5 comments about Five Sisters: The Langhornes of Virginia.

1. I didn't know that the author was related to the subjects of the biography until half-way through the first chapter. This relationship allows him access to many never-before studied historical documents, mostly letter between the sisters; however, it also provides him with an unfortunate bias. Within the first chapter, it seemed to me that he was stumbling over himself to extoll the virtues of his grandmother and her family. According to Fox, each of the sisters seems just about perfect in chapter 1, with the exception of Nancy, who is introduced as both needy and powerful and, honestly, sounds like the most (I almost want to say only) interesting sister in the bunch.
   
   I might have read further to see if there was further character development, but I was completely put off by what I saw as the author's disregard of historical fact in order to agrandize his own family. For example, I would enjoy reading more about Nancy Astor, as long as it was free of attempts to surreptitiously convince me that the Langhorne family slaves were really part of the family and they loved their masters. While I'll agree that Nancy Astor reminds me of Scarlett O'Hara, I think it's important to remember that Mammy and Big Sam are ultimately literary conventions and that the image of southern gentility painted in novels like "Gone with the Wind" is just that - an image.
   
   Additionally, while I'm sure it is admirable that his grandfather, Bob Brand, realized that forcing the Germans to pay reparations would breed economic and social instability, he was certainly not "almost a lone voice in trying to persuade the Allies." In fact, one of Brand's colleagues and an influencial economist of the day, John Maynard Keynes, not only recognized this, but also wrote an essay on the subject published in, I think, 1920 or 1921. In doing a Google search for "Bob Brand" and "The Wisest Man in the Empire," it appears that the only record on the Internet of this pseudonym is in this very book. While I'm sure that Mr. Brand was intelligent and influencial in his career, I found the author's idolization of his grandfather to be extremely self-serving.
   
   If you're looking for a book about sisters or about women in history who had to juggle their national and familial obligations with their own desires, fears, and personal weaknesses, check out "Victoria's Daughters" by Jerrold M. Packard. It's set around the same time-period, and there are even five sisters. It's not perfect, but I felt the character development was much more carefully done and the book is not so historically fluffy.



2. I had more fun looking at the pictures.
   
   To say I struggled through this book would be the understatement of the year. The teaser is "Gone With The Wind meets Pride and Prejudice". Really? Where? The text begins strong, with a gripping narrative about a family destroyed by the Civil War fighting to restore themselves and their fortunes to their prior grandeur. After covering the marriages of the five daughters, however, the text diminishes into a muddled mess of historical details interspersed with personal correspondence between the main players. I found myself skipping pages, sometimes entire chapters, in the hopes of finding something intriguing. Every now and then I'd be rewarded - a page or two about Bobbie's homosexuality and the resulting consequences; Winkie's boozing and recklessness with his money; Lizzie living luxuriously and expecting her wealthier kin to foot the bill. But these wonderful nuggets were few and far between.
   
   The main source of my discontent with this book was its focus on Nancy (Langhorne) Astor. How about equal playing time for everyone? There were five sisters, so why devote so much time, energy, and space to the acid-tongued malcontent of the family? I understand her social importance, but at the same time her harshness and cruelty reverberated through the family with devastating effects. Personally I would have liked to see more of fun-loving, free spirit Nora and level-headed, sensible Irene. Seems they only appear when something's gone wrong.
   
   BTW, I never finished the book. Couldn't bring myself to do it.



3. If you love the Mitford's of England you will love the Langhornes of Virginia. When I traveled to Virginia as a very young woman I kept hearing about them and finally I discovered Nancy Lancaster. These women changed the world and are a role model for me. You will love these stories written by a nephew and son who lived it first hand. Another world......long gone.



4. The only reason I bought the book is because the sisters are/were (whatever) cousins of mine. So, for me personally, being able to read more about them all was very interesting. That said, even if someone is a history buff - and I am - I can't imagine the general population being that interested in this book. I'm not that sure that the Langhornes during that time period were at all typical.
   
   However, as for a good bit of the other criticisms, you really can not lift these characters out of their time and examine them under todays light. Think of all the things we here now could be judged for in 100 years from now. You must leave historical figures in their own context as we should be allowed to remain in ours.



