The Empire Books

One could readily effuse a string of encomia to describe the erudition and insightfullness of the author, but what makes the book come alive is that Dr. Wilson is never too shy to express his opinion. Hamilton is an 'evil genius,' JFK an 'incompetent,' Wilson an 'hypocrite,' and Teddy Roosevelt a 'boob.' Maybe such epithetical remarks are harsh - I do not believe so - but they always seem to be correct and are often amusing. I cannot say that I agreed with all of the author's opinions but I always had the impression that his opinions were well reasoned.

The book, being a collection of essays spanning decades, covers a number of topics and persons acting and is an excellent overview of Southern Conservative though regardless of the reader's own political bent. Perhaps the best praise is that I have learned much in an area where I would consider myself well-read.

~From Union to Empire: Essays in the Jeffersonian Tradition~ is an anthology of essays and writings by historian Clyde Wilson. As Joseph Stromberg writes in the introduction, "Dr. Clyde Wilson is a Christian, a Southerner, an American, an historian and a conservative. For over three decades he has worked on the definitive edition of the Papers of John C. Calhoun, has written on Calhoun and published a collection of Calhoun's most important writings." Wilson is a luminary figure amongst southern conservatives in my humble opinion, and yet modest about his own accomplishments. He has also written a splendid biographical history of General James Johnston Pettigrew and assembled an anthology of essays in tribute to the late Mel Bradford. As Stromberg opines, "His writings-published in Modern Age, Chronicles, Telos, and many other forums-shows Professor Wilson off as the kind of conservative who is a stalwart defender of federalism and republicanism, and the liberties associated with them. Such conservatives are few and far between these days."

For most of American history, the old Jeffersonian Democrats, sometimes referred to as Southern conservatives, were the most plentiful and common American type and now they are largely forgotten. The prescriptive wisdom of the old Jeffersonian Republicans lives on and is brilliantly encapsulated in the writings of Clyde Wilson. From his easy-to-read historical exposition of southern conservative statesmen to his stalwart defense of states' rights, Wilson offers a refreshing bit of conservative sobriety with this enlightening collection of essays accumulated over the years. Wilson defends Jefferson and spells out just why so many people from the Right and the Left hate Jefferson, and are committed to tarnishing and maligning his historical legacy. My favorite essays are those recollecting the legacy and contributions of the Old Republicans - James Monroe, George Mason, John Taylor of Caroline, John Randolph of Roanoke, and Nathaniel Macon. The Old Republicans were in fact more Jeffersonian than Jefferson himself as Wilson expounds upon the Tertium Quids with amazing clarity. Like Mel Bradford, Wilson is appreciative of the rich republican legacy and the Constitution, but keen to admit the prescriptive wisdom of the Anti-Federalists in light of history. The Constitution in our time has been thoroughly subverted and rendered a dead letter by "construction."

Wilson is no mere nostalgic revisionist and his realism compels him to admit that lately us Jeffersonian Republicans have been on the losing side of American history. A free republic requires a self-reliant, resourceful, resiliant and productive populace not apt to look to the state for its sustenance and financial provision. In our time, dependency on the paternalistic state is at an all-time high and it is apparently what many people want. Nonetheless, Wilson gives southern conservatives a reason to hold their head up high as he and other torchbearers continue to kindle the flame to pass on to a new generation of conservatives. The Roman statesmen Cicero avowed, "Long before our time the customs of our ancestors molded admirable men, in turn these men upheld the ways and institutions of their forebears. Our age, however, inherited the Republic as if it were some beautiful painting of bygone ages, its colors already fading through great antiquity; and not only has our time neglected to freshen the colors of the picture, but we have failed to preserve its forms and outlines." It is through the Jeffersonian tradition and the legacy of southern conservatives that we may find the brilliant colors and hues to refresh the colors of our the picture and by prudent understanding of history we can restore those forms and outlines of our fragile republic. Perhaps with perseverance, we can one day effectuate Jefferson's vision of an empire of liberty and restoration of the republic. Wilson is a bold visionary and though realistic about political realities now, he is not possessed of a spirit of resignation and defeatism. This distinguished southern gentleman has left a legacy of scholarship that will be disseminated for years to come. With his Calhoun scholarship, he bequeaths to posterity some potent tools for republican restoration.

