Saint Louis University Books

This has been the reputed de facto standard for St. Louis architecture. As one who has such as an interest as a hobby, I am more than thrilled to learn from the information this book provided. My understanding is that a possible update may one day present itself...I hope so.

St. Louis is an architectural treasure, much like many of our other rust-belt cities. Cleveland, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh also fall into this category. These cities retain much of their old classical buildings from a time when the idea of grand public architecture meant something to the eye and was a source of civic pride. St. Louis is a fine example of this idea, and a real treat for American urban architecture lovers. The book itself is quite dated, published in 1989, but the authors do an excellent job of choosing the structures they know we will want to see. All the classics are here, all with at least one photograph and a nice descriptive essay. Also, the authors have taken the time to bring us many of the most interesting old structures from the surrounding towns as well. A new addition would be a real treat.

I remember the first time I visited St. Louis, I was expecting a run down, dirty, industrial mess, much like Detroit, so you can imagine my surprise with what I found. I loved the city, it was clean and quite beautiful, especially the area around Forest Park. This book does a fine job of capturing the St. Louis I experienced, I especially appreciated that every entry is accompanied with a requisite photo, that should be de riguer in a book of this sort. This book is divided up and it covers not just the city, but the environs, which is essential. If you have any interest in St. Louis, or quite frankly if you have any appreciation in architecture then you will not be disappointed in this wonderful book.

This is one of the best guidebooks for a city's architecture I've seen. The entries cover not only St. Louis proper but also the entire metro area, reaching far into the suburbs in both Missouri and Illinios. Every entry has at least one photograph, a rarity for such books. The maps are clear and concise; a regional map shows where each local map is located. Also includes a number of color photographs in the introduction pages. About the only thing I would fault the book for is skipping a few of downtown's historic towers; however, the book does an excellent job of directing city explorers to St. Louis's most interesting areas.

This book honors the struggle of St Louis Chinese in the past 150 years for the hardship, struggle, discrimination and harassment, whether in the laundry or restaurant busines. However, the past 25 years, the old Hop Alley Chinatown image being long gone, there arises a group of Chinese-Americans in the main stream as lawyers, doctors, professors, engineers, architects, accountants, bankers, entrepreneurs, insurance agents, real estate agents, librarians and TV reporters in the cultural Chinatown. There were two Community Service Commissioners appointed by Governor Holden since 2001. Prof. Ling did a fine job in bringing forth this wonderful book even with a section on cemetry Chinatown of Vahalla. She shows Chinese-Americans contributing in society culturally, politically, economically and religiously, make St Louis our home.

For those interested in the immigration of Chinese to America should definitely take a look at this book. It gives much information on situations that many Chinese immigrants faced. The depth interviews give an interesting perspective about immigrating to a new country. It is good to be able to know about the Chinese immigration experience from those that went through it. I liked the focus of the book just on the Chinese of St. Louis. You learn a lot more intimate details when targeting a specific group in a specific area rather than a Chinese immigrants in general.
The book even mentions the development of certain areas of downtown including the building of Busch Stadium.

The author, Huping Ling, did a really good job with her research and her analysis of the growth of the Chinese Cultural Community in St. Louis. The book is very well written and sheds a lot of insight in the evolving role of Chinese Americans in the U.S., both from a social and political standpoint. For anyone seeking more knowledge or is curious about how Chinese Americans have adapted their culture and way of life in America, I would recommend this book

Should you actually wish to drive down either Westmoreland or Portland Places, expect an unnessecarily rude treatment from what must be the local rent-a-cop. It matters not the price of your car or attire- you might get (as I did) threatened to be "thrown in jail for trespassing", and lectured as if you were an idiot. Other students of architecture beware. It happened to me, and judging by the character of the "gentleman" in question, I'm just glad I'm not black. I escaped without kissing the hood of my car.

I love this book. It has tons of beautiful exterior photos but I would like to see more historical photos and more interior shots. I would also love to see more recounts by the people who lived there. There are a few stories and I read them over and over. I'd really like to give this book a four and a half but that's not an option.

Congratulations to all that contributed to this outstanding book. The history of the Places was carefully and completely researched and presented with beautiful photographs.

"When you begin reading a diary, you drop abruptly into someone else's life." And what a life. Ms Fisher has brought to life the story of an unheralded German immigrant and in the process provided more than a glimpse of antebellum St Louis and Cincinnati, two of America's frontier cities in the mid-nineteenth century.

The editor's insights, introductions, and annotations are the highlights of this biography. I think I enjoyed the notes at the end of each chapter as much as the diary itself. The notes cover the spectrum: from the origin of the vernacular "OK" to the frontier oyster industry to the peculiar acquisition of German surnames before the modern era.

