Burns Books

I noticed that the reviews of Bruce Catton's book are actually reviews of Ken Burns PBS Civil War book.

Would like to see reviews of the latter book.

This is an incredible Civil War book,hands down,chock full of great information,and great illustrations,a must for the Civil War buff!!! Very recommended!!! A+

Originally released in conjunction with the television history "The Civil War" which aired on public television, this book is good enough to stand on its own merits.

Geoffrey C. Ward subsequently began a long term professional association with documentary film maker Ken Burns and collaborated with him on additional book and film projects. Ward also distinguished himself with a biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt ("A First Class Temperament").

Ward writes well and assembles his materials in a thorough manner. The book is lavishly illustrated photographs of key locations and vintage pictures from the battle fields. Readers will profit from studying this book even if they do not watch the series of television programs.

In my opinion, still the best one volume book on the American Civil War. I use it as the primary text in a semester high school class. I find the writing clear and concise, yet with a high degree of moving readability. Something that is a good read for those wanting an overview of this crossroads event in our nation's history.

From the very beginning, I was enthralled with the PBS series by Ken Burns, The Civil War. So why it took me so many years to read The Civil War companion book, I'll never know. Written by Geoffrey Ward with Ric Burns and Ken Burns, it was like discovering lost treasure.

The Civil War was a momentous event in the history of our nation, and thousands and thousands of books have been written on almost every possible angle. But if a Civil War neophyte had to bring himself up to speed as quickly as possible, this book is the way to go. The Civil War obviously covers all of the major events from John Brown, to the firing on Sumter to the surrender at Appomattox. The battles are done in a way that makes them easy to understand with maps and troop movements for clarification. The authors provide portraits of the major players (Lincoln, Davis, Lee, Grant, Jackson, Sherman, etc.) as well as some still important but lesser-known individuals (Clara Barton). But what I really enjoyed were the side-stories, anecdotes and trivia to be found here. We learn about the railroads, the medical corps, the engineers, the supplies, the uniforms, the ironclads, the weapons, and black soldiers. The north had much better marching songs. "A southern major who listened to a northern officer sing some of them after the war admitted `Gentlemen, if we'd had your songs, we'd have licked you out of your boots.'"

What truly makes The Civil War come alive is the liberal use of letters and journal entries from the war. Throughout, we hear the voices of Sam Watkins (1st Tennessee Regiment) and Elisha Hunt Rhodes (2nd Rhode Island Volunteers) as they give us a first-hand account of their long war years. They also bring the story alive by the many photographs, drawings and maps that they've assembled.

The authors not only give us all this fascinating information, but then they cement it together with commentary by Civil War experts interspersed throughout. Such notables as Shelby Foote, Barbara J. Fields, James M. McPherson, C. Vann Woodward and Don E. Fehrenbacher tell us what the Civil War meant to us as individuals and as a nation. According to Foote, "the Civil War defined us as what we are and it opened us to being what we became, good and bad things."

Now that I've become reacquainted with the work of Ken Burns and crew, I'm definitely going to go back and watch the series again. This time, I plan to see it on DVD.

The Order of the Poinson Oak is the follow up book to Brent Hartinger's Geography Club (GC). And for a follow up book it's great. The characters are true to who they were in GC.

Russel, Min, & Gunnar are back, but this time they are going to Summer Camp. If you have ever been to summer camp, then you may read things happening in this book that you may have actually experienced. Because of this, I found the story believable, and well done. Hartinger also does a great job of that eternal question that all LGBTQ teens, and even adults have to deal with, "Should I come out to these people or not?"

The story is written from the perspecite of Russel, and you get to read the thoughts that are going through hims mind. The narrative is done in the form of a recolection, or retelling of a story, so the narrator has a little more insight than the characters, which takes nothing away from the story, but does give you a sense of what's to some.

The plot was pretty predictable, and if you have read a moderate amount of books, the hints at the ending that Hartinger gives are glaringly obvious. But the journey to the end was very enjoyable. Sometimes it's not the ending that counts, but the journey we take to get there. And this book is just like that. You already know what's going to happen, but you really want to see how the characters get there.

All in all this was a great book, and I would highly reccomend it.

In a span of 4 days I have read both Geography Club and The Order of the Poison Oak. Russel Middlebrook is my new hero, along with Brent Hartinger. I cannot wait to get my eyes on the rest of his novels! Absolutely Awesome!!!

Stephen R. Moore author of Dancing in the Arms of Orion and Home Sweet Home.

