5 comments about Because He Could.

1. The style is smart and at times engaging, but between the lines you can tell this guy is plain jelous of his ex boss, obviously he lacks everything that makes the other so charismatic. He resents that he did not receive the recognition HE thinks he should have received. It is the ex wife ranting about his ex, who left her for another. I suspect he has a man crush on Bill.



2. This man...Mr. Morris has so many skeletons in his closet, he shouldn't be throwing stones. The Clintons were his employers. He found writing a book about them would bring him wealth. It will be interesting to see if he will switch parties again when the Democrats are back in control. I don't put too much credence on most of the things he says and those I believe is a "so what?" Don't waste your money. Too bad he had to turn traitor on people who trusted him.



3. Dick Morris clearly outlines why Bill Clinton was such a horrible president and such a characterless person. Clinton put our nation at risk and I just wish more people who think he was a genius would read this book.



4. Dick Morris, political analyst and advisor under president Bill Clinton, offers a inside look at what the President left out of his very large autobiography that shared nothing on how he made policy decisions. And from what is shared in this book, I can now understand why. Mr. Morris was someone who worked very close with Bill Clinton on a daily basis for years. He reveals both his strength and weaknesses, so the book reads as if it is objective, but I am sure the Clintons do not like it. Mr. Morris leads us through all of the omissions from the President's own entertaining, yet self-serving book.
   
   It explains some of why the Clinton's lied when there was no political or legal reason for doing so. And how vicious they run a campaign, even when they have no personal stake in the race themselves in order to eliminate possible future competition. We also learn of a truly empathetic man who always had a scapegoat handy for when things went wrong. Which makes me wonder how much empathy he really has? But he also shares with us the good the man did while in office, even if it was an idea of an advisor, it takes a President to push an agenda.
   
   I know that Mr. Morris is a political animal himself. But this book is must reading if you read "My Life" in order to get a balanced view of the man who was President. This is also required reading in order get the definition of what is 'is', so that you can understand the inconsistencies of the Presidents book. This book is a very fast read.



5. Dick Morris critizes Bill Clinton because he didn't know then what we know now. Of course he didn't. None of us knew then what we know now. Sure it would have been nice to take care of Osama bin Laden then. I wish we could have done that. But who knew? I liked Dick Morris before, and I read one of his book. I thought of him as a smart guy. I'm disappointed that he turned against Clinton. I'd like to know the story behind that.

1 comments about Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (Lives and Legacies Series).

1. Who better to write a short biography of Justice Holmes than the author of the virtually definitive major biography of the Justice, "Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes: Law and the Inner Self." This short biography is part of Oxford's "Lives and Legacies" series. I had some concern that the book would either be so short as to not really discuss much detail about Holmes, or that it would be so simplified for a more general audience as to lose the incisive vigor of White's previous books on Holmes. Happily, neither fear was confirmed: there is plenty of meat on the skeleton and, while White takes time to explain some key legal concepts for the non-specialist, his analysis still sparkles.
   
   The book stands as a superb brief introduction to the Justice and some of his key contributions. There are eleven pages of helpful notes; some interesting photographs; a chronology; and a bibliography for further reading. Also quite helpful is the use of what White terms "sidebars," which are extended quotes from Holmes' letters and opinions, so that the reader gets a sense of Holmes writing styles. Wisely, White does not try to cram too much into this short book--he well covers OWH prior to his appointment, and limits his discussion of the Justice's Supreme Court opinions to a few areas such as free speech. He also takes aim at the Holmes as "the great dissenter" image, and explains how Frankfurther and other disciples used "The New Republic" and other publicity devices to create the "Yankee from Olympus" image we associate with OWH.
   
   There is just a tremendous amount of useful information contained within 137 pages of text. The writing flows well and is quite interesting even to those of us who have gone many rounds with the Justice. A small jewel to be sure.

4 comments about John Philip Sousa: American Phenomenon.

