2 comments about The Deadly Sins Of Aristotle Onassis.

1. I enjoyed the book because It contained several pages about two of my cousins, and because it is very interesting to get more of an inside account as to the lives of Aristotle Onassis (whom I've never cared for, and this made me feel even more dislike for the man) and Jackie Kennedy Onassis,( giving me a different perspective of her as well ,it made me feel that she was overly interested in money.)
   
   It took me awhile to get thru the first few chapters as there was a great deal of technical information. Good information, but a little deep for someone not entirely interesting about planes and boats at that level. Again, further into the book there was lots of technical stuff that slowed me down.
   
   If you have an interest in Aristotle Onassis and family and Jackie Kennedy Onassis this would be an interesting book and if you wanted to know the depth cause and result of his son dying in a crash, THIS is the book to read.



2. The Deadly Sins Of Aristotle Onassis is the true-life story of the famous Greek shipping tycoon who married Jackie Kennedy. He was the penultimate 20th century con man, able to charm the press even as he spun ever more elaborate frauds, from the illegal acquisition of war-surplus ships by falsifying ownership records to bribing Saudi Arabian officials for oil concessions to slaughtering whales in violation of international agreements to hiring Howard Hughes' hatchet man for wiretapping and intimidation, tax evasion, and more. Yet his life of deceit and control caught up with him, robbed his children of their happiness. The Deadly Sins Of Aristotle Onassis reveals how his boastful behavior and charade of invincibility ultimately trapped his son Alexander aboard his fatally defective personal airplane; how the guilt from his son's death caused him to end his own life prematurely; and how his legacy of criminal behavior lived on in his daughter, who tried to cheat Jackie Kennedy out of her rightful widow's share of his estate. A tragic true story of wicked deeds reaping grim rewards.

5 comments about Slavemaster President: The Double Career of James Polk.

1. This is a not uninteresting, well written and well researched look at a very narrow aspect of the life and career of James Polk, detailing very thoroughly his role as an owner of a deep-south plantation and his relationships with his slaves. If that interests you, this is an ideal book for you to read. If you're looking for an in-depth full life biography of James Polk, or even a book that gives much insight into his career as a politician and president, or any other facet of his life than that of slaveowner, this is definitely NOT what you're looking for.



2. This book was not written by a fan or supporter of this Tennessee president, but released by a Yankee group who hides behind "Oxford" so we might think Mississippi or England. Not so, William Dusinberre must be fuddies with the university professors who tore apart Nathan Bedford Forrest in the same way. Overlooked completely he status and the part these Tennesseans played in the history of this nation. It's best to consider character assassination with the conflicting thins these writers emphasize while leaving out the real story, the facts of the matter. James K. Polk had been Governor of Tehhessee and Speaker of the House of Representatives before becoming U. S. president. It was not a secret that he owned slaves to work on his cotton plantation in Mississippi. We didn't have such in Tennessee, but I have an old post card of the 11th President's bust which stands in the State Capitol in Nashville. We visited Polk's ancestral home in downtown Columbia, Tennessee. It was not out in the country, though a famous one is in that county owned by a female physician. She did not have slaves. Forrest's family were fine, upstanding natives of Chapel Hill, not so far east from Columbia. It infuriates me when I innocently find weird subverted stuff like thos on the public library shelves. I wish the reference librarians who ordered these fiction pretending to be non-fiction before putting them out for just anybody to read. Polk was duly elected and in the White House from 1845 to 1849, before the Civil War. He was not responsible for that war.
   
   This person from Cape Town used the false writings of professor Wayne Cutler when he came to this Republican town, and thought that what he was reading was truth. Polk was a Southern Democrat. What would he write about Huey B. Long, George Wallace, and other governors who stood tall for what the South stands for. The politics of slavery did not have any substance whatsoever in the war which divided this country. It was states' rights -- the Southern states, which Northerners would not understand. I learned more than I had planned that there is a conspiracy going on to deride Southern leaders and presidents. They were statesmen and war heroes and lived to be a part of the history of America. Modern history-writing is all wrong, when the author makes up "facts" as he is inclined, and not factually.



3. I'm not sure if I would have been better off reading a general bio on Polk first, becuase this book is very biased, as the author admits. The argument is that Polk's policy was stronly influenced by him being a slaveowner. That Polk had conflicting interests because he ran several plantations in Tn and Miss and he was using the money from the plantations to secure himself a post-presidential retirement.

   The book is organized in an interesting way. It begins by describing Polk's plantations and what it was like for the slaves , plus gives details regarding the overseers,a nd Polk's policies regarding purchasing and selling of slaves. Polk endeavored to hide what he was doing from the general public and his reasons for selling and guying were definitley not always patriarchal, but monetary.

   Polk died a few months after leaving office, and none or few of his papers were destroyed, hence we have a record of what ocurred on the plantations.

   the second half of the book covers the main aspects of Polk's presidential career --annexation of Tx and the MX War. The author discusses the events through the lens of slavery and tried to argue Polk's descisions were heavily influenced by Polk being a slaveowner. the author presents many what-ifs, discussing a vairety of other scenarios that could have happened during Polk's presidency had he made other choices. I found these diversions to be a strength of the book instead of an irritant. The book gave me a lot to think about,a nd it was particulary interesting to learn the details of what Polk plantation life was like.




