Amazon.com

President John F. Kennedy and his brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, collaborated on a daybook project in which they would jot down passages from their reading that moved them in some way. RFK continued the project after his brother's death in 1963, and would frequently use the quotations in it as source material for his speeches.

Maxwell Taylor Kennedy, Robert's youngest son, has drawn upon that journal, as well as material from his father's speeches, to create a unique portrait of RFK's spirit and character. In addition to his own powerful testimony to his passion for social justice, we learn that Robert Kennedy was able to learn as much about the meaning of freedom and justice from Albert Camus as he was from Thomas Jefferson or Abraham Lincoln. The concern with civil rights, pacifism, and America's role in the international arena (among other issues) that permeate Kennedy's thoughts are as relevant today as they were in the 1960s. Make Gentle the Life of This World is a stirring reminder of one of this century's strongest political visions. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

A Leader from the 60's Speaks to Us Today
As Tennyson said, it is not too late to seek a newer world. In this book Bobby Kennedy's son sets out the quotes, speeches, notes, and words that shaped the journey of Robert F. Kennedy in the late 1960's. A journey to seek a newer world. That journey ended much too soon with Kennedy's assassination in Los Angeles in June 1968. But the efforts he began and the philosophy he followed continue to live today. These words speak to us still about our current lives in America, about what we need to be doing to make a better country, and about how we should view our fellow man. They tell us a lot about ourselves and the many things left undone by Kennedy's untimely death. For those of us who participated in the last campaign of 1968, it is important to us that others hear his message of what America can and should be. This is a book about hope in the midst of despair, about ending violence despite all the violence in our lives, and about so very many things still left undone some 30 years later. It is a message of hope and promise that speaks to everyone today, from a time not so long ago, that we must have courage and always continue to strive to seek a newer world. This book provides insight about what we should do, shows how we can be guided by the past, and it provides words of strength for us to continue on that journey. These are words that motivated Bobby Kennedy, and they will motivate you today.

Reminders
While those alive during 1968 clearly remember his assassination and cannot help but be moved when reminded of the young leader, the power of Robert F. Kennedy's actions and the emotion of his words are still able to make those of a younger generation yearn for the type of leadership he provided. Divided into appropriately title sections, such as "A Citizen in a Civil Society" or the "Life of the Heart," this book is a collection of the thoughts and feelings written in the day journal he kept during the 1960s. Maxwell Taylor Kennedy's tribute to his father is filled with quotes, either read or heard, from different sources, along with reactions to those words. A man whose life was cut short in its prime, Kennedy did not have the chance to change the world in the way he wanted to, the way only he could have. This book gives the reader a little insight into the mind of a great politician, a inspirational philospher, an idealistic dreamer, a kind man. Like Martin Luther King Jr, Kennedy had a vision of the world that he wanted his children, and all people, to live and prosper in. This touching tribute reminds us that peoples are not all that different from each other and the path to equality and a peaceful environment is not as hidden or unattainable as it seems. In a society where doing right and good is less and less commendable, this book provides encouragement to dream and reminders of what society should be. Robert F. Kennedy was a man unlike any other, and this book, through his own words, reminds us why he is to be missed.

An inspiring collection
RFK's son has put together a collection of thoughts, quotes, and inspirational material on various topics from life to race relations. I think this book would make a great graduation gift! Also it is a positive book, full of hope and improvement. A great sources for quotes for papers and speeches. I enjoyed learning more about Bobby Kennedy through the words that inspired him to make a difference.

Great Man, Great Message
Make Gentle the Life of This World is a collection of excerpts from RFK's speeches, his writings, and some of his favorite quotes. The editor, RFK's son Max Kennedy, has used these to convey RFK's goals and message to a reader from any age or walk of life. There are some good selections in here. RFK's own words are wonderful, but nothing new. Most of the excerpts are from his more famous speeches, so anyone familiar with RFK would know them. However, for anyone just becoming interested in RFK, they would be a Godsend. The quotes are taken from authors like Plato, Emerson, and Camus, all RFK favorites. This book lets us in on the mind of this great man. Thanks to Mr. Max Kennedy for putting this together.

The man...The inspiraion
RFK was a Hero of his time...perhaps for all times. Like so many inspirational people, he left us before his time. Yes, I clearly remember the day, the moment,the sorrow, the tragedy. What would the world have been had RFK lived to his full potential. His words and private quotations are an inspiration to all "who see things that have never been and ask 'Why Not'? "
This little collection brings alive, once again, the man who could have led our nation to it's greatnness. It is an inspiration and a message to all of us that we can heed and follow. We , once again, are reminded of our responsibilities to our ideals. ... Read more

Book Description

In this moving and intimate look at the final days of our most enigmatic president, Andrew Burstein sheds new light on what Thomas Jefferson actually thought about sexuality, race, gender, and politics.

Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, leaving behind a series of mysteries that captured the imaginations of historical investigators-an interest rekindled by the recent revelation that he fathered a child by Sally Hemmings, a woman he legally owned-yet there is still surprisingly little known about him as a man. In Jefferson's Secrets Andrew Burstein focuses on Jefferson's last days to create an emotionally powerful portrait of the uncensored private citizen who was also a giant of a man.

Drawing on sources previous biographers have glossed over or missed entirely, Burstein uncovers, first and foremost, how Jefferson confronted his own mortality; and in doing so, he reveals how he viewed his sexual choices.

Delving into Jefferson's soul, Burstein lays bare the president's thoughts about his own legacy, his predictions for American democracy, and his feelings regarding women and religion. The result is a moving and surprising work of history that sets a new standard, post-DNA, for the next generation's reassessment of the most evocative and provocative of this country's founders. ... Read more

Book Description

Volume Two takes the nation's first president from the end of his career as a great general, through his final days at Mount Vernon, to the often tumultous years of his presidency. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Straight facts, verbatim words from the man, himself.
Not only did I read this book, Vol 1 of 2, but I read Vol 2, as well.The first is "From youth to Yorktown"the second is "Making a Nation."This is not just a read, but a study of Washington with a vast quantity of verbatim correspondence from and to the man himself. Great insight into the inner man, how he thought, the deeds, the challenges he and his peers faced.Read these two volumes, cross-reference with other works, and you'll have a much enriched appreciation for the father of our country.Great Read/Study.If you like factual history, Enjoy!

Searching for a good book on Washington - don't buy this one
I am under the belief that the people that wrote favorable reviews for this book were related to Harrison Clark (the author).

Although the book contains a lot of great information, the format, the grammar, and the lack of good maps limits the readers understanding.

format - there were times when the text was so disjointed that I had to reread sections several times and sit down with pen an paper to map out his ideas.

grammar - the author, for example, will tell a story about several men.When continuing the story about one man specifically Harrison will refer to the person as "him" without letting the reader know which of the men to whom he is making the reference.

maps - The author refers to a lot of places, but doesn't map them out so it is hard to gain an understanding of what is happening in the book.

If you haven't purchased this book - don't.Given Harrison's creditials this book is a disappointment.

woman seeking a better book on George Washington!
I found this author to be a very cumbersome writer.He delivers a lot of great information, but often in a scattered, non grammatically correct format.This has caused me to reread sections of the book and make assessments about what the author is attempting to convey.For example, the author could be telling a story about 3 men and then continue talking only about one of them - but never tells the reader about which man he is speaking....he only refers to the man as "him".For a man of his credentials, I am really disappointed.

Great Information, But A Clumsy Format
The first of Harrison Clark's two-parter on George Washington focuses on Washington's life and career up through 1781, and this volume closes with the victory at Yorktown that effectively ended the American Revolution.

