Amazon.com
One-space living is becoming increasingly popular, and it doesn't just mean loft dwelling. This contemporary book looks at every kind of single space, from a purpose-built London apartment to a Belgian beach house.
Author Cynthia Inions advocates this kind of contemporary living as more suited to the less-formal lifestyles many people now lead. Inions points out the freedom and flexibility of manipulating space in this way, likening it to the traditional Japanese interior, but working the idea into more Western homes. She focuses strongly on use of light and architectural features. Her enviable showcase homes are displayed by Andrew Wood's photography.
On a practical level, the book talks you through structural changes and asks if plans for demolishing existing partitions are realistic and, if so, how best to carry them out. Using the concept of zoning your space once you have opened it up, Inions advises separate zones for relaxing, cooking, bathing, sleeping, and working and explains how to make optimum use of your space according to your lifestyle.
This book makes good use of case studies to illustrate one-space living, including the practical templates of floor plans. One of the most useful parts of the book is a chapter on storage, which is key to successful open-plan living. With a directory of stockists at the end, this is a comprehensive and attractive book that will be invaluable to anyone who intends to live in this style. --Karen Homer
Book Description
Celebrating the appeal of open-plan living--from tiny studio apartments to huge loft conversions--this book offers practical, professional suggestions for creating smartly integrated, gracious home environments. The book deals creatively with matters such as streamlining possessions, setting up well-ordered storage, and adapting personal habits to meet the demands of privacy while still maximizing comfort, space, and light. Also emphasized is how to preserve the architectural integrity of a building in a way that conventional room planning cannot. 250 color illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
teatime book.......2003-06-23
most of the cases selected are rather boring and except for one luxorious apartment, all the rest doesn't really strike your attention. the photos are nice, the text is fine, but the same projects are repeated here and there from different angles, for different causes, but they are the same "projects" or cases as they are called. the book is not expensive though and i think the price suits the content. but it is not more than a teatime book.
Misleading Title.......2002-02-12
If this book had been called "One Space Industrial Conversions" or something along those lines, it would easily deserve 4 stars. The spaces discussed are interesting to look at and the photos are beautiful, though they often fail to illustrate the idea discussed in the caption. However, there is no way this book lives up to its title -- there are brief nods to a beach apartment and a "purpose-built" apartment, but the other studies are conversions in huge, formerly industrial spaces. I found most of the designs lacking in human scale and full of bad feng shui (no, No, NO you DON'T sleep on top of your bathroom -- ick!), but that is not what the book is trying to address.
This book badly needed to look at new construction -- single space houses using the not-so-big house concepts, for example, and loft redos in styles other than minimalist, pale, sheer, etc.
There are some interesting storage ideas, and some extremely creative uses of a container truck in dividing the spaces in one project.
I found the book interesting though incomplete, lacking practical information, and having a much more single-minded focus than the title suggests. It's an interesting supplement to an existing collection, but there are a dozen better books to get first.
Open plan living for the relaxed and creative mind.......2002-02-10
Wow!!! My wife and I recently graduate college and moved to Arizona. After a year we found the perfect house. Well, with a lot of work it would be anyway. We proceeded to take out unnecessary walls, increase window space, and generally make the space more free and open. That was all done before we purchased this book. We had to piece together ideas on one space living from minimal sections in other books, and use a lot of imagination.
This book has provided many ideas for us to open the space even more, I wish we had it from the beginning as it would have saved so much time. It is generally laid out in very useable sections focusing on the overall feel, sections on particular rooms (bedroom, bath, kitchen, etc.), and finally sections on storage, lighting, and other one space considerations, although these ideas are presented throughout. The book explores these ideas through case studies of wonderfully original and doable (i.e. on a reasonable budget) homes and apartments. It truly is the bible for one space living, every time we open it, it reveals new ideas on how to make our home provide a more relaxed and free environment, a place to get away from the stresses of working life.
