Virginia Books

The book begins with Henry Stoddard writting his thoughts and experiences while living in the silver mining town of Virginia City, Nevada, On January 1, 1900. What follows is a grand tale of life and love in a booming mining town!! Any fan of Historical Fiction will love this book!! I read it while I was vacationing in Virgina City, Nevada and it made me feel as if I was there in all the excitement of the COMSTOCK LODE!!!

The book says the author was Richard S.Wheeler. The real Author was a man by the name of Dickey Dey. For many years he was the private secretary of Mr. John Mackay.

This really an interesting report on the working of Virginia City and more about the people and characters that lived there than it is about mining.

A must read for all fans of the Comstock Lode.

I discovered Richard Wheeler a month ago. What a great discovery! He's an intelligent novelist who develops rich characters and weaves his narrative into the history of the old west. He educates and entertains.

Sun Mountain is an excellent read and strongly recommended. Learn about Virginia City, Nevada during its heyday. And what a heyday it had! Its roots are solidly in the pre-railroad days when everything had to be hauled hundreds and hundreds of arduous miles over the Sierras from California during the early days of that state. Then came the railroads and transformed Virginia City, as they transformed every town they touched. Wheeler instructs the reader on the Comstock Lode and the technological innovations developed there that changed mining around the world. He deftly covers the full gamut of human nature and existence in such a place at such a time.

If you have yet to read a Richard Wheeler novel, Sun Mountain is an excellent place to start.

At last: a historical novel with a sense of humor. Undeniably acknowledged as a master storyteller and flawless in his knowledge of the historical West, Wheeler fully unveils yet another talent from his already amazing repretoire: humor. While the real stars of Sun Mountain are the Virginia City's silver mines, narrator Henry Stoddard nearly steals the show with his sly perceptions of the city's inhabitants and his inept campaign to leave bachelorhood in a near womanless town. His search to find true love and the city's innovations to unearth its riches made me smile-one with affection, the other with admiration.

I can think of few historical novels-as-memoirs of the American West that are as memorable as Richard S. Wheeler's SUN MOUNTAIN--Brian Garfield's WILD TIMES comes to mind but few others. Wheeler's narrator, Henry Stoddard, a newspaperman with the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise, was present at the beginnning of the Comstock silver boom in Nevada in the 1860s and was there at the end of it two decades later. He witnessed every significant event and knew every personage, from young Samuel Langhorne Clemens to the forgotten miner--Welsh, Irish, Chinese--who spent his days in the hellish mines wresting the silver ore free to make other men rich. SUN MOUNTAIN is an unforgettable, powerful, touching novel set in a tumultuous time and a story that could only be told by this towering figure in Western fiction.

This book is a welcome breath of fresh air in a world that seems to pretend that death never happens. It does, and this book reminds that denial will cheat us from what matters in life. My experience as a physician reminds me every day that death is an essential part of life. The book is filled with moving stories about people's confrontation with death and lessons to help us lead a richer life.

Although I am an RN and have wrapped many patients for the morgue in my day, I still fear death and if I will feel anything when I am dead. This book was affirming, validating and inspiring. It will help me live my life. How does so young a person have such insight into this topic? Of note an article entitled "Could the clinically dead feel pain" in ABC Science Online is fascinating. Thankyou Virginia. Buy the BOOK!

I bought this book because I am starting to volunteer at a convalescent home. I recommend it for anyone who is going to comfort the terminally ill.

The book's true stories and descriptions of what extreme life-saving measures doctors often resort to, have made me want to have a very specific advanced medical directive. Artificial breathing / ventilation and feeding tubes are not for me!

Virgina understands that remembering is part of healing.
I also use Write from Your Heart, A Healing Grief Journal in my classes. It is good to find books such as these.
For the children I teach I use After the Tears, A Gentle Guide to Help Children Understand Death.

A powerful and positive call to action that inspired me to "make death part of life".

Like most Americans, I come from a family in which the very thought of death is always put off until it's much, much too late. Ms. Morris's book changed all that for me. It defanged the "death monster" and turned it into a facet of life that I will think about, talk about and prepare for with my family and friends in a manner that will ease the passage of the dying invididual as well as those who love that person.