Iwould take issue with the Book Description (above) which describes the maincharacter in this book as the "youthful Washingon, one not transformedinto the dignified figure we associate with our first president."While Washington does not become president at any point in these pages, allthe traits that we look for in Washington -- the dignified figure, masterpolitician and diplomat, and inspirational leader -- are already in well inplace by the final third of this book.One factor that practically leapsoff the pages is the all-out adoration that men and women alike, regardlessof their place in society, felt for the man.Clark lets those who saw andinteracted with Washington do the talking through their letters or diaries,and Washington's charisma shines brightly from these pages.

Clark haschosen to let Washington and his contemporaries tell the story ofWashington's life and career through their own writings, and it would be awelcome choice but for one thing -- the book is organized so clumsily as tobecome disjointed.Rather than edit and organize the various writings intoa narrative, Clark instead divides each chapter up into what I can onlythink to describe as a series of short vignettes.

For example, chapter19, "Cambridge and Boston," is broken up into 11 smaller parts,some of them only half a page long.It makes progress rather like readinga college textbook, with each section broken into smaller subsections,separated by its own little bold-faced headline ("The VanishingArmy"). Clark does tend to group events into short pieces that makesense on their own, but lack the context of the larger story.

Clarkwisely spends most of his time in this book outlining Washington's careerin the Continental Army, but it is sometimes difficult to get anappreciation for the battles and skirmishes Washington fought because themaps of the battle sites are almost completely useless.The map of the1776 New York Campaign, for example, is difficult to align with almostanything in the text.

It's a shame that Clark has chosen such a floppyformat in which to present his information, because there's some reallyfirst-rate stuff in here (the chapter on Benedict Arnold's treason is ahighlight of the book, although it, too, gets bogged down in somedisjointed narration).If you've not had the opportunity to readWashington's own letters from this period, Clark provides you with lots ofsamples of Washington's writings which, by themselves, make this volumeworth owning.But if you're looking for an easily accessible, readablebiography, this one probably isn't for you.

Five stars for wealth ofinformation presented, but only one star for the format, bringing this onedown to a three.

A great book making me want to learn more.
This is a great book.It is (obviously) centered around Gearge Washington rather than the events of his time.I learned alot about the person and the early history of America.George comes as alive as much as one canfrom strictly written sources. The two heros of the book are Washington andLaFayette, everyone else does something that is not favorable to the eyesof Washington or the author.John Adams, John Hancock, Gates and othersare seen as obstacles to Washington's success.I would like to learn moreabout these individuals . This book opened my eyes to The AmericanRevolution and how truly great a struggle it was. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Standard historical biography
This book was tedious to read and didn't contain as much information as books like Ketcham's James Madison or McCullough's Truman.

Ammon did a good job of listing the activities in which James Monroe partook but I feel he gave me little in the way of any new understanding of them. The exceptions would be Ammon's description of James Monroe's diplomatic service to France during George Washington's administration. Ammon's description provided new insight to about this time period that I had not previously understood. I also liked his portrayals of the friendships he had with his contemporaries in particular Madison, John Quincy Adams and Lafeyette.

Other than that, I felt the book a little dull.

Beyond "the Doctrine" -- The Life of James Monroe
If it were not for the "Monroe Doctrine" the fifth president of the United States would likely be as unknown to the average American as Martin Van Buren or Millard Fillmore. Yet, in this distinguished biography by Harry Ammon, first published in 1971, James Monroe emerges from the shadows of his good friends and fellow early Virginian presidents, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, to receive due credit for his significant contribution to the formation of the American republic.

Some historians have criticized James Monroe as a man of modest talent who provided the country with feckless leadership during the crucial international, economic and political crises of his times - the collapse of the Spanish empire in the Western Hemisphere, the Panic of 1819, and the Missouri Compromise of 1820, respectively. However, Ammon argues rather persuasively that these critiques are either unfair or overblown. Monroe's conduct in the White House was guided by his deeply held republican principles, which maintained that executive power was subject to strict limitations. To compare Monroe's leadership performance to that of 21st presidents is, in Ammon's opinion, supremely unjust.

But even taking such thoughts into consideration, the truth is James Monroe was not a great man - and Ammon doesn't claim that he was. He notes, for instance, that the correspondence between Jefferson and Madison covered a full range of intellectual topics, from philosophy and science to government and literature, whereas letters to Monroe kept strictly to practical political concerns. Indeed, Ammon describes Monroe as a man of rather pedestrian abilities, but with a highly developed sense of republican principles and political drive who was much more instrumental in directing US policy than traditionally given credit for.

If Monroe was a failure, it was in his ambitious attempt to restructure the American political system following the War of 1812. Ammon maintains that the proposed reconciliation and amalgamation of the triumphant Republicans and crippled Federalists (the so-called "Era of Good Feelings") was the primary objective of his administration, and in that endeavor Monroe failed utterly and completely.

What is most striking in Ammon's narrative is Monroe's multifarious contribution to early American government: staff officer to Lord Stirling during the Revolution who was wounded in a gallant charge against the Hessians at Trenton and later suffered the privations of Valley Forge; delegate to the Constitutional Convention; United States senator; Republican minister to France during the Federalist administration of Washington; special envoy to Paris to negotiate the Louisiana Purchase; minister to England during the Jefferson administration; governor of Virginia; secretary of state during the Madison administration and then secretary of war during the War of 1812; and, finally, two-term president. His lifelong commitment to public service, which left him financially destitute upon his retirement in 1825, is worthy of the sincere gratitude of posterity.

Ammon is an able historian and this biography is a credit to subject and author alike. At 573 pages, however, it is a rather dense tome and the casual reader should stay away. But for those interested in a serious review of an important character in early American history, Ammon's "James Monroe: the Quest for National Identity" is highly recommended.

Excellent full-life biography.
This is a very thorough, very exhaustive look at the life of the sixth president of the United States, and while it may not be as easily readable as, say, David McCullough's "Truman", it is certainly less dry and slow-going than most scholarly works. If you're looking for a full-life biography of Monroe, one that truly informs you on the subject and does not simply dramatize the story of a historical figure's life, this is an excellent choice. If you're looking for light reading with a historical basis, this is definitely NOT what you're looking for.

Good book, could've been better
This is without a doubt THE definitive biography of James Monroe, but, unfortunately, it was not written with the same aplomb as McCullough's John Adams or Joseph Ellis' book on Thomas Jefferson (American Sphinx). I agree with some of the other reviewers who said the book is long on detail, but short on analysis. Still, I am glad I read it and feel that I learned a lot about Monroe. I just wouldn't classify it as a great biography. Just the best one available about James Monroe.

Monroe overload
Though published over thirty years ago, it is easy to see at a glance why Ammon has never been bettered. This is an exhaustive examination of the political life of our fifth president -- and an exhausting one. Ammon goes through Monroe's life with a thoroughness that makes this a book an excellent source of information about Monroe, but at the price of making it an excruciatingly dull read at times. If you want to know EVERYTHING there is to know about Monroe's political career or about diplomacy in the Federalist Era, then this is your book; otherwise, I would recommend Noble Cunningham's "Presidency of James Monroe" or possibly the volume on Monroe in "The American Presidents" series when it is published. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The political biography, complete with life-altering turning points and a political philosophy for leading the United States into greatness, has become obligatory for those running for president--just one more thing to check off the "to do" list on the way to the Oval Office. A Charge to Keep is George W. Bush's offering: a light and breezy book mixing personal and political remembrances that proves heavy on chatty anecdotes and light on policy prescriptions. If you read the last chapter you'll sort of learn where George W. stands on most things, but still not really discern how he would actually run the country. There are no revelations, either personal or political: Bush's wild side and youthful indiscretions, like stealing a Christmas wreath from a New Haven hotel for his Yale fraternity, are touched on lightly when he discusses them at all. A Charge to Keep is so upbeat and positive, in describing the Houston woman to whom he was engaged in college and from whom he "gradually drifted apart," Bush says simply: "I still think the world of her, and our parting was friendly. We were very young, we lived in different places, and we gradually developed different lives."