In summation, Wilson's accumulated scholarship invigorates the Jeffersonian tradition, and gives us southern conservatives a reason to be emboldened about our political prospects despite the formidable odds. At the very least we have a venerable republican tradition and able torchbearers like Dr. Clyde Wilson to bequeath the flame of liberty to future generations, which should give us hope of future restoration of the republic. As a southern conservative, I have been honored to make Dr. Wilson's acquaintance and hear his lectures.

This book lets you in on the dealings of Tecumseh with more details. The records of the decisions of the military commanding officers are astounding. As I was reading the events I wanted to kick somebody for getting so many people killed.

This book isn't as strong as some of Eckert's others, but as a part of his series, (and for a book that was previously out of print) I'd strongly recommend it.

I had read Frontiersmen, Tecumseh and Dark and Bloody River, and preferred them easily to this book, but still enjoyed it, and have re-read it many times.

This book is an absolute masterpiece. It is filled with thrilling insight, and I have read at least ten times through. It is great for film fans both young and old. There is no collection that is complete without it.

This book is a "must have" for any Gene Autry Fan. It has great pictures from his movies and personal appearances. You also have a list and plot summary of all the movies, tv shows and a listing of all the songs he recorded. If you are into learning about America Favorite Cowboy, the trivia questions and answers are great. I highly recommend this book if you love Gene Autry. As the author says in his introduction, "chances are that you are an avid Autry Fan if you purchased this book". A Fitting Tribute to the Legendary Singing Cowboy.

This coffee-table book details every movie and TV show in which Gene Autry ever appeared, with casts, crew, plot, locations, writers, backgrounds, you name it. Author Boyd Magers has written many books and articles on vintage westerns, and draws on his own researchers and others, all footnoted, in this compendium of the man who almost single-handedly created the singing cowboy. Each movie writeup contains bonus material highlighting another star, director, sidekick or some other key person involved in the picture. Gene Autry fans will love it; non-fans will learn from it.

Empire Publishing presents "GENE AUTRY WESTERNS" (Hardcover) - by author Boyd Magers, like no other book on Gene Autry --- all of Gene's Mascot, Republic and Columbia westerns included, as well as his half-hour TV Episodes --- each segment contains the release date on each film ... major production credits ... complete cast (including character played) ... all songs included, songwriter and who performed them in the film ... running time of each film ... dates of the filming ... bios on the cast and major players (Smiley, Pat Buttram, Cass County Boys, Herbert J. Yates, directors, leading ladies, songwriters and various heavies, etc.) ... locations that were used ... budgets and negative cost ... stunt people involved ... analysis and synopsis on each film ... notes and comments (including film and cast background info, salaries paid, working titles, etc) ... comments from Gene and many other cast members on each film ... theater exhibitors comments at the time of the films release ...this tribute was written from the heart and it shows.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: (Chapter, Title and Page Numbers)
Acknowledgments - 7
Foreword by Dick Jones - 9
Rockin' To and Fro ... A Few Words Before Saddling Up - 11
Gene Autry Beginnings - 13
The Films (Chronologically) - 15
Shorts/Cameos/Guest Appearances - 337
"The Gene Autry Show" (TV Log) - 345
Ridin' Down the Trail - 392
Gene's Top Tens - 395
Gene's Movie/TV Sidekicks at a Glance - 400
Gene's Movie/TV leading Ladies at a Glance - 402
Musical Groups and Singers in Gene's Westerns at a Glance - 405
Songs in Gene's Westerns and Where to find Them - 407
Gene's Story and Screenwriters at a Glance - 414
Gene's Directors at a Glance - 418
Locations Where Gene Filmed - 420
Gene's Movie Jobs - 430
Recurrent Themes in Gene's Westerns - 432
Champion - 434
Gene in Print - 438
Afterword by Jimmy Hawkins - 440
Bibliography - 442
Index - 444

BIOS:
1. Gene Autry
Date of Birth: 29 September 1907 - Near Tioga, Texas
Date of Death: 2 October 1998 - Studio City, Los Angeles, California

