5 comments about Edward I (The English Monarchs Series).

1. I absolutely loved this book. Edward I, who of course is my favorite ruler of all time, was fairly covered in this scholarly work. I highly reccomend it to anyone interested in the life of a wonderful king.



2. At times I was very pleased with Prestwich's biography of Edward I. The detail is very precise and complete, leaving you with a very close inspection of Edward I. But this could be one of the reasons I didn't particularly care for this biography. Prestwich went into way to much detail of absolutely every aspect that touched Edward I the slightest in any way. If two kings were going to have a duel or a battle this would be described since Edward wrote a letter of conciliation to the two kings. Furthermore, whole chapters would be devoted to people that worked for Edward I, which meant the chapter was just a continuous list of names.
   
   His descriptive abilities are very dry, leaving the reader uninterested. This biography is a very scholarly, detailed work for someone looking for an exhaustive look at this important English king. This is an amazing task he accomplished, but also casts a negative shadow because it seems that he didn't really know what to write about so he simply wrote about everything. I never thought I would not care for a biography because of too much information but, alas, Prestwich has done it. Unfortunately, biographies need to have more of a structure behind them, more of a game plan.
   
   I would recommend this book to those looking for an exhaustive portrayal of Edward I. Even for those looking for information on Edward I I would recommend, but would advise to not try and read the whole thing, as this may kill your desire to read anything from this book, but instead pick and chose the chapters that interest you. So, to sum it up, a great detailed biography with too much detail. A book meant to reference, not read.
   
   3.5 stars.



3. Along with J.R. Maddicott's biography on Simon de Montfort, I would put this biography as one of the best biographies written for historical figures of this time period. Good thing is, they both compliment each other well.

   Michael Prestwich's work proves to be superbly researched, highly informative and above all for me, very readable. It does help to have some previous reading on the subject since Edward I had a long career from his teen age years and it kept going until he died. The thick book covers all aspects of Edward's long and colorful life in richness of details and facts.

   In this book, you will not see Edward Longshank of that movie, Braveheart, which probably did its outmost to ruined the reputation of this great ruler. In this book, the reader will understand why many regards Edward I as one of England's greatest rulers, easily in the top five, maybe the top three!!

   I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this subject and had read on this material before. Good background reading would be helpful in getting the most out of this book. Written by a great scholar for other scholars or "scholar want to be".




4. This books is so rich in historical fact and details, drawn from medieval records of that period. For someone wanting more than the superficial, this book supplies it, showing Edward in a scholarly fashion rather than the usual pro or con look. It's very details in what it cost to run Longshanks' kingship, right down the wars against Wales and Scotland.

   Very balanced in presentation and offers us a deep insight into the man who remade England, conquered the Welsh and Irish, fought France and faced the rise of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce.

   Highly recommended.




5. Edward I (Yale English Monarchs) by Michael Prestwich is an extremely well researched, cross-referenced and influential book on the subject of early Plantagenet history. Drawn on the original records of the age (late 13th, early 14th century) is portrays different achievements of the productive reign - Edward a Lawgiver, Edward a Warrior in Scotland and France, Edward a Family Men, Edward a Diplomat, and ... of course Edward loosing his temper. Especially well presented are the accounts of the Household and Exchequer, and a review of Parliamentary activities of Edward. Books somewhat dry tone is justified by extensive reference collection. A great first scholarly introduction to one of the most important reigns in British history.

5 comments about The Kennedys: An American Drama.

1. I was pretty disappointed. I have read a lot on individual Kennedys, and was looking for something to tie them all together. This book is very surface level, and practically ignores the women in the family. I know it is more interesting to cover the successful politicians (all male at the time of first publishing in 1984) and the drug abusers (apparently also all male, but still not sure), but a word or two about some of the other Kennedys would have been nice. For example, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who founded the special olympics, gets only passing mention. All in all an interesting read, but mostly because the family (faults and successes) is so compelling, not because of the writing.



2. Heard the taped version of THE KENNEDYS: AN AMERICAN
   DREAM by Peter Collier and David Horowitz.
   
   This was a controversial NEW YORK TIMES bestseller when
   it was published in 1984, and I can see why . . . it tells the
   story of a dysfunctional family over three generations, centering
   around the elder Joseph Kenney and his wife Rose Fitzgerald . . . it then
   moves on to tell how his sons Jack and Bobby moved into the
   limelight via their careers in elected politics . . . and the book
   concludes with an account of Teddy's troubles, as well as those
   of the younger Kennedy children.
   
   Along the way there was adultery, drug usage (particularly by
   Jack during his presidency), alcoholism, and a variety of characters
   who mostly come across as not very lovable . . . perhaps only Lem
   Billings, JFK's best friend and subsequent family advisor, comes
   across in any sort of favorable light.
   
