5 comments about Kinky Gazpacho: Life, Love & Spain.

1. This is just an excellent book. I travel a lot and people always seem to be surprised to see a black woman abroad. So it was very gratifying to read a travel memoir from a black woman writer. She's really honest and for that reason sometimes you like her and sometimes you don't. Her struggle with sex, love and race is filled with a fair amount of self denial and self realization. However it's a real struggle that many of us go through, but it's rarely explored through the prism of travel. I highly recommend this book.



2. I found the author's journey entertaining, but also thought provoking. She brings up difficult issues, but in a light hearted way that is accessible to readers of any background.



3. I was a little hestitant about reading the book because of Wild Orchard's review, but the book turned out better than I expected. I actually thought the history portion was the best part of the book.
   
   I think Ms. Tharp may have learned( and the above Nigerian reviewer should make an effort to learn)that speaking "proper" English is not rare among blacks, nor is listening to opera, and reading definitely isn't rare within the African-American community. And that is the missing element of the book...What changed Ms. Tharp's prospective of blacks? The book is missing her New York years which awakened her pride in herself. She gives us a sneak peek, but only to show how much Manual, her Spanish love, meant to her.
   
   My biggest problem was trying to figure out what audience this book is geared towards, adults or teens. There seems to be too much innocence in this book to have been written by a married 30-something with two children. It doesn't have to be rauchy, but it's just a little too chaste. I got the impression that it was written by a late teen rather than an adult.
   
   I bought this book because I wanted to live in Spain for a year. However, I've been hestitant due to it's history in the kidnapping and enslavement of Africans in the Americas. Then there were the incidents with Spain's Olympic basketball team's mocking of Chinese people, and the treatment of black fútbol players by Spanards which haven't encouraged me to want to assist in Spain's economy. So, I was eager to read this book because I really wanted to get a prospective from a black person.
   
   I cant' say that the book enligthened me on the Spaniards. First the author was a student, and then a member of an extended family. She didn't really write about going on excursions alone, except to and from school or to acquaintances' homes. So, I don't get a true sense of what the average tourist may encounter.
   
   However, I do have to say the sites in Cadiz interested me. So, I may end up going for a vacation, but if so, only to the South of Spain.
   
   ***Unfortunately we can't change the rating once it's entered. I meant to rate this as THREE STARS. I really don't have anyone I would recommend read this book.
   
   It definitely shouldn't be a hardback book. This book is only good to use in an African-American Studies course to study the various way a racist society shapes self-image.



4. I bought and read this book as part of a bookclub selection. The first 60 pages were good almost even interesting then it went downhill from there! She was a complete Drama Queen and sort of an Elitist. If I was really interested in a history lesson (like the one you'll get reading this book) I would have grabbed a history book instead and not spend 15 bucks on this. So all in all it was good in the beginning then quite a torture to finish.



5. I must admit that I vacillated between sorrow and anger for Lori. She seemed to have such a hard time identifying with her Blackness and I didn't realize young Black people struggled with this identity crisis while coming of age in the '80's. Having lived through the turmoil of the '50's and '60's, I assumed that people of African descent living in America were Black and Proud.
   
   I'm happy that Lori is finally appreciating the blessing of being born Black, one manifestation of the Source of all of us.
   
   Now she will be able to impart to her children and others that on a spiritual plane, all of us share the same Source even though the multitude fails to realize that the breath of life, the air that sustains us all is the same. Many will go through life not realizing this simple fact and will continue to erect barriers/walls to separate us.
   
   Her memoir is a gratifying read and many will enjoy her awakening.

5 comments about Makers of Rome: Nine Lives (Penguin Classics).

1. Plutarch is able to create a Roman collective past through her great heroes of the past. this book is less history than it is favorable moral making through reliving the "glory days" but this work is important and one of the best sources we have for early Rome.



2. Plutarch's biographies of 9 important political and military leaders give the reader an in depth insight into the workings of the Roman Empire. It is a gloomy picture of a world dominated by the wealthy patricians at home and by Roman generals and their foot folk at large.
   
