Washington University Books

Incredible story of a difficult struggle to gather support for the creation of our national forests. I learned that people don't change. It is ironic that the book covers how over 100 years ago, many miners, land developers were so violently opposed to any land being protected-I see the same thing happening today with sprawl.

A MUST READ. It made me really feel fortunate that we have our national forests to enjoy because we almost didn't. I had trouble putting this book down. It is very long, but oh so good if you have any interest in conservation.

The reader who have appreciated Lintner's maybe most famous work, Land of Jade (the description of a journey through insurgency-held areas in Burma around mid 80s), cannot miss this volume. Under the surface of an extremeley documentated essay, it's a pleasant and instructive work, reccomended to the concerned traveller and to the scholar, to the journalist and to the reader fond of adventure stories. The books shows the connections between the legitimate aspirations of autonomy of ethnic minorities of Burma and the strategies to get them, the collapse of the dream of a real Union of Burma with full rights for every people of that country, the rationale which lies behind opium production and its exploitation by Rangoon military. The search for profit on the behalf of the military regime chose the simpliest way: divide the minorities and get rich. Never mind if the easiest "gold" of Burma has been proved to be opium and drug trade, never mind if the result is the disgregation of pristine ethnic and social structures, the death of thousands people... Lintner is a specialist of Burma with a strong sympathy for the sufferings of common human beings of Burma, and this attitude is a plus-value for the book. And the glossary of organizations, parties, armies and leaders are an essential and rare resource for whoever studies or follows Burmese affairs.

molly tenenbaum's poems sparkle and dance in the half light and shadows of everyday cracks and crevices. from the smallest of spaces, she pulls out shining moments of laughter and wit, sadness and compassion, intelligence and grace. this is a book for dusk and twilight -- day's end when the events of the world seem too big and bruising, day's end when poems can restore a slender thread to sanity, a slight, but firm, connection to intimacy and reflection. it's a wonderful debut.

The formost Chicano Poet, Ricardo Sanchez expresses the life and turmoils of being Chicano in El Paso during the the Chicano Power Movement, trying to understand and change the world. A must read for all who call themselves Chicano.

This book caught my eye at Pearl Harbor on my first significant visit to Hawaii a few weeks ago. Had to order it as soon as I got home. Outstanding digest of Cook's lifetime of exploration. Excellent format with its mixture of concise narrative and outstanding maps. Fascinating "read", I couldn't put it down. Excellent level of detail -- enough to be truly educational -- not so much as to overload. Emotionally moving to recall standing on Hawaiian soil and try to imagine the worlds meeting in the explorations of Cook's time. This book helped stitch my own experience to the history of the explorations.

In order to understand the ramifications of the latest Native American title, author, subject, you must first read this book. Don't hesitate to take notes. There is no substitute for the insight provided by "Captured in the Middle." Your understanding of Native peoples (in addition to that of available Native literature) will only elevate from the minimal plateau supplied by similarly charged works (e.g. Fergus M. Bordewich) to genuine comprehension.

Jim Kershner has used his considerable skills as a reporter to write a fascinating biography of Carl Maxey, one of the most charismatic personalities to come out of Washington State and Spokane. But the book should be of interest to readers well beyond the borders of the state of Washington. I would be very surprised if a copy of this book does not end up in many personal libraries and just about every law office in Washington State if not the entire nation. It reads much like a front-page story that just keeps getting more and more absorbing as the text continues on for almost 250 pages.

Carl Maxey, having been born to an unwed mother, and having been placed in an orphanage in Spokane eventually worked his way up to becoming a competitive athlete, a national collegiate boxing champion, a college graduate, and the first black lawyer in Spokane. His practice led him to appear in some of the most high-profile murder, anti-Vietnam War, and civil rights cases in Washington state. In 1970 he challenged Henry "Scoop" Jackson for the Democratic Party nomination for the U.S. Senate. In 1976 he was on the Washington State ballot for president as Senator Eugene McCarthy's stand in vice presidential candidate. He remained a fighter for civil rights and social justice until his death in 1997.

Kershner, in doing research for the book, utilized numerous newspaper sources, library records, personal papers and interviews with thirty Maxey family members and people who worked with him. Still, because he was so well known and came into contact with so many people, there are undoubtedly hundreds of people in Spokane and elsewhere who, when they read the book, feel, "Oh man, I wish Kershner had interviewed me I would have told him about ..."

Writer Caroline Lockhart is examined in detail here, with a full and probing analysis of her books,short stories and articles. I found the use of personal correspondence, diaries and manuscripts helped to bring this writer alive. For those who aren't familiar with Lockhart, tbe late writer was a woman ahead of her time, writing such popular novels as The Fighting Shepherdess as well as working as a journalist with her own newspaper column. Her novels were quite popular but her real-life is equally fascinating and Furman gives an objective, well-written portrait of a writer who broke conventions and forged her own path.

Written by historian Richard S. Hobbs Ph.D., Catastrophe to Triumph: Bridges of the Tacoma Narrows is a fascinating examination of the true story behind the Tacoma Narrows Bridge fiasco. In 1940, just 129 days after its creation, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge literally fell apart. Yet the flaws in its workmanship were apparent well before its spontaneous destruction - its undulations were so readily visible that it earned the nickname "Galloping Gertie". Catastrophe to Triumph reveals the inside story of government agencies that hired a New York firm to revise the original plans, who knew about the immediate danger, and why too little was done too late to prevent the bridge's final doom. Catastrophe to Triumph also recounts how a second bridge built on part of the original substructure succeeded while the first one failed. Written to be accessible to lay readers as well as engineers, and filled cover to cover with vintage black-and-white photographs, Catastrophe to Triumph is a gem of American monument and engineering history.

What an amazing and fascinating family! This is a great look at some important individuals, what they contributed to our history, and how they grew up in this country. The author weaves in great details of family relationships and their public lives, along with the local and national picture. It told me a lot about America's experience in race relations on a personal level. I really enjoyed the human side of their story, nicely captured in the straight forward prose.