Catholic Maryland quickly became Anglican Maryland, and to know that the Revolution was not just about ideas but also about social change. Ronald Hoffman's narrative, however, really brings these facts home. His book is not about any one of these issues in particular, but in telling the story of three generations of Carroll's in Maryland he brings home the greater circumstances of the colony better than many historians who have set out to make a case for one of the above arguments, or many of the other fascinating takes on early Chesapeake society contained in this highly readable book. I have not read any book lately that I enjoyed more.



3. Traditional patriotism demands that we believe that the founding fathers of America were all great democratic idealist. Although this may have been true for some, many others had no problem with the idea of an elite ruling class, so long as they were considered the elite. Thus the victory over England can be viewed as less of an American Democratic Revolution and more of a power transition from the English crown to the new American aristocracy.
   
   A primary example of this American elite class was Maryland representative Charles Carroll of Carrollton. A signer of the American Declaration of Independence, Charles of Carrollton was a wealthy planter and businessman who became such not by his own doings but primarily through the inheritance and molding of his father, Charles Carroll of Annapolis. Ever mindful of his Irish and Catholic roots and the persecution therein by English aristocrats, the elder Charles did everything in his power to equip his son to fend off those who would attempt to cripple him politically and economically. In so doing, the elder Charles created a mindset of elitism within his son.
   
   This irony is highlighted by Ronald Hoffman in his book, "Princes of Ireland, Planters of Europe," in which he examines the Carroll family and traces how a persecuted family from Ireland in 1500 came to be one of the prominent families in America by the time of the American Revolution



4. This is perhaps the most pleasurable "academic" history I have come across. Although it provides an extensive account of life in the Chesapeake through the lives and business dealings - and there are plenty of those enumerated - of the tenacious Carroll family, I was also struck by Ronald Hoffman's major theme of family continuity, of purpose driven by recollection and ambition that the Carrolls had in spades. The very tightly researched accounts of the family history in Ireland, and of all the other families like them in the chaos of the 17th century, is little short of astonishing. I'll admit to an enduring interest in Irish history, but this one illustrates why Carrolls and others left their broken aristocracy. That continuity touches on my own forebearers, one of whom was a first cousin of Charles Carroll of Carrollton's. She married another Irish immigrant Marylander and set out in 1796 to populate the then frontier in Kentucky with other Catholics, I am sure at direction of one of their neighbors in Upper Marlborough, MD, Fr. John Carroll, first Catholic bishop in America and also Charles' first cousin. A great read on many levels.

1 comments about Great American Statesmen and Heroes.

1. The best part of this book is its documented proof of Captain John Smith's Christianity and love for the Indians. It seems to be a countering view to Peter Marshall's criticism of the action of the JamesTown Settlers.

   Also, its Chapter on Christopher Columbus is excellent. It is a perfect countering view to Peter Marshall's description of Columbus being money grabbing.

5 comments about Mrs. Jack: A Biography of Isabella Stewart Gardner.

1. If you are an art lover, live in the greater Boston area, or are planning on visiting soon, this book is a must-read. Not only was this one of the most fascinating women I have ever read about, but she and her husband together, moved in circles with the "shakers and movers" of their generation. All of the famous Bostonians you hear about in historical lore were a part of their lives. Henry L. Higginson, who started the BSO was married to Belle's college roommate. John Singer Sargeant, was one of her closest friends and painted her twice. They were related to the Lowell's the Peabody's and the list goes on. Her museum, in Boston, (Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum) is one of the treasures of the art world. Her taste so impeccable that her museum was chosen for one of the most famous art robberies in recent years. The book is so well written that all will enjoy "living in the past" with the "Belle of Boston" from start to finish!



2. I wish I had known of this book *before* a recent visit to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The museum building itself is breathtaking when you walk in. And then you move from room to room and see so many of the works referred to in this biographical account of her life, her artist friends, and her collection activities. Now so many of the pieces have interesting backstories--I must go back to the museum!
   The biography itself is fairly straighforward, but paired with a visit to the museum is quite a worthwhile package.



