No comments about Lee Harvey Oswald - Portrait of a Presidential Assassin (Biography).

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 The Clinton Wars.

1. As any reader will discern, Sidney Blumenthal has enormous affection for the Clintons and great regard for the role of the Clinton Administration in American history. That bias does not detract from the fact that Blumenthal's grasp of history and intimate knowledge of the Clinton Administration has yielded an analysis that is must-reading for any serious student of this era in American political life. Blumenthal is a committed Democrat and a Clinton warrior. But he also a supremely gifted thinker, an elegant writer, and tough-minded American patriot.



2. This book contains a lot of good information and is quite well written. It is not objective, however. The author spends most of his time complimenting Clinton and his policies/strategies. It's not quite as bad as being told Reagan's presidency was a time when "Character was King", but it does wear on you after a while.



3. In trying to fairly review this book, as politics has gotten ugly and mean and divided this nation, let's imagine that someone from my favorite island (Tristan da Cunha) sets foot in the USA with no more knowledge of Clinton than he was the leader of the country recently. He wants to know more, so he picks up this book and reads it. Our man from Tristan will be able to tell that Sidney Blumenthal likes and admires Bill Clinton a lot. That's not a knock against Mr. Blumenthal in the least, as other authors have liked and admired their subjects, too - that's why they do a fine job of writing about them, their personal interest shows. But in reading this book, the Tristan man will also learn that Mr. Clinton oversaw continuous economic expansion, more than 22 million jobs created, a home ownership rate increase from 64.0% to 67.5%, the lowest unemployment rate in 30 years, higher incomes at all levels, the largest budget deficit in American history converted to the largest surplus of over $200 billion, the lowest government spending as a percentage of GDP since 1974, higher stock ownership by families than ever before, a 220% increase in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and a 300% increase in the Nasdaq from 1993 to 2001.
   
   Sounds like a heckuva job of improving America to me. So why is Mr. Clinton one of those "50%" people, half love him and half hate him? Mr. Blumenthal lays out a few reasons for the hate that still resounds today, and at base level it's all politics. the hatred and vitrol directed at Mr. Clinton and family is absolutely, positively, moronically senseless. We spent in excess of $70M trying to find something, anything, on a duly elected president, and it all ended up with an impeachment charge that seems as wispy as smoke today as it did in 1998. And it was all over a private matter that, under normal circumstances, would be settled between a husband and wife. The general mood of the country during the 1990s into the 2000s is as if we were one nation before Clinton took office; one group decided that we were two nations after he took office and open warfare on Clinton was continuous; and after he left office we should pretend we're one nation again. The media has their fair share of blame in this sordid trashing of Clinton's presidency, too - our So-Called Liberal Media showed its colors brightly from 1992 to 2001. I didn't agree with all of his policies and still don't, but personal attacks were never part of the disagreement. But beyond the political reason, why do we trash this man who tried to do so much for this country? Calling him names doesn't answer the question of why. Skim away your prejudices, read the book and see if you think that we had some pretty darn good days under President Clinton.
   
   An argument brought up is that at 822 pages, this might have been a couple hundred pages too long. There is a lot of personal information that Mr. Blumenthal includes about himself in here, like growing up and going to school. At first glance, there is the thought that this information is superfluous; on the other hand, given his deep involvment with the subject and the President, The Clinton Wars were also The Blumenthal Wars, fought over the same fronts. It's a long book, but it's worth reading.



4. first, a disclaimer: i actually liked the clinton presidency, even if i didn't care too much for the man himself. and i think hillary was right when she spoke of the "vast right-wing conspiracy," even though i thought she was cracked at the time.
   
   so: all i can say about this book is that blumenthal appears to be assuming the same position monica lewinsky did. this is a book written by a man with an astonishing ability to suppress the gag reflex. he is a clinton worshipper.
   
   imo, this is the book's major failing. blumenthal can see no wrong where his friend and president is concerned; he spends pages upon pages justifying, praising, and illuminating the clinton legacy. i could not read more than a chapter at a time -- a very unusual occurrence for me.
   
   to be fair, the book does an excellent job of setting out the timeline of events that plagued clinton's presidency, as well as connecting the dots between certain right-wing actors and clinton's public approval ratings. some of the anecdotes are amusing; some of the observations are insightful. but that still didn't overcome my desire to wash my hands every time i put the book down.



