Kansas Books

A great book if you have an extensive military history background. If you are looking for first accounts of the battle of the hurtgen Forrest this is not the book for you. Stick to authors like Astor, he has one of the best first accounts I have ever read. I have noticed that English historians have no idea what happened in Hurtgen, probably because it was an American only battle. I guess it helps to be there to write about it.

My father was a replacement in the 22nd infantry regiment while it was engaged in the Hurtgen Forest.

If you are interested in a detailed account of this regiment's actions in that battle, this is a book you will definitely want to read.

Extraordinarily detailed with wonderful maps. I'm a student of the Civil War and my main complaint about books I've read about Civil War battles is that they contain a paucity of maps.

This book doesn't have that deficiency.

This is a day-by-day account of the struggle by the 22nd Infantry Regiment to battle through the infamous H?rtgen Forest. I was looking more for a description of the appalling human experience in this battle. Robert Rush's book is (as the subtitle admittedly makes clear) a military textbook and it reads like one. So this review and rating is intended more as warning to those who are looking for a memoir-like work. This isn't it.

Robert Rush does a good job in detailing the story of the 22nd Regiment in the Hürtgen Forest. At times very dry reading, he none the less is able to give a day by day, blow by blow account of the companies of the 22nd Regiment in the meat grinder called Hürtgen. His comparisons between the American G.I.s and his German counterparts are also very interesting.
The statistical part of the book are less enjoyable, but very enlightening, if you can struggle through them. I can't fault the author on his use of statistics to establish and present his facts, but the meat of the book, the actual combat narrative is much more enjoyable.
An excellent book to add to any collection.

Hell in the Hürtgen Forest examines the performance of the American 22nd Infantry Regiment (4th Infantry Division), which engaged elements of the German LXXIV Corps during what the book's author identifies as "some of the most brutally intense infantry combat in World War II". The purpose of this book, however, is not merely to relate the story of the 22nd Infantry, but in addition to determine why the regiment survived and fought on while its German counterparts eventually disintegrated during the battle. Rush concludes that the personnel replacement systems of the opposing armies were directly responsible for the outcome of the battle.

The author, Robert Sterling Rush, is a retired U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major and holds a Ph.D. from Ohio State University. Following the introduction chapter, he organizes the fourteen remaining chapters of his book into three distinct parts - the Environment, the Hürtgenwald (Hürtgen Forest), and Analysis. Within the five chapters of Part I (The Environment), Rush discusses not only the terrain and weather of the Hürtgen Forest, but also deals with the induction, training, leadership, and organization of the opposing forces. The six chapters of Part II (The Hürtgenwald) deal with the details of the battle itself. Lastly, the three chapters of Part III (Analysis) include Rush's discussion of organizational effectiveness, an attempt to answer the question of `What kept the soldiers fighting?', and his conclusions.

During the eighteen days of the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest, the 22nd Infantry suffered more than 2,800 casualties, which is about 86% of its normal strength of 3,250. Despite these terrible losses, the 22nd Infantry survived and continued to fight. Why? Rush believes that the regiment's survival was due, in part, to U.S. Army personnel policies that ensured that troop strengths remained high (i.e., the individual replacement system). The German units in the battle suffered from similar rates of attrition, but Rush believes that the German replacement system, which was based on regional recruitment and unit rather than individual replacement, hurt German combat effectiveness.

Rush has produced a well-written and meticulously researched volume, which includes numerous maps, graphs, and charts. He certainly challenges conventional wisdom by praising the individual replacement system that has been so widely criticized by other military historians for the last 25+ years. I do, however, have three problems regarding Rush's conclusions. First, drawing conclusions regarding the American and German replacement systems based only on the experiences of particular units in a single battle seems to be a bit of a stretch. Second, by late 1944 the Germans had been at war for more than five years and their systems of men and material supply had suffered greatly in comparison with the relatively fresh U.S. Army, which might account for some of the apparent success or failure of the American and German replacement systems. Third, though Rush does not mention the Vietnam War, I am curious how he would explain the disintegration of the individual replacement system during that conflict, since he has concluded that the system worked so well during World War II. Despite the problems that I have identified, I recommend this book and believe that it will spark some interesting debate.

The arthor did a good job of capturing the sentiments of that time in our history in the Kansas City area. It was written in a manner that the different principals could be identified and followed.

Terrell has written a great American novel. Complexity of relationships is a framework on which this novel is built. Race, class, business, social, family, and sexual relationships abound and the protagonist is swept along on the currents of these interactions. The book is set in and around Kansas City. The protagonist is a young black man. A white woman, a debutante daughter of a Federal judge, is fished from the river and on this fact a story turns. Who killed her and why? But this is a novel with more depth and texture than the average murder mystery. Terrell's use of language, his deep examination of character and perception, of children loved and unloved, of cultural signifiers on both sides of a color line in Kansas City - these things and more make this a great read, and a very good book indeed.

The character of Booker Short is at the heart of this story. A young black male burdened with the weight of familial history. Through his encounter with his Grandfather's former commanding officer and his relationship with the daughter of a prominent judge , he explores issues of race, class, identity and ultimately learns about the complexity of truth according to perspective.

Very good book. Terrell writes nice sentences and the character development is good. The plot bogs down a bit and the relationship between the judge's daughter and Booker is somewhat unbelievable. Recommended.