George W. has been labeled a lightweight by some; A Charge to Keep will do nothing to dispel that notion. It features lots of Bush family memories and numerous mentions of George W.'s famous parents, including letters from his president father. George W. has followed closely in his father's footsteps, attending the same prep school and college. He even belonged to the same secret society at Yale, Skull and Bones. From college it was on to flight school and the Texas Air National Guard, Harvard Business School, and then (again, like his father) the Texas oil business and politics. George W. seems mostly in sync with his father on policy issues as well. "A thousand points of light" is transformed slightly to become "compassionate conservative," which pops up in the final chapter more than 10 times. Readers will come away knowing many of the experiences and events that have helped shaped George W., but his future is still an open book. --Linda Killian ... Read more

Reviews (104)

Simple
Like many another left-leaning moderate (or right-leaning liberal, or whatever the hell I would call myself these days), George W. Bush wasn't my choice for president, but with smarmy Al Gore his only serious opponent, his victory (if that's what you'd call it) didn't distress me too much. After all, if the lesser of two evils (Gore) is still evil, the greater of two evils (ahem) is almost comforting. If Forrest Gump's famous observation is correct ("Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get"), one could argue that the greater of two evils is preferable. You know exactly what you're gonna get, and if you get something you didn't expect, chances are you'll be pleasantly surprised rather than bitterly disappointed at having been betrayed.

It's a tradition of sorts to give any newly elected leader the benefit of the doubt, and in that spirit, I read Georgie boy's book (albeit three years into his presidency). Why not? After all, it's a quick read.

Of course, it's a "quick read" because, like all "books" supposedly written by presidential candidates prior to seeking the presidency, it's really not a book at all. It's campaign material, propaganda meant to paint the candidate in the flattering colors of his own choosing, and it's no surprise that Bush's tract does not challenge the established formula of this peculiar genre. It's also no surprise that Bush probably didn't write his book. He doesn't strike me as much of a reader, much less a writer, and one can take it for granted that he spent most of the four years preceding his "election" working on his 2000 campaign, not writing drafts of any memoir.

This is the work of Karen Hughes, the credited co-author, and, in one sense, she does a brilliant job. Even though it's unlikely Bush spent even one moment behind a word processor or typewriter, Hughes nontheless captures his spirit in her prose, creating a book very much like the one Bush would write if he were to bother with such things. The sentences are all short and to the point, never complex enough to require a comma, all reinforcing the image of Bush as a very simple man. Simplicity has its virtues, but one can argue whether it's the best virtue for a man whose job requires day-to-day decisions regarding enormously complex life or death matters, but, like Reagan, his simplicity is part of whatever charm he has.

The prose never reveals much, certainly nothing that would indicate Bush was anything other than what he claims to be (which is?), and is as instantly forgettable as similar books by Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and other seekers of the highest office in the land. This is political propaganda and nothing more, but who would think it was anything but?

Bush is more intelligent than a turnip
That's about all that one will conclude upon finishing this book. When I was done, I felt like I had consumed solid air, or fat-free cream cheese.

bush rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think presadent Bush is the best presadent this county had ever had! In this book he tells how he made ot to be the govener of texas, after he was the owner of the Rangers even though they didn't do no good when he owned them even though they had Arod Pudge, and Juan Gonzalez, but it don't matter none compared to him as a presadent! HE is the best we ever had maybe except for Regan; I exspechially like the discusion about the painting he has in his offise the one of the old west battle seen that that one president had with the mustash, Roseavelt i believe. That was cool and very inspring! I think Bush is going to win again because he gave us that $400 last time, and noone else ever did that, I am glad becuase I was able to pay of my tv from rentacenter because of it I am greatful. I don't know why anyone would be against him anyways, exspecialy is you are a Christian, the world is a better place on acount of his being presadent and people should look at that. the only thing I did'nt like was that there was'mt enouf pitchers of him and his family, especially his cute girls, but they dont look like they take after him. He is a great man as this book showed and should be read by all Americans God bless the USA, love it or leeve it!

Classic
While some former members of the Army Reserves will be quick to apologize for Bush going AWOL - likely they, too, shirked their duties and made a mockery of our proud military - this book goes to great lengths to outline why many of the other less deserved criticisms of our esteemed president are invalid. In Bush's own words, we see that he has a lot to say, and he offers us much to think about.

An interesting and intelligent read (even those unable to understand Ulysses should be quick to grasp this), Bush offers logical arguments and sound examples to counter the "dumb" accusation. Bush is not dumb. His experience speaks for itself. He, like some ex-Reservists, was not a respectable member of the United States Armed Forced, but dumb he wasn't. Bush earned everything he has, and he should be praised for it.

Bush is the greatest American president of the 21st Century.

BUSH IS AN UNDERRATED TOP GUN FIGHTER JOCK
I finally read this book, and did so in light of the mounting criticism of Bush as "dumb," along with attempts to discredit his military career. My sense at this point is to look at the available empirical evidence. George W. Bush was admitted to Yale and graduated in four years. He was a legacy, so getting in was assured, but many students do not graduate in four years, as he did. This is to his credit. His grades have not been released, but most of those who were there say he was about a B- student, which is quite respectable.

Next, he entered the U.S. Air Force, their version of the Reserves, which in his case was the Texas Air Guard. Perhaps he received some favoritism over others in getting a slot, but the evidence is he did not. The fact is, he was willing to "go jets," which few were willing or qualified to try out for. Bush went through a series of rigorous tests and passed them. He entered flight school, where the "wash out" rate is about 80 percent. He passed. He entered flight test, where the wash out rate is quite high. He passed. He qualified and flew jets. Here is the thing: People make movies and write books about this experience. "The Right Stuff", "Top Gun", "An Officer and a Gentleman" are all about exceptional young men who walk this trial by fire. Bush is one of them. He is a Top Gun - no, not the actual guys who are selected for Miramar by the Navy, not a Blue Angel, not Chuck Yeager, but he is one of an elite group of awesome Americans.

When Fleet Week comes around, and I see these pilots walking around town, my first reaction is that by virtue of having those wings they are top flight individuals, outstanding people. I do not ask whether they flew in combat or missed some drills. I know if they are wearing that uniform and have those wings they are studs. Bush was one of those men.

Apparently Bush missed a few drills in 1973 after five years in the Air Force. I was in the Reserves and missed some drills. Everybody misses drill occasionally, for a million valid reasons, none of which means we were AWOL. Bush was never AWOL.

One other thing. Bush never flew in Vietnam, but I bet he is glad of this. Had he, no doubt his detractors would say he dropped napalm on villages and killed civilians.

Bush applied to the University of Texas Law School and was turned down. So much for having every door opened to him because of his "daddy," who had been a Texas Congressman and two-time Texas Senate candidate. Bush applied to the Harvard Business School. Guess the percentage of people who are not accepted. 80 percent? 90? Point made.

