University of Missouri Books

This was the book 10 years ago that introduced me to the fact there was more out there beyond the Little House books written by my favorite author and her daughter. After reading her "Missouri Ruralist" writings, it puts the theories of Laura not really writing the Little House books to rest. It also introduced me to the thrilling storytelling of Rose; so much so, I broke my cardinal "no lending of Little House books" rule to disasterous results. I'm glad to finally have a replacement.

Rose's interview with her father drives me nuts! You will find yourself wishing, after reading this and other snippets on "the man of the place" that Laura and Rose would have spent more time writing about him.

I loved the short stories by Rose Wilder Lane, (especially "Innocence") and Laura's pieces are also touching & well-written -- definitely recommended for the die-hard Ingalls-Wilder fan and for anyone interested in good short stories. Rose Wilder Lane will really impress those people who haven't read anything by her before.

This 'Sampler' is an absolute treat! I have completely enjoyed myself reading the stories in this book, the true and the fiction.

This was my first taste of Rose's work and she is an excellent writer and as we already know, Laura is as well! My favorites are ~ 'Let's Visit Mrs. Wilder'; 'How Laura Got Even'; 'Grandpas' Fiddle I & II'; 'It Depends On How You Look At It'; 'The Sunflower' and 'Object, Matrimony.'

An extra treat are the many photos and the commentary by William Anderson. I seem to have a neverending curiosity about Laura and her entire family. This book was very enjoyable because I learned about Laura's life after what she covered in her children's books.

I am acquiring quite a wonderful collection of Laura Ingalls Wilder books and this one shines brightly! Worth every penny.

For those of us that are interested in life beyond the original "Little House" series, this is a great book to own/read. I think that it captures the character of Laura and Rose because the stories and articles are by their own hand.

I really enjoyed the photos throughout this book because while Garth Williams' representation of the Ingalls family is lovely, it is nice to see what they really looked like. Even though they are in black and white you can imagine Pa's eyes twinkling.

Rose and Laura have very different styles, but both styles are very good. I especially liked Laura's articles because they paint a picture of farm life. The sections range in length so if you one have a few moments of reading time here and there it isn't necessary to worry about reading it in one sitting (though you may want to!).

Other things I recommend are the Little House series (of course!), and the series about Rose that was published recently (it has its slow parts but it was written by someone close to the family so there is a lot of accuracy). If you want to read more of Laura and Rose's writing this book is the perfect solution even considering the high price.

A Little House Sampler is the perfect title for this book. It gives you a sample of both Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane's interesting lives. Rose gives us a look into her and her parents lives after The First Four Years. Grandpa's Fiddle and Grandpa's Fiddle II was very interesting. I really enjoyed that story. Rose's story about the Faces in the Window is a perfect ghost story to tell around a campfire. Laura's stories about remodeling the kitchen and the dining room was great reading. She had a real decorating flair with the colors she chose. Laura wrote for Almanzo too. His stories about moving the spring shows us his story telling ability plus he was a very smart man. The pictures show his fine carpentry work. What a talented family! I mostly enjoy Rose's stories that describe her family life. I found her fiction work good reading but I thought she did her best writing when she wrote about her family. This book is a must for Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane collectors!

What I found to be an excellent read for the comfort of my mind is ýThe lvory Tower - The Many Steps in life.ý The Poetic suggestion covered many avenues to give the opportunity in my restructure a better approach in living despite the alarming events in the world I live in. Yes very thought-provoking of Mr. Jeffery Lynn Ivory as his poetic thoughts intermix with starting my early morning off on a sounder note.

The Ivory Tower and Harry Potter: Perspectives on a Literary Phenomenon is an exciting publication for people who enjoy literary discourse, but cannot gain access to "Ivory Tower" journal publications since leaving the rarified atmosphere of college academics. This book offers a healthy cross-section of topical essays, giving readers a feel for the current critical dialogue about Harry Potter - something that is sadly lacking amid the media hype. Some of the essays concern the hype itself, and Harry Potter's role as a cultural phenomenon - but many others beg us to approach the texts of J.K. Rowling's books on their own merit - a chance to "deconstruct Harry" as it were. For we who are forced by life (and more mundane jobs that require fewer college degrees) to remain armchair critics instead of college professors, it is both a blessing and a curse...for I guarantee that it will be an ex-English major's urge to respond to many of these essays with a paper of one's own! But who would grade it? Seriously, though, it is a wonderful way to explore the myriad characters, symbols and themes contained in Rowling's incredibly rich text, while feeling vindicated all along that Harry Potter, no matter how enjoyable (or marketable) is a phenomenon worthy of literary merit...and more importantly, O.K. for grown-ups to read.

This book is a compilation of scholarly articles/essays by different authors. As such, it's not very consistent. Some segments were very insightful and interesting to read, while others were confused, off-base, or just plain inaccurate. Several of the chapters I read got basic information from the books wrong, such as one that described Hermione Granger as a "half-blood" (not true!), and one that seemed to completely misunderstand the crucial events at the end of book 3. When an author misunderstands such important basic information, it is hard for me to take their analyses seriously.

I wanted to like this book, but I can't reccommend it.

