North America Books

There aren't too many books written about African American marriage. It's unfortunate because information is the key that opens many doors. Yet we are left with limitations placed on the information we have about marriage. Our ancestors and parents were so busy avoiding the often painful task of analyzing the past of failed relationships. We were left ignorant to the tools of what works. We need to discuss what doesn't work in order to understand what actually works.

Donna L. Franklin has begun to open the doors to communication in this secretive area for us. Thank you, Donna. We need to move forward. Let's talk about our African American relationships. The youth are learning by the failed examples they witness. Let's leave them with more than that.

[....]

This books hit the nail on the head. Not only do we as black people have to constantly fight for our respect, but we also fight each other. I think this should be a book that is read in every book club. The only way black men and women are going to solve our problems is to discuss them and communicate. The only thing I didn't like about this book is all the numbers. I think the author over did it with the statistics. After a while I started skipping whole paragraphs. Other than that this is a must read.

Donna Franklin's new book, What's Love Got To Do With It, is a passionate,unequivocal indictment of racism and white supremecy in American society. Impeccable scholarship becomes a tool for her laser-like examination of what has gone wrong with black male/female relationships, and no stone is left unturned. No-one is let off the hook. Not white males. Not white females. Not black males or black females.

A crime has been committed. Who is guilty of this crime? Who must pay? Who must be held accountable? For the destruction of black male/female relationships? The destruction of the black family? The destruction and denigration of African culture and consciousness? The insanity of homocide, suicide and fratricide in the black community? Slavery is Donna Franklin's answer. Miss Anne and Uncle Charlie out back, in the cabin, in the bushes, in yo bed room, in de school room, in yo mind.

Insanity passing for sanity. Black man walkin' down the street mumblin' to himself, holdin' himself like he gotta piss. Black woman standing on the street corner with a blond wig on her head charging two dollars. Apein' mr charlie. Apein' miss anne! Playing in the dark, writin' blues for mister charlie, wearing black skin and a white mask, with no name in the street!! Because - Nobody knows my name!!! Not even me! What's yo name Boy??

Franz Fanon said it best: "The Negro is a slave who has been allowed to assume the attitude of [the] master. The white man is a master who has allowed his slaves to eat at his table." "Relationships between black men and women in America are in crisis," says Donna Franklin. "The current divorce rate for blacks is four times the 1960 level and double that of the general population." "Interracial marriages have risen from a reported 51,000 in l960 to 311,000 in l997." "The rates of violence between black men and women are higher than those of other races." ". . .Seventy-two percent of the African American husbands reported using a confrontational style of dealing with marital conflict. . ." "Forty-four percent of married black men admit to having been unfaithful to their wives, almost double the percentage for whites." Sixty percent of young black males between the ages of 18 and 24 are caught up in the criminal justice system.

In the end Donna calls for healing. But healing in this instance must be spiritual as well as social. The cancer has spead too far. The community is too sick for surgery or psychotherapy. To heal the rift between black men and women will take time. But time alone won't do the job, as Donna implies. We must understand the history and place today's black male/female relationships within the context of that history. This book goes a long way toward helping us to understand -- to understand that history and context. Holding up a mirror to American society, Donna Franklin reveals strange fruit hanging from the poplar tree. No matter how painful, America, you must have the courage to read this book!!!!

I doubt that I would even consider another relationship, unless I knew that we were both conscious of the information provided by Donna L. Franklin's book.

It contains well written and informative validation to theories and facts that serve to answer the largely ignored phenomenon of why it has been so difficult for too many black couples to enter into and remain in stable relationships.

Even the therapy sessions I once attended, in an attempt to save my family eluded this dynamic. The therapist was seemingly unaware or otherwise unable to implement this information in addressing the unique circumstances associated with black couples...

As a matter of fact, I realize later, and as a black woman herself, she was probably struggling with many of these dynamics in her own relationships...

The answer begins with awareness!!!

This book should be standard required reading for all African Americans and Americans in general need to be aware of this information also. It's just part of the healing process for the whole country.

