United States Books

I have read all of the Sackett novels and most everything else that L'Amour has written. I would easily list this book as one of my top 3 favorites by the author. It's a different path for L'Amour, writing 1st person as a 16 year old girl. That being said, he was truly a gifted storyteller and this is one good book. I would highly recommend it, not only for young girls to read, but for anyone else who's looking for for a good story on the American West.

On a side note, I think this would be a great opportunity for a made for TV movie.

Very well done. We enjoyed listening to it. The narrator did an excellent job of making the story come alive.

This one is, in my opinion, probably the weakest Sackett story so far. I admitt I am new to Louis Lamour (relatively). I have read 9 of his books so far and I enjoy them very much and continue to read more. The Sackett series are a special lot but I was not overly excited about this particular one. It is worth reading, I guess, like any other Louis Lamour, but I would put this one off because there are many more exciting ones than this.
Still a Lamour fan

Louis L'Amour writes like a girl, and when he's telling the story of 16-year-old Echo Sackett, that's an excellent thing to do. Echo leaves her mountain home in 1840 to claim an unexpected inheritance in the City of Philadelphia, and the story is principally about her efforts to outwit and outfight the criminals who want to make sure she doesn't get back to the mountains with what is rightfully hers.

Echo, every inch the lady, has spunk and smarts enough to go with the knife she calls her "Arkansas Toothpick." Being a Sackett, she also has a lively sense of her family history. As in most L'Amour books, the Sackett ethos -- help your kin at any cost -- is on full display here. I also enjoyed the book because it includes a free black man and a gallant city boy, not to mention serious villains. Their adventures, and reactions to them, are true to the time and place of which they're part.

It's also worth noting that the moral code that suffuses this book -- the idea that doing good deeds is like scattering bread on the water -- is L'Amour's version of what author Catherine Ryan Hyde would famously call "Pay it Forward" many years later.

In short, on the river or off of it, Echo Sackett is good company, and not just another pretty face. She reminds me of a family friend who ignored the unspoken navy blue dress code to interview for an elementary school teaching job wearing a lime-green skirt and matching Eisenhower jacket. You'll enjoy this story even if you haven't had the good fortune of knowing a young woman of such character.

Echo Sackett is one of the few women mentioned of the family. She is young, but she is a better shot than her brothers. Echo is also a strong female character who still aspires to be ladylike and not masculized.

But she still knows to "expect Higginses" when she finds she is due an inheritance and travels alone to retrieve it. Fortunately, being a woman is an advantage in a world of men who will underestimate her abilities.

I admire L'Amour for writing such a strong, young female character. Girls may become interested in reading westerns after their introduction to Echo Sackett.

For anyone who lost a child, this is a very inspiring book. I remember where I was when I heard of the plane crash because I was an OSU basketball fan because of Eddie Sutton. I visited Gallagher-Iba Arena to see the memorial after reading this book.I appreciated Bill Hancock talking of his relationship with his sons. That set the stage for the section about the bike ride. I appreciated the tell it like it was theme of the bike ride, especially his mention of traveling through Monticello and Dermott, Arkansas. His retelling of his ride, with his wife as SAG of the ride, would make me want to do something like that because he did it for an altruistic motive. I would recommend this book to anybody and my copy is loaned to someone else.

This is one of the most inspirational books I have ever read--in part b/c it was not written to be that. Bill Hancock's message is so simple...appreciate life. Appreciate the good times because they are good. Appreciate the bad times, because they alone can help you realize the good, and both are part of who you are. He should be commended for his tenacity to stay the course, both his journey in life and cross country biking!! I wish I could thank him in person for sharing his story.

I originally bought this book for friends who lost their 16 year old son in an accident. This last year I bought it for myself and read it. If you have recently suffered the loss of a loved one it is very difficult to get through the first chapter where the author details the loss of his son and the immediate reactions of the family and friends. After the first chapter the book moves into the difficult ups and downs of getting on with every day life with while being gripped by overwhelming grief. There are so many places in this book where the author is able to put incredible perspective on what most people would consider ordinary events. Whether you've suffered the loss of a loved one or not, you will read this book and look at people and things differently than you did before. I hope that I am a better friend to people who suffered a loss because of the understanding this book gives the reader. I found myself disappointed as I was nearing the end, because the book was so well written that I wanted to keep on going with Bill Hancock beyond his cross country bike ride. I "googled" the author and contacted him by e-mail to tell him why I had bought 2 copies of the book and how much it meant to me after reading it. He responded the next day with a very thoughtful e-mail. I highly recommend reading Riding With the Blue Moth by Bill Hancock.

I felt like I was along for the ride with Bill Hancock in "Riding With the Blue Moth", experiencing the emotional highs and lows, chuckling at the amusing experiences he had along the way, and shedding more than a few tears. Nothing strikes fear into the heart of a parent more than the prospect of losing a child. The Hancocks experienced every parent's nightmare and the healing of the cross-country bicycle ride was great both for the reader and, I suspect, for the author as well. I highly recommend this book to anyone, but especially to anyone who has lost an offspring or is close to someone who has.

