1 comments about Atarque: Now All Is Silent... (Stories from New Mexico Villages).

1. The service was prompt and was glad to get the book. I have relatives in this book so was glad to find more for geneaology.

1 comments about The Life of Herbert Hoover: Masters of Emergencies, 1917-1918 (Life of Herbert Hoover, Vol 3).

1. It is hard to imagine today, but there was a time not so very long ago when America came perilously close to running out of food. Three years of World War I, European pestilence, international speculation, and the imbalance of American farming and processing interests had taken their toll on the globe's food supply. In the spring of 1917 President Woodrow Wilson became painfully aware that the projected output of American grain and meats would not meet domestic and allied needs for the coming year of the war as the United States entered the fray. Having made the fateful decision to enter the war, Wilson went on to assume even greater powers: the appointment of a czar who would, in effect, tell Americans what and how much they could eat.

   It did not take long to identify the candidate for the job. Herbert Hoover, the self-made mining millionaire who coordinated emergency food relief services for Europe during the first three years of the war, returned to America a hero and accepted Wilson's invitation to manage American food. Hoover's personal credentials were impeccable: magnificent administrator, philanthropist, and friend of business. While Hoover the man was acceptable to the Senate, his mandate-outlined in legislation known as the Lever Act-was another matter. The Senate refused to accept price controls, and sent Hoover on his way to battle with what it believed were sufficient restraints.

   When one takes the long view of this work, the third volume of Hoover's biography, what gradually dawns on the reader is the sense that Hoover, with an international sense of the size of the crisis, was prepared to execute war powers in ways that had not been seen since Lincoln. Neither the Senate nor the business community had truly taken the measure of this man, though biographer Nash strongly implies that Wilson knew exactly what he was doing and was pleased with the results. Hoover, for his part, saved the western world from starving with a three pronged attack: he essentially usurped the authority of several cabinet departments, he mobilized public opinion, and he stretched the Lever Act through bureaucratic legerdemain into a virtual Magna Carta.

   If Congress had balked at price controls on staples such as wheat and pork, Hoover found another means to achieve the same end. Having calculated modest prices for food staples that would avoid inflation and speculation, Hoover found provisions in the Lever Act permitting him to issue government licenses to farmers, granaries, packinghouses, mills and even grocers. Those who refused to operate within the Hoover price structure were refused licenses. To attempt to do business without a license was risky, because Hoover, for all intents and purposes, was also acting secretary of transportation, controlling rail and water priorities. Unions, farmers, and particularly the meat packing trust howled, but Hoover had prepared for that eventuality.

   Hoover's heavy-handed methods worked as well as they did because he had wisely joined food conservation to war fervor. One of his first acts as food administrator was a public awareness crusade, pitched specifically at women, to limit portions of food served at meals, to designate national meatless days, to establish new ratios of flours for breads, etc. Millions of households signed pledge cards to observe the Hoover guidelines, and for a time a "clean plate" ethic seized the country. In the face of this domestic crusade, the whining of Swift, Armor, Wilson, and other food producers over reduced profits seemed petty and even unpatriotic. There were a sizable number of Americans who found the entire concept hokey, but Hoover was able to hold together his pantry army just long enough to see through till the end of the war.

   There were, of course, many factors Hoover could not control. The British were not pleased with Hoover's mandate that they buy up excess American pork and acquire a taste for it. The army demanded more shipping space for combat troops, limiting Hoover's capacity to export. The winter of 1918 was among the worst in American history, creating massive delays in rail and shipping traffic. And, curiously, the end of the war arrived sooner than Hoover had planned, causing a glut in food supplies. That the war ended when it did may have been a political blessing in disguise for Hoover, for his magnificent balancing act was beginning to crumble. Congress and industry could be caged only so long. But in his eighteen-month tenure the food czar had essentially done what he set out to do: feed the western world without interruption and speculation.

