1 comments about Abraham Lincoln, Slavery, and the Civil War.

1. FOR ME THIS WAS A PAGE TURNER. I FELT LIKE I WAS THERE AT THE TIME THESE LETTERS AND SPEECHES WERE WRITTEN. VERY EASY TO GET LOST IN THE TIME PERIOD. IF YOU LOVE THIS SUBJECT, YOU'LL ENJOY THIS BOOK.

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 They were finally withdrawn from Spain after the two-month Battle of the Ebro in late 1938: "the Americans under Wolff held fast and waited.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!!

5 comments about Programming and Customizing the PICAXE Microcontroller (McGraw-Hill Programming and Customizing).

1. I'm not a beginner, I'm not a pro.. I bought this book based on other peoples views, within an online technical forum. They have more experience than me. I have bought many books with an expectation that it was going to be tailor made for me.. i got it wrong often. This will be a great reference book when i get on further on in my studies of microcontrollers and the author clearly knows what he's talking about... but i don't. I got to page 22 and had to go back. I thought it was a bit heavy going. Now i know questions may be raised as to my ability to grasp some concepts, but, as a teacher in a particular subject, i beleive that in any subject that includes a great deal of practical work, you must take baby steps. The author gave examples of each part of the text he was explaining, but it was just more words to get into your head. You know when you read something technical - then you pause for a few seconds and try to digest it...The people who would be interested in this book would probably have some of the hardware already in their possesion and up and running, or at least some experience, to a degree and, as i said earlier, this book will be a great reference manual, but for me, i would have prefferd, "go to your text editor and type in this code" to see what actually happens, right from the start. To sumarise, this is a very good book to take you as far as you would like to go with this type of microcontroller, and the price ( particularly from Amazon, (UK) £8.00GBP less than downtown ) is just fantastic for something that you will use for a long time to come. This review may sound contradictory, but i have never written a review before so, [David Lincoln] dont be too harsh on me !! I look forward to any other comments on my review, or any other reviews.



2. I am new to the PICAXE so I was looking for all the information I could find. The [...] website has quite a bit but I felt like I needed more. I saw the book advertised with glowing reviews and ordered a copy at once. When the book came, I had gotten pretty familiar with the information on the web site and was looking for something more in depth. After looking at the book for quite some time, I still haven't found anything of use that can't be gotten from the web site. Actually, whenever I need information, I go to the web site instead of loking at the book. The picaxe user forum is also helpful. There may soon be other books on the PICAXE and I hope the authors do a better job than was done here.



3. This is probably a good stating place for those who have no electronic or programing experince. I have given this book only a 3 star because most of the material is very basic. One dispointment was the index subject and page number did not match several subjects that I use the index to find. I now use the picaxe web site, it has good examples and is current and up to date with the latest part numbers. I must add that with the web site you have to print out the manual, i.e the reason for buying the book. In electronic everything gets dated pretty fast, as of now there are several new picaxe devices that are not in the book. As with most techincal book it will be good for some, fair for other, and of little value for a few.



4. This book takes you from a complete beginner to an intermediate user of the picaxe. it has projects and explains them very well. I recommend it highly



5. I got worried when the FIRST thing I looked up in the index of this book was BASIC - no mention of the language! The SECOND thing I looked for was a BASIC command reference - not there!!! (So I guess this means I'm going to have to print out the 178 pages of the PDF file on my printer and try to get them bound.)
   
   I'm really not joking when I say that the next thing I looked up was the pinouts for the PICAXE-18X. I wanted to know where the SCL and SCA pins were on an 18X chip. No mention of either in the index so I decided to look up the pinouts for the chip. I found the chip listed on page 335 but unfortunately it was wrong - the chip shown in Figure A-16 was actually a 24-pin chip and bore no relation to the one I was looking for.
   
   These comments are made after just about 10 minutes of owning the book so I'm worried about what I'm going to find next!
   
   My advice is buy with caution. Try to get to see the book before you pay for it and then decide. I'm sure there's lots of things people will find useful contained within this volume but in my own case it as failed me so far.
   
