5 comments about Andrew Johnson: A Biography.

1. I am currently reading a biography of every President in order. Hans Trefousse' biography of Andrew Johnson certainly seemed to be the best choice for a comprehensive biography of our 17th President.
   
   From an academic standpoint, it is hard to criticize Trefousse's work. He has obviously done the necessary research and is thoroughly well versed in the history of the times. Indeed, this biography is complete and in depth enough and should meet most everyone's expectations. Trefousse clearly understands Johnson and his proper relationship to American history. The only reason I was unable to give this biography a full five stars is the writing is a bit uninspired and doesn't achieve a level of excellence that merits special recognition. The book is more than satisfactory in completing its task but ultimately is only going to appeal to those already interested in the subject matter.
   
   After reading this biography I am still of the opinion that it is likely the best one available for Andrew Johnson. Indeed, it certainly exceeds expectations for a comprehensive biography of a relatively unknown President.



2. I read this book in my ongoing project to read a biography of each President. The best part of this book in my opinion was the length. A lot of biographers lengthen their book to a point where it becomes too detailed and hard to read. That was not the case here.
   
   Johnson was not a great president, nor was he a great person. And, other than the Civil War and Reconstruction he didn't have a key stake in American History. Why go overboard? And the author didn't.
   
   I've read many very wonderful presidential biographies. Truman was fantastic and was 900 pages because it shouldn've been. The 3-part bio on Nixon was 1800 pages and should've been because a lot went on during Nixon's life in politics.
   
   This bio, much like the Andrew Jackson bio I read, was between 300 and 400 pages.... detailed enough to tell the story but not detailed to the point where I got lost or just flat lost interest.
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to read about Andrew Johnson but if you are looking to make a life out of studying the man it is probably not the book for you because it is not overly detailed.
   
   It was exactly what I was looking for though, well-written, well-researched and gave me a good overview of a President that I have always wanted to know more about. He definitely was not of high moral character and definitely played to his southern base with his actions surrounding reconstruction. That said, I did find it interesting that he was demonized at times by both his colleagues and the press.
   
   Sounds like aside from his thinking in regards to blacks and slavery he was a good and honest man that tried to do what was right most of the time. That was something the author did a very good job detailing and I appreciated it.



3. Treffousse's look at the 17th President of the United States is a fair and well-balanced look at this driven politician. The reader will be left with little doubt that Johnson's racism was his biggest flaw in both his political and personal life. The impeachment is featured but does not dominate the book as it should not.



4. While the "personal" Johnson is given adequate attention, this book works so well because it concentrates on the political realm, a rarity in these days of social history and psychoanalytical treatises. Of course, the impeachment trial is of primary interest, but the focus on Johnson's overwhelming ambition was appreciated as well. Despite his stubborn attitude, inflexibility, and undeniable racism, Johnson was a committed Jacksonian and sought throughout his political life to promote policies friendly to his agrarian philosophy. Because his presidency represented a key transition in American history (a definite weakening of the Executive until TR as well as a regrettable loss of Reconstruction opportunities), Johnson is, with Polk, Lincoln, and Jackson, one of the key figures of the 19th century. Overall, a solid book worthy of a wide readership.



5. I found this book was fair to Johnson, despite the author's reputation as friendly to the Radical Republicans. I found myself believing that the failure of the Senate to impeach Johnson was a good thing, since he obviously was not guilty of an impeachable offense--even as our current president was not. Johnson was actually an able politician and a good President, but his bias against blacks caused him to err grievously in regard to them.

2 comments about The Founders' Almanac: A Practical Guide to the Notable Events, Greatest Leaders & Most Eloquent Words of the American Founding.

1. I added this fine work to my library about 4 months ago and already the pages are showing signs of wear. I can't begin to say how many times I have turned to this fine work for a reference source..
   
   Mr. Spalding has put together a very readable sourcebook. The book begins with a calendar of notable events, followed by six outstanding essays on six of America's most notable founders. All six essays come from different authors and each one is equally well written.
   
   The last half of the book is devoted to notable quotations, founding documents and additional resources. The quotes are divided into numerous indexed categories. The documents, such as the Declaration of Independence, have quick reference sidebar notes. You won't regret adding this fine work to your personal library.



2. I added this fine work to my library about 4 months ago and already the pages are showing signs of wear. I can't begin to say how many times I have turned to this fine work for a reference source.
   
   Mr. Spalding has put together a very readable sourcebook. The book begins with a calendar of notable events, followed by six outstanding essays on six of America's most notable founders. All six essays come from different authors and each one is equally well written.

