Stuart Books

When the British Empire relinquished control to India, the jewel in the British crown, it became evident the age of Imperial European expansionism had come to an end. The period of global decolonization following World War II paved the way for a more critical approach to colonial history. The Euro-centric historical narratives of the colonial conquests were no longer acceptable within the academic community or for that matter entirely accurate. Stuart B. Schwartz a Professor of History at Yale University has set out to ensure the history of the conquest of Mexico is not written exclusively by the winners, but rather to present a fair and balanced compilation of European and Native American primary sources complemented by his own expert analysis. "Additional alternate texts paint a broader, richer canvas, fleshing out the narrative and conveying to the reader a sense that there was not simply a "Spanish" or an "Indian" view. Rather, there are a variety of visions and opinions, influenced and mediated by personal interests, class and ethnic biases, political considerations, and many other factors."
The introduction provides the reader with a comprehensive description of Mesoamerican and Spanish societies on the eve of the conquest. Included is the rise to power of the Mexica Empire through conquest and expansion and the foundation of the empire's island capital at Tenochtitlan. The author describes the historical background of the primary sources which constitute the majority of the narrative. Nahua sources are drawn primarily from The Florentine Codex, a post-conquest study of indigenous history and culture conducted by literate natives under the auspices of a Spanish missionary named Fray Bernardino De Sahagun. Erudite natives rather quickly adopted the Roman alphabet, for the most part abandoning the use of Nahuatl hieroglyphics, and by the late 1500's were capable of writing both Spanish and Nahuatl. However, the reader is advised of the existence of tribal differences and patron appeasement reflected within the codex as historical partiality as the greater part of Sahagun's indigenous informants were from Tlatelolco, a city under Tenochtitlan political control, and highly critical of the Mexica Empire and Montezuma. The principal Spanish source is Bernal Diaz del Castillo's book The True History of the Conquest of New Spain which chronicles the conquest from a soldier's perspective. Despite the wandering and crude prose of Bernal Diaz, his account documents the typical conquistador's motivations and justifications for the conquest, reveals the true scope of the clash of cultures beginning with the first encounters up to the fall of Tenochtitlan, and provides indispensable anecdotes from a human voice and mind of reason which serve to bring the events and personalities of the conquest to life for the student of Mesoamerican history.
The book is divided into eight chapters proceeding in chronological order from 1518-1521. Each section is preceded by a succinct analysis of the documents, the biases to avoid and the themes to concentrate upon. Integrated among the sources are useful maps, both ancient and modern, and paintings, both Spanish and Native American, which are complemented with academically irrefutable analysis and interpretations.
The first chapter entitled "Forebodings and Omens" deals primarily with a mysterious comet, an unexplained temple fire attributed to vindictive gods, and a weeping prophetic woman in the streets of Tenochtitlan which ominously preceded the tragic death of the empire. The mysterious premonitions are largely attributable to post-conquest indigenous attempts at justifying the procedures of their government. The aforementioned is particularly conspicuous in the legend of Quetzalcoatl, a god/man who left Tenochtitlan in the eastward direction, vowing to return in claim of his land. Thus, as Cortes arrived from the east, the Nahua mistook the Spaniard to be Quetzalcoatl. However, Schwartz informs the reader the myth of Quetzalcoatl is most likely a defense for Montezuma's vacillation. The second chapter "Preparations" concerns the backgrounds of the conquistadors and how Hernando Cortes came to lead the expedition.
