No comments about Not Far From Wigan Pier.

5 comments about Heart of America, The.

1. Don't bother with this one if you want to read about his experiences cycling. Get it if you want to reinforce your Christian faith, or be converted. Unfortunately, I was interested in the cycling angle. This book is not much more than an advertisement for Focus on the Family, the author's employer.



2. Even though I am a fan of Focus on the Family, and Mike Trout was the co-host of the broadcast when I read this book, I found it did not hold my attention. His descriptions of the places he stopped could have been enlarged, as well as the people he met and the sights he saw. He was accompanied by his son in law, and planned the coast to coast route which was not necessarily the easiest, but one which passed through Colorado, home of Focus on the Family.

   I agree that this could have been a full length magazine article instead of a book and certainly I would encourage readers to borrow it or check it out of the library. It is not a keeper in my opinion. Sorry Mike, I liked you as co-host, but as author, well, you are just so so.




3. If you are looking for a technical/tour guide type manual about crossing the country by bicycle, skip this one. If you are looking book written by an evangelical Christian bicyclist about his journey across our great country, this is the one. Mike Trout, co-host of the Focus on the Family radio program, shares his experiences as he meets other Christians while doing something many of us only dream about. The hospitality and graciousness of the people he met along the way, gave me as a reader a renewed faith in the values that made this country such a great place to live. Some readers may be turned off or offended by the continual reference to scripture through out this book. But to the true believers, it is an example of how we should do all things in our lives with reverence to God and scripture. This is a book to be enjoyed be both cyclist and non-cyclist alike. The only criticisms I can find, I wish this book had more technical information, i.e. a route map, etc. and more detail about the eastern half of the trip. But as said before, there are other books written for those purposes. Another excellent book about cross-country bike travel is Over the Hills, by David Lamb. Written by a newspaper journalist, it also chronicles the trip of a man approaching mid life and unbarring on a life-changing journey. Very similar to Trout's book, but with out the religious overtones.



4. Living life to the fullest is something we all talk about but rarley do. This book is a great testimony of a man who actually did just that. My husband and I are coming up on age 50 and have talked about doing something adventurous for the past several years. Mike's book has definitely encouraged and motivated us to step up our plans. There is so much to experience in life if we just take that first step. We have made arrangements to backpack across the entire Appalachian trail next year. I can't wait. This book is a great tribute to all of us who dare to step out of our box a little, and to the great people of this country. I highly recommend it!



5. I purchased this book with interest since I, too, have taken cross-country bike trips. And I did find that two of Trout's messages rang clear. Those being that a person does need to pursue challenges of some kind or risk being absorbed by our spectator society, and that at heart people are basically kind and good-willed. I also found that some of Trout's "people he met" stories were interesting to read, and did bring back some personal memories. I was, however, disappointed with the overall flavor of the trip and the book. Trout's concern with getting to the end in as few days as possible was a little disconcerting to me. He needed to "stop and smell the flowers" a little more. Also, his constant mention of who was paying for his nightly motel room and the frequent credit given to the Focus on the Family ministry was a little too self-serving. In addition, I would have to agree with a previous reviewer in that there was too much relianc! e on Scriptural quotes and sharing of the Focus on the Family/Christian party line. This 190-plus page book would have been a much better magazine article than a book since there were not nearly enough fresh insights or stories to fill a book. I wish that Trout would have spent more time writing about his feelings as he looked up at a New Mexico sky, or as he talked to a Kansas farmer. I encourage Trout to keep journeying and writing. Only next time, I hope that he writes a little more for himself and not for the Walmart/Focus on the Family audience.

5 comments about Horse of a Different Color.

1. Just finished reading Jim Squires' outstanding book "Horse of a Different Color" which details his experience breeding,raising and racing Kentucky thorobreds, plus other bits & pieces of interesting lore. Haven't enjoyed a book this much in years. If you want to learn about the thoroughbred horse business, in general, and Kentucky horses in particular, and how Jim and his wife Mary Anne went about it, you won't find a more intertaining book anywhere.



