5 comments about American Dreamer: The Life and Times of Henry A. Wallace.

1. Doesn't anyone here know how pathetically naive this man was? I mean he wanted to pursue a policy of appeasement with mass-murderer Joseph Stalin - much as Neville Chamberlain had done not a decade earlier with Hitler. Thank God Roosevelt had the sense to remove him from the Vice Presidency.
   
   Don't waste your time; the man, however "idealistic" (meaning he didn't listen to anyone else), is a historical nonentity.



2. This book is very readable and engaging. In parts, you'll learn more about corn and agriculture than you ever thought you would from a political biography, but it isn't dull. American Dreamer gives great insight into many facets of American life from the 20s through the 50s, from the collapse of agriculture to the red scare (among the many things Mr Wallace so accurately predicted or feared). Most importantly American Dreamer throroughly introduces one to Mr Wallace, his faults and greatness.
   
   Even if you're not too interested in Henry Wallace (or vaguely know of him), if you're interested in American history or politics of that era, you'll be fascinated as I was.



3. This is an extremely well written book. Th most amazing thing about it is that is corrects some of the conventional wisdom about Henry Wallace that more "popular" historians of this era like Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough use without questioning.

   A remarkable book about a remarkable man.




4. A biography of one politician written by another could have been a nightmare this fall, but this one is a dream. Culver and Hyde have done a masterful job of telling a great story about someone who has been overshadowed by the giants of the era--Roosevelt, Truman, Stimson, George Marshall, etc.--but who certainly was one of the great minds of his generation. Henry A. Wallace was not only a cabinet member and vice president, he was a journalist, scientist, philosopher and theoretician. Culver and Hyde have captured all the aspects of his public life in an interesting, readable style. This may be more than you thought you ever wanted to know about Henry A. Wallace, but it's worth the time to learn about this fascinating man and his times.



5. This is undoubtedly one of the most impressive political biographies I've ever read. I have to confess from the outset (with a tad of embarrassment) that I pretty much had no idea who Henry A. Wallace was when I picked up this book. What shocked me most after reading 'American Dreamer' was how a man that was so revered and despised in his time has been so conveniently left out of any present discourse on that era.

   In 'American Dreamer', Hyde and Culver give a well-written and balanced account of the life on one of the most enigmatic and progressive political leaders that America has ever produced. Why his name has never come up in years of taking history courses amazes me- especially in light of the fact that his thoughts on the cold war, which he tried desperately to steer us away from, turned out to be quite prescient.

   Henry Agard Wallace was Secretary of Agriculture for eight years, Vice President for four and Commerce Secretary for a short time before his forced ouster. Wallace ran for the Presidency in 1948 on the Progressive ticket, lost, and then left public office. What Wallace left us during this time was a legacy of innovative leadership, genuine public service and a virtual revolution in agriculture.

   Wallace eschewed the world of dog eat dog politics and preferred appealing directly to the public than orchestrating back room machinations. He was honest, direct, practical and always put the public good above his own wants or ambitions. In short, he had everything that seems to be lacking in the American political spectrum today.

   As I read the book I couldn't help but think what would have happened if Wallace had remained Vice President (instead of Truman) and therefore become President at Roosevelt's death. It seems to me that the worse excesses of the cold war and the red scare could have been avoided and that US policy in just about every area may have been put on a more evenly keeled tack for the future (it would have been undone later, but hell, it's a start).

   Wallace was often accused of being an impractical dreamer- but if what he accomplished in his years of public service were the deeds of an impractical dreamer- then we can certainly use more of them.

5 comments about Royal Russia: The Private Albums of the Russian Imperial Family.

1. If a reader of this book is already familiar with the images of the OTMA, and Maria in particular, then the mistaken identifications will not be a problem. There are many photographs that are not in many Romanov photocollections, and the information contained in the text seems spot on. However, I would not recommend this for anyone who does not have a familiarity with the Romanov family already.



2. i love to read anything i can find on the russian royal family,great book.great service,thanks.



3. In "Royal Russia", Lovell draws the reader into the amazing world of the last Imperial Family with their wonderful photographs. The photographs are excellent, however there are some misidentifictations of the Grand Duchesses. Nonetheless, the book is great.



4. Brief Summary:

   In the year 1881 church bells rung from the towers Alexander II is dead. His eldest son Nicholas was crowned czar of imperial Russia. With his wife Alexandra from England. Granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Their first child was born in 1895.Her name was The Grand Duchess Olga Romanov. She was the czars heir. Then in 1897 their second child was born. Her name was Tatiana Romanov. Then in 1899 Marie was born. Then in1901 Anastasia was born. Followed by their final child the new heir Alexei in 1904. Then problems came to Russia there were riots in Russia. The people started to hate the czar and czarina. People were starving in the streets. And Nicholas didn't know anything about it. Alexei was diagnosed with Hemophilia that meant if he bleeds he could bleed himself to death. The Russian Revolution started and the people hated the czar. They imprisoned him and his family. To a small village in Siberia. Then they transported them to a village near Moscow. Where one morning a soldier came to there room and told them to get dressed and get downstairs. The family was told to wait in the basement. A firing squad opened the door and started to fire on the family. The bullets cut their bodies down. There were screaming and lots of smoke. Not one Romanov lived that morning. They say that Anastasia escaped and lived. But that is another mystery.

