2 comments about Braxton Bragg and Confederate Defeat (Volume 1).

1. It is hard to believe that a head of state would keep a totally incompetent general in office and indeed promote him because of misplaced loyalty. Jefferson Davis was a leader who placed great importance on loyalty of his underlings. Your loyalty to him covered a multitude of sins of incompetence. The rise of Braxton Bragg is a perfect example of this. In every function of Bragg's meteoric career he failed miserably but maintained the high positions because Davis needed him to prop his ego.
   
   The author does a remarkable job in presenting Bragg in as impartially as is possible with such an unlikable subject. Grady McWhiney was so disenchanted with his subject that he was unable/unwilling to complete the biography. The second volume was very ably completed by Judith Lee Hallock.
   
   Bragg held a number of positions from the beginning of the war. He "led" armies in both the eastern and western theatres. He served as confidant of Jefferson Davis, and was rewarded with command of the very valuable port of Wilmington which ensured its loss to the Confederacy. The history of Bragg and Davis as portrayed very well by the two volumes of this biography is almost mirrored by the personnel mistakes of a recent administration.
   
   If the subject were someone other than Braxton Bragg I could give this book five stars.



2. Braxton Bragg doesn't have the good press that Lee, Jackson, or Forrest had, but he was one of the Confederacy's better generals. This biography covers his life through the end of 1862, and it illustrates much about how the Confederate Armies went wrong.

   Bragg again and again planned good actions against the Union forces, only to see them fall apart as his subordinates just ignored his orders. Particularly bad was Leonidas Polk, who was a bad enough general to singlehandedly doom the Confederacy, but there were other offenders.

   A military genius might have overcome this. Bragg was merely above average for a Confederate commander, and thus he never had a chance.

   Very interesting, and the maps are outstanding, among the best I've ever seen in a history.

   Read it to see how a bad culture can foul up a good army with a good commander.

1 comments about Life on the Mississippi (Konemann Classics).

1. Classic Twain satirical humor, it idealizes a time lost without crossing over into the cliche. What it lacks in a cohesive plot, it makes up for in the light and quick reading nature of its fairly independent and anecdotal chapters. Its not Huck Finn, but Life on the Mississsippi is a most gratifying read that inspires readers both to travel some great water and to laugh out loud in manner that all-to-aware-of-itself modern humorous prose cannot achieve.

3 comments about An Autobiography of George Washington.

1. Yes, this book is channeled literature. However, if you have an open mind and can get past the messenger, you'll find the message is both entertaining and enlightening. Personally, I find the realistic detail of this book to be very refreshing. It seems we all too often look upon George Washington as a hero and leader without par and forget to actually get to know the man. In this book you'll get to know the man and Mason that was the father of our country.



2. This book was written several decades ago, but there was a small readership in those days for information channeled from the Other Side. Thanks to an ever-growing acceptance of this type of writing, we are able to gain access to valuable information.
   Here is the story of George Washington's life, told by the man himself from the Other Side. I was fascinated from start to finish. Perhaps there are those who would argue that this was not channeled, but that instead, Edith Ellis concocted the whole story. This seems implausible, given the wealth of detail and feeling that comes across. Of course, it is up to the reader to decide.
   I had Amazon send this book to my mother, and after she read it, she sent it to me. There was something strange in the ending of the book, and on closer inspection, I found that the last 2 chapters were missing, and the void was filled with a repeated section of pages from earlier in the book. I asked Amazon to replace it, and I also asked them to send me a copy as well.
   My copy had all the correct pages--but apparently Amazon sent my mother another defective copy; the important last 2 chapters are once again missing, thus cutting out Mr. Washington's presidency and his death.
   Of the three copies I requested, two were defective. I was surprised that Amazon did not take the trouble to see how many of these defective books they have in stock; they replaced a defective book with just another defective book. I wonder if they have notified the Hay House Publishing Company of this.
   Amazon's service is usually outstanding, but until they work this glitch out, save yourself a hassle and order it directly from Hay House Publishers.



3. I found this book to be really amazing and carefully researched. The authenticity is really incredible. It turned George Washington from a wooden stick figure, into the really amazing person he was. I know some people will question the authencity of the material. But, to me, the wealth of detail, emotions, make it an unquestionably good read.

