Missouri Books

This is a very good book about a legend of the game. It is a very good read and provides a lot of insight on how Sisler was perceived by many of his peers. My only problem with the book is the author mistakenly saying that Roberto Clemente was from the Dominican Republic. A glaring mistake like this makes me wonder what other facts might be wrong.

George Sisler, the subject of Rick Huhn's book, "The Sizzler," is yet another of the classic ballplayers of the early 20th century, admired during his career, acknowledged for his achievements during and after his career, slowly forgotten over the years and without a biography until recently. Huhn has stepped in to correct that oversight in Sisler's case, and it is a welcome addition to the baseball greats section of the library.

George Sisler, as Huhn stressed, was not a colorful player: he kept a low profile and let his playing do the talking. There were few incidents in his life where he made waves: signing a professional contract while underage, and the resulting fight for his services helping to lead to the end of the National Commission; his tenure as manager of the St. Louis Browns, his transfer to the Senators in the late 1920s; his sinus infection and the resulting difficulties with Browns management in 1923; but most importantly, his hitting and fielding with the Browns during his greatest years. His record for hits in a season was untouched for 84 years, and his two years with averages over .400 are impressive, even for the time in which he played. He finished second to Ruth in home runs one year, and his Runs Created between 1915 and 1922 surpassed Ruth by over 100. That he was not exactly the same player after sitting out 1923 is a disappointment, but he was certainly honored in his time, named by Ty Cobb in his all-time team as first baseman.

Huhn has provided us with a fine biography of a deserving player, a stand-out performer in his time, and all time.

One other thing: It has been noted that Bill James, author and Society of American Baseball Research member, wrote in his 2001 Historical Baseball Abstract that Sisler is "perhaps the most over-rated player in baseball history." (p. 441) Mr. James is entitled to his opinion; it's his book and he can interpret the statistics in any way he cares to. I've been a SABR member for over 25 years and am familiar with Mr. James' work, and it is quite safe to say that I do not agree with him a good half the time, this being one of those times. If you look back at his 1985 Historical Baseball Abstract, you'll find that he said "George Sisler is probably the only player other than Gehrig who can reasonably be considered the greatest first baseman ever in terms of peak value . . . Sisler was a different type of player, he didn't have the home run pop, but he hit for a higher average, was faster and a better defensive player than Gehrig, and the comparison between the two is not easy." (p. 346)

So what happened? Sisler's statistics didn't change in the 16 years between books; the 1920s didn't change, either. Most of the guys who seemingly leap-frogged over him in performance were done playing before 1985. Mr. James explains on page of the 2001 book that in rereading the 1985 book there are a lot of things that he didn't like. As I said, it's his book and he writes what he wants, but that doesn't mean I'm buying what he's pushing on me. In terms of perspective of the times, Sisler was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1939, in the year of the inauguration of the Hall of Fame, as was Gehrig. A number of guys who jumped ahead of him on the list of top first basemen won't get in the Hall except with a ticket. If this makes Mr. James an over-rated writer, well, I won't say that he is or isn't. But you can make up your mind whether the old Bill James is also the new Bill James, and which one you want to believe.

This last moron to post a review bashed Sisler saying that he is overrated, mostly noted because he hardly hit home runs. I didn't think one had to hit home runs in order to be a Hall of Famer. It's obvious he wasn't a slugger - but just look at this: Twice he was second in the AL in long balls and five times he was in the top 10; on six occasions he was in the top 5 in slugging percentage. Seven times he was top 10 in RBI, four times the steals champ. Let's throw in an MVP for good measure. The list goes on reflecting Sisler's above-average speed and outstanding hitting ability (over 200 hits in 6 different seasons, very easily could have been 8).

Don't allow the lack of Sisler power numbers deter you from reading this book.

I hope Huhn did not spend much time on this project.

George Sisler had a .340 career batting average, and that sounds impressive to the few baseball fans who still think batting average is a major statistic. But for the rest of us, Sisler is either--as the preeminent living baseball historian, Bill James, calls him--the most overrated player in baseball history, or, as I call him, the second most overrated player in baseball history, behind Roberto Clemente.

The two men had the same problem. They racked up very high batting averages for their eras, and thus superficially appeared to be great hitters, but they almost never walked. Thus, their career ON-BASE PERCENTAGES, of which "batting average" is but a portion, were mediocre. And neither one of them hit home runs, though Sisler was especially egregious in this respect.

He played in one of baseball's greatest launching pads ever, Sportsman's Park, where it was: 310 down the right field line, 322 to straightaway right, and 351 to deepest right center. And he played there with the super-live ball of the 1920's, before they put the screen up in that part of the park. He also got to play as a visitor in Cleveland's League Park and NY's Yankee Stadium, when they were generous to left-handed hitters, as well as nearly three full seasons as a visitor in the outrageous Baker Bowl in Philly, the century's greatest launching pad.

Do you know how many HR's the guy hit in his career? Try 102.

So this guy is not "baseball's forgotten great." This guy is deservedly forgotten, because sophisticated baseball fans have come to realize he wasn't great. All those years in Sportsman's Park, and he never once hit 20 HR's. All those gaudy batting averages, and his career on-base percentage was lower than those of Fred McGriff, Alvin Davis, Gene Tenace, Elmer Valo, Jack Clark and many scores of other guys who hit nowhere near .300, let alone .340.

Finally, I'm aware of Sisler's mid-career injury, and the huge decline in his stats which flowed from it. He was a vastly better player before that than afterward, and without it, he may have been truly great. But so what? Anyone remember Don Mattingly? I remember thinking he was going to replace Lou Gehrig as the greatest 1B of all time. And I wasn't alone. His back injury ruined him, and if he still makes the Hall, it will be only because he was a Yankee. These things happen, and they don't make Sisler something he was not. (And Sisler was just as terrible about taking walks before the injury as after.)

Next time, Mr. Huhn, write about a "forgotten great" who truly was great. This book was a waste of your time, and is a waste of any reader's time.

Jim F.

In response to "J.F. Baseball history nut, music fan", I think the point of Sisler's talent has been missed. I won't go so far as to call Mr. J.F, etc. a moron, but he has certainly missed the boat on some things.

J.F, et. al. tosses around some players who were "better" than Sisler. Let's pick one and compare their stats. How about Jack Clark? True, Sisler didn't walk very much, but he also didn't strike out very much. How many times did he strike out? Try 327 times, in approximately 8200 AB. How many times did Jack Clark strike out? Try 1441 in approximately 6800 AB. ('Nuf said.) Interestingly, Clark and Sisler have an identical OBP, of .379, and Clark has a slightly higher slugging number -- about 10 points higher. Looking at those two stats, they appear somewhat equal, but look at the hit totals: Sisler, 2812; Clark 1826. You see, Sisler wasn't "taking" walks because he was too busy actually getting hits! So, Clark has a thousand fewer hits, and struck out about a thousand more times. Even taking into consideration the ~800 more walks Clark had, I would still rather have Sisler on my team.