   The last half of the book is devoted to notable quotations, founding documents and additional resources. The quotes are divided into numerous indexed categories. The documents, such as the Declaration of Independence, have quick reference sidebar notes. You won't regret adding this fine work to your personal library.

4 comments about Chronicle of the Russian Tsars: The Reign-by-Reign Record of the Rulers of Imperial Russia.

1. I thoroughly enjoyed this balanced account of the czars. I wish there could have been more treatment of those that preceded the Romanovs--I guess you'd call them the "Dukes of Muscovy"--but it's probably for obvious reasons (viz., the availability of 15th-century vs. 19th-century sources) that they're slighted. Watch out for editorial problems all over the place. In one diagram, somebody's wife is also indicated as that same somebody's daughter. This is just plain laziness: someone neglected to sufficiently carefully review the diagram and delete the offending 5 mm. line segment. Also, in a factoid box summarizing Nikolai II, his father is listed as Aleksandr II when, in fact, his father was quite obviously Aleksandr III. Also, the book steered uncomfortably clear of some of the unsolved mysteries of the throne, e.g., by reducing the eighteen-day rule of Czar Konstantin (27 Nov.-14 Dec. 1825) to but a single, unstressed sentence. In overall quality, this book compares favorably to the other members of the series: indeed, it is often superior. But, in its striving for balance, it omits some important coverage. More deserves to be said about Ivann IV Vasiliyevich ("The Terrible"--in actuality, "The Awesome" is the proper translation of his title, "Groznij") and Pyotr I Alekseyevich ("The Great") because these czars made outstanding contributions that shaped the character of Russia, not just because they were on the throne for 30+ years. The czars' role in Russian history cannot be compared to the role of any other succession of leaders in the history of any other nations: the czars were the heart and soul of the empire they so tenderly loved with such religious conviction (not to mention "the divine right of kings"); without exaggeration, the czars WERE Russia.



2. The first Russian state emerged in the late 9th century as a federation of Slavic kingdoms and tribes around Kiev, under the leadership of Rurik, who almost certainly was of Scandinavian origin. Later rulers included such major figures as Alexander Nevsky (who defeated the Teutonic Knights) and Vasily II (who made the Orthodox Church independent), but the author begins his survey with Ivan III "the Great" in 1462. Each tsar or tsarina gets a boxed summary of personal data, an historical survey of the reign, a variety of illustrations and relevant maps, and often a basic genealogical drop-chart. Warnes is a well-known scholar of Russian history and culture and his interpretations of five centuries of Russian history are astute and well-written. Specialists in Western Europe often know very little about Russian history and the several dynasties that made it. This volume makes a good ready-reference resource.



3. I received it as a gift and was pleased to see that it is a very good book. Well written, good pictures and well researched. It makes an excellent reference.



4. I love this book it has so much info about the Czar.Ilove the maps time lines and charts one of the best Czar books I ever read.

5 comments about America's Most Hated Woman: The Life And Gruesome Death of Madalyn Murray O'hair.

1. This is a pretty good book on O'Hair's life, although, like another reviewer, I did wonder why there was so much material on her murderer, David Waters. It is likely because the author interviewed him, wanted to used the material in the book, and the information is somewhat relevant to the story. However, it is really hard to read a book about O'Hair and really get a feel for the woman.
   
   There is a radio interview/debate between O'Hair and Walter Martin, a Baptist minister, that occured in 1968 on the Long John Nevel radio show that is very illuminating, if you care to take the time to listen to it. If you go to the Wikipedia entry on Madalyn Murray O'Hair and scroll down to the "external links" section, there is an entry labeled "Baptist minister Walter Martin vs. Atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair". Click on it, and you'll get the entire three hour radio program in MP3 format. The first hour or so is the interview, and the last two hours is the debate and call-in part of the show.
   
   Listening to this show after reading the book really gives you a feel for the facts presented in the book. For one, O'Hair really shows herself up to be quite the publicist in spite of her claims of not caring what other people think. As the book says, she needed these "other people" as a revenue stream. In this broadcast she claims that she is married to a "Mr. Murray", that he is Roman Catholic, and that both her sons are products of that marriage. Even O'Hair knew that, in 1960's America, most people would be much more willing to accept that she was an atheist than the fact that her sons had two different fathers and that she had never married either of them. She also makes the statement that if her son Bill decided to become a Christian minister that she would accept his decision. 12 years later when this actually happened, she took the attitude that he had commited treason. As the show wears on, O'Hair's end of the debate largely consists of name-calling, bullying, and claiming that "she had read every book Mr. Martin has read twenty years ago". In short, the radio program gives life to the facts presented in the book for those too young to remember what this woman was like in person.
   
