Abstract Expressionism: A Critical Record

Book Description

Abstract Expressionism was the dominant movement in experimental American painting from the 1940s through the early 1960s. This book is a collection of articles, reviews, and essays that chronicle the critical history of the movement from its inception to the present. Drawing on a range of sources, including newspapers, magazines, and exhibition catalogues, the original debates about the validity of "action painting" are dramatically illustrated. The articles selected for the volume include classic statements from the most influential and prolific critics, including Clement Greenberg, Harold Rosenberg, and Hilton Kramer. The editors have also included contributions of iconoclasts from the 1950s and 1960s such as Leon Golub and John Canaday to suggest the full range of critical discussion. Six representative artists are the subject of extended sections that include biographical chronologies, reviews, and the artists' own comments: Willem de Kooning, Adolph Gottlieb, Franz Kline, Barnett Newman, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko.

Customer Reviews:

Essential for Abstract Expressionist Enthusiasts.......2005-10-05

Anyone interested in the history, philosophy, and foundation of Abstract Expressionism will enjoy this anthology of classic writings on the movement---from contemporary critics, the artists themselves, and later historical evaluation.

This is a real resource for those curious about that important time in American influence, and dominance, in avant-garde art.

Book Description

The fascinating search for meaning in the life and work of a little-known photographer.

In this profound and disturbing book, noted photo historian Michael Lesy is in search of a man who left a strange archive of sixty thousand images to the Library of Congress. We learn that he was Angelo Rizzuto, but he called himself "the little Angel." He lived in a single, run-down room in a crummy hotel. We learn that every day he left at 2:00 p.m. to photograph New York City obsessively, from above and on the streets. We see the cityscapes he took, compassionate photographs of children and confrontational pictures of angry women. We see his anguished self-portrait taken almost every day. These are the obvious discoveries. What is not obvious is why—what did it all mean? In his thoughtful and erudite essay Lesy has fashioned nothing less than a psychoanalytic dissection of a tortured soul in an account that is both deeply unsettling and satisfying at the same time. 90 duotone photographs.

Customer Reviews:

A unique perspective on photography.......2006-03-18

I've been long familiar with Lesy's Wisconsin Death Trip. It clearly demonstrated how the work of utilitarian photographers often has more to say about an age and the human world around us then do the products of those with a more "artistic" bent. Angel's World nicely complements that mold with often startling realism. Lesy's introduction is a grand addition to the topic of a lone and arguably mad picture taker of New York City scenes and people. It deserves a careful reading and the photos deserve careful thought.

The Return of the Angel.......2006-02-21

Michael Lesy has been fascinated by archives for a long time. His Ph D dissertation led him to "Wisconsin Death Trip," a remarkable testimony.
"Angel's World" is in fact the first chapter of a book formerly released by the same author (in 1985) under the title "Visible Light". In other words, compared to the original version, 3 chapters are now missing. Moreover there is no new light added to the chapter extracted from "Visible Light." The text in "Angel's World" is exactly the same, 26 years later, the images too. The latter were formerly displayed in the form of pseudo-contact sheets; in the new publication each occupies a whole page without any rmarkable improvement in the printing, whic for a photobook, sounds like a disregard of the photographer and the audience.I f you can look for "Visible Light" in your local independent used-book store, or search for it on Amazon.

A Remarkable Survey of the Underbelly of New York.......2006-01-25

Michael Lesy has written a book about an unknown photographer - one Angelo Rizzuto or 'Angel' - who lived in squalor, spending everyday of his life from 1952 to 1966 shooting pictures of New York. This New York is not the visitor's packet but instead is the raw real side of a city of glory that has its shadows and secrets. The photographs range from numerous shots of the Statue of Liberty, the Public Library, images taken form rented helicopters and planes, as well as multiple self-portraits holding the camera at arm's length taken every day for the fourteen years of this collection.

