5 comments about Sometimes Madness Is Wisdom: Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald: A Marriage.

1. Although the author, Kendall Taylor, begins her biography with a disdainful look at how all biographies of Zelda are about F. Scott Fitzgerald, she proceeds to do the same thing, badly.

   Not only does she discuss the friendship between the Fitzgerald's and the Hemingways. she also discuss all of their friends, enemies and the possible lovers of these same friends and enemies.

   There is nothing new. The biography is not well written, which I generally expect from a English professor (too self-involved.} Beside the mediocre writing, the proofing is terrible, as is the editing--if there was any--leaving mistakes and errors galore.

   If the reader is interested in Zelda and her descent into madness and what happened after Scott died, chose another book. I'm sorry I wasted the time and money on this one.




2. Although quite academic and not an 'easy read', I enjoyed reading 'Sometimes Madness is Wisdom'. It has generated in me an interest to discover more about Zelda Fitzgerald which appeals to me personally, however, I do understand that some readers would find this biography frustrating in the way it leaves some questions unanswered. I think perhaps the author has set herself one goal and gotten caught up in another - ie. her introduction promises to reveal more of Zelda herself than her husband. What results is more an analysis of the marriage, as the subtitle indicates, but as a result neither Zelda nor the marriage are completely exposed. I certainly would not discourage anyone from reading 'Sometimes Madness Is Wisdom' because of this dichotomy. I would make two recommendations: 1)That this title will appeal to readers with an interest in history and/or literature as an academic pursuit more than readers of pop-bios 2) Wait for the paperback!



3. As an English major in college, I was required to reach much of F. Scott Fitzgerald, most particularly "The Great Gatsby" and "Tender Is the Night." And like many others of my ilk, I fell madly in love with the legend that was the Fitzgeralds. I went on to read everything I could get my hands on, from Scott's collected short stories to "The Beautiful and the Damned" to "This Side of Paradise" to the tragically unfinished "The Last Tycoon."

   Through all of my Fitzgerald worship, I viewed Zelda as an "also-ran"--the madcap flapper, the passionate spouse and lover, the quintessential "roaring 20s girl," the great beauty who was her husband's muse-until she went crazy. I never took her seriously as an artist in her own right, and why should I have done so? Certainly until recent years, no biography of Fitzgerald painted her that way, and I found the few biographies of Zelda opinionated and suspect.

   Now, with a fascinating work that took author Kendall Taylor 30 years (!!) to write, the tragedy that was Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald finally comes to light as never before. And for the first time, I realize that the incredibly brilliant prose that made up Scott's novels was often lifted VERBATIM from Zelda's most intimate and personal diaries, which Scott viewed as his own property, to be purloined at will. I find that some of his most cunning and original turn of phrase was taken VERBATIM from Zelda's unique, brilliant, colorful, and wholly her own way of speaking (probably, in fact, a precurser of the schizophrenia that was to overtake her). I find that Scott was so possessive of Zelda as his SOURCE that he actively forbade her to write on her own, although she showed great talent. He went so far as to write long letters to her various doctors forbidding them to allow her to write, and they agreed to do so! A highly creative, completely unique human being, Zelda was thwarted at every turn, whether her painting (which Scott ridiculed) her sad attempts to become a prima ballerina (equally ridiculed and the final step to her first breakdown) to anything else she attempted to do.

   Scott, a difficult, vain, selfish and jealous human being, viewed Zelda as more than his lover and wife, as more than his helpmate and muse. He felt he owned the very words that fell from her mouth, and strongly resisted any attempt on her part to express herself apart from him, feeling that their mutual story belonged to him and him alone, as the novelist and breadwinner.

   We all know the end of the story. Scott died much too young of heart disease and TB brought on by acute alcoholism. Zelda, in and out of mental hospitals from her late twenties on, died in a horrible fire at the institution where she was housed. These two bright flames, these two icons of The Jazz Age, these two physically gorgeous people, the flapper and her swain, were doomed from the start. But until the recent death of their only daughter, Scottie Lanahan, many of their papers, letters, diaries, and so forth, remained unavailable to the public. Taylor was given unprecedented access to these, and tells her tale in as objective a way as she can, given her subject matter. One must commend Ms. Taylor for her Herculean efforts and her fascinating story. Unfortunately, like many authors of today, she has fallen victim to the same bad editing that plagues most paperbacks in today's marketplace. Therefore, the paperback version of this book (which is the version I read) is plagued by silly grammatical mistakes and typos that Scott OR Zelda would have noticed. It isn't fair to Taylor, but so be it. Suffice to say that, upon reading the very last sentence of the very last page, I broke into sobs. I now wish to go on and read Zelda's collected works (available from Amazon!), view all her artwork (ditto) and reread Scott's works-from the viewpoint of all I know now. I commend Ms. Taylor on a simply brilliant job.




