Robert F. Hoke led an interesting life. He was a young man when the Civil War broke out (mid-twenties) and enlisted as a lieutenant in the 1st North Carolina Volunteers, seeing combat at the Battle of Big Bethel in Virginia in 1861. Four years later, a Major General, he was one of the principle players at the Battle of Bentonville, one of the last battles of the Civil War. In between he missed few battles (though Gettysburg was one; he'd been severely wounded), rose quickly through the ranks to prominence, and was roundly and pretty universally praised, at least according to the author. All of these things are summarized relatively competently in 14 of the 17 chapters of this book; the remaining chapters cover his pre- and post-war life, and summarize his achievments. What then is my gripe? Well, I have several.

First, the author is a bit more pro-Confederate than you would expect in this day and age. Granted both author and subject are from the same part of North Carolina, but is that any excuse for the use of the word "Negro?" I haven't seen that in a book published since the '50s, perhaps early '60s. And no, it's not part of a quotation. Captured North Carolina soldiers who enlist in the Union army are traitors, while Union soldiers who wind up in Confederate ranks are "trators" (note the quote, implying the author disagrees with the judgement of treason). It's all a bit much.

Second, the author imparts a great deal of wisdom and skill to Hoke. I have no problem with some of it, but the idea that he was so skilful that General Lee would want himself replaced by Hoke should Lee be incapacitated or killed seems to stretch the bounds of believability a bit too much.

Third, the author is handicapped by the characteristic that he imparts to Hoke in the subtitle; modesty. Hoke never wrote much of anything about his war service, kept no diary during the war, wrote few letters discussing it (at least that have survived), and never gave speeches or anything. He never attended veterans' reunions (very unusual for a Civil War general from either side) saying that the war was over, and it was time to look forward. Consequently, the book is very much Hoke as others saw him, not as he saw things himself. This last point, I will grant you, is not the author's fault, but it does hamper the book somewhat in that the picture of Hoke is almost exclusively external; we have no idea what he's thinking most of the time.

Lastly, there are no maps. In a book of Civil War biography like this where the author is trying to tell you that Hagood's brigade was deployed to the east of the swamp, facing a creek, with Hill's division on his left, you need to be able to look at the map to see which creek or river, etc. No one has the capability to look at all this stuff and visualize where everyone is on the battlefield.

I have a collection of over 500 books on the Civil War. The best one by far is Gen R.F. Hoke. Daniel Barefoot puts his heart and soul into his work. Daniel has the same qualities as Gen. Hoke and I guess that's why the book is so great. This book takes you through the life of R.F. Hoke from cradle to death. After reading this biography you will understand why Gen. Lee chose Gen. Hoke to assume his command should something terrible befall Lee. A must for every student of the Civil War.

Robert G. Lee eloquently and effectively illustrates how the construct of race in America operated to perpetuate racist notions towards Asian American immigrants. The history of ascribed racism towards Asian Americans had its roots in the mid 19th Century, and it operated under an American system of placing cultural meaning on the body. Racist notions toward Asian Americans were created chiefly to solidify the American sense of nationality and cohesion that was absent, and needed in order to facilitate American identity. Lee examines how racist ideas were perpetuated and transmitted through popular culture in the "six faces of the Oriental," the pollutant, the coolie, the deviant, the yellow peril, the model minority, and the gook. These caricatures implied that all Asian Americans fell in to one of six categories, and this stereotyping precluded most Asian Americans from functioning as individuals in American society. Systematic "typing" of the Asian Americans in America, Lee argues, functioned to maintain systems that were larger and more socially driven. These complex social practices were not lost on many Asian Americans, however, and many Asian Americans consistently challenged the unfair ideology of a nation that at once promoted individuality while denying the right to that individuality though six invariable types. Lee cleverly illustrates how each of the six types gave meaning to the Asian body by showing how each stereotype functioned at different periods in America's history. America's first encounter with the Asian Americans quickly led to the idea that they were "pollutants" in their religious practices, or were, as Lee calls them, ""Heathen Chinee' on God's Free Soil." The alien body of the Asian American subsequently served as a system of white working class identity in the "coolie." As "deviants," the Asian Americans challenged not only racial but gendered ideas as well, and the forced prostitution of Chinese women prior to arriving to America led them to become a sexualized threat. Apparent as threats to Victorian ideas of domesticity and gentility, sexuality perpetuated the Chinese women' subservience not only to men but women as well. As the "yellow peril" Asian immigrants represented a larger anxiety towards all immigrants. Lothrop Stoddard's 1920 publication, The Rising Tide of Color was a pseudo-scientific rally to abort Asian immigration, claiming that the Asian immigrants were a racial threat to American society and thus their presence was indeed a "peril." The "model minority" during the Cold War functioned through the financial success of the Asian immigrants, establishing them as a veritable consumer market. The "model minority" gave birth to the "gook," which was actually a response to America's eventual de-industrialization after the Cold War. At this point, according to Lee, America continues to racialize Asians as "Orientals," through allusions to the previous six typecastings as well as newer forms of racial categories complexly tied to economics. Orientals: Asian Americans in Popular Culture is at once an excellent social history of Asian immigrants in America as well as a cultural history of American racism, and its questions lead to examining the problems and faults with the latest "oriental" category.

