Monday, April 17, 2017
[Book Review] The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough
Marilyn U. reviews THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD by David McCullough (Simon and Schuster, 1968)
David McCullough has written a thoroughly researched book accounting the Johnstown Flood in Pennsylvania. The author is able to hold the reader's attention by recounting stories from survivors. I enjoyed reading this captivating story.
Readers of this book will realize two things: a 70-foot wall of water is a powerful force and one the most destructive forces of nature is a flood. When a wall of water and flood were combined by man-made dam, one of the greatest disasters in the United States occurred. On May 31, 1889, the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania was wiped out by a dam collapse. In The Johnstown Flood, author David McCullough has explored the building of the South Fork dam, its maintenance, and eventual collapse, which led to the destruction of Johnstown and a national response to over 2,000 deaths.
Marilyn U., Staff
Labels: Disasters, History, Nonfiction, Reviews by Marilyn U.
Monday, January 04, 2016
[Book Review] The Wright Brothers by David McCullough
Nonfiction/History/Biography
Philip reviews THE WRIGHT BROTHERS by David McCullough (Simon and Schuster, 2015)
From the first chapter to the last, I found David McCullough's account of the lives of the two brothers who changed history by inventing the airplane a fascinating read. McCullough is a gifted writer who does a wonderful job of telling Wilbur and Orville Wright's story. McCullough includes many passages from the Wrights' letters, diaries and notebooks, as well as passages from letters by their sister Katherine, their father Bishop Milton Wright and from others who knew the famous brothers. So, McCullough often uses Wilbur and Orville's own words, as well as their family members and friends own words, to tell the story of the two fathers of modern aviation.
In an interview published in Air and Space Magazine about The Wright Brothers, McCullough was asked if Wilbur and Orville had notable weaknesses or flaws. He replied that they really did not. They were hard-working, virtuous men. Men of determination and resilience. Though neither man had a college degree both men were geniuses. That the two unassuming bicycle mechanics could accomplish in creating their "flying machines" what human beings over the centuries had only dreamed of, and what many thought impossible, is one of the most remarkable feats in human history.
We learn in the book how important their father Bishop Milton Wright and their sister Katherine were in the brothers's lives. It was their father who fostered an intellectual curiosity in his sons and who provided them access to his great library of books on a wide range of subjects. And it was Katherine who was always there for them, who always encouraged and cared for them, and who they loved dearly.
It is interesting to learn, in the book, that while they read the literature on aviation written by the early aviation pioneers of their day, that an important part of their learning how to fly came from reading about birds and how they fly, and by spending hours observing birds in flight. They saw that birds have vaulted wings which is what gives them control and balance in flight. This observation led them to do a slight warping of the wings of their flying machines to help them maintain a controlled and balanced flight.
It was also interesting to learn about Charlie Taylor, whose contribution makes him an important figure in the Wright Brothers story and the history of aviation. Taylor was also an unassuming man, a machinist in Dayton, hired by Wilbur and Orville to run their bicycle shop while they conducted their experiments with their flying machines at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. It was Taylor, after the brothers learned to fly their flying machines and were ready to add a motor to their final one at Kitty Hawk, who built, according to Wilbur and Orville's specifications, a four-cylinder, aluminum cast motor from scratch for it.
And as so many are well aware, on December 17, 1903, the first flight of a heavier than air machine in the history of the world was made by the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.
Philip Williams, Cordova Library
Labels: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Reviews by Philip Williams, Staff book reviews
Thursday, July 23, 2015
[Book Review] Finding Jesus: Faith, Fact, Forgery by David Gibson and Michael McKinley
Philip reviews FINDING JESUS: FAITH, FACT, FORGERY: SIX HOLY OBJECTS THAT TELL THE REMARKABLE STORY OF THE GOSPELS by David Gibson and Michael McKinley (St. Martin’s Press, 2015)
Who is Jesus? This is the question explored in Finding Jesus. It's authors emphasize that the question must be asked in the present tense because there are hundreds of millions of Christians today who believe Jesus is alive and in Heaven, where he reigns over the universe.
Almost all that is known about Jesus comes from the Gospels and other early New Testament writings, none of which can be considered unbiased, impartial historical sources. Aside from a couple of short passages about Jesus in the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus (one of which is likely an addition made by a later Christian writer) what else exists that can provide a direct link to Jesus and shed light on his life?
