Missouri Books

Having misplaced my earlier printing of this book (by the University of Nebraska Press) I ordered the Kessinger Publishing, LLC release of this title, only to be terribly disappointed. The Remington drawings are so poorly reproduced that some appear as blacked-out, scarcely discernable blobs, rather than the wonderful sketches they originally were. This printing appears to be a very poorly-reproduced copy of earlier ones, with much quality lost. Find a copy of the extremely attractive Nebraska (Bison) edition instead.

From someone who has lived this life on the great plains from cowboy to hunter, this book is in every detail right on. It is written in Teddy's classic modest style (who else could float the Missouri during spring break up chasing criminals with guns and describe it with as much excitement as buttering toast).

It also is a repeat of some of his earlier works as this seems to be a bit of transitional book of when he was about leaving the Elkhorn for the east.
The Wilderness Hunter is more poetic and Hunting Trips of a Ranchman is a better read, but the history in this book of how Montana and the Dakotas were made safe by lynch justice makes this one interesting too.

The sketches by Remington are wonderfully historic to study and add a great deal to this book.
This book though is like all of Teddy's in settling down with a friend and always looking for his next book to find a campfire with him again.
Thank God Mr. Roosevelt wrote so many wonderful books.

"Ranch Life And The Hunting Trail" is Theodore Roosevelt's narrative of his life and experiences during his time in the Dakota Territory of the 1880s. Published in 1888, it displays Roosevelt's writing at this finest. His picture words make the scenes come alive in all their splendor. This is a TR I never knew existed. For anyone with a love of western adventure, this book is it!

Besides providing the sheer enjoyment of reading, this book actually teaches the reader much about the life and economy of the era. I had always heard about the open range and the roundup, but this book makes the concepts clear. Cattle and horses were left to feed on the open range. The herds were divided during the roundup, with the calves given the brands of their mothers, as the way to assert property rights in the cattle. The devastation of a severe winter cannot be imagined until you read an eyewitness account, and few are written as well as this. The challenges of the hunt and the unique characters of the West can be experienced vicariously through the pages of this book.

Frederic Remington's illustrations add visual images to the written word.

This book is an excellent choice for anyone with longing for the lure of the Old West or a window into the world of Theodore Roosevelt.

"Ranch Life And The Hunting Trail" is Theodore Roosevelt's narrative of his life and experiences during his time in the Dakota Territory of the 1880s. Published in 1888, it displays Roosevelt's writing at this finest. His picture words make the scenes come alive in all their splendor. This is a TR I never knew existed. For anyone with a love of western adventure, this book is it!

Besides providing the sheer enjoyment of reading, this book actually teaches the reader much about the life and economy of the era. I had always heard about the open range and the roundup, but this book makes the concepts clear. Cattle and horses were left to feed on the open range. The herds were divided during the roundup, with the calves given the brands of their mothers, as the way to assert property rights in the cattle. The devastation of a severe winter cannot be imagined until you read an eyewitness account, and few are written as well as this. The challenges of the hunt and the unique characters of the West can be experienced vicariously through the pages of this book.

Frederic Remington's illustrations add visual images to the written word.

This book is an excellent choice for anyone with longing for the lure of the Old West or a window into the world of Theodore Roosevelt.

I have an original copy of this classic. Not a photo-copy. NOT much else of Americana as spectacular.

I have a boy in my class who would never finish a book. He just wasn't interested in any of the typical novels that third graders read. One day he picked up Tom Sawyer and he read it every day until he had finished the book. Now he's reading it a second time. Something about this story really appealed to him in a way that no other book could. The text level is typical for third grade. The print size is large. There are lots of black and white pictures. It tells the story of Tom Sawyer in a way that a third grader will understand.

the book was ok because it is so hard and it has some long parts in it! so i would not let kids under 8 read this unless they are real good! and other then that it was GREAT!!! then i would give it 50 thumbs up!!

My 9-year old son picked up the book and could not put it down! This is not typical for my very active son... it usually takes three weeks to finish a book - not the three days it took for this edition of Tom Sawyer. It was exciting to see him read a classic and enjoy it so much. Now he is asking for Huckleberry Finn...