   Critical Thinking:

   In the book Royal Russia the Romanov family had many fears. They were imprisoned to Siberia and they went from extremely rich to poor. The girls were the most scared because they did not know what was going on or what was going to happen to them. When they were shot in the basement they probably had a clue what was going on. When they were shot they were terrified on what happened to there family.

   Bottom Line:

   Good book to read and also has some good pictures to look at that best describes the Romanov family as they were not how they were preseved to be.




5. Hmmmm, I was decidedly disappointed in this book. Many of the pictures contained within were very poor quality and there were some blatant mistakes in identification of the family members. A good many of the photographs are not new to the collector of Romanov books. I would not recommend this book if one is expecting to see anything new. I dont think Mr. Blair Lovell would have been pleased!

3 comments about Saddam Hussein: A Biography (Greenwood Biographies).

1. I had to do a biography project on this guy, and this book was the only good biography i could find on him. Its a really boring topic, but the book makes it somewhat interesting. It has nice anecdotes and some useful information on him. The anecdotes in the entire greenwhatever series are really good if you are doing a biography project on someone



2. Hussein became Iraq's president in 1979, where he held power through terrorism into modern times. His reign was marked by three wars until he was overthrown by the US: Shiva Balaghi`s biography Saddam Hussein details lesser-known aspects of his personal life, from a difficult childhood and politically charged teen years to his involvement in politics and rise to power. His rule and its effects will be felt for decades, which makes Saddam Hussein: A Biography more than of passing interest.



3. The book is more than a biography of Saddam Hussein. It really covers the history of modern Iraq. The book is simple (but not simplistic), well written, and well documented. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to know the history behind the horrible headlines we see about Iraq every day. There's a chapter on Saddam and culture which was unexpected in a straight up biography format. This book is a great read for anyone interested in Iraq, the Middle East, US foreign policy, and world affairs.

5 comments about The Unfinished Presidency: Jimmy Carter's Journey Beyond the White House.

1. I was reminded of Pete Seger's classic song while reading this book. Douglas Brinkley offers a fascinating examination into Jimmy Carter's post-presidential achievements, showing the many reasons why Carter should have long before been considered for a Nobel Peace Prize. The former president has been a tireless promoter of peace around the world, whether it is election-monitoring in Nicaragua, two-track diplomacy between Israel and Palestine, or fighting diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. The man had long been an international symbol of peace, extolling all the positive aspects of Christian goodwill, before finally earning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. One is simply left awestruck by the width and breadth of his accomplishments through the Carter Center, Habitat for Humanity and many other organizations he either created or promoted in the 20+ years since he left office.
   
   Brinkley takes Carter up to 1998, a time that offered much hope in finally establishing a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. The Middle East had long been Carter's most personal interest, having formed a heart-felt friendship with Anwar Sadat during the famous Camp David Accords. I was surprised to learn that it was Carter who made Arafat a player in the Peace Process, by reaching out to him and bringing him to the table when the first Bush administration had virtually ignored teh Palestinian leader. Clinton deserved a lot of credit for the lengthy peace talks between Israel and the Palestine Authority but it was Carter who did much of the groundwork in bringing these talks about.
   
   The chapters revolve around specific achievements and Carter's relationships with the various presidential administrations that followed his. It was interesting to read that Carter established such a close bond with Gerald Ford, who joined him on numerous international projects and even a few domestic projects, although the two often didn't see eye to eye on political matters. Brinkley notes how Carter was never able to break through Reagan's teflon exterior, but had a good working relationship with the Bush administration until the fallout over the Persian Gulf War, which Carter refused to accept. He and Clinton managed to form a good working relationship despite the many differences in their personalities. Clinton stole a number of pages from the Carter playbook, relied on many of his same advisors, but ended up tripping over himself on many occasions because he refused to take Carter's advice.
   
   Many view Carter's administration as a failure, but Brinkley notes the framework that was laid during that time, and how Jimmy Carter followed through on many of the initiatives he set in those four short years. Most impressive are his achievements in world health, spearheading efforts to rid the world of small pox, guineau worm and other maladies that needed his clout to get the money necessary for their eradication. Most important was Carter's political will, which seemed undaunted despite the setback he suffered in losing the 1980 election to his nemesis, Ronald Reagan.
   
   I think anyone with an interest in Jimmy Carter will greatly appreciate this book as it puts his many accomplishments in perspective and illustrates how he earned the respect of many persons across political and international boundaries, even begrudging respect from such persons as George Bush, George Schultz and Henry Kissinger. You may not agree with everything Carter has done, but his integrity is unimpeachable.



2. Only made it thru the first few chapters, but he describes Ford as someone who sent 18 men to their death for political gain. He describes Reagan as an unprincipled and deeply immoral man, and suggests the Cold War was won because Reagan followed Carter's policies. He largely endorses the idea that Reagan's team conspired with Iran to keep the hostages until Carter was out of office. He repeats without disclaimer Carter's claim that he could have won re-election if he had been willing to bomb Iran (apparently, we Americans are a bunch of bloodthirsty idiots who would have supported such an action).
   
