S Books

Citrix MetaFrame XP: Advanced Technical Design Guide, Second Edition was a decent general read. In depth technical detail seemed to be lacking and was replaced by repetitive best practice lectures. However, I enjoyed the authors side comments and general personality that was interwoven into the reading. Overall the book is informative and well written.

We had 2 other books on Citrix Metaframe but the books didn't give us much detail so we started looking for a better resource. I found this book and recommended it to my Network Adminsitrator. I thought I won't get much from it because I don't work with Citrix everyday but when time permits, I read the book and 70% of the time I got the answers from this book.

Not a book for beginners. This is written for engineers and people who already have a good grasp of the basics of Terminal Servers and Citrix. No "how to" install in this book, but rather how to design, implement, identify and resolve your own problems, with a lot of real-life examples.

The style of the book (way it is written) makes a pleasant change from the usual technical books, as it addresses you like you know what you're talking about. You will come out with a clear understading of the issues you're facing and how to resolve them.

This book is self-published, which makes it all the more remarkable.

The book covers up to Windows 2000 and Mataframe XP FR2. I'm keen to see when the next edition comes out, and hpoefully it will concentrate on Windows 2003 + Metaframe 3.0

I had a real tough time searching the Internet and all other places to get some real stuff on Citrix and my search ended with "this" book by "Brain" Madden.

Citrix will notice a sizeable improvement in their sales if they include this book with their product. Everything is explained clearly with visuals and no filler material.

One of the best Tech Books to hit the market in recent times.

In my opinion, this book is the ONLY interesting published book about Citrix until now. I have read most of the available books about Citrix and Terminal Services and this is the only one I would buy again.

If you are a Citrix Certified Administrator, you will find this book very helpful. Personally speaking, I prefer it to most of the Citrix official documentation.

Take into account that it is a book for people who already has a deep knowledge about Citrix. It is not a guide for begginers. It gives you hints to improve your own Citrix project methodology.

Amazon guys, let me suggest this, please: If you are looking for a step-by-step begginers guide, have a look at Methodology in a Box (freely available at http://www.dabcc.com)

For anyone wanting to know St. John of the Cross this book is excellant. For anyone struggling with the "Dark Night" this book is a must. Very reassuring and comforting to know you don't walk alone and that God is always there. This book will deepen your faith.

Like many saints, when you approach St John you feel like you are approaching a figure who is more than human. St John seems to have reached heights and depths of the human psyche and spirit the ordinary mortal cannot hope to match.

Certainly St John's path contains many paradoxes and contradictions; I am sure if he had been born in the same period in Japan he would have been a great Zen Buddhist monk. His path is also soaring and frightening, designed to purge the Christian contemplative of every ego desire and attachment which hinders our union to God. His path of union is also terrifying for its intensity and the degree of suffering it seems to require.

St John himself only seemed to reach the state of union through a 'dark night' while he was imprisoned in a bleak monastary prison for allegedly breaking several rules of his order. Tortured, beaten, and starved, the Sanjuanist monk experienced an incredible mystical experience which led him to write several beautiful poems modelled on the Bible's book of 'Songs' and also on the Psalms and Lamentations of Jeremiah. He later explained the meaning of his poems as the means through which anyone, provided they can practice enough self discipline and trust enough in the grace of God, can achieve an intimate union to God in this life.

Unfortunately I doubt in our consumer age, so focused on immediate gratification of every sensual and physical desire, so obsessed with money and wealth and possessing material things, and so denigrating of any form of 'useless' focus on the 'impractical' which doesn't productively 'do' something, can really well appreciate John's message. John was no believer in compromise; it was either the way of the cross, which meant giving your life over to Christ at all cost, or you risked perdition.

Strangely though, his works have enormous popularity and are cropping up everywhere. His works seem to fill a void, a great void in the human spirit and heart, which no material good or amount of money can fill. Perhaps few if anyone can ascend to the top of Mt Carmel in our era, but we can at least try, even a little.