This view of New York City is one of isolation, deserted streets, empty faces, loneliness, and depression all documented obsessively by a man who failed to recognize his potential. The story is sad but the Portfolio is deeply moving. Recommended. Grady Harp, January 06

Beautiful Collection.......2006-01-08

Mike Lesy has done a wonderful job of shedding light on a fascinating and tortured man. He gives voice to the face in the harrowing self portraits. Rizzuto finally gets his lastl wish.

Great book........2005-12-20

Angel's World is filled with beautiful and unsettling images of New York, taken by a man with a tortured soul and a sharp eye.

Book Description

The second act of Popbot, the wonderfully warped epic from the mind of Ashley Wood, kicks off with the biggest fight in comic history! Kitty is missing, Popbot's gone dark, and, if Sam Kieth ain't looking, the Maxx may show up too!

Customer Reviews:

Absolutley hilarious.......2004-06-12

My mom was always reading cosmopolitan back in the 80's plus she always loved cats; so naturally when "Catmopolitan" came out she had to have it. She bought it for me actually and it was one of the cutest and funniest things I've ever seen. I wound up losing that book years ago but came across it at a local library bookstore for $1.00. It still makes me think of her. If you get a copy of "Catmopolitan", I can promise you that you wont be dissapointed. It has a very 80's feel to it so it might seem a little outdated but cats dressed up like models and advertising for nail polish and hair dye is pretty hilarious. There's even an advice column with name variations like "Irma Purrs" etc. Definately adorable.

Cats Rock!.......1998-10-12

This book has some of the most interesting qualities I have ever seen!!! You should read this parody because of the realism. Ilene Hochberg has such wit and talent to think of these ideas, that I have been inspired! I love her way of putting cats into the purrspective of life. P.S. Take a look at the very back page/cover to see what my friends and I call the "Macarena Cat". Remember- Cats Rule, Dogs Drool!

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Catmopolitan

Manufacturer: Metrobooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Dogue: A Parody of the World's Most Famous Fashion Magazine

ASIN: 158663948X

Product Description

CATMOPOLITAN is hilarious and saucy, filled with luscious features about fashion, beauty, celebrities, food, intimacy, and more. (A parody of Cosmopolitan but featuring cats.)

Book Description

Dietrich's Ghosts is the first major English-language study to look at the star system under the Third Reich. Erica Carter argues that after the Weimar period, the German star system was reorganized to foster an anti-modernist mode of spectatorship geared to an appreciation of the beautiful and the sublime.
Carter discusses the reconfiguring of film production and exhibition around idealist aesthetic principles and offers case studies of three stars. Emil Jannings figures as an exemplar of what Carter terms the völkisch sublime, while Marlene Dietrich emerges as a figure at the crossroads of modernist and idealist conceptions of beauty. A provocative chapter on Zarah Leander in the feature films of the early war years portrays this star as a post-Dietrich emblem of the supposed sublimity of a fascist war.
This unprecedented new study reassesses existing paradigms in German film history debates and throws suggestive new light on the icons and popular culture of the Third Reich.

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Chansons Published by Jacques Moderne le Parangon des Chansons Tiers Livre Contentant XXVI Chansons . . . (Lyons, 1538) and Le Parangon des Chansons Quart Livre Contenant XXII Chansons a Deux et Troys Parties (Lyon, 1539) (The Sixteenth Century Chanson)
Jane A. Bernstein
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0824031245

Book Description

Tiers livre contenant xxvi chansons...(Lyons, 1538) and Le parangon des chansons. Quart livre ocntenant xxii chansons a deux et a troys parties (Lyons, 1539)

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full of Informations for fan-fiction writers and good illustrations

Wouldn't recommend

Wraeththu: From Enchantment to Fulfilment (Wraeththu Chronicles)
Storm Constantine , Gabriel Strange , and Lydia Wood
Manufacturer: Immanion Press/Magalithica Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Role Playing & Fantasy | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Science Fiction & Fantasy Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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The Ghosts of Blood and Innocence: The Third Book of the Wraeththu Histories (Wraeththu)

Grimoire Dehara Book One: Kaimana (Wraeththu Mythos S.)

