2 Volumes: Memoirs of the Comtesse de Boigne. (1781 - 1814) and (1820 - 1830). Edited from the Original Ms by M Charles Nicoullaud.

Book Description

The personal writings of a 18th-19th century French Noble woman taken from her personal writings. Her papers (published in several volumes) throw many side-lights upon a long period extending from the reign of Louis XIV to the Revolution of 1848, and this rather by means of the special details which are narrated than by any generalizations from a wider outlook. This period was in every respect one of the most troubled and extraordinary in French history, and is fertile in events and changes, important though not always fortunate. Mme. De Boigne held an important social position and for nearly sixty years we see almost every person of importance visiting her or joining the special circle over which she presided with so much tact and graceful foresight. Mme. De Boigne was not content to be an accomplished hostess and to dominate by her charm and intelligence all who were admitted to her salon; she was also a remarkable musician, gifted with a beautiful voice, and an author.

Memoirs of the Comtesse De Boigne 1820-1830

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Memoirs of the Comtesse De Boigne 1820-1830

Manufacturer: Charles Scribner's Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000CD820K

Book Description

This 48 page publication covers the volleyball career of one of the most prolific women's beach volleyball tournament winners in the history of the game, Holly McPeak. The book highlights the tournament championships of Holly McPeak and her various partners. The publication also includes many EXCEPTIONAL photo's of Holly as well as many of her partners and competitors!

Customer Reviews:

"WINNERS" Holly McPeak.......2005-07-30

This 2nd edition,48-page softcover pamphlet is a concise overview of Holly McPeak's volleyball tournament career from April 1993 to June 2003.
A short paragraph or two describes each tournament's date, location,and a synopsis of who Holly's teammates were,and who they defeated or lost to in each tournament match,and how her team placed at the end of each tourney,and there is an overall chronological list of her tournaments at the end of the text.
A brief 7-page biography of her high school and college educational background and her progress over the years through various volleyball organizations that she was a participant in, are fully described,and these descriptions are interesting.
The front and back cover pictures of Holly are in color,and all of the interior pictures of her and othere she played with or against, are in black-and white.
This pamphlet is a concise mass of her volleyball statistics, and I wish that it had included some more personal information about Holly's other non-volleyball interests away from the competion arena,(favotite foods,beer,movies,books,favotite fun things to do,her role models,etc.,her training workout preferences,and her training diet preferences, etc.,also her height,weight,etc.),that would have described her as the person she is away from volleyball.
She also went beyond the well-described stats of her career accomplishments through 2003 in this pamphlet,and she did go on to the 2004 Athens Olympics,and won the bronze medal there.
I liked this as far as it went,but it left me wanting to know a little more about Holly McPeak beyond her playing statistics.

Customer Reviews:

What a disapointment.......2003-10-17

The book told little of Delores Del Rio and the book was a bit pricey for such a small book.

Hershfield, Joanne. The Invention of Dolores del Río.(Reseña de libro): An article from: Chasqui

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Hershfield, Joanne. The Invention of Dolores del Río.(Reseña de libro): An article from: Chasqui
David William Foster
Manufacturer: Chasqui
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Chasqui, published by Chasqui on November 1, 2003. The length of the article is 892 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: Hershfield, Joanne. The Invention of Dolores del Río.(Reseña de libro)
Author: David William Foster
Publication: Chasqui (Refereed)
Date: November 1, 2003
Publisher: Chasqui
Volume: 32 Issue: 2 Page: 150(2)

Article Type: Reseña de libro

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Amazon.com

Second in a series of books featuring advertising by era, All-American Ads of the 50s offers page after page of products that made up the happy-days decade. The start of the cold war spurred a buying frenzy and a craze for new technology that required ad campaigns to match. The nuclear age left its mark all over the advertisements, with a spotlight on planes, rockets, and even mushroom clouds. Shiny, big, beautiful cars abound, styled to keep up with the space age. Editor Jim Heimann, in his essay "From Poodles to Presley, Americans Enter the Atomic Age," explains: "Car designers came up with exaggerated tail fins for automobiles to express this new accelerated speed." Modernist home interiors look slick and shiny with their molded plastic furniture and linoleum floors. While clothing and furniture styles look strangely contemporary--a testament to our current obsession with vintage--some things have definitely changed. A baby sells Marlboro cigarettes! Also included are chapters on movies, food, and travel. --J.P. Cohen

Book Description

TRAVEL BACK TO THE GOLDEN AGE OF MID-CENTURY ADVERTISING IN AMERICA

Discover America through this incredible collection of ads from the 1940s and 50s. Packaged foods, cars, travel, technology, liquor, cigarettes, movies, appliances, furniture, toothpaste; products and services the American consumer needed, even if they sometimes didn't know it until Madison Avenue told them. Viewed together in the first two volumes of a projected series that will cover the entire 20th century, these ads portray the spirited capitalism that dominated America in the 40s and post-war 50s. It almost seemed one's patriotic duty to consume, and consume we did, with unprecedented dedication.