Bush was accepted. He was not a Harvard legacy. It would appear he got in on merit, being a Yale grad of good grades and a fighter pilot. Their conclusion: This guy has an impressive background. He studied the courses, and graduated with an MBA. How many enter the MBA program and wash out? Many do.

Accordingly to the not-Republican Atlantic Monthly, Bush has never lost a political debate. He has squared off with some tough characters, like Ann Richards and Al Gore.

Dumb? This issue has has been studied and analyzed. The conclusion? Bush is no dummy.

STEVEN TRAVERS
AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS: BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"
STWRITES@AOL.COM ... Read more

Book Description

To celebrate the millionth copy sold of Howard Zinn's great People's History of the United States, Zinn drew on the words of Americans -- some famous, some little known -- across the range of American history. These words were read by a remarkable cast at an event held at the 92nd Street YMHA in New York City that included James Earl Jones, Alice Walker, Jeff Zinn, Kurt Vonnegut, Alfre Woodard, Marisa Tomei, Danny Glover, Myla Pitt, Harris Yulin, and Andre Gregory.

From that celebration, this book was born. Collected here under one cover is a brief history of America told through dramatic readings applauding the enduring spirit of dissent.

Here in their own words, and interwoven with commentary by Zinn, are Columbus on the Arawaks; Plough Jogger, a farmer and participant in Shays' Rebellion; Harriet Hanson, a Lowell mill worker; Frederick Douglass; Mark Twain; Mother Jones; Emma Goldman; Helen Keller; Eugene V. Debs; Langston Hughes; Genova Johnson Dollinger on a sit-down strike at General Motors in Flint, Michigan; an interrogation from a 1953 HUAC hearing; Fannie Lou Hamer, a sharecropper and member of the Freedom Democratic Party; Malcolm X; and James Lawrence Harrington, a Gulf War resister, among others.

Book Description

An intimate portrait of the first president of the 20th century

The warm and knowing biography traces Roosevelt's involvement in the politics of New York City and New York State, his celebrated ,military career, and his ascent to the national political stage.Caricatured through history as the "bull moose", Roosevelt was in fact a man of extraordinary discipline whose refined and literate tastes actually helped spawn his fascination with the rough-and-ready world of war and wilderness.
... Read more

Reviews (8)

Good book for a tough subject to pin down.
This book serves as a good introduction to Theodore Roosevelt to either satisfy or stimulate one's curiosity before indulging in a lengthier biography. This is a "short" bio, and not meant to be a treatise on T.R. The author was better with his Penguin Lives book on Woodrow Wilson, but he seemed to have more fun with Roosevelt.
As a subject T.R. is especially enjoyable, but more for his forceful character than for any of his objective accomplishments (for which the author notes several, e.g., negotiating the peace between Japan and Russia, and his national conservationist orders, etc.).
The author addresses Roosevelt's sense that his presidency was relatively unspectacular, and since war time presidents receive the most historical attention (e.g., leading to positive evaluations for Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt, but negative for Wilson due to his post war failures), Roosevelt felt himself cheated from his place of greatness due to being a peacetime president.
As this author notes, many of T.R.'s beliefs had long lasting value (especially, I feel, his beliefs on the limitations of capitalism as spoken by a pro-business chief executive). Those who followed him, though, soon abandoned these attitudes. The reason for this seems to rest with T.R. He accomplished much emphasizing the forcefulness of his personality and took credit for improvements as being uniquely his. Since he can be the only T.R., his philosophy could not be transmitted to others. When out of office, he was no longer "T.R." and his so-called system collapsed as with a deck of cards. He was ultimately left a shell of his former self.
What if Roosevelt had toned down some of his tendencies? Might he have extended his influence over the next administrations and the country? If so, might this have led to a different result in how America influenced the developing European disputes that resulted in the First World War? These are some of the questions that remained with me from reading this book.

Excellent Series
This is the second volume in the new American Presidents series edited by Arthur M. Schlessinger, and like the first on James Madison, provides excellent, although brief insight into one of America's most fascinating characters. The prime focus of this book is on TR's presidential and post-presidential years. Limited space does not allow for anything more than a brief summary of Roosevelt's early life, which may actually be his most interesting period. Still there is enough to give the reader a basis for understanding Roosevelt's revolutionary power-expanding actions as President. Auchincloss does a wonderful job of filling this short volume with all of the important events of Roosevelt's life while keeping to a very enjoyable and readable style. It is a good introduction to Roosevelt and will leave you wanting to learn more.

John the Baptist to Edmund Morris's Volume III
This slim volume may serve as a excellent introduction to the life of TR, or as a bracing romp through familiar landscape for devoted TR aficionados. The book itself is a little pricey for what you get, however (I hope a paperback edition of this American Presidents series is made available eventually), and it is pretty evident to the informed reader that Auchincloss is merely reviewing the conclusions of previous biographers. Auchincloss does attend to a particularly interesting period of TR's life, i.e. his decline and fall. From TR's impulsive public declaration not to seek a "third" term, the bloodletting in Africa, his quixotic Bull Moose campaign, the misadventure in the Amazon, to TR's death shortly following the death of his youngest son in WWI ("poor Quinnikins"), Auchincloss's volume was for me a tantalizing foreshadowing of what is certain to be a grand event in biography -- the third volume of Edmund Morris's TR trilogy. This book should help keep you satisfied (if only for a few hours) until the release of Morris' next volume. And after you read Auchincloss's TR, you should read his THE RECTOR OF JUSTIN if you've never done so, and also Edward Renehan's THE LAST LION (excellent mini-biographies of TR's sons, fascinating characters in their own right).

Good book for a tough subject to pin down.
This book serves as a good introduction to Theodore Roosevelt to either satisfy or stimulate one's curiosity before indulging in a lengthier biography. This is a "short" bio, and not meant to be a treatise on T.R. The author was better with his Penguin Lives book on Woodrow Wilson, but he seemed to have more fun with Roosevelt.
As a subject T.R. is especially enjoyable, but more for his forceful character than for any of his objective accomplishments (for which the author notes several, e.g., negotiating the peace between Japan and Russia, and his national conservationist orders, etc.).
The author addresses Roosevelt's sense that his presidency was relatively unspectacular, and since war time presidents receive the most historical attention (e.g., leading to positive evaluations for Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt, but negative for Wilson due to his post war failures), Roosevelt felt himself cheated from his place of greatness due to being a peacetime president.
As this author notes, many of T.R.'s beliefs had long lasting value (especially, I feel, his beliefs on the limitations of capitalism as spoken by a pro-business chief executive). Those who followed him, though, soon abandoned these attitudes. The reason for this seems to rest with T.R. He accomplished much emphasizing the forcefulness of his personality and took credit for improvements as being uniquely his. Since he can be the only T.R., his philosophy could not be transmitted to others. When out of office, he was no longer "T.R." and his so-called system collapsed as with a deck of cards. He was ultimately left a shell of his former self.
What if Roosevelt had toned down some of his tendencies? Might he have extended his influence over the next administrations and the country? If so, might this have led to a different result in how America influenced the developing European disputes that resulted in the First World War? These are some of the questions that remained with me from reading this book.

Bully Moose
ully Moose

The author likes TR, and it shows. But then he backs up his judgment with a detailed history of this president. Mr. Auchincloss is not afraid to add his own interpretations, and some of them you may not want to agree with. But they are always well reasoned and therefore welcome.

Was TR an imperialist? By modern definition of the term one would answer in the affirmative. He condoned the taking of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, the Philippines and the digging of the Panama canal. He built up the fleet and had it sail around the world to demonstrate America?s new might. But he also engineered the peace treaty between Japan and Russia.