I never thought a book about death could be so life-affirming!!

Michael Hardy is the consummate writer- he does his research-in depth, collects his material-much of it first-hand, then writes a book that is a cross between a textbook and a biography. I,too, am descended from men who were in the 37th NC of whom I knew nothing before I read this book. Now I do.

Even if you are not related,this book is excellent reading in order to understand how and why young men from rural western NC were willing to risk it all for a cause they did not all support. This is a tremendous book and a great read.

this was a great written book ,i had relatives that served in company E of the 37th nc and it was great getting to know there effords in supporting the southern cause.i suggest this book for anyone.

This book is loaded with in-depth research and provides a well written history on the 37th. My great-great Grandfather served in Company H and it has been a pleasure to learn of his exploits.

My husband and I are reading this book at present. His great-great-grandfather was in the 37th NC Infantry of the CSA, and this book helps bring to life what these soldiers endured. From the beginning of the War to the end, anyone who reads this account will be moved. The book is very well-researched and is very detailed. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to know more about the experience of a Confederate soldier.

Michael Hardy has written a detailed and fascinating account of the 37th North Carolina in the Civil War. It is especially good in its use of first-hand sources - letters, diaries, etc. - of the soldiers who served in the unit. Formed in the late summer of 1861, the 37th participated in most of the major campaigns in the eastern theatre, beginning at New Bern and continuing through Gaines Mills, Second Manassas, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, and Petersburg to Appomattox. Hardy traces the whereabouts and actions of the unit in rich detail, sometimes on a day-to-day basis, which is especially useful while they were on the march. In addition to their battlefield actions, Hardy provides a complete roster of the 37th by company and a list of all the unit's courts-martial during the war. The book is an excellent history of the 37th and a useful reference source as well. And Hardy's generous use of the soldiers' words themselves make for very interesting reading. The book is another excellent addition to the many regimental histories published by McFarland in the last half-dozen years or so.

I was really intreged by this book because it was understandable, interesting, and filled with facts about this amazing man that I've never read or heard about before.

Thomas Jefferson is to me: one of the most admirable people in history.This book has an amazing fictional aproach but yet it is still factual and educational and you can still be one of the biggest Jefferson buffs out there and not have to do years of studying.This book is to me the most animated biography that mosturizes dry facts to fertile entertainment.

As a life long Jefferson fan, I enjoyed this book immensely, but am concerned that Bober does not offer a critical analysis of her subject. She says that one of her goals in writing this book is to make Jefferson appear more human. While she goes into great detail about Jefferson's family values and other interests aside from politics, she omits any mention of his mortal flaws which are exactly what make him human. Any reader can tell that Bober reveres Jefferson like a Revolutionary God (and indeed he was one), but she is unable to maintain any degree of impartiality as a biographer.

For instance, Bober enthusiastically discusses the various ways Jefferson tried to bring an end to the peculiar institution of slavery through his writings, but she never questions why if this was so important to him, he failed to take advantage of his executive power as president to ensure that the Louisiana territory he purchased in 1803 remained slave free? Why didn't he fight harder to retain the clause prohibiting slavery in his original draft of the Declaration of Independence? The Jefferson of Bober's imagination is not capable of such double standards or inconsistencies in character.

Bober only briefly mentions that while Jefferson professed to be against slavery, he owned several hundred slaves at Monticello and his other plantations. Why was his rhetoric inconsistent with his actions? Bober conveniently ignores the fact that Monticello was built entirely by slaves. (This I know because I have a degree in history, but a less informed reader would be misled). Jefferson may have thought that ending slavery was a good idea, but he did not pursue this cause with the same passion with which he fought for the freedom of white Americans from the British.

Bober dismisses the notion that Jefferson had an affair with his slave Sally Hemings and instead suggests that the president's nephew was the father of Sally's children, yet Bober's evidence to support her argument is scant. In fact, she spends as little time as possible on this topic, preferring to discuss Jefferson's contributions to his country. While this approach is refreshing when compared to the massive number of volumes out there on "Jefferson's scandals," Bober has neglected an important part of Jeffersonian history. Recent DNA testing has proven that Sally Heming's children were fathered by a Jefferson male which could be Thomas or possibly someone else.

