Traci Lords: Underneath It All
by Traci Lords
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (08 July, 2003)
list price: $23.95 -- our price: $16.29
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Editorial Review

Nora Kuzma was a troubled teenager from Steubenville, Ohio; Traci Lords was the underage skin mag/porn queen who became the centerpiece of the adult video industry's greatest scandal. In reality, they were one and the same, the subject of this slick, if thin autobiography. But what's striking here is not the familiar storyline--confused, sexually abused teen falls in with drugs and the wrong Southern California crowd, forges fake IDs to become Penthouse Pet of the Month at 16 and the '80s hottest adult star, then arrested as focus of the Reagan administration's crackdown on porn, only to become reborn as cleaned-up, psychoanalyzed/rehabed purveyor of legitimate film, TV, and music career. Rather, what's striking is Lords's capacity for denial, compartmentalization, and myopia when it serves her ends.

Her scandalous tenure in the skin trade--undeniably the sole basis for her infamy and subsequent legitimate career--is glossed over here in a few score pages, with more attention paid to the heavy-metal musicians that dotted her life than the motivations and machinations of the Feds who literally changed her life; Slash's snake gets more ink here than Attorney General Ed Meese. Quick to ladle generous sympathy on her own plight, she heaps little but scorn upon those from the seedy past of her porn-star alter-ego, yet seems to have had few qualms about formally adopting that moniker as her legal name. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (60)

The Issues Of Abuse
Prior to reading "UNDERNEATH IT ALL" by Traci Lords, I had read "NIGHTMARES ECHO" by Katlyn Stewart. In NE the author explains the reasons that some women of abuse (and in some cases men) turn to prostitution, stripping etc. They believe their bodies are soiled and find their own inner self worth is void. Traci Lords explains it further in this book, making you understand the inner workings of a child of abuse and how they look at themselves.
I rate both of the above books highly. I also want to say that I find it very courageous of traci Lords to write a tell all book to help others.

Don't Take This Chick Home To Meet Your Mother!!!
At an age when most 16 year old girls are dreaming about their first kiss Traci Lords was performing in XXX Rated Adult Movies.She takes no responsiblity for her actions and blames her troubled childhood for what she became . Sadly and tragically there are many girls who are sexually abused at a young age yet few of them go into the porn industry. From reading this book it appears that Ms. Lords wants it both ways(no pun intended) She displays a contempt for the porn industry yet one gets the impression that she enjoyed all of the attention, fame and money that came with it.And just like any other "has been" sex symbolshe writes a book about her life. This is one ex porn Queen who should seriously consider changing her name (for the second time!!!) and getting her hair dyed black so nobody will recognize her as the starlet in the XXX rated movies they used to drool over.

Don'tBlame Me
It seems so funny that everything bad in her life was always
somebody else's fault.She takes responsibility for nothing
she's done.There are alot of us out there who were molested and raped as children and didn't turn into pornstars at 15.I
have a hard time seeing her as the victim she's so desperately
trying to play.Don't bother reading this book unless you want
to read 281 pages of "Poor Me".She should read Jenna Jamesons
book to see how one takes responsibility for ones actions without blaming everyone but the woman in the mirror. ... Read more

Isbn: 0060508205
Subjects:  1. Actors    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Children in pornography    7. Entertainment & Performing Arts - Actors & Actresses    8. Lords, Traci    9. Personal Memoirs    10. Pornography    11. United States    12. Women    13. Biography & Autobiography / Women   

Crazy Horse and Custer : The Parallel Lives of Two American Warriors
by STEPHEN E. AMBROSE
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 May, 1996)
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Reviews (38)

Enjoyable History for Everyone
Ambrose's strength lies in his ability to make history approachable for almost everyone.While this is certainly not the most exhaustive book written about Crazy Horse, Custer, or Little Bighorn I would wager that it the most enjoyable.It's a great read, but those searching for the most minute details regarding the actors involved would be well advised to look elsewhere.

East and Westin the 1800's
How much do you know about "Custer's last stand"? Crazy Horse?
Until I read this book recently, I had little in depthknowledge of either man. Stephen Ambrose is one of my favorite authors, and I want to read all his works. I finally settled down to read this American history book which is well researched, easy to read;, and thoroughly riveting throughout.

George Armstrong Custer - his life and service in the Civil War, and later in Indian wars as the west opened up to make way for trains, telegraph, and settlers - what a character he was. Crazy Horse, a courageous Indian who rebelled and took revenge on the white man, and the sad sad history of our government and the breaking of treaties with the native peoples. Also - names and habits of various Indian tribes and how they differed, what they ate, their habits and their attitudes toward the white man.

The author gives us a glimpse of what the American west looked liked when the Indians and buffalo were free.Every page is carefully written in a "fair and balanced" manner. I greatly enjoyed reading it from cover to cover and have a much better understanding of America and the westward expeditions in the 1800's.

Reading James Michener's great book "Centennial" a few years ago, may have prepared me and helped me to process the information in this interesting and factual book.I recommend it. There are many surprises and plenty of action.

American Warriors
In Crazy Horse and Custer the Parallel Lives Of Two American Warriors, Ambrose does a very good job of telling the life stories of the two warriors.He also makes this book very readable. He does not just state the information he really tells the story of the two men.
It starts on the plains of Nebraska.Ambrose writes about the Native American lifestyle and you can begin to see why our culture and theirs clashed so much.Then he talks of the culture in the United States during the 1800's.After that Ambrose begins to tell of the two warriors during their childhood, and then each of their separate journeys to manhood.
Ambrose keeps the readers interested throughout the whole book by going into great and gruesome details about the battles that each Crazy Horse and Custer had been involved in.The climax of the book was the Battle for Little Big Horn.I just could not put down the book he started out describing the battle by stating the mistakes that Custer had made, such as underestimating the power of the Native American forces.Then Amborse explains where Custer was and where Crazy Horse was and how Custer was caught on his flank by Crazy Horse.This book really made the history of Crazy Horse and Custer come alive. ... Read more

Isbn: 0385479662
Sales Rank: 14711
Subjects:  1. 1839-1876    2. 1866-1895    3. Biography    4. Crazy Horse,    5. Custer, George Armstrong,    6. Ethnic Studies - Native American Studies    7. Generals    8. History - General History    9. History: American    10. Indians of North America    11. Kings and rulers    12. Military History - Modern    13. Native Americans - Plains    14. Oglala Indians    15. Social Science    16. United States    17. United States - 19th Century    18. United States - 19th Century/Old West    19. Wars    20. ca. 1842-1877    21. Crazy Horse    22. Custer, George Armstrong    23. History / United States / 19th Century   

Reagan's War: The Epic Story of His Forty Year Struggle and Final Triumph Over Communism
by PETER SCHWEIZER
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (15 October, 2002)
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Reviews (53)

Outstanding Peter Schweizer, you did it again!
Peter Schweizer has done it again! Reagan's War may possibly his best book to date. It tells the story of the courageous fight Ronald Reagan took on for over forty years and won againts the communist regime of the Soviet Union. This book gives readers to see a side of Reagan that they may never get to see. The book begins quite nicely showing Reagan in his early years as in actor in Hollywood fighting the newly formed Communist Party in Hollywood. The book can somewhat make you feel like you are Reagan placing you in his shoes in this almost foreign time period. Anyways, as the book progresses, as does Reagan. The book gives the reader a sense of Reagan's hate and ambision towards communism growing throught the book. Reagan's War is a very well research piece of literature. It contains secret documents and even Reagan's KGB file, which was previously unseen by the public eye. I strongly suggest anyone interested in Reagan or communism to read this book. Schweizer demonstrates his great knowelge of history in this book, which aides him in effectively telling this story.

