Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Central America - History    6. El Salvador    7. Latin America - Central America    8. Political    9. Political History    10. Politicians    11. Revolutionaries    12. Revolutionary    13. Biography: general    14. Revolutions & coups   

Reviews (2)

Che's Farewell
-Once again I feel under my heels the ribs of my Rocinante.I return to the trail with my shield on my arm.Nothing essential has changed except that I am more conscious, my Marxism is deeper and more crystallized.I believe in the armed struggle as the only solution for the peoples who fight to free themselves and I am consequent with my beliefs.Many will call me an adventurer, and I am, but of a different type, one of those who put their lives on the line to demonstrate their truths. --Che Guevara, farewell letter to his parents

A clear-headed account of important history
This is an interesting book written in a direct and fluid style. The details and explanations are very credible and should be required reading for everyone that has a Guevara poster on their wall. Not that they would read anything that contradicts their distorted world view, of course. To the credit of the author and translator, this book seems like it would be dry and dull, but it is not. If you're interested in history and South America, then I recommend this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1928-1967    2. 1938-1982    3. 20th century    4. Bolivia    5. Guerrilla Warfare    6. Guerrillas    7. Guevara, Ernesto,    8. History    9. History - General History    10. Latin America - South America    11. Military    12. Military - General    13. American history: from c 1900 -    14. Guevara, Ernesto    15. History / Military / General    16. Revolutions & coups   

Subjects:  1. 1737-1793    2. 1775-1783    3. Biography    4. General    5. Hancock, John,    6. Historical - General    7. History    8. History: American    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Politics and government    11. Sources    12. Statesmen    13. United States    14. United States - Revolutionary War    15. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    16. Biography: historical    17. Hancock, John    18. History / General    19. Other prose: 16th to 18th centuries    20. Revolutions & coups    21. USA    22. c 1700 to c 1800   

Subjects:  1. General    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Latin America - Mexico    6. Revolutionary    7. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    8. American history: from c 1900 -    9. Mexico    10. c 1800 to c 1900    11. c 1900 - c 1914   

Subjects:  1. 1928-1967    2. Anthropology - Cultural    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Caribbean & West Indies - General    5. Cuba    6. Exhibitions    7. General    8. Guerrillas    9. Guevara, Ernesto,    10. History    11. History - General History    12. Latin America    13. Political posters    14. American history: postwar, from c 1945 -    15. Argentina    16. Biography: historical    17. Iconography, subjects depicted in art    18. Marxism & Communism    19. Revolutions & coups   

Reviews (16)

Without Greene, the American Revolution May Well Have Failed
There is but one painting of Nathaniel Greene and no maps showing the fields of battle, yet 'Washington's General' brings forth the most vivid images of what Washington and his generals must have endured in waging the Revolutionary War, It is a testament to their dedication, ingenuity, and perseverance that they were able to achieve victory in the face of British military superiority and little financial support from the Continental Congress. Terry Golway has elevated Nathaniel Greene and the Southern Campaign to the same level of significance accorded Gettysburg and Midway. And through the extensive correspondence of Greene and others, he is able to protray the principal characters in terms which make them come to life.
Good biography of an underappreciated patriot
Nathanael Greene was one of George Washington's most trusted subordinates.This book does a signal job in describing why this was the case and why Greene deserved this trust.
Washington's General: Nathanael Greene and the Triumph of the American Revolution
I am not a professional historian just a history major (Latin America and Russia).This is the fifth book that I have read about the American Revolution and I rate it 4 stars where a 5 star is nearly impossible.Nathanial Greene is a facinating character and like George Washington he understood how not to loose a war.I think the author was a bit hard on Nathaneal agreene for his 'need' to be recognized. Nathaneal Greene understood the fact that he was going to be in the history books.Artists and polititions, to name a few, have the same desires but with less historical importance so why not one of America's greatest generals? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Biography And Autobiography    3. Historical - U.S.    4. History    5. History: American    6. Military    7. United States - Revolutionary War    8. United States History (General)   

