United States Books

Here is an honorable man. He was born in Victorian America at Uniontown Pennsylvania in 1880. George Marshall was a descendent of Chief Justice John Marshall. He was a graduate of VMI and was commissioned an Officer in 1902. Ed Cray has done an exhaustive study of Mr. Marshall. He portrays his experiences in the Philippines and later his staff work during World War I for General Pershing. Mr. Cray goes into great detail in describing General Marshall as a correct modern 20th Century General during the late 1930's.
George Marshall was given the responsibility of Chief of Staff when the total Armed Forces stood at 200,000 strong. At full force in 1945, General Marshall commanded the largest Armed Service in U. S. History.
Mr. Marshall transitoned from his Military Command to the President's Cabinet after World War II. He assisted President Truman through extremely turbulent times. His demeanor was ever professional. His brainstorm of the Marshall Plan was his epiphany toward World stabilization in Europe. He further distinguished himself later as Secretary of Defense during the Korean Conflict. Mr. Truman could't do without him.
When he died in 1959 Winston Churchill grieved deeply. General George C. Marshall stands only with George Washington as a true Soldier Statesman.

Reading this book gave me the insight (which I guess already had subconsiously) that war is not (just) about the best generals on the battlefield, but maybe even more about those generals organising the campaigns and (grand) strategy.
Untill reading this book I had no idea that the US was so unprepared for WWII as it was. The 28th army in the world in 1939! And Marshall being responsible for making it the efficient warmachine it became, running on trucks, Jeeps, USO, icecream and welltrained units.
Could the Germans and Japanese have won the war had Marshall not been Chief of Staff? Maybe not, but I wouldn't stake my life on that assumption! The way Marshall convinced Roosevelt on may 14th 1940 that a balanced army was needed to win the coming war makes you shiver had Roosevelt NOT listened to Marshall and Hopkins.

Cray writes a very clear story, weaving in and out history on a world scale and back to Marshall pruning his trees in his gardens as almost his only hobby during the war.
A great read and compulsory reading for every soldier and/or statesman.

B. Kreuger, Haarlem, the Netherlands

This is not a bad biography. The facts are there as well as a reasonably complete account of a very complicated part of history. But the people and groups that Marshall dealt with are simplified to the point of caricature. Similarly, matters of grand strategy and the new tactics stemming from technological advance are treated merely as things that Marshall had views on. It's not clear from the book that the author understands anything about war as fought in the mid-20th century above the cartoon level. Of course there were many people; of course things were complicated, and a great deal happened; but in over 700 pages we are entitled to some subtlety and insight, which aren't there. General Marshall, one of the truly great mean, deserves better than this.

This is a fantastic biography of an incredible leader. Marshall is usually associated with the European Recovery Act and as the Chief of Staff of the Army during World War II. He influenced so much more during his long Army career. A true gentlemen and scholar, his long career and dedication to service is an inspiration for all of us today.

For those of you who like their reviews to be direct and to the point: Ed Cray, a professor of journalism at the University of Southern California, has written the single best one volume life of George C. Marshall. The book is 15 years old and is unlikely to be surpassed for another 15-20 years. It is the kind of book that will still be in print 70 years after its initial publication.

Why? Well, it is well-written and a pleasure to read. More importantly, Cray does an excellent job of giving his readers a character portrait of the great general that brings the man alive. Not an easy thing to do with a subject as taciturn as Marshall. The man that emerges is one of real character. He became a protégé of General of the Armies John J. Pershing only after Marshall stood up to him as an overage captain, yelling at the general telling him he was wrong when Pershing had criticized Marshall's division. As Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, Marshall was the critical figure in building the military that defeated the axis powers. He selected the commanders, who often went on to greater fame than he enjoyed. He was the leader of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the war and often had to battle with his naval counterpart Admiral Ernest J. King. In the realm of allied strategy, he faced off against the head of the British Army, Field-Marshal Sir Alan Brooke. In both cases healthy mutual respect kept from making their differences and disputes personal. In running the army during the war, Marshall's administrative style was highly effective and can provide a model for many in other fields to follow. He also suffered. His stepson, who he had done a good deal to raise, was killed in Italy. It says a good deal about the man that he made no effort to protect one his family from dangerous assignments.

After the war, Marshall served as Secretary of State and then later as Secretary of Defense. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for the plan the State Department developed to rebuild Europe after the devastation of the war. He was twice "Time" magazine's "Man of the Year."

