5 comments about Duke: A Great Hawaiian.

1. Bess Press has published the second book by Sandra Kimberley Hall about Hawaii's ambassador of aloha and its greatest athlete, Duke Kahanamoku.
   Known as the father of international surfing and remembered for his accomplishments in the Olympics, Kahanamoku remains a legend more than 35 years after his death.
   In a moving tribute filled with photos of Kahanamoku, Hall reveals how Kahanamoku remained true to his core values throughout his long life, filled with great success -- his Olympic accomplishments as well as his Hollywood career -- and challenge -- his financial struggles and a comeback from brain surgery.
   Hall, who grew up on the beach where Kahanamoku taught Australia how to surf, arrived in Hawaii during Kahanamoku's centennial and statue unveiling, and launched a career as a freelance writer.
   She has written dozens of articles for airline and surfing magazines and newspapers. Her subjects include the Kahanamoku, surfing history and the Himalayas. Hall is the author of "Memories of Duke: The Legend Comes to Life" (Bess Press. 1995).



2. This book is a gem, a pithy, accessible and colourful distillation of a complex life and memory. It's beautifully written, designed and produced, with good use of rare photographs and images. The inclusion of endnotes, photo credits, further reading pointers and an index enhances the book, which has the distinction of appealing to both the lay reader as an introduction to 'the Duke' and to the historian who seeks a condensed reference to Kahanamoku's life and context. The book is a reminder of the need for a full biography that considers his continued importance and meaning along with his vita.
   
   Gary Osmond
   St Lucia, Queensland, Australia



3. Until Joseph Brennan's Duke: The Life Story of Duke Kahanamoku (1994) is reprinted or another comparable book is made available, the sporting world's great interest in Duke Kahanamoku, Olympic star and the greatest surfing avatar of the 20th century, may be satisfied by Sandra Kimberley Hall's compact Duke: A Great Hawaiian (2004), a brief but beautifully illustrated overview of the champion's life.
   
   Whether as a record-breaking swimmer, a surfer and surfboard innovator, an entrepreneur, an actor in early Holloywood, the Sheriff of Honolulu or as a janitor or garage mechanic during leaner periods of his existence, Duke Kahanamoku was, first and foremost, a gentleman and an ambassador of traditional Hawaiian good manners and 'aloha,' a word which, in addition to other meanings, encompasses a wide range of positive human feelings, from "love, affection, and compassion" to "grace and charity."
   
   As such, Kahanamoku represented the kind of role model--both as a man and as an individual--that is completely lacking on the world stage today. With his humble manner, extraordinary talents, and magnificent physique, Kahanamoku was revered by men, desired by women, and almost universally loved and admired by all.
   
   The photographs of Kahanamoku from different periods of his life are the great strength of Duke: A Great Hawaiian. Hall certainly seems to understand Kahanamoku's intrinsic value as a human being and as an individual, and conveys that understanding with warmth, enthusiasm, and ease.



4. The Y2K millennial issue of Surfer magazine featured on its cover the formal portrait of a young Duke Kahanamoku with the caption "Surfer of the Century." Perhaps you've been to Kuhio beach at Waikiki and visited the Duke statue; maybe even left a flower lei draped on his arms. Most people also take a few minutes to consider the inscription that's written there, imagining what Aloha could mean if we each lived our life that way.
   
   I ordered a copy of this book before it was published. When it arrived in the mail I realized that I held a small volume, one of life's little primers, that might affect me in a big way -- and that's what happened. If you love the ocean like Duke did, then Sandra Kimberley Hall has written the thank you letter we all wish we could have given him.
   
   Duke Kahanamoku lived from 1890 to 1968. It's been more than thirty years since he died, and people still speak of him as if he's here among us. This book will help you understand why swimmers/surfers/water polo teams/outrigger canoe clubs/open water paddlers... all EXPECT to meet the Duke. He's right there with us every time we greet another ocean enthusiast with the generous spirit of Aloha that was his gift to all.
   
   I'm the guy who led a letter writing campaign resulting in the approval of a U.S. postage stamp honoring the Duke. Others had begun the process more than twenty years ago. Working as a volunteer for the Surfrider Foundation, I circulated a newsletter beginning in 1998. For four years thousands of people all across America responded by sending letters/petitions/postcards of support to Washington -- and we succeeded. The stamp was issued on the anniversary of Duke's birthday, August 24, 2002. More than 62 million stamps were printed, and the edition is now sold out.
   
   The handsome, active and youthful image chosen to portray Duke on the stamp has invited many others to examine his life -- Olympic champion, Halls of Fame, years of public service to the Territory/State of Hawaii. He was a lifelong inspiration to those who met him personally, and also those who could only read about him (a skinny kid like me in the library at Beach Haven, NJ hoping maybe I could learn to ride the surf on my blue & yellow inflatable canvas raft).
   
   We all know that very few of us will ever appear on a commemorative stamp. Those who took the time to write to the Postal Service felt that Duke Kahanamoku was one of those people who represents us at our very best. This book celebrates all the reasons why.
   
