Reviews (17)

Review ofMemoirs of US Grant
General Grant's use of the English language is very interesting and informative.Absolutely a pleasure to read.

A Masterpiece
This book is a must-read for any Civil War or American history buff. Grant's writing is consistently clear, elegant, beautiful. He gives an engaging account of his wartime experiences that are accurate to the best of his ability, and he writes with introspection and humility. The personal letters at the end of the volume reveal much about this fascinating man, and are a welcome addition. Please read this one! Another wonderful book in this series is the volume containing Frederick Douglass's autobiographical works.

A History Buff's Wet Dream...
This is certainly a great book, and in parts, it is a good book. Grant has a very terse, matter-of-fact style, which makes for easy reading. The bulk of the book is devoted to the Civil War, and there are dry patches, and multitudes of "We went to the ridge, and then to the river, and moved our artillery up to the picket" and such-like. But that is what happened, and so you can't fault Grant for his meticulous detailing of troop movements, correspondence with fellow officers, etc. As I said, the great majority of the book is devoted to the Civil War, and there is not a word about Grant's tenure in the White House. Personally, of all topics covered by Grant, I find him to be most fascinating on the subject of the Mexican-American War of 1847. This is not something commonly focused on in history classes, but Grant's account is riveting. Additionally, Grant's remembrances of Lincoln are very interesting, as is his almost awed reverence for the military abilities of Sherman. The book is long, but it doesn't seem long, and if you have a love of history, this is indispensable stuff. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. (Ulysses Simpson),    2. 1822-1885    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Correspondence    7. Generals    8. Grant, Ulysses S    9. Letters    10. Literature - Classics / Criticism    11. Military    12. Military Personnel    13. Presidents    14. U.S. History - Antebellum Period (1840-1860)    15. United States    16. United States - Civil War    17. United States - Reconstruction Period (1865-1877)    18. Literary Collections / Letters   

Reviews (140)

History BY Roosevelt, not OF Roosevelt
I can't disagree with anything written by other reviewers.
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris
The book depicts a man who towered over the people and events of
Epic biography of one of our greatest presidents (before he is president)
With a book over 700 pages long, it first seems like it may be a rambling book, but The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt is anything but that. Morris gives great detail of Roosevelt's adventures from birth to the time he is Vice President. The book makes you feel as if you become a very close observer of Roosevelt's life before he becomes President of the United States. Morris sharply describes the political struggles and fights that Roosevelt endures in all the different jobs from his cattle ranching days in the West to the battles when he is Governor of New York. What is nice about Morris is that he does seem to admire the personality and energy of Roosevelt, but also balances that admiration with the critical observations of the contradictions of Roosevelt's mindset and upbringing. Throughout the book, you see many hilarious anecdotes as well as the sobering ones. There is not a dull area in this book. I felt that after reading this book that I knew the character of Roosevelt as well as I know the character of my best friend. Anyone thinking that days in the past were very simple, should read this book to understand the complexity of building a political career and succeeding in politics in the late 1800's to the early 1900's of U.S. history. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1858-1919    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. General    7. Historical - U.S.    8. Presidents    9. Presidents & Heads of State    10. Roosevelt, Theodore,    11. United States    12. Biography & Autobiography / Presidents    13. Biography: general    14. Roosevelt, Theodore   

Reviews (1)

A little disappointing--3.5 stars
I eagerly awaited the release of this book for several months and purchased a copy as soon as it was available.Maybe my expectations were out of whack, but I was a little disappointed.
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Subjects:  1. 1790-1862    2. 1841-1845    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Historical - U.S.    8. Political    9. Politics and government    10. Presidents    11. Presidents & Heads of State    12. Tyler, John,    13. United States    14. United States - 19th Century    15. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    16. Biography & Autobiography / Presidents    17. Biography: historical    18. Political leaders & leadership    19. Tippecanoe and Tyler Too; William Henry Harrison; Vice President of the United States; President of the United States; states' rights; manifest destiny; Confederate States of America; governor of Virginia; "traitor President"; Civil War; southern secession; His Accidency; John Tyler; Log Cabin campaign; tenth president; national destiny; expansion of slavery; annexation of Texas; Tyler Doctrine; opening to China; Sherwood Forest; Tyler precedents; Princeton explosion; Julia Gardiner Tyler; Republicanism; Webster-Ashburton Treaty    20. USA   