Many of these ads would not fly by today's standards of political correctness. Idealizing the squeaky-clean persona of the all-American, nuclear WASP family, these ads portray the sexist and racist status quo that was also an element of mid-century American culture. Also featured are cigarette ads with medical spokesmen, and travel ads touting nearby atomic bomb testing as an added draw for the Las Vegas tourist.

All American Ads of the 40s

World War II was the dominating presence in the first half of the 1940s, no less in advertising than in any other part of American culture. Overnight, car manufacturers retooled to produce tanks and jeeps. Women streamed into factories when their husbands and sweethearts left the assembly line for the battlefield, and the public was exhorted to do their part by obeying blackout restrictions and investing in war bonds. Thrift and rationing were made palatable, even downright rousing, by the most inspiring advertising ever produced. Bold and graphic, this was the work of an industry that fueled - and was fueled by - American patriotism.

For example, to convey the necessity of gas rationing to protect the supply at the front, the Ethyl Corporation shows fires burning on the globe wherever the war was “hot,” the Pennsylvania Railroad shows soldiers being transported in a train with drawn blackout shades, and the War Department ran the chilling image of a sinking battleship accompanied by the now-classic “Loose Lips Sink Ships.”

Not all 1940s advertising was war-related, but if a company could find a way to capitalize on this collective American experience, the opportunity was taken. The iconic character of Rosie the Riveter makes an appearance for Monsanto Chemicals on behalf of coolant - during the war to keep her rivets at the optimum temperature, and for her benefit after the war, when she returned to the kitchen; and Baby Ruth candy claimed that “Food is Fuel for Victory.” On the other hand, imagery which we now find offensive was considered harmless and humorous. Just look for the couple racing off to purchase an Electrolux refrigerator because their black maid, driven mad by the noisy old model, declares “I'se quittin'!”

Starting in 1947, television began to dominate home entertainment, and Madison Avenue leapt to harness the infinite potential of this powerful new medium. After the war, America rushed to make up for lost time, and ads at the end of the decade joyously pitched the big cars, gleaming appliances, and luxurious vacations that people once again could dream about.

All American Ads of the 50s

World War II may have ended with the chilling dawn of the Atomic Age, but the Cold War took its place. If war dominated the 40s, the space age now ruled and “newer, faster, and better” became the watchwords of the new era. In an ad for Lincolns, Ford Motors asked “Why be tied down to yesterday?” as autos became the most visible symbol of personal wealth and accomplishment. Cars in the 50s grew, sprouting huge chrome-trimmed fins, and starting a trend of automotive one-upsmanship that, though more subtle today, has never abated. In response to the terrifying specter of nuclear annihilation, America also got a little silly, and fads were perpetuated by advertising - the cult of pink: phones, lipsticks, toilet paper, appliances, and poodles; Tiki-themed everything; hula hoops, coonskin hats and six shooters; and of course, a television was a must in every home. Through its bland, glass face America was transfixed by an impossibly idealized version of itself, and advertisers wer! e quick to capitalize on this captive, and captivated audience.

Customer Reviews:

1950's American History As Seen Through Advertising .......2007-09-14

Massive, beautifully produced, and very insightful in it's appraisal of 1950's American consumerism, this tome is perhaps the best collection of 1950's advertising ever assembled. Tons of beautiful illustrations and (in some cases) graphic design that are now relics of the past. In my opinion, this book should only have been published in harcover, due to its weight and number of pages. Sadly the hardcover is impossible or nearly impossible to find, unless you go for the abridged version issued as "The Golden Age of Advertising- the 1950s." This whole series of books which now span most of the 20th century are a great reference, and an important documentation of American history in visual form.

The Golden Age of Advertising.......2006-11-15

We were recent house guests of a couple who have decorated some areas of their beautiful home with a 50's theme. We gave them this book as a thank you for hosting our family. It was a unique gift, and one they will enjoy for years.

All-American Ads of the 50s.......2006-02-22

Probably the best ad book I've ever seen! Worth every penny it costs and believe me, it doesn't cost THAT much - not for a book like this! I was born in the 50s (in Russia) and Russians wouldn't even dream (or didn't even hear!) of products which are in this book - advertised in the US in the 50s. I'm now waiting for my All-American Ads of the 60s to arrive from Amazon - I spent my childhood in the US in the 60s and I can't wait to meet my "good old friends" - the American products - as advertised in the 60s. I'm hoping to collect the whole series of these fabulous books. Thank you very much, Jim Heimann and Benedikt Taschen -the guys who made this wonderfull series possible. Alexander Romanov, Moscow, Russia.