No comments about The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin: & Selections from His Other Writings (Modern Library).

5 comments about Fraternity: A Journey in Search of Five Presidents.

1. Bob Greene has penned a very readable work about five past Presidents: Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan and Bush I. Instead of asking them the age old questions, he asks them things like: "what is your favorite movie?" and "do you shop for clothes like a normal person does?" I sensed he took them by surprise with many of his questions. You get to see a side of these men you have never seen. The saddest part of the book comes when he goes to interview Reagan right after he has made his Alzheimer's announcement.



2. It's not unusual for people to visit presidential libraries and museums or collect presidential memorabilia. There is even a surprising number of people who seek out presidential gravesites (and write books about it, like C-SPAN's Brian Lamb). But it's far rarer for someone to attempt to meet and spend time with former presidents themselves. This book is the story of Bob Greene's effort to collect the whole set.
   
   As other reviewers have noted, this book is as much about Greene as it is about the living historical markers he sees the ex-presidents as having become. Americans have lived with president as Caesar, president as criminal, even retrospectively, president as demigod. Now we have president as tourist souvenir.
   
   Back during the 1992 campaign, when that young woman asked then-candidate Clinton the famous "boxers or briefs" question, I remember thinking, "You have a chance to ask a likely future president a question, and that's the best you could do? Shame on you." I had something of the same reaction to this book. Greene explicitly set out to be non-political and non-confrontational, and if that's the direction he had to take to get in the door, than so be it. But it makes Greene's subjects -- whom, he argues, have fallen from exalted heights and are all mournfully cognizant of what they have lost -- seem even more banal to wind up sitting in their living rooms, offices, or hotels discussing sweaters or college football with Bob Greene. Only Jimmy Carter comes across as really *doing something* -- and consequently Greene in those chapters is reduced to part of the hyperkinetic Carter's entourage instead of being the sole object of hours of his subjects' attention, as he is in most of the rest of the book. (A great companion for this section, by the way, is Steven Hayward's "The Real Jimmy Carter" [Regnery, 2004].)
   
   Greene comes to the realization that "you can be elected out of [the presidency], but ... apparently, in some ways, you can never really leave" (p. 182). This "Hotel California" existence is a sign of how much we invest in our presidents, emotionally, symbolically, and even spiritually. Even a man like Gerald Ford, who filled the office for little more than two years, is elevated -- apotheosized -- for all time. Greene suggests Ford's image may show up on a coin someday (Ford himself, entirely rightly, considers the idea laughable). To see how this process affects the men themselves, and to try to tease some insights into the men's personalities out of Greene's readable but not especially deep prose, is probably the best way to approach this book.



3. Bob Greene was the laziest writer in Chicago. For years, he got away with writing column after column on these topics: Michael Jordan, the Beach Boys, how much better everything was when he was a teenager in Bexley, Ohio in 1964, Bob Evans, and the annoyance to end all annoyances, Baby Richard. Many of us were relieved when he was dismissed from his Tribune post for personal reasons.
   
   Now Bob is back, with this sometimes interesting but mostly maddening volume about ex-Presidents of the United States. Any other writer would have told us more about these men and how they spend their post-Presidency careers and retirements. Not Bob! He spends the majority of the book discussing how the presidents interact with Bob and what each president means to Bob.
   
   Thus, we see Richard Nixon as someone who repeatedly tells his secretary that he has more time for Bob. We see George Bush Sr. making a speech and referencing a conversation he had earlier in the day with Bob, and we hear how Bob feels about it. We get Bob's reaction to Gerald Ford. We get a pointless digression about Jack Nicklaus. We get Bob's visit to a Ronald Reagan Library dinner honoring Yitzhak Rabin. Finally, in the book's most self-indulgent moment, we find out that Nixon sent Bob's infant son an inscribed book. And through all this, Bob doesn't even bother to interview his generational peer, Bill Clinton. You'd think they could have traded memories of Beach Boys songs.
   