3. I visited the Isabella Stewart Gardiner Museum knowing nothing about Mrs.Jack. Upon leaving I found myself thinking about the museum, the experience left me feeling that Mrs. Jack was trying to tell a story about her extravigent life. I wanted to learn more instantly. As I read Mrs. Jack: A Biography of Isabelle Stewart Gardner I fell in love with this intersting womans life. I could hardly peel myself away from the book because it not only confermed things that the museum left me feeling about Mrs. Jack, but also gave me the perspective of the life of a wealthy woman of the nineteenth centery and how she spent her time and money. I have now have done some more research on Mrs. Jack and have found no copy's of this book in the museum gift shop. It makes me wonder if it's because Mrs. Jack went to great lengths to make sure that certain parts of her personal life were left private. Could this be, because this book is so eye opening into the personal life of Mrs.Jack. Thus the reason for the muesum not selling the book. See what the museum and this book has done to me making me speculate. It's all in good fun! Enjoy.



4. Living in Boston I felt it was my duty to learn as much as I could about the infamous/famous Isabella Stewart Gardner. This book proved to be the perfect source. A detailed look not only into Isabella's art collection, but also her life, the author fills the pages with stories that bring to light how Isabella became so famous. Many a times, I found myself smiling at the passages that highlighted Isabella's quirks and personality traits.
   After reading the book, I went to the Gardner Museum and found I could easily remember all the paintings mentioned in the book due to the fascinating stories behind them.
   Reading this book is like stepping back in time and exploring life with Isabella herself. I highly recommend reading it



5. I bought this biography at the ISGM in the modern Centennial edition (2003) (1903 creation of the Museum). Written in 1965 by the famous biographer of many Bostonian families Louise Hall Tharp it represents an official biography of this incredible woman collector. Drawn mostly from material available in the 1950's and '60, when many people that had personally known Isabella were still alive, the book poses itself as a meticulous reconstruction of her life, habits, travels, relationships, posessions, houses, jewels, and works of art. Descriptions of her friends and protegees are detailed and Isabella's social, cultural and economical context are clearly identifiable. However, what is missing is a character study as we are used to in modern biographies, that requires a certain degree of inductive fantasy on the Author's behalf. Naturally, when the biography was written it was perfect and adeguate for its times. There were many things that could not be written about, or rather that it was better not to indulge in such as the homosexuality of many of Isabella's friends. More modern biographies have been written: "The Art of Scandal" by Douglass Shand-Tucci and "The Memory Palace of Isabella Stewart Gardner" by Patricia Vigderman, that also have their drawbacks, but that are livelier and have greater appeal to our present biographical tastes.
   This book however remains a classic, expecially for the first part of Isabella's life, when her husband was still alive. We must not forget that Mrs. Tharp has written many biographies on the society of that period and is capable of weaving a closeknitted description of Beacon Hill residents and their world.
   The Centennial Edition contains many photographs, all Isabella's portraits and reproductions of the ISGM and some of its works of art.
   Even if dated, "Mrs. Jack" remains an indispensable cornerstone for the knowledge of Isabella Stewart Gardner's fascinating life.

5 comments about In Her Sister's Shadow: An Intimate Biography of Lee Radziwill.

1. As a rabid fan of these sisters I rushed to order this book the minute I heard it was available. I was never so dissapointed in a book. The pictures of Ms. Radziwell are all of the hazy, far off stare variety. Little or nothing of her famous sister. No new information here. I returned the book the same day I received it. Author strives so diligently to protect her privacy that she ends up telling nothing which is of any real interest.



2. lee may not have been as famous as her sister, jackie, but her life in ways was more fascinating than that of her sister. lee took risks, and lived life to its fullest, not really caring what others thought. i hope there are more book about her in the future, and i hope some she write her autobiography. excellent read.



3. If Lee Radziwell is ever referred to, it is usually in minor passages in Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis biographies; a minor character in the overblown legend of the Kennedy dynasty. Yet "In Her Sister's Shadow" offers a new view of Lee Radziwell and the parallels to her more famous sister.

   The book covers Lee Radziwell's three marriages, two children, and multiple careers ranging from an author to an interior decorator to an actress. It also covers the unspoken rivalry between her and Jacqueline Kennedy. Though Lee was often considered the prettier and more interesting of the two, her sister became an internationally beloved figure. Lee's quest for happiness, glamour and fame is the central focus of this biography.

