1 comments about Wives of the Signers.

1. Describes the hardships and struggles experienced by the wives of those who signed the Declaration of Independence. A very enlightening read; something that should be a part of every high school American history class!

5 comments about Tom Horn: Blood on the Moon : Dark History of the Murderous Cattle Detective.

1. Introduced to the epic of Tom Horn by the excellent western movie starring Steve McQueen, I wanted to find a book and read more about the history of a man who, on the one hand, seemed a ruthless killer and on the other seemed the unfortunate dupe of the big business of the day--the cattle barons.

   Tom Horn: Blood on the Moon: The Dark History of the Murderous Cattle Detective fit the bill marvelously. I came away with what I believe is an accurate history of the hapless Tom Horn and, more interestingly, names of several interesting characters who contributed to the demise of arguably a great American hero.

   Key among these characters was Joe LeFors, the very same detective and lawman who made life miserable for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Named Joe Bell in the movie, LeFors methods were, shall we say, "creative."

   We are tempted to believe that political scandals, scapegoats and other applicable cloak and dagger are primarily of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Read Tom Horn: Blood on the Moon... and find out the rest of the story.




2. Although this book seems to contain a well documented, and at times, interesting account of Tom Horn and the Nickell murder, its about as much fun to read as a treatise on the history of linear-regression analysis. Mr. Carlson's poorly constructed syntax and meandering story lines makes this book a "plodding" experience.



3. An exceptional documentary dealing with one of Wyoming's most notorious citizens, one that reads like a novel. Although much has been written about Tom Horn, Chip Carlson has done an excellent job of presenting new facts and information furthing adding to the controversey over Horn's guilt in the murder of young Willie Nickell.



4. Chip Carlson has established himself as the most prolific and knowledgeable Tom Horn buff since Dean Krakel, and his work is extraordinarily readable. To understand a true American (choose your own term) outlaw, rogue, bounty hunter, lawman, Westerner ... whatever ... pick up Carlson's work, which is full of the grittiness that haunts the legend of Horn.



5. The best word I can think of to describe this book is FANTASTIC.Chip Carlson has written another masterpiece on the subject.
   To me just about every chapter leaves you craving more information, and thats what a good book should do.His indepth research is amazing on how he has put it into a format for persons interested in this period of western history.
   I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants more insight into the times trials and tribulations of 1890's Wyoming.

5 comments about Father, Son & Co.: My Life at IBM and Beyond.

1. This is a brilliant autobiography from one of the most talented business figures in last century. This book is unique for two reasons: (1) seldom had an author who had had experienced so much and accomplished so much; (2) his keen observation of human natures - expressed in a self-deprecating and humorous manner.
   
   In the end, you could tell Watson Jr. afterall was very self-assured of himself - at least toward the last phase of his life. Otherwise, it would be hard to explain how he would be willing to be vulnerable and reveal so much - about his own psyche, his family feud and IBM in general.
   
   This is a highly readable autobiography - highly recommended.



2. Indeed a truly heart-warming, rivetting story. One of the best - possibly the best - bios that I have ever read. This is a story about IBM, the big blue corporate monolith. Yet in its core, this is really the story of a Son, a father and the relationship between them. Once into the pages of the book, you will soon realise that IBM is just a necessary but incidental backdrop to a father-son relationship..It's a book that talks of a strict yet loving father, and a son working his way up to gain his father's approval and affection. A very humane tale, devoid of any overt management jargon or mantra that seems to be the norm in most bios by business leaders, it is a surprise that nobody has thought of making a movie out of this story.
   
   Touching. Warmly recommend to everyone.



3. This is not a story that I had really expected to enjoy; I found this book in a hostel in Europe, and with nothing in English to read I gladly snapped it up. Father, Son & Co wound up being a very interesting and enjoyable book, and even though it is more than 15 years old now, it still gives tremendous insights into the rise of IBM and the evolution of the computer. Within two generations of the Watson family, business advanced from the Robber Barons of the 19th century to the big corporations of the 20th, and during this same period the computer advanced from punch-card machines into the electronic machines we use today. It is hard to look at a PC and see a direct connection to horse-and-buggy days, but that is the story Thomas Watson and Peter Petre tell.
   
