No comments about Theodore Roosevelt and World Order: Police Power in International Relations.

2 comments about The Unwritten Order: Hitler's Role in the Final Solution (Revealing History).

1. Peter Longerich's well researched and clearly written study, The Unwritten Order: Hitler's Role in the Final Solution, is a highly readable, scholarly work setting forth the direct evidence of Hitler's pivotal role in the genesis of the Holocaust. Longerich makes clear that Hitler's role was central, despite their being no written order. As head of the German state, because of fear of international repercussions, and due to considerations of German public reaction, Hitler maintained his distance and silence regarding his direct role in the top secret project of the destruction of the European Jews. This has led to postwar controversies about the degree of Hitler's knowledge and approval of the annihilation of the European Jews. The purpose of Longerich's work is to show that, despite stringent efforts and much burning of documents at the end of the war, there is ample evidence to demonstrate conclusively that Hitler was well aware of the Holocaust and that it happened in consequence of his direct wishes.
   Longerich's book is more than a satisfactory introduction to this important subject. But, for those wishing to learn more about Hitler and the Holocaust, several other serious studies should be read: Christopher Browning, The Origins of the Final Solution; Gerald Fleming, Hitler and the Final Solution, Philippe Burrin, Hitler and the Jews, and the relevant chapters of Ian Kershaw's two volume biography of Hitler. These books are all carefully researched and written by competent and renowned professional historians.



2. I bought this book as a follow-up on the David Irving-Deborah Lipstadt trial. Professor Lipstadt listed it, I believe, in the bibliography of her book on that same trial. Longerich was called as a special witness, along with Robert Jan Van Pelt. This book, to me, as a student of the Holocaust, is amazing.
   
   There is NO single document in which Hitler orders the Final Solution. Deniers use that to say that Hitler did not know about the Final Solution and even tried to stop it. Dr. Longerich traces the long, fragmented, documentary route of Hitler's thought on the subject and how the Third Reich functioned to prove beyond a doubt that Hitler did indeed know and was definitely in charge.
   
   This book will clear up any doubt that one might have on the subject. Along with this book, I would recommend to the serious student of Holocaust Studies the following:
   1)The Holocaust on Trial by Guttenplan
   2) History of Trial by Lipstadt
   3) Lying About History by Evans
   All this will give the reader a more complete picture of the responsibility of the Historian to report history in an objective way.

No comments about The Papers of Thomas Jefferson.

5 comments about Harry Truman and Civil Rights: Moral Courage and Political Risks.

1. In reading Gardner's book, I learned a lot about Truman's impressive record as a civil rights advocate during his tenure as president. Gardner presents more than ample evidence to support his thesis that HST demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to Black civil rights, despite weak (white) public interest in this issue and the political risks of alienating a powerful block of Dixiecrats. He is successful in describing the many facets of racism -- rigid segregation, voter intimidation, lynching, all-white juries, etc. -- that African Americans encountered as they returned home after presumably fighting for 'freedom and democracy' in WWII. Truman, he aptly shows, refused to ignore the glaring contradiction between U.S. ideals and practices, and understood that racism on the home front undermined the country's foreign policy goals.
   
   Gardner is, however, so preoccupied with establishing HST as a moral and courageous leader that he tends to neglect elements of Truman's social and political environment that made it possible for him to advance a civil rights agenda and indeed, get elected in 1948 against all the odds. For example, there WAS a legacy of Black resistance to oppression by this time... and not just the nascent stirrings of a civil rights movement to which Gardner alludes. Marvey Garvey had fired the imaginations and aspirations of tens of thousands of Blacks with the organziation of the UNIA. The NAACP was well-established and published The Crisis under the editorship of W.E.B. DuBois. Langston Hughes offered up brilliant poetry and fiction that touched on the sting of Black experience in a racist America. Billie Holiday recorded the haunting song about lynching, "Strange Fruit." And of course, there were liberal Euro-Americans who genuinely believed in racial equality and human rights, just as Truman did. There is no way he could have pulled off his victory in the 1948 election without deep connections to and alliances with moderate and liberal supporters.
   
