Kentucky Books

Truman Defeats Dewey makes a persuasive case that the 1948 election was a watershed event in American political history and began the modern political era. An associate professor of history at Xavier University in New Orleans, Gary Donaldson presents a fresh and informative examination of how Harry Truman took the 1948 race and what Thomas Dewey did (and didn't) do that resulted in his losing the election. In summary, Truman did a better and more effective job of connecting with the American public whereas Dewey was fairly inept as both a public speaker and in understanding/presenting the issues that concerned constituent voters. Truman Defeats Dewey is a superbly written and presented treatise that will prove a welcome addition to 20th Century American political science and electorial history reading lists and reference collections.

I grew up listening to my parents talk about Harry Truman and the 1948 election. No one thought Truman had a chance and everyone went to bed believing Tom Dewey would be the next President. Boy, was everyone wrong, from the reporters who covered the campaign, to H.V. Kaltenborn, the famous radio announcer of that era, to the new political pollsters. All were left with egg on their faces when Truman won over 300 electoral votes and swept to victory.

This book demonstrate the importance of the farm vote switching mightily to Truman as the campaign wore on, and how Dewey was impossibly arrogant and stopped active campaigning on mid-October, thinking he had the election sewn up! Most of all, this is a tribute to the plucky Harry Trumam, who never conceded, never doubted he would win, and throughout his famous whistle-stop tour, gave 'em hell. A stirring account of the agreat campaign.

A very good diary of the occupation of Lexington KY by both CS and US troops during the Civil War. Since the city was home to both Unionist and Secceshionist Civilians, it shows how each acted depending on who occupied the city at the time. It is a good illustration of Home Front activity.

It's not too often that you get a Civilian view of the Civil War. This book shows how Seccesh and Unionists acted towards each other in a border state, depending upon who's troops were occupying the town of Lexington (Home of John Hunt Morgan). The diary was written by a homebound girl (she had epilepsy) with Union leanings. The area that she saw from her window still exists today, including her home and others mentioned and also show up on a hand-drawn map that is in the book. A very good book for those seeking something besides the same old worn out War stories.

Being an enthusiastic amateur treasure hunter myself, in years past, I diligently read each and every volume of Mr. Terry's exhaustively researched works. Although I found some the information erroneous or far from exact - for instance many locations cited as "ghost towns" are FAR from being one - there are so many intriguing stories of legends, factual evidence & stories of past recoveries that any true TH'r will be enthralled. Treasure hunting is supposedly America's fastest growing hobby: it's uniquely enjoyable for the adventure, historical aspects & healthy outdoor recreation. And when you really find something decent...Boy Howdy!! Not as easy as it sounds, though. To be a professional TH'r, one has to have patience, applying oneself with the perseverance of a detective: because that's what it takes to be successful. Exhaustive research is the key: going where people gathered long ago (old picnic grounds & abandoned schoolyards, for instance) will be beneficial for coin shooters who are after more than modern coins....for me, finding modern coins was a complete waste of time & energy. Going for the gold? Go where it is KNOWN to be & be creative: the better your equipment - i.e. a decent detector which finds gold & common sense makes this a most fascinating hobby. For some, it's a life's career. Good luck!!

Found this to be a very interesting paperback book for anyone dreaming of treasure hunting/finds. But, I wish it was updated. I'm sure there are more interesting things about Florida. Not all of Fla. treasure finds are in the sea as this book notes. Worth reading.Open anywhere and begin reading.

Step back in time to national Virginia, formerly one of a union of nations, forced to side with those bent on dissolution and compelled to mount a defense against imminent invasion.

The scholarship for which Davis and Robertson are noted is joined by that of other established authorities, in particular John Coski [The Confederate Battle Flag] and Ervin Jordan [Black Confederates and Afro-Yankees in Civil War Virginia]. Coski's essay on the Virginia Navy is unique and information rich. Jordan's essay on black perspectives is essential to understanding period society.

This native Virginian, whose fifth grade class in Richmond still stood to sing Dixie before a portrait of General Lee in 1960, now appreciates the Commonwealth's pro-Union sentiments and leadership evident in Robertson's essay on secession.

The edited selection from the diary of Judith Brockenbrough McGuire compliments the work.

