3 comments about Hideyoshi (Harvard East Asian Monographs).

1. At first when I picked up a copy of this book, I didn't really knew what to think of it. As it didn't had a cover of the book on Amazon then, it was really a shot into the dark. I'm real glad I made that shot.
   
   This book centers around Hideyoshi Toyotomo and his predecessor Oda Nobunaga. These two legendary Japanese warlords can't be mentioned without each other, as they are very much interrelated with each other. Nobunaga conquered a third of Japan featuring Hideyoshi as one of his generals. Then, after the murder of Nobunaga, Hideyoshi took charge and conquered Japan through conquest and diplomacy.
   
   This book takes you on the journey though these eras. Political as well as social circumstances are covered in detail. Berry has put together a vast and comprehensive history not just only about Hideyoshi, but about 16th century Japan.
   
   Then why four stars? The book does not cover in-depth detail about Nobunaga or any of the battles. Also, when you're not that familiar with Japan or its customs, pictures are lacking as well. I really hope there will be a reprint one day featuring these things. Then it will deserve the five stars without any doubt.



2. "Hideyoshi" is an incredible biography of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who more than anyone else is responsible for transforming Japan from a crazy-quilt of fiefs and feudal lords engaged in civil war to a centralized state at peace. It is one of history's ironies that a child born to a subsistence farmer could end his life as the most powerful man in the country. If you share my admiration of Japan and fascination with its history, don't pass this book up!



3. This book provides an excellent portrait of arguably the most important single individual in Japanese history. Berry's scholarship is abundantly informative without being heavy-handed. This account of Hideyoshi's life reads like a narrative and is rich with references from diverse resources. More important than that, however, is the respect Berry shows for the subject matter. She really captures the grand sweep of Hideyoshi's life, which was inseparable from the fate of Japan at the time. This is a must read for anyone interested in Japanese history or anyone wishing to deepen their appreciation of Japanese samurai movies that depict this period of time (the late 1500s).

1 comments about Abraham Lincoln: From Skeptic to Prophet.

1. Abraham Lincoln: From Skeptic To Prophet by Wayne C. Temple (historian and former editor of the "Lincoln Herald") is a uniquely comprehensive study of an often-overlooked aspect of the man who saw the United States of America through the turmoil of the Civil War. This scholarly and seminal treatise focuses in-depth specifically upon President Lincoln's religious views. Extremely heavily researched, filled with references to primary sources and black-and-white photographs of portraits, places, and documented evidence, Abraham Lincoln From Skeptic to Prophet leaves no stone unturned in its search to uncover precisely what Lincoln believed during the different phases of his life. Abraham Lincoln: From Skeptic To Prophet is an impressive work and a "must-read" for anyone studying the life, times, and personality of Abraham Lincoln.

3 comments about Lincoln's Rise to the Presidency.

1. William C. Harris, professor emeritus of history at North Carolina State University, fully deserved the Henry Adams Prize for 2008 from the Society for History in the Federal Government for this pathbreaking book, "Lincoln's Rise to the Presidency," published by the University Press of Kansas. In this seminal work, the author presents a very good case for reinterpreting Lincoln in the 1850s not so much as a political moderate but rather as a conservative in the best sense of the term that reflected well his heritage as an old conscience Whig, his background in rural central Illinois, his overall cautious nature, and the internal politics of his home state.
   
   Lincoln had a significant pragmatic streak and was able to bring together diverse interests to establish the Republican Party in Illinois during the 1850s as a coalition of old Whigs (his own political heritage), anti-slavery Democrats, elements of the Know-Nothing Party, and others. The common element of all of these groups was opposition to slavery. Lincoln's moral opposition to slavery was critical throughout this effort, and he gradually became more committed to it, but his political efforts to deal with the institution were fundamentally conserving of the American experiment. This reinterpretation of a much-studied subject is insightful and opens a new perspective on Lincoln's political ideas and influences and offers a fresh understanding of one of the nation's greatest presidents.
   