   My main criticism of THE KENNEDYS had to do with the last
   part . . . many of the younger Kennedys were portrayed in a negative
   fashion and though they may have had their difficulties while in
   school, several settled down and went on to careers in public
   service . . . consequently, I could have done without some
   of the dirt that seems to have been found.
   
   Yet that is probably what gives this book its appeal, so I'd
   recommend it if you want both the good and the bad about the
   Kennedy family . . . in addition, the narration by Joseph
   Campanella was outstanding and added to my enjoyment
   of listening to this tale about a dynasty that had to face
   so much tragedy over the years.



3. I read this book in 1984 and found it quite relevant and enlightening at the time. I am glad that the third generation has gotten itself together and are doing good things.
   
   I have also notice that any books written after Jackie's death have a wealth of information! President Kennedy is a real person (not some far off statesman). Jackie's plus and minuses are explored and she becomes human too! The way she raised Caroline and John was amazing and they seemed to have avoided any of the pitfalls of their other cousins. Except the most devastating one of course and that was will always be a great tragedy of a young life unfinished.
   
   Another excellent book written at the same time is Doris Goodwin's: The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys: An American Saga. John B. Davis, Jackie's first cousin has written serveral books on Jackie, Kennedy's and the Mafia. You will not be disappointed.



4. Well written and engaging, the book surveys three generations of Kennedys over four sections, beginning with how Joseph Patrick Kennedy shaped his family and gave his sons a calling (Architect of Their Lives) then moves on to how his sons Jack and Bobby developed their public careers following Joe, Jr.'s death in WWII (The Stand In) then moving to the peak Kennedy years of Jack's Presidency and Bobby's campaign (Brothers Within). The drama ends as both a sad farce describing Teddy's troubles and as a tragedy invading the lives of the lost generation of Kennedy children (The Lost Boys).
   
   The book centers, as did the family, around the elder Joseph Kennedy and his wife, the queenly Rose Fitzgerald. JPK's generosity and his sincerity surprise the reader given his raw ambition, his selfishness, his manipulation of people, his womanizing, and his incompetence as a diplomat. All this was equaled only by his talent as a business man and in the end surpassed by his devotion as a father. On the other hand, Rose comes off rather dry and unappealing, which is a little difficult to believe given that she had nine children.
   
   A disturbing revelation of the book was how high on drugs (usually prescribed) Jack was during his presidency. His awful health mandated pain killers and other drug therapies to allow him to function, but at the same time must have affected his judgment and his ability to work. Given the confrontational character of the Kennedys, one shudders to think of how badly the Cuban crisis could have turned out.
   
   I have two strong criticism of the book. First, not enough space is given to JPK's most important contribution to the United States: he created and established the Securities and Exchange Commission, which gave the USA for decades a virtual monopoly on fair and transparent financial markets. (President Roosevelt apparently responded to critics of this appointment that "it takes a crook to catch a crook".)
   
   Second, in the interest of protecting privacy, the material on the last Kennedy generation should have been left out. The book was published in 1984 when the lost Kennedys were still in their teens and twenties. The authors needlessly (though with sympathy) sensationalized sad stories, at too early a time in those lives to pass any sort of critical judgment.
   
   The most interesting discovery for me was Lem Billings. He basically followed all three generations: best friend to Jack Kennedy, reassuring JPK that his son had someone supporting him outside the family, and surrogate father to some of the young Kennedys after Bobby's assassination until his death in the early 80s. A short book on Billings would be welcome.



5. One of the first things you will see are family-trees at the beginning of every part, where you can see all the members of the family, their children and their birth- and deathdates. Unfortunately for the Kennedy family many died prematurely, as is well recognized.
   
   Most Kennedy books will be focused on John F and his brother Robert F who were both shot. But in this book they still play main parts, but not the only ones. The book starts when the Kennedy's, and Fitzgeralds, came to America and how they quickly rose in first Boston and later American society, even though they had one big disadvantage; they were Irish.
   
   JFK's grandfather Honey Fitz became mayor of Boston by using the Irish vote. Joe Kennedy Sr. started out selling newspapers but was soon a movie producer, even having an alleged affair with movie star Gloria Swanson, something his sons would later copy with Marylin Monroe of course.
   
   Then came the biggest move in Joe Kennedy's life; he became Ambassador in England under Roosevelt, with whom he had a somewhat strained relationship. He would ever since be referred to as the Ambassador, even in his own family.
   
   Collier and Horowitz make it clear that the Ambassador is the most important member of the Kennedy family and that every child's actions are in some way related to him. The story is sometimes a little TV-movie sentimental, but whould would you do if you lose 4 children when you are still alive. The oldest son Joe dies in a WWII plane crash, his oldest daughter marries but loses her noble husband soon and dies herself in a plane crash a few months later.
   
