5 comments about Woodrow Wilson (Profiles in Power Series).

1. This biography is focused exclusively on Wilson's political life. Within those constraints, while being short and concise, it is very analytical and insightful. The author analyses why Wilson did what he did. While sharing with us some notable opinions on these subjects, he always offers his own objective and analytical views as well. Excellent book - I learned something from almost every page.



2. An excellent short but complete biography of Woodrow Wilson, a thoughtful peace loving man born into a pious and academic household. He was born in 1856 and lived in Staunton, Virginia, a Southern Border state. He grew up in a time that he saw the ravages caused by the Civil War. His quest for peace and reform was always intense - no more wars. He tried studying law, but did not like the and quiet thoughtful man made him a natural for Princeton although he brought many interesting new ideas for educational reform. He became President of Princeton University from 1902 -1910. Leaving Princeton, he was also thought of as a reformer when he became governor of the state of New Jersey from 1911-1913, His race for President was both smart and surprising (Taft and Roosevelt split the ticket). Wilson ran a good race, but was behind - he had a lots of luck and political maneuvering to get the nomination. That was interesting, as well as when he became president - how the federal reserve system was developed - his greatest achievement. The book's description of his presidency (1913-1921) and his poor cardiovascular health gives a clear picture of how he presided over the country - by sheer will. He knew he was very ill, but "paced" his meetings, avoided many by prioritizing, and would not talk business at home. World War 1 was beyond his control and his wish for isolationist policy failed because of the global political winds. The League of Nations and 14 Points take on an interesting angle when compared with the United Nations today.
   
   Another interesting part of his life is when his first wife dies while he is in office - he goes on through his deep depression. He courts and marries his second wife while still in office. She and his doctor cover up how ill he is. When he has his most debilitating stroke, his second wife actually becomes the "first woman president" - although the country did not know she was running the country. Can one imagine a President getting away with that in today's media and talk show programs? He was not functioning as President - she took over, making the decision to do so as well as decisions written on papers passed through his office. Basically she was President of the U.S. for the last 17 months he was in office.



3. This is not a full biog of WW. Its a look at his way of using power, mainly at Princeton and as Pres of the US. That leaves out quite a bit! There is very little in the book on how WW dealt with Congress, even during WWI (though more on this subject is here regarding the League of Nations.) There is VERY little about domestic concerns during WW's presidency, esp. with regard to race. Thompson is not only a bit too sympathetic toward his subject, but far too deferential to William Link's previous assessments of WW as well.



4. Few figures in American history have as polarizing effect on people as Thomas Woodrow Wilson. While he accomplished a great deal during his term, his legacy is haunted by a glaring failure. John A. Thompson takes a concise, yet surprisingly thorough look at the political career of the 28th President of the United States in the Profiles in Power Series.
   
   Woodrow Wilson seemed to be an unlikely candidate to one day become president. As the son of a presbyterian minister, he often placed his faith ahead to political feasibility. After serving as the president of Princeton, his progressive ideals led to his election as governor of New Jersey. His popularity led to his nomination as the democratic candidate for president in a year when the republican electorate was split between Theodore Roosevelt and William H. Taft.
   
   Among his accomplishments as president were the Child Labor Act, the Federal Reserve Act, and the Federal Trade Commission Act. Wilson is also commended for his role as a leader during World War I. While various factions including former President Teddy Roosevelt called for American involvement in the war, Wilson exhausted every possible means for peaceful resolution. Supporting by George Washington's farewell address statement to avoid European entanglements, Wilson pressed forward in negotiations. Only when Germany refused to discontinue attacks on merchant ships was Wilson's hand forced into war.
   
   After the allied victory, Wilson became a key figure in establishing the peace in Europe. Wilson was the first president to travel to Europe during his term in office. It was during his work in Europe that he attempted to implement the League of Nations. Wilson was humbled in the eyes of the Europeans that exhaulted him when the U.S. senate refused to ratify American membership. In a show of partisanism that was uncharacteristic in its time, republican senators refused to accept the League of Nations as it was.
   
   Wilson is one of the key figures in American history, whose only major failure was a project so ambitious that many considered it utopian. His interests were not political but universal and international ideals. World War II was among the problems foresaw and could have prevented. I was certainly enlighted as to the facts of the Wilson administration through this book. While there are certain omission such as much of Wilson's youth, the book is recommended to those seeking to expand their knowledge of Woodrow Wilson.



5. John A. Thompson, author of the Reformers and War: American Progressives Publicists and the First World War (1987)and a leading authority on the Progessive Era and First World War, has written a superb and compact biography of Woodrow Wilson, the best one-volume biography of Wilson that we have. Thompson's insightful account focuses on Wilson's leadership style and assesses both its strengths and weaknesses. As president of Princeton, governor of New Jersey, and president of the United States, Wilson exhibited both firmness and flexibility, and idealism and a practicality. Examining the abilities and the limits of political leadership in American democracy, Thompson carefully weighs the degree to which Wilson's successes and failures were a result of his own actions and a consequence of other factors beyond his control. This is a masterful achievement.

