I was particularly impressed by Tourgee's use of dialogue. By constantly hearing both sides of each design and every brainchild, the reader is allowed to come to his or her own conclusions. Whether A Fool's Errand would be considered a historical account or a novel is ambiguous, but then maybe such a combination of fact and fiction is what allows literature to survive the passage of time as this work has. I was enamored as well by the way Tourgee, sitting as judge to all, openly and maliciously attacked both the plaintiff and the defendant for their contribution to the melee we know as "reconstruction". This is the only truly nonbiased approach, and it was marvelously implemented here. I feel too many works are skewed to facilitate the author's motives, especially those written about this era. Like a refreshing breeze from far away, this work brings clarity and insight to a misinterpreted time in our nation's past.

Hardcover -224 pages 25th print edition

The Jacksonian Era is a splendid little book of concise invaluable history. It addresses the major themes of the Jackson Presidency: slavery, the Bank War, the robbed election, Indian removal, and even dabbles into Jackson past, which is full of grand military victories. What many people fail to grasp is the fact that without Jackson's desisive victory in New Orleans, during the War of 1812, with the British, we may not have a perfect Union, or a Union at all.

So as the grandchild of the author I'm a little biased, but this is an excellent book.

This book is an absolute standard within the circles of the study of Early Christianity, Judaism, Roman Law and Relgion; or all of the above.

The artifacts excavated from the ruins of the Masada yield fascinating insights into the world of the New Testament and the times when King Herod, Pilate, Jesus, Peter, and Paul lived. This book invites you to visit Herod's palaces, walk the robber-infested road taken by the good Samaritan, and see lamps that may have been like those carried by the ten virgins and sandals that made footprints on the shores of Galilee or the deserts of Judea.

Every item from Masada suggests something about the setting in which Christianity arose. These essays better help us understand the people, politics, and material culture of the world of the New Testament.

Those interested in American political history and the founding of our constitutional government will find this book extremely helpful. Borden fills a unique niche in American history and the history of political parties by describing how American political parties developed in the early republic. While most knowledgeable people are aware that the founding fathers abhorred political parties as institutionalized factions that were destructive to democratic principles, Borden gracefully describes how the founding fathers nonetheless became drawn to parties as a means of gaining control. Indeed, without the founding of the Democratic-Republican Party the Alien and Sedition Acts may never have been repealed and our government may look very different. The impact of foreign policy (pro-British Federalists and pro-French Democratic-Republicans) is also discussed at length. A short read and a valuable resource, I recommend this book heartily.

Except for the first two, all of the stories in this collection are excellent! I had a great time reading them. My favorite is the sad "Bayonne", and the riotously funny "The Opportunity". There are hints of Cheever's celebrated prose style, but all of these stories are marvelously constructed narratives. The book itself is okay. Except for the hideous yellow of the jacket and more than a few typesetting and editorial factual errors, it is a very handsomely bound book with good paper and large, readable type. However, it's hard to justify twenty dollars for a 200 page book that's physically the size of a paperback novel.

I bought this book for my students reading about the American Colonies and Revolution. I didn't feel that I knew enough about Ben Franklin and needed to learn more. My students were facinated about him because he was an inventor and did the experiment with the key and the kite to learn about electricity. I learned so much from this book that I had never known before and the readabilty level is perfect for my students. I can't wait to share this book with them!

I live in Omaha and I well remember when this story broke in the press. It was big news; Lindbergh baby headlines, in fact. When I saw this book was available, I knew I had to read it and find out the information that the press refused to carry. John DeCamp names names and skewers people with little regard for his own personal safety.

I won't go into too much detail on what happened. Read the book to find that out. It is sufficient to say that there were many allegations of child abuse, homosexual encounters, drug abuse and embezzlement of monies involved. The people accused of the abuse were very prominent people in Omaha society, and still are today. DeCamp lays it all out for everyone to see. He cites sources and makes devastating charges against all those involved. He even indicts the federal government as a willing participant in this cover-up. DeCamp is most impressive when he outlines the scandals of Bob Kerrey's tenure as Nebraska governor in the early and mid 1980's. Several bank scandals and questionable loans cast Kerrey in a fairly sinister light. DeCamp says Kerrey used NIFA (Nebraska Investment Finance Authority) to make loans to his buddies and corporate interests. This is the same thing Bill Clinton did in Arkansas with the ADFA while he was governor, around the same time! Those wacky Democrats! What will they come up with next!

Needless to say, some of the revelations in this book are tough to read and pretty shocking. There are explicit descriptions of unnatural acts and violent incidents. There are big drawbacks to this book, however. For one thing, DeCamp has an ego the size of a house. He is constantly patting himself on the back and makes sure everyone knows how much money he could make, how successful his career is, and how many big names he can drop. It gets old real fast and hurts the book, in my opinion. He also gets off on some weird tangents. It's one thing to brag about your involvement in the Gordon Kahl case, or the militia movement. When you start talking about a CIA project called Monarch, in which America's youth are being programmed to kill and maim, you are really stretching credulity. I even roared out loud with derision when I got to the section on Monarch. Attempting to tie one of the Franklin kids into Monarch isn't a good idea, either. It erodes credibility. Despite these parts, the book is a good examination of the entire scandal. No matter what anyone ever says, the death of Gary Caradori is EXTREMELY suspicious. No one can argue that Peter Citron isn't a pedophile, either, as he served time in prison for that crime. These two events alone cast sinister suspicion that something was going on, although whether anyone will ever know the true scope of the scandal is highly unlikely.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, especially for the Kerrey info and the actual discussions of the Franklin cover-up. Just be sure and read this book with caution. Never believe everything you hear, see, or read!

This book only touches on the things that pervert government.
It makes you understand that where there is great wealth
there is great power. The average person in the USA has no idea
what is going on right under their noses.
Open you eyes people. Ours is not a rose colored world.
Those who do not believe in the truth of this book just ask
yourself "Why have their been no lawsuits for slander filed and
won?" Read this and understand that this is real! Sad but true.
You must read this.

This book is quite shocking in many ways. The allegations of child abuse, money laundering, drug running and official governmental cover-ups both big and small. The Iran-Contra affair and CIA mind control. How do they all play in this midwestern state? Read this book to find out.

If it's true it is totally shocking. And how can it not be true? While the allegations many times appear outlandish the writer names names and points fingers at very powerful individuals. Why has no one filed law suits for slander if these allegations are not true? That brings is back around to the unbelievable thought that these allegations are true.

A groundbreaking book that sometimes seems to go off on tangents but all the while is a very important read. Witness the power of the government in ways that most people don't realize exists, the sordid underbelly. Outstanding.