5 comments about Life Is So Good.

1. I like the memoir because George Dawson never gave up his dream to read and write. George was born in the late 1800's. His parents were not slaves, but his grandparents were once slaves. George was raised in Texas. His family was poor, and he never attended school. Georges started working at a very young age, drawing water from the well each morning for the house. George worked alongside his father in the fields. The work was hard, so was their life. They had to watch what they said and went in fear of the K.K.K. Twelve year old George went to work, and stayed with a white family to help out at home. His cousins came to live with his family because their parents died, so George was needed at home. George left home at twenty-one and worked in Tennessee building levees. It was two years before he returned back home.
   
   Life is So Good is a story about George Dawson's dreams of receiving mail, learning to read and write at the age of ninety-eight, and his work ethic. I can relate to George's hard work and his work ethic. I beleive in hard work and doing it right the first time.
   
   This book is sad and tells of struggles he had to go through. It is not easy reading at first because the chapters jumped around. But overall, it is a good book to read.



2. Richard Glaubman's "Life Is So Good" is a real comeuppance for anyone whose outlook towards life runs along the lines of "I wish I had done X, but I'm too old to start now." Here's a man, George Dawson, who learned how to read at age 98. As a USA Today review aptly summarizes, "Dawson has become a literary hero, a testament to the power of perseverance." First-time author Glaubman expertly fleshes out Larry Bingham's award-winning 1998 Fort Worth Star-Telegram short story.
   
   Dawson's tales of life in the Jim Crow-era South, his unquenchable work ethic, and his travels throughout North America make for compelling reading. Here is a man who was never given a shot to read when he was younger - economic circumstances forced him into full-time manual labor at a very early age. Despite significant hardship, his optimism and sense of self-worth never waver. The title really sums it up well here. Glaubman's final words from Dawson are "Life is so good and it gets better every day."
   
   As other reviewers have noted, Chapter 1 of this book could stand alone as among the best short stories you'll ever read.



3. Even though this book was published six years ago, the message of "Life is so good" is timeless. It is a window into a world that we are all a part of, but some of us rarely see. Truly memorable! Dawson sees literacy as an incredible gift and he in turn gives the reader numerous ones in return.



4. This book enlightened me and really got to me, much more than I expected. I was delighted to read about the life of a 102-year old african american man from the south, as I am a 30-something white woman from MT. He has a lot to teach us, and a lot to remind us of and has a way of doing so that makes us thankful for what we have. George Dawson is a gem and I am pleased that someone took the time to put his story on paper. What a great book!



5. I guess some of the most important things I feel I've learned from this book is: don't dwell, take pride in your work, and focus on the power of beauty. This man (as thousands and thousands of others) had to endure more mental abuse in his life so far, then a million men, but was able and lucky enough to swim to top of that putrid pond of a life he was given and see the good in it, as fleeting as that was. I was thinking of this book as a mirror and what message I saw in it, that would be "Have a Lion's Heart" .

5 comments about Profiles in Courage.

1. Profiles in Courage is a book I have heard of many times but never read, nor browsed. What a shock upon finally picking the book up to discover what a hodge podge of quotes and this's and that's the book is. And now, upon a little research, to discover that there was much debate as to whether Kennedy even wrote the book. At best Profiles in Courage would get a B if turned in as a high school senior thesis paper.
   
   I am not anti Kennedy and actually until reading Profiles in Courage have always held him in high regard. Who of the right age can forget - "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." This making the exposure to Profiles all the more bitter.
   
   I now must admit I have not read the whole book. I don't know if I have the stomach to. I have only read through the Chapter on Daniel Webster and although I am one to read to the end no matter what, I am not sure I can.
   
   The most irksome quality of the book is the incessant quotes pertaining to the definition of words which I suspect were used to lend this missive an air of scholarship. This claim of scholarship is echoed by the dropping of terms here and there, like Gresham's Law. When the discriminating reader encounters such it always invokes the opposite of its intention.
   
   I also object to the major tenet of the book that when someone is elected to public office to represent the views of his constituients it is considered courage to once having reached office to change his stripes and decided to do whatever one wants instead of representing the people who elected him. A better view of courage is to have those that when they find they can no longer do what they were voted in to do, resign from, what Kennedy considered the most prestigious of private clubs, public office, and then do whatever it is that they fell so strongly about. Has this ever happened? I am unsure.
   
   In short, Profiles in Courage, is propaganda supporting a privileged class. If you must go to the library and give it a once over. It is an easy read. But it is certainly advised that you do not financial support this error by purchasing it.



2. What President Kennedy shows in this book is a series of examples to all our modern politicians. It's a book to read and keep in mind.