   And of course there are the deaths of JFK and RFK.
   
   It's certainly not a hagiography telling how great the Kennedy's were. Old Joe Kennedy is sometimes shown as a towering figure who completely dominated his family's life until his stroke. JFK got his last rites twice and was often very sick with pain in his back and Addisson's desease. His medication is mentioned in the book and also are his numorous flings with women in the White House, his own house, even Airforce One. RFK seems to have been the most moral person and I believe the authors feel that way too. They explain his religion, his fight against organized crime and Jimmy Hoffa and also his meetings with minorities all over the world. He seemed to have had the Kennedy promise even more than his brother Jack or later Ted.
   
   The last part of the book is devoted to the next generation who cannot seem to deal with their heritage and often get into trouble, it seems as if everyone in the family is doing drugs, the last Kennedy death in the old edition, even loses his life because of it.
   
   It's a gripping story that sometimes reads like a novel. I think it gave a balanced story of the family with the good but also the bad, which made them even more human. It's a lot clearer now why the family was so loved and hated at the same time.
   
   A must-read for Kennedy-admirer and Kennedy-hater alike.

5 comments about Mirror to America: The Autobiography of John Hope Franklin.

1. John Hope Franklin has been through a certain kind of hell prevalent in this country for centuries -- the hell of discrimination, the hell of being looked upon by whites as something less than human. Slavery was abolished in the 19th century after this country lost hundreds of thousands in a civil war. That uprising by the South still splits America, and African Americans have never truly been free.
   
   Dr. Franklin, who took his Ph.D in history at Harvard, has written not only the scarred story of his people but of discrimination that has never ended. As a young boy, he grew up in a small town in Oklahoma that was founded by African Americans. His lawyer-father finally managed to move the family to Tulsa, after a now-famous riot in 1921 destroyed the Greenwood District, the center of black commerce in the community. Even today, there are no reliable statistics on how many African Americans died in that tragedy.
   
   Throughout his illustrious career as an historian, teacher and presidential advisor, Dr. Franklin never wavers in his criticism of a "free" country that enslaves an entire race. Afterward, over a century of "Jim Crow" laws and traditions made blacks lead poverty-stricken lives in segregated schools, lunch counters, restrooms -- every aspect of life in America was separate and unequal.
   
   But his is a criticism tempered with knowledge and love of his country and his fellow students, historians and citizens, regardless of color.
   
   Here is a figure of history who, as a young boy, was not allowed by the white community of Tulsa to do even the simplest jobs, like delivering a daily newspaper, the Tulsa Tribune. Franklin delivered the newspapers by proxy -- only white men could be official carriers. Young Franklin did the actual work.
   
   This was the same newspaper that, reportedly, supported legalized lynching of African Americans. During the Tulsa race riots in 1921, that same newspaper urged the Greenwood area be burned to the ground. It was.
   
   He recounts another experience as a youngster in Tulsa. He saw an elderly white woman, who was blind, trying to cross a street alone. As a Boy Scout, Franklin knew it was an honorable deed to help her. She accepted his help, until she found out he was black. Then, she shoved him away and crossed by herself.
   
   This was the atmosphere in which Dr. Franklin formed the fortitude to build a life that would fight for freedom, justice and equality for all. Through his long life, he continues the battle to change and better his country.
   
   Sometimes, that battle became dangerous. During Franklin's college days, he recounted being part of a research team that talked with former slaves, plantation workers and sharecroppers. He and a fellow scholar were nearly lynched because they interviewed workers on a plantation in defiance of the plantation owner's orders.
   
   This winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, paints a picture throughout his autobiography of a nation that has lost the talents of an entire race of people, simply because of its prejudice in every area of society.
   
   In later life, he was reminded again of racist America. He says it best: "At age sixty I was ordered to serve as a porter for a white person in a New York hotel, at age eighty to hang up a white guest's coat at a Washington club where I was not an employee but a member."
   
   Yet, when President Clinton asked him to chair the President's Initiative on Race, he did so willingly. Dr. Franklin learned another lesson: the national press corps refused to either report, or report accurately, the workings of the committee.
   
   The Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, and other major news outlets refused to send reporters to meetings of the national conversation on race.
   
   "'For his entire year as chairman,' wrote a reporter for The Boston Globe, 'Franklin never met face-to-face with Clinton.' This was, of course, stunningly inaccurate,'" Franklin wrote.
   
   This autobiography is, in itself, a national conversation on race and raises questions by which could hang the fate of the nation: in 2001 "...there were more young black men in jails and penitentiaries than in college...". The glass ceiling for African American employment remains. Discrimination in housing continues. The majority of African Americans still live in low-income neighborhoods.
   
