3 comments about Descent from Glory: Four Generations of the John Adams Family.

1. I read this book in about one week. I found it very well written with logical conclusions and theories based on an extensive primary and secondary source material study, complex yet readable and extremely well researched. This is a book that anyone interested in American history and the complexities of the first 4 generations of the Adams family will appreciate. A masterful undertaking by the author...never boring and highly informative.



2. (...) An insightful and interesting study of four generations of complex and often contradictory personalities. I especially appreciated the author's manner of hinting at future developments and bating the reader to read on and on...in my case, well into the night. His analysis of the Adams' strengths and weaknesses is what sets this book apart so I am perplexed that anyone would describe it as dull and a mere listing of events. But don't take my word for it -- if you have only a few moments to browse through it, check the index for the passage dealing with the death of the tragic first generation daughter, Nabby. The writing is poignant and wrenching. Anything but routine.



3. Four generations of the John Adams family of Quincy are brilliantly covered in this detailed, yet concise, 400 page study. The lives and work of 2 presidents, 3 major diplomats, cabinet officials, and great scholars are outlined within the context of their remarkable history as an American family. This book touches upon the topics of Colonial America through the Revolution and Civil War on into the 20th Century. One can't help but be interested with such personalities as Adamses John, Abigail, John Quincy, Charles Frances, Henry, and Brooks. Their triumph as a family, depite problems financial and personal (alchoholism, depression, etc.), makes for inspirational reading.

No comments about Ronald Reagan in Hollywood: Movies and Politics (Cambridge Studies in the History of Mass Communication).

5 comments about Reagan's America: Innocents at Home.

1. I have read many books by Gary Wills, and this is one of his best. It is an astonishing work of history and cultural analysis, impressive in the breadth of his learning and the depth of his insight. Mr. Wills writes knowledgeably and skillfully about a wealth of topics: the America of Mark Twain ... religious fundamentalism of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries ... the Great Depression ... history of Hollywood, including labor politics ... California politics ... the John Birch Society ... Cold War strategy, nuclear deterrance, and the "Star Wars" defense system ... relations with Latin America, the World Court, and the United Nations ... "supply-side economics," the Laffer Curve, and Reagonomics ... and much, much more, all to create the context in which to understand Reagan's success and his appeal to his constituencies.
   
   Uncritical Reagan enthusiasts will not be happy with the way Wills dissects the contradictions inherent in Reagan the politician, but Wills's analysis is cogent and persuasive. Wills discusses at length the gap between word and deed in Reagan's career. Of Reagan as Governor of California, Wills writes: "Thus, the candidate who had run against big spenders quickly became the governor who asked for and got the highest tax raise in the history of California (or any other state)...." And of Reagan's first term as President, Wills writes: "In 1982, unemployment rose to 10.7 percent, higher than it had been since the Great Depression, along with the greatest number of bank failures since 1940. Record bankruptcies and farm closures were occurring.... He added as much to the national debt in those four years as had been accumulated in our national history to that point, so that one of every seven dollars spent by the government in 1985 went to paying interest on the debt." And Wills spends considerable time critiquing the myths of individualism and self-reliance that underlay the Reagan mystique.
   
   Wills is critical of Reagan, but his assessment is never disrespectful or mean-spirited. Wills works hard to understand Reagan in terms of Reagan's own values and in terms of the values of the Americans that supported him. This is a remarkable study of a man and his times, and is well worth reading.
   
   I was astonished to learn that while in high school, Reagan saved the lives of over seventy-five people while working as a lifeguard.



2. I love reading books about Ronald Reagan, whether they are critical or puff pieces, or whatever. Garry Wills biography of Reagan seems to lean heavily on his own personal opinions. Another problem with "Reagan's America" is that the piece is extremely disjointed, meaning that it does not flow nor tackle many of the serious issues with intense research or critical thinking.
   
