Kansas Books

Pakenham's "The Boer War" is one of the best and certainly one of the most thorough works on the war against the Afrikaner peoples of South Africa. This book is both well-researched and well written and, although it is tempting to take exception against this particular colonial war--because it was against "fellow" whites--it must be remembered that the British, scarcely 100 years before, waged war against fellow whites in America.

The difference was that the Americans proved victorious partially because the English were not prepared to go to the extremes they did in South Africa. Ultimately, the English had more troops in South Africa than the Africaners had total population--men, women and children. They also resorted to measures never used against the Americans, namely concentration camps to imprison civilians. Consequently, Great Britain proved victorious but it was a pyrrhic victory, indeed.

There are major similarities and dissimularities between the Boer War and the American Civil War. In both cases the "rebel" forces initially were victorious against larger, better supplied armies. Also, in both cases, the rebels were eventually defeated in open battle. Here the similarities end. Lee, when surrounded at Appomatox, had the option of "going on commando." He refused, reckoning that the damage--both physical and moral--would be worse than surrender. The Boers, given the same option, opted for guerilla warfare. The result was death, devastation and hatred lasting to the present day.

In both cases--Southern and Afrikaner--defeat resulted in extreme measures against black populations. In the South, Jim Crow and the Klan were the unfortunate result. In South Africa, apartheid was the result. In the case of the South, northern domination eventually forced complete desegregation. In the case of South Africa, world opinion and sanctions, resulted in a takeover by the ANC and...it is now totally irrelevant as to whether the English or Afrikaners proved victorious. They are all in the position of potentially losing everything.

Ron Braithwaite author of novels--"Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"--on the Conquest of Mexico

This is simply a fantastic and very readable book. The down side is that it is about another bloody and useless war. This war set the stage for the the 20th-century wars to come. The Boer War was the first time concentration camps were used, and the US simultaneously used the idea in their Spanish-American War in the Philippines. We have much to learn from Thomas Pakenham's book, including how the special interests (neocons in the case of the Iraq War) propagandize for war and how wars, in general, have nothing to do with national security, but rather with plunder for the corporatocracy. Here is a taste for those of you who just don't get how horrible war is: "The farms were burnt, the stock looted, the women and children concentrated in camps along the railway lines. Between twenty thousand and twenty-eight thousand Boer civilians died of epidemics in these "concentration camps". This same story continues today, only now in Iraq. Will the masses ever cease getting duped by their criminal states???

Thomas Pakenham, the brother of historian Antonia Fraser, penned "The Boer War" in the early 1970s. He was privileged to have available a trusty tape recorder and the reedy voices of several of the Tommy Atkins Brits who actually foght in the war!
The Boer War lasted from 1899-1902. Its purpose was to conquer the Boer republics of the Orange Free State (cattle and sheep farmers) and Transvaal home to the world's richest gold mines.
One war had been fought in the early 1880s won by Britain leading to their conquering of the Natal region. The British government's headquarters were in Capetown in the Cape colony. The Jameson raid in 1895 launched by the British against the Transvaal had failed.
Now in 1899 the second Boer war began. Its author was Sir Arthur Milner High Commissioner to the Cape Colony. This bold imperialist wanted all of Africa to be British on his own terms. His opponent was the President of the Transvall the aged Paul Kruger. The Conservative government in London backed Milner in his plans. PM Salisbury wanted to seize South Africa for its rich gold lode and to ensure it would be secure as a fueling stop on the voyage around Africa to India the jewel in the British empire.
The war was noted for its long sieges in which British civilians and soldiers were beseiged by Boers. The major sieges were at Mafeking and Ladysmith.
The Boers were a tough opponent believing in guerilla warfare led by such fierce warriors as Jan Smuts and De Wet. The war dragged on feeding into its bloody maw over 22,000 British dead matched by an equal number of the Boers. Blacks were also killed in the thousands. Both the Boers and British were anti-black treating these people with great cruelty.
Among the reasons for folks on this side of the pond to study the Boer War are the following:
a. Lord Kitchener's widespread use of the concentration camp system to hold Boer women, children and POW's would be a harbinger of the horrors of twentieth century concentration camps in World War II and in the Soviet Gulag.
b. Smokeless powder and automatic weapons were used widely for the first time in major battles. The time of the cavalry horse was ending as defensive warfare (seen in its most salient focus in World War I) would come to the fore.
c. The war was one of the costliest in English history. It reminds Americans of our long ordeals in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq.
d. Men like the Commander Lord Roberts failed to properly administer hospitals, organize transport for his troops and failed to see that warfare was changing in the modern age.
e. The war was the introduction to combat of such British luminaries of World War I as John French, HH. Kitchener and Douglas Haig.
f. The war gave Winston Churchill his first fame. Churchill had been held in Praetoria as a captive of the Boers; he returned home to write a bestseller about his adventures winning him a seat in the British House of Commons.
Great Britain proved victorious due to over 250,000 troops committed to the grisly campaign. The Orange Free State and Transvaal became possessions of the British Empire.
This book is the sine qua non of literature on the Boer War. It is 615 densely written pages which will not whet the appetite of everyone. If you like detailed accounts of battles and a backstairs look at diplomacy this book will gratify your interest.