   Given Brinkley's unbridled venom for any Republican, it is going to be hard to believe any of the rest of the book.
   
   ---Edit: although I cannot change my star rating to 3, I found Brinkley's fawning reassuring - it meant the duplicitous and arrogant behavior of Carter perhaps unwittingly revealed in the book to be the result of Carter's nature and not biographer bias. If this is the sort of book an unabashed supporter of Carter writes, then one wonders what a truly unbiased account will someday say. Overall, the best of the books on Carter I've read so far - as my own review shows, Carter is difficult to view objectively.



3. This is a biography of Jimmy Carter from the time he lost the election to Ronald Reagan in 1980 to 1997. Brinkley attempts to show how Carter, though no longer a resident of the White House, took much of the Presidency with him in terms of what interested him and the power he still might wield in having an influence on world affairs. Carter got very involved in trying to help resolve conflicts around the world, from Panama and Haiti to North Korea and Bosnia. So focused on peace (and some might say the ever-elusive Nobel Peace Prize), Carter often could be a fly in the ointment of US policy, driving presidents (especially Clinton) up the wall. Carter is a micromanager, needing to know every detail. He is also a tireless worker, especially for what he perceives to be just causes. He has always put his faith above all other things, and might rank as the most decent public official Washington has seen in a long time, or can expect to see again. Brinkley is totally pro-Carter in all respects, though he is willing to point out how and where Carter got himself into trouble along the way. An interesting book about an interesting man.



4. Jimmy Carter is usually considered a mediocre president at best, totally incompetent at worst. Nothing could be further from the truth. This book lists his presidential successes and goes on to show how they led to his influential post-presidential activities. We now can see Jimmy Carter for what he truly is, a human rights champion and a shining example to us all.



5. Regardless of how one feels about Jimmy Carter the fact is that he has become one of the most admired men in the United States and one of the most beloved Americans in the world. He left office after being voted out in a landslide and with some of the worst poll numbers in history. Now, his poll numbers are very high and any time a conservation turns to Carter someone will almost certainly say that they think Carter is the best ex-President we have ever had or the most moral man to have been in the White House in years and years. This turn around occurred in less than twenty years, and that the turn around occurred is a fact not open to question. The real question is; how and why did it happen?

   That's the question Douglas Brinkley attempts to answer with this book. Brinkley basically starts with Carter's 1980 defeat and follows Carter's career for the next twenty years. On this journey the reader will meet Jimmy Carter the Baptist missionary, the Habitat carpenter, the lay physician out to heal the world, and the ex-President who refuses to profit from his former office but is at the same time a tireless fund raiser for his Carter Center. We also get to see the tireless diplomat who is willing to put himself in great personal danger to try and secure a peaceful resolution to conflicts around the world. This is truly a man who takes to heart his faith and the teachings of Jesus Christ. On the other hand we also see a somewhat darker side of the former peanut farmer. We see an ego as big as all outdoors, a tendency to grandstand, a self-righteous zealot, and a serious stubborn streak. The reader will also find a great clue in Carter's post presidency to the failure of his administration. The aforementioned faults of course did not help his presidential efforts but it may well have been his inability to prioritize that lead to his political downfall. It seems that Carter will give small details and events the same attention he gives to massive undertakings without taking into account the real importance of the event. One can easily see how a President with this trait would very quickly become bogged down and accomplish very little.

   Brinkley does an excellent job of telling this remarkable story. He had access to both President and Mrs. Carter along with their papers and also did many interviews with their fellow workers and friends. Interestingly, many of the people who had worked with Carter on some of his projects critiqued some of the draft chapters and pointed out mistakes. Make no mistake, most of these people are Carter intimates but steadfast Republican James Baker is also among those who offered both insights and critiques. The writing style that is found in this book is generally easy to read although the narrative does seem to drag in places. The biggest fault I could find in this book is the printing. I read the paperback version and the printing is tiny. I suppose that in discussing Jimmy Carter, Biblical type print is understandable but it still hurts the eyes. Still, this book is well worth the effort so break out the bifocals and enjoy.

5 comments about American Hostage: A Memoir of a Journalist Kidnapped in Iraq and the Remarkable Battle to Win His Release.

1. His story is well told. I found myself thinking about all the small things that many of us really don't ponder about Iraqi life sitting in our modern homes living our modern lives. That is the true gift that this book gives the reader is its insight in to the struggles of ordinary iraqis that leads them in to taking up arms and doing some of these things that we all here about. My only issue with his story is that he never explains how some one with less connections would fair in his same predicament. I don't think that the story would end quite the same way.



2. I love a good cliché, don't you? "Gripping", "Page turner" and on and on. Of course those terms had an origin once, and that origin reminds us that the terms sometimes have true meaning.
   
   I don't have a lot of time for reading, so I like a book that is episodic in the sense of having small "bites" that may be consumed at leisure - especially in the bathroom. Once there, with nowhere else to go for the moment, reading may proceed until "the work is done". I actually read the entire Bible in that manner.
   
   "Hostage" however presented and interesting contrast - I found myself staying longer and longer after "work", and then, in the end simply took it to my picnic table to finish over lunch.
   
