Indiana Books

Some of the people pictured are my relatives,one is my father.
I've found this book to be a good connection to my past

For anyone interested in African American History in St. Louis, and particularly in Webster Groves-this book is a must! Filled with interesting photographs and charting the development of a unique community, this book lovingly portrays North Webster as only a resident could. If you know the area, you are sure to see places you'll recognize!

Astrid Henry has written a terrific book on the central debates within and between feminism and queer theory. Specifically, Henry interogates the mother-daughter trope too often used to behead second wave feminists (women active in the 1970s and 1980) by third wavers and queer feminists. Such tropes, Henry pleads, are not helpful, given that they misrepresent the complexity of 70s feminist sexual thought and the careful reading done by many third (and fourth?) wavers of the work that preceeded them. If mother/daughter or generational approaches are not helpful, Henry's mapping out of the divides, rhetorical and lived, are. Henry has given us a road map through key third wave and queer feminst texts since the feminist sex wars and the demise of the anti-pornography movement. She shows us just how worn out are the notions that feminists are anti-sex and lesbians are anti-male. Now, if feminists-- whatever generation or type-- could stop demanding their own originality (thus killing off their mothers or daughters as the case may be) and embrace history, a history of rich feminist debate, we could, as Henry suggests, think past some old unproductive divides.

Smart and jargon-free.

I have recently been reading a wide range of books in women's studies broadly conceived for a project whose details I won't go into. Of all the books that I have read so far, in many ways I have found this one to be both the most informative and the most illuminative. Although the main purpose of the book is to explore the generational conflict between second and third wave feminism, it in fact manages to do much more than explore merely that issue. Astrid Henry is an ideal person to undertake this study. Agewise she belongs to the third wave of feminism, while at the same time holding the second wave in much higher regard than the bulk of those feminists comprising the third wave. "Second wave" refers, of course, to the reemergence of the women's movement in the sixties and seventies in America. The "first wave" is considered to be the feminists of the last half of the 19th century and the first two decades of the 20th, the years between the passing of universal suffrage and the revival of the women's movement in the sixties and seventies considered a period in which the women's movement was largely nonexistent (historian William H. Chafe has written an interesting book on what happened during these decades when supposedly nothing happened, THE AMERICAN WOMAN: HER CHANGING SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND POLITICAL ROLES 1920-1970). The second wave was comprised by a large number of women, but Henry is concerned with the way that the third wave has narrowed and misunderstood the second wave. She writes as one perplexed at her own generation.

The image of feminism that the third wave is rebelling against is a common one; one could almost say that it has become the stock image of a radical feminist. These women are perceived to be frumpy, lacking joy, asexual, anti-heterosexual, and ruthless in imposing a feminist orthodoxy that no one can transgress. The main figures associated with this image are Catherine MacKinnon and Andrea Dworkin. Certainly, anyone who engaged with feminists during the height of the second wave realizes that there is some truth to this stereotype. I remember vividly being told that I could not be a male feminist because men were "invaders" of women's bodies. I was told by someone else that I couldn't listen to the Rolling Stones because of the way women were portrayed in their songs, especially "Under My Thumb" (nevermind that Mick Jagger himself became uneasy with the song in the seventies and stopped performing it for largely political reasons). In one of the more surreal moments, one feminist told me that another feminist couldn't be a "real" feminist because she shaved her legs, while the other declared her accuser to be a fake feminist because she wore nail polish.

The problem is, as Henry shows so well, that the second wave embraced so much more than the MacKinnon-Dworkin feminist puritans. Although in the popular imagination second wave feminists were anti-sex, the fact is that the sex wars fought between the censorship and victimization crowd and the pro-sex crowd was won decisively by the pro-sex advocates, far in advance of the emergences of the third wave. Moreover, especially among black feminists like bell hooks and Alice Walker, as well as S&M lesbian feminists like Pat Califia were articulating many of the same ideas that would later be espoused by the third wave.

