5 comments about I Just Kept Hoping.

1. I felt kind of disappointed that Gloria Stuart did not go into detail. I thought she handled her Oscar loss with a class but an Oscar nomination at 87 is a grand achievement regardless of the loss. Kim Basinger's performance was impressive and Oscar worthy. She had the momentum but Gloria's loss was not entirely her fault. Like the Oscars this year, they prefer people who have not given up the business. Most of Gloria's friends in this business were deceased by the time that she was nominated. She writes but not candidly about her long-term marriage which was not all that great to Arthur Sheekman. She had lived on the same street where the Bundy Murders happened. She co-wrote this book with her beloved daughter and author, Sylvia Vaughn Sheekman. She writes vaguely about her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She opens up but not enough along the way. I felt that the book has a lot of holes that needed to be rectified. Regardless, she should be grateful to have a second chance at playing Rose in Titanic. If didn't happen, this book wouldn't have happened and her popularity would not have gained so much attention. Gloria should count her blessings! She has four grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. She has outlived most of her co-stars, directors, and peers in this field. She now has a star on the HOllywood Walk of Fame. She has received more attention than ever before. I thought she could have explained her abortion at an early age and her star rising. I was surprised to learn that she didn't like her stepfather.



2. I enjoyed this autobiography of one of the Classic Stars of Hollywood mainly because, although she didn't spend too much time discussing the Hollywood years in depth, she did tell a very interesting story of world travels and personal interests and hobbies that I found worth reading. Also, it seems that just when life seemed to be at a low ebb for her, along came a new experience that booted her back up again and that is called survival. In her own words, she refers to her youthful self as a Dish and I certainly agree. However, I think she still makes quite a striking Dish today. This is a fun read that all can enjoy.



3. This has got to be just about THE WORST biography I've ever read. 'I just kept hoping' it would get better, but no such luck. Sheeesh...apparently all this woman did during her lifetime was practice 'free love', get drunk, give silly dinner parties, spend money like she had some, half-assed took care of her kid, and complained about not getting great roles as an 'actress.' Well, maybe she never got the plum parts because she presented herself as a self-indulgent, egocentric, vain, petty, talentless ... Broads like her were a dime a dozen. I would hope that if I were fortunate to live such a long life as Ms. Stuart, I would be able to talk about SOMETHING worthwhile that I had done for someone other than myself. When I didn't know anything about her, I wished she had won that oscar. Now that I have read this piece of trash I praise Kim Basinger for beating out the old hag on oscar night. To me, Ms. Stuart came off as an extremely superficial, frivolous, none too bright, diva-wannabe from her beginning to the present day.



4. Gloria Stuart's name was known only to cinema afficiandos-mostly for her appearances in The Old Dark House, The Invisible Man & two John Ford 1930s films-until she was cast as the older Rose in the 1997 film, Titanic. This provided an opportunity for her to join the ever-growing ranks of Hollywood memoir-writers. Her book is one of the weakest of its kind in many years. Much of the reaction to the book has focused on her passing mention that she enjoys masturbating, as if that were either startling or egregiously evil. More pertinent to most prospective readers is the fact that the book contains little of substance. It is padded with such details as menus for dinner parties & the names of celebrities in the same night club (not necessarily the same table) as Ms. Stuart. There is almost nothing about the details of any of her films or their making; an alleged filmography provides dubious classifications of many of them. There are also factual errors-for example, George Stevens did not win an academy award for directing Alice Adams & the statement that Hollywood was not affected by the Great Depression is one of the all-time howlers. The book, in many ways seems to be one long whine-poor Gloria never got roles that would have made her famous until Titanic. This reader was left with the impression that the roles were not there for her because more talented people got them. It is generally gratifying to see success come to a veteran player. Unfortunately, this book does nothing to make one believe that it was particularly justified in this case.