I enjoyed reading the Order of the Poison Oak because there is a lot of excitement but it's realistic. It shows that even if you are different than most people there are still those that care about you, all you have to do is find them. It also shows that if one of your friends says they are going out with someone you like you should believe your friend no matter how much you don't want to and be loyal to them no matter what. I also enjoyed the Indian legend told by Russ in the story. you can learn a lot from this book.

This book is better than GEOGRAPHY CLUB - there is more detail and more character development.. but not a whole heck of a lot more. There is still room for better images and better emotion. I don't feel like I got to experience Brent's full vision of this work because there wasn't enough depth. Each character get's a little part and just when you get interested it's over and on to something else. I bought all Brent's books. I hope he grows as a writer..

After reading Geography Club, I had to immediately go buy The Order of the Poison Oak.

I was not disappointed. If it's of any consequence, I read the whole thing in one sitting. I simply could not put it down - even when the wee hours of the morning were creeping up on me and I could barely keep my eyes open from lack of sleep (and I had to get up the next morning).

This book, an extremely strong sequel to Geography Club, can stand alone on its own (just like Geography Club) and is an amazing work of literary genius. Brent manages again to help bring emotion, vision, and strength to another story that contains many things that many of us have dealt with throughout our lives. This book, like Geography Club, seems to be mainly geared towards teens, but being 25, I can still seriously relate - and I think anyone can.

Brent helps us all to realize that we're all special, regardless of the person that we are - and that it's truly our autonomy that makes us special as people: being unique is what truly brings us all together in a world and society that stresses conformity.

Slow Burn" by Brenda Jackson continues the Madaris saga. Skye Barclay goes looking for younger brother, Vincent, who has been adopted by Justin and Lorren Madaris. When Skye visits the Madaris' home she meets Justin's cousin, Slade Madaris. For both, Skye and Slade, it is love at first sight. Sparks ignite and the fire starts to burn and keep on burning -- slowly until it erupts into a flaming blaze of hot passion.

Skye's life has not always been easy. Even though raised by adoptive parents and Skye had all the material things she needed or ever wanted, Skye felt there was something still missing. If not for her adoptive aunt and her adoptive father's boss and boss' wife, Skye would not have experienced the love she found when she visited the Madaris' home. There, Skye realized what was missing in her adoptive home -- it was love, a love that stems from the heart.

While visiting, Skye makes several other stunning discoveries when she finds her younger brother. She not only gains a brother, but she is also reunited with her paternal father and natural grandfather, who turned out to also be her adoptive father's boss. For Skye, love is overflowing, but the greatest love comes in the form of sexy Slade Madaris who is there for Skye when she first set foot in the Madaris' home. Skye's and Slade's love becomes a slow, burning fire that definitely erupts as time goes by.

BRENDA JACKSON FANS: THIS IS ONE OF THE "MADARIS" BOOKS. A MUST READ IF YOU HAVE READ THE OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES OR IF YOU HAVE READ ANY OF MS. JACKSON'S BOOKS. This book also reunites us with the Madaris clan -- Dex and Caitlin, Clayton and Syneda, Christy and Alex, and their families.

I am a fan of Brenda Jackson, especially the Madaris series. This book was as good as the others with the romance and suspense. It also included characters from the other Madaris books. I would definitely recommend!

Skye Barclay recently discovered she was adopted and she has a sixteen-year-old brother named Vincent living in Texas. She arrives at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Justin Madaris, Vincent's adoptive parents, hoping to meet him, and the door is answered by Slade Madaris. The attraction between them is immediate and intense but Skye just wants to get to know her brother, if he's willing to get to know her.

Skye's parents and her ex-fiancée Wayne Bigelow are very opposed to Skye finding out about her biological family. If Wayne doesn't stop her, he risks losing more than Skye as his wife. His future is at stake and he can't let anyone get his way.

Slow Burn is a romantic and sensual story with a bit of suspense. The Madaris family is a close-knit, loving group of people. Slade is sexy and Skye is very sweet. Slow Burn is a nice story filled with many wonderful characters.

Nannette
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Slow Burn by Brenda Jackson turned out to be a good book, although it started slow. I haven't read any of Ms. Jackson's other works so I was unfamiliar with the Madaris Family. This family is just too good to be true. Every man has a great husband who dotes on her every need.

Adoptee Skye Barclay finds her biological brother Vincent who was adopted by one of the Madaris brothers. She also finds Vincent's cousin Slade. If you can get past all of the kissing Skye and Slade do, it turns out to be a great read with some mystery and suspense.

I wanted to read the book because I am an adoptee, but I'm glad I bought the book on this website's today's deals section!