Special footnote, Orvon Gene Autry was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television --- Discovered by film producer Nat Levine in 1934, he and Burnette made their film debut for Mascot Pictures Corp, Ken Maynard's "In Old Santa Fe" (November 1934) as part of a singing cowboy quartet; he was then given the starring role by Levine in 1935 in the 12-part serial "The Phantom Empire" --- Shortly thereafter, Mascot was absorbed by the formation of Republic Pictures Corp. and Autry went along to make a further 44 films up to 1940, all B westerns in which he played under his own name, rode his horse Champion, had Burnette as his regular sidekick and had many opportunities to sing in each film --- Autry became the top Western star at the box-office by 1937, reaching his national peak of popularity from 1940 to 1942 --- His Gene Autry Flying "A" Ranch Rodeo show debuted in 1940 --- Gene Autry is the only celebrity to have five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one in each of the five categories maintained by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce --- Radio, Films, Recordings, Television and Live Theater.

SPECIAL BONUS MATERIAL:
1. Where to find individual songs in Gene's films
2. Recurrent themes in Gene's westerns
3. Gene in print
4. Gene's appearances in film short subjects and various TV shows
5. Songs written by Gene used in other movies
6. Gene's "Top 10s" as selected by 13 noted Autry enthusiasts
7. Handy reference tables listing, by film and TV titles, all of Gene's sidekicks, leading ladies, musical groups, screenwriters, directors and locations
8. Champion chronology
9. Foreword/Afterword by Dick Jones and Jimmy Hawkins

If you enjoyed this book, why not check out - "So You Wanna See Cowboy Stuff?", by Boyd Mager, all the Western movie and TV filming locations and sites of interest in the entire United States, the only complete tour guide ever assembled ... "Best of the Badmen", by Boyd Magers, Bob Nareau and Bobby Copeland telling the inside story in depth about some of the bad guys, the heavy and the villain who rode against the law and the heroes of our B-Westerns era ... both titles are from Empire Publishing and available on Amazon --- so pick up your copy today.

Hats off to Rhonda Lemons and her staff at Empire Publishing --- author Boyd Magers has given us the Ultimate Gene Autry Book --- everything you wanted to know about Gene's career on the big silver screen and television films --- Gene was a man who changed the face of screen westerns and was truly America's Favorite Cowboy --- If you're into the memories of the Gene Autry B-Westerns, this is the one you've been anxiously waiting for --- Boyd Magers and Empire Publishing has captured the moment --- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Pages: 456 ~ Empire Publishing #9 780944 019498 ~ (7/18/2007)

After all that's been written about Lafayette, this book was a complete surprise. It added much to read of his wife's devotion and abilities and their lifelong relationship. It also places them in history, and by reading their letters, you are introduced to them directly. This book is not only entertaining but scholarly. Should be in every college library.

After reading both Unger and Kramer on the astounding life of General Lafayette, I was very curious about his wife. This book of letters and history concerning her life of privilege and partnership is a complement to what most people know about her famous husband. Both the American and French Revolutions were pivotal in their life together of sharing their wealth to the very end. Adrienne generously gave the peasants working her land the best circumstances of the day, while Lafayette at age 18 bought and outfitted a ship to help the colonies win freedom. Three daughters and a son were born while the General was going back and forth across the Atlantic to muster more help from the French for the new nation. Their only son was named George Washington Lafayette and he escaped being imprisoned due to his mother's clever arrangement. Before she joined her husband in prison voluntarily, she snuck her son out of France to be raised for several years by Martha and George Washington. Lafayette's two daughters also joined their father in prison. When Lafayette was not allowed to enter France, his wife pursued their family interests in war torn Paris and environs. She regained La Grange for Lafayette's retirement. He survived Adrienne by almost 30 years at this lovely chateaux and never remarried. She died at 50 due to her illness contracted at the prison where she decided to join her beloved husband. Many relatives were guillotined, so Adrienne arranged their burial site at Picpus Cemetery to be close to the thousands dumped in a mass grave. An American flag flys over their grave for they were both truely "Partners in Liberty's Cause." Lafayette took a triumphal tour of all the United States and returned to France with American soil to spread over their graves. Both equal partners and generous souls.

Gentleman Spies: Intelligence Agents In The British Empire And Beyond by historian John Fisher is a truly fascinating and informative look at political undermining between nations since before the first world war. The evolution of a British foreign intelligence bureau, originally called SIS and which later evolved into the legendary MI6, whose mission was to specifically provide vital information about activities stemming from the furthest corners of the British empire, is presented with incredible anecdotal tales of intrigue and deceit. An amazing, deftly researched look at the cutthroat machinations of international history, Gentleman Spies is totally absorbing reading from first page to last!