I've been reading this book at night for a week now. I shed tears nearly every night, and find myself at the bedside of one or both of my kids thanking God for the privilege I have of being their Dad. This book has almost become a devotional for me. The depth of the writing is stunning.... My prayers are with you Bill and Nicki. Thank you for letting us glimpse enough of your pain so that we can better treasure all that it means to Live.

The book begins with a short thumbnail introduction of the story of Route 66, and then heads into an east-to-west, state-by-state series of chapters. The premise is that the author started with a number of original postcards showing various spots along Route 66, then drove the Mother Road photographing as much as he could; specifically, he does his level best given changed conditions to duplicate the postcard shots from the same angle, distances, etc, to give a then-and-now contrast. For each building, location or more general town-shot, he gives a short paragraph of the history of the site; some of these are more informative than others, depending on his sources. (A number are from personal interviews.) The result is a great road trip by camera. There are shots of properties scarcely changed over 50 years; and there are shots of towns once busy where the land is now completely clear and there no longer exists any trace of that bygone town.

This coffee table book is a great look back on a time now truly gone. Roadies will appreciate the love and care that went into the book on every level. If there is a fault to cite it would perhaps be that some of the locations chosen seem to have been based on the availability of postcards to the author, rather than the potential importance of the sites themselves. But that can easily be remedied. Witness, volume 2 of lost and found is now available.

Great Photographs, yesterday and today. Gives you a good feeling of the old Route 66.

this is a great book in my opinion i love it very informative nice pictures and comparisons from old-new of most photos of places .. i have been on bits of 66 over the years i may never drive the majority of it but reading this book made me feel like i did wonderful is all i can say

Both volume one and two are very interesting and well researched books.
I traveled Route 66 a couple of years ago and reading the book was fascinating- now I know how many locations I went sailing past without a clue!
When I next get a chance to do a repeat journey, I shall certainly re-read the books very thoroughly and travel slower so as not to miss such historic scenes.

I love this volume and number two. As a child in the fifties whose father was an Air Force officer, I remember the thrills and excitement I had whenever my father would be posted to a new base. My sister and I would be in the back seat and we always drew an imaginary line on the seat which delineated our respective domains.
We would love the nighttimes because when we drove through the towns, there were all these brightly lit signs for drive-in movies. We would usually stop for gasoline and have lunch in some greasy spoon. It seemed like each restaurant booth had a box on the wall that would beckon one to play five songs for a quarter from the jukebox.
As an Army officer myself in the 60's and 70's, I traveled Route 66 with my own family. The thrill was still there up until the 70's when it became more expedient to use the interstates.
These aforementioned books continue to bring back very fond memories.
It is readily discernable that the author spent numerous hours researching his information for each of his photos. Where possible, it appears that he shot the modern versions of the subjects from the same angle as that shown in the archival photos.
I hope there will be a volume III and volume IV.

This is for anyone who has ever fallen in love with this wonderful city, that is any who has ever, however briefly, been there.

The format is, as it is for all the "Then and Now" series to show vintage photographs paired with modern shots of the same view. The captions describe the scenes, giving short historical backgrounds. Anyone who has ever spent any time in the city will recognize some of the modern views and will probably find themselves interested in the vintage shots giving the history of the scene. Those who are planning a return visit just might want to slip this slim book into their luggage to take sightseeing. It also just might make a welcome reference for anyone reading about the old days in the City or watching an old film set there.

Lovely to look at and reasonably informative. Will be most enjoyed by fans of San Francisco. I can't see midwesterners enjoying this book. But if you live in or have visited the city by the bay this may be the book for you.

I received the book as a gift vut I would gladly paid for it.

This book is wonderful. A must have whether you live in the Bay Area or have visited here. Worth every penny.

These are a great series of books, I own each of my Favorite cities in the US. Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco. It is really cool to see old pictures of the cities compared to current pictures.

I'm not using "conservative" in the current political sense, obviously. Everybody knows that John McCain has less than a snowball's chance in Gomorrah of winning in SF. I using the term conservative in its root meaning, something like "saving what was valued in the past." Preservation and conservation have the same Latin root. San Francisco has conserved more of its past than any western American city, and I could make a case, I think, for its preservation of more old-fashioned city life even than Boston or Savannah.

Except for the tiny downtown financial district, San Francisco "looks" old. The vast majority of houses, churches, and schools were built in late Victorian styles and have been lovingly restored in the same styles. Even the relatively "new" streets of the Sunset are old-fashioned now, predominantly in modest Art Deco style of the 30s and 40s. And it should be no surprise that ATT baseball park is a booking success, since it's strikingly old-style brick in construction, with a street car stop at the front gate.