   Gardner points out that Truman's hands were tied by Republicans and conservative Democrats in Congress when it came to passing civil rights legislation. Instead, the president showed great political savvy by using his Executive Order powers (as he did when he desegregated the armed services) and appointing like-minded friends to the courts. One was Fred Vinson, who became Truman's chief justice and presided over a handful of Supreme Courts cases that laid the groundwork for the Brown vs. Board of Education decision in 1954. Gardner provides a compelling description of these cases in Chapter 11, "Truman and the Vinson Court."
   
   This book does have one major flaw, and a couple reviewers have made reference to it. Gardner repeats himself ad naseum, making the same point over and over in the same chapter and sometimes across chapters. Too much of the time, I felt like I was reading an unedited dissertation. For example, Garder (appropriately) uses quotes from a variety of primary sources, but then, rather than clarifying or elaborating on the points made in the quote, he writes virtually the same thing in a follow-up paragraph. The repetition was VERY annoying, and I found myself barely skimming sections of the book in search of the next substantive point.
   
   Overall, there is certainly enough substance in the book to make it worth reading. Gardner does shed valuable light on Truman's civil rights record. A good editor, however, would have made for a much better reading experience.



2. I bought this book after seeing Mr. Gardner on CNN and I couldn't stop reading it until I was done. As a native Missourian, Gardner eloquently tells the story of a brilliant, humble President who is our Country's little known civil rights hero. Gardner does a masterful job detailing Truman's politically fearless efforts while marvelously weaving in Truman's personal letters, thoughts and life experiences. Gardner captures Truman's political triumphs and personal victories brilliantly. Truman and Gardner's book make me proud to be a Missourian. I highly recommend this book to everyone!



3. Gardner has examined one facet of Harry Truman, probably the most important and significant facet of Truman's time in office, which was his willingness to risk power for a moral imperative - the equality of all Americans. Even though David McCullough talks about it in his book "Truman," HST still has received far too little credit for his role as a major catalyst of the modern civil rights movement, mainly because it didn't "take root" for about ten years after he left office. But this in no way detracts from the significance of Truman's courage, which was demonstrated by his willingness to split the Democratic party and thereby risk the 1948 election for what he felt was something that was not only politically necessary, but, quite simply, morally right (although unpopular). It was HST's Civil Rights Commission and his Executive Order integrating the armed forces that finally gave the US Civil Rights movement the inertia it needed to overcome the gravity of American tradition which was still flourishing in the form of "Jim Crow."

   I was not especially impressed by the writing skills of Gardner. There is far too much repetition, and not enough anecdote...especially about the African American servicemen who were being lynched as they returned from WWII. It was this inconceivable injustice that provided the moral imperative that struck Harry Truman so hard and caused him to take the steps he took. As a result, WWII became THE seminal event in 20th Century US History.




4. A crucial aspect of American history finally told. Truman is an American hero and Gardner captures the courageousness of Truman's civil rights crusade in a compelling fashion. This important story is a must read -- and a fantastic holiday gift!



5. A marvelous book that captures the seldom recognized strength and courage of this civil rights pioneer President. Prof. Gardner eloquently tells of Truman's ground breaking and couragous actions that changed the landscape of civil rights within the United States. Every American should read this book and learn about how Truman's moral convictions guided him and gave him the unwavering strength to take on widespread racist in the US without fear. Truman's story is an inspiration -- from his endearing and solid relationships with his wife and mother, to his passionate speeches before the NAACP and on the Lincoln Memorial steps. Prof. Gardner has truly painted a fabulous portrait of this remarkable President. This book is a must read!

No comments about Jefferson & His Time (History United States).

No comments about Vladimir Putin / Putin's Progress: Lider De La Nueva Rusia / Leader of the New Russia.

2 comments about A White Preacher's Memoir: The Montgomery Bus Boycott.

1. One thing I really enjoyed about reading Rev. Graetz's book was that it showed some of the diversity that was a critical part of the Civil Rights movement without making the case that African-Americans could not do it alone.
   
   Anytime a book is written in this type of context - a minority perspective on an issue - there is a danger of overshadowing the majority's struggle. In this case, Rev. Graetz merely tells of his involvement in what he saw as the right thing to do. Never does he make a huge deal about his own sacrifice, but instead talks about the general struggle. In the fine line between unique-diversification and over-the-top self praise, Rev. Graetz clearly falls on the side of the first.
   