Atr the outset, it should be noted that this book could be usefully supplemented by reading COMMANDO by Deneys Reitz - A Boer journal ,of the Boer War.
Much of the horror of 20th century warfare - trench warfare, concentration camps, shooting or otherwise mistreating prisoners - was carried out in the Boer war. Some readers, and I am a general reader not an historian, will have been aware of elements of the Boer War such as the shooting of prisoners by Lt "Breaker Morant" which was and is something of a cause celebre in Australia retold in books, plays and a fine contemporary film. But the one feeling I have after reading this fine book by Mr Pakenham is a far greater sympathy for the Boers and a much better appreciation of the contribution and sacrifice that black Africans made in what was touted as a "white man's" war. In fact it was a black man's war too with c100,000 black riflemen seeing duty, and fighting in effect for the right to vote. Mr Pakenham provides evidence to suggest that the successful survival by the British at the siege of Mafeking was made possible by the sacrifice of black Africans.
Item: 3500 horses perished in one day in one cavalry charge.
Item: 400,000 horses, mules, donkeys died in total
Item: Lord Kitchener invented the concentration camp using a Spanish model re Cubans
Item: The British military and politicians did not care about the thousands of women and children in concentration camps and as the result of disgusting conditions many many died as a result.
Item: It was not superior marksmanship or courage that won, but the application of the knowledge that defence was superior to attack with the new, smokeless, high velocity, weapons.
The book is very well written, with a reliance on much primary source material, especially diaries and letters of the major British protagonists
including Sir Alfred Milner, High Commissioner for South Africa and Lt Governor of Cape Colony who is revealed in his own words as a thoroughly despicable character. The reader also gets a very real feeling for the exigencies of the landscape, the boredom of routine for the military, the clash of battle where the stones on the ground or the mud on the banks of a river become as frighteningly real as the whizz and splat of dum dum bullets. Clearly the writer has experienced the landscape firsthand. The reader also gets a very real picture of the characters involved, their weaknesses and strengths, including some ordinary and very likeable soldiers or "Tommy's".
The likely causes and consequences of the war are made clear to the reader. The usual suspects - imperial supremacy of the British; greed for gold, diamonds; denial of franchise; nationalism - are covered and a re-evaluation of the protaganists undertaken. It is a fair and balanced re-assessment of the task faced by General Sir Redvers Buller and his inability to overcome it whilst appreciating his intelligent appraisal of the situation he found himself in. On the other hand it reveals Lord Kitchener as arrogant and hard working but overrated and over-compensated for his role. The book also emphasises the CRITICAL role of transport and supply.
We are still living with the consequences of it today but one redeeming reality is that democracy and a free press are likely to inhibit a repetition. What was that? Guantanomo Bay? Oil? Imperialism? Franchise? Prisons?

Pakenham's work remains a standard in the history of the Boer War, not only for its scope, but for its clarity and readability. He certainly covers the gamut of the war, but those interested in the causes and precursors to the war would be better served with a different work, as those details are lost in his description of military aspects.

As I suggest for many works of this scope and quality, if there is one book you must read on the Second South Africa War, make it this one.

I loved it. Nothing was bad. I liked it when Jack and Jim became friends.

This book is about two main charactor, named Jack and Annie, and every day they ask if they can go out side to play, but they actually go out to this tree house that is full of books, and they find a book they like well in this book they found a book with tornadoes in and they decided to wish to go into that book and it took them
there and in the story Annie becomes a teacher who work in a wooden place that had one room and they called it a school. So these funny looking shapes start to appear in sky made out of clouds that looked like
cones and then they started coming down to the floor. If you like old histoy, school and/or tornadoes than I would sujest that you read this book.

This book is about two main charactor, named Jack and Annie, and every day they ask if they can go out side to play, but they actually go out to this tree house that is full of books, and they find a book they like well in this book they found a book with tornadoes in and they decided to wish to go into that book and it took them
there and in the story Annie becomes a teacher who work in a wooden place that had one room and they called it a school. So these funny looking shapes start to appear in sky made out of clouds that looked like
cones and then they started coming dow to the floor

My 1st grader hates to put it down, he would rather read Magic Tree House books, than play video games. He even reads them to his class and explains the story for show and tell. In his kindergarten class the teacher would also let him read the Magic Tree House books out loud, not to give her a break, but to promote reading out loud. Great books!

The book Twisters on Tuesday features magic, danger and history. The magic is the tree house. I bet you're saying huh? Read the book to find out about this magical adventure.
The main characters of the story are Annie, Jake,Ted and Morgen. Annie is Jake's sister. She likes danger and Jake likes to study.
Ted is a featured charactar in this book. He starts out as a human and changes, into a dog and the story's plot is how Annie and Jake help him. I recommend this book to people who like magic and history in their books.
- Moises

How does anyone explain the murder of hundreds of thousands by other human beings? Whether it's Armenians by Turks, Poles by Germans, Soviets by Soviets, Rwandans by Rwandans, Cambodians by Cambodians, Croats by Serbs, Serbs by Croats, Bosniaks by Serbs, Darfuris by Sudanese; the cruelty involved in the murders far outweights the "reasons" for the crimes.

No matter how angry one is with his fellow human beings, the systematic murder of ones neighbors is unfathomable. The murders in the ex-Yugoslavia are as random and systematic as those by Nazi Germany. Ethnic cleansing (to give it a title like a TV commercial) is no less horrendous than religious zealousness. To search out you fellow human being, and then murder them without rhyme or reason, except for their religion or the language they speak (is Serbo-Croatian that different from Croato-Serbian?) or the religious hierarchy they follow seems as absurd as to murder all the left-handed blonds with blue eyes.

Primo Levi spent the forty years after the Holocaust trying to fathom how one (anyone) survived in the "Lagers" (his name for the Camps). He was 'lucky' in that he was taken in 1944, when some prisoners were kept for their 'knowledge' as opposed to the immediate extermination of all who came off the trains. But even then, how does one live with the knowledge of what one human being can do to another, sometimes out of no other reason than boredom?

