At first glance, I was very disappointed with this book. The "afghan squares" are mostly pictures such as flowers, shapes, and blocks. All were a bit too 80's for my taste (bright, tacky patterns). The technique section in the back kept this book from being an utter failure in my opinion. This section explains knitting with beads and sequins, working with different colors, and gives tips on blocking and piecing blocks together.

The best thing about this book is that although the squares are put together into specific afghans, there are clear instructions on how to mix and match them to make your own customized afghan. The patterns are all relatively simple and well-explained, and the color combinations are really striking. The only drawback is that all the suggested yarns are made by rowan. The back flap of the book says that the author is a Rowan employee, so it's understandable that she would suggest these yarns, but Rowan yarn is out of the price range of many knitters, especially for the size of an afghan that could cost hundreds of dollars with a yarn like that. But as a starting point for some great combinations, I think it's a great book to have on your shelf for reference! I learned a lot just adapting some of the squares.

This is truly like no other afghan book I have seen. The photographs and designs inthis book are absolutely beautiful--afghans taken to a new level of art, incorporating buttons, beads, and sequins with unusual patterns and color combinations.

This book also has easy to follow charts and directions. It is a book that even a fairly basic knitter could work with happily!

Engrossing and lucid, Mr. Klingaman has written a superb book on a subject that is given little scrutiny. Filled with anecdotes and witticisms this book should be read by those who are sick of the usual fat best sellers.

Klingaman's book concentrates on President Lincoln's issuance of the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation of September 22, 1862, and the Final Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863. On a closely-related subject, the book also discusses the Union Army's gradual use of African-American soldiers as a means to winning the Civil War.

Klingaman focuse on the changes in Lincoln's attitude towards emancipation and his gradual assumption of a strong leadership role. He also points out that many of Lincoln's decisions were forced upon him by the political and military circumstances of the War. Thus, Klingaman describes how Lincoln's original goal in the War was the preservation of the Union. He resisted pressure from the Abolitionists and from the Radical Republicans to emancipate the slaves in order to avoid antagonizing the border states and those in the North who would not have fought a war to free the slaves. As political pressures changed, and as the North suffered setbacks in the Virginia theatre of the war, the pressures on Lincoln changed. Although the seeds of the Emancipation had been planted earlier, as Klingaman shows, Lincoln used the end Lee's invasion of the North at Antietam as the fulcrum to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation and followed it up with the Proclamation of January 1, 1863. Klingaman explains well how the issuance of the Proclamation helped change the momentum of the War, militarily, politically, and internationally.

This book is not a work of new scholarship but it is valuable and worth reading nonetheless. Klingaman does a good job of emphasizing both the military and political aspects of the War, while many books concentrate on one or the other. I thought the book had particularly good insights to offer on Lincoln's relationship with Union General George McClellan.

Klingaman's Lincoln is primarily a politician and a pragmatist more than a political theorist. Lincoln's backwoods humor comes through well in the book as does his depression and sadness resulting from the heavy weight of his public and private trials. There are effective descriptions of pre-war Washington, D.C. which are followed by further descriptions of the way the city and our nation changed with the industrialization wrought by the War.

There are good textual discussions of both the Prelimary and Final Emancipation Proclamations which emphasize the compromises Lincoln had to make to politics rather than the role of ideas.
Finally, the book briefly discusses Emancipation following the conclusion of the War and points out eloquently how much remained and still remains to be done to bring about racial equality.

This book is a balanced and thoughtful history of the Emancipation for the reader interested in a seminal moment of our Nation's history.

William Klingaman's book, "Abraham Lincoln and the Road to Emancipation" traces the personal and social development of emancipation in the the 1860s in a refreshing and enlightening way.

By blending both historical events, with the inner turmoil of Lincoln, Klingaman sheds new light on the processes that lead to the historical proclaimation. The Lincoln in this book is torn between his desire to do what is right vs. what he perceives his Constitutional duties. Klingaman doesn't shy away from the reality that Lincoln initially didn't favor emancipation over saving the union, but embraces his struggle and his eventual turn around. This allows for a more dynamic, interesting Lincoln to shine through. Lincoln would finally do the right thing, which we come to understand the depth and complexity of his decision.

For Lincoln fans, for people with a casual interest, I highly recommend this book for a new view on an incredible man during incredible times.

