Classic Country Estates of Lake Forest: Architecture and Landscape Design 1856-1940 Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a good book, well put together book on a fabled Chicago suburb. I would have liked to have seen more pictures and better quality in the photos. The research is top notch and I enjoyed reading the text, but I expected more and for some reason that I can't quite put my finger on I was a bit disappointed. I usually go back to my books over and over again to paruse the pictures and scan the text, but I have not found myself doing that with this book and I don't know exactly why, because I normally love these kinds of books. Anyway, it is a fine book and maybe it's just me.

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On Lake Michigan's North Shore, an extraordinary group of cosmopolitan and wealthy clients commissioned havens from the city's bustle during the Gilded Age.
Classic Country Estatesof Lake Forest is the first systematic study ofthis richly textured built environment.Beginning with suburban villas in the manner ofAndrew Jackson Downing, Lake Forest wastransformed by the work of Henry Ives Cobb,Howard Van Doren Shaw, David Adler, Harrie T.Lindeberg, Charles A. Platt, Holabird &Roche, Delano & Aldrich, Arthur Heun, andothers. It was also distinguished by a tradition of innovation in landscape design, from theoriginal Romantic picturesque town plan of 1857to the later estate work of O. C. Simonds, theOlmsteds, Warren Manning, Rose Standish Nichols, and Jens Jensen. Architectural renderings,landscape plans, drawings, and periodphotographs of architecture and gardens, many of them not previously published, illustrate thework of these masters.

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The Eagle and the Rising Sun: The Japanese-American War 1941-1943: Pearl Harbor through Guadalcanal Review

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(More customer reviews)Having read extensively on the subject matter within this book previously, it was nice to read a build up to Pearl Harbor (making the subtitle of the book somewhat of a misnomer) and not just diving into the war in the first chapter. I had read the history of SE Asia preceeding WWII in bits and pieces mainly, but had never read anything where the author skillfully and successfully put it all into a compelling narrative before.
Additionally, the author frequently added small biographies of many important historical figures. Some last less than a page, others up to five pages of information (like McArthur). Regardless, these are revealing and convey excellent information to the reader regarding motivations, personalities, and mannerisms.
In several cases the author presents evidence about such historical figures in a somewhat objective manner and lets the reader form their own opinion before either lambasting or praising the actions of such figures. Never over the top however.
Largely, the author doesn't get into much minutiae regarding combat operations and instead concentrates on policy decisions and operational history and the people that made or reacted to these events. That's not to say there aren't any reference to combat and it's impact, however it's just not a history intended to be that detailed in this regard. Regardless, it is still compelling and highly informative about the personages and policies of the period in question.
Overall, a highly regarded operational history with detailed information on the people who made the deicions at the time. Maps are decent, but not detailed and the bibliography is well documented as well. Not an unflawed history by any means, but certainly full of relevant and detailed information in the areas specified earlier.

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The Shadow of God: Stories from Early Judaism Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased this book hoping to get a feel for what post-exilic life was like for the Jews. I knew the basic historical dates and events, but I wanted to learn more about this relatively unknown period of Jewish history.
Sandgren's book met all of my expectations. The stories are clearly based on accurate historical research, and they are well-written. They emphasize the life of the people rather than the decisions of the powerful. The author also ties the stories together in the epilogue by highlighting certain themes that emerge from the narratives.
If a reader wants to learn more about the background or find suggestions about where to do more historical research, the endnotes will provide all that the reader wants. Another helpful feature is the detailed timeline at the end of the book.
This is historical fiction at its best.

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Using the medium of historical fiction, The Shadow of God covers six centuries of Jewish history, from the Babylonian exile to the destruction of the Second Temple. Fifteen stories, each centered on a historical event, explore typical Jewish characters of the era. Women and men, some historical, some fictional, grapple with changing views of God, Torah, and the attraction of Hellenism. The narrator, Leontius, weaves the stories into an organic saga that answers the ancient call to be a Jew and worship the Most High God. Here, students will unearth up-to-date scholarship on early Judaism, teachers of Bible backgrounds will discover a supplemental text that engages while it instructs, and lovers of fiction will be delighted by the good story of The Shadow of God.