4. For American history buffs in general, and Civil War enthusiasts in particular, William Dusinberre has produced a volume worthy of your attention. Dusinberre argues with great vigor that James Polk helped to plant the seeds of civil war while he was President during the late 1840's. While pursuing the Presidency, Polk presented himself as a moderate on the issue of slavery. All the while, he was quietly engaged in the buying and selling of slaves for his Mississippi plantation. Dusinberre argues that throughout his four years in office, Polk advocated policies designed to perpetuate slavery for the forseable future. He cites in particular the annexation of Texas as a major issue. The book also chronicles the appalling working and living conditions many slaves were forced to live under and the total disregard that most slavemasters (Polk included) for the slaves family lives. In most instances, if it was a profitable transaction, slaves were sold off to the highest bidder and families were torn apart. Polk always portrayed himself as the benevolent master but the facts seem to dispute his claims. The book can be slow moving and at times I wondered if I would have the endurance to finish it. But I am glad I did. This book gives us an entirely new perspective on the events of that period and as such is a welcome addition.



5. James Polk is usually the least familiar president to appear on historiansý top 10 lists. But for William Dusinberre, Polk firmly holds a spot near the very bottom. For Dusinberre, Polk and his ideological brethren set the country on a course that unnecessarily led to the Civil War, the violent fall of the South, and the self-destruction of his own class.

   Polk annexed Texas and was the instigator of the Mexican American War, which led to acquisition of most of the southwest for the United States. Polk also took the Oregon territory, which encompassed much of what is now the northwestern United States. Dusinberre suggests that there was a certain inevitability to some of this, but the way it all played out, and the final border results were far from certain. Polkýs overly aggressive expansionism was, to Dusinberre the worst possible way for the country to stretch from sea to shinning sea because it infused militarism and obstinacy into the debate about the future of slavery.

   Dusinberre convincingly argues that Polkýs, and the Southern ruling classesý mores about slavery as a tool of social order, southern honor, and states rights were all subservient to the economic benefits reaped by slave owners such as Polk. This economic incentive was so great, that it blinded Polk to what Dusinberre believes to be the inevitable fall of slavery. A more forward-looking advocate of the Southern ruling class could have promoted a plan for a soft landing and perhaps sought alliances with moderates, rather than painting everyone who had any problems with slavery as extreme ýabolitionists.ý

   Polkýs military adventurism, intolerance for even discussion of issues related to slavery, and insistence that slave ownersý so-called rights should be expanded (or the South would lose its dominance in the Senate) was coupled by his implicit threat of secession in the event of almost any sort of compromise. Dusinberre argues that before Polk and his war, different gradations of opinion existed in the south, but afterward existed only unithought. The Civil War followed.

   SLAVEMASTER PRESIDENT is not really a biography as much as it is a study of how slave ownership may have affected the ideology of pre-Civil War southern Democrats such as and including Polk, and how that ideology in turn contributed to the conditions that led to the Civil War. It is a compelling argument. Dusinberre also achieves a heart-rending description of slave life on the Polk plantation. The book achieves what it set out to do.

   Still, I would have liked the book to be a bit more biographical. Dusinberre expains up front that his book ýdoes not discuss Polkýs role as a congressman in President Andrew Jacksonýs war against the Bank of the United States. Nor does it portray President Polkýs part in securing the Tariff of 1846, nor his diplomacy with Britain, which led to the establishment of the northwestern boundary dividing the United States from Canada. These stories,ý explains Dusinberre, ýhave been told elsewhere.ý Maybe they have, but there is remarkably little popular literature on this influential, if wrongheaded president. I am satisfied with Dusinberreýs book such that it is, but it also left me wanting to read more about Polk.

5 comments about The Dentist of Auschwitz: A Memoir.

1. I purchased this book for a history class. Great price and a good read. Good source of first-hand experiences at concentration camps. Differs a bit from the usual horrid details in other books, but explains some of the lighter sides, if I may, concerning the relationships between captives and captors.



2. "The Dentist of Auschwitz" is a spellbinding novel about a man that lived through the holocaust of World War II. The trials and tribulations of Benjamin Jacobs as he survives through labor and concentration camps will move you. Had it not been for the author's dental instruments that he brought with him, he would most likely not be alive today. Be thankful that he is alive and can tell accounts of his intriguing survival because this book is a very interesting and trivial tale. It is a very well written novel that I could not put down. I would recommend this novel to anyone and everyone.



3. I couldn't put this book down. Benjamin's story needs to be made into a movie: are you listening S. Spielberg? This is a remarkable book of unbelievable odds of survival. Ben escaped death so many times, but, the ending of this book is the most tragic episode of his story. I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs a perspective and gratitude adjustment; when you read about the suffering of Jews and the fortitude of the survivors, you come to realize how petty and spoiled people can be in their own minds. Each time I read about a survivor, I feel a renewed sense of the gratitude I have for my life. My mother is also a survivor of Auschwitz, but each survivor's story is unique. Read and realize gratitude.



