3 comments about The Life and Writings of Abraham Lincoln (Modern Library).

1. This book is out of print, but you can get it used through amazon and others. It's a great collection of Lincoln's speeches, correspondence and other writings, and it includes an approx. 200 page biography. The bio was written around 1940, and no doubt there's more recent scholarship missing, but we're spared the fashionable speculation about whether Lincoln was gay or some other insignifica which seem to be focal points for so many contemporary biographers and historians. Stern, as the reviewer on amazon says, "wisely respects the mysterious alchemy by which a plain man became a statesman; this respectful anthology seeks only to present Lincoln, not to explain him." The bio's a useful bonus, but the real matter belongs to Lincoln, and there's 700 pages of it beyond the bio. Hopefully Modern Library will reissue this book, and it would be great if the bio were to be updated while maintaining the same cautious and sober approach.



2. This is a great book. I think the introduction is the best. It is interesting plus you really feel Lincoln was a man of the people. My favorite part was when Lincoln had one of his sons in a wagon. Lincoln was so much in his thoughts that the child fell out and was crying loudly and Lincoln kept walking dragging an empty wagon behind him.



3. I have a large Civil War library, and if there was a fire, this is the one Lincoln book I would try to rescue. Despite being written almost 50 years ago, the book's strong point is not its selection of Lincoln's writings (although that is quite good), but its masterful biographical sketch of Lincoln by Stern. Almost seven score since Lincoln's death, there is still no other satisfying BRIEF biography. In about 200 pages, Stern has managed to capture, in skilfull prose, all the important facts while still having room for some less-wordy, interesting comments. Each important event is succinctly captured in a couple paragraphs. I like that Stern actually calls Lincoln "neurotic" in certain personal aspects. I also like his passages on Willie Lincoln's death, emancipation, and the war's closing. There's really not enough room for any heavy politically-influenced interpretations of issues like those in modern long biographies,and that's why Stern's sketch can't be considered outdated. Some people may not like the short description of Lincoln's assassination, and I thought Stern spent too much ink on Lincoln's final attempts to compensate the South. Since the book predates the most comprehensive, closely-inspected collection of Lincoln's letters, there may be some inaccuracies in the writings reproduced here. However, the selection is an excellent one, linked together well with intros by Stern. I can't imagine this was an easy job for Stern and I'm lost why it's been virtually ignored. But all in all, I can only repeat, if you want to know the most about Lincoln in the fewest words, and have your interest held throughout, just buy this book and you're set!

5 comments about Quantrill of Missouri: The Making of a Guerrilla Warrior--The Man, the Myth, the Soldier.

1. My wife bought me two new books for Christmas. They are:
   
   Petersen, Paul R -- Quantrill of Missouri : the making of a guerilla warrior : the man, the myth, the soldier; and
   
   O'Flaherty, Daniel -- General Jo Shelby : undefeated rebel.
   
   I just finished reading Petersen's book last night. I had heard a lot about the book before from Missouri Civil War online discussion groups to which I belong. Due to my family history, I have a very personal interest in Quantrill. Events in my life have led me to have a very emotional response to Petersen's book.
   
   Before getting into my personal reaction to the book, I would like to say that it is very well written and very well researched. The only other book I have read about Quantrill was Edward E Leslie's: "The Devil Knows How to Ride : The True Story of William Clarke Quantrill and His Confederate Raiders." If one reads one of these books, it might be a good idea to read the other to get a more balanced view. If you haven't seen "Ride With the Devil", it might be worth your time to watch it.
   
   Petersen gives much more detail then Leslie. He has clearly read many sources and accounts of the career of Captain Quantrill. Quantrill's career is surrounded by controversy. Petersen resolutely takes one side. I tend to believe that no one can ever know "the truth" about Quantrill.
   
   I tend to doubt his claim that he had only been a Jayhawker to get revenge against Jayhawkers who had attacked him and killed his "brother." My view of Quantrill was that he was attracted to the life of a partisan, and the side made little difference. His story makes much more sense if it is seen as a way to gain the trust and confidence of the Bushwhackers he later joined and led. Petersen consistently refers to "Colonel" Quantrill, although that title is very much in question.
   
   One of my reasons for reading this book was to get more information about the lives of my ancestors who lived through the events. My McFerrin and Porter ancestors lived in Cass County, about ten miles east of Harrisonville. The Porter's lived near Dayton, which was burnt by Jennison's Jayhawkers, led by Susan B Anthony's brother, early in The War. The McFerrin's lived on Eight Mile Creek. Three couples of McFerrin and Porter children married each other. They also lived in the area. Samuel Burton McFerrin, on whom my SCV membership is based, served first in the 8th Battalion Missouri Infantry (State Guard). He and his father were at Lone Jack. Burton later served in the 9th Missouri Confederate Infantry, against Banks on the Red River, and against Steele in the Camden Expedition.
   
   My Deay and Vitt ancestors lived about fifty miles away in Eudora, Kansas, about seven miles west of Lawrence. Some of them enlisted in Kansas regiments after Quantrill's raid on Lawrence. During that raid, Quantrill sent a company to Eudora. The farmers in Eudora had heard the sounds of the battle. They were armed when Quantrill's raiders attacked, and turned them away. The children of William H Musick, on whom my SUV membership is based, married into the Deay and Vitt families. Members of William's regiment served under Steele in the Camden Expedition. My great-great-grandmother, Lena Vogel, was born in 1863 in Macon, Missouri, about thirty miles north of Centralia.
   