Great story and well written. It brought back memories of Kansas City and the Midwest.

This is a good book, I don't care what anybody says. I read it in practically one sitting, which I never do, mostly because I have a mild bladder control problem. To prevent any serious disasters, however, I read the entire book on the john, and I might even consider purchasing some adult diapers if I decide to read it again. So imagine--if I can read this book cover to cover with my medical condition, just think of what this book could do for children with ADD. They should all be chained to desks and forced to read it, because some day Whitley Strieber--or whatever his name is, I forget--is going to be considered the next William Gallsworthy or Sarah Orne Jewett. I can't comment on the "William Faulkner" reference, since I never could stand William Faulkner enough to get through the first sentence--except for the fact that I did absolutely love "The Big Sleep" with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall (sp?), which I highly suggest to anyone who likes movies of that genre, or any genre. I also want to confess that I'm very drunk right now, but that doesn't diminish my love and enjoyment of this book. Which book was it again? Oh, right--the Walt Whitman book. I just had an accident.

The Battle of Kursk was an important battle in the summer of 1943 on the Eastern Front of World War II. Using both Russian and German sources, the authors describe the battle with great care.
A fine example of how a complex battle should be described.

Col. Glantz and Mr. House have finally defined the Battle of Kursk in a thoughtful, engaging and methodical approach. More accessible than George Nipe's very good work on Kursk, this is probably the best book on the definitive battle of the Russian Front. A serious, well-researched study.

This book MUST be owned by any serious military history reader of WWII. The detail, and the maps are unparalleled. The maps are especially impressive, and allow you to follow the account of the battle totally. I look forward to more such books by the author. Just a word of caution, this is not a book about the "human interest" side of the battle; nor is it intended for the casual reader.

Well first of all book is huuge it's 485 pages. Not 300. Amazon really has to make a correction on previous review by Mr. Top 500.
Mr. Glantz is a top rated western historian on eastern front for one simple reason he has connection to people who's got access to russian archives (No westerner has a direct access to russian archives yet). "The Battle of Kursk" is a serious analytical work and surely can't be missed by anyone who is interested in the battle that changed the tide of the World War II.

I agree with another poster who said this book is a bombardment of facts and figures without much readability. If you are looking for facts and figures, check it out; if you are looking for something resembling a story or something more than barely adequate structure to impart wads of information, this probably isn't your bag.

Death of the Wehrmacht es un libro que da un repaso a los principales escenarios en que la Wehrmacht participó durante todo 1942: La guerra en el Este y la guerra en África. El nombre ya es bastante significativo, el año de la "muerte" del Ejército Alemán, el año del turning-point, donde dos son las batallas que llevan la égida de la hecatombe: Stalingrado y El Alamein.

Comienza dando un repaso a 1941 (Balcanes, Grecia, Barbarroja, Moscú), pasando luego a 1942 por Crimea, la batalla de Kharkov (Saliente de Izyum), Azul, el Cáucaso y Stalingrado. Eso en el Este. Y en África, prácticamente da un repaso desde marzo del 41 ( somero) para luego llegar hasta finales del 42 con la derrota en El Alamein. El libro sigue una estructura muy amena, ya que los capítulos del Este y del desierto van intercalados, y por tanto es siempre imposible llegar a cansarse de algún escenario.

Citino basa sus conclusiones no sólo en fuentes primarias, sino que la mayoría son secundarias, pero no por ello me parece que sean menos buenas. En general sigue bastante la línea de opinión de la Historia Oficial de Alemania en la Segunda Guerra Mundial (GOH). Hay algunos aspectos que me han llamado la atención: Por ejemplo su opinión con respecto a la actuación ( a nivel estratégico) de Rommel crítica, tal y como lo hace la GOH, o también su crítica a Manstein, el cual se defiende en sus memorias tratando de eximirse de culpa sobre la toma de decisiones acerca del ejército cercado de Stalingrado. Creo que un aspecto básico de su libro es el desarrollo de Azul. Citino explica cómo en Azul se trató de hacer el modo de guerra que se hizo en Barbarroja, sitiando, envolviendo y destruyendo ejércitos, creando kessels, pero por el contrario lo que se encontró fue, en principio, un ejército Rojo casi en desbandada; digamos que un ejército que no se dejaba envolver, que cedía más y más terreno, con el consecuente aumento de la longitud de las líneas de suministro alemanas, crecimiento del frente y dispersión de más tropas. Eso, sumado a algunas decisiones bastante desafortunadas desde lo más alto y al suministro sin fin de hombres de la Gran Patria dejaron un ejército en colapso.
Siempre resulta interesante leer acerca de la guerra en el Cáucaso. En mi opinión, las páginas dedicadas aquí a ello sintetizan con maestría lo que fue aquella aventura, que tan infausto recuerdo dejó en más de un alemán.

Es evidente que Citino conoce bastante del acervo castrense de la casta de militares Prusianos, creado durante más de tres siglos, desde Federico el Grande. Un aspecto que defiende es que el modo de hacer la guerra que tantos éxitos había deparado durante 3 siglos a los militares prusianos se topó con una nueva forma de hacerla, fundada básicamente en la producción industrial de las naciones, en carreras por obtención de materias primas, en la Guerra Total (Por cierto, este término no es utilizado en ningún momento por Citino). En este tipo de guerra Alemania lo tenía mucho más difícil.

