Missouri Books

Charles Edward Russell's time on the river occurred decades after the four short years when Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) was in the pilothouse. Like Twain (and like George B. Merrick, too), Russell began working for a newspaper in a river town, later went on the river as a steamboatman, and finally settled on a career as a writer.

Amazon has already provided a professional review that highlights other aspects of Russell's activist career. But two of his books stand separately from his political and muckraking writings. One, "Theodore Thomas and the American Orchestra," a biography of the great conductor and founder of orchestras, won the Pulitzer Prize.

The other is "A-Rafting on the Mississip." Here, Russell brings to life the era when great lumber and log rafts, acres in size, came down out of the Great North Woods of Minnesota and Wisconsin, to build the towns and cities along the Mississippi. From the early days when rafts of cut lumber floated with the current, through the decades when steam towboats pushed and maneuvered even larger rafts of logs, Russell describes the industry and the men who made it, some of whom were personal acquaintances and others of whom were on the boats with him.

And on top of all this thoroughly researched and well-written history, Russell's powers of description rival and at times exceed those of Mark Twain. Twain could describe a sunrise or sunset on the river such that the reader's eye pictures it easily. Russell's powers go beyond the visual to capture the rivermen's reverence, respect and devotion to the great and mysterious Mississippi, constantly flowing (in his words), "out of the mystery above the point, into the mystery below the bend."

If you're a devotee of river history and steamboats, you must have this book.

THIS GUIDE IS ACCURATE AND DEPENDABLE.VERY USEFUL FOR CONST WORK,DELIVERY SERVICES,OR EVEN SECURITY COMPANIES.

St. Louis is really a great city. They have one of the best zoos in the country and it's FREE to attend. The city also offers an amazing Science Center, a beautiful art museum, and an impressive history museum also all FREE. There's Busch Stadium (soon to be demolished), the Botanical Gardens, Grant's Farm, City Museum, the Edward Jones Dome, not to mention all the theatres, concert halls, and other attractions. But, if you're not from the area, it's very easy to get lost. After all, some things are in St. Louis and some places are in nearby St. Charles or St. Peters and for an outsider it could get confusing. Besides, even though St. Louis is probably one of the most friendly cities in the country, there are still certain areas that you just don't want to be driving around lost in the middle of the night. That's why this map is such a handy item to own. There's lots and lots of details and things are pretty straight-forward and clear so that it's easy to find where a particular street is. Just be sure to study the map before you leave and not at night.

A comprehensive, well-written, easy-to-read informative discussion which ties together various aspects of typefaces and their history. Mr. Mullen has written an excellent description of a time period in which this growing industry influenced the disemination of information in the westward expansion of our nation. If you are interested in printing, its history, type, or the history of St. Louis , you will enjoy the depth of well-researched information in this book. I particulary enjoyed the demographical information which was included. Yet another interesting feature is the pictorial description of the typefaces produced in St. Louis.

Grothe has presented excellent survey of Gospels and St. Paul's writings to provide balanced view of what the office of the public ministry is about.

When in our time of marketing and leadership emphasis for pastors, how refreshing that the author begins with showing that most churches would not call St. Paul as their pastor, he didn't fit the model job description they would use in pastoral search.

Prophet, priest, rabbi, peacemaker, etc, they're all here and discussed with good exegesis of the Biblical text to support the point and stimulate thinking and application.

Useful work to use with elders of the church and to return to for inspiration and focus.

Hoping to find a legitimate, detailed personal account of life in the Union Army, this book easily met my expectations - and more! This book will appeal to anyone interested in Civil War history in general and the 4th Missouri Cavalry in particular. However, it is not written in a dry historical style but in a vibrant, true to life form that includes both anectdote and reflection. In a very real sense you are transported back in time to experience life as a Union Cavalryman, although the book focuses less on the details of camp life and much more on the battles and how battle decisions were made. I have found quotes from this book in many other books and articles about this period, so Capt. Burns' experiences and recollections are considered both credible and quoteworthy. Riding along with the Calvary through Pea Ridge and other significant battles of the Civil War, you will find this account captivating and informative if you have any interest at all in true life historical accounts or in Civil War research of any type.

Recollections of the War in Mexico is a unique and intriguing slice of history. Written by Brevet Major John Henshaw (1815 - 1877) in the mid 1800s, it has been meticulously pieced together from original documents, diary entries, letters, and personal notes, and placed in historical context by Editor Gary Kurutz today. Because the initial manuscript was essentially one long paragraph loaded with complex passages, quixotic punctuation, marginally legible handwriting, and cross-written sentences (lines written back and forth in opposite directions over each other to save paper), Kurutz had to play detective as well as editor. He did a fabulous job of untangling the data, modernizing the grammar, and serving up a fascinating, well-written, thoroughly documented, and easy to read book.

The editor's introduction is riveting. It helps readers not only understand Henshaw's character but also the larger historical context within which he wrote. An enigmatic individual who possessed a keen mind but abrasive personality, Major Henshaw was horrified by the sight of blood and determined not to shed a single drop in battle, by no means beneficial attributes for a combat soldier. He faced courts martial for insubordination several times and was even drummed out of the service for a few years before becoming reinstated at reduced rank and pay.

A clearly imperfect officer, Henshaw was an exceptional historian, meticulous, insightful, and well placed to observe and record the action. Most soldiers who wrote about the war with Mexico either died during the fighting or entered into the conflict after it was already underway. Henshaw, on the other hand, was present at almost every major event from start to finish, serving under the war's two principal generals Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott.

In his Recollections Henshaw wrote unabashedly about the bravery of individual soldiers while excoriating the competence of command leadership. He also railed against the depredations of those who overstepped their bounds, killing indiscriminately or taking advantage of the local women. He wrote about everything from a crimson-colored fly used to dye clothing, to how a mule died of a snake bite while its rider recovered, to how he was able to identify potable water by the type of plants that grew near it, to a day-by-day account of the siege of Fort Texas (later renamed Fort Brown). The daily life of soldiers on both sides of the conflict and the land they fought in were covered in detail.

There is no biography for Kurutz yet he is obviously a diligent researcher who really did his homework. He not only had the book peer-reviewed by notable historians such as Dr. Michael Mathes and Dr. John McManus, but has also included a 54 item bibliography of rare manuscript collections, government documents, newspapers, periodicals, and other published primary sources that he used to compile his work. Additionally, there are 56 secondary sources. Furthermore, he included 47 pages of notes explaining various elements of the text. The end result is a very thorough and well-written tome.

Note: this review first appeared in the Jul/Aug issue of ForeWord Magazine

It was fab. when he talked about his children and grand-children

Editor of the quarterly journal "Modern Age" in the 1960s, former President of the Foundation for Foreign Affairs, and now President Emeritus of the Conference on European Problems, Eugene Davidson was and remains uniquely qualified to write on the international political issues of the 60s. Highly recommended reading for students of American history, political science, and international studies, 36 essays compiled in Reflections On A Disruptive Decade span from Mr Dallin among the Scholars (1960) to Castles in Spain and Other Countries (1969) and collective comprise a complete spectrum of observations and commentaries on the political, cultural, social and international issues, events and personalities of the times.

I have owned this book since 1996. I originally bought it for researching my family in Howell County, MO, but have since done many, many lookups for others. I love this book because it not only gives the biographical sketch of the individual, but in some cases includes a picture too. The biographies also are very in depth and include ancestors names and applicable dates if they were known. It should be noted though that the information in the book was given by the families, and it might include errors or misconceptions of truth. Still, it is a great resource and I highly recommend it. There are also historical sketches of the counties it covers in AR and MO.