   If you want to read a biography of O'Hair, this is probably the one to get since it is the most unbiased and least sensational of the books written on the subject.



2. Ann Rowe Seaman has written another fascinating and captivating masterpiece. It works well in paperback format, but a hard bound edition would have been nice to see as well.
   Ann has a way of drawing the reader into the life circumstances of the persons whom she is writing about. She deserves a Ph.D. for all of her writing efforts.



3. 
   For better and for worse, Ann Seaman's biography is now the definitive account of Madalyn O'Hair's life. Let's start with the worse.
   
   The sensationalistic title might be confused with Jon Rappoport's hack piece. Perhaps O'Hair was America's most hated woman at one time, but Jane Fonda replaced her in the early 1970s, and various feminists and celebrities have since vied for the distinction. "Gruesome death" reveals the climax, implicitly letting reviewers do likewise.
   
   This is yet another biography that starts at the end, with the burial of O'Hair's remains. The device has been done to death, and it never works. I hope that whoever started this trend met a gruesome death similar to O'Hair's. Authors take note; we're born, we live, and THEN we die.
   
   O'Hair's life story is often interrupted by that of her killer David Waters. At one point, I yelled, "Whose bio IS this?" Waters certainly belongs here, but Seaman would better have waited until he entered O'Hair's life to begin his history.
   
   O'Hair's son Bill Murray is quoted throughout this book. Like Waters, he's necessary to the plot, but his Christian agenda requires that he slag atheists, which he enjoys doing through his mother, never mind the Fifth Commandment (does he also preach "family values"?). By taking Murray's alleged "In Hoc Signo Vince" nightmare at face value, Seaman failed to recognize its origin in Eusebius' falsified Constantine biography, thus missing the irony of a Catholic propagandist turning Murray into a Baptist.
   
   Occasional digressions promote Seaman's contention that state and church should commingle. When religion is the topic, opposing viewpoints are forbidden, but when freethought is discussed, religious replies are mandatory: with two exceptions, Seaman adheres to this mainstream dictum. The reader is left to wonder about the author's motives for writing this book.
   
   While Seaman's writing is concise, she sometimes sacrifices clarity. Several threads are left dangling: When the Truth Seeker sued O'Hair and her attorney John Vinson under the RICO act, "Vinson quickly extricated himself, ultimately testifying against her". Two years later, after a scuttled agreement and a mistrial, Vinson was again her attorney. What happened in the meantime? Jon Murray's cellular phone reportedly went dead (meaning disconnected) on September 29, 1995, but "no one answered" it (meaning that it rang) on the following Monday. Exactly what became of the phone isn't revealed. The July 1995 American Atheist newsletter detailing David Waters' criminal history was faxed to Waters. By whom? Another disgruntled former AA employee? O'Hair herself? And with what devastating information did FBI agent Donna Cowling prompt Waters into entering a plea agreement?
   
   Then there are the dozens of errors, including: "Lena even welcomed her daughter's recounting of DEEP THROAT one night after Madalyn had seen it in town." Lena died in 1967: DEEP THROAT premiered in 1972. That conversation didn't happen. "...in next November's U.S. Senate race, Texan Lloyd Bentsen, a conservative Republican, defeated longtime liberal incumbent Ralph Yarborough..." Bentsen was never a Republican; he defeated Yarborough in the 1970 Democratic primary. In November's general election, he defeated Republican George Bush. "David Waters was indicted on the same five counts as Karr had been." One of the counts was different: Karr wasn't charged with interstate transportation of a firearm by a convicted felon. Granted, many of the mistakes are minor, but collectively, they call the book's entire account into question.
   
   In her favor, when Seaman sticks to O'Hair's story, her book is engaging. She comes closer than anyone to understanding O'Hair's behavior: "She learned early the value of being in control when others were not. It so marked her that she eventually sought out or created chaotic conditions so she could feel in control." "...she enjoyed outsmarting people and getting out of scrapes, and the only way to defeat her was either trickery or betrayal. She would navigate hundreds of close calls in her life, and develop an addiction to brinkmanship and even danger."
   
   O'Hair's belligerence is also attributed to her wildly fluctuating insulin dosages; a potentially malfunctioning pituitary is mentioned, as is speculation that she may have been bipolar. Such an unstable individual shouldn't be considered a reliable advocate, yet the press made her the sole atheist representative because she was the perfect bad example.
   
   Seaman has found more details about O'Hair's pre-fame decades than all of her prior biographers combined. One of O'Hair's jobs during World War II was to invent Allied victories for the newswires. From it, she learned a valuable lesson that later served her profitably: "The ability of those in power to manipulate the media, and to lie and get away with it, impressed her." Seaman's assertion that O'Hair "chronically lied about everything" isn't off by much.
   
