4 comments about Fire: From "A Journal of Love" The Unexpurgated Diary of Anaïs Nin, 1934-1937.

1. This book is not as compelling as "Incest", but it's still Anais: still burning, still feeling, still wholly human, with all flaws and wishy-washiness included. But again, I warn away people who may not be down with heavily sexual content. If you are, though...



2. "This is not a lie. I was starting to tell lies and struck a truth! Very often I tell lies that are deeply true."
   -Anais Nin, January 17, 1937

   Diary opening with a visit to New York accompanying Dr Otto Rank. Searches for release from Rank. Back to Paris, Henry, Hugh, and to find Gonzalo More. Desriptions of interior worlds built for Hugh, Gonzalo, and Henry. Beautiful. Houseboat on the Seine, "Nanankepichu", Villa Seurat, Louveciennes.




3. Anais Nin was raised a devout Catholic and to earn her family's love she was expected to be demure, self-sacrificing, hard-working, and chaste. When her father abandoned the family she assumed, as children sometimes do, that he had left because she wasn't "good" enough. She played the role of "good girl" for twenty years in response. Then all hell broke loose.

   What I believe is different about FIRE is that it reveals Anais's explorations and experiementation with her inner "bad girl" in a way that she had only just begun in HENRY AND JUNE and INCEST. In it she is still married to Hugh and involved with Henry Miller, but in FIRE she has a relationship with the famous analyst Otto Rank that takes some treacherous twists and turns. Her writing is as wonderful as ever. For the Nin fan, this diary is yet another must-read.




4. As follower of Anais' Diaries (expurgated or not) and her novels I would like to express my admiration and my curiosity for her amazing literature and her rare personality, motivated again by "Fire". I believe that Anais was able to enjoy sex simultaneously with several men, each one of them however, playing an appropriate , no transferable, role: Hugh (husband),Joaquin Nin (father-lover),Eduardo Sanchez (cousin-brother), Henry Miller (friend-lover), Gonzalo More (lover-friend) and others. Occidental society usually attribute this promiscuous behavior only to men.As Anais shows, this may happen also among ladies, perhaps more often than accepted . Indeed, these "faults" may be heavily damned and punished by society when perpetrated by ladies. Probably Anais was the first woman , brave and courageous enough , to describe her own experiences and feelings about eroticism and sensuality written from a female point of view. Actually, looking at her inner mirror she describes herself with delicacy , ever avoiding disgusting pornography. I believe that Anais spent her life searching a Big One Love . As a result she found many "Love" and many Lovers . The sum of them never reached totality. Her Love was her fantasy and her invention, hence endless and inaccessible. On the other hand, in this and other books Anais masterly present unknown, almost domestic features and characteristic of the personality of several men and ladies who were outstanding representatives in art, literature, theatre, politics as Neruda, Alberti, Dali, Allendy, Rank, Gore and others.

No comments about The Life of Benjamin Franklin, Volume 3: Soldier, Scientist, and Politician, 1748-1757 (Life of Benjamin Franklin).

4 comments about Davy Crockett: His Own Story.

1. My children and I have thorougly enjoyed our reading aloud of "Davy Crockett: His Own Story". Written by Davy himself you feel like you are standing along side this great man of courage, determination, and heroism. We were rivoted by the honoring way this man lived his life. An awesome model for boys to emulate!



2. 
   A great read: True, I may be prone to some bias, as Disney's first (and highly idealized) broadcast of "Davy Crockett: Indian Fighter" made its indelible print on me when I was several months shy of four years old. But Crockett's own story is a splendid, vivid, and revealing piece of work that belongs on the shelf of every student of its era. As a veteran reader of such material, and a much-published college and university educator, I commend the publisher of this work for its civil large-print edition (some of Bertrand Russell's best material is done in the same format) of this volume. KN



3. I bought this book specifically because Davy Crockett himself was the author. I thought it would contain his entire autobiography, but the book ends before he goes off to Congress. The book and type are also much larger than I realized they would be. This book is more suitable for younger children. As an adult, I am quite disappointed.



4. Davy Crockett is a legend -- and Crockett knew this while he was still alive. Throughout this autobiography, he is careful to conform to his public image, while being willing to clarify some of the tall tales being told.