What is interesting in this volume is his discussion of the reaction of 'everyday' Germans, to the original volume, "Survival in Auschwitz". While most of his letters of from 'young Germans', born during and after The War, those by the older Germans are most enlightening. This book is important in the unbridled descriptions or the uselessness of torments for no use other than the pleasure of the torturers.

Zeb Kantrowitz

"The Drowned and the Saved" by Primo Levi, is different in one aspect from his earlier works dealing with his experiences in Auschwitz: in the previous books, he was still an impassioned young man, racing as it was to record his memories and experiences. For later in life, memory can become less exact and true, as he recounts in this book, a collection of reflections and observations about his experiences and what they have to say about that time and humanity in general. "The Drowned and the Saved" is a bibliography of sorts, an examination of one man's search to make sense out of the senseless, to open the eyes of those who were not there, to make sure that this horror is never forgotten, or repeated.

Primo Levi, while Jewish by birth, was agnostic by the time he was taken as a political prisoner to Auschwitz. He survived, thanks in part to his job as a chemist, but was still just as affected by the savagery around him. Levi explores different topics within the Lagers, and while distanced by time and experience, his observations are still cutting. Levi deftly talks of various topics - the useless violence inflicted upon prisoners, the shame that they felt in their situation, how language itself became degraded within the camp system, and how there are grey areas where blame and judgment are not necessarily easy or concrete. Levi closes his book with a look at correspondence he has received from Germans after the translation of "Survival in Auschwitz": almost all of them try to explain away their lack of knowledge and courage, and while Levi may be able to forgive, he isn't able to forget.

Primo Levi and other writers who share their experiences about the Holocaust are often referred to as witnesses: but Levi insists that the true witnesses of the darkest horrors are those who did not survive. It is truly impossible to know what their experiences were like because they are not here to tell. Levi also admonishes the easy and placating stereotypes that have arisen in recent times, offering that the actions of the Germans and the world during WWII cannot be judged by the standards of today. "The Drowned and the Saved" is an informative and thought-provoking book, offering insights into lessons that should never be forgotten, but existing in a world where this is a very real and terrifying possibility.

Just a note to correct the Amazon book description that states that Levi committed suicide. He did not. He fell to his death down a staircase in his apartment house.

Primo Levi's final memoir about the Nazi Holocaust is among the most provocative and compelling accounts of the Shoah in the entire literature. Indeed, it is one of the great political memoirs of recent years. Levi was an Italian chemist, anti-Nazi activist, and Jew who was sent to Auschwitz and famously documented the atrocities that he experienced in `Survival at Auschwitz,' one of the first memoirs to be widely read in Germany. This book is a profoundly introspective rumination, not on the particular horrors of the camps, but of their philosophical implications for human beings as a whole. In `The Grey Zone,' Levi explores the moral ambiguity of this moment in history, both in terms of the work of the Kapos and the rare but meaningful resistance from the Germans. Levi is open to the possibility of a moral spectrum, yet he remains unequivocally vociferous in his condemnation of National Socialism, and of the German people's complicity with this movement. There are many striking and haunting moments in `The Drowned and the Saved,' such as Levi's discussion of the Musselman, or the experience of palpable shame on the part of the Jewish victims. This book is a special memoir because Levi refuses to draw the reader via an explicit recollection of the litany of horrors that he experienced, but because he is willing to penetrate into the meaning and truth of the holocaust as human abomination. A true masterpiece, both in approach and in execution.

It is redundant to praise this book or describe its background, which has been done very well by other reviewers. This was Levi's final wrestling with the implications of what he called the Lager (he didn't use the term 'Holocaust'), not only as he experienced it, but more generally.

Just a few points that may be less obvious. Levi never uses the phrase "survivor guilt," and his choice of terms was never without consideration. Rather, he uses the term, "shame." The chapter that goes by that name is an enormously subtle and evolving one. Levi continues to probe the feeling as he recalls it after "liberation," and there are at least five different concepts of what that "shame" entailed, no one of which did Levi think was definitive. By the way, none of Levi's definitions are the same as the popular notion of "survivor" guilt - that one feels guilty simply for having survived while others did not. The closest he comes is to talk about surviving "in place of another," which is a more complex idea. It refers specifically to the nature of the camps themselves, a horrific "laboratory," as Levi put it, in which selections, influence, luck and more did mean that one's survival always came at someone else's cost. This is a sociological point. It would not the case, for example, for the survivor of a tornado or earthquake.

Second, the "grey zone" is very often misinterpreted to suggest that perpetrators and victims met in some "middle ground" somewhere. Levi is definitive about this. The responsibility of the killers and the victims are in no sense, and in no context, equivalent. But in the squalid and horrific world that was the lager, there was an enormous range of types and characters. Levi is arguing mostly against what he calls "stereotypes" - convenient simplifications.

Finally, it may be of interest that "the drowned and the saved" was intended by Levi to be the title of his first book, If This is a Man (known in the U.S. as Survival in Auschwitz). His publisher disagreed, although there is a chapter in If This is a Man called Drowned and Saved. Levi's preoccupation with the role in the camp of differences in power, privilege, luck, and alliances-of-convenience runs throughout his work. It is a topic that still deserves much more attention than it has received.

Decision in the West is well researched, and the narrative is well constructed from the various primary sources. In his own analysis, Castel drops the bombshell that Sherman was not a very good general. If only old Slow Trot, George Thomas, could have had his way, then things would have ended much sooner. Fortunately for the Union, the principles of industrial war were already kicking in, and good generals were no longer needed to win wars.

