3 comments about The Last Beautiful Days of Autumn.

1. Great job papi, and a great read!
   love, your daughter,
   Julia



2. John Nichols is always a joy to read. He is the John Stenbeck of our time. No one combines art and social views so beautifully as he does.



3. My grandmother gave this beautiful book to me for Christmas the year it was published. (I believe it was 1980 or 1981). I feel madly in love and am still madly in love today. I re-read this book every year in October, it has become a most beloved ritual. I took a chance in early 1992 and wrote to John Nichols and was I ever surprised! He wrote me back. I have two copies and now that they have a new edition, I plan on buying it too! I have a hard back signed copy that I treasure and I know it is authentic because the signature is exactly the way he signed his letter to me. Read this book and plan to be thoroughly enchanted. I was and still am after almost 20 years.

No comments about Buried Unsung: Louis Tikas and the Ludlow Massacre.

5 comments about Amelia Earhart Lives.

1. i read this book in the early 1970's. it was, bar none, the most fascinating book that i have ever read. fast moving, and informative.



2. I could not put down this book, and yes I believe! The main investigator is Joe Gervais, who I believe is very credible considering he was a command pilot in the Air Force and also an aircraft accident investigator. According to Mr. Gervais, when he visited Ameilia's sister, Muriel Morrissey, she told him to not open his breifcase and refused to see any material from his investigation. It is interesting that so many road blocks were put up for Mr. Gervais, and there are those that went to great lengths to find out what he was uncovering while at the same time not wanting him to find out anything. I believe Irene Bolam is/was Amelia Earhart.

   For those interested, there is a new book out this month continuing this investigation by Rollin C. Reineck. It is published by the Paragon Agency. I could not find it here at Amazon to my surprise. I had to order it direct from Paragon. Mr. Reineck's book follows up what transpired after Gervais and Klass book came out, and what happened to Irene Bolam. An article was in the LA Times a few weeks ago about the new book.




3. As a young high schooler, I read the original publication and visited A.E.'s sister and asked her about the book. Mrs. Morrissey said that she had both spoken with the supposed A.E. and determined that she was not her sister. Mrs. Morrissey then said that the author had produced faked photos of the plane and that he was only out to make a buck. Shame on the new author and publishers!



4. This is a great book from an apparently knowledgeable author. The story is gripping and reads like a novel. A must read for anyone interested in a true mystery and its possible resolution.



5. The first few pages of book mention Bob Dinnger, Well, Bob and I had lunch with each other,in Santa Rosa, Calif, every week at Rotary. I would ask Bob about all aspects of the book. I believe this book is real, very interesting and a good read.

2 comments about Lee's Maverick General: Daniel Harvey Hill.

1. Sometimes a person's personality really hurts their career. Lee and many others called D.H. Hill a malcontent etc... because he questioned the ANV's strategy, found many of his fellow officers wanting in even basic military skills and wondered how the south could win with poor arms and ammunition. People always say it was too bad Jackson wasn't at Gettysburg but there was nothing to do about it. DH Hill was in exile at that time when Lee's army was saddled with many incompetent commanders like Pickett and Heth.



2. Daniel Harvey Hill had two key faults. First, he was a very perceptive officer. Second, he always spoke his mind. D.H. Hill was not the only general officer to find himself on the outs with Jefferson Davis during the Civil War but he was one of the very few who was consistently shunned after his fall from grace.

   Hot tempered and unusually outspoken, he stormed his way through the Civil War, fearlessly leading Confederate soldiers at Malvern Hill and Antietam while continuously stepping on the toes of his superiors. Ultimately, he was made the scapegoat for the mutiny of almost all the general officers serving under Braxton Bragg after the confusing victory of the Army of Tennessee at the Battle of Chickamauga. This mutiny was so pervasive that Jeff Davis was required to leave Richmond and visit the battlefield in order to put down the revolt against Bragg, a Davis favorite. Amazingly, Davis retains Bragg against the wishes of almost every general officer who participated in this engagement.

   This is a very interesting book, providing insight into why the Confederacy ultimately lost middle Tennessee, thereby opening the way for the Federal advance on Atlanta.