What interests Henry is why the third wave has been so indebted to a greatly truncated vision of what the second wave espoused. Her assessment leads to the understanding that much of the difference between the second and third wave amounts to the need of the younger feminists to have a movement against which they can rebel. But since what they actually want to hold is similar to what many within the second wave held, they have to create something of a straw woman. In many ways the third wave cherry picks the ideas that they imagine belong to all second wave feminists and rebel against not the actual second wave but a constructed second wave that excludes a hold of writers and thinkers who contradict the caricature they has been constructed. The result is basically a mother-daughter conflict, with younger feminists battling against what they perceive to be the sins of the mothers, while the mothers are perplexed at the way they have been rejected.

Though Henry does not map out a plan of reconciliation between the mothers and daughters, she does point to one possible source, and that is the recognition of the decisive though underappreciated connection between race and feminism. The first wave feminists started off as abolitionists so that the movement literally was created in the struggle against slavery. The second wave was largely inspired by the civil rights movement and many of its canonical figures were black feminists. The third wave has had a host of black, Asian, and Hispanic feminists involved. In fact, the first declaration of the existence of a third wave was made by Alice Walker's biracial daughter Rebecca. Henry points out that attention to the black feminists of each generation gives the lie to the distorted, abridged version that many in the third wave work with.

So, from my description here one can easily imagine that the book serves as an excellent introduction to both the second and third waves of feminism. But it also provides a superb literature survey, giving one interested in reading further a host of titles from all periods of feminism to read. Almost the entire book proceeds by discussing various books and essays contained in anthologies. It also does a great job of explaining the role that race plays in feminist thought, even if feminism itself doesn't always acknowledge it. To be sure, feminism is all too often thought to be a product by and for white women. Henry tries to act as a corrective to this misunderstanding.

I can't recommend this book strongly enough to anyone interested in issues within women's studies. One will find few books that cover so many issues within feminism so well nor any book that discusses the central conflict within feminism with such understanding and sympathy for both sides of the issue.

A few years ago I ran upon a book titled: "Gettysburg: A Meditation on War and Values" by Kent Gramm. Being a history teacher and Civil War enthusiast, I bought the book and devoured it. I use it as a guide on my annual trip to Gettysburg. I was always wondering when Mr. Gramm would publish a new book. Well, the wait is over. "November" picks up where "Gettysburg" left off. This book is excellent for students of the Civil War and general history enthusiasts alike. Mr. Gramm uses Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and the month of November as a starting point for his interpretations of several key events in history, both in America and in the world. Included in his analysis are JFK's assasination, the death of C.S. Lewis, the Holocaust, RFK's impact on America, and the Vietnam War. Mr. Gramm also traces his family history and writes eloquetly about how his ancestry fits into the larger canvas of American history. Using Lincoln's famous words, Mr. Gramm paints a portrait of the deeper meanings of our identity as Americans, our history, and our place in the world. This is not a work of history in the tradition of batte narratives or campaign overviews. Rather, it is a moving, deep and touching look at the heartbeat and soul of the America that Lincoln spoke about in November 1863 and how it applies to us in the 21st century. As you read this excellent book, you will be reminded of Lincoln's gift of eloquence. The month of November has witnessed numerous key events in the history of America and the world. Thanks to Mr. Gramm and his magnificent book, these events have taken on a deeper, more spirtiual meaning to me. I recommend this book without hesitation or reservation.

Kent Gramm's latest book, November, Lincoln's Elegy at Gettysburg, is a remarkable achievement. This work contains a profound series of meditations on history, loss, values, idealism, and patriotism, inspired by Gramm's sojourn, throughout the month of one November, in and around Gettysburg. Although his search for the exact spot where Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg address is the ostensible reason for his visit there, this quest - and his determination to reflect each day on what Lincoln had been doing on each day of November 1963 (leading up to and following the delivery of the address) - actually provide a touchstone for reflections both wide and deep on our country's history, and the standards to which we must hold ourselves. World War I, Vietnam, World War II, the Civil War, the assassination of JFK, the life of Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther and Martin Luther King, modernism and postmodernism, and the loss of beloved parents, all provide topics for thoughtful rumination. This book is profound, absorbing, inspiring, poetic, and deeply moving. It is a book you will want to revisit, and from which you will find yourself reading aloud to friends.