   Reagan's Hollywood career is filled with irrelevant information about the importance of chastity symbols. Many of Wills's thoughts are incoherent, psycho-babble and does not even closely mirror the other "balanced" accounts of President Reagan. He does not even deal with many of the lasting changes that Reagan had on America or the Republican Party. Wills has virtually no balanced understanding of the significance or importance of the conservative movement or Reagan Revolution in America. It seems also that the author also has an extreme socialist/liberal biased against capitalism and the free market. Basically the cover picture is the best asset of this book. I am not saying that Wills is not intelligent, but if one is honest with themselves and faithful to responsible scholarship they would surmise pretty quickly this is a very badly researched and biased account regardless of their feelings about Reagan.
   
   I would not recommend this account if one is looking for a fair and accurate account of Ronald Reagan. If that is your interest, where you will not get just a "puff" analysis, take a look at Lou Cannon. Cannon is sometimes harsh but usually fair in his analysis of Reagan. He knows more about Reagan than any journalists and he has done the research. His book the "Role of a Lifetime" is an information treasure.



3. Gary Wills book on Reagan is an even handed portrayal of a great American figure. President Reagan's conservative vision and his strident anti-communist views changed the way America works and changed the way the world looks at us. As a liberal, I often disagreed with his views, his policies and his actions. However, one cannot be an objective viewer of history with giving him his due. He did indeed bring a level of pride and hopefulness about America that had been missing since the early days of the Kennedy presidency. For that, I will be forever grateful to him. Gary Wills book provides a window in to how Ronald Reagan changed from Roosevelt democrat to conservative republican. An excellent book that should belong to anyone's collection of political histories and biographies.



4. Mr. Wills is a smart writer who starts his book off comparing what he believes is Mark Twain's America to that of Ronald Reagan's childhood. Wills, in fact, spends a lot of time on Twain's America. The point of this time spent on Twain is to exposed, according to Wills, the imaginary America of Reagan's childhood with that of America plagued with labor and racial strife. Anyone who has spend time reading Twain's Huck Finn knows that the book is a dark portrait of America life, and is not idyllic at all. Although Wills writes well of this period, he doesn't quite pull the trick off, or explain how the memories of childhood can not be happy ones when the outside world may not be so happy. This is a failure of this book. Wills often acts like a hanging Judge stalking someone he obviously despises, yet grudgingly admires. Marshalling his facts to suit himself, he continually points out what he considers flaws in Reagan's character. In doing so, he leaves the readers with a number of false impressions. The most obvious and blatant impression is that Mr. Reagan never enlisted and never served in the Military during World War.
   
   The reality is that three months after Pearl Harbor, Ronald Reagan received a letter from the War Department telling him to report to Fort Mason in San Francisco. He reported to Col. Philip T. Booker and served first as a liaison officer loading convoys. Because Ronald Reagan had terribly poor eyesight, the Military confined him non-combat roles. Later Col. Booker informed Reagan that he had been transferred to Army Air Force Intelligence in Los Angeles. His commanding officer was Gen. Hap Arnold. There he was assigned to make Army Air Force training films and documentaries, and given the rank of second lieutenant. He eventually wound up as adjutant and personal officer for his unit. One of his jobs was to prepare classified films about the progress of the war to be shown to members of the general staff in Washington. Some of these films included Nazi films about their Death Camps. Reagan was eventually promoted to the rank of Captain. From 1942 to 1947, Reagan made only three films for Hollywood. All were made in 1943. The most famous was This is the Army. Many members of the cast of this movie were members of the Armed Services. Reagan himself is listed in it as Lt. Ronald Reagan. Boxer Joe Louis who is also in the film is listed in the cast as Sgt. Joe Louis. You can find the complete cast list at http://imdb.com/title/tt0036430/fullcredits . There you will find listed, at least, 21 members of the Armed Services with roles in this film. This film was made with the co-operation of the Armed Services. Warner Brothers gave all the profits, estimated to be around $10 million, to the Army Emergency Relief. Stallion Road was the first picture Reagan made after the War.
   