What the authors explore are six Christian artifacts that may indeed provide that direct link to Jesus. There have been countless Christian relics and artifacts that were proven to be fakes since the time of Jesus. But the six artifacts explored in this book are, the authors assert, "themselves of the natural world," which "have the capacity to take us out of ourselves, to transport us to a time and place not our own as we hope to discover something about Jesus that is not filtered through the distorting lens of time and our own desires."
The artifacts explored are: 1) the bones of John the Baptist, 2) the James Ossuary (could James have been the brother of Jesus?), 3) the Gospel of Mary Magdalene (really just some text on a piece of papyrus but the text raises the possibility that Mary Magdalene may have been the wife of Jesus, 4) the Gospel of Judas (this was a gospel from ancient times but one not selected to be one of the canonical books of the New Testament, 5) a piece of the True Cross, and 6) the burial shroud of Jesus known by most people today as the Shroud of Turin. It is fascinating to learn about these artifacts and to know that they may be direct links to Jesus and to consider what they may tell us about Jesus.
This is indeed a most interesting and thought-provoking book. I found it engrossing and I learned much about all of these artifacts, most of which I was not familiar, the Shroud of Turin, along with most people, I am sure, was the one I knew the most about.
To me, though, there seem to be too many questions about these artifacts and their authenticity, which are raised by the authors in their analyses of these artifacts, for them to provide the historical confirmation of the life of Jesus or to shed more light on his life.
But readers may very well find fascinating at what the authors believe these artifacts may tell us about Jesus.
Philip, Cordova Library
Labels: History, Nonfiction, Reviews by Philip Williams, Staff book reviews
Thursday, May 21, 2015
[Book Review] Thirteen Soldiers by John McCain and Mark Salter
Nonfiction/History/Military/Biography
Philip Williams, Cordova Library
Philip reviews THIRTEEN SOLDIERS : A PERSONAL HISTORY OF AMERICANS AT WAR, by John McCain and Mark Salter (Simon & Schuster, 2014)
There have been 13 major military conflicts that the United States has been engaged in since its birth as an independent nation. 13 Soldiers offers accounts of the military service of 13 different individuals, 11 men and 2 women, each of whom served in one of the 13 conflicts. Written by United States Senator John McCain and his former aide Mark Salter, the book is not a political work. The authors’ aim is to share the stories of 13 people who were all willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
Most of the individuals themselves left personal accounts of their experiences, and McCain and Salter use their accounts as the basis for their stories of these men and women. The authors also offer an exploration of what each of the individuals shared in common, even though they each served in conflicts years apart from one another. McCain himself served in combat during the Vietnam War as a Navy Pilot and personally experienced what someone under enemy fire faces.
The authors talk of the hardships, such as lack of food and water and enduring freezing or boiling temperatures, that each of the individuals faced. They talk of the intensity of the friendships that the 13 individuals made with those they served with; and make the point that only someone who has served in combat can understand the intensity of friendships made during such a stressful time of trial. They talk of the 13 individuals seeing the unimaginable results of the horrors of war, sights such as men being blown to pieces, of seeing brains oozing from skulls, and of seeing men trying to hold their intestines inside of their bodies, after they have been wounded. And they talk of each of the 13 individuals facing the fear and terror inherent in any military conflict.
Each of the 13 men and women were truly remarkable people. There is the story of Joseph Plumb Martin who joined the Continental army and remained a soldier in it for the duration of the American Revolution. Martin left a memoir of his experiences that is a primary source for historians of the American Revolution. Sadly, despite his sacrifices, Martin had to fight hard to see that the Congress awarded pensions to the surviving Continental soldiers after the War.
There is the story of Edward Baker, an African-American, who served with distinction in the Spanish-American War. Baker, a former Buffalo soldier, was a member of a regiment of other African-Americans soldiers who had been protecting settlers from attacks by Native Americans in the American West. When his regiment was ordered to Cuba, to help fight the war against Spain, Baker in particular, but also members of his regiment, played a major role in making Teddy Roosevelt’s charge up San Juan Hill the success it was. But Baker and his regiment never received the credit they deserved for the important role they played.
