History Books

I lived thru this area and like today information was subject to national bias so this was the rest of the story particularly the divided ideas in Japan.

One of the very best books I have read on these fateful years, in a true Kershaw tradition. Very well researched and highly recommended.

I have read many WWII military history books, and this was a nice complement in that it provides some of the background that led to the action in WWII. Well-written and researched.

This is a book which looks at ten decisions taken between 1940 and 1941 which affected the course of the Second World War. Rather than an alternative history it looks at each decision and the logic for it. It is worthwhile looking at one example to see the books method.

For instance Hitler's decision to invade the Soviet Union in retrospect seems outrageous folly. Look at what happened to Charles XII of Sweden and Napoleon. Both led armies into the depth of Russia and were defeated by "General Winter." The size of the Soviet Union made landing a knock out blow impossible and Germany was drawn into a war of attrition which it lost just like Charles and Napoleon.

The genius of this book is to show how in the context of 1941 things looked different. Germany had defeated France in 1940 and occupied its north. Britain although undefeated was not able to put an army on European soil which could match Germany's. Germany (which had absorbed Austria) had as allies Italy, Hungary, Romania and Finland. In the First World War Germany with the support of the Austrian Empire had been able to defeat Imperial Russia whilst it had the majority of its army on the Western Front. It now could devote the majority of its army to the Russian operation and had more allies plus the resources of Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Balkans, France and Denmark. Thus in 1941 Germany looked back on the victory in 1917 knowing that it was infinity stronger being able to put an army of 3 million into the field. Germany also felt that its army was highly trained and operationally streets ahead of the Soviets who had struggled to defeat tiny Finland.

In fact the conventional wisdom in 1941 was that the Soviets would be defeated quickly and that Germany would then have a vast new colonial empire that could be used to build up its air force and navy to defeat Britain to ward off America.

Kershaw shoes how Hitler grappled with the problem of what to do after the defeat of France. To invade England was well nigh impossible because of its naval strength. If the Germans could get an army ashore there would be no way to supply it and it would be defeated. To build up naval superiority if possible would take years. To wage a Mediterranean strategy was also difficult. The logical first step would be to seize Gibraltar so that Britain could be denied access to the Mediterranean and Egypt would be isolated. This would also give some chance for uniting the Italian and German Fleets. The problem was how to make up a coalition of forces? Spain would only enter the war if it got the French colonial possessions in North Africa. This would alienate the Vichy Regime and possibly the French Fleet would join the British. All in all, although it now seems weird to Hitler the invasion of the Soviet Union was the easiest strategy and the most likely to lead to victory.

In a similar way Britains decision to fight on in 1940 seems to be an act of gallant folly. One that was good for the world and reflective of Churchillian bravery. Yet in the context of the time there was some discussion about seeking terms. The reality was that any terms were likely to simply weaken Britain's military position and lead not to peace but an eventual subjugation to Germany. Fighting on was the only real option.

The brilliance of this book is that it is able to put each of these 10 decisions into the context of the time and to show the mind set of those who made the decision. It is not only a powerful work but also something of a page turner.

For those familiar with Kershaw primarily through his definitive two-volume biography of Adolf Hitler, 'Fateful Choices' might seem, at first glance, like a comparatively light-weight book with a 'what-if' gimmick at its core: what if England had sought a negotiated peace with Germany, what if Japan had not attacked Pearl Harbor, etc. But Kershaw is not a light-weight historian, and he uses the book's structure as a series of teaching moments about key turning points in the course of the war. His discussion of the debates inside Churchill's war cabinet are fascinating reading for those familiar only with Churchill's public pronouncements that England would never back down: Kershaw weighs in on the various arguments of the participants and even gives a fair hearing to the reasoning of those who were ultimately on the wrong side of history. The book also brings up less well known but equally fascinating turns of events such as Italy's unilateral decision to invade Greece, which opened up yet another front in an already sprawling world conflict. This book is probably best read by people who already have a certain familiarity with the major events and figures of the period, but it would also be highly recommended for students enrolled in college courses on modern European history, where outcomes are all too often presented as fait accompli. Kershaw shows that history frequently turns on individual decisions made by individual people, and he does so with vigor, authority, and grace.

My wife's grandfather had been through the battle of Shiloh with the 35th Tennessee Rifles, and was almost killed afterward at Corinth. He had seen the elephant, so to speak, and when his grandaughter asked if he had ever killed anyone, he simply said, "Oh, I hope not." This terrific, detailed story of Porter Alexander's service, as told to his daughters, is similar, I think...it is thoughtful, and without malice toward his adversaries. In fact, Alexander is to be given credit for 'charity towards all, and malice toward none" in his fair, open account. He genuinely liked his old classmates, and they, him. The fact that the reunited country could put him to work in its service says volumes about the character of the man.

What started out as a concession to his daughters became the best description of the Army of Northern Virginia's campaign, ever, in my humble opinon. His candor and even his humor sneaks in constantly, and we find ourselves riding and walking beside him...and, I suspect, that is what this Father had in mind for his girls. Thanks, General.

Thos. B. Fowler
Pastor, Schuyler Baptist Church
Schuyler, Virginia

The world owes a great debt of gratitude to Gary W. Gallagher for his efforts in producing this book. Even though I would consider myself a "Private" in the ranks of civil war buffs, I have read dozens of memoirs by Civil War era men and women. None of them moved me the way this book has. At heart, I am a "Union girl", but when I finished reading this book and had to close it, I truly felt like I had lost a friend. E. Porter Alexander was a gifted, candid, and witty writer. His reminiscences are like sitting down with your favorite uncle for an evening of story telling by the fire. This book is a treasure, and is definitely worthy of more than one read.

Although Alexander's memoirs weren't written as memoirs as such they provide a good insight into the war as fought by the Army of Northern Virginia. General Alexander held an important position in the Confederate Army and was in a position to see much which was otherwise missed by historians or left out of the memoirs of more senior officers who had reputations to protect after the Civil War was over. A fascinating book!