   
   Respectfully submitted,
   
   Don Gallagher
   38 Green Acre Road, Lititz, PA 17543-8770



5. This fantastic little book oozes aloha from every page. If the Duke is looking down on us, he'd be stoked, proud and humble to have a book like this written about him. The story of Duke Kahanamoku is a moving one and the author has captured the spirit of the man in these pages.
   The quality of the production is beautiful with photos on each of the left hand pages and the text laid out in simple form on the right. The aloha print cover is a joy. If you're into surfing, or Hawaiian, history this is a must have book and a future collectable for sure. Aloha from England!
   Pete Robinson www.thesurfingmuseum.co.uk

5 comments about The Portable Abraham Lincoln (Viking Portable Library).

1. There are several anthologies of selections from Abraham Lincoln's writings available. But The Portable Lincoln is my favorite among them. My copy is dog-eared, underlined, and scribbled on to such an extent that it now looks quite shabby. But this is as much a tribute to the wisdom of Lincoln's words and the judicious editorship of Andrew Delbanco as it is a sad monument to my hard treatment of books.
   
   There are two main reasons why I find The Portable Lincoln so pleasing.
   
   First, editor Delbanco (who's best known for his insightful work on American Puritans) prefaces the collection with an elegant and informative intellectual biography of Lincoln that prepares the way for a more informed reading of the selections. He also provides a useful chronology of Lincoln's life, and he introduces each of the book's six sections with prefatory remarks that put the selections in context.
   
   Second, the selections themselves are carefully chosen and genuinely representative of Lincoln's thoughts in each of the six periods of his life from which they're drawn: his early years up to 1850; the pivotal "republican" years of 1854-1859; the presidential campaign, 1860; the early days of the war, 1860-1861; Lincoln the war president, late 1861-1864; and the reflective Lincoln, 1864-1865. Within each section are to be found exactly what one wants in a collection such as this: for example, Lincoln's early Address to the Springfield Young Man's Lyceum; his Handbill Replying to Charges of Infidelity; his House Divided speech; the first (and possibly best) Lincoln-Douglas Debate; the not-so-good Lecture on Discoveries and Inventions; the Cooper Institute speech; the too-neglected great First Inaugural and the justly-praised Second; the July 4 Message to Congress in Special Session; the Final Emancipation Proclamation; and assorted letters, private memoranda, and speeches. Taken together, these selections give the finest overall impression of Lincoln the private man, politician, thinker, and statesman that one's likely to glean from reading his own words.
   
   I might add that even long-time readers of Lincoln are likely to find one or two pleasant surprises in this collection. Let me mention but one. Everbody's familiar with Lincoln's barbed quip, when McClellan failed to pursue Lee after Antietam, that he'd like to borrow the army if McClellan wasn't going to use it. But Delbanco quotes an even more barbed (and delicious!) zinger from Lincoln to McClellan, written on 24 October 1862:
   "I have just read your despatch about sore tongued and fatiegued [sic] horses. Will you pardon me for asking what the horses of your army have done since the battle of Antietam that fatigue anything?" (p. 244) Ouch!!
   
   Highly recommended, not only for its historical interest but because of the fact, which becomes more obvious to me each time I reread Lincoln, that his words are just as timely today as they were 150 years ago.
   ________
   * From Lincoln's First Inaugural Address, p. 203.



2. This book os simply another attempt to perpetuate the Lincoln Myth. He almost certainly did not write the Bixby Letter, John Hay, his secretary almost certainly did. Lincoln in fact wrote very little himself, leaving most of the work to his two secretaries, Nicolay and Hay. As for his writing all his own speeches, this too is untrue, certainly not after he became President. There is not a shadow of a doubt that his Secretary of State, William H. Seward had a hand in most of his speeches and in fact was virtually the power behind the throne throughout Lincoln's presidency. Lincoln was a nice enough man, though a manic depressive, as for a genius and great emancipator, GIVE ME A BREAK!!



3. This is a very good and readable collections of the major writings and speeches of Abraham Lincoln. Unlike many collections of writings and speeches of that era, this is no dull melange of dated issues, but wisdom of the ages.
   
   In one early piece, Lincoln waxes nostalgic by comparing the lethargy of his generation to the generation who fought in the Revolutionary war (talk about the "good old days" is nothing new). In an 1848 letter, he makes some stinging comments against the then-president's "lies" that got America into the Mexican War(sounds similar to modern complaints about you-know-who getting us involed in you-know-where).
   
   Modern revisionists love to take scattered comments by Lincoln about Black people to show that Lincoln was a racist. Aspects of the Douglas debates and his mesage of colonization of 1862 do not deny this, but such people conveniently forget (or omit) Lincoln's evolution of thought as evidenced by the Second Inaugural Address (which also appears in its entirety at the Lincoln Memorial) and his statements about Black soldiers having the right to vote (in the 1860s, mind you). Some racist!
   
   It is also important to remember that Lincoln wrote all of his own speeches and was largely self-educated! When you compare the quality of his speeches and writings to our soundbyte era, it is truly remarkable.
   
   Read this book and become acquainted with greatness.



4. This collection of documents in a sense tells the life- story of Lincoln. It consists primarily of letters but also contains communications of other kinds, including his great speeches. Lincoln's immense power with language, the depth of his feeling and insight, his quiet humor and his great imaginative sympathy are all on display here. Also of course his political wisdom, his detailed knowledge of local and national political affairs, his struggle in conducting the great Civil War.
   There are certain people it simply an honor and uplifting to be in the presence of . Lincoln is such a person, and so these words of his inform and most often, inspire.



5. The Portable Abraham Lincoln is just that, a small book packed with nothing but Lincoln's words and ideas, from the famous debates with Stephen Douglas to his immortal 2nd Inaguaral Address.

