5 comments about Woodrow Wilson.

1. Having read many of H.W. Brands' works, I found this book was written with that same Brands style I've grown to enjoy so much. It is a narrative of Wilson's life, including his youth and adolescence, governorship, presidency, and post-presidential years. Like Brands' other books, this one had me on the edge of my seat, unable to put the book down at times.
   
   That being said, this book is only 139 pages (sans notes and index). It's broadly written and lacks the detail of a thicker, more traditional in-depth biography. After finishing this book I was still thirsty to learn more about this captivating president.
   
   One feature I really liked about this book is the section near the end entitled 'Selected Bibliography.' Not only does Brands list over 30 works about Wilson, he adds brief comments about each one such as "The finest single-volume biography. Sympathetic but objective." Another simply reads: "Handle with care."
   
   Thanks to this list of additional readings, I found another book with much more detail that I am currently reading. While it covers more depth, it's quite boring in comparison because it just doesn't have that Brands style.
   
   To Brands' credit, I think the brevity of this book is at least partially because it is one book of the multiple-volume "The American Presidents" series edited by Arthur Schlesinger - there may have been some editing or length issues to make this book more uniform with the rest of the series.
   
   At any rate, Brands' "Woodrow Wilson" is the best book for learning about the president overall for starters. If you still want more detail, skim through the comments in the "Selected Bibliography" to find a book that interests you.
   
   I would recommend buying the HARDCOVER version of Brands' Woodrow Wilson, because if you remove the dust jacket, you see Wilson's signature embossed into the front cover.



2. Many people ask when they found out that I'm a political scientist: "When has a political scientist ever affected politics?" Frankly, there are quite a few who have done so (think Henry Kissinger, for instance). But, above all, there is Woodrow Wilson. He served as President of the American Political Science Association and wrote a series of works that are still viewed as classics in the study of politics and public administration.
   
   This biography, another of those brief looks at presidents in "The American Presidents" series, does its job well. While I agree with other reviewers that this is such a brief volume that it glosses over much of Wilson's career, the series is what it is. And I think it somewhat unfair to criticize the book for working within the parameters imposed upon it.
   
   That said, this is a capable biography. I think a little more information about his early career, his life as an academic, an academic administrator, and governor may be covered too briefly even for this series. But that is not atypical.
   
   The book does give a sense of his persona--aloofness, stubbornness, rigidity, certitude, erudition, persuasive ability--and how this helped him succeed, but also could lead him to take stands that hurt his cause.
   
   The volume lays out the accomplishments with which he is associated, advancing the progressive agenda, enunciating a political perspective ("The New Freedom"), and the like. It also addresses his foreign policy--from the not terribly successful Mexican adventure to his leadership of the country in World War I to his efforts to transform global governance after the war (note his 14 points and his effort to establish a meaningful "League of Nations").
   
   He ran into political opposition with the League. The book does a nice job--even with its brevity on this score--explaining why he failed and how the effort here plus preexisting medical problems led to his breakdown and the strange last months of his presidency.
   
   There were contradictions with Wilson--his Southern background was associated with racism, even as his ideals led him to assist workers throughout the country with his Progressive policies. If you want a quick introduction to Wilson that nonetheless provides some understanding of his presidency, you could do a lot worse than visiting this volume.



3. H.W. Brands has written ambitious biographies of American historical figures, including a major work on the life of Andrew Jackson. Here, in keeping within the format of the American Presidents Series, Brands has writtten a shorter, but nontheless, insightful work. Wilson might have been a great president but, he was flawed. He was stubborn and uncompromising. Although he suffered a major stroke in his second term, he evidentally had suffered other, less serious strokes over the years. It is difficult to say whether his physical condition led to his unwillingness to yield but, much that could have been accomplished through compromise never came to fruition.
   
   An early sign of Wilson's concreteness appeared during his presidency of Princeton University. There was a dispute as to whether the graduate school should be located on the main campus or at another site. Wilson, a proponent of locating it on campus refused to negotiate a compromise and the project was stalled.
   
   Wilson was a Virginian and his racial attitudes were that of the Jim Crow South. However, being president of Princeton established his credentials as a New Jersey resident and Democratic party leaders put him up for governor of that state. He was elected and he showed remarkable independence as he proposed reforms that disappointed the party leaders and led them to consider him to be an ingrate. Later, when he was elected President of the United States, he continued his reform path in domestic matters.
   
   What defined his presidency was World War I and its aftermath. After the war, Wilson traveled to Europe to negotiate the peace treaty. On a tour of Europe, he was cheered wildly whereever he went. He was a genuine hero. However, in the negotiations England and France sought to impose harsh terms on Germany whereas Wilson sought more leniency. The heart of Wilson's Fourteen points proposal was a League of Nations. This League was included in the treaty and Wilson's next major battle was to get the Senate to ratify it. Here is where Wilson's stubborness did him in. Rather than negotiate with Republicans in the Senate, led by Henry Cabot Lodge, Wilson bypassed them and took his case to the people in a speaking tour. This was not the way to win favor in the Senate.
   
   Wilson's most egregious error, probably compounded by his stroke, was his total unwillingness to yield on one point regarding the League of Nations; i.e. a clause that required members to come to the aid of other members militarily. Republicans in the Senate were concerned that this clause might weaken US sovereignty. They noted that under the Constitution, it was the Senate, not the President who decalred war. Paul Johnson, in his "History of the American People" noted that if one of Great Britain's colonial possessions, such as India, had been attacked, the treaty might require the United states to get involved militarily. Anyway, Wilson refused to allow a reservation which would clarify the United States' understanding of the clause to the satisfaction of Lodge and other concerned Senators. Accordingly, the treaty didn't pass the Senate.
   