This is a wonderfully engaging memoir, written by E. Porter Alexander, engineer, staff officer, and, as most recall him, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia's First Corps artillery guru. What sets this book apart is its honest, candid view of events from Alexander's perspective. Not the usual glorification of the cause and its leaders as with many other actors from the Civil War. This book stayed hidden from sight for many years after it was completed; it is a blessing to those who study the Civil War that it came to see the light of day with publication. The Introduction concludes by stating that (page xxiii): "'Fighting for the Confederacy' is a book to be savored, one of those wonderful volumes that is both instructive and pleasurable to read."

One line that exemplifies this, focusing on Lieutenant General Leonidas Pope, a corps commander in the Western Theater's Army of Tennessee, is enchanting. Polk was a bishop in his church and, for some unfathomable reason, had the confidence of President Jefferson Davis and General Braxton Bragg. When Alexander and the troops of General James Longstreet's First Corps joined Bragg's army at Chickamauga, he observed that (page 289): "So all our pious people with one consent & with secret conviction that the Lord would surely favor a bishop turned in & made him a lieut. Gen., which the Lord had not." A sly way of saying that Polk was a disaster as a general (and, indeed, Alexander was accurate in his assessment).

A couple passages that make this volume--and Alexander's method--so refreshing. At the close of his discussion of the battle of Chancellorsville, Alexander notes that Union Commanding General Joseph Hooker lost his courage and will--as did his top commanders. Alexander observes that the Union Army was intact, outnumbered the Confederate force and could have won the battle with better leadership. Then, in a passage extraordinary for a Confederate officer, he says (page 217) "Had it been Grant in command, he would not have dreamed of giving up the fight." This suggests a perspective on the war that many partisans--whether Union or Confederate--never had. Indeed, had the Union Army listened to Generals Meade and Reynolds who were arguing strenuously to counterattack the Confederate forces, the end result might have been a significant Union victory. We'll never know, of course, but Alexander does suggest an alternative history.

Then, Gettysburg. . . . Here is the poignant scene, told from Alexander's perspective, where Longstreet must order Pickett's forces (and others) to advance. But Longstreet fears a disaster, and obviously is in a state of inner turmoil (see pages 254 and following). At one point, it is almost as if he were giving Alexander the task of deciding whether or not the charge takes place. At a later time, Longstreet expresses openly his fear (page 261): "I don't want to make this attack--I believe it will fail--I do not see how it can succeed--I would not make it even now, but that Gen. Lee has ordered & expects it."

So, in the end, this is a wonderful first person description of the war, one of the finest of Civil War memoirs.

I have read many books of self accounts of the civil war. This book tops all others in the details and extra touch of personal feelings that where experenced by this brave man and all his fellow soldiers that fought this conflict. If you enjoy accounts of the civil war this book is a must read!!!!!

Purchased book as gift for departing Catholic Father, I hope it is a good book as that was the image I hoped to convey. Sorry, I can't review contents for you, but there was no time for me to read it first.

This book, written by a man who underwent severe torture in the Soviet Gulag system, gives hope and strength to almost anyone who is suffering. It has helped many people!

I read this book on a retreat and had to buy it. The message of trusting in the will of God is so strong. No matter how many times I read this I know I will be helped each time.

Just a fantastic book. I am not sure what I can add to further comments already added other than this book hit the spot for sincerity, truthfulness, and captivity of worthwhile imagination. I have just sent it to a friend that teaches English in Libya as I am assured that a wonderful book like this can only enhance her "desert experience" abroad as well.

Matthew Kelly (see [...]) recommended "He Leadeth Me" by Walter Ciszek, S.J., to me as it had a significant influence on him and his spiritual journey. The book has also had a profound influence on me - so much so, that I cannot get it out of my mind.

In "He Leadeth Me," U.S. born Ciszek recounts his life as a Catholic priest who enthusiastically volunteered for preaching the gospel and administering the sacraments in communist Russia and ended up spending twenty three agonizing years in Soviet prisons, including five years of solitary confinement in Moscow's feared Lubianka prison and fifteen years of hard labor in Siberian prison camps.

Upon his return to the US in 1963, as part of an exchange for two convicted Russian spies, Ciszek was asked over and over again how he survived. "He Leadeth Me" is his response. This book is about the faith he discovered and the simple truths he learned by trial and error. Truths he came to appreciate only after much anguish of soul and a great deal of prayerful reflection; truths that sustained him through the years of doubt and darkness, of hardship and suffering.

The learned truth that threads its way throughout the book is that no one can know greater peace, no one can achieve a greater sense of fulfillment in his life than the man who believes in the truth of the faith and strives daily to put it into practice. "A spirituality based on complete trust in God is the surest guarantee of peace of soul and freedom of spirit."

There are moments of crisis in every life, moments of anxiety and fear, moments of frustration and opposition, moments sometimes even of terror. Only by a lively faith can man live in peace among the tensions of the world. Faith is the fulcrum of our moral and spiritual balance - our powerlessness to solve the problems of evil, sin, injustice, suffering, and even death will not be a cause of despair or despondency when we have an unshakable trust and confidence in God.

After great anguish, doubt, and repeated resistance by Ciszek, he submitted to the will of God realizing that every moment of our life has a purpose, that every action of ours, no matter how dull or routine or trivial it may seem in itself, has a dignity and a worth beyond human understanding. No moment can be wasted, no opportunity missed, since each has a purpose in God's plan. We need to strive to know God's will and to do it each day of our lives - working this out with constant effort and attention to just those persons and circumstances God presents to us each day. He expects no more of us, but He will expect nothing less of us, and we fail in our promise and commitment if we do not see in situations of every moment of every day of His divine will.