Reviews (22)

The princess can tell a story
Princess Marie Vassiltchikov, a member of some minor branch of the Russian nobility who ended up in Lithuania and then in Germany for World War II, can sure tell a story. Her diary is a good page turner. You always know what is going on.You're always want to find out what is going to happen next. I finished this book in a day or two and took it everywhere I went, because I had to find out what happened.
Best and most original book on WWII ever written
Don't pay any attention to the one or two negative views in this section.This is a terrific book written from the weird persepective of the Blue Bloods, the European royalty the Nazis hated as much as they hated Jews.The fact that these people, all opposed to Hitler, could land on their feet over and over again in spite of everything is as funny as anything can be.I would have been a Top Ten TV Series had somebody had the sense to pick it up.Risk the few dollars cost, you won't be sorryl

War through the experiences ofthe wealthy
People who have not lived through wars forget that even when confronted with death, destruction, loss, and fear, man's survival instinct grasps for pleasure. This is true for the wealthy as well as the poor, however, the pleasures found differ greatly. This book is not about the poor, and readers with a socialist orientation may find it offensive.
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Subjects:  1. 1917-1978    2. Austria    3. Berlin    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Europe - Germany    8. General    9. Germany    10. Historical - General    11. Personal narratives, Russian    12. Vassiltchikov, Marie,    13. Vienna    14. World War, 1939-1945    15. Biography & Autobiography / General    16. Biography: general    17. Second World War, 1939-1945    18. Vassiltchikov, Marie   

Editorial Review

Inspired by Werner von Braun and his Cape Canaveral team, 14-year-old Homer Hickam decided in 1957 to build his own rockets. They were his ticket out of Coalwood, West Virginia, a mining town that everyone knew was dying--everyone except Sonny's father, the mine superintendent and a company man so dedicated that his family rarely saw him. Hickam's smart, iconoclastic mother wanted her son to become something more than a miner and, along with a female science teacher, encouraged the efforts of his grandiosely named Big Creek Missile Agency. He grew up to be a NASA engineer and his memoir of the bumpy ride toward a gold medal at the National Science Fair in 1960--an unprecedented honor for a miner's kid--is rich in humor as well as warm sentiment. Hickam vividly evokes a world of close communal ties in which a storekeeper who sold him saltpeter warned, "Listen, rocket boy. This stuff can blow you to kingdom come." Hickam is candid about the deep disagreements and tensions in his parents' marriage, even as he movingly depicts their quiet loyalty to each other. The portrait of his ultimately successful campaign to win his aloof father's respect is equally affecting. Read more

Reviews (515)

The book is prodigious
I loved the movie, "October Sky." However, the book goes into more depth than the movie. The relationship between Homer and his parents is far more interesting than the movie's depiction. The book and the movie had the space race, the coming-of-age theme, science fair competition, and young love. The book is written very well. The characters come alive. The book is prodigious, to use one of the character's favorite adjectives.

Refreshing read
A really interesting and inspiring story, appropriate for people of all ages.You won't be able to put it down.

WOW!
Rocket Boys/October sky, by Homer H. Hickam (jr), tells about the writer's life when he was a teenager. Set in the mountains of West Virginia, this best-selling book truly expresses what it is like to be traped. Whith its twisting plots and great writing I don't thing anybody wouldn't love this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1943-    2. Aeronautics    3. Aeronautics & Astronautics    4. Aerospace engineers    5. Biography    6. Biography & Autobiography    7. Biography / Autobiography    8. Biography/Autobiography    9. Hickam, Homer H.,    10. Historical - U.S.    11. Scientists - General    12. United States    13. Biography & Autobiography / General    14. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (16)