   The tragedy of the Wilson presidency is that so much more could have been accomplished. He was a great reformer on domestic issues and was a popular war president. However, his one major flaw kept him from achieving true greatness. Brand does a good job in capturing the essence of Wilson and I recommend this book.



4. You must guard your expectations on a biography (especially of a two term president) that only reads 138 pages. However, I thought that H.W. Brands could add his typical free flowing style and story-telling ability to make a completely satisfying short-read. Unfortuantely, Brands delivers his least inspired performance in telling the story of Wilson. Obviously, the context of the project (a short "taste" on the life of Wilson) curtailed Brands style, which I found to be my biggest disappointment.
   
   As a whole - the life of Wilson is fascinating - a great turning point in the life of "liberals" (While Wilson would certainly not be considered a "liberal" by today's standards). Wilson implemented the 8 hour work day, the FTC, and stiffened anti-trust laws.... not to mention a monstrous epidemnic of the flu... and oh yeah.... World War I. Unfortunately - most of these issues are just briefly touched on (The flu epidemic was not even mentioned).
   
   As a whole - I found this to be a fair brief glimpse into the life of Wilson. However, I would have love to read one of Brand's standard 400 pagers on the life of Wilson.



5. No one can truly understand the issues of the modern era without knowledge of of the man who mid-wifed it into existence, Woodrow Wilson. In his biography of Wilson's presidency, Professor H.W. Brands brings his insightful style and keen sense of relationships between critical events. One learns enough from this rather short book to ask the next set of more interesting questions.

   Absent Wilson, would there have been a central bank, the Federal Reserve, in the U.S.? How did the Wilson presidency effect the direction of the national income tax? What did Wilson do to foster the growth of centralized federal power in the U.S.?

   Absent Wilson's inept diplomacy, would the U.S. have become so involved in World War I, first by funding Britain and France, and then by participating in the combat? Would the Great War have lasted so long and caused so much damage to the fabric of European civilization and colonial influence? Would the world ever have heard of Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini, veterans both of front line combat?

   Absent U.S. participation in the European War, would a pedestrian lawyer, and middling state-level politician named Franklin Delano Roosevelt have found his first federal job as Assistant Secretary of the Navy? Would the U.S. ever have bred such soldiers as Douglas MacArthur and Harry Truman, and most of the rest of the list of future political-military leaders of mid-century?

   Absent events put into motion by Wilson, would Russia have broken up and descended into a Bolshevik Revolution? Would the Ottoman Empire have dissolved, to spawn the modern politics of the Middle East? Would the concept of League of Nations/world governance ever have gained the traction it did?

   Had Wilson never been president, would the U.S. and the world have had a far different 20th Century? Or was Wilson just one man in a particular time of great change? Germany and Italy had been building centralized, debt-financed governance for 40 years by the time Wilson walked into the White House. So did Wilson make history, guide history , or was he merely governed by historical forces whose time had come?

   Like it or not, we lived the 20th Century in Wilson's Century, and in the 21st Century we still follow the path he blazed. Wilson's ghost hovers over the plains of the Republic, walks the halls of power in every government building, and touches the lives of every person who draws a breath.

No comments about Some of It Was Fun: Working with RFK and LBJ.

5 comments about America's Queen: The Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

1. This was a great book - it was packed with information. Sometimes it had a little bit too much detail in certain sections and it got a little bit boring. Overall, it was really interesting and I was glad that it was so well written as opposed to a quick read that leaves you with more questions. Highly recommended.



2. Sarah Bradford has written a very complete story from Jackie's childhood to her death. There is lots of details about Jackie, as well as her husbands, JFK and Onassis. The book also focuses on JFK's affairs, and how much it hurt Jackie.
   
   Even before Jack died, Jackie was determined to be free from the Kennedy family. To separate from the Kennedy family, Jackie used wit and charm and focused on her children and her own interests, like art.
   
   One of the highlights of the book for me was how Jackie restored the White House. She asked for free donations, like a valuable portrait of Ben Franklin. She enlists the help of experts.Everyone seems willing to help her, because of her charisma and her position as first lady.
   
   I have no way to know how accurate this book is, but the author cites a lot of other books for research. Jackie was a very intelligent and determined lady. It is a shame that she died at only 64 years old.I enjoyed reading it.



3. Jackie Kennedy was the closest thing that America ever got to home-grown royalty. Her birth and upbringing in New York City, refinement, etiquette, and Olympian cool ... Jackie radiated a deep mystery that remains. She was iconic in her need for privacy and protectiveness of it. A woman of another era who remains enigmatic and unique in her persona ... an American icon who seems both American yet not typical of the United States. A sophisticate, debutant of the year, equestrienne, well-manner, posh Park Avenue social doyenne who intrigued the world until she died in 1994. Fluent in several language, a writer of poetry, political wife, patron of the arts, native New Yorker, and poised like any Queen in Europe. She wasn't perfect but she was Jackie. America may never see another quite like her.



4. My comments concern the narrator of the audio cd who felt that she had to change her voice inflection when she read quotes of various people. She talked in a soft wispery tone when quoting Jackie, however, she continued to use that same voice for any of the females quoted. She then attempted a deeper tone for the male voices. Due to all the voice shifting it was disruptive and the reading did not flow. Since it was a narrative and not a play it would have been more pleasing to the ear if the narrator did the entire reading in her natural voice.