5 comments about The Ways We Choose: Lessons for Life from a POW's Experience.

1. My parents gave me this book for my birthday. I'm very glad that I finally got around to reading it. The author was
   shot down over North Viet Nam, and spent five and a half years as a POW in several vietnamese prison camps. Dave Carey takes the reader through these experiences, the terror, disappointments, the boredom, and even the humor. I've always liked reading stories of how people get through tough times. It gives me inspiration to get through my own, lesser, tough times. In the telling of an experience more devastating than most of us will ever face, Carey provides a wonderful example for getting through the tough times. His five-point checklist will help anyone get through rough times; it is simple, concise, and eminently do-able in any situation. Thanks Mom & Dad for the gift, and thank you Dave Carey for writing it!



2. Thank you, David Carey, for sharing your POW experiences. The description of how you and your fellow prisoners chose to spend your time and the attitude you had toward your situation are an excellent example of how we all make choices about how to deal with what comes up in our own lives.
   
   This book is an interesting, easy and fun read. Carey is a great storyteller who makes you feel and understand what they lived through along with how they kept their sanity and dignity.



3. Great insights from a guy that's been there. Dave has an uncanny knack of applying his challenging POW experiences to our everyday lives. A solid read.



4. Dave was my roommate aboard USS ORISKANY prior to his capture in 1967. As a Naval Academy graduate and Naval Aviator he was assigned to an attack squadron flying the A-4 Skyhawk. I met Dave the day we departed NAS Alameda for deployment to Southeast Asia, and Vietnam. He had his fiance Karen aboard for a short time in the officer's wardroom for coffee and last minute good byes. The next time he saw Karen was 5.5 years later after his release from a North Vietnam prisoner of war camp. I saw him again at his wedding!
   
   This is terrific read along with Zalin Grants "Over the Beach" about the war, it's history, and the toll it took on countless lives.



5. i thought i had lived through some tough times before reading Dave's story... if life has got you down, choose this book, you'll begin to feel you too can survive and excel even in the most demanding situations. Dave ties in his Vietnam experience to create powerful insights for daily living in part 2.
   My advice... READ THIS BOOK!

5 comments about Stonewall Jackson: The Good Soldier (Southern Classics Series).

1. I agree with Landess in the preface. This book is poorly researched. It doesn't show us the depth or breath of the man. It would not even be poor historial fiction and is horrid as a biography. It's one strong point is Tate's abilitity to show the Southern feeling on their state rights being violated; along with the comparison of Indian rights being viloent by the North.



2. By reading the book: Stonewall Jackson, by Allen Tate, I have furthered my belief that this was a man of great piety, heroism, chivallry, and freedom. He fought for all these things in his time, yet in our time freedom and the fight to preserve it and the Homeland seem to be of the most importance. The fight for freedom has always been an American ideal, and Tate did an excellent job in depicting how one man committed his whole life to it during the War of Northern Aggression. I stongly reccomend this book to all who desire to reap the truth, and who hold dear the Homeland.



3. In reading the book Stonewall Jackson, by Allen Tate, I have furthered my belief that this was a man of piety, heroism, chivallry, and a true champion of American values. That is to say, General Jackson was a fighter for freedom and the homeland: something which is highly regarded in today's day and age. Tate expressed this idea even when he wrote it 76 years ago. Therefore, I strongly reccomend this book to all who value the American ideal: the fight for freedom.



4. In reeading the book Stonewall Jackson, by Allen Tate, I have furthered my belief that this was a man of piety, heroism, chivallry, and a true champion of American values. That is to say, General Jackson was a fighter for freedom and the homeland a value which is highly regarded in today's day and age. Tate expressed this idea even when he wrote it 76 years ago. Therefore, I strongly reccomend this book to all who value the American ideal: the fight for freedom.



5. Allen Tate wrote "Stonewall Jackson" in 1927 with the intent of restoring some historical reality to the fading memory of the War for Southern Independence. He accomplished his goal, but the book seems better in retrospect as a whole than it did while reading it page by page. Tate used what to me was an odd, choppy style of writing that slightly complicated the story he was telling. He clearly admired Jackson, and after reading his book my admiration and knowldge of Jackson have improved. Stonewall Jackson is one of America's great heroes for good reason. Even members of the Union Army cheered him when the opportunity presented itself near Fredericksburg. As Tate points out, Jackson was a man of principle on and off the battlefield. From his impoverished childhood to his ever-improving performance at West Point there was no way to foretell the height of fame Jackson would gain in the War for Southern Independence. His performance in the War with Mexico was limited to garrison duty for the most part. When in battle he distinguished himself, but other officers had shown more brightly for a longer period of time in more battles. Tate reveals the eccentricities of Jackson in subtle ways that leave you wondering what was going on in Jackson's head. He clearly baffled the forces sent against him in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign, but many of his own soldiers were equally baffled. It took some time for his subordinates to develop a deep and abiding respect for General Jackson, but after he lead them to numerous victories against superior forces the bond was established that lasted until his untimely death. One of the great contradictions in Jackson's life was his steadfast Christian beliefs contrasted with his unrelenting will to destroy the enemy on the battlefield. For example, Tate mentions an exchange between Jackson and his chief surgeon when the surgeon inquired, "How shall we ever cope with the overwhelming numbers of the enemy?" After a long pause Jackson replied, "Kill them, sir! Kill every man." It was that strength of will that helped make Jackson the hero that he was and is. His loss at Chancellorsville to "friendly fire" was one more nail in the coffin of the Confederacy. It is, perhaps, inevitable that one should speculate about events at Gettysburg had General Lee had his "right arm" leading a Corps. This book gives the most plausible answer to what Jackson meant at the moment of his death when he said, "Let's cross over the river and rest in the shade of the trees." Curiously, the answer is at the start of the book, not the end. Allen Tate wrote a good book about a great man that is well worth reading.