4. I am impressed with Kendall Taylor's supreme effort in writing this book. She has invested a great deal of her life, some thirty years, in researching all the material. It is a very interesting biography, but it seems she tries to do too much. There are so many details of the Fitzgeralds' friends and contemporaries that one gets bogged down in details. There are many repetitions of facts, and areas where one sees poor editing and sentence structure errors. It would appear that the author spent too much time on the book, and therefore its presentation is somewhat disjointed and disorganized. I would have preferred to see more emphasis on Zelda herself, instead of anecdotes regarding her frivolous lifestyle.



5. "When Madness is Wisdom" is an excellent account of the marriage of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. While other biographical accounts tend to characterize Zelda as a crazed, selfish woman who kept her husband from writing and encouraged his drinking, the author does not indict Zelda. Rather, she shows how the behavior of each Fitzgerald resulted in a marriage that could have had no other outcome than what it did.
   Zelda was broken largely because she had nothing of her own as far as a career and the knowledge that she willingly allowed Scott to use her diaries and ideas for his work. Scott began drinking heavily at Princeton, prior to meeting Zelda and was depicted as a largely insecure person who would have stayed in his cups anyway. For those who are seeking a biographical account of the Fitzgerald's marriage that is fair to both of them, "Sometimes Madness Is Wisdom" is a great read and encourages further study.

5 comments about Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.

1. This book is richly woven with details that dive into the true characters of these two beautiful souls. The book gives a truly amazing account of not only Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony, but dives into their lives and characters. The reader obtains a true understanding of these women's motivations, techniques, skills, and contributions, in a brilliant biography with great quotes, accounts, photographs, and special archives directly from the time period of Susan & Elizabeth, relating to their work. Ken Burns & Geoffrey C. Ward have made quite an accomplishment with this extraordinary account.



2. This book was an eye opener for me. Every woman should read this book to understand the fight for our right to vote. These women devoted their lives to something they knew they would never even see in their live time! Its a story of courage and strength. It's makes one feel proud to be a woman.



3. This book provides insight and history on the struggle that women went through to get the right to vote. It includes all kinds of interesting background and perspectives. It was a real eye opener for me and I'm giving it as a gift to all the young women I know.



4. This book fills a glaring need in history books. Not many people know more about Susan B. Anthony than she was one the dollar coin. This book corrects that oversight, and then some. Not only does the book give a balanced and well thought out look at Anthony and Stanton, the reader is also introduced to many, many other women who worked so hard for women rights.
   I especially liked that the book didn't shy away from some of these women's more controversial stands, such as taking on the black person's cause.
   All in all, a very good book.



5. This was a wonderful and engaging read. Not only were you given a clear picture of both Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, but the book cites numerous powerful men and women who were active in the suffrage movement. This book is like a small taste of women's history that leaves you yearning for more. However, I wouldn't overlook this book just because it is not extremely specific, it is very helpful in getting a feel for the suffrage movement as a whole.

1 comments about America's Rasputin: Walt Rostow and the Vietnam War.

1. Milne's biography of Rostow demonstrates the futility of creating a independent state without having any support of the native population. Rostow thought that is possible to end the Vietnam War by merely bombing North Vietnam. The North Vietnamese fearing for their industry would stop supporting the Viet Cong and bring NVA troops across the border and thereby an independent South Vietnam could be preserved. But this theory backfired and the North Vietnamese will strengthened and chaos erupted in South Vietnam. Still Rostow stayed true to his theory and persuaded Johnson to ignore offers of a bombing halt by Harold Wilson, Henry Kissinger, and members in Johnson's own cabinet. The only weakness of this book is that Milne ignores the influence of Thomas Schelling on members of the Johnson cabinet and their decision to bomb North Vietnam. Nevertheless one can see elements of Rostow's theory about bombing in order to create a stable state in John McCain's rhetoric about bombing Syria and Iran in order to create an American backed Iraqi state.

5 comments about The Raven: A Biography of Sam Houston.

1. Marquis James shows why he won more than one Nobel prize for historical writing. In this book he takes you through the entire life of Sam Houston, giving the reader an insight on the events of Houston's earlier life that shaped his actions in the founding of the Texas Republic. Until reading this book, I had no idea just how important Sam Houston was to the history of not just Texas, but the entire United States.



2. A interesting Texas history lesson, this book was recommended by a local Texas historian from the Haley Library and Museum. Very enjoyable if you want more than just a history about Sam Houston, this is a Texas/Mexico history mini-lesson as well. The book tells the story of Sam Houston's life including his: Tennessee Governorship, ties to President Andrew Jackson, role as General of Armies and Malitias, tenure as President of the Republic of Texas, role as United States Senator and Governorship of the State of Texas.



3. In 1929 Marquis James published his autobiography of Sam Houston which he titled "The Raven". It reflects, favorably for me, the style of scholarly writing of the times. Mr. James, who has written of other men and events of Houston's era, writes in a manor that suggests an almost intimate knowledge of his subject. He often shares Houston's feelings and reactions which he probably picked up on through his research into his subject's personal papers. As a result, the reader is more apt to become more emotionally involved with General Houston as he or she reads "The Raven". This became somewhat of a problem for me because Sam Houston is a somewhat exasperating individual.
   