Editorial Review

On December 16, 1773, some 150 men boarded three ships docked at Griffin's Wharf. Dressed as Mohawks, their faces darkened with soot, the men cracked open chests of tea and threw them into Boston Harbor. What began as a protest against the duty on tea became an icon of the American Revolution. But what did the Boston Tea Party mean to its participants? Indeed, what did the Revolution mean to the ordinary person? In Read more

Reviews (6)

Shoemaker meets Forrest Gump
Young creates two essays; one that recalls George Robert Twelves Hewes participation in nearly every important event of the Am. Revolution, a sort of Forrest Gump of his time, and one that delves into the existance of historical memory- the true service of this book. Just another Shoemaker
Alfred Young's book is a well-written example of how ordinary people shaped the Revolution. History tends to limit itself to the "Great Men" of the time, but sometimes an ordinary person like George Robert Twelves Hewes finds himself recorded into history. In this case, Hewes just happened to outlive many of the others who fought in the Revolution, and his experiences managed to live on in two biographies written about him while he was still alive. But Hewes is only part of the story. The rest of the book details how certain events of the Revolution have been forgotten (or at least not celebrated) such as the tar-and-feathering of John Malcolm.Young's book is striking and poignant, and it is written in a curt manner. I would suggest this book to anybody who has an interest in the American Revolution.

"I doff my hat to no man on the streets of Boston"
How did the idea of a revolution take hold among those who cared little about a tax on tea? The story of an apprentice shoemaker, (the lowest of the trades, we learn) who, one year humbles himself at the house of a successful Bostonian businessman, and, the next year refuses to doff his hat to a British ship's captain on the street.What changed him? Divided into two parts, the first half of this book is excellent, the second half less so. More academic than a pop history, but still a good read, I'm glad I bought it.The kind of book that leaves you feeling you learned something and read a good book at the same time. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. (George Robert Twelves),    2. 1742-1840    3. Biography    4. Boston    5. Boston Tea Party, 1773    6. Hewes, George R. T    7. History    8. History - Military / War    9. History: American    10. Massachusetts    11. Memory    12. Revolutionary    13. Shoemakers    14. Social aspects    15. U.S. History - Revolution And Confederation (1775-1789)    16. United States    17. United States - Revolutionary War    18. History / Revolutionary   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Art    3. Art & Art Instruction    4. Art And Society    5. Art and revolutions    6. Art, Latin American    7. Caribbean & Latin American    8. History - General    9. Latin America    10. Latin America - South America    11. Political aspects    12. Revolutions    13. American history: from c 1900 -    14. Art / General    15. Cultural studies    16. History of art & design styles: from c 1900 -    17. Revolutions & coups   

Reviews (6)

Excellent history, well written, interesting, a focus on character.
This is an excellent book, well written, clear and concise. It focuses on the Year of the Terror during the French Revolution.
An amazing book!
This may have been the best book that I have ever read. Palmer does a great job of portraying the characters, the times, and the decisions they made. The last chapter is absolutely riveting. One of if not the best book I've ever read!

Insightful Book about a Little Understood Time
In my college Western Civilization course years ago, we read a speech Robespierre gave during a festival created by the revolutionary government.After discussing this speech for a while, we passed on to Napoleon, but before we did, one student asked the professor for recommendations for further reading on the Reign of Terror.He mentioned Twelve Who Ruled.I didn't run out and buy the book, but I did keep in the back of my mind, and whenever I browsed the history shelves of a bookstore or library, I kept an eye out for it.Several years later, I ran across the book and, after reading it, I am quite glad that I did.Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Comite de salut public    4. Comitâe de salut public    5. Convention nationale    6. Convention nationale.    7. Europe - France    8. France    9. France.    10. General    11. Historical - General    12. History    13. History - General History    14. History: World    15. Reign of Terror, 1793-1794    16. Revolutionaries    17. Revolutionary    18. European History    19. European history: c 1750 to c 1900    20. History / France    21. c 1700 to c 1800   