3.5 stars for this one. Good to that the Madaris family are here again, I did enjoy the original series even tho I thought the friends stories were better than the ones about the family. However this family book about Slade Madaris is an ok read. Yes its corny in places (the conversation between Skye and Slade sounds old) and almost unrealistic (the romance from introduction to marriage proposal takes place in a few months - nothing slow about that!) but has enough romance and suspense to keep it interesting. There is a secondary romance about an older couple that IMO deserved their own story. Ms Jackson is almost back on form with this book, so look foward to reading about the other family members and friends and hope Syneda's dad finds true love again.

Usually I like to listen to Jayne Ann Krentz books but this narrator's nasal quality,slow pace and unbeleivable rendition of the characters put me to sleep and I had to turn off the audio book
Hopefully other narrators on future books of Ms. Krentz books will deliver her words with clarity and the intention of the author.

I love this book. Shipped when and received as promised. Will order again.

Jayne Ann Krentz has become a must buy author. I usually by the Quick historicals and the Jayne Castle paranormals because normally I don't like contemporaries but the Krentz novels have whetted my appetite for contemporary reads.

Ms. Krentz allows her quirky sense of humor to come alive in whatever genre she is writing. Her characters are always multilayered and complex. Her storylines are innovative and enthralling.

I read this a month ago and I vaguely remember it now. I've had it sitting on my desk reminding myself to do a review. I can't remember it being that bad that I was ready to chuck it, but then again it couldn't be that good that I made a note to buy the rest of the books in the same series.

Ehhhh....

Raine Tallentyre knew little about the Arcane Society. It wasn't that it was a secret society, but it was secretive. What she did know came from her Aunt Vella. She knew it had been in existence for hundreds of years and all of its members were psychic. They had two purposes, help their members fit into mainstream society, and to advance the research on psychic powers.

As a clairvoyant, Raine could have used their help. Hearing the voices of someone evil when she inadvertently touched something after them, was literally driving her crazy. But the resources and help offered by the Arcane Society was beyond her reach. Her father had been a member of the Society, but when he started doing unauthorized research, his lab was destroyed. With his death the Tallentyre family name was removed from the Arcane Society rosters.

While settling her aunt's estate, Raine felt the tremors of evil once again. Her aunt's house was supposed to be vacant. Vella spent the last year of her life in a mental institution, but the thread of evil was unmistakable. Raine followed the thread to the basement and discovered a beaten and battered woman locked in the closet. It was the work of a serial killer, and now his attention was focused on Raine.

Zachary Jones was a private investigator for Jones and Jones, a private detective agency staffed and funded by the Arcane Society. Their primary purpose was to guard the Founder's Formula and squelch any efforts to further the research on it. The Founder's Formula enhanced one's psychic abilities but it had adverse side affects.

Throughout the history of the Arcane Society there were factions looking for ultimate power and saw the Founder's Formula as a means of getting it. Judson Tallentyre, Raine's father was one of them. J & J tracked down his lab and burned it to the ground when Raine was six. Unfortunately Judson Tallentyre's work on the Founder's Formula didn't burn in the fire as J & J once thought. They needed to locate the research and destroy it before the latest faction managed to find it and put it to use. Zach needed Raine's help.

Raine didn't trust anyone from Jones and Jones. They destroyed her father's work, and she suspected that they caused the accident that took his life, but the need to know the truth took precedence. Raine and Zach form an uneasy alliance. She would not let the attraction she felt for Zach get in the way of the investigation. Agents from Jones and Jones could not be trusted.

Sizzle and Burn is Jayne Ann Krentz's latest addition to her Arcane Society series. It is full of action, intrigue, and romance. Krentz offers a fascinating look at the inner workings of the Arcane Society and a dose of its history as well. It is a fast paced thriller with a touching romantic twist. It can easily be classified as a paranormal romance, suspense or mystery. Whatever the genre, it's a great read and deserves a five star rating.

I enjoyed the writing style and points the author wanted to communicate.. Hope to bring it to use soon

The book offers good advice on exercising, particularly on running, and nutrition. Stu places a lot emphasis on endurance training rather than speed; he also creates a model of exercise that revolves around the enjoyment of the process as the only way to develop the long-term habits of exercise.

I bought the book because I wanted to learn what Stu did to maintain such physical fitness and endurance in his 50s. The book covers his exercise and nutritional philosophy quite well, although the information is not revolutionary. Mr. Mittleman has an incredible record as an endurance athlete and in this book he teaches us his simple to follow approach for a healthy, energy-filled life. Stu Mittleman is an incredible role model and an extraordinary athlete. Enjoy!