Reality based belief
This book tells the story of President Reagan's experience with the Communist party in his young days shaped his experience and the cold war.

The reality of what he saw stayed with him allowing him to ignore the fantasy based beliefs of many of the same characters who hold the very same beliefs concerning Islamists.

The willingness of Reagan to go on with a hostile media and no alternate media to support him is a story of courage and strength.This book tell it well.

A timely book, buy it.

Excellent book!
This is an excellent history book. It is well written and adds greatly to the understanding of the Cold War and how it was brought to an end.

A great and exciting book from start to finish. The history of the Cold War and Reagan's role in toppling the Soviet Union will never be looked at the same way again. Especially, since this book proves without a doubt that Reagan had developed his formula on how to do it back in the 1950's. ... Read more

Isbn: 0385504713
Sales Rank: 183744
Subjects:  1. Cold War    2. Foreign relations    3. History    4. History & Theory - General    5. History - General History    6. History: American    7. Political Ideologies - Communism & Socialism    8. Reagan, Ronald    9. Soviet Union    10. United States    11. United States - 20th Century (1945 to present)    12. United States - General    13. History / United States / General   

Hitler: 1936-1945 Nemesis
by Ian Kershaw
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (November, 2000)
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Editorial Review

George VI thought him a "damnable villain," and Neville Chamberlainfound him not quite a gentleman; but, to the rest of the world, Adolf Hitler hascome to personify modern evil to such an extent that his biographers always havefaced an unenviable task. The two more renowned biographies of Hitler--byJoachim C. Fest ( Hitler) and by AlanBullock ( Hitler: A Study inTyranny)--painted a picture of individual tyranny which, in the words ofA.J.P.Taylor, left Hitler guilty and every other German innocent. Decades ofscholarship on German society under the Nazis have made that verdict lookdubious; so, the modern biographer of Hitler must account both for his terriblemindset and his charismatic appeal. In the second and final volume of hismammoth biography of Hitler--which covers the climax of Nazi power, thereclamation of German-speaking Europe, and the horrific unfolding of the finalsolution in Poland and Russia--Ian Kershaw manages to achieve both of thesetasks. Continuing whereHitler: Hubris 1889-1936left off, the epic Hitler: Nemesis 1937-1945 takes the reader from theadulation and hysteria of Hitler's electoral victory in 1936 to the obsessiveand remote "bunker" mentality that enveloped the Führer as OperationBarbarossa (the attack on Russia in 1942) proved the beginning of the end.Chilling, yet objective. A definitive work. --Miles Taylor ... Read more

Reviews (45)

IAN KERSHAW'S HITLER (VOLUMES 1 & 2) BY JOHN CHUCKMAN
This biography (actually two volumes, Hubris and Nemesis) is well worth reading. Kershaw is a sound, if not elegant, writer and tells a story you will want to finish, but the book has significant faults.

Historians still do not know exactly how to reckon with the phenomenon of Hitler. The man was like a giantic cyclonic storm that suddenly welled up and unleashed death and misery on a colossal scale.

And for that reason he stands as the most influential man of the 20th century, not the greatest or the most gifted, but the most influential.

His existence brought to life such memorable opponents as Churchill, his defeat established forty years of Soviet dominance over much of Europe, and his beastial acts unquestionably led to the founding of modern Israel, setting off great difficulties in the Middle East for decades.

The ironic thing about Kershaw's book is that the author says he does not understand Hitler. Hitler remains a mystery to him, and Kershaw even says that in some ways his book is not a biography of the man but of the era in Germany. This is not satisfying to the reader wishing to understand better.

Kershaw's thesis of Hitler as a an almost compulsive gambler who struck it lucky for a while is weak. Hitler's rise to lead a great nation of Europe and his years of early diplomatic and military victories call for a more insightful explanation than a heavy run of luck. Kershaw gives credit to Hitler as an instinctive propagandist (in advertising terms, a talented marketer), but that is about as far as he goes to explaining this eye of the greatest storm in human history.

Historians, naturally enough, are reluctant to write anything that could be interpreted as admiration, but other historians have managed a better job of dealing with Hitler's talents and personality, notably Alan Bullock, Joachim Fest, and William Shirer.

One new element that Kershaw brings is a focus on Hitler's being responsible for the Holocaust, not that any responsible historian ever has denied it, but naturally enough there is no paper trail. I think Shirer is better on the horrors Hitler inflicted. I also think a more insightful treatment of this kind of psychology is found in Gitta Sereny.

One of the great mysteries of Hitler's psychology is his anti-Semitism. There is just no accounting for its immensity, and Kershaw does little to enlighten us here.

Read this book and the other authors I have mentioned and decide whether you agree with me that the definitive biography of Hitler has yet to be written.

Detailed to a fault
This book took me a very long time to read. Not surprising when you consider it was nearly 800 pages filled with many German words and phrases. Still, it was detailed almost to a fault... once again I amamazed at the research that must have taken place to write it.

If you are ready to tackle it, here is some advice:

1. Find a quite place to read it because it is so detailed and at times difficult to read and follow that you need complete concentration. This might be the main reason why it took me so long to read it.... 3 months... I usually can read a biography of this length in about 2 to 3 weeks.

2. Be ready to be disgusted at times. Kershaw pulls no punches. The book is not graphic in its descriptions, but is alarming because of the relative ease these men had in killing so many.

3. I wish I would have read more reich history prior to this book. I had a hard time keeping some of his support staff and members of the Wehrmacht straight. I think I would have been better served to be a bit more versed in Nazi history before tackling this one.

I can recommend this, but I really think a true biography junkie like myself will enjoy it while a more passive biography reader might not make it to page 100. Still, Kershaw's research and writing are impressive it just lags at times because it is SO detailed.

Where's the beef?
There're no insights, no relevations on the Reich. Only recycled hash dresse up as new findings. The book fully reveals the shallow and inconsequential scholarship, if any, of Ian Kershaw as an academic historian. More suited as an agitator or propagandist. ... Read more

Isbn: 0393049949
Subjects:  1. Antisemitism    2. Austria    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Germany    8. Germany - History - Third Reich (1933-1945)    9. Heads of state    10. Historical - General    11. Historical - Holocaust    12. Military - World War II    13. Modern - 20th Century    14. Presidents & Heads of State    15. Biography: political    16. European history: from c 1900 -   

General Patton : A Soldier's Life
by Stanley Hirshson
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (06 August, 2002)
list price: $34.95
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Reviews (22)

A Missed Opportunity at Something Great
After an introduction where he first disparages previous biographies of Patton and then boldly promises something new and improved, I was ready to read this newer account of one of the more complex, controversial, and compelling characters in American history.After completing the full 700-plus pages of Hirschon's tome, however, I was left feeling that it could have been so much more.

Much as been written in previous reviews regarding Hirschon's revisionist tendencies, so I will forgo my similar comments on that aspect of this book.The thought that I kept repeating to myself as I read was, "This seems well researched and documented, it is too bad the writing style isn't better."I believe the author has done the historian' s task of seeking to probe the depth of his subject.Hirschon demonstrates quite well that he has explored the many facets of Patton's life and history.I enjoyed learning about his family history, his early education and some of his early struggles in life.Hirschon is to be congratulated on his diligence in digging through too often untapped resources to find new material about Patton.It is in his communication style as a writer of history, however, that I find the most glaring fault.

