Wisconsin Books

I am a fan of the Famous Wisconsin Series and I liked this book!
It gives a great overview of some of the state's artists that are often overlooked (other than FL Wright and Georgia O'Keeffe). A nice addition to the art history of the State of Wisconsin.

Compiled and written by Hannah Heidi Levy, Famous Wisconsin Artists And Architects is a straightforward collection of brief biographies of Wisconsin's great artists and architects, including Georgia O'Keefe, Frank Lloyd Wright, and nearly 100 more. The individual biographies range in length from a single page summary to several pages; and some even include one-on-one interviews. More than 150 black-and-white photographs of artists, architects, and their creations illustrate this handy quick-reference guide, resulting in an inherently fascinating, informative "reader friendly" sourcebook which is particularly recommended to the attention of those looking to learn more about Wisconsin's artists and art culture, both past and present.

Before William Flinders Petrie, there were great explorers and great adventurers, some of whom even made finds of tremendous archeological note in Egypt. But Flinders Petrie was the first great archeologist. Analogous to Edward R. Murrow's preeminence to this day as the standard against which all newscasters are measured, Flinders Petrie set the standard and laid the foundations for modern archeology. Today, one can study the science of archeology and obtain a degree. One can specialize in the school of Egyptology. Major universities and museums fund archeological digs. None of this existed when Flinders Petrie first embarked for Cairo in the late 1800's with little more than a bag, homemade tools and instruments, and very little money. How he came to return to Egypt and later Palestine year after year; how the study of Archeology/Egyptology was established at University College; how the theories of dating strata by studying potsherds was developed is fascinating stuff. For anyone who has been captured by the romance of rediscovering lost civilizations, this book is a must.

Margaret Drower accomplishes a well balanced, informative, authoritative, readable biography of a complex and remarkable individual in this book. Petries achievements are astounding, founding archaeology and egyptology as a professional science, over the course of his career he excavating numerous important and valuable sites, and was prolific in his documentation and publication of his findings, Petrie revolutionised the practice of archaeology, setting a standard of excellence that his juniors and contempories had to follow.

Drower examines his early life and family background to better understand the determined, driven and exacting man he became. Following the development of his methodologies through his seasons in Egypt, Drower also places Petrie in the context of the late nineteenth century academic circles, the friendships and politics which he was surrounded by and participated in.

An absorbing biography, valuable to anyone with an interest in archaeology, egyptology or wishing to learn more about a remarkable individual. A truely worthwhile read.

"Hitler and Goering were once out driving. Passing through a village, they ran over a pig. Goering thought he should find the farmer and apologize for what had happened. He was gone a very long time and received very fine hospitality. When he returned, Hitler asked why he had stayed so long. 'Well, there was so much celebration in the house over what I told them,' Goering replied, 'and finally I had to join in.' 'What did you tell them?' 'That the pig was dead.' This was one of hundreds of jokes told by the Norwegians from 1940 until 1945. While the phenomenom of occupation humor has certainly not been ignored, the role it played in developing a resistance mentality among the Norwegian people has until now been largely unexamined. This humor was expressed in overtly anti-Hitler and anti-Nazi jokes, but it was also found in snide replies, double-entendres, insinuating newspaper advertisements that were not understood by the occupying forces, children's stories, and even Christmas cards. Kathleen Stokker, extending an earlier study by Magne Skodvin, observes that "wartime humor granted a voice to those deprived of free speech, discouraged the undecided from hasty attachment to Nazism, and helped the initially amorphus group of individuals opposed to Nazism to develop a sense of solidarity." Norway was a neutral country in 1940, and just as it had done during World War One, it hoped to remain neutral. Geopolitical realities, however, including the German desire to control access to Swedish iron mines, made Norway and Denmark Hitler's first victims following the end of the Phony War in April of 1940. The Norwegians did not surrender. King Haakon VII established a government in exile in England, and the Norwegian people would wage one of the bravest and most effective resistance campaigns of the war. The popular image of Norwegian resistance has been created by films such as "The Heroes of Telemark," but there were tens of thousands of ordinary Norwegians who resisted in more subtle ways, even if it were only to wear a red cap in defiance of their occupiers. Stokker points out, however, that the image of a people united against oppression is only partly true. There were many Norwgians who did acccept and serve the new National Government headed by Vidkun Quisling, the leader of the Norwegian Nazi Party. But these people were for the most part shunned, and Stokker points out with brillliant originality the way the resisters used humor to debase the collaborators. Stokker, a professor of Norwegian at Luther College, is the author of the most widely used Norwegian-language textbook in America. She draws upon a large number of interviews with survivors of the Occupation, archives in the Norwegian Resistance Museum and the University of Oslo, and "joke notebooks" kept by women who experienced the event. It is a delightful book,well-crafted and historically meticulous. As other societies have discovered, oppression can be endured with humor, for it is a valuable form of psychological warfare. The Norwegians developed that humor, as Stokker so aptly proves, and in the process maintained the spirit that was necessary to prevail. As one reads the book, and looks at the drawings, posters, and cartoons, one gains a deep appreciation for the courage of a people. One also gets a good laugh! Dr. Gerald D. Anderson Department of History North Dakota State University