   During the McCarthy era, O'Hair's inability to hold a steady job generated resentment, which led her to communist circles. She abandoned her communist connections after her notoriety produced a healthy income.
   
   Only two of O'Hair's dozens of lawsuits succeeded. The rest of them (aside from those that harassed former members and ex-employees) strengthened the religious opposition by establishing negative precedents. Seaman confirms that O'Hair used lawsuits primarily as publicity and fund-raising tools.
   
   Seaman's sleuthing results in the most accurate account of the Murray O'Hairs' final days. Allegations of torture were apparently false; murder wasn't planned until one of the kidnappers lost his patience. Seaman also exposes holes in the gold thieves' story.
   
   The book is well written, extensively researched, usually chronological, and probably the most complete and informative account of Madalyn O'Hair we'll see. I'd recommend it, but if it were a car, it would be recalled. Its publisher should cease current production, correct the errors, tie up the loose ends, replace the editorial digressions with facts, limit David Waters to the book's last third, change the beginning, and issue a new edition.
   
   Or not - maybe such a severely flawed woman rates only flawed biographies. I hope this is the last one about O'Hair; atheists deserve better than to be continually smeared by her taint.



4. There aren't many who live their last days in more sensational and mysterious circumstances than Madalyn Murray O'Hair and her family. It is amazing that there hasn't been more attention, although the reason is probably due to the length of time between their disappearance and the discovery of the bodies (as well as the criminal trials). The publicity was victimized by the drawn-out nature of the series of events. The public simply doesn't have an attention span that can accommodate a five year time-frame between events.
   
   But it's now ten years later and all of the facts that we're probably ever going to know are on the table, so it's a great time for anyone curious about the details of the life and death of this tragic family to take an interest in the case.
   
   This is a well-researched book. The author really goes the distance in providing a deep sketch of the Murrays. I found myself detesting them and, at the same time, feeling sorry for them, particularly the children, who seemed incapable of resisting her gravitational pull, and, consequently, never had lives of their own.
   
   My feeling is that Madalyn was never as bad as she pretended to be, but neither was she as good as her supporters thought her. She played a role to two different audiences and pulled the wool over each.



5. Madalyn Murray-O'Hair may not have been an easy woman to understand. Her forceful, often intolerant-seeming personality did not make a good case for herself in the media. Indeed, this book, (one of two having been published) proves how difficult it has been to reassess Mrs. O'Hair's legacy. Whether right or wrong, it is hard to pin-point just exactly where Mrs. O'Hair stopped being an idealist, someone who truly wanted to change society and right some of the wrongs she saw in American culture, and where personal opportunism and megalomania began. One thing is clear: Mrs. O'Hair had ideals! From what I've read about her (and I have most of her published books), she was ahead of her times; her intellect was eclectic, but her interpretations of ideas and current affairs often bordered on the brilliant. Unfortunately, her personality, accentuated by a bad public image, plus her personal life (her son, William Murray, went on to write a tell- all-Christian book) all worked, I think, against the message she tried to communicate.
   
   Most leaders of the freethought movement have been relegated to a side note in history. Ironically, Mrs. O'Hair remains the best known atheist in the world.
   
   As a biography, this book provides a much needed gap about the life of an American historical figure, especially her earlier life. Perhaps, American Atheists should publish a biography about their Founding Matriarch, a biography that will continue to further the dialogue about Mrs. O'Hair's legacy in American life and culture?

2 comments about No Place for a Woman: A Life of Senator Margaret Chase Smith (Rutgers Series on Women and Politics).

1. This was a fabulous biography of Margaret Chase Smith. Sherman does a great job of relating her themes to the narrative. Connections are emphasized regarding major points. This book is very readable as well as informative.



2. I confess to a weakness for biographies of U. S. senators. I seldom see one I don't want to read, and when I saw this one I knew I would have to read it. Smith actually had an amazing career (elected to the House of Representatives in 1940 and to the Senate in 1948, reelected in 1954, 1960, 1966, and defeated for reelection in 1972) and this unpretentious book, solidly but not exhaustively researched, recounts it well. It is quite laudatory, but will be critical when it is clear criticism is warranted. Mrs. Smith was not a great brain but she was a great working politician, ably assisted by her AA.

5 comments about A Concise Biography of Adolf Hitler.

1. Besides the Bible this is my favorite book. Though I wish there was a little more about his childhood,it still focused on main categories of his life.It not only focused on Hitler but his main associates.This Biography shows how truly vile,distgusting,and sickly funny,or entertaining the subject on Hitler really is.I mean he led people to commit suicide,video taped his victims getting murdered(watched it repeatedly),refrained from having sex,and supposedly liked women to use him as a toilet. I honestly find the story of Hitler fascinating,although I think they could have had illustrations throughout the book.
   