1. This book is very well written with lots of great pictures of Sousa and people involved in this great
   American's life.
   This is a great book.
   
   Highly recommeded.



2. There seems to be little in the way of information on this amazing composer. The author, an engineer, writes like one: dry, factual, and with lots of padding -- a trait that the March King himself abhorred. However, as with trying to get the sweet meat out of Dungeness crab, there are some tidbits worth fighting for. On the back, I may have found a reference to what I was really seeking: the stories behind Sousa's music. I guess the best I can say is that, despite pedantic and fussy details, I was able to cull the appreciation of a true musical genius and American. I'll keep looking for a book I can enjoy -- perhaps Sousa's own autobiography, if I can find it.



3. This is the definitive bio on J. P. Sousa. The author has lovingly researched his topic, gathering in all sorts of details about the legendary March King. It is sad that most Americans are only familiar with a handful of the great mans works. What this book reveals about Sousa is the great variety of music that he composed. Besides 136 excellent marches, he composed operettas, humouresques, and many other kinds of works. Without a doubt Sousa is our most prolific composer, the sheer volume and qaulity of his works far surpassing all other American composers. Yet the vast majortiy of his music is little heard these days. It is true that Sousa's music appealed to an America of a different time. His marches have all the power of an emerging young United States, just entering into the realm of international politics and industrial might at the turn of the century. In these political correct times Sousa's music might be perceived as being too chauvanistically patriotic in outlook. Hopefully in the post 9/11 world that we live in there is room for a revival of his music to bring back some of the nations pride in itself. Mr. Bierley considers the Sousa band is the greatest of its kind in the world. There is more than a little typical American tendency for overstatement here. Certianly in the States in the latter part of the 19th century there were few rivals for Sousa's band. But in Europe many fine military bands already existed and Sousa, though well received on his numerous tours abraod, faced much more critical acclaim. As director of the US Marine Band, Sousa certainly transformed that musical organization into the top-notch band that it is today. In fact, Sousa probably modelled his own band on the Garde Republicanne of Paris, but also any of the British or Prussian Guards bands could have served as inspiration as well. Mr. Bierley has brought together a number of fine photos of Sousa and his band, and highlights the many well known and famous musicians that served within the Sousa Band during its 40 year life-span. The music of J P Sousa evokes a bygone era in the United States. He was instrumental in both introducing and uplifting the music that was performed in this country. We could certainly use his like again as current music standards and tastes have fallen fall below what they were even in Sousa's day. Let us hope for a healthy re-birth of music and someone like Sousa to inspire us musically once more.



4. This book is by far and away THE book for the life of John Philip Sousa. Mr. Bierly has researched his subject in depth from help with the Sousa family former sousa Band Members and material in the Library of Congress, Masrine Band Archives, Univ. of Illinois and others. If you want to know Sousa, this is the book Joe L. Norcross

5 comments about Lovesick Blues: The Life of Hank Williams.

1. really just an unneccesary book. Totally a rehashing of Colin Escott's book. cant believe someone published it. some worthwhile moments, but not really a book id recommend.



