Kentucky Books

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stephen Michael Shearer has endeavored to tell the story of movie icon Pat Neal in a no-nonsense, "loose the frills" way.

By now, there isn't a movie buff around who does not know about the Patricia Neal/ Gary Cooper romance. Unlike others who might make it seem holy or even downright tawdry, the author gives us the facts and dates and skips the frills and sermons. Good.

However, especially in dealing with such an interesting subject as Ms. Neal, the author should be taken to task for not probing a bit below the surface. He gives us facts (and there is little to doubt the accuracy) but not reasons. One case in point: When Pat Neal's husband - Roald Dahl - began having affairs, their children sided with their father to the point where it was suggested that Ms. Neal "not bother to come home for the Christmas holidays". Disturbing and interesting but the reader walks away without ever discovering where the friction was between mother and children (at the end, they all seemed to have resolved their differences but how and what was the original cause?)

The book is an easy read and fairly interesting if you can look past some of the glossing over of facts in favor of dates.

An Unquiet Life is well written and provides extensive information about the Hollywood and Broadway scenes in the 40's, 50's, and 60's. The photographs, from Miss Neal's personal collection as well as those from other sources, are superb.
This new biography serves as a companion piece to Miss Neal's wonderful autobiography, As I Am, and they should be read together.

I just saw Patricia Neal's superlative performance in Elia Kazan's still-amazing "A Face in the Crowd" for the first time on DVD this past week and was reminded what a searing screen presence she could be. Author Stephen Michael Shearer, a former actor and longtime friend of Neal's, has seen fit to write a comprehensive biography of the actress just as she turns eighty this year. Her work is definitely worth revisiting, and what's more, her life is thick enough with professional triumphs and personal traumas to justify the rather expansive 441-page length. It's obvious why Shearer has taken such an interest in the actress's fascinating life, and he can certainly be guilty of providing a fair amount of fawning to go along with his sharp insights, especially in the early parts of the book.

With her striking beauty and throaty bluegrass-tinged voice, Neal achieved success early, first hitting big on Broadway in Lillian Hellman's "Little Foxes" prequel, "Another Part of the Forest", and then scooped up by Hollywood in 1949. In short order, she co-starred as headstrong Dominique Francon in the lavish, highly flawed adaptation of Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead" and immediately embarked on a five-year affair with screen legend Gary Cooper, very married and a quarter century older. While it was not quite the level of the Ingrid Bergman-Roberto Rossellini scandal happening at almost the same time, Neal still faced not only a cold-blooded industry but also an unwanted abortion and ultimately a nervous breakdown despite strong early impressions in 1950's "The Breaking Point" (said to be Hemingway's favorite adaptation of his work) and the 1951 sci-fi classic, "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (uttering her famous words -"Gort! Klaatu barada nikto!"). Neal married famed children's author Roald Dahl after the Cooper affair ended. As she started to raise a family, she made a comeback in Kazan's masterwork which led to her feline turn as the interior decorator in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and her Oscar-winning performance as the sensual, worldly wise housekeeper Alma in "Hud".

Despite her impressive professional success, the most interesting, obviously devastating parts of the book occur after her career peak in "Hud" when she tragically suffered three burst cerebral aneurisms while pregnant. Dahl was her constant, goading caretaker but also the source of escalating personal pain as he embarked on an extramarital affair that finally ended their marriage after thirty years in 1983. Shearer covers these years in great detail, but I think his portrayal of Neal's obviously complex relationship with Dahl could have delved somewhat deeper into the impact of the strokes and the death of their first child on both parties. The author also remains light on the facts that could have precluded Neal's medical condition at the time, even though her long-term recovery is covered in painstaking detail here. Afterward, she was able to turn in stellar work in 1968's "The Subject Was Roses" and 1971's "The Homecoming", the precursor to the long-running TV series, "The Waltons". Overall, the author's admiration for his subject remains uncompromised, and he succeeds in painting a celebratory portrait of an actress who never seems to get her due.

