Kansas Books

I haven't enjoyed a book as much as this for a long time. I've read this book at least four times and refer to it on a regular basis. Unfortunately, the average Christian and/or "sinner" (non christian) will not have any inclination as to why this book is so relevant.

Gerard Reed has validated a lifetime of dissatisfaction I've had with contemporary Christianity and solidified my determination to continue to seek God despite my faults and the hypocrisy of modern churches.

I've read Lewis for years and the underlying current of unconditional love and overpowering strength of God's love has been completely realized in "...The Bright Shadow of Holiness".

Your passion just might be God's calling card! The idea that God is a creator/architect and the ideals that we, naturally, come about during our lives, may just be evidence of the divine. Lewis recognized later in life that the "joy" he felt when he was having revelation of a thing, or the appreciation of beauty and perfection, may have been the wooing of the Holy Spirit, drawing him to God. This book describes in detail the possibility that God may have been active in your life, whether or not you've sought it out. You may be closer to God than you think.

I keep extra copies to give to friends and family.

The book is genius!

Thought holiness was stiff, legalistic and restricting? This book will change the way you see yourself and the way you see God. Holiness is explained the way it has always meant to be. Enjoy it. You won't regret owning this book.

This book did not disappoint. it covered most every scenerio christians will come accross in the secular work world and what to do about it. WWJD? It's one to be kept on the self to refer back to for sure. timelessly written. Just browse the titles and you'll see why. The pages inside also recommend other books that sound very helpful. I appreciate that.

I hate to read. But I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. I felt as if it were targeted to my needs, my life.

The author offers several hypothetical situations and real-world case-studies to illustrate his points.

Topics covered include: witnessing, conflict resolution, work ethics, forgiveness, family priority, being a good manager / subordinate, ... All based firmly on Scripture.

As a Kansan raised on the pro-John Brown, pro-Jayhawker propaganda prevalent in my state as a child, this book was a wake up call. This is the first and only account I have seen about the conflict between Kansas and Missouri during the Civil War that's presented in a level-headed and objective manner. Some of the language (i.e. gratuitous use of the words "Negro" and "Indian") serves as a frequent reminder that this book was penned during the late 1950s, but aside from that it remains quite prescient. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know what Kansas was really like during the Civil War. In the end you're likely to be a bit disappointed - Not with the book, but with the realization that there were no heroes in Kansas during that time and that Kansans didn't generally stand firmly in support of the kinds of values we attribute to them today.

Albert Castel was able to make the Civil War in Kansas apeal to the senses. The truth about the war and how it tore society apart while bringing it back together. The book is one of the best about Kansas during the Civil War.

This book has been wonderful company to me both at home and while travelling. If you are absorbed by the Civil War and Herman Melville, you will love "The Civil War World of Herman Melville" down to your toes. Best of all, no matter how well you think you know Melville or the Civil War, you will learn something you didn't know before. The book is an almost day-to-day journey through the war from the home front to the battle front with a family that just happens to be that of America's greatest writer. I love this book without having been fully convinced by Mr. Garner's views on the value of Melville's war poems, and while disagreeing with his harsh judgement of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. I do agree with the above reviewer who advises having a copy of "Battle Pieces" on hand as a pleasure enhancer.

Stanton Garner details a day by day chronology of Melville's activities during the Civil War and links them to Melville's first published book of poetry, _Battle Pieces: Aspects of the War_. Garner's prose is elegant, his sources are thoroughly documented, and his insights into Melville's art are incisive and illuminating. Readers interested in the Civil War may find much of interest pertaining to daily life in northern communities, but this book is not about the War as much as it is about Melville and _Battle Pieces_.

_Battle Pieces_ has been dismissed by some critics as a collection of poorly executed war poems by a failed writer past his prime, but Garner shows us how Melville exercises his prodigious creative talent to build a literary work unlike any contemporary product in the style of its poems and in its substantive treatment of a complex subject. By placing the poems in their historic context and linking them to the family's political views (conservative Democrats disposed toward support of the McClellan candidacy etc.), we gain insight into many otherwise hidden associations.

Garner's chronology begins with Melville's 1859 voyage to San Francisco aboard his brother's ship _The Meteor_ and continues until just after the publication of _Battle Pieces_ in 1866. Among the more interesting episodes is Melville's visit to the front during the late winter of 1864 to see his cousin, Lt. Henry Gansevoort. This leads to an evening's audience with General Grant, where we imagine Melville gaining valuable material for his work. The next day, he joins an expedition of troops scouting for Moseby's men during which he is directly exposed to the dangers of war.

Some prospective readers may be tempted to wait for the publication of Hershel Parker's second volume of _Herman Melville: A Biography_. Parker's work, written in much the same style, will have the benefit of Parker's decades of experience updating the Melville Log, so we can expect additional biographical detail. But Garner's insights into Melville's literary work give _Civil War Years_ enduring value worthy of a separate volume.

While Garner provides pertinent excerpts of Melville's poems as he discusses them, readers will want a copy of _Battle Pieces_ near them as they read.

Very good history book for those wanting to know where the Civil War actually started.