God asks for the complete gift of self...absolute faith in His existence, His providence, His power to sustain me, and His love perfecting me. While it sounds all too simple, one quickly learns how difficult it is when they try to put it into practice. "Is this too simple or are we just afraid really to believe it, to accept it fully, to yield ourselves up to it in total commitment? This is the ultimate question of faith, and each must answer this for himself. But to answer it in the affirmative is to know peace, to discover a meaning to life that surpasses all understanding."

"He Leadeth Me," first published in 1972, is a classic and continues as an all-time best seller. Ciszek has written a powerful testimony that will challenge your view of life and, possibly, a source of a transfiguration. "It is my hope, indeed my prayer that what I have learned and come to understand so slowly and painfully might be of service to others. God is a most patient teacher, even to the most stubborn of students."

Kate Decker and Mike Blaise were high school sweethearts in a small town in middle America. They both chose Army careers - Mike as an infantryman who later became a warrant officer and helicopter pilot; Kate as a commissioned officer via ROTC. Their commitment to both their marriage and their careers challenged them often, but never as much as when both were deployed to Iraq. Theirs became a combat marriage at that point, because Kate's "support" role required carrying her weapon 24/7 and placed her as close to Mike's Kiowa helicopter base as one mile. So she was there, near enough to have been laughing with her husband in his quarters a few hours beforehand, when a flying accident killed him. It happened so close to their scheduled departure for home, at deployment's end, that Kate's belongings were already packed up and ready to accompany her unit.

Politics has nothing to do with this book, although Kate Blaise makes no secret of her beliefs and her feelings where the war is concerned. This is just what its subtitle says, a story of love, war, and sacrifice. I found it a remarkable testament to how much times have changed (Kate is a generation younger than I am, you see), in that a woman can live the life she has chosen and consider it her duty as well as her right. But it's equally a testament to the unchanging nature of those things that matter most in life: love, faith, family, and - yes, again - duty.

Well worth reading. Glad I did!

Until the end it could have been story of thousand of soldiers,
and cloying in its sweetness of Missouri people and a theme of "people dont cause their own accidents" trying to avoid responsiblity.

Should take last part of book and make it its own storyb but not a novel, a short story!

Im sure G Bush would love to be absolved of responsbility like this book does in spades.

I was an Army Brat growing up so when I saw this book at the PX (AAFES) while visiting my parents I knew I HAD to read it. After reading Kate's story, I feel an incredible amount of appreciation for everything that our service men and women sacrifice and endure. The amount of loyalty Kate and Mike have for this country is what being a soldier is truly about.

Reading this story I felt new compassion for those who serve in the military. Most of us know someone either in the war or associated with the military. Only a few know what it is really like. One of those people happens to be Kate. Heart of a Solider is a one of a kind story that will make you think about the sacrifice others give to bring us freedom and others wanting freedom. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about life in the military, beliefs, or just wants to read an incredible story. From small town Macon to the Big Apple this book is for anyone. Once you pick up the book you will understand.

Kate Blaise is an amazing woman and author. I met Kate a few years ago thru my college roommate. Never did I realize everything that she had been through. Reading her accounts of life and how she carried through her trials and tribulations was very uplifting. I met Kate's husband one time, but through her writings, I feel like I knew him all along. The love story between her and Mike and her passion for the Army was told from the perspective like no other. Thank you Kate for sharing your story!

In "Howard Zinn: A Radical American Vision," Professor Davis Joyce has made a valuable contribution to twentieth century American historiography. This intellectual biography of Howard Zinn is scholarly and entertaining. Davis provides lucid summaries of Zinn's major books. He also skillfully places Zinn's works within the context of recent American history. Anyone who is interested in better understanding Howard Zinn's approach to history would benefit from reading this book.

This volume is a very good introduction to the life, thought, and times of Howard Zinn, which should be of broad interest to students of society. I found the details of Zinn's struggles with John Silber fascinating (such university presidents are not at all uncommon--right Kern?). While many readers will be familiar with Zinn through The People's History, they should especially enjoy the overview and critique of such writings as Disobedience and Democracy (very relevant today), and The Politics of History (addressed to all of the social sciences). Dr. Davis Joyce is an excellent writer; he obviously admires both Zinn and his thought (if not his grading policies). This is truly an excellent intellectual biography.

BUY THIS BOOK as a gift for someone in need of hope.

In these times of desperation for so many among us around the world, it is in the inspiring story of Howard Zinn that the message every individual makes a difference, shines bright. That our collective efforts, both large and small, do indeed change the world.

Howard Zinn makes me proud to be a liberal and an intellectual, and his well-written biography gives me hope that in the end, reason, compassion, and common sense will prevail over prejudice and dogma. After reading it, I feel energized, and optimistic about the future, confident that my efforts at stemming the tide of ignorance in this country are worthwhile.

This book, is in my opinion, a must-read for all liberal-minded individuals. Howard Zinn's life is an inspiration, and his clear, concise viewpoints are brilliant -- a much needed counterpoint to Medieval, Dark-Age ideologies.

Zinn shows us that we are not, as special interests would like us to believe, "an obedient, acquiescent, passive citizenry." He articulates what many of us feel, that the ideologies which we take for granted "...are not the result of independent thought on our part, and indeed do not match the real world as we experience it..." A real eye opener. I enjoyed this book, and I'm sure you will too.

