No comments about Confederate Guerrilla Sue Mundy: A Biography of Kentucky Soldier Jerome Clarke.

2 comments about Walker Evans: A Biography.

1. Excellent biography by Belinda Rathbone of Walker Evans, one of the best photographers of his time. I read this in 1 week, could'nt put it down. He lived a fascinating life and the author provides a detailed account of his family background, childhood and school years thru his year abroad in Paris and then the start of his photography career in New York. His creative influences, career milestones, relationships and all other events of his life are chronicled in an interesting, easy to read style. I definately recommend it for anyone interested in wanting to learn and understand more about Walker Evans, or anyone with an interest in black & white photography.



2. Belinda Rathbone's biography is readable, carefully researched, and, as befits a photographer writing about another photographer, scrupulously honest. Without wallowing in Walker Evans' prickliness or eccentricities, she presents a thorough, elegantly written study of a gifted, troubled artist. It is Evans' artistry that gets primary focus here--as it should. I enjoyed the selection of Evans' photographs that begin the book, and I admired Rathbone's ability to set Evans' photographic style against a series of contexts: the Depression era taste for documentary, the growing popularity of landscape photography, Warhol and Lichtenstein's pop-art, and so on. Rathbone's eye and her pen do her proud in this book.

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 Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie (Cosimo Classics Biography).

1. This book was pracitically written for the ambitious young man, as there are many references to this. Mr. Carnegie serves as a great role model, which I feel is quite important, especially considering the terrible events in schools lately. Carnegie emphasizes the importance of self-improvement, knowing your talents, being kind, and also the importance of public speaking. You will learn important lessons thru personal anecdotes of his life. This book should be required reading for every adolescent attending high school.



2. It has been over a year since I ground my way through this book. My lack of adaptability to the Olde Worlde English may have contributed to this. I found this to be a long book about an interesting individual whose sole purpose for writing the book, I have concluded, was to leave a lasting, self-congratulatory reminder of his own life. I must disagree with a previous review that stated it was a must for any young ambitious person. I am; it wasn't.
   For sheer inspiration from another person's life, I would recommend works on Lincoln, the Wright brothers (Kill Devil Hill), Richard Branson, Edison, Spielberg, Mme Curie, Bruce Lee, Iacocca and Einstein.



3. The vanity of today's uneducated society is breathtaking. White is black and black is white and 'a little knowledge' is indeed proving very dangerous. This book (along with the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin) should be read by every American citizen - to relearn what America once represented.

   For example, Carnegie Steel, the world's largest company in 1900, was NOT a corporation; it was a private partnership. The sale of the company to JP morgan (for half a billion dollars) was done on a handshake; a contract was a mere afterthought. Reputation and honesty and customer service were THE guiding principles of the era. 'Individual responsibility' was considered a good thing in those days.

   America now has more lawyers per capita than any other nation on Earth. Our politicians now attempt to micro-manage every detail of our lives. You break a fingernail and sue the universe. We have become terrified of freedom. Read this book if you want to understand how America rose from a third world country to a superpower between 1800 and 1900 - without government intervention or welfare or all the millions of rules and regulations we now hold so dear. We have traded away our freedom for security. The price is higher than you think.




4. I'll admit that my primary motivation for reading this book was somewhat shallow--I basically wanted to read about how one of history's most successful businessmen amassed so much wealth. To be honest, the book didn't really give as many details as I would have liked on that particular interest. But what I got along the way made the book worth it.

   First and foremost, after reading 350 pages of Carnegie writing about his life you feel like you really start to know him, to get a sense of what kind of human being he was, and even to get a sense of his somewhat remarkable confidence level that exists in conjunction with his pretty inspiring level of benevolence and compassion. But I think even more than getting a sense of Carnegie, you get a sense of the time he lived in. Some of the most engaging parts of the book for me were the first-hand accounts of Lincoln during the Civil War, or Carnegie's conversations with President Harrison about a small uprising in Chile. You also hear about how he handled the strikes of steel workers, an occurence I'd only read about in history books but never learned directly about from the perspective of the manager.

   All throughout Carnegie peppers with his nuggets of wisdom, and you get the feeling he knows people want them really badly but that he chooses to give them sparingly.

