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Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography - General    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Biography    3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    4. Frontier and pioneer life    5. Girls & Women    6. History    7. History - United States/19th Century    8. Juvenile Nonfiction    9. Juvenile literature    10. United States    11. West (U.S.)    12. Women pioneers    13. Women's Studies (Young Adult)   

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Subjects:  1. Europe - Great Britain - General    2. History    3. History: World    4. Penology    5. Sociology    6. London, Greater London    7. Social history    8. True crime   

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Reviews (116)

Amazing how few know Charlie Wilson!
It's amazing to me how few Americans have even heard of Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson (should I mention he was a Democrat!). I myself only had a vague idea of his role in the financing of the Mujaheddin in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation. George Crile, III, brings his story, and that of Gust L. Avrakotos, died a few years back at 67, the CIA agent in charge of the largest covert operation in CIA history--the arming of Afghani tribesmen during their 1980s guerrilla war--boldly to life. As entertaining as it is informative, every educated being on the planet should read this book to gain a better understanding of what exactly goes on behind the scenes as one crisis after another shapes the world we live in. Sadly, Mr. Crile died on May 15, 2006, of pancreatic cancer.

Bringing Down the Evil Empire
I, for one, don't believe that history is rewritten.I believe that history is told, either truthfully or not, and told again and again.Everyone who writes history does so with the facts at their disposal, and distance allows for wider views.It is for this reason that I believe Charlie Wilson's War by George Crile may be the best Afghan War history to date.This is the Afghan War pitting the Freedom Fighters against the Red Army and the 80's occupation.This is the Afghan War, financed by joint funds from the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, with weapon arrangements and tactical training as well as strategic planning from the C.I.A.
Entertaining, Historical and Symbolic of our current predicament
This book gives one an excellent historical account of one of the most entertaining and important spy stories of our time. It's almost unbelievable that it's not fiction. It's also particularly relevant as it's directly connected to 9/11 and our current troubles in the Middle East.
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Subjects:  1. Afghanistan    2. History    3. History - Military / War    4. History: American    5. Large type books    6. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    7. Military - United States    8. Military assistance, American    9. Political Freedom & Security - Intelligence    10. Secret service    11. Soviet occupation, 1979-1989    12. Wilson, Charles,   

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Prejudice, and nonsense
Don't buy this book. My family has lived in the heart of Appalachia 200 years and these quaint stereotype are just not true. We are, and have always been, much like Scotch-Irish people anywhere else in America, (after all, they came from us). Ohhh, O.K., maybe we're a teensy bit better.

Our Southern Highlanders
This is another excellent source to better understand these people in their very unique culture.

Our Southern Highlanders;entertaining and insightful
Our Southern Highlanders by Horace Kephart gave me a new perspective on people who live in the mountains of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.Though some of Mr. Kephart's views on ethnic groups are clearly out of step with modern sensibility, his depiction of the settlers of our mountain regions gives readers an insightful view of these proud Americans.Furthermore, Mr. Kephart is not pedantic or boring in giving his depictions of mountain folk; but, instructs readers through amusing tales and descriptions. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Appalachian Region, Southern    2. Appalachians (People)    3. Description and travel    4. History    5. History - U.S.    6. History: American    7. Social life and customs    8. United States - State & Local - General   

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Subjects:  1. History    2. History - U.S.    3. History: American    4. United States - General    5. History / United States / General   

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Reviews (69)

Breaking the bonds of slavery
This nonfiction revels in importance simply because of its magnitude in not only the fight against slavery in the latter part of the 1800s (and the subsequent abolition), but also because of its brutal honesty for an individual who should be considered an ancestor of civil rights. Fredrick Douglass narrates in detail many of the terrors, horrors, and injustices that he and those around him had to endure during his years as a slave in Maryland. He describes the beatings, whippings, tortures and even deaths that he was close to and had no power to stop.He makes the point that slaveholders gained control over slaves by dehumanizing them, making them ignorant against their own accord, and ultimately having control over them. Frederick does everything in his power to negate this dehumanization, and begins to learn to read and write, but with more knowledge gained he has a stronger sense of loathing those who enslave him: "The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest my enslavers. I could regard them in no better light than a band of successful robbers who had left their homes, and gone to Africa, and stolen us from our homes..."
Would you like to be a slave?
I have a doctorate and enjoy reading as my favorite past time. This book is one of my all time favorites and it was very intelligently written by an exslave. For all of you who mistakenly think that maybe some people were better off as slaves, you should really read this book.I plan to give it to one relative! The pain and frustration he felt will tear at your heart. Since we all look the same on the inside it amazes me that society could ever let this happen to anyone. The drama and plot are gripping and the vocabulary is first rate. His soul now rests above while this book serves to enlighten us all!