   Due to these family connections, I have a very personal interest in the events of the Kansas/Missouri War. I received my Master of Divinity degree from Thomas Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, California. This is a Unitarian Universalist seminary. Starr King was a Universalist. He is credited with keeping California in the Union. He was a colleague of Theodore Parker, the Unitarian minister who agitated for war against the South. Parker was a member of "The Secret Six" who raised money for John Brown. My deep personal feelings against Parker may be the main reason I did not pursue a Unitarian ministry.
   
   Unlike Paul Petersen, I cannot make a hero of Quantrill or Bill Anderson. I place these two in the same group with James H Lane, Charles Jennison, and Theodore Parker. These are people who chose War and killing as a way to advance their personal agendas. I do not see any of these as being the "protectors" of either branch of my family. I see them as being the reason that my family's lives were terrorized. I very much blame both Quantrill and Jennison for the fact that my ancestors' homes were burnt to the ground, and that they were forced into exile or concentration camps.



2. If you want to know what William Clarke Quantrill was really like, then this is THE book for you. Petersen really did his homework, questioned all the assumptions closely and paid attention to the answers he got back. This is the story of the War Between the States from the Missouri Point of View. Quantrill is shown for the hero he was instead of the psychopath his detractors have painted him to be (without substantiation, I might add.)



3. The author seems bent on tipping the balance from the negative portrayal of previous biographers such as Connelly to the extreme opposite. Indeed, this weighty tome seems to be not much more than a response to Connelly's biography at the expense of objectivity. William Quantrill may not have been the devil incarnate but he was also no saint. The author seems to put a lot of stock into "God-fearing people" who followed Quantrill as if to impute their righteousness to him - instead of guilt by association it is the equally unjustified righteousness by association. In the end we are given not an historical biography but an idolatrous apologetic of the Confederate guerrilla leader.
   
   As a biography, this portrayal in an attitude of deep reverance for the subject only perpetuates the neo-Confederate myth. The same fault makes it untrustworthy as a political or military history. Perhaps the value is in it's adoption and example of the Confederate apologetic method. Truly the Confederate side of the history has been vilified to an unfair degree outside the context of the times. But countering the vilification with the opposite extreme does not provide balance. It only makes the Confederate side seem ludicrous and makes one question the purpose for their fight altogether rather than explaining the background of the conflict.
   
   The fact that the text seems a response only to anti-Confederate biographers is evidenced further by little mention of more balanced biographies such as _The Devil Knows How to Ride_ by Edward Leslie. I would highly recommend that book for a more balanced approach. I was pleased to find that many of the works of Mr. Donald Hale and Ms. Joanne Eakin are identified as sources since I have found their work very helpful in my own study of the guerrilla war in Missouri. Their research has led them to gather many of the primary and secondary sources into collections for publication into single volumes. It is a labor of love for them that will help current and future researchers immensely in this study.
   
   In contrast to the portrayal given in the text, the photographs and maps provided are first rate and help to place the reader in the context of the time.



4. I have done extensive reading and research on this topic over the last decade and this is the most well researched, complete, and accurate account that exists today. If you are looking for a book that just re-enforces your already preconceived notions - then try something much shorter and less well done. Otherwise I would highly recommend it to those looking for a complete, accurate, and well researched account. It is probably much more of a neutral view than a souther view. Since most of the related history that I have found has been an extreme "slant" on history by Northen side of the war, who got to control how history was recorded, this may appear to be a southern view. If you have researched this topic as much as I have done, it will appear as probably one of the few attempts at accurately recording this most difficult time in the history of the mid-west.



5. From a woman's point of view this book was fascinating reading. Mr. Petersen's book is by far the best book yet written about William Clarke Quantrill. Not only his new insights but his understanding and experience as a combat veteran enables Petersen to give the reader a clear understanding why guerrillas fought so desperately. For the first time a complete account has been compiled written in a clear and easy-to-read style professionally edited and produced by a leading publisher. Reviews by critics who claim their self ascribed knowledge, is immaterial compared to someone who has done years of research and has tangible proof to show for it. Critics who once lamblasted Quantrill's men were labeled as unqualified and irresponsible. Modern reviewers lacking education or credentials are still critical of anything not demonizing Quantrill by showing their bitterness and mean-spiritness in what Petersen has expertly portrayed in his new book. One man with courage makes a majority and I'm glad Petersen had the determination and fortitude to see this work put into print. It should set a new standard for books about the border war in Missouri.

5 comments about The Tale of the Devil: The Biography of Devil Anse Hatfield.

1. A collaborative effort of Coleman C. Hatfield and Robert Y. Spence, The Tale of The Devil purports to be a biography of Anderson Hatfield, more commonly known as Devil Anse Hatfield, of Hatfield and McCoy fame, but it's more than that. Assisted by original manuscripts from Coleman A. Hatfield, a grandson of Devil Anse, the authors describe several significant members of the Hatfield family in their changing mileaus.
   Not intended as an account of the infamous Appalachian feud, The Tale of The Devil nevertheless describes the issues surrounding the feud from an insider's perspective, admittedly from the vantage point of a Hatfield, yet respectful of the McCoys, and written with an awareness of the existence another point of view.
   
   "Geography explains people." The story goes on, beyond this opening statement in the forward to prove the truth of it, including a description of the geography in which the events will take place, and of the people who lived there, in the area along the Appalachian mountain chain, near the Kentucky border in what is now known as Logan County, West Virginia.
   
   The authors depend heavily upon research conducted by Coleman Alderson Hatfield, the son of William Anderson (Cap) Hatfield, and the eldest surviving grandson of the legendary Devil Anse Hatfield. Coleman A. Hatfield was a lawyer with a photographic memory and a passion for the truth of his heritage, even when it wasn't pretty.
   
