Biographies Books

I just finished this book and highly recommend it. I just couldn't put it down - Cheryl has such a wonderful, delicious way with words as she draws you into her world growing up with her lovely handicapped brother. Her family and experiences are so richly portrayed that you almost feel yourself a part of the events she describes and you can't help but tear up in places and laugh out loud in others, just as though you were there. This book is unexpectedly touching and funny as well as instructive and informative for those of us seeking to know more about the spiritual realm that surrounds us and personal psychic development. Don't miss this one!!

I really enjoyed her book. I felt like I knew her brother when I was done. A few tears were dropped also!

I have read many books by and about mediums - this is definitely in my Top 3! Cheryl is an excellent writer, and I've had the privilege of having some readings from her, so I know she's an amazing medium, too. Her love for her brother Johnny, and his for her, is a story that will touch many of your emotional "hot buttons" - I found myself laughing many times, crying at others, and doing a lot of contemplation about my relationship with my own family...I have cerebral palsy, and this helped me understand from a sibling's perspective of what it's like to grow up with a family member who experiences a disability - very enlightening.

I highly recommend Johnny Angel Is My Brother. It's a great read!

Geri Jewell
www.gerijewell.com

this is a wonderful book wrote to understand a psychic with a true gift, it is sad and happy at the same time,will make you wonder, another great spiritual book which makes absolute sense she has the ability to set down her point of view,is the calling of your true self elizabeth anne bell, both have a rare spiritual insight

When reading this book I found I was taking the journey with the author through her storytelling. I laughed, I cried, and I enjoyed everything shared in her candid descriptions. Ms Booth is a talented writer who captures your heart with her compassionate expression of human nature. I found myself in many pages and my emotions surfaced often with heartfelt sincerity delivered throughout the pages. Its a must read from cover to cover to grasp all the enligtenment given so freely to open our hearts and minds to a new thought. To help us see ourselves for who we are and what our purpose is in life. Its a beautiful read and I hope anyone who reads this review gives themself the joy of getting a copy to read themselves. You won't be disappointed. Its truly an adventure worth taking.

The young Hal and his instructor in the art of living the good life , Falstaff cavort through the first half of Henry IV as if life were going to be one long , irresponsible entertainment. The dramatic transformation of all of this , and Hal's casting off of Falstaff, and moving to kingly responsibility will come in the Henry IV Part II.
What is present here throughout is the tremendous richness of Shakespeare's imagination in his creation of character, and inventiveness in language , in his ability to create so many different moods and feelings.
'Falstaff' is one of Shakespeare's most beloved characters, and one of the great figures in the Comedy of world literature.
Enjoy.

This is the play where the Percy rebellion begins and centers around the Achilles-like Hotspur. Eventually, Hotspur (Henry Percy) and Prince Hal (Henry Monmouth - later Henry V) battle in single combat.

We also get to see the contrast between these young men in temperament and character. King Henry wishes his son were more like Hotspur. Prince Hal realizes his own weaknesses and seems to try to assure himself (and us) that when the time comes he will change and all his youthful foolishness will be forgotten. Wouldn't that be a luxury we wish we could all have afforded when we were young?

Of course, Prince Hal's guide through the world of the cutpurse and highwayman is the Lord of Misrule, the incomparable Falstaff. His wit and gut are featured in full. When Prince Hal and Poins double-cross Falstaff & company, the follow on scenes are funny, but full of consequence even into the next play.

But, you certainly don't need me to tell you anything about Shakespeare. Like millions of other folks, I am in love with the writing. However, as all of us who read Shakespeare know, it isn't a simple issue. Most of us need help in understanding the text. There are many plays on words, many words no longer current in English and, besides, Shakespeare's vocabulary is richer than almost everyone else's who ever lived. There is also the issue of historical context, and the variations of text since the plays were never published in their author's lifetime.

For those of us who need that help and want to dig a bit deeper, the Arden editions of Shakespeare are just wonderful.

-Before the text of the play we get very readable and helpful essays discussing the sources and themes and other important issues about the play.

-In the text of the play we get as authoritative a text as exists with helpful notes about textual variations in other sources. We also get many many footnotes explaining unusual words or word plays or thematic points that would likely not be known by us reading in the 21st century.

-After the text we get excerpts from likely source materials used by Shakespeare and more background material to help us enrich our understanding and enjoyment of the play.

However, these extras are only available in the individual editions. If you buy the "Complete Plays" you get text and notes, but not the before and after material which add so much! Plus, the individual editions are easier to read from and handier to carry around.

