Despite the fact that this book is in fact a compilation of essays written over a nearly forty year period, it possesses a unity and coherence that would put many other works of "scholarship' to shame. Anastaplo is an amazingly learned, thoughtful,and spiritually sensitive man. He is also that rarity, an INTELLIGENT patriot. One cannot help but think, reading his reflections on Lincoln and the founding, that he would have made a superb addition to the Supreme Court, despite the fact that he The Illinois State Bar , deeming him a 'security risk"(!!), refused to grant him permission to practice law back during the McCarthy era. He certainly understands the constitution better than several of the Justices.

No serious student of the Western tradition should fail to have a copy of this book on his or her shelf. Anastaplo possesses one of this century's keenest intellects. Currently a law professor in Chicago, Anastaplo is, perhaps, best remembered for his brave stand against the Illinois Bar. Important reading.

The Great War, largely unknown to most Americans today, was one of the great turning points of history. In addition to millions of men, other victims of the War were Faith, Hope, and Glory, and the comforting sense that all would come right in the end. Twentieth-century despair and cynicism were born in the mud and blood of Flanders and Picardy.
The remarkably persistent pull of the conflict is represented here by works prepared for a 1994 joint seminar by the Great War Society and the Western Front Association. Papers include explorations of the role of forts in both World Wars, a splendid analysis of the German soldier by Dennis Showalter, and an inquiry into the death of von Richthoven. Desmond Morton recounts the experiences of Canadian POW's, (they were shamefully mistreated by the Germans - Hunnish excess did not originate with the Nazis), and Paul Fussell presses on with his familiar themes, most of which will be of limited interest to the average reader of military history. A very worthwhile collection overall, however.

(The "score" rating is an ineradicable feature of the page. This reviewer does not "score' books.)