Kentucky Books

Absolutely loved the book. It is the best Boone biography I have read yet.

This is a fine historical account of an American legend that really personalizes the man beind the legend. The scope of his life and his extended family are amazing. An entertaining, informative and enjoyable book.

I cannot tell a lie...I read but the first couple of chapters of this book. So this "review" is actually more of a warning. It's difficult to fathom where all the positive opinions of this book come from. I had to stop reading, as I do when a book/author loses all credibility.

From what I could see in reading Morgan's description of the early years of Daniel Boone, the author's "bricks" of fact were held together by "mortar" of fluff and hyperbole. It is useful to understand that much of Morgan's prior literary contribution is fiction and poetry. It seems that he used his inventive mind to create the version of Boone that suited his idea of the man, rather than as perhaps he really was. And he seems so caught up in creating Boone in his image, that he becomes blind to the repetition spewing out of his pen. There was one section about Boone's growing affinity for spending time in the backwoods where the author repeated himself three times before it was time to turn the next page!

Also coming to mind when reading Morgan's "setup" of the book...how we're going to read about the "real" person...there seems to be a trend with historical biographies, both in print and on channels like The History Channel, to "debunk" the myths surrounding such larger-than-life figures as Daniel Boone. HELLO!! Maybe our society NEEDS mythical figures and heroes to drive our emotions. That's another reason I stopped reading this book. I don't want Disney's version either. But perhaps I'll check out one of the previous Boone biographies that Morgan oddly promotes in his book.

An over long development of the life of a very significant figure in American (Kentucky) history. Speculation as to Boone's thoughts and feelings while traveling the wilderness alone are pure nonsense. Division of labor, Boone was the hunter, hence the other members of the community depended upon his skills for meat. It doesn't take but a few months for wildlife to flee from an area when humans invade their territory.
One of the funniest bits for me was when Morgan discussed the pollution of the Ohio river. In the 1750s? Bambi should not have pissed in the river.
Extract historical fact from a modern tendency to humanize personages in terms of current concepts and this could be a valuable book. For Boone and his contemporaries the essence of their lives was survival.
Writing as a Small BusinessSins of the Fathers: A Brewster County NovelGuns Across the Rio: A Texas Ranger in Old MexicoNatchez Above The River: A Family's Survival In The Civil WarUnder the Liberty Oak

I was looking forward to this book. But after a few chapters I realized the author was writing this with a 2007 view of the world without truly understanding the frontier. I was disappointed when the author had to give a sexual meaning to events such as picnics,s ex in small crowded, homes and Boone's long ventures into the forest as a metaphor to deflowering a woman. This book tries to make Boone human but I just take it as an effort to bring down the man and his legend. Cannot recommend this book without suggesting you read others to get a well rounded view of Boone.

I am an avid reader but I found this book "over the top", too many characters, too slow, (stayed in one scene far too long), almost written in a 'foreign', very difficult 'language'. Unfortunately, not a good read at all.

I think this book was excellent. I have seen other comments about how the writer should have turned the characters lives around. But this book was more nonfiction than fiction if you think about it.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to read novels with some truth in the words written.

This has been my favorite movie of all time since it first aired on television. My children found a copy of the movie for me long ago and I share it whenever I can because of the message of hope. Of all the reviews I've read on this movie, not one speaks of the message of God's provision when we've taken a wrong turn. She's continually looking at the 'face' of Jesus and can't quite see what that might look like. It is the theme throughout and yet the reviews I read are focused on what I believe are extra great messages...but not the underlying message. At the lowest point of her life the very cherry wood that she's been carving throughout the story takes on a new meaning as 'Christ was broken' for her. It's there that she finally gets the message of his face. He saved her from the life she was living and ultimately brought her home.

I read Dollmaker over twenty years ago and have never forgotten its message. I feel all women should be required to read this important story. It shows that the strength, courage and faith that women use daily in everyday life is taken for granted by some but cherished and passed on by others. This book makes you grow in ways that are not easy to describe.

This is my third reading of The Dollmaker over a 15 year span of time. Parts of this novel always stay with me, even as I forget the particulars: the tracheotomy on her youngest child when it was do it or die; the yearning for and eventual purchase of land of her own; the tragedies that await her family in Detroit. It is even more poignant now - I grew up in Appalachia, and now live in the metro Detroit suburbs, where "Ypsituckian" is a derogatory word. This book chronicles a people and a time gone by, as the mountain region gets more and more homogenized. It makes me fiercely proud of home.