I am actually reviewing both Parts One and Two with this since they should be read together.The reason why I enjoyed these plays so much is because we see Falstaff in both of them. He is my favourite Shakespearean character - big, bawdy, rough, a liar and a cheat, but again we know what he is right from the beginning, and Shakespeare keeps him so true to character. These plays are a bit different from some of the other histories. There are more comedic parts in them for one thing. The plays are certainly used as a medium for introducing young Hal (who will become King Henry V). We see him as a young man, and watch him grow and see the influences that his society and the people in it have on his development. He doesn't appear to be growing up well according to his father because he is so irresponsible. King Henry IV was not England's strongest ruler. He was haunted by his guilt over the death of his predecessor, King Richard II. In Part Two, comedy still plays a big role, and we still see Falstaff's influence on young Hal until the shocking moment of Falstaff's death. The best part about Part Two though is the deathbed scene between old King Henry IV and his son Prince Henry. The play leads us to "King Henry V". Prince Hal does finally grow up and he becomes a very strong leader. Actually King Henry Iv, Parts one and two should be read before King Henry V. It is the correct sequence and we see Prince Hal grow and mature.

Henry IV remains one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, even though the tragedies and comedies get far more attention and seeming appreciation than do the histories. As an English major, I examined Henry's (Hal's) character, and I focused on his development from a somewhat foolhardy young man into a self-assured, even manipulative prince. It is hard to say which of these Hal truly is, or if he is a little bit of both.

At the beginning of the play, Hal spends his free time cavorting around with his friend Falstaff (who provides all of the laughs in the play and is cited as one of the best comic characters in all literature). In the first act we already see hints in Hal's sololiquy that he may not be as carefree as we are led to believe, and that he might betray friends like Falstaff to be the prince that he is expected to be. Read on in "Henry V" to see just how much of a polished politician Hal becomes--his battle cries and his "once more unto the breech, dear friends" is masterful in its persuasiveness and ability to induce his countrymen to fight.

Hotspur serves as a nice counterpoint to Hal in "Henry IV." Hotspur is the hothead and Hal makes his decisions calmly and rationally. This almost inhuman rationality comes into play again in "Henry V" and makes you long for the seemingly carefree Hal.

All in all, "Henry IV" is a great read and quite an interesting character study--I highly recommend it!

In Part One of Shakespeare's "Henry IV," the titular king tries to defend his throne from a rebel army led by the hotheaded Hotspur, who has a long list of grievances about the king's treatment of his family, the Percys. Hotspur has allied himself with several principal figures including his uncle the Earl of Worcester, his brother-in-law Mortimer the Earl of March, Lord Douglas the Scot, and Owen Glendower, a Welsh chieftain with a vivid mystical imagination -- he is so egotistical that he insists an earthquake that occurred the day of his birth was a divine proclamation of his importance -- and a desire to usurp all of Wales from the king.

While he is preparing for war against the rebels, Henry IV laments that his own son Henry (Hal), the Prince of Wales, is a shameful libertine living the high life in London and consorting with a gang of scurrilous miscreants. Indeed, Prince Hal's idea of fun is robbing people, and his best friend and accomplice in this activity is Sir John Falstaff, who turns out to be not Hal's peer but a middle-aged man. In a character transformation of an abruptness that can only be described as magical, Hal becomes a serious young man determined loyally to defend his father's kingship from Hotspur's assault after he receives an earnest lecture from his father about the dangers of acting irresponsibly as a public figure.

Not enough can be said about Falstaff, who is undoubtedly one of the most richly realized characters in literature. He is fat, lazy, cowardly, yet boastful, but not in the same way Owen Glendower is -- Owen really believes what he says; Falstaff is just trying to make himself look better than he actually is, but fools nobody because he prevaricates and embellishes without bothering to remember his previous lies for the sake of consistency. You probably know somebody like this in real life -- especially if you're ten years old. Falstaff's piquancy, in fact, so outweighs the stature of the other characters that his absence is sorely felt in the scenes in which he does not appear.

Most of all, Part One of "Henry IV" is a play of contrasts personified by Prince Hal and Hotspur, who incidentally is also named Henry. In their confrontation on the battlefield, it seems unlikely that Hal, who wasted many of his best days living as a rake, could conquer a seasoned warrior like Hotspur in a swordfight. But there wouldn't be much of a tale to tell if not to show Hal triumphing after his resolution to change his weak habits, and the play ends with the conviction that, despite his past mistakes, he would make a noble king himself.

As a fourth year University student, I found this book compelling for all ages. It is a heartwarming book that will truly touch readers who love primates, and those who just love animals in general.

Koko's Kitten, by Dr. Francine Patterson, is about a gorilla and a kitten. It's almost Koko's birthday. Penny helps Koko she wanted to give Koko a toy cat. But it didn't come in on time. So Penny gave it to Koko on Christmas. Koko didn't like the toy cat. So Penny gave her a real cat. Koko named the kitten Ball. Ball bit Koko and Koko called Ball obnoxious but Koko never hit back. Koko treated Ball like a baby. Koko combed Ball, and put him in her thigh like what a mother will do. Koko also painted Ball. Koko played games with Ball that Ball hated.