The idea for the series is brilliant. I look forward to the remaining volumes.

This book of essays is the first of five planned books discussing Virginia during each of the years of the Civil War. The essays are written by well-known historians and cover an interesting range of topics. Particularly intriguing was the essay about the decision to relocate the Confederate capital from Montgomery to Richmond. The motion just barely passed. The location of the two capitals had considerable effect on the strategy of the war and one wonders what things would have been like if the capital had remained in Alabama. The essays are brief and well-written. This is a volume for serious students of the subject but is an interesting concept for a series.

I have read this book three times and bought it as gifts for many of my friends. If you are looking for something fast-paced, adventurous, warm and funny- look no more. This book has it all. You'll find yourself having trouble putting it down!

~This book is at times strange, confusing and increadably infuriating and at times sweet and even joyful. This certainly wouldn't be a story I would give to my parents to make them understand better about me being a lesbian, and it does contain some sex so I wouldn't recommend it to kids, either. The language is at times really confusing but I found it better towards the end (I'm not exactly sure whether I myself got used to it, or it's just that the first chapters were written with a lot less~~ experience than the latter ones). Nonetheless, I really enjoyed this book since even beyond all her cynicism the heroine still had the sort of excuse I guess for her darkened vision of this world and she showed times and times again that she can be quite tender and loving.~

Good read, very honest about her life, does not try to sweep things under the carpet at all. I felt I knew her/understood her more after reading this, she didn't gloss over things to make out she was some matyre who has it all together she was real. If you like a book that doesn't make out they are the perfect person then this is it

I did not know much about her at the time I read the book. There was something about her that was not right that i wanted to find out why she is the way she is. So i bought this book, i loved it. It did explain a lot about her her. However it did not go into to much detail on her childhood an how old she is. I have an idea but i enjoyed learning about her.

Janice got down, dirty, and honest with this book in her tough journey to fame. However, she is an amazing woman who has survived much in life, while doing her best to thrive.

Kudos Janice! Thank you for sharing a part of you with us all!

A MUST read for everyone!

Merna Throne

Pocket of Pearls: A 30-day pocket workbook to start hearing a softer voice inside of you!

This book was AMAZING!!! SOOO good i thought it was fiction. A fantastic read.

This memoir delivers! Laugh out loud funny, and full of juicy show biz gossip. Janice rats out everyone in here. I like that her voice comes through 100%--it's like you are sitting with her listening to her stories over drinks, one on one. There is more to Janice's story--a darker side with a totally messed up childhood that shaped who she became. Think what you will of her, but she is never boring. A great read.

A Murder Room is certainly not P.D. James' best effort, nor is it Adam Dagleish's. Set in contemporary London, the book nonetheless has a particularly old fashioned feel to it as the murder takes place in a museum dedicated to the era between the two World Wars.

While I understand the need to set the scene, and for the most part am not an impatient reader, I did think going 100 pages before a body even turns up was asking a little much of the reader. Especially when it is fairly obvious who has to die for the book to move forward.

If you are a fan of James, and her lead detectice Adam Dagleish, you will probably enjoy this, as I did. But if you are spoiled by her earlier work and expect this one to measure up, you will be disappointed.

The Murder Room, P.D. James' twelfth of thirteen mysteries featuring Scotland Yard's Commander Adam Dalgliesh, is a satisfying addition to that character-driven series. For me, the main attraction to a P.D. James mystery has always been the way her excellent understanding of human psychology allows her to populate each of her novels with so many believable characters. That talent usually complicates her mysteries and keeps readers turning pages all the way to the end and, despite the fact that I listened to this one instead of reading it, The Murder Room was no exception.

In London, a city filled with world-class museums, a tiny museum like the Dupayne can easily slip through the crack and, in fact, this one has. Devoted exclusively to the "interwar years" of England, the lull between world wars with which she was blessed from 1919 to 1939, the Dupayne specializes in rare first editions and artwork of the period. But over time its main attraction has come to be a room everyone calls the "Murder Room," a space devoted exclusively to the sensational murders of those particular days. The room is filled with exhibits detailing the murders, including pictures of victims and murderers alike, and the few visitors who find their way to the Dupayne seem to spend most of their time there.