5 comments about Old Soldiers Never Die:: The Life and Legend of Douglas MacArthur.

1. Geoffrey Perret has written a very enjoyable biography on one of the most colorful, brilliant and important generals in United States history. I particularly enjoyed this biography since it focuses on General MacArthur's achievements without ignoring (but not fixating on) his flaws.
   
   In this book you will find, amongst other things:
   * MacArthur's reforms of the hazing culture at West Point.
   * An extensive discussion of General MacArthur's achievements during World War I as well as his disputes with General Pershing.
   * A fair defense of MacArthur's routing of the Bonus Army.
   * General MacArthur's accomplishments as Field Marshal of the Philippines Army.
   * General MacArthur's brilliance as a tactician in the Pacific during World War II.
   * General MacArthur's crucial role in properly reconstructing post-WWII Japan.
   * An account of General MacArthur's views for how to handle the Korean War.
   * The extent of General MacArthur's presidential ambitions.
   
   In summary, an excellent and admiring biography of a fascinating and accomplished individual!



2. From my earliest memories, General Douglas MacArthur has always been my number one hero. My soldier dad gave me a little paste statue of MacArthur, America's 'Caesar,' which I could hold in my hand. For me, it was important that he married a Tennessee woman. For another, he had the gawl to stand up to the President of the United States who demoted him and forced him to come home to the United States, where the public took his side and gave him a ticker tape parade down Broadway in New York City. Doug was a major general during the World War II for the allies, and being an American was there to represent our country first and foremost. However, like any person can be, he was lured into being an important personage in the Philippines government as an advisor. He had his cake and ate it too.
   
   The whole country here tought that President Truman was out of his mind to talk to our hero the way he did, and MacArthur used rhetoric and politics in his going away speech that "Old Soldiers Never Die, They Just Fade Away" and his foolish declaration that "I Shall Return," It was as though he had turned his back on the American people and we were fools enough not to know what he was doing. President Truman did know and made an executive decision that the double-dealing had to stop. Apparently, FDR (Roosevelt) had let things get out of control and MacArthur made the most of it.
   
   For more than sixty years now, he has been my hero. When my son Justin had to ask his parents who their hreoes were for a class project, his teacher was shocked at the name of mine -- as I am a woman. He probably throught it might be Eleanor Roosevelt had I been interested in politics or the war, or Queen Elizabeth who was newly crowned and I admired. But, no, it was the cause of Douglas MacArthur which gave me the backbone to stand and say what is right and righteous, to be fair to all and not allowing inferiors to take the jobs of people who are more qualified. That's the Affirmative Action Ammendment which kept my PHD son from getting many jobs in the 1980s. It was hurtful to the intelligent, trained young people who could do the jobs. Instead, like MacArthur in the Philippines where he did return (I do like a man who keeps his word.), it is double dealing and putting the wrong people in the wrong jobs. And I don't mean electing those with money. I'm talking about putting uneducated, ignorant people in government jobs who make decisions for all of us, and they don't know what they are doing. They are not qualified.
   
   MacArthur should never have been double dealing and his failing was insubordination. He had such an adoring reputation for being stern and forceful as an American General. But now the truth will out and we know just how "old" he was, not in years, but in nonconformity and by not going God's will. That was his downfall.



3. Obviously, the right starting place for MacArthur would be William Manchester's book. However, this one does not disappoint. As a matter of fact, of all Perret's books, this one is most likely the best, despite its flaws. Our subject is the greatest military mind this country has ever produced.
   Was Gen. MacArthur an egomaniac? Yes, name me a general who wasn't. But in America's 'brief' history, you will not find a more intelligent, and courageous officer than this man. During WWI, his personal bravery and daring led to seven Silver Stars. During WWII, he lost less men in the southwest Pacific in four years of fighting, than Gen. Eisenhower did at the Battle of the Bulge alone! During the Korean war, at seventy years of age, his offensive at Inchon was the height of audacity and planning. He wrote Japan's postwar constitution, he is also revered by many Japanese to this day.
   All in all, his career is enough to make one say, "Patton who?"



