With the 150th anniversary of the Civil War fast approaching, it is probably time you brushed up on your Civil War history. If you're in need of a refresher on the topic or have never ventured into the Civil War era, The Civil War: A Concise History
Author Louis P. Masur begins with the causes of the conflict and continues year by year covering major political, social events of the time. Not to mention the military events, battles and important characters of the war.
The book
How the war changed from an effort to restore Union towards an all-out war that would change the fundamental existence of the Southern society. And how the war changed to become a battle to abolish slavery.
Masur continues in the aftermath of the war, including post-war policy and reconstruction. It's a good introduction into this very complicated era of American history.
The Civil War: A Concise History
Showing posts with label Book Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Review. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
The Civil War - A Concise History - Book Review
Monday, May 03, 2010
The Correspondence of John Cotton Junior
In today's world of email, cell phones and electronic media it is not uncommon for a private correspondence to reach the masses. Though it may happen quite a bit by error, there are times when the viral nature of one's "private" correspondence was released on purpose.
John Cotton Jr. (1639-1699) was born to one of New England's most famous clergymen. By the age of 22 he was already the pastor of a church in Wethersfield, Connecticut and trying to put out the fire of a sexual scandal. Already excommunicated from the First Church in Boston, for sinfulness with a woman other than his wife, Cotton diligently contested the charges brought against him.
Jobless, embarrassed and disgraced, Cotton moved his family from Connecticut to Martha's Vineyard, where he became a missionary to the Indians. This move allowed him back into the good graces of the Church and soon accepted a job to the church in Plymouth. For nearly 30 years he avoided scandal, until Church politics got the best of him once again.
What makes John Cotton Juniors story so fascinating is that his letters and writings were written in an era when it was widely accepted that his correspondence would reach far more than the intended recipient. It is because of this that many letters addressed to him and written by him often read as newsletters and political propaganda. These writings help to document some of the most dramatic happenings of the late 17th century in New England and the American colonies.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
The Great Virginia Triumvirate; George Washington, Thomas Jefferson & James Madison
I love the University of Virginia Press. And I think they love me. They send me the best books. And what's great about the University of Virginia Press is the fact that their books are Virginia-centric. This means, you'll find a lot of books on Washington, Jefferson, Madison, et. al.
The most recent of these books is entitled, The Great Virginia Triumvirate: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson & James Madison, In the Eyes of Their Contemporaries.
With the help of these three men, Virginia played an important role in the fight for independence. And as one of the largest and wealthiest of the colonies, they played an equally important role in helping to set up the new republic. This is demonstrated with the number of Virginians who played key roles in guiding the fledgling nation.
Washington as Commander in Chief and Army General, Thomas Jefferson as a statesman and scholar and James Madison as the "Father of Our Constitution".
Author John Kaminski, who's Founders on the Founders is an excellent glimpse into the lives of our forefathers through personal quotes from journals and writings. His knack for using candid dialogue and letters to bring personality to the founders is once again brought back in The Great Virginia Triumvirate.
This is a series of biographical portraits that bring these three men to life through the words of these three Virginians themselves.
Take for example the idea that Jefferson once told John Adams that he had not written about his life or a history of his time because he found his correspondence to be more direct and honest. This in turn would provide a more accurate history of the time.
Taken from letters, speeches, diaries and memoirs, the quotations and vignettes bring to life the personalities behind the public personae of these great men.
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Theodore Roosevelt: The Wilderness Warrior - A Man Before His Time
What's amazing about the quote below, is not the eloquence of the statement, but the idea behind it. A man before his time, often criticized for his desire to preserve land, Theodore Roosevelt's quotes are even more special today. Our new found desire for greenness, and the reality of environmental awareness as a true virtue and the destruction of it as a true problem, make Teddy's words that much more important.
Used as in introduction to the The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America
"Defenders of the short-sighted men who in their greed and selfishness will, if permitted, rob our country of half its charm by their reckless extermination of all useful and beautiful wild things sometimes seek to champion them by saying the 'the game belongs to the people.' So it does; and not merely to the people now alive, but to the unborn people. The 'greatest good for the greatest number' applies to the number within the womb of time, compared to which those now alive form but an insignificant fraction. Our duty to the whole, including the unborn generations, bids us restrain an unprincipled present-day minority from wasting the heritage of these unborn generations. The movement for the conservation of wild life and the larger movement for the conservation of all our natural resources are essentially democratic in spirit, purpose, and method."- Theodore Roosevelt, A Book-Lover's Holidays in the Open (1916)
The picture here shows Roosevelt hiking Yosemite with Sierra Club founder John Muir. Roosevelt should be commended for setting aside so much land. The land TR saved for the National Forests was greater than France, Belgium and Holland combined.Roosevelt is a gem, and we are very lucky that he took the initiative to make conservation a national endeavor.
A book I'm reviewing now focuses on exactly this...