But these are tough times for the Dupayne and the three Dupayne siblings to whom it belongs. It is time for them to decide whether or not to keep the museum open, a decision requiring the unanimous consent of the two brothers and their sister, and one that is starting to seem more and more unlikely to be reached because Dr. Neville Dupayne hates the very thought of the museum's existence and cannot wait to see it closed forever.

When Neville Dupayne is found murdered in a manner similar to one of the more spectacular murders featured in the museum's "Murder Room," Dalgliesh and his team are assigned to investigate. They learn soon enough of the animosity between Neville and his brother and sister, who seem desperate to keep the museum open, but those are only two of several people they interview who might have wanted to see Neville Dupayne dead. By refusing to continue the Dupayne Museum, Neville Dupayne was in the process of throwing people out of jobs, and even out of living quarters, so it was obvious that this cold natured man had enough enemies to complicate any investigation into his death.

And things do get complicated when a second murder, which appears to be another copycat murder based on information found in the "Murder Room," is discovered at the museum. The Murder Room is likely keep most readers guessing right up to the point the murderer is revealed - and beyond, because of the romance with which James closes this chapter of Dalgliesh's story.

The audio version of The Murder Room is read by Charles Keating who is a master of British accents. His use of multiple accents and voice inflections makes the characters easy to distinguish from one another and was, I think, particularly effective in creating one of my favorite P.D. James characters of all-time, Tally, the lonely caretaker who lives in a small cottage behind the museum. Readers who have the time, and who enjoy audio books, would do themselves a favor to listen to this one rather than reading it. This was fun.

This is my first book by the famous author P.D. James. I am certain that she has much better novels.

The opening 95 page introduction is a bit disturbing, and many readers will be tempted to stop reading and throw the novel away before page 100. She uses a Jane Austen approach to introduce the characters before any action. The difference with Austen is that Austen can do it in 50 pages, stop, and then begin an interesting story. James tends to write on and on. But, it is similar to Austen. Prepare yourself for a slow read until you are in the rythm of her prose. Some of her technical descriptions seems slightly out of date or wrong, but that is okay.

From there, the book improves and we have a murder somewhere about page 120 to 150 and then the police enter the picture. The next 100 pages or so the tempo increases and we have an excellent novel. Commander Dalgliesh and his team enter and conference around page 220, after a very brief appearance near the beginning of the book, and it is quite interesting to see the famous detective at work.

But then we have a second murder and 7 or 8 new characters after page 300. Each new character comes with a lengthy introduction until we have perhaps 20 primary characters, and then the whole novel seems to spin out of control. This gets worse beyond page 400, and by page 500 the reader is left shaking their head, even laughing at the book. The original crime is solved by a highly improbable event. Is this possible? Can such a famous author write this mess?

Adding insult to injurt, James writes on with her complex prose for another 40 pages after the murder is solved and the book is over.

This is a basically an excellent 300 page book captured in 550 pages of dense prose. It needs an extensive edit to remove dozens of filler pages and to take marginal characters that just clutter up the story. Then it will be a good novel. Most characters are interesting and the story is good, but there are too many characters. The structure and the number of characters is wrong. Also as a reader, I found the brief comment at the beginning of each section very annoying, since it reveals the plot direction of the section to come.

Overall, this is a literary train wreck, hence just 3 or 4 stars for this book.

The Murder Room is a bit better than her previous effort, but it's still not very good. The usual detail on room decoration, depressed characters and dysfunctional families, without an inspired or original plot to support them. The crimes themselves, despite some attractive trappings, turn out to be flat and dull, while also implausible--a problem in a "realistic" crime novel. The characters mostly are the same stuffy, wealthy, well-spoken elitists we've seen before, too many times now, with the usual wrangle taking place over the attempted closing of some august and architecturally distinguished building. Dalgleish fans I guess are happy to see him romancing Emma, the only problem here is we don't see much in the way of romance. Their romance lacks any of the charm and appeal of the classic romances in James' much admired Crime Queen trio of Sayers, Allingham and Marsh. It's a shame, because one can tell from her personal appearances and interviews that James is a charming, amusing woman. Too bad she snuffs out these qualities in her books.

After finishing The Murder Room by P.D. James, I have one question: Who's been putting Xanax in the Baroness's coffee?