Just to alert the prospective buyer- this volume is an adaptation by Deidre S. Laiken - not the unabridged version

I have read a lot of books on Alcatraz and been there many times. This book has to be the most dull. Sure it explains what a day is like for a prison guard, but a book describing the daily life of a public librarian would have been just as engaging. I didn't really learn anything new or important about the prison or those who lived on it. And I sure did not learn anything about Gregory. Check out Creepy Karpis's book, "On the Rock." It's probably 50% lies, but it's at least a good read.
One more thing, the pictures in this book are mostly reproductions of other officially released pictures. I already have all of them.

This book moves along smoothly detailing the daily life as a prison guard in one of America's most notorious prisons. Written by a former U.S. Marine and experienced correctional officer George Gregory, he captures his life inside the prison from 1947 to 1962. After reading this book you'll definitely will feel what it would be like to work on the inside. Highly recommended!

Alcatraz Screw is the memoir of George Gregory, a correctional officer at Alcatraz from 1947 to 1963. A former Marine wounded at Iwo Jima, Gregory had the self-confidence necessary to handle himself well with inmates and his superior officers. He treated inmates fairly but firmly and didn't put up with any nonsense. His writing style is lean and plain with a 1950s flavor. Even if you have no interest in penology, this is an interesting book to read because it's the story of an honest guy competently doing his job as prison guard. It includes about 20 pages of photographs and maps.

This is a great book for anyone interested in what life was like on Alcatraz from an insider's perspective. Mr. Gregory served as a prison guard on Alcatraz and explains in detail the daily routines of the prisoners and guards. He writes very directly about the various jobs he had while there and what life was like. He adds a very human aspect to the people in his book while writing very "matter of factly." I was engaged by the book and did not want to put it down at times. Having read other books on Alcatraz and having been there, this book told me an insider's perspective that I had never felt I'd had before. I recommend it highly to anyone who has even the slightest interest in what Alcatraz was really like.

Mr. Cosmas has put together some fascinating details about the Spanish American War and the campaigns in Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and even on Guam. His attention to detail is excellent and covers (although not in as much depth as it could have) the various factors involved in this unique conflict. He points out the weakness of the military, the lack of proper medical, supply and weaponry, but he does explain the courage and determination of the common soldier and the terrible problems they faced. The fight for San Juan Hill was done a bit too quickly, but covered the basics. The book is broken down into compact chapters that lets the reader learn about the war in digestible segments. All together, a most readable book for the novice and experienced history buff, but could have been much longer and filled with more information about the various units and relative personalties. In fact, Frederick Funston is only mentioned once and General Henry Lawton needed more ink. A good book to round out one's collection on the dawning of the American colonial period.

Throughout American military history, the interactions and tensions between the regular Army, militia (National Guard) and the civilian politicians in Washington have plagued efficiency in time of war. Nowhere are these tensions more apparent than in Graham A. Cosmas's seminal study. Do not let the title of this book mislead you, however. This is not a beginning-to-end narrative of the Spanish-American War in the conventional sense. Instead, this is an institutional, administrative, and organizational treatise on military policy, that utilises the Spanish-American War as a case study. Cosmas presents a perspective of the Spanish-American War as viewed from the War Department and never deviates far from that standpoint. Only one chapter tells of the land and naval engagements in the Caribbean and the Philippines. Even here, Cosmas prefers to concentrate more on logistics, than battles. Shortages of everything besides manpower, especially equipment and supplies resinates throughout these pages. The chapter "Sickness and Scandal" tells of the malaria, yellow fever, and dysentery epidemics that ravaged the American Army in Cuba, and the shortage of medical personnel and supplies to treat them. Yet, it is Cosmas's handling of all these crucial themes, at a critical turning point not only in American history, but also the shaping and reforming of American military policy, that makes this book a true classic. Briefly, Cosmas concludes the War Department's conduct of the war was not all mismanagement, negligence and corruption as commonly asserted by previous historians. Rather, the War Department's successes far outweigh its failures. The author weaves grand strategy, civil-military in-fighting, and the age-old debate concerning a regular standing versus citizen army beautifully. Cosmas states that the War Department had a good plan for carrying out the war, however, President William McKinley's meddling fouled it up. McKinley undermined the War Department's contingency plans, argues Cosmas, by expanding the Army twice, and bowing to the pressure of the states to call up the National Guard. The author asserts that had McKinley resisted the political sway of the National Guard proponents, the War Department would have been better able to train and equip a small regular force, thus alleviating chaotic logistical nightmares. In short, military strategy should be conducted my generals, not civilians; even if that civilian happens to be the commander-in chief [first published in 1973, this argument could certainly have mirrored current events in Southeast Asia]. This book is indispensable in gaining a perspective to a crucial period in American military policy. The less inclined may want to digest David Trask's _The War With Spain in 1898_ first though.