   The Sam Houston that emerged, for me, in "The Raven" was a man of strong leadership abilities, solid loyalties, and minimal political thought. I say this last part reluctantly because Marquis James provides information that suggests that he was a very capable governor. However, there seem to be few issues that come up during Houston's various tenures in the US House and Senate. There were the issues of Texas, the Union, and his close friends; the Chreokees. There is little, if anything, on Houston's opinions concerning the National Bank, trade issues, interstate commerce or other important subjects of the day. Indeed, we get images of a bored Senator Houston whittling away (literally) his time in the US Senate. There is, however, plenty about Houston the leader whether it be on the field of battle or the state house. He was and remains a most impressive figure in the history of the United States of America. Much of what I had heard about the man was fleshed out in "The Raven" in a satisfactory manner.
   
   The major events are dealt with appropriately. For example, we don't get half of the book devoted to the Battle of San Jacinto. In fact, we get only a brief message of the Alamo but enough of San Jacinto to know what happened and how it affected both Houstan and Texas. Indeed, the greatest attention seems to have been given to Houston's failed first marriage. It ended with neither party talking about the cause of the split. The author seemed intent on uncovering the real cause and had us revisiting his first wife periodically through her life after Houston.
   
   Marquis James did have an interesting mystery that he introduced to us early in the book. It had to do with a gift from Houston's mother to him when he was young. I had forgotten all about it until it showed up again at the end of the book; an appropriate message at an appropriate place.
   
   I learned a lot about Sam Houston from reading this book and I am glad I did. There is plenty of Texas in here as there should be. There is also plenty of Tennessee, Washington DC, Andrew Jackson, Santa Ana, Cherokee Indians, and, as I alluded to early, the first Mrs. Houston (the second Mrs. Houston seemed to exist solely for producing offspring and writing letters). If Sam Houston is your hero, this is your book. If not then this is still an excellent biography.



4. Today's historical books use poetic licence, meaning it is not the facts, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I've been meaning to get around to this book for a long time, but it took the movie, 'The Great Raid' to cause me to put this as priority.
   
   I previously reviewed GHOST SOLDIERS on which the movie was made, and done well. It was so realistic that I had to cry (and I don't cry easily) because of the ferocity and lact of humanity the enemy showed. It was the same in WWI only our soldiers were not equipped to fight anyone that animalistic. I see now why Tennessean Alvin York went berserk and killed so many of the approaching enemy in this war, as he was cornered and was fighting for his life.
   
   It's not always war where you have to defend you right to live in freedom. I had to use my elbows to get out of a difficult situation which I found myself in this past month. As in WWII, the enemy set out to engage and reduce the other side. This war engulfed Europe in 1914 and we came to their aid; now, in 2005, more than ninety years later, Europe has surpassed U.S.A. as the superpower of the world calling themselves the United State of Europe. Copycats! We should not jump the gun so quickly when the ally you fight for strives to surpass you in everyway. We thought we were helping England against Germany. Well, at least the Confederates who 'lost' the American Civil War took the cause of Britain and France, while the American Yankees took the side of Germany. It was another Civil War only on foreign ground this time. My favorite historian wrote that Lincoln didn't ask for or accept a surrender from the Rebels as that would be acknowledging that the Confederacy had been a sovereing nation and not "just a feverish mob," as Sam Houston is credited as saying. I have trouble believing a Tennessee governor would stoop to such stupidity.
   
   The machine gun, poison gas, trench warfare and the airplane were used first in this war to beat all wars. "As President Teddy Roosevelt rallied the diverse ethnic groups of the nothern state (where he originated from) -- Italians, Mormons, Jews, and Irish -- Confederate President Woodrow Wilson struggled to hold together a nation still beset by ignorance, prejudice, and class divisions." The United States still has all of the listed attributes, especially two professors from other states who tore down one of the Southern Civil War heros with a book full of lies and no truth. That shows ignorance and prejudice is alive and well as the Northerners are still considering Tennessee a hillbilly state and everyone in it "white trash."
   
   As in WWII, the aim was "don't surrender," and "never give up whatever the situation." The Americans were bound to give no information to the enemy when captured except name, rank, and serial number. when captured except name, rank, and serial number. There is a government employee here named Whitt who is proud he went through "Ranger" school and, now sixty, is still using the war tactics he learned there to bully anyone who has a difference of opinion. Sometimes, in severe times of conflict, the soldiers and their leaders had to crawl like a snake to survive. Planes had a pivotal role in rescuing the POWs in the Phillippines and their flying low over the camp was the signal for the troops to move into position for the night maneuvers. It's true that war is hell; and nothing is really accomplished. When you defeat one dictator or generalisimo, there is another to take his place to start another war.
   
   Houston went on to the Alamo after fighting at San Joquinto to meet his fate. He was shot in the ankle by his men there and had a festering groin wound from his early days in Tennessee which caused the dissolution of his marriage. He went to live with the Cherokee Indians leaving the Governor's chair empty. If he called the Confederacy a feverish mob, he is not one to talk as his life was just one fever after another.