PLUS, Sisler scored about 100 more runs than Clark -- on fewer walks, home runs, and in fewer seasons played. This could be because Sisler also stole about 300 more bases than Clark did, or maybe that he hit about 100 more doubles than Clark. Or, maybe, that Clark was a big, dopey power hitter who could do little more than swat the ball a pretty fair distance when he was lucky enough to hit it at all. In essence, this means that while Clark had bigger power numbers, and leads Sisler in the sexy stats of modern baseball analysis, he really wasn't a better player. Not even close. To understand statistics you have to analyze things for yourself and deduce what they really mean -- don't rely on the percentage stats at the end of the row.

This is such a silly comparison, I don't even know why I'm continuing to waste my time on it. I'm not even mentioning Sisler's fielding prowess, and all the ancedotal evidence for his greatness. (Do you think the most "overrated player ever" would have been the first firstbaseman elected to the Hall of Fame? Think about it.)

I could go on, but I think I'm done.

Finally, read the book. It may not be the best piece of baseball writing ever, but don't let J.F.&Company's ridiculous critique hold you back.

Mary Todd was a professor of history at Concordia University in River Forest, Illinois and a life-long member of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod. This book is part history, part theological argumen in favor of women's ordination. Therefore, I will critique each aspect.

I found Todd's treatment of the LCMS interesting and well-written yet lacking in professional integrity. While her facts and dates are correct, her frequent editorial analysis of persons and events alerts the reader to an abnormal amount of "spin." Throughout the historical sections, Todd employs left-handed compliments and ad hominum attacks on certain figures, while treating others very sympathetically. For example, CFW Walther consistantly characterized as a Stephan-flunkie who talks big but lacks clear judgment; J.A.O Preus was a manipulative politician who refused to listen to sound reason. Meanwhile, those who challenge authority, Scripture, or advance the cause of women are--like Russell Prohl and the Seminary's "most moderate" (228) professors--sympathetic characters.

Furthermore, Todd's presentation of the various doctrinal arguments is weak. When she presents a view she agrees with (against Scriptural inerrancy, for women's ordination, etc.), she either presents them as self-evident or relies on brief references to "the Gospel" or socio-cultural equality. While she uses much ink to present opposing arguments, she focuses more on the arguments' political impact and never really treats them seriously. It never seems to occur to her that people might actually believe that an inerrant Bible prohibits women's ordination and that these people take this belief seriously. In all, the author is too emotionally invested in the subject matter for a reader to trust her historical analysis.

As a theologian, Todd fares much worse. Her theology is one based on a subjective reading of the Bible as opposed to a belief that theology is objective--not coming from within a person or culture, but from an unchanging God. As such, Todd is guilty of doing the very thing she accuses others of doing: beginning with a theological idea (women should be ordained), then creating a theological method that supports this idea. Her "support" ranges from insightful critiques of LCMS doctrine (e.g. an evolving theology of the ministry) to down-right silly arguments (e.g. implying that Martin Luther and CFW Walther never really believed in Scriptural inerrancy or a male-only priesthood). Most distrubing are her positions that Scripture is neither fixed nor inerrant (allowing whatever a particular reader wants it to say); that amorphous words like culture should dictate theology and practice; that the Gospel has destroyed ALL worldly differences between everyone; and that one should be ordained if he/she "feels a call" regardless of personal qualifications as specified by Scripture (inerrant or otherwise).

In all, I cannot recommend "Authority Vested." While I am willing to hear arguments on the role of women in the Church, the Ministry, and authority, I am not willing to hear such arguments from authors who subscribe to an "ends justify the means" approach. Todd sacrifices the doctrine of Scriptural inerrancy, the reputations of fellow Church members, and sound argument because she believes her end is just. I disagree and cannot recommend this book.

If you are in the LCMS and interested in your synod's history and current mindest, you will find this a great read, even if you disagree with some of the author's premises or conclusions.
It will be all the more worthwhile to read if you are curious about the role of women and men as leaders in the synod.

As the question of women's ordination in any denomination is typically a milemarker as to where the group is heading doctrinally, socially (ethically and politically), and liturgically, it is no big shock to see the issue causing such torment among both "conservatives" and "liberals" in the LCMS.

While I do not quite agree with the author's understanding of the priesthood, the very fact that she has wrestled with the issues and can present a reasoned defense laeds me to give the book four stars.

A final plus about the book: it has an incredible bibliography, which is used exhaustively throughout the text.

Other books that may be of interest on the question of authority and ministry are: "Priestesses in the Church" by C.S. Lewis found in his "God in the Dock"; of course Manfred Hauke's monumental "Women in the Priesthood?" is essential reading. WHile he is Roman Catholic, much of his theology could be used in the LCMS context (and is); "The Church and Women" with contributions by Von Balthasar, Kasper, Ratzinger; "God or Goddess" by Hauke; "Deaconesses" by Martimort; "Women in the Early Church" by Clark; "Women in the Church" by Louis Bouyer; "What Paul really Said About Women" by Bristow; "Women and the Priesthood" by Peter Kreeft and Alice von Hildebrand. These books are almost all oppossed to the ordination of women to the priesthood, but they are both scholarly, often rather neutral (not always!), and charitable.

For an Eastern Orthodox response to the question: "The Female Diaconate:An Historical Perspective" by Gvosdev; "Feminism in Christianity: An Orthodox Response" by Belonick; "Women in the Priesthood" ed. by Thomas Hopko; "Discerning the Signs of the Times" by Behr-Sigel.

For some thoughtful arguments that support "theologies of women's ordination" see: "Discerning the Signs of the Times" by Elizabeth Behr-Sigel; "Women at the Altar" by Lavina Bryne; Bristow's aforementioned book has an interesting chapter on the leadership of women in the New Testament. In my opinion he is sloppy in some of his exegesis (or should I say isogesis?) but it is worth the read if for nothing else but to understnad his approach, which is representative of the priestess position.

Enjoy!

Mary Todd has written the history of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod that I never knew (despite being born and raised in a Missouri Synod church). She is an engaging storyteller and an exhaustive researcher, which is a rare combination, and her book sheds much light on issues of authority within the LCMS institution.

The current struggles of the synod, for example those between the "Conservative" and the "Confessionalist" clergy factions (there are not really any moderates in the synod clergy -- only conservative and more-conservative-than-conservative), could have been taken out of the synod's history of a hundred or a hundred and fifty years ago. (This book was published in 2000, well before those debacles, which shows Dr. Todd's considerable insight.)

