5 comments about Lincoln's War: The Untold Story of America's Greatest President as Commander in Chief.

1. Written in a clean, clear style, Lincoln's War describes Abraham Lincoln from the perspective of Commander in Chief. Although most of the "big story" has been told numerous times, Perret keeps his narrative interesting by peppering his recounting with numerous factoids and quotes that I had never encountered previously. (After reading other Amazon reviews, I now question them.)
   
   Perret portrays Lincoln as someone who grew in office until he became an effective commander in chief. Lincoln did gain military knowledge and confidence as the war progressed, but the political skills that he brought to the office of the presidency gave him the wherewithal to be not just a good war president, but to be an exceptional civil war president. More than other wars, a civil war is a political conflict and with the capitol surrounded and embedded with Confederate sympathizers, it took great skill to hold things together until the generals could prosecute the war.
   
   I also found the Table of Contents to be expertly compiled. Whenever I wanted to look ahead or behind, I was able to quickly find the material I was looking for.
   
   The Shut Mouth Society
   The Shopkeeper



2. Historian and author Geoffrey Perret has succeeded in writing yet another brilliant book!
   
   This work brings together one of my favorite military historians and my favorite President. Perret can always be counted on to write great history. His works are always well written, researched and compelling.
   
   In "Lincoln's War" Perret shows how Lincoln seized war powers, reserved for Congress by the Constituation, and made them his own. By the end of the war, the President evolved into an effective Commander and Chief who controlled all aspects of national strategy - political, economic, military and even informational - in his hands. The President was driven, as no other American politician was, to first preserve the Union and then to abolish Slavery throughout the United States.
   
   Lincoln succeeded in both, due mostly to his talents as Commander and Chief and the backing of the Union Army. As a result, the modern Presidency owes its war powers to Abraham Lincoln.
   
   This is truly a great read!



3. Despite some of the previous reviews. My husband is thoroughly enjoying this book. He is a Civil War buff and says that this book is tying together much of what he has read in the past regarding the Civil War.



4. I found this a very moving account of Lincoln's presidency which focused
   on his wartime decisions and his relationships with his cabinet, generals, soldiers in the field, and more. For a longtime reader of books on Lincoln and the Civil War it brought several new insights and anecdotes. The author obviously did a great amount of research into correspondence of the time, newspapers, diaries, etc. He is obviously well read in his subject because he doesn't repeat the accounts offered so often in other works.
   
   I don't understand the many uncharitable reviews here of this book, and the poor rating. It sounds like part professional jealousy from other historians, part just plain churlishness. It may be that the title has attracted statistical students of troop movements, constitutional law analysts, who may well find some factual mistakes. Certainly there are NOT errors on every page, poor man!
   
   A very astute, even astonishing work from a learned writer (who sent me quite often to my dictionary) who has not forgotten how to feel.



5. Geoffrey Perret's _Lincoln's War: The Untold Story of America's Greatest President as Commander in Chief_ tells the story of Lincoln's presidency in a readable, entertaining style. As a prelude to Lincoln's presidency, the early chapters describe Lincoln's formative experiences first as a volunteer soldier during the Black Hawk War, then as a successful country lawyer, and finally as a Illinois Congressman. Establishing this background, the biography develops the following thesis: Lincoln's presidency defined our understanding of the scope of the modern executive branch, extending executive power and, to some extent, inventing the role of Commander in Chief in order to defeat the South's insurrection.
   
   Perret portrays Lincoln's humanity and, in particular, his deep affection for the Union soldiers, who looked upon him with reverence even during the most troubled days in the Civil War. Perret also focuses on Lincoln's day-to-day involvement with the military campaign itself, including battlefield visits when Lincoln placed his own safety in risk. Lincoln's studious, perspicacious interest in the new technologies of warfare is a major theme. Perret argues, for example, that Lincoln's personal requisition of multi-loading carbines for a sharp-shooter brigade may have saved Washington, DC, at Fort Matthews, during a Confederate assault in the middle of the war. Throughout the book, Perret chronicles Lincoln's vexations with the commanding generals in the Army of the Potomac prior to Ullyses Grant's accession.
   
   While concentrating on these themes, Perret conveys a sense of the desperation that Lincoln felt during the war and the precariousness of the Union's preservation, especially in the early years. Far from idealizing Lincoln, as the title of Perret's biography might suggest, we see his flaws as well, which make him an ever more impressive historical figure. For instance, Winfield Scott, the aging Commander of U.S. forces at the outset of the war, argued for a strategy of slowly dividing the Confederacy--cutting off supply and communication lines--rather than the quick capture of Richmond. Scott's plan was, in fact, how the Confederacy was ultimately defeated despite the fact that much of Lincoln's attention, from 1861 onward, remained on the Northern Virginia campaign and rapidly seizing Richmond.
   