   Rome's democratic system consisted of two parties: the patricians (the wealthy aristocrats and landowners) represented by the consuls and the plebeians represented by the tribunes. However, the tribunes had to be unanimous. If one defected to the other party, the patricians controlled completely the political scene.
   
   `Coriolanus' was a staunch defender of the ancient aristocratic laws.
   `Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus' were tribunes of the plebs. The former proposed agrarian (land distribution) and the latter political (shunting the aristocratic Senate) reforms. The former was clubbed to death and the latter decapitated by the patricians.
   A dictatorship, assuming all (life and death) powers, was heavily opposed by `Brutus'.
   A very important and stabilizing factor in Roman life was religion (`Fabius Maximus': `fix people's thoughts upon religious matters to strengthen their confidence'). The augurs occupied a cardinal function, being sometimes pressed to pronounce inauspicious omens (`Marcellus'). One respected oracular instruction imposed the burying alive of a Greek and a Gaul man and woman. For the author this was absolutely not superstition. Plutarch was in no way a Lucretius.
   Another important civil servant was the censor (`Cato the Elder"), who had the right to inquire into the lives and manners of all citizens.
   
   At large, Rome was first on the defensive during the Punic wars (`Fabius Maximus' and `Marcellus'). But later, it went on an offensive spree, conquering the whole Mediterranean world. The vanquished cities and their inhabitants were partly offered as salary to their soldiers. The generals, like `Sertorius', pocketed enormous wealth in land, precious metals and slaves. With their big armies, they plotted and fought among themselves to grab as much power as possible within the empire.
   A most appalling new low was reached with the agreement between the triumvirate `Mark Antony' - Lepidus - Octavius to put to death 300 senators and 2000 equites in order to seize their possessions and fill the war coffers of the triumvirs: `I can conceive of nothing more savage or vindictive than their trafficking in blood.'
   
   Plutarch's dramatic presentation of the creation and barbarous functioning of the first world empire is an essential read for all those interested in the history of mankind.



3. This collection from Plutarch's Lives covers the rise of the republic and the begining of its disintegration. Some of the best of his Roman biographies are included here including Fabius Maximus, Marcellus, and Mark Antony. The struggle with Hannibal created some of the most memorable moments in Roman history and the lives of Fabius and Marcellus are our only sources for some of the details of that period. These men were great human beings whose example has served Western Civilization for two thousand years thanks to Plutrach's memorialization. For those interested in ancient history this modern translation is indespensible, but I would recommend this volume in particular to high school students as a door to undertanding character in the development of Western civilization. Besides the military heroes, we have in this volume the lives of great statesmen who deeply inspired the founding fathers of the American colonies (the Grachi) and we also have an example in Mark Antony of how power mongers can erode the fabric of a republic. This is a great volume and a great translation.



4. Plutarch in his "Lives Of The Noble Grecians And Romans" written around 100 C.E., sheds new light on Greek and Roman history from their Bronze Age beginnings, shrouded in myth, down through Alexander and late Republican Rome. Plutarch is the lens that we use today to view the Greco-Roman past; his work has shaped our perceptions of that world for 2,000 years. Plutarch writes of the rise of Roman Empire while Gibbon uses his scholarship to advance the story to write about its decline. He was a proud Greek that was equally effected by Roman culture, a Delphic priest, a leading Platonist, a moralist, educator and philosopher with a deep commitment as a first rate writer. Being a Roman citizen, Plutarch was afforded the opportunity to become an intimate friend to prominent Roman citizens and a member of the literary elite in the court of Emperor Trajan.
   
