5 comments about J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets.

1. A fascinating and comprehensive look at a complex, powerful, and manipulative man. Gentry brings to life the power that Hoover held, power bestowed on him by virtue of the secrets he held in the massive volumes of FBI files he collected over his 48 year tenure.
   
   Hoover's far reach and influence are stunning. Most people probably have a cursory idea of Hoover's god-like legacy, but Gentry brings out the jaw dropping, scandalous details in vivid candor. Hoover had leverage over his superiors - the president and the attorney general - as well as his subordinates, Congress, Hollywood, local police jurisdictions, and civil rights leaders. His sway only increased with every year his held his office.
   
   Gentry's account is exhaustively researched and probably the most extensive and authoritative history of Hoover in existence. He delves into the paradox that Hoover was, a rigid, aggravating, unlikeable, and deeply vindictive man to many, yet to a few close associates, he was engaging and affable, if not warm, and to him they were 100% loyal.
   
   Hoover was no doubt a product of his time. For the calculating personality he possessed, who could ask for better career advancement opportunities than to serve in a time of the depression, bootleggers, gansters, the mafia, the Communist red scare, and the Kennedy assasinations successively. All during Hoover's time at the FBI, there was a valid argument to be made that he was simply indispensible. The desire of many in government to end his tenure was thwarted time after time, almost to a comical degree. Hoover was saved by the skin of his teeth more than once by fortuitous turns of events.
   
   Beyond just Hoover, this book explores the dark side of politics in general. The horse trading, the double dealing, the secret deals, the blacklisting, blackmailing, break-ins, cover-ups, set-ups, take-downs, paybacks, payoffs, and the vindictiveness. It's ugly, ugly work. Most would have no idea their own government operates in such a shameful, despicable manner.
   
   Gentry writes in an engaging narrative style that's easy to read and compelling. The book is well paced and very cohesive despite covering a wide time period and a diverse range of incidents. The book is lengthy and comprehensive. It does not skimp on details. I'm hard pressed to imagine a more thorough account.
   
   I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in this period of contemporary American history or the fascinating personality that was J. Edgar Hoover.



2. In the context of recent concerns about spying on Americans by the Executive Branch of government, it is timely to re-read this classic biography. Gentry skips sensationalism and scandal, but his carefully detailed portrait shows a nasty, bigotted old man who happily chiselled his employer.
   
   So how did Hoover remain in power for half a century? Simply put, he had a file on everyone. And he wasn't afraid of using his minions to imply the threat of blackmail.
   
   There's little evidence of active homosexuality by Hoover, indeed labelling someone a "fag" seems to have been his biggest threat. However, here we have a many who lived with his mother until his mid-40's, whose "Associate Director" was his daily companion whose adult sexuality at best could be called retarded.
   
   Gentry's indictment of Hoover does not avoid his few good qualities -- he was a hard worker and an efficient administrator. The notes and footnotes are extensive, but do not interfere with a page-turning narrative for those who want to go quickly. In sum, it amounts to a crashing indictment of a man whose name does not deserve to be on a government building.



3. i decided to read about hoover after the debate began on the patriot act and its impingement of our civil rights. Was it really a change from yesteryear? how bad were the intrusions? after reading the amazon reviews, i selected this book over others.
   
   it is a well detailed history of j edgar hoover and his over 50 years as head of the fbi. the book is well documented with footnotes, source notes, and bibliography. the biography is told fairly objectively. i was glad to see the author didn't spend hardly any time on the cross dressing/homosexuality rumors that run rampant. it is not to say they are not correct, only that they are unproven. that means the author stuck to the facts he had, not the salacious history it could be. for that i appreciate the integrity of the historical perspective that the author portrays. i feel i have the true story on what he presents, and that is what i look for in a political biogrphy.
   
   with all that said, this book is an eye opener. the power that this man held was unbelievable. the lives, both innocent and guilty, that he destroyed innumerable. the tactics disgusting and terrifying. Simply put it could have been almost anyone.
   
   does it change the debate? i don't think so. even with his scum tactics, he did not prevent dr martin luther king from changing the world. the question still stands. should we be prepared to give up some of our civil rights to assist in the pursuit of those who threaten us? will there be abuse? of course. but that doesn't make the interests of the whole less than the interests of the few. the problem with hoover was the duration of his control. had presidents had the will to risk their careers and fire what they knew to be a problem, it would not have become systemic as it did.
   
   very good book of a dark side of our history.



