This is a superb, well-rounded historical picture of our Buckeye State Presidents and their families. This book should be required reading for all elementary students help better understand the shaping of our country. Rate this book an 11 on a scale of 1-10.

This is a very readable, entertaining, and enlightening book about eight men Ohio claims as native son presidents -- William Henry Harrison, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B.Hayes, James Garfield, William McKinley, William Howard Taft, and Warren G. Harding. The author makes a convincing case that they are not rated as highly as they should be. All, for example, stood more for civil rights for African-Americans they other candidates and presidents of their eras who are commonly rated as better presidents. Another theme is the heroism of several of them in the Civil War. Another is their humble demeanor, in marked contrast to such self-promoters as Theodore Roosevelt. This is a well-written revisionist look at Ohio's presidents, written for lay readers with interest in history. Also, it contains many "human interest" facts and anectodes about these presidents, who should not be forgotten.

Author James Cash takes a fresh look at Ohio's presidents. Much maligned and always rated near the bottom of presidential rankings, these leaders, Cash believes, deserve a second look. His book, Unsung Heros, makes the case that they should be seen in a more favorable light. The stories and insights Cash provides about Ohio's presidents make for an entertaining read that will appeal to both the casual and serious historian.

This book is a wonderful well written account on what Mormons believe about temple worship past and present. James Talmage was an Apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the early twentieth century. Good for members preparing to enter the temple.

I have read over 400 books on LDS beliefs and this is a Top 25. A must read for all Latter-day Saints. Editor, All About Mormons web site.

So why is it out of print? (Had no trouble getting one though.) This book is based on a series of magazine articles for Old Home Journal, so the style is informal. The carefully chosen color pictures set it apart from its competition, A Field Guide to American Houses, by the other husband and wife team. But mostly it's the authors' ability to explain in simple language the events that caused the rise and fall of the various styles: the switch to stud framing, the widely circulated pattern books, the Arts and Craft movement, World War I and the various European styles brought home by the soldiers, etc.

House Styles in America is a well constructed collection of american houses dating back to the old Ironworks houses, Like the Turner house and Bacons Castle,but this book also contains modern houses, like Phillip Johnson's glass house. This book is a great addition to anyones growing architecture library.

Author Jim Merriner covered politics for the Chicago Sun-Times, and he brings that insight -- and razor-sharp writing -- to this book. There are two biographies of Rostenkowski out right now, and for some reason, reviewers and bookstores have given more prominance to the other book. But Merriner's book is the better of the two. It is written by a pro who knows politics, knows Chicago and, despite his years as a newspaperman, has an aversion to cliches. Rostenkowski's story is an engrossing one, and Merriner does it justice.

This book is very well written. Easy to read for even those of us who may not be "politicaly oriented". Gave me a great insight and understanding of American politics. Definitely would recomend it! Covers a time span from early Chicago to present day.

I saw this in a bookstore and scooped it up without checking online prices. Its a huge book for the small price. I'm no historian, but this book seems very comprehensive. Awesome color photos, floorplans, sketches, etc. History, details of construction technics. Pretty much every photo has a description with location, date, and many times the architect. Beautiful examples of houses from each period... something for everyone. Tons of info.

Despite its modest format, this elegant monograph more than does justice to Vincent James' extraordinary copper pavilions floating in a birch forest, comprehensively illustrated here with a wide range of visual materials, from early design sketches, construction photographs, and extensive working drawings to exquisite images of the finished building through four seasons of rain, mist, snow, and sun. Fold-out plans are provided in the inside cover, with a location key to all photos for readers' convenience. The graphic design of the book is clearly a labor of love, far beyond the often perfunctory standard of architectural publishing. Professional readers will regret the absence of scale information, but this is a minor lapse amidst the books many virtues.

