Louis J. Weichmann would be little more than a footnote in the story of the assasination of Abraham Lincoln had he not shown himself to be ...individuals associated with a second, almost darker tragedy...the execution of an innocent woman.

Weichmann rented a room in the boarding house of widow Mary Surratt, where many of those who conspired to kidnap and later assasinate Lincoln lived at the time. Once the conspiracy was uncovered, overzealous federal officials alleged Mrs. Surratt was an active participant. Historical fact, as well as the testimony of the conspirators themselves, stood in sharp contradiction to these allegations. Weichmann, who was barely acquainted with any of these individuals, testified that she was an active participant. It was later determined that his motive was to curry favor with government officials in hopes of obtaining a federal job. Based on Weichmann's false testimony, an innocent woman went to the gallows. Weichmann later wrote this book in attempt to cash in on the public's thirst for knowledge. The problem is, he had none. He just happened to be in the same place as some of the conspirators for a brief period of time.

It is with this knowledge of the author's motives that anyone considering reading this book should approach it. Weichmann has earned his place in American history as a liar and a coward. As an author, he is not worthy of belief.

Over 100 years after the assassination of President Lincoln, the words of Louis Weichmann finally reveal the true events of the day. This is an invaluable work as a first-hand, true accounting of the conspiracy and its aftermath. Told not for profit or personal recognition (the book was not published for nearly 75 years after the author's death), this work seeks to preserve for history an intimate record of the words and deeds of the conspirators. It seals the fate, once and for all, of the Surratts and Booth, as the testimony of Weichmann did originally at their trial. Furthermore, the work relies not only upon the recollections of Weichmann, but is supported by historical documents and testimony of his contemporaries. It is a book not to be missed by anyone interested in the facts about what happened the day that Lincoln died.

This is a dandy anthology presenting short works from excellent western writers of the past(L'Amour, John Jakes, Hamlin Garland and others) and the present (Elmer Kelton, James Reasoner, Bill Pronzini, Bill Crider and others). A nice selection of stories that displays the many facets of living, working and surviving in the old west.

I read a review of the book in a industry magazine and it described it as useful for a professional financial advisor, as the title also implies. It turned out to be a pretty basic educational book with general but basic financial information. A good book for a beginner or someone who is just beginning to break into the financial services industry, but not necessarily for a seasoned professional.

Heineman's work on Neurath is substantial. He had unprecedented access to both the subject and archived material in creating a fastidiously researched biography. As Neurath provided a link between the Weimar and Nazi regimes in foreign affairs, Heineman bridges a salutory exegesis with numerous primary materials and interviews made available to him. Throughout the biograpy, Heineman relies too much on unsubstanitated drivel, particularly when von Neurath relates his participation in the NSDAP hierarchy. At times, Heineman displays an underlying sympathy with the early goals of the NSDAP and it's foreign policy under von Neurath. As von Neurath's Anglo leanings became increasingly incongruent with von Ribbentrop's (who had been previously spurned by the Brits) plans for a quixotic rapproachment with the Soviets, Heineman posits that NSDAP foreign policy declined as von Ribbentrop came into prominence and von Neurath became merely a figurehead which, in turn, provoked the swan song of the Third Reich with Operation Barbarossa. It would be interesting to see if Heineman would make an addendum to his biography taking into account the somewhat recent Yale University publication of Soviet government papers. Nonetheless, perhaps unfortunately, this is the definitive tome on Baron Constantin Freiherr von Neurath.

Newman is rarely perceived as a private fellow, known more for his public writings and activities. This fine compilation of Newman's own spiritual writings shows Newman was ever the same person, private or public. These "interior" writings have the same landscape and flavor that his public writings do -- without the usual rhetorical flourishes. And that's what makes this volume disappoint. Newman is exquisite when it comes to logic, rhetoric, and exposition, among the very best of the Victorian Age. Strip his writings of his logic and exegesis, and the eisegesis becomes somewhat banal and distant. This interior exposition cannot be compared to that of the Carmelites or other spiritualists. It's genuine Newman -- intelligent and mannered, but not a very exciting read.