5. It was fantastic to be able to grasp a better understanding of the stoic, graceful beauty that was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. It was great to see the different facets of her personality from political darling to yacht hopping party girl. Her desire to control and veneer everything that happened in her life was inspiring. Couldn't put it down, was consistantly interesting throughout.

5 comments about Martha Washington: An American Life.

1. I thought this book was pretty well written. The author did a nice job telling the story of not only Martha but the Washington family without getting bogged down by too many details. I also learned a lot about day to day colonial life. The reason I give it 4 stars is because the author let her dislike of Thomas Jefferson show through. She mentioned that Jefferson didn't really think much of Martha but then later in the book took one paragragh and really threw Jefferson 'under the bus' so to speak. I found the paragraph out of charactor for the whole book and wondered why the editor kept it in.



2. This look at the life of Martha Washington was very interesting. She really seems to be a woman lost to history by her legendary husband's very large shadow but this book gives a look at her strength and intelligence and also at the time in which they lived. A must read for any woman with an interest in American History.



3. Martha was the best partly because she was the first- but she really set the best example of making the best of situations that were at times FAR from ideal.
   
   She loved her husband so much, as was so dedicated to his well-being she sacrificed her own happiness on many occasions to be with her husband- sometimes at the risk to her own health.
   
   This biography shows what Martha's daily life was like, shedding light on her life before she married George Washington, and giving depth into her character and how it determined her decisions regarding how she conducted herself as the very first First Lady. This is SO worth reading-and a great intro into Revolutionary War characters and events that created her motivations while being First Lady and how to conduct herself.
   
   Less than 300 pages, I found it woefully short, but VERY readable! If you are into the Revolution, this is a book to add to your library.



4. Rather than write a summary of the book, I would like to just cover a few main points. This was a wonderful book! While some may complain of too much detail, I found the descriptions of day -to-day life fascinating. Many times I felt like I was right there with Martha and George. I felt that this book made Martha into a "real" woman, completely relatable, not just some stuffy old historical figure(that barely gets a mention in History class). She and her husband were people of character that deserve the admiration of all Americans. This book deepened my admiration for her.



5. Martha Washington by Patricia Brady is a very detailed and in informative book about the life of our first first lady. Martha's was named after her grandmother, her great-grandmother and possibly even her great-great-grandmother. She was born to Frances Jones Dandridge and John Dandridge in 1731. Even though her parents were wealthy, Martha learned how to pluck fowl, can vegetables, garden, cook varieties of food, clean a household, dance and read. As well as all of the customary good manners of the day. This young lady grew into a very beautiful young women. Martha married Daniel Curtis, a very rich man, a couple weeks before her 19th birthday on May 15, 1750 and had four children with Daniel, Frances, John and Martha. Mrs. Curtis lost both Daniel and Martha shortly after birth. Martha was very happy with Daniel threw out their marriage, but Daniel was very much her senior, nine years older than her and died July 8, 1757 after only six years of happy marriage. The widow was now in a very prominent position, rich, young, beautiful, running her own plantations without any pesky relatives in her way. Then a new man came into her life: Colonel George Washington. George Washington was one year her senior and the two fell passionately in love with each other. They were married on January 6, 1759. The book goes on to explain how threw out their marriage it was Martha's job to be George's supporter, his emotional stability. Every winter threw the Revolutionary War, Martha would come from her safe, comfortable home in Mount Vernon to live with George in the winter camp. Her coming was a signal for other wives to join their husbands. Then after the war, Martha lived happily with George for only a short time. He was constantly called away to whatever business the new country needed him for. She felt that George and herself had given eight years of their lives to America and should be left comfortably in retirement. She actually didn't want George to become president, but went along anyways when he did. By now, her daughter had died of a terrible seizure and her son was also dead. Though her son, John, had married and had four children before he died. Martha was mortified when she realized that she had outlived all of her children. She and George ended up adopting two of their grand-children. They came home after George's second term on March 15, 1797. George Washington died in two years December 18, 1797. Martha tried to spend the rest of her life as peacefully as possible. She took care of her beloved grand-children until her death on May 22,1802. Where she was surrounded by family and was in her late seventies. This is a very detailed and informative book, it sometimes goes of on detours and talked about George Washington as much as it talked about Martha Washington. I think this book is fine for people who enjoy over informative books that often sidetrack and talks about other things than the main topic.
   
   
   I think that this book is very detailed and over informative. It constantly had long lists of items that Martha's husbands bought her, things like chairs and spoons. The book also goes into unneeded detail about Martha's family. It talked about Martha's great-aunt and uncle Unity and William Dandridge. Which as far as I can tell, had no impact on Martha's life at all, other than being a distant relative that she probably never met. The book also went into great detail about a infatuation George Washington had before and even after his marriage on a lady named Sally Cary Fairfax. I could see how this could be use in a biography about George Washington, but this book is a biography on Martha Washington.
   
   
   This book isn't very exciting. Maybe because it is a biography, but this book doesn't elaborate the greater events in Martha's life. The book talks more about the housing and packing that Martha did to go to winter camp, then what she did at the camps. Martha's greater accomplishments should of had more attention than what her husbands bought her and what packing she did. This way the book would focus more on Martha than anything else. All in all, I'll repeat, this book is fine for people who enjoy over informative books that often sidetrack and talks about other things than the main topic.
   
