Editorial Review

The life and times of Abraham Lincoln have been analyzed and dissected in countless books. Do we need another Lincoln biography? In Read more

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The Power of Patience
Lincoln has been the focus of seemingly endless analysis, yet Doris Kearns Goodwin offers a fresh and illuminating perspective.By focusing on the men around the president, Goodwin portrays Lincoln as a remarkable judge of human character, a consummate conciliator, and a man of remarkable wit.Goodwin obviously writes well, although her spotlight on so many players does confuse the reader a bit.She is a talented historian, and this is another solid piece of work.

Lincoln's strength in humility
Although at first I did not understand why writing about Lincoln's cabinet members was going to be revealing about Lincoln himself, I found myself pleasantly surprised.
WHEN THE MEN AND THE MOMENT MET
During this election cycle of 2006 I have been asking myself a question. When was the last time leftist could have unambiguously supported a Republican or Democratic Party candidate. As indicate below the clear choice is the Lincoln-Johnson ticket in 1864. By a happy coincidence Doris Kearn Goodwin's book under review here provides more than enough ammunition to confirm that opinion. Normally, my concerns as a fighter for socialism and hers as a fawning devotee of the New Deal, Fair Deal and New Frontier eras of the Democratic Party are miles apart. Here we can, at least for this moment, agree that Lincoln, as a man and politician was worthy of support by militants and those not so militant. Make no mistake Lincoln and his compatriots were big men who confronted big tasks. And did it. Underlining Goodwin's thesis is a belief that what passes for today's Republican leaders pale in contrast. Again we agree. Here's why.
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Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    2. Audio - Autobiography / Biography    3. Audiobooks    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. General    8. Historical - U.S.    9. Political    10. Presidents    11. Presidents & Heads of State    12. U.S. Political History    13. U.S. President    14. United States    15. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Editorial Review

Well timed to coincide with Ken Burns's documentary (on which the author served as a consultant), this new biography doesn't aim to displace the many massive tomes about America's third president that already weigh down bookshelves. Instead, as suggested by the subtitle--"The Character of Thomas Jefferson"--Ellis searches for the "living, breathing person" underneath the icon and tries to elucidate his actual beliefs. Jefferson's most ardent admirers may find this perspective too critical, but Ellis's portrait of a complex, sometimes devious man who both sought and abhorred power has the ring of truth. ... Read more

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Jefferson Non Scio Vos
"American Sphinx" is not the place to begin a study of the life of Thomas Jefferson. In the introduction, Joseph Ellis comments that before joining the plethora of published analyses and biographies of Jefferson, the historian had better be prepared to bring some new insights to the life of this most revered of the Founders. Ellis chose for his subtitle, "The Character of Thomas Jefferson", and it is Jefferson's character that Ellis explores, in snippets that leap forward from scene to scene in Jefferson's life, as if Ellis were a time-traveler checking in periodically on his subject while Jefferson the man moves through a life that is now considered hallowed history. Ellis assumes that his reader is already familiar with the larger moments of Jefferson's life, as well as the surrounding history, and so skips over these. The reader who is new to Jefferson, therefore, should start elsewhere.
A Unique look at Jefferson
Prior to his Pulitzer Prize winning examination of the revolutionary generation in "Founding Brothers," Joseph Ellis tackled the biography of probably the most difficult member, Thomas Jefferson, in "American Sphinx." As Ellis points out in the beginning of the book Jefferson remains one of the most popular founders as well as one that has been adopted across the political spectrum. Ellis sets off to discover what Jefferson's actual beliefs were and how they changed during the course of his life. Rather then presenting a regular biography of Jefferson, the readers are presented with "snapshots" of Jefferson at various times in his life - in 1776 as he is preparing to write the Declaration of Independence, in the 1780s as the first United States minister to France, in the mid-1790s when he returns to Monticello after retiring as Secretary of State, in 1801 at his first inaugural and in the 1810s during his famous correspondence with John Adams. Each "snapshot" is not limited to a specific year but gives a survey of Jefferson's life during the period and how his political thought was evolving.
Vintage
This truly is vintage Joseph Ellis. I've enjoyed all of his books, particularly his writing. The fact you are reading this is proof you are interested in Jefferson, so you ought to get this book. Highest recommendation.
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Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Historical - U.S.    4. Political    5. Presidents & Heads of State    6. Unabridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    7. United States - Revolutionary War   

Reviews (216)