   Upon finishing this book, it is easy to see parallels between Jackie and Lee: both married powerful men, both were reputed to be difficult to get along with, both thrived in glamour and fashionable circles. Yet Lee often seems to be the more interesting of the two, simply because she did not have the "Camelot" myth and the Kennedy aura paving her way. She stumbled and fell more often than Jackie, and her repeated attempts to pick herself up make her a more real and interesting person.

   The writing style is somewhat gossipy, though not as explicit as is usual in Kennedy-related biographies. When love affairs and marriages are referred to, the references are usually tasteful and discreet, except for the description of an obscene art exhibit made by Truman Capone. The photos are excellent, displaying Lee in a variety of places and settings and in the different stages of her life, as well as ones of her children and ex-husbands.

   Overall this is an intriguing read about an interesting woman who has been overshadowed for years by her sister. While readers may not truly like Lee when they are finished, it is difficult not to admire her.




4. In terms of writing, this book is full of run-on sentences and obscure phrases such as "ran her homes like a seventeen-jewel Swiss clock." If one focused on the subject, one would find a bitter and disillusioned woman, whom I think is really more beautiful and more stylish than the late Jacqueline Onassis was. Sadly, someone who has gone from one professional disaster to another, as Lee Radziwill has, is not worth writing about. Here is a woman who never learned her lesson - that success comes with hard work. Diana DuBois shows that perhaps Lee was too conscious of who Jackie was that she could not pull herself together, even for her own ambitions' sake. One more catastrophe, as shown by the book, is Lee's relationship with her children, that her maternal love "came in spurts." Now, even in that regard, she does not measure up to her sister. I think, I would not have known who she was if she had not been Jackie's sister in the first place...but that does not mean she was not capable of carving a separate niche for herself. Lee Radziwill, as depicted in the book, is a portrait of what a woman envies (for being beautiful and stylish and elegant) and what a any human being would not want to be (still lost in the middle age)



5. I found this book interesting if somewhat depressing. However, I still liked it. I feel that Lee Radziwell could have done so much more with her life. This was an objective study of a truly wasted life.

3 comments about The Juggler: Franklin Roosevelt As Wartime Statesman.

1. An outstanding contribution to World War Two diplomatic history, Warren Kimball lays to rest one of the old chestnuts common to most people - that Franklin D. Roosevelt, the domestic reformer, had no consistent foreign policy, merely reacting to events. Weaving humour, deft insight, an unparalleled knowledge of the sources (Mr. Kimball is the editor of the FDR-Churchill correspondence) and diplomatic history together wonderfully, the Juggler is one of the central texts for anyone looking at the wartime Grand Alliance.



2. In The Juggler, Warren Kimball attempts to paint a new picture of FDRýs foreign policy. Warren Kimballýs thesis is that FDR had a vision for his foreign policy and did not merely react to events but attempted to craft a post-World War II world. From Lend-Lease to World War II, Kimball argues that FDR was consistent in his beliefs and desires. As a politician, FDR (unlike President Wilson) was willing to compromise to ensure his dream would come to pass.
   
   The tragedy was the FDRýs vision was beyond humanity. Like Communism, he thought that the utopian ideal would allow humanity to transcend our weaknesses. War would no longer be profitable so nobody would want to wage it. This vision went beyond his grasp to attain. He did succeed (whether it was he doing or merely the geopolitical realities of the Russian threat) in ensuring that the UN would be founded and that the US would continue its presence in world affairs.
   
   Warren Kimball wrote an important book to dispel the preconceptions of FDRýs foreign policy. Despite contradictions and vague notions, FDR did have a larger vision and didnýt spent his Presidency merely reacting to foreign events.



3. Chapter one of this splendid book begins with this incredibly revealing remark that FDR made on May 15, 1942:
   
   "You know I am a juggler, and I never let my right hand know what my left hand does.... I may have one policy for Europe and one diametrically opposite for North and South America. I may be entirely inconsistent, and furthermore I am perfectly willing to mislead and tell untruths if it will help win the war."
   
   Franklin Roosevelt was a very charming man. He was so agreeable to so many different people and interests. But as one historian put it, behind that charming mask was a cunning mind. FDR had the perfect temperament to direct World War II foreign operations. It may not have always been obvious what he was up to, but look at the results he achieved.
   
