Illinois Books

Fannie Lou Hamer was a remarkable person who may not have received the publicity and accolades of other Civil Rights personalities, but she certainly accomplished as much as anyone in the movement. Lee does a very solid job of taking the reader through Hamer's life. The only criticism I have is that Lee on occasion editorializes about contradictory things that Hamer said, as well as speculates as to what motivated Hamer in certain instances. It would have been more effective to simply let the reader think about such things and make up their own mind. This is a minor quibble, however, because Lee has contributed to the small body of work on Hamer in a substantive manner. I had a hard time putting this book down even though I already knew all the details of Hamer's life from reading other books. Lee synthesizes her information nicely which makes this book a coherent read. The reader gets a vivid picture of the ups and downs Mrs. Hamer encountered in her brilliant life. Fannie Lou Hamer's life was a testament to the human spirit and will to fight for justice. The Civil Rights Movement cannot be fully understood without knowing about the contributions of Hamer. You need to read this book.

I have read and heard so much about men in the Civil Rights Movement, and I have read so little about women. This book for me filled a gap.It told an exciting story with great eloquence. It portrayed the life of a heroine of the Civil Rights Movement, and described the times. And it was at the same time rich and intellectually sophisticated. I cannot recommend this book enough to all readers, and I hope these comments motivate others to get this wonderful book and read it.

Chana Kai Lee makes a crucial contribution to our understanding of the civil rights movement with this stirring and important biography of Fanny Lou Hamer. Mrs. Hamer, an icon in the movement and a force unto herself, was one of the strongest and most influential voices in the African American struggle for freedom. Thanks to Professor Lee, that voice echoes for the ages in the pages of For Freedom's Sake. This is a book that all Americans should read and that students and general readers alike will enjoy. Like its subject, this well-crafted book will be a beacon for freedom for many years to come.

I have enjoyed all of Cozzens' works very much, but I think that this is Cozzens' best written book. This book isn't really a reassessment of Pope. Rather Cozzens takes the traditional view of Pope's generalship at Second Bull Run and places it within the context of Pope's entire career. Cozzens doesn't pull any punches on Pope's performance in Virginia in 1862. He was a liar and a braggart, he needlessly antagonized his own men, and he was severely overtaxed as an army commander.

Still, Cozzens shows that Pope had probably the toughest assignment of any Union army commander in the war. He had to take three beaten and demoralized commands from the valley under three very poor commanders (Banks, Sigel, and McDowell). With that force he was to screen Washington AND attack Lee, coordinate with George McClellan, who was in full heel-dragging mode, obey Halleck's confused and contradictory directives, and do it all in unfamiliar country with almost no cavalry. His opponent was the best general of the war, and the ANV was flush with victory from the Seven Days. It was Pope's first experience commanding troops in combat. It's no wonder that Lee beat him.

But Cozzens also shows that Pope was a skilled administrator, an aggressive general, and, in time, a good strategist. The "exile" to Minnesota turned out to be an important command, and Pope played a huge role in defeating the plains Indians. He was an effective military governor during reconstruction. He retired a major general in the regular army, a successful and influential servant of his nation.

After reading this book, I have a whole new opinion of Pope, or rather my opinion is more complex. I still think he bears the brunt of the blame for Second Bull Run, but I can see more reasons for his defeat than just "Pope was an obnoxious jerk." I think it's a shame that Lincoln and Halleck didn't send him back to the west as a corps commander. Both Grant and Sherman had high opinions of Pope throughout the war (and, really, for the rest of their lives), and they could have used an aggressive general in an important command. I still see Pope's flaws, but I can also see some of his good qualities too.

This is just the sort of Civil War book I love. It takes a subject that I thought I knew very well and adds layers of complexity. As always, Cozzens displays thorough familiarity with the sources, and his opinions are backed by historical fact. He avoids the common downfall of the biographer, who often becomes too enamored of his subject. Cozzens keeps enough emotional distance between himself and Pope that he can show Pope's flaws as well as merits.