"An Army For Empire" is proof of the saying that, in military matters, amateurs speak of tactics while professionals speak of logistics. Much of this book deals with the history of the organization and supply of the U. S. Army during the Spanish American War. Relatively few pages are devoted to narration of the actual combat.

Much of the story of the preparation of the Army dealt with the sometimes stormy relationships between President McKinley, Secretary of War Alger, Commanding General Of The Army Miles, Adjutant General Corbin, General Shafter, Commander in Cuba, and more minor characters. Cosmas points out the challenges confronting the administration which contributed to the disorganization and poor food for which it was criticized. Legal restrictions on the deployment of National Guard units complicated the recruitment of volunteer troops. Problems arose out of the incompatibility of equipment among the state militias. Political tugs of war between regular and state forces complicated staffing. Limited ordnance production capabilities constrained material accumulation. Shifting war aims introduced inefficiencies into the deployment of troops. The post hostility problems with tropical diseases and their stateside ramifications receive in depth analysis. All in all, Cosmas concludes that the War Department succeeded, by war's end, in developing a suitable Army for Empire.

Cosmas does a good job in explaining how the shifting war aims drove changes in invasion plans. Whereas original debate centered over attacks on Havana or Puerto Rico, the discovery of Adm. Cervera's fleet in Santiago Harbor compelled a landing near Santiago. The reader learns that the seemingly irrational departure of the Spanish fleet from Santiago was done under orders. The resulting destruction of the Spanish fleet cut the army off from its sources of supply and condemned it to either starvation or surrender.

Cosmas show how inefficiencies turned up in unexpected places. Despite the longer trip, the expedition to the Philippines was better organized than the one to Cuba. As things turned out, the Army raised about twice as many volunteer troops as it used.

Having read other books about the Spanish American War, "An Army For Empire" supplemented what I already knew. It tied things together and showed the "whys" behind the "whats". For this it was worthwhile. I thought that the extensive verbage about supply and organization may prove boring, but it never did. I would not recommend this as a first book about the Spanish American war. I do recommend it to deepen the understanding of the mature reader.

For the student of military logistics this work is essential reading. As a history of the Spanish-American War, it is merely adequate. It is the primary objective of the book to cover the U.S. military's preparedness for, and response to, the Spanish-American War. The ebb and flow of battles are secondary to this logistical leitmotif, and are covered with little detail. Accordingly, there is almost more written on military uniform subcontracting than on the battle of San Juan Hill.

One disquieting aspect of the book is the impression Cosmas gives of his utter determination to absolve the U.S. Army of any wrong doing in its preparation for the war. In a number of areas, such as the performance of the Krag-Jorgensen rifle, Cosmas fails to convince. He too easily dismisses complaints about the military establishment as the products of political jealousies and yellow journalism.

Nonetheless, Cosmas' mastery of logistical detail is exceptional, and will make this book required reading for any historian of the war. However, it is not itself a full history of the war.