2. Jim Squires provides a very unique approach to writing about an industry few have had the luxury of being on the inside of. "Horse of a Different Color" is intelligently presented and cleverly written. What a refreshing way to present information on a "culture" which exists in and of itself that few will ever have an opportunity to learn of otherwise. If you are at all interested in the horse racing industry, this book is a must read.



3. "Horse of a Different Color" shines when it shines the spotlight on Monarchos, winner of the 2000 Kentucky Derby. It sinks when the author looks at himself.

   Somewhere along the line, an Editor should have warned the author against using a second person narrative style. It just gets annoying after a while. And his dubbing of his wife as "The Dominant Female" is kind of cute at first, but after 300 pages it really grates on the nerves.

   Cutesy writing has no place in a book for adults.




4. Jim Squires, Horse of a Different Color (Perseus, 2002)

   Horse of a Different Color is an autobiographical account of Jim Squires getting into the horse breeding business and, three years after he started, breeding 2001 Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos. Whether that was a stroke of luck or breeding genius remains to be seen, but following Monarchos through the eyes of his breeder is engaging enough to make a decent book.

   Where it falls short is in Squires' writing style. First, note the word "autobiographical" in that first paragraph. Squires insisting on using the third person would have been an amusing trick for a chapter or two, but he persists throughout the novel. It gets old after a few pages. Also, there's something vaguely disquieting about his attitude towards women here; it almost seems too deferential to be real (and thus, a cover for something else). This could certainly be a literary device; the book's subtitle does mention that there are an excess of dominant females within these pages. Still, some of the descriptions in here made me read twice.

   When he focuses on the horse, though, everything works just fine. Even the annoyance of the insistent third person narrative fades into the background. Monarchos was one hell of a horse, and Squires' book captures that well enough. Not as well as Hillenbrand captured Seabiscuit or Farley captured Man o' War, but enough for the Derby-and-Breeders' Cup horse fan to relive some good memories.

   Recommended, though it won't make the top twenty-five list this year. ***




5. I really enjoyed Seabiscuit, so I figured I'd give Horse of a Different
   Color a try. This book focuses on the money and the dumb-luck of the
   breeder (and author) of Monarchos, Derby winner from a few years back.
   The author uses self-depricating humor and name-dropping en masse to
   turn an undoubtedly exciting story into a painful, annoying tale. In a
   few paragraphs of unwisdom, author Jim Squires mentioned
   Seabiscuit, only compounding my fury at what this book is not.
   Instead of interesting characters (although I imagine they were there,
   Mr. Squires just didn't let us know them), we got names and
   generalities. Instead of heart-pounding tales of horse races, we got
   ho-hum descriptions of only two races.

   I will admit that there were a few worthwhile pages. I was unaware of
   the foreign interest in horse racing nor the internal politics of racing and
   breeding, but I would have rather read that in a short magazine article.

   Maybe this book is selling to all the hopeful newspaper editors turned
   lucky breeder. If that's not you, I'd stay away.

No comments about Agent 146: Library Edition.

No comments about Martin Luther: Library Edition.

5 comments about I Rode With Stonewall.

1. Seeing some of the Civil War battles through the eyes of a soldier is extraordinarily insightful. The writing here is excellent and the feel of the action quite real.



2. Written by a man who was close to Jackson, but published over 75 years after the fact, this account may or may not be totally factual. Nevertheless, even if it contains a modicum of BS, it is still first-hand BS, and to me this is so much more interesting than accepting someone's perhaps biased "interpretation" of the same events well over a century later.



3. I read this book in 1979, and would rate it highly as a good read.
   However, I was disappointed a few years ago to learn that the entire thing is a fabrication, a string of lies from beginning to end.
   A lot of men lie about their military service. Apparently Douglas was one of the more flagrant exemplers.
   
   Unfortunately, I can't back up what I'm saying. I have no source. I forget where I read it.
   
   While re-reading a passage in Shelby Foote's narrative history, I came across the account of Stonewall sitting on the fence, eating the lemon. Douglas is, I believe, the main, if not the only source for the "Lemon Legend."
   I wondered to myself, "Now where did I read that Douglas's memoir was an utter fabrication? I'll check the Amazon reviews; surely someone will have debunked this book."
   
   So here I am. My only point is, don't believe me or Douglas.
   Let the Reader Beware.
   