5. Blumenthal writes passionately about the Clinton presidency as you would expect.
   The first 200 pages or so are comments on the first term where he did not work for Clinton, and I only skimmed through those as it was mostly references to other sources.
   The next 500 pages are much more personal and although nothing new and surprising comes out, Blumenthal still writes a fairly balanced account of the events and shows his brilliant polical and intellectual mind on many occassions.
   An important part of the history writing of the Clinton presidency.

1 comments about Mao Zedong (Life&Times).

1. Mao was a peasant farmer's son who became the ruler of China, fostering revolutionary changes which were to transform the country in one of the greatest experiments in history. His leadership and influence - which lasts into modern times - is told in a biographical sketch packed with politics and insights, and is a 'must' for any student of Chinese history.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

2 comments about My Father Il Duce: A Memoir by Mussolini's Son.

1. Written by Romano Mussolini, the son of infamous Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, My Father: Il Duce: A Memoir of Mussolini's Son contributes to history by shedding new light into aspects of the private life of "Il Duce". A riveting story of a state figure who went to great lengths to keep his private and public lives separate, who openly stated that he chose "Live dangerously" as his life's motto, and of a family that existed in continual danger of assassination, My Father: Il Duce reveals the human and family side of a complex historical figure. Highly recommended.



2. This unique short memoir, a best seller in Italy, is really about a son's blind and unconditional love for his father, even if this father had been a member of the grotesque family of 20th-century fascist monsters who ultimately were responsible for the slaughter of millions. In a penetrating introduction by the Italian political culture authority Alexander Stille, the fond recollections of Mussolini as an attentive and loving father who encouraged his son to pursue music, who always "performed" his family duty toward his wife, and who frequently entertained the kids with fabulous family stories, are put into perspective with citations of the cold historical facts. One has to read this brilliant introduction to really get those facts, as Romano Mussolini fails to deliver any of them. In fact, his recollections are about a more or less normal family life, if that can be said, and about the unfair treatment his father suffered at the hands of an ungrateful public who forgot all he did for them. The allies also aren't presented with any love or affection. There are anecdotes here that are worth reading as well, but in the end, one wonders how Romano could have steered clear of all the blood and gore, cruelty and absurd bravado that his father brought into the world. To me, this is more of a psychological study of one man's delusions and prejudices than a historical document. Nonetheless, it's provocative and well worth the quick read.

No comments about The Nazi Hydra in America: Suppressed History of a Century.

No comments about Gordon Brown: Past, Present and Future.

5 comments about Murdering Mr. Lincoln: A New Detection of the 19th Century's Most Famous Crime.

1. A well written book with a flair for the extreme. The author has taken numerous facts about the assassination and it's particpants and stretched them with assumptions that are conceivable but not proven. A wonderful story, but a disclaimer should be attached allowing readers to understand that some facts have been stretched to offer the story of a dynamic conspiracy, a thrilling hunt and final solution. A great read and it would certainly make a great movie, ala Otto Eisenschiml.



2. The editorial review says it all:
   
   Conspiracy theorists and Civil War buffs may want to take a gander, but overall this book adds little to our understanding of the assassination.



3. Those interested in the politics behind the war will find Higham's work at times fascinating and horrific. The book really brings home what happened apart from the battlefront. As revered as President Lincoln is today, he made some decisions that would make 21st century citizens of a democracy cringe. Alternatively, Lincoln's detractors and political opponents did the same. It seems unfathomable to me now that Lincoln could have been hated by so many, and this book really pierces the veil of the myth surrounding his presidency and the unity of all those in the Union.

   When one really ponders what Lincoln did - suspending the writ of habeas corpus, prosecuting publishers printing unfavorable information, trading with South, etc. - one realizes that Lincoln - just like everyone - is neither complete hero nor complete villain - but a convoluted mix of gray areas.

