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Book reviews for "Bengelsdorf,_Irving_S." sorted by average review score:

McDonald's Collectibles: Happy Meal Toys and Memorabilia 1970 to 1997
Published in Hardcover by Chartwell Books (November, 1997)
Authors: Ray Richardson, Ruby Richardson, David Irving, and Lesley Irving
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An IDEAL McDonald's Collectibles Book!
This is one of the best McDonald's collectibles books I've seen! This book includes detailed color pictures, very accurate descriptions, release dates, and an estimated value for a wide variety of McDonald's figures including premuims released in the United States and Internationally. A very thorough and informative guide to McDonald's fast food toys!

You gotta look at this book! It's got all the toys from 1970
I love this book. I looked at this book in a bookstore. This books has all the toys from 1970 to 1997. I aslo love eating at McDonalds.

MORE GRIMACE!!!
Good book, although they could devote a whole volume to Grimace


Those Who Love
Published in Paperback by New American Library (March, 1967)
Author: Irving Stone
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John Adams - A Joy to Know
When I first read this book many years ago, I fell in love with John Adams. Stone brought to life not only this most honorable of our founding fathers, and his beloved wife Abigail, but other "characters" of our nation's revolutionary history such as Samuel Adams, a rabble-rouser who was afraid to ride horses. So many intimate details of John and Abigails's life together were brought to this novel that you feel as though you know and love them both. You can't go wrong with this one.

It's so romantic
"Those Who Love" got me hooked on the saga of John and Abigail Adams. Thiers was a true love match that endured through joy and pain, triumph and trajedy. Stone's sprawling novel follows the pair from thier spirited first meeting, through the hellish American Revolution, and into the turbulent White House years. A fantastic read.

A timeless love story that relates to American history
For Those Who Love was a timeless love story that relates to American history. When you read this story, you will not be able to put it down. It tells you about historical events that happened in Boston during Abigail's life and how our country was formed. It was a beautiful story that a person who likes romantic novels could read, or one that a person interested in history could read. I personally fell in love with the Adams'.


As thousands cheer : the life of Irving Berlin
Published in Unknown Binding by Hodder and Stoughton ()
Author: Laurence Bergreen
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Great musical biography
This is a terrific show-biz bio that focuses on Berlin's career and tells enough about his personal life to satisfy those of us who remember how complex he was. There are many details of his projects on Broadway and in Hollywood, his publishing company, his early career as a singing waiter, and his tormented retirement. Anyone who likes the kind of anecdotes Moss Hart recounts in "Act One," anyone who is interested in the process of putting on shows and developing movies, will be fascinated by this. The book overflows with the larger-than-life personalities you expect from show business, and there are choice revelations (to me, at least), like his first encounter with George Gershwin, who as a very young man wanted to be Berlin's musical secretary but was rejected for being too talented (i.e., threatening).

The psychology (or psychosis?) of Berlin's genius is presented in a straightforward, non-babbling way. His complexity comes through in his ambivalence towards colleagues, with examples of generosity (an anecdote about the young Burton Lane), avuncularity (Harold Arlen), and rivalry (Richard Rodgers), all contrasted with the almost comical hostility he showed towards some "civilians," especially the scholarly types ("f***ing longhairs") who wanted to dissect him late in his career. His most famous paradox -- the fact that without being able to read music or play an instrument well or even sing decently, he was able to create works of matchless intricacy and depth -- is discussed thoroughly, although it will forever remain mysterious.

There are two dimensions I would like to have seen more fully explored. First, his relations with his original family are almost non-existent after his childhood. While this must be a reflection of reality, I was left curious about what went on between him and his sisters, nephews, and nieces. It's obvious that a major part of his assimilation was to reject all vestiges of his childhood, but it would have been nice to have more detail about encounters with those inconvenient relations. One of the few stories Bergreen includes -- about a sister dying of cancer -- is so painful that maybe he couldn't bring himself to pile on more.

Another aspect that could have been more developed was Berlin's technique. Although no one will ever be able to explain exactly why he's the greatest American songwriter, I would have liked more analysis about how he was able to achieve his unique combination of simplicity and sophistication. There is a total absence of musical examples, which might have two reasons: that publishers of musical bios tell their authors to leave notation out the same way authors of popular science books are prohibited from using equations, or that Berlin's estate forbids the quoting of even the smallest snippets of his songs. Or maybe the author isn't as much of a "longhair" as he seems to be from the precision and insight of his observations.

But even though I would have enjoyed reading more of the above, the book is totally splendid as is. The best compliment I can think of is that it does justice to one of the great artists of the 20th century.

A WELL RESEARCHED BIOGRAPHY
LAURENCE BERGREEN has done a terrific job in all departments. When you finish the book, you have a good idea of who IRVING BERLIN was, and what a life he had from singing waiter to AMERICAN's first great composer with JEROME KERN. Anyone interested in the story of AMERICAN music should read that book.

