5 comments about The 24th Wisconsin Infantry in the Civil War: The Biography of a Regiment.

1. Writing a good regimental history is a complex task. While the foremost concern for any regimental author is to tell a story, it is also important to put that regiment into a proper context and offer something more to the reader than just the regiment "fought here" or "charged there." Noted historian of Wisconsin regiments, William J. K. Beaudot has succeeded admirably at presenting a well-balanced and highly readable regimental history in The 24th Wisconsin Infantry in the Civil War: The Biography of a Regiment.
   The 24th Wisconsin, often times referred to as "The Milwaukee Regiment," has never before had its story told. Until now many only know the regiment because one of its members was Arthur McArthur - father of the famed commander of operations in the Pacific during World War II.
   Drawing on an array of sources, which includes a sizeable body of published primary and archival collections Beaudot presents a history that would most certainly please the veterans of that regiment. The book is not only valuable to individuals with an interest in Wisconsin regiments, but is highly valuable to scholars and arm chair historians alike who seek to learn more about the oft-forgotten western theater and the life of the common soldier. -- Jonathan A. Noyalas, The Skirmish Line.



2. The 24th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment is probably best known because of one of its leaders. Young Arthur McArthur, "the boy colonel," won fame and, later, the Medal of Honor for his heroic conduct in leading his regiment in the storming of Missionary Ridge, Tennessee.
   Also known as the Milwaukee Regiment, the unit was filled with heroic young men. The author weaves the stories of all of them into a fine unit history that gives a very real flavor of what war was like for soldiers in the ranks. This book also interlaces the stories of the trials the men went through on the front line with happenings back home in Wisconsin.
   Through Beaudot's narrative telling of the regiment's story, the reader learns to know its members. It is sometimes heart-wrenching to read of the maiming or death of a young soldier you get to know through quoted letters.
   I highly recommend The 24th Wisconsin Infantry in the Civil War for anyone interested in the Western Theater of war or in the impact of war on Wisconsin, especially Milwaukee. - Robert L. Durham, Civil War News, December, 2003.



3. What a great book! Detailed, yet easy to read, this book covers all that anyone would desire to know about the 24th Wisconsin. As a regimental history, it ranks among the top that I've read. This book shows above all else the personal side of the regiment and the war. Beaudot shows how soldiers are tied to home in a much better way than have past regimental historians. As Beaudot was describing the 24th's final battle, the Battle of Nashville, I literally gasped as he told of the last man ever to be killed in the regiment. My story here tells of how much Beaudot depicted the personal side of the story. Readers become truly in touch with the men that make up this brave regiment from Milwaukee. This book is worthy to be on every Civil War buffs bookshelf.



4. How much more interesting and informative to read a history book which includes everyday folks and not just the well known leaders and heroes! This book is well written, easy to read and could easily interest even those who are not Civil War buffs or who don't even like history. It will be most helpful to genealogists as well. One of the better Civil War unit books I've ever read. I kept forgetting I was reading a history book! Also, it's about time the story of the 24th Wisconsin, a forgotten regiment, was told.



5. While some regimental histories are black and white, two dimensional laundry lists of thinly researched memories, William J.K. Beaudot delivers a full color, 3D panorama of life in the 24th Wisconsin Infantry. Solid scholarship provides the foundation for this vivid account by an acomplished story teller. This book does justice to the men and deeds of the 24th. Men like the young Arthur MacArthur and his winning of the Medal of Honor. A fine read and a real value to anyone with an intrest in Civil War history.

5 comments about Heart of a Soldier: A Story of Love, Heroism, and September 11th.

1. This book is what our current life is really about in the Post 911 era. We visit two soldiers who live life together in Africa and then in Vietnam. It (at the end of the book) debunks our police frame work and the cover-ups of the Bush and Clinton Administrations. These two soldiers warn us of the impending Air Strikes against the Twin Towers years in advance. There can be no second guessing the correct warning they gave the NYPD,The FBI, and others. This book should be made into a film. Give this book a buy and pass it around to all you know and care for. And yes I was there on top of the towers in 1989 and felt the tremor of impending doom awaiting us in the future. Every American should be proud of these soldiers and applaud them.



