2 comments about Dwight D. Eisenhower: Soldier and President (Notable Americans).

1. I'm the author and I want to quote the review from the 11/15/2001 issues of Booklist. The review is by Roger Leslie
   "Eisenhower evolved from a hot-tempered, free-spirited West Point cadet to a meticulous military strategist and shrewd if seemingly detached commander in chief. Weaving together private, familial and professional threads, Young reveals Ike's story with a flair that makes both the man's questionable and admirable traits interesting. Without judging, Young relates details about Ike's remote personality and relationships with key historical figures - among them Douglas MacArthur and Harry Truman - and about myopic presidedntial decisions such as stalling desegregation and ingnoring Joseph McCarthy's witch hunt. Colorful portraits of Ike's wife Mamie, and cold war rival Krushchev, add interest. There is enough drama here to make the story of the thirty-fourth president a surprisingly dynamic tale."



2. I bought this book for my husband, who is a history buff. He was pretty disappointed, since he said it read like Jr.High School assigned reading.
   If you're looking for a deeper, perceptive book about the soldier and president, you'd better look elsewhere.

No comments about Elias Cornelius Boudinot: A Life on the Cherokee Border (American Indian Lives).

5 comments about A Golfer's Life.

1. I was pleasantly surprised by this book, by its candor and by how well-written it was. It minimized many warts, but there is still some bite to it.

   Arnold Palmer defines what charisma is. Charisma has nothing to do with skill, he certainly was not the most skilled or accomplished golfer. His talent and achievements fall short of those of Nicklaus, Hogan and even Gary Player. Yet Palmer with his amazing charisma can arguably be considered the most important golfer in the last 50 years.

   A few years ago I was watching a Senior tournament. My wife came by and became enraptured by what was on. That was extremely odd, she usually does not watch golf. She asked me who the man on the screen was that was so fascinating. It was Arnold Palmer.

   The portraits that Palmer draws of his parents, especially of his father, are wonderful. His stories of growing up are wonderful and I feel a good sense of the man and his roots. And he spares no words in discussing the death of his best friend while he was at school at Wake Forest, a death he still somewhat blames himself.

   However, the story about the Ku Klux Klan meeting and his mother's reaction to it (live and let live) is rather naïve.

   Palmer brings up an interesting theory about his career, that his decision to stop smoking played a factor in it. Nicotine creates a dependency, physical and psychological, no doubt about it. Palmer feels that cigarettes helped him concentrate. But I admire him for not starting again, even if it cost him some strokes. So do his grandchildren and his fans, if he had not stopped, he would not be here today.

   Palmer talks about several people in the golf world at length. He speaks highly, yet evenhandedly, of Clifford Roberts and the Masters. I daresay that there are others who would not agree with that opinion.

   It is obvious that Arnold did not get along with Ben Hogan, but few people did. Hogan was a hard man and while Palmer speaks highly of Ben's skills, you can see that he did not like him personally.

   The section about Nicklaus is fascinating. There is a major rivalry in many ways between the two of them, there is no question about it. Palmer makes some very astute observations about their divergent styles and personalities.

   There is much greater kinship with Gary Player and the stories about Player are quite funny.

   People have tried to analyze Palmer's appeal for years. One of the ideas is that he comes across as a blue-collar worker in a rich man's sport. It was him that drew fans across income and class lines.

   To many people, Arnold Palmer is old-line establishment. He was a close friend of Eisenhower, and of Bob Hope. The book slows when he talks of the rich people he is friends with.

   In particular, I was repulsed by a golf course he built with an airstrip within, so one can land one's private plane and then tee off. Give me a break!

   And his apparent tolerance for many of the racist policies of the PGA is galling as well. Palmer could have done more to bring the PGA into the 20th Century. His decision to keep quiet and "work within the system" again shows naivity beyond belief.

   But Palmer has some wonderfully nice things to say about President Clinton, so he is even-handed.

   Palmer is not overly introspective, so he does not try analyzing his popularity very much. He does say that he loves to perform, to show off and entertain people. He talks of his joy the first time that happened.

   A section of Feinstein's "A Good Walk Spoiled" discusses Palmer from a fan's perspective and also from a fellow player's. It gives a different perspective on the man.

   Palmer has always been treated well by the press. But he deserves a lot of the credit himself. He tells a great story about Jim McKay getting all noisy and excited in the 1960 Masters and interrupting Palmer's concentration. Palmer could have snarled or been nasty. Instead, he just smiled and McKay realized what was going on. You can get more with the carrot...

   At the time this book was written, his wife Winnie had just been diagnosed with cancer. She is no longer with us and my heart aches for Mr. Palmer and his loss. Palmer also talks little of his own fight with cancer and the remarkable recovery he has made. Nor does he talk about all the money he has raised for research of prostate cancer.