This book delves into the life of a Kentucky blueblood who apparently had an adventurish streak and evolved from being a Lexington narcotics detective to being found dead on a rural Kentucky farm with a malfunctioning parachute and multiple kilos of cocaine strapped to his body. (I can't remember the exact number but it was well over a hundred pounds if I remember right, and in case you can't figure this out on your own the parachute malfunctioned because it couldn't handle the weight of the coke) Apparently, this guy was a big part of a drug ring that included other cops, most likely other Kentucky bluebloods and political figures, organized crime figures based in Las Vegas and probably people within the DEA itself. Whose to say this spider web didn't go up even higher? In my opinion the author of this book didn't ask hard enough questions in that direction. Also another police officer involved probably murdered his ex-girlfriend or had knowledge that she was going to be killed because she was possibly going to spill the beans and name names but he was never charged with the murder because a body was never found. I recomend books like Dope Inc., Dark Alliance, former DEA agent Cellie Castillos book, or a book called Barry and the Boys to learn that who the average persons cartoonish vision of who controls the illegal drug trade is not reality.

Having known some of the people in the book, it is an interesting and scary read. I was lucky enough to be living in Las Vegas when the book was published and I was able to go to a book signing by Sally. We had a very interesting conversation about some of the "stars"...
The more you read the book, the more you learn. Interesting enough,
Bill Canaan was just released from prison a couple of weeks ago and his whereabouts are unknown.
An old family friend passed away a few months and I felt like I was in the book..four of the "stars" of the book were present at the funeral home.
Drew was a very complicated person. The day he got his Lexington police uniform, he went to see my Aunt to show off his uniform. He was so proud.
Read the book several times. It's better every time.

In a southern rural region,a town of culture and money finds corruption in its midst. The police,the politicians and local bluebloods are involved in drugs and murder. A true story that is still talkled about in Lexington, KY. Interesting reading.

A wonderful story. Sometimes the writing is not great, with run-on sentances and gramitical errors; however, the story is compelling enough to bypass the small mishaps. At times a little confusing because numerous characters are introduced in short periods of time. Overall a pretty good book, one I will read again.

I absoultely loved this book...This book will keep you awake for sure wondering what will happen next...I highly recommend and don't want to give you too many details to spoil it...Excellent author!

A fantastic book that provides thrills and suspense from cover to cover. The book details the story of the revered Calument Farms that dominated the American horse racing scene for most of the 20th century before a sudden collapse into bankruptcy. It's a story of a rise of the American Dream and then a fall into shame due to deceit and greed.

This book would be enjoyed by horse racing enthusiasts as well as just about anyone that enjoys a good suspense thriller.

I could hardly put this book down!! In fact, after I finished it in two days, I read parts of it again!! The author gives factual details about a terrible tragedy, and the loss of a wonderful horse. With the recent interest in horseracing, after the tragic loss of Eight Belles, people should be aware that horseracing is not all mint juleps and fancy hats.
Wild Ride is a gripping tale of what happened to Alydar, the horse that propelled the last Triple Crown Winner, Affirmed, to his status in history.
Even if you are not a horseracing fan (which I was not, until I read this book!), you will learn so much about the behind-the-scenes events of an American tragedy. Somewhere else I read these quotes: "Dogs and cats have become our pets, but horses, we have deemed, should be our slaves"...........and "Every person who has ever owned a pet will stand before God to testify as to his master's stewardship". Keeping those thoughts in mind, the book will justify the author's purpose for getting this TRUE story out in the open. EXCELLENT READ!!!!

At last a detailed explanation as to what caused the implosion of the seemingly solid Calumet Farms throughbred racing dynasty. How could things go so wrong, so fast? An interesting mix of human pettiness, ignorance and weakness, greed, and then the Farm was lost to greater and greater accelerating debt. Detailed portraits of many of the Calumet favorites, especially Alydar, who's accidental death stopped the cash machine that was keeping the farm afloat in a sea of debt. Interesting crosscurrents of bad feduciary management by the trust's bank managers, criminal activity, gangland ties, possible drug peddling for cash, contracts that were fast and loose and pledged the same assets over and over again. If you like racing and remember the Calumet lock on winning and its great horses, this is a fascinating book. If you are looking for just a "horse" book you should look elsewhere, but this is a great story from the get-go.