Go get it.Read it.Learn.
No matter where you are from, what color you are, or what you think is important - if you have not done so, do yourself a favor and read this brief story.If you are an American and do not know of the life of one of America's greatest heroes, then please pick up a copy and read his story. Remember his story-and remember why we hold freedom so dear. If you are from anywhere else, this is your chance to read a true story, like none other, of a man, who, by his own human nature detests the bonds of slavery, and through incredible daring, indefatigable strength and unrelenting intellect, secures his own freedom.It is an easy and quick read (I went through it in a couple hours) but it is also a must read.This is truly a unique and unvarnished look at the terrors, tortures and dehumanization of slavery in Maryland, the fortitude and zeal of the northern abolitionists who safeguarded Douglass and the ultimate triumph of the human spirit over the forces of ignorance and bondage. An eye-opener, emotionally gut wrenching and, finally, uplifting.(For parents and teachers: It is also The Perfect Book to encourage reading!) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. People of Color    4. Large Print    5. History    6. Electronic Paperback    7. Douglass, Frederick,    8. 1817?-1895    9. Abolitionists    10. Historical    11. Afro-Americans    12. African American Studies - History   

Editorial Review

Geologically speaking, 1906 was a violent year: powerful, destructive earthquakes shook the ground from Taiwan to South America, while in Italy, Mount Vesuvius erupted. And in San Francisco, a large earthquake occurred just after five in the morning on April 18--and that was just the beginning. The quake caused a conflagration that raged for the next three days, destroying much of the American West's greatest city. The fire, along with water damage and other indirect acts, proved more destructive than the earthquake itself, but insurance companies tried hard to dispute this fact since few people carried earthquake insurance. It was also the world's first major natural disaster to have been extensively photographed and covered by the media, and as a result, it left "an indelible imprint on the mind of the entire nation."Read more

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Dry topic turned very interesting
Plate tectontics... yawn... Hey the continents move, we all know that. But what you didn't know is why, what happens with they suddenly move quite quickly. If you live along either the Northern or Southern end of the San Andreas Fault you owe it to yourself to read this book. Lets just say, I won't be living there anytime soon.
Interesting!
A lot of good factual information written in a readable fashion.I want my family to read this book.Anyone who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area should read this!I've already ordered another copy as a gift!

California Beware!
"A Crack in the Edge of the World" is a great read that I especially recommend to all whom live, have lived or who have simply just visited the San Francisco region of California.To all these individuals, it would only be some troglodyte who has not at least heard of the great earthquake of 1906.This book covers that momentous year and much more as well.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. California    3. Earthquakes    4. Earthquakes & Volcanoes    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History - U.S.    8. History: American    9. Large type books    10. San Francisco    11. San Francisco Earthquake, Calif., 1906    12. United States - 20th Century (1900-1945)    13. United States - State & Local - West   

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Subjects:  1. Europe - Great Britain - General    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Human Sexuality    6. Monarchy And Aristocracy    7. Sex Relations    8. History / Great Britain   

Editorial Review

The popularity and credibility of charismatic news anchor Tom Brokaw ensured bestseller status forRead more

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A Compilation of Worthwhile Memories
This is just a great book containing letters from some of this nation's finest people.It's all about WWII heros, not only on the battle field but also on the home front.It's all about a generation that faced the depression and then WWII with bravery, character, and resolve rarely seen.

Sequel and the Normal drop you Expect
I thought The Greatest Generation was an American treasure and could not recommend it higher.But this book tries to mine more of that gold and not quite as well.The Great Generation told stories by Brokaw.This book is a sampling of letters written based upon reading the Greatest Generation.And while many of the letters are touching, it doesn't read as professionally as the first book and in many cases becomes redundant.A worthwhile read but not nearly as good as the first.

