5 comments about Lincoln the Unknown.

1. THIS BOOK WAS GIVEN TO ME . THE COPY I HAVE IS THE 1932 PRINTING . I KNOW NOW HOW LUCKY I AM TO OWN IT AFTER FINISHING . IT WAS VERY HARD TO PUT DOWN . OTHER BOOKS I HAVE READ ABOUT HIM DIDN'T TOUCH ON HIS GENTLENESS AND HOW IT AFFECTED NOT ONLY HIS MARRIAGE BUT, THE WAR. SOMETIMES I THINK NOW, HE WORRIED TOO MUCH ABOUT OTHERS FEELINGS . SUCH AS INEPT GENERALS AND THAT LUNATIC WIFE , MARY TODD WHO'S TEMPER TANTRUMS WERE INFAMOUS. LIKE HE HAD ENOUGH " ROCKS IN HIS SACK " WITHOUT STRIFE AT HOME. I SO PITY HIM , EVEN NOW THAT HE IS BEYOND ALL CARES AND WOE . GOD BLESS YOU SIR AND GIVE YOU THE PEACE THAT SO ELUDED YOU HERE ON EARTH .



2. Knowing little other than the obvious facts about Lincoln, I was amazed, entertained, and simply captivated by this Carnegie masterpiece. Lincoln's poverty-stricken childhood, his lackluster days as a lawyer, his love of poetry, his political career - it's all covered in great detail and conveyed in a very appealing and straightforward style. Carnegie's research and dedication towards this book are deservedly well-applauded. The story of how this very mortal man became so admired, so loved, and such an American icon is simply priceless. This monumental work is a must-have for anyone's collection.



3. This is the best book on Lincoln I have ever read. A true joy to read.



4. This is by far the best Abe book out there...actually makes "learning" fun!...be careful about loaning this one out!



5. The copy of the book which I got was really tattered and scribbled all over.
   I am not really with it.

4 comments about Maryanne Lincoln's Comprehensive Dying Guide: 10 Years Of Recipes From The Dye Kitchen (Rug Hooking Magazine's Framework).

1. Anyone involved in rug hooking or wool work will find learning to dye wool is the next logical step to producing unique results - and one of the most essential parts of making finished products outstanding. Colorist Maryanne Lincoln has written articles on dyeing for over 10 years: her lesson formulas appeared bi-monthly for over 10 years in Rug Hooking magazine, and are gathered here in a reference explaining each step. Any involved in wool dyeing should consider the Comprehensive Dyeing Guide to be an essential reference which is packed with color images and coverage of a wide variety of methods.



2. Maryanne Lincoln's Comprehensive Dying Guide is a must have book for the beginner or expert--It teaches the beginner how to dye and encourages the expert to experiment with the dyes.
   
   It also shows how to get all the colors of wool you would ever need using just 4 dyes.



3. This book provides valuable information for anyone wanting to dye wool. While it is geared toward rug hooking, the dyeing information is valuable for any craft. To use the book you only need to buy five different colors of dye.



4. I'm very happy with this book. It is a comprehensive review of dyeing methods and of dye formulas.

5 comments about The Odyssey of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade: Americans in the Spanish Civil War.

1. Mr. Carroll's book about the saga of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade is an interesting insight into a part of American history that is lost. What is most interesting is his stories of the men and women who choose to fight and die in Spain and the reasons that they did. As a collection of personnel stories this book excels. These men and women went to Spain notwithstanding the antagonism of their country and the countries surrounding Spain and then returned to a suspicious nation that treated them as part of the red menace.

   However, if one is expecting to get a history of the Spanish Civil War, or even an overview of the war, one will be disappointed.




2. This extremely readable book tells the story of the 2,600 American volunteers who fought for the Spanish Republic in the years 1936 to 1938. They fought against Franco; they also fought against Hitler's and Mussolini's armies; they also fought against the Governments of Britain, France and the United States, which did so much to assist the forces of fascist aggression.