   In the end, I probably will never re-read this book, but I feel better educated about one of history's greatest industrialists, greatest benefactors, and the time he lived in after having read it. If you have a nascent interest in history, you will most likely enjoy this book; if you're looking for a "how to make your millions" from a master, I would look elsewhere.




5. Born in Scotland but an immigrant to the United States as a teenager, Andrew Carnegie has been variously characterized as a "captain of industry" or a "robber baron" by those who have chronicled his rise to wealth and fame in the latter nineteenth century. After selling his steel company to J.P. Morgan at the turn of the century, Carnegie devoted himself to philanthropic goals. He gave away more than $350 million to various causes and endowed more than 250,000 libraries. His philanthropic activities were underpinned by a fundamental belief in the virtue of hard work, perseverance, and self-improvement through education, hence his emphasis on libraries and the endowing of other educational organizations. Fundamentally, this book offers a restatement of the "Horatio Alger" myth of the "American dream" of success through personal commitment. At the same time Carnegie seeks to pass on his wisdom gained through a lifetime of effort. A significant and fascinating statement of American industrial individualism that is required reading for all who wish to understand the history of the United States in the latter nineteenth century, Carnegie's autobiography also served as a model for many others to follow. Unfortunately, few achieved the success that Carnegie enjoyed despite the diligence they may have registered.

2 comments about The Temptation: Edgar Tolson and the Genesis of Twentieth-Century Folk Art.

1. Ms. Julia S. Ardey has put together an extraordinary work -- filled with stories and pictures of a poor Kentucky man who whittled stuff to which other folks took a liking. My grandfather Edgar Tolson will always remain an elusive character both in life and in death hard to explain and to understand. As all great artists he was not one dimensional. Ms. Ardey did a fine job of grasping enough bits and pieces of his life, through the eyes and hearts of those who knew him, to give a reasonable representation of who Edgar Tolson was and why he whittled. Ms. Ardey interviewed scores of people and personalities who all have their own opinion of Edgar Tolson the Man and Edgar Tolson the Woodcarver and the times in which he lived. Ms. Ardey managed a remarkable feat in compling those interviews into an a very good work. She included many pictures that give insight into an artisan and his art. Many pictures capture Edgar's soul in his eyes -- others show a family life of just real folks who just have a Daddy that whittles in the living room and lets the shavings fall to floor. As a granddaugther of Edgar Tolson, beloved Kentucky woodcarver, I am very pleased with the work Julia S. Ardery managed to put together on his life and extraordinary talent. With a family as large as he had I am sure that this book will be debated into generations, however, it is a real good starting point at which to kick off the debate of fact or fiction. The papaw I knew was a wonderful minister; he loved his God, knew his bible and had a passion for sharing the Biblical Truths of his God with others through his work. He managed to reach the very far corners of the earth with his renditions of Adam & Eve in Garden of Eden, Their Fall, and Noah's Ark among a few--how many ministers can stake that claim. He carved what was upon his heart to carve. He was discovered by others who marketed it to a world who craved his carvings and what they represented to them. I am so pleased that Ms. Ardery managed to compile so much ! of his life and work into this book. It makes for really good reading and gives the reader the opportunity to linger with story and photo's of Edgar Tolson and his artwork long enough to gain an understanding of why so many are so drawn to it, him and living upon this earth. Thank you Ms. Ardery for a job well done.



2. Whether you are a fan of Edgar Tolson's work or of woodcarving in general, this is an essential book to have if you are interested in folk art of the 20th century. The thorough research done on Edgar Tolson is fascinating and through his art and career the world of 20th century folk art is examined. From key folk art collectors to various museums and institutions, the 20th century folk art movement was created and sold to the buying public. By the time the "important" artists were established all of the "important" early work was already in the hands of a few collectors and the museums. It's no accident that Tolson's work ended up in a prestigious Whitney Biennial and his artwork sky-rocketed in price. The same with Howard Finster. By the time his work was presented as being important to the general public, a narrow group of collectors and critics had already hoarded the first few thousand of his numbered pieces which the critics then deemed as the most important of his career. And the story continues to this day with collectors / critics buying early key works, then recommending them to the general folk art buyers. This book is perhaps the best analysis of why and how a folk artist becomes "important" in the 20th century. It may or may not sour your view on 20th century folk art but is a great read either way. As with all art or decorative objects, if you just buy what you like and ignore the critics, you'll be happy. Who's to say 10, 20 or 50 years from now if anyone will even care about "20th century folk art."