A few reviewers have criticized Todd's theology, which is odd, since this is a history book, not a theology book, and Todd never claims otherwise. I found her to be fair-minded, even-handed, and generous in her treatment of all sides of the issues she explores.

Mary Todd is a professor of history at Concordia University in River Forest, Illinois, and a "feminist" by Missouri Synod standards. Martin Marty, in the book's Forward, wrote that she is "a partisan for ordination of women" in the LCMS (xii).

Nevertheless, Mary Todd does have some valid points in her book. Her contention that the LCMS--even in the beginning with Martin Stephan (Missouri Synod's only Bishop!) and Walther has never adequately defined its concept of ministry. We see this unclarity expressed in the old intersynodical conference days, when the LCMS, WELS, and ELS were all in fellowship, yet the WELS began having quite a different understanding on what the ministry is with the Wauwatosan theologians: Hoenecke, Schaller, and Koehler. Because Missouri could never define its concept of ministry with one clear voice, such differences did not lead to any conference splits.

Despite some of Mary Todd's "feminist" views, her book is still enjoyable. Her detailed description of the behind-the-scenes machinations that led to LCMS adopting women's suffrage at its 1969 convention is quite fascinating. To get a complete behind-the-scenes picture, a reader also may want to find "A Layman's Guide to Woman Suffrage in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod" by James Hoke, 1998, Morris Publishing.

Unfortunately, Mary Todd also hopes that the same gradual acceptance of women's suffrage (and she goes over the gradual changes intra-synod wide in her book) will lead to the ordination of women pastors. Culturally, none of us would have problems with such a move; those of us, however, who hold to the scriptural position of women not having spiritual authority over men will disagree with her position.

In short, her book is noteworthy--if only for its historical value. However, her theology is not biblical, nor in line with LCMS's understanding of Scripture. Thus, this book gets a weak recommendation: the good in the book is too interesting to ignore. Besides, the book also contains an including Walther's 1875 theses on church and ministry, the 1945 Chicago Statement, and a thorough bibliography.

Todd's brilliant exploration of the shifting locus of authority in the LCMS reveals the causes of many of the Synod's troubling features -- inluding its separatism, its triumphalism, and its refusal to honor the calls and contributions of women. Her grasp on the Synod's history is firm, but her book is particularly valuable for getting at the heart of LCMS life in a way only a perceptive insider can. Authority Vested is feminist history at its best -- seeking to tell authentically the stories of all people, especially the marginalized. She speaks strong words against the Synod's "conformity to the fundamentalist Americanizing of Christianity."

But like most good insider accounts, Todd also reveals what is worthwhile and unique in the Synod's history. Though I find her continued struggle for the rights of women in the LCMS inspiring and courageous, I am no longer surprised at her tenacity. She is a loyal daughter of the Synod, and deeply critical of it precisely for that reason. I only wish the book had been published a bit later -- I'm curious to know how she believes the election of moderate Gerald Kieschnick to the presidency of the Synod in 2001 (and again in 2004) fits into her narrative of LCMS authority. Certainly 2007's convention will reveal just how significant any shifts toward a moderate position really are.

Highly recommended, but especially so for those with a connection to "our beloved Synod" (even those who, like me, have left it).

I bought this book when I saw the case and its author featured on a cable TV show. I believe it was American Justice. Bill McClellan has given us a good true crime story here.

What aggravated me was the fact that no one seemed to think there was anything wrong with Ed Post knocking his wife, Julie, around ("Putting a woman in her place????" PUH-leese - shame Julie didn't respond with a frying pan or a lamp!).

The fact that Post skipped out of the funeral home and put the moves on another woman in front of his own daughter made me SO glad that he didn't get away with his crime.

Then there was the victim's father, Hollis Thigpen, who apparently had nothing but contempt for Vietnam veterans, even as his own son displayed the emotional and psychological scars from that debacle. Like many people my age, I vehemently opposed that war but never have I disparaged the people who fought.

Mr. Thigpen should try telling those who've lost brothers, husbands, sons, etc. in Vietnam that it was just a "scratch scrimmage"!

All in all, a good read. I don't understand how a previous reviewer could have called it "tedious."

This book pretty much starts in the middle and stays there. Ed Post and his wife Julie are at a convention in St. Louis. He gets up at 6:25 AM to go jogging, wakes her up because he "knows" she will want to have breakfast with him, and runs her bath. When he comes back, she's dead in the tub.

I have no doubt at all that he murdered her. Many reasons:

The shower curtain was INSIDE the tub. No woman is going to leave a shower curtain inside a tub when she takes a bath, and any man who regularly (as Post claimed to do) runs a bath for his wife would have the common sense not to either. And as the book says, what woman wants to take a tub bath in a hotel - who's been sitting in that tub? She's going to take a shower. What woman wants to take a bath at 6:30 AM in a hotel anyway?

Plus, he first said that the water was not hot enough for her when she first tried it, and he had to add more hot water. Later, he told another detective that she said the water was just perfect when she tried it the first time. He tells someone else that the temperature of the water was "tepid" like she always wanted it. Apparently he had no idea what tepid is, or maybe he realized that when they found her 30 minutes later, the water was already cold, which it wouldn't be if it had been HOT.

Why would she grab the towel ring anyway? If she's getting into the tub full of water, she would be squatting down and if she fell, it would be on her behind into the water. Who is going to stand up in a tub full of water? You're going to let the water out, then stand up.

The bruises found after her body had been disinterred. Water in the tub retarded bruising. Bruises were found on her eye, and the back of her neck (among numerous other places). Since these parts of the body are indented, not to mention on opposite sides, it's a little hard to claim she hit both sides in the tub or the floor. One Medical Examiner's claim that the bruising was from the removal of her bones shows how stupid he is. If your blood isn't cirulating, it isn't going to rush to the surface when it perceives an injury. Your body can't perceive an injury if you're dead. Ed Post beat her, then held her face down in the water to finish her off.

Witnesses: He'd beaten her before. He'd beaten at least one of his daughters. He visited prositutes.

Evidence: He owed a LOT of money. Wife was insured for $700,000 (recent addition of $300,000). Same day he borrowed $2,000. Also owed her parents $15,000. Many other debts. Not a guy who can afford this insurance.

The author doesn't go much into the background of either Ed or Julie. Julie is portrayed as a horrible woman who criticized everyone she worked with, and was nicely put, "difficult" to work with. Ed was a big talker who liked to exaggerate his military service, show off how much money he could spend, brag about his "very important" marriage, and very well-respected insurance agent. One of the detectives claimed he knew Ed was guilty because of his extremely tiny feet - in his experience men with tiny feet were the perpatrators.