Marshall was the first five-star general in U.S. history and that was no accident. In this fine book Cray makes that clear.

I think the book is very interesting. I heard about it because I saw Amye Leong at an Arthritis Conference she spoke at and came home and ordered her book. She went through very tough times and is a very motivational speaker and I really enjoyed listening to her. I have family members with arthritis( not rheumatoid ) but I felt they could read the book also and be inspired by Amye. I am a registered nurse and I now know the daily struggles rheumatoid arthritic patients persevere. Thank you Amye for a great book!!

This book is full of inspiration for those with or without chronic illness. Amye shares a heartfelt, yet witty story of hope and perseverance. She weaves in helpful resources and advocacy strategies as she describes her journey with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Get a Grip is empowering and life changing. As a person with chronic pain - once I read Amye's book - I knew I wasn't alone.

As a person with RA and as a professional health educator, I LOVED Get a Grip! Not only did I like the advice and inspiration that Amye Leong provides in it, but her personal story was amazing! I did not want to put this book down and when I did finish reading it, I wanted to read more about what happens to her next as she reaches for her dreams all while dealing simulataneously with a ravaging chronic disease. If you want to know exactly what it is like to have RA as a young adult or you just want to read how another person understands exactly how YOU feel while trying to live a full life and cope with RA at the same time, you have to GET THIS BOOK! Amye really is a wonderful arthritis educator and advocate but even more so, she is such a terrific role model. If she could come through her horrible flares of this disease as well as she did, it makes me feel like I can still move towards my dreams as well, RA and all. Amye is a great motivator and author, and now I can hardly wait for her next book to come out: to hear how her story continues!

'Get A Grip' is not simply a story about how to deal with the pain and torment of arthritis, this is a story about how to deal with LIFE! This is a story about a woman who at the age 18 was stricken by a disease normally attributed to those much older. Amye Leong tells her story of pain, of despair and hope, of setbacks and victories. This is a story that can teach us all lessons on how to deal with whatever challenges we may be faced with in our own lives. This is a story that can teach us all that in the final analysis it is the person we all see looking back at us in the mirror that has the real power to affect our lives. But most of all, this is a story of COURAGE!!

One does not have to suffer with rheumatoid arthritis in order to be inspired by this book. Its lessons are universal!Amye's descriptions of her pain, feelings of isolation, helplessness are almost palpable.It is hard to imagine the spirit and strong desire to lead a full life that propel her to go through countless surgeries. Her description of the role of family and loving friends brought home what we always knew that our relationships can make the difference between life and death. I also particularly appreciated her emphasis on taking control of your own health, and in dealing with doctors to work as a partnership. The phenomenal work she has accomplished is more than most people could do without health problems, but her contributions to others are a tribute to her courage, determination and tenacity. I advise everyone to read this book, lend it to others and rejoice that an Amye Leong exists!!!

The product was great and Woody's book store communicated great through email about the purchase and ordering information. The only thing is the number of days that it took to ship was confusing; I thought it would get to me sooner, but what the number of days meant was when it would be shipped as opposed to it arriving to me.

This is a great book. Inspiring, entertaining, hilarious, and real. Mark doesn't pull any punches in this. It is not a self-pity book nor does it try to lecture the reader. It is a real account of someone who is very inspiring, yet doesn't pretend to be what he isn't.

Once I started reading this I couldn't put it down. Awesome!!!

Mark Zupan makes you think about what you have, not what you do not have.

He may be in a chair, but he is not handicap. Mark Zupan speak frankly and openly about his life before and after. He does not blame anyone for his injury.

Make you think you life is O.K. and despite what happens you can survive and go on.

Life is not so bad.

Sometimes, people who have been "handicapped" in some manner end up withdrawing into themselves. A few of them are downright miserable. Mad at the world for being stuck in the situation they're in... the best they can hope for (because they're depressing to be around) is to have people feel sorry for them.

Mark Zupan (who, hopefully, you know from the astoundingly-good, and deserved-to-win-the-Oscar documentary, MURDERBALL), is NOT one of those people. He doesn't WANT anyone to feel sorry for him. (In fact, he doesn't even want to be seen as a "role model," or an "inspiration," though [sorry Mark!], to a lot of people, he is.)