   Chapter one begins where you might expect, with the birth of Anse Hatfield in a log cabin on the Straight Fork of Mate Creek, a tributary of the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River which marked the border of western Virginia, now known as West Virginia, and Kentucky.
   
   Then the authors back up briefly, introducing the reader to the lives of Ephraim (Big Eph) and Nancy Hatfield, the Devil's parents, and describing the importance of the land to the people who lived there.
   
   While we know Anse Hatfield as the leader of the Hatfield family during its feud with the McCoys, the Devil would rather have been known for what he enjoyed most, bear hunting. His first bear hunt took place in the fall of 1854, when he was fifteen years of age. Out of bullets, the bear treed, he determined to stick it out. That he did, for two days, until his brother finally found him, and went to get some bullets. Anse Hatfield was to kill many more bear during his long life.
   
   While the book is a biography of the Devil Anse Hatfield, the reader is invited into what is known of the lives of many of the people around him, including the first Ephraim (Eph-of-All) Hatfield, his great-grandfather, who died when Anse was sixteen years old.
   
   A great deal of space is devoted to effectively describing the setting in which the Hatfield family lived, so that the reader can understand decisions that have so often been misinterpreted.
   
   Other Hatfield family members, friends, and allies that you will learn of include Abner Vance, Anse's great-grandfather on his mother's side of the family, who was executed in 1819 for the murder of a man who had taken advantage of his daughter.
   
   Other significant Hatfields appearing in these pages are Anse Hatfield's eldest children, Johnse and Cap Hatfield, both of whom were born during the Civil War. Often described by feud authors as being the meanest of the Hatfields, Cap Hatfield is given a human face by the authors, although not excused for all of his actions.
   
   Cap's older brother, Johnse, was popular with women and had frequent love affairs, including one with Roseanna McCoy, the daughter of Randal McCoy, which many authors have cited as the cause of the Hatfield-McCoy feud. The authors dismiss this theory, pointing out that Johnse's first wife was Nancy McCoy, the daughter of Harmon McCoy.
   
   Around 1870, Anse Hatfield took in a young man by the name of Dan Christian, who became like a brother to Johnse and Cap. During the later feud years, Dan was to save the life of Cap and his stepson, Joseph Glenn.
   
   Readers of this book will learn about James Nighbert and Henry Clay Ragland, both of whom were to have a lot to do with the changing economic landscape of Logan County.
   
   While various authors have traced the beginning of the Hatfield and McCoy feud to the Civil War, and the fact that the Hatfields were mostly in the area of southwestern Virginia, a Confederate state, while the McCoys resided in Kentucky, a Union state, the authors of The Tale of The Devil point out that many of the McCoys fought on the side of the Confederacy, and that Anse Hatfield and Randal McCoy were together involved in the killing of General Bill France, an action that was indirectly connected to the feud only because of events later in the war and by the impact it had on the lives of the two men.
   
   While Randal McCoy was a Confederate, his brother, Asa Harmon McCoy was a northern sympathizer and close friend of General France.
   
   Learning that Asa Harmon McCoy was was seeking revenge against Anse Hatfield for the killing of France, Jim Vance, Anse's uncle on his mother's side, took preventative action, capturing McCoy and, perhaps accidentally, killing him.
   
   The authors cite, as the beginning of the Hatfield-McCoy feud, the week of August 7, 1882, when Ellison Hatfield, Anse's younger brother, was shot in the back and killed by a group which included Tolbert, Pharmer, and Randal McCoy, Jr., the sons of Randal McCoy.
   
   That night, someone took the McCoy brothers across the Tug where they bound them to pawpaw bushes and shot them dead. Devil Anse Hatfield was suspected of the crime, but was never convicted of murdering the McCoys.
   
   And the feud was on. The authors follow its progress, describing the roles played by several other family members, friends, and others.
   
   The book doesn't end with a conclusion to the feud, however. The end, in fact, is gradual and uncertain, while the reader shares in the changing times and politics of Appalachia, the birth and actions of other Hatfields who were to have an impact on their worlds.
   
   The Tale of the Devil includes a mixture of humor, darkness, and insight, told with a sense of reality that can only result from familiarity.
   
   Anyone with an interest in American history will enjoy this book, and those who desire to learn more about a tale of which so much has been written will appreciate learning the truth about the Devil Anse Hatfield.



2. I grew up around the tales of Devil Anse Hatfield because Dr. Hatfield happens to be my grandfather as well. They way he told them to me when I used to sit on his lap is exactly as they are portrayed in this book. I was reluctant at first to read it, because his storytelling is so vivd and I didn't think the page would capture that. It has, and I'm proud to see such a meticulously researched account of my ancestors being praised as it should. My grandfather put an infinite amount of work into this account, history buffs enjoy!



3. I read this hardback book, and I have to candidly admit this biography is great! I love pioneer and American history, and this work vivedly portrays the mountain life of Appalachia in the 1840s through the turn of the century. These Hatfield family members were tough hombres, and the McCoys were hardheaded as well. The thing that makes this a real unusual story for its time is the inter-state rivalry, the WV Hatfields and the KY McCoys. For instance, Cap Hatfield, the son of Devil Anse, spent the rest of his life worried about being deported to the Kentucky side of the Tug River. The time period is expertly displayed through Dr. Hatfield's prose, and the words of Robert Spence. In all, this is a magnificent biography of historical proportions. Although I suppose the chances are slim, I still hope that this work earns literary accolades and a solid place in the library of great American biographies. I recommend this book for everyone who wants to know more about this country and its people.



4. I never knew about this side of American history, and I would suspect that these types of feuds were fairly common during the time period. However, this family-feud seems extremely excessive and horrorific; and there were inner-state complications after the gunfire ended which left feud survivors with extreme anxiety of being carted off across the border to face the gallows. I believe Coleman Hatfield should be honored for bringing this story to light.