Always go with hard cover books, becuase they last a lifetime! Spend the extra 5 or 7 dollars so that you don't have to spend the extra $20 to get a replacment book. I haven't read it yet, but to have all of St. John's works in one place is deffinetly a good deal. Buying one book is way cheaper then buying 4 or 5 books.

This is not an easy read, but something that is well worth the effort! Parts of the text have changed my life already. I highly recommend this book for anyone wishing to draw closer to our Lord.

A masterpiece. The clarity of the text is unsurpassed and the effect is ultimately transcendant. I can see how it might be difficult for people who have not participated in at least the first night of this process to absorb the experience he is trying to relate. Nonetheless he is absolutley correct. If you could only have one book in life, this would definetely be a consideration, in that it completely details the process of the mystical experience. I could ramble on forever, but just buy it. It will be the best money you've spent. Bless.

As I sat at my computer, I glanced over at my bookcase and reached for a book. It was a Cup Of Christmas Tea. I began reading out loud and soon started crying. Several times I had to stop and wipe away tears. It takes you back to when holidays were simple and pure and about the people you love.
As I finished the book and wiped away my final tears, I decided that I will make our Chanukah celebration something special for my grandsons.

Symbolized by sharing a cup of tea with an elderly aunt and reminiscing about Christmases past - this is a heart warming poem reminding us to slow down during the holidays and enjoy our time with family and friends.

A friend recommended this book to me several years ago, and when I read it, I was moved to tears. Since that time, I have given countless copies to friends and family because I want to share the message that I received from it with everyone I know. The text is brief, but very descriptive, so I could picture in my mind the events that the authors were describing. The message that I received is that monetary gifts are not as important as the gift of time that we spend with others; so often we set out to do things for others because we feel obligated, and in the end are more blessed than the person who was the object of our attention. This is truly a wonderful Christmas story to read again and again!

I think of this book as an adult "christmas book". I have had a copy for some years and purchased this one to accompany a Spode Christmas "tea pot and cup for one" I gave to my mother. The 25th Anniversary Edition is a celebration of a book that will never go out of style and is a perennial reminder of gracious traditions and feelings that are the heart's treasures.

It's a family tradition to read this book at Christmas

First published in 1948, Winston Churchill's first of six volumes of his history of the Second World War is an historical classic. The Gathering Storm volume still stands as a monument of books in the telling the causes of World War II. Along with his access to his private papers, a research team and a band of stenographers, Mr. Churchill was not the mere writer of this book, he was indeed its Conductor.
Mr. Churchill had stated that he not only intended to make history but he also intended to write that very same history. This book is more about the true causes and effects of historical events and not some mere memoir. Although I must admit Winston does make himself look good.
His breakdown of this volume is much more chronological than his writings in "The World Crisis". From "The Follies of the Victors" through "The Fall of the Government" we see the foibles and weakness of the governments in Great Britain and France and the rest of Non-Germanic Europe for that matter. We all know of Neville Chamberlain and his appeasement. His sellout of Czechoslovakia!!
You can see from this initial book, the effort and the scholarship which ultimately earned Mr. Churchill the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Yes this is a must read. This is the penultimate story of the 20th Century History.

This is a splendid book. My suspicion has always been that a lot of people are frightened away from it by the fact that it is just the first of a six-volume series, and the sheer size of the work is intimidating. If that's your reaction, think again; first, Churchill's work, while comprehensive, is also readily consumable in bite-sizes. Second, this particular volume really stands on its own for anyone who would like to understand the "why" of World War II.

Admittedly, on that "why" question, Churchill represents a particular point of view, but it is a point of view which, with hindsight, seems to have been dead-on. Had the allies not insisted on squeezing Germany nearly to death at Versailles, or had the allies not failed miserably to enforce the military terms of treaties with Germany or to arm themselves for the emerging conflict, the whole history of the twentieth century would have been very different.