Gentleman Spies: Intelligence Agents In The British Empire And Beyond by historian John Fisher is a truly fascinating and informative look at political undermining between nations since before the first world war. The evolution of a British foreign intelligence bureau, originally called SIS and which later evolved into the legendary MI6, whose mission was to specifically provide vital information about activities stemming from the furthest corners of the British empire, is presented with incredible anecdotal tales of intrigue and deceit. An amazing, deftly researched look at the cutthroat machinations of international history, Gentleman Spies is totally absorbing reading from first page to last!

This book is gorgeously illustrated with lots of graphics taken from authentic textiles and pottery. The legends are written in an easy to read narrative style and take readers from ancient myths through to modern theories on the history of this region. Highly recommended

I used this book as the text to give 28 6th Graders an introduction to the wealth of Africa's past--and they hung on every word. The mix of storytelling, political, economic, cultural and religious history served as the basis for several lively student presentations. In short, my only complaint about this book is the fact that its out-of-print status prevents me from ordering copies by the dozen for next year's class.

Publishers--Please get on the ball. With the addition of these African Kingdoms to the Virginia State Standards of Learning, you have an eager market and a product that beats anything else now on the market for this age group.

After reading Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, what a delight to read about Gibbon in a mere 111 pages (harmonious with Gibbons under five foot stature). A short treatment about such a large subject as Gibbon and his work could have been a problem, but Burrow pulls it off. After an opening mini biography of Gibbons life, the remainder of the book is an overview of 'Decline and Fall': chapter titles include "Rome", "Christianity", "Barbarism" and "Civilization". The best chapter is "Civilization", it can be read as a standalone essay about Western history, it is full of fascinating ideas and insights. The last chapter "A possession in perpetuity" ties together some loose ends and has an interesting discussion on the nature of art and immortality. Any book of this nature has to rely heavily on quotes and because Gibbons writing is so powerful he can steal the show, but Burrow more than holds his own, the cadence between Burrow and Gibbon is sheer pleasure. Yet, as Burrow says:

"To present a vast historical work like the 'Decline and Fall' as I have done, chiefly in terms of its organizing concepts and the explanations it offers, is necessarily to travesty it: to reveal the bones is to make hard, angular, dry and summary what in the experience of reading is enjoyed as flexible, rich and leisurely."(p.80)

The "bones" revealed by Burrow include Gibbon's stylistic device of black/white polarities underlying his arguments: Liberty/servility, vigor/enervation, manliness/effeminacy, simplicity/luxury, fanaticism/moderation, superstition/reason, theology/morality, asceticism/nature, unsocial/social and of course barbarism/civilization. This is not to say Gibbons has reduced history into a child-like "good vs bad" view, he does show ambiguity in human action, but his style or technique is to create polarities and then play off between those positions. This is an excellent work of historiography and intellectual history, I highly recommend it for anyone who has read Gibbon to better understand his context and ideas, Burrow treats Gibbon with a great deal of sympathy and the reader comes away with an even deeper appreciation and passion for the man and his work.

This is one of the finest volumes in the ' Past Masters' series. Burrow tells Gibbon's story and outlines the major themes of 'The Decline and Fall' with concision and clarity .He sets Gibbon in the context of his time and shows how his Augustan eighteen century values effect his judgment of the second- century Roman height of development, and the decline from it. Gibbon sees the decline and fall as a movement away from Roman independence, hardiness, military self- sufficiency and virtue to social indolence brought by prolonged prosperity and luxury. The measured and balanced tolerant religions of paganism are weakened and defeated by the enthusiastic superstition of Christianity. The civilized West is overrun by those of the barbaric East. Burrow does a wonderful job presenting Gibbon's biography, the background and preparation leading up to the writing of his great masterpiece. He shows too how Gibbon's great style however it aligns itself in support of Roman social virtue contains a subtlety and elaborative greatness that enables it to capture the positive qualities of Rome's barbarian opponents. Burrow shows how Gibbon's masterful style of antithesis and balance, work to give his account a kind of aesthetic and moral subtlety and ambiguity.
This is a very good introduction to one of the greatest of all classics of historical writing.