5. This book takes away the old stereotypes of barefoot, bibbed-overhauled, corncob pipe smokin', hayseed idiots who walk with a limp due to climing the rugged mountain terrain. Instead, we get to read about a Civil War confederate soldier who who eventually went AWOL so that he could head back to his West Virginia home along the Tug River. Though a Hatfield and McCoy once fought as comrades in the same troop, they eventually became mortal enemies and through the account there was a Logan County bloodbath.

   If I were to pick a book for any of my history buff-buddies, I would certainly choose The Tale of the Devil.

   Buy it, own it and cherish it -- then pass it down to the grandkids. This is good history.

3 comments about Man and Machine: The Best of Stephan Wilkinson.

1. This is a wonderful book. It's a collection of self-contained magazine articles originally published in 'Pilot,' 'Air & Space Smithsonian' and 'Popular Science' magazines that come together to form a greater whole. We get to look at machines that fly, and other machines from go-carts to ambulances to cruise ships. And we get to look at them through the gentle eyes of a smart literate man who doesn't miss much, a man who was the editor of Car and Driver, a man who smoothly writes about the things we wish we would have seen. We learn something about the machines; and celebrate the men that dreamt them up, made them possible and keep them running.
   
   If this book was a machine it would hum in quiet harmony, it would have no sharp edges, and it would do something better than that something had ever been done before. I think you'll enjoy being up close to see and feel the power of such a 'Man and Machine.'



2. This was a great book. Many technical stories and analysis of how things tick and the people who keep them ticking. This may be especially geared toward aircraft nuts, but it was still good for anyone interested in powered things. It even included a story on Steinway Pianos - very interesting.



3. I had borrowed this book from my local library. I liked it so much, I had to own a copy. I put Stephan Wilkinson right up with John McPhee as one of my favorite writers. If you like aircraft, boats, or cars, this book is a great read.

No comments about Woman Rice Planter (Southern Classics Series).

5 comments about A Place Called Waco: A Survivor's Story.

1. I had David's father as a teacher in Junior High and High School on Islesboro, ME and can remember clearly in '93 when he 'suddenly' took time off. His students were left wondering what happened to him? Where did he go? What was Waco all about? David' book clearly puts words to an event, sometimes there are no words for, only silence. Although I've never met younger David, I have met the Senior and if he's incrediblely gifted and talented -- a bank full of knowledge -- than David the young eloquently and rawly gives voice to his nightmare -- of survival -- at a time when there were only questions as to whether he would. Honest, Brash, Brilliant and lastly Human.



2. David Thibodeau was a young LA musician when a chance meeting with the charismatic David Koresh led to his involvement with the Branch Davidian community outside Waco, Texas. This book is a well-written, articulate account of his life within that community and the events leading to the tragic 1993 inferno that claimed the lives of all but nine of the members.
   
   Thibodeau honors his community by putting a human face on a group of people who have been badly demonized by the media. The author does a decent job of explaining the group's appeal, but he is also honest in his descriptions the darker sides of the group. He appears, however, to remain a true believer in his path. While he does address the discomfort he felt that Koresh chose to engage in such behaviors as having sex with underage girls in the community, he falls short of asking the hard questions that observing such behavior in a spiritual leader should require someone to ask.
   
   It's easy to get distracted from those tougher questions, however, by the chilling depiction of the government siege against the Branch Davidians. While it was clear that Koresh himself had broken some laws, it is equally clear from this account that the government's heavy-handed approach to the situation resulted in the horrific deaths of many people who were entirely innocent of any crime other than believing in something unorthodox. Thibodeau's account of the facts surrounding the siege, the fire, and the resulting investigation is deeply, deeply disturbing, and is crucial reading for anyone who is concerned about the state of civil rights in the US.



3. David Thibodeau, in writing this book, has said that he wanted to present a balance account of the almost total annihilation of the religious community known as Mount Carmel, home for the Branch Davidians. (Eight adults and one teen survived.) I believe he did exactly that. Thibodeau had been a late comer to this community, brought in by its charismatic leader David Koresh. But, he was there long enough to witness the good and the bad that existed and he ended up being a survivor of the carnage. He does not try to whitewash the possible illegal weapons charge or the definite statutory rape and child-endangering acts that were committee there. On the other hand, he doesn't paint the Feds with an all-tarnishing brush either, as he admits he doesn't know who fired the first shots (or if in the last climatic attack any shots were fired) and he doesn't know how the fatal fire was begun. What he does is present a detailed description of overkill as he explains how the government used tanks, deadly and inflamable teargas, and bullet-strafing helicopters to attack this group of 62 adults and 21 children huddled in their ramshackle structure. Ironically, he considers much of the blame falls on the newly-appointed Attorney General Janet Reno, who in her first days of administration didn't want to appear soft in the face of the bullying tactics of the FBI and the ATF, and thus capitulated to their massive attack plans that were put into affect just days before Koresh had promised to surrender. Thibodeau gives us, I believe, a true accounting of the life lead by the citizens of Mount Carmel, the overpowering attacks of our government, and the cover-up investigations that follow. I would hope that one of the results of this book would be to help assure that there are no more such incidents in America's future. Mr. Thibodeau, a job well done.



4. If they were so peaceful then why did they not just exit the compound? Why have such a long standoff which they knew would end that way? Overall, this book answers a lot of questions and raises more. The conduct of the followers was atrocious and the conduct of the FBI was less than professional, but I must say that I don't feel bad for any of the people that died other than the children who had been raped, physically abused (spanking), and never given a chance.



