In the introduction, Richard Montgomery states "...where facts were lacking or where reasonable doubts appeared, I was content to advance opinions frankly stated as such." I found this very true, and am not sure whether I like or dislike the many occasions where the author "filled in the blanks." Also in the introduction, the author wrote "...my principle aim was to collect, between the covers of a single volume, such information about the 'White-Headed Eagle' as has heretofore been accessible only to the more enterprising students of western history." True to this aim, Richard Montgomery delivers a wonderful account of one of the greatest heroic figures of the Northwest, Dr. John McLoughlin. This book is definitely worth your while.

A reader said that the book was a continuation of the 1970s policy-deny,deny, deny.

First of all, it was not a story or an analysis. Read Haldeman's prior book, THE ENDS OF POWER for that sort of thing.

Second, the DIARIES were more like a 5 1/2 year daily memo pad, talking about the day to day operations, from the mundane to the high charging.

Put that in your blowhole and smoke it!

As Chief-of-Staff, Bob Haldeman is to be commended for keeping such a detailed review of his White House years even during his "fall from grace" in 1973...That being said, the reader should be ready to be taken on an exhaustive and sometimes hard to follow review of the Nixon Administration. A previous knowledge of the Nixon Presidency and particularly Watergate is essential to get the most from this book. I found myself skipping pages as discussion after discussion about Grand Jury testimony and policy meetings on Watergate flooded the chapters towards the end of this book. I gave it 4 stars because the beginning of the book dealing with the initiation of the Nixon Presidency and the day-to-day observations (pre-Watergate) of an intelligent and observant White House executive far outweigh the "burned-out" and frustrated entries that close the book. The most surprising conclusion that I came away with was that Haldeman seemed to be a warm/accomodating "real" person, not the "Nixon Nazi" that he's been made out to be in other works on Watergate. Good reading

H.R. Haldeman was the crew-cutted former J. Walter Advertising Executive who joined on the Nixon campaign as an Advance Man, a job that if it is done right, no one notices - but if it is done wrong can destroy a candidacy. Haldeman always made sure every detail was attended to and post-election went on to be one of the most in control and feared Chief of Staff's in Presidential history. Haldeman cashed in shortly after Watergate with his own memoir which he later said didn't turn out the way he wanted thanks to publishers, editors and so forth and hardly got the attention of other Watergate memoirs such as 'Blind Ambition' and 'Will'. We didn't hear much from Bob Haldeman after his release from the Federal Lockup in California. After his death however, according to his wishes, his wife released his diaries the fact that they even existed was a bombshell and they were as complete and detailed as one might expect from this meticulous organization man. These memoirs make you the fly on the wall of the Nixon White House and we witness it go from full of hope, thrill and promise to descending deep into the pit of Watergate until the "cancer" that John Dean described as growing on the Presidency consumes Haldeman himself and the diaries come to a close. A true historical artifact not to be missed.

I too bought this book because it had Richard Wright as the author. I read with great appreciation his Native Son a long time ago, and just recently read Black Boy and found it very attetion-holding. Savage Holiday is ridiculously plotted and the central character is extremely annoying. The long account of his running around naked in his apartment house was irritating and frustrating to me. All he had to do was hold his newspaper in front of himself and go to an apartment and tell what happened and the manager could have been summoned so he could get in his apartment. I know, the guy was nuts, as we see as the story moves along, but I was very unenthused by this book. I can see why it was ignored by critics when it came out in 1954.

I guess I get to inagurate the review of Savage Holiday. I saw this book purely accidentally in a used-books store in Ithaca, NY. Seeing Wright's name on it I didn't hesitate to purchase it, since he was and still is, one of the most influential writers to me. Wright treads on familiar territory in this book, but with a different setting. For the first time, Wright creates white characters in his work. The attempt of an author to step inside the skin of any human being is admirable, and the ability to do so is praiseworthy. Psychologically it is as powerful as The Outsider or Native Son. Here is a man whose desires have gone unfulfilled, who stifles his insticts until they lead him into trouble. Quintessential existential dread from Wright.

When I first bought this book i didn't know who richard Wright was or what he had accomplished. I just say it and thought it was interesting sounding so i bought it. I can honestly say it was one of the best books I have ever read (along with Native Son) and it is the reason I purchased Wright's other books. A must have for Richard wright fans, literature fans, and good book fans!!!