It is good to see Harry taken seriously. We need more books like this. Another good one is "Hidden Key to Harry Potter" by a
University of Chicago graduate who majored in ancient languages and English (Cum Laude) John Granger. He offers an air tight case that Rowlings is writting from within the same world view as C.S. Lewis and Tolkein with the same purpose and that her books are popular for the same reasons. Absolute must reading for serious Potterites.

Compiled and edited by Lana A. Whited (Professor of English, Ferrum College, Virginia), The Ivory Tower And Harry Potter: Perspectives On A Literary Phenomenon is an extensive analysis of J.K. Rowling's immensely popular and widely acclaimed Harry Potter series of fantasy novels. Originally intended for young adults, this fantasy series proved fascinating, exciting, and complex enough to attract readers of all ages and backgrounds. The scholarly essays here assembled are from a wide variety of authors and discuss Harry Potter's roots in folklore, its connection to gender issues, literary comparisons and archetypes, and much, much more. A highly scholarly and insightful text, offering new perceptions on beloved favorites, The Ivory Tower And Harry Potter is a welcome addition to Literary Criticism reference collections and highly recommended for scholars and non-specialist general readers who enjoy J.K. Rowling's original, intricate, (and continuing to expand) cannon of deftly written and increasingly influential fantasy.

I could hardly put this book down, partly because the setting is within 30 miles of my home, but mostly because it's just that good! The author did a great job of making historical fact flow with believable, very interesting fiction. It's the kind of story that stays with you long after you read the last sentence.

Based on the true story of the 1915 slaying of Jasper Jacob "Jap" Francis near the Ozark railroad town of Stoutland, Missouri, Murder on Rouse Hill is a dramatic tale of greed, fraud, political clout, and death-dealing of the cruelest kind. Jasper's accused killer was nearly lynched by the townsfolk, yet ultimately lived to the age of ninety-one. Murder on Rouse Hill tells of a young girl who unwittingly visited the murder site in 1928, then returned decades later as a spirited 84-year-old woman in the middle of bizarre events that could almost be described as supernatural. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this engaging historical novel.

It's no wonder that author Alan Wright's new book, "Murder on Rouse Hill" impresses the reader with the writer's ability to capture the culture, speech, and attitudes of the characters of his true story about an unsolved murder in a small Ozark town many years ago because he is one of them. His mother was born and raised in the area and his father not too many miles north in an adjacent county. His grandfather and an aunt were well known artists and his mother was known for her writing skills. But Alan's book is a perfect combination of the capturing of the feelings, thoughts and speech of the local natives accompanied by abundant data and facts based on extensive research of court files and newspapers. The contrasting personalities and characters of antagonists Jap Francis and Charlie Blackburn are developed carefully and artfully presenting a story of good versus evil as interesting and captivating that you will read anywhere.

Wow! I expected that Alan Wright would be more than able to write a book detailing events of the horrendous deed carried out on poor Jasper "Jap" Francis, but I was pleasantly surprised at the extent of the actual details he uncovered, and how expertly he wove them into a gripping docudrama. His writing style is engaging throughout the book and really quite beautiful in many instances. His beloved mother, who encouraged him to finish the book, is surely pleased and must be smiling down on him today!

Murder on Rouse Hill is an important slice of Americana lovingly and fascinatingly reported by Alan Wright. His exhaustive research and ability to crawl into the skins of numerous characters and create authentic dialogue of the times is awesome. This book is the Seabiscuit of Stoutland, Missouri. There is so much fascinating information that I read it slowly as if I were sampling a dessert here and there.

One of the most important trials in history of Mankind.The lies,the pain ,anguish,the pupets in a strange chess game.One of the boos to understand modern history.

A thoroughly detailed portrait of the Third Reich and its internal politics and power struggles between the various players.
The only criticism is that the author tends to lean toward an attitude of "acquital due to technicality". He believes that the system was unfair & that the leaders deserve a pass, of sorts, due to the elementary stage of internat'l law & the impromtu procedures. Opinion is fine, but I was expecting an unbiased read.

This book was released in 1966 seeing its fourth printing as late as 1969. I was still in college in those days and obtained my Macmillian & Company hardcover print through The History Book Club.

I had read William Shirer's "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" (who hadn't) while yet in the military, and about the time of returning to civilian life, Professor Davidson's book appeared. His book was the only one I can recall of those times, being the forerunner of others to follow. Today I also have Persico's study on my shelf, however, I value Davidson's book equally.

The book is a large volume in excess of 600 pages that will more than acquaint any reader on the Palace of Justice and the ensuing tribunal proceedings. And between pages 304-305, are some of the better photographs of the 22 Nazi criminals appearing before the court.

If one is to read on this trial, Eugene B. Davidson's book of 40 years past should still be considered. No matter the passage of years, his book still matters. And it is good to see it yet extant through this recent publishing event.

Still recommended.

Semper Fi.

Author Eugene Davidson has provided the reader with a 600 page account detailing the responsibilities of the 22 defendants who were tried in Nuremberg, Germany, for war crimes in World War II. The book is not a question and answer session of each one. Rather, it provides us with an account of what each man was responsible for in regard to Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. Most of the defendants were merely anti-semetic flunkies who parroted the beliefs of Hitler. Hjalmar Schacht had the highest I.Q. with 141 and Herman Goering was second with 139. I found the defendants to be a curious lot with each one openly disliking, jealous of, or not trusting the other. Had they pursued other endeavors rather than follow Hitler, some of them may very well have gone on to successful careers. These once powerful men appear to be a rather grandfatherly collection while sitting in the courtroom at Nuremberg. I did find the book to be kind of long, but if you are interested in learning about this cast of characters this would be a good book for you to read.