5 comments about Pocahontas: Medicine Woman, Spy, Entrepreneur, Diplomat.

1. Pocahontas Was a Tobacco Priestess
   When I was a little boy, my grandmother told me that we were descendents of Pocahontas. The idea aroused my fantasies. Having Indian blood was a special blessing. It endowed me with certain spiritual qualities, psychic perceptiveness and magical abilities--in my imagination. Later I was disappointed to learn that it was fashionable among past generations to claim a blood tie to Pocahontas. I suspected my grandmother's story was of this origin. Much later I realized that a fascination with things Native American was a symptom of a certain affinity. I valued the Indian fantasy as a call of the wild from within. It was to be answered, but in my own, indigenous terms, not in terms borrowed from other cultures. I recently read a book that has added great depth to this perspective.
   Pocahontas: Medicine woman, spy, entrepreneur, diplomat (HarperSanFrancisco), by Paula Gunn Allen, Ph.D., tells an entirely different history of this American icon than the one we cherish. This award winning author, retired professor from U.C.L.A., credited with originating Native American literary studies, has taken the usual sources, plus those rarely referred to, and re-interpreted the data within the context of the Native American mythical world view. The result is a fascinating account of the transformation of "Turtle Island" into "America the Beautiful."
   Dr. Gunn Allen begins by explaining the spirit-centered worldview of the Native American at that time. The "manito aki," which pertains to the supernatural, paranormal, spirit inhabited world, was the Native American waking reality, more real to them than the physical world. We might say that they were good "Jungians" at that time, because they respected the experiences of the imagination as real and worthy of attention. The natives at that time also realized that their world was coming to an end. Their calendars and mythologies had prepared them. The coming of the white men was part of the fulfillment of this prophesy. Evidence points to the fact that Pocahontas was a high priestess, initiated into the mysteries of the spirit world and charged with responsibility to these spirits. Based upon her evidence, the author came to the startling conclusion that Pocahontas, rather than falling in love with Captain John Smith, was actually on a pre-planned mission taking advantage of him as an unwitting pawn. Her objective: to insure that the spirit of tobacco would find a home in the new world. Tobacco spirit, the essential shamanic power of the Native American world, needed to find a way to be a part of the coming materialistic world that was being born. This mission was crucial if the spirit of the Native world was to survive destruction of its manifest existence. Pocahontas was the channel by which the transfer of power was achieved. Pocahontas' connection with John Smith was the means by which Native spirituality was preserved, even though it would have to hide for centuries within a plant that would be marketed, traded, consumed, and vilified within a purely materialistic consciousness, until such time as this ancient spirituality could one day be reborn in the awareness of the European mindset, as is beginning to happen today.
   What is this newly emerging mindset? Gunn Allen writes, "...the construction of Pocahontas in American thought, while often historically inaccurate, is an indication that the imagination of America is as connected to the manito aki as it is to the land. The problem that Americans face in harmonizing our modern American consciousness with the ancient psyche of the land we inhabit is the dominance of a paradigm that assumes material, measurable existence to be all there is."
   The lesson for us is to respect the intuitive nature of the imagination." We need to experience and to understand the imagination as a channel of intuitive realities. The mind and its ambassador, the imagination, is quite real although it inhabits a different plane of existence than the world the senses recognizes. It is real because it makes a difference in our lives. It is in this realm of the imagination that we can find our highest ideals, that we intuit our interconnectedness as spiritual beings, that we encounter non-material beings, and discover the patterns in the creative forces that shape our lives. Our fascination with all things Native American is evidence of our connection to this non-material world. Yet this connection is something that sadly we do not recognize within ourselves, but project onto these indigenous peoples. Gunn Allen re-connects us with our heritage. She joins us in gratitude to the people who came before us, who built a spiritual time capsule that would survive the materialistic, destructive stage of our history, preserving for the future our endowment as spirit's children. Pocahontas is truly America's godmother. [...]