All this said, Bober does an excellent job of bringing Thomas Jefferson to life and articulating his accomplishments in a meaningful way. It's a shame that her work is decidedly unbalanced and therefore irresponsible from an historical point of view.

A magnificent book for an incredible man. Told in story book fashion, as all history should be, Bober's writing style is a mesmerizing tribute to the subject.It is a shame that a man of Jefferson's character and vision would probably be unelectable in today's visionless sea of pluralism and status quo where the details of the day outshine the necessities of tomorrow.

Probably one of the best books I've ever read- it is very informative, but I was able to read it like I would a novel- a rare trait in nonfiction literature. It was written in a way that even one who is not a history buff can enjoy it. It shows that Jefferson was quite ahead of his time, but he was not superhuman as some sources lead us to believe.

Jeff Pasley's "The Tyranny of Printers" is a fresh look at American politics and journalism in the early Republic. The traditional narrative of journalism in the early Republic is that a weak press tyrannized by political parties produced some of the most subservient and unfree journalism ever seen in America. Pasley turns this narrative on its head, arguing that printers and newspapers in fact created the modern party system. Far from being party stooges, printers were in fact politicians with a major stake in the issues of the day; far from politically subservient, printers provided the organizational glue that held the early parties together.

Pasley argues that newspaper editors provided the crucial ideological and organizational tools that were needed to negotiate the chaotic political waters of the early Republic in part because printers were the only truly professional politicians of the time. Parties lacked permanent organization in the early Republic; campaign season brought political operatives and candidates out of the woodwork, but for the rest of the year it fell to editors to mediate between politicians and constituents.
Newspaper offices, which often doubled as local post offices and as reading rooms for out-of-town papers, were logical locations for official party meetings and informal affairs. Editors were uniquely placed to gauge public opinion because of the volume of other papers that passed through their offices. By reprinting accounts of party rallies, toasts, speeches and marches, newspapers spread the party's message to many more people than ever could have seen the event in person and created an "imagined community" of party followers spread over the entire nation. The printing of toasts and speeches also allowed editor-politicians to simultaneously forge a national party ideology and to tone down the parts of that ideology that might not play well in certain states or regions.

Pasley argues that the first party to understand and use newspapers in politics was Thomas Jefferson's Republican party. The Republicans were able to deploy the press effectively as a weapon at least partly because of their willingness to let a certain class of people into the political arena - artisan printers. The Federalist newspapers that sprang up to counter the Republican press were generally run by young aristocrats who wrote and copied articles from other papers but didn't actually do the hard manual labor of setting type and printing papers. Republican editors, by contrast, tended to be printers themselves, raised in a declining artisanal tradition and realizing that the road to success might lead them down an untraditional path. By understanding artisanal editors to have played such a large role in the birth of political parties, Pasley provides fresh new evidence for the idea of a great democratization of politics occurring in the early Republic. The party editors of Jefferson's and Jackson's days were certainly not of the lowest class of people, but they were manual laborers who conformed to an old, hard-drinking tradition that was anathematic to refined Federalist or neo-Federalist aristocrats.

The most revolutionary aspect of Pasley's book may be found in the way it understands the relationship between journalists and politicians. The received wisdom of the journalism world focuses on notions of objectivity and partisanship; the era of the political press is seen as a low point of American journalism. Pasley's argument suggests that printers of that era may well have had more influence over politics and that ordinary voters may have been much more well-informed than voters are today. The union of journalism and politics that Pasley describes is one that held many advantages for both the printers and the parties of the day.

This fascinating book traces the evolution from a relatively apolitical printing trade to a highly politicized press, from the founding of the republic up through the Jackson administration. While the book is a solid contribution to historical scholarship, it is written in a highly accessible style, providing plenty of context for those of us who have forgotten many of the details of high school US History class. But what makes the book most readable is Pasley's style of substantiating his general accounts of demographic and political trends with numerous engaging mini-biographies of specific printers, a colorful lot of characters, to illustrate his points. For me, the book also went beyond forgotten high school history to explain things I never knew about the development of party politics, about the "Federalists" (who stood for the opposite of what is called "federalism" today) and the "Republicans" (the precursor of the modern Democratic party). Given today's highly polarized political climate, it is especially interesting to read about the founding fathers' fears of party politics. In 18th century elections, it was considered quite unseemly for a candidate to campaign or promote himself in any way. Thomas Jefferson was conflicted in his views of the press, working behind the scenes to encourage a pro-Republican press, while making every effort to personally disassociate himself from newspapers.

