Whitemarsh Hall: The Estate of Edward T. Stotesbury (PA) (Images of America)

Book Description

Whitemarsh Hall, known as "the Versailles of America," was one of the largest and most exquisite estates in North America. Edward Townsend Stotesbury, one of the wealthiest Philadelphians in the early twentieth century, commissioned renowned architect Horace Trumbauer to build the one-hundred-forty-sevenroom mansion in 1916 on three hundred acres just outside Philadelphia. Whitemarsh Hall, which took five years to build at an estimated cost of $10 million with all the furnishings, was a wedding present for his second wife.

Customer Reviews:

the rise & fall of an American Versailles.......2007-06-30

Whitemarsh Hall, built outside Philadelphia in 1916-21 at a cost of $10 million, was a wedding gift from the wealthy septuagenarian Edward Stotesbury to his second wife.
Relying almost entirely on numerous archival photos, this modest volume documents the rise and fall of the magnificent house which, together with its extensive gardens, was once known as the Versailles of America.

Several phases of the construction are shown including the planting of an avenue of mature trees.(The elderly Stotesbury could not afford to wait for small trees to grow up). As for the finished interiors, one yearns for a massive coffee-table book. Alas, the smallish black and white photos of the lavishly decorated principal rooms can give only an impression of their grandeur during the house's heyday in the 1930's, but are a sufficient and tragic record of its decline as later decades of neglect, vandalism and decay preceded the wreckers' ball.

Although there is only one page of text, the authors cleverly manage to convey many delicious tidbits of trivia about house and family by means of the voluminous captions accompanying each photo. For instance: that Douglas MacArthur was briefly Stotesbury's son-in-law and a luxurious suite was reserved for the General's visits; that Mrs Stotesbury's son Jimmy was married to the heiress of the Dodge fortune and later to tobacco heiress Doris Duke. The elder Stotesbury, ever conscious that the huddled masses might be aroused to rebellion by the sight of so much luxury in their midst, installed four machine guns on the roof to ward them off.

In spite of their reputation for frequent and lavish entertaining - 600 guests to a party were not unusual - the Stotesburys did not encourage visitors to stay over. There were only 7 guest bedroom suites in the 147-room house and on the morning of the third day of his visit, a houseguest's breakfast tray would contain a note offering to assist his arrangements for departure. (One presumes General MacArthur was exempt from this rule). The great humorist Will Rogers was not asked back after a flippant remark upon the quality of the champagne, nor was another female guest who likened the coloured lights set up for a garden party to Coney Island (though the lights were taken down).

I enjoyed the book and appreciate its value as a historic record, but I had expected a lengthier written history of the Whitemarsh Estate and its owners, and was, therefore, a little disappointed to find it is essentially a picture book. Nevertheless, the book is entertaining, informative & certainly a boon to those who believe a picture is worth a thousand words.

This house was our house..........2007-04-03

Edward T. Stotesbury was a facinating man and a financial genius. But it was after his marriage to Eva that his greatest treasure was created - Whitemarsh Hall.
My great grandfather - Arthur C. Laird - worked as the head electrian at Whitemarsh Hall and at the Stotesbury's Florida home, El Marisol. My grandmother grew up on the fringes of this estate and shared many wonderful stories before she passed away. This book has in small ways filled in around the edges of the stories and has brought the house back to life for our family.
If you are a fan of the incredible mansion architecture of the late 1800's, early 1900's or are a fan of the architecture of Horace Trumbauer (who also built the Free Library of Philadephia and parts of the Philadelphia Museum of Art) - this book offers a peak into that world of splendor and the genius of Horace Trumbauer.

Whitemarsh Halls Rise and fall.......2007-02-09

I found this book to be a great look into the Rise and Demise of one the countries finest estate homes. It sad that such beautiful piece of work could be abandoned, vandalized, and eventually razed. It's even sadder that no one back then could find a way to save this noteworthy structure. I found this book to be a well done pictorial essay on the subject. The floor plans, maps and extensive photos provided insight into the estate and its history. I appreciate authors time in producing this book. They should come up to Long Island... we have many estates that could benefit from their history being told. The book is well worth the money.

Whitemarsh Hall.......2006-08-28

This is an excellent, albeit brief, account of the life and times of Ned and Eva Stotesbury and the magnificent gilded-age estate they built near Philadelphia in the early twentieth century. The book includes contemporary photos and first hand accounts of the construction and use of the property. The estate's design and execution decision logic with architect Horace Trumbauer was explored in depth. Also included is the post-Stotesbury use and the regrettable loss of this significant property.

An excellent read!.......2005-10-01

This book is excellent. It starts out with the people involved and leads up to the creation and demise of the greatest house I've ever seen. Yes, I was fortunate enough to grow up in the area of this exquisite palace. Unfortunately I did not walk the halls of Whitemarsh in its heyday but even in its dilapidated state it was an awesome sight to see beyond that which words can describe. The book is a good read and well worth the selling price. What happened to this house still tears at my insides even after all of these years.