No comments about Bright and Gloomy Days: The Civil War Correspondence of Captain Charles Frederic Bahnson, a Moravian Confederate (Voices of the Civil War Series.).

5 comments about Civil War Memoir Box (Library of America).

1. Not only was U.S. Grant a superb general, but the man could write as well. He was known for being simple and direct, and this trait comes througgh in his writing style. Grant keeps his narrative moving along at a brisk pace, sticking to the facts as he knew them to be. One also gets a sense of the politics of Army life back in the 1860s, and one can learn more about the nature of the times in the careful wording Grant uses in some parts of his story so as to avoid offfending his fellow veterans of lesser stature. These added dimensions bring his chronicle of the Civil War to life in a way no modern author ever could. This book is a "must" for any armchair historian of the U.S. Civil War.



2. Written more as a military memoir than a personal, Grant proves to be an outstanding author as well as a General. Reading this set me off to find more about the General's personal life. I highly recommend to anyone interested in the Civil War, you won't be disappointed.



3. I first read U.S. Grant's memoirs when I was a college student during the Vietnam War. It helped me a great deal to appreciate how horrific war was and still is and that it should only be suffered when the cause is truly worthwhile. It was in the American Civil War and World War II. It was not in the Vietnam War. It was not our finest hour.

   But this book also got me hooked on the history of the American Civil War. It is in my judgment, after more than fifty years and reading perhaps a thousand volumes about this watershed event in our nation's history, the single best written and brutally honest work on that event. Especially so in that it was written first-hand by one of the principal characters in that national and human tragedy.

   For those of you really interested in becoming a student of the American Civil War, I recommend it highly, after you read the American Heritage History of the Civil War and before you read Lee's Lieutenants by Douglas Southhall Freeman and the four book series by Bruce Catton.

   If by that time you're not hooked and become a Civil War junkie, you never will be.




4. If you're only going to read five books on the Civil War - which is like saying, only eat one french fry - make this one of them. Grant's autobiography, written under excruciating conditions of financial pressure and failing health in the late 1880's, is one of the most unforgettable reads available about the American Civil War.
   Terse, simple, and almost painfully modest, Grant takes us through his life - the schooling at West Point (he was too retiring to point out they'd got his middle name wrong at registration, and was mistakenly given the name Ulysses SIMPSON Grant which he used for the rest of his life). The bravery and initiative of the Mexican War. The long, lonely postings in the early '50's to California, a continent away from his wife and beloved young children. The depression, leaving the Army, trying to make it in civilian life, failing at almost everything he tried. Then the war begins in 1861 when Lincoln calls for volunteers. It's typical of Grant that he goes to a little midwest recruiting post and modestly says he might take command of something very small - a company, perhaps? This, for a West Point graduate. From then on the book ceases being merely very interesting and starts becoming a can't-put-down.
   The simple and good-hearted soul of the man just shines through his words, and he doesn't get caught up badly in the mid-century Victorian fustery of so much Civil War writing. He tells you what happened and what he thought about it; I remember about Lee at Appomatox, he said that he felt like anything in world after Lee's surrender except gloating over so brave an army as Lee's who had fought so nobly for a cause - even though he also thought it was one of the worst causes for which men had ever fought. His prose just flows through the extraordinary events he helped channel - Shiloh, Vicksburg, The Battle of the Wilderness, the surrender, and all points in between. It's an irreplaceable and wonderful resource and you end up falling big-time for Ulysses S. Grant. Don't miss it.



5. General Grant wrote this book while dying of throat cancer. He had been swindled by a dishonest Wall Street Broker and his trophies and possessions were stripped from him to satisfy the demands of his debtors. Bankrupt, suffering from a terminal illness and never passing a moment without acute pain, he produced this magnificent monument to his greatness. Those who denigrate Grant as a drunkard, butcher or bumbling President need to read this book in order to correct these errant assumptions. It is impossible to read this book and not realize that Grant was an inordinately intelligent man and one hell of a writer.

