5 comments about Grant and Twain: The Story of a Friendship That Changed America.

1. This book is a perfect introduction for beginning history buffs. It's simple and written for the average lay-person who may not know much about Twain or Grant (that would be me, by the way). It is a quick read and thoroughly enjoyable. My dad warned me that it would be a dry reading but I found it pleasurable.
   
   I don't know that much about U.S. Grant and Mark Twain, or also known as Samuel Clemens. I have read "Tom Sawyer" and "Huckleberry Finn" (but will admit that I read them as a kid and didn't understand all the nuances that Twain was referring to in this book, but plan to re-read them again sometime soon as an adult to see what I missed as a kid). But I know next to nothing about Ulysses Grant. All I know of him is that he was a great general and was one of the U.S. Presidents. And this book, written more about him and his last days, is absolutely fascinating in that regards. I was almost tempted to buy his memoirs when I was at Barnes & Noble yesterday. (I think my dad has the book already.)
   
   However, like a lot of the reviewers in here, I find the subtitle of this book a bit misleading. I kept waiting to hear more about this deep friendship between the two men and waited in vain. Yes, they were good friends, but there were little mentioned about their friendship. This book was more about their two life-stories between two different men who were born a decade a part. Their life-stories run parallel to one another and Twain met Grant close to the end of Grant's life-time.
   
   This is just a fascinating read on two men who shaped US history, one through war and one through his penmanship. Both have strong convictions and both seem to be men of interest.
   
   Like I said, this is perfect for the beginning history buff. If you're a history buff, this book is a little gem for the library as well.
   
   3/19/08



2. I decided to read Mark Perry's treatment of "Grant and Twain" for several reasons: First, I loved Perry's duo-bio of Marshall and Eisenhower; Second, I had read individual biographies of Ulysses S. Grant and Samuel L. Clemens a.k.a. Mark Twain already, having been intrigued by both men and their roles in the Civil War and Gilded Age eras of America. (Think of the old television series "Wild Wild West!" with anachronistic secret agent James West and side kick Artemis Gordon traveling around the growing country by that behemoth of high tech, The Railroad System, at the commission of President Grant himself, dealing with criminal arch genius villains and their Jules Verne-esque technologies in the middle of carpetbaggers and con men and normal everyday people trying to make an honest even moral life in it all).
   
   And so I did read "Grant and Twain" and I am glad I did and I find myself wanting to review it not just to share it but to draw out the uncomfortable and til now not quite articulated thoughts I had on Grant and Twain in my earlier readings of the details of their lives.
   
   And I DO recommend it and give it five stars. I give it five stars for a) Perry's lovely method and focus of comparing two famous men side by side for new perspectives, b) His revealing a, to me, hitherto unknown connection between the two men, c) His focus on the 15 or so months where Grant wrote his famous Memoirs (which I am now, finally, going to read) and Twain facilitated him, and d) Early hints in this Perry work of some themes about war and democracies more fully realized in the Marshall and Eisenhower work.
   
   The "dissonance" I allude to in the title of this review is that, while Grant and Twain are FAMOUS, their lives were full of downs and ups and arguably each died in unhappy circumstances. Grant died of cancer, using the writing of his memoirs to energize himself to see it through to the end as his last campaign, though incidentally creating what Perry characterizes as the United States' greatest work of nonfiction. Grant wrote his memoirs partly as a result of having been misled by a business partner and having to pay off debts to retain Grant's sense of dignity and honor. Oh yes, and Grant's eight years at president were a bit marred by constant financial scandals of government officials he'd naively trusted to be honorable in the positions he'd given them.
   
   Twain died of old age basically, but was embittered at the end of his life at the deaths of his wife and oldest daughter, and disgusted with the reliable dishonesty and exploitation and hypocrisy of men. And oh yes, near bankrupt from inept business dealings as well.
   
   So when I first read the bios of these two great men it bothered me... was dying in pain and embitterment a worthy end for great men like these? For heaven's sake what could the rest of us aspire to? Life is so complicated when there is not a 'lived happily ever after' ending to biographies like these.
   
