Reviews (3)

Cowboy vs. cows, a contest of who's smarter
Wild cows, as the author explains, are just plain ornery, uncooperative cattle that resist all efforts to be rounded up. As a young Texas cowboy in the 1920s and 30s, Green made a living going after these hard-to-catch cattle, and this book is a collection of accounts of his successes (if he ever missed any, he doesn't mention it). Usually he works alone, on horseback, gathering up cows a few at a time and driving them to the nearest train station where they can be shipped to market. Typically he has worked a deal with the owner, buying them "range delivery," and spending sometimes many weeks to outsmart the critters, often one by one, to get them roped, corralled, or whatever it takes.

A young, tough, wild cowboy, as he often refers to himself, he has more than his share of hot, sweaty work, getting bunged up, frustrated, and frequently outmaneuvered. On one job, he's also shunned by a whole community of folk who regard him with disdain as he works to gather up a herd of cows for a bank collecting a bad debt. Each account is different, presenting a very different situation, and Green takes the reader along as he mulls over the problem, tries this and then that, eventually finding a solution.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's a departure from other books about cowboying, and it gets very much into cowboy psychology and the wealth of knowledge acquired in dealing daily with cattle. Green writes in a conversational style, with dry humor and a leisurely way of setting scenes and describing action, meanwhile building a kind of suspense as he figures out each time how to outsmart his "wild cows."

Thanks to the University of Nebraska Press for reprinting this and many other classics of western literature. Western illustrator Lorence Bjorklund provides many fine drawings, and with the cover design from a painting by W.H.D. Koerner they capture the spirit of this book wonderfully. I happily recommend this informative and entertaining book to anyone with an interest in cattle ranching and cowboys.

wanting to live a dream
i,m into the cowboy scene.i,ve worked on a ranch in west texas one year,that was the best time of my life.for the review,i read wild cow tales quite a few years ago.i was able to get caught up in the stories,if anybody is into livestock working or otherwise,they can relate to Mr.Ben Green and his stories.hope to get all of his books.thanks for making the available.veral overstreet. p.s. i purchased this book for my great nephew who is seven years old.every since he has been able to talk all that he has wanted to do is be a bullrider.i hope he gets as much enjoyment from the book as i did,again, thanks

Classic Texas Cowboy Book
Ben Green probably writes one of the best cowboy stories I've ever read. A book full of short stories that are enjoyable for the adult as well as the kid. ... Read more

Book Description

Growing up poor, a fisherman's son, in post World War II Turks and Caicos Islands. ... Read more

Book Description

When he first published A Hole in the World in 1990, Pulitzer Prize-winner Richard Rhodes helped launch and legitimate a decade-long publishing phenomenon--the memoir of abused childhood. In this tenth anniversary edition, Rhodes offers new reflections on the abuse he and his older brother endured at the hands of their terrorizing stepmother and negligent father. He also describes readers' powerful and moving responses to his book, considers his changing sentiments as the years have passed, and provides additional details on his brother Stanley, who remains the author's true hero in this moving memoir. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

powerful autobio of abuse and growth
This is a moving memoire of Rhodes' abusive childhood and how he grew out of it but still carries much of it with him. He is such an exquisite writer that every page aches with anger and regret. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to understand what some foster children go through. One of America's best writers.

Like a drink of purest water
Mr Rhodes' writing is clear as a pristine lake, to the bottom of which one can see, with all stones, underwater plants, fish and monsters visible in sharp outline. I could not put the book down; it made me weep; following his story made me feel both tenderness and horror, and led me to both healing of brokenness, and deeper sorrow for brokenness that can never heal.

Mr. Rhodes is a fine writer--but this exceeds writing
Some books excite you; some bore you; some interest you. This book embraces and engulfs you. It is impossible to imagine anyone reading it without both raging and exhulting. A wonderful, beautiful, searing book. The first paragraph (which I read to my students as an example of 'The Event That Most Changed My Life') will suck you in so far you'll read it with fury, passion, and an intensity that makes both most autobiography seem limp and most writing seem pale. Richard Rhodes is a fine writer, but this book is more than written. It is bled.

Brutal, honest, heart-breaking. It made me angry.
I read Hole in the World while writing the story of my own dismal childhood. It made me realize that mine wasn't as bad as I had thought, even though it was pretty bad. This is a shocking book, one that causes tears to fall thinking about this boy suffering at the hands of a stepmother while his father did nothing, abandoning his responsibilities as a father. It is shocking that school officials and neighbors didn't intervene. Hurray for Stanley's courage in going to the police. Most shocking of all is to know, from volunteer work I do now as a retiree, that this kind of abuse continues and, if anything, society is even less able now to stop it or cope with the effects on its victims.

I felt the pains of the children turn to trust and healing.
I did not read this myself, but heard it read on a local FM station by Dick Estell - the "RADIO READER". I could hardly wait for each day's half hour installment. As the heart-wrenching sorrow and confusion of abuse and abandonment of the author and his brother turned into rescue, trust and healing, this story kept me glued to the radio. Though out of print, it will be inspiring to anyone who loves to see the wonder of human helping human, and the spirit's ability to heal and overcome adversity. ... Read more

Amazon.com

History will probably remember Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Democrat of New York, as one of the great American senators and rank his name alongside Stephen Douglas and Daniel Webster. He isn't known as a topnotch legislator--his name is attached to no ground-shaking bill--but he is respected by colleagues in both parties and by the media as one of the brightest men to work in Washington in recent years. He's also had a fascinating political journey, which took him from liberalism in the 1950s to flirtations with neoconservatism in the '60s and '70s to old-style Democratic loyalties in the '80s and '90s. "In contact with both liberalism and conservatism, he belongs to neither," writes Moynihan biographer Godfrey Hodgson, an English journalist who previously penned a history of American conservatism, The World Turned Right Side Up. "Supported by both, he seems to link them, and to transcend them."

