5 comments about Mornings on Horseback.

1. This book given to my brother, a history buff, who did not like it. He raved about 1776 by the same author.



2. I NEVER RECIEVED THIS BOOK. It was returned to sender as undeliverable. The reason is the address was to my winter residence for which I have a mail transfer through the post office with mail going to my summer address and the post office would not transfer anything except fist class mail and I didn't know that when I placed the order. I will have to order it again after October first.



3. Overall, not bad with some entertainment and it got better in the second half. Won't read it again though..



4. I thought I knew much about Theodore Roosevelt before I read this book, but learned even more about him and find that he is an inspiration, the way he got over all the troubles that he had as a young child.
   A very good book. Entertaining and informative.



5. One of McCullough's early books, 'Mornings on Horseback' may surprise readers more accustomed to the author's definitive treatments of Harry Truman or John Adams. The intentions of 'Mornings on Horseback' are slightly more modest than either of those books: it documents only Theodore Roosevelt's early life and does not attempt to be the last word as a biography of this great American president. And yet, it is no less a book for that. McCullough deftly traces the young TRs transformation from a sickly, introverted child of a wealthy New York family to a robust, confident adult ready to tackle the vast promise of America. Using family letters and diaries--and drawing on his incomparable knowledge of American history and culture--McCullough brings TR to life as a vivid, compelling, and surprisingly poignant figure. A great read....One only wishes that McCullough had gone on to do a full multi-volume TR opus. (Perhaps there's still time.) Anyway, if you like McCullough, you'll love this book. Read it!

4 comments about Wyatt Earp.

1. Enjoyed this book very much. Braun has a great way of mixing fact with fiction. Read the Biographys and then enjoy this book



2. Matt Braun is usually known for stories rich with historic detail and realism. This book reads more like the movie "Tombstone" (a great movie on its own) and lacks that historical bite. He has a different take on Wyatt Earp than many, which is OK, in that he doesn't place him on the pedestal that most others place him. It's fairly obvious, from other references to Wyatt and his brothers, that he doesn't hold them in very high regard.(Especially in his Luke Starbuck novel "Tombstone") In this story the characters seem to be written as cliches of themselves and the lack of insight to their characters makes it hard to feel for them and become involved in the story. From an author who was able to effectively portray John Wesley Hardin as a "Noble Outlaw", I guess I expected more.



3. Contrary to reviews I had seen of this book, it is turgid, flat, and poorly written. I could have bought it's like off the supermarket shelf. While it sticks, for the most part, to the facts, it is not entirely accurate. It's characterizations of the characters is one dimensional, to say the least, and creates not one bit of excitement in the reader. I am forcing myself to finish only because I have a keen interest in Wyatt Earp and the history of the period.



4. Matt Braun has a reputation here in the UK for writing 'faction' westerns where he novelises historical fact. This book is a fine companion piece to his "Doc Holliday", being a fictional account, based on recorded history, of the cowboys v lawmen conflict in 1880s Arizona climaxing with the deadly shootout at the OK Corral and its bloody aftermath. The book is very close to truth but also a fine piece of writing - a good read which brings each scene to life and has good believable dialogue. Highly recommended.

No comments about Our Friend the Charlatan (Large Print).

No comments about A Time to Speak (Charnwood Library).

5 comments about A Monk Swimming.

1. I listened to Malachy McCourt on radio long before I ever read Frank's books, so I looked forward to this book. I also knew that his voice and delivery were everything, so be sure you get this on audio.
   
   The stories are very funny, but McCourt ultimately cannot let the reader into his soul enough to show how he, apparently, gave up the drink and straightened out his life. His stories don't always glorify his drunken revelries -- his regret for his alcoholism does come through. But he has the honesty to report the fun and comraderie that can come with the early more pleasant stages of the life of a drunk.
   
   McCourt also is able to build to a very moving and honest story of a confrontation with his alcoholic father interwoven with early memories of a more pleasant time with his father. This final story is what redeems and commends the book.
   