   A huge swath of American history is encompassed within this book; major events are witnessed and lived out by Watson and his family. But Watson also shows how family relationships have changed over the last hundred years by comparing his relationship with his father and siblings to those of his own children. Those older among us empathize with Watson completely-we took for granted, even thrived, within familial relationships that probably would not be tolerated today. But Watson also shows how primogeniture aids the affluent whether the offspring are gifted or not. To his credit, Watson admits this and does not set himself up as any more special than anyone else. He (and curiously his father as well) is rare in American business: he is a liberal and believes he owes something to his country. Would that this sentiment was felt more widely in the higher levels of business, government, and society.



4. It is always interesting to read what sons have to write about their fathers. Thomas J. Watson Jr.'s book is no exception to this rule. Although in many ways the book is a business biography, the relationship between the two men creeps in between the lines (almost more than you could imagine that the author had intended it to). Watson Jr. was clearly influenced by his iconic father, both for better and for worse. The book is a lot about how that influence (and the escape from that influence) shaped the company that is IBM today.
   
   Obviously the company has gone through many changes since this book has written-- Gerstner, downsizing, eBusiness, Business Consulting Services, etc. But still, it is remarkable how much of the culture is recognizable back to the very earliest days.
   
   I have a special interest in the subject matter, so it is hard for me to say how fascinating someone without an IBM attachment would find the book. If you do have that special interest in IBM history, however, it is an interesting book and well executed.



5. Although not exactly riveting, this book does provide an interesting and readable history of IBM from the view of Thomas Watson Jr. who took over control of IBM after his father, Thomas Watson Sr.. Although much has happened to IBM since then (the job cuts, the internet boom, etc.), this is a fascinating glimpse at the evolution of big blue and the culture it once had.

   The Watsons did not start IBM but they did oversee its growth into "Big Blue". Some of the anecdotes are quite memorable, the strict sales "uniform" (including sock suspenders), the refining and gentrifiying of the sales staff & executives, Thomas Sr. teaching his son to clean-up the bathroom on the train, the high-flyer told to forgo his tenant problems by Watson Sr.. It seems all tycoons and corporations have some skeletons in their cupboards and IBM is no exception. According to the book, Thomas Sr. and other senior executives at IBM started a business buying up old IBM equipment so prevent a second-hand market developing that would eat into IBM's market. It almost landed the Thomas Sr. and his colleagues in prison. Watson Sr. spent a great deal of time developing himself and his people to become refined, gentlemen with values and priorities. In these sad days of scum CEOs & executives, duplicitous companies, corrupt accountants & lawyers and valueless company "books" (Enron, WorldComm, Tyco, Merrill-Lynch, Arthur-Anderson, Martha Stewart,...) the incident may seem like grist to the mill but at that time it must have been a huge blow to the man and the company. A decent book if you have an interest in IBM or the history of the computer business.

5 comments about John Jay: Founding Father.

1. "John Jay, Founding Father" by Walter Stahr is a welcome addition to the biographies of America's founders.
   
   By examining Jay's key roles as President of the Continental Congress, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, one of three negotiators of the peace treaty with the British empire (along with Franklin and Adams), a Federalist Papers author, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, negotiator of Jay's Treaty, to preserve peace with England in 1794, and governor of New York, one can better appreciate the times and the greatness of the men who shaped events around Jay. In his concluding chapter, author Stahr rightly places Jay as seventh, behind Franklin, Washington, Adams, Hamilton, Jefferson and Madison in importance to the successful founding of America. Painting the portrait of a humble man of faith, one gets the impression that Jay would not have minded such an assessment - as opposed to his contemporaries, some of whom fought hard to ensure history viewed them more favorably.
   
   Mr. Stahr is a fine writer and "John Jay" is well-researched, leaving the reader to wish that Stahr would consent to taking another leave of his practice of law to write about another prominent American - especially as the U.S. today has a surfeit of attorneys and a dearth of historians possessing both common sense and a good pen (keyboard).
   
   I am indebted to Mr. Stahr's parents in Orange County, California, for recently telling me of their son's book, which I purchased on Amazon soon after hearing about it. Mr. Stahr's father is himself a prominent attorney and was one of the early key supporters of a previous employer of mine, former Congressman Chris Cox, now Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
   
   Reviewer: Chuck DeVore is a California State Assemblyman, a retired lieutenant colonel in the Army National Guard and the author of "China Attacks."