On a cloudy day Barbara told Penny that Ball got hit by a car and he was dead. Then Penny told Koko. And Koko was sad. Ten minutes later Penny heard Koko cry. Penny cried, too. Barbara asked Koko what she wanted for Christmas then Koko signs tiger cat. Then Penny shows Koko three drawings of cats. Koko picks a tailless Manx. On March 14 Koko got a red cat. Koko named it Lipstick. Koko was happy.

The theme about this book is about friendship. Koko always plays with Penny. And she always plays with Ball. Koko thought Ball was her baby so she put him in her thigh. They always played games. I like the way Koko didn't hurt Ball.

By Stephanie

This is a wonderful story about the love and kindness creatures, nonhuman and human, can show towards each other. It is touching and meaningful for all ages. The photos are exceptional and the writing is down to earth.

I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

Great book for any cat lover

author of "Hobo Finds A Home"

Koko is a gorilla and she like cats . She is good at sign language and she knows when is her

birthday. She knows how to read books about cats. If you give her a stuffed cat she will destroy it. She likes only real cats. So that's what the story is all about. I like this book because you can learn all about gorillas and how you can help them. I think that you should read this book because you can know about gorillas. by Edgard Walker

I read this book in three days. I have not read a book for enjoyment in years. Once I picked it up it was over. The stories make you TRY to relate to your own house. At the risk of sounding gay, It becomes a tear jerker.

I am a firefighter in a department much smaller than the FDNY. We do not run many calls and I was starting to get unmotivated and complacent. After reading this book I remembered the brotherhood of firefighters I am in and gained a new love for my job.

the most moving book I have ever read.It takes the good with the bad. No sugar coating, all honesty.

I should know: I'm a firemen's daughter. In fact, I'm a Rescue 2 firemen's daughter (we're a special breed) and have spent my entire life in the wacky world of Rescue firemen. Although it's really hard to capture the type of insanity and devotion these guys have for their jobs - Tom does a really good job. If someone you love is a fireman: read this book. It'll help you understand them better. Hey, even if you don't know anyone whose a firemen you should read this book. I just have 1 bone to pick with you Mr. Downey: Captain Ruvolo's daughters are not what I would call "pampered" (p.62). He loves them and they love him just as much.

Amazing stories in this book. You get the feel of the life of a member of the famed FDNY RESCUE 2. It is the kind of book that you read one chapter, and say..."Just one more chapter and I will put it down." But you cant put it down. After I finished the book, I said "I wish there could be more stories." Highly recomend this book to anyone interested in the life of those crazy enough to run in where the rest of the world runs out!

i loved this book, very accurate and insightful, great read for all anne boleyn fans.

This is a must-read for any Anne Boleyn fan, who wants to learn more about her life. This book lists many intricate details about Anne's life at court, which I found fascinating!

Anne Boleyn continues to fascinate. A woman of wit, intelligence and a feminist in her time. She won a king's heart but incurred his wrath. A life cut short, a child deprived of her mother. A true tale of intrigue, corruption and manipulation. A cast of interesting characters vieing for power, wealth and fame.

If you are interested in historical content as well as an interesting read then this book is for you. If you were lucky enough to watch Showtime's "The Tudors" it makes the book even more enjoyable. While Showtime took certain historical liberties with the series, the book does not. It is a definite page turner. Mr. Ives has managed to help the reader appreciate this particular period of history that comes alive with the cast of characters, intrigue, love and death. Well done Mr. Ives.

