Washington Books

Rita D. French, Perrin L. French and Irvin F. Lin Baltimore's Own Little Italy Artist: The artwork of Tony De Sales (Genovefa Press P.O. Box 50954, Palo Alto, CA 94303 www.genovefapress.com), 2003, 224 pp. $29.95

This volume spotlights the artwork of Tony De Sales. His pen and ink drawings, some colored with crayon or simple paint, documented the architectural details and settings of his origins in working class Baltimore. Tony's sister, Rita De Sales French, and brother-in-law, Perrin L. French, unite Tony's life story with his artwork.
For thirty five years Tony maintained his "outdoor" studio and sales room at the corner of Fawn and High streets in Little Italy, an intersection frequented by locals, tourists and celebrities en route to see the sights of this historic and culinary-rich area of Baltimore. Tony's grandparents, his paternal side from Palermo, his maternal side from Warsaw, arrived in Baltimore in the early part of the 20th century. At an early age Tony became the family mainstay-his parents separated and his mother, Genevieve, suffered from mental illness. He never married and helped to raise his younger siblings and later cared for his mother until her death in 1998. On good summer days Genevieve would sit with him as he worked and greeted passersby.
The people he met on his corner of Little Italy often became friends. He gave them postcards of his prints to mail back to him when they returned to their homes across the U.S. and the world.
The book is filled with reproductions of Tony's artwork and some photos of the actual scenes he drew accompanied with descriptive text. The book covers the span of his artwork: Little Italy, Baltimore Harbor at Fells Point and seaway, Annapolis and places outside Maryland that Tony visited.
This volume makes a perfect gift for collectors of Italian American art, devotees of maritime and urban landscape art. It would serve well as a souvenir for tourists to Baltimore, Annapolis and Washington D.C. and a rewarding way for residents of the Baltimore-Washington D.C. corridor to learn and appreciate the place they call home.

This book is a unique combination of biography, city-history, and insight into the feelings and production of a gifted, self-taught artist. Tony DeSales overcame limitations of means and circumstance to bear witness to the city and neighborhood he loved.

The authors of this book, in turn, do justice to the artist's life and deep-felt monochrome and color sketches. Writing, production, and reproduction of the artwork are all first-rate.

This book is a bargain at its price, and is priceless for those who share Tony DeSales' love for Baltimore.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in street art and the Baltimore area. It is packed with Tony's beautiful artwork and the authors' detailed stories of the area. Every Baltimorean should own a copy. Rita and her co-authors have done a superb job.

This book is like a trip down "memory lane" for those of us who grew up in Baltimore. It is apparent that a great deal of thought went into the prepartion of this book. The full page prints are nicely presented on glossy paper. This is also an inspiring story of a man's generosity to his family and his community via his artwork.

This lovingly crafted book Rita and Perrin French
traces the work of Rita's brother Tony DeSales.
The prints are warm,evocative and touch the spirit of
place, They show artist and scene as one; his trying to
make you observe the vision of Baltimore that he had embraced.
Many are hauntingly beautiful renderings and show a warm remembrance of his vision. You will see many nuances
of place and look again at places found in this wonderfully
crafted editon.

Burl Barer is a true crime writer in the Pacific Northwest where the Queen of True Crime, Ann Rule, is also based. This book is about the Spokane serial killer, Robert Yates Jr., who mostly killed prostitutes and drug addicts as well as others. Barer does not forget the victims which is important because he makes it clear that no victim deserves to be killed and discarded like trash and garbage. People's attitudes about prostitutes and drug addicts must be revised in order to pay attention to the serious problems. Prostitutes are illegal in Washington but they are also mostly likely to be victims of serial killers like Ridgway and Yates. If Bundy had murdered prostitutes, they received little or no attention. Bundy referred to them as bottom feeders as the lowest of society. He had higher standards towards his victims but he still treated them like garbage. We might have to legalize prostitution in order to save their lives. We have to stop the fear of them being arrested, tormented, and used by police authorities as well as their clients. People don't know how dangerous that prostitution can be in their line of work. They are often desperate to be put in that position in the first place. My biggest problem with the book is the lack of organized outline regarding the victims like a chronology detailing their age, background, date of disappearance, etc. Barer does try to humanize each victim's background by describing their families and their loss.