All the dirt on the Caesars
Here is history with all the boring stuff left out. Suetonius, a historian around the time of Hadrian (117-138 C.E.), had access to many of the Imperial records, and apparently from them gleaned most of the incredibly juicy information regarding the 12 Caesars included here. Wars, campaigns, laws, affairs of state, and all the other matters one might expect to read about in a book of historical biographies was not the major concern of Suetonius. He was more interested in the personal (often dastardly) deeds of these rulers and the behaviors they exhibited, many of which were very unflattering, to say the least. Many of these guys - Claudius, Caligula, Nero, Vitellius - were veritable monsters: mass murder,theft of private property and national treasure, incest, patricide, ostentation and audacity, material devastation were routine to many of them. Suetonius almost revels in dishing the dirt. It's not just a list of one cruelty after another, either, for Suetonius also knows a funny story when he sees it: the time, for example, when Augustus expelled a man from Italy for giving him the finger. Is this the earliest account on record of that particular obscene gesture? If the National Inquirer existed back then Suetonius would be its editor-in-chief. Some of what he tells is exaggeration or hearsay and perhaps not extremely accurate, but he is often still considered the best source on the Caesars after Tacitus. The book is a lot of fun to read and I would think it would be required reading in most high schools, if for no other reason than it would get a lot of kids interested in ancient history in a hurry.

Want to know all the juicy tidbits about the first 12 Ceasers?
I randomly picked this book up, hankering after some ancient text. Lo and behold, I picked up the juiciest book in ancient Rome. This is no dry, linear blah blah about the first 12 Ceasers, oh no! Seutonius gives you all the incest, the murder, the blunders, the insanity, the triumphs...it's got it all. Actually, if you know nothing about the first 12 Ceasers, start here, because Seutonius gives you all the good stuff.

The Twelve Caesars
It was in very good condition. None of the pages were written on or the cover was not bent. It was as if the book was new! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Classics    3. Early works to 1800    4. Emperors    5. Fiction    6. Flavians, 69-96    7. History    8. Julio-Claudians, 30 B.C.-68 A.D    9. Literary    10. Literature - Classics / Criticism    11. Literature: Classics    12. Rome    13. Ancient Rome    14. Biography & Autobiography / Presidents    15. Biography: historical    16. European history: BCE to c 500 CE   

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography And Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Europe - France    6. France - History - Revolution And Napoleonic Empire (1789-1815)    7. Historical - General    8. Biography: historical    9. European history: c 1750 to c 1900    10. France    11. History / France   

Reviews (4)

First Family of the Gilded Age
This book is wonderful, I really could not put it down.The pictures are exquisite and the text is highly informative.The Vanderbilts may have not always been happy, but by God they did enjoy their money.Unlike many of the Gilded Age American aristocrats, like the Rockefeller's and Carnegie, the Vanderbilts where not ashamed of their money and they wanted to show it off...granted they do not have the lofty philanthropic legacy of the Rockefeller's or Andrew Carnegie, but they did give us wonderful estates and a taste of what it was like to be fabulously wealthy at this amazing time, they lived like French nobility before the Revolution, and to this day when you list the ten greatest American mansions, you can bet that the Vanderbilts will be well represented.This book captures all of this and more...if you have any interest in this Age or this family or quite frankly interesting people and good writing then you will enjoy this book, it really is a five star book.

Vanderbuilding with the Vanderbilts
If you are a fan of the Vanderbilts or of the Gilded Era, this book is a must.I have to admitt that I own lots of coffee table books.Usually, I just look at the pictures, read the captions, but never a word of the text.This book caught my attention from the start.It's a wonderful history of the Vanderbilt family, although not too heavily involved.I found that the family tree charts were loads of help while reading the book ... with such a large family it would be easy to forget who's who. Splendour Aplenty!
This book serves a myriad of purposes.If you are interested in turn of the century architecture, this book is for you.If you are interested in the social mores of the day, this book is for you.If you are interested in the Vanderbilt familiy in particular, and America's aristocracy in general, this book is for you.With hundreds of wonderful photos and illustrations, and an objective account of the history of one of America's richest families, "The Vanderbilts" takes the reader back to an era of nonchalant decadence.A time when prosperity was the plaything of the gods, and the gods were called Vanderbilt, and were lead by "The Commodore".America today is enriched by the spoils of their success, boasting some of the best in arcitecture and art collections.The family who gave us Grand Central Station, The Metropolitan Opera, and a good deal of the exhibited contents of the Met Museum also provide us with a fascinating tale of the rise and reign (and stumbles and pratfalls along the way) of American royalty. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Genealogy    5. Historical - U.S.    6. Homes and haunts    7. Mansions    8. United States    9. Vanderbilt family    10. Biography & Autobiography / General    11. Family history   