This book could have stood with a healthy re-editing.There is so much repetition of material-quotes, stories, and themes-that I wonder if this could not have been trimmed by some 25 percent at the very least.I grew so tired, for instance, of reading in detail concerning Patton's view about the warrior spirit and Valhalla.I appreciated the idea the first time I read it, but by the fourth or fifth extended reference to Patton's belief that the Valkyries chose the most valiant to die in battle and to come to Valhalla, and that he was taught belief by his Father, and that Patton used this belief to help with his own fear in battle, I was insulted.Once a writer introduces a concept, usually a simple subsequent reference will suffice to remind the reader of its significance.If that were the only case of this sort of repetition, that would be one thing, but there there are so many extended quotes that are repeated later, in different contexts, that I found myself going back to check on the first occasion, to make certain that I wasn't imagining things.

The other glaring problem I noticed is the inadequate uses of maps in the battle sections.This is almost inexcusable. If a historian is going to detail the battle plans of a strategist such as Patton.There are very few maps to begin with and the maps that are used lack any significant detail in reference to specific units and movements with the battles.After reading some excellent accounts of military history, I found this omission frustrating.

Overall, I must say that the book is not a bad book.I did read the whole thing and I believe that I learned a great deal about George Patton, both as a man and as a military figure.I do believe that Hirschon's book demonstrates that in history, especially history written for a more popular audience, detailed research is only one aspect of a good book.If it is not combined with equal attention to the detail of writing and editing, then the work is not complete.

Functional excellence over form
This book reminds me of the excellent biography of Vince Lombardi by David Maraniss.Hirshson makes the case for the greatness of Patton not just because of the leadership skills so often turned into almost mythical proportions, but mostly because he happened to be the most knowledgeable cavalry officer in the Army. Hirshson's Patton is a great general and a great leader because he knew more than his reports or his peers about the nature of war and the method of success based on the technology of the day.Success came from more than leadership and willingness to act, it also came from sheer knowledge and preparedness to make use of that knowledge on the battlefield.

Hirshson's Patton is more than a blow-hard, he was a student, a technologist, a practioner, and most of all, a warrior that made use of the other aspects of himself he honed before the battle.

For anyone interested in Patton or interested in learning from great leaders, this is the book for you.For senior managers who strive to hire great functional managers but have difficulty controlling their independence, this book will also provide sustenance that contrarian experts are worth it, even though the cost of some obstinacy can cause the occasional stomach twitch or two.

Very thorough book, but not to the point
I had to stop reading this book after about 60 pages, due to the exauhsting format of reading about everyone other than Patton. This book would be good for those with a lot of patience, and those that are interested in Patton's parent's, grand parents (as well as learning about their life, careers, likes/dislikes, ect)and the pain staking, very lengthy details of the background of every senario in Patton's life.
I would simply like a very intriguing book, that gets to the damn point, but can keep my attention. ... Read more

Isbn: 0060009829
Sales Rank: 164457
Subjects:  1. (George Smith),    2. 1885-1945    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Campaigns    8. Generals    9. Historical - General    10. Military    11. Military - World War II    12. Patton, George S    13. United States    14. United States - 20th Century    15. World War, 1939-1945    16. Biography & Autobiography / Historical   

Ulysses S. Grant: Triumph Over Adversity, 1822-1865
by Brooks D. Simpson, Brooks D. Simpson
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (21 February, 2000)
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Reviews (37)

Good story of our greatest General
This is a good overall balanced story of our greatest general.It doesn't spend much time on the period prior to the Civil War.It gives the good side and the bad side of General Grant.He was very courageous, both in the front line and in his decision-making.He took chances and it wore on him.He was often sick and smoked cigars like a locomotive (actual quote in the book).But, this was a trying time, and we get a feel for the pressure that he felt.Both from the enemy in front of him and the enemy in his back.These were the news reporters and the newspapers, the generals who were his competition (McLernand especially) and the politicians who changed positions on him often and quickly.He handled it.The book also covers his bouts with alcohol.It gives both sides of the story and apparently, there were a couple of times that he got drunk, but who can blame him given the pressures that he was dealing with.And, he handled that too.As Lincoln said: give all my generals what he's been drinking.He got results, and that is why he was our best general, and this is a good coverage of how he got results.

Justice for General Grant
It is hard to imagine that Ulysses S. Grant could still be controversial 140 years after the end of the Civil War, but judging by the reviews posted for this book one has to assume that this is the case. As a native of the American South it would be easy for me to join in with the negative reviewers but I was quite impressed with this book. While I must respect all opinions expressed in this forum and assume that all reviews are honest and sincere, I can't help but suspect that some of the unhappiness with this book is rooted in a dislike for Grant.

First of all, I found the author's writing style to be quite good and very readable. There were to be sure a few dry areas but not many. Unfortunately, most of those dry areas are to be found early in the book and that may explain why some readers were turned off. The author has also mastered the use of quotes, which seems to be a problem area for many historians. When Professor Simpson uses a quote it is used in perfect context and it is always just the right length. Many historians have the bad habit of including far too many quotes that are far too long and end up distracting the reader so this author's mastery of the technique was a welcome relief. Simpson has also done an excellent job of researching his subject although the Southern point of view is conspicuous in it's absence.

Simpson is fond of his subject as are most biographers but he does not hesitate to criticize Grant when criticism is called for. For example, Grant's claims that he was not surprised at Shiloh are treated with the contempt such claims deserve. The author makes it very clear that Grant was indeed surprised and that his claims to the contrary are pure nonsense. Simpson also spends a great deal of time handling the questions about Grant's drinking habits. Grant has been trashed for years as a drunk; an attack that overlooks the fact that within the 19th century military hard drinking was the norm and not the exception. Simpson does not in any way dismiss the drinking charges however and at times the professor makes it abundantly clear that he does not really believe Grant's version of some of the events that may have involved alcohol. On the other hand, Simpson points out that Grant was absolutely not the alcoholic that many make him out to be.

Overall, Simpson has given us a very clear portrait of General Grant. The reader will see both Grant's weaknesses and his strengths. Most clearly one begins to see a man whose greatest asset was his self-confidence. This was a man who had faith in his own judgment but was more than willing to make changes in his plans as events he couldn't control came into play. He was probably not a greater tactician than many other Civil War generals were, but he made things happen. For example, General Rosecrans had devised a plan to relieve the siege of Chattanooga before Grant arrived. Grant adopted much of this plan but the difference was that Rosecrans drew up a plan but failed to act while Grant set about breaking the siege with a vengeance. In short, the tender hearted Grant, who almost wept at the sight of wounded and dead soldiers understood how to wage a modern war better than any other Civil War commander. Simpson has done a very commendable job of shedding light on this complicated, yet very straightforward man.