4. As several reviewers pointed out, this book has a few flaws. I do feel some of the criticisms hurled are a bit off the mark. This is a one volume book. There is absolutly no way a completely comprehensive sudy of this man could be accomplished in such a short space. For a one volume work though, it is very, very good. Yes, you can disagree as to the actual greatness of the man, as reflected in the various stages of his life, but the author has at least presented to us a starting point. This work, along with others, gives us a good picture of Macarthur the soldier and the man. Recommend you read this one.



5. I enjoyed this book very much. Although long and detailed, I found its style engaging and well organized. It's an easy read. Being able to turn dense historical material into such an interesting book is a triumph.

   Writing a biography of a controversial personality like MacArthur is challenging and, overall, I think Perret has done a good job. It's too easy to fall in love with your subject and the author is able to resist the temptation to hurruh too much.

   I think, however, that there are a few areas, where the author seems to accept behaviors that are questionable and problematic. Into his assertion of MacArthur's greatness he never really factors in MacArthur's overly emotional temperament nor his lack of veracity. There is space for further debate here that I think the author missed.

2 comments about Journal of a Mountain Man (Classics of the Fur Trade).

1. We should be grateful that there were such men as Clyman to write down history as they saw it in the early to mid 1800's. Not many mountain men/frontiersmen were literate, and if this wasn't written down back then, it would have just been heresay. Clyman came out with Jedediah Smith in the 1820's as a fur trapper. He records what went on at that time. These couple of chapters are a fascinating read. Then in the early 1840's, he came out with the Oregon Trail emigrants. He was a very observant individual, describing not only the climate, but also geology, flora, fauna, agriculture, etc. along the way. There was a section in the book where he talks about "time and space" which really surprised me about how deep a thinker the man was...he was very intelligent, also writting poetry and prose. If you want to know what it was like then, read this book...it's a good one!



2. This is one of my favorite books. I just bought one for my cousin and decided to submit a review. If you're looking for a literary masterpiece, go buy Finnegan's Wake. This book is written by a pretty illiterate guy who spent his life exploring the West, back when it was all indians and a few couple white men. The author hiked naked over a thousand miles after he ripped a hole in the back of the Indian tent where he was being held captive, attacked, killed and ate a badger with his bare hands, and was generally the toughest, meanest SOB I've ever encountered. If you're intrigued by the old West, but you're sick of reading and viewing the lightweight fluff, get this book. Its the Real Thing.

1 comments about The Human Tradition in the Civil War and Reconstruction.

1. The Human Tradition In The Civil War And Reconstruction brings alive a decisive period in American history, examining the realm of generals and others and using the lives of fourteen selected individuals to examine personal experiences during Reconstruction on both sides of the issue. This college-level text reveals the abolition movement's influences, the roles played by blacks during the war, and the experiences of military individuals alike.

5 comments about Pudd'Nhead Wilson.

1. It is a shame and an irony that really, really good writers end up with their books becoming required reading in school, a fact that, naturally, makes students avoid them like the plague, "them" referring to both the writers and their books. Happily, though, PUDD'NHEAD WILSON is pretty slim for a novel, the edition I have weighing in at only 149 pages, so it might actually attract some reader other than a poor, benighted student on whose bowed shoulders yet another inscrutable assignment has been laid. Such a reader will be greatly rewarded for having picked up this book, for it fairly bursts with Twain's ironic humor, biting social commentary, and fascinating character studies.
   
   Now, I have no idea as to why Twain chose to title this tale as he did, for "Pudd'nhead" Wilson is hardly more major a character than many of the others who populate the story, and is perhaps even less so than some. Roxy--slave, freed woman, and slave again--is more of a catalyst for much of the action than is Wilson. Tom Driscoll, not the real Thomas a Becket Driscoll, but Valet de Chambre, who grows up believing himself to be Tom, is another nominee for the role of principal protagonist. Wilson's receipt of his nickname, it is true, gives us one of Twain's first commentaries in the book on people who cannot distinguish sarcasm from literal fact, and, yes, it is Wilson's acumen that saves two innocent men from hanging and brings to light the web of deception that Roxy began spinning years before. Still, had I written such a story, I do not believe that choosing the name of that particular character as the title would have occurred to me, but perhaps that is Twain's genius. The nickname is assuredly ironic, and this story is full of ironies.
   