If you are looking for a day-by-day account of the proceedings of the Nuremberg tribunal, then you will be somewhat disappointed by this book. (If that is what you're after, try Gilbert's "Nuremberg Diary.") An introductory chapter certainly outlines how the tribunal came into being, and Davidson deals with the jurisprudence of Nuremberg (i.e. Was it really a trial? Or was it revenge?) in his concluding chapter, but the bulk of this book is not given over to a daily account of the proceedings at Nuremberg.

Instead, this book is literally an "Account of the twenty-two defendants at Nuremberg." Taking each defendant in turn, Davidson gives us a neatly potted account of their history, their involvement in the Nazi regime, their relationships with other high-ranking Nazis and ultimately, decides the extent of their guilt. In short, the reader is provided with 22 "mini-biographies." The conduct of many defendants at the trial is occasionally discussed, but that usually takes second place to the historical data.

This books does contain some fascinating insights on the working relationships between the various Nazi officials. In almost every case, one is struck by the realisation that any given minister was in conflict with almost everyone else. For instance, Speer got along admirably with Hitler (until 1944, at least), but he distrusted almost everyone else in the Nazi hierarchy. Likewise, Kaltenbrunner appeared to regard almost everyone except the Fuehrer as his enemy. It seems that all of these defendants were trying to zealously protect their own sphere of interest and fend off all those who attempted to enroach upon them.

In general then, this book makes for stimulating reading. As for Nuremberg itself, Davidson concludes: "In a world of mixed human affairs where rough justice is done...Nuremberg may be defended as a political event if not as a court." and "In a certain sense, the trial succeeded in doing what judicial proceedings are supposed to do: it convinced even the guilty that the verdict against them was just."

This book is one of those that combines clear fact, with interesting narrative and extremely useful maps. The book quickly sets the stage and highlights some of the more unknown aspects of the early years of the war for control of the north central Mississippi River. The reader quickly learns the importance of Cairo, Illinois to the course of the war as well as the CSA defenses in Columbus, Kentucky (which is one of the few remaining areas of the original battle that one can visit).

And of course, this is U.S. Grant's debut. He conducts a pretty tight little campaign until victory in the CSA camp causes his troops to run amok (Jubal Early would experience a similar problem at Cedar Creek). The quick reinforcement of fresh Confederates from the Kentucky side puts Grant to rout back to his small flotilla and back to Cairo.

The Battle of Belmont is a fascinating study of combined arms, logistics and some pretty good tactical movements. Certainly, there aren't too many battles in the Civil War where both sides win and lose and where both land troops from the river.

Ultimately this is an engaging and interesting read about a little known battle that taught some valuable lessons to U.S. Grant.

For the more serious Civil War buffs, it is also one of the first excursions of the union gun boats, Lexington and Tyler, both of which will see more well remembered service at Shiloh.

Armies have to learn to fight as more than an armed mob. Officers have to learn how to fight their command too. Missing these classes makes all the drill worhless and a defeate possible. US Grant understood this and Belmont is his first training class for himself and his army. This small battle is either overlooked, ignored or used as an example of Grant being beaten on the field. All of those ideas are the wrong approach to understanding this battle. Was it important to the war? Not really. Was it important for giving semi-trained troops a taste of combat and instilling in them the habit of victory? Yesand this was Grant's objective. When he had accomplished his objective, he pulled back. Did everything go well? No, some officers didn't control their men, some men went off on tangents, orders were missed and a series of small problems made for a harder day than planned.

All of the above makes for a good story and Nathaniel Hughes Jr. tells it well. After laying a good foundation, he takes us through each phase of the battle telling us what is going well and what isn't. Move and counter move occupy the book as Polk & Pillow, move to first stop and then try to destroy the Union invader.

A series of good well placed maps allow us to follow the action. A series of illustrations place faces to the names. Coupled with good clear writting make this an enjoyable and informative reading experience. This is a very good book about one of the small battle of the Civil War.

This book offers the reader a well researched and presented account of the Battle of Belmont, the first battle in the Western Theatre and one of the first battles fought by Ulysses S. Grant. The book covers Grants attack on the Southern forces under the command of Leonidas Polk and Gideon Pillow at Belmont on the Mississippi River in Missouri on the 7th of November 1861. The maps in the book are easy to understand and guide the reader through the fighting, the narrative runs smoothly and offers a good overview of this battle. There is extensive notes and bibliography to assist the reader with further studies. Overall a decent book covering this battle of the American Civil War. An enjoyable read.

This is an excellent synopsis of the Battle of Belmont. Belmont was a relatively small battle on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River. Though small, Belmont was important, partly because it was the first battle fought by General Grant. The writing style of the book is clear and easy to follow. There are 10 high quality maps, 7 that cover the battle itself. It is easy to correlate the maps and the text to keep track of units and their movements.