   Can anyone shed some light on this?



4. "I Rode with Stonewall" is one of the finest personal narratives of the Civil War, America's most decisive and costly conflict. The author, Henry Kyd Douglas, began writing this memoir soon after the conclusion of the war, but put it aside for more than thirty years while he practiced law and raised a family. At his death, his book about the war had not been edited and it wasn't until a descendent discovered the transcript and found a publisher that it was finally released in 1940, on the even of another great martial struggle. I purchased my first copy on a visit to the Fredericksburg battlefield more than twenty years ago and after reading most of it on a flight back from Washington D.C. to California, left it on the plane and in the days before the Internet, it was hard to secure another. Fortunately, on another tour of Civil War battlefields and museums, I managed to bring a copy back for my library - it's that memorable a book. Henry Kyd Douglas was a native of Maryland and a dashing young officer who served on Stonewall Jackson's staff in the early stages of the Civil War. And, like many other Confederate officers and enlisted men, he was devoted to the stern, brilliant artilleryman. Douglas later had a field command and despite being wounded no less than six times, he survived four years of brutal war. Unfortunately, other young heroes of the Confederacy, friends of Douglas like John Pegram, Sandy Pendleton and John Pelham did not. Douglas was handsome, dashing, brave and outgoing and because of these qualities, he was popular with officers on both sides in the war and a favorite of the Southern belles. His account is peppered with fond encounters, but always chivalrous, he abbreviates the names of the women he flirted with. Although the book is full of death, of lives lost in the ill-fated cause of the Confederacy and the abominable institution of slavery, it also shows that there was an idealistic and romantic side to the war. Even in the service of a bad cause, the terrible conflict between North and South brought out the deeper qualities of the men that served. Jeffrey Morseburg



5. This book, first published in 1940 - long after Douglas' death - is based on Douglas' war-time journal and personal papers. Douglas began to assemble them into book form several times, but never had them published; his relatives did......What emerges are wonderful portraits of Douglas, Jackson (for whom Douglas was a staff officer) and many other well-known (and not so well-known) soldiers and civilians caught in the Civil War. Douglas is decidedly pro-Jackson, but Douglas also shows us the real Jackson: a man who could be cruel to the extreme and then gentle and kind a few moments later. The book is fill with humorous anecdotes, which make it a "fun read" - I could not put it down. Yet there is an underlying sadness in the book, as one watches Douglas' many friends being killed off, sees the homes of his family and civilian friends burned or otherwise destroyed. Douglas never explicitly states it, but the reader can feel the anguish that Douglas - and many others - experienced....... One thing Douglas did not do was go into great detail about each battle. He reasoned that later historians, with a better overall view of things, would do a much better job. What he does do is "put you there" - whether in battle, in camp, or on some small adventure. This is one fantastic book! Along with the memoirs of Gen. E.P. Alexander, these memoirs are about the best I have ever read. Simply a great book!

5 comments about Madame Hillary: The Dark Road to the White House.

1. In this book Emmett Tyrrell and Mark Davis explain in great detail why a Hillary Clinton presidency would be so dangerous to the country.
   They expose her strategy,it's source,and her m.o. both as First Lady and Senator. It's a prophetic description of her as a presidential candidate also.
   You will discover the cast of often dubious characters who surround her fund raising and campaign team. Folks who won't be seen on camera.
   
   Her abuse of Barbara Feinman who ghostwrote "It Takes a Village" is an all too common character flaw in Hillary.
   
   "The problem is that after a decade of scandals and expose's,there is now so much evidence revealing her culpability that only a Clinton true believer will be satisfied by her protestations to innocence."-page 74.
   
   She has a curious habit of letting the skeltons tumble out of the closet and into public view to be debated again. A few prime examples are Roger Clinton's drug use which exposes Bill to possible scrutiny and the other is Bill Clinton's taking a pass on an offer by Sudan to deliver up bin Laden. The authors site a book "Losing bin Laden" written by Richard Miniter that tells how the Clinton administration downplayed terrorism as "criminal activity" in order to keep it on the back burner. He made an enormous error in judgment when he declined the oppurtunity to arrest and extradite a terrorist linked to attacks on the U.S. As a "copresident" this is part of Hillary's legacy too.
   