BODY COUNT relates the story of Robert Yates, Jr., a serial killer responsible for 18 murders in a time span of approximately 20 years.

The author, Burl Barer, provides great insight into life on the street as a prostitute, constantly living for the next john while just trying to survive. Barer does a tremendous job of reminding readers that "sex workers" are people too; that they have families who mourn and miss them when their lives, no matter how trecherous or disgusting to the averge joe, are prematurely ended.

Readers are also provided with an upclose view of how such cases can haunt the detectives who work to solve them, and the toll it can take on their sanity and physical health.

And lastly, Barer reminds his readers with his story just how "normal" a serial killer can be. Yates was a father and a husband, someone no one ever suspected. A creepy reminder that the nice guy next door could be a Ted Bundy when no one is looking.

This is an interesting and insightful book. If you enjoy stories about serial killers, this is definitely recommend for you.

Burl Barer is, in my opinion, the #1 true crime writer in America. Each book takes a tragic case, elevates the victims' deaths to the level of sacrifice, and probes the inner working of the killer's mind and upbringing. I was mystified by the review that said there was no information about Yates' life and upbringing -- in truth, Barer delves deeply into Yates personal history. An added shocker is that author Burl Barer knew Yates' first victims, and also knew one of Yates' final victims. Both the killer and author lived in the same small town; their daughters attending the same school.
Unlike Mark Fuhrman's book about the same case, Barer's is accurate in detail. Yes, there is one unsolved murdrer after another...a repetitive "problem" with serial killers -- but Barer uses this very aspect of the case, and the dead ends of the investigation for many years, to heighten the sense of frustration and desperation that haunted the Homicide Task Force prior to their arrest of Robert Lee Yates. If you want to read true crime at its best, pick up any book by Burl Barer.

Historically speaking, the northwestern part of the United States has seemed to breed its share of serial killers. This being said, it may seem challenging to stand out in a background with the Green River Killer and Ted Bundy. Yet the story of Robert Yates Jr. is compelling on a number of levels. And just as important, Burl Barer proves to be a talented writer in "Body Count" with good pacing, appropriate word choice, and lending a sense of dignity to the genre of true crime.

Robert Yates Jr. committed his first murder in 1975. However, the uncontrollable urge to kill did not take him over until the late 1990's. Despite having a daughter the was near the same age of some of his victims, Yates systematically murdered prostitutes in the area of Spokane, Washington. Unlike his somewhat random first murders of the 70's, the prostitute murders were typified by a bullet behind the ear and three plastic bags over the head to seemingly control bleeding.

There are many interesting aspects to this case which I am somewhat hesitant to advertise and spoil the enjoyment of this book for others. The miltary and security guard background of Yates seem to play to the idea that he not only sought control in his killings in addition to sexual gratification. While Yates seemed to defend his crimes to some degree by noting that he was molested as a child, not every molested child becomes a serial killer.

Burl Barer is a true crime writer that I believe belongs in the upper echelon of the genre. I never got the impression that he was exploiting the misfortune of others or just out to make a quick buck in this book. He tells the story with a solid writing style.

Body Count was a very interesting read. As an avid true crime fan, I don't remember hearing about the Yates case until now. Burl Barer perfectly balanced Yates' background with the investigation and victims' stories. Ann Rule is still my favorite true crime author, but Burl Barer is a close second.

The reason why I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5 was because of several typographical errors throughout the book and the name of one victim not being consistent throughout the book. As a proofreader, these errors stood out and bothered me. If readers ignore these things, you will enjoy reading this book.

This book is a wonderful review of the art of books as contemporary sculpture. As a fiber artist-bookmaker-handmade paper maker, I bought a copy for my own library, then gave another copy as a gift to a fellow artist who was interested in using books and book images in art. Inspirational as well as informative. I look forward to seeing the actual exhibition.

This is one of those products which is true to its theme from the moment you unwrap it.Being a book about the beauty and creativity of books it has itself to be worthy, which it certainly is. It is a pleasure to hold and to explore, as the design and concept have been carefuly considered.
The examples chosen are rich and varied and are divided thematically.The problem is that so many of the books are enormously intriguing that one wants to handle them to discover their mysteries. However the descriptions are usually very good and do allow one to at least understand the concept of the creator.If you love books as art, this is a truly wonderful possession.

