3 comments about On the Trail of William Wallace (On the Trail of).

1. I think this ia a great book for those who want to learn a quick history of William wallace, as well as a guid to memorials in Scotland. For those who are planning a trip to Scotland, and also are intrested in the story of William Wallace I recomend this book. I also recomend trying to find it at a local bookstor instead because I bought mine for $14.99 brand new.



2. I ordered this book from Amazon,the book started out a bit slow but I was soon to find myself not being able to put it down.I think anyone who reads it will find what a well put together book this is,a must read!



3. I picked this book up in a book store in Scotland. I am a big fan of Braveheart and the William Wallace Story. This part guide book part travel essay is a great way to read about and follow the history of Wallace. Fans of William Wallace should also check out a website this author is associated with. Its something like "mcbraveheart.com" Again, if you are planning to visit scotland and love Braveheart, get this little enjoyable book. You will be glad you did.

No comments about Dan Breen and the IRA.

No comments about Katharine Dexter McCormick: Pioneer for Women's Rights.

No comments about ULTIMOS DIAS DEL CHE, LOS.

No comments about Cardinal of Scotland: David Beaton c. 1494-1546.

No comments about Cheddi.

5 comments about Hazel Wolf: Fighting the Establishment.

1. Hazel Wolf really understood how to organize and shares her knowledge with the reader. But don't be fooled by the practical nature of that remark: Hazel Wolf was also a great character and funny. This is a thoroughly enjoyable read about a woman with an amazing (and very long)life who knew how to get things done, how to grow and move with the times, and never lacked the self confidence to go for what she wanted.



2. Hazel Wolf was a friend of mine and fellow board member on the Seattle Audubon Society for nearly 25 years. Susan Starbuck's book about Hazel is both highly entertaining and a very personal view of this unique woman. Susan has done a masterful job of weaving together a myriad of stories from and about Hazel into a coherent guide to Hazel's life as a dedicated organizer of social movements from her early life through her death at 101. Hazel never saw a wrong that she felt could not be righted. She dedicated her life to achieving justice, whether it was for working men and women, for jail inmates, for racial justice, for the environment or against war, often at the expense of her own personal and family life. Hazel led the way for women's independence and liberation through hard work and example without ever thinking about the meaning of those terms. At a recent celebration of Hazel's 105th birthday, Congressman Jim McDermitt and Governor Mike Lowry both said that in these times of Bush's war, we need Hazel's example of leadership more than ever.



3. A powerful woman! If you think you have energy, read what this woman did right up to the end of her 101 years.



4. Hazel Wolf could have been your grandmother. A real tomboy, she grew up with her toes in the sand of Pacific Northwest beaches and her fingers around a basketball. The working class kids of Victoria B.C. were her "gang," and the comradeship and fun they cooked up animated her whole life.

   Later, working as a secretary in Depression-era Seattle, Wolf organized fledgling unions wherever the bosses assigned her. They'd fire her for organizing, re-assign her to a new job, and she would begin organizing again. Like she always did, Hazel was just making friends and having fun.

   In one of the "Hazel Stories" that fill the book, sheriff's deputies tried to evict a down-and-out family from their home by carrying the furniture out onto the sidewalk. Hazel and her friends, who sometimes cared to call themselves socialists or communists, simply carried the chairs and tables back into the house through the back door. The sheriff eventually gave up.

   The U.S. government tried to deport Hazel Wolf during the McCarthy period because she was a) a communist, and b)Canadian. Just like the sheriff, the feds failed, too. Hazel had thousands of friends, and she wasn't afraid of political pressure. As she said, "I was just there, powerless and strong, someone who wouldn't chicken out. Somebody always stops the nonsense all through history."

   Author Susan Starbuck says Hazel Wolf knew her life would make an important story; that it might evoke the next generation of social and environmental activists. At bookstore readings, Starbuck tells prospective readers, "Hey folks, here's an owner's manual about what to do when your government runs amok." The message of "Hazel Wolf: Fighting the Establishment" is theat we, too could have fun being activists...and also change the world.




5. I have just completed reading Hazel Wolf's biography by Susan Starbuck, which was published by the University of Washington Press. Ms. Starbuck has skillfully knit together the words of Ms. Wolf, based on years of interviews with her, with her own author's narrative. Because Ms. Wolf's life was so dramatic and has been so vividly presented by the author, the book is interesting and preserves an important part of Northwest political history.

1 comments about General Ulysses S. Grant: The Soldier and the Man.

1. A very good overview of Grant's early life thru to the end of the Civil War. Well balanced, points out both the strengths and weaknesses of the man. Dispells the myth of indifference attributed to Grant concerning casualties. Edward Longacre show's Grant's mistakes and how he learned from them. While other generals caved to political pressure, Grant worked to end the war inspite of criticizism and bad press. A soldier worthy of the stars he wore. At the same time it shows Grant's weakness for liquior that could have destroyed him and led to a longer war with a different outcome and continued losses. Not an indepth study, but deep enough to encourage the reader to find more information about the subject. A great starting point for the student of the Civil War interested in Grant.

1 comments about Better in Darkness: A Biography of Henry Adams : His Second Life, 1862-1891 (Biography of Henry Adams).

1. This is, quite simply, one of those amazing biographies (George Painter's Marcel Proust in the '50s comes to mind) where the intrinsic interest of the subject and the searching intelligence of the author combine to make a great achievement. One could simply say, If you feel an affinity for Henry Adams, read this book, and one would be right. But it goes beyond Adams as an object of study and engages in -- highly interesting and never tendentious -- speculation; but the speculation is always interesting and to a sophisticated reader, identifiable as such. I hope this book, along with the companion volumes, reaches more readers -- any one interested in American history or letters, or for that matter the human soul, should read it.

1 comments about Farewell to Spandau.

1. An honest, factual account of Tony Le Tissier's time as British Governor of Spandau Prison during the final years. The author writes with precision and humour. Very interesting and should be read by anyone who was connected in any way. A wonderful memoire.