Book Description

In this triumphant new work already hailed as a powerful American epic, Laurence Leamer chronicles the Kennedy men and their struggle to become the most powerful family in the United States. The Kennedy Men brings to life five bold, ambitious men. The Kennedy patriarch, Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., was one of the richest, strongest men in America's history. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. was a handsome, gregarious youth who died a hero's death. John F. Kennedy picked up his brother's fallen mantle and carried it all the way to the White House. Robert F. Kennedy was an attorney general of unprecedented power. Edward M. Kennedy was a fun-loving athlete who reluctantly headed up the hard road to power.

Combining powerful dramatic narrative with impeccably researched detail, The Kennedy Men illuminates their aspirations and love of family, their accomplishments and failures, their heroism and frailty, their loves and passions, and their patriotism and selfishness. Filled with startling revelations, it is a spellbinding personal history of individuals and a journey of character through time.

Audio includes excerpts from President Kennedy's secret White House recordings of phone conversations and private meetings.

Reviews (16)

Not bad
I give this book a borderline 3 - 4 stars. It isn't bad - it explored all of the Kennedy men adequately but none very extensively. Leamer does do a great job of explaining the relationships among the Kennedy men, especially the complicated relationship that Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. had with all of his children.

The author offers up stunning and excruciating details about Joe Kennedy Jr's. death, as well as Kathleen's death. These instances were painful to read, but very insightful about the patriarch's emotions.

I feel Leamer did concentrate a bit too much on JFK's sexual trysts, but that is a topic that no book on the Kennedys will neglect, so it's not really a complaint.

It would have been nice had the book ended in 1968 and not 1963. Another 100 pages would have given the reader much more great reading on RFK following the president's death and also his run for the presidency in 1968.

All in all, this is a good book for diehard Kennedy aficionados.

A Refreshing Change From the "Kennedy Myths"
In the years since John F Kennedy was elected President two kinds of "Kennedy Myths" have developed.The positive one portrays John, Robert and Ted Kennedy as liberal "saints" committed to a progressive revolution in America.The negative one shows the Kennedys to be rapacious libertines who throw off all social conventions in their personal and political lives.Leamer's book transcends these over-simplistic views and covers the lives of patriarch Joseph P Kennedy and his four sons, bringing out the complexity of this unique group of people.

Those who hold a negative view of the Kennedys will find much material to confirm their beliefs.In truth, Joe Kennedy seems to be a man with almost no redeeming virtues, a virulent anti-Semite and pro-Nazi, greedy and miserly, manipulative man.The second generation of Kennedys learned not to ask where the family's money came from.Yet Joe Kennedy went on to implement needed reforms in the Security and Exchange commission to which he was appointed, supported the progressive FDR and became the most powerful Catholic in the US.

Similarly, JFK went on to be an incredibly reckless philanderer who possibly compromised the very security of the US with liasons with women involved with organized crime and possibly even East German intelligence, but at the same time, he inspired young people to volunteer for the Peace Corps and set American on course to landing on the Moon.RFK goes to work for family friend Senator Joe McCarthy and works with the Mafia in order to destablize Castro's regime in Cuba, but then also works vigorously against the same Mafia and institutionalized racial discrimination (and somehow escapes the taint of his association with McCarthy).

Leamer show that JFK and RFK were definitely not "soft liberals".JFK was the best friend the "military-industrial complex" ever had, pouring unprecedented amounts of money into defense and space projects.They supported a very tough anti-Communist policy in Cuba and Vietnam which almost led to nuclear war and did lead to the quagmire in Southeast Asia.One important point about the book is that Leamer does not demonize various "bad guys" from the positive Kennedy Myth, such as General Curtis Lemay and other military men from the Cuban Missile Crisis, FBI Director J Edgar Hoover who was friendly for many years with Joe Kennedy and showed great forebearance with the many indiscretions of his sons and had good reason to be concerned with JFK's behavior and finally Lyndon Johnson who loyally served the Kennedy Administration and yet was treated with contempt by RFK and many of JFK's advisors (although not by JFK himself).

Finally, the author has come to the same conclusion that other investigators have arrived at regarding JFK's assassination, namely, that it is very likely that the assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald was motivated, either with or without the knowledge of agents of Fidel Castro, to kill Kennedy in revenge for the Kennedys' attempt to kill him.

It is not easy to cover the lives of five different men in a singel book, and much had to be left out, but as an introduction to this remarkable tribe of American aristocracy, this book is indispensable.

not very good
I've read 64 biographys and it's one of the worse.
There are a few photos.
some informations are odd, because the author invents them.
buy not this book, but buy better book like a common good, the thirteen days, the kennedys and the fitzgerald, robert kennedy and his time...

Informative, appraochable style
I read The Kennedy Women a few years ago and found it to be one of the most impressive biographical works that I had ever encountered.I was most impressed with Leamer's ability to fully chart the lives of so many diverdse characters.

I eagerly awaited the Kennedy Men.If I had not read his previous work, this probably would have seemed better.I felt that the Kennedy Women had a broader scope dealing with a longer (and earlier!) time frame and more individuals.This started, really with Joe Kennedy and didn't focus on too many others.A very minor complaint, is that the Kennedy women had a comrehensive time line in the beginning.It would have been useful to include one here as well.

Otherwise, this is an extaordinarily well rearched volume.What I enjoyed most was the conversational approach taken by Leamer.It is a pleasure to read.I wish that the final chapter "Requiem for a President" was slightly more detailed, but this was a chance to learn not about invididuals, but about complex family relationships and bonds.

I am glad that I read it and look forward to volume 2!

Not worth the time
While I am not a Kennedy fan, I decided to read this book because of a good review I'd read and also because I had really enjoyed the recent Evan Thomas book on Robert Kennedy.I was pretty disappointed.The style is very stilted - Leamer moves between public and personal episodes with poor transition, and there often didn't seem to be a reason for these switches.I guess if you want the gory details of the personal lives of these guys, this is the book for you - but frankly I thought the level of detail was unnecessary and inappropriate.Leamer could easily have made his point about the degree of dysfunction in this family without it.Finally, at some point he began to harp on the transformation of JFK into a man of great vision and sensitivity to the problems of the world, but he did not make his case over the course of the book.if you're looking to have some intellectually challenging reading on the Kennedys, read the Evan Thomas book on Robert - it's only one Kennedy (who certainly had his own foibles), but it is extremely well-written and thought-provoking. ... Read more

Book Description

Where were you the day Diana died? Like the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the tragic death of the Princess of Wales on August 31, 1997 is one of those defining benchmarks in history -- an event that touched each of us so profoundly, we will never forget the moment we heard the news. A full year after the Paris car crash that ended Diana's life at age thirty-six, millions around the world remain in shock. Over the sixteen years since her storybook wedding to Prince Charles, she had evolved from "Shy Di" into the planet's most photographed, written about, and talked about woman -- indeed, the most famous person in the world.