There is no more time to ignore the combined effects of racism and genderism.

I apologize to no one for being strong, but I sure am sick of being strong all of the time, especially while being resented and disrespected for it in the home...that I bought....

Thank You Donna!

This book provides a much needed historical analysis of the emergence of the current tensions found between black men and women. I have always been interested in africian-american history and this book is one of the best history books I've ever read. It is supebly written and carefully documented. The author even provides hope by asking the reader a series of questions that can help him/her determine (if answered honestly) whether they are part of the problem or part of the solution. This book is both informative and thought provoking and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the black family or gender relations in the african-american community.

It's a beautiful book but I would have liked to see all of his work and not just a small part of it. The book could have showed more of his earlier work, like "The Family Tree" and a few other that were very successful paintins and sold out as print. I had to buy the book "Song of Creation" to see 15 of the paintings that were missing in that book.

For the fan of Carl Brenders, this book is a must although it is not complete. I hope he will eventualy publish a book with full reference to his work and in larger size. I don't mind if it would cost 100$ or more.

Carl Brenders is one of the most amazing artists in existence when it comes to realistic animal paintings. His work is so fine and detailed that it would be easy to mistake one of his pieces for a photograph. Being a fan of realism, I can't help but love his exquisite paintings. This book contains over fifty beautiful pieces, depicting a wide array of North American wildlife, including bears, deer, foxes, raccoons, wolves, cougars, squirrels, many species of bird, and more. Each painting is accompanied by its title, dimensions, media information, and year of completion, as well as a few paragraphs explaining the inspiration for that particular piece (written by Brenders himself). With some he has included preliminary sketches, all of which are fine drawings in and of themselves. The margins are large and there is plenty of "white space" (but not too much) so that the pages look balanced and uncluttered. At the end there is a short biography of the artist, discussing his childhood in Belgium, how he came to love animals and nature, his schooling in art, his career as an artist, and a little about his technique. This book would be a terrific coffee-table item or gift idea for any lover of wildlife art.

If you love wildlife art that shows every hair, whisker or feather of a wild creature and every blade of grass, leaf or branch in the "background", Carl Brenders is your man. His work is technically brilliant and acutely observed, resulting in paintings that are more real than reality.

This man can draw! There are a few pencil sketches included in the book. They are a little looser than his impeccable paintings and they appeal to me more than the paintings.

So much art is a matter of taste - I am awe struck by the patience Brenders must possess in order to produce these images, but I personally prefer a more spontaneous approach. I subscribe to James McNeill Whistler's view: "To say of a picture, as is often said in its praise, that it shows great and earnest labour, is to say that it is incomplete and unfit for view." Brenders manages to achieve a fusion of "great and earnest labour" (he must take months to do each painting!) and creative excellence. That's the only reason why I give a four- and not five-star rating! It's just a little TOO slick for my taste.

The layout of this book is clean and fresh, allowing his detailed paintings lots of white space. Accompanying the paintings is a brief commentary from the artist. This text reinforces the artist's absolute love of his subject.

Carl Brenders is a fantastic artist. I had his calendar hanging in my office and people thought his drawings were photographs. This is an excellent book of his works.

I love the works of Carl Brenders and Robert Bateman, and this volume is not a disappointment. Brenders paints with a realism that doesn't look like wildlife photographs; his works look better than photographs. If anyone can improve on the depiction of nature's beauty, it is Brenders.

A must for anyone who is planning on visiting the Yucatan. I cant get enough information about the Mayan. This is a must read, great book.

