Kentucky Books

The first chapter is about the Gaines family, how is it Mr. Weisenburger can make so many mistakes and no one seems to notice. Did he use newspaper articles of the day for his chapters having to do with the trial? If he can take a 12 page letter from Sept. 14, 1852 and change the names of those in the letter how can we believe he could get the rest of the story right ? The Gaines family genealogy chart is wrong and possibly gotten off any one of the internet genealogy websites.
He constantly refers to a "teenage or young" Archibald, this Archibald was 25 years old ! And this Archibald was the oldest child of John Pollard Gaines.
He gets the dates wrong to so many things you have to wonder what else is wrong ?
This book may have been more accurate if the author had consulted with descendants of the Gaines, Bedinger or Marshall families, which he did not.
Mr. Weisenburger's bio at the University of Kentucky states "Steven is a fanatical researcher of primary sources." With so many errors, I do not see that...

In February 1857, slave Margaret Garner fled from her master Archibald Gaines's Kentucky plantation. She, her husband Robert, his parents, and their four children crossed the frozen Ohio River in Cincinnati, hiding out in the cabin of one of Margaret's cousins, a free black. Gaines quickly trailed them to the cabin, and, in one quick moment, Margaret picked up a knife and killed one of her children, not wanting any of them to go back into slavery.

In "Modern Medea," author Steven Weisenburger uses court documents, newspaper stories and other sources from the time to examine this almost-forgotten trail that challenged the 1850 Fugitive Slave Law. We follow along with the entire trial, seeing all the tricks that both defense and prosecution lawyers used to either bring a quick end to proceedings or to protract them in order to keep the Garners on free soil. The trail also gives us an interesting look into politics, the pro-slavery mindset, abolitionism view, and the media perception and bias of the time.

What I found most interesting about this book is that the trial to determine whether or not the Garner's were still the property of Archibald Gaines took precedent over the charge of infanticide. The outcome would have a profound effect not only on state's rights but would spark a tiny flame leading up to the American Civil War. And even after the trial was concluded, the media, poets such as Elizabeth Barret Browning, and other authors used the events to add fuel to the ever-growing debate on slavery.

But, it still remains a little-known trial, falling into the dust of history in part due to public "whitening" of the events and to the events of the Dred Scott decision almost a year later. Yet author Toni Morrison helped to revive interest in this trial by modeling one of the characters in her novel "Beloved" after the ghost of Margaret's slain daughter, Mary.

The book sometimes reads more like a college text and asks many questions that are never answered. But the amount of information surrounding the trial and concerning the battle of state's rights versus federal law make this a great book to read.

Weisenburger, with a meticulous eye and a careful hand, vividly retells the story of Margaret Garner, whose case (or rather, one account of whose case) was the seed from which Toni Morrison grew the central stalk of her novel Beloved. It is not exactly facts that he gives us -- Weisenburger is too careful a critic, too aware of the complex nature of the historical record -- but around what facts can be found, he has written a novel of his own, one which richly complements Morrison's though-experiment with the historical legacy of slavery.

Garner's case, though little recalled today, was far better known in its day than many readers of Morrison's novel may realize. The best-known lawyers and abolitionists of the day argued Garner's case, and newspapers across the country reported the story. The most fascinating aspect of the story is the account of the competing legal and rhetorical strategies used to try to free Garner -- or, if she could not be freed, to give her the greatest possible symbolic value for the cause.

Garner's act -- killing one of her children rather than allowing het to be returned to slavery -- placed her between two contrary legal systems. Within the slavery system, and the Federally- administered Fugitive Slave Act, Garner was a piece of property to be returned. Yet within Ohio law, as a person accused of murder, she was subject to persecution for her crime as a human being. Her lawyer, paradoxically, had to persuade a judge to issue a writ for her arrest for murder, in order to prevent her from being returned to Kentucky as a slave -- it was in fact her one hope.