   But a reflection on Lincoln is not an intended objective of this book. Nor does it foster an argument that Lincoln deserved death. The focus here is the plot to de-throne Lincoln and make peace with the South, hatched by shadowy Confederate sympathizers, fringe Confederate spies, the European aristocracy, and some out-and-out crazies, like the chief villain George Sanders and assassian John Wilkes Booth. This objective is fulfilled in excruciating detail.

   Also deeply disturbing was the revelation of the "Young Americans" Hitler-youth-type organization, the assertion that Stephen Douglas planned for a military coup d'etat over Lincoln, and the whole affair between Confederate exiles conspiring with British/Canadians to incite war with England.

   A fascinating story is marred by the author's continuous barrage of trivial details. He throws so many names, places, and things at the reader that even the most astute Civil War scholar would be overwhelmed.

   The book reads like a novel and while that is good for easy reading, one has to wonder how the author dug up so much granular information 150 years later. The source notes - a paltry half-dozen pages at the end - do nothing to convince me that the author did in fact thoroughly validate the accuracy of his assertions. Personally, while I think the book does contain many facts, I have to consider it more a historical novel, like Gore Vidal's "Lincoln", than a history. "Dark Union", another recent and similar book on Lincoln during the war, is much better annotated.




4. Charles Higham has long seen conspiracy theories under his bed. For most of us, going to bed means counting sheep and drifting off into a restful sleep, but for Higham it must be an entirely different experience. Perhaps his sheep all wear swastika armbands on their legs, baaing in syncopation with goose-stepping spies on their way to conspire with their Hollywood friends. Now, after a long and fruitless career hacking out spy laden fiction about Hollywood's brightest stars, he turns his attention to Abraham Lincoln. The switch from Hollywood figures to political icons is consistent with Higham's long rumored belief that every celebrity was not only a Nazi spy, but a closet homosexual intent on destroying the pillars of democracy. No matter - Higham's book is without merit. This book is no more than a long supposition bracketed by historical gobbledygook and pounds of manure shoveled up from Higham's seemingly endless supply of self-created excrement. Surely, he needs some fiber in his diet, and a backbone to go with it. A soul would help, too. But we need to keep in mind a fundamental truth when considering Charles Higham's long and lucrative career - he has the right to publish what he wants. Freedom is everything, and we need to accept that, even if it means that any deranged fool raised in a leper colony by a homosexual Franciscan monk from Mars can bellow about the conspiracy that occupies his dreams. Yes, they shoot horses and diseased cattle, but not people, and so the diseased are allowed their bellowing. Such people have the strength of their beliefs, and no dialogue from the rest of us will convince them that they are wrong. We should pity them. In any event, it appears obvious that Higham has reached the end of his career. He will still publish, of course, but he is much reviled. His "lack of journalistic integrity" (as historian Tony Thomas so aptly stated) is well known. At best, we should all pray that one day such illnesses are defeated and that one day Charles Higham will finally rest in peace.



5. Charles Higham's research connects various Copperhead merchants to the Confederate Secret Service, but fails to convincingly tie any of them to John Wilkes Booth. The book is worth reading primarily for its exploration of a new angle to Lincoln's assassination: Copperhead commerce with the South, reluctantly approved by Lincoln as necessary to the Union to finance the war, provided a cloak for an assassination conspiracy.

   Mr. Higham almost certainly has several things wrong. He assumes the plot to kidnap Lincoln was always phony and a cover for murder. But why would Booth write in his diary, "...we sought to capture (and changed to murder at the end)"? Why would Arnold and Surratt, years after they were safe from the law, provide details of Booth's planned abduction? It's also a huge stretch to say Surratt traveled 24 hours from Elmira, N.Y. to Washington on April 13-14 and spent only 5 hours in the city, most of which was devoted to getting his hair cut and watching a transvestite show.

   Finally, as with every single historian to have written on the case since 1865, Mr. Higham is willing to assume that Booth entered Lincoln's box without having determined in advance that Parker, the guard, would be absent. This, despite his precise timing of the gunshot to coincide with a laugh line in "Our American Cousin" and with Paine's assault on Seward. Booth acted according to a presumption to which he was not entitled, i.e. Parker would not be guarding Lincoln. He had to have known this.

No comments about To the Vice Presidency (Thomas Jefferson and the New Nation, Vol. 1).

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