This book was good from a historical perspective, and gives some very interesting aspects about baseball in ST.L and durring WWII, but like the other reviewers have mentioned, there are several "baseball things" that are mis-stated or incorrect. Things like "RBI average" etc are annoying, and quite honestly would have been fixed by an editor who has watched some baseball - but did not ruin the whole book for me.

why this hasn't been made into a movie yet is puzzling to me

Hey, I had to love this book -- and I did. It's the story of the 1944 wartime World Series between the formidable St. Louis Cardinals and the chronic joke called the St. Louis Browns. I was a ten-year-old St. Louis kid, an avid sports fan, and the reality of a city series in my home town on the then western fringe of the major leagues was some kind of Nirvana. It was sheer pleasure for me to live all that again.

"The Boys Who Were Left Behind" brought back a lot of memories and excitement, reminding me of things I'd forgotten, but it also expanded my knowledge and understanding of what the game was like during the hard days of World War II. Most importantly, the pool of talent was depleted by the draft to the point that in 1945 (but not 1944), as the military scraped deeper and deeper into the ranks of the possibly eligible, the Browns actually used a one-armed player, Pete Gray. Some of the players were 4-Fs, physical rejects whose defects precluded duty in the trenches but not limping around the bases of ballparks. Others divided their time between factory work in defense industries and baseball, some being able to play ball only on weekends. Some just plain got lucky.

Stan Musial was one. If a player came from a draft board with a disproportionate number of eligible men and had good fortune with the lottery, he could slide through unscathed, and the Cardinals were particularly blessed in this regard. Musial, enlisting in early 1945 but never called, was able to stay with them throughout the war. The Browns, on the other hand, were not so fortunate, and their 1944 team was a patched together fabric of virtual misfits, alcoholics and retreads who somehow managed to win games.

They won a lot of games, as a matter of fact, including their notable pennant drive in which they won eleven out of their final twelve, including the last four in a row over the New York Yankees. I remember that last day. I was taking an October walk with my parents through the countryside outside the city, carrying a portable radio, and can visually recall our whereabouts at the moment when Chet Laabs hit his critical home run.

The Browns gave the high-powered Cards all they could handle in the Series, much to the delight of the many underdog-lovers in my home town but not this boy. I was a red-dyed Redbird fan even in that time of split loyalties.

The book is not without defects. A Browns rally in a home game is described as occurring "in the top of the fourth". Vernon Stephens is recalled as "one of the best outfielders" when he actually played shortstop. Some names are messed up -- "Roy" Sanders for "Ray", "Jack Jagucki for "Sig", and "Bill" Verban for "Emil". A hit off the right field screen in Sportsman's Park is called "an automatic double", which it was not -- a ball remained in play after it hit the screen. A run is described as scoring on an infield double play -- such would not count. A hit sending Walker Cooper to third is represented as advancing "the Cardinal pitcher" -- Walker was a Cards' catcher, his brother, Mort, a pitcher. Etc. But that's nitpicking, a small detraction from a delightful overall effort.

In short, John Heidenry and Brett Topel bring the wartime era in American history and sport to life in "The Boys Who Were Left Behind", and they do so in 152 succinct but heartfelt pages. They succeed in creating a feeling of the times in general and baseball in particular, touching on the difficulties with travel, supplies, and rationed items and the very real possibility that professional baseball might disappear for the duration. That it did not was a measure of the determination of fans, players and owners but also of the national perception that baseball had importance beyond being simply entertainment. It was our national sport, and no one, including the service people overseas who followed it closely, carped seriously about its continuation. Baseball represented a continuing thread of normalcy in a time of national emergency and in doing so held out the image of placid summer days, relaxed people and better times to come.

As another reviewer put it about some of the items in this book, "it may be nit-picking, but"...with this book, there is a lot of nit to pick. In spite of the impressive resources links at the end of the book, there is a bundle of inaccuracies all through the pages. Just to mention a few more than he did: Vern Stephens became one of the best outfielders (he wasn't an outfielder); Dodger outfielder Billy Herman (Babe Herman maybe); some old codger at the '44 Series was a Browns fan since 1869 (give me a break!); Danny Litwhiler had an RBI average of 82; Stan Musial was to play in the Mountain League (it was the Mountain States League); Sanders was the lead-off hitter for the Browns and batted in 102 runs (nobody ever did that before); plus a bunch of undoubtedly made-up conversations between players and batboys, etc. So, in spite of the many interesting things in the book, it became somewhat of a tedious read.