2. I don't ordinarily write reviews, but I feel the need to steer people away from spending money on this book! This was a horrible waste of money, and of time spent in reading the first third or so I read before I quit. Patricia Gunn Allen is not simply hooked on Political Correctness (which I could deal with). She substitutes it for decent scholarship and for writing ability. After the pointless detours into the legends of her own New Mexico Native American clan and 21st Century Physics, the attempt to relate the "myth" of Pochahontas to the Legend of one of the Kngihts of the Round Table (I think it was Gawain and the Green Knight, but I'm honestly not sure) did me in. I wanted to know something about Pocahotas -- the Woman! Or, as the title of the book says, the Medicine Woman, Spy, Entrepeneur and Diplomat! And that is what I could NOT glean from this book at all.



3. The feeling the book gave me was one of disjointed-ness, I couldn't fully submerge myself into the book because it didn't seem like the writer could decide how she wanted to present the material. It read like conjecture for a lot of it, with "could", "would have" , and it also read like a lecture given by a professor, at the same time, it was too conversational, and in all just poorly written. The material was interesting enough, and her conjectures intriguing, it was just the presentation that was faulty. It would also have been better if she could have given logic for her conjectures, as it is...she would have done better to have written the book as a fiction novel, and it would have carried better.



4. Dr. Gunn Allen opens our eyes to the roots of modern American culture that are too often obscured, whether intentionally or not. A reader who approaches this work "in good faith" will be regaled with the astonishingly open, clear, and unique viewpoint she cultivates and communicates. She chooses to stand between two cultures and knowledgeably observe them interpenetrate--rather than take the customary political or religious stances of taking one "side" or another. Only a woman with a solid grounding in both cultures (and a tremendous ability to write beautifully), as Dr. Allen has, can accomplish in her work what she is also showing her readers historically. A discerning reader who is willing to admit--and agree to suspend--culturally-programmed judgment can come away from this book with a much richer, smarter, more beautiful and especially more genuinely compassionate sense of REAL purpose this country's citizens might choose to see in their ancestors' having come here, as well as in the direction they would really like this country to take NOW. In addition, I find that it is an honor (still and despite the rude and terrible behavior the English showed towards the interesting and knowledgeable people already living here) to be so respectfully invited into sharing indigenous views of this world, this land, and the Western Europeans who came here. On top of all of this, the book is a truly great read for most anyone who has an intellect that enjoys exercise, and a love of exploring and rediscovering the past in new ways.



5. It's true that Gunn Allen's work doesn't fit neatly into any of the normal western categories of biography or history, but then again she's not working within the western tradition to begin with. In order to appreciate what Gunn Allen has accomplished, you first must have a knowledge and appreciation of the Algonquian oral tradition, which embraces a wide range of Indian nations across most of the eastern half of North America, including the state of Virginia, where native communities persist to this day. To begin with the oral tradition, then, is to begin with living communities that still retain the memories of their historical ancestors, such as Pocahontas. From this perspective, as Gunn Allen demonstrates, the story of Pocahontas is less of a romance and more of an adventure, one in which the protagonist is an extension of women's roles and powers in the Powhatan Confederacy. As such, the story of Pocahontas is the story of Native America's fateful encounter with the European powers that would eventually--not annihilate them (though many died, particularly from disease)--but colonize, relocate, and oppress them. In the end, Gunn Allen's eloquent and insightful book is a potent reminder that it is the spirits, the manitou, who ultimately control the world. I highly recommend this book.

3 comments about Nixon Agonistes: The Crisis of the Self-Made Man.

1. The English poet and Cromwellian revolutionary John Milton had his Samson struggling against forces that he did not understand and that in the end he was unable to overcome. Professor Wills in his seminal contemporaneous study of the career through his successful run in 1968, up close and personal, of one Richard Milhous Nixon, former President of the United, common criminal and currently resident of one of Dante's Circles of Hell tries to place the same spin on the vices and virtues of this modern "Everyman".
   
   Wills takes us through Nixon's hard scrabble childhood, the formative Quaker background in sunny California, the post World War II start of Nixon's rapidly advancing hard anti-communist political career, his defeats for president in 1960 by John Kennedy and for California governor in 1962 by Pat Brown and his resurrection in 1968 against Democrat Hubert H. Humphrey. And through his discourse, as is his habit, Professor Wills seemingly writes about every possible interpretation of his rise to power and what Nixon symbolized on the American political landscape. If one has a criticism of Wills it is exactly this sociological overkill to make a point but make your own judgment on this one as you read through this tract.
   
   However, as well written and well researched as this exposition is it will just not wash. Nixon knew what the score was at all times and in all places so that unlike old Samson there was no question of his not understanding. As Wills points out Nixon had an exceptional grasp of the `dark side' of the American spirit in the middle third of the 20th century and he pumped that knowledge for all it was worth. Moreover, rather than cry over his self-imposed fate one should understand that Nixon liked it that way. There is no victim here of overwhelming and arbitrary circumstances clouding his fate.
   