   This did exactly what a books job is,wich is to transport you to another time and place.
   I honestly think Adolf Hitler was the AntiChrist,because he fits the description better than anyone in History.It is said that the antichrist would refrain from having sex,or be a homosexual,would be a malicious dictater(a slaughterer),and would be more of a political man,rather than do it out of religeous purposes ( like Osama bin Laden).
   
   I think the first AntiChrist was Napolean,the second Hitler,and the third Saddam Hussein.
   It is even said that Hitler was the only other person in history besides Frederick the Great that had the exact same head shape,and size as Napolean.
   And just look at the three i mentioned as the antichrist's,there all short,stubby and evil dictators.
   
   I wonder who he will be next.The reason Osama's not the Antichrist is because he is very religeous,believes in God,is not a homosexual,and hasn't refrained from having sex,I know this because he has many children.And isn't doing this out of political reason's but religeous.So as u see he doesn't fit the description very well.
   
   Anybody who says the things in these books are false,need to prove it,or else your just defending Hitler's rep,and therefore a Nazi.Don't take what i said to seriously,and try not to be offended as a result of me typing this in my review.
   
   Anyway's,anyone who reads this needs to read my review on 23 Minutes In Hell(wich i would not recommend reading because it's the worst book i've ever read,and anyone who believes Bill Wiese's account on his supposed trip to Hell is much too gullible,and needs to come to terms with the real world).
   
   Just remmember,in order to defeat your enemy u have to know your enemy.



2. I like reading biographies but oftentimes when they are about a historical figure I get bored before the author gets to the interesting stuff. This biography is organized by subject -- i.e. Hitler's favorite foods, wardrobe, etc. It is nice because, to be honest, it's that kind of thing I'm interested in anyway. I don't particularly care to go through every aspect about him.
   
   I enjoyed being able to read about one aspect of his character at a time. I gained a lot of insight into how he lived and what might have influenced his views and decisions without getting bored in the process.



3. I don't think you could come up with any question about Hitler -- no matter how silly, serious or obscure -- which isn't answered in this book. You can try, but you probably won't succeed. My young nephew was assigned this book in a college level history course. When I was in college, none of the history books we were forced to read were anywhere near as entertaining (if I can use that word about Hitler) and down-right fascinating as this one. It is carefully researched and documented, scholarly, without ever being the least pedantic. Even if you think you already know enough about Hitler, I highly recommend you read this book.



4. Any book with the name of Adolph Hitler in the title is bound to catch the eye of all Germanophiles - serious and semi-serious - and those people will grab this book off the shelf, automatically. It is only 195 pages, and so, is not really a serious biography of Hitler - but it is, nevertheless, a very readable book , especially for those who are already somewhat familiar with Hitler and German history - which means, I guess, sadly, mainly for just those people over 60.
   Nevertheless, there are many people with a sense of history who will remember that Hitler was an Austrian-born megalomaniac with mesmerizing oratorical skills, who after fighting in the trenches in World War I gravitated to politics and eventually - in 1933 - rose to become the leader (eventually the dictator) - the "Fuehrer" - of Germany. Hitler was determined to right all the wrongs he thought Germany had been subjected to following the Treaty of Versailles, to restore the German economy, to establish Germany as the leading country of the world, to establish the German Third Reich (Empire)which was to endure one thousand years (it lasted 12) and to purify the German Aryan race - which, for various reasons, required the elimination of the Jewish population - wherever and whenever the opportunity permitted. While this book contains bits and pieces of that unbelievable saga, it deals with none of those issues in any great detail.
   What author Fuchs does focus upon in his little book is certain trivia, personal ideosyncracies and eccentricities of Hitler that he judges will be of interest to fans of Hitler
   and German history. Fuchs divides his book into 35 short chapters (5-10 pages per), which makes for easy reading. A sample of some of the chapter headings will illustrate the variety of subjects that Fuchs deals with: Hitler's mustache, his dog, his book ("Mein Kampf" ("My Struggle"), Nazi party stuff ( songs, flags, uniforms, greetings, titles, etc.), the "People's Car" (Volkswagen), Hitler, the orator, Hitler's women friends, Hitler, the hypochondriac, Hitler's diet, his dentist, his wardrobe, his reading habits, his tastes in movies, his artistic passions, his money, his anti-Semitism, his relationships with Goering, Goebbles, and Himmler - and more.
   The book also contains some 38 pages of notes (but no foot notes), 8 pages of bibliography (containing titles of some more serious biographies of Hitler) and a 26-page chronology of the major events that transpired during Hitler's life - private and
   political. The book is in its way entertaining - and reading this book might prompt the reader to move on to other, more serious, more comprehensive books on these matters.