3. It's the 50th anniversary of the publication by John Kennedy of the book `Profiles In Courage' and its subsequent winning the Pulitzer Prize for Biography. The non-fiction political tome features Kennedy's interpretation of eight U.S. Senators who placed the interests of the country and what was morally right regarding some momentous decision over the wishes of their political party and own potential self-advancement to higher office.
   Is there anyone presently in the Senate with presidential aspirations who can offer the same courage and moral convictions to do what's right in the manner the eight figures from history the future 35th president chose to write about to further the public trust at the risk of their own political career?
   Kennedy began the book in 1954 while in his first term as a U.S. Senator but undergoing convalescence from a surgery on his back to relieve stress from the injuries he received in combat during World War Two. There's still debate on how much of the book was actually written by Kennedy or what part was researched and prepared by underlings of his staff. But most experts agree that the senator supervised the editing of the material and selected which of those who were to be profiled.
   The book was positively received and it helped place Kennedy into national prominence. The Massachusetts senator used that notoriety to offer his name as a vice-presidential candidate at the 1956 Democratic Party convention. He then became one of that party's frontrunners for the 1960 presidential election which he ultimately won.
   It's apparent that when JFK served in the Congress he had contempt for the workings of the political patronage system when trying to obtain a consensus to solve the nation's problems as a congressman, then as senator. Most historians agree that he disliked the `good ol' boy' networking that future running mate Lyndon Johnson used as the Senate Majority Leader in making deals to please all sides on a matter and wanted those in that legislative body to take the moral high ground when debating the issues facing the nation to get legislation passed. That's why Kennedy decided to write the book for the next generation of politicians who would come after him to feature those who had taken a courageous stand as an inspiration to the succeeding groups of leaders.
   Kennedy acknowledges the responsibilities felt on any politician, especially one who is a senator, to keep everybody happy. He cites three specific pressures put on all leaders, including himself, to keep everyone satisfied.
   He writes that all senators want to be liked by the voters, they have a desire to be re-elected and feel the enormous pull of special interest groups seeking legislation that is favorable to their specific cause that can adversely affect the tough decisions they must make.
   So who did Kennedy select as standing up for principles and not continuing the status quo that ultimately wrecked their own political aspirations for the betterment of the country?
   They were John Quincy Adams for breaking away from the Federalist Party, Daniel Webster for speaking in favor of the Compromise of 1850 that delayed the start of the Civil War, Thomas Hart Benton for staying in the Democratic Party despite his opposition to slavery and Sam Houston for opposing the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854.
   Also included were Edmund G. Ross for voting against the impeachment of Andrew Johnson, Lucius Lamar for his attempt to mend ties between the North and South during Reconstruction, George Norris for coming out against arming U.S. merchant ships before the U.S. officially entered World War One and Robert Taft for criticizing the Nuremberg Trials that prosecuted high-level Nazi war leaders under what he considered ex post facto laws that were forbidden by the U.S. Constitution.
   It's obvious the eight senators Kennedy selected decided to make a courageous, yet unpopular choice on an issue to put the interests of the nation and world over their own political aspirations at a time of crisis. How come we don't have any leaders like those eight today?
   The United States Senate is called the last great place for oration and debate as the issues facing the nation and world are discussed by one hundred of the nation's political elite. But can a U.S. Senator be elected from that office today directly to the presidency by taking a potential career-ending stance on today's hot button matters? No one has successfully done so since John Kennedy did in 1960.
   That doesn't bode well for Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, John McCain, Barrack Obama and any other potential future candidates from that legislative body as we approach the 2008 presidential election. Many have tried since JFK's triumph and all have failed, the most recent being John Kerry in 2004.
   It's going to be extremely difficult for this current brood of senators, be they male or female; Republican, Democrat or independent; to exhibit the same virtuous characteristics of those Kennedy profiled to get elected as our next president under our current political structure of stalemate government gridlock that forces them to refrain from taking any courageous stand on the issues that need immediate resolution.
   That's a loss for all of us.



4. John F. Kennedy makes an excellent contribution to history with this book. It describes the lives of several distinguished Americans who, in the course of history, have shaped the face of the United States. All these biographies are interesting. History becomes very much alive with this book, and Kennedy does an excellent job in showing how men can contribute to the life of a nation. What is even more noteworthy is that that is what he himself did. This new edition of the book has an excellent preface by Caroline Kennedy, herself an eminent legal scholar.



5. 
   I read this book quite a while back and found some great food for thought. One of my primary takeaways was that be careful when judging others motives.
   
   Kennedy (or whoever wrote the book) poses a primary question: Which is better...the man who will not compromise at all, or the man who bends but does not break?
   