   Some have doubted Crockett's authorship, and he certainly used fellow congressman, Thomas Chilton of Kentucky to edit and assist in the manuscript preparation. However, the book is the work of Crockett and he wrote it in 1834, two years before the Alamo.

   Reading about Crockett in his own words (even though they may have been edited or enhanced by another congressman) is a delight.

   Well worth one's time.

5 comments about Mao Zedong: A Life (A Penguin Life).

1. Jonathan Spence is probably the leading Western scholar on Chinese history, and for that reason alone this book is worth reading. Spence provides the reader with a concise overview of Mao's life with an appropriate amount of commentary on issues that help the reader understand Mao's personality. This focus on Mao as a person (instead of Mao as an historical actor) is, in my opinion, the book's strongest feature.
   
   I'd like to spend a second or two dealing with what some of the other reviewers of this book have said, because I think several of them have missed the mark. Some people seem to be disquieted because Spence spends so little time covering the historical aspects of major events, such as the Long March, the Great Leap Forward, and the Cultural Revolution. However, the point of this book is not to give a detailed account of Mao's role in modern Chinese history, but rather to provide an image of Mao that readers can get their hands around. Spence accomplishes this task nicely, and reviewers misunderstand his purpose when they criticize this book for its lack of coverage of such important events.
   
   Another set of reviewers are disillusioned with the book because they feel it does not adequately show how Mao went from a middle-peasantry childhood to become the leader of China. I don't know what these reviewers think the book is missing in particular; I think Spence does a good job of capturing the essence of Mao's life through time, and Spence stops at each categorical change in Mao's life to explain what was going on that led to Mao's upward shift in stature.
   
   I give this book three stars because I think it is a book without a definable demographic in terms of readership. The content is too surface-level to be of much use to even the moderately informed Chinese history student. At the same time, Spence's sense of irony and paradox will probably be lost on the novice reader because of a lack of contextual understanding. Additionally, Spence leaves unexplained things that not all readers will understand (such as the role of various political bodies that get brought up). So it is that, in my opinion, this book is at times too advanced for the novice, and yet generally too introductory for the more experienced.
   
   I myself didn't learn a whole lot about Mao's life that I didn't already know. Spence's scholarship is very good, however, and there were a decent amount of details that I didn't know beforehand which I found interesting. Spence is very even-handed in terms of moral judgement, which is an important distinction between this book and others that present Mao as either a Saint/Savior or an Antichrist. As a concise biography I think Spence accomplished the worthy task of providing an image of Mao that readers can understand, and on that basis I would recommend this book to people looking to get a better feel for Mao the person.



2. As leader of China for over a quarter of a century, Mao Zedong is one of the dominant figures of modern history, one whose shadow continues to fall on his country today. In this book, Jonathan Spence offers a short introduction to the Chinese leader's life and times, one that seeks to explain how the son of Hunan farmers became the ruler of the most populous country in the world.
   
   That Spence succeeds is a tribute to his command of the subject. He concentrates on Mao's intellectual development, analyzing his writings in order to shed light upon the key points in his life. Spence sees Mao's organizational skills as key to his rise within the Communist Party during the hard years of the 1920s and 1930s. Once in power, Mao consolidated his rule behind an image of himself as the simple, determined leader of a revolutionary movement, an image he sought to impose on the movement as a whole. Yet his increasingly absolute position fueled a self-absorption that, once in power, contributed to the great disasters of his rule.
   
   One of the leading historians of China, Spence presents the details of Mao's life with confidence and erudition. While much of the treatment is perfunctory (what else is to be expected in a biography of less than 200 pages?), within the space available he provides a good overview of Mao's life intertwined with coverage of the complex and dramatic history of twentieth century China. For readers seeking to learn about the interesting times which Mao shaped, this is a good place to start.



3. "The American moon and the Chinese moon are the same moon" noted Mao - the American moon was not BETTER. This is my first book on Mao and the way in which Mr Spence underpins this brief overview of Mao's life with examples of Mao's poetry and philosophy adds to understanding of this hugely significant figure in the World's history. The descent into senility (for want of a better term} and the confirmation once again of the dictum power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, are sad perhaps even tragic conclusions to what began as a noble inspirational life. An enjoyable, informative and concise read.