   Grant's Memoirs are a deserved classic in American literature and considered the greatest military Memoirs ever penned, exceeding Caesar's Commentaries. Grant wrote as he lived: with clear, concise statements, unembellished with trivialities or frivolities. The only "criticism" the reader might have is that Grant bent over backwards not to wound the feelings of people in the book. He takes swipes at Joe Hooker and Jeff Davis, but what he left unsaid would have been far more interesting. A compelling and logical reason why Grant was so spare in his comments was because he was involved in a race with death. He didn't know how long he could live and therefore, "cut to the chase."

   Grant's assessments of Lincoln, Sherman, Sheridan and other military leaders are brilliant and engrossing. His style, like the man himself, was inimitable and couldn't be copied. In everyday life, Grant was a very funny man, who liked to listen to jokes and tell them himself. His sense of the absurd was acute. It's no accident that he loved Mark Twain and the two hitched together very well. Twain and Grant shared a similar sense of humor, and Grant's witicisms in the Memoirs are frequent, unexpected and welcome. There are portions where you will literally laugh out loud.

   Though Grant's Memoirs were written 119 years ago, they remain fresh, vibrant and an intensely good read. I have read them many times in my life and I never weary of the style and language that Grant employed. He was a military genius to be sure, but he was also a writer of supreme gifts, and these gifts shine through on every page of this testament to his greatness. All Americans should read this book and realize what we owe to Grant: he preserved the union with his decisive brilliance. In his honor, we should be eternally grateful.

5 comments about How to Sell Anything to Anybody.

1. There are some good tips for selling in this book, and people who are in the car-sales business would probably enjoy it and benefit from it. Aside from that audience, however, this book is likely to disappoint. First of all, the information and the way its presented are extremely out of date. The book was originally written in the late seventies, and if it's been updated, it's hardly evident. There is a very sexist tone to the book -- not a malicious one, but just a product of its times. Nevertheless, it is pretty offputting. Secondly, a major portion of this book is dedicated to author Joe Girard working out his abusive childhood. This may have been therapeutic for Mr. Girard to write, and may be interesting for some to read, but if you're looking for sales tips, this whole portion of the book is going to be quite frustrating. And thirdly, although some of the sales tips can be applied to any type of selling, for the most part, this is a book for car salesmen -- period. Mr. Girard seems like a nice guy and one heck of a salesman, but this book did not even begin to live up to my expectations.



2. My husband works in car sales. Several of his co-workers spoke highly of this book, and said it was a "must" read. Amazon offered it at the very best price. It has received rave reviews from my husband who states it is very well written, and has had a positive impact on his profession.



3. This book is called "How to Sell Anything to Anybody," but it should be called, "How to Sell Cars." All the examples and all the author's experience is related to selling cars. I know there are a lot of similarities between selling cars and selling other things, but this book centered on a lot of things that are only relevent to the auto industry. The title is definitely deceiving!



4. If you are looking for a big on tips, tricks and tactics for improving your sales then this may not be the best for you.
   
   If on the other hand you believe that some basic fundamentals, executed continuously and well is the road to success, then read on.
   
   Joe Girard is in the Guiness Book of Worlds Records as the worlds greatest salesman. Working at a Detroit area Chevy dealership he has sold more cars than anyone, and it is really based on fundamentals.
   
   Focus on the customer, ask for the referral, word of mouth, and making a memorable impression. That may sound simplistic and there is much more to the book than these few things.
   
   Girard treats being a salesman as a calling and profession not just a job and his results speak for themselves.
   
   Read Girard, put it down for a time, then read it again and let it sink in, and the wisdom of his experience will come to light for you.
   
   Cheers!



5. I heard about this book years ago, but I never took time to read it. Actually, I thought the book was too old to be relevent. I saw the book in Charlotte recently and was suprised when I thumbed through it. First of all, the comments on the cover got my attention: "World's Greatest Salesman" and "The Guiness Book of Records." If that wasn't enough, his writing captured my interest immediately. Joe Girard is straight up and honest. I love his style. I have to admit, some of it is a little bitter to swallow because he tells the truth and hold no punches. He hits the soft spots of procrastination and fear of rejecton, however, most of his teaching goes down easily, tickling my funny bone in the process.
   
