Sherman Books

This book covers pipes, cigars, cigarettes, how to buy a pipe, how to blend tobacco, how to smoke a cigar, and the care of tobacco products. Cover price $1.95. Despite a photograph of the historic and only complete money-roll of tobacco found in George Washington's personal chest after his death, this book does NOT talk about tobacco's significant history or influence, and for that reason I find the title misleading and the contents wanting. This book is a straightforward instruction in how to use the industry's products, what to expect when buying different tobaccos and tobacciana. For the last reason, it may be of interest to beginning collectors of tobacciana, however do NOT buy it in hopes of learning about tobacco's history.

A few years back I wrote an Amazon review raving about American Flagg! and what a groundbreaking work it is. Howard Chaykin's work predated more well known works such as Dark Knight (Frank Miller) and Watchmen (Alan Moore) by a few years. It is as daring now as it was 25 years ago.

It was a swell review and I am still amazed how prescient Chaykin was in perfectly nailing a future of reality TV, media-soaked culture, the Net, video piracy, enhanced sports and over-the-top sexuality. America, your future is now. That review is gone, I guess, because it took years for this work to actually get produced!

So...years after I wrote that in anticipation of the hardcover, it finally issues. My first reaction was - all this wait ...for this?

It is great to have the work collected,and the overall quality is good... but it deserves better, especially for the years it took to put together. If any series demands an Absolute, oversized edition, it is American Flagg! The artwork bristles and is packed with layers and details, even the lettering soars to new levels of excellence. This edition seems...small. It is reproduced the same size as the original art and is on matte white paper.

I have some previous collections (paperback) that are slightly oversized on glossy paper (the actual art is the same size). I think these are superior. Unfortunately, they didn't do the whole series like this.

Flagg! is better than this; Flagg! is bigger than this.

So...5 stars for the actual work and minus 1 for the format.

Oh, and for those debating whether the signed and numbered edition is worth it...well, after all those years of waiting, Chaykin must have been in a hurry to get these out because his usually abbreviated signature is even further reduced to a checkmark and a dot. Up to you to decide if that is worth the extra $.

While parts of the book were a little slow going (after all, he never intended to be writing a book), most of it was very interesting. I found alot of things surprising in the book, molded as I have been by late 20th century ideas of the Civil War. Wills may have been more educated than many of the soldiers, but I expect his opinions were not so uncommon. It was a great window into what people from the north thought of the war at the time.

This book is an excellent exposition of how supposedly democratic governments suppress civil liberties. In the 1950s, at the height of McCarthyism, many communists were harshly mistreated by the American government. They were denied the basic rights that the United States constitution guaranteed them.

The book's author, Sherman Labovitz, is a communist. He tells of how he and many others were arrested and tried for advocating communism as an economic system. Even though he wanted to bring about communism only by peaceful means, the government accused him of trying to start a violent revolution.

Labovitz recounts how he was unfairly harrassed by the authorities. He remembers how he was arrested and initially denied the right to obtain counsel. He recreates the biased and unjust trial that he was given. One can understand the reaction of the authorities, since in the 1950s, anti-communist hysteria was the tenor of the times. Nevertheless, it is unsettling to see how easily civil liberties were rolled back.

If you are a believer in the importance of America's cherished freedoms, then read this book. You don't have to be a communist to agree that McCarthyism was a subversion of the consitution. There are those who would place restraints on our civil liberties. We can't afford to naively believe that our government will continue to uphold and protect our freedoms. This, then, is the most important lesson of this book: a democracy requires vigilant defenders, even in free countries like America.

Finally, this book is instructive as an analog to contemporary American society. With the war on terrorism underway, we must pay close attention to any attempt by the government to curtail basic civil liberties.

I first bought this book for a book report. I thaught since i love computers, i should write one on bill gates. I thaught that the author did a good job on this book. I liked this book alot. Very Interesting!

Jack Lepa must have a thing for 1864. An earlier book of his dealt with the Shenandoah campaign of that year, and here he recounts the Georgia and Tennessee campaigns. He begins by setting the scene as it looked in January 1864, with the South still reeling from the defeat at Chattanooga, not to mention the losses at Vicksburg and Gettysburg six months earlier. Things were beginning to look grim for the South, while the North was reluctant to rejoice for fear of another disaster lurking around the next bend.