Castel avoids the annoying habit of Civil War historians who name their chapters after a quote from primary sources. Unfortunately, though, he names them after the month during which the chapter's events occur. Is it asking too much to be able to look at the table of contents in one of these campaign books and actually have chapter names describe what the chapter is about?

Rich detail you can't find in the usual sources, and plenty of background, not just who went where when. I am a GA native so I really appreciate that.

Very enjoyable read.

In my humble opinion, Castel has written what I believe to be the best study of the Atlanta Campaign. While some reviewers seem to think that Castel spends much time criticizing Sherman's generalship, he also spends time criticizing Southern leaders - Hood, Davis, Bragg, Hardee, etc. Personally, I thought he was fair to both sides.

Another criticism other reveiwers have is the present tense Castel writes. This was the first time I have read a Civil War study in the present tense and quite frankly, I enjoyed it! Personally, I believe Castel's writing in the present tense helps the reader to better understand the situation the various leaders faced and makes the reader feel like he/she is actually there analyzing what would be the best course of action to take in a particular situation. Castel's writing style is free-flowing - you get a sense of what is taking place in the campaign without becoming bogged down into unnecessary details.
The battle descriptions lack the gore of other Civil War titles yet includes anecdotes of the various leaders and also common soldiers.

The only reason I did not give the book 4 stars is the same 'ole tired reason I rarely give 5 stars for other Civil War studies I have read - the maps. While the maps were okay, they lacked sufficient detail (battlefield terrain features, showing units at the brigade level instead of a more detailed regimental level, etc.) and were not enough. Since the Atlanta Campaign lasted about 5 months, I believe could have been many more maps and with more detail.

Comment aside, I heartily recommend Castel's book as the definitive study of the Atlanta Campaign. Read and enjoy!

Castel's study is extremely meticulous, and he never hesitates to interject his own opinions, which is a must for histories of these kinds to keep them from being dry rehashes.

Castel is critical of a number of decisions by just about every commander. While this could be referred to as "revision," I think it's simply bringing these characters back down to the realm of humanity. It is clear throughout the campaign that Sherman's strength was grand strategy and his weakness tactics. Too often in the romanticizing of the Civil War, the difference between the two is obscured. Instead of trying to drag Sherman's name through the mud, it's more an attempt at remembering that these generals were humans who made mistakes.

The only issue I had with the book was lack of maps and a few editing mistakes. The editing mistakes were mostly trivial, although at one point Castel says "The Army of the Tennessee did not have the offensive capability to inflict damage on the Union forces." Of course, the Army of the Tennessee was a Union force; Castel meant the Army of Tennessee.

The lack of maps was more frustrating. First, the maps of the theater were too spread out. The maps did not include corps or army positions, which was extremely frustrating when the armies got nearer to Atlanta and began to divide and hunker down around the city. Moreover, places discussed during battles did not always show up on any of the maps.

Regardless, this book is well written and does a very good job of recounting 1864 as a whole.

This book has many strengths and several glaring weaknesses. As a chronical of the campaign, it is thorough and well-written (though the present tense gimmigk gets in the way a little). Particularly strong is the author's tying the military action to the political maneuvering during this election year of 1864. The author shows that the behind-the-scenes action can be just as important as the actual fighting. For these reasons it is worth reading.
However, Castel demonstrated a singular lack of insight in some of his conclusions - an obvious previously-held dislike of Sherman perhaps clouding his judgement - it certainly gets in the way of the narrative. For example, after Resaca, Castel states that "one can only conclude" that if Thomas had been in charge instead of Sherman the entire campaign would have been over in a week. This is a singularly silly statement for a respected historian. If Sherman did something correctly, Castel states that it "was the only thing he could do"; if Sherman makes a correct decision it is "for the wrong reasons". Castel even resorts to gratuitous and unneccessary sarcasm in his treatment of Sherman.
In actuality, Shermans "ineptitude" moved an ungainly Army Group from Cattanooga to Atlanta in four months while constantly in close contact with an enemy army that, until Hood took command, was effectively lead. He captured the city of Atlanta and ended the campaign with a force that was still strong enough to split in two and fight the battles of Franklin and Nashville on the one hand, and, march to the sea and immortality on the other.

A thoroughly enjoyable and motivating read. This is a remarkable collection of exclusive interviews with the best American sports coaches of the last 40 years. The author has packed a voluminous amount of wisdom, inspiration and facts into what amounts to a road map to a good life. "How to Succeed in the Game of Life" is a brilliant compilation of advice that offers inspiration at every turn.

Game of Life is an insightful book on the thoughts of many of the world's best known coaches. It provides a biography on each of the 34 coaches (which I recommend reading first to gain a better appreciation of the field and achievements of each coach) and asks them a number of questions that can relate to both on the field and life in general. I have gathered a number of relavant quotes that I will use both personally and professionally. A highly recommended read for sporting buffs and managers.

After buying a copy of this book for both myself and my father I was thoroughly impressed. The book was both an easy read yet very informative. I gave a copy of the book to my father, who is not one to read a book, and he was so taken back by how interesting he felt the content was. He picked up the book in the morning and had it finished by mid afternoon. He must have called me 15 times to tell me how inspiring he felt it was and how he was amazed at "all the tricks it taught an old dog"...He thought he had heard all there was to hear about inspirational quotes. We were both pleasantly surprised with how well written the book was. Both my dad and I would highly recommend this book with two thumbs up.

