Immigration. What do we really know about immigrants as people - especially the obstacles they face and the hazards they must endure to reach the United States? No one wants to examine this terrible situation, and the press tries to ignore it. John Annerino is a brave photojournalist who wants to open the eyes of this country and the eyes of Mexico. In Annerino's book, DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS: Crossing America's Desert Borderlands, he writes of crossing the Arizona desert along the historic route called the Camino del Diablo, (Road of the Devil), during the summer. Annerino accompanied 4 Mexican farm workers on a grueling struggle across the desert to get into this country. Annerino risked his own life to experience the killing heat migrants endure to cross the desert, and at one point writes of his and his companion's slim chances of surviving their journey, "We would all die like dogs in a killing ground that has claimed hundreds - perhaps thousands of their countrymen." Annerino not only witnesses and endures the hazards and rigors of his companions, but he also photographed many of the people who died in the middle of the desert. He writes graphically of one dead man: "His mouth was still open from the horror, because no one heard him gasping or saw him dying at the finish line to America's Killing Ground." How long will we permit this tragic situation to continue? One brave man cared enough for people to risk his own life to open our eyes with his camera and pen - John Annerino. And you need to read his book, DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS, to understand the human toll and suffering on our borders, and the lives that are lost among those who flee the poverty of Mexico lured by the same American Dream that brought me here. Why? To quote Annerino, "Because they're out there dying right now."

August 11. I sat down this evening to read DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS, and just finished it. All in one sitting. I really couldn't put it down. I think it's a tremendously important book. It should be required reading for those planning to cross the border, and track and control the border through immigration policies. The author did a huge amount of research, and legwork. I commend Annerino's efforts and results. His photographs, along with the maps, work well together to give the reader a first hand encounter with the land and people who cross it. I like the pacing of the chapters, the inclusion of both the men who cross the border and the Border Patrol agents, and Annerino's very thoughtful reflections on the value of Mexicans killed in the killing fields in search of a paycheck to send home to their families. It makes me feel real bad. It is hard to read at times only because it's so sad. Boy, am I glad I wasn't the photographer on those trips! Thank you for the remarkable book.

A story like this demands a great deal from an author. Although Annerino has obviously spent many hours researching the borderlands of the Southwest, the key to this monumental work is the extent to which he is willing to live the story he writes. He has taken immense risks, walking side by side through the desert with Mexican immigrants, and coming face to face with the coyotes and narcotraficantes and Border Patrol agents and ranchers of this volatile area. With Annerino's books, you always learn tons of local history, but never at the expense of that vivid sensation of dust and sweat and heat and imminent danger that keep it an interesting read. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to learn more about the little-known wilderness along the Mexican border and the human cost it extracts due to current immigration policies.

Donald Lynch and Ken Marschall are considered two of the world's foremost experts on Titanic history. While Lynch is more the historian, Marschall's talents also lie in his magnificent maritime artwork. These men are so good and know their subject so well, that director James Cameron used both as consultants on his movie "Titanic," even to calling them in the middle of the night! Lynch even made a cameo in the film (the first class dad watching his son spinning a top). Both say to this day that they still refer to the movie set as "Titanic" and not "the set" because the details were so exact it was like being on board her in reality. I have met both Lynch and Marschall twice at Titanic Historical Society conventions, and they definitely know their subject as is revealed in this book. (Thanks to Lynch, I became interested in the black family who travelled second class. Now THERE'S a fact Cameron regretted he didn't get to use because he knew critics unfamiliar with Titanic history would have ignorantly screamed "That never happened.")

We not only find details of the White Star Line and the famous ship's history -- from her design as one of the three "Olympic" sisters (Olympic, Titanic, Britannic), but the few photographs taken on-board; charts; deck plans; and numerous anecdotes. But often, it is Marschall's recreations in his wonderful artwork that will take your breath away, especially when read alongside Lynch's narrative. To see paintings of her slowly sinking into the Atlantic; the details of her stern high in the air and the sight of tiny figures throwing themselves into the icy water; even his art based on Dr. Robert Ballard's photographs of the wreck site...you would have to be heartless to not be affected by these. To also read the words of many of those few hundred who survived is particularly touching, especially as they watched Titanic go down, most with loved ones still on-board. This is a wonderful book for anyone who -- like me -- fell in love with her at some point in their lives, whether as a child or thanks to Cameron's movie. This book -- along with Marschall's own "Art of Titanic" (which includes work he even did as a young boy) -- will make great additions to your collection of the real life of the true "ship of dreams" and all who were touched by her.