4. Fifteen years in the making, "J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets" is a long, intricate, dense, but ultimately rewarding read. There are occasional minor lapses like misspellings, date typos, Congressmen misidentified as Senators, etc., as well as names dropping in and out of the narrative which require frequent use of the index to refresh one's memory, but it's all to be expected in a work of such amazing depth and scope. I first read this book shortly after its original publication in 1991, and have found myself frequently referring back to it ever since - it's what I consider a great "gateway book," as its exhaustive bibliography covers virtually all facets of American history and political life over most of the past century. And its lessons remain relevant even today, particularly in light of the Bush Administration dusting off Nixon's infamous Huston Plan in the aftermath of 9/11 and very nearly setting off a palace revolt within the Justice Department as a result. The story of Hoover's final years is all the more compelling now given the more recent revelation of former FBI Deputy Associate Director W. Mark Felt as Bob Woodward's famous Watergate source, "Deep Throat." Felt's current state of both physical and mental frailty, as documented in Woodward's "The Secret Man," means that Gentry's work may well be the clearest available view of what led one of the Bureau's highest officials to guide a young reporter through the opening acts of a story that would bring down the President. And Gentry ably captures the atmosphere of Washington at a time when the famed FBI Director could still cast a long shadow over events that transpired both outside his Bureau and after his death.
   
   "J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets" is the story of a consummate functionary and master of bureaucratic survival, whose reputation was destroyed by his own prejudices and paranoia in much the same fashion as the last President he "served". It's a cautionary tale about the perils of investing too much power in government, and the personal toll upon the wielders of that power and those who would aspire to it. It's a story of how praiseworthy accomplishments in Hoover's early career were ultimately overshadowed by his petty vindictiveness, which bordered on the childish, and his pathological aversion to sharing the limelight. It's a story of how these character flaws ended up costing lives, including several FBI agents like Melvin Purvis, whose successes in cracking high-profile cases did more for the glory-hungry Director's reputation than for their own advancement. It's a story about the limitations of power, and how one of the most respected (and feared) government agencies either completely missed or failed to stop changes in society at large, whether by expending vast resources on a nonexistent communist threat while ignoring the growing power and reach of organized crime, or unsuccessfully attempting to sabotage the Civil Rights movement. It's a story of hypocrisy and self-delusion, not only of Hoover but of politicians like McCarthy, Johnson, Nixon, and others who tried to use Hoover's secrets for their own ends. And finally, it's the story of literally decades of activities that made a mockery of the Bureau's widely-proclaimed founding principles of Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity.
   
   Curt Gentry does a commendable job of maintaining scholarly detachment while recounting details, whether gory or erotic, from the famous cases and (mostly illegal) surveillances that formed the basis of Hoover's power. Drawing from these, plus White House tapes from two different administrations and extensive source interviews, Gentry paints a warts-and-all portrait not only of Hoover, but of many other famous people (heroic and otherwise). There's the origin of the urban legend concerning Dillinger's anatomy. There's President Truman earning Hoover's eternal ire by correcting him on a matter of Scripture. There are snide remarks galore - from FDR about Eleanor, Bobby Kennedy about Associate FBI Director Clyde Tolson, Nixon and Haldeman about Hoover, and the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s locker-room joke about Jackie. There's JFK's penchant for amphetamines, and convincing evidence that this was one thing Kennedy and Hoover had in common. Gentry recounts Hoover's pique at being victimized by the Bureau's own tactics when reporters like Jack Anderson dared to circumvent the FBI propaganda machine with dumpster diving and "black bag jobs" of their own. Watergate cognoscenti will appreciate Attorney General John Mitchell's off-the-cuff reference to "programming Liddy," as well as Mitchell's unforgettable wife Martha, who sang Hoover's praises with "...if you've seen one FBI Director you've seen them all," followed by, "John tells me he's never worked for a nicer fellow." And Gentry manages to address, without sensationalizing, the persistent rumors of a homosexual relationship between Hoover and Tolson; a perfectly fair subject given Hoover's penchant for sexual slander and Tolson's spectacular ascent through the hidebound bureaucracy that Hoover himself designed.
   
   The book begins and ends with the events surrounding Hoover's death in the Spring of 1972, some six weeks prior to the Watergate break-in. The first telling presents the passing of the nation's most famous unelected public servant in its more "official" version; the second is colored by the sordid history behind a carefully-engineered facade that had already begun to crumble. Included are Nixon's recollections of his own failed attempts to fire Hoover - military history buffs familiar with Guderian's memoir, "Panzer Leader," will recognize a familiar pattern to the conversations. For J. Edgar Hoover, like both Hitler and Stalin, was a master of political and media manipulation who ultimately failed to live up to his own image, and it's no small irony that a man lodged within the bureaucracy of a supposedly free society could outlast both dictators by a substantial margin. But no matter what one thinks of the Director's tenure and legacy, Curt Gentry has succeeded admirably in providing a thorough, and possibly even definitive, examination of a significant figure in American history.



5. It took me a few months to finish this 760 pages book but it was time well invested. This book is a remarkable achievement. You will find in it the parallel stories of both J. Edgar Hoover and his creature, the FBI.
   