My view is that historical reading is almost always best when it comes from the hand of a participant in the events; and Churchill's role in the war and in the runup to the war was important indeed. This volume covers the span of time from the end of WWI through the invasions of Poland and Norway (and the eve of the German invasion of France), and the most interesting aspect is not the military, but the political, aspect of the story. The validity of Churchill's point of view as a military historian has been the subject of much debate, but his political understanding of the factors leading up to the war is deep and detailed. No one was more aware of the threat Germany posed, and when Norway fell, no one was a more obvious choice to replace Chamberlain as PM than Churchill.

I bought this book because I wanted to understand how and why the war began, and I had no intention of reading all six volumes of Churchill's war history. But this book was so gripping and intense that I couldn't stop, and I proceeded to read the whole darned thing. Highly recomended.

This is the first volume of Churchill's Noble Prize winning six part chronicle of World War II. The Gathering Storm depicts the rise of Hitler and the indifference of the leaders of the European democracies to the clouds of the gathering storm. Churchill incorporates contemporary documentation and his own reminiscence in this opening memoir. Churchill was a great statesman with great literary ability - a winning combination. The Gathering Storm a unique work and has a message for us in today's world.

Read and reviewed by Jimmie A. Kepler

And he did. This compulisively readable account of Europe between the wars and from 09/39 to 05/40 covers European diplomatic history, shifts in British politics, Britian's unwillingness to prepare for war, Hitler's rise to power and German re-armament. It ends with the invasion of France/the Low Countries and Chuchill's ascent to Prime Minister of a National Government. For all it's readablity and heavy use of documentation and primary sources, this is still a memior and sometimes self-serving.

Churchill gathered his researchers and secretaries and wrote an account of the events of World War II. These memoirs would span a work of six volumes, and added with his other literary achievements win for him the Noble Prize in Literature. The 'Gathering Storm', Volume I, starts with the end of World War I..the war to end all wars..and concludes on May 10,1940 with Germany's invasion of the Low Countries(Holland/Belgium) and France. May 10 was also the day that Neville Chamberlain resigned as Prime Minister and Churchill was asked, by the King, to form a new Government...in effect becoming the new head of Government or Prime Minister.

This is a work that is well worth reading. The contents and wisdom are just as relevant today as then. Churchill was relentless in his opinions, good and not-so-good, and did all in his power to try and stem the coming war. He had the advantage of being in the early government as First Lord of the Admiralty from 1911 to 1915. Driven into the wilderness years by forcing the Darnanelles,..a plan he still maintained would have worked if not for the 'timid observationists'..he would still keep active in governmental affairs and had enough connections to keep up-to-date with current events. Chamberlain, in 1939, would put him back into the Admiralty as First Lord..ironically going full circle back to his old office. Now with victory and hindsight, he was in the enviable position to see and write about the events that took place, and what could have happened if certain plans had or hadn't been implemented.

Churchill states that all the trials he went through prepared him for the great task of war. Had he remained in office, the position of Prime Minister would never have come his way. He would have been swept out of office with the failed administration. Those 'invisible wings' of fate were watching out for him. He was freed from party antagonisms and with six years of warning, about the oncoming events, no one could reproach him. What he had warned about was now real and the future was not certain. Churchill felt he knew a great deal about it all and was sure he could not fail. As Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, he now had the power to direct the whole scene. That was one of the areas I felt he craved more than any. The power to move the action forward on the offensive instead of always on the defensive.

Churchill wrote of the events that were transpiring with Germany's disregard for the Treaty of Versailles, Locarno and the failure at Munich. The rise of Hilter and his ascension to Chancellor, the absorption of Austria, the neutralization of Czechoslovakia, and the fall of Poland. The timidity of England and France to respond to the treaties and strike a blow for freedom in retaliation. He doesn't hold back his opinions and what he felt should have been done. As First Lord of the Admiralty he pushed for taking the port at Narvik Norway and found this plan changed from a sea strike to a failed pincer attack. He watched with frustration the failed, yet fortunate, attempt to tangle and embed the war on the Norwegian front. It was fortunate because shortly the war was to break full upon the Western Front and all was needed there. Norway ended the twilight or false war and moved the events forward into an all out compaign of total war.