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Desires and Disguises: Five Latin American Photographers

Manufacturer: Serpent's Tail
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1852422807

Book Description

With Japanese in MangaLand, readers can easily master the basics of the Japanese language using manga as a didactic tool. With thirty lessons, including drills, clear explanations, and vivid examples, readers will become familiar with the fundamental patterns of Japanese grammar while learning important vocabulary. This book also features a bonus glossary of more than 160 basic kanji to assist in the learning process. Perfect for both beginners and manga enthusiasts, Japanese in MangaLand is a wonderful alternative to reading page after page of dry prose.

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News Hunting on Three Continents
Julius Chambers
Manufacturer: The Bodley Head
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000ODKFNU

Average customer rating:

family troubles

News Hunting on Three Continents
Julius Chambers
Manufacturer: University Press of the Pacific
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0898752469

Book Description

Julius Chambers had a craving for adventure in his blood. When he left Cornell University in 1870, Indians were not to be fought east of the Missouri River. The law was assumed to be his natural bent; but although he studied its rudiments, fate, in the name of the daily newspaper, called. He enlisted in its service, heart and soul. Through all stages of progress, as reporter, special correspondent in distant parts of the world, and ultimately as editor of what was at that time the most famous journal in America, if not in the world, the excitement nature demanded was found; but not excitement alone.

Chambers authored On a Margin and The Destiny of Doris. He was Managing Editor of the New York "Herald"; Organizer and First Editor of the Paris "Herald"; Managing Editor of the New York "World" and writer of daily "Walks and Talks" for sixteen years in the Brooklyn "Daily Eagle".

There were friends and friendships; there were big and little things. Without the aid of wealth or influence, the author attained his ambition at the age of thirty-five and enjoyed a glorious existence. Herein are a few experiences in various countries among all sorts and conditions of men.

Customer Reviews:

family troubles.......2002-06-26

I know the family of the guy who wrote this, and i must say that if they are the same as he is, you shouldnt read it.

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News Hunting on Three Continents
Julius Chambers
Manufacturer: Mitchell Kennerley, New York
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Spain | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

News Hunting on Three Continents by Julius Chambers

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News Hunting on Three Continents by Julius Chambers
Julius Chambers
Manufacturer: The Bodley Head
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VEMUV2

Customer Reviews:

Oddly enough, it's a page turner.......2003-01-03

I read this book with great anticipation as I had just enlisted Dr. Weinberger to be my first child's pediatrician. It's not another "How to Change a Diaper" book, but really his observations as he went about setting up what is now a very busy practice and raising his own kids. It addresses larger philosophical points through real life stories without espousing a rigorous child rearing regimen. It's a a light, easy read (I read it in pieces on the train while commuting to and from NYC) and I found it to be both humorous and enjoyable, as I have my subsequent relationship with Dr. Weinberger and my two children.

I have never laughed so hard.......2002-01-07

This is a very funny, insightful book. I recommend it to anyone even thinking about having kids.

Delightful reading.......2000-11-04

Though I had a hard time getting through the first couple chapters, once I got into this book--it was excellent. Dr. Weinberger's advice is so gently couched in delightful anecdotes that you hardly even realize your reading advice until you find yourself saying, "ah, good idea." Had he given the advise directly, rather than in an illustration, it wouldn't have hit home the same way. Its not a textbook, but is for the parent who has a grasp on the basics and is looking for something a little deeper, and something inspiring.

a delightful & inspiring accessory for parenting bookshelves.......1999-08-20

A great book to read for humorous & enlightening case stories regarding parenting & children. Bottom line: reminds parents to widen their scope of vision when problem-solving and to understand there are different ways for them to approach problems. As with all advice books, there is a good selection of tips (derived on your own from reading the stories) from which parents can choose what works for them. Format provides for easy reading and several chuckles.

Ego-driven tale of tedious stories, no practical value.......1999-01-30

This book was beyond worthless. Advertised as a compendium of useful tips for caring for a baby, I was instead transported into a whirlwind tale of hyper-accomplishment and self-praise. Nowhere are there any useful indices organized around such "trivial" areas such as health issues, doctor visits, age-appropriate behavior, safety tips, and others. An index? heavens, no, that would make the book too useful and take away from Weinberger's god-complex, which drips from these pages all too readily. One simply must trudge through the whole tedius tome, putting up with inane stories for pages and pages, only to find scattered odd bits of useful information laced in between.

So spare yourself the $25.00, and use it to buy a useful book (like "Caring for Your Baby and Young Child" by the American Academy of Pediatrics) that will provide the information you need. If you had the unfortunate luck of receiving this book as a gift, consider instead using it as tinder for the family fireplace, where it will create more genuine warmth than contained within the book's pages.

