T. Greenwood Books

This book is the oldest song book in my collection and one of pride and joy. Although it was printed in 1876 it is still in very good condition and I dip it often. It gives a vivid description of the original Jubilee Singers and their struggles to get established. It seems that they were the media event of their day. There is also detailed, if somewhat potted, biographies of these freed slaves and it makes depressing reading even today.
There is also an article on the "Freedmen's Missions Aid Society" of which The Earl of Shafttesbury was president. I would like to quote from the book:
"According to Dr Livingstone, Sir Bartle Frere, and other distinguished authorities, not less than 1,000.000 of Ethiopia's wretched children are stolen every year out of their country for the slavemarts of the world. That such a crime is permitted, in this nineteenth century, for a single year, is a burning shame to the civilised nations. Surely, England and America should sound forth their reprobation throughout the world as through a brazen trumpet! Doing less, we can hardly vindicate our common Christianity before the world, much less before high Heaven." As this twentieth century has drawn to a close it seems that we have made little progress since the Jubilee singers made their mark in the world.
For the practical musician, this book is a treasure trove. For example, "Go down, Moses" has 25 verses against the mere three or four given in most modern books!

The latest addition to the "Greenwood Guides to Historic events, 1500-1900" series, The War Of 1812 is collaboratively written by author David S. Heidler and historian Jeanne T. Heidler (Professor of History, United States Air Force Academy). The War Of 1812 is a meticulous and detailed history of America's "second war of independence" that is places the battles, events, personalities, and ramifications into a social and historical context. Timelines, biographies of major figures, excerpts of primary accounts, and a great deal more round out this informed and informative account that is a welcome and highly recommended addition to school and community library American History reference collections.

I used this book for research in one of my Political Science classes. It was very helpful and well articulated. I would recomend this book to anyone interested in learning about political participation in national elections.

The fine 2-volume set YOUTH, EDUCATION AND SEXUALITIES: AN INTERNATIONAL ENCYCLOPEDIA is an excellent college-level recommendation: it features over 200 entries written by an international roster of experts ranging from educators to researchers, and it examines the policy and research surrounding youth who are members of the gay or transgender community. Yes, it's very specific - but there's a wealth of detail from legal and social issues to health issues and more surrounding LGBT youth, and hundreds of gay-straight alliances in high schools and colleges, and all are given important details where which would be missing in less detailed coverages. An excellent specialty collection recommendation for professional, academic, and community library Human Sexuality reference collections..

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

NEARER THAN THE SKY

Meet Indie Brown, who lives in the backwoods of Maine with her long-time boyfriend, Peter. Peter runs a restaurant and Indie is recently unemployed. Indie has built a happy, loving life and relationship with Peter. All is going well for them, until Indie receives a phone call from Arizona where her mom and sister are living.

Indie's mom is a victim of Munchausen syndrome, which, if you are not familiar with this scary, unexplained disease, is a mental disorder that causes women to make their own children ill, at any cost. This, in their minds, gives THEM attention. The moms are the afflicted, the kids are the victims. In Indie's case, her mom turns her attention to Indie's kid sister, Lily. Indie also has a mentally handicapped brother, Benny.

Indie's childhood is a living hell. However, she is a good little kid and a loving sister to Benny and Lily. The stories told of their childhood are funny and sweet. Indie and Benny are pretty much on their own, as their mom is so busy with Lily, who, as you will quickly figure out, is constantly ill. What I really liked about the format of the book is that it jumps from present to past and back again. This is good reading, a format I truly enjoy. We get sneaks into Indie, Lily, and Benny's miserable childhood at the hands of their mom.

Indie has to return to Arizona as her mom has been 'self-poisoning' herself. So, Indie is thrown back into the past while dealing with her mom and her sister. We also meet her newborn niece, Violet. Indie's radar goes on high alert when she sees her sister Lily with her own daughter.

Indie's memories coming flooding back -- her mom's illness and treatment of all her children, her dad, who owns a bar and is not around much, and how Indie breaks away from this sad/sick situation only to be drawn back into it as an adult.

I loved how the book deals with this sad and tragic illness and lets the reader see how this affects not only the victim/child, but the entire family. All of the characters were genuine and the story is very, very interesting and exciting. I read this book in one day and when I wasn't reading it, I could not stop thinking about it.

