Editorial Review

Bill Bryson has made a living out of traveling and then writing about it. In Read more

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Reviews (889)

"I had never encountered anything so hard, for which I was so ill prepared."
Returning to the US after living in England for twenty years, Bill Bryson becomes intrigued with the idea of the hiking the Appalachian Trail, a portion of which is in his New Hampshire backyard.The 2100-mile trail from Georgia to Mt. Katahdin in Maine winds through virgin forest and scenes of incredible natural beauty and provide an unparalleled opportunity to be alone and reflective.
WONDERFUL
THIS MAY BE MY SECOND FAVORITE BILL BRYSON BOOK BEHIND SUNBURNED COUNTRY. AS I SAID IN HIS FORUM, IT'S BEYOND BELIEF THAT HE AND HIS OVERWEIGHT FRIEND GOOD OLD KATZ WALKED AS FAR AS THEY DID IN THE WILDERNESS AND SURVIVED. IT IS A WONDERFUL, RELAXING, EDIFYING, LAUGH-RIOT OF A BOOK AS ONLY BILL CAN PROVIDE. I LOVE HIS WORK AND TRUST ME, BUY THIS, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN. EVEN READING ABOUT THE DANGERS YOU'LL FEEL LIKE IMMEDIATELY GOING FOR A HIKE SOMEWHERE. ONE WARNING, TAKE A LOT OF BILL'S HISTORY WITH A GRAIN OF SALT. HE TENDS TO BEND THE FACTS A BIT FOR A LAUGH AND HIS "HISTORY" OF THOMAS J. JACKSON (STONEWALL) IS JUST NONSENSE, BUT VERY FUNNY. IN FACT, JACKSON WAS PROBABLY THE MOST BRILLIANT MAJOR OFFICER THE UNITED STATES EVER PRODUCED AND HE, NOT ROBERT E. LEE WAS THE STATEGIST IN THE SOUTH'S GREATEST VICTORIES. BUT I DIGRESS, BILL BRYSON IS MY HERO AND FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE I'M A REPUBLICAN AND HE DETESTS REPUBLICAN'S SO YOU KNOW I FIND THIS MAN FUNNY. GO BILL!

Elitist and arrogant
I have made it to page 84 and I don't think I can read any further.At this point in the book Bryson is in Franklin, NC."Late on the third afternoon I stood in a Burger King and studied, with absorbtion, the photographs of the manager and his exectutive crew (reflecting on the curious fact that people who go into hamburger management always look as if their mother slept with Goofy), then slid one pace to the right to examine the Employee of the Month awards.It was then that I realized I had to get out of Franklin."If you find this sort of elitist humor funny, then this book is for you.Also this book reads like fiction.Too much of it is not believable and appears to me to be written to make the story more interesting and therefore more publishable. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Appalachian Trail    2. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    3. Audiobooks    4. Essays & Travelogues    5. Natural history    6. Travel    7. Unabridged Audio - Travel    8. United States - Northeast - General    9. United States - South - East South Central (General)    10. North America    11. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY   