Mark was an athletic, fun-loving 18-year-old, having a blast in South Florida when everything he knew changed in an instant. Sleeping off a night of heavy partying in the back of his buddy Chris Igoe's parked pickup, he had no clue when his friend got in and (also drunk) drove off. Not too long thereafter, Igoe swerved off the road and Mark ended up flying out of the truck-bed, over a fence, and into some dense foliage overhanging a small lake. (Igoe had no idea Mark was in the truck bed, so when the police came, they never looked for him.)

Mark regained consciousness, only to find himself unable to move (he didn't know it yet, but he was paralyzed from the neck down), hanging upside-down from a branch with his nose just inches from the water... and getting closer by the moment. He hung there for 14 hours, before a workman heard him yelling for help.

And that's just the START of the story!

In the years that followed, he has not only become one of the star players of the sport known as Quad Rugby (a.k.a. Murderball), his attitude about his "situation" (whether he likes it or not!) has helped untold numbers of others* to better cope with their own situations.


* I know of what I speak. My young and lovely wife has been in a wheelchair for several years due to Multiple Sclerosis. After seeing the movie MURDERBALL --and *especially* after meeting Zupan at a tournament, her attitude went from "good" to fantastic. She's no longer "the girl in the wheelchair." She's simply my wife, who's fun to be around, and who's interested in doing the things she CAN do, rather than fretting about the things she can't.

-Jonathan Sabin

A fast paced, gritty look into an Athlete's brush with death and the long road to recovery. If you are looking for the next inspiration for a cheesy After School Special on overcoming adversity...don't read this book. If you are looking for a well written, insightful look into how one guy copes with tragedy and disability, then this is an excellent read. To say Gimp has texture is an understatement thanks to its subject, Mark Zupan, a quadriplegic athlete who was made famous by the documentary Murder Ball. Gimp details how this proud, perhaps arrogant athlete dealt with a tragic accident that cost him the full use of his limbs thanks to drunken night that resulted in a brush with death and a debilitating spinal cord injury.

Gimp does not spare us the details that are often left out of such stories including the uglier side of human emotion. The books subject faces Zupan's denial, doubt, guilt, fear, despair and loss as a result of his tragedy. While he ultimately comes to terms with his injury and recovery, it is not without some serious setbacks, some self inflicted. It is this part of writer Timothy Swanson's writing that really sets Gimp apart. He does not spare Zupan some hard looks into his darker nature to include arrogance, self indulgence and outright self destructiveness at times. If there is a villain in the book, it is Zupan himself and his own feelings of despair and anger. It is Swanson's description of Zupan's struggle with his own dark feelings and fears that give the story its power.

The book is not without its own sense of humor and offers a dark amusement that Zupan has for the hand life has dealt him. Gimp deftly shows Zupan's outlook on life which is headstrong and confident but not without his fair share of hidden frailty in the face of a near death experience. In fact, the description of the actual accident that describes Zupan clinging to life, literally perhaps, is the book's strongest section. I have many friends who suffer from war wounds, especially brain injuries from IED's or "danger close" air strikes and I can say from personal experience that Gimp does an excellent job at looking at how proud warriors (in Gimp's case a world class athlete), deal with injury and recovery. I recommend this book without reservation to certainly anyone who knows someone who suffers from a disability or who has seen the documentary Murder Ball. The book has broader appeal to fans of sports writing as well since the book leaves no doubt that Zupan is an athlete. The fact that it is an easy read and has a brisk pace is no small feat given that other works of this genre tend to drag on, lack direction and are often burdened with sappy and clichéd, touchy-feely housewife book club nonsense. Zupan's force of will as described by Swanson carries the book along as does the suspense of how he will cope with each stage of his recovery and his entrance into the world of quad rugby aka Murder Ball. I thought it was a great read and recommend it without reservation.

Lamb Chops...What do lamb chops have to do with this story, well everything! Lamb Chops is the vaudeville routine that brought fame to this comedic duo in the late 1920's. I have the link to a You Tube movie short that was filmed in 1929 for this popular routine here. ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzFcsdgkg54 ) In this clip and others that I've seen with Burns and Allen, I think Gracie is the reason that they had so much success. She was so natural in her role as the "ditzy dame". She was good if not one of the best funnymen to a straightman role. This book takes the reader back to the waning days of vaudeville and the beginnings of film, radio and television as the new media for bringing entertainment to its audiances. George Burns takes us back down memory lane with a personnal love story that lasted nearly 40 years. His memories include many places and friends that I as a reader enjoyed visiting. I don't read love stories usually, but this love story is one that I enjoyed and won't soon forget.