5. I can't agree enough with the articulate, erudite reviewers who rated this book highly. I came to read it simply because - as a interior-decoration fiend - I wanted the Nancy Lancaster angle. I never liked her Aunt Nancy, had never been impressed with Phyllis Brand or Irene Gibson, thought Lizzie was kinda pitiful, and knew little about Nora. But this book! OMG! The story of these women's lives is the whole 20th century in the flesh. I don't mind admitting that I teared up big-time at certain points of the story (the snowdrops!) and that I thought the end...Bobbie Shaw headed for Fort Augustus...was one of the most masterful, powerful, beautifully-written denouments I have ever experienced! I cannot rate this book highly enough!

5 comments about Honor's Voice: The Transformation of Abraham Lincoln.

1. The reason this shouldn't be the first Lincoln book you read is that the author presupposes that the reader already has a basic command of Lincoln's life story. This book really speaks to those who are familiar with the various bits of Lincoln lore that permeate our culture: his wrestling match with Jack Armstrong, his courtship of Ann Rutledge, his off-and-on-again relationship with Mary Todd, and various accounts of his bookishness, his depression, and his early flirtations with agonisticism, among others.
   
   Having said that, I like this book more than any of the standard Lincoln biographies I own (I have the Thomas, Donald, and Sandburg bios.) The very best thing to read, of course, is Lincoln himself (his collected speeches and writings), but of the biographies written by others, this may be my favorite.
   
   The author dissects several of Lincoln's often-told formative experiences. In one example, he will explore the story of the wrestling match with Jack Armstrong, and ask:
   
   -- When is the earliest surviving account of the story, and what is the source?
   -- How has the story evolved over the years?
   -- How true is it? What does the evidence show?
   -- What is the significance of the story?
   
   For those who don't know the Jack Armstrong story, it is basically as follows: Lincoln was getting harassed by a gang of toughs in his town, and to deal with it, he challenged their leader, Jack Armstrong, to a wrestling match. The match was widely anticipated and witnessed, and Lincoln had the better of Armstrong. Afterwards, Armstrong restrained his allies, saying that Lincoln had won fair and square, and afterwards, he was a loyal friend to Lincoln, as were his associates.
   
   Like so many stories in the Lincoln canon, it's become a parable. It is a lesson about courage and forthrightness and insisting on fair play. In Lincoln's case, it also fills out the legend about his own physical strength, and how he became popular in his home town.
   
   Wilson's book analyzes many such stories. The anecdotes have varying degrees of truth, though on balance, most of the standard Lincoln tales do appear to be based in fact, even if they have become embellished over the years.
   
   You will like this book if you already enjoy the history of Lincoln, and if you like a little skeptical scientific inquiry thrown into your reading material. The reader is asked to travel along with the author as he gets to the bottom of the various issues surrounding Lincoln, and it's an enjoyable journey.
   
   I personally feel that this book is much more pleasant than as a mere exercise in critical history. I found that the dissection of these stories brought Lincoln much more fully to life for me. You get a much more multi-faceted view of the man because you aren't really relying on one author's perspective, as tends to be the case in other Lincoln biographies.
   
   It's an unusual work of history, and not the first Lincoln book to read, but it truly is outstanding. Highly recommended.



2. This is one of the most astonishing books I have ever read. I love history and yet this portrait of Abraham Lincoln is so much more. Had he been a Blacksmith, he would have been a hero. This was a man, a real man - no the greatest of men...who could not dissemble, lie, cheat, even when it came to marrying a woman that he knew (after they became engaged) would risk ruining his very life. He entered into a promise...and he would not go back on it. Of course, in those times, Breach of Promise (please read Anne Perry's book on this), was a serious offense against a woman's honor. But Lincoln carried this same integrity into everything he did no matter how difficult or huge - like the Civil War. I would hope that any student of American history would not miss out on this very important Masterpiece. As the cliche goes, if we do not learn from our own history, we are doomed (you know the rest....).