5. I found Gloria's biography to be a pleasant way to spend a few hours.Not great,but fairly interesting look at a forgotten movie star of the 1930's.Frankly,I was hoping she would provide more detail about two classic horror films she made in the 30's,"The old Dark House"&"The Invisible Man",but then again,it 's probably hard to come up with amusing anecdotes about movies she made nearly 70 years ago!I wasn't bothered at all by details of her sex life.Some people are probably just shocked to learn that people actually had sex in the 1930's!

2 comments about Dear Sarah: Letters Home from a Soldier of the Iron Brigade.

1. This is a collection of the Civil War letters written by John Pardington to his wife Sarah. Pardington, from Michigan, was a member of the Iron Brigade, having enlisted in the summer of 1862. From camp life in and around Washingon to the Battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, Paddington faithfully writes his wife with particulars about army routines, concerns for staying healthy, and the misery of being so far away from her and their baby. He is rarely concerned with giving details about military maneuvers, his opinions about his officers, or with battle incidentals. He's a sensitive man and never fails to express his love for his family and the amount he misses them. He misses them so much that on a few occasions he thinks out loud to Sarah about deserting, but couldn't bare the disgrace. He worries about money and gives Sarah advice over the miles; he also warns her about friends and family members about whom he has questionable opinions. After Chancellorsville, his unit marches to Gettysburg, where the letters will suddenly end; Paddington was killed there on the first day of the battle. In one of his last letters he derides the activities of the Copperheads: "they seem bound for peace if it sacrifices the Union. It seems poor encouragement for us." (This has a haunting 2006 ring to it.) I found Pardington's patriotism admirable, though probably it was typical. The letters, which are unpolished and simple, are nevertheless heartfelt and compelling. Although not filled with the kind of information the historian might be interested in, they add a very human touch to a cause and conflict Pardington fought bravely for, and for which he finally gave his life.



2. There are several published books of letters and diaries written by American Civil War (ACW) soldiers --from both sides of the conflict.

   Enriching our understanding of the human heart in impossible circumstances is "Dear Sarah: Letters Home from a Soldier of the Iron Brigade," edited with loving care by the soldier's descendant Coralou Peel Lassen.

   In my opinion it goes without saying that this recent contribution is refreshing, of great value to not only the modern reader but to posterity, too, to those who want to know more about the men --and women; the real human beings, who lived through and endured the American Civil War. This volume also illuminates the nature of not only the American Civil War but all war.

   The Iron Brigade Soldier who wrote to Sarah was a young Union soldier named John Henry Pardington. The intense personal nature of his letters, what he writes about and how, is more than touching. The letters left by John Pardington offer a glimpse into the mind and soul of a man in the midst of a terrible situation and how he copes with it, how it defines him, shapes him, and how he continues to triumph over adversity.

   After reading several pages I already felt like I was becoming familiar with the people "back home" that this soldier wrote about 140 years ago. I began to feel the pain of his separation from his wife and daughter, the pain of every aching joint and privation he endured. The more I opened up to John Pardington and the realities of his life at war, the more psychologically invested I became --and the more I read. Knowing the inevitable outcome made some letters particularly poignant. And painful. Often, I found the book emotionally overwhelming and put it down, reflecting. Sometimes I re-read passages with a fresh insight --from John's point of view. It isn't too much to say the book is, at turns and by its nature, not only a body blow but also eye-opening. Reading firsthand accounts of how soldiers of the Iron Brigade's 24th Michigan Infantry lived and died day by day in 1862-63 can leave one feeling "beat" inside, symptomatic of the tremendous impact the reality of John Pardington's life.

   I think Ms. Lassen has really done an excellent job editing John's letters. One would think any student of history (or humanity) would want to read this book because John's words are universal. He was a Union soldier of the American Civil War, but his triumphs and failures, needs and wants, yearnings and hopes, etc., are an insight into the psyche of men away at war of all times. Her triumph is bringing John's words to the modern reader and to posterity. If one wanted to know how a soldier might be feeling or what he/she might be thinking, from Marathon to the Persian Gulf, one can find the essence of the human spirit, a soldier's dilemma, distilled and evolving in the letters of John Pardington.