Anne Boleyn was undoubtedly one history's most fascinating woman. She was not conventionally beautiful, she had a sharp-tongued, acidic personality, and she engendered both obsessive love and implacable hatred in the people around her. She also was caught in the middle of a bitter, bloody war between the traditional Catholics and the Reform Protestants. As a result, trying to know the "real" Anne Boleyn is a hard task indeed, as contemporary accounts are extremely biased. In the end, we don't even really know which drawings or portraits are accurate.
But Eric Ives has taken up this enormously difficult task of finding the woman behind the legend, and his book will probably be the standard for years to come. He has carefully considered all his sources, including the ones that are obviously extremely biased, and weighed what is probably true and what is not. He has started from scratch, using only contemporary (meaning, Tudor era) sources, and spends an entire chapter weighing which sources can be trusted, and which cannot. For instance, Eustace Chapuys's accounts are heavily biased towards Katherine of Aragon, but they also give a great timeline of the divorce proceedings. He spends anther chapter devoted to which portraits or images of Anne is likely to be the most accurate. His conclusion: a ring that Anne's daughter Elizabeth wore that had a cameo of herself and her mother. Little details like that make the book more human, for while Henry tried the best he could to erase Anne from history, it is clear that Elizabeth never forgot her mother. Ives also uses the poetry of Thomas Wyatt, an early admirer of Anne who seems to have always carried a torch for her, to great effect.
Ives' tone is that of a detached scholar, and while he is obviously fascinated by Anne, and eager to dispel the more vicious myths about her, this is no hagiography. He reports the ugly side of Anne's personality -- her imperiousness, her tendency to kick people while they were down. Of Katherine of Aragon, Anne once coldly remarked that she "wished all Spaniards were at the bottom of the sea." Yet the overall picture of Anne is that of a remarkable woman. Intelligent, independent, radical in her belief of the Protestant Reform movement, a mover and shaker.
That such an intelligent woman could fall so fast in fortune speaks volumes both of the cruelty of Henry VIII, the machinations of Thomas Cromwell (the book's villain), and the status of women in Anne's time. Henry loved Anne because she was outspoken, witty, elusive, and cultured (she spent her adolescence in the French royal court). But once they were married, she was expected to start bearing sons, and to tolerate infidelity. She was also expected to keep her nose out of political and religious affairs. She could not do any of the above. Her fall (three weeks from arrest to execution) is documented with astonishing detail.
Warning: although Ives' book is extremely well-written, it is not an "easy" read. It is extremely scholarly in tone, and if you want a more general overview of Henry VIII's wives, then Alison Weir, Antonia Fraser, and David Starkey have all written excellent books on the subject. The middle section, which goes into rather arcane detail about Anne's interest in arts, culture, court life, interior decorating and religious reform is on the dry side.
My other criticism of Ives is that in his eagerness to paint a picture of a larger conspiracy to dethrone Anne by Thomas Cromwell, the religious conservatives, and the ever-ambitious Seymour clan, he almost lets Henry VIII off the hook. In the end, one person could have stopped Anne the "beloved wife" from such a cruel fate and that was her husband. But despite these flaws, Ives' level of research goes above and beyond the call of duty. Anne finally had her fair day in court, and no doubt she would have been very proud.

I was lucky enough to see Lois Lowry speak in Knoxville, TN over a year ago. Lowry is a phenomenal story teller--both in print and in person. She told the audience much about her family and growing up...indulged us with photgraphs, stories, and memories. I felt like I was listening to a member of my own family telling me stories; I was completely enthralled and really appreciated Lowry willing sharing her life with so many people. "Looking Back" gave me the same feeling.

The book is not a typical memoir: no linear narration. It is, as she states, "about moments, memories, fragments, falsehoods, and fantasies." Photographs (most taken by herself or her father) are dated and presented with short explanations, memories, or revelations. It brings together two of my very favorite things: pictures and stories. I especially love the story of how she met her second husband, Martin, and her quest for the ideal dog. Fans of Lowry's books (especially of the Anastasia books, Autumn Street, and The Giver) will enjoy quotes from novels which relate to Lowry's life. While reading this book, readers will revel in the extent to which Lowry has placed her own experiences, memories, and stories into her fiction. It's all about stories; how we become ourselves and the importance of remembering.

I believe that I, as a child or teen, probably would not have been entirely interested in "Looking Back." I believe it takes a more mature reader to realize/appreiciate the intimacy and life experiences and milestones expressed in the book. But young fans of Lowry could enjoy learning more about a favorite author and where her stories came from.

How do writers create the characters for their books? Writer Lois Lowry answers this question in this beautiful book of memories. Each individual memory with accompanying black and white photograph illustrates an important event in the author's life. Together they weave a story that is impossible to put down and leaves the reader wanting more. There is humor reminiscent of Erma Bombeck and sadness that makes you want to weep. Lois Lowry includes quotes from characters in her books echoing experiences that are provided in the memories. The death of her sister is found in Number The Stars, her grandparent's house is in Autumn Street, and her son and his horse in The Giver, and she herself in books like Anastasia Krupnik and The One Hundredth Thing about Caroline. Read this book to learn more about a new friend or to find a new one.

How do writers create the characters for their books? Writer Lois Lowry answers this question in this beautiful book of memories. Each individual memory with accompanying black and white photograph illustrates an important event in the author's life. Together they weave a story that is impossible to put down and leaves the reader wanting more. There is humor reminiscent of Erma Bombeck and sadness that makes you want to weep. Lois Lowry includes quotes from characters in her books echoing experiences that are provided in the memories. The death of her sister is found in Number The Stars, her grandparent's house is in Autumn Street, and her son and his horse in The Giver, and she herself in books like Anastasia Krupnik and The One Hundredth Thing about Caroline. Read this book to learn more about a new friend or to find a new one.