Reviews (30)

Churchill was begging....
After the fall of France in June 1940, Winston Churchill was begging USA President Roosevelt for military aid (in fact, all sorts of support was then needed) as no one knew what would the 'fate' of the French fleet was going to be.
absolutely a delight to read
I was adrift when I finished this volume.
solitary courage
No better profile of Churchill 1932-40 exists. Whetted with acrimony and disdain, Churchill is ultimately proved right (and his real task commences).
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Subjects:  1. 1874-1965    2. 20th century    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Churchill, Winston,    7. Foreign relations    8. Great Britain    9. Great Britain - History - 20th Century    10. Historical - British    11. Political    12. Politics and government    13. Sir,    14. Biography & Autobiography / Political    15. British & Irish history: c 1700 to c 1900    16. United Kingdom, Great Britain   

Reviews (4)

Ambiguities and the Fog of War
After the retreat from Dunkirk in 1940, Britain knew that it would be fighting again within Europe, but until an invasion could be made by regular forces, a secret war had to be waged.For this purpose the Special Operations Executive was formed, with the object of clandestine insertion of agents to oppose the advancement of the Nazis.It was a perilous assignment, and agents were told to expect a fifty-fifty chance of dying; as it turned out, they fared better, a 75% survival rate.The section of the SOE devoted to activities within France was the assignment of Vera Atkins, where she was staff officer to the head of the section.Atkins was devoted to the highly secret operation, and only recently have the truths about the work of the SOE (including its many failings) emerged.Atkins took many of the secrets to her grave when she died in 2000.Sarah Helm, an investigative reporter, was able to interview her two years before her death."She didn't tell me much," Helm says."She never told anybody much."There was, however, quite a story, and it involved Atkins's personal secrets as well as military ones.In _A Life in Secrets: Vera Atkins and the Missing Agents of WWII_ (Nan A. Talese / Doubleday), Helm has described her efforts to understand the secrets in a long and frustrating search for what made the brilliant and wary Atkins averse, beyond all callings of duty, to letting some secrets go.
A brilliant account of SOE and one of its spies
I've read a lot about World War II and SOE, and this outshines most books. Ms. Helm puts human faces on the dead and betrayed agents, and doesn't mince words when it comes to skewering those who sent them to their deaths. This is brilliantly researched and written, provoking outrageous anger at the novice spy handlers who ignored numerous warnings that networks had been penetrated and who continued sending agents to horrible deaths in concentration camps. Further, it shows their callous nature in covering up their stupidity and never admitting mistakes. There are many lessons here for today's times. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It will stay with me for a long time.

The incredible tale of a true heroine
Both the NY Times (William Grimes) and the Washington Post highly praise this book. It tells the story of two great searches . The first is of the heroine of the book, Vera Atkins who after the War searches in Europe to learn of the fates of the 117 of 400 agents she had helped prepare for their missions of gathering Intelligence for Great Britain against the Nazis. The second is the search of the author Sarah Helm to get the details of the story of her subject, a research which also involved extraordinary effort.
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Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography And Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. France    6. General    7. Great Britain    8. Historical - General    9. Intelligence Operations    10. Military    11. Military - World War II    12. Missing in action    13. Secret service    14. Underground movements    15. Women    16. World War, 1939-1945    17. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Reviews (32)