   John Pardington's human face on a large historical event; his evident love and longing; his deeply human and often tender observations made me again wonder why there must be conflict, wars that kill far too many John Pardingtons and leave the world a poorer place. Is there such a thing as a tragic triumph? If so, John Pardington's triumph in expressing himself, in his very being, is all the more tragic because of his death at Gettysburg. He probably never imagined his words would one-day reach out across the years to so many people. He would probably be surprised. Rather than flustered or embarrassed to have his innermost thoughts laid bare, I like to think he would ultimately see how his own life matters today, and always.

   Ms. Lassen has helped John Pardington speak after all these years and still we hear him. And will hear him.

2 comments about The Lincoln Nobody Knows (American Century).

1. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in studying Lincoln or the Civil War. The author does an excellent job in presenting a mostly unbiased opinion. By stating in the introduction that he allows room for error in his opinions, he sets himself aside from the fanatics and characterizes himself more as a historian in search of the truth than as a man trying to paint Lincoln as he thinks he should be viewed. Moreover, the breath, not sacrificing the depth, of this book is incredible. It covers Lincoln's family and personal life and carries the reader all the way through his assassination. The Lincoln Nobody Knows presents Lincoln as both a down to earth man and as a complex, indispensable historical figure. It causes one to revaluate what he previously held to be fact about Lincoln and it allows room for interpretation-the author doesn't always give an opinion for the reader. Most are "inclined, quite naturally, to discover in Lincoln the beliefs that they themselves espouse," (57). This remains feasible since Lincoln will always be an enigma, but to his credit Current presents sound facts for his arguments and presents both sides, drawing upon many respectable sources. He begins by describing Lincoln's personal and family life-his mother's possible illegitimate birth all the way to Lincoln's relationships with women and Ann Rutledge specifically. It then goes into his involvement in the beginnings of the civil war, his policies and their changes, and the way he conducted the war. That being done, the author finishes by discussing his larger role as a politician, an emancipator, a commander in chief, a martyr and a myth. All of this does well in presenting the multidimensionality of Abraham Lincoln, and it makes one realize that there are not easy answers to questions about good old Abe. It is important to note that much of this text is controversial and a portion of it has implications beyond his contributions to American history-it attempts to define who Lincoln was as a man, not as an idol.



2. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in studying Lincoln or the Civil War. The author does an excellent job in presenting a mostly unbiased opinion. By stating in the introduction that he allows room for error in his opinions, he sets himself aside from the fanatics and characterizes himself more as a historian in search of the truth than as a man trying to paint Lincoln as he thinks he should be viewed. Moreover, the breath, not sacrificing the depth, of this book is incredible. It covers Lincoln's family and personal life and carries the reader all the way through his assassination. The Lincoln Nobody Knows presents Lincoln as both a down to earth man and as a complex, indispensable historical figure. It causes one to revaluate what he previously held to be fact about Lincoln and it allows room for interpretation-the author doesn't always give an opinion for the reader. Most are "inclined, quite naturally, to discover in Lincoln the beliefs that they themselves espouse," (57). This remains feasible since Lincoln will always be an enigma, but to his credit Current presents sound facts for his arguments and presents both sides, drawing upon many respectable sources. He begins by describing Lincoln's personal and family life-his mother's possible illegitimate birth all the way to Lincoln's relationships with women and Ann Rutledge specifically. It then goes into his involvement in the beginnings of the civil war, his policies and their changes, and the way he conducted the war. That being done, the author finishes by discussing his larger role as a politician, an emancipator, a commander in chief, a martyr and a myth. All of this does well in presenting the multidimensionality of Abraham Lincoln, and it makes one realize that there are not easy answers to questions about good old Abe. It is important to note that much of this text is controversial and a portion of it has implications beyond his contributions to American history-it attempts to define who Lincoln was as a man, not as an idol.