   It's almost comical to read about Hillary's paper written while she was on the House Judiciary Impeachment Inquiry during Watergate.She claims that she was correct about impeachment triggers in 1974,while she took the equally correct and yet opposite view during her husband's impeachment procedings. An example of her belief that she is always correct and those opposing her are part of a "vast right wing conspiracy" against her.
   
   A revisit for her health care debacle reveals the steep political price the Democratic party paid for it. They lost 52 seats and the Republicans got a Speaker in the House for the first time in 40 years.
   
   All the warts are exposed to the light of day here. Travelgate,Vince Foster,the cattle futures investment,corrupt campaign financing,theft of White House furniture.
   
   She is already using the same tactics and risks destroying the Democratic party with her egotistical,self aggrandised run for the presidency.
   This book is worth the read for anyone that wants to explore Hillary and the multitude of reasons why she should not be president!



2. They're posted by irrational, biased Clinton lovers. This author has not "made a career" of bashing the Clintons. I have read other books by him as well as articles from his magazine. They are thoroughly researched, the dozens and dozens of reliable sources are all cited, and only an IDIOT would contend it's fiction rather than fact. Mr. Tyrell does a public service in exposing the Clintons for the corrupt liars they are. Highly recommended.



3. R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr., and myself are on the same page regarding Hillary Clinton: we both consider her to be a very dangerous threat to America. The author does not make the mistake of ignoring the nefarious Saul Alinsky in her political development. His cynical amoralism underpins Senator Clinton's own political vision. She is indeed a dedicated, hard-core leftist who may be only slightly to the right of those radicals of the 1960s. She is definitely far more to the left than her husband. Hillary simply knows that her natural ideological inclinations must be hidden from the general public. The woman must fly under the radar if she is to have any chance of being elected president. In other words, Hillary Clinton must be willing to be careless with the truth if it is deemed necessary. Tyrrell, alas, provides ample evidence that the senator is more than willing to even outright lie---and slander anyone who threatens to derail to grab for power. Is the author a Clinton hater? Not in the least. Tyrell is prudent and dispassionately careful. He is very well aware that Clinton's folks will exploit any mistakes, however minor. And no, Madame Hillary is not outdated because it was released some three years ago. It is still relevant and extremely valuable in learning how to derail her plans to replace our Constitution government with a socialist and authoritarian one.
   
   You should also purchase a copy Whitewash: What the Media Won't Tell You About Hillary Clinton, but Conservatives Will. It is imperative that we keep Hillary Clinton out of the White House. These two books will give you the critical ammunition to do your part. Please do not underestimate the damage Senator Clinton will do if given half a chance. Your children's future, if nothing else, depends on your taking her seriously.



4. I was hoping for some intelligent insight into Hillary Clinton when I bought this book. Clearly, much can be said on both sides of this subject. I am trying to listen carefully to both and then make up my mind about her.
   
   This is the equivalent to a rant from a right-wing Rosie O'Donnell. Don't waste your money on this rehash of old news.



5. It is quite an amazing co-incidence that at least in some ways this book presented as "fact" seems to mirror a book presented as "fiction" which is entitled The Empress Project. Both books tell of an American woman of boundless and unbridled ambition seeking ruthlessly to become president of the United States. Author Tyrrell calls Hillary "Madame Hillary", while Dr. Little, author of the other book, writes a story of political intrigue about a CHICOM plot to make an evil American woman Empress of America. Are the similarities of these two books merely coincidental ?The Empress Project

No comments about Ralph Richardson.

5 comments about Indestructible: The Unforgettable Story of a Marine Hero at the Battle of Iwo Jima (Library Edition).