By far and away, this is the best book I have ever read. It is enthralling, astounding in its detail, it is meticulously researched, beautifully and stylishly written. Auerbach's book is the classiest piece of reading I have completed. I couldn't put it down, and it will lead you along the road from awe to woe. I could read anything about the Bluegrass and the thoroughbred industry, but this book will cross genres from horse fans to general public.

But be advised, it is an involving read and you need to concentrate. But I found my emotions building with every chapter and a sure void when I discovered that the book ends before the completion of the Calumet story which, by my own research, continues long after the close of pages in 1995...

I vividly remember the reports in the sports section concerning the death of Alydar and then the financial collapse of Calumet Farm. Little did I know then that it was as criminal as anything found on the front page of a major daily.

Ann Hagedorn Auerbach does an outstanding job of piecing together the jagged financial picture of the crumbled puzzle pieces left by J.T. Lundy. The book also poses poignant questions - many remaining unanswered today - concerning the death of a great champion who seemingly was worth more in death because of the huge insurance windfall gained by Lundy.

And please don't be fooled by the pomp on major race days covered on national TV/cable; the Thoroughbred industry is driven by racers graduating to the stud farm and commanding oftentimes six figures per mating.

Though the book is about 10 years old, you will wonder if there are more Lundy's cooking up schemes to defraud others while striding nonchalantly under the backdrop of beautiful turf, colorful silks and million-dollar runners.

What do most of us know about Daniel Boone? Boonesborough? Cumberland Gap? Maybe even the Wilderness Road? Then there are the trumped up tales for which the most part, are fictitious.
Dr. Faragher does justice to this American frontiersman. He digs, rummages and investigates into the volumes written about Boone and turns this into a respectable, readable biography.

Settling Kentucky was a decade's long gruesome endeavor. Many lives were lost. The English, French, Indians and soon to be Americans engaged in numerous grisly battles to claim this region. Boone was involved in many of these bloody clashes and maintained till his closing days that he only killed three Indians in his life.
Even after being held prisoner for four months by the Shawnees, the man respected the Native Americans more so than the land hungry speculators who came in shortly after he opened these same territories.

He was a man of the woods, always living on the edge of society. A restless individual, who as the years went by, despised many components of civilization due to the ramifications thereof.
Insightful.

Daniel Boone lived from 1734 to 1820.

I knew almost nothing about Boone before reading this biography, and so cannot critique the book on its historical or biographical accuracy. My only complaint is that it is not longer. This seems an excellent book to begin a study of Daniel Boone. It has gotten me curious to read more.

And yes, I am one of those who grew up watching Fess Parker's TV show Daniel Boone.

The style of this work reminded somewhat of McCullough's (writer of a biography of John Adams)in that the writer seeks to understand Boone's motivations within the context of the times he lived in. Unlike Adams however much less in definitely known about Boone and the writer is forced to include many stories and legends that are needed to embelish the biography but also pose the risk of pulling Boone's image and reputation in undesirable or unfair directions. The problem of course is that there are hundreds of legends and hundreds of variations on those legends and the writer must pick and chose how much weight to give the views of his different sources. Overall he has done a good job and the reader is treated to a realistic view of life in Kentucky when buffaloes roamed, the plight of the Indians etc... Recommended

Daniel Boone was a long hunter and it brought him to the hunting ground of Kentucky. He hunted the land several times before he brought his family to Boonesborough a fort on the Kentucky River. Faragher shows that Boone was a man of character. He loved the frontier and wanted to be a part of it. Boone wanted to live in peace with the Indians but at times he found them to be his enemy. The people he encouraged to come west began to crowd him and he began to look for a new frontier farther west. The Author was very factual about the man, Daniel Boone. By Ruth Thompson author of "The Bluegrass Dream" and "Natchez Above The River"

This book provided very detailed information regarding Daniel Boone and his relatives. He's a legend worth learning about. You'll be able to separate the myths about him from the truth, according to the best available data.
Be ready for a long read.

I don't have much to add to the foregoing reviews except to toss my own opinion in the ring. This book was well-written and great fun to read. I found it hard to put the book down at times. I can't say this is the definitive biography of Mary Pickford -- that's beyond my realm of expertise -- but it sure as heck was an enjoyable one. I popped back in on Amazon to see if the author has published any other biographies. She hasn't. Drats.

