This is a great overview of Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini. In this book Pauley takes the reader through the evolution of the totalitarian dictators. He starts of by defining the terms under which each ideology fell: Nazism, Marxism-Leninism, and Fascism. From here he shows the reader how each personality gained, maintained and relinquished power. The outline of the chapters adds to readability as well as allowing for comparison and contrast of the three previously mentioned persons. This is an important topic not only to learn about the absolute control that these three wielded, but how they managed to manipulate the masses into not only following them but in some cases actually loving them; as scary as that may seem. There are important lessons to be learned in this study and Pauley has some good insight to get one thinking about them.

I found this novel very entertaining. It interwove the facts as written in the Warren Commission with a contemporary story. I say this story (JFK's assassination) will never die.

The Torrent and The Night Before is a book of poetry written by Edwin Arlington Robinson that features many of his great works. Robinson touches upon issues of small-town America and reflects his views; as a result, making his poetry relative, and interesting. He speaks honestly of many topics; including death, love, and isolation in short poems that demonstrate valuable morals. His traditional style of blank verse flows eloquently and without a glitch. Robinson's fluent expertise of the English language is present in all of his work, making his poetry enjoyable to read.
While skimming over the book upon its arrival, I became immediately overwhelmed. Once I finally worked up the courage to sit down and attempt to read it, I found that my predictions were relatively mistaken. In fact, the colloquial language was moderately simple, and the rhyming verses were quite engaging. As for the subject matter, it was basically a cynical view based upon the cultural decay of the 19th century. Some of the material was pessimistic, and left me with a feeling of depression. However, it is a major stray from the conventional 'two roads diverged in a yellow wood...' Nevertheless, don't despair; the poems require intense reading to truly be evaluated, and or appreciated.
"Robinson's poetry deserves the attention it does not contrive to attract," (Barnard, Centenary Essays, 66) is a statement I agree with entirely. I recommend this book, and others written by Edwin Arlington Robinson to readers of all ages. I suggest the reader be open-minded, and not discount the authors skill, simply because they were flooded by the distressing themes. After reading this book, I became more tolerant and accepting to classic works, thus concluding that one should 'never judge a book by its cover' (literally!) And as for Robinson's renowned title as an innovator of his time, well, I guess you could say he chose the road not taken.

Having read the book, I find I would agree with this comment from Pius XII: Greatness Dishonoured, 1980, by Michael O'Carroll, p. 243-244 (epilogue):

There is another great lady deserving a salute in this period of papal history, Sister Mary Pascalina Lehnert. She had been Pius XII's housekeeper for fifty years when he died in 1958: in Munich, Berlin, the Vatican. Since his death she had lived in retirement, not from work but from the public gaze. She had set down some memories of him soon after his death, on orders from her superiors -- not a diary, but recollection of striking events in the Pope's career.

The prediction of a notorious critic of Pius XII, the ex-priest Carlo Falconi, that the nun's 'diary', if published, would be explosive, has not been fulfilled. There are certainly revelations but they do but serve to enhance the Pope's reputation. The book was published early in 1983 and already in that year went through four editions. Translations are being prepared. Sister Pascalina died on 13 November, 1983 returning to Rome after a ceremony in Vienna organised to commemorate the twenty fifth anniversary of Pius XII's death. (...)

What is one to say about a concoction allegedly based on her life, appearing in the United States under the title La Popessa? This is a world apart from the genuine memoirs of the nun; it is a world of arbitrary invention, carried at times to the wildest extremes. I refrain from giving examples, with which I could fill scores of pages of this book. Sister Pascalina was simply the Pope's housekeeper, yet to her is attributed a throughout [sic] knowledge of the most involved Church affairs, a memory of conversations of sixty years earlier, a brashness in dealing with high ecclesiastics, and power and influence over the Pope, all utterly without documentation, utterly unbelievable: she actually composed with the Pope one of the greatest theological encyclicals in the history of the Papacy, Mystici Corporis Christi! "The pseudo-Pascalina book", says Fr Graham, "is at best a practical joke on an unsuspecting public. At worst, it is a new low in U.S. book publishing."

I actually only wanted to encourage everyone to try to read this incredible book. Also, please feel free to visit my web site at lapopessa.com and let me know what you think. Finally, contrary to one of your guest reviewers, I can assure you that the title given to Pascalina, "La Popessa" was not one of endearment or honor. Cardinal Tisserant and others are said to have created this name as a statement of their venemous hate for Sister Pascalina. This remarkable woman, who ran the Vatican as well as oversaw the day to day activities of Pope Pius XII, is one of the great women of the twentieth century. Pascalina is an earlier pioneer of the women's liberation movement in that she made a conscious decision as to how she would live her life. That, she decided, was to walk in the shadow of a man who she was determined to one day see become pope. I truly hope that everyone can read this remarkable book. "La Popessa" has never been publically acknowledged by the church for fear that Pascalina would then have to be credited for so much good that she did during her years in the Vatican. They also feared the nature of the relationship between a nun and a pope - though it was pure and chaste in my opinion. While Pascalina lived in the shadows, and many in the Vatican never even saw her or knew of her existence, she clearly helped change the course of world history. Pascalina is only one of the many millions of couragous women throughout the world who richly deserve credit for making a difference each and every day - whether it be in politics, business, health and human services, the classroom, or as the invaluable homemaker who creates the "sanga". In the end, "La Popessa" tells of one of the great love stories of our time, that between a nun and a pope. It is a story of a rich yet platonic love that was honest and respectful of its limitations. "La Popessa" is but a footnote in history, but a remarkable one at that. Of the thirty books that I used in researching my musical, it is clear that this is an exciting story that affected the course of world events. Let me know your thoughts. I think Bernadette Peters would be a great lead!