A civil war buff
This book was a lot easier to read than McFeely's biography of Grant.It has a more even flow and tempo to it.Mr. Simpson shows that Grant was not the moron which post 1910 historians tend to portray him as.Mr. Simpson also does not goes into the syrupy viewpoint which 19th century historians tended to have of Grant.Grant was a man of few words, iron willed, and when he had to be, for better or worse, a decision maker. If you are looking for a book which introduces you to Grant and the historical context of the times in which he lived, this is a solid book. ... Read more

Isbn: 0395659949
Sales Rank: 283000
Subjects:  1. (Ulysses Simpson),    2. 1822-1885    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. General    8. Generals    9. Grant, Ulysses S    10. Historical - General    11. Historical - U.S.    12. Military    13. Presidents    14. Presidents & Heads of State    15. U.S. History - Civil War And Reconstruction (1860-1877)    16. United States    17. Biography & Autobiography / Presidents   

Citizen Sherman: A Life of William Tecumseh Sherman (Modern War Studies)
by Michael Fellman
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 April, 1997)
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Reviews (11)

This book left a huge impression on me - couldnt put it down
I have read dozens of autobiographical accounts of the Civil War by its leaders, both Northern and Southern. Most of these accounts were, of course, written in the sentimental, shielded, "polite society" style of the post-civil war/turn of the century years. Although these books offer valuable insight into the author's actions and reactions, philosophy, and basic moral structure, they leave the modern reader without a real knowledge who the author was as a person. It is only through a thorough understanding of the subject of a biography/autobiography that the reader can truly appreciate the way in which a subject continues to influence us years after that person made his mark on the world. For example, everyone knows that Sherman was a hard-headed, all-out warrior whose unwavering determination helped the Union win the Civil War. But not everybody knows about the Sherman who, during the war years, was an unhappily married man whose heart died when his favorite son did; a man who, years after the dust and gunsmoke settled, sought to recover dormant emotional feelings by seeking the companionship of women half his age. It does seem that there are a few very minute points in this book that are historical misrepresentations, most likely caused by oversight. But despite its few flaws, it gives a full and complete portrait of Sherman, the human being - someone we must see for all he was in truth, before we can truly understand his impact on American History.

an enjoyable read left me wanting for more info
Some of the above reviews have merit, Fellman definitely puts Sherman on the couch, and, I also don't usually like this, as it takes some liberties that may not be entirely correct.However, it will take more than one source on Sherman to help the reader draw their own conclusions about the man.This said, I very much enjoyed reading Fellman's analysis.I did find it light militarily, however, I really wasn't looking for that kind of bio on Sherman.A history teacher, this was my first exposure to "Cumpy" the man, as opposed to military commander.I found myself wanting to research him more as a result of reading this book, as I feel it inspired me to learn more about him.There is an implication here that the book did not tell me everything I needed to know, but, as stated above, I found myself not really minding as I enjoyed Fellman's ease with words and the simplicity of the smooth flowing text.Therefore, I didn't critique it so much for being a bit on the lighter side of research work.I found that I would need to consult other sources for more information anyway.Having read Grant's bio and Foote's Civil War trilogy, I found this to be a good introduction to Sherman as an individual, especially after hearing Grant's praise of the man in his own work.I'm interested to read Sherman's own book after reading Citizen Sherman, can compare some of Fellman's analysis with Sherman's own.I very much enjoyed the section on Sherman's women, and the way that the text was oriented less chronologically than in the different departments of Sherman's life.

Psychobiography at its best
I usually loathe any historical book which puts its subject on the couch, but this is a notable exception. Fellman infuses this book with his own spin on certain matters, but much of the interpretation is accurate! If you enjoy a "National Enquirer" approach to biography, then this is your bag, though a more intellectual, sobering and accurate analysis of events than a tabloid rag. Fellman delves deeply into Sherman's womanizing and the reasons behind it: Ellen, WTS's wife, was a passionless prig, obsessed with Catholicism and being the type of prim, straightlaced wife that Sherman would ultimately abhor. Can we blame him for repeatedly cheating on Ellen? Of course not.

Fellman is much weaker on the military end of the biography and his limitations show. There are numerous factual gaffes and the author is on safer ground when restricting himself to purely personal matters. This is hardly the definitive treatment of Sherman, try John Marszalek's biography (available on Amazon) for an exceptional and scholarly approach. But if you want a book focused primarily on the private life of Sherman, this nicely fits the bill ... Read more

Isbn: 0700608400
Sales Rank: 737150
Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. Historical - U.S.    4. Military    5. U.S. History - Constitutional Period To Civil War (1789-1860)   

Eisenhower: A Soldier's Life
by Carlo D'Este
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 May, 2003)
list price: $18.00 -- our price: $12.24
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Editorial Review

There is hardly a shortage of books about Dwight Eisenhower, but CarloD'Este's Eisenhower: A Soldier's Life stands tall in this forest byvirtue of the author's insistence on a too-often forgotten rule of biographers:show--don't tell about--the subject. Though D'Este doesn't neglect Eisenhower'searly years (his sketch of the man's rambunctious West Point years ishearteningly entertaining), the book concentrates on his military career,including his years of treading water in the Philippines. By far the mosttrenchant sections, however, deal with World War II (including a keen look atthe little-discussed North African campaign.) We see Ike, who had a famoustemper and, when angry, a most indelicate vocabulary, chain-smoking cigarettesand unable to sleep in the weeks leading to D-day; refusing--out of disgust forGerman atrocities--to be present at the signing of the articles of surrender;bantering, though his heart was heavy, with enlisted men; wrestlingcontentiously with MacArthur and Field Marshall Montgomery. We read excerpts ofhis letters to Mamie and are privy to, perhaps, his laying the groundwork for apolitical career. A Soldier's Life, long but brisk, sympathetic but notadoring, rigorous but never tedious, is a commendable biography. --H.O'Billovich ... Read more

Reviews (33)

A good bookon a good man
The Good Colonel has done a good job on Ike. It is a fair and balanced book on the rise of the right man, who was at the right place and time. No one else could of held the Western alliance together as well as he did.I myself think that his Patton biography was the better read but then Patton is always better copy. I just hope that he gets around to MacArthur, George Marshall or Ridgeway soon. I would buy them in a New York Minute.

A Fair and Balanced Look at Ike
Dwight Eisenhower's life has been so thoroughly written about and re-written that another biography seems laughable.Nevertheless, Carlo D'Este deserves credit for this highly readable description and analysis of Ike's career through the end of WWII.D'Este highlights Eisenhower's strengths but also his weaknesses, some of which are in the eye of the beholder (the debate over the "Broad Front" strategy in late 1944-45 will likely never be settled).

Some Eisenhower worshippers may be offended by D'Este's detailing of Ike's faults (both as D'Este defines them and Ike's troublesome British and American contemporaries).However, he always comes back to the one ultimate, essential point:who else could have led the coalition better?

Everything You Wanted To Know About Ike
Carlo D'este has followed up his work on General Patton with a biography of General Eisenhower which cover his life through World War II.The book is 705 pages long not counting the notes, and will take some time to pioneer your way through.I found the book to be interesting, but have to admit I was glad when I finally finished it.You will learn a great deal about Eisenhower the young boy and his competitive attitude which contributed to his qualities of leadership.The responsibilities he had thrust upon him throughout his military life brought on an addictive smoking habit that would later lead to health problems.Juggling the egos of George Patton, Omar Bradley, Bernard Montgomery, and others proved to be a challenge and strain on Eisenhower as he directed the allied forces through Europe.Patience and restraint were often needed when it may have been helpful for Eisenhower to vent his frustrations.Ike's relationship with his driver, Kay Summersby, is dealt with in some detail.They were very good friends, but there is no evidence of a consummated romantic relationship.I'm not going to rehash the book in this review.Suffice it to say if you want to learn about America's man in command of World War II this book will provide you with ample information of both Eisenhower the man and the soldier. ... Read more

Isbn: 0805056874
Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Historical - U.S.    5. Military    6. Military Personnel    7. Political    8. Presidents & Heads of State    9. U.S. Federal Government   

Churchill: A Biography
by Roy Jenkins
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (05 November, 2002)
list price: $18.00 -- our price: $12.24
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Editorial Review

Winston Churchill was querulous, childish, self-indulgent, and difficult, writes English historian Roy Jenkins. But he was also brilliant, tenacious, and capable--in short, "the greatest human being ever to occupy 10 Downing Street." Jenkins's book stands as the best single-volume biography of Churchill in recent years.