The writing is rather vague at times. The author talks about a grand jury being convened, and questions they ask. Then mentions that the grand jury fell apart. No mention of a later grand jury...suddenly, Post is indicted - but there's no mention of an arrest or bail. He's just indicted and waiting for his trial. Speaking of the trial, what the heck was wrong with the prosecutor? He let all the witnesses get off without saying anything. It's a wonder the jury had the brains to convict this guy. And as for his first lawyer, Ralph Whalen (a former prosecutor), he knew full well his client was guilty. He should be ashamed.

At least his daughters and his brother finally woke up and smelled the murderer.

He did it, it's obvious. And as far as true crime goes, this isn't one of the best. Definately not a page turner.

I just finished reading this book and I have to say, that although I'm pretty sure he killed his wife, I don't think the state had much evidence. They kept referring to him drawing his wife's bathwater. What is so bizarre about that? My husband draws my bathwater for me more than I do! I hope to heck that if I ever fall and hurt myself in the bathtub, people don't blame my husband if he says he drew my bathwater! The only trouble I had with his innocence is the amount of bruising she suffered in the "fall". But otherwise, if it weren't for that, I would have to say I'm not sure he did it.

Reading of crimes such as this, I cannot help but to wonder how many people get away with murders but disguising them as accidents. It is a chilling thought and this story was very well written.

Comparisions are inevitable. But that doesn't diminish the excellence of this whole-life biography by Robert Farrell. He does take a different tack. It is not quite as personal or intimate as McCollough. I might even venture that it is a bit more scholarly. David McCollough write for the masses & is the best writer/historian we have.
Farrell digresses, sometimes at length. He discusses animal husbandry & crop rotation during Truman's farm years, the economic & banking system during Harry's haberdashery years & the blizzard of agencies & crooked cronies that populated them during his second term as president.
I must confess I did read McCollough's but listened to the unabridged audio version of Farrell's book, which admittedly is easier. Still, I found McCollough's marginally more entertaining. Obviously both men liked & respected Truman. Farrell might be a little more critical. Two faults stood out to me. Truman was thin-skinned & touchy on some subjects. His bitter relationship with Eisenhower was a a good example. They both acted very immaturely for men of such stature. Farrell did not tell the story of Truman's threat to punch a reviewer in the nose for a bad review of his daughter's recital, except in passing. He had a habit of writing scathing letters to someone who displeased him, even his wife. Then he would not mail it. Some of these letters survived in his papers. He didn't have much use for Churchill until much later when both men were out of office. The other shortcomming could have been a virtue & that is loyalty which he carried to ridiculous extremes. He developed a blind spot for anyone that was ever a friend, a member of his army unit, (he was the captain), a mason (he was a past master), or was affiliated with the Pendergast machine. They all got a lifetime pass. This came back to bite him in several minor scandals & charges of cronyism in his second term. None of these dust-ups touched him, with one exception. While in the Senate he had his wife Bess on the payroll, until it was discovered. They needed the extra income. He was extremely bright & a quick study, an honest politician, with integrity & character. He revered & honored the office of the President. He separated the office from the person who happened to occupy it. Mr. Farrell brings this all up very well. He has written other books on aspects of Truman's life as well as "The Dying President, FDR" which I will check out. This work is not a second rate biography merely a close second place.

In "Harry S Truman", Robert Ferrell gives the reader an introduction to this ordinary Missourian who lived such an extraordinary life. The reader is treated to an overview of this extraordinary life from childhood through the farm, the army, courtship and marriage, fatherhood, politics and retirement. Ferrell has managed to keep the book moving apace while providing sufficient detail to satisfy the readers curiosity.

An obvious fan of Truman, Ferrell does not hide his hero's faults or short falls while discussing his accomplishments. Truman's days as County Judge and his relationship with Boss Pendergast show a man who maintained his principles while taking advantage of a few opportunities, both political and financial, which may have been a bit on the shady side. I would think that a story centered in Jackson County politics could get boring really fast, but in this book even that stays interesting. He depicts of the marriage of Bess and Harry as a true love match which overcame interference from Bess' mother and periods of separation when Harry was in Washington. His election to and service in the Senate make for an interesting prelude to the Presidency.

The White House years, naturally, get the heaviest attention. Truman's relationships with and opinions of FDR, George Marshall, Dean Atcheson, Eisenhower and MacArthur, Churchill, Nixon and others too many to mention give the book a greater breadth than is found in many biographies. The leading issues of those years, including the Atomic bomb, the end of World War II, relations with the Soviet Union, labor unrest, the economy, the Berlin Airlift, the Korean War and Sen. McCarthy are all shown from the White House perspective. The reader is given an insight into Truman's loves, likes, beliefs and hatreds. The narration of the 1948 election, both the nomination and election segments, are fascinating reading. Truman was left with plenty of scores to even, baggage which could have impaired his performance, had he allowed it.

Questions I have long entertained include "Why Truman?", "Was he better than people said?" and "How Well Did He Perform?" This book provided some answers but some questions remain unanswered. Why out of 300 Democratic governors and members of Congress did the Democratic Party select Truman for vice-president to an obviously dying FDR? That one remains a mystery. I now believe that he did a very good job for someone with his limitations, but that he was limited by his time and world view. Maybe as he said, there were a million Americans who were better qualified to be president than he was, but he had the job and did the best he could. That is the conclusion with which this book left me. Read, think about it yourself, and enjoy!

Harry did not want to be President and was not tied to corrupt political influences as President. This book misses the essence of Harry Truman badly. I suggest reading Harry's own books to understand Harry, at least this author knew Harry intimately.

