5 comments about Fidel: Hollywood's Favorite Tyrant.

1. Just wanted to weigh in here as a liberal who also teaches Spanish.
   I loved both books, the one on Che and this one. I teach my advanced students not to buy into the mythology of Motorcycle Diaries. We study Cuba and Latin America, and the history of dictators such as Peron and Pinochet. We study the Dirty War and students come away with a much better idea about these two men who somehow have become symbols of freedom or revolution instead of the oppressors they are.
   
   So be careful of buying into the propoganda that all liberals love Che and Fidel.



2. Back in the early 80's I was a stupid liberal who believed the propaganda in the media (agitprop) regarding Fidel being a "benevolent" dictator after reading a glowing book extolling his many virtues and painting a picture of a utopian Cuba. When my Nicarguan and El Salvadoran immigrant friends vociferously disagreed with me, I read "Against All Hope" by Armando Valladeros, my first book on Communist dictatorsip, which shook me to the core. I began to question my preconceived notions and embarked on a journey through the rich genre of anti-Communist literature by those who actually LIVED under the brutal regimes--Nien Cheng, Haing Ngor and Alexander Solzhenitsyn, among others. Their stories are distressingly similar, harrowing and painful to read, about the malignant ideology which crushes the human spirit and justifies beatings, murder, incarceration, and all manner of evil while masquerading as good, just and humane. I also read books by American authors who had been Communists, had second thoughts and left the "progressive" faith: Collier and Horowitz, Whittaker Chambers, etc. These wonderful authors turned me around politically and philosophically, and helped me to start thinking critically. I now apologize to the Cuban people (and all the victims of Communist repression and genocide in the 20th Century) for my previous naivete, but in my defense I was young, Democrat and had tried hallucinogens and marijuana, all of which clouded my judgement back then. Plus, I used to believe Mike Wallace and the liberal media. Big mistake! For some reason they are vested in their "progressive" fantasies and do not let the truth disturb them...and they all seem to hate this country which has given them so much. Very sad.
   
   "Fidel, Hollywood's Favorite Tyrant" by Herbert Fontova is a very important addition to this genre because it offers history, facts, and story after story by witness after witness, about Cuba, Che, Fidel, and many of the prominent American sycophants who toady up to this corrupt, murderous, barbaric dictator. Did you know Fidel is one of the world's richest men (Forbe's magazine) and a master of propaganda, having learned from the masters (Soviets). This is a bitingly funny, touching and comprehenive book. Fontova is clearly passionate about this subject, which to me makes this book even more enjoyable. It is sorely needed because Fidel is finally going to his just reward in the netherworld--and the Cuban people may finally get a reprieve after 50 years (a half century!) of suffering and countless deaths. What happens next--in the very near future--is history in the making. I will be watching closely, hoping and praying for Cuban freedom, for the USA and the rest of the free world, and to see how the liberals in Hollywood and the media react. Will they hysterically mourn his passing or finally TELL THE TRUTH about this monster? Their reactions will say more about them than Fidel. Who do you believe--a rich American who flies to Cuba on a private jet and has a "personal audience," with Fidel, sumptuous food and living accommodations for a few days--or the average Cuban who has actually lived the nightmare? It will be very illuminating, especially when the obituaries and books are written and hidden stories emerge, as they always do after the death of a tyrant...Can anyone now alive remember how sweet life was before the revolution?



3. I love this book and cannot wait for Humberto's next book on Che. I find his information very well researched and reflective of his extensive and informed studies in Latin American History in which he has his Masters degree from Tulane University.
   
   I am a first generation American. My mother left Cuba in 1960 at age 15 and she, like so many other Cuban exiles,have in fact been back to visit Cuba recently, and we have had several family members in Cuba visit and keep in touch.
   
   Before Castro, Cuba was a very enlightened country. As indicated in Humberto's book, the per-capita income was high and the standards of living were high also. This was because Batista encouraged unionization and established a minimum wage in Cuba.
   
   This did not go over well with the wealthy property owners or business owners. When Castro came about and promised reform, it was primarily the upper classes that supported him. They wanted to do away with the unions and minimum wage for their own economic gain.
   