3. This book staggered me. Its careful research is combined with acute observations by author Wilson, on topics ranging from a fateful wrestling match that made Lincoln's reputation in a frontier village to Lincoln's bewilderment when courting Mary Todd. Wilson here produced one of the finest volumes ever to appear in the crowded field of Lincoln books. For anyone interested in how Lincoln's pre-presidential years shaped his conduct in the White House, Honor's Voice will be rewarding. It is one of the most significant Lincoln biographies I have ever read.



4. Honor's Voice is terrific in two respects: both for its insights into Lincoln and for its insights into effective communication. I recommend it to anyone who uses words for a living, and for anyone who wants a fascinating, insightful look into how Lincoln crafted some of the most important speeches in our nation's history.



5. This book is an exemplary view of Abraham Lincoln's young adulthood in New Salem and Springfield between 1831 and 1842. The book begins with an introduction, than an explanation about the evidence that the historian of Lincoln's early life must sift through, and then it examines such important and interesting elements of Lincoln's early adulthood life as his numerous failed experiences with women, the tension between his honorable and ambitious external life and his tendency to mock religion and insult political enemies in his private life, as well as his professional successes and failures as he began his political life. This book is an excellent resource to any fan of Lincoln and any history student curious about the early life and formative years of Lincoln's political education. The book is easy to read and provides many fascinating quotations of personal letters that provide an aid to the authenticity of the author's occasionally startling claims.

5 comments about The Doing of the Thing: The Brief, Brilliant Whitewater Career of Buzz Holmstrom (New Edition).

1. I remember years ago when I was a kid a story my father told me about an amazing river rafter and boat builder. My Dad grew up in Coquille and went to school with Buzz's younger brother. His story always ended with how Buzz had been on a rafting trip in eastern Oregon and went off and committed suicide. I could never understand how someone who had done the amazing things he did could end his life on that note. I thought about that story many times over the years and always wished I knew more. This book is incredibly well researched and documented. Even though many questions were answered, many more were raised. Such was the enigma that was Buzz Holmstrom.



2. Even today, with rescue not so far away, few of us would have the nerve to go down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon alone, so imagine the nerve it took when Buzz was totally alone, with no chance of help if he made a mistake. But the most amazing thing about Buzz was that in the midst of an adventure that would leave most people totally preoccupied with survival, Buzz had the soul power to look for and see the poetry in the river and the canyon. Merely knowing how to survive can be much easier than knowing how to live.



3. If you like white water rafting, this is a wonderful book about the birth of white water fun.



4. The legendary Buzz Holmstrom was a more complex figure than I knew. His journal entries express the feeling of all who really love rivers and the famous entry that includes "the doing of the thing" should be read on every river trip.
   This is the second Brad Dimock book I've read (the other on Bert Loper) and I am impressed with not only his skill as a writer, but his careful research. His handling of the tragic end to Buzz Holmstrom's life was that of a journalist with a sense of humanity.
   I've already loaned this book to friends.



5. Anyone remotely interested in white water rafting will thoroughly love this book. Buz Holstrom was a true Maverick in the sport. The authors bring him to life through their wonderful narrative and easy writing style. He is truly an individual that was remarkably talented in his boat building and navigational skills. This book left me wanting more of Buzz Holstrom and wishing he were still around to tell us more about his short remarkable life.

5 comments about Grant and Sherman : The Friendship That Won the Civil War.

1. This is an excellent read with excellent insights into the personalities and temperments of the two great Union generals in the Civil War. The personal observations shared between Grant and Sherman show how much of the strategy of 1864 was a combination of the minds of these two military giants.



2. I loved this book! After reading various books on the Civil War, I was looking to explore more about Sherman and Grant, 2 Generals I find to be fascinating. With no pretense, I happen to come across this book. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down! It reads like a novel, it is not the usual dry history you often find. His style reminds me almost of Shaara. The author also did a good job describing the campaigns these two fought in, both together and separately. I also liked how the author delved into their past, to give the reader some background on these 2 men. If you are looking for a really good book on the Civil War that is really easy to read, then I highly recommend this one.