This text is an interesting overview to the constant redefinition that society has in creating and labeling the term "Asian". I do not believe that the author chose to title the book "Orientals" as a derogatory term, rather as a word that has been misconstrued within western ideology. The title itself brings attention to the constant shift and misrepresentation of Asians within Westernized culture.

Being Asian American alone is no longer enough it seems within society. Most individuals currently label themselves as Filipino-American, Vietnamese-American, Korean-American, Indian-American, etc. The whole notion of how a large group such as Asians identify themselves nowadays is too large, and complicated of a subject to discuss in a literary commentary such as this one. I do admit that word "Orient" is a term that has been used to label goods and products; it is a term that misrepresented whole nations of people. But one has to remember too that its origins derive from a period and society that considered people of color, and foreign locals as "goods" rather than people or individuals.

In reference to this text, it is an informative text but not one of the best published. I would suggest Fanon, (Stuart) Hall, Spivak, and Trinh if one were interested in searching about Diaspora and identity.

herrin deconstructs this civil war hero in a way that is both convincing and emotionally gripping, i am no civil war buff, nor am i a southerner. book journeys through all aspects of lee's life, from the relationships with his family to the relationships with the troops, both his and the enemy.
all in all a well written book, engaging, good historical fiction which doesn't make you too conscious of the fiction. if you can find it it's worth picking up, whether you're a history/civil war buff or not.

Robert E. Lee; the Hero of Chapultapec, the Hero of Harpers Ferry, the defender of the Commonwealth of Virginia. What is this General to do with the likes of Thomas Jackson?

The Stonewall is a gone-a-way crusader in the Lord; taken in righteous vigilance and authority, and a media star to boot. The political opposite of John Brown and twice as lethal. Here Thomas Jackson is visionary , messianic, and apocalyptic in the extreme and a star with a country of fans. General Lee has a big problem.

For those of us whom are interested in messianic leaders of the middle century of the American Epoch, Stonewall should take his place next to John Brown or Jesse James.

Put this book up on your shelf next to your Raising Holy Hell, Bruce Olds.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Ron Hansen.
The Confessions of Nat Turner, William Styron.

i'm one of the cases in this book and was quite pleased with how it turned out. hopefully this will open up people's eyes to the fact that the state we live in has no concern for its poor. luckily i was able to rise above the circumstances and become "lower class" instead of "poverty stricken".

Question: What do most service sector jobs, hog farms, chicken plants, and so-called right-to-work laws have in common? Answer: All do, or will, contribute to the perpetuation of poverty in Oklahoma, already the eighth-poorest state in the nation. This book should be a best seller in Oklahoma. It won't be, but it should. Amazingly, as we enter the 21st century, this is the first comprehensive study and analysis of poverty in a state that has consistently experienced a poverty rate above the national average. Using ethnography with statistical analysis, Maril has explored the age-old myths about the poor, discusses the facts behind the myths, and points to the real causes of poverty, expecially low-wage labor, which has been the hallmark of most state so-called "economic development" programs. Maril debunks such myths as the poor being lazy, refusing to work, and on welfare. Among the 600,000 or so Oklahoman's that are poor, some 20% of the population, 52% work and the majority do not, repeat, do not receive welfare assistance. Maril followed twelve poor Oklahoma families over a four-year period and found obstacles such as poor health and a lack of medical insurance, the lack of quality childcare, concerns for personal safety, and low-paying jobs as major contributors to poverty. The author had four major objestives when writing the book. First, to describe the poor and poverty in Oklahoma in detail using historical trends and patterns. Second, to examine the myths, typically accepted as facts, about the poor in Oklahoma. Third, to define the real causes of poverty. Fourth, to propose a public policy agenda that would correct the costly and ineffective system now in effect in Oklahoma. He met, and exceeded, them all. This is an excellent, timely, thoughtful, highly-readable study of the real causes, and costs, of poverty in Oklahoma. While the author may not have all the answers, and public thought and debate on his conclusions and recommendations will be healthy, one thing is for sure: the continued harping on the economic virtues of more hog farms, chicken plants, so-called right-to-work laws, and other low-wage proposals will not help remove Oklahoma from the Tom Joad era. This book is a perfect example of the real need and importance of university presses. OU press is to be commended for their foresight and courage in making it available to the general public. It will not be a best seller...but it should.