Having read only excerpts, I was shocked to read that Tony Dungy was hired as head coach by the Indianapolis Colts in 2002 by owner Robert Irsay. Irsay had been dead for five years (longer than that mentally). Hopefully the rest of the book does not contain such shoddy information.

This book went through various questions about succeeding in life and listed all the responses from each coach. It was interesting but somewhat repetitive in that many said basically the same thing. I enjoyed reading this book because it had a lot of good advice from a lot of successful coaches. The advice I remember most is to work harder than anyone else, never quit, always be honest, do your best, failure is opportunity for a comeback, and be passionate about what you do. All of them agreed that making a lot of money does not mean you are successful, but money can be a by-product of being successful. The last chapter included short summaries about each coach. My favorite chapter was the one of their favorite quotes.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in philosophy, or who is looking for some advice or inspiration about success.

Karen Arelttaz Zemek, author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"

This was a great book. It was a follow up to Forgiving Solomon Long but even better. Deliver us from Evelyn is very well written. Wells' quirky sense of humor really brings this book to life. I loved the character of the Right Fair Reverend Missionary Bob Mullins almost every scene that involved him were hilarious. The Professional Thug Nelson Pistek was another character that had me looking forward to reading more about his journey. It again combines the mob, police, and FBI. Add to them a missing millionaire, a comic bookstore, a con-man missionary, an insider leaking information through a web blog, and you've got a complex mess of leads and loose ends that amazingly all some how come together. This was truly an enjoyable book.

I really enjoyed this book. The style is a wee bit different from "Forgiving Solomon Long", but every bit as fun and entertaining to read. Once I picked it up I was eager to see how it would play out. I knew it was a good book because the deeper I got, the more I tried to figure out where it was going as I got there. (The whole "creamer thing" had me waiting to find out how it was going to figure into the end. LOVED IT! Two thumbs up for a unique twist!) To me that's the sign of a good writer, they keep you interested and thinking the whole way through.

I especially liked the snapshots into the psyche of certain characters like Judge Gideon, Good Right Fair Reverend Damasacus, whatever his name-of-the-moment was...and the snippits of the wrath of the uber-boss-from-hell, Evelyn Blake. I wanted so much more of her and wanted to see her get her come-uppance. Haven't we all had one of those bosses? What was really driving her? I was hoping to see more into her mind and understand what made her this way.

Overall, I would recommend this title. Maybe it's a good thing to be left wanting more from an author?...I'm certainly looking forward to "Tribulation House."

This book was a quick, interesting read, but the author didn't quite finish writing the book. There were several concurrent story lines...all interesting. An incompetant conman, a not-ready-for-prime-time thug, an adoptee searching for a birth parent...
You just knew you were reading spokes on a wheel that were all going to come together at the center. And that was pretty much the case, BUT...a few of the spokes kind of glanced off the side of the hub. Or maybe never quite made it to the center. And those that did come to the center got there a little too abrubtly. I still have a lot of 'wonder what happened to...' questions.
The book was an entertaining Sunday afternoon read, but a forgettable story, once you put it down. Not earth-shattering, but still fun to read

When I picked this up, I was expected to be once again blown away. "Forgiving Solomon Long" was unforgettable for me. And while this was entertaining, with some great redeeming qualities, it was too easy for me to put down. I loved the blogs, and the mind games were great, but I think I got distracted one too many times in this. And when I get distracted, it doesn't mean that I didn't like what I read, rather it gets on my nerves. Next thing I know, and I'm thinking, "Oh crap! C'mon!" The story is worth telling though.

So who is Evelyn Blake? Read this and you'll find out soon enough. What's with all the blogs, corporate secrets are being given away! By the way, it didn't take me long to figure out who the secret blogger was. It is possible that it was intended to be obvious. Other things in this are not so obvious. You get to hang out with Charlie and Griggs, as they try and get to the bottom of this crazy mess! By the way, is non-dairy creamer really flammable? What's up with the traveling missionary? He's all screwed up! This is all screwed up, with all the twists and turns, and THEN it finally makes sense in the end. You might even hear from the Russians in this. Take a trip to the batting cages, and look for your pitch!

Hey, there are some great qualities in this. Chris Well put this together with some thought, and I appreciate that. But something like this should've taken me only a few days to get through. Instead, with the distractions, I slogged through it. Unfortunately, I was just happy when the trip was over. Maybe next time. Maybe.

"Nobody complains when a whodunit doesn't have cursing," Chris Well wrote in a recent WOG (now doesn't WOG sound better than BLOG?). I think you're onto something, Chris. Everyone is surprised you have that detective finesse in your down- and- dirty crime thriller-- I mean up- and- clean, given the genre and audience. But that genre is confused. Booklist said Tarentino's Pulp Fiction comes to mind. I don't think so. I think we're reading Chris Well because we don't want to read (or watch) Tarentino. I know I don't.

I don't think that's what you mean to write either, Chris. You've named some of your sources: Dashiel Hammett, Raymond Chandler, but here in your second novel, you're already leaning more toward Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, and G.K. Chesterton. Subtle, boy, subtle. As Sayers, the second president of the Detection Club (Chesterton was the first) remarked, it's all about detection and not about the crime. Those gory guys just don't get it. You've got your work cut out for you though, pal. Look at your first influences: those hard-boiled dicks and hard-bitten gumshoes that TV loves.

And arguably, your readers may not want all that fancy stuff. Writing to a deadline, to a contract, lots of books, keep 'em coming. That's the tradition of the pot-boilers. A steady stream of action heroes-- action and intrigue. But here you are, sly dog, slipping in any number of nuanced observations, with as many pop cult cameos as The Simpsons. I only see a few I know, but other readers likely see more. Just about anyone can see more influences than Tarantino.