   I could barely stand to re-read the "sad bad bits" in the stories of both men... skimming along quickly at times to the interesting action bits such as the when Grant decides to write his memoirs and who to have publish them; the point where Twain finds the inspiration needed to complete the story of Huckleberry Finn (quietly dedicated to General Grant at the very front, according to Perry's convincing analysis, who characterizes Huck Finn as the United States' greatest work of fiction).
   
   And yet having completed Perry's book, I have became satisfied and at peace with the mixed happinesses of the lives of both these great men. The Gilded Age was a time after the Civil War where the pursuit of the dollar became rampant. "The Rise of Silas Lapham" was published in this era by Twain's good friend William Dean Howells. Twain lived next door to Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of "Uncle Tom's Cabin". The thrashing of the United States about attitudes to slavery and commerce continued to dominate this century.
   
   And yet in all this dissonance death and discord... two great men married, raised families, pursued careers, pursued concepts of professional honor and dignity, faced literal and figurative life and death often and unpredictably, and at the end, died. They "won" because they became "famous" and they became famous because their names became household words. But are they to be emulated for having become famous? Are they to be emulated for the clarity and brilliance, the insights of their most famous literary works? Are they to be emulated for the example they set of sheer persistence if not bravado making a life with what they were given. As all of us are challenged to do?
   
   Well done Grant!; well done Twain!; and well done Perry!



3. Mark Perry's GRANT AND TWAIN: THE STORY OF A FRIENDSHIP THAT CHANGED AMERICA is one of those books where the old adage, "never judge a book by looking at its cover," comes to mind. However, never judge a book by reading its title may be a better term. The subject matter of U.S. Grant and Mark Twain is quite interesting, and Perry parallels Grant and Twain's lives. Unfortunately, Perry does not show how the two men grew closer as friends during Grant's last few months of life in 1885. The entire aspect of the book concentrates on Grant's life and death experiences while completing his memoirs, and how Twain completes his most famous, THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN. Possibly, this book is a tie into the story behind Twain's opening passage to Huck Finn (The book's premise almost resembles the Citizen Kane story, and how the movie revolves around the mystery behind Rosebud).
   
   Perry attempts to elaborate on the lives of these two monumental figures in American history. Perry offers a short biography of the two men, and Perry credits personal accounts from family and friends as to the friendship between the two men. However, the story revolving around Twain and Grant's friendship never quite meet in this book. There is a sense of disconnect in Perry's attempt to cite how their friendship changed America; the stories are separate from one another, and their is not one inkling of emotion on how one felt about the other. The narrative dwells on Twain helping Grant publish his memoirs.
   
   As a recommendation for reading about U.S. Grant or Mark Twain, GRANT AND TWAIN: THE STORY OF A FRIENDSHIP THAT CHANGED AMERICA, should be read after reading Grant's memoirs and Huckleberry Finn.



4. Mark Perry's "Grant and Twain" may well be the only work in which the personality of Mark Twain plays second fiddle to another. Whereas Twain was a giant of literature, Grant was a giant of humanity and this book offers plenty of evidence in that regard.
   
   U.S. Grant was such a mass of contradiction. He was a soldier with a distaste for war, yet he possessed little fear in battle and deployed his forces with vicious ferocity. He was a man of great ethical conviction, yet as president he headed one of the more corrupt administrations in our history. With a clarity no doubt inspired by Grant's writings, Perry explores those contradictions and how they made his relationship with Twain noteworthy.
   
   A lesser historian might have just focused on Grant's final year of life, and how he approached his final illness with dignity and stoicism. But Perry finds deeper meaning in the ways that the mutual admiration between Grant and Twain came to influence them both.
   