4. I found out about this book after reading another book that the author co-wrote. It is called The 100-Year Secret and it deals with a portion of the material that is contained in The Dentist of Auschwitz. The author spent almost five years in various camps, riding in closed railroad cars in summer, open railroad cars in winter, on death marches in the dead of winter, and on "hell ships," that were mistakingly attacked by the RAF and he, along with his brother still outlived the Nazi monsters that created this world for them. How Jacobs managed to survive his voyage through "man's inhumanity to man" is at the heart of this amazing story of survival. I promise you will not be able to put this book down.



5. I started reading this book and could not hardly put it down. I think I read it in 3 days. Benjamin Jacobs was sent to a concentration camp along with the rest of his family. Benjamin and his father ended up at Auschwitz. Had it not been for Benjamin's dental training and given a little bit of preference over the other inmates, the pure hell he was put through would have surely ended in death. The love story between him and Zosia is touching. Unbelievable how anyone could survive just a nightmare. This is truly the part of history most of us would like to rewrite. Great book.

5 comments about Autobiography of Malcolm X (4 Cassettes).

1. first off i want to thank malcolm x for his thoughts on race after visiting mecca.he saw that persons of all races got together to worship and were colorblind.i will see this man in heaven he saw past racism in america to be a great christian!also i would like to give a big F to public schools in america for not teaching everything about slavery and who was involved,for example it wasn't until i went to college to major in history that i learned the truth about slavery.the white man didn't just go to africa with a big gun and round up black people as slaves,they established trade with the local tribes who traded goods with tribal leaders who had their own slaves as spoils of war and traded them with the white man as just another trade good so the tribes that traded were africans tradeing off other africans to the white's.try to find this in high school history or elementary school history,not likely.it is true that some white slave owners treated slaves horribly and i'm sure african tribes even treated some of their slaves horribly also.wrong is wrong no matter what your skin looks like!slavery is wrong!racism is wrong!!!!! ! ! "everyone" should be able to live free and should be able to worship freely and have pride in their people without being called racist! i'm guilty of being white, i love my race,does this make me a racist! no i don't think so. LOVE,RED



2. I read this book along time ago and still retain alot of what I learned from it. There is no beating around the bush in this from the beginning he tells of his life as it happened. He tells of an early career in crime to his time in prison and he does not attempt to sugarcoat anything. He does explain his reasoning for having done what he had done in his youth, but he does not claim to be innocent.
   He did manage to find a better way to fight his enemies during his incarceration, and anyone who has ever seen any footage of Malcolm X will understand what I mean. The man was a very acticulate and confrontational speaker. He was the spark that ignited the engine of the civil rights movement in many respects. The civil rights movement began as far back as pre-civil war and was slow to develop with minor progress for each generation. Malcolm was the man brave enough to say enough and to make his voice heard over the many voices of the nation that tried to rise over him.
   Here is a man that took it upon himself to correct a society that had become accepting of the crimes of their ancestors and simply ignored them. It is only a stonesthrow back in time if you think about it and yet it is painful to imagine people could be so cruel.
   I recommend this to anyone who hasn't read it as it is an excellent book and is a document of the life of a man who managed to play a pivotal role in changing the way America viewed itself.



3. Despite the dispiriting revelation that this book was almost totally written by Alex Haley, "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" remains one of my favorite books. Which is a little strange, since his well-known struggles with civil rights, the police, Black identity, and Islam have little or no relevance to my life. Sorry.
   
   The part of this book that affects me most deeply is where Malcolm is in prison educating himself, studying on the floor of his cell in the dim night light. I can't think of another tale about the birth of an autodidact and the rewards of reading that is as uplifting and memorable as Malcolm's. I first read this book about twenty years ago, and that's the part that always sticks with me: the power of books to change your life, regardless of who you are or what you've done. And much of the rest sticks with me too, for example the poignant case of "West Indian Archie."
   
   I would like to advise, however, that you buy this edition: Autobiography of Malcolm X (Penguin Modern Classics), rather than the Ballantine edition, as the binding on the latter has proven unreliable, to say the least. I have gone through three different copies of the Ballantine edition of Malcolm X and the binding has fallen apart on all three of them -- to the point where the covers have come completely off, even though I don't really mistreat books. It can't just be bad luck.
   
   Malcolm X was said to have been a formidable debater, yet it's curious to me that none of his opponents ever made the obvious, unanswerable point: that whatever crimes and horrors the West can be charged with vis-à-vis the African slave trade, those of Islam have been even more extensive and blood-soaked. They go back a lot further, and continued a lot later. In fact, it was only two years previous to Malcolm's making his Hajj to Mecca (1964) that slavery was made illegal in Saudi Arabia!
   
   Hence jettisoning Christianity and Western culture for the supposed moral high ground of Islam was, when you think about it, a dingy move on Malcolm's part. Yet it is, unfortunately, the entirety of his position.
   
   But you'll find this book a cracking good read nonetheless.



4. An excellent unflinching book about Malcolm X read for my "Understanding Religious Traditions in Multicultural America" last spring. While at times unnerving to read due to its stark honesty, it was very illuminating. As a non-American, it really helped give me further insight into how powerful and tense race is of an issue in American culture. As someone born into a Muslim family, but is a closet agnostic, the perversions I felt Elijah Muhammad perpetuated made me severely uncomfortable anyway. Several parts of this book made me cry, or be wistful I could somehow have found peace in Islam as Malcolm X did.
   