   "But the remarkable thing was that though fully conscious of the odds against us and though suffering staggering losses in long, drawn out gruelling campaigns, we all went back to the front time after time ... always with a belief in the possibility of victory." This was the testimony of Milton Wolff, the last commander of the Lincoln-Washington battalion. As Carroll wrote, "the Americans remained in action, constantly facing superior firepower. As in previous engagements, they demonstrated remarkable courage and stamina; they held difficult positions against overwhelming odds." They were finally withdrawn from Spain after the two-month Battle of the Ebro in late 1938: "the Americans under Wolff held fast and waited. They were still there when a relief column came to replace them; only then did they withdraw from the lines."

   Within the Republican forces, it was the Communists who fought longest and hardest against Franco. What is amazing is that they fought so well for so long against such odds, not that they lost. How could they have fought any better? If they had followed the line of revolution now, war later, Franco would surely have won more quickly and easily. This approach would have lost them the support of those in Spain who wanted the Republic but were not yet ready for revolution. This approach would have made support or even genuine neutrality from other Governments even less likely. It would have increased the intensity of German, Italian, British, French and US Government support for Franco. It is quite possible that the British, French and US Governments would have abandoned even the pretence of neutrality and joined in the attack on Spain, just as they had in 1918-1922 when they jointly attacked the Soviet Union.

   The British, French and US Governments used Hitler and Mussolini as their hired goons to attack Spain, just as they tried to use them later to attack the Soviet Union. (And just as they now use other goons in other countries.) In June 1940 when Roosevelt accused Mussolini of stabbing France in the back, former brigade commissar John Gates replied truly, "It was you who stabbed Republican Spain in the back. It was you, and the British and French rulers, who provided Mussolini with the dagger that he has now proceeded to plunge into your own backs."

   When the Brigade left, La Pasonaria spoke: "We shall not forget you and when the olive tree of peace puts forth its leaves again, entwined with the laurels of the Spanish Republic's victory - come back! ... Come back to us. With us those of you who have no country will find one, those of you who have to live deprived of friends will find friends, and all of you will find the love and gratitude of the whole Spanish people who, now and in the future, will cry out with all their hearts: Long live the heroes of the International Brigades!"

   She said, "They gave up everything, their loves, their countries, home and fortune; fathers, mothers, wives, brothers, sisters and children, and they came and told us: "We are here. Your cause, Spain's cause, is ours - it is the cause of all advanced and progressive mankind.' You can go proudly. You are history. You are legend."

   After the war, they fought on against the enemies of Spain and of all progressive mankind in America. Bill McCarthy said in 1990, "We have to do our fighting right here. There's no use being discouraged because victory is ours if we fight for it." Milton Woolf, who had not completed high school, said, "Spain was only one battle. World War Two was only one battle, what's going on in Central America, South Africa, the Middle East now is another battle, and we're into those things. Struggle is the elixir of life, the tonic of life. I mean, if you're not struggling, you're dead."

   'Say not the struggle nought availeth.' Spain (not Munich) gave Britain the time and opportunity to rearm. Spain damaged Mussolini so much that his intervention on Hitler's side was more hindrance than help. Franco too could do little to help his sponsors. Veterans of the Brigade fought Franco to the end. After his death, his monstrous regime crumbled away to nothing. The veterans worked in the movements against the US's war of aggression on Vietnam, against US support for apartheid, against the US arms buildup, and against the US's wars against Nicaragua and Iraq. They did not retire; they were not defeated.




3. I sought this book out because over time, as an amateur historian, I have become fascinated by certain subjects and the Spanish Civil War is definitely one of them, not simply because of the clash of ideologies that were in full force, but because looking at it through the complete prism of the twentieth century one can understand why the SCW was a microcosm of what became the Second World War. It's like Spain was a petrie dish for the major powers to test out new methods of warfare, new technology, and new methods of propaganda.