As the author of The Curt Flood Story: The Man Behind the Myth, I want to correct a key date on page 110. It could not be more significant. It was central to my argument that Flood sued baseball because he became bitter and angry, even unreasoning, after he misplayed Jim Northrup's line drive in the 1968 World Series. A central piece of evidence was his failure to send his ex-wife her semi-monthly check on October 18, 1968, just a week after the Series ended. Unfortunately, I did not see until yesterday, August 26, 2008, that I placed the month at November, more than a month after the Series, which undermined the nexus and my argument. I am sorry on several counts, for not seeing the mistake before publication, for not correcting it sooner, and for partially vitiating my thesis.

Interesting premise, and although the writing is a bit uninspired, a reasonable read. I am still not quite sure what problem the Mr. Weiss was trying to solve (but, indeed, the book is provocative, as the author promises). I also was struck by the apparent refusal of any of Curt Flood's teammates to speak with the Mr. Weiss about Flood's career. I think there also could have been a bit more discussion of Jackie Robinson's testimony at the trial and what prompted it.

I did spot a few minor errors which I would suggest revisiting should there be a second edition.

page 103, top paragraph, for Keane (who was dead by 1967) should be Schoendinst.

page 106 there is a repeat of the phraase "-and Mickey Lolich"...which I think is unintentional

page 114 The museum housing the old masters in Amsterdam is the "Rijksmuseum", not the "Reichsmuseum" (probably the last thing the Dutch would want the place called"

page 140 Not really an error, but when the Phils were trying to lure Flood to come in 1970, the artificial turf of the Vet was still more than year away

page 175 In January of 1970, the opposing teams in the Superbowl were Kansas City and Minnesota, not Green Bay and Minnesota

My only other observation is that whatever the myth was, Flood was a fabulous player and in 1967, when the Cards came to New England for the Series, many of thought that with the excepton of Frank Robinson (who had come to the Orioles the previous year) the American Leagues did not have players the likes of Flood, Bob Gibson and Lous Brock.

This book is a good read and not only for a baseball fans. It is primarily about a player's reasons for sacrificing his career, and in that sense it is extremely provocative. It directly attacks the eulogistic and long-standing view that Curt Flood was a hero who sacrificed his career on behalf of a noble cause--challenging baseball's reserve system in the courts. In that sense it is a psychodrama.

According to the author, this book is the story of the life of a sensitive, brooding St. Louis Cardinals star center fielder who became unhinged after misplaying a costly line drive in the 1968 World Series, feuded with his boss, Gussie Busch, and the Cardinals front office, and then found himself traded. Bound by his contract that obligated him to go where the Cardinals sent him, or retire, he chose a third option--to challenge baseball's reserve clause which he believed, after conferring with his lawyer, was unconstitutional. The writer argues, successfully in this reader's judgment, that Flood's unusual decision, sacrificing his career, was another in a series of bad decisions that stemmed from his misplay in 1968. In this smoothly written book, Professor Weiss also argues very cogently that although Flood, because of his challenge to the reserve clause, is viewed by many people as the father of free agency, actually he was at best the grandfather, and perhaps only the Godfather, of free agency.

This was an excellent text, rivaling the great "Founding Brothers - The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis. It addresses the fundamental question I have always had; how could slavery continue (thrive) in a "free" nation? I have been reading a lot about the Founding Fathers with the central purpose of answering this very question. This book "George Washington & Slavery" includes many quotes and letters from the general that specifically addresses the slavery issue. It uses Washington and his contemporaries own letters to paint a story of our most famous founding father and his viewpoint on Blacks and slavery.

It begins by discussing how Washington obtained his large slave population through his marriage with Martha. It tells us that Washington was your typical (although meticulous) plantation owner. The Mount Vernon Estate was the most envied in the land. This was due to not only Washington's management but also slave labor. You get a strong since of how important slavery was to the every day needs of our most esteemed founding father.