2. I have read many books about the founding fathers over tha last several years. I am also a lawyer and this book was written by a lawyer about John Jay who was also a lawyer. Throughout the book you could see how Jay's training as a lawyer affected the things he did, how he thought and of course it was crucial in how he drafted and negotiated two treaties with England and the New York state constitution. Of course you don't have to be a lawyer to enjoy this book-it isn't written in legalize.I do think anyone reading the book will learn something new about the revolutionary period as the book follows Jay from New York lawyer to a representative to the Continental Congress to President of the Congress to representative to Spain and France and on through his time as Chief Justice of the Supreme court to two term Governor of New York. He interacted with all the founding fathers and was particularly close to Hamilton, Adams and Washington. I thought this was an excellent book and was particularly good at showing one of the great Federalist leaders of the revolutionary period.



3. I enjoyed reading about John Jay. I remembered his treaty as being far more unpopular than in the book. Overall the book is an excellent and detailed account of Jhn Jay's life. I would highly recommend it.



4. In reading many books about the founding fathers I have found some interesting facts and stories of some of the more well known founders (Washington, Jefferson, Adams, etc.) but I had been looking to get to know some of the lesser known ones. This book blew me away and exceededmy expectations. This is the first book by this author, and I hope he writes more because his writing style and knowledge keep me interested just as much as the story of John Jay. I could not put this book down, and finnihed it in 4 days. It was a great pleasure to read about John Jay, he certainly desrves more credit then we give him.



5. Walter Stahr provides an excellent look at this often forgotten founding father. Jay was the lawyer of his day serving on the New York Supreme court and eventually first chief Justice of the US Supreme court. He would be called on several occasions to serve his country and always did so with distinction. He was president of the Continental Congress and served at a time to help relieve the supply situation that was plaguing Washington at Valley Forge. In his career he was also sent to Spain as our ambassador and while accomplishing little there found himself in the right place at the right time to attend the peace commission with Franklin and Adams. I have read many books on the peace convention but Stahr does an excellent job of giving fascinating tidbits about the negotiations and why the positions existed.
   Of all the revolutionary biographies I have read this is one of the few that really goes into the intricacies of the peace process and what the major sticking points of the treaty were. It provides new and valuable insight into process and really sees the foundation for how the international system looked following the Revolution. Jay's service as secretary of state at times left him the sole architect of the United States future given the lack of quorum and general disagreement of congress. Following the United States constitution which Jay helped to write several Federalist papers the tide would again change for Jay.
   John Jay would become the nations first Chief Justice and help define two unique roles of the court. The first would be as an advisor to the president on interpreting international treaties and their significance to US law. He would also help define the circuit riding which he thought should not be part of the courts duties. He would only leave the court to travel as a special envoy to England in order to negotiate a treaty to avoid a war in 1794. Finally retiring from the court to become governor of New York during a pivotal time as the state transformed itself. Overall his life hangs in the background of the founding fathers but without him many of their great deeds could not have been accomplished. This is a fascinating biography to read for those who want to see the behind the scenes activities of the American Revolution.

2 comments about Spies and Spymasters of the Civil War.

1. This is a great all-round reference to the world of Civil War espionage. It has an almost encyclopedia-type approach, giving the names of every known spy, both male and female, and on both sides of the war. It profiles their tactics, equipment, motives, and, for many, their fates, and tells real-life stories of dashing heroics and close escapes.
   
   In short, if you want to read about the spies and espionage of the Civil War, this is your book.



2. If you want an excellent look at the cloak and dagger world of spying, during the American Civil War,then this is a great start.If you're a history buff on warfare,then this book will not disappoint you.I enjoy reading about military history and the social actions leading to the declarations of war.Battle areas are interestingly called 'theatres'.And i'm always fascinated by the inter-play of the opposing armies and the power-brokers behind the scenes.If you have a keen sense of European social history,you will be intrigued by this look at the American internecine war of the 19th century.For those who want a complete understanding of current American political diplomatic strategies,domestic and foreign,you have to understand the American Civil War.