Howard Zinn: A Radical American Vision
Davis D. Joyce, Published by Prometheus Books
By Denis Mueller
I met Professor Zinn about eight years ago and began, with my Co-filmmaker Deb Ellis, a journey that would lead to a film about his life and the idea that the individual can make a difference. It was an amazing experience and one that has changed my life. I learned how to speak in public by watching this tall angular man walk to the podium and begin his talk with a joke usually about himself. I learned about his courage both physical and intellectual. Zinn was a bombardier who risked his life against the war on fascism, so when he gets to academia, it is nothing to risk his job for what he feels is the right thing to do. This gets him fired at Spelman for supporting the Civil Rights Movement and constantly at war with Boston University dictator John Silber.
What we did not do was chronicle was his development as a historian and teacher. A film cannot do everything, and some historians felt we had left out his importance in the study of American history, but if that was what they were interested in there is no better place to look at some of those critical debates than here in this book by Davis D. Joyce. Howard Zinn's book, A People's History of the United States, has sold over 1,000,000 copies and has helped change the study of history itself. He has been at the forefront of American radicalism, both as an activist and as an intellectual, yet some in the historian profession fail to understand the importance of the activist-scholar. He was a leader in the Civil Rights movement as an advisor to the Student Non-Violent Co-coordinating Committee, an adult who respected the students, and gave them the intellectual backing they needed in the antiwar movement during the Vietnam era. He remains an outspoken critic of our disastrous policy in Iraq.
Yet, when American historians are mentioned, some dismiss Zinn as a populist and fail to understand his importance in the study of American history. Davis D. Joyce, while acknowledging his work as an activist, goes a long way to correct that assumption and positions Zinn as a leader in what could be described as a revolution within the study of American history. Joyce looks at all of his work but plays special attention to his book, The Politics of History, which is perhaps as important as A People's History. It is here, more than anywhere else, where Joyce is able to fuse Zinn's influence as a historian and his life long commitment to a history that speaks to the great issues of our time. Joyce does this quite well when he illustrates the importance of a quotation by Denis Diderot on the writings of Voltaire, which Zinn uses in The Politics of History.
"Other historians relate facts to inform us on facts, you relate them to excite in our hearts an intense hatred of lying, ignorance, hypocrisy, superstition; and the anger remains even after the memory of the facts has disappeared."
Joyce has a keen eye for a quote and his selection of quotes from Zinn, whose quotes are a dream for any biographer, is one of the great joys of this book and they are used quite well to articulate Zinn's unique point of view. This is a book that is needed to help illustrate Zinn's contribution to the intellectual development of American history. In an essay about the historian as citizen, and the forgotten role of the public intellectual in today's society, we would be wise to listen to what he has to say:
"In a world hungry for solutions, we ought to welcome the emergence of the historian-if this is really what we are seeing- as an activist scholar, who thrusts himself and his works into the crazy mechanism of history, on behalf of the values in which he deeply believes This makes him more than a scholar; it makes him a citizen in the ancient Athenian sense of the word."

Dr. Mardy Grothe has written yet another book that will delight linguaphiles. In fact in his introduction Grothe says, " This book is aimed at readers who have a deep interest in seeing language used in creative ways." This latest volume, _I Never Metaphor I Didn't Like: A Comprehensive Compilation of History's Greatest Analogies, Metaphors, and Similes_, includes nearly 2,000 quotations.

Since Grothe became a voracious reader more than four decades ago, he has collected hundreds of thousands of quotations, some of which appeared in his earlier works: _Viva la Repartee_, _Oxymoronica_, and _Never Let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool You_.

_I Never Metaphor I Didn't Like_ follows the same format as Grothe's previous books. The introduction acquaints readers with the figures of speech included in the book. Grothe clearly explains the similarities and differences between analogies, similes, and metaphors, and he recounts their earliest known appearance in history. His explanation is perfectly seasoned with illustrative quotations.

The body of the book is divided into fifteen chapters, each of which includes analogies, similes, and metaphors on a particular theme, such as definitions, relationships, stages of life, stage and screen, politics, sports, and -- of course -- the literary life. Again in the format of his earlier books, quotations included in the first part of each chapter are enhanced by discussion and historical anecdotes. It is interesting to see nearly identical quotations from widely separated contemporaries or to see various ways that a similar idea is expressed -- the idea, for example, that love is mental illness. Equally fascinating is to see the wide range of things to which one other thing can be compared. Love, for example, is compared to a cigar, a snowmobile, measles, a game of poker, and dozens of other things. The latter part of each chapter presents additional quotations, usually without explanation. The book concludes with an author index.

Grothe advises readers to read the book slowly, as one would amble through an art museum, "taking the time to savor the observations and to admire the skill that was required to create them." Once we have tasted these morsels, it's nearly impossible to resist the desire to share them. Here are a couple of my favorites:

Laughter is the shortest distance between two people. --Victor Borge

Modern English is the Wal-Mart of languages: convenient, huge, hard to avoid, superficially friendly, and devouring all rivals in its eagerness to expand. --Mark Abley

Grothe's explanations and quotations would serve to instruct and inspire writers; however, parents and teachers might want to monitor young people's use of the book since -- especially in the "sex" chapter -- some body parts and functions are named and described.

I am glad that Dr. Grothe has found such an effective way to share his collection of quotations with the world!

Yes, relationships seem dangerous or at least irritating at times. And our choices often appear murky. Want a surprisingly quick and satisfying exercise for making wiser decisions next time? Try it by opening to any page in this witty new book by Dr. Mardy Grothe. (Relationship Is Like a Shark is one of his chapter titles.)

Once a Big Man on Campus (BMOC) Dr. Mardy Grothe took a dramatic approach to self-discovery. Seeking deeper meaning for his life, he abruptly resigned as president of his fraternity, vice-president of the student-senate and from several social clubs. He even moved off campus and spent all his spare moments, not in dating or with friends but in reading Emerson, Thoreau, Camus and more.

"Life is like a ten-speed bike. Most of us have gears we never use."
- Charles M. Schulz, writing for Charlie Brown

To reinforce his self-discovery, Grothe thumb-tacked to the wall of his room his favorite quotations. That practice morphed into typing them onto his computer and continues to this day, a habit for which thousands of us are grateful. His newsletter of quotations and the remarkable stories of the people behind them is the mental candy break for many of us.