The face and technology of war has changed over these many years. I doubt we'll ever see countries signing peace documents on battleships again. Unfortunately the reality is that war is still very much alive and with us. These facts alone make these volumes important reading. Possibly the most important aspect is that we can learn from a great man's experiences and hopefully not repeat the past. Well worth adding to the library.

I am reading this book with my class at school. I love it! I look forward to it everyday. This is a story that every American needs to hear because it is living proof of how much we have been given. When you realize that many people in the world have had to deal with the things that Farah did, the everyday dramas in your life are put into a totally new perspective. This book is real. It happened to real people, it teaches real lessons, and that is why it leaves any hollow fiction or fantasy behind.

When seven-year-old Farah Ahmedi stepped on a landmine in her native Afghanistan, she thought her life was over. The hospital in her war-torn city only tried to keep her alive until German doctors made their regular monthly visit, airlifting the most crucial cases to heal in their own country.

Away from her family and culture, Farah fell apart.

Then, as she began to heal, she made friends with a German woman, who informally adopted Farah like one of her own. Gradually, Farah began to learn the language and enjoy the peaceful, beautiful country -- making it just as shocking when she was returned to her family two years later.

Suddenly, nothing Farah's family or country can offer her seems good enough. The little girl had become used to a better life, and she was determined to live it again.

That wish kept her determination driven over the next few years, when war ravaged her family and her home. Left with nothing but a crippled daughter, Farah's mother hovered on the brink of madness and wanted to give up. But Farah, who had had a peek of what life could be, believed the two were destined to live in America through a special program for Afghan widows and orphans.

After numerous obstacles - including 9/11 - the two finally get their wish. But their struggle is far from over, as they find themselves in the midst of a culture clash with the general American public. Farah's mother is still battling mental demons, and Farah herself not only has to learn to speak and read English, but read altogether, as her Afghan education had fallen apart during wartime.

Above all, Farah learns, there is always a higher power out there, willing to help you during your most desperate times, sending relief in the form of a person destined to cross your life's path.

This simply told story is a powerful testament to the atrocities that can be endured without breaking. Farah Ahmedi is one extraordinary teenager, destined to do great things.

I got Farad's audio book because we have been working in relief and development in Afganistan since 1984. It is a well narrated book, an uplifting account the suffering of a child and of people who come into our lives and believe in us, love us and walk with us through the difficulties of life in Afghanistan, Pakistan and in America.

Farad, a young, Hazara girl, has lived an unbelievable life before reaching the age of 15. Her story is a first hand picture of the devastation of a beautiful country destroyed by war and ethnic conflict. She and her family were caught in the middle. She stepped on a landmine as she was going to school in Kabul. She was in the second grade and things went downhill from there.

This is a story of suffering and pain but finding strength to respond when it seemed impossible. This is a story of faith and people practically living out their faith. It is the story of a young girl who has a dream.

This book is great reading for teeens through adults. It is an easy read - can be read in 1-2 days. The story is gripping and suspenseful and really gives one an understanding of life in turbulent Afghanistan and the difficulty refugees encountered to make their way out. My husband and I read the book and enjoyed it as did my daughters, ages 19 and 17.

I personally know the girl who wrote this book. She is an amazing person and has so many stories to tell. She was given the opportunity to share her story because she has gone experienced so many things. This really is a must read for everyone. For such a young person, she has gone through more than most will go through before they are middle aged and yet, she still thrives and lives for each day doing the best she can at everything she does. Enough said...buy this book!

If you are a dedicated hands-on woodworker, or simply of the armchair variety, this beautifully written and lavishly illustrated book on handplanes should be on your short list. I recenly met the author, Mr. Garrett Hack, at a woodworking conference in Williamsburg, Virginia. He speaks to a live audience in much the same way that he writes; with great organization, clarity, and enough anecdotal sidebars to really make the discussion lively. After reading the book through, cover to cover, I ordered my first handplane... a Lie-Nielsen No. 4 iron bench plane... and am now rereading the book to learn how to tune this beautiful tool, sharpen it, and commence making those paper-thin, elegant shavings..