   Thousands of people served the War Effort in War World 2. Not everyone enlisted. Thousands served in the U.S. Merchant Marines. Their service was important to the War Effort, so was that of those men and woman who worked in the factories that manufactured the tools that those fighting the war needed in order to win. Their efforts should not be denigrated because they were not on the front fighting the enemy. Their service was as necessary as anyone's. Not everyone is fit for combat roles. Ronald Reagan was one of those but he did serve and was a proud member of the U.S. Army.

   Why Mr. Wills wants to leave the reader with this provable and false impression one can only guess, but in the name of fairness, one should give someone credit where it is due, and this Mr. Wills fails to do. Another false impression, Mr. Wills leaves the reader with is that Mr. Reagan was not a man of faith. Recently there have been a number of books showing otherwise, as well has Ronald Prescott Reagan's moving tribute to his father's faith at his funeral.

   For these reasons and many, others this is a bad book.




5. Those who criticize Wills for "sloppy work" are off base and clearly have an ax to grind. On the other hand, this book is not a "consummate" piece of work, either. The task of writing a Reagan biography is virtually impossible. Edmund Morris tried to do it and wound up with a botched, absurd, fictionalized mess.

   Wills doesn't pretend that this book is a biography. It's actually an essay in book-length form (41 short chapters, perhaps a botched attempt at writing 40 chapters to match Reagan's status as 40th president) meditating on specific episodes from Reagan's life, particularly his childhood, adolescence, and initial career as sportscaster, movie star, and Screen Actors Guild president, and the relation of Reagan's life and self-image, and his construction of that image, with the perceptions of America, particularly in connection with the mythmaking of Americans -- their propensity to willfully forget the reality of the American past in order to build a version of the past that serves as a comforting and communal illusion in a time of unprecedented chaos and change. Reagan, Wills explains, is the perfect emblem of that illusion: "The power of his appeal is the great joint confession that we cannot live with our real past, that we not only prefer but need a substitute."

   Wills' book is not the hatchet job that some make it out to be. He clearly has a respect for Reagan's story, his communicating magic, and his ability as a public figure to unite the American people behind a common purpose, even if that purpose is largely mythical. Nor is the book the testimony to sainthood that many of Reagan's admirers would want. It is clearly critical of Reagan's forgetfulness, his willingness to simplify, his urge to blur distinctions and to make up details of his own life and of American history out of thin air.

   It is for the most part a balanced book, although it does not, unfortunately, do any justice to the man's time as President, which is the most significant part of Reagan's legacy. The book was published in 1987, but it really ends with the war against Grenada in 1983, saying virtually nothing about Reagan's presidency and life beyond that point other than a very brief mention of the 1984 campaign and several (too many) mentions of the movie "Back to the Future" (at one point Wills confuses the movie's date of release, saying that Reagan mentioned it in his 1982 State of the Union address; the movie was released in 1985). Wills also touches on some events of Reagan's first term, but only sketchily.

   Anyone expecting this to be a thorough treatment of Reagan's presidency will be severely disappointed. However, it has a great deal of value as an exposition of the reasons why Reagan was a success, or was perceived as a success, as a president. Its final two chapters, two essays on the relation of Reagan to America and its relation to him, are breathtaking.

5 comments about Tip O'Neill and the Democratic Century.

1. This book completely and utterly succeeds in its twin goals of documenting Mr. O'Neil's political career and the twentieth century American political history that went with it. O'Neil is a fascinating character, and both his good and bad points are beautifully and dramatically brought out by the author. Although the author is sympathetic towards O'Neil, he is not sainted by this book - his ethics scandals and his 1980 election failures are as carefully yet succinctly documented as his successes, particularly as he basically stood alone against Reagan in the early 1980s. He was a product of his early political/ New Deal life, and the book does a good job of contrasting his stances versus the generations of Democrats and Republicans that he worked with in the 1970s and 1980s. Well worth the time it takes to read the 700 pages, most of which fly by.



2. This is a great read for all interested in the political process and how it works. The Speaker, from my state was one of a last breed of statesmen that one typically cannot see or find in our political dashboard today.