4. If you going to attempt a 180 page biography of someone of this stature, one must sift thru and present only the most relevent and important details. This did not happen. A decent book, but lacked details on some very important areas, while giving too much time to unrealted topics. Example: Mao becomes the head of a small, isolated band of communist guerilla fighters. Very well, now how does he transform from that, into the head of state for a billion people? the book doesnt say. In this biogarphy, Mao goes from that cave-living nobody into meeting Stalin and ruling China in about 2 paragraphs. From cave-dweller to world leader in 6 sentences. We get more than 6 sentences about his last secretary's personal life.



5. Only about two hundred pages, Jonathan Spence does a very noble job summarizing one of the most powerful, mysterious, fascinating, and frightening persons of the twentieth century. Though if one is looking for a book that goes into detail about any aspect of Mao's life or policies, it is best to look elsewhere. This book is a straightforward and unabashed introduction and quick overview of Mao's life and work and ideas. Perfect for people curious about Mao and twentieth century China who want to read more than an abstract, but do not necessarily need or want to tackle a big and detailed work. Just the facts and little commentary. Spence does a good job balancing any bias against or for Mao and his policies and deals mostly with the reasons for them and overall consequences.

3 comments about Karl Brandt: The Nazi Doctor: Medicine and Power in the Third Reich.

1. This is one of the missing stories of those close to Hitler. It is a sad note that many of these facilitators were true believers in the world that the Nazis were trying to create and even in the end they did not recognize that what they did was out of the norm. It is a sad commentary on what can happened to a very well educated, and well intentioned soul. Brandt is a good representation of the likes of Speer, Stuckhart, Lemmers et al. Very well worth reading.



2. This is the only biography of Karl Brandt available. It's also the penultimate biography of Brandt. I ordered this sight unseen, because I study Aktion T-4 -- but also because I know one can depend upon the author's source material. Schmidt's research is impeccable. Much of the book's information hasn't been readily available to English speakers.
   
   Although Brandt claimed otherwise at his trail, he was neck-deep in T-4 and Nazi human medical experiments. For almost every one of Brandt's denials, there is a letter or document to prove He Lied. Brandt obviously believed in "euthanasia" (read: murder) of the mentally and physically disabled. And as he either tacitly and/or directly approved of human experimentation, he falls into the same category as Mengele and Clauburg. With Brandt, it was all about power. He began as one of Hitler's attending physicians and ended up a perfect monster.
   
   Karl Brandt: The Nazi Doctor: Medicine and Power in the Third Reich should be required reading for all medical ethicists and students of the Holocaust; it should be in every library. I say this not only because the book is superbly written and researched, but also because it illustrates the banality of evil -- and how easy it is for the power-hungry to buy into the idea that one is superior to others.
   
   The photographs of Brandt are disturbing. Brandt was a handsome man with a wife and child. He went on Nazi pleasure trips, which were photographically documented. In every picture, his face is serene. It's eerie.
   
   I'm a disabled person. I'm also a scholar. This is one of four books I'll put in my "run kit" during fire season. It's that important.



3. The NY Sun gave this a glowing review recently, and they were right. This biography, which took over ten years to write, makes for compelling reading. The author is painstakingly honest.

4 comments about Calculated Risk: The Extraordinary Life of Jimmy Doolittle-Aviation Pioneer and World War II Hero.

1. This is just another excellent example of why this country has stayed a free democracy for 232 years.



2. I can sum this up in a very short space. This is a well written book that not only gives an insight into General Jimmy Doolittle's contributions to our nation and the world, but also into his family and his wife's contributions on the home front during WWII. As far as I am concerned, no history class should be taught without this book as required reading.



3. This book was purchased for my son who is interested in WWII planes and fliers, and since I was a civilian during WWII and lived through that era, this book was definitely to be read (especially after watching Life and Times on our local KCET station and the granddaughter was interviewed regarding this book). Both of us enjoyed reading the life of this remarkable man and it was a must for his growing library.



4. This book is about the family life of Jimmy Doolittle written by his granddaughter. It's touching in every aspect of what a family goes through over the years. After reading this book you will understand why his biography is titled " I Could Never Be So Lucky Again" by CV Glines, and why he is known as "The Master of Calculated Risk."