I inherited a standard Stanley bench plane from my Dad. After I tried to sharpen it, I had know idea why it was chattering and gouging the wood I was trying to plane. From reading this book I got it properly sharpened and tuned. Now it works great. Also, I found out that I had placed the iron on backwards, and that I really did not need to buy a honing guide or expensive stones to sharpen the iron well enough to do the job.

Some years ago a purchased the book this author wrote on Handtools and have read it about ten times. In that book the author made mention of this book he wrote on handplanes but I was not all that interested. Then in the last few years I have purchased a number of handplanes and began using them and realizing what wonderful and almost sensual tools they are. It was then I ordered the author's book of Handplanes and realized why he wrote an enire book on this subject. I can only say if you have an interest in handplanes of any kind, or age, or conditon this is the book to have. It covers everything you would want to know, including how to tune, reconditon, buy, sharpen, use, and identify about any handplane made. The photos are sumptuous. I cannot say how much I appreciete this book. I just keep reading it over and over and putting the information to work in my shop.

I've been using hand planes for basic tasks for years but never got the performance I felt they were capable of. This book has given me the information I needed to really tune all my planes. It is a pleasure to run a plane down a board and get a perfect shaving thin enough to see through!

I'm now using planes for things other than fitting a drawer or easing an edge. And my shop is often a quieter place because of it!

Wow everybody loved this book!!?? I guess it depends on what you are looking for. I want to build my own planes. This book is not useful for that. The only illustrations, which are sparse, are pictures of planes. So if you love tools and want to read about planes this is probably as great as everybody says, but if you actually want to build a plane this book will not be any help. I did find the discussion of Stanley and other old planes very useful though when going to the flea markets to look for old hand tools. Thats why I gave it a 4. If you want to build a plane I would give it a 2.

The book title is exactly descriptive.For those who want the truth of the constitution,start your research here.The fatal flaw in Ron Paul's platform is that he relies on the constitution.If the foundation of the house is built with defects then the house (u.s. government) will be defective and will eventually collapse.If you want to see what the civil laws of good government are, then study the Torah.May I suggest a Messianic viewpoint for the best understanding.Shalom.

His best work and it will make you think. He effectively questions the lame assumptions, propaganda, and hero worship that were drilled into most of us in the government un-schools.


I had to read this one again almost immediately after I finished it the first time.

Author Royce has done a tremendous amount of research to back up his claim of that the Constitution will never restrain the powers of the ruling class. Well quoted and with incredibly relevant quotations of the the nation's Founders the case is well laid that the Constituion (of? or for?) the country is not and was never meant to be a serious leash on overbroad power.

A condensed and scholoraly work, well worth the time and effort to read it. And most definetely not for the timid of intellect or the intellectually cowardly.

It also segues wonderfully well with the Author's previous work Goodbye April 15th!, it fits as a addendum and clarifying work.

For years I have heard that the adoption of the Constitution was a victory of the wealthy upper class of the former American colonies over the common people. Liberals have used this fantasy to push their view of an "organic" Constitution that must change with the times - change in ways that promote a liberal statist agenda, that is. Royce shows that there is in fact much truth to the liberal claims - the Constitution was a clever shell game, designed to hoodwink most Americans into thinking they were getting a free democratic republic, while in actuality laying the groundwork for a strong, and eventually oppressive, central government. But Royce's conclusions are totally different from the liberal's - he persuasively calls for amending the Constitution to push the country back in the direction of freedom and individual rights. Royce also backs up everything he says with solid research and quotes from the Founders, both those who favored the Constitution, and those who opposed and feared it for the threat it posed to individual liberties (the latter included Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson). For those trying to figure out how we have strayed so far from the freedom that the American Revolution was fought for, Hologram of Liberty is a must read.

In the preface of this book, the author challenges us to find the inconsistency in the Constitution's preamble. He presents this truncated quote: "We the People of the United States... do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." I'll admit I didn't see it, and even after Royce explains that "United States" has a considerably different meaning than "the United States of America," it still made no sense to me. (It's not easy to overcome a thorough public school brainwashing.) Only after reading most of the chapters did I finally experience an "aha!" moment, and I promise that by the end of this shocking book, you will, too. Highly recommended.