   "Lincoln's Rise to the Presidency" is a fair and even-handed account by a veteran student of Lincolniana. It seeks to modify the public's perception of Lincoln as a radical; one of the most striking of the transformations that came to his reputation after his April 1865 assassination. It is an excellent work whose interpretation will require careful consideration by all students of the Civil War era.



2. An historian's scholarly and detailed look at the political route taken by Abraham Lincoln to the highest office in our land. Not for the person wanting a general biography of our greatest president.
   
   I liked the fact that Professor Harris avoids injecting into his narrative views on family matters and guesses at psychological motives: this is straight political history. While sometimes the text is dry, if you want to know more about how complex pre-Civil War party politics were juggled by Mr. Lincoln and his key supporters, you would profit from reading this book.



3. Abraham Lincoln was probably our greatest president. Not surprisingly, then, many Lincoln historians have focused the spotlight on his presidency. Others have focused on Lincoln's personal life, and the development of the moral convictions and rhetorical skills that made him successful once in office.
   
   In this fascinating book, William Harris sheds new light on a third aspect of Lincoln -- his leading role in the formation of the Republican party. Lincoln made it a strong party by fusing together two powerful political forces -- the economic conservatism of the old Whigs and the moral conservatism of the new antislavery movement. Harris shows Lincoln's great political skills and shrewdness in building this coalition. Then, standing on that broad and sturdy platform, Lincoln launched his successful run for the presidency. Finally, having won with such a clear mandate, Lincoln had the political power to govern during the turbulence of the Civil War.

1 comments about Winston Churchill - The Photobiography.

1. Plenty of biographies have been written about Churchill's life: so why the need for yet another? Just take a look at Michael Pateson's unique Winston Churchill: Personal Accounts Of The Great Leader At War to see the difference. For one thing, comments Churchill made about himself have been paired with previously unpublished, firsthand accounts of those who knew him to provide plenty of detail on Churchill's military background and how it changed his life and perceptions. Paterson adds the recollections of Churchill's superiors, fellow officers, and more to provide fresh material which is not covered in other books. Secondly, Winston Churchill follows a chronological order focusing on his military campaigns, which provides the ability to appreciate the changes in Churchill's strategic thinking over the decades. Finally, Winston Churchill provides plenty of technical references for further study, making it one of the most detailed biographies about Churchill in print. Very highly recommended.

No comments about The Lincoln Assassination: The Evidence.

5 comments about Setting the World Ablaze: Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and the American Revolution.

1. This book suffers greatly from the author's unbalanced treatment of Thomas Jefferson. Ferling takes a narrow, cramped approach to Jefferson by casting his actions/inactions in the worst possible light and virtually ignoring his accomplishments.
   
   There is some truth to Ferling's criticisms of Jefferson, of course. Jefferson certainly had many flaws. He was a slave-owner, he believed that women were unfit for office, and the list goes on.
   
   But Jefferson's shortcomings form only a part of the insight into his character. This book fails to capture other critical aspects of Jefferson that made him a genius, an idealist and revolutionary, and in some sense, the inventor of America.
   
   Better modern-day historians and Jefferson biographers such as Joseph Ellis and others don't flinch from delving into Jefferson's inconsistencies and failings. But these other writers provide context (not excuses) for that while also understanding and explaining Jefferson's significance.
   
   As I was reading this book I soon realized that whenever I came to a section about Jefferson that he would be predictably trashed. I began to anticipate this and laugh at it. Strangely, few of Jefferson's important contributions are even mentioned in this book, let alone given their due. The author appears to have had an agenda in writing this book to elevate Adams and knock Jefferson. That's not a good starting point for honest inquiry and analysis.



2. this is a historical work on the american revolution that revolves principally around the figures of washington, jefferson, and john adams. it a book the casual reader can delight in, filled with lively prose and a narrative thrust missing so much in other historical works. a highly recommended read for anyone interested in the american revolution.