The stories remind us of the debt of gratitude we owe to these 13 individuals and to all members of our military for the sacrifices they have made for their country.
Philip Williams, Cordova Library
Labels: Biography, History, Military, Nonfiction, Reviews by Philip Williams, Staff book reviews
Monday, December 01, 2014
[Book Review] Fierce Patriot by Robert L. O'Connell
Philip reviews Fierce Patriot: the Tangled Lives of William Tecumseh Sherman by Robert L. O'Connell (Random House, 2014)
Robert L. O'Connell offers a very readable biography of an important figure in American history, William Tecumseh Sherman. Without Sherman's contributions as a military leader and strategist during the Civil War, the United States could have lost the War. As General of the Army, after the War, he oversaw the suppression of the remaining Native American tribes, west of the Mississippi, to ensure the completion of the Trans-Continental and other railroads. With the railroads, Sherman knew the rest of the future United States would be settled by Americans thirsty for new lands.
O'Connell does a superb job of chronicling the life of a complicated and controversial man. Most of the book is devoted to Sherman's role in the Civil War, but O'Connell offers a detailed account of Sherman's complex relationship with his foster father, the politically powerful Thomas Ewing, and with his foster Ewing siblings, including Ellen, who he took as his wife, and with his brother by blood, John Sherman.
It is a well-written, fascinating book, one hard to put down. It is a good introduction to the life of Sherman for anyone not familiar with him. But also one the student of Civil War history would find valuable.
One criticism of the book those readers already familiar with Sherman could have is that O'Connell is too sympathetic to Sherman. Sherman was ruthless and cruel in many ways, and some readers may find O'Connell too forgiving of the man whose policies had tragic consequences for Native Americans and for the millions of bison he ordered slaughtered to eliminate them as a food source for Native Americans.
Philip Williams, Cordova
Labels: American History, History, Nonfiction, Reviews by Philip Williams, Staff book reviews
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
[Book Review] Stress Test by Timothy F. Geithner
Nonfiction/History
Philip reviews STRESS TEST: REFLECTIONS ON FINANCIAL CRISES by Timothy F. Geithner (Crown Publishers, 2014)
Stress Test refers to the plan that Timothy Geithner, President Obama’s first Treasury Secretary, had to end the financial crisis that began in 2008. Geithner, though, must also have meant the title to refer to what he faced during the frightening times that could have seen the complete collapse of the United States Finance System. A collapse would have caused a subsequent global depression that would have caused unimaginable suffering for millions in the U.S. and worldwide.
Geithner played a major role, as head of the Federal Reserve New York Bank, before becoming Treasury Secretary, in stabilizing the Financial Crisis. This memoir of his experience during these frightening times is engrossing, and possibly surprising to some, even riveting in parts. His account is very frank and candid and Geithner does not hesitate to talk about his shortcomings and the mistakes he made. But he makes a compelling case for why the actions he took, though politically unpopular and widely criticized by members of the right and left, ended the Financial Crisis and the possibility of a worldwide economic crisis.
Perhaps a book many might suspect to be a difficult read, it is not. In fact, it is a fast read, and Geithner makes comprehensible to the lay reader what leveraging, derivatives, hedge funds and other financial activities are and how they or their misuse contributed to the Financial Crisis. This is certainly an important book, one that all people who want to understand what happened to our Financial System should read. Readers will have to make their own judgments on whether Geithner was right or wrong in his actions and if his advice on how to prevent future financial crises is sound.
Philip, Cordova Branch
Labels: History, Nonfiction, Reviews by Philip Williams, Staff book reviews
Thursday, October 16, 2014
[Book Review] Dreadnought by Robert K. Massie
Marilyn reviews DREADNOUGHT: BRITAIN, GERMANY, AND THE COMING OF THE GREAT WAR by Robert K. Massie (Random House, 1991)
Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the Coming of the Great War by Robert K. Massie was a good read on the political and military history of Great Britain and Germany before World War I, also known as the Great War. Robert Massie wrote an in-depth history of the rise of Germany and Great Britain’s reaction to the German nation’s alliances, acquisition of colonies, and development into a naval sea power.