2. this book chronicle's one man journey through the 20th century. His journey spans two devastating periods in America's history and is narrated through the eyes of the everyday man.



3. I had finished We Were Soldiers Once...and Young, and I was very interested in knowing more about Cyril 'Rick' Rescorla, one of the soldiers who had been in the Ia Drang valley. I googled his name and was thrilled that this book had been written about him. After everything he survived in Vietnam to die while making sure others got to safety on 9/11, I was stunned. I have read many books about Vietnam and this is by far the best. Wow what a story. I will keep this book forever, and when I need a refresher on humanity, I will reread this magnificent story. The book is a very riveting war story, so well written I couldn't put it down. Even my friends who aren't interested in wars of the past are reading it.



4. I just finished this book a few days ago and cannot believe he was a real person-he truly was a Kipling or Hemingway type of character. To be brave so many times in your life, and just trying to do the right thing is refresing to see, and we need to see more of it. His friendship with Dan is very close, and not always seen among men due to homophobia. What was most uncanny was how they knew 9/11 was coming and tried their best to prevent it. Unfortunatly it ends badly when Rick does one more heroic act, but he was a good example how to be a good, if somewhat flawed person. Needs to be made into a movie.



5. From childhood in the 1940s to 2001 two men's military experiences in colonial battles in Africa, Vietnam, and events leading to 9/11 provide a chronical of military temperment and commitment. This chronology includes their training, fears, heroics, loves , and being drawn into the mechanisms of terrorism before a terroristic event sets the stage for a final act of heroism demonstrated by one of these men.

5 comments about The Eloquent Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis: A Portrait in Her Own Words (With a One-Hour DVD Insert from A&E Biography).

1. The best part of this book was the A&E video included. It was all quotes, and some not so positive. I did not feel that the author actually liked her. If you want to read it, check it out of the library.



2. It says very clearly in the ad that this book includes a one-hour DVD with it, but my order arrived without the DVD. After sending 3 emails
   to the vendor's customer servce, none of them are replied. But the vendor
   is still selling the same items at Amazon. I think that with their poor service quality, this vendor should be removed from the Amazon immediately.



3. I have great admiration for Jacqueline Kennedy... Anything about her that is not scandalous is good for me



4. This book paints a picture of a person, using very brief quotes and anecdotes categorized by topic. One can pick this book up and read something which reveals the inner character of Jackie O.



5. Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy was without a doubt one of America?s most admired first ladies and that is the major theme of this book. Although the book - a collection of quotes taken from a variety of sources, mostly interviews given by Mrs. Kennedy - spans her lifetime, a good portion is devoted to Jackie?s roles as the young wife of Senator John F. Kennedy and as the Nation?s First Lady.
   In order to fully appreciate some of the late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis?s comments about her roles as a woman/wife/mother and widow, it is important to bring up the historical context. The Kennedy Administration, ?Camelot,? took place amid turbulent times: widespread civil and racial unrest, the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis, and escalating involvement in the Vietnamese conflict. The women?s movement was then in its infancy and it is against this backdrop that the Kennedy?s acquired mythical, almost magical qualities.
   ?Jack and Jackie were America?s royal couple,? writes Bill Adler in his introduction to The Eloquent Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis; A Portrait in Her Own Words. The quotes provide a window into her childhood, life with JFK and her role as First Lady, then widowhood, followed by her marriage to Aristotle Onassis, her work as book editor for both Viking Publishers and Doubleday, and final years. One section deals with the assassination, ?Jack was the love of my life. No one will ever know a big part of me died with him.?
   A common thread that runs throughout is her great love of, and reliance on, the family. Jackie?s life revolved around those she loved the most, her husband and her children, Caroline and John Jr. ?Raising children is the best thing I?ve ever done,? she declared.
   For those of us who lived through the sixties and are old enough to remember where we were when we heard that the President of the United States had been mortally wounded by an assassin?s bullet, this tiny giant of a book will help to fan the flames of remembrance by highlighting the ?beauty, grace and intelligence Jacqueline Kennedy brought to the White House,? the country, and the world.

No comments about Up from History: The Life of Booker T. Washington.

4 comments about Rebel: The Life and Times of John Singleton Mosby.