Extensively researched, "The Whiskey Merchant's Diary" provides budding genealogists a roadmap on how to track their own family history with references to the National Archives (Washington, DC, and College Park, MD); the Library of Congress; and, state archives from New Jersey to Wyoming.

As I have mentioned in other reviews, the presentation of a book is very important to me and in this case the Ohio University Press has been superb: the feel of the paper and the type font are outstanding. Highly recommended.

This thoroughly researched diary of a German immigrant is a must read for anyone interested in the history of the American mid-west. Spanning the years 1847 to 1862, it records the adventures of a young man who loved the ladies (perhaps, too much; syphillis which caused blindness ended his entries), a good time and a good deal. Filled with rare pictures and maps of pre-Civil War Cincinatti and St. Louis, the book carefully reflects the rise of a budding merchant against the background of the American early Victorian period. Of special interest to historical and geneological buffs, it is also an entertaining read for the general public.

Dr. Linda Fisher has taken the words of Joseph J. Mersman - an 1847-1853 era merchant - written in his own hand, and added commentary and exposition to them, to bring the world of Mersman back to life, full of the vibrancy that Mersman felt as he was writing down his life experiences. Mersman's diary opens in 1847 Cincinnati, and moves - in January 1849 - to St. Louis, where he lived the rest of his life.

This book, a culmination of more than 9 years of work, describes that world - business, social, and everyday life - and adds background information on the issues and events that Mersman encountered in his life, including the devastating cholera epidemic of 1849, and other significant events of the day.

The author recreated the 1850 maps of Cincinnati and St. Louis, and located on them the places that Mersman mentions in his diary, so the reader will have a sense of not only the events that occured, but the spatial world of Cincinnati and St. Louis. The volume is well written, and is a "must read" for history enthusiasts and scholars, especially those interested in mid-19th century life, business and medicine.

I found this book particularly interesting because it features both pictures and stories on dozens of prominent St. Louisans, and how they relate to the history of the city. The very first feature is about my late uncle, Bennie G. Rodgers. Fortunately, he was able to be included in the book. In addition, there are many other people whom I either knew or knew of in St. Louis. The book not only covers civil rights advocates, but also educators, politicians, health care providers, entertainers, clergymen, media professionals, athletes, and others. Their stories serve as an inspiration on how perseverence worked for them.

This book should be part of each St. Louisans home library!

Interviews highlight the celebrated accomplishments of the community's brothers, sisters, grandfathers, role models hear in the heart of the city. The book features professional and personal role models including ministers, doctors, boxers, entrepenuers, state reps and many other role models in the community.

Some have well-known names and faces while others have broken through glass ceilings to make a better future for all St. Louisans. From US District Court Judge Clyde S. Cahill, First African American to graduate from SLU and President of St. Louis Board of Education Joyce Thomas to General Surgeon Homer G. Phillips Hospital and KMOV's Senior News Anchor Juluis K.Hunter, this book digs into the personal side of these influential St. Louisans who can motivate us all.

This book can help youth who can use another mentor, and even those of us who just want to be proud of our community. It should not take a holiday to pen great stories such as the ones collected in this book.

Ever remembered a sentence or two from the book and, still later on, didn't recall where it comes from? Well, there is one in the 'The lost boy' that I'd say I'll never forget. It goes: 'Light came and went and came again...' I would believe this is the best definition of Time I've ever read. It tells what we all already know - that the Time is here, all around, that it passes, eternally, incessantly, giving us no chance to do anything about it. And although there's much more to the nouvellette, it's worth reading it from the beginning to the end. It's 'realness' moves you all along.

This book is a gem! It is brimming with lyricism, longing and passion. It is Wolfe at his very best. For those who feel that Wolfe tended to ramble, here they will find him constrained by the limits of the novella form. They will find his skill for characterization (which was always remarkable) honed to an even higher degree of excellence in this piece. The story is autobiographical and deeply felt by Wolfe and he succeeds in transmitting those feelings to the reader. It is my belief that even if he had written nothing else, his reputation could rest comfortably on this piece alone.