2. An excellent book on Hank Williams.I followed his career and enjoyed him and his music from the beginning.You often hear people say that they remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard JFKennedy was shot,or when the World Trade Center was attacked on 9/11;but I can remember it as clear as a bell when I heard Hank had died.I was in our kitchen listening to the radio;it may well have been a Hank song,but I'm not sure;when the announcer broke in to tell us that Hank Williams had died in the back seat of his Cadillac,on the way to do a show in Canton ,Ohio.
   Even if you have come to know Hank's music many years after his passing;you'll find this an excellent book that tells you what Hank and his music was all about.
   I also remember in those days the local radio station announced and played The Top Ten Country as well as the Top Ten Popular (Pop) Songs. For a year or more after his death, Hank's songs kept making the list;even though several had not even been released at the time he died.
   One should not overlook the fact that Hank's songs were mostly written by himself and were about his life.Today people loosely say that singers are singing from the heart;butif you really want to know what it really means, you will find it with Hank.Having a stable of songwriters,arrangers and so forth produce songs will never have the honesty that we got from Hank.
   I have other Biographies about Hank,including Colin Escott's .They are good,have a lot of facts and information;but this book really gets into the heart and soul of Hank.
   There are numerous references to Hank's Steel Guitar player,Don Helms,and quite rightly so.Don was with Hank through it all,both the good and the bad,and it is unlikely if anyone knew ,loved and understood Hank better than Don;and that includes Hank's wives and family.
   On June 30,2006 ,I heard that Don Helms was going to do a show outside of Hamilton,Ontario.I had forgotten about him,but when they announced that he had been Hank's Steel Guitar player;I just had to go. It was a small crowd,about 150 or so,in a Legion (VFW)hall. Well,was I in for a treat. Don had with him a young singer about 28 or so,about Hank's build dressed in a costume identical to Hank's "Music Suit" ;and accompained by Don and a couple of others sang Hank's songs all afternoon.The young singer,(Hank) Chris Malpow kept us spellbound with his reverent impersonation of Hank, and Don played with the vitality and dedication that he did 50 years ago. Along with them was his wonderful and extremely friendly wife of 60 years,Hazel. They talked one on one,signed autographs,posed for pictures with their admirers,left his famed Guitar on stage for anyone to admire;and seemed as happy to be with us as we were to have them.He said he had hopes to doing more shows.Having been born on Feb 28,1927,makes him 80 today;but I can tell you,he can put on a show as good as the best of them.So,If you get a chance to see him,don't miss it.
   He told us one very interesting story,among many.
   In the final days,Hank's problems were way beyond control. Hank decided to go back to Alabama. Don wouldn't go.He told Hank when he got things straightened out,he'd be waiting for him in Nashville. There had been a recording session already booked in Nashville.So Hank called Don to do what would be their final session,though nobody knew it at the time. Hank said he had written a new song.Don asked for more details,music,etc.Hank said,he wouldn't have any trouble,He would sing it, and Don could just play along.Well,that's what they did. The song was "Your Cheatin' Heart" and that was the only time he and Hank ever sang it ogether. A careful listening will show you that Don tried his best to follow Hank. And,what a song it was.
   As fans of Hank,we are very fortunate that people have made the effort to bring these biographies to us. Another person mentioned in the book is Bill Mcewan.For several years he and Colin Escott collaborated on a 3-Hour radio show every New Year's Day on Hank Williams. They were always telling wonderful stories and turning up recordings that had never been releaded.They often played parts of the "Health and Happiness"shows.
   On page 170 it is stated that ;
   "Hank recorded a total of sixty-six songs,thirty-seven of them making the "Billboard"charts,and the most important number is that he had written fifty of them himself."
   That number seems low to me. One Website lists 166 Songs between 1946 and 1952. Does anyone know what the correct number and the names are?



3. I thoroughly enjoyed this short but absorbing biography of the country legend. Having been a fan all his life, Hemphill writes with great empathy and understanding, making the south and the country culture of the 1940s really come alive. So one learns a lot about the history of the southern states, the development of the music and the singers of the time. He analyses the lyrics and makes them more comprehensible in the light of Williams' personal life and background.
   
   It's interesting to learn about the towns, the venues, truckstops and radio stations, and the history of the Grand Ole Opry, the record companies and the major figures of early country music. In those days, live performances were more lucrative than record sales so Hank Williams worked extraordinarily hard on constant gruelling tours. That was before the days of luxury tour buses. Hemphill succeeds in capturing the essence of Williams' poetic genius in his discussions of the famous songs, enthusing the reader to go back to the music and listen with a new ear.
   