   This book is a poetic, evocative plea for fairness and growth as a nation. It remains a 'must read' for every American, no matter what race.
   
   It has the rise and sweep of a great work of art, authored by a great and remarkable American, Dr. John Hope Franklin.



2. I purchased this for another person. As far as I know she is satified with the book according to what she was looking for.



3. I really enjoyed the written format and getting to know this man, his family history as well the impact of Black History over all. I've met him and to see this man at 90+ is amazing. A worthy book to include in your personal library.



4. Dr. Franklin shares his experience as a student, intern, volunteer, and educator in this poignant autobiography. The book is an excellent educational piece; it provides a view of a little-known segment of educational history as related to some of the top universities in America and abroad. Dr. Franklin's prose brings the reader to a point of understanding, of sitting in his place, feeling what he felt. It is a primer for all persons, regardless of race or ethnicity, who were not alive prior to the desegregation movement; it reminds us of how far we have come and how far we have to go.



5. I have heard two great lecturers in my life: Jean-Paul Sartre and John Hope Franklin. Franklin's autobiography reads the way he lectures - brilliantly. This is the book for those interested not only in the history of African Americans in the 20th century but also in the manner America dealt with race relations during the century when the issue of the color line was the decisive factor in the social and political life of the United States.

5 comments about Typhoid Mary: An Urban Historical.

1. This is a very interesting book. Aside from learning about Mary, you also get a history of New York City.



2. Anthony Bourdain provides a good, solid story, written in his fluid, irreverent prose. Too bad he says he'll not revisit this genre (non-fiction, historical), because he makes history fun to read. He puts Typhoid Mary in an historical and culinary context, as only he can do.



3. An entertaining urban historical of the infamous Typhoid Mary Mallon - the Irish cook with pestilence coursing through her ... um... bum. This one is a bit different because it's written by a chef who looks at Mary's life from the perspective of what it must have been like for a hard-working immigrant cook at the turn of the century, and he throws in a lot of details regarding the lack of cleanliness of the time which makes it a bit more understandable why Mary didn't tend to wash her hands after relieving herself, and thus prevent the spread of Typhoid Fever. Bourdain is decidedly sympathetic of Mary, when it's pretty obvious that Mary had a whole lot to do with bringing her misfortune upon herself... which makes you wonder: if Bourdain were offered some of Mary's trademark peach ice cream, would he have eaten it?



4. I really like Anthony Bourdain's writing style. It's conversational and unpretentious. This is a great book if you don't know the story of Typhoid Mary; however, if you are already familiar with it and are looking for something in depth with lots of details, this might not be perfect.
   
   I'm looking forward to reading more from Bourdain.



5. It just goes to show what someone with some desire to learn and a talent for writing can do. Tony Bourdain proves it yet again with his interesting and well-researched look at Typhoid Mary. Who knew she was a cook? I bet most people think she was a prostitute (I did). Bravo to Tony for having the ingenuity and the humility to do some top notch historical research here and produce a useful work of historical scholarship.

5 comments about TBI Hell: A Traumatic Brain Injury Really Sucks.

1. This book was very insightful for my 18 yr old son. He related to alot of the difficulties mentioned in the book. It was helpful for him to see that the struggles Geo went through and conquered are the same struggles he is currently dealing with. There are plenty of mistakes in the technical aspects of the writing but it lends itself to the realness of the situation. This book was not ghostwritten that is for sure. Someone earlier had recommended Dr. Osborn's book, I disagree, that book discussed memory/mental impairments that didn't necessarily apply in this book. Its like comparing apples to oranges. The brain is so complex and so are the injuries. I think this book is worth the 15 bucks I paid.



2. I have a "closed" brain injury due to an illness and was interested in hearing the authors views & experiences regarding TBI. I feel the author spent the majority of the book expressing his frustrations and ended the book leaving me feeling depressed and confused. Brain injury can be very hard, but focusing on the negatives does not help.



3. There were parts of the book that were informative, but this is not the best book written by a TBI survivor. Try I'll Carry the Fork or Claudia Osborn's book. While I wish Geo well on his future and with book sales, this is not the best book on the subject written by a survivor.



4. Although I haven't had time to read this whole book through (too busy caring for my TBI son) I have leafed through it, and it's right on!! The seller was very prompt in sending it, and it's in even better condition than I thought it would be!



5. I was rooting for Geo in the first half of the book as he made huge strides in recovery. Then I began to cringe as he blamed his therapists for his problems. My take is that he misinterpreted the friendliness that is integral to the therapeutic relationship as personal interest in him by a young woman. His brain injury caused inappropriate social behavior that he was unable to see and accept, and he needed more counseling to address that. We couldn't get both sides of the story.
   As a mild TBI survivor, I have gone through several types of therapy, and it is wrenching to end the therapy for that very reason: it feels like they've become my friends, but they are just being friendly therapists. For them, when it's over, it's over. For us, they become our support in an upside down world.