   Also curious is the presence of the twin Italians, Luigi and Angelo. Their part in the story is clear enough, of course, for their treatment by the townspeople is a powerful indictment of a society that can revere an idol on one day, only to cast the infidel down into the mire the next, thanks solely to rumor, innuendo and erroneous appearance. Still, this could have been accomplished with a single foreign visitor to the town, and Twain's choice to present us with twins is perplexing, particularly since Luigi consistently overshadows Angelo in the story line. Twain's own preface to the story is not to be taken as an explanation here, for he is being as witty and non-literal is the preface as he is in the story proper. Thus far, I can find no satisfactory explanation for the use of twins, although I have no doubt that Twain could give one were he so inclined (and still able to communicate in the mortal world).
   
   Conventional analysis of PUDD'NHEAD WILSON makes much of Twain's condemnation of slavery, and such examples as Chambers' inability to rejoin white society successfully after his true identity as Tom Driscoll is made known clearly show the demeaning and destructive nature of slavery. Yet, I feel that Twain goes far beyond the institution of slavery in his commentary on universal human nature--and that commentary is anything but an affirmation of positive aspects of humanity. Can any son sink so low as Chambers in deceiving his own mother and selling her back into slavery "down" the river? For that matter, could any mother sink so low as to ensure that both her son and the babe entrusted to her care both grew to sordid manhood through living a lie? Pudd'nhead Wilson, Luigi and Angelo may be the only fully honorable characters in the story--and the twins hightail it back to Europe as quickly as they can, leaving the sordidness of society in Dawson's Landing as far behind them as possible.
   
   Inasmuch as comprehending a novel such as this hinges on both the writer's creativity and the reader's skill in interpreting the creation, and because the reader's skill has much to do with his knowledge of the society that the writer is depicting, I do find myself wondering whether a reader who is intimately familiar with the culture of the "Deep South" may understand and, therefore, enjoy Twain more fully than one who is not. Will a reader from, say, the Midwest, who may never have listened to speech along the southern reaches of the Mississippi River fully appreciate the phonetic spellings of Roxy's discourses? Will every reader understand equally the significance of Roxy's reaction when she realizes that Chambers has sold her DOWN the river rather than up? These are neither criticisms of the book nor weaknesses in it; they are merely cautions that not every reader may find PUDD'NHEAD WILSON as meaningful as others may.
   
   For my part, I suggest that this tale is both fascinating reading and accurate commentary on a large segment of society in the U.S. I also suggest that the society described in the story did not entirely vanish at the end of the 19th century and that Twain's depictions of many of the flaws in that society are as valid today as when they were set to paper. In short, I can think of no reason whatsoever not to read PUDD'NHEAD WILSON. It is thought-provoking but in a most enjoyable way.



2. While this isn't Twain's strongest work, he delivers another literary treasure in this book. This is a rustic, grassroots novel where Twain again shows his gift for capturing the lighter side of life while offering some thought-provoking observations about human nature. This isn't as memorable as Tom Sawyer or as strong as Huck Finn, but it is still well worth your time. While I don't recommend this book as a starting point if you haven't read Twain (Tom Sawyer is the place to begin), this is a great read that all Twain fans should enjoy.



3. Mark Twain might have been a sad, grim man with the bleakest conceivable outlook on life, but the man could turn a phrase like nobody's business.
   
   Pudd'nhead Wilson is a fairly short novel, but there's a lot going on. There's a white baby switched at birth with an identical-looking 1/32nd black baby (who is therefore a slave). There are political and financial machinations all around.
   
   Most interesting is Twain's use of fingerprinting as a crime-solving device. He was, in fact, ahead of his time, as governmental police agencies were only beginning to use fingerprinting to identify criminals a few years after this book was published. What seems to us now to be rather common sense and everyday must have been cutting edge, CSI type stuff to Twain's original audience.
   