Robert K. Massie starts his work with Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee and the rise of Germany into a world power. The book also recounts the personal lives of Queen Victoria, her children, and grandchildren. Her son, Edward VII, and grandson, George V, would become kings of the United Kingdom. Another one of her grandsons would become Kaiser William II of Germany, while her daughters would marry the rulers of Europe.
Of interest to me were the personalities of the ambassadors, prime ministers, naval personnel, and king. I was intrigued by the choice of alliances between countries, the changing of their navies from sailing to coal-driven turbine Dreadnought ships, and Great Britain’s move from a policy of isolationism to forming alliances with countries in Europe. The depth of the secrecy of Germany’s alliances, which it continued to make and change in the later part of the 19th century, was a fact of which I was not aware. In the twentieth century came the emergence of the Dual Alliance and Triple Alliance and, as a result, the stage for World War I is set.
Marilyn, Central Library
Don't forget the World War I Monday Lecture Series taking place in the Memphis Room of the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
The last two dates are October 20 and November 10, 2014. Call (901) 415-2742 for more information.
The last two dates are October 20 and November 10, 2014. Call (901) 415-2742 for more information.
Labels: History, Library Events and Programs, Nonfiction, Reviews by Marilyn Umfress, Staff book reviews
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
[Book Review] The Chitlin' Circuit and the Road to Rock n' Roll by Preston Lauterbach
Preston Lauterbach’s book The Chitlin’ Circuit and the Road to Rock ‘n’ Roll is a meticulously researched exploration of African-American night clubs and performance halls that began to form in the South during the 1930s. After reading this book, I had to amend my chauvinistic focus on the city of Memphis as the center of black music in the South and account for the other places, big and small, that African-American entertainers frequented in the thirties, forties and fifties. Lauterbach’s thesis appears to be a simple one – the southern circuit of clubs and juke joints had a unique place in the creation of rock and roll. But after reading the first chapters, one learns that this history is far from simple. The book carefully details the changing musical tastes and development of a wide variety of performers who were creating their own revolutionary music that existed outside of mainstream American pop music.
Although the The Chitlin’ Circuit has a point to prove, this is not a dry, academic treatise of musical anthropology. Lauterbach has not only done his homework, he is also a gifted storyteller who introduces his audience to fascinating characters throughout the book. One of the author’s stars is enterprising black capitalist, Denver Ferguson, who used legal and not-so-legal means to build up a formidable entertainment empire and was an important part of the African-American community in Indianapolis.
My personal favorite subject of The Chitlin’ Circuit was bandleader Walter Barnes, whose journeys through the South made for fascinating reading in the black press of the time. Sadly, Barnes’s travels ended with his untimely death in the notorious Natchez club fire, a scene which Lauterbach describes in chilling detail. Lauterbach also discusses the careers of more well-known performers, like T-Bone Walker and Little Richard, but the book places them in the context of the chitlin’ circuit, which brings new perspectives to their stories. The Chitlin’ Circuit, then, seems to have a little bit of something for anyone interested in the history of southern music; a new perspective, detailed research, great stories, colorful characters, and an intelligent, but not dense, style.
My personal favorite subject of The Chitlin’ Circuit was bandleader Walter Barnes, whose journeys through the South made for fascinating reading in the black press of the time. Sadly, Barnes’s travels ended with his untimely death in the notorious Natchez club fire, a scene which Lauterbach describes in chilling detail. Lauterbach also discusses the careers of more well-known performers, like T-Bone Walker and Little Richard, but the book places them in the context of the chitlin’ circuit, which brings new perspectives to their stories. The Chitlin’ Circuit, then, seems to have a little bit of something for anyone interested in the history of southern music; a new perspective, detailed research, great stories, colorful characters, and an intelligent, but not dense, style.
If you find the stories in Lauterbach’s book interesting, please stop by the Memphis Room in the Benjamin Hooks Library to learn more about our resources for studying the region’s musical history. This spring we were thrilled when Preston Lauterbach visited the history department of our library to conduct research on his next project!