   A very good book.



5. Every American should read this literature. It discusses America's most obvious flaw. More importantly it demonstrates the power of transformation, tolerance of self and of others, cooperation and the importance of hope.

5 comments about Grant (Great Generals).

1. I admire Washington, Lincoln and Grant. While the former two have garnered numerous accolades, Grant has been unjustifiably denigrated personally (alcoholic, fool, depressed) and professionally (butcher). His presidency has been unappreciated. Mosier makes a persuasive case that General Grant was probably a genius. In the final chapter, he briefly discusses Grant's undervalued presidency. I would highly recommend two other brief succinct biographies one by Korda and another by Bunting both of which explore Grant's presidency.
   
   Mosier dispels many Grant myths. He was not an alcoholic in a medical sense. He was self-taught in algebra. He entered West Point which was one of the best educational institutions in the world. West Point entrance examination had a 50% failure rate. He graduated 21st in a class of 39 but 40 of them failed to graduate so he was in the top 25%. He was a good artist with a great 3-D vision which was essential for a commander during battle. He was a great horseman.
   In the Mexican war, Grant was a quartermaster who demonstrated tremendous skill in logistics. This experience was vital when he commanded the Union armies and he made sure his men got enough ammunition, food etc. He displayed tremendous personal courage during the Mexican war (riding away to get ammunition) and ingenuity (dragging cannon to a church steeple).
   
   Mosier compares U.S. Grant favorably with other great generals, namely Wellington, Napoleon and Foch. He finds Grant to be superior all of them. Without him, the North would have lost the war. Grant never lost a battle. Mosier defends Grant against charges of butchery by comparing Civil War casualties with those suffered by the British and French in World War I. Robert E. Lee said, "I have carefully searched the military records of ancient and modern history, and have never found Grant's superior as a general". Grant's magnanimity in victory is still an American tradition.
   
   The book contains some historical errors which other reviewers have pointed out and I will not belabor here. This prevents me from awarding 5 stars. I am happy to find a book that appreciates this good, decent, honest everyman, great general and undervalued president.



2. In my humble opinion, while Mosier has written a book with interesting insights and conclusions about Grant's ability as a general, I feel that he got too much into analysis of his personality and why he did what he did. I say this because at the beginning of the book, Mosier admits that he does not have much information on Grant the man. So why draw all of these conclusions if you do not know much of the man's personality? Why not just instead analyze his successes and failures?
   
   Another point of contention I have are the lack of good maps. While Mosier does have some good descriptions of Grant's campaigns, there are not nearly enough maps to detail his Civil War movements.
   
   Granted, while I am a lifelong Civil War buff, I am by no means and expert on the period. However, I do believe readers will get more out of reading other titles on Grant, specficially: "Grant" by Jean Smith, "Grant and Lee" by JFC Fuller, or the titles by Bruce Catton (Grant Moves South, Grant Takes Command).
   
   Complaints aside, I do believe that Mosier has written a book that will challenge the reader to further assess Grant's ability as a general and president.



3. I wish that I read these reviews before purchasing this book and hope that a few will save their dough by reading this. Not only is the book filled with basic factual errors it paints such a saintly figure of General Grant that one would suspect Mosier is related. From the author's perspective, Grant is not only a genius but his alchoholism and depression were actually assets! U.S. Grant was an excellent commander, far better on the offense than on the defense but Mosier's treatment would lead one to believe that he won the war single handedly. Again, I urge you to save your time and money, and find a good copy of Grant's Memoirs.



4. Have to concur that the book abounds in factual errors and this is a shame because the overall approach and observations about Grant's genius are sound. Mosier dispels the myth that Grant was a dullard at West Point (not challenged enough) or a chronic alcoholic-- more likely an "episodic alcohol abuser" who had it under control by war. Other points: Casualties were as great, and often greater, in the Napoleonic Wars but armies were made up of the dregs of society and most of the dead weren't missed--harsh but probably some truth in that. So Grant wasn't a "butcher" but all strata of society was now represented even in the lower ranks and, coupled with a literate society and a lively press, deaths shook the nation, especially starting with Shiloh. Halleck comes off even worse than in most works: he set Grant up for Shiloh. Anyway, the novice really needs to get his facts elsewhere--and some decent maps--elsewhere but should eventually read this book.



5. Mosier has done something few historians are willing to do- he compares the achievements of U.S. Grant with other great generals, namely Wellington and Napoleon. He also compares Grant's eye for strategy with later developments in American strategic doctrine. I.E., the notion of overwhelming an enemy's forces with eye to destruction as opposed to capturing territory are direct descendants of Grant's strategy to defeat the confederacy.
   
   Mosier spends to much time on Grant's early career and not enough for a curious reader on his leadership of all Union forces post 1864. All in all- this is a great introduction to a great general. Mosier often draws the ire of military historians for his methods and his desire to write about the things that people really want to learn about (namely, how does Grant compare across time as a general?)- to often historians are unwilling to make any such comparisons. This is a great intro to Grant.