In our disposable transient society of today, it is a refreshing change to see a love and a marriage that lasted so long. As time goes on, it is becoming an even rarer event.

In this book, Mr. Burns fondly remembers his wife, Gracie Allen. The stories that he tells about her, how they met, and how they managed to stay together so long were interesting to read and entertaining.

I would recommend this book to all ages. It is easy reading and also tells somewhat of the history of vaudeville, radio, television, and movies.

If you love old Hollywood, read this book. If you loved George & Gracie, read this book. If you want to read a true life love story, READ THIS BOOK. I just love the inside scoop on the old Hollywood that George dishes out. I never knew Cary Grant sold neck ties before becoming a screen idol. Harpo Marx (the quiet one) wanted one child in every window to wave goodbye or hello when he pulled up in the drive. George wasn't all that impressed with Marilyn Monroe.

This book is an easy read and so hard to put down.

Growing up, I really only knew Goerge Burns for the occasional television special he would host. Other than that, and his "Oh, God" movie (which came out when I was very young), I was relatively unfamiliar with him.

In the mid 80's, when I was about 10 years old, I found that a local radio station would run old time radio comedies from 8-10pm, and as such, I used to fall asleep nightly listening to the like of Jack Benny, Fibber McGee and Molly, and, of course Burns and Allen.

I finally just purchased this book from and Amazon bookseller about two months ago, and honestly, it's as good a $2.95 as I've spent in a while.

As other reviewers have said, many times bigraqphies can be a bit on the dull side, but George really did well with this. It is an easy read... a page turner. It's very interesting to get more insight on what a great performer she was, and how natural it came to her. One always got the feeling that even though she was delivering her "dizzy" Gracie charater, that underneath that was a very smart, clever person. This book certianly backs that up, and it backs it up with all the warmth and affection George Burns had for his wife.

I thoroughly enjoyed this not only for the story of Gracie, but also as a way to look inside the life of an entertainer at that time. I neverquite understood before what it was to work the vaudeville circuit, but there is a ton of insight in this book.

This is a must read for even the most casual fan of old time radio and the celebrities of that era.

I glanced at the reviews here to see if my opinion of this book was just a fluke, but they pretty much bear me out. I didn't expect this book to be nearly as good as it is. On second thought, though, it's not that surprising. This pair was magic and it was seen in everything they touched, the prime and lasting example being the without parallel Burns and Allen Show.

Burns and Allen successfully weathered many storms, making the transition from Vaudeville and stand-up comedy to radio and later to television. The earliest TV shows are the only ones available on DVD, but in later seasons they really hit their stride. In this hilarious and ground- breaking show, George would turn on the TV in the den to see what Gracie was doing, and regularly chat with viewers about events in progress. Gracie would walk in the wrong side of the set and regale viewers (or listeners) with non-stop comedic patter, malapropisms and surrealistic humour (ala Ernie Kovaks) with George as the straightman and pinnacle of style puffing his ever-present cigar.

Even as an octagenarian he could still act (Oh God, You Devil) but as a nonogenarian (92) he could still write. This marvelous memoir is not only the most delightful reading I've had in a long time, but makes me all the more want the Burns and Allen show on DVD. This book was a bestseller in hardback, but is now unaccountably out of print. Yet many readers would love this book, and would enjoy making the acquaintance of the remarkable Gracie Allen.

Read the book over a two week period and passed element 1,3,and 8. Enough said

This is simply the best GROL study guide on the market. It covers every question in the pool with a brief explanation of each answer. It is perfect for a person with electronics knowledge wanting to get a GROL

I did read one review complaining that only taught the questions. This book is NOT designed to teach you electronics. The FCC GROL exam is a very difficult test that covers a wide range of subjects in the electronics field. Many experienced and educated professionals take, AND FAIL the GROL exam.

This book allows the experienced technician to learn where to focus the knowledge in order to pass the exam. The brief answers provide just enough understanding to jog your memory and bring out what you already learned.

This book rather than teaching the principles, teaches the question pool. It goes through question by question, just giving the answer and an extremely brief explanation, if any explanation at all. All of the material is covered, however, the book seems best suited for someone with previous radio and/or electronics experience.

I used it to pass the GROL and the Radar endorsement, since the excellent Milton Kauffman book is out of circulation and the last (11th?) edition is not up to date. Get it and pass!