5 comments about Forever Young: My Friendship with John F. Kennedy, Jr..

1. This is a story of historical interest. Two boys who become men during a period in America's golden years the mid 1960's. What brings them together is ultimately a mutual struggle against life's circumstances that exist beyond their control. These life events affect all young boys on their way to adulthood. I life lived alone is not a life well lived. This is a story of how two people one "known" the other less "known" survived and thrived in their repective lives. I great read. If you have ever had a friendship that was important this is a must read.



2. After reading this book it is apparent the William ( Billy ) Noonan is not the friend of John's that he claims to be. He was insanely jealous of John and Carolyn spending those last few months with his (John's) cousin Anthony Radizwill while he was dying of cancer. He talks down about John Barlow for "being the first one to always speak to the media"
   even though he had nothing but kind things to say about John no matter what the subject. Here comes Billy Noonan saying he is going to "set the record straight" trashes John and Carolyn's relationship (which he knows nothing about) makes caddy remarks about Anthony's cancer being deadly, as if Anthony and Carole (his wife), had and control over his disease (Anthony died less than three weeks after Jonh and Carolyn). He seems to be the kind of person that cannot allow his relationships' space for what is going on in their lives and therefore feels the need to write his own book and hurt alot of people by his own hurt feelings and personal jabs. I think he is just a big fake and I feel sorry for his wife.



3. Bill Noonan (as his friend I call him Billy) has plenty o'soul! This book is a commemoration to his friend who happens to be John Kennedy, Jr. I suppose the title HAS sold more books. But I believe this is more a function of the publisher's need to sell rather than the writer's need to advertise his high fallutin relationship with John. I am bold enough to say that Billy left MANY-A-STORY out of this book that could have REALLY ruffled some feathers. But that was not his objective. His objective was to put into words a very natural friendship with someone that was quite special to him. In a way, to battle some of the bitter views this book has received, I wish that Billy would write a sequel with ALL THE DIRT! Maybe he could title it "If You're Blaming Me: You Might as Well Get the WHOLE Story" Billy has never been anything but respectful of John, and his family, from what I have seen. He probably would never publish all of the secrets he shared with John. BTW: I loved the book. It felt like I was sitting down with Billy having a chat. I could hear him laugh, cry, angry, sad, and everything in between. Write a sequel!



4. I bought this book with some trepidation since Billy clearly sold his soul to write it. But, I could not resist. I was always a great admirer of JFK, Jr. - he was such a classy guy - and such an immense force to try to harness for friendship. The book lays out in vivid detail their amazing friendship and the many happy and horrifying times they shared. This book basically makes you a "fly on the wall" witnessing one of the most profound and beautiful friendships ever put to print. I could not put it down - JFK, Jr. and I are exactly the same age and passed through some of life's milestones at the same time. I found myself comparing where I was in my life as the book unfolded. I am writing this review having just now finished the book and feel an overwhelming sense of sadness - I cried so many times - the great highs and thrills always seemed to be overshadowed by the immense burden of sadness, tradgedy, disease and death that surrounds The Kennedys and those close to them. I can only hope that during my life I will share such a stong, loving, and enduring friendship with another person. Maybe John is looking down on us now laughing at all this debate - I find myself missing him during this season of politics. The world should still have John in it - he lived well, richly and fully - never squandering what he had been given. Make sure you are in the right frame of mind to read this - it may impact you more deeply than you can know.



5. I have been a lifelong Kennedy fan. I loved John Jr. I think this book is meanspirited. He has hurt so many by this book. I wonder whatever prompted him to write it....so long after John left us? We did not need much of the information, he so willingly sold.
   
   As mentioned by others, what he did to his Mom on Caroline's wedding day was disgusting. How dare he order his own Mom off the bus? His Mom was just fine when he had cancer and needed her. Over and over in the book..he comes off as a very self-centerd individual.
   
   I remember the quote.."What does it profit a man who gains the whole world but suffer the loss of his soul?" I would think old Billy Noonan could answer that one.
   
   I hope he is kicked to the curb by all the Kennedys, Shrivers and all the others that seemed to mean more to him...than his own famiy.

2 comments about The Interesting Narrative in the Life of Olaudah Equiano (Norton Critical Editions).

