2 comments about John Tyler : A President of Many Firsts.

1. I was hoping for more family history with this book. I've been looking for years for Pres. Tyler's parents, his father's siblings and forward ancestry, in hopes to open a snag I have in my mom's Tyler line, as her ggrandfather was a first cousin to Pres. Tyler, as my grandfather and siblings often stated. Maybe this John and mom's ggranfathers were brothers or their fathers were connected. I just need a better lineage.
   Thanks,
   Bonnie



2. This expensive booklet of less than 70 pages (including many illustrations) is intended as a souvenir of Tyler's restored plantation house. (Incredibly, although Tyler was born in 1790, the restorer is a grandson, still alive at the time of publication in 2001.) The pamphlet, based completely on secondary sources, is deliberately uncritical and minimizes the more unsavory features of Tyler's presidency. The three-page sketch in American National Biography provides a far more accurate understanding of the tenth president and his administration.

5 comments about Is Our Children Learning? : The Case Against George W. Bush.

1. For all of you that voted for him because you were AFRAID OF CHANGE, you get what you deserve. Please by all means read about your emperor. No self respecting rocket scientist would would be caught dead at the same party. So when all you good voters see your social security checks, your lack of health insurance and a cobwebbed covered vehicle in your driveway that you cannot afford to drive, I think you know you is responsible. Like my mom said, "Just because you have money and priviledge does not mean you have brains and couth." Bravo, Mr. Begala.



2. I HAVE read the book and it is great. Don't review(8/9/04) a book you haven't read.



3. Well, here we are in 2005
   Freedom of speech is barely alive.
   Making his mark
   While most the world shudders
   We sit here silenced for fear of what's uttered.
   
   We tried to vote and save the day,
   But that is not the Diebold way.



4. I just bought this book because I thought it would have some funny Texas Bushisms. However, this book was written by Paul Begala (cohost of CNNs Crossfire) about why Bush should not be elected as President in 2000. This insightful book gives details on how Texas's surplus was pandered, a 125 year ban on concealed weapons was overturned (people are even allowed to bring weapons into churches!!) and public school funding was cut, tax cuts to the rich were given and many other things happened where the people of Texas suffered and rich people get very happy. Begala predicted all these same catastrophic events would happen if Bush was elected President. Now it takes guts to have all these assumptions of Bush before he became President in 2000 and Begala did. But what is even more devastating is that every single thing that Begala thought would happen - did!
   
   I wish this was just a horror novel, but unfortunately, it is all non-fiction.



5. Begala's tone is often disparaging and nasty, but it doesn't seem all that bad when you consider who's occupying the White House.
   I gave it four stars because I want to see Bush make for Texas as much as Begala does.

3 comments about Garfield: A Biography.

1. I am currently reading a biography of every President in order. For James Garfield the choice is easy (the only competition being the short bio from the American Presidents series) and thankfully Mr. Peskin has left almost no room for another book to take its place as the definitive Garfield biography.
   
   In short, this is among the best "academic" Presidential biographies that I have read. Peskin has clearly done an exhaustive amount of research as well as having a thorough command of the time period in American history. The book is extremely well organized and Peskin's writing style is fluid and engaging. The book is adept at presenting in depth material in a way that is easy to understand and ideas and story threads follow logically through the book. It is possible that some may find the detail level a bit much but it is certainly appropriate for this type of biography and in my opinion Peskin has struck just the right balance of detail and related background information without losing focus on the main subject and important themes. I highly recommend this biography, it will clearly be the definitive Garfield biography for quite some time to come.



2. I had the pleasure of being a graduate student of Dr. Peskin's in the late 1980's and one of the things he taught us was how to write. Strangely, he never used Garfield as an example of superb historical writing or scholarship, but it is both. It is generally considered the finest biography of Garfield's life in print, and it is.
   I picked it up on a lark one weekend and spent the entire weekend reading it. I couldn't put it down!! It is that good and the scholarship is great! A must-read for history buffs!



