Nebraska Books

I discovered this book by accident many years ago, and have since purchased several more copies to share with friends (some fellow quilters and some not). I started quilting as part of my treatment for depression so it was deeply satisfying and encouraging to read of Janet's ongoing journey through fabrics. SO much to consider and feel. I've returned to this volume time and again and portions of it have even inspired some of my own quilting (notably Thirty Years Later, a quilt created along the lines of one essay titled "Smashing Those Dresden Plates").

This book didn't quite grab me the way it seems to have grabbed other reviewers. I can appreciate it, reading about her life and historical aspects of quilting were interesting, but it just wasn't my style. For me, having a visual reference would have helped. I would have loved for her to have added photos of the quilts she was making and writing about and/or photos of the historical figures and quilts she wrote about.

Although this is not a long book, I found myself spacing out my reading to enjoy each and every tidbit that Ms. Berlo had to offer. I didn't want it to end and savored each scrap. She is a wonderful writer that captures what it is to be a woman entreanched in family issues, life in general and how crafting can lift you up and out of a "funk". My only regret is that I can't see her beautiful quilts that she describes so poetically. That would complete the circle.

Berlo describes the way a sudden depression turned her from a highly esteemed, publishing professor to an almost obsessive quilter overnight.
She talks movingly about finding balance, and the way that "playing" with colors, patterns and fabric helped her find that, both in her work, and with friends and family.
In a society that undervalues "women's art" (especially textile arts), Berlo makes an interesting case that it is both therapeutic and historically significant.

I am PASSIONATE about this book! It's written as a mix between a journal and an autobiography and lays bare a lot of the feelings that I thought only I had about the importance of quilting. I love the way that the passion for quilting is woven into Janet's love for her sisters and her sometimes difficult relationship with her mother. As you read, you begin to see her working her way out of the depression that imobilised her, and it shows how she re-chanelled her creativity after her writing "avenue" of expression was blocked. This is a book for anyone interested in the stresses of 21st century woman, and even if you don't quilt yourself, you will still enjoy the sharing of emotions. I defy anyone not to say at some point "I have felt exactly like that!", whatever your interests or background!

I really liked this book. It only took me about 5 days to read it (and that was with my time being limited by life being busy!!) I liked how it started, it caught my attention. I liked the end too, a little surprising. I thought the characters were realistic and interesting. I love this time period too, historical fiction is always fun! I think the book was easy to read and very enjoyable. If you like this book you would probably also like Treasures of the North by Tracie Peterson (also about the gold rush - but only in Canada).

Laina Gray is an ex-showboat singer sold into slavery by her unscrupulous father. Rescued by army officer Nathan Boone, she discovers a new life at the fort under the watchful eye of faithful Christian Granny Max. Will Laina escape her past or is it doomed to haunt her?

I enjoyed the first half of secrets of the wind. Laina is a truly likeable character and so is Granny max. Granny Max is the soul of the book, and so is Laina, and any scene with those two in it was heartwarming...

However, the preaching became quite heavy in the second half of the book, almost to the point where it was unenjoyable for this reader. I can handle it when it seems natural, but in many cases it seemed forced. Long discussions of characters faith or (lack therof) do not particularly excite me.

I also felt the author's depiction of male characters was pretty bland. Neither of the male characters (Beau or Nate) were particularly thrilling. Nate was a bit of a mary sue and Beau seemed like a loser to me. I found the romance between Laina and her chosen beau to be quite tepid. It seemed almost as though the last few chapters the author remembered it was a romance and tacked it on. The issue of rape recovery, childbirth, loss, and death are not particularly romantic subjects and these issues are being dealt with during the heroine's very brief 'courtship,' was a bit of a downer. I'd like to see Laina get a romance, but so soon after her ordeal didn't work out for me somehow.

3 stars. A little too much preaching and unappealing male characters, sloppy romance.

This is the first Christian "romance" book I have ever read, and was pleased that the Word of God was shared repeatedly throughout the book (KUDOS Stephanie) without sounding "preachy" or forced. A+ and how 'bout the hot girl on the cover!

Stephanie Grace Whitson has done it again with this one! Indians play a part, the Army an even larger part-- as well as various and sundry "orphans and abused victims" all of which sway the reader one way or the other.

