History Books


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History Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

History
Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston
Published in Hardcover by Scribner (2002-12-24)
Author: Valerie Boyd
List price: $30.00
New price: $13.95
Used price: $0.75
Collectible price: $30.00

Average review score:

The Genius of Zora
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-18
I had been reading about the genius of Zora for several years, but I had no idea of what she was about. I heard Valerie Boyd speaking about her biography on Zora C Span. She spoke about Zora with such love and respect that I felt that I had to get the book. In Boyd's hands, what is generally portrayed as a tragic life becomes a story of triumph. In spite of poverty, sexism, and racism, she was able to produce important literary work which is now being recognized as such. The story of her early life in the south, her life in Harlem, and her later years make a great read. I loved this book.

Morris Johnson

Important look at an important American writer.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-27
While Zora Neale Hurston was truly a great writer, she also did an amazing job of documenting her beloved Florida's history. Taking advantage of President Roosevelt's W.P.A. project and doing her best to get around Florida noting stories of black America that are still available to us today.

'Wrapped in Rainbows' does a terrific job of wrapping all of this plus her excursions to New York and her otherwise sad life in this very well written book. Good luck getting out of this book without a tear shed. I feel this is a must-read for anyone wanting to know the life of an author or of life in Florida during Zora's lifetime.

A side note: Something not mentioned in this book or anything else I've read about Zora is if she ever ran across her contemporary and, I feel Northern doppelganger, Dorothy Parker. Though both had different career milestones, both were also after certain career and personal goals that were never met and both were nearly the same age. This is something that really dogged me while reading the book and noticing the similarities. The big difference between the two is that Parker was a depressed sort and Zora did her best to keep looking up. As well we all should.

Very detailed.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-01
This is a very good book on the life of Zora Neale Hurston. It is very detailed and written very well. If you are interested in the life of this famous author this is for you.

Felt Tip Pen - Zora
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2004-10-16
Valerie Boyd blew breath into Zora Neale Hurston's remarkable accomplishments. I felt as if I was riding alongside Zora while Boyd narrated the different scenes;Zora was like a felt tip pen, as creative as could be. Of course, I wasn't ready to get off the ride, but I believe Zora lived a fulfilled life with little bumps and potholes or life lessons along the way.

The Best Biography I Have Ever Read
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2004-08-04
Valerie Boyd does what most biographers cannot; she makes facts as savory as fiction. As a great admirer of Zora Neale Hurston--the woman, I had long been searching for a piece of work that captures her emminence and vitality. I stumbled across "Wrapped in Rainbows" at Borders and resolved then and there that I HAD to have it. I do not at all regret this choice. Order this book, and I guarantee that it will be one of the best investments you ever make! The chapters on the Harlem Renaissance and Zora's involvment with it are magical, and the sections detailing Zora's friendship and eventual fued with Langston Hughes are fascinating. I can't say enough positive things about this biography. If you admire the spunky and talented Ms. Hurston, you will NOT be disappointed.

History
Yo Millard Fillmore! and All Those Other Presidents You Don't Know: (And All Those Other Presidents You Don't Know)
Published in School & Library Binding by Topeka Bindery (1999-10)
Author: Will Cleveland
List price: $16.95
New price: $16.95
Used price: $9.34

Average review score:

Great fun!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-10
Well, I know my Presidents now, that's for sure! I had great fun learning them, too, sitting on the couch with my husband one afternoon. The two of us went through the book, working through it and giggling at the references all the while. It was a lot of fun and we learned every president during the read. I planned to buy it, learn them, and then relist the item. But, I decided to instead hold onto it for when my nieces come over. I am always hunting for new ways to entertain them and this will keep them busy for sure! :) Lots of fun for all ages.
I highly recommend that you buy it and have as much fun as we did, and learn a little something, too! 5 stars!

Yo, Millard Fillmore
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-07
This book was ordered for my son, who is a teacher, for Christmas and it came in plenty of time. Thanks so much.

The best way to learn the American presidents that I have seen
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-23
This book is the best and most fun ways to learn about the American Presidents that I have ever seen. For each president from Washington through Clinton, there is a brief caption regarding his life and accomplishments. There is also a drawing taken from a photo or portrait, a cartoon style drawing and associated play on words to aid in remembering the name and whom they succeeded. For example, the cartoon for Dwight Eisenhower shows the Eiffel Tower with eyes on it being held by a tree with eyes. The caption is "The tree-man is crawling up the side of a huge tower that has eyes on it. It must be the eyes-on-tower!" The cartoon for Harry Truman, who preceded Eisenhower, shows the tree-man.
One of the best books for learning history and social studies, I strongly recommend this book. If my children were of a suitable age, I would buy it for them.