Was TR a bully? Most decidedly so. He fought hard for what he believed in - and never forgave an insult. But his conduct was built on a basis of honor and chivalry, trying to do what he believed would be best for the people. He took on the likes of Morgan, Gould and Fish because he believed them to be detrimental to the people?s welfare. In the end he outlived himself and his policeman?s ethic.

Mr. Auchincloss gives us a stunning, vivid portrait of this great president, in clear and precise language. I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Custer's Last Stand is among the most enduring events in American history--more than one hundred years after the fact, books continue to be written and people continue to argue about even the most basic details surrounding the Little Bighorn. Evan S. Connell, whom Joyce Carol Oates has described as "one of our most interesting and intelligent American writers," wrote what continues to be the most reliable--and compulsively readable--account of the subject. Connell makes good use of his meticulous research and novelist's eye for the story and detail to re-vreate the heroism, foolishness, and savagery of this crucial chapter in the history of the West.
... Read more

Reviews (36)

A Great Introduction
This book, in my opinion, is a superb introduction into the world of Custeriana and other characters and invents in U.S. history of that time.

What makes this book unique in it's portayal of the General and the events surrounding the famous last battle is that Evan S.Connell, who is primarily I believe a novellist, approached this topic with absolutely no agenda of his own on the subject.

Whilst this may not satisfy many historians it makes for great reading!! Making this a book ideal for somebody new to the subject wanting to learn more or the learned reader who just wants to be entertained and not swamped with complex time theories or arguments over the size of the village etc. There are plenty of books on the market that do this much better but not all are always as enjoyable.

Connell just reports on various different accounts in an easy going prose without really putting his own slant on the proceedings. He simply just writes about Custer, Benteen, Crazy Horse et all, giving examples of both the good, the bad and the downright ugly in all of them.

It is left to the reader to make up his mind on the events and actions of those who took part in them. Too many historians come to this powerful and contreversial subject with their own ideas on what happened, be it pro or anti-Custer, and this has a tendancy to sometimes, neccessitate a need to distort or bend the facts accordingly.

Refreshingly you come away from this book wanting to know more about the protaganists involved but without having a biased opinion on them. The General himself comes over in a fairly good light considering at the time of publication his character was probably at it's nadir.However Connell also shows up the darker side of the man that made him the paradoxical figure he was and why he remains so fascinating even after all this time.

Indeed what the book clearly shows is that what makes this such an enduring legend in America's history is that arguably it's most famous, or notorious, soldier left his mark not by a glourious victory but rather(as it was thought of at the time)a fairly ignominious defeat.What Connell does do is also give the credit where it's due to the Sioux and Cheyenne tribes at the Little Big Horn who actually won the battle that day, which tends to get forgotten in a lot of literature ammassed on this subject.

This was the first serious book that I bought on George Armstrong Custer and back in 1984(which I think was the year I got it) living in the United Kingdom there wasn't many books around at that time specifically on this subject. I found it an excellent starting point to begin further and more in depth reading on the General and his last battle.It may seem an odd subject for a Yorkshireman to show an interset in(I think it might be Errol Flynn's fault!!)but this book certainly kick-started a long lasting interst in Custer and that particular area of American history.

Jumbled, Yet Fascinating Look At Custer and the Indian Wars
Evan Connell has written a powerful book. It is a balanced presentation of George Armstrong Custer, the post-Civil War Indian Wars, Plains Indians and the myth of the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Facts abound. I started this book thinking it would primarily focus on Gen. Custer and the fight. While those topics are the framework of the book, Connell spends quite a bit of time exploring various indian chiefs, indian practices, previous conflicts and the conditions that produced one of our country's most celebrated battles. First person quotes are abundent and the author usually produces two or more sides to every episode. These explorations underscore how difficult getting at a true history is, particulary when pride and ego rest on a particular telling of an event. He has done very good research.

This is a brutal book. American and indian savagry are laid bare. Warfare and existence on the frontier were not pretty. The "rules" of war were abandoned by both sides with regard to the taking of prisoners or the frequent butchering of women and children along with those unlucky enough to be in the path of maurading soldiers or indian bands. Connell's book leaves no doubt that American notions of racial superiority, mainfest destiny and economics created the situation in which the indians would fight in the extreme to protect their lands from white encroachment. However, the author also underscores that most of the indian tribes were brutal and ruthless when attacking other tribes, lone indians and in their own rituals and customs. Had America respected it's indian treaties, it can be argued that the indian lands still would have had atrocities visited upon them as various tribes concentrated their full time attentions on settling the wrongs each felt had been metted out by other red men. His refusal to treat the indian as a politically correct manifestation of mother nature is refreshing and allows for a very balanced telling of the story.

The author has a unique writing style. He doesn't come to a fork in the road without taking it. These side tracks and tangents allow him to explore in full the charactors and milieu attendent to The Last Stand. However, they are presented in no particular order or chronology. The author paints a strong impression rather than presenting an ordered and structured telling of a compelling tale. This incohesion is so pronounced that the end of a chapter has no meaning other than to allow one to catch one's breath before plunging into the next twenty pages of free associations.

My opinion of this book changed several times during my reading. In the beginning, I found it hard to get into because of it's meandering style. But the vignettes, characters, facts and writing are all compelling. His style will require some adjustment to the frequent reader of history. But, by the end the reader will know that they have immersed themselvs in a darn good story that fascinates.

A GOOD OBJECTIVE LOOK AT A WESTERN LEGEND
Like many historic events of the nineteenth century--especially those of a tragic nature--the events that took place at The Little Bighorn were shrouded for decades in sensationalism to a greater or lesser degree. Misconceptions and inaccuracies have abounded as the story of Custer and his ill-fated troops has been told and retold in print and on the big screen.

I was looking for a book that would go a long way in providing an objective view of the events surrounding The Battle of the Little Bighorn and found such a book in Son of the Morning Star.

Evan S. Connell does a masterful job of telling the story. He provides excellent background history and tells how information, or the lack thereof, available to Custer at the time may have contributed to his ultimate demise. Arrogance and racism have long been attributed to Custer's disastrous campaign but Connell helps paint probably the most accurate and objective portrait of the colorful general to date. Custer was arrogant but Connell shows that there was much more to the story.

A great read!

Informative, but dis-jointed.
This is the first book I've read on GA Custer & the Battle of the Little Big Horn. All previous "knowledge" I have on this topic is from the movie "Little Big Man" (just kidding), which I highly recommend.I purchased this book due to the many glowing reviews of it here. However, I had a hard time with the author's meandering style of writing. The book is crammed with many interesting facts and tales about the battle itself, as well as its historical backdrop. The author fails to pull all of these disparate pieces of information and narrative snipets into a cohesive and organized work. The author also makes many judgements about the veracity of particular witnesses' accounts of different events, without giving any evidence as to why. This book has piqued my curiosity enough to search elsewhere for a more masterful work on the topic.

MORE CUSTER PUFFING?
I enjoyed Son of the Morning Star so much I just finished a second reading. Others enjoying the book a lot should check out Black Sea by Neal Ascherson and And No Birds Sing by Mark Jaffe. The three books are similar, although it isn't easy to say in what way. The best I can do is to call them non-academic histories that are so well written, and have such compelling central themes, that you just can't put them down. They're also similarly filled with digressive narratives and descriptions of subjects peripherally related to their main themes, meanderings dear to the heart of fact-freaks like myself.

