Michigan Books

A must for soaring and gliding fans. Many outstanding photos of never before seen pics.

By far, my favorite book by Sandman.

This is one of Arcadia's images of Aviation series. It is an amazing collection of some 200 pictures dating from 1929 to 2006. The subject is sail planes at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Area.

This area on the shore of Lake Michigan has almost ideal terrain for soaring. The wind blows in from the lake and hits a series of bluffs that forces the win to go upward. This creates a static situation where sail planes can soar for hours. This fact was recognized early and still exists today. Because of fear of privitization of all of the Lake Shore, the land was set aside and protected.

The photographs show the development of gliders from the warliest days of the gliding sport, through the modern hand gliders and ultra lights.

It's hard to put the works of Morrill into words, but since I've already used fifteen at this point (seventeen if you count contractions, more if you count these words, or the words after fifteen) you can see I am going to try. When I look at some of the people to come out of Iowa, Tom Arnold most notably, it makes me happy that there's at least one person, Don Morrill, who (whom?) I can point to and say "I'm from the same place as that guy..." Morrill is the Iowan author you should be reading.

Ah, the man hast done it again.*

Dionysos is the god of wine, inebriation, and creative ecstasy.
Donald Morrill is the god of fine, intoxicating creative texts. I learned of him through his poetry (At the Bottom of the Sky) and learned to love him through his prose. He is a writer of astounding talent. Like a character in "Sounding for Cool" says, "[Don] would make a great father. Most dads would send their kid to Florida, he'd send him to China." With this book, Morrill sends the reader on a spirtual journey, possibly to China, possibly to the heart of his/her soul. Immeadiately after reading this book I wanted to run out to a Transitional Living Program and do my part to help, do my part to encourage my brothers, and of course write a brilliant non-fiction piece about my experiences. Alas, I couldn't, so I just reread "Sounding for Cool". A wonderfully moving memoir from one of Florida's greatest writers.

* To fully appreciate my first sentence, "again" should rhyme with "wane".

I agree with another Amazon reviewer that the reading can be a tad 'dry' at times, quite uncustomary for the author.

However, it still has that "Thurner style" fast, pleasing pace that precludes excess verbiage and allows for the covering of a rather-broad topic in a single, readable volume. Furthermore, the author is a native to the area, which doesn't hurt his case.

For 'complete' coverage of the Copper Country, look no further than Mr. Thurner's three such books.

I purchased this book after a vacation to the beautiful Keweenaw Peninsula where I toured one of the copper mines mentioned in the book.

To enjoy this book it helps if one has a curiosity about the region's history it's industry and the melting pot of people that made up it's workforce.

Although a dry history at times, I believe this book to be one of if not the best on the topic. An important contribution to Michigan History. It is my hope that upon reading it people will recognize this book as the labor of love it truly is.

I loved this book. A very readable journey through the court case which arose out of Colorado's anti-gay initiative, supported by a clear and descriptive primer on the larger gay rights movement. The pacing was crisp, the writing clear and the story told in a compelling fashion. I highly recommend this book.

Suzanne Goldberg, the Lambda Legal Defense Fund attorney who worked on Romer v. Evans, and Lisa Keen, the Washington Blade journalist who won an award from the A.B.A. for her news coverage of the case, have collaborated on a truly fascinating "inside baseball" account of the litigation. Particulary useful: their detailed description of the expert testimony offered to the trial court on the issue of "suspect classification" for sexual orientation discrimination analysis. This is a must read for lawyers and legal scholars interested in Romer and gay rights generally.

Streets of the Near West Side is supposed to be a Chicago history book about one small neighborhood, but it's much more. It's about who the area's streets are named after, so it tells the stories of Presidents, Indians, Civil and Revolutionary War battles, and a lot of other quirky, odd, and fun information that you didn't learn about in high school history. At 117 pages, it can be read in one sitting. You can't put it down! You don't have to be a Chicagoan--just a lover of biography and history

I loved reading this book. It is an enjoyable, clearly-written introduction to a neighborhood that was "home" to thousands of Chicago's immigrants, including many of my ancestors. "Streets of the Near West Side" goes beyond those facts provided by such genealogical sources as Censuses. It can help family researchers develop a better understanding of their ancestor's "new neighborhood" in America. So, open the book, along with a map of Chicago, and learn how this neighborhood's history intertwines with the names of its streets.

