Quite by accident I stumbled onto this accounting of a young man's experience in the western theater of the American Civil War. After having read many versions of the war by various accomplished authors and researchers, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Stillwell's unassuming story of how he saw and experienced the Civil War. Stillwell tells us the story of where he came from in Otterville, Illinois, and how he came to leave his family's farm to enlist in January 1862. I basked in his descriptive narratives, written in the vernacular of the times. He makes no proud assumptions regarding his involvement in any of the battles, but gives us a common soldier's view as he, and many others, must have seen it. he makes a few disparaging remarks about his commanders, and officers in general, which I found honest, and entertaining. This is a good book that Civil War enthusiasts should really enjoy. An autographed first edition adorns my shelf at home, and I will not let it out of my sight.

A common soldier shares personal experiences in the civil war tells his story with great eye for detail for the times. A terrific walk thru time with mid 19th c. color, smells, language,hardships, mannerisms, food, weather, coming to full life in the readers mind. I recommend this book for all history buffs and civil war enthusiasts, especially those searching for personal authenticity and articulateness.

Michael Golay is a master story-teller. Thus he instantly enthralls his audience by inter-weaving the lives of one of America's greatest heroes: Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, and an American traitor: Edward Porter Alexander, into one, seamless story. Golay takes dry, dead history and makes it live, so that the seemingly formidable task of reading 345 pages passes quickly and enjoyably.

This is a great book to read if you are looking for a little fun, or if you wish to share information with a friend or family member unfamiliar with the details of America's 19th century, intramural tragedy.

However, a double biography is an artificial construct, at best. Golay's choice to tie together the lives of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and Edward Porter Alexander emphasizes just how artificial that structure can be.

Chamberlain was a genuine American hero: a civilian academic, past the age when he would have been expected to serve, he rushed to his country's defense at the beginning of the Civil War. Serving brilliantly, at great personal cost, Chamberlain is creditted by many with turning the Battle of Gettysburg, contributing significantly during the Battle of Five Forks, and beginning the process of national healing with his chivalrous gesture at the Surrender Triangle of Appomattox Court House.

Alexander, on the other hand, was a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, and a regular Army officer. Like all regular Army officers, he had sworn "to protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic." In order to participate in the insurrection, he violated his sacred oath: he lied. The nation expected better of the man, and should have had its expectations fulfilled.

In an age when values are, again, viewed as important, we must clearly state that, ultimately, despite the shared battles, hardships, and adventures, the lives of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and Edward Porter Alexander were not parallel. Chamberlain's life is to be emulated, and Alexander's rejected.

This book works. It is simply flawed by its structure.

Golay writes a very good book on both Alexander and Chamberlain. There are better books on each man though. Klein's book on Alexander comes to mind as does Wallace's book on Chamberlain or Trulock's book on Chamberlain. I think though the previous reviewer is too quick to judge Alexander. To understand Alexander better I highly reccomend his book "Fighting for the Confederacy" which gives his motives for fighting and his experiences in the Civil War. I think it is very easy to judge a 140 years after the fact. I personally think Alexander was a good and brave man. He fought for his home. Chamberlain and Alexander believed in different things let us respect them for that.

John Stuart Mill, author of On Liberty, defines the nature of civil liberty, and most importantly, the harm principl. He aims to give readers a better understanding of the nature and limits of power that can be exercised by society over individuals. The purpose of this book is to inform interested individuals about the rights of individuals and the limitations of the government. This book of philosophy was written almost 150 years ago. By reading the book, the reader is able to apply Mill's message and examples to our lives in America today. The ahead-of-the-times ideas that are in On Liberty can be related to our world because it discusses controversies that are still seen in our courtrooms today. Mill is able to accomplish his purpose because he uses many examples, thoughts, and theories about individual and social rights. He works through each of his ideas, looking at both sides of the issue to enable the reader to make their own informed decision about each matter. This book has a practical meaning because it allows the reader to develop and reason ideas about government power and when that power should be exercised over the people. Unfortunately, this book does have one draw back. Mill was a very educated man and wrote very well for his time. Yet today, our style and writing techniques are not the same as they were in the nineteenth century. This makes On Liberty a difficult book to read. His book is very decriptive, yet his wording is not easily understadable and some paragraphs have to be read two or three times to fully understand what he is writing about. Aside from his writing style, John Stuart Mill has put together an essay full of educated ideas about society and individuals. John Stuart Mill wrote an informative book geared towards an educated audience. He has achieved his purpose for the essay through the use of situations and examples that can be applied to real life cases still today. He managed to keep the readers interested and I look forward to reading other books he has written.