Hi,

I read this book although not this particular edition and I found that it needs a detailed commentary by a scholar and a detailed map. For instance, in the chapter where Landa describes plants and animals of the Yucatan, I was left to wonder about what these are - is this soft thing with a hard skin that he talks about an avocado? or is it some Native American fruit that has since gone extinct? same with plants and trees. Also, i was wondering if maize was known in Europe before the encounter with the Europeans? Very interested in the food these people used to eat and drink at different parts of the day and wonder what happened to these ancient recipes. The chapter on the Mayan calendar and their writing system completely confused me. That chapter definitely need an editor's explanation. Finally, I would have wanted to know how much of what we know and believe about the Mayas comes directly out of Landa's book - and no other source. Somebody should do a Ph.D. thesis to answer the many questions raised in this brief book. Finally, despite what has been said about Landa's intolerance and narrow-mindedness, having read this 16th century account I found him to be a very intelligent man, someone who possessed a great deal of knowledge about nature and human customs, and not a bad writer for his time period.

While driving on the lonely highway toward the city of Valladolid, in the center of Mexico's Yucutan peninsula, on the horizon loomed a surreal shadow. I tried to imagine what this platial structure could be. Upon arriving at the charming colonial city, I came upon a magnificent Spanish colonial monestary. What was amazing was that it was built upon the base of a pyramid razed by the Spanish conquistadores, who reused the stones for their building. Next to this remarkable ediface, one will find a statue erected in his memory, its plaque stating that it is a monument to the dangers of religious fervor and extremism. One cannot think of a more apt metaphor of the Spanish attempt to wipe out the indigenous Maya culture than this building. This remakable book chronicles the travels of Friar Diego de Landa and fellow conquistadores in their attempts to convert the Maya of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula to Catholicism. It reads like many of the Medieval first-hand accounts by the crusaders (e.g., Jean de Joinville) in that horrible details of destruction can be justified in the name of spreading the Gospel. The accounts of Bernal Diaz at Tenochtitlan are another parallel.

So why should I feel that such a book merits five stars? This book is a very important first-hand (though painful) accounts of colonial Mexican history and a witness to the destruction of an indigenous culture. It is ironic that this book is also a very important source of Maya customs, daily activity, and history. It's a veritable treasure trove of information (with very interesting illustrations) of the culture the Spanish conquistadores sought to erradicate.

During the sixteenth century, the Franciscan friar Diego de Landa put into writing the Relacion de Las Cosas de Yucatan. This work is a translation of the manuscript from 1566 by the renowned scholar William Gates. The Dover edition was originally published as Publication Number 20 by the Maya Society, Baltimore, 1937. This was reportedly the first English translation of that text. Landa's relacion pieced together the culture and society of the Yucatec Maya as he saw the people, their practices and their region during his time. Although his work may be labeled as "Euro centric" by our standards, his writings are an early example of ethnographical accounts by a foreign observer. Diego de Landa has left scholars a view into the perceptions of a sixteenth century European clergyman as he encountered a foreign culture.

"Yucatan Before and After the Conquest" is the English translation of the 1566 work "Relacion de las cosas de Yucatan," by Diego de Landa. Translator William Gates has also provided some illuminating notes to the text. De Landa was a clergyman who was instrumental in suppressing the indigenous Mayan culture of Yucatan. In his introduction, Gates notes ironically that de Landa "burned ninety-nine times as much knowledge of Maya history and sciences as he has given us in his book." Also ironically, de Landa wrote the book as a matter of self-justification after his forced return to Spain.

So de Landa's work must be read with a very critical eye. Still, this is a frequently fascinating account of Native American life at the time of the Spanish conquest. De Landa describes Indian architecture, clothing, culinary arts, and musical instruments. He also describes the bounteous plant and animal life of the region (particularly interesting is his account of the manatees). De Landa also describes the "Europeanization" of the younger Indian generation, and explains why he destroyed priceless native texts.

This edition contains some supplemental documents implicating de Landa as the "chief author" of many of the abuses heaped upon the Indians by their Spanish conquerors. This book is an important resource, but it is also a chilling record of cultural imperialism, religious chauvinism, and personal arrogance.

As the Director of Operations for a Silicon Valley company from the Boomer generation, understanding the Millennials can be a challenge! The book is a great resource with helpful tips on communicating effectively with the youngest crop of professionals. Short and filled with valuable to-the-point information.