I like all Gordo material. I used his manuals to pass my amateur radio exams from Tech to Advanced operator. I look forward to passing the GROL exams.

We wasted years and tons of money in non-productive therapies, attachment work, medication, and family therapy till we bought and utilized this book. Dr. Federici hits the nail on the head when he describes how to "de-institutionalize" children. It was hard work but safe, structured and successful. We read so many other books about using "attachment therapy"; logic; medication and even knowing when to "give up". This book gave us, who truely felt "Hopeless" a chance to gain control over our two very disturbed Romanian children that all the other "specialists"(including some of the big people in the child development field)had given up on.

Dr. Federici is the only author and professional we have found who truely understands what parents having very disturbed children go through. His book is easy to read, right to the point, and provides hope and a great deal of ideas (hard solutions) to problems. He mixes no words, but gives hope and understanding in a compassionate way. We have contacted him, heard him lecture, and know that he is "on target" , where all these other "experts" miss the entire boat, especially these so-called "attachment therapists. His Second Edition is now out that we will get soon.

This was the most common sense and practical book a person could buy who has felt totally overwhelmed by two very troubled children adopted form eastern Europe. No "sugar-coating" here, as Dr. Federici get right down to the cold, hard facts that helped put our family back together. All the other books played around with "RAD", "ADHD", and other catchy terms but never got to the right way to treat damaged children. We hope there are more books coming from this author.

This book is an indispensable source for those who have adopted children from orphanages. I wish I'd had it when I got home from Russia 7 years ago. My child can't be found in the Dr. Spock books, but he's all over the pages of this one. Thank you for confirming some things we've already discovered and given us a guide for where to go next.

Finally, someone wrote a book about very troubled children without being afraid to actually tell you what to do. We have struggled for years with our two emotionally disturbed Russian-adopted children and have covered every type of therapy with no positive outcome. We even tried all that "holding-attachment therapy" which was a waste of time and money. Medication after medication, play therapy, talk and family therapy all failed, as our kids were smarter than the therapists. Dr. Federici has taken a very direct approach that puts parents back in charge and keeps the family moving forward. No frills or hand holding-just hard work. We contacted him frequently for advise and he was very helpful. We know his "volume two" is due soon and will surely continue this family centered approach.

In "Howard Zinn: A Radical American Vision," Professor Davis Joyce has made a valuable contribution to twentieth century American historiography. This intellectual biography of Howard Zinn is scholarly and entertaining. Davis provides lucid summaries of Zinn's major books. He also skillfully places Zinn's works within the context of recent American history. Anyone who is interested in better understanding Howard Zinn's approach to history would benefit from reading this book.

This volume is a very good introduction to the life, thought, and times of Howard Zinn, which should be of broad interest to students of society. I found the details of Zinn's struggles with John Silber fascinating (such university presidents are not at all uncommon--right Kern?). While many readers will be familiar with Zinn through The People's History, they should especially enjoy the overview and critique of such writings as Disobedience and Democracy (very relevant today), and The Politics of History (addressed to all of the social sciences). Dr. Davis Joyce is an excellent writer; he obviously admires both Zinn and his thought (if not his grading policies). This is truly an excellent intellectual biography.

BUY THIS BOOK as a gift for someone in need of hope.

In these times of desperation for so many among us around the world, it is in the inspiring story of Howard Zinn that the message every individual makes a difference, shines bright. That our collective efforts, both large and small, do indeed change the world.

Howard Zinn makes me proud to be a liberal and an intellectual, and his well-written biography gives me hope that in the end, reason, compassion, and common sense will prevail over prejudice and dogma. After reading it, I feel energized, and optimistic about the future, confident that my efforts at stemming the tide of ignorance in this country are worthwhile.

This book, is in my opinion, a must-read for all liberal-minded individuals. Howard Zinn's life is an inspiration, and his clear, concise viewpoints are brilliant -- a much needed counterpoint to Medieval, Dark-Age ideologies.

Zinn shows us that we are not, as special interests would like us to believe, "an obedient, acquiescent, passive citizenry." He articulates what many of us feel, that the ideologies which we take for granted "...are not the result of independent thought on our part, and indeed do not match the real world as we experience it..." A real eye opener. I enjoyed this book, and I'm sure you will too.