5. This book was a poorly compiled regurgitation of Allied World War II propaganda. The author had an incredible bias against Adolf Hitler and it gushes out in every chapter. According to this book, anything that Hitler did was the most evil, demented or terrible thing in all of history. When Hitler did ordinary things, or showed kindness, the author criticizes these as well.

   Unless you want to read a book that is dedicated to Hitler bashing, I would stay away from this one. You will learn absolutely nothing, except disproven lies, from it. I am not quite sure how people can get away with publishing such discredited information and call it history.

4 comments about Paul Wellstone: The Life of a Passionate Progressive.

1. This biography was one of the best I've read in a very long time. It wasn't overly long and drawn out, I read it in one sitting. Of course, I have great admiration for the subject, so I am biased, but the book would stand on its own merits. Sometimes a biography can get too bogged down in irrelevant details of the subject's life, but this definitely wasn't one of them.



2. Regardless of your views on either the left or the right, you have to appreciate the life that Paul Wellstone lived. From a kid in trouble to college professor to United States Senator is neither an easy nor a likely path. But that's what Paul Wellstone did.
   
   In this book Bill Lofy, Communications Director of Wellstone Action, the organization created to carry on Paul and Sheila Wellstone's legacy after their death, writes a biography of his life. But more than that, this book provides some insight to the problems that beset political life today. The point of view of Mr. Lofy is, of course, progressive or liberal as we used to say. More than that, though, is the love that he shows to Paul Wellstone as a person, not just a politician.



3. What first started out as an article on the impact of Paul Wellstone's politics, Bill Lofy's Paul Wellstone: The Life of a Passionate Progressive transformed into a biography to be reckoned with. Starting with Paul's childhood and formative years to the day of his untimely departure, the book captures Paul's deep convictions and principles for social justice and progressive changes, which had forever altered the domestic politics landscape. One could double the biography as a platform for Paul's radical, oftentimes effective mechanism "...for the little guy versus the big guy." In a nutshell, Mr. Lofy succeeded in presenting Paul's bold resolve to espouse populist idealism in sharply divided American politics by foraying into academic politics and community activism and inevitably the Senate, as if he knew that, quoting the start of a chapter, "to be sure, mere passion, however genuinely felt is not enough." Presumably written on the behalf of many, this book is an embodiment of Paul's passion and integrity to remain genuine in the face of victories celebrated and failures embraced with dignity and humor. Resonating Paul's strength and vigor, the book offers lessons in life and leadership for everybody, regardless of affiliations. From the wresting mat to unorthodox campaign strategies, Paul's uncanny ability to rise in times of uncertainty inspired his constituents to "raise hell," like the book asserts Paul liked to say. However, that transpires the impulsivity Paul had acknowledged from time to time while remaining true to himself not to make decisions he did not believe in. In calculating courage in action, Paul showed us how, quoting Max Weber, he "...would not have attained the possible unless time and again he had reached out for the impossible." Conclusion can be made that the book is not just about Paul's impact on politics but also his passion for everybody. In the same vein, the book would share that when Paul visited a deaf awareness fair, he marveled at sign language and asked how to sign "beautiful." Like the book, that gesture of genuine appreciation for humanity Paul had so revered throughout his life could not be better exemplified.



4. Bill Lofy's Paul Wellstone: The Life of a Passionate Progessive is a brillant book. Mr. Lofy has distilled the essence of Senator Wellstone and unequivocally demonstrates just why Wellstone was so special, why he changed peoples' lives and why he is so missed. This book is more than a recounting of the Senator's life. It also provides thoughtful and moving political analysis of Wellstone's work and achievements. Abraham Joshua Heschel, the noted Jewish philosopher, historian and social reformer, said shortly before his own death that we must "Know that every deed counts, that every word is power...Above all, remember that you must build your life as if it were a work of art." Paul Wellstone's life was such a work of art and Bill Lofy shows us why.

5 comments about Thomas Paine: Enlightenment, Revolution, and the Birth of Modern Nations.