If you buy only one book about the Titanic, this should be the one! I bought it over a year ago primarily as a visual supplement to "A Night to Remember," because of the great Ken Marschall paintings and the many pages of photos of Titanic and related artifacts. However, I became enthralled by the superb book-length text by historian Don Lynch, which is well worth the price all by itself. Walter Lord's book focused primarily on the night of the sinking, but this book tells the whole story of Titanic, from her conception and construction to the post-disaster inquiries and recovery efforts and the discovery of the wreckage, in addition to an engrossing minute-by-minute and lifeboat-by-lifeboat account of the sinking itself. By James Cameron's own account, this is the book that inspired The Movie. Buy the hardcover if you can, since you'll want to look at it over and over again.

If you are looking for a beautifully illustrated, wonderfully arranged and truly awesome book, this is it. Ken Marschall is the gratist Titanic artist ever! His paintings, mixed together with real photos, seem to bring you back to the Titanic. the way Don Lynch gose in depth explaning her maden voyege, you won't need any other Titanic books, Titanic an Illustrated History has it all.

when i read i have this tendency to underline or highlight phrases and words that strike me. reading this book i eventually had to give up on the note-taking, because otherwise the entire book would have been highlighted! i saw myself in nearly everything tracy went through. it helped me to understand things about myself that i wasn't even aware of. the periods of being "fine" in between the depression, the way it would sneak up on her, the way all motivation to work or function would just fly out the window, the way a person could seem perfectly "normal" to everyone around her and yet inside be a complete mess. all i want to say is thank you!

I have read many books on Depression and other mental health problems since the summer of 1993 and this is the best that I have read yet. I would highly recommend it to anyone that either suffers with, or knows someone who suffers with Depression. The way Ms. Thompson has written this book really hits home for me and it was inspiring to know that there are people who have overcome this terrible disease and are successful at their chosen careers. IT IS THE BEST, THANK YOU MS. THOMPSON FOR SHARING YOUR STORY.

For many, many years, I suffered terribly from depression, a tradition in my family. I was finally diagnosed a few years ago, and now take medication that enables me to live a normal life. Even so, this book gave me powerful insight into The Beast. I saw myself on every page. There were elements of this disease that I wasn't able to see until I read this book. (Like the fact that I was lying to myself and others about having the disease.) Reading it, I had "aha" after "aha." Since then, I have told three people - my friends - about what I go through and what I have been through. That's a big step for me. If you can't sleep, or if you sleep too much; if you aren't in counseling because you're afraid you'll be committed; if you are in agony but you think "everybody" lives this way and just handles it better than you; if you don't want to live like you live anymore; if the anxiety is like a sock in your throat; if you feel like "nobody" could understand, please buy this book. It will help you. If you know or love someone who you think may be suffering from this disease, I recommend reading it. It will help you understand why they are doing what they do and may help you help them.

This book captured my attention from the first chapter. JOhn Adams was a fascinating person and left behind an extensive amount of his own words in journals and letters. The problem for a biographer is to make it interesting and Mr. Ferling does a wonderful job of showing the good and bad of John Adams.

I think the best part of this in-depth one volume biography is how the events taking place around John Adams as well as many of his important historical contemporaries are also explored, giving the reader a true vision as to how John Adams fit into the world of the 18th and early 19th century. Franklin, Sam Adams, Jefferson, Washington, Hamilton are all discussed and examined.

Although John Adams is not typically thought of as a notable president, after reading this book, you will understand why two recent polls of historians showed that he was rated as a "great" president who was as instrumental as any in the formation of the United States. By going directly against his own party while president, he was humiliated and initially ignored, but his actions were later realized to have likely saved the US from ruin soon after it's formation. If you are interested in John Adams, or colonial history...Buy This Book.

John Adams' life is thoroughly examined in this rich, well researched and ably written biography by John Ferling.

Adams, known at the 'Atlas of Independence,' is less well known than Washington, Jefferson and Franklin, his Revolutionary contemporaries. He is also less revered. Ferling spends several hundred pages laying out the life and achievements of a man who was also crucial to our fight for independence and the survival of our Republic.

Adams was a prodigious diary keeper, and also a mostly honest one, if we are to judge honesty by self criticism and the ability to write about one's own perceived short-comings. This first-person material is a tremendous asset to compiling the President's life story, and one that Ferling puts to good use. The book uses ample quotes to reveal Adam's feelings about personalities and events of his day. Ferling has studied the diaries thoroughly, as shown by his ability to draw on portions from different times in Adam's life to illustrate points or show how Adams changed his views over time. The danger with such a diary based biography is that the diaries can become the book. Ferling does not make this mistake. His ample writing skills utilizes the diaries to illustrate his story and argue his interpretations of his subject's life and actions.

Also useful to the author is that Adams enjoyed a fascinating life. He touched all the great (and not so great) Revolutionary personalities, served for years as a foreign diplomat, was present at the birth of our Government and served as president. Also remarkable, was his relationship with Abigail, an unusual colonial wife who was educated, opinionated and enjoyed a marriage as very nearly an equal partner (highly unusual in those days). Their correspondence and relationship sustained Adams and show how she helped ground this great man of American nationhood.

