1 comments about Henry James: A Life in Letters (Penguin Classics).

1. Now that the University of Nebraska Press has undertaken to publish the complete James correspondence, these one-volume samplers can be relieved of the artificial responsibility to do the impossible - that is, tell the whole story in 600 pages or less.

   Horne's effort suffers in comparison to Edel's by its self-imposed mandate to favor previously unpublished letters. (Personally, I found these almost invariably of lesser interest. It looks like Edel skimmed the cream.) But his cannily selected interstitial material makes it a far more rewarding reading experience. I would say this now stands as the best introduction to the subject.

   And for what it's worth: the Penguin Classics paperback edition is a very nice piece of manufacture - comfortably sized in dimension and font.

No comments about Stephen Russell Mallory: A Biography of the Confederate Navy Secretary And United States.

5 comments about First Mothers: The Women Who Shaped the Presidents.

1. I enjoyed this book very much and have passed it on to my Grand Daughter to read since we have a new Great Grandson just born. Who knows he could be our president someday.



2. Although First Mothers is an interesting topic, this book had a few serious flaws. The author is obviously a journalist, not a non-fiction author. The chapters felt a little choppy, and the lack of a firm timeline was confusing at times. Also, there was a strong bias throughout the book, particularly in favor of Rose Kennedy. It was an interesting book that was obviously researched extensively. But it was a bit too nostalgic.



3. This was a very informative book, well-written and interesting. Numerous facts not before know to me were written in this book. I felt each of the mothers was unique, but many had similar characteristics. I really enjoyed reading this book.



4. Predictable. This book only made me turn the pages because I was hoping to find some golden nugget of information that would truly link the Presidents. It was not to be found.



5. Imagine if the public throughout history had been privileged to read books and concepts like this one. We might have had entirely different Presidents than we had, or we might have had a much better understanding of the kind of President we were getting. Barbara Bush has been around for some time, and most know both her influence, and her ability to put people at ease with her common sense and her style. We've yet to hear anything about the mothers of the current candidates in 2004, but who would not remember Lillian Carter, feisty as she was, a no nonsense strict disciplinarian if my memory serves me correctly, but endearing, and honored by her son, the President. One of the most powerful mothers of all was Bill Clinton's mother, and when I read her story I wept, not only for her, but for her family, and in part, for me, and for all of the women I'd known who had to march forward in life in less than ideal circumstances. Hers were pretty bad, but they sounded more familiar than not, unfortunately, as I'm sure they did to many others. I had never read a more powerful personal reflection and about such deeply troubling topics. Their familiarity continues to move me whenever I think about it. With all of our rhetoric about how we claim to be opposed to domestic violence, physical, emotional and verbal, we've done little to the vast need that actually exists. She may have been the first that I'm aware of in my lifetime to be so candid, and be connected to so powerful a person as a President of the United States. Surely, that is a major step forward for America, and one hopefully not lost on American women, even if it is usually on American men. Because we prefer our heroes complete with shining armor and white horse, we are not prepared for the knowledge that they had endured some of the common problems that affect so many families. The revelation was striking, and provides an extraordinary backdrop to understanding her son, the President, and perhaps a little of his administration despite their obvious gender differences. Men are often measured by their fathers as the "chips off the old block," as Dad's are inclined to view them, but in fact, most have far more affinity with their mothers to whom they have been the most intimate and honest. It is the reason that Barbara Bush can look at her son, and wonder if he would make a good President, as she did once, and why Lillian was not about to become lax with her son. The high expectations that mothers have of their sons as adults is far higher than their fathers do, and sons nearly always feel the pressure of that concern, as well as the love that accompanies it. Fathers have high expectations of their sons as youngsters, generally, to prepared them for that task, but it is usually the mothers who scrutinize and measure their progress the most intensely. Any book that attempts to define the relationship of Presidents and their sons, or even any prominent sons, and their mothers is well worth the effort and the expense for understanding how those gentlemen are able to rise to meet those expectations, and the struggles to get there. This is true family entertainment, and among the most worthwhile available for family values, and perhaps, for family progress.

