History Books

High Spirits is an excellent book, and Dianne Salerni has an incisive ability to get into the characters' minds. Her characters were actual people, true, but she has a way of taking them out of the past and sitting them right down next to us, making it feel as if we are seeing their story firsthand.

High Spirits actually seems to be two books in one. The first half is the history of the Fox sisters and how they became famous spiritualists, believed to be able to communicate with the dead. As their fame grows, so too does their infamy, and they must deal with nonbelievers and detractors, some of whom are willing to resort to violence. This lends itself to some harrowing, suspenseful moments.

The second part of the book is a romance, as Maggie Fox falls in love with a man who loves her in return, but is unable to find the courage to make his feelings public. Meanwhile, he demands that she give up her life of spirit rapping, which angers her family to no end as it is their sole means of support. Torn between betraying her family or losing the man she loves, a man who makes these demands yet is unwilling to commit, Maggie rides an emotional rollercoaster. We sit by her side at all times, through the constant ups and downs, not knowing how the ride will end.

It is an enjoyable ride, nonetheless, and one well worth taking.

High Spirits: A Tale of Ghostly Rapping and Romance is a novelistic treatment of a real incident from American history, the story of the Fox sisters, whose childish pranks of communicating with the departed were taken seriously first by family members, then neighbors, and then the community, ultimately growing into a genuine phenomenon. The resulting movement, known as spiritualism, became quite the rage from the 1840s until after the Civil War. Traces of it are not unknown today.

By the time they reached young womanhood Maggie and Kate Fox had achieved near-celebrity status. The proceeds from their appearances financed their blue collar family and allowed them access to the highest circles of society in New York City, Philadelphia, and so forth. Maggie, in particular, developed a relationship with Elisha Kane, an adventurer and explorer whose exploits earned him his own corner in history and fiction.

For this reader, however, the history is not ultimately the point of the book. The story is a rewarding and entertaining study of two sisters, their family, and their acquaintances, as they grow and develop and mature (or fail to). The author has done a splendid and totally convincing job of filling out their lives and personalities and putting real flesh on the bare bones of history. The romantic relationship between Maggie Fox and Elisha Kane is especially well depicted, for example. Good historical fiction is capable of putting us not only in other minds but in other eras, and High Spirits does this beautifully. One can read all the history one wants of the position of women in Victorian society but this book can show us what it actually felt like.

In addition the story is masterfully written and edited. All in all this is a first-class novel.

Some movies bring tears to my eyes; books seldom do.

High Spirits starts with the haunting of Hydesville in 1848. It follows the real life adventures of two sisters, Maggie and Kate Fox. Maggie starts the story by telling us that she began the `deception' when she was too young to know right from wrong. Kate, the younger of the two, regrets her sister's use of that word. To Kate, the dead are real, and the spirits talk to her.

I have well over a hundred books sitting on bookshelves in my study. Some of them I've already started. Since I lost interest in most of them, the bookmarks are still waiting between early pages for me to return. Many of the books I buy end up neglected orphans in need of foster parents.

Books on the best seller lists seldom satisfy me, because they are shallow or seem like a story I've already read. It's almost as if most of them were chosen by those politically correct people we know are out there monitoring what we say and think and learn--people very much like a `few' of the characters in High Spirits.

However, when I find a novel worth reading, it's like walking into an undiscovered country. High Spirits was one of those.

High Spirits is about the lives of the Fox family and two sisters that are devoted to each other. Kate and Maggie are credited with starting the spiritualist movement as a prank. When I first picked up High Spirits, I thought I was going to be reading about ghosts and romance.

To my surprise and satisfaction, I soon discovered that High Spirits offers much more. High Spirits turned out to be a story told on many levels. At times I found myself chuckling. At other times I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat wondering if one of the characters I liked was about to suffer a horrible fate.

High Spirits is also about a dysfunctional but loving and loyal family surviving in a cruel world. On a more personal note, they are like us. It is easy to identify with them. When danger looms from skeptics that threaten Maggie's life, her older sister Leah Fox rescues her in a daring and risky escape that leaves Maggie in heart-pounding terror. Just thinking about myself in the same situation under the same circumstances had me breaking out in a cold sweat, and I'm a combat veteran that served in Vietnam. Maggie was a young girl.

The romance in High Spirits arrives later in the story. Dr. Elisha Kent Kane, the most widely celebrated American adventurer of the day, eventually walks on stage and fall "madly" in love with Maggie. What turns out to be a complex relationship stands equal to Romeo and Juliet; Tristan & Isolde, and Tony and Maria of West Side Story. That's as far as I'll go. My lips are now zipped shut. Hollywood, pay attention. Stories like this are rare, and Maggie and Elisha were real people.