Check out this book. It will not only give you a greater understanding of Munchausen syndrome, but is also filled with great characters, a very interesting story line, and love. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Thank you!
Pam

"Nearer Than the Sky" was well written.
I would recommend this book.
Some of the food and eating scenes were slightly dragged out, but still it's a good book.

I was excited to read this book because I knew it dealt with Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome (MBPS) and thought it would be fascinating. It was indeed somewhat interesting and certainly well-written, but I was hoping for more insight into the ways in which the mother and subsequently her daughter handled this disease and the ways in which it impacted on their own lives. I guess my only disappointment was that I was looking for more information and insight into the condition/disease itself and the ways in which the characters harmed their children and how they each of them dealt with it on an emotional level, than just how it impacted the family on a larger scale.

While I don't highly recommend this book, I thought it was certainly interesting and a good overall book. It could make an interesting book club selection too.

Greenwood's prose is subtle and sensitive in this novel...I found myself completely absorbed in the story and its characters, and would highly recommend it to anyone. While this book was heart-wrenching in many places, Indie's story is at the same time quite inspirational and beautifully told.

I am not going to give a story summary - the rest of the reviewers have done a good job at that. What I will tell you is that this book is fantastic. I could not put it down. Lately I have had a hard time focusing on reading because my books have not grabbed at me very well. Nearer Than the Sky grabbed at me. The prose is lyrical, smooth and enchanting. I did not like Greenwoods first book much, but greatly loved this one. I am going to begin Undressing the Moon tonight.

You go Tammy! Keep up the good work.

This biography of Sherman is a study of the man Liddell Hart believes to be the great strategic thinker of the American Civil War. It is more a study of his psychology, much of it derived from original sources such as telegraphic messages, than an account of battles. Sherman was a complex man with a background in banking and commerce that served him well in planning his campaigns in the Confederacy. At the outbreak of hostilities, he was headmaster of a military academy in Louisiana and the local people tried to induce him to stay in spite of his open Union sympathies. He was offered a positon as Assistant Secretary of War but declined to seek a military command. His contempt for politicians was later expressed in his famous refusal to accept a nomination for the Presidency. He was the most intellectual general of the war and Liddell Hart is very interested in his thinking. This is a valuable book for those interested in leadership.

I will start by saying Liddel Hart is my favorite military historian/author and I own half a dozen books by him, and regard them as gospel. However I felt that Liddel Hart was not as well versed in this area as he is in European History. He lets his ingrained contrariness run away with him. He wants to create a "great captain" where there is none. He also, I believe, wants to convince the reader of the genius of the "inderect approach" which he expounds in his excellent book "Strategy". However I think considering Sherman's campaign as indirect is like calling D-Day indirect because the allies invaded Normandy as opposed to Calais. ( I must admit that I am biased because I am a Lee fan) Like every other book by Liddel hart though, it is a very quick and pleasant read. I would recommend his book on Scipio as a great intro to his work.

When I first began to read this book I was concerned that it might be outdated. However, I found much of the subject matter to be quite timely. Of particular interest was the impact that Sherman's successful (albeit violent) trek through Georgia had on the 1864 elections. I never realized how close the Copperhead (Peace) Democrats came to winning that election and perhaps bringing the Civil War to a far differnet conclusion . Hart bring Sherman to life. He also vividly illustrates the behind the scene politics that almost prevented Sherman (not to mention Grant) from their historic roles in the Civil War. Don't be put off by the subject matter or the age of the book. It's worth the read.

Sherman was both the most original genius of the Civil War, and "the typical American". His career provides lessons to the modern world and to modern warfare. It was his conscious exploitation of the economic and psychological factors of war in his "March through Georgia" which helped to end the Civil War. The long and expensive battles in Northern Virginia were replayed on the battlefields of France in the Great War.

The Union attempted to take Richmond by the shortest and most direct route; but this way was blocked with natural obstacles. If the Confederates fell back they would be closer to their reserves, supplies, and reinforcements. These facts favored the entrenched defenders.