The Wraiths of Will and Pleasure: The First Book of the Wraeththu Histories (Wraeththu)

Wraeththu

The Shades of Time and Memory: The Second Book of the Wraeththu Histories (Wraeththu)

ASIN: 190485317X

Book Description

In the future, the world as we know it has changed. Humankind is in decline and a new race has arisen from the ashes. Insanity, disease and infertility comprise the Achilles' Heel of the doomed human race. Why these problems are on the increase is unknown: all that is known is that humankind has only a few years left to walk the earth.

In this new role-playing game, take on the role of an androgynous Wraeththu `har' within a world where a dying race is struggling to survive. You can transform humans into hara like yourself through the procedure of Inception. But what will happen when all the humans have gone? There are many myths and legends about how the Wraeththu can reproduce, but are they true or simply folk tales? How will you master your new mystical powers?

Based upon Storm Constantine's internationally selling Wraeththu trilogy, which is soon to be followed by three new books in the series, as well as a multitude of other materials to bolster and expand upon the Wraeththu Mythos, this publication is the first of many books to explore the Wraeththu Mythos in a role-playing format. You are taken inside the world of the story and become one of the hara themselves, thrown into a world in turmoil and despair. The scales have been tipped: the human race knows it is doomed and that the Wraeththu are the heirs of the Earth.

Customer Reviews:

full of Informations for fan-fiction writers and good illustrations.......2005-11-24

I've bought the book for more informations about wraeththu and for illustrations that are very good. As for the game, I'm not into RPG, cannot say.
The initial story is very good,also. It's a fun book to have.

Wouldn't recommend.......2005-08-04

Anticipation of the role playing game has been very high. As a long time fan and supporter of the Constantine franchise I have feverishly consumed each new book and never been let down until now. As an avid role player I became very excited to hear that Storm was releasing a Wraeththu role playing game and waited with bated breath for some fan reviews of the game. Then a friend of mine got her copy in the mail (after a very long wait) and I dug in....

This game reminded me of FATAL and (laughing pan's) Deliria mixed with early Vampire Masquerade. It's very inflated and full of it's self. It seems like its trying to fill up a lot more space then it needs to.

The cover art is very very plain. Its depiction of an Egyptian dagger over a symbolic Ouanalim (Wraeththu sex organ) was at first thought some inside joke, a bad choice for a cover, poorly excited and just plain bad for the design. Why wasn't a full color image of a hara used on the cover and why with all the issues Wraeththu already has, make it so inaccessible to people?

The opening story isn't bad. Penned by Christopher Coyle, it takes us into the life of a nerd named Mikey. Then into how he is incepted into the Wraeththu. It takes place in the past, before the fall of man and uprising of the Wraeththu. It also has no relevance to the rest of the game book and seems very out of place. I was surprised that something like "Paragenisis" by Storm Constantine wasnt dusted off and used here since it would have been more in tune with the setting and mood.

The artwork is of the highest quality in some areas, while in others it seems very crude an rushed out. Which is how the overall mechanics, rules and "Storm system" also seem. I know from various message boards that this was originally supposed to be a settings and background book for fans to write fanficton from and to fill in some of the gray areas the books have. At the last minute it was decided to turn it into a rpg, complete with rules and tables. However this seems to have been a very bad choice. In its 430 some pages this tome is for the most part useless as a game. On almost every other page you are encouraged to just throw the rules away if you like so I don't understand why they even bothered to make the rules in the first place. The background information on the Tribes is good, but wading through all the filler material, bad graphic design and margin quotes isn't.

If you have the extra money and want to get this just for the pretty pictures, short story and background info (most of which you can find online anyway) then go for it. However understand that you'll provably just flip through this volume a few times then retire it to your book shelf.