   One immediate question is: how did Hoover get away with this? One gets the sense that a lot of government officials rolled over and played dead during Hoover's heyday, such as the Secretary of Agriculture, David Houston. One answer may be that while most officers of government were at least dimly aware of the magnitude of the crisis, they realized that to do what was necessary-usurp commercial powers to an unprecedented degree-would involve the political suicide of the perpetrator, and they were happy to oblige Hoover as he took the fall. Interestingly, Hoover never seemed to have considered his tenure a political risk. On the contrary, he evidently saw his government service as his emergence onto the American political stage, and of course events would show this to be fortuitous. In its description of this tenure of Hoover's public service, the book serves up questions for the volumes to follow: How did Hoover regain his credibility in with Republicans, and major business interests in particular, such that he could be nominated for the presidency in 1928? Another: how did Hoover's wartime experience impact his presidential management of the Depression? And finally, would America of the third millennium accept a "temporary czar" in a national crisis such as the unleashing of weapons of mass destruction? Put another way, is Hoover simply a historical anomaly or a paradigm for future crises?

5 comments about Hero of Flight 93: Mark Bingham (An Advocate Books Life Story).

1. What a wonderful book protraying Mark for who he was. I had the honor of knowing this fine man. It was wonderful to read about different things that happened in Mark's life and remembering him telling me about those times.

   September 11, 2001, brought many heroes forth. I do not think people in our nation really knew what others would do for others and and what cost to themselves. Mark's selfless acts were a modest reflection of the many things he did for others.

   His story is extremely well told and will give you more insight into the day will now think of as, Patriot Day. He was truly a patriot. His actions and those of all the people on board Flight 93 have given us hope since they fought the first battle against terrorism.




2. Reading this book was the most moving experience I have had in a long time. I really wish I had the honor of having known Mark Bingham, but now I find that I mourn his loss just as if I had. He, along with the others of Flight 93, should never be forgotten for their ultimate act of bravery. It will take me a long time to get this short account of such a rich and full life out of my mind, and it will never leave my heart. We must all promise ourselves never to forget Sept. 11 and stick together the way Mark did with those he loved. Rest in peace, Mark, and God bless all of you.



3. This short biography of Mark Bingham, who died on Flight 93 that terrible day of September 11, 2001, most likely as a member of a heroic group attempting to thwart the hijackers who had taken over his plane, is carefully written and researched by one of the senior editors of the Advocate. He's done the best job possible of presenting Mark Bingham as the human being he was, which includes the fact that he was a gay man. The parallels and differences drawn between Bingham and the gay man who saved Gerald Ford from possible assassination by Sara Jane Moore are very striking and food for thought. Most of the quotes are carefully chosen and only occasionally, as in a long string of e-mail correspondence between Bingham and a friend, is there a suspicion of padding.

   Ultimately the impact of this book is muted solely by the fact that no words can adequately reproduce the impact of the attacks that changed America forever, and too many facts tend to obscure, rather than clarify, the subject and its attendant emotions. The short quote from Mark Bingham about his philosophy of life near the end of the book, as related by one of his friends, is more moving in context than anything else. If you know what I'm talking about, it's not necessary to read the rest; if you don't, it's worth buying the book just to read that.




4. This book has been successfully written to tell the story like it should be told. Mark Bingham and the others on United Flight 93 have given new meaning to the term Hero!! This book is a wonderful addition to any collection of the events of 9/11!! Mark stood up in the face of terror and paid the ultimate sacrifice. It is because of him and the other heroes, that an even greater tragedy was avoided. This day could have been much worse if not for the courageous efforts of people like Mark Bingham!!!



5. In the aftermath of 9/11, several news articles mentioned that Mark Bingham was gay and a Republican. As a gay Republican myself, this naturally interested me. However, according to this biography, he was actually a Libertarian, though like most Libertarians he agreed with the GOP on many issues and on at least one occasion he worked for a Republican's campaign.
   
   What's really striking about this biography is how very normal Mark Bingham was. He was nicer than a lot of people, and he did show a protective instinct all of his life; once he attacked a mugger to protect his friends from him. But aside from this, he was a fairly ordinary young man with career successes and failures behind him, working and having fun with his friends and wondering if he was doing the right thing with his life and if he was ever going to find a life partner.
   