3 comments about Alexander the Great: Legacy of a Conqueror (Weekend Biographies).

1. I never would have read this book if i didnt have to, but once again, im glad i did. This book is really no different than anything about Alexander, except its short, easy, and it covers the important points of his life.
   If you have to read it- dont worry its not too bad, and if you ever wanted to know about Alexander the Great, this book is perfect for you, both academically and casually



2. History frequently expresses strong views of Alexander. Alexander was not the first cult figure but one of the greatest characters of history. I thought that history books were dates and footnotes and Greek passages. But it has come down to many more questions than answers. Why did more Greeks fight against Alexander as mercenaries than for him?
   I like the readability of the book. I knew something about Alexander the Great from high school. And then I learned on the History Channel about how his father Philip was killed. That's all I knew up to reading the book. Through this book I found the spirit of Alexander. The book provides a glossary which is very helpful. The book is a easy read. It's like a series of guest lectures and reviews that helped shaped the work . Frank Holt is the leading scholar working on Alexander and the East, as well as Greeks in Asia. I liked it and read more.
   I learned to like the word Arete meaning excellence, but it really means the "capacity for excellence" or "prowess." It is the Homeric ideal to which all heroes aspire and the driving principle in Alexander' s character. I took this took to heart.
   I never thought that money was so important to history. From the Persians 3 Billion dollars alone was the prize catch. I learned that many came over to Alexander the Great's side and he was met along the road and then cities would surrender their fortresses and treasuries to him. I enjoyed the book and liked it very much there were times I got into the action of the book. The topic of Alexander is 2300 years old. Alexander ordered a journal kept and even had a staff to keep it up to date. This was the Ephemerides ( or the royal Journal or "Day Book"). Today they survive in fragments. The literature published on Alexander in German, French, Italian and of course Greek is immense. I think I would like to read some day "William Woodthorpe Tarns, Alexander the Great 2, Cambridge, 1948.
   I have started another book,"Alexander the Great" by Paul Cartledge which tells of another Alexander, the Spartans and his ancient world. The book talks a lot about history but does not get into Alexander's relationship with his father Philip or his his career in terms of alcohol. Alexander favorite pastime was hunting. In Macedonia you did not become fully a man until you had passed the key manhood test of hunting and killing, without a net, one of the ferocious wild boars that roamed the heights of western Macedonia. Only then could you recline, as opposed to sitting, when participating in the daily ritual of the symposium, the evening drinking party. Another kind of hunting, the killing of enemies in battle entitled a Macedonian to wear a special belt, as a visual signal and reminder of his attainment and prestige.
   Alexander's legacy unites East and West in it's traditions including art and music. Alexander is a world legacy as well as a Greek Hero. Alexander is seen as hero, bad guy, holy man, Christian, as a new achilles, prophet and visionary, King of Macedonia and conqueror of the Persian Empire. No sexual relationship ever distracted Alexander from his purpose.
   From the reading I still question if Alexander was poisoned. I think he died because of a contracted fever and broken heart. I think he knew that his men wanted him to come home and finish his war in other lands. He left no heirs, nor did he establish any permanent structure for the empire. The League of Corinth had been dissolved. His empire fell apart.
   This book is presuming that the reader is beginning the study of Macedonia and Alexander the Great. Another book he wrote that I would love to read is In the Shadow of Olympus: the Emergence of Macedonia ( Princeton ,1990) by E. N. Borza which describes Aristotle teaching him at thirteen and combat training at seven.
   Alexander the Great introduced Greek as an official language throughout his vast empire. Alexander kept a copy of Homer's Iliad under his pillow. I liked how this man took care of his sick and wounded on the battlefield and disabled veterans. And he also took care of veterans as they got older.
   The first historical novel " The Alexander Romance" celebrated his many feats and Alexander coin portraits continue to be struck. Caesar as a pretorian governor in Spain, on seeing a portrait of Alexander, lamented that he was in his late thirties and had yet to do any thing great. This was the greatness of Alexander



3. Biographies of figures from the ancient world are often written, in the words of one of my old professors, "as if the author were being paid by the word." Lindsay Adam's new biography of Alexander the Great manages to avoid that trap. This book demonstrates that scholarship and readability are not contradictory. Adam's scholarly grounding is top-notch, but he does not clutter up his narrative with the usual wordy footnotes and passages in classical Greek. Both the professional historian and the history fan will find much to enjoy here. The author handles the complex and fascinating story of Alexander's conquests and their legacy with considerable grace and mastery. The professor looking for a text for undergraduates and the reader simply interested in a retelling of one of history's most compelling careers would both profit from this book.