In High Spirits, the harsh lines that separate the privileged and powerful from the working class show that dysfunctional people come from all levels of society. However, those at the top have the power to do more damage. What they are capable of doing to hurt others is more like a tidal wave washing over distant shores and leaving nothing but destruction and misery in its wake. When Elisha's mother interferes with his love for Maggie, horrible consequences are set in motion.

Although High Spirits reveals that most of us are human at heart, a few inhuman monsters populate our world and wreck havoc wherever they can for selfish, egotistical reasons.

If you are looking for adventure, romance, heartbreak, a bit of history, and a story that will touch you, I recommend this novel. Reading High Spirits will be a journey of discovery that might squeeze out a tear or two like it did for me.

High Spirits is the story of Maggie and Kate Fox from Hydesville, New York, early members of the Spiritualist movement. Their first foray into the realm of Spiritualism was accidental--a prank played upon an annoying relation. However, the contrivance was so successful "that they extended the prank to include parents and their neighbors until deception became their way of life." The two young sisters, barely in their teens and guided by their business savvy older sister, succeeded in convincing people that they were able to communicate with spirits who had passed to the other side by rapping noises created by the cracking sounds of their knees, ankles, and toes. The girls, especially Kate, came to see their séances as a way of providing comfort to grieving relatives by reassuring them that their loved ones were at peace in the afterlife.

The story focuses on the middle sister, Maggie, who falls in love with the explorer, Elisha Kent Kane, who is aware that the Fox sisters' claim to communicate with the dead is a hoax. Before leaving on a rescue mission to the Arctic, Kane extracts a pledge from Maggie that she must give up her rapping, dangling the promise of a wedding before her. She agrees and keeps her eyes on the horizon waiting for her explorer to return.

Dianne Salerni is masterful in recreating the environment of the 1840s that allowed Spiritualism to flourish. Her detailed portraits of the Fox sisters allow modern readers to understand how these young women were able to pull the wool over the eyes of so many, including author James Fenimore Cooper, editor Horace Greeley, and the tragic wife of President Franklin Pierce who had seen her only surviving child crushed in a train accident. Her understanding of the time in which the Fox sisters lived as well as in-depth knowledge of this slice of American history enables her to write this engrossing and compelling story.

There is little I can say about Dianne Salerni's High Spirits that has not already been adequately stated by other reviewers on this page. Although this is Ms. Salerni's first novel, this is not her first book. She has previously published three short teaching manuals of an academic nature, and her experience as a schoolteacher and writer shines from the text of High Spirits. As the well-known curmudgeon of the iUniverse, I can unabashedly say that POD books would not suffer a bad reputation if they all read as fluidly and seamlessly as does High Spirits. The typos are few and the editing is tight. You will feel as if you know The Fox Sisters personally as you turn the final page.

Having served with a Battalion of Marines back in my Naval Service days, I was unable to put down Major Seth Folsom's book on the Highway War. My impression of the Marine Officers with whom I served, their dedication to duty and to their men, left a lasting impression on me. Major Folsom's story reaffirms that admiration. What is so noteworthy is the maturing of a combat Marine who emerged as a competent professional able to meet any challenge under extreme stress and pressure to complete the assigned mission. First to use LAV's in combat, his unit encountered many imponderables and maitenance problems while continuing to move forward in the face of unknown enemy resistence. He never once failed to give credit to his Marines who fought under his command and alongside him. Their desire to stay in touch and close to him after returning from Iraq is evidence of the high regard they have for him. No higher acolade can be give than to have your enlisted troops want to serve with you again as they said in the book. Major Folsom represents the finest we have in the future core of military leaders. We need more of his kind if we are to maintain the freedom we enjoy.

I have read the previous comments of others both pro and con. I have known Major Folsom's father for many years. Quite obviously, the acorn fell close to the tree. His father is one of the most outstanding officers with whom I have had the privilege to associate. From reading this book, I feel confident that Major Folsom has inherited all of his father's outstanding qualities.

Two matters were brought to light in reading this excellent documentation of his tour. First, I wish that I had the presence of mind to record a daily record of my tour as a squadron commander in RVN. Second, I commend Major Folsom for his honest evaluation of his accomplishments and his revelation of what he considered his failings.

There are many who can understand the stress of combat because they have been there. The ground troops, perhaps more than any, face the true cruelty of the close-in combat environment. POWs, more than anyone, experience a different type of stress. No one can truly express the stress unless he or she have been there. There are far too many who critique the events without having ever experienced being there. Folsom has.