San Francisco is a bastion of old-fashioned independent mom 'n pop businesses. There are thriving corner groceries and open-air once-a-week markets: independent restaurants ranging from very cheap to ultra expensive, but hardly any chain restaurants in the neighborhoods. The big chain grocery stores like Albertson's struggle to stay open in competition with locally owned stores like Andronico's, which has six stores around the whole Bay Area. There are more independent fitness centers and gyms in the neighborhoods; 24-hour fat farms are not the norm in SF. There are no malls that would be recognizable to most Americans in downtown or neighborhood San Francisco. The only malls - and very small they are by US norms - are on the suburban fringes.

Even Boston is cut up by freeways today, though the traffic is no better managed than when I lived there in the early '60s. Seattle is sliced in half by its ineeffective central freeway. San Francisco is the place that blocked freeway construction in the late '60s. Several freeways have been demolished in SF in the last ten years! Streets in SF are narrow and parking is tough, but a measure to build more parking lots was recently defeated at the polls, and any attempt to chop wider streets through SF would meet with armed resistance.

Baseball is the number one sport in SF. The fans of the football team pour in from the 'burbs to the hideous modernistic but crumbling stadium just at the edge of the city. The basketball team plays in Oakland. Any town where baseball rules has got to be considered conservative!

People in SF are conservative dressers, especially by California standards. I know women who live in LA, who carry clothes they consider drab to SF when they visit, so that they will not stick out like the inflamed rear view of a peacock's tail. One never sees "his and hers" outfits on the streets, especially not pastels. Men wear less bling per capita in SF than in Omaha. A neck chain and an open shirt would get you sneered out of polite society in SF.

Sweet old-fashioned window boxes are everywhere in SF. Street tree plantings are lovingly maintained. Open space is all-important to San Franciscans, and it's by stubborn resistance to development than SF has preserved more open space (finangling the take-over of decommissioned army, coast guard, and navy bases) than any comparably populated region of the USA. Nature is inherently conservative.

The half-mile strip of upper Haight Street, which gets the attention of the "screaming heads" on TV and radio, is not populated by San Franciscans. It's the runaway and stumble-away refuge of the discontented - the "poor abused confused missused" - of all the dysfunctional "conservative" families and communities from Modesto to Miami. They come to SF to enjoy the true conservative values of privacy, tolerance, and neighborhood friendliness.

Extremely fast, efficient service. The book itself was in perfect condition. Wish every buy was this flawless.

I wish that there more of a discussion of the importance of Executive Order 11063. Also, did Shriver have the opportunity to visit some of Peace Corps Volunteers in Iran's shahrestan?, viz., in Aliabad, Bidokht or Birjand?

Read this book not only for its historical value. Read it also for a contrast to the current Bush administration and the kinds of leaders currently recruited to public service. Bush seems to punish diversity of opinion within his circle, and he promotes less competent folks while rooting out those who get "off message." When a problem comes up, Bush instantly wants to zero in on one single solution.

In contrast, Sargent Shriver, as this biography shows, was someone who gathered the best minds about him. They would openly and heatedly debate each other about not only the problem, but also about various solutions (rather than one alone). What kept them from all hating each other? For one thing, they knew that Sargent Shriver valued each of their varied contributions; for another, they also knew that they were serving the greater good, not just their boss, Shriver, or the president (JFK or LBJ).

This book will impress you with how much good was accomplished by one man. But it will also impress upon you the fact that the good things Sarge accomplished were the product of a man who had a largeness of mind, an openness to different ideas, an intellectual curiosity that always sought out the wisdom of others.

Sarge is without a doubt a long overdue and first-rate biography of a great American. Most seem to have forgotten what an inspiring man Sargent Shriver has been. The way in which Stossel records the war on poverty is second only to the many facits of the Shriver-Kennedy connection. Don't be turned off by the length. Historians must read this; book lovers will enjoy it.

Don't miss this beautifully crafted biography of a man everyone has heard of but few know that much about, other than his connection to the Kennedys and now Calif. Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneger, his son-in-law.

Shriver's story is fascinating on its own. His championing of the Peace Corps, Johnson's War on Poverty, and the Special Olympics is amazing and remarkable. What a difference he made in the world, and how much more he might have been able to do had he only had his family's support for the presidency.

Scott Stossel is a biographer to watch. His easy-flowing style, coupled with his strong sense of history and way with words, make this a biography not to miss -- even if you're a conservative, anti-political, rabble-rousing atheist. You won't be able to put it down.

Best historical fiction novel to come along since Eugenia Price and her triologies on the antelbellum South. A historical feast of facts, written with incredible sensitivity and depth, and a story line that is a page turner set in none other than beautiful Savannah and its river reach plantations. Wonderful ! Charles Elliott

This was a compelling historical fiction. The story was captivating and brought the time period to life. I was impressed by the amount of historical detail and by the author's ability to create such engaging characters. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Savannah or wants to learn about its history.

Savannah Grey by Jim Jordan is a wonderful read. The author has created an exciting storyline with powerful characters all tightly woven into the history of pre-Civil War Savannah, Ga.

The reader becomes emotionally involved with the characters and feels the joy and sorrow of their daily lives while also learning about the life and politics of the time.