John Dean has written a readable retelling of the appointment politics surrounding William Rehnquist, then Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court and since 1986 Chief Justice of the United States. Those who have read about the Court avidly or extensively will not find much here that is new, but that tends to validate what Dean says. Those who knew little about President Nixon or the politics of appointments in the Nixon Era will find more than a few fascinating stories.

Mr. Dean was a lawyer working in the White House. Thus, he was privy to many of the machinations of the Nixon Administration. If Mr. Dean is liable to be suspected of repenting or exaggerating his role, he may be at least presumed to be an authority.

One of Mr. Dean's overarching points is that Mr. Rehnquist was appointed to the Court nearly accidentally. The naive reader will be startled to see how little thought went into the selection, how late in the process that thought came about, and how few second thoughts were lavished on the selection once it was made.

In addition, the reader will be amused by the cavalier banter that passed for analysis between Nixon and his various sounding boards. Dean has reproduced dialogue from the White House tapes, so the quotations appear to be authoritative.

The "might have beens" are too delicious to spoil in this review. Dean deftly introduces each possibility with a capsule description so that readers who did not pay much attention in 1971 may appreciate who was who.

No one should be surprised to read that Nixon was prejudiced against blacks, Jews, and women, but the vehemence with which Nixon spews stereotypes startles even thirty years later.

Dean concludes that Rehnquist, in 1971 and 1986, fibbed his way thorough difficulties. The splendid irony that the fellow who presided over Clinton's trial in the Senate in 1999 had perjured himself onto the Court and into the Chief Justiceship is hardly news. To believe Rehnquist's denials concerning challenging minority voters in Arizona in the 1960s or concerning his memorandum urging the justices to uphold "separate but equal" as good law required muscular denial. [Dean does not raise the matter of the restrictive covenant on Rehnquist's property.] Those familiar with these issues will find very little new. However, those new to the matter will find in the "Afterword" a concise but articulate discussion of why Rehnquist's denials were unbelievable.

What readers may not gather from Dean's prose, however, is that, in a roundabout way, the system worked. Stymied by the American Bar Association [which found Nixon's first few candidates to be unqualified or unimpressive] and stung by mass media attacks on Nixon's attempts to appoint mediocrities, Nixon felt compelled to go for a little stature with predictable ideology. Rehnquist was a predictable conservative. He was also many cuts above the sorts of people with whom Nixon wanted to saddle the Court.

John Dean has written an insider's book that chronicles President Richard Nixon's appointment of William Rehnquist to the United States Supreme Court. It was without doubt a Presidency filled with history, and the appointment of William Rehnquist to the Supreme Court is an often forgotten part of that Presidency. The book is well researched and throughly documented with first hand material from the National Archives, including several verbatim passages transcribed from the infamous White House tapes that otherwise doomed the Nixon Presidency.

Dean brings us inside the "vetting" process used by the White House staff and Justice Department to select nominees to the Court. Dean floated the name of Rehnquist to several in the administration, including then Attorney General John Mitchell, as a possible conservative candidate for the Court as Dean had worked with Rehnquist in the Justice Department and learned of the Rehnquist's strict constructionist interpretation of the constitution. What was fascinating was that Rehnquist while toiling away at the Justice Department was tasked with "vetting' the other possible Court nominees chosen by the White House. Sounds much like the recent scenario of the selection of Dick Cheney as Vice President.

The book details the other nominees Rehnquist beat out for the coveted position. If anyone believes that politics plays no part in the selection of the members of the Court, then this is required reading. At times humorous and at times self-serving, this book is well worth the purchase. If you are not a Court watcher don't worry, you don't have to be to appreciate this book. Dean is a good writer and the text flows easily. Add "The Rehnquist Choice" to your summer reading list - you will gain an appreciation of the importance of Presidential nominations to the Court.

Only in the last couple of years have all the tapes of Nixon's many conversations as President in the White House been released. The tragedy of Richard Nixon is that every time someone wants to think well of him, tapes or something else surfaces that shows his real unpleasant, dark, and unsavory character.