   The argument is that the man who does not compromise may be considered true to his cause, but may get little done. The man who compromises to get things done may not be 100% true to his cause but is able to forward some of his ideas.
   
   The author(s) leave it up to the reader to decide (judge) if the path is right. Or, are both paths right? This is good food for thought for a critical thinker!
   
   What the author(s) is pointing at is that each man and woman must choose their own path in a situation according to their beliefs, values and morals, even if it may cause political and/or other ruin.
   
   The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

5 comments about Theodore Rex (Modern Library Paperbacks).

1. Edmund Morris provides yet another great addition to the life of Theodore Roosevelt in this look at his time as president. This is a very thorough and well written account. It covers everything from the Great White Fleet, trust busting, the national park movement to the rise of American imperialism. The first term of the presidency is covered a little better than the first but regardless of the time frame you get an excellent view as TR the person. The dedication that this man had to learning, reading, physical activity is truly amazing and Morris does a superb job of bringing that out. Overall this is a very fair biography that takes great pains to remain fair and balanced. It looks at the immigration policies even handily and takes an honest look at American policy at the hands of the youngest president at that time. The first president to be born after the civil war put a different trend on national politics and reigned in the progressive era. All in all it is a Bully of a read!



2. Theodore Roosevelt was such an engaging personality that it would've been very hard to make this book anything less than terrific, and the well-written prose takes things to a very high level. The pages rolled by quickly, and I regularly found myself thinking "How in the world did this man accomplish so much with his life and his Presidency?" From the early battles with Mark Hanna to the final return of the Great White Fleet, Morris follows the endlessly energetic Roosevelt through the highs and lows of his (almost) two terms. His careful attention to details of Roosevelt's private life adds even more color to the man.



3. It is difficult not to come away from "Theodore Rex" impressed. Indeed, after I read just the first few pages, I was completely hooked. In "Theodore Rex," Edmund Morris hasn't just written a great book about TR's presidential years, he's drawn in vivid, rich, delightful detail a great story about America's most unique modern President. While I won't say this book is as good or substantive as say David McCullough's "Truman" (and in a sense, it doesn't need to be since "Truman" rehabilitated President Truman's place in history whereas TR's strong place among our greatest executives has been well-established for some time), I can't imagine anyone writing a more engaging, fascinating book about TR's years in the White House.
   
   I strongly disagree with the reviewers who have argued that "Theodore Rex" does not give the reader a great sense or understanding of TR himself. In his stories and descriptions of TR in his relations with family, allies, cabinet members, Congress, the press, and his enemies, Morris has drawn a strong as well as complex portrait of the 26th President. He was all at once a brilliant man and surprisingly well-read in a multitude of different fields of literature, a skilled outdoorsman who loved not only to hunt big game -- a lasting image even today -- but to just spend weeks on end outdoors watching, documenting, and enjoying nature, a loving family man who doted on his six children and wife, a shewd politician for his day who was keenly aware of political strategy and worked hard to bolster his party's strength in Congress and across America, and perhaps most of all a plain and powerful force of nature (using the description of Henry Adams) who in many ways defied explanation or analysis from many learned observers of his day who had simply never seen or encountered any one quite like Theodore Roosevelt. In sum, therefore, Morris does a great job in "Theodore Rex" not just of telling a great story, but also in crafting a superb, rich picture of the first President Roosevelt.
   
   After reading the book, I was struck by the belief that TR really was the perfect leader for America as it was becoming a world super power at the dawn of the 20th Century. Despite being perceived as an accidental President and a ruffian cowboy, TR's boundless reserve of energy turned out to the perfect tonic to lead the U.S. In turn, he was received with open arms by Americans, and could have easily been elected to another term in 1908 had he decided to run again. Furthermore, "Theodore Rex" only reinforced my belief that TR could have been a great leader of America today. His energy, optimism, strength in the face of enemies both foreign and domestic, uncorruptability (if such a word exists!), and deep compassion for others were timeless qualities.
   
   "Theodore Rex" is a top-notch political biography, certainly up there with some of my favorites including "Huey Long" by T. Harry Williams, the LBJ series by Robert Caro, and "Truman" by McCullough. Incidentally, while the book is not particularly heavy on academic analysis of TR's policies, particular attention is paid to numerous key events including TR's negotiation of peace in the Russo-Japanese War, his formulation of the Northern Securities case and greater government regulation of big businesses, his strong determination towards national conservation, and even TR's cautious (and albeit limited) steps to embrace Booker T. Washington and greater rights and protections for blacks at the turn of the century.
   
