Washington Books

This is an EXCELLENT book about the inner workings and decision makeing process of the Bush Administration during Panama and Desert Shield/Storm.

It is easy to become jaded today about what our government is doing and why, but The Commanders, is one of the most engaging looks at your government coming together. For better or for worse, it is even more engaging since so many of the "players" in this book are in the forefront of our news today. One of Woodwards' best.

I bought this book on a Friday night and compulsively read the book until Sunday morning. The read is quick, and the parts about Panama are very fascinating. It's nice to read about something that doesn't involve the Middle East....oh wait a minute, the middle east is covered as is the military history of this period. Colin Powell is a hero and a great pragmatic man, which mkes me long for the pre-Clinton days. History would be much different if Goerge the 1st stayed in power just 4 more years. The bravery and pragmatism of the 1st Bush administration makes you wonder about this Bush administration.

Bob Woodword seems to have become the reporter of authority when it comes to writing what I have heard called "instant histories", that is, histories that will surely be expanded as perspective is gained on a given event, but ones that accurately record how people saw things at the time. In "The Commanders" Woodword gives blow by blow accounts of two major foreign policy crisis' which ultimately led to military action: the removal of Manuel Noriega from Panama and Operation Desert Storm. The book is a quick and absorbing read, focusing almost entirely on the relationhip between the military (Pentagon) and civilian (White House) leaderships, and how that relationship operates during a crisis.

I assume that many who read this book now look to widen their view of some of the key players in the current administration, namely Cheney, Powell, and Wolfowitz (though in much lesser role here) and now is as good a time as any to do so. My impression of Powell, while widened, remains consistent. He comes off as more hesitant to use force than others, very conscious of organization, very thorough, and very aware that words have power. Cheney, however, doesn't at all resemble his sinister caricature. He, too, is careful and analytical, often concerned with Bush "ratcheting up the rhetoric way too much," and, at one point, even recomending that Bush slow down and "wait for the UN." Whereas these two figures are painted as rivals within the "W" administration, they pictured as allies in the first Bush Administration.

Our problems with diplomacy are also present, though they are not the focus of the book. The presumed reaction from Latin America contrained our ability to craft a war plan in Panama, even though it was "anticipated that privately most of these governments would send back-channel word that they were nuetral or even pleased" that Noriega was removed, and it was certain that the Panamanian people hated their leadership (92% were ultimately in favor of Noriega's removal, according to Woodword). Also, many instances show Arab regimes begging for protection, though not wanting their populations to know about the American presence. At one point, the exiled Emir of Kuwait even refuses to meet with members of the US Senate. And of course, "The French were a problem and required a major effort". We will continue to have problems if governments, particualrly democratic ones, refuse to reveal to their publics what they see as in their own national interest. Ahh, the trials of a superpower!

If you are looking for an account of the diplomatic manuevering, the assembling of the coalition, or the national political debate preceeding either conflict; or you want an account of Gulf I itself, this is not your book. Taken for what it is, however, "The Commanders" is an excellent. There are a number of times where statements from this book could fit perfectly into the latest foray in Iraq, but I'll let you hunt for those.

Lastly, funniest line in the book: "the secure internal electronic-mail system, called E-mail, provided a means of quick nearly instantaneous communications by computer with the boss." Who knew only a decade ago that you needed someone to explain what an E-mail is?

This book starts at the beginning of the GHW Bush Administration and goes through to the very beginning of the Gulf War.
It's always a little difficult to know how accurate Woodward's recountings are of conversations and inner-thoughts of the most important people, but there are rarely serious complaints about the accuracy of his books - at least as far as I am aware. For the most part, the book comes from the perspective of Powell and Cheney, with important additions from other key folks at the Pentagon and White House.
The beauty of reading about the GHW Bush Administration is that one also learns about the GW Bush Administration, for many of the key players came back for an encore.

Woodward did a top notch job of discussing important issues in a way that appeals to the general reader. I hope he continues to do so with the GW Bush Administration; both "Bush at War" and "Plan of Attack" are fine books, but "The Commanders" is much better.

I saw a program on this garden on HGTV but had no idea that there was a book! I was not disappointed. Visually beautiful as is the garden and inspiring for a gardener like myself. I want them to come and work in my garden, but the book will have to do. Like dessert w/o the calories.