   A number of reviewers have pointed out the historical inaccuracies in this account and allude to James McPherson's critical review of the biography. I can imagine how for a reader with a detailed knowledge of the Civil War these errors could be quite distracting and/or exasperating. Because I am not an expert on the Civil War or the specifics of military history, much of the book refreshed my memory of the U.S. history that I learned in high school. This was quite enjoyable. My own belief is that a general reader, like myself, still can profit from this book, despite its faults, and likely will not be seriously mislead about the broad historical picture.

1 comments about Essential Theodore Roosevelt (Library of Freedom).

1. "The Essential Theodore Roosevelt" brings together twenty-four of TR's most significant writings and speeches. The selections give the reader a valuable insight into TR's nature writings and policy positions. His words on hyphenated Americans, trusts, Cuban, Panamanian and Philippine policies, organized labor, stay at home moms, conservation, muckrakers, lynchings and a host of other issues are all laid out in this book. Of particular interest are his speeches at Osawatomie, Kansas and to the National Convention of the Progressive Party, which lay out his vision of the Progressive Party. The speech he gave after being shot commands summons the scene to the reader's mind's eye.
   
   As followers of my [...] reviews are aware, I have read extensively on Theodore Roosevelt. This book is an essential part of any study of TR. Other writers give their impressions of TR. This one presents TR as he presented himself to the public.

3 comments about Presidents Birthplaces, Homes and Burial Sites.

1. Much to my delight, Rachel Kochmann likes to travel, and with her husband Clancy, crisscrossed the country over 40,000 miles to collect this material. If you appreciate presidential history, you are guaranteed to love this book.
   Make sure to purchase the Seventeenth Edition, which was printed in 2003, and includes our 43rd president.
   As an added bonus, nine pages are devoted to Confederate President Jefferson Davis (term: 2-18-1861 / 4-9-1865).
   Most presidents are given three or more pages, except for the last three, which have two apiece.

   Each fact sheet includes when applicable:
   Term dates
   Party affiliation
   Birth and zodiac sign
   Ancestry
   Pertinent dates for father, mother, siblings, wife, and children.
   Education
   Religion
   Occupation before presidency and pre-presidential offices
   Military service
   Candidates for the presidential election and how many electoral votes they each received.
   Age at inauguration
   Administration
   Occupation after presidency
   Death and who was the president in office at the time of death
   Cause of death
   Place of burial
   An excerpt from the Inaugural Address or other important speech..
   There is a very brief biography, description of the photos (birthplace, adult residence, burial site, markers, etc.) and outline maps of states that show where the birth and burial places are located, as well as the actual street address when possible.

   The black and white snapshots are captivating, even if sometimes a little fuzzy. There is something very personal about them, as if one were looking through a family photo album. Add to this the wealth of information about the sites, and the men behind them, and you have a marvelous book for history buffs. The paper is quite nice, with a matte finish and readable print. In the "about the author" piece, it says Rachel hopes "readers find as much enjoyment in these pages as she did in putting them together", to which I say "yes !".




2. The Kochmann guide to Presidential sites is an invaluable aid to anyone interested in exploring American history by visiting the homes, libraries and birthplaces of our Presidents. We have found the information to be extraordinarily accurate and essential to locating these fascinating historical locations. The photographs are excellent and the historical information is relevant and informative.



3. Ms. Kochmann's book is helpful for persons looking up Presidential sites. This book provides addresses of and directions to many of the sites associated with the Presidents. Also included are numerous black and white photos of the various homes and grave sites. Information is provided concerning the history of the homes and memorials. This book also notes which homes are open to the public and which are private. So this book is a great guide for those who travel to these sites.

No comments about Ho Chi Minh: The Missing Years 1919 - 1941.

4 comments about Tony Blair: Prime Minister.

1. Well five years after publication we find the subject of this book in serious political trouble with members of his own party asking for a date for his resignation. Nobody in the UK believes what he says any longer and his chancellor is waiting in the wings to take over. One star and forget it.



2. John Rentoul's biography of Tony Blair is a must read for those who want to understand him. The book is scholarly enough to use as a text in comparative politics. It also gives enough character development to understand who Blair is, how he was developed as a man and what Britain's youngest Prime Minister in the 20th century is like.
   
   The text certainly gives a clear view of "The Third Way" philosophy of Blair's tenure which eschews unfettered capitalism and old labor socialism. Rentoul also illuminates Blair's Christian moral beliefs without ignoring the character of a young rock musician.
   