Unbelievable but thought provoking
Unbelievable I say not as a skeptic, but as a true rational person. This same skepticism opens up other horizons in one's thinking - is this all true? Yogi Paramahamsa, the author, renders in this charming and lucid storytelling, facts he came across in his life - like his Master being able to 'know' that they will have guests arriving in the middle of the night; another yogi predicting the author's arrival and telling him of what he did miles away and many more such incidents.
A fantasy book not a spiritual guide
This book is full of stories, or perhaps lies might be a better word, because nowhere is it indicated that the stories are not the truth.
Best book for possibilities of Self Awareness and Spiritual insight
A great introduction to saints, saintly lifestyle, Yogic siddhis, miracles, Krishna Consciousness, etc is easily found in the engaging book of Sri Paramahansa Yogananda - Autobiography of a Yogi . It has given inspiration to do spiritual labour to me whenever I glance at its devotional pages.
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Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    2. Eastern - Gurus    3. Religious    4. Unabridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    5. Biography: general    6. Buddhism   

Editorial Review

A consummate political operative, Ed Rollins has ridden high and ridden low. The political director of Ronald Reagan's White House in 1981, he enjoyed overwhelming success. But the weirdness of the Ross Perot campaign sent him reeling, and his stint running Christine Todd Whitman's gubernatorial campaign resulted in a grand jury investigation. Through it all, Rollins picked up a wealth of juicy and humorous material, which he is willing to share--holding nothing back. He calls Perot a "paranoid lunatic on an ego trip" and Arianna Huffington "ruthless and unscrupulous." An enjoyable and educational book from an outspoken insider who reveals the viciousness of modern politics. ... Read more

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Ed Rollins sets the record straight
In Bare Knuckles and Back Rooms: My Life in American Politics, Ed Rollins details his careers as a Political Operative learning the trade from California Democratic Speaker Jess Unruh, his philosophical transformation into a conservative Republican, alignment with the Reagan revolution and his time as a Senior White House Staffer and heavyweight Political Consultant.
The Real World
Being a political operative seems like a glamorous profession.While there certainly are perks -- there are an equal number of disadvantages to this career choice.Rollins' depiction of what it's like to be a campaign manager is the truest I've read.It's not always a glamorous lifestyle.Even the best campaigns are full of fast food, headaches and heartaches (now there's a title)! Rollins does a great job of telling "the real" story of being a campaign manager...the good, the bad, and the ugly...

ROTFLMAO!!!!
Warning: There's quite a bit of foul language in this book.
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Subjects:  1. 1989-1993    2. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    3. Audiobooks    4. Biography    5. Political consultants    6. Politics and government    7. United States    8. History / General   

Editorial Review

Fresh from her well-received life of Queen Elizabeth II, the Englishhistorian and biographer Sarah Bradford turns her hand to America's own answerto royalty, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Painstakingly detailed, impressivelyfair, the result is the most definitive account yet of a woman who captured theimagination of the American public like no First Lady before or after her.Bradford seems to have interviewed almost everyone who had ever been intimatewith Onassis, including George Plimpton, Gore Vidal, Joan Kennedy, and even afew ex-lovers. Most notably of all, Jackie's sister Lee Radziwill speaks withunexpected frankness about the mixture of rivalry and affection that markedtheir relationship since childhood. Jackie-lovers, take note: this is nohagiography, and its subject certainly comes off as no saint. As gracious asthis American icon could be, she also had moments of coldness and even greed,including a particularly shocking moment by the bedside of Ari Onassis's dyingson. Yet, in the end, non-airbrushed anecdotes like these only serve to makethis most private of public figures even more fascinating. Jackie was, asBradford writes, "a complex woman of many facets, concealed insecurities andintricate defense mechanisms, a strong urge toward the limelight contrastingwith a desire for privacy and concealment.... Behind the mask of beauty and famelay a shrewd mind, a ruthless judgment of people, antennae finely turned to anysign of pretentiousness or pomposity, and a wry, even raunchy sense of humor."The figure who emerges from subsequent pages is as compelling as the heroine ofany novel, and it is to Bradford's credit that she doesn't seem to have fallencompletely under her subject's spell. Her approach is sympathetic, but neverfawning; candid, but never sensationalistic. For those who are curious not aboutJackie's glamour but about its source, Read more

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American Royalty
Jackie Kennedy was the closest thing that America ever got to home-grown royalty. Her birth and upbringing in New York City, refinement, etiquette, and Olympian cool ... Jackie radiated a deep mystery that remains. She was iconic in her need for privacy and protectiveness of it. A woman of another era who remains enigmatic and unique in her persona ... an American icon who seems both American yet not typical of the United States. A sophisticate, debutant of the year, equestrienne, well-manner, posh Park Avenue social doyenne who intrigued the world until she died in 1994. Fluent in several language, a writer of poetry, political wife, patron of the arts, native New Yorker, and poised like any Queen in Europe. She wasn't perfect but she was Jackie. America may never see another quite like her.

Audio CD
My comments concern the narrator of the audio cd who felt that she had to change her voice inflection when she read quotes of various people.She talked in a soft wispery tone when quoting Jackie, however, she continued to use that same voice for any of the females quoted.She then attempted a deeper tone for the male voices.Due to all the voice shifting it was disruptive and the reading did not flow.Since it was a narrative and not a play it would have been more pleasing to the ear if the narrator did the entire reading in her natural voice.