For all Diana's global fame, much of the human drama that swirled around her death remains veiled in mystery and intrigue. Now, in the manner of his headline-making Kennedy biographies Jack and Jackie and Jackie After Jack, Christopher Andersen draws on important sources -- many of whom have agreed to speak here for the first time -- to re-create in vivid and often startling detail the events leading up to that fateful night in Paris. Diana was, in every sense of the word, larger than life -- a force of nature that, as the Royal Family learned, could be neither dismissed nor ignored. A bittersweet saga of triumph, love, and loss, The Day Diana Died captures those last days when Diana's star never shone brighter -- and evokes the beauty, grace, heartache, and compassion that made Diana one of the most compelling figures of our time. ... Read more

Reviews (77)

A great chronological study of the death of Princess Diana.
I have found it very hard to put this book down! Christopher Anderson has written a wonderful book looking at the months leading up to death of the Princess of Wales. His book is populated with quotes and insights from those closest to the Princess and gives a good, in depth, look at the romance between Princess Diana and Dodi Fayad. Of particular interest is the reaction of Princess Diana's former husband, Prince Charles, upon learning of the Princess' death. Also, the reaction of Queen Elizabeth, who is more concerned with the royal jewels than with the death of her grandsons' mother!! A MUST READ if you have followed the Princess of Wales and have questions surrounding her death.

An engrossing account
I found this book to be incredibly informative and a fascinating read, which I read almost in one sitting. Instead of the usual tawdry gossip of most Diana biographies, it describes exactly, and in fascinating detail, about the events that led up to her death, the day she died, and the ensuing mourning that followed. We are made privy to details we never knew, and they are very essential details, in my opinion.

To me, the most interesting and ironic part of this entire tragedy is that Diana lay in the hospital in Paris, dead, with nothing to wear. Prince Charles and Diana's two sisters were on their way from London, and the world's most famous and well-dressed woman literally had nothing to wear. The clothes she had been wearing when she died had been torn from her body by doctors who were attempting to revive her. Her luggage had been whisked back to London by a paranoid Mohammad Feyed. And, here was the world's most glamourous woman, at death, being forced to wear a dress donated by the wife of the English Ambassador to France. This irony is just one of many sad ironies and twists of fate in this account.

We learn of the behind-the-scenes machinations leading up to Diana's funeral, the conflict between Prince Charles and his mother, the Queen, and how Diana's boys reacted. Prince Charles is definitely painted in a much brighter light than ever before. I was absolutely fascinated by this book, and I think it is well worth reading.

A tasteful and riveting account...
When I first heard about this book coming out, I was afraid it would be a tasteless and exploitative piece of paparazzi trash exploiting the death of a beautiful woman. However, I was more than impressed and pleased with the way the author combines hour by hour events on the day Diana died with background on her life and relationships. Diana was one of my favorite celebrities ever, not just for her beauty and elegance but for what she survived through and the fact she was such a good mother. This book combines all of those elements and also gives us a window into what happened on the day she died. One of the only tasteful and well-written books to come out after her death...

Enjoyable Book
My wife first picked up this book and was giving me bits of info as she read it. Well I got interested in the details so I read it after she completed it. I would never have bought this book on my own but I must say that I really enjoyed it. I think because there was so much news coverage that I really liked learning more of the details that did not always come out in the coverage. My wife said that there was not too much new in this book, but for me there really was, as I have not followed the story as closely as my wife. What you have here is all the facts put together in one book that is an easy to read review. I would recommend it if you are interested in the topic.

Riveting account of Diana¿s death & the world¿s reaction.
Given the lurid tabloid journalism, to which Diana was subjected during her lifetime, this account is a well-written and interesting overview of her life and her tragic death.

Despite the title the book covers much more than just the day of her death. It gives an overview of her whirlwind romance with Dodi as well as the stormy relationship that she had with the rest of her royal ex-relatives. If this is the first Diana book that you read there is more than enough background material here to make sure that you do not feel left out. Even if you are a royal-phile with a stack of books on the trials and tribulations of the Windsor family, there is plenty here to keep you avidly turning the pages.

In addition to Diana's fateful last day there is extensive coverage of the immediate aftermath of the accident and the extensive, if ineffectual, care that she was given at the seen. The standard care given in car crashes on Paris soil might be viewed as a scandal in itself.

Christopher Anderson is able to present to us the reaction of the Royal family ensconced in Scotland at the time, the reaction of her ex-husband and of the Queen. Her Majesty retreated into duty and protocol trying even to prevent her son from making the journey to retrieve Diana's body. The Wales' sons were kept out of the limelight and did not learn for some time about the enormous outpouring of grief surrounding the accident.

This was an event that evoked the sympathy of the world. In light of the events of 9/11/2001 it might now seem foolish that we could ever expend so much grief on one person. But I think that this book helps to show how in life and in death Diana was the lens through which so much emotion the world over was brought into focus. ... Read more

Book Description

In 1944, a band of Jewish guerrillas emerged from the forest to join the Russian army in its attack on Vilna, the capital of Lithuania. They were headed by Abba Kovner, a charismatic young poet and Zionist leader. His chief lieutenants were two teenage girls, Vitka Kempner and Ruzka Korczak. Each night, the three of them shared a bed, but what they found was more than temporary solace - it was a great love affair. In the last terrifying days of the war - with the extent of the Holocaust still not widely known - they hatched a plan for retaliation. Before it was over, they would have smuggled enough poison into Nuremberg to kill 10,000 Nazis. The Avengers tells what happened to these rebels, how they took revenge, and how in fighting for the state of Israel they moved beyond the violence of the Holocaust and made new lives. This is one of the last great untold stories of World War II. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Amazing
Rich Cohen's book The Avengers truly amazed me. Prior to hearing him speak and reading his book, I had only heard one story of Jewish Life in Europe during the second world war. To hear this other story, the story of Jews who refused to go like sheep to the slaughter, the story of Jews who fought, gives new perspective, and a new understanding of the people that lived in those times.

Rich Cohen's book reads far more like a novel than like a historical text, and at times, I found that aggravating. I wanted more details, and fewer assumptions. But, for what this book is, it is trully amazing. I only hope someone will read this book and decide to do the historical research before it is far too late.

I highly recommend this book. It made me question what I am doing with my life.

"If you have not found something you are willing to die for, you have no reason to live."

A Hell Of A Story
"The Avengers" by Rich Cohen is one hell of a story that the author tells brilliantly. This is a thrill packed tale that is artfully written, absorbing, suspenseful and rife with human drama. In short, a book that's tough to put down.

The author paints a compelling portrait of Abba Kovner, a charasmatic poet and his two female comrades who were trapped in Vilna, Lithuania at the outbreak of the Second World War. These ordinary people under extraordinary circumstances fall in love and manage to survive and persevere under the most unimaginable conditions.