Obviously this is an important book. All literature about the Holocaust is important, and especially when the book in question is written by survivor. And a survivor is just what Leon Weliczker Wells is. Unfortunately the rest of his family perished in the Nazi death camps, something that quite understandably traumatized him badly.

But not only has he been forced to live out the remaining days of his life grieving the horrible loss of his family. As a result of his experiences his relationship to God, as well as his identity as a faithful Jew, changed dramatically. And that's something I've thought about from time to time: how did these people - all these faithful Jews - look at God after such an unspeakable event as the Holocaust had taken place? How could anyone remain a believer afterwards? Surely they all must have given up their faith?

Yes, some indeed did just that. But others grew stronger in their faith, unbelievable as it might sound. But no matter what the outcome was, no one came out of the ordeal untouched. Especially not Wells, who has written several other books about his life besides Shattered Faith. I haven't read any of them, though, because according to the information I found beforehand, Shattered Faith focuses on how Wells started questioning his beliefs.

And yeah, I guess that's true. At least to a certain extent. But far from as much as I had hoped. In fact, the book was mostly a huge disappointment, because the majority of the text is made up of extremely detailed descriptions of the religious everyday life for young Wells and the rest of the Jews where he lived before the Nazis took over. Of a total of 151 pages - the glossary, notes, bibliography et cetera exempted - no less than the initial 90 are filled with these descriptions of the Jewish religion and how it affected Well's entire existence. Before the takeover. And I'm pretty sure I could have learned about that in countless other books.

Then when the Nazis eventually arrive the endless descriptions continue, at least from time to time, and still they're detailed to such an extent that I doubt few besides students of religion or adherents to the Jewish faith will find them very interesting. True, there are good moments, for example when Wells discusses how the Holocaust changed his and other Jews' beliefs, or how parallels may be drawn between the Nazi ideas of a master race or supreme people and the Jewish notion of being the people "chosen" by God, but these moments are few and far between. So while I don't doubt that this book is important in many ways, to me it was still nothing but a disappointment.

Reviiewing the latest "swiss gold scandal" this book is a must. To the best of my knowledge the content of this book is true, I am saying this as a survivor of shoa. I am very much indebted to the author Mr. Wells who dared to lift the smoke screen of some incredible decisions and deads which caused many of us to die. It is unfortunate that the Germanand the Swiss public is not able to read this book as there are no German copies anymore in the market

This is an essential memoir for those interested in the ways Holocaust survivors contend with faith and overwhelming loss. As always, Wells' writing is lucid, candid, and hugely informative. Even for those who have read a lot by survivors, this book will add a perspective that most will not have encountered before: looking back, with pain but not sentimentality, on the definitive end of a world. This is a vitally important book.

but for some reason I expected this to be a book with Marine Corps combat photography in it. There are very few pictures- it's mostly text. Maybe I didn't read the review well enough, but it wasn't what I expected. It might be a good read, but I'll be returning it to get something with combat photos in it.

Soule's book is a must read. It not only demonstrates great heroism of Marines and Marine photographers busy documenting the Pacific War, it also conveys a series of valuable anacdotes derived from his personal diary of the time. These are valuable to readers who might be engaged in dangerous endeavors such as reporting or documenting events in hotspots around the world today. Truly an exciting, pleasant and informative book well worth your time.

This book gives the reader, in hair-raising detail and gentle humor, the story of a green-horn photographer turned battle scarred fighter for freedom, in the days before and after Guadalcanal. The "can do, will do" spirit of the American troops in spite of all odds, is beautifully depicted. Thayer Soule was there and his word pictures are as good as his photography, which won many awards. Well worth reading.