   There is very little about his daughters as well, or his family life beyond his early married days.

   In an ESPN show, one of those daughters said on-camera that her dad loved being Arnold Palmer. There are countless people who can testify of how nice a man he is.

   Good book!




2. Palmer deserves his reputation as one of the most respected figures in professional sports. This book, with its down-home style is far above the mind-numbing blow-by-blow accounts of careers hardly justifying the ink and paper which clog the sports book shelves. For this, his collaborator, golf writer, James Dodson, must be due for a large share of credit. Arnold Palmer looks back over a fantastic career with no lack of humility, but with personal glimpses in sufficient depth to maintain the interest at all times. But more than this, Palmer gives fascinating insights to his business life and associations with the famous in other fields, from presidents to show business personalities, to his fellow-golfers over six decades, always making it clear that his first love is his family. Palmer may be a little old-fashioned in his outlook for some of today's readers and indeed the schmaltz might be a little thick at times, but this still rates as a sports book of excellent quality.



3. I have to give this five stars because Arnold Palmer is my all time, all time sports idol, but I think the writing could have been better. That is evident in the people who thought Arnie was not candid about his feelings on Jack. In numerous other accounts, those feelings are explored in depth, so if there is a problem in that regard it is a failing in the author, not in Arnie. Also, I disagree that he doesn't see Jack as the best of all time, because he's said that numerous times. If there was rancor there on Arnie's part, it was probably because he felt that in Jack's younger days he didn't respect the fans enough, which is probably why I sense some rancor in some of the things Arnie now says about Tiger. In any event, this is a purely classy guy, who deserves all the accolades he's gotten, and this book gives a good glimpse into his soul.



4. This is fine book about a man with deep principles that have continued to deepen and nourish his life. What a life! From golfing legend to aviator to business entrepeneur to course designer to philantropist to family man to cancer recoverer et al.

   One of the true heroes of our time. Growing up with this guy, we baby boomers need one like this to exude what it truly is about -- not the titles or record or such, but how one played the game and treated others.

   Such neat memories from AP's life: earning nickels hitting over the ditch for ladies when young; his detest for media's microscopic view; his leaving the French Open after being mistreated by the Frogs (guess things never change); his opinion of the PGA's historical problems; his committment to his word; his enjoyment of piloting immediately after tournament, whether win or lose.

   Guy is first class and leaves us with much to emulate and pass on. His family roots run deep and it's evident. Maybe influence some parents to such as well.

   More enjoyable read than assumed. This guy has given so much to the development of the sport we love. His views should not be lightly glanced over.




5. Biographies by old warriors and old jocks usually are just not that good. This one is different. I have followed Mr. Palmer's career from the start, and after reading this work, felt I knew him much better. It was pure Palmer. The book is well written, informative and actually rather inspiring. As I suspected, I could not find one line in the book to lead me to a different opinion, one I have held for years, that this is a true gentleman. Wish there were more like him in the world of sports today. On the other hand, as hinted at above, Mr. Palmer has been one of my "heros" since I was eight years old or so, so, in my eyes, he could do little wrong, including writing his autobiography. Recommend the read for anyone.

No comments about The Many Faces of Jesse James.

5 comments about Garcia.

1. We all died a little with the passing of Jerry, many brain cells were damaged during the summer of flowers, many more were enhanced and set free to colour our thinking and being for the rest of our natural. This book is best read and absorbed whilst listening to the Dead. It provided an insight into the man from the many perspectives of the people who knew him. And in so doing helped me gain an inside into his mind, his music and his life. Excellent rating 11 out of 10. Deadhead from Downunder.



2. this book is an amazing way to get an in depth look of the life and times of rock's greatest guitarist, and most passionate performer of our time. it gives the reader a good look of the jerry garcia; and who he really was. a must read for every deadhead



3. Overall the book was good, but many key people and situations were never touched on. For example, there was no mention of Hank Harrison as one of the band's first managers. There was very little describing the negative aspects of Garcia - it was clearly written not to ( ) off anyone in the Dead family. Overall it was written very well and it gave a very good timeline of events (unfortunatley it missed some key events.)



4. If there were going to be a textbook for the Dead and Jerry Garcia, this would be it. But don't worry it isn't dull. It's very well written. The author gives a little background on each person that touched Garcia's life and where they fit into the scheme of the whole story. It also tells the story behind each of the songs Garcia wrote or collaborated on and his relationships with the different instuments he mastered. It is easy to get lost in the book while reading it. The stories and history flow very well. I will admit that sometimes the author gets the reader lost in too much detail but it isn't distracting enough to ruin the reading experience. I highly reccommend it to Jerry fans and Deadheads. I will warn you that reading the book may make you wish there was a Dead tour to hop onto - if only there were.