Awesome
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-06
After one night, I knew all 43 presidents of the United States in order without looking. This book is AWESOME!!! :D

Memories Last
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-06-28
I had to memorize the presidents in the fourth grade. I'm in college now and I can still remember everything from this book. Not only does it work, but it's fun to look at the pictures and learn the presidents. People of all ages can learn from this book.

History
1945: A Novel
Published in Paperback by Ballantine Books (2007-05-29)
Author: Robert Conroy
List price: $14.95
New price: $8.35
Used price: $4.85

Average review score:

What if two atomic bombs failed to stop the Japanese?
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-22
I am not usually drawn to alternate history but I found Robert Conroy's 1945 to be a provocative treatment of the possibility of the die-hards grabbing control of the Japanese government and leaving America no choice but to stage a costly invasion. Conroy provides plausible portrayals of the important historical players: Truman, Marshall, Macarthur, and Nimitz as well as Hirohito, Anami, and Homma He also portrays the brutal situation faced by his fictional infantrymen and sailors. This story brings up some interesting permutations such as the course the Russians would take and the use of atomic bombs after the first two were dropped.

The story also worked as a war espionage novel and particularly the exploits of the one-armed Japanese-American OSS agent were satisfying.

Good story, poor characters
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-09
1945 is an alternate history novel that deals with the story of what might have happened if Japanese militarists had success with their coup on the night before Emperor Hirohito's surrender declaration was broadcast. This is an interesting, unique point of divergence from our history that results in an amphibious invasion of Japan without involving something happening to the Manhattan Project -- which was far too large an undertaking to be derailed by something like lightning prematurely detonating the Trinity device or that device simply failing to detonate, as is the case for at least two other "Invasion of Japan" alternate histories that I know of.

In any event, with the Japanese surrender called off, the United States prepares Operation Olympic -- the invasion of the southern home island of Kyushu -- and Operation Coronet -- the invasion of the Kanto Plain. We're introduced to the two "main" characters in succession: An infantry lieutenant transferred to the Pacific theatre from occupied Germany and a one-armed Japanese-American (Nisei), veteran of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, who volunteers to be dropped into Kyushu on an OSS mission.

Though the story is interesting, Conroy does an overall poor job of developing his "main" characters. I put the word main in quotes, because although we do get to see them more than any other characters in the book, they're never developed much beyond what we're given in the first few paragraphs of their introductions and there's so many other secondary and tertiary characters used to show how the invasion is progressing that none of them are ever fleshed out either. Instead, we're left with a stream of characters who do little more than illustrate what's going on. A reader can easily understand what someone's doing and how, but will never understand why they're doing it or what's going on in their heads beyond the standard cardboard characterizations of "a family back home," "duty to country," and "just wanting to get home."

At times, Conroy seems to want to go into a historical viewpoint, showing what's happening and why, but because of the way he tells the story, he uses a cardboard character to demonstrate. It's not ineffective, but it's not as effective as it otherwise might have been, either. Because Conroy takes this approach, he has characters knowing things and sharing information that they would have no way of knowing in the first place. There are two glaring instances of this: One, when an American infantry captain shares news about a Japanese balloon bomb that knocked out power to "some super-secret military facility in Hanford, Washington," (something few people know even today, and if it's so super-secret -- why are you talking about it?)and when a Japanese officer bemoans the ineffectiveness of kamikazes by pointing out the plight of the Laffey, an American destroyer that was struck by several Kamikazes during the battle for Okinawa.

The most intriguing character is the Nisei, and I have to give credit to Conroy for writing about a character with a physical disability, which he does very well. Small mentions about his difficulty wheeling a bicycle along really sell that characteristic for me. But I don't get to know as much about the character as I'd like to, which is a real bummer. There's also a completely random romance thrown in at the end of his story, which simply reeked of fanservice and a desire to have things go well for the man.

Despite his weaknesses characterizing things, the story progresses logically. Though a major plot point is telegraphed early on when we're told that the Nisei has been ordered to investigate happenings around Nagasaki, most of the rest of the story unfolds with a minimum of heavy-handed foreshadowing, a major problem with many alternate history writers. Each character does a great job of speaking from their own point of view, even going as far as to express wrong information -- something difficult to have your characters do without confusing the reader -- but which Conroy pulls off very well.