As a long standing fan of Wraeththu (and Storm Constantine's work) I'm very disappointed in this effort and hope that a new writing staff will be selected for future volumes. I think there is hope for this as a rpg, but its not being executed properly at the moment.

Customer Reviews:

Business Rule Approach Review.......2007-06-13

It took a while to ship the book, but once shipped it reached me in no time. Very satisfied with the service.

An introduction to business rules as a way to think about business.......2006-11-23

This book is one of the classics on business rules from one of the most long-standing authors in the area, Ron Ross. The book is a little more than three years old but, as it is not really focused on technology for managing business rules so much as the general approach, it has aged well.

Ron does a good job explaining what business rules and how to capture them and gives a solid overview of things like fact models, processes and how they relate to rules, and dos and don'ts of rule writing. There is a lot in the book about his particular approach to writing rules which, whether you follow it or not, has some good advice about usage and style for writing declarative business rules.

The book does not go into details on the technology of implementing business rules using a business rules management system but instead focuses on the value of an approach that separates business rules from other kinds of requirements and manages those rules as an asset. A good book to introduce the subject to someone without a technology bent.

Too Much Fluff!.......2005-05-03

I generally refrain from purchasing books that only have 2 or less reviews unless it is referred by a friend or colleague because I generally assume they were written by close friends of the author. This time I decided to take a gamble due to the dearth of reading material on this topic. While the book bring ups a lot of good concepts it is amazingly lacking in others.

Pros:
1) Chapter on rule speak was pretty good
2) The chapter on fact models is ok. The back of the book says "in depth look at fact models". This is not true. It was severely deficient. A fact model is so similar to a class diagram. You are better off reading books on class diagramming and applying those principles and knowledge to rules.
3) Discussion of rule classifications was very good

Cons
1) The book has 372 pages but if you remove the appendixes, glossary and index you are left with 284. The appendixes were useless and felt like filler. All terms in the glossary were defined elsewhere in the book
2) The author particular use of footnotes was distracting. This was by far my biggest pet peeve of the book. a) Many notes were used to advertise the author's company products and services. b) Many contradicted the passage. p 80, foot note 22 says starts off by saying "That is not entirely correct..." P126, footnote 4, " I mean rejectors here". If that is what you meant, why waste a footnote. Just say what you mean in the text. c) The average page had 2+ foot notes and I would say that 95% of the foot notes were not used to reference anything but to add to the thought noted on the page which meant that readers had to continuously read the passage then go to the bottom to read the note over and over again.
3) The analogies to the human body were fluff and added no real value. I would say that the book has about 100 pages of real content. Much of the book is repetitive.
4) There is a discussion on decision tables but not decision trees. I have no idea why considering how prominent decision trees are in rule projects.
5) I would have liked to see more material on modeling rules. The book is surprisingly weak here.

A primary resource from one of the industry experts.......2004-03-07

This book is probably the most important of the handful of business rules literature available. Not only is the author is one of the true experts in the field who is a prolific writer of articles on the topic as well as co-developer of related tools, but the book is the most comprehensive work on the nuts and bolts of employing business rules.

The book is divided into five parts, starting with background, definitions and cases in Part I. Concepts and the mechanics of business rules covered in Part II cover the basics in considerable detail, which are built upon in Part III, Best Practices for Expressing Rules. This part is the meat of the book. It starts with a list of dos and don'ts for rule capture and documentation, then introduces "BRS Rulespeak", which is a set of formal rules and approach for identifying, classifying, and expressing business rules. Part IV is a somewhat loose collection of advice for IT professionals (bearing in mind that business rules span both the IT and business domains), and to a minor degree delves into data models, knowledge management and how business rules directly link to business imperatives and processes. Part V digs deeply into formal logic and facts, and is an important part of this book for the practitioner. I especially liked the appendices to this part because they went even deeper into formal methods.