For about five years I had a bookstore which attempted to meet the needs of both Jews and Catholics in our University town. My interest in books which build bridges and tear down walls created great diversity on my shelves, of which I remain proud. THE POPESSA came highly recommended by the Paulist priests who staff the campus Newman Center at WVU. It tells the story of a religious woman who's work was in Vatican City, a person of considerable intellect and insight which was acknowledged, if grudgingly, by Pope Pius VII as she attempted throughout WWII to convince him of the enormous evil of Hitler & Nazi Germany. Unfortunately, she was unable to accomplish the rescue of Jews from the Shoah. But she was greatly respected for her efforts throughout the Vatican, and was called La Popessa as a title of honor. With the recent release of HITLER'S POPE, I hope this excellent book covering the same time period and subject will become available again and receive the recognition it deserves for taking a courageous stand against the Church, who was even less repentant in 1986 when La Popessa was published than it remains today.

"History has given Mary Custis Lee a bad rap," writes John Perry in the opening sentence of LADY OF ARLINGTON: THE LIFE OF MRS. ROBERT E. LEE. "I'm out to change that."

And change that he does. Perry rehabilitates Mary Custis Lee from a whining, neurotic invalid whose weakness and selfishness made everybody around her miserable and demonstrates that she was, in fact, a charming, attractive woman who turned heads in the Supreme Court chamber as a teenager and who almost certainly received a marriage proposal by no less a man than Sam Houston.

"Over her sixty-five years," writes Perry, "friends, relatives, and perfect strangers consistently described her as cheerful, smiling, welcoming, and industrious. She read Latin and Greek, and when she ordered a copy of LES MISERABLES, she wrote the bookseller to send it in either English or French, whichever was more readily available."

True, had not her great-grandfather been George Washington, and had she not have married Robert Edward Lee, the greatest of Confederate generals, we probably would never have heard of Mary Anne Custis. But Perry shows that she was a fascinating and inspiring woman in her own right.

Mary Custis Lee was an excellent painter, a published author, a legendary hostess, a tireless fund-raiser for charities, a devout Christian, staunch patriot, the mother who cared for seven children when their father was away from home for years at a time, and a devoted wife who nurtured her beloved husband's career even as arthritis crippled her body and the ravages of the Civil War drove her from the only home she had ever known.

Through diligent and dedicated research, John Perry has tracked down false rumors, half-truths, and conflicting claims about his subject and, by bringing the real Mary Custis Lee into the light, has set the record straight.

"Certainly the most exciting discover was Mary's prayer journal at the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond," writes the author. "As far as I can learn, none of it has ever been published or even examined before. Filled with her innermost thoughts, hopes, and fears, it casts new light on every word we have from her."

Was the discovery of Mary's prayer journal a blessing or a curse? Although some readers may rejoice in Mary's expression of religious emotions (concerning which Perry puzzlingly writes, "No one would ever read this"), others may find her diary to be overwrought, tedious, repetitious, and ultimately boring.

Be that as it may, Perry's diligent and dedicated research has tracked down false rumors, half-truths, and conflicting claims, and, by bringing the real Mary Custis Lee into the light, has set the record straight.

3.5 Stars

I was attracted to this book as a result of reading, "April 1865". I found General Robert E. Lee to be a particularly fascinating person, both militarily and in his personal life, and so a biography of his wife seemed to be an appropriate progression. I had never read material on this historical figure, so this books promise of the inclusion of her diary for the first time was also an attraction. The book was less than I had hoped for, while Mrs. Lee certainly held a unique place as a result of The Civil War and her relationship to George Washington, this book did not seem to justify its necessity.

Mrs. Lee like many women of the southern wealthy families lost virtually everything she ever called her own as the result of the war. She also was a beneficiary of the provision of a new home, and a more rapid return to a form of normalcy due to her husband's appointments, and then her son taking his father's place as a college president after the war. This was a return that was measurably longer for other families. The transition she did not make with her husband was the progressive acceptance of what had happened, and acknowledging the new reality that post war America would offer to those of the losing side of the conflict.