   
   
   
   written by C. Shipman

5 comments about Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, the Untold Story of an American Legend.

1. I enjoyed reading this book for its delineation of the history of reconstruction Virginia, its investigation of who John Henry was and what tunnel he really dug or died in, and for its picture of the history of railroad building in the Appalachian South. These are the real strengths of the book.
   
   The author is not a folklorist and spends little time talking about the exact evolution of the songs or their dissemination. That might matter to a folklorist like myself, but will not appear at all to be a deficiency to other readers. He writes clearly, with interest, and pays attention to aspects of the labor and racial history that most people are unaware of.
   
   More than that, in sketching the 20th Century history of the song he provides a rather clear picture of the origins of the "folk music" milieu that I haven't seen written down anywhere else, only suggested in discussions among scholars. He also touches on the changes in the John Henry image as it was taken up by the Stalinized Communist Party of the 1930s and shows us how this John Henry was an ancestor of Superman and similar comic book superheroes.
   
   The book is much more entertaining and intriguing than my review suggests. Especially at the remaindered prices, this book is a great deal. Read, learn, and enjoy



2. This book will probably be the standard reference for quite some time regarding the historicity of John Henry and for giving a short overview of the various cultural-political strains that have contributed to the dissemination and variety of the "John Henry" songs. Despite criticism of Nelson by a certain Alabaman named Garst, Nelson's methodology is the superior of the two, and all you need to do to confirm that is to see how Garst's obejections(found on various sites including a review right here on Amazon)have been scaled back by Garst himself in the face of pointed criticism by others. Nelson's knowledge of nineteenth-centry railroad technology shines throughout the book, and his connecting the early blues with trackliners' songs deserves more attention in the future. All in all, this book is to be recommended, and it is no surprise (or fluke) that it has garnered numerous awards. I only with that Oxford University Press would issue paperbacks like this and Lawrence Levine's Black Culture and Black Consciousness (a classic if there ever was one) with surdier covers--covers that didn't curl and edges that didn't fray and split.



3. As someone interested in history, the South, civil rights, and folk songs, I loved this book. The author starts by tracking down evidence to propose a candidate for the original John Henry who inspired the song. The author then fills in the details of what John Henry's life after arrest was probably like based on court, prison, and railroad records. Certainly, this part is speculative, as some reviewers have complained, but there is no reason a priori to expect that John Henry's experiences were significantly different from the norm. Besides, the discussion of the horrifying conditions the railroad builders and workers endured is eye-opening. Much of the latter portion of the book discusses how the song spread and the meaning it had at different times and to different groups. The author obviously did extensive research and creates a fascinating portrait of how a song mutates to suit current times.



4. Although I am a Civil War aficionado, I have rarely read about what happened directly after the war. However, this book has changed my reading habits!!
   
   From the time I was a child, I had a special affection for the John Henry songs and "legends". Well, I had no idea he was REAL-- flesh and blood! This book not only brought him alive for me, but the research and presentation was EXQUISITE. Dr Nelson -- in my eyes you have done a tremendous job of bringing alive not only JH, but the terrible wrongs done to thousands of African-American freedmen (and women) in Richmond, by the corrupt "Freedman's Bureau".
   
   By reading this book, in my mind's eye AND ear, I could see the men and women who toiled in the often brutal conditions, to dig tunnels and build track. I could almost hear the weird and wonderful chants that helped lay the track and ease the brutal conditions and physical pain that these people, mostly (wrongfully convicted in many cases) convicts endured, usually until they dropped dead from the years of toil and/or silicosis.
   
   Could that photograph of a John Henry (page 46) in Bealton VA (not that far from Richmond) really be him? Truth is stranger than fiction - perhaps we ARE looking into his smiling face. And one question I have-- how does the Smithsonian REALLY know which bones are his? (maybe I missed something)
   
   The author's narrative, interspersed with highly pertinent photographs AND song verse kept me riveted to this very complex and highly interesting book.
   
   The book's narrative gives great detail to that era in Richmond that John Henry lived, as wel as the "white house" by the tracks (Federal Penitentiary where so many of these Freedmen were wrongfully incarcerated) and as it winds past John Henry the individual, it reveals the highly pertinent correlation with those railroad songs handed down by word-of-mouth and then collected and sung by the like of people such as Carl Sandburg, folk singer as well as poet, Pete Seeger, Burl Ives.
   
   The book then shows how the John Henry story and ballads found their way into art, and life as well - expressed in the artwork and subject matter in Marvel Comix; expressed in the song and art of striking workers, the WPA, Karl Marx, the Communists and Socialists in America in the 1930's, the "radical and liberals of the 1940's", the Black Worker Protest Songs -- and more.
   
   Of great interest also was the way the South incorporated (and the way it did NOT incorporate) black history regarding John Henry and other related Afro-American folk heroes and song into its school textbooks and library books back in the 40's and 50's.
   
   I borrowed this book from the library -- but I was so impressed with it that I bought one for myself. I want to do my own research (in fact I'm playing some CD samples from Amazon right now, having to do with John Henry and word of mouth folk songs) on these ballads, and those who sang them as well as those who still sing them today.
   
   I cannot find any fault with this book. The fact that I am now hooked on the John Henry ballad and all the history (past AND present) that goes with it is proof enough of this book's influence.
   
   Does Dr. Nelson have a web site that relates to this book? I guess that's one more bit of research that I will undertake!! (I hope he does!)
   