Murray State University (Kentucky) history professor Ted Franklin Belue discovered the only known copy of Peter Houston's manuscript about his personal recollections of the famous frontiersman, Daniel Boone, in the Lyman C. Draper papers at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin in 1990. Written in the 1840s by a friend and neighbor of Boone's, the original manuscript was stolen from the author's grandson in 1887, but luckily for future historians, the grandson had, mere weeks before the theft, mailed a copy of the lengthy work to the prolific historian, Lyman Draper. Belue has done a masterful job in presenting this rare piece of Americana to the reading public. Replete with extensive annotations and notes, a pictorial section, and an impressive bibliography, the book goes a long way in shedding light on everyday times on America's first western frontier during the 1770s and 1780s. For those of WWA's membership who believe, as I do, that "western" writing is defined as that which encompasses the entire American frontier experience, from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific shores, this book will provide several hours of interesting reading, indeed.--Jim Crutchfield, Managing Editor, Roundup Magazine April 1998, Western Writers of America

Long ago Peter Houston's A Sketch in the Life and Character of Daniel Boone should have been properly annotated and published. Ted Franklin Belue has done historians a genuinely useful service in transcribing into a readily available and readable form this insightful contemporary view of Daniel Boone and the times. This is an addition to the Daniel Boone-Frontier America story, casting a new first-hand and contemporary light on the subject. Dr. Thomas D. Clark, Historian Laureate of Kentucky, professor emeritus of the University of Kentucky, and author of many books on Kentucky and the American South.

Houston's Boone is a diminutive book but one brimming with contemporary insights plus editor's annotations into frontier life featuring new stuff on Boone, hide tanning, buffalo, Indians, and early hunter anecdotes. An elegent little book with a gorgeous jacket, a highly collectable bit of old-time Kentuckiana.