   The people that supported Castro were not the poor farm workers or laborors. The poor people opposed Castro as indicated in Humberto's book. They had more to gain by keeping Batista then they did by having Castro take over the country.
   
   The Cuban people that backed Castro and Che were expecting socio-economic reform, not the political reform that was the end result.
   
   I think more people should read this book. Hollywood glamorizes Che and Castro as heros that liberated the poor people of Cuba. Reading this book may help people to the realization that Castro and Che took this beautiful, tourist magnet of a country and turned it into a third world country that "not even Hatians" (per Humberto) ant to immigrate to.



4. This author is incredibly biased and left Cuba when he was a child- too young to remember or understand anything. I don't know his family's story, but the truth is that most of the Miamians have never even been to Cuba and are 2nd and 3rd generation, and that the first wave of Cubans was not poor people on rafts- it was fascists who supported Batista, rich brothel and casino owners, mobsters, etc. Not a great crowd, to say the least. People love Fidel Castro throughout the world for a reason... check out "Fidel, the Untold Story" for a good documentary that gives the other side. I'm not saying Fidel hasn't done some bad things, but he's not even close to the Stalin that the liars in Miami paint him as. For all my anti-Communist sentiment, I have to say, this book is ridiculous. Anyone who actually believes that Cuba was better under Batista had better think twice about the sources they are hearing.



5. "Fidel: Hollywood's Favorite Tyrant" is the kind of radical right-wing piece of hate speech so commonly published and rarely ever read or taken seriously except by radical right-wingers who've already made their mind up about the subject. Do the research and you will see that most of Humberto Fontova's facts are completely off. Che Guevara for example was not a Stalinist, he was a Marxist, true, but he even cautioned against implementing EVERY Marxist idea to a society (this is outlined in "The Che Guevara Reader"). Fontova's claims of the Cuban system are also off, Cuba has the highest life expectancy rate in Latin America and even the purest water sources for the population. Fontova obviously belongs to the hateful Miami Cuban Mafia that would be happy to see Cuba return to it's previous status of a virtual U.S. colony and racist state. Fontova rarely ever touches upon the fact that the United States waged an illegal terrorist campaign on Cuba that has killed hundreds (unlike the false "genocide" numbers Fontova provides here which are ludicrous), in fact, one of the key terrorist, Luis Posada Carrilles, is in U.S. custody and has admitted to blowing up a Cuban airliner with 75 civilians onboard, the Bush White House refuses to extradite him. Fontova calls popular figures such as Oliver Stone "idiots," eventhough he probably couldn't hold his own on a debate with Stone and goes on to lash at other cultural figures (I suppose Fontova also considers Nobel-Prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez to be a half-wit for his friendship with Castro). To make matters worse, Fontova has a dead writing style that borders on the monotone. The use of language is bare and simplistic, throwing accusations without facts, attacking others without valid reason and supporting terrorist actions against a sovereign nation. For the real facts on Cuba I would recommend the titles published by Ocean including "Fidel: My Early Years," "Che Guevara Reader," "Latin America: A Continent Awakens" and many others. If you want to read radical right-wing propaganda that would make the likes of Oliver North and Pat Robertson proud, this is the book for you.

No comments about New Deal or Raw Deal?: How FDR's Economic Legacy Has Damaged America.

1 comments about Lincoln and His World: The Early Years, Birth to Illinois Legislature.

1. This book is absolutely captivating. It is one of the best biographies I have ever read--one truly has a feel for what Lincoln's world was like during his childhood and early adulthood. Can't wait for the sequel.

5 comments about The Age of Napoleon (Modern Library Chronicles).

1. This is a good book about Napoleon the man. Alistair Horne is a supreme writer. He covers the good in Napoleon, but balances it with his shortcommings. He illustrates the influence Napoleon had back then and the impact he has on our lives today. This is an excellent book about the complex life of one of history outstanding figures.



2. Horne's pithy little book is certainly not a good introduction to Napoleon the man, general, or emperor, nor a comprehensive history text on France. It is, however, a valuable collection of his most lasting and significant policies, ambitions, whims, excesses, successes, and failures.
   