The western campaign ended in the capture of Vicksburg and control of the Mississippi from St. Louis to New Orleans. Liddell Hart contrasts the maneuvers here to the stalemate back east. But the conditions, or politics, did not allow a wide flanking invasion through West Virginia or North Carolina. The threat to Richmond kept Confederate troops there. Longstreet proposed an invasion of Kentucky, a far flanking attack, but was turned down by Lee.

It explains how Sherman out-maneuvered Johnston from Chattanooga to Atlanta. By threatening to outflank Johnston, the Confederates fell back. His replacement by Hood did not prevent the capture of Atlanta. This revived the hope of victory for the North, and helped to re-elect Lincoln.

Sherman then abandoned his supply and communication lines (vulnerable to attack) and marched on to Savannah and the ocean. His army lived off the land. This enabled his army to be resupplied by the Navy. He then marched north, seeming to attack other cities, but passed between and continued to destroy railroads and bridges.

The end came soon after this, as other armies invaded the South. Sherman designed an armistice and amnesty where the Confederates would be disbanded, and their arms turned over to the states. The latter would allow repression of bandits and guerillas. He was criticized for this.

Sherman was a man of modest habits. When admirers raised [money]to buy him a house, he refused to accept unless he received bonds that would pay the taxes! He lived within his means. The resisting power of a state depends more on the strength of popular will than on the strength of its armies, and this depends on economic and social security (p.429).

Liddell Hart gave preference to contemporaneous correspondence rather than Official Reports (which are written for history to justify a policy). Some of the ideas in this 72-year old book may not coincide with more recent history.

This is a classic written by Liddell Hart in highly readable compact detail. Hart, an English veteran of WWI, was a 20th century military expert who had a great appreciation for Sherman's strategic ability and understanding of an enemy morale. In contrast to what Hart calls a game of "shuttle cock" in the east, Sherman's strategic maneuvers and splitting of command out frequently force Johnson to give up ground while shedding very little blood. Hart notes that he does not spend too much analytical detail on where every "man stood" in reference to regimental history but Hart provides the reader the necessary detail to appreciate the battles and over all campaign. Hart's appreciation of Sherman's ability to take the war to the Deep South, live off the land and take a great risk of literally disappearing from his line of communications is well detailed here as Sherman's penetration through three states eventually undermines Lee's great efforts in Virginia. Hart, the veteran of the stalemate battle of trenches that featured great loss appreciates Sherman's successful plan of warfare. Of course, there are many historians who believe that General Joe Johnston's propensity to retreat may have made him a weak opponent but Johnston did keep a strong army in the field until Hood decimated the Army of Tennessee. This is a great book written by a man who not only lived through "The Great War" but was highly capable of writing about a war that was very similar in the eastern theater by late 1864.

This was the first book to question the veracity of T. E. Lawrence. The author was a well known man of letters and had been a serving British officer on the Western Front. He was indignant that Lawrence had come to be regarded as the greatest English hero of World War I. Today, historians accept that Seven Pillars of Wisdom is mostly fiction; but in 1955, Aldington was put under a virtual boycott for saying so. It is very curious that a neurotic like Lawrence should have become the subject of a fervent cult of personality. If, as his many admirers maintain, Lawrence was a sort of genius, his genius lay in self promotion, or as someone said, backing into the spotlight. Aldington, a fine writer, is almost forgotten. His book is extensively researched and fluently written.

This book is still one of the most interesting biographies about Lawrence.Aldington was the first person who had the courage to destroy some myths about "Lawrence of Arabia".But we shouldn't forget that this book was published 50 years ago,when many important documents about Lawrence weren't available for Lawrence-bioghraphers.Nowadays all serious historians agree that Lawrence played an important role in the arab revolt and that his book "the seven pillars of wisdom"is an historical document not a fairy tale.
Lawrence was much more than a neurotic liar.I highly recommend Jeremy Wilson's Lawrence-biography and the books of Stephen Tabachnik.These authors are critical but fair,they both show us what a fascinating and great man Lawrence really was.

Interesting book... picked up in used bookstore. The author has an attitude but admits it early. Excellent research and support of his conclusions... a realistic look at the Legend. A historical piece that will interest those with some knowledge of Lawrence. It is dated but still timely... when looking at heroes, you need to walk around them ... and this book does.