She portrays Laina in a positive light in spite of her infamous and horrible past. Boone is a leader in the Army who just cannot move on past the death of his wife 2 years earlier. The reader gets geared for a relationship that keeps you guessing, wondering and finally letting out a big sigh of surprise. Everyone's hero is Granny Max, her faith,healing touch and counsel and patience never waver. Tears will spill over Granny in this book, trust me.

Another "little lamb" who is running is Jackson, a young soldier with a past. He has a temper and some habits that make you want to alternately shake him and hug him. Good job, Stephanie!

When Laina feels she has done it all, borne it all and is finally is on her way to recovery from her dugout ordeal and her earlier past, she finds out she is NOT disconnected yet, and will be asked to bear the ultimate humiliation. Can she-- in this small, close-knit community? She has a plan. Is it God's plan, though?

Whitson definitely has another winning series and I am out the door to purchase book number 2, thanks again Steph, for your courage and determination to keep love, history, Indians and Christ all woven throughout this book and most likely the rest of the series if I know you!

Capturing a slice of history set in an outback U.S military post, the first book in the Pine Ridge Portraits series tells the story of three very different people who all want to make a new start in their lives. Saved from certain death, Laina struggles to overcome her hideous past and all the nightmares that resulted, with the gentle wisdom and support of Granny Max. Still reeling from the death of his wife two years earlier, Sergeant Nathan Boone endeavours to help Laina regain her footing, all the while unsure of how to move forward with his own life. And then someone who figured in both Laina and Nathan's past re-emerges with a new identity...
Stephanie Grace Whitson tells a story of hope and redemptive grace in the midst of 1870's Nebraska, bringing to life characters with heartache and determination. SECRETS ON THE WIND sets the pace for a gripping new series by this award-winning author. Recommended for fans of Janette Oke, Stephen Bly, Al and Joanna Lacy, Alan Morris and Gilbert Morris. ~~Ellie Schroder, owner of The Christian Fiction Site

More than a century later, it is still a classic detailed study of irregular warfare. It is interesting and instructive with insights into modern warfare years ahead of the 4th generation warfare proving grounds of the 20th and 21st century. For the case study approach to real conflicts, this book is worth the price and worth keeping to re-read on later occasions.

Long before the term "insurgent" entered the military vocabulary the British had developed a long experience in fighting them during much of the 19th century. Colonel Callwell's book is an excellent source if you want to understand the roots of counterinsurgent warfare in the 20th and 21st centuries. Callwell covers the topic completely from strategy to tactics used against different fighting styles e.g. mounted troops, fanatics, etc. hill and bush warfare, the use of infantry and mounted troops as well as night operations. Callwell supplies good examples accompanied by nice action maps for his subjects. Before reading this book I found it helpful to read "Queen Victoria's Little Wars" by Byron Farwell which gave me a much better appreciation of entire small wars from which Callwell takes his examples. If you are doing an indepth study of insurgent warfare this is a must, but if your time is limited you might want to come back to it and move on to more contemporary readings first.

The author is one of the earliest and most influential writers on counter-insurgency. He was a British military officer writing to teach junior officers on how to defeat non-European forces. While many of his tactics seem rather tough and barbaric, one must be careful to judge him by the standards of his time (early 20th century), not by the whims of today. If one is able to look past many of tougher stances, like destroying the food and water sources of uncooperative local citizens, there is quite a bit worth learning. The Marine Corps Small Wars Manual of 1940 owes much to this work. While more modern counter-insurgency writers have overshadowed Caldwell's teachings, he still deserves credit for being one of the first to record the lessons and basic tenets of counter-insurgency. It is amazing the see how little has changed and how well this book holds up. I understand why this book is still required reading at the Marine Corps Command and Staff College.

Colonel Callwell's book is a "must" for any student of military history and also practicing members of the armed forces. The wealth of detail and the numerous references to actual events and the ability to clearly convey the concept of how to manage such operations. I return to this volume constantly.

I bought this book because it appeared to fill in the void of my knowledge on colonial wars. The author has clearly stated that all of his examples used to illustrate his principles will be that of properly formed armies versus irregular native troops (the Boers are an exception). Thus, the American War of Independence is excluded but surprisingly, several examples from the European Vendee rebellion are also included. The author's style is to state principles, followed by a litany of examples to illustrate his point. He cites many unknown engagements as examples but many of these examples lack firm details. A textual description apparently suffices as examples. The same examples could be used to illustrate other points. I found this approach rather boring and it began to read like a manual to me. On the plus side, there were some examples with more details given, including a sketch map which livened the proceedings somewhat. Douglas Porch provides a neat introduction into the background of Col Callwell, including the fact that he had numerous entries selected for the Encyc. Brittanica. Except for the one on Guerrilla warfare for which the editors selected TE Lawrence. I can see why - Callwell wrote from the perspective of the formed troops - Lawrence wrote from that of the guerrillas.

