I'm taking a class from one of the guys who compiled the book, and for starters let me say twenty bucks is a damn good deal for a textbook. This one is meaty too. Very interesting prefaces for each selection of writing, as well as essays about each period. A must for anyone curious about Mythic California and the writers who, well, wrote about it. Great stuff by Twain and other biggies. My favorite pieces are those giving a glimpse into Californian mining camps. The one downfall of this book is that it would have been difficult interpreting the native american stories had I not been takeing a class concurrently. The essays written by the editors about the decimation of the native population, the subsequent eviction of Mexicans were much more insightful than the native pieces themselves. There are also pieces by descendants of native peoples, which give insight.

This excellent, well written ,thoroughly researched book is an interesting and compelling read. My husband bought it for me following one of his regular sojourns to Hay-on-Wye where he searches for fishing books and the likes. I had started to collect books on the Blues to compliment my small collection of Albums,C.Ds even a few 78s. and so considered this biography an aside to the mainstream of my type of music. How wrong some of your assumptions can be! Collier dissects the man his music and the age in which he lived -dispelling many of the myths and giving factual credence to certain claims made by Armstrong and others alike. So,having picked up the book,out of politeness and consideration to my dear husband (!) I starting to flick through reading an odd passage here and there and then found that I had gone back to the very begining and was hooked 'line and sinker 'on the narrative. I am in awe of the depth of research /detective work the author has made on a man whom he obviously enjoyed researching with out any hint of hero worship or sycophancy, but! when it came to the technical abilities of his subject on his cornet playing well- there the author did leave me in ignorance (and boredom)- as not being in the least musically talented I found the discriptive passages on such matters way over my head and, I imgine, that of other readers with similar omissions in their musical education!! The author surmises that some Jazz enthusiasts may denigrate Armstrongs' later performances to that of genial buffoon, all round entertainer and despise this career change for what they take to be a sell out to white entertainment. But Collier can ,having made a thorough study of the man, make assumptions based on fact and not on personal fancy or nebulous notions as some do,that Armstrong fullfilled his ambition of becoming an entertainer which he set out to become but on route became one of the most innovative and influential and skilled exponents of Jazz that the world has ever seen. As Armstrongs' popularity and adulation grew among the general public so it waned on the Jazz circuit as purists disliked the way Armstrong courted popularity. Elitists often think the artist should suffer for his art form and saw Armstrong as a traitor to this. But, when, as you do here, see the history of the man his music, his suffering , etc., all put into the context of the social backdrop that Collier does so expertly you are leftin no doubt of the sincerity of both biographer and subject matter. A great piece of literature!

I subscribed to the Merlyn's Pen magazine all through middle school and then my subscription just disappeared. I was so glad to see it again (in book form) on Amazon.com. I am now graduating from college, but I still enjoyed the youthful writing. It helped me remember why I began writting in the first place. I highly reccomend this for any high school writers!!

This book was really amazing. It kept you on your toes and really put you in the character's place. I often found myself getting anxious,angry or sad in many parts of the book. My mom picked it up thinking of just reading a couple of pages to check what I was reading and ended up staying up until 3 in the morning reading it. Before you start this book make sure you don't have anything big happening for hours because you won't put it down. If you enjoy thinking about what it would be like to live on the other side of the law this is definitely the book for you. -Q

Our town librarian asked me to take this book home and rate it. As a Vietnam vet, she was curious for my review and reaction. I must say the book is presented in a dispassionate way, but chronicles the movement of our involvement in this far Asian country over the years, as young people need to know about. I was a helicopter pilot in the Mekong Delta, stationed at Vinh Long with the 175th Outlaws, one of the most affectionate helicopter units in-country. I am very familiar with many of the episodes and locales featured in the book. I would recommend PORTRAIT OF A TRAGEDY as an historical overview of the conflict, but it lacks the passion of the years describing all that went on--there and in the USA. It is well constructed, and for those people who cannot figure why we ever got involved in this entanglement, it could present the situation in a rational dialogue for them to think about. My book centers on the experiences of flying helicopters and the camaraderie experienced by the Army aviators in this war.

Jenny and her friends are captivating in their trilogy revolving around three years of high school. "Earth Rising", "Raging Skies" and "Global Warning" are filled with fictional natural disasters plus international intrigue some 20 years in the future and provide the teens with daring challenges. How they manage the situations in the San Francisco Bay Area setting is realistically presented and keeps interest high. Hopefully Nancy will follow up with future books as Jenny becomes a senior. Armin's new life would be of interest. Congratulations to a new author.

Very good for in-class work, it is perfect for an introduction to the world of statistics and data. Good for grades 4-8.

I had the opportunity not only to read Dr. Young's book, but to interview about it as well. He is a knowledgeable historian and very fact-conscious, as well as understanding the larger issues at hand. I recommend this book to anyone who is seriously interested in the American Civil War because it will provide you with a unique story about one player in this immense drama.

It does a reading and writing instructor some good to come across a volume like this! The stories contained in Something like a Hero offer the young adult reader models of excellent writing that is within their reach. The classic writing assignment, What makes a Hero? is given new life. Young (and old) readers are given the opportunity to peek behind the screen of composition and can uncover for themselves what constitutes "good writing." The text contains themes for reader's of all types: love and war, alienation, fitting in, peer pressure, as well as discovering one's true self. If everyone does indeed have a story to tell, this volume is a boon for writing and reading instructors everywhere. The dialog is crisp and believable; the settings authentic; and the action and storytelling are truly admirable. Something like a Hero is inspirational for young readers and writers alike.

Teddy Roosevelt, Rough Rider is interesting because it is a biography and history of Teddy Roosevelt as a child. He liked natural history and even stuffed the animals he caught himself - yuck! When he grew up and was president, he was involved in saving park and forest land and wildlife. Yellowstone Park was one of the parks he helped with. He had asthma but he wanted to build up his body to be strong, so he did a lot of sports like boxing and horseback riding. He liked to read and write books. A funny part of the story involved frogs, but you'll have to read it yourself to find out!