   Horne writes with the facile hand of an expert in his element, yet this book will certainly prove most valuable to the casual rather than novice or advanced scholar of Napoleonic France. It covers his rise to fame, deceptively humble power-grab, impressive reformist tendencies and initiatives, his staid morality contrasting personal hypocrisy, as well as Napoleon's creation of a new and (at least in theory) merit-based aristocracy, as well as the advent of modern French culture. Colorful episodes featuring his beloved Josephine as well as other flames and vixens are recounted.
   
   This will be a nice addition to a Francophile shelf, but only a sketchy entry text for the curious.



3. For those seeking a biography of the man or his military accomplishments, this book does not fit the bill. Horne focuses on the political, economic, artistic, and scientific accomplishments of Napoleon and the Napoleonic Regime. So this book focuses on an area not covered by most authors. Since Napoleon is a topic that many authors have attempted, Horne focuses on an area not usually written about. Napoleon changed a lot in France, and Horne outlines both his accomplishments (Code of Napoleon for law, and scientific research) and his failures (theater, opera, and literature).
   This is not an easy read, despite its brevity. It is a read that will enlighten a Napoleonic historian. However, the subjects and concepts are more difficult to understand than the
   military victories.



4. Engaging and informative, Horne manages to present his vast knowledge of Napoleon and his age in an almost conversational tone that-while full of rich historical detail-manages to be scholarly, riveting and often quite humorous. For example, in addition to learn about the numerous ways Napoleon's two decade rule transformed Europe, we learn that his wife and Empress Josephine's wardrobe contained 666 winter dresses, 230 summer ones and only two pair of knickers. If one wishes for a direct introduction to Napoleon and his influence, The Age of Napoleon is an excellent place to start.



5. This newest addition to the Modern Library Chronicles series is not a history of Napoleon but a snapshot into this time in France, although by his very nature the man defines the times. For a short biography of Napoleon, take a look at Paul Johnson's slim volume and for a fuller context of Parisian history read Alistair Horne's The Seven Ages of Paris. This book, the Age of Napoleon, is Alistair Horne's examination of one of those particular ages and the man at the centre of it. The book is arranged by topics as opposed to a chronological history so basic familiarty with European history will be an advantage. The author also repeats himself, at times, as the story moves back and forth. But this book will give the reader an idea of these tumultous times and either lead them to further reading about Napoleon the man or work as a refresher to a previously read biography.

3 comments about Ronald Reagan: The Power of Conviction and the Success of His Presidency.

1. This book is based on Peter Wallison's year in the White House when he served as a legal counsel.
   
   This book shares some of Ronald Reagan's wit,humor,and humility.
   
   Mr.Wallison offers an assessment of the media coverage regarding the Reagan administration. The media had a tendency to over-cover the sensational while ignoring subjects of substance,like policy(foreign or domestic).They trolled for scandals.
   
   This book shows what management style was used by the President.
   It also debuncts the myth that President Reagan was not intelligent.
   
   Another interesting topic in this book is the behind the scenes view of situations in the cabinet. Leaks to the media and how rampant they were from the White House and especially the Hill.
   
   There was a comparison of the Chiefs of Staff. Mr. Wallison wrote mostly about Donald Regan because he worked with him.
   
   The chapters dedicated to the Iran-Contra scandal were very good! I came away with a better understanding of exactly what happened and who was involved.
   
   This is the first book that I have read about President Reagan. I recommend it as a balanced book from an author who worked in the White House. I wish that he had been there longer!



2. I love this book as it contains what it means to be a true conservative and not a false one. As the great Conservative economist F.A. Hayek once stated "    . . . the whole conception of social or distributive justice is empty and meaningless; and there will therefore never exist agreement on what is just in this sense... I am certain, however, that nothing has done so much to destroy the juridical safeguards of individual freedom as the striving after this mirage of social justice."
   That is in a Capitalistic Socieity there will be more losers than winners and that is just the way it is. If you can not make ends meet it is not "societys fault" but your own. Don't expect your mommy "the state" to make it right!
   From here the author goes own to explain how all the scandals of the Reagan presidentcy where not the leaders fault but those of his underlings for they were to blaime not him. The buck stops there my friend!