   It is perhaps hard for those who were not around then, or older folks who have forgotten, just what Nixon meant as a villainous political target to those of us of the Generation of 68 for all that was wrong with American political life (although one Lyndon Johnson gave him a run for his money as demon-in-chief). Robert Kennedy had it very eloquently right, as he did on many occasions, when he said that Richard Nixon represented the `dark side of the American spirit'. For those who believe that all political evil started with the current President George W. Bush, think again. Nixon was the `godfather' of the current ilk. Some have argued that in retrospect compared to today's ravenous beasts that Nixon's reign was benign. Believe that at your peril. Just to be on the safe side let's put another stake through his heart. And read this book to get an idea of what a representative of a previous generation of political evil looked like.
   
   Although the Nixon saga is the central story that drives this book Professor Wills, as is his wont, has a lot more to say about the nature of those times. He takes some interesting side trips into earlier days in California where Nixon grew up. He draws a direct line on the various other personalities like Nelson Rockefeller, George Romney (Mitt's father) and a younger Ronald Reagan who fought Nixon for the Republican presidential nomination in 1968. He gives an interesting overview of the state of liberal and radical thought during 1968 and how the tensions between them were fought out at the Democratic Convention and in the streets of Chicago.
   
   Wills also tries to draw out the meaning of the virulent George Wallace independent third party campaign and how that kept everyone on their toes on the question of law and order the code word then, and today, for race. In short, Professor Wills has enclosed the Nixon story in a hug sociological and political survey of the times. Some of his observations had momentary importance; some have a more lasting value. Others seem rather beside the point. Collectively, however, they give a helpful history of the key year 1968 in America. The proof is in the pudding. The `culture wars' on the nature of personal rights, political expression and lifestyle choices that we have been fighting for the past forty years have their genesis in this time. Give this book a good, hard look if you want to know what that was all about by someone who covered many of the events closely.
   
   Revised: May 14, 2008



2. A colleague just asked me if this is an apologia of Nixon - it is not. I read this and most of the other burst of books that came out in the 1970s right after Watergate, and they were all great reads, especially with the fire of those times still burning -- and Nixon Agonistes was one of the enduring best, engrossing and well rounded. Nixon was a peculiar character but Wills does a good job of being the good historian, with balance and insight. And as I say, it was engrossing -- I read it all the way through. College poly-sci majors in particular should add this to their must-read list.



3. It's too bad that this book is out of print. Probably it stopped selling because of its title -- people must have assumed that it was only relevant for the Nixon era. Not so! The book is valuable today for the evocation of the early part of that time (especially the summer of 1968), but more than that, it is a masterful analysis of that collection of shared intellectual assumptions that make up a great deal of American political (and other) impulses -- specifically, that set of post-Lockean interpretations of social, moral, economic and political life which fall under the rubric of "liberalism". Wills details the connection between Nixon and this background, and the results are far-ranging. Many of the great American assumptions about life are implicated and their mythical foundations revealed: equality of economic opportunity, electoral "mandates", democracy via fair elections in countries that do not have them, fair competition of ideas in academia, and others. Wills leaves no stone unturned. The book deserves to be reprinted again.

   Original review above was July 1998; Below added Jan 2003:
   Hurrah! It's back in print! Get your copy before it disappears again!

   I should have mentioned that, in addition to the fun of watching Wills dismantle the superstructure of liberalism, the book provides great pleasure through its style. Wills writes non-fiction better than most poets write sonnets.

5 comments about "Wild Bill" Hickman and the Mormon Frontier.

1. Interestingly enough, this book was written by a lady who found out that she was related to Mr. Hickman. This is a man who was a bodyguard for both Joseph Smith as well as Brigham Young. There is the forever question, Were there Danites?" And, if so, "What were they? And, what did they do?" This is a well thought out book. Her report is mostly documentary with personal pursuasions regarding the validity of certain things said by Mr. Hickman in his autobiography. I feel as though the author has a pretty good common sense approach in applying her rearch and explaining her reasons for accepting or rejecting certain statements make by him. I read it as a companion book to "Wild Bills'" autobiography. An excellent read for me.



2. I found this book to be very informative on a factual and personal level as I am one of Hickman's descendants. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the early days of Utah.



3. Bill Hickman was one of the most interesting rogues in Mormonism. A self¬styled enforcer for the church, his career is deserving of a high-caliber biography. Unfortunately, "`Wild Bill' Hickman and the Mormon Frontier" is not of high caliber.
   
   Bill Hickman grew up in Missouri and in 1838 affiliated with the Mormon church, quickly becoming a member of the Danite vigilante group that terrorized dissidents. Migrating to Utah, Hickman continued his violent lifestyle, where his activities included, among others, guerilla operations in the 1857-1858 Mormon War. Hickman admitted to the murders of several people, suggesting that he had been taking orders from Brigham Young. When his activities became embarrassing to the church, Hickman engaged in a game of power politics, playing Mormon and government officials against each other. He was successful for a time, but his violence eventually made him persona non grata in both camps. In 1872 he published an expose, "Brigham's Destroying Angel," which implicated the Mormon leadership in his misdeeds. Hickman finally died in 1883 in obscurity near Lander, Wyoming.
   