This is one of the classics on Nelson works. It has not been available for many years. It was good to have such easy access to this facsimile reprint to be able to add it to my library on Nelson.

This book is hard to equal, and maybe impossible to beat, in terms of Nelson biographies. It's one century old but as fresh and relevant and accurate as if it had been written by a modern scholar with the vast array of Nelson papers to aid him or her. Mahan is Nelson's champion; no-one can doubt that. But he's not dishonest when presenting Nelson's strengths and weaknesses. Our admiral had both; which makes him understandable in a very human way. This is a fine book.

What, no reviews! Every once in a while you come across a book on a subject you love, and you realize that you have come across the definitive book in the area, and a literary gem, to boot, as well as a book for the ages. This is one of those books. And if you think I say this about many books, alas there are too few of them. I think of Boswell's Johnson, or Sobel's Longitude, or Grant's Memoirs.

I'd been reading and reading about Nelson and naval warfare in the age of sail. I read Mahan's Seapower. Then this book. In it all the details of Nelson's life that had been boring in other books took on meaning as they were weighed and sifted and given significance by the great judicial mind of Mahan, who sits as it were on the high bench and delivers his judgements on Nelson. And these judgements seem carved in oak or stone, so solid do they appear. So that as I read or peruse other tomes on Nelson, of which there are of course so many, Mahan seems already to have defused the controversy by having got there first, thought more intelligently, sifted more evidence, and delivered saner judgements.

It is truly one of the great books, beautifully written. If you want to understand Nelson, read this book. There is no other. And if you don't want to understand Nelson, read it as you might read Grant's Memoirs, because Edmund Wilson and Gertrude Stein thought it one of the great exemplars in our literature of the plain style. That is not to say that there are not a myriad books on Nelson and related topics that the avid enthusiast would want to read. Read them all! Just don't miss this one, too.

I can't believe I'm the first to write about this. I bought this a few years back while a graduate student in modern European history. My focus was primarily industrialization. This book is a joy. Ashton provides a thorough picture of the Revolution from several perspectives. He describes how events and developments built upon each other and how the innovators fed each others efforts. Most importantly, Ashton is a terrific writer. Other books on this and like topics can be as dry as the Sahara. Ashton is engaging and witty. This is not a book that requires a terrifically large committment. Even if you are not a student but simply interested in the topic, please read this.

First published in 1948, this book has gone through many editions, the latest, as we can see here, put out in 1998. I recently read the 1964 edition, picked up long ago at a booksale in Melbourne, Australia. Ashton's work is probably timeless. It is a down-to-earth, very well reasoned history of the various historical tendencies and phenomena that together are called "the industrial revolution". I cannot vouch for this volume being absolutely correct. The author does not have much time for those who dwell on the evils of industrialization, or who want to include class struggle in their analysis. Though I was not fully convinced of this, still I was willing to listen. Not being an expert in the field, I was looking for a decent explanation or summary of the whole process. I definitely got my money's worth in Ashton's book. It is well-written, without jargon and without presumption of vast historical knowledge on the part of the reader. It gives you an overview of such various fields as population growth, early forms of industry in England, the technical innovations, capital, banking, labor unions, conditions of workers, industrialists' clubs, and relation of agriculture to industry. Though I found the part about banks and interest rather rough going, it was entirely due to my own poor understanding of the field. My edition could have used a map. The shires, the rivers, and the many towns of England are not all imprinted firmly in the brains of North Americans. Other than that, I would heartily recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve their understanding of the Industrial Revolution.

The U.S. went to war with Mexico in the spring of 1846: by fall of 1947 American soldiers were in Mexico City. The Mexican War both ended a series of escalating encounters between the two nations and began a series of events which held important changes for both countries, and THE MEXICAN WAR details both pre- and post-war concerns and issues, offering a blend of biographical sketches of key leaders and fighters along with maps, images, a timeline of events, and discussions which utilize primary documents. A 'must' for any comprehensive American history collection; especially at the college level.

Una guerra de conquista, una guerra injusta, una guerra provocada, impuesta a un debil vecino, nada que ver los los tan cacareados ideales norteamericanos de equidad y decencia...