This was required reading for a graduate course in American history. In this engaging biography, Robert H. Ferrell, who has authored and edited eight previous books on Truman, does an admirable job of presenting the life and presidency of Harry S. Truman. Although one can detect Ferrell's admiration for Truman, one senses from the extensive notes, bibliography, and research conducted at the Truman Library as well as his willingness to criticize Truman for his mistakes, that Ferrell has written a very balanced biography of Truman. Ferrell's book is a good introductory biography of Truman's whole life; the first eight chapters are devoted to his life prior to his ascendancy to the presidency in 1945 after the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. One gets the sense that Truman was the last president of an earlier and simpler time in America. He was the last president who was not a college graduate nor was he well--off financially. Ferrell's biography captures the essence of what type of a man Truman was and what history and his fellow citizens perceived him as.
"A plain-speaking, straight-talking, ordinary fellow (people thought) who did what he saw as his duty without turning his obligation into opportunity for personal gain" (179). Ferrell also exposed Truman's flaws such as being overprotective and too loyal to friends that had done wrong. Often he took it as a personal affront when anyone differed with him.
Ferrell presents a few experiences from Truman's early years that formed his character. From farming, Truman gained a work ethic that served him well throughout his life. His experience as an artillery captain and battery commander during WWI was instrumental in proving to himself and others that he was a very capable and caring leader of men. This experience was instrumental in putting him on the path of a political life. His experience as a failed haberdasher and bank speculator in the 1920's caused Truman to be a fiscal conservative the rest of his life and a good steward of the government's money. In addition, he learned about and came to understand and respect ethnic minorities, such as Catholics and Jews, from his Army and haberdashery experiences. Thus, Ferrell astutely proved that understanding Truman's early life experiences are instrumental if one wants to properly analyze Truman's decision-making process in the domestic and foreign policy arena.
"The Buck Stops Here" placard on Truman's desk has become legendary in presidential history. One of his secretaries of state, Dean Acheson, admired Truman for capably understanding the complexities of a situation and his willingness to make a hard decision without vacillating. Truman was adept at gathering all of the facts in a timely manner, listening to people's opinions and turning the options over in his mind, and then when he arrived at what he thought was the correct decision, he made it and stuck to his guns. Truman wound up making many important decisions that have affected America to this day such as, using nuclear weapons against Japan to end WWII, integrating the military in 1948, recognizing the state of Israel, creating the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and involving American military forces in the Korean war.
One of the first, most momentous, and most often debated decisions that Truman had to make as President was whether to use two atomic bombs against Japan to hasten the end of WWII. Ferrell and other historians have made a very convincing argument to support Truman's decision-making process to use nuclear weapons to end the war. The Japanese military, who effectively controlled their government, were fanatics in their prosecution of the war. The Japanese people had suffered through numerous fire bombings of their cities in the months leading up to the end of the war, in which hundreds of thousands of their citizens were killed. In addition, the military had lost many battles and virtually all of its island holdings in the Pacific, and yet the government was strengthening its homeland forces and preparing for invasion instead of seriously considering surrender. Ferrell, relying on information gathered by Edward J. Drea, who wrote about the American military intelligence estimate gathered in July of 1945 mainly through the deciphering of Japanese radio traffic, showed that up to 600,000 Japanese were being prepared to fight in the event of an American invasion. Even this estimate turned out to be too low, since after the war American intelligence learned that the Japanese actually had some 900,000 prepared to fight against the invasion. American military estimates of the cost of life in the event of an invasion of the Japanese home islands were at best sketchy, and many historians who have written against the use of atomic weapons have used the unreliability of the estimates as one of their examples why Truman was wrong to use the nuclear option. However, Thomas B. Allen and Norman Polmar in their book, Codename Downfall, which detailed the plan to invade Japan, wrote that Truman was presented with an estimate that showed that there could be 238,000 American casualties and possibly the same number of Japanese casualties. This information coupled with the very real evidence of how tenaciously the Japanese people had fought was no myth, and convinced Truman that dropping the bombs on Japan to end the war was the right decision. One only had to look at the horrific casualty figures for American battles on Iwo Jima and Okinawa to name a few in order to understand just how fiercely the Japanese were capable of fighting. Ferrell aptly showed that Truman's decision has come under criticism throughout the years partly because of how he had stridently defended it and was so dismissive of the critics of his decision. "The president's critics, one suspects, were ready to accuse him because they did not admire other things he did or approved. They were critical because of his well-known decisiveness, which sometimes seemed offhanded" (214).
Truman, almost by necessity and circumstance, was forced to alter America's foreign policy of isolationism to one of internationalism. Truman realized the Korean War left him in a predicament. If he did not defend South Korea in the wake of North Korea's attack, he then would acquiescence to the Communist North Koreans, and ultimately the Russians. By not defending South Korea, American prestige in Asia and the world would undoubtedly would be tarnished. Yet, if he did attack, he risked a world war with the Chinese and the Russians, and ultimately a nuclear war. In light of the Truman doctrine, and America's stance on communism, Truman decided to defend South Korea. It was a widely unpopular war, which ended in a stalemate. Yet, Ferrell entertains a notion that America did not become the world superpower after WW II, but rather during the Korean War because America intervened to defend a non-communist nation, in essence, America became the police and protection force for weaker non-communist countries in the face of communist aggression. Many historians would agree that the year 1945 and the history after irreversibly changed the world. The cold war, America's role in world affairs, and the question of nuclear weapons all contributed.
Truman initially set about reorganizing the bureaucracy, conducting a complete overhaul of cabinet and staff. In addition to creating the Budget Bureau and the National Security Council, he created the Council of Economic Advisers, which he staffed it with both conservatives and liberals and regarded it as an advisory committee. Ferrell positively describes Truman's intellect, honesty, and integrity throughout the book but one of the places where it shines most brightly is in his civil rights efforts, which is rarely given the credit it deserves in historical accounts. Ferrell examines possible reasons behind Truman's change of heart on civil rights and concludes that much of his perspective came from his principled sense of fairness and his belief that the duty of the office of the President was to represent all Americans. The Truman-appointed Civil Rights Commission presented a frank report, entitled To Secure These Rights, with a ten-point agenda of civil rights reforms. Lacking congressional support, he turned to the power of executive orders to start the desegregation of the armed forces.
His second administration was marred by scandals, including the Hoey Investigation, the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, and the Bureau of Internal Revenue illegal activity, for which the president was criticized for failing to take appropriate action. Another one of Truman's domestic challenges, which cost him politically, was labor strikes. To avoid a steelworker strike, Truman invoked what he believed to be the inherent powers of the president to seize control of the mills and was rebuffed by the Supreme Court. As the 1952 election loomed, Truman bristled that the emerging Democratic candidate, Adlai Stevenson, was distancing himself from Truman's administration. Although they reconciled and Truman even assisted with campaign speeches, it was to little avail. Eisenhower won 55 percent of the popular vote and Truman finished out his lame duck presidency.
In his post-presidency years, Truman returned to Independence and his quiet life. He solicited donations to build a presidential library, which he donated to the federal government, a convention which later presidents have followed. Likewise, he refused endorsements and placement in corporate payrolls because he believed that accepting financial opportunities would diminish the integrity of the office of President. As a result, Harry and Bess Truman lived out the remainder of their lives without the safety of financial savings. He established a precise daily routine at his library, which included writing copious amount of letters and receiving many visitors. Ever the politician, he remained connected with Washington life and accepted invitations to the White House in both the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations. In his final years, bothered with health problems, he took refuge in music and books. He died the day after Christmas, 1972 and was buried at his presidential library in Independence, with all the pomp and circumstance fitting a former President.

Thus, Ferrell does a very convincing job of making one believe just how important and interesting it is to study Truman, especially since he was so very different from the presidents who had come before and after him.
Recommended reading for anyone interested in American history, foreign policy, Cold War history.

