No comments about Abraham Lincoln.

No comments about Grover Cleveland: The Man And the Statesman.

No comments about Benjamin Disraeli.

1 comments about The Twelve Caesars (MP3 CD).

1. Suetonius, the author, was a contemporary of many of the Roman emperors that he wrote about. It starts from Augustus and goes through the life of Domitian. This is the history that the book and BBC series, I, Claudius, is based on.
   
   This history gives us almost the only glances we have of Caligula, and goes into sordid detail on the corrupt lives of most of these emperors. Most of these men did not die by natural means, and the author brings up known facts where he has them, but many times talks of then current rumors explaining the lives and deaths of these men. Suetonius would not be considered a good historian by today's standards, but more of a good tabloid reporter. Still, this is the best information we have of many of these men today.
   
   One thing that fascinated me was the amount of superstition that was around during that time. We are told of the signs signaling the fall or rise of the Caesars. Almost any natural occurrence was considered a good or bad omen, and Suetonius is sure to tell about all of them.
   
   This was a very fun book and I not only learned more about these 12 men, but also about how the people thought back then. The reader, Charlton Griffin, was excellent and had a very appropriate voice for this history. The translation is that of Robert Graves and I thought it was excellent. I highly recommend this audio book.

No comments about La Familia.

No comments about The presidents of the United States: Biographies.

4 comments about When the cheering stopped: The last years of Woodrow Wilson.

1. This is a history of Woodrow Wilson's last years, especially after the stroke he suffered in Pueblo, Colorado, left him an invalid. How much did Mrs. Wilson run the country? Smith believes quite a bit, though that belief has been disputed by others. Smith also contends that Wilson's failure to secure a yes vote from Congress to join the League of Nations is what finally did him in; most would agree with her on this. Wilson fought a bitter battle that became nasty and personal trying to get the US to join the League - and it was soon consuming just about all his time and efforts. Smith is an admirable writer, and she relates this story smoothly and with confidence.



2. The strange thing about reading history books written before one was born (in this case 1964) is that that biases are all different. This book laments the collapse of the League of Nations and Woodrow Wilson. Ten years later, no one would dare write about American intervention in the world stage in quite so laudatory tones. Issues that bother modern historians such as the unconstitutional incarceration of Eugene Debs, race riots, Wilson's racism including anti-German hysteria, the Imperialism of the other League Nations as well as the anti-sedition laws get swept under the rug.

   Despite the bias, this is an amazingly personal look at a man who tried to sell a great plan to the United States only to be disappointed by Congress and the American people. It discusses his illness, his lack of willingness to compromise, his ineffectiveness as a leader. It also goes into great details about his wife's role in keeping the administration afloat, although it portrays her as a vindictive shrew. There's some interesting information about his daughters (true to WASP fasion, one of his daughters tried on several strange religions before taking off to India and dying of dysentry in the 40s).

   While some of the material is lacking (see first paragraph) and while the enemies of America's involvement in the League are portrayed in a rather sinister fashion, this is still an excellent read and introduction to the post-WWI history.




3. I picked this book up for $1, and would recommend it at thirty times that amount to anyone who loves history or biography. I was vaguely aware of Wilson's life and work, but after reading this book I feel as if I knew the man personally. Well-done, mostly fair, very human -- I cried more than once.



4. this is a facinating period of history and the story of a man who was very disillusioned at the end of his life. Due to the stroke wilson did not understand what was actually happening to him. it is hard not to weep for him and not to feel admiration for his widow. a very personal piece of world history that was not explained in my college studies. i knew about his stroke and the bitterness he felt, but this book helped me to experience how it felt.

1 comments about Oliver Cromwell (Historic Lives).

1. We bought this book for my daughter's class report. It did a decent job of going over Cromwell's life. However, it is not very in-depth and would not suffice for a report done by anyone over 9th grade. On the other hand we did not find a lot of information about Cromwell easily; so this did it's job.

No comments about Napoleon: A Biographical Study.

No comments about Saudi Arabia King Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz Handbook (World Political Leaders Library).