   Plutarch's influence and enormous popularity during and after the Renaissance is legendary among classicist. Plutarch's "Lives", served as the sourcebook for Shakespeare's Roman Plays "Julius Caesar", "Antony and Cleopatra" and "Coriolanus". By the way Plutarch is even the only contemporary source of all the biographical information on Cleopatra, whom he writes about in his biographies of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony and Octavian. Thomas Jefferson wrote to his nephew that there were three books every gentleman had to have familiarity with; Plutarch's "Lives", Livy's "History of Rome" and Virgil's Aeneid. In fact all the founding fathers of note had read Plutarch and learned much from his fifty biographies of noble men of Greece and Rome. When Hamilton, Jay and Madison write "The Federalist Papers" they use many examples of good and bad leadership traits that they read in Plutarch's work. His biographies are a great study in human character and what motivates leaders to decide and act the way they do, this masterpiece has proven to be still prescient today.
   
   If you are truly interested in a classical education, put this book on the top of your list! I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history.



5. As a mother of a "tween" and teacher of Western Civ to jr. high aged kids, I think this should be required reading for all public schools. It is the perfect material for asking normative questions. Who cares what we are today; ask them what we *ought* to be!!

5 comments about Martha Washington: An American Life.

1. I thought this book was pretty well written. The author did a nice job telling the story of not only Martha but the Washington family without getting bogged down by too many details. I also learned a lot about day to day colonial life. The reason I give it 4 stars is because the author let her dislike of Thomas Jefferson show through. She mentioned that Jefferson didn't really think much of Martha but then later in the book took one paragragh and really threw Jefferson 'under the bus' so to speak. I found the paragraph out of charactor for the whole book and wondered why the editor kept it in.



2. This look at the life of Martha Washington was very interesting. She really seems to be a woman lost to history by her legendary husband's very large shadow but this book gives a look at her strength and intelligence and also at the time in which they lived. A must read for any woman with an interest in American History.



3. Martha was the best partly because she was the first- but she really set the best example of making the best of situations that were at times FAR from ideal.
   
   She loved her husband so much, as was so dedicated to his well-being she sacrificed her own happiness on many occasions to be with her husband- sometimes at the risk to her own health.
   
   This biography shows what Martha's daily life was like, shedding light on her life before she married George Washington, and giving depth into her character and how it determined her decisions regarding how she conducted herself as the very first First Lady. This is SO worth reading-and a great intro into Revolutionary War characters and events that created her motivations while being First Lady and how to conduct herself.
   
   Less than 300 pages, I found it woefully short, but VERY readable! If you are into the Revolution, this is a book to add to your library.



4. Rather than write a summary of the book, I would like to just cover a few main points. This was a wonderful book! While some may complain of too much detail, I found the descriptions of day -to-day life fascinating. Many times I felt like I was right there with Martha and George. I felt that this book made Martha into a "real" woman, completely relatable, not just some stuffy old historical figure(that barely gets a mention in History class). She and her husband were people of character that deserve the admiration of all Americans. This book deepened my admiration for her.



5. Martha Washington by Patricia Brady is a very detailed and in informative book about the life of our first first lady. Martha's was named after her grandmother, her great-grandmother and possibly even her great-great-grandmother. She was born to Frances Jones Dandridge and John Dandridge in 1731. Even though her parents were wealthy, Martha learned how to pluck fowl, can vegetables, garden, cook varieties of food, clean a household, dance and read. As well as all of the customary good manners of the day. This young lady grew into a very beautiful young women. Martha married Daniel Curtis, a very rich man, a couple weeks before her 19th birthday on May 15, 1750 and had four children with Daniel, Frances, John and Martha. Mrs. Curtis lost both Daniel and Martha shortly after birth. Martha was very happy with Daniel threw out their marriage, but Daniel was very much her senior, nine years older than her and died July 8, 1757 after only six years of happy marriage. The widow was now in a very prominent position, rich, young, beautiful, running her own plantations without any pesky relatives in her way. Then a new man came into her life: Colonel George Washington. George Washington was one year her senior and the two fell passionately in love with each other. They were married on January 6, 1759. The book goes on to explain how threw out their marriage it was Martha's job to be George's supporter, his emotional stability. Every winter threw the Revolutionary War, Martha would come from her safe, comfortable home in Mount Vernon to live with George in the winter camp. Her coming was a signal for other wives to join their husbands. Then after the war, Martha lived happily with George for only a short time. He was constantly called away to whatever business the new country needed him for. She felt that George and herself had given eight years of their lives to America and should be left comfortably in retirement. She actually didn't want George to become president, but went along anyways when he did. By now, her daughter had died of a terrible seizure and her son was also dead. Though her son, John, had married and had four children before he died. Martha was mortified when she realized that she had outlived all of her children. She and George ended up adopting two of their grand-children. They came home after George's second term on March 15, 1797. George Washington died in two years December 18, 1797. Martha tried to spend the rest of her life as peacefully as possible. She took care of her beloved grand-children until her death on May 22,1802. Where she was surrounded by family and was in her late seventies. This is a very detailed and informative book, it sometimes goes of on detours and talked about George Washington as much as it talked about Martha Washington. I think this book is fine for people who enjoy over informative books that often sidetrack and talks about other things than the main topic.
   