Editorial Review

Building on biographies by Read more

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Excellent Book for Leaders and Executives
Most people recognize Alexander Hamilton from his name and face on the ten dollar bill. Rarely do people know the story of the poor orphan who rose from poverty on the island of Nevis to become a patriot, a self-made genius, a lawyer, a war hero, the first Treasury Secretary, or even the man responsible for envisioning and creating the industrial superpower that the United States is today.
180 people have already said this book rocks...
I am #181.This biography blew me away.Athough the duel and outcome were not a surprise to say the least (I live in Weehawken, for one), I found myself crying my eyes out for Hamilton in the end.Add a half a star to the 5 if you've been a New Yorker -- because your enjoyment will be that much greater.
Washington's indispensable man
I have enjoyed reading many outstanding biographies, but none have surpassed Chernow's "Alexander Hamilton".This "tour de force" is an enthralling read not only because of its fascinating subject in Hamilton and his inseparable relationship to the founding of our nation, but because it is a meticulously researched and wonderfully told story of perseverance, achievement, and irony.Of illegitimate birth, surviving a wretched youth in the West Indies during the 18th century, Hamilton escaped to New York through the generosity of early employers and a cousin to study at King's College.His superior intellect, obsession to distance himself from his past, and his energy and passion to distinguish himself honorably in his adopted land placed him at the right hand of General and then President Washington during the American Revolution, the founding of the Constitution, and the formation of a fragile new government.Yet he was labeled an elitist, aristocrat and a monarchist by his enemies with bewildering regularity and effect.He was a loving and tender husband and father, yet stumbled into at least one adulterous relationship that greatly crippled his political career.Although he never traveled to Europe he possessed a truer sense of European events and their implications, particularly the French Revolution, than did his more traveled and worldly contemporaries.He was long embroiled in partisan political battles with his antagonists from the Southern States, yet he was the Union's foremost defender when the prospect of Northern succession arose.He came to abhor the practice of dueling, yet he and his oldest son were both victims of its pervasive practice within a three year period.Finally, Eliza Hamilton, despite endless persecution regarding her husband's infidelity and other failings (either real or trumped up) from his political rivals and their vicious press allies remained resolutely and adoringly at his side.She tirelessly devoted 50 years of widowhood to preserving and promoting her husband's indispensable contributions to the formation of a great nation.It is largely due to her efforts that the slanderous and revisionist accounts of Hamilton's life by his contemporary rivals including Jefferson and Adams who greatly outlived him were effectivly challenged.Chernow has also made a significant contribution with this biography in preserving the memory and monumental accomplishments of this often neglected founding father. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1757-1804    2. Abridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    3. Audiobooks    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Hamilton, Alexander,    8. Historical - General    9. Historical - U.S.    10. Statesmen    11. U.S. History - Constitutional Period To Civil War (1789-1860)    12. U.S. History - Revolution And Confederation (1775-1789)    13. United States    14. United States - 18th Century    15. Family & Relationships / Parenting   

Editorial Review

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We may never know
I read this book when it first came out and concluded there was too many questionable points that are hard to explain such as the gloves, the blood and 'his Bronco' leaving the scene etc.Since I am not a forensics expert, I will not attempt to decide guilt or innocence, evidence is there to prove the case, just too many questions.I am glad I was not on the jury.

Black Racism
All that this book does is confirm what everyone, (except a large proportion of the black population) knows - that Simpson butchered two people and got away with it. Excellent
What an outrage....if this case intrigued you, then I suggest you read this book and read the "evidence dismissed".Well written, and fast paced, I couldn't put the book down.It really puts a cast of doubt on the justice system.And to know this man is still out there walking around free, while two people are not, is unbelievable.I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves true crime! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio - Nonfiction    2. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    3. California    4. Case studies    5. Evidence, Criminal    6. General    7. History    8. Homicide investigation    9. Los Angeles    10. Trials (Murder)    11. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    12. Body, Mind & Spirit / General   

Editorial Review

The Battle of Iwo Jima, fought in the winter of 1945 on a rocky island south of Japan, brought a ferocious slice of hell to earth: in a month's time, more than 22,000 Japanese soldiers would die defending a patch of ground a third the size of Manhattan, while nearly 26,000 Americans fell taking it from them. The battle was a turning point in the war in the Pacific, and it produced one of World War II's enduring images: a photograph of six soldiers raising an American flag on the flank of Mount Suribachi, the island's commanding high point.Read more

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"Flags of Our Fathers" - A Timely Look at a Bloody Battle in Our History
Quite a while ago, Nick Olmsted, a graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy, recommended that I read "Flags of Our Fathers." I am glad that I finally got around to taking his advice. This story struck me on many levels at once, and this seems to be an opportune time to share some of my thoughts about this remarkable book, written by James Bradley, the son of one of the six Marines whose iconic picture of the raising of the flag over Iwo Jima riveted a war-weary nation.
A hard book to read.
World War II seems such a long time ago for so many of us. Most Americans today weren't yet born when it took place. For this reason, I believe everyone old enough to comprehend its stories should read this book. James Bradley and Ron Powers have written a heart-pounding record of the thirty-five bloody days it took to wrest Iwo Jima (Sulfur Island) from the Japanese. The photograph of the raising of the American flag on Mt. Suribachi (1/400th of a second's space in time) is recognized around the world. The men who raised it: John "Doc" Bradley (the author's father);Harlon Block; Rene Gagnon; Ira Hayes; Franklin Sousley; and Mike Strank became instant heroes (though Block, Sousley and Strank died not long after). Bradley, Hayes and Gagnon lived to tell the tale, though both Hayes and Gagnon would die with the pain of their experiences on Iwo Jima seared into their psyches to the point they could not live with it successfully.
1/400th of a second in time
"It's funny what a picture can do":1/400th of a second in time.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Abridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    3. Abridged Audio - History    4. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    5. Historical - U.S.    6. History    7. Iwo Jima, Battle of, 1945    8. Military    9. Military - United States    10. Military - World War II    11. Photographs    12. Photography    13. World War, 1939-1945    14. History / Military / World War II   