This book was required as part of my culinary history class. It is easy to read, but I didn't find it very entertaining. I know that it is supposed to be informative, but I didn't find it attention grabbing. I felt like I had to look up every word to understand what the book was trying to say. I didn't see where it actually flowed with the class syllabus. The book talks about the history of food and how religion and culture are incolved. I didn't have a hard time reading the book, but I had a hard following where the book was going with the information. I thought that some of the information was interesting, but most of the text was all facts. I guess if you want to read about culinary history, then this is the book for you. If you read this book for enjoyment and pleasure I'm afraid that this book won't be very entertaining. I'm glad that I have read the book for future information and knowledge.

I tend to really enjoy books on culinary history; unfortunately this one left me wanting more. The chapters are disjointed, with no true unifying theme. The prose is stilted, though I suspect alot of this is due to poor translation. The information itself is good, but badly presented; overall a boring mess of a book. Pick up Tannahill's "Food in History" instead.

This is an academic study filled with essays by forty contributing authors. "FOOD: A culinary History" has been compiled by two of Europe's great food historians. This is more of a textbook than a book you can simply enjoy reading one afternoon on the couch. It is a hefty 553 pages plus Index. This is for the serious student or overly ambitious cook. I read it because I'm darn curious.

This book took me about a week to read. It is extremely well written and yet somewhat dry in places with the occasional oasis. You cannot skim over the pages, you have to analyze the sentences at times and then look up a few words here and there. I also thought the organization of the essays could have been greatly improved to provide more interesting reading. I wanted maps, timelines and perhaps more pictures of actual food from the time periods. There are a few pictures of famous art displaying food.

While reading, you will soon realize how fortunate we are to live in America in the present day. In general, the world has not eaten very well according to the descriptions in this book.

Some comments on the essays:

Some of the authors neglect to take religious beliefs into consideration when they discusses why man became an omnivore although he does touch on some facts about the Ancient Hebrews.

Evolution is presented as a "fact," while creation is presented as a "myth." I feel we have more evidence that points towards a creator and evolution seems somewhat illogical to me at least. Cooked meat is a natural byproduct of forest fires? Oh, I had a good laugh over that one. Sure, it could have happened, but what about considering what we do know about the past.

What about cooked meat being a natural result of sacrifices to the creator or even a goddess? I guess it is just a different way of looking at the past. I'd say you should take the first few chapters with a grain of "Fleur de Sel/French Sea Salt."

Francis Joannes writes a wonderful essay on "The Social Function of Banquets in the Earliest Civilizations" and mentions the epic of Gilgamesh and explains some details about a marriage in Assyria.

Jean Soler writes a fascinating chapter on "Biblical Reasons: The Dietary Rules of the Ancient Hebrews." I had never understood the concept of "culinary incest" which completely awakened my curiosity and Jean Soler provided well-thought out explanations as to why prescribed rituals had to be observed. I didn't realize that many cultures in history actually only consumed meat after ritual sacrifice. The taking of an animal's life takes on an entirely new meaning after reading this chapter. There are reasons why humans did not originally eat meat and they are very complex and have to do with a Creator having the power over life and death. In a way, humans were given the right to take away life in certain instances.

I enjoyed reading Chapter 18 which deals with "Mediterranean Jewish Diet and Traditions in the Middle Ages." Here you can learn the basics of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkoth, Purim and Passover.

If you are especially interested in Medieval Life, then you will love this book for the content on Medieval Cooking. It really is extensive.