This is a great book to help understand the new generation, what makes them tick and how to manage them. This is the kind of information that a VP of Human Resources would love and I've already recommended this to several HR executives to help them with current recruitment efforts!

I've been waiting for this book...
I had the benefit of early business advice at the onset of my company (from the author's ad company. Smart people, great info, I highly recommend anything that Orrell has to say about business.

Just when I think I understand the new generation, a book like this comes out and proves me wrong. Good reading for anyone involved with HR, any Managers over 30, and/or anyone who owns their own business and needs to hire the new young professionals. This book has practical advice that will change the way I do everything from hiring to incentive programs. Good stuff!

I review and promote a lot of business books on my community website for business professionals. I have not found one current book that discusses who the Millennials (Generation Y) are and how to best deal with these 20-somethings now entering the professional workforce. This is a very hot topic and something that has companies throughout the country concerned and baffled. Lisa's book is a personable quick-read packed with good info that any HR exec or Boomer/GenX manager will benefit from.

-- Gillian Parrillo, Founder and Publisher of [...], and retired Senior Executive of a Fortune 1000 Corporation.

The most comprehensive guide available for anyone interested in skiing the best of the California peaks. This book will seduce the timid into a world of adventure and outdoor recreation previously thought to be for the "Big Boys" only. The experienced skier and snowboarder will appreciate the breadth of information available in one source. You'll scrunch this one into your backpack along with your topo map. Mr. Richins' writing style flows easily. His excitement for the subject will capture your outdoor spirit. His vast experience will give you the confidence and trust you need in a guide (and this guide will fit in your backpack).

Mr. Richins book is a veritable treasure-trove of information. From well researched check-lists to clear descriptions of everything from how to get to the trailhead to routes on the peaks; this book covers it all! Mr. Richins love of the Sierra Nevada shines through these pages. He invites his readers to share his love of the winter Sierra and imparts knowledge that makes it possible for expert and novice alike to enjoy these mountains. History of the Sierra Nevada is woven in throughout the book, creating an interestng counterpoint to the climbing routes. A must for the backpack on winter trips in the Sierras! Something to read by headlamp on those long nights in the tent!

The most comprehensive guide available for anyone interested in skiing the best of the California peaks. This book will seduce the timid into a world of adventure and outdoor recreation previously thought to be for the "Big Boys" only. The experienced skier and snowboarder will appreciate the breadth of information available in one source. You'll scrunch this one into your backpack along with your topo map. Mr. Richins' writing style flows easily. His excitement for the subject will capture your outdoor spirit. His vast experience will give you the confidence and trust you need in a guide (and this guide will fit in your backpack).

Having recently purchased Paul Richins book, ³50 Classic Backcountry Ski and Snowboard Summits in California,² I was very impressed. Like all books published by ³The Mountaineers,² it is nothing but First Class in every way. Mr. Richins has gone out of his way to provide the rest of us with a gem which will lead one to enjoy the fantastic world of the winter Sierra.

Even if one is nothing more than an arm chair cross country skier they would find this book highly enjoyable and enlightening reading. For the more adventuresome person, Mr. Richins book would be their ultimate guide to a world of adventure. The pictures, the writing, the maps are all five star. The little extras that Mr. Richins has added throughout the book, such as writings of John Muir, and others, adds the spice to this delightful book.

Mr. Richins, since he has obviously researched, personally , all 50 of the peaks listed in his guide, has been able to make a very reliable summary of each peak, from Intermediate, Advance, to Expert. This would easily allow me to select a challenge within my ability and, along with the excellent guide of the book, make winter trips I would have never thought possible.