Although I rate this book the highest among the three I own on the subject, if you are only exploring business rules the best place to start before reading this book is Tony Morgan's "Business Rules and Information Systems: Aligning IT with Business Goals"(ISBN 0201743914). Also, Barbara Von Halle's "Business Rules Applied: Building Better Systems Using the Business Rules Approach" (ISBN 0471412937) is a worthwhile resource to be used in conjunction with this book because goes deeper into the practical aspects of implementing business rules as an enterprise initiative.

Best Frist Book on Business Rules.......2003-08-16

This is the place to get started with the business rules approach. I've read several other books on the subject, including Ross's earlier works, and Barbara vanHalle's, but this is the one that brings it all together.

He makes the case much more compellingly for why we need the business rules approach, and then sets up a great framework for understanding how to express and organize the rule base. This is not AI style rules, and he makes it clear what the differences are.

High level assertions are backed up with theoretcial underpinnings. The book is kept easy to read with lots of illustrations and side bars with amusing rules encountered in everyday life.

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Principles of the business rule approach [A book review from: International Journal of Information Management]
E. Rowland Watkins
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000RR0EUM

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from International Journal of Information Management, published by Elsevier in 2004. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:

Principles of the Business Rules Approach

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Principles of the Business Rules Approach
Ross Ronald
Manufacturer: Addison-Wesley Professional
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OOLZ5Q

Amazon.com

It's deeply and beautifully appropriate that this book by the author of the classic cookbook Laurel's Kitchen should begin with a quote from one of our greatest writers on food, M.F.K. Fisher. "It seems to me," Fisher writes, "that our three basic needs, for food and security and love, are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot straightly think of one without the others. So it happens when I write of hunger, I am really writing about love and the hunger for it...." So too with Carol Flinders. Her preface describes her own journey from the kitchen to this very personal series of reflections on these seven women mystics (Saint Clare of Assisi, Mechthild of Magdeburg, Julian of Norwich, Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Catherine of Genoa, Saint Teresa of Avila, and Saint Therese of Lisieux), in each case giving us both an intimate and yet objective sense of the person and of her spirituality. Writing with grace, in a style that is both personal and informed (Flinders has a Ph.D. in comparative literature from Berkeley), Flinders brings to this project a scholar's authority along with a very large heart. The result is a real gift: a delightful introduction to these extraordinary women. --Doug Thorpe

Book Description

Astonishingly relevant portraits of the lives of seven women mystics

Known to more than a million readers as the coauthor of the classic vegetarian cookbook Laurel's Kitchen, Carol Lee Flinders looks to the hunger of the spirit in Enduring Grace. In these striking and sustaining depictions of seven remarkable women, Flinders brings to life a chorus of wisdom from the past that speaks with remarkable relevance to our contemporary spiritual quests.

From Clare of Assisi in the Middle East to Thérèse of Lisieux in the late nineteenth century, Flinders's compelling and refreshingly informal portraits reveal a common foundation of conviction, courage, and serenity in the lives of these great European Catholic mystics. Their distinctly female voices enrich their writings on the experience of the inner world, the nourishing role of friendship and community in our lives, and on finding our true work.

At its heart, Enduring Grace is a living testament to how we can make peace with sorrow and disappointment and bring joy and transcendence into our lives.

Customer Reviews:

Great Introduction to Women Mystics.......2006-08-19

Flinders is very articulate and captures well the lives of these women mystics. She balances their lives well with sections of and explanations of their writings. Scholarly, but easy to read, this book leaves the reader with many thoughts for reflection. It is easy to take away insights into a spirituality that can be applied in the 21st century.

pros and possibly cons.......2006-04-16

as a quick glance at the other reviews will demonstrate, this book can elicit widely varying responses from readers. why so much disagreement among reviewers? i can't say for certain, but here's my guess.

on the plus side, this is a short and informal introduction to seven brilliant female mystics of the middle ages. there are few books that bring together the lives of such compelling and powerful women under one cover, as any one of them can--and have--form the basis for a detailed individual biography. in fact, at least one of my stars reflects the importance of and accessibility to these phenomenal mystics. it is clear that the author deeply (and rightly) respects and admires each of these magnificent women, and has done a good deal of homework in learning about their lives and times. she writes with an amiable voice and attempts to give a flavor of the process involved in historical research.