This is a great book for beginners, like me! I'm probablly going to buy a boxers soon and it was very good with the basics. Of course, this book is in the favor of the Boxer and does not have many cons about buying a Boxer. Very good to get to know the breed though.

I am. I read this book before my Boxer, Bubba, was born. Author Stephanie Abraham has bred boxers for 33 years. She has also been a judge for 21 years and is on the Board of Directors of the ABC. This book covers total care basics (i.e., feeding, grooming, health) and specific Boxer traits, training and a chapter by a Dog Fancy columnist. Includes list of recommended reading and resources.

I read this book in a little over 2 hours and found it to be well written and informative, especially since I've never owned a dog. It gives you insite into this breed and simple instructions on care and training.

The title of this book perpetuates a common myth, i.e., that Abraham and Biblical Jews (and Christians) were monotheists.

While they worshiped YHWH as God (and Christians worshiped Jesus/Ihsous as God's son), they did not rule out the existence of other gods (though Paul may only have suggested the existence of other gods without actually believing in their existence). Hence, they were henotheists, not monotheists. YHWH was the God or only God for them, but the nations had their gods, too.

Someone needs to put this "myth of monotheism" to rest. I'm doing my part.

David Klinghoffer is living very close to uncovering his own story. The story continues - I believe in a Temple near by his Mercer Island Home...

Excellent Book on the Story and Trials facing Abraham, Esther and a Convert in the Jewish Community...

I met David Klinghoffer at a ...author's party and bought his book, the discovery of God. I could not stop reading his biography of Abraham. David weaves in some of his trip to Israel, the Midrash and the oral tradition with the Bible. Not only does he save me the trouble of doing all the research but his writing style is fresh and kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know more about stories that I have heard a hundred times. What a treat!
I have since purchased his spiritual journey The Lord Will Gather Me In and would liken it to a Jewish Seven Storey Mountain. David has become one of my favorite writers and his refreshingly honesty about his faults and his willingness to keep on his spiritual journey gives me hope about my own.

Xuma is a black country boy who moves to Johannesburg to look for work in the gold mines. Upon his arrival in town, a strong but kind woman named Leah takes him into her bootlegging household. She introduces him to Eliza, the girl Xuma loves but can't have, and Maisy, the girl he can have but doesn't want. He is given a rude awakening to race relations in the city and witnesses first-hand the brutality of the Johannesburg police force. While Xuma's great strength makes him a successful mine boy, he remains a second-class citizen under the apartheid regime. As the novel closes, Xuma's boss and friend Paddy helps him finally come to the realization that blacks and whites can be brothers after all.

I read this book for my course on South African History, and though it may not be very well written (English is Abrahams' second lanugage, and the prose comes off as very stiff), it is nevertheless a landmark acheivement in South African History. At the time when it was published, 1946, no book had been written about racial tension in South Africa, especially fom the eyes of a Black South African. Historically and politically a triumph, this book is as important to South Africa as "Uncle Tom's Cabin" is to the United States.

Peter Abrahams has certainly written an unsung novel here, which is devastatingly simple (in some places too simple), concentrating on the story of Xuma, a young man who has moved from the North of South Africa (Vrededorp) to the hate-filled apartheid world of Johannesburg. Filling it up with supporting characters which are rather cardboard (the black girl who dreams of being white, the drunken South Africans, the sympathetic white man) does not help, but nonetheless instead of spitefully showing us the huge hate Abrahams may hold for the apartheid system, we instead hear the story of Xuma coping in Jo'burg, with all the horrors being just there in the background. Abrahams does not emerge with a conclusion of black superiority and that whites should leave, but through Xuma, we very clearly see that both races should just get along. For anyone with a serious interest in apartheid, this book is a must!

Burlingame's book is misnamed in my view - it is not 'The Inner World' as much as how Lincoln reacted to the outer world. The reader is left to judge ultimately for himself what Lincoln thought. This is a testament to Burlingame's restraint as a historian. He could have pounded away at all sorts of psychological concepts and explanations, but he does'nt Instead, except for some references to Carl Jung in the beginning of the book and a sprikling of psychological explanations throughout the chapters, he presents in a matter-of-fact way Lincoln's relationships with his wife, his sons, his generals, and discusses his temper, ambition, and parenting, with some, but not excessive, 'patient on the couch' pontificating.