   
   I think that this book is very detailed and over informative. It constantly had long lists of items that Martha's husbands bought her, things like chairs and spoons. The book also goes into unneeded detail about Martha's family. It talked about Martha's great-aunt and uncle Unity and William Dandridge. Which as far as I can tell, had no impact on Martha's life at all, other than being a distant relative that she probably never met. The book also went into great detail about a infatuation George Washington had before and even after his marriage on a lady named Sally Cary Fairfax. I could see how this could be use in a biography about George Washington, but this book is a biography on Martha Washington.
   
   
   This book isn't very exciting. Maybe because it is a biography, but this book doesn't elaborate the greater events in Martha's life. The book talks more about the housing and packing that Martha did to go to winter camp, then what she did at the camps. Martha's greater accomplishments should of had more attention than what her husbands bought her and what packing she did. This way the book would focus more on Martha than anything else. All in all, I'll repeat, this book is fine for people who enjoy over informative books that often sidetrack and talks about other things than the main topic.
   
   
   
   
   written by C. Shipman

5 comments about Destined to Witness: Growing Up Black in Nazi Germany.

1. I am so thankful to the author for sharing his story. There is information in this book not found anywhere, and it's so well-written that I can't put it down. This record really makes clear, too,
   the wide range of humanity (and lack-of) in Germany before and during the Nazi days. One very moving piece is the author's mother, who, without doubt, gave him the strength of character to endure so much pain and grow up to be a fine person. Also, the teacher during his first year of school--in all my days of school in THIS country, I never saw such fine character in a teacher! And...And...And...So many unbelievable people in a sea of horror.
   This account sheds light on civil rights issues, everywhere (and we learn a bit about Liberia, too!)
   This is an phenomenal book. Completely original and beautifully written.



2. An inspiring book on the life of Hans Massaquoi. Not only did he survive living in war ravage Nazi Germany, but he did this as a man of mix race black/white. The horrible conditions he and his mother endured and the strength they displayed cannot be understated. It was hard to put this book down once I started. I'd definitely would suggest giving this book a try.



3. It seems impossible that a boy of noticeably dark skin could have survived the period during which the Third Reich reigned. And yet here we have Mr. Massaquoi's account of his personal experiences, candidly and eloquently told. Most vividly in Mr. Massaquoi's accounts are those of his mother, whose courage, resilience, shrewdness and bits of wise common sense left me wholeheartedly moved. Otherwise throughout the book I oftentimes found myself trying to slow my breath, in an attempt to ease my rage at the cruel injustices.
   
   On a personal note, I once found a series of photographs that I bought from a vendor at an East Berlin flea market. They were part of a family album in which one of the family members was a young woman of half-African descent, living in Berlin during the time of the Third Reich. I was so overwhelmed by the photographs, asking myself how it is possible that a dark-skinned woman could have survived a time when the German government was propagating the extermination of anyone of mixed blood. A year later I would have Mr. Massaquoi's memoir to understand how all the more exceptional his survival.
   