Responses from the "Greatest Generation"
In this follow-up to "The Greatest Generation," the members and children of the generation that came of age during World War II describe their experiences, in their own words. This is a first-hand look at the hardships faced and overcome by these individuals, as well as the impact these experiences had on them and their children. Many of these letters were written during the war, and are invaluable in connecting us to that period. I can't help wondering, though, how our age of e-mail, cell phones and instant messaging will be remembered without a permenant record of letters to speak for us to future generations... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - U.S.    3. History: American    4. Large type books    5. Letters    6. Military - World War II    7. Personal narratives    8. Personal narratives, American    9. United States - 20th Century    10. United States - 20th Century/WWII    11. World War, 1939-1945    12. History / General   

Editorial Review

In Read more

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George Will hits a single
George Will romantacizes baseball by selecting a few of the more moral and serious members of the sport, and applauding their virtue and hard work.Albeit the book was written in the early 1990's before the steroid scandals, but most insiders knew baseball had already turned into a public spectacle, its players hitting for the paycheck, not the fences, and drug use common and taken-for-granted.The ideologically naive title "Men At Work" belies the more appropriate title, "Men on Drugs" and demonstrates that so long as one's mentality about the game remains at the level of a naive twelve-year-old, personal wish-fullfilment will prevail over the facts.Simon & Garfunkel wrote the line 'Where Have You Gone, Joe Dimaggio?' for the song "Mrs. Robinson' years before this book, and they got it right long before George Will got it half-right.

Give me a break!
If you're looking for a good baseball read, look further.The absolute twerpiness of George Will comes across in this book.It's clear that when he was a youngster, he was the nerdy kid in the schoolyard.This is the typical example of a pinheaded intellectual trying to sound like an average Joe by writing about sports.Give me a break George Will!

Excellent
This is a fascinating journey into the national pastime. George Will writes economically and wisely not only about what the game is, but also what it once was. The evolution of the sport - although that is certainly not the focus of the book - is illuminating for anyone who is interested in how institutions come to change. Will brings a deep explanation to the chief facets of the game - managing, pitching, hitting and defense. Ultimately they groove together to form a gorgeous tapestry of understanding. There's a word for this kind of non-fiction work: indispensable.
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Subjects:  1. Baseball    2. Baseball - Essays & Writings    3. History    4. Large Print    5. Large print books    6. Large type books    7. Sports & Recreation    8. United States   

Editorial Review

In 1995, a watchful patron alerted a librarian at Johns Hopkins University that another patron, a middle-aged and well-dressed man, was behaving suspiciously. The librarian called the police, who discovered that the man, a Floridian named Gilbert Bland, had cut four maps from a set of rare books. On investigation, the police were able to attribute dozens of similar thefts to Bland, thefts that had taken place at a score of the country's best-regarded--and, presumably, best-protected--scholarly institutions.Read more

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A wandering tale which doesn't lead where you think......
This is an interesting tale of a writer getting lost.The author embarked on a mission to find the story of a thief who stole valuable maps from right under the noses of unprepared rare book collections.While he was well on the journey, he found his subject to be uncooperative and not particularly interesting.Nonetheless, the writing flows, and the book gives a brief but interesting look into cartographic history, the antique map-dealing subculture, and the gentle madness of map collectors.The book does seem a bit stretched, and it is more the story of the author's quest to write the book than the nature of cartographic crime, but I liked the diversions, and the writer does an excellent job of making a foriegn topic accessible.The book is both engaging and meandering, and doesn't go where you think it is going.

A memorable tale
Explores a whole different world....that of the rare map collector and those who become a bit too much obsessed with possessing them.
Island of Lost Marbles
Author Miles Harvey describes the bizarre world of map thieves (including explorers, cartographers, collectors and vandals) as "deliciously offbeat," and so it is. Perhaps a fascinating narrative on cartographic crime could be culled from these 350 pages. Sadly, Harveystructured his book around Gilbert Bland, a petty crook whose life is remarkable only for its sheer dullness. With all the build-up in the introduction, the reader hopes for more.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Bland, Gilbert Lee Joseph    3. Collectors and collecting    4. Criminology    5. Early maps    6. Earth Sciences - General    7. General    8. History    9. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    10. Law    11. Libraries    12. Map thefts    13. Maps    14. Special collections    15. True Crime    16. United States   

Editorial Review

By the mid-19th century, steamships were eclipsing traditional sailingships in the lucrative transatlantic trade. The largest of these, the AmericanRead more

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Quick, easy read - good info on mid 19th century at sea
Bought the book to learn more about immigration in the 1850s.My great great grandfather brought his family from Germany to USA in 1853 on the USM Atlantic, a sister ship of the Arctic.
Fateful tale of cowardice and courage at sea
The fateful voyage of the Titanic was not the first time a luxury liner went to the bottom taking the cream of society with it. Decades before, the steamship Arctic, the pride of the Collins line, had suffered a catastrophic collision that resulted in 400 souls lost. The behavior of the crew was hardly the model of civility, though. The fact that only 22 passengers survived the ordeal, along with 65 crewmen, hints at the panic-stricken, near-mutinous conditions aboard the Arctic prior to its demise.
The Great Disaster prior to Titanic
The Artic (a beautiful watercolor of this steamship from the collection of Walter Lord, author of A NIGHT TO REMEMBER is used on the cover) was the largest of America's steamboats in 1854.Its fate was similar in many ways to the later Titanic disaster, but on a smaller scale.Firsthand testimony of the survivors makes this a classic.
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Subjects:  1. Arctic (Steamship)    2. General    3. History    4. History: American    5. Large print books    6. North Atlantic Ocean    7. Shipwrecks    8. Travel - General    9. United States - Revolutionary War   