Browsing at my local library, I stumbled upon this book. "HMMMM, this looks interesting," I thought to myself. Little did I know that I had found a book that would bring me to my knees crying and give me one of the biggest "book hangovers" ever. This book followed me through my weekend, and inspired me as a writer ( who wishes she could write with even 1/100th of Lowry's talent) a teacher (who thought of about a zillion really cool writing and reading lessons I could spring from this book) and as a mother (who realized the joy of life, and exactly how fragile and tenacious it really is).

You must read this book. It is easy, and unfolds into a love story, a story of loss, and a story of absolutely LIVING life with as much passion as the moment allows. I don't want to give this book away, because the suprise of it, the thing that made most of the essays connect, is what left me gasping and delighted on snowy Sunday here in Denver.

Absolutely appropriate for children, but I would guess that the essays would appeal more to girls. And if you are a teacher, you will discover a hidden treasure in the book by and about one of the most talented childrens authors of our day!

Enjoy. Have the kleenex handy.

The memoir I read is called "Looking Back a Book of Memories" by Lois Lowry. The book is a collection of Lois Lowry's memories throughout her life. Lois Lowry is a prize winning writer of fiction novels. Each chapter is separate memory. She begins each chapter with a quote from one of her many novels. In this memoir she relates different quotes from her novels back to life experiences. The memories that she describes seem to be used throughout her novels. Writers will draw on memories and events from their own life as part of their story telling.

Lois Lowry noted that she has a lot of babies as characters in her books. For example, in the novel "The Giver" one of the characters was the baby Gabriel. In the novel "Rabble Starkey" there was a baby named Gunter Bigelow. Lois Lowry thinks that she likes to use baby characters because she likes newborn babies. Her fondness for newborn babies was started by a picture her father took of her when she was born in 1937. Fathers weren't normally allowed in the hospital ward but he worked for the hospital and he was a photographer. Her memoir also includes pictures of grandchildren as babies.

In the book, "Find a Stranger, Say Goodbye", she describes a girl looking up as she is standing in thick forest. She describes the emotions as fearful, humorous, and warmth all wrapped together. When Lois was two years old her father took a picture of her standing in a thick "tropical growth" near her house in Hawaii. She is looking up at her father's camera in the same way that she describes the girl in the book. She comments that her life had challenges but was mostly filled with warmth and humor. She says most of the time she remembers she laughed a lot.

In the book, "Anastasia at Your Service", she describes a scene where a young boy is trying to prove to another young girl that he can read. In this scene it is very important for the young boy to be able to read and prove it. She relates this to her need to want to read. When she was 3 years old and her sister was 6 they would play school. Her sister was the teacher because she could read. Lois wanted to read so that she could be the teacher.

In her book of memories, Lois Lowry describes her life using quotes from her fictional books. She discovered that most of the scenes in her books came from her own experiences. She used her own life as an inspiration for her writing. It would be easy to find scenes inspired by her own life in her books because so much of her own life is in her books. She documented many of these in her book of memories.

Laura Schenone's book-length essay is an expertly crafted exposition of her search for family history, for barely-surviving traditions, for connections to immigrant ancestors who were strangers to her. She is, by her own admission, "obsessed" with replicating the ravioli of her great-grandmother. She longs for authenticity, for real nourishment in a world of "silver wrapped", mass produced cream cheese. She longs to know who they were, this Genovese couple who came to New Jersey from the isolated, breathtakingly beautiful mountains of Italy so many years ago.

Immersed in the demanding cycles of domesticity, raising two young sons, it is in the chores and delights of the kitchen that she recognizes her mission and begins her quest.

This book speaks to the the mystery of generation, the families who spring forth, the gathering around the table on feast days, and on ordinary days as well. The mothers nourish so that the families may flourish. Schenone's masterful prose absorbed me. I could not put this book down.

I ate this book up and still wanted more. I am 1/2 Italian as well, the same age as the author, have 2 boys as does the author, and have what I thought was the only mixed up crazy family. I chose education and career over learning how to cook, so I loved hearing about her search. Laura write a sequel! More pictures!

This is one of the oddest books I have ever read and I recommend it to anyone -not just food lovers. It kept me facinated until the end. One of those books which enlightens one to the small but exciting adventures people can find themselves caught up with. You don't have to be a movie star or run for president to find some exciting things in your own life. Laura Schenone did this and brought the reader along with her. I don't know this lady but it would be fun having her for a neighbor - especially for Christmas ravioli.

Schenone has written a mesmerizing meditation on food that is a mystery, a memoir and a love letter to ravioli all at once. The book made me wish I had Italian ancestors, so I could go hop a plane and explore the mountains of Italy to track down secret recipes, and hidden family lore, too. Instead I made the walnut sauce--which was delicious. This book is a beautiful and honest memoir about a woman's search to understand her family and herself. Honestly, I didn't want the journey to end.