3. This was an interesting biography about an accomplished General, Congressman and President. Peskin has done a great job of discussing both the military and civilian accomplishments of this great man. The book is usually entertaining and informative; however, at times it becomes a bit dry. Moreover, I wish Peskin would have spent more pages on the academical accomplishments of this one time professor. An interesting read for persons interested in post-reconstructionist United States.

No comments about Mao Zedong: A Political and Intellectual Portrait (Political Profiles series).

4 comments about Beloved Island: Franklin & Eleanor and the Legacy of Campobello.

1. Beloved Island: Franklin & Eleanor And The Legacy Of Campobello by Jonas Klein is a touching, memorable, biographical portrayal of two genuinely great figures of 20th Century American history. Here presented are the daily lives of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, and how their summer home on Campobello Island influenced them, and rounds out an impressive and painstaking recreation of their personal experiences with anecdotes, personal letters, and the memories of aides, family, and friends. A welcome and much appreciated contribution to the growing library of literature dedicated to the life, thought, and achievements of this politically and socially influential (and often controversial) couple, Beloved Island is an informative and insightful study of the often-hidden inner side of these two remarkable American leaders.



2. This is a well-researched and well-written glimpse of one of the most famous and influential couples of the 20th Century. It reads extremely well while casting new light on two already-much studied lives but from an entirely new perspective. Jonas Klein proposes that FDR and Eleanor were in some measure defined by the Campobello experience and makes a credible case for it.

   Before picking up Beloved Island I had just finished reading one more of Stephen AmbroseÕ books on World War II and, quite frankly, had tired a little of the rhythm and predictability in his technique of stringing together many individual Òoral historiesÓ to create a coherent whole. He does it very well, of course, but Jonas Klein does it better. Working mostly from snapshot detail in correspondence, I presume, Klein succeeds in portraying the larger portraits of personality, emotion, relationships, and other intangibles that make figures from history what they really are.

   Though not quite a Òone sittingÓ experience, this little book leads us gently to further thought and deeper understanding about Franklin and Eleanor. ItÕs a good book.




3. Beloved Island: Franklin & Eleanor And The Legacy Of Campobello examines how the Roosevelt summer home on New Brunswick's Campobello Island (a remote Canadian location) had a significant physical and emotional influence on their lives and the events of their day. While acknowledging the Roosevelt's' traditions and background, Jonas Klein presents a fresh perspective on their public trials and triumphs as well as their personal frustrations and private disappointments as showcased by their Campobello residency. It was at Campobello that Franklin was stricken with polio, that Eleanor found peace and refuge from a demanding and unsympathetic world, and that their personal and political relationship as formed in a manner that would serve them both to the end of their lives. Exceptionally well researched, well-written, insightful, informative, and totally engaging biography.



4. I was excited when I first saw this book advertised. Anyone who has studied the Roosevelts knows the fundamental emotional foundation this island provided the family. However, when I began to read the book, I quickly became disgruntled. There was little to no new information, insight or perspective offered. The author seems to mainly cover the same formulaic roads covered before-- early marriage, polio, governor, president, & Eleanor on her own. The only difference was this books focuses on those same paths through the lens of Campobello. The problem, besides offering little new, is this lens is restrictive, rather than encompassing. If you're looking for an introduction to the Roosevelts, this may be a good selection. However, if you have studied this couple with any kind of attention, nothing profound or enlightning is likely to be found here.

1 comments about Tiberius (Blackwell Ancient Lives).