No comments about Famous Union Generals and Leaders of the North: A Myreportlinks.Com Book (The American Civil War).

5 comments about Hunting with Hemingway.

1. Just a bunch of made-up tall tales, allegedly based on a mysterious tape recording uncovered by the author after her parents' death. The tape is probably the biggest tall tale of them all. If you're interested in facts, skip this one. Sorry I wasted my money.



2. Why isn't this excellent Kirkus review listed on your site along with the less-than-favorable ones from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal? Here's what Kirkus has to say:
   
   Hemingway and Lindsay (Dreamland,1998) carry the Hemingway traditions of hunting family, and storytelling into the new millennium.
   
   After her mother's death in 1997, Hilary, the daughter of Ernest's younger brother Leicester inherits an audiocassette. On the tape is a recording of a fireside story telling session given by Leicester who had committed suicide 15 years earlier. Hilary transcribes these tales she has never heard before, weaving them with the chatter of his fireside companions and with her own feelings and the result is a book that rejoices in the simple beauty of a story. A huntsman and writer like his brother, Leicester describes adventures that he and Ernest experienced around the globe-with tales of nighttime crocodile hunts and slim escapes from stone- throwing baboons. Together, Leicester and his brother-often his savior-make a dynamic duo, and his tales are awesome, admirable, and a bit incredible. The pair escapes vicious packs of cannibal dogs, kills a king cobra, captures wild ostriches in Africa, and slays a Komodo dragon in the Far East. Or do they? As Hilary, Lindsay and their daughters listen to the recording, they just can't decide whether these are true stories or tall tales. Here, the story becomes a personal and touching one as well. Leicester Hemingway chose "the family exit" rather than suffer a double amputation make necessary by his diabetes. Hearing her father's stories helps Hilary finally mourn his loss and gain a new perspective on her family tradition.
   
   Hilary honors her father and celebrates her family legacy with this collection of fantastic hunting stories.



3. This is a delightful book. Don't let the boorish reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal (listed here on Amazon) mislead you. It's a charming story.



4. Its too bad Leicester Hemingway did not mine his own life for stories. I've never been able to find anything written by him other than "My Brother, Ernest Hemingway," and that was a fairly average read. Other than some insights and background it possessed to which only Leicester might ever have been privy it wasn't particularly noteworthy. Still, that book did hint that the talent in the family stretched beyond Ernest, and now Hilary Hemingway comes along to prove that fact.

   This book has been attacked in some quarters as being pure fiction and, unfortunately, Hilary destroyed the only evidence that might have help prove that the source of the many tales therein was indeed her father, Leicester Hemingway. The tales recounted within are reputedly those left behind by her father on an audiocassette. But Hilary destroyed the only copy which is, admittedly odd, given that the tapes also apparently helped her to come to terms with her relationship with her father.

   Hilary came into possession of the tape some fifteen years after her father commited suicide, a suicide which further added to the tragedy and myth of mental illness leading to suicide being an inherited trait in the family. Leicester was prompted to commit suicide when he lost his legs to diabetes. Hilary stuggled for years to forgive him.

   This book recounts both stories of her father's adventuring (some with his more famous brother, Ernest, and some on his own)and the story of the process of how she came to grips with her father's decision to commit suicide. It is a book both about her father's life and her personal process of healing after his death. As we see in reading this book, which is actually relatively short, Hilary is a very talented writer. Although I should point out her husband, Jeffrey Lindsay, was a co-author on this book so where Hilary's work begins and ends is not certain.

   Regardless, its a very compelling read whether the stories of her father are fiction or not. Frankly, most of them sound very plausible (a few do stretch the limits of credibility) and I guess we will just have to take her word that Leicester did indeed leave a recording containing these stories.

   I only hope we have not heard the last from Hilary Hemingway because she appears to have a true talent for writing.