3. This is an excellent "insider" perspective on Reagan's management style and the Iran-Contra scandal. Wallison debunks thoroughly the prevailing view of the liberal media that Reagan was intellectually limited, disengaged and manipulated by his advisors. Reagan's remarkable accomplishments are attributed to the clarity of and his unfailing focus on a few "big ideas" (e.g. a smaller and less intrusive government, freer trade, a strong defense, faith in the traditional American values of individualism and sense of personal responsibility) and his ability to inspire those within the administration to actively pursue his policy objectives. As legal counsel to the President, Wallison was the White House staffer most involved with Iran-Contra. He persuasively argues that the scandal was basically a foreign policy blunder made worse by a renegade NSC staff (particularly Oliver North) and a press corps more interested in scandal mongering than issues.

5 comments about The Civil War (Penguin Classics).

1. As Jane F. Garner states in her excellent introduction, Caesar understood that one could not break the Roman Senate's de facto power in the Roman republic by using the sovereign power of the people. `One needed to secure military command, and with it, wealth, patronage and, not least important, armed power.'
   
   This book is in fact the story of the battles for the consolidation of one sole armed power in the Roman republic under one general, which would, indeed, yield sole power (dictator for life) for him.
   Of course, it reflects only the author's point of view. Julius Caesar's hagiographic autoportrait is one of a magnanimous, not vindictive or rancourous, but integer, just and generous general and politician.
   
   But his chronicle gives also an in depth picture of the war scene in Caesar's time, not only of long and short term tactics, but also of the (in)human side of it.
   The battles were in the first place a fight for water, corn and fodder, before a frontal confrontation could be engaged. The preparations therefore were more a matter of civil engineering than anything else: walls of up to 17 miles, ramparts, dams, river crossings, roadblocks, ditches and fences, towers and ballistic missiles. Animals like elephants, and even scorpions were used.
   The wars resulted in `farm-houses being burned down, fields devastated, flocks plundered and killed, towns and forts razed and abandoned, and the leading citizens slain or kept in chains while their children were carried off and enslaved.'
   Vae victis: `Soldiers won over by personal prestige of the general, persuaded by money and promises of gain, captured but, as their lives had been spared, they had been anxious to demonstrate their gratitude. These were the men whose bodies, remarkable for size and comeliness, now lay hacked and limp all over the plain.'
   
   The book shows also Caesar's psychological insight: `for we believe what we wish were so, and hope that others feel as we do', `rumour goes beyond the facts' or `friends become enemies in adversity'.
   
   Truly stunning is the end of the story: After securing sole military command, Caesar returned to Rome and was murdered six months later.
   
   With its tens of thousands of deaths, this book doesn't sketch a very positive picture of mankind.
   A must read for all historians and lovers of classical texts.



2. I enjoyed the book on the Gallic War and equally enjoyed this book on the Civil War. The method of indicating and referencing notes was easy to work with. Additonally, both books have an excellent amount of introductory material.



3. I bought this book as a replacement (lost the original plus many more to Hurricane Katrina). Any fan of the pre-christian world or anyone who would like a work that was written over 2000 years ago by one of history's greatest men, this book is for you!



4. It was exactly what I wanted. A good translation of the book.



5. As a direct source this book is valuable and needed. To the casual reader of history (like myself) it is a bit of a drag. The book has highlights but the authors are writing it to their contemporaries. It is difficult for the modern reader to grasp exactly what is happening. I think a book with maps and further explanations as to motivations and battle tactics (to a layman like me) would have been of greater interest. One thing I can say, however, is that you get a first hand look at what Caesar must have been like. The book clearly shows his side in the most favorable light (not surprising) but not as much as one would think.

5 comments about Eisenhower: A Biography (Great Generals).

1. Of the four titles in Palgrave's Great Generals Series that I've now read (Patton, Bradley, MacArthur, and now Eisenhower), this is the worst. Wukovits, whose World War II writing has for the most part covered the Pacific, doesn't seem to have a strong background in the European theater, and it shows. The details are very basic; there's little, if anything, new here for anyone who has read a book or two on the ETO. Sure, an author can cover only so much in a book of less than 200 pages, but for the possibilities of a short biography, take a look at historian Richard B. Frank's insightful volume on MacArthur in this same series.