Sin duda lo que más me gustó del libro es el despliegue bibliográfico que comenta y discute el señor Citino, reflejado en más de 100 páginas de notas y bibliografía. No tienen por qué ser todas las fuentes usadas fuentes primarias. La mayor parte son secundarias, lo que no hace que sus síntesis sean menos concluyentes. ¡ Cuántos libros en alemán usa! ¡¡ Y no traducidos al inglés!! Esta segunda exclamación es aún más sorprendente. Un mercado insaciable como parece que es el de los libros en inglés sobre la Segunda Guerra Mundial, y el trabajo que queda por delante.
La edición es muy buena, el formato con tapa dura típico de University Press of Kansas. Los mapas son muy claros y suficientes, si bien podría haber algunos más.

Along with the prequel of sorts, the GERMAN WAY OF WAR, Citano fully develops the mindset of the entirety of German military thought. As a prior reviewer mentioned, the maps need a little work, but that aside, this is top-notch military analysis. I'd suggest one read the GERMAN WAY OF WAR first, although DEATH OF THE WEHRMACHT can stand alone. Many core concepts, however, are introduced in the inital volume.

Finally, I would not suggest this for the novice reader. One needs a handle of the 'big picture' for all full appreciation of the scope of the work of both volumes.
Best...
Carlo DiVincenti
Metairie LA

This book tells the story of the German Wehrmacht's disastrous year of 1942 through a description of the fighting in N. Africa and in the southern part of the Eastern Front. The Eastern Front fighting includes Kharkov in May, the Crimea, Operation Blue in June/July, the advance to the Caucasus, and Stalingrad. The descriptions are more or less the standard ones, and I didn't find much new there. Throughout the book Mr. Citino shows how the German operational style was rooted in hundreds of years of Prussian and German military history.

The book has extensive notes, some over a page long, and it is obvious that the author is very knowledgeable about works published in Germany. These notes alone make this book valuable to researchers interested in WW II. On the other hand, there are few if any references to Russian-language publications, a serious deficiency given the number of military history book which are being published in Russia these days. This is a work of synthesis; I didn't see any primary sources in the notes except for memoirs.

Frankly, the thesis about Wehrmacht operations being a continuation of historical Prussian and German methods could have been covered in a journal article, and the operational descriptions are nothing new. The lack of original research and the absence of Soviet or Russian works is disappointing. I expect more from a university professor and professional historian.

I think the best guide to this kind of thing is the conversation between Beelzebub and Satan in Book One of "Paradise Lost" by John Milton. Satan is quick to learn that even though they are in hell, they still have armies and can keep fighting. Citino notices things like when the Germans could not move as winter came in 1941, an order to retreat would have been impossible to execute, so Hitler's decision that the German armies would stay in place to have some kind of option hoping for rivers of oil in 1942 made the most sense.

World War II had some close things, but life is most interesting when people can reconstruct what went wrong with the best plans some people ever had in their entire life. Death was quite common in World War II, so I do not think that the title is too strong.

This is another superb work by author Citino, although the publisher's editor did a poor job of filtering out typos and spelling mistakes. Nonetheless, I recommend this book to any person who wishes to understand why the Germans were able to do so well, so many times, throughout World War II.

This book should be read AFTER reading Citino's "Path To Blitzkrieg" and "The German Way Of War" in that order. Unfortunately, "The Path To Blitzkrieg" is now out of print, but it is absolutely necessary for the reader to comprehend the nature of German officer training, as well as leadership training down to the Assistant Squad Leader level, No other army in history has been so thorough in training its leaders; the American Army being no exception in spite of incorporating much of the Wehrmacht's leadership training techniques in its training regimen after World War II. Unfortunately, American officer training is a mere shadow of the German even today, particularly in staff functions, both due to far-foreshortened courses and missing a General Staff for guidance and espirit. Please read my reviews of both books here on Amazon.

This work applies the lessons learned from other two books to the year of 1942 for the Germans on two fronts, the Soviet Union and North Africa. Both fronts demonstrate the same principles of waging war from the German side with aggressive and capable commanders, excellent staff support, and incredible performances by the ordinary soldiers doing their duty.

In many respects the North African campaign was a unimportant sideshow (to the Germans, but not to the Italians or British), and the inability of the Italians to successfully supply Rommel's army across the Mediterranean Sea (due to Ultra decoding of sailings and convoy information) not only prevented Rommel from taking Egypt, but brought him within an ace of losing his entire army. Citino's analysis of Rommel's actions and the slow, even almost dim-witted British methodology in waging war was brilliant. Montgomery turned all his battles into ones of attrition using overpowering resources, and the German tactics of using movement to compensate for inferior numbers and material became a non-starter. Nonetheless, when the Germans could accomplish rapid movements and bring adequate power to its main point of effort, the Wehrmacht could still win local victories against the British (& Americans) as late as the winter of 1944/45.