1. Thomas Paine (1737-1099) was an English born son of a poor staymaker in Thetford. Paine was largely self-educated and well read in the classics. He saw duty in the British navy and practiced the profession of staymaker, farmer, printer and newspaper reporter. He was a Deist who was raised by a Quaker father. Paine was upwardly mobile loving his life in London where he came to associate with the likes of James Boswell, Dr. Johnson, Josephy Priestly and the intellectual elite of England's capital city.
   Paine emigrated to America in 1776 where he became the protege of Benjamin Franklin. In early 1776 Paine published "Common Sense" the pamphlet which launched his fame in the New World and throughout the British Empire and World. Paine called for patriotism and support of America becoming good friends with General George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Washington read "Common Sense" to his troops the night before the Trenton battle. Paine's works were bestsellers and he became a household name. Paine's later works in the series "The American Crisis" also inspired our nation in its David vs. Goliath struggle to win freedom from Great Britain.
   Following the war, Paine lived for a time in England where he was condemned to die on the gallows by the Pitt administration for his works calling for greater freedoms for Englishman. Paine fled to Revolutionary France.
   In France he became a member of the National Assembly which during the reign of terror had him taken prisoner. Paine almost lost his life on the guillotine and was imprisoned for ten months in the Luxembourg prison. Due to the efforts of the American ambassador James Monroe he was freed
   from captivity.
   Paine returned to America where his liberal Republican Deism led to countless controversies. He died in 1809 a disillusioned patriot.
   Paine said that "Tyranny like hell is not easily conquered" and countless other phrases which will live forever in America's lexicon of freedom. He was the first writer to refer to our nation as "The United States of America." We are all his heirs of freedom, justice and liberty for all.
   Nelson writes in a somewhat dry and academic style. Much of the books deals with the beliefs of the Enlightment and does not spend as much time on the actual biography of Paine as this reviewer would have liked to see.
   The book does allow us to remember Paine and all he achieved. It is a book worthy of your money and time. Despite his many flaws, Thomas Paine is one of our outstanding founding fathers.



2. I had the good fortune to catch an interview of Craig Nelson on CSpan on one of the booknotes shows. The story he told of Thomas Paine was fascinating so I decided to buy the book and I am glad I did. He is the unsung hero of the American Revolution, the French Revolution and of democracy and Republics today. Few men have done more and gotten so little credit for it. How many of us know he was the one that communicated to THE WORLD the ideals of freedom and democracy to the point that his books, at a time when far fewer people where literate, sold millions of copies. They were read by everyone and read to the masses. Written in a level of language that sparked ideas and ideals in most who read or heard them. He kept Washington supplied with money by not taking any compensation or royalties for the books. He was welcome in the homes and parlors of most of the major players in the American revolution (expect John Adams' home.)
   
   He was a hero in France and had the distinct honor to be asked to represent a district of France in the new revolutionary government. Imagine that, an Englishman turned American, representing a French state, even though he did not speak or write French??? The power of ideas and ideals. He was feted in many a French aristocrats house and was companion to many intellectuals of the time.
   
   Yet today, few of us know anything about him because he made powerful enemies who proceeded to try to strike his memory from existance. Few people who were heros got such bad press. He died in America, yet his bones ended up being spread around the world.
   
   What a story! Read this book to appreciate the power of Common Sense, The Age of Reason and the Age of Enlightenment. Appreciate a true American Hero, if not a world hero.



3. I loved it. It is a well written and very detailed book about one of our founding fathers. Very easy to read and I finished it pretty quickly despite its in depth and thorough account of his life. It was unbiased in reporting both the good and the bad. I highly recommend it.



4. This was a very enjoyable book on a fascinating and under explored subject. At least it was fascinating once it got past what I felt to be a fairly slow start. For a while I was wondering if I had made a poor selection as the book seemed to focus little on Paine and more generally on the times and the other characters of the day. I was suspecting the author might have been padding due to some lack of research material.
   
   In good time my fears were allayed and the book began to carry forth under its own steam and from then on out as the pace was set the story became captivating and enriching to read.
   
   Thomas Paine of course plays at minimum a cameo role in any history of the nation's founding or in any biography of its founders. I love to read of the lives of our founding fathers and have read multiple biographies on most of them. I am ashamed to say that I waited this long to read a book fully dedicated to this most indispensable of founders.
   
   The author succeeds in portraying Thomas Paine in all of his human character - enlightened, passionate, abrasive, loyal and vain. I didn't get the sense, as often happens, that the subject was placed upon a pedestal by his historian without blemish, rather by simply cataloguing the life of this amazing and faulty character the reader has but little choice to hoist him upon that pedestal under the test of virtue.
   
   I recommend this book to anyone who, like me realizes there is a hole in the story where Thomas Paine is concerned, and seeks to fill said hole with knowledge of his life.