5. Several of the reviewers apparently got this book mixed up with another one. There is no "author"--this book is a collection of articles and interviews, mostly from Rolling Stone, over three decades. The photos throughout the book are very nice, and the interviews are well done. I only give it four stars because Rolling Stone never really gave the Grateful Dead the credit and coverage they deserved while Garcia was alive, so I'm not going to give RS full credit for doing it now. (Rolling Stone was started in San Francisco, yet it wasn't until 1973 that they bothered to get around to an interview with Garcia!)

No comments about A Just and Righteous Cause: Benjamin H. Grierson's Civil War Memoir.

5 comments about Black Cadet in a White Bastion: Charles Young at West Point.

1. I've just finished reading this skillfully researched book about Charles Young's life. From his birth to parents with roots in Southern slavery to his graduation from West Point, it's a story that reflects a strength of character and purpose against the many odds of the time in which he lived. His struggle against the racism of the time is a story that begs to be told.



2. What an inspiring story! Luck, pluck and a narrow window of opportunity all lined up for Charles Young, a young African American teacher from Ohio, who knocked on West Point's doors in 1884 and found them open to him. I'm amazed that West Point enrolled Blacks in that period. But as historian and author, Brian Shellum, tells us in BLACK CADET IN A WHITE BASTION, for a short period after 1884, a few African Americans were accepted at West Point. Soon after Young graduated, the military school barred African Americans for fifty years!
   
   Shellum explains that Young struggled at West Point because of intolerance as well because of its challenging curriculum. But Young was a man who never gave up, depending on hard work, tutors, mentors, friends and family to carry him to graduation.
   
   The author outlines the challenges of writing about an individual whose color relegated him to a shadowy existence at West Point. Yet with some diligent and creative research, Shellum pieces together a biography of a hero who clearly became the Colin Powell of his time.
   
   I look forward to Shellum's next installment of Charles Young's extraordinary journey.



3. My book club recently read this insightful biography of Charles Young's birth through graduation from West Point with unanimous praise for Shellum's writing style and solid research. While many military bio's are dense and slow, this book reads with ease and quick pace. As two of our club members are alumni of The Academy, I was not surprised to learn from them that the descriptions of campus life and traditions were accurate and much the same for Young as those from late this century.



4. Most biographies are about extraordinary people who accomplish extraordinary things. But the story of an ordinary person who makes the most of everything he has can be even more compelling. This is why Black Cadet in a White Bastion is well worth reading. It is a tale of accomplishment through simple perseverance, not complex genius. Brain Shellum details the slave community of Young's birth, the freeman's community of his youth, and the West Point environment where Young struggled for social and academic survival.
   
   Charles Young lived a century before there were television ads selling the Army as the place where you can "Be all you can be." He was ahead of his time, and his story is an inspiration to anyone who seeks to follow in his footsteps, to overcome the odds against them. Author Brian Shellum performs a great service by portraying Young's faults along with his strengths so that we can fully appreciate how hard he had to work to earn his stripes.



5. There was a great deal to learn from a story that is over 100 years old. I was unfamiliar with the story of racism at the military academy and this thoroughly researched book provides a great deal of context and thought provoking observations that are useful today.
   
   The author is challenged with finding authoritative resources long after the trail has gone cold but does a great deal of first-hand reporting unearthing historic letters and photos.
   
   I understand there will be followups to this edition which should be a welcome addition to what appears to be a rather small bibliography on the subject.

4 comments about The Edge of Glory: A Biography of General William S. Rosecrans, U.S.A.

1. The Edge of glory is an exceptional book about a Civil War general who is much maligned in history. Lamers portrays Rosecrans as an exceptional General who was successful (if not brilliant) at the strategic and tactical level. At the same time he demonstrates his weaknesses that led to his own downfall and the mistakes that drove his enemies to relieve him. It is a great book for historians and military officers with many lessons that can be learned from both his successes and his failings.



2. Lamer's biography of William Rosecrans is by far the best ever written on him. It's also the only one, and it's over forty years old. That having been said, it's quite good, and stands the test of time rather well.

   The biggest problem with reviewing this book is that there is no others to compare it too. Civil War military historians tend to run in packs, writing and rewriting the same themes such as Lee, Grant, Gettysburg, Lincoln, etc. but leaving other fields as bare as a Georgia field after Sherman marched through it. Rosecrans and his Army of the Cumberland are good examples of worthy but nearly ignored subjects.