The longest, and by far the most powerful, is the chapter on Lincoln's marriage. If only half, or even a quarter of what Burlingame recounts was true, then the potato-throwing, screaming, spendthrift Mary Lincoln must have been the worst wife on earth. In Springfield, Lincoln would often rush out the backdoor during Mary's 'episodes' - whisking his sons up with him and spending the night in his office, on a couch specially installed that was long enough to handle his tall frame. He was often beaten - a broom being Mary's weapon of choice. My God, the poor man needed his own Emancipation Proclamation!

The chapter on Lincoln's depression details how low this man could get. It was probably his Gloomy Gus outlook that saved Lincoln from completely cracking up; only a person familiar with depression and how to go on under difficult circumstances could withstand the strain of a war that killed 628,000 fellow citizens in four years. I am not a Lincoln scholar so I can't testify to the veracity of all that is in this book. But, reading it will provide you with a sense of how many trials this strange, ambitious, and great man endured - at home and in politics.

Burlingame does a great service with this book. He delves into Lincoln's psyche in a way that has perhaps never been done. This is not vain guessing on his part. He offers a virtual avalanche of sources throughout the book.

His Mary Todd Lincoln chapter is a welcome antidote to the "politically correct" version that somehow turns an emotionally and at times even physically abusive MTL into an endearing person.

Finally a work comes out that eschews the sugar-coated lies we have been spoon fed since grammar school regarding the fairy tale life of our 16th President. Mary Todd Lincoln is spared all revisionist attempts at painting her neuroses in a charming, adorable light and she is revealed for what she really was - a monstrous, chilidish, shrew of a woman! Great work, and I shall introduce it to my students as the defining truth of the Lincoln marriage and White House.

This book was sentimental nonsence. His depictipn of Nazi's was very poor. I don't believe he ever was in a concentration camp. His description was hard to believe. I think he should of done alot more research.

This book was very moving and focuses on the story of a young boy trying to survive during one of the most horrific periods in our century. Very moving story..!!!! Very emotional and the author gives good details on jewish culture and customs. Amazing story and a great reading for all...

The story of survival and success over overwhelming odds left me touched and uplifted. It is written with heartfelt simplicity and tells the story of many Jewish survivors who were never in the camps. This is a story that should be read and told.

The writers of Cliff's AP books are usually great but here I feel they failed. Their AP Biology book was great as to resumming all learned about the subject but this one did not enumerate. It has basic people, events,and topics but no memory joggers. ;( for me I needed review of data rather than HOW to take the test.

I have to say that I expected more out of this book. History is my worst subject, so when I bought this I was hoping for way more review and in-depth explanation of different topics and time periods. I also thought the practice tests were too easy; I went in thinking that I'd do great on the multiple choice, and instead found myself guessing quite a bit. However, the tips for taking the exam were great, except their advice on the DBQ format; they were so convinced that the question would be worded a certain way that they didn't include any examples of other formats! Sure enough, the DBQ was worded completly different! Overall, I'd recommend this to someone who already has a firm grasp of US history, but not someone like me who needs a much more thourough review.

I am a history-buff, but before the AP exam, I needed confidence. So I took 2 practice tests and wrote some essays, and the result was a 5 on the AP exam. In June, before the SAT IIs, I took another exam from this book and that was my only preparation, because we did nothing in class. This book helped me get a 750 on the SAT II. However, there's not much "review" in this book. For review, I recommend the Princeton Review which some of my friends had. But buy this book too, b/c TPR has only one practice exam.

While I enjoyed this book, I felt the title was deceptive. The author, T. Harry Williams, trys to convince us, that Lincoln was a master strategist, and it basically was his strategy that helped win the war. ( I HAD thought this book would be about Union Generals, as Douglass Freemans- Lee's Lt's was about his. That may have been my fault, for misunderstanding)

I read this book with an open mind, yet with a good knowledge of the Civil War, and of McClellen, Meade, Grant, Hooker, Burnside, Pope and McDowell. McClellen stated many times, that Lincoln could not hold on to a secret, and that was his reason for not keeping him informed. Also, many of the plans McClellen devised, were later used by Grant. Hooker built the Union Military up, and did a fantastic job of organization, from the bottom ranks up. Meade, did much of the work, that we give Grant credit for, ( though Meade did make the newspapers mad at him, and refused to name him)

Lincoln is a very interesting man, but I feel it is a stretch to call him a master military strategist.