Baracchi is a former student of professor John Sallis (Being and Logos). Being the Republic at the same time one of the most studied and one of the most forgotten of Plato texts, since we have the tendency of spending more time with the comments than with the actual text, her book is a very impressive effort in the direction of establishing 'one less republic', as she says herself. In a very elegantly written book, Baracchi attempts to get back to Plato's text. In that way, in this confrontation with tradition, her effort could be compared to what Michel Narcy did in Le philosophe et son double. The difference is that she does not attempt here, as Narcy did there, a complete explanation of the dialogue. What she does is indentify some of the most important questions that perpass the whole dialogue, what makes it possible for us to read it in a new light. And that is the most important thing one could do for a platonic text, really. To let it shine again, making it possible for us to read it again.

I can't recommend this work enough. If you are tired of mediocre superficial interpretations of Plato or if you are sick of analytic reductions of Plato's genius, then this work will restore your faith in current philosophy.

This work falls within the Continental tradition of philosophy so the aim is not to look where Plato's "arguments" fail or to draw Venn diagrams, but rather Baracchi sets out to do exactly what the title says: to describe and interpret myth, life, and war as they appear in Plato's Republic. At times there surface some Derridarian and feminist influences, but fortunately these are barely noticeable and shouldn't turn anyone off. Luckily, Baracchi is enough of an original scholar to avoid following the disastrous trend of seeing everything in the light (or rather darkness) of Derrida. If one is not used to the writing style of Continental philosophy, then one may be perhaps surprised or annoyed at first. But Baracchi writes beautifully and with such charm that any initial misgivings should be quelled quickly. She truly stands out among the newer scholars and I look forward to reading her future work.

To summarize this work or to try to distill important points would be an enormous task in itself as every page has more to say than entire books on Plato. The interpretation here is so rich and original that no reader will be disappointed or think that he hasn't gotten something out of this text. This is the type of work that lets you see The Republic in a new and fresh light; you will end up making notes on every page because it is a terrific catalyst for one's own thinking on Plato.

This book is a must for fans of John Sallis's work on Plato and for anyone looking for a fascinating, deep, thought-provoking interpration of Plato. Even if you are not familiar with Continental philosophy or you have been trained to avoid or dislike it--don't miss out on this fantastic book.

My only complaint is with the atrocious cover illustration used-- I take it the author is not to be faulted. This great book deserves better than a "work" by an "artist" known for doing hideous baby scribbles on a piece of paper.

_Old Dreams of a New Reich: Volkish Utopias and National Socialism_ by Jost Hermand is a book which provides a fascinating examination of some of the literature surrounding the rise and subsequent fall of the Third Reich. The book examines many sources, mostly idealistic and utopian in nature, from philosophers and writers, as well as a great deal of the science fiction and fantasy type novels that proliferated during the rise of the Third Reich. The book also provides an excellent collection of pictures, including detailed drawings by National Socialist fellow travellers, Volkish utopians, and Romantic Teutonic dreamers, which make this book quite unique. This book shows how those within the Volkish movement beginning in the Nineteenth century and culminating after the defeat in the First World War, calling for a Third Reich, were naïve dreamers and utopians, whose viewpoints were ruthlessly exploited by the opportunists within the upper echelons of the NSDAP proper, and Hitler himself. The book also traces out the background of Hitler and shows precisely which aspects of Volkish ideology and utopian theorizing were to play an influence on him as he grew in power after commandeering the reigns of the NSDAP. It should be noted that pastoralist and utopian dreams frequently became replaced by purely technocratic and Social Darwinist ideologies as soon as Hitler came to power. The book includes a vast amount of detail beginning with early calls for a socialised utopia by Fichte (and other philosophers) in the spirit of the French Revolution as well as along the lines of those laid out by Tacitus in his _Germania_ (the society of the primitive Germanic tribes), to calls for a restored kingdom (under a great ruler (Der Furher) - a supposed revival of that of Friedrich the Great), to the ideas of various "Aryanosophists" and pan-German nationalists (early preludes to the NSDAP) such as Guido von List, to the calls for "conservative revolution" by those "leftists on the right" such as Ernst Junger and Oswald Spengler, to the bizarre theories of Hans Horbiger (believed in by Hitler himself) regarding a global age of ice (made popular by the novelist Edmund Kiss), to the ideas of the Land Reform movement of Volkish idealists calling for a move towards the East and emphasizing the agricultural ways of the old Teuton, as well as beliefs in a primitive Teutonic matriarchy needed to achieve breeding towards the superior race, to the ideas of Hitler himself. This book makes available literature that has not become available in any other place, much of it destroyed after the war (or suppressed during the Third Reich by Hitler as heretical, an apostasy from official Third Reich propaganda). The book also includes material made available during the Second World War regarding the superiority of the German race and nation, much of it science fiction literature (often extreme in both its racism and anti-Semitism). For containing all this information, mostly discarded by other historians who will not touch upon the irrational elements behind the Third Reich, this book is to be highly recommended.

