Missouri Books

When my son and his friend sat down to this book, I couldn't tear it away from them! They kept looking at the vivid pictures and reading over and over the text. They were really transfixed. I can't say how quiet the house was for about a half of an hour. They loved it!

Wow! It was interesting and exciting with lots of neat facts. Amazing to throw 5 TD passes in one game. Did not know that you could play 2 sports at a time in HighSchool.

Clinton Miller 8yrs. old Champaign, Il.

Let's get this out of the way right off the bat: as a murder mystery, this book wasn't all that impressive. I knew who the murderer was even before the murder had taken place.

On the other hand, if you are at all interested in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS), or any other dysfunctional bureaucracy, you will find this book insightful, cynical, hilarious and so close to the truth that it is painful.

Paul Edwards is the direct descendant of the first three Presidents of the RLDS Church, including Joseph Smith, Jr., and was a long time church functionary. Toom Taggart, Edwards' fictitious Director of Church Education, bears more than a passing resemblance to Edwards. A few other church figures are also thinly disguised, including Graceland College professor William Russell, who finds himself transmogrified into "Russell Williams". Even worse, there is a (very) minor character named "Gnuoy" -- Didn't any of the editors at Signature Books notice that this is "Young" spelled backwards? Or are they laughing along with the author?

Edwards, and Toom Taggart, spend most of the book exposing the bureaucratic incompetence of the RLDS Church -- an incompetence so gross, says Edwards/Toom, that it has become the standard by which all other incompetence is measured.

As a personal note, a few years ago the RLDS Church flew me out to Independence to interview for the position of Church Archivist. I didn't get the position, which engendered no small disappointment in me. Now it turns out that I may have been better off not getting the job at all, because Edwards' fictitious Church Archivist is the unfortunate murder victim in this novel. I feel like I narrowly avoided an untimely end.

Although the book is weak as a mystery, and Toom Taggart's cynicism is so thick it is hard to take at times, this was a delightful book well worth every penny paid for it. I look forward to the further adventures of Taggart. And after some years of frustration wrestling with the Church bureaucracy, I would be happy to suggest some murder victims if Edwards gets writer's block.

Paul M. Edwards' The Angel Acronym is an involving and original mystery, featuring the head director of church education, Toom Taggart, who suspects foul play when the church archivist is found dead in the temple complex. A dark and twisted tale of hidden motives, and the conflicting politics of bureaucracy, religious zeal, and public perception, The Angel Acronym is a fascinating page-turner to be read closely to the last page.

This second edition is becoming increasingly harder to find, but is an essential book for any archeologist, paleontologist, biologist, ornithologist, many other "gist's", or just an amateur interested in the subject. It provides excellent plates on bird bone morphology and the taxon character keys are extremely useful. A solid buy!

This has a lot of good drawings of North American bird bones, something there aren't many books on. It can't replace a comparative collection, but will help you narrow things down. If the prices for used first editions are too high for your budget (they are for mine!), reprint editions (in paperback) are available from the publisher, Missouri Archaeological Society, for $25 as of 2005. A web search should find their site.

This should win a Pulitzer this year. The content is tremendous, full of insightful garb about the most cantankerous coach to ever pace the hardwood sideline. Plus, one writer in particular really bolsters this literary masterpiece, James D. Horne. Buy this book while supplies last.

This is a very good view of the overall career of Norm Stewart at Mizzou. It is unique in it is a compilation of articles from the Columbia Tribune starting with a game in February, 1956 through his retirement this past April, 1999. For the avid Missouri basketball fan it will bring back alot of fond memories and things long forgotten. For the newer fan, it will point out just what kind of coach Norm Stewart was and bring out a side of him alot of people don't know about. For just the rabid basketball fan, it is an interesting look at some of the great upsets by Missouri basketball teams, such as over Notre Dame in 1980 in the NCAA and Louisville in 1982, along with the battles within the Big 8. It's an easy read with alot of good pictures.