Very interesting book,although my favorite by this author is still "The Earth Abides". This book obviously pre-dates today's doppler radar systems, and deals with the evolving art of weather forecasting. The fact remains that George R. Stewart was a very accomplished writer, and could be counted as a very creative storyteller.

For most, weather happens! It affects our lives in countless ways and sometimes wreaks havoc on them. Unless one personally experiences the sheer violence of weather like a tornado or a hurricane, we go along just being inconvenienced by it and muttering how it forced cancellation of the picnic or the golf game. Stewart's novel is a wonderful story of the seeming innocence of an obscure storm system developing far, far away that eventually will dramatically impact men's and women's lives in western United States. The people stories are poignant and suspensful as each is tied to this relentless and powerful storm as it develops and makes it's way to our shores. One gains tremendous appreciation and respect for the patterns, intensity and often times the unpredictable nature of weather -

The book was written in 1940. I read it in February 1943 at the U. of Wisconsin. Unaware that I needed glasses, I had been rejected by the Army Air Corps as a possible fighter pilot. I stumbled into weather forecasting as a bad second choice, having no interest at all in weather. This small book, given to me by the Army, instantly converted me into an avid, aspiring meteorologist. I am so glad Amazon.com recently found a used copy for me.

The novel is unusual in its construction. The storm called Maria (this book started the custom of giving storms feminine names) is the all imposing, domineering character in the story. There are 12 chapters, one for each day in the life of the storm. Each chapter has 6-12 subchapters that tell of the two or three dozen human characters who are in the plot. We know most of them by job title, not by name. Maria connects them all together in an ever rising crescendo that reminds me of Ravel's Bolero.

This is a unique book, as there are no real characters other than the storm of the title. The story traces the birth, approach and impact of a storm, and the effect on persons and communities in its path. It is the literary equivalent of the disaster movies of the 1970's and 1980's (presaging them by several decades). Tightly written with the irresistable forward movement of a storm front, it an interesting, and surprisingly educational story. Although a bit dated, weather itself (the main character) has not changed, thus it remains current. Truly a novel novel.

A must read for anyone who knows and loves the big california storms- you know who you are. For the rest of you, it chronicles the lifespan of one of the big pacific storms.

I have been writing for over forty years, and it seems to me I might have done better with it all had I paid more attention to one central piece of advice given in this book, the advice about listening to the reader, caring to communicate with the reader, learning from the reader's reaction.
This book is a very friendly guide to the writer and would - be- writer. It is written with a clearness and common sense and real concern for helping out 'others'. Its spirit, its unpretentiousness, clarity are all in its favor.
The authors teach the value of writing every day, of concentrating on communicating with the reader. They also have a section on the business of getting oneself published. They advise against trying to go over the head of the reader with dazzling displays of knowledge or virtuosity, and instead communicating to the reader. They suggest that much good writing comes from everyday life, and is about telling stories of everyday life in a winning way. They go into details of the writing process to show how to make it more effective.
This is a small book with much in it.

This book is excellent for someone who may have inhibitions when it comes to expressing themselves in their writing...someone who just needs a slight push to feel less apprehensive. I felt it was more for someone who just started writing or who wants to write, but has been too afraid vs. someone whose seriously looking to improve their craft.