1. Mosby's Memoirs was the first book I read on John S Mosby, at least in my adult life. I grew up in northern Virginia at a place where his exploits took place and he was a legend and my idol as we played boys games of war. I was always Mosby. About that time there was a black and white TV show called the "Gray Ghost." This fueled my fire for Mosby. But boys become men and I forgot about my hero till many years later, now in my 60s.
   
   Only now as a veteran Army Infantry Captain and Vietnam war helicopter pilot do I realize what a great impact the life of this man has had on me and so much I have done.
   
   Siepel's book gives us a look at much more than just the exploits, if you can say the words, "just the exploits" about Mosby. For as a student of history and military history it is hard to find a comparison to what this man did. I carefully studied to try to find the key. How do you routinely route and defeat 200 of the best equipped and trained cavalry the Union army has to offer with 30 men? And this is not just a single incident, this was routine! What was the key? In Siebel's book I thought I could find it in Mosby's later life. As he bloomed in years perhaps the flowers essence would at last reveal itself. And, subtly it does. I don't want to spoil the book for you, but in it you will find the story of a man who shoots a bully in college and goes to jail, starts Confederate army life as a private and ends it as a Lt. Colonel, and is commended by none other than Robert E. Lee more than any other officer. (For those who do not know, generals do not often take notice of Lt. Colonels, must less commend them).
   
   After the war this "god" of war has a checkered and interesting career. Just as in army life, he never puts himself or his gain first. Just as in the Army when he allowed his me to pillage captured military stock and equipment for themselves but scrupulously avoids doing so himself, the same mannerism occur, much to his fiscal harm, in his many government jobs where he has opportunity to reap the illegal profits all around him seem to enjoy.
   
   Simple, black and white, right and wrong, the best friend you could ever have and the most skilled advisary, as Union General Stoughton finds out when Mosby kidnaps him from his bed in the middle of his sleeping army. The equal of Alexander the Great on miniature or the young biblical David fighting the Philistines, such are the verified exploits of this one in a thousand years warrior.



2. The Lawyer is never seen as a figure who could become a fierce and zealous warrior. "Rebel: The Life and Times of John Singleton Mosby" is the life story of an unsung hero. When the civil war kicked off, Mosby was a simple attorney in Virginia, but soon rose through the ranks of the army as the war raged on. When the Confederacy fell apart, his loyalty was devout, and he is often promoted as the last confederate officer to surrender. The legend that his life doesn't end there, as the following half century is filled with interest, even serving for President Theodore Roosevelt. "Rebel" is a must read of a man whose life, despite not having the renown it deserves, is fine and excellent reading indeed.



3. Author Siepel, like all of those who cover Mosby's post-war career, seems to find the fact that the former Confederate became a Republican something so unusual as to be indicative of his natural proclivity for rebellion. The fact is, however, that it was anything but an unusual manifestation of Mosby's political philosophy.
   
   Very few of those who have written about the man give much ink to Mosby's PRE-war politics save only in passing. If they had, they would have made considerably less of his POST-war politics. For John Singleton Mosby was NEVER a Democrat. He had very little use for that party and still less use for it after the war. Mosby was a "Henry Clay Whig", a member of the political party that gave rise to the Republicans. Among other prominent "Northern" policies, Mosby believed in public education. Indeed, after the war he stated that slavery would never have lasted as an institution had education been available to the average Southerner instead of just those with enough money to afford it. As well, Mosby saw the internecine fighting in the Democrat party as the reason for Lincoln's election (it was) and at the time of secession, backed the Democrat-Unionist candidate rather than the Democrat-secessionist.
   
   After the war, it is true that Mosby supported Democrats, but that was locally for to do otherwise was to support the Radicals and their party of occupation. He was a conservative white Southerner, a man who wished to see Southern whites back in charge of their local and state governments and blacks back in their place. But it is well to remember that the concept of white supremacy was universal those days. Even the most vocal white supporter of emancipation did not believe that the Negro was his equal or deserved to govern (except, of course, in the South as a means of punishing former rebels). Lincoln was very clear on this matter and advocated relocating freed slaves either to Africa or to colonies in the Caribbean.
   