   Twain's effort to finish Huckleberry Finn dovetailed nicely with Grant's reluctance to write his memoirs. Grant's perspective on the South helped Twain flesh out some of the nuances within his work. The novel had stalled in the writing process and in fact had been shelved by Twain as having no promise. Meanwhile, Twain moved from basically looking for a publishing coup (that of winning the rights to Grant's memoirs) to a more nurturing role as writing mentor to the General. Twain's numerous business failures were legion, but Grant's writings were a notable exception. Perhaps that was due to the respect that Twain held for Grant prior to their association, or more a reflection of the admiration that he developed as the ailing ex-president applied himself to the task of putting his memories to paper.
   
   Grant began his memoirs after being diagnosed with cancer of the tongue. As time elapsed, the effort to give his perspective on his military career and the Civil War became a counterpoint to his illness; perhaps even to the point of prolonging his life somewhat.
   
   Grant and Twain is excellent history. It's informative, readable and enjoyable. And to it's credit, this book will (should) foster renewed interest in reading Huckleberry Finn and Personal Memoirs by U.S. Grant.



5. Grant and Twain is a good book, informative, insightful, and concise enough.
   
   Mark Perry starts by giving us very good sketches of the lives of the two principals up to the point of the story, including some surprising (for me) details about their personal lives. He then goes into their relationship, how it came to be, and the affect it had on their great works of literature. The books influenced by their time together, Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Grant's Personal Memoirs, are considered to be classics and the best that either of the authors ever produced. In fact, some think that Huckleberry Finn is the best American novel ever, and that Personal Memoirs (about the Mexican and Civil Wars) is the best American book ever written on military events. Perry records many conversations Grant and Twain had with each other and with the other folks surrounding them, including families and associates. It makes you feel like you are there, and gives some personal insight into what these gentlemen were really like. We find that they were both quite remarkable as private figures as well as public figures. The story of their relationship rides to a great extent on the heroic drama of Grant racing to finish his book before dying of cancer, to ensure the financial security of his family. Perry, at the same time, paints a fascinating sketch of what Twain called the Gilded Age, a time of great industrial progress along with great corruption in the U.S.
   
   It was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

No comments about African Game Trails: The Classic Big Game Safari.

4 comments about FDR: The New Deal Years 1933-1937.

1. Life was hard here at home for most people in the 1930s, but most especially those who depended on the land for food and sustenance. His New Deal ruined the farming industry and now we are indepbted to other countries for the majority of our food, soon to be medicines also. Huey Long would have made every man a 'King' in his own home, but that was not to be. We have no kings in the USA, only politicians.
   
   TVA was developed in the Thirties with all the many dams built in Tennessee and Alabama to harnass the wild Tennessee River. I wish he had picked the Mississippi and left Tennessee along. I was born at the forks of the rivers where the Tennessee began, and that is not such a good heritage. TVA is still run by the government, but it has seen its time. It is obsolete. Like Johnson's Grand Illusion, Roosevelt's New Deal was just a political ploy to win the election.
   
   We all know that the Great Depression started in 1932. In August, 1934, Utah became t he 36th state to ratify the 21st amendment, ending Prohibition. Made Jack happy, though he hadn't been born for 20 more years. In July, 1934, the bank robber Dillinger was gunned down by government men as he leaves a Chicago theater -- betrayed by a woman in red, whom he trusted. Just proves you can't trust those women who like to show off. Bonnie and Clyde had been killed a couple of weeks previously. Why didn't they come on to Knoxville and catch Billy the Kid was he escaped across the Gay Street bridge? In September, 1934, the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma sent lots of people moving from that hell hole to California where the dreamers and schemers had congregated. They crossed the deserts not for the Gold Rush this time but for jobs and money to pay the exorbinant prices for vegetables and meats they were not allowed to grow on their own anymore, delcation of the U.S. Government, which is still in effect today in some areas.
   
   Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal (due to the assassination of Huey Long of Louisiana on September 8, 1935 -- exactly 71 years ago) took effect. FDR was the first American president who did not think in terms of this country being a place set apart from the rest of the world. He had the foresight to see the future of Europe, and especially England (with the help of Churchill), as being closely tied to the future of the USA. According to Mr. Vaughan in 'Hard Times,' there were many isolationists in Congress and the Senate who would, if they could, separate the globe into two halves.
   