1. When I first discovered Robin Seager, it was through his book, "Pompey the Great". This was a book I just couldn't read finding it utterly long-winded and excruciatingly detailed (read: boring!). I did eventually read it, when I was ready, and discovered Seager to be an impressive historian whose fondness for detail I greatly enjoyed. Thus, I picked up Tiberius hoping for more of the same. And I wasn't disappointed. Tiberius was the second Principate of Rome having been adopted by Augustus to take over after his death. He was certainly not the first choice but in the end, Tiberius outlived all the other potential heirs Augustus had chosen. Tiberius was an honoured and respected general who had Republican sensibilities. As Principate, he clashed numerous times with the Senate over its inabilities to make decisions for itself and deferring many issues back to him (after he initially passed onto them). Seager takes us through Tiberius' life from his childhood roots (and the eventual familial-bond that he and Augustus would share) to his selection as Principate. He looks at the different occurrences in Tiberius' early life that set him down his eventual path (but not without some resistance first) and his role as Principate (from determining attacks to his relationship with the people). Seager provides a very comprehensive view of the second Principate's reign and his accomplishments and failures. Many have criticized Tiberius and claimed him a tyrant due to his misuse of maiestas (a sort of treason law), allowing Piso (Tiberius' friend) to bring down Germanicus (the much loved successor to-be of Tiberius if he had survived), his war and subsequent unfair treatment of Agrippina (mother of Gauis, wife of Germanicus) and his allowing of Sejanus to manipulate him for his own ambitions (which were obviously detrimental to Rome and many persons within). Although not excusing his behaviour, especially the later half as his mental reason began to crumble; Seager portrays a man who never had the ambitions to be Principate. Unlike many others, Tiberius wanted to end his days in peace and be left alone. What he got instead was the greatest responsibility, which with his virtues, he couldn't easily let go of. Although a very capable leader, Tiberius' greatest weaknesses were his poor attitude to the Principate position and his arrogance and stubbornness towards others. This is what caused the conflicts with the Senate and allowed people such as Sejanus to rise in power and cause so many problems. Tiberius showed himself initially as a fair and reasonable leader but as time went on, he detached himself from his position and its responsibilities and allowed others to take advantage of it. Seager shows that Tiberius was not a tyrant but rather a man who became too disillusioned and too stubborn to let go.

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.

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.

No comments about Bismarck (Profiles in Power Series).

3 comments about The General and Mrs. Washington: The Untold Story of a Marriage and a Revolution.

1. As an American history buff, I wanted to learn more about the relationship between our first president and his wife. While Washington's faults are lightly covered (his conflicting views on slavery, his temper and exacting demands), the book is generally an ode to the Washingtons. Martha is mostly portrayed as a patient, gentle, selfless soul who supports Washington unfailingly who patiently endures tragedy upon tragedy. Washington is portrayed as an ever-vigilant hero selflessly sacrificing all for his men. As I read it, I felt the author wrote with a favorable bias of the Washingtons and a more balanced view might have been more accurate.
   
   The biggest drawback for me, however, was the poor editing. As an example of one of the many errors, one sentence reads, "Prior to the war, the couple received just over four hundred guests a year, but after his resignation from the army, that number increased to over four hundred a year." It mars an otherwise interesting book on our first president and his wife.



2. I think this is a very well developed history of a relationship and a nation. It is a great companion to George Washington: An Unexpected Life. I bought both together.



3. 
   Chadwick increases our admiration for George Washington, and gives us a glimpse into how exceptional Martha and his marriage to her were.
   
   Chadwick tells of their lives up to their meeting and what the marriage may have meant for each. For Martha it was a chance to enjoy family life with a man of her own generation. For George it seemed to be companionship, maybe a rebound and access to the upper reaches Virginia society.
   
   While I knew GW freed his slaves, I was unaware of his lifelong objection to slavery, and his attempts (however feeble) to do something about it. He did not really get a windfall fortune through his marriage as I thought, he got a challenge. It is not clear what he did to free Martha from her wastrel father-in-law's legal and debt burdens, but he did. I didn't know that Martha stayed with him in Valley Forge and Morristown when she could have luxuriated at Mount Vernon
   
   When the time came, GW's military, administrative and physical skills were exactly what the colonies needed. Once a new country was formed this first couple, started things right with honesty and dedication. The revolution could have turned sour, many of them do, and GW, with Martha at his side were a main component of starting out on the right foot.
   
   Chadwick assembles all this and more, with enlightening descriptions of life in colonial Virginia.