   It is the best biography yet of Britain's most dynamic leader.



3. On 4-th of july 1964,Tony was woken by his mother in the morning and as soon as he heard the first words coming out from his mother - he knew that something wasn't right and he was right
   about that.
   Tony's father had a stroke and it wasn't sure whether he's gonna make it or not.
   This day was the day when Tony's childhood ended,a day when his political ambition began, a life which taught him the value of the family and real friends who walked with his family in the worst moments of their lives.

   Tony,a child of strict parents about manners :
   Was always polite,kind,helpful towards other people and he enjoyed the attention so much so when he is only 16 years old he formed a group named The Pseuds - to act.

   Soon, as a 'gifted guitarist' he starts meeting people of the same interest and talked about getting into the music world.
   He loved The Rolling Stones and they were going to be the next Led Zeppelin or Free (Tony's most favorite bands).
   So...the band "Ugly Rumours" is formed and THE LEAD SINGER-with
   a fantastic voice is someone such as : the future prime minister of Great Britain - TONY BLAIR.

   ...John Rentoul's biography of Tony Blair-(was made to read easy as novel, even though it was Tony's life to make that possible). It is a well-researched book and tells just about everything you'd want to know about Tony Blair.




4. With the advent of what may become the second Gulf War, Tony Blair-Prime Minister is a comprehensive biography of the leader of America's closest ally. Prime Minister Tony Blair is an unlikely choice to be the foreign leader closest to President George W. Bush. British Journalist, John Rentoul has written about the rise and times of Tony Blair from his roots in a middle class British family to that of a rising socialist politician who became leader of the "New" Labor Party and Prime Minister of Great Britian.

   Rentoul traces Blair's family and their political leanings. Blair's father Leo Blair was born to a pair of actors and given to a James and Mary Blair in Glasgow. Leo Blair as a teenager was a member of the Scottish Young Communist League and had ambitions to become a Communist Member of Parliment. However, after service in World War II as a member of the Royal Signal Corps, Leo Blair underwent a political conversion. Upon leaving the military he became a member of the Conservative Party. Leo Blair married Blair's mother Hazel from a strongly Protestant family from County Donegal while working at the Ministry of National Insurance in Glasgow. Leo Blair studied law eventually becoming a lecturer in Administrative Law at the University of Adelaide in Australia and eventually the University of Durham in Durham. Leo Blair eventually became a practicing barrister and active in the local Conservative Party.
   Tony Blair was the second of three children. He is described as being the child most like his father Leo.

   In the opening chapter of the book it states "Tony Blair's political ambition began at age of eleven, when his father Leo's ended, on 4 July 1964. At the age of forty, at the height of his political powers and looking for a Conservative parlimentary seat, Leo Blair had a stroke."

   However, the book indicates that many of Blair's acquaintances during his school and law school years were suprised when he decided to become active in politics. Blair was not a member of any political clubs while in school or in-between. Blair had been a singer and manager of a rock n roll band "The Ugly Rumors", had long hair and a van. Unlike his American political counter parts, he never experimented with drugs, smoked marijuana or was seen drunk. In response to the question of whether he ever smoked marijuana, he said no, but if he had "he would have inhaled" in a jab at his friend President Bill Clinton.
   One of the suprising discoveries found in the book about Tony Blair is his Christian Socialism. Unlike many American politicians not much mention has been made of the fact he has been a confirmed Christian since his Oxford days. Moreover, he is the only British Prime Minister since Gladstone known to regularly read the Bible.
   Tony Blair and his wife Cherie Blair are as political a couple as the Clintons. Both have worked in local politics and both have run for seats in Parliment. When Blair ran his first successful race for his current seat from the Sedgefield Riding, Cherie was seeking a seat in a "marginal" Labor district or riding. However, after Blair won his first election, Cherie decided to forego elective office as one politician was enough in the family. Since Blair's election in Parliment in 1983, the Blairs have had three children and Cherie has continued her career as a successful barrister.
   Over half the book covers Blair's career as leader of the Labor Party and Prime Minister. When he became Prime Minister at age 42, only tweleve years in Parliment, he became the youngest Prime Minister since Lord Liverpool who became Prime Minister in 1812.
   The book is well documented with footnotes after every chapter. Because of its "scholarliness" it may tend to drag at times in the chapters which deal with his years as Prime Minister from May 2, 1997 through the time the book was written in January 2001. As such it chronicles in detail Tony Blair's first term.
   In it, the achievements of the first term include the Balkans, Northern Ireland,as well as helping provide a better standard of living for all of Britian.
   Blair is described as a "hands-on" Prime Minister, informal but energized and possibly hyper-working on the phone from planes, on vacation and on the weekend.
   With as much detail provided of all aspects of Blair's life, TONY BLAIR-Prime Minister gives the reader and the world great insight into Blair's actions now in his second term as Prime Minister.