   Mixed throughout the speeches are letters, both public and private, which reveal his inner thoughts and animating philosophy. Included is his short and moving letter to Mrs. Lydia Bixby, featured in the movie Saving Private Ryan, which is the most eloquent expression of patriotic grief I have ever read.

   The book is organized in themes, from his emergence of a polictian to his writings as Chief Executive and as Commander-in-Chief, and ending up with Fate.

   This book is for people who want to go beyond the soundbytes featured in documentaries; it places those famous phrases in the context of the entire speech and the commentary is kept to a minimum, showing respect for the reader.

5 comments about Behind Rebel Lines: The Incredible Story of Emma Edmonds, Civil War Spy (An Odyssey/Great Episodes Book).

1. Disguised as a union soldier, Emma would risk her life for her country. Emma Edmonds was born in Saint John, Canada in 1840. When she was sixteen years old she ran away to the United States. When she was twenty one, President Lincoln made a request for seventy five thousand men to volunteer for the Army. She decided that she wanted to be a field nurse for the Union Army but those jobs were so dangerous that they were only given to men. So she cut her hair short, dressed up like a man, and enlisted under the name Franklin Thompson. Emma was assigned to the Second Regiment of Michigan Volunteers. The next day she and all the others in her Regiment were off to training camp. Upset at hearing the news that one of her friends had died in the war, Emma went to go see a woman named Mrs. Butler who lived on the camp with the soldiers. Emma started talking and she ended up telling her secret identity. After that day, Mrs. Butler became Emma's closest friend and the only one who new here secret. One day news came to the camp that a Union spy had been killed at a rebel camp. Now they needed a new spy and Emma volunteered. So she disguised herself as a black slave named Cuff. She snuck onto a rebel camp to gather any valuable information. She found out how many weapons they had, where people were hiding, anything that would help the union defeat the rebels. Once she had gathered enough information, she snuck back to the Union camp. With this information, the union began to fight. Emma became very busy in the hospital as more and more got injured. As the union reached a river, they had to stop and make a bridge across it which would take weeks. The Union army didn't have enough information to make an attack. It was time for Emma to become a spy again. This time she dressed up as a middle aged peddler woman. In this disguise she had no trouble at all getting into the camp and she was allowed to walk around freely. She found out a lot of useful information including the fact that the rebels had an ambush waiting for the union troops. She then rode away on a one of the rebel's horses. They were so impressed with Emma's work that they made her a messenger during all the fighting. For many months Emma was sent off on spy missions and was successful on all of them. Emma returned to being a nurse as the war went on. She was then struck with malaria. She couldn't go to the hospital she worked at because then they would find out she was a girl. So she decided to leave, get the help she needed and then come back. So she left and checked herself into a hospital. Once she got her malaria under control, she saw a union poster in a window. It said that Franklin Thompson was absent without leave. He was known as a deserter. Emma was upset but she continued being a nurse under her rightful name. Later on, after she was married she petitioned the war department to review her case. She had her military rights restored and received and honorable discharge. Other troops were surprised to find out that their old friend Frank Thompson was actually Emma Edmonds. Emma lived in La Porte until her death in 1898. This is a good book full of adventure and suspense.
   
   I thought it was cool how Emma was able to pull off so many disguises. Emma's biggest disguise was being a man. She was able to fool everyone, even her fellow soldiers who she became friends with, that she was a guy. She pulled it off without anyone ever asking questions. Also, there was her favorite disguise, the black slave named Cuff. She was again pretending to be a guy and she was able to come up with something to make her skin look dark. She was able to fool everyone in the rebel camp. Another disguise was as a peddler woman. Even though she was dressed up as a girl, no one ever thought that she actually looked like a real girl. She was even able to fool them then.
   
   Emma was brave and took many risks during her life. One big risk was just signing up. She could have gotten into a lot of trouble if they found out that she was lying and was a girl. And being in the middle of a war is dangerous too. Another risk was when Emma disguised herself as Mr. Mayberry. She was supposed to lead a man, who was leaking union information to the rebels, into a union ambush. If anything went wrong she could've ended up dead and no one would have known. Also, when she was dressed up as a black slave woman, she could have gotten killed. She found secret rebel documents and was going to take them back to her camp. But if she was caught with them they probably would have killed her.
   
   When ever Emma made a decision she stuck to it and didn't turn back. For example, when she decided to run away. She was only sixteen and was afraid of her dad. But she set her fears aside and made the decision to leave and she was happy about it. Another example is when she decided to volunteer for the Army. She was scared and worried that they wouldn't believe her disguise. But she made her decision and wasn't going to second guess herself. Also, when she wanted to become a spy. It was dangerous but she wanted to do it anyway. And even after Mrs. Butler tried and tried to convince her not to do it, Emma stuck to her decision.
   
   This is a great book that will make you not want to put it down. I would recommend it to most people who like biographies and adventure story. This book may not interest everyone but overall it was good.
   