   Other thorough eyewitness accounts I recommend are Curzio Malaparte's "Kaputt" and Eric Johnson's "What We Knew".



4. Mr. Massaquoi provides us with a very vivid account of his experiences as a child and later as a youth while growing up under Hitler's Nazi regime. I am very grateful to this gentleman for sharing his story and enlightening the world as to how blacks were affected during this era. While he grew up fairly poor, Mr. Massaquoi was rich with other blessings. He was blessed with a nurturing and caring mother and the ability to be resourceful and demonstrated that he really cared about his friends, black, white, Jewish, etc. Again, thank you sir for sharing these experiences. Your biography should serve as inspiration to everyone, regardless of race or creed.



5. I found this to be a very interesting record of Hans Massaquoit's growth and development in Nazi Germany. I learned quite a bit from this reading, for example, I was not familiar with the hundreds of adolescent youth sterilized because of their mixed parentage. The well written book is an easy read, but not easy to put down. What I found interesting was the individual racism Hans experienced in Germany was no worse than the wholesale racism many Afro-Americans experience in America.

4 comments about Ordinary Heroes: A Tribute to Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients: Reflections of Freedom, Faith, Duty and the Heroic Possibilities of the Everyday Human Spirit.

1. There are a couple of good books about CMH winners. The thing I liked about this one was the photo's. All the winners in this book survived, and we get to see the man, as well read about his actions.
   I really enjoyed this one. A very fast read



2. Mr. Casalini's book is incredible -- I found myself tearing up at some of the descriptions and pictures. These men are incredibly brave, but at the same time, none seemed to be anything but the guy next door. The wonderfulness of ordinary was truly captured and championed in this amazing book.



3. Ordinary Heroes is a remarkable and memorable compilation of portrait studies showcasing winners of the Congressional Medal of Honor. Each photo is accompanied by an insightful caption or quotation arising from photographer Tom Casalini's personal interview with the recipient. Ordinary Heroes is a virtually unique contribution to military studies and a very highly recommended addition to community library collections -- especially as a Veteran's Day memorial acquisition or as a memorial donation by a Veteran's group or association.



4. While attempting with words to enter into the souls of the Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, Tim Wallis' commentary ebbs on the ordinary heroes, who are protectors of the Medal of Honor. The tremendous impact of the words that are spoken is second only to the full page photographs of the father/husband/patriot's in all their splendor. The photographs are not of men in full dress with the Medal around their neck, as you would think, but of them on the back porch, in the orchard or merely on the couch in prayer. The book shows us all what can be found if only we look a little harder. We too might discover the wonderfulness of ordinary.

5 comments about Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years.

1. I am so glad that I read this book. I found it uplifting and inspirational. How amazing that women like this lived, and I am so grateful they shared their story. It is not something I normally would have read, but I am grateful that I gave it my time. It was a very quick read.



2. "I'm not black, I'm brown!" So says Bessie Delany, at age 100. Despite her years of involvement in the Civil Rights movement, accepting its nomenclature wholesale isn't part of Bessie's personality. She's the feisty sister. Sadie, age 103, is the one who conquers by saying nothing - while going right ahead and doing exactly what she wants. Or by playing dumb, as she and Bessie both put it; but either way, it's always worked for Sadie. These two, the second black woman licensed as a dentist in New York and the first black woman to be appointed a New York City high school teacher, have lived together more years than not in their long lives; and as of this book's publication, they're still in their New York home and taking care of themselves just fine, thank you very much.
   
   What do they have to say? Plenty, mostly in alternating chapters. Their father was born a slave, and their mother's parents - a mulatto woman and a white man - couldn't marry because state law forbade it. That freed slave eventually became an Episcopal bishop, and all ten of his children became college-educated professionals. Sarah and Elizabeth Delany were old enough to be shocked and hurt when Jim Crow became the law of the South, and each had to find her own ways to survive and thrive in spite of both cultural and institutionalized prejudice. Relocating to Harlem, New York City opened new opportunities, but didn't take them away from that familiar struggle. Through it all, Sadie and Bessie lived by the creed their parents had taught them: You're here to do good. To which Sadie added her own maxim: Maybe I can change the world a little bit, by changing me.
   