The book is written in a straight forward manner that clearly describes the wonderful pictures, and the feelings the elements within invoke in a space. It does not explain how to take out a wall and install moveable panels, however it explains why you would want to, and shows the results with clear pictures and explanations. It also provides creative solutions to everyday problems on storage and lighting, on fixing areas that feel cramped, and on making your home fit your lifestyle.
If you enjoy open plan living or minimalist design, this book is indispensible. It will both cost us and save us a lot of money, as it regularly gives me new ideas to open and simplify our home further, and helps me avoid costly mistakes. It is also amazing the number of storage ideas the book containes both in word and picture. We would have happily paid twice the amazon price for the value we received. Great pictures for the coffee table, and great ideas for one space living. This book should be provided at move in with any open plan house or apartment, as the owners manual for one space living. Obviously we love this book!
On a side note, if you still live in the traditional dining room, kitchen, family, and living room all completely separated by floor to ceiling walls and connected by a narrow hallway, you should also buy this book as it will make your mind feel like it was just released from the prison of your own house. It may change your lifestyle.
O.K........2001-06-22
A sweet little coffee table book, with few ideas given. Nice colorfull and modern interior decoration pictures, good picture-text-drawing graphics... A book you can have on your table and look every now and then.
Wonderful book!.......2000-10-26
This was one of my first design books dedicated toward single space living. I was not dissapointed! This book is aimed toward contemporary design, and the ideas are plentiful. The pictures are superb and the text is well written. In my humble opinion, everyone should have this book.
Product Description
Learn how to paint the One Stroke way, a easy painting technique that was invented by Donna Dewberry. One Stroke includes your shading, blending and highlighting all in one stroke. Living Spaces is Volume 5 of a Lifestyle series. Learn how to paint vibrant flowers on furniture, cavases and glass. Easy step by step instructions along with worksheets that you can follow each stroke until you are comfortable enough to paint them on your surface.
Average customer rating:
- A Slave To My Condition!
- The best book on diabetes I have read
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On Wings and Prayers: Living with Diabetes One Sugar at a Time
Terri W Jerkins
Manufacturer: Langmarc Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Going Forward Looking Back
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Searching for Paul
ASIN: 1880292645 |
Book Description
Jackson Driver, an Air Force pilot, dreams of piloting a space shuttle. After he is diagnosed with diabetes and grounded by the AF, he fights to rebuild his dreams. When he earns his doctorate in aerospace engineering, he applies to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as a mission specialist, is accepted, and begins his training for the space program. He and his Native American wife are in for the adventure of a lifetime. For those living with diabetes, this novel offers encouragement to reach for the stars and soar with courage and prayers. All readers gain insight into a disease that has become a national epidemic.
Customer Reviews:
A Slave To My Condition!.......2003-03-01
Wow! Let's talk about being enslaved to a disease process! It's a wonder this guy has enough energy to deal with his daily routine, not to mention all of his secondary problems! This is a very intimidating and inaccurate account of daily life as an Insulin Dependent Diabetic. The author, who I know, is a Type 2 or non-insulin dependent diabetic, who for some reason believes she knows exactly how to approach life as a Type 1 Diabetic. Her portrayal of this young man and his disease process, would scare most Type 1 diabetics into a stress driven diabetic coma!! I am a Type 1 Diabetic, now for 30 years, and I would not recommend this book to any of my friends, or my Patients! That's correct, I said my Patients! I am a very successful and well respected Physician Assistant, and I have dedicated my practice to caring for Diabetic individuals. I personally did not appreciate the Authors attempt at degrading the PA profession on page 322 of the book, by making the PA appear negligent in missing the diagnosis of Diabetic Ketoacidosis. This was in extremely poor taste!! Personally, I would not suggest this book to any Diabetic individual or family member, due to the fear that it would produce, in regards to glucose management. I'm sorry Dr. Jerkins, but my Glycohemoglobin is 6.0, and I don't recall the last time I had a glucose tablet or felt the need to test my glucose some 12 to 15 times per day! The story line, by the way, is fairly exciting. Thus the rating of 2 stars instead of 1.