3. This book was OK if you haven't read any other books on Grant or Sherman or on their campaigns. However, if you've many of the excellent books that have been printed over the past 15 years on the campaigns of Grant and Sherman or the excellent biographies on the same individuals, this book pales in comparison. So, I would recommend getting some of the other books out there on this topic. (See my listing of these books for examples).



4. This book was a well-written account of a remarkable relationship between two ordinary men who became extraordinary as a function of circumstance. I learned a lot from this easy read. It doesn't disappoint.



5. A great book that goes into the background of both men and goes into the bond of these two men. They would unlike many other officers, would go out of their way to support the other in any way possible and to coordinate together, making the war more effective for the Union. Their simultaneous attacks, Grant against Lee and Sherman against Johnston and the Deep South, would be the most effective campaigns in the war.
   
   The book is well written and researched. One detail I have an issue with was how the author says that England was hurting because of a lack of cotton, due to Union blockades of Confederate harbors. What I was taught, and seen nothing to contradict this at all save this, was that the English had stock piled cotton for years and during the American Civil War they no longer had a need for cotton and so they had no need to buy Confederate cotton.
   
   The only other complaint I had was how the maps were all at the beginning of the book instead of being in the chapters that they had to do with. But over all this was a good book.

5 comments about Amelia Earhart: The Mystery Solved.

1. `The wing tips wobbled slightly, and suddenly the plane began veering to the left with increasing speed...it swung around and tilted with its right wing tip almost almost scraping the mat. The right landing gear suddenly collapsed, followed shortly by the left gear, and the plane slid on its belly. A shower of sparks spurted from the airplane...' Honolulu, March 1937, and Amelia Earhart's plane Electra has just crashed while attempting to take off on a test flight. The crash was bad news for the famous American woman aviator and her team: it meant they had to approach their financial backers for more funds to repair the plane if Earhart was to fly around the world. They got the money, of course, but worse was to come: Earhart and her navigator disappeared four months later on July 2, 1937, on the longest stretch of their epic trans-global flight. Since then what exactly happened to the Electra and its occupants has been a mystery. One of the stranger rumours have been that Earhart and her navigator were captured and spirited away by the Japanese, who had rather frosty relations with America in the days before Pearl Harbour and World War 2. But here the authors claim to solve the mystery: according to their reckoning, and backed up with a swag of maps, radio transmissions and estimates, they say the Electra simply ran out of fuel somewhere around their destination of Howland Island, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The plane (and the remains of its occupants) are lying 17,000 feet below the water somewhere around the tiny island. The mystery, of course, is why did it happen? Long-distance flying was extremely dangerous in those days, but it wasn't complete guesswork: Earhart had the latest and best radio, planned her flights with great care and had support and encouragement from the highest levels. However, several factors - minor on their own - all contributed to the disaster that took place. The Electra's radio equipment was so new it didn't have an accompanying instruction manual. Navigator Fred Noonan was relying on a map which showed Howland Island six miles west of where it really was. The wind was slightly stronger than Earhart thought it was, thus pushing her further away from the right direction. There was a US Navy vessel near the island, but radio contact between it and Earhart was sporadic, and they never saw each other. The book is very detailed, and contains a lot of technical information. There is much talk about mile radius, azimuth and radio frequencies. The authors do a sterling job of explaining the technical stuff where necessary while narrating an exciting tale. One of the later chapters examines the `area of uncertainty' the Electra had to grapple with on its last flight: the agonising calculations that Noonan would have performed in an effort to determine where the Electra was, and where Howland Island was. The Electra is still at the bottom of the ocean somewhere. Despite the careful research, the mystery of Earhart's last flight won't fully be solved until the plane is found - as with our own Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and his Lady Southern Cross. `Is the emergency equipment still there? Are there any signs of remains? There are dozens of questions that can be answered only be recovering the plane,' the authors conclude.



2. Very reminiscent of Gerald Posner's 'Case Closed' this book shows that an apparently unanswerable question can be answered if informed knowledge is brought to bear with clear logic and meticulous research. A fascinating and 'factual' analysis of the doomed aviatrix' last mission and a plausible explanation for the end. The Longs have written what must be considered the 'definitive' book on this undying mystery.



