South Carolina Books

....that The Confederacy had Jews. Surprise...A true story: in my exam room, there is always a book on my side table. One day, this was the book; a young girl [I take care of Army Privates] went over and picked it up as if she were touching pork. She informed me that the book was a lie, because there could not possibly have been any Jews in The Confederacy. I pointed to Judah Benjamin's picture among the other Confederate heroes on my wall and told her his story, including the slave owning. She was appalled. She soon knew that the CSA had around 2000 Jews, from Private to Colonel. Then, she asked me the question for which I still have no answer: "How is it that I, a Jew, living in America, don't know that significant a part of my own history?" Sadly, she's a very bright girl, who just didn't know. Much more sadly, BOTH of her parents are history professors. The encounter happened right before Christmas break, and she informed me that she was going to ask her mother about the matter. I gave her several references, and wished her Happy Chanukkah. After the break, she said that her Mom told her that, yes, this is something they knew, but just don't talk about. Look, all of us who deal with history can tell stories of astonishing ignorance. But I've never forgotten that girl; whenever I see ignorance, she reminds me of the obligation that all us who know have to impart [gently] unto those who don't.

Bob Rosen, has, indeed, imparted, and done it superbly. He gives us the story of all the major, and many of the minor, Jews who saluted the Stars and Bars. The two most prominant Jewish Confederates, Judah P. Benjamin, and Phoebe Yates Pember, were civilians, but many wore the gray uniform; Abraham Myers was the Quartermaster General, David DeLeon was the first Surgeon General [Rosen gives the bad with the good; Dr. DeLeon was a drunk, who was soon cashiered]. Major Adolph Proskauer led a charge at Gettysburg, and lived to tell it for many years. Ironically, the two highest ranking Jews killed in the war both fell at Vicksburg, and have monuments near each other. They were Colonels Leon Dawson Marks [Confederate] and Marcus H. Spiegel[Yankee]. Dr. Simon Baruch was a highly respected surgeon during, and after, the war; his son, Bernard, gained fame as a financier. Sgt. Moses Ezekiel was a VMI Cadet who fought at New Market, then was one of the finest sculptors on earth for many years. Many gave much in support; Mrs. Pember's sister, Eugenia Phillips, was a Spy who went to jail twice, and won the hearts of all Southerners by slapping Beast Butler. Rabbis Max Michaelbacher and George Jacobs were central figures in the Richmond religious community. There's even humor here; witness the "damn yankee Jew" asking a child in Norfolk for a piece of matzoah during The Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Interestingly, while the Yankees had around 10,000 Jews in uniform, and the South 2,000, it was the supposedly "racist" South that had Benjamin and Mrs. Pember. Only The Confederacy put Jews in leadership positions. Robert E. Lee and Jeff Davis strongly, and openly, supported the Jewish community, while Grant and Sherman were stark-raving anti-Semites.

This is not just a great book, it's an artistic masterpiece. Great illustrations, well presented. The maps of Richmond, Charleston, and New Orleans even show the modern Interstates as reference points; nice touch. Bob Rosen deserves all our thanks, even those of a goyim like me. Do not fail to read this book.

The world is full of people who just don't get it, thanks to the ultra-leftist American media. They consider South "the land of bigotry" and portray the War Between the States, as some sort of referendum on slavery and bigotry. In their minds, the thought a Jew in a Confederate uniform is an oxymoron.

Of course, the historical record is as clear as a bell-the so-called "Civil War" was a result of high tariffs and the average Southerner's fear of a new political party that sought even more "tax and spend" polices.

During the antebellum times, Jews were an integral part of the South. A substantial amount of their contribution to the region is still part of the Southern landscape.

When a Jewish friend of mine from the north side of Chicago recently had an opportunity to travel in the South, he was amazed to learn that the South was not the land of anti-Semitism, as the media-dominated northern urban culture had led him to believe. He was also surprised to discover how much evidence of early Jewish influence in the South still remains.

Of course, I recommended that he read The Jewish Confederates to help him put it all into perspective. It really shows that many Jewish men and women were proud citizens of the Confederacy.

Some of the details presented make it clear that many of these brave soldiers of the Confederacy were very serious about their faith and culture. A portion of the book that detail the way the Jewish soldiers were allowed the opportunity to celebrate their holidays was especially enlightening.

It took a lot of courage on the part of Robert N. Rosen to write such a book. In a day and age when many people arrogantly display their ignorance by equating the Confederate flag with racism, Rosen should be considered national hero for having the guts to bring the world the truth.

If it were up to me, Rosen's The Jewish Confederates would be required reading for any program on "multiculturalism." It would also be required reading for every liberal history professor who teaches the era of the War Between the States.

First, I commend Robert Rosen for his dedication to this subject and for publishing this work. I am sure that it ought to be as controversial as recent books (and film) showing dedication of Blacks to the Southern Cause for Independence. I recall as a child watching the march on Montgomery, the seat of the first Confederate Capitol, before it was moved to Richmond. And had it remained in Montgomery, what then?