   Hilton's book has several problems. As one example, there is a disturbing lack of documentation. She declares in the preface that footnotes "can be distracting," and that she "instead tried to provide enough information within the text to allow the reader to locate the appropriate reference in the bibliography" (p. xi). Unfortunately, locating sources is nearly impossible in many cases, especially in instances where it would be most useful.
   
   The author also fails to organize the work into a coherent form. For instance, in a chapter entitled "The RLDS in Utah," less than a full page is devoted to that subject, and the remainder is concerned with other Hickman activities not related to the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
   
   But these are minor difficulties compared to central questions left perplexingly unexplored. Hilton's inability to deal with the difficult issue of what was fact and what was fancy in "Brigham's Destroying Angel," despite a promise to do so in the preface, was disappointing. Was it written out of spite? What basis in fact did it have? Additionally, and it is fundamental to considering the career of Hickman, what was his relationship to Brigham Young? Young was clearly aware of Hickman's lawlessness but still used him to carry out dangerous assignments, until Hickman's reputation became so colored that it significantly hurt the church. Hilton does not know or does not care about Young's role in murders and other felonies apparently committed by Hickman. Did Hickman carry out his activities at the direction of the church? The work is unclear on such crucial questions.
   
   "`Wild Bill' Hickman and the Mormon Frontier" is a mildly interesting book, but a full understanding of this man's career awaits additional work. Hickman remains a subject in need of a good critical biography.



4. "Wild Bill" Hickman And The Mormon Frontier is a fascinating biography of William Adams ("Wild Bill") Hickman, by his descendant, Hope A. Hilton. Wild Bill was one of the most notorious figures of the 19th century American frontier. A Mormon (who was eventually excommunicated) married ten wives under the Mormon doctrine of polygamy, and who fathered thirty-five children, served as a spy for church presidents Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, and operated as a guerilla of the Utah war. All of this and much, much more, accurately depicts a colorful western figure's life is plainly presented, and makes for a fascinating look at the Old West within the context of the Mormon community in the western frontier that was to eventual form the states of Utah, Idaho, western Nevada, and northern Arizona.



5. Wild Bill Hickman and the Mormon Fronter is an action-packed biography of the author's grandfather that puts together the life of one of Utah's living legends. Not much has been written about Bill Hickman in book-length form. Though a direct descendant of the subject of the book, Hope Hilton remains detached and avoids the glorification syndrome so often seen with family history writing. Bill Hickman led a colorful life, a life that many would consider to be the antithesis of the ideals which are espoused by the Mormon church. Hilton maintained that Hickman "killed more men than he saved." In this biography one learns that Brigham Young may have been responsible for ordering some of the killings allegedly perpetrated by Hickman. Hilton obtained much of her information from Hickman's autobiography Brigham's Destroying Angel, which Hickman wrote following his apostasy from the Mormon church. Therefore, much of his material might be questionable, as his autobiography was written during bitter times. The author takes the reader through every major phase of Hickman's life, from the east to the west coast, and finally ending with Hickman's death, couched in relative obscurity. I would recommend this book to all those who enjoy a touch of rebellion and excitement.

4 comments about Tesla: Master of Lightning.

1. This book about Tesla does not offer a very definitive overview about the man and the scientist.I thought this particular biography on the life of Tesla was rather weak.There are much better ones around.The best one being,'The Wizard'.The pictures are quite interesting,showing many of his inventions and social situations concerning the work and exhibits by Nikola Tesla.Yet,from a scientific technical point-of-view this book is light-weight on formulas and construction.Die-hard fans of the Tesla genre,would all agree,that this book could be better.Maybe the authors wanted to attract more readers ,by not scaring them off with too much scientific jargon. I would still recommend this Tesla book.



2. Fascinating. Tesla was born Serbian Orthodox in what is now Croatia (formerly part of Yugoslavia). Came to New York as a young man and lived and worked in the U.S. from the 1890s into the 1930s. He is often described as being "ahead of his time": He envisioned, designed, and even patented electronic devices some of which are only today being practically realized. The supporting technology or scientific knowledge did not yet exist for many of them, though he accurately theorized that they would be possible.
   
   Various circumstances contributed to his being little known in America today (and not credited, even by scholars, with all that he accomplished). These include his unwillingness to work with wealthy corporate sponsors (as did Edison and Marconi) and the fact that much of his later work dealt with weaponry and thus was classified after his death. Also, his papers were returned to his native land and the ensuing Cold War prevented Western researchers from accessing them until recently. Many of his inventions-such as radio, AC electrical power, and radar-have long been credited to others. He foresaw-and his work contributed to the invention of-telephones, television, X-rays, satellite transmission, and directed energy weapons. He was also eccentric, probably suffered from OCD, and lived much of his life in poverty. This book downplays his eccentricities and paints him with an honest but very admiring brush.



3. I found this book to be an excellent overview of Tesla's work and life. It's also a quick read. The book successfully conveys the image of Tesla as a remarkable inventor whose work and ideas were at the very forefront of the practical application of electromagnetic theory.
   