5. "Thomas Paine" by Craig Nelson is a thoughtful yet entertaining biography of the Revolutionary War hero Thomas Paine. Positioning Paine within the intellectual vanguard of the Age of Enlightenment, Mr. Nelson demonstrates the crucial role that Paine played in inspiring the colonists' radical struggle for independence. This carefully researched and accessible work succeeds in reintroducing readers to a remarkable man who dedicated his life to human progress through politics.
   
   Mr. Nelson bookends the narrative with the strange tale of Paine's bones which were first recovered by William Cobbett and then sold and resold many times over. This particular narrative serves as a metaphor underscoring the changing opinions that posterity has attributed to Paine; indeed, we learn that Cobbett was virulently opposed to Paine's democratic principles during Paine's lifetime only to later became an ardent admirer after Paine's death. No doubt Cobbett was not unusual for his varying reactions to a message that helped set in motion a series of profound socio-political changes throughout the transatlantic world.
   
   Mr. Nelson's solid scholarship and vivid prose helps us imagine Paine passionately debating the great issues of the day with his fellow revolutionaries. Paine appears as one of the boldest and most visionary of his peers, publicly calling for an end to slavery, supporting women's rights and envisioning a welfare state at a time when most others were silent on these issues. Of course, it was Paine's remarkable talent in transcribing Enlightenment ideals into fiery populist rhetoric that made him indispensible, helping to win broad support for a cause that faced significant challenges and memorably rallying the soldiers at a particularly dark moment in the war.
   
   But Mr. Nelson takes Paine's story well beyond this familiar terrain to England and France, where Paine continued to risk all for the principles he held dear. Mr. Nelson makes clear that Paine was immersed in the kind of political turmoil and intrigue that makes today's world seem rather tame by comparison, including a narrow escape from England after authoring the seditious 'Age of Reason' and a remarkable stint in the French legislature where his principled stand for human dignity and democracy ended with a brutal imprisonment. Through it all, Paine became the 18th Century's most widely read author, pointing the way forward for the great mass of people through the Age of Revolution into today's democratic world that, in many ways, has yet to fulfill Paine's utopian vision.
   
   Tragically, Paine's unyielding defense of reason earned the enmity of small-minded religious demagogues who propagandized against the defenseless Paine in posterity. Fortunately, Mr. Nelson's book joins several other more recent works that correct this unjust historic distortion, helping to restore Paine to his proper place among the Founding Fathers as one of their most uncompromising and important leaders.

5 comments about Barbara Jordan: American Hero.

1. I'm glad that Jordan is not hear to see how the gov't of the people, for the people, by the people has been so completely perverted by special interests and neo patriots, such as George W. Bush and John Ashcroft. I was only a boy, when like many, I was captivated by this incredible person. She gave me hope that govt could actually serve the people. This book does a great job to capture her spirit and remind us that govt was once a tool and not force for opression.



2. This was a very inspirational book. Barbara Jordan's life was really incredible and the reason she accomplished as much as she did had to do with her innate abilities as well as her willingness to deal with the enemy. She kept her overriding goal utmost - the welfare of the people of East Texas.

   Lots of what she experienced and spoke out against we see today. We could really use her moral voice of authority. She is missed.




3. This is a well written and effective biography of one of America's most amazing personalities. Mary Beth Rodgers tells Jordan's story with the advantage of being an insider; her access to those who knew Jordan well shows in her insightful and complete telling of Jordan's life.

   Jordan is widely remembered by her public persona, the booming orator from Texas - the intellectual constitutional scholar who presided over Nixon's impeachment. But element that makes this biography compelling is Rodgers' depiction of the wheeling and dealing that allowed Jordan to cross barriers and operate effectively in the good-old-boy white male backrooms of the Texas Senate. We get to see Jordan the idealist armed with the constitution in our nation's capital, but we also get to see Jordan the pragmatist cutting deals over a scotch in Austin Texas.

   An effective biography of an amazing American figure.




4. Too often the reviews of biographies and history books end up reviewing the actual person or subject rather than the book. Barbara Jordan was a great, great woman. There's no doubt about that. Of all history's politicans, religious leaders, civil rights advocates, political figures and intellectuals, she is the one person who truly shows us all how we should handle the issue of race in this country.

   This book honored her. It was truly a great read. Descriptive, informative and thought provoking. Whenever I ask someone about Barbara Jordan, they always respond with something like, "Wow, have you ever heard her speak?" I was born too late to hear her more popular speeches. But, the author's effective use of excerpts from Jordan's speeches makes me feel like I was right there watching her. This well researched book gave me a deeper understanding of the events of the Nixon impeachment process, the Carter Administration, politics in itself and the plight of both African Americans and women in government. I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.




5. IT IS THE BEST BOOK EVER!

No comments about King Tiger: The Religious Vision of Reies Lopez Tijerina.