Hughes writes in an interesting style. Instead of describing the battle from start to finish in a linear fashion, he switches back and forth between the Union and Confederate perspective. That is, he covers one part of the battle from the Federal point of view, then switches to the Confederate point of view and describes the events again. This approach could easily have come across poorly or been confusing. Instead, it leads to a very balanced and in depth account of the battle. I highly recommend this book to Civil War enthusiasts.

For many Americans the Civil War consisted of battles at Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Manassas, Antietam, Shiloh and a few other major battles. What is often overlooked are the smaller engagements than provide the glue that strings together the major battles. It is also in early small battles that generals like Grant, Lee and Jackson learn valuable lessons that pay dividends in subsequent battles.
The Battle of Belmont is one such battle. As the other reviewers have noted this battle is best known as Grant's first battle of the war. It would prove a training ground for Grant and his men. Grant learned much from this battle.
In some ways, Belmont is a smaller version of Shiloh with the sides reversed. Like at Shiloh, an army was surprised and their camps captured while the men fled to cover along the river bank. Like at Shiloh the attackers failed to drive the defenders into the river and win a clear cut victory. Like at Shiloh the defenders then went on the offensive and drove the attackers back.
Given the similarities between these two battles, what did Grant learn at Belmont that would help him at Shiloh? 1) Grant learned that being caught by surprise and being pushed back to a river did not necessarily mean defeat. 2) Grant learned the importance of rallying your troops and counter attacking. 3) Grant learned the importance of following up on an initial success and aggressively pursuing your opponent. These lessons would serve Grant well at Shiloh and future battles as he continued to learn from his mistakes. However, Grant did not learn all the lessons that could have been learned at Belmont - eg. his surprise at Shiloh.
Mr. Hughes has written a fine book that makes sense out of the chaos of combat. The text is easy to read and there are helpful maps.

Stalinist Russia - no one will ever say that was the pinnacle of Russian civilization, and in fact is well and below considered one of the nation's lowest points. "A Red Boyhood: Growing Up Under Stalin" is a memoir focusing on the life of one on the outskirts of society, one who lost countless loved ones to Stalin's purges, and under a mother who struggled just so that her and her boys could manage to survive. An even darker look into a dark era for the country's history, "A Red Boyhood: Growing Up Under Stalin" is highly recommended to community library memoir collections, especially those with a focus on world events.

A wonderful history told from the eyes of a boy, whose intelligence and curiosity contrast with the brutal, senseless politics of the Soviet world he lives in. Konstantin manages to write from the naïve perspective of his own youth, while adding the essential contemporary insights that give his journey a solid frame of historical context. The autobiography is written as a wandering tale of survival, that somehow manages to echo the universal stories of youth, the love of parents, the rejection of hypocrisy, the discovery of romance. Far from a polemic about the evils of a particular world view, it none the less exposes the absurdity of a Soviet state that venerates obsequious functionaries one week, and executes them the next. The author does not aim to play to our emotions, but we are moved. While the sophisticated comedy of underground jokes leaves us chuckling, the more lasting humor emerges from darkly comic moments we experience as fortunes change at the whim of Stalin or Hitler. We can easily imagine the irony of using expunged encyclopedia entries for rolling papers and bathroom tissue.
Konstantin begins his story with the events that shattered a happy childhood, and led his family to wander the Soviet Empire. He ends the book with his arrival in the United States, where he will eventually become quite successful. In choosing not to write about the later years, he forces us to meditate on the plight of refugees everywhere. Success is simply escape, freedom, the opportunity to grow up in a reasonable place. By not updating us to the current world, he keeps the past alive, and we are left with the sense that life in a free land is indeed an open book.
--Dr.Greg Hampikian, co-author of Exit to Freedom

An incredible story of survival in the most horrific of times. This book is testimony to the human spirit - to a young man's determination to prevail. His commitment to books, to learning and his ability to recall and describe the details of his difficult life are admirable. Unfortunately - like so many books of this ilk - it lacks an index.

Kirkus Reviews

A boy's-eye view of life during wartime-first the Soviet Union's vicious internal struggles under Stalin and then its horrific ordeal after the Germans invaded in 1941.

Konstantin begins his memoir in dramatic fashion, recalling the night of April 17, 1938, when his father was taken away by the Soviet secret police and never seen again in their little town in the Ukraine. The early passages of the book do a fine job of explaining the climate in which such an incident could occur; Konstantin describes an Orwellian regime full of furtive police activities, mysterious disappearances and a terrorized populace.

What makes Konstantin's recollections so captivating is his ability to effectively divide the text between small details vividly rendered, such as a trip to the movie theater, and the larger story of a global political and military struggle. Despite the upheavals that roiled his childhood, the author somehow managed to get a decent education; he refers frequently to inspirational teachers and to devouring books ranging from The Grapes of Wrath to Das Kapital. But these moments of enlightenment in Konstantin's young life were tempered by the unbearable wartime conditions; often, as he left school for the day, he saw corpses piled high on wagons to be carted away.

His mother married a Polish refugee in 1944, and they were able to return with him to Poland in 1945, happy to escape the "cursed" Soviet Union. But the Soviets soon consolidated their grip on Poland, and the family fled west, finally winding up in a UN refugee camp in Germany. As a displaced person, Konstantin qualified for free tuition at a local university, and after three more years of struggle was finally able to emigrateto "the land of my dreams"-America. Uneven, but full of engaging details about a tumultuous period in world history.