On the Eastern Front, the campaign of 1942 was decisive. Citino presents the recovery of the Wehrmacht in the Spring of 1942, not as fully regaining its 1941 strength, but to a level whereby it could regain the initiative. Citino correctly points out the recent official German history as containing prescient discussions by already knowing the outcome when the information available at the time would not lead to those conclusions. As the author stresses, believing that the superior leadership of the German officer corps and the superior training and bravery of German troops would overcome gross deficiencies in men and material might have been hubris, but the German officers and men apparently actually believed it. As a result, they were able to push far beyond the culmination point, and achieve much more than could reasonably be expected. In many situations the results were achieved by the smallest of formations, -- a handful of tanks or a few hundred men left effective out of a whole division. In a sense, the Germans pushed themselves to win with the last man standing, something no other army has consistently attempted to do in modern times. Author Citino marvels that the Germans were able to come within two miles of their objective in the Caucasus, and even De Gaulle was similarily impressed. When De Gaulle remarked while touring Stalingrad after the war that the fight there was unbelievable, a Soviet general agreed that the Soviet troops had performed great heroics. "No, no," De Gaullle said, "That the Germans got so far."

Citino correctly did not put all the blame on Hitler for the debacle, but he should have lessened the influence from Megargee and Wette when it came time to spread the blame lower than Halder and the OKW/OKH. The operational command system began to fall apart when the traditional independence of German commanders was restricted by headquarters. These were new rules, and the German field commanders were unable to adjust for the good of their commands and the conduct of the war. Of course it did not help that tanks, ammunition, food, manpower, air support, and especially fuel were in desperately short supply, but these were problems that the Wehrmacht had surmounted before. In the 2nd half of 1942 it could not. The whys and wherefors make up this book.

The author did not overlook the effect of the Soviet retreats before the Wehrmacht became stretched to the limit, and that too was known to the German high command. But the attack simply could not be stopped -- German tradition required that it be pressed to the limit. It was, and defeat resulted.

Although Manstein would achieve a monumental success in February and March of 1943 in destroying or crippling four Soviet armies and retaking Kharkov and Belgorod, the German bolt had been shot. From Kursk onward, only localized successes were possible when the Wehrmacht was able to maneuver -- remaining in fixed positions meant certain eventual defeat. Eisenhower would adopt a similar strategy as the Soviets and grind down the German army without giving it a chance to maneuver. The German way of war could not cope nor adjust. A not-so-modern army in command thinking and warrior attitudes could not ultimately prevail against a modern army (or armies) fighting battles of attrition and using overwhelming superiorities in the air, on the ground, and in industrial production of military supplies and equipment.

Purchase and read this book.

My daughter used the book for Goverment AP class - mandatory reading - and with no regrets. It really helps to understand the basis of the our Nation's goverment from an objective perspective. The light through which our founding fathers design the constitution is clearly depicted and fully explore with annotated references.

No page turner, it is still a good look at the founding era....

Forrest McDonald has written some exciting work on the Constitutional era in American history. "Novus Ordo Seclorum" lives up to earlier works.

First, what does he mean by the Latin phrase that is the book's title? One translation might be "a new order of the ages" (page 262). Of this, McDonald says that (page 262):

"So it was that the Framers brought a vast knowledge of history and the whole long tradition of civic humanism with them to Philadelphia in May of 1787, and that they departed four months later having fashioned a frame of government that necessitated a redefinition of most of the terms in which the theory and ideology of civic humanism had been discussed."

McDonald notes that for this "new order," four sets of considerations were important for the Framers as they deliberated upon a new framework for governing, as they moved from the flawed Articles of Confederation to some form that would be more effective. Among these guidelines:

1. Protecting (page 3) "the lives, liberty, and property of the citizenry."
2. A commitment to republicanism (including a role for the people, representative institutions, a distrust of direct democracy.
3. History--including ancient Greece and Rome, prior confederations, and the development of English representative institutions.
4. Political theory, including the works of David Hume, James Harrington, John Locke, Montesquieu, Blackstone, and so on.

One important feature of the debates was, as John Jay and others put it, a sense of urgency. There was a sense that of the Americans could not make republicanism work, then (page 183) "it would not be likely to be tried again anywhere else." There was a sense that the time was special and that the United States could be a model.

This is a very nice work addressing the origins of the Constitution, what was at stake, what went into the debates and the structure of the Constitution.

Novus Ordo Seclorum is a very specific and academic read on the intellectual origins of the Constitution. Forrest McDonald, in what can only be described as a marvelously researched and specifically footnoted text, digs extraordinarily deep as he seeks out the philosophies and the readings of our framers and they sought to construct a more cohesive nation from an obviously failing and loosely assemble group of sovereign states under the Articles of Confederation. His research and range of knowledge is, at times, daunting. This is a work that is not easily read the first time and one that most, if not all, with an interest in this topic, will pull off their shelves through the years as a reference to further readings. A word of caution - this book should only be read by those who have a significant interest in a deep and academic research into this very specific topic. That said, simply wonderful historical research.