5. Superb biography of the Raven. Well worth your reading time. This was an unusual man! As old General Nicks said, "God made him two drinks scant."
   Unfortunately, my first copy arrived missing 30 pages. Amazon graciously sent a replacement copy and allowed me to keep the defective copy with all my notes, underlinings, etc.

5 comments about Ulysses S. Grant: Triumph Over Adversity, 1822-1865.

1. Having read numerous books on Grant, I agree with those numerous reviewers, that the author, [Simpson], idolizes Grant. Had Simpson titled the book a "Narrative", or a "Novel", it would rate 5 stars. Attempting to pass this off as FACTUAL, and THE ONLY TRUE SOURCE is disingenuous, to say the Least. Books on Grant by Catton, John Simon or McFeeley are the standard. This book may be a fun book to read, but It lacks credibility. Below is just one example of Simpsons Hyperbole on Grant:
   
   This is from the book, "Triumph Over Adversity". I've captioned the questionable (IMO) words/phrases in parenthesis. I explained those on the bottom. (IMHO), the author [Simpson] spins the history, to create an imaginary Grant. [the footnotes in the 'quote' are mine. I explain the flaws pertaining to this at the bottom]
   [Quote]
   
   -On the morning of June 6, he [Grant] boarded a steamer headed north along the Yazoo for Satartia. With him was Charles Dana.
   
   It was a sick man who left headquarters that morning, although it is unclear exactly what was the problem. Perhaps (1) it was a migraine brought on by stress (2). Others,( 3) looking to offer him some relief, had proffered a glass or two of liquor. It was bad enough that Sherman's doctor had proposed wine as a remedy, but Rawlins exploded when he encountered Grant on the evening of June 5, chatting with several staff officers who were sipping wine and asking him to join them. Rawlins retreated to his tent to prepare yet another temperance lecture in the form of a lengthy letter (4). "The great solicitude I feel for the safety of this army leads me to mention what I had hoped never again to do--the subject of your drinking," he began. Perhaps (5) his suspicions were "unfounded," but when the general, "because of the condition of your health if nothing else, have been in bed." chose instead to chat away while alcohol circulated, it was time to worry. Moreover, the chief of staff believed that "the lack of your usual promptness decision and clearness in expressing yourself in writing tended to confirm my suspicions." Rawlins admitted he might be wrong, but he wanted to make sure that Grant adhered to his March pledge of total abstinence. (6) According to one account, Rawlins gave Grant the letter the next morning, just before Grant's departure; although there is no record of Grant's response, Rawlins must have been reassured, for he did not accompany the general aboard the steamer.
   
   What happened next has become the source of great discussion and even greater mythmaking. In all probability, (7) Grant sought relief from his pain by downing a glass of liquor; when that, far from doing the trick, made him feel worse, even woozy, (8) he retreated to his cabin. As the steamer approached Satartia, two gunboats hailed it, reporting that Union forces had abandoned Satartia and it was no longer secure. Dana notified Grant of this still reeling from his headache, Grant left it up to Dana what to do next. (9) Dana decided to return Hayes' Bluff. The next morning, Grant arose, discovered where they were (10), and ordered a cavalry detachment to ride over to Mechanicsburg to see what was going on. Dana, satisfied that Grant was better, accompanied the detachment; Grant returned to Vicksburg.
   
   In years to come, this was not what people read and repeated. What emerged instead was a story charging that Grant got drunk on a joyride up the river. Dana himself gave credence to this story, writing in 1887 that Grant was merely on an "an excursion" on the Yazoo "during a dull period in the campaign," which allowed him to get "as stupidly drunk as the immortal nature of man would allow." Even richer was the story of newspaperman Sylvanus Cadwallader, who concocted an account featuring his heaving bottles out of the steamer's stateroom before locking the intoxicated general up--followed the next day by yet another Grant spree, capped by a wild horseback ride through the woods in which he was saved from certain disaster by a combination of luck, fate, and Cadwallader. That Dana, who surely would have heard the ruckus on the steamer described by the reporter, denied that Cadwallader was present (11) was only the most serious of several contradictions between the two accounts, which they and James H. Wilson tried to reconcile in 1890 by concluding that there must have been two trips. By that time, both Cadwallader and Wilson agreed that Grant was highly overrated (and their own contribution to his success, as well as that of Rawlins, was underrated); Dana had become disillusioned with the General.
   
   Key components of the tale woven by this trio unravel in the face of careful reading of the evidence; nevertheless, many fine scholars, always on the lookout for a colorful story or two to enliven their narratives, and desperate for a good account of Grant actually drinking, (12) have embraced it without batting an eyelash. They have even cited Rawlin's letter in confirmation of the story (13) although it was prepared before Grant left; they ignore the endorsement appended by Rawlins; "Its admonitions were heeded, and all went well." How could that Rawlins have said that if Cadwallader's report is accurate? (14) To accept this fable, one would have to believe that an ailing Grant, alarmed as he was about the security of his lines, nevertheless decided to board a steamer headed for the threatened area just to get away from Rawlins so he could drink in private (15)--and that he knowingly invited along for the ride a representative from the War Department whose assignment was to report on his private habits and fitness for command. (16) Tucked away in a draft of his biography of Rawlins was Wilson's admission of what really happened--Grant "fell sick, and thinking a drink of spirits would do him good, took one with the usual unhappy results. (17)
   
   Source-"Triumph Over Adversity"-Brooks D. Simpson-copyright-2000-p.206-8
   
   1.) "Perhaps it was a migraine"--(a) the word perhaps is an elusive word, used to create doubt.
   