3. I'VE READ ABOUT TWENTY BOOKS ABOUT EARHART'S DISAPPEARANCE AND THIS IS THE BEST BOOK BY FAR! IF YOU ONLY READ ONE BOOK ABOUT AMELIA EARHART AND FRED NOONAN THIS IS THE ONE TO BUY.



4. This fine book by Elgin Long and his wife Marie is by far the most sensible and logical of all the works on this great mystery. It starts with the story of the last leg of her flight from Lae, New Guinea, to tiny Howland Island, a speck in the vast Pacific. It then goes back to trace the origins of the flight, the many personalities involved and the varied possible causes for the tragic loss of this great Aviator. As a pilot I found the navgational detail very useful although some may find it tedious.
   
   Mr. Long is currently working with Nauticos Corp. conducting a deep sea search for the Earhart plane. Filmmaker James Cameron (Titanic) is also involved in this project. I personally think that the plane will be found someday. This outstanding work belongs on the bookshelf of anyone with an interest in the Earhart mystery.



5. As an aviation enthusiast this is the first book I pulled in to my Amazon Kindle e-book reader. I would caution those looking for a classic biography of Amelia Earhart, as this is not what the authors of this book are offering. Although her early years and flights are covered, the book really deals in depth of the final attempt of Amelia's round the world flight, ending of course with her failure to reach Howland Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The authors break down everything from flight logs, communication schedules and frequencies, to manifold pressure, fuel flow rates, prop rpm etc. So if you are not up on propeller driven aircraft and the jargon associated with them, this work will be litany of facts and figures that will cause you to loose interest in the book quickly. On the other hand if planes and vintage aviation are your thing, you will devour every detail. I found it to be a good read, and accept the author's conclusions as to why Amelia Earhart and her plane failed to reach Howland Island. A note to Kindle readers: The maps included with the Kindle version are so small that they are not really useful to e-book readers. Never the less it is still a good book on Amelia Earhart's famous flight.

5 comments about Fighting for the Confederacy: The Personal Recollections of General Edward Porter Alexander.

1. I have read many books of self accounts of the civil war. This book tops all others in the details and extra touch of personal feelings that where experenced by this brave man and all his fellow soldiers that fought this conflict. If you enjoy accounts of the civil war this book is a must read!!!!!



2. This is a wonderfully engaging memoir, written by E. Porter Alexander, engineer, staff officer, and, as most recall him, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia's First Corps artillery guru. What sets this book apart is its honest, candid view of events from Alexander's perspective. Not the usual glorification of the cause and its leaders as with many other actors from the Civil War. This book stayed hidden from sight for many years after it was completed; it is a blessing to those who study the Civil War that it came to see the light of day with publication. The Introduction concludes by stating that (page xxiii): "'Fighting for the Confederacy' is a book to be savored, one of those wonderful volumes that is both instructive and pleasurable to read."
   
   One line that exemplifies this, focusing on Lieutenant General Leonidas Pope, a corps commander in the Western Theater's Army of Tennessee, is enchanting. Polk was a bishop in his church and, for some unfathomable reason, had the confidence of President Jefferson Davis and General Braxton Bragg. When Alexander and the troops of General James Longstreet's First Corps joined Bragg's army at Chickamauga, he observed that (page 289): "So all our pious people with one consent & with secret conviction that the Lord would surely favor a bishop turned in & made him a lieut. Gen., which the Lord had not." A sly way of saying that Polk was a disaster as a general (and, indeed, Alexander was accurate in his assessment).
   
   A couple passages that make this volume--and Alexander's method--so refreshing. At the close of his discussion of the battle of Chancellorsville, Alexander notes that Union Commanding General Joseph Hooker lost his courage and will--as did his top commanders. Alexander observes that the Union Army was intact, outnumbered the Confederate force and could have won the battle with better leadership. Then, in a passage extraordinary for a Confederate officer, he says (page 217) "Had it been Grant in command, he would not have dreamed of giving up the fight." This suggests a perspective on the war that many partisans--whether Union or Confederate--never had. Indeed, had the Union Army listened to Generals Meade and Reynolds who were arguing strenuously to counterattack the Confederate forces, the end result might have been a significant Union victory. We'll never know, of course, but Alexander does suggest an alternative history.
   