A string of books by Harry M. Caudill beginning in the early 60's with Night Comes to The Cumberlands kicked down the door for the region. Caudill's biography of a land where economic prosperity for a few had left others with very little ushered the Great Society into Central Appalachia, created the Appalachian Regional Commission, led to the rise of prominent Appalachian politicians like Robert Byrd and Carl D. Perkins, and as some critics would come to say, caused the region to become wholly dependant on Federal money. Slender is the Thread: Tales from a Country Law Office, finds an older Caudill looking fondly on the world he swung the wrecking ball to help destroy, a world of corrupt corporations, corrupt (but often likeable) political bosses and local power players, and a diverse crowd of Appalachian Stereotypes, as he reminisces in a what would most accurately be described as a series of short stories relaying the cases and dealings of himself and other local attorneys, his peers as well as his mentors, in which Caudill peppers with humorous anecdotes.
Caudill takes the title from a phrase used by his friend and colleague John Y. Brown I, a prominent Lexington criminal attorney. Caudill relates how Brown, who had planned on using the title for a book he never got around to writing, reflected on the uncertainty of the legal process, the blind goddess of justice, holding the scales in her hand by a thread, and how perfect justice could be easily corrupted and unbalanced by that slender thread. This theme is what Caudill uses to weave together a series of otherwise unrelated narratives of his experiences in Eastern Kentucky courtrooms and politics. He describes in a vivid storyteller's detail cases in which he wonders how the goddess of blind justice would have looked upon the decision. In one such case, involving an African-American miner who, after being ostracized by the local community for his alleged philandering with some of the younger women in the community, took vengeance by emptying a shotgun on the roof of a house where a party was taking place, a party he wasn't invited too. In the three months between his hearing and his trial, Caudill retells advising his client to make amends with the local black community, who had shown up full force at the hearing to see him off to prison. Caudill advises his client to pay for the damages to the roof, and begin attending church on a regular basis, moving up one pew a week, until, when he reaches the front pew, going to the altar to seek redemption. Caudill relates how that, much to the ire of the judge and prosecuting attorney the black community turned out again, this time to beg that the charges be dropped. After the charges are dropped, of course, the accused returned to his philandering ways, and came home one day to a vengeful wife, who put five .22 shorts into his back. Surviving the incident, the man and his wife subsequently "made up" and he wound up having to pay her fine of $200, which he claimed he was paying for "over forty dollars a shot"...Caudill comments that despite her past frowning on the measure, the goddess of justice somehow managed a smile that day.
Other days leave Caudill less certain. In other incidents, he describes jury tampering in both district and "squire" court, some by parents of involved parties, and other times just because a powerful "boss" enjoyed throwing his weight around. Caudill also questions the nature of the justice when it was in his favor, when he was awarded a third of the considerable estate of a Russian immigrant miner, since his heir lived in the USSR and the only contact that could be made with them was through the Soviet embassy, and the Judge knew that the heir would never see a penny of that money.
As he ventures into politics, Caudill describes machine politics of every sort, vote-buying, pardon-buying, and all other sorts of corruption that would make The Duke's of Hazzard's Boss Hogg smile. Caudill relays tales of a local salesman/land-grabber who, after killing his mistress's husband, buys a hundred-thousand dollar pardon from the governor, who later on, while running for Senator, the former governor asks the pardoned man's help, only to find out that he won't vote or support someone who he believes to be crooked. Caudill concludes his book with tributes to Carl D. Perkins, whom Caudill describes as being revered as almost a saint in Eastern Kentucky; even by his political enemies, and other local lawyers who he felt established the craft in Eastern Kentucky.
While Slender is the Thread is packed with colorful anecdotes about the Eastern Kentucky legal system, Eastern Kentucky lawyers and the people they represent, it contains little sociological "meat" so to speak, no theories or ideas are discussed, and nothing is quoted or even footnoted. Of course, Caudill is not writing for that purpose either. Slender is the Thread reads more like an evening of old lawyers swapping stories than an academic discussion on Appalachia, it's problems, it's people, and even it's legal structure. Unlike in his previous works, Caudill rarely finds outrage in the corruption he describes, at times it seems like he longs for it. While corporate corruption and the condemnation thereof was predominant in Caudill's earlier works, political and sometimes legal corruption doesn't seem to get under the skin of this Appalachian crusader that much.
Slender is the Thread, however, while not containing much sociological meat per say, is, and should be, a book of interest to people in the legal system in Eastern Kentucky and the rest of central Appalachia. With good reason it ranks highly on the suggested Summer Reading list for the Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Virginia. Prospective lawyers, politicians, and others who would be interested in practicing their craft in the Appalachian region would do well to read this book, which, although probably not as prevalent, much of the same structure Caudill describes still exists, as recent Federal vote fraud cases in Knott and Pike counties can attest to.

This book almost tells the reader more than he wants to know. How could crooked politicians, coal and lumber companies take such advantage of a poverty stricken and illiterate people to hold them down like animals (or worse) generation after generation? The stories are fascinating but there is always the underlying sadness of knowing this actually happened and much of it still thrives. Little has changed in 200 years.

Slender is the Thread is an account of the attorney/author Harry M. Caudill's law practice in the Appalachian community of Letcher County, KY. In his book, Caudill relives various cases and political events in his life in this country county. Much of his writing is witty and satirical in dealing with some very serious issues. He writes of corruption in the legal and political system as well as "mountain" ways of dealing with daily problems in the lives of mountain folk. The book provides vivid and colorful accounts allowing the reader to become absorbed in Caudill's words to the point of feeling like you are there. The names of various real persons and politicians in Letcher county are mentioned in the book. The book also provides some very interesting history of Letcher county and Appalachian region of Kentucky. Caudill has written other books like "Night Comes to the Cumberlands" and "Theirs Be the Powers." Caudill is presently dead and his books on Appalachia are very scarce but well worth the extra effort to obtain for reading. I rate "Slender is the Thread" with four stars.

An interesting piece of history of the development of earlier American hymnology. Also interesting is, some of the wording is funny.

Sadly the print is dim and hard to read. If you are poring over a rare first edition it is easy to forgive, but in a reproduction you would expect better. An ink shortage at the University of Kentucky?