John Dean waited for the release of these tapes and along with his personal recollections during the time period has written a book that deals with the selection of Rehnquist and Lewis Powell as United States Supreme Court Justices. Its not pleasant reading for those naive enough to believe that Presidents seek out the most qualified people for appointments. Rather, the book exposes the process used by President Nixon to select two supreme court justices as frought with politics, bigotry, and regionalism. Nixon's bigotry about Jews, prejudice against easterners, and nasty language make this a book that someone who is very sensitive should not read.

The real shocker here is that before picking Powell who was a superbly qualified justice, Nixon first selected two candidates who could not even win acceptance as "qualified" for the Supreme Court by the American Bar Association Committee on the Federal Judiciary. Nixon stubbornly tried to get these individuals appointed until it became absolutely clear it was hopeless. Only at this point, did a real candidate like Powell get nominated. Nixon further abused the process by sending names to the ABA of other people he knew would never win approval.

Rehnquist had good paper qualifications to sit on the Supreme Court. However, it was known early on he was extremely conservative. He may have lied about statements he allegedly made expressing approval of racial segregation in schools. Dean presents the case for this. Its up to the reader to judge.

In the end, we are left gasping at the twisted and bizarre process which put Rehnquist on the Supreme Court. Even those who support Rehnquist and other conservative justices should wish for a better process to select judges. Hopefully, one day we shall see such a process and never see another President like Nixon again.

Mark

I found Richard Poe's book extremely interesting. Having been aware of the Afrocentrism controversy for a few years, and (despite studying extremely modern, Asian history) having always had a sneaking fascination with ancient history, I eagerly anticipated the new information and arguments that I would find, and I was not disappointed. I was delighted to find that the writer was not only of European and Latino descent (proving that some people aren't threatened by challenges to historical orthodoxy) but that he was most known for writing books on MARKETING (WAVE 3, WAVE 4, and so on)! That's interdisciplinary research at its weirdest, but I'm certainly not complaining. I worked in a bookstore for almost two years, and seeing BLACK SPARK, WHITE FIRE, on the shelf and then going to the marketing section and seeing his WAVE books there blew my mind. That being said, this is not the work of a dilettante. He lays out his arguments carefully and with impressive work in extremely primary sources. I've read some shocking reviews on this page and I'd just like to say, why is everybody so threatened by the fact that the origins of European civilization might not have been what we thought? The result is still there, with all its virtues and vices. You certainly don't have to subscribe to Afrocentrism (as I don't) to admit that there may have been considerable African influence on the development of European culture (vice versa has, of course, been readily admitted throughout the centuries--why shouldn't it be a two-way street?). Works like Poe's (even if I don't buy all his arguments) keep the field of ancient history fresh and alive and constantly remind us that we usually don't get the whole truth, especially when events are thousands of years gone.

This book is awesome. I have never read a historical book that was so broad and so comprehensive. You wouldn't think that a journalist would be able to create such a intellectual publication. Any scholar couldn't refute his claims,becuase they are so well backed. The book is wonderfully put together, and well researched. Every thing he points out is backed by a last 3 sources. I havent found a book so well backed and proven. After reading the book, you realize that his points are extremely valid. After reading the book, I was convinced that ancient Egypt - even the ancient world - is not the place our society has taught us. It has become apparent that modern civilization was dominated by people of the African persuasion, even after the manner in which those of the European persuasion dominate today. Rome and the powers of the middle east came on the scene relatively late. It may be hard to believe, but much of Greece, Rome, and modern Europe was founded on the knowledge of these Afro-asiatic powers. I often wonder why historians find this so hard to believe and teach in universities.

Richard Poe has not only written a book that is compelling and easy to read, but very informative and thought provoking. I couldn't put it down! Though many of the asertions he makes in this book are very controversial, none are ridiculous or unreasonable to any one with an open mind. Neither the idea that the ancient Egyptians were Black, or that they colonized and helped to civilize ancient Greece, is beyond the realm of possibility or plausibility. In fact, a thorough study of the both the ancient and modern Egyptians strongly indicates their African roots. Further study also indicates a powerful intellectual link between the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. Poe makes these points strongly and believably in this book, and does so in such a way that he reaches out to those who disagree with him! By so doing, he has helped to build a bridge between the Afrocentrists, and traditional Egyptologists and Classicists. In the final analysis, this may be the most important contribution of this unforgetable book!