   (b) Where is the source for this migraine? Since the author used no quotation marks, I assume the author used poetic license.
   
   2.) "Stress"-No quotations on the word "stress"--did Grant have a history of stress related migraines during the war?
   
   3.) "Others"-no quotations here either, where is the source? The author uses quotations for his sources, why none here?
   
   4.) Rawlins seen Grant around officers drinking and went to write a letter. (This point is mentioned in the last paragraph)
   
   5.) "Perhaps-another use of this word to create doubt
   
   6.)"make sure that Grant adhered to his March pledge of total abstinence. "--Grant drank throughout the war, according to several sources.
   
   7.) "In all probability, "--again, no quotations marks, and an elusive word to create doubt.
   
   8.) "made him feel worse, even woozy"-no quotation marks, where is the source for this? How does the author know? Does feeling `woozy' mean `drunk'?
   
   9.) "Grant left it up to Dana what to do next. "-This is what Dana wrote! Grant allowing a Dana to assume command and issue orders seems a bit of a stretch.
   
   10.) "...Grant arose, discovered where they were..."--Why did he just `discover' this? Dana told him immediately!
   
   11.) "denied that Cadwallader was present -Dana does not say this in his `Recollections'. (notice no quotation marks on this allegation by the author).
   
   12.) "desperate for a good account of Grant actually drinking"--Other sources mention Grant drinking at other times. Grant did in fact, `Drink'.
   
   13.) "They have even cited Rawlin's letter in confirmation of the story -See number four; Rawlins wrote `the subject of your drinking...", not the Yazoo trip. (it seems the author is spinning a story)
   
   14.) "How could Rawlins have said that if Cadwallader's report is accurate? "-Rawlins wrote about a different event, not the Yazoo trip.
   
   15.) "To accept this fable, ....so he could drink in private"-The author uses no source that is a fable, no quotation marks, his conclusion is questionable,
   
   16.) "he knowingly invited along for the ride a representative from the War Department whose assignment was to report on his private habits and fitness for command. "--That was Rawlins job. Rawlins was placed in the position for that very thing, by Sec. Of War, Edward M. Stanton. Rawlins was not asked to come along!!!
   
   17.) "Wilson's admission of what really happened--Grant "fell sick, and thinking a drink of spirits would do him good, took one with the usual unhappy results. "--'The usual results when Grant drank, was that he got drunk'.



2. This is a terrific biography of Grant. It is thoroughly researched, and meticulously documented. Professor Simpson uses his sources with refreshing transparency, and debunks many myths surrounding Grant.



3. This volume, the first of a planned two-volume biography of Grant, covers Grant's life from birth to the end of the Civil War. It is meticulously researched and well balanced. Prof. Simpson doesn't shirk from examining charges of Grant's drinking and he doesn't hesitate to show where such charges cannot be sustained and where they can be sustained. He also doesn't hesitate to criticize Grant's performance on the battlefield where necessary. This is a necessary antidote to the biased, though beautifully written, biography of Grant by William S. McFeely. Unlike McFeely, Simpson displays an understanding of the military aspects of Grant's life and dispells the myths surrounding Grant--some of them, notably Grant's views toward blacks and slavery, perpetuated by McFeely. Anyone seeking to understand Ulysses S. Grant the man and the general will find this book to be essential. One can only hope the second volume is as good as this one.



4. U.S Grant's life and military career have been explored by any number of historians over the years. Brooks Simpson's well-written biography is noteworthy for providing a nicely synthesized account based on the existing sources and some nuanced insight into Grant's military career.
   
   Simpson passes lightly and quickly over Grant's formative years. The narrative picks up steam when Grant returns to military service at the start of the Civil War. Simpson traces Grant's growth as a military leader as he progresses in rank and responsibility from Belmont to Forts Henry and Donelson to Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chattanooga, the Wilderness, Petersburg, and ultimately Appomattox
   
   If Simpson's narrative contains relatively few new facts, he deserves credit for not taking older accounts at face value. By careful analysis, he calls into question the longstanding tale of Grant's drunken binge during the Siege of Vicksburg. Simpson also devotes some useful attention to Grant's attitudes about slavery, which were undoubtedly complicated by his marriage and by evolving policy over the course of the Civil War.
   
   Simpson's account of Vicksburg brings out for the reader Grant's constant need to juggle his almost insurmountable military requirements with the daunting challenge of leading a volunteer army officered in part by well-connected politicians who were sometimes less than able commanders. For example, Grant was compelled to make accomodation for the ambitious Illinois politician John McClernand during the Vicksburg campaign and for the uncooperative Ben Butler of Massachusetts during the siege of Petersburg.
   