   J. Edgar Hoover was already on the government's payroll by the presidency of Woodrow Wilson and he remained a Federal employee until his death in 1972 during Richard Nixon's presidential tenure. He shaped the FBI making it a highly effective investigative law and order organization. You could say the man and the agency had the same strengths and weaknesses.
   
   The author, Curt Gentry, excelled at all the imaginable standards with this biographical work. The book is informative, an eye opener, highly readable and, comprehensive. This book stands also as a literary jewell. I wish all biographies were as well researched and written as this one.

No comments about John Tyler: The American Presidents Series: The 10th President, 1841-1845 (The American Presidents).

5 comments about Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years and The War Years.

1. Sandburg was a poet, and this is a poetic biography of Lincoln. Is that an asset or a liability? In today's climate of "facts, facts, facts," most would probably say the latter. But, in this instance, I would disagree. There are occasions when great poets hit, with their prose, closer to the mark than the historians. It's like the story of the spirit of one of the Russian aristocrats going through the history books and saying, "My secret is safe." Then he reads Tolstoy's War and Peace and shakes his ghostly fist, crying, "How did he know?" This is a great work by a great writer--and lest I give the wrong impression, there are a great many facts in this book. It's one of the most well-researched historical biographies ever written. But if you are looking for more than a biography of Lincoln, if you are looking to be transported, then this is the book for you.
   
   Richard Salva--author of Soul Journey from Lincoln to Lindbergh [UNABRIDGED]



2. This is a biography of Lincoln by the esteemed poet Carl Sandburg. I was born just up the road, US Route 34 (in Kewanee), from his home town of Galesburg, Illinois. Thus, I have always had a soft spot for this version of Lincoln's life
   
   As a poet, Sandburg's version tends to be more epic and mythical--and less critical--in its examination of Lincoln. For all of that, the book still works well. The first part, "The Prairie Years," recounts Lincoln's youth and early career before he attained the presidency. The story, of course, starts with his family settling in Kentucky, where Lincoln was born in 1809. Later, he moved with his family to Illinois. Lincoln began in New Salem and later moved to Springfield. Sandburg's depiction of his development, to becoming a practiced attorney, his political ambitions, his brief time in the militia, lays out the standard treatment of Lincoln, written extraordinarily well. Many anecdotes dot the volume. We see his doomed relationship with Ann Rutledge and his rocky courtship of Mary Todd. The discussion of his famous debates with Stephen Douglas in the Senate Campaign that brought him national visibility (and rendered him viable as a potential presidential candidate) is well told.
   
   Then, the work goes on to explore his place in the Civil War. The volume speak poignantly of the family tragedy that he experienced (the death of a child is always difficult), the strained relationship with his wife, the challenges of orchestrating the Union's war effort.
   
   In a sense, this is a poetic, lyric, romanticized view of Lincoln. It could scarcely be anything else, I think, given Sandburg's perspective. Nonetheless, for that, this is still a compelling work and worth a read.



3. Sandburg took criticism for filling in some blanks with his imagination, but so what? His biography of Lincoln was not intended as a scholarly treatise. Think of the mystic atmosphere of a campfire at night, with an elder telling about the greatest person in a tribe's history. That is Sandburg's accomplishment, making Lincoln live again among us, at least while we are surrounded by Sandburg's mesmerizing account. No one interested in Lincoln or in the meaning of America should miss the experience of these volumes.



4. After searching for the quintessential Lincoln biography to read, as my introduction to studying this fascinating man, I settled on Sandberg. He was a great pleasure to spend several weeks with! Even though we know this book was completed in the 1930's it is so well written and held up by so many academics and scholars as quintessential. It is true masterpie. Many more, hundreds in fact, books have been published as biography since Sandberg but his alone provides the understanding and genesis of how Lincoln came to be Lincoln.
   America (2008) is searching for the next Lincoln: revered on the right and the left, revered in the center, revered on the political fringes, we need a leader, statesman, collaborator, bold leader today more then ever.



5. At first I had to develop some kind of a dedication to keep up with the readings. I found it a rather intriging read but some it was a little sad and informative at the same time. The book kind of reminds me of a political science book that I still have. Carl is a brilliant writer, yes he is and I have deep respect for him. This book can prove that Marilyn Monroe is not a dum blond because she was once friends with the writer and she may of had a copy of this book to remember her friend Carl Sandburg. I had to have patience in reading this book because Carl Sandburg is such a deep thinker in his writing formats.

5 comments about Mirror to America: The Autobiography of John Hope Franklin.

1. I have heard two great lecturers in my life: Jean-Paul Sartre and John Hope Franklin. Franklin's autobiography reads the way he lectures - brilliantly. This is the book for those interested not only in the history of African Americans in the 20th century but also in the manner America dealt with race relations during the century when the issue of the color line was the decisive factor in the social and political life of the United States.