James Denny is a historian with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. John Bradbury is Senior Manuscript Specialist at the Western Historical Manuscript Collection in Rolla, Missouri. Together these two experts have collaborative to write "The Civil War's First Blood: Missouri 1854-1861". Missouri was a border state that saw increasing conflict over the issues of states' rights and slavery during the 1850s that would result in divided loyalties between the North and the South among families, friends and neighbors resulting in confrontation and violence that would eventually erupt into open civil war. This is the story of a slave state surrounded by adjoining free states, of Governor Claiborne Jackson's advocacy of secessionism that failed to find support among a majority of Missouri's citizenry and lead to his being chased by U.S. forces directed by general Nathaniel Lyon and U.S. Representative Frank Blair -- men determined to secure Missouri for the Union. This is also the story of Kansas Jayhawkers raiding Missouri towns along the length of the Kansas-Missouri border, and of Confederate forces coming up from Arkansas but failing to establish a permanent influence in favor of the Southern cause. Profusely illustrated, "The Civil War's First Blood" is a fascinating and informative read, as well as a valued and recommended addition to personal, academic, and community library American Civil War reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

A father and his son discover that Kansas does have mountains, and many other wonderful things, as they spend a Sunday afternoon bonding on the plains of Kansas. The charming story by George Shannon is beautifully illustrated by Thomas B. Allen. Gorgeous pastels of the wheat fields, grain elevators and sleepy main streets will be quickly recognizable to anyone from the midwest. The twist is - the words and illustrations will make you see your surroundings in a new way, just like the little boy in the book!

Hey--Kansas isn't flat-there are many hills, and this book is an awesome read---and sooooooo funny. You don't have to be from Kansas to enjoy the midwest humor---everyone from Kansas doesn't not have a dog named Toto! You will also find little tidbits of history.

This fascinating book represents Gene Clanton's matured historical wisdom about the importance of Populism in Kansas during the Gilded Age. From Sockless Jerry Simpson to the Wizard of Oz, Clanton illuminates the significant story of agrarian discontent in this crucial state along with the leaders and issues that make the subject so interesting and controversial. Clanton's work also provides key background for understanding modern American politics. Lewis L. Gould, Professor Emeritus, University of Texas at Austin

Readers of Thomas Frank's current bestseller, WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH KANSAS: HOW CONSERVATIVES WON THE HEART OF AMERICA, would do well to add O. Gene Clanton's A COMMON HUMANITY: KANSAS POPULISM AND THE BATTLE FOR JUSTICE AND EQUALITY 1854-1903, to their personal library. In a well-researched and written volume, Clanton adds the human interest details of how early Kansas agrarians struggled in the last half of the 19th century to overcome the burdens of industrial monopolies and credit shortages.

Clanton, like Frank a Kansas native, points out that although the Populist--or People's--Party withered away with the coming of the new century, its adherents' educational efforts laid the groundwork for the later successes of more potent and progressive reform efforts.

David C. Flaherty, editor emeritus, Washington State University, 12/10/04

I was lucky enough to live in Topeka 4 years where Ms. Davis wrote a column. I loved her then and I love her now.

How often have you read a book and said to yourself, that's exactly the way I have always felt about that, or thought about that? Have you ever wondered if you were the only person in the world who considered an act, an idea, a dream to be impossible?
Davis is (if you will pardon the cliche) "every woman" when she discusses her friends, her children, her fears, her humiliations, her triumphs, her hopes. You will weep with her, and laugh with her. One night, reading in bed, I had to literally cover my mouth so that my laughter would not ring through the house, and wake everyone up. The description of her "big interview" with a local radio station is hilarious. I recommend this book as a gift to friends who appreciate a good sense of humor and who have the gift of being able to laugh at themselves, because that is exactly what you are doing when you read Davis. She is without a doubt the Erma Bombeck of our generation. She picks up where Erma left off....and oh how we needed that!

This book is a must-have gem. I've been acquainted with Kansas City, my mother's hometown, all my life, and never had any idea of the richness and diversity the city has to offer. This book is an extensively (one could even say obsessively) researched tool that has chapters on every conceivable topic, from the outdoors to religious organizations to fine cuisine. Volunteer opportunities and other ways to really engage in the community abound. Connect with Kansas City is a truly unique resource that will improve your experience in Kansas City whether you are a first time visitor, an infrequent visitor (like myself) or a lifetime resident. The author's insights about the value of "social capital" were clearly a guiding force in both the conception and the implementation of the book. Worth its weight in gold!

Order this book now! It is full of things to do and ways to engage in our community. Sandy James makes it easy for us to enjoy Kansas City and all our community provides. A must read for anyone new to our city but also for those of us who have been here for awhile and need some fresh ideas.

Toibin examines Sean O'Casey's early literary life in context with the historical figures around him- Lady Gregory and W.B. Yeats. Particularly, the consternation surrounding Sean's controversial PLOUGH AND THE STARS and the defence Yeats and Gregory showered on him. A hugely enjoyable play.

American Director-Harold Prince wrote his own play GRANDCHILD OF KINGS, A version of Sean's early life based upon O'Casey's own autobiographies.

Grandchild of kings
Sean O'Casey - Autobiographies: I Knock at the Door ; Pictures in the Hallway ; Drums Under the Windows
Sean O'Casey: Autobiographies II : Inishfallen, Fare Thee Well, Rose and Crown, Sunset and Evening Star

I've lived in Dublin for four months now, and seen a few plays in my time here. The best by far was Toibin's Beauty in a Broken Place, performed at the Peacock Theatre on Abbey Street.
I learned more about theatre, Irish history and culture, and the artistic spirit in the two and a half hours I spent watching this play than in the countless classes I've attended here. This is a wildly interpretive and yet heartreakingly simple and true retelling of the bonds between famed Irish playwrights William Butler Yeats, Sean O'Casey, and Lady Gregory, set against the backdrop of the Irish uprisings and the opening of O'Casey's controversial play (another must-read,) The Plough and the Stars.
I cannot recommend this play highly enough. Read it, go and see it, absorb it...I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!