2 comments about Diary of a Southern Refugee during the War, by a Lady of Virginia.

1. This is the sort of book that reminds you why the Confederacy lost. Women were more interested in their own fashion, etc., than in the travails of their newfound republic. The feeble introduction fails to highlight this fact.



2. I am a student of history and am doing my final thesis on southern woman during the civil war. Thus, I have had to wade through numerous diaries to find what I am looking for. I was very impressed with this diary because it was well written and very intersting to read. I feel that it has something for everyone. It touches your heart strings with it's descriptors and the evident feeling behind them and it also gives awsome accounts of battles though letters and second-hand information. If you are in anyway interested in the civil war, then this is a wonderful book to start your journey with.

5 comments about Andrew Jackson: The Course of American Freedom, 1822-1832 (Andrew Jackson).

1. Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Freedom, 1822-1832 begins with Jackson's return home from Florida, where he served as military governor, and goes through his first term as president.
   
   There are many interesting aspects to Jackson's life covered in this volume, particularly his devotion to his wife Rachel and his devastating grief when she died a few weeks after he was elected president. But the part that I found the most interesting was how Jackson revived the American political system. In many ways he was the founder of the system we still use today.
   
   The 1820s are often mistakenly referred to as "The Era of Good Feeling." James Monroe was president, and there wasn't really any organized opposition. As Remini documents, there was very little good feeling involved except for those officials who were lining their pockets at the expense of the public. Needless to say, there were many people who were upset and alarmed by the corruption and saw it as a real threat to the American republic (remember, it was only about 50 years since the Declaration of Independence and less than 40 years since the Constitution had been written). These Republicans wanted to restore the two-party system, reconstituting their party along the old Jeffersonian doctrines. They soon hit upon the idea of recruiting the most popular man in the country, retired General Andrew Jackson, to run for president.
   
   Jackson was a military hero, but he was much more than a figurehead candidate. Jackson was also a brilliant instinctive politician and a strong, capable executive. But the rise of Jackson was about more than the candidacy of one man. The purpose, in Jackson's own mind as well as many others, was to connect his popularity with something large and more meaningful--the restoration of the republican principles of the Founding Fathers and a constitutional form of government that adequately protected the liberties of the people. Jackson built a party organization around himself that soon became the Democratic Party, the direct ancestor of the party that still exists today.
   
   As president, Jackson discovered that the nation had changed greatly in the years since he was a boy soldier in the Revolution, and he adapted his ideas accordingly. He became president of an America that had become a sprawling land with an expanding population and a dynamic and complex economy in which industry was increasingly important. Instead of limiting power, Jackson instead changed the nature of power, shifting it (permanantly, as it turned out), from Congress to the presidency.
   
   Before Jackson, "freedom" meant the right of the individual to enjoy the fruits of his labor without interference by government. During his presidency, freedom came to mean majority rule. A free society was one that conformed to the will of the masses. Since Jackson represented the people (something of a new concept), it followed that his program constituted their sovereign command--what we would today call a "mandate."



2. The second volume of Remini's celebrated biography is inevitably rather less intriguing than the first. While it's predecessor was largely about military campaigns and duels, this volume is more focussed on such dynamic topics as debt repayment and, especially, the controversy over renewing the charter of the US Bank.

   The controversial election of 1824 is covered in detail and well explained. Remini also shows how the aftermath of that election reshaped American politics - the parties became far more organized. Although the Democratic Party is spoken of as having been created by Jefferson, Jefferson was the leader of a group or faction more than a true party. In a real sense it was created as a party when Calhoun and Van Buren agreed to unite their factions behind Jackson for the election of 1828. The new era of national parties was illustrated in 1831-32, when, for the first time, national conventions were held to nominate presidential candidates. (The Democrats were so firmly Jackson's party that they didn't bother to formally nominate him, meeting mainly to ratify his desire that Van Buren replace Calhoun as the Vice Presidential candidate.)

   Also covered at length is the bizarre 'War of the Petticoats', when Jackson's cabinet was torn apart over the fact that some officials and their wives, spreading lascivious rumors about Peggy Eaton, wife of the Secretary of War, refused to appear at social events to which the Eatons were invited. However absurd the incident sounds, the consequences were significant.

   Along the way, I learned quite a few things ranging from remarkable to trivial. For instance, I had never suspected that Jackson was the first President to veto a bill with a veto message that centered on what he believed to be the faults of the bill. All prior vetos (there were only a few over 40 years) had been based on arguments that the bills vetoed were unconstitutional. Vetoing partially on the merits (Jacvkson also thought the bill unconstitutional) was considered at the time a shocking extension of executive power. I also learned that Jackson had the first 'kitchen cabinet', a term that dates from the tensions in the cabinet over the Petticoat War. The kitchen cabinet, those friends who Jackson trusted more than many of the men in his official cabinet (also called the 'parlor cabinet' at the time) was so called because they supposedly used a back staircase from the White House kitchen to meet Jackson in his study.

   Overall, a strong history with clear writing, a remarkable central character, and intriguing glimpses at the period covered.