Editorial Review

Paul Johnson says that writing Read more

Reviews (62)

The best book on the subject, with no religiuos bias
It is one of the best books I read in my life. The book is full of intriguing thoughts and explanations. It does not have the sadness, which comes with the subject. The cross-cultural analysis has been very revealing. I found fascinating the accuracy of details presented on topics, which I lived through. Somehow it adds credibility to many other thoughts in the book. Thank you very much, Mr. Johnson

Should be required reading for sunday schools
This is a wonderful book that is extremely readable.I learned more from 10 days of reading this book than I did from 10 years of attending Sunday School.

Another Great Johnson Historical Review
Johnson is my favorite historian. I have read several of his other works over the years, History of Christianity, Birth of the Modern, Modern Times, and now, A History of the Jews.
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Subjects:  1. Jewish - General    2. Unabridged Audio - History   

Editorial Review

Five years ago, Jim Collins asked the question, "Can a good company become a great company and if so, how?" In Read more

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Superb!
This is the best book I have read in regards to successful business.If you work in the corporate world, this is a must read.It is based on five years of research, and the author doesn't try to prove anything other than that which the facts prove.I am reading it for the fourth time now and draw more from it each time.Again, a must read.

Good to Great review from Steven Vornea
Every single person needs to read this book and just buy it! This book can be a life changer for people.
One of the best business books out there
Jim Collins puts forward one of the great concepts in business...and in life...that getting the right people in the right situations is the best staple of great leadership.Collins' message can be applied to any situation (business, sports, education, etc.).He has an engaging writing style and uses a wide variety of companies to illustrate his central theme of leadership as leading to great success.Collins also illustrates the great importance of a humble leader, one who gives of him/herself for the betterment of the system as a whole.This was a fascinating read, and you will close the book with a great deal of insight into how you run both your professional and personal life.A terrific, terrific read.In fact, I have gone back and begun to read Built to Last, which is actually the prequel to Good to Great.I honestly could not recommend this book more than I do. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Business/Professional    2. Audio Adult: Business    3. Business & Economics    4. Corporate & Business History - Strategies    5. Leadership    6. Management - General    7. Organizational change    8. Strategic Planning    9. Business & Economics / Management   

Editorial Review

The thorniest scientific problem of the eighteenth century was how to determine longitude.Many thousands of lives had been lost at sea over the centuries due to the inability to determine an east-west position. This is the engrossing story of the clockmaker, John "Longitude" Harrison, who solved the problem that Newton and Galileo had failed to conquer, yet claimed only half the promised rich reward. ... Read more

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I suggest this book to anyone interested in geography and history.
I chose this one because I thought it kind of related to me in a way, but I always thought it would be just a bunch of useless fact. As I read it, I became more and more interested in the struggle to 'find the longitude.' I suggest this book to anyone interested in geography and history. It's also an easy reader.
An epic 40 year struggle!
Dava Sobel, like Simon Winchester or Canada's Pierre Berton, has clearly mastered the art of writing history in a form that is not only informative but, perhaps more important, is also compelling and entertaining.
Ocean Navigation Before GPS

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Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Misc. Nonfiction    2. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    3. Audiobooks    4. Biography    5. Clock and watch makers    6. Great Britain    7. History    8. Longitude    9. Measurement    10. Biography & Autobiography / Science & Technology   

Editorial Review

Once upon a time there lived a man who discovered the secrets of theearth. He traveled far and wide, learning about the world below the surface.After years of toil, he created a great map of the underworld and expected to live happily ever after. But did he? Simon Winchester (Read more

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A truly wonderful book: Biography, history, adventure, geology
I have the audio version of this book, read by the author.Winchester exhaustively researched William Smith and brought him, and England at the end of the 18th century to vivid life in this book.I will never look at the physical earth the same, but the book was also an adventure and a biography of a great man.
Good Geology, Great Human Story
Simon Winchester, trained as a geologist, is a bit fascinated with catastrophes.He has written about the eruption of Krakatoa (Krakatoa) and the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 (A Crack In the Edge of the World) along with many other books on diverse subjects (The Professor and the Madman, for instance, which describes one of the more intriguing contributors to the Oxford English Dictionary).But The Map That Changed the World must, for him, have been a special endeavor as William Smith the creator of the map is especially revered by the English and resides, along with Hutton and Lyell in their geological pantheon, which is obviously crowded.The map, the first truly geological map, covers most of the British Isles and looks remarkably similar to current U.S. geological maps, especially in the use of myriad colors to indicate different formations. (The word "geology" was first used in its modern sense in 1735.)Today, the eight foot by six map hangs behind blue curtains in Burlington House on the north side of Piccadilly.
You really have to care
I really enjoyed the descriptions of England at the cusp of Industrialisation, the canal building, the railways, the growth of the coal industry etc. But I don't care enough about Geology to really enjoy this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio - Nonfiction (Unabridged)    2. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    3. Audiobooks    4. Biography    5. Earth Sciences - Geology    6. Europe - Great Britain - General    7. Geologists    8. Geology, Stratigraphic    9. Great Britain    10. History    11. Science    12. Scientists - General    13. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    14. History / General   