   C. Chapman



2. Emma Edmonds is a young girl from Canada, living in the North during the Civil War. She's always been outgoing and bold- never able to stay in one place at a time. So when she feels a calling to join the Union army, she does what any rebellious girl would do- cuts her hair, gets the uniform, and joins up. At first she's awkward and unsure- terrified that she'll be discovered. She sees the whole thing as a big adventure-that is, until an old love interest of hers is killed in the war. She decides to really take a stand and looks at the war in a whole different way. She fights with all her power-until she gets word that a Union spy was recently killed by the Confederates. She quickly lands the job of replacement. She goes across the rebel lines, a different disguise each time, and collects useful information which helped to save many battles.
   Emma Edmonds, whom I had never heard of before reading the book, is a facinating character. How she summoned the courage to join the army I will never know. A very good book, but a little slow in places.



3. I didn't really like this book. I didn't really like the author's writing style, it was a little hard to understand and follow. The subject wasn't very interesting to me. I think that it would have been hard to try to re-create a story about the civil war. I think that the author did good on that.
   
   I wouldn't really recommend this book unless you are interested in things about the army. I think that it was cool though that a woman would take that kind of risk just to be in combat. Also it was cool that she was that passionate about serving her country.



4. My grandma forced me to read "Behind Rebel Lines". But it turned out to be an awsome and interesting book!



5. Behind the Lines is an adaptation of the Emma Edmonds story for young adults. Emma Edmonds was a native of Saint John New Brunswick, Canada who left for the United States several years prior to the war. She eventually found her way to Michigan where, following the outbreak of war, she under the alias Franklin Thompson enlisted with the 2nd Michigan Infantry. She served with the unit as an orderly for about a year before she volunteered herself as a spy, and during the course of the next year went on eleven assignments. Not only were her spying activities dangerous, but she always had to remain vigilant among her comrades as well, lest her identity be discovered. This is a very interesting and entertaining bit of history, one that is sure to interest even some of those who insist that history is "bo-ring".

5 comments about Paul Revere and the World He Lived In.

1. If you would like to go back in time and really experience what it was like to know Paul Revere, John Hancock, Samuel Adams & Joseph Warren - then this book is for you. It is an enjoyable read that really takes you back to Boston in the late 1700's.
   
   You will come to understand what an important role Paul Revere played in our early history. It is fascinating to see that a man who was involved in the Boston tea party turned around and left without sleep to carry news to Philadelphia of what had taken place. He made the trip to Philadelphia and back four times that year, averaging 63 miles a day!
   
   By reading this book, you will be there to see the painted faces of men returning from the Boston tea party, or feel the frustration of having the king's soldiers living in your neighbor's homes. You will experience anxiety as Robert Newman makes his narrow escape out of Christ's Church window after the lanterns have given warning.
   
   You will also come to appreciate Paul Revere - who was kind-hearted, quick to make peace with old enemies, and willing to do what was needed. You will find that at age 65 he took on the task of learning how to roll copper for the ships for our new American Navy.
   
   After reading this book you will find you have been both entertained and educated!



2. It is a rare author who can write a book that , 50 years later, shows few signs of age. It is also rare for the writer of historical fiction to have the ability to entice kids of another generation to enter the world of which she writes. Esther Forbes is one of those gifted writers. Fifteen years ago, my 13 year old son pulled this book from my shelves and found himself thoroughly immersed in the world of 18th century Boston. Although more has undoubtedly been discovered about the life and times of Paul Revere since this particular bio was initially published, this account remains vital and valuable today. I don't keep all of the books that I buy and read, but this has been in my bookcase for more than 20 years.



3. For this book Forbes got the Pulitzer Prize and it is hard to believe it is almost 50 years old now.

   It is a biography of Paul Revere but also more than that. It is also the history of Boston and the Revolution. Because of his important standing in Boston of his day, he was a coppersmith, a Son of Liberty and a prominent Mason, we get to know a lot more about 'the world he lived in'.

   It seems very fair and balanced. Not a great soldier or tactician but someone who was instrumental behind the scenes as a provider of weaponry and of course as a messenger.

   For those interested in daily life AND the Revolutionary War this book is great. It also shows you what Paul REvere did and why you find his name so often when walking around Boston.




4. Esther Forbes shows that Paul Revere was not just a guy who rode a horse and shouted, "The British are coming!" Actually, his famous ride to Lexington was a very small part of his life and contribution to our nation's development. Forbes provides thorough details about Revere's many activities and interests. In addition to his work as one of the Sons of Liberty, he was an engraver, silversmith, bell maker, military officer, and manufacturer of gunpowder and rolled copper. And if that weren't enough, he dabbled in dentistry. Such an entrepreneur! It's inspiring to see what can be accomplished by a person who is honest, hard-working, humble, and genuinely concerned about other people.

   Forbes also includes a lot of information about other prominent people from Boston, such as John Hancock, Joseph Warren, Dr. Benjamin Church, and Samuel Adams. These men played important roles, but I think the focus is on Revere because of the aura surrounding Paul Revere and his legendary midnight ride. We are drawn to stories of heroism in the face of mortal danger. John Hancock's huge signature ... well, it just doesn't stir us the same way.

   Most of the action happens between 1756 and 1779. It was a time of tension and uncertainty. Forbes shows that the people struggling against the British really didn't know how it would turn out. There were no guarantees of success. Also, the wrangling between Whigs and Tories seemed like a foreshadowing of the friend-against-friend clashes that happened in our Civil War 80 years later.

   The pre-1756 and post-1779 events didn't benefit from the inherent excitement of current events, so these parts of the book didn't hold my attention as well. Still, this IS a biography, and it isn't Forbes' fault that Revere lived 40 years past the end of the Revolutionary War.

