No comments about War, Presidents and Public Opinion.

1 comments about Lincoln & Davis: Imagining America, 1809-1865 (American Political Thought).

1. There are so many books on Abraham Lincoln, that choosing one can be extremely daunting. But this books presents the two candidates for the Presidency in 1860, one for the USA and the othe, the CSA. Clearly, Lincoln is presented, and rightfully so, as a man whose morals play a large role in the great man he becomes. For Davis, his morals, as conditioned by his Southern upbringing, lay the path for failure. If you are looking for a different book on ALincoln from a political perspective posing one candidate agains the other, this is for you.

No comments about Ronald Reagan in Hollywood: Movies and Politics (Cambridge Studies in the History of Mass Communication).

No comments about Thatcher (Reputations Series).

No comments about Vladimir Putin / Putin's Progress: Lider De La Nueva Rusia / Leader of the New Russia.

No comments about Accidental Presidents: Death, Assassination, Resignation, and Democratic Succession (The Evolving American Presidency).

2 comments about Hoover The Fishing President: Portrait of the Private Man and His Life Outdoors.

1. Not much of a book. Could be a research paper from which a Hoover biographer might lift anecdotes and background material. Unless the reader is an avid fish chaser much of this chronicle cannot be appreciated.



2. Wert has uncovered the complex , intriguing life of Herbert Hoover. Hoover's energy, verve, and even joie de vivre is revealed in anecdote after anecdote. While the book is a great fishing adventure, following Hoover from youth to old age on nearly every fishing outing he undertook, in the background is subtle political history and commentary that tells an enormous amount about Hoover's character and political savvy . Most interesting is the way we are shown the behind-the-scenes shenanigans of powerful political figures.
   
   The book is superbly researched and well annotated and illustrated. A great read.

No comments about Gladstone and Women.

2 comments about In The Footsteps of Churchill.

1. British military historian Richard Holmes' "In The Footsteps Of Churchill: A Study In Character", is a book that, inspite of its brevity, offers a most penetrating, thoughtful analysis of Winston Churchill as a politician and statesman. While he is obviously someone favorably disposed to Churchill for some intriguing personal reasons, Holmes does offer a surprisingly nuanced portrayal of Great Britain's greatest 20th Century prime minister, which veers from a self-indulgent narcissist to a deliberative, often profound, observer of his fellow British politicians and of foreign affairs, especially in the 1930s, with respect to Hitler's Nazi Germany. Understandably Holmes, as a military historian, emphasizes Churchill's military service, his celebrated exploits as a military journalist and finally, his service as First Sea Lord in both world wars, as a means of exploring Churchill's personal character, and demonstrating how his military experience played an important part in defining it. Holmes may be the first historian I know of who does consider simultaneously Churchill's service as First Sea Lord, ultimately portraying a less than flattering portrait of someone who was too "wedded" to the interests of charismatic, flamboyant leaders like Admirals Fisher and Beatty (For example, Churchill seriously underestimated the crucial need of smaller escort vessels for the Royal Navy in both world wars, relying more on the advice of his admirals interested in big gun warships like ballecruisers and battleships.). And yet, inspite of a detailed exploration of Churchill's personal and leadership flaws, Holmes does conclude that ultimately, his strong, decisive leadership during World War II was necessary for ensuring Great Britain's survival. Those who think they know well Winston Churchill's biography will ultimately be as surprised and intrigued as I was while reading Professor Holmes' superb study of Churchill's character. Without question, it is among the finest books on Churchill's life that I've come across.



2. Professor Holmes is a British military historian and it shows in this interesting attempt at describing Winston Churchill's character. He decidedly has an opinion, usually conservative, on most political and social issues of the last century and is happy to share them with the reader. He also spends more time on battle issues in the two world wars than would most authors of a character study of this type. This book is best for readers who have some prior knowledge of the life of Winston Churchill. The professor points out many of the faults and warts of his subject but the ultimate verdict is in recognition of his genius.

5 comments about The Women In Lincoln's Life.

1. This was absolutely the most ridiculous book I've read regarding Lincoln. Jason Emerson's review listed below says it all. Winkler should have written a book about his ancestor, and not bothered those of us who are not interested in reading about her.



2. I was very disappointed in this book. I had hoped to learn more about the women in Lincoln's life, but as it turns out, the author is related to Ann Rutledge (supposedly the love of Lincoln's life), and the author spends way too much time telling us how wonderful she was. He keeps bringing her name up in other contexts ("If Ann had been alive..." and so forth), and you'd almost expect that he would suggest that she be cannonized as a saint. It gets rather tedious, to say the least.
   
   Consequently, many other women that he met (such as Sojourner Truth) get mere mention or a few paragraphs, and of course, Mary Todd Lincoln is portrayed as an absolute nutcase.
   
   It's a shame--this could have been a great book.



3. It seems to me that a few reviews of this book have been extremely unfair, especially those by Mr. Emerson and someone who calls himself "kdpsyd." Mr. Winkler is an accomplished scholar and award-winning author who has written the first full-length book on this intriguing subject. I purchased the book after reading reviews from authoritative sources, and have found it to be extremely informative and fascinating. As "Civil War Times" noted, this book is "important and highly provocative and readable." "Civil War News" called it intriguing and engrossing and "quite thought-provoking. . . with careful notes and an impressive bibliography." "Today's Books," an independent report to the news media on the book-publishing industry rated this book "a best read." Such recognition is given only to "the top ten percent of new books published and distributed in America each year."

   Building upon the latest published Lincoln scholarship, Mr. Winkler has developed startling new insights and added fresh information about Lincoln's New Salem years, including the most complete story in existence of Ann Rutledge's life and the
   Lincoln-Rutledge romance.

   The book is obviously based on solid research and should be read by anyone interested in what previously has been a puzzling aspect of Lincoln's life.




4. I was quite thrilled when I saw this book in the bookstore. I have read numerous books on Abraham Lincoln, however, this was a perspective about his life I had not read much about. Words cannot describe how much I enjoyed reading this book. It was very well-written and engaging; enough so that it only took me two days to read it. I was captivated. Yes, at times the book seemed prejudicial against Lincoln's wife and biased in favour of Ann Rutledge, however his point of view was very interesting to note. I highly recommend this book to anyone willing to get a firm grasp on all aspects of Lincoln's life. It was just incredible!!!



5. The author shows a limited understanding of Lincoln. He failed to research his subject. The author is misguided and misinformed. This book is an insult to Lincoln scholars.