A good short example from Connell's work begins with: "Then along came Blanche Boies, disciple of Carrie Nation." And Connell relates how in 1904 Blanche took a woodcutter's ax to a copy of Otto Becker's 1895 lithograph of Custer's last stand, which at the time was hanging in the Kansas State Historical Society in Fort Riley (the Seventh Cavalry's home fort). The reason Blanche axed the picture was that it had upon it an advertisement for Anheuser-Busch beer, Mr. Busch having come into possession of the picture before the Historical Society did. In less than a page, Connell decribes the law's attempts to dissuade Blanche from doing her duty to the lithograph and how she persisted and succeeded in the end. A very funny little story, painted with the strokes of a master.

I do have one problem with Son of the Morning Star, which in fact was described as a "masterpiece" by Larry McMurtry in a letter to the New York Review of Books in 1999, a long fifteen years after the book was published. Evan Connell has a lot to say -- and a lot with little good -- about soldiers, the U.S. Government, Indian Agents, indians themselves, settlers and gold rushers, and the American public. As a dedicated misanthropist, I thought I had recognized a fellow soul in the author. Until I read Connell's characterization of the "constellation of traits in Custer. . (like). . .a demigod. . .Siegfried, Roland, Galahad." Now, I can go with Siegfried and Roland, but Galahad? Of the very few references to women other than Elizabeth Custer in the book's Index, there's Clara Blinn, a kidnapped white who with her infant son was in Cheyenne Chief Black Kettle's village when the Seventh massacred it in 1868. Subsequently, the Blinns' bodies were found near the village, the mother shot twice through the head, the infant's body so "little marked" that Connell surmises he was slung against a tree. Mrs. Blinn had got out a note to the U.S. Army pleading to be rescued but as Connell writes: "If Custer knew about this frantic plea, it made no difference. . . .His concern was . . .the destruction of an enemy stronghold." Custer loved children and animals, fine music, books, and battle, but from the evidence in Son of the Morning Star, he paid little attention to women, including his dear wife Elizabeth. And that's not my idea of a Galahad.

Maybe I'm picking nits here, maybe that's the way it was out West then, maybe the author's subject was really the battle in some sense, and not George Armstrong Custer. But my overall impression remains: Connell treated Custer considerably more favorably than the groups mentioned above. Accordingly, I think the book contains Custer-puffing and I'd hold back the word masterpiece from describing it.

Nonetheless and howsoever, this almost-materpiece by Evan Connell is some kind of a read, and I give it a high four stars. ... Read more

Book Description

David Herbert Donald's Lincoln is a stunningly original portrait of Lincoln's life and presidency. Donald brilliantly depicts Lincoln's gradual ascent from humble beginnings in rural Kentucky to the ever- expanding political circles in Illinois, and finally to the presidency of a country divided by civil war. Donald goes beyond biography, illuminating the gradual development of Lincoln's character, chronicling his tremendous capacity for evolution and growth, thus illustrating what made it possible for a man so inexperienced and so unprepared for the presidency to become a great moral leader. In the most troubled of times, here was a man who led the country out of slavery and preserved a shattered Union -- in short, one of the greatest presidents this country has ever seen. ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Superb account of 16th President
Recently, I picked up David Herbert Donald's biography of Abraham Lincoln for the second time in 4 years. I now realize that I was too young then to appreciate this superb account of the our 16th President. Inspired by a meeting with President Kennedy in whick JFK criticizes historians for judging presidents who must make decisions without the 20/20 hindsight of historians, Donald undertook to write this biography from Lincoln's perspective -- analyzing him and his decisions based upon only what Lincoln knew, believed, and sought to accomplish at the time. We see the great struggles of the mid-1800s completely through his eyes; thus, while Donald doesn't delve into what (I'm sure) are fascinating related subjects, like the details of the great military campaigns or internal Confederate politics, we do gain an insightful look into the life and character of America's greatest president.

I agree with other reviewers that while there is not enough of Lincoln's personal life -- at times I had to remind myself that the man even had kids! -- Donald still skillfully paints a portrait of an amazingly complex man. Fueled by a desire to escape the fate of his uneducated, unambitious father, Lincoln felt driven all of his life to succeed ; he felt pushed forward to a great destiny by God, or the "Doctrine of Neccsity",that was completely out of his control and would lead him safely down life's path. He was an incredibly charming man who could light up a room with his energy, but he also regularly plunged into a deep and dark depression. He was utterly self-confident and knew he was the equal of any man. Intitially a moderate who opposed abolishing slavery in the states, he slowly realized that either slavery would be destroyed, or the Union surely would be.

He was also a master politician. He sensed early on in the 1840s that the nation was on the brink of a new era and that the Whig party had to adapt to the changing times, or die. After his beloved Whig party disintegrated, he helped establish the IL Republican party and, after an unsuccessful run for the Senate in 1858, triumphed over well-known and powerful opponents like William Seward and Salmon Chase to win the presidential nomination and election in 1860. Throughout his political career and his tenure as President he stuck to the center and walked a tightrope between the Conservatives and Radicals in his own party and the Peace Democrats in the other party. While unailingly honest, he understood the political value of ambiguity to cloud facts that he would admit only if forced. Finally, at the dawn of his second term, he had so outmaneuvered all of his opponents in the Congress, in the North, and in the South, that he stood as the unquestioned master of American politics -- not bad for a boy who had grown up in a log cabin with less than a year of formal schooling.

Doanld shows us Lincoln, the man and not merely the statue. Like the rest of us, he was a fallible human being who wasn't always sure that what he was doing was right but sure that he owed it to his country to serve it with honor and dignity in its hour of greatest peril. Donald makes it clear that we owe our country to this man, and one can't put down this book without agreeing.

Just the Facts
The author is a well-respected historian with a brace of books, many of them on politics in the Civil War era. Here he has written what is essentially a political life of Abraham Lincoln, and he shows us Lincoln the politician in great detail. To be sure, Lincoln's early years are here, and his stumbling love life, but to an extraordinary degree Lincoln was an ambitious man who saw that law and politics were to be his path, and he single-mindedly applied himself to becoming a lawyer, and to political work.

There is much of interest in this book, but it lacks the warmth and the narrative felicity that make a chronicle of a life really come alive. Throughout, Donald uses "Lincoln"-never "Abe" or even "Abraham". It's a small thing, but it contributes to the book's impersonal tone. Moreover, he almost never describes Abe Lincoln's feelings, and only occasionally touches on his personal life, such as his relations with Mary, or how he reacted to the deaths of his sons. Lincoln comes to seem a man almost independent of his environment-certainly indifferent to food or comfort, or, we suspect, love-who reserves his real passions for the machinations of politics. However, the author does make credible Lincoln's moral and political greatness; he just does not quite give us a feel for the man. It sounds like Donald's more recent book, "Lincoln at Home", could be the ideal companion volume to this one.

Good Account of A Complex and Interesting Man
Overall, I found Donald's account of Honest Abe to be a good one and I humbly offer what I thought were the good and bad points of this book:

Good:

1. The first couple of chapters describing Lincoln's early life were quite interesting and informative, from the strong relationship with his stepmother to the strained relationship with his father. Reading about his other early struggles and failures further impressed me with Lincoln's persistence and incredible tenacity.
2. Deep level of detail concerning certain points of his life, notably his early law practice, political career, and relationships with cabinet members. If you like this kind of information, then this book is right down your alley!
3. Interesting descriptions of his relationship with certain generals, notably George McClellan (aka "Young Napoleon"). I developed a greater appreciation of the military pressures Lincoln endured during the Civil War.