However, Washington changed his views about Blacks during the Revolutionary War when he initiated enlisting Blacks into the Army (in the North not the South). Unfortunately, this was only done as a last resort after British Lord Cornwallis had announced that Black slaves could seek freedom if they took up arms with the British. It was then that Washington, faced with a mounting slave force with weapons, decided it was a smart strategy to allow Blacks to serve for the colonies.

What was most disappointing about Washington is that he was well aware of several Blacks with courage, intelligence and character. This book tells us about the Black poetess Phyllis Wheatley who was highly regarded for her literature (Washington once wrote her and he did addressed her with respect). There were several slaves that fought valiantly in the Revolutionary War and won recognition from Washington and other generals. He was always known to be fair on the battlefield with both his White and Black soldiers. There are several notably slaves such as his own Billy Lee that stood side by side with Washington through even his military battles. Frenchman Marquis de Lafayette often wrote Washington about the abolition of slavery? In fact, Lafayette wrote Washington about the large-scale emancipation of slaves in the French colony of Cayenne, the capital city of what is now known as Guiana. Therefore, Washington not only had first hand knowledge that Blacks were capable individuals, but also that slavery could and had been abolished in another part of the world. Washington still was willing to sit idle while hundreds of thousands were destined to a life of bondage.

At one time the Washington estate housed over 400 slaves (including children). They catered to the every needs of the Washingtons. Martha Washington had personally eleven slaves to perform her cooking, cleaning, sewing, etc. This book was full of letters by the Washington's regarding their slaves. It indicated that the Washingtons were fair and reasonable with their slave labor. In fact, the only time George revolted punitively was in regard to runaways.

The last will and testament of George Washington was to free his slaves. This is good, but in my opinion is not enough to remove the stain of slavery in his life. Even though he was fair to his slaves, he could have set in motion (or at least continued the existing momentum) emancipation in this country. The original impression I had before was that Whites during our revolutionary time lived in an environment where slavery was an unchallenged institution. This book and others indicate that there was a growing abolition movement in this country that began at the nations' founding.

I get the impression from Washington and the other Founding Fathers that they realized slavery was wrong. Of course it would have been hard to move towards abolition. It is always difficult to give up status and an economic advantage. Power and privilege are always difficult to give up. And even if Washington could give up the Presidency of the United States he could not find himself to give up the comforts of slavery while he was living. This was a question about power and the need to feel superior to others. Emancipation would have been challenged by his fellow southern plantation owners. Of course it would have been challenged and certainly unpopular, but many ideas are challenged. The Founders including Washington could have provided freedom for slaves after they reach an appropriate age. This was a strategy employed by the northern states. He could have been more outspoken and introduced a plan to gradually rid the country of this egregious sin. The question is whether this is worth fighting for. There are many examples where Washington put his life on the line for ideas he felt were worth the fight. Was the fight was worth it? Fighting a war against the world's largest Army was hard and many thought suicidal. But you fight for things that you believe in and ideas that are worth it. That was one of the themes of the revolution. In Washington's opinion (and most other key leaders of our nation at that time), the plight, hopes, dreams, viewpoints, feelings and freedom of Blacks were not worth the fight.

This was a very well research historical view of George Washington that is not presented in normal history classes. While it is known that he owned slaves, this book provides a gateway to allow the reader to step back through time to get a true sense of what it was like to be "owned" by General Washington.

The photocopies of actual hand written letters about recapturing his runaway slaves shows him to be a vindictive person who had no conflict over being a staunch freedom fighter while owning slaves at the same time. Duh!

While some apologists for him say that he was a benevolent owner, the fact remains that his "employees" worked over 12 hours each day, seven days a week with neither a salary nor a 401k.

The book also points out a very clever concealment of the "fugutive slave law" in the constitution. (Section 2 article 4) that George spearheaded.

After reading this work one can see that his slave plantation was every bit as horrific as anything to be found in Treblenka, Bergen-Belsen or Dauchau.