Hodgson covers Moynihan's whole life--from growing up (it wasn't in Hell's Kitchen, by the way) to his time in the navy, his controversial role in the Johnson administration (where he wrote the so-called Moynihan Report on the black family), his Nixon-Ford days as ambassador to India and the United Nations, and finally his career as an elected pol. He moved about constantly, writes Hodgson: "It is a record that suggests impatience, dissatisfaction, persistent difficulty in getting on with superiors, and the troubled emotions that afflict a man of immense ability and energy who cannot quite find the right task and is afraid that his time will run out before he does." Following four full terms in the Senate, he has finally found "increasing serenity." (Moynihan announced he would not seek reelection in 2000, which opened the door for Hillary Clinton's candidacy.) Hodgson himself has known Moynihan for several decades; the senator even attended the author's wedding in 1970. This relationship allows the biographer to include firsthand reflections at appropriate moments ("When Pat announced that he was going to work for Nixon in the White House, I almost fell off my chair").

An interesting, favorable, and admiring book, The Gentleman from New York serves as a fitting tribute to the man. Of Moynihan's legacy, Hodgson writes: "After the dazzling speeches and elegant essays, the wit and the prophetic utterances are largely forgotten, he will be remembered as the man who ... had the lucidity and courage to restate the enduring propositions of the American political creed ... [and] above all a faith in the redemptive power of republican government." --John J. Miller ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A biography worth reading
I found this to be a fascinating biography, which a good author can accomplish regardless of what one thinks about the subject.

Unlike another reviewer, I do not think that History will remember Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan in the same thoughts as the great American senators, alongside L.B.J. or Daniel Webster. As noted, Moynihan is not known as one of the Senate's great legislators. Critics regularly pointed to the fact that he was never (at least, in a leadership role) associated with any sweeping legislation, and his lofty presence made accommodation and the give and take of the Senate was difficult for him.

This is a wonderful biography, which (except for the occasional errors pointed out by other reviewers) remains well written and an engrossing story. Biographer Godfrey Hodgson is admittedly a long-observing and apparently close friend of his subject. Some assert that this the major strength and major of this work while others assert that this is the major weakness of the biography. However, I remain unconvinced that for such an intimate portrait, complete (or even relative) objectivity is impossible to attain. It is hard to imagine a subject letting someone get close enough to do a thorough job who is not a friend. And as we too often see, without the at least tacit blessing of the subject, many people who can offer good insights will not cooperate.

Moynihan was seldom predictable from an ideological perspective. Who else could work for both Kennedy and Nixon, and end up vilified by both liberals and conservatives? Yet, he was consistently respected by Senate colleagues in both parties. Few seriously question the fact that he had a massive intellect. This makes even more interesting the fact that Moynihan so assiduously sought verification and validation of positions which he had taken years before (evidenced by the satisfaction he took as seeing the NAACP - endorsed writings with regard to his decades-earlier call to alarm with regard to the state of the Black family). While many on the left decried some of his positions (the author seems to infer that the occasional, but continued reference to his comment re "benign neglect" was more painful that the stenosis which afflicted his spine), he remained a champion of those whom society left behind.

All of those who are interested in American or New York politics will enjoy this read. However, I do not find it to be (nor do I think it tries to be) as much an in-depth tome on contemporary American history as another reviewer has suggested. For anyone looking for a study (and an attempted explanation) of an incredibly complex figure in 20th century American history, this is a fine addition to the mosaic.

The book concludes with Moynihan's musings regarding what now means to be a liberal, and the role (and ability) of government vis a vis social problems. This is thought provoking and a challenge to many readers (including myself). What else can we expect from a biography?

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A 4 BUT FOR ITS SUBJECT....
Godfrey Hodgson is a stand-out as a political historian of the second half of the twentieth century. If you read anything of his, read "World Turned Right Side Up" and "America In Our Time". Excellent, crisp writing accompanied by balanced judgment and comprehensive coverage are Hodgson's trademarks. This book was also well-put together.

It is obvious that Hodgson really likes his subject and strives mightily to shore him up, very often without success. An appropriate title for this book could very well have been "Forrest Gump Goes to the Senate." Moynihan turns up at every critical juncture in the history of American social policy....to what purpose, it is never clear. In fact, his entire career leaves one with the feeling, why was he here? This book does nothing to lay these questions to rest and does much to raise them over and over again. Since Jefferson, other men of thought have entered public life to build coalitions and accomplish great things. In this book, Moynihan's first impulse always seems to be to drape himself in a toga and write a monograph. Rather than building alliances with others, he builds moats around himself with gratuitously acerbic commentary.

By all means read the book. However, we can only hope that Hodgson will find a worthier subject for his next book.

A revealing, if biased, political biography
Godfrey Hodgson, the author of this new biography of Daniel Patrick Moynihan, is admittedly a long-standing, close friend of his subject. This is at once the major strength and major weakness of this portrait of the senior Senator from New York. On the one hand, Hodgson has enjoyed unprecedented access to Moynihan in writing this book, which stops just short of being an official biography, making the book extremely revealing. Yet as an intimate of Moynihan's, the author cannot seem to achieve the distance and perspective which objectivity demands.

Nonetheless, anyone interested in American or New York politics--or contemporary American history--is bound to find this an absorbing volume. After all, Moynihan's friends and associates have ranged from Averell Harriman to Henry Kissinger, from Arthur Goldberg to Richard Nixon, from Lyndon Johnson to Irving Kristol. He has exercised power in locales as varied as Albany, the U.S. Labor Department, the Nixon White House, the United Nations, New Delhi, and the U.S. Senate. Perhaps more than most political biographies, this is not just the story of one man but a political and intellectual history of the period in which his career flourished.