Poor Ferrell. Did anyone realize there was a second scholarly biography of Truman published in the 90s? Ferrell presents a different Harry Truman than David McCullough. His Truman is less romantic and less the accidental president. Where McCullough seems to put Truman on a pedestal, Ferrell presents a more realistic view. McCullough captures much of Truman's day-to-day thoughts and actions through his letters to Bess and Margaret, which obviously provides much greater insight into the President's personality, while Ferrell captured them through the comments and diaries of staff and contemporaries. While still portraying him as an honest and very capable (and underrated) president, he does not shy away from discussing his missteps and weaknesses.

I think a perfect example of the juxtaposition of the two authors is how each describes how the Marshall Plan got its name. McCullough says Truman wanted to give General Marshall credit for his ideas; Ferrell says Truman knew a bill called the "Truman Plan" would never make it past the Republicans in Congress. Both statements are probably true, but each author has a different emphasis.

Ferrell provides good analysis on world and national events happening around Truman with some interesting digressions and observations, such as with Stalin, Korea and its aftermath, McArthur, etc.. In fact, it becomes more of a history book than a biography of Truman. Because of this emphasis, the reader does not discover the real Truman, what drove him, his intimate thoughts and fears, etc. Bess, Margaret, and Mama Truman are bit players in this bio, although there were core to Truman.

Truman's 1948 election win was indeed result of a miraculous 11th hour great burst of energy by the incumbent president, but Ferrell does not shrink from showing Truman as the typical politician, slinging a little mud and showing partisanship against the 80th Congress, which he lambasted publicly and complemented privately (they passed the "Truman doctrine" and were as good with New Deal legislation as their predecessors and successors).

Despite his reserved countenance and mousy presentation, Truman was his own man. He stood up to Pendergast, FDR, labor, big business, domineering cabinet members, and McArthur. He was the true moderate ... while busting the miners and railroad union strikes, threatening to draft them to stop the strike, he also fought "Big Steel" and vetoed Taft-Hartley. Ferrell sets straight Truman's record on civil rights giving it the credit it never really received. Truman was the true vote-your-conscience legislator. Ferrell closes with the last couple of years of the second administration, which were ripe with scandal, although not the result of improprieties from Truman himself.

If one can only read one Truman bio (and has the time to digest), read McCullough's tome. That author obviously reveres Truman, but is still a balanced account, and is more comprehensive and personal. That recommendation does not, however, discredit Ferrell, especially if one is more interested in the United States under Harry Truman than Truman the man.

I would like to give 3.5 stars. Good stories and thoughts, but...
seems a bit "all over the place". But, reading this book
is definitely a pleasure.

What an inspiration Jack Buck is to all of St. Louis. Wouldn't we all like to be remembered as a truly happy person, just a nice guy? That is who and what Jack Buck was. We are richer for having known him in our lives, and thankful he shared this essay with all of us. Jack Buck loved St. Louis, but that love is returned 100 fold to Jack Buck. He's a winner!

Picking up the autobiography of legendary baseball announcer Jack Buck, you'd think you're in for a light summer read full of good-natured homilies, humorous anecdotes, and "I was there" accounts of great games and players. That doesn't set the bar very high but would make for a good baseball book. "That's A Winner" doesn't deliver on even these modest expectations. First, Buck himself doesn't come across as a very likeable guy. Free with his back-handed criticisms, judgmental of others, once slamming the door in the face of a desperate pregnant woman, and generally keeping his head down as the inveterate corporate guy trying to keep his job. Second, he doesn't really have much to offer. Less than half the book is about baseball, so the reader has to wade through chapters on Buck's youth aboard a boat, in World War II, going to school, reciting names of family and friends as though reading a phone book. There are futile discussions of Castro and the death penalty and Vietnam, issues to which Buck brings no insight and that merely serve to distract the reader looking for some sports. Third, when the baseball finally comes, it's feeble and fleeting. A few thoughts on drugs use in the late 1970s, praise for Whitey Herzog and Ozzie Smith, and that's about it. For a guy who's been around some of the greatest players in the history of the game and become famous for his steady deep-voiced announcing, Buck has written a book that manages to suck the life out of the games and players. No stories, no funny anecdotes, nothing to interest a fan. If you're researching Buck's life and need to know about his military service, this is the book for you. If you want to pass a weekend with a good baseball book, pick up Roger Angell instead.

What an inspiration Jack Buck is to all of St. Louis. Wouldn't we all like to be remembered as a truly happy person, just a nice guy? That is who and what Jack Buck was. We are richer for having known him in our lives, and thankful he shared this essay with all of us. Jack Buck loved St. Louis, but that love is returned 100 fold to Jack Buck. He's a winner!

If you want to read about the St. Louis Cardinals any book written by either Jack Buck or Bob Broeg is sure to provide you with solid reporting. Buck has been announcing for the Cardinals since the mid-1950's and spent many of those years with another hall-of-famer named Harry Caray. Jack provides the reader with insights into his army career prior to entering baseball, his many years as an announcer for KMOX radio in St. Louis, and those glorious years with the Cardinals of the 1960's and 1980's. He also provides us with his opinions on the changes that have taken place in both baseball and the world from what it used to be. You don't have to be a Cardinals' fan to enjoy this book. If you enjoy baseball history, reading a book written by the much-respected Jack Buck is an enviable treat.

This is my favorite book in the Rose Years series. It reflects a simple but happy life on a farm. Rose enjoys a friendship with a neighbor girl named Alva. Rose thinks Alva is lucky because Alva doesn't have near the chores that Rose does.
One point I believe needs some clarification: Almanzo in real life was disabled. Rose wrote somewhere that her father was an invalid following his stroke in De Smet. Other accounts say he shuffled and leaned on a cane the rest of his life and was never as strong as he once was. That would account for so much(actually too much) work falling on Rose at the age of seven or eight. But in the series the author doesn't write the story reflecting Almanzo handicapped. He can run, climb and do anything.
This omission could make it appear that Laura and Almanzo were lazy and unloaded the "dirty jobs" on their little girl.
I know children did lots of chorses in those days, but Rose has so many it is almost unbelievable. It is not something that can be explained away because Rose did not have brothers and sisters to help. And with the absence(in the books) of Almanzo being an invalid there is no justification for a little girl having an ususual number of chores.
There were so many tasks that Almanzo did not do, but that Rose did instead.
Also her work load should have been lightened with Abe and Swiney working on the farm, but it wasn't.

nice to read more about Laura's life after she moved away from the prairy.