I was somewhat sceptical before purchasing this book, since most German historians these days write their books with an extremely annoying Marxist terminology; EVERYTHING is interpreted as the struggle between the "classes", even when it is blatantly obvious that the subject has nothing whatsoever to do with this nonsense. Although this book shows tendencies to this from time to time, it is not something you get annoyed by. The book chronicles the authors and their work in the field of prose literature by the radical "Right" in Germany, from the early 1800's, to the end of Germany in the Ragnarok of 1945.

Seeing as no books are written in a vacuum, Hermand includes a lot of information about the general history of Germany and the political and ideological development that took place on this side of the political spectre. Most of the literature from these gentlemen of the radical "Right" was relatively Utopian and Apocalyptic, and most of it is today very hard to find, being condemned to the bonfires in the "de-nazification process" of post-war Germany. In these literary purges all the literature deemed "brown" by the occupational forces was purged from libraries and private collections and only very few copies remained. Hermand has done everyone interested in this period, and especially those who are unable to read German, a big favour with all his short résumés of this vast literature, and the intellectual milieu it was created in.

The book mentions a lot of names and books, most of them unknown today and also manages to paint a very thorough picture of the times as well. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in the various Utopian movements, thinkers and authors in Germany from the 1800's to 1945 that took their part in the struggle against the Modern world. As a bonus I can mention that the edition is very pretty, filled with wonderful art and photographs that would have been worth the price of the book alone.

Highly recommended!

This book shows the level and complexity of organized crime and political corruption in the United States. Using Seattle, WA as a place of study, Chambliss looks at all levels of corruption in the city and the effect it has on poltical decision making leading up to the 1972 Grand Jury Indictment.

Professor Chambliss bravely exposes crime and how it is allowed to operate in the big city of Seattle, and how it extends throughout the nation and other governments. When you read it, you will lose your naivity and your false sense of security, because you will learn how government really operates and for whom. It is the truth spoken when legislators can do nothing to rid the governments in WA state of their vipers, and out of fear one sent her own grandchildren to live in another state. This book is a must for all interested in the truth of political power. Look for it's sequel which is in the works, so says the grapevine.

Iy is an out standing history of one of the most unknown but sucessful amphibious operations of World War I. The author did a fantastic job of making it interesting reading. Highly recommended to any person who is interested in World War I.

Where was the most successful amphibious operation of World War I? Was it in Turkey, German East Africa, or maybe Estonia?

In the first amphibious assault of the war (1914), a large British Indian Army attempted a landing at Tanga, German East Africa that ended in disaster. Winston Churchill's Gallipoli Campaign (1915) is regarded as a symbol of military incompetence and calamity resulting in 141,113 Allied casualties.
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Author Michael B. Barrett's "Operation Albion: The German Conquest of the Baltic Islands" brings to light an amazing, completely overlooked campaign so completely atypical to the ubiquitous World War I trench war narrative we are so accustomed to.