I'm primarily a Reds fan but enjoy reading about anything baseball-related, especially if you get to know players are on a much deeper basis. In fact, it's often the non-superstars that I found most interesting.

This book fit this description personally. Forsch, like other subjects in the "Tales from the Dugout" series, was a local favorite but not really known on a national scale. However, his stories include all of the big names in Cardinals history, so you get to read new stories as well as the famous ones (however, you get to hear them from a new perspective).

A storied called GQ Joe (Joe Magrane) alone was worth the price of the book.

A nice collection of stories from Bob Forsch's years with the Cardinals. Written as short anecdotes, these recollections are good for stop and start reading. Forsch remembers his years with the Redbirds [1974-1988] and talks a bit about some current players and the state of the game today. It'll stir the memories of older Cards fans, and give younger ones a look at baseball the way it used to be. Good natured, clean, with funny moments and inside looks at being a major league player, Forsch entertains baseball fans of all ages.

This book covers the first year of Chinese rule in Hong Kong, by the reporter Steve Vines, whose articles on Hong Kong for the English paper the Independant were one of the few largely fearless sources of information for Hong Kong residents like myself during the 1990's, in the increasingly paranoid world of pre-handover Hong Kong (the local papers were terrible). Vines pulls a few punches this time around (he now has business interests in Hong Kong), but there is a lot of fascinating information on the place for those of us who left with or soon after the British.

For those visiting for the first time (or simply from the armchair), this book will make a good follow up to the usual Hong Kong classics: Jan Morris' Hong Kong, Austin Coates' Myself a Mandarin, Bo Yang's The Ugly Chinaman, Timothy Mo's The Monkey King, and Paul Theroux's Kowloon Tong - all great for an understanding of Hong Kong (including the bits Hong Kong doesn't like to talk about).

Stephen Vines claims that _Hong Kong: China's New Colony_ is unconventional, as "a personal account of living through" the transition. True enough, as the writing is anything but objective. Nonetheless, it would be a mistake to dismiss this writing simply because of its bias, because it is also a very informative look at significant events and issues leading up to, and surrounding, the handover of Hong Kong to China.

The books claims to have a central theme of China's desire to acquire a colony (and hence the title), but I think a more accurate constant theme would be that the potential and likelihood of the Chinese Communist Party to crash the party that is Hong Kong. Throughout the book, the Chinese government is depicted in a thoroughly negative light, making it clear that Vines has little trust for the Chinese government to properly handle the SAR, and dislike for the current regime. This is fine, but it occasionally comes close to obscuring the information the book is presenting.

The flow of the book can be a little jumpy at times, with little logical progression of the chapters. The author often jumps from politics, to economy, back to politics, etc. Clearly the focus of the book is on both the politics and economics of the handover, but it may have been clearer if they were dealt with on their own terms.

Despite some drawbacks, the book deeply explores many key elements in Hong Kong and how the handover affects them. It is in these explorations that this work really shines. It effectively paints a picture of the complications and backgrounds of some of the major issues that cause concern to the people and businesses of the region.

One note of annoyance, Vines is inconsistent with the phonetic transcription of key figures and places. Mao Zedong is most early transcribed as "Mao Tse-Tung" (alongside "Lin Biao", which is transcribed in a different system, p.61) but thereafter always re-referred to as "Mao Zedong". Additionally, the PRC capital is always referred to as "Peking", which is markedly anachronistic in an age where "Beijing" is the standard transcription. For names of individuals who personally transcribe otherwise, it's acceptable, but not for more recognised entities for which another form (i.e. Pinyin) is now standard.

The book is thoroughly pessimistic, but interesting well enough. For those who have an interest in learning more about some of the issues concerning the Hong Kong handover, or even looking for an introduction to the event, _Hong Kong: China's New Colony_ is a good place to start.

