Reviews (3)

The Inside Story
Ok, if you are a die-hard Democrat, this one is definitely not for you.But if you are a fan of 41, or at least want to experience a real inside the whitehouse look at the life and times of an American president, then check this out and you won't be disappointed.I liked it because I like the man.I've met him and he was very nice.(See my picture with GHWB in 'customer images' above).

The Real George Bush Sr.
I just finished the book and enjoyed it. I have always had great respect for George Bush Sr. and I think Doro did a good job of bringing to light his kind, respectful ways. I really think history will judge him well. However, most of the book were things I have already read but at the same time, I enjoyed reading what it was like growing up with him as a father.

Loving tribute to a father
Whatever your politics-you will enjoy the story that Doro Bush Kich has written about her father. It is a story written about a father who is truly loved and admired by his daughter.I enjoyed the ancedotes about growing up in a famous family and how the lessons that President George H.W. Bush learned from his wonderful mother stayed with him throughout his life.She always told him to be humble and think of others.From the ancedotes in the book-he took those lessons to heart. There are several examples of his kindness and thoughtfulness sprinkled throughout the book-many are well known stories and some haven't been heard before. There are good times and bad recounted in this book (as in all family stories).Mrs. Bush Koch lists all the people in the back of the book who have been quoted, told her stories and written her letters about her dad-they come from both sides of the aisle.This is a great addition to my library of presidential biographies. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Children of presidents    6. Daughters    7. Historical - U.S.    8. Presidents    9. Presidents & Heads of State    10. U.S. History - 20th Century (General)    11. U.S. President    12. United States    13. 21st century    14. American history: postwar, from c 1945 -    15. Biography & Autobiography / General    16. USA   

Reviews (129)

Wow you have to read this!!!
Reading this book has changed the way I have looked, felt and believed in life. I couldn't put it down, and everyday I keep thinking about it. I have shared with others the aw inspiring inspiration I have received. I am not one to read a lot of spiritual books or self help books. I have read a few but this one definitely surpasses any book I have read in a very long time. I am blown away. And it has made me take stock of my own life and my beliefs and it has shifted. I started thinking about whom in my life do I need to forgive. I truly recommend this book to everyone! We all need it especially now with what is going on in the world today.

Life-changing story
I could not put this book down.I've read several other books on the Rwandan genocide and I really appreciate this one the most for breaking down a complex political situation/history into one that is easy to understand for all readers, not to mention one of the most emotionally touching books I've ever read.This book has changed my perspective on life.

Best Book I've read all year!
I love to read, mostly spiritual self-help books, and a few biographies. I would say I read about 2 books a month on average, sometimes more. Any way I simply could not put this book down. I felt as if I was experiencing everything she was experiencing, and I could not help but admire her faith in God. She reminded me how good God is, and how he can do the impossible if we just trust him. I plan to give the book to a couple people as Christmas presents this year, so that they can truly embrace how blessed they are. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa - Central    2. Africa - History    3. Biography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Catholics    6. Civil War, 1994    7. History    8. Ilibagiza, Immaculâee    9. Inspirational - General    10. Motivational & Inspirational    11. Personal narratives    12. Prayer    13. Religion    14. Religious    15. Rwanda    16. Spiritual Healing    17. Self-Help / Motivational   

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

Reviews (204)

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. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Case studies    6. General    7. Genius    8. Historical - U.S.    9. Political    10. Political leadership    11. Presidents    12. Presidents & Heads of State    13. U.S. Political History    14. U.S. President    15. United States    16. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Reviews (1)

Harry Truman's Secretary of State
Mr. Beiser is the author of several books on diplomacy ("American Foreign Relations Since 1600" -- 2003). This definitive and long (800 pages) biography of Dean Acheson, a Democratic player (through the Roosevelt and Truman administrations) and foreign affairs genius. As Truman's Secretary of State, he was present at the start of the post-war era and created the framework for the Marshall Plan, the Truman Doctrine, the occupation of the Axis countries and NATO. As a result, Mr. Acheson titled his memoirs, "Present at the Creation." The writing is engaging and interesting as is Mr. Acheson himself (he managed to alienate President Roosevelt). Though this book obviously can not be read at one setting, it is a good history tale. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Historical - U.S.    5. Political    6. American history: postwar, from c 1945 -    7. Biography & Autobiography / Political    8. Biography: historical    9. History, American | Since 1945    10. Political leaders & leadership    11. The Americas   

Reviews (96)

THANK YOU MILITARY HEROS for Killing Terrorists!
I am sorry for all the military families who have lost loved ones in this war on terrorists, you have given the ultimate sacrafice so that I can sleep safely in my bed tonight. Thank you.
The complete story
No matter whether you share Cindy Sheehan's views of the war or this country or not, this is an excellent book. It finally brings out the truth about all of this and who Ms. Sheehan really is.

