The Rogue is a bird's eye veiw of growing up in the period before the depression and during the depression,on the Rogue River. It's autobiograghical story of the author's childhood and adolescencse. His father wanted to move to the Rogue River to get away from the city and had actually found an ideal estate to accommplish that task. Inquiring from the seller whom he later purchased the property from,some old gold miner,who owned the property some years, he said that he acquired it because a fortune teller in San Francisco said that there was gold in that land. A lot of interesting stories, espescially how the one room school house worked. I always wondered about that. I love the life they lived, nothing like today. The book ends about Mr. Ohrt going back to the Rogue as an adult, probably looking for what he remembers,a slower pace, a better life, closer to the land. I have to criticize the author(He is a good friend of mine) for not giving the Fortune Teller her due. Maybe there was gold in them hills

In "The Rogue I Remember," Wally Ohrt has shown that rare talent among writers for telling an historic tale in a way that usually distinguishes fiction. Because fiction is make-believe, I tired of it long ago because a certain a certain sameness ultimately prevails. After all, how many ways can a pattern of themes be respun before they repeat? Ohrt has shown the truth in the old addage, 'truth is stranger (and more interesting) than fiction.' In "The Rogue," he makes history, and especially regional history, well worth the read.

Understanding a different place and time through the reflective narrative of the author makes absorbing history delightful. Reading the book will make you want to go find the Rogue of Mr. Ohrt's childhood, but it is not to be found. We can only experience this fascinating place through the reflections of somebody fortunate enough to have lived there and sensitive enough to have preserved the memory. Thanks, Dad!

Defiant Peacemaker is a fantastic biography that covers the entire life of Nicholas Trist. Any one who enjoys a good biography will love this one. I find the subtitle 'Trist In The Mexican War' to be misleading. It is a true indepth bio of the life of a man who lost his father at a young age, married Thomas Jefferson's grand daughter, worked at various political appointed job which made him well known around Washington DC, also was Ambassador to Cuba. Trist is the only man in American history who single handedly ended a war. He negotiated the treaty of Guadaloupe Hidalgo to end the Mexican War. He never held a political appointment after. A great biography details the changes of fortunes of a life, good times and bad times. Mr. Ohrt addresses these details so well, you leave this book feeling that you really know Trist and feel for his misfortunes, especially considering the contribution he made to his country, and to know his country never recognized his efforts.