The best book on diabetes I have read.......2001-10-06
This book makes it easy to understand all the intricacies of diabetes.I recomend this book for anyone who has or knows someone with diabetes.On a scale of one to ten,I give this an eleven.A must read.
Book Description
Artists constantly seek out new projects, plain and simple. With this new series, they'll find what they're looking for: books by well-known artists, each featuring 10 no-holds-barred, step-by-step, start-to finish projects--plain and simple. Every project includes:
* A list of challenges and learning points, so readers can identify the obstacles to mastering the skill, then master it
* Materials lists, with tips on the different materials available for optimal use
* A preliminary drawing to trace for easy reproduction, along with color mixing examples and pull outs
With a crystal-clear focus on the projects and only the projects, this series will speak to readers hungering for simple instruction to create works of their own.
Customer Reviews:
A bit disappointed.......2005-10-18
I ordered this book for my niece to learn how to paint with watercolors. I wish that I would have read some of the reviews first... because just like some of the reviewers state, this book leaves out too many steps for a beginner painter. The drawings are poor and incomplete. And the step by step instructions are way too high level to ever help a beginner. For example....step two of a flower states, apply masking fluid to preserve the white in the painting....sounds okay, but when you look at what the sample picture shows, there is masking in areas that will eventually be red or yellow and so a beginner would not know when to use masking and when not. On that same flower when it gets to step 5 which tells you to paint the greens...it says things like....as you're painting the green portions...try to be as realistic as possible. But it never says how to mix the greens, or what colors were actually used in the sample, or that you should also be adding yellows and reds to some of your greens for shading purposes as the picture example clearly uses. There are just too many steps left out to be of use to a beginner.
And then the final insult is the fact that at the front of the book, before any lesson begins there is a giant bright yellow warning about copyright infringement. And it tells the user of the book that they can't use their final drawing for any other purpose but to show family or friends, and that they are never allowed to pass of the final work as their own or they will be going against the law. It even states that they can't sign the final work that they do. Now if beginners like my niece would like to use this book and feel good about finishing their first painting, the very least this book could do is provide learning with an example flower, and then give the reader photos of additional flowers that the beginner could use to actually create their own work of art that they can actually sign.... Now that would be a nice book.
Great color mixing.......2005-03-12
I have really enjoyed the color mixing blends shown in each lesson. It is helpful to see these isolated from the actual painting to more easily see what the colors do together.
I have enjoyed seeing so many different subjects used in the same book. I will encourage all my art friends to buy this one.
10 Favorite Subjects in Watercolor.......2005-03-01
How lucky we are that Barbara Jeffery Clay has written this helpful and inspiring book. She walks you through so many lessons and gives such wonderful instructions with beautiful results. I like the setup of the book and the detailed explaniation of the color mixing. It is a book for many levels of painters and can be enjoyed by anyone who is interested in painting watercolors.
Lacking clear instructions.......2004-12-02
The artist's paintings in this book are beautiful, but I found the step-by-step intructions to be very unclear with steps missing. Also, the preliminary drawings are very sketchy and most are not detailed enough to be able to follow along with the artist without considerable redrawing. The concept of this book is very good and with more accurate drawings and more concise directions it could be an excellent learning tool, but as it stands I wouldn't recommend it for the novice watercolorist. If you are looking for projects with clear, concise directions and accurate line drawings I recommend "Step-by-Step Guide to Painting Realistic Watercolors" by Dawn McLeod Helm. "Watercolor Right From the Start" or "Color Right From the Start" by Hilary Page are also both excellent books for the beginning watercolor painter.
