This book provides a fascinating journey through one man's experience with reincarnation. Whether you are a "believer" or not, Jeff Keene's carefully written personal account of his past life experiences as a confederate general are interesting. He also provides a different type of historical perspective on the Northen war of aggression through both pairs of eyes: Confederate and Yankee.

Mr. Keene's writing style is straightforward and clean, making this a pleasure to read. And he gets extra credit for meticulous historical annotations, and adding several appendices that provide valuable background on General Gordon.

If there was a weakness, it may lie in Mr. Keene's projection of reincarnation onto others through comparing old photographs from the civil war to contemporary images of his co-workers. While the physical similarities he illistrates are striking, they pale in comparison to his own remarkable personal journey of discovery.

This book will make a great summer read for teenagers and adults-and is a must-have for anyone interested in past lives.

Imagine you are someone not remotely into the supernatural. You're well-grounded in the physical world, have led a fairly normal life and have no belief in reincarnation. Then one day you are confronted with a series of inexplicable "coincidences," all of which lead to the inescapable conclusion that you have lived a previous life as a particular confederate general in the American Civil War. What would you do?

"Someone Else's Yesterday" gives the account of what Jeffrey Keene did when he found himself in that very situation. In a sense, it is a real life detective story, but the case to be solved has implications of the utmost importance to all of us. In the balance lies the issues of life after death, and the existence of the soul.

The book is sure to appeal to all those with an interest in reincarnation and/or the Civil War. The author comes across as rational, intelligent, honest, sincere and humorous. It's not written in the flighty, fuzzy-minded style of some new age books nor in the dry, boring style of some of the scientific studies of reincarnation. It's just a down-to-earth, good and fascinating read. I highly recommend it.

Keene's book is perhaps the most important book you will ever read. Period. If you want the best and the strongest physical evidence for the existence of life after death, Jeffrey Keene's book will provide it to you. If you have doubts about reincarnation, this book will remove all your doubts. Keene's excellent book documents his amazing discovery of his past life as a Civil War soldier. After reading the verifiable evidence he presents, you will forever be a believer in life after death. His ground-breaking discovery and research is so fascinating that it was profiled in an A&E cable documentary. What makes his account so unique is that he did not discover the evidence for a past life using hypnotic regression like others have. Keene had no choice between accepting the reality of a past life or not accepting it. Keene's discovery of his past life came from his own life experience that involved a series of unusual synchronistic events. He did not seek this experience. This experience sought him. Over time, Keene's amazing life experience would continue to reinforce the reality of his connection to the past, even before he became convinced of it himself. He was not given the luxury of choice in this matter and this is one reason that makes his experience and evidence so credible. Whether you are a believer in reincarnation or not, you will find Keene's book to be one of the best books you will every read. It is filled with hope and filled with facts that strongly suggests that life continues after death. I highly recommend this book!

Kevin Williams, "Near-Death Experiences and the Afterlife", ...

This book is loads of fun to the NFL enthusiast. All eras of the NFL are included (from the 1930's to the present day) as well as all positions (except kickers and punters -- I guess none of them were among the top 100 players). Each entry gets a full two pages -- one a beautiful full-color picture and one a page-long description of that player's special talents and accomplishments. Each player also gets a "Top 10 list" -- a list by a colleague or coach of the best players, most intense players, smartest players, etc. -- including that individual.

The selection and ranking of players was as unbiased as possible. The editors began with 300 names, which they then reduced to 100, and from which each selected his top ten players, without ranking them. After tabulating the results, the editors then ranked the top 10. Then the voters selected their next 15 players, compared notes, and ranked numbers 11-25. They did this with 26-50, 51-75, and 76-100. Is the book still subjective? Undoubtably. You can't objectively compare linemen to running backs to receivers to quarterbacks and objectively identify the overall best players. But the editors did their best to be objective.

The top 10, in order from #1, are Jim Brown, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Lawrence Taylor, Johnny Unitas, Don Hutson, Otto Graham, Walter Payton, Dick Butkus, and Bob Lilly. I would give this book 5 stars, except that John Elway only comes in at #16, which IMHO is about 15 slots too low (but that shows you where I grew up :-) (Also, Bronco fans should be sure to look on the last 2 pages for an extra special treat.)

All in all, this is a fun book about some great football players. Whether or not you agree with the rankings, you gotta admit: all of the top 100 were/are great players!