Cohen provides us with a gripping account of their struggles, that are fascinating, and all the more compelling for being true. He captures detail, color and perspective, sketching them in highly readable prose. And while deftly interweaving tragedy with the great events of history, he raises difficult questions and moral dilemmas for the reader to ponder.

One of the most engaging and horrifying books I have read
The Avengers follows the life of Abba Kovner and his associates, through the horror of Nazism through attempts at revenge, and to a life in Palestine. Although I have read several books on the holocaust, I must admit, I could not bought this book down. Cohen's writing style is very engaging. Cohen makes no value judgements here; it is up to the reader to decide right and wrong. Although I think most people would have a tough time accepting what the avengers tried to do after the war, I cannot possibly judge them. I also cannot imagine living the horrors (which are spelled out in graphic detail) that these Jews went through. One is struck again and again by the brutality and sadism used by these Nazi animals.

Although not a comforting book, I believe this book should be read by anyone with an interest in one of the most evil periods in history.

Is it Resistance or Terrorism?
Cohen's story is brilliant and courageous in the way it forces the Reader to acknowledge their hypocracies with regard to terrorism. Specifically, he draws the reader to sympathize and care for Abba Kovner, but also notes that Kovner and his gang try (unsuccessfully) to poison the water supply of Germans, many innocent noncombatants, even children. In other words, these Avengers are also terrorists (if you use the current definitions).

By exposing the grey are of terrorism/ resistance, Cohen subtly places the reader in the uncomfortable position of acknowledging a double standard between hero, terrorist and freedom fighter. While we all have to come to our own (hopefully consistent)conclusion in that regard, it takes someone like Cohen and his hero Kovener to make us realize that it is not a "cut and dry" issue.

good intentions, but disappointing
I'm glad I read this book for the subject matter, though there were so many problems with it I can't wholeheartedly recommend it. Cohen bases the book on the memories of old people, and some of their resistance efforts sound like pretty tall tales. I couldn't help but make the comparison with an 89-year-old gentleman I know who claims he sat on a purse snatcher until the police came. Some of the feats they credit themselves with accomplishing are simply unbelievable. There are also discrepancies. For example, Vitka is once called upon to bury a body in a forest in great haste, and I assume we're supposed to think she did it with her bare hands since she had no tools with her. Then much later in the story Vitka sees a dead body for the first time. Huh? Vitka, however, is the real heroine of the story, brave and selfless. Abba is an intriguing person, but my impression was that he gave the orders and took care of himself while his women did all the work. His fanaticism in later years was disturbing, though after what he lived through it is hard to judge him fairly. It's uplifting to know some Jews did fight back and that many lives were saved because of their courage, and that's the best part of the story. ... Read more

Book Description

Her life has seemed liek a fairy-tale come true. . . yet the shocking truth is that for Diana Princess of Wales, life has been far from perfect. Written with the cooperation and support of members of Diana's family and her closest friends, Diana: Her True Story reveals a woman trapped in a loveless marriage, who has suffered from chronic illness and loneliness, who has gone to the depths of despair...and who has courageously struggled to create a new life for herself. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

Andrew Morton's Version... or rather, Diana's
With a lot of info and some edting assistance from Princess Diana, Andrew Morton wrote a book that rocked the monarchy. In this book Morton makes Di out to be the poor little princess and Charles is the big bad villian.

I never took much of an interest in Diana's life until the horrible car crash and her tragic death. My mother owns a copy of the (this) infamous Morton book, and the pictures are interesting, so I decided to give it a read. This is not a happy book, especially while covering the years of her marriage to Charles. Prince Charles is no saint, but he gets an unfair rap in this book; he's actually a good person with many admirable qualities, and flaws like all of us. Anyway, this book is the portrait of a suicidal bolemic woman married to a physically and emotionally absent man who doesn't give her the love she so desperately craves because his heart belongs to another woman. Poor Di. And did she have to die?

David Rehak
author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"

Diana Her True Story
This book was an astonishing biography about Princess Diana. It gave you insight into the life that she led both privately and in the public eye. The Princess of Wales had a good heart, even from the time she was young. She enjoyed being with people and helping those in need. Diana was also a very generous person and she liked to have fun and laugh. She seemed happy, but underneath she was suffering from depression. I was shocked at what I learned while reading the book. Whenever I pictured The Princess of Wales,I always thought of her smile, but she was really hurting inside. It all started from the disappointment that her parents expressed when she wasn't born a boy, to her bulimia nervosa, and her numerous suicide attempts. Not to mention, she was constantly being criticized by her own husband, family, and the media. I can't imagine being put in the position she was without any words of encouragement or guidance. The author did an excellent job giving examples and supporting his stories with quotes from friends, family, and the Princess herself. His style of writing gave you a greater understanding of what she was going through with very detailed stories and descriptions. There were also pictures throughout the book showing the Princess with her children and doing the things she loved. If you are at all interested in learning about the life of Princess Diana, this book is well worth reading, though at times it can be difficult to follow. It gives you a greater comprehension of her life as well as greater respect for her as a person.

This IS Diana's Book
This book is probably the foremost and authoritative book on who the real and true Diana, Princess of Wales was. Just as Candle in the Wind is her song, this IS Diana's book.

I give this book 5 stars because this is historically accurate biographical information told by the woman that was behind it from the beginning, Diana. This is a classic biography.

Diana, the "People's Princess
I enjoyed reading this book, and found it to be fascinating. However, I have since read "A Royal Duty" by Paul Burrell. Some of the statments made in these two books are conflicting. In "Diana, Her True Story", it is made to sound like Princess Diane was always at odds with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. In "A Royal Duty", Paul Burrell tells a different story. He maintains Diana had a loving and close relationship with the Queen and Prince Phillip right up until the time she died. It is a very interesting book, but after reading almost everything written about Princess Diana, there are so many different views and stories, it is hard to know which to believe.

NO PREDICTIONS OF IMPENDING DEATH HERE
Now that she is gone and the word is out that Diana did cooperate with the telling of this story the book is all the more interesting. Having never read a book about Diana, I found this to be very informative and tragic. Diana appears to have been a very misunderstood and lonely person, caught up in circumstances she had no control over. You just want to reach into her life and comfort her.

Prince Charles was clearly the villain in the relationship as much of his behavior has been confirmed in the media since her death. His refusal to discontinue his relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles speaks for itself. How anyone could pick CPB over Diana in unfathomable. What was never addressed was what Andrew Parker-Bowles thought about the relationship between his wife and Prince Charles. Both Camilla and Charles denied there was a relationship. What a crock.

The book provides a great back-story to Princess Diana's untimely death. But there is no prediction about an impending car accident as Diana's Butler Paul Burrell now claims. However she did make a haunting prediction in 1992 on page 220 that did come true, "I am performing a duty as the Princess of Wales ... but I don't see it any longer than 15 years."