I first saw an article on Little and Lewis in a gardening magazine and had to have this book. I was mesmerized by what they had done.

The sculptures, greenery and landscaping are absolutely exquisite. I bought a copy of the book and sent it to a gardener friend of mine and he raved about it, also.

I think this book would appeal to fine arts people who are into gardening--people who want to create their own statuary, garden sculptures and unique landscaping and who need a creative impetus.

This is a wonderful, imformative and very useful book. The service in receiving it was excellent and the condition of the book was perfect.

We actually visited the gardens of Little and Lewis on Bainbridge Island, WA and they are every bit as good as shown in the book. Ordered two books for good measure!

What a wonderful, inspirational book. For the already accomplished gardener, this is a book not so much about "how to", as it is full of the great ideas and very personal vision of the author. Imaginative and full of pictures. I can't imagine a better gift if you have a gardener on your Christmas list.

Which do you prefer? A nonstop thriller you can't put down or beautifully-written literature with eloquent prose and rich language? Well, look no further! You get it all in Zubis Rises!! The main character, Bethany O'Brien, starts out as a journalist but it turns out she is actually the "Asima Uruk" whose role it is to destroy a genie named Zubis! Sounds unbelievable?! Well--Bethany would agree!!! That's what makes this story so believable! Bethany has no idea what she's in for! And neither do you...until you read Zubis Rises!! You're going to LOVE this book!!

"Zubis Rises" is an outstanding book that brilliantly blends the ancient and long hidden knowledge of the Djinn with the current religions, politics and world events of today. It is enlightening, entertaining and extremely thought provoking. It reads so smoothly and rings so truthfully that it is obvious to even the most casual reader that the author is extremely well versed in, and familiar with, the subject matter. It is book one of the Zubis trilogy and books two and three will be anxiously awaited.

K.F. Zuzulo has done the work for us. She has researched and synthesized for pleasurable consumption thousands of years of complex history from Ancient Mesopotamia to the Middle Eastern cultures as we know them today. Using the familiar image of a genie hovering expectantly above his vessel of imprisonment, she guides us through the less familiar territory of the man's interaction with smokeless spirits and with spiritual heros shared by the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths.

Bethany O'Brien, a smart, young American journalist, steps into a role on the world stage that belies her years, her beliefs and her consciousness. Fortified by the teaching of Sister Marie from her early years in the orphanage, Bethany is uniquely suited to unite faiths and link supernatural forces to the human world.

The characters are rich and deeply rooted in religious and mythical lore. The story is sophisticated and relevant. Even the freedom and wealth of the modern Saudi State are put into perspective with the discovery of oil imposing the "shackles of prosperity."

The intrigue and sultry interactions of Bethany and Zubis, a djinn who haunts her dreams and seeks to lead her astray, keep us hooked. The reader is left needing more!

*Zubis Rises* is a great story; what's more, I found myself learning more than I expected to learn in the midst of a well-plotted thriller. The novel is meticulously research and deftly weaves fiction, fantasy, and fact in this tale of love and adventure. It is more than just a beach read, obviously!

This book is a real page turner! I usually like to read novels at a slow pace to take everything in, but I could not keep this book down. Every new chapter brought new excitement and I simply had to find out what would happen next! Can't wait for the second book in the trilogy!

KEVIN AND HIS MOTHER ARE VERY SICK PEOPLE. THIS BOOK HAS ME LOOKING OVER MY SHOULDER AT NIGHT WHEN I AM OUT AND ABOUT. VERY GOOD READ!

Thank your for the speedy delivery of the book.

If you've ever wondered what reviewers mean when they use the phrase "true crime classic" this is the book that will explain it. Jack Olsen has written many fine true crime books and every well-read true crime fan has their favorites of his works, this Edgar Award winner is mine.

Frederick Harlan "Kevin" Coe is the son of a respected Spokane newspaper editor and his eccentric wife. The whole family is a little off in Olsen's telling, but batty in a way that reminded me of families I knew or knew of growing up. Maybe every town has a family with a flamboyant parent, one "perfect" child and one child that is "going to become someone important." Other people in town notice that the flamboyant parent's stories never quite add up and the child that is going to be something never seems to grow up but everyone is far too polite to actually say anything. Besides, it's no one's business, right? That's the Coe family - mother Ruth was the flamboyant one, telling people about her Southern belle background (she was from Washington State), Kevin's sister was the "perfect" one (she promptly high-tailed it out of Dodge as soon as she was old enough), and Kevin is always on the verge of something big, to hear him tell it, that is.