How do you go about picking the greatest 100 football players of all time? There are going to be agreements about who should be on it, and lots of disagreements about who should or shouldn't be on it. This book tackles an extremely difficult job and comes out a winner. Whether or not you agree with all the choices here, you have to admit they picked some damn good ones.

Each page contains pics and a bio on the player. They list Jim Brown as number 1. Funny how just the other night I was in a local sports bar, and a man sitting next to me said "Jim Brown was the greatest player I ever saw." Obviously, this book agrees with my "friend." In fact, the book's forword is written by Brown.

In addition to TSN's Top 100 players listed in numercial order, there's also a "timeline" of when these players were active. Also listed are TSN's all-decade teams. Leafing through the pages brought back memories of players I have watched and enjoyed, and of players whose exploits I only read about years after their careers ended.

So do you agree with all the choices in this book? The only way to find out is to buy it and judge for yourself. I guarantee it's well worth the money.

I Enjoyed this Book but Lists aren't Important.Cuz you can never say who would rule any given Time Period.I think all People Selected are Winners.of Course their are some who didn't make the list and therefor they should be acknowledged as well.

Brown paints engaging and detailed pictures of St. John and Kim Philby. The chapters on St. John are particularly interesting. To judge by Brown's book, the elder Philby led a more colorful, though less notorious life than his son Kim.

Brown ultimately fails to support his charge of treason against St. John Philby. The charge, implicit in the book's title, is never really followed through in the text. St. John, as described by Brown, was an active critic of British policy in Arabia, a gadfly, and ultimately an embittered nuisance. This is not the same as being a traitor, however.

The chapters on Kim contain no new blockbusters, though Brown draws his character deftly. Ultimately more interesting than Kim Philby the man, though, is Kim Philby the phenomenon.

Kim Philby continues to exert a fascination which extends far beyond his actual historical impact. His betrayal, and that of Burgess, MacLean, et al, seem to stand as emblematic of the decay of the English upper classes in the Post WWI period. While Brown does an admirable job painting his portrait of the man, he doesn't dwell on the question of why we still care about this brilliant, vain, aristocratic traitor.

The research was top rate; the writing was superb; the factual underpinnings for everything were uncontravertible, and the subject was fascinating. That said, there exists a political bent here that attempts to skew the reader to have a sense of sympathy for Philby. Skip it, Philby was a treacherous lowlife. Clearly Philby had a communist belief system, that's not in question. The real issue of course is, should your ideological belief system justify treasonous acts? In other words, Philby was placed in a position of trust by the British Government. Does the fact that he had the heart of a communist justify the actions he took on behalf of the Soviets? No. In fact, as demonstrated later in his life, which really isn't explored as much as it should have been, Philby clearly become disenchanted with the communist manifesto.

The bottom line, however, is that this is a great read, well done

I think I can say without exaggeration, this is possibly the most important book of the 20th Century to date, which I have just had the good fortune to read within the last 6 months or so of that century. It illuminates and supplies all the linkages between the titanic struggles for the Middle East among the Great Powers of the Nineteenth Century, and the present hellish landscape that is their legacy. Then it goes on to meticulously study the character of Kim Philby, possibly the most important man of the century and certainly the one who embodies most all the contradictions and ambiguity of it. In the end nobody could penetrate this man's psyche, not the British and Americans whom he betrayed, nor the Russians whom he supposedly served. He remained a mystery wrapped inside an enigma to the end. The book causes one to ponder, how many of the great events of this century, turned on this one man? I can see why Graham Greene was so fond of him, because he is the character Graham Greene was trying to perfect in all his novels...

"Audubon's Watch", by John Gregory Brown is the first book of his work that I have read, and I intend to read his previous two books very soon. While reading this tale I often thought of the work of Wilkie Collins, one of the great writers of the late 19th century, and the man widely credited with the creation of the modern mystery genre. The Audubon of this novel is the famous artist who documented the birds of America, and while knowing some of the man's history is helpful it is not necessary.

A great mystery work maintains the suspense, the tension of the story to the very end. The tale itself sustains and lures the reader throughout the book without the need for blind alleys or misdirection. The facets that I mention can be great fun when used by many authors. Mr. Brown did not use them here, and I think the work is all that much better without the devices.