No comments about A Citizen-Soldier's Civil War: The Letters of Brevet Major General Alvin C. Voris.

No comments about Anecdotes & Stories of Abraham Lincoln: Early Life Stories, Professional Life Stories, White House Stories, War Stories, Miscellaneous Stories (Lincoln Classics).

1 comments about Chief Buffalo Child Long Lance: The Glorious Impostor (Non Fiction).

1. I recommend this book to everyone. Fun to read. Interesting informations about the Blackfeet, their wars with the Crow, their life, etc.

5 comments about Make Gentle the Life of This World: The Vision of Robert F. Kennedy.

1. Robert Kennedy is one of my heroes. I believe his death did not take away the meaning of his life, which is excellently expressed in this book. I have about 20 books on RFK and this is my runaway favorite. If you own only it should be this; you will learn everything you need to know about how and why he lived his life.



2. I liked this book. I give this book 5 stars. This book gave me the chance to read some of his thoughts that he had recorded in his personal journal(daybook). One quote that I really liked is " I know there is a God and that he hates injustice. I see the storm coming and I see His hand in it. If He has a place and part for me, I am ready". For me, it has renewed my sense that I as well as my country need to get up from the sleep or the spell we our under that has led us down the wrong path, and get active again in trying to get this country on the right path.



3. This is an excellent selection of Robert F. Kennedy's words. It's amazing how applicable RFK's ideas are to our own times.



4. Anyone who is ever at a point in their life where they are doing any type of soul-searching would find the thoughts and words expressed here invaluable. After experiencing the worst tragedy, Robert Kennedy makes an incredible change....inside and then outside. Those of us who were not alive or old enough to remember do have books and videos to try and tell us his story. But his son goes beyond that and really gives us something more by sharing all the ideas that made up the man.
   
   If you are looking for info about RFK, well, you'll get something here....BUT...even more, this book will help you grow and become a better human being...and maybe even become that "tiny ripple of hope" in your world.



5. For those who missed the time in which those now called "Reagan Democrats" and those opposed to the ongoing war in Vietnam were inspired by the same voice, especially who cannot even begin to imagine how that could be, this small book is a must-read that will enable you to experience what is possible through inspiring [rather than angry divisive cynical] leadership.
   
   Some quotes from the book, which seems as if it could have been written this morning:
   
   "An understanding of what America really stands for is going to count far more than missiles, aircraft carriers, and supersonic bombers."
   
   "Insurgency aims not at the conquest of territory but at the allegiance of man. ... Counterinsurgency might best be described as social reform under pressure...any effort that becomes pre-occupied with gadgets and techniques and force is doomed to failure."
   
   "Thus does false principle destroy the credibility of our wisdom and purpose that is the true foundation of influence as a world power."
   
   "America was a great force in the world, with immense prestige, long before we became a great military power. That power has come to us and we cannot renounce it, but neither can we afford to forget that the real constructive force in the world comes not from bombs but from imaginative ideas, warm sympathies, and a generous spirit.
   These are qualities that cannot be manufactured by specialists in public relations.
   They are the natural qualities of a people pursuing decency and human dignity in its own undertakings without arrogance or hostility or delusions of superiority toward others, a people whose ideals for others are firmly rooted in the realities of the society we have build for itself."
   
   "Whatever the costs to us, let us think of the young men we have sent there: not just the killed, but those who have to kill; not just the maimed, but those who must look upon the results of what they do."
   
   [AND, to remind us not to sink into frustrated despair at our current mean-spirited divisive administration, RFK's words spoken in courage during the dark days of Apartheid in South Africa:]
   "Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."
   
   "Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of those acts will be written the history of this generation."

2 comments about Notorious Woman: The Celebrated Case of Myra Clark Gaines (Southern Biography Series).

1. It's fascinating to re-read my ancestoral history from a historian's perspective. Having heard the "filtered" versions passed down through my family, it was wonderful to get a different account of the events. It's a great read, well put together and was definitely enjoyed!