The primus independence of many of the African countries was betrayed again by those who colonized her. Setting up the governments with African officials who were only cover-ups for their European masters. The time which Kourouma writes about in "THE SUNS OF INDEPENDENCE" is Neo-colonial for this reason, to refer to it as post-colonial implys that it is no longer colonized and it obviously is in the novel.
The protagonist in his first novel, like that of his second (Monnew), is somewhat of an anti-hero of royalty. He curses the French and the recent indepence even moreso claiming that he would rather have existed in colonial times (13). By showing us the absurdities of both the colonizers and some of the kings they deprived Kourouma points to the more humane way of running a country.
Like in "Monnew" Kourouma captures the African female in all of her glory with the female protagonist Salimata. The strength of her character is incredible and inspiring to examine. By dealing with the idea of female oppression (in terms of genital mutilation and many other forms) Kourouma points out that they are the true heroes of Africa growing in fertility among the oppression of the colonizers as well as the men they loved and cared for.
"THE SUNS OF INDEPENDENCE" comes highly recommended as a literary masterpiece. A novel, unfortunately like many of the African greats, that is highly under read by incredibly valuable as a work of art ready for consumption.

This is an excellent novel that poses some tough questions. What future awaits African nations? Are African peoples doomed to corruption and oblivion by their unfortunate encounters with European colonization? Is it possible for ancient tradition to coexist with modern values?

The answers, according to Kourouma, appear none too optimistic. His hero, Fama Dumbuya, stubbornly resists corruption of his personal mores by the new ideas that have transformed his society. Although he is usually cantankerous and disagreable, he is also devout, often funny, and always tries to do the right thing. But he can never reconcile his past and his upbringing with the modern world, and in the end he fails to find an equilibrium; he even fails to leave behind any offspring that might bring hope for the future.

Kourouma's narrative is especially powerful when he deals with Fama's wife Salimata, whose past is a psychological minefield of female genital mutilation, exploitation and abuse. Salimata is one of the most memorable characters in African literature. Like her husband, she struggles admirably to negotiate a way in the world, but also like him she can't rise above the muck that's holding her down. Things have fallen apart; the center did not hold.

As discouraging as it might be, "The Suns of Independence" is still an expertly crafted novel which forces its readers to examine the pitfalls facing modern African societies. You might disagree with the author's pessimism, but you can only credit his storytelling ability.

Lon Emerick has captured the heart and soul of Michigan's Upper Peninsula--its extraordinary beauty, its people, its history--writing about both enchantment and eccentricities. The book is organized by seasons; you may find a new way of looking at winter! If you've ever been to Michigan--or thought you'd like to--this is the book for you.

My family moved to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan just before my 12th birthday. Since moving to Texas 5 years ago I have a deeper appreciation for the U.P. I miss the rugged land, the deep woods, and all the waves and waterfalls where I had so many adventures growing up. Reading Lon's book brings back a lot of rich memories for me. If you love the land or are curious about the U.P. I highly recommend this book. Lon uses a lot of rich language to describe what it is like living in the Upper Peninsula. He mixes his own personal feelings, enjoyments, and reflections about the U.P. with a touch of historical facts. The blending of these two creates a rich expression of life in the Upper Peninsula. He also has a good recipe for pasties in it which I tried while living in Texas to have a taste of home. To my surprise my first attempt at making a pasty turned out really good.

If you just want to sit down and enjoy an easy, fun book to read, get this book. You can sit down at one reading and finish it, or pick it up and put it down a number of times and enjoy it.

The individuals who tell the stories are people who have lived Michigan football.

While the real Wolverine fan will love it, all college football fans will enjoy it.

These are the stories that were never in the newspaper..some things players or coaches didn't even know! The reader feels like he/she is sitting around with 50 Michigan football players and coaches listening to one story after another.. with the next story funnier or more "secret" than the last. The reader feels like they're reading the secret diaries or journals of people in Michigan football they've only seen on the field or on TV, or read about. Now each one is telling me something that no one else knew.

Written by Ron Kramer with newspaper writer Dan Ewald, and comfortably narrated in third person, That's Just Kramer! From Michigan Legend to Lombardi's "12th Man" is the biography of talented athlete Ron Kramer, from his days dominating football, basketball, and track in the University of Michigan, to his time to playing as one of the Green Bay Packers, to choosing his family over his professional career by switching teams and returning home to Detroit, and more. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this down-to-earth chronicle of Kramer's life, career, and passions. An enthralling biography especially recommended for football fans.

