JUST WHAT I NEED TO PASS THIS COURSE. FINALLY, I FOUND A BOOK ABOUT THE CIVIL WAR THAT EXPLAINS EVERYTHING IN DETAIL, YET DOESN'T GO ON AND ON ABOUT THE WAR. I'VE READ ALMOST HALF THE BOOK IN ONE DAY, AND IT GIVES VERY DETAILED INFORMATION THAT I CAN PROCESS EASILY. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK FOR CIVIL WAR STUDENTS.

Those of us who study the American Civil War with passion have doubtless been faced with that perplexing question from Civil War novices who know little to nothing of the recent conflict: what is a good, short history of the War with the ability to provide an overview of our favorite period of American history? It's not easy. Do you recommend Shelby Foote's wonderful, yet massive three volume work? James McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom? It's a great work, but probably too deep for the novice. But the answer is here.

Brooks D. Simpson, Associate Professor of History at Arizona State University and author of Let Us Have Peace: Ulysses S. Grant and the Politics of War and Reconstruction, 1861-1868, has brought us a single volume work eminently suitable for novice and experienced Civil War veteran alike. Written as part of the American History Series and published by Harlan Davidson, Inc., this work finally condenses the story of the War to a manageable size for the beginner and student alike.

Mr. Simpson manages to avoid the problems inherent in many works written about the Civil War: that of perceived prejudices and biases towards one side or the other. The causes of the War are examined from both sides, with a strong attempt to understand the motivations of both the North and South. The military conflict is presented in a straight-forward manner, and the limited size of the work limits discussions of major campaigns to highlights, rather than in-depth analysis. In many ways, this is a blessing for this type of work, because many of the controversies so familiar to the student are avoided for the moment.

The author does not conclude the inevitability of a Union victory, suggesting that the chances for Southern independence were available in 1862 and 1863 -- but were also even more apparent in 1864 as the war-weary North had to choose its next President. That Abraham Lincoln, U.S. Grant and William T. Sherman found the military means to generate significant victories and keep the war efforts of the North alive were key elements in eventual Northern victory. That the triumvirate of Lincoln, Sherman and Grant managed to split the Confederacy's ability to manage resources and the willingness to wage war went far towards eventually resolving the conflict. Southern inability to balance and manage these two issues finally led to capitulation in 1865.

Written in a clear, concise manner, this book belongs on the book shelves of any collector of writings on the Civil War.

Savage brilliantly demonstrates that much of the eventual success of the 60's civil rights struggle can be traced to the insights learned by African American leaders in the 40s as they began to master the presentation of their cause on radio. By shifting the movment's earlier focus on "converting" individuals to developing methods for intervening with the media which reach virtually every citizen, African American leaders were able to introduce a new black voice on the radio, especially programming sponsored by the federal government during WWII. This programming challenged accepted stereotypes of black abilities and placed African American accomplishments at the heart of American history. Using seldom seen archives of radio material and the recollections of surviving participants in this dramatic phenomenon, Savage makes the case that many of the lessons learned during this era served the civil rights movement well. Just as radio became a forum for debates about race in the 40s, so too television functioned in the 50s and 60s. While black leaders could not control either radio or television, they understood from their earlier work with radio how television needed "images" only they could supply. The awareness of the potential power of an "alliance" between African Americans and televion was one of the legacies of the 40s radio programming Savage unearthed.. I have to say that Savage is an especially fluid and engaging writer. A lot of the material would have been a painful slog in a less capable writer's hands. I suspect that this book will become a "core text" on the evolution of the civil rights movement. Personally, I can't wait to see what else Savage tackles.

Leroy Davis is a briliant scholar and an excellent teacher. His depth of knowledge on John Hope is amazing, and the real man comes through in this great book.

-Adam Rothwell

First let me say that I rarely read non-fiction and even when I do, I rarely manage to finish an entire book of it. Democracy Betrayed is an exception. The writing was clear, precise, right-on, and interesting. And, perhaps most importantly, educational. I was born and raised in North Carolina and knew nothing--absolutely nothing--about the Wilmington Race Riots or the subject of Cecelski's essay Abraham Galloway. I am female and was a victim of gender based racial violence myself so I was aware of the issues raised in Gilmore's essay and White's essay, but I have never seen the issues written about so well. What I most like about this book is that it destroys stereotypes about class and race. After all isn't it the most well-to-do who most benefit from race violence so why should we be surprised to learn that it was not the so-called "white trash" who began the racial massacre in 1898, but the rich, the ones who were most likely to benefit from forcing the elected fusionist party officials out of office and placing themselves in their offices. I never knew--it certainly wasn't taught in my public school--that in 1896 every office in North Carolina was held by a progressive fusionist party member, elected by the fusion of lower class whites and blacks. Imagine how different this state would be, how advanced in talent and intelligence, if the massacre hadn't occurred, if black doctors, lawyers, real estate agents, newspaper editors and writers, etc, hadn't been forced from the state and if the elected officials had been allowed to remain in office. Perhaps what is most important is the book succeeds in "drawing public attention to the tragedy", a tragedy that is apparantly very much in the consciousness of Black Wilmington citizens and very much needs to be in the consciousness of all humans.

Great! THis is the best book I've ever read

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.

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.

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.

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.