Southern Harmony is probably the most popular hymnbook in history, having gone through editions in 1835, 1847, and 1854 as well as reprints in 1939, 1966, 1987, and 1993. After 1835, William Walker, its compiler, signed his name "William Walker, ASH"-- that is, Author of Southern Harmony. He was rightly proud of his achievement. The book includes the best of early-nineteenth-century American hymns, including many written by Walker himself. It was an influential source for many subsequent hymnals.

Southern Harmony is a shape-note hymnal, in which different notes have different shapes, enabling easy transposition between keys. The sopranos sing descants; the melodies are in the tenor voice.

And what melodies! The tunes (and lyrics) of this book will stun you with their plain-spoken power and beauty. Some (Amazing Grace, Rock of Ages) are familiar; some (Resignation --"My Shepherd Will Supply My Need"-- and Wondrous Love) are becoming better known; others have been arranged by contemporary musicians such as Alice Parker and Mack Wilberg. Many dozens of others are gems waiting to be mined.

The melodies in this book tend to display their Gaelic origins. Most are based on a pentatonic scale. Many are in minor keys, and many more are modal (especially Dorian, Phrygian, and Mixolydian). Harmonies are primitive but forceful.

This is an important part of our musical heritage. Anyone interested in church music will find Southern Harmony an inspiring collection that amply rewards hours of study.

Few Hollywood notables have been the object of more distorted,misinformed,or outright fabricated profiles than Erich Von Stroheim.Now that Arthur Lennig has come forward with his long-awaited biography,we are finally given the amazing truth of a maverick star/director who bit every hand that tried to feed him.Lennig has made a serious study of Stroheim for over fifty years---he restored "Foolish Wives" back in the sixties---he traveled to Austria to uncover the real story of Stroheim's humble beginnings---in short,Lennig,who prevously gave us the first and still best of the Bela Lugosi bios,has done it again with "Stroheim"---in fact,he has surpassed himself,and that's saying plenty considering the fact that Arthur Lennig is one of the most well-informed and reliable of all the pioneer film historians.Has there ever been a more fascinating(and ultimatly tragic) figure in the whole history of Hollywood than Erich Von Stroheim?Here's a guy that took on every front office in town---gambled it all for creative control that he invariably lost---but kept returning to the Hollywood arena again and again until they finally broke him.Yes,he took on the system and the system won---or did it?Stroheim's incredible films,even in their truncated latter-day forms,are here to give evidence that this was a director generations ahead of his time---already it's 2000 and we still haven't caught up with him.Read this book and get the dope on how "Greed","The Wedding March",and all the rest came to be. It's riveting.They should give AFI awards for books this good----it's from University Of Kentucky Press,so I don't know how big the print run is,but I suspect it would be a good idea to grab a copy(or two)quick,because this one's going to end up being a collector's item.

I was eagerly anticipating reading Lennig's bio of von Stroheim. After the first chapter my joy turned sour. Very little is revealed that was'nt already discussed in Richard Kosyarski's The Man You Love To Hate, and Weinberg's Stroheim: A Pictorial Review Of His nine Films. Both of these books are out of print but I beseech you to try to find at your local library or through Amazon's out-of-print service. Lennig prose is rather dry, the subject rarely comes to life, and when he does offer insights Stroheim the man seems sad forever the outsider, a two bit Viennese hustler with visions too great for his talent as a director. I was entranced by Stroheim when I was barely in my teens more than twenty years ago. I know about his losing battles against the studio heads, his public freaks and failures. It is the real man behind films like the breathtaking Greed, the unfinished Queen Kelly and the oftimes painfully erotic Foolish Wives that I wanted brought to life. Perhaps I'm only wishing that he could be brought back to life.

What can I add to all the glowing reviews of this book except for my own enthusiasm for it! Arthur Lennig has done a spendid job recounting the life and work of Erich von Stroheim, presenting him as the man and genius he was while also debunking a lot of the myths. Not only is it THE definitive Stroheim biography, it's also highly entertaining reading! A must-read for all film lovers.