   Let me close out this way. I like to consider myself a fairly good writer, but reading work like this shows me I'm pretty much nothing. If I could write like anyone, I would like to possess Edmund Morris' unparalleled ability to tell a story. "Theodore Rex" flows perfectly and the prose runs like butter. Reading his work in "Theodore Rex" is a pleasure.



4. I started this book right after reading "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" by Morris. While I was riveted to the first book, this one took a little while longer to read. So much detail was given to the politics of his office and the bills that were introduced, that it made for somewhat dry reading in parts. Very informative, but not as thrilling as his life prior to his presidency.



5. This is the second in a projected three volume biography of Theodore Roosevelt, and is just a delight to read. I felt while reading the book that I was inhabiting the White House in the first years of the 20th century.
   
   I agree with several reviewers here who said that the first volume, The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (Modern Library Paperbacks)was superior, but again, that was terrific, and it is not always easy to follow great success. (Ask William Taft, TR's successor)
   
   And sometimes the journey beats the destination. In the first book Roosevelt leads several different lives, and fulfills different roles as son, author, state legislator, husband, father, widower, hunter, NYC Police Commissoner, NY Governor, and then Vice President. It was hard not to feel cooped up in the White House after the rich, varied life he had led before. It is no wonder he didn't pursue a third term in 1908, despite every indication he would have won.
   
   This second volume does not address TR's private life as thoroughly as did the first. Morris may have felt he had already covered it in the first book, or more likely, that doing them justice would have required another book. TR's second wife, Edith, was his first love. They were school age sweethearts, broke up, after which TR abruptly married a younger woman, who bore him a daughter before dying in a flu epidemic. TR subsequently married Edith. Methinks there is a story there, but it is not dealt with in this book.
   
   Instead Morris focuses almost entirely on TR's public life and policies, which is certainly an understandable decision. The battles with the corporations on creating anti-trust legislation, mediating to bring a cease-fire in the Russo Japanese War and setting aside thousands of acres for national parks are all dealt with in detail here.
   
   The great thing about TR was that in addition to his raw energy, he was also a first rate intellect. He is a biographer's dream and Morris has done a terrific job with these two volumes. While he clearly admires his subject, he also shows him warts and all, when his use of the bully pulpit sometimes turned into bullying behavior.
   
   I highly recommend both this book and its predecessor.

5 comments about Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt.

1. David McCullough's "Mornings on Horseback" is a biography of Theodore Roosevelt's early life, tracing his family background and telling the story of his youth until the time of his second marriage at age twenty-eight. The book's subtitle is "The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life, and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt."
   
   The subtitle gives a fair description of the book's contents, but, truth to tell, much of the early part of the book telling of TR's fragile health and pampered upper-class upbringing was a bit boring, even the recounting of a year-long trip to Great Britain and the Continent when TR was eleven years old, drawn from TR's boyhood diaries. In the next chapter, McCullough spends twenty pages discussing asthma and its effects both generally and how it affected TR.
   
   By Part Three of the book, interest picks up with TR going off to Harvard and, after graduation, his marriage to his first wife, Alice. And then, tragedy struck, his mother and his wife dying within days of each other in the same house, and to overcome his grief, TR threw himself into politics in New York and cattle ranching in the Dakota Bad Lands, where he made friendships with other gentleman ranchers like the flamboyant Marquis de Mores. He wrote two books about his time in the West, describing some of his adventures in "Hunting Trips of a Ranchman." "Mornings on Horseback" ends with TR's engagement and marriage to Edith Carow, whom TR had known since childhood, "a very known and admired quantity, as close to the family as anyone could be...."
   
   In an "Afterword," we read of TR's becoming the youngest President in history with the assassination of William McKinley in 1901, with a review of some of the political offices he had held previous to becoming Vice-President and his role as a colonel in the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War. One gets the feeling that all of this will be fleshed out in a subsequent book by David McCullough.
   
   Having read and enjoyed McCullough's biographies of John Adams and Truman and his wonderful book about the Panama Canal, "The Path between the Seas," I must say I was a little disappointed with "Mornings on Horseback." Perhaps it was the subject matter, but no doubt I will read McCullough's next book on Theodore Roosevelt, should he choose to undertake that project.



2. Great details. I have no idea and how long it must take to do the research but I always enjoy Mr. McGullough's books. He lets you see the human side of heros without tearing them down but showing true life.



3. `Mornings on Horseback' by David McCullough
   
   Once again, Mr. McCullough delivers a superbly researched, compulsively readable historical account; this issue focused on the young Theodore Roosevelt. This work examines the Roosevelt family origins in America and rise to national prominence; TR's father and his philanthropic works; a young Theodore struggling with asthma in an age when proper treatment was as yet far from effective; an insular family and the dynamic within; and finally to TR as a young, adventurous adult coping with devastating loss.
   