5 comments about People of the Deer (Death of a People).

1. "People of the Deer" is apparently Farley Mowat's first book and one of his best. He lived for a year amongst the Ihalmiut, an Inuit people Mowat refers to as "People of the Deer" although they regarded themselves, as have many aborigonal people, as simple "The People."
   
   They are people of the deer--caribou--because, unlike other Inuit groups they are not sea hunters but, instead predators of the migratory caribou herds. The herds have declined in numbers but not as much as the Ihalmiut. From a population high of around 7,000 they had, by Mowat's time, declined to only 40. Why? The impact of European Civilization is too simple of a generalization but, in the Ihalmiut, a people almost extinct, we see the fate of millions.
   
   Native Americans have little or no immunity to Old World diseases. You probably don't have to go much deeper than this. Sure there was alcohol and cultural deterioration but, first and foremost, there is disease. It wasn't deliberate but it came when the first white man and/or African stepped shore in the Americas. Probably the Inhalmiut were slightly luckier than many. Many tribes died out without a trace. Estimates [read '1491'] that as many as 90% of native americans died as the result of unintentionally introduced European diseases.
   
   Ron Braithwaite author of novels--"Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"--on the Spanish Conquest of Mexico



2. The concept is correct anyway. These people were led to their demise by three factors: the church, commercialization (HBC), and the Canadian government. Mowat claims he spent two years living among these people. This is doubted by some. I've traveled in some of the areas that this book takes place. Not everyone has great things to say about this author. One person I talked to called him a historical novelist. He has other nicknames.
   
   But while it is questionable that all the events described in this book and its' successor (The Desperate People) actually took place, at least he got the main theme correct.



3. What ever you do, do not waste your precious life reading this book...



4. This book is magic. You will never think about a small band of Indians as statistics again. This book does volumes to make people of our society really feel what goes on in traditional societies. To feel jealous of their solidarity. To feel unloved by our own. It's great! READ IT.



5. First published in 1947 and available in a wide variety of editions since then, Farley Mowat's first and most distant book is still remarkably readable in the world of the 21st century. It concerns one of the stranger human sagas of the last century, that of the discovery and destruction of a remote Inuit society, the Ihalmiut, in Canada's north. The setting of the book is far enough away in time for us to marvel at how little things have changed since. The contemptuous attitude of European man for the aborigine seems hardly to have altered over the years. We are still hard put to understand the needs of the first peoples and how to answer them.

   Farley Mowat has combined a fine sensitivity for the natural environment with a sharp eye for the details of man's place within it. It must be exceedingly rare in the history of anthropology that such an inexperienced investigator has taken such pains to get to the source of his information. Mowat lived among the Ihalmiut for over a year to write the book. During that time he witnessed the rapid deterioration of the small group which remained, and tried to examine the causes of their decline. With very deft prose for such a young writer, he points out the difference between the intentions and the actions of the European discoverers of The People (as they refer to themselves) and the consequences of such disparity. The Ihalmiut were exploited in much the same way as any other tribal band found wandering by the early explorers. However, as Mowat points out, this was an exceptional group which had survived the extreme rigours of a barren land (known to us simply as The Barrens) for so many generations, only to be felled by contact with the very race which might have provided them with so much assistance.

   The Ihalmiut are long gone from their homeland but their story serves to remind us of our often difficult relationship with the land and the people on it. Perhaps, as a race of city-dwellers, we need to consider our place in the natural environment more than ever. Mowat's work is a just accounting of where we stand in relationship to nature. Nor does he suggest that we should all go and live in the tundra. Yet People of the Deer is a source of considerable inspiration for those now ready to reflect on the unbalancing effect of contemporary values.

5 comments about Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times.

1. Unique amongst most presidential biographies, which devote the majority of their pages to the pursuit and practice of the presidency, Brands' biography is more personal, devoting only 125 of 525 pages to Jackson's election and presidency, the rest to his full and violent life. This quote from Brands, spoken in context of the nullification (States Right) fight during Jackson's term, could well be his life's epitaph: "Jackson lived in a world of struggle. And the struggle never ended."
   
   Jackson's continuous struggle as an adult was for the preservation of the Union, during a time when the preservation of the Union was often tenuous and its eventual dissolution in the not-distant future assumed by many. Jackson's repeated mantra, as he expressed in a toast in defiance of the states-rights nullifiers: "Our Federal Union--it must be preserved." His policies and actions, vilified or praised, must be viewed through this prism.
   
