Illinois Books

If you're a student of George Rogers Clark, this is MUST reading.In 1976, I along with six other muzzle loading rifle enthusiasts re-inacted George Rogers Clarks capture of Fort Sackville (Vincennes Indiana). This book made the whole experience come alive. "Col" Don C. Wiley esq."DELCO DON" Don C. Wiley

This book was created mostly by the people who survived the Expulsion. Much material gathered in this book has never been made public in America.It is must reading for survivors and their children, at the least.

The title is not half as catching as the book itself. The well known historian Terry G. Jordan (author of German Seed in Texas Soil) wrote about this book: "In this unique biographical case study of 19th-century German migration to the United States, Andreas Reichstein deals with one family's life on both sides of the Atlantic, allowing the reader to understand the 'push' factors that drove the Wagners to emigrate, and the 'pull' factors drawing them to the United States, as well as the cultural changes required for adaptation to America." The book is truly fascinating to read (with exeption of the introduction). Its full of details which bring the past to life -- the situation in Germany in the 19th century as well as the hardships on the frontier. Yet, there's even more to this book. Its not just a vividly told story of immigrant families on the Texas and Illinois frontier but, it also describes what made immigrants become Americans. Its a compelling study about identity, about the past and the - possible -- future of the United States. Rarely have I read a book that intrigued me as much as this one.

In this crisply written, thoroughly accessible book designed for the home chef, author William D. Setzekorn has adapted a full repertoire of recipes handed down through the generations. Representatives of the cuisine brought to the United States by German immigrants in the mid-nineteenth century, this treasure trove of family favorites has been adapted to suit the contemporary American kitchen. All ingredients are readily available in any market and many convenience products have been integrated without compromising the authenticity of the dishes.

A full range of courses is offered here: appetizers like chicken liver pâté and stuffed mushrooms; potato, asparagus and chicken soups; a surprising array of seafood choices. There is an assortment of interesting preparations for game birds - pheasant in orange sauerkraut and duckling braised in red cabbage; roast goose with fruit stuffing.

For the heartiest appetites there are plenty of savory roast, schnitzels and stews, creamed vegetables and many variations on the ubiquitous cabbage. Still hungry for something sweet...try German pancakes or one of the strudel, kuchen or cookie recipes. This is an ethnic cookbook, but one so full of homey comfort foods of any American kitchen that the German-American Cookbook will be a popular addition to any home culinary library.

I live in Southern Illinois and my wife and I often ride our motorcycles throughout Southern Illinois and Northern Missouri. We often pass through areas where you can tell there used to be something buit it has long since been torn down or abandoned. A lot of these towns and ruins are explained in this book and it was pretty cool to know the history of these towns. I would suggest the author do a follow-up to this book with the history of many of the small towns in Illinois. There are many great places to see in Southern Illinois and Northern Missouri. Lots of old history and heritage. If you are a history buff or are just curious about the area around you in Southern Illinois, definitely purcase this book for some insight.

As The Gift Horse's Mouth opens, Jimmy Flannery learns that he can finally move up from precinct captain to Democratic committeeman in Chicago's 27th ward. It's a job he's wanted all his adult life, and been groomed for by his Chinaman, Chips Devlin, who also steered him into a career walking and inspecting the sewers. Chips has had the job for decades and is now ready to pass it along to Jimmy. It's a moment filled with potential, for Jimmy's wife, Mary, is pregnant with their first child.

But to get the job, Jimmy has to ask the favor of the head of the party, Ray Carrigan. Carrigan says he'll think about it, and while leaving Jimmy finds his mongrel dog, Alfie, having his way with Carrigan's purebred, Mistinguette, who is being walked by Carrigan's receptionist.

The next thing Jimmy knows, he gets an early morning telephone call from Carrigan telling him to come to an equestrian trail in Saganashkee Slough out in the suburbs. Goldie Hanrahan, Carrigan's long-time assistant, has just been found dead there. Jimmy is assigned to look out for Carrigan's undefined interests in the case.

Although he's only supposed to observe, Jimmy is soon off detecting. Goldie has been keeping a horse in a nearby stable for three years, but doesn't usually leave this early in the morning. And her famous golden bridge set (which is the source of her name) is missing. Did she swallow it when she died?

In the investigation, Jimmy learns that Goldie has been "friendly" with many of the Democratic movers and shakers . . . and had a child out of wedlock. Jimmy senses that the death is somehow related to the child, and tries to track the boy down.

Soon, he's single-handedly solved the case . . . which would have remained unsolved otherwise. The resolution of the mystery is a little tricky. Pay close attention to the descriptions of all the characters as you go. The first time I read this book years ago, I had to go back and reread quite a section until I understood how the plot worked. Hopefully, you will be more careful!

The most interesting part of this story is examining the consequences of adult choices. You will get a clear sense that Goldie's life could have been and ended much differently, as you discover who her main admirers were.

As you think about that, you should consider also what choices you have made that have improved and possibly worsened your life. What lessons can you draw from those experiences when you face important choices in the future? How can you pass along those lessons to those you love?

This brand new author has showed that she can write a wonderful book. I like how she wrote about the Glenview Naval Air Station, because I don't think most people really know about it. It will teach you that even though it was a small town, it did big things.

Chicago Tribune senior correspondent Charles Madigan presents Global Chicago, an anthology of essays discussing the history of Chicago, and exploring its transformation into one of the most famous and important cities of the world. From its rebuilding from a devastating fire, to its evolution into a hub of corporate headquarters and international transportation, to its groundbreaking architecture, medley of cultures as expressed in its over 120 foreign language newspapers, and much more, Global Chicago is truly fantastic exploration into history, culture, pride, and visions of the future. A most enjoyable reading experience for anyone looking to better understand Windy City history.