   `Mornings on Horseback' will be as enjoyable to the individual seeking an intro to Theodore Roosevelt as it will to the TR aficionado. As usual, David McCullough's brilliant style shines through and captivates the reader from the first page to last. One note: if you're looking for a comprehensive bio of TR, this is not it. This book covers Theodore's early years but does not go so far as to delve into his ambitions for high political office. Nevertheless, this is a masterful book that is sure to bring enjoyment to any lover of history.



4. 
   Teddy was a small frail asthmatic child whose iron will and loving family helped transform him into one of the most powerful leaders of all time.
   
   This is truly an inspirational book that lets us peek behind the curtain of an upper class family in the late 1800's. Teddy was blessed with two loving parents who nurtured him with the things he needed to grow into an amazing human being.
   
   His mother was a beautiful lady who was always there for him. His father would take Teddy on long rides in the country when he had bouts of asthma and encourage him to work out and become stronger.
   
   Teddy had an insatiable curiosity about nature as a child. He read constantly about wildlife and insects and become a serious collector.
   
   Roosevelt's life was not without tragedy. When he was in his early twenties he lost both his mother to illness and his young wife at childbirth all within a 24 hour period. He loved them both deeply and was shattered.
   
   Immediately afterwards he gave his new child to a sister and moved out west in search of himself. At first he was disliked and considered a dandy by cowboys because of his snobbishness. But, he soon gained their respect by enduring the same hardships and by accepting them for who they were.
   
   I read this book some time ago and it is still one of my favorite books. David McCullough not only thoroughly gathers facts and data for this work, he brings to life a different time and recreates the feelings, emotions, thoughts and attitudes of the Roosevelt family.
   
   Overall this is an incredible book!
   
   The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking



5. This is the wonderful story of the personal life of Theodore Roosevelt. If you love American history and admire TR, this is a must-read. I have bought it for members of my family who can't get enough of this man. We have read the biographies of him that lean heavily on his public service. Mornings on Horseback is about his family, heartaches, personality, and heart. I loved it.

5 comments about Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker.

1. Excellent, thoroughly researched biography of Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of Theodore Roosevelt. If you suspect that things in Washington must have been different and better a century ago, this book is the cure. Great picture of the early 20th century in Washington, and the big social & political players, including Alice, who wielded considerable social and political power but never held office. Different and interesting views of Eleanor and Franklin D. Roosevelt, as seen by a cousin. The description of Alice's famously cruel "Eleanor imitation" (performed for the humiliated Eleanor at least once)is worth the price of the book.



2. In this biography author Stacy Cordery succeeeds in making her subject come alive. Alice Roosevelt was the pop star of her day just 100 years ago and was the center of attention in Washington DC from the time her father was in the White House until her death almost 80 years later. Using primary sources, Alice's letters and diaries gave the writer the opportunity to paint a vivid portrait in words. This book is recommended for anyone interested in women's history or in political drama.



3. As Teddy Roosevelt's oldest child, Alice was introduced to the lifestyles of the rich and politically well-connected early on in her life. She never got over living in the White House. To read her correspondence on the subject, it was forever hers. Alice was a diva. She was the original "it's all about me" celebutant. Very few people ever denied her, and when they did, woe be unto them.
   
   She was married to the Speaker of the House, had a child by a distinguished senator from Idaho and held political sway over the inner circles of Washington, D.C. until her death in 1980.
   
   Stacy Cordery's new biography is voluminous, coming in at 608 pages, not including the references and bibliography. Cordery has done a thorough and sincere job, but even her meticulous efforts can't make "Princess Alice," as she was called, a likable creature. She may have been admirable from afar, but up close and personal, she was selfish, self-centered and hated sharing the spotlight with anyone.



4. I was very eager to read Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker by Stacy A. Cordery. I enjoy reading about the Roosevelts and Alice was certainly one of the more colorful family members. But I found Alice uneven and a bit of a disappointment.
   
   The story of Alice Roosevelt Longworth is fairly well-known. Alice was the daughter of Theodore Roosevelt and his first wife, Alice Lee Roosevelt. When Alice was only two days old, both her mother and grandmother (TR's mother) died within hours of each other. Unable to deal with his grief, TR dumped baby Alice with his sister and escaped out west. Three years later, TR married Edith Kermit Carow and they brought Alice to live with them. Soon, Alice was competing with five half siblings. With her emotionally absent father and her stern step-mother, Alice learned to seek attention by rebelling. When her father succeeded to the White House in 1901, Alice became "the first female celebrity of the twentieth century." The press couldn't get enough of the first daughter and nicknamed her Princess Alice. Her father once said "I can either run the country or I can control Alice. I cannot possibly do both." Alice eventually married Ohio congressman Nicholas Longworth. With her keen intelligence, sharp wit, natural curiosity and political astuteness, Alice remained a mover and a shaker for her 96 years. Her DC house was a gathering place for powerful people.
   