Book Description

No war has ever had the intensive media coverage as the 2003 war in Iraq, and none has ever had such monumental second-guessing. Months before the war began, domestic and international pundits painted a gloomy picture of a new Vietnam or of a nuclear Armageddon that would see Israel in ruins. In the 1991 victory in the Gulf War, the United States lead a much larger coalition force into a heavy air campaign followed by a lightening quick ground campaign. In the years that followed, the United States military experienced a continuing series of reductions in the national defense budget. What was left unrecorded was the incredible degree of competence with which the US military leadership managed the reduction in resources, balancing force structures against personnel requirements against procurement needs and logistic realities. Anyone considering the great military victory achieved in Iraq must ask the following questions: Who was bright enough to plan to have the weapons systems in the right place at the right time? Who orchestrated this vast, complex array of sophisticated military machinery-ships, submarines, missiles, armor, and soldiers-all needing fuel, ammunition, and water? Operation Iraqi Freedom: What Went Right and Why; What Went Wrong and Why gives intimate insight into the way in which the armed services, particularly the United States Air Force, managed to overcome the genuine budgetary, political, and military difficulties to create the finest military force in the world, one which operated with the most extreme care to avoid collateral damage and to prevent loss of life.

Customer Reviews:

Publisher Weekly's childish review.......2004-01-08

This book is a fine work. Obviously, publisher weekly's reviewer must be one of those individuals (without much of a life experience) that cannot stand the recent successes of our military in Iraq and elsewhere. Shameful.
More and possibly better work will follow, but for those who need a preliminary record of the iraqi battle, this book will do just that.

An interesting and worthwhile account.......2003-12-09

Walter Boyne's work in Operation Iraqi Freedom: What Went Right, What Went Wrong, and Why is on target. As some other reviewers here have detailed Boyne's qualifications (and they are extensive and appropriate), we'll simply agree that he is the right author to synthesize the information thus far available on the conflict.

Concerns expressed about writing such a history so soon after the dust has settled are valid but in this case, should be put into proper perspective. Boyne's book is a history of operations. It examines what went right and wrong between March 19 and May 1, a period commonly acknowledged as the conventional phase of the conflict. Boyne details the US military's new "unconventional" approach to conventional warfare during this phase. It does not attempt to deal with the subsequent insurgency campaign which continues.

The book is best viewed as a "first-look" overview of the operations leading to the dissolution of uniformed Iraqi armed forces. It is also a primer on the doctrinal and technological changes developed since the first Iraqi conflict which allowed the campaign to be prosecuted in a new way.

Boyne is to be commended for presenting a complex subject in an interesting, readable way. One of the book's advantages is that it reflects the contemporary wisdom of the many credible sources Boyne taps to tell the story. These include those who helped design the military that went into the conflict. In this respect, it is invaluable to future historians.

It is certain that military planners worldwide are energetically analyzing what the US miltary accomplished in the major combat operations Boyne's book covers. It is also likely that many will turn to Operation Iraqi Freedom: What Went Right, What Went Wrong, as an informed introduction to the subject.

A Must Buy Book.......2003-12-08

"Operation Iraqi Freedom: What Went Right, What Went Wrong, and Why" is really two books in one. First, as the title implies, it is a treatise on a specific conflict - an in-depth presentation of how it all worked and an insightful analysis of how well it worked. Second, by way of extensive appendices that take up more than a third of the entire volume, it is a very comprehensive compendium of what it took to conduct that war in terms of materiel, weapons, logistics, people, methodologies, etc.

If it were not so readable, this would make a great textbook. As it is, it should be required reading for anyone interested in studying wars and what makes them tick, especially one that was waged so recently and so much in the public eye. As one could imagine, the great majority of what we read in the print media and saw on the TV screen was, because of the nature of the beast, the parts of the conflict that included the action, the damage and the more sensational aspects of what was going on.
A concern often raised about a book produced shortly after an event is how credible it can be as an analysis considering the recency of what occurred. There usually is a suspicion that it is a quick-reaction book dashed off in hopes of a fast buck by an author "writing off the top of his head." That concern was put to rest in this case by a thorough reading of what many readers overlook in their rush to get to the main text - the front matter of the book. Here I found the a wealth of information that established the book's bona fide's for me - the acknowledgements, foreword and preface.
The acknowledgements pointed out the author's people sources, a host of knowledgeable top military and civilian thinkers who provide the book with authenticity and authority.
The foreword helps a book in two ways: first by what it says about the book and, second, by the credibility of who wrote it - in this case former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, retired Gen. Ronald R. Fogelman who stated that the book reflects the contributions of all the elements of the coalition and the new, higher level of cooperation and interdependence of the forces involved. Fogelman also stated, "The United States and its coalition partners can be proud of their work In Operation Iraqi Freedom, and this book offers the first best look at how well they did their job."
The preface then gives the author the opportunity to establish his objectives, in this case to examine the efficacy of U.S. and coalition strategy, tactics, operational methods, weapon systems, and personnel during the period of armed conflict from March 19 through May 1, 2003. This author, Walter J. Boyne, has the extensive background as a career Air Force pilot and former director of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, and has generated the many contacts needed to successfully produce a comprehensive study like this.
The book then goes on to do just that in full, but readable, detail. The background of the how, who and what leading up to this war are followed by the actions taken to pursue it to a quick victory and by an explanation of the new type of warfare that made it possible. Interspersed are short, side articles such as the fascinating "How Nations Go To War" that put this one war into perspective with all other conflicts fought until then. The author inserts at appropriate places, as the book's title implies, discussions about what went right and why and what went wrong and why - and lessons learned.
Operation Iraqi Freedom is not light reading and you can't get anything from skimming it. Plan to spend some time - from beginning to end - and you will end up with a better understanding of the story behind what you read and watched in the popular press. Highly recommended.