   Twain uses his trademark distinct, vivid and real vernaculars when writing dialogue, including the heavy use of the N-word, which ignorant people have been fussing about for generations.
   
   We also get a very vivid idea of exactly what it means to be "sold down the river" in its original sense.
   
   My copy of the novel has an introduction by Langston Hughes, which I recommend first-time readers skip until they have completed the novel, because he basically walks the reader through the book's plot in five pages.
   
   Pudd'nhead Wilson is a fast, engaging novel, combining mystery with Twain's typical biting social commentary.
   
   RECOMMENDED



4. Twain's Puddn'head Wilson is typical of his other works in that we see many of the same exploits and devices--satire and witticisms, boys dressing up as girls, slave dialect and southern slang, mistaken identities. Perhaps this short novel goes out a little more so than others in that it not only is a comical portrayal of stereotypes and the problems that they cause, but it has elements of both drama and mystery as well.
   
   The story begins with Puddn'head Wilson, a man named so because many of the people don't understand his eccentric ideals, coming to Dawson's Landing to establish his career as a lawyer. He has an unusual habit of collecting fingerprints, which most in the southern town don't give much credence to--however, this is great foreshadowing for the final climactic courtroom scene. Roxy, a slave, makes a decision to switch her baby with that of her master's in order to try to give her child a better station in life. After successfully doing this, many years pass without anyone suspecting what she has done. Thus, Chambers is actually Tom, and vice versa, and they go about this way in life.
   
   One of the interesting aspects of the book is the title. Pudd'nhead Wilson comes to be the most important character by the novel's end, but he is not the focus of the book. Tom is the major focus, and we see him find out who his real mom is, as well as his real identity, his actual history. There are times when Tom appears to be on the verge of changing from an arrogant, self-centered person to someone better, but his "true" self always seems to get the better of him and he never makes that change. We can see that the way he treats his mother as well as Wilson.
   
   Twain's point interposed in the storyline is the devastating effects slavery has on society. While he uses several scenes to highlight this, perhaps one of the most moving is Roxy's willingness to be sold "down the river" to help out Tom out of a jam, something that Tom doesn't even truly appreciate. This is a moment of complete and utter self-sacrifice; Tom's reaction to his mother's cries seemingly is parallel with society's indifference about the harshness of slavery.
   
   Still, while Twain is able to make a point about slavery and take serious views on its ill effects, he is also able to maintain his humorous edge and then take the novel into an interesting direction--leading to a final murder mystery. In this scene, Wilson is able to use some of his fingerprinting tactics to successfully prove who the real murderer was.
   
   This novel does have its problems, and seems a bit disproportioned at times. For instance, while we follow Tom throughout his early childhood and beginning adulthood, we never really follow Chambers, the one who he is switched with at the beginning. Also, there is only a scattering of focus on Roxy, Tom's mother, within the novel.
   
   Over all, this is typical Twain, but maybe not with the same impact of Huckleberry Finn or Tom Sawyer. Still, this is a quick, fun read.



5. Pudd'nhead Wilson is classic Twain: it manages to be as fun and as funny as it is disturbing and bleak. The entertainment results from both the comedy inherent in mistaken identity and the straightforward detective story that frames the narrative. The tragedy arises from Twain's complicated treatment of social hypocrisy, slavery, racial identity, and the debate between the influences of one's heredity and one's environment.
   
   The novel, like Twain's earlier "The Prince and the Pauper," features switched-at-birth boys: Tom, who is born to Judge Percy Driscoll, and Chambers, who is born to a slave named Roxy and is 1/32 black. Roxy exchanges the babies to keep hers from being "sold down the river," and the two change names--and races. They later become rivals when the new Tom lords his authority over the new Chambers. A second pair of boys, the dashing Luigi and Angelo, are former vaudevillian actors who arrive in town and become implicated in a murder. (In an early draft of the novel, the two were conjoined twins--and Twain didn't quite excise or revise all the relevant passages.) The amateur investigator and accidental detective, David "Puddn'nead" Wilson, is a lawyer who has become the town outcast and who pursues the mystery to expose the townsfolk's self-importance and self-deception.
   