on the not-so-plus side (or is it?), the author is not a scholar of either medieval history or feminist theory, though these are the main scholarly fields from which she attempts to draw a picture of her subjects. if you enjoy a more casual approach to learning about people in history, you may group this point with the pluses. although the chapters are not overlengthy (the whole text itself is not much more than 200 pages), there is less organization and more meandering than is the norm in biography. again, this informal arrangement may be a plus for some readers, a no-no for others. although there is not a great deal of fresh insight concerning the lives of these remarkable mystics, and not a wide sampling of their writing, you do get an initial taste (this is meant to be an introduction, after all). the writing style is not the most inspired or graceful (and sometimes the author's intended use of vocabulary seems to get away from her), but some readers may prefer a more plain approach. one more significant con: there are, as another reviewer noted, plenty of generic feminist ideas sprinkled about. while an informed and involved feminist view would be fitting in this context, here there appears not to be much independent reflection behind the statements, and so they add little of import and at times feel a bit tacked on.

in a nutshell, this is a congenial, but not profound, book about truly life-altering women, which can make a big impact on those seeking concise portraits and who prefer a less formal and scholarly approach. if this is what you seek, you may feel like a well-informed and intelligent friend dropped in to chat with you about some truly great people. on the other hand, this is not the book for those who seek revelatory insights into the mystics, masterful writing, or a practical framework for bringing a mystical understanding into one's life. if this is what you seek, you may feel instead like you are reading a book report by an enthused, diligent, and well-intentioned friend. (for those who would like to incorporate selections of women mystics' writings into a spiritual practice, Mary Penrose's "Refreshing Water from Ancient Wells: The Wisdom of Women Mystics" is one good starting point).

Never The Same Again Because Of This Masterpiece.......2006-01-14

I will admit to getting upset when any book of this caliber seems somehow to lose ground so to speak. It is one of the few books among thousands out there that has the capacity to transform your perspective of yourself and the world not to omit your faith in God. Too many books on the subject of Beloved Saints seem to only focus on their masterful greatness to which I could never relate on any level [as a woman being so terribly flawed (yet devoted to my faith of Catholicism)]. This book ever so eloquently and exquisitely reads like a dream and shows how these spectacularly popular Saints had trials and troubles aplenty within-and-without as mortals just like you and me. My favorite cameo is of one Saint who regretted that: she could not bring good will to good works....This is a stunner of a book. A classic for all time. Thank you, Carol Lee Flinders. I believe I am a-little-bit-better of a person - because of your book.

I keep thinking about what I've read in this book.......2005-02-16

I will start by saying that, although I was raised a Christian, I am not one now. So I approached this book with some caution. However, it is well written and makes the medieval world that these women dealt with very vivid. It also makes what they did and wrote very accessible. I have found a lot to think about in this book and it made me want to learn more about some of the things discussed. That said, it is not a book to sit down and read all at one go. I read it a bit at a time, taking it on trips with me and keeping it in the kitchen between times. It was well worth the thought I had to put into the reading.

Interesting women, Boring book........2002-07-25

Surely I'm not the only one who found this book totally [bad]. The only thing it made me wonder about is how it's possible to write such a thorougly BORING book about such fascinating women. The writing is just dull and full of the author's biases and prejudices, which just aren't nearly as interesting as the subjects themselves. It's written in that old-school feminism (negative, no fun) tone that thank God feminism has since moved beyond. My advice: find another book about women mystics not filtered through Flinder's lens.