A good introduction to someone who knows nothing about Diana. ... Read more

Book Description

Within is a masterful assembly of the most personal details and gorgeous minutiae of Frank Sinatra's way of living--matters of the heart and heartbreak, friendship and leadership, drinking and cavorting, brawling and wooing, tuxedos and snap-brims--all crafted from rare interviews with Sinatra himself as well as many other intimates, including Tony Bennett, Don Rickles, Angie Dickinson, Tony Curtis, and Robert Wagner, in addition to daughters Nancy and Tina Sinatra. Illustrated with scores of photos, The Way You Wear Your Hat captures the timeless romance and classic style of the fifties and the loose sixties and is a stunning exploration of the Sinatra mystique. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

The REAL Frank
What a GREAT book about the Chairman Of The Board! The text and pictures are first-rate,and the captions quoting Frank are priceless. An absolute must for the genuine Sinatra fan, you will pull it off the shelf to read it for years to come.

A great insight to the King of Cool's thoughts and beliefs
What a great book! I have read this twice already and didn't put it down until the wee hours of the morning. To read this is to almost be talking to Mr. Sinatra one on one. The author did a great job to give the reader the essance of Sinatra and see what made him "Tick". His views on friends, enemies and lovers is blunt, honest to the point and quite refreshing in this day of political correctness. Alot of important details about how Sinatra looked and dressed are emphasized and are quite valuable to the overall picture. The heydays of the ratpack, relationship with Ava Gardner, Marilyn Monroe and his last love..his wife, are told with a tinge of regret and admiration, but lovingly honest as well. The man admitted his flaws but his style and personality made his admirers overlook them. I recommend this to anyone who wants to know what the late night swing life of the 1950's-early 60's were like. A fantastic read! Kudos to the author.

Live each day like it may be the final day...
There have been a lot of books written on Sinatra;but this one is excellent.Where does one start and what does one say?Zehme has zeroed in on what made Sinatra an icon and a one of a kind.Sinatra had a great line for all occasions;and even when there was no occassion,he had a line for that too.
"Fear is the enemy of logic"
"Don't despair.You have to scrape bottom to appreciate life and start living again."
"the big lesson in life ,baby,is never be scared of anyone or anything."
The book is a quick,concise and intrest holding read. The pictures chosen were excellent in portraying Sinatra's personna.
You can't go wrong with this book if you ever liked anything Sinatra said or did.

Life Changing Material
What can I say that hasn't already been said? About 3 or 4 years ago I wasn't doing so well. I was looking for some guidance, some help to define myself and create my own identity. I came across this book on a sales rack and picked it up. I had been a Sinatra fan for awhile, had a few books and some albums. But this, this was something special. You come away from it really knowing who Mr. Sinatra really was. You get to know the man behind the "legend."

Immediatly I began to change the way I was. I began to relax, not worry so much. I changed my wardrobe (For years I had been kind of a bum, really not thinking about my dress) to more of a "classier" one. I became less of a cheapskate and helped any of my friends who needed help. Why? Because that's what Frank did! Not to mention I discovered "his way" to mixing drinks the way with women.

One cannot talk about this book without mentioning the excellent writing of Bill Zehme. He really gets to the soul of the experiences. The writing has the same flair as Sinatra's speech, always hip, always to the point. It's no wonder he has written the liner notes for the live Rat Pack cds. He really "knows" Frank and the boys and shows it.

So read this book. Who knows what could happen? You may come away from it with a new view on life.

A way in Which A Hat Will Nevre Be Worn Again
Zehme does a spectacular job in bring what Frank Sinatra really was to the people of the world. It has an easy reading short story flow that will make you not want to put it down. Reading this book has enspired me to read more about Frank Sinatra and others by Bill Zehme. The Chariman would be proud. ... Read more

Book Description

In 1980, Mary Robertson, an American living in London, welcomed a shy young nanny into her home to care for her nine-month-old son.Little did she know that this was the beginning of an extraordinary friendship that would last for seventeen years.She was surprised to learn that the nanny was Lady Diana Spencer, who would later become Diana, Princess of Wales, the most celebrated woman of our time.

In The Diana I knew, Mary portrays a gentle, unassuming teenager who blossomed into an assured, world-class beauty.She describes a private side to a woman few people knew intimately.This is an American woman's personal account of her unexpected and touching friendship with Diana.

Mary's unique memories of this remarkable woman include Diana's nonchalant reaction to Mary's discovery of her nanny's aristocratic background and the day-to-day building of a trusting, affectionate relationship which developed into a true friendship.As Diana's life dramatically changed when the royal courtship began, she turned to Mary for guidance.Even after the Robertsons returned to the United States just before the engagement, Diana wrote frequently, wishing to continue the friendship.

From receiving the gilt-edged invitations to the Royal Wedding to being charmed by Prince Charles at the glamorous pre-nuptial ball at Buckinham Palace, Mary captures the magic of the wedding of the century.Despite the unimaginable demands of her life and the unraveling of the fairy tale, Diana made time to see Mary and her family.From the Robertsons' private meeting with the Prince and Princess in Washington to an intimate family luncheon at her home in Kensington Palace, Diana's generosity of spirit and appreciation of simpler times always shone through.

The Diana who emerges in this book is a committed and sincere woman who "loathed formality," a radiant and exuberant princess who had "little use for the upper classes" and someone who felt at home with "ordinary people."

From the profound tragedy of Diana's death and the heartbreak of her funeral, Mary transforms her grief into this eloquent tribute to her beloved friend Diana, the Princess of Wales.

The author will donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book to charities supported by the Princess. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

not the best of the pack but an interesting little book
I guess that I'd have to give this book about 3 1/2 stars if I could do that, it's an interesting little book to read. Written by Mary Robertson, the American woman who once employed Diana as a nanny, it isn't nearly as bad as some critics would suggest.The book starts with an Aug 31-Sept 6th recap of learning about Diana's death and attending the funeral, in the next chapter and for most of the book details Robertson's experiences over the years with the Princess. While Mrs. Robertson does talk about herself (not particularly boastfully)she tells a lot of harmless little details about Diana, various meetings & so on, that you just don't see elsewhere. I wouldn't put it at the top of your list of books to accquire but it makes a nice little addition.

A Definitive Diana Book
I've read most of the Diana books on the market, and this one is my all time favorite. The warmth, candor, and respect that Mrs. Robertson uses in describing her ongoing relationship with the late former Princess of Wales is refreshing (who else treats Diana with dignity anymore, anyway?), well paced (I can stay into it, even on the treadmill), and wholly respectable (staying exclusively in the realm of what Mrs. Robertson herself saw, learned, or experienced, and not crossing the line into lurid speculation, armchair psychology, or maudlin reflection). This is an idea purchase or gift with anyone having an interest in Diana, and I would recommend it wholeheartedly as a sweet (I know it's an overused word, but it's the RIGHT word) tribute to the relationship from one mother to another and their friendship which spanned 17 years.

Smug, opportunistic drivel.
What a perfectly awful little book -- surely the Diana portrayed within its pages would have loathed it!

