5 comments about Bettie Page: The Life of a Pin-Up Legend.

1. So said one of her photographers. What a marvelous book. If you're like me, and have been a Bettie fan for years, you've been waiting for this book. For years one could find stuff on her only in comic shops and the like, dealing in old memorabilia from the Fifties, or in various "alternative" shops that sold her image on T shirts. As a teen that's where I learned about her, thanks to "The Rocketeer," the comic "The Bettie Pages," and psychobilly trash-punk band the Cramps, who for a short time had a bass player the spittin' image of our fair maiden. Now that we've finally opened our eyes, we can buy several books on her, this being by far the best. It is the ne plus ultra of Bettiebooks, of pin-up books in general. What a trend-setter; a humble, troubled, open and honest woman who was not exploited, who has not turned herself into a PC victim--she's idolized by smart, hip young women who see in her freedom, sexuality, playfullness, life itself. This book had better be reprinted--it's an absolute crime to be unavailable. Get this book by any means necessary!



2. This is the ultimate book on Bettie Page. This book is for every true Bettie fan. Even contains an introduction from Bettie herself.

   If you really want to follow the history of legend, this is the ultimate book on Betty Mae Page!




3. There was one another 50's icon who rivals Marilyn in popularity today--Bettie Page. True, she didn't make any A-movies, but like Marilyn, embodied that woman who drew a fine line between good girl/bad girl and crossed the lines as easily as one drank Coca-Cola. Unlike Marilyn, Bettie survived, but like Marilyn, her legend lives on for one simple reason: she dropped out of sight in 1957 following the fall of Irvin and Paula Klaw by the Kefauver Committee on indecency and pornography and refused to have herself be photographed as she is now. Thus, she is remembered as she was back then. And as her life has become simpler, she values her privacy. She says so as much in the hand-written foreword, at the same time surprised and honoured that so many people are interested in her.Karen Essex and James L. Swanson book is a great place to start for those curious about Bettie Page. Basically, it's a biography accompanied by lots and lots of colour and b&w photos, many of them topless. There are two of them which has her completely nude. She also posed for countless magazine covers and photographers. Art Amsie's photos are the best of the lot here. Bunny Yeager is touched on briefly, but that woman has a book on herself so... Looking at the early Bettie, before she became a pin-up from 1947, is also quite a revelation. She is still beautiful, but in an ordinary way, like a typical girl growing up in 1940's America.There is clearly a dualism going on here. There's the pretty wholesome girl in the bathing suit or maybe not, and then there's the darker leatherbound fetish girl, be she receiver or giver. That latter half led to her downfall. The point also was that she enjoyed her work, mainly the lighter beach stuff. You can see it in those twinkling eyes and smile of hers.The last section of the book features models who have been influenced by her, be they in clothes or just looking like her. Of the lookalikes, Eva Herzigova, Debi Mazar, and Janice Dickinson have got it down to the bangs, (it's the bangs that did it for Bettie, after all), long black hair, and prominent eyebrows.Apart from being one of fantasy artist Olivia's favourite subjects, Bettie's images appear on album covers by My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult and the David Lee Roth Band. Her three videos, Teaserama, where she acts opposite stripper legend Tempest Storm, Varietease, and Strip-O-Rama have come out. She'll live on, no doubt about it.Anyone interested in Bettie Page-start with this book. You won't be disappointed.



4. I bought this book for my husband's birthday last year; he has always thought Bettie Page was great, and he is the one who enlightened me about her. As an artist, I was drawn to her style and unpretentiousness, and have drawn her twice so far.
   
   This book is well-written and leads the reader through Bettie's life; from her start and to her present day in a respectful and fascinating manner. I came away from this book understnanding the appeal she had to men, and wanting to draw her portraits over and over.



5. This is an outstanding summary of Bettie's life and her impact on modeling, art, pin-up, photography, and those needing encouragement in overcoming obstacles. The book is a nice way to learn about Bettie Page and those individuals she worked with during her career and growing up. It stops short of telling about recent events, but gives one a good understanding of the lady. The information is factual and well written. Much speculation has been made about the time she walked away through the present, but this is a nice account with the facts that we know to be true without the speculation. The pictures within this book are amazing and many won't be seen anywhere else. The information about those individuals she touched, encountered was interesting as well. Good read.