One of the most touching and riveting war memoirs I have ever read.
Anatole Konstantin's life is a triumph over incredible pain and suffering during the Stalin era. This is a must-read.

Russell Kirk was the preeminent American conservative thinker in the 20th century. He produced a huge volume of nonfiction, literature, essays, and also edited many important works as well. Although Kirk is occasionally praised by the "conservative" establishment (in reality, the neoconservative controlled beltway establishment), he is for the most part ignored today. There hasn't been much in the way of secondary studies of Kirk. James Person's book is fairly good, but is more of a biography of Kirk and an overview of his thought, rather than a critical study. Prof. McDonald's book should go a long way to restoring Kirk to his place in conservative thought.

As I've said before, Kirk tends to be a rather opaque writer. Kirk rarely presented definitive plans to solve specific problems. Instead he offered a general approach to society based on respect for tradition and some general "canons" of conservative thought. For this reason, Kirks opposed libertarianism. Besides libertarianism being wrong on certain issues, libertarianism represents an "ideology" -- a preplanned approach to society which (to that extent) is similar to socialism. As someone once said, certain political systems offer the "One Big Solution" to the "One Big Problem." To Kirk, society's problems are more complex.

The best part of this book concerns the chapter on "moral imagination," which plays a central role in Kirk's thoughts. McDonald also highlights the influence of Irving Babbit and Paul Elmer More on Kirk. There is also an excellent discussion of Kirk and the Natural Law. I enjoyed the brief discussion outlining the differences between the Old Right (writers such as Kirk and Nisbet), paleoconservatism, and neoconservatism.

I would imagine that most people who call themselves conservatives have no idea - or very little knowledge - of the man who started it all. Russell Kirk published "The Conservative Mind" back in the 1950's, the book that was the impetus to the soon-to-be Conservative movement. However, over the past half-century, Conservatives have lost knowledge of their pedigree, and often espouse doctrines - or ideology - that might be alien to the origins of Conservatism.

McDonald's book, "Russell Kirk and the Age of Ideology," attempts to rescue Kirk from those who might distort Kirk's ideas or who might not understand his approach. The author begins with personal anecdotes about the time he spent studying at Kirk's home in Mecosta, Michigan. Some of these stories explain a lot about Kirk's relation to the public. He was a very shy man who often stuttered in conversation. Although he was not a master in speech, he was indeed a master with the pen. McDonald explains that Kirk worked for hours each day writing on his typewriter. Sometimes when asked a question about a particular subject, Kirk would silently point to a book, figuring that McDonald could figure out the answer on his own.

Kirk explained that Conservatism in its modern sense did not exist before 1790 when Burke published "Reflections on the Revolution in France." The French Revolution was based, for the most part, on abstract ideas divorced from historical development, and wished to overthrow the order of things in the form of a new world, supposedly replacing the old world of custom, tradition, prejudice, and local connections. It appears that Burke's critique attenuated the British impulse to copy the French Revolution, which would soon drown Europe in horrible bloodshed. Abstract ideas that are a priori or posteriori, without prudent consideration of fact and circumstance are opposed to conservative principles.

In the second chapter, McDonald explains the moral basis of conservatism. To understand Kirk's approach, one must understand the concept of ethical dualism and the "inner check." To explain in detail, McDonald refers to Irving Babbitt, Paul Elmer More, and Folke Leander, because Kirk was not a philosopher in a technical sense, and thus there is some philosophical imprecision in Kirk's writings. One must understand in this context, man's Lower Self and Higher Self. The Lower Self is prone to evil: selfish arbitrary and socially destructive behavior. This is in opposition to man's Higher Self: that which pulls us in the direction of our true humanity or our ultimate spiritual purpose, McDonald explains.

Kirk emphasized the importance of the moral imagination to provide an inner check on our destructive natures. Great literature, religion, parents, and teachers would hopefully fertilize the moral imagination. When a person would come to a choice between his higher noble nature and his destructive lower nature, hopefully, this wealth of imagination imparted into him would point him in the proper direction, instead of him choosing the easy path or the path for the thrill of the moment. He might recall the Ten Commandments, or the honor of his mother or any other such things that provide for the moral imagination. Actually, Kirk, on a technical point departed from strict Natural Law, as might not be obvious to the casual reader. In this connection with the Moral Imagination, Kirk emphasized the quality of the will over reason in making the choice of the higher over the lower. But, overall, Kirk's thoughts are compatible and complimentary with Natural Law.

Kirk emphasized the importance of culture before politics. One could not just pass a law and hope to make things less decadent or debased. If one wanted to renew society, one should focus upon the religious institutions; strengthen the families - or what is left of the families - and work for an education of virtue instead of an education for the bureaucracy or corporation. One should brighten up his own little corner of the country. After the culture understood the virtues properly, then the society could be renewed. But a society void of virtue produces men incapable of understanding their situation and it would be futile to simply pass abstract laws since there would be no order in the people's souls in the first place.

An important concept to understand about the recent degradation of our culture is deracination. A deracinated person is one who is cut off from his roots. During mass industrialization and urbanization, people abandoned the farms and the local communities of which they were an integral part, and went to the big cities. Upon arrival, they were simply one person among other similarly interchangeable parts, as Eli Whitney had done to their machines that drew them from the country and villages. Thrown among unknown people and cutoff from their traditions, they could not pass on their traditions to the next generation. The next generation was thus rootless, usually ignorant or contemptuous of religion, and distained the traditions of their elders and became decadent.