A Time Enduring Work...
American Mourning is more than a simple story of two every day families during a time of war, who have each sustained the loss of a loved one. It is an evolutionary study of the effects of war upon the survivors of those fallen, detailing the elements of the characters prior to and following their loss. Delicately, it details the human strengths and weaknesses required for survival and the belief in faith that holds families together during time of national crisis and personal grief. If you are a fan of the Cindy Sheehan "icon," be prepared for a reality check. Moy and Morgan take you to our hometown and introduce you to the many who knew her best, before and after she embarked on her self-destructive path. They poignantly and compassionately try to balance the truth about a every day woman exploited during a presidential campaign, who not only betrayed and neglected her family during a time of grief, acted vindictively toward the local parish priest after being laid off from a defunct position of Youth Chaplin, met with Hugo Chavez and begged him to withhold oil shipments to America when gas prices were at an all time high at the pumps and Americans were struggling to get to work, turned against long termed friends when they did not agree with her own personal beliefs, didn't bother to thank the many volunteers who remodeled her home after his death, and who joined alliances with the same terrorists who killed her son, calling them freedom fighters. The authors ploughed through public records finding she had not paid taxes prior to Casey's death, despite her claims she refuses to pay as a result of his death and discovered the organization Real Voices with which Sheehan was involved was really a sham propoganda campaign, as an arm to the John Kerry Presidential bid. They emotionally detail the confusion of those who loved her, as they experience her instant transition from warm and loving friend wife and mother to radical, narcissist and attention seeker after being solicited by Kerry. They detail the accelerating character flaws as she clings to her role as "victim" and demands troops who were giving critical life saving assistance to those in crisis be removed from "occupied New Orleans" during Hurricane Katrina. Truthful, gutsy and emotional, these women authors and investigative journalists have the courage to chronolize the truth to the American public about the current anti-war movement and its top icon, by going to the sources in our hometown, the Johnson's hometown, Crawford, Texas, Fort Hood and the Iraq battlefield. Finally, at the end, you will realize there is no question why Cindy Sheehan does what she does and realize it is an escalating continuing pattern. You may find yourself pitying the woman who gave up everything important in life, friends family, children, neighbors and even her faith by betraying everyone close to her, including denying her own fallen son his legacy and feeling heartfelt and emotionally wrenching compassion toward the surviving members of her family, as most of us do. You will fall in love with the strong character and heroism of her son, who closely mirrors his father. And you will love, embrace and admire the Johnson family, who despite their own human weaknesses, have the strength to survive, to carry on and to remain loyal and united in their love of their country and their fellow men, in much the same tradition as the majority of those from our hometown. If you are the mom or dad or loved one to one in the military, it will send you reeling on a roller coaster of emotions, from anger, to sadness, to tears and perhaps, finally, resolve. Kudos for a story well told, from another who, in Vacaville, also knew the truth and begged the mainstream media to get the courage to tell it. And thankfully, in honoring the legacies of the brave young men and women whom the Congress and Senate voted to send to Iraq, this book will serve as a memory to them all in what they and their families have sacrified in trying to develop a better and safety tomorrow. Someday, I would expect to see it in college classes that study grief, the sociology of war, the development of activists and mainstream media bias. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Death, Grief, Bereavement    3. Family & Relationships    4. Family relationships    5. Family/Marriage    6. Historical - U.S.    7. Iraq War, 2003    8. Iraq War, 2003-    9. Protest movements    10. Soldiers    11. United States    12. Coping with death & bereavement    13. Marriage, family & other relationships   

Reviews (16)

Nothing new here - move along
It is shameful that "Best Friend" Billy Noonan felt the need to dish about John Kennedy and his family.We all know that John valued his privacy and one would think that he would be horrified at this betrayal.
Boring, Screams, "I'M THE REAL BEST FRIEND", and Poorly Written
Carol Radziwill's book was a tribute to her husband, and wonderfully and warmly written.The mentions of John and Carolyn were in context of their relationship, and truly showed their personalities.The retelling of John singing a boyhood song to Anthony brought tears to my eyes.
Poignant and Humorous Story of Friendship
The author does summon up a particular demographic (affluent Irish-Catholic third-generation young men in the Boston/Hyannis/Cape Cod area) and epoch (those coming-of-age between the mid-70s and 1990s) in this tale of friendship set against a larger backdrop with regard to the identity of one of the friends and, of course, the ultlimate tragedy that overtakes them.Noonan is generous with the details and challenges in his own life, from testicular cancer (and apparently a recurrence a year ago made him all the more intent on sharing his own story with readers) to the loss of his own father to personal flounderings with regard to college and overall life-direction. Naysayers who regard this story as an "invasion of privacy" overlook the fact that this tale is an intensely personal one and that it is the privelege of a writer to share as he pleases. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Celebrities    6. Children of presidents    7. Editors, Journalists, Publishers    8. Historical - U.S.    9. Noonan, William Sylvester    10. Personal Memoirs    11. Publishing Industry And Trade    12. Rich & Famous    13. United States    14. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs   