   Mosby first went from supporting Democrats both locally and nationally to supporting Democrats locally and Republicans nationally in the presidential election of 1872 when the Democrats ran a sort of "fusion" candidate, the well known, newspaper editor Horace Greeley. Greeley had been an outspoken enemy of the South for years although he did reject any attempt to keep the region in the Union by force. Mosby stated that he preferred Grant, then running for his second term, whom the South only fought for four years to Greeley whom it had fought for forty and that the man to whom Lee had surrendered his sword was the "lesser of two evils". Of course, Mosby's support of Grant was also personal for he felt that he was indebted to Grant for removing his status as an outlaw and granting him a parole, thus saving him from the penitentiary or the gallows. But it wasn't until the election of 1876 that Mosby decided to "cross the Rubicon" and actually register as a Republican, thus beginning his odyssey from hero to pariah.
   
   But that journey though years long had actually been a short one both ideologically and politically for as a former Henry Clay Whig, John Singleton Mosby had never strayed very far from the Party he eventually adopted as his own to the horror and rage of his former compatriots and the apparent surprise of his biographers.



4. Had John Singleton Mosby fought on the winning side in the American Civil War then I'm sure his exploits would now be the stuff of legend, committed a long time ago to celluloid. As it is he fought on the wrong side and was branded a "bandit" for his disruptive activities in Northern Virginia.

   This book is a marvellous account of the life of a great man. Small in physical stature, he was nevertheless a giant of a man in all other respects and was both feared and respected by those who fought against him in the war between the States. Kevin Siepel's book tells the story of the man behind the myths; his childhood, wartime exploits and controversial post-war views which saw him shunned by the same 'South' who had worshipped during the conflict.

   I enjoyed every last page and was almost sad to get to the end. There was so much to Mosby that I feel the book could have been double the size it actually is - and that's where I draw my only criticism. I felt there should have been more details of his war time exploits. There's plenty there but I feel there could and should have been more.

   Overall though I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was always inclined to like it because Mosby is a hero of mine, but it does do justice to the telling of the story of his incredible life. Kevin Siepel is to be congratulated for his magnificent efforts and I would heartily recommend this book not only to any American Civil War enthusiasts but to anybody who would like to read about an extraordinary man and his equally extraordinary life.

5 comments about Three Years Among the Comanches: The Narrative of Nelson Lee, the Texas Ranger.

1. I am an avid reader of true Indian/pioneer books. This was new to me in format because only the first story I had read written by an adult captive and a male.
   
   Most of the books seem to be about young children or perhaps a young woman. The treatment and thoughts of an adult male were interesting. I kept wondering if I could have gone thru the ordeal. A quick read and makes you appreciate today! If you like history you will enjoy this true story.



2. The author relates actual events in Texas Ranger history as though he was present. However, the Texas State Historical site has no record of him ever being on Ranger rolls.



3. I have read the book and most of the negative comments as well.
   As an author and a person that have lived among the Indians,I am familiar with a lot of what Lee has declared. Indian culture, no matter the tribes, has a great deal of weired beleifs, witchcraft included. They like smoking the weed and getting high.I suggest you buy the story, I assure it walks with truth.



4. Interesting anecdotes of a white man living among the indians, the hardships and struggles, but it's obviously a biased tale. Quite a stretch for the reader to believe that a man- Texas Ranger no less- would be unable to "escape" before 3 years. Personally I don't believe it. Anyway, while one reviewer highlights a particular commanche torture to an infant, it's best to keep everything in perspective and acknowledge the extreme brutality whites displayed against all tribes in the western hemisphere- for example, Sand Creek, Wounded Knee. That said, if you like stories similar to this, try Nat Love's autobiography.



5. Nelson Lee's straightforward account of his life as a Texas Ranger and then an Indian captive is enthralling. He also offers a valid critique of how the US govt was misguided in their approach to the Indian problem. Moreover, he pleads for the govt. to do something about those still in captivity. Fewer people might have gone West had they known what was really going on and the dangers ahead. This first-hand account is highly recommended.

5 comments about Ernie Pyle's War: America's Eyewitness to World War II.