When we depart from the inherited customs of moral imagination, and attempt to remake society anew from scratch based on an abstract principle, we have the problem of ideology. Ideology distorts the images and the visions of the moral imagination and leads many astray on destructive paths. For to have this imagination with the power to check out lower selves, if the images and visions therein are abstract and distorted, our choices and our will, will be diseased and we will be lead astray from the true path.

With Kirk, tradition is also paramount. The trials and errors of our ancestors have been encapsulated into custom, prejudice, and prescription. This wealth of knowledge is ignored at our peril since there is not enough time in one's life to accumulate such knowledge gained over centuries.

McDonald supplies humorous anecdotes in the process of writing this book, which might have taken longer than he expected. He mentions that his wife would occasionally ask him, "When are you going to finish the damn book?"

Russell Kirk stands today as one of the intellectual giants of our time. The work under review is the first in depth study of Dr. Kirk's intellectual legacy since his death ten years ago. It is a must read for anyone who is interested in exploring the roots of the modern conservative movement.
The book covers the depth and breath of Kirk's thought. The author focuses on the key points that formed the infrastructure for the conservative movement that has transformed American politics over the past fifty years.
More than a biography, this is a detailed exegesis of the work of a lifetime. The greatest strength is the author's detailed summary of the points that formed Dr. Kirk's intellectual construct, which revolved around tradition and the moral immagination. Rejecting ideology, Kirk's conservatism is a prism through which the issues of the day may be seen in true perspective. It was his opinion that moral and ethical truths, the permanent things, formed the basis of the political, economic and social institutions that comprise our culture and support civilization as we know it. Without the moral imagination, we are doomed to follow the latest fads and fashions in a continuing degeneration, mistaking mere change for reform and inprovemnt. The end result is the end of civilization as we know it and the dawn fo a new dark age.
Of equal imortance is the carefull explanation of the differances that exist between Kirk's thought and recent developments in the conservative program, especially since first achieving power in the early 1980's. The reader who thinks he/she knows what conservatism is all about will be in for some interesting surprises.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has a healthy intellectual curiousity about contemporary polics, philosophy and the world of the mind. Reading this work you will learn to appreciate the importance of the conservative vision, the moral imagination and the permanent things.
This is a survival manual for our cultural future.

"Conservatism," so far from being the lock-step ideology pictured in the left's caricatures, is a plural noun. In this book, W. Wesley McDonald points readers to one of the core figures of this political tradition.

Kirk, who died in 1994, is best known as the author of "The Conservative Mind" (1953), a book which galvanized young thinkers -- McDonald was one of them -- disaffected with the prevailing political culture of America. "The Conservative Mind" appeared at a time when received wisdom about conservatives in politics hadn't evolved since 1861, when John Stuart Mill pegged them as "the stupid party." American political scholars seriously argued in print that political conservatism was not a philosophical position but a mental maladjustment.

Kirk was a "traditionalist." He believed that an objective universal moral order exists, and that it ought to be defended from ideologues of the left and right. He disliked unbridled free-market capitalism (which fuels "the dream of avarice"), and he believed the state has a constructive role to play. He believed that traditional patterns and institutions -- "the permanent things" -- preserve order, and they are the best foundation of a political system that can offer real freedom rather than mere anarchy.

"Strictly speaking, conservatism is not a political system, but rather a way of looking at the civil social order," Kirk wrote. It is not a sharply defined program or an ideology -- a word Kirk loathed, it seems. As a result, even sympathetic critics lamented Kirk's "lack of philosophical precision." McDonald has made great progress, in this book, in stripping down Kirk's vast and diverse body of writing to reveal its philosophical framework.

Kirk's critics considered him anti-rational because he rejected the Enlightenment's fetish for reason as humanity's best guide. Like Burke, he saw reason unguided by tradition as a path to bloody Jacobinism. But McDonald rescues Kirk from this charge by emphasizing the concept Kirk used to balance reason: an elusive quality he called "moral imagination." Kirk held that "ethical and normative truths are often best conveyed through a symbolic veil, as found, for example, in the medium of great poetry, rather than by the means of discursive explication."

Kirk could call T.S. Eliot friend. His belief in the power of myth and literary tradition makes one think not of Republican politicians but rather of Harold Bloom or Joseph Campbell. Literature "is the breath of society," Kirk wrote, "transmitting to successive rising generations, century upon century, a body of ethical principles and critical standards and imaginative creations that constitutes a kind of collective intellect of humanity, the formalized wisdom of our ancestors." No wonder Kirk's writings through the years especially have sparked the imagination of young minds.

McDonald works to keep his subject elevated above contemporary politics, but it is difficult to read the book without applying Kirk's thought to modern problems as you go. For instance, with a tight election looming, in an age when a few thousand votes in New Mexico can decide the presidency, some Republicans fret about the potential Libertarian threat to President Bush. It was Kirk who sounded the warning that conservatives and libertarians were not natural allies. In fact, as he knew, liberals and libertarians have more in common than the Latin root of their names, and more in common with one another than with conservatives.