Nostalgia City.......2005-08-10

I loved this book! As a child born in the mid-50's, many of these ads fortunately carried over to the 60's when I was both better able to comprehend as well as recall them. It was also nice showing the book to our children, as it gave them a glimpse into some of what our own childhood's were like. If anyone reading this wants to take a trip back to a simpler, safer, saner era, this book is your "Time Machine". All for around $25 bucks too!

You are what you eat - or wear - or buy ............2002-10-29

There are many reasons to look backwards. For one, it may help to figure out where one is by looking at where one has been. For another, one might rethink where one is going by looking at the ideals and goals of the past. One might assess societies as a whole in some grand way, such as its military budget or the outcome of elections, but for us common folk, there is no way to tell what is on our minds better than a look at what we are buying. This book is an absolutely fascinating compendium of the culture of the 50's - of our desires, our habits, our values, as told in its advertisements. On one level it is an amusing recollection of what we once thought was cool. On another it is a profound study of the sociology of America in a time of idealism and innocence. I saw many, if not most of these ads myself when they were originally published.

That being said, I must add that the recollection of the feelings I had at that time is not entirely comfortable. On this other level, that of gut feelings, the book can be is a compendium of an appeal to the senses, to a culture of need, of having. One must look pretty deep to find any spiritual values here, and I think that the conspicuous absense of any moral sense is what is most interesting about it. Perhaps the most important lesson to be learned by those of us who look back is that the promises of those who offer us happiness by just one more purchase are really empty. Read this and be nostalgic, amused, reflective, and, just maybe, a little sad.

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All-American Ads: 50s
Jim Heimann
Manufacturer: Taschen/Old Navy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0320836061

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Pleasures Of The Porch: Ideas for Gracious Outdoor Living
Maureen Lamarca , and Daria Price Bowman
Manufacturer: Rizzoli International Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Interior Design | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Decorating | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Home & Garden Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
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Porch Style

Inviting Porches: 210 Home Plans With Perfect Porches

Dream Porches and Sunrooms: Designing the Perfect Retreat

Porch & Sunroom Planner (Better Homes & Gardens)

Out on the Porch

ASIN: 0789312190
Release Date: 2004-09-18

Book Description

For every type of house and for every family's style, there is a perfect porch. Whether you want a quiet outdoor niche where family members can lounge with a good summer read, or a casual front porch that encourages passing neighbors to stop and chat, over the years porch styles have developed that foster these very activities.

This beautifully photographed volume details the porch's illustrious past, from its origins as the portico, or covered entryway, of ancient Greece to its glory days as the elaborate outdoor sitting room of Victorian times. A discussion of different types of porches follows, with notes on the particular character of each.

Suggestions for creating an area for solitude and respite as well as ideas for converting the space into an elegant room for a party include tips on planning for alfresco meals, decorating for festive occasions, and providing the essentials for relaxation.

Pleasures of the Porch also introduces you to the furnishings and accesories of this most romantic of rooms. Bentwood rockers and white wicker settees, string hammocks and wide-striped awnings, floral-washed pillows and heavy Mexican glassware--these are the things that provide comfort and luxury, making the porch a favorite retreat. These chapters reveal which pieces are appropriately sturdy and weather resistant, as well as which are best suited to the ambience of the porch.

Because the beauty of nature is often what draws us to the porch, Pleasures of the Porch devotes a special chapter to potted flowers, window boxes, and other plantings that bring color, scent, and pattern to the porch and surrounding areas.

Filled with vibrant color photographs that capture the enchantment of porch living, this extravagant volume presents hundreds of ways to truly take pleasure in porches.

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Super Book

The REAL DEAL

If you are serious about wealth, do the exercises!

Real info for real people

Good guide

The Street Kid's Guide to Having It All
John Assaraf
Manufacturer: OneCoach, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Health Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
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The Attractor Factor: 5 Easy Steps for Creating Wealth (or Anything Else) from the Inside Out

The Science of Success: How to Attract Prosperity and Create Harmonic Wealth Through Proven Principles

Count Your Blessings: The Healing Power of Gratitude and Love

You were born rich: Now you can discover and develop those riches

Wealth Beyond Reason

ASIN: 0972621423
Release Date: 2003-08-01

Product Description

This is not another self-help book. It is a book about self, and how to unleash the physical and spiritual power within you to create the life of your dreams.

Customer Reviews:

Super Book.......2007-06-07

Concise and effective book. Not a lot of fluff...John is a pragmatic businessman that get right to the point.