Factual and historical matters are on target, as far as I can tell, and although I thought he stretched things early on with civilian protests in the United States, he provides an excellent reason for them and they never factor into the story as I had feared they would. (That's a personal peeve of mine with most AH invasions of Japan -- it doesn't jibe with the time period and the fact that returning soldiers from Europe and the end of rationing would defuse most homefront tensions.) Conroy doesn't bring too much in the way of historical grudges to bear -- he doesn't wholly indulge in historical wankery by having a mass replacement of Pacific Theater generals by their contemporaries from Europe. There is one replacement, and it's foreshadowed fairly heavy-handedly, but it wasn't as jarring as I feared it would be.

Overall, it's better than most alternate history novels out there today.

Compelling perspectives
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-03
This book is interesting both from a Grand Strategy perspective right down to the experience of the "grunt" on both the Japanese and American side.

Conroy does a good job of showing a plausible sequence of events starting with "what if Japan hadn't surrendered after the second Atomic bomb was dropped?" right up to one possible final outcome. I especially liked the political intriques in the upper eschelons of the government and military.

However, the book really comes alive when Conroy describes the experience of the foot soldiers and sailors involved in the conflict. I got a real sense of what it would be like to have been either an attacker or defender had the war with Japan progessed to an invasion of the home islands. And this was with language cleaned up quite a bit! I was almost sad to see the story come to an end.

Like all good alternative history, 1945 gives the reader a better understanding of the real historical turn of events, and how tenuous the threads that bind events together really are.

Very Enjoyable Book
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-01
This is the first book written by this author that I have read - this book has made me want to read more of his books however. Mr. Conroy's look at how WW II would have played out had the Japanese not surrendered after the dropping of the atomic bombs is enjoyable and interesting. His writing style causes you to become attached to each of the characters of the book. I especially enjoyed: the author's opionion of how the leaders of both the United States and Japan would have acted and what their decisions would have been as the war continued; his portrayal of the reactions of the citizens of both the U.S. and Japan to the continuing war; and the actions that other countries, especially the Soviet Union, China, and England would have taken as the war wore on.

Conroy's Best Alternative History
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-19
I've enjoyed Conroy's other alternative histories, especially 1862: A Novel. But, this novel rates as his best. The book is well researched and his characters are believable. He also explores some interesting points that reflect on current conflicts and policy. For instance, had the war with Japan continued with high casualties, would the American public continue to support the war? What would US policy towards the use of nuclear weapons have been had the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs not brought peace? What would war on the Japanese mainland have looked like? This was an enjoyable and thought provoking novel. Highly recommend. Download for your Kindle: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device today!!

History
86 Years: The Legend of the Boston Red Sox
Published in Hardcover by Brown House Books (2005-05-01)
Author: Melinda R. Boroson
List price: $18.95
New price: $8.88
Used price: $10.95

Average review score:

Collectors item for ALL ages
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-07
This book honors in simple verse and vivid picture, the triumph of the underdog. For young and old, it celebrates that persistence can materialize and that "losers" can win and that even odd-balls can overcome poor odds. Give this as a gift of encouragement to those (male and female) that may "think" there is no hope and let them witness that even when they feel as though they may "standing out in the field, alone and hopeless" the power of BELIEF can, will and does manifest into a life victory. A sweet story of success against all odds.

Wicked Awesome
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-30
My husband and I are expecting our first child in June. I bought this as a gift for my husband to read to the baby. He was so excited to receive this! He read the book and immediately declared it, "Wicked Awesome." Get it! Every other line rhymes, and they are are not simplistic. We both have our degrees in education and feel this a good book to help develop children's personal histories.
Get it!

Heirloom gift for Red Sox fans
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-09
Our small grandson received one as he joined his dad and grandfathers (yes, one lives near Denver) for the current World Series. In his Red Sox regalia, he wanted it read to him again and again. His great-grandfather had seen the last Series before this one, just like the book talks about, and anyone with children who need to be raised as True Believers should make sure they have a copy to pass on to their children in the future.

Go Boston, Go Boston, Go Boston! Boston is My Kind of Town
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-29
Although this is a children's book, people of all ages will delight in it. The illustrations are genuine masterpieces.