   As a music lover, I found the author's discussion of the different popular music genres of the late 1940s of particular interest, and how Hank Williams' songs were covered by artists as varied as Tony Bennett, Louis Armstrong, Perry Como and Dinah Washington. Fifty years after his death, his music had been interpreted by an impressive array of artists from almost every possible genre, like James Brown, The Bee Gees, Nat King Cole, Isaac Hayes, Elvis and even The Residents: Stars & Hank Forever. In the introduction to her version of Pale Blue Eyes, Patti Smith pays tribute to Hank in a brief narration about his death in the back of a car on the way to a gig.
   
   The writing style is a pleasure, down to earth, often witty even when he narrates episodes from the dark side with lots of empathy. Lovesick Blues is one of the most enjoyable biographies of a musician that I have read. But the book would have benefited from a discography and stuff like Billboard country and pop chart positions, as well as an index. Five stars for reading pleasure, but one deducted for the absence of the aforementioned.
   
   Hank Williams: Snapshots from the Lost Highway
   
   Complete Collection



4. Hemphill brings nothing new to the table.
   
   Because this book was just rehash of better books before it, I found it unsatisfying.
   
   The author comes out of the starting gates, sentimental and reflective, with every intention to write a story, in first person....and I thought I was being taken into A Hank story from a fresh perspective...thinking perhaps that maybe the kid had crossed paths with him a long time ago.......and then, oddly and abruptly, its switches into a Matter-of-fact delivery of Hank's factual life story?
   
   
   Escott's bio is extraordinary....Hemphill coming in on the heels of it...failed to bring anything of his own. Seriously, Im not sure why he wrote the book, when he offered next to nothing new....and in some areas, quite a bit less.
   
   Its not a horrible book, its just not special.



5. This was a book that I literally could not put down. This is a book that was very well researched. The author doesn't gloss over Hank or put him up on a pedestal like a lost god. He writes about his life as it happened and I read things in here I'd never read anywhere else. This book is a steal at Amazon's price. It's worth every penny.

No comments about Ridgway: A Biography of One of America's Greatest Generals.

No comments about Our Lincoln: New Perspectives on Lincoln and His World.

5 comments about Monica's Story.

1. Monica Samille Lewinsky appears to be either incredibly naive or incredibly childish. This book is not a page turner. If you are interested in her camps' POV... then you may like this book. The author says her "disorderly routine and her neurotic behavior over weight perfectly explain why she never cleaned the notorious blue Gap dress that was stained with the President's semen" (page 11).
   
   She is characterized as very naive. She documented every little detail as if it was major, which appears that she had a motive for the future use of this information. It gave me thoughts that she was contemplating possible blackmail, book deals, and/or movie deals.
   
   Yet again... she was either incredibly smart, naive, or silly.



2. This book was quite dumb, and all that it does is emphasize how dumb people can be. If you're a Republican right-winger who's more interested in a president's, a man's, sexcapades than what he does with the economy, then read on by all means. This mindless book was made for you.



3. Any woman in her early twenties, who has ever fallen in love with a man who is married and forbidden by conventional ethical and professional standards, will find empathy in this book.

   Whatever side of truth or political scenario this book attempts to portray, I primarily read it as a romance and enjoyed it more than ever. The book's appeal lies in the dynamics of the affair between the young intern and the president, rather than any political truth-finding. Maybe, there are too many 'truths' out there, and who are we to judge which one is true. This is Monica's version, so why quibble about absolute realities?

   The book certainly does a good job of revealing her a human figure rather than a man-hunting slut responsible for the impreachment of Clinton.

   Why marvel Marie Antoinette and Josephine, and not Monica? I admire Monica Lewinsky as a person who enjoys poetry, loves life, watches her weight, experiments with men, and most of all braves what the world thinks of her. I really think people ought to stop thinking of her as a sex symbol.

   Tragic as the love story's end is, Monica RULZ!!!




4. This book was quite ridiculous. Although I applaud the author on his efforts, the book was among other things boring and without depth. The story somehow tries to paint Monica as highly intelligent, sure of what she wanted and able to speak her own mind. But she is also supposed to be lost, confused, and have low self esteem. Am I the only person who sees the contradiction here?