   Since the causes of fascism and communism are equally repellant in this country, with perfect justification, it's interesting to read an account where the tendency is to route for neither side. I guess since the U.S. and U.S.S.R. were allies later on against the Nazis it makes it somewhat of an easier choice, but not when the evidence about the Party in America is revealed.

   Not really a complete overview, the book focuses much more on individuals and their personal stories which gives the book much more of a human quality to it. I would have liked a little more of the general history. It's a good read for a seriously overlooked event in modern times.




4. Well, I guess I should start out with the strenghts of this book. It is a great source for excerpts of first person accounts from the American volunteers in the Spanish Civil War. But thats about it.
   
   1st, Carroll can't write, his style sounding like a research paper I wrote in 8th grade.
   2nd, He brush's over very important issues, such as the Communist betrayal of the POUM/CNT-FAI, making the Communists sound like hero's, when infact the move possibly was what lost the war.
   3rd is that Carroll is quite often contridictory in his assertions and assumptions, and quite often, when trying to make the Lincolns sound valient, he makes them sound like Sheep, a word I used quite often in my annotations.
   4th, and most important is the amount of content. At best, only 1/3 of the book is actually about Spain. More than half is devoted to the lives of the men interviewed once they left Spain, something I really don't care much about.
   
   So overall, I'd say the book was a major let down. I started it hoping to get more insight into a war I am very interessted in, and came out of the book with probobly the opposite view that it intented, that the Americans were no help at all, and might even of been a hinderance.



5. I have been interested, as a pro-Republican partisan, in the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39 since I was a teenager. My first term paper was on this subject. What initially perked my interest, and remains of interest, is the passionate struggle of the Spanish working class to create its own political organization of society, its leadership of the struggle against Spanish Fascism and the romance surrounding the entry of the International Brigades, particularly the American Abraham Lincoln Battalion of the 15th Brigade, into the struggle.
   
   Underlying my interests has always been a nagging question of how that struggle could have been won by the working class. The Spanish proletariat certainly was capable of both heroic action and the ability to create organizations that reflected its own class interests i.e. the worker militias and factory committees. Of all modern working class uprisings after the Russian revolution Spain showed the most promise of success. Russian Bolshevik leader Leon Trotsky noted in one of his writings on Spain that the Spanish proletariat at the start of its revolutionary period had a higher political consciousness than the Russian proletariat in 1917. That calls into question the strategies put forth by the parties of the Popular Front, including the Spanish Communist Party- defeat Franco first, and then make the social transformation of society. Mr. Carroll's book while not directly addressing that issue nevertheless demonstrates through the story of the Abraham Lincoln Battalion how the foreign policy of the Soviet Union and through it the policy of the Communist International in calling for international brigades to fight in Spain aided in the defeat of that promising revolution.
   
   Mr. Carroll chronicles anecdotally how individual militants were recruited, transported, fought and died as `premature anti-fascists' in that struggle. No militant today, or ever, can deny the heroic qualities of the volunteers and their commitment to defeat fascism- the number one issue for militants of that generation-despite the fatal policy of the leaderships. Such individuals were desperately needed then, as now, if revolutionary struggle is to succeed. However, to truly honor their sacrifice we must learn the lessons of that defeat through mistaken strategy as we fight today. Interestingly, as chronicled here and elsewhere in the memoirs of some veterans, many of the surviving militants of that struggle continued to believe that it was necessary to defeat Franco first, and then fight for socialism. This was most dramatically evoked by the Lincolns' negative response to the Barcelona uprising of 1937-the last time a flat out fight for leadership of the revolution could have galvanized the demoralized workers and peasants of Spain for a desperate struggle against Franco.
   