"Hitler and Goering were once out driving. Passing through a village, they ran over a pig. Goering thought he should find the farmer and apologize for what had happened. He was gone a very long time and received very fine hospitality. When he returned, Hitler asked why he had stayed so long. 'Well, there was so much celebration in the house over what I told them,' Goering replied, 'and finally I had to join in.' 'What did you tell them?' 'That the pig was dead.'" This was one of hundreds of jokes told by the Norwegians during German occupation from 1940 until 1945. While the phenomenon of occupation humor has certainly not been ignored, the role it played in developing a resistance mentality among the Norwegian people has until now been largely unexamined. This humor was expressed in overtly anti-Hitler and anti-Nazi jokes, but it was also found in snide replies, double-entendres, insinuating newspaper advertisements that were not understood by the occupying forces, children's stories, and even Christmas cards. Kathleen Stokker, extending an earlier study by Magne Skodvin, observes that "wartime humor granted a voice to those deprived of free speech, discouraged the undecided from a hasty attachment to Nazism, and helped the initially amorphous group of individuals opposed to Nazism to develop a sense of solidarity." Norway was a neutral country in 1940, and just as it had done during World War One, it hoped to remain neutral. Geopolitical realities, however, including the German desire to control access to Swedish iron mines, made Norway and Denmark Hitler's first victims following the end of the Phony War in April of 1940. The Norwegians did not surrender. King Haakon VII established a government in exile in England, and the Norwegian people would wage one of the bravest and most effective resistance campaigns of the war. The popular image of Norwegian resistance has been created by such films as "The Heroes of Telemark," but there were also tens of thousands of Norwegians who resisted in more subtle ways, even if it were only to wear a red cap in defiance of their oppressors. Stokker points out, however, that the image of a people united against oppression is only partly true. There were many Norwegians who did accept and serve the new National Government headed by Vidkun Quisling, the leader of the Norwegian Nazi Party. But these people were for the most part shunned, and Stokker points out with brilliant originality the way the resisters used humor to debase the collaborators. Stokker, a professor of Norwegian at Luther College, is the author of the most widely used Norwegian-language textbook in America. She draws upon a large number of interviews with survivors of the Occupation, archives in the Norwegian Resistance Museum and the University of Oslo, and "joke notebooks" kept by women who experienced the event. It is a delightful book, well crafted and historically meticulous. As other societies have discovered, oppression can be met with humor, for it is a valuable form of psychological warfare. The Norwegians were able to develop that humor, as Stokker so aptly proves, and in thr process maintained the spirit necessary to prevail. As one reads the book, and looks at the drawings, posters, children's books, and cartoons, one gains a deep appreciation for the courage of a people. One also gets a good laugh! Dr. Gerald D. Anderso Department of History North Dakota State University

Whether you're interested in WWII or not you'll love this book. Wonderfully written, this emotional tale of love under the most dire circumstances is sure to make you laugh, cry, feel. Margaret and Jerry Sams are an inspiration to all. And even at 90 their love is still as strong as ever.

This very interesting autobiography is the story of a conventional young American housewife who becomes separated from her husband in the chaos of the Philippines of 1942 and is imprisoned with her young son in a brutal Japanese internment camp. In her struggle for survival she meets and falls in love with a fellow prisoner, whose child she bears, at great risk, and in the face of opposition from fellow inmates and captors alike.
Sams' story, expertly and sensitively edited, is a frank and touching love story as well as an epic of survival, and will be of interest to students of 20th-century American culture and mores as well as WWII readers.

(The "score" rating is an unfortunately ineradicable feature of the page. This reviewer does not "score" books.)

I recently purchased this book from another source. At the time, I did'nt know you had it. However, the book is just great!!! Beautiful photos, of the cottage from beginning, to need for serious repair, to full restoration, featuring Wright influenced furnishings. All in all, a must have for any fan of the greatest American Architect. Thank You

the book is just great!!! Beautiful photos, of the cottage from beginning, to need for serious repair, to full restoration, featuring Wright influenced furnishings. All in all, a must have for any fan of the greatest American Architect. Thank You, Calvin Duane Rhodes

I began to read the story to learn about the submarine operations and found I had in my hands a fascinating tale of smart business, dedicated workers, taking on new challenges and some interesting information on the skill of river boat operations down the Mississippi and other waterways form the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico.