After Chattanooga the Confederate Army retreated to Dalton, GA, where Joseph Johnston replaced Braxton Bragg as corps commander. Sherman as Union leader had orders to "move against Johnston's army, to break it up, and to get into the interior of the country and inflict all the damage you can." Sherman began his offensive in May, threatening Johnston from the west with turning movements, forcing him to retreat. This continued all the way back to just above Marietta, where the Battle of Kenesaw Mountain was fought towards the end of June. Bad weather delayed action for a while after this, but soon Johnston was driven back to he outskirts of Atlanta, where John B. Hood replaced Johnston.

The longest section of the book revolves around the month-long actions around Atlanta. Atlanta fell on September 1, and six weeks later Sherman began his march to the sea. Lepa covers that in only one chapter, followed by a chapter on Savannah. He then turns his attention to Hood's Nashville campaign, Hood's attempt to draw Sherman out of Atlanta. In succinct and straightforward fashion he describes Hood's invasion into Tennessee, the Battle of Franklin with it's tremendous loss of Confederate life (5 generals were killed), and the stunning Union victory at Nashville two weeks later. Lepa's book ends there.

The book is basically a summary of the most important events in these two campaigns, and what it does, it does well. Lepa cites entries from private journals and official records on occasion, which gives the summary a human touch. I think the book would make a good introductory volume for anyone just learning about these campaigns, but the lack of depth might eliminate it from the concern of more advanced enthusiasts.

"Bridge to Terabithia" is a sensitive novel written by Katherine Paterson. It describes the life of a early 20th century boy and his path of friendship with a tomboyish girl. Though the times are tough for them in this rural countryside, thier friendship remains strong. Parents, teachers, siblings, and fellow peers disagree with this upholding friendship but, it previels. Tragedy, and distraught, young Jess Aarrons learns to live life, even with all its short comings.

Cecil Sherman has been one of the key leaders in Baptist life in the last thirty years. He writes the story of his life, not out of a sense of self-importance, but rather at the urging of those who know that he has been at the heart of one of the most important religious stories of our time. Against the tides of disintegration, Cecil Sherman fought to preserve what was best in the Baptist tradition. In these pages he has recorded the story of his involvement and has also revealed remarkable pastoral instincts.

His prose is clean and crisp, his insight keen and clear. In these pages, as in life, Cecil Sherman is real. Here he shares powerful stories that affect all those who live and work in the Baptist tradition and the larger Christian world. While this book is far more than the story of the take-over and dismantling of the Southern Baptist Convention, this is clearly one of the few really perceptive accounts of that debacle that has been written.

Once again, Ms. Sherman has written a gem of a book. The latest one in her "American First Ladies" series features Dolley Madison, in an easy-to-read format written with middle-school children in mind. The book consists of interviews with Dolley by James Carter, a reporter for a Washington newspaper. Through her own narrative, we learn of the trying times during which Dolley and husband President James Madison occupied the White House, the events leading up to the War of 1812 and its consequences, and the heroism and heart exemplified by Dolley's loyalty to the United States during treacherous, volatile times. Ms. Sherman makes it easy for children to get "into" Dolley and understand what makes her tick. The story takes place almost 200 years ago, at a time in our history when life was much simpler and patriotism was more clearly defined, and love of country and freedom was becoming the bedrock upon which our nation still rests today.

A fascinating glimpse into our nation's past, told clearly and affectionately with Ms. Sherman's imagination and creativity. Adults as well as children will feel comfortable learning history while reading about and enjoying the wonderful character of Dolley Madison.

This book is a fine addition to any admirer of contemporary wood sculptor. Sherman offers a unique insight into the thought behinde Skips' carving. A thought provoking book that took me as a chainsaw carver to a new level. Fine pictures of Skips magnificent work and humorous stories of Skips life.The story of how this artist took the focus from the saw to the increadible pieces of art that can begin with the chainsaw. The only thing I would have liked more would be a larger version of this book.