This is not your every day how-to book about writing. Nor is it a writing text book. It's a solid, easy to follow guide to get you writing after all the years of saying you wish you could. It won't guarantee you'll be published. But it will give you realistic suggestions that if followed will help you improve your writing.
Co-author Ted Kooser follows his own advice: he communicates. To Kooser, all writing is communication and if it's poorly written communication fails. Kooser is a former Poet Laureate and winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry. He is a professor of English at the University of Nebraska--Lincoln. Joining Kooser is Steve Cox who is an editor, publisher, freelance writer and director emeritus of the University of Arizona Press.
The 177 pages of the book are full of useable information for any writer--published or unpublished. Nine sections cover every aspect of writing from "What Do You Know?" to "Copyright, Libel and Invasion of Privacy."
Composition teachers will shudder at the section entitled: "Rules? We Don' Need No Stinkin' Rules!" Kooser and Cox quote author Elmore Leonard: "If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it. Or, if proper usage gets in the way, it may have to go. I can't allow what we learned in English to disrupt the sound and rhythm of the narrative."
Aaagh! Miss Spencer who taught Comp 101 would have a coronary!
"Many writers have been tempted to tell you everything they have learned about writing...Writing is a capacious activity that allows for a lot of individuality. Nobody's wrong, and nobody's necessarily right," the authors write.
Most new writers don't grasp the importance of revising. Kooser and Cox write: "It's a rare first draft that can be published or even read in public. Almost every piece of writing needs some rewriting, rethinking, and polishing before it is ready to take center stage." Their suggestion on the importance of revising is to "let it [draft] cool" a while before revising.
Stephen King, the authors point out, sets the first draft of his books aside for six weeks before writing the second draft.
The personality of your writing can determine your own personality, they write: "Expressing yourself positively will have a remarkable effect on your life...It turns out that writing positively leads you into the habit of thinking positively, and thinking positively leads you to behaving positively in other areas of your life."
The focus of the book is how to get started writing, how to keep going and how to get publicity. It does a good job of meeting that goal.

Good book to get beyond those vague fears about expressing oneself with the written word. Encouraging and helpful, I would recommend this book to any new writer who just needs a little boost.

Imagine sitting down for coffee (or tea) with the U.S. Poet Laureate (who just won a Pulitzer) and a well respected author, editor and publisher and having them tell you how you can write better. This book does it. Conversational, fun, and full of wisdom and encouragement. Will you snag your Pulitzer? Probably not. But, if you take these guys' advice and start writing, there's a good chance that you'll have some words on paper that other people might just treasure long into the future.

Jay Rochlin

I'll put this simply: if you are what we in the art world call "artsy-fartsy," you will enjoy this book, as the writing is poetic and full of descriptive emotion. But if you're just looking for a good read, pass this one on by. It will confuse the living daylights out of you. But if you must, do some back ground work on the author and maybe a little on the subject herself. Good luck!

Atemisia Gentileschi, born in Rome in 1598, is one of the most fascinating figures in the history of art, though very little is known about her life. The daughter of a painter herself, Artemisia painted beautiful scenes of the women of Roman and biblical history even though she could neither read nor write.

Artemisia had, to put it mildly, a turbulent personal life. She was discredited in a rape trial, betrayed by her own father and abandoned by her husband. Her professional life, however, was far different. She was the first woman admitted to the prestigious Florentine Academy; she established a successful art school in Naples; she raised her daughter on her own and supported herself financially during a time when a woman's life was defined only by home, husband, children and the Church.

Although the above is about the sum total of all that's known about Artemisia Gentileschi's life, writer, Anna Banti, managed to flesh out these bare bones facts into one of the triumphs of 20th century Italian literature.

"Artemisia" is definitely not a biography or even a fictionalized one. It is not a historical work; in fact, the setting of this book is definitely ahistorical. It consists of an amazing dialogue between the author and Artemisia. There are, as way I see it, three levels in this book: the experiences of Artemisia, the experiences of the author and a blending of the two, to make a very fascinating third.

The very essence of this book consists of Artemisia's travels, all made for the sake of her art. Included are the young Artemisia's traumatic experiences in Rome, her marriage, her years of success in Naples, her long and undoubtedly arduous journey to England and back again to her native Italy.

One of the things that makes this book so powerful is Banti's constant authorial intrusion, a device that would weaken (or destroy) more conventional novels. Moving back and forth from the thrid to the first person, Banti holds fascinating conversations with Artemisia. This leads to a captivating, but very complex, narrative. As the dialogue between author and subject intensifies, Banti complicates matters even further.

In 1944, when the first version of "Artemisia" was nearly complete, events of the war caused it to be destroyed. The "Artemisia" of the first version constantly intrudes on the "Artemisia" of the second version, however. Confusing? No, not really. Banti is far too good a writer for that. Complex? Yes. And lyrical and skillful and fragile.

Despite the fact that this is not a historical novel, it is highly atmospheric. There are no detailed descriptions to weigh down the weightless quality of Banti's lyricism, but there are many vivid images of 17th century Rome, Naples, Florence, France.

No matter how fast you usually read, "Artemisia" is a novel that should be read slowly. This is a demanding book that requires much concentration on the part of the reader, but this concentration will be richly rewarded.