   It was also a little amusing that the biographer tried to gloss over one of the few qualities in Mark Bingham that would be likely to offend some: he was a "bear" and like some conventionally masculine gay men, effeminate gay men bothered him. Barrett mentions this as briefly as he can and then emphasizes the more tolerant comments Bingham made about effeminate gay men, trying to imply that Bingham knew his distaste for them was wrong and was striving to overcome it. Maybe that's true, but I could see that Barrett was concerned that this bit of personal taste might prejudice gay readers against him.
   
   All in all, it's a good and balanced study of an ordinary man who became a hero because the opportunity sought him out. It's inspiring to know that such an ordinary man can be so heroic.

3 comments about Earthbound and Heavenbent: Elizabeth Porter Phelps and Life at Forty Acres (1747-1817).

1. This is not the personal life story I expected. I've read a lot of historical biographies (most recently, "Ethan Allen", by Jellison) but this one reads like a senior thesis gone bad. The author "guesses" or "supposes" what Elizabthe Porter Phelps "must have" or "might have" been thinking about certain events transpiring around her. There is no evidence Elizabeth Porter Phelps thought any such thing. The author interjects her own modern thoughts upon a colonial farmwife.

   There is no reason to read this dull and "probably" inaccurate book.

   I was interested in what Elizabeth Porter Phelps words were from that time. The book does not deliver. You might as well read a historic novel -- it would be at least more entertaining.




2. The reviewer who found this book dull must have been reading a different book than the one I read.
   
   I thought this was the most interesting biography I've read in a long time and I read a lot of biography.
   
   I loved it because the author, unlike so many recent historians, did not turn her subject into a modern woman in ancient dress. She didn't discover hidden signs of feminism or modern emotions. Instead, she gave us, bit after bit the little observations and thoughts that build up the picture of how different the thought-world and emotional life of a woman in this period was from ours.
   
   I thought the author did a particularly good job of bringing alive the very alien Calvinist worldview with which Phelps lived. She and made me realize the extent to which we have sentimentalized our view of our New England forbears and forgotten how extreme their religious views were. I have read many books about religious history, but this one somehow got at the core of what it meant to live with the philosophical ideas that the other books explain.
   
   The author also made me think, long and hard, about what it was like to live in a world where children frequently woke up with what seemed like a cold and were dead within the day. Phelps' relentless focus on the state of her soul and her terror of eternal damnation made sense to me as the author showed us how her friends and family so often were snatched away by death with no warning.
   
   I also loved the way that the author made the house a kind of metaphor for the larger family and community life which took place within it. I have driven by this particular house many times as it is on my way home from the local shopping mall, but had never had any idea how many people lived there, worked there, visited there, and even, though strangers, stayed there for a night on their way, walking, to central Connecticut. I don't think I will ever look at any big old farmhouse the same way again now that I have more feeling for what the life in such a house was like.
   
   The author does not write like a graduate student. I throught her writing was deft, particularly in light of the nature of the primary source material she was working with, which is heavy going to read. It is no small task to make something readable out of this kind of writing. The author is not educated and does not write the kind of polished letters women wrote in the generation later when they grew up reading Burney and Austen. This is the writing of a woman whose reading was the Bible, hellfire sermons, and Pilgrim's Progress.
   
   I'd recommend this book to anyone who has a serious interest in New England History, social history or womans' history.
   
   If you enjoy this book, another book you'll want to read is OUR OWN SNUG FIRESIDE by Jane Nylander, which gives you a great deal of information about the physical details of daily life in the Porter-Phelps household.



3. If you want a personal view of the past, and a unique opportunity to imagine living in an old house when it was new....this book is for you! Please enjoy this labor of love by the author, who compiled and created a detailed and well-researched volume that brings history to life! It is a must-read for anyone with a connection to Western Massachusetts!

1 comments about The Selected Letters of Theodore Roosevelt.

1. Many excellent historians have taken on the subject of Theodore Roosevelt but, in my opinion, the first rank belongs to Edmund Morris and Professor H.W. Brands. Their knowledge of and passion for the topic of TR is unsurpassed (although their styles are quite different). Brand's "Selected Letters ..." is not really for the casually interested although they will indeed find his widely flung correspondence entertaining and informative. The more devoted student of TR, however, will really find this book interesting and useful. It offers up a more private and candid Roosevelt and, as such, provides some of the context and color behind the large and small historical events of his life.