   PS- the "Gandy Dancer's Gal" on page 131 is a tremendous summation on canvas, of the strength and hardships, as well as the joys that were part of these track workers' lives.



5. Race relations are a complex issue, this book was an interesting survey of the issue, following an American Legend how it was molded and re-molded to fit the view of the teller at the time.
   
   The book isn't a novel, and possible starts a little slow but I felt picked up really well by the middle of the book.
   
   Overall a great history book that looks at history in a interesting way.

3 comments about Henry Kissinger and the American Century.

1. Jeremi Suri presents Henry Kissinger in a very unique way, unfamiliar to traditional biographies. His writing and analytic abilities set this book far ahead of any others. Sure, you may read an eight hundred epic on every little think Kissinger did. In "Henry Kissinger and the American Century" the author provides a concise analysis of Kissinger's life and its implications on his later decisions which have gathered such controversy and his impact upon history as a whole.
   A fantastic, well written, unique take on Henry Kissinger - a man who is, without a doubt, one of the most influential figures of the twentieth century.
   Five Stars - I can't think of a bad thing about it.



2. Henry A. Kissinger, one of a handful of memorable secretaries of state, is a German-born Jew haunted by the failure of democracy in his birthplace and the subsequent failure of the world's democracies to stop the Nazi drive for mastery of Europe in the 1930s. Those failures made possible the massive slaughter of World War II, the nearly total destruction of Jewish life in Europe (which marked Kissinger personally)and in its aftermath left the United States and the exercise of its power the main arbiter of the world's fate. Stalin's Soviet Union, however, had other plans.
   Kissinger did not view war with Soviet Russia as inevitable, nor did he regard Russian ambitions in Eastern and Central Europe as altogether unreasonable. But he did think that unless America was willing to project its power in strategic areas of the world, such as Europe and the Middle East, and confront Soviet ambitions in those areas, the Cold War would be lost with dire consequences for Americans.
   Kissinger thought the Cold War would make strange bedfellows--reactionary kings, military dictators and strongman-types whose personal vanity outweighed any concern for the future of their people.
   Kissinger was a supreme realist. He did not seek the make the world a better place, only a safer one for his adopted country and its friends.
   His hero was Metternich, of Congress of Vienna and Balance of Power fame. There was no room for sentimentality, and not much room for public opinion, in his world view. Wars and rumors of wars were not only expected, but exploited by Kissinger, which his critics viewed as coldly cynical, immoral and in some cases (Vietnam, Chile) indifferent to human lives.
   Kissinger owed his power, at the height of his career, to Richard M. Nixon, whose feelings toward Jews were mixed at best, bigoted at worst.
   Oddly, his Jewish background was an asset in dealing with Arab rulers. They figured that American Jews dictated U.S. policy in the Mideast anyhow, so Kissinger essentially cut out the middle man.
   The only weakness of the book is its brevity (less than 300 pages) which doesn't leave much room for analysis of complicated issues. Nuclear weapons negotiations are barely mentioned. None the less, an excellent introduction to a complex man who left a large imprint on America's place in the world.



3. In "Henry Kissinger and the American Century," Jeremi Suri has chronicled the political history of arguably one of the world's most brilliant personalities. Suri's book leaves out much of Kissinger's personal history, beyond his childhood in Weimar and Nazi Germany, which is generally vague. "Henry Kissinger and the American Century" does, however, provide readers with the background necessary to begin to understand the man and his policies. Suri pays particular attention to Kissinger's skepticism of democracy, which truly helped shape those policies.
   Henry Kissinger is a Cold War oracle, subject to the failings of the human condition as any of us, but arguably far more attuned to the strategic and political situation than anyone ever was.
   Suri does not dodge logical criticisms and critics and provides a groundwork for understanding of Kissinger's philosophies. Reading the book, you might notice how just when you begin to forget Kissinger's German-Jewish childhood, Suri extols this fact in context throughout.
   The book reveals Kissinger's innate ability to address both his genteel and gentile contemporaries. If any American in history ever leveraged their "outsider" status to the maximum and re-define the idea of an "insider", it was Kissinger.
   The book is full of exceptional quotes from Kissinger, his influences and his contemporaries that are no less relevant in the War on Terror than they were in the Cold War.
   REVIEW EVERY BOOK YOU READ!

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

1. After a dearth of many years, four biographies of southern soldier and politician Wade Hampton have recently appeared. I have read three; Rod Andrew's work is easily the best. Many of Hampton's personal papers were lost to fire; there are virtually no letters from him in existence before the war and most of his war papers were also lost, but Andrew has done an excellent job finding sources and scattered letters. Andrew used several letters from Hampton or close acquaintances that Brian Cisco did not include in his recent popular biography of Hampton. Andrew also gives a much fuller portrait of Hampton as a slave-holder than does Cisco, contrasting Wade III's paternal management with the brutality of his grandfather Wade I.
   I was impressed that Andrew detailed Hampton's amazing record as a cavalry commander with such detail, surpassing the treatment of Edward Longacre, who wrote about Hampton's Civil War service. But it is Andrew's analysis of Hampton's character and his commitment to southern ideals that stands out the most. Andrew has done an excellent job of defining Hampton in the era and landscape of his own existence, not forcing him to abide by modern standards of racial justice. Hampton was a racist, and a paternalist, but his legacy to the world was vastly different from men like Ben Tillman, Martin Gary, and James Henry Hammond. Hampton was a man of honor, who came to bitterly hate Yankees, especially William Sherman, and who never regretted or apologized for his role in the war. Although he did earnestly seek black votes and appointed many to office after his disputed gubernatorial election in 1876-77, he was never committed to enforcing civil rights and was an impotent defender of the limited success of his racial policy by the 1890s. Nonetheless, Hampton's record is largely remarkable. He was deeply mourned in passing as one of the finest of his era and section.
   Rod Andrew's biography is a first rate example of research and analysis. William Davis's work on John C. Breckinridge and Andrew's work on Hampton are my favorite biographies of Civil War-era southerners.