No comments about The Papers of Abraham Lincoln, 4-volume set: Legal Documents and Cases.

No comments about Frederick Douglass' Civil War: Keeping Faith in Jubilee.

No comments about Po'pay: Leader of the First American Revolution.

No comments about The Awakening of American Nationalism: 1815 - 1828.

5 comments about Red Cloud: Warrior-Statesman of the Lakota Sioux (Oklahoma Western Biographies, 13).

1. Red Cloud:Warrioir Statesman of the Lakota Souix is a really excellent biography. Larson does a great job of presenting all the informaton in an understandable and captivating way that really makes me want to learn more about Native American history. There is even a map/picture section in the middle of the biography that helps clarify any questions you may have while reading, as all the different battles and tribes might confuse you. Other than that temporary confusion, good job Mr. Larson



2. Traditionally, stories of Indian leaders view them as temporarily dangerous nuisances the whites had to deal with during the reasonable and inevitable process of moving the Indians onto reservations. This book is part of a new approach of looking at what an Indian leader tried to achieve for his people and assessing how he went about it and how successful he was in meeting his own goals. There is much detail. Larson has been extremely thorough in his researches, and, though we do not really hear Red Cloud's voice, we respecfully watch him do what he had to do to further his people's best interests. He didn't wear a suit or tie or have an Ivy League degree, but Red Cloud functioned very well indeed in opposing an alien force. Anyone who thinks the earth may one day be invaded from outer space should study Red Cloud. Thank you, Oklahoma University Press.



3. Along with Crazy Horse, Red Cloud is probably one of the best known
   Native American leaders, at least by name. He is also probably the
   most controversial. Some see him as a statesman and visionary
   who,aware that war against the whites had become pointless, negotiated
   in the best interests of his people. Others see him as self-serving
   and vain, using white insistance on negotiating with "one true
   chief" as a means to his own ends.

   For the most part, Larson
   weighs in on the side of statesman, but he doesn't fail to show the
   other side too. He points out how Red Cloud would often make a point
   of a small issue, that would benefit only him, at the expense of a
   larger issue that affected his people. One example he uses is when,
   on a trip to Washington in 1870, Red Cloud became sullen and withdrawn
   until he was assured that his delegation would be given 17 horses to
   for the trip from the train to the reservation. However, he largely
   ignored the bigger and more important issue, of mining for gold in the
   Black Hills.

   Unfortunately, though, on the most controversial
   issue, how much Red Cloud had to do with Crazy Horse's death, or at
   least plans for his arrest, Larson is disappointingly vague. He does
   acknowlege that Red Cloud was probably jealous of the younger leader.
   Indeed, in the last chapter he notes that "...his role in this
   tragic affair is probably the blackest mark against his name."
   (p.302) Unfortunately, though, Larson doesn't cover the incident in
   nearly enough detail. He implies that Crazy Horse truly was planning
   to go back on the warpath, rather than fight the Nez Perce as
   requested by Lieutenant Clark. He also makes no mention of any possible
   misinterpretation of Crazy Horse's words by the less than reputable
   interpreter Frank Grouard. Larson may have had good reason for
   choosing to leave out some of this material. Certainly his list of
   sources shows that the book is well-researched. Unfortunately, the
   choice by the publisher, not to use footnotes in this particular
   series makes it difficult to determine on what Larson bases his
   assumptions.

   On the whole, though, the book is well written, and
   easy to follow. It is especially valuable for information about Red
   Cloud's life before and after the Indian Wars, a period that is not
   covered much in any history books. I can definitely recommend this as
   a good introduction for those not familiar with the period, or for
   those who simply want to know more about the role Red Cloud played in
   those important times. However, I would follow it with a good
   biography of Crazy Horse.