How does a conservative know he is not a reactionary? Absent ideology, how does he know which changes to embrace, which to accept conditionally, which to resist? He must know that even the most conservative institution (such as the Catholic Church, to which Kirk was a convert) was at one time looked upon as a dangerous innovation. "Life is always presenting us with new possibilities, and hence our applications of the good must be constantly adjusted to emerging circumstances," McDonald writes. "The ethically ordered society is realized by the creative acts of successive generations of virtuous people striving to apply universal standards of the good to concrete situations. In this process, as traditions are preserved and renewed, society maintains a healthy balance between the twin necessities of change and preservation."

McDonald's connection with Elizabethtown College, the great center of Anabaptist studies, may have made him think when he wrote this passage, as I did when reading it, of the Amish.

If you think conservatism in America means international military adventurism, "compassionate" expansion of government entitlements, open borders, free trade and the embracing of unencumbered secular capitalism, think again. Dr. Wesley McDonald re-examines the works of the father of post WWII conservatism in America, Russell Kirk, to reveal that conservative ideology as we know it today is 180 degrees from what is was just 50 years ago.

If you believe yourself to be a conservative, this book will reveal to you the extent to which modern conservatives have strayed from the principles laid down by this pioneer of American conservatives. If you are of a different philosophical bent, McDonald's book will cause you to reflect on your political orientation based on Kirk's deeply intuitive understanding of law and its effect on culture.

A must read for any political junkie who wants to examine the philosophical underpinnings of a political movement that began after WWII and remains a strong, if compromised, force in politics today.

I, of course, have already studied the epic journey -
it seems to be historicaly well researched and complete -
and deals with the issue of Lewis' illness with tact and compassion.
i bought this for my grandchildren - who are of the Clark family -
the book is of excellant print and binding quality -
It is rich in well presented, informative illustrations -

As a reader of "Undaunted Courage", the Steven Ambrose historical biography of Meriwether Lewis and his patron, Thomas Jefferson, I felt like I received only part of the picture of the expedition that opened the Louisiana Purchase to U.S. interests. This book completes the picture. Clark was the steady, get-the-job-done, go-to guy, who complemented the mercurial Lewis. Where Lewis made only occasional journal entries, Clark is the principal source of our non-botanical/zoological information because he reliably performed the journaling function. The only criticism I would have of the book is the repeated drubbing of Clark as a slave holder and his perceived mistreatment of York. It seems that Foley feels he has to apologize for Clark, who lived in a different age with a very different view of slavery. Once would have been enough.

The author skillfully blends history and biography to provide an absorbing look at American frontier during the early to mid 19th century,
as well as a fresh narrative of the Lewis and Clark explorations. Foley
renders Clark in a sympathetic light, even when accounting for his often
harsh treatment of African-Americans and Native Americans. A well-researched and well-written book.

It's about time someone wrote a modern full biography of William Clark (1770-1838). The second-in-command of the legendary Lewis and Clark Expedition deserves a much fuller discussion than heretofore available. Born in Virginia in 1770, Clark was closely tied to frontier military and Indian affairs throughout his life. He served with Gen. Anthony Wayne at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794, and between 1803 and 1806 he and Meriwether Lewis led the military expedition to explore the Louisiana Purchase to the Pacific Ocean. In 1813 Clark became Missouri Territorial governor, working during the War of 1812 to secure the frontier from British-incited Indian attacks. When Missouri was admitted to the Union in 1822, Clark was appointed by Congress superintendent of Indian affairs, serving until his death in 1838. He was fair, humane, and honest in his dealing with the western tribes.

This book is an exceptionally well researched and written life of Clark, whose career, at least in its later stages, outstripped that of Meriwether Lewis. It is must reading for anyone interested in the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the settlement of the trans-Mississippi West. It replaces as the central work on the subject the biography written by Jerome O. Steffen, "William Clark: Jeffersonian Man on the Frontier" (University of Oklahoma Press, 1977).

William Clark is best known as the American explorer who joined Meriwether Lewis in heading an overland expedition to the Pacific: but as William Foley demonstrates in Wilderness Journey: The Life Of William Clark, how William Clark has many more claims to fame than his explorations with Meriwether Lewis. Studies have appeared on the two, but this is the first comprehensive biography of Clark's entire life, revealing his service as a soldier, Indian diplomat, and his involvement in US politics and policy-making in the West. College-level audiences will find Wilderness Journey a fascinating biography of a multi-faceted man.

As a Missourian and a professional historian, I looked forward to reading what many consider a classic (even Boatner cites Monaghan). I was misled. This is an insufferable book, almost unreadable, a waste of time. Presuming to knowledge he cannot have, the author is pleased to describe (without citations) the innermost thoughts of historical figures. He insists on calling William Clark Quantrill "Charles;" writes Elias Boudinet for Elias Boudinot. Wallows in cliches (e.g. calls James Lane "the Grim Chieftan" at every opportunity until you want to gag) and racial stereotypes (e.g. his characterization of the "primeval passions" of naturally savage Indians, p. 210; see also every reference to black people). His writing style is so florid and bombastic at times as to rob it of clarity. Thus, while he describes obscure battles covered by few other scholars (hence the second star), it's sometimes hard to tell what's going on. If you want the politics of Bleeding Kansas and the early days of the war in Missouri, see the second volume of Nevins's classic "Emergence of Lincoln" and the first volume of "War for the Union;" if you are interested in the bitterness and hatred that fueled the violence in Missouri during and after the war, Fellman's "Inside War" is the book to read. But don't bother with Monaghan.