   EXTRA NOTES
   Now that I have had a chance to get to grips with the book I can see that it does have its uses. I think the problem is that it is not for the beginner but it's useful if you can get over the initial step of learning the BASIC commands. Having said that a lot of time is dedicated to some very basic circuits - space which would have been better used for that command reference I wanted at the beginning. In the end I did print it out from the PDF file!
   
   There are quite a few mistakes in the book so be prepared for that but if you're into PICAXE then this is a book you should get.

No comments about Celebrity Cat: With Paintings from Art Galleries Around the World.

1 comments about The Inspired Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln: How Faith Shaped an American President -- and Changed the Course of a Nation.

1. I only wish the politicians of today would follow the lead of a man as simple and great as Abraham Lincoln.

5 comments about The Psychic Life of Abraham Lincoln.

1. Historians have not been able to agree as to President Lincoln's religious beliefs. He has been characterized as everything from a God-fearing Christian to an atheistic humanist. It seems clear that Lincoln did not often attend church services and took issue with some of the dogma, doctrine, and methods of orthodox Christianity. And, yet, he emerges as one of our most spiritual presidents.
   
   Dr. Susan Martinez, the author of this book, points out that more than 6,000 books have been written about Lincoln and that it has been said that "there are no important new facts to disclose." She takes issue with that comment as the stories about Lincoln's association with several credible mediums, especially one Nettie Colburn Maynard, while not new, have been pretty much ignored, forgotten, denied, or swept under the rug.
   
   Many of Lincoln's biographers have taken note of claims that the 16th President received guidance from spirits who communicated through mediums. However, the claims are usually derided as beneath the dignity of such a great man. Not long before reading this book, I read a very lengthy magazine article dealing with Lincoln's religious and spiritual views. It mentioned that Spiritualists had made claims to having influenced Lincoln's thinking, but the author seems to have smirked at this claim and did not elaborate.
   
   Martinez digs deeply into the documented records of Lincoln's involvement with mediums and sets forth a preponderance of evidence suggesting that he was indeed guided by benevolent spirits communicating through credible mediums in his most crucial decisions and creative works, including the Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address.
   
   Lincoln was seen by many who knew him as a somber man with a gloomy disposition. Martinez examines his "peculiar melancholy" and the events in his life that shaped it, including his mother's death at age nine, a strict and distant father, the death of a sister at age 10, and the death of his beloved Ann Rutledge when he was 26. She examines Lincoln's inner turmoil and his attempts to reconcile all of his hardships and the vindictive God of the Old Testament with his evolving ideas of justice, mercy, and goodness, concluding that these experiences molded Lincoln's psyche in a way that made him more sensitive to the unseen principle.
   
   Martinez recounts the paranormal events of 1848 giving rise to belief in spirit communication, pointing out that many celebrated names, including Elizabeth Barrett Browning, William Cullen Bryant, Thomas Carlyle, James Fenimore Cooper, Emily Dickinson, Horace Greeley, Sir William Crookes, Edgar Allen Poe, Alfred Russel Wallace, Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Queen Victoria, and W. B. Yeats, became investigators and proponents of the new "Spiritual Science." And yet, the evidence was suppressed by the religious fundamentalists, who saw the phenomena as a threat to established dogma and doctrine, as well as by scientific fundamentalists, who viewed it with "intellectual" arrogance.
   
   The president's wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, began exploring "spiritualism," as it came to be called, by visiting mediums and sitting in circles after the death of their 11-year-old son, "Willie." The president took a passing interest in the phenomena and then joined in on a more regular basis. At one sitting, after Nettie Colburn went into a trance, it is said that the spirits speaking through her lectured the president about his duty to emancipate the slaves.
   
   A number of people who knew Lincoln or came in contact with him are quoted attesting to his association with "spiritualists" and the influence they had on him and his important decisions during the Civil War. Others who knew him denied such an association. Martinez dissects the testimony and leaves the reader with evidence strongly favoring spirit communication and influence. She says that Lincoln moved from being an agnostic to a believer. But a believer in what? "No earthly power, no organized religion, no man-made God," she concludes, "but faith - a new faith - in the outworkings of the Unseen world of intelligent design."