3. John Farrell's biography of Tip O'Neill will stand as the definative book on the legendary Speaker of the House for years to come. The Tip O'Neill that emerges from these pages is a very complex man. Farrell does not needlessly canonize O'Neill or portray him as the caricature that many of his fans and detractors have painted him as. Instead, Farrell let's O'Neill's words and actions speak for themselves - and what a narrative it is!

   The striking thing about Tip O'Neill that comes through in the book is how authentic he was to himself, to others, and to his principles. In one of the Democratic Party's darkest hours - the beginning of the Reagan Revolution - Tip O'Neill stood as the last Democratic titan, one who was willing to take on the slings and arrows of his critics in order to preserve all that he, and his party, worked and stood for. Regardless of your political persuasion, O'Neill's courage and loyalty are worthy of admiration. Unfortunately, they simply don't make leaders like that anymore.

   As a fan of political biogrpahies, I found 'Tip O'Neill and the Democratic Century' to be fair, balanced, highly readable, entertaining, inspiring, and compelling. This book is the best political biography I have read in years and I highly recommend it to all.




4. This book is an excellent resource for all who aspire to be politicians and wish to learn the the way the political process really works in our nation. John Farrell does an excellent job in profiling Tip O'Neill and putting O'Neill's actions and principles in the context of the issues of his day (i.e. the New Deal, the Vietnam War, Watergate and other issues). When doing this, Farrell uses the phrase " it was in this backdrop.... When writing a biography, it is crucial to explain the currrent events that impacted the world of those being profiled. Farrell mastered this principle of biography writing. O'Neill is a fascinating individual to study, i was especially taken back at how prevalent is the belief that machnine politics is always corrupt and the politicians that it produces are inept. This is not true. O'Neill was typecasted as a corrupt machine politician by some, in my view, because of his down to earth personality and some of his political tactics. The Kennedy's also used this "machine" to their advantage but they were never viewed by anyone as machine politicians. Although I am not Irish, there was clearly some anti-Irish prejudice in the attitudes of some who disliked O'Neill.This book gave me a very clear picture of Irish American history and the role politics played in its history. Farrell also touches on the ideological rift in the Democratic party. I highly recommend this book and i hope this review was useful.

   Andres J. Ledesma, New York City




5. This book is illustrative of the best qualities a reporter can bring to book authorship. Jack Farrell spent decades covering politics in Massachusetts and in Washington, so he is uniquely equipped to write a full scale biography of Tip O'Neill. He leaves no aspect of the Speaker's life unexplored. We here about how Tip ran his campaigns, from his first run for office in Boston to his final congressional reelection race. We are told of how he handled issues locally, like constituents receiving their mail (playing into his famous dictum that all politics is local) and nationally, his leadership of the Democratic Party during the Reagan era. Though Farrell clearly has a soft spot for the Speaker, he does not shy away from exposing some of the shadier aspects. For example, he goes into great detail about Tip's gambling, and his less than ethical fundraising practices. The reader really does get the impression that the popular caricature of Tip as the last ward boss was not much of a stretch. It is well worth reading to get an impression of the era of Democratic dominance in American politics, from the New Deal to the end of the 20th century, and to get a fair look at the other side of the Reagan Revolution.

1 comments about Thomas Jefferson's Architectural Drawings.

1. Jefferson's architectural drawings, edited and compiled by a noted architectural historian who taught at the university which Jefferson founded, give the general reader a perfect opportunity to observe Jefferson's talents not just as an architect but as a draftsman and artist. The drawings of the 1st and 2nd Monticello convincingly reveal to a general audience how the design and shape of his beloved home evolved from that of a two-story villa derived from the designs of the famous Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio to the red-bricked, octagonal, and domed three-story Neoclassical building that we see today. The drawings of Jefferson's other architectural masterpieces like the University of Virginia, Virginia State Capitol, and Poplar Forest also show this extraordinary Virginian's knowledge and mastery of the concepts of Classical architecture. This book is a must for all who admire Thomas Jefferson the architect and for all who want to know how he designed and built such beautiful buildings without any professional training as an architect.