   Simpson does an especially good job in detailing Grant's struggle to command the whole of Union forces from a field headquarters traveling with the Army of the Potomac from 1864 to 1865. Desirous of staying away from politics in Washington, Grant strove to coordinate the movement of the Union's field forces by corresponding both directly with their commanders and through defacto Army chief of staff Henry Halleck in Washington. At the same time, Grant groped for the proper level of supervision over George Meade's long-suffering Army of the Potomac. The result is a painful but ultimately successful learning curve for Grant, who combined great persistence with great common sense and an often remarkably deft political touch in finally organizing the defeat of the Confederate armed forces.
   
   Simpson provides a useful insight into the last year of the war in describing the deadlock at Petersburg as a result of opportunities missed by an Army of the Potomac exhausted after five months of continuous combat.
   
   Simpson's final chapter attempts to make sense of Grant's stunning leap from store front clerk in 1861 to General of the Union armies and victor of the Civil War by 1865. Complete understanding of Grant as a person continues to elude historians; Grant's success as a leader Simpson puts down to his strengths as a person and to his character. Grant was possessed of an keenly analytical mind whose workings were often hidden by his considerable reserve. At the same time, he was keenly observant, listened well, and had the great gift of being able to simplify problems down to their essence. Grant consistently achieved success by applying practical logic, common sense and determination to his military challenges. Grant's lack of political ambition and willingness to take responsibility earned him the leeway from Lincoln to carry out his military plans.
   
   Simpson does not spare Grant his shortcomings as a leader. Grant was desperately ambitious to redeem his military career, sensitive to criticism, often unwilling to admit mistakes, and sometimes a poor judge of character. Grant seems also to have been emotionally dependent on his wife and family and to have had issues handling alcohol.
   
   This book is highly recommended to fans of the Civil War era looking for a fascinating and nuanced portrait of U.S. Grant.



5. Simpson brings to life a man who should be recognized as one of the greatest men in American history, both in his accomplishments and in his character. As a side note, but Brooks Simpson is an excellent lecturing professor. Take a class from him, and you will be inspired.

5 comments about Dearest Friend: The Life of Abigail Adams.

1. I assigned this book to college freshmen and sophs.... in US History.

   I did not like how it portrayed Abigail as "long suffering," yet strong. The two did not mesh well.




2. This is a somewhat disappointing book about a fascinating woman during a fascinating period of our history. The book was highly recommended to a friend of a member of my book club, but the women in my club agreed that the author failed to make Abigail Adams "come alive." The writing was tedious, especially in the first half. I read "The Summer of 1787" just before this, and "Dearest Friend" pales by comparison, especially in the richness of the story telling. Nonetheless, the book contains history I didn't know or had forgotten, and I'm glad I read it.



3. So I was disinclined to read it for a long time. I thought it would be a book of interest for only women. I was completely wrong. I won this book at a book fair years ago. It is not one I would have puchased on my own. I picked it up soon found myself reading it avidly. It is Abigail Adams' complete life story. A faithful, constant, patriotic wife for the cranky but brillant John Adams. Every bit her husband's intellectual equal, she was his most important advisor throughout his public life. She kept the family together during his long absences first in Philadelphia during the revolution & later in Europe. During these periods apart, once, over seven years, she raised the family, saw to the education of their children (Harvard for the boys) & ran the family finances quite well. All the time she was corresponding with John & we have many of her letters to him & others. After the war she spent several years with him in Europe. Although she was always loathe to leave her beloved New England, she knew she had to be with her husband to understand what he was trying to do, that is helping to build a nation. Her observations on the years spent in Paris & London are valuable social history. As mush as she was a revolutionary during the war, in her later years she turned into an uncompromising reactionary, unwilling to change & adapt to the evolution that she had fought to create. She became what she had fought against. Most of his career John Adams was unpopular & underappreiciated. This fact bothered Abigail all her life, more that it did John. How could anyone compete with George Washington, even if you were smarter than him? Eventually in her old age she mellowed. This was in part due to the sucessful career of her one of her sons John Quincy. She could be described as a earily feminist for sure. But for all her self taught political savvy, family always came first. Yes, there were Founding Mothers & she was. I fear very few people have read this book or will ever read this review. However, for the first person who reads it & gives me a positive vote I will send my copy, free, if you will read it, p&h included.



4. My book club read this several years ago. We went on the read John Adams, 1776, B. Franklin, etc. DEAREST FRIEND was the best of them all. I was as engaged and interested on the last page as I was on the first.
   If you are enjoying the HBO John Adams read this book next.



5. I am very happy to have read "Dearest Friend". It makes me sad that this kind of wisdom, courage, and selflessness seems to be lacking in our leaders today. I wish I had 1/4 of the courage Mr. and Mrs. Adams had. I am ashamed of my own lack of conviction and courage.
   Read this book and "John Adams" if you need to be inspired to serve your country and learn how to love unconditionally.