4. The book the Red Cloud is a really good book about the native american period. It talks about the history of one leader, Red Cloud. It talks about his life and his effect on the land and his people. He was a strong and couragous person. He stood up for what he believed in. He was kinda of like the the person in between, that is the person between the government and the tribes. Red Cloud did not favored the separation of people. He believed that we can coexist together. Red Cloud lived a long time for someone back then. This is a good book for educational purposes. It is a great tool for learning about the history of Native Americans. Even though this is an biography, it can still be a great learning experience for all.



5. This book is a good read. Every collection of American History should have it.

5 comments about The Lee Girls.

1. The Lee Girls by biographer Mary P. Coulling is the informed and informative story of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's four daughters: Mary Custis Lee; Eleanor Agnes Lee; Mildred Childe Lee; and Anne Carter Lee. Diaries, letters, paintings, and other contemporary records were utilized as primary source materials upon which to base an bibliographically historically accurate narrative of these women's lives through girlhood, the horror of war, and the era of reconciliation and rebuilding. A truly excellent and well balanced chronicle, The Lee Girls is a welcome and highly recommended addition to American Regional History, Civil War Studies, and Reconstruction Era Studies collections and supplemental reading lists.



2. Anyone interested in Robert E. Lee the man, will be delighted with the insights into his family provided by author Coulling. Lee was an exceptional leader, but his role as a father was even more revealing of his loving nature and the nuances of his personality. In my opinion, this book does a lot to demystify Lee. I do not see him as such a complex and mysterious individual as some historians have labeled him. His consistency is especially evident in this chronicle of family life.

   Apart from Lee, the book focuses extensively on the lives of the daughters. Each daughter is portrayed as a complete person, and their individuality is celebrated. One can learn quite a bit about Mary Lee the mother, too, and even the grandparents who were so deeply loved by the girls. The sons are not ignored, either.

   There is an overcast of sadness about the story, at least I felt a little sad, because they did have a difficult life. It's true that the Lee family was prominent in society and certainly they can be seen as privileged, but these privileges carry their own burden.

   I highly recommend The Lee Girls to all those who want to escape to the past for awhile and enter into the Lee household.




3. This book is a well written and very well documented account of the four Lee daughters. Most of us are aware of the generals and battles of the Civil War. This book gives an insightful look into the lives of women during this time period. The author gives us an accurate account of the attitudes and behaviors of the time even when they are not currently acceptable. She also portrays the individuals in a very balanced manner. You realize that aside from being a prominent military family they are also a loving family with the struggles and triumphs all families share.



4. The book was a wonderful view into the life of Robert E. Lee's family as well as perfect picture of what the social, educational and family scene was in the mid 1800's. The dairies of family members allow us to picture their journey through life with intimate detail. The book points out the closeness of family, as well as the lost art of letter writing, as our society has progressed from pen and paper to e:mail and instant messages.



5. Excellant book. I borrowed it from the library a couple of years back and thought so much of it that I wanted to purchase a copy for my personnal library. A very insightful look into the lifes of Robert E. Lee's daughters and their lifes.

No comments about The Inspired Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln: How Faith Shaped an American President -- and Changed the Course of a Nation.

3 comments about Jefferson Conspiracies: A President's Role in the Assassination of Meriwether Lewis.

1. One wonders why Meriweather Lewis is buried in a forlorn grave, out of public's sight, just off the Natchez Trace Parkway south of Nashville instead of Arlington Cemetary. Lewis was the John Glenn (the astronaut) of his day! Chandler, the author, broke historical ground in pulling together the intrigues of an intriguing era. The author persuasively shows the possible motives several powerful men may have had in quietly disposing of Lewis. It is significant that the only mention of Lewis being prone to melancholy (suicidal) was a statement by Jefferson. Great reading: International intrigue (Spain), a corrupt General of the Army (Wilkinson), frontier murder, and retired President concerned about his public legacy.