A young woman dies and Audubon is asked to sit watch with the husband the first night following her death. There is a second watch that has three owners, a watch that works or doesn't, a watch that appears to have a mind of its own. A common ritual in this instance has immense importance, for the husband is considered a notorious anatomist/resurrectionist, and Mr. Audubon has knowledge that drives his guilt for 30 years, when on his deathbed he summons the man he sat with that evening. But what is he guilty of, why does Emile, the deceased's husband, make a month long trek dealing with his own failing health to hear what Audubon wishes to say? And what could possibly be haunting Emile for these now past 30 years? The answers are all in the book, and they are not what appear to be obvious or even high probability predictions. The author is brilliant at manipulating what he shares and how he shares it, so that what you may take as a conversation among characters is something very different.

The author seems to play with the reader's need to know and the reader's willingness to make presumptions before the tale is complete. The effect he produces is really marvelous and entertaining. When he digresses from the specifics at hand to share the imagery of a roaring fire, a hurricane, and the flashing blades of the cutters of the cane as they work in his inferno is great reading.

John Gregory Brown is another writer that seems to have yet to be discovered by large numbers of readers. His work will now be on my reading list going forward.

I loved Brown's first two novels, "Decorations in a Ruined Cemetery" and "The Wrecked Blessed Body of Shelton Lafleur", but I think this new one is his best. As with the others, this is a terribly sad and rather disturbing story but the writing is glorious and the observations about John James Audubon completely fascinating. Brown takes us into the minds of Audubon and the anatomist Emile Gautreaux not just as artist and scientist but as men. He examines them the way they examine their subjects. The novel's real subject seems to be grief and passion and the way both can take hold of us. I think John Gregory Brown's books deserve to get much more attention than they do.

The idea of "the best of the Oxford American" brings out a lot of expectations. This magazine has been the home for a lot of special writing. This book provides some of those moments. I especially enjoyed the narrative of the small town photographer burdened by the unwelcome insights of his coworkers and the blank misunderstandings of his Disney World roadtripping friends. I think that the criticism by Tony Earley would have made just as good an introduction to this book as did Rick Bragg's more metaphorical observation that this writing is "heavy on the salt."
I would recommend this book for anyone that wants to read about the South as it actually is -- unique, history-addled, and genuinely "salty".

This collection of works--fiction, nonfiction, poetry, reportage--by the biggest names writing in or about the South is a real treasure. For those already familiar with "the New Yorker of the South" it will remind those what have made the magazine so special for so many years, and for those who have not discovered the magazine, BOA will be a great introduction to the best in Southern belles lettres. The book, like the magazine itself, is a little trad and not good on commenting on the lives of blacks, gays/lesbians, and immigrants to the South, but there is much for everyone to enjoy here.

This book tells about John Elway's life from the beginning. He was raised to be a winner, but he also tells us that winning isn't everything. I liked how he showed that everything wasn't always easy and perfect for him. He got in trouble like any other kid. He also tells what it was like to feel the sting of losing in the superbowl. A billboard in Denver read: "How does it feel to embarrass a city?" The book also tells about his family life growing up. He mentions how he is eleven minutes older than his twin sister. All in all, I think this was a wonderful book, especially for those interested in football and the Denver Broncos.

This book lets the reader know what Elway's life was like from childhood to adulthood. It gives glimpses of him as a person as well as a football player. One important theme is that he hates to lose. He states that "one important thing I have noticed about people who are winners is that, to them, losing is always temporary."
I enjoyed reading this book very much. Once I started it, I really did get into it. It was hard to put it down, even though I was supposed to be sleeping.
The book's layout was really nice. Text boxes were set aside for John Elway's words, making me feel like I was truly talking to him. Each page had colorful pictures. This helped me see what he looked like throughout his life. I also enjoyed seeing the different uniforms he wore.
Another reason I liked the book is the humor that Elway uses throughout it. He makes fun of himself and the sthings he sometimes did. I enjoy reading humorous books.
I also enjoy reading about a football player. His early life was interesting to me because it seems to be a lot like mine. Reading about football players is a good way to encourage myself to do well in my sport.
I admire Elway's opinion that family is important. I know that my family means the world to me. During tough times, John Elway could rely on the love of his family. I enjoy knowing that he is a family man.
I think Elway could have done a better job describing his Super Bowl games. He didn't give a good description of the Super Bowl games he won or lost. There is only one text box with Super Bowl statistics.
If someone enjoys reading about sports they would enjoy reading this book. It could help an athlete to understand what it takes to be successful in the sport of football. Anyone who enjoys reading humorous books would enjoy reading this book. I highly recommend this book.