There is a vague, circular quality about this book and, in a sense, it ends where it began. In reality, however, nothing is known about Artemisia Gentileschi's life after her return to Italy from England.

This book is complex, intricate, self-reflective and extremely lyrical. Although it has an ephemeral, gossamer quality, it succeeds wonderfully in bringing Artemisia Gentileschi to life in a vivid and wonderful manner.

This is an extremely well-written and moving account of Artemisia. It is a modernist novel and is a dialogue between the the narrator and Artemisia. I highly recomend it.

This is a haunting tale of a woman painter on the skirts of history. Anna Banti intertwines not only fiction with history, but also past and present and her own life with that of Artemesia. The story encompases a number of years and is written in a stream of conscious manner. It is not fully understood until the end. The reader becomes wraped up in the mystery that the author has created.

Anna Banti's first draft of this work of love and devotion was destroyed in WWII. It concerns Italian painter Artemisia Bentileschi. While few concrete facts are known about her, she has fascinated art historians for centuries. Anna Banti, when she began writing her manuscript for the 2nd time, was influenced by her own experiences, and she elected to challenge the boundaries of traditional biography. Artemisia is fleshed out. Neither true biography (obvious, given the paucity of facts) nor historical fiction, Artemisia dives into spurts of detail to capture the feelings and images of `truth,' rather than to pin down verifiable `facts.' Such is the new genre: creative nonfiction, tho Banti definitely and admittedly takes liberties. Truth With Privileges would be a good description.
Artemisia is a rich, complex, and extremely thought-provoking book that demands the reader's careful attention.
Spectacular, but challenging.

The title is a little misleading. After listening to my grandfather's reminiscences of the Blizzard of '88, years ago, I had the impression that the blizzard happened in March of 1888 in New York City. I was a little disappointed to discover that it happened in January over the entire midwest.

I've been a Ted Kooser fan for 8 years. When I saw this in a bookstore on a recent trip to Lincoln, Nebraska I couldn't pass it up. The Blizzard of 1888 must have been a doozie! One can't help but feel the elements penetrating the body- Metaphorically, of course.

With only a few minutes warning the hammer of nature struck. Living in a really cold part of the Northeast I felt myself trying to encourage the storm-bound victims to safety but many didn't make it.

A vivid portrayal.

The three copies arrived in great time and are as expected. Plan to use two for Christmas gifts. Thanks, Jane

"...He wandered/ahead of the wind and was found/that spring when it thawed, twelve miles/southeast of his home..."The Blizzard of 1888 that slammed into the Great Plains January 12-13 was one of the most devastating weather events in history. Former Poet Laureate and 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry winner Ted Kooser skillfully tells the story. From historic records and eye witness accounts, Kooser uses the voices of men and women to tell the chilling tale. The event was also called the Schoolchildren's Blizzard because of the many children and teachers who were trapped in rural schools during the bitterly cold days of the blizzard.Here are the haunting voices of the men and women who were teaching school, working the land and tending the house when the storm arrived and changed their lives forever.A woman's voice: "...The wind/was so bad the men took turns/at the driving [mules] while others/laid in the wagon boxes./None of them died, but some lost/fingers and toes that day..."
These are the remembrances of a hearty people who faced a terrible winter storm that seemed to come from nowhere. The Blizzard Voices is good story telling presented in a unique way.Anyone who says they don't like poetry never read Ted Kooser (or Billy Collins). Kooser is a master of communicating through poetry. His clarity of structure and word choices makes poetry enjoyable and readable.Twelve line drawings by Tom Pohrt give graphic renditions of the people and conditions during the blizzard.
The Blizzard Voices is a re issue from the University of Nebraska Press with a new introduction by Kooser.

This book introduces us to some of the people affected by one of Nebraska's huge snowstorms. With Kooser's permission, I presented a readers' theatre version of "Blizzard Voices" before he published the book. The AAUW audience in Florida had trouble suspending their disbelief, but the voices were so strong they were moved in spite of themselves. I've visited the Plainview, Nebraska, cemetery where some of the victims of this storm are buried. As a teacher, of course, I was most affected by the vignette of the young schoolteacher who tried to save her little students. As a Nebraska native, I fumed because so many of these people elected to try to get home instead of staying put--in shelter. Kooser's work is a Nebraska lode.