I wanted to know the real scoop for years on the Geronimo Pratt case. Although I'm not yet finished reading the book, it is very obvious that Mt. Pratt got screwed, like so many others caught up in the "good old USA" system. Obviously this one is a case of racial prejudice, but it could have just as easily been some other kind of prejudice. It is clear that the concept of "innocent until proven guilty" is just a nice theory that should be strictly adhered to but rarely is. The presumed guilt is clear from the get go on the part of the police. It continues on to the top with lies and deception on the part of the police to get a conviction at any cost, especially with regard to the truth. It's frightening and a relief to know it's not me. But next time it could be me, or anyone who gets targeted by individuals in a position of power, who have no integrity, and don't give a hoot about the constitution of the US.

This is certainly one of the best books I've ever read. Jack Olsen did an outstanding job of weaving together all the facts in a highly readable narrative of one of the most blatant chapters of injustice in 20th century legal history.

I already had considerable knowledge of the case before I read this book. In the early 1990s, the case was being publicized again. I was a reporter for Wave Newspapers in Los Angeles and journeyed with a co-worker to the state prison at Tehachapi where Pratt was then being held and we interviewed him. I then wrote several stories about his situation.

Pratt was imprisoned for 27 years for a crime he clearly did not commit. The prosecution was part of the FBI's notorious COINTELPRO operation-essentially a war against numerous dissenting groups in the 1960s including the Black Panther Party. As Olsen makes clear, in Pratt's case this also involved LAPD and the L.A. County District Attorney's office.

Pratt was convicted of the December 1968 Santa Monica tennis-court murder of school teacher Caroline Olsen. There was considerable doubt about the credibility of key-witness Julius Butler, who had a previous falling out with Pratt, and was later proven to be an informant. (When I was a reporter, I actually contacted Butler. He yelled that he was "tired of this" and hung up on me.) Plus, numerous other Panthers could have confirmed he was at a meeting in Oakland the day of the murder but most wouldn't testify because of a severe split in the ranks.

Appeal after appeal was turned down despite more and more evidence being discovered pointing to Pratt's innocence. In all probability the crime was committed by two low-level Panther members to obtain money for drugs.

That ties in with the only complaint I would make about Olsen's book. He really glossed over the fact that the FBI and police campaign against the Panthers (which I am not defending) was not just because of their militant political rhetoric. They had a lot of criminal types within the group.

Regardless, this is an extraordinary book about another era and the governmental abuses of that time. Johnnie Cochran redeemed himself in my eyes by getting Pratt released. That was after he was involved in a travesty of justice, himself, by getting O.J. Simpson off. But that's another story.

The courage and essential goodness of Geronimo Pratt, in spite of receiving a life sentence for a crime he did not commit, is truly inspiring. This is a wonderful book.

Geronimo Pratt had one of the most honorable and incredible lives I have ever heard of. This book documents his entire life, from is Morgan City childhood to his unjust incarceration for the murder of Caroline Olsen. I literally had trouble putting this book down. It is a great read for anyone interested in the judicial system, the FBI's COINTELPRO, the Black Panther Party, and racism in general. READ THIS BOOK!!!

This book should be mandatory reading for every black person when they turn 15 years old. To read what the gov't put this man through was utterly shocking. After you read this book read "The Judas Factor - The Plot to Kill Malcolm X." You'll be numb after reading these two books back to back.

Lee: The Last Years

This is a wonderful book about a wonderful man. Although Robert E. Lee is most remembered as a General, for most of his adult life, he was an engineer and educator (although in the army). Mr. Lee could have become very wealthy after the war by simply allowing his name to be used commercially. However, he wanted to make a contribution and did so by accepting the position as President of Washington College. He seldom spoke of the war and brought no military flavor to the College.

There is an argument that Robert E. Lee is responsible for more American dead than any other single individual. The difficult part of this book is tying to tie that Robert E. Lee to the man he was in his last five (5) years. He played Santa at Christmas, broke up a lynching, stroked the ego of his horse Traveller, was a good family man, looked out for the under dog and took care of his students, even when they were in trouble. How he handled all these situations, often minor by standards of the war, brings out the essence of the man including his character, values, wit and subtle humor.