5. Most everyone knows about the federal government's disastrous debacle at Waco, Texas back in 1993. We have watched the testimonies, the congressional investigations, and the flames engulfing the building that housed the Branch Davidian religious sect. Some of us have even read books on the event, and many have been written. This book, written by survivor David Thibodeau, is one of the best yet.
   
   Thibodeau was right there, in the middle of the standoff with ATF and FBI agents, so his perspective is unique from others who have written about the event from the outside. Starting with the time when he first met David Koresh while playing in various bands in Los Angeles, Thibodeau talks about his interest in the Branch Davidians and explains what got him involved in the group; why he became interested in religion after never having much interest or instruction during his youth; why he decided to follow Koresh and his teachings; why he decided to stay at Mt. Carmel during the siege; how he handled the media and press following his escape from the fire; and his post- Mt. Carmel life, touring the country as an informational speaker.
   
   Thibodeau has a lot of anger to share in this book, not toward Koresh or the other members of the religious group, but toward the press and the U.S. government. He fully admits that Koresh wasn't perfect and that certain actions taken by Koresh (like sleeping with young girls) wasn't right and should have landed him in jail. But above all, he is most scornful of the media and the U.S. government. The members of the media acted like lap dogs during the siege, reporting on anything told to them by the ATF and FBI as if it were absolute truth. Thibodeau and the other members of the Davidians were saddened and angered by, for example, the reference to their group as a cult and the reference to their building as a compound. The various government reporting agencies promoted these terms to turn the public against the Davidians. Thibodeau is correct in his assertions about the government's actions in this area, and he makes some good points about this. It is true that Koresh himself was a little strange, but he was no real threat and the things he taught were hardly radical. If his teachings qualify the Branch Davidians as a cult, then many mainstream Protestant groups would also be cults. It is known, too, that the FBI deliberately prevented the release of a video tape that featured the different members of the group talking to the camera about their families and lives because the FBI was worried that, once the public saw this tape, they would see that these people were pretty ordinary and it would sway public opinion over to the Davidian's side.
   
   The government's handling of the investigation was purely political, with Democrats taking the side of the ATF and FBI, in order to protect the Clinton administration, and the Republicans taking the side of religious freedom in order to make Clinton and his administration look bad. Thibodeau talks about how sickening it was to watch this unfold. No one really seemed to care about truth or justice. All they cared about was protecting their own fellow politicians or making the opposing politicians look bad.
   
   The writing in this book is excellent, and Thisbodeau was very wise in making the decision to hire a professional editor to help with the work. Other victims of well- publicized tragedies have also written books, but many of them rely on their own amateurish writing skills to carry them through, often resulting in a book that is sub-par at best and that often fails to be as effective as it could have been. The writing in this book, thanks to the assistance of Leon Whiteson, is nearly flawless and it kept my attention throughout the reading.
   
   Thibodeau spends his time touring the nation now, giving speeches to different groups around the country about what happened and what needs to be done in the future to prevent any more Wacos. He shows some strong courage in writing this book, openly admitting that certain actions taken by his own friends were wrong and were deserving of punishment. But he places the bulk of the blame on the ATF and FBI for starting all the trouble in the first place. Like Ruby Ridge, Waco is yet another example of what can happen when government power goes unchecked. And Thibodeau makes a strong case for reigning in the power of government in this well- written, personal book about the tragedy at Waco that killed more than eighty people.

3 comments about Skookum: An Oregon Pioneer Family's History And Lore (Northwest Reprints).

1. Thank you, Shannon. Homey feeling for a book that works through the ins and outs of one of Southwest Oregon best known pioneer families. As the Applegates were all strong supporters of the Oregon Republican League,.. we couldn't be prouder than to give this work two thumbs up. A nonpartisan text, for a populist nation, from a fiercely independent time in our regions history.



2. Shannon Applegate spent seventeen years researching the copious and rich family documents that provide the basis for this extraordinary history. It is clear that she not only combed the documents with a scholar's eye but also lived them with a family member's passion. The very public history of the pioneering Applegate men--Jesse, Charles, and Lindsay--is balanced by intimate portraits of the private--and sometimes even secret--lives of the Applegate women. The blend of epic drama, domestic detail, and quiet pathos is irresistible.



3. Well, the first part of the book was too lengthy and disjointed as it built up to the family disaster. I would have appreciated just a straight tale. The later profiles of people were a lot easier to follow and very entertaining. The information included on the local Native Americans was great and thus the 4 star rating. As a local Oregonian, the farming and political information was also intriguing. I also feel the author missed out by not detailing her own life but maybe this could be a subject for another book.

No comments about A War to Petrify the Heart: The Civil War Letters of a Dutchess County, N.Y. Volunteer.

5 comments about Stealing God's Thunder: Benjamin Franklin's Lightning Rod and the Invention of America.

1. One of the best books I have ever read and I recommend it. The book came out clean and prompt. Thanks!



2. 
   A recently published book may be of some interest to the intellectual property community. "Stealing God's Thunder" details the history of Benjamin Franklin's invention of the lightning rod, and goes on to sketch Ben's role in the invention of the United States' system of government.
   
   In a few places, the book touches on subjects which are of particular interest to the intellectual property professional.
   
   Eschewing a patent, Franklin published a complete description of his lightning rod invention in "Poor Richard's Almanac" in November 1753. Much to our delight, the author includes the entire text of the article in his book, on page 91. The Poor Richard article is entitled, "How to Secure Houses, etc., from Lightning."
   