   The number one box office draw for 1934 in Hollywood films was Will Rogers, followed closely by Clark Gable; on down the list of major stars were Mae West and Joan Crawford. It was a grand place back then. In 1936, Eugene O'Neill won the Nobel Prize for Literature. His plays included "Anna Christie" and "Desire Under the Elms," both were later made into wonderful movies.
   
   In 1938, Orson Welles played his radio stunt reading H. G. Wells' 'The War of the Worlds.' ONe local radio station here plays it every Halloween night as that is when the great Orson scared this country to death almost. June 4, 1940, Hell is Dunkirk. Roosevelt was just the president we needed to work with Winston Churchill of England whose parentage was half American. However, it took Truman to have the bomb dropped to stop the war.



2. Some people claim that Arthur Schlesinger wrote the definative history of the New Deal and FDR back in the 1950s. These same people probably are unfamiliar with this wonderful book by Kenneth Davis.

   This is not just a history of the period of 1933-37, but an extended mediatation on how we are a nation are going to respond to the changes brought about by industrialization.

   Do not be put off by this last statement because Davis is an excellent writer, historian and philosopher. The best part of this book deals with how social security came to be shaped in the form that it finally was. How all manner of elements came together for the legislation to be written. It is just remarkable.

   Davis is evenhanded in this book and in the series as a whole. He identifies FDR's triumphs but at the same time is willing to be critical when he feels the actions warrent it.

   Davis and his series have been recognized repeatedly although I believe that they probably were not given the praise that this series deserved. They are simply the best thing to be written on FDR by a historian.




3. This really is a remarkable book and outstanding contribution to FDR scholarship. All of the books in this series are probably the best books on the life and times of Franklin Roosevelt, but I think this is one is the best.

   In this, the second volume in the series Davis explores just how much of the early stages of FDR's presidency owed to his career as governor, how his concerns as governor of the state of New York were later transfered from Albany to Washington. Concerns with conservation and the power monopolies in these years were later to serve as the springboard for a number of New Deal initiatives.

   Anyone wishing to learn more about the greatest president of the 20th century should look no further than this series of books by Mr. Davis. Sadly, Mr. Davis did not live to bring the series to its logical conclusion in 1945. Had he done so, this would be the definative study of FDR. As things are, it is likely to be the best biography for many years to come, despite some problems with vol. 4 and its premature conclusion.




4. I bought this book on a flyer in 1987, read it once and put it on the shelf. During a televised Clinton address from the Oval Office, I noticed on the credenza behind him "FDR: The New Deal Years" in its distinctive silver and red jacket. Well, if its good enough for the White House...so I read it again, and now understand why it stood on the President's desk. It's an outstanding work of narrative history. Volume one was awarded the Francis Parkman Prize, but this is clearly the next best in Davis's monumental five volumes on FDR and his times. It is a lively depiction of the New Deal and its famous characters, including Louis Howe, Harry Hopkins, the Brain Trust, Eleanor and Sara Delano all orbiting around the Sun King FDR. It is also an excellent analysis of how outright revolution was avoided and our capitalist system preserved in the darkest hours. But most of all it is an enjoyably facinating portrait of the man who everyone wanted to be near but almost no one, not even Eleanor, really knew.

No comments about Stolen Glory: The McKinley Assassination.

5 comments about Complete Idiot's Guide to the American Presidents.

1. The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because the presidents are not listed chronilogically. They are grouped together as "Legends" or "Heavyweights" etc. It was sometimes difficult to remember what tariff did what or what law hurt who's presidency if it's not listed in order and you keep having to go back and check. If you can get around that timeline thing than this book is very good for giving great info.



2. This is an excellent source for information about the men who have served as Chief-Executive. Some of it is obscure, hence, it makes the subject matter entertaining.



3. The problem with this book is that if one is not somewhat familiar with U.S. history, there will no framework on which to hang the few actions and events that occurred on each president's watch. And the organization of the book contributes to that problem, because the presidents are not presented chronologically. The continuity of events across presidencies gets lost in this book.