2. In his final book, David Chandler attempts the impressive feat of rewriting a small part of Revolutionary War history. His style is very popular, and frequently fleshes out details to make them more real for the reader. His thesis -- that Meriwether Lewis (of the Lewis & Clark expedition) was murdered in a conspircy that involved several great men, is necessarily stitched together with facts abetted by circumstantial evidence and conjecture.

   It's hard not to like the spirit of the book. it's also hard to ignore that much of the author's case is undocumented and only partially substantiated by footnotes and specific historical detail. What he proposes may very well be correct. Certainly there's enough other interesting information here to make the read worthwhile. (His information on the details of period life is fascinating, like the informal early days of the White House.) One only wishes that the author would have had a chance to buttress is arguments.




3. Great book even if a little farfetched. There is some excellent writing hear and frankly the author does an excellent job of capturing a fairly unkown period of American history. He pulls together a lot of different threads before launching his conjecture which was that Merriweather Lewis was murdered by America's top ranking general. Whether or not he played a hand in the death of Lewis he was an unbelievable scoundrel, incometant to boot as well as being a spy for the Spanish. And yet he was still able to rise and become rich. There are some very interesting insights into the politics of the era as well as into Jefferson who had an uneasy but complicit relationship with General Wilkinson. I reccomend the book just for it's great research and writing. The last couple of chapters can be read as interesting movie plot but probably should be dismissed as an imaginative reconstruction of what happened which was probably a suicide, but who knows.

5 comments about Butch Cassidy: A Biography (Bison Book).

1. This is the most thoroughly researched biography of Butch Cassidy ever written. If you're looking for the facts, this is the place to find them. Patterson's experience as a lawyer has made him admirably skeptical, and he does his best to sort through the many conflicting accounts of Cassidy's life and death.



2. If you are interested in the life of Butch Cassidy, this is the book to buy. Patterson has successfully written an objective book trying to sort out the myths from the truth. He writes about all the different rumours and documented materials that exists, thus allowing you to draw your own conclusions. Intriguing as well as funny!



3. Not so good for telling an interesting story in an interesting way. The author gives a tremendous amount of information on the life of Butch Cassidy, as well as on his sources for that information, and does an admirable job of admitting that we really don't know how that life ended; he gives a detailed account of the standard version of Butch & Sundance's deaths (shot in Bolivia) as well as detailed accounts of the various alleged sightings of Butch after that, and the pros and cons of those alleged sightings. He admits that he just isn't sure what the truth is, and leaves it at that. But if you expect a biography of as exciting a person as Butch Cassidy to be itself exciting, this book will be a disappointment; it is not told in a narrative style, but in the style of a researcher, and very little of the character of Butch comes through. It teaches facts, but does not really give much of a feel for the person it is about.



4. Well researched yes! Boring - yes! What can be more frustrating than reading a book which is so obsessed with minor, irrelevant details as to render the readability an incredible chore. Surely there must be a better, more accessible and entertaining detailed account of the lives of Butch and Sundance than this!!!