The book warms up with a Red Sox game in 1918. Somebody's Great-Grandfather watches that game and celebrates the Red Sox' 2004 victory, poignantly reminicing about that 1918 victory. At the time of this review, Boston is celebrating the 2007 Sweep in the World Series against the Colorado Rockies! Go Boston!

Dirty Water was the anthem of the 2007 World Series. The Standells' classic was very a propos!

The illustrations bring history into the picture, literally with the Duck Float Parade; the 1918 lineup and the excitement of the game! Varitek, who helped the Red Sox barrel into victory in 2004 was also part of the Victory Team in 2007! Go, Boston!

I recommend this book for everyone. If you like good baseball and you love Boston, then you want this book. It will hit a home run into the hearts of all readers, just as Lowell hit that winning home run in Game 4 of the 2007 World Series! Go Boston!

Aewesome Book!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-22
Excellent book for any Red Sox fan young or old. Great story for the young, great nostalgia for the not-so-young! A must for any Bostonian!

History
Absolute Surrender
Published in Paperback by Whitaker House (1981-06)
Author: Andrew Murray
List price: $7.99
New price: $2.59
Used price: $0.01

Average review score:

Absolute Surrender
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-08
Word cannot begin to say how insightful this author is. And still speaking to us many years after his death.

Excellent Counsel for Spiritual Growth
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-01
Once again Andrew Murray gives excellent counsel for spiritual growth. Every believer needs help along the way and Absolute Surrender is a great tool to use as a springboard. The message is meaty and to be taken in with the intent of life transformation! As Jesus lived His life in absolute surrender to Father God, so must we, and this book points the way!

The Best Book I have EVER READ OR HEARD. TRUTH!!!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-29
THIS IS THE MOST WONDERFUL BOOK I HAVE EVER FOUND OTHER THAN Andrew Murray,THE POWER OF Intercession. I suggest the whole world would Understand the Bible A whole lot clearer if they just read Andrew Murray Books. What A wonderful Evnagelist he was.

Powerful book!!!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-16
This book was truly insightful and should be used as a tool to assist all who strives to improve their Christian walk.

A Favorite
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-03
Right up there near Brother Lawrence's "The Practice of the Presence of God" (free online at the Practice Gods Presence web site) are the wonderful works of Andrew Murray. "Absolute Surrender" is a classic in every sense.

These gifted children of God have a way of restating, enlivening, and magnifying the very words of Our Lord and do greatly glorify Our Father.

History
Absolution: Charlie Company 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry
Published in Hardcover by Sergeant Kirkland's Press (1999-10-01)
Authors: Charles J. Boyle and Pia S. Seagrave
List price: $24.95
New price: $75.00
Used price: $35.68

Average review score:

Soul-searing
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-08-02
No one has told his heart and the agony of Vietnam as has Charles Boyle in "Absolution". In telling of his time there, he lays bare his soul, what his effort was all about. He tells the how and why of his dedication to America and what Vietnam was all about to the US soldier. A great book -- one that should be required reading for all highschool students --- required reading in colleges.

An Infantry Lieutenant in Combat
Helpful Votes: 12 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-28
This book accurately shows what goes on in the mind of an infantry lieutenant. It focused on the human aspects of leadership and command. It showed how to deal with the loss of soldiers and friends in combat. Every leader has been too close to soldiers and this book shows why it is dangerous to do so. Having said that, it also shows what a soldier in the right place at the right time can and will do for his leaders. SGT Jay Cee and his friends from Company C, 3/22 Infantry gave their lives for their commander and friend. Absolution tells why soldiers will give their lives and how leaders deal with it. I recommend it for cadets before commissioning, lieutenants in the basic course, and captains prior to command. It is an excellent resource for leaders.

Soul-searing
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2001-08-02
No one has told his heart and the agony of Vietnam as has Charles Boyle in "Absolution". In telling of his time there, he lays bare his soul, what his effort was all about. He tells the how and why of his dedication to America and what Vietnam was all about to the US soldier. A great book -- one that should be required reading for all highschool students --- required reading in colleges.

Absolution: Charlie Company
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2001-08-02
I have finished reading Charles J. Boyle's, Absolution: Charlie Company, but I know this book will never be finished with me.