Reviews (3)

Poor Logic
Thomas Dilorenzo shines at misinformation in his new book.Among the lies he states is that it is not widely taught that the Civil War was not just about slavery but also for economic reasons.This is interesting to me as a history teacher, since any modern text, college, high school or grade school would have this information.
Lincoln Unmasked: Dishonest Abe. By Thomas Dilorenzo
A lot of research examines Abraham Lincoln and other origins of American National Socialism. Much of the work helps to explain the massive growth of government in these United States of America and the growing police state. More work needs to expose the influence of American National Socialism upon socialists worldwide, and upon the National Socialist German Workers' Party.
A Real Inconvenient Truth
I've already read DiLorenzo's The Real Lincoln; and I must say, this new book of his is far more trenchant in its libertarian exegesis of creepy "Father Abraham."Anyone interested in human freedom and dignity should get this book.Its a twelve-pound sledge of intellectual dynamite to evicerate the socialist propaganda of Eric 'Stalinikov Marx-o-holic' Foner with.
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Subjects:  1. 1809-1865    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography And Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Historical - U.S.    8. Lincoln, Abraham,    9. Presidents    10. Presidents & Heads of State    11. Public opinion    12. U.S. History - Civil War And Reconstruction (1860-1877)    13. United States    14. United States - Civil War    15. History / United States / General   

Reviews (7)

SUPERSTARANDYWARHOL BLOWS UP
"Gee..." as Andy would say. "It's so big..." Brilliant compilation of Warholia with analysis and photos as evidence of His Genius. Two chapters- "America the Beautiful" and "Matinee Idols"- written by David Dalton who was there at the Creation are especially perceptive and insightful. Andy Warhol lives- Bigger and Better Forever!

ANDY ANDY ANDY ANDY ANDY ANDY ANDY ANDY ANDY
this book is really really big.
Great
I really enjoyed this book.If you are at all interested in Warhol this is the book for you.The format is amazing.The book has everything Warholian that you could want. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American - General    2. Art    3. Artists, Architects, Photographers    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Contemporary Art    6. Fine Arts (General)    7. Historical - U.S.    8. Individual Artist    9. Techniques - Painting    10. Art / Individual Artist    11. Individual artists    12. Pop art    13. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    14. USA   

Reviews (10)

From Slavery to the Senate- an incredible history
Mr. Otis Graham spins an engrossing tale about the rise of a former slave to become a millionaire and U.S. Senator, and the descent of his intended "dynasty" into destitution and petty crime. As equally fascinating as the family's personal story, is the national backdrop against which the drama is played out. This is the story of an entire black elite which could not relate to, and even disdained poorer and darker blacks but which could not gain the full acceptance it so desperately sought from upper class whites. It is the story of a time when black people had to try to navigate their way in a truly foreign America where race meant absolutely everything.
Please don't tell the whole story in your reviews!!!!
I usually find the reviews extremely helpful, but several of the reviews go into so much detail that essentially it ruins the reading experience for everyone else. It's obnoxious and unneccessary to tell the whole story in the process of reviewing a book. Providing a critique does not require giving away the story. I honestly feel I've been cheated by the previousreviews and I don't need to buy the book!!
Intriguing look into early black America
First of all you should know that The Senator and the Socialite reads like a novel as opposed to a history book. Those of you who would not normally venture into the non-fictional history section at your local library will enjoy this book as much as those who would.
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Subjects:  1. African American legislators    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Blacks In The U.S.    7. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - General    8. General    9. Historical - U.S.    10. Legislator's spouses    11. Legislators    12. People of Color    13. Political    14. U.S. Senate    15. United States    16. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Reviews (7)

skip this biography
avoid books where the author's personality and florid prose obscure the subject. besides, what precisely does jenkins have against short sentences and one-dollar words?

