I've read my fair share of Civil War books and this was my first Catton book. I'm ashamed to say I waited this long to read one of his works, it was fantastic. His writing style is an engaging, comforting read that was informative and well structured. This is the first in a trilogy and as the title alludes to, it lays the foundation for the ensuing war. The period covered is approximately a year before the war starts to First Bull Run, covering the political, societal and military events leading to the war.

I can't recommend this book enough.

Jim Gallen has, in an earlier review, summed up quite well the content of Catton's first volume in his centennial history of the Civil War. What I will say is that having read this book, and the two that follow, more than 30 years ago, and having read numerous works on the Civil War since then, I keep coming back to these three volumes. Why? Because more than any other writer on the Civil War (Shelby Foote included) Bruce Catton has produced a book that is almost poetic in its style. His prose makes the people who fought the war or who were otherwise affected by it come alive. From the very first pages of The Coming Fury he gives us a sense of forboding, for the tragedy, the senselessness, and the inevitibility of what lay just down the road for the celebrants at the Republican and Democratic conventions of 1860. Catton is one of the first, I think, to truely take advantage of the letters and diaries of soldiers, sailors, and civilians, and not just official unit histories and canned secondary accounts. If more recent historians have surpassed Catton in digging up details of virtually every aspect of the Civil War, none can touch him in the poetic sweep of his narrative. For anyone interested in a good introduction to our most costly war, Catton is the one to start with.

"The Coming Fury" is a powerful rendition of the sad tale of the disintegration of the Union from the political maneuvers of 1860 to the aftermath of the First Battle of Bull Run.

In this, the first of the Catton trilogy, we are show how the breakdown of the spirit of compromise, which had held together a house divided for four score and four years, contributed to the conflagration to follow.

The major theme of this book is that nothing was inevitable about the lines on which the Union would fracture. The lines of division resulted from a multitude of decisions made by the actors in this national tragedy.

For many with only a superficial knowledge, history is the story of conflict between right and wrong, heroes and villains. When I read history I enjoy books which permit us to see the stories and characters with all their triumphs and failures, virtues and faults. "The Coming Fury" ranks high on the list of such books.

The first casualty of the failure of compromise was the Great Democracy, the Democratic Party, which split into its Northern and Southern wings in 1860, making the election of Abraham Lincoln inevitable that fall.

The election of Lincoln convinced many southerners that the Union was no longer provided a suitable home for them. This book tells the story of how the breakup occurred.

We see James Buchanan, trapped by a cabinet which was as divided as the nation, presiding over the rejection of the Constitution and the dissolution of the Union which he was sworn to preserve and protect and who, incredibly, retired in the belief that he had done a good job under the circumstances.

We see Abraham Lincoln, whose eloquence and political magic are the stuff of legends, stumble his way into Civil War. We learn that the speeches along his route from Springfield to Washington contain nothing of the inspiring rhetoric which now adorns his Memorial.

We see that the South did secede in one monolithic movement. The first seven states seceded nearly in masse, while the remaining slave states waited to see whether a compromise would permit the survival of the nation.

We all know about the firing on Fort Sumter, but how many know what was really at stake? The truth is that the main issue was over the possession of forts. In fact, there were several forts which could have provided the spark which set the nation ablaze, but the honor fell to Sumter and South Carolina.

Although the issue of Fort Sumter revolved around the possession of real estate, the implications were much greater. Several of the Border states swung toward the Confederacy after the attempt to reinforce Fort Sumter. It can be said that Lincoln's first crucial decision, that being to reinforce Fort Sumter, lead to the secession of Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas, with Maryland and Missouri being held in only by military force. It was Lincoln's political decisions which almost transformed the Confederacy from a rump nation with virtually no chance of survival into state with an excellent prospects.

I was interested in the treatment of General Winfield Scott. I had always thought of him as an old soldier who occupied his chair until he was pushed aside for younger men. In fact, Scott played a major role in the preservation of the country during the period of transition as well as in the formulation of the battle plan which eventually restored its unity.

After the succession of the states, the focus shifts to the preparations for war, both in the north and the south. In the north, the challenge was to organize the forces with which to subjugate the rebellious states. In the south, the simultaneous establishment of both government and army was a truly incredible accomplishment.

With the early preparations completed, the First Battle of Bull Run tested the expectations of all contestants. The battle proved the ineptness of both sides. Bull Run dispelled many notions. Both sides now realized that they were in for a long and hard struggle. Both now realized that the lack of compromise, which had rendered asunder the Democracy in 1860, had rendered any chance of a political resolution null and void. Bull Run had set the stage for the long and bitter struggle which Catton would report in his subsequent two books.

This is a outstanding introduction to our great national tragedy.