5 comments about The Eloquent Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis: A Portrait in Her Own Words (With a One-Hour DVD Insert from A&E Biography).

1. Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy was without a doubt one of America?s most admired first ladies and that is the major theme of this book. Although the book - a collection of quotes taken from a variety of sources, mostly interviews given by Mrs. Kennedy - spans her lifetime, a good portion is devoted to Jackie?s roles as the young wife of Senator John F. Kennedy and as the Nation?s First Lady.
   In order to fully appreciate some of the late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis?s comments about her roles as a woman/wife/mother and widow, it is important to bring up the historical context. The Kennedy Administration, ?Camelot,? took place amid turbulent times: widespread civil and racial unrest, the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis, and escalating involvement in the Vietnamese conflict. The women?s movement was then in its infancy and it is against this backdrop that the Kennedy?s acquired mythical, almost magical qualities.
   ?Jack and Jackie were America?s royal couple,? writes Bill Adler in his introduction to The Eloquent Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis; A Portrait in Her Own Words. The quotes provide a window into her childhood, life with JFK and her role as First Lady, then widowhood, followed by her marriage to Aristotle Onassis, her work as book editor for both Viking Publishers and Doubleday, and final years. One section deals with the assassination, ?Jack was the love of my life. No one will ever know a big part of me died with him.?
   A common thread that runs throughout is her great love of, and reliance on, the family. Jackie?s life revolved around those she loved the most, her husband and her children, Caroline and John Jr. ?Raising children is the best thing I?ve ever done,? she declared.
   For those of us who lived through the sixties and are old enough to remember where we were when we heard that the President of the United States had been mortally wounded by an assassin?s bullet, this tiny giant of a book will help to fan the flames of remembrance by highlighting the ?beauty, grace and intelligence Jacqueline Kennedy brought to the White House,? the country, and the world.



2. This book paints a picture of a person, using very brief quotes and anecdotes categorized by topic. One can pick this book up and read something which reveals the inner character of Jackie O.



3. I have great admiration for Jacqueline Kennedy... Anything about her that is not scandalous is good for me



4. It says very clearly in the ad that this book includes a one-hour DVD with it, but my order arrived without the DVD. After sending 3 emails
   to the vendor's customer servce, none of them are replied. But the vendor
   is still selling the same items at Amazon. I think that with their poor service quality, this vendor should be removed from the Amazon immediately.



5. The best part of this book was the A&E video included. It was all quotes, and some not so positive. I did not feel that the author actually liked her. If you want to read it, check it out of the library.

5 comments about Eye of the Storm: A Civil War Odyssey.

1. Eye of the Storm is a rare opportunity to see a new yet original view of camp and prison life. You will find yourself drawn to Sneden's original illustrations time and time again. The more you study them the more you see. It makes you want to see more and larger versions of his drawings. Brayn and Lankford have done a good job in not tainting Sneden's work while at the same time pointing out some important historical questions. I marked over twenty parts to use in reference and speeches.



2. I always look for first hand information in journals. These are the journals by Priv. Sneden. The pictures that he drew are wonderful and his first person accounts of his journey throughout the Civil War are sad & touching. It is worth it all to read a first person account of his stay at Andersonville Prison in Georgia. Both his books, "Eye of the Storm" (his journal) and "Images of the Storm" (drawings of his journey) are prized books to treasure and will be passed on through generations. What a wonderful gift Priv. Sneden left behind.
   My heart aches for this wonderful young man who realized nothing
   from his legacy.



3. Do you ever read book and have trouble putting it down? For Civil War buffs this is it. While RK Snedon rambles on a bit at times, there can be no better insight into the maelstrom that was the Civil War. The drawings are fascinating as is the courage and positive attitude of an individual faced with obscene circumstances.



4. The finding of primary source material is of great value in the field of history as it can give us a glimpse into the past through actual eyewitnesses. This book gives us a chance to see the American Civil War through the eyes of Robert Sneden of the 40th New York Regiment. His skills as a cartographer produced some remarkable depictions of some of the battlefields, land features and prison scenes that alone are worth studying. As the compilers of this book stated, his memoirs and drawings were quite substantial.
   
   Sneden's observations offer us a glimpse into camp life (though he was spared most of the front line activity), some of the personalities of the war, the unfolding events of battle and perhaps most descriptive of all, life in the numerous prisons he stayed in, including those in Richmond, Salisbury (though briefly), and Andersonville. Once again it is his remarkable sketches and drawings of these places that capture our attention, though of course his written descriptions can be quite vivid and detailed, especially concerning some of the gruesome features of battle and prison life.
   
   Sneden wasn't so much writing a history as he was detailing his day to day activities and observations during his time of service and captivity during the war. But it is these types of accounts that can offer new insights into historic events that we otherwise may never have known about and in Sneden's case especially his drawings. Of course even these types of sources need to be carefully scrutinized for factual errors as well.



5. I hesitate to rate any book five stars, but will do so when it satisfied all my expectations and gives me far more. Pvt. Sneden's journal does exactly that.
   