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

5 comments about Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History.

1. The book's title: Thomas Jefferson, An Intimate History has no relation to the book's text. The author weaves a lurid and unflattering view of our third president by simply exerting unrestrained imagination. The tale told simply cannot be called history just tabloid stuff. History is based on ascertainable facts. The book is lacking on this regard. Skip this book and you will miss very little, that is, if history is what you are after.



2. The subtitle of this book is "An Intimate History", which gives ample warning that it focuses on the personal Jefferson. This book is fine if you primarily want to know about Jefferson's relationships with women; his wife, daughters and probable paramours Maria Cosway and Sally Hemings. Much of the book is focused on whether or not Sally Hemings was his concubine and if she bore him several children. Professor Brodie contends this was the case. Unfortunately, the recent DNA tests (performed well after this book was written) of decedents of Sally Hemings' sons are not conclusive. They show that Eston Hemings was a progeny of Jefferson, or one of his relatives. The 19th century Jefferson family lore was that he was fathered by one of Jefferson's nephews, which is supported by the DNA finding, but it also supports the possibility that Jefferson himself was the father, so it does not solve the mystery. If you care about such things, or in Jefferson's possible illicit relationship with the married Maria Cosway, then this is the book for you. However, if you primarily want a book about Jefferson; the author of the Declaration of Independence, the Secretary of State, the Vice President and the President, then this is definitely not the book for you.
   
   In my opinion, professor Brodie goes overboard in analyzing the motivations for Jefferson's actions and her interpretation of these actions is sometimes maddening. When there is evidence supporting a contention, even when it is at best very ambiguous, she touts it as proof. This is all well and good, but when the evidence is missing she surmises that this also supports her contention because it was "obviously" destroyed by Jefferson, someone in his family or a previous biographer anxious to defend Jefferson's reputation. Furthermore, everything seems to be viewed through the prism of his relationship with Sally Hemings and his positions on slavery.
   
   Another distressing aspect of this book is the lack of any attempt to discuss contemporaneous historical events that Jefferson was not intimately involved with. For instance, there were three seminal events of George Washington's presidency and they mentioned only in passing, or not at all. Hamilton's economic policies are discussed in only one paragraph, the Whisky Rebellion is allotted only one sentence and the Citizen Genet affair is not even mentioned. The first two events are important for a Jefferson biography because they were important causes for his hatred of Hamilton and because they contrast his view of what the US should be with that of Hamilton. The citizen Genet affair was a forerunner of the conflict with France during his vice presidency. (His vice presidency under John Adams is only discussed in the briefest manner). The citizen Genet affair was also an important forerunner for the conflict with France that occurred during his presidency, which is fortunately covered in more detail.
   
   If you want the soap opera aspects of Jefferson's life then you may like this book, but if you want an in-depth discussion of his life and the important events historical events surrounding it, you should look elsewhere.



3. When this book came out in 1974, there was hell to pay...for the first time, a respected historian gave credence in print to the Tom and Sally stories. Mrs. Brodie tried to prevent Dumas Malone and Merrill Peterson from reviewing it, but both blasted away. Of course, this was really very old news; the rumors started as campaign dirt though a drunken fable spun by James Callender, who was no historian, and was far from respected. Mrs. Brodie gave us "An Intimate History", looking at Mr. Jefferson as a real person, rather than as simply a skilled writer of great ideas. Of course, she also more than covered the ideas and accomplishments, and did it very well. Still, the unique focus is on the five "loves" of Jefferson's life....
   
   [1] Rebecca Burwell---a youthful infatuation, of which nothing ever came. Actually, nothing ever started...she is important as the mother-in-law of John Marshall.
   
   [2] Betsey Walker---if true, this is FAR worse than Sally. If true. Betsey was the wife of a good friend of Jefferson, and, her husband was away in the Army...a double betrayal. Problem is, there is no real evidence. When the story came out 30 years after the "fact", it was more campaign dirt. Light Horse Harry Lee publicized it to get at his political enemy, Mr. Jefferson; of course, Callender was happy to vomit whatever garbage he could find. Mr. Walker never left his wife; negative evidence, I know, but still evidence. Light Horse Harry was a bum, and his son Black Horse Harry was worse; Robert E. Lee spent his life atoning for the bad character of his Dad and his older half-brother. The worthlessness of a man doesn't make everything he says a lie, but we do need to look carefully...
   
   [3] Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson, known as Patty---the young widow who became Tom's wife, suffered ill health, and died far too young, leaving him two [originally, three] daughters to raise. Whatever Jefferson did, or did not, do before, or after, Patty, there has NEVER been the slightest hint of infidelity during the marriage.
   
   [4] Maria Cosway---artist, wife of an artist, whom Jefferson met while he was Minister to France. Sorry, Tom; guilty as charged on this one. The affair was far too open, the written evidence is far too authentic, to deny..."My head and my heart"....
   