   The few tidbits we can get about the presidents themselves are interesting - for example, Nixon had to take his daily walks at 5:30 AM because he would be mobbed otherwise, or Jimmy Carter trying to rest his hurt knee because he would be taking a group of inner-city Atlanta youths on a ski trip the next week, or Gerald Ford and his group of high school football friends who still get together. But ultimately, it's a Bob-fest suitable only for Bob's few fans who are left.
   
   And in case you were wondering, Bob makes three separate references to Columbus (Bexley is a Columbus suburb) and Ohio State University, and mentions Michael Jordan once. You can't teach an old Bob new tricks!



4. If it has one weakness, it is the same weakness as Greene's books about Michael Jordan. After a certain point, there is a feeling that you are hearing a man telling his innermost thoughts to famous people to see what they think about his thoughts. On the one hand, it's interesting. On the other, it's narcissitic. One wonders if this was a quest for information or validation. But you do come away with the feeling that it takes a common and uncommon man to become president. Only an uncommon person could have written this book.



5. Bob Greene's breezy, nostalgic journey to chat with 5 of our former Chief Executives is a great book to give as a gift, or to pleasantly pass the time in a single sitting. His enthusiasm and humor shine through in his chatty chapters with Nixon, Carter and Ford...all three statesmen come off as interesting, intelligent men (even Nixon with his always astounding idiosyncracies). With the elder Bush, however, Greene seems to have less to work with, so fills out the chapter with his own reflections on the man and his legacy. The final chapter, on Ronald Reagan, is certainly poignant as no interview was possible due to the onset of Alzheimer's Disease.
   
   Greene is a great writer and I'd suggest a follow up on either the former First Ladies or the women of the Senate, entitled SORORITY.

5 comments about Lone Star Rising: Lyndon Johnson and His Times, 1908-1960 Volume 1 (Lone Star Rising).

1. For the foreseeable future, I think it's safe to say Dallek's two volumes will be the definitive LBJ biography for the simple reason(s) that it's unclear if Caro will finish his works and it is doubtful that anyone will soon take on the onerous task of researching Johnson's extremely complicated life ... and find anything new. This volume tracks LBJ's life up to the 1960 election and everything is here ... and I mean everything, from Johnson's lineage, his childhood and education, his work as a New Deal caretaker and Texas politician, his dubious "military service", his meteoric climb through both the House and US Senate, including his "election" to the latter and finally his acceptance as JFK's vice-presidential running mate. The reader meets the big (and small) personalities in LBJ's life including FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, Sam Rayburn, Richard Russell and Hubert Humphrey as well as the truly dedicated people who worked ungodly hours for him. Dallek also does an admirable job in tracking the development of LBJ's character and motives, (and ego) while parsing through, at times, the frenetic activity of his life. Where this biography differs from others, (especially Caro's), is in Dallek's self-restraint in judging LBJ's actions and behaviors, (and there is a lot to judge). Others have made this out to be an omission on the author's part, I would beg to differ and label it as evenhanded. Dallek presents the facts and lets the reader make the call while other authors, (again Caro), have stepped into the breech and passed judgement. (This doesn't mean I disagree with those judgements, in fact in most cases I do agree. It's hard not to.) I just appreciated Dallek allowing me to come to my own conclusions. If there is a fault with this book, (and the second volume), and this is a nit, it's that too much detail is provided and at times can become mind-numbing. In Dallek's subsequent bio of JFK, at least in my opinion, he does a better job of not overwhelming the reader with at times, repetitive details.



2. Over the last several years, I've read more than 30 presidential biographies, usually letting Amazon reader's guide me to the best choice. I assure you Robert Dallek's first volume of his LBJ biography is one of the top five or six biographies I've read thus far. This volume provides the details of LBJ's life until he became vice president. Lone Star Rising is well written. Most of all it is balanced presenting numerous sides of a very complex man. Also included are the anecdotes of LBJ's life that led me to laugh out loud or shake my head with disbelief.
   
   Lilly Tomlin once said, "I try to be as cynical as I can be, but sometimes I just can't keep up. " She could have been talking about Southern politics in general or LBJ in particular. Dallek shows LBJ's warts, but he also describes Johnson's genuine desire to help the poor and the South.
   