This book explains very well why there was so much violence in the Western scenario. If you like, it also explains the violence following the civil war in the reconstruction era. If you are used to draw a gun whenever you see a political opponent one should not be surprised about the cruelties committed by the Klan after the war.

This book also shows the problematic stand the civilized (Indian) nations were confronted with, being forced to choose between Union or Confederacy.

To all Southerners, this is a ballanced account descibing that particular period of time. Buy it.

A very well written book on the history of the Civil war west of the Mississippi. Monaghan covers many of the battles I had tried in vain to locate details on. Covered are the battles of: Carthage, Wilson's Creek, Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove, and Westport. I especially found interesting the involvement of the Five Nations out of Oklahoma. Much is covered concerning the conflicts between Kansas and Missouri, but Texas, Arkansas and others are treated with some detail. Monaghan's writing style is excellent, giving you a good feeling for what happened. You will read and re-read this one.

Fanatical politics of the western frontier, immigrant abolitionists with loaded Spencer rifles funded by mysterious personages back East, cut-throats, gin heads and horse thieves, colorful character descriptions... This book ranks up there with Pea Ridge by Shea and The Civil War by Foote. Absoltuley a must read.

DEAR PAPA, DEAR HOTCH: THE CORRESPONDENCE OF ERNEST HEMINGWAY AND A.E. HOTCHNER isn't a light introduction: it's a scholarly collection recommended as a college-level pick for any collection strong in the works of either writer, presenting for the first time the collected correspondence between writer and agent. Hotchner adapted Hemingway's works for stage, movies and TV: these letters cover the final quarter of Hemingway's life and packs in nearly two hundred letters, cables and cards between the two. The result offers plenty of intriguing details and will prove a 'must' for any serious Hemingway scholar, in particular.

In his Preface, Hotchner writes:"I was young and struggling and vulnerable." What these Letters reveal is that "Hotch" was ambitious, greedy and manipulative. Just read the exchange concerning the "True" article (pp 172-179).Though De Fazio and the University of Missouri Press are to be congratulated for their Herculean accomplishment, those familiar with other Hemingway letters/memorabilia and scholarship, published and unpublished, know why Hotchner "had fallen out of favor with Mary"(Preface 12), as well as with other family members, true friends and many Hemingway scholars. Conrad Aiken, who early on saw Hemingway's genius, wrote, on the occasion of T.S.Eliot's death 40 years ago, "that this is the age of the ex-wife and the editor."I would add a third category: the "so-called friend."

I had a hard time rating this collection of letters, postcards and cables between Hemingway and A. E. Hotchner, Papa's friend during the last decade or so of his life. If I give "Dear Papa, Dear Hotch" 5 stars, what do I give my favorite book of all time - Hemingway's "In Our Time"? Since Amazon's rating system won't allow for more than 5 stars, I plead "nolo contendere." This book deserves 5 stars because it is the best it could be. Comparison with Hemingway's crafted work is not the point.

That said, "Dear Papa, Dear Hotch" is a gift to all who love Hemingway. I congratulate DeFazio for a job well done. Gathering all the pieces of this intriguing story must have consumed countless hours and required lots of legwork. The process of deciphering Hemingway's penmanship and the necessary research to illuminate arcane references was surely daunting at times. A.E. Hotchner's Preface & DeFazio's Introduction are fascinating and admirably set the stage for what is ultimately a poignant story of friendship & loss.

_Dear Papa, Dear Hotch_ is a triumph of precise editing: of scrupulous annotations that make this record of the final years of a great American writer come to life. The reader goes along effortlessly, instructed as necessary in diverse particulars-baseball trivia, the names of well-known trapshooters (!), the identities of guests at long forgotten gatherings, advertising slogans, specs for aircraft, Hemingway's confusion of a story by James Thurber with one by Ring Lardner. Those who have ever tried to run down one such datum will appreciate the scholarship, variousness, exactness, and energy of Albert J. DeFazio in presenting this collection.

The 161 letters here were written in the final dozen years of Hemingway's life, in his decline, after he, arguably the most famous writer living, had said what he had to say. As such they make for increasingly sad reading. We see Hemingway's effort to recapture the vitality and tragic dignity that make at least two of his novels and several dozen short stories key documents in American literature and in American self-concept. The letters from A. E. Hotchner-at once a slick, opportunistic sycophant, a cheerfully dutiful factotum, willing to do whatever the once great man asks, and a competent adaptor of original work-do not brighten the picture, nor is it always easy to read "Hotch's" imitations of Hemingway's deliberately scabrous language ("Goddam but I'm glad about the [Nobel] prize," etc.) Sometimes the interplay between them has a sick fascination, "Hemingstein" trying to persuade himself "Everybody will be okay" and "Krotchner" feeding this illusion. One comes to the notes with a sense of relief. They are the real gen.

A six page appendix, in which Hemingway objects to Hotchner's proposed deletions in _The Dangerous Summer,_ reveals more about the drift of Hemingway's writing practices than anything else I have read on the topic.