Turning the book making into an art can make a book more attractive and collectible. This book demonstrates a lot of outstanding examples. Readers are completely satisfied by the books in this book.

One of the best! This book should be on your bookshelf if you are interested in the books as an art form. I would suggest it for any school or college media center. I would not include it on a list for coffee table books but if you have a serious home library which leans toward the book arts,artist journals and sketchbooks; by all means, put this out on the reading table.
The next best thing:Visiting the Museum in person!

This book is wonderful! It features many artists and their foray into the world of book arts. The photos are splendid and the background information on the artists is excellent. It arrived in shrink-wrap which protected it nicely. Great book!

dada: zurich, berlin, hanover, cologne, new yorkk, paris

This book is wonderfully informative, plus it has so many full-color reproductions--the type of terrific catalog that inspires one to stroke its pages with a sense of seduction (works in my mind!).

Coupled with Hans Richter's: "Dada, Art and Antiart" and movement's philosophy and works are clearly understood. Graphics are truly great and commentary enlighten. It might be noted this book is German published as the Max Ernst book "Life and Work". Both with numerous colored plates of the highest quality. The Dada book though excels in text.

I have always had a weakness for Dada, and within this quixotic movement a special liking for Schwitters. So I visited the Dada-exposition in the Paris Centre Pompidou last year, and there bought both the Dickerman catalogue of the American exposition, and the (French language) catalogue of the Centre Pompidou itself, which differ in many ways. The exposition was wonderful by the way, and one of the best I' ve seen in many years. Thinking that a morning would be enough to see what I wanted to see, I changed my mind, decided to take dinner in the Pompidou, and stayed for the rest of the day. The immense amount of material was stunning. And the same thing really goes for both impressive catalogues. The American (Dickerman) version (520 pages) follows Dada by way of the cities where Dada developed, and does so in a more or less chronological fashion. Essays are excellent, photomaterial looks great. It is the sort of catalogue you would expect from an exposition like this. The European catalogue, more than thousand pages, printed on very thin paper, treats subjects, artists, and everything else connected with Dada according to alfabet. It seems to me that the catalogue has just about everything that could be seen at the exposition, with exception of the films of course. Although I felt a bit silly after buying both catalogues (spending some 100 euros), I was in the end very glad that I did. Everybody who buys catalogues now and then, know how disappointing these sometimes are. Well, these aren't. They are both superb, knowledgeable. And the people who made them have done a terrific job. In the end you wind up thinking: Hey, these guys (and girls) must have loved Dada as much as I do.

IF YOU LIKE ART THIS IS THE PERFECT MEAL.
BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER AND SNACKS
I WISH I HAD ONE OF THESE BOOKS IN EVERY ONE OF MY ROOMS
OR ANYWHERE I VISIT WHERE THERE MIGHT BE FREE TIME TO LEAF THRU IT!

While somewhat out of date, Hard Living on Clay Street is one of the best observations of poor white Southern working class folks ever done. Howell came to the research with some background, but more importantly with the ability to get these people to let him into their lives. He tells a compelling story. I have used the book for a Qualitative Methods class, and the students are impressed with both the writing and the characters. Anyone who wants to get a good look inside the lower middle class in this country should spend a little time on Clay Street.

I ran across this book after it was misfiled at the library, and I picked it up because I wondered what a book with a title like that was doing in the section. I read the whole thing through in one sitting. I think it is one of the most incredible anthropological studies I have ever read. As others have commented, the methods that Howell uses are extremely effective - he quite literally moves across the street from his stubjects. I get the feeling that to write this book about "blue collar" people (although the first family at least is really quite destitute) Howell does not hesitate to drink a lot of cheap beer, go deer hunting, etc.

Al Gore might have grown up there had his father been a plumber who moved north for work. Not many St.Albans boys in that neighborhood though. As in none. Gotta wonder if Harrington and Gore don't hook up once in a while what with the wellheeled intellectual Nashville/DC connection. All in all not a bad intro to a forgotten people in a very interesting time and place. I was happy to have stumbled upon it.