The third chapter "Encounters" relies heavily upon Bernal Diaz's account of the first cross-cultural encounters at Cozumel and the Yucatan. Hernando Cortes is portrayed displaying his horses and cannons to frighten the natives at every chance that presented itself as both a joke and a military tactic. Both Spanish and native accounts however focus on the importance of interpreters such as Dona Marina, diplomacy, and the exchange of gifts in the interactions between the two civilizations. The fourth chapter "The March Inland: Tlaxcala and Cholula" in which Schwartz explains the strategic alliance between the Spanish and the Tlaxcalans, arrived at after a fierce battle, often neglected from native accounts. The Spanish-Tlaxcala alliance was of paramount importance in helping a band of approximately a thousand Spaniards turn the tide against an empire of warriors. However, after the battle for Tenochtitlan, the Tlaxcalans were offered no special consideration by the conquerors, resulting in distortion of the differentiation between historical victors and vanquished. After consummating the alliance at Tlaxcala, the Spanish arrive at Cholula where they are at first cordially accepted but were apparently deceived by the Cholulans. Here history becomes vague as the actors attempt to justify, excuse, or condemn, nonetheless the result was a bloodbath. Adres de Tapia, a Spanish conquistador justifies the Cholula massacre as a provoked attack to prevent a planned ambush. While the native accounts differ because of post-conquest patron appeasements, the consensus leaned toward an unprovoked slaughter.
In chapters five and six Schwartz compares indigenous and Spanish accounts of Cortes' arrival at the island capital which are remarkably equivalent with the exception of the native's bewilderment at the deer upon which the Spaniards were mounted and the Spanish comparison of the city of Tenochtitlan to Venice, Italy. Nonetheless, the sense of awe and astonishment are present throughout both accounts. Conversely, the versions disagree over the incident at Toxcatl with the Indians claiming an unprovoked massacre and the Spaniards claiming Pedro de Alvarado was merely foiling a rebellion. Likewise, the tragic death of Montezuma is portrayed differently in each account. The Tlatelocans appear angered equally by the death of their leader and the capitulation of their leader while the Spanish are mournful of the death of Montezuma. The pure emotion surrounding the foreboding death of the emperor is evident in Bernal Diaz's account when he laments: "Cortes wept for him, and all of us Captains and soldiers, and there was no man among us who knew him and was intimate with him, who did not bemoan him as though he were our father"
Chapters seven and eight refer to the final defeat of the city of Tenochtitlan and the protracted effects of the conquest, colonial rule, and cultural syncretism. Schwartz reveals the glory and sophistication of Mexica civilization, its valiant resistance as it gasped its last breaths at Tenochtitlan, and its resilience under colonial rule. Bernal Diaz's account of the fierce native resistance, the siege of Tenochtitlan and the final defeat of the empire is characterized by his intense reverence of the courage, strength and resiliency of the natives. The native account of the defeat drawn from The Florentine Codex encapsulates the tragedy of the annihilation of the civilization: "the Spainiards took things from people by force. They were looking for gold; they cared nothing for green-stone, precious feathers, or turquoise. Then they burned some of them on the mouth [branded them]; and...the weapons were laid down and we collapsed"
Criticism of Victors and Vanquished can only be directed at the personal agendas, political motivations, class, ethnic, and religious biases contained within the primary sources themselves which supplant historical fact with historical subjectivism. Schwartz reminds the reader that historical scholarship is constructed upon a foundation of anecdotal primary sources and it is the endeavor of the scholar to interpret and distinguish the factual from the tainted and distorted. Schwartz emphasizes the Sisyphean task of creating a true accurate history and invites debate inquiring, "What is a "true" history?"
Nonetheless, the author equips the wary reader with a concise analysis preceding each primary source allowing the scholar to continue reading cognizant of biases to avoid and themes to concentrate upon. His writing style is neither loquacious nor deficient, but rather Schwartz provides the ideal amount of flawless and meticulous analysis all the while exhibiting his dominant command of the subject. Stuart B. Schwartz's Victors and Vanquished is an unprecedented and enriching academic breakthrough in the interpretation of the past, deviating from the archaic tradition of history dictated exclusively by conquerors to a balanced and even-handed scholarship shining light on victors and vanquished alike.
ZC