Finally someone has taken the time and trouble to set down the history of the Veiled Prophet organization and its projecs. Tom Spencer has done a splendid job. His book is eminently readable, packed with facts and details, and bright as a penny. It's also a sociological tract, scholarly but not scholastic. The one disappointment is the almost total neglect of the Veiled Prophet Ball and its Queens. I expected at least a list of the V.P. Queens and more photos of the coronations, especially the extravaganzas of the 1930s which have to be seen to be believed (think Busby Berkeley and the sets from "The Wizard of Oz") and from which abundant photos survive. What about the most famous Queen of all, Anne Desloges? And what about the whole Queen culture--all these girls year after year after year plain as a pancake with plain hair styles (if you could call them styles), basically the same gown as was being worn 50 years ago, no distinguishing talents or features (with some welcome exceptions) who after their year in the spotlight are never heard from or seen again. At least in the days the coronation and ball were telecast we had the fun of the Post-Dispatch with a straight face describing a Queen who was downright homely as "a willowy blonde." I was disappointed, too, that the book didn't tackle the subject of exactly how a Queen is chosen. It has changed over the years but it's never been that big of a secret; almost any girl in the court will willingly blab it. There needs to be a book on Veiled Prophet coronations and Queens, darn it.

Finally someone has taken the time and trouble to set down the history of the Veiled Prophet organization and its projecs. Tom Spencer has done a splendid job. His book is eminently readable, packed with facts and details, and bright as a penny. It's also a sociological tract, scholarly but not scholastic. The one disappointment is the almost total neglect of the Veiled Prophet Ball and its Queens. I expected at least a list of the V.P. Queens and more photos of the coronations, especially the extravaganzas of the 1930s which have to be seen to be believed (think Busby Berkeley and the sets from "The Wizard of Oz") and from which abundant photos survive. What about the most famous Queen of all, Anne Desloges? And what about the whole Queen culture--all these girls year after year after year plain as a pancake with plain hair styles (if you could call them styles), basically the same gown as was being worn 50 years ago, no distinguishing talents or features (with some welcome exceptions) who after their year in the spotlight are never heard from or seen again. At least in the days the coronation and ball were telecast we had the fun of the Post-Dispatch with a straight face describing a Queen who was downright homely as "a willowy blonde." I was disappointed, too, that the book didn't tackle the subject of exactly how a Queen is chosen. It has changed over the years but it's never been that big of a secret; almost any girl in the court will willingly blab it. There needs to be a book on Veiled Prophet coronations and Queens, darn it.

This book is an authentic, first person account of the Civil War situation in Missouri from 1861 to 1865. It is taken from the hand written journals of Franklin Archibald Dick, and compiled by his great,
great granddaughter, Gari Carter.

The journals are an amazing, new and primary source of information on the Civil War. They are his personal notes on the War, the U.S. economy and global politics of the era. He was a perceptive attorney and Union officer, and recorded his day-to-day experiences in the Troubled State Journals

If you want a close-up account of the Civil War story in the state of Missouri, directly from a man who was there, read this book.

Troubled State: Civil War Journals of Franklin Archibald Dick is a collection of private journals written by Franklin Archibald Dick, a St. Louis attorney, Union officer, and provost marshal general. Assiduously assembled by Franklin Dick's great-great-granddaughter Gari Carter, Troubled State offers a firsthand view of historical events such as the early Camp Jackson incident (during which he was Captain Lyon's assistant adjutant general). Dick was concerned about the slow progression and horrendous cost of the civil war; witnessing the divided city of St. Louis broke his heart, and journals reflect his progression from optimism to grave doubts about the future. Thoughtfully annotated and supplemented with brief biographies as well as a family genealogy and bibliography, Troubled State is a welcome addition to Civil War primary source shelves.

This book is a coffee table-sized paperback. Printing and binding are good quality.

The design of the book is such that it can be used as an on-site tour guide to Civil War St. Louis. Current directions, locations, and street names are given along with War era descriptions of the sites. Significant places are described--what existed then as well as what is on the site now. Also the burial locations of important people from both sides are given with biographical information about them.

Now, if you're not planning a trip to St. Louis, it's still good reading. I enjoyed the narrative style and found much useful information. It also helped put in geographical perspective places I'd been reading about. Lots of good photos and maps. It's a well-done book. Indexed and footnoted.

The tension is palpable as Tess and Jerry Brennan wait for the police to arrive. Their family lives, friendships, even their marriage, are in freefall.

Jerry has been caught in a misdemeanour which will mean the end of a successful career, while Tess did not foresee the devastating consequences of her own actions, however innocently undertaken. To add to her distress, her two best friends are likewise shocked. Big, warm-hearted Rita, having enjoyed a seemingly unassailable relationship with her doting Ricky, is reeling, Maddy is struggling with alcohol in an attempt to cope with the behavior of her husband, a TV soap star.

Life had skated along for the three couples and their assorted offspring until last summer, when they all traveled to the heavenly village of Collioure in the south of France...

Unerringly perceptive, LAST SUMMER IN ARCADIA is a compellingly written, powerful exploration of the complex mix of love, trust and compromise called "marriage".