Whitfield's book on Pickford is the definitive biography of this Hollywood legend. Her research is extensive and storytelling touching. It's fascinating to read about the rise and fall of such an intelligent and artistic actress who was one of the first to create the art of film acting. I've also read Scott Eyman's book ("Mary Pickford"), which is also good, but doesn't offer the same depth of research that Whitfield does. A must have for any film buff's library.

I think I can say that this book changed my life. I love movies and the people who make them, and for some reason I was not at all familar with the great Mary Pickford. Reading Ms. Whitfield's PICKFORD: THE WOMAN WHO MADE HOLLYWOOD, I laughed, I cried and I was amazed with what this actress accomplished in her life. This is the sort of book for me that as I approached its last pages, I had to put it down because I did not want it to end. Maybe I didn't want Pickford's life to end. Her life, and particulary her relationship with her mother, has all the workings of a great motion picture. I am now searching for all films that feature Mary Pickford. I have seen many recently and through her and her movies the world of Silent Film has come alive for me. This book fills in the blanks I had about the earliest days of U. S. films and has given me a glimpse into the working life of Pickford. For any students of film, this is a book that must be read. I will never forget the beautiful moment in this book when Mary Pickford is sitting next to Douglas Fairbanks, some time after they had divorced. Their brief converstion, as told by Whitfield, still gets me all misty eyed when I think about it. For me, without a doubt, this is the best book I have read all year!

I'm not rating the book, but rather some misinformation: in the book's description it says that she did not make the transition to talking pictures. I watched a talking picture this morning on Turner Classic Movies, Coquette(spelling?), released in 1929, which she was nominated for Best Actress. So yes, she DID make the transition to talking pictures; it just may not have been for long.

I am looking for a Mary Pickford bio that has lots of information on her personal life. This book is not the one. I found it dull, boring and uninformative in regards to Mary's personal life. I stopped reading it!! I want to know more about Lottie and Jack and their deaths, and this book tells very little, and one paragraph when each of them die. No details, no places, addresses-all the things that make for really interesting and well researched books. Anyone can get information on their movies, filmographies and details of the studios. You could almost just repeat many books like this and just change the person who you're writing about. Everytime I found a tidbit of interest, it referred to Mary's own book "Sunshine and Sadness". Maybe I should read THAT book instead!

I enjoyed this little brisk bit of reading. It gets in and gets out. You'll have to suspend some disbelief to swallow the premise, but I think it's worth it for the sharp and biting dialog. This may be attributable to the author's youth. He's alot more in touch with alternative culture (these people hate Raymond) than most of his writing contemporaries.

This novel is an interesting exercise on two levels: first, because the author, himself quite a young man, has tackled a topic that requires extraordinary skill, observing the antics of a multi-generational group of characters; the second, the very diverse personalities themselves, who make up the meat of the novel.

Goebel introduces an unusual gathering of friends who have come together as a rock band, determined that their music be heard and appreciated. They figure such a strange configuration of band mates should at least get them in the door. The group consists of an eight-year old girl and her babysitter, who happens to be a sprightly octogenarian, a young black musician with an explosive imagination and a vocabulary to match, a beautiful, wheel chair-bound Satanist and an Iraqi immigrant recently arrived in this country to enjoy the wonders of American life and to find an American soldier he wounded in the Gulf War. The burgeoning rock band is their blunt statement to the world.

The world may not be ready for their message, but the musicians do have a small following as their sound improves with practice. Most important is their message: diversity is the future of America. Certainly the very identity of the group is an advertisement that cultural and racial differences can successfully coexist, even flourish. Like most ideas before their time, this band becomes a target for some misanthropic diversions, reminding us that the fickle finger of fate scribbles randomly, and then moves on, indifferent to the chaos left in its wake. Whether Goebel's characters can recover from their debut is the question. Luan Gaines/2004.

Joey Goebel's first novel, "The Anomalies", has an energy and intelligence that is rarely seen in debut fiction. Each unique character created by Goebel has their own interesting traits and are just plain fun to read about, while a social critique also winds its way through the pages. It is no easy task to create memorable and fun characters while tackling social issues, but Goebel pulls it off almost seamlessly.
I am looking forward to his next novel, "Torture the Artist", where I am certain he has honed his craft even more.

The Anomalies, Goebel's debut novel, is one of the most creative, constantly inventive novels to grace the bookshelves in years. As a debut novel, it is equivalent only to Jonathan Lethem's Gun, With Occasional Music. Though there are no surrealistic boundaries broken in Goebel's work, the high level of inventiveness is comparable.