Excellent "You Were There" Style
This is the best book about space travel I have ever read. Michael Collins is able to tell the story in a way that makes the reader feel he was actually there. He tells his story in a very knowledable and professional manner, but even more importantly, Collins uses polite mannerisms and dignity in his writing, a virtue absent from most modern writers. This book gave me a great deal of respect for Michael Collins as an astronaut and writer, and for Michael Collins as an American with dignity.
No Question About It--The Best Astronaut Memoir Ever!
There have been several excellent Apollo astronaut memoirs, especially Gene Cernan's "The Last Man on the Moon" and Jim Lovell's "Lost Moon," which was made into the feature film "Apollo 13." This one is still the most honest and reflective of them all. It extends a tradition of the aviator as litterateur into the age of space travel. One of the best
This is an excellent book.One of the best in regards to the space program and the ultimate in goals, the moon.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1930-    2. Aeronautics & Astronautics    3. Apollo 11 (Spacecraft)    4. Astronauts    5. Biography    6. Biography & Autobiography    7. Biography / Autobiography    8. Biography/Autobiography    9. Collins, Michael,    10. Project Apollo (U.S.)    11. Scientists - Astronauts    12. Scientists - General    13. United States    14. Astronautics    15. Biography: general    16. Space travel & exploration   

Reviews (7)

Disappointing
The story of the blind hatred and inhumanity whipped up by the Nazis needs to be told - and told often.But it deserves a more nuanced telling than this single-dimensional presentation.This account is all bright colors (first quarter) and darkness (remainder), with little in between.
Decadence and Poverty of Wartime Shanghai
I thoroughly enjoyed "Ten Green Bottles".Unlike other books on Shanghai of that period, I particularly relished the intimate glimpse of the extreme wealth and decadence that was ongoing alongside the abject poverty of the immigrants that fled Europe.Much is written here of how people of many nations with unimaginable wealth made Shanghai their "sumptuous playground" between the stench and filth of the city.
A story that should not be forgotten
This story about the experiences of a Viennese Jewish family in Shanghai perfectly fulfills two raison d'etre of books - on the one hand it allows the reader to enter a time-warp machine and be transplanted to another time and another place and vicariously live through the emotional upheavals, the smells, sights, sounds and most importantly the feelings of fear, frustration, Angst and yes, fortunately also joy, of the main characters.Vivian Kaplan is a master of setting the scene and allowing the reader to slip into the protagonist's skin.I have lived and worked in Vienna and also in Northern China (albeit at a much later time) and Vivian's writing rings true.The chapters in the book are like 3-D images conjured up for the reader (and would make a very gripping screenplay).The other raison d'etre of books is to preserve and hand down important happenings and narrate them in a gripping and thought-provoking manner.The manner in which the Jews in Austria and elsewhere were treated by an Austrian madman who managed to come to power in Germany should never be forgotten. More importantly, we all need to be vigilant that such events happen less and less frequently in the history of humankind.Although familiar with the story of displaced Jews from German-speaking countries as I (like the author) am offspring, I was unable to put down the book.What Nini Karpel's mother had to experience in one short lifetime is more than most people should have to live through.The book also helped me understand the initial inertia of many Jews in Vienna to the anti-Semitic flare-up in the 1920s and 30s."Oh, we've seen this many times, let's just lie low and wait for it to blow over". Writing in the present tense made the story more immediate.However, despite the fact that the book had its share of gruesome scenes, overall the manner in which Nini viewed the world seemed overly rosy-colored and syrupy sweet.The naive tone that permeates the book distracts from the serious situation in which these refugees find themselves.Even a five-year old would know better than to state 'we are awed by the changes in the babywithin his first year.Every day he seems to learn some new word...'p.5.Should the book get reprinted, I suggest a German-speaking editor correct some of the German words.The great Ferris wheel in Vienna is no 'Reisenrad' p.77 and the 'Fuhrer' should be spelled 'Fuehrer'.But overall we are better off for having another story capture the senseless suffering human beings will inflict upon one another. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Austria    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. China    7. Ethnic Cultures - General    8. Historical - General    9. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)    10. Jewish - General    11. Jews, Austrian    12. Karpel, Nini    13. Refugees, Jewish    14. Shanghai    15. The Holocaust   

Reviews (40)