No comments about The Papers of George Washington, Revolutionary War series, Volume 17: 15 September 1778 - 31 October 1778 (Papers of George Washington).

No comments about School House to White House: The Education of the Presidents.

3 comments about Sex Lives of the Dictators (Sex Lives).

1. I wouldn't say this book is a stomach-turner. Rather, it reads more like a salacious novel, or some daily celebrity mag... You read it and think to yourself - could that REALLY be true? It seems so gossipy in some spots you wonder. But, it is an interesting read. The parts on Mussolini and Napoleon do read very well, the parts on Hitler and Mao a bit over the top. Some of the inferences - like all of the Nazi elite being gay - seems too much for me. Plus, I've read quite a few biographies on the individuals in this book, and some of the stuff in here is news to me - which makes me question how authentic it is.
   
   Not a bad book, and a super fast read. I won't buy any other books in the series, though. If you want to know about the sex lives of these people, I'd recommend just picking up an in-depth biography. These short blurbs on each dictator read more like sexy book reports in comparison.



2. Although I do not have a weak stomach, this book is one of the most disgusting books I have ever read. Especially the chapters on Mao Tse-tung and Hitler are repellent. The chapter on Mussolini is the only one that has some "funny" passages. Il Duce "rarely bothered with a bed, preferring to do it on the floor or against the edge of his desk. The act was perfunctory. He would not bother to take off his trousers or his shoes. The whole thing would be over in a minute or two." The book starts with Napoleon and ends with Saddam `Abu Ali' Hussein.

   In stead of this book, I would recommend Cawthorne's "Sex Lives of the Kings and Queens of England". Compared with the dictators, those Kings were decent men!




3. Did you ever picture Hitler as a great lover? Think of napoleon has someone women swooned over? Imagine Castro as a playboy? Well then you might want to take the time and read Nigel Cawthorne's Sex Lives of the Great Dictators.

   Take a look at what men of power did to make women come at their beckon call. See how the powerful and ruthless tyrants controlled the fairer sex. Read about the exploits of those who ruled with an iron fist, but in private were all together different.

   Men like Saddam Hussein, Marcos, Castro, Idi Amin, Napoleon, Lenin and others are all included in a tantalizing, alluring and yet some how romantic set of stories. Cawthorne continues his success of Sex lives books with this installment.

   Trafalgar Square Book's website is a wonderful collection of this and so many other books. It is easy to navigate and you'll be sure to find something to appeal to your taste. This book, like other in the series, is priced to fit most budgets and overall this would make a good gift.

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

5 comments about Putin's Russia: Life in a Failing Democracy.

1. A very skeptical book from a stark and well-known Kremlin's opponent, journalist and human rights activist, whose assassination did not come as a surprise. Reveals a lot about the darker side of Putin's regime, although sometimes becomes too skeptical and probably even biased.



2. Politkovskaya's book is important in the sense as it gives a voice to people that is not heard in other books about contemporary Russia. Especially the chapter "Tanya, Misha, Lena and Rinat - Where are they now?" where she looks up people that she used to know in the 70s, gives a remarkable description of personalities that anyone that gets to know Russian's personally will be able to recognize.
   
   A weekness of this approach is that it is difficult to recognize and appreciate theese personality-types without personally knowing ehough Russians to see what she is talking about. Unless you know Russians personaly it will also be difficult to experience and take in, how many simply will refuse to read, know and take in her story either becuase it is something they have decided to act as if theese things never happened - focusing on this is negative, or simply because they are very emotionally difficult to discuss. This attitude and feelings among ordinary Russians is in my view farmore important than the authorities attitudes towards her writing.
   
