Wisconsin Books

The only thing that disappoints me about this book is that so few people have read it. Van Willard's diaries are very different from most other Civil War accounts. They are extremely well written; I was surprised that he wasn't a well-known writer, considering the engaging text. Willard doesn't go into the minutiae of daily life, but presents an all-around account that is on a completely different level than other soldiers' diaries or letters.

You won't be disappointed with this book!

This isn't just another Civil War soldier's diary; Van Willard wrote 5 complete journals or "books" during his enlistment with the 3rd Wisconsin Infantry. You will discover that Willard was a very insightful and educated fellow, as he offers his thoughts and opinions about the war, the south, slavery, immigrant troops, the Iron Brigade, officers and so forth. Viewing the war from his eyes offers the reader an entirely different perspective than what we are used to finding in other Civil War books and diaries.

I highly recommend this book for any civil war buff or for anyone interested in the finest regiment to ever leave the Badger State, Wisconsin's 3rd Regiment of Infantry Volunteers.!

Fantastic reading! One gets the feeling that you've just discovered a set of dusty old diaries written by your great-great grandfather. The only thing missing is the original quill pen writing and the smell of old paper! There is no mistaking this was written by a man who was there. The author was no ordinary soldier-he was obviously intelligent and well educated by the way he retained and portrayed so vividly the events and topics of the period. This is not a military history, although there is much historical fact recorded. He discusses not only the battles and life as a soldier, but also the current thinking of both the Union supporters and the rebellion supporters. The editors comments are helpful, often providing important relavent information and correcting historical mistakes. Not all of the text was written on the front lines. Much of it was written in recent retrospect, and probably with the help of other soldiers accounts; so it isn't entirely first hand. Nonetheless, it's as close to the original story one can get. The discussion of the battle scenes is detailed enough to evoke real empathy toward all who lived during the war, yet is sparing of any gory detail. I'm not a military buff. I'm a history buff. I enjoyed the reading for its originality. It puts you squarely back to the 1860's.

My Aunt Sally has captured the magical nature of her family's life in the early Twentieth Century, and gives the reader a glimpse of a time that this world will never see again. My father (middle son Jack) told us some of these stories when we were children, but many are new and delightful. Be assured that you don't have to be part of the Davis/Pearson family to enjoy these stories - you might be able to picture your parents or grandparents in any one of them. This book is a real gift of storytelling!

I read this book because I knew the author when I was in high school in Milwaukee (and even visited her some years later when she was living in Costa Rica). That said, I would recommend these family stories to anyone who relishes a good "oral" history. The vignettes told, mostly of the period before and through the Second World War, demonstrate effortlessly the interplay of personages, the vectors of "family" and the sweep of history. I'm not sure why Mrs. Pearson chooses to relate the particular events outlined in each chapter, but I'm glad she did; one senses there is more (if especially from her own life), and I hope she's at work now on those stories; a couple more people from a couple more generations and there would be something as gripping as Buddenbrooks or One Hundred Years of Solitude, or even your own family. Her storytelling is provocative in part because the motive isn't clear, leaving the richness of experience intact; it also makes one mull the nature of memory. These are not your grandparents' annoying tales of the good/bad old days, nor are they the mish-mash of your tapes from when you interviewed your grandparents; Mrs. Pearson is a very fine storyteller, and you will be drawn in too.

I am a nephew of the author and I am grateful for the historical perspective of Wisconsin and Wales portrayed in the book. My aunt has written a superlative book with keen insights into the United States in the 20's 30's and 40's.

I just completed reading Randall Davidson's fine book on the history of what is now Wisconsin Public Radio. As a former WPR reporter, I found it both entertaining and fascinating. One of the best unexpected aspects of the book are the wonderful pictures, detailing the roots of radio. There's one in particular that stays with me: a shot of the first car equipped with a "radio." Hey, watch the wires! 9XM Talking would be a perfect text for a radio history course or for anybody who's into radio in a big way.

I really enjoyed this history of 9XM/WHA Radio. The author managed to combine an enjoyable, readable narrative with solid, well-documented historiography. Plus he demonstrates his full understanding of the terminology of broadcasting - no annoying mistakes in "radio-speak" in this volume! A good book - recommended highly.