   I enjoyed this non-sensationalized look at social, political, and military facets of colonial America. And now that I know what Paul Revere did beyond riding horses and shouting, I'm glad he's got a spot in our history books.




5. Paul Revere and the World He Lived in by Esther Forbes is a well written authoritative biography about Paul Revere. The book has a flowing but romantic aire to it... painting a portrait with words and describing the life and times of early New England and Boston in particular.

   Paul Revere was a multifarious man displaying many talents as the book points out. Well written, flowing narrative, being easily readable and well documented are just a few of the wonderful traits that the author brings to the reader. It's enjoyable to read and you feel like your right there seeing everything transpire right before your eyes. That's a talent raely found in writing and no wonder this book won a Pulitzer Prize in history.

   This book is well worth reading and gives the reader a good foundation as to what life was like for people from 1735 - 1818. As well, this should be one of the books used in our schools for teaching American History. The author really brings out a love for her subject in this book.

5 comments about From Love Field: Our Final Hours with President John F. Kennedy.

1. I find this book wonderfully written by Mrs Connolly and a never before seen insight into what happened that day. As the (then) only surviving member of that car, it was something that is much appreciated to hear what her opinion was.



2. My husband and I had the opportunity yesterday to get our copy of "From Love Field" signed by Mrs. Nellie Connally. What a treat! She is so elegant and eloquent, and gracious to all of her fans. She spoke personably with every single person in line and made everyone feel like they were of interest to her. I started reading her book as soon as I got in the car, and read straight through til I finished it. It is a wonderful book, exactly what you would expect from someone who lived through that horrible day. I got exactly what I expected to get from reading it, and even more. I especially appreciated the speeches that President Kennedy wasn't able to give being reproduced in the book. This is a book I will always cherish, along with meeting this great Texan, Mrs. Nellie Connally.



3. Of the many volumes on the subject, I find this book to be the best. Told with charm and grace, Nellie Connally relates the events of November 22, 1963 as only an occupant of that ill-fated Presidential Lincoln could. Devoid of conjecture or theories, we are simply presented with the facts. The Connally's viewpoint from the jumpseats is sobering. Pivotal moments, from Mrs. Connally's last words to President Kennedy to Governor Connally' near fatal wounds to Oswald's emergency room visit after the Jack Ruby shooting are covered in a comfortable format; making one feel that Mrs. Connally is relating the events to you personally. Thank-You, Mrs. Connally.



4. The former First Lady of Texas takes an infamous blot on our history, an event that quite literally changed the world for generations to come, and put it in completely human terms. This is what happened to her and her family. This is how she remembers it. What's more, it's how she experienced it -- from both the front seat of the Lincoln Continental and the corridors of Parkland Hospital. This makes it an invaluable historical record, and a moving account written by a woman who had been fired upon in an open car and held her bleeding husband in her arms. Perhaps it is "slight." I would not have wanted her to embellish or alter her memories of those tragic days just to accommodate readers who measure a book's worth by the number of pages. I did not consider the photographs, the reproduction of her notes nor President Kennedy's undelivered speeches "filler." They lent texture and veracity to her story. And I do not see how anyone can say there is nothing "new" here. She is the only one of those three surviving passengers who discussed what happened at this length with the public. That in and of itself is "new." I appreciate this lady's gallantry and her generosity in contributing her family's history to our country's history. And I was also moved by her son John's recollections of the funeral. It was poignant to read a man nearing 60 recalling the awe, pagentry and pain he experienced while still a teen.



5. THIS IS A VERY DISAPPOINTING BOOK - IT COULD HAVE SERVED ITSELF BETTER AS A MAGAZINE ARTICLE - THERE IS TOO MUCH REHASHING OF OLD INFORMATION AND WHAT'S KNEW IS SLIGHT.
   SAVE YOUR MONEY AND GET IT OUT OF YOUR PUBLIC LIBRARY.

5 comments about Letters from the Dust Bowl.

1. This book is best read quickly, if not at a sitting, then over a weekend. In that way Henderson's prose gets its power, and it will take you from youthful optimism to euphoria, then to despair, and then to a sort of middle ground in which she makes peace with herself and the land. She's at her best when she describes her mental and verbal battles with intolerant churchmen: she just couldn't buy into the vengeful God of the itinerant evangelists of the time, and she was not shy about expressing her opinions. This book will make the Great Plains and Dust Bowl come alive, not as a scholarly, "objective" tome, but as a woman's journey of the heart. A very nice read.



2. This is trying. The personal letters presented in the book convey a manner with which Caroline uses to overcome life stresses that come with homesteading a difficult land in a fickle environment. The Hendersons live quite alone in No Mans Land. The welfare of the Henderson family depends strictly on their ability to manifest a steady resource of food substances for nutrition and for trade. The letters from Caroline Henderson are written in a very flowery style that worked well in the early half of the 20th century. Digesting the text isn't easy if you've become adapted to the pace of life today.
   
   However, the reader is treated to an infinite barrel of wisdom. Certainly, Caroline had to deal with much more in her life than overcoming writing styles, so it helps knowing this just to get through the book. It is easy to miss what is really going on here. Homesteading requires a harvest of food for nutrition and another harvest of food for the soul. The book talks very little about dust storms. More is spoken of the planted gladiolas, the harvest, the songs of birds, and of Christmas. Letters are torn up in frustration, and rewritten to be positive. Each response to a letter opens with words of thanks for encouragement offered.
   