2. Dr. Franklin shares his experience as a student, intern, volunteer, and educator in this poignant autobiography. The book is an excellent educational piece; it provides a view of a little-known segment of educational history as related to some of the top universities in America and abroad. Dr. Franklin's prose brings the reader to a point of understanding, of sitting in his place, feeling what he felt. It is a primer for all persons, regardless of race or ethnicity, who were not alive prior to the desegregation movement; it reminds us of how far we have come and how far we have to go.



3. I really enjoyed the written format and getting to know this man, his family history as well the impact of Black History over all. I've met him and to see this man at 90+ is amazing. A worthy book to include in your personal library.



4. I purchased this for another person. As far as I know she is satified with the book according to what she was looking for.



5. John Hope Franklin has been through a certain kind of hell prevalent in this country for centuries -- the hell of discrimination, the hell of being looked upon by whites as something less than human. Slavery was abolished in the 19th century after this country lost hundreds of thousands in a civil war. That uprising by the South still splits America, and African Americans have never truly been free.
   
   Dr. Franklin, who took his Ph.D in history at Harvard, has written not only the scarred story of his people but of discrimination that has never ended. As a young boy, he grew up in a small town in Oklahoma that was founded by African Americans. His lawyer-father finally managed to move the family to Tulsa, after a now-famous riot in 1921 destroyed the Greenwood District, the center of black commerce in the community. Even today, there are no reliable statistics on how many African Americans died in that tragedy.
   
   Throughout his illustrious career as an historian, teacher and presidential advisor, Dr. Franklin never wavers in his criticism of a "free" country that enslaves an entire race. Afterward, over a century of "Jim Crow" laws and traditions made blacks lead poverty-stricken lives in segregated schools, lunch counters, restrooms -- every aspect of life in America was separate and unequal.
   
   But his is a criticism tempered with knowledge and love of his country and his fellow students, historians and citizens, regardless of color.
   
   Here is a figure of history who, as a young boy, was not allowed by the white community of Tulsa to do even the simplest jobs, like delivering a daily newspaper, the Tulsa Tribune. Franklin delivered the newspapers by proxy -- only white men could be official carriers. Young Franklin did the actual work.
   
   This was the same newspaper that, reportedly, supported legalized lynching of African Americans. During the Tulsa race riots in 1921, that same newspaper urged the Greenwood area be burned to the ground. It was.
   
   He recounts another experience as a youngster in Tulsa. He saw an elderly white woman, who was blind, trying to cross a street alone. As a Boy Scout, Franklin knew it was an honorable deed to help her. She accepted his help, until she found out he was black. Then, she shoved him away and crossed by herself.
   
   This was the atmosphere in which Dr. Franklin formed the fortitude to build a life that would fight for freedom, justice and equality for all. Through his long life, he continues the battle to change and better his country.
   
   Sometimes, that battle became dangerous. During Franklin's college days, he recounted being part of a research team that talked with former slaves, plantation workers and sharecroppers. He and a fellow scholar were nearly lynched because they interviewed workers on a plantation in defiance of the plantation owner's orders.
   
   This winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, paints a picture throughout his autobiography of a nation that has lost the talents of an entire race of people, simply because of its prejudice in every area of society.
   
   In later life, he was reminded again of racist America. He says it best: "At age sixty I was ordered to serve as a porter for a white person in a New York hotel, at age eighty to hang up a white guest's coat at a Washington club where I was not an employee but a member."
   
   Yet, when President Clinton asked him to chair the President's Initiative on Race, he did so willingly. Dr. Franklin learned another lesson: the national press corps refused to either report, or report accurately, the workings of the committee.
   
   The Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, and other major news outlets refused to send reporters to meetings of the national conversation on race.
   
   "'For his entire year as chairman,' wrote a reporter for The Boston Globe, 'Franklin never met face-to-face with Clinton.' This was, of course, stunningly inaccurate,'" Franklin wrote.
   
   This autobiography is, in itself, a national conversation on race and raises questions by which could hang the fate of the nation: in 2001 "...there were more young black men in jails and penitentiaries than in college...". The glass ceiling for African American employment remains. Discrimination in housing continues. The majority of African Americans still live in low-income neighborhoods.
   
   This book is a poetic, evocative plea for fairness and growth as a nation. It remains a 'must read' for every American, no matter what race.
   
   It has the rise and sweep of a great work of art, authored by a great and remarkable American, Dr. John Hope Franklin.

5 comments about Diary of an Early American Boy: Noah Blake 1805 (Dover Books on Americana).