Savannah Grey takes you back to one of the most tumultuous times in our country's history and gives you a real glimpse of what life was like during that time.

After reading this book, I felt that I was living in the mid-1800's in Savannah. I walked the streets and around the beautiful squares with the characters in Savannah Grey. Mr. Jordan describes a difficult time in the history of Savannah and leaves the reader guessing as to what the future will bring. His depiction of his characters is realistic--the reader cares about their fate!

Savannah Grey immediately engages the reader's interest and imagination. Because of comprehensive character development, one can rarely separate the fictional from the non-fictional characters in this superlative historical novel. Fortunately, an appendix lists the historic characters by last name, first name, and brief description; however, the excitement is finishing the novel PRIOR TO checking this list!

A particular strength of this novel is the empathetic, balanced perspective--despite the novel's having "Savannah" in the title--between Southern and Northern views. In addition, Jim Jordan's inclusion of architectural details is educational and fascinating. My next visit to Savannah will be with notes gleaned from the book to view with new insight the historic homes and architectural styles as described in Savannah Grey.

A five-star first effort, leaving the reader with eager anticipation and impatience for Jim Jordan's next novel!

Fred L. Ray has added a new understanding of the important role of a little-known group of Confederate units that helped make the Army of Northern Virginia the most renowned fighting force of the war. Ray's excellent writing style takes the reader on a fascinating journey, from the development of these sharpshooter units through their important contributions during the war. Ray also does a great job of personalizing the stories of the men who served in these specialized units. This is a very informative and important addition to the library of anyone interested in the Army of Northern Virginia.

I am not an expert on the Civil War, and since I have never studied battles and troop movements, I was unaware of the existence and importance of the Civil War sharpshooter units. It was an eye opener when I read Shock Troops of the Confederacy by Fred L. Ray. This book is a virtual encyclopedia of facts on the formation and activities of the Army of Northern Virginia's sharpshooter battalions.

Public education on the Civil War, at least when I received it, is usually only an overview of the reasons for the war, mentioning the victors of few major battles and something about the commanding officers. So whenever I thought of the war it was in broad terms. Mr. Ray's book brings the war and battles to life and informs us of the highly organized units and tactics that evolved with the formation of the sharpshooter units. I learned how essential these units were in the management of troop movements and protection of those troops.

I have always felt the ideal way to learn about life in another era is to read the words of those who actually lived during that time. Mr. Ray's book delivers on that account with the inclusion of numerous dramatic first-hand accounts and narratives from those on the front lines, the sharpshooter units and the officers. They give the reader a sense of being there. I found the communication and interaction between shooters of opposing armies quite interesting.

The meticulous research and documentation that went into Shock Troops is evident in the detailed notes for each chapter and in the comprehensive bibliography. Mr. Ray must have spent countless hours in libraries and archives digging out unknown and forgotten materials that would make this book such a great read.

In addition, many excellent battle maps are included, making it easy to follow the described troop movements, and as a bonus the book includes a chapter describing the weaponry and types of bullets used in this conflict.

Shock Troops of the Confederacy is a must have for anyone interested in the Civil War, whether a novice or expert historian.

Richard Russell, compiler of Fear in North Carolina: The Civil War Journals and Letters of the Henry Family and My Dear Father and Mother: The Personal Letters of Livingston N. Clinard

CAN'T WAIT to use the information from the book to actually trace JEB's steps.

Fred Ray was kind enough to send along a review copy of his excellent book Shock Troops of the Confederacy: The Sharpshooter Battalions of the Army of Northern Virginia. Fred is the descendant of one of those sharpshooters, which is what got him interested in the subject.

To be candid, before Fred's book was published, I was not aware that such special duty battalions even existed in Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, other than references to Eugene Blackford's sharpshooters in the first day's fighting at Gettysburg. The book has changed that misperception of mine.

Fred Ray has written an exceptional book. It's a comprehensive tour de force of its subject, and one that should probably stand as the definitive word on its subject for a very long time. It's an extremely valuable and useful addition to the existing body of knowledge about the Civil War that was probably long overdue. The book is thoroughly researched and well-written. From my perspective one of the book's best features is the abundance of detailed, useful, and quality maps. Those maps address actions that have not been previously mapped. Fred drew the maps himself, and he did an excellent job it.

Of most value to the book for is its emphasis on the critical role played by the Confederate sharpshooters on many battlefields of the Eastern Theatre of the Civil War. Of particular value to me was the focus on the role played by the Confederate sharpshooters during the fighting for the Jug Bridge during the July 9, 1864 Battle of Monocacy. Before reading Fred's work on the subject, I had never seen any discussion of the role played by the sharpshooters in the fighting for the stone bridge on the National Road. Fred's analysis is detailed and comprehensive, and helps us to fill a big hole in our study of Jubal Early's raid on Washington.

I can't say enough good things about Fred Ray's book and can highly recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in the subject. I guarantee you that you will learn something new. I certainly did.