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The Great War Vol 2 - Digging In (The Great War Series)

Manufacturer: Trident Reference Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
World War I | Military | History | Subjects | Books
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The Great War Vol 4 - Carnage (The Great War Series)

The Great War Vol 5 - Continuing Struggle (The Great War Series)

The Great War Vol 3 - Deadlock (The Great War Series)

The Great War Vol 6 - Victory at Last (The Great War Series)

The Great War Vol 1 - Opening Moves (The Great War Series)

ASIN: 1582790264

Book Description

How the War in the Air Developed; Winter Campaign in the Western Trenches; Storming of Neuve Chapelle; The Fight for the Dardanelles; Sinking the Lusitania; The British Offensive; Fighting Around the Persian Gulf; Italy's Entry into the War

Book Description

"I would rather lose in a cause that will some day win, than win in a cause that will some day lose!" - Woodrow Wilson

For better or worse, Woodrow Wilson's vision of America's role in the world continues to be heard today - preserving civilization and making the world safe for democracy
Woodrow Wilson was key player in seeking a peaceful solution to World War One - many of the principles outlined in his Fourteen Points remain with us today, enshrined in the mandate of the United Nations
The League of Nations was one of the great political debates in US history - might its success have changed the course of world history?

Based upon the recently completed publication of the Wilson Papers, Woodrow Wilson presents a portrait that re-examines his political career and argues that he has been misunderstood. J.A. Thompson offers an integrated interpretation of Wilson's academic career as a political scientist and university president, his style as a domestic politician and his conduct of foreign policy - topics that have generally been treated separately and very differently. The author shows that, from an early age, Wilson's chief interest was in the nature of political leadership in a democracy, and describes the great success he enjoyed when he had an opportunity to practice this role himself. Although his ultimate failure to persuade the Senate to accept the League of Nations has left a misleading impression that Wilson was an unrealistic visionary, it took great political skill to lead a largely united country into its first major attempt to shape the world beyond the Western Hemisphere. This is an alternative, more rounded and ultimately more positive portrait of this major President, showing that he was a very able and pragmatic politician. The latest work in the best-selling Profiles in Power series.

J. A. Thompson is Fellow of St Catharine's College, Cambridge

Customer Reviews:

concise and insightful.......2007-07-20

This biography is focused exclusively on Wilson's political life. Within those constraints, while being short and concise, it is very analytical and insightful. The author analyses why Wilson did what he did. While sharing with us some notable opinions on these subjects, he always offers his own objective and analytical views as well. Excellent book - I learned something from almost every page.

Concise Clear Biography of President Wilson.......2007-01-12

An excellent short but complete biography of Woodrow Wilson, a thoughtful peace loving man born into a pious and academic household. He was born in 1856 and lived in Staunton, Virginia, a Southern Border state. He grew up in a time that he saw the ravages caused by the Civil War. His quest for peace and reform was always intense - no more wars. He tried studying law, but did not like the and quiet thoughtful man made him a natural for Princeton although he brought many interesting new ideas for educational reform. He became President of Princeton University from 1902 -1910. Leaving Princeton, he was also thought of as a reformer when he became governor of the state of New Jersey from 1911-1913, His race for President was both smart and surprising (Taft and Roosevelt split the ticket). Wilson ran a good race, but was behind - he had a lots of luck and political maneuvering to get the nomination. That was interesting, as well as when he became president - how the federal reserve system was developed - his greatest achievement. The book's description of his presidency (1913-1921) and his poor cardiovascular health gives a clear picture of how he presided over the country - by sheer will. He knew he was very ill, but "paced" his meetings, avoided many by prioritizing, and would not talk business at home. World War 1 was beyond his control and his wish for isolationist policy failed because of the global political winds. The League of Nations and 14 Points take on an interesting angle when compared with the United Nations today.

Another interesting part of his life is when his first wife dies while he is in office - he goes on through his deep depression. He courts and marries his second wife while still in office. She and his doctor cover up how ill he is. When he has his most debilitating stroke, his second wife actually becomes the "first woman president" - although the country did not know she was running the country. Can one imagine a President getting away with that in today's media and talk show programs? He was not functioning as President - she took over, making the decision to do so as well as decisions written on papers passed through his office. Basically she was President of the U.S. for the last 17 months he was in office.