But Kevin never really grows up. He's forever reinventing himself, just like Mommy, to the point of rechristening himself "Kevin" and making up civic groups for himself to head up. Olsen makes it clear that Kevin Coe's twisted relationship with his mother Ruth fueled his rage against women. Ruth does a fine job of keeping Kevin tied to and dependent on her while complaining that he's, well, too dependent on her. Olsen shows all this but like the great reporter he was, he doesn't comment on it. He presents the facts and lets the reader draw the inevitable conclusions. For instance, he slowly catalogs the many nicknames Ruth and Kevin have for each other and those around them, showing how detached they are from their fellow humans, how utterly unable they are to interact with anyone else on a truthful emotional level.

What makes this true crime classic one of my favorites is encapsulated in its well-chosen subtitle: A Psychopath and His Victims. Olsen spends as much time and expends as much reporting effort understanding Coe's victims and the horrible toll of his crimes on them. He shows us these women living normal lives before, struggling with challenges like divorce and low self-esteem but still moving forward until Coe gets them in his sights. We come to know these women in a few short sentences and begin to understand the devastation Coe causes them.

This is a great book for any genre and a must read for true crime fans; and it's sadly as relevant today as it was 20 years ago.

This true story is a chilling reminder that we live in a world stranger than fiction. I could not put this book down. If you want to look into the world of the psychopath, this is the book for you.

SON is the type of book that you never forget. As you read, you keep thinking that surely it's fiction and remind yourself that there is a man, a real man alive today, that lived this nightmare. He endured unspeakable verbal abuse but, when he reached a point of no longer being able to "hang in there," he retaliated against his monster mother in the only way he knew how. If I sound sympathetic toward SON, I am up to a point. I am certainly sickened by his dreadful crimes, but he was a psychopath and he did all that he knew to do to block out the reality of his bizarre relationship with his parents. You can draw your own conclusion by reading this incredible book. When the book was made into a "made for tv movie" I didn't think any movie could do the book justice, but it did. The book became even more real after watching Dale Midhoff as SON and Elizabeth Montgomery as his insane mother. If you ever see it listed, don't miss it. All of Jack Olson's books are extremely well-written and always fascinating, but SON is the best.

I have not read the book. I caught the movie last night, It wasa fabulous film, so serene and peaceful. I dozed off for minute, not out of boredom, but out of athe peaceful refreshing feeling it gave me.

It left me waiting and wondering if there was ging to be a wedding, when I saw gim make it back after speaking to Little Barry on the bus.

I bought this book after seeing the Hallmark movie on T.V. which I throughly enjoyed. The movie was much like the book, with minor differences. Of course, the book had more details that explained the characters better. I'm not a fishing enthusiast, however, it was an interesting theme. I'm always looking for an appropriate book for my teenagers. There is one "PG-13" paragraph in the book where the main character, Noah, thinks back about a girl he use to know. Aside from this, it's a very "clean" book.

It's oft been said,that there are only two types of novels. One,"A Man went on a Journey" and two, "A Stranger Came to Town" This beautiful story is of the second type.
This is the first novel of Terry Kay's that I've read;and it leaves me wanting to read more.I have a fondness for earthy novels of the American South.I never get enough of Erskine Caldwell,William Faulkner,Steinbeck,Twain, and recently,Melinda Haynes,and now I've found another in Terry Kay. If you like reading about these "Salt of the Earth" people being written about with a great command of feeling,description,understanding,love and compassion;you'll love this book.
As you read this story,you will feel you are among these people,experienceing all their hopes,trials,happiness,sorrow and experiences. When you finish the story ,you feel that you would love to visit the place where all this took place,meet some of the people and maybe even "toss in a line" ;or even spend a little time with the author. Too bad, but 1948 is a long time ago,everything has changed in 60 years; so we have to be content with the writings of authors such as Terry Kay;and be thankful for them.
He has crafted a haunting story,filled with wonderful characters and writes lines that make you appreciate the thoughts that generally one marches past without appreciating.
A man wanders into town,stays a brief time and leaves the town and people changed forever.I can only imagine the sequels that Kay could write in follow up to Noah in his future travels,what a character!
When I read a book ,I take notes of great lines ,and this book is full of them. Here are a few of my favorite among many;

"He's like a politician. Wants what he wants,but wants somebody to
give it to him."