This book has a few decent tips for doing portraits with infrared film, such as avoiding certain colors and applications of fabric and women's makeup that will absorb or reflect too much infrared light. And examples of how IR can cover skin blemishes or give a romanticized feel to a photo are explained and depicted well. There are also a handful of nice pastoral shots here.

Beyond that, the information is vague and the portraiture is largely tacky. Many of the models are shown in unnatural poses. In some cases, their modern wardrobes and hairstyles are completely inappropriate for the dreamy/old-time/otherworldly locales in which the photographer has placed them. Subjects/clothing that have a more timeless quality---baby photos, wedding portraits, boudour (sp?) photos, theatre costuming, 4H photos, etc.---can work great in IR. Most of the graduation portraits here do NOT, and are almost painfully pretentious.

Although not about portraiture, "Infrared Landscape Photography", also by this publisher, gives much better technical and aesthetic information on the uses and special considerations of IR films.

Richard's book sheds new light on Infrared portrait photography. I am glad to read a book on Infrared photography that can be utilized by working professional photographers to help increase their revenue. Many of the other Infrared books I have read , although technically very good in their content, left me with very few ideas to make Infrared photography profitable. This book goes beyond being a "pretty picture" guide for photo enthusiasts and offers the reader an exciting way to add a profit center to their photography business.

I thought Axis Mundi would be a valuable aquisition to my werewolf stories, but wasn't. The mage storytellers will not understand why, whitewolf told that book would be useful for Mage campaigns. I wasted my money... Don't do the same mistake

This is a pretty good book. If you are looking for information on some of the spirits who support the totems of the werewolf tribes, then this book is for you. You won't be disappointed.

However, I was disappointed with this book. The main reason for this is that I thought this book wasn't far reacing enough. According to the Werewolf universe, the Umbra is populated with thousands, if not millions, of different kinds of spirits, each with their own personality archetypes, wants, desires, interests, etc. But this book focuses mainly on the small number who serve the major tribe totems. This small slice of the spirit world is hardly fulfilling.

Another problem is that the book makes no attempt to describe how the spirits interact with each other, how any of the hierarchies of the totems work, or how any other spirits really behave or act out in the day-to-day life of the Umbra. Spirits are described as if their only purpose is to interact with the werewolves and not as if they are each self-sufficient entities.

So this book is good for what it is, but like many other White-Wolf supplements it fails to be all it could be. A much better book would have given more over-arching spirit information on a macro level so us creative-types could use the information they provided to populate our games with interesting individual spirits on a micro level.

This is a must-have for any Storyteller that deals with the Umbra and spirits, for Mage or Werewolf. It is a very information-rich sourcebook, full of guidelines and expanded rules on spirits, and packed with information on the spirits themselves. There is a spiritual history of the Garou that is very informative

Little Richard is such an important figure in 20th-century music that it is crucial that there be a biography of him out there. However, this biography is more a scrapbook than a polished work. Oftentimes, you can't tell when the author, Richard, or an acquaintance is speaking. There is no analysis of the events in Richard's life. This book pales in comparison to texts on Billy Strayhorn, Josephine Baker, etc. This book drags on about concert after concert after concert. Besides, Richard is in his homophobic phase at the time of the book's writing and there is no attempt to put his self-loathing into context. I needed to learn more about Richard, so I am glad this book exists. However, this was a poor piece of autobiography and I am surprised that the author did not take the time to fine tune his work.