The author is very thorough in explaining how the whole physiology while exercising works. Not in a general way but very specific to the topic and to what you need to know related to what you can implement in your daily routine. It is easy to read and brings you to the point that you can make decisions about how you want to exercise, how often and what to eat.
I have been running for 26 years - competetive and recreational - but never experienced the joy of running this way.

Very inspiring and motivating. I've completed about 50 marathons and wish I had read this book about 50 marathons ago.

Like all exercise books this one is difficult to review, because everyone comes looking for different information, different motivations, & how much information they want.

First, let me say, I write as a casual runner who keeps getting more into the sport (that's why I read the book). I am looking for the nuts-and-bolts of programs & diets, but not necessarily a bunch of anectdotal stories and/or paragraphs & paragraphs of material that could be said in one, maybe two, paragraphs, which is what I found much of this book to be. Second, I do love his basic running methodology, the heart rate material, & training advice, which, if this was a 20 page booklet with that information would receive 5 stars.

With that said, here is my basic take on the book:

The book is divided into three sections - thinking, training, & eating.

The THINKING section I could do without - believe you can achieve, set goals, and work for it ('baby steps'). If you are a runner, then you probably have some motivation and goals, so this isn't that helpful and will not provide anything different from what you have heard or read before.

The TRAINING section, I believe, is the best part, but, again, there is a lot of extraneous material and he spends 4 or 5 pages for what should be said in 1 page. The big error in this section, however, is that there are no in-depth training programs for particular distances. So, if you are looking to train for a marathon, then this section will not provide you with specifics. Yes, there are broad guidelines, which will help any runner, but not the specifics. Yet, he recommends his website "for more information about more specific 5K, 10K, and marathon training charts", but I found none at his site. Maybe you have to pay for them? But that is part of the reason I bought the book. Overall, however, his Most Efficient Pace, Mostly Aerobic Pace, and Speedy Anerobic Pace material is helpful.

The DIETING part has some interesting tid-bits (I want to get my acidity tested), but, as a person generally interested in fitness, I didn't find a lot of new material here - eat a lot of veggies and fish, avoid processed foods and sugars - although possibly some strange stuff. The supplement section is interesting and useful.

In short, I think the book is very worthy of a library checkout, but is not necessary to add to your personal library. You will lose weight, burn fat, and be in much better shape if you follow Mittleman's program, so that is worth 5 stars, but the book itself, which should be a booklet, is not.

I hope that helps you in your purchase decision process.

Another exciting Rowan Grant mystery. This time he is rattled by a religious serial killer who believes he is ridding the world of evil by killing the Witches of St Louis. The book is a little more graphic than the previous book and it still has the obsessive descriptions of his wife's hair colour, but the story is strong and a reader can easily overlook all that. Like the first book I kept reading to the end even at the expense of other more productive things I should have been doing. I liked the fact that the ending was not so neat and tidy and most mystery thrillers. Rowan gets more human in this book, which added to his character. HIs wife was not really in this story at all.
Another great pagan fiction book

Rowan Gant is a software consultant working out of his home office. He's also a practicing witch and is called on whenever the St. Louis police have an occult related crime. In Never Burn a Witch, the burning times have returned. There's someone in St. Louis using the Malleus Maleficarum to identify, torture, condemn, and kill witches. I find it appalling that this premise is so believable in our supposedly enlightened times and the story has the feel of a true crime in many respects. Rowan Gant gets bleeding mark on his arm whenever a victim is killed. He can link with the victim after death and experience their dying but he can't see the killer. He's finding it harder and harder to keep himself centered and safe as the death toll mounts.

This is the second book in the Rowan Gant Investigation series, the characters are so well drawn they feel real. You understand their problems, inter-relationships, and can tell by a written mannerism what's going on. The setting is more every city even though I'm sure the author made it St. Louis. But when a reader doesn't know the city it's easy to forget it's not their city. I only remembered it was St. Louis when they mentioned the Arch. Rowan's talks about the craft and wicca have the weight of truth about them from what I know of the religion and I was really pleased to see an positive spin on witchcraft for a change.

The mystery is engrossing and while the reader picks up clues that the characters miss it can get very irritating. I found myself wishing I could reach into the book and give them a good shake and talking to. What do they want neon signs pointing to the clues? But nonetheless I enjoyed the book and it's ambiguous end.

Keeping the light on for us, M. R. Sellars has done it again.

His cast of characters keep us not only entertained, but genuinely enthralled. Great storyline and pacing will grab you by the short hairs and hold you there until the last page, gasping for more.