   Probably the most important part of Mr. Carroll's book is tracing the trials and tribulations of the volunteers after their withdrawal from Spain in late 1938. Their organization-the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade- was constantly harassed and monitored by the United States government for many years as a Communist front group. Individuals also faced prosecution and discrimination. He also traces the aging and death of that cadre. In short, this book is a labor of love for the subjects of his treatment. Whatever other political differences we may have this reviewer certainly does not disagree with that purpose. If you want to read about what a heroic part of the vanguard of the international working class looked like in the 1930's, look here. Viva la Quince Brigada!!

1 comments about Sticker Art Shapes: Pablo Picasso (Sticker Art Shapes).

1. This is a perfect take along for a meal after a visit to the picasso museum in france. It can be used as shown, or kids can use the stickers to make their own picasso cubist and blue period collages. My six year old loved it.

5 comments about Manhunt CD: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer.

1. From the opening minute until the closing segment of this audio book is one that will keep your interest. The author writes a story that makes you feel like he was really there observing the entire adventure. Richard Thomas who is the narrator adds great depth to the story by his wonderful reading voice. In addition, this story is a great way to learn a little history of the Civil War time period while enjoying the audio book.



2. Hard to believe that a story so well known to every American school child can be so riveting. Historically entertaining and educationally engaging this CD is a must listen.



3. An absolutely captivating story. I knew the basics before but the detail by James Swanson and the wonderful performance by Richard Thomas made the story come alive. I have listened to many books on CD but this is the first one I have written a review on because it deserves it. Anyone interested in American History should listen to this book.



4. I wonder why they didn't do an unabridged version of the book. Richard Thomas does a great job at reading the book, but I was disappointed that they left out some of the most interesting parts of the book. The epilogue, for example, is SO fascinating as Swanson does a "what happened later to the rest of the witnesses" and a brief history of the theater itself. All of this is missing in the audiobook. Read the complete book for all of the fascinating information.



5. As to the story:
   
   Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer, by James Swanson, is an excellent read. The author takes the reader to gaslight lit streets and a time of joy, followed by great sorrow. Swanson tells the story of President Lincoln's assassin in an almost - but not quite - sympathetic manner. Swanson introduces the reader to many secondary characters that assisted Booth in his 12-day escape from the authorities.
   
   The book is written in a style that is less text book than mystery thriller. Swanson does an excellent job in making the reader feel the urgency that both sides felt, in trying to locate and/or hide Booth. The P.S. portion of this version of the book provides excellent insight into the author's goals and objectives in telling the story.
   
   This is a 5-star read that I highly recommend. Learning about the strong emotions that existed during this tumultuous time period in U.S. history. Enjoy.
   
   The narraton is rock solid in this book. It is a treat to listen as you read the book. It is available at some libraries in unabridged which is always my preference.

No comments about The History Detectives Explore Lincoln's Letter, Parker's Sax, and Mark Twain's Watch: And Many More Mysteries of America's Past.

No comments about Sticker Art Shapes: Henri Matisse (Sticker Art Shapes).

5 comments about The Intimate World of Abraham Lincoln.

1. ...because that's all this erroneous piece of trash is. I'm not homophobic. I am against people trying to cash in on the name of a legendary historic figure simply to cause controversy, and thereby gain some extra dollars.
   
   Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, Tom Cruise and others can sue the tabloids when they twist stories. Lincoln's dead. He can't.
   
   Just remember that.



2. Valley Gay Press Book Reviewer: Liz Bradbury
   Most art, literature and history is studied from the straight, white, male perspective. If a famous man professed his undying devotion to a woman and slept with her for years, SWM academic theory would presume the couple was sexually involved and use that as proof of heterosexuality. C.A. Tripp simply looks at the facts of Lincoln's intimate life from the position of a queer theory scholar. Interpreting findings from a queer point of view takes this book beyond the genre of biography and helps us understand how all historical theory about any minority has been skewed to fit a mainstream mold, disregarding history as it most probably was.



3. The world of Lincoln scholarship can be highly contentious, but controversy about this book relates to Tripp's use of evidence, not the topic he examines. My own specialty is Lincoln's pre-presidential life. Determining what happened in those years can involve surmise and supposition. I don't fault Tripp for lacking unobtainable proof. Even outright speculation can freshen thought.
   