   Another historian titled his FDR biography "The Lion and the Fox." Another historian compared FDR's sly foreign policy to that of looking into a kaleidoscope. You cannot see how the patterns are forming... unless you take apart the kaleidoscope and see its hidden methods.
   
   This brief book takes apart the kaleidoscope. It was written by Warren Kimbell, one of the greatest foreign policy historians of the World War II era, after a long and distinguished academic career. He was the editor of the correspondenses between Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt.
   
   The text itself is brief - only 200 pages. The writing is interesting and concise. The footnotes are extensive - 77 pages - and loaded with useful tidbits. The book mentions the interpretations of several different foreign policy experts and highlights the most credible.
   
   The book uses fourteen chapters to describe Roosevelt's strategies in several different arenas. For example, one focuses on Lend-Lease. Another focuses on Casablanca. Another part mentions FDR's ant-colonialism viewpoint. Another details FDR's vision for a safer, more secure post-war world.
   
   Kimball describes Roosevelt's foreign policy as "Americanism," which was a profound change from America's role in the world before FDR came to power. Read this book to find out what he means.

3 comments about The Merchant of Power: Sam Insull, Thomas Edison, and the Creation of the Modern Metropolis.

1. This is a rags-to-riches-to-rags story. Sam Insull came to the US with $200, got a job with Thomas Edison. Then he basically designed and set up the electric power grid as we know it today.
   
   Then through a series of misadventures that he couldn't have forseen he was wiped out. He was tried in court because there was at least a hint of fraud. He was found not-guilty on all charges.
   
   Why do we care about such a man -- two reasons:
   
   First, he is the one that made it possible that when we turn on the light switch, the overhead light comes on. This convenience is a major part of the reasons for the advances in the world. Not only light, but medical equipment, tools, motors of all types.
   
   Second, the collapse of his company attracted the attention of the Federal Government. Because of the way his company collapsed the Government passed all kinds of laws forming the Securities and Exchance Commission, requiring quarterly reports of the financial condition of the company and so on.
   
   It's also interesting that this book came out now in the aftermath of all the recent corporate scandals. I guess that there is little that changes in the world.



2. Everyone knows the inspired inventor Thomas Edison. Edison was a classic rumpled genius, driven in his eagerness to invent but sloppy in his other habits. He was devoted to the technical aspects of his gadgets, but he had little head for business or making those gadgets pay. The business of his endeavors was as unkempt as his clothing, but lucky for him, he had a young ally to help get his books in order. Samuel Insull, in contrast to Edison, is barely remembered today, but he had a huge role in making the modern world through the electrical inventions that Edison churned out. He was driven to make electricity pay, and he did so in millions of dollars, using all the dubious financial levers through the 1920's until it all went wrong. In _The Merchant of Power: Sam Insull, Thomas Edison, and the Creation of the Modern Metropolis_ (Palgrave), John F. Wasik, a journalist in business and finance, has told Insull's story, one full of ambition and financial spectacle, and leading to the sort of ruin contemporary readers will recognize in, say, the Enron scandal.
   
   Insull was born in London in 1859. He scrambled to improve himself as ever any Horatio Alger hero did, and won his way to New York as Edison's private secretary. His ability to work right through the night and get by on catnaps ingratiated himself to his new boss. As Insull took a firmer grasp of Edison's technological advances, he centered on one in particular, the distribution of electricity that could power the lights and other inventions that Edison had produced. He went on literally to electrify Chicago, using huge generators never imagined before. He initiated the metering of power and other financial innovations, not all of them strictly on the up and up. He actually fled America when the bust of the Depression came, tooling around Europe to avoid extradition. Eventually, he could not avoid coming back and facing trial for fraud. A brilliant defense expounded on his rags-to-riches life story and made credible the idea that although he had brought down thousands of investors, no one had fallen as low as he had himself, and that his financial machinations had been for the purpose of preserving his stockholders' fortunes, failing merely because everything was failing. He was acquitted, but he remained a useful enemy for Franklin Delano Roosevelt's campaign against "big power".
   