5. This book was a joy to read. The tales are basically told by Leicester as they were recorded on an old casette tape. The man is pulling your leg so just go with it and enjoy yourself. In the end you will find that the book is not about Ernest at all. It is about a daughter coming to terms with the passing of her beloved father. If you gain nothing more from reading this book than learning that Leicester was a fantastic storyteller then it is time well spent.

5 comments about The Last Brother : The Rise and Fall of Teddy Kennedy.

1. This is a great fast reading book about the Kennedys. It gives great insight to a very disfunctional family and also, in some ways to those that were victims of the parents. Beside the family and their ways, the book shows you more than anything the corruption in our politics.Joe McGinnis has done a great job of putting together the facts as told to him with some logical progression. We the people however, let corruption contimue. That is of course my opinion. I also believe we are brainwashed by the media on a daily basis and have been for a long time. Enjoy reading!



2. This is by no means a complete biography of Edward Kennedy. Though the book was written in 1993, it cuts off just after Chappaquiddick.

   Rather, it is a biography of the Kennedy family with stress on Joe, Robert John and especially Ed.

   I really liked the way the author spells out the internal and external conflicts within each of the brothers. And while his stories of Ed Kennedy are quite lurid, he also makes you feel sorry for the man. That is an extraordinary bit of writing and makes the book a great read.




3. I read this book several years ago and loved it. I could not put it down once I started reading it. Author Joe McGinness admits that there are parts of the book where he is writing from the viewpoint of Ted Kennedy, even though he could not get a lot of direct information from him, but I did not hold that against him when I read this book. I learned a lot about the Kennedy family that I was not previously aware of before I read this book.



4. This book is terrible. It is not journalism. It is not fiction. It is the worst of both.



5. I began my reading of this book with a sense of lessened expectations due to the poor reviews McGinniss had received from its release. While moving on I found myself relating rather easily to the stylistic approach he used. Any frequent reader of the Kennedy's knows how difficult it is for authors to obtain any amount of information concerning the "mythical" family. I would find it hard to believe that Joe McGinnis would be the first Kennedy author to take liberties in interpretation of certain aspects. The book my be an even better read if the authors note is read first, as to create an understanding of the approach McGinniss took in this project. While nowhere near the best of Kennedy books it certainly is one that all Kennedy fans should find interesting and insightful.

No comments about Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves, Volume II, Part VII.

No comments about Dear Papa, Dear Charley: The Peregrinations of a Revolutionary Aristocrat, as Told by Charles Carroll of Carrollton and His Father, Charles Carroll of Annapolis, with Sundry Observations on Bastardy, Child-Rearing, Romance, Matrimony, Commerce, Tobacco, Slavery, and the Politics of Revolutionary America.

5 comments about Me and Hank: A Boy and His Hero, Twenty-Five Years Later.

1. First, this is not a book totally about baseball. If that's what you're looking for, you will have to look elsewhere. If you want a real life account of what went on while The Hammer was chasing The Babe, this is the book for you. It is well written and has enough facts/stats to interest a baseball fan like myself but it has a lot more. It goes into detail about what was going on behind the scenes. It's not pretty but the truth rarely is. There was (maybe still is) so much hate for Hank due to his color that I couldn't believe it was real. It happened before my time and it was sad to know how he was treated. As sad as it was, I think it is important to understand what went on. You know what they say about history repeating. In this case, I hope it never does.



2. I have to say this is the saddest baseball book that I've ever read. This book really is about the reality of sharp division between two Americas --- the main stream one that belongs to whites and another that belongs to blacks.
   
   Being an avid Hank Aaron fan, the author Sandy Tolan does have a strong --- could even say a bit biased --- opinion about how Aaron has not been given proper credit he deserves. As an earlier review points out, he sounds angry at times, but really the whole point in the end is that racism doesn't even take active hatred like those manifested in tons of hate mail Aaron received in his quest for the homerun record. That the main stream America has had so little interest in Aaron's great feat shows the reality of human's natural tendency to unconsciously discount "others." In this sense, I don't think Tolan intended to blame the main-stream America for not giving Aaron enough respect; the white people in the States never truly understand what someone like Aaron had to go through and what he meant to those who are considered as "others" simply because they cannot experience it in today's America. And sure they don't wish to experience if given a choice. I saw much more resignation than accusation in Tolan's narrative.
   