Marked by the author's wide experience writing on British leaders such as Balfour and Gladstone and his tenure as a member of Parliament, his book adds much to the vast library of works on Churchill. While acknowledging his subject's prickly nature, Jenkins credits Churchill for, among other things, recognizing far earlier than his peers the dangers of Hitler's regime. He praises Churchill for his leadership during the war years, especially at the outset, when England stood alone and in imminent danger of defeat. He also examines Churchill's struggle to forge political consensus to meet that desperate crisis, and he sheds new light on Churchill's postwar decline. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (86)

Churchill by Roy Jenkins
We read this book for our book club.All members agreed that they did not enjoy "Winston Churchill" by Roy Jenkins.Besides being extremely long (900 pages!), members felt Jenkins focused on minutiae regarding Churchill's life while failing to convey why he was "the greatest Prime Minister Britain ever had", as the author repeatedly claimed. It concentrates on the details of political life, who said what, to whom and when, without discussing the impact of decisions taken.In addition, there is no discussion of what was happening in the world, ie, WWI, WWII, the fall of the British empire, rise of communism, etc.

Avoid This Book Like The Plague
Jenkins is a fine writer and deeply knowledgable about England, parliament in particular and Churchill but this is a perverse biography which is of use for only one group of people: those readers whose main interest is Churchill'sparliamentary career as written by an insider. For the rest of us this book tantalizes and then frustrates. It jumps over (or omits) the most dramatic episodes of the story to give us nauseating detail about parliamentary debates that only a super-specialist would want to know about. This would be fine if we got such detail about everything else but no- only about parliamentary debates. I mean he describes who spoke first, second third and what their history in parliament was. But about Churchill's childhood and its influence - hardly a word and the word is dismissive. About his marriage to his wife - glimpses. We are told she was always away on trips but Jenkins refuses to venture an opinion as to why or even what Churchill's reaction was. It is almost as if his mannersare too good to do anything other than talk about what happens in the public arena. I would strongly recommend this book only to academics(or amateurs) who have an interest in the history of the British House of Commons and Churchill's place in it. Don't let some of these previous reviews fool you. These reviewers are justly impressed with Jenkins gravitas and his age (he died before the book came out)and his political career and don't want to tell you the truth.

Excellent Bio, If A bit Long & Dense....
But dealing with this subject, 1000 pages may not really be too long! This is probably among the top three of WSC bios, along withMichael Gilbert, and Wm. Manchester's LAST LION (my personal favorite). It covers every aspect of the great man's adult life, the indisputable genius, with a few warts, especially the well known Dardonelles disaster, and the 1940 Norway campaign, being outfoxed and outgunned by the Germans. And the post-war years are also covered, including WSC's famous, cheap shots at the opposing Labor leader Atlee. Also, this is among the few WSC bios that give full credit to his very talented outside interests, especially painting, and shows some fine color pics of WSC's artwork. All in all ,a masterful job, even if a bit long at times! ... Read more

Isbn: 0452283523
Subjects:  1. 1874-1965    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Churchill, Winston,    7. General    8. Great Britain    9. Political    10. Prime ministers    11. Sir,   

Clint Eastwood : A Biography
by RICHARD SCHICKEL
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (21 October, 1997)
list price: $18.00 -- our price: $18.00
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Schickel, a movie critic for Time magazine, surveys the life and career of Hollywood's laconic macho superstar. Eastwood's career has slowly developed: television success in Rawhide; his icon-defining role as the nameless gunslinger in Sergio Leone's spaghetti Westerns; movie superstardom with the Dirty Harry series; then a softening, and even some intellectual respectability, with his Oscar for directing Unforgiven. Shickel chronicles Eastwood's middle-class upbringing in Oakland, California, details a personal life that included a drive to bed many women, and recasts Eastwood from his role as the male equivalent of the "dumb blonde" to that of "one of the great ironists of the age." ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Padded and Nonobjective...
If you are looking for a thick book about actor/director Clint Eastwood's life and career, illustrated with some unusual photos, then this will fill the bill.If you want an objective biography of Eastwood, together with an objective analysis of his film work, this is not the book you want.Schickel was basically an employee and friend of Eastwood during the researching and writing of the book, and he tends to ignore or downplay the dark side of Eastwood's activities, particularly his alleged "women are like kleenex" philosophy, and his alleged cruelty toward former collaborators.

The long book is made longer by merciless padding, including detailed and completely unnecessary plot summaries of the films.

Viewed from 2004, Clint Eastwood is an important actor--- as good an actor as Jimmy Stewart and as iconic an actor as John Wayne. He is also an important and stylish director, and justifiably famous for his gentle ways with cast and crew, as well as his efficiency in coming in under budget.One of the author's continuing themes, brought up on nearly every page, turns uponthe consistent misunderstanding of Eastwood, both as actor and director, by two generations of famous mainstream film critics.This theme wears thin quickly when one realizes that there is probably not a single case in which famous mainstream film critics have had the slightest clue as to the value, importance and significance of any new film or film star.

Eastwood is an important figure in 20th Century cinema, and he deserves an objective, scholarly, independently-researched analysis of all aspects of his life and career.I don't know of one... we'll keep looking.

Enjoyable read, very informative.
This is an excellent book about the life and work of a legend. Richard Schickel gives us a close look at the free spirited man that's living inside of the veteran actor. Very detail work about Mr. Eastwood's movie making process and his no bulls**t attitude toward the studio execs and anyone who stands on his way. Ms. Pauline Kael should just say it out loud that she's begging for the legend's attention or just shut the hell up. Any Eastwood fan will really appreciate the author's work.

A mixed bag biography
Being a huge fan of Eastwood as well as a close personal friend creates quite the conflict in TIME film critic Richard Schickel as he attempts to write a biography about an artist who closely guards his privacy. This obstacle results in a hap-hazard biography that provides few surprises or insights into the laconic, silent man who has become on of America's true unique artists.

Schickel also drives a stake through the pacing of his writing by providing scene by scene recounts of each of Eastwood's key films. He is overlooking the fact that the majority of his intended audience already has each film memorized. This causes the book to often languish in molasses and cause the reader to skim- never a good thing.

Where Schickel does succeed is in the all-too brief insights into Eastwood's technique and artistic philosophy. Had Schickel chosen to focus in this area, his work would have provided more depth and sustained interest.

As is CLINT EASTWOOD: A BIOGRAPHY is a mixed bag read. Worthwhile only if one is willing to skim. ... Read more

Isbn: 0679749918
Subjects:  1. American actors    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Entertainment & Performing Arts - Actors & Actresses    7. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    8. Film & Video - General    9. Motion picture actors and actresses    10. Motion picture producers and directors    11. United States    12. Performing Arts / Film / General   

Dereliction of Duty: The Eyewitness Account of How Bill Clinton Endangered America's Long-Term National Security
by Robert Patterson
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (25 March, 2003)
list price: $27.95 -- our price: $18.45
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Editorial Review

Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Robert "Buzz" Patterson was a military aide to President Clinton from May 1996 to May 1998 and one of five individuals entrusted with carrying the "nuclear football"—the bag containing the codes for launching nuclear weapons. This responsibility meant that he spent a considerable amount of time next to the president, giving him a unique perspective on the Clinton administration. Though he arrived at the job "filled with professional devotion and commitment to serve," he left believing that Clinton had "sown a whirlwind of destruction upon the integrity of our government, endangered our national security, and done enormous harm to the American military in which I served."