   I am concerned, however, by Tripp seizing a kernel of evidence, extrapolating from it, and pronouncing the resultant structure to be proof of his contention. For example, he finds a unique statement from Bill Greene noting that Lincoln had well-developed thighs. Tripp then turns to the Duncan and Nichols biography of Mentor Graham, a source I consider so unreliable that I have never dared cite it as authority for anything. Relying on an undependable source and a single comment from Greene, Tripp claims to prove a homosexual relationship between Greene and Lincoln.
   
   Tripp extrapolates further and argues that because Greene became embarrassed when Lincoln introduced him to Secretary of State Seward as Lincoln's grammar teacher, that meant Greene was uneasy about his old homosexual relationship with Lincoln. Tripp considers and rejects the possibility that Greene said little during the meeting because he didn't want to reveal his poor grasp of grammar to Seward, thereby belying Lincoln's praise and humiliating himself. I find the possibility that Tripp rejects to be more plausible than the one he embraces.
   
   Another type of reasoning is illustrated by Tripp arguing for a homosexual relationship between Lincoln and Joshua Speed because (in part) when Lincoln moved into their sleeping quarters, Speed failed to say anything about his admiration of a Lincoln speech. Tripp here assumes that because Speed failed to mention this in his account of his conversation with Lincoln, that absence means no conversation about the speech occurred. Lincoln and Speed may have talked about many things that Speed didn't mention (weather, crops, politics). Tripp seems to think that if an account doesn't say something happened, then it didn't happen. That's invalid reasoning.
   
   Regarding Lincoln and Speed being bed mates, neither man was secretive about the arrangement, and some men Lincoln slept with had definite heterosexual orientation. Public comment about a politician's sex life was rare in that era, but I have seen examples in Illinois newspapers. If anyone had thought the Lincoln-Speed sleeping arrangement could be portrayed as homosexual, I think political opponents would have raised the issue regardless of whether they believed it.
   
   We can speculate all day about Lincoln's place on the sexual continuum between heterosexual and homosexual, and speculate reasonably, but speculation isn't proof. Still, the topic is worthy. For me, the big disappointment in Tripp's book was in finding him wrong again and again about things I know about. If it had been the other way around I would probably have found the book exciting rather than frustrating.



4. Let me state the obvious. Each of us is a product of our time - of all the people and events we encounter, and the values of the societies we live in. So was Lincoln. So was Tripp. Current Gay and Queer identities are 20th cent constructs and could not have been embraced by Lincoln, nor does Tripp claim this to have been the case. Nor does Tripp present a view that all Gay people will see as politically acceptable - his work helped build the current identity but he was, himself, a product of another era. However, as Robert Aldrich and others have demonstrated, homosexuality is as ancient as humanity and exists in many forms across societies. Tripp gives a good portrait of a remarkable man coping with homosexual urges in an emerging nation. Tenuous though some of his arguments may be, his critics are, in many cases subject to the academic biases of reliance on surviving documentation (often ignoring context and the nature of covert behaviour), lack understanding of the experience of being in a hidden minority and even, in a few cases, rely on arguments that make Tripp's weakest sound strong. The truth is that here is meticulously well researched book that presents a convincing arguement but shows evidence of the author not having survived to do the last few re-writes that would have bought it up to his usual high standard.



5. I had a few problems with this book. The author definitely weakened his position on Lincoln's sexuality by being quite obviously anti-Mary Lincoln. Further, the author relies solely upon the testimony of a boyhood friend of Lincoln's (years after the fact), who remembers how tall and gangly Lincoln was at age 9, to prove his belief that Lincoln was sexually mature at that age (and thus, in the author's POV, more prone to same-sex experimentation). I didn't understand how the author arrived at the conclusion of Joshua Speed's supposed lifelong impotence with his wife. The fact that they had no children could just as soon be put down to a medical issue with his wife.
   