There was also some detailed information of the period leading up to WWII, where the Dept of War had surveyed the nation for the potential to convert existing operations into ones suited to the war effort.

Top it all off with the story of contract administration one both ends of that equation and see some actual discussion of the profits made as well as those voluntarily passed in the interest of serving the greater war effort.

This is a great business study and a tribute to the foresight of Mr. Charles West, the primary owner of Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company.

A very interesting piece of Great Lakes history.
This is the story of how a Great Lakes shipyard in Manitowoc, Wisconsin came to produce 28 submarines from 1942-1945. It was written by an admiral who commanded two Manitowoc submarines. After a brief history of shipbuilding in Manitowoc the author describes how submarines which had a minimum draft of 12 feet could be transported through a channel 9 feet deep by carrying the submarines in a floating dry dock. There are details of construction, sea (lake) trials and the hazards of taking the dry-docked boat down narrow stretches of the Mississippi.
There are a number of photos including the cover which shows the sideways launching of a sub. Included is a table of ships sunk in combat which totaled about 500,000 tons.
The company has evolved into making cranes, refrigeration equipment as well as shipbuilding and dry dock operations.

I was fascinated by this story. It will appeal to those with an interest in Great Lakes shipbuilding, industrial history, and the US Navy.

Rufus Dawes writes of his service as an officer of the Iron Brigade's 6th Wisconsin Volunteers from it's formation until his resignation in 1864. Dawes was continuously present in the field almost every day from the day he enlisted, and wrote to his wife even several times a week, yet the book fills a mere 318 pages. His work is based primarily on this large collection of letters his wife had kept throughout the war.

His retrospective reminiscences are interjected only to give us the larger context, and sometimes he quotes the Official Army Reports when helpful. Not only is Dawes a good writer, but because he rose to command the 6th Wisconsin Regiment, he was cognizant of both the big picture and the immediate details of soldier life.

Dawes is an eloquent and sensitive writer. Through Dawes' letters we can feel the stresses and tensions of army life. As a junior officer, Dawes notes his concerns over the seniority among Captains in the Regiment as his primary concern. By 1864, this has shifted to the simple desire to spend time away from the incessant bullets, death and discomforts of war. Dawes' passages on the 1864 Campaign really expresses how different the war became and how really weary the veterans had become. Dawes himself, an exuberant and optimistic spirit always, had become truly weary of war by 1864.

To have tramped with Dawes all over Virginia, to Antietam and Gettysburg and through the Wilderness is an unforgettable experience. I highly recommend this book for the general reader. Of all the first person accounts I have read by Iron Brigade soldiers, this is the easiest to read and follow, and is richly rewarding.

It's sometimes tough finding memoirs or diary accounts that don't get involved in writing battle history on a larger scale that doesn't have anything to with the person writing it. Rufus Dawes heavily battle tormented years in the hard fighting Iron Brigade only covers his involvment and the affairs of the Iron Brigade which I found refreshing to read. Rufus Dawes has wrote down a lot in his diary and also wrote many letters home which are presented very well throughout this book. Most of his diary writings mention the date and the events which occurred. Dawes manages to define daily life activity in the camp and soldier actions. What makes this book exciting is his detail for writing about his involvement at major battles such as Antietam, Gettysburg, Cold Harbor and more! Rarely receiving a single scratch, Dawes manages to live to write about his military life as other officers around him eventually become discharged while a majority die. He gets descriptive at times which captures the chaos and confusion of battle. His writings also talk a lot about the Iron Brigade and it's a great reference for those trying to understand how hard fighting this group of soldiers were. Unlike some recollections or memoirs, Dawes writes very well and makes this book easy to follow and read. At times Dawes was very detailed and explains many army movements and his thoughts about approaching battle and surviving the aftermath. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the Civil War and especially for those looking to learn about the Iron Brigade.

Buy this bbok. Jennifer Michael Hecht is a remarkable poet. Wise, clever and funny.

... and first one (my friend) picks up a copy of "Funny" and says to the second one (me), "You should really read this poet. She's fantastic." Well, the joke is on him, because I've been following Hecht's work for a long time, in Poetry Magazine and other places. Because she -is- fantastic and this new book is quite simply brilliant.

I'm usually wary of books with a central theme or conceit, but I waded into "Funny" with full confidence in Hecht's amazing ability to thrill me, chlll me, make me laugh, make me cry, make me think. I'm stunned and humbled by her poems and heartily recommend "Funny" to anyone, especially new poetry readers.

My favorites in this collection are "Propogation of the Species," "Gorilla and the Darkening Room," and the sonnet "Prosody on Comedy." Do yourself a favor and get in on the ground floor with this talented poet, before she wins the major awards that are assuredly coming her way. No joke.