Bad:

1. The book's length - the text was right at 600 pages and at times proved to be a dry read. While interesting anecdotes were incorporated, the text often seemed to drag on with dry policy decisions. Granted, I am more interested in military affairs as opposed to politics. However, I still believe the book spent too much on the politics and not nearly enough on the military.
2. Personalization of Lincoln - as mentioned in other reviwes, I concur that the reader still misses the essence of Lincoln (What did he experience and how did he really feel about a policy issue or military action? How about more of his relationship with his wife and children?). While the reader is often told things like the incredible number of hours Lincoln put in while in the White House, the essence of Lincoln is left out.

Overall, I do believe the book is a worthwhile read - just be ready to spend plenty of time due to the large content!

Since this is the first comprehensive biography of Lincoln I have read, I cannot honestly compare it to other Lincoln biographers. However, I can say that I have read other biographies (Lee, Grant, etc.) of other famous Americans and I feel like I have gotten to know the person better instead of just knowing ABOUT the person.

Despite this, I still recommend the book.

Long and Often Hard to Keep up But Worth It!
I don't have much time to read as would like to so I read this book when I had time. It is well-crafted book. It offers the best biography of one of my favorite heroes. This book will give a clear view of Lincoln and his political life. Not much is written on his domestic life. For that you need to read the other book by David Herber Donald on Lincoln.

LINCOLN
This is a very good place to start with Abraham Lincoln. However, I wouldn''t make it your only resource.
There are a lot of other great novels such as "We Are Lincoln Men" and a lot more others.
However, this one book covers a lot about Lincoln. ... Read more

Book Description

MEANS OF ASCENT is the second book in the LBJ trilogy. It carries Johnson from his 1941 Senate defeat through WW II and on to the securing of his fortunes, both economic and political.

Caro tells this story with an eye for detail. He focuses not only on Johnson, but on Johnson's "unbeatable" opponent, former Texas Governor Coke Stevenson. As the political duel between the two men quickens, it moves with all the drama of the perfect Western. Caro has us witness a momentous turning point in American politics: the tragic last stand of politics of issue versus politics of image.

"One of the most important political biographies of our time...the picture of a man on his way up, regardless." (B-O-T Editorial Review Board) ... Read more

Reviews (61)

Easy, now...
I have to disagree with the universal 5 stars this book gets from other reviewers here.

First, readers not familiar with Caro should know that he uses LBJ as a springboard to do a larger social history. In the first book, this included fascinating insights into what daily life was like in rural Texas and rural America in the early part of the 20th Century.

One weakness of this 2nd volume is that, despite an early go at Johnson's WWII service & early time in Washington, Caro largely narrows this focus down to Texas itself, a particular election, LBJ's opponent in that election, and finally even to one flunkie in the Texas political machine. This somewhat derails both the social history aspect and the LBJ-biographical aspect.

(Readers who don't want to have some of the story given away shouldn't read the rest of this review.)

Caro tips his hand with this book. In the first volume, Caro says Johnson stole all his early elections, even little ones. Caro tells the tale so well in that book that the whole story becomes rather shocking, even in today's politically cynical age. Here, Caro says Johnson stole his big Senate election. It's becoming quickly apparent that Caro is prepared to tell us that Johnson stole literally every single election he ever ran in during his entire life. I think only the biggest Johnson-loathers around would buy this premise on its face.

Still, this a fantastically-written narrative, and I eagerly await the 3rd volume. But, in the end, let's hope that Caro's whole story doesn't simply boil down to the thesis that "LBJ is not only as bad as you've ever heard...he's WORSE." Given how much of his life Caro has devoted to this work, and how much time and money we readers have devoted to it as well, it would be a shame if Caro's sweeping narrative proves to ultimately be that narrow.

Fantastic -- a must read
Anyone interested in the history of US Politics must read this book. It tells the true story of Lyndon Johnson's role in the Second World War. It also discusses Johnson's hatred of the House of Representatives. It is too big. It is, as Caro puts it, "too slow," for Johnson. The only way to get power in the House is to wait. Johnson, impatient and itching for real power, has none. Sitting in the Naval Affairs committee, ruled by Dictator Vinson, Johnson has no power. He would have to wait many, many years until he would possibly, if at all, reach the chairmanship. Handicapped by ancestral health problems (Johnson men died in their 60's), he realizes this path is "too slow".

Having lost the Senate race in 1941 to W. Lee (Pappy) O'Daniel, he gives it another shot in '48. O' Daniel is not running because of the mockery he made of himself in Washington. Even worse, Coke Stevenson, a Texas Legend runs. In perhaps the most monumental and competitive political race in the history of Texas, Johnson wins by a mere 48 votes, but not after a investigation into those votes and a legal battle. You cannot miss the story of this election. I flew throught the book, and you will too. With absolutely impeccable prose and style, Caro does it again with Means of Ascent.

Stolen Election
The 1948 Texas Senatorial race is the centerpiece of this outstaning 2nd volume of Caro's epic biography of Lyndon Johnson. Caro spends the first half of the book documenting Mr. Johnson's "war years". The second half is devoted to this controversial election. Mr. Caro's writing flows and he does an outstanding job of setting up time and place. I cannot wait to read Volume 3.

Spellbinding and Spectacular
After having read Robert Caro's Path to Power, the first volume of his monumental trilogy on the life of Lyndon Baines Johnson, I came away with the feeling that although Johnson was an utter scoundrel, he had a few redeeming qualities. Now that I've read Path to Power, any redemption Johnson had earned in my eyes has been stripped away.
In this volume, Caro lays bare once and for all the evidence that anyone of any political stripe should need to discover that Johnson was driven solely by naked ambition and was utterly bereft of principle or scruple. No one or nothing was sacred if it stood between him and the power he craved.
In his losing 1941 Senate race against the charlatan Pappy O'Daniel, Johnson ran on a platform of Roosevelt, Roosevelt, Roosevelt. He made a public show in Washington of being one of FDR's most devoted lickspittles. Yet behind the scenes, he made deals with some of the most anti-Roosevelt money men in Texas and was able to convince them that he was really a conservative. Johnson narrowly lost that election and the lesson learned was that he had to steal more votes than he supposed his opponent to have stolen and then not have them counted until after the "last" votes were in.
Reading between the lines, I can guess that FDR was finally on to him as Truman certainly was.
Then there was the matter of his "heroic" war record. Even today when a candidate's claims are so much easier to check for veracity we have those who brazenly lie a la LBJ about their wartime service.
LBJ comes off at his worst during the 1948 Democratic Senatorial primary in which he and his minions stole the election from former Governor Coke Stevenson by arranging the stuffing of ballot boxes and in some cases, paying voters to vote for Johnson. When the "results" were contested by Stevenson, Johnson and his legal team lied and cheated their way through the system all the way to using a Supreme Court Justice to install Johnson as the official Democratic candidate for the US Senate.
A few people come off as heroes: Coke Stevenson himself, Circuit Court Judge T Whitfield Davidson, Federal Master in Chancery William R Smith and a handful of reformers in Jim Wells County and other South Texas counties who had the real courage to stand up to jefe George Parr, his enforcers and his pistoleros. Others include the very brave indeed Mexican-American residents of those counties who were willing to publicly testify that though they were counted as having voted, they had in fact not voted at all or had voted for Stevenson.
Besides those whom the reader would expect to be slimeballs, Abe Fortas, Tom Clark,and Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black emerge from the sordid affair bathed in the stench of corruption.
Although its obvious that the author is developing an increasing distatse for Johnson, he does not neglect showing the shrewd and forward looking side of the man. Johnson proves himself many times to be a keen reader of men and part of his political success stems from his ability to make snap decisions on what is and isn't going to work as far as campaigning goes. The story of his brilliant strategy of barnstorming the state by helicopter as his better known and hugely popular opponent Coke Stevenson slogs along county by county the old fashioned way is one of the high points of the book.
It was that modern and then novel approach, coupled with his use of polling, vicious ad hominem attacks on Stevenson and mass mailings thinly disguised as newspapers that put Johnson in the position that stealing a few thousand votes could win the election for him. At the beginning of the campaign, almost no one outside his camp thought he had a chance of winning.
I recommend this spellbinding and spectacular book to anyone interested in politics. Its a reminder to all of us how ignoble the quest for office can be, and a warning to all of us that we must constantly be on guard to ensure the fairness and sanctity of the principle of one man, one vote.

