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

Wow! I was required to read this book for a history course, but was amazed at the depth and feeling that is gleaned from the immigrant experience. Whether for education, entertainment, or if you would like to gain perspective on ancestral roots, I highly recommend this book. In a semester of drab, boring history reading, this book stood out!

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.

Enter an ideal world where everyone lives in peace and everyone is special. Enter Xanadu, a collection of poetry, prose, and artwork that expresses children's views of a perfect place. "Xanadu would be like chocolate," writes a group of schoolchildren. "There is a rainbow up in the sky and the air smells sweet like sugar." In another poem, a girl writes that "Xanadu is a place of peace and love, where people will respect you and love you." An enchanting book for children and adults alike, Xanadu sends an inspirational message about children's visions for a more harmonious world.