   I thought that Cordery did a good job of covering the political aspects of Alice's life. Unfortunately, I felt that the details of her personal life were lacking. I reached page 200 and realized that there wasn't much that I hadn't read in other sources. There wasn't that much about her interaction with her siblings. Her daughter, Paulina, is largely glossed over. Alice had an affair with Senator William Borah and he was allegedly the father of Paulina. But after lots of pages, he seems to just drop away from the story. What really happened to their relationship? Also, I'm a stickler for details. Was there a funeral for Alice? If so, where was it held? Where is she buried? Her father's death receives only one paragraph. For a book that is advertised as "the first full biography of Alice Roosevelt Longworth," there are major holes.
   
   I enjoyed reading Alice, but I was just expecting more.



5. I have read several biographies over the years of nearly President of 20th century, and so the name of Alice Roosevelt Longworth commonly came up in these books (of Presidents starting with her father Pres. T. Roosevelt). She was usually mentioned, in reference to post-WWII years, in terms such as "the grande dame of Washington, " however I had no idea what a fascinating life she led. This very readable book provides an intimate look into her life, despite the limitations of the ultra-discrete manners of the post-Edwardian era in which she came of age, which must make the research into her letters frustrating. Nevertheless, we are let into such secrets as her husbands adulterous groin and the true father of "their" child.
   Given my great admiration of her cousin Eleanor and my prior reading of nearly haigiographic books on her and FDR, before reading "Alice" I was all ready to see her as a vindictive, nasty bitch, whining from the sidelines of D.C. on just about everyone else due to her own bitterness over not getting back into White House after death of her father. This book convinced me otherwise. Yes, she did have a biting, "cutting" wit, but the writer did convince me she never aimed her well-known verbal arrows at anyone weaker than her, or vunerable. Usually her barbs were for those well-entrenched in power and covered in hubris that she's more than willing to help brush off. The fact that most of politicians whom she famously critiqued were Democrats is not covered up, but neither does the writer looks more in depth into what was often her blind partisanship (e.g. Sen. McCarthy...Pres. Nixon, not coincidentally both Republicans.)
   Lastly, the book is well-researched and footnoted, and the writer is a talented story teller...I imagine she had problem deciding what stories to leave out.

1 comments about Wade Hampton: Confederate Warrior to Southern Redeemer (Civil War America).

1. Wade Hampton III who was born in 1818 and whose life spanned the century (he died in 1902) was an important figure in South Carolina and in the American South. He was born to near-aristocracy, his father having fought in the War of 1812 and his grandfather in the Revolution. He was a wealthy plantation owner, one of the wealthiest in his state. He was also a conservative who opposed the break with the union, but when called upon to do his duty went to war and raised his own regiment known as 'Hampton's legion'. He served in the Stonewall Brigade and then took over JEB Stuart's cavalry units after the battle of Yellow Tavern. He served to the end with Lee. His son died in the war and his house and properties were destroyed by Sherman's union army in its march to the sea. After the war he was drafted to run for Govenor by the Democrats but relented waiting until 1877 to take the helm of his state as a passionate opponent of reconstruction and northern meddling in southern affairs. Later he served as a Senator.
   
   This book is not an fawning biography but rather a more critical one that examines the importance of this influential leader whose life mirrored that of his southern compatriots and that of his class. He was the embodiment of the south and as the title suggests, both a warrior and a redeemer whose efforts and politics hang over the South today.
   
   A very interesting, well written account that will appeal to devotees of Southern history and the Civil War.
   
   Seth J. Frantzman

5 comments about A Remarkable Mother.

1. I purchased this book for my 86-year-old mother for Mother's Day.
   She said she enjoyed it very much and learned more about Mrs.
   Carter than she knew.



2. Loved the book. It was an easy afternoon read. My husband and I took turns reading it to one another while sitting on the dock sipping cold beer. It is one of those days you hold in your heart. Laughed, cried and hated to see the end. Miss Lillian was some kind of woman!



3. This was a quick read, but well done. Mr. Carter's mother was definitely her own woman, but Mr. Carter treated her always with respect and love. A great tribute.



4. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was lovingly written by a son who adored, respected, and loved his mother very much. Lillian was such a force in the White House, and it sounds like everyone from every country who ever met her just loved being with her. She's was a woman that we could all learn from....she didn't take from anyone...even the President. The book was inspiring to me...she went into the Peace Corps at 70....enough said....very good book!