"..and the talk would spread like a flash fire in a field of dry
grass..."

"People like Noah made their way through life on tiptoes,afraid of
being heard,or seen,she believed."

"One day,she wanted to see such places,to eat the fruits of history off
the tress that carried them."

"Having a man in the kitchen was like having a donkey at a dance."

"They'd all been living on hope,waiting on some kind of miracle, but
they all knew it was hope that rested on quicksand."

And how about this one?

"You're gonna make a great ghost when you die",Moody said.
"Why's that? Taylor asked.
"You so easy to see through," Moody told him.

This book is a real treasure.

This book is delightful. Terry Kay slowly and deliberately draws a tale that seems to be primarily about fishing, but is actually a story of the effect people have on each other and about life itself. A gifted fisherman comes into a small southern community and forever changes it and everyone in it. This book was a very satisfying read.

Fantastic imagery. Interesting, yet melancholy story set in a pituresque time and place. I highly recommend it!

I cannot say anything bad about this book! WHAT THE SHADOW TOLD ME is clever and irreverent. Engaging characters take you on a wonderful ride while at the same time poking the publishing industry in the eye.

With the embedded screenplay it is also a two-fer the price of one, an excellent value. Cameo's by such notable icons as Satchel Paige and David Hasselhoff too!

Buy it, borrow it, beg for or steal it-this is a must read!

I couldn't put it down. Very funny. My favorites things in the book were (don't worry, this will give nothing away!): the Baby Bomber; all the names; the Biminim re-translations; Rufus' letter at the funeral; the character of Timm Clifton; the haikus; the clocks; the old propaganda film; Henry David Monroe; and Christians Against Kwanzaa. Sign me up.

WHAT THE SHADOW TOLD ME by Kurtis Davidson, the writing team of Kurt Jose Ayau and David Rachels, begins when Rufus Walter Eddison, America's greatest African-American writer, dies suddenly. His editor, Justina Patterson, is left scrambling to find the manuscript to his second novel before an unscrupulous senior editor at her publishing company can generate a fake to be passed off as the work of the dead genius. Justina has been brought up to revere the famed author, as has all of America and most of the world. The only problem is he wrote his great American novel in 1951 and for forty-eight years has failed to deliver the manuscript of the sequel as he was under contract to do. Eddison was so paranoid that his second novel wouldn't live up to the world's expectations that he never even wrote a grocery list after that. Or so it seemed. Justina has to find his book or face grim alternatives: seeing Eddison's elderly widow, the sweet Maisy May, impoverished because she has to pay back the large advance the publishing company paid Eddison years before or allowing her publisher to perpetrate a literary fraud in the name of book sales.

In the effort to locate the lost manuscript, Justina meets a wide assortment of hilarious characters, which are well-developed and unique in their voices. Among them is Biminim Strimpoonanamam, an Asian man with an unpronounceable name and nearly unintelligible English. Biminim translates novels from English to another foreign language to English for people who speak English as a second language. The result is outrageous translations of great literary works in Pidgin English that border on the racist, but land on the side of just plain funny.

Ayau and Rachels as Kurtis Davidson have written a story that takes humorous stabs at the publishing industry, sports, music, the rural South, academia, and literature, in general. Most of the characters in this story are African-American, but the theme is so universal in its appeal that it doesn't feel weird that two white guys wrote this novel. WHAT THE SHADOW TOLD ME is clever and satirical. It is the winner of the 2003 Faulkner Society of New Orleans Award.