Major Folsom's forthright analysis of his tour should be required reading for every newly commissioned officer of any branch. Folsom recently departed and is presently in-country on his second tour. I wish him and those men with him God-speed and shall look forward to a critique of this tour. May I add that I would be more than willing to serve with this officer anytime, any place as I have with his father.

Years ago Marine artist Col Charles Waterhouse drew a cartoon of a grizzled Marine Gunny, complete with cigar, pulling on a Santa outfit as he prepares to entertain young children, as compared to his normal demeanor of an intimidating Gunny. Maj Seth Folsom's book details a similar transformation, as he grows from a nervous young officer facing his first combat to that of a skilled and articulate officer and husband.

A Captain at the time, Folsom is a blunt and honest writer who discusses his fears and concerns of what he is about to encounter in Iraq. The likely-hood is that many Marines and soldiers, both officers and enlisted, can identify with his worry of how he will fare in his first combat: Can he hack it? How well will he perform? Will he make any mistakes that might cost the lives of his Marines? The difference between them and Folsom is his frankness in discussing these concerns.

Folsom uses the story of his role as company commander to tell the story of Delta Company, 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion as they participated in the March 2003 invasion of Iraq. From breaching the berms into Iraq, to watching and waiting as his fellow Marines fought at An-Nasiriyah, to the fighting on the way to Baghdad and beyond, Folsom pulls no punches and spares no feelings in his descriptions of leading 130 Marines into combat. The invasion in March 2003 was the beginning of an unusual war against a non-traditional enemy, and Folsom has to find his balance as an officer when dealing with both his superiors and the Marines under him while learning how to lead Marines in combat. Sand, stink, rain, lack of sanitation, fatigue, grime, and nerves are just some of issues with which he dealt even before he and his men even encountered the enemy. Folsom covers the military actions from 21 March 2003 through the April 2003 capture of Baghdad, and he accurately recounts the stress, excitement, and confusion of those historic days.

With the book written from the notes and recollection of his wartime journal, this is a fascinating memoir revealing are his feelings as he dealt with his Marines, and how he matured as an officer and as a human being. Many readers, especially his fellow officers will find much to critique in his rough and abrasive leadership style, and his dislike of the media is at odds with Marine Corps policy. But it is Folsom's same bluntness that lets him write so revealingly - and perhaps these same readers can use his vignettes as an `after-action report' in order to guide themselves in similar circumstances.

In perhaps a reflection of the asymmetrical nature of this war, Folsom recounts participating in briefings with the generals and colonels leading the invasion, and later singing with his men as they blast rock & roll music at rock concert levels. Perhaps one unexpected bonus of war in the wired age is that we readers can share in our warrior's thoughts and experiences while they are still fresh, and as such, Maj Folsom's book is both an exciting read and highly recommended.

I couldn't wait to read this book and when I finally got my copy, it wasn't all I thought it would be. Basically you follow the life of a young marine LAV Company Commander during OIF. He comes across many times as a whiner and someone I wouldn't want to work for. I felt sorry for his Marines many times when they had to deal with him and his emotional outbursts. I really saw nothing different from this book than any of the other books like this based on OIF. I could have passed on it.

You may hate this war and our current President for getting us involved in it, but after reading this book you can only respect and honor those doing the fighting .Folsom's thoughtful leadership and concern for his men, his belief in the Marine Corps and The Mission turned my head around.
The more liberal you are , the more you need to read this book.

THIS IS ANOTHER GOOD BOOK BY JAMES ROBERT PARRISH. THIS IS ABOUT THE BIGGEST SPILTS IN HOLLYWOOD HISTORY. AMONG THEM ARE BEN AND JLO, JOE AND MARILYN AND MIA AND WOODY. HE GIVES US A BRIEF BIO OF EACH PERSON AND HOW THEY MET. FROM THERE WE ARE TOLD WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE TOGETHER AND WHY EACH COUPLE SEPARATED OR DIVORCED. THEN WE ARE TOLD WHAT HAPPEND TO EACH PERSON AFTER THE BREAKUP. I LIKED THIS BOOK AND IT IS BOTH INTERESTING AND FUN. I HAVE READ SEVERAL OF HIS BOOKS AND LIKED THEM ALL. I RECOMMEND IT FOR ALL GOSSIP AND NOSEY PEOPLE. (LIKE MYSELF)

If you're weary of the stream of pabulum from the glossy tabloids, you need to get a couple of James Parish's books on the wilder and seamier side of Hollywood life as a counteragent. He's been doing this for close to four decades now, with dozens and dozens of books to his credit (as of this writing, I'm expecting two of his compendia on actresses in the mail and am making arrangements to get four more), and his experience and close attention to research show through here and in the other books in his current series (e.g., The Hollywood Book of Death, The Hollywood Book of Scandals). He avoids the extremes, as other researchers have mentioned, of either glamorizing his subjects to excess or painting them in villainously black hues, but instead presents them, sympathetically but truthfully, in their all-too-human complexity. I've started looking for the name James Robert Parish on a Hollywood book when I want the facts (not to mention a good selection of pictures - every story in this book is illustrated with at least one nice B&W photo, many of them not often seen elsewhere), and you should too.