1 comments about Citizen of the World: The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Volume One: 1919-1968.

1. John English has written a detailed and fascinating biography of Pierre Elliot Trudeau, the most remarkable Canadian of the 20th century. English was granted access to Trudeau's huge personal archives and is thus able to produce a rich and detailed study of this fascinating man. English's account of Trudeau's evolution from a conservative Quebec nationalist to a
   very liberal Canadian federalist is the most important contribution of this impressive book. As an American who admires Trudeau, this book is a god-send!

No comments about Major McKinley: William McKinley & the Civil War.

No comments about Abraham Lincoln (Pocket Biographies).

2 comments about FDR: Into the Storm 1937-1940.

1. Davis has completed five books of his proposed six book effort to write the definitive biography of Franklin Roosevelt. This book is superbly researched and factual, but it isn't as interesting as his previous books on FDR. Davis bogs down in trivial and irritating detail, which is peculiar, since the years 1937-1940 are among the most engrossing of Roosevelt's life. Davis is best when he examines FDR's behind the scenes preparation for war against Hitler and his deft maneuvering with the incoming Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. Less is written about his relationship with Neville Chamberlain, the hapless P.M. who preceded Churchill.

   Davis is weaker on forging memorable portraits of the intimate personal relationships in FDR's life. There is a singular lack of understanding of Eleanor Roosevelt in this volume, nor is there much said about Roosevelt's children, his secretary Missy LeHand or other pivotal members of the FDR milieu. Davis does explore in interesting depth the effect of Howe's death upon FDR.

   Roosevelt was a mercurial and difficult to understand character. His charismatic public facade masked some inner demons and foibles, which Davis painstakingly illuminates. This is an interesting, though ultimately, flawed effort.




2. I have read Davis' entire four volume set on FDR and found this volume excellent on detail, but somewhat biased in favor of FDR and his war-time policies. Davis has a novelistic flair to his writing that can make what might be a dry subject quite interesting and exciting. I understand there will be a fifth volume from Davis in this series. If anyone can provide more detail as to the status of this volume I would be greatful.

1 comments about Bill Clinton: The Inside Story.

1. If Levin's book in 1992 can be categorized as mystery marketing, it may have little relevance in the aftermath of the Clinton administration, and his Presidency.
   
   If however, it can be categorized as real revelation, it puts the entire Clinton administration history under decidedly different criteria with regard to what the people knew, and when they knew it, a twist upon the 1992 public election.
   
   It may also have relevance to the 2008 election given the fact that his wife's history is covered with some measure of candid approach, along with her 1992 commencement speech to her alma mater, Wellesley College, which for all practical purposes, should carry weight in how she is perceived as a candidate for 2008, at least among women.
   
   It's improbable that anyone could be as good as Clinton was cast in his upbringing, and earlier political years, in what people actually care about. It's also improbable that Hillary could be as bad as she is currently cast in what people care about, given the insight of early pre-1992 election revelation.
   
   The most interesting thing about the book is that it reveals how further entrenched America is in the complaints of why Clinton ran for office in the first place, and how fully America has erased whatever progress he made to backslide through another Bush administration - to nearly the same conditions that were then made a focus of his economic policy, and desire to change America.
   
   For any astute reader, America is essentially back to square one, perhaps as the result of having another Bush in office, a revovling door interrupted by the "good Clinton years" by today's standards.
   
   In making such an assessment, it behooves America to evaluate how far we've come, or not, in having wiped away that progress he spoke of then, and for all practical purposes, a repetition would not be unwelcome, given the circumstances, whether by him or by his wife.
   
   It also identifies whether America, itself, really "got it," when the book was published as to what they were reading, and why public scrutiny was minimized to later erupt as a spectacular "departure" from what they thought they were getting, in the near universal criticism of his later conduct that brought impeachment. In view of such relevations, it might be very possible that the stalking of Clinton was, in fact, a part of the Republican conspiracy that has been conjectured.
   
   Since its insight depends much upon the accuracy of the author, and the candid exposure by his friends, teachers, etc., it may well be just as relevant today, as it was in 1992 - but do people actually read these revelations or take them seriously? Apparently, not. Having just been made aware of it from one of the many other books written about him, the insight is long overdue, but may well still be relevant to his success, and may be relevant to her success. A review for those who have read it might be an important task in judging her outcome, as it was for his outcome - assuming people actually care about the Presidency.