   The book views Rosecrans entire life, with the lion's share of it on his Civil War generalship. Lamer's view of Rosecrans is that he was a brilliant but flawed general who combined great successes with an amazing ability to irritate superiors (such as Stanton), fellow generals (like Grant) and subordinates (future President Garfield) alike. Rosecrans also has the distinction of winning all of his battles from West Virginia to Murfreesboro and brilliantly outmaneuvering Bragg at Tullahoma and Chattanooga, losing only once at Chickamauga, but it was an important loss and cost him his job and his reputation. Lamers takes the viewpoint that Ole' Rosey was partly but not wholly responsible for the fatal order to Wood telling him to move out of the line just as Longstreet was attacking with half of the Army of the Tennessee. As a comparison, Cozzens' This Terrible Sound, the most authorative account of the battle, placed much more of the fault at Rosecrans' feet. His later service in Missouri was anticlimactic but important.

   The book has a few flaws, aside from not being long enough. The maps are inadequate. His conversion to Catholicism, one of the more interesting aspects of Rosecrans' personality, isn't covered in nearly enough detail. Neither was his post-war career, aside from a final chapter which basically said he was something of a failure as a businessman. Finally, his own writings are not nearly quoted enough. I didn't get the feeling I was meeting the man, only that I was hearing somebody else write about him. His personal life is all but ignored, despite the wealth of material available to Lamers, who was an excellent researcher. These quibbles aside, Lamer's book is a very good start, although a more detailed and up to date study is badly needed.




3. I found this book to be one of my favorite Civil War biographies. Lamers provided insight into the mind of a great warrior; a gifted if not eccentric intellect; a commander loved by his subordinates if resented by his superiors; a general that is by far underated due to antagonistic relationships with those in significant positions. A must read for any Civil War enthusiasts.



4. In my opinion, Lamers has written an excellent biography of a general, William Rosecrans, who indeed was on the edge of glory as the book's title suggests.
   
   While the focus is on Rosecrans' Civil War service, there are also descriptions of his involvement with his family, businesses, early life, and political involvements.
   
   Indeed, had Rosecrans won the Battle of Chickamauga, quite possibly he, not Grant or Sherman, would have come out of the Civil War as the preeminant Northern general and could very well have been President of the United States had he chosen to run for the office. With Rosecrans' previous victories at Corinth, Iuka, Stone's River, the Tullahoma Campaign, and his earlier victories over Robert E. Lee, he could very well have been the General-in-Chief of the Northern Armies and would have faced Lee again in Virginia. However, this is only speculation and we will probably never know what would have been.
   
   Lamers does an excellent job of describing Rosecrans' personality and how he managed to make friends and enemies in high places. The insights into Rosecrans' personality can be valuable to anyone in the military, business world, ministry, or anywhere else. Specifically, I learned:
   
   1. Get plenty of rest - Lamers and other authors mention that while Rosecrans had tremendous nervous energy, he would at times let the lack of sleep get the best of him. These same authors believe his poor decisions at Chickamauga were due to lack of rest that eventually caught up with him.
   2. Know when to talk and when to shut up - while Rosecrans made many friends, he also had the knack for alienating people with his foul language and scathing criticism. Had Rosecrans followed Grant's example of not being particularly critical of others, particularly fellow officers, Rosecrans and not Grant would have been General-in-Chief of the Union armies. Because of this, it apparently took only one mistake on the battlefied to doom him.
   3. Do not badger your superiors - Rosecrans continually bothered Halleck, Grant, Stanton, Lincoln, and other superiors with incessant demands and was not willing to maintain a low profile when necessary. According to Lamers, Stanton eventually had enough and was ultimately the one who took the command of the Army of the Cumberland from Rosecrans and demoted him to the obscure outpost of Missouri in 1864 after that state had ceased to be a major battlefield during the years 1861-1863.
   
   In summary, an excellent book and read. My major complaint was the lack of maps. Since Rosecrans was involved in so many important Civil War battles, it would have been nice to have had more maps to follow troop movements.
   
   Still, this is an excellent read. Highly recommended.

1 comments about Abolitionist Politics and the Coming of the Civil War.

1. In the early 1800s, slavery's values were as widely promoted as buying American cars are in today's world. "Abolitionist Politics and the Coming of the Civil War" is a complete and comprehensive examination of America's early years and its politics regarding slavery - and how a few fledgling activists turned America around and against this mindset, beginning a chain of events that freed an entire people. A story of how even the smallest minority can set events in motion, "Abolitionist Politics and the Coming of the Civil War" is highly recommended for both American history and black studies collections alike.

1 comments about Barry Goldwater (Acacia Biographies).

1. This book is clear and concise. It gives a lot of information about Barry Goldwater, his life and his career. My daughter had chosen biography as a book genre for this quarter's book report. This was a fun, easy book to do a report on.