This well edited text brings students the documents behind the stories they may have read in high school textbooks. How did the Spanish conquer the spectacular city of Tenochtitlan with so few soldiers and in alien territory? The documents tell how they exploited alliances that were already in place. With hundreds of Tlaxcalan warriors accompanying them, housing them, feeding men and horses alike, the group of Spaniards was able to approach Tenochtitlan, make themselves unwelcome, and barely escape from the city alive... A fascinating read.

You will not believe how much you will just laugh out loud at this Vinyl Cafe CD (and all the others!). This is humorous story telling at its best. My whole family enjoys these CDs. I don't know of anyone who won't get lost in laughter with any of the Vinyl Cafe CDs.

Stuart McLean does it again. Don't hit the road without one of his CDs and this one is no exception. Laughing out loud certainly makes the time go faster.

We heard Polly Anderson's Christmas Party first on a CD of Christmas music belonging to one of our college age daughters, then bought this out of curiosity. I loved it, my husband loved it, our daughters loved it, and my mother-in-law loved it. I even lent it to a co-worker who needed a good laugh and he loved it. Keep it in your car for a sure-fire mood-lifter on your way home from a hard day at the office as Dave and Morley navigate the trials of parenthood. Suitable for family listening.

We first heard Stuart McLean on a CD of Christmas music. We had to listen to his story 3 times straight becuase we all laughed so hard and loud we would miss parts of the story. This CD has that story, "Polly Anderson's Christmas Party." In addition, when you listen to the other stories before "Polly" then you will get some of the content of this story. Every story from beginning to end is a HOOT! We listen to his stories over and over again. They are just as good the 5th time around as they were the first. We bought all his other CD's, as well. Highly recommended!

Funniest book I've read since "A Walk in the Woods". Characters are real, situations are believeable and it's just plain fun.

I picked this book up on a whim, having no idea what it was about or who Stuart McLean was. I'm glad I made such a foolish purchase.

This book (which is a collection of short stories) is the third in the Vinyl Cafe series, following the lives of a "simple" family from Toronto; husband Dave, wife Morley, and kids Stephanie and Sam. Dave owns a used record store (the Vinyl Cafe, who's motto is "We may not be big, but we're small"). Morley works in theatre. They have a dog, they have a cat, they have quirky neighbours; they have a normal life.

The book, however, is anything but normal. Instead of simply plodding along, the book gives us strong comedic stories about universal things that uncondescendingly give a message or moral.

"Love Never Ends" is a touching story about a letter Dave receives from the widow of a man who knew growing up. It sounds like weak material, but you'll either be smiling or crying when you finish. "The Fly" sees Dave swallow one after throwing a chain letter away... and doing whatever he can to get it out of him. "Christmas Presents" follows the family through the Christmas season, as they try to make gifts for each other... with varying results.

The best may be "Harrison Ford's Toes", in where Morley finds an old Tamagotchi she was supposed to give Sam for Christmas a few years before. She decides to hide it from Dave when he comes in the room, too ashamed to admit she'd lost it and forgot about it. She pretends to be reading a magazine with Harrison Ford on the cover and makes a silly comment about how perfect Harrison Ford's Toes are. Let's just say that over the next few days, Dave tries his best to get his toes to look better than Mr. Ford's, and that when Morley begins to spend a bit too much time with the Tamagotchi.

I recomend this book to literally anyone who likes to read. It's the kind of book for all of us who've ever tried to toilet train our cat, or has ever had the sprinklers go off during a Christmas pageant, or has ever worried about their son's knitting habit. Go buy it. Enjoy.

This is a profound work. It contains six - hundred representations of artistic work that Malraux builds his commentry around. The language is philosophical and poetic and often very difficult. The work is divided into four sections. Museum Without Walls, The Metamorphoses of Appolo, the Creative Process, Aftermath of the Absolute.

Malraux is a genius (even though he's French.) I was blown away by his artistic precision in "Man's Fate" and I am no less enthused about this work. Although a bit long-winded at times, Andre has done it again. A man for the next century as well as the last. Bravo!

Here it is in all it shamefull glory. This is a study about the enormous profits made by the military Industrial complex at war time. In a democracy, wars have nothing to do with politics, and everything to do with economics. The corporations who produce war goods make billions of dollars in the war and those corporations that don't make war goods make billions of dollars after the war when their markets are expanded into foreign lands. This, I'm sorry to say, is the backbone of capitalism. How are corporations to increase profits continuously, even after the home turf is saturated, if not by war? This is a common thread that runs throughout the book, Don't Weep for Me, America: How Democracy in America Became the Prince (While We Slept), as well.

"Warhogs" defines the "Merchants of Death" theory as "that defense contractors aided and abetted the outbreak of war in search of profit".

"Support for increased naval spending came from 'a combination of very wicked persons who stand to profit from a big navy'".

"...millionaire munitions executives were 'agitating' for a larger defense in search of profit".

And finally, "war...was the worst enemy of progress".

This book also contains the cold hard facts of just how much money the defense contractors profited.

So when you are contemplating the wisdom of the Iraq War, forget about "Democracy" and "Liberating the people", and "Removing the Evil Dictator". Instead consider the no-bid contracts given to Halliburton and other Cheney and Bush administration cronies. Because, unfortunately, war is all about profits and economics, and has nothing to do with...politics...

Stuart D. Brandes has written an engaging book, "Warhogs, A History of War Profits in America." In this work, the retired history professor discusses inter alia profiteering, privateering, ransom, defense contracting, executive compensation, tax policy, and the role of government in providing for the needs of the nation's military especially in time of war. The book covers the period of US history from the colonial era to the conclusion of World War II.