This book is actually the third of a sort of trilogy, begun with "We the People..." in 1958. It should be no surprise that Mc Donald thinks little of Charles Beard. In his earlier work (mentioned above) he did a great deal to discredit Beard's thesis that the founders created the Constitution in order to increase the values of the gov't securities that they held. He followed this in 1965 with "E Pluribus Unum", a work about the political wheeling and dealing that was behind the creation of, and opposition to, the Constitution. He turned his attention to the ideas that were important to the framers in "Novus Ordo Seclorum" in order to finish his career-spanning look at the basis of our government. I my view, the best thing about this book is the way that it is systematically put together. McDonald states the problem clearly early on, and then proceeds to analyze it step-by-step. His placing of the framing of the Constitution in its broader English context is outstanding, as is his discussion of the political and economic theory that the founders had available. But McDonald also makes it abundantly clear that the framers were no ivory tower theoreticians. They were pragmatic, hardnosed political realists who had a good grounding in the best available theory of their day. That combination of theoretical grounding and practical experience has always seemed to me to be the reason that the Constitution was so well crafted and enduring, and McDonald brings that out quite clearly. On another note, McDonald was characterized above as a "conservative historian". It is true that he has supported conservative causes and taken conservative stances throughout his career, but that seems to be beside the point here. McDonald was writing in an attempt to gain understanding about the framing of the Constitution, not to influence current political debate. To often today we look to the founders to resolve our current controversies. As a result people on both sides of the political spectrum have politicized our history in a way that I think leads to an impoverishment of understanding. I admire McDonald for trying to keep the scholarly ideal of detatchment in view, and doing the best he could to live up to it.

Craig Symonds has written an excellent, full biography of Confederate general Patrick Cleburne. He opens the biography with a very dramatic account of Cleburne's last engagement, at the battle of Franklin in November 1864, where he was killed. This really sets the mood for lively chronicle that follows.

Cleburne was born in Ireland in 1828 and came to the US in 1849. Although he had failed the apothecary course at Trinity College, Dublin, he began working as a druggist's clerk in Helena, AR. He also studied for the law. Appointed brigadier general after seizing the Little Rock Arsenal with his self-formed unit, the Yell Rifles, he saw action at Shiloh, Richmond, KY (where he was wounded), and Perryville. Promoted to major general, his military abilities and leadership qualities received high notice: for his brilliant and dogged defense of Ringgold Gap at Chattanooga against persistent Union attack he was formally thanked by the Confederate Congress. It was after this that he committed what is probably the most controversial act of his life: signing a petition (with 13 other officers) expressing the belief that blacks should be used as fighting men in the Southern army. Symonds discusses this incident at length, of course, and whether it was an act of bravery and foresight or one of naivete, it hurt Cleburne's reputation (he never got another promotion). Fighting under Hood, he was killed at Franklin.

Symonds is an excellent writer and presents his subject with verve and great narrative skill. It's a scholarly biography, but written with the general (though interested and informed) public in mind, and not just other scholars. Worth a spot on anyone's Civil War shelf. Highly recommended.

This book focuses on one of the great division commanders in the Confederate forces in the West during the Civil War--Irish born Pat Cleburne. The book's title gives a sense of his virtues--"Stonewall of the West." His division was one of the hardest hitting units in the Army of Tennessee. This book does a nice job of exploring his life and his work during the Civil War. It is competently written and well researched.

Born in Ireland, he led a hard scrabble life after the death of his father. Just short of his 18th birthday, he joined the 41st "Regiment of Foot" in the English Army. His tour of duty was not rewarding; after his departure from the military, he traveled to the United States, to settle in Helena, Arkansas.

In 1860, with Abraham Lincoln's election, he chose to go with the South, the newly born Confederate States of America. He had helped organize a militia company, the "Yell Rifles." Before long, he was a brigade commander and led his brigade at Shiloh. It is clear from his experience there that he had much to learn. His performance was uneven (as was that of many other officers as they learned from experience). But he continued to grow and learn; he assumed division command and the rank of major general after the bloody battle of Murfreesboro (or Stone's River), with heavyweights such as Lt. General William Hardee advocating on his behalf (Cleburne was less senior than other candidates for division command).

The book continues with a depiction of his role as division commander from there until his death at Franklin. His unit, at Chattanooga, was one of the stalwarts of the Confederate army even as other units crumbled as Thomas' forces assaulted Missionary Ridge in an almost unimaginable Union victory; he also played a critical role in organizing rear guard defenses as Bragg's dispirited army retreated from the debacle at Chattanooga.

The story continues with his service under Joseph Johnson and, finally, John Bell Hood. The book does a fine job of describing his role in the Army of the Tennessee until the butchery at Franklin. The book does a good job of describing what happened at Spring Hill, when a major union force escaped a trap set by Hood. Cleburne probably could have served well as corps commander, but he was destined never to rise above division command (his advocacy of arming slaves in the Confederate army did not help his cause).

All in all, a strong biography of one of the more interesting figures in the Confederate army--and one of its best fighting commanders. For those interested in Cleburne, this is a must read.