   In regards to the author's style, there's quite of bit of repeated word use (for example, if I saw the word "autodidact" one more time on one page!), which was annoying. But also, I realize that the author didn't have the opportunity to review his final draft or approve the editing due to his premature death.
   
   But, these criticisms aside, this is an interesting, and on the whole, readable exploration of another (possible) side of Lincoln's admittedly complex character. The author reaches a conclusion about Lincoln's sexuality which I don't necessarily buy into, but he has enough experience and knowledge of human sexuality to make the question worth exploring. Not that we'll ever know with 100% certainty anyway, but the question of bisexuality does add another dimension to a study of Abraham Lincoln's life.

No comments about Wit & Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln: As Reflected in His Letters And Speeches.

5 comments about Forge of Empires: Three Revolutionary Statesmen and the World They Made, 1861-1871.

1. An interesting look at three important leaders over one critical decade in world history. Those who tend to see political events through the narrow prism of a single country will benefit from the lively text of Mr. Bernan as he takes readers through the interrelated revolutionary happenings during the late middle 1800s in Russia, Germany, and the United States.
   
   Of the three featured statesman, only Lincoln truly transcended his time and place.
   
   As facts gush from Mr. Bernan's pen, a reader should be somewhat cautious. For example on page 196, in his zeal to tie Lincoln to the South's heroic Cavaliers, the author cites a quote from Lincoln concerning his strong intellectual debt to his birth mother--who was from Virginia. However, my understanding is the quote was really aimed at his beloved stepmother.
   
   All in all a good history tale with lingering echoes affecting current events in Germany, Russia, and the United States.



2. Creating an American historical narrative that integrates events and ideas into the broader global story is the most urgent task facing American historians today. Forge of Empires is a substantial contribution to this emerging literature and deserves the close attention of every student of American affairs and of every working historian. Beran combines vast erudition and great narrative gifts to create a mosaic that not only illuminates the stories of the statesmen he follows (Abraham Lincoln, Otto von Bismarck, Tsar Alexander II, and, to a lesser degree, Napoleon III) but also provides readers with new insights into the ways world events affected the United States. Beran's narrative strategy is a gamble that pays off. Sweeping pictures emerge from short mini-narratives that function like pebbles in a mosaic -- or like the dramatic brushstrokes of the impressionist painters active in the era he so brilliantly portrays. Like Lincoln, Bismarck engaged in a project of national consolidation; like Alexander II, Lincoln was a liberator who freed millions of human beings. In Beran's skilled hands, the similarities and differences between the situations these statesmen faced and the consequences of their decisions gradually build up to form a revealing and insightful portrait of a vital historical era that will increase American readers' understanding of the relationship between U.S. domestic history and events in the rest of the world.



3. Despite many interesting anecdotes, this book is a failure. The trouble starts with the use of the words "revolution" and "revolutionary". Nowhere are these defined. If you are going to advance a thesis, you have to start with some fundamental theory but this book contains none. The effect of "revolution" seems much like that of the purple prose used too often throughout the book: the author's case is undermined. And what is the purpose of the insertion of anecdotes about multiple non-state actors? Mary Chestnut, Leo Tolstoy, Prince Kropotkin, Nietzche--they really add nothing to the story or the thesis of revolution. In all, the author knows alot about alot of different things, but what we have here is a jumbled mess: he mixes everything together and tries to connect them to an unsubstantiated theory of revolution. In the end, it looks like the author was grasping at reasons to write a book and found one: by mixing all he knows into a concoction prepared on the most flimsy of foundations.



4. The 1860s decade was tumultuous in many ways, though for many Americans the only thing that comes to mind is the Civil War. However, as Michael Knox Beran explores in his book Forge of Empires: Three Revolutionary Statesmen and the World They Made, much more was going on around the world than just that. The foundations of the 20th century in both Germany and Russia, as well as the rest of Europe, were also being forged at this time. In his excellent book, Beran gives readers a running narrative that often compares and contrasts the three main revolutions going on at this time, how they were different but also how they were similar.
   