Weisenburger details how, in the end, this defense too failed, partly due to the complicity of certain Ohio officials with the Kentucky counterparts, and partly due to the inaction of then-governor of Ohio Salmon Chase. The actual tale of Margaret Garner, strangely enough, is even more tragic than that of Morrison's Sethe. Margaret was shipped off to cotton-belt slavery with relatives of her Kentucky owner, losing a second child to a streamboat accident en route, and evenrually died a horrible death from typhoid fever.

I'd recommend this book to anyone engaged by Morrison's novel, or by the recent film -- not as 'the fact behind the fiction,' but instead as a vital counterpoint, an *other* story of Margaret Garner, a woman who stood at the razor's edge of on of American history's most brutal junctures.

Very well done indeed. I am impressed that an English professor could turn in such good work as an historian and cover the courtroom battles with the skill of an experienced lawyer. A well told story of an obscure, but very revealing, chapter in the period just before the Civil War.

Minor criticisms: Too much is devoted to courtroom battles at the expense of describing daily slave life. As the author is a professor at a late 20th Century American university, he feels it necessary from time to time to wave his little red PC book in the air and shout slogans: Slavery was evil! Racism is not nice! Well, duh. None of this adds to the book and all of it detracts from the book.

Still, this is a good read. Buy it; you won't be disappointed. (By the way, I have never read Toni Morrison's "Beloved"; one doesn't need to in order to enjoy this book.)

This a poor attempt at writing. The history is accurate but the writing is under developed. Unexciting, uncreative, and unskilled. Two thumbs down Rinderle.

Walter Rinderle (Vincennes University) and Bernard Norling (Notre Dame) have written one of the most conscientious possible reconstructions of life in a small Catholic town of 2,800 gnarled and busy souls before, during and after the period of Nazi power (1933-1945). The town is Oberschopfheim located in southwest Baden and the joint authors depict all aspects of the daily life, toil and vital interests of the town's citizens.

The book is based on the Oberschopfheim archives which "contained copies of correspondence sent and received and detailed information about such matters as agriculture, local government, the manifold endeavors and concerns of the church, the distribution of welfare, community discord, and the activities of the politice. The pastor, village officials, and ordinary citizens alike were generously cooperative." (p. 3) It is one of the most level-headed books about the whole period.

Here, for example, you have an account of the town's voting patterns in one of the elections. "The ingrained political responses of Oberschopfheimers likewise offered little to comfort the Nazis. In many German villages, both Catholic and Protestant, clerical influence on the voting habits of church members was so effective that it was sometimes positively embarrassing, producing results that approached in predictability those in post-1945 Communist states. In most elections in the 1920s only about half of the eligible voters in Oberschopfheim had bothered to go to the polls. Of those more than 80 percent routinely obeyed the pastor and voted for the Center (Catholic) party, thereby earning for themselves the sobriquet, "black nest of reaction." (pp. 95-96).

Here is another. "Contemporary Anglo-Saxon, especially American, writer frequently distort the history of people who live under any authoritarian regime because they assume that democracy is the natural, normal form of government anywhere, that the mass of `normal' people everywhere admire and desire it, and that any deviation from it is some sort of civil disease of `problem' requiring diagnosis. If one begins merely by noting the historical record-that some form of absolutism has been the usual mode of government at most times and places and that democratic experiments have generally been short-lived historically-then fascism does not appears to be a social sickness but only another variant of authoritarianism. At once, all sorts of human conduct in Nazi Germany and elsewhere becomes demystified. By focusing relentlessly on the most bizarre features of Nazi ideology and the most base cruelties of Nazi practice it is easy to forget that for the ordinary nonpolitical person day-to-day life in some authoritarian society does not differ markedly from that in a democracy. One must be wary of exchanging political opinions with others, to be sure, and a prudent individual should not attract attention to himself. One should also be careful to obey the law, since authoritarian regimes are usually less lenient to transgressors than are democracies. But these are not especially onerous restrictions to most conventional, nonideological persons. Even under the most strident despotism more of the time of judges and courts is spent dealing with taxes, licenses, applications, civil lawsuits, thievery, public drunkenness, brawling, and marital discord than with the persecution or enslavement of political dissidents." (pp. 133-134) Highly recommended.