Mr. Rosen, an attorney, is clear with his research. Anyone who might wonder why Jews would fight for the Confederacy, or Blacks for that matter, will find this fascinating. Jews from South Carolina, from Louisiana, many of German or Spanish (Sephardic) heritage, were there. I hope that more books, and personal accounts, will follow, from groups whose support for the rights of the States to determine their destinies will be forthcoming. We must learn from history.

Anyone who would hope to understand what it means to be an American should have this book on the shelf, and read it. To paraphrase Shelby Foote, before this war, the United States could only be conceived of as a plurality, after, a singularity. Yet today, we are no doubt in danger of falling into an abyss of pluralism that threatens any kind of national identity. Yet Irishmen fought one another--at Fredericksburg, and elsewhere--as did Jews, and Blacks, and Hispanics--across stone walls at point-blank range, leaving a legacy of maiming of soul and flesh. We have only to look back 3 score years to the bloodbath of Europe to see we are not yet free.

Jews fought for home and hearth, "Pro Aris et Pro Focis"--a common Latin phrase embroidered on flags North and South. In the American South, many Jews found that was worth fighting for against an invasion from afar. That experience unites them with us, today.

Most highly recommended for scholarship and readability!

This is truly a beautiful book. It occupies a prominent place on my library shelf. The subject matter is fascinating, and important. Considering how Jews came to be treated in the South after the Civil War, the story of how Jews other than Judah Benjamin loyally served the Confederacy most certainly should be told.

For telling this story, Robert Rosen deserves credit. But the writing in The Jewish Confederates is pedestrian at best. Most chapters consist of paragraph after paragraph of short recaps of the military service of people with nothing in common other than being Jewish. Rosen diligently did his research, then regurgitated what he found.

In short, I do recommend this book for those interested in either the history of Jews in America or the Civil War, but do not expect to be captivated -- not an unreasonable expectation given the beautiful cover artwork. You will learn, but it will be a chore. Kind of like school, but there are certainly worse ways to spend some time.

I've had Jewish friends in Memphis and New Orleans whom I was surprised to learn had Ancestors in the Army of Northern Virgina and the Army of Tennessee. Rosen's book shows that the Civil War truly was a War of Brother against Brother no matter the ties by social status, national origin, or religion.

Rosen has done quite a bit of research and presents his narrative with the recollections, diaries, and letters of the participants and their families and friends. This kind of history by correspondance has always appealed to me more than the memoir type that is carefully thought out later to put the event or individual in the best light.

Rosen presents us with Jews living a normal life in the antebellum South similar to that enjoyed by their White Christian neighbors. The same predjudices and toleration for the "peculiar institution" exist for them as it does for their neighbors but I sense there is more of a toleration amongst this community for the Abolitionists Movement among Antebellum Jews than other groups in the South.

When War comes young men enlist and fight for the same cause as their Christian neighbors and with the same Gallantry. First hand accounts of the struggles and hardships of the War come from the letters soldiers write home to their families.

Rosen presents Jewish Life from the viewpoints of many players from well known Lousiana politician Judah P. Benjamin who held many positions in Jefferson Davis' Cabinet to less well known immigrants from Spain and Germany who started stores in rural Mississippi and Arkansas.

One story that I could not find was that of Sergeant Mordecai Solomon or Solomon Mordecai of Jackson, Mississippi who won the Confederate Medal of Honor at Spotsylvania Court House in 1864 and whose Synagogue was bombed by the KKK 100 years later

The book is a must for Civil War enthusiasts and may be helpful in Geneology research.

The outstanding setting of the south carolina coastal region, a.k.a. the lowcountry, is surpassed by the well developed characters and politics that form the basis for this story. Carl Smith weaves a credible tale of corruption interspersing human vices and virutes ... greed, lust, infidelity, conceit, bigotry, humility, bravery, and honesty. Although the author brings the story to a satisfying conclusion, he leaves a several hooks for other Sam Larkin adventures. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy great southern fiction.

Wow! What a read! Lowcountry Boil has it all--action, suspense, romance, sense of place, and sympathetic characters--a great book for either gender. It's complex enough to challenge and satisfy, yet not so convoluted the reader gets lost. An experienced writer or editor could point out flaws, yet its imperfection somehow adds to its charm. Carl T. Smith is an amazing storyteller. He held me spellbound.

CHARACTERS AND STORY..A RARE COMBINATION IN THIS DAY AND AGE. THERE ARE TWO LITTLE BOYS YOU'LL NEVER FORGET. I WAS EVEN BREATHLESS WHEN ALL WAS CONCLUDED..YOU'LL HAVE TO FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF

I enjoyed this book. It wasn't too predictable and Smith has a sequel coming out Sept. 1.

This was not a book I remember as getting much press or shooting up the best sellers list, but it is an entertaining book and worth a read, especially if you are from the Low Country or have spent any time there. Smith does a great job with character development and going into detail with his story line.

The author absolutely cannot be faulted on his expertise and technical knowledge of places, government agencies and policies and, to a lesser extent and leaving aside some major flights of fancy, cougars. This certainly gives the story realism and body. Where the prose style fails is in the creation of suspense and atmosphere. There isn't any. While there are many grisly bits, to be sure, there was never anything that lent a little tingle or made the hairs on the back of my neck stir. It seemed as though the author was so concerned about injecting all the information he could that he had no room left for emotion or characterization and that left the book feeling very flat to me.