3. This is the second book in Remini's trilogy and it's an extremely detailed, well-researched book. So many biographers bury their subject and forget that most readers what to know who their subject *was*, not merely what they *did.* Remini doesn't fall into this trap. He gives the reader a well-grounded and detailed look at Andrew Jackson as a man: his foibles, passions and prejudices, as well as his extreme ambition and vacillating brilliance.

   Remini strikes a beautiful balance when examining Jackson's private life and military/political life. His examination of Jackson's personal life is exceptional, and he weaves Jackson in and out of the narrative with rare poise and skill. The reader can actually picture Jackson in the midst of his political battles, feel his emotions and understand the decisions he made. When a biographer can paint such a vivid picture, the reader will always be rewarded.

   This is an excellent book for the entire spectrum of people interested in Jackson. Whether you are a neophyte or an established Jacksonian historian, there is much to enjoy, as well as new material. The footnotes and bibliography are excellent resources and lead to additional sources for the reader. Highly recommended.




4. When we last left Andrew Jackson, he had just quit his job as governor of the Florida territory. Having built his reputation on his military actions against Indians and his rout over the British in the Battle of New Orleans, Jackson now had two goals: first, recovering his precarious health, and second, becoming president.

   In this second volume of Remini's biography of the seventh president, Jackson rises to the pinnacle of his power, though it is by no means easy. First, there is his health: having abused his body over the years in war and duels, Jackson was not in good shape and probably spent the last decades of his life in constant pain which only his vast willpower could overcome.

   In 1824, Jackson ran for president and despite getting a plurality of the popular and electoral votes, wound up losing to John Quincy Adams that makes the 2000 election seem non-controversial in comparison. Getting cheated (as many felt) would lead to a second, successful campaign in 1828, but even this had a high price, as the slander he was subjected to due to the dubious circumstances of his marriage would emotionally wreck and eventually lead to the death of his wife.

   The second half of the book focuses on Jackson's first presidential term, ending with his election to a second term. In many ways the first populist president, Jackson redefined the role of the presidency by expanding the power of the veto (rarely used previously and only in limited circumstances) and attempted to clean up the corruption left over from the so-called "Era of Good Feelings."

   Remini is a great biographer and this book is every bit as great as the first volume. He holds back few punches when it comes to Jackson's negatives, especially his treatment of Indians and his tendency to dwell incessantly on little things (such as the Eaton affair). Nonetheless, this is a generally positive biography, as Remini demonstrates that despite the view that Jackson was an ignorant backwoodsman manipulated by his aides such as Van Buren, Jackson was both intelligent and independent.

   This is the definitive biography of Jackson. If you want to learn of the man or the era, this is a must-read.




5. In this, the second (and shortest) installation of three volumes on the life of Andrew Jackson, Robert Remini covers the decade between Jacksonýs ostensible retirement from public life after serving a short ý and miserable ý term as governor of the newly acquired Florida territory to the culmination of his first presidential term.

   The central issue covered in this volume ý indeed, the central issue in Jacksonýs political life, as Remini later concludes in Volume III ý is the presidential election of 1824 and the so-called ýcorrupt bargainý between John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay to deprive Jackson of the presidency despite his commanding lead in the popular vote. For Jackson, it was conspiracy of the wealthy elites against a commoner, and it proved that the American republic itself was in mortal jeopardy. The defeat served as a catalyst for Jacksonýs passionate, almost obsessive commitment to ýreform and retrenchment,ý which Remini weaves together with the character developed in Volume I. It was his quest to avenge the loss of 1824 (and the honor of the American people who had been swindled) and sweep the ýaugean stablesý of corruption and graft in Washington that led to the great democratic movement that bears his name. (It should be noted that Harry Ammon and other leading historians of the Monroe and Adams administrations stridently contest Reminiýs assertion that the Era of Good Feelings was actually the ýEra of Corruption.ý)

   For those of you who puzzled over Washingtonýs obsession with the Monica Lewinsky affair, you will be amused to read that the dominating issue of Jacksonýs first term was the reportedly lascivious nature of Peggy Eaton, the wife of Jackson's old friend and secretary of war. This so-called ýPetticoat War,ý which saw the wives of other cabinet members and senior officials ý mostly notably vice president Calhounýs wife, Floride ý shunning social interaction with Peggy, literally ripped the cabinet asunder and very nearly toppled the government. Remini tells the story with verve and wit, which at times reads more like a Sidney Sheldon novel than a volume in a definitive presidential biography.

5 comments about An Enduring Love: My Life with the Shah: A Memoir.

1. This is a really good book. Not only does it talk about Empress Farah's childhool, education, and marriage it also discusses about the Shah on how he tried to reform Iran and it goes into depth about the issues affecting Iran. It is also touching how she stood by the Shah during his illness and her youngest daughters suicide. It is a well written book discussing about the family's life in the states. This is a must read for a biography as well as a history lover. The book is not lenghty or boring at all. I couldn't put this book down.



2. Very informative insight for Iranians living in the US and abroad. Info on the downfall of the Shah and how the Carter adminstration turned their backs on the Shah and the Iranian people. Carter is a disgrace for what he did to Iran. The Shah was not the purest of governments but far better than the Khomeni revolution and the present day government.