Things you might learn from this book:
That the sycamore tree has fruit. Who knew.
How beer played a role in the invention of yeast breads
That the Etruscans had cheese graters
What "Dionysiac possession" means.
How we have the luxury of avoiding wheat while the Romans embraced it
as a buffer against famine.
That ale was used in pagan rituals since wine was sacred to Christianity.
That the cultivation of oats and other wild grasses began in Medieval times.
The reasons why peasants boiled meat and the nobles preferred roasting methods.
How the Arabs contributed to Medieval European culture.
Why Byzantine cuisine was mostly found in taverns.
Insight into why Muslims don't consume alcoholic beverages.
How Persia's culinary traditions influenced Arab cuisine.
How the European conquest of the Seven Seas influenced cooking.
How the tomato, potatoes and corn transformed European cooking.
Lists of Table Manners from the past.
That chestnuts are ground into flour and can be used to make polenta.
That the bread in Europe contained "peas."
Why people needed a kneading trough.

It does seem that in the past, many ate to live while today we have the luxury of living to eat. The way we cook does seem to be a result of lifestyle choices. If you like to study and read, you will more than likely spend less time cooking and have simple methods of combining foods without recipes. If you want to spend time reading this book, may I suggest Lean Cuisine? I did not have as much time to cook while trying to read this book.

However, you have to have a good laugh at all the "forbidden" foods and drink. Even today, this trend continues. One day we are told not to eat fat, the next not to eat as many carbohydrates. I'll say eating more protein and less carbohydrates does seem to have some charm and I'm seeing results. Bread = Bad in my present world of weight loss. At least, with certain diets, you are not supposed to eat bread or highly processed grains. They are also doing studies that point towards skin conditions caused by the way in which we process wheat. Time will tell. In the past, humans relied on bread in a big way. Today we have the luxury of saying no and reaching for a soy protein shake.

If I learned anything from this book it is that most of us have slowly freed ourselves from "culinary" tradition and regulation. While still clinging to some semblance of food preparation, we are advancing into a world where food preparation seems less important than getting a meal on the table fast. We freely make use of canned foods and boxed mixes. I think the new term is "Semi-Homemade."

Recommended for Serious Food Writers and Serious Students of Culinary History.

I read this book on the recommendation of the normally reliable Ed Gorman (who praises it to the heavens in his famous BLACK LIZARD ANTHOLOGY OF CRIME FICTION). What could he have been thinking? This is a very bland, not very well written, entirely average P.I. novel. There is a good twist or two, but the big revelation at the climax is poorly developed and not nearly as deep a philosophical comment on modern life as the author imagines. The occasional pungent observation does not save this book from being one of the drearier 188 pages I have struggled through. Skip it.

If you happen to have a copy of the out of print book LIGHT ON C.S. LEWIS, you have basically all the comments that Lawlor has to give about his memories of the man. As for the commentary Lawlor gives on Lewis's books, I found it uneven. Unlike the lucid Lewis, Lawlor's sentences are often murky and their meanings difficult to understand. His commentaries on Lewis's books didn't really enlighten anything. I have been an avid reader of Lewis for a long time, and this is the first time I bought a book about Lewis in which I returned to the bookstore for a refund when I was finished.

The book was thoroughly crammed with information, and it was very difficult to understand all that was going on with the various factions of the parlement. One chapter could have been an entire book, and then it would have been understandable. He also does NOT translate the French passages. He stated that he chose not to translate because it would not help anything. If you cannot read French, do NOT buy this book. I do not read French and was annoyed because a large portion of the book is in French and you miss so much information because it was not translated.

Quite a lot of the content of this book is useful. It is ruined however by the CD that comes with it because it could give students the wrong idea about what multimedia is, what it should look like, and how good it should be. The books tries to combine theory (e.g. sections on learning theory) with practice (sections on Macromedia Director), but fails to do either properly. Although the book is in full color the examples given are hideous. This book might do more harm to students than good.

While the layout is colourful and the content is introductory, the CD which is supposed to support active learning is missing most of the relevant materials. The CD contains demonstration versions of the software, but the Authorware tutorial, for example, cannot be used because none of the files was shipped on the CD. The copy I have (same ISBN) gives the authors as John Villamil-Casanova and Louis Molina.