James Robert Parish, the chronicler of all things Hollywood, turns his writing skill to "breakups Hollywood-style" in The Hollywood Book of Breakups. As with all of Parish's books, it's a fun read. His introduction begins with a quote from Sandra Zober Nimoy, Leonard's ex-wife, and her first sentence is a doozie: "It's a pretty mean town." Sad, but true. You'll recognize all the names in the book, and it's likely you might think you know all the stories of the breakups written about here. I doubt it, though. Parish always manages to spring a surprise or two. For example, did you know that Sonny Bono was once married to Susie Coelho, host of HGTV's Landscaper's Challenge? His format for each breakup is quite nice. It begins with general information, then a SHE section, a HE section, and THEY section, and concludes with an AFTERWARD. Lots of pertinent information - and juicy, truthful gossip - in every section. Parish is a good writer, and his words flow along seamlessly, making the book both fun, and easy to read. No only do I recommend the book for reading, it makes an excellent gift for anyone who like film stars or is addicted to "what went on behind the scenes" gossip.

What a guilty pleasure! Concisely written, carefully researched, The Hollywood Book of Breakups is a speed read of celebrity couplings gone wrong. Parish doesn't glamorize or trash his subjects, he makes the stars seem all too human. A fresh take on Hollywood divorce, and a crash course in the many, many ways that relationships can burn up and flame out.

James Robert Parish has always had the ability to cut right through the froo-froo icing and get right to cake. That's why so many of his books are on my shelf. With this one, I have to start a new shelf. He packs in a lot of information: mini bios of all the players, what brought them together and the circumstances that drove them apart. He brings each era alive, mentioning timely rumors and headlines, but delivers only the facts, dispelling media speculation in exchange for - get this - the real story! And the variety of couples, from Stanwyck and Taylor, Burton and Taylor, Brad and Jen or Liza and David Gest represents 75 years of Tinsletown romance gone awry.

I, too, write books about Hollywood (Dishing Hollywood, Hollywood Haunted). Our books are often paired; I am very complemented by that because James Parish is really great at what he does.

This series of books is an outstanding history of the reorganization of Soka Gakkai International after World War II in Japan. It provides a great insight into the rebuilding of Japan, and the struggle many endured to rebuild the SGI and their lives. Recommend to all SGI members.

This book (series) chronicles the history of the Nichiren Buddhist laity, Soka Gakkai,from 1960 to the present. It's a collection of the personal struggles and victories of the pioneers of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism in America. No matter how many times I read it, it never fails to inspire me with hope and courage. The SGI motto "No matter what, never give up!" echos from every page.

As a foreigner living in a foreign land, I can understand from my own life how the Japanese war brides who introduced Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism to the USA felt. President Ikeda gave them four tasks to perform and they were:

1.) learn to speak English 2.) learn to drive a car 3.) buy a car 4.) become US citizens.

Impossible dreams for these women. By taking US citizenship they'd lose their Japanese citizenship and could never go home. English was very difficult to learn. Buying a car for a newly wed military couple, often with young children, was also seemingly out of reach.

Though their deep faith they made they impossible possible. Please do read the entire series. It will become one of your favorites as it has become mine.

As a practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism and a relatively new member of the Soka Gakkai International, this book was a great surprise to me. I knew that the book was a history of how the Soka Gakkai was reinvigorated by Josei Toda after WWII. But I had no idea that the struggle was so great. I am learning every day more about Buddhism by reading how the characters in the books use their faith to overcome their own struggles (karma) and become enlightened people. Maybe the expert on snake oil does not practice Buddhism so the story does not make much sense. I look forward to reading "The New Human Revolution."

As a novel in which the protagonist, Josei Toda, discovers a deeper meaning to Buddhism while imprisoned by a militarist government during WWII may not connect with every reader. I read this novel approx. 30 years ago as I was learning about Buddhist practice and philosophy. It provided an excellent medium through which I learned the application of Buddhism in a practical setting, rather than simply as abstract concepts. I have continued my Buddhist practice and this novel was a key to keeping focused on the primary goal of enlightenment, a.k.a Human Revolution. Why another reviewer dismisses this as "snake oil" is odd. This Buddhism is a simple practice which requires no belief to undertake. An interested party, as I was, may begin without spending a penny, as I did. It is certainly not focused on trying people to spend large sums on ever continuing seminars and such. This school of Buddhism does alarm some people, as the novel illustrates, because other "mass movements" of the time were facist and not humanist. Furthermore, any new movement is seen as a threat to established institiutions. The Soka Gakkai, which this novel explores, is now recognized by a plethora of peace organizations as a beneficent organization.