2. Lincoln saw his death in dreams, consulted oracles, and knew at age 22 that he'd become President of the U.S.: despite the evidence historians have dismissed his psychic involvements. But his rose to power coincided with a rise in interest in spiritualism, and this chronicle of his psychic side, which includes precognitive dreams, trance-like states, and even White House seances, is enhanced by the deathbed memoir of his favorite medium and charts his many clairvoyant incidents and psychic interests. New age libraries will consider it a 'must have' acquisition.



3. Impressive. The Psychic Life of Abraham Lincoln, while it is an apologia of Spiritualism past and present, is also a very intimate look at one of the most complex and iconic personalities short of Jesus of Nazareth. While the doubter will have much to criticize I suspect, if ones feelings with regard to the topic of Spiritualism itself can be set aside for the moment, a much clearer portrait of the man can be obtained by the exercise.
   
   The book is, however, very anecdotal and while it puts data into chapters with logical headings, the bulk of each is largely "loose association" and quotes from various sources, many of them having little to do with the Civil War president, and many having to do with the character of Spiritualism in the 19th Century. To the extent that this material places the man solidly within the venue of his own time, this is very helpful. Certainly anyone who has no clue as to the topic of Spiritualism and its history will find it illuminating and helpful to the understanding of the 19th century culture of which it was a part.
   
   Quantities of literature have been written about Lincoln (I Googled his name and came up with 8,510,000 entries), yet it still leaves the reader very confused about him. Perhaps more confused about him. Like the iceberg that sank the Titanic, much of the man's personality lay beneath the "water" line for most of his peers. Furthermore and for this very reason, every writer about the man had/has his own "Lincoln" version in mind.
   
   As Susan Martinez herself notes, more than Lincoln the man, one receives a distorted image filtered through the perspective of his biographers; through cultural lenses, personal biases, personal agendas, etc. Maybe it's unavoidable. Dr. Martinez quotes from a roughly contemporary source which stated that a mind of such genius as Lincoln's, viewed through the filter of lesser minds, always appears "unrecognizable (p. 133)." She also notes the addendum to this statement made by author Victor Searcher (1965) that this fact is the source of the "many different Lincolns (p. 133)." Certainly the man's contemporaries were every bit as confused about the Real Lincoln as modern day authors.
   
   I think that the ultimate cause of this is the fact that Lincoln, by dying as he did and at the time he did, assumed almost deified status for the average person of his time, not to mention for us. He left his work incomplete, he was not allowed to undergo the effects of time which often dims recollections of past deeds or buries them under later concerns and preoccupations. Instead he became an icon of martyrdom, righteousness, freedom, courage in the face of adversity to almost all of his contemporaries and even more so to those generations that followed.
   
   This larger than life iconic status was a very tempting thing to manipulate in the interests of individuals whose own agendas were not quite as altruistic. Furthermore, the attempt to cultivate and manipulate his persona for private interests began almost immediately as the power brokers of the time grappled with one another for control.
   
   Much of our confusion over the man is due to the fact that private family papers were destroyed by Lincoln's only surviving son Robert in an attempt to control what was written and believed about his esteemed father. Robert's efforts at what he obviously considered "damage control" even extended to having his mother committed for "insanity" some years later. Whether this was out of a misguided fear that his father's great reputation would be besmirched by his mother's behavior or that the value of his own reputation as a Lincoln might lose its value is anyone's guess.
   
   Some of our confusion over the person of Lincoln is based in Robert's activities and in the biases about women. Just the basis for the diagnosis of Mary Lincoln's "insanity" would put most modern women in an institution: spending too much money on clothing, having a political opinion, having an educated mind, expressing "excessive" grief (ie. over the loss of almost all of her children except the controlling Robert and of her husband who was assassinated in her presence while she was actually speaking with him; over the fact that while she had a northern husband and loyalty, her natal family was primarily located in the south; and over the fact that her outspokenness caused most people to dislike her because she was "unfeminine," leaving her lonely and isolated, etc.--for which see: Mary Todd Lincoln: A Biography .)
   