Written by a self-absorbed, rather strident American woman determined to get her fifteen minutes of fame by exploiting a very modest connexion with the late Princess of Wales.

Cheesy, smarmy and heartbreaking.
I wouldn't have bought this book, I received it as a gift. The heartbreaking part of this story is the way the Princess was betrayed and exploited. The authors claim that she wrote the book to "balance" the "critical" press of Diana is utter rot. Mrs. Roberson saw for herself the depth of love and affection the world felt for the Princess. Mary Robertson was so lucky to know Diana. Diana showed her nothing but kindness and showered her with opportunity. In exchange Mary Robertson cashes in by revealing every small detail of her aquaintenship. One can imagine how dissapointed the Princess whould have been to know that even a few conversations, letters and Christmas cards would become fodder for a book. ...

Disappointing
The fact is that this woman did not know Diana, Princess of Wales well at all. Diana was her nanny for some months before she married Prince Charles but it was only 2 days per week and the woman was at work while Diana was taking care of her child.

After this family moved back to the States their was little in the way of communication between them other than 2 visits which seemed to consist of little more than small talk mostly about their children and the very occassional letter and Christmas card.

The thing I found most annoying about the book was it was mostly about the author and her family whom I am sure are very nice people but I don't want to read about them.

Overall, this book offered nothing new into who Princess Diana was in fact a lot less than many other books that had been previously published.

The kind view of this is that this woman was genuinely fond of the princess and wanted to show it in a very public way. The unkind view is that she is cashing in on a relationship she had with her although she states several times in the book that she would never do that.

There are probably hundreds of people who knew Princess Diana better than this author. I guess it is just a matter of time before their books are all published too. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Politics Politics Politics
The book primarily focuses on Jeferson's political career, namely secretary of state, starting with the formation of the presidency (1788).The book sometimes focuses too much on the political front, and less on Jeferson's personal life and character.

PURE CONTRADICTION
Thomas Jefferson was no Satan. But, I will implore all the fanatics and sycophants who revere him as a 'man of justice and freedom' to wake-up from their slumber. Don't let the world laugh at your ignorance!
Mr Jefferson was by every means a slave-holder. Thus, this idea of linking his name to the Rights of Man is a contradiction.
If Dumas Malone must continue on this track, then he should mention the names of John Adams, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, and Abraham Lincoln, and we shall listen to him. Thomas Jefferson does not fit in this realm. He doesn't belong here! But, I am not really surprised. This book was published in 1951: at the peak of Color-Bar.

Jefferson in Paris
What can be said about this monument to Jefferson scholarship?I am sure that somewhere in universities around the United States there are "scholar squirrels who want to put down this invaluable resource in Jefferson studies.It is always the way that mice attempt to gnaw at lions.This is not a perfect work (and my remarks refer to all of the books in the series as a whole), there are somethings, namely Sally Hemmings references which are wrong and will not sit well with American 21st century mores.There is the issue of slavery which was handled much differently 50 years ago than it is now.
Jefferson is not worthy of our interest because of Sally Hemmings and because he kept slaves.Jefferson is great because of the Declaration of Independence and his fight for the rights of man.While it may have been hypocritical to preach liberty and keep slaves, it is doubtful that slavery ever would have been abolished if Jefferson had never gained the prominence that he did.This book and the others that follow show why we should continue to honor the public man even though his private side may have been wanting.

Jefferson and the Rights of Man
Jefferson and the Rights of Man written by Dumas Malone is the second installment of a six part biography of Thomas Jefferson. As the first volume Jefferson: The Virginian was in the time frame of (1743 - 1784), this volume takes us from where the first volume ended in Jefferson's life, to the end of Washington's first term as President of the United States and his subsequent unanimous re-election, (1784 - 1792).

Jefferson's European mission starts off this volume, concluding with his service as the United States's first Secretary of State under George Washington. But, in between we see Jefferson laying the seeds of his philosophy and the implication regarded as timeless and universal.

George Washington's first term was a proving ground for Jefferson to get his views across to Washington, but Washington has Hamilton and there in lies the rub. As political parties were in their infancy, the time was ripe for a political view points to be exploited and Hamilton was up to task. So, naturally Jefferson had a different view point and was voicing his opinion to Washington.

Jefferson in this period of time was primarily concerned with foreign affairs which kept him busy as Great Britain was being pulled into a European war. But the "war" between Jefferson and Hamilton was just begining. Jefferson was well aware of the implicit dangers in the political and economic situation, but Enlightenment was budding and thus, begining to give proof of his undying faith, that men and society can be saved by means of knowledge.

This period in Jefferson's life is the richest with regards to private friendships and will lay the bricks to the foundation to the rest of his life. As Jefferson begins his battle with the Federalists, Hamilton is his primary opposition.

Good follow-up to Jefferson the Virginian
The first part of this book is slow, but the end of the book (which details the beginning of conflict between Jefferson and Hamilton) makes up for it. Malone says that Hamilton and the other federalists were theinstigators of conflict. I don't know if that's true, but Malone certainlyproves that Hamilton's attacks were filled with lies and deceit. As withthe first volume, the biggest flaw is that Malone does not deal enough withJefferson's shortcomings. He doesn't even mention Sally Hemmings. Butotherwise, I give this book two thumbs up. ... Read more

Book Description

Part One Of Two Parts

History will probably judge that Stalin was one of the truly dominant figures of the twentieth century. While the elements of Stalin's life are well known, this is the first major study of him from a Soviet author. Taking advantage of the author's position as historian for the Soviet Army, it is researched from myriad archives and interviews never previously available, leading to revelations not hinted at previously.Written and translated with a clarity, humanity and sense of drama that would make it a famous and memorable biography of any subject in any language at any time, this comprehensive life answers questions that have perplexed the world ever since "Stalin" and Stalinism" became household words.

"A powerful account that adds great depth to the widely known outline of Stalin's crimes." (Kirkus Reviews) ... Read more

Reviews (13)

A truly *awesome* historical biography ...
Reading "Triumph and Tragedy" is, quite simply, a life-altering
experience. Volkogonov was a loyal member of the Red Army and
Communist Party when he gained access to the whole of the KGB's
archives. As he researched the past, his level of disenchantment grew
until the very core of his world-view was torn asunder. This book is
written unevenly, as Volkogonov was still struggling to absorb the
historical record as he wrote. Nevertheless, the occasional
awkwardness serves to drive home the horror of this period. The
experience is as if the reader can feel the author there with them,
reeling from it all. While the book certainly contains much
interesting historical information, particularly with respect to
Stalin's purges of the Red Army and its affects on WWII, it is also
much, much more. When I read it, the phrase "the horror, the horror"
from Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" kept coming into my mind.