1 comments about The Autobiography Of An Ex-Colored Man.

1. This is a work of fiction, not Johnson's autobiography. Johnson was a major figure in African-American arts and politics. He did not, as the title character does, spend the last half of his life "passing for white" as a Wall Street investor!

5 comments about Esquire The Meaning of Life: Wit, Wisdom, and Wonder from 65 Extraordinary People.

1. I bought this book for my 19 year old son. He had heard about it and now is always quoting things from it. He found it very,very intersting!



2. This book is an fascinating and entertaining peek into the real people we see on the big screen. The interviews are brief, one page each, and that is good and bad. Good because it can be read in short bites, bad because it leaves the reader wanting more. The "stars" are people too. This is a glimpse into who they are.



3. Have always enjoyed "The Meaning of Life" page on Esquire - and to see a large collection of these - and many that i've missed - in one book is just great!
   
   So many different popular characters and personalities and interesting views on the ways of life.



4. I found this book very interesting. I found out a lot about people that I liked and learned about new ones as well. Very good book, light reading and fun. Highly recommend.



5. Opinions on some of life's most talked about subjects from past and present; writers, painters, musicians, politicians, actors, etc.... great stories and insightful views on religion, sex, faith, gender differences, relationships, etc..... easy to read and very witty. If your interested in what shapes extraordinary people into who they are then this book is for you. I loved it from the first page. I read this book from start to finish in one sitting. Thats a first.

5 comments about Agent of Destiny: The Life and Times of General Winfield Scott.

1. It is truly a shame that so few people know a lot about General Winfield Scott. Born in Virginia in 1786, Scott served in three major American wars (War of 1812, The Mexican War, and the first year of the Civil War) and several smaller wars (Seminole and Black Hawk Wars), and served as a general officer in the Army for over 50 years. He negotiated several peace treaties that, among other missions, kept the young United States out of a third (and maybe more) war(s) with Britain. He was also the commanding officer overseeing the Native American removal program that became known as the Trail of Tears (Scott admitted that he was not happy with the policy, he just followed orders). But with all of those diplomatic and military achievements, he also had a rivalries with many of the most prominent figures of the early 19th century. He fought with several Cabinet members, fellow generals, and was challenged to a dual by President Andrew Jackson. In 1852 he ran on the Whig ticket for president (he lost to Franklin Pierce). He was a real American hero who deserves to be better known than he is. John S. D. Eisenhower does a remarkable job in encompassing the whole of this incredible man's life. Eisenhower shows us Scott in all his glory, but also the warts to go along with it. For all General Scott's many attributes, he was exceedingly vain and arrogant, and that rubbed far too many powerful people the wrong way. But through it all Scott persevered to be the first officer to achieve lieutenant general rank, and was a darling of the public. He was even an influence in future Civil War general Robert E. Lee, who accompanied Scott in the Mexico adventure. The book is wonderful, and although it is maybe a tad long, it is never boring. What an interesting subject General Scott is. Hollywood should really take a look at this guys. The Mexican War itself would make a rousing exciting movie.



2. Agent of Destiny: The Life and Times of General Winfield Scott by John S. D. Eisenhower is, while a bit misnamed, an excellent introduction to both the history and culture of the 19th century army and General Winfield Scott.
   
   Most Americans remember Winfield Scott as the General who made an amphibious landing on the east coast of Mexico and marched to Mexico City. Since that is about the sum of what is taught in 11th Grade American History class, that is where most reasonably well read American's knowledge of Winfield Scott stops. Reading this book is a good first step in rediscovering the man who defined the culture and professional competency of the 19th Century American Army.
   
   While this book has some glaring weaknesses, it does introduce the casual reader to some interesting ideas and arguments.
   
   First, the near complete destruction of the U S Army under Gen "Mad" Anthony Wayne by Shawnee Indians in the early 1790's. While I knew that the nomative War Chief of the Shawnees - believe his name was Simon Gurdy, but my memory may be off - was a white man who held a reserve commission in the British Army, I did not realize that this was one of the incidents that led to the War of 1812. The idea that as recent as the 1790's some of the Indian tribes had enough firepower and resources to crush the bulk of the U S Army in a single battle both shows the relative strength of those particular Indian tribes and the grotesque incompetence of most American military leadership of the time.
   