"Life is like a cobweb, not an organization chart."
- H. Ross Perot

After devouring Grothe's first three books, Never Let a Fool Kiss You or Let a Kiss Fool You, Oxymoronica and Viva la Repartee, I dove into his fourth "intellectual smorgasbord" I Never Metaphor I Didn't Like, and you will too.

"Assumptions are the termites of relationships."
- Henry Winkler

With chapters on wit, sex, stages of life, humor and the human condition, this may become the book you open to try my college professor's suggested exercise - figuring out what you really want to do. Or, more deeply, what you are about in this life you are living. His droll chapter titles include The Lights May Be on, But Nobody's Home (Insults & Criticism), An Actor is a God in Captivity (Stage & Screen).

"Luck is the residue of design"
- Branch Rickey

"Love is a kind of dementia with very precise and oft-repeated clinical symptoms."
- Louis de Bernieres, Corelli's Mandolin

By the way, my favorite story in his book begins the chapter, Humor Is the Shock Absorber of Life.

"Gratitude, like love, is never a dependable international emotion"
- Joseph W. Alsop, Jr.

The quotes in this post are culled from over 2,000 gems in his book. For those much-needed mental vacations, keep this book within easy reach on your bed stand or in your bathroom, study or kitchen.

Mardy Grothe's new book, I Never Metaphor I Didn't Like, is a first class meal in the back row of the plane. It's a waterfall after three weeks in the Sahara. It's a brand new Beatles album at an estate sale. It's....it's....you see why I like this book? I need help with my metaphors!

Seriously, this book is a gem. The historical and literary references make it more than a book of great quotes. It's fascinating reading and a terrific tool for would-be writers. Pick it up and start reading anywhere. It's harder to let go of than a hot date at the prom.

-- Greg Tamblyn, Motivational Humorist, recording artist, author of "Atilla The Gate Agent." [...]

Atilla The Gate Agent (Travel Tales and Life Lessons from a Musical Laf-ologist

Saving the World from Whiny Victim Love Songs

I could peruse this latest book by Dr. Mardy for hours and never tire of it. As a writer who enjoys quotations of all sorts I have long been a big fan of Dr. Mardy Grothe's weekly column. With i never metaphor i didn't like, he has so won my heart that it is now and always the first place I will ever look to discover helpful quotations to illustrate or embellish my thoughts. So long Bartlett's, you've been replaced. Simply reading the pages of this book is a vastly entertaining experience. Like many who enjoy cooking, I appreciate perusing cookbooks. For a writer, a book of quotations is not unlike a compilation of recipes, and just as worth reading for the stimulation it provides. I especially appreciate the further explanations he appends to the quotations as they do much to help me to learn more about a variety of interesting things. All hail the Master Chef of Cordon Blue wordsmithery: Dr. Mardy Grothe and his wonderful i never metaphor i didn't like.
Tasha Halpert author of Heartwings: Love Notes for a Joyous Life.

I enjoyed every metaphor, simile and analogy in this book-- but why, pray tell, did he have to ruin them by explaining what they mean? Anyone literate enough to buy and read this book should able to understand them without having them explained. But he overloads on the explanations. The pleasure of a metaphor, etc, comes from thinking about the meaning. He gives them, then right away tell what they mean like he's teaching a bunch of school children. He talks down to his readers. On page 181 we read " Courtship to marriage; as a very witty prologue to a very dull play." Then he proceeds to tell us dummies what a prologue is. Same all thru the book. I guess he thinks the people who read this book are stupid. If he had left out the explanations it would have been so much better.

Written in the 1970's, and finished by a colleague, David Potter's depiction of the 1848-1861 timeframe is a finely researched book on the subject. Most importantly though, unlike other writers and historians (in particular James McPherson) who look back on this time with modern day hindsight, Potter writes a book which follows this time as it was, with all the issues and ebbs and flows of that era. Potter gives us refreshing perspectives such as:

- The Republican Party, upon rising to prominence in the mid-1850's, were fellow travellers in many ways with the nativist "Know-Nothing" Party.

- Not only was 1860 a sectionally divided presidential election, but so was the 1856 contest. The Republican John Fremont was a non-factor in the southern states, while Millard Fillmore (with the Know-Nothings) ran strongly in that region. The opposite was true in the northern states (which allowed James Buchanan to win the election).

- The reputations of Buchanan and Stephen Douglas fare much better in this book. Douglas in particular is portrayed as one of the few people who could see how the electoral divisions were going to lead to secession, unlike the Lincoln/Seward Republicans.

- The South's tactical victories in the Compromise of 1850, Kansas-Nebraska Act and Dred Scott decisions were actually strategic defeats. The South became more isolated as a result of these events, and less powerful.

Many books on this subject present the Civil War as an inevitable result of the 1850's, yet Potter illustrates many examples where the middle ground may have prevailed and possibly prevented the conflict. Other issues were important in this day, particularly the tariff issue which created the same sectional rivalries that slavery did.

Overall it's a refreshing, well-researched book that I would highly recommend to anyone interested in this era.

This is without a doubt, one of the greatest books on the Ante-bellum period. I read this book when I was in college in 1991 and was impressed with it. It remains one of my favorite books to this day on the Ante-bellum period. Your library is truly not complete without this work.

Potter's insightful history leading up to the Civil War is a must. He explains the culture, the split, the issue of slavery in easy to understand language to edify the reader's understanding of the things leading up to the secession as soon as Lincoln was nominated yet before he took office. Anyone interested in the history of this time period, it is the best book I have read on the subject. Potter not only discusses the politics, but also gives us a look into Lincoln and his actions to prevent the war.

This is the best account I have ever read about the events leading up to the Civil War. Mr. Potter does an excellent job presenting the information and carefully analyzing it without taking sides. Whether you sympathize with the Union or the Confederacy, if you have an interest in the Civil War, you will enjoy this book.