An excellent biography of Branch Rickey and his accomplishments during the first 65 years of the 20th century.
It is a fascinating story of his life,life in America,a history of baseball and the social mores of the era.
Fascinating reporting on the recruitment and emergence of Jackie Robinson.

Lee Lowenfish has written a fabulously researched book that is an entry point into the history of baseball since the start of the 20th century. Yes, I knew that Branch Rickey ran the Dodgers and hired Jackie Robinson, breaking the color barrier in major league baseball. I didn't know, however, that he started his career in St. Louis and as I read this easy to like book, I began sending copies to people I thought would be interested.

I'm 65 (born in 1943) and started listening to New York baseball games in the car with my Dad starting in about 1948. As we drove, we'd hear the Yankees and the Giants and the Dodgers. Did I know that I was listening to history as Jackie Robinson ran the bases?

Many of my friends are 20 years older than I am. I thought that this book would bring back wonderful memories for them and I was right.

Imagine, to date I've sent 18 books as gifts to people from New York, St. Louis, Los Angeles. Everyone has been reading and loving Lowenfish's book.........each for a different reason.

SO BUY THE BOOK ALREADY.

While every major league team is required to retire Jackie Robinson's #42, the Lords of Baseball might also consider having every team display a pair of rimless glasses, an unlit cigar and a bow tie in memory of Branch Rickey. Until that happens, Lee Lowenfish's book stands as an excellent and precise memorial.

Robinson's contribution to baseball and American history is undeniable, but he was acting, to some extent, in his best self-interest. Rickey's self-interest, as normally defined, however, would have been to continue to bar the door to African American participation in the big leagues, while denying the door was even shut. This was the path of his fellow baseball decision-makers, for decades.

Rickey defined his self-interest in broader, even spiritual terms. He was several kinds of paradox: a muscular Christian, a country gentleman who lived and worked in the biggest cities, a tee-totaler who constantly supported and even loved rascals like Leo Durocher, Dizzy Dean and Pepper Martin.

Mr. Lowenfish, in addition to being a fine baseball maven and historian, is also a professorial-grade expert on American History. He combines these areas of expertise smoothly, giving depth and meaning to the various events and decisions in Rickey's life. He weaves details from inside baseball and culture into a deeply textured whole.

He also does not see the world in terms of cardboard heroes and villains, a particularly rare and useful point of view when it comes to this story, which has so much genuine and well documented heroism. Lowenfish reports on Happy Chandler, Lee Mac Phail, Ben Chapman, even that original baseball Satan, Walter O'Malley, by treating them as real people with complex motives, instead of mere evil-doers put in the world specifically for Robinson and Rickey to overcome.

Give Robinson, who walked through the door, all the credit in the world. But also credit he who opened the door. Lee Lowenfish does so in the way that Rickey himself would have most admired: by showing the human beings behind the myths.

If you consider yourself a baseball fan you need to read this book, because Branch Rickey was an integral part of the game's history. The book is 600 pages long, but the reading style flowed easily for me, and held my interest throughout the book. The legal profession's loss was baseball's gain as he devoted practically his entire life to serving the game while serving others at the same time. He spoke his mind and rubbed some people the wrong way, but this conservative Republican knew a wrong when he saw it, and opened up the game of baseball to the Negro race when other owners dared not disrupt the status quo. After a stint at coaching at the University of Michigan where he encountered who he deemed one of his two favorite players, George Sisler, he moved on to St. Louis to cover the lowly Browns where he worked under his favorite superior, Robert Hedges. From there it was to the Cardinals where he placed his stamp on the Redbirds successful teams of the mid-1930s Gashouse Gang, and early 1940's which were under the ownership of Sam Breadon. From there it was on to Brooklyn where he made history by signing Jackie Robinson along with others who would become stars of Roger Kahn's book "The Boys of Summer" during the 1950s. Following the 1950 season he left the Dodgers following a power struggle with "The Big O", Walter O'Malley. The Pittsburgh Pirates came calling, and once again Rickey built a cellar-dwelling franchise into a championship 1960 team with players such as Dick Groat and stealing an unprotected Roberto Clemente from the Dodgers' minor league system. Rickey's last stop was back in St. Louis when Cardinals' owner "Gussie" Busch hired Rickey as a consultant. This proved an unwise move on the part of both Busch and Rickey. Rickey clashed with Redbird general manager "Bing" Devine who was in the process of building a winner in St. Louis. Rickey wanted Stan Musial to retire, certainly an unpopular suggestion where The Man reigned supreme. Rickey died in November of 1965 while making a speech in Columbia, Missouri. I remember listening to it on St. Louis radio station KMOX. This book is filled with legendary baseball characters such as Larry MacPhail, Red Barber, Leo Durocher, "Pepper" Martin (Rickey's other favorite player), Clyde Sukeforth, Rogers Hornsby, Frankie Frisch, Connie Mack, and numerous others. Incidentally, I was disappointed to learn that Mack was the only owner who protested to Rickey personally regarding the signing of Robinson. Mack is quoted, "I used to have respect for Rickey. I don't have any more." Mack added that his Athletics would not play the Dodgers in Florida if Robinson came with them. Don't be intimidated by the length of the book. To adequately cover Rickey's life it needs to be a lengthy book. If you enjoy baseball history this book will be a breeze. Treat yourself! You will also enjoy Rickey's quotations which are still appropriate today.