1. This is the story of an unpretentious, self effacing, little newspaper man, who once described himself as a "slightly used second hand man;" a man who through dedication, common sense, and a love for his fellow man and "the God-damned infantry," as they liked to call themselves, went on to become the pre-eminent war correspondent of World War II and likely of any other war -- past, present, or future. But, Ernie Pyle was much more than that. As the war wore on, Ernie, through his thoughtful and heart-felt reports from the European war zone became America's "everyman," a little fellow, who could be your next door neighbor, caught up in the events of war. Many of his readers came to see him more as a friend than as a reporter and, as America's situation improved, became more concerned about Ernie than they were about how the war itself was going.
   
   Once known for his somewhat mundane traveling adventures, a column which he wrote for seven years prior to the war for the Scripps-Howard Newspaper chain, Pyle's reports from North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and eventually broader Europe took on a life of their own. His column spread to other papers and to a much broader readership. But this new found fame, and the prospect of fortune, never went to Ernie's head. He said that he was too old, he was in his forties, had been a reporter too long, twenty years, and had seen too much of the war to be impressed with such things. It seemed funny to him that he should be considering a deal worth $150,000 while soldiers were dying all around him on the battlefields of Europe for only $50 a month. Ernie didn't expect to live to see war's end anyway.
   
   There was only one Ernie Pyle and it is unlikely that there will ever be another, for in his writings he caught the essence of the young men who were fighting and dying in war. His readers got to see what they saw, feel what they felt, and know what they hoped and dreamed of. And it was through his reports that the American people caught a glimpse of World War II and what their sons were going through.
   
   This is a remarkably good book about a remarkable man; well researched and well told. In it, you will get meet the real Ernie Pyle and read some of the writings which won him praise and eventually the Pulitzer Prize. Among them are four of his finest: A Forward Airdrome in French North Africa (pg. 71); In the shadow of the low stone wall (pg. 133); Now to the infantry (pg. 262); and A Pure Miracle (pg. 271).



2. This is a fascinating book, and this from a reader more into fiction than historical biography - but the best fiction writer would be hard pressed to come up with a character like Ernie Pyle.
   
   A page turning look into World War II from someone who could have been your neighbor but was far more than what you would have expected.
   
   I have no idea why a modern rendition of this story has not hit the big screen - it seems a natural, captivating story that would educate as well as entertain.



3. this must be THE book to read on war - what it's really like in all of its aspects - his description of the beach, after D-Day was gripping and haunting and it has stayed with me many years later -
   
   and how he relates the everyday and ordinary in war -
   
   and how, in any group or organization, it's often a small percentage of the people who are carrying the load - that's just one example of the many insights and truths in this book that relate to all of life, not just life in a war zone -
   
   and it is a great book for anyone to read - a stunning life achievement for ernie pyle -



4. James Toban has written a stunning book in "Ernie Pyle's War: America's Eyewitness to World War II". Toban has succeeded in giving readers the rare opportunity to see the human frailties concealed within one of America's greatest and most valuable World War II correspondents.
   
   James Toban present a picture of the complex Ernie Pyle; a man that entered the World War II carrying only a broken Remington typewriter and a deep desire to describe the life and hardships of the horrific world of the infantrymen to the American public. The reader will learn of the contradictory Ernie Pyle. The Ernie Pyle who despised war, but who could not stay away from the physical and emotional anguish of battle. The Ernie Pyle who loved his wife, but who continually left her behind to travel to the front lines. Ernie Pyle, the seemingly frail and terrified journalist who demonstrated his bravery by traveling to the front lines to be with and write about "his boys". Ernie Pyle, a genius for writing about the common soldier, but who needed constant reminding that he was the best at what he did. His articles became legendary and the hope and news link for Americans with loved ones in the front lines.
   
   James Toban's "Ernie Pyle's War: America's Eyewitness to World War II " is a must read for World War II readers and all readers who wish to know about the human spirit and about a plain old fashion brave American.