   In fact, if one looks at the material on Abraham and Mary Lincoln, one comes up with a very dichotomized view of the two of them, an almost Biblical duality of "good" and "evil." Abraham is everything good, noble, and male, while Mary is everything uncontrolled, selfish and female. They are for their contemporaries, from whose descriptions we gain our only view of them, the antithesis of one another. Part of this was due to the fact that Mary, despite her loyalty and support of her husband's position, was still viewed as Southern, ie "bad," while Abraham was viewed as Northern, ie "good." It should be noted, however, that this latter assessment accrued to the man by virtue of his conveniently dying almost on the eve of the end of the war. During the war, he was often vilified by the same people who paid lip service to his greatness after his death. Life was not easy for the Lincolns during the White House years (for which see: The Lincolns in the White House: Four Years That Shattered a Family .
   
   Because of this duality of persona between the Lincoln pair, much of what was considered "unacceptable" for the icon Lincoln is offloaded onto Mary, "the bad influence." Unfortunately some of this goes on in modern biographies of Lincoln and it paints a distorted portrait of the man. In short it supports the icon, not the man. This is a sad state of affairs. It robs the man of his humanness and denies the incredible burden that he undertook and which, at its end, took his life. It is my firm conviction that even had the man not been assassinated, he would not have lived out his second term. I think he would have died of the effects of the stress under which he lived for over four years, those same effects already visible in the succession of photos of the man over the time of his administration.
   
   So what new does this author actually present to us with her Spiritualistic view of Lincoln? A very good one, I think. For one thing, she reflects on the cover-ups and the manipulation of the Lincoln persona--both that of Abraham and of Mary--by others. She sees and presents Abraham, warts and all, and Mary Lincoln, strong points and all, and she refuses to commit the modern error of removing the two from their own 19th Century milieu.
   
   This is an important point. No person is outside of the influences of his or her own time. If Abraham was a spiritualist at heart and if he chose not to declare it, he was not alone, as Dr. Martinez makes plain. It could be political, professional, and social suicide to make beliefs of this kind known, and she provides examples of it.
   
   But if he and his wife chose to seek comfort in beliefs in an afterlife and a continued interest by the deceased in their living family, why would that be particularly strange? Why when almost every person living at the time had also sustained great family losses in a war that seemed to be without end and who probably also looked to their personal philosophy or religious beliefs for comfort, is the Lincolns' search for a balm for their grief unacceptable and unbelievable?
   
   Why, taken within the reference point of his time and place, would Lincoln's personal beliefs be something to leave out of the picture? Whatever they may have been, and despite the fear that superstition might have made important decisions--given the complexity of any urgent time, tossing a coin might be the only other option!--he obviously had the wherewithal to get through the stressful time and to make good decisions, and that despite his detractors' protests. Anyone who can make considered decisions, by whatever means, in the maelstrom of chaotic and stressful times is a treasure.
   
   Probably better than any of the Lincoln portraits I've read before, this one really, really, really illuminates the staggering stress and emotional burden that this presidency represented to its occupant, and more than any other biography, it shows the incredible good fortune that having this particular man in this particular place at this particular time really was for the destiny of the country. I doubt there were any others who could have withstood the pressure or undertaken the mission so successfully as Lincoln did. If he chose spiritual resources available to him at the time to support his own emotional well being, good for him!



4. Dr. Martinez is to be applauded for the first time threading together all the anecdotal and documented yet neglected references to the Lincoln's attraction and participation in the budding Spiritualist religious movement. Mrs. Lincoln had sensitized herself to the possibility of afterdeath communication by the tragic loss of two young sons.
   
   This work draws connections to primary documents not incorporated into mainstream Lincoln studies. The only disconcerting note is the authors apparent belief in the 19th century alternative bible "Oahspe" channeled through the mediumship of John B. Newbrough. Oahspe is certainly a fringe document with few organized students devoted to its psuedo-old testament language and cosmic operating manual. Oahspe is a more quaint, Victorian "Urantia" type body of work. The one attempt at establishing an intentional community based on Oahspe's teachings was the failed Shalam colony in New Mexico. I understand that Newbrough's body is buried in the Las Cruces Masonic cemetary.
   
   Dr. Martinez's scattered quotes gleaned from Oahspe do not serve to strengthen the premise of her book. The Oahspe derived Lincoln quotes merely serve to embarass the reader for Dr. Martinez if she thinks this dated piece of spiritual literature supports any case for a stronger sympathy of spiritualism by the Lincoln's than may previously been accepted by mainstream historians. Nor are the Lincoln's dyed in the wool spiritualists, but rather inquisitive progressive minded 19th century Americans looking for more than exoteric answers to the questions surrounding life and death.
   