   If you're looking for a detective thriller, this one is a bit far-fetched. (There is a subplot involving Wilson's dabbling in the new "science" of fingerprint identification that is fascinating.) But the plot is incidental to Twain's humor and, especially, his themes.
   
   There has been on ongoing debate between critics of this book that will never be resolved: between readers who condemn Twain, for implying that Tom's wickedness and indolence result because of his genetic make-up (i.e., because he was "born" black), and readers who defend Twain, who feel that he was arguing that Tom's faults resulted from his family and the society (i.e., because he was "raised" white). Similarly, Roxy's portrayal is alternately troubling (she is devious, wicked, and mad) and sympathetic (she is quite intelligent and will do anything for her child). I tend to side with those who defend Twain, because it's clear that Twain doesn't much care for the traditions and principles of (white) society, which is why an outcast like Wilson must become the hero. But I also feel that Twain, deliberately choosing ambiguity over pedantry, was investigating the nature versus nurture debate without definitively answering the question--and the fact that readers seem split on the verdict hints to me that he succeeded. Twain dares to ask the question: What is race, and does it really exist?
   
   In spite of its occasional profundity, the novel as a whole, which is quite short, is really an exercise in absurdity that perhaps only Twain could make work. (Most young readers who know Twain through his early works won't cotton on to "Pudd'nhead Wilson.") The book has an unfinished, first-draft feel, and it feels almost patched together from various stories and plots (which it is). But fans of Twain's other works would be making a mistake not to read it.

5 comments about Theodosia Burr Alston: Portrait of a Prodigy.

1. 
   I first heard about Theodosia Burr while visiting Charleston, SC, earlier this year. The tour guide mentioned she was Aaron Burr's daughter, a woman educated like a man and raised to be future Empress of Mexico, who disappeared at sea and was rumored to be stolen away by pirates. I was fascinated and determined to learn more. When I looked up Theodosia on Amazon, Richard N. Cote's book came up. I bought it immediately.
   
   I was not disappointed. The biography "Theodosia Burr Alston: Portrait of a Prodigy" by Richard N. Cote was a fun ride through history. While the book could use more editing, the story itself was intriguing. A Revolutionary War hero and infamous duelist, Aaron Burr raised his only child to be female version of himself: a sophisticated, intelligent, free-thinking prodigy who socialized with French nobility, Native American Chiefs, and quite a few famous Americans, including President George Washington and Dolly Madison.
   
   What I discovered reading this, however, was that Theodosia herself did not interest me as much as her father. In fact, something about her turned me off. I found myself skimming sections about her to learn more about her charismatic father, Aaron Burr, whose mercurial career in politics and wild scheme to conquer Mexico made for a much more interesting story.
   
   All in all, "Theodosia" was a great book in terms of history. I learned quite a bit about our Founding Fathers and what life was like after the War in the newly formed US. I also enjoyed satisfying my curiosity about Theodosia's education and death, as it is an interesting footnote in history. But more importantly to me, I was pleased to learn so much about Aaron Burr, the third Vice President of the US. He is the true hero of this book.



2. I entirely disagree with the reader below me. (Everyone owned slaves back then, except for, notably, Alexander Hamilton, who hated slavery, and yes, he wasn't the only one. But still, the focus of the book was Theodosia, not Aaron.)

   I came across Theodosia while I was watching the PBS Home Video "The Duel" (which I recommend if you are interested in Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, the duel itself, or politics in that time period). I wanted to know more about her and purchased this book. I'm glad I did! This biography seems more like a novel because of the incredible, fast-paced journey it leads you on into the past. I especially liked the last few chapters, when the author explored Theodosia's possible fates and the "mystery of the Nag's Head portrait." This whole book never had a boring moment, so if you are interested in this great yet unknown woman or her infamous father, read this book ASAP!