There is a great healing that needs yet to be done is this country; a great open wound that lies on the national soul and in the wounded bodies, minds, hearts and souls of those who we sent there. It does not matter where you stood, or stand, on the conflict called the Vietnam War; what matters now is resolution. That is what Charles Boyle has provided in Absolution. I have read hundreds of thousands of words penned on all sides of this so open wound, but none that I have read before have so touched heart and soul. There were times when I had to put the book down to process what these men, our sons, fathers, husbands endured in that time and place that is still so much with us; times when I felt weak with sharing their pain, awed by being witness to their courage. Boyle has taken us there, absolutely there; step by step, hour by hour, day by day as our young men grew, against all odds, despite betrayals from above, into men of courage, into comrades in arms, in a time and place, in a war often without explanation or understanding. Boyle graces us with witnessing the turbulence of mind and spirit when all that has been learned before is challenged in young lives, in blood, terror, conviction, fortitude, and courage. Be prepared for a great adventure into tears, into outrage, into anguish, into great pride. If you are prepared to face the beginnings of finding resolution, if you read only one book on the conflict called the Vietnam War, read Absolution: Charlie Company. "Falcon Six, this is Charlie Six. We're moving." Do move to read Absolution; it is time for the healing and it can begin here. Welcome home, Charlie Company.

A Review: Absolution; Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-16
Absolution, by Charles J. Boyle, is an outstanding book about a great lieutenant and his men. As an avid reader of the Vietnam War, I have never read a book about Vietnam that touched my heart as much as this one. Once I started reading the book, I could not put it down. A true and accurate portrayal of the Vietnam War and its brave American soldiers.

History
Alaska's Wolf Man: The 1915-55 Wilderness Adventures of Frank Glaser
Published in Paperback by Pictorial Histories Publishing Company (1998-04)
Author: Jim Rearden
List price: $17.95
New price: $15.14
Used price: $12.00

Average review score:

The best of the best
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-16
I have lived in Alaska for 10 years and can't believe I just heard about this book. I bought it yesterday and have not been able to put it down since I opened it.

Not only is it an excellent read but I am learning a lot of tips about wilderness survival. It is about the best adventure book I have ever read.

A must have for all outdoors and Alaska fans
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-26
A phenomenal book for all outdoors people and Alaska fans. The text flows very naturally. There is a lot of information on Alaskan nature and history.

Alaska's Wolf Man
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-08
Excellent read ! I read mostly African based books, but put onto this from a friend now living in Juneau; thanks Scott! This is the "Capstick" adventures for Alaska !

If There Were 6 Stars - This Would Be It !
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-22
I read these type books on a regular basis & this one is head & shoulders above the rest. Captivating, interesting, & very informative. Well written & a true treasure. This should be included in the required reading for wolf relocation advocates & "Naturalists". Glasser has no axe to grind, simply tells of his adventures & experiences. I assure you, it is time & money well spent !

An Alaskan Hero
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-09
Frank Glaser's story is a real, first hand look at Alaska in the early days. If you love Alaska and the wilderness, this is the book for you. Frank goes into the back-country and his adventures never cease as he traps, hunts, builds, explores and generally just checks things out. It amazes me that he is always so at ease, even in the most difficult of situations. He is the kind of guy you would just love to tag along with (if you could keep up with him!) His stories and accounts bring Alaska to life at a time when few tourists ventured into the back country. Jim Rearden has done a great job in compiling Frank's stories and amazing life. This book has given me a much greater appreciation of a great state...Wonderful Alaska! I doubt if anyone has ever experienced it like Frank Glaser.

History
Always to Remember
Published in Hardcover by Thorndike Press (1998-08)
Author: Lorraine Heath
List price: $27.95
Used price: $14.50

Average review score:

Sappy, sad, uplifting,...convicting
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-19
I really did like this book...I don't know if I'd give it 5 stars, but every other reviewer did, so I thought to myself, "don't be so critical" give it 5 stars and keep the 5 star run going"..so here it is...another 5 star rating!

Clay Holland is a passivist. Refusing to fight in the Civil War, he was branded a deserter, literally, and was beaten, starved, and imprisoned. He's now returned home to his 3 brothers and a town which dispises him. Meg Warner, his friend's widow, is one of the people who despises him most. She hates the fact that her husband was killed in the same war that Clay refused to fight in and enlists his help to carve a memorial for the fallen soldiers. She hopes to elicit guilt, remorse, and feelings of failure from Clay. Little does she know that those feelings are headed right back at her.