"In October 1917, an invasion force of some twenty-five thousand soldiers of the German XXIII Reserve Corps, accompanied by a flotilla of 10 dreadnaughts, 350 other vessels, a half-dozen zeppelins, and 80 aircraft" set out for the Gulf of Riga.

Operation Albion's objective was the capture of Russian controlled Baltic Islands, near Riga, and uncomfortably close to Russia's capital, St. Petersburg. Why were the Baltic Islands an attractive target for Germany? Dr. Barrett reveals, "The Germans hoped their seizure would be the final blow to a Russian seething with revolutionary discontent, and even if the loss of the islands did not lead to immediate capitulation, capturing them would breach the Russian defenses and doom St. Petersburg."

Dr. Barrett's meticulously researched and finely written book draws on new material recently made available from Russian archives.

This well- constructed narrative lets the reader eavesdrop on meetings as the Germans carefully planned their invasion of the Baltic Islands. "What is astonishing," cites the author, "is that Operation Albion was conducted by military forces with no experience in either amphibious or joint warfare."

The author takes us inside the "kriegsspiel" where the commanders carry out their final war game rehearsal of Operation Albion. Dr. Barrett does a fine job presenting the myriad issues German planners faced.

The success of the invasion depended on careful coordination of landings, bombardments and timely seizure of key positions. Much of the German time- table hinged on Russia's slow initial reaction and, always, there was the incessant threat of mines. Naval planners agonized over how minesweepers would quickly carry out their vital work without detection.

German battleships were assigned the bombardment of fortifications and shore batteries. Quickly, assault troops were to be ferried ashore in torpedo boats and motor launches. Local artillery support for the landings was to be supplied by 88mm and 105mm guns aboard the torpedo boats.

In good weather, aircraft based from a seaplane tender would provide air cover and reconnaissance.

Among the planners, there was much apprehension about possible interference from a squadron of British submarines known to be operating from the nearby Finland coast.

The bulk of the chosen German infantry were bicycle troops. Their speed would be critical in cutting off Russian troops attempting to retreat off Osel island's west causeway and escape to the Estonian mainland.

As Dr. Barrett's book makes clear, the command structure for such a complex, unique joint services operation was difficult to resolve. Differing army and navy officers, government officials, and royalty contended for the prestigious leadership positions. When even the Kaiser's brother, Prince Henry, sought the assignment, the Head of the Navy Cabinet, embarrassed the Kaiser by stating the "Prince did not possess the necessary qualifications."

Dr. Barrett systematically details the Russian's defensive plan on each island, pointing out unit strengths, fortifications, trench lines, road- blocks, and the disposition of artillery pieces as well. The author discloses, the Russian ground commander, Rear Admiral Sveshnikov, intended to concentrate troops at the few landing zones, then conduct a delaying action by taking advantage of dense forests and bogs, and mainly defending road junctions and choke points.

The Russian naval defenses featured two pre-dreadnaughts and two cruisers along with many smaller warships. It was hoped that carefully positioned minefields would keep German battleships from coming close enough to bombard the fortifications. Long- range shore batteries protected the minefields from German minesweepers.

Historian Paul Halpern described the defensive naval plan Russia implemented as "a form of naval trench warfare, with the ships sheltering behind the minefields and coordinating their fire with the powerful coastal batteries."

The author insightfully notes, that the Russians had long expected a German attack on the Baltic Islands. Russian spies quickly detected the frenzied marshalling of forces taking place in the assembly ports. They evidently had expected the attack almost 20 days before hand. "Exhausted by the constant vigilance, however, the Russians finally lowered their guard." Dr. Barrett explains. At that point, the Germans launched their last military operation in the East during the First World War.

In Chapter Five, the author skillfully narrates the fight for Osel, Moon, and Dago Islands. Quickly moving German bicycle troops raced to take key positions before panicky Russian army units could effectively react. The two fleets engaged in cat-and-mouse naval actions in the shallow, mine-filled, surrounding waters.

