Eras Books

This book gives much information and is yet not so very detailed to get boring.
There're great pictures in it, all in B&W, and great stories.
The writer Middleton is very good in writing fascinating little stories about records or which Interurban was the fastest, the largest or most luxurious.
It's an older book but perfectly readible.
On the last pages are great references: an index of all Interurbans, exemplary details on equipment and rolling stock.

I strongly recommend this book to everyone who is interested in Islam and seeking for a right source to read. It is also recommended by lots of scholars. It was published by the Ministry of the Religious Affairs of Turkey.

I am using this text in my Intro to PoliSci course, and it is great. The chapters are logically connected, and the focus of the book is on the international arena of the future. Students see the possible sources of future conflicts, and get a sense of how the political world has become "global".

This explosive book lays bare the full details of current events [circa 1987], exposing the personalities and institutional relations behind the headlines. It goes beyond the specific events of the recent period to discern the roots of contemporary U.S. covert activity in the history of the past two decades. It delves into the details of CIA and extra-CIA operations including drug-trafficking, gun-running, government-toppling, and assasination.

The authors argue that the Iran-Contra scandal is not merely a plan gone awry, but a consistent outgrowth of a long tradition of covert U.S. activities. From the Bay of Pigs invasion teams to the NSC organizational team; from the CIA and the World Anti-Communist League to the Israeli connection and the State Department; this is the full story, unfettered by concerns of "damage control."
--- from book's back cover

An author who believes and extrapolates fairly well that Islam is not a "spent force". He gives an insight in a remarkable manner - the background and the origins of the Western Civilization.

Keeping that in mind he inspires - the individual Muslim - to reinspect the imitation which encompases the current Muslim cultural orbit.

A strong point in his word would be Asad's assertion that the influence of Islamic thought is certainly possible in the scientific domain which would by all means lead to results different from the current western norm.

Certainly follows the Asad tradition - " For those who think . . . "

No segment of America's two-hundred year old history has been more colorful and critical than the years between the election of Andrew Jackson to be the first populist president of the United States and the advent of the American Civil War. The latest volume in the ABC-Clio 'Perspective in American Social History' series, "Jacksonian And Antebellum Age: People And Perspectives" offers an informed and informative survey of America during a time of westward expansion, increasing conflicts with Native Americans, the coming of the Industrial Revolution, and the emerging abolitionist movement. Enhanced with occasional black-and-white illustrations, the text is composed of contributions by accomplished historians and academicians under the skilled editorship of Mark R. Cheathem (Assistant Professor of History, Southern New Hampshire University), the nine articles comprising "Jacksonian And Antebellum Age" cover such issues as African American Revolutionaries; Presidential Politics and Social Scandal; Children and Culture; The Jacksonian Frontier; women, Taverns, and Travel; Religious Sects and Social Reform; New England Industry and Workers; Native American Politics and Removal; and Slave Traders. Enhanced with lists of primary documents, references, a bibliography, and an index, "Jacksonian And Antebellum Age" is an impressive and recommended addition to school and community library American History reference collections in general, and supplemental reading lists for non-specialist general readers with an interest in the issues and personalities of Jacksonian Era in particular.

The Jacksonian Era is a splendid little book of concise invaluable history. It addresses the major themes of the Jackson Presidency: slavery, the Bank War, the robbed election, Indian removal, and even dabbles into Jackson past, which is full of grand military victories. What many people fail to grasp is the fact that without Jackson's desisive victory in New Orleans, during the War of 1812, with the British, we may not have a perfect Union, or a Union at all.

Between the end of Andrew Jackson's presidency in 1837 and the beginning of Abraham Lincoln's in 1861 there was a 24 year period of presidential mediocrity. Eight presidents served during this era, four of them for less than a single term, forming a roster of forgettable names: Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan. Only one man in this era of mediocrity stands out at all: James Polk.

What makes Polk stand out from these others is that he actually accomplished something noteworthy. During his presidency, the U.S. warred with Mexico. This war was significant not only because it marked the first time the U.S. fought a war in foreign territory, but more importantly, it resulted in the U.S. acquiring a vast amount of land, including California and New Mexico (it also forced Mexico to recognize that Texas was now part of its northern neighbor). In addition, Polk was able to more peacefully obtain what would become Oregon and Washington from England.

The acquisition of Mexican land was controversial during the war and even remains the source of argument today. Long before the controversies of weapons of mass destruction, there were the debatable origins of the Mexican War; Polk was determined to acquire land and set up things to force a conflict. Besides the somewhat dubious origins of the war, the result for the U.S. was also filled with negatives; the new territories would exacerbate North-South conflicts (particularly about slavery) and - though temporarily alleviated by the Compromise of 1850, would eventually lead to the Civil War.

Sam Haynes has written an excellent if brief biography of Polk. In just over 200 pages, he reviews Polk's entire life, focusing on his one term as president. Haynes remains reasonably objective, with as much praise for Polk's better qualities as criticism for his deficiencies. If you are interested in Polk or this era of American History, this is a good introduction.

The aim of the Honolulu exhibition of Western and Japanese paintings was to "explore the history of collecting French painting in Japan...and the impact of early European modernism on Japan's painting traditions." The European modernism influenced Japan's traditions mostly through Japanese collectors rather than independent curiosity on the part of the painters, or contact with Western painters. This exhibition catalog is organized to efficiently educate readers on this little-covered influence. Individual paintings by Western and Japanese painters are dealt with with a picture and facing one-page analysis from the perspective of the exhibition's focus. Among the Western painters are Rouault, Matisse, Monet, and the lesser-known French artists Raphael Collin and Jean-Jacques Henner. Morita Tsunetomo, Wada Eisaku, and Kume Keiichiro are among the Japanese artists. It's interesting to see, once it is brought to light by the analyses, the Western modernist influence on the Japanese paintings. New light is shed on both modern European and Japanese art.

Professor Conroy has worked in Japan for the US government and he is a highly trained historian. The combination of experience and intellectual insight makes this book very helpful in understanding the cause and effect that led to the Japanese involvement in World War 2. Professor Conroy's strength is his ability to step out of the fray but be able to understand the passions that trigger conflicts. This book is a must for anyone who has any interest in the development of modern Japan.