Reviewed by Kim Anderson Ray
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

Who would think that in a city of 8 million people (and those living in Monrovia) there would be a tight knit group that would all be touched in a big way by the hunt for a phantom manuscript? Learn of the secret (and not so secret) lives of all involved. With a celebrity list a mile long, penned in cameos include; Olga Korbut, Susan Dey, John Lennon, Tammy Faye Bakker, David Hasselhoff, Satchel Paige and Adolph Hitler. Follow Justina on her mad search while she is "on vacation" for the jewel of a famous black writer's career. After reading this I felt I was back at the magic kingdom riding my favorite ride mesmerized by all the children singing, "it's a small world after all". I haven't read that much in one sitting since I read to my son Melville's "Moby Dick" and he wouldn't let me stop until the exciting part was over. Thanks guy's! It sure was wild,

Blake

I *loved* this book. Couldn't put it down, even though I had deadlines. I laughed my ass off the whole way through, and I found myself caring about the characters. I hope KD will consider writing a Biminim Strimpoonanamam spin-off novel. You'd be crazy not to read this.-Torin Alter

This is a big book, full of candid photographs of some of the rawest moments in punk rock history in DC. Anyone who is interested in the history of the scene, especially Dischord, should be able to appreciate how extensive this collection of words and images is, and will enjoy the sense of urgency and life it conveys.

Without a doubt, this book is the best around on punk and hardcore. Banned in DC was put out long ago, about at the height of the infatuation with Dischord, just as that DC scene was beginning to shun itself and others, in a way.

But this collection of b/w photos is amazing. Simple and smart, the pix capture the essence of the scene, including the bands and the people. Because this music is best experienced live, the photos do it justice unlike words can.

Anyone into punk, hardcore or indie music needs to have this book. Unlike many British and 70's NY or LA punk books, Banned in DC means something to anyone who grew up on 80's and 9's underground music.

This book rocks! I feel so lucky to have grown up in the area during this time skating and listening to these legendary bands that helped pioneer and shape the domestic punk rock scene. That time in my life had such a great influence on who I am today. In what was normally a stuffy conservative area, the DC punk scene was a culture of it's own that forced me to think outside the box. I have long since left the area for the west coast, but I will never forget that time and all the great shows I saw at the 9:30. This book really helps bring those memories back to life.

I've had this book for years! I even found three pictures that have me in them!

It's a collection of photos that could be submitted after the fact - because of that, the photos were of people and bands that were around the photographer/submitter - thus the limited perspective that some reviewers commented on.

I don't think that the people taking the pictures had planned to publish something of this magnitude, and try to make a documentary of it, but the stories and pictures of people that I remember make it worthwhile. Some of these people are still very influential in the music scene.

If you want to get a feel for what it was like during the late 70's and into the 80's in the DC punk scene, this book is invaluable.

These rare photos are amazing. Cynthia Connelly's simple high-contrast black-and-whites were ubiquitous while growing up in the DC area, and for good reason--she is an awe-inspiring artist and master of her craft. The only thing that's disappointing about this book is that it features her boyfriend Ian's record label and both of their dischord-scene friends a little TOO prominently. There were (and still are)so many other bands and people doing things in DC--NOT just Dischord--many of the other small labels, promoters, and bands who maybe weren't accepted by the 'Dischordites' are ignored and as such, dismissed here. Too bad. This is a one-sided view of a very multi-dimensional, thriving musical scene.

With the backdrop of the emerging black middle-class in segregated Washington, D.C., during World War II, author Brad Snyder tells the compelling story of two baseball clubs and the push to integrate one professional league.

There is Homestead Grays founder Cum Posey, who is looking to relocate his franchise from Pittsburgh before the start of the 1940 season. And there is Clark Griffith, owner of the pathetic Washington Senators, who can briefly shuffle aside his racism for a business deal that will bring a new revenue stream to his bank account when the team is playing away from Griffith Stadium.

This initial tenuous partnership delivered a surprise to Griffith; the Grays exemplary play on the field found them outdrawing the cellar-dwelling Senators and galvanizing a new generation of baseball fans. That success - even with onerous stadium leases common when NLB teams played in facilities used by Major League Baseball clubs - helped propel the integration of MLB in 1947.

The era is also seen through legendary sportswriters Sam Lacy & Wendell Smith, Buck Leonard - the greatest pro first baseman - and in the offices of MLB, especially the Senators.

Griffith - who certainly could have worked out some type of agreement with the Grays for players to bolster the Senators before the Dodgers signed Robinson - was only a pioneer in segregation, integrating his team seven years after Robinson's debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers and ultimately fleeing Washington, D.C., relocating his team to the whiter Minneapolis-St. Paul market.