Raka Nandi, Central Library
Labels: History, Music, Nonfiction, Reviews by Raka Nandi, Staff book reviews
Thursday, July 24, 2014
[Book Review] How Jesus Became God by Bart D. Ehrman
Phillip reviews HOW JESUS BECAME GOD: THE EXALTATION OF A JEWISH PREACHER FROM GALILEE by Bart D. Ehrman (HarperOne, 2014)
As with his previous books, including Misquoting Jesus and Forged: Writing in the Name of God, Bart Ehrman offers in How Jesus Became God a book based on Biblical scholarship but very accessible to the lay reader. Ehrman explores the questions of who Jesus himself claimed to be, of who the Apostles and Jesus’ earliest followers believed him to be, of how the belief in his Resurrection by his earliest followers changed their view of who they believed Jesus to be, of who his later, mainly Gentile followers, believed him to be, and of how Jesus, in the third century after his death, came to be seen, by becoming the second person in the Holy Trinity, as God himself.
Ehrman was once a devout Christian but is now an unbeliever, so many Christians would undoubtedly take issue with many of Ehrman’s conclusions. In exploring how Jesus was viewed by his followers, at different times after his death, Ehrman offers a history of Christianity and the New Testament that is fascinating and something even those who disagree with him would probably find interesting. This is a very clearly written book and one profoundly thought-provoking, to say the least.
Phillip, Cordova Library
Labels: History, Nonfiction, Reviews by Philip Williams
Thursday, May 22, 2014
[Book Review] Sherman: A Soldier's Life by Lee Kennett
Nonfiction/HistoryMarilyn reviews SHERMAN: A SOLDIER'S LIFE by Lee Kennett (HarperCollins, 2001)
Many people, including me, first heard of General William Tecumseh Sherman in American History class during lectures on the Civil War. His “March to the Sea” during the Civil War was a major campaign that led to the defeat of the Confederacy. In the sea of upheaval of the American Civil War, General Sherman cast a long shadow and continues to cast a shadow today on the history of military warfare. The Civil War was, in many people's eyes, the last “gentleman’s war,” as well as a time of death, disease, and displacement.
Sherman: A Soldier's Life by Lee Kennett explores the military and civilian career of William T. Sherman. He was a soldier, banker, teacher, Civil War General, and Commanding General of the United States Army, while also being the father of eight children. By using family letters Lee Kennett explores the character, intents, and plans of General Sherman. General Sherman wrote many letters to his wife Ellen and brother-in- law, Thomas Ewing, outlining his plans for his career and his position on various matters in his lifetime. The author writes about the good and bad traits of General Sherman, which propelled his career or almost destroyed it. The reader can follow the growth of the recruit from West Point to Commanding General of the United States Army.
I found this book a good read into the whole man. Lee Kennett delves into the full man by following Sherman’s development from a young man to the highest general in the land, the pinnacle of service in the United States Army. Kennett explores the influence of the death of Sherman’s son, Willie, at the Gayoso Hotel in Memphis, after the fall of Vicksburg, on Sherman's actions during the rest of the Civil War. After the war, General Sherman is appointed Commanding General of the United States Army and serves until 1883.
I found this book a good read into the whole man. Lee Kennett delves into the full man by following Sherman’s development from a young man to the highest general in the land, the pinnacle of service in the United States Army. Kennett explores the influence of the death of Sherman’s son, Willie, at the Gayoso Hotel in Memphis, after the fall of Vicksburg, on Sherman's actions during the rest of the Civil War. After the war, General Sherman is appointed Commanding General of the United States Army and serves until 1883.
When I read Shelby Foote's The Beleaguered City, and part of the Foote's Civil War series for Memphis Reads, I became more interested in Memphis under the occupation of Sherman. My interest in his military strategies and tactics was also rekindled.
A daily account of Memphis under Military Governor General Sherman is located in the Newspaper Microfilm Collection in the History Department. For anyone interested in Sherman's time in Memphis below is a link to the William A. Goodwin Historical Collection, which contains information on General William T. Sherman.
For additional information on Memphis’ role in the Civil War, a researcher can find books in the Memphis Room and visit Dig Memphis, the Digital Archive of the History Department Memphis Public Library and Information Center.
For additional information on Memphis’ role in the Civil War, a researcher can find books in the Memphis Room and visit Dig Memphis, the Digital Archive of the History Department Memphis Public Library and Information Center.