   In the author's biography in this book, it mentions a biography she has written on J.B. Newbrough, this is worth noting for a major study of his life is needed for students of 19th century alternative religious movements.



5. I'm the first to admit my two passionate interests are Abraham Lincoln and the paranormal so it shouldn't come as much of a shock that I found this book to be extremely interesting. I don't know that I buy the whole "Lincoln as psychic medium" slant but the book does shed a lot of light on a neglected aspect of Lincoln's personality, that is his interest in the paranormal, ghosts and the like. It discusses his interest in seances...in and out of the White House and makes the argument that Lincoln's interest was far deeper than has been admitted. Overall the evidence presented holds up.
   I did take exception to the author taking aim at Dr. Wayne Temple's research. I don't always agree with Dr. Temple but know him to be a fine researcher, the author here would disagree and uses Temple's book "From Skeptic to Prophet" against him repeatedly throughout.
   That aside, I really enjoyed this book and would argue that it's a fine addition to any Lincoln library, don't let the subject matter scare you away.

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.

5 comments about Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Keckly: The Remarkable Story of the Friendship Between a First Lady and a Former Slave.

1. The characters in this book and their stories are interesting at times, but the author takes far too much time imparting their stories. I am reading this book for a church cirle book review, and I am having trouble reading it. If I want a nap that day, all I need to do is pick up this book and read it a while!



2. I was disappointed in the viewpoint of the author who seemed less interested in the relationship of the two women than in the social problems of a free Black woman who was the confidant of Mary Lincoln. I began reading the book in an attempt to understand both women and the circumstances in which their friendship occurred. The book, however, leans heavily toward Mrs. Keckley & portrays Mrs. Lincoln at her best as a spoiled White woman & at her worst as a lunatic. The final paragraph sums up the author's reasons for writing the book in a complaint that Mary is buried in the Lincoln vault with President Lincoln (where else would she have been put?)& Mrs. Keckley's unclaimed body lies in an unmarked grave..."like those of her mother, slave father and son". The book is not about Mary Lincoln or Mrs. Keckley; it is a social commentary.



3. Going back and forth between biographical chapters of the two ladies for a good portion of the book left me tireless and bored. Almost rejoicing when the book finally picked up after what seemed to be an ad infinitum of the two woman's seemingly ordinary lives, nothing really there to surprise from previous knowledge of both a white and black's reality of that particular time period, I in all honestly could have done without the meticulously detailed first half of the book. On the contrary I did find that the many similarities between the two such as same birth year and rather close birthplace, both in the south to be rather ironic in conjunction with their very different social standing and contrasting, perhaps even a bit complimenting personality traits. This is possibly the only helpful information I was able to take from the first half of the book.
   
   Fleischner does appear to know plenty on each individual, but enough's enough, I picked up the book for an interesting read about such an odd friendship between the pair.
   Forcing myself to get through these lackluster chapters, the meeting and companionship of the two very different women at long last appeared! Before getting to this point of the book I would have been generous in giving the book two stars, however after their first encounter, the day before Abe Lincoln's Presidential inauguration in 1861 I actually found myself enjoying my time reading it.
   
   Keckly, a mulatto, grew up in a harsh life of slavery, eventually independently able to buy her way out and prosper in the seamstress business. Thus being the reason, lavish and somewhat peculiar Lincoln called upon the former slave for her distinguished dress-making skills. The last chapters did seem rushed, and I was left wanting more details on the actual societal aspects of the South in the nineteenth century. I enjoyed the mentioning of how times were back then, always being captivating to me. The prices, fashions, and entertainment of Civil War times really absorbed my interest, however short-lived those parts were. The association and reference of historical people and events i.e. W.E.B Du Bois, Cassius Clay, Bleeding Kansas allowed me to relate the reading to History class, always bringing unexpected excitement to a learning student.
   
   The brilliantly unlikely friendship between Mrs. Keckly and Mrs. Lincoln did get its justice in Jennifer Fleischner's double biography. If you have patience for dullness, and are willing to stick it out for what turns out to be a great story of two apparently opposite woman who grow together in a historic tale of true friendship, then don't hesitate to pick this book up. Three stars for getting two bios for the price of one, the book might have dragged on, but turning out rather compelling, and nicely done.



