Caldwell Books

In this small book Erskine Caldwell shares with us his memories of his father and the world of southern religion. You are transported back in time where the more bizarre the religious expression was in the south, the better. Caldwell shows the excesses of religion and the struggle for southern churches to acquire more respectability as their economic status becomes more stable.

Caldwell sounds like an amateur sociologist on his observation of the religion of his region. His ignorance is especially telling when he attempts to describe the life in the Black churches. He is obviously not a church historian. His critique on southern religion of his time is interesting but at times he beats the dead horse to the ground. He dwells to much on the excesses and doesn't see to much good.

The most interesting character in this memoir is that of the author's father. Ira Caldwell,a presbyterian minister of a small sect of the denomination, is a man far ahead of his time. His social consciousness, intellectual acumen and liberal ideas were far out of step with the social and religious milieu of his time. How he survived in such an environment is an interesting story within itself. It is Caldwell's father who keeps you riveted in wanting to know more about his thoughts and ministry.

Deep South is a good book to have in order to gain insight on Caldwell's thoughts about the church and religion. It is also a text which gives tribute to the work of Caldwell's father. For those wishing to gain some idea of southern religion during Caldwell's childhood, this is an ideal book.

I enjoyed reading this book of devotions. Having just graduated a few years ago and intending to return to school in the fall, I figured I might get something out of this book of devotions. The devotions are all short and each has one major point. Some of them give a few interesting tadbits of information and a few offer a really intriguing story.

The book has two major drawbacks. One is that there is not enough scripture; most of the daily devotions only have one line or part of a line of scripture. Secondly, the book has aged some since it was first published. Some of the lessons really no longer are applicable to the modern Christian college student. Other than that, it's a decent devotion book for college students.

This book has interviews of about 5-15 pages each with various people from Native American communities, such as:

- John Trudell, poet, activist, writer
- Elizabeth Woody, poet
- Norman Guardipee, visual artist, writer
- Rick Bartow, artist
- Bonnie Blackwolf, HIV/AIDs activist
- Sherman Alexie, author of many books including Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven
- Litefoot, rapper/musician, anti-gang activist
- Jesse Hummingbird, storyteller
- James Welch, historian, author
- Winona LaDuke, environmentalist, women's rights and Native activist
- Dino Butler, AIM activist, youth activist
- Buffy Sainte-Marie, musician, artist

While these interviews are helpful for anyone studying Native Studies or studying these people, the scope of the book is limited. There are no representatives for scientists, business people, inventors, athletes, mathematicians, theorists, military leaders, government (US) leaders, mainstream entertainment (with the slight exception of Litefoot) or many other fields. It seemed to focus on poets/writers/songwriters, artists and political activists. While these are essential and clearly important to many communities, it's not the limit of Native groups. This is why I say that the book must be a companion and not a primary source for a classroom, or the student must have a background in Native Studies prior to this book.

In addition, the interviews were conducted between 1993 and 1997, so while many of these people are still prominent in modern Native & global communities, some are deceased or have changed their focus. This isn't to say the book is useless, but it's not a fair assessment of Indian influence and power in the year 2006.

The main points of the review: the writing is good and Klevar's research and citations are thorough. Yippee--I love that in a biography. Though not a hagiographer, Klevar excuses Caldwell the inexcusable based on unlikely reasoning. For instance, Caldwell's "sense of duty" required him to leave one wife after another to "make an honest women" of his mistress of the moment. Huh? This bit of (unnecessary) bowlderdization diminishes Klevar's otherwise competent exposition of Caldwell as a man and a storyteller.

In the Book of Genesis, Isaac and Rebekah have two sons, one hairy and red, the other smooth. These are Esau and Jacob, who struggled with each other even in the womb of their mother. Genesis Chapter 25, verse 23, "And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger." Later, Esau, the hunter sells his birthright to Jacob, the farmer for a simple meal.