2 comments about Jacqueline Kennedy: First Lady of the New Frontier (Modern First Ladies).

1. As one of the most charismatic and intriguing women in modern American history, Jacqueline Kennedy has been the subject of numerous books, articles, and even made-for-television movies. Those attempts, however, focused almost exclusively on Mrs. Kennedy's aura of celebrity---until now. Enter Dr. Barbara Perry, the Carter Glass Professor of Government at Sweet Briar College in Virginia. In "Jacqueline Kennedy: First Lady of the New Frontier," Perry does an outstanding job of telling a familiar story from a scholar's perspective. She provides a highly readable, yet serious examination of Jacqueline Kennedy in the White House.
   
   In researching the glamorous and sometimes enigmatic First Lady, Dr. Perry states that her mission "was to write the first scholarly treatment of her [Kennedy's] work as first lady and filter out the extremes of previous books that range from hagiographic tributes to mean-spirited or sensationalized accounts." That mission was a particularly daunting one in that Jacqueline Kennedy's personal papers and oral history, located in the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, remain closed. Not to be dissuaded, Dr. Perry apparently did exhaustive research into virtually every available primary source. The result is a fascinating, insightful look at a first lady who emerges as a surprisingly assertive, independent, and even bold actor on the White House stage. Jackie, of course, is best known as the driving force in the restoration of the White House, but she was equally influential in the creation of the White House Historical Society, the preservation of Lafayette Square, and support of the arts. Her personl correspondence on these projects is quite revealing, suggesting that she had a clear vision of how the White House, the presidency, and the first family should be presented to the public---and how she attempted to preserve and present her own identity. Professor Perry is especially effective in exploring this area, having previously authored a compelling analysis of the symbolism and imagery of the U.S. Supreme Court and how the court presents itself to the public (see "The Priestly Tribe: The Supreme Court's Image in the American Mind").
   
   Barbara Perry's work is a much-appreciated scholarly addition to the body of literature on Jacqueline Kennedy. Until the Kennedy papers are opened to the public (in about 40 years), it will stand unchallenged as the definitive account for viewing and understanding an American icon inside the White House.



2. Unlike more gosspiy biographies, political scientist Barbara Perry approaches the life of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy as a scholar. She writes about the early influences in her life, her role as first lady and the passions and causes that she undertook in her official life. Perry touches on such issues as JFK's infidelity and deftlly handles the criticism leveled at Mrs. Kennedy for, among other things, her spending on her wardrobe and her "francophile" attachments. So while the book doesn't get bogged down in the tawdry details of their personal lives, neither does it ignore them. It's a well-written, well-documented account of a White House that was so different than any other in modern times -- much due, in part, to the youth and flair of Jacqueline Kennedy. For those who want an objective account, this is an excellent read.

4 comments about Boots and Saddles: Or Life in Dakota With General Custer.

1. This is really a question insteadof a review. I have a copy of Boots and Saddles written by Elizabeth B. Custer. The copyright is 1885, by Harper & Brothers. The first page has a note wrote on it "To my friend Richard Dec 25th 1890 then a signature of the giver M L Malis ? Would you know anything about this particular book?



2. Althought the opinions of Custer and life with the calvary are viewed through (very) rosy glasses, Mrs. G.A. Custer is a witty and prolific writer. She also gives little-known insight into everyday happenings in life on the prairie and how women survived the journey. Particularly interesting are the dynamics of relationships between women when living literally in the middle of nowhere, surviving the harshest of climates, with few friends, the same friends, for extended times. Also interesting is the relationship between people of color and the white soldiers. Custer is an enigma, and readers should read this book but also others ("Son of the Morning Star" is the best thus far) to get a glimpse at the man. Libby Custer falls into poetic verse at times, but this can be refreshing - there are not many writings of women in these times available.