I purchased this particular book, since the entire book talks about the village my ancestors lived in. They left in 1853 to emigrate to America. No one in my family has been able to ever find any information regarding this village.

This book is simply a delight for me to read. Opening a window to the past: finding how my ancestors lived; their beautiful surroundings; with very interesting information how Oberschopfheim came into being; with it's developments through out the centuries.

I am also interested very much in WWII history. It is a very interesting to see how the Nazi's influenced such a small village. This question has always been in my mind, and now I have an insight into the WWII atmosphere, created by the Nazi's.

Since I have been searhing for information on Oberschopfheim, the discovery of this book has been an answer to a prayer for me. Once, I was about to give up with my search, but now I feel like a have a real understanding of the passage of time in the village. I am so grateful for such a wonderful book!!!

Either way, if your approach is getting information of this particular village, or for an insight into the impact of the Nazi's, this is a wonderfully written book.

My thanks go out to Mr Rinderle, and Mr. Norling!

I have read this book from a very personal view. Many events and persons that are described in the book I have heard from my parents. Many Informations of the history of my home-village I've heard the first time. Unfortunately the book is written in English. The content of the book merits also readers who are not able to read the book in English.

While not the most action-packed of submarine narratives, this is perhaps one of the best written of the bunch, and I found it hard to put down. In addition to the WWII patrols, descriptions of the snorkeling mechanism and procedures were interesting, as were the Korean War patrols.

I'm amazed this book was ever published. The writer,Paul Schratz, was given command of a sub after WW2 and saw very little action as a ships officer during the war. The book rambles on mostly about what he ate for dinner every night in ports around the Pacific, he seems to have spent most of his time in port. He also goes out of his way to try to impress you with his capacity to drink and act somewhat irresponsibly. I can't believe I actually read the whole book it left me feeling a little embarrassed for the poor guys that had to serve with him. He must be an amazing guy,sub commander, concert violinist.high diver,scratch golfer,great tennis player,rum smuggler,scientist,gourmet,an all around party guy and a wonderful dad. What a book.

Unlike the official histories of subs, which come directly from the patrol reports and talk almost exclusively about the captain, this book focuses on the personal side of life on a WWII diesel boat. The author was just a little too junior to be in command at the outbreak of war. He shows what it was like to be on a boat where the CO failed, and what people did to keep the boat going. His discussion of the people side of operating as well as his postwar experience in Japan is more forthright and blunt than many accounts. It doesn't hurt that the author is a "cowboy" CO--I remember seeing pictures of things he did when I was at school and an almost panicky reaction in the more sober and composed officers when confronted with outrageous up angles or special forces operations. The book is similar to "Baa Baa Black Sheep" in tone without the sad outcome that Pappy Boyington had to go through.
I bought this book after reading it in the submarine's library. My CO has the book. Some junior officers bought the book. We like it. CAPT Ned Beach wrote a nice blurb on it. Some subs have it in their professional reading libraries.
You may like it too.