I don't know if my tribal history of well over 3,000 years ago is an apt resource for creating allegories regarding 19th century Brazil, but Machado de Assis gave it a shot anyhow. The entire novel is a rather tedious allegory of Brazilian society at the time. In my opinion, it would have made an excellent short story while a 287 page novel is far too long. The two boys born in 1871 to a wealthy Rio de Janeiro family are alike as two peas in a pod, though their temperaments differ. Their mother, named Natividade ( in case you don't "get it"), represents Brazil, the loving figure who nurtures her twin sons, two contradictory spirits who represent conservative and liberal forces in society. These boys conflict throughout the novel, loving the same frail girl (the future ? the present ?) who never consumates marriage with either. Ah, poor Brazil ! What could the future hold ? The author avoids the question as to which brother is the elder and which the younger by making them identical twins. The novel's title alludes to the Bible story, but the narrative bears only some relation to it. Are petty political chicanery, romantic quarrels, suspicious behavior, and useless arguments based on personal pride or ambition, a mess of pottage ? In fairness, it is a clever idea, but I feel it was over-ambitious and ultimately only partially successful. If you take the novel as a simple story about late 19th century Brazil, it is without much life---a girl who can't choose between two jealous and quarreling brothers, some other plot features found in the author's other works. The style of the novel is the same in the two better known books "Epitaph of a Small Winner" and "Dom Casmurro", with many small chapters with titles that pilot the narrative. There is very little description and much lyrical philosophy, attempted irony and wit. These do not sparkle as in the above mentioned novels. ESAU AND JACOB is not up to the standard of the other two, and will attract only the most dedicated readers; perhaps those who are studying Latin American, Nineteenth Century, or Brazilian Literature. I cannot imagine any average reader undertaking this for pure pleasure in the 21st century, because both style and topic are too far from modern sensibilities. You also need to have a fairly comprehensive understanding of Brazilian society in the last quarter of the 19th century. My final word---J.M. Machado de Assis wrote many better works. Try them.

after WWII John Caldwell sailed solo across the pacific to his wife in Australia, chronicled in his hugely enjoyable book `Desperate Voyage', and several years later they and their two young children made a similar sail, the topic of "family at sea". Alas, the heady mix of incompetence and adventurousness that made DV such an wonderful read are gone in this voyage, and Caldwell is just not enough of a social animal to replace them with the drama of the growing family at sea that would have made this book work. instead it wallows in a long list of sail changes, winds shifting, ports visited, other sailors met, various fish caught and sharks stabbed. the wife and young children aboard are devoid of character development and at times seem almost completely forgotten. too bad, if JC took the inward voyage and had some focus on the fascinating family dynamic at sea this book could have been really enjoyable. alas, instead it is just a particularly monotonous read (even for me, a fanatic connoisseur of sailing books!), maybe interesting only to those who want a historical snapshot of cruising the south pacific in the very early days of small boat tourism. as mediocre and boring as it is, `desperate voyage' is still fantastic - if you haven't read it, take a look! if you have read it, sorry, don't bother looking to `family at sea' for more.

Thought it was OK. Dry in certain places. The book did cover the key points and I like how the author used clear and applicable examples. It's a toss up.

These lectures by Robert Caldwell 1814-91, a Christian missionary in South India for more than fifty years (1838-91), were prepared during his first furlough in England. They were addressed chiefly to an English readership, who often undervalued missionary work in India, and he highlighted the progress Christianity had made in certain parts and its importance. He repeats some of the themes from his Dravidian Grammar (1856), such as Brahmin-centric Hinduism and demonolatry.

Caldwell saw Hinduism as a cunning device of the Brahmins to incorporate a variety of beliefs so as to perpetuate the subordination of others within the fold of Hinduism. He believed in the civilising power of the Gospel, claiming that the civilisation of northern Europe had sprung from Christianity. He considered that in the process of conversion, physical improvements in the condition of the converts were essential, and he quoted examples from his own South Indian District (Tirunelveli). At the same time, he believed in adopting features of local Indian culture, such as the ancient systems of forming rural villages into religious municipalities, as a means of propagating the Gospel.

Reference:
Y. Vincent Kumaradoss: "Robert Caldwell: A Scholar-Missionary in Colonial South India". ISPCK 2007, pp.155-160.

I had been hoping for more color pictures rather than many being black and white. Still good artwork!

This beautifully written novel, is set in one of the most intriguing times in american history. Shortly after the american civil war, as our country came brutally face to face with industrialization, no one could answer where all this progress would take us as a nation. Could this mark the end of the aristocricy and social elite, forced to make way for this new emerging american? Interwoven, into this facinating view of one priviledged families conflicts with these issues, is a story of romance, morality and personal courage.