   This little book is terrific - the kind of book that changes lives. If you enjoyed Victor E. Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning" you might also love this. Though not analytical and direct as Frankl, it quietly relates shared personal values. In contrast to Frankl, Henderson lives very much in freedom, but within the shackles of her environoment.



3. Caroline Henderson's letters are historic and illustrative and heart-wrenching. You get to know this truly remarkable person and how life was in this era through her writings and see the progress from youth and hope and optimism to age and despair. Losing her at the end of the book was like losing a dear grandmother. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in studying The Great Depression and The Dust Bowl. I read it as a companion to "The Worst Hard Time" by Timothy Egan.



4. Deftly edited for contemporary readers by Alvin O. Turner, Letters From The Dust Bowl is a collection of letters and published materials written by Caroline Henderson (1877-1965), a woman who lived through the Oklahoma Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. Her articles on the Dust Bowl first began appearing in "Atlantic Monthly" in 1931, drawing the woes of American farmers into the public eye. Her correspondence and articles, which date from 1908 to 1966, offers insight into the daily struggle to put food on the table, and her descriptions of the dust storms that covered the Plains are unforgettable. Enhanced with a biographical essay and precise annotations supplementing this extraordinary compilation, Letters From The Dust Bowl is highly recommended for students of 20th Century American History.



5. Alvin Turner likes to quip that "Letters from the Dustbowl" is the "best written book" that the University of Oklahoma Press will publish this year. Indeed, Caroline Henderson, the author of the columns and letters it contains, may be the most quoted authority on the social aspects of the dustbowl. Her views on Oklahoma farm life were disseminated across the country both in her columns for "Ladies' World," and her "Letters from the Dustbowl," were published in "Atlantic Monthly." In selecting material for this book, Turner told me that he had twice as many columns and letters than would fit. Alvin Turner is the Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma.

   Caroline Henderson moved to a farm near Eva, Oklahoma, in 1907. During the next six decades, she and her husband, Will, endured the hardship of depressions and the dustbowl on their farm, with really only one bumper crop to show for their labors. Turner's overall introduction, as well as his introduction to each section, does well to place Henderson's life in context. She had great dreams for her life, both as a literate woman and as a farmer but by the end of her life, she is disillusioned and considers herself a failure.

   Most of Henderson's farming experience demonstrates that dreams can save a person from an otherwise mean life. In 1917 she wrote, "The fact that we cannot see the end does not relieve us of our obligation to push forward, to gain every inch we can in humanity's forward march." As a young farm wife, she met challenges with inventiveness, and hardship with strong will. Even as crops withered and neighbors moved away, she finds beauty in flowers and friendship in animals. However, too many failed crops and dried-up dreams took their toll on Henderson's optimism. In 1952, she wrote in a letter to her daughter, "Every day seems to bring some new sorrow in these last years of fruitless effort and disappointment." With dreams dashed, Henderson loses all sense of proportion and she reads each setback as catastrophe.

   "Letters from the Dust Bowl" is as heartbreaking as it is inspirational. Al Turner is right; it's a very well written book.

5 comments about Confessions of a spy: the real story of aldrich ames.

1. This gives the best account of Ames' CIA career, particularly prior to the time he began to work for the Soviet Union, and corrects errors in several earlier books such as Wise's.



2. This is the only text I have read that provides a compelling and nuanced explanation of why Ames betrayed his country. The short answer is that he needed the money because he was living beyond his means. As a result of his work recruiting and handling spies he no longer believed it was wrong for a person to betray their country. Earley's well-written book explains how he arrived at that point. It also provides the reader with a credible look at what it is like to work for the CIA, and what it is like to work as a spy.



3. I was reading "See No Evil" by Robert Baer and he briefly mentioned Aldrich Ames and decided to read a book on him. While looking for books, I was pleasantly surprised to find one written by Pete Earley. I had read "The Hot House" a couple of years ago and found Earley to be a very clear and detailed writer. I really could not wait to receive the book. My expectations were high and they were met and exceeded. The book details Ames' life from birth, it details his parents, his entry into the CIA, and ultimately his betrayal of the country. The thing I love about Earley is that he leaves no loose ends. You're never left saying, "but what ever happened to..." or "I wonder who that is...". He's a very clear writer who introduces every subject in the book. He explains the facts sharply and thoroughly, and the pacing is perfect. Earley not only gives you the details, but draws you in with a story line that adds suspense. Earley is similar to other great non-fiction writers such as Stephen Ambrose, Jon Krakauer, Simon Winchester, Mark Bowden, or Kurt Eichenwald in that he takes a real event and tells it gripping way.
   
   On the negatives, there was not an index in my book which made it difficult at times. Also, Earley was not able to get interviews with everyone involved, in particular Ames' first wife, but at the time I'm sure not everyone wanted to participate with the media.
   
   The most important aspect of the book is that Aldrich Ames cooperated with Earley with face to face interviews while awaiting trial and later through letters. But Earley did not take everything Ames told him at face value, he is not lazy or sloppy, he fact checked and questioned everything. He even fact checked with Russian KGB which demonstrates how dedicated he was to the subject. Is it definitive? Definitely not because it came out so quickly after Ames arrest (before revelations of Robert Hanssen) but it is an excellent book.



4. Step by step we are moving to the truth.
   The fiction is banal. Hence - one star for the book. The reality is amazing. Hence - 5 stars for the next book on the Ames-Colby case. The next book will be based on Dekov's memoirs.