This short story collection is a worthwhile read, and I will be looking up some of the authors featured. In particular, Andrew Sean Greer's story is heartbreaking; William J. Cyr's story has an interesting conversational, matter-of-fact tone; and the curiously named author "wormser" has a short but sweet entry. The best part of this collection, for me, is the interview with author Richard Bausch. I found it thoroughly inspiring, as it touches upon such problems as writer's block and having the confidence and determination to live a writer's life. The best part about Glimmer Train collections as a whole is that they give unpublished writers their first break, in addition to publishing established writers. More literary magazines of this caliber and spirit of inclusiveness are sorely needed!

This is an enjoyable collection of short stories; although, as with other collections, there are a couple of weak links in the chain. Nevertheless, it's worth buying for Andrew Greer's story alone. Others are also quite good, such as Karen Outen's fictional debate on whether to have a baby, Wormser's story about a childhood friend, and William Cyr's original and witty (and, at the same time, chilling) story of a bad stepfather. I also enjoyed the whole presentation--with baby photos of the authors (as well as current shots) and their personal comments. Established author Richard Bausch talks about writing, racism, and life in general in an engaging interview. Definitely worth a read!

For the past year I have been engaged in a lengthy research project on John Brown and his biographers. Robert Penn Warren's John Brown: The Making of a Martyr was written when Warren was just 24 years old, and, although it demonstrates the wonderful literary ability Warren would become famous for, the book should not be used as history; Warren's anti-Brown sentiments are obvious; his tone his extremely condescending, as he take numerous snipes at Brown throughout. Warren criticizes the work of previous Brown biographers, such as Oswald Garrison Villard, but that does not stop him from using Villard as his main source, even copying some of his words nearly verbatim. Warren does make some good points, though, like how Brown created his own martyrdom, and his prose is eloquent. Many readers go for this book because of how well told it is, but for the best, most complete, accurate, unbiased, detailed biography, read Stephen B. Oates' To Purge This Land With Blood. When it comes to research, leave this one alone.

This book does an excellent job of tracing not only John Brown's travels through Harper's Ferry, but also the genesis of his abolitionism.

Fanatic he may have been, but he was a fanatic on the right side of history. Also, there's no indication that Mr. Brown was a horse thief or a meglomaniac, although he did declare bankruptcy and did desire to lead, with the aproval of freed blacks, a provisional territory until slavery had been eliminated from the south.

Apologists for southern slavery, like Steve Quick below (who seems to be a hardcore southern apologist), should remember two words that destroy any moral argument they might muster in support of the antebellum South, and against the actions of John Brown, and later the Union.

The first word, obviously, is "slavery." It is unjustifiable, and any attempts to do so are disgraceful. It's sort of like saying that Hitler built good roads.

The second word is "Andersonville." The absolutely inhumane treatment Union soldiers received at the hands of the Confederates should never be forgotten.

The Harpers Ferry raid was the ember that ignited the Civil War. It was also part of a conspiracy, hidden in history almost as much as it was at the time, involving wealthy, prominant Northerners. Among them were Stowe and even Fredrick Douglas. Brown himself was a horsethief, a murderer, and a meglamaniac. Among the evidence found on his person was the constitution of the "new republic" he would usher in after Southern whites had been slaughtered by his army of freed slaves, naming himself as the new provisional president. This well researched book so completely debunks Brown as anything but a traiterous, intolerant tyrant that it is amazing that even today he can be viewed any other way. This book will raise your awareness to a brand new level, almost as much as it raises your blood pressure.

I came across Fanny Kemble during a chance visit to a Georgia plantation on the Altamaha River, near Butler Island, where Fanny wrote her journal. An acclaimed Shakespearean actress born into a theatrical family, she had been touring America with her father when she met Pierce Butler, a wealthy member of Philadelphia society with possessions in the South. He courted her with such persistence that she finally agreed to give up her career and marry him. (Needless to say, Philadelphia society did not smile upon the union.) After the birth of two daughters, she persuaded Pierce to take her and the children to Butler Island, where she learned firsthand about the source of the family's wealth: hundreds of slaves worked in the rice paddies on Butler Island and in the cotton fields on St. Simon's Island, where the prized long-fiber Sea Island cotton was grown.

Fanny had been in contact with New England abolitionists and was well aware of the slave problem; but she was unprepared for the appalling conditions she found in the slave quarters, in the fields, and especially in the infirmary. She prevailed on her husband to mitigate the harsh rules imposed by the overseer, procured blankets for the infirmary and sewing material for the women; taught them to make clothes and take care of their babies; and even tried to teach some of them to read - which was, of course, frowned upon. She found that some of the slaves were skilled craftsmen and suggested that they should be paid for their work like any artisan.