Be aware also that the author does have an ax to grind concerning the policy of re-introducing predators to areas where they have been exterminated (such as wolves to the western national parks). I'm on the fence myself - I embrace the theory but would not like to embrace an actual mountain lion in my driveway. The author is definitely not on the fence.

Also, the passages giving us the mindset of the cougar are interesting; they show understanding of the animal but too often drift off into anthropomorphism/fantasy - as when the cougar turns over in her mind the fact that motherhood is no fun and so she's not going to get pregnant ever again. He also demonizes the puma to the point that it becomes a sort of furry "Jaws," leaping on everyone it sees and plotting revenge. It contrasts oddly with the determinedly factual nature of the rest of the book and seems more suited to a sort of gruesome Disney-esque
"creatures of the forest" adventure gone bad.

That being said, I found the information interesting and the story itself readable, though never compelling. If you're interested in cougars, hunting, environmental "experiments" or people vs. animal encounters, I think you'll enjoy the book. And for a non-fiction account of people vs. mountain lions, I highly recommend "The Beast in the Garden." It's informative, factual and, unhappily, true, and it will make you look over your shoulder whenever you take the garbage out after dark - especially if you live in the western United States.

Ted Gragg has exhibited his mastery as a wordsmith in this spellbinding and thoroughly captivating novel. Anyone who has gotten to know Ted, listened to his delightful and amusing recounting of his own adventurous childhood and adult experiences, or read "On Target," his monthly column in "Waccamaw Outdoors" knows he can spin a yarn with the ease, ability, tongue-in-cheek humor and down-home common sense of the likes of Will Rogers. "Puma" launches Ted's legendary story-telling reputation into a whole new realm.
Ted calls upon his vast depth of experience with and knowledge of the geography, wildlife, law enforcement agencies and human culture native to South Carolina in general and the Horry County area in particular, as well as firearms and their properties and usages in fleshing out the various facets of this gem of a novel. He paints layer upon layer of insightful and varicolored scenarios as the gripping suspense, constantly shifting between human and animal drama, and never far from the surface, transports the reader from opening sentence to epilogue with no perceptible break in the action and precious little letup. It's not hard to see the horror/drama/suspense/thriller movie playing out on the big screen as Ted's words come alive off the page. I hope it won't be long in the making!
Ted avoids the common error of anthropomorphism when putting us in the mindset of the various animals portrayed, particularly the villain of the story, the man-killer cougar. I'm sure he got help in this area from long talks with Thomas, the guardian of the gate, right Ted?
A "can't put down" white-knuckle thriller that leaves you hungry for the next offering from this very talented author.

An action packed thriller I couldn't put down until the end. Ted Gragg's writing style brings the Puma to life in all it's wild glory. His exceptional style of writing captures the reader with dramatic force and power. You will forget you are reading the words as the story comes alive. The Puma and the characters are so real you can see and hear them from the pages. This is great novel by one of America's newest and most exciting authors on the literary scene today. I expect this novel will make it to the big screen once a screenplay worthy of this great novel is complete.

Puma is imaginative and captivating!

Gragg has written a contemporary adventure novel set in the "Wild" of South Carolina. Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Officer, Mike Carson, finds himself to be the unlikely hero in the hunt for a man eating Cougar! Mike's hunt for a storm ravaged cougar takes on dramatic twists as he fights for more than just his life. With unexpected threats around every corner, it will take more than former military skills and endurance to survive tracking this American Cougar across the Wilds of South Carolina.

Louis L'amour fans, keep your eyes on this writer!!!

LT Range USNR

I don`t read much for pleasure, but the pace of Ted`s novel captured me. It was the focus of my entertainment until the last chilling word.

His style is a blend of Mark Twain`s indiginous vernacular and James Dickey`s "Deliverance"; death stalking in the last remaining wilderness.

When I was a young hunter in south Georgia, there really were a few isolated pockets of wilderness, places where there was no evidence of

human intrusion except for the few ancient mammoth cypress stumps, footprints of past logging expeditions. These retreats have forever disappeared in

the deep south. Now every attempt to relive that anxious, fearful, aloneness, to experience real isolation is thwarted, when I wander into yet another old

campsite; hear vehicle noise only yards from my seemingly isolated deer stand- Oh yes, and sometimes even some idiot`s reggae cell phone`s ring tone.

In Horry county, South Carolina where the tale is set, animal habitat is swiftly shrinking due to the marshalling tourist industry and soaring

property values. Man relentlessly encroaches upon beasts until at some point he is forced to acknowledge the real conflict between the ideal,

"ethical treatment" of animals, and the increasing threat to his personal safety, and even the lives of his family. In Charleston, SC, racoons caring rabies

and intestinal parasites that may kill or infect causing neurologic disease, forage in back yards, eating from pets dishes, and strewing

garbage. Their lives are protected by law. In Myrtle Beach, deer graze the roadsides, golf courses, and back yard schrubbery. Deer predators will

soon follow. If not man, then cyotes, bobcats, and if they are here, even LIONS! Cyotes seem to be steadily moving into this area. In other parts

of the country where more numerous, they prey not only on livestock, but also on household pets. Why not the lion, who has been documented to take

easy human prey?