How does Ferling judge Adams? His assessment is that Adams belongs among the greats of the American founding. This book's thorough telling of Adams's public life to make a pretty good case for Ferlings argument.

There are many fascinating aspects I found in the story. Adams tremendous dislike of Franklin is telling as to their different styles as well as Adams's thirst for approbation. His long and difficult relationship with Jefferson, culminating in their famous correspondence is another gem. Also interesting, is Adams's actions during his presidency when he stood alone against his party and long term political interests in keeping us out of war with France. It was a crucial decision that perhaps saved our Republic, given the potential for the European powers to divvy up a weak America should they have decided to play their rivalries here.

Adams lived a fascinating life and was a thoroughly interesting personality. Kudos to Ferling for bringing the story to a new generation.

I have been reading biographies of the founding fathers from Washington to Madison. I picked up this book knowing that Adams was the one that I, and most people, know the least about. Ferling brings this man to life to the point that I felt that I knew him personally more than any of the other bios I've read so far. I was amazed at how attached I became to this intense and profoundly intelligent person who is regrettably most remembered as a vain and awkward curmudgeon. Ferling's story is complete, covering the varied facets of Adams as farmer, lawyer, philosopher, negotiator, statesman, friend, husband and father. If John Adams is more of a mystery to you than the much celebrated likes of Washington, Jefferson, Franklin and Madison, then this is the book for you.

This book is one that truly stands the test of time. I first read it in the 70's as a teen, and it has stayed with me all these years. If you are a lover of historical fiction, appreciate bold, sweeping epochs, and are fascinated by human nature, this is a read for you. I love Taylor Caldwell's books, but beware if this is your first foray into her works, as she sees the world and people in general as very duplicitous. She can be very dark and brooding, and appears to have been a rapt conspiracy theorist judging from the introduction and the bibliograpy that appear in this book. Her characters tend to be quite black and white, but that of Joseph Armagh is quite complex and will be an endless source of fascination to the reader. Aside from the heavy handed political tones in this book, it is the saga of the Armagh family that will keep the reader engrossed. Caldwell weaves a formidible tale-one that is engaging, educational, emotional, and yes even a little frightening. I find myself wondering at the conclusion of this book: What if, in fact, we truly are at the mercy of the "deadly quiet men"? This book will entertain you and make you think!

There are two sides to this book, one is typical of the romantic pulp fiction style of the 70's, this is first the life story of Joseph Armagh, a destitute orphan who emigrated from Ireland because of the famine. His bitter experiences in childhood leave him cold hearted and in pursuit of money at all costs, and he achieves incredible wealth and power in America. His goal at any price is to make his son president of the United States. There was a made for TV mini series based on this story.

The other more interesting part of this book though is about the control of wealth and real power in the world in the hands of a few. Taylor Caldwell has written an add on to the story that is a warning that the "controllers" are not fiction and were more powerful than ever. In the Captains and the Kings some historical events described are the US civil war, the presidencies of Lincoln, labor struggles, the making of Teddy Roosevelt, and immigration. Was the civil war after all just an event arranged & set up mainly by rich European bankers for profit? Are all wars always set up by a handful of distant people for profit? This book really makes you wonder

If I were marooned on a desert island, I would have to have this book with me! I read it in the 70s and have also enjoyed the mini-series many times over which starred the late Richard Jordan as Joseph Armagh. While it would be easy to draw parallels with the fictional Armagh family and the Kennedy dynasty, I prefer to think of the book as a testament to one Irish immigrant who found and then lost the American dream. The more disturbing aspect of the book (and one I always think of when a major news event takes place) is the presumption by the author that there are powerful men with money who control much of the destiny we call history. Do these men exist? Who can say? A riveting book and one worth more than one read.

In our urban civilisation reaching thousands of years into history, not one definitive work has chronicled the workings of cities, one of mankind's greatest achievements, as well as Jane Jacobs' landmark 1961 saga of the travails and tribulations of the American city.

The epic spans eras- from the foundations of the Garden City movement in the late 19th century to Jacobs' contemporary 1961. Through this time period she describes how the loathing of urbanism by planners and their subsequent divorce from the realm of public opinion gave rise to the forces of suburbanisation and destruction battering American cities of the mid-20th century. This lays the fundamental groundwork for Jacobs' criticism of contemporary planning methods, especially in her home of New York. Jacobs emanates thoughtful analysis on what works and what does not in regards to the massive projects envisaged and in many cases wrought upon the cityscape.