When I was about 7 or 8 years old, I asked my Mother if we were Yankees or Confederates. Without hesitation, she stated in no uncertain terms that we were Yankees, always had been and always would be. So at that age, already starting my lifelong study of the Civil War, I was very much disposed towards liking all Yankees without regard. Even still, warming to John Pope seemed to be a task far beyond the call of human nature. It seemed almost everything I read about John Pope (and I read a great deal about the Civil War), painted the picture of a pompous, incredibly incompetent, self-centered man; very root of the Union defeat at 2nd Manassas. I read Cozzens' book not because I wanted to learn about John Pope so much as wanting more depth in my understanding what really did happen at 2nd Manassas. I was quite willing to write John Pope off as the "miscreant" in the characterization of Robert E. Lee.
John Pope in Mr. Cozzens' book is all the human frailties ever attributed to him. Cozzens is not a Pope apologist. However, what does emerge is a man much more complex than simply the bombastic, huff and puff blow-hard John Pope most often detailed in our history books. That he made fatal errors in the 2nd Manassas campaign; that he did not rise to the occasion; that he was a relentless self-promoter; all of these faults are not disguised nor dismissed. They are treated fairly and truthfully without a hidden agenda, as only a part of the picture Cozzens paints of John Pope's whole life of service in the United States Army.
Peter Cozzens is one of the best historical writers publishing today and this book is the product of a skilled craftsman. His writing is warm and engaging. I read the whole book, cover to cover, even though I only intended to read the section on Pope's defeat at 2nd Manassas. Cozzens moves easily and swiftly from minutely examining the daily life of John Pope to covering the span of years in a few pages. Knowing when to "go deep" marks a good writer and Cozzens comes through for the reader every time.
If he were just a good writer, it would be enough for fiction, but writing about history requires the author to be good at research and Cozzens is no slouch there either. This book is well-documented and uses a lot of primary source material - a hallmark by which research is judged today. Having the combination of good research and lively writing puts Cozzens in mighty rare company.
I now see a different John Pope. I still wouldn't have him in command at 2nd Manassas, if I had my say. But I no longer despise him. In fact, I am inclined to see him as good man, limited, as we all are, by the frailties attendant to humanity. If you are a serious student of this time in United States history, or just want a good non-fiction read, you will find General John Pope; A Life for the Nation a worthy investment of your time.

An excellent biography of a truely misunderstood Union Civil War General. Pope is most famous for losing the Battle of 2nd Manasses (called 2nd Bull Run also). He was whipped by Robert E. Lee and ended up being placed in command of the Department of the Northwest (Minnesota, the Dakota's), to fight Indians. He served the military honorably though for over 40 years, and was a good general, simply suffered from having to face Lee, having to deal with McClellan, Halleck, Washington, and being totally unprepared to command an army. Had this man stayed out west he probably would have done some truely great things. It is a shame Lincoln never sent him out west as a Corps commander right after 2nd Manassas, he would have been a huge asset for men like Grant and Sherman, who both liked Pope.

Before reading this book I always had the opinion that Pope was a fool, I was wrong. He was definitely nowhere near Lee or Jackson, but he was one of the best fighting generals the Union had, as his capture of Island # 10 and drive on Corinth proves. He did great things after the war as a department commander as well. He really did live a life for his nation.

Cozzens writes an outstanding biography of this man. He remains very level headed, not showing hatred for Pope or explaining away his mistakes. He makes clear that Pope made huge mistakes at 2nd Manassas, but also shows the reader throughout that Pope was a good man and a loyal soldier who did great things. He was one of the men who actually wanted to help the Indians out West, unlike men such as Sheridan who wanted them exterminated.

Only negative would be that we don't get that much detail on Pope before the Civil War, but you find that with every Civil War biography usually.

My wife and I read this book when we were expecting our first child. It was easy to read and very entertaining. It actually inspired me to write my own diary of our son's first year. I highly recommend it!

This book is terrific! My husband and I read it before we had our first child. Bob Greene got us super excited about the baby's birth! We tried to read it slowly, so we wouldn't finish much before we had out child. We give this book to all of our friends who are expecting a baby and they agree it's a must-read!