The concept of human revolution is based on the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin, that enables people to elevate their life conditions to the highest through their buddhist practice, thus revolutionize them from within.

But, the true greatness of the Daishonin's Buddhism lies in making the practice possible and available to anybody, and through giving each member of the world the opportunity to continuously change him/herself for the better, the world peace can be achieved. The idea itself is revolutionary, I believe, that it goes totally the opposite of what has been done historically to achieve peace, which is to make the change at the top to force the changes downward to people (in many cases with lots of sacrificing and suffering).

The SGI, whose president is the author of The Human Revolution and The New Human Revolution series, practices the Daishonin's Buddhism; therefore, its ideal is to make each individual happy and to promote peace throughout the world. The New Human Revolution can be read in many ways, but I would recommend to pay a little more attention, when you read it, to the fact that the Buddhist ideal is put into practice and actually happening.

As a SGI member, I am proud to be a part of this endeavor and recommend anybody to check it out.

Quite possibly the most charming cat stories ever written. Jenny the cat is filled with wonderful emotions that everyone can relate to...nervous about making new friends, afraid that she's not good enough, she proves herself through all sorts of wonderful adventures. Highly recommended!

Friends gave us this one for a birthday present for our six year old. Have since ordered the whole series!
Nice to have children friendly, wholesome story...our children can't hear it enough!

I loved these stories when I was a little girl and its been a joy to pass them along to my own daughters. I love how Jenny realizes her own worth even though she feels so small and shy sometimes. Friends, loyalty, and fun adventures makes these stories timeless

I love Jenny Linsky. I love her gentle nature, her kindness, her shyness. I loved her from the moment I opened the book and read the first paragraphs to my (then) 5 year old daughter. I loved her as I made red pom-poms to tie onto a red scarf so my daughter could dress up as Jenny for Halloween. But five years later, she's my second favorite Linsky. My most favorite is my three year old daughter, Zoe Linsky, whom her big sister lovingly named after the nicest person she could think of, a little black cat named Jenny.

I am so glad they re-released this book--my mother was thrilled to receieve it. Seller sent the book in great condition and it arrived very quickly.

Lee: The Last Years

This is a wonderful book about a wonderful man. Although Robert E. Lee is most remembered as a General, for most of his adult life, he was an engineer and educator (although in the army). Mr. Lee could have become very wealthy after the war by simply allowing his name to be used commercially. However, he wanted to make a contribution and did so by accepting the position as President of Washington College. He seldom spoke of the war and brought no military flavor to the College.

There is an argument that Robert E. Lee is responsible for more American dead than any other single individual. The difficult part of this book is tying to tie that Robert E. Lee to the man he was in his last five (5) years. He played Santa at Christmas, broke up a lynching, stroked the ego of his horse Traveller, was a good family man, looked out for the under dog and took care of his students, even when they were in trouble. How he handled all these situations, often minor by standards of the war, brings out the essence of the man including his character, values, wit and subtle humor.

I have read/studied history and biography for 40 years. I have spent more time on Robert E. Lee than any other individual and this book someway brings all my study of Mr. Lee together and puts it in perspective. I highly recommend this book to anyone with any interest in American History. Thanks Mr. Flood.

Outstanding biography of the man. Much has been written about the general, this book brings the humble father, husband and Christian man to life.

I've long considered myself a student of Southern history and the Civil War. Heck, I've been a historian at museums so I think I have a pretty good knowledge of the Civil War era. Furthermore, I live in Virginia and have been to the campus of Washington and Lee University. However, nearly every page of Charles Bracelen Flood's work on Robert E. Lee's post-war years is full of information I've never heard about. Flood has used many differing sources to pull together a wonderful, highly readable account of Lee's years after the war, how he came to be President of Washington College, and his role in the reconstruction of this country. What jumps out off the pages is that for as much as Lee has been studied and idolized for his exploits on the battlefield, his postwar years as President of the college should get just as much press. While Lee did not think defending his native state was wrong, he did wish for both North and South to reconcile as quickly as possible. After reading the book, I still do not think Lee is the god that some people hold him up to be, but he does stand out as a good man who wanted to bring the nation back together while also helping his fellow Southerners get back on their feet. While Flood's writing can be unimaginative at times and I thought he threw in little stories and vignettes that he didn't need too, the book is excellent overall and should be a must read for anyone interested in Lee. However, the book is such an easy, good read that I think almost anyone should pick it up.