   It is only relieving because Tolan, who is white, does treat Aaron's achievements and deeds with such a profound respect and passion. Yet even Tolan could not break ice with Aaron, whose emotional scar has not been healed. It is too sad Aaron had to go through so many negatives for what everyone should feel happy for. But the book tells what he did really, really meant a lot for those who cared about him, and Tolan made sure that those won't be forgotten.



3. Don't get me wrong -- this was a great read and a provocative book about my favorite ballplayer of all-time. But I thought Tolan was at his best describing the people who experienced Hank Aaron's home run chase firsthand (including himself) and at his worst when his personal memories shifted from fact to opinion.

   The tale of his encounter with a homeless Atlanta man who attended the game where Aaron hit No. 715 is beautifully told and moving. His personal friendship with a Babe Ruth admirer ignores racism in his hometown and praises Aaron for his accomplishment illustrates how we need inner strength and conviction not to simply march in tune with those around us. Tolan's interviews with Aaron, his daughter Gaile and former teammates reveal the depth with which Aaron had to endure racism as a ballplayer, and his historical portrait of the racial tension in his hometown of Milwaukee is thorough and fascinating.

   But the more Tolan discovers about how unappreciated Aaron truly is, the more preachy -- and less effective -- he becomes. He hits a low point when he grills three advertising executives on their lack of knowledge of Aaron's hardships as they prepare to pay homage to Aaron in a MasterCard commercial. Are they to be blamed for that? All of these people clearly respect Aaron, and they all interviewed Aaron in preparation for the commercial. If he'd really wanted them to know what he endured, he probably would have told them. He also takes some unnecessary shots at the Hall of Fame because they have chosen to pay tribute to Babe Ruth with an entire room, while Aaron gets only a wall. Sure, Aaron deserves a room to himself, so do Jackie Robinson, Bob Gibson, Curt Flood, and many of baseball's other African-American pioneers. They don't. Deal with it.

   One need not be a walking encyclopedia of Aaron's life, as Tolan is, to appreciate his accomplishments achieved under extreme duress. Let those who appreciate Aaron for who he is -- a great ballplayer and a great man -- simply be. The irony is, I'm with Tolan on his central argument, that Aaron is one of the greatest and most underappreciated Americans in history. I'll even go far as to say you can't prove Ruth is better than Aaron, because Ruth played an all-white game and didn't necessary play against the best. But Ruth made the game popular. If not for Babe Ruth and what he did to make baseball America's pastime, Aaron's chase wouldn't have inspired the rancor that it did. People wouldn't have cared.

   Sandy, let's enjoy being Hank Aaron fans by not wasting our time beating up those who don't appreciate him to the extreme degree we do.




4. Sandy Tolan did a good job interviewing many people, including Hank Aaron, to do this book. Hank Aaron is a wonderful person who deserves much more recognition for what he has done both on the field and off. The book is very well done. It makes you think.



5. What a wonderful book! This is a fitting tribute to a man who has been shamefully underrated in American life, as well as a probing look at race relations in the past forty-plus years, seen through the prism of baseball and Hank Aaron's breaking of Babe Ruth's record. Like the author, I grew up in Milwaukee, although I am a bit older and so I saw Hank Aaron hit many of his home runs. His dignity and grace are a precious memory of my youth. Also like the author, I wrote Hank Aaron a letter when I learned that racists were hounding him for challenging Ruth, and received an eloquent letter in reply from Mr. Aaron. This book, with its highly personal approach to the subject, is a multifaceted view of a revealing part of American life. I couldn't recommend it more highly.

4 comments about The Custer Story: The Life and Intimate Letters of General George A. Custer and His Wife Elizabeth (Bison Book).