Abraham Lincoln's 1860 election as President of the United States was the catalyst that set off the American Civil War, but this book traces the political processes that led to that result during the just over a decade between the end of the Mexican War in 1848 and the start of the Civil War with the firing on Fort Sumner in 1861.

Today it is easy to look back and regard the entire process as inevitable. What David Potter does in this classic, first published in 1976, is present the politics behind each step that pushed the sections of the country apart over the slavery issue. One apparent mystery has been what drove the astute politician Stephen Douglas to force through legislation tearing up the Compromise of 1820, which had extended a line from Missouri westward, north of which slavery would not be permitted. It was a colossal blunder that opened what had been a more or less settled issue, fanning the flames of sectionalism needlessly.

His Kansas-Nebraska Act opened those territories, north of the line, to a concept of popular sovereignty, in which those supposedly living in the territories would be allowed to vote on the issue. This may have sounded democratic, but it led to a wave of Abolitionist settlers from New England, and pro-slavery visitors from neighboring Missouri, resulting in "Bleeding Kansas", with attacks and massacres from both sides, and very little democracy. Potter shows that Douglas started from a powerful need to organize the territories so a Pacific railroad could be built, preferably from Chicago in his home state of Illinois. That simple point of departure led him into a series of moves that only deepened the sectional divide.

Potter describes how the southern slaveholders won a whole series of meaningless victories that did nothing to extend the slave territories but did intensify feelings against slavery in the North, from the Mexican War and Kansas-Nebraska to the Dred Scott decision and the hanging of John Brown. He traces the rise of the Republican party out of the ruins of the Whigs and the Freesoil Party, and exposes the latter not as advocates of rights for black people, but driven rather by a deep-seated racism aimed at keeping blacks out of the territories. Complicating the 1850's political map of America was the American, or "Know Nothing" party, dedicated to stopping the recent flood of mainly Catholic immigrants from Europe.

He also demonstrates that the Unionist candidates did better than generally believed in the four-sided presidential election of 1860, and that the voting system itself gave the secessionists of late 1860 and early 1861 far greater strength than their actual numbers.

If you want to get deep into the politics that split the powerful Democratic Party and ultimately the nation, this book has what you are looking for.

In the Courts of the Crimson Kings (2008) is the second SF novel in the Lords of Creation series, following The Sky People. In the previous volume, an EastBloc shuttle went down on Venus in the western part of the continent and the US-Commonwealth sent an airship to rescue the crew. The rescue team encountered some strange incidents and discovered a new group of natives. They also faced an agent of the Ancients and barely escaped with their lives.

Mark Vitrac later married Teesa of the Cloud Mountain People and they had a son. Franziskus Binkis -- a Lithuanian and commnader of the downed shuttle -- was freed from the Ancients automated observer and then was reunited with his wife Jadviga. They were both transported to Mars.

In this novel, Jeremy Wainman arrives on Mars at Kennedy Base. He is an anthropologist, with secondary degrees in archaeology and Martian history. After six months in the base, Jeremy is quite ready to explore the lost city of Rema-Dza.

Sally Yamashita is Jeremy's mentor in his first contact with Martian natives. Her specialty is Martian technology. She has already arranged for a native guide, whom they will meet in Zar-tu-Kan.

Teyud za-Zhalt is the current usename of a female of the Thoughtful Grace caste. She is the vaz-Terranan's guide. Teyud is also more than she seems.

Sajir-sa-Tomond is the Tollamune Emperor of Mars. Since the coming of the Dissonance when the Invisible Crown disappeared, his domain has shrunk to the area around Dvor Il-Afazr (Olympus Mons). It is still the largest and most influential domain, but its power is no longer paramount throughout Mars.

Heltaw sa-Veynau is the closest known heir to the throne of Mars. He has only one-eighth of the Tollamune bloodline, not close enough to operate the genomically protected imperial technology. Heltaw is living in the imperial palace because the Emperor wants him close at hand.

In this story, Sajir is supposedly childless, but he orders his Thoughtful Grace guards to find his daughter. She is a cross between the Imperial line and the Thoughtful Grace caste. She is currently using the name of Teyud za-Zhalt.

Others are also after Teyud, although most want her dead. Genomic Prince Heltaw tells his chief guard to bring in Teyud alive if at all possible. At the very least, he wants her ova. He also spreads word to others who have orders to bring back her head that he will pay an additional bounty for her reproductive system, including the ova.

Meanwhile, Teyud arranges for a landship to take them to the area where Rema-Dza might be located. The crew are not the best of sailors, but they are the least objectionable that Teyud can find. They set sail and travel into the wastes of the Deep Beyond.

Some of the bounty hunters have already found Teyud. They follow her landship in two pirate vessels. She and her employers reach Rema-Dza ahead of the pirates and find information and a numinously-significant object.

Teyud and Jeremy become lovers in Rema-Dza. Sally suggests that he is most likely to have heartbreak at the end of the voyage. Naturally, Jeremy thinks that he knows better.

Later the exploration party manages to ambush their pursuers, but the bounty hunters continue the pursuit. They catch up with Teyud within the Deep Beyond. So do other pursuers.

This tale includes much about aerial predators. While the previous work featured dinosaurs, this novel focuses on birds. WIth the lower gravity, such birds can be larger and carry more. The larger predators are capable of carrying off a man. Defense against aerial predators is one of the common features of Martian structures.

Of course, birds are not the only flying creatures. With Martian biotechnology, other animalss are capable of flight. Even airships are produced by such technology.

This story reflects the styles and themes of the early SF writers before science began to learn more about the planets of the Solar System. Mars herein is much like the planet of John Carter and Dejah Thoris, but these Martians do not reproduce by laying eggs.