   I honestly picked up this book simply because it was in the library and sounded interesting. I am not truly interested in either politics or gossip. Although I knew information about the Lewinsky scandal (who didn't?), I never defended one side or the other. I don't think Lewinsky is an evil women who should be burned at the stake. I also think that some people are too quick to criticize her without considering the fact that we've all done something we aren't proud of in our lives. I think she was truly in love with the President and that she didn't try to set him up. However this book goes way too far in trying to make her sound innocent. Any decent person will own up to the fact that they have done something wrong. But this book made Monica into the hurt little victim, without taking any responsibility for her own actions. The thing that bothered me the most was that no one ever considered Hilary or Chelsea seriously in the story. Monica somehow seems to almost completely write them out of the picture as if the family didn't matter. Of course she does mention that she followed Hilary's actions so she could know when the President would call her. For someone who is so intelligent it is surprising to me that she never considered what effect it would have on other people (namely the Clinton family) if she and the President actually did get married, something she often daydreams about in the story. Does she expect to just lovingly become Chelsea's stepmother? Although the author tried to avoid this he truly ended up making Monica sound extremely neurotic.

   In life there is usually no black or white area. Most situations can not be interpreted as completely right or wrong. All people live in a gray area, meaning sometimes they do the right thing and other times they don't. In this book we apparently meet the first person who doesn't, because Monica Lewinsky lives totally in the white area. I wish I had picked up a book with much more depth.




5. Not indepth reading, but remember the story and the people it includes. The book details Monica's emotions to conincide with what headlines the public knew. Worth reading, if you are interested in what took place (obviously from her side). Many facts and the Starr Report excerpts to legitimize assertions.

5 comments about Wild Bill Hickok Gunfighter: An Account of Hickok's Gunfights.

1. Rosa has written a great popular historical survey of Hickok's various gunfights starting with the Rock Creek incident and ending with his assassination in Deadwood. Rosa even provides photos of reenactors demonstrating Hickok's various modes of carry for his pistols and how he variously drew them from the holster. There is a lengthy discussion concerning the weapons Hickok carried, and Rosa discusses various contraversies surrounding some of the gunfights. Rosa is to be thanked for writing about Hickok because prior to his first work on Hickok there was a paucity of serious scholarship on the man. "Gunfighter history" historically has suffered from sloppy writing and sloppy scholarship. Rosa's writing is the polar opposite. And his judgements and conclusions are well-reasoned and judicious. He has methodically researched most aspects of Hickok's life,and this book is the result of his inquiry into the martial aspect of that life. Although,Rosa should have discussed how Hickok acquired his interest in firearms, and pistols in particular,in his formative years if at all possible. And how did Hickok attain such tremendous skill with his pistols? Did he shoot alot in his youth? These questions are not addressed, but it does not detract much from the overall quality of this work. On the contrary,the only reason the scholarship on Hickok is reliable and good is because of Rosa,and he should be heartily commended. If anyone has a serious interest in Hickok they will want to read this book. Although,if one has not read Rosa's biography of Hickok-"They Called Him Wild Bill"-they should read that first then read this work.