1. This review is neither of Equiano's text itself, nor of the editorial material (both are excellent for teaching). When I ordered this text for my class, I was dismayed to discover numerous proofreading errors which generated some confusion among students. These tend not to be mispellings, but much worse: substitutions of one word for another, or omissions of important words, as though the whole text had only been run through a spell-checker. Some of these are embarrassing (Equiano's report of "the mortifying circumference of not daring to eat with the free-born children" [33-34]) and others more serious (the omitted word in the crucial sentence "I own offer here the history of neither a saint, a hero, nor a tyrant" in the first paragraph). There is probably one major error for every page of this text. I don't think this has to do with fidelity to the London first edition of 1789, although I haven't checked. The errors seem to have been introduced at Norton. So, sadly, despite Werner Sollors's excellent introduction and the useful maps prefacing the text, I can't recommend this book until Norton gets its act together. Use the texts in either Henry Louis Gates's "Pioneers of the Black Atlantic" or Vincent Carretta's "Unchained Voices" instead--the notes to the latter make it the teaching edition of choice.



2. "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudiah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, The African, written by Himself" is the story of an African man, Olaudiah Equiano (slave name: Gustavus Vassa) who was (evidently) born in 1745 in what is now Nigeria. He was captured by African slave traders, taken to the Atlantic coast, and sold into the slave trade. He was taken to the Caribbean, then Virginia, and eventually Europe. He served a ship's captain and sailed the Mediterranean and on a voyage to explore the North Pole (Greenland). He obtained his freedom and became an author and early anti-slavery activist. The publication of this book made him the best-selling black African author ever (up to that time). This book became a prototype of the "up-from-slavery" autobiography (typified by Frederick Douglass) and is a classic among Atlantic slave narratives.

   The book is autobiographical and arranged chronologically, the author detailing events of his African childhood and his years as a slave and eventual self-emancipation. One notable thing about the book is the extent to which it is a travelogue: Equiano clearly enjoys telling travel tales more than decrying the horrors of slavery. His depictions of being a "stranger in a strange land" (e.g., the first time he encounters a clock, a painted portrait, books) are memorable.

   The Norton edition is filled with related texts pertaining to Equiano and his times: articles and excerts by other writers about Africa, slavery, abolition, Equiano's birthplace, his literary influences; a useful map; a diagram of a sailing ship, etc. A good choice among several editions of Equiano's book.

5 comments about Great Catherine: The Life of Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia.

1. Great Catherine by the prolific biographer Carolly Erickson tells the story of a little German girl who grew up to become the ruler of Russia.
   Catherine the Great was born as an obscure German princess in the duchy of Anhalt-Zerbst in 1729. She lived in Stettin and her father took her to Berlin. Sophie was a precocious young woman who was fair game on the royal
   bridal hunt market.
   Sophie was married to the son of Empress Elizabeth of Russia. Her husband Peter III was a ridiculous young man who enjoyed hanging rats!
   He had several affairs with ugly women and may have been impotent. Sophie had to forsake her Lutheranism and become a Russian Orthodox believer. Her name was changed to Catherine. She had a child Paul by her lover Orlov.
   Catherine with the help of her lovers Orlov and Potemkin led a successful coup against her husband Peter III. Peter was soon strangled and another claimant of the throne Ivan was also murdered.
   Catherine enjoyed philosophy and brought Denis Diderot to Moscow for six months. She corresponded with Voltaire and enjoyed the works of Montesquieu. Catherine tried to be a liberal ruler but serfdom was still practiced in her vast land. She sought to strengthen Russian administrative and judicial matters. She was the leader of the Russian invasions of the Ottoman empire. She also hanged the peasant Pugachev who led a large revolt against her reign. Following her death she was succeeded to the throne by her weak son Paul.
   Catherine was a nymphomaniac who had countless affairs with handsome soldiers and courtiers. She may have secretly married Potemkin. She was often kind and could be witty. She gained a great deal of weight and lost her looks as she aged. Catherine enjoyed study and writing. She did not care for theatre or opera. She liked to dance and imitate animal sounds.
   She enjoyed food and fun.
   Carolly Erickson writes well focusing on the personal life of the Russian court with all of its intrigues, love affairs and scandal. Her book is not for a scholar seeking to discover how Russia was governed in the Catherine era. The book will appeal to a primarily female audience as it looks at the personality of a complicated and great ruler.