Reviews (1)

good overview but scope too narrow
Professor Hart's book was written in 1989, which isn't that long ago, but the book is showing its age in that it only looks at political actors and does not spend much time analyzing the underlying economic background to the revolution.
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Subjects:  1. 1867-1910    2. 20th century    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Latin America - Mexico    7. Mexico    8. Revolution, 1910-1920    9. Social aspects    10. Social conflict    11. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    12. American history: from c 1900 -    13. History / Latin America    14. Revolutions & coups    15. USA    16. Warfare & Defence   

Reviews (4)

quite an impressive overview of the origins...
I am impressed with the scope and depth that William Doyle put into the Origins of the French Revolution. It is sometimes difficult and grueling to read, but Origins of the French Revolution is well worth it if you are a history buff or like anything pertaining to the French.
Thougtful, Concise Analysis
This short book is a structural analysis of the outbreak of the French Revolution.Doyle opens by discussing the relevant historiography and proceeds to explicate the major underlying causes of the Revolution.He includes some concise narrative of the opening of the Revolution and the major features for its triumph.This book can be read profitably in conjunction with Doyle's excellent one volume history of the Revolution.

Brisk, analytical and direct
There is of course a daunting amount of literature on the French Revoloution which often means that first-time students are often faced with a lottery concerning the book they choose. This book has no pretentions whatsoever to being all encompassing or a psycho-sociological analysis of the revoloution itself. Dealing with the pre 1789 period it is an admirably clear re-examination of the fall of the ancient regime. Comprehensively written and free of academic snobbery it charts the relaxation of rigid absoloutism and the development both of coherent political opposition and a relevant public opinion, both concepts that were unheard of in the archetypal monarchy of Loius XIV. Seditious pamphlets that had traditionally been confined to exile in the Netherlands found their way back into France and criticism of the establishment grew in a crescendo: the street and the parlements echoing one another and feeding in confidence off of one another. Doyle thus lands us in the years immediately prior to 1789 and guides us through the domino series of economic ministers, victims of the sustained, and now infamous financial crisis that so relentlessly exposed the dire infrastructure of French government. Finally we are presented with a synopsis of events that led to the walls of the Bastille and a conclusion: all in all less than 200 pages. This is a very businesslike book with no room for sentiment, philosophy or lyricism but in its digestible form, leaves the reader clear on the major points, a task many other histories have failed in. Reccomended for anyone looking for a clear explanation for the end of the ancien regime. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Causes    2. Europe - France    3. France    4. Historiography    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. Revolution, 1789-1799    9. Revolutionary    10. European history: c 1750 to c 1900    11. History / France    12. History, World | European | France    13. Revolutions & coups   

Subjects:  1. Europe - Austria & Hungary    2. General    3. History    4. History: World    5. Political Ideologies - Communism & Socialism    6. Politics / Current Events    7. European history: postwar, from c 1945 -    8. Hungary    9. Revolutions & coups    10. c 1945 to c 1960   

Reviews (1)

A Very Substantial Introduction
There's so much material in this little book that I had to read it twice: the first time I was overwhelmed.
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Subjects:  1. Civil War, 1936-1939    2. Europe - Spain & Portugal    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Military - Other    7. Revolutionary    8. Spain    9. Civil war    10. European history: from c 1900 -    11. History / Spain & Portugal    12. History, World | European | Spain    13. Inter-war period, 1918-1939   

Reviews (3)

not my cup of tea.
personally i felt the book sucked, was long, boring, etc.
Student Review
I had to read this book for class. FREAKING BORING. the happiest day of the summer was the day i finished this book.