This book should be mandatory reading for all high school students in the United States. Poverty is indeed a virtual reality in this book. You cannot help but gain an appreciation for all you have, however little it may be.

Howell utilizes a "hands on " approach to drive home the reality of a very large segment of our society by literally moving in with them and living the life - in spite of peril for one year. Through this approach, he gains the trust of two families, the Shacklefords and the Mosebys, and we are able to move into their homes, travel with them on their drunken runs, and thereby gain an insight from a perspective within that no "text" could ever offer us. I applaud this book and have used it yearly in classes since 1978 with raves from the students.

Fascinating, funny, romantic, wise... This is a stunning exploration of the American Jewish experience - the heartfelt tale of every immigrant torn between the culture of his forefathers and the glorious temptations of a new land's dream. - A grand piece of storytelling-Boston Globe. Rich and compelling-The New York Times. Laugh until your side aches...Wipe away a tear...-Pittsburgh Press

Herman Wouk is an exceptional writer and this book lives up to all the others. I feel like I know the characters and I've gained a much better understanding of Jewish life in America.

There's no such thing as a bad book by Herman Wouk, and the breadth of his writing is almost as vast as the depth. To think that one man wrote MARJORIE MORNINGSTAR, THE CAINE MUTINY, THIS IS MY GOD, THE WINDS OF WAR, WAR & REMEMBRANCE, DON'T STOP THE CARNIVAL plus a half dozen others simply boggles the imagination.

Along with DON'T STOP THE CARNIVAL, Wouk's funniest book, INSIDE, OUTSIDE is an easier read than most of the other topics he has tackled. Set in a recent decade, the title refers to the fact that in Jewish families, some people use one name at home, their Hebrew, "inside" name and the Anglicized version of that same name out in the big world. Along with the name chosen go two different and distinctive aspects of their personalities.

It seemed clear on reading INSIDE, OUTSIDE that the hero's sister, Lee, is the all-grown up version of Marjorie Morningstar. This is not Herman Wouk's most important book, far from it, but it is one of his easiest works to read. The story he has told, as always, is an interesting one. There is no such thing as a bad book when Mr. Wouk is the author.

Took this book with me on a cruise and couldn't put it down. Wouk's writing so fabulous I am now reading all of his book, some a second time.

He is a masterful writer and creates characters that come alive and stay with you.Inside, Outside: A Novel

"Inside, Outside" comes as close to being an outright autobiography as Wouk is likely to write."

"Wouk demonstrates his ability to write with compassion about people both literary and historical, real and imaginary."

Wouk's 1985 saga is a social comedy of Jewish-American life reaching from New York to Jerusalem and spanning much of the 20th century.

Most of the poems here are beautiful. Some convey the feeling of love gained and others tell the story of love lost or the perils of love.

I really like the poem "Thyrsis and Amaranta" by Jean De La Fontaine hilariously true!! It tells the story of a young man who is in love with a girl who doesn't even know he longs for her. He hints and clues his feelings to her and in the end-- well, if you've ever fallen in love and found out someone has already beaten you to the person you want to be with, you'll instantly get this poem.

There are other poems here that have haunting truths like "They That Have Power" by William Shakespeare. A must read for anyone who knows someone who uses their looks for the disadvantage of others.

This book is a must have for anyone who is interested in poetry. Anyone who is interested in love. And anyone who wants to laugh here and there at a general truth of people who are in love. A real good buy.

Though this book was filled with a grand assortment of poems, it did not strike my fancy as I thought it would. When I first ran across the book, I was enthusiastic about reading it for the very reason that love poems are appealing to me, as I am a high school girl.

Before I began to scroll through the pages of poems, I had high expectations for this book. I envisioned myself basking in the sun in a hammock, reading endless love poems, all of which were appealing to my romantic nature. However, I found that the majority of these poems were dull and repetitive. They did not remind me of the romantic fantasy that can be found in fairy tales, or the type of romantic poem that lovers write to one another.

This book consisted of a variety of different authors as well, many who were either from a different origin or not well known. Not only were many of their poems repetitive, but also difficult to understand and envision in one's own mind.