The Monster from Georgia
This is the best biography of Stalin there is, in my opinion. Volkogonov simply had the access to the kind of materials no one else had. This book takes full advantage of them. It correctly depicts Stalin as a great actor who sold his image to the masses, the image of benevolent and infallible ruler. In contrast to his fascist counterparts, Hitler and Mussolini, Stalin did not have a good speaking ability, and often read his boring speeches monotonously. But his self-assured and reassuring monotony came to have a hypnotic effect. His smile and almost goofy mustache and eyebrows covered the soul of a despot.

Stalin was a single-minded individual: for him, power came before everything else. A Georgian nationalist who called himself Koba in his youth and resented Russian rule over his people, he rose to become Stalin (man of steel) who ruled over the new Russian Empire called the Soviet Union. Volkogonov gives us the most factual biography yet of the man who slaughtered millions in the name of the workers' paradise and future generations; the man who feared and obsessed over Adolph Hitler and who ultimately defeated him; the man whose cruelty and destruction are a warning to all future generations not to lend a sympathetic ear to promises of future earthly utopias in exchange for absolute power and elimination of civil rights.

the best book on Stalin, a timepiece, frame it
I bought this book first when I was in Russia. I bought it in the original Russian. I had already read Volkogonovs study of Lenin and Trotsky and his book 'Autopsy of the Soviet empire'. THis, though, is the seminal work of a man who passed far to quickly from our view. He had yearned to detail the crimes of Stalin, the secrets also. This grand book details many obscure facts not found in other books. DIsjointed writing,as anyone fmailiar with VOlkogonov knows, this book nevertheless is very readable. Many critisize this saying it was not written by a true historian, its not organized, it smacks of a freshmens writing, in that it does not develop a topic thouroughly before going on to something else. It jumps around. THis is all true. Mr. Volkogonov was not a writer by trade. He was a military bureacrat who yearned to breeth free and compiled this information, independent of the west, for years before publishing his account after the fall of the Soviet empire. If we view it that way this book is unique, it is a testimony of a man who witnessed the evils of the Soviet system, who knew personally what Stalin had done and wanted to expose it. He could weight the good and the bad. This book is invaluable as history. It is by a Russian writing about the failings of his own country, in its formative period nonetheless. A must have and a must read. A landmark in Soviet studies.

Interesting, in a strange way
This is a terrible book. It is the best terrible book I have ever read.

The writing--ugh! The man has no sense of how to connect his various narratives together, how to build a sense of continuity, how to make us feel like we are really inside the events he is describing. He leaps back and forth in time at will, without bothering to explain why. He spends paragraphs or pages on picayune details, then leaps over giant topics with barely a word. And his politics--the man was an unrepentant Leninist! Time and again, he makes it clear that, if only the saintly Lenin had lived, all would have been wonderful in the worker's paradise. Only Stalin was a bloodthirsty monster--everyone else was a glorious revolutionary.

But I certainly enjoyed reading the book. The man knew a lot of the people who worked with Stalin. He saw how the Stalinist system worked from the inside. He has a lot of interesting things to say.

That makes up for the glaring flaws in this book. I just can't help but wonder what kind of book this could have been if Volkogonov had been a real writer, and if he had employed a real editor. And if, perhaps, his fog of naivety had been lifted and he could have dispelled the myth from his mind that the USSR was a good thing turned bad by a single man.

In short, don't expect a history or a biography. Expect a long, rambling monologue from a befuddled old man, who tends to confuse his stories, repeat himself, get lost in his train of thought...and occasionally drop out some bombshell anecdotes that make it all worthwhile.

The beginning
You will not find a very well written biography. The author is not a writer. Is something like and historician. A second-rate politician starring a great historical period (perestroika) that writes about great men of the Revolution, running through a lot of documentation now known about them.
Surely, there will be better works in the future. More findings, more data. This is the beginning. You've got to read it because, if you do this, then will understand better your future readings. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Interesting subject
I was surprised to find out that Ms. Christie herself had a mystery surrounding her disappearance in 1926, so I was interested to find this book. But I would have called it, "The Agatha and the Ecstasy."

The most interesting and unique mystery I've ever read!!!!!
The queen of mystery biggest mystery was her own. It was incredible to me to find out that Agetha had a mystery of her own that she could not solve. Doctor Owens approach to solving Agetha's mystery was fascinating and a real page turner. It was the most uniqe books I've ever read. Using Agetha history and passages from her books to coherently solve a previously unsolved mystery was a stroke of brillance. Dr. Owens takes us on an intelletual ride that keeps you interested from the first to the last page. The solution was so satisfing that I felt 100% confident that the ultiment mystery was finally solved. YOU WILL HAVE TO READ IT FOR YOURSELF TO BE LET IN ON THE SECRET! The solution and writting is something that Augetha would be proud to have authored herself 5 STARS!

We are the publisher of The Lost Days of Agatha Christie
The Lost Days is not an easy read, but if you are interested in solving the mysteries of the human mind and the mystery of Agatha Christie's disappearance in 1926, The Lost Days is a very satisfying experience. Author Owens, a therapist, has done a very interesting thing, she has taken Agatha on as a client and the therapy session solves a seventy-year-old mystery as no one else ever has including the great Queen of Mysteries, Agatha herself. ... Read more

Book Description

When Sandy Tolan was nine years old, his hero left town. In 1965 Henry Aaron and the Milwaukee Braves moved to Atlanta, but unlike the other Milwaukee kids, Sandy continued to follow Aaron's career from afar, straining to hear the games at night through the crackle of distant AM radio stations. Aaron's heroics provided an anchor for Sandy in the turbulent late '60s and early '70s, and the young white fan felt a bond with the black superstar.

In 1973, Sandy began keeping a scrapbook to track his idol's approach to the greatest record in sports -- Babe Ruth's 714 career home runs. But he soon learned that Hank Aaron had become the target of racist hate mail and death threats. Shocked and wishing to help somehow, he wrote Aaron a letter, saying, "Don't listen to them, Mr. Aaron. You're my hero." To his astonishment, he got a letter back. "Dear Sandy," the baseball legend wrote, "Your letter of support and encouragement meant much more to me than I can adequately express in words."

Twenty-five years later, armed with his scrapbook and the old letter, Sandy Tolan went to Atlanta to meet his hero. Me and Hank is a portrait of a true American hero whose example resonates far beyond the playing field. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great book that could have eased up on the bitterness
Don't get me wrong -- this was a great read and a provocative book about my favorite ballplayer of all-time. But I thought Tolan was at his best describing the people who experienced Hank Aaron's home run chase firsthand (including himself) and at his worst when his personal memories shifted from fact to opinion.

The tale of his encounter with a homeless Atlanta man who attended the game where Aaron hit No. 715 is beautifully told and moving. His personal friendship with a Babe Ruth admirer ignores racism in his hometown and praises Aaron for his accomplishment illustrates how we need inner strength and conviction not to simply march in tune with those around us. Tolan's interviews with Aaron, his daughter Gaile and former teammates reveal the depth with which Aaron had to endure racism as a ballplayer, and his historical portrait of the racial tension in his hometown of Milwaukee is thorough and fascinating.