   I am truly thankful for the writers' journalist "chops". Lots of pictorial prose presented in brief sentences and paragraphs. I was able, at least in part, to share the experience with each of them. The alternating chapters construct added enormous power to it.
   
   I am reminded that Hemmingway started out as a journalist too - in a war zone, yet! I do wonder whether the novel form lies in their future.



3. I really loved reading this from start to finish. It is a moving story of journalist and filmmaker Micah Garen who was in Iraq filming a documentary. While finishing up, he was kidnapped by militants in Southern Iraq.
   This is a well written, interesting and powerful book that reveals the details of his work, kidnapping and release. At times, you will definately need some tissues, but overall, you will come away with having read a fascinating (scary at times) book. This is something that should be read by everyone.



4. Most books about the Iraq war are more general in nature, without that personal touch throughout the story. "American Hostage" is not one such book -- instead, Micah Garen and Marie-Helene Carleton tell the world their own personal story, in the middle of Iraq's chaos.
   
   The two were filming a documentary in Iraq, but Micah decided to stay behind and do a few more weeks of camerawork, while Marie-Helene flew ahead to New York. Her last words before leaving were "I love you." That was a good thing, because while trying to photograph a man in a market, Micah is attacked by a mob for being a foreigner.
   
   In the days that follow, Micah and his local guide Amir are kept prisoners, while Marie-Helene anxiously awaits her boyfriend's arrival -- until the morning when Micah's mom calls her, saying that he has gone missing. With little information to go on, Marie-Helene goes on a quest to get her lover back -- even as a radical group threatens to kill him.
   
   The Iraq war has been a political powderkeg ever since it began, but "American Hostage" is one of the rare stories that doesn't really belong to either side of the debate. It's a more intimate story, by people who only wanted to film a documentary.
   
   And as a whole, it's a compelling love story. Not hearts-and-flowers love, but a willingness to go anywhere and do anything to save the person you care for. The story is told from both viewpoints -- Micah's and Marie-Helene's -- both of which are sort of like fleshed-out diary entries, with details of what they saw and felt.
   
   Through their eyes, we get to see the horrible, despairing condition of a prisoner, as well as the desperation of the prisoner's loved ones as they mount a campaign to get him back. Micah is a better writer, getting across his feelings as he wobbles between hope and fear, but Marie-Helene's story is almost as compelling.
   
   Adding to the story is a collection of photographs, including poignant looks at looted museums, frightening rallies, and a look at the "shrines" the families erected as they hoped for Micah's safe release. Finally, there are pics of the families rejoicing as they are reunited with Micah.
   
   A tense, frightening story, "American Hostage" is a true look at modern Iraq in wartime, and a love story with a happy ending. Compelling.



5. Back in 2004, the sight of innocent civilians, including journalists, kidnapped in Iraq became all too common. We saw the horrifying pictures of helpless individuals surrounded by brutal men too cowardly to even show their faces, heard the kidnappers' ridiculous demands, prayed for the victims and their families, and felt a deep sense of outrage and anger at the barbarism of the terrorists. Our hearts went out to those involved, yet the personal reality of such a nightmare situation never really touched us - certainly not in the way it did the victims and their families back home. I pictured grieving families coming together to wait out the ordeal, unable to do anything but hope and pray. The family and friends - and colleagues - of Micah Garen, however, were anything but paralyzed, and that is what makes his story so fascinating. Alongside Garen's experience in captivity, we also have a rundown of the tireless, far-reaching efforts of a small army of supporters, led by his fiance Marie-Helene Carleton.
   
   Both Garen and Carleton had gone to Iraq to shoot a documentary about the widespread looting taking place there, at some of the most significant archaeological sites in the world. Both authors share their experiences in this regard, and it is an important subject - important enough for both of them to risk their lives to document it - but I really don't have enough space to discuss it here. Carleton returned home, but Garen chose to stay two more weeks in order to film the new city guards that were set to begin protecting the site at Umma. Their months-long stay overlapped with the transfer of power to Iraqi authority in mid-2004, which turned out to be a most dangerous time, as fighting broke out between Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army and coalition forces. On August 13, Garen and Amir Doshi, his friend and translator, traveled to Nasiriyah, where they were kidnapped from the market place and taken to the office of al-Sadr. From there, they were taken to a remote location in the marshes, their new home a small enclosure surrounded by a wall of date palm fronds jammed down into the earth. This certainly didn't fit my mental image of a hostage cell, but it gave them only the smallest glimmer of hope that they might be able to escape. Garen takes us through the daily routine that soon developed, the conversations he and Amir had with different guards (with different ones seemingly having different agendas), and brings home both the emotional and physical toll their captivity took on both men. All of the doubts, fears, internal debates, and fleeting senses of hopefulness are vividly detailed, giving one at least a sense of what Garen's ordeal must have been like.
   