Average customer rating:
- Interesting B+W Picture Book
- Great book! Highly inspiring and full of information
- Great images, tiny type
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Portraits and Figures: Developing Style in Creative Photography
Terry Hope
Manufacturer: Saunders/Silver Pixel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Photography
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Portraits
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ASIN: 1883403693 |
Book Description
No wonder black and white photography is more popular than ever, as photographers see its capacity for expressing personal style with simplicity and subtlety. Take your cues from 19 photographers recognized internationally for their b/w creations. They show and tell both their art and their technique, with galleries of their work accompanied by explanations of how they did it. You'll begin with how to master the rules, then how to bend them for particular effects. Then discover their many uses of lighting, composition, posing, and presentation, as well as their approaches to mood, style, and effect. Candid and posed portraits, figures, and group studies display a variety of faces and profiles of all ages, and full and partial figures in both closeups and landscapes offer a treasury of ideas, regardless of the equipment you use.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting B+W Picture Book.......2005-04-16
This is an interesting picture book for B+W photographers, particularly those interested in alternative development techniques and materials. Each picture has a paragraph or two from the photographer with, by my count, 19 photographers represented across roughly 51 photographs. Accompanying tiny print from the book's author provides technique tips and pointers. The stunning photographs run the gamut between grainy and non-grainy and different forms of toning. The book doesn't include any images created from digital capture. It's interesting and sometimes inspiring but you need to be specifically looking for examples based on different B+W papers and chemicals for development in order to get much out of it as far as technical know-how is concerned.
Great book! Highly inspiring and full of information.......2003-01-07
This is probably my all-time favorite photography book, and I'll explain why:
1) The images are outstanding, both technically and creatively. I have never tired of looking at this book -- how many books can you say that about? If you love B&W, you simply must have this book. It has images from contemporary photographers like Eammon McCabe and Andreas Zacharatos, as well greats like Bert Hardy.
2) The book is beautifully printed. I love the square format and heavy stock pages - it will last a long time.
3) Each full-page image is accompanied by a paragraph or more description and statement by the actual photographer, explaining the intent, technique, difficulties, etc. These statements by the photographers are extremely interesting and educational. I have probably read these pages at least two dozen times for each image. The technical details of each image are one of the main reasons I first bought this book (includes type of camera, format, f-stop, exposure, and film).
4) All the images and text add to your understanding of how these images were made, and gives you new ideas and inspriation to try new techniques. I disagree with the other reviewer that the text is too small: it is small, but in my view the layout of this book is outstanding, and very effective.
5) This book has opened my eyes to see the potential and diversity of what is called "portrait" photography! You won't regret owning this book.
Great images, tiny type.......2001-08-26
This book by Terry Hope features the work 19 photographers, mostly British, with some very impressive credentials. There are some marvelous images here, and some not so great. The images are very heavily weighted toward low-key portraits, meaning many are very dark with heavy or black shadows. Portraiture here also is loosely interpreted as there are actually very few shots that one would consider formal studio portraits or posed shots. One would wish for more balance. There are very few images of women and several of those who do appear are given rather shabby treatment. I won't delve too much into this, except to say bar maids and ..., and that's almost it for women. Each photo is accompanied by text where the photographer's approach to the photo is explained and other information included. Hope does not seem to care too much whether you read this or not, because the type is so small the reader really has to struggle to read it. There is no reason for this as there is plenty of white space on the page to enlarge the type. Pity the poor reader. There is some very good information, here, however, if one can strain his eyes to read it. Larger type would have gotten this book four stars.
Average customer rating:
- HI BELONGS IN THE WASTE BASKET!
- Mr. Popularity? Humph.
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Hi and Lois: Mr. Popularity
Dik Browne
Manufacturer: Tom Doherty Assoc Llc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Comic Strips
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ASIN: 0812515056 |
Customer Reviews:
HI BELONGS IN THE WASTE BASKET!.......2001-03-16
I don't like Hi & Lois. If "Hi" is Mr. Popularity, then I'm Liz Taylor! Hi is a bumbling, inept drone and has the appeal of malaria. He is a boorish Neanderthal with no class. Dot is a fresh brat and poor Ditto is her long suffering twin brother. Trixie and Chip are the only kids with anything to offer. Trixie is a cute, bright baby and Chip is sorta like his Uncle, Beetle Bailey. Lois is the only "adult" in that household and the next door neighbors are a boorish pair. She's a harpy and he's a lazy no-account. What a crew.
I love Beetle Bailey, but I just don't like "Hi & Lois."
I'll take Sarge and the bunch at Camp Swampy any day!