But perhaps the heart of the book are the chapters in which Jacobs describes how a city works at its most ideal. She chooses only the most exemplary neighbourhoods, those which persevere and spite statistical analysis despite the conventional wisdom of planners. Her own Greenwich Village serves as the book's centrepiece, but Boston's North End and Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square are also featured prominently. Jacobs' arguments for the necessity of density, history, and, above all, diversity in all forms (architectural, street, human, retail, age) are as poignant as they are eloquent. Those pragmatists not immediately taken to heart by Jacobs' paen to urbanity take solace in her intimate and empirical knowledge of economics. Indeed, what makes Jacobs' book so revolutionary is that it does not follow from knowledge handed down by established theory or intellectualism, but from experience, observation, and wisdom, the foundation for her usurpment and subversion of the fallacious atrocities being waged against America's cities.

Liberal at some points, libertarian at others, Jacobs' work must be comprehended not as a work of political ideology but of scientific method. Her opinions are based on but one bias- an innate love for the city. And all who wish to truly understand it in all its objectivity- its trials, mistakes, and triumphs, and her premonitions for our future, are urged to read this. For "Death and Life" is not merely historical perspective on a fleeting problem, but truly a prophecy as well.

Jane Jacob's work has had many reverberations across the United States. The book, written nearly four decades ago, can be credited with helping start the protest and shift of policy makers from using Corbusian designs of urban redevelopment to more traditional rehabilitation, reuse, and revitalization methods to help reinvigorate cities. This book demonstrates the understated complexities and economies of city life, and how those complexities are very fragile and depend on the communication and interaction of people. Most importantly, it helps define community and how community, whether rich or poor, can overcome nearly all social ills and beat the statistics. An essential book for those who study sociology, economics, political science, psychology, architecture, urban planning, and general business

This 1961 book by Jane Jacobs, a one-time writer for architectural magazines in New York City, turned the world of city planning on its head. The author, who possessed no formal training in architecture or city planning, relied on personal observations of her surroundings in Greenwich Village in New York City to supply ammunition for her charges against the grand muftis of the architectural profession. "The Death and Life of Great American Cities" consists mostly of common sense observations, but there is also a good amount of statistical information, economics, sociology, and some philosophy at the base of the author's arguments. This 1993 Modern Library reprint seeks to bring Jacobs's work to a whole new generation of readers, a necessity when one realizes that a majority of the problems plaguing cities in 1961 continue to be a problem today.

Jacobs begins her book with a brief history of where modern city planning came from. According to the author, the mess we call cities today emerged from Utopian visionaries from Europe and America beginning in the 19th century. Figures such as Ebenezer Howard, Lewis Mumford, Le Corbusier, and Daniel Burnham all had a significantly dreadful impact on how urban areas are built and rebuilt. These men all envisioned the city as a dreadful place, full of overcrowding, crime, disease, and ugliness. Howard wished to destroy big cities completely in order to replace them with small towns, or "Garden Cities," made up of small populations. Similar in thought to Howard, Mumford argued for a decentralization of cities into thinned out areas resembling towns. Le Corbusier, says Jacobs, inaugurated yet another harmful plan for cities: the "Radiant City." A radiant city consists of skyscrapers surrounded by wide swaths of parks where vast concentrations of people herded into one area could live and work. Burnham's contribution to planning was "City Monumental," where all of the grand buildings (libraries, government buildings, concert halls, landmarks) of a city could be clustered in one agglomeration separated from the dirty, bad city. Jacobs writes that all of these ideas continue to exert influence on the modern city, and that all of these ideas do not work.

For Jacobs, the key to a successful city rests on one word: diversity. This is not specifically an ethnic diversity, although Jacobs does vaguely include this in her arguments. Rather, diversity means different buildings, different residences, different businesses, and different amounts of people in an area at different times. The antithesis of diversity is what we see today on a stroll through downtown: a bland uniformity of office buildings, apartment dwellings, and houses that stretch as far the eyes can see. In the author's view, this lack of diversification leads to economic stagnation, slums, crime, and a host of other horrors that are all too familiar to viewers of the evening news. Especially egregious to Jacobs is the tendency to isolate low-income people in towering projects surrounded by empty space. The lack of embedded businesses in these areas, along with closed in hallways and elevators (which Jacobs calls "interior sidewalks and streets") creates a breeding ground for criminal elements and bad morale among the residents. Cities that work best employ a wide range of diverse interests that attract, not repel, people. Unfortunately, bureaucrats and social planners always believe top down planning is better than bottom up initiative. Jacobs tries to show the fallacy of social planning.