   Marie-Helene Carleton's story is, in some ways, more gripping and emotional than Garen's. While he at least had a minute-to-minute sense of what was going on, his family and friends started out with nothing more than the nightmarish report of his kidnapping. They had no idea if he was alive or dead, where he might be, or who might be holding him - and the question of the kidnappers' identity was of the utmost importance. It could be a group connected to al-Sadr, looters with a grudge against Garen's journalistic work in Iraq, common criminals, or al Qaeda. If Garen ended up in Zarqawi's hands, there was almost no chance of his coming home alive. Upon learning the horrifying news, Carleton immediately began working for his release. Along with the obligatory calls to government officials, she began reaching out to her own network of contacts both inside and outside of Iraq itself. Within hours, a small army of family and friends were hard at work, contacting anyone who might be able to help and fending off media inquiries left and right. Since they did not know who had taken Garen, they held off going to the media - under some scenarios, a personal plea from the family could be of great help, but in others it could contribute to Garen's death. Their fellow journalists, however, came to their aid in spades, with everyone contacting anyone they thought could help. Their greatest hope was that they could somehow get al-Sadr to release a statement calling for the hostages' release, but al-Sadr was pinned down at the shrine of Imam Ali in Najaf at that time. The story of all of this behind-the-scenes work is fascinating and rather amazing, and there's even a twist at the end.
   
   There are additional aspects to this story that I haven't even mentioned. The different goals of the men who held Garen and Doshi in captivity is perhaps the most striking - and revealing as to the nature of this turbulent time in Iraqi history. These men could be cruel, but they were a far cry from the brutal savages I would have assumed them to be. I should also note that there's really no political subtext to be found in this story, nor are there any claims of heroism. Garen, Carleton, and their loved ones truly come across as wonderful human beings, and the story is told in such a way that you feel as if you are witnessing all of these events and emotions first-hand. This is an informative, well-written, emotionally compelling read - and, best of all, it has a happy ending.

3 comments about Adam By Adam: The Autobiography of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr..

1. Adam Clayton Powell Jr's autobiography is an extremely interesting read. However, for its true historical significance, it should be read in connection with one of the two biography's that came about about Powell in the early 1990's - KING OF THE CATS by Wil Haygood and/or the Political Biography by Charles V. Hamilton.
   
   Powell's life story is amazing. Unfortunately, his contributions to the cause of civil rights has been loss in the media coverage that he brought upon himself, particularly his explusion from Congress. There are those who are quick to say that Powell's problems were a result of racial discrimination. Sure, there was some of that, but Powell brought a great deal upon himself. His flamboyant life style, his absences from congress, his lavish spending at tax papers expense all did serious damage to his image. Probably the most damaging was his refusal to deal with a law suit brought by one of his constituants who he referred to as a "bag lady" while appearing on a TV talk show. The TV station settled with the woman for $1700 and it went away. However, Powell stonewalled the case for years until he was ultimately charged with criminal contempt of court. The case had gone through dozens of court hearings, several trials and numerous judges. There were even offers from supporters to pay the woman and get rid of the case. But Powell refused. It got so bad that he could only go to his district on sunday. Otherwise, he would have been arrested. He admits that his handling of the case was a major mistake.
   
   In an era when JFK's romantic engagments were kept secret and before the Gary Hart affairs, Powell was able to get away with a life style that was literally filled with wine, women and song. Even his position as a Baptist minister did not limit his life style, his affairs or his three marriages. He was a creature of the time in which he lived.
   
   ADAM BY ADAM was written near the end of Powell's life. In reading Haygood's account of his final days, you see a man trying to hold on to the past. He is alone and sick and abandoned by his former friends. As a result, Powell's accounts of his many friends and relationships rang very hollow to me. His finances were shot, he had no place to go. He was very much alone.
   
   Powell made significant contributions to American life and should not be forgotten. However, in reviewing his life, one wonders if following the old advise - you got to know when to fold and know when to hold - may have been wise. When Martin Luther King and other civil rights leaders meet with LBJ, Powell was excluded. He had become damaged goods. At the March on Washington in 1963 he was not allowed to speak. For a man with his ego, it must have been terrible.
   
   However, politicans create their own image. Powell was a loner who never listened to anyone. He had no close advisors. In many respects his life had a sad ending. But still his contribution to African American history should not be forgotten



2. Mr. Powell another of our past heros, not be forgotten. Read about the horrible treatment he received from the US congressmen in his day and his fight for his people.



3. Mr. Powell another of our past heros, not be forgotten. Read about the horrible treatment he received from the US congressmen in his day and his fight for his people.

5 comments about Life and Death in Shanghai.

1. My mother asked me years ago to read this book. She was an avid reader and often recommended books to me. I failed to read it while she was alive. I just finished it today and wish I could share my thoughts about this great read with her. This is a powerful book about a courageous woman. Don't miss it. It will also help you to appreciate the freedom we enjoy in this country. Don't take it for granted!



2. I bought a second copy of this book to share because it is so well written and gives a clear picture of what went on in China during the Cultural Revolution. What a brave lady!



3. Nien Cheng is quite the lady with some experience to tell. Growing up in China as part of the wealthy class, her life changed all of a sudden as the Great Cultural Revolution came down her street.... It's a chilling story of a mob mentality that pretends to "purify" society of evils of the day. It's a sobering story that unveils and condemns the horrors of communism. Required read.