Limited.......2006-12-06

This is not a full biog of WW. Its a look at his way of using power, mainly at Princeton and as Pres of the US. That leaves out quite a bit! There is very little in the book on how WW dealt with Congress, even during WWI (though more on this subject is here regarding the League of Nations.) There is VERY little about domestic concerns during WW's presidency, esp. with regard to race. Thompson is not only a bit too sympathetic toward his subject, but far too deferential to William Link's previous assessments of WW as well.

A Man Ahead of His Time.......2005-02-09

Few figures in American history have as polarizing effect on people as Thomas Woodrow Wilson. While he accomplished a great deal during his term, his legacy is haunted by a glaring failure. John A. Thompson takes a concise, yet surprisingly thorough look at the political career of the 28th President of the United States in the Profiles in Power Series.

Woodrow Wilson seemed to be an unlikely candidate to one day become president. As the son of a presbyterian minister, he often placed his faith ahead to political feasibility. After serving as the president of Princeton, his progressive ideals led to his election as governor of New Jersey. His popularity led to his nomination as the democratic candidate for president in a year when the republican electorate was split between Theodore Roosevelt and William H. Taft.

Among his accomplishments as president were the Child Labor Act, the Federal Reserve Act, and the Federal Trade Commission Act. Wilson is also commended for his role as a leader during World War I. While various factions including former President Teddy Roosevelt called for American involvement in the war, Wilson exhausted every possible means for peaceful resolution. Supporting by George Washington's farewell address statement to avoid European entanglements, Wilson pressed forward in negotiations. Only when Germany refused to discontinue attacks on merchant ships was Wilson's hand forced into war.

After the allied victory, Wilson became a key figure in establishing the peace in Europe. Wilson was the first president to travel to Europe during his term in office. It was during his work in Europe that he attempted to implement the League of Nations. Wilson was humbled in the eyes of the Europeans that exhaulted him when the U.S. senate refused to ratify American membership. In a show of partisanism that was uncharacteristic in its time, republican senators refused to accept the League of Nations as it was.

Wilson is one of the key figures in American history, whose only major failure was a project so ambitious that many considered it utopian. His interests were not political but universal and international ideals. World War II was among the problems foresaw and could have prevented. I was certainly enlighted as to the facts of the Wilson administration through this book. While there are certain omission such as much of Wilson's youth, the book is recommended to those seeking to expand their knowledge of Woodrow Wilson.

A masterful achievement !.......2002-07-29

John A. Thompson, author of the Reformers and War: American Progressives Publicists and the First World War (1987)and a leading authority on the Progessive Era and First World War, has written a superb and compact biography of Woodrow Wilson, the best one-volume biography of Wilson that we have. Thompson's insightful account focuses on Wilson's leadership style and assesses both its strengths and weaknesses. As president of Princeton, governor of New Jersey, and president of the United States, Wilson exhibited both firmness and flexibility, and idealism and a practicality. Examining the abilities and the limits of political leadership in American democracy, Thompson carefully weighs the degree to which Wilson's successes and failures were a result of his own actions and a consequence of other factors beyond his control. This is a masterful achievement.

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Owls: Their Natural and Unnatural History
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Manufacturer: Taplinger Pub Co
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Binding: Hardcover

Ornithology | Zoology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0800861701

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OWLS : THEIR NATURAL AND UNNATURAL HISTORY.
John. & Tony, Soper. Sparks
Manufacturer: The Country Book Club
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ASIN: B000O7CF2U

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Owls: Their Natural and Unnatural History
John; Soper, Tony Sparks
Manufacturer: Taplinger Publishing Co Inc
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Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NPVNGM

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Owls: Their natural and unnatural history
John Sparks
Manufacturer: Taplinger Pub. Co
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Ornithology | Zoology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 080086171X

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OWLS THEIR NATURAL AND UNNATURAL HISTORY
SPARKS
Manufacturer: THE COUNTRY BOOK
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