   With only 125 pages to cover the highlights of Jackson's two-term administration--the nullification crisis, the Bank of the United States war, the (aborted) annexation of Texas, and relocation of the Southeastern Indian tribes across the Mississippi--the details are brushed over in summary form. But Brands captures the heart of the progression of American political leadership from republicanism to democracy, from federalists to Whigs to Republicans, from anti-Federalists to republicans to Democrats, from Washington to Jackson--and Lincoln, the connection Brand makes in the final paragraph.



2. Although it is 550 pages, this biography served as an excellent introduction to the life of our seventh President because I started the book almost wholly ignorant of this fascinating American patriot. This is the second H.W. Brands bio I have read. His bio of Benjamin Franklin was a better book but Andrew Jackson is, by no stretch, a disappointment.
   
   Jackson was the first of many Presidents to realize that one doesn't have to know a thing about politics or even like politics to rise to this nation's highest office through popular vote. Actually, that makes sense. After all, the average American neither likes nor understands anything about politics. He spoke as the man of the people while simultaneously placing himself far above them & ruling with an iron will and fist. As a retired general who was renowned for his fearsome temper, he was used to being obeyed or else. Old habits die hard. Jacksonian Democracy seems to be: democracy is great as long as I'm in charge or, to paraphrase Jefferson "all men are created equal but some men are more equal than others." Jackson was a self-made man through considerable leadership and intellectual talents. He not only knew he was more capable than the next man, he had proof.
   
   Politics is the art of compromise and Jackson was never a compromiser. A smart man of strong passions, he brooked no insult & did not suffer fools kindly. He seems to have considered anyone who disagreed with him in the slightest a fool. Jackson had that peculiarly abrasive personality that brought out the worst in anyone who disliked him & even caused much hesitation in those who supported him. Jackson's epitaph could fairly have read "loved, hated but never ignored." As a younger man, Jackson repeatedly demonstrated a singular lack of self control manifested in a hot-head and itchy dueling finger. He also seems to have unhesitatingly relished killing "the enemy" whether the enemy of was the misbegotten Indians or the wicked British. A slaveowner & expansionist, Jackson squarely alligned himself with the furtherance of American interests, whatever the collateral. Ignorable orders and bendable laws were hardly impediments to his goals. The ends justified the means. As an older man, he seemed to mellow and become more thoughtful but the lion could still roar and his claws, though usually retracted, were still very sharp and powerful. He was never a very intellectual nor spiritual man but had a surprisingly compassionate side to his personality in regards to his family. He was a strict Literal Constitutionalist and struggled incessantly against Interpretationalists. For a supposed common man of the people, he was strikingly conservative in his policies and Presidential demeanor.
   
   Brands spends a tremendous amount of time on Jackson's pre-Presidency life and not nearly enough on the contentious elections that sent his rival, John Q. Adams and then himself to the Presidency or on Jackson's two terms. Now I need to read a book or two specifically about Jackson's political career. A long, rewarding and unhesitatingly recommended read for anyone looking to familiarlize themselves with Old Hickory.



3. Complete and truthful. Jackson was a onery old coot and a great president and military hero. Brands does a very good job of covering his life and times. A good read.



4. H.W. Brands writes a detailed, fact-laden biography that treats Jackson with sincerity, but not excessive bias. The book is serious as well as alluring in that it maintains elements of the sweeping myth of the West - so relevant to Jackson and early America.
   
   More than half of the book deals with Jackson's life prior to his inauguration in 1821. While this may seem excessive, the context is critical to understanding Jackson and evaluating his legacy. As the first congressman for the newly formed frontier state of Tennessee, Jackson seems unfit for the laborious political maneuverings of Philadelphia and more apt to lead by the sword. With draconian discipline he succeeds brilliantly on the battlefield, crushing the Creek Indians and defeating the British in New Orleans in one of the most lopsided victories in American history. The people revere him as a fearless hero and maverick who is less inclined to listen to the Washington elites than to follow his own code forged from frontier experience - an experience rooted in dueling, drinking, slaves, Indian slaying and horses as well as in initiative, courage and persistence through immense hardship, of a sort unknown in the East.
   
   Jackson's fame, and infamy, ultimately propels him to the South Lawn where he hosts a raucous inauguration party, in stark contrast to his presidential predecessors. Again, Brands largely explains the most important acts of Jackson's presidency - the tariff, the bank crisis, Indian policy and western expansion - in terms of the lessons learned on the frontier as well as Jackson's instincts to preserve the Union at all costs - which fills the void left by his own deceased biological family.
   
   The end result is erudite and entertaining - a scholarly portrait peppered with stories of the frontier - that leaves the reader with a fuller understanding of Jackson and, despite Old Hickory's glaring flaws, at least a grudging respect for Jackson's courage, emotional devotion to the Union and embodiment of the hopes and fears of the American people. "His strengths were their strengths, his weaknesses were their weaknesses," writes Brands. More than anywhere else this was true of the American West.