   The presidents are discussed in five tiers, from the "undisputed champions" to the "tomoto cans." In other words, they are ranked from the best to the worst. After the top tier, there is definitely room to quibble with the ratings. The author is rather vague as to the selection process. As a side note, for this reader what is especially noticeable in this journey through the presidents is the remarkably few really top notch presidents we have had. Most have been rather mediocre.

   Contributing to the narrative disorganization of the book is the author's scattering of snippets of presidential facts in boxes on each page that are not necessarily connected to the main text. In addition, despite the modest amount of information that is actually presented in the book, there are several errors in facts and dates and in some cases there is an absence of dates.

   For a quick read that will yield a few basic facts, this book will serve that purpose. Beyond that, the book's utility is doubtful.




4. This is a very interesting book if you're wanting an overview of Presidential History. It covers the highlights of each president, but of course in about 400 pages, it's simply impossible to go very deep.

   The book is arranged, not in chronological order, but in descending order of each president's success in office, as judged by the author, of course. I probably would have preferred a chronological discussion, for the simple reason that it would be easier to view each biographical sketch in it's larger context.

   But again, overall it's a good read. I'd suggest it for anyone who is interested in American Presidential History but doesn't want to read multiple books to get the overview he wants.




5. I bought this for my son's school report on presidents and got hooked myself. This is a fantastic book. Filled with all the facts and information you need to know, but fun to read. Don't take the Idiot's title literally. This is for anyone who wants or needs to know anything there is to know about our greatest, worst, and most mediocre presidents.

1 comments about The Presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson (American Presidency Series).

1. I am just a bit bemused by this opportunity. The Presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson was commissioned by University Press of Kansas as part of its Bicentennial Series evaluating all of our Presidents. Virtually every volume has appeared, thanks to the great prowess of Don McCoy, the famous history professor at University of Kansas. I brought to the contract experience co-authoring Herbert Hoover: President of the United States, and work on Franklin D. Roosevelt; there were also three volumes on social welfare and one on labor/politics, plus a stay at RAND and 4 l/2 years in WWII. And I taught contemporary problems courses as a historian/social scientist. Mainly, with my mandate plus my inclinations, I stuck with serious matters and minimized the jazzy and conventional portrayals of Johnson's personality and character. And I really worked hard on the Johnson archives (as then open to researchers). A Moderate Republican who voted for LBJ in 1964, I got only grudging endurance from the Library director, but great help from the professionals there. The book continues to sell, for it is comprehensive, and it ventures daring judgment throughout. Scholarly reviewers were more than generous, except for Kennedy-lovers, who have never accepted even basics about President Johnson. Although many tapes have been made available, candid memoirs long since acquainted persons like me with the so-called "real LBJ." I stand by my final chapter, "History Will Judge"--a quotation from Lyndon himself as he contemplated the end.

No comments about John Quincy Adams - Old Man Eloquent (Biography).

No comments about The Nixon Chronicles (Circa 1973).

5 comments about Road Song.

1. In a culture that demonizes the poor and marginalizes the children of the poor, the Kusz family faces more than just 70 below temperatures, the author's tragic accident, hunger and squalor. Those who live more mainstream (read that affluent and conforming) lives, imagine those who live in rural (or urban) poverty as morally, intellectually and spiritually as well as financially impoverished. What Natalie Kusz does in this unforgettable memoir is to slow the reader down and draw her up close to those who travel that other road-- to allow the reader to view scenes of violence, abuse, charity and grace. The book is beautifully written. The only thing I would argue with is locating the father's backstory so close to the end of the book in one large chunk, instead of interspersing part of it throughout the book where it might shed some light on his own particular demons. Interestingly, I read each of the other reviews of this book and found in every one some bit of wisdom and thoughtfulness. This book is well worth reading twice--first for the story and then for a fruitful discussion of memoir.