This book first came to my attention in the course of my family history research, as it turns out that my great-great-great-great-grandfather Charles Holt is one of the printers given biographical treatment in the book. Holt served as an example of printers who became politicized by the infamous Sedition Act under John Adams' presidency. He started publishing his newspaper intending to be neutral, printing all viewpoints, but quickly discovered that the Federalists who utterly dominated Connecticut would not countenance a newspaper that published any viewpoints other than their own. Just for publishing diverse views, he was labeled "a Jacobin, a Frenchman, a disorganizer, and one who would sell his country." (Sound familiar?) Frustrated in his attempts to be a neutral printer, he dug in, editorializing:

There are generally *two sides* to every subject. To the
public opinion, in a free country, there ever will and should
be. And it is the duty of an impartial printer to communicate
to the public on *both sides* freely. But nine tenths of the
newspapers in Connecticut are decidedly partial to *one side*,
and keep the *other* totally out of sight. This is not
fair.... The public may therefore rest assured that so long as
my brethren in this state print on *one side only*, so long
will I print on *the other*.

(In other words, Holt anticipated by a couple of centuries Rush Limbaugh's quip that "I am equal time.") Eventually, Holt was convicted under the Sedition Act, heavily fined, and jailed for six months. But as Pasley shows through Holt's example and many others, the Sedition Act, which criminalized criticism of the government, and which intended to stifle the much-feared evils of a politicized press, instead had the opposite effect. A whole generation of printers became more politicized than ever before, and The Sedition Act was not only repealed, but a newly energized explicitly Republican press put Thomas Jefferson into office.

It is amazing how timely and relevant some of the issues of 200 years ago seem, with parallels to today's politically divided climate. (Just as one example, I was struck by Pasley's comment on a trend in the wake of Jefferson's election: "there was a sudden awakening of libertarianism among some Federalists now that some of the weapons of state were in Republican hands." Not unlike our present-day Democrats who are rediscovering federalism, and our Republicans who think government should be small except when they're in control of it.) I really enjoyed getting to know the many colorful characters who enliven this history. I think anyone who enjoys politics and history will greatly enjoy this book.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch chose "Tyranny of Printers" as one of the best books of 2001 in its November 25 edition (...).

The Tyranny of Printers is a history book that accomplishes a lot at the same time. On one hand, it offers a new and fascinating look at journalism during the Revolutionary Period. Pasley essentially argues that rather than being tools of the parties, journalists themselves were responsible for dictating the rise of party politics.

The book is very well-written and manages to be entertaining enough for a general audience but also incredibly useful for the academic world, which is very tough to do. Pasley mainly uses a series of biographical portraits to construct his narrative, which makes the book easy to digest but does restrict his ability to apply his conclusions to a larger population, but I never doubted his findings.

As with any book, Pasley obviously takes sides. The newspaper men emerge as the true heroes: bold and fearless spreaders of democracy who had a fundamental role in the rise of party politics of the period. Extending that, the Jeffersonians (and not the currently chic Hamiltonians) are the politicians who were more in tough with spirit of democracy that the nation was founded on, and this propellem them to their dramatic victory in the election of 1800.

Pasley's book is inventive, enjoyable, and highly informative. I suggest to any casual or serious student of the Early American Republic. It is a welcome antidote to the current trend in Founding Father hagiography.

The Tyranny of Printers: Newspaper Politics in the Early American Republic written by Jeffrey L. Pasley is a book that gives an overall picture of the power of the press in our early American Republic from the Revolutionary period to the Jacksonians. Newspaper based politics is a term used much in this book to describe the type and level associated with the local party.