   Second, America is a country that is at its best when it is a country of second chances that believes in forgiveness as much as accountability. Winfield Scott started off his military career by being courts martialed for calling a senior general a traitor. Even though this was probably a true statement, this was not an auspicious beginning. Likewise, from the book it appears as if Winfield Scott actually led his brigade into a slaughter at the battle of Lundy Lane. Yet, he retained his rank as a Brigadier General. That combined with his youth almost ensured that at some point in the future he would become the commanding general of the
   U S Army. That somewhat fortuitous set of facts turned out to be pretty beneficial for the United States in not only Winfield Scott's peacetime efforts, but also in his skillful handling of the Mexican American War. Clearly, the Winfield Scott who led his brigade to slaughter in 1812 was not the one who skillfully defeated an Army in a foreign land when outnumbered three to one.
   
   Third, there are a series of important ideas and debates that have shaped and, to a certain extant, continue to shape the U S Army. All of these debates are touched upon - although Eisenhower does not elaborate - in this book. What sort of military does America need when all of its peer competitors are so distant in terms of space and time? What is the role of conventional forces and special forces, this question first comes to light in the various Indian campaigns in Florida and Georgia. What is the proper role of "regular" forces versus "reserve" or "volunteer" forces? Perhaps the last is an important question today in Iraq. Indeed, Eisenhower's discussions of "red legged" infantry in Florida made me think about modern day Iraq where Armor and Artillery soldiers are serving in counter-insurgency missions.
   
   Fourth, Winfield Scott was a much better peacemaker than war maker. I lost count of the number of times that Winfield Scott negotiated away potential conflict between the United Kingdom and the U S. The last was after he had retired when RADM Wilkes - famous from the U S Exploring Expedition - had initiated an international incident by seizing two British diplomats from a Confederate ship. Moreover, Winfield Scott's role in diffusing the "Nullification Crises", perhaps, shaped the nature of American history forever. If South Carolina had left the Union in the 1820s, it is possible that the Civil War might have happened three decades earlier. It is likely that without those thirty years of industrial development and the various crises in 1840s Europe to feed Northern population growth, the South just might have won that hypothetical Civil War.
   
   None of these topics are really expanded upon. However, this is a good book for a basic introduction to Winfield Scott and 19th Century U S Army. I highly recommend it as a primer to begin to learn more.



3. I must say that Eisenhower's biography of "Old Fuss and Feathers" was truely incredible. I absolutely loved this biography so much that I read it in about 2 days. Eisenhower researched Scott very well and did a great job portraying this great American Hero. At the end of the book you really feel like you know Winfield Scott personally and you feel sorry for the fact that old age finally overtook him when his country needed him most.
   
   Eisenhower particularly did a good job portraying Scott's relationship with his contemporaries and the politicians. He spends an entire chapter on the Scott-Andrew Jackson feud and describes it very well, quoting the exact letters sent back and forth between the two, including Jackson challenging Scott to a duel. Eisenhower deserves special congratualations for doing the Scott-Polk relationship so well. You really feel bad for Scott with how Polk and the administration treated him before, after, and especially during the Mexican War.
   
   Scott really was an American Hero. He can easily be considered the Father of the American Army. He led the United States military for half a century(even if not officially). He achieved one of the greatest military triumphs in World History by taking Mexico City. He gave up a supply line and was outnumbered 3:1 by Santa Anna. You can't help but admire Scott and particularly dislike Polk after reading about Scott in the Mexican War.
   
   When you think of Scott you think of primarily warrior but Eisenhower does a great job showing that Scott was also a peace maker. He travelled across the country to mediate potential crises all the time. He helped prevent war with Britain and Canada more than once and did his best to help the Indians even though the government could care less about them.
   
   Scott is a true American Hero and Eisenhower makes this perfectly clear with his outstanding biography of this great American.



4. This is an excellent introduction to one of the United State's greatest military leaders. It is not an exhaustive account but it never claims to be one. I think this book is perfect for the military history buff who wants to find out who Scott was and what his accomplishments were. The book is less than 500 pages long so Eisenhower's treatment of Scott's over 50 years of Military service is concise. However, it highlights many (if not all) of Scott's successes and failures during his tenure. The book has whetted my appetite to find out more about this illustrous man. Read Eisenhower's book on the Mexican War, "So far from God" for a more in-depth examination of General Scott's masterful campaign to capture Mexico City and force the Mexican government to capitulate to the U.S.