Then there's-- should I even bring this up?-- the floating narrator. Changing faces with every chapter. Or are they sub-chapters? How to keep up in this swirling montage of mixing streams? Not only various lives, but diverse visions colliding, shrapnel everywhere. The camera changing angles, fading in and out, ala Woody Allen. The writing as a pick, as Annie Dillard said, chipping away along with the detectives, each blow inching closer to discovery.

Then there's the humor, not forced or tacked on, but arising naturally from the affairs of men, the vicissitudes of life, delivered, of all things, in the whimsical tone of the narrator, which is never done; it's too hard to do, yet somehow it works. Then, I'd think you've been reading Flannery O' Connor for that Gothic element. Do I see any inspiration in Missionary Bob from Hazel Motes in Wise Blood? But then there's the distinctive Chris Well humor, when the old couple giving hitchhiker Bob a lift call him Padre, and he continually piles up a fevered litany of such interchangeable church titles as Bishop Right Reverend Good Fair Damascus Rhodes.

I notice that your third novel moves towards a single narrator and longer chapters. Far be it from me to suggest it, but were you to move imperceptibly, as Sayers suggested, from crime to detection, I'd keep reading. Seen a certain way, beneath the red herrings and shimmering sheets of illusion, Deliver Us From Evelyn is really a detective yarn. For all the conflux of inspirations there is a distinctive voice, and your novels wouldn't be mistaken for those of anyone else. Which is to say that while we may wonder whodunit, we would never wonder whowroteit. There are too many clues for the careful reader to follow: the stealthy pacing, the shift in voice, the unexpected flash of humor. The author is in this room. In this library: Chris Well.

Who can resist a turn into the clasic world of the kind of bully that doesnt beat--just ignores? The narrator is having the birthday party of the century and has no plans to invite Hooper Humperdink.

As the guest list grows (via the alphabet) the party becomes just as extravagant--and it is just mean to ignore poor Hooper.


Besides being an alphabet book on the surface, this holds a great message of including others.

I had no idea this book existed (nor did I know that Dr. Seuss wrote books that he didn't illustrate). But my three-year-old found it at the library one day several months ago and she loves it. We've maxed out our renewals and now need our own copy! The story has a great message of inclusion and how silly it is to exclude people because they're a little different - Hooper's fault appears to be that he likes jazz. Highly recommended!

This is my 2 year old son's favorite book and I really believe it is the reason that he knew his ABC's by 18 months. We had the 1970's printing from when I was a kid and I started reading it to him at about 15 months. Through lots of use that one began to wear so I bought this one. The story is still the same but the pictures are not as whimsical and intricate as the previous printing. We still love this book and hope that he will pass it on to his children one day.

We stayed at a friend's beach house this summer and my 2 1/2 year old daughter found this book on their bookshelf. It was the older version with incredible illustrations--not these newer illustrations, which I do not care for as much...

Anyway, I must have read it to her about 100 times during the two weeks we were at the beach and had to find her a copy (of the older version) when we got home.

It seemed a little sad the first few times I read it, but actually it teaches a lot about acceptance.

A great book!

What a shame they've changed the author's name (Dr. Suess did write it, but did so under his pen name Theo. LeSieg, which was his practice when he didn't illustrate the book.) An even bigger pity: that they should have a different illustrator. Charles Martin illustrated the original and did a fine job at that.

A great book if you have an extensive military history background. If you are looking for first accounts of the battle of the hurtgen Forrest this is not the book for you. Stick to authors like Astor, he has one of the best first accounts I have ever read. I have noticed that English historians have no idea what happened in Hurtgen, probably because it was an American only battle. I guess it helps to be there to write about it.

My father was a replacement in the 22nd infantry regiment while it was engaged in the Hurtgen Forest.

If you are interested in a detailed account of this regiment's actions in that battle, this is a book you will definitely want to read.

Extraordinarily detailed with wonderful maps. I'm a student of the Civil War and my main complaint about books I've read about Civil War battles is that they contain a paucity of maps.

This book doesn't have that deficiency.

This is a day-by-day account of the struggle by the 22nd Infantry Regiment to battle through the infamous H?rtgen Forest. I was looking more for a description of the appalling human experience in this battle. Robert Rush's book is (as the subtitle admittedly makes clear) a military textbook and it reads like one. So this review and rating is intended more as warning to those who are looking for a memoir-like work. This isn't it.

Robert Rush does a good job in detailing the story of the 22nd Regiment in the Hürtgen Forest. At times very dry reading, he none the less is able to give a day by day, blow by blow account of the companies of the 22nd Regiment in the meat grinder called Hürtgen. His comparisons between the American G.I.s and his German counterparts are also very interesting.
The statistical part of the book are less enjoyable, but very enlightening, if you can struggle through them. I can't fault the author on his use of statistics to establish and present his facts, but the meat of the book, the actual combat narrative is much more enjoyable.
An excellent book to add to any collection.

Hell in the Hürtgen Forest examines the performance of the American 22nd Infantry Regiment (4th Infantry Division), which engaged elements of the German LXXIV Corps during what the book's author identifies as "some of the most brutally intense infantry combat in World War II". The purpose of this book, however, is not merely to relate the story of the 22nd Infantry, but in addition to determine why the regiment survived and fought on while its German counterparts eventually disintegrated during the battle. Rush concludes that the personnel replacement systems of the opposing armies were directly responsible for the outcome of the battle.