I remember reading the following quote in Sport magazine during the late 1950's:

"In 1957 two Michigan exports splashed across the American scene both accompanied by terrific fanfare. One was an automobile called the Edsel. The other was a tank named Ronald John Kramer."

Dan Ewald , who has written books about such Michigan notables as George Kell, Sparky Anderson, and Bo Schembechler has provided us with an excellent account on the life of Ron Kramer who starred for the Michigan Wolverines, Green Bay Packers, and the Detroit Lions. Kramer credits his family for instilling in him the discipline necessary for his success at Michigan, the college he chose to attend so his parents could see him play. For their inept play in 1956 the Green Bay Packers received a bonus pick in the 1957 draft as the rules then allowed. That choice went for Notre Dame's Paul Hornung. With the first choice in the regular round the Packers chose Michigan's Ron Kramer. A broken leg in his rookie season threatened his career, but the arrival of Coach Vince Lombardi in 1959 revitalized his career as it did for several others on the team. Lombardi saw Kramer as an ideal tight end, his "12th man on the field", because Kramer could both catch passes and block for others. This was a position held by Packer veteran Gary Knafelc who lacked the size and quickness of Kramer. This was a team going nowhere under previous coaches Lisle Blackbourn and Ray "Scooter" McLean yet possessed a number of future Hall of Famers. The differences between them and Lombardi was that Lombardi stressed discipline and preparation. Following the 1964 season Kramer requested a trade to the Detroit Lions so he could be closer to home where he felt he was needed due to family matters. It was either that or retire. Had he remained in Green Bay he would have ended up on five championship teams instead of two and most likely cemented his place in football's Hall of Fame. However, family came before football as Lombardi himself stressed, and the trade was made. The situation on the Lions under coach Harry Gilmer compared with the Packers was significant. The book also deals with his family life after football and Kramer's emphasis on the importance on friendship in one's life. I did find one error in the book. The author twice refers to Fordham's Seven "Rocks" of Granite when it should be Seven Blocks of Granite. There have been numerous books written on former Green Bay Packer players and I'm glad to see one on Green Bay's other star player named Kramer, Ron Kramer. Football fan or not, you should enjoy it.

I enjoyed this book extremely, all the way through, which is unusual nowadays. This is a real book, by an author who really cares about his subject. So many books nowadays are dashed off any old which way, but this one is obviously a labor of love--and competence as well. It is well researched, well organized, and well written.

It deals thorougly with its subject, and all the aspects are interesting--how the regiment was raised, how the men were trained and supplied, their service as prison camp guards in Chicago, and finally their service in the front lines in the terrible battles in Virginia in the last year of the War.

The author lets the story tell itself without much editorializing of any kind, but I think it is the most telling account I ever read of how bad management can nullify the best efforts of the people in the front lines, and how things sort themselves out over time. Somehow, after a few months, and after many of the original enlistees had been killed or captured, the incompetent officers went on to other jobs, the casualties went way down, and the 1st Michigan Sharpshooters had the honor of being the first to raise their flag over Petersburg.

The author has provided a well written and carefully researched narrative about a heretofore forgotten unit from Michigan. Herek consulted a wide variety of original manuscripts, letters, and diaries that add much to our understanding of the unit from a variety of perspectives.

This regiment was unusual in that it contained a single company consisting of Native Americans, many of whom could hardly speak English. Herek explores the prevailing prejudice in a state that was part of the frontier only a few decades earlier, and how notions of citizenship evolved over the course of the war.

I also highly recommend this book to those who are searching for a soldier's eye view of the Civil War. The book is full of details about regimental organization, recruitment strategies, rivalries between officers seeking to recruit companies, daily routines, food, and a host of other minutae.

Finally, the book sheds light on prison conditions in the North, since the 1st Michigan SS were stationed in Chicago doing prison guard duty for much of 1863. There is also a great chapter on the unit's confrontation with rebel John H. Morgan's cavalry raid into Indiana.

My only complaint is that the author should have provided more information in the regimental roster that appears at the end of the book. As it stands, the book is not of much help to those seeking to do statistical analysis or geneological research. For the average reader, though, this is only of passing concern.