5. Butch Cassidy: a Biography is a well-researched and readable account of the life of the famous outlaw. Thoroughly annotated and drawn from nearly every work on the subject, Patterson's book presents the tale in an exceptionally balanced and inclusive way. Patterson is no apologist, nor does he appear to be a critic. While he points out that Butch Cassidy may have held social and political opinions that might fit the social bandit model, the author does not attempt to portray the outlaw as the Western version of Robin Hood and accomplishes the task of telling the tale using as many facts as are available, including contradictory as well as corroborative accounts.
   It is not hard to understand the appeal of the Robin Hood myth of the western outlaw. The West was a place of vast geographic expanse that did not easily lend itself to rapid and efficient law enforcement. Massive corporations, particularly mining interests, railroads, and cattle companies often used vigilantism to punish thieves and to drive minor competitors out of business. The social bandit, stealing from the rich and the powerful, drew tremendous loyalty and admiration from the average citizen, even if he did not share the wealth.
   Butch Cassidy is best known as a bank and train robber. He also was a cattle rustler, horse thief, and, in spite of his extensive criminal history, a very well liked man. That fact along with the fact that he apparently never killed anyone might justify his status as an American Robin Hood. Richard Patterson, however, is less than convinced and provides detailed accounts of Cassidy's exploits that lead the reader to the conclusion that while Cassidy did indeed share some of the social and political opinions of the typical social bandit, he was primarily motivated by a quest for excitement and easy money.
   The first recorded criminal act committed by Cassidy, at the time still going by his real name, Robert Leroy Parker, involved his breaking into a general store near his home of Circle Valley Utah and taking a new pair of overalls. Cassidy left a note promising to return to pay for the clothing. In spite of Parkers apparent honesty, the proprietor filed a complaint with the authorities. The matter was eventually settled but it caused considerable embarrassment for the Cassidy family.
   The second incident involved the alleged theft of a saddle for which young Butch Cassidy was arrested between 1879 and 1884, in Garfield county Utah. There is no record of the arrest and Patterson offers the testimony of only one person as evidence. Apparently during his time behind bars for this incident Cassidy was "mistreated by the authorities." (5) Other than these two incidents, Patterson offers no other early evidence that Cassidy was pushed into a life of crime out of resentment against the law or corporate greed.
   Drawing his details mostly from secondary sources and interviews conducted by other historians with people who may have known Butch Cassidy, Patterson provides a gripping narrative account of the life and times of the famous outlaw. Sorting out all of these tales and taking into account the motives of those telling them is the strength of Patterson's book. Repeatedly using phrases like "according to" and "may have been" Patterson never makes a firm claim to have discovered the truth. He simply tells the tale.
   In reading Patterson's account, it is hard not to like Butch Cassidy. While Patterson does not seem intent on portraying Cassidy in a positive light, it becomes clear that most, if not all of his sources were possessed of a certain fondness and respect for Cassidy. Patterson suggests early on that Cassidy may have had at least some measure of Robin Hood hidden in his motivations. Patterson points out that Cassidy's partner, Matt Warner, thought "Butch was angry over the big cattle barons waging war against hungry cowboys... and struggling homesteaders" (53). Patterson hedges this supposition with a qualifying statement that Matt Warner had always justified his criminal conduct with some lofty social purpose. Warner's assertions aside, it is impossible to determine if Butch Cassidy actually held those beliefs.
   Adding to the Robin Hood quality of the Butch Cassidy legend is Cassidy's reputation for helping his friends and not allowing unnecessary abuse of his victims. Patterson points out that one of Cassidy's friends, an African-American ferry operator who claimed to be a regular visitor to Brown's Park, one of Cassidy's hideouts, stated that none of the whites who frequented the Park were allowed to mistreat him when Butch was around (123). Yet another story involving the generosity of Butch Cassidy involved Vic Button, then 9-years-old, who lived on a ranch where Cassidy once worked. Button related that one day he told Cassidy how much he admired Cassidy's horse and Cassidy responded with "Someday he will be yours" (166). Later while running from a posse, as he exchanged the admired horse for a fresh one at a pre-arranged relay Cassidy instructed a nearby ranch hand to see to it that the horse was delivered to "the kid at CS ranch" (168). Vic Button got his horse, and Butch Cassidy got an unapologetic admirer.
   While Patterson's book does not contain many undeniable facts, it is compelling and seems to be a reasonably accurate account of the life of Butch Cassidy. It does make clear the fact that the myth of the "social bandit" or Robin Hood of the West has its roots in the minds of the small farmers, ranchers and other members of the less wealthy classes. The existence of a class struggle in the West, and the fact that the robbers stole from those who had, rather than those who had not, is not proof that the robber possessed some sort of social agenda. It proves that the robber was smart enough to know that a railroad express car would likely contain more money than the passenger car. Indeed, for the western outlaw, cultivating a pleasant and mutually beneficial relationship with normal people would have its practical value as well, especially when one was hiding from the law.
   Even he was a very likeable, generous and pleasant person who never harmed any of his victims Butch Cassidy was no Robin Hood. He clearly was a criminal who kept or spent most of the money that he stole, and was motivated by misguided sense of adventure the lure of an easy dollar.