   [5] Sally Hemings---mulatto slave who met Jefferson in Paris when she traveled as maid to Jefferson's daughter. Described as "mighty near white", she was part of Jefferson's inheritance, AND, was Patty's half-sister. If Jefferson had an affair with Sally, he had to be Houdini to be undetected, and stupid to think he could be; Monticello is not that big, and Jefferson was NOT stupid. Yes, Sally had children by a white man; there were plenty around. IF the stories about present day blacks having the Jefferson DNA marker are true {IF}, there were other sources, like Tom's dimwitted brother, 5 nephews, and a cousin...Jefferson's two nephews, the sons of Dabney Carr, also lived at Monticello; they could not have provided the Y-chromosome, but there is evidence of one, or both, being involved with Sally.
   
   Thomas Jefferson was the greatest collection of talents one can imagine...attorney...architect...botanist...author...great horseman; in many ways, the "Father of our Country". He is also a mass of contradictions...a slave owner who hated slavery [so were Washington, Marshall, Patrick Henry, George Wythe]...apostle of fiscal responsibility who lived his last 50 years flat broke...athiest who "swore on the altar of God" [he was NOT really an athiest]...effective attorney who couldn't speak well in public...opponent of big government who bought Louisiana and greatly expanded the federal bureaucracy...the list goes on. And, what does "All men are created equal" REALLY mean?
   
   To answer my own question in the header...Who Cares? There are far more important things about Thomas Jefferson than whether he produced mulatto kids with a servant; plenty of white southern politicians, from George Wythe to Strom Thurmond did, but, with Tom, the evidence is VERY thin. One can quote Jefferson to prove anything; those who would attack him have plenty without Sally; those who would praise have plenty even with Sally.
   
   Mr. Jefferson wrote the two most important documents in the English language, and founded a great university. He will be studied, and argued about, unto eternity. Everybody needs to read at least one biography of him, though you don't need to go to the extent I have. If you're looking for a one volume study, this would be a fair choice. I usually recommend Joseph Ellis' "American Sphinx", or Willard Sterne Randall's book, but you could do worse than this; it's readable, even if her conclusions are questionable. Merrill Peterson's "Thomas Jefferson and the New Nation" is fabulous, but is over 1000 pages. Dumas Malone's six volumes are definitive, but six volumes....



4. First of all I must concede that I was unable to finish this book - it just wasn't interesting enough and the prospect of a new Harry Potter novel was more than enough enticement to put it aside in favor of something that didn't pretend to be anything but fiction. The premise - a history about Jefferson's thoughts and what made him tick - certainly sounded like it would be interesting. Instead, I was amazed at how often she used phrases like "from this we can infer..." or "based on this we must conclude..." In fact, it would appear that the whole book is nothing more than speculations about what was going on in his mind based on what he did or didn't say or write or his choice of words. And only slightly less irritating is that Ms. Brodie (who apparently enjoyed creating controversy) seems obsessed with Jefferson's sexual life. Early on she dismisses it as only natural that he had human appetites and almost unworthy of comment, but then goes on to guess and speculate as to why he was attracted to Sally Hemmings and others and the nature of their relationships. Honestly, I thought the book looked like a serious history about Jefferson, and I was really just looking to learn more about him, but I'll have to look elsewhere.



5. Over the years, I have read much on the Sphinx. But this book was the first that actually believed he was human and not a god and took great pains to put a human face to the man. Given that he guarded his legacy and shaped it during his lifetime, we will never know the real man. But at least someone is trying to show us that he was human and had all the strengths and weakness of a man. For that, and only that, this book is invaluable. For those who only take interest in him because of the Hemmings controversy, you are missing out on so much. The political intrigue alone is worth reading this book.

3 comments about Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave & Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (Modern Library MM).

1. These two books are sometimes very hard going, but essential reading for Americans. We probably tend to think about slavery very much in the abstract, when we even think about it, but these narratives make it painfully palpable and very human. In a way complementary to Akhil Reed Amar's brilliant description of the way slavery thoroughly corrupted the American political system (in his America's Constitution), these books reveal in detail the thoroughgoing and extraordinary moral perversion slaveholding caused in individual lives - to some extent those of slaves, but much more those of slave owners, poor southern whites, and complicit northerners. Of course we also see the brutality, horrors and deprivations of slave life.
   
   Douglass' narrative is better known than Jacobs.' Among many other things, how he taught himself to write is a remarkable story of shrewdness and determination against all odds. Jacobs' was an appalling life of virtually constant sexual harassment from an early age, which was undoubtedly a normal situation for many female slaves. What she went through to escape it is hard to imagine, and her single-minded determination to see her children free is incredible. The picture she gives of the distortions slavery caused in slaveholding families - lecherous men unconstrained by law or convention, angry and vengeful wives, gossip and whispering among white and black children and adults, children sold by their fathers to get the family features and relations out of sight and mind, and the increasing corruption of individuals' characters this caused over time - again, hard going but essential reading. A peculiar institution, ordained by God, good for the slave and slaveholder alike. Indeed.



2. simply astounding! totally shatters those awful and ever-infectious civil war era romantic notions. be gone, "gone with the wind!" many thanks be to the spirits of mr. douglass and ms. jacobs for surviving their tremendous struggles to give us truth! recommend these books to others (especially the crowd that chooses to separate the "human stock" question from intellectual discussions of the civil war era).



3. "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" (first published in 1845) and Harriet Jacobs' "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" (1861) are probably the two most powerful examples of the slave narrative. This literary form represents the first-person accounts of individuals who have lived as slaves. The Modern Library has paired these two essential American texts in a single edition, with an introduction by Kwame Anthony Appiah and commentaries by Jean Fagan Yellin and Margaret Fuller.