2. Though a nice and mostly complete overview of Ike's life until assuming the Presidency, the author does not hesitate to inject his own personal bias in a work that should be a review of historical records. When discussing military preparedness, he adds a comment about the supposedly underarmored HUMVEEs in Iraq. When discussing the identity of the enemy, he says that Eisenhower's job was somewhat easier than today, for the enemy was clearly identified, as opposed to today's "insurgents fighting for their country" and "religious zealots fighting for their freedom." He even manages to take a swipe at todays military, commenting on Abu Ghraib. In fact, by the time of the description of the Normandy invasion, there are at least 5 references to Iraq and Afghanistan. This type of editorializing in what should be a historic work goes far to undermine the objectivity of the author. One feels that he has an agenda, and is using this book to promote it.
   
   Tell us the story of Ike, leave your opinions on US policy today outside the dustjacket. Commentaries such as the ones I mentioned reduce the credibility of the author and make one question the rest of his work.



3. Interesting book. But Wesley Clarke -- who wrote the forward --is an airhead and a sychophant par excellence.



4. This should especially be a must read for students. The book is concise and to the point without a lot of extraneous words. Having just recently rented a film about Eisenhower at a local store, I'm shocked that the student-age employee neither knew who Eisenhower was or how to spell his name. Do we call this a dumbed-down nation?
   A good combination with this book would be to first have the students read it and then show the film Ike: A Countdown to D-Day which was a made-for-TV film starring Tom Selleck.
   More books of this ilk would help EDUCATE!



5. I just finished this book, and found it a very enjoyable read. I learned a number things about Eisenhower's earlier years that were new to me--for instance, I never knew he had served in Panama, or been offered more lucrative business opportunities, but had elected to stay in the army. or that because of his abilities as a staff officer he had been denied the chance to have his own command except for a very brief period.
   
   In terms of Eisenhower's WWII experiences, the focus is on getting into Eisenhower's thoughts and feelings and his relationships with other generals, particularly Patton and Montgomery, though the author also points out that Eisenhower tried to meet with all ranks of soldiers when time allowed. I was somewhat surprised that Eisenhower's alleged relationship with Kay Summersby is completely unmentioned, though the author does quote four times from her book.
   
   Also, this is not the book to go to if you want an operational description of the battles Eisenhower oversaw--even the situation on Omaha is covered in only a couple of sentences. Similarly for Market-Garden, but here the author states this operation should never have happened, one of his few (though here only implied) negative statements about Eisenhower.
   
   Eisenhower's life after the army and his presidency are briefly covered, with all the major events highlighted, but not discussed in detail.
   
   I strongly recommend this book for an introduction to Eisenhower.

2 comments about Abraham Lincoln: The Illustrated Edition: The Prairie Years and The War Years.

1. Sandburg's 'Lincoln' is exhaustively researched, and magnificently illuminating. The photographs and illustrations in this edition add admirably to the prose. I feel all the more that Lincoln stands alone as the greatest political leader of all time. No one else (not even Gandhi) was even close. The Emancipation Proclamation was the greatest political act in human history.



2. If this book wasn't loosely based on the excellent Sandburg master I would have only given it two stars. This abridgment is a mess. Vital sections have been sacrificed, paragraphs have been poorly spliced together, photos and paragraphs are duplicated by obvious mistake, sentences have been mangled until they only resemble English, and it so states that presidents can be reflected for a second term of office. I question the editor's judgment and suspect the proofreader's presence. If I had my money back I would purchase the 800 page Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years and The War Years (Paperback) instead.

4 comments about Lincoln's Sanctuary: Abraham Lincoln and the Soldiers' Home.