4. Nein Cheng lived a comfortable middle class existance...in Shanghai during the height of the Cultural Revolution. Big mistake. Her comfortable lifestyle and connections to the West (via Shell Oil, her former employer) make her a target of the Red Brigade. Imagine if you will, waking up one morning to find a bunch of politically jacked up teenagers suddenly given the freedom to ransack your home, determine whether or not you are a danger to society, and beat you, arrest you, humiliate you and arrest you. Ms. Cheng is imprisoned and everything she has is taken away...rare works of art, priceless porcelains. This irreplacable beauty is, for the most part, destroyed by the loutish thugs -- the 14 and 15 year olds who ran amok, brandishing their political clout -- who made up the bulk of the Mao Cult that was the Red Brigade. Cheng is arrested and sent to a hellacious prison. Beaten, starved, subjected to brutal interrogation, Chen is indomitable. She does not confess, she does not kowtow, she sticks to her guns and even dares to lecture her captors and, in the process, drive them crazy. She lives this nightmare year after year, never budging from her declaration of innocence, never seeing or hearing from her beloved daughter. But no matter what they do to her, Cheng does not give in. Give in? She doesn't give an inch. We learn, though her, fascinating lessons in the political subtlties that fomented chaos and laws during this period. Through hints and reading between the lines of the official propoganda that the prisoners were forced to listen to, she pieces together much of the political climate and events. Her tenacity, stubborn contrariness and refusal to make any concessions to her captors is inspirational, astounding and, frankly, almost unbelievable. Even when the political climate changes and she is given her release, she insists that the prison "confess" its error. This is not a lady to trifle with. Upon her release, she immediately begins to search for her daughter, and for the restoration of whatever of her property has survived the Red Guard. The second half of the book -- Ms. Cheng's "rehabilitation" is as compelling as the first part. It's a book that is impossible to put down and certainly the best of a spate of first-hand accounts of this horrible "Through the Looking Glass" period of China's history. Nien Cheng is one hell of a tough lady, her book is moving, thought-provoking and compelling.



5. Nien Chang's account of her encounter with the Cultural Revolution is the best book of this kind that I recall. Many others have written about their experiences, some in memoir form, others in fictionalized form. NC's is the most accessible to the Western reader, she can relate to our expectations better than some of the others, and she writes more specifically for a Western audience. Her personal background made that easier for her than for many others, she had this working history with a large foreign corporation (no product placements in my reviews!).
   The sad fact is that the subject interests non-Chinese or 'Overseas Chinese' substantially more than the population of the People's Republic. Books like NC's are often talked down because they are successfull in the West. That fact seems to be a negative mark. This applies also to Jun Chang's Wild Swans, while her later bio of the great helmsman is taboo.
   The desire to forget about the past is so overwhelming, that many shut their eyes and minds to the recent past. (Actually not that recent any more.) With this strong wish to close the chapter, and in a situation of overwhelming success and progress for the country as a whole, the ruling elites find it very easy to put the Cultural Revolution into a kind of frozen state of taboo: it is not denied, but it is not visited with the purpose of understanding and digesting it. The man who provoked it is sacrosanct, he can not be touched by criticism. The negative things are assigned to others, like the Gang of Four.
   (Who was it who wrote here recently that history does not change?)

5 comments about Nixon Reconsidered.

1. Professor Hoff, late of Indiana University, tries to rise above the Watergate mania that tends to totally overshadow all the other accomplishments that occurred during the Nixon administration. Let there be no doubt that Nixon was NOT a doctrinaire conservative, if he was even one to begin with. Nixon's early cabinet and advisers included some liberal minds. It is now known that many economic policies that were implemented during this time were very injurious to the US economy (wage and price controls come to mind) and contributed to the awful economic times of the late 70's and early 80's.
   Nevertheless, this book is a good start if you want to learn a little bit about what went on besides Vietnam and Watergate.



2. Hoff tempers her examination of Nixon with balanced criticism and muted praise in places but remains quite impartial overall. Naturally, a reader may find anything he seeks in an interpretation of the words of the author yet there is no obvious bias or partisanship on the part of Joan Hoff in this work. The amount of revisionism, however, is quite substantial. Hoff seems to have as her purpose for writing this a decided motivation to revise the history of Nixon from the accounts given by fellows ranging from Ambrose to Wills. Granted, her work is more informed and well rounded compared to Ambrose and less agonizing than Wills' Nixon Agonistes yet there seem to be a lack of entirely new information, which would make this work a better choice for the average reader looking for an unbiased, middle of the road examination of Nixon.



3. I've recently become a bit of a Nixon buff, reading a dozen biographies of the man, all of which portray him in very different ways, from a paranoid, racist sociopath to a misunderstood visionary. I honestly don't know where I'd place Ms. Hoff's portrayal of Nixon within those two extremes. Her book makes some excellent points, particularly in citing the frequently ignored strides that Nixon took in domestic policy. Overall, however, her odd writing style and seeming preoccupation with revisionism make the flow of the book pretty choppy, as well as all out boring in places...

   In my opinion, any book on Nixon is worth it if you are trying to figure out what he was all about. The fact is the guy was so complex, introverted, and troubled that all of them will be right and wrong at the same time...