   LBJ rose from poverty through a combination of incredible drive, unbelievable moxie, a willingness to do anything to win, a refusal to admit defeat, and a sense that the world was his stage with all of the characters being actors for him to manipulate, bamboozle, and control. These traits helped LBJ reach the presidency, but they also led to a stubborn refusal to get out of Viet Nam (see volume 2).
   
   I truly wish every president could have a biographer as skilled as Dallek. Finally, I'd like to stress the 1200 or so pages of the two vlumes are worth the effort. While the second volume gets bogged down covering our bogged down war in Viet Nam, I would not have wanted to skip over a page of volume 1



3. Dallek's two volume work is probably a bit more even handed in dealing with LBJ than some of the biographies of recent years. While it is certainly not a collection of "way to go LBJ" chapters, it does go out of it's way to point out much of the good Johnson accomplished. The book appeared to be well researched and read easily. While I feel that it could have pointed out and examined Johnson's many, many flaws and their underlying source, there are indeed many other works which do so, so another good LBJ bash book was and is not probably needed at this time. I did enjoy this one and am glad I added it to my collection.



4. Dallek's biography has the virtue of being written by someone who clearly admires Johnson. As such, it is somewhat of a counterweight to Robert Caro and I suggest both be read for balance.

   Nevertheless, in presenting the "good Lyndon", Dallek downplays the worst of Johnson. There is nothing particularly wrong with this (Dallek certainly doesn't ignore the flaws, just tends to gloss over them a little), but it does lead to a fairly tepid book, one that is nowhere near as much fun to read as Caro's. Thus, if I could only read one (which of course many readers will do considering the length of both Caro's and Dallek's presentations), I would read Caro's. Caro's second and third volumes (covering the 40's and 50's, roughly the second half of the Dallek volume being discussed here) are possibly the best political biography ever written. It is against that "competition" that Dallek's book must be weighed and I found, in the balance, that Dallek's work is merely ordinary.




5. Dallek's two-volume examination of LBJ is a dramatic and nuanced examination of one the most complex figures in 20th century American history. Even almost three decades after his death, there are no shortage of people who see LBJ as the ultimate villan of American politics. Many people of this camp dislike Dallek's work, because he puts his subject in his context.

   While Dallek does not excuse the sort of election fraud in which LBJ engaged, he does explain that it was wide spread. Some find this an unacceptable defense, but one should note that the sorts of tricks he describes have been wide spread in the US for most of the 19th and early 20th century. To dismiss LBJ for engaging in such activities who require similar condemnation of every US president from Adams to FDR.

   Dallek in fact, is unflinching in discussing LBJ's negative side. His pension for strong arming opponents, his abuse of his staff, his womanizing and drinking, and his dirty tricks are all layed bare. At the same time, Dallek reviews how crucial LBJ was as part of the New Deal and his brave role as a champion of civil rights.

   The other major LBJ biography by Caro is far less balanced in its approach to this complex and ultimately tragic figure. For a truly great and complete biography of LBJ, I suggest that you read this one.

5 comments about Denmark Vesey.

1. I was often annoyed with the author's inability to write an accurate and even handed account of the Great Denmark Vesey. There are way better books out there. I will continue to search until I find a historian who is fair and isn't afraid to tell it like it was. These myth makers are getting on my last nerves.
   
   The only positive thing I can say is that the author directed me to some other historians, most notable John Hope Franklin. I bet he has done a better job.



2. I have just finished Denmark Vesey and consider it one of the finest books I've ever had the pleasure to read. David Robertson is an extraordinary and talented author whom I feel deserves national attention. He gives us an extensively researched and scholarly piece of work that should be required reading for every high school student nationwide. I found his narrative both an informative and enlightening journey into the horrors of slavery in the 19th century South. Also well worth mentioning are Mr. Robertson's insights and philosophy which give us all a well needed opportunity to examine our own consciences as to what we have learned from history and how we as a nation still need to work to achieve harmony for all races in an ever growing diverse United States of America. An outstanding book.



3. David Robinson attempts to define the life of Denmark Vessey. Since Vessey is little known, and not much has been written about him, this short book attempts to define what motivated Denmark Vessey to try to lead on of the largest slave rebellions. Good background material about Barbados and Charlestown's links with the slave island. One of the previous reviewers called Vessey a Haitan, but his name indicates origin in the Danish Virgin Islands, as Robertson asserts. Because his origin is so obscure, Robertson puffs up what is known and makes it book length. More research could have led to a more interesting book. However Robertson does shed light on an interesting time in U. S. History.