Many naval officers write well, pehaps because they write many reports carefully to those who read carefully. This book is well written. Schratz's report on his corner of WWII and the occupation of Japan is worth reading. His take on the torpedo problem--and the solution he implemented at the edge of his orders--is unique. His report on certain incidents of command and loyalty add to those extant. His explanation on the possible cause of the Tonkin Gulf incident is worth the price of the book. This officer has understanding and insight. He's committed to making a contribution and leaving a legacy. But he doesn't express this directly, and this raises character as an issue. As a naval officer, he's efficient, effective, innovative and exacting. He knows that healthy organizations have fun, including shipboard organizations, so he plays hard, but doesn't let play stand in the way of work and is uncompromisingly severe on those who do. He knows the difference between a wartime navy and a peacetime navy, between bureaucratic tactics that get one promoted and what happens if one tries to use them in battle. He knows better than to use the same plan twice. His conscience makes him uncomfortable when action puts him on the wrong side of his values or when justice and regulations conflict. Basically, he favors thinking and acting "outside the box" whenever the box keeps him from carrying out his mission, broadly defined. He presents himself as a black sheep for doing so; and yet, read carefully, each of his forays into apparent undisciplined self-indulgence have the effect of producing pride, increasing morale, bonding shipmates together, and ultimately placing his superiors in a good light. What's odd is that he doesn't take credit for these as willful achievements, but invites us to treat them as unruly and undisciplined, as if initiative and command were antithetical. It's possible that he's unaware of his own character, but unlikely. What we have here is a man who doesn't want others to know who the inner man is and is willing to derogate himself so as to put others on the wrong track, all except those who love him for himself rather than for his role, to which he refuses to succumb--avoiding numbness. Far from being untypical of naval officers--whom he sees as conformist, he is typical of certain kind of non-conforming officer that American naval tradition produces in abundance: daring, resourceful, unwilling to let protocol inhibit effectiveness or survival, willing to work hard and play hard, willing to cut the Gordian Knot with pleasure. My guess is that, under his flash and feathers, the gentleman is as shy as a violinist. He'd be interesting to meet. If I'm right, he's already read enough comments about his book to wonder, out loud, whether anyone who commits memoirs to paper is a fool . . . while taking secret comfort in the fact that no one has found him out. Well, almost no one.

The previous reviewers have sufficiently pointed out all the positive (and negative) elements of the book USS Flier: Death and Survival on a World War II Submarine by Michael Sturma, so to add any more general critiques would be superfluous. Alas, there are two glaring points I must make, for they propelled me to write this truncated quasi-review.

First, why no mention of the USS Flier as a Gato-class submarine? The actual submarine designated USS Gato (SS-212) is mentioned twice. So, why is there no mention of the class of submarine? The repetition of this question is symptomatic of how puzzled I was. Also, a more detailed discussion about the R-class (which were WWI coastal defense boats) and the S - Class boats would have been welcomed.

Second, a more in-depth discussion should have been made about the total failure of the US Navy's Mark 14 torpedoes at the start of the Pacific campaign. It was a huge SNAFU on the part of the Navy and not a subject of debate today for history has shown the facts. The Navy even presented the problem to Albert Einstein! (They found his solutions a bit complicated!)
Here is a synopsis from the October 1996 issue of THE SUBMARINE REVIEW:
(Take a look at:http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/1592/ustorp2.htm)

THE GREAT TORPEDO SCANDAL

"The Great Torpedo Scandal emerged and peaked between December 1941 and August 1943, but some of its roots went back twenty five years. It involved primarily the Mk.14 and three distinct problems, depth control, the magnetic influence exploder and the contact exploder, whose effects collectively eroded the performance of the torpedoes. The scandal was not that there were problems in what was then a relatively new weapon, but rather the refusal by the ordnance establishment to verify the problems quickly and make appropriate alterations. The fact that after twenty five years of service the Mk.10 had newly discovered depth control problems adds weight to the characterization of the collection of problems and responses as a scandal. These comments should, however, be mitigated a little by the fact that each of the Mk.14 problems obscured the next. Although BuOrd did not identify the final problem, contact exploder malfunction when a torpedo running at high speed struck the target at ninety degrees, their response, once the difficulty had been identified, was notably prompt. In spite of the promptness of BuOrd's response, by the time it reached Pearl Harbor a number of relatively simple solutions to the problem had been proposed, and modifications had already been designed and implemented. This was, however, almost two years after the United States entered WW II."

One final point, a full list of submarines and their actions during WWII in a glossary format would have been an excellent addition. Thus, every follower of the Silent Service could look up their favorite boat.