1. I read the other reviews before I bought. I guess this wasn't for me. I love diaries but this wasn't really a diary.



2. Like the previous reviewer, this book was not what I was expecting. Thinking that most teenage boys hundreds of years ago are just like teenage boys today, I was very surprised to find a published diary of a kid who was willing to write down his thoughts on life. With many entries consisting entirely of one or two words like "Plowed today." and "Do." (ditto), this book does little to offer the reader insight into the thoughts of this boy. The diary portion of the book is disappointing, and is used as a jumping off point for the author to explain in words and pictures about the technology of the early 19th century. The explanations are fascinating, the technology amazing. Anyone who has ever thought about how the pyramids could have been built by thousands of slaves should take a gander at how a covered bridge (that could hold the weight of oxen and a cart and it's load and driver) was constructed by a few neighborhood farmers. The illustrations are the backbone of this book and they are excellent. I wish the author would strike a deal with the publishers of Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" series to draw and explain the machinery described in those books. I would recommend this book as a gift for anyone, kid or adult, who is interested in architecture or engineering, or who loves history.



3. I echo what everyone else has written here - an excellent book. Noah's diary is very terse, but Sloane fleshes it out with fascinating details of what living on a farm must have been like for Noah.
   
   Sad thing, though... as I was reading this I wondered if Noah and Sarah Trowbridge, whom he frequently writes about (it's clear he was attacted to this girl) ever married. Alas! I can find no mention at all of Noah Blake or his parents on any online genealogical database. Other than via Sloane's book, Noah Blake seems to be unremembered... but that's sufficient, I guess. (I can find a Sarah Trowbridge born in 1791, but it might or might not be the right one. Not enough genealogical details in Sloane's book.)



4. I've used DEAB (Diary of an Early American Boy) in my fourth grade Science curriculum for a few years now. It's amazing how Noah and his father are able to craft so many tools (and bridges, mills, and homes) using such "archaic" technology. Students are given a first hand glimpse at wood-working, pulleys and levers, and splitting and heating using wood (many of my students actually still heat their houses using wood!).
   The budding romance between Sarah and Noah is an added little perk! :)



5. My 9-year old daughter and I are reading this together. She's not very interested in reading yet, but she likes this book a lot. We're using it as part of a science curriculum about "how things work" and it gives a good perspective on simple tools and machinery from 1805. The illustrations are wonderful.

1 comments about Ronald Reagan and the Triumph of American Conservatism (Library of American Biography Series) (2nd Edition).

1. Dr. Jules Tygiel uses simple, forthright prose to assess the accomplishments and evaluate the legacy of one of America's most popular presidents.His admiration for Ronald Reagan's political skills is fairly balanced with his reservations about some of the unfinished business of the two-term administration.This is a book for general readers, not scholars. There are no footnotes and only a brief bibliography, but the tenor of the text is factual and earnest, rather than fanciful and laudatory. All admirers of the 40th President will surely want to read this concise, stylishly-written biography in order to preview the judgements of future generations of historians concerning Ronald Reagan.

5 comments about American Spy: My Secret History in the CIA, Watergate and Beyond.

1. This man, even as he looked at death, could not even come close to the truth. If you buy this book call me i got a bridge for you...
   
   mmmm just to be straight i bought this book...so don't be a sucker like.....me



2. This book reads just like a mystery novel. It's easy to read and full of suspense, so I couldn't wait to turn the page to find out what happens. The pages on Watergate were especially suspenseful. This book was good from beginning to end. It's interesting to get the inside information on CIA training and activities from someone who was really there. Also, it was good to read about Watergate from someone who was really there and knows what happened. He also fills this book with stories about his personal life, his parents, wife and children. At the end, he offers his views on how to fix the agency today. This is a very good and easy to read book! I enjoyed every page of it.



3. "American Spy," confirms we are living in one of the most exciting eras of history.
   
   Per example, Hunt includes an intriguing insight in his final summation.
   
   "I have rewritten this chapter twice as events keep catching up to me," he begins. {Page 328, para. 2, line 19.} He continues on to note that suggestions he made in the previous versions actually were fulfilled before the publication of the book, causing him to rewrite those passages.
   
   Hunt's delving and the reviews available here on Amazon, make one immediately aware that this field of study is ripe for examination.
   
   One fascinating abscence from Hunt's chronicle is the chapter of various societal affiliations of the leading players, beginning with the past CIA directors, few, if any, of whom qualified for the position 'intelligence chief.' The question begged, that none in authority thought to ask, "Why?" A related list to be made as cross-reference with the names of these scions of snooping? Suggested entries would have to include the Council on Foreign Relations and, naturally, good ol' Skull & Crossbones. Any illumination as to where these configurations might lead?
   
   Just those two would have answered many of the questions Hunt posed throughout his familial confession. But, then, that perhaps reveals Mr. Hunt's true position : American Spy. And few spies tell all, American or otherwise.
   
   Good reading. So close to his own demise, Hunt could have entitled the work, "Racing Through Paradise." Had not, of course, his good friend and compatriot, {how telling that phrase becomes in context}, W.F. already absconded with the plume for one of his own tumblings.
   