There are plenty of books that tell you what to do when a baby comes, but this is the only that I found that gave me an idea of what I could expect to feel like as a new father. As a husband, as a father, as a person inhabiting the planet, Bob Greene very simply describes how his life and outlook are changing during the first year of his daughter's life. He is surprised by what he can and can't do, remarks how his wife's focus has changed. As a reporter, he is surprised to find how his view of the world is different now that he has a small life in his charge.
Some of it is very funny: the helplessness he feels when his daughter first arrives home and how woefully unprepared they are (versus what they thought the instant before). Other parts of it are coldly chilling: Bob Greene's feelings about the mysterious Tylenol Killer anonymously killing people in the Chicagoland area mirrored my own concerns when I heard about the shootings at Columbine High School. Fatherly concern can only go so far and what happens when it's not enough?
My son is almost three years old now and my memories of the first year of his life are melting together into some generic feelings and a handful of anecdotes. However, I have a journal of my son's first year to look back on. That was the most wonderful thing about this book. Bob Greene is a professional writer, but this book made me feel like I could do something similar for my son and - surprisingly - it wasn't all that hard to jot down a little bit here and there as time permitted.
I like to think Bob Greene looks back at this book the same way I look back at my journal.

This exquisite volume would make a wonderful gift for any Chicagoan or nostalgic ex-Chicagoan, and its neighborhood-by-neighborhood scheme of organization makes it an excellent take-along for visitors to the city interested in Chicago's architectural heritage. Even longtime residents of the city will find photographs and histories of artworks whose existence they never suspected; the photos are beautifully executed and printed, and the intelligent commentary is based on thorough research.

If you love Chicago, and/or went to a Chicago Public School, you will love this book.

Not only is this catalog of Chicago's murals enormously useful for the casual reader/visitor, but its style is elegant and restrained, its color illustrations clear and gorgeous, its scholarship impeccable and useful, and quite simply a pleasure to study and own. We are fortunate to have such a comprehensive book.

Dr. Harker describes in detail and with back up how you can work for an institution for so many years and get thrown out after assuming tenure counts for something. And in most universities it does.
What disappoints me about the book is that his fellow professors did not stand up for him like they should have. This too could happen to them. Perhaps they thought their tenures would be threatened by taking his side. Or perhaps due to their lack of contributions to the department, felt threatened by him and his publications.
With his documentation, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND how all the different jurisdictions, hearings and proceedings, along with union representation, did not take care of him.
He should SUE, SUE, SUE all the bastards! Surely there is justice with the right representation somewhere. Listen up fellow professors and help him to help yourselves.
Last question, does President Wagoner and Dr. DiGrino have tenure? If so, all Professors should be alerted that they could be next.
BUY THE BOOK AND HELP YOURSELF..

Dr. Harker describes in detail and with back up how you can work for an institution for so many years and get thrown out after assuming tenure counts for something. And in most universities it does.
What disappoints me about the book is that his fellow professors did not stand up for him like they should have. This too could happen to them. Perhaps they thought their tenures would be threatened by taking his side. Or perhaps due to their lack of contributions to the department, felt threatened by him and his publications.
With his documentation, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND how all the different jurisdictions, hearings and proceedings, along with union representation, did not take care of him.
He should SUE, SUE, SUE all the bastards! Surely there is justice with the right representation somewhere. Listen up fellow professors and help him to help yourselves.
Last question, does President Wagoner and Dr. DiGrino have tenure? If so, all Professors should be alerted that they could be next.
BUY THE BOOK AND HELP YOURSELF..

Harker goes into great detail about how Western Illinois University, a very Conservative institution, (I know...I graduated from there), railroaded a man they didn't like. A great read for nudists, students, and anyone interested in the politics of academia.