Ted`s novel came alive for me when I realize I had hunted the same general area where the the central character, the great cat enjoyed the sport and satiety provided

by human prey. I never saw panther sign in Deep Woods club, but then I am not the woodsman Ted is, nor have I spent a fraction of the time he has in that

mosquito plagued, snake and gator pit. Also, I have known Ted to exaggerate but never to prevaricate. Novel and entertainment aside, big cats may already

inhabit this area.

I live in semi-suburban wilderness as well. Once you turn off the black top into my wife`s wanna be horse ranch, you see a house and some white

fence, but behind is a slope of dense undergrowth and myrtle descending to a swamp and small stream. I built a boardwalk across the swamp which ends on a small

deck. I sit out there for hours, meditating, and nature watching. I see owls, ducks, all varieties of song birds, beaver, otter, racoons, and on occasion, deer.

Soon after the cat walk was built, my son Josh was sitting quietly, watching and listening to the whistle of teal swimming by when he saw a

"really big black cat". "Dad he was bigger than a bobcat, much bigger!" Our distant neighbor, roughly one quarter mile from here, is one of Josh`s high

school teachers, and I believe a reliable witness. He and his son have seen the "big black cat" on several occasions.

The book is a fast paced, graphic, and an occasionally gorey tale, intensely entertaining, and as you see, possibly prophetic.

I enthusiastically recommend it.

This book was not what I expected it to be. I borrowed this book from the library believing it to be an inspirational book, but I found it to be more depressing than inspirational. It seems that the author decided to allow almost every possible thing that could happen to a slave happen to Joseph.
The book was a little too wordy and at times gave out unneeded information. Even though the book was supposed to be about slaves overcoming the struggles of slavery while keeping faith in God, it was more about seeing just how evil, mean, cruel, and unchristian white slave owners as well as none slave owners could be. The Christians (slaves)constantly go from belief to unbelief in God depending on the problem at the time.
The Christian characters in this book are weak even though they are suppose to have such great faith. "Faith without works is dead". The unchristian ones are evil and almost always have the upper hand and are the stronger.
It even touches on how blacks go against blacks (or shall I say brown) because of the color of their skin.
A lot of the story may be based on true facts, but I thought it was told in a very depressing manner. I have read many books on slavery, but this book was by far the least inspired of all in my opinion.
I most certainly did not finish reading the book with the feeling that I was inspired!! By the time I reached the end I was tired of the cruelty, the word nigger, and the fact of Joseph getting abused in almost every chapter.
I was quite disappointed and would not read from this author again.

This is a wonderful book that explores the complexities of how to live an honorable, Christian life in a society that approves of discrimination. In a world where laws and social prejudice dictate that some humans are less worthy than others, how is a Christian to act if he or she is a member of the oppressing class, or a member of the oppressed class? What can or should one do? The parallels for today are powerful for those who look.

My only criticism of this gripping tale is that the evil characters donÕt even pretend to be Christians, and the Christian characters always are good, even if they are weak. In my experience, sometimes Christians deliberately do evil things, and many non-Christians are wonderfully moral and loving people.

Nevertheless, this is a book well worth reading and discussing with your friends. It is told in a manner that involves the reader on all levels. Marvellously written - powerful message.

Ê This is a wonderful book that explores the complexities of how to live an honorable, Christian life in a society that approves of discrimination. In a world where laws and social prejudice dictate that some humans are less worthy than others, how is a Christian to act if he or she is a member of the oppressing group, or a member of the oppressed group? What can or should one do? The parallels for today are powerful for those who look.

My only criticism of this gripping tale is that the evil characters donÕt even pretend to be Christians, and the Christian characters always are good, even if they are weak. In my experience, sometimes Christians deliberately do evil things, and many non-Christians are wonderfully moral and loving people.

Nevertheless, this is a book well worth reading and discussing with your friends. It is told in a manner that involves the reader on all levels. Marvellously written, with a powerful message.

As an avid reader, it is an extreme compliment that I give this book my A#1 best book ever vote! It was hard to turn the pages without my tears falling on the words! Wonderful story, beautifully written!

The author has done a wonderful job depicting a terrible time in our nation's history from the perspective of those who had to live through it.

The slaves had to endure and put their hope in the afterlife, the Christian slave owners had to consider that their slaves might be better off being under their protection that to be free in the South. Their dilemna also included the fact that their plantations depended on slave labor. The white slave driver had to decide whether it was better for him to remain there and keep the slaves from enduring an abusive driver, or to seek out cheap land for himself and his family in the west.

Hate still abounded among nonChristians and those who called themselves Christians. The main character Joseph endures so much pain (physical and emotional) that you cry for him throughout his struggle. Some parts of the book were a bit wordy, but many other parts were painted vividly with such gripping descriptions that you feel you were there.

I finished the book with a new understanding of the struggles everyone in those times faced in the disgrace of slavery.