3. anyone new to the early history of the republic should consider reading this book. while it is quite brief, ferling does a decent job of telling the tale of the revolution through the eyes of the first three presidents. at times he is heavy handed with jefferson, but any student of the american revolution should know that jefferson's greatest contributions came after independence was secured. the reverence for the declaration of independence came long after it was written; its impact at the time is highly debatable. ferling spends a great deal of time trying to pull adams from the depths of obscurity-his bias is evident-but does make a compelling argument that adams is worthy of the praise. it should be noted that this book ends, for all intents and purposes, and the end of the war, and is merely an assessment of the contributions that washington, adams, and jefferson made during the revolution, and is not an evaluation of their presidencies. nevertheless, it is worthy of your time.



4. This brief (300 pages) history of the American Revolution, as seen through the actions of Adams, Jefferson, and Washington, is a thoroughly enjoyable, pool side type of read. Granted, it is a superficial history of the Revolution, but provides an interesting perspective of the motivations, interactions, and rather different personalities of the three founding fathers. Mr. Ferling's work does seem to be at times rather colored in favor of Washington and Adams, which might be expected, as he has written biographies of our first and second presidents. He makes some rather interesting comments about Jefferson's personality; comments which come close to a psychoanalysis of our third president. Overall, if you are searching for a history of the revolution, this work is not for you. If you are ready for a relaxing narrative of the revolution, and the actions of these three individuals, you will not be disappointed.



5. As an avid reader of the American Revolution, I had heard great things about this book. Unfortunately, it was terribly disappointing. Ferling spends too much time raising Adams to god-like status, in an apparent attempt to continue his sole rehabilitation of Adams' place in our history (see Ferling's other writings). In short, it's a shame that an author that is a history professor spends so much time in the present analyzing what Washington or Jefferson should have done instead of telling us what they did keeping in mind the time period and atmosphere of the late 18th century. If you are looking for a critical analysis of our Founding Fathers, this book is for you. However, if you are looking for, heaven forbid, a book about history, skip this one.

5 comments about Fidel Castro: A Biography.

1. If you are looking for a biography of Castro this is a decent one. There are better ones out there but taken alone this book will tell you the essential things about Castro. I would recommend Guerilla Prince or Fidel Castro by Quirk as a substitute for this book. It is well written but lacks the in depth analysis that the previous two mentioned provide. If you just want a quick introduction use this one but if you really want to know about Castro I would use one of the other two.



2. There's absolutely nothing here not already explored in more detail elsewhere. The reader is forewarned as early as p. 3, when the author calls Naty Revuelta "the most captivating woman in Cuba." How many women did the author interview during the 1950s in Cuba so he could make this statement? Silly at best and incredibly breathless as well.
   And while we're on the opening pages, there's nothing about Castro's well-known illegitimacy and tremendously awful childhood, including the many traumatic events that later defined Castro's megalomaniacal behaviors. Instead, the author takes Castro's word that he was raised into a rich family and that he had some sort of normal childhood when nothing could be further from the truth. He was in fact raised in various foster homes, including the shack of his maternal grandparents. He was not allowed in the "big house" because his father was married to someone else. He didn't even have the last name Castro until he was 17.
   The best part of the book is the cover photo, which shows, among other things, Castro's long and manicured nails.



3. I thought this book was quite good. I remember that when I bought it I read a review stating the the book was outstanding, but the reviewer didn't like the fact that the author kept travelling through time instead of providing a chronological approach to the biography. I actually liked this book better for this reason, partly. Volker Skierka does write the book chronologically, but also skips ahead in time and some times reminds you of instances in the past. Having read this book I'm now interested in reading another, lengthier biography of Castro. The book also does a good job of providing some interesting analysis of what's currently going on in Cuba and what might happen after the man expires. I thoroughly enjoyed it!