The author, Robert Sterling Rush, is a retired U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major and holds a Ph.D. from Ohio State University. Following the introduction chapter, he organizes the fourteen remaining chapters of his book into three distinct parts - the Environment, the Hürtgenwald (Hürtgen Forest), and Analysis. Within the five chapters of Part I (The Environment), Rush discusses not only the terrain and weather of the Hürtgen Forest, but also deals with the induction, training, leadership, and organization of the opposing forces. The six chapters of Part II (The Hürtgenwald) deal with the details of the battle itself. Lastly, the three chapters of Part III (Analysis) include Rush's discussion of organizational effectiveness, an attempt to answer the question of `What kept the soldiers fighting?', and his conclusions.

During the eighteen days of the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest, the 22nd Infantry suffered more than 2,800 casualties, which is about 86% of its normal strength of 3,250. Despite these terrible losses, the 22nd Infantry survived and continued to fight. Why? Rush believes that the regiment's survival was due, in part, to U.S. Army personnel policies that ensured that troop strengths remained high (i.e., the individual replacement system). The German units in the battle suffered from similar rates of attrition, but Rush believes that the German replacement system, which was based on regional recruitment and unit rather than individual replacement, hurt German combat effectiveness.

Rush has produced a well-written and meticulously researched volume, which includes numerous maps, graphs, and charts. He certainly challenges conventional wisdom by praising the individual replacement system that has been so widely criticized by other military historians for the last 25+ years. I do, however, have three problems regarding Rush's conclusions. First, drawing conclusions regarding the American and German replacement systems based only on the experiences of particular units in a single battle seems to be a bit of a stretch. Second, by late 1944 the Germans had been at war for more than five years and their systems of men and material supply had suffered greatly in comparison with the relatively fresh U.S. Army, which might account for some of the apparent success or failure of the American and German replacement systems. Third, though Rush does not mention the Vietnam War, I am curious how he would explain the disintegration of the individual replacement system during that conflict, since he has concluded that the system worked so well during World War II. Despite the problems that I have identified, I recommend this book and believe that it will spark some interesting debate.

The arthor did a good job of capturing the sentiments of that time in our history in the Kansas City area. It was written in a manner that the different principals could be identified and followed.

Terrell has written a great American novel. Complexity of relationships is a framework on which this novel is built. Race, class, business, social, family, and sexual relationships abound and the protagonist is swept along on the currents of these interactions. The book is set in and around Kansas City. The protagonist is a young black man. A white woman, a debutante daughter of a Federal judge, is fished from the river and on this fact a story turns. Who killed her and why? But this is a novel with more depth and texture than the average murder mystery. Terrell's use of language, his deep examination of character and perception, of children loved and unloved, of cultural signifiers on both sides of a color line in Kansas City - these things and more make this a great read, and a very good book indeed.

The character of Booker Short is at the heart of this story. A young black male burdened with the weight of familial history. Through his encounter with his Grandfather's former commanding officer and his relationship with the daughter of a prominent judge , he explores issues of race, class, identity and ultimately learns about the complexity of truth according to perspective.

Very good book. Terrell writes nice sentences and the character development is good. The plot bogs down a bit and the relationship between the judge's daughter and Booker is somewhat unbelievable. Recommended.

Great story and well written. It brought back memories of Kansas City and the Midwest.

This is a good book, I don't care what anybody says. I read it in practically one sitting, which I never do, mostly because I have a mild bladder control problem. To prevent any serious disasters, however, I read the entire book on the john, and I might even consider purchasing some adult diapers if I decide to read it again. So imagine--if I can read this book cover to cover with my medical condition, just think of what this book could do for children with ADD. They should all be chained to desks and forced to read it, because some day Whitley Strieber--or whatever his name is, I forget--is going to be considered the next William Gallsworthy or Sarah Orne Jewett. I can't comment on the "William Faulkner" reference, since I never could stand William Faulkner enough to get through the first sentence--except for the fact that I did absolutely love "The Big Sleep" with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall (sp?), which I highly suggest to anyone who likes movies of that genre, or any genre. I also want to confess that I'm very drunk right now, but that doesn't diminish my love and enjoyment of this book. Which book was it again? Oh, right--the Walt Whitman book. I just had an accident.

Craig Symonds has written an excellent, full biography of Confederate general Patrick Cleburne. He opens the biography with a very dramatic account of Cleburne's last engagement, at the battle of Franklin in November 1864, where he was killed. This really sets the mood for lively chronicle that follows.

Cleburne was born in Ireland in 1828 and came to the US in 1849. Although he had failed the apothecary course at Trinity College, Dublin, he began working as a druggist's clerk in Helena, AR. He also studied for the law. Appointed brigadier general after seizing the Little Rock Arsenal with his self-formed unit, the Yell Rifles, he saw action at Shiloh, Richmond, KY (where he was wounded), and Perryville. Promoted to major general, his military abilities and leadership qualities received high notice: for his brilliant and dogged defense of Ringgold Gap at Chattanooga against persistent Union attack he was formally thanked by the Confederate Congress. It was after this that he committed what is probably the most controversial act of his life: signing a petition (with 13 other officers) expressing the belief that blacks should be used as fighting men in the Southern army. Symonds discusses this incident at length, of course, and whether it was an act of bravery and foresight or one of naivete, it hurt Cleburne's reputation (he never got another promotion). Fighting under Hood, he was killed at Franklin.

Symonds is an excellent writer and presents his subject with verve and great narrative skill. It's a scholarly biography, but written with the general (though interested and informed) public in mind, and not just other scholars. Worth a spot on anyone's Civil War shelf. Highly recommended.