The author has produced an alternate timeline story where aliens -- the Ancients -- have transformed at least Mars and Venus and have stocked these planets with humanoids. Of course, evolution continued to modify the Terran genes within the new environments, producing new types of humans on both planets. Such changes did not prevent cross breeding with Venusians, but maybe Martians are not interfertile with Terrans.

The story is exciting and has many plot twists. The main secrets are presented in the first few chapters, but the unexpected occurs often in the last part of the novel. Despite his bows to early interplanetary adventure stories, the author has produced an interesting work that reflects -- yet does not quite duplicate -- their plots.

There is at least one more novel planned for this series. One hopes that more will be revealed about Jeremy and Teyud. Enjoy!

Recommended for Stirling fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of alien -- yet habitable -- planets, exotic cultures, and a touch of sex.

-Arthur W. Jordin

I am a huge fan of Steve Stirling's, waiting anxiously every year for the latest installment of his "Dies the Fire" Series, and looking for everything else he's written in the rest of the year after I've devoured it. I snatched "The Sky People" out of the store as soon as it landed and was less than thrilled, but understood that it was a sideline for Stirling, something he maybe dashed off in his spare time while creating the intricate world in his other series. When I peeked on his website at the sneak preview of "In the Courts of the Crimson Kings," I decided to pass due to the elaborate language and geeky homage to classic sci-fi writers in the first chapter, just didn't find it interesting. I finally picked it up, however, mostly because I can only reread "Conquistador" so many times, and forced myself to adapt to the awkward Martian language construction that Stirling uses in "Crimson Kings." After the first few chapters, I could barely put this great read down.

The book is a sequel to "The Sky People" in name only, a stand alone "what if" in Stirling's amazing universe of dazzling symmetry to ours. Mars has an ancient civilization people with humanoids that resemble Arabs, Japanese and Vulcans wrapped up in a tense, emotionless political game that consumes them as their population slowly dwindles away. Stirling sends them an adventurer from Earth, a happy fan-boy who happens to be an Olympic level fencer. His humor and courage win him the love of a tough Martian mercenary, who coincidently turns out to be the heiress to the one ruler of the planet. Stirling throws in pop-references (rodents of unusual size) and sly salutes to classic sci fi, while he weaves a unique tale of intrigue, combat, romance and even archeology in an environment where so many have written before. Stirling gives us much of his trademark material of combat and romance with a breathtakingly original spin in the dry cold setting of a Mars that exists only in his personal universe. If you like Stirling, Sci-fi, alternate history or even great stories of swords and princesses, "In the Courts of the Crimson Kings" is definitely worth your time.

Stirling's "In the Courts of the Crimson Kings" was a really pleasant surprise. I picked it up at the library out of desperation for something to read and found an excellent book in an updated Edgar Rice Burroughs vein. The book is the second in a "series" begun with The Sky People. But, outside of some "historical" references and a cameo appearance of one character, it's entirely stand-alone. There's very little I can complain about in this book: maybe some triteness and stilted dialog. But, that's pretty much necessary for a Burroughs-like feeling. Plus, the quasi role reversal of the "princess" and the "hero" in this book negates those things. So, I'm extremely happy to rate this book at an Excellent five stars out of five. Highly recommended.

Great title, excellent book.

Stirling's updated take on the planetary romance has become wonderfully inventive. The second book is more interesting than the first - probably because the Martian civilisation is ancient, and more politically and technologically advanced--as compared to the literal Neanderthal types, in 'The Sky People'. While the title of the first book could have been Jean J. Auel or Patrick Tilley, this title is much more Leigh Brackett. The latter features in a fun intro of science fiction writers gathering to talk about the discoveries made about the Red Planet.

It does tie-in briefly to the first title, but could be read standalone, with the first in the series about exploring Venus in this alternate past where the mysterious alien 'Lords Of Creation' seed Venus and Mars with earth-type life 200 million years ago.

It is over a decade since the first book, and the story centres on an archaeologist (who is of course a fine fencer), taking a trip on the surface to find an important Martian archaeological site.

The woman that shares major character status is a Martian native, an extremely competent mercenary, and, unbeknownst to the Earth pair, well, think Edgar Rice Burroughs titles. Unlike Burroughs, though, the heroine here is the far more formidable warrior. The terrans have an advantage of Earth muscles in a much lower gravity.

Martian political conflict sees her as a target, because she possesses the requisite genetics to be an important piece in a conflict between the Emperor, a Prince, and the local bureaucracy, and this expedition gets caught in the middle.

The author has invented a style of speech for the Martians that the Earth humans have to try and get the hang of, full of stuff like 'Explicative-Interrogative?' and 'Parareproductive intromission activity', etc.

So, the hunt is on, and monumental discoveries await to be made. Including your actual Lost City, of course, and plenty of Indiana Jones bad jokes to be made.

Part of the interest in the book is the Martian technology - biotech based, so they have creatures that chew gravel and spit out bitumen, or live facemasks and binoculars, and living engines - a bit Dune-like, some of this.

Given the end, it appears we may just get more. Hopefully these are popular enough for such, as I'd happily read this again, right now, after just finishing it.


4.5 out of 5

Stirling has scored again. It evokes the SF that I used to read as a kid. His take on Mars is extremely interesting and very well thought out. His Martians are fascinating. I think that his "feral engines" is a brilliant SF concept, one of the best that I ever read. I highly recommend this book. I also recommend the other in the series "The Lords of Creation": The Sky People. I am looking forward to more books in this series.

I own and have read most everything related to the Mercury through Apollo space program and this book shows new information that I hadn't seen in the other books published by many other astronauts and authors. Information was gathered from a myriad of sources and checked against other sources. The book greatly changed my opinion of a few astronauts and paints the entire NASA program in a more accurate light. The passing of time since the event depicted in the book has allowed the authors to see the "big picture" and step away being politically correct and instead be factual and accurate instead.

Just when I thought I had read everything about the space program, French and Burgess have done it again will a follow-on effort to their book "Into That Silent Sea."