The characters are vivid and uniquely oddball. And they are drawn so beautifully and convincingly that they read less like fiction characters and more like people plucked from the pages of a memoir by a computer-nerd-cum-sideshow-geek.

The story, about a ragtag group of outcasts looking to make sweet music, borders on the absurd without feeling contrived or unrealistic. The true absurdity is the world's response to these characters, who, it seems, cherish Cocteau's observation, "That with which the public reproaches you, cultivate it, it is you."

The Anomalies is so well paced, so beautifully well written, that it flies by in one sitting. But, and not to give away the ending here, the characters' fates will haunt you and sit with you and, eventually, inspire you to re-read this book. If not for the characters, then the circumstances, if not the circumstances, then the wonderful, wonderful prose and dialogue.

This is not only one of the best debut novels I've ever read, but one of the best, funniest, cleverest novels I've had the pleasure of reading. If your perception of reality tends to be skewed, I highly recommend The Anomalies. And if your perception tends to lean to the mainstream, I recommend it even more. Heck, you might even learn something about the way you perceive people.

i couldn't even get 1/2 through this novel. documenting the rock 'n roll industry and band dynamics is undoubtedly a difficult task. some have done it successfully, others have not. unfortunately, 'the anomalies' falls in the latter category.

goebel's novel, told from multiple point-of-view's (a al faulkner's 'as i lay dying,' could have been intersting, but let's be honest here and cut right to the novel's central problem: how many bands have an 80 year-old, sex-starved granny, an 8-year old girl, an effeminate iraqi soldier, and a satan-worshipping teenager? the novel loses any credibility because its initial premise completely unbelievable and head-scratching. there's simply no way these people would ever get together, much less form a band. i'm growing tired of writers who assume they have to have 'quirky' and 'off-beat' characters to make novels interesting. 'quirky' characters more often than not make for obnoxious and annoying characters--and does little more than display an author's inability at novelizing complex human emotions and relaitionships. unfortunately, the united nations-esque, freak-show band is little more than a gimmick, and a tired one at that.

the writing itself is mediocre at best. goebel's still a young man and it shows. most of the prose comes across as juvenile and simplistic, probably because it is. it never really sparkles, never really reveals anything substantial about the plot or characters. the dialogue is ordinary and by-the-book. the 'quirky' characters are, by and large, one-dimensional stereotypes, and the shifting p.o.v could have been interesting had the band member's observations about each other amounted to anything insightful or interesting.

it takes a lot for me to give up on a book 1/2 way through it, but 1/2 of 'the anomolies' was an uninspired, tedious exercise in band dynamics. a major disappointment.

A thoroughly enjoyable and motivating read. This is a remarkable collection of exclusive interviews with the best American sports coaches of the last 40 years. The author has packed a voluminous amount of wisdom, inspiration and facts into what amounts to a road map to a good life. "How to Succeed in the Game of Life" is a brilliant compilation of advice that offers inspiration at every turn.

Game of Life is an insightful book on the thoughts of many of the world's best known coaches. It provides a biography on each of the 34 coaches (which I recommend reading first to gain a better appreciation of the field and achievements of each coach) and asks them a number of questions that can relate to both on the field and life in general. I have gathered a number of relavant quotes that I will use both personally and professionally. A highly recommended read for sporting buffs and managers.

After buying a copy of this book for both myself and my father I was thoroughly impressed. The book was both an easy read yet very informative. I gave a copy of the book to my father, who is not one to read a book, and he was so taken back by how interesting he felt the content was. He picked up the book in the morning and had it finished by mid afternoon. He must have called me 15 times to tell me how inspiring he felt it was and how he was amazed at "all the tricks it taught an old dog"...He thought he had heard all there was to hear about inspirational quotes. We were both pleasantly surprised with how well written the book was. Both my dad and I would highly recommend this book with two thumbs up.

Having read only excerpts, I was shocked to read that Tony Dungy was hired as head coach by the Indianapolis Colts in 2002 by owner Robert Irsay. Irsay had been dead for five years (longer than that mentally). Hopefully the rest of the book does not contain such shoddy information.

This book went through various questions about succeeding in life and listed all the responses from each coach. It was interesting but somewhat repetitive in that many said basically the same thing. I enjoyed reading this book because it had a lot of good advice from a lot of successful coaches. The advice I remember most is to work harder than anyone else, never quit, always be honest, do your best, failure is opportunity for a comeback, and be passionate about what you do. All of them agreed that making a lot of money does not mean you are successful, but money can be a by-product of being successful. The last chapter included short summaries about each coach. My favorite chapter was the one of their favorite quotes.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in philosophy, or who is looking for some advice or inspiration about success.