While the majority of this book was not appealing to me, there were some poems in this book that I found I enjoyed. An example is, "When You Are Old," by WB Yeats. I enjoyed this poem because I was able to envision myself, years down the road, with the love of my life. I connected with this poem because I consistently imagine myself growing old with someone and loving him unconditionally, just as the poem insinuated.

But true Love is a durable fire
In the mind ever burning;
Never sick, never old, never dead,
From itself never turning. ~Walter Ralegh

I am naturally drawn to tiny books and this book was no exception. I saw it and instantly fell in love with the red library binding and gold embossing on the fabric cover. This is one of those books you want to carry around with you in your pocket to read on a sunny day while sitting on a park bench.

While most of the poems were new to me, I did find lines to make any poet drown in the pure beauty of words. "In My Sky at Twilight" is a paraphrase of the 30th poem in Raindranath Tagore's The Gardener. The images are lush and mingle emotion with nature. "In Former Days" by Bhartrhari (5th Century) is witty and beautiful in its simplicity. Two lovers are so in love they forget their separateness and then drift back to being "you" and "me." The poem is a mere four lines and yet it provides a intimate look at how lovers feel when in love and when they drift apart. I loved a few lines in "The Palanquin" where a butterfly lands on delicate skin and transfers colors onto the lover's skin.

The poems are divided into 7 sections:

Definitions and Persuasions
Love and Poetry
Praising the Loved One
Pleasures and Pains
Fidelity and Inconstancy
Absence, Estrangement and Parting
Love Past

You may recognize poems by Lord Byron, Edgar Allan Poe, William Shakespeare, Walt Whitman and Dorothy Parker. I was pleasantly surprised by poems by Leconte De Lisle, Pablo Neruda and Dioskorides.

You will find a wide range of love poems. This book contains selections from ancient China to modern America. These poems present the universal experience of the human heart.

~The Rebecca Review

This is both an excellent and beautiful collection of
love poetry collected from many different poets, male
and female, and from many different eras, and from
many different lands...but the focus is Love...and the
responses to Love...
The poems are grouped in sections. The titles of
the sections are: Definitions and Persuasions; Love
and Poetry; Praising the Loved One; Pleasures and
Pains; Fidelity and Inconstancy; Absence, Estrangement,
and Parting; Love Past.
The "selecter" and editor, Peter Washington, says
the best words about the nature, scope, and purpose
of this book in his "Foreword": "My selection of poems
for the anthology which follows has been guided by
simple principles. Each piece had to be first-rate
in its own way, and each had to contribute something
distinctive to our understanding of love. Where there
is similarity of mood, there is difference of emphasis;
where there is repetition of an idea, there is variety
in music. The juxtaposition of apparently comparable
lyrics brings out their differences, and although the
poems are arranged in broad categories which follow
an obvious sequence, it is the echoes they set up in
one another which enrich them all."
-- Peter Washington.
There are so many fine poems that it is very difficult
to pick a sample--but this is very fine indeed:
* * * * * * * * *
In the moonlit chamber, always she thinks of him
Soft wisps of silken willows, languor in the air
of spring.
Verdant were the grasses beyond the gates;
At their parting, she heard the horses neigh.

Draperies patterned of gold kingfishers;
Within, fragrant candle melts in tears.
Falling petals, the morning plaint of the cuckoo,
Green-gauze windows -- fragments of an illusive
dream.

-- Wen T'ing-Yun (?813-870)
[Trans. William R. Schultz]

I love this little book. It's chock full of poetic gems, yet each one is so different. The differences in variety are surprising...there are different moods, cadences, emphases.

The poems are arranged in broad categories and follow a rather natural progression from the joys of meeting to the pleasures and pains of being "in love," to an absence of one's beloved and past loves.

Some poets are represented more extensively than are others. These include John Donne, Boris Pasternak, Anna Akhmatova and Christina Rossetti, among others. I don't think anyone who loves good poetry will complain about his disproportionate representation, however. The poets named above are so good, and their ideas so universal, that not repeating them would have been the mistake.

Although all of these poems concentrate on a universally recognized aspect of love, the perspectives vary sharply. There are poems from ancient India, classical Greece, medieval Japan, renaissance England, 19th century France and modern-day America.

The one quality all of these poems share is first-rate writing. You will no doubt find some poems you prefer over others, but you won't find poems that are "better" than others. They are all of the highest quality.