   The challenges these two women faced are not familiar to me personally, in one sense, because I've never had to face racial prejudice. Yet in the way they met those challenges, with determination, realism ("As long as they need you, you've got that job"), and plenty of humor, any fellow human can surely find inspiration. A wonderful read!



3. The Delany Sisters are simply a spectacular duo of fighters. Their story is one almost every person would find amazing. The way they see this world, and how their past experiences with Jim Crow and being colored in the South before the Civil Rights Movement shaped their perception of humans forever. The book is filled with very warm humor and it is essential to understand part of the complex psyche of 'colored' people in the United States today, which, by the way, is a term prefered by the Sisters over black or even African American to refer to themselves and their people.



4. This book was recommended to me by my 95-year-old mother, and I must say it was an excellent recommendation.
   
   
   
   Author Amy Hill Hearth must have had numerous conversations with Sadie (age 102) and her "little sister" Bessie (100). The book is written with the words and the spirit of these two special ladies shining through each page. The Delany sisters were born to a father who was a former slave and who got an education and later became the first black bishop in the Episcopal Church. Their mother had white blood, but she chose to marry and socialize among the black race. As the sister explain, if you had one drop of black blood at that time, you were considered a Negro.
   
   
   
   The sisters describe their growing-up years and their gratitude for their parents' love, guidance, and the high standards of conduct which they held up to their children. They tell what is was like to be chased by the Ku Klux Klan, discriminated against by teachers and employers, and be the victims of the Jim Crow laws. They mention the illustrious black people, such as Adam Clayton Powell, and Cab Calloway, who were part of their social circle. They tell about their patriotism during WWI and WWII and in one of the most poignant comments in the book Bessie says, "We were good citizens, good Americans! We loved our country, even though it didn't love us back."
   
   
   
   This is a look back at American history by two women whose family was prominent in the black community, but mostly unknown in the white world.
   
   It is an eye-opener and is a wonderful story.



5. Let's just say I fell in love with the sisters so much that I adopted their last name. I am in awe of these remarkable woman, still. After living for more than a century they did not believe they had a story to tell. I am grateful that Amy Hill Hearth was able to convince them otherwise.
   Their accomplishments were remarkable not only what the two oldest sisters did but the entire Delany family. Their father Henry was borned into slavery, however, he did not use that as an excuse. All of the Delany children were trailblazers because there were no civil rights for people of color in the early 1900's. They did what they had to do, Bessie was honest and brutal as she felt it was her duty to tell people the truth. Sadie was considered the sweet one, however, she too was a go-getter.
   I recommend this book and the two other books that were co-authored by Amy Hill Hearth. Without Ms. Hearth these women and their stories would have never been told, I am thankful to her for bringing them into my life. I expected the sisters to live forever but Bessie died in 1995 shortly after turning 104 and Bessie at 109 in 1999. They are still alive in the hearts of many of us and in the pages of their books.

1 comments about The Words and Music of Neil Young (The Praeger Singer-Songwriter Collection).

1. A legend in the field of music for over four decades. "The Words and Music of Neil Young" is a complete and comprehensive examination of the times and life of the artist. Chronicling his life album by album, "The Words and Music of Neil Young" covers all of the artist's popular and unpopular moves as a solo artist or part of his many groups over the years. Enhanced with a discography and extensive bibliography, "The Words and Music of Neil Young" is highly recommended to community library music collections and fans of the man in general.

5 comments about Tomboy Bride.

1. Harriet Backus chronicles her everyday life with a riveting narrative of her experiences in the early 20th century mining camps of the west. One cannot help but marvel at how our ancestors dealt with the harshness of life without the creature comforts we now all enjoy. But of course they knew no other way, so therefore accepted the hardships as they lived their lives. The author's marvelous way with words enables her history to come alive, making the reader feel like a companion sharing her joys, griefs and wonders of the world she encountered.