Howard Zinn: A Radical American Vision
Davis D. Joyce, Published by Prometheus Books
By Denis Mueller
I met Professor Zinn about eight years ago and began, with my Co-filmmaker Deb Ellis, a journey that would lead to a film about his life and the idea that the individual can make a difference. It was an amazing experience and one that has changed my life. I learned how to speak in public by watching this tall angular man walk to the podium and begin his talk with a joke usually about himself. I learned about his courage both physical and intellectual. Zinn was a bombardier who risked his life against the war on fascism, so when he gets to academia, it is nothing to risk his job for what he feels is the right thing to do. This gets him fired at Spelman for supporting the Civil Rights Movement and constantly at war with Boston University dictator John Silber.
What we did not do was chronicle was his development as a historian and teacher. A film cannot do everything, and some historians felt we had left out his importance in the study of American history, but if that was what they were interested in there is no better place to look at some of those critical debates than here in this book by Davis D. Joyce. Howard Zinn's book, A People's History of the United States, has sold over 1,000,000 copies and has helped change the study of history itself. He has been at the forefront of American radicalism, both as an activist and as an intellectual, yet some in the historian profession fail to understand the importance of the activist-scholar. He was a leader in the Civil Rights movement as an advisor to the Student Non-Violent Co-coordinating Committee, an adult who respected the students, and gave them the intellectual backing they needed in the antiwar movement during the Vietnam era. He remains an outspoken critic of our disastrous policy in Iraq.
Yet, when American historians are mentioned, some dismiss Zinn as a populist and fail to understand his importance in the study of American history. Davis D. Joyce, while acknowledging his work as an activist, goes a long way to correct that assumption and positions Zinn as a leader in what could be described as a revolution within the study of American history. Joyce looks at all of his work but plays special attention to his book, The Politics of History, which is perhaps as important as A People's History. It is here, more than anywhere else, where Joyce is able to fuse Zinn's influence as a historian and his life long commitment to a history that speaks to the great issues of our time. Joyce does this quite well when he illustrates the importance of a quotation by Denis Diderot on the writings of Voltaire, which Zinn uses in The Politics of History.
"Other historians relate facts to inform us on facts, you relate them to excite in our hearts an intense hatred of lying, ignorance, hypocrisy, superstition; and the anger remains even after the memory of the facts has disappeared."
Joyce has a keen eye for a quote and his selection of quotes from Zinn, whose quotes are a dream for any biographer, is one of the great joys of this book and they are used quite well to articulate Zinn's unique point of view. This is a book that is needed to help illustrate Zinn's contribution to the intellectual development of American history. In an essay about the historian as citizen, and the forgotten role of the public intellectual in today's society, we would be wise to listen to what he has to say:
"In a world hungry for solutions, we ought to welcome the emergence of the historian-if this is really what we are seeing- as an activist scholar, who thrusts himself and his works into the crazy mechanism of history, on behalf of the values in which he deeply believes This makes him more than a scholar; it makes him a citizen in the ancient Athenian sense of the word."

This is a great book for boosting morale on any campus at any level. The ideas are fresh and enlightening for building relationships and team building. This book would be a great way to boost staff development, and active participation from all staff members.

This is a wonderful resource for Staff Development. If you are tired of having teachers yawn through your important presentations, this is a book full of ideas to help add fun to your work. The activities keep the audience involved, listening and learning throughout your presentation.

This book gives the administrator and anyone who supports the teachers in a school some great things to think about and ways to help the teachers on a day to day basis.

thanks for a wonderful job, the book and the service is excellent. well done

I had the honor to see Ms. Connors speak at a teacher conference this past week. I was feeling a bit jaded over the profession of teaching after completing my second year of teaching and after completing a research study proposal on the sad state of teacher retention due to low administrative support. I was at an oh-too-typical low point...

Ms. Connors' words (both in spoken and written form--I flew through her book after listening to her speech) really hit home. This is a book that every teacher and every administrator should read. It gives simple solutions that could and would make a big impact upon the current state of education today. I encourage every person involved in teaching students to read this book and think about the roles they currently play and the role they could play. THANK-YOU MS. CONNORS for humorously yet seriously pointing out both the problem and the necessary solutions.

This is the best account I have ever read about the events leading up to the Civil War. Mr. Potter does an excellent job presenting the information and carefully analyzing it without taking sides. Whether you sympathize with the Union or the Confederacy, if you have an interest in the Civil War, you will enjoy this book.