Good, short, reverential biography
The late Roy Jenkins, in assessing Roosevelt, rates him in the top three of all American Presidents, along with Washington and Lincoln. Whether you like FDR or whether you are one of his critics, it is hard to dispute Jenkins' conclusion. Jenkins believes that had FDR not run for a third term, he would have been one of the better, near great Presidents, but that it took WWII to make him the icon he became. Jenkins fails to point out that FDR did not create any appreciable number of private sector jobs prior to WWII and that, in fact, unemployment was almost as high as it was eight years earlier, when he took office. The reason may be that Jenkins had been a Labour Party member of the House of Commons, accordingly, his world view was that of a government interventionist. However, I ultimately agree that nontheless, FDR was, at least, a better than average President during the depression years, due to the great optimism that he conveyed.
The Good Brief Book on Roosevelt
This is a very good brief introduction to Roosevelt, and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting a brief understanding of Roosevelt. It is very easy to read and suitable for high school students. Being written by a man from Britain, it also shows how the world views FDR - as one of the most important leaders in world history.
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Subjects:  1. (Franklin Delano),    2. 1882-1945    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Historical - U.S.    8. Political    9. Presidents    10. Presidents & Heads of State    11. Roosevelt, Franklin D    12. Roosevelt, Franklin D.    13. United States    14. United States - 20th Century/Depression   

Editorial Review

Left to his own devices, John Adams might have lived out his days as a Massachusetts country lawyer, devoted to his family and friends. As it was, events swiftly overtook him, and Adams--who, David McCullough writes, was "not a man of the world" and not fond of politics--came to greatness as the second president of the United States, and one of the most distinguished of a generation of revolutionary leaders. He found reason to dislike sectarian wrangling even more in the aftermath of war, when Federalist and anti-Federalist factions vied bitterly for power, introducing scandal into an administration beset by other difficulties--including pirates on the high seas, conflict with France and England, and all the public controversy attendant in building a nation.Read more

Reviews (631)

A Life Well Lived
The book biggest strength is that it uses many quotations of John Adams, Abigail, John Quincy Adams, and Jefferson to tell its tale. These people were intelligent and very good writers. I enjoyed the biography. I enjoyed McCullough's writing style and the leisurely pace he sets for himself. The biography clearly portrays a man who lived long, did many great things, and died at peace with himself. The book glosses over Adams' weaknesses and I thought spent way too much time on what Jefferson and Adams thought of each other, but these are minor flaws. I enjoyed Morris's biography of Roosevelt more, but this book was a good summer read and was far better than McCullough's 1776. I learned how this nation owes a great debt to this great, but flawed man.

I wish I could have met him
Like another reviewer, my interest in history is quite new. The author's presentation of John Adams left me wanting to know much more of this great man. David McCullough's excerpting of Adams' professional and personal writings exposed a passionate man of deep convictions and possessed of an intellect and idealism beyond his generation. While Mr. Adams was acutely aware of and deplored his own ego, he, at the same time was critical of his own limitations. Even with this conflict, Adams could still say, "I thank God that he gave me stubborness when I am right."
More quotes and facts, less opinions and emotions.
First of all, I did not exactly 'read' this biography. Instead I purchased the CD version which I distilled via my car sound system every morning on my way to work (I have enjoyed countless biographies of great american figures this way, and still been able to read many more technology related books).
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Subjects:  1. 1735-1826    2. 1775-1783    3. Adams, John,    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Historical - U.S.    9. Politics and government    10. Presidents    11. Presidents & Heads of State    12. U.S. History - Constitutional Period To Civil War (1789-1860)    13. U.S. President    14. United States    15. United States - Colonial Period    16. United States - Revolutionary War    17. Adams, John    18. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    19. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    20. Biography & Autobiography / Presidents    21. Biography: historical    22. Political leaders & leadership    23. USA   

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

Reviews (230)

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. 1884-1972    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Historical - U.S.    7. Political    8. Presidents    9. Presidents & Heads of State    10. Truman, Harry S.,    11. United States    12. 20th century    13. Biography & Autobiography / General    14. Biography: general    15. Central government    16. USA    17. c 1800 to c 1900   

Editorial Review

Ron Chernow, whose previous books have taken on the Morgan and Warburg financial empires, now turns his attention to the patriarch of the Rockefeller dynasty. John D. was history's first recorded billionaire and one of the most controversial public figures in America at the turn of the 20th century. Standard Oil--which he always referred to as the result of financial "cooperation," never as a "cartel" or a "monopoly"--controlled at its peak nearly 90 percent of the United States oil industry. Rockefeller drew sharp criticism, as well as the attention of federal probes, for business practices like underpricing his competitors out of the market and bribing politicians to secure his dominant market share. Read more

Reviews (123)

Bigger than life personalities?
Rockefeller is reported to have searched endlessly for golf balls lost in an attempt to recover them, yet could nearly buy the world - why?
Lessons from a Self Made Billionaire