5. Very quick service. I got this book for my mom for Mother's Day and she loved it. I recommend it to anyone and use Amazon.

5 comments about An American Family: The Buckleys.

1. I just finished reading this poignant tome and am quite surprised to find that this review shall be its first within this arena. I scarcely imagine that any hastily-crafted lines that I manage to put down can match the warmth, the elegance and the humility with which this book is written. Certainly, there are many other avenues with which to gain insight into the lives that were, and remain, the Buckley. "Miles To Go" comes to mind first, along with Priscilla's memoirs from The National Review days a close second, followed by the many other words/works of William Buckley, Jr. and Christopher. Nonetheless, this is a different take and, although there were never any doubts to begin with, upon its completion one is left with the unequivocal sense of a family firmly rooted in all that has come to be colloquially know as "family values," and one which served as a bastion of Conservatism, duty and honor. It's a fine portrait that has been crafted here, and one which will futher serve to solidfy the warm admiration of William Buckley, Jr. and his family.
   
   Highly recommended - for Buckley-ites, as well as non.



2. Well, here I am, at the opposite end of the political spectrum of the Buckley clan, and I must say I enjoyed Reid's family history very much.
   
   "Boy, can those Catholics write."
   
   I heard Reid Buckley in an interview on "Morning Joe" (if you don't watch "Morning Joe", you're missing a great early morning show!) a couple of weeks ago. I really didn't know much about the Buckley family - aside from their conservative magazine and other "nefarious" enterprises. But Reid made his family sound so interesting, that I bought his book. And enjoyed reading it.
   
   It's good to learn about the "other side", and enjoy myself while doing it. By the way, Reid, hopefully we liberals can start to straighten out the problems you conservatives have put us in for the last seven years.
   
   But, of course, I did come away from reading your book with the feeling that you don't quite approve of the Bush years any more than I do. George Bush is not the "true" conservative you and your family are. There's a lot of lamenting to be done...on both sides.



3. I have been fascinated with the Buckley's since I first discovered a copy of National Review at a teenage friend's home in the 1960's. Throughout the succeeding decades I gobbled up anything Buckley. I must admit after reading Reid's book, that they are a different type of Irish American especially when juxtaposed with the Kennedy's of Massachusetts. However when you combine a heritage of Wild West frontier, New Orleans, Swiss heritage, oil money with a big heaping teaspoon of old fashioned Catholicism you get the Buckley's. You'll read this book with a feeling of nostalgia for a time and place that has disappeared forever just as the New York City of my childhood is long gone as well as the parents and grandparents who were once part of that world. Mr. Buckley writes with this nostalgic tone while at the same time still railing and kicking about what is wrong with this modern world. What would his beloved parents think of this non-republic USA, gay marriage, inarticulate President, Brittney Spears et al.? Alas, the Buckley's and their kind s we will see no more and what a treasure they were while these two generations graced our world. Thank you Mr. Buckley for a delightful glimpse of your wonderful world and a description of the family values that made this a great country.



4. This is a wonderful book. It shows us the joy,and sometimes sadness,which comes from being in a strong family.It also gives us wise political and cultural observations about what has made the USA great.It portrays the power of love. As WFBsr said, love for "God, Family,and Country in that order".In doing all this, it makes clear the profound good brought to this earth by disciplined,loving parents. It is full of awe inspiring history and stories about this great and hugely talented family. I laughed frequently,experienced sadness occasionally, and was inspired always. WFBjr was one my American heroes since my grad school days in Politics. I own more than 50 of his books and have cherished them all. Reid's new book will be a wonderful addition. I hope it can serve as powerful encouragement to all who love the American family and America itself.



5. Reid, once again, captures the truth of what our Founders sought. This time, through the personal story of his family, An American Family. What a gift he has given us!

2 comments about The Slaves' War: The Civil War in the Words of Former Slaves.

1. There are many excellent studies of black Civil War soldiers and equally good editions of letters and reminiscences from black veterans. (In fact, following the 1989 release of the film "Glory" about the black Massachusetts 54th, there was something of a flood of such books.) But until now, there really hasn't been a good study of the reactions of southern slaves to the war. Andrew Ward, familiar to Civil War buffs from his excellent River Run Red (2005) has changed that with his The Slaves' War.
   