Roosevelt's role as the "naturalist president". The book, entitled The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America,
I'm enjoying this book so much - you'll probably see several blog entries from me concerning this book... great research, great read.
Click here to check out the book and read some reviews.
More Roosevelt Quotes:
http://ushistoryquotes.com/teddy
http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/life/quotes.htm
John Muir Quotes:
http://ushistoryquotes.com/john_muir_quotes.php
Monday, March 02, 2009
The Founders on the Founders; Word Portraits from the American Revolutionary Era
Too often we read about the great men who founded this country from a scholarly perspective. A view which highlights their accomplishments and their public persona, which sometimes does not give insight into their true character. The Founders on the Founders: Word Portraits from the American Revolutionary Era
Through a collection of quotes from journals, John P. Kaminski profiles 30 of the revolution's best known men and women and gives them a personality. The quotes he's chosen bring out the character of each individual, but with a twist. The twist is that most of the quotes are candid "conversations" (letters written between two people), where they talk openly and honestly about someone else. This, is what reveals the WORD PORTRAIT of that individual. The result is fascinating.
Take for example, Thomas Jefferson. We mostly know Jefferson as the quiet, eloquent, peace maker, who would greet people in the White House wearing his slippers. Kaminski's book reveals much more.
Written chronologically, each chapter profiles the men and women of the Revolution as we rarely see them. The book reveals a Jefferson who is vulnerable, heartbroken, depressed and inconsolable. A series of letters between James Madison and Edmund Randolph (Member of the Continental Congress, and would eventually become Va. Governor and Secretary of State) help to tell this story. I've inluded one example below.
James Madison to Edmund Randolph - September 30, 1782 (on Jefferson)
"Mrs. Jefferson has at last shaken off her tormenting pains by yielding to them, (she died Sep. 6) and has left our friend inconsolable... I scarcely supposed, that his grief would be so violent, as to justify the circulating report, of his swooning away whenever he sees his children."A side of Jefferson we rarely think about, a new portrait of the man we associate with pride and eloquence. A word portrait, as painted by the men who new him best.
The book, The Founders on the Founders is a great reference to reveal the true spirit of our founding fathers.You can read more about the book here: The Founders on the Founders: Word Portraits from the American Revolutionary Era
Monday, February 09, 2009
Still I Rise; A Graphic History of African Americans
I've noticed in recent years the popularity of graphic-novels. You know, the comic book style books you're students can't seem to put down. Though not quite award-
winning literature, it was books like these that had kids reading. It gave them a break from reality, and the ability to get lost in the plot of an anime character.
I was a fan of anything that had kids reading. Whether it be a magazine, a website or a graphic novel. But there was always something about these books that just didn't sit well with me. Maybe it was the fact that they were reading a video game plot and weren't really learning anything.
Still I Rise, changes all that. It's a graphic-novel chronicling the struggle that is the history of African-Americans. This is a new version of the book which extends to the Presidency of Barack Obama. The previous version released several years ago stopped at the million man march.
From the slave trade to Denzel Washington and Halle Berry, Still I Rise: A Graphic History of African Americans
Some of local Philadelphia significance include James Forten and Richard Allen, to name just a few.
I liked the book so much I'm going to propose that it become a necessary text for teaching African-American history at my school. It is the perfect compliment to any text. There is not an event in African -American history left unturned.
Still I Rise: A Graphic History of African Americans - is much more than a comic book. It's got content. History is drawn onto every page. From Amistad and Nat Turner's rebellion to Abraham Lincoln and the assassination of Martin Luther King.
The book will do wonders in getting your students engaged. They won't see it as a text, but as a comic book. There are so many extension activities you can do within the pages of this book.
I liked the book so much I'm going to propose that it become a necessary text for teaching African-American history at my school. It is the perfect compliment to any text. There is not an event in African -American history left unturned.
Still I Rise: A Graphic History of African Americans
- is much more than a comic book. It's got content. History is drawn onto every page. From Amistad and Nat Turner's rebellion to Abraham Lincoln and the assassination of Martin Luther King.The book will do wonders in getting your students engaged. They won't see it as a text, but as a comic book. There are so many extension activities you can do within the pages of this book.
For example:
Students can choose a character from the book and create a mini-comic book highlighting a day in the life of that character.
The can research and write a biography of one or more of the people in the book. Would be more challenging to choose someone they've never heard of. And there will be plenty.
Students can choose a character from the book and create a mini-comic book highlighting a day in the life of that character.
The can research and write a biography of one or more of the people in the book. Would be more challenging to choose someone they've never heard of. And there will be plenty.
You could take certain scenes, vignettes from the book and have your students create a movie trailer for a movie about the event.
Regardless, your kids will read the book. They'll learn history.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Failures of the Presidents: Book Review
Failures of the Presidents: From the Whiskey Rebellion and War of 1812 to the Bay of Pigs and War in Iraq
The book's interesting cover is enough to grab your attention. But the interest doesn't stop there. Failures of the Presidents is a quick witted, sarcastic, informative and entertaining look at some of the greatest Presidents' not so great moments.