I love this book! It is a little bit cooking, a little bit history, a little bit travel, a little bit genealogy, a little bit family drama. I had borrowed a copy from my local library, and I enjoyed it so much that I had to buy it.
I am intending to try some of the recipes and make my own ravioli.(My all time favorite food)

This is an extremely thorough, even-handed and well-written bio. The author's approach is intelligent and his research and references are extensive.

One learns that Brooks began as an upper middle class wildchild from the plains who determined early to be a great dancer. She had talent and determination. But Fate along with timing made it possible for her to escape Kansas for New York City at the tender age of 15 (!) to train with a premiere dance company. She seems never to have gotten past being that wildchild and was, at 17, dismissed from the troupe for unacceptable behavior. Soon she was a dancer on Broadway, including a stint with the Ziegfeld Follies. Next stop, the movies!

Being admittedly "selfish and stubborn" as well as volatile, Brooks tore through New York, Paris, London, Hollywood, Berlin and back, living it up and burning bridges all around. By age 25 she was finished in terms of ever becoming a movie star or great dancer. She eventually disappeared into a gin bottle, was reduced to dance instruction, retail sales and finally "love for sale."

This is all fascinating enough, but her late-in-life resurrection as a rediscovered silent era "icon" (based mostly on films made in Europe in the late 20's) and as a newly minted writer is the surprising twist toward the end of an otherwise bleak life story.

Her work in Pabst's "Pandora's Box" ought to provide Brooks all the immortality any actress could desire. She is spectacular as Lulu and deserves every accolade. She was a beauty, but there were other beauties of her era who achieved greater stardom - Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Jean Harlow. Her "black helmet" hairstyle was well suited to her looks, but it's more likely that Colleen Moore actually popularized the look, having been a superstar of the 20's (which Brooks wasn't)and the iconic "flapper." As for her skill as a writer (with reference to "Lulu in Hollywood"), I find Brooks interesting, insightful and even poetic, but there is an underlying note of bitterness that undermines any claim of objectivity. And, considering her decades of gin guzzling, I question her ability to be very accurate 40-50 years after the fact. For me, the mystique and power of Louise Brooks comes down to her performance in "Pandora's Box," her primary and glorious claim to fame.

Read "Louise Brooks" by Barry Paris and form your own conclusions. Don't miss "Pandora's Box." The Criterion Collection DVD boxed set includes Kenneth Tynan's 1979 profile, the TCM production, "Looking for Lulu," a 1970's interview with Brooks and other extras.

This book is an expansive overview of the life of Louise Brooks and also of the early days of the movie industry. Very throughly researched, it gives a nuanced look and the beautiful, brilliant and maddeningly self-destructive icon. It also is a wonderful history of the entertainment world in the 1920's and the personalities who populated that world. A must-read from fans of Louise Brooks.

Several books have been written about Louise Brooks, but this book is probably the most concise and most thorough of them all. The book starts off with Louise's birth and it describes all the people that helped to make Louise so interesting and famous. There are many black-and-white photos of Louise, from the time she started in show-biz (at age 4) to Louise in her later years, just before her death.

Since Louise Brooks had such a fascinating life, it is not a surprise that this book is so long. Each Chapter basically covers a chunk of her life, and each Chapter describes (in detail) the characters that encountered & shaped Louise, and also all the Theatre and Movie productions that Louise was involved in.

This is what a biography should be: insightful, understanding, offering a measured & complex view of its beloved subject. And what a subject Barry Paris has in Louise Brooks! Her beauty, her intelligence, her compelling charisma all shine in these pages, giving us a multi-faceted view of this ravishing star. For someone who had never heard of Louise Brooks, this biography will send him or her in eager pursuit of her all-too-few films & her own writing -- and both are of the very highest standard.

It's clear that Brooks never did anything without wanting to give her all, to make true art out of it, a work of beauty & meaning that would stand the test of time. And the same could be said of this superb biography. While Paris clearly adores Brooks (and with good reason), he never succumbs to blind hagiography. Nor does he stumble in the opposite direction of pathography. His purpose is to explore the life of a fascinating woman, and to present it to the reader as thoroughly & lucidly as possible. He succeeds on every level. Louise Brooks emerges from these pages as both a flesh & blood woman, and as the dazzling, mysterious icon she became to countless admirers.

In short, the best book on Louise Brooks you'll ever find, most highly recommended!

I have not yet read this entire book, but just glancing through it when it arrived I would find that I have just read twenty pages or so whenever I openned it up. I can't wait until I read it cover to cover.