The amount of ground covered in this book is amazing. The author examines the role and practicality of parks, sidewalks, business interests, city government, streets, automobiles versus pedestrians, and boundaries. Repeatedly, Jacobs discovered fatal errors in how planners build cities. She found parks placed in the sunless shadows of skyscrapers or at the end of dead end streets, narrow sidewalks incapable of carrying heavy foot traffic, city blocks so long that people avoided walking down them, and city governments too fragmented to carry on effective management. All of these things eventually led to abandonment and degradation. Even worse, when a planned section of the city failed the planners came back and razed it to the ground in order to replace it with yet more failure.

One of Jacobs's failings in the book is that she never seems to make the connection between urban planning and social control. The housing projects are a great example. By isolating the poor, blacks as well as whites and other ethnic minorities, the state practices an effective control over these people's lives. This book inspired me to check into the fate of Cabrini-Green, Chicago's notorious housing projects that served as a role model for the abject uselessness of urban planning. These projects are in the process of being razed and replaced by mixed-income houses that, if Jacobs is accurate, may thrive due to the nearby presence of shopping areas and businesses. Of course, the planners are still in the game because they are sending most of the poor residents to other areas of the city.

I am probably not the best person to judge the merits of this book because I have never been to one of Jacobs's "Great Cities." I had difficulty imagining some of the layouts she mentioned in the book due to the simple fact that I have never seen them. Despite this small problem, there is still plenty of information in this book that does make perfect sense. You do not need to live in New York City or Philadelphia to recognize that parks with no sunlight will not be a big hit with the city denizens, or that older buildings are necessary to a neighborhood because they allow small businesses to exist with low overhead costs. "The Death and Life of Great Cities," despite its age, is still a relevant book well worth reading.

Having read Ronda's first book, I knew she was a talented writer with great stories to tell. Being a NASCAR fan, I knew that this was going to be a good book. I was not dirappointed!

The book is written in 27 short, easy-to-read chapters; each having a wonderful story about the legends of the sport. Each chapter also concludes with Ronda's life-lesson learned as a result of the events described. Once I began reading it, I lost a lot of sleep staying up into the night reading.

There are fascinating stories about Bill Elliott, Dale Earnhardt, Michael Waltrip, Bobby Allison, Ken Schrader, Alan Kulwicki, and Tim Richmond (a name many newcomers don't know, but know about--this is the life portrayed by Tom Cruise in "Days of Thunder"). As a reluctant newcomer to NASCAR, Ronda quickly became an avid fan and supporter of the sport while covering it as a sportswriter and then as a promoter for the manufacturers.

This book is a "must read" for any fans of the sport.

My wife bought this book, read it and kept bragging on it. I was reluctant to read because I'm not a big reader and I just didn't think I'd enjoy it that much. One day, I picked up the book and read the chapter about the late champion Alan Kulwicki. That did it. I then had to read the entire book. I enjoyed it very much. It shows the human side of a sport that is becoming so slick and so polished that it's easy to forget that the drivers are often regular guys with problems and struggles just like the rest of us. This book reflects on many of the heroes and legends who made the sport like Darrell Waltrip, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and others. There are places, like where she talks about her friendship with and the death of Tim Richmond, that really put a lump in my throat. As in the case of Kulwicki, who is displayed here to be a serious loner who saw too much death in his young life, his mother included, that shaped his life and personality, you are shown an inside to the sport that is seldom seen. The men in this book are true heroes and the author is to be commended for writing it in a way that we feel we are being treated to VIP look at these guys.

Wow! What a great read! I am so glad I bought this book - it will be my stocking stuffer of choice for this holiday season for both guys and gals. This is a great book for Winston Cup die-hard fans and for novices! Ronda Rich is hilarious. It's full of anecdotes about all of the greats, including Earnhardt, Petty, Childress, Schrader, and more ... and all from the female perspective with plenty of stories that could only come from an insider. I read Ronda's last book and thoroughly enjoyed it, and this book stays the course. I found myself laughing out loud and feeling sorry when the book was over! More than just a book about racing, the book serves up some deep life lessons in each chapter - the author looks at the truth behind the losses and disappointments that come with the industry. She's quite a teacher - obviously a spiritual woman - it's a great read for kids too. I'm hoping this is the first in a NASCAR series for her ... if you see this Ronda ... please give us another one! Can't wait!

Robert Klose's book is a detailed account of the bureacratic hurdles he faced as a single man wanting to adopt a child into his life. He simply wanted a son -- to give a young boy a loving, safe home. But no one made this journey easy. As you follow along through the months and years with Klose, you find yourself thoroughly supporting this man, cheering with him whenever snippets of progress occur. Klose's writing style makes it easy to journey with him. He paints the picture perfectly. Through his story I felt his anger, his disappointment, his resignation to the endless requests for money, and his immediate love for a beautiful Russian boy when he first set eyes upon Alyosha. Read this book. You'll agree that this world is a better place because of men like Klose.