4. This is a complete whitewashing of Richard Nixon's political career written by an obviously pro-Nixon source. There is no attempt from the author to distance herself from Nixon or create an illusion of impartiality. Hoff is in Nixon's corner all the way and makes some incredible interpretive analyses. For example, Nixon's domestic agenda was actually "extremely liberal." Hoff makes this claim based upon Nixon's environmental agenda, but ignores his viscerally right-wing Supreme Court appointments and his Neanderthal approach to civil rights. Doesn't sound too "liberal" to me.

   Hoff also makes a series of implausible and ultimately ludicrous excuses for Nixon's involvement in Watergate. Predictably, she absolves the President from much involvement and any guilt. She points the finger of guilt at a dizzying array of Nixon suborindates (all of whom went to prison). Nixon is the epitome of grace, honesty and courage in Huff's eyes, a view which will delight those who revere the 37th President. But for those who have a less charitable view of him, this will be regarded as hagiography at its apex.




5. This book would probably be a very interesting account if it wasn't bogged down with so many minute details that take away from the overall argument. Ms. Hoff has some great ideas but the book could realistically have been much more concise.

5 comments about John Glenn: A Memoir.

1. Excellent biography of a space pioneer. You will enjoy this book, even though the author went to the "dark side" later in life. At least he interjects very little of his liberal bias into the book.



2. Absolutely my hero. I was (-1) when he flew his first flight, and love all of the Mercury Astronauts. John Glenn is the finest example of the GOOD that this country can produce. If there were more men like him, we would be weaned off of oil, and would have maintained our preeminence in the world as a respected country- instead of living off of the labors of our fathers without much contribution. It is interesting that John Glenn is the oldest of the Mercury 7, yet has managed to outlive almost all of them (as of Jan 19, 2008) except for Scott Carpenter!
   
   Please read this book, and discover the possibilities that a disciplined life and an honest-to-goodness sincere human being can give.



3. * There is a great story to be told about John's life and this book does a decent, straightforward job.
   * The writing isn't perfect, but it works...especially in audiobook format, where the author presents the material
   * There are no revalations here. It seems like a Disney version of his life at times, but it is an enjoyable read.



4. A great story and I am glad that I read it. However, my admiration for Glenn would have been far higher had I stopped a hundred or so pages from the end. Getting reacquainted with Glen as a young man, Marine fighter pilot and then astronaut was to see the very best. In addition to all his accomplishments his relationship with his wife was a great tribute to those left behind.
   
   Glenn's story of becoming a Marine fighter pilot through sheer resolve was enlightening. His flying in the Pacific during and after WW2 was an interesting look at the era, as was the description of their flying in China when Stilwell was attempting to get the communists to live up to their agreements. Finally the Vietnam like escape from China by train with Glen and his fellow Marine pilots providing low air cover.
   
   Too soon after the end of WW2 we were back in Korea and Glenn is in the front seat, flying both Marine ground attack aircraft and USAF Sabres. Again Glenn does his tour of duty with the Marines and then arranges to fly Sabres against the Migs.
   
   Within a few years after Korea the Russians were overhead with Sputnik and the world changed again. Glenn's description of the initial testing of the astronauts adds some interesting insights.
   
   Although the book was presumably written in its entirety after his return from space, the man changes with his election to the Senate. Perhaps the changes are even appearing in his post mortem on his campaigns. Most of the blame is shifted away from the leader.
   
   Later as the book covers his years in the Senate the change continues. While he literally demanded that his fellow astronauts give up their road romances because they were both wrong and threatened the public's support of the program. However a few years after hanging out with Bill Clinton the book suddenly offers the standard Clintonian spin that what people do behind their bedroom doors is not public. What is even more amazing is that Glenn seems to gloss over his critical role in protecting Clinton from being removed from office after he was impeached.
   
   Glenn does off the tidbit that while he and John McCain were deemed to not be involved with the Keating scandal, his fellow democrats would not acknowledge that because to release Glenn they would have to release McCain and then they would have only democrats ( Cranston et al) left. Having been advised that Keating was under criminal investigation Glenn ( unlike McCain) maintains a relationship and even hosts a private lunch for Keating in his office. All of this is covered in the book with a little too much self serving cover to earn the respect of the reader.
   
   Glenn the Marine officer would have been outraged if the generals had summoned his career enlisted personnel and asked them why they were complaining about the performance of an airplane made by a friend. Yet Glenn sees none of the destructive impact of 5 senators demanding that a civil servant appear to explain why a major donor is being investigated. A sad transition.
   
   Glenn blames his campaign organization for failing him in his run for the presidency after he was a leading contender among the democrats. If you can't run your own campaign staff how are you going to run the nation?
   
   I agree with the prior writer that Glenn's return to space was a pure and simple reward by Clinton for his having taken the heat. A sad ending to an otherwise heroic life of great accomplishments.
   
   Recommended but be prepared for a letdown at the end.