Marilyn, Central Library
Labels: History, Nonfiction, Reviews by Marilyn Umfress
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
[Book Review] Command and Control by Eric Schlosser
Steve reviews COMMAND AND CONTROL: NUCLEAR WEAPONS, THE DAMASCUS ACCIDENT, AND THE ILLUSION OF SAFETY by Eric Schlosser (2013)
I can recall the MX Missile, Star Wars and the rhetoric of the Reagan Administration. I also remember watching the television movie The Day After--and being scared to death of the threat of nuclear war. What I didn’t understand, until I read Eric Schlosser’s Command and Control, is that the greatest nuclear threat to the United States was not from the Soviet Union.
Utilizing declassified documents, Schlosser paints a chaotic picture of the US nuclear stockpile and its handlers. A number of accidents, design flaws, and disastrous near-misses woven into the narrative leave the reader wondering how we made it through 50 years without a major nuclear disaster on US soil. Compounding these issues was military resistance to safety measures and a “use them or lose them” mentality.
Utilizing declassified documents, Schlosser paints a chaotic picture of the US nuclear stockpile and its handlers. A number of accidents, design flaws, and disastrous near-misses woven into the narrative leave the reader wondering how we made it through 50 years without a major nuclear disaster on US soil. Compounding these issues was military resistance to safety measures and a “use them or lose them” mentality.
Command and Control is an excellent read for Cold War buffs, environmentalists, and peace-nicks.
Steven Shackelford, South Branch
Labels: History, Nonfiction, Reviews by Steve Shackelford
Tuesday, October 08, 2013
[Book Review] When the Levee Breaks by Patrick O'Daniel
Nonfiction/History/Memphis
Marilyn reviews WHEN THE LEVEE BREAKS: MEMPHIS AND THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY FLOOD OF 1927 by Patrick O'Daniel (History Press, 2013)
"The line of refugees stretched for miles along the road to Memphis” is the opening line of When the Levee Breaks: Memphis and the Mississippi Valley Flood of 1927 by Patrick O'Daniel. The year is 1927 and most of the Mississippi bottoms and delta farmland around Memphis is flooded. Arkansans in the line have just seen their farms and towns submerged rapidly underwater. Some, to their horror, have seen family members drown. Surviving refugees on the road to Memphis are some of the fortunate ones. Others, along with snakes, wild animals of the delta, and farm animals, are on levees of the Mississippi River exposed to the elements without food or water. Some refugees had warning before a wall of water covered the land. Towns, farms, and woodlands are completely destroyed as the crest of the mighty Mississippi flood marches down the Mississippi Valley breaking levees. Even after the main crest had passed, water remained on the land and the refugees could not go home.
Why were the fortunate ones headed to Memphis? Memphis was on high ground. And, in April of 1927 Memphis, under the leadership of Rowlett Paine, was organizing as a place of refuge, the supply source for those trapped on the levee, and base for a national relief effort for the whole Mississippi River Valley. Memphians, as they had during the 1913 flood, rallied to the relief cause with their time, food, and their fundraisers. Some were involved in the rescues of people trapped on rooftops along with delivering food and supplies. Even with all Memphis' relief efforts, the flood was a monster whose size called for a national program. From Memphis J. Edgar Hoover, Secretary of Commerce, directed a national relief effort using the American Red Cross, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Mississippi River Valley Commission.
In When the Levee Breaks one of the greatest challenges to the city was met by Mayor Rowlett Paine. In the book I discovered a man determined to protect a town, give relief to refugees, and preserve the image of the Memphis. He did this in his second term. Below is a picture of him at his second inauguration.
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| Rowlett Paine Inauguration |
Recently, the library’s Memphis and Shelby County Room acquired Mayor Rowlett Paine's papers. In 2012, his papers were processed for the Memphis and Shelby County Room.
Below is a link to the collection.
Marilyn Umfress, Central Library
Labels: History, Memphis Authors, Memphis History, Nonfiction, Reviews by Marilyn Umfress
Thursday, June 20, 2013
[Book Reviews] The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell
Nonfiction/Historical
Marilyn reviews THE WORDY SHIPMATES by Sarah Vowell (Riverhead Books, 2008)
"The only thing more dangerous than an idea is a belief. And by dangerous I don't mean thought-provoking. I mean: might get people killed" are the first lines of The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell. With wit and humor, she investigates why the Puritans came to America, their community problems in Boston, Massachusetts and the new world they encountered.