5. "Ernie Pyle's War" by James Tobin was a thorough read. Tobin described Pyle down to the very last detail, uncovering almost every aspect of his life. After reading this book, the reader had a clear view into Pyle's mind and was able to recognize the feelings he possessed about his professional and private life. The way Tobin intertwined Pyle's messages home with biographical details along with interviews of acquaintances, made this story an easy read. "Ernie Pyle's War" earned five "stars."
   Tobin's style of writing was one reason this book was so effective. He used partial quotes from Pyle to title his chapters, which brought an immediate sense of intimacy to the story. Tobin began the book with a chronological introduction to Pyle. This style of writing, although typical for biographies, was well suited for this story and not at all cliché. Readers were able to become acquainted with Pyle as a young man and then mature along with him as he grew into an established adult. By describing Pyle as a young man, readers were able to understand more clearly why he was the way he was as an adult.
   Tobin used vivid descriptions to paint a picture of Pyle in the minds of the readers. This was an important aspect because Pyle's physical demeanor was one of the main problems and/or benefits in his life. As a child and young adult, his size hindered his relationships. But, as a war correspondent, the people saw Pyle as more of a hometown boy rather than a studious journalist. This added to his success as a war correspondent.
   After transitioning into Pyle's career as a war correspondent, the story line became more tedious. Pyle was in and out of combat and the surface facts of his life were boring. Tobin, understanding the paleness of biographical data, used Pyle's messages home to spice up the story. Like most people, Pyle's life was not what it seemed to be. Besides leading a "glorified" life as a war correspondent, he had major problems at home. Tobin showed the audience this by weaving together Pyle's biographical information with the messages he sent home. This gave the reader a sense of what Pyle was actually feeling. Using these messages instead of his columns allowed reader's to see the "real" Pyle.
   Tobin uncovered personal feelings about his professional and personal life, which gave the reader a feeling of empathy toward Pyle. Showing that he did not feel like an outstanding reporter, let readers see Pyle was human. Tobin successfully showed the man behind the pen by opening up Pyle's mind to the audience. He did this by using Pyle's own letters and messages home that contained intimate details of his life. Without the added touch of Pyle's actual writing, the story would have failed to be as successful.

5 comments about The Brave: A Story of New York City's Firefighters.

1. I finished "The Brave" this weekend; I closed the book with a tear in my eye and a lump on my throat. I was deeply moved by the story and it was sad to see a 20 year chapter of your life end on such a sour note with the inappropriate accusations from that Chief. The book did a wonderful job of revealing all of the different emotions, triumphs and defeats that you and many others were faced with on a day-to-day basis. It showed the deep compassion that the fire fighters have for those they could and could not save while enduring the jeers and lack of respect from the very people they were charged to protect.
   
   I, and I am sure the public in general, was truly unaware of how little rest these men really get and how often they are hurt, only to rush back into the fight and be chastised at any point when they failed to be absolutely perfect. I can see where you, the fire fighters would truly be a "Band of Brothers".
   
   "The Brave" would make an excellent movie; in fact you could make a movie out 1/3 rd of the material in the book.
   
   Thanks for enlightening me,
   
   Joey Lee



2. The Brave takes you right into the Heart of Firefighting in 70's New York. As a fellow Firefighter who loves to put pen to paper I am always keen to read the experiences of other Firefighters in this vastly underrepresented market.
   
   Every book shelf these days seems to be full of Celebrities, Politicians, Soldiers or sports personalities telling us their stories. It make a refreshing change when a Firefighter, Medic or Policemen puts pen to paper, these people are fighting a never ending war every day on the Streets of our Countries.
   
   The Brave tells the story of Life in a Firehouse on the Lower East Side of New York City in the 1970's, a period now remembered by the Veterans of those days as 'The War Years'. Recession, social unrest, poverty and crime were the catalyst for may Fires in many run down cities in the World. Very Few Cites saw the Fires that New York saw in that period and fewer Still Firemen saw the Fire Duty that the Men of the FDNY saw at this time.
   
   George Pickett has an ability to drag the reader down the stinking burning hallways of the tenements. You can feel the heat searing your skin and the smoke choking your lungs. Time and again you follow page after page wondering will the heroes of the FDNY reach the victim before the room erupts all around them, more often than not they do...frequently with seconds to spare.
   
   I finished this book in 24 hours, such was the draw of the story unfolding before me. I found every possible excuse to pick the book up and start reading again. If action is what you want then give the jungles of South America or the Desert of the Middle East a rest..opt instead for the action in the Blazing sweatshops, tenements and flop houses of New York City in the 70's.