Wow! Harriette S. Sherman (H) and her loving and beloved L are amazing, impressive, inspirational people. Abruptly separated by World War II immediately after their marriage (they returned from their honeymoon to find his draft papers waiting), they wrote copious letters back and forth to support each other and to continue their relationship in the only ways they could. They saved the letters, and over 50 years later the author cleaned out their closet, pulled out the box of letters, and decided to arrange them into a book to share their story. I'm so glad she did! The letters and the bits of connecting narrative gave me eye-opening, enthralling insight into some of the personal struggles of the times. Their joint story is not just informative, it's also really good and gripping and tender, and I've loaned my copy out to friends so many times that I got some extras -- one to use as my loaner in case it ever doesn't come back, and a couple to give as gifts. Thank you, H and L, for this terrific book, and also for your steadfast services to the country through this awful war. I admire your strength and courage and perserverence and love.

Love in the Time of War,by Harriette S. Sherman, is a beautiful and inspiring book. I found myself laughing and crying as I identified with her through the trials of the war-time separation from her newly-wed husband. The letters and narratives evoke the rhythm of the war both at home and overseas in remarkably vivid language. I want to thank the author for the gift of her courage and generous spirit in sharing this very personal and touching story.

Love in the Time of War:a Remembering is a beautiful book that centers around the letters written between 1941 and 1945 by two young American newlyweds whose marriage was disrupted by the call of the author's husband to war. Harriette Sherman reminds readers that the successful battlefield struggles of those men who have come to be called "America's greatest generation" were made possible by the wives, mothers, and other family members who held the pieces of daily life together at home. The intimate letters that the author and her young husband exchanged were the only way they stayed "connected" during their forced separations as war raged in Europe. In their honest and straight-forward manner, the letters reveal much about what it was like to be a young bride to start married life alone in the early 1940's. Equally satisfying are the letters sent from the battlefields which tell much about the transformation that every successful soldier must undergo from new recruit to seasoned veteran. The book gives the reader a fine exampleof how love can ripen and mature under the strains of life, even the horrors of war. For history buffs, the book evokes in very clear images what it was like to live through this time and how the battles were fought and won, both at home and overseas. For the generation that is now fighting the war against terrorism, the book offers valuable lessons of hope.

It's amazing what one can do with a battered box of old letters! After the gripping first paragraph of the prologue: "I trembled. My whole body seemed to come alive with his first gentle kiss. Twenty-two years old and engaged to another man, I felt a thunderous jolt as L's quiet "I love you" wrenched my life into a 180 degrees turn-about toward a different, unplanned road...," I was hooked and the book became a page-turner. The letters flow so well into each other that they read as a novel and what a love story indeed! Though not just mention of hugs, kisses, and I-love-you's. Their letters, with some detailed added pages by the author where she saw the need for it, give a lot of insight what life was like during those days in the army, and how a young wife, left behind a few weeks after her wedding, not only survived on a meager income (or sometimes no income at all) but managed to save for trips, some 3000 miles away, to be with her husband for a mere one or two days. I reveled along with them in those short moments of happiness.

In their letters they try to be reassuring, but you are aware of the constant fear and tension they had to endure, especially when 'L' is injured in Normandy during his participation in the D-Day landings.

Some of their letters are of special significance to me as I was myself a WW-II victim. After reading the book, I felt the urge to thank 'L', albeit very belatedly, for helping to liberate Holland, where my family and I were about to succumb to malnutrition.

A very memorable and loving memoir!

From 1941 to 1945 Harriette Sherman's married life existed for the most part via the postal system. Although separated by war, she and her new husband communed, joked, loved, and even fought and made some of the toughest decisions of their lives through the most simple medium - pen and paper. A byproduct: Their correspondence not only documented an extraordinary era in an engaging fashion, it also explored the profound nature of love and commitment.

Sherman's epistolary memoir, "Love in the Time of War: A Remembering," astounds with its honesty and its precious details. One feels as though one is peering in on Sherman through the open window of her home, watching her at her desk scrawling the words she will send off to her husband, waiting eagerly with her for his return, or at least for his response. This type of intimacy is a gift. But it is when Sherman connects the text of these letters with the context of her life, revealing her growth and development as an individual and as a partner, that the letters truly sing with life: its joys, sorrows, struggles, and overall, its sustaining love.

Although it is about a period and a war more than half a century ago, reading this book during a new period of devastating warfare, I found an unexpected comfort and perhaps even some courage from this enduring testimony to survival and devotion. I recommend "Love in the Time of War" to young readers (junior high) as well as adults because it engages history in a way that history books rarely can. It tells it from the inside out, from the individual daily lives that make up an era, their innermost feelings and tribulations. Like love itself, something to treasure.

I really enjoyed reading this book and admire the author's courage and tenacity. Definitely highly recommend this book.

Jeffrey McGowan's work is a well-written account of a gay soldier's precarious position in the US military. McGowan is a true officer and gentleman. This is no "kiss and tell" memoir filled with scenes of rampant sexual escapades; instead, it is a thoughtful description of one gay man's attempt to survive in an institution that routinely purges gay persons. His story should strike a chord with other persons who, for one reason or another, find themselves struggling with a similar double-life reality.