   Abraham Lincoln, of course, was forcing American society to change drastically, with the effect not only of freeing the slaves but also transforming Southern aristocracy from wealthy land-owning based on slavery to a much different class system. Otto von Bismarck, in turn, was in the process of accumulating power for his native Prussia (and for himself, of course) by uniting the various German states into one empirical power under one ruler, thus stamping his mark on the European balance of power for generations to come. Finally, Russian Tsar Alexander II was implementing policies to end serfdom, throwing Russian society into such upheaval that eventually that sniff of freedom turned into just another dictatorship.
   
   Beran explores these three revolutions not only through the eyes of these great and powerful leaders, but also through those people caught up in these momentous events. Walt Whitman, Nietzsche, Leo Tolstoy, Mary Chesnut, Napoleon III and his empress Eugenie, all of them play a great role in illustrating the consequences of various actions. While Lincoln frees the slaves and goes to war to save the union, Mary Chesnut, the wife of a southern landowner, shows us how her society crumbles as the ravages of war reach the Confederacy and obliterate the society that she knew. The rise of Germany and Bismarck's thirst for power results in huge transformations in France as well, culminating in the Franco-Prussian war that finally solidifies the power of the new German state.
   
   Beran uses a form of narrative history in Forge of Empires, with the book going from short section to short section, sometimes encompassing a month, sometimes a few months, and jumping from the US to Germany to Russia and back again. Beran sometimes leaves a section with a "cliffhanger" of sorts, which made the narrative even more gripping but wasn't truly necessary. Structuring the book this way allows Beran to highlight the similarities and differences between the various revolutions, mostly by illustration but occasionally Beran comes right out and compares/contrasts two or even all three.
   
   As months and years progress, Beran shows us how Alexander was a man with big ideas yet without the inability to "sell" these ideas to the Russian people. Rebellion is widespread and there are many attempts on his life, which results in a crackdown and even less freedom. The mechanism of freeing the serfs results in many serfs suffering even greater than they did under serfdom, and the revolution that Alexander started swiftly spins out of his control. Meanwhile, we see the effects of Lincoln's revolution as it affects countries all over Europe. Will England and France recognize the Confederacy, or will Lincoln and the Union army be able to achieve a military victory that will keep them to the sidelines? And what's Bismarck doing during all this?
   
   We see not only the revolutions as they unfold, but Beran ends the book wrapping up the lives of all his "characters," giving us a brief synopsis of what happened in the rest of their lives. He also gives an overview of the far-reaching effect each revolution had on society and world politics, such as how German extreme nationalism eventually ended up with World Wars I and II.
   
   I encourage you to pick this book up. It's interesting, you'll find out a lot about things you may not have known (I'm a history buff, and I had no idea that Prussia and Austria fought a brief war in the mid-1860s). The best thing is that you will get a foundation for much of what happened in the world in the 20th century, told in a fashion that will keep you reading to the final page.



5. Michael Knox Beran has a fine grasp of the forces involved during the period of Lincoln, Alexander, and Bismarck, as well as the springs of their character. One learns a lot about the history of this period of romantic revolution that actually explains much about contemporary times.
   
   Beran, even better than David McCullough, has a masterful gift for narration based on solid, creative scholarship. The book is chalk full of such devastating remarks as:
   
   "That a scion of the [Enlightenment] luminaries should now become a policeman and a torturer might at first seem a historical irony; but the inquisitorial vocation comes easily to those who have embraced Voltaire's faith in the virtues of enlightened despotism."
   
   It's interesting that Beran, a lawyer, is sensibly not involved professionally in the coils of sterile academia, though he has a solid background at Groton, Columbia, Cambridge, and Yale law.
   within the trammels