Let me touch on that last first.

Branch Rickey may have used the term "ferocious gentlemen" about various people he appreciated. It certainly was NOT used regularly of others about him, definitely not to the point where it became a moniker.

But, Lowenfish tags Rickey with it, and uses it of him about every 10-15 pages. It's grating, it's off-putting, and does nothing to move the story line forward. Nor does it do anything for me in a good sense of establishing Lowenfish as a special author.

There's a few small errors of fact in the book. Most notably, the 1948 Chicago Tribune headline was "Dewey DEFEATS Truman" and not "Dewey BEATS Truman."

Other than that, while not leaden, the style of the book is not crisp, either.

As far as content, the book could either have been written a bit tighter and be 50 pages shorter, or else have been longer and more jam-packed. Rickey's Brooklyn years and especially his relationship with Walter O'Malley come immediately to mind. What first set them off against one another? Did Rickey have any quotable comments about O'Malley? Ditto for O'Malley about Rickey.

In other words, this book isn't bad as a Rickey bio -- if you can get past Lowenfish's writing tics. But, there's surely a more compelling -- and better written -- book available.

This book was very interesting had a good theme and plot.

It kept the reader on edge throughout the entire book. I would

recommend it to everyone.

One of my all-time favorite books. Attractively packaged on acid-free paper. Very classic looking. And the fiction is excellent! Her stories about the Plains, the Southwest, Chicago, and Quebec are perfect works of art. I especially liked "Tom Outland's Story" contained within "The Professor's House."

Like all the volumes in the Library of America series, this book is beautiful and made to last. Some readers may be bothered by the thin paper, but it allows so much to be packed into a handy book. As the title states, this is a collection from Cather's early work (her first "first novel," _Alexander's Bridge_, is missing). _The Troll Garden_ is a collection of Cather's early short stories, most in the manner of H. James and have a fin-de-siecle tone. "The Sculptor's Funeral," which depicts a town's inability to recognize achievement in any form but monetary, is perhaps the best. That and two other stories were revised by Cather for _Youth and the Bright Medusa_ (1920 an available in LoA 57 _Stories, Poems, and Other Writings_). Reading the versions side-by-side, one can achieve insight into Cather's growing abilities as a writer. However, the most rewarding read in this volume is _My Antonia_. Cather's first masterpiece depicts the lives of Jim Burden and Antonia Shimerda from their arrival in Black Hawk, Nebraska to twenty years after Jim leaves Black Hawk for a life in the East. Antonia remains in Nebraska, becomes a maid in town, and marries (twice). The theme of the book, from Jim's perspective, is aptly captured in the epigraph: "optima dies . . . prima fugit" (from Virgil's _Aeneid_). Again like all volumes in the LoA, a chronology of the authors life, a "Note on the Texts" and a few notes, containing information on allusions and translations of foreign words and phrases appear at the end of the volume.

This book was very interesting had a good theme and plot.
It kept the reader on edge throughout the entire book. I would recommend it to everyone.

Somehow, though I love to read,I had missed Willa Cather. I had already read and loved Jane Austen but it was not until I read "My Antonia" that I realized what I had missed all of these years. Willa Cather is truly a genius of the written word. To call her writing 'good' or her stories 'enjoyable' is to understate her talent. Her writing is beautiful though the stories are simple. Each place she writes about makes one believe that she lived there all her life. Her book "Saphira and the Slave Girl" would make you think she had lived there and in that time. Many of her stories are out on the prairie and seem to glow with the golden light from the sun on the fields of grain. Her characterizations are simple but profound and she often throws in a dramatic tale told by a character. And yes, this physical book is also beautiful and a joy to read. It makes one wonder about ever reading a cheap paperback again.