Much of The Murder Room reads as though James is just too tired to flesh out the plot, the interviews, and the characters. Too much is told in summary, rather than scene. Even the obligatory horror story embedded in the middle is given short shrift, and I still haven't figured out the relevance or the details of the betrayal in the anti-Nazi underground group.

But it's more than just the weary, phoned-in quality that bothers me. It's the drawing back from the painful consequences of murder. PD James has never been afraid of hurting (or killing off) sympathetic characters. Indeed, much of her appeal for me has always lain in her ability to show the humanity in all her characters, even the killers, while she nevertheless treats them with the ruthlessness the book demands.

The Murder Room is different. The murder does not cause not nearly so much collateral damage as one might expect. Nor does Dalgliesh suffer personal loss during the book.

The Baroness's characters may be happier now, but this reader is not.

I can't understand how anyone wouldn't like this book. Great writer, great story. I have passed this book around more than a few times to teachers I know and they all love it. Most buy a copy for themselves. Any critic can pick at this or that, but this is a good and fun book to read that I recommend to all readers.

This is an older book but still lively for modern readers. Great book on a great teacher.

I really did want to like this book more than I did. I'd actually give it 2 1/2 stars if that was allowed. There were some great stories about Stuart's teaching career, but I couldn't help thinking that in the hands of a more gifted writer this book would have been fantastic. I also thought that some of the conflicts that Mr Stuart describes here were a little too easily, and conveniently solved - to his own advantage, and that left me to wonder if things really happened that way, or if his memory sanitized his own image somewhat. He's not always the hero of his own stories, but he frequently was. He also lost my interest a few times when he went into more detail than was necessary about the running of the school system. I'd definitely recommend it to all those people who have a continued nostalgia for the good old days. In Mr Stuart's world violence seems to be tolerated a lot more than it is today, and sometimes even initiated by adults - the very people in charge of the system. I'm glad I read it, and I would recommend it to others but I would also have to qualify my recommendation.

This book and story takes the reader into the world of education at the grass roots rural level. From the one room school house with 20 year old students still mired in the first grade to brilliant students from impoverished backgrounds. A terrific review and account of cultural conditions in the 1930's, from the depression to WWII. A must read for educators/teachers. Many of the methods and means used by the author will shock and surprise today's readers, but this is Kentucky in the 1930's. Imagery depicted is fantastic.

Twenty-two years ago (in 1986) I was a freshman in high school. My English teacher assigned The Thread That Runs So True as part of our summer reading. I am now a college professor & I thought that it would be fun to reread the book now that I have classes to teach.

Stuart's book is powerful. He explains the limited circumstances of his Kentucky pupils in a way that makes you think about the lack of opportunities many Americans face. Stuart will also force you to take off your rose-colored glasses about how wonderful things used to be. He recounts stories of students beating up teachers, indifferent administrators, and students literally walking barefoot in the snow to get to school. The good-old days weren't so great.

One of the best aspects of the Thread That Runs So True is that Stuart has tremendous faith in humanity - and in education's ability to improve each of us and our society. He recounts many instances in which students from the most-impoverished families dramatically improved their lives by going to school. Even a cynic will find it difficult not to feel a little inspired by reading this book.

In my opinion, the book is not perfect. Stuart's argument that education funding is the panacea to cure society's ills is dated; we now know that money for education is very important, but that money alone does not always promote student achievement. Also, I don't want to give anything away, but I thought that the ending of the book was very unsatisfying.

While The Thread That Runs So True has a few drawbacks, it is an inspiring story that will teach you a lot about education early in the 20th Century U.S.

Just finished reading Jim Squires' outstanding book "Horse of a Different Color" which details his experience breeding,raising and racing Kentucky thorobreds, plus other bits & pieces of interesting lore. Haven't enjoyed a book this much in years. If you want to learn about the thoroughbred horse business, in general, and Kentucky horses in particular, and how Jim and his wife Mary Anne went about it, you won't find a more intertaining book anywhere.

"Horse of a Different Color" shines when it shines the spotlight on Monarchos, winner of the 2000 Kentucky Derby. It sinks when the author looks at himself.

Somewhere along the line, an Editor should have warned the author against using a second person narrative style. It just gets annoying after a while. And his dubbing of his wife as "The Dominant Female" is kind of cute at first, but after 300 pages it really grates on the nerves.