Arthur H. Sanfelici
Editor
Aviation History Magazine

Interesting and informative historical work.......2003-12-01

Walter Boyne has given us a superb initial look at Operation Iraqi Freedom. Using his deep understanding of war in general and airpower in particular, he has taken what has so far appeared in the open press and has packaged it into a clear and concise narrative of this short but intense conflict.
Perhaps more importantly, he has detailed for us how the improvements that we made in our military forces post Desert Storm have given us the ability to dominate any military force. Precision guidance, information dominance, C4ISR, the close integration of SOF and conventional forces, the linking of ground forces to "on call" fighters, bombers, and massive AC-130 gunships are all highlighted by Boyne as he weaves their development and use into a larger narrative of the daily events of the conflict. It is a powerful story. And he looks at failure too, delving into incidents of fratricide and losses due to the terrible sand storms.
Many details are, of course, missing. Only time can correct that. But Walter Boyne has produced a useful work which helps to understand how we fought the second Gulf War. It is a bench mark for subsequent books.

Objection to Publishers Weekly Anti-Military Bias.......2003-11-30

The Publishers Weekly reviewer obviously did not read the book he or she reviewed; instead it launched into a series of anti-military statements that completely invalidate it. I cannot imagine how Amazon would willingly publish so obviously and willfully destructive review--it was non-objective and totally inaccurate--a Pub Weekly reviews on miltary subjects usually are.

Operation Iraqi Freedom: What Went Right, What Went Wrong, and Why.: An article from: Airpower

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Operation Iraqi Freedom: What Went Right, What Went Wrong, and Why.: An article from: Airpower
Frederick A. Johnsen
Manufacturer: Sentry Books, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Iraq | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Airpower, published by Sentry Books, Inc. on March 1, 2004. The length of the article is 619 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Operation Iraqi Freedom: What Went Right, What Went Wrong, and Why.
Author: Frederick A. Johnsen
Publication: Airpower (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2004
Publisher: Sentry Books, Inc.
Volume: 34 Issue: 3 Page: 10(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

In this book Mark Finnan explores the facts and legends that surround Scotland's Prince Henry Sinclair and his possible voyage to Nova Scotia and New England in 1398.

Sinclair was Admiral of the Seas during the latter half of the fourteenth century, a master mariner whose travels took him to England, Norway, France, Italy and the Middle East. His ships sailed westwards to Iceland and Greenland in the wake of his Viking forefathers. But a controversial map and document give strong reason to believe that he led an expedition to North America almost 100 years before Cabot and Columbus, and that he was connected to the Knights Templar and the legend of the Holy Grail.

The Sinclair Saga takes readers on a voyage of discovery from North America to the Orkney Islands, encountering many people and places on both sides of the Atlantic associated with the Sinclair legend.

Customer Reviews:

Okay for overview, not for serious interest in subject.......2001-10-17

I've recently been researching the links between 14th century Scotland, the Templar order, and Henry Sinclair's possible visit to the New World around 1400 -- not to "prove" that Oak Island contains a vast treasure protected by a secret society, but because of my interest in Henry's ties to Orkney and Norway. That said, I realize that most people will be reading the book for very different reasons. Anyway, I thought this book might be a useful read, but it is quite simple, full of the author's highly personalized thoughts (not facts) about the area, Henry's motivations and the nature of the Oak Island constructions, and it doesn't really get into the details of anything. It's a good first book to read about the subject, which has been addressed in several other recent books as well, and it's obvious the author is very interested in the subject, but it's not a comprehensive exploration of the exciting and complicated subject matter. Read this, and then buy "The Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar:Solving the Oak Island Mystery," by Steven Sora.

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