1. In each of the years he served as President of the United
   States (minus the 11 southern states which seceded launching the Civil War!) President Abraham Lincoln, his wife Mary and family would journey to the Soldiers Retirement Home about 4 miles from the White House. Son Robert would visit on his trips home from Harvard. Youngest Lincoln son Tad enjoyed the Soldiers' Home where he had a menagerie of pets; got to know the guard troops from Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio stationed there. Wife Mary was often vacationing in New England or shopping in New York.
   In this atmosphere Lincoln enjoyed the camaraderie of soldiers; received visitors and enjoyed the company of Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton living in a nearby cottage.
   It was in this location that the President agonized over his decision to issue the Emancipation Proclamation; decided to fire
   George B. McClellan and help plan the 1864 presidential campaign.
   Every day Lincoln would ride a horse to the White House surrounded by mounted cavalryman. His wife Mary fell from her carriage in July, 1863 while traveling to the home. She was seriously injured .
   Pinsker tells us of plots against Lincoln's life. He may have even been fired upon by an unknown assassin according to a soldier who reported this incident in his postwar memoirs.
   Matthew Pinsker has written an outstanding book adding to our knowledge of the heretofore little known Lincoln residence at the Soldiers Home. The Home is now a National Landmark and is being renovated and opened for the public. One can imagine how awed poet Walt Whitman was as he saw Lincoln on his daily ride from the White House to the Soldiers Home.
   Pinsker draws on a vast array of first person accounts, letters,memoirs and can be complimented on adding to our knowledge of the Lincoln presidency.
   The book is well illustated with maps and is an outstanding addition to anyone interested in the Civil War and the Lincoln presidency. Well recommended!



2. This book was a wonderful find. I read it in two days on a business trip and found the writing style enjoyable, the research accurate and detailed while not at all overbearing, and the information very interesting. There are still very little details of the Lincoln's day to day activities at the Soldier's Home. None of the Lincoln's kept diaries and official documentation of purchases, visitors, and happenings were very casual compared to the entourage and details which follow a modern day president on vacation. But the author uncovered letters and diaries of the soldiers and visitors who were around the Lincoln's at this time and from these sources has discovered a wealth of information. The book parallels each of the decisive war time decisions made by Lincoln, and shows how his daily commute to the Soldiers Home from the White House and back, and the relaxing time spent with his family during summer nights and weekends, helped to shape some of his actions and achievements.
   
   I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about Lincoln the person, with an interest in his politics and Civil War presidency. This book is a wonderful addition to the new writings on the Sixteenth President.



3. This book provides new information about Lincoln and his family, which is highly unusual for someone as researched as Lincoln. Based on letters and recollections of the people who saw him there, this book gives a picture of Lincoln in robe and slippers away from the chaos of the war time White House. A definate addition to what is known about Lincoln.



4. This is a well written book and very timely as action is being taken to renovate the Lincoln Cottage. I reside on the grounds of the Soldiers' Home where the cottage is located and know the value of the cottage in our history. The facility is now known as the Armed Forces Retirement Home-Washington. The cottage has always been known as the Anderson Cottage.

2 comments about Perpetual Happiness: The Ming Emperor Yongle.

1. I am a historian specializing Chinese history. I am very disappointed by the author's work. Comparing to Jonathan Spence's books and Ray Huang's book on Ming history, this book is very boring and lack of deepness. The author has made a great effort to gather a lot of details but they are so fragmental. The author fails to contextualize Yongle and his time, making Yongle so isolated in the Ming history. Those long citations easily put readers into sleep. As an academic book, it lacks a special perspective and has no argument. As a text book, it's hard to attract students because there is no story.



2. Shih Shan Henry Tsai has done something that Jonathan Spence has not been able to do: write a book that people can read and understand. No offense to Spence, I know he is considered the man for Chinese history, but maybe he is a better speaker than writer, because I can't get through any of his books and I have a strong background in Chinese History.

   Professor Tsai has taken primary and secondary sources about the second Ming Emperor or third depending on how you look at it and turned it into a interesting, well written, little book. The book is only about 200 pages and it is a quick read, but at the same time highly informative.

   I did not know much about the Ming Dynasty or Emperor Yongle before reading this book, but now I do. To me a good history book is one where you learn things you did not know before, and this book did that.

   I recommend this book highly to anyone who enjoys Chinese history. And if you want to read a more modern history of China look at Mandate of Heaven by Orville Schell.