If you are planning a winter/spring backcountry trip and want accurate, detailed information on routes, terrain, and level of difficulty for some of the best skiing/snowboarding terrain in California than this is the perfect book. The book is well organized, clearly written and beautifully illustrated. Everytime I pick up the book I find myself mentally planning new trips and plotting descent routes on the photographs. An added plus to the book is the wealth of information that it contains on preparing for a backcountry experience. The author covers everything from avalanche danger to equipment to bring on an extended trip. He even includes an excellent website for those who want more information. There always is a question in my mind when I read any backcountry guide about the accuracy of the information. Who wants to set out on a trip only to find out that the route maps or the descriptions don't match the terrain? The author is someone with extensive backcountry experience who has done each of the 50 trips described in the book at least once. We all sould be so lucky! Having taken two trips with the author that are detailed in the book, I can say that he did an excellent job of describing the routes and the terrain. If you are someone who is looking for backcountry ski/snowbaording adventure, this book will make your trip planning a whole lot easier. Enjoy

Great novel. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the Civil war, American History.

Winner of 1997 Cader Cox Historical Fiction Award by the North Carolina Society of Historians

This book is a generous gift to anyone interested in not only the facts of the Civil War, but also how it was lived by those engaged in it. It depicts desperate battles that, though they may be listed as "skirmishes", were nothing less than horrific fights for survival for the participants. At the same time, it puts the reader in the trenches around Petersburg, fighting rain, sun, disease, mud, sharpshooters and monotony. This is not just good history, its a great read.

Picked this one up through a friend, much better than Frazier's "Cold Mountain". Must-have for any Civil War buff.

This book will live. it is a work that transcends history or fiction. a book to treasure forever, it takes the reader into the American Civil War as no other has. I recommend it highly

This is a great book for serious birders. It contains a great amount of important information that is well organized and helpful. This is a technical book that I would not recommend for the beginner, however, I found it practical in its structure and content.

I strongly recommend this book. I held back from awarding a full five stars because I felt that their illustrations lacked a little "life" although experienced birders will probably not find this to be a problem.

I bought this book and the contents are very helpful in identifying birds. The problem is it has the information duplicated from pages 145 to 176, skipping from page 112. I have tried to exchange it with another one, but it had the same problem. I tried to do that for the third time, and now I am waiting for it. I hope it arrives with all the pages and no duplications.

I have quite a few birding books and have been birding for 30+ years. I feel that this book has been a key for improving my skills, more than any of the other books with the exception of the new Sibley guide and perhaps the old out of print "The Western Birdwatcher" by Zimmerman.

Kuaffman's books taught me some key points that I still employ when checking the scaups, dowitchers, gulls and looking for Western Sandpipers among other difficult identifications. His succinct descriptions and comparitive sketches make it much more possible to know how to identify a juvenile Western Sandpiper as opposed to a Semipalmated Sandpiper. I found that I would often go back to this book rather than the other shorebird books I had. Another key section in the book is the coverage of identification tips for the Terns. I had always found it difficult to separate Forster's and Common in the field despite the seemingly easy differences in field guides. This book helped out with good wing pattern comparisons and other marks that were not included in the guides. The pattern drawings of the Terns and Shorebirds alone are worth the cost of the book.

If you are ready to start on Iceland and Thayer's Gull or Rufous and Allen's Hummingbirds you can't go wrong by getting Kauffman's Advanced Birding.

This book is appropriate for anyone who wants to improve his bird identification skills, whether he is already "advanced" or not. Kaufman does an excellent job detailing how to go about identifying birds in many problem groups, such as accipiters, dowitchers, and fall warblers. In some cases the information amounts to helpful hints that will make identification a little easier (did you know that the nail on a Greater Scaup's bill is substantially larger than that on a Lesser Scaup's?). In others, the information is a practical necessity if you ever plan on unraveling the species in question (if you're trying to identify a Thayer's Gull without this or some even more esoteric work, forget it).

My only quarrel with this book is that Kaufman sometimes places more emphasis on small field marks, and less on overall shape and other amorphous characteristics ("jizz," to the Brits), than I think appropriate. Otherwise, darned close to perfect.

This book rocks the house

It was very knowledgeable. Told about most of the activities going on in Tampa and St. Petersburg.