Among the key figures discussed at length are: George Washington, who questioned both the virtue and patriotism of profiteers during the Revolution; Abraham Lincoln, whose administration wrestled with the rates that northern railroads were billing the government in transporting troops and materiel during the Civil War; Woodrow "He kept us out of war" Wilson who, three months after his reelection, went before Congress asking for a declaration of war; FDR and his long-serving Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau, Jr., together they struggled to pull the nation out of the Depression and later set in place policies and a bureaucratic apparatus to award military contracts to manufacturers while overseeing those same contractors in terms of: output capacity, plant building and expansion, quality of goods, the amount of profit deemed sufficient, tax rates, salaries, etc.

Evenhandedness is a hallmark of this book; those who might read this work expecting an anti-corporate jeremiad will be disappointed, as will those who believe that the federal government is mostly inept or worse. Rather, companies, businessmen, and government officials are either criticized or praised based on the evidence that Prof. Brandes cites; the documentation is ample and derived from government tax records, congressional committee testimony, memoirs, diaries, contemporaneous newspapers and periodicals, biographies, and the works of other historians. Some businessmen who were producing goods for the country's wartime while drawing exorbitant salaries are named, while others are noted for being dollar-a-year-men during armed conflict. Some companies boosted profits by reducing the quality of, for example, weaponry or uniforms. Army quartermasters did a commendable job in obtaining the necessary military supplies at a fair cost to taxpayers, although some personally profited financially--either legally or not. Some companies did not profit excessively during the war, yet benefited greatly during peacetime when the federal government looked to shed its unneeded assets. A short but poignant section of the book (p. 349) discusses FDR's misapprehension of tax policy and economics, despite the Harvard-educated president having majored in economics. And according to Secretary Morgenthau's presidential diary (p. 253), "The [p]resident doesn't devote more than two days a week to the war....I have been up to Shangri-La three times and he sits there playing with his stamps....[War Production Board Chairman Donald] Nelson never gets to see him." (Such a characterization of FDR by one of his ablest cabinet members would irk New Deal historian/hagiographer Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.)

The author states (p. 355): "No previous book that has come to my attention deals expressly with the topic presently considered." This reviewer concurs. It is a well-written book in part because such topics as amortization and facility depreciation are discussed without getting into the tall grass of accounting/tax law or causing the average reader's eyes to glaze over. Moral and ethical issues over war profits are raised without pedantry. Some will have some quibbles with portions of the book--quibbles too few and too minor to detract from it at all; isn't debate part of the fun of reading history? This reviewer looks forward to Dr. Brandes' future historical efforts.

OK, this book is a MUST to read! It grabbed me completely from the first page. I did not remember to eat or sleep before I had finished it. The characters are great, the scenery amazing and the action thrilling. And sex too. I can see this book making a great computer game or a film. I am eagerly waiting for a sequel for this...

Water is a mind-blowing debut from Stuart Jackson, following the journies of four very different characters. Set on the vast ecological paradise of Novagaia, in orbit around an Earth from which humanity has long since been banished, Tenys, Melie, Flocanalog and Manchester are drawn into a sequence of events that began centuries before as the cetacean creatures of earth evolved sentience, and the power to change the universe.

Water explores many concepts that will be familiar to science fiction afficionados, particularly the continued evolution of sentience and new forms of life, whilst seamlessly blending new perspectives on the roles that technology, particularly nanotechnology, could play in our future.

It is the encounters with the metacetaceans, the powerful inhabitants of Water, that really makes this book stand out from much of the current crop of recycled science fiction. Jackson's unconventional approach to translating the metacetacean's mode of communication, whilst disorienting at first, really serves to remind the reader of the differences in cognition and comprehension between his human and non-human characters. Flocanalog, who is partway between these two worlds, makes the point abundantly clear as he undergoes a long and traumatic removal from his symbiotic shell, in order to make the journey to Novagaia.

In all, Water is a thoroughly enjoyable read that remains thought-provoking without disappearing into the realm of self-indulgence. I will be eagerly awaiting more of the same from Stuart Jackson.

This Osprey book takes a look and the uniforms and regimental colors of the regiments of Scottish Highlanders that served in the British Army c. 1787-1815. It opens a with a fairly brief introduction to the origins, weapons, and character of these Regiments, and then goes on to examine their uniforms and colors in great detail; this latter section of the book would admittedly be of little use to someone lacking a strong interest in or knowledge of the Highland Regiments.