Yet the author's biases are apparent. He strives mightily to reconcile and explain Moynihan's political inconsistencies, styling him at one point an "orthodox centrist liberal"--whatever that means. (It strikes me as an oxymoron.) He tries to find consistent strains in what seems to me to have been a political career characterized most of all by opportunism, if not outright caprice. He tries to explain away Moynihan's alcohol problem, while reporting that his staff employs the euphemism that the Senator is "with the Mexican ambassador" to explain that he is enjoying Tio Pepe, his favorite dry sherry. He justifies the Senator's long-standing feud with the liberal wing of his party in light of some early slights at the hands of liberal New Yorkers, referring at one point to "the authoritarian left," an interesting turn of phrase in the wake of Gingrich and Co.

There are a number of obvious errors in the book. The author notes that in 1953, the Democrats had been out of power in New York State for 20 years, ignoring the fact that Democrat Herbert Lehman served as Governor through 1943, following FDR and Al Smith. He refers to the Comptroller General of the U.S. as a "Treasury official," although the C.G. is in charge of the U.S. General Accounting Office, a Congressional agency, not part of the Treasury Department. He suggests that President Clinton pledged that he would "vote for" the welfare reform legislation he eventually signed, missing the fact that America is not a parliamentary democracy.

Despite the weaknesses, this is a beguiling biography, which is for the most part well written, and sure to captivate anyone with more than a passing interest in U.S. politics. I do not regret for a minute the time I spent reading it. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

The Bettie I never heard about
My all time favorite book on Bettie is "The Life Of a Pin-Up Legend". She spoke with the authors of that book and gave her blessing. That book has a "happy ending", Bettie finding solace in bible study and religion. This book, "The Truth About the Queen of Pin-Ups", tells a very different side of Bettie's life story, one that I'd never heard about before. It surprised me! I'm not surprised Bettie wouldn't help with this book. It focuses on years she wants to forget. It's sad to hear about her problems with mental illness. I found it interesting mainly because the author spoke to a woman who actually lived with Bettie for a time, and the pictures were interesting. This book doesn't change my opinion of Bettie Page, she is still my favorite icon. I don't mind if the Goddess is all too human. Still love her!

It's so, so sad...
Sometimes it is fun to read about other peoples life and their misfortune. Kinda peek into the forbidden zone, watch Ricki Lake make entertainment of the teenager pregnant with her cousin. But this book is so sad. Not so much because of it's content, but because of the authors very poor writing skills and lack of finesse.
Of course, this book is tabloid, and that's excactly what you are getting by reading it, but when tabloid turns boring there's nothing much left is there?
The author spends the entire foreword of the book "explaining" (read: justifying) why he wrote this book, why he decided to take Bettie Page's inner most secrets and make a lot of money on them, without asking her permission. Kinda funny, concidering he has devoted a whole chapter talking about other people so rude making money of off her without permission... He is even trying to convince the reader that he thinks she's happy about it!
To sum it up; this is an unneccesary, boring, poorly written tabloid style book, lacking finesse and the socalled truths in it are questioned by many.

"She was always a very, very intense person."
Bettie Page is an icon--no argument about that. In Richard Foster's book, "The Real Bettie Page," the author reveals the unknown history of the 50s pin-up model. Bettie's career was sadly all too brief, but many outstanding photographs and films remain. Bettie Page's unstable and unhappy childhood was fraught with poverty. She always dreamed of being an actress and stumbled accidentally into modelling in 1950. Initially posing for photography groups, Bettie soon became an extremely popular model for amateur photographers. In the early 50s, Bettie began working for Irving Klaw, and together they produced such classics as "Teaserama " and "Jungle Girl Tied to Trees." An FBI investigation of Klaw's business put an end to the relationship between Bettie and Klaw--and Bettie's brief modelling career ended as she sank into oblivion.

Foster's book brings Bettie Page back into the public eye, but I would probably guess that she wouldn't be too thrilled about it. Foster tracks Bettie's religious conversation and an almost 20 year odyssey through mental institutions for numerous charges(including attempted murder). It really doesn't make for pretty reading, and after reading the book, I was left with a feeling of overwhelming sadness.

Bettie Page was a very controversial figure in the 50s, and yet her relationships with men were really rather unremarkable. While she was married 3 times, she turned down many offers to the 'casting couch'--even though she was quite aware that she had the opportunity to 'advance' her career. I would imagine that the author's exhaustive research would have uncovered all of Bettie's lovers--and again, the 50s goddess had remarkably few.

At the end of the book, the author has included numerous Bettie Page websites, and a "Catalogue of Curves"--a list which includes the films Bettie made, books about Bettie, and Bettie Page magazines layouts. "The Real Bettie Page" also included many photographs of Bettie too. Foster spends some time weighing the possibilities that Bettie posed for "additional shots," and there is some significance to this question as certain shots would be judged obscene by 1950s FBI standards. The author weighs evidence for and against these additional shots and other career-related rumours. It seems such a tragedy that Bettie profited so little from her work. Foster admires Bettie Page--that's clear, and the creation of the book was no simple task. But the book isn't a homage, it's an expose--displacedhuman.

Wake up and smell the coffee
Is this book War and Peace? Of course not. So don't expect it. It's a tell-all biography, and as such is written in a tabloid style.

Second, for those people who claim that all the information in the book is made up or they don't know what to believe...believe this. Ms. Page continues to deny these things happened, and has said the book is full of lies. Have any of you seen her file a lawsuit for libel? No, you have not. And you know why? As much as she might hate the book, every word in it is true, and truth is an absolute defense against libel.

... Anything that cannot be so supported is taken out. So, again, anything you see in the book you can trust to be accurate.

I'm sorry, kids, but as much as you want to not believe the things in this book, it's all true. Terribly sad, but true. And lest you wonder, I am not Richard Foster. I don't even particularly LIKE Richard Foster, or this book. I'm just tired of people crying "LIES!" when they simply don't WANT to believe the truth.