Sarah Vowell informs her audience that "[t]his book is about those Puritans who fall between the cracks of 1620 Plymouth and 1682 Salem, the ones who settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony and then Rhode Island during what came to be called the Great Migration." After that statement, she takes the reader on a journey back to 1620 using the Puritan's own words and comparing similar events in our current history of the United States to the Great Migration.
The Wordy Shipmates is not a dull history read, but a thought provoking read into the minds and world of the Massachusetts Puritans. Sarah Vowell also makes an interesting point about how our society looks at the Puritans in television, schools, and historical reenactments. By using John Winthrop's journal as one of her primary sources, she chronicles the events and lives of the Puritans in primarily the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In The Wordy Shipmates, Winthrop's journal comes alive as Sarah Vowell, in her unique style, conveys Winthrop’s strong feelings and logic.
Marilyn Umfress, Central Library
Labels: History, Nonfiction, Reviews by Marilyn Umfress
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
[Book Review] BOMB by Steve Sheinkin
Dean reviews BOMB: THE RACE TO BUILD--AND STEAL--THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS WEAPON by Steve Sheinkin (Roaring Brook Press, 2012)
Developing the atom bomb is without doubt one of the greatest scientific world-changing events. This fascinating account of that world-changing development adds high level espionage to the story. It is set in the historic time period before, during, and at the end of World War II. Providing enough detail to keep the reader engaged, it moves at a fast pace. One can readily agree with the various selection committees who have distinguished this book with multiple awards. It has four awards to date. These are: National Book Award finalist, YALSA Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction, The Robert F. Seibert Medal, and Newbery Honor Book.
Sheinkin writes with a reading ease and attention-grabbing style. Even though this title is nonfiction, it easily crosses into the narrative mystery fiction genre. As indicated by the YALSA Award, the target audience is young adult readers. It deserves to be recognized as excellent both as YA and as adult non-fiction. The author takes the intrigue of international espionage and relates a down-to-earth account of closely guarded military secrecy.
The plot is a historical account of the building of an enormously powerful weapon we know as the atomic bomb. It describes scientific discoveries and those who made them. It follows the international community's involvement in making those discoveries. Then it provides the historical development and deployment that came from those breakthroughs.
If you like mystery and intrigue this is a great read. If you are fascinated by WWII this is a must read. If you enjoy stories of international espionage you will not be disappointed by this work.
Dean Moore, Frayser Branch Library
Labels: History, Nonfiction, Reviews by Dean Moore, Young Adult
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
[Book Review] CROSSROADS OF FREEDOM by James M. McPherson
Marilyn reviews CROSS ROADS OF FREEDOM: ANTIETAM: THE BATTLE THAT CHANGED THE COURSE OF THE CIVIL WAR by James M. McPherson (Oxford University Press, 2002).
Freedom. Who has freedom? Who does not? What does the Constitution of the United States say about freedom?
What did the North and the South believe the Constitution says about freedom? Why did the North's purpose for the Civil War change at Antietam? Did everyone in the Union Army and political parties of the North believe in emancipation before Antietam? Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam: The Battle that Changed the Course of the Civil War by James M. McPherson explores those questions and other causes of the Civil War, the battle of Antietam, and the aftermath--the defeat of the South.
The Civil War was a war also fought in the press between the Union and Confederacy. James M. McPherson recounts the newspapers' opinions in the North, South, and also Great Britain--(Great Britain was divided over whether to aid the Confederacy). Before the battle, the North was divided over the issue of emancipation in the Congress, newspapers, public opinion, and among troops. Crossroads of Freedom traces the course of the war and issues that lead to Abraham Lincoln's decision to write the Emancipation Proclamation.
President Lincoln's decision to write the Proclamation of Emancipation was not his purpose for the war when he took office in 1862. His policy was for restoration of the Union, not ending slavery. James M. McPherson takes the reader into Lincoln's mind and world as he struggled with the indecisiveness of George McClellan--General of the Army of the Potomac, Confederate General Robert E. Lee's winning invasion campaign, and the issue of slavery which was being debated in Congress. The physical conditions of the troops, their camps, marches, and horrors of the aftermath of battles with the dead, dying, and wounded are vividly written as are the campaigns of General Lee of the Confederacy and McClellan of the Union before and during Antietam.