This is the second volume in the Rose Years Little House books,and I think it may be better than the first!It continues the story of Laura Ingalls Wilder`s daughter,Rose Wilder!Rose is finally getting adjusted to her new life in their little farm in the ozarks,and in this book,she meets new friends including two brothers named Swiney and Abe,two twins named Dora and Cora,and later befriends a town girl named Blanche.Rose and her Mama and Papa also face many challenges in this book;but later have better adventures!Rose almost burns the house down when leaving the bread baking,but she and her friend Swiney put it out.Some old friends also return in this book including Laura`s friend Alva,M.r and Mrs. Cooley,M.r. and Mrs. Cooley`s sons named Paul and George,and of course Rose and her Mama(Laura) And Papa(Almanzo)!Roger Lea Macbride has the same touch for writing pioneer stories and making them magical as Laura Ingalls Wilder did!Definately reccomended for any Little House or Laura Ingalls Wilder fan!

Look for these other "Little House:The Rose Years" titles avalible now by Roger Lea Macbride!:
Little House On Rocky Ridge
In The Land Of The Big Red Apple
On The Other Side Of The Hill
Little Town In The Ozarks
On The Banks Of The Bayou
New Dawn On Rocky Ridge
Bachelor Girl
Rose Wilder Lane:Her Story

This is a great story telling of the early struggles that Rose had to face with her family to build up the farm.Anyone who says this story is poorly written,or things like that are freaks!It's just a childrens book!!These people need a life!

Just when you thought you had read the entire LITTLE HOUSE series, you discover with delight that there are two more books, although not penned by Laura herself. These two Rocky Ridge sequels continue the saga of a grown up Laura Ingalls Wilder--this time focusing on her only duaghter, Rose. This 8-year-old charms us with gentle, homespun tales of their first year in the wilds of the Missouri Ozarks. We have long loved Laura as a spunky prairie girl, so we naturally continue to love her as a maternal figure, still struggling with the harsh realities of farm life.

Written by Laura's adopted grandson, LITTLE FARM can not quite capture the magic of Laura's style, for a biography can never be as vivid as actual memories. Fortunately the family resemblance remains. True, there is less excitement and action in this book, but then, one can not reinvent someone's real life merely to increase the dramatic content of a book. Perhaps the midwest was more tamed by 1895, when Rose won her special prize. We also wonder whose side MacBride champions, when we recall the bitter, posthumous feud between Rose and Laura (advocated by her literary admirers) over authorship of some of the books.

Still loyal LITTLE HOUSE fans will appreciate this latter-day glimpse into Laura's married life. We understand that this is Laura's last move--she yearns to put down roots somewhere, even far from De Smet, Nebraska. Her home at Rocky Ridge still exists and is open to the public as a museum and literary mecca. The simple story unfolds about a young girl meeting the challenges of life on a new farm and in a new, town school. The book appears thick, but it reads quickly. The family values and pioneer virtues are timeless. Read this book to learn why Rose's parents have two reasons to be proud of her. She herself has two reasons to be proud: our beloved Laura (Bess) and Almanzo (Manly), whose own childhood is preserved in my favorite LH book, FARMER BOY. This story will appeal to preteen girls and all LITTLE HOUSE fans. (Will MacBride continue the saga until Laura's death, thus forever dropping the curtain on the Wilders?)

This book is a good source for the topic of Bloody Sunday. It is from a journalist view of the tragic days of Blooy Sunday. Such events are still talked about in the British Parliment and the Saville Inquiry is reviewing the then handling of the Bloody Sunday event. If you've never read anything about the "Troubles", you will become passionately amazed regarding the events following up to Bloody Sunday.

This is a book that examines the events leading up to, and encompassed by, the infamous Bloody Sunday incident in Derry, Northern Ireland. One of the book's strong points is the level of detail with which the events of the day are examined. However, the analysis seems to be biased in favor of the nationalists. Still, there is alot of valuable content in the book as long as one recognizes that it represents but one point of view and is not necessarily impartial. For some additional information, there is some valuable commentary on Bloody Sunday in Tony Geraghty's book "The Irish War: The Hidden Conflict Between the IRA and British Intelligence".

Pringle and Jacobsen, the reporters who broke through the governmental code of silence to get to the truth behind Bloody Sunday, present a highly detailed and thoroughly engrossing report of the events of January 30, 1972, where 13 unarmed Catholic protesters were shot dead by British paratroopers. The authors provide an unflinching look at the chaos and horrifying events of that awful day. They also detail the events leading up to the incident, and pull no punches in looking at the causes and fallout from the indident. This is a must read for anyone interested in the events currently shaping Northern Ireland.

When 2002 rolls around, the Irish Republican Army will commemorate the 30th anniversary of a tragic, yet defining moment in its history.
On Sunday January 30, 1972, 13 Catholics were killed and another 16 wounded when British paratroopers opened fire on a demonstration march through the Northern Ireland city of Derry.
The event became known as Bloody Sunday, and was chiefly notable for two historic outcomes.
The first was that those responsible for the violent deaths of unarmed Catholic protesters passed unpunished through the subsequent British government inquiry by Lord Chief Justice Widgery.
This in turn had the effect of swelling the ranks of the IRA, transforming it from a ramshackle organisation run by a handful of rusty Carbine-toting extremists, into a formidable hardline military organisation, capable of spending millions of dollars on arms smuggled from Libya and the American Irish community.
The reprisals from Bloody Sunday saw more than 3000 people killed during the next 25 years, as UK ``safehavens'' such as Birmingham, Westminster and Whitehall were hit by assassinations and bombings.
Those Are Real Bullets is an enthralling account of the events leading up to and during the course of Bloody Sunday, put together by two journalists from the British Times Sunday Insight team.
Peter Pringle and Philip Jacobson combine first-hand knowledge, witness accounts and hindsight to deliver an engrossing, if extremely violent, narrative of the massacre.
Both the British military and the victim's movements on Bloody Sunday are re-traced in detail, and while Pringle and Jacobson's effort is perhaps not as objective as lauded in the promotional blurb on the cover, Those Are Real Bullets is compulsive reading for anyone interested in the struggle for total demilitarisation of Northern Ireland.
Slightly off-putting at first is the overuse of military terms, and a glossary of acronyms may have come in handy for those unfamiliar with the situation.
But these soon become minor concerns once the narrative hits the streets of Derry, and should in no way discourage the reader from turning away from this essential account of Bloody Sunday.
Anyone with a slightly delicate constitution should be warned of the book's highly-graphic nature, right down to tracing the track of every bullet through each victim's body.
It also includes some stunning news photography, including Frenchman Gilles Peress' serial account of the death of Paddy Doherty.
A must-read.