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Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. Abridged Audio - History    3. Abridged Audio - Misc. Nonfiction    4. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    5. Audiobooks    6. Europe - Great Britain - General    7. General    8. Great Britain    9. Great Britain - History    10. History   

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Wonderful Information
Very valuable information for everyone and easy to listen to.These women have so much real information to share that is difficult to find elsewhere, but it is like listening to your smarter girlfriends having a conversation.I liked the combination of styles and the fact that the doctors shared some of their lives, including their own ups and downs.I can relate to them as opposed to the "experts" that are pushing a certain type diet or program (why do those experts always write another book a few years later with a new, different program?) WOW!
Intuitively, I always knew that all of me was connected and this certainly confirms that.Thank you!

Interesting, but.......
There was so much in this tape series that is interesting that I hesitate to critise the work but here goes.... Dr. Schulz and Dr. Northrup are totally fun, because they are good friends and know each other very well. This is a plus and a minus, they have good information to impart, but sometimes the "conversational tone" of the tape series takes away from the content. Read more

Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - History    2. Alternative Therapies    3. Audio Adult: Other    4. General    5. Healing    6. Self-Help    7. Unabridged Audio - Self Help    8. Family & Health   

Editorial Review

In the past, Antonia Fraser's bestselling histories and biographies have focused on people and events in her native England, from Read more

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Great Read
This book was wonderful to read!! I even read it a second time a few weeks later, excellent!

best biography I have read
wonderful work of history, takes the reader beyond the myth and caricature of Marie Antoinette, to reveal a complex, very interesting queen. Not a dull moment in the book.

Another soap opera
There is no doubt that Antonia Fraser's "The Journey" is written in the author's usual wry, witty and highly engaging style (although I must say that I never before heard of sex described as "lugubrious.") There is also no doubt that Fraser has done a great deal to redeem Marie-Antoinette's shredded reputation by accurately describing her as being compassionate to the hardships of the French people. The book is full of vivid detail which makes it very readable. However, I was disappointed to see that Fraser resorts to many popular misconceptions. For one thing, why does Fraser act like Marie Antoinette was the only princess to be sent away from home as a teenager to seal a dynastic marriage? What about Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst (Catherine the Great) who was also a young stranger in a foreign land? This sort of thing happened all the time - it was what being a princess was all about. I was glad that Fraser did not fall into the myth of Louis XVI's impotence/ phimosis and surgery and all that. She simplistically portrays him as being asexual, which was not true, because he told his aunt after consummating his marriage that he enjoyed "it." But never has any other biographer subjected the reader to the spectacle of Fersen and the queen fiddling withprimitive prophylactics while consummating their grand passion. I must say, it is a first. Fraser insists that Marie Antoinette slept with Fersen for many years and yet gives no solid proof, while at the same time maintaining that she was a woman of high moral character. I usually do not think of a woman who is shared by both a lover and a husband as having a high moral character, but I guess Fraser does. Oh, well. It is such romantic fantasies that turn this book into more of a soap opera than a serious biography. I found it absurd when Fraser insists that the tormented queen of France was ultimately a martyr for the cause of the socialism and democracy which the French people now enjoy. If the queen had had her way, her descendant would be reigning today, and that is just the reality of it. For a better study of Marie Antoinette's relationship with her husband, I would recommend Vincent Cronin's "Louis and Antoinette." As for better biographies of the queen, let me join some fellow reviewers in the hope that the works of Delorme and Bertieres will soon be available in English. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. General    4. Unabridged Audio - History   

Editorial Review

Finally, someone who tells history like it was, without the old textbook gloss that's put so many students into premature naptime and misinformed the few who stayed awake. Davis corrects the myths and misconceptions from Columbus up through the Clinton administration, and shows that truth is more entertaining than propaganda. ... Read more

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Reviews (129)

Misses many points
Yes, there is a disconnect between what is taught what is real sometimes, although I had a problem with this book being a bit too persuading. Personally, I think exposing students to the founding documents as early as possible is critical.A better choice for students might be "The Elementary Common Sense of Thomas Paine: the famous pamphlet, Common Sense, adapted and illustrated for all readers." Reading the founding documents first can be a good first step to avoiding misconceptions in American History later.