After acquiring a pretty vast library of boat building literature- this is still the most used to reference back to. It is definitely tailored to their processes but these too should be used as models of how the plans should be done also. Cheers

As The "Complete Guide to METAL BOATS" is about to be re-printed I thought this a good time to write an 'Author's review'. Over the past few months I have received hundreds of emails from customers expressing favourable comment on my book. When an author writes a book much of the content is usually 'researched' material ... In this case most of what you read in MB came out of my personal knowledge and experiance in designing and building metal boats. I personally find MB a great reference for the the researched material and the many pieces of information that occasionally 'slips ones mind' If you are planning to build or own a metal boat I can recommend this book without reservation. MB will NOT teach you how to weld but it WILL teach a welder how to build and maintain a metal boat. Regards, Bruce Roberts-Goodson

I waited with interest for the new edition as was advertised on www.bruceroberts.com website, and talked with the folks at Bruce Roberts, who explained that the whole book was being updated. They were quite helpful, and quite correct.

The book explains the "mysteries" and answers most questions regarding building a metal boat whether building from scratch and plans or from a computer cut kit. It explains the differences in the various materials with no great bias and plainly spells out the pluses & minuses of each. Welding techniques and materials are outlined as are methods for fitting out and installing systems.

Mr. Roberts-Goodson's writing style is down-to-earth, explaining items in plain English which makes it very easy to understand. I would heartily recommend this book to anyone considering building or buying a metal boat. Additionally metal boats owners would enjoy this book and would use it as a resource for repair and maintenance.

This is the perfect time to buy a copy of this book. If you're like most people, losing weight is a resolution for 2001, and feeling younger wouldn't hurt either. Eat To Stay Younger is great for everyone of all ages, even those with stress (who doesn't!) prostrate problems, menopausal symptoms, and other diseases or disorders. This information packed book gives you a 7 day meal plan, dit tips and exercise suggestions. This is not another diet book. This is a lifestyle book that will make a massive difference in every aspect of your life.

Stale Cookies, even Santa Clause wants fresh cookies! Heaven only knows everyone wants to stay younger and feel healthier! This book outlines a 7 day meal plan and offers information that will make you feel better, sleep better, work better, and live better. I know this because I tried the program and have really noticed a difference. I am so much more relaxed and feel that I now have control over my well being. The difference is amazing and the choices are simple. The first choice is to read this book, the steps are so easy to follow. The rest is up to you. Enjoy the feelings! Don't wait for New Years to make these resolutions! Buy this book and read it now!

After reading this book, I wanted to buy a copy for everyone at Christmas - because it has advice that will help everyone on my list! My father suffered from prostate problems; this book has great advice to help him control and eliminate and prevent such problems! My cousin is in the middle of premenopause; again, diet tips, exercise suggestions and advice for getting through this phase of life. I read the book because I was having problems dealing with stress. After following the easy 7 day meal plan, I am feeling so much better! Now I have energy to shop and emotional control to enjoy the chore! In fact, I'm having fun! Do the same..read this book and change your life! forever young!

Definitely the only life for me! The next story about Mina explores new territory and thunders along to a spell binding conclusion!

Skilfully continued and a book that stays with the flavour and style of Captured. After having gained a sense of familiarity with the characters it was very satisfying to continue reading about them and watch them continue to grow while still providing all of the debauchery and sensuality offered in the first. Something many sequels fail to deliver. A lovely book :)

The tale develops nicely and leaves you yearning for more. Beware, there's a real kynkee cliffhanger at the end.

Mark Sutton and Bruce Hennigan do a great job of explaining some of the many possible causes for depression as well as steps to take in overcoming it. I discovered that a person may battle depression on a daily basis, but it can be overcome. The Life Filters are great! Written from a compassionate viewpoint, this book will help you with depression if you are willing to work and apply its suggestions.

Thank you Mark and Bruce for putting together the book "Conquering Depression". I believe it to be the best and most practical book I have ever read on the subject. For once I have found a book outlining a workable program, that develops tangible skills, and that forges and sharpens mighty weapons to defeat and overcome depression. A book that addresses the tri-part nature of man: his spirit, his soul (mind, will and emotions) and his body. I am convinced that should people who suffer the dreadful effects of despair and depression follow the 30 day program outlined in your book, they will be empowered to overcome and defeat their depression. Again, well done !

As one who has suffered from clinical depression for many years I was skeptical about this "30 day plan" approach but after reading this book I am skeptical no more. Written by a medical doctor and a pastor, this is not a "pray it away" approach but rather a multidisciplinary approach that gives information from a medical and spiritual perspective as well as recommendations for treatment and tools to use on a day to day basis. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who lives with depression or even thinks they might have it.

Well described case studies that support construtivist principles...the checklists are helpful...focuses on the humanities (language development, reading and social studies) rather than math and science...extensive references...recommended for entry level professional development as well as college courses in constructivism.

If you want to make a difference in your classroom, you need to read this book. Get it fast by getting into the corwinpress.com web page.

Can't say enough about how good this book is. Wish I had it my first years of teaching. It should be required for all educators.