With the success of Robinson came the slow disintegration of NLB - the league that was truly integrated on the field, in the stands and in the front offices - as MLB teams raided the club rosters for established stars and began scouting & signing younger players to contracts.

Snyder has brought this forgotten period beyond the shadows of the simplistic retelling of the past that plagues all levels American history.

Let me be clear, this is a great book, rather than just a very good one. In nine chapters, plus an introduction and conclusion, Washington, D.C., based attorney turned writer has told the powerful and sometimes provocative story of how the Homestead Grays moved to Washington, D.C., and set the stage for the breaking down of the color line in Major League Baseball (MLB). In this important book Brad Snyder moves beyond the singular actions of Branch Rickey's Brooklyn Dodgers and Jackie Robinson, which most people are familiar with, to explore the broader implications of race relations in baseball during the 1940s.

In telling this story, "Beyond the Shadow of the Senators" is filled with heroes and villains. The most significant hero is unquestionably Sam Lacy, a black writer with the "Washington Tribune," a weekly oriented toward D.C.'s large African American community, who consistently called for the desegregation of MLB. Also heroic are the great stars of the Negro Leagues, especially Buck Leonard, Satchel Paige, and Josh Gibson, all of whom came to Washington to play before large crowds in the nation's capital. They demonstrated through their exploits the quality of talent in the Negro leagues, especially when juxtaposed against the hapless play of the Washington Senators of the American League. The villains include Clark Griffith, the financially strapped owner of the Senators whose willingness to rent Griffith Stadium to the Grays proved lucrative, and Grays owner Cumberland Posey who shifted his team from the Pittsburgh area to Washington to cater to the large middle-class African American community in Washington. Both Griffith and Posey had every reason to keep the segregated system intact because of the money they made. Moreover, Griffith was a blatant racist who integrated reluctantly and eventually moved the Senators from Washington to Minneapolis-St. Paul because, as he said in 1978, "you've got good, hardworking white people here" (p. 289).

Ranging broadly from social history to baseball and back, Snyder captures the essence of the history of the Senators, the Grays, and wartime Washington's racial situation. It is a story of love and hate at the same time, as well as the quest for dignity of the minority population in a divided city. "Beyond the Shadow of the Senators" is a powerful book. Enjoy.

Brad is an excellent researcher and writer. This book is not only enjoyable but educational. I met Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe and Lester Lockett, two former Negro League players, a few years ago and their stories started my interest. Brad fed that interest beautifully. I look forward to Brad's next book on Curt Flood and the reserve clause. His attention to detail is consistent with his legal background.

Tim Moreland, PhD
Salisbury, NC

"Beyond the Shadow of the Senators'' is a must read for any serious student of baseball history. The author put a massive amount of research into this engaging account, of which I knew nothing even though I grew up in Washington not long after these events took place. This is an outstanding work in every regard. I have never met the author and I am not an African-American (not that anybody should care); I am just a fan of baseball and its history. If you are, too: Read this book.

This is a great, and true-to-life (i.e., "complex") story about the institution of 'Negro' League baseball and the various parties who profited and railed against it.

Key people that are introduced and brought to life are:
Buck Leonard, Satchel Paige, and Josh Gibson -- three of the greatest ballplayers who ever lived;
Clark Griffith -- the pioneering, penurious and controlling owner of the Washington Senators;
Sam Lacy -- the ahead-of-his-time, DC-native who tirelessly advocated for the integration of Major League Baseball; as well as
Cum(berland) Posey -- the shrewd owner of the Homestead Grays -- the dominant team of the loosely confederated Negro Leagues during the late 30's and 40's.

Tangential to this story are:
the decimation of the post 1933 Senators, mostly due to finances and an inadequate ballpark;
the relative prosperity of Washington DC during the years of the depression and WWII and the partial equality of African-American government workers that led to a vibrant culture and ability to spend on entertainment;
the move by Posey and his "partner" (many of the Negro League baseball teams were financed by numbers entreprenuers) to Washington from their Pittsburgh home and the welcome of their rental payments and gate pctgs. by Clark Griffith;
Judge Landis' death, the increasing awareness of America's incongruity in its fight for freedom and democracy in Europe while maintaining a virtual apartheid culture at home; and
the greed/opportunity of baseball owners to find the best talent at the lowest price which ultimately led to Rickey's "great experiment");

This book also fleshes out the background and conflict around Jackie Robinson, who was rightly judged to be a great man and the right vehicle for Rickey's efforst, and the shared opinions that he was a good, but not all-time great Negro baseball player. [Check out how well a 42-yr old Satchel Paige pitched for the World Championship Indians in 1948.]