3. WOW!! The Brave is full of action from start to finish and would make a great movie! The Brave keeps your attention and makes it hard to set the book down. It gives a great picture to how challenging life is as a NYFD firefighter. The storey is compelling and truthful and I'm sure will be around for a long time. Congratulations to George Pickett on this GREAT book!



4. Few books have captivated my attention as much as George Pickett's "The Brave: A Story of New York City Firefighters". Both as a native New Yorker growing up in the 60's and 70's in the Bronx, and a volunteer firefighter in Westchester County, NY, I can rerlate to the many references in this action packed book.
   Pickett brings the reader into every fire call, every dark smokey hallway and heat searing room. The reader is there, holding the irons, the nozzle or climbing the ladder.
   Above all the book is truthful. Clearly, the author;s integrity and honest is eveident during each story-both the flattering and humiliating. George Pickett should be proud of his career, family and work on the compelling effort to document the life of a New York City Firefighter. Bravo!!!
   -Michael J. Deegan



5. A page turning account of life as a New York City firefighter. A little slow at the start, but captivating and exciting by the second chapter. George Pickett does a great job of taking you along on the big red trucks, down the burning halls and into the mindset of the men, who New Yorkers call The Brave. Not only a great story but an important history lesson for anyone who wants a better tomorrow for us all. A Great read! 5 Stars!!! Thanks George!!

1 comments about The Christmas of the Phonograph Records: A Recollection.

1. This story really captures how the wind up phonograph can weave a spell over the listener. Every one that loves phonographs will LOVE this book.

4 comments about Jesse James Was His Name; or, Fact and Fiction concerning the Careers of the Notorious James Brothers of Missouri.

1. While Settle's account is thorough and well-documented, it reads more like a research paper than a book, as it really doesn't tell a story, so much as parade a litany of facts before the reader. The facts are occasionally interesting in and of themselves, but we don't come away with any real feeling of of the human being who was Jesse James.
   
   I believe Settle is, or was a professor at some college. If he's still teaching it might be best to avoid his class, especially if it's offered early in the morning or right after lunch for reasons that will become readily apparent to his readers.



2. Even today, in the year 2002, it's hard to find any American who hasn't heard the name Jesse James. All types of wild stories have been passed through the years about him, some saying he was nothing more than a cold blooded killer and some swearing he was more like Robin Hood. In William Settle's book, "Jesse James Was His Name", he chronicalizes the events of Jesse's life starting with his boyhood home on a farm in Missouri, through the bloody years of the Civil War where he fought in Confederate guerrilla bands, and then on to his outlaw career.
   The book, in my opinion, was too lengthy, it was full of facts a lot of which were unnecessary, and it didn't flow very well. So as Jesse James himself was an exciting person, this book was far from it. If you want to find more about Jesse James, don't read this book.



3. The research in the book seems to be first-rate. However the author doesn't seem to present the information in a way that leads to the the implied conclusions. He gives information on various robberies, implying they were conducted by the James/Younger gang, but the information doesn't support the conclusion--I wouldn't convict them based on the info presented. In fact, I was left leaning far more toward the James' and Youngers' own statements that they _weren't_ involved in most of these robberies and were convenient victims of post-war, anti-Quantill sentiments. Evidence of the James/Youngers' guilt struck me as being rather shoddy. Sorting out which robberies really could be attributed to whom is largely left to the reader.

   Though well worth reading, I would view this book as a suppliment to other reading and research rather than the sole, final statement on the events.




4. Author Settle (true name: Dr. Robert Parker) was a college history professor from Oklahoma who spent 20+ years researching his subject - the notorious James Brothers of Missouri. His book, first published in 1961, still stands as the resource work in the "Jesse James" field. A historian, Settle refused to use or dwell upon anything except fact when dealing with his material. His research included developing a friendship with Frank James' only son, Robert - who lived on the James brothers' Missouri farm until his death in the 1950's. Settle leaned on family history, but primarily used grass roots documentation in reporting all of he known facts - through the time of publication. His work is the most often cited reference used by current authors. His research and book opened the way for the current boom of writers and researchers in the field of the James Gang. Nicely written and easy to read, the book not only discusses the family history and known criminal activities of Jesse and Frank, but tells how and why Jesse James - a known murderer and thief - has crept into legend as a hero. If you are interested in outlaw and lawman history of the Old West, this book is a "must".