Tabloid trash or truth
This much debated-over book attempts to fill in the gaps of Bettie's "missing years" between her retiring from modeling and rediscovery in the late 80s. Foster paraphrases information from the Karen Essex book and Greg Theakston's The Betty Pages about Betties life during the 1950s. Then he draws from police records and witness accounts, detailing Betties deteriorating mental health and subsequent arrests for attempted murder.

Many Bettie fans refuse to believe Foster, or put him down for revealing such personal details about a figure who has chosen to remain private. Foster is probably right when he states that if he didn't write the book, someone else would have. Maybe that someone would have been a better writer; Fosters tabloid style skills look weak even to a young writer like me. The back of the book contains a comprehensive index for Bettie fandom, or books, websites, magazines, videos and CD-Roms relating to Bettie.

At least Foster is somewhat aware of the fact that the readers of this book are primarily Bettie's fans, so he abstains from putting her down or attempting to derail their persuit. He just states what he claims are the facts, and in the process makes some cash. ... Read more

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Reviews (4)

The Real Nate.
Nate Shaw was the father of my Uncle Oscar Turner's best friend. His real name was Nate Cobb and the family of the son, Lorraine, is prominent in the Middletown, Ohio ghetto.

The author has done a masterful job of illustrating how greatness was thrust upon him. Nate never set out to become a hero, only to protect his own dignity and provide for his children.

I do not believe that there is a better book for teaching about the lies of 20th century sharecroppers. Theirs is an overlooked legacy.

Just looking for help with a book report
I am hoping that by entering a review here, I can see other reviews that I can use to write a book review on this title. Its due tomorrow! Yikes!

A Natural For Oprah's Book Club
Ted Rosengarten is a masterful writer. All God's Dangers is an amazing undertaking that brings Nate Shaw's story to life. After a few pages, it's almost as if you can hear Nate talking. A must read for anyone interested in history and anyone who wants to learn how a book should be written. And Rosengarten's Tombee, if it can be found, is another must read.

amazingly detailed
it is not often that you can receive such an in depth and personal account of life in the south "post-slavery". even though slavery had been abolished and the south was supposed to be in reformation, nate shaw's true-life account shows how the effects of slavery (on both sides) were lasting and not easily forgotten. Shaw's extremely detailed account helps those of us who were not living in that time and place to get a real understanding of how this country was formed, and will hopefully open your eyes to the unnecessary and hideous reasons people have for discrimination. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A very fine read
Gen. Shelby did remarkable things with his small command. His genius was unappreciated due to Jefferson Davis' myopic pre-occupation with west point pedigrees instead of ability and results. A Southerner can only sigh at the lost opportunity, if Shelby had been given command of command of the Army of the Trans-Mississippi instead of Theophilus Holmes.
This is a very readable volume about the greatest Confederate cavalryman in the war who led several different lives. About a half of it covers the war, another 1/4th the Mexico adventure, and the remaining 1/4 are split between his growing up and the post-Mexico (1868-97)years.
It features vivid descriptions of many battles in MO and AR, as well as the tale of his expedition to Mexico after the war. The details of his tactics at the Battle of Cane Hill, which he used repeatedly after that is fascinating. The author's style is a bit colorful and folksy, sorta like you're there talking to him. If you demand that your history read like a textbook that may spook you off, but if it doesn't it's a wonderful bio about a neglected figure ... Read more

Book Description

In Working the Sea, Wendell Seavey paints a lively portrait of life both off and on the shores of Maine. Journeying from a two-room schoolhouse to the College of the Atlantic, from boatyards to back alleys, and from labor strikes to soul-searching road trips, he is accompanied by not just fisherman, but by professors, psychiatrists, and environmentalists. A man of humor and humility, open to both nature and the supernatural, Wendell Seavey is living proof that fishermen are indeed the best storytellers. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It would take quite a story to live up to the melodramatic title of Edward Ball's Peninsula of Lies: A True Story of Mysterious Birth and Taboo Love. Fortunately for the reader, the bizarre and highly compelling tale of Gordon Langley Hall and his transformation into Dawn Langley Hall is quite a story indeed. Novelists couldn't have dreamed up a more fascinating central character than Hall. Born the son of British servants, Hall, as a boy, befriended Virginia Woolf and her lover Vita Sackville-West. As a young man, he made his way to New York, becoming a biographer of some society figures and endearing himself to others including heiress Isabel Whitney who left him an inheritance that allowed him to move to Charleston, South Carolina, and gain entry to the colorful world of Southern society. In 1968, Hall underwent a sex change operation, claiming that the procedure was corrective and that she had actually possessed female sexual organs all along. Further complicating matters for the people of Charleston was Dawn's marriage to a young black mechanic and the appearance of an infant daughter. Author Edward Ball (Slaves in the Family) first came into contact with Hall through a uncover more about her. Although it is a biography of Hall, Peninsula of Lies is also equal parts mystery as Ball tracks down key figures from Hall's life, attempts to separate truth from legend and find the points at which the two intersect. As the facts of her life are brought into the light, Hall's psychology and motivation become more inscrutable and we are left with more questions than answers. Edward Ball's investigative persistence is tempered by a kindness toward his interview subjects, which, combined with his rich descriptions of 1960s Southern living, make Peninsula of Lies a lively read. But it is the impression left by the enigmatic Dawn Langley Hall that is sure to linger after the book is over. --John Moe ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Fear and loathing in Charleston
Fame eluded Gordon Langley Hall as a writer, even though he was a prolific scribbler of memoirs and novels. When he became one of the first people to undergo sex change surgery in America, Hall's local notoriety in Charleston, South Carolina, was unpleasantly mixed with malicious gossip.Edward Ball's new book, Peninsula of Lies: A True Story of Mysterious Birth and Taboo Love, may give Hall, now dead, the recognition that eluded him in life. Ball (author of the National Book Award winner Slaves in the Family) set out to settle two mysteries that have circled one of Charleston's most celebrated-and outrageous-personalities for decades. Was Hall, as he claimed, a hermaphrodite who was misidentified as a male at birth? And did Hall, as he also claimed, conceive and give birth to a daughter, Natasha?