   To those who cry 'surfeit' one need only close with Hunt's observation leading into his 'rewrite' remark. Just two paragraphs prior, Hunt waxes on the flood of information being created by the exponentially increasing technologies, casting all intelligence agencies adrift on this Sea of Portent.
   
   One revels in the closing scene from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" as Hunt opines, "...finally content {the CIA} to stamp them TOP SECRET and file them in massive storerooms, with only about 5 (sic.) percent of the information ever undergoing analysis."
   
   Oh, the tangled webs !
   
   TL Farley,
   author,
   When Now Becomes Too Late,
   Distant Reaches
   
   When Now Becomes Too Late { Hard copy }
   
   When Now Becomes Too Late {Kindle copy }
   
   { Prophecy : The Rapture In Brief }
   
   
   
   Distant Reaches
   
   { True Life Adventure In Ireland, Boston and On The North Atlantic }



4. This book is well written and contains a good narrative account of Watergate break in. Aside from that Mr. Hunt seemed torn at the time he wrote this book (near the end of his life), He critizices the leaking of the events a Abu Graihb (not the actual events), yet at the same time he is critical of the decision to go to war in Iraq and seems uncomfortable with certain aspects of GWB's expansion of FISA.
   Maybe these contradictions are due to his long career in CIA and other post that required deceitful and duplicitus words and actions. Whatever the reason this is still a book worth reading.



5. I have the greatest respect for Hunt.
   He was an insider on the JFK assassination and Watergate.
   In addition he was a very skillful writer and keen analyst of the personalities around him.
   
   This book takes on greater significance when Hunt's deathbed audio-taped confession of his involvement in the early planning for the Kennedy assassination is added to it.
   In this book he describes his ideas about the assassination as a "what if" or "it might have happened this way" story.
   Shortly after this he gave a confession to his son, that the "what if" story is the real story and he sat in on it.
   I think he was totally honest.

5 comments about Robert Frost: A Life.

1. Jay Parini bring's a poet's perspective to this excellent biography. By combining a compelling look at Frost's life with an informed commentary on his poetry, Parini has avoided the common pitfall of many biographers; forgetting the work while describing the life. I feel I now have a much greater understanding of the man and his work after reading this book which should be the goal of all biographies and so rarely is.



2. Although many of Robert Frost's poems revolve around traditionally American themes, even a European, like I am, can easily recognize his genius.

   This biography offers a major reassessment of the life and work of America's premier poet--the only truly "National Poet" the U.S. has, so far, produced.

   Author Jay Parini began working on this biography in 1975, through interviews with friends and associates of Frost's and working in the poet's archives at Dartmouth, Amherst and elsewhere.

   In prose that is both elegant and simple, Parini traces the stages of Frost's colorful life: his boyhood in San Francisco (no, he was not a native New Englander!), his young manhood in New England, his college days at Dartmouth and later at Harvard, his years of farming in New Hampshire, his three-year stay in England where he became friends with people such as Ezra Pound, Edward Thomas and other important figures of modern poetry.

   Following Frost's meteoric rise upon his return to America from England in 1915, Parini traces the path Frost took from poet to cultural icon, a friend and intimate of presidents, a sage whose pronouncements attracted the attention of the world press.

   Yet, the beauty of this book lies in the fact that Parini never loses sight of Frost at his deepest and most human, the man behind the gorgeous and sensitive poetry that enraptured a nation. Always managing to take us back to the poetry and Frost's roots, Parini, in this beautiful book, offers a sensitive roadmap of both Frost, the man and his incredible talent.




3. I am not a fan of biographies...as a New Englander, I AM extremely fond of Frost...so I gave the biography a try...

   Through a poet's eye...sensitively (and beautifully) written...engaging...a delight!




4. One of my first memories of Robert Frost is watching him attempting to read a poem he had written for John F. Kennedy's Presidential Inauguration. Struggling with the bright sunlight reflecting off the fresh snow on that crisp winter's day, he abandoned his effort to recite an older poem from memory.

   I remember thinking the image of this short, stocky white-haired old man was as close to a wood nymph as I would ever come. Later, I was to learn that Frost lead anything but a simple life. Biographer drawing on this image, often sensationalized the details of his life at the expense of the precious poetry he created.

   Jay Parini, the Axinn Professor of English at Middlebury College, does not travel that path. Rather, he provides his readers with insight into how Frost lived day-to-day, poem to poem. He animates Frost's daily struggles with depression, anxiety, self-doubt and confusion. The poet's family life was not happy; he experienced bad luck with his children. Yet, he exhibited tremendous force of will, love for his children and dedication to creating a lasting body of creative work.

   Unlike Frost previous biographers, Parini skillfully weaves the details of the poet's life with poetry he created. Frost's desire to "lodge a few poems where they can't be gotten rid of easily" is woven into a picture of an artist attempting to rescue his sanity by creating what he called a "momentary stay against confusion."