I have read/studied history and biography for 40 years. I have spent more time on Robert E. Lee than any other individual and this book someway brings all my study of Mr. Lee together and puts it in perspective. I highly recommend this book to anyone with any interest in American History. Thanks Mr. Flood.

Outstanding biography of the man. Much has been written about the general, this book brings the humble father, husband and Christian man to life.

I've long considered myself a student of Southern history and the Civil War. Heck, I've been a historian at museums so I think I have a pretty good knowledge of the Civil War era. Furthermore, I live in Virginia and have been to the campus of Washington and Lee University. However, nearly every page of Charles Bracelen Flood's work on Robert E. Lee's post-war years is full of information I've never heard about. Flood has used many differing sources to pull together a wonderful, highly readable account of Lee's years after the war, how he came to be President of Washington College, and his role in the reconstruction of this country. What jumps out off the pages is that for as much as Lee has been studied and idolized for his exploits on the battlefield, his postwar years as President of the college should get just as much press. While Lee did not think defending his native state was wrong, he did wish for both North and South to reconcile as quickly as possible. After reading the book, I still do not think Lee is the god that some people hold him up to be, but he does stand out as a good man who wanted to bring the nation back together while also helping his fellow Southerners get back on their feet. While Flood's writing can be unimaginative at times and I thought he threw in little stories and vignettes that he didn't need too, the book is excellent overall and should be a must read for anyone interested in Lee. However, the book is such an easy, good read that I think almost anyone should pick it up.

Bracelen Flood clearly does extensive research in order to render this intimate and engrossing portrayal of Lee.

Lee: The Last Years was well worth reading. A must for anyone who wants to know a little more of the Rest of The Story about a fine American, though much misunderstood.

What I found interesting about this book is that is a history lesson in American business and early regulatory policies that shaped the landscape we see today. At the same time, it is a story of classic love and betrayal. I found the author doing a great job when the story focused on Mellon's marriage and the demise of such, but he tended to become a bit lost in the details when describing all of the political ups and downs. Overall, a fine book and great American story

Though I can not claim to be altogether objective about the subject matter in much of this great book, I must congratulate Cannadine for a masterful study of what has been an extremely closed subject for a long, long time - most of all in the Mellon's home town of Pittsburgh. The late Paul Mellon must be given a lot of credit for breaking with family tradition - first for allowing the book "Thomas Mellon And His Times" to see the light of public day and then to let it all hang out with Cannadine with regard to sources and family papers.

All of the business glories (one wonders at times if Andrew ever really enjoyed his successes), all of the personal agonies (it must have been excruciating on many levels), and much of the rancor between both Judge Thomas Mellon's as well as Andrew's detractors and adversaries are, for the first time, put into print for ALL of the public's perusal. It will be up to each individual reader to judge for themselves how they feel about this man and his father and family.

It came as no suprise to me when Cannadine named my great-great grandfather as being one of the "vexatious litigation" principles who Judge Mellon would only refer to as "A", "B", or "C" in his autobiography. Cannadine is specific about the bad blood between the Negleys and the Mellons after the "eugenic" match (his words) and Pittsburghers specifically will find much new insight here.

However, this long and comprehensive book never lets down as it explores all facets of the Mellon dynasty, how it was aquired (at times skirting legality and even morality), and he leaves very few stones unturned. What Cannadine might have missed was the fact that the rehabilitation of the Mellon name in Pittsburgh was undertaken by Andrew's nephew Richard K. Mellon (Richard Beatty Mellon's son) when "Renaissance I and II" which, along with the Allegheny Community Conference, cleaned up the city of Pittsburgh and made it livable again after over 150 years of take, take, and more take by men such as "A.W." and "R.B" among many others, including Andrew's buddy Henry Clay Frick.

