i am a grand, grand nephew of mr. reedy's! i have known of his lore and have long possessed the book reviewed here. it was written as a college thesis, i believe, by mr. putzel during his studies at washington u. here in st. louis.

i've long been amused by reedy's wit and daring, for st. louis was a very catholic, conservative town in the teens and twenties when his work flourished. fortunately for me, and unlike many irish families in town today, my entire family tree from its roots in clonmel, ireland to my grandparents here in st. louis have been carefully chronicled by the author.

as for reedy's contributions, carl sandburg and vachel lindsay (among others) apparently owed much of their introductory successes to reedy's "mirror", which was a literary journal of the day.

the security building in downtown st. louis continues to house businesses and professionals in its walls. at one time, my great, great uncle published his 20,000 subscriber journal for readers throughout the world. and what a life he lived outside of his office.

hope you enjoy!

It's hard to believe that a man who had such tremendous influence on American letters was all but forgotten before Max Putzel brought him back to life in this extraordinary biography. William Marion Reedy discovered and/or published many of the most important writers of his day, including Edgar Lee Masters, Vachel Lindsay, Carl Sandburg, Amy Lowell, Sara Teasdale, Theodore Dreiser and Zoe Akins. At the same time, he led a rough-and-tumble life in his native St. Louis, once even waking up after a night of hard drinking to discover he had married a local prostitute! Putzel's portrayal of Reedy in all his brilliance and decadence is one of those rare works of excellent scholarship that is also just plain fun to read. I recommend it with gusto!

This is a great book. The directions for the projects are explained clearly. I never thought I would enjoy working with tin until I read this book.

i am an art teacher and it helps me with my work.

Paper mache is *not* just covering a balloon with newspaper! I never dreamed of all the things you can do with it. This is a great book with projects that are inspiring, beautiful, and useful. This is a great craft because it's probably about the cheapest arty thing you can do - basically just cardboard and newspaper. I HIGHLY recommend this book!

Best physics book I've read yet. (College Freshmen/Sophomore level). The questions at the end of the chapters are fantastic the examples are relevant and easy to understand. THEY MUST REPRINT THIS BOOK!!!!!

I found the book, Racewalking, to be a wonderful introduction to the pulse quickening world of racewalking.

To be honest, besides wanting to get into shape through racewalking, I bought the book because of William Finley, the co-author. Why? Go rent Brian DePalma's 1975 movie, The Phantom of the Paradise, which Mr. Finley starred in. He was fantastic in that movie as the Phantom, and equally as wonderful as an author that introduced me to the sport of racewalking.

Professor Lucas has written a well researched analysis of the burning of Columbia, South
Carolina by the Federal army. There were strategic military reasons for Sherman's march
through central South Carolina. Columbia "was an important war manufacturing
center--one of the few still in Confederate hands--providing munitions, equipment, and
uniforms....central South Carolina contained the last Confederate sources of food
untouched by war." Governor Magrath pointed out to Jefferson Davis that the borders of
South Carolina were Richmond's second line of defense which was confirmed when
Richmond fell less than two months after Columbia surrendered.

The author outlines the wartime conditions in Columbia noting that both the civilian and
military authorities were tardy in realizing the obvious danger to the city and even slower
to act. Finally the author writes "The missing ingredient with the Confederate camp....was
a belief in the possibility of success. The defeatism of Beauregard's leadership was
abundantly clear...."

Chapter 2 gives a succinct account of the evacuation of Columbia noting that inspite of
the desperate condition of the Confederate armies, the large arsenals and war supplies in
Columbia were not evacuated. The cotton in storage was moved into the streets with
orders for it to be burned which contributed to the later fires. Columbia Mayor Goodwyn
surrendered the city while scores of bewildered Columbians, in an ill-conceived attempt to
placate a dreaded conqueror, began distributing alcoholic beverages to the soldiers. This
precipitated an insurmountable problem.

A balanced account of the burning of Columbia is given. The most damaging fire began
about eight p.m.on February 17th, was of inexplicable origin and was not extinguished for
six or seven hours when the wind abated. With drunken men roaming the streets, rioting
and acts of personal violence were bound to occur. Confusion reigned and most control
over the city was lost . The extent of the damage following the fire is reviewed. About
one-third of Columbia was destroyed with the business community virtually wiped out and
265 residences burned.