This book is fun to read. It contains so many good recipes and cultural stories. If the Appalchian Mountains are as special to you as they are to me, you will love this book.

If a person has read the "Foxfire" series of books, they will enjoy this compilation of all the recipes from each of the books. The book is very well put together with lots of pictures and intersting facts from the people who gave the recipes. Enjoy!

THIS BOOK HAD LOTS OF GREAT OLD FASHIONED COOKING SEGMENTS. I WAS WELL PLEASED WITH IT.

This is a great addition to the Foxfire book family. On a personal note, I was raised on many of the recipes noted here. The food of the Missouri/Arkansas Ozarks is quite similar to the Appalachians. This book gives a great representation of the "way it was," and the delightful writing and personal stories and interviews just add to the fun and usefulness of this work. One needs to note though, that this is not a "cookie cutter" cook book. If you are looking for a recipe book with standard, boring directions, then you need to probably look elsewhere. There are dozens and dozens of that type of book out there and they are not all that difficult to find. No one book can do it all...that fact is pretty much a no brainer. This is a history book, a book about a vanished or vanishing culture, even more than it is a cook book. This is quite important to remember.

That being said, this work is an absolute delight to read. From the preparation of the animal being cooked all the way to the making of sauerkraut, the book is filled with wonderful facts and insights to a time long past. One of the things that I found most interesting was the ingenious methods used to be sure that everything, and I mean everything, was used. These folks of past generations did not leave much to waste.

The reading is easy, but do be warned, that you must get use to the dialect used here. It may throw some off, but once you get use to it, it adds so much to the story being told. The book has plenty of black and white photographs, gives around 300 recipes and absolutely hundreds of bits of trivia. This is one of those works you will probably want to add to your library because it is one that deserves rereads. Highly recommend this one along with the entire series.

I am a serious cook with a large cookbook library. I am a Southerner who made my first biscuits and gravy at age 5. This book is a not-so-well done re-hash of other Foxfires and sorely disappointing. It is difficult to use as a cookbook-more poignant than useful. Also a tad light on recipes. A much better book from North Georgia (Southern Appalachia, like the Foxfire series) is Smokehouse Ham, Spoon Bread & Scuppernong Wine: The Folklore and Art of Southern Appalachian Cooking. I use this one a lot, enjoy reading the stories, and frequently give it as gift to visiting Yankees. Plus it has the wit, charm, and authenticity so sadly missing from the Foxfire Cookbook.

an excellent cookbook on a regional cuisine. excellent and accurate choice of recipes (although i wish there were more chicken dinner ones). these recipes are perfect for flavorful basic meals. this is without question the book i use most, especially for sunday dinner. i have passed along the mac/cheese recipe to dozens of folks. the smothered chicken recipe is a staple in our house. try the butternut squash succotash or the spiced apple pie or the stewed chicken. they're can't miss and delicious

the food in this collection isn't fancy or fussy, but it is very very good. this book is best suited for everday folks who have cooking and eating as an integral part of daily home life.

I was eaagerly awaiting the delivery of this book and was disappointed. The recipies were little more than re-hashing some basic carolina cooking. Nothing innovative or even interesting.

I was hoping for more.

This is one of my favorite cookbooks, especially after spending a summer in Charleston last year. I was raised on very traditional southern cooking, and I was looking for something that added a bit of gourmet flair to traditional recipes (and made them a bit healthier). This cookbook does it beautifully, and has a lot of nice background on low country cooking, food traditions, and history. The collard greens and gumbo recipes are just spectacular. I like too that there are basic recipes for things like hoppin john and plain old rice. No pretty pictures, but the volume of recipes more than makes up for it.

If you are looking for something reminiscent of your grandma's cooking in the fifties, with lots of fatback and crisco, you won't find it here. But I think this is a much tastier, healthier turn on my favorite little bit of southern food.

This is a wonderful cookbook, with all the southern cookbooks out there this has to be the simplest one I've used that delivers southern food with a gourmet touch BUT without the complications that gourmet recipes sometimes present to the home cook. DELICIOUS, DELICIOUS

I really disliked this coobook because it did not capture the real way people of the south cook. I am born and raised in the south and this is nothing like the food you get from big momma's house. There is absolutly nothing "gourmet" about true soul food. You use what you have to make a great meal. It is not about splurging on items that you would not normally have on hand. You use what you have to make a meal. Thanks for the effort though...

I first picked up this book on a whim in Dean's friend's shop in Phoenicia and assumed it would be just another gardening how-to book. Boy was I ever wrong! I have never had a gardening book inspire me in such a way! I wanted to go out straight away and work in the garden and smell the rich earth and let the sun warm my back. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of reading this book during the long Catskill winter! Now, I read Dean's book each and every spring to give me the inspiration to spend hours digging and planting, and I frequently browse for articles and/or other books written by Dean, or similar in style. (I haven't found any that compare!) Not only do I wish Dean was my neighbor, but I wish he would write another book! This book is one of the few that I am actually wistful when I finish the last page....I want it to go on and on.