Mrs. Lee came from a family that was very progressive with regard to abolition and many other issues typically credited to The North. Unfortunately these thoughts did not carry through the war, and when compounded by her illness and the confiscation of the family homestead, she spent the balance of her life growing progressively angry. The US Government did return the title to her Arlington home after her death, and after it had thoroughly been destroyed as a family home. This home was also the site of many of George Washington's belongings, including the bed he had passed away in, his carriage, silver, literally rooms of possessions. This estate that had been the calling place of successive presidents and dignitaries like Lafayette was turned into a deforested piece of land, a squatter's village numbering several thousand people, and a national cemetery that encroached to the edge of her families graves.

The offerings from the diary are fairly slim in their variety and information they share. They are deeply personal notes of a devout Christian woman, however they do not offer great and original insight to her life.

This book is about much more than Mrs. Lee; it could have been called, The Families of Arlington. There is much that is of interest regarding her relations, and details of General Lee's correspondence, however she alone does not fill this book. Other work has been written about Mrs. Lee, and has received high praise; a reader might be better served to read other work prior to setting out with this offering by Mr. Perry.

I love everything about this book. They way it traces Mrs. Mary Custis Lee's family all the way back to George Washington and takes it forward from their. The way it describes the acquisition of Arlington. I have never seen a biography written better and keep my attention word for word till the end prior to this book.

Mr. Neuharth is indeed a sad and cynical man. He equates 'elitism' with critical thinking and casts himself as a man of the people, just listening to their opinions via his polls and town meetings. And yet he talks of his fancy jets and other staples of his lavish and selfish lifestyle.

I enjoyed reading this book. Al was definitley a loveable S.O.B..The man really built an empire in spite of all the critics that believed an National paper was a ridiculous idea. He did it with style, grace, and charm. The book also reminded me of an old saying "every failure plants a seed of an equivalent success."

A great autobiography by the founder of USA today. I read this book in one sitting and totally admire his fierecely competitive attitude. He made no excuse for being an sob, and did everything to get to the top. He admits that he can be funny, charming to his friends, and a nasty sob to his enemies. His adaptability while maintaining a laser-like focus on the ultimate goal is a lesson for young people to emulate.

I thought this book was very boring and very dry. This book was chosen by my history professor for my History of American Foreign Relations class so I had no choice in reading this book. Some parts were very interesting, and it held my attention for a while, but then the authors would go back to the dry and monontonous tone that put me to sleep. If you're a history buff, you might enjoy this book. If not, I don't suggest you buying it.

Honestly, if you buy a book entitled "From Isolation to War" in the AMERICAN HISTORY SERIES, you're bound to be disappointed if you're A) Not a history buff or B) a complete idiot. Hopefully, having at least found this book listed on Amazon, you are neither. I have worked with Professor Doenecke, and used his book as a textbook in two classes. It is well-written, thoroughly-researched, dryly humorous at points, and extremely incisive. A true pleasure to read, especially if you are aware that history is a force in our lives, and will continue to be so forevermore.

The facinating true-life account of an ex-military Texan (Jack Reeves) with a penchant for recycling wifes. If you are Filipino, this cautionary tale will be especially poigant given that the last victim, Emelita Villa, met her death while persuing the American dream. The writing is substandard, but definitely approachable if English is your second language. All in all, a great story that deserved a better writter.

If you are attracted to true-crime stories, this book is for you! I like the author's no-frills style of writing. The book is easy to follow and one's contempt for the monster builds as the story progresses. There are few men as low and sinister as the monster Jack Reeves. The perversion and wickedness of the man will shock you! Good job Ms. Springer.

The book was pretty good , Dragged alittle. Jack Reeves was a monster who got away with 2 murders for a very long time until he committed his 3rd and the ball came tumbling down. Although they believe he has committed more murders as they stress in the book no one knows for sure... The Author did a nice job with detail and For true crime readers this is a must read!

I concur with the first reviewer. The lack of true spirituality and presence of God within the church, especially since the move, is very disturbing. The exodus of long time and commited members is impressive.
The book is okay, but you have to consider its' source first.

And there is no agenda here, I am just a simple man that has been there and seen.

Before implementing the ideas presented by this author in this and in his new book, readers would be wise to check out the depth of spirituality and commitment currently in existence at Pantego Bible Church.

Contrary to the reader above (who stated that the church which the author pastors, wasn't spiritual, etc.), who certainly has his own biased agenda, Pantego Bible Church is a very dynamic and mature church. In addition, the Pastoral staff has an amazing heart for the Lord and His people. I suggest you read "The Connecting Church" by Frazee to see how on fire this church is! Their emphasis on spiritual formation and community is transforming lives and impacting neighborhoods. This book is great to learn principles for change, revitalization, and other leadership issues. I have seen first hand how Pantego Bible Church has been used by Jesus Christ for His Kingdom!

DO NOT PURCHASE THIS ITEM. I purchased this hoping for some beautiful exterior pictures of governmental buildings. This CD is not published by the government. It takes copies of web pages from government webpages and copies and paste. The graphics are horrible...This copyright thief doesn't deserve a penny of my money.