   I agree with the other reviews that claim her writing is very emotional. This is a problem because it makes me suspicious of her writing, even when what she tells is probably compleately true. By being less emtional she would undoubtful come through as more trustworthy, that is especially important because we to a large degree only have her side of the stroy to hold on to. Though considerably more moderate than Litvinenko and Felshtinsky's "Blowing up Russia", I find myself having some of the same mixed emotions about some of the consparicy-like claims that come up in the book, where we only have whether we belive the author or not to hold on to. Though experience have learned me that few seemingly over-the-top fantastic rumours can be ruled out when it comes to Russian politics, I am still laved with mixed emotions.
   
   Her personal aproach also leave the basic, structural facts that is important to understand contemporary Russia in the background. Gaidar has used the relevant comparison of Russia in the 90s with the last similary desperate economic situation in Germany in the 30s. About 15 years after the democrasy was established in Germany, Hitler came to power under similar economic conditions. Who ever Putin is, he is like a boy-scout in that perspective. Politkovaskaya fails to give the political and economical understanding to put things into perspective. As another review states, you will not find what progresses Russia has made under Putin in this book. It is not that critical though, as long one can get that perspective from other books. Polikovskaya gives an understanding of the people acting under this cicumstantions that I have seen no other books on contemporary Russia.
   
   Especially Politkovskaya have written other books and articles on Chechnya, I think Chechnya has got too much coverage in the book, compared to other topics. It might be that she should have chosen a different title, instead of writing relatively less about Chechnya though. It is nothing wrong woth writing many books about Chechnya, it is just that the topic "Putin's Russia" is considerably broader than that.
   
   Another review claims you can not find Politkovskayas books in Russia. I can confirm that I have found them in English in ordinary book-stores and Russian friends confirms they have fond them too.
   
   Do read this book. Make sure you fill out the picture with other books on the Putin era and the political and economical development in Post-USSR Russia though.



3. Having read only a portion of the book i can only express mild shock due to the fact that power corrupts and absolute power absolutly corrupts.Mr Putin has much to ansewr for,whether he does will remain to be seen.
   Anna Politcovskaya has to be admired for her courage,in the face of intimidation and death threats. To fearlessly pursue the truth and seek to expose a corrupt regime,provides us in the west with a most worthy example as long as we dont hold too dearly our life or reputation.This is very much like America with George and his cronies re:911 and New Zealand which is similar in that Mz Clark has a small group of people around her who are changing the social landscape of the country to fit their idea of a modern,all inclusive society, and blatently ignoring the express wishes of the people.May she enjoy her imminent retirement.A country or corporation,business will only grow and prosper according to the wishes,goals and desires of its leaders,be they people of integrity or corrupted by the privilege of power.



4. I had seen a piece on tv about Anna and the plight of journalism in Russia, so decided I had to learn more. I could not put this book down. Her courage in face of insurmountable danger for journalists during the Putin regime should humble any American journalist. I am saddened by the fact that she along with many other Russian journalists, ended up a victim of the very regime she wrote so bravely about.
   
   I was also a bit taken back by some of the Putin regime activities that we could corrolate to recent political events in the U.S.
   
   I think this book should be required reading in any/all high school and college journalism and political science classes.



5. A must read for all those contemplating on working, investing, living, or visiting Russia and before more authoritarian restrictions are implemented (or should I say the "New Soviet Russia" is completed?).
   
   Ana Politkovskaya's book is a fast read, but the truthful descriptions may be shocking to some. For me, it brought back dark memories from my years working and living there. There is so much increadible [underlined] poverty outside the major cities (e.g., Moscow, St. Petersburg, etc.) and so much more she could have continued writing about... unfortunately, because there is no real free press anymore (& as far as I know, her books have never been published or sold in Russia) the majority of Russian citizens are misinformed and uninformed.
   
   On the other hand, Russia is a vast and beautiful country and it's people (the "real" people) amiable, warm, and very hospitable (once they get to know you). The citizens want so much more for their country, but are afraid to make concrete changes in a unified manner, may not know how to move forward due to conditioning and oppression from the old and new regimes, or are terrified of reprisals. Thus, the current leadership is dismantling Russia's constitution, eliminating the opportunity for real democracy, and is building a "New Iron Curtain" behind the old one.
   
   Again, a must read!