With Herndon's Informants Douglas L. Wilson and Rodney O. Davis have made a tremendous contribution to Lincoln scholarship. Much of what we know of Lincoln's pre-presidential years, especially, was compiled through interviews and correspondence by Lincoln's last law partner William H. Herndon. Although many of these items were published decades ago in Emanuel Hertz's anthology The Hidden Lincoln, that collection's limitations have long frustrated Lincoln students. The only alternative was the expensive and awkward-to-use microfilm verison of Herndon's papers available from the Library of Congress.

Now, however, Wilson and Davis have made this treasure trove of firsthand information available in an affordable and convenient format. Moreover, they have carefully tried to reproduce texts exactly, retaining oddities of spelling and punctuation, a feature entertaining to ordinary readers and valuable to scholars. The book's presentation of documents in chronological order is welcome. Scholars will probably be the main consumers using this product.

This volume is a major contribution to Lincoln studies.

In the preface to his "Life of Lincoln", William Herndon expounded that when writing the history of Lincoln's early life "the whole truth concerning him should be known" and there should be "nothing colored or suppressed." Having set the standard Herndon failed to follow it, for there were something's even Herndon must have felt should not be put into print. Scholars wishing to explore Lincoln's early life beyond the insights offered by Herndon's biography had to turn to examining the letters and notes collected for over a twenty year period by himself and his collaborator Jesse Weik. This often proved to be a daunting task. As the editor's in their introduction noted even though available on Micro roll film specific documents are "very hard to locate" and even if located are "very hard to read." To further complicate matters the index to the Herndon collection prepared by the Library of Congress is "neither accurate nor complete." What Editors Douglas L. Wilson and Rodney O. Davis have done in their "Herndon's Informants" is to transcribe all of the known Herndon, Weik letters and notes into a readable and properly indexed Documentary Edition. What they have also done is create a masterpiece of scholarship that will be used by students of Lincoln for decades to come. "Herndon's Informants" offers the student the complete Herndon collection, unabridged and un-editorialized. To anyone who has a strong interest in learning more about Lincoln's early life this is just about all that is available and it simply must become a part of your personal library.

Forget authors, historians with agendas. Read what the people who actually knew Abraham Lincoln said about him.

Before Lincoln's body was cold, William Herndon, Lincoln's law partner for 17 years and friend for longer, began interviewing Lincoln's friends, family members, enemies, acquaintances, neighbors, etc. His goal was to collect as much information as possible about his friend, so he could write a completely truthful biography. "Warts and all" Herndon said. Unfortunately, Herndon soon realized he could not use some of the information he collected because it was very personal and Lincoln's image would be tarnished. Fortunately, some of this information he could not use you will find in this book. While 98% of this book contains very interesting information about all aspects of Lincoln's life. It is the remaining 2%, the unsavory stuff, that is so fascinating! For instance, I was surprised to read about the number of Lincoln's friends who told stories about Lincoln's involvement with prostitutes (before his marriage). Some friends even speculate about Lincoln maybe having one or two illegitimate children. This book contains information I never learned in school about Lincoln!

This was a great read! I enjoyed following Elsa and her family through the many different aspects of her life. I actually felt as though I was experiencing the trials and successes with Elsa and couldn't wait to experience more. You will love this lady and all the facets this book takes you through! Get the book, you won't be sorry!

This is a really-feel-good story about success. It is definitely not a ROOTS retread.
Instead of several generations, this novel is about eight short years of spectacular success -- before, during and after the Civil War itself. It is about a black lady who was born a slave on Spring Island in South Carolina and gains her freedom in 1859 when her owner dies. Elsa and her husband outsmart white overseers and appraisers and make a fortune selling a couple of King Cotton crops while the deceased's plantation languishes in limbo awaiting new owners. When the war breaks out, Elsa moves her family to Chicago, where she makes another fortune. An upbeat, enlightened book!

This novel, set in the period just before and after the Civil War, relates historical events of the time -- the Union occupation of Beaufort and Port Royal, the battle of Honey Hill -- accurately and interestingly, but these serve merely as a shifting background for the rise of Elsa, born a slave on Spring Island (SC), whose wit, resourcefulness, and grit are the real story. Elsa sees opportunity on every side (finding the ideal husband is one such opportunity), and outwits her sharp white competitors in the booming cotton business. She then returns to Spring Island (a real place described with love by the author, who lives there) and celebrates her final triumph -- to say more would give the story away! Humorous, instructive, this is a page turner.