2. I rarely read a book more than once but this one is worth the time to do that. What a life the bride lived.



3. Since so many have commented on the story, I'll skip repeating all the wonderful things others have already said. Here's what I have to say:
   
   I bought this book in 2001 when my wife and I got married at Alred's in Telluride (we were the FIRST couple to be married there). It wasn't until last month that I "found" this book on my shelf and decided to read it...I couldn't put it down!
   
   This book should be mandatory reading for all high school kids for several reasons: they can learn what life was like back then, and to show that life doesn't own you a thing! You have to earn what you want and take the good with the bad.
   
   Mrs. Backus was an incredible woman that lived through some incredibly difficult times, all the while never giving up or having a bad thing to say.
   
   I would rank this book right up there with "Narrative of the Slave"; it's easy to read, extremely fascinating and leaves you with lump in your throat when it's over.
   
   This book would make an incredible movie (just don't let them "Hollywood-ize" it. Keep it true to the story.



4. My son gave me this book as a gift and once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. It is a wonderful story of a young girl who marries and moves to a mining town in Colorado with her mining engineer husband in the early 1900s. As you turn the pages, you live day by day with Harriet and can actually experience the hardships of living in such remote areas.
   
   It is one of the best written books I have ever read and I recommend it to everyone.
   Brenda Ritter



5. Fantastic book. Well written with humor and sorrow. I picked this book up on a whim at a $1 book sale. Best dollar I have ever spent. I couldn't put this book down. Really a great read for anyone interested in mining life esp. what it was like from a womans point of view.

5 comments about The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte.

1. Perhaps my letdown by this book was inevitable coming as it did immediately after my reading of Doris Kearns Goodwin's demythification of Lincoln's human leadership power (see my review of Team of Rivals). Neither subject nor author could measure up here.
   
   In any case, this "battlefield biography" never really tells who Napoleon was, but what he did on the field of battle, and that with an over-reliance on secondary sources and unsupported generalizations and opinions.
   
   This book was followed by "The Fall of Napoleon Bonaparte" by the author, but not by me.
   
   The most enlightening part of the book was the statement Napoleon purportedly made at his coronation as Emperor of France, leaning over to his brother and whispering: "If only our father could see us now." That one quote tells more of the personality and motivation then hundreds of pages of battlefield maneuvering. Here was not a monster or maniac, or even a masterful monarch, doing great things on a great stage, here was a young man with verve and vigor emulating and now far exceeding his father, and wishing for his approval and adoration.
   
   Skip this one.



2. Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Corsican obscurity in 1769. He was involved in patriotic struggle in Corsica; studied at a French military school and won his fame during the French Revolution. Napoleon has had millions upon millions of words and thousands of books written upon his fabled career. In his life he became emperor of the French; fought the major powers of the nineteenth century such as Britain, Austria, Prussia, Austria and Russia; wed and divorced Josephine; married Maria Louise of Austria; lost at Waterloo and died in exile on the island of St. Helena.
   Robert Asprey is an American historian who has authored several books of military history. This book is the first volume in a brisk two volume work. Asprey has a plain style; briefly covers major battles such as
   the Battle of the Nile, Maregno and Austerlitz and delves into the love life and mecurial character of the little corporal who was the cynosure of so much adulation and hatred in the nineteenth century world.
   Asprey does not go into excessive detail in describing military actions and his maps are few and far between. His coverage of diplomacy is not filled with details but does give the general reader an idea of the issues involved. If you seek a more scholarly and detailed look at the battles pick up the hefty tome "The Campaigns of Napoleon" by the eminent David Chandler; if you want more of the life of the average soldier in the French army turn to John Elting and if you want all the sexy intrigue of the Napoleonic court turn to Evangeline Bruce.
   If, however, you are a student or a neophyte to Napoleonic study this fine general biography will be a good place to begin study of the Napoleon era.
   Asprey is balanced in his portrait of Napoleon who was neither saint nor sinner but a tough, brilliant battlefield commander who worshipped at the shrine of power and egomania.I recommend this book and the second volume "The Reign of Napoleon Bonaparte." Good reading!