Another thing I like about this series of books is their size. They're small enough to carry in a purse or even a laptop case. I read mine on the train, on the bus, while waiting for the bus, anywhere, really. I couldn't think of a way to improve them.

A great book! This is a compilation of short stories representing the author's eight-year career as a Washington DC police officer. This book provided unique insight into a career that many people would shy away from, especially in a notoriously high-crime area such as Washington, DC. The author showed that even though he faced dangerous and stressful situations on a regular basis, he maintained a level head and his hope to help the community. The stories are poignant, allowing the reader to experience a range of emotions along with the author. In a job that often carries a stereotype of big egos and power trips, it is refreshing to see a portrayal of an officer with a sensitive and vulnerable side. I highly recommend this book.

Archer gives you an inside look at what it's like to be a police officer in one of America's toughest cities. He will take you on an emotional journey that many police officer's endure throughout their careers. You will see how as a police officer you see the best and the worst sides of humanity and still try to balance your own life. Overall, this is an excellent book and if you decide to take the journey with Archer, you won't put the book down until it's finished.

Miles To Go...is a quick and enjoyable read. It certainly gives the reader an interesting insight into a police officer's day to day life, as well as a new found respect for what our law enforcement does on a daily basis. More importantly, this isn't just a day to day journal, but an honest account of why the author became a police officer and how he got through his days out on the street, whether it was doing undercover work, or trying to bust down the door of a brothel. I enjoyed the fact that the author could see the different perpetrators as people and could understand and appreciate where they came from rather than just chalking them up to another "collar." I highly recommend it!

As a cop, I know that we don't like to share our emotions. Especially about the things we see or experience on the job. These things are typically sealed in compartments and packed away, too difficult to contemplate or share. Christopher Archer lifts the thin blue line and exposes what his eyes saw, his body felt, and his heart bled with sincerity. You will frequently have to pause while reading this book to laugh, gasp for air, or swallow hard. I wish that the author had woven a common theme through this collection of stories, but perhaps I'm asking too much from someone who has exposed so much.

Christopher M. Archer has written an OUTSTANDING book. Detailing the life of a cop in The Nations Capital. The stories are real and shocking. Each chapter tells you a different story of the daily life of a cop wanting to "Protect and Serve". Once you start reading this book you won't want to put it down. The stories are all true. I know first hand, I had the pleasure of working with him during our RDU days. Great Job Chris!

I found this book valuable for identifying plants associated with the lichens I collect. It is easy to use, the photos are good and I really appreciate both the range maps and phisiographic map (on the inner back cover). Dana Ericson

Over all this is an excellent field guide. Two minor complaints: some of the plants have no accompanying photo, just a line drawing detailing their seed pods or flower. Also, some have very brief descriptions and say things like "Indigenous people used to eat this". Okay, why'd they stop? Is the plant considered toxic? Did the Indians get sick from it and stop using it?

This is simply an outstanding text. I used to work outdoor school in the pacific northwest, and this book ranked space in my day pack every day of the week. Very clear photos show you exactly what the plants look like, and text is clear and interesting. Highly recommended.

For anyone interested in Northwest Native Plants, this is an essential reference. Arthur Lee Jacobsen's "Wild Plants of Greater Seattle" is another useful book, although not as detailed. "Vascular plants of the Pacific Northwest", by Charles Leo Hitchcock, in 7 volumes for $300.00, is much more detailed but not as handy. I have used my "Pojar" so much that I wore it out and had to get a second copy. I found it useful when I was just beginning to learn about native plants, and now that I can identify over 200 species on sight, I still use it to learn about ethnobotany, which plants are edible, and where to plant them in my garden.

Another reviewer complained that the book does not list common names in the index. This is just plain wrong. You can look up plants in the index by common name or scientific name, or you can browse through the photos until you get a match. You can also use the keys, which is the best way to learn about the relationship of one species to another, but I'm usually too lazy to work through the process. The way the plants are grouped, it's easy to narrow it down and find your plant.

My one complaint about the book is that it is sometimes difficult to pin down whether or not a particular plant is actually a native. This is usually implied, especially when they tell how indigenous peoples used the plants in everday life, but I wish the plants were clearly marked Native and Non-Native.