The classic case of newspaper-based politics was when Thomas Jefferson used one paper in Philadelphia to do his bidding against Alexander Hamilton... not to mention that Jefferson got caught. Newspapers were the central source of news, outside of word of mouth, and a network of newspapers really gave both the candidate and the paper momentum and political life. The late eighteenth and early nineteenth century was a real hotbed where newspapers breathed, newpapers were the republic's central political institutions, working components of the political system rather than just commentators on it. This was true all the way to the end of the Jacksonian era of democracy.

This book has a narrative that flows quite well and keeps the reader well informed and is full of anecdotes. Jefferson, Madison and Monroe all used the press to their collective advantage as they striped the power away from the Federalists, but not only is this book about how they politician used the press. The most interesting story is how the author enlivens his narrative with accounts of the colorful but often tragic careers of the individual editors.

There is a companion web site that readers should consult at: [url] serving as an extension of the book... this site contains important supporting material information. The book has endnotes rather than footnotes concentrating all of the supporting information toward the back of the book. There is a very good bibliography with this book that supports the writing very well.

As time marchs on... reading this book give us a glimpse in the window of a time where political goals were linked to the newspapers and their editors making the full circle of the political process, linking parties, voters and the government together... the newspapers were the linchpin of early political power. This book is very informative and gives a rare look into the life at times of some of the more interesting minor players of early American Politics the editors.

I enjoyed reading this book as it still had a familiar theme but the players were the most interesting as the Americian political process still worked, a very interesting book, indeed.

I enjoyed this book. It was better than most 4-in-1 collections. I especially liked the first story. All were good.

Three stories by three very good writers, woven around a family spinning wheel.
SPOKE OF LOVE, by Cathy Marie Hake
Samuel Walsh didn't believe in owning another human, but he couldn't turn his back on the abused woman being offered for sale. He paid the price and took her back to his home. Sold for her husband's debts, Garnet Wheelock first believed the kind stranger might be different from the others, but common sense and a lack of trust convinced her she had to be wrong. Garnet had been through so much that her terrible experiences had rendered her mute. She communicated with Sam through sign language. Garnet was a hard worker, and was adept at using the spinning wheel that had belonged to his first wife. Against his better judgement, Sam found himself becoming the protector of the comely widow, but love was out of the question. Or was it?

SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL By Vickie McDonough
Alone, and with no place to go, Amy Rogers has come prepared to throw herself on the mercy of her cousin, Kathryn Walsh. Kathryn is in labor with a difficult birth when Amy arrives, and she finds herself pressed into helping. Kathryn dies, leaving Amy to care for the newborn baby girl. Micah, Kathryn's husband, has been trapping for furs in the Appalacian Mountains. Unaware that Kathryn was pregnant, he's looking forward to being reunited with his wife and young dughter. Intead he finds that Kathryn is dead, and a stranger is running his household and caring for his two daughters. Amy works hard, but Micah doesn't want her in his house. However, God has plans for both Amy and Micah.

WEAVING A FUTURE By Susan Page Davis
Harry Cooper just wants to buy horses, but then he meets high-spirited, strong-minded Sadie McEwan. It's clear Sadie is attracted to the handsome stranger, and he seems interested in her too, but she has a serious problem to contend with, and he'll soon return home. Besides, she isn't being exactly truthful in their business dealings.
Three delightful stories, by three very accomplished writers. They know exactly how to involve the reader from page one. Fans of historical romance will want this one.