3. I hate to rain on the parade of all these glowing reviews, but this book is a product of shoddy, lazy, amateurish research. A full 59% of the footnotes are based on secondary sources, & a full 25% of those are from one source alone which the author himself admits is unreliable. The section on Aaron Burr's mother is based on a "source" well-known for decades to be [untrue]. The discussion of Burr as a "slave-owner" is totally misleading, based on assumptions for which there is no evidence, & completely overlooks Burr's well known anti-slavery record. I could go on & on, but you get the picture. The book is full of factual errors, misleading assumptions, & faulty logic. Theodosia Burr Alston needs a good biography, but this isn't it.



4. What an in depth and at times riveting account of Theodosia, the beautiful and very gifted daughter of Vice President and scheming traitor, Aaron Burr. This is a story that has been told before but never brilliantly as in Mr. Cote's sweeping tale. The author brings to life the romantic and tragic heroine, Theodosia, so vividly that the reader truly feels her joys and pain. From her privileged upbringing by a father who was a brilliant but flawed man to her marriage into South Carolina's wealthiest family and eventually to her mysterious death at age 28, this is a story that carries us through the ballrooms and political intrigue of the 18th and early 19th Century. Theodosia, the most well educated woman of her time, was destined by her ambitious father to be empress of Mexico in a scheme both treasonous and ultimately ruinous. Theodosia vanished at sea in 1812 leaving behind a haunting portrait that washed up on a North Carolina beach and a story so intriguing that it lingers in the heart and mind long after the book is finished.



5. There is little doubt that Vice President Aaron Burr was the single, most important person in the world to this young, and impressionable young woman: and why not? He was, after all, her father, the person most likely to offer her his best nurturing protection, validate her worth, and interpret the world as he would like her to see it, educating her for what he perceived it to be, in its complexity as well as its simplicity. As his most unconditional admirer, she apparently did the same for him, and as his trusted confidant, the author spectacularly preserves and presents their special relationship of father and daughter with reasonable success despite the number of rumors, accusations, and hype that usually accompanies infamous figures in history, allowing us to appreciate the complexities of political environments, personal relations, and complex events in a very readable and eloquent fashion, in today's conjecture of thought and reason as best he can from a 200 year old antique history. An insightful account of a very colorful period of American history. While certain presumptions may well be far fetched, certainly the inquiry is a valuable contribution to what can only be called one of the very few accounts of the importance of females in the lives of historical figures.

4 comments about More Generals in Gray.

1. I was uncertain about the merit of this title before I purchased, but I need not have been. Author Bruce Allardice has created a worthy supplement to Ezra Warner's "Generals in Gray."
   
   The presentation format of "More Generals in Gray" is very close to that of Warner's classic reference works, but in single column vs. two columns for Warner's books. For most of the 137 entries a photograph, sketch, painting of the person is provided, except where ones were not available. The author provides background information including birthdate, state, parents, education as well as prewar occupation. Following this is a description or relevant military career, ranks achieved, commands, postwar life and death. Allardice closes each biography with a description of what sources led to the inclusion of the particular figure as a general. Notes and sources are provided after each entry as well.
   
   One caveat is that the reader should not expect to find a large list of generals overlooked by Warner, that is not the direction of this work. Instead, Mr. Allardice has cast a wider net to include those who would be legitimately rejected by the earlier criteria. He carefully provides detailed criteria and explanation for his additions. Most names here are men who were either never really promoted/confirmed or who were generals in state service or appointed in the Trans-Mississippi by E. Kirby Smith.
   
   This brings us to the strength of the study: the inclusion of men acting as generals who were either appointed by Kirby Smith or who led state forces as generals in actual campaigns. Both of these are indeed generals in the true sense of the word. Those studying the Trans-Mississippi will definitely find the backgrounds provided here beneficial.
   
   The less exciting entries for the reader are those appointed very late in the war (e.g. March 1865 or later) but never confirmed and really never served in the capacity of general. In addition, there were those referred to as generals in various Confederate post-war histories, but whom the author demonstrates did not really achieve the rank. Though it is perhaps a thankless task, the author is to be commended for setting the record straight with regards to these men.
   
   As a bonus, in an appendix Mr. Allardice lists another ~135 individuals sometimes referred to as generals by less authoritative sources. In one or two sentences for each he explains the reasons for excluding them.
   