I also had the great fortune of touring Dean's garden during a garden tour 2 years ago...what a treat that was! I went home and wanted to rip everything out and start over, or at least have Dean come and advise me. His garden is every bit as beautiful and inspiring as his book.
A "must read" for EVERY gardener!

That is probably too mean a title for a very, very personal book, yet it seems appropriate. Mr. Riddle is a sincerely down-to-earth person, it seems, and when he says something is "purdy" I suppose he means it. His A-shucks persona gets in the way of some very good advice, however.

But this is not to say that Mr. Riddle is a poor writer -- far from it, or that he does not know his subject -- he is a classically trained horticulturist and writes a well-received garden column for Elle Décor magazine. He knows what he is doing.

There is not much in this book to learn, or that you cannot learn elsewhere -- but as the travel industry says, half the fun is the journey. The process Mr. Riddle uses to refine his design ideas is the real essence of the gardening parts of the book. His humanity and the depth of his friendships provides the soul of the memoir part of the book.

My advice if you buy this book is to read through it twice to pick up the bits you miss when you are rolling your eyes at his hokey expressions-- it is worth it.

The librarian at Skene Library in Fleishmanns, NY foisted this book upon me as I had missed Dean Riddle's personal appearance and reading. I politely took it home. I started to skim read and three hours later had finished the book and made a list of pages to return to for information. This book is a jewel of a read and a must for any Catskill gardener. I have had a "failed garden" for ten years in the Felishmanns area. I used to be a good gardener. Not in the Catskills! Mr Riddle provides a virtual how to manual for my next year's garden. But beyond the practical, it is a delightful, fast paced, funny read.

Out of all the gardening books I've purchased for our public library in the last four years, I would recommend Dean Riddle's book first and foremost to our readers as a balm to the soul, an inspiration to gardeners everywhere, and a plain old good read. The focus of the book is informative yet personal: it is the story of one man's coming of age in the garden, his connection with the strange and often-ignored vibrancy of the horticultural world, and his joyous appreciation of people, plants, dirt, sticks, old glassware, fried eggs, and just about everything else.

For four months a year I read virtually nothing but gardening books of all types as our orders come in to the library. Very few of the writers are able to touch and inform readers at the same time, and it is this gift that Dean Riddle brings to his writing. The book is organized in such a way that Riddle is able to incorporate stories into his highly readable and clear descriptions of his own garden plans. Within the space of a few paragraphs, the reader finds himself in Dean's world. The fully-colored images and sensations of Dean's garden stay brilliantly painted in one's mind long after the book is closed.

I am really enjoying this book. I am not done yet, but I have already started looking at my garden differenly. I am thinking about getting some more garden books to help me improve my garden. This book is whimsical and delightful. The author writes with a wonderful style. I hope that he is allowed to stay at his rented bungalow forever. My only complaint is the books that Amazon suggests you should get if you enjoyed this book. They all seem to be about being Gay. This book is so much more than a book about a man coming out of the closet. I think anyone would like this book straight or gay. Have to go and stroll in my garden. Enjoy the book!

What an exciting and informative book! Part history, part research, part archealogy, but all joined and very readable. The incredible dedication and bravery of the crews who parished aboard the "fish-boat" deserve the highest honor. These men of the past never gave up, just as the modern day team who had to move natural and govermental mountains to raise her from her watery grave. Since the research is on going and the mysteries haven't been all solved this book does not have the definative answers, I try to log unto the hunley.org site periodically to check for new developments. It's well worth reading by anyone interested in Civil War history, early submarine warfare or archealogy.

An absolutely fascinating book. In depth and accurate historical research
gives this book its feeling that the authors where there as it happened. A
work of non-fiction that can be as exciting as a work of fiction, but it is all true !!

If your interests run to one of the most ingenious achievements in naval history, the gritty determination of desperate men, or simply a good, old-fashioned mystery, this book should captivate you as much as it did me. The authors have sifted through rarified documents and firsthand accounts to present a very intriguing story as only investigative writers in Charleston might. The real merit of this book is its careful, reader friendly presentation of what could otherwise have been an abstruse topic. Here are basic charts, drawings, photos, expert insights, interviews, and personal backgrounds all introduced in historical context. Throughout the book appropriate facts are cleverly recalled and embroidered in the story of the evolving discoveries. When you finally put this book down, you will wish it could have been twice as long and had provided answers to the Hunley's remaining mysteries.

To a Civil War buff, the story of the Hunley is irresistable. The book begins with the conception and execution of the "fish boat" in Mobile and continues with its introduction into service in Charleston. The book then interweaves the distant past with the very recent past, telling the tale of the boat's crews (3 crews, none who answered to 'Lucky') and the tale of the multiple personalities involved in raising her some 135 years later. The writing is only adequate; the story of the boat and her design is more interesting reading than that of her crew and her salvagers. Nonetheless, this is an enjoyable book that can easily be read in one (pleasant) day.

I first ran across the story of the Hunley in a popular journal on archaeology and was fascinated by the tale of courage, desperation, and originality. Subsequently I saw parts of a film on the subject, and I was hooked. I found the book by Brian Hicks, Schuyler Kropf in Amazon.com's menu and decided to pursue more information on the subject.