2. I was very excited when I found this memoir at a gently used bookstore. I thought it was very good. I felt like I was traveling to Alaska right along with Natalie. This is one of those books that you hope will have a sequel someday.



3. I read this book years ago, and found it very moving. I think Ms. Kusz is a good writer and extremely courageous. Her childhood (quite honestly) sounds horrible, but her parents are very loving and kind and smart.
   
   One thing that did disturb me about the book was that Ms. Kusz seemed to need to convince us that her parents were right in leaving LA for Alaska. For example, she writes that she and her siblings (aged 1 to 7) were sick of modern life and its accroutrements. This is hard to believe! Little kids don't know enough about the world yet to be sick of it.
   
   In LA, her parents had a house, jobs, a large backyard, family close by, warm weather, etc. In Alaska, they had nothing. They didn't even have enough money to buy the land they wanted so much. How could her parents uproot four young kids for such an uncertain future! Can you imagine her mom's life--even before Natalie's terrible accident. Four little kids, no money, not enough food, husband away working, living in a trailer with no bathroom, the weather sometimes 50 or 60 below.
   
   All the things her parents wanted--outdoor life, contact with wildlife, streams, orchards, etc., -- none of that happens in Alaska. There's no mention of the family having fun doing "country" things. It seems their adventure was not successful. Perhaps if Natalie hadn't gotten hurt things might have been different, but it doesn't seem that likely. They still were poverty-stricken, without a home or a job, living in a place where it got 70 below. I once saw a review that said the Kusz decision to move was almost comprable to child abuse, and I am tempted to agree.
   
   With that said, I really admire Natalie's ability to rise above a terribly painful childhood, filled with extraordinary physical pain. I hope she is well and I wish she'd write another book.



4. Originally it was the title that popped out on this one: aha! another great travel novel, I hoped. Oh no, much better and much more intense!!! A woman reconstructs for us the story of her unusual "hippy" parents, her father a refugee from Poland's wartime harshness. The parents have four children and cannot stand the modern life of the Southern California suburbs. Off they go, packed up in an old truck, all the way to Alaska. With a relative's gift/loan, they buy land and begin to build a house on the outskirts of Fairbanks. Needless to say, money is very tight, jobs are scarce, and the winter is setting in. The parents scrounge through the Salvation Army and the local U.S. Army dump for supplies, even finding food to keep them going. They are true pioneers in the face of horrible winter weather: -50F in a perpetual icefog, through which the kids sometimes trek to get to the the schoolbus stop.
   
   Natalie's account of her horrific accident, when underfed huskies break their chains and rip her face off, ruining one eye, is one of these memoirs almost impossible to believe is true. But yes, it is true, and luckily the parents have insurance, and are able, in the late 1960's, to save their daughter, fight infection from reaching her brain, and have her face reconstructed over years of medical appointments.
   
   In addition to this horrible disaster, the parents are barely making it financially, and for years, simply live together packed in a trailer out in the wilderness, far from town. The kids get older, need to go to school, and find that the local town is full of rough-tough kids, mainly from the U.S.Army base, who early fall into drugs, drinking and promiscuity. So of course, our Natalie does so as well, but doesn't tell her parents, until the news she can't avoid: she's pregnant at 16.
   
   On and on this story goes, and makes the reader want to keep on going for more. It's true that it's not exceptionally well-written - certainly it seems a bit too casual in its style. The author, only 27, does come across as self-involved, but perhaps that's understandable. Her mother's early death and father's early onset of heart disease make this tragedy almost unbearable. One wonders how she really could have done it all, including with the little girl, raising her alone.
   
   Definitely a great read, not at all typical "American" in any yearning for a better life. She concludes that she is attached to Alaska and decides at the time of writing (1990) that she will go back and stay up there, near her father's house.



5. As a fellow writer oh how I hated Natalie Kusz as I read her book. She is that rare combination of a brilliant writer and someone with something to say. I could barely contain my envy, and admiration, as I read. This is a book that disappoints only because it ends.

1 comments about Jefferson Davis.

1. This was the best book I've ever read about Jefferson Davis!