In this thought provoking book, the author starts out with a brief history of light troops followed by the history of the skirmishers of the Army of North Virginia. Although the Union side began the war with more and better light troops, they allowed them atrophy while the Confederates who faced them, learned from them. Innovation in the ANV tended to originate in Ewell's old division, commanded by Rodes. When the war began, the standard system was for each regiment to have one or two light companies sent forward as skirmishers. This had flaws. It was difficult to coordinate between all the companies, with Rodes' bad experience at South Mountain clearly showing the potential result. Soon, he formed for his brigade a special sharpshooter battalion to cover the front, and by the beginning of 1864 this was standard in every brigade in Lee's army. Because Lee's army was decentralized, innovation of this sort was encouraged and could spread. To enter a sharpshooter battalion, high standards of bravery and marksmanship had to be met so that the units did not become a collection of misfits. The men fought as light infantry, not as snipers in the modern sense, and used the best weapons available, including captured repeating rifles. The psychological effect on enemy infantry could be great, knowing that someone who was aimed at would likely be hit. The author's battle descriptions are quite useful. He shows how at Gettysburg Iverson's sharpshooter battalion got diverted into the low ground to face the Union XI Corps, which was threatening the division's flank, but with Iverson's brigade not protected properly, disaster resulted. At North Anna Confederate sharpshooters successfully screened the entrenchments, hiding them from view and allowing the Union army to unknowingly enter a trap. Most of the book covers the Overland Campaign and the '64 Valley and Petersburg campaigns, by which time new assault tactics were being developed to capture enemy pickets or assault earthworks. This, the author argues, shows a link to later infantry tactics developed by the German stormtroopers in World War I.. Unlike many other Civil War historians, the author is broad minded in looking at the broader tactical context - looking to events abroad both before and after the Civil War. The Franco-Prussian War, however, is given little attention. The author's interpretation of the use of Prussian columns differs with Nosworthy's, who believes that skirmishers were the main effort, with the company columns merely supporting them. So the author may over-emphasize the Boer War as a result. This is a minor flaw only; the book gives a good discussion of weapons and their accuracy and flaws as well as a good treatment of range estimation training. The book fills a void and should be a treasured volume to anyone interested in Civil War tactics.

Deserving of ongoing mention, SHORT AND SWEET: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE LOLLIPOP MUNCHKIN tells of a midget who represented the Lollipop Guild in the classic Wizard movie, and who opens his archives after 70 years in show business. A wealth of color photos from his achievements accompanies the story of his rise to fame and his encounters with stars from Lucille Ball to the Marx Brothers in this vivid memoir, recommended for any general-interest lending library.

Reviewed by Lisa Kisner for Reader Views (11/08)

After seventy-years in show business, Jerry Maren shares his adventures in this autobiography of his life. He came to Hollywood as a teenager to play a Munchkin in the Wizard of Oz and never left. He has played parts in all forms of media, including movies, television and the live stage. Informative narratives, personal recollections and hundreds of photographs are combined into this wonderful memoir.

This book is a straightforward account of the author's years in Hollywood told with a touch of humor. As a little person in Hollywood, Mr. Maren's career was unusual and varied. His most famous role was as the Lollipop Munchkin on the Wizard of Oz. Mr. Maren relays one anecdote after another as he recalls the fond memories of playing the Munchkin and many other unique roles in television and movies such as Buster and Brown and body double for Charlie McCarthy. During his career he has shared the stage with actors such as Judy Garland, Groucho Marx, Humphrey Bogart and Andy Williams.

There are hundreds of pictures as well in the book that bring his recollections to life. I enjoyed reading about the various acting jobs Jerry held. Aside from the Wizard of Oz, I was delighted to find out how many fond memories of my childhood Mr. Maren played a part in, including the Apple Dumpling Gang, H.R. Pufnstuf and those McDonaldland commercials from the 70s I loved so much.

For me, this book was a walk down memory lane, not just my memories, but Hollywood's Golden Age as well. Informative, entertaining and interesting, "Short and Sweet" by Jerry Maren is pure enjoyment, from cover to cover.

This book is amazing to read and an informative joy to view the many photos. Jerry Maren has done so many endeavors and diversified ones in his life as recorded in this book. I have the privilege to know Jerry and his wife for many years. They are both very wonderful people. I think you will enjoy this book very much.

I have read several Oz books before, and this is one of my favorites. I love all the pictures and stories that were included from Jerry Maren's career before and after the Wizard of Oz. In the writing, it feels as though you are sitting down and listening to Jerry tell stories about the good ole days. Very easy reading, and highly recommended for any Oz fan!

Jerry Maren represented the Lollipop Guild in the Wizard of Oz, as a Munchkin on the most popular movie of all time. Here Maren reveals his life and career in Hollywood, examining evolving facets of 20th century culture and life, sharing experiences working among big stars from Lucille Ball to the Marx Brothers, and pairing color and black and white photos with fun memories in SHORT AND SWEET: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE LOLLIPOP MUNCHKIN. Any movie, Hollywood or general-interest lending library holding will find this a bright, popular lend.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This is the book for you! Pratt's writing draws you in and on even while he provides you with the difficult to read details of battle movements. He also captures the many personalities of the Civil War in a vibrant way including much humor along the way.