3. Although like any other autobiography ,former Queen Farah's memoirs are presenting a single sided view on a regime, country and people, I have enjoyed reading this book .It gives insights on an era of conflicts and reminds of us of all the personalities who have ruled the world.



4. The Iranian revolution has overshadowed much of the Shah's "other" unofficial life. Most people studying Iran try to make sense of why the events had to unfold with the inevitability that they did. Ofcourse, the obvious reasons of totalitarianism and socio-economic inequity always rise to the forefront. Empress Farah's memoir provides a glimpse into the gentler side of the monarchy. The anecdotes involving the Shah as a suitor, a husband and father are far more interesting than Her Majesty's insights into the actual day to day workings of the government. Ofcourse, no one expects the Empress to stand up and provide a critical analysis of the late Shah's reign, and the reader wonders at times if Her Majesty was glossing over some of the unpleasantries of royal rule. Despite this imbalance, or perhaps because of it, the book is worthwhile in the sense that it brings back our focus to the man demonized by many scholars and historians for the decisions he made and which paved the way to the rise of political Islam. The Shah's human qualities are what endure in this memoir.



5. This book touches human soul, Empress Farah Pahlavi stated how Her Husband King Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was working for betterment of Iran, and Iran moved from dark ages to modern ages. And now Iran has been destroyed by looters, Iranian ladies are selling their bodies to buy food for their families.
   
   It is must read book.

2 comments about Charlie Siringo's West: An Interpretive Biography.

1. During his lifetime, Charles Siringo wrote six or seven books about his life experiences. The beauty of Howard R. Lamar's book is the way he encapsulates Siringo's books, and manages to put these stories in chronological order and in historical perspective. I have read most of Siringo's original writings, and found that Siringo presents his stories in a somewhat scattered way. I do have a better understanding of his life after reading this book. Lamar also did a great deal of research on the Matagorda Bay area of Texas, where Charles spent his formative years. This study is of great interest to Siringo affection ado's like myself. There is also a chapter full of great insight at the end of the book, which deals masterfully with Siringo's societal success during the later years of his life in Hollywood, CA.
   The author has a habit of repeating his own material word for word, sometimes 8 or 10 pages later, which I did not find appealing, along with misspellings sprinkled throughout the book. And in the chapter about Siringo's four year pursuit of Kid Curry and the Wild Bunch, I found it troubling that the author used so few sources in his research. In this important chapter, there were very few sources other than Siringo's own words, and the research of Richard Patterson. Yes, Patterson's book is very scholarly, but what about the findings of Charles Kelley, Jim Dullenty, and Dan Buck, to name a few? The notes to these pages seem to be a long list of Patterson, then Ibid, Ibid, Ibid... Lamar also attaches too much significance to the 1969 movie, and to actors Paul Newman and Robert Redford for my taste. Lamar's overall knowledge of the Wild West is suspect in other ways; Wild Bill Hickok was never the town marshal of Dodge City.
   Overall, however, the book puts Charles Siringo's life in proper perspective, and helps to clarify his lifetime of achievements during America's fascinating cowboy era. It shows us that Charles Siringo was more than just a capable trail riding cowboy, but an ambitious overachiever with a keen memory who instinctively knew that his key to immortality was his ability to put his experiences in writing, and convince people to buy his books.



2. "Charlie Siringo's West: An Interpretive Biography" by Howard R. Lamar weaves an intriguing tale of how one small boy from Matagorda grew up to become the epitome of the American cowboy.
   
   It is Lamar's hope "that the results [of this book] will contribute to a fuller understanding of both Charles Siringo and the American West of his day that stretched from south Texas in 1855 to Hollywood in the 1920s."
   
   Charles Angelo Siringo was born February 7, 1855 on Matagorda Peninsula at Dutch Settlement. His was an extraordinary life-cowboy, detective, author and Western consultant to Hollywood. It is Charlie who has been credited with writing the first cowboy autobiography. He detailed his adventurous life in several books; most notably "A Texas Cowboy, or, Fifteen Years on the Hurricane Deck of a Spanish Pony." In his writings he tells of growing up on the Peninsula; his life as a cowboy; his brushes with infamous outlaws, such as Billy the Kid; and his years as a Pinkerton detective.
   
   In "Charlie Siringo's West," Lamar delves deeply into Charlie Siringo's childhood on Matagorda Peninsula. The first two chapters give a wonderful description of what life was like on the Peninsula in the late 1850s and throughout the Civil War and tells of Charlie's brushes with the dreaded Yankees. It mentions many Matagorda County notables-Wiley Martin Kuykendall, Samuel Maverick, Dr. E. A. Peareson, Abel Head "Shanghai" Pierce, William Selkirk, Elias R. Wightman, John Aaron Williams, Horace Yeamans, and John Zipprian-just to name a few. Always the cowboy, it describes how his first "horse" was a stick pony and his favorite pastime was chasing and lassoing beach crabs with fishing line.
   
   Lamar does an excellent job of bringing Charlie Siringo to life. From his birth and childhood on the peninsula to his cowboy days to his Pinkerton years to his Hollywood years as a consultant, Lamar catches the essence of this quintessential Texas cowboy.

5 comments about The Life Of Belisarius.