Mr. Popularity? Humph........1999-03-04
If Hi is Mr. Popularity, then I am Ms. America. First, he beats Lois every time she forgets to bring him his slippers. Not very popular to me! THEN, he performs bizarre gratification rituals with thinly sliced sandwich meats. THAT is no popular thing to do in my house! Finally, the way he secretly envies Chip's carefree existence yet makes a point of humiliating Chip and forcing him into petticoats as punishment was a bit too much. Hi, you aren't popular in my book! Take some lessons from that nice Bil Keane and get a wholesome family act going.
Average customer rating:
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Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen: A Memoir
Clifton Daniel
Manufacturer: Arbor House Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
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Journalists
| Professionals & Academics
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Journalism
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ASIN: 0877955980 |
Book Description
Oprah Winfrey and
Phillip McGraw (Dr. Phil) are two of the most beloved talk show hosts today.
The Oprah and Dr. Phil Connection is the first book ever to showcase their lives, careers, and the fateful events that brought them together and made them the dynamic duo of the talk show world. This book begins with a vivid description of their childhood days and captures the key events of their lives all the way through to adulthood and eventual success.
Questions that we all have wondered are answered in this book, such as: What was Dr. Phil like as a kid? What was Oprah like as a kid? How did they come together? What were the important events in their lives? What was their secret to success? What can we learn from them?
Customer Reviews:
Behind the Scenes of the best!.......2005-01-27
I thought I knew most of the facts about Dr. Phil and Oprah, but I was wrong until I settled down in front of my space heater with this book, which details their connection all the way back to their first awkward encounters and subsequent fireworks (Dr. Phil and Oprah). In addition to pointing out that "Oprah" is "Harpo" spelled backwards (we learn that her parents were huge Marx Brothers fans, and that her little brother "Ohcuorg" felt the naming tradition was a stigmata), we learn about how their meeting took place at a Beef trial, and the rest is history, but is spelled out in the book in pleasurable detail and with aplomb. Although they have never been married, the rumor that Dr. Phil is actually Steadman is quickly "put to rest" by this book (and in addition, they both have mustaches but Dr. Phil's predates Steadman's by six years!). I really liked being taken behind the scenes and touring the backsides of these great storied individuals. Hurrah for this book! I heartily recommend it for your reading pleasures.
Their Untold Story.......2004-03-11
I believe that what's inside a book matters most, and when I bought this book, I basically expected to see mainly things about Oprah and Dr. Phil That I already knew.
Well, I was pleasantly surprised to find that much of the information I didn't know. The book gives you a look a behind-the-scenes look at their lives. It gives you much more than you see on t.v. or read in any other book about either of them.
I found their conversations and situations quite interesting. I found their pasts to also be interesting.
If you want all the information on the two, then this is the book for you. It is truly their untold story.
Even Better Than I Expected!.......2003-11-06
If you're thinking about buying this book, then it would be a wise decision to get it. Here's my review of the book:
1. CONTENT
The content of this book is outstanding. The book lives up to its promises and really goes in depth about Oprah and Dr. Phils' past and presernt lives, with an emphasis on their special relationship. It really puts you in the moment and covers such topics as the mad cow trial that almost sunk Oprah, Dr. Phil's firs marriage, and more. So as far as content goes this book is excellent.
2. DESIGN
I think the book's cover is fitting. What I really like are some of the old black and white photos of Oprah and Dr. Phil. They're done in a classic style that is reminicsent of the 50's. The color ones are great too. The paper is a smooth cream style that is soft to the touch. A real nice touch for this collector's item. I like the size of the print too, because it allows me to read without having squinch just to see a page.
3. OVERALL
I would give this book more stars if I could. It's best asset is the information is gives. You'll learn the real story behind the Oprah and Dr. Phil here. It's easy to read, not too technical or anything like that.
I HIGHLY recommend this book. It's Well-worth its price.