5. Ames was unduly lucky to have not been "netted" much sooner. Mr. Earley gives us a very well written piece of work.Ames was certainly not Kim Philby or 007;but He did get away with His betrayal for some years,and that alone makes it worthy for any 20th Century Historian. The little tidbit of a quite 'hot potato'betrayal story on Henry Kissenger is worth the cost of the book alone.Earley is also fair to Ames'American employers at CIA who finally pinch "the mole".

5 comments about Diary of an Early American Boy.

1. While rumaging through an old house, Eric Sloane came across the diary of 15 year old Noah Blake. Written in 1805, the diary has short entries about Noah's life on a farm. Sloane uses these brief notations as a starting point to recreate a compelling story about farm life on the American frontier. Eric Soane's talent as an illustrator takes this book to the next level. It is one thing to read about early American life and it is another level of pleasure to see beautiful illustrations that explain the material culture in which Noah Blake lived.
   
   The audience for this book is very large. Written at a high school freshman level, this book will be of interest to anyone interested in learning how common people lived during the Federalist Period. This book will also appeal to all those who are interested in the material culture of 19th Century America. Sloane provides beautiful illustrations of how things like a water mill worked or how a simple wooden bridge was built.
   
   Personally, my interest in American vernacular architecture. I loved this book because Eric Sloane has done a masterful job of explaining early American building techniques. I knew that one had to be very knowledgable to survive 200 years ago and this book only reinforces my admiration for our ancestors. For those who like these types of books, check out the illustrated works of Edwin Tunis, another talented artist with an interest in material culture.



2. I love this book! It is so real and life like! The drawings and all the actual entrys from his diary. I sent this book to a friend who lives in africa and HE LOVED IT!



3. I read this book as a young adult. It was like turning back the clock one hundred and fifty years, but unlike a lot of history books, it has no political, social or moral agenda. Indeed, it paints a luminous picture of rural life, while giving more useful information in the text of the diary and in the annotated pen-and-ink illustrations than most "country living" manuals. Check out Eric Sloane's barn books as well - more masterful work!



4. This is an excellent book for kids and adults. The book is fully illustrated with drawings that detail how things were built and how they worked. They capture kid's attention better than "Where's Waldo?", but unlike that meaningless book, there's a lot to be learned from this little gem! Lance Greenlee



5. I read this book while visiting my mother in her Connecticut country home. It was the perfect place to read it as I suddenly made sense of the street names like Old Mill Road and Stoneboat Road. Eric Sloane paints an intoxicating portrait of a boy's coming of age and falling in love with the girl next door (even if next door was over the meadow and through the woods) in the earliest years of the 19th century. Life was a focus on survival, when your days were spent working your land for all the fruits that it bears to sustain you and your family. Close bonds form with neighbors and community is not only important, but a way of life. Aside from being a true (if admittedly embellished) story, it is an intense study of life at that time. How we made and used our tools; the many properties and uses of wood; how the farmer's almanac was an indispensible item in every household. You learn great little triva facts in every chapter, such as... Did you know every house was allowed only ten panes of window glass... if they had more, they would have to pay a stiff tax on each pane.

   The book opens with our young protagonist lying in bed, staring out through four brand new panes of glass that his parents got him for his birthday, watching the snow fall. He is as happy as can be for having these simple panes of glass. Nintendo pales in comparison.

   Read it! It's short and well-paced. The boy's slowly evolving love story with the neighbor's summer guest is an involving, if underplayed, spine.

5 comments about The Vendetta: FBI Hero Melvin Purvis's War Against Crime, and J. Edgar Hoover's War Against Him.

1. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. "The Vendetta" reveals the vindictive jealousy harbored by J. Edgar Hoover toward the legendary G-man Melvin Purvis because the Director felt that Mr. Purvis was garnering too much favorable publicity for the success of the FBI's battle against crime during the Thirties. That alone is fascinating, since it brings to light the demons which haunted Mr. Hoover throughout his life. Of equal interest, I felt, was the authors' vivid description of the Midwestern crime wave itself, and the colorful outlaws who blasted their way into infamy. All in all, a very good read, much better than I had anticipated.



2. One of the finest biographies ever written! The author's writing style makes the book an even better read. So much is put in proper historical perspective, especially Hoover's personality and pettiness. My only regret is that this book was not better publicized. It certainly deserves a far greater audience.



3. i always found it interesting to find out what was in the pockets of criminals when they were gunned down.in dillingers' case 7.70,not a lucky number for him but according to purvis,lucky for someone. the police who riffed through the pockets of dillingers' corpse,definitely hit the jackpot,and to leave an extra seven cents would be too obvious.Purvis gives a name of who probably ended up with dillingers' bankroll,and the book is loaded with insider type details like this. i was surprised at finding out the "shoestring budget" of the FBI,when it was originally founded,no wonder hoover was so edgy. J Edgar was trying to project the image of a FEDERAL MONOLITH backed up by 20th century science in the capture of dillinger. When little Mel Purvis pointed out that it was Ana Sage,an informer, who broke the case,Hoover hit the roof.After all,money and a woman was the oldest way of capturing a crook and used since time began.Mel---just not a team player---according to Hoover,although Alston Purvis proves pretty convincingly,that little mel was.Any leak to the press or headline stealer attempt was blamed on Purvis by Hoover.Hoover however was too quick to ignore the fact that the press doesn't take "no" for an answer and sometimes will even invent stories if they can't find one.It seemed that Hoover was trying to make the FBI,a mysterious powerful entity and he didn't want a "face" on it especially little mel's,but Hoovers tactics seem petty and vindictive.
   There is also alot of insight into the private lives of police in this book.It is an honest look at an American family.