Three books spun around a family's spinning wheel in the Shenandoah Valley. All through these books you are uplifted, encouraged and feel for the people involved. These three stories are hard to put down. I carried my book everywhere and even read while at computer.
Made me almost want to go back in time to the time when work was hard but people could survive with less money.
In Spoke of Love a widower Samuel Walsh sees an indentured servant, Garnet Wheelock, being mistreated by the person who brought her over to sell her as a bride. His compassion reaches out to her and he takes her home. Thus he is able to bring his daughter home from her Aunt's where she has been since his wife died. Both Samuel and Garnet are dealing with a lot of stuff from their past and it takes time to heal and begin to feel they can trust each other. Broken lives are mended and healing takes place.
In Spinning Out of Control, Micah Walsh returns home to find out his wife died in child birth and her cousin, Amy Rogers, is there taking care of his children. As Amy does not know who Micah is, she hits him over head when he returns to protect the children. Amy stays on to continue caring for Micah's children but Micah keeps her at arms distance. Little by little the two strangers learn to trust each other. You can learn about trust and how sometime's harsh circumstances can bind two people together.
In Weaving a Future, Sadie McEwan falls for a horse trader Harry Cooper. When he comes to her farm to buy horses from her father to breed, she wants him to court her. But before he returns to pick up his horses, her father dies and she tries to hide it to protect herself and her freed servants. When Harry finds out her secret, they separate because of mistrust but robbers come and try to rob from Sadie. The servant's son goes to get Harry as he knows he is in the next town because he left his mares behind. Finally Harry and Sadie are able to solve their differences and move forward in forgiveness and love.
These books are books you cannot lay down.

The book is good I have not gotten through all of it. I enjoy what I have read so far.

First let me note that this review is for the book "Virginia," NOT "Virginia Brides." When looking into purchasing the latter I decided to read the reviews. To my shock I saw that my review for "Virginia" was posted there. The synopsis' written are for the novellas in Virgina. Now...

I loved, loved, LOVED this book. All the stories were well thought out. They were a perfect combination of drama and lightheartedness.

The first and last stories were more dramatic. The characters in these had their share of struggles. In the first story, a 19 year old is taking care of her younger sister (decieved into a false marriage) and baby and their much younger brother. They are starving when they find the "husband's" brother (who believes someone posed as his brother). The last story takes place during WWI with a decendent of theirs comes back injured from war. He is bitter and angry and seeks solace in their old family home. As he rebuilds it he meets a German neighbor and is forced to deal with his prejudices.

The 2nd and 3rd stories are very quick reads with lots of humor and no dark secrets or pains. They are fun, quick page turneers.

Stories of faith and mercy- beautifully done. I will save this book for another rainy day and read it again!

My patients loved the book.I had an original copy signed by Ginny. I lent it out so many times I can not seem to remember who I gave it too. So I am getting another copy, but it will never replace my signed copy.. Hi, Ginny if you are reading this is is Bea Tom's ex-wife. Say hello to everyone. Bea
ps How is Granny?

This is a delightful and uplifting book that any survivor of a serious illness would do well to read. It is a wise and wonderful addition to any library. I cannot express what a consolation it was to me and many friends and relatives who survived disease. I applaud Virginia Goff Green on her wonderful words.

As a cancer survivor, this book is a perfect gift to a loved one who's just been diagnosed with any form of cancer or long-term illness. It reminds the patient that taking care of themselves, both spritually and physically, during the medical journey is so important. Nice illustrations with sparce words makes it a book that has great meaning with very little effort to read. I have this in my kitchen on a book stand, changing the pages frequently, to remind me that it's always good to take a few minutes to "smell the flowers" and I'm eight and a half years from my treatment. Perfect gift --- much better than flowers or candy as it lasts longer!

Delightful is the best word to describe this charming little book. And it is a very strange word indeed to describe a book that deals with the problems of serious, chronic illness, but the combination of few words presented in lyrical style, along with beautiful, brightly-colored watercolor prints of flowers results in a delighful presentation of practical information on a very sensitive subject.
The two women responsible for the book - the author and the illustrator - have "been there, done that". Both are survivors of serious illness and have - along with their families - faced the questions that surround such illness, including the decision to use (or reject) life support and to move ahead with life despite some limitations following illness. They provide lots of practical, insightful information that can be useful to anyone - male or female - facing serious illness and/or surgery, but do so without losing sight of the inherent joy of life which, like the flowers that they use to illustrate emotions, seems to occasionally wilt as we face crisis situations.
The book is more than delightful; it is a charming, useful, practical guide to anyone undergoing a life crisis.
It seems strange to say that I enjoyed it - but I definitely did and plan on ordering additional copies to pass along to friends when they face similar situations. I highly recommend it!

This is a totally enjoyable feel-good book. I loved every word and the drawings were marvelous. I cannot say enough good things about this masterpiece. If only I could give 6 stars!