2. This biography reads like a novel while keeping true to historical fact. The author does a great job of setting aside scandalous myths about Catherine, drawing attention instead to the truly extraordinary woman she was. This is a great read for anyone with a passion for Russian history, like myself, or for anyone interested in the lives of women who successfully wielded power in a male-dominated world.



3. I must admit to have read better biographies. That being said, I must admit to have enjoyed this one, warts and all. I got the feeling that Ms. Erickson had some sort of agenda throughout the book, but for the life of me, dull witted me, I missed it. I am not at all sure that the sexual romps described here are all that important to Russian History, per se, but hey, they did make interesting reading...sort of. I did give this one four stars as Ms. Erickson is certainly a gifted writer and was able to pull off at least 80 percent of the book. I do not feel that after reading it, one should try passing themselves off as an expert on Russian history, or even poor Catherine, for that matter.



4. I read Great Catherine as an informal preparation for a class on Russian history. Having finished it, I can't recommend it for anyone interested in her era.
   
   The book does have some strengths. Erickson writes well. She has an abundance of empathy with her subject (which is a strength in a biography but only up to a point). The book does give you a basic timeline of Catherine's life, and may be useful in that regard.
   
   However, the focus of Great Catherine is quite unsatisfactory. The book's central project seems to be redeeming Catherine's reputation from those who claim she was a depraved nymphomaniac. While we've all heard the story involving the horse, I don't think that this is an issue that really has broad historical meaning.
   
   Nonetheless, Great Catherine mires itself in a tiresome recollection of each of Catherine's affairs. Erickson's sympathy for Catherine overrides any inclination she might have had to ask serious and critical questions about how this aspect of Catherine's life may have affected her rule. Whatever she did in the bedchamber, Catherine chose to act in a way that gathered attention and started rumors, making herself the object of ridicule and scorn. The alibi that she was seeking love only holds for her first few flings. The pattern that Erickson sketches is that of someone in the grips of pathological behavior.
   
   Tellingly, Erickson seems to embrace Catherine's explanations for each breakup - which invariably fault the male partner and not the love-starved monarch. Whether or not she was a nymphomaniac, Catherine's behavior was self-destructive. A more inquisitive biography would steer past melodramatic commentary about the monarch's poor impoverished heart and ask how the monarch's personal life impacted her statecraft.
   
   This is a book that is overly obsessed with appearances. Catherine's radiant appearance and demeanor is discussed incessantly. After a while, I was willing to take it on faith that, yes, she was very charming and also happened to look good. Erickson seemingly cannot mention people without mentioning their physical features. The reader is repeatedly reminded how ugly Peter III's mistress was. A similar level of detail is lavished on pageantry, with one dinner or ball only more stunning than its predecessor. Again, the reader - starved of more substantive details - is willing to accept that, yes, the Russian court liked luxurious living.
   
   Very little of the book is devoted to discussions of Catherine's rule as empress and none of that is at all analytical or insightful. As elsewhere, Erickson offers a basic defense of her protagonist. Major acts of policy are not dealt with in detail. Catherine's role in the destruction of the Polish state is covered in a few paragraphs that blandly note that this was commonly approved of at the time. Her policies toward the conquered Poles are not discussed. Nor is the contradiction between her earlier course of seating her favorite on the Polish throne and her later course of outright annexation discussed.
   
   Similarly, the book fails to examine her two wars with the Ottomans in satisfying detail. What glimpses we do get of the wartime Catherine make her seem quite jingoistic and aggressive. How does this reconcile with the tender-hearted reader of philosophy portrayed elsewhere in the book? Moreover, the book never asks hard questions about her war policies - which are particularly important because the second war with the Ottomans dragged on far longer than Catherine would have liked, being complicated by a simultaneous war with Sweden. We do get the detail that bad news from the front impelled Catherine to retreat and read Plutarch in solitude. What a committed, capable monarch!
   
   Another biographer might have at least dealt with Catherine's pivotal decision to confine Jews to the Pale of Settlement - a critical act of policy that set the stage for the pogroms of the following century. Her policy toward minorities is never discussed.
   