A Wonderful Book About A Great American
I enjoyed Bergreen's book about Irving Berlin as I did his book on Al Capone. To think that all these great songs came from one man simply boggles the mind.


Clarence Darrow for the Defense
Published in Paperback by New American Library (June, 1976)
Author: Irving Stone
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One of the GREATEST AMERICANS and TRIAL ATTORNEYS ever
This book is a good introduction to the life of Clarence Darrow. It spans all his major cases and leaves the reader with awe for a man whose ability as an attorney in the Dr. Oscar Sweet case in Detroit, Michigan in 1925 was as if God had descended heaven from Heaven to win the freedom of a black professional who was accused of murder in an America that already had witnessed the Tulsa, Oklahoma and St. Louis race riots. His defense of the poor in the anthracite coal case of 1902 and the rioters in the Haymarket case stand as models for Americans of any age. The only weakness in the book is that his addresses to juries are not included. Clarence Darrow is as important to Americans as Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Delano Roosevelt were in the eras of the Civil War and the Great Depression. I recommend this book for all Americans of all ages. He was a defender of the poor and a defender of the values and ethics of American society. Elliot Spitzer, the Attorney General of the State of New York, is some ways bears resemblance to Clarence Darrow. I recommend the book highly, the reverence I have for the life of Clarence Darrow is huge only for God do I have more.

A Facinating Historical Biography
Clarence Darrow was a very interesting man, however history may view him. I found this biography by Irving Stone to be very educational. Darrow was involved in some of the most famous trials around the turn of the century that defined labor laws, capital punishment laws as well as laws defining religious discrimination with the well known Scopes Evolution Case over the teaching of the Darwin theory of evolution in the classroom. This famous case known as the 'Monkey' trials pitted fundamentalists against more liberal evolutionists in a landmark case that defined freedom and equality of religious teaching throughout the United States. Darrow was a defense attorney, and his viewpoint on representing a client was to simply provide the best defense possible. This did not always go with the popular opinion of society in his day, and he was often hated by many for some of the people he defended in the courtroom. I think it is notable that in many of his more famous cases and not so famous he was never paid, as he defended people who had no money. In this way he showed a compassion for his fellow man which one does not often associate with the profession of lawyers in the modern day. As I read this biography, I found myself many times not agreeing with Darrow's viewpoints and decisions to defend certain people, including the famous Loeb & Leopold Case. I marveled at his final solution to plead guilty in the defense of the McNamaras Case in 1911, a point of integrity after learning his client was truly guilty. This case cost his the support and friendship with organized labor parties after over thirty years, as well as resulted in a massive attack on him personally, but he weathered the storm and carried onward. However, I was able at the end to reflect on this man's tenacity to his own integrity to follow what he believed was right, despite popular opinion. His sense of morals were different from my own, and I would be untruthful to say I completely agreed with Darrow. I did however find myself respecting him for impact he had on our country's history, and his exposing of the industrial abuses that paralleled slave camps in the late 1800's definitely shined the light on man's inhumanity to man. All in all I found this to be a very interesting biography about a very interesting man. I think anyone interested in American history, particularly that of the history of organized labor in our country should definitely read this one. This is a great read. Darrow having been a well known public speaker in his day, delivered some of the most profound speaches inside and outside the courtroom. Many of his famous defense final arguments are still studied today in many law schools, but most notable is the fact that he delivered many of these speeches without the aide of notes or other written material. Many people who heard these speeches were included in this book, and consistently he is remembered as having really had a way of moving an audience and changing their viewpoints in doing so. Irving Stone really did his background research in compiling this book, including reading many of Darrow's own private papers, court records, interviewing people who knew Darrow and studying newspapers from the time period. I think anyone would find this book facinating from a purely historical perspective. It is too bad this book is currently out of print, but it is worth searching used book stores or searching Amazon's out-of-print services to get a copy and read it.

Wonderfull book
A good history of the times. I hope this book will inspire you. Eric...


Hitler's War and the War Path
Published in Hardcover by Focal Point (20 April, 2002)
Authors: David Irving and Walter Frentz
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THE FINEST BOOK ON THE SUJECT OF ADOLF HITLER,BAR NONE!
In my trials of reading books on the third reich,all of wich turned out to be pretty much the same biased subjective stories,I have found this to be the only one of it's kind based onrecently discovered archived documented material and direct quotes from diaries.I have scince thrown every thing else out.Make no mistake,this is the genuine article.

a great book
Most people only know Adolf Hitler as a caricature from Hollywood, but if you really want to get in the head of the German dictator then you should read Hitler's War. The Author has spent years reading diaries of those closest to Hitler and he has consolidated hundreds of original sources into this well researched masterpiece.

Great Book
Most people only know Adolf Hitler as a caricature from Hollywood, but if you really want to get in the head of the German dictator then you should read Hitler's War. The Author has spent years reading diaries of those closest to Hitler and he has consolidated hundreds of original sources into this well researched masterpiece.