4. First of all, this is a great biography. Its incredibly balanced in many topics and pans all along the intense life of Fidel Castro.
   Im not giving 5 stars for two basic reasons:
   1. I think that it is fast forwarded on several fundamental moments of Castro`s history. For example, Sierra Maestra and its very complex development between the action in the mountains and the polithical operation that was done in the cities. That is a fundamental point in the triumph of the Revolution and Skierka gets short in detail and interpretation of the moment. Another example is the relationship between Castro and Che Guevara. The ideology of Guevara was much more influential for Castro than what Skierka merely suggests, Skierka runs away from the problem quoting a Che's biographer: Jorge Castañeda.
   2. This is very important for all the future readers of this work. This biography is classified by topics mostly and not chronologically. For me, this was annoying at some moments and I got more focused in others. For example, one of Castro's skills is the illusionism. He is an expert of saying yes and acting like no. In telling to everybody what they want to hear and do what he wants to do. He partially opened and closed Cuba's socialism so when you have this kind of charachters it can be annoying to be in 1995 and then return to 1989 and then fly to 2000 and return to 1959. On the other hand, there are some topics that get more interesting when you gather all the information, topics such as Castro and religion. It lights a part of Fidel that we could have never imagined, and for me it was one of the most enjoyable moments of the book.
   
   With these 2 handicaps it's still a great work. The economic side of the biography is well explained for all of us who dont have much knowledge on the subject, and we even learn about it withe guidance of Skierka.
   
   Fidel Castro's life is immensely interesting. No matter if you are a Fidelista or not, we are talking about a unique kind of politician. He is a survivor in the crushing steps of history. He survived a "Periodo Especial" which was his ultimate act of escapism.
   I really enjoyed to read this book. My understanding of the world development is now more clear and my perspective of Fidel Castro is now different than 500 pages before.



5. Fidel Castro: A Biography is a solid and thorough rendition of the life of Cuba's tenacious and controversial political leader. Tracing his early years, his influence on profound events of history, economic and social issues plaguing the nation of Cuba up to the modern era, and much more, Fidel Castro: A Biography is an exceptional, evenhanded portrait of an undeniably strong leader's strengths and weaknesses. An inset selection of black-and-white photographic plates complements the involving prose.

5 comments about James Madison: The Founding Father.

1. This is one case where I should have heeded the advice of this site's reviewers.
   
   I wanted to read a Madison biography, but I wasn't looking for a 500-page book, and since my father had this one at his house, I thought, "How bad could it be?" Well, it's pretty shaky.
   
   First of all, Rutland does not make this easy on the readers because he's all over the place. It's not neat and focused like a good biography generally is, perhaps because he tried to cram so much information into less than 300 pages. He just jumped around too much.
   
   For example, the first chapter is a disaster. Rutland barely mentions Madison's upbringing, and even when he does, it's buried amongst other information. You will not get hooked by the first chapter. The last chapter was supposed to be about Madison's post-presidency life, but Rutland continues to mention parts of the presidency. I also really wanted a more focused description of the events leading up to the War of 1812, and what I got were bits of hard-to-follow details here and there. This is just not smooth story telling.
   
   There was some valuable information, such as the detailed outline of the Republican platform during the early stages of the party. And the book was not painfully sympathetic to its subject, but rather a fair account of the great man's life. Perhaps another 100 pages and a more defined overall direction, with chapters addressing a few specific issues rather than bouncing all around, would have made this a decent book.
   
   For those looking to learn about Madison, I don't know what book you should read, but I would not recommend this one.



2. The War of 1812 was fought with Great Britain. The British captured Washington, D.C., and burned the White House. Madison fled. He is known as the father of the Constitution and wrote the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights is the first 10 Amendments. The first Amendment guarantees free speech.



3. I did not really care for this book. Rutland makes the premise that Madison was THE founding father implying that he was the most important. He finishes the book with a quote from JFK that Madison was the most under-rated president yet the book dedicates less than 40 pages to the presidency of James Madison. In those 40 pages, I did not gleam anything that Madison did exceptionally well - it all sounded pretty bad to me. I believe the point that Rutland was trying to make is that Madison was not Jefferson's crony and that it was Madison who actually shaped the early Republican party (early version of today's Democratic Party). This was a point well taken and I might accept that Madison was Jefferson's superior. At that same time, I remain unconvinced that he was THE founding father with such peers as George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin. Important yes but...
   
   The failed argument of Madison's superiority aside, I found the book to brief to be interesting. James Madison was a central figure in the formation of our country, the formation of party politics, and the early days of the republic and to try and tell the story of his entire life in a 250 page book is simply impossible. Many important stories that I have previously enjoyed in book volume detail were reduced to a sentence or two in Rutland's book.
   