Mr. Hirschfeld has put a lot of time and research into this work and has turned out a good look at Washington the slave owner. He like the writers of recent attacks on T. Jefferson however forget to tell the whole story. Early in the 21st century it is easy to look back and see what an evil slavery was. The fact that we weren't raised being told that slavery was not only acceptable but a positive good makes our viewpoint much eaiser. Washington like Jefferson was raised by people who told him slavery was indeed a good thing. The society he grew up in and probably even his ministers told him the same thing. Hirschfeld's work is lacking in that he doesn't point out that by ever beginning to see the wrongs of the slave system Washington had shown a great deal of moral growth. Otherwise this is a fine book that examines an area of Washington's life that does deserve attention.

The author's work is certainly exhaustively researched, and thus has much to offer to any student of Washington, and of slavery itself. However, I take umbrage to the notion of conducting a limited analysis on the character of Washington, as inferred solely from his reluctant acceptance of the institution of slavery. Had the author been born into a southern plantation family in the late eighteenth century, I wonder if his intractable views on slavery would have been quite as pronounced.

Francis Grierson gives a vivid account of his days in central Illinois near the Sangamon river. The characters and their earthy wisdom, the folks on the underground railroad and the camp meeting were told so well, I swear that I was there. I recommend it highly to those readers who enjoy nineteenth century pioneer days reading

This book was mind numbing. I believe historical books are supposed to have facts and information that is easy enough to comprehend. All that this book provided was the ramblings of colloquial dialog. This should be a book on tape not a book of historical text. The Valley of Shadows was to be a source of information for a conference on Lincoln's Antebellum America, I wonder how many of my colleagues did as I did with this work, SKIM.

Herbert Agar, in his seminal work THE PRICE OF UNION, touts Grierson's little book. Fifteen years after reading Agar, I finally found THE VALLEY OF SHADOWS at a used bookstore in Denver. I had begun work on a screenplay about General Nathaniel Lyon (who held Missouri for the Union during the Civil War). Grierson's book and A BORDER CITY DURING THE CIVIL WAR by Galusha Anderson were priceless sources describing St. Louis as the city began to split apart in 1861. Both books were published more than four decades after the War, but the events are described vividly.

I had never heard of Francis Grierson's "The Valley of Shadows" until I read Edmund Wilson's enthusiastic praise of it in "Patriotic Gore." Still, I was unprepared for the book's enormous effect. I have never read anything like "The Valley of Shadows." It has some of the most evocative writing I have ever encountered, and, in this edition, ranks as one of the best short novels of 19th century America. (Prof. Bray has wisely excised the latter chapters of Francis Grierson's "memoir," and what remains is a compelling and very memorable work.) Grierson's descriptions of pre-Civil-War-Sangamon County, Illinois, the omens of war and suffering preceding Lincoln's election in 1860, and the religious hysteria of the times are unforgettable. His prose style is, to put it mildly, lyrical, but it is not in the least mannered or fussy. I think this book, more than any other except "Huckleberry Finn," shows what the American Midwest was like in mid-19th century. Like "Huck Finn," "The Valley of Shadows" is told from a child's point of view, and the feeling of wonder and confusion that comes from this choice of narrator is central to the book's charm. Perhaps best of all, the novel's characters, all beautifully differentiated and running a huge range from the comic to the deeply spiritual, are as unforgettable as any characters I have encountered. New readers of "The Valley of Shadows" are in for a big treat.

My 12 year old even loved it. Has everything pics, websites, even phone numbers. Hope he writes another one

This book is truly fantastic. I have a huge, huge, huge collection of ghost and haunting books, and I will say that this book rates among the very top. In my opinion, this is one of the better ghost books out there. All of the stories are extremely credible. A very unique feature of this book is that the author has personally visited, reviewed, and photographed every haunted location listed! You don't find that in a lot of ghost books. So, you get the authors personal experiences as well as the background and history of each haunted place. Another neat feature is that he only included in the book haunted locations open to the public. What a great idea! Each location also must be historically significant to Missouri.