4. Probably the biggest obstacle to writing a biography of Denmark Vesey is the wealth of rumors and legends and a dearth of facts. All the greater is the loss as Mr. Vesey was a fascinating part of the history of Charleston and the history of this nation. Some of these legends survive even to this day and appear below in some of the reviews. A closer look implies that the plot almost certainly did not include the massacre of all whites in Charleston. Instead any whites seen coming out of their doors in the areas under attack, such as the armory, or seen to be assembling would be killed. Also, there were plans to put fire to parts of Charleston to create greater confusion if need be. These would be strategies necessary to the success of such an insurrection. In fact, the in-depth planning, organization and strategy of this attempted uprising is what sets it apart from other slave revolts in this country. I would strongly suggest reading this book as well as Egerton's to help get a clearer picture of the man and the insurrection.



5. The more History I read of this Country the more I seem to read about South Carolina. I am not a concentrated reader of The Civil War, and while South Carolina played key roles in that conflict, it also was the locale of a number of additional notable events in this Country's History. If I were to pick one State the approximate vintage of South Carolina, I cannot make a better argument for a single State that was as independently oriented, and that defended its independence from influence outside its borders, and defended it with even greater passion from any Federal influence. To the very present, South Carolina has been expressing the same theme through the issue of what Flag they will fly over their Capital, and who the decision will be made by. A decision was reached, the flag may no longer fly over the Capital, but it shall fly not far from it.

   Denmark Vesey's birthplace is unknown contrary to the conflicting commercial reviews. From the book, "It is not confirmable whether Vesey was born in Africa or The West Indies". If there is a consistent thread through the book, it is how much is not known about this man who attempted what would have been a massive Rebellion, Slave in makeup or otherwise composed. This is not to say the book is not well done, quite the contrary. I believe that the documentation achieved by Mr. David Robinson is nothing short of remarkable when the effort to destroy all remnants of the rebellion is considered. The book loses no credibility because we don't know from what tree he was executed, nor where his body was finally buried. These issues are more legend than they will ever be fact, but these issues do not change the heart of the event, and the facts of what took place. Even Mr. Vesey's appearance is unknown except for the most impressionistic of drawings; the man visually is an enigma.

   The story as related is brief, 153 pages. But as evidenced by photographs and 40 pages of notes, the Historical detective work was clearly done. The Author presents what he knows, makes very little speculation, and to the extent he does, he places his feelings in a distinct chapter, "A Personal Conclusion".

   Staying away from the story so as not to spoil it, there was however an aspect of the South in 1822 that I had never read about in such detail. There were not 2 groups, there were many. Slaves, freed slaves like Mr. Vesey, and very defined and distinct groups among the black and white Communities. The distinctions amongst the people that Vesey wished to lead were the same that lead to his rebellions defeat.

   It is necessarily a brief story unless more information comes to light. With the material at hand and the documentation the Author found, I believe he did a very credible job of relating a relatively unknown event in our History.

   The question of what would have happened had Vesey succeeded, and the implications on this Country are not to be found in the book, nor do I believe it would be appropriate for such counter-factual debate to be placed in a Historical work. The "what if" scenarios are varied and certainly would have been momentous. However History did not take place as Mr. Vesey planned, and the historical record was systematically destroyed to the extent possible.

   What is important is that Denmark Vesey and other leaders like him take their place in our Historical record. Whether positive, negative, or aborted, events like these must be recounted or our History is incomplete.

No comments about Memoirs of General W.T. Sherman, both volumes in a single file.

4 comments about Sword of the Border: Major General Jacob Jennings Brown, 1775-1828.

1. This book provides a sparkling bio on the life and times of Maj. Gen. Jacob Brown. For too long we have ignored the study of the US army in the post Revolutionary War period. Jacob Brown, a Quaker turned soldier was one of the founding fathers of the American army in the early part of the 19th century. Like Winfield Scott and others of this period they have for too long been overshadowed by the galaxy of personalities associated with the Civil War. Without the Browns and Scotts in the antebellum US army there would not have been a firm military foundation in this country on which to build anything.