   Together, "Narrative" and "Incidents" offer a male and female perspective on the institution that has left lasting scars on America. These texts are well written, and rich in social and political insights. Both authors graphically illustrate, for example, how the Judeo-Christan Bible and the Christian church were used as tools to support the racist system of slavery. Douglass provides a powerful window into the importance of literacy as a tool by which he escaped a slave mentality. And Jacobs incisively deconstructs the twisted strands of race, gender, power, and sexuality that tied together slaveowning culture.

   "Narrative" and "Incidents" are compelling pieces of literature. Moreover, the authors' themes can be seen as foundational for many later works of United States literature: Mark Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," Toni Morrison's "Beloved," Octavia Butler's "Kindred," and many other texts. Even a popular film like "The Matrix" echoes the slave narratives in some aspects.

   Douglass and Jacobs are prime examples of writers who superbly combined literary craftsmanship with an intense political commitment. Their achievements make them crucial figures in the field of African-American studies. This combined edition of their outstanding books should be celebrated by teachers, students, reading groups, church study groups, and individual readers.

4 comments about Attorney for the Damned: Clarence Darrow in the Courtroom.

1. The 'Forward' by Justice William O. Douglas says this book contains addresses delivered to juries in criminal cases, and speeches on controversial subjects. Darrow opposed bigotry, prejudice, ignorance, and hate. He was always fighting for equal protection, due process, and a fair trial. Darrow trusted juries more than judges to protect the life and liberty of the citizen. He was also a champion of labor when unions were often regarded as illegal, and suffered from government by injunction.
   
   The 'Introduction' by Arthur Weinberg says Darrow was an orator who played on the emotions of his listeners. But people acted mainly through emotions. Darrow's pleas always had a powerful rational basis. He also defended many causes that were unpopular at the time. Clarence Darrow was a corporate lawyer until he became an attorney for the American Railway Union and its president Eugene Victor Debs. Was it a matter of conscience (p.xxx)? This book contains an edited selection of Darrow's speeches, giving the background and the aftermath.
   
   "Crime and Criminals" has his speech to the prisoners in the Cook County jail. Darrow contrasts the acts of the convicts to the actions of the monopolists (gas, trolley, oil). Advertisements in the newspapers are all lies. More people go to jail in hard times than in good times. Most people who go to jail are poor; they can't afford a good lawyer. There is a correlation between increased poverty and increased crime. Darrow suggests crime is a natural phenomenon, like cattle seeking a better pasture. Having a good lawyer is more important than guilt or innocence! Laws exist to protect the ruling class, not to do justice. Darrow suggests that living where there is plenty of land and a chance to make a living would result in no crime (p.14).
   
   Although Darrow was involved in many famous trials, he may be best remembered for the Scopes Evolution Case. Thomas Scopes discussed evolution in his high-school class to challenge a new Tennessee law. The publicity made Dayton famous. The famous William Jennings Bryan, a fundamentalist, advocated these laws and volunteered to help the prosecution. [If this is all you know of Bryan, please learn more.] Darrow examined Bryan on a question of law, the jury was not present. The next day this testimony was stricken from the record. The jury found Scopes guilty. On appeal the Tennessee Supreme Court reversed this, and dismissed the case. The Tennessee constitution banned state support of a religion. Most teachers today are still controlled by state laws as to what they can teach.
   
   In the aftermath of the trial of the McNamara brothers for bombing the Los Angeles Times Building in 1911, Darrow was accused of attempting to bribe a juror. Darrow's investigators were double agents who offered a bribe, and claimed Darrow did it. Such agent provocateurs are found in movements like labor unions. Darrow said the State had put spies and informers into his defense team. and the LA police admitted so (p.504). The man who offered bribes admitted Darrow knew nothing (p.505)! Darrow pointed out that no one's life or liberty would be safe if they could be framed-up for a crime (p.507). Darrow would get a deal if he framed-up Samuel Gompers (p.510)! The plots against Darrow show evidence of the frame-up (p.516). Darrow decided to take a plea bargain for the McNamaras before any bribes were offered (p.522)! The jury quickly found Darrow 'not guilty' (p.531). Adele Rogers St. John's "Final Verdict" provides another view of this trial. Nearby, a young Erle Stanley Gardner was beginning his legal career. Was the angel in the film "Its a Wonderful Life" named to commemorate the recently deceased Clarence Darrow?



2. Contrary to the myth surrounding the "heroic" Clarence Darrow, as a fighter for the common man and downtrodden, the real Clarence Darrow was a socialist who despised the United States, its legal system, and Christianity. In actual fact, he lost his two most famous trials- Scopes, and Loeb and Leopold. He was also put on trial himself for jury tampering- bribing jurors to acquit his client. Only through the work of the greatest trial attorney of that age, Earl Rogers, was Darrow acquitted. Stories abound in Chicago legal circles about Darrow's bribery of Cook County jurors, the real secret to his "success". His personal life was a failure. If this man is your hero, you need to rethink your life.



3. Book is stunning. Makes you realize that language used to be more valued. The guy was amazing simply amazing.



4. It is nice to know that in one point in our society that there was somebody whocared about the little guy, the poor,the downridden, the underdog etc.,Clarence Darrow found a cause and stuckto it like a fly on poop. It takes guts to stand up against the establishmentand never apologize for it.We need more guys like him.