Written in the 1970's, and finished by a colleague, David Potter's depiction of the 1848-1861 timeframe is a finely researched book on the subject. Most importantly though, unlike other writers and historians (in particular James McPherson) who look back on this time with modern day hindsight, Potter writes a book which follows this time as it was, with all the issues and ebbs and flows of that era. Potter gives us refreshing perspectives such as:

- The Republican Party, upon rising to prominence in the mid-1850's, were fellow travellers in many ways with the nativist "Know-Nothing" Party.

- Not only was 1860 a sectionally divided presidential election, but so was the 1856 contest. The Republican John Fremont was a non-factor in the southern states, while Millard Fillmore (with the Know-Nothings) ran strongly in that region. The opposite was true in the northern states (which allowed James Buchanan to win the election).

- The reputations of Buchanan and Stephen Douglas fare much better in this book. Douglas in particular is portrayed as one of the few people who could see how the electoral divisions were going to lead to secession, unlike the Lincoln/Seward Republicans.

- The South's tactical victories in the Compromise of 1850, Kansas-Nebraska Act and Dred Scott decisions were actually strategic defeats. The South became more isolated as a result of these events, and less powerful.

Many books on this subject present the Civil War as an inevitable result of the 1850's, yet Potter illustrates many examples where the middle ground may have prevailed and possibly prevented the conflict. Other issues were important in this day, particularly the tariff issue which created the same sectional rivalries that slavery did.

Overall it's a refreshing, well-researched book that I would highly recommend to anyone interested in this era.

This is without a doubt, one of the greatest books on the Ante-bellum period. I read this book when I was in college in 1991 and was impressed with it. It remains one of my favorite books to this day on the Ante-bellum period. Your library is truly not complete without this work.

Potter's insightful history leading up to the Civil War is a must. He explains the culture, the split, the issue of slavery in easy to understand language to edify the reader's understanding of the things leading up to the secession as soon as Lincoln was nominated yet before he took office. Anyone interested in the history of this time period, it is the best book I have read on the subject. Potter not only discusses the politics, but also gives us a look into Lincoln and his actions to prevent the war.

Abraham Lincoln's 1860 election as President of the United States was the catalyst that set off the American Civil War, but this book traces the political processes that led to that result during the just over a decade between the end of the Mexican War in 1848 and the start of the Civil War with the firing on Fort Sumner in 1861.

Today it is easy to look back and regard the entire process as inevitable. What David Potter does in this classic, first published in 1976, is present the politics behind each step that pushed the sections of the country apart over the slavery issue. One apparent mystery has been what drove the astute politician Stephen Douglas to force through legislation tearing up the Compromise of 1820, which had extended a line from Missouri westward, north of which slavery would not be permitted. It was a colossal blunder that opened what had been a more or less settled issue, fanning the flames of sectionalism needlessly.

His Kansas-Nebraska Act opened those territories, north of the line, to a concept of popular sovereignty, in which those supposedly living in the territories would be allowed to vote on the issue. This may have sounded democratic, but it led to a wave of Abolitionist settlers from New England, and pro-slavery visitors from neighboring Missouri, resulting in "Bleeding Kansas", with attacks and massacres from both sides, and very little democracy. Potter shows that Douglas started from a powerful need to organize the territories so a Pacific railroad could be built, preferably from Chicago in his home state of Illinois. That simple point of departure led him into a series of moves that only deepened the sectional divide.

Potter describes how the southern slaveholders won a whole series of meaningless victories that did nothing to extend the slave territories but did intensify feelings against slavery in the North, from the Mexican War and Kansas-Nebraska to the Dred Scott decision and the hanging of John Brown. He traces the rise of the Republican party out of the ruins of the Whigs and the Freesoil Party, and exposes the latter not as advocates of rights for black people, but driven rather by a deep-seated racism aimed at keeping blacks out of the territories. Complicating the 1850's political map of America was the American, or "Know Nothing" party, dedicated to stopping the recent flood of mainly Catholic immigrants from Europe.

He also demonstrates that the Unionist candidates did better than generally believed in the four-sided presidential election of 1860, and that the voting system itself gave the secessionists of late 1860 and early 1861 far greater strength than their actual numbers.

If you want to get deep into the politics that split the powerful Democratic Party and ultimately the nation, this book has what you are looking for.