One Step from the White House is a very satisfying, well-written biography of a pivotal figure in both post-World War II U.S. political history as well as 20th century San Francisco Bay Area history. The book chronicles William Fife Knowland's life in a straight-forward narrative from his 1908 birth to his suicide in 1974. Knowland's life makes a compelling story -- from his early days as the favorite son of a politically ambitious father, to his Senate years as a strong voice for the Republican Party's conservative wing, to his self-destructive golden years. Montgomery and Johnson allow the story to unfold slowly and tell itself without too much analysis or summary. While this style gives the book good narrative momentum as the reader becomes more and more familiar with Knowland, this sometimes analysis-free style resulted in this reader wondering how certain events came about, such as Knowland's meteoric rise in the Republican Senate leadership. The book is also too "soft" on its subject for a post-Watergate era political biography. While the author's introductory remarks thanking the Knowland family for their confidence and trust seem polite and appropriate, they ultimately reveal an excessive concern for the subject's descendants at the expense of the story at hand. When Montgomery and Johnson do impose some analysis on the story, it is sometimes unconvincing. The most prominent example of this is naming the book "One Step from the White House," clearly an appropriate title for a biography of Thomas Dewey or Hubert Humphrey, but the author's do not successfully sell its applicability to Knowland. In spite of such lapses, Montgomery and Johnson deliver a effective chronicle of a fascinating man and flawed man.

Gayle B. Montgomery and James W. Johnson have presented an excellent book on the complex life of Senator William F. Knowland. This book is great history of California and the (SF) East Bay Area;the Republican Party of the 1950's and the Oakland Tribune. Daniel Wyatt, the author of the life of Bill Knowland's father, Joseph Russell Knowland.

I knew Senator Knowland well, having worked for twenty years for the Oakland Tribune, and having had the unenviable assignment of writing his obituary for the newspaper following his death. Gayle Montgomery and Jim Johnson have done a magnificent job of capturing the driving demons of a man whose brusque and hearty demeanor disguised a complex and, in the end, tortured personality. This is a compelling book for every reader, not just those interested in the social an political history of the time.

"James Humes is over the top!" exclaims the introdcution (written by Humes pal and British MP Jonathon Aiken). Indeed he is. This book reflects that sentiment in both the positive and negative aspects, though on balance it is highly entertaining. Humes has many good stories to tell and tells them well. He does, however, give off the feel that there might be SOME exaggeration going on. Still, the book is quick and enjoyable to read.

The author, "lawyer, legislator, diplomat, author, historian, actor, professor, and White House speechwriter", recipient of the Order of the British Empire and dance-partner with Queen Elizabeth, seems to have been everywhere and met everyone, most notably the several U.S. Presidents for who whom he wrote speeches.
Humes' chatty narrative style, marred only by a few regrettable typos, painlessly shares some remarkable insights into high politics and diplomacy, with such highlights as; Nixon's candidate for "Deep Throat", and the real reason Ford pardoned Nixon.
Not incidentally, Humes is today a professional speaker whose tips on public speaking would be well worth the price of admission here to anyone who speaks publicly.
Very entertaining.
(The numerical rating above is a default setting within Amazon's format. This reviewer does not employ numerical ratings.)

Equally entertaining to Michener devotees and casual readers alike. Although often accredited as America's "master story teller", not much is known about this orphan from humble beginnings. Michener weaves a captivating story of his youth followed by his WWII years in the U.S. Navy, which of course brought us "Tales of the South Pacific". He then relates real down to earth experiences as a would-be writer seemingly trapped as editor. Through it all his humbleness is refreshing. His appreciation and respect for the arts and culture is most noteworthy and no doubt will have many readers running to the nearest record store well stocked in opera and classical music. He relates as only he can the various stimuli involved in the undertaking of his later massive works, many accomplished well past the age of 60. If nothing else, upon finishing this remarkable auto-biography, the reader will have an immense respect for the writer and a stirring curiosity to explore his many works and indeed, the several fine pieces of literature that influenced him.

James Michener's memoirs are interesting. They're the usual mixed bag of America's greatest "non-novelist" -- or whatever term best describes this writer. I consider him a master of narrative (slightly different from story-telling.) Michener himself admits that he totally lacks "the dramatic flair," which is what you need to create compelling characters and storylines. Yet he protests that his characters are not cardboard. Be that as it may: some thirty huge novels and not one memorable character in the lot. I think he's more of a narrator, a guy who writes fictionalized history books.

Now, leaving all that aside, this book is a gold-mine for anyone who is seriously considering a career as a writer. Michener worked as a N.Y. editor during the first half of his life, and wrote tons of books during the second half. He's seen it all, and knows it all, and he's here to tell you the most important thing you will ever hear about writing: "There's no reliable money in this business." Even though Michener himself was a huge exception, making millions and giving it all away, he's seen enough of writing and writers to know the facts.