   In addition, the book looks at different congregational backgrounds in the black community coming together for the common cause.
   
   There are many stories to be told about the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and this is one that should be read.



2. Pastor Robert Graetz left seminary with his young family to take a call to Trinity Lutheran Church in Montgomery, Alabama. As a white pastor during the time of the civil rights activity in Montgomery, he writes of his day to day struggle with racial hatred and how it affected his congregation and his family. This book defines the courage it takes to live out Christian justice and mercy and added a dimension to my knowledge of this era I had not yet experienced before I read it. Although I rated it a 9, if someone did not return my copy, I would buy another. It is a must for my library.

5 comments about Vladimir, the Russian Viking.

1. Captivating, well-written and respectful to the topic. Volkoff is an Orthodox Christian and this is a tremendous advantage when describing how Orthodox Christiniaty became the religion of the Russian people. He writes with not a little humour and Volkoff definitely did his research. It reads like a historical novel, but nowhere does the author depart from his sober minded relating of facts. Wish we had more authors like Volkoff.



2. Enjoyed all my books, all were received in good order and nice condition.



3. I love this book, and recommend it to friends frequently as a source of cultural information on Kievan Rus'. That said, I never noticed a 'bias' as other reviewers mentioned, and I'm not even Christian! Rather, I felt the author took a 'conversational tone' with his readers, and a number of comments others may read as 'biased' I read as being delivered as if from the point of view of the personages under discussion. From such a stance, the book becomes as engaging as a work of fiction, made all the more entertaining for its framework of history. Certainly, we cannot blame an author for depicting the excesses or biases of the past. And Volkov deserves praise for the accessability of his work, far more so than other works available regarding Kievan Rus'. In fact, his passages describing what it would be like to ride through 10C Kiev are as vivid as an Oscar-winning film. I highly recommend this book for affictionados of Kievan Rus' AND new-come visitors to the realm of Medieval Russia.



4. As other reviewers have noted, religious overtones predominate the last half of the book. Although one would expect some religious discussion in the biography of a saint, the predominance of the author's religious message in the last half of the book overshadows Vladimir's life during the last 25 - 30 years of his life. For example, very little of the biography deals with his relationship with his wives or children. Once has to refer to the endnotes to find out more about them. Although the author's writing style makes the book very easy to read, the apparent lack of objectivity prevents me from giving this book a higher rating.



5. St. Vladimir, prince of Novgorod at age 12 and the great-grandson of Rurik, is one of the most influential (and most mythologized) figures in Russian history. Warlike and ambitious as well as shrewd and progressive, he spread his rule from the Baltic to the Black Sea and from the Dvina River to the Volga. The Orthodox Church regards him as �Equal to the Apostles' and the author, whose books have received a number of distinguished awards, obviously agrees with that judgment. Based on Russian, Greek, German, Icelandic, and Arabic sources, this first-ever complete biography reads quite well -- if one works around the sometimes obtrusive religious message.

No comments about James Madison - The Sage of Montpelier (Biography).

3 comments about Why Not the Best?: The First Fifty Years.

1. This book is the campaign biography which helped elect Jimmy Carter in 1976. He takes the title from the question Adm. Rickhover asks of all naval cadets, 'in your life was there ever a time in which you did less than the best?' He would follow up the question with "Why not the best?" as a way to focus young men, including James Earl Carter, on striving for exellence. The book outlines in detail what Carter would later refer to as his "sources of strength." This book is a must read for those who feel Jimmy Carter is a model of public service, an outstanding peacemaker, and our best ex-president.



2. I am writing a review simply because the other person's review was so obnoxious and mean-spirited. Carter was the most honest and decent man we have ever had running the country, at least in my lifetime. And he is probably doing a lot more with his life right now than that reviewer ever will. Shame.



3. This is a reprint of the book originally issued before the 1976 presidential campaign, and after all these years, is a very painful reminder of the promise and then the failure of the Carter presidency. In office, Carter proved to be a petty, self-righteous little man who was overwhelmed by the presidency. He was not a leader- he was a bureaucrat. His failures as President caused economic turmoil and international loss of respect for the United States. The book should be read for its irony only.