   Mr. Ward's book is perhaps best described as a hybrid between straightforward narrative and oral history. In ten well-written and organized chapters, he transcribes the chronological reminiscences of slaves from both eastern and western theaters of the war. The witnesses come from all walks: house and field slaves; skilled and unskilled; men, women, and children; slaves who eagerly followed the course of the war, and slaves who wanted nothing to do with it; slaves who were rented by their masters to dig fortifications, and slaves who remained on the farm while their white owners went to the front; slaves who remained convinced until their dying day that they'd met Lincoln on an incognito journey through the south he made before the war, and slaves who actually did observe Jefferson Davis on a regular basis (one black preacher humorously prayed: "Shake Jeff Davis over the mouth of hell, Lord, but don't drop him in"); slaves who welcomed blue-coated soldiers as harbingers of Jubilo, and slaves who, frightened by their masters' tales of northern barbarism, were frightened; and slaves, always and everywhere, distrusted by masters worried that all the northern-spawned talk of abolition would spawn rebellion south of the Mason-Dixon line.
   
   Ward tells us that he surveyed thousands of recorded interviews, memoirs, obituaries, diaries, and letters in compiling The Slaves' War. It's both remarkable and a bit disconcerting that this material hasn't been mined until now. Hopefully Ward's revitalization of these slaves' voices, with all their eloquence, hope, fear, pain, joy, anger, pride and even humor, will spark more research into this too neglected Civil War perspective.
   __________
   * This joyous cry was raised by plantation slaves upon the news that the Confederacy was defeated. But as would prove all too often the case in the post-war years, the joy of freedom was quickly shadowed by threats. Immediately after the slaves shouted their thanksgivings, "a white man come along and told them that if he heard them say that again, he would kill the last one of them." From Addie Vinson's reminiscences, p. 263.



2. This is a superb telling of the story of the Civil War with running commentary in the actual words of slaves who saw it, fought it, endured it and lived to tell about what it was like for them and their fellows before, during and after the war. For anyone interested in the war, it provides a unique and invaluable perspective never seen before. For anyone interested in African American history, which of course should be every American who wants to be politically awake, this is a wonderful opportunity to let the people speak for themselves, a most welcome change in historical writing about these terrible and awesome events. Must read.....

5 comments about The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr..

1. I really enjoyed reading this book. The style of prose used by Dr. King is very easy to follow and flows very well. The book is also an inspiring example of how civil disobedience can change the world.
   
   I also am glad that he did not sneeze. (If you read the book you will know the context of this statement).
   
   The only reason that I did not give the book a 5 star rating is I thought that the editor could have added an addendum or chapter on the end of the book concerning the assassination of Dr King and how this affected the rest of the Civil Rights movement and the rest of the country as a whole.
   
   But I would definetely recommend this book.



2. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a very brave man, an unyielding pacifist---and a radical leftist who greatly damaged the United States. He literally argued that his own country carried out a racist and imperialist war against the Vietnamese. MLK believed in affirmative action programs and socialism. He pushed the myth that right-wing conservatives assassinated John F. Kennedy instead of the committed Communist, Lee Harvey Oswald (Camelot and the Cultural Revolution: How the Assassination of John F. Kennedy Shattered American Liberalism). And no, you don't have to take my word for it. Clayborne Carson has put together the hard evidence. King was also a plagiarist who didn't hesitate to steal other authors' writings. Nonetheless, we know for sure that these essays were at least approved by him. Many people who read MLK's approved texts for the first time will be appalled. This is especially true for those who reject the morally relativistic notion that a few lies on behalf of a noble cause can ever be justified.
   
   There is another book you should read. Theodore Pappas released his own meticulously researched Plagiarism and The Culture War : The Writings of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Other Prominent Americans only a few months earlier than Carson's. It turns out that MLK's PhD was not earned. At best, he was a pseudointellectual. Hard core left-wingers like Stanley Levinson and Andrew Young took full advantage of his shallowness. Americans need to learn the truth about Rev. King. The fact that these two books were published roughly ten years ago is not relevant. You should put them on your must read list for 2008. Truth is always more valuable than even the most well meaning deceptions.



3. THIS BOOK WILL INSPIRE YOU TO DO GOOD. ITS VERY INSPIRATIONAL. A GREAT MAN WHO DIED TO YOUNG LIKE SO MANY OTHERS. KING NEVER WAS ABLE TO WRITE HIS OWN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. THIS AUTHOR TOOK ALL THE INFO AVAILABLE TO HIM TO CREATE THIS PHENOMENAL BOOK. AFTER THIS BOOK I FELT I COULD DO ANYTHING. ITS JUST SO INSPIRING. I WOULD BUY IT IF I WERE YOU. SEE YA.



4. I haven't quite finished the book yet but I am impressed at how well the book is written. Martin Luther King,jr. is one of the most memorable historic figures in history and this book eloquently accomplishes portraying him as such.



5. It's an inspirational read and clearly establishes King amongst the finest examples of portraying a 'Purpose Driven Life" in recent generations.