M.R. Sellars follows up Harm None and the Rown Gant investigations in style. He portrays witches & pagans truthfully and explores all the traditional misconceptions about them. He gives us a history lesson and makes it fun. He gives us a mystery to figure out, and takes us for a wild ride. M.R. is a great teacher, a great man, and a heckuva funny guy (I've had the pleasure of meeting him and taking a class he taught with Dorothy Morrison.) Well done & keep them coming, M.R.!

Sellars' mystery series takes a few new twists in this second book. Once again we have a serial killer, but this time s/he's targeting pagans in the St. Louis area. Worse yet, whoever it is has decided that The Malleus Maleficarum is holy writ.

As before, Sellars gives us good views of who his characters are as people--and how they deal with increasing weirdness, such as the stigmata-like wound on Rowan's arm that resembles the same symbol the killer leaves at the scenes, and Rowan's increasing detachment from reality and into the alternate world of the spirits of the murder victims. These details rather push the limit of the realism of Wicca presented in the book, but it still beats flying fireballs and physical portals into the Otherworld.

Sellars leaves us with a cliffhanger of an ending, which of course led me to run and get the next book from the shelf so I could find out just what happens next. I'm really enjoying this series thus far, and I'm glad to have a good series of fiction to relax with.

I sent it to my son when he was in Afghanistan. We're both fans of Emerson

Absolutel fantastic! A true look into the lives of these brave men and women in firefighting! Really opened my eyes and educated me as well. So much so we have an absolutely super discount to firefighters and law enforcement officers at our bed and breakfast in Lexington, KY-- just a little THANK YOU!
(...)

As always...Earl Emerson wrote another mystery with finesse.

Can hardly wait for the next novel.

This is the first novel that I have read by this author, and I have to say that it is pretty darn good!! The suspense in this book is plenty, and it really keeps you guessing what is going to happen next with the characters. I have found that I have become somewhat concerned for the characters in this book, this is how real the author makes it sound. Excellent book to read on those cold nights with the fire roaring.

Earl Emerson is the author of the Shamus Award winning Thomas Black detective series. This is a series that concentrates quite heavily on the characters in the story and their development throughout the series as well as providing well-plotted mysteries. With VERTICAL BURN, Emerson has gone for a more action-oriented story, relying on his intimate knowledge of the fire brigade and fire fighting to enthuse his audience. To a large extent it works, the adrenaline charged brushes with death while combating a fire provide the story's high points, no questions asked.

The story's protagonist is John Finney, a fireman of considerable experience with the Seattle Fire Department. The book gets off to a furious start when Finney's company is called out to a fire and when they arrive they are faced with a large building full of smoke with the possibility of victims trapped inside and no backup because all other crews are busy, called out to various alarms, both real and false. During their search of the building, Finney and his partner become trapped by a collapsed wall with the final result seeing Finney barely escape with his life, but his partner dying in the fire.

The fallout from this tragedy is substantial for Finney both emotionally and physically. Apart from losing his partner and mentor, he suffers some pretty serious burns from the fire, but worse, he knows that in the eyes of his fellow firemen he is to blame for his partner's death. Due to memory loss thanks to the smoke inhalation he suffered, he can't be sure himself whether or not he was to blame.

A second fire results in a similar outcome to the first. This time Finney is certain that facts are being fabricated by the fire investigators that make Finney look, at best incompetent and at worst, criminally negligent. It gets to the point where it looks very likely he is going to be accused of arson. It suddenly dawns on him that there is a serious conspiracy taking place from within the department. What also becomes very obvious is that he is being set up as the fall guy for this conspiracy and the frame is working disturbingly well.

Left with very few allies in the department, he feels his only course of action is to start his own investigation. He aims to get to the bottom of why these fires had been set and how he might be able to convince the department chiefs of his innocence. It's this investigation that the storyline hinges with the action sequences merely a background setting.

The story climaxes with a massive high-rise building fire that requires Finney to act as the hero in a bid to rescue over 200 people who are trapped. Although far-fetched in many aspects, not the least of which is how he came to be at the fire in the first place, these are scenes of pure entertainment as feats of super-human strength and astounding ingenuity take over.

I enjoyed the breathless action sequences that came about each time a fire was fought. The fear and confusion felt during a fire was described by Emerson in such a way that it was obvious that he had experienced these feelings first hand. These sequences were strong and compelling.

The focus is so much on the action sequences and the intricate details of fire fighting that the characterisation and the interaction between characters suffers somewhat. I felt the dialog didn't ring true and the reasons that prompted the conspiracy were so incredibly weak as to be non-existent. It was the conspiracy that really drove the whole storyline and when that disappeared, the whole story lost it's credibility in my mind.