CITY SMART: KANSAS CITY is a great book about the Kansas City area. It contains information on all the malls on both the Missouri and Kansas sides, as well as neighborhoods, eateries, museums, theater, and other stuff to do in the area. However, one part of the book that should be taken like the humor in AMERICAN WEDDING, SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE, THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELLING PANTS, HARVARD MAN, DRIVE ME CRAZY, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, 13 GOING ON 30, GARFIELD: A TALE OF TWO KITTIES, DATE MOVIE, or CAN'T HARDLY WAIT is the radio listings. Many of the area's major rock stations (KQRC, KCFX, KZPL, KYYS) are not listed, KXTR (classical) is now KRBZ (alternative), KCIY (smooth jazz) is now WDAF (country), and KNRX (new rock) is now KMJK (vintage soul) and is in fact located about 45 minutes away, in Lexington MO. Other than this minor quibble, though, the book deserves five stars.

We used this guide in our recent visit to Kansas City and found it to be helpful. Not as helpful as our friends in the area, who knocked themselves out showing us things, but it even gave them some ideas.

As indicated in the previous review, Dr. Ferrell's thorough research has resulted in what, up to this point, must be considered the definitive study of 35th Division's administrative ineptness, training shortcomings, and combat operations before and during the Meuse campaign. (It should be noted that this ineptness was widespread in the AEF, and far from isolated within 35th Division.) Anyone interested in the history of the AEF should certainly examine this book. I understand that "Collapse at Meuse-Argonne" is just a small part of what will be a comprehensive study of the larger Meuse-Argonne campaign, and if the present work is any indication, every student of the First World War should eagerly anticipate eventual publication of the larger account.

That being said, there are some shortcomings to "Collapse at Meuse-Argonne." The first would be a shortage of maps. Only two are provided, one of northern France showing major rivers and principal population centers, and another showing the portion of the Meuse-Argonne sector in which the division operated, which mainly shows Route Nationale 46, the River Aire, Buanthe Creek, and the principal villages in the area. A smaller-scale map showing 35th Division's sector in the broader context of First Army would have been welcome (from the map provided, one wouldn't know 28th Division was on the left and 91st Division on the right), as would a map showing the principal topographic features in the area, such as Montfaucon and the ravine at Exermont, as well as the local transportation net. A table showing the 35th Division's order of battle and principal officers also would have been helpful.

The index is also not as useful as it really should be. For instance, critical geographic locations, such as Varennes, Cheppy, Very, Charpentry, Baulny and Exermont do not appear in the the index at all. References to George Patton are indexed, but tanks are not. This is not insignificant, as at the beginning of the campaign most of the American-operated tanks were assigned to 28th and 35th Divisions in I Corps. (One platoon was assigned to the far left regiment of 91st Division in neighboring V Corps, but they accomplished little.) To those interested, additional references to tanks appear on pages 39-40, 51, 52, 57, 58, 89, 95 and 96. And, although tanks are mentioned in passing in the text, one is left wondering if any of the operational reports submitted by units of the 35th Division discussed the support (or lack of support) provided by the tanks.

There are also a few minor errors. One rather niggling error appears on page 39, where Varrennes is cited as the location where Louis XVI was captured in 1796 during his attempt to escape the Revolution (it actually happened in June 1791 - and the unfortunate "citizen" Louis Capet was beheaded not long after). A bit more substantive is Dr. Ferrell's misidentification of Patton's 1st (later 304th) Tank Brigade as the "First Provisional Tank Regiment" (28, 37). As in the contemporary British Tank Corps, there were no tank regiments in the AEF. (The plan developed by Patton's superior, the underrated Samuel D. Rockenbach, was to create several tank brigades for the AEF by spring 1919, each brigade to be comprised of two light tank battalions and one heavy tank battalion. Glacial American tank production and the sudden advent of the Armistice prevented the plan from being implemented.)

The style of identifying military units is also a bit clunky. Standard practice is to identify divisions by arabic number (e.g., 35th Division), corps by roman numeral (e.g., V Corps), and armies by spelling them out (e.g., First Army). Instead, Dr. Ferrell spells all of them out (e.g. Thirty-fifth Division, Fifth Corps), which makes the text busier than need be, which in turn makes it more difficult to locate citations to particular units within the text.