Bracelen Flood clearly does extensive research in order to render this intimate and engrossing portrayal of Lee.

Lee: The Last Years was well worth reading. A must for anyone who wants to know a little more of the Rest of The Story about a fine American, though much misunderstood.

Excellent book....Leonard really digs deep to document and convey all things "Rascal". It's worth the purchase price.

Revised in 1992, Leonard Maltin and Richard W. Bann's "The Little Rascals" is a must for anyone who has enjoyed the antics of Spanky and the gang. The authors' exhaustive research and warm-hearted nostalgia is evident as they chronicle the history of these enduring comedy shorts. Along with biographies of the ever-changing cast and crew, the book offers a detailed critical analysis from the golden Hal Roach period (1922-38) to the sad decline at MGM (1938-44). It's the ultimate Our Gang celebration, with a treasure trove of rare photographs and publicity material.

I have been looking for this book for ages.Answers so many questions about all the Little Rascals.Some didn`t live long and very few are still with us.Being from Long Island I watched them on CH.11 on the Officer Joe Bolton Show every day after school.Kids today have nothing like them on TV.The facts in this book are fantastic and the pictures are great.If you love the Little Rascals buy this book.

Seriously, this book has all you would ever want to know about Our Gang, and some stuff you don't want to know! Complete write ups on all the movies and even some extra bits, a complete biographical section and SO MUCH MORE!! Completly indispensible! If you love Our Gang as much as I do, you definitly want this.The pictures are so CUTE, and there are a lot of them! I loved it!

The Little Rascals: The Life and Times of Our Gang is the most comprehensive book available about the popular short series. Leonard Maltin, longtime fan of both Hal Roach comedies and the Our Gang series itself, writes both intelligently and lovingly about the series with the help of Richard W. Bann.

This book opens with a short history of the Hal Roach film company and the Our Gang series.

Then, it leads to a collection of all of the shorts made for the series including the cast, release date, and highly effective synopses and analyses of each short. These are listed chronologically and noted according to ownership and distributor and silent and sound. Some of the silent have been lost, but they are not neglected. Instead, Maltin has used reviews from the time period to give the reader a sense of the short and an idea of its quality. Opinions are used, but they are obviously separate from the factual information and are supported by facts. They add to the effectiveness of the synopses and paint a more vivid picture of the shorts that are unavailable. What is also unique about this book is the listing of the MGM shorts that are often regarded as the worst quality episodes of the series. Skipping these films, although understandable, would have made this book far less complete.

Next, the spin-offs and pop culture effects of the series are addressed, including the Saturday Night Live spoofs of Buckwheat and the cartoon versions of the show.

Last, the book includes a brief history of all of the major stars of the series and a few sentences about the more minor players. Sadly, this section needs to be updated because of the deaths of the cast members after this second publication. However, the information that is included is accurate and valuable, as much of it cannot be easily found anywhere else, especially interviews.

One must also comment on the abundant photographs utilized in the book including rare publicity stills.

Overall, this is a high quality history of The Little Rascals.

Men To Match My Mountains is the perfect follow up to Chittenden's The American Fur Trade of The Far West. Since H. M. Chittenden covers 1800- 1840ish, this book gives you detailed history of California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado beginning with the Oregon Trail movement. It contains some very well studied hard to find details of historical events. It's sure to please the serious history buff.

What a great book as an in depth introduction to the formation of modern day California.

Everyone I know that has read this book has loved it. If you are interested in learning about settling of the west, take a chance on this book.

A Great book, that really informs the reader. Hard to put down.

First, this is not my normal genre, but came as a highly recommended book. If one wants to learn about the immigration and exploration of the west, then one can not go wrong by reading and enjoying this wonderful history lesson in story form. As the title of the book indicates, it took a special stock of men (and women) to overcome the many obstacles that the mountains (and desert) requires of one. The book takes you on this journey from the viewpoint of the true early explorers, and adventures, to just people trying to make a better life, or escaping religious persecution. Either group provides the struggles required of all and the high adventures to get where they eventually landed.

It is hard to imagine that prior to year of 1830, that there were probably less than 5,000 non-Native Indians living in the far west. Even more so that most Americans, Canadians, Mexicans, Russians, (and others) that thought the far west presented far too much danger to even attempt the crossing, and once there, not much to reward your effort. This was based on some facts as the story unfolds from the Donner Party tragedy, and Indian attacks, to continued religious persecution, and vigilante groups of early settlements. All told though, there is only greed or great opportunity that can overcome a rational repugnance of such hardships to justify the costs which to overcome man's avoidance of living in such extremes. That greed comes in the form of gold and silver for many that ultimately made the effort to expand the far west.