This book is a must read for all Badger football fans! It is a well-written tribute to the great football players that have graced Camp Randall over the past several years!

Drawing from the photos and writings of award-winning authors and photographs at Athlon Sports, "Game Day: Wisconsin Football" showcases University of Wisconsin football teams in general, and what it means to be a Badger football fan in particular. Packed from cover to cover with entertaining and informative anecdotes of past and current players, the stories behind Wisconsin football rivalries and traditions, detailed histories of some of the greats players, coaches, teams, and moments in Wisconsin's collegiate football, lists of the most successful seasons, recaps of the most exciting games every played, as well as year-by-year team performance statistics. Profusely illustrated throughout in full color, "Game Day: Wisconsin Football" will be read with interest and appreciation by the legions of Badger fans -- and should be considered 'a must' for all Wisconsin school and community library collections.

It seems to be commonly believed that Alexander the Great was sexually attracted to both young men and to women. (In fact I've heard that the Greek govenment is suing the recent TV production for claimin this.)

In this book Professor King traces the transition of a society which had subordinated all men, women and boys to higher ranked males to one founded in sexuality. He explores the subject through literature, through the actors on stage, and in portraits from the time.

I found particularily interesting his intrepretation of the many times in Shakespeare's plays that a woman and/or young man exchange identities. (It is perhaps significant that the author worked as a stage manager in Chicago before his teaching career.) This is likely to be a seminal book in gender studies for some years.

King historicizes male sexuality in the Gendering of Men and in so doing challenges those histories that have treated masculinity and male sexuality as a transhistorical given and not as a social construct/ideology that serves specific political (patriarchal) purposes.

Gender theorists, like Judith Butler, have long assumed that gender is performative. That is to say one might be born with a particular sex organ but "gender" is not determined by that sex organ. Thus Butler maintains that gender is not what one is; its what one does. In short "gender" is not a natural category but a practice. Butler argues that gender identity is performative because one constructs what one is in specific social-historical contexts. And those contexts are always changing. In Butler's account new contingencies are always emerging and thus new selves are always emerging in response to new conditions of possibility. However, this does not mean that the individual has any kind of agency in the process for the performativity of masculinity and femininity can be coerced. In fact Butler and King argue that notions of gender (as well as gendered notions of privacy) are underwritten by patriarchal structures.

King argues that in early modern England (1600-1750) body practices were strictly regulated by a pederastic social structure; and that different social spaces/places required the enactment of different body practices. And that because body practices were enacted within a power continuum sexuality was not seen to indicate a particular subjectivity or agency or privacy but rather ones body practices were determined by where one happened to be placed in that power continuum. According to King in a pederastic order (courtier society) both male and female subjects presented themselves as objects for the Kings gaze in hopes of gaining favor. Since a pederastic society is one where status is everything masculinity per se was not yet the marker of privacy, subjectivity and autonomy that later epochs would construe it to be.

Many historians mark the long eighteenth century as the moment when two things emerged: privacy and heteronormative sexuality. (Many Renaissance scholars would argue that these things existed long before the long eighteenth century). The key argument of Kings book, however, is that "privacy", "sexuality" and "gender" (including notions of interiority, masculinity, feminininity, and the companionate marriage) emerge in resistance to courtly pederastic practices. In Kings account these things all arise as one emergent historical regime defines itself against another residual one.

The most prominent history of the rise of the middle class in early modern England is Jurgen Habermas's. King finds Habermas's widely accepted account whereby (mostly male) subjects become aware of themselves as newly autonomous subjects while reading novels in private to be suspect. King finds that Habermas's account tends to assume that reading practices allow men and women to reflect upon an already existent heterosexual subjectivity. King, on the other hand, sees subjectivity as an effect created and determined by new market relations. This is a key difference between Habermas and King because King, after Butler, believes men and women do not simply read to reflect upon an already existent heterosexual subjectivity but that reading practices, body practices, cultural practices etc...are constitutive acts.

Habermas assumes a sameness and consistency in all male desire throughout history and he assumes that all male desire is always already heterosexual and thus Habermas fails to read gender and gendered notions of privacy as historically constituted categories. Habermas also fails to account for the fact that a diverse population of emergent male and female subjectivities may respond to the same historical conditions and each other in vastly different ways. Kings takes into consideration both residual and emergent gender differentials and so his account allows for much more subtle and nuanced (and much more interesting) readings of seventeenth and eighteenth century texts and the residual and emergent subjectivities that they describe.

It is to the theatre (instead of the novel, Habermas's form of choice) that King looks for evidence of an ongoing attempt to produce/evolve/negotiate/regulate/disrupt/enforce notions of subjectivity (ie gender practices, gendered notions of privacy); it is also to the theatre that King looks for the political causes/implications of these new practices.

A fascinating book.