   The book's overall examination of Catherine's policies is quite laudatory. This is odd, because it seemed that her efforts to reform the state were constantly frustrated by the nobles and by peasant rebellions. Why nobles and peasants opposed her so much is a question left unanswered. Where Catherine fails, Erickson attributes the failure to all other parties; never to the ambitious empress. If something went wrong, it could only have been the fault of backward peasantry or corrupt nobles. The long term impact of her policies is unexamined.
   
   In sum, I think this is an unsatisfactory biography. It focuses on Catherine's personality at the expense of understanding her actions. At its heart is an unproductive infatuation with its subject that leads the author to skirt around serious questions in favor of endless and repetitive description. I am left convinced that Catherine was indeed a bright, cheery, intelligent woman, but it is left to other authors to determine her real historical significance. Catherine may have been great, but this biography certainly is not.



5. I was so excited when I first got this book. I was anxious to learn about Catherine the Great and the multicolored details of her eccentric life. I was unbelievably disappointed in the one-dimensional quality of the text. The author turns Catherine the Great into Catherine the Simpleton! There can be no historical basis for much of the commentary that Ms. Erickson makes. This is not a biography of an interesting woman but a medium for the author to preach from her left-wing lecturn. In my opinion, this biography rates as one of the sleaziest, most unimaginative, and biased books ever written on the life of a historical personality.

5 comments about Good Time Girls: Of the Alaska/ Yukon Gold Rush.

1. I had to read this for a book club and didn't make it all the way through. I will give credit for a well researched book. It is a history of endless short accounts of the miners and the women who serviced them. While there are a few interesting characters, the information was limited and left you wanting to know more of the story.
   
   This will be of interest of someone who studies the history or who has visited Alaska and seen the locales of the stories to make a connection.



2. The Alaska-Yukon Gold Rush, a time at the turn of the century, when the gold camps were booming and the dust flowed like wine. Leaving behind law and many of the constraints of the Post-Victorian era, men and women went north to find adventure and wealth. Most found death among the cold frozen mountains and rivers but a few survived to find money, power and, sometimes, even love.
   The women found it easier to mine the miners then to mine the mines. Women couldn't work claims in most cases and most of the normal jobs didn't pay well.
   If a woman wanted the wealth and adventure she was searching for she ended up becoming a Good Time Girl. Men outnumbered women ten to one and were always willing to pay for the company. Dance hall girls and prostitutes were among the pioneers who opened the new regions, became rich entrepreneurs and powerful women who, in some cases, changed the towns for the better.
   But their history cannot be written in a vacuum. As many of them left behind no written records we have to use police logs, old photos and stories left behind by the more respectable women and men of the cities. The book deals with the conditions and events that made the Far North so much different from the lower forty-eight states where many of the women came from. Why did the cities, in many cases, allow a red light district? Why did they give them police protection? How did the women influence the towns and change the very future of the frontier? Why did so many women turn to be Good Time Girls?
   With tons of humor, happy endings and sad ones, the chapters within this book give a detailed look at the history of the independent women who faced hardships, lost fortunes and the dangers of a wild land to find a future.



3. I was disappointed in this book, it seemed more like a history of the men of the Yukon and Gold Rush . There were some stories about some of these women in there, but they were not very interesting to me, just sort of dry and lacking the quality that you could see and picture the people-which is a quality I look for in books of a historical nature. If you like just a history of cut and dry facts about the Gold Rush and the men etc., this might be ok, but overall, the book failed to be interesting to me.



4. Well, the men mined the gold, and the women mined the miners. All had unhealthy jobs but it would appear that more womem made money than the men from this book. It is also interesting that many of the women ended their trade by marrying the miners. So while to some they were "soiled doves" to the miners they were princesses.
   
   Still interesting that the town tollerated this business until very recently. An enjoyable read.



5. I bought this book at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks bookstore. My dad, Class of '51 at UAF (we were there for his 50th reunion), had told me some stories about "The Line" and he had had his first job with the gold mining operations, so I was curious. There's not a lot of gory detail here. It's about people and places, but it's quite a colorful history. Though never officially legal, prostitution was tolerated and it flourished in Alaska for more than 50 years. And some very famous characters pop up, like Wyatt Earp and the "Birdman of Alcatraz". Definitely worth the time.