The origins of women's political activism in America
Kerber effectively demonstrates the limits of women's roles at the outset of the American Revolution and shows how these roles changed. For instance, Enlightenment thinkers, such as Rousseau, thought that women should be confined to politically passive domestic duties (a view which prevailed at the beginning of the Revolution). Kerber focuses on several women--Mercy Otis Warren, Abigail Adams and Mary Wollstonecraft--who exeplified politically active women that defied these 'Enlightenment' views. Though these women were the exception, they influenced other women that it was acceptible to be politically informed and still excell in their domestic duties. According to Kerber, this led to a political transformation of women's roles termed "Republican Motherhood," a concept that encouraged women to be informed politically and use their domestic influence to raise virtuous republican sons, and to politically influence brothers, husbands and fathers. This transformation from politically inactive domestic roles to active, Kerber argues, laid the foundation for the women's rights and abolitionist's movements. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Feminism & Feminist Theory    2. History    3. History - U.S.    4. History: American    5. Revolution, 1775-1783    6. Social Science    7. United States    8. United States - Revolutionary War    9. Women    10. Women's Studies - General    11. Women's Studies - History    12. American Revolution; letters; diaries; legal records; status in law and society; Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture    13. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    14. History / United States / Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)    15. Revolutions & coups    16. Social history    17. USA    18. Women's studies   

Subjects:  1. Case studies    2. General    3. History & Theory - General    4. History - General History    5. Political Science    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Revolutionary    8. Revolutions    9. Political Science / General    10. Revolutions & coups    11. Warfare & Defence   

Reviews (6)

Well written, exciting even!
A very readable book.Contemporary events and characters in England, the colonies, and Europe are presented in a way which enables the reader to see how their interaction affects the war.Important characters are well developed, and the battles are described in just enough detail that they remain exciting.
Couldn't put it down
I'm not a history buff.But having taken my son on a trip around Revolutionary War sites in Vermont and New York, I became interested in knowing more about the fascinating characters I was just learning about.This book is not only quite readable, its focus, clearly different from the "same old same old" that we get in the States, made that long war much easier to understand. A Very Good Historical Account
`Those Damned Rebels' was originally published in 1972 in hardback and later re-released in paperback in 2000. I am glad that DaCapo Press decided to re-publish this title, as it's one of the better one-volume accounts of the American Revolution that I have read for some time. As the sub title indicates this book is mainly the war as seen though British eyes but after reading the book I think it's without any particular bias. Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - U.S.    3. History: American    4. United States - Revolutionary War    5. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    6. Colonization & independence    7. Revolutions & coups    8. USA   

Reviews (10)

Unique Insight
"The French Revolution: A History" is an important book to learn about the French Revolution. Thomas Carlyle describes the interesting characters, turbulent events and the chaotic period of the Revolution.
at least give it a go
Definitely a classic.Don't be put off by the warnings other reviewers have about unfamiliar words and phrases: like any great writer, Carlyle does the work of presenting every event and person in a way to give us a feel for what was going on--at least in his vision of what happened between 1789-94 in France.The prose isn't straightforward, but you can get a summation of events straight from any encyclopedia or textbook: what Carlyle does is go much, much more in depth.Terms like 'Sansculottism' or 'sea-green Robespierre' bring very vivid impressions by the time you get near the end, and his insights into character and motive are amazingly vivid (no wonder George Eliot was impressed!)
More of a Prose of the Intellect of the Writer
The author Thomas Carlyle presents the history of the French Revolution as a prophetic poetry of his intellect, and rightfully burned on his presentation for review.As reading this book realize the great store of words and meanings that suited his direction rather than the true nature of the French Revolution of the peoples.What an awful book! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1789-1799, Revolution    2. Europe - France    3. France    4. France - History - Revolution And Napoleonic Empire (1789-1815)    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. Louis XVI, 1774-1793    9. Revolution, 1789-1799    10. European history: c 1750 to c 1900    11. History / France    12. Revolutions & coups    13. c 1700 to c 1800   

Reviews (8)