   McCourt's failure to discuss and confront his recovery from alcoholism diminishes the book's value significantly, and sometimes causes it to read like a nostalgic memoir of someone who wishes he were still drinking. The abridgement is also a bit too extreme.
   
   On the whole, I like McCourt and can forgive him his shortcomings. Not all readers will be so forgiving, so be sure you are predisposed to him before undertaking the book. And be sure to listen to him rather than read him -- too much is lost in translation.



2. 
   
   He was a charmer this Malachy McCourt. That soon becomes clear in his candid, hilarious, racy, I'll-go-you-one-better memoir A Monk Swimming (title drawn from the young Malachy's misunderstanding of the Hail Mary phrase "amongst women.")
   He was also self-congratulatory, allowing that a party wasn't complete "without my wit, my erudition, and my exuberance, not to mention presence."
   A prodigious drinker, womanizer, and gold smuggler, he was an angry young man, intermittently furious with God, his parents, the Catholic church, specifically Cardinal Spellman, the St. Patrick's Day Parade, all things British, and, at times, unsuspecting bystanders.
   Admittedly dedicated to self-gratifying pursuits, he writes, "Indulgence is mine...having been the victim of other people's ideas of sin, original and otherwise, from the time of birth." Mr. McCourt seems to have been fond of one person - Mr. McCourt. And so is the reader, perhaps because beneath the blarney and braggadocio is an unmitigated pain born of destitution and a longing for the father he sought but never found.
   Many are familiar with his poverty stricken childhood as traced in brother Frank McCourt's vaunted Angela's Ashes. Now, we hear Malachy's story of the years between 1950 and 1962, years spent and wasted on the streets and stages of New York City.
   After arriving in "the U.S.of A." at the age of 20, Mr. McCourt found work on the docks. He also discovered that one could avoid bills by stamping "Deceased" on the envelopes, and, that if he were entertaining enough, his bar glass was freely refilled.
   His ready way with words earned him some stage roles, plus a stint on the Jack Paar Show. This minor celebrity led to a partnership in the opening of an eastside saloon, "Malachy's," just around the corner from the Barbizon Hotel for Women, "a large building throbbing with post-pubescent sexuality."
   Soon, "Malachy's" habitues included Grace Kelly "generally accompanied by ugly, thuggish, beetle-browed types," Gig Young, Barbara Streisand, Peter O'Toole, Richard Burton, Richard Harris, and Mr. McCourt's soon to be "Jewish Presbyterian" wife, Linda Claire. A union so objectionable to his mother that she redevoted herself to Catholicism, and rendered a "poor old, shure, begorrah, close-to-the-grave, Irish mother act." Despite "the mother's" dramatic diatribe this marriage produced a son and daughter before ending in divorce.
   Upon taking his first "serious drink" at the age of 11, Mr. McCourt felt he was "nearly exploding with joy, with the rapture of freedom from the poverty of the world." Although he was never to feel that alcohol induced euphoria again, liquor was his constant companion. Besotted and burdened with a body vest holding gold bars he caromed to different points of the globe where he delivered his illicit booty then drank and whored the time away. He wandered "...self-pityingly through the streets, yearning for the company of the woman I loved, only because she didn't love me."
   A Monk Swimming rollicks along from one unforgettable scene to another - a drinking bout in Robert Mitchum's trailer, a red bearded Mr. McCourt floating sans bathing suit in a swimming pool he believes belongs to Richard Harris, and his unsolicited top-of-the-lungs delivery of countless Irish ballads during a trans-Atlantic flight.
   Yet beneath the hilarity there is heartbreak, building toward Mr. McCourt's final confrontation with his father.
   Does he embroider his yarns? Is his brogue too broad? Few may care because Malachy McCourt, champion of charm and chicanery, spins an amazing story. All escapades considered, perhaps most amazing is that he lived to tell it.
   - Gail Cooke



3. The worst book I've ever read. Alcoholic pomposity and constant name-dropping does not a good book make.
   Holy smokes was this bad. Can I have my time and money back?
   I wish I could give negative stars, much less zero.