I received this book with low expectations considering previous tactical books I had read on the subject. It stopped me in my tracks.
I was so impressed by Robert's literary style and story-telling ability. He allows us to go through the entire process and share very personal emotions --discovering with him important lessons for anyone involved in international adoption. The frustrations and bureaucracy encountered are almost overwhelming, but well worth it. I loved this book. I would highly recommend it to anyone considering international adoption--single or married. However, I would also recommend it to anyone who would enjoy an inspirational true story about a man and a boy half-way accross the world who seemed destined to be family. I promise it will change your perspective on adoption and what it means to love. All we need now is the sequel. Thanks Robert for living and telling your story.
(One more thought, if I were a TV producer, it would make a great Sunday Night Movie)

As a fellow single dad who just completed the adoption of my son from Romania, I can certify that Bob Klose has accurately rendered what many (if not most) single men who want to adopt go through. International adoption has its own special set of ups and downs, and he related these with a sense of humor (and irony) that helped me prepare for my own adoption journey with a little less fear.

I think all prospective adoptive parents (and most certainly all single male prospective adopters!) have something to gain from this book. I also think that it's a wonderful, loving story that offers a lot to everyone else -- it's nice to read a "warm fuzzy" story every now and then, isn't it?

Anyone fortunate enough to read the first few chapters of this terrific work by William Manchester will no longer wonder why he is considered one of the finest historians writing about the 20th century. From the opening description of the tensions in Washington in the early 1930s with the conflict over the so-called "bonus marchers" to the ending essay on the removal of Richard Nixon from the Presidency in disgrace in 1974, there simply isn't a dull page in the book. As for anyone who hasn't experienced this author and his superb prose style, there is no time to waste!

This truly is a masterful and magisterial historical narrative of the period of time from the onset of the Depression to the climax of the Watergate scandal; all the color and detail one would want from a work purporting to cover such a momentous time span in our recent national melodrama is here in spades. His prose style is at once both erudite and immensely readable, and he always seems conversational even when discussing matters that are delicate or controversial. Whether discussing the momentous details of FDR's "New Deal", the daring and cunning of the Japanese in carrying out the attack on Pearl Harbor, the sad and sorrowful political potshots taken by scurrilous swine like Joe McCarthy during the House Un-American Activities Committee or the quizzically vengeful approach taken by insiders during the Nixon years, Manchester consistently steers us knowingly and safely through the rocks and shoals of domestic history, avoiding veering into the controversial reefs and coral that can rip us to shreds with partisan political revisionsim and politically-correct views.

As he does in other books such as "American Caesar" and "The Death Of A President", Manchester always satisfies the reader's curiosity without being salacious, gossipy, or unfair. He takes great pains to be objective and as thorough as possible, and the sources he cites are always impeccable. If I have any criticism of the book at all, it relates to its long length, as I read the two-volume hard cover version a friend gave me as a birthday present. It is really a small quibble, however, for though it was along read I came away from the several week reading adventure feeling much better informed, and with a much better perspective on many of the troubling issues that have transpired in the fabled years since the Depression. I heartily recommend this book, but advise you to find yourself a comfortable armchair to escape to with book in hand. You are going to want to devour it. Enjoy!

The Glory and the Dream

William Manchester's The Glory and the Dream, paints a vivid and detailed picture of America from 1932 to 1972. It begins at the height of the Great Depression, and tells of the New Deal, the events leading to America's entry into World War II, the prosperity of the late 40s and 50s, and the militancy of the 60s and early 70s. The book ends with the growing distrust of the nation surrounding the Watergate scandal. In his decription of these forty years, before and after World War II, Manchester shows how America has reveled in its glory as the most powerful nation in the world, yet continues to dream for new heights of power. The Glory and the Dream is an excellent book, because the author is able to make many of the characters and emotions of the time come to life, in his detailed and engaging style. However, I personally believe that the author treats some of major figures of the time too harshly.
Manchester is able to make his characters come to life through effective use of quotes and actions, which describe the feelings and concerns those people had. The desperation and general sadness of the Great Depression is shown in the lyrics of a song by Rudy Valee.
They used to tell me I was building a dream
And so I followed the mob.
When there was earth to plough or guns to bear
I was always there right on the job