   In the context of civil war journals, in my humble opinion, it rises above many others for three reasons. First, Pvt. Sneden is simply an excellant writer. Not surprisingly, the journal is no example of modern grammatical rules, but of course, that would not be expected in this context. Still, I found Pvt. Sneden to be one of those writers with a gift for painting a picture in words. It is one of those books, unlike many historical primary sources, that you do not find yourself rereading parts to try to figure out what the writer is trying to say. Secondly, Pvt. Sneden had an extremely unusual perspective for a private soldier. He acted as a map maker and had been attached to headquarters units for most of the period covered in the book. This allowed him to comment based on many perspectives as he traveled through multiple commands in each campaign. Likewise, he gave some insight to the conduct of the general officers he worked for mapping. Thirdly, Pvt. Sneden Had a hobby of drawing pictures of almost anything he tripped over on the battlefield. The analogy I would draw would are to people these days who always have a camera and will take a picture of anything that strikes them as an interesting shot.
   
   Besides those positive aspects of this book specific to Pvt. Sneden, there are two other aspects of this book that makes it exceptional in my opinion. First, as to primary sources, I would submit that most readers would agree that the most important factor in evaluating them is veracity. In other words, the memoirs of a politician I would guess would never be taken on face value due to the bias of the author. In this book, even describing his time as prisoner, Pvt. Sneden in a very large seemingy presents a vey balenced picture of his experiences. There might be some comments put in after the war for dramatic effect, but the editors flag them. Even flagged as possible exagerations, Pvt. Sneden established his credibility to a sufficient degree with me that I would not so easily disregard such comments.
   
   Secondly, the editors do an excellant job providing the backdrop to Pvt. Sneden's journey through the war.
   
   In my humble opinion, this book should recognized as excellant primary source material writing about the period. Likewise, I believe it well worth the cost of anyone with an interest in the period.

1 comments about Lincoln: His Speeches and Writings.

1. This book, which is an abridgmment of Basler's larger 8-volume "Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln," is ideal for all students of Lincoln as a quick source for finding Lincoln's most well-known speeches, letters, and other documents. While other collections of Lincoln's writings do exist, Basler's is considered the most definitive. This one-volume edition of that collection makes the most popular and important Lincoln documents accessible to a larger group of people.

4 comments about Jesse James Was His Name; or, Fact and Fiction concerning the Careers of the Notorious James Brothers of Missouri.

1. Author Settle (true name: Dr. Robert Parker) was a college history professor from Oklahoma who spent 20+ years researching his subject - the notorious James Brothers of Missouri. His book, first published in 1961, still stands as the resource work in the "Jesse James" field. A historian, Settle refused to use or dwell upon anything except fact when dealing with his material. His research included developing a friendship with Frank James' only son, Robert - who lived on the James brothers' Missouri farm until his death in the 1950's. Settle leaned on family history, but primarily used grass roots documentation in reporting all of he known facts - through the time of publication. His work is the most often cited reference used by current authors. His research and book opened the way for the current boom of writers and researchers in the field of the James Gang. Nicely written and easy to read, the book not only discusses the family history and known criminal activities of Jesse and Frank, but tells how and why Jesse James - a known murderer and thief - has crept into legend as a hero. If you are interested in outlaw and lawman history of the Old West, this book is a "must".



2. The research in the book seems to be first-rate. However the author doesn't seem to present the information in a way that leads to the the implied conclusions. He gives information on various robberies, implying they were conducted by the James/Younger gang, but the information doesn't support the conclusion--I wouldn't convict them based on the info presented. In fact, I was left leaning far more toward the James' and Youngers' own statements that they _weren't_ involved in most of these robberies and were convenient victims of post-war, anti-Quantill sentiments. Evidence of the James/Youngers' guilt struck me as being rather shoddy. Sorting out which robberies really could be attributed to whom is largely left to the reader.

   Though well worth reading, I would view this book as a suppliment to other reading and research rather than the sole, final statement on the events.




3. Even today, in the year 2002, it's hard to find any American who hasn't heard the name Jesse James. All types of wild stories have been passed through the years about him, some saying he was nothing more than a cold blooded killer and some swearing he was more like Robin Hood. In William Settle's book, "Jesse James Was His Name", he chronicalizes the events of Jesse's life starting with his boyhood home on a farm in Missouri, through the bloody years of the Civil War where he fought in Confederate guerrilla bands, and then on to his outlaw career.
   The book, in my opinion, was too lengthy, it was full of facts a lot of which were unnecessary, and it didn't flow very well. So as Jesse James himself was an exciting person, this book was far from it. If you want to find more about Jesse James, don't read this book.



4. While Settle's account is thorough and well-documented, it reads more like a research paper than a book, as it really doesn't tell a story, so much as parade a litany of facts before the reader. The facts are occasionally interesting in and of themselves, but we don't come away with any real feeling of of the human being who was Jesse James.
   
   I believe Settle is, or was a professor at some college. If he's still teaching it might be best to avoid his class, especially if it's offered early in the morning or right after lunch for reasons that will become readily apparent to his readers.