This is an unusually perceptive and open first-hand account of an artist and her family's move to Umbria. Unsentimental descriptions of their everyday joys and frustrations are counter-pointed by the dramatic upheaval of major earthquakes. Ryan articulates connections between the natural and built environments and the adventure of the self; between ancient traditions and contemporary creativity. I found it highly engaging - a page-turner. I'll return to it.

It would be a mistake to place this book in the same category as that overworked genre - the foreigner who buys and does up a house in Italy or France. Virginia Ryan is married to an Italian, has represented Italy abroad as a diplomatic wife, has 2 Italian-Australian children. Her committment to the country, its history, customs and people show through on every page of this book. This is a year of her life that happens to be set in the hilltown of Trevi, Umbria as she sets out to make a new home and new friends, to begin to practice as an artist again, to help her children with yet another adaptation. She has an easy writing style; you feel you can trust her observations as she also admits her own shortcomings in settling into her new surroundings.

There's a lot of fun and joy of life in this book. And she KNOWS Italy and Italians, writing from within the culture, not about it.

Highly recommended for anyone who wants to dip deeper into the life and spirit of contemporary Italy, with all its paradoxes and pleasures.

One can't help be charmed by Ms Ryan's observations of rural italian life,in a region where people's lives, in many respects, appear untouched by time. It is sometimes funny,without being patronizing,and obviously written by a person who loves Italy but doesn't see it through rose coloured glasses. A good read.

Virginia Ryan gives what no standard travel book could even approach: the authentic feel, taste and emotions of Italy, all interwoven in a fascinating personal story. It reads like a novel, yet takes you into an Italy that few tourists could hope to glimpse. Frances Mayes pales in comparison. I'd recommend it for anyone going to Italy, or who would like to go there in their armchair. It's a great, adventurous, authentic read. I loved it.

The book reveals an intelligent and sensitive artist, who succeded, with a special talent, in matching, touchingly, life experience and inner feelings with Umbrian picturesque landscape, so calm and exciting, ancient and peasant. Her pages shed light on what can happen to a wanderer( the specially gifted female protagonist), going abroad and meeting what life arranges for her family and herself. This book informs our hearts about it and makes us to reread landscapes we suppose to know perfectly.

While his primary claim to historical fame was his "Give my liberty or give me death" speech, Patrick Henry was also one of the most influential of the founding fathers of the United States. The governor of the then dominant state of Virginia during the American Revolution, his was a strong voice for the rebellion against King George and then against the constitution until the Bill of Rights was added.
This book, a member of the Weekly Reader series for children, sums up his life. Like many people who achieved greatness, his early life demonstrated none of what was to come. His greatness began to appear in a case he was arguing before the court, he won and was very impressive to all who were in attendance.
Patrick Henry is a figure from the past that all American school children should learn about. His influence was great and this book brings it all together in a style ideal for the young learner.

Jean Fritz makes history intersting for all ages. She has an uncanny way of seeing a historical figure as a real person with a well-rounded life that encapsulates more than just what he or she did in public. The life of her subject is of more importance than dates and events. Somehow this shift of emphasis makes the dates more memorable. She tells her story fresh, not told in the typical detached fashion. Her research and enthusiasm for her subjects make the stories come alive in interesting ways for today's student reader and interested adult.

My assumption was that the answer to the question "Where Was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May?" would be on the floor of the House of Burgesses in Virginia, making his famous declaration, "give me liberty or give me death!" But that actually a speech at St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia and the date was the 23rd of March in 1775. I am sure others who know a little something about Patrick Henry would make the same assumption. So the question for anybody reading this book really is "Where Was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May?"

The answer that Jean Fritz provides is that it depends because this book looks at several 29ths of May. The first is May 29, 1736 when Patrick Henry had just been born wand was likely crying in his bed drowning out the birdsong. The next May 29th comes in 1752, when Henry turns sixteen, when he was old enough to be counted among the men in Virginia. To be clear, Fritz does fill in the gaps between those two dates, and he does the same for the years leading up to the next May 29th, which comes in 1765, when he is indeed speaking on the floor of the House of Burgresses in Virginia. On May 29, 1777, he was elected for a second time as Virginia's governor, while in 1796 the 60-year-old Henry had retired from public life, three years before he died.

