You would think that Benjamin Harrison would be a little more in vogue right now than he is at the present time, given the current occupant of the White House. Like George W. Bush and John Quincy Adams, Benjamin Harrison was the descendant of a President (albeit grandson instead of son) and like the other two was elected to the Presidency despite losing the popular vote. Both Adams and Harrison lost rematches with their opponents, Andrew Jackson and Grover Cleveland respectively, and it will certainly be interesting to see what happens with a Bush-Gore rematch, if such a thing actually comes to pass.

Susan Clinton begins this juvenile biography of Benjamin Harrison the way most volumes in the Encyclopedia of Presidents series begins, with a pivotal moment from the subject's life. For Harrison is it the Civil War battle of Peachtree Creek, where the then Colonel commanded the First Brigade of the Third Division in the Army of the Cumberland. For his efforts in the battle, Harrison was promoted to general and in 1888 he would become the last Civil War general to be elected president (because McKinley was never a general). Clinton traces Harrison's career after the war from lawyer to Senator and then to President. Actually, for a one-term president, who saw most of his policies overturned by Grover Cleveland, the once and future president, Clinton does an excellent job of covering his administration.

One of the benefits of going through these biographies of the presidents (in alphabetical order for those of you following along) is that the rule of thumb is that the value of these books is the inverse of the president's success and popularity. Before reading this book I had pretty much dismissed Benjamin Harrison as a historical footnote; after all, his Secretary of State James G. Blaine usually gets more ink in your standard American History textbook than Harrison. However, anyone will find it hard to forget about an incumbent president whose wife dies during his re-election campaign. This book is illustrated with historic photographs and illustrations, including a few fascinating political cartoons from that time. After reading this informative biography I have added Benjamin Harrison to the short list of presidents who could have done better if only the politicians had not gotten in his way.

I laughed out loud! Make sure you pick this one up if you want a laugh at Bubba's expense. I wish I had thought of doing this one first . . .

THE BOAT THAT WOULDN'T SINK by Clinton Trowbridge is a touching and impressive account of an old 34-foot catboat that was owned by a family in Maine. The Scatt II became a member of the family and is spoken of as if it were human. Captain Trowbridge goes beyond the exciting adventures of this old craft. His reflections on life and nature are full of philosophy and poetry. His own Preface best describes his wonderful book: "As I look back at the early fifties, when we bought the Scatt II, the boat described in these pages, what sticks out is the remarkable innocence of the times. Youth always thinks it will live forever, but not usually with such conviction and such consequent abandon. What seems foolish to the point of madness now, was then just a bit of derring-do. Beau Geste was our role model , and Swallows and Amazons our idea of a seafaring adventure. Nothing really bad could ever happen, and if we got into trouble, somehow we would get out. There were no sharks in the sea, and a wooden boat would always float. "One might think that only seven years after the end of the Second World War, life would have seemed less benign. I had but narrowly escaped both WW II and the Korean War, yet not only was I somewhat regretful of not having been involved, I--we--still managed to romanticize the experience of war itself. We flew with Chennault's Tigers and rode alongside Patton in his tank liberating the oppressed. America had not seen the miseries of war close up, not at home, and even our returning war heroes, like Audie Murphy, didn't want to talk about them. We owned the Scatt for twenty-six years, however. She brought up the next generation and shaped all of our lives--taught us through example sometimes more than we wished to learn. The Scatt endured, more in spite of than because of us. And if we did too, that was partly her work as well. We grew closer to each other, and more alike--like ancient dogs and their masters. This is a love story, then; and like all love stories, there is a strong element of notalgia. Would that ...could that... But we can't--and we don't really want to. It is also a book about joy, and sadness, and the thrills and perils of the sea. But most of all, it is a book about innocence: the life we imagine when we think of ourselves as gods."

The book contains several stories about Burton and his twin brother growing up in Southern Arkansas during the depression. Despite this time frame, the book is a great read for all ages. It has warm wit and humor and very inspiring messages.

This book is FULL of wonderful photos, drawings, and maps ofeverything in Clinton County from the late 1600s to 1988.

Alongwith the photos and drawings is a narrative; the combination brings the history to life. There are photos of houses built in 1800, notable people from Lt. Thomas Macdonough to the 1986-87 SUNY Plattsburgh hockey team, every landmark you can think of and a whole lot you wouldn't have. If you've lived in Clinton County, you'll see photos of the places you hang out -- as they looked in 1810 or 1910. And you'll see (and read about) the people who used to hang out here.

It's a nice book for learning things, and it's a nice book for browsing through every so often.

This pictorial history really speaks for itself. Anyone with ties to Clinton County should appreciate and enjoy it. END

Although it doesn't tell a lot of history about Clinton, it is a great book to flip through and read the quotes that have been selected. I loved to hear all of the great Clinton words of wisdom! Some funny, some serious and some sad, but all of them give you insight about Bill Clinton.

I once heard someone say, "Small book can never hold enough information to be useable." They obviously haven't read The Clinton Record by Kevin Watson or they would realize this book has a ton of information inside the cover.

Watson uses the quotes directly from Bill and Hillary to show what their public record is all about. In just over 100 pages you'll be amazed at how this political duo has undermined the confidence to the public.

Watson makes the reader aware, very aware of how this pair thinks. He has really done his homework and he captures the essence of the most corrupt administration in American history.

I know that this book could have been longer, but the author just get you started, you then have to make the effort to find out the rest. This is well written and extremely well researched - without a doubt a real winner!

Over the past three years of books reviews I have read over 15 books on the Clinton Administration. Every book has taken the administration apart for one reason or another that was until now. Hyland unbiased and straightforward look is refreshing and pleasant for a change.

Hyland has a unique ability to make the politics of Washington interesting so that more than the usual political junkies will read the book. The book outlines what Bill Clinton did or didn't do in the first four years, his revamping of policies and the alterations of the second term.

Over the course of the 200 plus page book, the reader is treated to a look into Bill Clinton's handling and mishandling of every foreign situation. The author shows that over the first four years mistake after mistake lead Bill Clinton to make hard decisions.

What surprised me most about this book was the way the author remained neutral throughout the whole book and laid out, with great detail, how difficult it is to make foreign policy. While I may not agree with the author on several points, he does present a clear and convincing argument that should make for interesting reading.

Clinton Cox should have his own historical radio show similar to Paul Harvey's. Cox tells the rest of the story of the American Revolution. He writes about blacks(free and slave) who fought in the war. He carefully elucidates facts such as the hedging of colonial leaders to allow blacks to serve eventhough many were already signed up and fighting. There were blacks involved in the war starting with the Boston Massacre and up until the end. The use of blacks by the British as a ploy against the Americans is also detailed. Cox masterfully shows once again why there is not American History and African American History it is the History of the United States.