5. After seeing "The Right Stuff" I became intrigued with the Mercury Seven astronauts and wanted to read everything I could about them and when I saw John Glenn's autobiography I immediately snatched it up and pored through the pages! What a great and exciting life John lived! Poring through the pages I hung on every word and lived his experiences vicariously as he described them...I can only imagine how he felt when he was picked to be one of the 7 Mercury astronauts...He was in a elite group that was beginning to embark on a major adventure into a new frontier...How exciting that must have been! John's book to me was better than the movie..He talks bout his childhood days and test pilot years and ends with a wonderful passage on flying back into space again at the ripe old age of 77..What an inspiring book! If you are looking for inspiration..pick this book up and read about ambition and hard work and focus ande see what all these things can do for your life! John...thanks for being a great role model!

2 comments about Reagan's Disciple: George W. Bush's Troubled Quest for a Presidential Legacy.

1. Lou Cannon, author of several books about Ronald Reagan, has co-written "Reagan's Disciple", with his son Carl. A highly insightful, yet somewhat uneven book, it nonetheless makes some great comparisons between our nation's fortieth and forty-third presidents. Guess which one fares less well?
   
   The authors state in the preface that this is a book with "a fair and balanced point of view". In many respects it is, but it's hard not to notice (at least with the elder Cannon) a sense of awe regarding his subject. Granted, Reagan's star has been rising in past years and the Cannons take full measure of it. That legacy is still in dispute with many of us, but this offering certainly makes Bush look inadequate in contrast. If Reagan brought the Republican party into unanimity a generation ago, Bush has almost singlehandedly squandered it, as the authors point out.
   
   Much of "Reagan's Disciple" deals with war, beginning with a look at Woodrow Wilson's idealism, and subsequently how Reagan and Bush looked at war differently. Reagan, ever cautious about foreign entanglements, would almost certainly not have invaded Iraq as Bush did, much to everyone's chagrin today. The narrative of the Cannons is crisp but the subject matter tends to bounce around leaving a less than unifying story line. Yet the contrasting style of Reagan and Bush is the most fascinating part of the book and the authors tell this one well. While Reagan sought broad consensus and a balanced view, Bush has retained a small coterie of yes-men with hardly divergent views.
   
   As we reach the end of the tragic Bush years, "Reagan's Disciple" is a reminder of the bookends of the Republican domination since 1980. The "Morning in America" brand of Ronald Reagan has been wiped clean by the miasma of the past several years. As the authors rightly suggest, when Bush comes on tv people either change the channel or put on the mute button...Americans stopped listening to him a long time ago. People will invoke Reagan's name for years to come, but Bush's legacy, undoubtedly, will be something quite different.



2. Lou Cannon, journalist and historian, is one of Ronald Reagan's most prolific and reliable biographers (I think his President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime is still about the best bio yet written of our 40th president). Carl M. Cannon is a resourceful and clear-eyed reporter in the Washington of Bush 43. Together, they have produced an interesting book that gives us some valuable insights into the motivations and actions of the Bush presidency. It also, perhaps unexpectedly, shines a fascinating light on Ronald Reagan.
   
   For years -- before, during, and after his time in the Oval Office -- Ronald Reagan was portrayed by his opposition as a dim ideological cowboy. In recent years, however, he has been granted a Strange New Respect (as R.E. Tyrrell might put it) by the Left -- in part, no doubt, to try to seize a bit of his own still-strong popularity with the American people for their own purposes, but also to use as a cudgel with which to beat the new, dimmer ideological cowboy, George W. Bush. To use the inevitable cliché -- so inevitable that even the Washington Post Book World review quoted on this page made use of it -- "George W. Bush, you're no Ronald Reagan."
   
   It's one of the many paradoxical features of today's political scene that it's now the Left who sees in Ronald Reagan a nuanced, deliberative statesman, while the Right (or at least the neocon, Bushian right) honors a one-dimensional, caricatured memory of who Reagan was and what he believed. One of the most valuable parts of "Reagan's Disciple," I thought, was the Cannons' accurate portrayal of Reagan as a leader far more practical, realistic, and conciliatory than ideological; far less willing to put American lives on the line or rely on military muscle than anyone thought; and far more willing to draw on a broad range of advisers and opinions than is his ostensible philosophical heir, President Bush.
   
   I found the most interesting parts of "Reagan's Disciple" to be the comparison of the two presidents' approach to warmaking. But the authors also discuss in some detail Supreme Court confirmation battles, the politics of White House personnel decisions, and what it means to be a "decisive" leader. There's also an interesting exploration of the validity of George W. Bush's current preferred presidential comparison, himself with Harry Truman: scorned and unpopular when he left office, but ultimately vindicated by history and honored in the memory of the American people. The Cannons find this comparison also ... imprecise.
   
   As this primary season has shown, Ronald Reagan is still a touchstone of Republican politics. As the Cannons and other historians have noted, if all the presidents since 1945 operated in the shadow of FDR, the presidents since 1989 have operated in the shadow of Ronald Reagan -- a shadow that seems likely to stretch, like a movie gunslinger's at sunset, for a considerable time yet. With George W. Bush having so explicitly claimed the Reaganite mantle, a book like "Reagan's Disciple" was both necessary and inevitable. That it was done so well, and by two writers so well-qualified to draw conclusions, is something to be thankful for. With so many books written about the Bush presidency, from so many different directions and viewpoints, how can you tell which ones are worth reading? Here's my helpful hint: this is one of the good ones.