Henry was one of the leading opponents of the ratification of the Federal Constitution, but Fritz makes a point of turning his opposition into an argument for the adoption of the Bill of Rights. I must admit I was a disappointed a little because I thought this book would look only at Henry on a series of dates that were all the 29th of May, so I was actually surprised that all of the gaps got filled in along the way because it would be a neat idea to do an entire life looking at just one date that cover events both large and small. But even so, Fritz provides a nice mix of details that are both humorous and humanizing (Henry was a practical joker), along with insights about the Revolution.

This is one of several biographies that Fritz has written about major figures of the American Revolution, which include "And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?" and "Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams?" Both of those particular books were chosen as an Outstanding Book of the Year by the "New York Times," which is not surprising given Fritz's approach. Artist Margot Tomes provided the humorous drawings for not only this book but also for the aforementioned one on Paul Revere.

I just recently read this gem by Jean Fritz, my new favorite nonfiction author, not that thats all she does. This book tells of Patrick Henry, the untalented failure who manages to find a career as a GREAT lawyer.

Patrick Henry was a trickster as a child(example: he turns a canoe over with a group of unexpected friends inside it). As I said before, he wasn't very talented, except, well, he had a good voice. But could one use a good voice on a resume(even if resumes didnt exist then). No, someone couldn't. First he tried storekeeping, but found that didn't work. Then there was farming. But that didnt work either.I just realized that I havent told of Patrick's wedding. Yes, our hero was wedded to Ms. Sarah Sheldon. But then Henry tries the lawyer-ing biz, and it strangely works. Read about his most famous cases and his later gorverning career.

Though Margot Tomes isn't my favorite illustrator, I cant imagine anyone else illustrating this book

Fritz vs. Freedman. You decide.

An interesting twist on a children's biography of theRevolutionary War hero Patrick Henry. The device of the "29th ofMay" is used to tie the various parts of Henry's life together--from his childhood in the wilds of the Virginia countryside to his famous patriotic activities to his retirement at Red Hill. His failures as well as his successes are discussed, allowing children to see a more authentic character than many easy-read biographies. Notes from the author at the end of the book give more historical details.

I wanted this book because 'Haller' is my mother's maiden name. However, there is no connection that I know of!

The book is great - the recipes and the history of the presidents during the time Henry Haller was chef at the White House are very interesting. I was hoping there would be colored photographs, but there are none except for the outside cover.

I do recommend this book.

I got this cookbook on a Norwegian cruise ship.When looking it over,I recognized many of the recipes used on the ship!What does that tell you?I bought it for $40 and I've never regreted it.It is so packed with hundreds of top-notch recipes.It is the only cookbook you'd ever need,ranging from comfort foods such as macaroni and cheese,spaghetti and meatballs,pizza,and waffles to the effortless gourmet and seemingly endless variety of desserts,entrees,and salads.The best cookbook in my library.If you cook at all,buy this book!

This book not only has great recipes but it also talks about why the presidnet enjoyed them so much. Also included are photographs of presidents and their guests with descriptions of their time spent in the White House. More than just a recipe book!

I first purchased this book years ago, and it is still a cherished favorite. It is as much fun to browse through as it is to cook from, with well-written stories recollected of our first families. Mr. Haller included recipes which can easily be mastered by the average household cook, with photos to inspire and amuse. We enjoy this cookbook so well, we've purchased copies for family and friends over the years, and continue to do so. It makes a wonderful and thoughtful gift - a book of elegant and practical recipes, fit for coffee table display! This book has something for every taste and every occasion, and covers everyday recipes to the truly sublime, decadent to healthy, down home Southern recipes to European favorites, with everything in between. The White House Family Cookbook is truly worthy of America's talented First Chef - Henry Haller. It is also the only recipe book of which I personally own two - a "working copy" for the kitchen, and a more prestine copy for our personal library.

surprisingly doable recipes- every one so far has been one of the best meals ever- family favorites- nothing even "OK" - everything fantastic. the history or personal stories included are fun as well. best cookbook i ever had- going to give as a gift to everyone who cooks. Can't help but love it!