I'd actually give this 4.5 stars if I could. This is a great all around guide for the west side of the Cascades. It doesn't include every plant, particularly in the sections towards the end on bryophytes, but most plants you'll want to see are in there. I'm torn on the aboriginal use data tht is presented throughout the book. On one hand, it really is quite fascinating, but on the other hand, probably several dozen more species could have been covered if these data were omitted. The maps can be a bit difficult to decipher given the range this book covers, and although most of the photos are good, a few are pretty poor. Still, it is a must-have for any nature buff in the PNW.

Kudos for J.R. Norton for pulling together our Founding Fathers and our current foundering, floundering politicians. Reading Norton's quick-minded, incisive writing is to bask in the sunlight of memory recovered--he reminds us of the progressive stance of the founders of this country. One cannot read this book and then listen to the news in the same way. Reading Norton's book will make you want to do your own careful analysis of the current war, if you haven't done it already. Norton's book is a wonderful reminder of the principles on which this country was founded and how far we have allowed our country to be pulled from those noble and ambitious principles. Should be required reading!

This fascinating, meticulously-researched book takes a biting, clever and frequently hilarious look back at the founding fathers, the revolution they fought, and the constitution they miraculously crafted. Norton deftly connects the biggest issues and controversies of today with the cultural and political ideals of the founders, arguing convincingly and passionately that, contrary to what the Right would have us believe, the founders' policies, beliefs and priorities were incredibly progressive by today's standards. In fact, it is the the Left, and modern day progressives, who are the rightful heirs to the founders' legacy.

Filled with illuminating (and often quite amusing) quotes from the founding fathers' letters, books and speeches, this book transforms the remote, infallible, wig-wearing deities of elementary school parables and the "heads" side of money into real, flesh and blood men. By the end of the book (which I devoured in a single sitting), I felt like I KNEW these guys. But more importantly, I was reminded of how much I love this country and what it stands for, despite how horrifying and frightening I find its current leadership and policies. And, above all, how vital it is that the progressive, rational, tolerant, civic-minded people of this country -- the rightful cultural and political descendents of the founders -- fight to take it back.

Saving General Washington is a cleverly written treatise calling us to task on our national lack of historical memory. Norton's is an amusing ride, simultaneously weaving history and current events into one sharp commentary on who we are, where we came from and where we ought to be going.

Norton uses his firm grasp on current political events as a hook into the excellent contemporary literature on the founding fathers, creating a text that's easy to read if you are familiar with either -- and entertaining if you're familiar with both. It's hip and full of witty references -- but never to the point where it gets cutesy or the author becomes more into himself than the idea. I was most impressed by his ability to pull from historical research to provide a concise argument without getting lost in the details or horribly glossing over the historical subject matter.

One criticism could be that it doesn't go extremely deep into the history, but I'd argue that it serves its purpose by providing a good entree into the subject matter for those interested. There's worse things one could do than convince someone to pick up the latest McCullough biography. I'd also recommend Gordon Woods for anyone into these ideas.

For an example of the style, take Norton's discussion of business and politics -- where he contrasts Bush / Cheney to Franklin. Norton's description of Franklin, 'the official funny fat guy of the founding fathres and the nation's inspirationally folksy old bastard' is on the mark and hilarious. Norton does and excellent job of doing what our schools should have done -- reveal these old codges for the fascinating, contradictory, but ultimately foresighted people that they were and suggesting what lasting principles we might learn from them.

Saving General Washington reads like an entertaining friend walking you through a compelling argument -- that modern Republicans have hi-jacked the memory of our founding fathers and now we're taking it back.

Norton's dropping Burrs and Hamiltons like Samberg, and so should you.

Like the previous reviewer, I read this text in one sitting. It's well-written, insightful, and useful for any folks like me who have a huge critique of the current administration but a less-than-perfect understanding of history to articulate why the current state of affairs is such an assault on patriotic values. Brilliant! I'd recommend it to everyone. Bought it for my father. Bought it for my friends.

It was so good, I read the entire book in one sitting. I couldn't stop. The author does an excellent job marrying history with humor and making a statement in the process. The bibliography and the end of the book I thought especially useful.