The mystery of "M..." will, I feel, eventually be solved but as was mentioned in a previous review, even as good a sleuth as Cannadine could not hazard even a guess (though I'll bet he had a guess). Notice that she becomes "Mrs. M---" on pg 259. I hardly believe that such a man would be so indiscreet as to write an entree with such a clue, or such an admission of a possible affair - but this entree IS followed by perhaps the most emotional outburst of his heart, "CRUEL", in uppercase.

A flawed man, as are all men, and obviously a tortured one for much of his life, this book will give everyone the chance to weigh the evidence and decide for themselves the verdict which until now was impossible to consider to to lack of full factual disclosure. I found it fascinating the whole way from beginning to end. The source notes are a gem in and of themselves.
I would also recommend both books by father and son for a comprehensive look at all three men, and how wealth, acquisition, and the drive and pressures of both shaped them.
"Thomas Mellon And His Times"
"Reflections In A Silver Spoon"

If you like history you'll love this book, it's long and "gets long winded in history" but try stop reading I couldn't, if your over 55 you will really love it. I still don't know how I feel about Andrew, Dick and Thomas Mellon. I found myself loving this book excellent read.

You will savor this account of the tumultuous life of Andrew Mellon, an arrogant turn-of-the-last-century industrialist and millionaire. He was torn to tatters by a scandalous divorce and, later, by opposing politicians. However, he transcended those humiliations by establishing the lavish National Art Gallery just before he died. "Andy" Mellon's life (1855-1937) stretched across critical years when the U.S. was transformed from an appendage of Europe to a superpower. His work as treasury secretary was held in such esteem that the Republican Party considered running him for president. However, even given his role as head of the Treasury, Mellon could not curtail the 1920s margin-buying stock market mania that led to the 1929 crash and the Great Depression. He is mostly remembered for the National Art Gallery and for his sex-scandal divorce fight. David Cannadine offers a highly readable biography, which is very balanced though Mellon's son, Paul, commissioned it. However, some readers may decide to skim through the extensive coverage of the politicized "Tax Trial," and Andy's ordinary trade in minor art and small firms. We highly recommend this extraordinary saga.

Cannadine exceeded expectations on a number of fronts with this definitive biography of Andrew Mellon. It has everything you'd expect from a grade-A biography, laying out where Mellon's family came from (both physically and philosophically), how Mellon grew up, his rise, peak, eventual fall from grace, death and legacy. Not only that, but Cannadine does all of this exceedingly well, giving his reader a sense of the nuances and subtleties of Mellon's personality and life. If Cannadine had done nothing else, he'd still have written a five-star book.

This book goes beyond most rock-solid biographies that I've read in Cannadine's sensitivity to the larger meaning of the events in Mellon's life, his place in history and his impact even after his death. While this sensitivity is present throughout Cannadine's book, it really comes together in in his three-part epilogue, which you will absolutely not want to miss, it is the highlight of the book.

The first point Cannadine develops is that Mellon's life straddled the line between two different eras in American history. He shows how Mellon, without changing his behaviors, was perceived one way for much of his life, then a totally different way at the end of his life. Through his awareness of this point, Cannadine really demonstrates to the reader how radical the shift in sentiment was in America in the 1930s.

The second point Cannadine is aware of, as any successful biographer of a great historical figure must be, is the idea that Mellon was a human being with some great strengths and some great flaws. In my experience, people who have the strengths to accomplish the most often have corresponding weaknesses to go with them; Cannadine really makes this point clear in his epilogue, doing a "balance sheet" of positives and negatives of Mellon's character and accomplishments. I've never seen an author take even-handed analysis to a similar place, and it really helped bring together the books ideas at the end.

Finally, Cannadine captures a truth about life, society and politics that imbues the book with a sense of sadness. It becomes obvious that many (though certainly not all) of the good things that happen to Mellon happen out of chance. Similarly, when bad things happen to Mellon, most (again, not all... his divorce comes to mind as an obvious exception) of them are undeserved. Mellon dies near the low point of his public popularity, suffering primarily for sins he did not commit.

I highly recommend this book for lovers of biography and history, it is truly a step beyond a really good biography.