I can certainly understand why this is a long standing classic of Civil War history.

Where I thought the book was really outstanding was in the occasional observations about the big picture that the author threw in occasionally. For example, this is the first book where I have read that the North's oft cited advantage in men and machines at the start of the war was not as great as most claim. Also interesting was the observation that it was the battle at Chickamauga that was more important than Gettysburg. Agree or disagree, I really liked these observations when they happened.

What disappointed me was that the battles were dealt with in such a cursory way that they were hard to follow. Probably a necessity when dealing with the entire war in 480 pages. But Gettysburg, for example, took only about 15 pages. It was hard to get a sense of the drama and the personalities involved. Little was mentioned of Stuart's disappearance and late arrival to the battle or of Chamberlains desperate defense and repulse. Also, there were few dates given in the book. If you are already knowledgeable about the Civil War, this may not matter, but if not, it could be a problem... especially since the author sometimes follows one campaign to it's conclusion then backtracks in time to pick up the thread of another campaign.

This book's value, to me, came in those moments where the author put aside simply recounting events and offered up some insights into the bigger picture. I'd recommend this book most to people who know a bit about the war already but want to get some new insights.

This is a very readable, engaging, and concise look at the U.S. Civil war by Fletcher Pratt (1897-1956). This book first arrived in 1935, but don't worry about its antiquity. This is an excellent account of that tragic conflict, and you should enjoy it whether you are a Civil War buff or one with only a casual interest. Pratt concentrates heavily on the major battles and events, and tells the story of this bloody conflict in concise and readable detail. As one who has read superb in-depth accounts of specific campaigns or occurences by James McPherson and Bruce Catton, I'd recommend these two excellent authors for indepth reading. For a solid, concise, general history, Pratt has the ticket.

What can I say about this book? Well, how about in a lifetime of reading many books on the Civil War, both good and great, this one stands head and shoulders above them all. While more ink than the blood that was spilled has been used by many others to explain this terrible war, Pratt managed to capture the essence of the conflict in a short, brilliant book.
Pratt was a military historian of the first rank, but was also known for clever and exciting high fantasy stories. Perhaps it was this versatility that honed his storytelling ability to the sharp edge that we see here. While not missing a single important detail of politics, causes, battles, and personalities, he weaves an engrossing tale from start to finish, and creates a solidly researched history that is also a page-turner. This book is a joy to the student of the Civil War, but also appeals to those with no particular interest in that conflict, solely on the merit of Pratt's tight storytelling.
This book was written in 1935, and much new material on the Civil War has surfaced since then. Others, such as Shelby Foote, Bruce Catton and James McPherson have written much longer and more comprehensive works on the war that are excellent in their own right. Yet this little book still shines out as a gem among them. With its solid scholarship, sharp storytelling, and precise choice of details, it is the first rate Cliff Notes to the Civil War.

Theo Logos

I first read this book when I was about nine years old, having fished it out of my parents' bookcase to while away some idle hours. Eventually, I wore out its fragile binding and was left with a heap of pages until one day, on a visit to Washington DC, I was delighted to find a fresh copy in a second-hand bookstore. To this day, if I crave entertainment and inspiration, I take this book down from the shelf and open it at random. Whatever chapter - paragraph! - I choose is bound to shine.

Just how accurate or balanced Pratt's account of the Civil War is, I do not know. I have not read any other books about it. But he has made Grant, Lee, Lincoln, Stanton, Davis, McLellan, Hooker, Sherman, Sheridan, Bragg, Jackson, Stuart and dozens of others come alive for me.

Aged nine, I did not understand all the long words by any means. (What on earth was the "Dithyramb of Shiva", and what was an "Experiment in Tauromachy"?) But I loved them, and almost always figured out the meaning by the context.

In a way, Pratt made it possible for me to study history at university many years later. He inoculated me against the idea that history has to be boring, because I had such a stunning counter-example at the back of my mind. There are very few books of fiction that I have read that come anywhere near being so entertaining.

Anyone who hasn't read this book really ought to, if they have the slightest interest in military matters and delight in fine writing. Just one tip: if you can get hold of a hardback, it will last longer. The paperback gets fragile after a few readings, and the pages are apt to fall out unless you hold it very carefully.

... The world is diminished by the experience." William Shawcross concludes his excellent book with the previous succinct summation of his 400 plus page indictment of the policies and actions of Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon in regards to Cambodia. Of particular interest is the 50 or so pages of additions at the end, regarding Kissinger's reaction to the book - there is no real rebuttal, or listing of factual errors, it is all classic Kissinger dissembling. Sadly, the book remains achingly relevant today: one of the prime reasons stated for the invasion was to "save the lives of American troops," the same rationale President Obama just used in refusing to release photos of prisoner abuse at Gitmo.