The shifts in attitude between "separate but equal" and complete integration by the various parties reveal primarily self-interest. Judged by the standards of our time, I share many others' great respect for Sam Lacy and his tireless, moral advocacy and feel sorry for the Negro League baseball owners who were mostly left with nothing as they rarely had enforceable contracts that protected their relationship with their players.

Clark Griffith was an "innovator" in attracting inexpensive talent from Cuba. Many of these players represented themselves well on the ballfield but would only be acceptable if they were of "Spanish" descent.

Utterly inconceivable now, but the norm for over 60 years (since Cap Anson helped institute the "gentleman's agreement" against employment of African Americans in the early 1880's) was to allow a Major or Minor League ballclup to employ pretty much anyone (Swedes, Germans, Irish, Italians, Jews, etc.) anyone, except African-Americans.

It has often been discussed that without Jackie Robinson (& the parts played by Branch Rickey, Roy Campanella, Pee Wee Reese, Ben Chapman, etc.) the 1954 "Brown vs. Board of Education" decision would not have happened as quickly.

This book provides a wonderful companion story to the integration of major league baseball which, in my opinion, is one of the most significant stories of 20th Century United States.

The only thing wrong with this book is that there should be more of it.
Roethke represents a watershed in American letters, a watershed we kids slobbered down the wrong side of, the side not his. For delicacy of daring the difficult to bear, even to notice, he can hardly be surpassed, and this almost without ever choking up the voice -- his or ours.

"A late rose ravages the casual eye," writes Roethke in A Walk in Late Summer, "a blaze of being on a central stem." In such images we see the symbols of nature fully tapped in modern poetry -- and tapped in American English, in fresh, vivid language that overpowers the reader with its grace and presence. The poetry of Theodore Roethke is written by a man profoundly alive -- skirting the edge of suicide, losing his voice in the awe of love, reeling wildly in the throes of "the pure fury," and looking at last with calm eyes into infinity and his own undoing in the Far Field. Roethke was a true descendent of Whitman where the latter wrote "This is no book / Who touches this touches a man." But Roethke's poetry moves us as much by its lyrical language as by the power and wisdom of its experience. Roethke himself was, as represented by his art alone, a "blaze of being."

Among Roethke's contributions to literature are his poems that treat depression. Far from letting his manic episodes paralyze him, he used them to write some his most intense poetry. "In a Dark Time" is one of the immortal poems of the 20th century, worthy to be set aside a Van Gogh painting. Roethke was not alone in treating these subjects: two other Pulitzer Prize-winning poets of his time, Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton, learned from him and wrote about similar themes. But Roethke's writing stands out in two ways from these poets and other poets the 50's and 60's.

One is the unity of his work and vision -- this Collected Poems traces a single spiritual journey beginning with his childhood memories of the greenhouse, and ending somewhere among "the windy cliffs of forever", last visions tragically cut short by his early death. Between those points are rendered all of the experiences of his life -- as he wrote in his first poem, "my heart keeps open-house." But he never fails to interpret these experiences and understand their significance in the larger picture of his life and poetry. Unlike so much of the poetry of Sylvia Plath and other Confessional poets, Roethke never demands that you read his biography to understand his symbolism. Rather, his symbols develop among his poems to form a kind of mythology: his recurring symbols include stones, fire, light, "the small," and the spirit.

The other difference between Roethke and other poets of his time is his technique. Roethke is never obscure; he always writes in fresh language, avoiding cliches, although his symbols are indeed personal and take time to understand. Roethke's craft is "strict and pure," such that even the staunchest defenders of Sylvia Plath have confessed that Roethke's writing is more disciplined. The Deep Image movement of poets like Robert Bly and James Wright is influenced by the kind of symbolism found throughout Roethke's poetry, and those writers have acknowledged their debt to him. Roethke retained rhyme and meter in a time when all the conventions of poetry were being ripped apart; and he did so with a consummate technical skill not to be found in the Beatniks or in the Black Mountain poets. Roethke's ear for poetry is much more sensitive than that of other poets of his time. We are gagged by the lyricism in lines like