In the Arms of God
Published in Hardcover by Tyndale House Pub (October, 1997)
Authors: Sarah M. Peterson, James C. When God Doesn't Make Sense Dobson, Gary Irving, and Christopher Talbot Frank
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A Wonderful Comfort
This is such a comforitng book, I am only 14, but I think this is the coolest book ever. The "devotions" are short and to the point, but sometimes it seems that there was one written especially for you in your time of need. The pictures are very beautifuladn vivid, they remind me of all the care and detail God put into making this earth. I just love knowing that knowing that God loves me, knows all my pain, and is ready to comfort me. I would recomend this to any one who is in pain.

A small book of great value!
The texts are deep and comforting, the photographs are of striking beauty, and the layout and graphics blend everything nicely: Every page of this book is a work of art! It helps us not to forget there is a loving God.

A very inspiring book
We recently lost our 11 year old son and this book is never far from me. It has provided me with such comfort, especially when I only have a few minutes to read something. The pictures inside are just beautiful, those alone can bring enomorous comfort and a peaceful feeling. I have given it as a gift many times.


The Man
Published in Digital by iBooks ()
Authors: Irving Wallace and David Wallachinsky
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super stuff
Should be edited further, but a gripping tale of power, and the paradoxical stupidity and grandness of human nature. A book that will ensure we try to judge people by the content of their character and not the colour of their skin.

Real thought-provoking book about a humane President
When i first read Man, i had a burning desire to read it again and again. each of the characters evoke such strong feelings (both positive and negative) and yet do not seem hypothetical. i was moved by the editorial (on the occassion of the President's swearing in) wherein it cautions the citizens of usa that the new president is not under test but the nation is.

Douglas Dilman's constant anxieties about his ability to function as an effective president considering his racial background forms the central theme of the book. His impeachment trial and his subsequent vindication has all the ingredients of a thriller but still does not waver from the subtle portrayal of the different players of the game.

Dilman in his trial appearance counters a query on prejudices mentions that one can have positive prejudices like prejudice against racism. This created a paradigm shift in those of us who consider prejudice as a dirty word and would like to avoid it all costs.

an unputdownable book by any standards

Excellent..exceptional
A novel of the highest integrity. Thoroughly enjoyed and hard to put down. Some of the narratives i.e speeches given by particular characters are brilliant and inspired. It is probably one the few novels I have read that I think deserve "10" . Interesting too that the novel was written in '65.


Christian Travelers Guide to Great Britain, The
Published in Paperback by Zondervan (01 April, 2001)
Author: Irving Hexham
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Excellent Book
I took a course with Professor Hexham at the University of Calgary, he is a very likeable and interesting fellow. This book is one of my favorites and offers much more than just your average travelling books.

American Library Journal
The American Library Journal's review ended with the words "Recommended for all Public Libraries."

American Library Journal Review
Here is what the prestigious American Library Journal (Vol. 126, No. 8, p. 117, 1 May 2001)said:

"... These guides do not lead tourists to the most popular bars or shopping districts but instead to the various Christian heritage sites in each country. Hexham's ... vast knowledge of history and religion makes these well-researched books a treasure trove of historical information. Each guide follows the same layout: Hexham begins with an overview of the history of each country from prehistoric times to the present. He then includes a chapter on literature, art, and architecture and lists what he considers the top ten Christian heritage sites in each country. Each entry thereafter is in alphabetical order by place name and includes some background information, specific sites to visit, and biographies of significant people associated with the site...


The Greek Treasure
Published in Audio Cassette by Books on Tape (January, 1975)
Author: Irving Stone
Amazon base price: $120.00
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my review
I read this book many, many years ago. It was actually the first Irving Stone book I ever read. I still remember how much I enjoyed reading it, and I can still remember the story. Brilliantly written. You seem to be living among the characters. Irving Stone has the gift to write, all based in real-life facts. Again, a must read for any history-novel lover.

An Unforgettable True Story of Discovering Troy
Approximately 15 years ago I bought this book aout Heinrich Schlieman, and his discovery of the ancient lost city of Troy. He studied Homer, and believed the city did exist. In his late 40's he met a very young Greek girl in Athens. He asked her father for her hand in marriage, and her father agreed.The museum in Athens holds not only the treasures he unearthed at Troy, but he found the mask of Agamemnon, and other treasures (the Lion's Gate) showering Sophia with these treasures. I loaned this book, and never received it back. I have looked for it for years. I cannot believe this wonderful book has not been reprinted and available. It is Irving Stone at his best.

a tender and inspiring love story
Stone was able to put into this book the unusal and unconventional story of Schliemann and his young Greek bride in a way that you cheer them on and you feel their disappointments. It is entertaining as well as inspiring. It also brings up that age old question, "Was there a Troy?" and convinces you there was.


God Bless America
Published in Paperback by Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation (November, 2001)
Authors: Irving Berlin and Jennifer Linn
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