Seriously Lacking
This book was not at all what I expected from Brands, who was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his biography of Benjamin Franklin, First American.In trying to make an academic biography accessible to the reading public, Brands' writing suffers greatly and becomes far too colloquial.At one point, when discussing Indian-White relations, he goes so far as to call the whites "Palefaces."It was a chore to get through, and while it heightened my knowledge of Jackson, nothing was particularly memorable except what I already knew or, perhaps, the actions I disagreed with (his invasion of Florida or his use of martial law after the Battle of New Orleans).Particularly when discussing Jackson's historically far reaching actions, such as kicking the Cherokees out of Georgia, or his battle with Biddle and eventual destruction of the Bank of the United States, Brands does a deplorable job of explaining what happened.Elements of background, and why Jackson did whatever it was he did exactly, as the reader will be confused on that point, are conspicuously missing.I have read similarly poor reviews of another biography by Brands, TR: The Last Romantic, and if First American is at all similar in style, I know why he didn't win that Pulitzer.

Fine Biography of Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was a major figure in American history from his service in the War of 1812 through his presidency.And even in retirement after his departure from Washington, D. C., he was still an important figure in American politics.
Great work by a fabulous author
Brand's has a great style with a smart wit and feel for the times as well as anecdotal material that gives great depth to his writing. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1767-18    2. 1767-1845    3. 1829-1837    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Historical - U.S.    9. History: American    10. Jackson, Andrew,    11. Politics and government    12. Presidents    13. Presidents & Heads of State    14. U.S. History - Antebellum Period (1840-1860)    15. U.S. President    16. United States    17. United States - Antebellum Era    18. History / United States / State & Local   

Reviews (25)

A touching story
A Tale of Love and Darkness is a hilarious though serious book about the life of the author in the historical setting of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. Being the great storyteller he is, Amos Oz made the true events so easy to relate to, and as such this book is remarkable.Also liked Usurper and Other Stories, which I have included in my collection.

Lyrical memories
A TALE OF LOVE AND DARKNESS is a deeply poignant, lyrical tapestry of memories that will be much loved by admirers of Oz's work. The prose is finely crafted, as we'd expect from a writer of Oz's stature. This book is not a memoir, as such--its narrative is not linear, but waxes and wanes through various themes. Arching over the narrative is the shadow of Oz's loss of his mother. My one reservation about the book is that I feel Oz withholds from us--it's never really adequately explained why he changed his name to Oz or what train of thoughts led him to do this. Was he attempting to erase the trauma of his profound loss? Regardless, this work will linger with you after you finish its final pages.

Brilliant piece of storytelling but, alas, not a memoir
Amos Oz likes to say "the first thing you should know about [his] autobiography is that it's not an autobiography. It's an imposition forced on [him] by the Library of Congress." An interesting confession considering "A Tale" was publishedunder the genre "memoir" and went on to reap much acclaim - and quite a bit of money -- as a memoir, including The Koret Jewish Book Award for Autobiography. Asked by befuddled interviewers to clarify himself, Mr. Oz will say only that having asked the dead into his home, "they told him the stories he never heard". This is a writerly response, with much truth and sense, but it doesn't excuse Mr. Oz for allowing his publisher to tout the work as a memoir or to blame the Library of Congress. Actually, a good old-fashioned name already exists: a semi-biographical novel. Or, if that's not hip enough, call it a post-modernist novel, then, a nod and a wink to the reader to figure out what is real and what isn't. As it stands,the many fans of Mr. Oz ---until now I've considered myself one --- believe they're hearing true stories, not stories conjured by the artist if he listens hard. This year we've been brutal on American writers who've played on the popular taste for truth; we've held them to standards and shouted "foul" when they haven't lived up to them. It saddens me that a great fiction writer like Mr. Oz hasn't held himself to a higher standard. "Oz" in Hebrew, we're reminded again and again, means "strength." As a "moral conscience of the modern world", as we're also reminded
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Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Childhood Memoir    5. Historical - General    6. Jewish    7. Literary    8. Personal Memoirs    9. History / Jewish   

Reviews (33)

As a clinical psychologist...
If you read this book for the history of it, you're probably better off with another Lincoln biography (and there are plenty from which to choose).In fact, I wouldn't recommend this book unless you've read another about Lincoln.This book is rather focused on Lincoln's depression (melancholy, in the language of the day), and while it does give a rough biographical outline, it's nothing that can't be gotten elsewhere.As a history book, it fails to satisfy.
HOOO HUM
One of those books in which you continuously read, hoping it will eventually become interesting...