   For sure Brown was no military genius, but he possessed common sense and was aggressive in his generalship. After whitnessing first hand the shameful failures in the first part of the War of 1812 when ametuer American armies bumbled their way across the border into Canada only to be sent reeling back, Brown and others learned quickly what not to do. A successful defense against Governor Provost's clumsy attack upon Sacketts Harbor in 1813 quickly marked Brown as one of the few American generals able to best British regulars. He was destined to achieve higher command than just the inefficient New York State Militia.
   After the disasterous Montreal campaign of 1813, easily the worst debacle in US military history, Brown achieved rank as Maj. Gen. in the regular army. His promotion was one of several which was intended to remove the aged and incompetent generals that were ruining the army.

   Brown and Winfield Scott worked hard in preparation for the 1814 Niagara campagn. Scott has been given a lot of the credit for this work, but it was really Brown who put the wheels in motion and who gave Scott the latitude to train and perfect his little brigade. The 1814 Niagara campagn would be the coming of age for the US army. The fiercely fought battles of Chippewa, Lundy's Lane and Fort Erie are at long last starting to receive the attention they deserve. Morris in his bio goes into some depth concerning these actions, and rightfully so as Brown played a major part in them all. Still, we see that it was Brown's maanagement and control of the army as opposed to his battlefield genius that accomplished more than anything. Brown got the militia to actually cross the border and support the regulars. Brown is often credied as the only general who was never defeated by the British. American historians are often desperate to point this out in order to regain some pride from an embarrassing conflict. While Brown was successful in all his battles save Fort Erie, he very easily could have lost at any one of them. Still, compared to the likes of Dearborn, Wilkinson and Hull, Brown comes acorss as a towering military genius!

   This biography on Brown paints a nice picture of the man and the times he lived in. We learn of the origins of this old and honorable American family and how they became the land barons of northern New York before the war. We learn of Brown's domestic life and large family from the fragmentary records which the author has put together and carefully arranged. Where there is not enough evidence the author tries to put together the pieces. The War of 1812 takes up about half of this book, while the remainder shows how Brown struggled to maintain a tiny US army under the constant attacks of scheming politicians in Washington. Without Brown's harmonizing efforts the US army might not be what it is today. Brown was also instrumental in reorganizing many departments within the army, and deserves every bit as much credit as Scott has recieved over the years. All of this was done while Brown struggled with heavy debts and a failing health.

   Morris has rescued the honor of a general who deserves a very important place in the early history of the US army. This is a very readable and concise biography. All students of the War of 1812 and the period in general should enjoy this book.




2. This book provides a sparkling bio on the life and times of Maj. Gen. Jacob Brown. For too long we have ignored the study of the US army in the post Revolutionary War period. Jacob Brown, a Quaker turned soldier was one of the founding fathers of the American army in the early part of the 19th century. Like Winfield Scott and others of this period they have for too long been overshadowed by the galaxy of personalities associated with the Civil War. Without the Browns and Scotts in the antebellum US army there would not have been a firm military foundation in this country on which to build anything.

   For sure Brown was no military genius, but he possessed common sense and was aggressive in his generalship. After whitnessing first hand the shameful failures in the first part of the War of 1812 when ametuer American armies bumbled their way across the border into Canada only to be sent reeling back, Brown and others learned quickly what not to do. A successful defense against Governor Provost's clumsy attack upon Sacketts Harbor in 1813 quickly marked Brown as one of the few American generals able to best British regulars. He was destined to achieve higher command than just the inefficient New York State Militia.
   After the disasterous Montreal campaign of 1813, easily the worst debacle in US military history, Brown achieved rank as Maj. Gen. in the regular army. His promotion was one of several which was intended to remove the aged and incompetent generals that were ruining the army.