   Insull may be forgotten, but the foresight of his role in the electrification of America deserves recognition. He was a major influence in the arts, too, but not in the way he would have wanted in promoting the Grand Opera that was fashionable for patronage in his day. Insull did promote the dramatic career of his wife, well beyond her years or capacity. Herman Mankiewicz had started a venomous review of one of her performances in New York, got drunk, passed out on his typewriter, and couldn't finish the review. When it came time to write the script of _Citizen Kane_, Mankiewicz included the incident as part of Kane's sad advocacy for his wife's opera career. Insull served physically as well, as one of the models for Kane; Orson Welles handed his makeup man a picture of Insull, with his brush mustache, and wanted to look as much like him as possible. It's quite the legacy, but Wasik's book presents a memorable picture of the original, as well as the technological and social life of Chicago in his times.



3. Subtitled: "The more you know, the more you know you don't know."
   Coming across "The Merchant Of Power" by John Wasik, I was intrigued by the title and book jacket, but I half expected this book to be a clever spoof, like a book-bound Zelig. It was hard to believe that one person could have had such an effect on the history of the United States, indeed living a substantial part of his life in New York City, but had been almost erased from history less than a century later. In fact, I Googled Mr. Insull, and found that yes, he did exist, and yes, he was that influential in the modern industrialized America of the late 19th- and early 20th-century.
   Insull was the business "brain" behind the eccentric tinkerer, Thomas Edison, who comes across as something of an old fool, and in the New York years, Insull was deeply involved in the Edison/Westinghouse/Tesla/AC/DC controversy, and the bitter J.P. Morgan takeover of Edison Electric (which became General Electric). Getting the heck out of Dodge before things got too dicey, he headed west to a primitive outpost on the edge of the American frontier, Chicago. Finally he was able to work his magic without running up against adversaries like Morgan or George Westinghouse; he bought and consolidated several small electric companies that were serving the city and created the complex electric grid that we know today.
   Part biography, part history, part science (or, electrical engineering, at least) and part gossip, the book illuminates a forgotten man, and a never-to-be-forgotten period of the American story.

5 comments about Ansel Adams: A Biography.

1. With the many monographs, existing biographies and the letters already published Mary Street Alinder provides an insight into the "real" Ansel Adams. Without destroying the legend, his life is shown as imperfect, human. This is the complete Adams, the great image-maker, the technical genius, environmentalist, pianist, social figure, but also alluding to a less than perfect personal life. Alinders' position as assistant has allowed her a unique perspective of the world's best-known photographer, the result is a book that is well-structured and entertaining to read. It shows where Adams fits into the greater picture, his associations with other photographers, figures in the art world and his political as well as social connections. The only weakness is the fully justified attack on the trustees of the Ansel Adams legacy; this may not be the place for such personal comments. Ansel Adams: A Biography is an excellent book, whether you think you know about Adams or have never heard of the great man.



2. Alinder has written a superb book, which for the first time, gives us the real Ansel Adams.

   And here on the printed page we find what has been whispered about for decades: Ansel wasn't exactly a nice guy. Poor Virginia (his wife who tolerated his infidelity); poor Michael and Anne (his kids who rarely saw him).

   Adams joins the ranks of Weston and Stieglitz, who we've also learned were not saints at all. Not even very nice people. But exceptionally gifted artists nonetheless.




3. I thought it was very interesting it was of thought and simplicity it had lots of interseting perspectives about one's own life....



4. The book is interesting and quite well written, if you don't mind the non-chronology of it. I just came away thinking even less of Mr. Adams than I did going in and that was a let-down for me. I think some of his photographs are very pretty, but I would never call them art! They don't "move" me and neither did this book.



5. Rarely do I start rereading a book immediately after I finish the last page, and it is even more rare for the book to be a biography. Mary Street Alinder's biography of Ansel Adams is one of these.

   I have studied and admired Ansel Adams' photography for many years: his mastery of composition and virtuosity in the darkroom are unrivaled. His books on photographic and darkroom technique are well read and have a prominent place in my technical library. I did not know anything about Ansel Adams the man.

   Mary Street Alinder was Adams' assistant during the final years of his life, becoming a close confidant and co-authoring his autobiography and later collecting and publishing his letters. In that unique position she had access to almost 70 years of correspondence, tens of thousands unprinted negatives, and more important of all close access to Ansel and his family.