Great Marxist parody of US History
This was absolutely the funniest parody I have ever read. The eager repetition of "The Supremem Court interpreted the 14th Amendment to give civil rights to Corporations" as the SINGLE WORST argument to ever come forth from that body was one of the funniest lietmotif's in this hysterical parody of US History told from the standpoint of an over-the-top Marxist. Worse than cowboys were BUSINESSMEN!! Eugene Debs and WEB Dubois were the ONLY white americans who were not evil!
Too Politically Correct
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one to notice the anti-White preaching in this book. Not what I expected at all because this is how History is taught today and this is supposed to be an answer to that. I was expecting to learn a lot more - most of the things mentioned I already knew. I graduated from high school in '89 and then got a Bachelor's degree from a state college that wasn't in History. Perhaps this book would be useful to those who have less education. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    2. Audiobooks    3. History    4. Miscellanea    5. Unabridged Audio - History    6. United States    7. United States - General    8. United States History (General)    9. History / General   

Editorial Review

From primordial nothingness to this very moment, Read more

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The Joy of Educational Remediation
This is one of the books I wished someone would write.My knowledge of science past and present was wanting and yet there wasn't a single book written for (and by) someone in the same boat.Bill Bryson has written such a book and brillantly over-achieved in the process.In the spirit of full disclosure, I like nearly everything Mr. Bryson has written.He can be pedantic and peevish when describing the less than admirable characters and circumstances he encounters but he's always very funny.Having said that, this physically ponderous tome made me wonder whether he could sustain his humor while at the same time educating the reader over all those hundreds of pages.Miraculously, his choice of anecdotes and pacing is spot on.It is extremely readable and there are wonderful factoids and "ah ha" moments on nearly every page.Life is short and this book is not but it's absolutely worth the trade-off.

Fun and engaging history of modern science
Well written and fun to read.Bill Brysons style really creates a nice true story, complete with the quirks and oddities of the charecters depicted.Highly recomended if you are interested in the history of science, or if you just enjoy a fun and educational read.

A Good Read for the Basics
This is a good book.And, like all Bill Bryson's work, it is wonderfully written with such a sense of humor! Bryson is very good at finding facts as well as funny historical anecdotes and idiosyncrasies.
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Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Misc. Nonfiction    2. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    3. Civilization    4. Cosmology    5. Evolution    6. General    7. Philosophy & Social Aspects    8. Philosophy Of Science    9. Science    10. Science / General   

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Extremely Interesting but sometimes a Tearjerker!
For several years I've been reading powerful thought-provoking slave narratives.This is probably the most moving due to accompanying tapes of slaves discussing their thoughts and conditions when they were slaves.This book and tapes should be used in every high school American and World history classes. I recommend this book to everyone above the age of twelve.If you want to begin educating your children earlier about American history, specifically slavery have them read K.J. McWilliams books; The Journal of Darien Duff, an Emancipated Slave, The Diary of a Slave Girl, Ruby Jo, and The Journal of Leroy Jones, a Fugitive Slave. They are based on slave narratives such as this one and include many interesting photos as well as additional information.

Powerful and Enlightening
I am currently a high school student that read part of this for a Civil War class and let me say this is one powerful book.With people who were the slaves themselves tell you their stories, you learn alot about the antebellum period.I would recommend this book for any mature person due to the fact that some of these stories show the true horror of slavery.

Very Powerful&Painful
this is a Must for all to have.The Books&tapes show the RawNess and Emotions of Americas Worst NightMare that still Haunts Her.the Voices run Deep down your skin.until SLavery is Properly Discussed and Dealt withAmerica will continue to be a Land of The Unknown.a Must Have Book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. African Americans    3. Audio Adult: Other    4. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - General    5. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - Histor    6. History - General History    7. Interviews    8. Slavery    9. Slaves    10. Social Science    11. Social conditions    12. Sources    13. Southern States    14. United States - 19th Century    15. United States - General    16. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    17. Biography: general    18. Black studies    19. Slavery & emancipation    20. Social history    21. USA