It was not Socialism itself that is an evil, but the way it was implemented in some countries, in response to white-anglo-whatever's totally value-less review. Mill's book about liberty was of vast importance in freeing the individual from the tyranny of communal opinion. Someone may dislike homosexuals, but has no right to harass them or pass ethical judgements on them for what is their choice, of no harm to anyone else. Those are opinions of an indeterminate validity. Socal intervention may only be used to protect someone from restriction of their liberties. What Mill lacks in rigour, he makes up for in persuasiveness. He has some great lines in defense of liberty, a pre-dominant value of human life. Although, it is to be noted that the book can be somewhat tedious in areas which it is repetitive. This book also illustrates what can be seen as a fault in utilitarianism. Utilitarianism takes no notice of other values, or of a conflict of values, such as liberty of existence over the majorities happiness, in which ethics slides into absurdity.

J.S. Mill has written the best promulgation of classical liberalism in his book "On Liberty" (OL). Although a socialist himself, many of the ideas in OL are actually tenets of modern libertarianism (also called classical liberalism). Mill states that the only reason that force can be used on any man is to prevent harm to others. I consider "focre" to be either social or economic. Mill saw it as only social, which explains his socialism.

Not to detract from Mill or OL, the book is a resounding defense of civil-liberties. OL completes modern democratic theory as promulgated by John Locke in his "Two Treatises of Government." While Locke argues for some kind of democracy reminiscent of Athens, Mill qualifies Locke's point by protecting the minority from the majority. This book should be read by Americans who want to know more about freedom, and by our elected officials.

Sadly, it's our elected oficials who probably won't get it.

Thoreaux's sketch of Gorey's character reveals little insight into Gorey's character. Rather, it dwells to nauseating excess on both Gorey's and the author's specific opinions about specific films, books, music, and visual art. If you're interested in Gorey's transient opinions on art -- as well as pretentious and often vulgar judgments of humanity and art on the author's part -- then I urge your purchase of Thoreaux's biography.

As regards character description, the sole bright point of this book is Thoreaux's description of Gorey's eclectic interest in varied stimuli, as he evidently soaked high and low culture art with equal enthusiasm and intellect. Unfortunately, the book enlightens little more of the enigmatic artist's character, and if it does, it is too thick with opinion and judgment to make a re-read worthwhile.

Despite this, Gorey fans interested in Gorey's artistic influences and factual biographical information will be well served. I am glad I read this book -- but I did not enjoy the experience.

Theroux's short book delves into Gorey's persona and influences and gives us a tantalizing glimpse into the world of the much missed Edward Gorey. By limiting himself to his friendship with Gorey, Theroux preserves the air of mystery surrounding the writer and artist. This volume is a welcome addition to anyone's collection of Gorey books and collectibles.

The novels, essays, and poems of Alexander Theroux are very, very dear to me and hold a very special place in my heart. You can imagine my genuine enthusiasm when I discovered that this most amazing artist and genius came out with a book about the enigmatic Edward Gorey, another favorite of mine. I devoured every written word in record time. The book deals with insights into character that only a friend could know. This is why the book is most extraordinary. Any PhD. could sit down and dissect the stories and illustrations of Gorey's and attempt to make sense of it all, in their own opinion without having ever met the subject, of course. Theroux is a PhD. who actually knew, befriended, respected, and was a little in awe of the subject. His personal insights delve into the oddities and eccentricities of Gorey's with a benevolent air of concern, and a touch of sadness. I now feel as though I was personally acquainted with Gorey, and was startled to find out how much I have in common with both the author and the subject. The Blondie and Dagwood series with Singleton and Lake, Wendy Hiller, Balanchine, Bankhead, Louise Brooks, the ballet, Sibelius..... I wept a bit while reading this book - feeling as though I was also born in the wrong era. How impossible to discuss the afore-mentioned topics with my contemporaries - its been quite lonely for me. How lonely for Theroux without his dear and kindred friend. This "fake Serbian princess" is certainly glad that Theroux is still around - for he is without question the greatest living writer in America today.

Several years ago I discovered the Alexander Technique, found a teacher, and got rid of my chronic back pain. The man who dseveloped the Technique, F.M. Alexander, always seemed a mystery to me, particularly after I tried reading his books. This book is an edited version of Alexander's writing that makes them a lot easier to read. It also has a very informative introduction that puts Alexander and his Technique in historical perspective.

I'd suggest this book primarily for people who have some familiarity with the Technique. For a good short introduction I'd get Fitness Without Stress by Robert Rickover.

Got a hurting back or evil golf or tennis swing you can't get rid of? F.M. Alexander found a way to change bad body use and this book describes what it means and how it was discovered. No, reading the book won't cure you. You'll need Alexander lessons, but it will tell you what it's all about. The editor wrote a fine background introduction as well as made an excellent selection from Alexander's books. Just as important, he included three prefaces by John Dewey, the famous educator and philosopher, and also scientific research on the technique. The technique is more than some body process. It really teaches a Western Zen approach towards all kinds of life problems. Sound strange? Read this book. I'm very grateful I had Alexander lessons and the wisdom it teaches. Highly recommended.