2. I've always been interested in Wild Bill Hickok and many of the other gunfighters who were immortalized by the western novels, newspapers and the motion picture/ television media when I was a boy. Late in life I learned that William F. (Buffalo Bill) Cody was my fifth cousin and that my grandmother had actually spent time with him when she was a child. That information caused me to start researching Buffalo Bill. James Butler Hickok was young "Buffalo Bill's" mentor and guardian when the preteen Cody was beginning his career working on wagon freight trains and as a Pony Express rider. Hickok and the Cody family remained lifelong friends. I mention this fact only to tip off the reader to this reviewer's favorable bias toward Hickok.
   The part of Joseph G. Rosa's account of Hickok's gunfights that most interested me was the killing of Davis Tutt in the public square of my hometown of Springfield, Missouri. Rosa does an excellent job of telling the story of that infamous gunfight, which was "one of the few stand-up, face-to-face, duel-type gunfights of the gun fighting era."(1851-1900) "It was a fair fight where both participants retained their honor." Rosa goes into great detail quoting all the eyewitness accounts of the time. He describes the long-time friendship of the two men that began when both were scouts during the Civil War--Hickok for the Union and Tutt for the Confederacy. He describes the gambling quarrel the two men had the day before the gunfight when Tutt left with Wild Bill's watch to hold until an old disputed debt was settled. Hickok was attempting to avoid a gunfight with his long-time friend. Numerous people witnessed the fight and the details of the trial were described. Hickok was found to have fought in self-defense and went on to become a legend of the old west including many appearances in his friend Buffalo Bill's world famous "Wild West Show." Cody coined that term.
   Hickok loved to drink, gamble, brawl with his fists as well as weapons and wasn't tame enough to be suited for show business or the big city so he returned to the Wild West frontier. He was involved in several famous gunfights and Rosa does his usual thorough job of trying to separate the fact from the myth. Each of his most famous gunfights is described in great detail with charts showing, mapping, the various locations and the action that took place. The book talks about the various weapons used by Hickok in great detail along with a series of pictures of experts showing how Hickok drew his guns from their unusual butt facing frontward hostlers. The author makes the discussions of the various weapons interesting even for the non-gun enthusiast. As Buffalo Bill reported in his own autobiography, Hickok didn't speak often, but when he did, people listened and obeyed. The sections about Hickok's murder in Deadwood, S.D. and the acquittal of his killer Jack McCall are the most famous incidents in the gunfighter's life. How he was later retried and hanged is also an interesting story reported in detail in this volume. Hickok's burials (his gravesite was moved) and his march into legend is also a fascinating story. Hickok is buried in section 1, lot 71 of Mount Moriah Cemetery. Calamity Jane (Martha Jane Cannary) is buried in lot 70. This is an excellent, easy to read book about one of America's most famous and colorful characters of the Wild West. The book's author makes the various scenes almost come to life for the reader. He has written several other hard-to-put-down books about Hickok.



3. If you're looking for one book on Wild Bill's life, this is not it. Instead, read Rosa's _They Called Him Wild Bill_. This book has nothing on Hickok's Civil War experience, no evaluation of the tales of his shooting prowess, no account of his days on the plains or on the stage.
   
   It is a detailed look at the five documented gunfights -- and death -- of Hickok. Rosa reconstructs each with contemporary records, presents diagrams and timelines, and looks at the weapons each party used. He also looks at how Hickok wore his guns and the provenance of several guns claimed to have been carried by Wild Bill.
   
   For hardcore Wild Bill devotees, there is some new information uncovered by Rosa since _They Called Him Wild Bill_.
   
   The illustrations are both plentiful and useful.



4. If you are interested in light reading strictly for entertainment this is not the book. If you are looking for accurate information on the guns "Wild Bill" used and documented information on his exploits, this one is hard to beat. You should probably read "They Called Him Wild Bill", same author, before reading this.



5. Rosa is unquestionably the leading expert on Hickok. This book details Wild Bill's various "gunfights," in all their sad or sordid detail. As usual, the truth is much less spectacular than the fiction. For those unfamiliar with how the old six-shooters worked (or didn't work), this book is an excellent primer. Included is Bill's last "gunfight," his pathetic murder in a sad little saloon in the notorious town of Deadwood.

5 comments about Blue-Eyed Child of Fortune: The Civil War Letters of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw.

1. After viewing the movie Glory for many years I came across this book and purchased it immediately. Robert Gould Shaw grew up in an influencial home which had amazing political and social connections with the abolitionist movement. His words preserved from the past through today and gives us insight on what he was thinking about after fighting at Antietam as well as his feelings about his role and service for this nation.
   
   A must for any civil war reenactor or student of the American Civil War.