Just when I thought I had read everything about the space program, French and Burgess have done it again will a follow-on effort to their book "Into That Silent Sea."

I have no idea when they have the time to create such excellent work, but the latest book begins where the first one ended and includes much information I had never seen before, especially the chapters on the Apollo 1 pad fire and monumental Apollo 8 mission, it alone, a historic accomplishment rivaling the actual Moon landing.

Riddled with numerous never-before seen accounts (at least by me), the book is simply bulging with information such as Lola Morrow's dire premonition concerning the Apollo pad fire, and the raw emotional impact experienced by the crew of Apollo 8 upon seeing the first Earthrise observed by man.

I sincerly hope that Francis and Colin keep up the good work; maybe they could do a similar effort on underwater exploration? That would be such a contribution....

C. Newport, D.Sc.
Author of Lost Spacecraft: The Search for Liberty Bell 7

I own and have read most everything related to the Mercury through Apollo space program and this book shows new information that I hadn't seen in the other books published by many other astronauts and authors. Information was gathered from a myriad of sources and checked against other sources. The book greatly changed my opinion of a few astronauts and paints the entire NASA program in a more accurate light. The passing of time since the event depicted in the book has allowed the authors to see the "big picture" and step away being politically correct and instead be factual and accurate instead.

I just finished this wonderful historical and personal account of the race to the Moon, and feel privileged to know a little more about the brave men at the apex of mankind's tremendous achievement all those years ago. The authors have expertly captured the spirit of the times and given us the "warts and all" perspective on the personalities involved. For those who love history but are concerned that this book may be a "technical" account, there's no need to worry - it's exposition of events is clear and uncluttered, and clevery interwoven with the life stories of the people involved.

I strongly recommend this book as required reading to younger, high-school and college-age readers who may wonder today "How did we get there?". (Or sadly, even if we got there at all!). The answers are here, where we learn that despite our ever-present human failings, we CAN do great things when united to a common purpose. By the end of the book it will become obvious why and how we could reach the point where Armstrong and Aldrin could safely land on the Moon and return home - in fact it's almost anti-climactic!

Knowing more about the fallibilities of the astronauts has only deepened my respect for these remarkable and courageous men. As they grow old over a time when we haven't returned to the Moon, it's important to capture their stories for future generations, and French & Burgess have succeeded eminently in doing so.

My only niggle is that apparently the publishers balked at the idea of an index, which would have served as a guide for those who want to return to this book from time to time to "dip in" - as I'm sure I and many others shall do for years to come.

What authors French and Burgess have managed to accomplish with their book "In the Shadow of the Moon" is a sense of being there.

This book transcends a third-party recounting of events. French and Burgess have created an extraordinary interface between the reader and the people sharing their stories. "In the Shadow of the Moon" does an exquisite job of bringing us into the fold, allowing a rather personal access to these astronauts' lives and innermost thoughts: helping us to better understand an experience we will never have ourselves.

The authors' skillful marriage of informing and storytelling help to ensure that it is a book that will be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of their interest level in space history. The authors did an excellent job of introducing background information on a mission, and then following it up with personal interpretation by someone who was there. The authors' thorough research is apparent, but it is woven so well with the narrative that it allows the reader to simply take it in, absorbing it effortlessly.

By writing this book, French and Burgess share with humanity that which few have experienced. But more than that, they help us all understand a little better the magnitude of our venture into space. The accomplishments of the few, holding meaning for us all.

There are and have been hundreds if not thousands of books about manned spaceflight over the years but only a select few have really been able to communicate the true story and feeling generated by one of the most fondly remembered era's in American history. A time most commonly remembered as being one of technological marvel. However the true story is one of the men & Women who supported and flew the missions. This book goes deeper into the "Golden era" or manned spaceflight and tells stories that have never been told all the while keeping the reader enthralled. It touches on subjects long since forgotten or ignored and brings them to the fore. With first hand interviews with the people involved the authors really touch on the human aspect. I was especially taken by surprise that they told the story the way it should be. Not just the American effort, but the Russians too as there story never really gets told. I have read many books on spaceflight and I can honestly say this is one of only a few books that have kept me addicted and wanting to come back for more. Buy this book. You will not be disappointed. Even if you are not interested in manned spaceflight buy this book as you will be by the end. It reminds us all why we were interested in spaceflight to begin with. For a long long time the Book A Man on the Moon by Andrew Chaikin was the book to beat. This is no longer the case.