These cavils, however, should not prevent the interested reader from benefiting from Dr. Ferrell's scholarship. Recommended.

Collapse At Meuse-Argonne: The Failure Of The Missouri-Kansas Division by Robert H. Ferrall (Professor Emeritus of History, Indiana University), is the story of the American Thirty-Fifth Division during World War I. This military expeditionary force was composed of National Guard units from Missouri and Kansas. Engaging in the battle of the Meuse-Argonne with no previous battle experience and only a minor amount of training, as well as a few weeks of garrisoning in a quiet sector in Alsace, this division and its thousands of men quite literally fell apart in the face of enemy forces in only five days. Historian and academician Robert Ferrall does an impressive work of original scholarship to describe what the problems were (including incompetence officer leadership at the highest levels). The focus upon this single battle offers a "window-in-time" perspective that will prove invaluable for a broader understanding of the difficulties of World War I era frontline combat. Collapse At Meuse-Argonne is a superbly researched and presented body of work that is strongly recommended for both academic library collections and military history buff reading lists.

This book is just a beautiful pictoral of Missouri and I'm using it to show people outside of the USA where I live and how beautiful our state is. The book purchased was great - shipping seemed a little high - so not much benefit from getting it at the bookstore.

This book has some very beautiful pictures of Missouri. It shows Missouri's versatilty through some of the great cities and vast country and farmland scenes. I would reccomend this book to anyone who is interested in, or loves Missouri.

This book delivers what it promises... 4 battles you surely would not have studied (unless you happened to be a "local" to one of the sites), seperate from one another but tied together by the crimson thread of Courage.

Great Stuff!

I highly recommend reading this book if you are a fan of Military History, a student of the "Civil War", or simply attracted to real acts of Heroism & Courage from an era blessed with a level of integrity and grit that is only a faded memory to America today.

To borrow the words of Shakespeare, "Courage mounteth with occasion". Far from the grand movements of the armies, the great battles and the central figures of the Civil War, one finds thousands of examples of personal courage of men who met the occasion, but have been largely forgotten by history.

Mark Crawford in "Confederate Courage on Other Fields" does great justice to four of these lesser-known stories of sacrifice, bravery in the face of great danger, suffering, and devotion to duty by men fighting for the Confederate cause. I found each tale to be well researched, insightful and easy to read.

"'Tisn't life that matters! `Tis the courage you bring to it" -Sir Hugh Walpole. I believe Colonel Charles Blacknall of the 23rd North Carolina Infantry, as described in Crawford's book, exemplifies the courageous leadership exhibited by many men of the south. A wealthy, educated planter, Blacknall hated drilling, the study of tactics and many of the trappings of the military. However, belief in a cause led him to great accomplishment, at a price of personal sacrifice, ultimately his own life. As you read his letters, and gain insight into his devotion to his family, and his love and understanding of his men, you will admire this fellow who gave all for what he believed in.

My primary reason for buying this book was my lifelong interest of events in the bitter struggle for control of Southeast Missouri. Though considered a backwater of the War and often ignored by historians, the violence of partisan and guerilla actions in these border counties profoundly affected everyone living in the region. Instead of a five-hour skirmish or five-day battle, the fate of this area was sealed in five years of ugly, shocking bloodletting and destruction. Most folks fled. In many parts of Southeast Missouri and Northeast Arkansas the bitterness remains to this day. Crawford's treatment of the conflict between Major James Wilson on the Union side and Colonel Timothy Reeves on the Confederate side is the most fair, accurate and honest I have read. A consequence of this contest was the execution of prisoners on both sides. In reading this account you will come to appreciate the bravery and gallantry of men caught up in a struggle without rules and often driven by revenge that discouraged noble actions.

You will finish this book with an expanded understanding of the "Brother's War", and the tremendous sacrifice of the average Confederate soldier as he faced danger in a courageous or fearless manner. I hope Mark will consider a sequel exploring the courage of Union men. I heartily recommend this book!