4. Malachy is not Frank, and thus has a very different style. I have recommended this book to others. Worth the read.



5. I'm sorry that I wasted my money on Malachy's book. Unfortunately, the author did not inherit any family talent for story telling.
   His stories of habitual drinking, raw language usage and continual celebrity name dropping over and over again made for an extremely boring read.

3 comments about The Girl from Leam Lane: The Life and Writing of Catherine Cookson (Charnwood Library).

1. I bought this book believing that I would in some way know Catherine more intimately after reading most of her novels. I came away with an understanding of what her life was like and I greatly appreciated that aspect of the book. I was dissapointed in that a lot of it went back and forth between her life and the characters she wrote about. I felt as if I were traveling down a long bumpy road and then backing up at times. It could have been written much better in my opinion.



2. I found this book very interesting and well written. Catherine Cookson's candidness gave this reader an insight into a background that allowed the author to create multi-faceted characters who persevere despite any obstacles that may arise.



3. I found this book very interesting and well written. Catherine Cookson's candidness gave this reader an insight into a background that allowed the author to create multi-faceted characters who persevere despite any obstacles that may arise.

5 comments about Old Songs in a New Cafe: Selected Essays.

1. Item was shipped timely in great condition. I would buy from this seller again. The book is fabulous, I especially like the story titled "Romance", I could read it over and over and till take something away from it. Robert James Waller is a great author with wonderful words.



2. Since this is a group of essays, it is easy to pick up and read any particular portion at will. I've read "...Rachael's room" several times, cry every time, and it makes me give thanks AND say a prayer for our own son. Love the flow. Each story is unique, and living. I've given a number of these books as gifts, and will again. I'm glad Mr. Waller shared these stories with us.



3. I found "Old Songs in a New Cafe" to be the choice selection of Waller's essays. Waller is a master of dressing emotions in words and a new experience. I was intrigued with the sensitive prose. Behind it all is a seeker who has "been circling a thousand years and still does not know whether he is a Falcon, or a storm, or a great song." Waller sets me on a high plains afternoon remembering the flowers and the wind, dancing through the late autumn dust remembering those who were free.
   Trish New, author of The Thrill of Hope (Amazon.com), South State Street Journal, and Memory Flatlined.



4. I enjoyed reading this biography of writings by Robert James Waller. I, too, felt he was very similar to Robert Fulghum in his approach to life; a reverence for all that is simple and beautiful in this world. After reading only his fictional works, I gained a deep appreciation of the author himself and am refreshed that someone with a PhD in business can have a soul.



5. Reads a tremendous lot like Robert Fulghum, but beyond that...

   Through essays, the presumably all true story of a man who lived as if he was born with a detailed, incredibly accurate set of instructions and near-Godlike wisdom. Learns pool and billiards as an eleven-year-old kid and beats the town champ. Takes up basketball, making his high school team as a freshman and becoming a good major-school college player. Starts a loving marriage in college that remains super-strong over 25 years later. Plays guitar, and with his small combo is chosen for national TV appearances with Charles Kuralt and Robert Kennedy. Despite all his independent thought, establishes a solid - actually distinguished - career in academia. And, in the decade after this book, writes a novel that may have sold more copies - and tickets to its subsequent movie - than ANY in the 1990's!

   And guess what? NONE of this - not even a SCRAP of it, according to the essays - ever misled him or cost him anything! He didn't drop out of school to hustle pool, ignore academics to over-concentrate on basketball, discover his wife who he chose at age 22 didn't fit his ever-evolving life at age 50, go for a low-paying full-time music career, QUIT music altogether and lose the fun of playing recreationally, or constrict his thinking by getting it in line with the PC work setting of a university.