Remnants of War:
Ch. 1 - 1859 Jail, Marshal's Home and Museum, Independence
Ch. 2 - Anderson House, Battle of Lexington State Historic Site, Lexington
Ch. 3 - Bone Hill, Levasy
Ch. 4 - Fort Osage, Sibley
Ch. 5 - Lone Jack Battlefield, Lone Jack
Ch. 6 - Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, Republic
Ch. 7 - Kendrick House, Carthage

This is My House:
Ch. 8 - Rockcliffe Mansion, Hannibal
Ch. 9 - Lemp Mansion, St. Louis
Ch. 10- Vaile Mansion, Independence
Ch. 11- Big Cedar Lodge, Ridgedale
Ch. 12- Grand Avenue Bed & Breakfast, Carthage
Ch. 13- 1069 Salon and Spa, St. Charles

School Spirits:
Ch. 14- Mt. Gilead School, Kearney
Ch. 15- Roberta Hall, Northwest Missouri State University, Maryville
Ch. 16- Senior Hall, Stephens College, Columbia
Ch. 17- Yeater Hall, University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg
Ch. 18- Central Methodist University, Fayette

Ghostly Graveyards:
Ch. 19- Workman Chapel, Maryville
Ch. 20- Hazel Ridge Cemetery, Brunswick
Ch. 21- Peace Church Cemetery, Joplin
Ch. 22- Glore Psychiatric Museum, St. Joseph

Returning to Their Old Haunts:
Ch. 23- Mark Twain Cave, Hannibal
Ch. 24- The Elms Resort and Spa, Excelsior Springs
Ch. 25- Jesse James Farm, Kearney
Ch. 26- Governor's Mansion, Jefferson City

Someone's Watching You:
Ch. 27- Old Tavern, Arrow Rock
Ch. 28- Spook Light, Seneca
Ch. 29- Pythian Castle, Springfield
Ch. 30- Landers Theatre, Springfield
Ch. 31- Hotel Savoy, Kansas City
Ch. 32- Main Street Cafe, Marceline


HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Lindy
www.hauntedcolorado.net

I came across the author's blog on the net and decided to order his book after reading some of his stories. You don't need to have any particular interest in Missouri to enjoy this book. I'm sure I will never go there myself, but then I've never been to most other locations in books about ghosts, either.

The author provided thorough a description of each setting and event and personally interviewed the percipients. He writes with a subtle humor that enhances his search to experience a haunting for himself.

This book probably isn't going to make you sleep with the lights on, but I found it absorbing and interesting - and scary enough. It was also nicely designed (something that you can't always say about ghost books any more).

I'd also like to point out that this book is not about legends, as the first reviewer implied. It's about ghost experiences. I'm extremely choosy about the ghost books I read and this book has everything I look for in a ghost book. I hope the author writes another volume on Missouri ghosts.

I've read some of the book and came away with the opinion that the author devoted more time to areas of Northern Missouri than the state as a whole. The author could've added more to the stories and instead kept them brief missing out on some elements of the legends.

You're better off using the index in this book than browsing it. The subheads are supposed to be cute but they are not helpful. It would have been better to list the name of the place, nearest town, and hours if applicable than to give it some unclever title. You have to read through the information to find what exactly the curiosity is. It's annoying and detracts from interesting information provided. Off the Beaten Path: Missouri by Patti DeLano is less quirky (although it has some oddities listed) but covers more travel information and is easier to read.

This is an excellent book for those living in or passing through Missouri. Funny, informative, entertaining, and well-organized, the author takes us through the entire state of oddities and other sundry things, in a state where the natives are both charming and self-effacing. This book deserves two thumbs up for sure!

This is a great read: not only does it give practical advice for the MO tourist wishing to stray from the beaten path, it's also a great read for anyone interested in reading a bunch of darn good stories. Highly recommended.

My wife and I had a lot of fun reading this book - the author has a real appreciation of people of all stripes, and a good sense of humor. We visited a lot of weird and wonderful places in Arkansas a few years ago, but now it's obvious that Missouri has even more wackiness to offer.