1. To the points made in several reviews - just because Libby Custer expresses something, doesn't necessarily make her history any more valid. Very few histories are not tainted in some way by the presenting historian - and most that are not are just boring facts. I am sure Luise Jodl also expressed deep love, and that Gen. Jodl in a similar fashion was a devoted husband, and at times struggling, conflicted military leader. In the Custer histories, the troubles come when we retroactively apply the standards and culture of today as the lens for viewing and judging a completely different timeframe. What personal letters and direct history such as this book provide is an unfiltered view of how the individuals of that time saw, judged, and created their circumstances. It renders history as "real," and in that sense is invaulable. However, again the source must always be considered. I'm sure the private diaries and letters of Frederick Benteen - describing facts as he saw them - might render a differing perspective :-)



2. I grew up like most people being fed the lies of Hollywood and those with an ax to grind about American history and blamed George Custer.
   I have read 3 books now on the Custers, My Life on the Plains, Boots and Saddles by his wonderful wife Libby and now this one of their personal letters.
   In all of these books, the reader will find a husband and wife emerge who were deeply in love with each other, solid in their Christian faith, of good morals, temperate, loved and respected by all....who enjoyed life to it's fullest.
   General Custer even emerges as thee soldier who did not want the Indian Wars, and, for an extra history eye opener, you will find he went to great lengths to rescue the Cheyenne from military confrontation....a people who would later massacre him and his command at Little Big Horn.
   I can not say enough positive about this book. It is the truth and is a wonderful read with insights to America from the view of people who actually were part of our history.
   Where else are you going to read that Vice President Andrew Johnson was drunk at Lincoln's Inaugural from the eye witness Libby Custer.
   This is real...this is true. You will find a General who was always careful in his planning....never reckless as his late critics spout in so many lies.
   George and Libby Custer's words should be REQUIRED reading by all the "experts" before they are allowed to publish their thoughts on people they never knew.
   This is a cheap book...and worth 10 times the cost.



3. From the Foreword: "This assembling of their intimate letters was prepared at Mrs. Custer's request. ...[T]here are personal things one cannot say or suffer to be said during one's lifetime, but which ought to be said. For some decades, ending in 1933 at her death, I was [Mrs. Custer's] nearest friend."

   Originally published in 1950, this reprint of Ms. Merrington's work interleaves selections from the personal letters of the Custers between a sympathetic narrative of their personal lives, providing an intimate view of his controversial career and their happy marriage. We see him as he leaves his family homestead in New Rumley, Ohio, for a military education at West Point; spy long glimpses of him during his rise to prominence in the Union Cavalry to early fame as the acclaimed Boy General; saunter alongside as he courts Judge Bacon's daughter Libby in Monroe, Michigan; march behind him during his daring campaign on the Washita; sit in silent shock during his unwarranted court martial; and watch with growing trepidation as he delivers his forthright testimony before Congress about the mismanagement by the War Department immediately prior to his return to Fort Lincoln and his final campaign in the Dakota Territory. We see Custer through his own eyes, and through the eyes of his devoted wife, and what we view is a portrait of a strong, courageous leader whose skill, gallantry, and wit account for his remarkably successful military career. It is customary in these later years to deny the underlying truth of this view and paint the man in colors few of his contemporaries would recognize. But there are enough artists of history to paint horns where none may have existed; we may suffer the Custers to sketch a faded halo above his engaging visage, and let it serve to counter the later brushstrokes of politically corrected historians and politicians.




4. In studying history and people in history we usually base our opinions on second and third hand descriptions of people. In the case of George Custer, a voluminous writer; we have his book, articles and these edited letters to his wife. While these letters are edited, they do give us insights into the character and personality of this man from which to form our own opinions. Readers will likely react differently to the same passages based on their response to the words expressed. Taken in the context of the society of the time, we can each draw conclusions relative to his intelligence, wit and character. History is considerably more real and more alive when we have such an advantage to get to know its' participants.