   Not only did he seem to be always doing the exact right thing at the right time, he avoided every trap there was.

   Amazing! Have never seen a life so comprehensively superb since Jennifer Beals' in Flashdance, and she was FICTIONAL!

   So, Robert James, we have two ways to interpret you. You can be one of the most premier renaissance men of our time, or an archly annoying "perfect" person akin to Martha Stewart. So, my challenge to you is - write an essay, telling us in detail, how in at least one instance YOU, not circumstances, luck or the people around you - have FAILED. Have you done it? Can you do it?

3 comments about Florence Nightingale: Avenging Angel (Isis Nonfiction).

1. For the first time a well documented point of view of Florence as a human being, with all its implications.



2. Inmy mind, this Nightingal biography is an extraordinary example of revisionism. Studying the professional career of the English heroine Florence Nightingale is mandatory in just about every accredited school of nursing because, after all, she gave respectability to her profession. Even Nightingale's mother would faint at the thought of her daughter being a "nurse", because respectable ladies in Victorian England just didn't do such things. Thankfully, Florence broke with her culture and created, what some would call, a new paradigm for women. Now, that's the way Florence Nightingale is presented to nursing students, but it's not the way author Hugh Small presents his argument in "Florence Nightingale: Avenging Angel". Well, of course, somebody had to break the myth of Florence Nightingale. As an icon of Victorian culture and style, Nightingale had to be taken down a peg or two. Never mind, the memorial to Nightingale located in the middle of a group of stuffy old coffins in the crypts in London's St. Paul's Cathedral. Never mind, the enormous statue honoring Nightingale and the memorial to the Crimea, nearly causing traffic jams at the intersection where it is boldly located in downtown London. Never mind, the Nightingale Museum and its life sized display of three demensional shadow boxes located adjacent to St. Thomas Hospital in London. If the real Nightingale would please stand up, as Hugh Small describes her in his biography, the lady's myth would be on trail right now for genocide, having caused the deaths of thousands of British soilders in the 1856 Crimean War. The biographer Small, of course, anticipated just such a visceral reaction from Nightingale's cult, mostly nurses like myself, so he floods the book with lengthy documentation and footnotes to counter any dispute about the authenticity of his Nightingale research. In summary, if history addicts want to know about remote letters from people as memorable as Lord Palmerston and details of the NcNeill-Tulloch reports to Parliment about the Nightingale hospital, then, this book is definitely made to order. Of course, it's admirable to have a counter-cultural history published every 100 years or so about our sacred myths and legends. Hugh Small certainly deliveres a counter-cultural point of view, so for this I give him a nod of approval. Nevertheless, I didn't like reading "Avenging Angel", bcause the biographjy, I believe, belies the premise if its cover. Small sets the reader up for one expectation about the heroine Nightingale while actually undermining the reader's trust with absolutely mind startling information. So, I guess somebody had to eventually re-invent Nightingale. Too bad, the story is 150 years after the fact. Perhaps the best part of reading "Florence Nightingale: Avenging Angel" is the reinforcement it provides to holistic healers and health care skeptics who instinctively seem to know that staying away from hospitals is better for your health and life longevity than relying on the curative treatment that may never come. Rating this book was difficult, but for historical data it gets a 5; for story value it gets a 1...."Data 5, Book 1"....so, I think a rating of 2 is fair.



3. Hugh Small's account of Florence Nightingales contribution in the Crimean war has made rivoting reading. His willingness to answer some of the hitherto unasked questions using thorough and reliable research is to be commended. He challenges many of the romantic notions of Florence Nigfhtingale whilst preserving her reputation as a remarkable woman with great political influence.

No comments about The Jubilee Boy: The Life and Recollections of George Swinford of Filkins (Isis Reminiscence Series).

No comments about The Life and Genius of Nathaniel Hawthorne (Large Print Edition).