2. If, like me, you have seen the film "Glory", where Matthew Broderick plays Col. Robert Gould Shaw, white commander of the black 54th Massachusetts Regiment during the Civil War, you will see only a brief a glimpse of who Shaw was in his short life. Broderick does a masterful job of capturing some of Shaw's personality, but if you want to get inside this young man's head and find out who he really was, I highly recommend reading the book, "Blue Eyed Child of Fortune", ed. by Russell Duncan.
   
   This collection of Shaw's letters shows a far more complex and conflicted young man than Broderick was given a chance to play. While his parents burned with the abolitionist spirit of Boston's intellectual elite, Shaw struggled with his own prejudices and his own self doubts throughout his short life. Never an exemplary student, he dropped out of Harvard to work in his uncle's New York firm, but rapidly found the work boring and unsuited to him. Struggling to find his place in the world, the Civil War came along and gave him a sense of purpose and direction.
   
   Enlisting first in the 7th New York Guards, he served until his enlistment was up, and then joined the 2nd Massachusetts, gaining position as an officer. He "saw the elephant" at Winchester, Antietam and Cedar Mountain, was slightly wounded in two of those engagements, and found out first hand about the horrors of war. During winter camp in 1862-63, his father visited with word that Shaw had been tapped by Massachusetts Governor John Albion Andrew to command a new black regiment. At first, Shaw refused this offer on the basis that he felt a strong bond with the men he had fought and bled with, but then changed his mind and accepted the position of Colonel of the 54th Massachusetts.
   
   Returning home to Boston to take command of his new regiment, he was deeply conflicted over whether these men would pan out to be good soldiers, but as time wore on and they proved their worth, Shaw's respect for his men grew, as did their respect for their commanding officer. After three months training, they left for duty in South Carolina after a grand parade down Boston streets. Shaw chafed for some action for his men, and the first that they saw was the tragic raid and burning of Darien, Georgia under the command of Kansas jayhawker Col. James Montgomery. Shaw was outraged at this action and very nearly refused his orders from his commanding officer, but reluctantly had to obey and ask his men to do what he felt was utterly immoral and against the codes of war. He would write letters of protest to his father and to others.
   
   Eventually, in his quest for real action for his men, they were assigned a diversionary action on James Island to allow Union troops to land on nearby Morris Island for a planned assault on Fort Wagner a few days later. Sustaining light casualties in a skirmish, Shaw was impressed that his men were indeed up to snuff as soldiers, and so, a few days later, after a long exhausting march in a storm to Morris Island during which they got no rest, they were assigned to the lead attack column on Fort Wagner on the evening of July 18, 1863.
   
   Sadly, Union intelligence on Ft. Wagner was badly flawed. It was originally thought that the fort held a complement of only 300 men and that after days of relentless shelling by the Union navies, that the fort would be softened up enough to withstand a frontal Union assault. However, most of Wagner's nearly 1500 men were in a massive bombproof riding out the shelling, and so, when the Union assault began with the 54th leading the attack column, they took the heaviest casualties, including the young Col. Shaw, who foresaw his own demise while speaking to Lt. Col. Edward "Ned" Hallowell, his second-in-command, while on a steamer on the way to their assignment: "If I could only live a few weeks longer with my wife, and be at home a little while, I might die happy, but it cannot be. I do not believe I will live through our next fight."
   
   Rather unfortunately, Shaw was right. He was killed upon reaching the parapets of Wagner, a bullet through his heart killing him instantly. His body was stripped and thrown into a common grave with his men, and his father asked, when the Union finally took the fort a few months later when it was abandoned by the Confederates, that his body be left there with his men. Shaw's burial spot now lies somewhere under the Atlantic Ocean, the island having eroded significantly in the past 140 years since Shaw's demise and burial there.
   