In January, 1994 I walked through S-21, the Tuol Sleng prison in Phnom Penh. Aside from the caretakers, I was the only one there. The exhibits are mainly the haunting pictures of the torture victims. The nightmare of the Cambodian auto-genocide, in which a third of the population died within four years, was finally ended by the Vietnamese invasion in 1979. The agonizing question is why, in two countries with similar experiences in fighting a long war under the bombs, did this happen in Cambodia and not Vietnam. Shawcross gives some of the most likely reasons we'll ever have: "That summer's war provides a lasting image of peasant boys and girls, clad in black, moving slowly through the mud, half-crazed with terror, as fighter bombers tore down at them by day, and night after night whole seas of 750-pound bombs smashed all around (p 298). Even more telling, Shawcross latter says: "All wars are designed to arouse anger, and almost all soldiers are taught to hate and to dehumanize their enemy. Veterans of the combat zone are often possessed of a mad rage to destroy, and to avenge their fallen comrades. It does not always happen, however, that victorious armies have endured such punishment as was inflicted upon the Khmer Rouge. Nor does it always happen that such an immature and tiny force comes to power after its country's social order has been obliterated... then giving power to a little group of zealots sustained by Manichean fear." I remember some who thought of Cambodia, pre-war, as an idyllic paradise, with the priorities in the right place. The author wisely quoted a more cautionary note by quoting a French archaeologist, Bernard-Philippe Groslier: "beneath a carefree surface there slumber savage forces and disconcerting cruelties which may blaze up in outbreaks of passionate brutality."

A much younger and more morally astute Christopher Hitchens wrote an excellent book entitled "The Trial of Henry Kissinger." But it is Shawcross who has compiled the most damning evidence. Kissinger cynically used journalists (who were often all too accommodating) while behind their backs was contemptuous of them. Cambodia was just one of the many pawns on his chessboard. Shawcross reminds the reader of Kissinger's rationale behind his belief that he had the right to overthrown the democratically elected government of Chile: "I don't see why a country should be allowed to go Communist through the irresponsibility of its own people." (p 304). One of the disappoint revelations that Shawcross makes is that Theodore White, whose "Making of the President" books I have always admired considered the invasion of Cambodia to be one of the two major achievements of Nixon's rule. (p 171).

In the "Plus ca change..." category, on how history continues to repeat, consider that the author documents how it was John McCain's father, the Admiral who was Commander in Chief of Pacific forces would give energetic lectures about the "threats" to the United States that members of the press dubbed him the "Big Red Arrow Man." (p 136). General Abrams hyped, like Rumsfeld would a generation latter, that the Vietnamese communists had a headquarters that was a "reinforced concrete bunker, 29 feet underground, that housed about 5,000 officials and technicians. And recently Condi Rice defended George Bush with exactly the same rationale that Nixon told David Frost in an interview: "Well, when the President does it; that means that it is not illegal." (p 159). The "divine right" of Kings lives on!

Overall, Shawcross has written the sine qua non of books on the Cambodia tragedy. It is hard to be `judicious and balanced" when confronted with these events, but the author does provide the essential, measured account. A vital read, for then, and now.

I was living in Cambodia when I came across this book, following the recommendation of one of my English friends. I bought the book, opened it... and could no longer put it down! This book came as a complete eye-opener to me, on both how America had conducted its war across Indochina, but also on how Cambodia's history had/has been so intimately intermixed with Sihanouk's.

If you are into learning the backside of what we could all dub "official history", then this book's for you. You will no longer look at Kissinger, Nixon or Westmoreland with the same candid, obedient and servile eyes after reading it. Packed with previously unheard-of accounts, reports, testimonies, following a clean, highly intelligent argumentation methodology, Sideshow acts as a real bulldozer on the reader, repeatedly confronting him/her with loads of devastating illustrations of unsound decisions, hidden political actions, secret wars of influences etc. It is certainly one of the punchiest, journalism-based historical account I have ever read, whatever the subject.

It shed a completely new and intense light onto the poor -though touching- little country I was living in then, and forever changed the way I looked at politics, diplomacy and intelligence.

Shawcross gets into the minds of Kissinger and Nixon so well. His is a book to be read over and over again to see the working of the U.S. Government and how it can destroy a country. He talks about the 25 pound shark at the bottom of a swimming pool full of children -- and we understand how the USA's leaders destroyed a country. It is a lesson to be learned over and over again as we go about destroying other countries. This is one great read - worthy of the time it takes to understand it. A victory for the author over Mr. Kissinger.

This book has managed to live on, which is perhaps unfortunate - historically speaking, it's far more relevant to contemporary geopolitics than it should be.

In any case, SIDESHOW has managed to stand as one of the better books on Cambodia, and America's involvement in Cambodia (Elizabeth Becker's WHEN THE WAR WAS OVER is a must-read as well). One could debate Shawcross' perspectives, but his research is meticulous and has withstood many attacks, and his depiction of the machiavellian darkness that can creep into foreign policy is chilling and ruthless, and - for better of worse - makes for hypnotic reading, all the more frightening as it's drawn straight from history, research, the Freedom of Information act.