The Homewood, IL reviewer (07-08-01) suggested that the author rushed this work. It's been well-documented in print and on radio interviews that the book took many years to write - in fact the author made several trips from England to California to speak one-on-one with The Quasar himself, his former Managers, sidemen, songwriters, and on and on.
What the reviewer is probably most bothered by is the discography section. Yes, it was poorly edited and lacking in some important details - but it's been suggested that the sessiongraphy was conceived to include a running commentary by Little Richard and to account for, perhaps, one-third of the book. It's understandable that such an approach benefits only deep fans and historians, so the proverbial "bottom line" was apparently applied to the project.
Life & Times...is the author's first book and he displayed a fine writing ability, with a colorful descriptive sense. At times, his hyperbolic approach can make the unitiated uneasy, but considering the bombastic style of the subject, it fits.
Although some parts of his career remain in mystery even after this book release, the better-known periods recieve a thorough review: his childhood years involving sexual confusion and a growing awareness that he had something special to offer the music culture; the swingin' R & B years when R & R was confined to clubs; the R & R Revival period when he made a successful "comeback" and convinced many that he had the greatest voice all along; the struggle with drugs in the early '70s leading to an almost overnight clean-up and a rediscovered spirituality.
Richard was not singing Rock and Roll when the hardcover came out in September, 1984. It is believed that this work created a strong enough interest in his career, that a critically acclaimed "Contemporary Christian" album "Lifetime Friend" and a memorable appearance in Paul Mazursky's movie "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" (which included a Richard Top 50 hit for '86) led to his return to Rock in '89. (Which made some folks, who thought he was better situated in the non-secular world, uncomfortable). But there is no doubt that this book filled a major void in the rock music press.

i enjoyed this book.it details so much.this man is the true king of rock-n-roll.and he has always been upfront about different subjects.he has had an enormous impact on the music world.this book tells of racisim and the constant battle for respect and truth.this man is a true original.

White says he "will measure the book's success by the extent to which is surprises its readers, catches them offguard, and forces them to think about new ways not merely about the Columbia but about nature and its relation to human beings and human history."

Well if this is his standard he failed miserably. The book is an absolute bore because it focuses so much on ancient history. White tries to bring in Native Americans and salmon as a way of bridging the gap between nature and humans - it does so, but it is painfully slow, dull and uninteresting. The book changes a little as it moves into more modern times, but his ending thesis would have been just as strong had he not tortured the reader with a 50 page history lesson.

The last chapter also includes the term "Organic Machine" about a dozen too many times. We figured out from the title what the term meant, rampant repetition doesn't bring out his meaning any more.

Richard White's "Organic Machine" is a neat display of erudition and intelligence. Through the prism of the Columbia river, the book delves into the difficult relations between native Americans and white settlers. It shows the stronghold an aluminum multinational on local economy and politics. It informs us about the megalomania of giant state bureaucracies. It analyses the emergence and subsequent (enormously expensive) blunders in managing nuclear reactors, followed by the immense human and economic costs. It explores the society's attitudes to endangered species such as salmon, threatened with extinction because of technical progress. It shows us the power and resilience of a large river, unwilling to yield to the numerous dams built during the last 100 years.

The Organic Machine compares to John Barry's "Rising Tide", which treated the Mississippi's history as a classic epic in 400+ pages. "Rising Tide" is a compelling page-turner, not at all times sharp in its analysis, but centered around brilliantly narrated biographies and societal sketches. The Columbia's history has been just as rich, but Richard White took a totally different approach to explain the river. All elements which made Rising Tide such a fun read are there, and more. But Richard White chose to strip the story to the bone. What remains is 112 pages of crisp, flawless analysis. "Organic Machine" is very smart, but I thought the author was too dispassionate. Every page in this book screams for more illustrative anecdotes, it should have been at least three times its actual size.

Hands down the best history book written in English on a river. It rivals William Cronon's "Nature's Metropolis" as the best environmental history book I've read. Anyone who spends time near/on rivers (especially the Columbia) will appreciate this book. White tells a fascinating, compact story (~100 pages) that will force the consciencious reader to rethink his/her relationship with rivers as a source of energy. The book is also a lesson in form and style.

A ho-hum Remo entry. One of the other reviewers here said the author went to Hollywood or something. Looks like he dictated this entry over the phone. Boring.

Chuin and Remo live on in this book. The back and forth arugments and humor is here in style readers are used to. The only downfall is that there is no real challenge for the Masters of Sinanju. Still a good read just for Remo and Chuin's interplay and the taking on of the Japanese Corporation at the first of the book. The airplane/Japan chapter is CLASSIC Destroyer!

I really enjoy the destroyer series and have been collecting the series for years now. With a new writer the series has taken a new approach with following of Remo and Chiun's lives. The humour is still there while the plots just get better and better. The shots taken at real life situations double the read pleasure of the book and help it stay interesting. This is one series I would really hate to see end!!! :