4. After reading this book I feel as if I know the two ladies, their lives and their times.



5. Excellent historical review. Now have a much better understanding of Mary Todd Lincoln's personality as well as a greater appreciation for the difficulties of slavery that were experienced by Elizabeth Keckly. Both were intelligent women who struggled against the limitations of their culture and upbringing.

5 comments about Lincoln the Lawyer.

1. Although Lincoln's contribution to history is his handling of public policy, governance, and war, probably most of his time prior to the White House was devoted to his law practice. This book will reward anyone seeking to know how one of America's greatest minds was occupied in the troubled affairs of one ordinary person after another. The solid account is highly knowledgeable but not at all technical, written for inquiring readers rather than legal professionals. Using assorted cases as examples, the author examines the role of attorneys in what was then the American West, giving the book broader scope than just Lincoln's law practice. This is one of the first studies to exploit a recently collected mass of documents relating to Lincoln's law career.



2. All to often, books about great historical figures tend to overemphasize the personality of the figure and forget the essence of the person to history. Also, many authors and historians research a historical figure and find that he is not who the legend claims he is. There is tendency to find this information out and then to immediately start disparaging the figure almost as if the person is taking a personal affront to the real person not being half of the myth.
   
   Thomas Jefferson probably father children with Sally Hemmings beyond a reasonable doubt. John F. Kennedy was a reckless womanizer. These facts do not however change what these people did and achieved. It makes for interesting fodder, but it does not change the fact that the Declaration of Independence was written and the Cuban Missile Crisis was averted. So, there is a trap anytime writers take up great figures. Dirck could have fallen into this trap when writing about Lincoln the lawyer. That the author did not do this is a testament to what an outstanding book this is. This is indeed the no frills Lincoln. Dirck's Lincoln is not a great lawyer nor is a terrible lawyer who represented slaveholders. For the most part, Lincoln the lawyer is closer in truth to the advice Lincoln gave to young lawyers which is cited several times in the book. Lincoln made a comfortable life as a lawyer but as the author points out, he never was unscrupulous in representing a client and was diligent and honest in his dealings through the bar in Springfield and elsewhere.
   
   As Dirck points out, the everyday of lawyering in mid-19th century America was just as exciting as lawyering is today. Wills, Estates, Trusts, debt collection, surety, personal injuries and maybe a smattering of criminal representation was Lincoln's lot in the world of the bar. Overall, Lincoln The Lawyer is a great appraisal of the world that Lincoln knew before anyone could say that he belonged to the ages.



3. What do YOU do all day?
   
   This book is an illustration of the philosophic points made in its own the last chapters. We assume the almost superhuman character of Abe Lincoln and view - or interperate - the various instances of his law career in light of it.
   
   Better we should consider what he actually did all day for most of his working life,and it was a real working job, and see what that can tell us about what his character might have been like. I've read a lot of Lincoln bios, this is very informative. Dry as dust, but an A+.
   
   (Oh,bonus,gives you a little history of American law)



4. Dirck tries to do two things here. First he tries to assess Lincoln's law practice in the context of its time and place. Second he tries to evaluate what effect the practice had on Lincoln, both in how the practice suited Lincoln's personality and how it may have helped shape it. He does well on the first task and not so well on the second.
   
   Dirck paints a clear picture of the typical law practice of the day and shows that Lincoln's practice was not much different, except that he was more successful at it than many others. Lincoln had a general practice covering all of the legal areas of the time but largely concentrated on civil cases, most of which were claims for money owed (often on simple IOU's). There were a relatively few forays into criminal law, mostly (with but a few exceptions) minor crimes. In his practice Lincoln was neither a champion of the downtrodden nor a simple tool of corporate interests. Lincoln represented whoever happened to hire him and used all the tools available to a skilled and honest lawyer: Procedural rules, courtroom drama, legal knowledge and persuasive oratory. Lincoln, like all lawyers then and now, also spent a lot of time trying to settle cases before trial. Dirck speaks of this as "grease" (for the system) and seems to suggest that lawyers of the day were conscious of the system's need for "grease" and that Lincoln made special efforts to conciliate disputes. He offers, however, little hard evidence that Lincoln differed significantly from his colleagues in this respect.
   