All in, this is a page turner with both drama, color, and interwoven events to keep the story (i.e. immigration) moving along to the far west that we know today. A wonderful and educational story indeed.

That which was good (Inside the Third Reich) is now even better for "Spandau" is Speer's soul-searching account of and reflection on himself and his life while he was imprisoned for 21 years. The book was written in a day-by-day diary entry form so one almost feels one is there with him sharing his emotions and observations. He made it quite clear from the very outset that writing kept him sane but ".. it must be more than a matter of organizing sheer survival. This must also become a time of reckoning. If at the end, after these twenty years, I do not have an answer to the questions that preoccupy me now, this imprisonment will have been wasted for me. And yet I fully realize that even at best my conclusions can only be tentative..." Upon his release in 1966, he left the mass of papers of his prison diaries lay untouched, unread for over ten years before he finally published them. Apart from the historical importance, readers will enjoy the writing of a fine intellectual mind despite his sad observation that "Diaries are usually the accompaniment of a lived life. This one stands in place of a life." This is an immensely personal and moving book that no one could afford to miss and deserves much more than a running commentary.

No figure emerged from the Second World War with greater controversy and attention than did Nazi architect and Hitler confidant Albert Speer. Sentenced to twenty years in the military prison in Spandau for war crimes, Speer was the only one of the principals tried at Nuremberg to admit his culpability in the horror that was the Third Reich. Many questioned his sincerity, for although he said all the right things, it was extremely self-serving to do so at the moment of final judgment, for his capitulation surely saved his life. Yet Speer served his twenty years and then was released to live out his life amidst even greater controversy, for Speer had compiled an amazing 25,000 page secret diary during his long confinement.

This treasure trove of personal anecdotes, reminiscences, and observations was eventually serialized into two distinctive books. When the first was published in 1969 in Germany, the diary, entitled "Recollections", caused a literal firestorm of controversy based on a range of observations and positions taken by Speer. Yet the book, released a year later in a translated version for the English-speaking world as "Inside The Third Reich" was a runaway best seller based primarily on the detailed and absolutely spellbinding descriptions Speer offered regarding the principals of the Nazi regime. Shortly thereafter, Speer released the present volume, entitled "Spandau; The Secret Diaries". His observations, tidbits, and anecdotes about Hitler himself were endlessly fascinating and occasioned a lot of dinner conversation all over the world. Likewise, his portrayal of the day to day life within the so-called Nazi elite gave reader s a graphic and telling account of what these people were like, and how it was possible that they could do so much of what they did.

It also establishes a consistent pattern of personal denial of any real responsibility for what had happened on Speer's part. He claimed to have been only tangentially involved in what happened to the Jews, and that he never understood that the policy of deportation and relocation to 'work camps' was part of a conspiracy to systematically murder all of Europe's Jews. Yet careful readers find that his role as Chief Administrator Of Armament Production, which employed slave labor by both Jews and other subjugated prisoners of war certainly had a systematic policy of working these slave laborers to death.

In later works he claimed to be less involved in the politics of the Third Reich than in the day to oversight of functional management of its policies. This is a fascinating book, and one cannot help but to come to admire this man and his struggles to maintain his balance and his sanity during the two decades he was held at Spandau. It provides a penetrating look both at his own mental processes as well as sharing his ruminations about various details and aspects of life within the whirlwind of excitement, agony, and horror that the years of Nazi reign in Germany represent. This is a book I can highly recommend. Enjoy!

What a good story. I couldn't put the book down. I recommend that you read a book on the Nuremberg trials (Persico's is a good one) before plunging into Speer's diary. Speer wrote his diary while paying his 20 years sentence at Spandau prison for his responsibility as one of the leaders of the Thirch Reich.

First hand accounts of the workings of the German High Command and the interactions between the parties, including Adolph Hitler, are rare and becoming rarer. Many of those involve left memoirs, but those are becoming difficult to find, as most are now out of print. Speer's Spandau writings are among the endangered species.

Anyone who wishes to understand the minds of the men who made the Reich work and particularly the mind of Adolph Hitler can do so by the evidence of their deeds at one level. However, the records of their thoughts, conversations, behavior and rationalizations while they did so is certainly a facet of understanding. The writings of Von Manstein, Doenitz, Rommel, Guderian, and the diaries of Joseph Goebbels are each worth the reading in this sense. As is Albert Speer.

