Missouri Books

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!

may be the best so far, though there is huge pleasure in tracking the evolving relationship betweem Darcy and Lindstrom from one book to the next. Like its predecessor, it stands out for the clear and unassuming prose style with which the first-person narrative draws us into Darcy's wryly self-deprecating, and surprisingly literate point of view. The cool and accomplished Lindstrom--whose career and safety are put in jeopardy in this story--is a very suitable counterpart to the stubborn and vulnerable Meg. As in the other volumes, the erotic encounters (intense yet handled with a light touch) are skilfully woven into the narrative. With its rich depiction of the St. Louis locales, compares well with Redmann's angstier Micky Knight series (set in New Orleans) and Kate Allen's kinkier Alison Kaine series (set in Denver).

The second offering in the Meg Darcy P.I. series picks up where CEMETERY MURDERS left off. Darcy gets a late night call from enigmatic police detective Sarah Lindstrom and learns that the cop's ex has been murdered...in Lindstrom's home...in Lindstrom's bed...with a baseball bat. Darcy takes her in for the night. The normally unflappable and distant Lindstrom is stunned and disbelieving. She is a suspect and it's personal, too, so she is not allowed to work with the police on the case. Because of this, she does something totally unexpected and asks Darcy to help investigate the case.

The course of the investigation reveals that Lindstrom and Darcy are both in danger, so the grieving cop grudgingly allows Darcy to stay at her house. The combination of stress and anguish makes for a taut and fearful situation for both women as they seek the killer.

Meg's wit and longing shine in this installment of the series. It gets bogged down in the relationship angst once or twice in the middle, but very quickly regains steam and takes the reader to a satisfying and slightly unexpected resolution.
~Lori L. Lake, Reviewer for Midwest Book Review, and The Independent Gay Writer.

Dick Steward's excellent book Duels and the Roots of Violence in Missouri
is a well-researched, scholarly analysis of a little-known subject. He is to be applauded for his efforts in examining the duel in Missouri.Yet one is troubled by his subtext in which he suggests that the United States is a uniquely violent culture. For Steward Missouri was a tranquil and peaceful place under the rule of both the French and the Spanish. But as soon as Thomas Jefferson completed the Lousiana Purchase "Those Europeans living in Missouri at the time of her transfer to the United States must have been surprised by the speed with which new forms of violence took hold." (P.12)

Thoughout his book, Steward repeatedly uses the duel as a way of defining Missouri and American addiction to violence. Steward admits that there were actually very few formal duels in the history of Missouri. He also admits that formal duels were mainly the crime of the elites. And while linking violence to the backwoods spirit of Missouri, he sees duels as a product of the towns. As a result, he links Missouri's history of dueling to the number of murders in St. Louis and Kansas City in the 1990s. The legacy of the duel is responsible for the violence in our modern cities. "Violence, shorn of honor, has become our civic karma." (p.207)

Nonetheless, Steward's book is well-researched and well-written. His investigation of the subject of dueling is very valuable. His weakness is his attempt to turn an historical anomoly which disappeared in the Nineteenth Century into a condemnation of a Twenty-first Century problem. Standing with one foot in the distant past and the other in the future to come, Steward is like to fall between the two.

Dr. Steward explores the code duello as it developed in Missouri. Were the roots of violence in Missouri persuaded by the South's chivalry, or by the individuality of the new frontiersmen in the area? As Steward so eloquently describes, the new form of violence was a combination of the two, and the roots can still be prevlently seen today.

This is a two-part book. Part One is an overview of the English and Canadian fur trade. It explains how the Hudson Bay Company, North West Company, and others conducted the trade and competed with one another. It provides considerable detail about the French, English, and Indian peoples involved in the trade. There is some discussion of the American impact on the fur trade after the Louisiana Purchase. Part Two contains excerpts from journals kept by the fur traders: John Macdonell, David Thompson, Francois-Antoine Larocque, and Charles McKenzie. Not only is this a good source book for people interested in the fur trade; it will also interest some Lewis and Clark fans. Larocque was at the Mandan and Hidatas villages on the Missouri at the same time as the Corps of Discovery; the interchange between the English and the Americans is noted in the journals of both. Larocque came down the Yellowstone River horseback from the future site of Billings, Montana, to the mouth of the river in 1805. Clark came down the river by boat in 1806. This is an academic text and provides many helpful footnotes. It takes some effort to read but it is worth the effort.

This is a well written and engaging look into the importance of the Mandan and Hidatsa Indian villages as a pivotal point in trade systems during the late 1700's through early 1800's. Being located along the Missouri River in present day North Dakota, the Mandan/Hidatsa Indians traded horses, robes and furs to Canadian Fur Companies in return for guns and ammunition. They would then trade these goods for other commodities from various Northern Plains Indian Tribes, who previously may have traded with other tribes or the Spaniards further south. In part one, the authors give a lengthy but excellent and relevant chronological introduction as to the fur trade history of this geographical area. Part two includes five journals (or excerpts) of some of these Northwest Fur Company traders' first hand accounts depicting life as it was: John Macdonell's descriptions of the Indians, geography and trade in the 1790's; David Thompson's narrative describing his harrowing 1797 journey from Fort Assiniboine to the Mandan villages in the dead of winter; Larocque's two narratives, the "Missouri (1804)" and "Yellowstone (1805)" Journals, the latter of which, in the company with Crow Indians, he may possibly have been the first white man to descend the Yellowstone River, pre-dating William Clark by more than a year. The final narrative is of Charles McKenzie's four journeys to the Mandan villages (1804-1806), the first two in company with Larocque's expeditions. This is a fascinating read for fur trade enthusiasts and/or those whose interests are in early western exploration.