Ball's quest to resolve these burning issues takes him from Charleston to England where, as a child of the servant class, Hall had few opportunities for economic and social mobility. Then the biographer tracks his subject to New York where Hall became the protege and, at least in some sense, the lover of Isabel Whitney, an heir to the cotton gin fortune. His liaison with Whitney, perhaps more than his subsequent sex change, altered Hall's life forever. When she died, his mistress made him a millionaire.

As a Charleston transplant, Hall charmed local society with his English accent. Charlestonians, Ball indicates, didn't pick up on the cockney overtones that would have made Ball's attempts to penetrate the upper classes a wash back in England.

Then, perversely, Hall throws away his tenuous new foothold in the Charleston party circuit by changing his gender from male to female and re-emerging as "Dawn." As painted by Ball, Charleston's high society was far too prudish and inflexible to get over that one. Then, having forever trespassed on good taste, Hall takes his adventure one or two steps further. He marries an African-American man and appears to bear his new husband a child.

Ball first gets a clue that Hall might be inventing fictions about himself when it turns out that Hall forged a document shaving 15 years off his age. From there, Ball is the relentless sleuth, separating fantasy from fact until he has the real story on Gordon Hall, alias Dawn Simmons. He interviews dozens of eccentric characters who knew Hall, and the tale of each informant is a story unto itself.

Echoing the formula of John Berendt's best-selling Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Ball's Peninsula of Lies is a must-read for people who enjoy well-crafted Southern storytelling.

Unusual tale set in Charleston
Edward Ball's unusual story of Dawn Langley Hall, set in the charming environs of Charleston, South Carolina, will absorb your interest and leave you still wanting answers to some of the questions it raises. Written in Ball's highly personal style, in which he injects his own thoughts and feelings into the narration, the book tells of Dawn's metamorphosis from his/her birth as a poor boy, son of a servant on a large English estate, to a society woman in Charleston. When Dawn marries a black man, she loses her position in Charleston circles. Later, when she purportedly gives birth to a daughter, she sets tongues wagging all over the city.

Was she actually the mother of the baby as she claimed? This is just one of the questions that surround eccentric, enigmatic Dawn. This fascinating book, a biography of an extraordinarily colorful life, is highly recommended.

A middling biography of a marginaly enigmatic character
I picked up this book after hearing it compared to "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," and needless to say, although set in a charming Southern city, Peninsula fails to live up to this billing. I think this is largely because Gordon/Dawn, although interesting, is by no means a character able to carry an entire novel. I could see her story being delivered with great effectiveness as a Vanity Fair or New Yorker longform article, but as the basis for an entire book, thing fall flat. Imagine the typical SNL sketch... great for 5 minutes on TV, unbearable in the movies at 90. Dawn, although quirky, never seems to come across as particularly sympathetic, dynamic, or intriguing. Annoying, unstable and sad, but never compelling. In "Midnight" Dawn would have been a quirky sideline character; here she becomes the protagonist, which doesn't work.

I also found that the novel ended up on a high "duh" factor. Along the way, different theories are floated as to the truth, but they never seem that plausible. The author treats the revelations of Dawn's true nature as a fitting end to the story, whereas I found things just kind of puttered out. The story is interesting, but it's just missing that something to take it to the next level.

All together, Peninsula of Lies is just okay. When I finished reading, I didn't feel particularly sorry for Gordon/Dawn, or intrigued. I was more compelled to drive her to the pharmacy and help her pick up some anti-depressants.

Blecch!
A tired, repetitive & bitchy book about a fascinating subject. How unfortunate that this writer was the one to get to this story first.

Not the next "Midnight in the Garden og Good and Evil"
Ah, the south, how we love our eccentrics! Dawn Langley Simmons wasbeyond eccentric. Way, way beyond. Reading EdwardBall'sPeninsula of Lies kept me thoroughly confused, much like most of the people who knew Dawn while she was alive.Confused, perplexed and more than a bit frustrated.Sadly, Miss Dawn was not alive to aid the author, so he relies on friends, papersauthor is able to talk to thedeceased husband, is the picture pulled into clear focus(sad it takes an interview with a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic to bring clarity to this mess). I put this book down with mixed feelings....exasperation for all the messes Dawn got herself in and sadness that she felt compelled to go to such lengths. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

A Triumph To Honesty
Rosemary Daniell's memoir, Fatal Flowers, resonantes with an honesty that strips away the stereotypical image foisted onto women, especially southern women, over centuries of male-dominated myth-making, and so, image-making. Born in 1936 and a product of the deep south, I grew up always feeling alone and alienated. Later in life I figured out the reason I felt so 'outside the pale'. I refected this simpering, asexual image of the southern belle. Reading a memoir such as this makes one realize that depression, and even suicide, are sometimes the result of trying to fit into this too-restrictive mold. A recent study showed that female students are on a par with male students (or even ahead of them, academically) until they reach puberty. I wonder how much of our spiritual, intellectual and creative growth is stifled along with our sexuality by trying vainly to fit into this stereotype? This book, along with others, such as Erica Jong's Fear Of Flying, and Marilyn French's Her Mother's Daughter, will pave the way for others to write openly and rebelliously about their own experiences of grwoing up in this oppressive, restrictive society. Perhaps books like this will eventually break the final taboos against southern female sexuality. A must read for anyone who wants an honest appraisal of our ever-emerging female psyche. I highly recommend this fook.