Speer was imprisoned longer than any of the other members of Hitler's inner circle. He had many years of solitude to contemplate his deeds and reflect on how and why he came to be imprisoned in Spandau. Maybe these musings qualify as revisionist history. Maybe they're merely self-serving rationalizations. But his anecdotes will definitely add to your understanding of the 3rd Reich. You don't have to believe everything he says, but it's worth reading it and making the choice for yourself.

Speer thought of himself as a 'nice guy'. You can't make an informed decision as to whether it was true without reading what he had to say. In the end most of us believe we are 'nice people' and are justified in whatever horrendous deeds we pursue.

Albert Speer give a day to day account of what it is like in Spandau. The diaries are divided daily so you soon feel that you are there. You soon feel that his memories are yours and wonder what you would have done. Sure you know now, but wait until you read this book. There are 32 pages of exclusive photos. It is weird win you think what you or a relative was doing on the same days. Albert got out just one month before I went in to the military. Even his epilog is impressive.

This was a terrific book and provided detailed information about the show that took a lot of research. It was equally as entertaining. I would highly recommend that Munster fans (young and old). Illustrations are wonderful.

WOW, what an incredible book. This is just everything you need and want to know about the Munsters TV show. It has it all and doesn't skip a beat. The things you will learn about the tv show is just awesome. Wanna know about the makeup? It's there. Wanna know about the cars? It's there. What the cast has and is doing? It's there. Get the point.

Let me also say what a fabulous job of how the book was designed. Color photos and behind the scene shots thru out the book. These are just some of the most spectacular photos on the tv show I have seen. Nice Rare stuff. You will love it.

What a remarkable update to Mr. Cox original book. This is definately a whole new book. Get one before you can never find one like this again.

A TRIP DOWN MOCKINGBIRD LANE is exactly that: a compilation of recollections from cast and crew that more or less leave a good feeling about the show and is akin to an album a family might collect in time for a reunion. There are no major revelations in this publication; stories are repeated throughout and must be fan favorites that folks enjoy being told again and again.

There are hints about Patrick Lily (better known as Butch Patrick) and his behavior on the set. There is mention of Fred and Al's constant bickering with the powers-that-were, but nothing concrete. Someday I would like to read a biography that would focus on Patrick's experience as a child actor. I do not believe he was born in 1953, he looks nine (at oldest) when the show first premiers. I think his age was lied about so he could get into makeup and be on the set longer than a younger child would have been allowed (I surmise this because he still looks no older than 12 in 1968 when he does "The Phantom Tollbooth"). Although I love "The Munsters" television series, and generally believe a good experience was had by all, I would be interested in reading Lily's story; I think we would find that his grandmother used acting as some use modern-day foster care.

As for this work, it is rare that a television series receive such a loving treatment: the color photos are vivid, the black and whites are brillaint, there are several trivia features that are fun, but would not have been thought of by a lesser biographer. It is a terrific keepsake for Munsters' fans and television adhearants in general.

Awesome, detailed book. Easy, flowing reading that you can't put down! What an insight inot the production and cast members of this classic show.

Having recently acquired this wonderful book by author Stephen Cox titled "The Munsters: A Trip Down Mockingbird Lane", as well as the recently released Two Seasons of the classic series on DVD, I once again never fail to marvel at this brilliant and totally original series that ran from 1964-66. Part domestic sitcom, part tribute to the Universal Monsters of old, and part satire on the "then", state of society as we perhaps knew it, "The Munsters" were really one of a kind, a sort of ghoul's version of "Father Knows Best". Produced in what I still firmly believe was the most creative decade on television, the swinging 1960's, "The Munsters", entry into the television schedule was perfectly timed and this most unusual of families slotted right in with the fantastic and totally "out of this world", programming of the time that featured beautiful suburban witches, talking horses, multi-millionaire hillbillies, bumbling spies, and sexy Genies.

Stephen Cox's loving tribute to this classic series makes first rate reading, chock full of terrific and highly informative information and dozens of truly stunning photos never before seen that will delight the heart of any reader. It truly is essential in the book collection of any devoted "Munster", fan like myself. In a similar vein to his other writing efforts that explored such much loved series from the 1960's as "The Beverly Hillbillies", and "Green Acres", Mr. Cox here explores everything to do with the show in a easily read format. Everything "Munster" is here from the original ideas that formed the basis for the eventual series, to information on the series' incredible cast and production crew, to a detailed look at the show's lavish attention to detail in terms of sets, costumes and makeup. Discussion is also given by Mr. Cox on the still mysterious reasons for the show's cancellation after only two years and then examines the amazing after life of "The Munsters", that continues on as strong as ever after 40 years when many of the more "realistic", sitcoms that replaced it are now only hazy memories. In short it's the perfect book for "Munster", lovers and anyone who has a real interest in how television was produced in that golden decade of the 1960's.