Karen Arelttaz Zemek, author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"

I loved this book, I've been writing a historical based fictional noval about people in the Civil War, who fight against Morgan's raid, although the noval's foccus isn't primarily on General Morgan, nonetheless I bought this book a few months back to learn more of him and his famous army. I have to say it fasinated me, all these amazing and sad stories that most of us will never know unless you're writing a noval about it. I thank God that I'm a book worm. ^_^ And hey, it have cost me a little but it was sure worth it.

Horwitz brings the civil war to life in this book. The Author captivates the reader by putting this "insignificant raid",(when compared to major battles at Gettysburg and Vicksburg) on the front porch and in the kitchens of those hoosiers and buckeyes who had thought the war was very far away. Excellently covers the civilians through letters and diarys, as well as the military actions of the two sides. A must read for any student of csa cavalry, or anyone with a taste for an exciting account of a part of our history.

I love this book because it is so easy to read and one of those books you can't put down until completed because it captivates your interest. I was doing my family history concerning the TAYLOR family and was so intriqued by the book that I bought it and invited the author to our family reunion to share Morgan and his adventures. This is a must have book that inspires the basic Civil War buff and the knowledgeable historian also. The style of the writer makes it enjoyable for the reader. It is like reading a great novel, but accurately depicting the events.

During the early months of 1861, southern states seceded from the union. After Fort Sumter surrendered to Confederate General Beauregard on April 14, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas joined in secession from the northern states. The resulting fighting between the states became known as the Civil War. Kentucky, a slave state, did not secede. Many were pro-Confederate however. Jefferson Davis was from Kentucky, but Lincoln too was born there.

The battles between the North and South for the hearts of Ken-tuck-ee (Dark and Dangerous Ground) heated up in 1862. Initially, Confederate General Johnston controlled Kentucky with forces at Bowling Green and at Columbus. But Union General Thomas took eastern Kentucky in January 1862 where the south had less sympathy among the locals. Then by February 1862, Johnston had lost most of Kentucky and western Tennessee to Buell's Army of the Ohio. Johnston countered at Shiloh and died fighting Grant, who was reinforced by Buell. So many men died on both sides (25,000) that Grant and Buell were in shock. Grant got drunk and Buell withdrew to Nashville to ready an attack on Chattanooga. With Johnston dead, the Confederates were led by Braxton Bragg.

Bragg laid a campaign to take back Kentucky and made his way toward Louisville, but Buell stopped him at Perryville on October 8th. Buell was replaced with General Rosecrans and took the Union troops out of Nashville to fight Bragg at Stone's River (or Murfreesboro) from Dec 31 of 1982 until Jan 3, 1983. Bragg retreated to Chattanooga.

On January 1st, 1863 Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation that said all slave owners could keep their slaves if they stayed with the union. Hardly emancipating! But most people never read past the title and most people thought that Lincoln had freed the slaves, so slaves took off and non-slaves helped them to freedom. Then draft slavery was implemented by the south - all white males aged 18 to 35 were declared temporary slaves of the Confederate army for three years. A curse if there ever was one!

Taking Kentucky was still the aim of Chattanooga-based Bragg, but first he needed to get out of Chattanooga and move to a more easily defended position with room to maneuver. To this end he appointed Alabama-born and Kentucky-raised General John Hunt Morgan to head a 2,000-man raid into Ohio to disrupt supply lines and communications to Union soldiers, while leading them to believe that they were under attack so that Rosecran's forces would be distracted down in Chattanooga. Morgan and his men managed to do over $500,000 worth of damage before getting captured and sent to prison. Morgan escaped from prison and was killed a year later.

Bragg fell back from Chattanooga and Rosecrans moved in. Now it was Rosecrans rather than Bragg who was bogged down in Chattanooga with no room to maneuver. Bragg held Chattanooga under seige until Grant replaced Rosecrans in October with Thomas. The result was the Battle of Chattanooga, after which Jefferson Davis retired Bragg and replaced him with Johnston.

But Morgan's raid was successful in its aim to allow Bragg to move out of Chattanooga and later pin down Rosecrans there. [...]