Had Patrick Cleburne fought in the Army of Northern Virginia instead of the Army of Tennessee, we surely would be overwhelmed with biographies of his greatness as a general. Because he was a general officer in the Army of Tennessee - the army most Southern writers have traditionally ignored and treated as the red headed step child of the Confederacy, there are far fewer books on him than his accomplishments would seem to warrant. Fortunately, Mr. Symonds has written an excellent biography of the general which puts his impressive accomplishments into perspective and begins to give this extraordinary fighting general his due.
The main focus of Symonds' work is on Cleburne the general, but he gives enough background of his youth in Ireland and his migration to and adoption of America as his new home to sketch what shaped his character and what motivated him to fight in the Southern cause. Cleburne emerges as an immigrant eager to assimilate and make the customs and mores of his new home his own; a man grateful for the opportunities and acceptance he received in Arkansas, and genuinely, if uncritically, committed to fighting for the cause of his adopted home.
Symonds also addresses Cleburne's role within the morass of intrigue that plagued the command structure of the Army of Tennessee. He shows Cleburne to have been one of the anti Bragg cartel, not as a primary mover, but because of his loyalty to his friend and mentor General Hardee (a principle Bragg opponent), and perhaps even more so because of his habit of candor that showed little regard for political expediency. This was damaging to his career, and perhaps among the principle reasons why he was never promoted above division commander, despite the fact that he was the brightest shining star in the army. He likewise touches on Cleburne's remarkable plan to enlist slaves in the Confederate army - offering freedom to any man and his family who would fight for the South. While Cleburne's reasoning showed clarity and logic, his judgment in presenting the plan to his fellow Southern officers showed amazing naiveté and foolhardiness, and further damaged his hopes for promotion.
But the reason there is a biography of Cleburne is the battles. Symonds traces them from his first minor engagements, through Shiloh, his first major battle, all the way to the final tragic, futile charge at Franklin. He shows how Cleburne's skills as a general developed; from simply a brave and bold leader without any great military skill at Shiloh, to an outstanding commander of men who creatively defended against overwhelming odds at Chattanooga, and became the armies designated rearguard, repeatedly saving it from destruction..
Symonds biography of Cleburne is well written and engaging. It makes a good beginning in putting General Patrick Cleburne back into his rightful place in the pantheon of Southern heroes. If you are a serious student of the Civil War, you should not consider your library complete without a copy. I highly recommend it.

Theo Logos

This is a very good book. Patrick Cleburne is my favorite civil war general, and this volume gives a very even-handed discussion of his life, from Ireland to Franklin, Tenn. In particular, it gives considerable space to his growth as a leader. The discussions of Shiloh and Franklin are very good, and understandable. The book gives attention to the General's private life, especially his tragic engagement to Miss Tarleton. In depth but not dry or overwhelming, STONEWALL OF THE WESTis a great introduction to this Commander of the often overlooked western theater!

This biography of Patrick Cleburne proves to be very readable and insightful. The book appears to be well researched and its obviously that the author favored his subject.

Cleburne appears to be a very controversial even while he was alive. Perhaps because of his foreign birth, he was more sympathic about the conditions of the blacks and made proposals that didn't go well with his fellow southerners. The book revealed that he was a superb leader and intelligent commander. His superiors definitely didn't aid their cause by keeping him just as a divison commander when he could have been an excellent corps commander - in an army where corps commanders were not well regraded.

The author painted a vivid and complete picture of this general whose reputation have grown considerably since the Civil War among all Civil War readers.

I recently read Mysterious Skin and it was one of the best novels I've read in a very long time. I could not wait to finish it and was sad once I did reach the end. So I decided to pick this one up next.

I know I'm in the minority here, but I really could not get into this novel. I thought it was very well written, but the story itself went nowhere. We have almost 300 pages of beautiful descriptions, and it all leads us to a place we already knew we were going to. There is no clear plot in this novel. I couldn't wait to finish it...so I could be finished with it!

The story is about a son and mother. The mother is dying from cancer. I could kind of relate to the hospital visits since my mom had to deal with all that last year (she's cancer free now, thankfully), but the story told in this novel is a bit out there. The most uninteresting thing was the story of his mother's disappearance. It seemed like a gimmick that was added to the original story just to pull the reader in, but it ultimately fails.

The good parts of this novel were the moments when the characters were not focusing on the missing children, or the mother's supposed disappearance as a child, but themselves as people dealing with the death of a loved one.

I think this novel could have been magnificent if the author had chose to write about everyday matters (Virginia Woolf does this well) without having to resort to the "missing children" plot that does nothing to further the main theme of the novel.

I'm looking forward to tracking the author's second novel, In Awe, because I do like his writing style and hopefully it will be more rewarding than this novel.

-Ater

*We Disappear* is a haunting novel about a mother and her grown son poring over missing children cases.

A young boy has gone missing, which Scott gets a call from his mother, Donna, asking him to come down to Kansas from Manhattan to solve this crime together. Addicted to meth, Scott relents and because his mother is sick with cancer.

However, he soon discovers, after his arrival, that his mother was once a victim of abduction as a child but was safely returned. For years, this "safe" abduction has bothered Donna. When she becomes too sick to carry on, Scott and her best friend, Dolores, continue to piece together this vague recollection of the abduction.

While she's sick and deemed delusional (of the alleged abduction), Scott doesn't realize that she has crafted a way to draw out her son from the world of meth.

I really enjoyed this haunting novel of a mother and son bonding over a hobby, an addiction and a past.

"We Disappear" is a lovely and haunting novel. It is a compelling portrait of drug addiction and the relationship between a mother and her grown son set within a mystery centered on old family secrets. I found it gripping from the first to last page. Anyone who read "Mysterious Skin", or saw the movie based on that novel, may find it even more interesting, as in some ways it seemed a continuation of that story. Highly recommended!