   Brown and Winfield Scott worked hard in preparation for the 1814 Niagara campagn. Scott has been given a lot of the credit for this work, but it was really Brown who put the wheels in motion and who gave Scott the latitude to train and perfect his little brigade. The 1814 Niagara campagn would be the coming of age for the US army. The fiercely fought battles of Chippewa, Lundy's Lane and Fort Erie are at long last starting to receive the attention they deserve. Morris in his bio goes into some depth concerning these actions, and rightfully so as Brown played a major part in them all. Still, we see that it was Brown's maanagement and control of the army as opposed to his battlefield genius that accomplished more than anything. Brown got the militia to actually cross the border and support the regulars. Brown is often credied as the only general who was never defeated by the British. American historians are often desperate to point this out in order to regain some pride from an embarrassing conflict. While Brown was successful in all his battles save Fort Erie, he very easily could have lost at any one of them. Still, compared to the likes of Dearborn, Wilkinson and Hull, Brown comes acorss as a towering military genius!

   This biography on Brown paints a nice picture of the man and the times he lived in. We learn of the origins of this old and honorable American family and how they became the land barons of northern New York before the war. We learn of Brown's domestic life and large family from the fragmentary records which the author has put together and carefully arranged. Where there is not enough evidence the author tries to put together the pieces. The War of 1812 takes up about half of this book, while the remainder shows how Brown struggled to maintain a tiny US army under the constant attacks of scheming politicians in Washington. Without Brown's harmonizing efforts the US army might not be what it is today. Brown was also instrumental in reorganizing many departments within the army, and deserves every bit as much credit as Scott has recieved over the years. All of this was done while Brown struggled with heavy debts and a failing health.

   Morris has rescued the honor of a general who deserves a very important place in the early history of the US army. This is a very readable and concise biography. All students of the War of 1812 and the period in general should enjoy this book.




3. No other US general was as consistently successful in the War of 1812 as Jacob Brown. Although a politically appointed general officer in the New York militia, Brown quickly earned the nation's respect, and a regular commission as a Brigadier General. Morris' well-written book objectively follows Brown's amazingly successful career from pre-War of 1812, to his death while serving as General of the Army in the post war years. The bulk of the book chronicles Brown's various commands on the Niagara Frontier during the War of 1812. During his tenure on the Niagara Frontier, Brown was a central player in most land combat actions. He was in command of US forces against the British in such major battles as the Battle of Chippewa, and the Battle of Lundy's Lane- the bloodiest battle of the war. Morris covers Brown's development of standardized training for not only enlisted, but the officers under his command as well. This served as the start of professional development for the US Army that continues through to today. Morris also ably covers Brown's post war career as one of only two Major Generals retained on active duty after the war (the other being Andrew Jackson), and his rise to become General of the Army. It was in this post where Brown was able to truly begin to instill professionalism in the Army. Although the book devotes most of its space to Brown's military success, Morris also delves into Brown's personal difficulties- severe debt and deteriorating health, which serves to round out the reader's understanding of the man. Despite his status as a national hero at the time of his death in 1828, the public unfortunately has generally forgotten Brown and his contributions the United States and its Army. Morris' book will hopefully help widen the public's knowledge of the forward-thinking Brown past those interested in the War of 1812. A highly recommended book for those not only interested in the War of 1812, but also for those interested in the development of the US Army and early westward expansion.



4. Military historians will love this book, which is replete with battle plans, diagrams, maps, and minutiae regarding the War of 1812. So clear and cogent a description of our army's actions and tactics is an impressive accomplishment, obviously the result of years of assiduous research. Information is derived not only from military and government records but also from personal correspondence of the time. One emerges from this book with a new respect for Major General Jacob Brown, whose victories at Chippawa and Lundy's Lane strongly influenced the outcome of the war and earned him a Congressional gold medal. John Morris's book offers a plenitude of information about the War of 1812 and also describes the changes in American military organization that resulted from Brown's ideas. (The author has also unearthed financial and personal records showing that Major General Brown labored under a backbreaking load of debt all his life, and was never free of financial worries. In present times, such a military celebrity would be making millions on the lecture circuit.)

   I am not particularly well qualified to review this book, having bought and read it for family rather than academic reasons, but it is definitely a must-have for any serious student of American history. Put it on your Christmas list as the perfect gift for historians, war aficionados, and military scholars. It is not only a gold mine of information but also an elegant coffee-table display volume, containing numerous reproductions of portraits of the dramatis personae of the period.

No comments about Herbert Hoover - President of the Great Depression (Biography).