As a former Armor officer I was captivated immediately. This is a story by a soldier's soldier. The stories are incredible, the action non-stop throughout. Colonel Loza is a true hero and warrior who tells a great story, albeit not in the flowing, perfect prose of the ivory tower historian, but that is what makes if all the more gut wrenching and believable. All tankers should read this one!

Colonel Loza commanded a unit of M4 Sherman tanks in the Red Army against the Nazis on the Eastern Front in WWII. Much maligned in most accounts, the "emcha", as the Russians called it, served very well for their purposes. The USSR received thousands of Shermans from the US as part of FDR's plan to support the Russian war effort. As told by Colonel Loza, the Sherman had a number of advantages over its German opponents. The Sherman was highly reliable, able to operate for long intervals with minimum maintenance. Complex German tanks, on the other hand, were in need of constant repair and servicing. Also, the Shermans had superior cross-country mobility, allowing them to cover ground that their opponents couldn't cross. This also gave them avenues of approach that the Germans sometimes left open, certain that tanks couldn't negotiate the terrain. Finally, the version of the Sherman that the Russians used had dual diesel engines. By running on only one engine, they had reduced speed, but also a very reduced noise signature. This permitted the Russians to make several successful night attacks on unsuspecting German units, sneaking up to practically point-blank range, where the German tanks' superior armor and firepower were negated.

After Germany's defeat, Colonel Loza's unit was transferred to Mongolia to chase the remaining Japanese units from Manchuria and to accept their surrender. Although they didn't see any real combat, the Shermans were on the road for extended periods covering the vast desert landscape, and their reliability was a real virtue.

This book is written in an engaging first person style, and reads almost like a novel rather than history. WWII fans and history buffs will definitely want to add this to their lists. Enthusiastically recommended.

During WW2, the United States shipped a whole lot of Lend Lease material to the Soviet Union, and included in this equipment was a total of about 5,000 tanks. Most of those shipped were diesel-powered M4A2 Sherman tanks (emchas to their Soviet crews, after an abbreviation of the Russian pronunciation of M4) and this book is the memoir of the service of an officer who rode several of these tanks from the Ukraine to Czechoslovakia, then across the Gobi Desert to Mukden. It's well-written (not always a hallmark of Soviet war memoirs) and full of wonderful anecdotes, from whiskey bottles in the gun breeches to problems with the rubber-covered tracks and the high center of gravity. Strangely, Loza has more good things to say about the Sherman tank than Belton Cooper, who wrote Death Traps (which I just read). Cooper thinks the tanks were no match for their German counterparts, Loza argues that used properly, emphasizing speed and maneuverability, they could and did stand up to the Panthers and even Tigers tolerably well. The book includes several incredible stories, the sort of thing you wouldn't believe if the author hadn't witnessed the events themselves, and concludes with a bizarre kamikaze attack by Japanese planes on the tank column. My one gripe is that at points you feel you're missing something with regards to the author's private life (at one point he mentions that he has a family now, but you hear nothing of that otherwise; mention of his wounding and the events surrounding it are very sketchy) but that doesn't really merit a drop in my rating from the highest.

I found the book quite entertaining. It is also an answer to the critics who have condemned the Sherman Tank because of inferior armament and armor compared to the heavy Russiann and German tanks. The author confirms as Patton found that if the advantages of the tank, speed, reliability, high fire rate, off road capability and etc. are utilized that it could and did massacre its now more highly regarded counterparts.

I've always been interested as to how the people who used our World War II equpment, (not always the epitome in state-of-the-art), thought about the quality of what they received. It seems that the author had a high regard for the M-4 Sherman Tank, and this was from a national whose nation's specialty was the design and production of great tanks. He gives a fair comparison on the good and poor attributes of the Sherman and the application of that weapon in many battles and locales: from Europe to Asia. (Too bad the M-4 had such a small cannon compared to the German Tigers and Panthers: But precision shooting by the Soviets made up for the discrepancy). I learned a lot and am glad that Mr. Loza helped fill a need for information on this subject. (I was surprised that the Sherman was thought of so highly!) I would have rather had more details and depth in his book...but he wrote it terse, direct, and to the point (like the Romans used to style their military works...notab! ly Caesar). I heartily recommend it to anyone.