The magic of this book is how its narrative style reflects its characters and plot. The rich detail of the prose perfectly reflects the overtly detailed stories that the characters fabricate to make the "disappeared" children more real to them. Even as they are losing grip on reality and themselves, this lush description and storytelling spins a fascinating yarn that weaves it all together. Drugs, death and delusion only add to the disorienting but beautiful surreality that propels the characters and the reader to keep going. And even as lives and lines blur so that no one knows what the truth is, the writing is crisp and the characters are distinct. I had hoped for a more complete resolution, but I am sure the characters did as well. Sometimes we have all we can do to pack our lives full of detail and meaning to keep from disappearing ourselves.

The words "brave, honest, uncompromising, intimate, sincere, and uncomfortable" all come to mind when I think of Heim's work, and those words of course apply here with his latest novel, We Disappear.

With We Disappear, Heim delves further into themes which lay at the heart of his previous work: loss of innocence and the search for identity. Whereas Brian Lackey of Mysterious Skin struggled to discover the true meaning behind repressed childhood memories of abuse, Donna of We Disappear fights a battle against cancer while she attempts to piece together disjointed memories of being kidnapped at a young age. Of course, both Mysterious Skin and We Disappear are multi-tiered, with many narrative branches that cross and overlap, forming many layers. Mysterious Skin wasn't solely about Brain's search for answers, and that is the case here as well with Donna. Answers aren't always clear, and they usually don't come in the concise and defined form that we expect them to.

As far as layers go, I think that We Disappear may indeed be Heim's most intricate and complicated work to date. Yes, Donna is searching for answers about her past- and over the course of the novel, she and her son, Scott, investigate many cases which concern missing children. A boy named Otis appears to be a mystery unto his own self. Once the reader starts to peel away these layers however, one soon comes to understand that Warren isn't really the person at the heart of Donna's search. It's someone much closer to her, someone who doesn't even realize that he himself has disappeared.

If you're from Kansas City or have spent any meaningful amount of time there you must read this book. It is a great story that is apparently loosely (or maybe tightly) based on events that happened at a time when the city was really changing. Whitney Terrell is a fantastic writer that makes this a book that you can sit down and read in one sitting -- very engaging, funny and definitely intersting.

I thought it was excellent. Character and setting were very realistic. Story line was original.

One. Year. It took me an entire year to read this book. Don't blame the book. It was my fault. I started reading it, but then, my attention span shifted.

This is actually a fantastic book. It is written by Whitney Terrell, a native of Kansas City. This is one of the reasons the book interested me. To read a book written by a native of the city in the book is always interesting. I find that there is a richer amount of detail that can only be written by a native. Stephen King writes about Maine. Terrell writes about Kansas City. Simplicity and honesty.

The premise of the book is the development of the "fictional" Kings County on the Kansas side of the Kansas City Metro area. Those of us who live here know darn good and well that "Kings County" is actually Johnson County. Now, I do not know all the legal wrangling involved in the actual development of Johnson County. However, if they were anything like the proceedings in this novel, HOLY COW! Segregation, money, deceit...essentially the Calligula of Real Estate.

This is a novel that does not have the "edge of your seat" suspense that I typically read. No shootouts, no catastrophic virus epidemics, no espionage. Nope. Real Estate. Not a typical book that I would read. Still, it was extremely entertaining. There is something fun about reading a book and finding references to places you know. For example, in one passage, the main character of the story is driving southbound on I-35 and sees a billboard for Dolgin's Jewelers and the pole sign for Kopp's Carpets (even describing the sign's cartoon English Bobby police officer). Something about reading parts that you have personal knowledge of that makes things fun and interesting.

I won't tell you much about the book's plotline. I think residents of this fine city should simply read it for themselves. Particularly if you are a resident of Johnson County. It will make you think. Even if you are not a resident, this book will give you a good history (though probably - hopefully a bit embellished) of Kansas City from the 1950's up to 2002. I HIGHLY recommend it.

Mr. Loeb is perhaps a bit hasty in attacking his fellow reviewer "Ralph Wedin" for hiding in a cowardly manner behind the name of a teacher at Pembroke-Country Day. Ralph Wedin was one of my teachers; he was also the father of Ralph Wedin Jr., who graduated a couple of years before I did in 1963. I remember both Wedins warmly. Mr. Loeb could be correct that Mr. Wedin doesn't know much literary theory -- but Mr. Wedin the younger certainly knew more than I did as a student at Pem-Day.

This book gave me a headache. Some of the locations were really Kansas City and Johnson County, Kansas, but most were from some alternate universe in which a place oddly similar to Kansas City was developed by someone other than J.C.Nichols. I also found the ending of the book deplorable when suddenly the protagonist reveals that the whole thing is actually a letter to his 18-year-old daughter, the child he didn't know he had even fathered. I wonder how she'll react to the news that her mother was directly involved in the death of another human being (did he fall? or was he pushed?) and the rest of her family consists of successful bigots. I suppose if you'd never set foot in Kansas City, you might consider this to be pseudo history, but it's fantasy. And the real city, with its rich heritage, never has a chance to shine. Obviously Terrell knows all kinds of dirty little secrets, but if that's what he wanted to share, he could have shown some guts and written an excellent non-fiction book. He certainly has the knowledge and the skill.

This is a fine novel written at a time of overt racial discrimation about members of a family surviving the best way they could. It does have great relevance to the 21st century because although much has changed (this was the pre-civil rights period), much still needs to be changed. This book should be required high school or college reading.