   Dirck also argues that law was especially congenial to Lincoln because it fit neatly into what Dirck sees as salient aspects of Lincoln's personality (such as his reserve, tendency to avoid commitment, his dislike of conflict, his supposed love of conciliation and so on). Most of what we know, or think we know, of these supposed traits is based on anecdotes gathered by one of Lincoln's former law partners, William Herndon. The testimony was all given after Lincoln's death and apotheosis and is all anecdotal as well as subjective. Here I think Dirck spins too easily into amateur psychologising. The evidence for the conclusions is thin.
   
   Dirck's prose style is quite clear but very plain. He does not seem to have great legal knowledge. He describes a contract case, for example, as having been won on a "technicality" when it was dismissed for lack of "consideration," a legal notion that goes to the essence of contract law because it describes the exchange that makes the bargain. Dirck's book provides a useful overview of Lincoln's actual practice, devoid of myth but not compelling in style.



5. Brian Dirck's Lincoln the Lawyer is a "must read" for scholars and pleasure readers alike. Dirck, an Anderson University professor, takes his readers from the shock a Sangamon County farmer expressed when he learned Lincoln was studying law to Lincoln's final days as an attorney in his law office across the street from the Old State Capitol in Springfield.
   
   That journey took Lincoln through three partnerships,through courts in Springfield and the Eighth Judicial Circuit and in front of the Illinois and United States Supreme Courts. By the time Lincoln left for Washington, this self-taught lawyer was one of the most respected in the state. His cases ranged from property disputes and divorces to murders and large railroad cases. Fees he received ranged from $10 or less to the $5,000 fee he received representing the Illinois Central Railroad in their dispute with McLean County, Ill. over taxes assessed the railroad. To understand Lincoln, you must understand this important period in his life. This book will fill that need.
   
   Dirck is an academic and his book meets all the criteria of a scholarly volume - well researched, indexed, well cited - yet at no time as a reader do you feel as if you're wading through an academic work that's way over your head. Dirck's book is a comfortable, entertaining read. He's a gifted writer and a scrupulous scholar.
   
   In my book, Dirck's is a must for anyone who really wants to understand those 25 years and the longest career in Lincoln's life.

5 comments about Character Counts: Leadership Qualities in Washington, Wilberforce, Lincoln, and Solzhenitsyn.

1. In a time when our nation (United States) no longer produces true statesmen with character such as Washington, Mason, Henry, Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, I'm saddened that Abraham Lincoln is seen by the editor as a man of character. It would seem, if one is to be a thinking evangelical, that the horrors that Lincoln permitted in the South would un-nerve the most honest of scholars. Here, Os Guines has done a serious disservice to the orthodox Christian community. Abraham Lincoln rejected the Virginia Peace (which included former president John Tyler) accord and Sen. Critendem's compromise for peace. Surely had Lincoln accepted these plans for peace, thousands of lives could have been saved. But most of all, the total war theory Lincoln allowed is the most offensive and repugnate to any thinking Christian. Women and children were implemented in Lincoln's so called war to save the Union. He jailed opponents of his position, threatened the Supreme Court justice Roger Taney with arrest for writing against his war plan. Lincoln usurped the Constitution of the United States by declaring War against seceded states in violation of Article I sec. 8 (this is solely congress's domain). A nation birthed in secession hardly has the right to chastise those who operated from the same principle i.e. the right to govern themselves and self-determination. Os, you should be ashamed of yourself for lack of scholarship in this arena. Particularly over such a sensitive subject as the American War Between the States (Civil War). A man (Lincoln) who waged an offensive war against those who defended their rights and family against an unjust invasion has no place in a book where character matters. Maybe Robert E. Lee or Joshua Chamberlain could have saved you the embarassment. And no, Lincoln's war was not over slavery. Men do not take bullets so 10 % can own slaves. Character counts, so does scholarship.