I had a day off from work on a cold day, so I poured myself a cup of coffee, grabbed a cookie, and sat down with this book under my arm. I'd planned on reading a few chapters before heading down to the basement to do something creative. I ended up reading the whole thing and when I closed it, there was a cup of cold coffee and a half-eaten cookie sitting on the table. I chose the title of this review because reading this made me homesick. I don't usually use the word "wonderful" to describe a book, but this collection of essays brings that word to mind.

AFTER THE FIRE is a collection of essays that are compiled by a gifted writer. "The Blind World" is one essay worth the price of the book. Mr. Zimmer was a "guinea-pig" GI during the Atomic Bomb tests in Nevada,in the mid-1950's. He writes that when he covered his eyes with his hands, his hands became an x-ray because his company was so close to the fiery blast of the bomb. That one chapter would make one great movie.

But Mr. Zimmer also writes with insight and passion about his many loves, including his wife Suzanne, and his first-hand experiences with great jazz musicians, including Lester Young, Art Tatum, Thelonius Monk and Sarah Vaughn. Zimmer writes, "They even stuffed whole bands--Basie, Kenton, Herman--onto those small stages." That essay, "Young Jazz" is one of the best pieces written about American music this side of Down Beat.

We also learn that Paul Zimmer has had a long literary career as editor and director of several publishing houses, where he introduced numerous writers, including Gary Gildner, Richard Shelton, Gary Soto, Norman Dubie, Jack Anderson,and Bin Ramke, to the literary world.

This is a finely honed, remarkably insightful and humane collection of essays. I thought I would read one essay, put the book aside and savor it, but found myself reading the entire book in one sitting.

Aldo Leopold is widely admired for his contribution to the modern conservation movement and his seminal work, "A Sand County Almanac." In my own profession (wildlife ecology and management), it seems like a Leopold quotation carries the ultimate weight of authority (and they're much more common, since Meine and Knight's collection, "The Essential Aldo Leopold," came out).

For many years I admired the wise, kind-hearted old man who wrote The Almanac. Aldo Leopold became the most exalted member of my personal pantheon of saints. Aldo Leopold became inspiration incarnate, but lost his humanity in the process. He could do no wrong.

Then I read Curt Meine's biography. Leopold's famous essay, "Thinking Like a Mountain," chronicles only one of the many lessons learned in a life filled with equal parts reckless bravado and deep introspection. Leopold launched his career as a fortunate son, cocksure and itching to change the world, only to learn that real change takes patience, commitment, hard work, compassion, and an open mind willing to learn. Sound familiar?

I read Curt Meine's biography before I read Marybeth Lorbiecki's "Fierce Green Fire." To be honest, I enjoyed both, but found Meine's biography to be more fulfilling. If you want to understand where the Land Ethic really came from, pick up "His Life and Work."

If "Sand County Almanac" was your first taste of Leopold, you'll want to read Curt Meine's book. It's one of those books that you can't put down (if you are a true Leopold fan - if you're not - don't bother, you wouldn't appreciate it!

This is a must for anyone who loves the Lake Superior region.

Very well researched and written, the books begins with a series of articles on several themes pertinent to the Lake, such as the history of lumbering, mining, and the tales of the Native People.

Then in logical sequential fasion, we are led on a tour around the lake stopping at many interesting parks, monuments, towns, etc.

This is not so much a standard guide book as a historical and natural tour. Many current and archival photos are included.

There are perhaps a half dozen Lake Superior books I would own rather than borrow and this is definitely one of them.

This is a clearly written guidebook which covers the past and the present. It is most handy if you are taking the Lake Superior circle tour. Very well organized with some great pictures.

If you don't believe the real evidence presented in this book, then you don't have a logical and accepting mind.

Atlantis In Wisconsin by Frank Joseph is thoughtful and iconoclastic blend of metaphysics and archaeology, contemplating the possible former existence of the Atlantean civilization and a direct association with the area now known as the state of Wisconsin. From hints of Atlantean legend found in Native American folklore, to the mineralogical and archaeological mysteries hidden in Wisconsin's earth, Atlantis in Wisconsin offers an engaging and challenging hypothesis. Of particular note is a chronology described in a three page appendices called "A Rock Lake Time Line". Enhanced with copious notes, Atlantis In Wisconsin is provocative and thoroughly engaging reading. Also very highly recommended is Frank Joseph's earlier work iconoclastic work, Lost Pyramids Of Rock Lake: Wisconsin's Sunken Civilization.