A full update of this guidebook, previously called the Adventure Guide to Florida's West Coast. This book takes in all the cities, towns, nature preserves, wilderness areas and sandy beaches that grace the Sunshine State's western shore. Covers Tampa Bay to Naples and Everglades National Park to Sanibel Island. Canoeing the Everglades, hiking on Gasparilla Island, exploring the history of Tampa's Ybor City - it's all here! Plus it has good town and regional maps.

"These useful guides are highly recommended... " Library Journal "[Adventure Guides] direct you away from the theme parks and into the great outdoors... the information on trekking routes, canoeing, wildlife refuges - even golf courses - is well researched." The Sunday Telegraph "...intended for the adventure-minded travelers with special affection for the outdoors and nature. Each Adventure Guide packs in outdoor-oriented activities set in different regions. There's something for nearly everyone." Midwest Book Review

"This second edition of Walton's comprehensive guide... is a must for visitors." Bon Voyage

Chelle Koster Walton's third edition of Tampa Bay & Florida's West Coastis out, and it updates all the basics on accommodations, restaurants, natural areas and historic sites alike. This adventure-oriented guide outlines the best in inland and water trips, includes museums and shopping, and provides an outdoor focus and budget-minded focus which will appeal to trip planners.

A full update of this popular guidebook, previously called the Adventure Guide to Florida's West Coast. This book takes in all the cities, towns, nature preserves, wilderness areas and sandy beaches that grace the Sunshine State's western shore. Covers Tampa Bay to Naples and Everglades National Park to Sanibel Island. Canoeing the Everglades, hiking on Gasparilla Island, exploring the history of Tampa's Ybor City - it's all here!

There are some books that are just so informative that no library should be without them. There are some books that are written so well that it is a positive joy to read the text. There are some people who have such a way of looking at the world that you feel comfort hearing them speak. There are people who have seen so much that their opinion is something you seek.

All of these traits are combined in this volume that only Foote's Civil War trilogy can compare with. The small stories that are routinely missed (such as the origin of "the real McCoy) and the relevence of these ordinary people making extrodinary things happen are coupled with the tales of the extraordinary people who had their ordinary vices. (Franklin's advice to take an older mistress because they are both more discreet and more grateful) Both named and unnamed he tells their tale as it fits in the piece of this puzzle of America

Unlike much of history which seems to have an agenda, Cooke's masterpiece is classical, telling a story of grandur without fawning and of warts without lambasting. It is a grand overview rather than a list of presidents, wars and laws. He captures the essense of what is importnat. It is as if he wished to give a consice guide to his compatriots in England of what facinates him about this land that he eventually settled as did many in his story.

It captures what America and Americans are very well and would be an excellent guide to any person who wants to understand us. With so many Americans ignorant of their own history it would be an even better guide to todays college or high school students to make them understand this land of their birth and how it came to be what it is.

This book is 30 years old as I write this (July 4th 2003) at the time he wrote this Cooke was in his 27th year of his Letter from America Broadcast for the BBC. When you finish this book you will find yourself wanting more. Have no fear Mr Cooke is now in his 57th year of his broadcasts telling the story of America 15 minutes at a time continues. Lets hope he dictates a sequel filling in these 30 years.

Besides being a beautifully written, poetic portrait of America's history, the author's British background provides for a totally different perspective. This viewpoint provides a different insight on people and events that an American writer might not have grasped and that I found very interesting and refreshing.

No stiff upper lip Brit here, not at all. As a transplanted British journalist Alistair Cooke who studied in America's Ivy League universities and then returned to America as a BBC correspondent seems to have been deeply affected and impressed by what he saw here. He stayed here and became a citizen. If the little man and his small cracker-barrel anecdotes represented the collective spirit of the country Alistair Cooke's fascination of the common man's philosophy captured that spirit simply and eloquently in his writings. This simple eloquent approach addressed and exposed the heart and feeling of the people that drove the great country for higher aspirations of the human experience. This is what he wrote about. His observations and examination of the Civil War capture the fervent feelings that Americans held be they morally right or wrong. Yet at the end of this struggle the common purpose of the people did not deter them to find their destiny in this land. The spirit never died and that is what Cooke seems to capture, explore and explain in such eloquent words.