1. This book is full of self praise and a large ego. Not a humble word in it. The author talks of his buddies, roommates, and other people with barely mentioning a name or how they influenced his life. He does mention his family and the influence of his mother and deceased father. What he did on Iwo Jima was heroic and highly commendable but, he just keeps on about himself and his Medal of Honor. His claims of coming from a valiant military heritage are unsubstantiated. He should have something to back that he is the descendent of veterans of the American Revolution (fighting the British), the Civil War, and two awardees of the British Victoria Cross. There are two Irishman named Lucas who were awarded it but, both lived from the 1850's to the early 1900's in Ireland.
   It does seem that he writes the book as if he is the only Marine on Iwo Jima. There is little mention of the names of the Marines that he served with and his interactions with them. Every Marine has a history. You will receive the impression that he wasn't very well liked by his peers and was insubordinate to superiors. I believe that commanding officer that let him stay on the ship after deserting his unit in Hawaii had no choice but to attach him to a battalion and send him into the fight. It would have been an even bigger hassle to send him back to Hawaii. That unit was going to war and they were not going to think twice about giving that kid a rifle and putting him on that beach.
   His time in the brig and driving a trash truck leaves the reader to question: "Was he up to high standards of being a Marine that he says he was?" The sentence he received from a court marshal (yes, I said court marshal) seemed too hefty for just roughing up a guy. The recount of his first sexual experience just after he tells the story of shoving a broom handle into the "offending orifice" of a mule, named after a girl he was afraid to talk to, should have been left out. This book should have been written by a non-bias author that is willing to do some research. His reason for joining the Army almost sounds like an excuse. He submits to the reader that it was his undying desire and primary mission in life to be a Marine and kill the Japanese.



2. Despite what some other reviewers had to say, it should be noted at the outset that Jack Lucas didn't finish high school, and obviously didn't go to Columbia for a writing degree. He simply lied his way into enlisting in the Marine Corps at the age of 14, and ultimately conned his way into frontline units until he finally reached combat at Iwo Jima. Having wanted to be a Marine and fighting since he was 11, his dedicated pursuit of his goal seems impossible to believe, but it did happen, and this is his story.
   
   Having met Jack, he is exactly like what the story sounds like. He is proud, patriotic, and unabashed in his belief that his actions that day were less significant than those who never returned. I found the story of his life after the war to be interesting, especially what his own wife would attempt later.
   
   This is not going to tell the story of the whole war, and isn't a literary work that rivals Shakespeare, but it is one man's story, and well worth the time to read it.



3. Mr. Lucas has just spent 212 pages doing nothing more than patting himself on the back and telling the public how big a hero he is. He also spends a great amount of time in stating how he relishes the limelight he is in and will go to any length to exploit the Medal of Honor to his own use. From some of key phrases in the book, the reader would think he was the only Marine on Iwo Jima. While I highly respect him for the action for which the medal was awarded, I do not respect the idea of using it to ones advantage. The author also seems to think that what he cannot accomplish with the Medal of Honor around his neck, his two fist will get for him.



4. There can be little doubt that this book wouldn't have been written if this aging hero had not been singled out by President Clinton during his presidency in a nationally televised State-of-the-Union address. Mr. Lucas was the President's special guest for the occasion, and one can understand why. While Lucas is an unquestioned military hero, he was less of a hero to his children and his first wife. (Those who were on the receiving end of his quick and violent temper may not view him in the hero light either.) A self-described womanizer, Lucas was the perfect foil for the Clinton plot to bolster the President's image by profiling a man who is living proof that no matter how badly you conduct your private life, it doesn't have to interfere with your service to country. This book will read like a poem to Clintonites, but may blanch a bit to the few of who still believe personal morality matters to whatever task you set yourself to.
   
   Lucas is a hero, and his professions of faith in the Lord who protected him not only on Iwo Jima but in several other major life crisis redeems this book and makes it worthwhile. But if your looking for the ALL American hero, better look elsewhere for reading material.



5. I am a retired Marine and I generally read several books on the Marine Corps each year; I had never heard of Jack Lucas before this book. But, I came to believe that his discplinary issues, has resulted in the Marines excluding him from the general USMC history, we teach our young Marines at recruit trainng or OCS.
   
   I am glad I bought the non-abridged audiobook edition (part of daily commute). Its audio quality was pretty good. It is a good recounting of history, but someone should have listed to it before it was finalized on CD. There were repeations of several sentences which made we wonder if my CD player was on the blink. In addition, references to "126" should have redone they should have been redone as "1st Bn, 26 Marine Regiment". Better for non-Marine listeners.

No comments about Down to Earth.