4. An excellent book. Purvis's son gives us his father's history with an unblinking eye,and manages to give the reader insight into Purvis the man:a pariah who is forced to leave the F.B.I. by a vindictive Hoover,yet who still manages to be a hero.
   Historically Alston Purvis is right on the mark and pulls no punches. I only wish that other authors would have been as responsible when writing about his famous father. This book is not hero-worship,but is stunning in it's grasp of history,and hard hitting in it's facts.
   This book should not be left off the shelf of anyone interested in the F.B.I.'s early days and the desperados Purvis and his men hunted down. It is really something new!



5. This wonderful book is the history of Melvin Purvis' rise and fall as it really happened from the foremost authority--his son. Alston does a tremendous job of covering all aspects of Melvin's personal and professional conflicts. The writing is very detailed, a bit dry at times, but just as things get a bit too dry Alston whops you with major change in the story, a turning point that keeps you turning the pages for more. This book is perfect for anyone who loves true crime, american history in the 20th century, or just a great american story.

5 comments about Beyond the River: The Untold Story of the Heroes of the Underground Railroad.

1. Author Ann Hagedorn, who moved "on location" to complete her research and add inspiration to her writing, offers a rarely seen individual account of the underground railroad. Most other books on the topic take a view from 50,000 feet. Hagedorn focuses in on one river (the Ohio), two states (Ohio and Kentucky), and one man (John Rankin). The abolitionist work of this Presbyterian minister (whose letters about abolition are a crucial primary source) serves as the backdrop and foreground for Hagedorn's exposition. Though focused on Rankin, the author does not fail to provide compelling real-life stories of many other "key players" both slave and free. For a compelling, unique read of the courageous men and women conducting the underground railroad, "Beyond the River" is the book to read.
   
   Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction , Spiritual Friends, and Soul Physicians.



2. Beyond the River was just named one of the American Library Association's Notable Books for 2004. The annual list is highly regarded and identifies 25 very good, very readable and very important books.

   This is a tremendous honor for Beyond the River and one that is richly deserved; this book lovingly weaves together tales of the abolitionist heroes in the town of Ripley, Ohio in the years leading up to the Civil War.




3. Ann Hagedorn offers the reader a captivating perspective on America's struggle with slavery in her work, "Beyond the River." The uniqueness of her work eminates from two particular aspects of her work, both of which begin with the way she takes her subject out of the macro world of politics and economics into the smaller world of the lives of the people effected by the souths 'peculiar institution.' Looking slavery through the eyes of individuals, the reader gains a far greater appreciation of the suffering, torment, and most of all, the fear generated by those who stood in opposition.

   Interesting also is the location the author focuses on, the Ohio River where on one side men are free and on the other live in chains. Most texts present slavery at great distances, like The Carolinas an and New York. Here we see just how intimate the slavery and the abolitionist could be and the blood spilled by both sides.

   Most importantly, Hagedorn writes in a cool clear voice that is enjoyable and informative. She delivers facts and passion in the same sentence without ever becoming melodramatic or shrill. Readers who enjoy this fictional work may also want to look at "Cloudsplitter," Richard Bank's novel on The Brown family's war on slavery.




4. This is a great read, suspenseful and thoughtful, one of the best page-turners I have read in a long while. I strongly recommend the book to anyone, of any race, of any religion, and from any part of the U.S. It has made me reflect on what 'weak' creatures most of us are when it comes to moral risk-taking, and how courageous other Americans in the past have been. This is a book that will make you feel very humble about how 'morally righteous' you really are.

   Unlike one of the other reviewers, I have enjoyed reading the 'large blocks of text'--the original written voice of the people livng at the time, and their [lists of] names make the events very real. These folks were a whole lot more articulate than myself--read this book!




5. So you think you know all about the Underground Railroad, the secret network that fugitive slaves used to escape bondage? Try this quiz:

   1. Once they reached one station of the UGRR, how did fugitives reach the next station?

   2. What role did women and children play in the UGRR?

   3. What religious group do you associate with the UGRR?

   So those questions are easy? Try these:

   4. What connection did Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, have with Ripley?

   5. How many years did the citizens of tiny Ripley, Ohio serve as major players in the Underground Railroad?

   Ann Hagedorn answers all these questions and more in Beyond the River. In her skillful hands, a century and a half fades away and the people of Ripley spring to life. By day, they live a surprisingly civilized life-- none of those rustic log cabins and barefooted trips to the outhouse that you read about in many attempts to bring history alive. By night, the sophisticated network of friends and neighbors bands together for one purpose: "a solemn promise to fight slavery until it is dead or the Lord calls me home."

   As a girl in the 1960's, I traveled through Ripley, Ohio a couple of times a year to visit my grandparents. I knew a little about the Rankin family and the Underground Railroad from reading the historical marker near Rankin House, but until Ann Hagedorn's book, the story of Ripley was lost history. Read Beyond the River the first time for the gripping story, the second time for the historical accuracy, and the third time for the inspiration to make our world a better place.