Regarding who burned Columbia, the conclusions were (and still are) along partisan lines.
South Carolinians charged Sherman as "morally responsible for the burning of Columbia".
Union officers and troops felt that while the events in Columbia were regrettable they
were the results of acts of war. Sherman entered South Carolina to disrupt the state's
transportation system and bring an end to the war by destroying Southern morale.
However, Professor Lucas notes "The failure of Sherman's psychological warfare, a new
kind of war which Southern civilians did not understand, was that the hatred generated
during the invasion did not terminate with the war's end."

The post war criticisms of and charges against Sherman and the Union army are reviewed.
The author notes that the Confederates as they evacuated the city began the looting and
plundering then the entering Federal troops seized what was left. The unanswered
question of incendiarism, the most disputed issue, is complicated by a lack of reliable
eyewitness accounts.
In summary, Sherman failed to take timely and sufficient action to control both the fires
and the riots. However, the author notes that the failure of Confederate leadership in the
defense of South Carolina and the evacuation of the city played a major role in creating a
situation which resulted in the destruction of the city. In addition no preparations were
made by Beauregard, Hampton or the city fathers for the official surrender of the city
when a formal declaration of Columbia as an open city may have produced positive
results.

In conclusion, Professor Lucas writes that the burning of Columbia was a great tragedy
for South Carolina and the Union stating "....when the Union Army left Columbia on
February 20, 1865, it left behind bitter hatred. Many citizens had lost everything they
possessed, while others had gone through the catastrophe relatively unscathed. All,
however, suffered psychologically. They had promised to give their "all" in defense of
South Carolina and the Confederacy; it was painfully apparent that few had done so. Long
before Columbia was captured, Columbians had given up."

Subs Under Ice is well told and very accurate. Don't expect a "Clancy" type of book, however. The author is a retired military and writes in a succinct military fashion. The story of the skill and bravery of these men is long overdue in telling. My uncle served under John Nicholson aboard Sargo on its journey to the pole so I have been especially eager to read about this chapter of submarine history. I can heartily recomemd this book.

Jackson, Tennessee (Madison County) is located ninty miles east of Memphis; a rail, distribution and agricultural center for Western Tennessee.

Settled in the late 1700's-early 1800's; this area produced Davey Crockett, many Civil War heroes, Casey Jones, and Carl Perkins.

A wonderful look at a fine quality-of-life area that has grown from "small town" to the fifth largest city in Tennessee.

Emma Inman Williams was not only a shepherd of the book but a layer of the city's foundation.

I knew her and loved her.

Dr. Marion, a professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, looks at Brennan from an unusual and refreshing perspective. Well worth the read.

I picked up this book durring a recent trip to San Semion thinking it would be fun to hear all the wild and crazy things that happened in the castle. Well I got that partly, but I enjoyed it more for it's portrayal of early Hollywood. Hearing stories like Davies and Clarke Gable ditching the debut of Gone With The Wind (it was too long) to make prank calls are too good to pass up.

On the surface, Davies seems to have a terrific life of parties, fashion, socialites and more than enough money to spare. But then you realize that she didn't particularly like making movies, hobknobbing with world leaders or going places that Mr. Hearst did. She was just a slightly ditzy girl wanting to romp and have a good time. I felt sorry for most of the time and it got a bit depressing. But it's her free spirited nature that makes to book as enjoyable as it is. Although,I must admit to putting it down to read something a bit more substantial a few times.

I love it when I find a book that can make me laugh out loud. This one did/does. I get it out and read it again sometimes when I need a pick-me-up. I can see why "WR" loved her. Her childlike sense of fun, her love of animals, her loyalty to friends, just to name a few. Her loyalty and devotion to "WR" would stand out at a time when he was in dire financial straits. Also, this book is interesting in that it gives us a glimpse of the golden era of Hollywood. There are serious moments in the book, but overall it is light-hearted and amusing. She wasn't really shallow or an air-head. The girl just liked to have fun!

Marion Davies truly was blonde! This book is fun to read because she tells all her stories is a light, "airheady" way. She wasn't a dumb blonde by any means, but she has no problem revealing semi-private and semi-embarrasing things. I enjoy reading about Marion and W.R. and if you are interested in what life was like at San Simeon, this book will not disappoint! The book is also heavily illustrated! It is a funny, lovable story!