   I think this book perfect for a high school student who needs a quick read for a research project but has no real interest in the life and career of James Madison. For a history nut like me, it is a bit too much like reading an encyclopedia.



4. Read the title: "James Madison: The Founding Father" focuses on Madison's role in the founding of our country. Here we learn little of Madison's youth and upbringing. Although Dolly plays a role in this book, it is a relatively minor part.
   
   This book explains Madison's role in the development and ratification of the Constitution, including his authorship of some of the Federalist Papers. The narration of Madison's leadership in the early Democratic-Republican Party can change the reader's view of history. Whereas we usually think of Thomas Jefferson as founder of the Democratic-Republican Party, Rutland makes a strong case that it was really Madison who united and organized the party from his seat in the House of Representatives. Much as Alexander Hamilton founded the party which elected John Adams, so it can be said that James Madison founded the party which chose Thomas Jefferson as its first standard bearer.
   
   Rutland progresses through Madison's term as Secretary of State and even puts a favorable spin on his two terms as president. This is no easy task, considering that the British burned the White House and Capitol on his watch.
   
   Rutland follows the wind down of Madison's career with his post-White House collaboration in the establishment of the University of Virginia.
   
   I appreciate books which enable me to see things differently. This book meets that test. I had always thought of Madison as, so to speak, Jefferson's underling and less talented successor. Through Robert Rutland's eyes we see him as one of the most influential and talented men of the early Republic. Madison comes across, as a practical political operative, the equal of Hamilton and, in result at least, perhaps his better. In the title, Rutland tells us that James Madison is The Founding Father. In the book he proves it.



5. not like Jefferson & Hamilton or celebrated like Washington & Franklin. My fellow reviewers seemed disappointed in this as a biography. But it was not Mr. Rutland's purpose to write a personal story of Mr. Madison's life although his later years were covered quite well. I am glad, however, I took the easy way out by listening to the audio version (unedited). It was as if I was in Mr. Rutland's class as he was giving a lecture. The years after The Revolutionary War, The Federalist Papers, The Constitution & The Bill of Rights, are the real meat of this book. Madison's behind the scenes leadership in Congress was consummate. If we do not appreciate how important he was 200 years later, it seems that he contemporaries did. To his sorrow he was, with Jefferson, responsible for creating the two party system we now operate under. That he wanted to heed Washington's advice against the party system is evident. But he found this advice quickly outdated. As a result Washington, & to a lesser extent Adams were the only unaffiliated presidents in our history. Happily, none of this two-party stuff is cluttering up our Consititution. As Secretary of State under Jefferson & President on his own he was unremarkable. Any one could have mucked things up as well as he did. Indeed his best years were his early years. What seemed to me remarkable was the love, respect & friendship that existed between Madison & Jefferson all of their adult lives. It was an alliance of two great men that never wavered & recreated the "republican" type government of ancient Greece. Mr Rutland was obviously impressed by this relationship & alludes to it several times. I appreciate biographies that teach me something about history I didn't know. How great is this book? Hard to say. But it fit the bill.

1 comments about Abraham Lincoln: The War Years Vol 3 (Abraham Lincoln, the War Years).

1. Excellent Excellent Detialed week by week history of the administration through the biographies of all who knew him, generals, cabinet and plain folks.

1 comments about The Life & Times of William Howard Taft, Vol. 2.

1. I have read nearly every book in print about WHT. Pringle's effort is quintessential. Pringle begins his treatment by admitting that his interest in Taft is superficial: He decided to write these books only after completing works on Teddy Roosevelt. Taft is usually treated as a moon to Roosevelt's planet. Pringle typifies this treatment. One gets the impression that Pringle is a lifeguard forced to rescue a man whom he loathes. In the end, the entire effort devolves into an apologia. The lifeguard, after struggling against the currents of his own indifference, pulls his lifeless charge to shore, explaining to a hostile crowd: "Every man, even this loathsome creature, deserves a chance." He then walks away while Taft turns blue. I give this book three stars because it is better than nothing, but just barely.