Now more than ever, this is essential reading.

-David Alston

On Junior Day, 2006, I would recommend SIDESHOW by William Shawcross. It contains information about the twentieth century that could be applied to situations that America faces in the world in 2006. The global superpower naturally thinks that everything will be resolved by the application of hyperpower, as Japan suffered a humiliating defeat at the end of World War II when it discovered that the United States was not just fighting a war against Japan, it would nuke their cities to bring about whatever result it wanted. When American troops openly invaded parts of Cambodia, Congress responded by imposing limits which were still in place on April 30, 1973:

"The justification for bombing Cambodia had been to protect Americans in Vietnam. Since October 1970 the Congress had included in every military appropriation bill a proviso expressly forbidding bombing in Cambodia except for that purpose. By the end of March 1973 there were no American troops left in Indochina. Still the bombing of Cambodia increased. The administration now based its case on Article 20 of the Paris Agreement. Rogers now claimed that American withdrawal from Vietnam did not affect the situation in Cambodia, and that Article 20 legalized the bombing `until such time as a ceasefire could be brought into effect.' " (p. 277).

One of the strange things about the invasion of Cambodia was that Nixon made an announcement on April 30, 1970 which attempted to keep all previous secret activities secret:

Ignoring Menu, Nixon began with the lie that the United States had "scrupulously respected" Cambodia's neutrality for the last five years and had not "moved against" the sanctuaries. This falsehood was repeated by Kissinger in his background briefings to the press. That same evening he told reporters that the Communists had been using Cambodia for five years but, "As long as Sihanouk was in power in Cambodia we had to weigh the benefits in long-range historical terms of Cambodian neutrality as against any temporary military advantages and we made no efforts during the first fifteen months of this administration to move against the sanctuary." The next day he said of Sihanouk's rule, "We had no incentive to change it. We made no effort to change it. We were surprised by the development. One reason why we showed such great restraint against the base areas was in order not to change this situation." (p. 146).
In his announcement of the invasion, Nixon stated that his action was taken "not for the purpose of expanding the war into Cambodia, but for the purpose of ending the war in Vietnam"; he would give aid to Cambodia, but only to enable it "to defend its neutrality and not for the purpose of making it an active belligerent on one side or the other." (p. 146).

Currently Iran has a militia of five million, and if Iran were to officially enter a war in Iraq as a result of bombings by Israel, as urged by Vice President Cheney, to remove Iran's nuclear capabilities, even if a bomb based on plans provided by the CIA wouldn't work, Iran has other ways it could strike back. Being subatomic is very much like Cambodia was in 1970, but we shall soon see what issues are about to be submitted to the UN security council, and if it helps or hurts. A blockade created by Iran so American supplies might have more trouble reaching Kuwait and Iraq; oil exports from the region could end; American dollars could fall; the interest on bonds could rise so high that the U.S. government couldn't balance a budget; and some of the world's banks might then be alarmed.

SIDESHOW by William Shawcross is the only book I have in which I can look up Lon Nil in the index. Lon Nil might well be Cambodia's forgotten man. His brother, Lon Nol, declared himself Chief of State as well as Prime Minister and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces when he dissolved the Assembly in October 1971 and assumed emergency rule. (p. 229). In December 1971, an American psychiatrist in the U.S. Army found "his close associates indicate his mental faculties have deteriorated markedly as a result of his February 1971 stroke" (p. 208). On April 1, 1975, at the urging of his brother Lon Non, Lon Nol took half a million dollars and moved to Hawaii. (pp. 357-358). But for me, the best picture of events in Cambodia is the final page of Chapter 8, The Coup, in March 1970, when Lon Nol overthrew Sihanouk, using the hostility of the urban elite and military officers to Sihanouk to justify a power grab by a former Minister of Defense who "had been the principal scourge of the Vietnamese Communists while privately profiting from the thriving covert business that they brought through Sihanoukville." (p. 113). Sihanouk responded by forming a government recognized by Peking on May 5, 1970, shortly after the American invasion announced by Nixon. Sihanouk had flown from Moscow to China on March 18, 1970, but Lon Nil was still in Cambodia:

Rioting broke out in several provinces; opposition was strongest in the market town of Kompong Cham, Cambodia's second city, fifty miles northeast of Phnom Penh. After Sihanouk's radio broadcast, the town filled with peasants, fishermen and rice farmers from the neighborhood. The townspeople refused the government's orders to remove the Prince's portrait, and they burned down the house of the new governor whom Lon Nol had appointed. Demonstrators gathered in buses and trucks to march on Phnom Penh. They were halted by an army roadblock, and after that . . . About ninety people were killed or wounded. (pp. 126-127).

The most vivid display of anger against Lon Nol occurred, again in Kompong Cham, when peasants seized his brother Lon Nil, killed him and tore his liver from his stomach. The trophy was taken into a Chinese restaurant, where the owner was ordered to cook and slice it. Morsels were handed to everyone in the streets around. (p. 127).