Dereliction of Duty is not a personal attack on President Clinton or a commentary on his various scandals; rather, it is a "frank indictment of his obvious—to an eyewitness—failure to lead our country with responsibility and honor." Lt. Col. Patterson offers a damning list of anecdotes and charges against the President, including how Clinton lost the nuclear codes and shrugged it off; how he stalled and lost the opportunity to launch a direct strike on Osama bin Laden at a confirmed location; how the President and the First Lady, and much of their staff, consistently treated members of the military with disrespect and disdain; and how Clinton groped a female Air Force enlisted member while aboard Air Force One, among other incidents large and small. A considerable portion of this slim book is devoted to the myriad ways in which President Clinton undermined the military, and hence the security, of the nation. He seriously questions Clinton's decisions to send troops to Somalia, Rwanda, Haiti, and Bosnia to accomplish non-military tasks without clear objectives. Having participated in each of these engagements, Lt. Col. Patterson personally "experienced the frustration of needlessly wasted lives, effort, and national prestige"as well as the alarmingly low morale that Clinton inspired.

This is certainly not the first anti-Clinton book, but it is different in that Patterson does not seem to have a political ax to grind. In fact, at times, he appears apologetic about having to write about his ex-commander in chief. Yet, in the end, this retired soldier felt his last act of service should be to share his experience with his country. --Shawn Carkonen ... Read more

Reviews (460)

A Must Read for Any Poli-nut
If you're interested in politics and world news, this is a book that you should read. An interesting chapter of how we've ended up in the foreign policy struggles of today.

My only real beef with the book is the voice it is written in. To understand, you'll have to read...

Outstanding!Relevant Now and in 2008!
This is one of those books you pick up and read very quickly.It held my attention from page one to page last. I knew (or thought I did) about the many transgressions of the Clinton era but this book shook me to my knees.Its one thing to hear speculation, its a whole different matter to hear them from a military officer, sworn to protect and defend, who has no political agenda (and in fact seems pained in the process of writing this book).Author Patterson lays it all out in a very objective, sequenced, well-written argument.Clinton was the worst commander-in-chief in our country's history.

More importantaly and timely, Mrs Clinton is poising for a run for the White House in 2008.Any open-minded citizen considering a vote for her potentially should read this book!Her husband was a nightmare for the US.If you can believe Patterson (and I do, a man with impeccable credentials), Hillary is a train wreck waiting to happen.

America can't afford another throw back to Clinton and Carter.The stakes are simply too high.Read this compelling work and reflect on what was...and, pray God, what will not be.

Buzz Patterson sets the table.You just must pull up a chair and dine.

A First-Hand Account of Corruption at the Top.
When I found this book at the library surplus sale, I was skeptical about its intent, and felt I could offset the title.This account is told by the son of a two-star general and his own military career is spectatular in itself.He was brought up to be honest in his assessments with a strict ethical background.He was the last person they should have hired to be one of the military aides to the 'wild man' Bill Clinton.His mentor who had written for Parade magazine before taking government assignments, Al Santoli, in the Foreword praised Patterson who would "never intentionally malign any person."

It took a lot of reading and time to convince me otherwise.He should have writtten of his concerns in 1998 when he was no longer an aide and stand up for his beliefs.In 1996, he tried to undermine the president because, first and foremost, he was military and Clinton had other "more important" interests.He accuses him of saying false things about our peril, what he called "an obvious, whopping lie."

He gives details of the scandals involving his boss, information to which he was privy.He found Hillary to be nasty and rude, ruling the White House with an iron hand.He stated matter-of-factly that the president feared his wife.She was the "power behind the throne."He was upset with their abuse of the airplane and the high office, and their disdain toward the military.Sometimes, they used the aides as luggage carriers or golf caddies.

He went from fascination to disgust.He made fun of the president's golf game and saw him cheat at golf; the photo on the cover has Clinton with a golf tee in his mouth.It shows the real Clinton.

As with so many scandals of Clinton's terms in the White House, it was the nation who paid the price.And Mrs. Clinton is being touted as the first female president.She already has been, and it was corrupt and expensive.

Clinton's forcing of "coed" mixed-sex integration in the miltary caused serious problems, and lawsuits concerning rape.The administration covered up the shortcoming of that policy instead of dealing with it legally.Many women had to drop out of the military because they became pregnant.

Pictures tell the truth.He was young, idealistic when he was chosen as the Air Force aide; two years later, you can see his disillusionment and bewilderment about what he had seen first hand and been forced to live through.It was a harrowing experience for an ethical citizen who loves his country.I hope that this book has been theraputic for him.Thanks to him, we now know how bad things were and how they had the 'time of their lives.' ... Read more

Isbn: 0895261405
Subjects:  1. 1946-    2. 20th century    3. Biography    4. Clinton, Bill,    5. Government - Executive Branch    6. Government - U.S. Government    7. History    8. Military leadership    9. Military policy    10. National security    11. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    12. Political Science    13. Politics - Current Events    14. Politics/International Relations    15. Presidents    16. Public Policy - Social Policy    17. United States    18. Biography & Autobiography / Presidents   

High Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Case Against Bill Clinton (Thorndike Press Large Print Americana Series)
by Ann H. Coulter
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 March, 1999)
list price: $28.95
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Editorial Review

Bill Clinton pledged to run "the most ethical administration in the history of the republic." In High Crimes and Misdemeanors, conservative lawyer and pundit Ann Coulter finds this promise laughably off the mark.Although she devotes a fair amount of space to the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Coulter covers the gamut of Clinton controversies, from the Whitewater deal to the death of Vincent Foster to Filegate (plus others--ever heard of "Wampumgate"?). Her tone is aggressively anti-Clinton, but she also has the virtue of engaging and straightforward prose that explains why each individual scandal matters. (The chapter on Whitewater begins: "This is the boring part. Whitewater gets interesting only when you understand why it is boring. It is boring by design, like a New York Times editorial. Don't skip to the next chapter! That's just what the Clintons want you to do.") The best section of the book is a serious examination of the impeachment process--how the Founding Fathers envisioned it, how it's been used throughout history, and why, in Coulter's opinion, it should be invoked against Clinton. --John J. Miller ... Read more

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• Large Print

Reviews (140)

This will be a future original source
Fifty or one hundred years from now, our yet-to-be-born descendants will look back on this book as one of the best descriptions not only of the Constitutional process of impeachment but also why the Clinton Administration achieved the notoriety that it did.Ann Coulter, who has gone on to a successful career as am author and political pundit, utilizes her legal and intellectual background quite cleverly in tracing the history of the impeachment process as it was first conceived, even referencing THE FEDERALIST PAPERS.She astutely compares the proceedings against Bill Clinton with the proceedings against former President Richard Nixon--and I was in graduate school at the time of Watergate, so I remember that matter quite clearly--and notes that Bill Clinton and his Administration were guilty of much, much worse "high crimes and misdemeanors" than Richard Nixon was even accused of.I personally think of impeachment as I would of a tourniquet to heal a wound, clearly a last resort--our elected officials serve for fixed terms of office and can be voted out of office or replaced through term limits of various sorts, such as the Twenty-Second Amendment--but the case against Clinton is certainly more compelling than that against Nixon or against President Andrew Johnson, who was impeached on dubious Constitutional grounds in 1868 but fell short of conviction by one Senate vote.(For probably the most incisive descriptions of Watergate and the Nixon impeachment procedings [Mr. Nixon resigned before the House of Representatives voted on three articles of impeachment, after the release of the so-called "smoking-gun" White House tapes], see Len Colodny's SILENT COUP and Victor Lasky's IT DIDN'T START WITH WATERGATE.)The only good, as I see it, coming from the aftermath and Bill Clinton's acquital by the Senate, is the fact that Al Gore was not elevated to the Presidency and did not have the built-in advantage of Presidential incumbency, and so (regardless of what you think about the aftermath of the 2000 Presidential election) did not occupy the Oval Office on September 11, 2001.