This book is great for those who like to go "outside the box", and get off the freeway as they head up north, to take in Michigan's unique beauty.

Beautifully illustrated with a wealth of color and black-and-white photographs, Backroads Of Michigan: Your Guide To Michigan's Most Scenic Backroad Adventures is a guide to touring the most breathtaking and scenic natural venues to be found in the Great Lake State. Backroads Of Michigan is a fairly large trade paperback, not meant to be carried in a pocket, purse or small backpack; yet its size also allows the fine detail in its illustrations to shine through, and its typeface is easy to read without a magnifying glass. The chapters are arranged by Michigan subsection, and cover everything from historical sites to river valleys to prime spots for beachcombing to state parks ideal for viewing wildflowers and much more, with maps and general directions. The text is written in a leisurely style that is as engaging to browse for pleasure as it is filled with practical information. Enthusiastically recommended for Michigan tourists and residents interested in the state's most wondrous sights, and also for armchair travelers.

This book could be read as its own text, or as a companion to the author's previous book, The Irish for No. This volume takes on many of the same places, people, and themes, and uses the same groundbreaking poetic line sprawling across the page to recreate the eight-bar rhythm of traditional music. But this book is also distinct: its short discursive essays give it the narrative feel of somebody letting you in on the secrets of his own life, and the darker tone reminds you that you have traveled to the other side of the poet's mind.

The extensions from the previous volume begin very explicitly, with the title, which comes from a poem in TIFN. The Exiles' Club, who were the center of a poem in the last book, now come up as the subject of an essay in this book. But the book reads like the aftermath of a car bomb, with body parts strewn throughout the titles (Hairline Crack, Bloody Hand) and memorials to notable acts of violence ("The stopped clock of The Belfast Telegraph seems to indicate the time / of the explosion -- or was that last week's?").

This book could easily have a wider audience than most books of poetry. For students of history, lovers of literature, Celtophiles, and those curious about the mind of the victim of violence, Belfast Confetti can be both an education and a very grim pleasure to read. Be warned, you can't read it too quickly, or the darkness will tear you down in a hurry; this is a book to be consumed in sips, not huge gulps. But it is a book to be consumed nevertheless, and enjoyed for as long as it lasts.

"Belfast Confetti", along with Carson's 1987 "The Irish For No", are the most impressive volumes of poetry I have read in recent years. I could (and do, as an English student) pour over the poems for hour. He is wonderfully skilled at interconnecting his work and setting a real sense of place. Carson explores Belfast and the way the city and its people have changed in the last four decades or so since his youth. He is concerned not with judging the changes, but in examining the ways in which the Troubles, the English presence, and modernization have affected Belfast/Northern irish culture and the way his own memory betrays the truth as it falters. These are rich books, they keep you looking over & over for more layers. I also reccommend, if you can find it, his 1997 prose work, "The Star Factory". Its themes and subjects tie right back in with BC and TIFN.

Extremely descriptive. He details every curve and hill so that you can be prepared for the terrain. You can easily decide whether to take the kids along as he rates the difficulty of every ride. You will also be able to prepare the correct amount of food fuel and water before taking your adventure.

Biking Wisconsin: 50 Great Road And Trail Rides by native Wisconsin biking enthusiast Steve Johnson showcases fifty wonderful excursions that are enthusiastically and uniformly recommended to dedicated cyclists living in or visiting the Badger State. The well defined and nicely described routes include Great Lakes shore tours, big city bike trails, cycling routes through Wisconsin's rolling hills, farm country, and woodlands. Enhanced with listings of Wisconsin bike shops and clubs, bicycling-related websites, safety tips, easy-to-read maps, detailed narrative trip information, and even money saving bike buying tips, Biking Wisconsin will prove to be a valued and indispensable planning guide for exploring what Wisconsin has to offer the dedicated biker!