Jacqueline not Jackie
It was fantastic to be able to grasp a better understanding of the stoic, graceful beauty that was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. It was great to see the different facets of her personality from political darling to yacht hopping party girl. Her desire to control and veneer everything that happened in her life was inspiring. Couldn't put it down, was consistantly interesting throughout. ... Read more

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Editorial Review

As commander of the Continental army, George Washington united the American colonies, defeated the British army, and became the world's most famous man. But how much doAmericans really know about their first president? Today, as Pulitzer Prize-winner Joseph J. Ellis says in this crackling biography, Americans see their first president on dollar bills, quarters, and Mount Rushmore, but only as "an icon--distant, cold, intimidating." In truth, Washington was a deeply emotional man, but one who prized and practiced self-control (an attribute reinforced during his years on the battlefield).Read more

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Not bad for boilerplate.
This is the kind of authorship I was raised on - an eastern intellectual writes a scholarly work, published by a major New York publishing house, which adds a new and slightly different perspective on a historical figure. It's a worthwhile read but limited necessarily, by the nature of it's origin.
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Subjects:  1. Audio - Nonfiction (Unabridged)    2. Historical - U.S.    3. Presidents & Heads of State    4. Unabridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    5. United States - 18th Century   

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Incoherent narrative
Too choppy. Lots of short excerpts. I would have preferred less excerpts,but each of them running longer. Doesn't give you a "feel" forEisenhower. Kind of expensive for what you get. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio - Autobiography / Biography    2. Audio Adult: Other    3. Military - World War II    4. Political    5. Unabridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    6. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Editorial Review

An exhaustive, soul-searching memoir, Bill Clinton's Read more

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My Life
Bill Clinton writes a very interesting account of his life in an inviting conversational style. His story-telling approach easily draws the reader into the events of his life. I especially enjoyed the amount of time he spent discussing his childhood. He expresses the pain and isolation that he felt very well. He is a talented communicator and this comes through as he tells his story. The words flowed one after another and I was easily captivated by the details. This review actually refers to the audio CD unabridged version, Part I. However, after 21 CD's for Part I alone, I did become tired of all of the drawn-out explanations and wished I got the abridged version. Overall, it was a great book and I am going to also read Part 2. It provides insight and apology for the actions of our ex-president. He seems to have written it to make amends with those he offended.

Bill Clinton is brilliant !
Why did I decided to listen to an autobiography, I still don't know, autobiography's have never interested me before? However, Bill Clinton's autobiography, articulate and exceedingly detailed, was the exception.
Good read
Well written, good book. Interesting to read his perspective on world events different from what I was seeing in the media. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    2. Audiobooks    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Political    7. Presidents    8. Presidents & Heads of State    9. United States    10. Biography & Autobiography / Presidents   

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A Millions Little Pieces, Jr.
I am currently in Kabul, and have read almost every English-language book on Afghanistan that is popularly available. I have also lived in Kabul and traveled to Feyzbad, Kandahar,Mazar-e-Sharif, Jalalabad, Kunduz and along the Uzbek Border. I speak mediocre Dari. Among the books that I enjoyed were those by Saira Shah's grandmother (try "My Khyber Life") and her father, Idris Shah. The same cannot be said for Saira Shah's. Shah' work, however. Part of my complaint was that the book isn't about anything much - its just a list of what she claims were her experiences in and near Afghanistan.I would compare them to a series of interesting letters detailing what I did on my afghan vacation. What they don't provide is insight into what was happening in Afghanistan or Peshawar, why, or what is going on now, or much cultural or historical information.
Myth, identity, realities . . .
Part memoir, part reportage, this beautifully written book is also an inquiry into the nature of myth, identity, and the limits of human endurance. Born in England and raised on the memories of her Afghan father's homeland, the author journeys as a young journalist to Afghanistan during the Soviet Occupation in the 1980s, traveling with the mujahidin rebels, who with massive infusions of weapons from the CIA eventually drive out the Russians and then quickly succumb again to an equally destructive civil war and the inevitable tyranny of the Taliban. A witness to these struggles and the widespread human misery they caused, Shah is present again in 2002 as the Americans retaliate in response to the 9/11 attacks.
Absolutely amazing!
This book is one of the best books I have read.It was touching and made me realise what an amazing life Saira Shah has led.After I closed the book, I could not pick up annother book for a couple of days - I did not want to spoil the feeling it had left me with.This book will move you, make you think and touch you.
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Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    2. Audiobooks    3. Biography    4. Editors, Journalists, Publishers    5. Ethnic Cultures - General    6. Great Britain    7. Journalists    8. Political Science    9. Public Affairs & Administration    10. Unabridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    11. Women   