   For me, reading Frost's poetry is a labor of love; reading Parini's biography is like reliving a best friend's life. This biographical study offers an unusual glimpse into the life, poetry and times of Robert Frost, a man who ranks as one of the world's greatest poets.




5. I have always loved Frost's poetry, but this biography gave me a much greater appreciation for the depth of intellect and erudition behind it. By embracing the inherent paradoxes in Frost's personality and philosophy rather than trying to cram Frost into a self-consistent mold, Parini crafts a delightfully vivid portrait of the poet.
   
   Contrary to another reviewer's claim that "why [Frost's children] were afflicted by mental illness is not explored," Parini presents compelling evidence that mental illness ran in Frost's family--severely afflicting his sister--with Frost maintaining his own psychological balance only by dint of a constant conscious struggle.

5 comments about The Kennedy Women: The Saga of an American Family.

1. "For the most part Rose grandchildren observed and respected and obeyed her, tiptoeing around her life as if she were an exquisite piece of porcelain. She had led such a decorous life, blocking out the untoward, the ugly, and the unacceptable, that her eyes no longer saw the darker colours of the spectrum. "Pat drank a bottle of wine in the morning," Rose was told. "That's impossible" Rose replied, Pat doesn't drink"

   I was glad that I read this book because it has helped me to understand so much more about this so much talked about family. In Mr. Leaner's book we get to know about the Kennedy women's personal thoughts and the correct stories of the daughters and daughters-in-law. Mr.Leamer has given us indept portraits of these women and my favourite is Rose Kennedy the Matriarch of the family. For Rose was a woman so strong and who suffered great disloyalty by her husband which she took all gracefully all for the sake of her family and what she supposed the public expected of them. She was a stern Catholic and gain her strength through her prayer and trust in God.
   Also portrayed are Joan Kennedy; Ted wife who had a problem with alcohol. Jackie Kennedy Onnassis; the President's wife who remarried after the President's death to a Greek tycoon. Pat Lawford; married to a Hollywood star and spent most of her time in Los Angeles. Eunice Shriver, who was always working for the handicapped and underprivileged and was one of the Kennedys with great patience and common sense. Ethel Kennedy, Robert Kennedy's widow and Jean Smith.
   The Kennedys pushed their tragedies to the inner recesses of their minds.They refused to let others see the negative side of their lives, and carried their problems and burdens inwardly taking pains not to show their broken hearts. To some this might seem pretentious, but they honestly had their reasons. After all they were special in the eyes of America.
   Whenever tragedy struck it was not unusual for them to suddenly get physical by taking walks, riding, swimming and any form of exercise. Rosemary the eldest daughter who was mentally retarded was isolated from the public eye and sent to Wisconsin where she was looked after by those of the Sacred Order. This book has helped me to understand so much more about the choices they made and the reason they made them, though tragedy seem to follow them everywhere.

   Mr. Leamer has pulled out all the stops in the brilliantly written book, and I would not hesitate to read anything by him in the future. Bravo! Bravo! Heather Marshall 04/04/04




2. This book relates details of the lives of the many Kennedy women, from Bridget Murphy Kennedy, born in Ireland, through Caroline Kennedy, John F. Kennedy's daughter. Leamer describes the rise of the Kennedy family from the hard luck tales of newly-arrived Irish immigrants through the dynasty years in Hyannisport. While the book presents many of the historical events of the lives of political Kennedys, the viewpoint is always that of the women, and how these events affected their lives. We hear about the Kennedy women's efforts in John's political campaigns, or how the stress of campaigning contributed to Jacqueline's miscarriages. Leamer includes both women born as Kennedys and women who became Kennedys by marriage. Much of the book, however, focuses on two women who married into the Kennedy family, Rose Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The book is also about the family structure of the Kennedy's and portrays some of the sinister aspects of Joseph Kennedy as well as the positive traits.
   
   Many times I've heard the Kennedy family referred to as a "dynasty". However, it has never been clear to me why an American family would be called a dynasty. In this book, Leamer describes why this group of people is more than simply a family. He describes the relations between Joseph Kennedy's children, and how Joseph and Rose's parenting style contributed both to their children's closeness and competitiveness, and how their own aspirations were realized in the accomplishments of their children. He also relates the difficulties that Jacqueline had as an outsider in establishing a position in the family. The book provides a unique viewpoint on the political events of the 1950s and 1960s whose legacy continues to permeate our society.



3. I found this book about the Kennedy family women a very interesting read. The only problem with it is that it is so long. At over 900 pages Mr. Leamer could have written three books and had them in instalments about one pericular Kennedy family women instead of tying to write so much about so many interesting people.