A Triumph To Honesty
A Triumph To Honesty

Rosemary Daniell's memoir, Fatal Flowers, resonates with an honesty that strips away the stereotypical image foisted onto women, especially southern women, over centuries of male-dominated myth-making and so, image-making. A product of the deep south, born in 1936, I grew up always feeling alone and alienated. Later in life 1 figured out the reason I felt so 'outside the pale'. I rejected this simpering, asexual image of the southern belle. Reading a memoir such as this makes one realize that depression, and even suicide, are sometimes the result of trying to fit into this too-restrictive mold. A recent study showed that female students are on a par with male students (or even ahead of them, academically) until they reach puberty. I wonder how much of our spiritual, intellectual and creative growth is stifled along with our sexuality by trying vainly to fit into this stereotype?. This book, along with others, such as Erica Jong's Fear Of Flying, and Marilyn French's, Her Mother's Daughter, will pave the way for others to write openly and rebelliously about their own experiences of growing up in this oppressive, restrictive society. Perhaps books like this will eventually break the final taboos against southern female sexuality. A must read for anyone who wants an honest appraisal of our ever-emerging female psyche. I highly recommend this book; five stars rating.

A Nightmare You Should Strive to Miss
I was so disappointed with this book. I am a white woman who also grew up in Atlanta, and I don't identify with her experiences or feelings of horrible oppression at all. I found the book to be very tedious, filled with self-pity and lots of blame on others. The salacious title of the novel promises racy, exciting plot lines, but if that tempts you to buy this book, save your time and rent Sex and the City instead.

The first woman with the courage to write about it
Rosemary Daniell's memoir of her life as a Southern woman is unlike any that exists in literature. Because she has told it like it really is. For those readers who are interested in the truth about women in the South--and women everywhere--this book is for you.

Don't waste your money
I threw this book in the circular file after reading it. I can't believe that some book publisher would even bother to print this book. I feel that I have been fleeced of $15.95. This was a "staff recommendation" at my local bookstore. Gag....Once again, I feel that the P.C. culture is promoting more lies, misinformation and garbage and calling it art.

Rosemary Daniell has led a tragic life which she portends is the result of a lineage born out of southern womanhood. As a native southerner, I was insulted. She may have been born in the South, but, basically, she has lived a so-called white trash existence which is not exclusively a southern phenomenon. Ms. Daniell has made about every bad choice women can make in their lives regarding relationships, honoring your self, motherhood, etc.

When she repeatedly claims that the Jimmy Carter family typifies southern culture and that Rosalynn Carter is an ideal of southern womanhood, I was further insulted.

Rosemary Daniell is a "victim" of too many drugs and too much dysfunctionality not her southern upbringing. Besides being sophomoric in reasoning and rambling in content, this book is not worthy of anyone's time or money. Don't buy it. ... Read more

Book Description

Eleven Stories High is a memoir of a middle class childhood, the perceptions of a girl growing up in a New York City housing project that the author deemed “a utopia of the fifties.” The story follows the process of memory, rather than the conventions of chronology, and explores the concept of "home," how a place like Stuyvesant Town--impersonal, symmetrical, utilitarian--shapes a childhood. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Good Book
This book is wonderfully written. It tells a great story in amusing and moving detail of normal family life- the family life most of us had. The description of Stuyvesant Town is mostly accurate. I grew up there in the '70s and '80s and my family and many friends are still there. There are some details that are just wrong (or at least are wrong about the Stuyvesant Town of the '70s and '80s)and keep me from rating this a 5--the author's one sentence slam against Republicans notwithstanding. The residents of Stuyvesant Town mostly were Catholic , not Jewish as claimed by the author. ... I knew none who did. Overall, a good book about the relationship among a child and her parents. Stuyvesant Town residents, past and present, will appreciate discussions such as the longing for a dog in a place where cats weren't even allowed in apartments. Males who grew up in Stuyvesant Town will certainly wish they could read about Little League and playing sports in playgrounds 9 and 11, which is not discussed in this book. A good book.

Another Stuyvesant Kid
I was excited to read this as I too grew up in Stuyvesant Town. It was disappointing. The author presented her experiences as indicative of all, and actually made some factual errors. For example she stated "the majority of residents were Jewish". It not only is untrue, but on the face of it would seem highly unlikely. Why would this development be so out of kilter with the population at large? She also indicated that most of the residents had cleaning women. Not to my knowledge, though I bet my mother and the mothers of my friends (and those of my 6 siblings) wished that were true. I may be nit-picking, but since I found the writing less than engrossing, I found the inaccuracies hard to excuse. It may have taken me back, but I kept wanting to ask the author what in heavens name she was talking about. It was unfortunate that the author didn't present this as her reminiscences rather than "the" story of growing up in Stuvesant Town. I suppose any of the many Stuy Town kids (or former residents) would enjoy a quick read of this, but it probably wouldn't be of much interest to anyone else.

ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTFUL
What an absolutely delightful book! THIS is what the childhoods were really like for most of us who grew up in the 40s and 50s. I grew up in suburban California but I still identified with the author in almost every emotion, every situation she describes, even though I had always thought those poor kids who grew up in the high rise apartments in New York were really missing out. Not true! I read a lot of memoirs, and I have to say I am so tired of DYSfunctional parents, DYSfunctional situations, etc. This book is like a breath of fresh air. I don't mean to imply that all was peachy keen, but the upsetting situations the author faced were not built into huge life happenings that she was going to take a lifetime to deal with. She had a good childhood. She made a good childhood for herself. She should be very proud of this book and I hope it gets more publicity so it won't be lost in the deluge of memoirs.