5. "Old Fuss and Feathers", Winfield Scott, is one of the most important soldiers in American history. He was breveted a Brigadier General during the War of 1812, his shadow passes across all of the American Army's actions during the first half of the 19th Century, and before retiring he came up with "The Anaconda Plan" as a strategy to win the Civil War.

   But there is no decent biography of this great historic figure. And AGENT OF DESTINY falls far short of the mark.

   Sure, it is meticulously researched. In fact, it is more researched than written. Eisenhower wrote SO FAR FROM GOD about the Mexican War; AGENT OF DESTINY seems to be an expansion of that research project.

   The presentation is very episodic. They read like they were all written separately, and no real cohesive thread runs through the book.

   There is just no real sense of proportion. A Scott court martial is covered in little more than a page, with the juicy details buried in footnotes, and then it goes on forever with the intriguing and fueding for positions.

   And a critism that applies to much modern military history -- there are way too few maps.

5 comments about Nothing to Do But Stay.

1. It often happens that our own stories are intimately entwined with someone else's story, and that to understand who we are, we have to tell another person's story first. This is true for Carrie Young, who has written a marvelous memoir of her mother.
   
   This warm, hopeful testament to a woman's courage tells the story of Carrine Gafkjen, who--all alone, and with the single-minded, strong-hearted independence that is often obscured in men's stories about women--homesteaded 160 acres of North Dakota prairie. That was in 1904, and Carrine Gafjken spent the next eight years working for money in the winter and returning to her homestead in the summer. By the time she was thirty, she owned 320 acres of productive land. In 1912 she married Sever Berg. They sold his homestead and took up residence on hers, and over the next decade she bore six healthy children, the last of whom has told us her story in a style that is as strong, clear, and direct as Carrine herself. This is story with no frills or fancy lace, a story of hard work and tough times, but through it all runs hope and love for the land and a firm belief that perseverance will win out in the end.
   
   To my mind, the best books are like this one, valuable in ways too many to count. I not only learned important things about life on the Dakota prairie, but I learned some very good ways to tell a story, to give voice to someone who can no longer speak for herself and who must live--if she continues to live--chiefly in the words of a writer and the heart of a reader. Carrie Young is a fine teacher for any aspiring writer, and her stories about her mother's life are instructive examples of story-telling at its best.
   
   by Susan Wittig Albert
   for Story Circle Book Reviews
   www.storycirclebookreviews.org
   reviewing books by, for, and about women



2. There's no plot here and certainly no white knuckle drama. The book is a series of essays, each chapter relating an event or way of life experienced by the author as a child growing up on the North Dakota plains during tbe early 1900s. From education to farm life to holidays, each was covered with love and humor. I felt like I was getting to know my own grandmother as a child. My only wish was that there were more photographs, but considering the time period it was wonderful to have a few.



3. I stumbled on this book in a used book store. It is the amazing story of the author's parents and their life in rural North Dakota. The book has adventures, anecdotes, and gives the reader a real sense of how families existed in the early 20th century. This was a very entertaining story, although perhaps you can't tell from this review. None of us who have read it could put it down, from my 78 year old mom to my sister who is reading it to her 7 year old daughter.



4. I loved this book. Its a compendium of short pieces about the author's mother, who was a frontier woman with a wonderful outlook on life. I also loved the descriptions of her husband, who had to drive the children through snow, to get to their respective schools, and the descriptions about how the kids were settled in the schoolhouse overnight, while wild mustangs banged against the door. I don't know about you, but I'm not sure I would send my children to a schoolhouse way far away, with food for a week. Can you imagine what they did after school let out... all by themselves? I wanted to hear more about this. The descriptions of quilting are wonderful.It is a great book if you are in the mood to feel cold, hungry, and in North Dakota with the snow beating down upon you. Also if you enjoy descriptions of sumptuous meals at holidays, replete with Norwegian recipes!