But the more Tolan discovers about how unappreciated Aaron truly is, the more preachy -- and less effective -- he becomes. He hits a low point when he grills three advertising executives on their lack of knowledge of Aaron's hardships as they prepare to pay homage to Aaron in a MasterCard commercial. Are they to be blamed for that? All of these people clearly respect Aaron, and they all interviewed Aaron in preparation for the commercial. If he'd really wanted them to know what he endured, he probably would have told them. He also takes some unnecessary shots at the Hall of Fame because they have chosen to pay tribute to Babe Ruth with an entire room, while Aaron gets only a wall. Sure, Aaron deserves a room to himself, so do Jackie Robinson, Bob Gibson, Curt Flood, and many of baseball's other African-American pioneers. They don't. Deal with it.

One need not be a walking encyclopedia of Aaron's life, as Tolan is, to appreciate his accomplishments achieved under extreme duress. Let those who appreciate Aaron for who he is -- a great ballplayer and a great man -- simply be. The irony is, I'm with Tolan on his central argument, that Aaron is one of the greatest and most underappreciated Americans in history. I'll even go far as to say you can't prove Ruth is better than Aaron, because Ruth played an all-white game and didn't necessary play against the best. But Ruth made the game popular. If not for Babe Ruth and what he did to make baseball America's pastime, Aaron's chase wouldn't have inspired the rancor that it did. People wouldn't have cared.

Sandy, let's enjoy being Hank Aaron fans by not wasting our time beating up those who don't appreciate him to the extreme degree we do.

Must read !
Sandy Tolan did a good job interviewing many people, including Hank Aaron, to do this book. Hank Aaron is a wonderful person who deserves much more recognition for what he has done both on the field and off. The book is very well done. It makes you think.

Wonderful and moving
What a wonderful book! This is a fitting tribute to a man who has been shamefully underrated in American life, as well as a probing look at race relations in the past forty-plus years, seen through the prism of baseball and Hank Aaron's breaking of Babe Ruth's record. Like the author, I grew up in Milwaukee, although I am a bit older and so I saw Hank Aaron hit many of his home runs. His dignity and grace are a precious memory of my youth. Also like the author, I wrote Hank Aaron a letter when I learned that racists were hounding him for challenging Ruth, and received an eloquent letter in reply from Mr. Aaron. This book, with its highly personal approach to the subject, is a multifaceted view of a revealing part of American life. I couldn't recommend it more highly. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Martin Luther King: a great man of great achievements
Harry Harmer achieves a great deal in a short space, covering the life of Martin Luther King largely by headline and the well known events of the day. The reading style of the narrator is very acceptable but not up to the standard of a professional actor. Harmer's style is factual and concise, and gives a coherent overview and analysis of King's driving religous philosophy and practical politics. Much background detail and human interest element is necessarily ommitted, but the overall effect is brisk and not too dry. King's one-line critique of Marxism is quoted to great effect. Harmer shows that King acheived the near-impossible - a radical, and radically effective, moderate political position which harnessed wide support and led to massive lasting social change for good. The proof of his rightness is strangely most evident in the opposition that King received. Neither the extreme Black Power groups who advocated violence, or the spineless wet appeasers who protested that he should temper his words and stick to preaching, came near to harnessing the lasting, positive, and effectual driving force for social justice that King did. Harmer maintains considerable objectivity throughout, and that in an area that arouses violent passion and debate to this day. He is not afraid to tackle the actions of the iniquitous vested interests of the day, for instance the role of the FBI, top politicians, and powerful white businessmen. This is a highly commendable introduction to the life and works of Martin Luther King. ... Read more

Book Description

Are You Somebody is a moving and fascinating portrait of both Ireland and one of its most popular and respected commentators. This gem of honesty and insight had its first life as the introduction to a collection of Nuala O'Faolain's Irish Times columns that became a number-one bestseller in Ireland. It now stands alone. Ireland has fallen in love with this memoir of an Irish woman of letters, and now this country will too. ... Read more

Reviews (67)

middle-aged conventional man finds Nuala valuable
You either love this book or find it a tedious whine. Why would a conventional, middle-aged English teacher like myself find it worthwhile, even riveting? It helps that I have visited Ireland several times in recent years, and have gradually seen beyond the Irish Tourist Board conception of the emerald isle. And I have enjoyed Dublin, despite its scruffy character. I also have spent most of my professional life working with single women, and though none of them have faced life situations as tough as Nuala's, I still found connections with her life and their's. I also teach English, and I love her affection for poetry and books. But most of all, I love her truth-seeking, and despite some of the personal complaints on this list of reviews, this is a crafted book that never left me confused. We all have parents, and conflict between us seems to be just a part of living we can't altogether avoid. I thank Nuala for bravely writing her memoir. I read it straight through in two chunks of time over two days.

A fascinating view of Irish women of a certain age
I was quite moved by this book, by O'Faolain's honesty about her sexual development, failed relationships, and her struggle with the life of her parents and their effect on her and her siblings. It helped me understand present-day Ireland better, and also some of the religious strife - for example, the fact that as a college student she was "shocked" to discover other religions beyond catholicism that had similar tenets. It's hard for us to imagine being so sheltered from the rest of the world.

I admired her courage in examining why she is alone and how she feels about it. The postscript was particularly interesting. When I finished this book I started reading it over.

sad and so very true
I have once again made the mistake of reading the other customer reviews before writing my own review. Generally when I happen onto a one or two star review that really comes down on a book that I like, I will go to the "See All Reviews" page and order the reviews from "Lowest First". I will then read through review after review by readers who simply wanted this to be another book rather than the one it is.

I suppose that my repeated exercise of this masochistic procedure is part of my own Catholic background, which was far less complete, administered twenty years after O'Faolain's and in the New World rather than isolated, entrenched Ireland. Perhaps it helps to be Catholic when it comes to understanding Nuala O'Faolain's nearly continual struggle to lead a full and worldly life and not feel badly about it.

A lot of readers still seem to expect a 'Whig history' from a memoir with triumph leading to triumph, interspersed with set-pieces of 'struggle' to make it interesting. Are You Somebody? is something much braver, truer and scarier: an honest recollection.

O'Faolain very clearly describes the historically maintained cultural institutions that caused her to have certain beliefs and take certain actions that led her repeatedly into disaster. Forty years before her, Virginia Woolf had described the need for women to make lives that were expressions of their own desires rather than fulfillments of the needs of men. O'Faolain is acutely conscious, looking back in middle age, that she had not internalized Woolf's wisdom and that her dysfunctional relationships with men were a direct result.

She is also at pains to describe the slow awakening of her consciousness of her Irishness and she is quite frank about how her failure to think of herself as Irish, even though the BBC thought of her as an Irish woman, caused to make mediocre documentaries about contemporary events in Ireland.