In terms of sheer body counts, Bloody Sunday was not the worst day of the Troubles, as a number of IRA and Loyalist atrocities were to kill more people. However, the negative impact of Bloody Sunday on the course of the Troubles was incalculable. The assault on a civil rights march of Derry Catholics by the Parachute Regiment was intended to round up "Derry young hooligans," with the expectation of a few exemplary Catholic casualties, while reasserting the rule of English law in the "no-go" Catholic ghetto of the Bogside. Instead, 13 unarmed youths and middle-aged men were killed, and the British Army found itself in an operational, logistical, and public relations disaster. Political means toward achieving reform in Northern Ireland were discredited for the next 25 years, and 1972 was to become the bloodiest year of the Troubles. When the British Army arrived in the North in the 60's, they were often welcomed by Catholics as protectors from Protestant pogroms; after Bloody Sunday, every British soldier in Northern Ireland was to lead the miserable and paranoid existence of an unloved army of occupation, a constant target of unseen bombers and snipers.

The strength of Pringle and Jacobson's book is in its detail, stomach-churning at times. Although their style is journalistic and their prose plain, I supposed it must be effective, as I frequently found my eyes welling up with tears of rage. Most accounts of Bloody Sunday focus on the out-of-control nature of the Paras, but Pringle and Jacobson appropriately detail the command failures that led to the tragedy: the ill-conceived use of an elite, lethally-armed regiment to perform a police function; the decision to place civilians at risk; the lack of any overall political strategy to deal with the North; the failure of radio communications that placed the Paras beyond control of headquarters.

Aside from the political significance of Bloody Sunday, the drama of that day illuminates human nature at its best and worst: the teenaged first aid worker Eibhlin Lafferty, preventing a rabid soldier from finishing off a wounded man, asking him, "Are you mad?"; Barney McGuigan, waving a handkerchief to come to the aid of the dying Paddy Doherty, saying "They'll not shoot me" moments before his head was blown apart; Alex Nash, grievously injured running toward his dying son, Willie; the priests who braved gunfire to administer the last rites; the hapless Catholic businessman McKinney, stuck in the march on his way back from meeting an associate, shot by the army with his hands up.

I would have given the book 5 stars, but the account of the political aftermath of Bloody Sunday is perfunctory, and more follow-up on some of the participants would have been interesting. What happened to Alana Burke, who apparently had a spinal injury after been struck by a Saracen? What happened to the young soccer player whose leg was shattered by a bullet? How did the tragedy affect the lives of those involved in years to come?

There is a decent map of the Bogside included, which could have been more detailed, and might have been labelled with the location of exactly where the fatalities occurred.

Great book for the outdoor addict. Our state is blessed with plenty of paddling and fishing opportunities on our rivers. This book ensures you know where to go, how long it will take, and what you will see. Did not give a five due to several of the maps/roads being slightly outdated. This book has been a great help in providing plenty of weekend excursions.

This books provides great detail about floatable sections of the rivers and creeks around the state. They are broken down by region and section of the river. There is also supporting information for some of the rivers like discussion with the paddlers involved in the making of the river scenes of the movie Deliverance on the Chattooga river. In my opinion, this is an excellent resource for the canoer/kayaker/fisher.

Very good information about put in/take out places. Directions good. All necessay information on rivers and creeks is included. One other bit of information could have been included, however, detailed descriptions, or landmarks, or physical features identifiable from the water to help guage distance traveled. Examples of these are illustrated in "The Georgia Coast-Waterways and Islands" by Nancy Schwalbe Zydler and Tom Zydler on pages 81 thru 108 regarding the Savannah River. Specifically, this information is labeled "Shoreline Descriptions for Savannah River Chart # 2 thru 17.

I found this book a relatively little use in a recent trip to the Altamaha basin. During my limited scouting, I found at least five errors on the maps which resulted in extra miles driven. Moreover, the narrative fails to mention the pervasive impact of the pulp plant stench on enjoyment of the lower river. I wonder if the information available has really been updated from the earlier guidebooks. While there is some useful information in this book, I strongly recommend using online sources and local maps to augment trip planning.

This is easily the most superbly detailed hiking guidebook for the St. Louis area that I've ever seen. The author has actually hiked every trail he writes about and I plan to make good use of this book.

BETSEY BROWN is the story of a young Black girl growing up in St. Louis in the late 1950's. She is the eldest child in a large upwardly mobile family. Her father is a doctor and a socially conscious "race man" who takes his children to sit-ins and protests. Her mother is a social worker who wants to shield her children from the racially charged environment in which they are coming of age.

Like any young girl, Betsey fantasizes about her young life, longs for the attention of a certain young boy and is fascinated with the idea of love. While she is going through the ups and downs of growing up, integration takes place in the South. Betsey and her siblings are bussed to white schools in the name of racial advancement. The children have fears of what may lay ahead of them and the parents are conflicted in their decision. While in their new enviroment the children have various experiences and emotions. Betsey often feels like the weight of the entire race is on her shoulders and no one understands her struggle.

Ntozake Shange gives all of the children who grew up in the era of southern integration a voice in BETSEY BROWN. The storyline is written in simple language with traces of southern dialect dispersed throughout. The novel gives a more visceral feel to the fear and uncertainty that children and their families had during the time of integration in America. This fear was pushed aside for the overall principle of advancement and not told in history books. While reading the novel, I felt like I was taken back in time to experience what, until now, I have only read about in textbooks and I enjoyed it. My only complaint is that Betsey's story ended too soon.

Reviewed by Aiesha Flowers
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

Betsy and her family is just trying to make it through everyday family problems. Betsey and her siblings school is integrated for the first time. The story is set in St Louis 1959. Betsy is a nice read.

Betsey Brown is the story of a girl named Betsey Brown who lives in the extremely racist city of St. Louis in 1959 with her big, black family. Betsey is trying to grow up this discrimitive community, and do normal things a kid would do. Her father, Mr. Brown, is obsessed with the Civil Rights Movement and his job as a doctor. Betsey's 7 brothers and sisters all provide a bizarre and interesting life for Betsey who is just trying to be a normal kid.
What does it mean to be an American? Betsey and her family, although African Americans of racist times, still practice their rights as American citizens. This is what America truly stands for. The equality of all people. Mr. Brown continually goes to Civil Rights rallies with his children. They express their opinions in movements that also show their American spirit.

Betsey Brown is me when I was 13, and is still me 11 years later! I saw myself in the book and I was pleasently surprised to find that out. I fell in love with the book within the first few pages. The only complaint that I have with the book is that its not LONGER!!!!

For anyone who has read Cypress, Sassafrass and Indigo by Shange, this book will seem mediocre in comparison. On the other hand, what it is is an excellent social document depicting the experiences of an African-American family in St. Louis of the 1950's. It describes the pressure that the combat of racism puts on a family---Betsey Brown runs away at the age of 12 because she is being bused to a school full of "crackers." Betsey doesn't want to have to do everything for the "race"-she just wants to be a comfortable 12 year old girl with her neighborhood friends.

Other tensions happen between the husband