   Then, Gettysburg. . . . Here is the poignant scene, told from Alexander's perspective, where Longstreet must order Pickett's forces (and others) to advance. But Longstreet fears a disaster, and obviously is in a state of inner turmoil (see pages 254 and following). At one point, it is almost as if he were giving Alexander the task of deciding whether or not the charge takes place. At a later time, Longstreet expresses openly his fear (page 261): "I don't want to make this attack--I believe it will fail--I do not see how it can succeed--I would not make it even now, but that Gen. Lee has ordered & expects it."
   
   So, in the end, this is a wonderful first person description of the war, one of the finest of Civil War memoirs.



3. Although Alexander's memoirs weren't written as memoirs as such they provide a good insight into the war as fought by the Army of Northern Virginia. General Alexander held an important position in the Confederate Army and was in a position to see much which was otherwise missed by historians or left out of the memoirs of more senior officers who had reputations to protect after the Civil War was over. A fascinating book!



4. The world owes a great debt of gratitude to Gary W. Gallagher for his efforts in producing this book. Even though I would consider myself a "Private" in the ranks of civil war buffs, I have read dozens of memoirs by Civil War era men and women. None of them moved me the way this book has. At heart, I am a "Union girl", but when I finished reading this book and had to close it, I truly felt like I had lost a friend. E. Porter Alexander was a gifted, candid, and witty writer. His reminiscences are like sitting down with your favorite uncle for an evening of story telling by the fire. This book is a treasure, and is definitely worthy of more than one read.



5. My wife's grandfather had been through the battle of Shiloh with the 35th Tennessee Rifles, and was almost killed afterward at Corinth. He had seen the elephant, so to speak, and when his grandaughter asked if he had ever killed anyone, he simply said, "Oh, I hope not." This terrific, detailed story of Porter Alexander's service, as told to his daughters, is similar, I think...it is thoughtful, and without malice toward his adversaries. In fact, Alexander is to be given credit for 'charity towards all, and malice toward none" in his fair, open account. He genuinely liked his old classmates, and they, him. The fact that the reunited country could put him to work in its service says volumes about the character of the man.
   
   What started out as a concession to his daughters became the best description of the Army of Northern Virginia's campaign, ever, in my humble opinon. His candor and even his humor sneaks in constantly, and we find ourselves riding and walking beside him...and, I suspect, that is what this Father had in mind for his girls. Thanks, General.
   
   Thos. B. Fowler
   Pastor, Schuyler Baptist Church
   Schuyler, Virginia

No comments about USKids History: Book of the American Civil War (Brown Paper School).

5 comments about My Story.

1. I really enjoyed reading My Story. I admire Marilyn the actress/model, and as I am primarily interested in her life because of the real challenges she faced and overcame, most biographies of her (written by other people) do not interest me.
   
   I think My Story may have been part publicity stunt, part accurate portrayal of the star's beginnings, but this is probably the closest thing we will ever get to a personal account of her life story. At least we know that she had some hand in writing it. The editor admits that the book was cut short as Marilyn left the manuscript unfinished. Her career, at the point that the book leaves off, was at its peak: she had just married Joe DiMaggio and was preparing to entertain the troops in Korea.
   
   At least the reader can glean some truths about Marilyn's life before her fame. I do not think that the first-person, sensitive description of her experiences as a budding young woman and courageous tenacity in the face of struggles could be entirely fabricated. This is the picture of Marilyn that few would believe, or would want to see. The real loneliness and self-awareness cultivated by a sole struggle for love and notoriety is at the heart of her accounts. Touching passages describe her unique mix of ambition, courage, and Achilles-heel insecurity; there is a traumatic description of what happened when a police officer followed her home and attempted to rape her (an event that was later subject to sensational rewrites); she has to set internal lines and limits as numerous men attempted to exploit her in exchange for a shot at mostly non-existent "movie opportunities".
   