I have no idea when they have the time to create such excellent work, but the latest book begins where the first one ended and includes much information I had never seen before, especially the chapters on the Apollo 1 pad fire and monumental Apollo 8 mission, it alone, a historic accomplishment rivaling the actual Moon landing.

Riddled with numerous never-before seen accounts (at least by me), the book is simply bulging with information such as Lola Morrow's dire premonition concerning the Apollo pad fire, and the raw emotional impact experienced by the crew of Apollo 8 upon seeing the first Earthrise observed by man.

I sincerly hope that Francis and Colin keep up the good work; maybe they could do a similar effort on underwater exploration? That would be such a contribution....

C. Newport, D.Sc.
Author of Lost Spacecraft: The Search for Liberty Bell 7

I just finished this wonderful historical and personal account of the race to the Moon, and feel privileged to know a little more about the brave men at the apex of mankind's tremendous achievement all those years ago. The authors have expertly captured the spirit of the times and given us the "warts and all" perspective on the personalities involved. For those who love history but are concerned that this book may be a "technical" account, there's no need to worry - it's exposition of events is clear and uncluttered, and clevery interwoven with the life stories of the people involved.

I strongly recommend this book as required reading to younger, high-school and college-age readers who may wonder today "How did we get there?". (Or sadly, even if we got there at all!). The answers are here, where we learn that despite our ever-present human failings, we CAN do great things when united to a common purpose. By the end of the book it will become obvious why and how we could reach the point where Armstrong and Aldrin could safely land on the Moon and return home - in fact it's almost anti-climactic!

Knowing more about the fallibilities of the astronauts has only deepened my respect for these remarkable and courageous men. As they grow old over a time when we haven't returned to the Moon, it's important to capture their stories for future generations, and French & Burgess have succeeded eminently in doing so.

My only niggle is that apparently the publishers balked at the idea of an index, which would have served as a guide for those who want to return to this book from time to time to "dip in" - as I'm sure I and many others shall do for years to come.

What authors French and Burgess have managed to accomplish with their book "In the Shadow of the Moon" is a sense of being there.

This book transcends a third-party recounting of events. French and Burgess have created an extraordinary interface between the reader and the people sharing their stories. "In the Shadow of the Moon" does an exquisite job of bringing us into the fold, allowing a rather personal access to these astronauts' lives and innermost thoughts: helping us to better understand an experience we will never have ourselves.

The authors' skillful marriage of informing and storytelling help to ensure that it is a book that will be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of their interest level in space history. The authors did an excellent job of introducing background information on a mission, and then following it up with personal interpretation by someone who was there. The authors' thorough research is apparent, but it is woven so well with the narrative that it allows the reader to simply take it in, absorbing it effortlessly.

By writing this book, French and Burgess share with humanity that which few have experienced. But more than that, they help us all understand a little better the magnitude of our venture into space. The accomplishments of the few, holding meaning for us all.

There are and have been hundreds if not thousands of books about manned spaceflight over the years but only a select few have really been able to communicate the true story and feeling generated by one of the most fondly remembered era's in American history. A time most commonly remembered as being one of technological marvel. However the true story is one of the men & Women who supported and flew the missions. This book goes deeper into the "Golden era" or manned spaceflight and tells stories that have never been told all the while keeping the reader enthralled. It touches on subjects long since forgotten or ignored and brings them to the fore. With first hand interviews with the people involved the authors really touch on the human aspect. I was especially taken by surprise that they told the story the way it should be. Not just the American effort, but the Russians too as there story never really gets told. I have read many books on spaceflight and I can honestly say this is one of only a few books that have kept me addicted and wanting to come back for more. Buy this book. You will not be disappointed. Even if you are not interested in manned spaceflight buy this book as you will be by the end. It reminds us all why we were interested in spaceflight to begin with. For a long long time the Book A Man on the Moon by Andrew Chaikin was the book to beat. This is no longer the case.

This is one of the better first-person accounts I've ever read. I highly, strongly recommend that you take the time to read it. It's well-written, relevant, and hard to put down.

A great day in an day out story about the war. No hype, no frills. Just the story of what the days were actually like for a foot soldier in WW II.

I had to read this book for a course on WWII. Neil does an excellent job of "putting you there" as the cliche goes. The complexities of battle, to the horrid conditions to the mindstate of men about to die are all covered well in this novel. Neill really does a good job of keeping the reader attached to the book, and helps bring to life something that many people have only read about in history text books. I recommend this novel to anyone interested in War in general, and of course in WWII.

George Neill presents a front line soldier's view of what it was like to be part of the WWII American infantry. While reading the book, I almost felt the cold and fear that were the soldier's constant companions. while the rear echelon soldiers got the winter boots, and the generals got heated quarters, Neill and his fellow soldiers tried to survive the cold, boredom and attacks. I felt like I was there. This book gets my very highet recommendation.

The ASTPer's were the brightest, most intelligent young citizen soldiers of their part of the World War II generation. Originally deferred from military service to be allowed to attend college, they were thrown into the battlefields of Europe when America needed bodies to make to final push to Berlin, just in time for the Battle of the Bulge. Infantry Soldier: Holding the Line at the Battle of the Bulge is an accurate account of the fighting and front-line conditions facing the common infantry rifleman during one of Europe's coldest winters. Neill not only served as one of these men, he has done the research and interviews needed to complete the picture, not just of the men on the ground who knew little beyond the events of their immediate foxhole, but events on the German side and U.S. Army rear echelon and high command decisions. Included is an excellent description of the destructive power of a German artillery barrage, and the problems encountered when supply lines are stretched and items desperately needed by the front-line soldier for survival are being diverted to rear-echelon personnel. Neill also takes an intelligent look at war in general, and the conclusion is that we should never forget the horrors and untold human suffering caused by war.