I also had a real problem with the inconsistent reactions of Finney. He swung from submissive yes-man to a take-charge action hero within a page time and again and this not only became confusing, I also found it incredibly frustrating, particularly whenever he was faced with some pretty hefty and occasionally outlandish accusations and decided to say or do nothing about them.

For all out action with raging infernos as the focus, this is quite a thrilling book and certainly achieves that purpose. However, I thought it was hampered by the lack of believable storyline that is needed to give the book its substance.

What a great book. How I would have loved to just sit with Buck and just talk and listen to him and his stories. I also learned some new things about Sarasota, FL and all the great players in the Negro Leagues and people in general. Now more than ever I believe he is a Hall of Famer and he should be in there. He might not have been the greatest player... but he was a GREAT man. If you want to read a great book that will make you laugh.. smile.. maybe tear up... this book is for you.

Just what I needed to learn more about Buck. Horribly over-looked by the Hall of Fame. Very informative book, just in time for baseball season.

Back in the early 90's, before Ken Burns, I ran into Buck in the lobby of the Otesaga hotel in Cooperstown. It was the year that Willie McCovey was going in and we "snuck" our way into the building. Buck entertained me for over an hour with stories of guys I never had heard about. When I asked about his career, he really downplayed his greatness. I was mostly struck by the fact that this man did not have a single ounce of remorse or spite. Quite the opposite, he felt he was blessed to have played.

The book is written in a conversational style that goes quickly. I felt I could hear Buck's voice in my head has the pages turned. It was a fantastic book and Buck will be sorely missed.

This is not simply an autobiography, but an oral-history on where we have been and where we are going. It was written from the heart, and - if you read closely - it will open yours to live life in a different, better way.

I read the book when it was initially published and recently purchased the soft-cover edition. Rarely do I re-read a book, but I felt the need after hearing Buck O'Neil's moving and uplifting speech this summer at the Baseball Hall of Fame and listening to a rebroadcast of an interview conducted several years ago by radio sports-talker Jim Rome.

The road to racial equality remains long and steep, but by gazing upward you may view what appears to be a finish-line tape rippling in the breeze at the top of the mountain. But look ahead and you see the harsh reality that the road remains unfortunately rugged, with many twists & turns.

Buck O'Neil is an American hero and if your eyes are dry after reading the last page of I Was Right On Time (no matter how many times you read the book), then your heart may not have opened up wide enough to tackle the journey ahead.

This easy-going autobiography combines sunny optimism, seriousness, and rich baseball history. John J. "Buck" O'Neil was a first baseman in the Negro Leagues during the 1930-1940's, and he then spent another half decade in baseball, both in the Negro Leagues and in the majors. Here he recounts his upbringing in Florida during segregation (where he was denied entry to high school) and his long career in baseball. O'Neil details life in the Negro leagues, including barnstorming and low pay, playing for the famed Kansas City Monarchs and his friendship with stars like Satchel Paige and Hilton Smith. He also describes managing in the Negro Leagues, coaching for the Chicago Cubs (the first black coach in the majors) and spending decades as a baseball scout. O'Neil is an intelligent man gifted with great charm, and he's often described as the "ambassador to baseball." That charm shines in the prose of co-writers Steve Wolf and David Conrads, and lets O'Neil attack injustice without losing effectiveness via stridency.

Buck O'Neil gained fame from the "Baseball" documentary by Ken Burns, and at this writing remains a board member for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City well into his 90's. This is a readable look at the Negro leagues by one of its most charming members.

"Five Little Peppers and How They Grew" book has positively influenced me since I was a child forty years ago. The great lessons to be learned in this charming book are those of frugality, love of family, resourcefulness, cheerfulness in the face of adversity, loyalty, charity and diligence. They don't write these books like they used to, but they should! I also recommend the works of famed, best-selling novelist of yore, Booth Tarkington, another charming and witty American writer--a Hoosier, from Indiana.

I recalled reading and loving the book as a child. We recently listened to the audio version of the book, as narrated by Bernadette Dunne, 9 hours of tapes, on a 700 mile journey from PA to Indiana with four young children in the car. The children were totally enthralled. Four hours in, Daddy would have driven the car into a tree to end the misery had the tale not turned the corner from a horribly contrived and predicatable shower of sugar to a joyful over-the-top opportunity for satire. Anyone who does not understand this description just look up the Monty Python sketch entitled "Four Yorkshiremen" on YouTube for enlightenment.
The children were utterly disappointed in the anticlimactic and contrived ending but since that time the story has provided endless joy around the home. Complaints about the lack of familiar luxuries are answered with quotes or verbal satire of the characters from the story. Even the youngest child will repeat "Oh, Mamsie, could we please have twigs or hard raisins for breakfast?" when a complaint of an improperly toasted PopTart is voiced. So, as you sip from your handleless teacup, waiting for "your ship to come in", we only hope you garner one tenth of the enjoyment we have experienced after surviving an entire reading. If you don't "I'm sure I don't care".