1. I became intrigued with this little known historical figure after reading the massive Gibbons book. Although Lord Mahon wrote long ago i found his style easy to follow and, as this work is a straight historical piece, I believe he was impartial in his reporting and research. The Life of Belisarius itself would make a great movie. It has all the elements needed; a heroic and loyal figure, a decadent royalty, palace intrigue, adultrous relationships and warfare. All of this under crumbling empire and religion distorted by evil men. For history buffs I highly recommend it.



2. This book is the only scholarly biography I'm aware of that deals with the life of the great Roman general Belisarius. As the author points out, Belisarius was one of the few great men in history who deserved to wear a crown but never did. He has been called the greatest Roman general of them all, having defeated the Persians, the Vandals, and the Ostrogoths in turn with forces that would have been considered paltry by Caesar. He achieved what might have been his most glorious victory of all near the end of his life when he turned away an invading army of Huns from the very walls of Constantinople with a scant 300 veterans and some ill-equipped city-dwellers.
   
   The depth of scholarly research needed to produce this volume is impressive. Lord Mahon cast a wide net to include a wealth of citations from historians both ancient and more contemporary to himself. Let the reader beware, however--Lord Mahon includes a number of references written in the original Latin and Greek so a working knowledge of those two languages is helpful but not necessary. My only minor criticism of Lord Mahon's scholarship is that he falls prey to one of the bugbears of his times--antipathy toward Roman Catholicism in general and the Papacy in particular. While his animus toward Catholics was not nearly as pronounced as some of his contemporaries, I still found it irksome in the few instances where it reared its ugly head.
   
   I recommend the edition of The Life of Belisarius (Christian Roman Empire Series) by Evolution Publishing. It is a completely unabridged version of the 1848 edition of the work and is not a facsimile. The clumsy footnotes of the original have been helpfully reset as chapter endnotes. It includes a reference list of modern sources in English and additional notes and citations which help bring the text up-to-date. If, like me, you find Belisarius to be a fascinating historical figure, you might also like Belisarius: The First Shall Be Last by Paolo Belzoni which is a novel about the young general's early years.



3. The Life of Belisarius is an excellent period history. This book provides an interesting picture of the time between the disintegration of the Roman Empire and the emergence of both Islam in North Africa and the medieval principalities in Europe. The first modern reprint (2005) is the Westholme edition that includes an important introduction and further reading section by St Andrews historian Jon Coulston. I recommend that edition and not those that are simply a facsimile.



4. Mahon is a classical writer of his times: quite stilted. His prose takes getting used to for a modern reader, but after a chapter or so this difficulty fades. (Anyone studying the style for parody can profit...)
   
   Mahon is also decidedly judgemental. He occasionally takes Belisarius to task for some failing, almost like a snippy schoolmarm. Seeing that 1 1/2 millenia had elapsed between Belisarius and Mahon, you'd think that Mahon might realize that not all the story would be available to him, or that the prevailing ethos of the time might not fit Georgian England. I dismissed Mahon's crabby asides, and to tell the truth it wasn't present to a degree to ruin my reading experience.
   
   I was mostly interested in a condensed version of Belisarius'long and complex story, rather than reading through english translations of classical histories. Mahon waded through all the Latin stuff (the list of citations is impressive) and then condensed it. He tells it pretty well, including enough adventure, action and detail to give a tangy flavor.
   
   Russell Crowe could take part of the Bel story and easily have a movie to top "Gladiator. "
   
   I was particularly fascinated that Belisarus did not reject Emporer Justinian and make himself King, especially during the first Italian campaign. He easily could have done this, as he had the place under control and Justinian was tapped out in terms of troops and resources. Justinian had been a weak reed of support in the campaign, enough to cast a cloud on what might lay in store for the Romans of Italy. Mahon makes it clear that the Italian territories were not well served by those both before and after Bel.
   
   Belisarius' sense of fairness might well have captured the allegiance of the conquered territories just as it did to his troops.
   
   But Belisarius stayed true to his soldier's oath to Justinian. Stiff-necked or honorable?
   
   The Roman Empire is full of stories of fabulous accomplishment followed by astounding stupidity. Belisarius is a great example of this trope.



5. When the West was threatened only one man could save it. This is not today, but its symbolism is important, this is the story of the Byzantine Roman empire and the threat from easern hordes whose immigrant populations moving into anatolia and accompanied by a rampaging, terrible, hateful, intolerant Persian army were confronted with one man, a simple general whose aspirations were for nation and country, a man of honor named Belisarius. This is the story of courage, of victory over great odds, of barbarism versus fairness, of honesty in the face of terror, of resolution and perseverence, of genious against the masses.
   
   A very well written tale. A prescient tale that mirrors todays problems with societies in Europe being overun so that the native peoples and indigenous Europeans are becoming minorities in their own lands. Belisarius is a model, a worthwhile tale that many in the West have forgotten about a simple man setting out to defend a dying, sinful, gluttunous, licientous, selfish culture, against a much worse intolerant slave owning culture. Belisarius didnt go to war to defend the rich court of Byzantium, he went to war to protect the simple Roman farmers and Greek peasants who were not living the urban bon vivant culture.
   
   Seth J. Frantzman