Growing Up Revisited
As an ex-New Yorker whose first apartment as a married woman was in Stuyvesant Town, this lovely memoir brought me back 28 years. The descriptions of life there matched and echoed what my husband and sister-in-law always told me, and reflected my experiences as well. The added attraction for me was that the author graduated from Hunter High School, my alma mater, her mother taught at Stuyvesant High School, where my husband attended, and the vignettes of my education at Hunter brought me back to Lexington Avenue and 68th Street in a way that only my own year book could. This is a beautiful piece of writing and I would encourage all with ties to New York and the places of Demas' youth to spend the time reading. ... Read more

Book Description

Many books have been written about Bisbee, Arizona; None like The B Shines Brighter: The Bisbee High School Legacy! Memories from many Bisbee High School students from the 1940's, 1950's and 1960's are humorously and poignantly relived.Hadley Hicks' down to earth writing style makes for an enjoyable read.

"Hadley Hicks has a special place in the history of Bisbee, Arizona.He is a legend.His book will allow our children and grandchildren to re-live our experiences during the decades of the 1940's, 1950's and 1960's."

Dale Hancock, Northern Arizona professor; Retired Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Chandler Arizona Public Schools ... Read more

Reviews (3)

What a wonderful book!
I loved this book because it took me on a journey to a part of the United States that is not known to most readers. And to a time that is not today. And to know people who are unlike any neighbors I have ever had.
I really enjoyed learning the landscape and the problems and the social activities of mountain people. Someone who lives in an urban area (or the suburbs of an urban area) may feel superior to these characters, feel privileged compared to such country types but I really admired many of the people for coping so well with their circumstances. Many seem heroic, even.
I'd like to say Thank You to this author!

Catchy and Cool
You will enjoy reading this.

I did.

Review
40 Acres and No Mule by Janice Holt Giles was book about life in Kentucky. It told of the hardships and the good times and how everything always worked out. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about KY or living in a rural southern area. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Down-to-earth, sincere
These diaries of Mary Walker and Myra Eells bring to life the early day pioneer struggles to maintain survival and sanity during the years 1838-1848. Being recently married wives of missionaries, both Walker and Eells maintained excellent daily diaries of their arduous overland journey from Missouri to Washington. In company with two other missionary wives (Gray and Smith), they were the second group of women to cross the continent. These overland diaries are an entrancement to read, depicting day to day life along the Oregon Trail while riding side-saddle for 1900 miles. Mrs. Walker was oftentimes dismayed over both the long journey and the uncertain and questionable love of her husband (she was also pregnant during this journey).
Once in Washington, they all spent the winter of 1838-39 at the Whitman mission. Conditions were somewhat crowded that first winter, therefore human feelings and emotions ran rampant (even amongst missionaries).
Mary Walker then continues her diaries for the next ten years. They had their own mission to build and manage at Tshimakain whilst bringing salvation (attempting to) to the Spokane Indians. Mary had six children while living at their mission. With so many children to look after, along with cooking, cleaning, making clothes, tending livestock and the garden, etc., it was a full life. So full in fact, she oftentimes was despondent of her purpose in life regarding the mission and raising her children. The book ends shortly after the tragic Whitman massacre of 1847 when they then moved to the Williamette valley of Oregon.
At times the book can become somewhat overbearing due to the multitude of footnotes, but still a truthful look at pioneering so long ago.

An impressive compilation of our past.
I am very impressed with this new release of Mary Walker's Diary. I am a direct decendant of Mary and Elkanah Walker and am very proud that there is such a wonderful book with her's and Myra Eells' diary entries. It gives us a view of how women's lives were, how people's views about the Native Americans were at that time, and shows us the hardships of pioneer life. I want to thank the authors for keeping this piece of history alive.

Carrie Walker ... Read more

Book Description

Artist Mary Whyte moved with her husband to a small South Carolina barrier island 10 years ago and quite by accident met a group of senior citizens who were making quilts in a small abandoned church. Longtime residents of Johns Island and descendants of slaves, this extraordinary group of African American women changed Whyte's life and paintings in astonishing and unexpected ways. Chronicled in dialogue and images are the Gullah way of life and the evolution of an incredible friendship between the artist and Alfreda LaBoard, who became the subject of many of her paintings. Whyte uses the watercolor medium to produce rich, dark tones and textures. Her combination of tightly controlled brush strokes and loose, broad sweeps of washes, coupled with contrasts of light and dark, produce a level of intensity not usually associated with watercolor. The use of mostly transparent pigments, hard and soft edges, limited backgrounds, and simple poses bring into focus for the viewer what Whyte feels is important. Her watercolors reveal not only what it is like to be African American and living the Gullah tradition in South Carolina, but at the same time, what it feels like to one who is not. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Heartwarming
My mom, an artist, received this book as a gift. I was intrigued by the paintings, started reading it and found I could not put it down. The life lessons spoken/lived by Alfreda and her friends touched my heart. If only we could all live accordingly. A deeply moving book. A wonderfully inspiring gift of encouragement.

Like Tuesdays with Morrie -- only it's Wednesdays with Mary
A heartwarming true story for all ages, with incredible color paintings by a talented Charleston artist.

This would be a great gift for moms, sisters, grandmoms. A must-read for anyone who loved When I Am An Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple, or The Secret Life of Bees!

Here's to Alfreda and to all the wise women at the Hebron Zion Church on John's Island. You are an inspiration!

alfreda's world
The book is wonderful, it is easy to read. This book is breath taking. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

An excellent sampling of New Mexico women in history
More Than Petticoats: Remarkable New Mexico Women is an excellent sampling of women in New Mexico history. This book offers brief biographies of women, crossing ethnic and cultural barriers and spanning several hundred years of herstory. Some of the women included in this volume are Mabel Dodge Luhan (patron of early Southwest Arts), Mary Colter (Fred Harvey/Santa Fe Railroad architect), Georgia O'Keefe (aritist), Maria Martinez (potter),and Elsie Clews Parsons (anthropolgist). Seven other women or groups of women (like the Harvey Girls) are also included. This enjoyable book of significant women is a wonderful volume for those who would like to know a little about a lot of people from one book. I particularly appreciated the regional/state focus because I was familiar with most of the women written about. "More Than Petticoats" is a series focusing on the women who were influential in individual states, and I would definately read more from this series! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Fascinating
I would rate this a high four or a low five.