Editorial Review

This warm biography of Harry Truman is both an historical evaluation of his presidency and a paean to the man's rock-solid American values. Truman was a compromise candidate for vice president, almost an accidental president after Roosevelt's death 12 weeks into his second term. Truman's stunning come-from-behind victory in the 1948 election showed how his personal qualities of integrity and straightforwardness were appreciated by ordinary Americans, perhaps, as McCullough notes, because he was one himself. His presidency was dominated by enormously controversial issues: he dropped the atomic bomb on Japan, established anti-Communism as the bedrock of American foreign policy, and sent U.S. troops into the Korean War. In this winner of the 1993 Pulitzer Prize, McCullough argues that history has validated most of Truman's war-time and Cold War decisions. ... Read more

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20th century history to savor
The history of Truman and his birth in the 1880s through WW1 & WW2 as well as the Cold War and Korea is remarkable. The evolution of a man from small town farmer to President of the United States and the weight of history thrust upon him at the expected death of FDR makes for a great read.I found the difficulties in the post WW2 era to be most interesting such as the strikes and the creation of the Truman doctrine and the Marshall Plan.
The Best-Written Biography Ever
Truman' provides wonderful insight into the man who faced more difficult and heartbreaking decisions than most of us could imagine. The author brilliantly captures Truman's personality as son, soldier, husband, father, politician, and president. As a teenage newcomer to the fascinating world of history, I found 'Truman' to be both entertaining and extremely factual. Anyone interested in 20th century history, past presidents, or the post-WWII era would love this book.
Almost a Classic
While it's Ok for a historian to like the subject of the biography, he should not love him.David McCullough likes Harry Truman a bit too much.As a result he seldom takes a critical view of Truman's Presidency, politics or personal life.This is disappointing given that Harry Truman was the President at probably the key juncture of twentieth century - the end of War World II and the beginning of the Cold War.More time is spent describing the whistle-stop campaign of 1948 then in explaining the development of the containment strategy of Soviet expansion.He also dismisses Secretary of State Dean Acheson's January 1950 omission of South Korea as being in the United States defense perimeter as being the inspiration of the subsequent attack that June by North Korean forces.While it may not have been the inspiration, that statement along with troop withdraws in 1948 and 1949 were hardly discouragements.
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Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    2. Audio - Autobiography / Biography    3. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    4. Biography    5. Historical - U.S.    6. Political    7. Presidents    8. Presidents & Heads of State    9. Specimens    10. Talking books    11. United States    12. Biography & Autobiography / General   

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Editorial Review

For most writers, the greatest challenge of spiritual writing is to keep it grounded in concrete language. The temptation is to wander off into the clouds of ethereal epiphanies, only to lose readers with woo-woo thinking and sacred-laced clichés. Thankfully, Anne Lamott (Read more

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Come as you are
Anne Lamott's Some Thoughts on Faith is delicious nonfiction. It's at once irreverent, reverent, poetic, rusty, sad and joyous. Anne starts by sharing her experiences with religion in childhood and then how she finally found a home in religion. But she is never preachy. She's at once religious yet more real than any religious person you've ever met, sharing her ups and downs in life, her struggles with various issues like alcoholism, bulimia, drug abuse, and, less seriously, her jiggly thighs and buttocks that she refers to lovingly as her "aunties." Her descriptions were like poetry in so many places as she describes the people she's met in her travels. Take this, for example:
An Honest Faith.
Let's be completely honest for a moment.Life is hard.Sometimes it can be incredibly hard.Bad things happen to good people and this happens quite often.We live in a fallen and sinful world.Contrary to the "Gospel of Prosperity" (aka greed) that seems popular in many places (and promoted by preachers such as Joel Osteen), you can sacrifice everything and still have nothing to show for it in this world.In fact, as followers of Jesus we have been promised "trials and tribulations".Yet, as followers of Jesus we have hope, joy, love, and peace.We have everything that the world (and what we ourselves) seek.It's not easy to not give into the despair and disillusions around us.We can get caught up in existing instead of living just as easily as anyone else.But, we can truly live and live a life abundant.It is a struggle, but it can be done.
We kill tree's to make books like this?
I wish I could have given this turkey zero stars. I tried very hard to connect with this train wreck of a book but I just couldn't. If this junk makes for good book fodder then I stand a pretty decent chance of becoming an author someday. I desperately tried to search for some kind of redeeming value in this book but I guess I just didn't get it. I'm not sure why this is a best selling "Christian" book either. It was this best seller status that led me to give it a read. Don't do what I did. Give this one a pass. She kept swearing and cursing, taking Gods name in vain, kept referring to God as a female, she stated that she prefers women pastors to men pastors, perhaps worst of all, had an abortion (almost got a second abortion) and prefers to have no father figure in her sons life. (It's pretty safe to say she doesn't like men, except for when she'