The authors are journalists rather than professional historians or archaeologists, but they do have a talent for writing and a sense of the character of the South and Civil War history that gives the book a more readable quality. They also seem to have researched their topic well. The final pages of the book recount their efforts to follow the "fish boat's" story from first inception to final successful strike against the USS Housatonic, a Union ship participating in the blockade of the Charleston harbor. Considering that the Hunley was a secret weapon and a stealth weapon at that, its paper trail would be expected to be a difficult one to follow. The authors made a remarkable success of it, giving life to their subject.

Interesting too was the narrative of the Hunley's resurrection and restoration. The serendipitous survival of the boat in a nearly intact condition is itself an amazing story. The great care with which it was removed from the water and painstakingly preserved is a credit to underwater archaeology. Certainly it could easily have been a disaster. What the preserved remains had to say about the vessel itself: its construction, its advanced styling, the likelihood of it's having continued to be water free for long enough to allow small stalactites to form, etc. made it an even more entertaining study. It's definitely on par with the Titanic for human interest.

Where is that very fine line between supporting a cause and breaking the law? This is a history of the six men who provided money to John Brown and may have crossed that line in supporting him. Slavery was the cause of a major division and source of disruption in nineteen centaury American life. The Northern states managed to abolish slavery with minimal problems. At the same time, slavery in the Southern states became immensely profitable and the foundation on which a society rested. Slavery colored every national debate, becoming the sticking point for westward expansion and the source of radicalism in both the North and South. Agreeing with their position and knowing history makes it easier for us to be sympatric toward these men. This masks the fact that their money supported actions that caused a number of deaths.

Who are "The Secret Six" and why would they support someone like John Brown? The answer to that question is the subject of this book. Edward Renehan shows that there is no easy answer to this question, providing a look at six complex men. Individually and collectively, they decided that the United States was evil and their cause placed them above the law. Two placed themselves "in harms way" during resistance to the Fugitive slave law or in Kansas. The balance stayed home and allowed their money to do their fighting. Into their lives came John Brown, failed businessman, possible criminal, zealot and ready to "fight slavery". Six wealthy men wanting to strike a blow for freedom and one zealot with money problems was the almost perfect match.

The book contains a very good portrait of all the main characters. An overbearing possibly abusive husband, a hypochondriac, a number of well meaning people that were committed to revolt and a cold-blooded killer is the cast. They do not make for a likeable or heroic group and the author details their good and bad points. Along the way, we get a nice overview of bleeding Kansas as seen in Boston and as Brown contributed to it. This build up, allows the reader to understand how the Secret Six were able to accept Brown's ideas and assume his plans would work. When Harpers Ferry failed, the Secret Six realized that many might consider them to be as guilty as Brown. This section shows them at their worst as they scrambled to get clear of the mess they had helped create.

The opening chapter is one of the best introductions I have ever read, setting the tone of the book, introducing the cast and providing closure. The writing style is very good and easy to read. The book is informative and complete, providing a look into a world of privileged radicals in the years leading up to the Civil War. This is a balanced history, free of condemnation or adulation leaving judgment up to the reader.

John Brown remains an elusive figure even today, nearly 150 years and who knows how many books after his execution. But our continuing fascination for the Brown--was he a saint? a madman? a traitor? a hero?--tends to overlook the fact that his activities, both in bleeding Kansas and Harpers Ferry, were financed and supported by many aristocratic and wealthy New England abolitionists. Edward Renehan's genuinely fascinating book offers us the first in-depth look at the leading six of them: Thomas Wentworth Higginson, a pastor who became a colonel of black troops in the Civil War; Theodore Parker, minister and philosopher; Franklin Sanborn, educator; Samuel Howe, physician; and Gerrit Smith of New York and George Luther Stearns of Boston, wealthy businessmen.

For me, the overriding impression from Renehan's narrative is that the involvement of the "secret six" with Brown was not unlike a Gilbert & Sullivan comedy. The six raised money for weapons that were frequently low quality; they self-importantly sprinkled letters to one another with codewords: "shepherds" for soldiers; "furniture" for guns, "Hawkins" for Brown; they insisted on not knowing details about Brown's plans to protect themselves, yet got petulant when they felt they were kept out of the loop; when Brown was captured, all but one of them (Higginson) panicked mightily (Higginson, to his never-ending mortification, seems never to have been recognized as a conspirator by the authorities); and by the time Brown was hanged on 2 December 1859, Howe and Stearns had fled the country, Parker was dying of consumption in Italy, Sanborn couldn't make up his mind whether or not he ought to flee, Smith was in an insane asylum, and Higginson was planning a half-cocked (and never pulled off) plan to rescue Brown's still imprisoned companions in the crazy raid on Harpers Ferry.

All this is absurd and even silly. But things take on a much more ominous tone when Renehan paints a portrait of Brown as a religious fanatic who seems indifferent to life in Kansas (the Pottawatomie massacre is just he most famous example); who believed that his raid on Harpers Ferry was approved by God and hence infallible; whose military planning included the bizarre insistence that low ground was more defensible than high; and who apparently felt no compunction about adding deception and common theft to murder in the pursuit of his goal to spark a slave insurrection.