"She came toward me in the flowing air,
A shape of change, encircled by its fire."
("The Dream")

"When all
My waterfall
Fancies sway away
From me, in the sea's silence..."
("Her Time")

"O love, you who hear
The slow tick of time
In your sea-buried ear..."
("Song")


The most exhilarating of all these are Roethke's love poems in "Words for the Wind", which justly won the Bollingen Prize and the National Book Award. These poems are unmatched for eloquence and spiritual intensity -- and it's a damn shame that modern anthologies do not reprint them, aside from the famous "I Knew a Woman." For it is in these love poems that Roethke's soul soars, and his poetic power is fully realized.

"She knew the grammar of least motion."
("The Dream")

"Light listened when she sang."
("Light Listened")

"I measure time by how a body sways."
("I Knew a Woman").


Theodore Roethke achieved greatness in art by having the courage to confront the most intense human experiences and the skill to craft them into some of the most eloquent poems of his time. If there is ONE modern poet you will read, let it be Roethke. His "Collected Poems" is a must for every poet and every lover of poetry.

I relished Roethke when I first read him in high school, along with Hart Crane, e.e. cummings, and the Beats. I still admired him in college, when I wrote poetry myself, and regarded most other "living" poets with suspicious disdain. Many poets I loved then have lost some of their charm for me (my loss, not theirs) but, forty five years later, I still read Roethke. Does that speak to you?

To My Sister; The Heron; No Bird; Elegy for Jane; She; Her Reticence; The Meadow Mouse; and of course, My Papa's Waltz--these are all some of the great poems that Theodore Roethke wrote. Roethke is one of our American masters. I found that when he was on his game (as he was in the poems above, among others) his poetry was phenomenal, but when he wasn't, his poetry could be awful. His earlier work is better than his later work, though he seems to have gotten most of his recognition for his later work. Still, for the poetry lover this is pretty much a required volume for your shelves.

At first, I was heitant to delve into this author's work simply because I'd never heard of him in all my wide readings of poetry, both modern and old.

Don't make the same mistake I did. Roethke WILL NOT disappoint you. "The Lost Son" has become my new favourite poem, and this book goes with me perpetually, and will until I finish every line in it.

Exquisite.

I had just spent the summer in the dentist's chair. I found this book in my granddaughter's library and thought it would be perfect for my dentist and his waiting room. It was a gift to thank him for his gentle and successful treatment. Poor George, how he must have suffered with his terrible teeth.

Like this book for the boys in my family. It combines history and fiction in a light hearted way. Want to keep the children reading.

This is a great story about Washington's real life struggle with his teeth as he goes through the war. It really shows the children that he was like everyone else and had everyday challenges in his own life.

While George Washington fought the revolutionary war, he fought another battle with his teeth. Told in rhyming text, this story is based on the true story of George Washington's ill fortune with his teeth. It also includes some snippets of well-known moments of America's fight for independence, giving a whole new meaning to the oral historical tradition.

This is a fun and humorous read aloud that teaches a bit-though there isn't really enough history to do much more than familiarize readers with events of the revolution. There is a detailed time line at the conclusion of the book that lines up the true events of poor Washington's dental problems with related national events and also includes photos. Read-aloud cadence purists will stumble over a few lines that don't read smoothly, but overall the text is an enjoyable read.

The illustrations are lovely and colorful with easily recognizable characters and events. The expressions on George Washington's face are priceless.

Armchair Interviews: This fun and educational read is recommended for the younger set.

Assuming that this is not just another perpetuation of myth (e.g., chopping down the cherry tree), this book is a fascinating history of George Washington and the reason for his famously false teeth. Turns out, the poor man struggled with bad teeth for his adult life, and was constantly struggling with the pain, embarrassment, and illness they caused (my understanding is that he died from a mouth related infection - but consult your own Washington adviser on that one). This is a children's book, written in rhyme with fantastic and whimsical watercolor illustrations. But parents and other adults should love this and benefit from the history lesson. An afterword is included with information on the topic of Washington and his teeth, and photographs of his false teeth are included too. The book really humanizes the man - one can imagine meeting him, and finding him either pleased and proud with a new set of successfully fitted chompers, or disgusted with this lifelong burden. Great book.