This book was fascinating. It brought home to me how much was sacrificed during the fight for independence. Although about one person, there are many fascinating stories that are included in this book.

The author is obviously a large fan of Francis Marion. On one page alone he is described as heroic, strong, honest, trustworthy, quick thinking, witty, and so on.

I would have appreciated a larger map.

However, overall this book is a good read.
Enjoy.

Good story, not academic
Bass is a good storyteller; unfortunatley he is not as good of a researcher. Overall this book is an easily readable retelling of the life and Revolutionary War campaigns of Francis Marion. There's nothing new or particularly insightful here, and unfortunatley Bass gets several military details wrong (such as the numeric designations of British regiments) and provides a one dimensional portrait of Tarleton and other British leaders.

Spectacular read!
The book "The Swamp Fox" is a easy-to-read account of General Francis Marion. The detail presented is fascinating as it describes the intense struggle in the South during the Revolutionary War. Against all odds, Marion and his ragged forces keep the spirit of the revolution alive when fighting the British and their allies the Tories. In the end the irregular forces of Marion and the conventional forces of Gen. Nathaniel Greene succeed in a series of brilliant victories. (Drew Shifley/Historian) ... Read more

Book Description

Declared a "triumph" by The New York Times Book Review, Linda Greenlaw's first book, The Hungry Ocean, was a fixture on bestseller lists across the country. Now she has written a book that does for lobstering what The Hungry Ocean did for swordfishing -- and which is every bit as honest, funny, scrappy, and authentic.

After seventeen years at sea, Greenlaw decided it was time to take a break from being a swordboat captain, the career that would later earn her a prominent role in Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm and a portrayal in the subsequent film. She felt she needed to return home -- to a tiny island seven miles off the Maine coast with a population of 70 year-round residents, 30 of whom are her relatives. She would pursue a simpler life; move back in with her parents and get to know them again; become a professional lobsterman; and find a guy, build a house, have kids, and settle down.

But all doesn't go quite as planned. The lobsters resolutely refuse to crawl out from under their rocks and into the traps she and her sternman (AKA, her father) have painstakingly set. Her fellow Islanders, an extraordinary collection of characters, draw her into their bizarre Island intrigues. Eligible bachelors prove even more elusive than the lobsters. And as mainlanders increasingly fish waters that are supposed to be reserved for Islanders, she realizes that the Island might be heading for a "gear war," a series of attacks and retaliations that have been known to escalate from sabotage of equipment to extreme violence.

Then, just when she thinks things couldn't get too much worse, something happens that forces her to reevaluate everything she thought she knew about life, luck, and lobsters.

Greenlaw employs throughout her talent for fascinating nautical description and her eye for the dramas of small-town life as she tells a story that is both hilarious and moving. She also offers her take on everything from retrieving engines that have actually gone overboard, to the best way to cook and serve a lobster. The Lobster Chronicles is a must-read for everyone who loves boats and the ocean (and lobsters), everyone who has ever reached a crossroads in life, and everyone who has wondered what it would be like to live on a very small island. A celebration of family and community, this is a book that proves once again that fishermen are still the best story-tellers around. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

Lovely, but incomplete
A wonderful read by the ever engaging Linda Greenlaw who delivers a bittersweet and loving snapshot of her remote home island. A fascinating look inside the traditional lobster trade, the book is really about Greenlaw's own struggles to find meaning in her work, her life, and to begin to accept the mortality of her parents.

My only regret is that the book stops quite abruptly, leaving several story lines incomplete, requiring a terse afterword to sketch in some missing pieces.

But any time spent with Greenlaw is quality time; her anecdotes manage to be both charming and sharp-eyed. She'll be getting lots of mail over the one jarring section in the book, her rant over dog ownership: Greenlaw derides anyone who stoops to the poop and scoop element. Interestingly, it is this passage which gives us the key to the real theme in this book, Greenlaw's longing for a home, husband and children. Enduring love, like lobster fishing and dog ownership, involves some nasty bits, like handling rancid bait, picking up dirty socks, or dog poop. She understands the connection between the hard, often punishing work of fishing and its rewards...but until she can see what inspires a person to clean up after their dog, she won't be ready for a human of her own.

But she'll make it there; this woman has a huge heart and wonderful stories. Buy her books, they are rare treats.

Of warps, buoys and traps
You may remember Linda Greenlaw as a supporting character (played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) in George Clooney's THE PERFECT STORM. Following that film, the real-life Greenlaw described her experience as the captain of a North Atlantic swordfishing boat in the riveting best seller, THE HUNGRY OCEAN. Now, in THE LOBSTER CHRONICLES, Linda has returned to her home island, Isle au Haut, Maine, to run a lobster boat.

Fishing for lobster isn't as potentially dangerous or dramatic as chasing swordfish. And it's more of a 9 to 5 job where you get to sleep at night under a roof in your own bed. So, while Greenlaw shares enough knowledge about lobstering for the reader to get a feel for it, the bulk of the book is about related (or unrelated) people and events: the effort by a town committee to acquire the local lighthouse from the government, the state of emergency medicine on the isolated Isle au Haut, the prospect of a turf war with mainland lobstermen, her mother's battle with cancer, friends lost at sea, her father (who serves as sternman on her lobster boat), the scarcity of eligible bachelors, her culinary ineptitude, and her dislike of dogs.

THE LOBSTER CHRONICLES is a pleasant but lesser sequel to THE HUNGRY OCEAN. Linda's self-effa