It deals with diplomacy throughout the Second World War when Turkey was a non-belligerent but not an ineffective bystander. Though she bound to Great Britain and France in mutual assisatance treaty since October 1939 broke her pledge to them and to all allied forces and declared war against Germany and Italy on February 1945 just before Yalta Conference when the fighting was all but over to be qualified in her inclusion of United Nations Organization. Thirty years later the Turks invaded Cyprus and revealed that, after all they had been dissastisfied with what diplomacy had gained for them. The book is very instructive for policy makers and leaders of the world and should have a reading copy of this outstanding book to better understand that diplomacy in nowadays should observe standards of honesty and integrity.

Book examines Turkey's relations with the major powers during WWII. It includes historical background on the 20s and 30s. Shows how Turkey swayed from Axis to Allies depending on events and avoided Nazi invasion. Some of the more interesting parts of book are not on Turkey but about events in Syria and Iraq and rest of mideast. Extensive Japanese intrigues in Baghdad, for example, sometimes at crosspurposes with German designs. Japan considered Iraq in their sphere

WHAT CAN I SAY! I LOVED THE BOOk, YOU WILL TO!

I have always felt it is better to be informed before going on a vacation instead of taking the laissez faire come-what-may attitude. I like spontaneity, but I am afraid I will miss out on some of the really good stuff.

Unfortunately, this book is several years old, and much of the information is out of date. However, the historical information, the outdoor activities info, and general information on the Branson area is great. The weakest section is on the many performers and shows that make Branson famous, and that is the result of so many changes in the theatre lineup since this book was written.

There is an excellent section on restaurants that makes you want to travel to Branson just for the meals. Many of these restaurants have survived the years, but many new ones have appeared since this was written.

I use this book as a guide - if a specific restaurant appeals to me, I use the Internet to try to verify and update the info. This is a very good book, a true five star rating, if only it was more current.

This series of books is awesome. They are all excellent and Christian oriented. I highly recommend them for excellent reading. Thank you for the opportunity to review.

The book is about Breanne Baylor on another adventure. This time with outlaws/robbers. She ends up with them and shares Christ with them.You will have to read the book to see how they react and how she came to be with the outlaws. If you have read any of the other Angle of Mercy Series you are sure to enjoy this book.

Great Book! One of the most accurate accounts of FDR & Stalin

Telling the truth takes guts when it comes to a sanctified icon, backed by well established and fed ignorance. The brave author tells it the way it is, as far as he knows. "Some of my best friends are communists" came from the mouth of FDR when a congressman attempted to alert him of the "imaginary" danger of communist theft, subversion and outright treason in his administration. If the author takes a good look at what is to be found behind these words, he might have to think twice before he gives his findings to the printer. But in long run he will feel good.

"...It was folly to believe that if Russia was treated as a friendly ally that country would respond in kind", said in 1957 Nicholas Roosevelt. A folly it was, for which a hundred excuses are found. A folly glorified to this day by almost all.

A wonderful look into one families journey to America. The first part (early German history) I found a little dry, but the last 2/3 are wonderful intimate view into the lifes of a family attempt to live, work and prosper in frontier Missouri. If you have German ancestors who came to Missouri in the 1800's this is a must read.

This book is a rare find. It follows a German family from the 1300's through their immigrant descendants who settled in Missouri in the 1830's. The attention to detail is amazing. You will feel as if you know this family when you are done reading. The story is so compelling because it could be anyone's family. These things happened to all of our families at one point or another. This book is not only an excellent family story but also an incredibly good account of the early history of Missouri.

"Fron Whence Cometh My Help" is a wonderful and astounding combination of historical research and personal search. Ms. Smith uncovers a part of the past long hidden (the story of the African-American community that has been part of Hollins College--and separate from it--since the founding of the college) and shows us that how we understand the past is deeply affected by the search itself. In the course of the book, we meet some extraordinary people and see clearly the many tangled connections of past and present. Ms. Smith's dedication in telling this story is matched only by her honesty in how she tells it. A compelling book, with a title that keeps revealing new meanings with each chapter.

Ethel Morgan Smith digs for history where the written record is slim...bringing to light the life and times of the Hollins Community, where blacks lived in service to nearby Hollins College (now Hollins University). The college's founder brought with him 16 slaves when he set up shop on the outskirts of Roanoke in the early 1800's. Civil War brought freedom, but blacks continued to serve the college in anonymity and in poverty for decades to come. Many current black retirees lack a benefits package. With written records so hard to come by, Smith focuses on oral history to bring the community to life. The result is a book intertwining historical record with personal narrative. It is a tale both sad and glorious, and her work is a tribute to the women and men of the Hollins Community.