Glory, Darkness, Light:
A History of the Union League Club of Chicago
By James D. Nowlan
A review by Jack Winans
Jim Nowlan, after three years of intensive research, has finished his history of the Union League Club of Chicago. The League history is a fascinating insight into Chicago and Illinois state politics and progress - from Adler to Yerkes.
Jim worked on the book while concurrently maintaining a staggering workload, including the rebirth of "The Stark County News," teaching at the University of Illinois, serving on many state and local committees and constantly responding to reporters and politi-cians in need of his insightful comments on the current state of Illinois Republican Party debacles.
Jim was a member of the University Club but, after completing the book, resigned and joined the Union League Club. As Jim puts it, "I don't think I would have found the club attractive at all in the period of the 1930s into the 1970s. In fact, I joined the University Club in 1981 because it was the first club to admit women, as I recall, in the Chicago area region. And while that wasn't a litmus test, it seemed a little more progressive than the Union League Club, which would have probably been the primary competitor of those two clubs, which seemed to reach out to similar types of young, upwardly mobile professionals and middle-aged folks. But today, the Un-ion League Club seems to be quite progressive in its policies towards its mission; in fact, this is not a litmus test for me either. I think that they just admitted their first openly gay member, which would cause members from the 1940s to just twirl in their graves.
"The early club was an alternative to the very stuffy Chicago clubs, and there were other clubs like the Union League Club that were ports in the storm from the muck out in the street for people who needed to do business over lunch and simply wanted a refined setting in which to do it. I think the Union League Club is different in that it originally had a civic mission, which it has maintained.
"The Union League Club, probably through its Public Affairs [Committee] and Boys and Girls Clubs and maybe to some extent its Civics and Arts Foundation, does give the members who want to be active, opportunities to utilize, through the club, to be involved in good works, and a very high percentage contribute, and within that percentage quite a few actually participate directly. And I found that to be valuable, those activities to be valuable dimensions of the club, although many other non-profit groups do similar kinds of things. But it is nice to see a club with good purposes."
"I think the club, and I think I said so in the final chapter, probably needs to find a mission or an issue for this age and burnish or re-vise the tradition being a mover and shaker on something important and valuable to the city or to the state.
Jim was raised, as his dad was, a very conservative Republican, but says, "I'm kind of a mushy moderate as I age." Jennifer Davis of the Peoria Journal Star describes Jim as a jack-of-all-trades. She includes in his credentials: a term as an Illinois legislator; an "almost" lieutenant governor; a director of state agencies; an adviser to presidential, congressional and gubernatorial candidates; professor; au-thor; newspaperman; editor and publisher; community activist; and philosopher.
Jim says that during the recent senatorial race, he was contacted for his opinion seven or eight times a week by the media and political insiders. He also feels that although there is in the media abundant information on national and local politics, there is sparse coverage of Illinois state political affairs. He feels he can fill that niche with a syndicated column with his Midwest viewpoint. He currently offers his "op-ed" (opinion editorials) to Crain's and to a small newspaper group.
Currently he is wrestling to make his three newspapers work and will be giving much of his time for the next two years at the U of I at Urbana, where he is a senior fellow and will be directing a fellows program entitled "Civic Leadership," where he'll work with the best and the brightest. Jim's book, "Inside State Government," is practically required reading for new state executives.
Also, the Union League Public Affairs Committee and Ann Lucine, a member and professor of law at John Marshall, have created a committee that will anticipate a forthcoming state constitutional requirement to review the extant state constitution and see if it should be revisited with another constitutional convention. Jim has been identified as chair of the committee.
On top of all of these accomplishments, Jim's second novel, "The Editor's Wife," will be published soon. Once again, Jim takes a story from his own colorful and accomplished past. The book takes place in 1952 in a town modeled after Mount Pulaski, Illinois. The three main characters, as they were in "The Itinerant," are taken from Jim's memory. The "old man politician" is patterned after Jim's own grandfather with a touch of Paul Powell's persona thrown in. The son is perhaps a blend of Jim and his father, and the editor's wife is modeled after one of Jim's old girlfriends. Blended in is an interracial affair and two sets of mobsters, Chicago West Side poli-ticians and the Italians.
The multifaceted personality of Jim comes through preeminently in his editorials in the Stark County News, where his admiration for his hometown and the solid Midwest morality of his roots shines forth.

This is one of those treasures you wish would have remained in print. The focus is the history of religious impact on the frontier. Peter Cartwright and John Milliot Ellis figure prominently along with early Illinois colleges, religious movements and denominational circuits as Europeans broke the sod.

Willis has meticulously footnoted everything. Not only is this a useful history of the Yale Band as missionaries from Connecticut spreading religion to Illinois, Willis has inadvertently told us a story of prairie life with a unique perspective.

What could have been a rather dry account is peppered with anecdotes from those who became known as the Yale Band. I discovered this book while searching for historical information about the formation of Shelby County, Ill. Not realizing what impact the Yale Band had - or what it even was - I ignored it for a long time.

I have been immensely surprised at the historical documentation it provides about everyday life and religion in Shelbyville, Pana, Mattoon, Jacksonville, Galesburg, Quincy ... and the list goes on.

This is an absolute must read for anyone researching Illinois history and Willis' bibliography can lead the reader to endless other treasures.