Here's my take....the dialouge was excellent, and the reader graduallly becomes entrenched in the plot and wants to champion for Clay because of all the mistreatment that he endures because of his belief in the "sin of war". Clay was a little too perfect for me.....too forgiving, too resolute in his beliefs, too good, too strong, too perfect. Meg was more palatable for me because she showed more humanity..not necesarilly good humanity..she was incredibly mean, unforgiving, and inconsiderate, but at least I could identify with the imperfect humanness of her. The story moves along at a good pace and Heath lets the romance develop which is sometimes a rarity in this genre.

I would definitely recommend this book....I was hoping for a tear jerker...I really didn't shed a tear...maybe I was in the wrong mood, or the story just didn't hit me right, but I'd recommend it anyways.

Overdone Melodrama
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-19
Expected a warm, sweet, romance sent in post-Civil War Texas. Instead got a melodramatic, soppy soap opera with every character either so bad or so good that they ended up as stereotypes of the people they were supposed to be. I was so, so disappointed. I mostly like Lorraine Heath's novels and this got such excellent reviews that I was really expecting a star. I can respect that the hero, Clay, is a conscientous objector and put up with lots of abuse because of his unpopular stance but when the abuse just keeps going on & on & on without his responding until the very end of the book, he slid from a brave loner to a wimply doormat in my estimation. Meg is impenetrable to me--she hates Clay because he "betrayed" his best friend (her husband) and plans to torture him by hiring him to carve a monument to the fallen soldiers. If he's as low as she thinks he is, what noble impulse is going to move him to carve this monument? Of course, by the end of the book, everyone realized how brave Clay really is & sort of forgives him, but he & Meg still leave the town & move on--this makes absolutely no sense. Meg doesn't have any reason to love Clay, other than the author decides it's time for some warm fuzzies. Meg is able to sneak out of her house at any hour of the night or day for hours at a time and no one ever catches her or sees her at Clay's farm--yeah, right. I've lived in small, rural towns & the places are nice but full of gossip and watching eyes. And all the good deeds heaped on Clay eventually make you want to gag--he buried all his friends with his own hands after the Battle of Gettysburg, the prayer he gave right before his execution convinced all the soldiers not to shoot at him, he works in a hosptital after he's released from prison, he puts up with endless cruel abuse from everyone except his younger brothers, he volunteers to make this huge monument for free with no thought for the time it will take away from his farm, he starves himself so his family can eat, he stays up for two nights in a row to protect Meg from NOTHING during their trip to get the stone for the monument, he saves a little girl from getting run over by a wagon by throwing his body over her, etc. Meg's brother & father are over-the-top in their hatred of Clay. I was just so tired of this story by the time I finished it, but I kept on reading it in hopes it would come through & get better. What a disappointment.

WONDERFUL from start to finish
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-05
I have started reading numerous books lately that have been totally boring. This one has been on my "to read" list for over a year. It was hard to find but so worth the wait. This book grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let you go. This one is a rare treasure. I hope you can find it to read and enjoy it as much as I did.

It warmed my heart.
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-22
This was truly a great book. It was tender story of love and redemption with brilliantly written characters. Clay is one of those characters who will stick with you for quite some time. I love that.

a profile of courage
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-16
Anyone who has ever had to take a stand on principle, whether popular or unpopular, can identify with both of the main characters in this book. I loved both characters and the theme of the book was supported beautifully by Meg and Clay. These days, more than ever, there are so many issues affecting us all that we must take a stand on, and this book does a wonderful job of showing how "pack" thinking can be overcome by personal committment. The story itself is engrossing and Ms. Heath drew me into the lives of the characters as if they were real people.

History
Angelique: The Road to Versailles
Published in Hardcover by G K Hall & Co (1997-06)
Author: Anne Golon
List price:
Used price: $47.25
Collectible price: $69.00

Average review score:

3 more volumns?
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-11-29
I always wondered if there were more then 9 volumns, did I understand correctly that there are 3 more volumns which were never translated into English???? Also, is the Rd. to Versaille a book which is not in the series of 1-9? At one point someone reviewd it as book 2? Please email me at quetin@gmail.com

Historically accurate & Wonderful Story-Great Book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 1999-08-13
Anyone who reads Angelique will always say it was wonderful. The romance, adventure, history and suspence were one of a kind. I only wish it was available in reprint so we could have the whole set in our library. Please inform us about the book and author.