Cutesy writing has no place in a book for adults.

Jim Squires provides a very unique approach to writing about an industry few have had the luxury of being on the inside of. "Horse of a Different Color" is intelligently presented and cleverly written. What a refreshing way to present information on a "culture" which exists in and of itself that few will ever have an opportunity to learn of otherwise. If you are at all interested in the horse racing industry, this book is a must read.

I really enjoyed Seabiscuit, so I figured I'd give Horse of a Different
Color a try. This book focuses on the money and the dumb-luck of the
breeder (and author) of Monarchos, Derby winner from a few years back.
The author uses self-depricating humor and name-dropping en masse to
turn an undoubtedly exciting story into a painful, annoying tale. In a
few paragraphs of unwisdom, author Jim Squires mentioned
Seabiscuit, only compounding my fury at what this book is not.
Instead of interesting characters (although I imagine they were there,
Mr. Squires just didn't let us know them), we got names and
generalities. Instead of heart-pounding tales of horse races, we got
ho-hum descriptions of only two races.

I will admit that there were a few worthwhile pages. I was unaware of
the foreign interest in horse racing nor the internal politics of racing and
breeding, but I would have rather read that in a short magazine article.

Maybe this book is selling to all the hopeful newspaper editors turned
lucky breeder. If that's not you, I'd stay away.

Jim Squires, Horse of a Different Color (Perseus, 2002)

Horse of a Different Color is an autobiographical account of Jim Squires getting into the horse breeding business and, three years after he started, breeding 2001 Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos. Whether that was a stroke of luck or breeding genius remains to be seen, but following Monarchos through the eyes of his breeder is engaging enough to make a decent book.

Where it falls short is in Squires' writing style. First, note the word "autobiographical" in that first paragraph. Squires insisting on using the third person would have been an amusing trick for a chapter or two, but he persists throughout the novel. It gets old after a few pages. Also, there's something vaguely disquieting about his attitude towards women here; it almost seems too deferential to be real (and thus, a cover for something else). This could certainly be a literary device; the book's subtitle does mention that there are an excess of dominant females within these pages. Still, some of the descriptions in here made me read twice.

When he focuses on the horse, though, everything works just fine. Even the annoyance of the insistent third person narrative fades into the background. Monarchos was one hell of a horse, and Squires' book captures that well enough. Not as well as Hillenbrand captured Seabiscuit or Farley captured Man o' War, but enough for the Derby-and-Breeders' Cup horse fan to relive some good memories.

Recommended, though it won't make the top twenty-five list this year. ***

I liked this book a lot, but I was very disapointed that Star lost pretty badly. I LOVE Chris and Star (why does everyone think that Christina is bratty?!?) I already knew that Image and Mel were going to win even before I read this book because I had read "Christina's Shining Star" and "Star's Inspiration" first. If you LOVE Mel and Image, this book is for you!

this book was really cool but i wanted star to be wonders best foal because he is her last foal. if you like this series try the website www.whitebrookfarm.com

This is probably the WORST book in the series! I wanted Star to win! He went through alot and he almost came in last. Melanie's a stuck-up brat and not-so-Perfect Image is annoying too! They're arrogant and spoiled! And I'm glad Image broke her leg at the end! Hopefully she'll never race again. And the covers are starting to look BAD! In the book, Melanie Had green silks w/ white music notes, but on the cover she has red and blue silks! Seriously, they need better covers.

I think this book is great. The only reason I only gave it four stars is because of how the other characters act. Christina, who's usually nice(NOT BRATTY!!!) acts cold and distant. Ashleigh is completely different than she usually is! I also didn't like what place Star got. I'm not going to tell you, but he deserves better! Gratis got a good place, which makes me happy. I was actually crying at the end! This is a book you should not miss out on!

I have had it! Enough with Melanie and Image! I'm sick and tired of books about Melanie and Image! Why did stupid old Image have to win? Wonder's Star should win. He's alot better than stupid Image! I don't understand why everyone likes them so much and they hate Christina and Star. Chris and Star are cool! And, no, they aren't spoiled. Image, Image, Image, that's all Melanie ever talks about! This is a dumb book!