As is always the case with Osprey, the color plates are well done and enjoyable to look at. Plate 'F' is particularly neat for its focus exclusively on the Highland Pipers of this era. I would also recommend the men-at-arms titles 'Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders' (volume 3) and the recently-published 'Queen Victoria's Highlanders' (volume 442)for somone interested in this book.

I am not a fan of Osprey publications. There was a time when I would buy every Osprey Napoleonic title. This was until, when doing research in primary sources on my own, I found that many of these books, and their attendant art work, to be generally average at best, and sometimes not reliable at all.

I found the volume on Wellingtons Highlanders troops fascinating. The Highland recruited, developed, or thrown together to combat the swarms of very effective are meticulously listed in this volume and it gives a very good picture of the units that gradually developed into the 79th Cameron and effective 92nd Gordons and infantry regiments of the Wellingtons Army. What is also interesting is the varieties of both clothing and uniforms these varied corps wore (and there is a difference), being influnce by their culture(Scottish). It is a true menagerie for uniformologists.

I'm sure everyone is very familiar with the Men-at-Arms format, but I'll briefly review it for anyone not familiar with it. The Men-at-Arms series is a general, somewhat brief (limited to 48 pages) uniform history of famous units and/or armies in specific wars or campaigns. They are profusely illustrated with relevant illustrations of uniforms, as well as eight color plates of the subject in question by a contemporary military artist. The narrative describes the uniforms in detail, sometimes with a brief history of either the unit, personalities, or both. Additionally, the plates are explained and there is a necessarily brief note on sources. In the hands of an expert such as Stuart Reid, this can be a narrative overflowing with useful, very accurate, and sometimes newfound information. All of the 48-page volumes have excellent color plates; however, my favorites are those by Eugene Leliepvre,Bryan Fosten and Francis Back. These are very talented artists give us very realistic renderings of what soldiers undoubtedly looked like on campaign and in combat.

These book is thorough studies, written in a scholarly manner with well thought out illustrations and color plates.Stuart Reid and Osprey have done us a great service with these volume and all of them belong on our bookshelves. They are accurate, packed with information, written by an acknowledged authority of the periods covered, who is a meticulous researcher and an entertaining author. What these volumes proved to me is that we really shouldn't judge a book (or a series, for that matter) by its cover or its title. Osprey has once again, in my mind, placed itself in the top notch of military history books available for research purposes, as well as entertainment.

Anyone who consider himself a fan of the Highlanders Regiments would enjoy this fascinating book I also recomened the Highland Clansman 1689-1746 from the same author excellent and very informative.

As a retired special needs teacher, I worked with many families with children with disabilities and was able to observe how siblings interacted. "What About Me?" hits the nail right on the head. Siegel describes several patterns siblings may fall into, including the 'parentified child,' the 'overachieving child,' the 'acting-out child,' and the 'withdrawn child,' among others. She points out characteristics parents can watch for, and ways to help children in each classification to better cope with the stresses of growing up with a sibling with a disability. Adult siblings will gain insights into their 'growing-up years' from reading this book, too.

At my local bookstore, this book literally fell off the shelf at my feet and I knelt down and picked it up. I knew instantly that I had to buy it. I cried when I read it because it reminded me of what it was like being a younger sister of a disabled sibling. Although it brought back a lot of memories and misplaced guilt that I have tried to overcome, the book gives good explanations as to some of the outcomes of growing up in this type of family and the dysfunctions that can occur. I would highly recommend this book and thank the authors for their contribution.

This is a wonderful little book; very readable and wise. It is a great gift for people in their early 20's who are secretly searching for that bit of advice or direction that could make a difference in how they decide to move forward in life. In fact, people in their 40's and 50's etc., are touched by its directness and compassion. "What Do You Know" contains 53 vignettes about all aspects of life, but this is more than a book of quotes. In "What Do You Know, " Jeanetts Spires creates a solid, accessible container for the insight it carries.

With its "bite-sized" essays and life-affirming themes, this book is an easy and enjoyable read. I especially loved the entry by the brilliant Amish entrepreneur. Although this book is anything but "preachy," it is nonetheless an encouragement to living life with the big picture in mind. A high school kid could breeze through this book and benefit from the reading before he or she knew it. An entirely friendly and fun exercise in learning from those who have looked back on their journey with understanding... and wish to share that understanding with those who will listen.