Every last shot heard in the world of motion pictures is displayed here. From Pre-code films like LADIES THEY TALK ABOUT to the Code-in-your-face PULP FICTION, Bruce Hershenson captures the poster art of these films in splashy high quality color. A bonus is that Bruce always includes lobby card art, cherished by many a collector, but not displayed often.

Absolutely stunning! Superb graphics of some of our favorite movie posters! Highly recommend.

How can crime be bad and yet so good! Look inside the cover of these pages for the answer. Not much reading required but plenty of illustrations. And what illustrations!! Cigarettes, dangling from shadowey faces, killer guns begging for victums, and behind every crime there's a "good" women to lead him on to both heaven or hell. These images can usually sum up the classic Crime Movie Poster. In cronological order the images take us from the birth of this gendre to it's present. This is no small feat, as the first poster is dated 1913! That's how many years? Page after page is loaded with poster art that grabs the eye and makes you want to view the film. Vivid coloring shows the excellent printing quality of this volume. One only needs to turn the pages to discover "the stuff dreams are made of".

If you want a purebred, but not sure which one to get, make sure you read the books by Bruce Fogle. This book covers such things as basic commands, crate training, first aid, breeding and so much more. The book isn't long and I found it so helpful.

I found this book very helpful. It has graphs that have trainability, house trainability, etc. that compares them to different breeds. It is quite useful in the training section too. It also has a history on the dog, and just about everything you want to know about Goldens.

Whether you're considering getting a Golden or you already have one, this is a useful and fun book to read. It's informative, up-to-date, easy to understand and inexpensive. Definitly worthwhile.

I love this book! My mother bought it for me years ago and I read it so many times I wore it out! Now, all grown up, I have re-purchased it to read over and over to my kids! An excellent story, well written, and impressive. Not only a great ghost story, scary enough to keep the older ones interested, but not to scary too frighten the little ones, but amazingly it gives you insight into how the underground railroad was run and the desperate measure and danger they met along the way. If you have some kids that are struggling in subjects like history, this is an excellent way to 'sneak' in some knowledge and get those wheels turning! You won't be disappointed with this book!

I would recommend this book THE GHOST WORE GRAY by:Bruce Coville, to any-body who loves books about adventure and the civil war and also alot about how they let slaves live in their homes . The story is about a girl named Nina aka:Nine,and her best friend Chris, Nina's father is a remodeler for old run down places like hotels and inns. Her father takes a job to remodel an old inn. When the three of them get there they discover that the inn that Nina's father is remodeling is haunted. The name of the inn is called the Quackadoddle Inn, when they find out that other living things are there. They conclude that there is a GHOST! The ghost is a man that was in the war and that is how the story is based on. His name is Captain Jonathan Gray. Then Chris and Nina learn about the civil war and why Captain Gray was staying at the Quackadoddle Inn. But then when they find out how and why Captain Gray died the story turns into a real adventure. The adventure seems so real that it feels like you are almost in the whole story as it goes on.I hope I have helped your opinion on reading and seeing what good of a book this is and how good the adventure can get. To tell you how good this book is, if I could give this book a 10 star rateing I would because that is how good I thought this book was. Thank you for taking your time and reading my very long book review.

Reflecting on it, I realize that it was this book that engendered the great interest that I now have in the War Between the States. Years ago, I read this book for the first time, and I still do despite the "reading level" on the back. Honestly, if you ask me, ignore it! Those three letters (or letter and a number) "RL5" mean nothing as far as having a great plot, and good characters.

In this book, Coville demonstrates a power to make you believe (while reading) that anything is possible, that perhaps--maybe--ghosts really can and do exist. He also, by well-written diary entries and some well-choreographed appearances, does an incredible job of letting you catch a glimpse of what Captain Gray is (was?) like without saying much of anything at all besides a well-timed Rebel Yell. (Those of you who have read this book know what I mean by this.)

Nina, Chris, and Captain Gray all seem to come alive in this book (I use the term "alive" loosely!). I have to say that it is the best of the three Nina Tanleven books. All three are good, but this one shines very clearly above the rest.

This book inspired a love of reading in my second grader. She ranked reading right up there with going to the dentist (no offense), until she got her hands on this book. The short, captivating stories seemed to fascinate her, and she begged me to order the rest of the series. I hope Bruce Lansky keeps up the good work!

This book was SO COOL!!! My favorite story was either The Fairy Godmother's Assistant, For Love of Sunny, The Royal Joust, orLian and the Unicorn. But ALL of the stories were awsome; I loved them all! Keep writing/editing, Bruce Lansky!!!

GIRL POWER! THIS IS A GREAT BOOK FOR ALL GIRLS! I AM A SECOND GRADER AND I THINK THIS IS THE COOLEST BOOK. ALL THE GIRL CHARACTERS ARE SMART, FUNNY , COURAGEOUS AND KNOW HOW TO THINK AND SOLVE PROBLEMS! I HAVE FOUND A LOT OF HEROES IN THIS BOOK!