These points should otherwise not detract from a decent book about the Silent Service and the men that sacrificed so much.

I bought this book with the expectation of an interesting tale of survival during war. What I got was a story of US Navy bureaucracy. The Flier story is an interesting adventure saga of men who survived the sinking of their submarine by a Japanese mine and eventually contact Phillipino Guerillas who arrange for their extraction to Australia. That part of the book is excellent. But the author proceeds to pad the book with the politics of deck bound navy brass. Those men in the subs are the heroes. They should have gotten more print time than some paper pushers in Honolulu and Australia.

Fifty-two American submarines were lost in action during World War II. USS Flier (SS-250) was one of those 52, being lost on 13 August 1944. Flier was running on the surface at the time, 14 crewmen including skipper John Crowley surviving the sinking. Eight made it to land. The combat career of Flier is detailed in this well-written book by Australian professor Michael Struma.

SS-250 had a short, checkered career. In January 1944, enroute to the war zone, she ran aground off Midway Island and one crewman was lost overboard. Refitted, in May she headed out on her first patrol, eventually being credited with sinking 10,000+ tons of Japanese shipping. Her second patrol was abruptly terminated on 13 August when she hit a Japanese mine in the Sulu Sea. Eventually meeting up with coastwatchers/guerrillas, the eight survivors were later rescued by USS Redfin.

USS FLIER is a good read. Sturma has an engaging writing style and does a fine job relating the short life of Flier. The subsequent inquiry held on Flier's loss and its effects on various Naval officers' careers makes for interesting reading.

Recommended for all 'Silent Service' enthusiasts.

Submariners assert their's was the most dangerous duty posting in World War II. Unlike the thousands of Airmen shot down over Europe who had a chance to bail out, if submariners were forced to abandon ship, there was little chance of survival. "The USS Flier: Death and Survival on a World War II Submarine" retells the story of eight survivors who not only survived the sinking of their ship, but made their way back to allied lines to fight again.

Sturma researched War Patrol Reports and the 1944 transcripts of the ship's skipper, Commander John Crowley, along with numerous other applicable publications available from US Navy Archives. After reading the book, you may jump to the conclusion either Commander John Crowley was a hard luck skipper, or the USS Flier was a hard-luck ship. In January 1944, on its first outing in the Pacific, Commander Crowley brought the sub into Midway harbor for refueling. Sturma provides a detailed look into the circumstances that led to the stranding of the submarine and subsequent sinking of its rescue vessel, the USS Macaw.

The book briefly describes the board of inquiry into the accident which held Crowley accountable, but permitted him to retain command. After major repairs in California, Commander Crowley led the USS Flier on its second patrol where it came to an abrupt end in the Balabac Strait on August 13, 1944.

Sturma begins with survivor accounts ("there was a big explosion") and analyzes the possible causes for the explosion. Although never proven conclusively, Sturma establishes a credible argument for a Japanese naval mine as the probable cause of the explosion. The story continues with the incredible fourteen-hour swim to a nearby island. Two days later the survivors make contact with coast watchers in the Phillipines, who radioed US Seventh Fleet to coordinate a rescue during the night of August 29, 1944.

The balance of the book describes the subsequent inquiry into the loss of the USS Flier, and the careers of Crowley, the other survivors, and Admiral Christie, the commander of the submarine fleet based out of Freemantle, Australia.

Whether it's a description of the evolution of Midway Harbor; mine warfare tactics; or the personal rivalries between the American commanders of Australia-based submarines, Sturma provides detailed segues into many facets of Naval and submarine warfare during World War II. The book has numerous charts that enhance the reader's ability to understand the operations areas.

This enjoyable and readable book honoring the USS Flier would be a welcome addition to any maritime library.