An accomplished horsewoman and energetic walker, she also learned to row a boat so she could explore, unchaperoned, the coastal waterways. Her unconventional, spirited life style drew reprimands from her husband, but earned her the respect and admiration of the slaves.

The journal she kept on Butler Island gives a lively account of her daily routine. For those who imagine the lives of southern plantation owners along the lines of Hollywood movies, this book provides a healthy dose of reality. With an outsider's keen and critical eye, she chronicled her own involvement in a dark chapter of American history. She did not publish the journal until 1863, when she was divorced from Pierce and had returned to England. It came out just before the battle of Gettysburg and may have influenced public opinion in England which had been drifting toward favoring the South.
Today, the Butler plantation no longer exists; but neighboring "Hofwyl" gives a visitor a fairly good impression of what plantation life may have been like before and after the Civil War.

I purchased this book from Amazon in September but just managed to finish it this weekend. Why the delay? The book is a hard and melancholic read. In page after page Fanny Kemble narrates the abomination and sheer evil of slavery. We are introduced to folks who pious in their ways and beliefs show absolutely no compassion or outrage towards sanctioned barbarism. There is the case of one little girl who cannot conceive or imagine the notion that she can be a free woman. Then there is the sanctimonious Mr. Butler who is supposed to be a "good massa" to the chattel that is his property. I cannot begin to chronicle the innumerable injustices done to fellow humans.

But then in the midst of this filth there is a bright shinning light. That light is Fanny. This brave and intellignet lady fought against big odds to somewhat improve the plight of the slaves on her husband's plantation. Often not taken seriously, or worse treated condescendingly, Fanny nevertheless kept at it.

The first five chapters are a delight to read. They narrate her journey to the plantation along with her experiences at stops along the way. But from then on be prepared for a long sad book. This is an important book that deserves your attention. The next time I visit one of those beautiful antebellum mansions with the aroma of magnolia's in the air I will remember the cost of human lives wasted. I will remember Fanny.

Fanny Kemble Butler was a remarkable woman. In a time, circumstance, and place which precluded her following her life's dream, she settled down into marriage with Pierce Butler, who had adamantly and ardently pursued her hand. She left a very successful career as an actress and gave up, for a time and at her husband's request, her ambition and even her beliefs. She strove to make this marriage work and to "save her husband's soul," when she discovered, after the marriage, the actual source of her husband's family's income, the rice plantations that lay in Georgia. They had two children together before she finally persuaded him to allow her to visit his Georgia rice plantations, where hundreds of negro slaves labored to support the family's wealthy lifestyle in New England. Fanny's heartfelt pleas to free the negroes not only fell on her husband's deaf ears, but he eventually forbade her to even tell him of their plight, and even went so far as to forbid her to continue the practice of helping out in their infirmary. Still, the slaves of her husband's two plantations temporarily benefitted from her visit, which must have been like a ray of light in a very dark existence. The stories speak for themselves, and Fanny makes it her duty to record every one in the slaves' own voices. This book affected me deeply, especially when I read of Fanny's eventual unhappy divorce from her husband, whom she still loved, and her enforced separation from her children. Scholarly reading for every student of the nineteenth century, in the subjects of enslavement, the plight of married women, and general attitudes toward women and slavery by men in power and the common people.

Military historians will love this book, which is replete with battle plans, diagrams, maps, and minutiae regarding the War of 1812. So clear and cogent a description of our army's actions and tactics is an impressive accomplishment, obviously the result of years of assiduous research. Information is derived not only from military and government records but also from personal correspondence of the time. One emerges from this book with a new respect for Major General Jacob Brown, whose victories at Chippawa and Lundy's Lane strongly influenced the outcome of the war and earned him a Congressional gold medal. John Morris's book offers a plenitude of information about the War of 1812 and also describes the changes in American military organization that resulted from Brown's ideas. (The author has also unearthed financial and personal records showing that Major General Brown labored under a backbreaking load of debt all his life, and was never free of financial worries. In present times, such a military celebrity would be making millions on the lecture circuit.)

I am not particularly well qualified to review this book, having bought and read it for family rather than academic reasons, but it is definitely a must-have for any serious student of American history. Put it on your Christmas list as the perfect gift for historians, war aficionados, and military scholars. It is not only a gold mine of information but also an elegant coffee-table display volume, containing numerous reproductions of portraits of the dramatis personae of the period.