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Vinegar Joe's story finally told
With a colorful name like this you would think he would be better known for his role in WWII.Vinegar Joe Stilwell was slated to be the Commander of Allied forces in the North African campaign.Unfortunately for Vinegar Joe that was not to be and the job ended up going to Eisenhower.
"Vinager Joes Story"
For anyone who is interested in a little known theater of WWII. This is a well written and fact filled read. Primarily the story of Gen. Joe (Vinager Joe) Stilwell. In an arena of larger than life names,Merrill, Wingate, Mao, and Chian Kai-shek, Gen.Stilwell`s story pull all the elements together in an way that, a telling from other angles might not. As my first book on this subject, I feel Mr Webster gave me my money`s worth in a book that was hard to put down.

A good solid read if you're a fan of the genre
Overall I'd say this was a pretty good book as a historical war record.It shines the light on an oft forgotten theatre in WWII and dissects both the political and military aspects with clarity.Even as a self-professed WWII history buff many of these details were not known by me.So, for that I'd have to give this book high marks simply for the depth of information on this mostly unknown piece of WWII history.The background on General Stilwell is of particular interest as the man who stubbornly ran the war against all odds.Stilwell's army constantly faced a multitude of diseases, lack of supplies, horrible climatic conditions and a relentless enemy and the book covers these in detail, from dysentery to flying supplies over the "hump" to first hand accounts of Japanese banzai charges.Handcuffed by U.S. military planners and General Chiang Kai-shek policies, Stilwell shows his mettle and does a superb job of getting things done with the little resources he had available.I found it especially interesting that the author notes that Gen. Stilwell had first been selected to lead the D-Day invasion of Europe, but because of his unique qualifications he was chosen for the Burma-India theatre with Eisenhower instead leading the invasion or Normandy.Could we perhaps have had a President Stilwell if he had overseen D-day and not Ike?Some of the guerilla warfare with details of firefights was especially engaging.At times however the book did bog down and get a bit dry with all the "logistical" details and I had to slog my way past that.But, in the end it was a satisfying book.If you're a history, military and/or political science fan, then this book is right up your alley.If you only have a general interest in the topic, I'd probably recommend you pass. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southeast Asia    2. Burma    3. Campaigns    4. History    5. History - Military / War    6. Japanese occupation, 1942-1945    7. Large type books    8. Military    9. Military - World War II    10. World War, 1939-1945   

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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Country life    4. General    5. History    6. Ireland    7. Large Print    8. Large type books    9. Homes and haunts    10. Taylor, Alice   

Editorial Review

On July 26, 1945, the heavy cruiser Read more

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What a story
It's amazing how few people know about this story. More people should know. More people should read this book.

Excellent book on this subject.
It's hard to imagine another book being any better than this one on the subject of the sinking of the U.S.S Indianapolis. It is very well researched and very well written. After reading this book I'll never look at "having a bad day" the same way again. What these men went thru is absolutely shocking and horrific to say the least.
and 1/2 stars... Easy read
I enjoyed this book, the story of the U.S.S. Indianapolis has many elements that can't help but make it a great story. The ship set a speed record from San Francisco to Hawaii (which still stands today), this was done delivering Little Boy eventually to the Enola Gay & on to Hiroshima. It is the story of the worst naval disaster in U.S. history. It is also a survival story of man against the elements & nature , with a conservative estimate of 200 men killed by hoards of circling sharks over a 4 day period. Perhaps the most frustrating part of it all is the majority or lives could have been saved if vital information was acted on.
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Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. History: American    4. Large type books    5. Military - Naval    6. Military - World War II    7. Naval operations, American    8. Pacific Ocean    9. Shipwrecks    10. World War, 1939-1945   

Editorial Review

Individuality would not seem to be a highly prized virtue at West Point. After all, new cadets arriving at the military academy are not required to pack anything more than a toothbrush and some underwear since they will be issued everything else. But despite their uniformity and disciplined bearing, the cadets profiled in David Lipsky's Read more

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Not Representative
While I enjoyed the read from a purely entertaining and pride perspective, I found the book fairly unrepresentative of the Corps as a whole.As a graduate, I know what life at West Point is like, and how the Corps thinks and acts.It is unfortunate that Mr. Lipsky chose such a narrow prism of cadets to portray as the whole.For those who truly want a sense of what life at USMA is like, do yourself a favor and visit.