   In his "Epilogue," the author makes the following statement:
   "Benjamin Franklin's refusal to patent his `instrument so new' likely contributed to the competitive free-for-all that began to characterize lightening rod design, manufacture, and sales within a few decades of his death."
   This is so wrong on so many levels I hardly know where to begin. Dray seems to say that because Franklin did not obtain a patent on his invention, the market forces did not apply to Franklin's invention. Why is this the case? Also, why "a few decades" when a patent's term was generally limited at the time to 14 years. And what does his death have do with it when the rod was published in 1753 and Franklin lived until 1790?
   
   However, Dray does not confine himself to the lightning rod. He also discusses the invention of the famous "Franklin stove." In discussing the stove the author describes Franklin's philosophy toward patents: "As he would with all his inventions, Franklin, although he stood to profit from the sales of the stove, did not apply for a patent. He believed that products of the human imagination belonged to no one person, and should be shared by all."
   
   In this we are reminded of the comments of Rosalyn Yalow, a physicist who, together with Soloman A. Berson, a physician, developed radioimmunassay (RIA). On receiving the Nobel Prize, Yalow said, "In my day scientists did not always think of things as being patentable. We made a scientific discovery. Once it was published it was open to the world." Fortunately, today's scientists may take advantage of the statutory invention
   Registration (SIR). For further details, see, "Rosalyn Yalow's Patent and H.R. 1127" in "The Law Works," January, 1996, at page 17 (the predecessor to the present publication.)
   
   Page 1
   
   
   
   One further aspect of the book may be of particular interest to the intellectual property community, and that is the aspect of the patents of the colonies and the States. Remember, Franklin's rod was published in 1753 and the United States Constitution was not ratified until 1789 and the first federal patent law was not enacted until 1790. As Dray notes about Franklin's refusal to patent his inventions, on page 37 "Besides its commendable altruism, this philosophy probably saved him from a tremendous amount of aggravation. Anyone seeking to patent a new mechanical innovation in the New World would need to secure it in each colony individually..."
   
   This is further complicated by the fact that after the Revolution and before the adoption of the Constitution the government took the form of the Confederation, turning the colonies into States. A number of patents were issued both by the colonies and the States. Some examples of these appear in the Twelfth Census of the United States in 1900 Vol. X, Part IV, page 75 and is quoted in Deller's Walker on Patent's 2nd Ed at pages 53 through 58:
   
   
   Year Inventor Invention Term
   
   CONNECTICUT
   1717 Edward Hinman Making molasses from cornstalks 10 years
   1783 Benjamin Hanks Self-winding clock 14 years
   
   NEW YORK
   1787 John Fitch Steam Boat
   
   NEW HAMPSHIRE
   1786 Benj. Dearborn Printing Press 14 years
   1789 Oliver Evans Elevator 7 years
   
   PENNSYLVANIA
   1717 Thomas Masters Cleaning, curing, and refining Indian corn 14 years
   
   MARYLAND
   1787 Oliver Evans Steam Carriage 14 years
   
   
   In conclusion, "Stealing God's Thunder" is an interesting light read for the technically and historically minded intellectual property professional.



3. Stealing God's Thunder by Philip Dray is extremely well-written. Unlike many biographies of Franklin, it focuses on his science first and his role as a founding father second. This way of characterizing Franklin's life was more interesting than writing about him as a politician first and scientist second. What is most interesting is the influence that Franklin's science had on his politics and on his philosophy. Dray wrote about complex subjects without ever becoming too wordy and overall the book was extremely readable.
   Some of Franklin's most interesting work was put into small inventions rather than large ideas. Franklin said that the armonica, a device that spun glass to make music, was his favorite invention. Although Franklin did important work linking lightning and electricity, and as a proponent of lightning rods, his small inventions were extremely interesting as well. Franklin learned a great deal about electricity during his life and this allowed the next generation of scientists to build on his discoveries. He also challenged the views of Christianity, while still believing in God and remaining religious throughout his life. Franklin believed in the power of reason and he thought that this did not conflict with belief in God. Franklin is one of the most interesting characters of the American Revolution and the Enlightenment.



4. I am a registered patent agent and a retired patent attorney, so this review is slanted from the view of the patent professional. "Stealing God's Thunder" details the history of Benjamin Franklin's invention of the lightning rod, and goes on to sketch Ben's role in the invention of the United States' system of government.
   
   In a few places, the book touches on subjects which are of particular interest to the intellectual property professional.
   
   Eschewing a patent, Franklin published a complete description of his lightning rod invention in "Poor Richard's Almanac" in November 1753. Much to our delight, the author includes the entire text of the article in his book, on page 91. The Poor Richard article is entitled, "How to Secure Houses, etc., from Lightning."
   
   Further, in his "Epilogue," the author makes the following statement: "Benjamin Franklin's refusal to patent his `instrument so new' likely contributed to the competitive free-for-all that began to characterize lightening rod design, manufacture, and sales within a few decades of his death."
   This is so wrong on so many levels I hardly know where to begin. Dray seems to say that because Franklin did not obtain a patent on his invention, the market forces did not apply to Franklin's invention. Why is this the case? Also, why "a few decades" when a patent's term was generally limited at the time to 14 years. You will see evidence of this later on in the review. And what does his death have do with it when the rod was published in 1753 and Franklin lived until 1790?
   
   However, Dray does not confine himself to the lightning rod. He also discusses the invention of the famous "Franklin stove," inter alia. In discussing the stove the author describes Franklin's philosophy toward patents: "As he would with all his inventions, Franklin, although he stood to profit from the sales of the stove, did not apply for a patent. He believed that products of the human imagination belonged to no one person, and should be shared by all."
   