Once I built a railroad, made it run
made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad, now it's done.
Brother, can you spare a dime?
At that same period, the shame of Americans is shown in this observation from the Governor's mansion in Albany at a time Franklin Roosevelt was still governor, "Professor Rexford Tugwell of Columbia, a house guest, was summoned to the master bedroom, where his host lay surrounded by clouds of newsprint. As Tugwell entered, Governor Roosevelt covered photographs of the violence against the Bonus Army by the American army with his hands, as though in shame for his country."
The author shows that at the same time the American people felt shame and sadness, there was also a growing sense of resolve that something should be done to alleviate the poverty that many Americans were facing. A quote full of this growing resolve and determination comes from Franklin Roosevelt address to the Democratic Convention in 1932 in which he accepts the party's nomination for President. "I pledge you, I pledge myself, to a New Deal for the American people." A quote of Franklin Roosevelt that helps to illustrate his character and the general feeling of the time come from his conversation with Tugwell. "'There is nothing inside that man but jelly,' Roosevelt said angrily. 'Maybe there never was anything else. Why didn't Hoover offer the men coffee and sandwiches, instead of turning Pat Hurley and Doug MacArthur loose?" This illustrates the generosity of Roosevelt's spirit in contrast to the rudeness and inattentivenss of his opponents in the Republican party.
In its 1302 pages, this offers an in-depth portrait of America at that period. Its lively details and examples with use of many quotes, strong verbs and adjectives make you feel as if you were suffering through the Great Depression, prospering through the New Deal, fighting through World War II and reliving the Vietnam war. Unfortunately this lengthy book could intimidate some. However by splitting the reading into decades, one may avoid the frustration of reading such a dense and interminable book at once.
My one reservation lies in Manchester's condemnation of leaders I believe benefited America, even though they made some very grave mistakes. His views on President Lyndon Johnson, for his decision to escalate the Vietnam war, and for the questionable legality of the Gulf of Tongkin resolution are concerning. Lyndon Johnson did escalate the war to far, but his support of the Civil Rights Movement overshadows in my opinion his extreme hawkishness towards Vietnam. Without his support, America would be a very different repressive place towards race.
The Glory and the Dream is a work of popular history at its best as it makes history accessible to all. You can understand and enjoy this book without being a scholar or a historian. It also covers an important period of history which is still relevant to our political, economic, and cultural present. Therefore in reading this book you widen your understanding of current events.

The Glory and the Dream

William Manchester's The Glory and the Dream, paints
a vivid and detailed picture of America from 1932 to
1972. It begins at the height of the Great Depression,
and tells of the New Deal, the events leading to
America's entry into World War II, the prosperity of
the late 40s and 50s, and the militancy of the 60s and
early 70s. The book ends with the growing distrust of
the nation surrounding the Watergate scandal. In his
decription of these forty years, before and after
World War II, Manchester shows how America has reveled
in its glory as the most powerful nation in the world,
yet continues to dream for new heights of power. The
Glory and the Dream is an excellent book, because the
author is able to make many of the characters and
emotions of the time come to life, in his detailed and
engaging style. However, I personally believe that the
author treats some of major figures of the time too
harshly.
Manchester is able to make his characters come to
life through effective use of quotes and actions,
which describe the feelings and concerns those people
had. The desperation and general sadness of the Great
Depression is shown in the lyrics of a song by Rudy
Valee.
They used to tell me I was building a dream
And so I followed the mob.
When there was earth to plough or guns to bear
I was always there right on the job

Once I built a railroad, made it run
made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad, now it's done.
Brother, can you spare a dime?
At that same period, the shame of Americans is shown
in this observation from the Governor's mansion in
Albany at a time Franklin Roosevelt was still
governor, "Professor Rexford Tugwell of Columbia, a
house guest, was summoned to the master bedroom, where
his host lay surrounded by clouds of newsprint. As
Tugwell entered, Governor Roosevelt covered
photographs of the violence against the Bonus Army by
the American army with his hands, as though in shame
for his country."
The author shows that at the same time the American
people felt shame and sadness, there was also a
growing sense of resolve that something should be done
to alleviate the poverty that many Americans were
facing. A quote full of this growing resolve and
determination comes from Franklin Roosevelt address to
the Democratic Convention in 1932 in which he accepts
the party's nomination for President. "I pledge you, I
pledge myself, to a New Deal for the American people."
A quote of Franklin Roosevelt that helps to illustrate
his character and the general feeling of the time come
from his conversation with Tugwell. "'There is
nothing inside that man but jelly,' Roosevelt said
angrily. 'Maybe there never was anything else. Why
didn't Hoover offer the men coffee and sandwiches,
instead of turning Pat Hurley and Doug MacArthur
loose?" This illustrates the generosity of Roosevelt's
spirit in contrast to the rudeness and inattentivenss
of his opponents in the Republican party.
In its 1302 pages, this offers an in-depth portrait
of America at that period. Its lively details and
examples with use of many quotes, strong verbs and
adjectives make you feel as if you were suffering
through the Great Depression, prospering through the
New Deal, fighting through World War II and reliving
the Vietnam war. Unfortunately this lengthy book could
intimidate some. However by splitting the reading into
decades, one may avoid the frustration of reading such
a dense and interminable book at once.
My one reservation lies in Manchester's condemnation
of leaders I believe benefited America, even though
they made some very grave mistakes. His views on
President Lyndon Johnson, for his decision to escalate
the Vietnam war, and for the questionable legality of
the Gulf of Tongkin resolution are concerning. Lyndon
Johnson did escalate the war to far, but his support
of the Civil Rights Movement overshadows in my opinion
his extreme hawkishness towards Vietnam. Without his
support, America would be a very different repressive
place towards race.
The Glory and the Dream is a work of popular history
at its best as it makes history accessible to all. You
can understand and enjoy this book without being a
scholar or a historian. It also covers an important
period of history which is still relevant to our
political, economic, and cultural present. Therefore
in reading this book you widen your understanding of
current events.