2. In a time when our nation (United States) no longer produces true statesmen with character such as Washington, Mason, Henry, Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, I'm saddened that Abraham Lincoln is seen by the editor as a man of character. It would seem, if one is to be a thinking evangelical, that the horrors that Lincoln permitted in the South would un-nerve the most honest of scholars. Here, Os Guines has done a serious disservice to the orthodox Christian community. Abraham Lincoln rejected the Virginia Peace (which included former president John Tyler) accord and Sen. Critendem's compromise for peace. Surely had Lincoln accepted these plans for peace, thousands of lives could have been saved. But most of all, the total war theory Lincoln allowed is the most offensive and repugnate to any thinking Christian. Women and children were implemented in Lincoln's so called war to save the Union. He jailed opponents of his position, threatened the Supreme Court justice Roger Taney with arrest for writing against his war plan. Lincoln usurped the Constitution of the United States by declaring War against seceded states in violation of Article I sec. 8 (this is solely congress's domain). A nation birthed in secession hardly has the right to chastise those who operated from the same principle i.e. the right to govern themselves and self-determination. Os, you should be ashamed of yourself for lack of scholarship in this arena. Particularly over such a sensitive subject as the American War Between the States (Civil War). A man (Lincoln) who waged an offensive war against those who defended their rights and family against an unjust invasion has no place in a book where character matters. Maybe Robert E. Lee or Joshua Chamberlain could have saved you the embarassment. And no, Lincoln's war was not over slavery. Men do not take bullets so 10 % can own slaves. Character counts, so does scholarship.



3. I'm dismayed to see the severely outdated political agenda of the Allens of North Carolina overshadow their opinions and reviews of Dr. Guinness' excellent book. I really doubt that the Oxford-educated Dr. Guinness should be "ashamed" of himself for his "lack of scholarship" in any area he chooses to write. Nor do I believe he is simply parroting the "Yankee propaganda," (referred to in another Allen "review") which is an entirely laughable concept.

   As for the book:
   A person's actions stem from their beliefs, which form their character. We have all seen examples -- at the corporate, political, and personal levels -- of those in leadership exhibiting less-than-ideal character, which corrupted their actions. This wonderful book provides a pleasant contrast to some of our contemporary leaders by examining the lives, actions, and beliefs of some truly amazing people; especially and including Abraham Lincoln, a wartime president who took extraordinary strides and went through unbelievable hardships to preserve our country.

   I'm currently reading my 4th book by Dr. Guinness, and have come to admire the author as a very strong Christian thinker and writer. As others have noted, he writes in the tradition of C.S. Lewis, and it is not hard to imagine him speaking to you personally as he guides you through his observations and reasoning.

   I also recommend "Fit Bodies, Fat Minds" and "Prophetic Untimeliness," as well as "The Call."




4. Following a rather politically charged introduction (the Lewinsky scandal is mentioned in the first sentence), the book has eight chapters, with two each apportioned to George Washington, William Wilberforce, Abraham Lincoln, and Alexandr Solzhenitsyn. The inclusion of Washington is baffling: if did anything that required character, it is certainly not described in his chapters, which include a short biography and a summary of his views on religious liberty. The chapters on Wilberforce and Lincoln are good. Those on Solzhenitsyn are so brief (and heavily edited) as to be unmoving.



5. Guinness chooses four outstanding men, from the past 250 years, to demonstrate the moral leadership qualities that are sorely lacking in our world today. These individuals, George Washington, William Wilberforce, Abraham Lincoln, and Alexander Solzhenitsyn all have left unmistakable footprints of integrity across the pages of time. By virtually any standard these are truly great men, and they are great because of their excellence of character. In an age that honors image and bows at the feet of spin-doctors, it is refreshing to be reminded that it has not always been so. And one can wish, if the Lord tarries, that we might once again live in a world in which integrity is back in style.
   
   That is not to say that all four of our heroes were true Christians. Wilberforce seems the best candidate, followed by Solzhenitsyn, Lincoln and Washington. This book however does not give any concrete evidence for the conversion of any of these men, save Wilberforce. Of course we are all rooting for them, but the sad truth is that while each possessed great virtues, most likely they lacked saving faith in Jesus Christ. This is almost certainly the case of Washington, who remained a Deist until the end of his life. And while honest Abe spoke much of God and often quoted Scripture, Christ and His saving grace is missing from his speeches and writings. Many have reported that Solzhenitsyn is a believer, but this volume provides no proof.