I purchased this book after I read Cheaper By The Dozen and it was mentioned there. I plodded through the first several chapters hoping it would get better and it did. I can't wait to read the next one.

I bought this book as a gift b/c I remember loving it as a child. This edition is very poorly edited & filled with typos. There are even several sections where whole paragraphs are repeated. Its obvious this publisher doesn't care enough to have someone proofread the editions they sell.

"The Five Little Peppers" are Ben, Polly, Joel, Davie, and Phronsie. Their father died when Phronsie was a baby and Mrs. Pepper struggles to earn enough money to support the family. Despite their poverty, they are a loving family, full of spirit and adventure. Ben and Polly do what they can to support the family, but a bout with measles threatens the well being of the entire Pepper clan, especially Joel and Polly. The family has other adventures and befriend Jasper King during one of them. This friendship will enrich their lives in ways they never thought would be possible.

It's always interesting as an adult to reread a book that I loved as a child. When I was young I thought how much fun the Peppers had and longed to belong to a large family. As an adult, I realize how poor the family really was and how quickly the children had to grow up. As a child I thought how terrible it was that Polly couldn't read for days on end because of the measles; as an adult I realize the Peppers couldn't even afford to buy books.

First published in 1881, "The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew" is old-fashioned (the doctor even makes house calls!), but still enjoyable. The Peppers are all delightful children, with Joel being the most honest of the bunch as he complains about having to eat the same food every day. Margaret Sidney was a talented author, who could make even inanimate objects, such as the stove, seem alive. The children's adventures may seem simple to today's young readers, who are used to Harry Potter and the like, but it's a refreshing change.

The research and flow of the book is good, but there's too much quotation from the primary sources. It's great to see the perspective of the regiment's men, but the use is excessive. This has a tendency to make the book a bit tedious at times. More analysis from the author would have been helpful. Nontheless, a noble effort to tell an important story.

For Minnesota's Sesquicentennial on March 11, 2008, the Minnesota History Center created the acclaimed MN150 exhibit of 150 people, places and things that shaped Minnesota, chosen from over 2,700 citizen nominations received over several months. They put much time and money into developing the exhibit. It opened at the History Center in October of 2007 and will be open for probably five years. (Check out the MN150 website for more interesting reading.)

I nominated the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment with a brief essay I wrote, inspired by reading the Pulitzer Prize-winning Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States) by James McPherson and my own casual research as a history buff. (I did not yet know about this excellent book.) My nomination won, and the First Minnesota is included in the exhibit of 150 most important people, places and things in Minnesota history. Their story is amazing.

A brief essay cannot do justice to the First Minnesota, because their accomplishments span several years, but here is my winning essay:

The First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment was the first in the nation to answer President Abraham Lincoln's call for troops in 1861, and they courageously served with great distinction. The 262 men of the First Minnesota played a heroic but tragic role at the Battle of Gettysburg. In his Pulitzer Prize-winning Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era, James McPherson wrote, "The 20th Maine and the 1st Minnesota achieved lasting fame by throwing back Confederate attacks that came dangerously close to breakthroughs. . . . The Minnesotans did the job, but only 47 of them came back."

The day was July 2, 1863. More than 160,000 Union (North against slavery) and Confederate (South favoring slavery) soldiers converged at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Confederate forces had achieved a series of victories and may have advanced to Washington, D.C., if they won this battle.

The men of the First Minnesota were positioned near Union artillery batteries on Cemetery Ridge. "We began to hear musketry which soon became one continuous roar. . . . Then shells fell uncomfortably near us," wrote Sergeant Alfred Carpenter in a letter on file with the Minnesota Historical Society. Then disaster struck.

Confederate Rebels infiltrated the Union line. "The Rebs came in two splendid lines, firing as they advanced, capturing one of our batteries, which they turned against us, and gained the cover of the ravine," Carpenter wrote. "The plain was strewed with dead and dying men."

Union general Winfield Scott Hancock desperately ordered the 262 men of the First Minnesota to charge the 1,600 advancing Alabama Rebels. Carpenter recalled, "We advanced down the slope. . . . Comrade after comrade dropped from the ranks; but the line went. No one took a second look at his fallen companion. We had no time to weep."