   Joe Girard knows what the everyday salesperson goes through and his teaching style easily reflects it. When he is in "teaching mode," I can easily imagine him standing in an auditorium, possibly pacing the floor with his wireless microphone on how to become a better salesperson. When he is in his "storytelling mode," I can picture him sitting beside me telling one of his great stories about what he went though on his way to the top. For example, he mentioned his very first car sale. He didn't remember his customer's name or even the name of the car he sold, but what he remembers was that the customer worked for Cocoa-Cola. He associated Cocoa-Cola with groceries because he had to make that sale so he could feed his kids! He was "hungry" for that sale in more ways than one. Every time I opened the book, his words would grab my attention, and every time I closed the book, his teaching points would stick with me. One of the most important parts of the book was the story about his dad. While Joe was young, Joe's father would beat and berate him constantly, telling Joe that he would never amount to anything. At the end of the story, he writes: "you're probably wondering what this has to do with how to sell. Well it has everything to do with how attitudes get planted in your head." That is deep.
   
   I am faced with many people how have a problem with getting over self-esteem issues and fear of failure. Selling is fun, especially with a product that you are passionate about. However, it has its stuggles too. Sometimes we are surrounded by those who have lost their own dream in life. It has been a struggle of my own, living in the South, seeing those who do not see beyong their own struggles in life, day to day, year to year. The point about his dad and overcoming those self-defeating attitutes was so deep I had to close the book and "digest that nugget for awhile." It is hard to see people with the potential to achieve greatness to give up on their dreams and quit. No, selling is not always easy, in is the process of working hard, treating people right, and working with integrity, we are in fact, achieving greatness, even if those riches have not yet manifested. That is one of the great keys in this book. I am a bit ashamed that I have not read it earlier. Kudos, Joe Girard. You knocked this one out the ballpark, and thus, I recommend this book to every salesperson.

2 comments about The Civil War Diary of Wyman S. White, First Sergeant of Company F, 2nd United States Sharpshooter Regiment, 1861-1865.

1. Wyman White, a sergeant in the second regiment of Colonel Hiram Berdan's elite United States Sharpshooters, has left behind an invaluable source for anyone wishing to know more about what a Union soldier's life was like in the Civil War. At the same time, this book also contains very detailed descriptions of the tactics used by the U.S. Sharpshooter regiments in the many engagements they fought in the Eastern Theater of the war.

   In this book, the reader will find the harsh realities of war frankly depicted, as well as many of the lighter and more humorous incidents which make up the life of a soldier on the front lines.

   If you are a student of the Civil War, of the military, or of the ways people cope with adversity, then you will doubtless find this book fascinating. Wyman White was clearly a careful diarist, and Mr. Russell White has done a superb job of organizing the original material into a readable format, with additional materials at the back of the book that any Civil War scholar can use to direct his or her researches. If you are interested in the campaigns of one of the elite units of the Civil War, then this book is definitely for you.




2. The 2nd United States Sharpshooter Regiment was one of the elite units of the Army of the Potomac. Composed of expert marksmen, this regiment served throughout the war, distinguishing itself on every battlefield on which it fought. Wyman White joined a New Hampshire company of the 2nd U.S.S.S. in November 1861. He served in every battle in which the regiment was engaged with the exceptions of South Mountain and Antietam. These memoirs, written after the war, provide a vivid picture of army life and battle action. His recall of detail suggests that these reminiscences were based on diaries he kept throughout the war. Wyman White's manuscripts is loaded with personal insights, humor, and superb detail of events, personalities, equipage, uniforms, and soldier life. The feisty White provides an important look at the 2nd regiment of U.S.S.S.--most other accounts of sharpshooters were by members of the 1st U.S.S.S. Virtually all aspects of soldier life are covered, from snowball battles to burials. This book is sure to become one of the most important sources not only on Berdan's Sharpshooters but also on the Army of the Potomac.

2 comments about Dream Makers, Dream Breakers: The World of Justice Thurgood Marshall.

1. As it says on the cover, this is as close as one will get to an autobiography of Thurgood Marshall. The author gives a fascinating insight into Marshall's life and career. Very well worth reading.



2. A captivating truly exhilirating book. Full of all kinds of fascinating details about Marshall's upbringing, his years as a litigator, and his judicial career. Truly captures the essence of a man who was irreverent, down to earth, compassionate, and fully committed to his cause. Demonstrates the numerous ways in which Marshall's achievements have made life better for all American's. More entertaining than a work of fiction. Made me want to read Rowan's other books.