3. There are so few well written and personally lived books about the people of the northern great plains, but this is one of them. Mrs. Custer gives intimate details of life in the cavalry and the Dakotas of a time now gone.
   She tells of blizzards, heat, insects, dangers and people in a most readable way that draws the reader in. This is a special book that speaks to the plainsman's heart.



4. This is the first of three books George Armstrong Custer's widow Elizabeth Bacon Custer (EBC hereafter) wrote about her life with the General. It begins with Custer and the 7th being assigned to North Dakota, and ends with the expedition which led to the Battle of the Little Bighorn. EBC is a good writer within the limitations of the "style" of 1880s-1890s nonfiction. One has to allow for the fact that for her, G. A. Custer was the tallest, strongest, smartest, wittiest, bravest and most omnicompetent man alive. [It's worth pointing out that she often also describes all the troopers riding with Custer as "physically perfect, absolutely splendid specimens of manhood in its prime."] Also following the style of the period, EBC almost entirely omits the names of those she writes about. But otherwise her word-portrait of the life of an officer's wife in the utter desolation of the frontier forts during the Plains Indian Wars is effective, vivid and often moving.
   
   There are so many good stories here I don't want to spoil any by hinting at them. The most famous is EBC's account of "Old Nash," a Mexican laundress who earned several small fortunes with her expert sewing and tailoring, was much sought-after as a marriage partner despite her dark complexion and broad shoulders, and who turned out to be the best midwife around... despite....
   
   A few of the many things that impressed me with EBC's powers of observations--- When the great chiefs and warriors of the plains came to visit Custer, she noted that they (contrary to modern stereotype) were physically almost completely undeveloped, with geek-like pipestem arms... and she understood the reason: that males among the Plains indians did essentially no physical labor whatsoever. Another fine passage involves the relationship between Custer and his favorite indian scout, the famous Bloody Knife. According to EBC Bloody Knife was relentlessly sarcastic concerning the skills and abilities of white men, and Custer in particular. When on a hunting expedition with Custer, Bloody Knife would keep up a running narrative of belitting remarks concerning Custer's unfamiliarity with and incompetence with firearms. As soon as Custer got off a good shot, Bloody Knife would fall silent and express his admiration with a brief smile, which Custer obviously treasured far more than many sentences of insincere and overdone flattery. It reminds me a bit of a comment supposedly made by Wyatt Earp about his great friend Doc Holliday: "He can always make me laugh!"
   
   There is no gossip about Custer's notoriously poor relations with many of the other officers and men of the 7th Cavalry. EBC defends this by saying that Custer deliberately did not tell her of feuds and enemies, because he wanted her as hostess to treat all members of the 7th with equal courtesy. However, this excuse is contradicted within the book by extracts from letters written to her by Custer, which refer to feuds and enemies in ways that would have made no sense if EBC were not fully informed,
   
   Recommended for anyone curious about the life of Cavalry officers, troopers and their families on the "rim of empire" in the 1870s.

1 comments about One of Lee's Best Men: The Civil War Letters of General William Dorsey Pender.

1. I have a great interest in the U.S. Civil War and I have read many books on it. You always here about the most notable generals like Lee, Jackson, Stuart, Grant, Sherman, etc.., but you hardly here of the lesser known ones like Pender. Being a North Carolinian, it is very gratifying to know that some great men and officers fought from your state. Pender was one of those men. In this book, his letters to his wife reveal his true character. He was a loving husband and father, a dedicated soldier, and a man of faith who believed himself to be very unworthy before God. As the war progresses, his letters become more mature and earnest in nature. He desires for an end to the war; to live to a good old age with his wife; and to see his children grow up. He is a strict disciplanarian as an officer and he soon earns the respect of his troops and his superiors including Lee and A.P. Hill. Just before Gettysburg, he is promated to the rank of major general at the age of 29 and fights gallantly on the first day. Unfortunately, he is wounded on the second day and dies a few weeks later. His death is mourned by his troops and especially by Lee and Hill. Pender was a promising officer who died to early in the war and at a very young age. His letters are heartfelt and very touching; a must read for anyone interested in Pender and great officers of the Civil War.

1 comments about Women in the American Civil War.