Brilliant
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2001-07-27
In the second book of the Angelique series, following the death of her husband Joffrey de Peyrac, Angelique is in the Parsian underworld, at the Court of Miracles. A fascinating glimpse into a sordid world of beggers and thieves, this is a much darker, but maybe even more brilliant book than The Marquise of Angels. Wonderful, fascinating book, more of an on the edge of your seat suspence thriller than the previous book. Alot of great, heartbreaking emotional scenes, and also many happy ones. A fantastic book.

Historically accurate, wonderful adventure, romance
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 1999-08-13
Anyone who reads about Angelique will keep the book always. I've kept my volunes for years. I wish I had them all in hard back. The book is very hard to put down. I've read it over and over. Great..

Amongst the best historical fiction
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2001-07-08
The Angelique series written by Anne and Serge Golon will rate amongst your favourite books (if you can get hold of these rare books). I started with paperback versions, but have since started collecting the hardcovers and have recently acquired the last hardcover I needed to complete my collection. The last 3 books in the series have not been translated in to English yet and there are stories of people learning French as a language just to read the last 3 books in this series. It is beautifully written and set in the period of the reign of the Sun King in France. The authors have done their research and I have been fascinated at the accuracy of the authors' description of historical characters in their books. Highly recommended if you like historical fiction or if you enjoy any story with REAL heroism!

History
Baseball Uniforms of the 20th Century: The Official Major League Baseball Guide
Published in Paperback by Sterling Pub Co Inc (1993-12)
Author: Marc Okkonen
List price: $19.95
Used price: $74.93
Collectible price: $100.00

Average review score:

Stylin' and Profilin' on the Diamond
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-30
This volume is an absolute must for those interested in baseball history from 1900 to 1991 or fans who want to see how the uniforms of their favorite teams have changed over the years.

The book was recommended to me - when it was initially published - by an artist who was working at that time for a major trading card company. You will notice that most of the current uniforms borrow style points from years past. I guess the "retro" look of stadiums led to a "retro" look in the home garb.

Since its publication, teams have literally flooded the market with variations of their standard home and away uniforms. An update of the book may not be cost efficient due to this situation, but I hope at some point a companion volume will be published to chronicle the years starting from 1992.

Excellent Reference Book
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2002-10-01
Extremely comprehensive for any baseball historian. Very informative and extremely interesting. Much like everyone else who submitted a review, I would love to see a revised edition of this book - especially with the onslaught of alternate jerseys and sleeve patches.

Where's the second edition?!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2001-06-10
Baseball Uniforms of the 20th Century is THE definitive reference on baseball uniforms. Nowhere will you find a more complete list illustrating every major league uniform used every single year. Do you know when the Astros introduced their "rainbow" uniforms? What year did the White Sox sport Bermuda shorts? Did you know that the New York Giants once wore plaid uniforms? It's all in this book. I find it odd that this book was written to represent the uniforms of the 20th century seven years before the century's end. This book is crying out for a second edition. There have already been dozens of uniform changes since 1993. Marc Okkonen, I'm beggin' ya. PLEASE!

Wonderful Reference Book
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2002-02-27
When I discovered BASEBALL UNIFORMS OF THE 20TH CENTURY, I was overjoyed. It is a true missing link of baseball information. Of all the pictures of ball players I poured over through the years, players who graced the diamonds during the first 50 years of this century, the one thing I could never discern was the COLOR of their uniforms. However hard you studied the permeations of gray and black in the photographs, you could not accurately guess the colors. Similarly, it was difficult to detect the exact year each major league uniform changed. This book solved those mysteries for me. I place it among my most valuable baseball books, a collection which encompasses maybe 80 books. I would love to see a similar book done on baseball uniforms of the 1870s-1890s, as well as a book on football uniforms of the 20th Century. Kudos to the author and publisher!

Okkonen: My Constant Reference
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2001-12-19
I have been collecting MLB replica/current baseball caps since the late sixties. I guess that makes me a fanatic. I received a postcard from Marc Okkonen a few years ago, and thought his 1991 volume was without sequel. Now I have heard that there is a 1993 revision of this fine book, with corrections. (Baseball lovers need this). I started getting serious about tracing the history of team caps in 1995, so I have a bit of a gap that a "new" Okkonen could help me fill. I have found a few errors in the book; in fact the author said there were some. Where can anyone go to improve and update Okkonen? Until further notice, he is my constant reference for cap styles, a monumental piece of research, which I use "for the love of the game."


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