4. This book arrived in good condition and in a timely manner just like the seller promised! A++



5. I did not want this book to end! It is a fascinating, fair, well-written book about all of the Kennedy women, their men, and the lives they led. I gained new insight, especially, into Kathleen Kennedy, Rosemary Kennedy, and matriarhc, Rose.

5 comments about Doc Holliday: A Family Portrait.

1. Doc Holliday: A Family Portrait is well researched and written. Karen Holliday Tanner draws on family history, papers, albums and oral stories to augment hard research.Through her exhaustive efforts, Ms. Tanner puts to rest some of the wild exaggerations of killings, life of a con man, and criminal schemes supposedly perpetrated by Doc during his life.
   Young John Henry Holliday's early days were spent in Griffin, Georgia with his father Henry Holliday and mother Alice.
   Henry Holliday was a prominent Griffin citizen, first clerk of the court of Spalding County, and was involved in real estate and land speculation. The elder Holliday had a military background and had fought in the Mexican War. Early in the Civil War he served in the Confederate Army in Virginia. However, camp life and cold weather conspired to damage his health and he was discharged and sent home. After Henry Holliday regained his health he purchased a large parcel of land in South Georgia near Valdosta and moved his family there in 1864.
   Alice Holliday contracted tuberculosis and died in September of 1866. John Henry mourned the loss of his mother and felt that his father had betrayed her name when he married Rachel Martin less than three months after the death of mother Holliday. The marriage caused a schism between father and son that never quite healed.
   John Henry was a bright student and eventually chose dentistry as a profession. He graduated from The Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery in 1872 and returned to Atlanta where he practiced dentistry until he contracted tuberculosis and traveled west in search of a dryer climate.
   While in Dallas John Henry stayed with the dental profession, but added another to augment his income. He spent time at the gaming tables and eventually became a skilled Frontier Gambler. After several years in Dallas he joined the gambling circuit and traveled to Denison, Denver, Deadwood and points in between.
   He became known as Doc Holliday and using his charm, wit and gambling skills Doc made a name for himself and collected an array of friends Kate Elder, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Luke Short and Eddie Foy just to name a few.
   While in Dodge City Doc saved Wyatt Earp from an angry mob of drunken cowboys and Wyatt never forgot it. Doc and Wyatt were both well known in gambling circles, but the incident that turned them into legends was the shootout at the OK Corral.
   Doc stood with Wyatt and his brothers on the side of law and order against Cochise County's political ring muscle known as cowboys. The Earps and Holliday won the gunfight, but ring outlaws caused a bloodbath that eventually, in order to get out of the line of fire, Doc and Wyatt moved to Colorado.
   Wyatt dug for silver in the Gunnison and Doc played the tables at Leadville. But due to failing health Doc eventually quit the games and retired to Glenwood Springs, Colorado where he died of tuberculosis on November 8, 1887.
   A must read to get the full Holliday picture.
   
   Tom Barnes author of "Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone."
   "The Hurricane Hunters and Lost in the Bermuda Triangle."
   "The Goring Collection."
   
   The Hurricane Hunters And Lost in the Bermuda Triangle
   Doc Holliday's Road to Tombstone: The Life and Times of John Henry Holliday
   The Goring Collection



2. I was very disappointed in this book. It is not well written nor does it have much, if any, depth. Tanner uses the word "probably" way too often. "Doc 'probably' shot Old Man Clanton" or "Wyatt 'probably' killed John Ringo." Doc "probably" did quite a few things, but Tanner does not quote any source information for much of this, although she does have several pages of notes.
   
   Tanner races through many moments in Holliday's life, skipping over important details. A lot happened between the infamous gunfight in Tombstone, the attack on Virgil Earp and the murder of Morgan Earp; but Tanner tells of all three incidents within a matter of a couple of paragraphs. Tanner barely mentions Curly Bill Brocious and does not mention Fred White at all.
   
   Tanner goes into great detail about how Holliday was born with a cleft palate, but many doubt he ever had such physical challenge. Also Kate Elder is a source for much of the latter part of the book, but Elder is not a very reliable source of information, having claimed to have married Holliday in the 1870's. (No record of Holliday ever getting married exists.)
   
   Tanner is related to Holliday and that seems to have softened her view. Gary L. Roberts' biography is much better, much more detailed.



3. I really enjoyed this book. The author did a wonderful job on researching the family tree.



4. This book was a good read and quite informative. The author (related to the Hollidays) did an excellent job on researching Doc Holliday. There was much to be learned about the real Doc Holliday.



5. As a Holliday cousin, I bought Karen's book for family information to pass on to my children and grandchildren. This book is a very detailed and historical account of "Doc," and gave me another perspective of the man I knew little about save the movies and a few tales inside the family. I have been in touch with Karen, and passed on to her information regarding his famous, and infamous, bloodline which will surprise many in Karen's upcoming book on Doc. I hope it is forthcoming soon. A MUST HAVE for every history enthsiast or researcher.