   The book plays along uncritically, however, with Tesla's apparently self cultivated image of being a Wizard / Scientist. Many of Tesla's more controversial ideas and clams that were never, and have never been substantiated through experiment, can be dismissed as poppycock. By contrast all of Tesla's successful ideas rest on very firm scientic foundations. The Author makes no attempt to discriminate one from the other. Instead, unsubstantiated claims are sprinkled liberally with vague references to missing documents and political intrigue.
   
   One excellent example of Tesla's tendancy for hyperbole is his claim of having built and tested an oscillator cable of creating earthquakes. Such a claim would have elicited knowing smirks even from 19th century scientists. Anyone doubting the foolishness of such a claim would do well to stay away from earth compactors and jackhammers, lest the Earth itself split in two! The Author(s)' failure to address Tesla's penchant for embellishment and hyperbole, and other odd aspects of Tesla's character (Other than frequent idle speculation on his sexual orientation) makes for a rather flat and onesided presentation.



4. How could Margaret Cheney (Tesla : Man Out Of Time) and Robert Uth (Tesla : Master Of Lightning) improve upon their past individual works (a book and documentary video, respectively)? By combining their efforts to produce this wonderful book, that's how. The informative text is interspersed with 250 b&w and duotone images that show Tesla and the era in which he excelled (truly a man out of time). Also included are 36 sidebars that explain some of the technical aspects of Tesla's works. After reading several other books on Tesla, I thought I knew it all. I'm happy to say that this one proved me wrong. Not to be missed by true Tesla fans.

5 comments about A Charge to Keep.

1. I've never seen another book that gets mostly just 1-star or 5-star ratings. That's how it manages the 3-star average. Don't bother reading the reviews. They depend only the political views of the writer, and not really on the book at all.
   
   However, it's worth noting that by far most of the bad grammar and spelling in the reviews are from the voters who gave the book 5 stars. I can't imagine that that has ever happened with another book.



2. This book was written during the pivotal time in Bush's life between serving as Governor of Texas and choosing to run for the U.S. Presidency.
   
   Without checking his facts or follow-through, the book fairly outlines several topics both personal and political where Bush feels passionately. In one sense the book is a fairly candid insight into the man -- I would say that his presidence is fairly consistent with the outline in this book -- and in another it's a fairly cozy memoir covering his daughters, his ownership of the Texas Rangers, his drinking and his courtship and marriage with his wife.
   
   In another sense there is very little balance between Bush the successful leader and Bush the mistaken official. Almost every report here gives off only positive vibes. He speaks of learning here and there and moving on from his mistakes but in retrospect perhaps the whole book was an outline of what to expect of him as president -- results, devotion and faith-enriched judgment.
   
   It's a history without a lot of pith meriting a read only because it is the man himself talking. Here and there he tells his side of things as only he can attest, but usually we're treated only to Bush's unflinching optimism and hand-wringing anecdotes of his rosy results.
   
   If it weren't for the source, this book is not one to remember.



3. first of all...you stupid libs down here spraying your political rants and insane lies...go critique a michael more rag will you!
   
   Some made the point this book doesn't give any new insights in the political mind of the president, and that's true, but it does a great job painting a picture of the man george W. Bush and his outlook on life...written before his defeating of enviromental cry-baby al gore the book talks about Bush as a father, husband, friend, neighbour...a side we don't see very often anymore after he took back the white house.
   
   The book helps people remember Bush is human like every-one else...we learn a bit about his character and what's important to him. We read about the things that matter to him, the things libs refer too when they call him dumb, like loving the outdoors, being part of a comunity, working for your money (that's the #1 liberal 'no!no!'), raising your kids right,...
   
   if you're a liberal, don't bother...this book won't help you "get it"...you don't have the IQ to "get it". If your interested in what bush is like in normal life, how he became the man (not the politician) he is today...read this book as an introduction to the life of the greatest president the world ever had safe for R.Reagan.



4. If I had read this before the 2000 election. I would have learned that Americans want a leader that posseses honesty, compassion, morals, and the courage of his convictions. I should have at least pretended to posses some of these qualities. Bush stole Florida in 2000 and Ohio in '04, if you don't believe me just ask John Kerry. And where did I come up with that stupid imaginary lockbox stuff anyway?



5. I recently saw someone reading this book which I had never heard of before so I looked it up on Amazon. This tome was so moving and uplifting it brought tears to my eyes. Okay, I admit it wasn't the book itself but the reviews. And they weren't tears of joy or hope but tears of hysterical laughter. There were three categories - each engrossing in it's own way: the honest critique, which universally panned the book as as hackneyed as the author himself (and his co-writer, apologist, Hughes); the spoof, which embellished on Bush's phony life making him a Nobel Laureate and corporate magnate; and the honest, heartfelt descriptions that prove that no matter how incompetent, corrupt and morally bankrupt a person is, there's still that percentage of the population who believe he's a good, sincere, visionary leader. With the fortune of hindsight, the latter group stands out though. If you haven't read this book but still want to after reading this and other reviews (unless your looking for a laugh) then God... er, invisible man in the sky help us all!