I totally disagree with the "Reader" who posted a very negative review about this book. As the author of over 1,000 magazine articles and eight books -- the last two about flying -- and a former U.S.Navy fighter pilot, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I tip my hat to Brig.Gen.J.Kemp McLaughlin for doing such a fine job in detailing his WWII experiences. I particularly like the detailed index, the short chapters, the easy reading of non-complex sentences, and the use of common words. His recall of names and places, and his personal comments about specific people, made you feel like you were in his place, living the frightening and stressful skies in combat on some of the most dangerous B-17 missions... Furthermore, this is a good example of a book that can be written without the use of crude or vulgar language. I've tried to locate the author to call him, but have not been able to find his e-mail or phone number. General, if you read this, please call me at (818)346-7024 (Los Angeles area). My call sign, by the way, is "Crash"; I earned it!

The General's accounts of what young men experienced during the war are awe-inspiring. To think of the sacrifices that were made in the skies above Europe in the early days of the war makes one wonder if today's young Americans could do the same.

For those that are aviation buffs, the book goes into detail about the logistics involved and the archaic and rudementary navigational aides of time and the virtual absense of air traffic control. It is truly a miracle that several hundred bombers could take off and get into formation and proceed to the target by primarily using pyrotechnics.

A must read!

J. Kemp, Brig. Gen., USAFR McLaughlin's experiences in WWII were truly epic; however, the lack of detail in his written account and his modesty in revealing his contributions and bravery during the AIR Bombing Campaign over Europe understates and limits the reader's ability to better comprehend the conflict. I would rate this book as "One Star" for older readers, but I think younger readers (7th, 8th and 9th Grade) may find the book a helpful primer. If you are a serious reader of WWII History avoid this book.

This book starts out with Mandy and her sisters talking about trees. Thay live in Kentucky and all that, so ya know Her brothers hated ham so they ate at the hotel.

I believe the book the Borrowed Children by Geogre Ella Lyon was interesting to read because it was a book to read that will help you make a choice between family, and school. And also the cause and the effect behind your decision. The set was belivable, and you could tell if you just look at it. Mandy is trying to express herself, and trying to go back to school. Yes it made sense. Because Mandy stop going to school to help family, out because her mother nearly died giving birth to William(her brother). Mandy is a good way of getting a teen to think about what will be the cause and the effect of their choice. I think that any body between the ages of 7 and up could read this book.

Mandy is twelve years old,and she has to take care of her two younger sisters,nine-year-old Anna and five-year-old Helen.Her
two older brothers,Ben and David,are 14 and 16.One day they have a new baby brother,Willie.Mandy's mother is tired from Willie's birth and really weak.So Mandy had to keep the house running with David and Ben.And she gets to escape all this work by going to her grandparents' house for two weeks in Memphis as a christmas present from her presents.

Rick Rhodes' book takes you on a cruise of the great rivers with all of the vital information needed to transit them safely. He provides marina names and facts about their facilities that you need on a trip of this nature. We will have it on our chart table when we go for our river trip.

Although I do not have a boat, I saw this book at a library and it has what I would consider very useful information, such as maps, distances, channels and phone numbers for bridge tenders, where to dock your boat, what's available when you dock, amount of turbulence in the locks, height of bridges in the up and down positions, and a whole lot more. It is written as a downstream narrative.

My husband & I wanted to run the IL. river from Grafton to Liverpool in our boat. So we bought this book. Before we received it, we put our boat in at Liverpool, mile 128 & went down to mile 97.5 Brownsville. The book doesn't mention anything about the Marina in Havana where you can get gas & eat. It doesn't mention Bath at all where they have a bar on the river & you can get food & drinks. It says you can get gas in Brownsville, but you can't! They have food & thats it! Those are enough mistakes for us to decide to send the book back. It cannot be reliable. Unless you want to get stuck out on the river without gas, I would not buy this book!