Warmed over Coulter
This was Coulter's first book and it shows. Yet to fully develop the great bombastic style of Treason, this is more labored. Great early stuff from Coulter the prosecutor on Paula Jones, but later chapters on Indian Gaming dodges and the like weaken rather than complement her case.

Clinton - Guilty as charged
Ann Coulter has put together a masterpiece.This book was very difficult to put down as it was filled with reason after reason as to why Clinton should have been removed from office.Very good documentation by Ann Coulter makes this book a very useful research tool for understanding and following up on the issues at hand.The people offended by this book are those who can't deal with the fact that their fearless lying leader was nothing more than a criminal who should be taking residence in the nearest maximum security facility sometime soon. ... Read more

Isbn: 0786217561
Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Fiction    3. General    4. History    5. Impeachment    6. Large Print    7. Political corruption    8. Politics - Current Events    9. Presidents    10. United States    11. United States - 20th Century    12. Clinton, Bill   

Hitler: 1889-1936 Hubris
by Ian Kershaw
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (April, 2000)
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Editorial Review

Noted for his excellent structural explanation of the Third Reich's political culture in The Hitler Myth, eminent historian Ian Kershaw shifts approach in this innovative biography of the Nazi tyrant. The first of a two-volume study, Hubris is far from a simple rehearsal of "great man" history, impressively exploring the historical forces that transformed a shiftless Austrian daydreamer into a dictator with immense power.

In his forthright introduction, Kershaw acknowledges that, as a committed social historian, he did not include biography in his original intellectual plans. However, his "growing preoccupation" with the structures of Nazi domination pushed him toward questions about Hitler's place and considerable authority within that system. He argues that the sources for Hitler's power must be sought not only in the dictator's actions but also (and more importantly) in the social circumstances of a nation that allowed him to overstep all institutional and moral barriers. In a comprehensive treatment of Hitler's life and times up through the remilitarization of the Rhineland in 1936, Kershaw draws from documents recently made available from Russian archives and benefits from a rigorous source criticism that has discredited many records formerly understood to be reliable. Hubris thus supplants Alan Bullock's classic Hitler: A Study in Tyranny as the definitive account of a man who, with characteristic smugness, indicated that it was a divinely inspired history that made him: "I go with the certainty of a sleep walker along a path laid out for me by Providence." Kershaw's penetrating analysis of how such a certain path could emerge from the dire circumstances of post World War I Germany is the abiding strength of Hubris. --James Highfill ... Read more

Reviews (57)

Ach du Lieber!
My poor Fuhrer.He vas so sad und mish-understood.Vat have zey done to my poor mish-understood Fuhrer, who vas so schmart und Vise und Wunderbar!You are all just a bunch of jealous Untermenschen...

Biased
I will admit that I did not read this entire tome. A few days ago I had a two hour break between classes so I went to the campus book store and noticed the two volume Ian Kershaw biography of Hitler. I was just about to buy them both when I decided to read some of the first installment. I spent the better part of an hour reading it. Kershaw lets his hatred of Hitler get in the way of objectivity. Now, I don't condone everything Hitler did, but to characterize him as a pitiful idiot is simply untruthful.His intelligence and will power were undeniable. Hitler had some admirable attributes, even if many of the things he did were despicable.Its unfortunate that Kershaw is so biased, because he has the facts straight (at least what I read) and is a good writer. Needless to say, I put these flawed books back on the shelf.

He thought he could gamble and win forever
Ian Kershaw's "Hitler 1880-1936 Hubris" is one of the best and most relevant biographies of Hitler to date. As the title suggests, this book examines the social context from which Hitler was able to rise to power. Much of this information is already quite well known. For example, Kershaw discusses, Germany's staggering military defeat in the First World War, and its refusal to hold the responsible military authorities accountable for it. This resulted in the rise of the Volkish movement and the blaming of the Jews for all of Germany's woes.

The importance of this book is not the superb recounting of these already well-documented historical facts, but Kershaw's exciting new argument about why Hitler chose to remilitarize the Rhineland. According to Kershaw, the French occupied portion of the Rhineland was already scheduled to be returned to Germany and that this was a well known fact to Hitler. But at this time, Germany suffered staggering economic setbacks, and even a charismatic leader such as Hitler began to see his popularity decline. What Hitler needed was a military and political victory to reinvigorate his popular appeal and he obtained this by appearing to take by force what was bound to be returned to him.

Hitler's immense gamble paid off, but it also put Germany on a course toward inevitable defeat. Hitler's popularity now depended on sustaining a constant context of emergency and of producing a series stunning victories. His hubris lay in the belief that he could mirror his success in the Rhineland forever. ... Read more

Isbn: 0393320359
Subjects:  1. Antisemitism    2. Austria    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Germany    8. Heads of state    9. Historical - General    10. Military    11. Modern - 20th Century    12. Political    13. Biography: historical    14. Europe    15. European history: from c 1900 -   

After the Fall : How I Picked Myself Up, Dusted Myself Off, and Started All Over Again
by SUZANNE SOMERS
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (14 April, 1998)
list price: $5.99
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Editorial Review

You have to admire a book with the prologue: "My goal in life is to become the person my dog thinks I am." Suzanne Somers's third book, After the Fall chronicles how she became blackballed from Hollywood after demanding a raise for her role on Three's Company. While she was only asking for pay equal to that of male TV stars of that era ($150,000 a week), she was promptly canned from the show and had difficulty finding acting work for the next decade. Simultaneously, Somers was dealing with her new husband's chilly treatment toward her son from her first marriage, Bruce, and Bruce's reaction to having a stepsister and a stepbrother.

Somers's descriptions of the star-studded Hollywood parties can occasionally become too heavy-handed, and it can be hard to sympathize when Somers says she had to cut back her lavish spending, such as on her $1,500-a-day personal hair stylist and makeup artist. However, readers interested in behind-the-scenes descriptions such as those of inflamed egos on the set of the show, the intricacies of the filming of a Barbara Walters interview, and the drama of choreographing a Las Vegas show will find this book a revealing read, especially given its 16 pages of pictures. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Will give you a greater appreciation of author
Enjoyed the taped version of AFTER THE FALL, written and read
by Suzanne Somers . . . it is her third book . . . this one accounts
how she picked herself up, dusted herself off and started all over again
after being dropped from THREE'S COMPANY in its fifth season

It gave me a better appreciation for Somers who had difficulty finding
work for nearly ten years after she dared ask for pay equal to that
of male TV stars of that era . . . she refused to give up, however,
and instead became involved in a hit Las Vegas show, along with
an informational and several books . . . when she resurfaces in 1991
to become one of the stars of another TV show, STEP BY STEP, I
almost cheered.

Very good book!
The book AFTER THE FALL is a very interesting autobiography by a charming and talented performer.It describes how Suzanne Somers became one of the the most famous TV performers in the 70s only to become one of the mostunsuccessful TV performers of the 80s.She deserved better than what shegot on THREE'S COMPANY.It was especially interesting to read about howSuzanne reacted when she met the actress who replaced her on THREE'SCOMPANY.The book is also about how Suzanne and her husband blended theirfamilies together.Suzanne's husband was very resentful of her son and itwas sad to read about the way Bruce was treated for many years.But in theend everything works out for the best.And I can only hope that one daythere will be a THREE'S COMPANY reunion?