To what extent did Russian submarines, minefields, and surface units seriously disrupt the German naval operations?

Did Russian officers rally their mutinous troops to throw back the German invasion?

Would the German Navy's zeppelins and powerful battleships corner and annihilate the Russian fleet?

Could trapped Russian army units -- backed up by heavy artillery and armored cars -- brush aside the lightly armed German bicycle troops blocking the strategic Osel causeway and escape to the Estonian mainland?

Ultimately the reader will find out if the Germans were able to deliver "a crushing blow" that would knock Russia out of the war.

"Operation Albion: The German Conquest of the Baltic Islands" contained 9 excellent indispensable maps and 37 interesting photographs (including 6 of rare naval actions). This solid and authoritative book will appeal to anyone interested in World War I, naval operations and military history.


About the author

Michael B. Barrett is Professor of History at the Citadel and Brigadier General (retired), U.S. Army Reserve. Prof. Barrett graduated from The Citadel in 1968 with honors and a degree in Modern Languages (German). He was also a Distinguished Military Graduate. He did his M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Massachusetts and had a Fulbright Scholarship to Germany for dissertation research.

His most recent publication is a book titled "Operation Albion: The German Conquest of the Baltic Islands", from Indiana University Press. He is currently working on a history of the Austro-German Campaign in Romania, 1916. He lives in Charleston, South Carolina.

I had never heard of Oskar Fischinger until I came across his "Kreise", and was surprised that such a work had been conceived in 1933. It predates and anticipates today's synchronized light shows, abstract music videos, and even Winamp visualizations.

Nevertheless, Fischinger remains a relative unknown. Thankfully William Moritz's biography provides a great deal of information on Fischinger's life and artistic influences. It is rather short, but it makes up for this with generous color illustrations throughout, which are definitely worth the price of admission. A complete descriptive filmography and a collection of "statements" from people who knew Fischinger round out the book.

It's a good book (if not the only book) for learning more about Fischinger and his work.

This book is a labor of love, and the culmination of Dr. Moritz's 30+ years of research and work with Oskar's widow, Elfriede. It includes statements written by Oskar about his films; testimonials from several generations of filmmakers inspired by Fischinger; a detailed filmography; and extensive appendices. It is a must-read for anyone interested in Fischinger, or the history of animation.

Where are the people who are out and out evil? Where are the 'Nazis' as depicted by both history and Hollywood?

Instead, we see real people. People just like us. That is what makes the book so disturbing. These aren't fanatics, instead they are ordinary people, some of who still see their involvement in the Third Reich as being periphery.

The evil is there, it's just so banal, so integrated within the lives of those involved that it's hard for the reader to acknowledge and accept.

These people could be us.

A well crafted, historically accurate, behind the scenes look at life during the the rise of Nazi Germany. I felt it adressed a view that few talk about in this day and age. A thought provoking read!

What can i say about Otto Rahn and the Quest for the Grail.

This is the True story of the True Indiana Jones. An Amazing Journey through the Life of Otto Rahn who was a True Initiate of Secret Knowledge and had access to a web of Secret Societies having their origin in Fin De Siecle France. His involvement with the Nazis brought him attention and Money but his true Missions carried on regardless bringing him in contact with other Initiates like Marlene Dietrich. Mr Graddons book details these connections as no other Book has done before and one can branch off between the lines to many areas of research. This book is not a Novel to be read once but to be kept as a Reference for Nazi Occultism and Continental Esoterica of the last 2 Centuries.

I saw about 3 books simultaneously intertwined and i can see new spin offs
for further indepth research.

Tbis is a MUST BUY.

There is alot of information in this book that you can't get anywhere else. I only wish there was more. It not only gives you some insight into a man the world seems to know little or nothing about, but it gives you some insight into how the Nazis believed they could enforce world domination. It doesn't seem that Otto Rahn was sympathetic to the Nazi cause. And maybe, after reading the book, I am thinking that he did find something in the Pyranees in France. Read the book and see for yourself. You won't be able to put it down.