Huge Holes In Story
The author had unlimited access but tells a very unbalanced story.
This Book is No Goat
David Lipsky, a writer for Rolling Stone magazine, and the son of self-proclaimed hippie parents whose zip code is in Greenwich Village is assigned to write about a class of cadets and write his story after a year. Nurtured with a distrust and dislike for anything military, he anticipates that West Point will throw up one roadblock after another. He is surprised when they give him unrestricted access the academy.
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Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. History: American    4. Large print books    5. Large type books    6. Military    7. Military - United States    8. United States Military Academy   

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Wonderful Story!!!
This short account of a true story of two young men and their quest to have a first summit attached to their names is wonderful.Their undaunted courage and lasting friendship make this a great story to hand down to your children.

Not quite an epic but a good read.
For anyone who is an armchair adventurist (like me), this is a fun read.Roberts creates a smooth story and actually downplays what were really dangerous acts. Good story
This is just a story of two friends. It is not complex but it is a very fun read. It is not written as a catharsis, like into thin air was, it's basically the coolest story your grandpa ever told you. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. Lucania, Mount    3. Mountaineering    4. Mountains    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Sports & Recreation    8. Yukon Territory   

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Cahill's Erudition is a Pleasure
Most educated people have some idea about the important contributions the Greeks have made to Western Civilization.We usually learn of their deeds in a hodge podge fashion.We learn about Pythagoras in Geometry Class or Socrates or Plato in an Introduction to Philosophy class.We know the Greeks are important but most of us know this in a scattered sort of way.
Disappointing and Unconvincing
I thoroughly enjoyed the author's earlier work on how the Irish saved civilization.But this book was a disappointing compendium of Greek myths, legends and history that never reveals a plan behind the book.Taken in its subparts, many sections are engagingly informative in an elegant if sometimes pretentious prose.Yet the author ambles from here to there in a disjointed narrative with interesting nuggets but little insight.Where's the big picture?The author attempts to wrap it up at the end with a sentence about the Greeks' "variety of human response, lightening quick transmutations, resourcefulness, and inexhaustible creativity."
A Good Read, but...
Not as concise and tightly written as Cahill's other works on Judaism, Christianity and the Irish. Not a bad starting point on the Greeks, yet seemed confused and disorganized at times. Still, many bright spots and certainly worth a look and 4 stars. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ancient - Greece    2. Civilization    3. Civilization, Western    4. Greece    5. Greek influences    6. History    7. History - General History    8. History: World    9. Large type books    10. To 146 B.C    11. Western civilization    12. World - General    13. History / World   

Editorial Review

When the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, few could have anticipated its potential for devastation. Pulitzer prize-winning author John Hersey recorded the stories of Hiroshima residents shortly after the explosion and, in 1946, Read more

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"The hurt ones were quiet; no one wept, much less screamed in pain..."
When the atomic bomb dropped at 8:15 a.m. on August 6, 1945, Hiroshima was a thriving city of two hundred forty-five thousand people.By 8:20, one hundred thousand of those people were dead.Combining the broad perspective of the absolute devastation of the city with the tiniest details of six individual lives, John Hersey provides a powerful closeup of a few survivors of the atomic attack on Hiroshima, giving the carnage a human perspective.
Should be read by everyone
Hiroshima was written shortly after the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. Journalist John Hersey traveled to Japan to record the devastation and interviewed many of the survivors, choosing six to focus on. The book begins at the precise moment the bomb exploded, taking each person in turn, setting the scene of where they were at the time and the immediate aftermath. I can't say this book is brilliantly written. There's little style and at times it becomes just a recitation of facts. But if you can put yourself in the place of the survivors, try to see what they see, feel what they feel, you realize how important it is for you to keep reading. This book isn't about entertainment, it's about understanding what the citizens of Hiroshima went through. Seeing them not only as statistics, but real people.

Thought Provoking
This book was very well written, it contains bits and pieces of journalistic facts while using the lives of ordinary people to show the impact of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in a compassionate and perceptive voice. John Hersey uses facts and the recollections of those who survived to weave a truely remarkable tale of what happens when one decision changes the lives of many.