Though many of the vignettes within the book are familiar only to those that study the subject, the authors do a great job of bringing the reader up to speed quickly so that the context of the chapter is not lost. The book is meant to be read by everyone.
The writing style is well suited for a quick, fun read. Filled with clever comparisons and sarcastic wit, Failures of the Presidents brings a sense of humor to what is usually a more serious subject. But don't let the cover or the clever writing fool you... there are some serious issues addressed.
In all, 20 presidents are highlighted... each a story of its own, making this a great book of short reads. But it is much, much more than one of those quick facts, "Did you know?" type of books many of us get suckered into browsing at the book store. This has some meat.
The images in the book make it great for the coffee table, not to mention the conversation piece the cover can become. It's not often that history books give you pictures to ponder while reading... but the coffee table style of this book is a very welcome deviation to the common history book.
If you've read this book, or anything like it, I'd love to hear your thoughts.... I'm currently reading Secret Lives of the US Presidents
Both books are in my recommended section in the USHistorySite Online Store... click here to see all my recommended items.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Washington Burning: The Creation of Our Nation's Capital
In 1791, in a quaint Philadelphia town house near Sixth and Market Streets, just a short walk from Chestnut Street where his congress would meet, President George Washington approved a plan to move the nation's capital to an undeveloped plain of undulating hills along the Potomac River. Coincidentally, this new plan would place the president's house and Congress over a mile apart. But with the hiring of Peter Charles L'Enfant, that mile and the rest of the 10-square mile plot would become one of the grandest cities this nation will ever see.
I had never thought much about Washington, D.C. I understand its importance. I've stood on Pennsylvania Avenue, in awe of the White House. I've seen the reflection pool and pictured Martin Luther King proudly shouting "I have a dream!". I've seen the Washington monument and thought of "the republic for which it stands". But I had never given thought to the blank canvas that existed on the banks of the Potomac River a little more than 200 years ago and the planning and work that had gone into creating it. Until now.
Washington Burning by Les Standiford
What starts out as a story of the building of our capital city becomes an excellent account of history and the roller-coaster life of the cities original designer, P. Charles L'Enfant.
L'Enfant is a very curious character, one who in my opinion deserves way more recognition in American history than he's received. His visions of grandeur, as expensive as they may be, eventually do come to fruition under the tutelage of other designers. L'Enfant's life seems to parallel the ebb and flow of the making of the city, it's demise during the War of 1812 and it's eventual resurgence.
Standiford has a knack for helping the reader to visualize the correspondence between the rotating architects commissioned to finish the job L'Enfant started, and each of the founding fathers who had a say in the city's planning. His ability to describe war movements and the "what if's" in history compare to Michael Shaara's account of Gettysburg in The Killer Angels
Each chapter is a small vignette of the history of the making of Washington D.C.. Standiford often goes into great detail, demonstrating his ability to research and describe only what is most important. Washington Burning brings out great stories of George Washington, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson and James & Dolly Madison. The intimacy of these stories and those of some lesser known characters make Washington Burning a great read.
For more information about the author Les Standiford, you can visit his website at
http://www.les-standiford.com/, or read his blog.
Here is a link to the book on Amazon.com if you're interested in purchasing it.
Notes:
In doing some of my own research on the topic I came across this website, which is a well written account Washington's history by Bob Arnebeck: http://www.geocities.com/bobarnebeck/introduction.html
And if you're super curious, like me, and you're wondering how Washington D.C. got it's name. Then you can check out this link by Arnebeck who describes the christening well: http://www.geocities.com/bobarnebeck/name.html
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Justice in the Wild West, circa 1850
The blog entry title itself is a paradox. Justice, as we know it hardly existed during the gold rush era. This was an era of saloons, gun fights, brothels and posses. These were mean, ugly, vigilante people.
It is these lawless men who set the scene for the first several chapters of California Justice, a book by David Kulczyk chronicles the deadliest shootouts, lynchings and assassinations in California's history. From the death of a few innocent men in 1850 to the shocking assassination of Robert Kennedy by Sirhan Sirhan.
If you're a history teacher looking for a creative way to show the ways of the world in the wild west, this is your book. There are numerous examples of the chaotic towns filled with make-shift shacks and tents in the gold rush era, when men were more likely to take the law into their own hands then to listen to reason.
The stories are suspenseful, shocking and sometimes humurous, which will undoubtedly peak the interest of the passive reader. I do recommend this book for classroom use.
Two of the more famous assassinations highlighted in the book are those of Benjamin "Bugsy" Seigel and Robert Kennedy. The book can be a great introduction into a lesson about the Kennedy's or Robert Kennedy and the tumultuous racial issues of the 60s and 70s.
All in all it's a good book written in short story/vignette style. The best audience would be those interested in teaching or learngin about California history.
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