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The Reagan Diaries Review

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(More customer reviews)I have not finished reading this yet, but I can't put this one down. You get an incredible insight to President Reagan's thoughts and hopes for the country as well as an understanding of how deeply he loved his wife.
I have also come to realize how humble a man he really was. For example he seemed shocked that whenever he went someplace (even if just for a short trip in D.C.) there was a change of clothes waiting for him. He was also amazed that when one of his children was on TV one evening the staff video taped it for him.
The most enjoyable entries to read are the ones where he talks about simple things like setting his clocks ahead in the sping, or riding a horse at Quantico.
There are also more serious entries where he writes about the Russians and his hopes for peace in the middle east.
The amazing thing is because this is a personal diary, it was never intended to be published. You get (I feel) the real thought and feelings of one of our greatest Presidents.
One reviewer gave this book only one star and his review is less a review of the book and more an attack on the former President. I do not think you need to be conservative to enjoy this book. You just need to want to see the daily thoughts of the man.

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During his two terms as the fortieth president of the United States, Ronald Reagan kept a daily diary in which he recorded, by hand, his innermost thoughts and observations on the extraordinary, the historic, and the routine day-to-day occurrences of his presidency. Now, nearly two decades after he left office, this remarkable record—the only daily presidential diary in American history—is available for the first time.

Brought together in one volume and edited by historian Douglas Brinkley, The Reagan Diaries provides a striking insight into one of this nation's most important presidencies and sheds new light on the character of a true American leader. Whether he was in his White House residence study or aboard Air Force One, each night Reagan wrote about the events of his day, which often included his relationships with other world leaders Mikhail Gorbachev, Pope John Paul II, Mohammar al-Qaddafi, and Margaret Thatcher, among others, and the unforgettable moments that defined the era—from his first inauguration to the end of the Cold War, the Iran hostage crisis to John Hinckley Jr.'s assassination attempt.

The Reagan Diaries reveals more than just Reagan's political experiences: many entries are concerned with the president's private thoughts and feelings—his love and devotion for Nancy Reagan and their family, his belief in God and the power of prayer. Seldom before has the American public been given access to the unfiltered experiences and opinions of a president in his own words, from Reagan's description of near-drowning at the home of Hollywood friend Claudette Colbert to his determination to fight Fidel Castro at every turn and keep the Caribbean Sea from becoming a "Red Lake."

To read these diaries—filled with Reagan's trademark wit, sharp intelligence, and humor—is to gain a unique understanding of one of the most beloved occupants of the Oval Office in our nation's history.

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The Battle Rages Higher: The Union's Fifteenth Kentucky Infantry Review

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(More customer reviews)A wonderful work by an excellent writer. I enjoyed the book as much if not more than any History book I've read in years. Mr. Jenkins passion for the subject and his love for the men who fought for the Union comes out with every page turned. The complete roster included in the back of the book will be a boon to anyone interested in locating their ancestors of the regiment. This book reads as if it is a wonderful movie. I loved it. The fact that several of the companies came from the northern Kentucky area also added an extra thrill during my read.

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Fort Benning Blues Review

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(More customer reviews)Mark Busby's FORT BENNING BLUES will appeal best to male readers who were subject to the Vietnam War draft, an entire generation of American men who, one way or another, had to wrap their heads around the idea that though there was now such a thing as "limited war," there was still no such thing as "limited death." In other words, they had to confront the very real possibility that they could give their lives for a war with very uncertain goals. Their fathers and grandfathers may have fought in World War II or Korea (or both), but the objectives of WWII were never in doubt, and Korea came early enough in the "cold war" that almost everyone believed Communism both monolithic and omni-threatening. Vietnam was 'way different, and Busby explores that difference via his protagonist, Jeff Adams, a Texan with a proud sense of heritage and common sense to go with it: enough pride to recognize his legacy and responsibility, enough common sense to be fearful and to desire a defensible meaning to the risks he faces.
We follow Adams as he takes the route many bright young men of the era took--Officers Candidate School. Adams's "blues," then, have to do with the dues he knows he must pay, and the novel's resonance comes from the way Busby re-creates those troubled times, times that exacted internal wars of conscience among most Americans, regardless of whether or not they were of draft age. Some readers might consider Busby's literary debts ranging from William Faulkner to British World War I-era poet Henry Reed a bit too artificial; still others might think he makes too much use of coincidence (Adams happens to be William Calley's driver during the My Lai trial, and he manages to see newspaper headlines that inform him of the Kent State killings).
Adams's resolution of his conflict--his Fort Benning Blues--may not please all readers, but it is a resolution many of that era found, making this as genuine a tale of courage as any told by other "veterans" of the Vietnam War, a war that we now know even our President, Lyndon Johnson, tragically questioned, tragically could not bring himself to stop.

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With Pen and Saber Review

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(More customer reviews)An excellent compilation of observations of various members of James Ewell Brown's staff officers. Insights of the war and of their commander give the reader a true "you are there" approach.
Trout's framing sequences offer a nice chronology, along with many helpful maps. I read this after having first read some general biographies of Genl Stuart. Well done, indeed.

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