Badly written
Whilst the content may be interesting, the authors writing
A War Of Terror
Y'know, with all this talk nowadays about the War On Terror, it's good to go back and look at another bloody time. When terror tactics were unabashedly used by a group of revolutionaries to consolidate power. D Andress makes those events very vivid. Showing how governing was played for keeps in what was a ruthless dictatorship.
A complete telling of a bloody period in French history
The Terror, by David Andress, tells the complete story of the bloody period of the French Revolution, where men and women could have their heads cut off by the guillotine just for having been suspected of harboring "counter-revolutionary" thoughts or expressing dissatisfaction with the ruling Convention.The book pulls no punches, explaining everything in excruciating detail and not hesitating to describe the executions of some of the more prominent figures of the day.Unfortunately, the book is marred by being overly politicized, as well as having some dreadfully boring prose.Combining these two issues together, you get a middle of the pack book that could easily have been a lot better.
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Subjects:  1. Europe - France    2. France    3. France - History - Revolution And Napoleonic Empire (1789-1815)    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. Modern - 18th Century    8. Political violence    9. Reign of Terror, 1793-1794    10. Revolutionary    11. History / General   

Features

• Illustrated

Reviews (1)

Dark ages made bright and alive
This is an excellent book for those who wish to delve deeply into medieval history and can handle a book without pictures and illustrations, apart from a few maps. R.I. Moore, a British professor and editor for Blackwell publishers, deserves high points for a thorough scientific investigation, but also for describing his theories accessibly and vividly.Read more

Subjects:  1. 843-1273    2. Civilization, Medieval    3. Europe - General    4. Europe - Germany    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. Holy Roman Empire    9. Medieval    10. Revolutionary    11. Europe    12. European history: c 500 to c 1500    13. HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE_HISTORY    14. History / Medieval    15. Revolutions & coups    16. c 1000 CE to c 1500    17. c 500 CE to c 1000 CE   

Editorial Review

"I first visited Cambodia in 1975," Ben Kiernan writes. "None of the Cambodians I knew then survived the next four years." In Read more

Reviews (15)

Important But Not Written Well
I wish this book were written better.I'm awarding 4 stars on the basis of the importance of the topic and the enormous amount of valuable data collected by the author.This is a very detailed attempt to reconstruct the experience of Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge period.This is difficult because of the paranoid secrecy of the regime and lack of much formal documentation.A great deal of the primary data for reconstructing the history of Cambodia during this period comes from interviews with survivors, a large number of them collected by the author.Kiernan's efforts to collect data and to assemble it into a reasonable narrative are admirable.A defect of this book, however, is that Kiernan seems to be writing primarily for his fellow Cambodia specialists, not for a general audience.You really need to already know at least the basic narrative history to get the most out of this book.Kiernan proceeds through the tragic history of the Khmer Rouge period with a detailed effort to reconstruct events at the center of power and in all the provinces.This is admirable and the level of detail is convincing but to be really effective in terms of increasing reader understanding, it is necessary to regularly take a step back, provide a narrative summary, and also to give readers some understanding of the relevant regional and international context for these events.Kiernan also scants analysis in favor of his fine grained narrative.Important points like the importance of Cambodian nationalism and the putative role of racism emerge almost implicitly.Kiernan would have done better to discuss these issues and the evidence for and against his interpretations explicitly.In some ways, this book is an effort to write political history as social history.This history from below aspect makes this book an excellent source for other scholars in this and related fields.This is admirable and Kiernan's scholarly dedication deserves respect, but this book could have been much more than what it is.

Hypocrite historian... beware and read below!

The reference work on the khmer rouge
Quite simply the most authoritative work on the pol pot led khmer rouge.If planing a visit to Cambodia Kiernan's book will provide excellent background and explain much of what you see today in rural Cambodia.Further details can be obtained from the website of Sage Insights who support local disadvantaged children by their work in tourism.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Asia - Southeast Asia    3. Cambodia    4. Communism    5. Genocide    6. History    7. History - General History    8. History: World    9. Indo-China - History    10. Political atrocities    11. War Crimes And Criminals    12. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    13. History / Southeast Asia    14. Revolutions & coups    15. c 1970 to c 1980