The change of the purpose of the war along with author's writing style made Crossroads of Freedom a very interesting read.
Marilyn Umfress, Central Library
*Crossroads of Freedom is one of the book selections for the "The Shape of War," the March 14th session of Making Sense of the American Civil War at the Central Library. Click here for details.
Labels: History, Nonfiction, Reviews by Marilyn Umfress
Monday, January 14, 2013
[Book Review] THE BLACK COUNT by Tom Reiss
Darletha reviews THE BLACK COUNT: GLORY, REVOLUTION, BETRAYAL, AND THE REAL COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Tom Reiss (Crown, 2012)
Alexandre Dumas was born Thomas-Alexandre in 1762 to a French marquis named Alexandre Antoine Davy de la Pailleterie and a female slave, Marie Cessette Dumas. Antoine is described as a rake who lived off the wealth of relatives and had affairs with female slaves on his brother’s sugar plantation in Saint-Domingue, French colonial Haiti. When Antoine became a wanted man he changed his name and fled into the mountains where Thomas-Alexandre was born. Thomas-Alexandre joined his father in France in 1776.
There is extensive detail about the French Revolution that slows down the pacing but it doesn’t take away from discovering that General Alex and other blacks and mixed-race men enjoyed equal rights and opportunities in 18th century France. Reiss details how “Thomas-Alexandre” became “Alexandre Dumas,” rejecting his noble upbringing to begin his military career as a low-ranking dragoon. General Alex was fearless in battle and possessed a physical presence so commanding that the Egyptians took a more favorable notice of General Alex over “short” and “skinny” Napoleon.
Reiss' narrative style fills each chapter with intrigue and action. Through military records, correspondence, and unpublished documents General Alex is depicted as an highly-respected man with strong principles who was also despised, imprisoned, and tragically forgotten in history. Alexandre Dumas (the author not the general) borrowed from many of his father's experiences to pen his classic novels. Art truly imitated an amazing life.
Darletha Matthews, South Branch Library
Labels: History, Nonfiction, Reviews by Darletha Matthews
Thursday, November 29, 2012
[Book Review] THE BELEAGURED CITY: THE VICKSBURG CAMPAIGN by Shelby Foote
Nonfiction/HistoryMarilyn reviews THE BELEAGURED CITY: THE VICKSBURG CAMPAIGN by Shelby Foote (Modern Library, 1995)
In The Beleaguered City: The Vicksburg Campaign I discovered a hidden fact. The capture of Vicksburg, the Gibraltar of the Confederate West during the American Civil War, was not an easily one. Seven failed attempts were made by General Ulysses Grant to conquer the city before the prize was won. Each failed attempt just made General Grant revise his plans to conquer. Shelby Foote’s narrative style opens The Beleaguered City with "Haste made waste and Ulysses S. Grant knew it, but in this case the haste was unavoidable -- unavoidable, that is, unless he was willing to take the risk of having another general win the prize he was after..."
In the pages of The Beleaguered City awaited another surprise for me: Grant's campaign started in Memphis, Tennessee. On January 17, 1963, General Grant left Memphis to join some of his Army of The Tennessee troops already headed to Vicksburg. He needed troops and supplies for the contest against Confederate Lt. General John C. Pemberton, Commander at Vicksburg. General Grant would send requests to Memphis where one of his main bases was located.
I have wanted to read a short book by Shelby Foote for some time and was the delighted to find that this book came from The Civil War: A Narrative vol. 2: Fredericksburg to Meridian. My interest in Shelby Foote came from seeing him on the PBS series The Civil War by Ken Burns and from knowing he is a Memphian. The book made the siege of Vicksburg real because the Generals' lives, strategies, campaigns, defeats, and the failures of fellow soldiers were written so you would feel like you were there.
For a very interesting read about the General who would not give up, open the pages of The Beleaguered City: The Vicksburg Campaign where you’ll also find President Abraham Lincoln's congratulatory letter on the last page.
Marilyn Umfress, Central Library
Labels: History, Nonfiction, Reviews by Marilyn Umfress