SGreview.......2003-11-06
I found this book to be very disappointing. I felt like I was reading a college term paper. The pictures look like they are very low quality and printed off a personal printer. It has font that is very large, I suspect to make it have more pages. The information was decent, just not what I expected. The author seemed to just quote from "O" magazine and talk shows, so it seemed like the book did not have much depth to it. It was not worth the price.
Very Good!.......2003-06-24
Just when I thought I knew all there was to know about and Dr. Phil, this book came along . . . and being the Oprah fan that I am, I bought it - the best choice I ever made. I opened it thinking that I knew everything in it. Thankfully, I was wrong. This book covers all the important stuff about Oprah (her childhood, rise to success, hard times etc.) but it also covers
Dr. Phil's life, and give us a good idea of where he came from to be the success he is. It covers his special 'connection' with Oprah, and yes, it even covers his relationship with his first wife - something I knew very little about until now. All in all it's a terrific book. If you're an Oprah or Dr. Phil fan, you'll definitely want to have this one on your bookshelf! If you're not, it's still worth the money.
Book Description
A unique step-by-step program to bring love into your life: How you see yourself-feel sexy, alive, and ready for love. How others see you-are you communicating the right signals? Prepare for what's ahead-find love guidance in the stars.
Customer Reviews:
Lee.......2007-06-15
With a library of over 3,000 hardbound books on the North and the South during the Civil War of 1861-1865, it is categorically impossible that approximately 2,975 of those books would be wrong concerning Robert E. Lee. His wife, Mary, greatgranddaughter of Martha Custis Washington (George's wife, for all you folks from Indiana), was the slaveowner, NOT Lee. From the first, he planned a gradual emancipation beginning with education and ending with integration. His battle plans were impeccable with the exception of Gettysburg (he won the first day, "tied" the second day and lost the third day. Why? Because he yielded (unlike him) to his general, Pickett who lusted for the fame of a frontal attack across open ground. Lee said "it's all my fault, all my fault"-but it wasn't.
Lee lost the war because he was very cautious with the lives of his men, the South had little industry and supplies were scarce. Do you revere your "winner", Grant? How did HE win? By throwing thousands of men into hopeless battles because he always had thousands more, enormous supplies and absolutely no concern for the lives of his men.
In the light of eternity, perhaps this doesn't matter, but of almost 600,000 lives lost, approximately 350,000 were Northeners and 250,000 were Southeners. He wasn't called "the gray fox" for nothing. This refers, as of course you know, to his incredible ability to elude and escape the enemy (defensive manuevers) as well as the offense (Fredericksburg).
Patti Atkins
College Station, Texas
Revisionist Dribble.......2007-01-23
Alan T. Nolan, an Indiana lawyer, would do better to continue his writing on subjects he is familar...such as the Iron Brigade.
Lee Considered.......2005-04-30
Nolan analyzes the difference between Robert E. Lee as a historical person and as a semi-mythical icon.
I found the scholarship here pleasantly rational, and I particularly liked Nolan's portrayal of Lee as a product of his time. His purpose is not to "deconstruct" Lee or offer a "revisionist" history, but to correct long-accepted material that makes claims that contradict the evidence of primary sources such as Lee's own letters. Nolan consistently uses primary sources and considers nineteenth-century mentalities in making his arguments.
At times his analysis is brief, and in particular the chapter on grand strategy could have been longer and more detailed and taken into consideration more of the factors affecting Lee's actions, such as the proximity to the border of places like Richmond and the Shenandoah Valley that had to be defended. At times, he seems to ascribe Lee an overexaggerated amount of power over the hearts, minds and actions of the soldiers of the Army of Northern Virginia. It does not seem reasonable to suggest that Lee should have sought a surrender after Gettysburg (which most scholars now agree was not seen at the time as a 'turning point', and perhaps should not be seen that way today either) and it seems unlikely to me that anyone would have gone along with him if he had.
Nolan states his intention not to analyze or criticize Lee's smaller-scale decisions, so I can't knock him for keeping his word, but some analysis of Lee's relations with his subordinates might have been useful here. In particular, it would have been interesting to know to what extent Lee participated, post-war, in the making of his own myth.