Excellent read about greatness and depression
How does depression fuel Lincoln to become one of the icons of democracy when depression is an incapacitating condition?Shenk attempts to answer this question by painting in his very thorough book a deep, personal, and touching picture of Lincoln.After reading the book, Lincoln became a man I have known for a long time, with his struggles and failures.One of the nice features of the book is Shenk's review of the history of writing Lincoln biographies. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1809-1865    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography And Autobiography    5. Historical - U.S.    6. History    7. History (General)    8. History: American    9. Lincoln, Abraham,    10. Presidents    11. Presidents & Heads of State    12. Psychology    13. United States    14. United States - Civil War    15. History / United States / Civil War Period (1850-1877)   

Reviews (9)

A peek at His Excellency
I think that Joe Ellis acquitted himself quite well insofar as his stated goal. He wasn't attempting a comprehensive treatment of Washington but was trying to breathe some life in the marble bust that is our dollar bill occupant.
Discrediting an American Hero
I purchased this book with the objective of being inspired by the life of one of the greatest heroes that has ever lived and who's legacy of exemplary character has survived the scrutiny of historians and the tests of time.
Worthy read but short of monumental
One reviewer here stated, "George Washington is portrayed as a self-centered egotistical maniac who slaughtered thousands of people (American soldiers) just to satisfy his personal goals and pride."That is false.While Ellis somewhat dwells on Washington's alleged negative traits and places him at times in an unfair light, he does not portray our first president as an "egotistical maniac" or anything remotely close to it.Ellis's book is Washington light, but upfront he tells us that is his purpose.As to conjecturing, it is true that Ellis makes educated guesses but less so than William C. Davis in his bio of Jefferson Davis, a man who is far better documented than Washington.The fact is that Martha burned her husband's letters after his death and denied the world a personal view of the father of our country.Some guesswork by historians is inevitable because old George did not wear his heart on his public sleeve.This work does not contain all the known facts about Washington, but it is worth reading. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography And Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Generals    7. Historical - General    8. History: American    9. Presidents    10. Presidents & Heads of State    11. U.S. President    12. United States    13. United States - 18th Century    14. United States - Colonial Period    15. United States - Revolutionary War    16. History / United States / Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)   

Reviews (16)

Unbelievably heart stopping
I bought this book when I went to the Holocaust museum in D.C. This book is unbelievably heart stopping. This book takes you into a world of pain and terror. To be able to read about every momment of torture this man witnessed and partook in, is extremely moving. This book takes you deep inside the morbid ways of Hitler.

Amazing!!!
I loved this book but I find it hard to say that because of the sheer fact of what the people in this book went through.Muller's account of his years in auschwitz as a prisoner forced to work in the gas chambers is graffic and upsetting yet you wont want to put it down.It's hard to imagine what these people went through but reading this book is almost like you are right there seeing it with your own eyes.If you are interested in the subject i recommend this book to you, and if you arent interested in the subject i recommend this book anyways.

So difficult to read...
when you know every word is true.The hell this man went through is unimaginable.There isn't a lot you can say,really.The fact that the writer survived is a testimony to his will to keep living and tell the world what he saw and endured.The fact that he can relate his unfathomable experiences at Auschwitz without sliding in to self-pity is remarkable.
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Subjects:  1. Auschwitz (Concentration camp)    2. Biography    3. Czechoslovakia    4. General    5. History    6. History - Military / War    7. History: World    8. Holocaust    9. Jewish - General    10. Jewish Holocaust    11. Military - World War II    12. Muller, Filip    13. Personal narratives, Czech    14. Poland    15. Prisoners of war    16. World War, 1939-1945    17. Biography: historical    18. History / Jewish    19. History / Military / World War II    20. The Holocaust    21. World history: Second World War    22. Judaica