1. Compiled, organized and edited by Lisa Tendrich Frank, "Women In The American Civil War" is a two volume compendium focusing specifically on the women who played vital roles from the home front to the battlefield during the four years of the American civil war. Largely unknown, these women and their contributions are now showcased and presented for the benefit of scholars and civil war buffs with an interest in civil war history more than 300 alphabetically organized entries identify the individual women, their organizations, battles, and women's roles that are associated with all aspects of the civil war conflict. Featuring fourteen contextual essays covering the lives and experiences of women in both the North and the South, both slave and free, immediately prior to the outbreak of war, during the years of conflict, as well as after the Confederate defeat, "Women In The American Civil War" is further enhanced with contributions by more than one hundred experts in the field of civil war historical research, original documents (including letters and diary entries) that personalize the historical data; a detailed chronology of Civil war events while highlighting those particularly affecting women; and an extensive bibliography of primary and secondary sources. Thoroughly 'user friendly', "Women In The American Civil War" is a seminal and important contribution to the growing library of Civil War reference literature and an important, core addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library collections.

5 comments about Dan Rice: The Most Famous Man You've Never Heard Of.

1. An excellent book about an amazing American! Dan Rice is an important part of Americana and also a fascinating individual. I highly recommend this book.



2. Indispensable for any fan of circus or clowning and
   important and highly intriguing for anyone interested
   in the evolution of American popular entertainment,
   DAN RICE: THE MOST FAMOUS MAN YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF
   is an exemplary biography.
   
   Culled from an unbelievable amount of research, this is
   the story of the rise and fall of one of the acknowledged
   masters and true geniuses of American circus comedy. It
   cuts through the mythology and humbug to give you the far
   more interesting story of a man who embodied his era and
   rose to a level of national prominence that few comedians
   (let alone circus clowns) ever come close to.
   
   Even if you have never heard of Dan Rice, you will find this
   book an absolutely fascinating read from start to finish.
   
   If you love the American circus and it's clowns, this book
   is a little slice of heaven. -- EXCELSIOR!



3. Dan Rice: The Most Famous Man You've Never Heard Of is the fascinating and informative biography of a circus man whose fame became so great (seen as he was by more Americans of the time than just about anyone else) that at one point he ran for presidency of the United States. This compelling and superbly presented biography traces the life of Dan Rice, his rise in the public eye and the reasons behind his eventual descent into total obscurity. An amazing cultural history of America in the mid-eighteenth century as well as a close personal look at one flamboyant man who struggled through the roiling times, Dan Rice: The Most Famous Man You've Never Heard of is a biography especially recommended to circus buffs, as well as students of 19th century American life, culture, and politics!



4. This book fills in a gap in historical research about an exciting time for the American Circus. The book is extremely readable and extremely well researched. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in the circus, the Civil War, or history.



5. This is a quality biography (academically), well researched and reliable, but also enjoyable to read. Its listed at 500+ pages but the text portion is 416, with a picture about every 4th page, so it's really in the 350+ range of actual text. I think the fact that Rice was an in-person spontaneous crowd entertainer of magnetic charisma, before audio/visual and scripts; it's difficult to really grasp what made him so great without seeing him in person. Reading his dialog transcripts are flat, painfully so, you had to have been there in person. I wish Carlyon had taken more artistic efforts to convey what a circus was like, what Dan was like, more time is spent on controversy and conflict with his professional peers than what actually made him so appealing. There are occasional hints of what sound like fascinating episodes in his life that never get developed. It often feels like Carlyon spent months pouring over newspaper microfiche collections, following Dan's life through the newspaper controversies (which may very well be the only way) - but as Carlyon says, Rice knew that controversy sells! One of the strengths of the book is its examination of the changing zeitgeist of America in the 19th century - this is important to understand why an entertainer is a star one decade, and yesterdays news the next, even though nothing had changed - as Dan said one day to the crowd: "What did I do wrong?", Carlyon, through the story of Rice, does a good job of conveying the changing character and nature of America between the 1840s and 1880s. This is also vital work for any student of Mark Twain or fan of Huckleberry Finn.