SUPERB AND WONDERFUL!
This book spoke to my heart and I thought it was wonderful and to the point.It showed how you have to take responsibility for what you are and the decisions you make.And also it showed how you can pick yourself upand move on and not have to be stuck in a rut. I encourage any and everyoneto read, you'll learn things you never knew. ... Read more

Isbn: 0609603124
Subjects:  1. 1946-    2. American actors    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    7. Individual Movie Actors And Actresses    8. Somers, Suzanne,    9. Television (Performing Arts)    10. Television actors and actresse    11. Television actors and actresses    12. United States    13. Biography & Autobiography / Entertainment & Performing Arts    14. Somers, Suzanne   

Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis Thomas Jefferson and the Opening of the American West
by Stephen Ambrose
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (02 June, 1997)
list price: $17.00 -- our price: $11.56
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Editorial Review

A biography of Meriwether Lewis that relies heavily on the journals of both Lewis and Clark, this book is also backed up by the author's personal travels along Lewis and Clark's route to the Pacific. Ambrose is not content to simply chronicle the events of the "Corps of Discovery" as the explorers called their ventures. He often pauses to assess the military leadership of Lewis and Clark, how they negotiated with various native peoples and what they reported to Jefferson. Though the expedition failed to find Jefferson's hoped for water route to the Pacific, it fired interest among fur traders and other Americans, changing the face of the West forever. ... Read more

Reviews (293)

Courage to love a history book!
I've had several inspired teachers of history in my life, but I've very seldom caught the spark of a retelling of history.This book is one of the shining exceptions of my experience.I'm the grandson of immigrants who pushed into parts of the Upper Midwest and Far West in the 1800's, and I'm also the grandson of Lakota Sioux of the upper Midwest.In reading this adventure, I feel and imagine the experience of both of my families as they met, sometimes with courage, sometimes with trepidation.The arc of the story encompasses so much of what I admire about Americans (courage, determination, even blind faith in an endeavour), and it hints at the conflict and tragedy to come to native Americans in the wake of the country's expansion and development.The method of Mr. Abrose's telling of the story is as close to perfect to me as a story can be told.The character development of Clark and especially Lewis (and his relationship to Jefferson) provides an excellent foundation of understanding of the world-view and aspirations of the Captains setting out from the political and developed East into the unchartered West.Appropriate consideration is also given to native Americans and the nations to which they belonged -- they were often the true saviors of the expedition, without whom the expedition would have certainly disappeared, swallowed into the mountains of the West.The story within of Sacagawea represents the courage and good fortune of the expedition.Her experience connects literally and figuratively the westward intrusion of the expedition into the worlds of the people already there.
As soon as I finished the book, I imagined my sons and I taking a summer to follow part of the path of the expedition through Montana and the Dakotas.It's something to plan for for couple of years, as the Captains did.

Undaunted perfection
I cannot in any way imagine that this story will ever be told better than version.Besides Ambrose's usual two pillars of strength (knowledge and storytelling), I think this might be his best work because it also encompases his pure excitement and love of the America dream and the western myth.He so powerfully pulls together the adventures of the Corps with the building of a nation over the next 100 years.

A Fascinating, Very Readable History
Anyone who wishes to read a comprehensive, yet entertaining account of the Lewis and Clark Expedition owes it to themselves to read Undaunted Courage. Starting with the historical background, and early life of M. Lewis, the story of the expedition's journey across a continent is told in such a readable style that one is almost sorry when it's over, and they've returned to St. Louis. Ambrose makes extensive use of their journals, and adds his own views on why certain decisions were made, both wisely and not, over others. While pointing to the obviously gifted leadership of "the captains", he is not oblivious to their faults. Likewise in his descriptions of the various Indian tribes: both noble and unadmirable practices are related. The overall result of the author's approach is to tell a tale of courage and discovery, without any undo sentamentalism. There are, to be sure, many moving descriptions of events, e.g., the suicide of Lewis, who probable suffered from bi-polar (manic-depressive) illness, years after the expedition itself. And his descriptions of the various settings, with which he is eminently familiar, make it easy to understand why buffs today retrace long segments of the Corps of Discovery's routes. All in all, a great work of history. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Isbn: 0684826976
Subjects:  1. (1804-1806)    2. 1774-1809    3. Biography    4. Explorers    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. Lewis and Clark Expedition    9. Lewis, Meriwether,    10. United States    11. United States - 19th Century    12. United States - 19th Century/Old West    13. History / United States / General   

Rise And Fall Of The Third Reich
by William L. Shirer
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (15 November, 1990)
list price: $25.00 -- our price: $16.50
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Reviews (202)

An Invaluable Retrospect
Anyone who aims to cover the history of WWII in Europe thoroughly will necessarily read this book. Its greatest weakness - that it "was published relatively soon after WWII, by a journalist not a government minister, academic, or soldier" [S. Knasick, below] - is also one of its greatest points: Shirer may not have been a professional historian, but he lived in Germany as a journalist during Hitler's rise and he had a lot of direct experience to draw upon as he researched this story. To the later day reader, this read is as much interesting for the author's own contemporary prejudices and cross-cultural paradigms as it is for its historical depth. I only had two personal gripes with the book: First, it could have said more about the Soviet contribution towards defeating Germany (it is very much an English speaker's perspective on the war); and second, Shirer's severe judgments on the German people as being almost fundamentally flawed would no longer appeal to many readers. However, as I have already said, these inadequacies are also somewhat interesting insofar as they very much reflect the mood of the times.

"The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" is probably the biggest book I've ever read. Just to fit it all into one volume requires exceptionally small print - and then the footnotes belonging to many pages carry a print that is smaller still. At first glance, therefore, its sheer size probably puts off most potential readers. But the book is highly readable, thoroughly interesting, and one doesn't have to get too far into it before they realise that found in its size will be hours and hours of fascinating and compulsive reading. From Shirer's thorough account of Hitler's own rise and fall to the rise and fall of a fascist nation, this book is an excellent read. It will remain a must read on WWII for a long time to come.

A tolerable general outline of the events of and leading to
This is essential reading for the uninitiated novice historian, but it should be kept in mind that "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" was published relatively soon after WWII, by a journalist not a government minister, academic, or soldier. Overall it was a colossal undertaking by the author however it is not without its faults. It certainly lacks historical objectivity occasionally, as it never covers colonial atrocities and exploitation committed by the United Kingdom or France. Also it improperly refers to German guns with American titles. For example instead of correctly calling the German sub-machine gun an MP40, he will call them "Tommy Guns." Hitler shot himself on April 30, 1945 with a PPK not a "revolver" as the author erroneously writes, and the Germans used primarily (but not exclusively) the P08 Lugar and the Walther P38 as side arms, not "revolvers." I do not mean to niggle over minor details but these are the things that drive historians insane. Nonetheless for a thumbnail sketch of the events, again for the novice, it serves a purpose.

More than just history
"The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" is one of my all time favorites. It is not just history but it feels more like a thriller revealing the plots as you read it on. The most remarkable fact is that it is based wholly on facts. Hats off to William.L.Shirer for preparing a book like this. Imagine how he would have consolidated all the facts. The book has quite a good no. of pages(more than 1100). It takes some time to finish it but still it is worth the time spent on it. If any one is interested in the history of Germany under Nazi rule and the insides and outs of the role of Germany in the Second World War then this is the right book. Moreover it also covers enough details of the character and life of Adolf Hitler. Overall one will not regret spending time on this book. ... Read more

Isbn: 0671728687
Sales Rank: 3365
Subjects:  1. 1933-1945    2. Europe - Germany    3. Germany    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. Military - World War II    8. History / General