5 comments about The Company She Keeps.

1. I Loved this book.I generly don't like Mafia type books but this had everything.It tells the story of Georgia Durante's very exciting life.Good times and bad.It is well written and the words just flow off of the page.Once I picked it up I could not put it down. This is a must read for True Crime readers as well as those who like survivor stories.
   Ms.Durante has had one heck of a life and shares all with the reader.She holds nothing back.She went from model to mob wife and through it all shows what a strong,survivor type women is like.She will inspire you!
   One of my favorite books to date.



2. I found Georgia's story most compelling, as I imagine any woman who had experienced abuse would. I also liked that it shows the "mob" for what they truly are, and not the glamorized version we often see on TV and in the movies. I'll look forward to reading the two new chapters in the latest release of the book, and to seeing the movie that is bound to eventually be made from this story sprinkled with all the elements that sell, beauty, famous people, violence and family dynamics.



3. Georgia has written a compelling story about her life experiences, from the highs of being a beautiful young model, through the lows of involvement with organized crime and an unhappy (and dangerous) marriage, and overcoming the odds to achieve success and happiness through her stunt driving enterprise. It is an eminently readable book and a riveting story of a strong and remarkable woman. I enjoyed it so much I gave copies to several members of my family.



4. This book has inspired so many women! I have interviewed Georgia on my radio show many times, and every time we get call after call from women, thanking her for telling her story. It's raw and honest. It's told as if she were sitting down for coffee with us and sharing the horrors she experienced in her life. If you want a read that gives you insight into the mob world, a read that traces an emotional abuse story that isn't so unfamiliar and one that will give you hope in your own life... The Company She Keeps is just that book.
   --Pam Atherton
   www.ACloserLookRadio.com



5. Georgia Durante's The Company She Keeps grabs you from page one and drags you kicking and screaming through an astonishing series of incredible, but shockingly true, episodes torn from the fabric of her own action packed life. From her earliest days, Georgia's dynamic personality, appearance of vulnerable innocence, and intrinsic allure endeared her to "The Mob" -- even more attractive was "Georgie Girl's" almost supernatural abilities behind the wheel -- a talent that serves her well today as the #1 stunt driver in Hollywood. When you read this book, which you certainly MUST, I assure you that you will wonder how she "got away" with writing it without being "whacked" -- I personally interviewed Georgia and she told me that she was more concerned with CIA reprisals because of the book's revelations about the CIA's link to the Mob. For a true story that is engrossing, scary, and in the final analysis, uplifting and inspiring, you can't find a better book that Durante's The Company She Keeps. It is available in paperback, hardback, kindle, and audio. If you want to hear my interview with Ms. Durante, you can listen to it anytime on the player at http://outlawcrime.com
   I think this book is fantastic, and every fan of true crime should own it.
   Burl Barer

5 comments about By Their Works: Profiles of Men of Faith Who Made a Difference.

1. . . . "coffee table" style book which should grace the home of any member of the Knights of Columbus.
   
   "By Their Works" profiles (by decade) members of the Knights of Columbus who, by their actions and by their faith, made a difference in the world around them. The people profiled include prominent sports figures (Babe Ruth, Vince Lombardi) and political leaders (John F. Kennedy, Sargent Shriver) but also (and more importantly) men like the Mexican Martyrs, military chaplains, 9-11 heroes, and ordinary, everyday Catholics who go about their work quietly and faithfully without seeking fame or recognition.
   
   I strongly endorse this book.
   
   David Zampino
   Proud Knight of Columbus



2. By Their Works: Profiles of Men of Faith Who Made a DifferenceShipment was fast. I did have trouble with the first order in trying to correct it I inadvertantly ordered a second copy which I decided to keep since the first one was intended for a gift.



3. Excellent set of biographies of men who belonged to Knights of Columbus.
   Well worth cost and purchase.



4. This is a most inspiring photo album of men who one would never have thought were Knights of Columbus. All of them shared a very special dedication to life, family, and the Church, so it is not surprising that they would be Knights. Yet it was quite a Who's Who in the history of the Knights of Columbus. A must have for every Knight.



5. I was amazed at the breadth of experiences related in this book - from the humblest of circumstances to a president of the United States. "By Their Works" provides a refreshing perspective: one of men who looked beyond themselves to a greater good or a greater human need. The people profiled are all members of a fraternal organization, the Knights of Columbus, which provides the common thread. The narratives are all unique however. The stories of the military chaplains, who risked their lives to comfort or minister to fallen soldiers, were particularly inspiring. I found the story of Ted van der Zalm very humbling. He mortgaged his home to buy a well-digging rig and drove his family from Ontario to Guatemala to give people in that country access to potable water. My favorite profile though was that of Harry McKillop, who made a "second career" of finding and freeing American POWs in Southeast Asia. He eventually expanded his efforts to liberating political prisoners in such places as Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. This book gives countless examples of heroic and simple acts of charity. It is an easy read, cleanly digested in about 65 chapters. It's a book that will make you want to make a difference, rather than just marveling at how others have done so.