   In this we are reminded of the comments of Rosalyn Yalow, a physicist who, together with Soloman A. Berson, a physician, developed radioimmunassay (RIA). On receiving the Nobel Prize, Yalow said, "In my day scientists did not always think of things as being patentable. We made a scientific discovery. Once it was published it was open to the world." Fortunately, today's scientists may take advantage of the Statutory Invention
   Registration (SIR). For further details, see, "Rosalyn Yalow's Patent and H.R. 1127" in "The Law Works," January, 1996, at page 17.
   One further aspect of the book may be of particular interest to the intellectual property community, and that is the aspect of the patents of the colonies and the States. Remember, Franklin's rod was published in 1753 and the United States Constitution was not ratified until 1789 and the first federal patent law was not enacted until 1790. As Dray notes about Franklin's refusal to patent his inventions, on page 37 "Besides its commendable altruism, this philosophy probably saved him from a tremendous amount of aggravation. Anyone seeking to patent a new mechanical innovation in the New World would need to secure it in each colony individually..."
   
   This is further complicated by the fact that after the Revolution and before the adoption of the Constitution the government took the form of the Confederation, turning the colonies into States. A number of patents were issued both by the colonies and the States. Some examples of these appear in the Twelfth Census of the United States in 1900 Vol. X, Part IV, page 75 and is quoted in Deller's Walker on Patent's 2nd Ed at pages 53 through 58:
   
   
   Year Inventor Invention Term
   
   CONNECTICUT
   1717 Edward Hinman Making molasses from cornstalks 10 years
   1783 Benjamin Hanks Self-winding clock 14 years
   
   NEW YORK
   1787 John Fitch Steam Boat
   
   NEW HAMPSHIRE
   1786 Benj. Dearborn Printing Press 14 years
   1789 Oliver Evans Elevator 7 years
   
   PENNSYLVANIA
   1717 Thomas Masters Cleaning, curing, and refining Indian corn 14 years
   
   MARYLAND
   1787 Oliver Evans Steam Carriage 14 years
   
   
   In conclusion, "Stealing God's Thunder" is an interesting light read for the technically and historically minded intellectual property professional.



5. From 1760 to 1766, Ben Franklin lived in England as a gentleman scholar with his son, William, who studied law. While there, he invented "a homespun musical instrument" he called 'armonica.' which he always claimed to be his favorite invention. It was a stand-alone contraption in which glass disks were turned in a treadle and rubbed gently with the performer's fingers, which he kept moistened with a damp sponge. "The musical method of rubbing fingers on the rims of glasses or bowls filled with water appeared in Europe in the late Middle Ages; Galileo, himself the son of a musician, experimented with it."
   
   This era also produced the piano. The armonica could be the primitive precursor to the organ (a drawing of which is shown in this book); it had such soft, subtle tones it could not compete with the piano and was never used in an orchestra. "Its haunting tone and deep sustain did have a numbing effect on listeners, so much so that it was later used by Franz Mesmer and other healers to put patients into a trance." Mozart wrote an armonica composition called "Adagio for Glass Harmonica, Flute, Oboe, Viola and Cello' which he even performed in Vienna, playing the Viola. Franklin wrote one musical composition, "Quartet in F Major" (also known as "The Open String Quarter") for the violin.
   
   He was a music enthusiast with a music room at his Philadelphia home which held his daughter's harpsichord. "He and Sally played duets [he on the armonica], some classical pieces, but mostly the Scottish folk ballads Franklin liked." Thousands of armonicas were built and sold, but its popularity was of brief duration. Thomas Penn, one of William Penn's sons who had control over the state of Pennsylvania at that time, was heard to complain that Franklin was wasting his time on "philosophical matters and musical performances on glasses."
   
   Not only was he famous for his "revolutionary scientific work, especially his experiments with lightning rods and electricity," he stirred up a controvrsy about evolution. "In Franklin's time, the study of the earth's oldest living things, later known as paleontology, was just emerging as an area of scientific inquiry" when he became involved in 1764 concerning a salt marsh called Big Bone Lick on the Ohio River, forty miles south of present-day Cincinnati. Bones were found there of "mastodons, elephant-like creatures with heavy coats and huge upward-curving tusks that are said to have appeared anywhere between about 20 million and 3.5 million years ago, and survived until as recently as 10,000 years ago." This new curiosity raised the question of extinction, "the most disturbing discovery which upset even the "Newtonian universe."
   
   He explains the legacy of the mythical creatures, the cyclops and the unicorn. 'The cyclops' solitary eye was suggested by the gaping proboscis cavity of extinct dwarf elephants; the unicorn legend arose from the fossilized tusks of elephants and rhinoceroses, which, prized for their magical and medicinal virtues, were traded both by the ancients and in medieval Europe."
   
   Franklin was involved in this scientific debate "that was one of the most stimulating of the Enlightenment" the question of the age of earth and of living things, including man. Like the arguments about lightning rods "presumption," this inquiry challenged long-received ideas about the relationship between God and man, and went so far as to call into question the biblical version of Genesis and Creation." Extinction was a heavy concept "and to pursue it brought one square against not only prevailing views of God's kingdom but the accepted wisdom about the age of earth itself."
   
   Franklin published in his 'Poor Richard's Almanac' "some excerpts from a popular chronology of the history of commerce that dated the [Biblical] Flood at 2348 B.C.,...likely reprinted the material chiefly for its comical fastidiousness about a number of pseudo-momentous dates in human history, such as the invention of playing cards (1391) and the first silk stockings worn by a king (1547).
   