This book tells the hardships of living in a poor inner city apartment, hoping that one day you will make it to the NBA. It tells two true storys that actually happened.How that playground kids put in the effort to get a scholarship for basketball from Isah Thomas's former highschool.It tells what life after basketball is, and how living with not much can still mean living.This book captures what reading is all about, learning things about places that you may of never been before.This book is one of the beest biographies ever, anybody who knows and understands basketball should read, and love this book.The book is better than the movie.

The book was well organized and well written. I was able to understand how two young yeenagers experince life in thier low budget enviroment. And to them they see that basketball is their only way out of the inner city. Overall I feel that this book can help out many teenagers that think that playing in the NBA is the only way out of proverty

Hoop Dreams gives the world an opportunity to learn about Arthur Agee, William Gates and their families. More importantly, this book is an opportunity for the reader to improve the quality of their own life by taking an intorspective look at family values, choices, and career dreams.

Linda Lyman has captured the essence of the typical experiences for a principal working in a poor school. However, the object of her research, Kenneth Hinton, is a remarkable principal. His decisions are grounded in doing what is best for children. He cares. He cares enough to make tough decisions that can be risky for any principal. Lyman sets the groundwork for understanding the principalship and leads the reader to understand the work of servant leaders. In addition to the stories, she provides an excellent background for the theory of educational leadership and a template for turnaround principals. This book should be reading for every school board and every person seeking to become an administrator.
Kathleen Hickey

It is so refreshing to learn of an individual, such as Kenneth Hinton, who sincerely cares about children, parents, and his profession. Many may claim that they care but do not take the extraordinary measures necessary to convey it. Hats off to Mr. Hinton and Ms. Lyman for a job well done!

In her recently published book, Linda Lyman shares an aspect of leadership that focuses on caring and its implications for learning within schools. She does this through an ethnographic approach by observing a caring principal within the context of an entire school community. First, Lyman introduces a caring environment within a theoretical context. Then, she profiles the principal, Kenneth H. Hinton, by providing an historical background of the school and community with various themes and implications for caring. Each chapter is rife with specific experiences illustrating examples with references to research on caring. Through the comments of Hinton, his colleagues, the children, and their parents, readers get a glimpse of what a significant difference caring leadership makes within their learning community. Questions at the end of each chapter provide focus for personal reflection and grist for further dialogue. Lyman chronicles Hinton as a catalyst who not only shapes change for what is best for children, but he transforms lives and learning through caring. The reader can, then, better recognize and reflect upon how caring makes a positive difference within a learning environment. Not only is this a provocative and inspiring read, but Lyman articulates and illustrates a critical component of learning which is caring that might otherwise be difficult to illuminate. At a time when publics continue to scrutinize the quality of learning within schools, Lyman provides a refreshing articulation and detailed description of how caring schools come to be and the tremendous rewards for all involved. Lyman's research and literary contributions provide hope as well as specific ingredients for a personal and professional commitment to children and caring. This book provides reason for further critical reflection and dialogue on this topic.

I bought this book as a gift for my daughter who studied with the author. Peggy Macnamara is the resident artist at the Field Museum in Chicago. Her drawings are amazing.

Peggy McNamara and the people at the Division of Insects at the Field Museum have produced a wonderful book on the insects and spiders of Illinois. The paintings are beautiful and the text informative. The book gives the reader an appreciation of the little forms of life that inhabit the state of Illinois. Perhaps this book will keep people from stepping on or spraying an insect or spider when they know more about it.

Maggie Daley wrote the introduction but I don't think she should be listed as first author of the book.

Superb. Ms. Macnamara's illustrations of small, complex and beautiful creatures are wonderful. She teaches drawing and painting at the Field Museum. Her teaching style is rare: individualized and comprehensive. No secret techniques. A rich study of materials. Also co-author of a book on wildlife painting. A highly skilled person who pays exquisite attention.