Alistair Cooke, who died very recently, was a Briton who first came to America during the dark days of the Great Depression as a very young BBC correspondent. The venerated justice Oliver Wendell Holmes was one of the very first people whom he met - and he writes eloquently of that encounter in the Civil War chapter of this book. Finding our spirit and our optimism contagious, Cooke spent much, if not most of his life here for the next seven decades, getting the know the best and the brightest, the celebrity and the common man on the street, learned about our history with an appreciation that very few - even many Americans - have for this country.

The result is "Alistair Cooke's America" first published as a loving tribute to this country at its Bicentennial in 1976, with a revised forward in 2002, though with no mention of the tumultous events of September 11, 2001. Cooke writes movingly of our history and of the spirit of the American people, the fight for Liberty during the American Revolution, the move westward, that "firebell in the night" (to quote Thomas Jefferson) as the country tore itself apart over the question of Slavery. He writes of the Civil War, interestingly considering Antietam to be a much more significant battle than Gettysburg. His views on Abraham Lincoln are also surprising, in his view that President Lincoln was venerated in great part due to his death, and being the leader of the winning side.

Cooke also spends much more writing space on Woodrow Wilson, whom he clearly admires for his domestic and foreign policies, but either ignores or just wasn't aware of Wilson's Racist policies. By contrast, Theodore Roosevelt, whose Presidency bridged the gap between the Civil War years and America becoming a major power, gets barely two pages.

Cooke's chapter on the "Arsenal of Democracy" is a revelatory look at how America's policy of "Lend Lease" and our subsequent entry into World War II did save the world from Hitlerism, especially when France had fallen and Britain was on the ropes.

Despite some of his views, or perhaps because of them - This well-written and profusely illustrated book deserves the five-star review because Alistair Cooke wrote a history that belongs on every thoughtful American's bookshelf alongside Stephen Ambrose's "To America". The things we take for granted about how great this country is were never missed by this great British writer.

His prose depicting the American people throughout our nation's historical record are eloquent and shear poetry to read. His endearing objectivity and love of this land through his insightful words are stirring and heartwarming. You do not come across this type of writing with genuine devotion, respect and love for what comprised the greatness of the American spirit.

Bill Crawford has written a fairly thorough and detailed account of Jim Thorpe, without a doubt the greatest athlete of the 20th Century. Mr. Crawford, however, fell short when relating, on pages 231-232, Thorpe's passing and eventual burial. At his death he was brought back to Shawnee, Oklahoma, by his family. He was NOT BURIED, as Mr. Crawford states, but his body lay in the mausoleum at Fairview Cemetery. Many local people visited the site in respect, myself included. During the months his body rested there several prominent citizens began work on a project to build a permanent monument for him. Designs for a burial place and a museum were developed and funds began to be raised. Preliminary plans were to put it between the football and baseball field on the west side of town. However, before the total could be raised and the plans finalized Thorpe's body disappeared, literally, in the middle of the night - much to the surprise of his family and to Shawnee citizens. It was a terrible disappointment. In 1949, on one of his trips back to Oklahoma, he had stated that he was born May 28, 1888 "near and south of Bellemont - Pottawatomie County - along the banks of North Fork River . . hope this will clear up the inquiries as to my birthplace", signed Jim Thorpe. (Bellemont was on the county line between Pottawatomie and Lincoln counties, 8 miles off Hwy 18 - Shawnee is the county seat of Pottawatomie County and about 11 miles from the site). Thus, Shawnee citizens were very proud to be known as the home of the greatest athlete of all time. When the town didn't get to be the resting place of Thorpe's body it was decided to name the football stadium in his honor anyway, and it's known as Jim Thorpe Stadium to this day. It was surprising to read in Mr. Crawford's book that "Shawnee refused to erect a memorial for her husband". It just wasn't so and a little further research on his part, maybe perusing copies of the Shawnee News-Star in the local library. Also, just a few years ago (haven't been out there in a while), there was a marker on the vault at Fairview describing that was where Jim Thorpe's body had lain.