Fascinating political shootout, but may overdo the rehash
Other reviewers on amazon have found this to be the weakest of Caro's three published volumes on LBJ, and while I haven't read volume 3 yet, I agree that this book is not without its flaws. Principally, Caro spends an enormous amount of time rehashing the events of volume 1, often in exactly the same language as in the earlier work. I agree with the reviewer below who asserts that this may have been stronger as a 200-250 page tag to Caro's earlier volume.

Yet the story does focus on 3 major details in Johnson's life that are essential to understanding his future relationship to the American public and the manner in which he would wield Senatorial and Presidential power. First, Caro goes into the facts behind Johnson's war service and exposes the political fuel for his service and how he subsequently exaggerated or outright lied about his military record to gain political favor. Not the most important thing in the book but definitely interesting new info.

Secondly, Caro reveals how Johnson leveraged his political influence to gain control of a fledgling radio station and turn it into the foundation of his personal fortune. This is a major revelation as it demonstrates that Johnson, while frustrated politically during the 40s, found a way to gain a fortune using his political contacts.

Lastly, the entire second half of this book focuses on the Senate primary between Johnson and Coke Stevenson. Caro, while respecting Johnson's energy and creativity in pursuing his aims, considers this an entirely tragic episode in Texas and American politics. The manner in which Johnson obtained funds and outspent his noble candidate bothers Caro. More importantly, Caro feels that Johnson's stolen votes in many ways were the foundation of the credibility gap in Texas politics and in the later Johnson presidency. Caro makes a special point to show how Johnson relished the fact that he used his guile to steal votes, even showing a picture of himself with those he purchased the votes from to a reporter as president. Many reviewers feel this book is too negative on Johnson, but I am convinced by the facts given that a negative position on Johnson is warranted, especially given the amorality of the tactics he used in winning the election.

Where I was less convinced was in the nobility of Coke Stevenson as Johnson's foil. Sure Stevenson did not appear to steal votes in the manner of Johnson or vacillate in his positions or really go negative in attacking his candidate. But on the other hand, Stevenson exhibited debilitating tactical blindness and stubborn pride in not directly confronting Johnson's attacks or changing his style in some ways to meet changing times. Stevenson may have had more integrity, but I also feel that he was a deeply conservative politician who was more interested in his political principles than in the political reality he faced. Caro spends so much time portraying him as "Mr. Texas" that I feel he glosses over many of his faults. While Stevenson was a better man, I am not sure he would have been an effective Senator and the United States may have been worse off having him as Senator. I felt that Caro's dislike for Johnson, though justified, led him to distort his portrayal of Stevenson.

Overall, though this is a good book which could have been done just a little bit better. It remains a fascinating read and a vital addition to Caro's masterful biography that is worthy of your time and effort.

4 stars. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

An Unexpectedly Good Read
I bought this book because of its connection with horses.I enjoyed it thoroughly.
The book itself is well written.The insights into a very famous man are unexpected, and reveal facets of the man that were a big surprise to me.
I think this book would be interesting to almost everyone.

Touching Read
This was the kind of book i was able to read in two days.I was able to laugh and almost cry at the stories that were told.I was pretty sure of my envision of the kind of man President Reagan was, and was glad to be right on.

If you loved Ronald Reagan, you HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK.

If there is anyway i could write the author to get an autograph on my book, i would be most apprieciative.

Thanks on a grand book!

A Wonderful, Intimate Look at Our 40th President
This is one of those books that is hard to put down.The story telling is conversational and moving.Barletta spent time with President Reagan in ways others couldn't.His stories, as told by Rochelle Schweizer, contain flashes of insight into the inner workings of an amazing man.

The only thing I didn't like about this book is that I finished it too soon.Reagan fans will love this one.A must read.

The ultimate inside look at Reagan
John Barletta does a wonderful job (with the help of co-author Rochelle Schweizer--my wife!) of giving us a look at the REAL Reagan.He's funny, wise,and very insightful!Some of the stories were so good I literally laughed out loud (something I rarely do with a book).Read the story "Do you always dismount that way?" and try to keep a straight face.

THIS IS A BOOK I WILL RE-READ -- IT'S REALLY THAT GOOD!
Riding With Reagan is a compendium of rich and engaging stories about that very special part of President Reagan's life which only a fellow horseman and "protector of the President" can share. Agent B. gives us an up close and personal look at the President's love of horses, riding, his ranch and the western way of life he savored. The many rare and candid photographs included throughout are stories unto themselves and mean this book will also do double duty as a coffee table book. Well-done Agent B. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

An engaging look at a forgotten president
Ted Widmer's new biography of Martin Buren sets out to rescue this forgotten president from obscurity and give him much of the credit for creating the modern Democratic party. The book that emerges is a solid, engaging introduction to a president most of us know nothing about. (Were you aware, for example, that he grew up in Kinderhook, NY speaking Dutch before he ever spoke English?)

Widmer sketches Van Buren's rapid rise from poverty to power in New York, his unlikely alliance with Andrew Jackson, and his own one-term presidency cursed by the 19th century version of the Great Depression (The Great Panic of 1837) and the increasingly rancorous national debate over slavery. He paints a compelling picture of Van Buren trying to stake out the middle ground, a hated by both sides as he clings to a center that will not hold.

One thing that seems to stand out 150 years after Van Buren's death is the irrational intensity of the hatred directed against him, seemingly all out of proportion to his deeds or alleged misdeeds. Widmer worked for another centrist president who inspired a good deal of hatred-Bill Clinton-and one senses that the parallels there may be part of the reason he was drawn to Van Buren as a subject.

His thesis that Van Buren almost singlehandly gave birth to the modern political party is intriguing, but perhaps a bit of a stretch.His arguments reminded me of a prosecutor who makes a bold opening statement about the defendant's guilt, but then can't quite back it up with the evidence.He may well be right, but I'm not entirely convinced. Still, it is a thought provoking idea that helps readers get a handle on Van Buren.

Widmer's style incorporates a bit of the speechwriter and a bit of the scholar, and benefits from both. He throws in numerous modern political and pop culture references (from George Bush to Vito Corleone) that are only occasionally annoying, and he keeps the story moving forward at a good pace. (At 208 pages, the book is anything but a heavy tome). There are some amusing anecdotes-my favorite is a wonderful story of Van Buren as a former president stuck in a small town on a national tour and spending a hilarious evening of storytelling in the company of a young politician on the rise named Abraham Lincoln.

Ultimately, Van Buren remains elusive, hard to know. Was he an idealist trying to steer a moderate course, or a politician adept at being all things to all people?(Again, the echoes of Bill Clinton).One thing we know for sure:he is the president who popularized the expression "O.K." in his 1840 re-election bid (one of his many nicknames was "Old Kinderhook") and he deserves to be remembered. This book is a good way to do so.

An Introduction