   In 1712, Cotton Mather reported to the Royal Society that a tooth weighing more than four pounds and a thigh bone seventeen feet in length had been unearthed near Albany, New York; he asssumed that the remains were those of a giant man who had perished in the Great Flood. African slaves in America were likely the first to point out that the bones unearthed at sites in New York and Virginia resembled those of the elephant." In the nineteenth century Georges Cuvier would lay the formal groundwork for paleontology, and Charles Darwin's therories of evolution and natural selection. "America's first museum of fossils and paleontological curiosities, including mastodon relics, would be operated by the Philadelphia artist Charles Willson Peale, in conjunction with the American Philosophical Society."
   
   In 1774, Franklin was publicly accused of revealing to his contacts in Boston that "Britain would likely need to dispatch troops to North America" and was stripped of his office of postmaster general of the colonies. His reputation tarnished, and his usefulness in London, now weakened, he sailed home in March 1775.
   
   In 1806, Thomas Jefferson (then President of the United States), "upon the return of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark from exploring the Louisiana Territory ...dispatched Clark to Big Bone Lick to collect additional relics, which he then stored in the East Room of the White House."
   
   Philip Dray previously wrote the multi-award winning AT THE HANDS OF PERSONS UNKNOWN: THE LYNCHING OF BLACK AMERICA which also was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

5 comments about The Sage of Monticello (Jefferson and His Time).

1. When I recently finally finished the 6th and final volume of this set, I realized that I knew more about Thomas Jefferson than I do about some of my friends. There is an incredible amount of information here. Although the Sally Hemings story is barely mentioned in these books because so much information has come out since the books were written, everything else is covered in great detail.
   
   I reviewed the first 3 books as a whole under the third volume, and I'll do the same here on the final 3. I believed that the two hardest books to read were the volumes on Jefferson's presidency. Malone covered eight years in about 1,000 pages, and he went into such detail that it was actually hard to follow at times. By the time I finished reading about the Embargo Act, there was no way I could summarize it; he had written about it so much, and it was spread out throughout the volume. The same can be said, to some extent, with the Burr conspiracy.
   
   The final book was better, even though he exhaustingly covered the establishment of the University of Virginia, probably more than necessary. I would have preferred more on the correspondence with John Adams. And while Malone gets into Jefferson's family relationships here, he was, as a writer, a better presenter of facts than he is a story teller. Nothing about this series is "narrative."
   
   I would recommend the books to a very serious lover of history, and I suggest the audio book as a way of speeding up what will otherwise be a very slow read. But to one with casual interest in history who admires Jefferson, I'd suggest one of the many one-volume biographies.



2. This book is the sixth and final volume in Dumas Malone's six volume biography called "Jefferson and His Time" covering the period from the end of Jefferson's presidency to his death (1809-1826)
   
   Mr. Malone truly saved the best for last in this series resulting in the best of the six volumes, quite an achievement considering he completed this volume when he was 89 years old. This volume successfuly covers in thorough detail the most important parts of Jefferson's late life including the founding of the University of Virginia, his friendship with John Adams, his thoughts on the political issues after his presidency, and his personal and family life including his increasingly difficult situation regarding his debts. While maintaining the scholarly level of detail in the previous volumes, Malone's writing style is his most enjoyable yet.
   
   In conclusion, this volume has my highest recommendation and is perfectly suited to be read as a stand alone volume, even without reading the the rest of the series.



3. Despite his clear sympathy for the late 'sage', Dumas Malone did a better job on this book, when compared to his efforts on "Jefferson and the Rights of Man".
   This book, ("The Sage of Monticello"), centered on the ex-president's life after retiring to his grand plantation. It is a well-written account, although that I disagreed with the author on certain issues.
   Yes, I may seem stubborn, but I will always like to be conscientious: I refuse to agree that a man who was a slave-holder was at the same time, the champion who fought for the rights of men. It is simply contradictory!



4. What can be said about this monument to Jefferson scholarship? I am sure that somewhere in universities around the United States there are "scholar squirrels who want to put down this invaluable resource in Jefferson studies. It is always the way that mice attempt to gnaw at lions. This is not a perfect work (and my remarks refer to all of the books in the series as a whole), there are somethings, namely Sally Hemmings references which are wrong and will not sit well with American 21st century mores. There is the issue of slavery which was handled much differently 50 years ago than it is now.
   Jefferson is not worthy of our interest because of Sally Hemmings and because he kept slaves. Jefferson is great because of the Declaration of Independence and his fight for the rights of man. While it may have been hypocritical to preach liberty and keep slaves, it is doubtful that slavery ever would have been abolished if Jefferson had never gained the prominence that he did. This book and the others that follow show why we should continue to honor the public man even though his private side may have been wanting.



5. Jefferson and His Time: The Sage of Monticello is the crowning jewel of this sixth out of six volume set. This Pulitzer Prize winning series about Thomas Jefferson took the author (Dumas Malone) a lifetime to write, as he started it in 1943 and finished it in 1981.

   This volume takes us from the end of Jefferson's second term as President to his death. But these times are Jefferson's best in terms of his satisfaction with his immediate family, even though at times were a bit rocky, Jefferson longed of retirement from public life. Long ago friendship of John Adams was rekindled with frequent correspondence... James Madison not living too far away from Jefferson was a frequent correspondent.

   Jefferson's talent wasn't wasted as he worked on the establishment and founding of the University of Virginia. He proved himself as one of the preeminent force for public education. But, Jefferson's personal debt played a role in Jefferson's energy and dreams.

   We really get to see Jefferson as a man in this volume and his works for the public good emerge here. Also, we see Jefferson's health deminish and his battle for life play a part. This volume is masterfully engaging and well written. Impeccable scholarship and a life long dedication are very apparent.

   If you like to read history and biographical history in particular and want to read about Thomas Jefferson, this series has to be on your short list.

   I highly recommend reading this series. It has been an honor reading about one of America's most extraordinary men.