   The image of Adams that develops through the pages of the book is a difficult one to interpret. His friendships with other photographers, naturalists, and numerous female assistants were deep and life long (though in the case of the latter never intimate). His relationship to his family was a different matter, and this is where the difficulty lies: Ansel was first and foremost dedicated to, if not obsessed by, his art, at the expense of his wife and children. In this he comes through as less than likable. But it also becomes clear that inside Ansel was always a child, excited by all around him and exuberant with life and a single self-centered focus towards doing what he could for the places he loved.

   Alinder's writing is clear and concise. The organization of the book is not strictly chronological. Instead each chapter documents specific events, people, places, or photographs. This can be disconcerting at first, but it is an effective approach that leads to a more interesting read. Chapter 13, "Moonrise," is especially fascinating. It is Alinder's favorite picture, and she was fortunate enough to be in the darkroom with him as he made a print from the original negative. The description of Ansel's process is musical.

   Alinder is not an apologist for Ansel's personality flaws: she presents him honestly, though not critically. The book is rife with citations: there are over 60 pages of notes supporting the story.

   If you want insight into Ansel Adams the Photographer, the Naturalist, and most importantly, the Man, then I highly recommend this book.

4 comments about Mrs. Ike: Portrait of a Marriage (Capital Classics).

1. Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of President Eisenhower, has written a beautiful portrait of her grandmother and the strong marriage between the President and his First Lady.



2. Ike is one my historical favorites. I think his life testifies to the American dream - that a poor but enterprising boy from Kansas could achieve everlasting distinction as a Supreme Commander and President.

   In Mrs. Ike you learn about his life partner. It wasn't always a happy marriage, and it was certainly tested by tragedy (death of 3-year old son) and the rigors of nomadic military life, particularly during the disarmament era after WWI. Yet they hung in there and made the most of their life together.

   This is easy reading and a sometimes touching intimate portrait of a nice old-fashioned couple. They shared a 53-year marriage that took them from a difficult penny-pinching existence post WWI to great distinction and wealth later in life.

   For those interested in the Ike-Summersby question, I think this book puts another nail in that silly coffin. I particularly like the description of their relationship as like "Lou Grant and Mary Richards" (from the Mary Tyler Moore Show). Based on everything I've read they were more like affectionate father and daughter than lovers. Yet its painful to read how, after Ike's death in '69, Mamie had to endure rumors and scuttlebutt during the next decade, including a nutty divorce story by Harry Truman, now discredited and widely cited as perhaps testament to Truman's senility late in life.




3. I thought Margaret Truman cornered the market on good writing about parents. However, Susan Eisenhower has written a book of the same caliber. Being born in 1955, I only vaguely remember when DDE was President, though I certainly remember when Ike died in 1969. I had read so many unflattering things about Mamie, with the main exception being J.B. West's book of memoirs about being Chief Usher in the White House. Mamie is largely forgotten nowadays, particularly in light of the Kennedy administration that followed. What greater contrast than between the sixty-something Mamie and the thirty-something Jackie! After reading this book in all its details, one can better understand that Mamie considered herself first, last and always as an Army wife. It's easy for us to think of the period during and following WW II when Ike shot up through the ranks, with the perks that such a position brings. This book reminds us of the many, many years of their marriage with constant moving and not enough money to go around. Was it any wonder, then, that she would shop the newspapers for bargains while First Lady? I think we all hope that by our sixties we have a good working conception of who we are and what we want--this Mamie had in spades. She wouldn't change her hairdo or wardrobe for whims of fashion--she knew what worked for her. We also might be reminded that the position of First Lady is indeed unpaid and she is truly under no obligation to perform for us, the American public. In this book Susan Eisenhower reveals that in the eight years that Ike was President, Mamie only entered the Oval Office 4 times! Now, that's what I can call a separation of duties. We are also reminded that no President before or since had the foreign experience, including living in many foreign countries. They were a most cosmopolitan couple, perhaps masquerading as our grandparents! As West said, no couple looked more spit-and-polish than the Eisenhowers in their formality, and this included the Kennedys.

   This is a must read for any fan of 20th century American history.
   Many thanks to Ms. Eisenhower for her work.




4. I never knew much about Mamie Eisenhower other then she was a first lady until I read this biography it was well written and a fun read. Reading about Mamie's wealthy childhood and marrying Ike and becoming a army wife. Reading about all the places they've lived Denver, Panama, the Philippines, Europe, and the long separations from her husband. The sad death of their first child. I defiently recommend this book.