The authors Stephen Hartnett and Laura Stengrim both work at Eastern Illinois University. Chapter 1 examines the arguments used for attacking Iraq, mainly the mythical Weapons of Mass Destruction. Chapter 2 peruses the arguments used in support of wider US foreign policy, centrally the myth of the benevolent empire. Chapter 3 looks at the economic agendas of the key drivers of empire and Chapter 4 studies the colonisation of postwar Iraq under the pretence of reconstruction and democracy-building.

They show how the US empire has produced contexts ripe for violence. Globalising capitalists and empire-builders inevitably create economic resentment, political rage and terrorist violence. They bring consumer choice and political freedoms to the few, economic, but political and military violence to the many. The authors show how Bush tries to disguise this by explaining events in moralistic, medical, psychological or theological terms.

The `war on terror' is lawless: Bush's memo of 7 February 2002 stated, "none of the provisions of Geneva apply to our conflict with Al Qaeda in Afghanistan or elsewhere in the world." It is also intolerant: Attorney General John Ashcroft said critics of the government `only aid terrorists'. The US state promises us an endless crusade to `rid the world of evil'. As the National Security Strategy of the United States 2002 said, "the war against terrorists of global reach is a global enterprise of uncertain duration."

The IMF's Brady Plan repackaged developing countries' debts as collateralised tradable bonds, privatising debt ownership, so vulture capitalists could buy debts and then sue for full, immediate repayment. For example, Elliott Associates in 1996 bought from the IMF $20 million of Peru's debt for $11 million; it then sued Peru's government and won $58 million, a $47 million profit. They have done the same in Panama, Poland, Turkmenistan, Ecuador, Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank benefit the capitalist class and harm the working class. For every dollar that the US taxpayer gives to the Fund and the Bank, US companies get two dollars in bank-financed procurement contracts. For every dollar going into developing countries (investment, aid, grants), two dollars leave to service debts. So since the mid-1960s, $22 billion a year has gone from the developing countries to capitalists in the USA and the EU. As the authors write, "the combination of this institutional architecture of globalization and regional Free Trade Agreements [like the EU's] poses serious threats to state sovereignty, worker rights, local cultures, and any sense of representative government."

Altogether, this book is an exceptionally astute analysis of why workers must stop capitalism, but unfortunately, the authors only propose as a response online activism and a rejection of all ideologies. But the workers of the world do not need a `global economy of information producers and activists': we need to revive our national trade unions. We do not need virtual resistance, `a newly emerging electronic democracy', or `reinventing activism as an online endeavor'. We need real democracy in our places of work and democracy and sovereignty in our nations - which add up to Marxism.

A brilliant concrete analysis of the threat to American democracy presented by the bloated expansion of the American military and corporate presence abroad. Particularly useful is a chapter on the "privatization of empire," showing how much of what happens in areas like Iraq lies beyond the present power of Congress to regulate it. A very important book.

Usually, the historians of the Austro-Hungarian Empire writing in English have begun their professional career reading German, and then proceeded to learn Hungarian sufficient for their purposes.
C.A. MacArtney, in contrast, began his written work with histories of Hungary--medieval Hungary at that.
Only after writing several such works, and collecting and editing documents on early modern Hapsburg and Hohenzollern history, did he, at the peak of his powers, proceed to write this masterpiece of the historians' art: a survey of the history of Austria-Hungary, seen from within rather than what foreign diplomats believed.
The Hapsburg Empire, 1790-1918, has nothing with which to to be compared, let alone equalled, in its comprehensive coverage, in its detailed examination of contemporary sources, and in its judicious balance.
I am delighted that alibris has it on offer.

I found this book on the shelves of a house I was renting in Rome last year (which belongs to a Habsburg descendent). I suspect I would have seen a lot more of Rome if I hadn't decided to read it.

Macartney's book, which appeared in the late 1960s, is the model of what a modern, comprehensive history book can be. It is exhaustively researched, filled with all sorts of data on demographic, agricultural and economic trends. Yet Macartney also leads us with sure hand, and astounding erudition, through the maze of politics, diplomacy and Habsburg family dramas. He controls all of this vast and complex material with wit and elegance.

While later historians have challenged some aspects of his analysis, his book remains that against which all others on the topic must be judged.