Well-written, engaging memoir of a dedicated soldier torn between love and service to country and the enormous obstacle to that service, known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT). Mcgowan's inner turmoil over his commitment to military service and his awareness of homosexual desire is wrenching. Such existential dilemmas are often difficult to imagine, because sexual identity so easily trumps professional ones. But Mcgowan saw his military identity just as vividly as he saw his gay one to the point of suppressing the latter for the former. I think many of us perceive one's sexual persona as paramount, that it's often difficult to empathize with those who would compromise it for any reason, much less for a military career in which others' hostility to that persona can be virulent. That a dilemma could arise seems challenging enough, but clearly it did for Mcgowan, and the conflict is palpable throughout the book. (I have a new appreciation for gays in the priesthood.)

Faced with the same situation, it's easy to dismiss this conflict as exaggerated. E.g., when I was in the Navy, I refused to compromise, told all, and pleasantly served until honorably discharged. But that was over thirty years ago. Clearly, DADT has placed a pall over military service that has become significantly more hostile and intense, and while my commitment to military service was always a waystation, clearly it was literally a way of life for Mcgowan. His service and sexuality tore equally at his dual core identities, and because of DADT, it became increasingly more painful year after year, grade increase after grade, love after love, until something had to give. The reader can't help but feel his pain. (cf., Sarte's "No Exit.")

Most of us know the disasterous consequences of such a policy (e.g., terminations at Monterey of Arabic-speaking gays), but here we see vividly the human agony of such nonsense. And perhaps the most disturbing feature of Mcgowan's experience is why one's sexual orientation matters at all. Many scream "homophobia," but he endured it. I experienced nothing of the kind. My "loss" to the military didn't amount to a hill of beans, but here is a career officer with an exemplary skills and stellar performance in the upper echelons of the military hierarchy, and the only issue is over his same-sex attraction? We have retrogressed and become amazingly petty!

Everyone will benefit from this book. Polity is often a prescription for unintended consequences, and DADT's consequences have been of an inordinate magnitude. Here's a perfect example of it. Conservatives, military personnel, moderates, liberals, policy-makers, and (maybe) the far-left can learn from Mcgowan's experience and his consequences. May his new life and this expose give him consolation. He's earned it!

Jeff McGowan wrote this autobiography-critique directly from the heart. He is proud of his military service, but angered that he had to jump through so many hoops to conceal himself. When being fired upon, is their colleague's sex lives really a preoccupation of soldiers?

McGowan openly says that the Army continued to hound soldiers who were suspected of being gay. His personal experiences match up with the statistical research done by Washington, D.C.-based advocacy groups. "Don't ask don't tell" actually encouraged the Pentagon to increase their witch hunts. This was time and energy which could have been spent guarding the country against attack.

I've read other accounts about failures of the 'don't ask don't tell' policy, but appreciated his frank candor. McGowan describes how duplicity is much more damaging to the individual solider, and the entire armed forces. The climate of paranoia increases the intense stress which people are already feeling in a combat situation.

Our country continues to have embarrassing contradictions between `support the troops' and this long-outdated policy. It only increases the psychological stress which people are under in battle and removes the potentially best solider from the battlefield, only because of sexuality.

I feel that his participation in the Persian Gulf and then a marriage ceremony makes this account especially realistic for contemporary audiences. McGowan's book isn't the first and it's not likely to be the last, but the intensely personal writing about very current events makes it so much more powerful.

This book is a very heartfelt account of the life of one gay US soldier. It spans roughly two decades: it starts with McGowan's time in the ROTC and goes up to his promotion to Major and his choice to leave the army (with a short epilogue on McGowan's life after the military and his marriage in New Paltz).
I think the book portrays very well the enormous difficulties and the psychological tolls that gay soldiers have to go through in order to continue to serve. Part of the McGowan's service was under the so-called "don't ask, don't tell", part of it was under the previous regime. The book led me to conclude that from a practical point of view there is hardly any difference between the "don't ask, don't tell" and the regime in which gay people were simply excluded: both regimes require gay US soldiers not have a life. It is amazing how pervasive the effects of "don't ask, don't tell" are, how intrusive they are in the everyday life of the soldiers. The book exemplifies how gay soldiers are forced by the policy to lie: they are forced to lie to straight soldier and they are forced to lie to one another because they have no way of being sure whether the other is gay. They can't go to gay bars because if they are seen they are discharged. They can't communicate with their partner openly, even via letter, because it is too risky. McGowan's book shows how "don't ask, don't tell" makes it almost impossible for gay US soldiers to have a life.

The book is moving in many parts; I really came to empathize with Major McGowan. I was also surprised by how full of events his life was.

I also want to note that the book is quite well written. The book would benefit from more editing, but the narrative is really compelling and heartfelt.
I read the book twice in a row.