Throughout the story you can see the talent of Langston Hughes. However, the subject was not unique or original for the current times. Granted, it may have been something special whe it was first written and published. We have all seen movies or read stories with the exact same plot; it's not worth reading if you're looking for a new story.

If you want to experience the beauty of Hughes' writing then you should give this novel a chance. It's a short read at 300 pages, but the poet's talent shines through in numerous passages.

This was my first exposure to the author and I will probably read more of his work along the way. Hopefully, there will be more unique story lines as I continue through his art.

This book by Langston Hughes captures the life of the Midwest through the eyes of a young growing by in the early 1900's. I thought the portrayal of that life, the struggles and hardships, and the community love despite thiese things, was excellent. The writing was simple and provided a good flow to draw me into the story and to be placed in the time frame. This is a keeper for the library collection.

Book was interesting and provided a genuine sense of life for blacks during the early part of this century. It started slow but towards the middle of the book the pace picked up and I enjoyed it more.

Such heart! I have read his poetry, but I had never read his prose. So smooth, so wonderful. I adore the characters. They followed me throughout the day. This is written so well, I really felt like I was right there. I also ran through a gamut of emotions while reading this. That's what a book should do - make me feel, make me think, make me wonder... This book did that for me.

The BTK killings began, as far as is known, in 1974 in Wichita, Kansas when four of the Otero family were found dead in their own home by their children coming home from school. Dennis Rader was a family man that, in all appearances, loved his family. Dennis Rader was NOT a nice man. He was the BTK killer who had started his life of fantasy sex and thrills with the Otero killings. He was careful not to leave any evidence around but took souvenirs from his crime sites. At that time little was known about DNA but its beginning was near so the police kept anything they thought would help in the future to help find this killer. The Otero killings by BTK were very violent as the bodies were posed after Rader had strangled them or had started to strangle so he could play with them while they died by taking photos, have his sexual fantasy's, and, if not dead, would make sure they were before he left. He spread his joy further by masturbating on the clothes or even on the dead people themselves.

The killing continued over long periods of time. Many police departments, state, local, and federal, were eventually brought in to the case. The four reporters that wrote this book did an excellent job of recreating the crimes while writing for the Wichita Eagle newspaper, while all along cooperating with the various authorities so the killer did not know the details of the case that was known. Richard LaMunyon was Chief of the Wichita Police Department when these crimes started. He had a lot of organizing to do while keeping panic down as much as possible. But, the people of Wichita could not help but become scared and worried with every move they made whether inside or out of their homes not knowing when this killer would strike again.

Kenny Landwehr was in his teens when the murders started. Kenny always wanted to be a cop and eventually did. He was promoted to Detective on the Wichita Police force in 1986. He was learning fast. He was made head of the Homicide Bureau and became even more involved in BTK's activities. He eventually made Lieutenant and worked day and night on the case. Lundwehr was by far not the only one working the case. Many from other law enforcement agencies were getting deeper into the investigation.

Rader got a job as Animal Code Enforcement Officer, a job that enabled him to get closer to his future victims and also get more strict with those people hoping he could get in their homes and seek his future methods of killing. The hunt for the BTK killer went on for years. Authorities and the press would think the killing had stopped when another victim would show up only to reinforce the fear of Wichita.

I felt occasionally the story got a bit too detailed but in general the BTK killer worked off of details and was sure to leave his handiwork so all would know it was the BTK killer again this time. Dennis Rader was a sadist. His family never had any idea what he was doing when he told his family he had to go someplace and do this or that. They never suspected what he was doing and had a hard time believing it when he was caught and charged. There is lots of gore in the book as it tells quite well what Rader did before and after his killings.

I really did like this book. I have too say that it did give me nightmares since I grew up in Wichita. The authors did a very good job. The storyline keeps you turning the pages.

This riveting chronological narrative of Wichita's infamous Bind Torture Kill (BTK) murders is one of the finest true crime books I've ever read, as well as the definitive account of the crimes (and capture) of the churchgoing citizen serial killer Dennis Rader.

What made the BTK case so unusual, of course, was the very ordinary nature of the killer himself, a Boy Scout (who learned his knots all too well), civil servant, husband, and father to two.

No one could believe that this solid member of the community could have committed such heinous acts, or that he could have gotten away with his crimes for decades.

Unfortunately even this comprehensive and well-written book can't answer the ultimate mystery: what made BTK kill? He was NOT the product of an abusive or alcoholic home. Yet from early adolescence he was driven by sexual compulsions he could not control, which somehow caused him to confuse sex with bondage and suffering in his mind.

At any rate, this book is a page-turner if ever there was one; I defy you to put it down until you finish it. IMO this title is FAR superior to FBI profiler John Douglas' book on the same subject.

Highly recommended.

Ths is at best a run of the mill true crime story which concentrates more on the cops who caught him than the killer himself.Very little attempt is made in understanding the mind of BTK. Do we really need to know about the family life of the detectives on the case, i dont think so

The writing isnt spellbinding, but the essential nutrients are there.

The book (and others) compell me to wonder about the FBI serial killer wizards. The thought crossed my mind that maybe theyre more like psychics and palm readers than scientists. Feather merchants?