This diary of John S. Jackman presents one educated soldier's often daily proceedings, as they "overturn the best government in the world". The entries have a real style, often humorous, with little politics, hate, or even personal feelings. Jackman and this Kentucky "orphan brigade" saw a lot of action in his 3 years, 8 months and 4 days of service; including the Battle of Shiloh in 1862, the blasting of Vicksburg, and Chickamauga and Chattanooga. His group also tried to fend of Sherman's march. On June 14, 1864 a shell fell him till he was out of action, till he joined "the orphans" to see "Uncle Jeff' (confederate president Jefferson Davis), in Washington, Georgia as the president rode away alone --- "and the confederate government ceases to exist".

Jackman's journal was ever present and, as you might expect, there is a focus on food, with talk of getting "bear" (local livestock)", or going off for watermelon and bacon in the morning. Sickness was common for Jackman, and he writes of the pain of new shoes. Jackman's style is often light even in the midst of war, for example, "I fell to my lot to be mounted behind a very large man on a very small horse". He read when books were available, including Cicero (in Latin) and Dickens "Great Expectations". Relevant to today, the soldiers in the confederate army also complained of having their time involuntarily extended. The editor did not over edit the account and the introduction in each chapter was helpful. Including a map would have helped me follow the story.

The Orphan Brigade was one of the hardest fighting units in the Army of Tennessee. Jackman writes a very good history from his own expierences, first as a regular soldier then as an clerk for Co. B, 9th Kentucky. He takes us from the first camps of the Orphans through the war, to where he was injured at near where General Polk was killed at Pine Mountain and his hospital visits. While there are thing added either in his transfer of the diary to a new book in 1865 or after the war, William C. Davis helps make clear things that might have been changed. Davis also points out names where Jackman uses initals. Overall, it is worth the price, especially for a Civil War Reenactor like me.

In February of 1862, 4,000 men left Kentucky as part of the First Kentucky Brigade and marched south. Three years later, 600 returned, among them John S. Jackman. In between, the five regiments saw most of the Civil War in the west -- Shiloh, Vicksburg, Baton Rouge, Chickamauga, the Atlanta campaign -- even ending their days as a unit in Washington, Georgia, just as President Jefferson Davis and his cabinet pass through in their attempt to escape Union troops.

Jackman saw it all, and as renowned and prolific Civil War author and editor William Davis points out, his account is the longest and most unvarnished of the diaries that have come out of the war about the "Orphan Brigade." "Diary of a Confederate Soldier" is one of the better memoirs to come out of the war, literate, readable, humorous (especially the great snowball battle in March of 1864), and educating.

An impressive and delightful read and an awesome work by a world-class scholar-author and educator. It is as comprehensive and thorough a critical work as we are likely to find anywhere, on any work of fiction, whether or not canonical. I'm a reader who feasts on literary and scholary criticism. Showing quite a bit of his lively mind and personality at work, Firchow's study of Heart of Darkness is a humbling and joyous reading experience.

Heart of Darkness has become a politically controversial book bringing the issue of racism into the foreground. Firchow counters the accusations of racism that have been made and defends his opinion of Conrad's book with solid arguments.

Much has been said on the subject of colonial racism, and this still leaves a bitter tang in the throats of most historicially learned people. Still, we don't need this book. Conrad's Heart of Darkness is placed in the context of his time, and even when skimming the novell, one get the image that it is an attack on the imperialism of that time. Firchow goes after the wrong novell.

This book is written like a academic thesis, however it does not include the most significant information that would have made it worthwhile - the names of the individuals who were responsible for the lynching. One has to wonder what the motivation of the author really was. It seems only to meet the basic standards of "publish or perish". It is too important a topic to be used as a college term paper.

Must read for those who thought that these things only happen[ed] in the South. Informative and very well written.

As a 20-year old young lady, born and raised in Sikeston, Missouri (the subject of the book), I am thankful that someone has finally seen fit to make sure Mr. Wright's life wasn't in vain. This book is a scholarly, yet stomach-turning account of vigilante "justice", sociological cause and effect, and old-fashioned racism. Properly put into historical context, the tragedy is made painfully clear. May we continue to learn from our mistakes.