5. Since I live close to the area where Andrew Jackson was born (while I am a native North Carolinian, South Carolina seems to have the most evidence for claiming him as a native born son since one of the pieces of evidence was that Jackson himself claimed to have born in South Carolina), I had natural interest in reading about his life.
   
   Overall I would say the book is a good read - the story gets off to a good start in describing Jackson's early life but does seem to drag on in other periods.
   
   Among the areas covered by Brands include:
   
   1. Jackson's early life and how he was orphaned at an early age.
   2. Participation in the American Revolution.
   3. Training and experiences as a lawyer.
   4. Move to Tennessese.
   5. Military experiences with Indians and the War of 1812.
   6. Political alliances and his many political enemies.
   7. Marriage to Rachel Donelson.
   8. Later life.
   
   I would have like to have seen some more maps that pertained to his travels and military battles - doing so would have made it easier to follow some of the narrative.
   
   Still, a good read on "Old Hickory". Recommended.

1 comments about From These Beginnings, Volume 2 (8th Edition).

1. Strongly recommended for experts or enthusiasts on the subject. An in-depth approach to some of the most important figures in early American history. Found the first volume more useful than the second only because information on people in the first volume is more rare. The passage on Tecumseh was a treat for the history buff and the passage on Lee provided a new insight on his personal life. A must read for history buffs!

5 comments about A Perfect Union: Dolley Madison and the Creation of the American Nation.

1. I had read that Dolley Madison is probably one of the most interesting, lesser known first ladies in our nation's history. This book definitly prooves that. Although there are a few inaccurate facts surrounding the Yellow Fever experience by Dolley's family in Philadelphia, Allegor seems like a trustworthy source on the topic. Hopefully she will release later editions in order to correct those inaccurate facts. It is also a shame there is not more information about her life before James Madison, with her first husband. But then again, that is not the main theme of this book. Recommended for both the amature and scholarly historian (I have a little of both in me).



2. I am very pleased with the time of delivery and the condition of the book.
   Aleene Wilcox



3. I picked up a copy of A PERFECT UNION: Dolley Madison and the Creation of the American Nation, by Catherine Allgor as research material for a novel set during the War of 1812. I had already read The Velvet Glove: A Life of Dolley Madison, by Noel Bertram Gerson, but I wanted more detail and insight regarding President and Mrs. Madison. I wasn't disappointed.
   
   A Perfect Union is packed full of information for a novelist wanting to add verisimilitude to a story. For anyone with more than a casual interest in the War of 1812, it provides fascinating insight into behind-the-scenes Washington City and a struggling new nation. Unlike most accounts, it illuminates the war and the political scene from a feminine viewpoint.
   
   For the most part, the facts presented by Ms. Allgor were consistent with my other sources. I noticed only a few factual glitches. I believe British atrocities were committed on the raid of Hampton village, not the battle of Craney Island a few days earlier. And I understand that the Capitol was still in two parts, separated by a wooden walkway, when the redcoats torched it.
   
   Overall, A Perfect Union is a fascinating look into the life and times of Dolley Madison.



4. This is a comprehensive biography of Dolley Madison and her role in James Madison's presidency. It was all right, but far too detailed for a biography on someone who was not a substantial contributor to American History. There were endless descriptions of the type of furniture used in the rooms, etc. which got a bit tedious. It was as though someone wrote a 1000 page biography of Jacqueline Kennedy and her role in JFK's administration; this would suffer from the same problems. The book needed good editing and abridgement, in its present form it is just too detailed.



5. Catherine Allgor serves up a great examination of not only Dolley Madison but a revealing picture of early politics in early America in A Perfect Union. I think she does a wonderful job in exposing how the Madison's, primarily Dolley, countered Jefferson in the way they operated in the young capitol. Allgor also gives us an entertaining glimpse into how an eighteeth century wife supported her husband, perhaps even out-shining him a bit. Allgor also shows us the private Dolley; the Dolley who managed a home but also liked to play cards and was pretty good at it. She also liked to drink....just a bit. These and other facts are great counterpoints to the public Dolley we've all learned about.
   
   I'm always a sucker for any book that deals with this period of American history. Early conditions in this country, especially during those years immediately following the revolution, allowed for a great deal of movement, especially socially and politically. Dolley truly shined during this era and Allgor does a wonderful job in painting that picture.
   
   As you read this book it becomes quite obvious that Allgor loves to do research. Her facts aren't in question though some other reviewers believes she goes too far. Perhaps. However, the greater value in A Perfect Union is the fact that the whole story is here
   
   A worthwhile read for sure.