As the youngest son of Jim Thorpe, I want to thank Bill Crawford for finally bringing out the truth in writing as to what happened to our father. For years our family and others have tried to clear his name. Much still needs to be done. Although his Gold Medals from the 1912 Olympics have been returned, dad is only named co-winner. His trophys from the games are still held by the IOC.

Mr. Crawford writes a wonderfull book. But,there is still a lack of understanding of the Indian culture,and what took place in the Indian School System during the early years of the last century, the Indian were not citizens of the United States and held on legal status. Dad did what he was told to do and suffered for his lack of knowledge and having no legal support.

As a family, we still want his name fully cleared and his full honors returned. Then the day would come when he can be put to rest.

Bill Crawford's "All American: The Rise and Fall of Jim Thorpe" is a well crafted, insightful and poignant portrait of one of the 20th century's greatest athletes. That alone would be sufficient to give it all-star status among the scores of sports books published in recent years. "All American," however, is far more than that because paints a unique and compelling picture of "amateur" intercollegiate athletics in its infancy and thereby helps us to understand behemoth that it has become today.

Jim Thorpe's story has been told in other biographies as well as in a grade B movie. Crawford's contribution is its investigation of the complex relationship between Thorpe and his legendary coach, Glenn "Pop" Warner - the same Pop Warner who is the namesake of the youth football leagues that are supposed to instill in young men the spirit and ideals of honest and fair competition. Yet, as early as the first decade of the century, Warner, the football coach at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, was earning more than his school's president, was recruiting "student athletes" who were far more athlete than student and was disbursing under the table cash. Although Warner won the trust and loyalty of Thorpe, he ultimately betrayed him by denying that he knew that he had played semi-pro baseball for petty cash. As a consequence, the Amateur Athletic Union and the American Olympic Committee ruled that Thorpe had compromised his amateur status and stripped him of his 1912 Olympic medals. In fact, Crawford makes clear, Warner not only was aware of what Thorpe had been doing in football's off-season, he most likely made the arrangements.

"All American: The Rise and Fall of Jim Thorpe" should be required reading for anyone wishing to gain a perspective on the sports scandals du jour. It's an important book and a great compliment to the daily sports section.

This book provides the most detailed history yet of America's greatest athlete. In an era where athletes could not enhance their performance with drugs, Jim Thorpe was clearly, naturally the best. Bill Crawford's detailed account of Thorpe's life leaves no doubt in my mind. I am amazed by the amount of information Crawford provides on Thorpe as well as other athletes of the time. The history he provides of Carlisle and the Indian school system in general illustrates how poorly the BIA and the US government treated Indians. "All American: The Rise and Fall of Jim Thorpe" should be required reading for all BIA officials as well as strongly recommended reading for others in government. Certainly student athletes and athletic officials would enjoy and learn from it.

All American: The Rise And Fall Of Jim Thorpe is the biography of one of the greatest athletes of the twentieth century - who was also at the center of one of the greatest scandals. Jim Thorpe was a grand football running back, a proud Native American, a college player who led his Carlisle Indian Industrial School team to victory, and the winner of gold medals for the decathlon and the pentathlon at the 1912 Olympic Games. Yet a scandal ensued over whether he was truly worthy of "amateur" sports status, whether playing in certain professional ball games required that he be stripped of his titles. The scandal dragged his reputation through the mud and left a black mark on his life, even though he would go on to play professional baseball and become president of what would one day be the National Football League. All American is the candid portrayal of a courageous and dedicated athlete, and one who was essentially used as a guinea pig to determine the rules - who is an amateur, and who is a pro, and what amateurs and pros are allowed to do or not do. Enjoyable in its own right, All American is a welcome addition to prominent Native American biography collections, and highly recommended for American sports history shelves.