2. Sometimes is the truth is stranger than fiction! This is certainly the case with Notorious Woman: The Celebrated Case of Myra Clark Gaines. This book had everything I wanted -- scandalous family secrets, an heir fighting for legitimacy, a struggle through the courts, even a murder -- AND, it's all true! The author re-tells the drama as it unfolded in the courtroom and lets you come to your own conclusion: Was Myra Clark Gaines the true heir to a New Orleans real estate fortune worth millions? You decide.

4 comments about Dr. America: The Lives of Thomas A. Dooley, 1927-1961 (Culture, Politics, and the Cold War).

1. I remember the laudatory Reader's Digest articles, the coincidental Kingston Trio song, and mention of Dr. Dooley by my high school English teacher. And, of course, I remember the disaster of Vietnam in the years following Dooley's death. "Who was this guy Tom Dooley?", I wondered. I know he didn't cause Vietnam, but he was emblematic of the drift that got us there. We had "victory disease" hubris from World War II, and Dr. Dooley was part of it. His vigorous self-promotion and the homosexuality revelations were surprising to me. It was the 1950's, of course, and his homosexuality was certainly kept under wraps when he was being hyped all over the place. I don't feel qualified to say this is a well written or poorly written book, but I at least know more about the influential Dr. Tom Dooley and, as follows, more about America.



2. I agree 100% with Mr. Steven Epstein's review (February 7, 2000), about Dr America: The Lives of Thomas A Dooley 1927-1961 by James Fisher



3. The tale of Dr. Dooley is indeed worth telling but, sadly, this book misses the boat. The author is mired in arcane (and not terribly interesting) tales of intrigue among Catholic factions and almost lost me many times. And although this book is a biography, the author seems strangely ambivalent towards the good jungle doctor. You never get close to Dooley. Few evocative anecdotes. You get no feel for Laos. Reading it is liking eating dry toast.

   Why does The Talented Mr. Ripley come to mind? I hope that someone will take another stab at writing about this remarkable man.




4. Certainly a provocative and interesting story, however, little context is given to set the time regarding Asia, and the Cold War. Organization is deplorable, reflecting both huge gaps and many redundancies. Three notable nonsentences make me wonder why these guys publish without an editor.

5 comments about Sometimes Madness Is Wisdom: Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald: A Marriage.

1. "When Madness is Wisdom" is an excellent account of the marriage of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. While other biographical accounts tend to characterize Zelda as a crazed, selfish woman who kept her husband from writing and encouraged his drinking, the author does not indict Zelda. Rather, she shows how the behavior of each Fitzgerald resulted in a marriage that could have had no other outcome than what it did.
   Zelda was broken largely because she had nothing of her own as far as a career and the knowledge that she willingly allowed Scott to use her diaries and ideas for his work. Scott began drinking heavily at Princeton, prior to meeting Zelda and was depicted as a largely insecure person who would have stayed in his cups anyway. For those who are seeking a biographical account of the Fitzgerald's marriage that is fair to both of them, "Sometimes Madness Is Wisdom" is a great read and encourages further study.



2. I am impressed with Kendall Taylor's supreme effort in writing this book. She has invested a great deal of her life, some thirty years, in researching all the material. It is a very interesting biography, but it seems she tries to do too much. There are so many details of the Fitzgeralds' friends and contemporaries that one gets bogged down in details. There are many repetitions of facts, and areas where one sees poor editing and sentence structure errors. It would appear that the author spent too much time on the book, and therefore its presentation is somewhat disjointed and disorganized. I would have preferred to see more emphasis on Zelda herself, instead of anecdotes regarding her frivolous lifestyle.



3. As an English major in college, I was required to reach much of F. Scott Fitzgerald, most particularly "The Great Gatsby" and "Tender Is the Night." And like many others of my ilk, I fell madly in love with the legend that was the Fitzgeralds. I went on to read everything I could get my hands on, from Scott's collected short stories to "The Beautiful and the Damned" to "This Side of Paradise" to the tragically unfinished "The Last Tycoon."

   Through all of my Fitzgerald worship, I viewed Zelda as an "also-ran"--the madcap flapper, the passionate spouse and lover, the quintessential "roaring 20s girl," the great beauty who was her husband's muse-until she went crazy. I never took her seriously as an artist in her own right, and why should I have done so? Certainly until recent years, no biography of Fitzgerald painted her that way, and I found the few biographies of Zelda opinionated and suspect.