The fascinating subtext of Renehan's book, then, is a question: how is it that well-educated, wealthy, upper-class men could've so fallen under the sway of a man like Brown that they were willing to risk treason to finance his insurrection (notwithstanding that after the revolt failed they lost their nerves)? Part of the answer lies in the secret six's hatred of slavery and their despair over a legal end to it. But part of the reason must also have been Brown's charisma. Mad as he probably was--as even Higginson years later said he was--his magnetism was overpowering.

A valuable addition to our understanding of the pre-civil war in Kansas as well as the debacle at Harpers Ferry. Highly recommended.
__________
* The title Higginson gave himself and his five fellow backers of Brown who, Higginson believed, all betrayed Brown after his capture by trying to deny their complicity. The reference, of course, is to Peter's denial of Jesus.

If you judge a book by its publisher, which is not always a bad thing to do, you will not expect much out of this volume. And you had best begin this book not expecting too much or you'll find yourself disappointed. I give it three stars out of generous feeling tonight.

The author attempts to give us a history of the backers both financially and morally of John Brown and his attempts to overthrow slavery. The men involved were intellectual, wealthy individuals who should have known better, but apparently were overtaken by self aggrandizement. This could be a very exciting and interesting work on this subject is little known and very much ignored, however, it is a rather stuffy and dry examination of this very exciting incident in 19th century American history. The author rightly describes the John Brown as a religious fanatic and murderer, and while he shows me six co-conspirators who lost their nerve after Brown was arrested, the book tends to put these people in the light of bored men who want some game to play at and when that fails they do all they can to distance themselves from their failure. This is substantially true. However, these men were more than what they appear in this rendering. He also would have done well to flesh out their other actions and accomplishments, not to make them heroes, but to give us a better look at their times.

If you are looking for a book to give a general picture of New England abolitionists, you might very well find this book helpful to you. You should not expect any great writing were amazing research discoveries. If you have a fairly substantial knowledge of this era and of these individuals you will get much out of this volume.

No one has done more than Renehan to explore and explain the Byzantine tale of abolitionist John Brown and his idealistic but confused (and sometimes absurd) northeastern bankers. This is a splendid story that, by polishing with his customary narrative excellence, Renehan has turned into a real gem.

THE SECRET SIX does a wonderful job of revealing the tangled web of intrigue that lay behind John Brown's 1859 incursion at Harpers Ferry. This is stunning stuff: six affluent northeasterners, one of them the husband of poetess Julia Ward Howe and another the leading Unitarian minister of his day, financing terrorism in slave states -- and going about it methodically, calmly, and deliberately. What a story. And so well told.

I like the book a whole lot!The number one reason why is because it is written about my hometown!

This was one of the best books I've ever read about Black history in small towns. Very detailed and well done.When reading this novel I felt like I was there. Hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

I thought the book was better than average. The ending was a little disappointing, but I thought the theme of the book was
great. I thought Eleanora Tate did an awesome job at describing the characters, especially the peoples' ancestors. I didn't really like the whole paegent thing, because I'm a boy. (you know what I mean) The only reason I read it was because my teacher made me, but I'm glad I did.

The Secret of Gumbo Grove is an excellent book. I highly recommend it, especially if you like mysteries. It is about an 11-year old girl, Raisin Stackhouse who help Miss Effie, the church secretary, clean out an old graveyard. Miss Effie knows all about the people buried in the cemetery, and is happy to tell their stories to Raisin. After Miss Effie gives Raisin the church records, she finds herself in a mystery, who is "Gumbo" Dickson? Why doesn't anyone in the town want to talk about him? Could this African American be the founder of Gumbo Grove? I really liked how the author, Eleanora E. Tate, tied the mystery in with Raisin's everyday life. For example, the "Miss Ebony Calvary County Pageant," in which one of Raisin's sisters, Hattie, participates. I disliked Miss Aussie, who wouldn't even admit that some people in the graveyard were her relatives! Miss Aussie wanted to destroy the cemetery. I also found it very sad that marijuana and alcohol were sold to anyone, especially minors, in her community. Luckily, Raisin didn't take any. This book is one of my favorites, and I hope you like it too.

The Secret of Gumbo Grove is an excellent book. I highly recommend it, especially if you like mysteries. It is about a 11-year old girl who helps Miss Effie, the church secretary, clean out an old graveyard. Miss Effie knows all about the people buried in the cemetery, and is happy to tell their stories to Raisin. After Miss Effie gives her the old church records, she finds herself in a mystery, who is "Gumbo" Dickson? Why does no one in the town want to talk about him? Could the African-American man be the founder of Gumbo Grove? I really liked how the author, Eleanora E. Tate tied the mystery in with Raisin's regular life. For example, the "Miss Ebony Calvary County Pageant",in which one of Raisin's sisters, Hattie, participates. I greatly disliked Miss Aussie, who wouldn't even admit that some people in the graveyard were her relatives! Miss Aussie wanted the cemetery to be destroyed. I found it very sad that marijuana and alcohol were sold to minors in her community, but luckily, Raisin didn't take any. This book is one of my favorites, and I hope you like it too.