5 comments about Lee Considered: General Robert E. Lee and Civil War History.

1. If you like politically correct revisionism, then this is for you. I don't mind at all reading well reasoned essays, but when the author concludes that nothing about the historic portrayal of Robert E. Lee is accurate, that's a bit much. According to the book, Lee was not particularly honest or competent.
   When those closest to him throughout his U.S. army career, those who served closely with him during four years of war,and even his military adversaries (including President Licoln) almost universally indicated a high regard for the man, certainly he must have gotten something right. The Army of Northern Virginia held together during one of the coldest winters in the 19th century (1864-65) shivering in the trenches with little clothing or food because thousands still believed in Lee enough to continue to fight. That was certainly well before the myth of the Lost Cause was developed. I guess that those who knew him best were just too stupid to see the great "truths" this book uncovers.
   
   The fact that Lee's soldiers went home after an incredibly bitter war and that America did not turn into Northern Ireland is a tribute to Lee. The fact that Lee quicky applied for a pardon and tried to set an example to reduce sectional hatred and devoted his remaining years to educating the next generation means the poor guy could not be all bad.
   
   But you sure wouldn't know it from reading Lee Considered. I suggest that you considering buying something else.



2. Yep, it is, in my opinion, very bad (I can hardly use the word in connection with it) "history." Knowing that I love to read Civil War history, a relative gave me this book for Christmas, 2007; I read it in a couple of days. Geez. Invalid criteria, misreading of facts and invalid analysis are, in my opinion, the hallmarks of this book. Valuing my bookshelf space, I did the right thing: I wrote my 'Thank You' note, then pitched it.
   
   Its a good thing that trees are a renewable resource.



3. Save your money, Charter assignation is the lawyers trade mark and from Alan Nolan you see his distain for the south and all southern writers; objectivity is not in his vocabulary or writing this book.
   Nolan writes in typical lawyer fashion, he does not let truth or facts get in the way of a good story.
   I am disappointed with the blatant bias of the book by someone who is attempting to write about a general in the confederate army with any degree of fairness. A law degree makes not a soldier or writer.
   Nolan makes many contradictory statements, both military and nonmilitary, which appear to be from not having an original thought and brings into question his expertise in military tactics and his ability to write objectivity as a military historian. His use of tertiary sources is least desirable way to do research and writing; but to say the people who he has scavenged the work from do not know the real Robert E. Lee is the height of conceit. In this book Nolan seems to be trying to prove historians wrong and portray Lee as some sort of war monger, which of course if far from the truth.
   Douglas S. Freeman, Nobel Prize, a Lee historian of the highest caliber, is turning over in his grave, at the attacks on his writing. Freeman's father, served honorably for the war of independence, was a great source of information for Douglas; would be greatly insulted by this book.
   His writing is excerpts form other writers books and he leaves many gaps when quoting for these writers, which leaves me to believe he is selectively taking information out of context for the purpose of demeaning the main charter.
   One would be better served to read other books on the war for southern independence before reading this book.



4. this book shows the flaws of robert E lee. the author disproves many of the myth surrounding Lee about not supporting slavery and being a flawless general -eventhough he was a good general. overall, it is a good read for anyone who wants to learn about Robert E Lee.



5. If a book has substantial references and documentation to specifically document controversial opinions and positions of the author, then it may make a worthwhile read. In this tome, however, Nolan provides little to no rational support for his opinions, making his efforts..., well,....trash. At least the National Inquirer gets sued if it creates defamatory material, and publishes it. Poor Marse Lee isn't with us to give Nolan the same thrashing he would receive were Nolan not too infirm himself and the subject of his scorn alive.
   
   Sadly, I can only hope that McPherson and Gallagher, who thought this book more than a cheap novel, have managed to maintain a higher degree of scholarship in their own works than does Nolan. Honestly, my problem with the book is not that it takes a negative view of Lee, otherwise, I wouldn't have bought it. My disappointment lies in the unmitigated lack of reasonable support in the record to be found in a single negative statement.
   
   Well, at least the pages of my book have found some redeeming usefulness, as what is left of the book sits next to my toilet. Damn expensive toilet paper, though.