3. Robert Asprey has delivered an outstanding look at one of the world's greatest military minds and leaders.
   
   Not focusing simply on Napolean's personal life, Asprey paints his character's life and actions against the canvas of then-current events, such as the French Revolution.
   
   Asprey's literary style is efficient but entertaining, and he does not encumber the reader with military minutia -- an accomplishment considering his subject.
   
   If you seek a biography to explain who Napolean was and what he did -- this is a great start.



4. I am a high school senior who is planning to major in history in college I thought that it was a very engaging book even for my limited vocabulary and reading ability. It is truly an unbiased essay on Napoleon's life and adds an element I've never found before. Asprey shows what we are all missing out on when people write biased biographies. A must have if you want a book on Napoleon's life, military battles, and his destructive relationship with Josephine. Hope you guys like it.



5. All the major events are covered, but there is little or no analysis/detailed description of those events. If you have little or no previous knowledge of Napoleon, this book would leave you thinking that the battle of Austerlitz was really not a big deal at all.
   
   Very disappointing read.

5 comments about Molly Brown: Unraveling the Myth.

1. It's wonderful and refreshing to finally find a book that speaks the whole truth about who this honorable lady was! I'm glad that I bought this book and I highly recommend it to all Titanic and Margaret Brown fans.
   Rosita Tanza



2. This book was requested and purchased for a retirement center library. I manage the retirement center and the library committee was most anxious to get this book. I had toured the Titanic in Branson in July and saw the book on display in the gift shop there. When I was telling of the Titanic Tour, all the residents were so interested in having Ms. Iversen's book for our library. So far, we have given it RAVE REVIEWS!



3. I bought this book at the Molly Brown House and Museum in Denver, a few weeks ago. I like biographies, autobiographies, and well-written historical fiction about the lives of women, so this one caught my eye. I was not disappointed.
   
   Dr. Iverson brought Margaret (Molly) Brown to life in context with the Victorian Age she part of. I delighted in all the little details of family and friends, fashions, travel, politics, and society that enriched this biography, for none of us exist in a vaccum.
   
   Margaret Tobin Brown, an interesting philanthropist and activist who was way ahead of her time, has at last been given the respect she deserves, rather than trivializing her as merely Molly Brown, the crude, opportunistic, unsinkable wife of Mr. Brown.



4. I thoroughly enjoyed this book on the "unsinkable" Molly Brown, probably the most famous Titanic survivor. There are some many myths out there about this woman, hopefully this book will help to set the record straight. For one thing, Mrs. Brown was never called "Molly" while she was alive, but "Margaret". She was a very generous, caring and compassionate woman and was definitely ahead of her times. She was independent and was not afraid to stand up for her rights and worked tirelessly toward women's equal rights. She also spent a lot of time, energy and money in helping the not so fortunate people. She was involved in many charities and philanthropic organizations. She even worked toward proving miners better working conditions even though her husband owned mines. She loved to travel and was passionate about learning different languages especially French, as she loved the French culture. Also, it was very interesting to see how the upper class lived, traveled and entertained in the turn of the century in Colorado and Newport, Rhode Island.
   
   The author Kristen Iversen does a splendid job in researching the life of this amazing woman and putting together all the facts without making it boring. A very interesting book on a very interesting lady!



5. As another reviewer points out, it is good to read a book with the facts on Margaret Tobin Brown. Iversen writes well. There is some academic women's studies-type jargon that doesn't fit in well, and makes me wonder if Iversen felt obligated to put it in.
   
   I would have liked to read more about her time in Leadville and her last years in Europe, both of which are covered pretty sparingly. The Titanic episode seems to be retold about three times, but I guess that's how you sell books.