In chapter after chapter O'Faolain shows us how hidebound patriarchy made it difficult for a woman to enjoy or trust worldly success, how the medieval nature of Irish Catholicism made for complete confusion about sex and female independence, and how a deep-seated disinterest in Irish culture among the educated classes of Dublin made one's identity peculiarly rootless. As if that weren't enough, there is much more in this book.

If you find this book pretentious and depressing, then I suggest that you stop going to Starbucks and paying $3 for a cup of coffee. Life has not always been the way it is now. A lot of things were harder for women, particularly Irish women, not so long ago. If you don't want to hear it, then you're part of the problem.

Not a winner
I read this book as part of a book group. I found it boring and pretenious. The author would have done a much better job if she spent more time on a specific event, rather than racing through general situations. She skipped around a lot so it was very difficult to remember who was whom, or to even care.

Resonates with all women who came of age in that era
One of 9 children in your typically urban Dublin Catholic household, Nuala O'Faolain made it out. A physically absent father and emotionally absent and defeated mother didn't prevent O'Faolain from somehow finding her path through the medium of books. It was actually her near disastrous mistakes with 'boys' that, oddly, fostered her escape. To save Nuala's immortal soul, she was sent to a convent - and then with a scholarship, on to Oxford and a career.
Career. Not a word usually found in the same sentence with 'woman' in Ireland in the 50s and 60s. The fact that O'Faolin chooses not to bear children, finding solace in books, literature, and writing, does not always settle well with her compatriots - and indeed, she herself admits that it wasn't always the best situation as she struggled with alcoholism and depression.
Ultimately, however, Are You Somebody emerges as a sociological expose of Irish women and the choices they are too often forced to make.
Not just 'another Irish memoir.' It's more than the sum of its parts and well worth a careful read. ... Read more

Book Description

When Bob Greene went home to central Ohio to be with his dying father, it set off a chain of events that led him to knowing his dad in a way he never had before--thanks to a quiet man who lived just a few miles away, a man who had changed the history of the world.

Greene's father -- a soldier with an infantry division in World War II--often spoke of seeing the man around town. All but anonymous even in his own city, carefully maintaining his privacy, this man, Greene's father would point out to him, had "won the war." He was Paul Tibbets. At the age of twenty-nine, at the request of his country, Tibbets assembled a secret team of 1,800 American soldiers to carry out the single most violent act in the history of mankind. In 1945 Tibbets piloted a plane--which he called Enola Gay, after his mother -- to the Japanese city of Hiroshima, where he dropped the atomic bomb.

On the morning after the last meal he ever ate with his father, Greene went to meet Tibbets. What developed was an unlikely friendship that allowed Greene to discover things about his father, and his father's generation of soldiers, that he never fully understood before.

is the story of three lives connected by history, proximity, and blood; indeed, it is many stories, intimate and achingly personal as well as deeply historic. In one soldier's memory of a mission that transformed the world -- and in a son's last attempt to grasp his father's ingrained sense of honor and duty -- lies a powerful tribute to the ordinary heroes of an extraordinary time in American life.

What Greene came away with is found history and found poetry -- a profoundly moving work that offers a vividly new perspective on responsibility, empathy, and love. It is an exploration of and response to the concept of duty as it once was and always should be: quiet and from the heart. On every page you can hear the whisper of a generation and its children bidding each other farewell.

Reviews (55)

A WONDERFUL MEMOIR AND TRIBUTE
This is a good work.As one disgruntled reviewer pointed out, this is not a history book, but rather a memoir and tribute from a son to his father and to one of the many heros of WWII.Having been raised by a father from that era, it is quite apparent to me that my relationship with my father was my no means isolated, but somewhat the norm. This work struck pretty close to home.Having spent over twenty years in the military myself, I can understand some of their thoughts, but even that cannot bridge the entire gap.Those guys looked at life differently than my generation.The author has approached the subject with great sensitivity and through his conversations with these men, I feel, has been able to understand not only them, but himself.I highly recommend this one to any father and any son.Well done Mr Greene.

A Tribute From a Son to His Father
Bob Greene has written a touching and emotion-filled book about two men who influenced the outcome of World War II; his own father and Paul Tibbets, the pilot of the Enola Gay.Greene's father served as an infantry soldier in Italy, while Tibbets was training his men in Wendover, Utah for a mission which would hopefully end the war.

Tibbets and Robert Greene, Sr. lived in the same town in Ohio, but had never met.Bob jr. writes about how his father would speak of Tibbets and call him "the man who won the war". While Bob jr. was back in Ohio to be with his dying father, he drew on his memories of Tibbets.Finally, Bob went to meet Tibbets.What occured was the beginning of an unlikely friendship that spanned a generation and allowed Bob to discover things about his father and his father's generation that he never understood before.

Bob found Tibbets to be a very honest and straight-forward man.There was no nonsense from him; everything was in plain terms.Tibbets talked frequently about his mission to Hiroshima on that fateful day in August, 1945.He said several times that he had no regrets for what he did and he always slept easy at night.Tibbets' stories enabled Bob to see that his father and many other men just like him also played large parts in winning the war.Tibbets never liked the phrase "the man who won the war".He was always quick to give credit to the soldiers as the real heroes, just like Robert sr.

Perhaps my favorite part of the book is the several chapters which deal with the trip to Branson, Missouri.Bob, Tibbets, Tom Ferebee (bombardier), and "Dutch" Van Kirk (navigator) took a trip to Branson over Memorial Day weekend and they were treated like conquering heroes by the public.But what impressed me was the candor and openness that these men spoke with.I learned a lot about the Hiroshima mission that I never knew before.

I found this book a little slow at the beginning, but it definitely picks up over the second half.Read this book and learn about the generation of men who won the war.

A book about a hero and a father and how much are alike
A great book about a true hero and other's worthy of the same label. A very easy and engaging read. I highly recommend this book.

A disappointment .
I have seen Bob Greene on some of the news stories on TV.I like his wit and sentiment.I was prepared for a great book on the great generation that produced his and my father.I was disappointed.
First, the book is disjointed.It goes from sentiment to sentiment, and then reverts back again.In his talks with General Paul Tidbitts, I thought he kept dwelling on the same emotions of a hard military decision.That decision was made long ago, and why keep hammering away at it.Bob, just get over it.The U.S. had to bomb Japan to spare the lives of American soldiers and sailors.
Another problem I have with this book is its lack of history. It tells a little of the history of his father, some of Tidbitts, and then a little on the Doolittle Raiders.Other than that, it is pure sentiment, repeated again and again.For a 300 page book, this could have been cut to 80 pages.I read this book, and it was a disappointment.If one wants to remember the Greatest Generation, read something from Ambrose.

decent memoir, bad history book.
I started to read this book and at first, found it interesting. THen gradually, I became aggravated because this is really NOT a history book, but a memoir. If you are looking for information about the war and the man who dropped it, a sample of it is in the book, nothing more.