   Now, with a fascinating work that took author Kendall Taylor 30 years (!!) to write, the tragedy that was Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald finally comes to light as never before. And for the first time, I realize that the incredibly brilliant prose that made up Scott's novels was often lifted VERBATIM from Zelda's most intimate and personal diaries, which Scott viewed as his own property, to be purloined at will. I find that some of his most cunning and original turn of phrase was taken VERBATIM from Zelda's unique, brilliant, colorful, and wholly her own way of speaking (probably, in fact, a precurser of the schizophrenia that was to overtake her). I find that Scott was so possessive of Zelda as his SOURCE that he actively forbade her to write on her own, although she showed great talent. He went so far as to write long letters to her various doctors forbidding them to allow her to write, and they agreed to do so! A highly creative, completely unique human being, Zelda was thwarted at every turn, whether her painting (which Scott ridiculed) her sad attempts to become a prima ballerina (equally ridiculed and the final step to her first breakdown) to anything else she attempted to do.

   Scott, a difficult, vain, selfish and jealous human being, viewed Zelda as more than his lover and wife, as more than his helpmate and muse. He felt he owned the very words that fell from her mouth, and strongly resisted any attempt on her part to express herself apart from him, feeling that their mutual story belonged to him and him alone, as the novelist and breadwinner.

   We all know the end of the story. Scott died much too young of heart disease and TB brought on by acute alcoholism. Zelda, in and out of mental hospitals from her late twenties on, died in a horrible fire at the institution where she was housed. These two bright flames, these two icons of The Jazz Age, these two physically gorgeous people, the flapper and her swain, were doomed from the start. But until the recent death of their only daughter, Scottie Lanahan, many of their papers, letters, diaries, and so forth, remained unavailable to the public. Taylor was given unprecedented access to these, and tells her tale in as objective a way as she can, given her subject matter. One must commend Ms. Taylor for her Herculean efforts and her fascinating story. Unfortunately, like many authors of today, she has fallen victim to the same bad editing that plagues most paperbacks in today's marketplace. Therefore, the paperback version of this book (which is the version I read) is plagued by silly grammatical mistakes and typos that Scott OR Zelda would have noticed. It isn't fair to Taylor, but so be it. Suffice to say that, upon reading the very last sentence of the very last page, I broke into sobs. I now wish to go on and read Zelda's collected works (available from Amazon!), view all her artwork (ditto) and reread Scott's works-from the viewpoint of all I know now. I commend Ms. Taylor on a simply brilliant job.




4. Although quite academic and not an 'easy read', I enjoyed reading 'Sometimes Madness is Wisdom'. It has generated in me an interest to discover more about Zelda Fitzgerald which appeals to me personally, however, I do understand that some readers would find this biography frustrating in the way it leaves some questions unanswered. I think perhaps the author has set herself one goal and gotten caught up in another - ie. her introduction promises to reveal more of Zelda herself than her husband. What results is more an analysis of the marriage, as the subtitle indicates, but as a result neither Zelda nor the marriage are completely exposed. I certainly would not discourage anyone from reading 'Sometimes Madness Is Wisdom' because of this dichotomy. I would make two recommendations: 1)That this title will appeal to readers with an interest in history and/or literature as an academic pursuit more than readers of pop-bios 2) Wait for the paperback!



5. Although the author, Kendall Taylor, begins her biography with a disdainful look at how all biographies of Zelda are about F. Scott Fitzgerald, she proceeds to do the same thing, badly.

   Not only does she discuss the friendship between the Fitzgerald's and the Hemingways. she also discuss all of their friends, enemies and the possible lovers of these same friends and enemies.

   There is nothing new. The biography is not well written, which I generally expect from a English professor (too self-involved.} Beside the mediocre writing, the proofing is terrible, as is the editing--if there was any--leaving mistakes and errors galore.

   If the reader is interested in Zelda and her descent into madness and what happened after Scott died, chose another book. I'm sorry I wasted the time and money on this one.