The next day, 15,000 Confederates charged Cemetery Ridge--the legendary Pickett's Charge--but were repelled by a devastating artillery barrage. Because the Minnesotans had saved the artillery the day before, the Rebels were repelled--but at a great sacrifice. 82 percent of the First Minnesota men were killed or wounded at Gettysburg--the highest casualty rate of the war.

On July 4, Lieutenant William Lochren wrote a letter to his hometown Winona Republican newspaper. "We are in the midst of a terrible battle," he wrote. "Two thirds of the regiment are killed or wounded. We got the better of the enemy in the fight, and our regiment captured one stand of colors."

The Union and Confederacy suffered 45,000 casualties at Gettysburg. Over 620,000 soldiers died in the Civil War. On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln honored the great sacrifices made and gave meaning to the war in his Gettysburg Address:

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. . . . From these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom. . . ."

And so we did. Some historians call the Civil War "the Second American Revolution." Following the Union victory, the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments were ratified, transforming the Constitution and America.

The importance that Minnesotans attributed to the Civil War can be seen in the numerous great paintings of the Civil War at the Minnesota State Capitol, including Rufus F. Zogbaum's Battle of Gettysburg. The Civil War deeply shaped the new state of Minnesota, and the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment played a pivotal role.

While the gallant charge of the 1st Minnesota on July 2, which saved the Union cause was well known to me, the rest of the illustrious history of the first volunteer Union regiment, from First Manassas to The Wilderness, was not.
To read the homely accounts of these citizen soldiers helps you to understand how the Army of the Potomac, despite a succession of inept commanders, ultimately prevailed.
A must for serious Civil War buffs.

Few Union Civil War regiments did more for the Union cause then the First Minnesota. The case could even be made, on a man by man basis, that the sacrifices these men made, culminating in the enormous losses the regiment suffered at Gettysburg, exceeded that of any other unit on the Union side. Yet for many years this gallant regiment was relatively unknown, at least until this excellent regimental history was published. Minnesota native Richard Moe does justice to this great unit by portraying the men just as they were--brave, stalwart, yet human underneath it all. The tenacity these men showed in battle is evident from the first time they saw real combat against the Stonewall brigade at First Manasses, and is demonstrated over and over throughout Moe's work.

One of the great challenges in writing combat history lies in doing justice to the battle narrative without coming across as over-dramatic in the telling. Moe does an excellent job of relating the combat experiences of the First Minnesota, with his telling of the First's participation in the battle of Gettysburg being very moving and some of the best combat narrative I believe I've ever read. In those few pages alone Moe accomplishes his objective--to make the reader appreciate the part these great men played in the war--and even without the rest of the book I believe his point would be made.

This is a regimental history, of course, so the focus is on the First Minnesota rather than the actions of the Army of the Potomac in general. There are parts of the narrative, such as when the regiment is guarding Harper's Ferry, when relatively little happens, yet such is the nature of a unit history such as this one. I think a full appreciation of this book requires some knowledge of the first three years of the Civil War, but Moe provides enough detail that one could probably get a general idea of what was going on elsewhere in the war even without it.

Devotion to history isn't as strong in the Upper Midwest as in the Old South. Perhaps oblivion is nobler and less risky than living out a myth, but there are few if any "re-enactors" among my Swedish kinfolk in the Land of Lakes. Of course, the earliest settlers in my clan came to Minnesota in 1872. The Minnesota First Volunteer Regiment, nevertheless, has a good claim on being the most heroic single regiment on either side in the whole war, and Mr Moe documents the history of their heroism most eloquently.
Another review complains that Moe use too many quotes, to much primary source material. I totally disagree. The use of letters, journals, and bits from local newspapers is the strength of this book, the part that carries both conviction and immediacy. Comparison to the Ken Burns TV documentary is apt, and I feel that this book, The Last Full Measure, is stronger both in impact and in scholarship.
We're modest, diffident people, we Minnesotans. You won't find many statues of soldiers in our town squares. Truth is, we don't have so many town squares to show them off in. Kids plow through elementary school in Minnesota thinking of the Civil War as a faraway conflict hardly more intimate to us than the Boer War. I remember being surprised, in college, to learn that there'd been a Souix War in my birth-county, in the 1860s. History was what happened in other places. I wonder... Is our blissful ignorance a handicap or the source of our comparatively lawful and peaceful community? Our grudges stay at home.
Anyhow, as we say in Freeborn County, this here tale of young men fighting for what they care about makes pretty good reading.