5. The author is the youngest of six children of hard-working Norwegian-speaking parents, and the account of the struggles her parents went thru is awesome. Sometimes I thought the author indulged in hyperbole, and I would have appreciated a little more exactitude, but it no doubt is true that life during the twenties and thirties in northwestern North Dakota was a hard and demanding one. The first part of this book is the best, as the author relates the fantastic efforts necessary for the kids to be educated. There is a lot of discussion of Norwegian food, and those of you who are of Norwegian descent will gobble that talk up, but for me I could not get too interested in how her mother went to extraordinary lengths to prepare, under primitive conditions, the food she was so good at concocting. There is less talk of the interesting political events during the time than I would have liked. Appam, North Dakota, which was apparently a home town to the family during these years, has, according to my 1958 atlas, a population of 18. I would like to have learned whether it was a bigger place when the author was a child. But the upbeat attitude to her childhood was a real plus for this book--not the dreary catalog of hardship one sometimes gets from depression sagas. I liked this book.

4 comments about Joshua Chamberlain: A Hero's Life and Legacy.

1. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain did not appear "ex nihilo" on 2 July 1863 at the craggy slope of Little Round Top. Neither did he disappear on 12 April 1865 following his magnanimous violation of military protocol at Appomattox Court House. In this volume, Mr. Pullen documents Chamberlain's life after the Civil War, demonstrating that the hero's character continued to illuminate all his life until his death in 1914.

   Unlike Sis Deans', "His Proper Post;" Michael Golay's, "To Gettysburg and Beyond;" or Willard M. Wallace's, "Soul of the Lion," Pullen's text does not presume to be a complete biography. It does not address the question of what forces in Chamberlain's up-bringing formed such an extraordinary man.

   Unlike Chamberlain's own books "Through Blood & Fire at Gettysburg," and "The Passing of the Armies;" or Michael Shaara's, "The Killer Angels," and Alice Rains Trulock's, "In The Hands of Providence," this is not primarily a book about soldiers at war.

   The question that Pullen addresses is, "What becomes of the hero after the battles cease: how is courage displayed after the war ends?" In the case of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, and other great Americans, the answer is that true heroes continue to demonstrate the same commitment to service in peace as in war. True heroes demonstrate the same integrity and courage in their chosen civilian occupations that they once showed while facing iminent death.

   Forget the trendy books on leadership and values. Instead, read Mr. Pullen's book. Be inspired by the story of an exceptional leader, who demonstrated his commitment to American values until the day he died.




2. I don't think I could say it better than the reader from Huntington, Pennsylvania - what a great review! But I agree wholeheartedly, this book allows the reader to see Chamberlain *the human* and despite his faults and frailties, he remains someone well worth admiring. John Pullen, as always, has written a very well researched and very readable book that gives one a look at the whole person. For those who are just starting to become interested in Chamberlain, this book will give you an excellent view of his later life and accomplishments (all of which were achieved despite a debilitating wound!). For those who have been Chamberlain fans for years, this book will help you get to know him even more and give you further reason to admire him.



3. Joshua Chamberlain's post-Civil-War life never reached the heights of his military exploits. John Pullen has done an excellent job researching and writing about Chamberlain after the Civil War, but, like Chamberlain's civilian life, it's not as gripping as his Civil War experiences. For die-hard Chamberlain fans and those interested in Maine's and Bowdoin's history, it's worth reading, but if it's excitement you want, read Killer Angels.



4. Joshua Chamberlain reaches through time and space and grips the imagination of all that encounter him. John Pullen, who drew back the shroud of a forgotten hero in his excellent book "The Twentieth Maine," has come full circle in this engaging and enlightening biography. Chamberlain, the hero of Little Round Top, burst upon the American culture in the film "Gettysburg." As if in answer to the question "What makes this guy a REAL hero?," Pullen has gathered the facts and presented us with both the man and the myth. Few heroes, stripped of legend, endure the light of truth. Chamberlain not only lives up to his legend: he invites further acclaim by the manner in which he lived, and the integrity of his character. John Pullen fills in the blanks of Chamberlain's postwar life, and shows us a man worth admiring. A true American hero, Joshua Chamberlain emerges unsullied, untarnished and quite human. Thank you, Mr. Pullen!