   "More Generals in Gray" is a well-written and organized supplement to Warner's work. This volume will appeal the most to a narrower group of civil war enthusiasts and particularly those studying more obscure engagements. Note that now is a good time to obtain inexpensive remaindered copies.



2. Ezra Warner's classic 1959 volume tells us the stories of the 425 Confederate General Officers about whom we can't argue as to whether they were, in fact, a General; this volume tells the stories of several about whom we CAN argue. Warner gives the criteria, and this book does, too; a man had to be nominated to General Officer rank by President Davis, AND confirmed by Congress.
   
   The reasons to be here, not in Warner's book, are several; most commonly, a man could be a General of state militia, nominated by the Governor, confirmed by the legislature, not a General of the Confederacy. [President Jefferson Davis makes this book that way]. These militia officers can be seen as the equivalent of modern National Guard Officers. In some cases, there was a disconnect between the President and Congress, in others, there is doubt as to who appointed the man, and when. Thus we have the first Hispanic General, Santos Benavides--some records have him as a Colonel, others as a late appointment to Brigadier General. [The first American Indian General is in Warner's book--no doubts about Stand Watie].
   
   A special case is that of nine officers appointed to Brigadier General by General Edmund Kirby Smith using his expanded powers as Commander of The Transmississippi Department. Communication between Richmond and the West was most difficult after the fall of Vicksburg in July, 1863; Smith was, thus, in a situation unique in American history. These nine men are but a small part of a most complicated story; Warner lists them in an appendix; here they get full honors.
   
   In these reviews, I try to differentiate between books for the general reader, and those for "people like me". This book falls, I think, somewhere in between. It is superbly done, well written, well illustrated; a most respectful account of men deserving full respect, even if they aren't a "big name". For those poor folks who are like me, this book is, indeed, essential. You know who you are....



3. I have owned and used Mr. Warner's classics Generals in Blue and Generals in Gray for over 40 years. Mr Allardice shows us the men appointed General by the various Southern States. This book proves the point the Government of the Confederacy was still having growing pains; the point being the generals from the Trans-Mississippi not being confirmed by the CSA Senate, in Richmond, Va. This is a great book for the Civil War Buff. It is a must need in your War Between the States Library.



4. A tome devoted to biographical sketches of 137 men united only by their arguable status as Confederate generals sounds like one of the ultimate Civil War "buff books". It is a pleasant surprise to open its pages and discover no dreary catalogue of minutiae. Instead, the author has condensed years of research into a series of sparkling capsule lives that reflect the wide range of characters and events in America's bitterest conflict.

   Each of the subjects has some claim to having held the rank of general in the Confederate military but not enough of one to have earned listing in Ezra J. Warner's authoritative "Generals in Gray". However solid or dubious their entitlement to the highest rank, however, they form a cross-section of important and interesting Southern officers and citizens. They came from a variety of backgrounds. Ten were born in the North, nine in Border States, nine abroad (including one veteran of Napoleon's Grande Armee, whose unit's performance in the defense of New Orleans fell short of Napoleonic standards). Not all had embraced independence eagerly. Michael Jefferson Bulger, for instance, voted "no" in the Alabama secession convention but nonetheless enlisted in the 47th Alabama Regiment. At Cedar Mountain, he suffered wounds to his arm and leg, binding the latter with corncobs and suspenders. At Gettysburg, he was captured after being left for dead. Following such mishaps, he ended up living to age 94, enjoying a placid post-war career as a farmer and occasional politician.

   In contrast to the indestructible Bulger, Edward Gantt was a fire-eating secessionist who resigned his seat in the first Confederate Congress to raise a regiment in Arkansas. After being captured with the garrison of Island No. 10, he returned home on parole but then experienced an astonishing change of heart. In late 1863, the formerly rabid states-righter slipped across the Yankee lines and spent the rest of the war urging his former countrymen to lay down their arms.

   Many more such tales are told here. The author has a keen eye for incisive facts and quotations, and his writing wastes few words. For the serious student of the Civil War, this work is a valuable reference. For everyone else, it offers hours of fascinating browsing.