Nolan's analyses of the Confederacy as a whole sometimes seem a bit broad and sweeping. I don't think that he's on particularly firm ground with his implicit claim that Confederate depredations in the North were somehow equivalent to Federal actions against civilian property in the South, and his insistence on the centrality of slavery to the Confederate cause, while probably not incorrect per se, leaves aside contemporary evidence on what actuated soldiers in the field to fight (such as the letters and diaries studied by James McPherson). It also ignores the vast regional and cultural variation across the Confederacy; slavery was not of enormous importance in some regions which nevertheless were strongly secessionist in their sympathies.
On the other hand, his discussion of postwar North-South confabulation and the North's limited commitment to the welfare of African Americans is well taken.
Overall, though, I felt this was a strong analysis containing intelligent scholarship. It remains difficult to offer any criticism of Robert E. Lee, even if the criticism amounts only to saying that he was a fallible human being and a product of his time, without experiencing violent opposition. I think that Nolan's work is a worthwhile addition to Civil War scholarship.
Lee on the stand.......2004-10-30
I am not a huge fan of Lee and i do not defend him or his actions. with that being said, i feel that Mr. Nolan's book was nothing more than repeated attacks on Lee with a lack of supporting evidence. Nolan tries to make many points but when he goes to support those points, the evidence does not credit him. He uses 1 or 2 documents to try and bring down the Lee tradition. it would seem to me that he wants to make ripples in the water by attacking the South's premier icon. With a library card, u can get the most use out of this book by reading chapter 4, i think any civil war historian can find that information in that chapter usefull and enlightening. other than that, Unless you are highly intersted in Lee, i do not recommend you to by this book
A Very Mixed Bag.......2004-08-14
Alan T. Nolan claims that Robert E. Lee has never been objectively considered as a man and general. Instead, he says Lee has become an icon, a sacred symbol of the rightness of the Secessionist cause. There is much truth in this.
Nolan goes on to say he will attempt to examine the Lee myth and compare it with the facts. It is here that he sometimes falls down.
In some respects, Nolan seems right on the money. He documents that Lee's opposition to slavery was almost purely verbal -- someday, God in his wisdom would end slavery, but till then, everyone was obliged to allow it to continue unmolested. Quite a few of Lee's fellow slave holders felt the same way. The possibility that the Civil War Between the States was God's way of ending the Peculiar Institution never occured.
Nolan also shows that Lee had typical attitudes of a white southerner of his time towards blacks, namely, he didn't like them very much and felt that they were inferior to whites; that Lee frequently referred to the Union forces as 'the enemy;' and that Lee wasn't infallible as a general. It's long past time such simple points were made.
But other times Nolan is quite bizarre. Although he doesn't quite say it, he seems to feel that Lee was morally obligated to fight for the Union, because as an officer in the U.S. Army he'd taken a loyalty oath to the govt. So what? No one at the time expected that oath to be binding on someone who'd resigned his comission. Nolan flatly argues that Lee should have surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Grant sometime after the fall of Atlanta, and certainly shortly after the re-election of Lincoln. It doesn't seem to occur to him that he probably couldn't have done this, physically (why would his officers and men obey, when they were in touch with Richmond, where Davis was most certainly not surrendering?), and Nolan doesn't realize that this would have been a betrayal of Lee's oath to support the Constitution of the Confederate States.
And although Lee did more than anyone else North or South to heal the divisions of the War, this isn't enough for Nolan. He thinks Lee should have made a public repudiation of the Secession. Why he imagines Lee would think the cause he fought for was wrong and immoral he never says. Heck, I'm a stone Union man, and I can't see how Lee would have come to that conclusion.
Still, this book is a good begining on the task of finally seeing Robert Edward Lee clearly, as a very great and good man and general, but not the Christ figure some historians have made him out to be. Despite its flaws, its worth reading and thinking about.
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Cities of Culture: Staging International Festivals and the Urban Agenda, 1851-2000
John Robert Gold , and
Margaret M. Gold
Manufacturer: Ashgate Publishing
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