This is a comprehensive guide to the haunted places of the United States, listing over 2000 locations. By "haunted places" the author, Dennis William Hauck, simply means "a place where events occur beyond our ability to explain them." In this list the author includes locations frequented by ghosts, Bigfoot and his kin, lake monsters, lizard men, unexplained sounds, extraterrestrials and UFOs, as well as energy vortices, sacred sites, petroglyphs and earthworks. The emphasis of this work, however, is on ghosts as spirits of the dead--most of these feature historical information which might supply an origin for the uneasy spirit-or replayings of past events, as well as other supernatural entities such as poltergeists and demons. Other strange phenomena are included; my favorite is the "White Clads": strange white-robed figures carrying candles, seen in rural areas of North Dakota in 1976.

Hauck only briefly states the binding premises of this book in the introduction. I agree with the author's declaration in the second paragraph there, in which he states that "hauntings occur (and often recur) in specific places" and that "haunted events are beyond our logic and occur in ways that challenge our perception of reality." I must, however, question the validity of his statement that "events that do not belong in our space and time can nonetheless take place there." This assertion begs the question: how does anyone know what belongs in our time/space? If such events challenge our perception of reality--if we cannot trust our senses, in other words--how is anyone able to come to such a conclusion? These matters are partly answered by the concluding sentence of this paragraph: "A paranormal experience reveals dimensions of the universe not ordinarily available to our senses." If by "not ordinarily," Hauck means in ways that challenge our current understanding of time and space, I completely agree. At this point in our understanding of those phenomena which we call "hauntings," however, we cannot declare with any certainty whether or not these events belong here: they may very well belong here, but, like the very small organisms which live alongside us, are occult to our senses under conditions which we have come to call "normal."

The bibliography is exhaustive, with 233 sources listed, but accordingly creaks under its own weight. This book begs to be republished on CD-ROM, so that page numbers for the books referenced could be included, or that the reader might know how many items were taken from a given source. Hauck's dedication is apparent in the number of entries which have their origin in the author's personal investigations, files, and correspondence, but given the importance of this research, the results of his inquiries should be published elsewhere, in a more complete form. The author has limited his bibliography to recently published books which are likely to be available to the public, rather than to cite the original source of information on the haunting: again, such data would fit nicely on a CD-ROM, which is not subject to the same spatial restraints as a book, and which would not be of interest to any but the archivist and the specialist in any case.

None of these slight flaws detract from the usefulness of this guide. It is one of those books which my wife Fayaway and I carry with us always on our trips across the country: we have visited many of the places listed here, and have found the author's information to be always accurate and complete. It is furthermore very well written and entertaining. This guide is highly recommended for those interested in armchair travel, as well as those planning an actual journey to haunted places.

I received Mr. Haucks book from my husband after he conducted an interview with him for a radio show in Chicago IL.1996. Since that time we have Lived in MA., MI., GA., and currently NY. We have traveled by car to and from these states often. It has been interesting to read about the haunted sights listed. We visited many of them along our way for entertainment. I am not an expert on the subject of the paranormal but I do enjoy reading about sightings, area legends and superstitions. Thanks to Mr. Haucks book we have taken time out in areas of the country that we never would have visited other wise. I read the review or rather comment made by Dr. Myers about Mr. Haucks reported hauntings. I can only offer this story in response. My husband and I visited Graceland Cemetary in Chicago and saw the statue of Inez Clarke under glass on our first visit. Upon the second visit some weeks later (after a rain)the statue was not there. Do I believe she was walking around? or just out for repairs? I can't say but it did make our visit all the more interesting and we never would have noticed if we hadn't looked in the book. Nowasa NY,NY.

Haunted Places: The National Directory, by Dennis William Hauck, is a treasure trove of not only reputedly haunted places, but of our country's history as well. Sorted alphabetically by state, then by city, it's easy to find a haunted place within driving distance. Directions are given to locations, and phone numbers when they're open to the public. If you plan on doing some traveling throughout the country, this book could be the difference between just another boring tourist trap and an exciting Ghost Hunt. Don't forget your camera!