This book takes place in Florida. A young man who is dealing with cargo-flight and refinding crashed planes, finds himself accused for a crime he didn't commit.Therefore he takes a young lady as hostage and with a weapon he makes his way through the court. He escapes by several cars and manage to run from the police. But he gets caught of a former CIA-agent and sents to oil-magnet. He gets an mission on an oilrig, which seems to hide deep and dark secrets from his past.....

Phillip Katchers' book is so far the best on the army of Lee. It is good to see that there is no references on the "romantic" side of Lee, but rather an objective, concise outline of him as a general, and his army. I really liked the way in which Katcher explained the different ranks in each unit. For this has been not one of my strengths. However, there are some very odd spelling errors in it. But we are only human aren't we ? The only reason that i gave it 4 stars is because i am not widely read in this kind of text. If anyone reads this, can someone tell me how i can get the periodical "AMERICAS' CIVIL WAR"? thankyou.

Benjamin Franklin and his young apprentice (illegitimate son) are off on another adventure in 18th c London -- this time during the Christmas season in "Benjamin Franklin and a Case of Christmas Murder." I enjoyed the mystery on several levels. First, it's an old-fashioned mystery with enough clues given for readers to try to guess the outcome. Second, the holiday traditions of stirring the pudding, decorating with greenery and Morris dancers, add an additional colorful element. And third, there are numerous references to actual people and concerns of Franklin's years in England.

I bought this book at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia and I came to amazon.com to buy more books in the series. "Benjamin Franklin Takes the Case" is the first in a series of historical mysteries featuring -- surprise! -- Benjamin Franklin. His side-kick is Nicolas Handy, a young boy-of-work who Franklin rescues from a truly sinister situation in a London printshop. When Franklin arrives at the shop of Eben Inch, Printer, he discovers that the proprietor has been murdered. It turns out that Mr. Inch was the only person in the household who offered young Nick any kindness. Everyone else -- Dora Inch, her daughter Tilda, the apprentice Buck Duffin -- treated him horribly, so Mr. Franklin rescues him. Together, they set out to solve the mystery of Mr. Inch's murder.

I really enjoyed this book. It is extremely well-written, with interesting characters and a plausible mystery. It reminded me a lot of the Bruce Alexander series that features Sir John Fielding. In fact, Fielding is a character in "Benjamin Franklin Takes the Case." I'm anxious to read the next book in the series.

This book covers everything! It has chapters on the history of theater, the terminology of theater, acting, lighting, scenic design and painting, makeup, costumes, directing, and practically everything else. It's clear and easy to read and doesn't talk down to students. There are suggested exercises at the end of each chapter, but I've never used them. The reason I'm not giving 'Everything About Theater!' five stars is that, since it is an overview of everything, it doesn't go in to depth. Of course, it takes a lifetime to fully learn many things about theater. This book is a wonderful introduction!

Exit Sherlock Holmes was the first Non-Doyle Sherlock Holmes book I ever read, so I naturally have fond memories of it. However, reading it again I was surprised at how well it held up after all those years.
The villain is Moriarty, but not the Moriarty you'd expect. Watson points out that the only other time he saw the Professor was on the back of a speeding train and he didn't get a good look at him. That becomes very important in this novel.
I could tell you more but it would give away major plot points. Let me say that this book is more relevant today than it was in the seventies, when it was written. Mister Hall did a great job using Watson's "voice" and Doctor Doyles style of writing, something missing from many Holmes stories of late.
Return to 1895, where people are not what they've seemed to be and others are not who they've claimed to be. You'll be glad you did!