The Hungarian Who Walked To Heaven
Alexander Csoma De Koros 1784-1842
Edward Fox
Short Books 2001, $8.95/£4.99 p/b

This is a delightful short biography of an eccentric Hungarian scholar who became one of the fathers of Western studies of Tibetan culture. Educated at an austere Calvinist school until age 31, Csoma De Koros finally set out alone on a pilgrimage to the East, his mission: to discover the roots of the Hungarian people, whom he and others of the time theorized to be descended from Attila the Hun. Due to a Chinese decree restricting foreign entry to Tibet he was sadly never to reach Yarkand, where he hoped to find linguistic proof of the Cenral Asian origins of the Hungarian race. However on his way, via many adventures, misfortunes and disguises, he acquired around 14 languages, became one of the first Europeans to enter Ladakh, and compiled the first relatively reliable Tibetan-English dictionary. Supported and encouraged by the British vet and Superintendent of the East India Company's Stud, William Moorcroft, Csoma went on to study, with Lama Sangye Phuntsog in a remote monastery in Zanskar. For 16 months the two men studied the Tibetan language and vast canon in freezing conditions in a tiny 9 foot square cell. Csoma spent the last years of his life working for the Asiatic Society of Bengal in Calcutta, mastering Marathi, Bengali and Sanskrit, before dying of malaria on a final courageous attempt to travel across Tibet to Western China. A fascinating little book.
Padmakara

This biography explained the life of Civil War General Robert E. Lee. This book explains his life from birth and his family, to the marriage and his influence in the war. It explained how the general was the leader of the Confederacy. The book also explains the Civil War so that it is easy for the kids to understand. In the book there are also great pictures that mildly display war along with quotes ad images from that time period.
The author did a wonderful job displaying the war and allowing children to understand the concept on a very neutral level. I also liked the outline at the end of the book on his life. It helped children really visualize the order of events.
I like this book for all the above reasons also for the ease of reading. I found it so easy to understand and I think that this book will allow the children to gain interest into biographies and the war. Maybe even lead them into reading all Adler's other biographies.

To appreciate the history of technological invention it's important to understand society and the scientific community at the time the inventors lived, as well as the political and industrial forces.

The Telephone Patent Conspiracy of 1876 is a good introduction to understanding science and society at the time Thomas Alva Edison, Alexander Graham Bell and a lot of their contemporary inventors, engineers and scientists changed the world by introducing electric lighting and telecommunicatins to the homes and offices.

The book may appear somewhat biased against Bell and focus mainly on the battle between Bell and Gray. People like Emile Berliner and Edison get only cursory treatment, and Antonio meucci is hardly mentioned. At times the author treats information from newspaper clippings with the same authority as official records. Readers are adviced to check the footnotes.

Still, the book is recommended reading for anyone interested in the history of technology.

If you're taking a course in Beethoven, at a graduate level, this is pretty important required reading. It's comprehensive, and along with the Solomon book, and the Kerman/Tyson offering in the small New Grove edition, you cover a lot of info. It's well-written and doesn't get too lagubrious, in spite of it being translated from the German. I found the subject matter spurred me on anyway. Even though the work first appeared in 1921, a lot of the information remains accurate, and one gains also some insight into what a remarkable historian Thayer was.

this is classical anti-turkish ... book

a lot of historical facts were completely falsified.

a naive historians can even find the historical lies inside it.most of the dates given were mismatched.

just one word

during the 1915,ottoman empire was reigning the anatolia not republic of turkey

ottoman empire was consisting of turkish and a lot of different nations and ottoman rulers never accepted that they are turkish origins.most of the ottoman emperors mothers were serbian,armenian,greek,russian and all top goverment people were not turkish.any historians can find this fact easily if he can research the archives objectively.

it is complete absurdity to accuse of turkey which was founded in 1923 after collapsing of ottoman empire.

The government of Turkey goes to great lengths to deny the twentieth century's First Genocide. Ed Alexender relied on the historical archives of at least several countries , mainly Germany and USA's National Archives.Being a retired foreign service officer, he knows the value of facts and he documents his facts quite well!
When it comes to presenting facts, I believe the reviewer from Turkey is presenting his goverments misguided policy and nothing else. His reviews are always negative when it deals with the Armenian Genocide.
I recommend this book highly!!

This book is a worthy read for students, scholars, and laymen interested in the complex and ofthen paradoxical arena of international justice. Written in the form of a thriller that could rival LeCarre ,Angler, and Ludlum. This book delves deep into the psyche of the victims of genocide in a masterful tribute to the human spirit to endure adversity and mete out justice.