Quibbles about English usage aside, Mr. Horwitz has done a wonderful job in gathering obscurities concerning Morgan's Raid and organizing them into an entertaining account of the Civil War military action. I found it particularly interesting because it happened in many areas that I'm personally familiar with, living in the Cincinnati area and being familiar with the southeastern Ohio area. This is the kind of book that makes learning your history, (local or national,) a painless process.

This is a modern day David and Goliath story, only with horses. A bunch of high school buddies pool their money and open a stable, competing with ultra rich Sheiks and bluebloods. And who wins the KY Derby--the little guys with their great horse Funny Cide. The best thing about this story is that it's true. A wonderful read.

Partnerships for owning Thoroughbred racers can cost as little as a few hundred dollars to (fill in your own number, and it isn't small). There are roughly 35,000 Thoroughbreds foaled each year and by their three-year-old season, only a maximum of 20 can reach the starting gate in the Kentucky Derby. At the end of that race, only one runner will emerge as a possible Triple Crown winner.

There is a saying in the sport that how a person becomes a millionaire in Thoroughbred racing is to initially be a multi-millionaire. But for a group of friends who pooled their money together to purchase what was then considered a modestly-bred runner with the goal of trying to find success on the solid New York racing scene, well, let's just say they didn't just catch lightning in a jar; they caught the entire storm front and slammed it into the container.

Funny Cide, the members of the partnership group, trainer Barclay Tagg and assistant trainer Robin Smullen captivated sports fans worldwide in 2003 when the gelded colt captured the first two legs of the Triple Crown, only to fall short of immortality on a muddy track at Belmont Park.

Author Sally Jenkins has penned a highly readable and enjoyable account of everyone involved. And through it all, it is Funny Cide who did the most talking, with a solid two-year-old season - though it is fashionable to say he "emerged" literally out of nowhere to win the Kentucky Derby - and several gutsy performances at three that put him solidly into the mix of possible contenders on the Triple Crown trail.

Funny Cide was marketed like a rock star in the few weeks leading up to the Belmont Stakes - after winning the Preakness Stakes in convincing fashion - with hats, shirts and buttons being quickly produced and bought up by fans, along with the future plans for a Funny Cide beer. Even in 2006, the New York Racing Association handed out Funny Cide pictures to race fans on a special day honoring his achievements.

Though Funny Cide has had a very rocky racing career since the Triple Crown chase, the highlight being a commanding stretch drive performance to win the 2004 Jockey Club Gold Cup, Jenkins writes about that moment in time when a special runner took fans for a great ride in a sport which is not built on, but can sometimes produce, the best memories from modest beginnings.

FUNNCY CIDE, the book, is not literature like perhaps SEABISCUIT is, but in its own way, it is easier to read and more satisfying. FUNNY CIDE is the once-in-a-generation, heart-warming story of a long-shot horse who broke though and made it big. FUNNY CIDE is not only the story of the horse but also of his Ordinary Joe owners, his has-been jockey, and his cranky trainer. Several times I had to put the book aside and wipe my eyes, blow my nose and otherwise compose myself after reading FUNNY CIDE. And you will, too. It just that kind of book, that kind of story of how hard work and persistance truly can pay off. FUNNY CIDE's success was not a freak but the result of dedicated trainers and vets, risk-taking owners and a talented jockey and, above all, a talented horse. If you like horse racing, you will love this book. If you just like stories of success against overwhelming odds, then FUNNY CIDE is also for you. For horse players, a useful tip from the book: the Belmont Stakes does not favor favorites supposedly because winners coming off the Preakness a couple weeks earlier may be too tired to go the extra distance Belmont demands. Thus Belmont Stakes long shots may be better choices. This book is a winner and would make the perfect gift for that horse player in your life.

This book was made for me, and people like me. As a kid I read every horse book I could find, and as an adult, I own a Thoroughbred in New York. I loved this story about honest and hardworking people and their nondescript horse who surprised everyone. The twists of fate are delightful: how the stable got the cash to buy Funny Cide; how Jose Santos came to be the jockey; how they came to ride a yellow school bus to Churchill Downs. I couldn't put it down.

Okay, parts of the book about the owners may be a bit boring, but the storyline about this horse and his trainer make your heart sing. It is so refreshing to hear/read a story about folks putting the animal's welfare above profit in current times. I hope a movie is made of this wonderful tale that will rival the story of Seabiscuit. Invest the few bucks and a couple hours of your time-you will be rewarded!