Read this book and learn. Michener made himself independently wealthy BEFORE he decided to begin writing. He apparently did it out of his "South Pacific" royalties (a huge piece of good luck) and a brief career as a lecturer. But he NEVER expected to be earning good money as a writer. He didn't write for the money. He wrote books that he thought other people would like to read. Period. That's it.

There is a lot of nitty-gritty in this book: the physical business of writing, pasting pages together, endless revising. If you're considering this career, you must get this book. I think it outclasses everything else on the market, if only because it's flat honest and deadly accurate.

One thing to ask yourself. Michener talks at one point about his writing students. How many of them want to WRITE, he wonders. How many actually want to sit down at a desk eight hours a day and write? It's a lonely day, after all. And, then again, how many of the students want to HAVE WRITTEN, to suddenly be a published author, wallowing in fame and status?

I ask myself the same question when I teach English at Chiang Mai University: how many students actually want to LEARN English, and how many just want a high grade.

Michener can be dull, and he can be irritating, but this is the best book I know of for would-be writers.

Highest possible recommendation!

Anthony Pitch has written a memorable account of a seminal event in American history. His portrayal of the British burning of our nation's capitol is an exciting, fast-paced description of events which catch and hold the reader's attention from the first to last page. Pitch's suspenseful story captures the essence of what is best in historical nonfiction - the ability to depict events in an accurate and yet dramatic style, painting word pictures in a crisp, authoritative fashion which entrances the reader. This book is a must for the library of every history buff, and for that matter, for every civic-minded citizen. There is no doubt in my mind that it will be made into an intriguing motion picture.

Anthony S. Pitch is a first class story teller. From the humiliating defeat of the panic-stricken American troops at Bladensburg, Maryland (north of Washington, D.C.) to their magnificent victory over the British army at New Orleans (under the command of the immortal Andrew Jackson), it's all here. I found it difficult to put this riveting book down. As a native of Baltimore, I particularly enjoyed the author's fact filled account of the important battle at Fort McHenry and the birth of our National Anthem. The heroics of American Generals George Armistead, Samuel Smith, and John Stricker are faithfully retold, along with rich details about many other gallant defenders of the then-young Baltimore City. I grew up during WWII on Locust Point, in south Baltimore, where the Fort still stands as a sentinel, jutting out into the Patapsco River. Pitch's research of the combatants' competing military strategies in that seminal battle is very illuminating, indicative of the author's background as a journalist. The death of British General Robert Ross, just before the start of the decisive land battle at North Point (just east of Fort McHenry) at the hand of two sharp shooting patriotic riflemen, Henry McComas and Daniel Wells, deserves a chapter all to itself. Pitch also describes marvelous anecdotes about the torching of the city of Washington by the British that should be read by every American that cares about his country's history. I never fully realized just how close our nation came to again becoming a province of the British Empire. Pitch relates it was a lot closer then most of us ever imagined. I can't wait for this well-documented book to become a movie. It would make a great sequel to Mel Gibson's splendid film, "The Patriot."

This fast-paced, incredibly well-researched book changed my view of American history. I never appreciated that the War of 1812 was, in fact, our second war of independence, one which we came close to losing. I never knew that the terrified U.S. government, in fleeing Washington, allowed the British Army to literally amble into town virtually unopposed and burn most of the government buildings (yet treat the populace with unimagined civility!). I never knew much about the inspiration and writing of the Star Spangled Banner and the importance of the Battle of Baltimore. And I was fascinated to learn that the Battle of New Orleans, in addition to being one of the worst defeats ever suffered by the mighty British Army (mostly at the hands of Andrew Jackson and a bunch of Kentucky and Tennessee hillbillys, no less), was a battle that never should have been fought. I have generally found history books to be ponderous reading, written more for the benefit of academic historians than for popular consumption -- often only giving me added details about things I already knew about. This book is different. It's crisp, fast-moving and very authoritative. Anthony Pitch has written a focused and important book about a pivotal period of American History about which most Americans, I suspect, know little. And after you read it, when you sing "The Star Spangled Banner", you'll appreciate with greater depth, possibly for the first time, what you're singing about. I loved the book!