This book provides a sparkling bio on the life and times of Maj. Gen. Jacob Brown. For too long we have ignored the study of the US army in the post Revolutionary War period. Jacob Brown, a Quaker turned soldier was one of the founding fathers of the American army in the early part of the 19th century. Like Winfield Scott and others of this period they have for too long been overshadowed by the galaxy of personalities associated with the Civil War. Without the Browns and Scotts in the antebellum US army there would not have been a firm military foundation in this country on which to build anything.

For sure Brown was no military genius, but he possessed common sense and was aggressive in his generalship. After whitnessing first hand the shameful failures in the first part of the War of 1812 when ametuer American armies bumbled their way across the border into Canada only to be sent reeling back, Brown and others learned quickly what not to do. A successful defense against Governor Provost's clumsy attack upon Sacketts Harbor in 1813 quickly marked Brown as one of the few American generals able to best British regulars. He was destined to achieve higher command than just the inefficient New York State Militia.
After the disasterous Montreal campaign of 1813, easily the worst debacle in US military history, Brown achieved rank as Maj. Gen. in the regular army. His promotion was one of several which was intended to remove the aged and incompetent generals that were ruining the army.

Brown and Winfield Scott worked hard in preparation for the 1814 Niagara campagn. Scott has been given a lot of the credit for this work, but it was really Brown who put the wheels in motion and who gave Scott the latitude to train and perfect his little brigade. The 1814 Niagara campagn would be the coming of age for the US army. The fiercely fought battles of Chippewa, Lundy's Lane and Fort Erie are at long last starting to receive the attention they deserve. Morris in his bio goes into some depth concerning these actions, and rightfully so as Brown played a major part in them all. Still, we see that it was Brown's maanagement and control of the army as opposed to his battlefield genius that accomplished more than anything. Brown got the militia to actually cross the border and support the regulars. Brown is often credied as the only general who was never defeated by the British. American historians are often desperate to point this out in order to regain some pride from an embarrassing conflict. While Brown was successful in all his battles save Fort Erie, he very easily could have lost at any one of them. Still, compared to the likes of Dearborn, Wilkinson and Hull, Brown comes acorss as a towering military genius!

This biography on Brown paints a nice picture of the man and the times he lived in. We learn of the origins of this old and honorable American family and how they became the land barons of northern New York before the war. We learn of Brown's domestic life and large family from the fragmentary records which the author has put together and carefully arranged. Where there is not enough evidence the author tries to put together the pieces. The War of 1812 takes up about half of this book, while the remainder shows how Brown struggled to maintain a tiny US army under the constant attacks of scheming politicians in Washington. Without Brown's harmonizing efforts the US army might not be what it is today. Brown was also instrumental in reorganizing many departments within the army, and deserves every bit as much credit as Scott has recieved over the years. All of this was done while Brown struggled with heavy debts and a failing health.

Morris has rescued the honor of a general who deserves a very important place in the early history of the US army. This is a very readable and concise biography. All students of the War of 1812 and the period in general should enjoy this book.

No other US general was as consistently successful in the War of 1812 as Jacob Brown. Although a politically appointed general officer in the New York militia, Brown quickly earned the nation's respect, and a regular commission as a Brigadier General. Morris' well-written book objectively follows Brown's amazingly successful career from pre-War of 1812, to his death while serving as General of the Army in the post war years. The bulk of the book chronicles Brown's various commands on the Niagara Frontier during the War of 1812. During his tenure on the Niagara Frontier, Brown was a central player in most land combat actions. He was in command of US forces against the British in such major battles as the Battle of Chippewa, and the Battle of Lundy's Lane- the bloodiest battle of the war. Morris covers Brown's development of standardized training for not only enlisted, but the officers under his command as well. This served as the start of professional development for the US Army that continues through to today. Morris also ably covers Brown's post war career as one of only two Major Generals retained on active duty after the war (the other being Andrew Jackson), and his rise to become General of the Army. It was in this post where Brown was able to truly begin to instill professionalism in the Army. Although the book devotes most of its space to Brown's military success, Morris also delves into Brown's personal difficulties- severe debt and deteriorating health, which serves to round out the reader's understanding of the man. Despite his status as a national hero at the time of his death in 1828, the public unfortunately has generally forgotten Brown and his contributions the United States and its Army. Morris' book will hopefully help widen the public's knowledge of the forward-thinking Brown past those interested in the War of 1812. A highly recommended book for those not only interested in the War of 1812, but also for those interested in the development of the US Army and early westward expansion.