   For a long time, the public has been fed the glamorized image of Marilyn as the sex icon, the tragic actress, the most famous golden-era Hollywood starlet. In my opinion this short book represents the diamond-in-the-rough version of Marilyn's life- before she was "Marilyn", before the waif became the star, and the legend became the myth.



2. this was just okay the same old lies once you read here i am mother by nancy miracle the real story censored for so long yopu'll know it all the old hollywood story is over the real one lives see here i am mother by her daughter nancy miracle



3. "I was full of a strange feeling, as if I were two people, one of them was Norma Jean from the orphanage who belonged to nobody. The other was someone whose name I didn't know, I knew where she belonged, she belonged to the ocean and the sky and the whole world."
   -Marilyn Monroe
   Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jean Mortenson in 1926. She was raised by an assortment of families. Each family she ever lived with was paid five dollars a week by her biological mother, the money was to pay for little Norma Jean's food and clothing. She proved to be an assset to the home she lived with because she could do housework. Her mother visited her occasionally. Every time Norma spilled the salt or forgot to wash the dishes, she was sent back to the orphanage until a new family adopted her. When her mother was taken to the insane asylum, she lived with her Aunt Grace between families. One day, when Norma Jean is sixteen, she and her aunt decide that she should get married to avoid having to go to new families all of the time. When she was nineteen, she and her husband divorced and she moved to an apartment in Hollywood t look for work. She made enough money modeling for advertisements and layouts to get by. She got on the payroll t 20th Century Fox, they gave her the name Marilyn Monroe and they told she was going to be a star, but they never hired her for any movies. Then, one day a magazine wrote an article about a calendar she had modeled for years before. Letters began to pour into the studio until, as Ms. Monroe puts it "They had to stop ignoring me." so they put her in a movie and she became a hit. When attending a party that the studio sent her to for publicity, she meets Joe DiMaggio, whom she later marries. Marilyn goes on to star in many movies, she dies in 1962. I really liked this book and I would recommend it to any Marilyn Monroe fan.
   One thing that I liked about this book was that she wrote it the way a friend would talk about their life. Marilyn wrote more about her rough childhood rather than each of her individual movies. She talked about life in Hollywood living in poverty, being surrounded by phony agents and young talent unable to find a some work. People judged her for being beautiful, women were always suspicious of her and she couldn't get a real job interview with a man because they were crazy about her looks. She wrote about the strangers' proposals that she turned down. She even wrote about the hopes, dreams and desires she once had that she has now fulfilled
   I liked how Monroe cleared up all of the gossip that had always been present in magazines and spread by word of mouth. She did this without an angry or accusatory tone. Often when a celebrity attempts make it known that the gossip isn't true, they go into an angry rant about the press, Monroe did nopt do this. The words were written in a cool, casual manner, almost as if she were look back on it and laughing. Throughout the entire book she conveys a message saying that she is more grown up than people have made her out to be and is still more mature than she once was.
   I also liked some of the metaphors and descriptions she used. Some of the metaphors made me laugh but for the most part I got a really good idea of what she was describing. I would have never thought of some of the ways she described objects and situations. She described phony agents as wolves howling in the night for someone to come and work for them.
   I did get a little bit confused when she kept referring to past future occurrences. She could be talking about her childhood and refer to marriage to Joe Dimaggio, or dhe could be talking bout a publicity party she went to but refer back to the orphanage she went as a young child
   I belive that this is a very good book which speaks the truth and exposes a new side of Marilyn Monroe that is very different from the characters she plays on the screen. Inside are thoughts, hopes, dreams and ghosts of the past.



4. I never thought of Marilyn Monroe as being a deep, self reflective type of woman. However, this book reveals a side of her that is much more complicated than her public persona and is hidden by her glamour. I thought this book was great, I wish though there were less pictures of her Hollywood persona and more of her past.



5. when reading this book, it was as if i was listening to marilyn's voice telleing me the story....don't freak out....no, i'm not a psycho....i say this because she comes across very honest.

1 comments about Eminent Lives: The Presidents Collection CD Set: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Ulysses S. Grant (Eminent Lives).

1. This was a joy to listen, as I learned a great deal about Washington, Jefferson, and most of all, Grant, in this very entertaining and at times engrossing audio book.

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