   This book will give you a great insight into a very conflicted, complicated and yet reluctantly heroic young man who was just coming into his own at the time of his tragic death. I am sure that he would have shunned the limelight had he survived the war to live to old age and would have been content to live life with his beloved Annie, to whom he was married a mere two months before his death. Annie would never remarry and lived the rest of her life as his widow, dying in 1907. The war would doubtless have made Shaw and given him the potential to focus his life and go on to great things had he lived to do so. Having lived so much of his young life with such rebellion against his mother's domineering apron strings and not quite sure what he wanted out of life, the war gave Shaw a brief opportunity to find out what it was he was made of. In so doing, he achieved the one thing he never dreamed of, immortality.
   
   Read this book if you are eager to know the "real" Shaw. Letting him speak for himself is the best way to know this fascinating man who died so tragically young at the peak of his life. Follow it up with "Where Death and Glory Meet", Russell Duncan's excellent biography of Shaw. By the time you finish these two books, you will feel as if you know Shaw quite well. If you want to know a few of his men, read "A Brave Black Regiment" by Capt. Luis Emilio, a regimental history of the 54th, "On the Altar of Freedom" by Cpl. James Henry Gooding, a black soldier in the 54th, and "A Voice of Thunder", the letters of Sgt. George E. Stephens, another black soldier in the 54th. I just hope that more letters and diaries from this regiment surface and are published someday. Doubtless there are more hiding in attics and other unknown places.
   
   This book comes highly recommended for good Civil War reading of a primary source, along with the other books mentioned that are by Shaw's soldiers. Together, they beat any historian's account of this historic regiment. Read them all if you are interested in Civil War or black history.



3. it's must have book I love this book



4. Russell Duncan's compendium of letters both exalts and puzzles.The job of editing the letters and setting them in the context of war, family ties, friendships, etc. is thorough and, for the most part, makes them accessible. Let's not forget, though, that the editor omitted some letters that don't support his main thesis: that Col. Shaw was a rich young pleasure-lover who fought to get back to his privileged existence, never changing this outlook throughout the war; he "never fully understood nor dedicated himself" to the cause of Black freedom (pp.1-2). So here we are presented with a young man raised by abolitionists who went to all the hazards of preparing and leading something new, a black regiment, before dying in the middle of it, without understanding what he was about, or dedicating himself to it. It's fashionable to "debunk" the heros of yore, but even those letters we have tell us otherwise, and Duncan reverses his appraisal, back and forth, several times. We should also beware of measuring citizens of other times against a modern baseline on classism, racism, etc. Apart from these problems, found in the introduction and some footnotes, the book lets Shaw speak for himself (he does it eloquently and enjoyably) and the reader can draw his/her own conclusion on ideas, events, and character development.



5. Robert Gould Shaw's letters home are a very realistic look of the Civil War battles by a unique individual with many perspectives. The brutality of battle along with the emotional turmoil from such a young officer bring the war to life. The authors have given us a true picture of a brave officer and the war. As you read the letters of Shaw you want to pull the blankets closer on the cold winter nights he spent in the field. You can share the suffering along with Shaw at the loss of friends. The courage and love of family and devotion of country are evident throughout his premature adult life. God bless the 54th and may Robert Gould Shaw and all that served with him and under him never be forgotten.

1 comments about Fighting with Jeb Stuart: Major James Breathed and the Confederate Horse Artillery.

1. There have been many stories written about the Amcerican Civil War. But I've seen few written about the artillery, and to my knowledge none at all about the Horse Artillery that served with and went with the cavalry. This alone would make this book a welcome addition to a Civil War library.
   
   Wars are fought by young men. Still it is a surprise to read when a 'kid' of only twenty-one becomes an officer, and shortly thereafter is a Major.
   
   Major Breathed was already a physician when he joined the Confederate Army. He served all through the war, not as a physician but as a combat leader. He was in almost all the significant battles in the Eastern Theater. This reports on an aspect of the war that is little known.
   
   The book is extensively researched and well written. It reads well yet is full of detail that fills in the story in a most interesting way.