If you enjoy reading someone elses view, or opinion of the Civil War, this is a really nice book. But, that is why I can only give it three stars, it is good, but too much of the authors opinion.

Williams notes in the preface of my 1952 edition that it is not about the Generals of the Union, but rather about Lincoln and his problems with the Union military commanders. While much of the text is dry details about this letter or that between Lincoln and his generals, the Williams does interject some bits of interesting facts and educated theories on why Lincoln often acted as he did. This is a well researched book, with most pages having between about 3 footnotes, and it is very helpful in understanding the political climate of the American Civil War.

This book is a wonderful look at Lincoln and his relationship with his generals and why he went through so many prior to finally appointing Grant, he just couldn't find one that would not when under pressure find all the reason they could not to attack.
The book also does an excellent job of detailing Lincoln's involvement in strategic policy for the Union armies. Surprisingly for a man who'd never held a high military rank, Lincoln displayed an incredible grasp of strategy and frequently understood things generals such as Meade did not. Williams also expands into how upon the appointment of Grant to general in chief, the Union high command evolved into a modern military command, the first of its kind in the world, even more advanced than anything seen in Europe until Moltke the Elder, with the Union army high command consisiting of Commander in Cheif, General in Chief, and a new office designed for Halleck and to keep Grant from having to be in Washington, Chief of Staff. Williams also makes clear the different military culture of the 19th century, in stark contrast to most instances today, a general who disagreed with Lincoln or thought his plan to have dissatisfied the president or simply disliked somone they were told to collaborate with in a battle, instead of trying to work out differences, asked to be relieved of command.
The one major drawback to this book is its lack of maps. There are no maps to follow the action along, so its advisable to have a Civil War atlas at hand in order to be able to place some of the places the battles take place. Also, if you're looking for a detailed "what happend" in the many battles, in most cases you won't get it with this book. This book is purely about the command and control structure of the Union army and how the players interacted with each other. My one final and biggest grip with Williams is that he at many points assumes too much in my opinion. There are many instances where the documentary record when he wrote the book did not state what happend, so Williams assumes that things "must have" or "certainly happend" a certain way without in some cases anything approaching a clear reason why he draws this conclusion.
Other than these few gripes, this is a wonderful book and should be read by anyone wishing to understand why Lincoln went through so many generals.

This book gives a solid sense of what it must have felt like to be a Jewish immigrant to New York around the turn of the century. I enjoyed the fact that the book was not only a very interesting adventure, but also a fascinating account of changing class consciousness and socialization to a new society. Kahan's account of what is gained and what is given up in this process allowed me to understand my own ancestors at a deeper level. He writes well in a journalistic style and is constantly providing details about his present that help me to understand the meaning of what was going on.

This is a highly recommended book for anyone who is interested in the history of the Jewish Lower East Side in the late 19th century and early 20th century. It is written by an author with intimate knowledge of the time and place. Written in 1917, it is a very captivating and compelling story of an Eastern European Jewish immigrant's plight on The Lower East Side. I highly recommend it.

I first read this book in the mid-70s when it was assigned as part of an undergrad history course. I devoured it then, rediscovered it ten years later and found I enjoyed it even more on a second reading. Subsequent readings have not diminished my admiration for the novel.

"Levinsky" is a rare example of the novel that works both as history and as literature. Cahan's firsthand observations of late 19th century industrial America and of the immigrants' struggles to adapt to life in a new land are compelling in their own right. But this is no mere slice of life realism. Cahan created complex characters who face conflicts beyond the struggle to survive.

Cahan's main character, Levinsky, spends the first part of the book struggling to master the Talmud in his village in Russia. Here Cahan introduces us to Levinsky's incisive mind, one that will serve him well when he goes to America and begins to serve a new master: business. In the opening section, Cahan also develops one of several beautifully drawn supporting characters: Levinsky's mother.

By novel's end, we realize the irony of the novel's title. On one level, Levinsky's story is a classic tale of rags-to-riches, American-style success. On the other, his story is one of failure to achieve the rich, personal, intellectually stimulating connection with others that he has craved since childhood.

This great novel deserves to be on the short list of indispensable American fiction. One seeking to understand the roots of our country would be hard pressed to do better than to read it.