This book focuses on one of the great division commanders in the Confederate forces in the West during the Civil War--Irish born Pat Cleburne. The book's title gives a sense of his virtues--"Stonewall of the West." His division was one of the hardest hitting units in the Army of Tennessee. This book does a nice job of exploring his life and his work during the Civil War. It is competently written and well researched.

Born in Ireland, he led a hard scrabble life after the death of his father. Just short of his 18th birthday, he joined the 41st "Regiment of Foot" in the English Army. His tour of duty was not rewarding; after his departure from the military, he traveled to the United States, to settle in Helena, Arkansas.

In 1860, with Abraham Lincoln's election, he chose to go with the South, the newly born Confederate States of America. He had helped organize a militia company, the "Yell Rifles." Before long, he was a brigade commander and led his brigade at Shiloh. It is clear from his experience there that he had much to learn. His performance was uneven (as was that of many other officers as they learned from experience). But he continued to grow and learn; he assumed division command and the rank of major general after the bloody battle of Murfreesboro (or Stone's River), with heavyweights such as Lt. General William Hardee advocating on his behalf (Cleburne was less senior than other candidates for division command).

The book continues with a depiction of his role as division commander from there until his death at Franklin. His unit, at Chattanooga, was one of the stalwarts of the Confederate army even as other units crumbled as Thomas' forces assaulted Missionary Ridge in an almost unimaginable Union victory; he also played a critical role in organizing rear guard defenses as Bragg's dispirited army retreated from the debacle at Chattanooga.

The story continues with his service under Joseph Johnson and, finally, John Bell Hood. The book does a fine job of describing his role in the Army of the Tennessee until the butchery at Franklin. The book does a good job of describing what happened at Spring Hill, when a major union force escaped a trap set by Hood. Cleburne probably could have served well as corps commander, but he was destined never to rise above division command (his advocacy of arming slaves in the Confederate army did not help his cause).

All in all, a strong biography of one of the more interesting figures in the Confederate army--and one of its best fighting commanders. For those interested in Cleburne, this is a must read.

Had Patrick Cleburne fought in the Army of Northern Virginia instead of the Army of Tennessee, we surely would be overwhelmed with biographies of his greatness as a general. Because he was a general officer in the Army of Tennessee - the army most Southern writers have traditionally ignored and treated as the red headed step child of the Confederacy, there are far fewer books on him than his accomplishments would seem to warrant. Fortunately, Mr. Symonds has written an excellent biography of the general which puts his impressive accomplishments into perspective and begins to give this extraordinary fighting general his due.
The main focus of Symonds' work is on Cleburne the general, but he gives enough background of his youth in Ireland and his migration to and adoption of America as his new home to sketch what shaped his character and what motivated him to fight in the Southern cause. Cleburne emerges as an immigrant eager to assimilate and make the customs and mores of his new home his own; a man grateful for the opportunities and acceptance he received in Arkansas, and genuinely, if uncritically, committed to fighting for the cause of his adopted home.
Symonds also addresses Cleburne's role within the morass of intrigue that plagued the command structure of the Army of Tennessee. He shows Cleburne to have been one of the anti Bragg cartel, not as a primary mover, but because of his loyalty to his friend and mentor General Hardee (a principle Bragg opponent), and perhaps even more so because of his habit of candor that showed little regard for political expediency. This was damaging to his career, and perhaps among the principle reasons why he was never promoted above division commander, despite the fact that he was the brightest shining star in the army. He likewise touches on Cleburne's remarkable plan to enlist slaves in the Confederate army - offering freedom to any man and his family who would fight for the South. While Cleburne's reasoning showed clarity and logic, his judgment in presenting the plan to his fellow Southern officers showed amazing naiveté and foolhardiness, and further damaged his hopes for promotion.
But the reason there is a biography of Cleburne is the battles. Symonds traces them from his first minor engagements, through Shiloh, his first major battle, all the way to the final tragic, futile charge at Franklin. He shows how Cleburne's skills as a general developed; from simply a brave and bold leader without any great military skill at Shiloh, to an outstanding commander of men who creatively defended against overwhelming odds at Chattanooga, and became the armies designated rearguard, repeatedly saving it from destruction..
Symonds biography of Cleburne is well written and engaging. It makes a good beginning in putting General Patrick Cleburne back into his rightful place in the pantheon of Southern heroes. If you are a serious student of the Civil War, you should not consider your library complete without a copy. I highly recommend it.

Theo Logos

This is a very good book. Patrick Cleburne is my favorite civil war general, and this volume gives a very even-handed discussion of his life, from Ireland to Franklin, Tenn. In particular, it gives considerable space to his growth as a leader. The discussions of Shiloh and Franklin are very good, and understandable. The book gives attention to the General's private life, especially his tragic engagement to Miss Tarleton. In depth but not dry or overwhelming, STONEWALL OF THE WESTis a great introduction to this Commander of the often overlooked western theater!

This biography of Patrick Cleburne proves to be very readable and insightful. The book appears to be well researched and its obviously that the author favored his subject.

Cleburne appears to be a very controversial even while he was alive. Perhaps because of his foreign birth, he was more sympathic about the conditions of the blacks and made proposals that didn't go well with his fellow southerners. The book revealed that he was a superb leader and intelligent commander. His superiors definitely didn't aid their cause by keeping him just as a divison commander when he could have been an excellent corps commander - in an army where corps commanders were not well regraded.

The author painted a vivid and complete picture of this general whose reputation have grown considerably since the Civil War among all Civil War readers.