The REAL DEAL.......2007-05-13

This book inspired me to join OneCoach ~ John Assaraf's Business Mastery Program, which educates, guides and supports small business entrepreneurs to success. After 30 years as a holistic practitioner, I've found business education and community with tremendous caliber, integrity and vision. This is the real deal. It's great to make people consciously aware of the patterns and issues that limit, and even immobilize their lives, and then how do you effect change? This education offers truly effective information about HOW to dissolve dysfunctional patterns and habits ~ and create new neural patterns that result in authentic change. As they say at OneCoach, Change Your Brain, Grow Your Business! Inspiring, genuine and phenomenal ~

If you are serious about wealth, do the exercises!.......2005-09-10

A great read. This book separates those who just want to read about having wealth and those who are serious and are prepared to do something. I didn't do the exercises! Then I invested $1200 in John's Inner Circle program and got to do the exercises as just a part of the programme... NOW I am getting wonderful results!

John pins you down and helps you get serious, he knows how to get results and shows you.

Real info for real people.......2004-12-04

This book is phenomenal. It is less a book and more a guide that will help you to help yourself.

Good guide.......2004-09-14

The exercises are the most important thing in this book. You must do them to get anything out of it. This book is really similar to the tons of other sel-help books out there. But this will give you another angle to look at your goals and be successful. It's a very quick read. The book doesn't come with a magic pill to be successful, it just reinforces what you should be doing to be successful. I do like the exercises. They help one break down their past beliefs and replace them with new beliefs that will empower them. Good luck and Power to You!

The street kid's guide to having it all: A practical and spiritual approach for designing and living the life of your dreams

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After 20 years of searching this book has the answers for...

The street kid's guide to having it all: A practical and spiritual approach for designing and living the life of your dreams
John Assaraf
Manufacturer: The Street Kid, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Success | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0972621415

Customer Reviews:

After 20 years of searching this book has the answers for..........2005-02-09

After 20 years of searching this book has the answers for me. I am amazed that after 20 years of reading hundreds and hundreds of books, listening to hours and hours of audios and attending 35+ seminares, workshops and lectures this wonderful little book comes along with the a straightforward step-by step program for creating the life I've been dreaming of...

I'm was so excited that before I even finsihed it I sent an email to my list of Positive News subscribers http://www.positivenews.net telling them they must read this book. I'm not sure how this book slid by without me noticing when it was first published but I'm sure glad I found it now.

Customer Reviews:

A bit on the juvenile side, but a good intro to Mother Angelica........2005-07-07

Dan O'Neill, Mother Angelica: Her Life Story (Crossroad, 1986)

As I write this, Mother Angelica has recently turned eighty-two years old. I was mildly surprised to find out she's still alive, but she's soldiering on, as always. O'Neill's thin tome on Mother Angelica's life, published almost twenty years ago, is crying out for a revised-and-updated edition to bring us up to speed on what the woman's been up to for the past two decades besides keeping Mother Angelica Live one of the highest-rated religious programs on television, but the 1986 edition is a halfway decent start.

The book's title accurately reflects it contents: a brief life of Mother Angelica, the Franciscan nun who, if you've been living in a cave for the past quarter-century, made headlines all over the place by starting the Eternal Word Television Network, the first Catholic mouthpiece of its kind. One has to wonder at how accurate some of the reflections are here; O'Neill states more than once that much of the text for the book came from interviews with Mother Angelica, and never mentions doing much legwork to back any of it up. Ironically, Mother Angelica's life reads, in this text, rather like one of the Lives of the Saints which she disparages because they make the saints seem too saintly; "we need to see more of their human side," she says. Such is also the case here. Mother Angelica's pre-convent life is painted as a truly dire set of circumstances, which (aside from trials of faith) makes a complete reversal upon her becoming a nun. Not to say that's not exactly what happened; Mother Angelica spent her childhood and youth during the Great Depression and World War II, and circumstances were dire for many people. But were the convents really that much better off?

The book ends up sounding like your typical tale of inspiration, which probably has much more to do with O'Neill's writing style-- the language used and the sentence structure read more like a young adult biography than one written for the over-18 crowd-- than it has to do with Mother Angelica herself. Still, as far as tales of inspiration go, this one's a pretty easy read. And you can't help but admire the woman.

Love Mother.......2004-11-12

What a fabulous story of a life. God does such amazing things. Let's thank Him

Velvet

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Mother Angelica: Her Life Story
Dan O'Neill
Manufacturer: Crossroad Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HM96V0

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Mother Angelica: Her Life Story
Dan O'Neill
Manufacturer: EWTN Catholic Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HMT66U

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Mother Angelica: Her Life Story
Dan O'Neill
Manufacturer: Crossroad Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HMNIOG

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Mother Angelica: Her Life Story
Dan O'Neill
Manufacturer: Crossroad Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HLRXCA

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Important piece of history; Unfortunately not told completely as sold

Come Along for the Ride...

Long Overdue

Fascinating Story, Flawed Presentation

Trucks! Keep On Rollin'!!

The Road to Victory: The Untold Story of World War II's Red Ball Express
David P. Colley
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
General | World War II | Military | History | Subjects | Books
History | African Americans | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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Red Ball Express

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Proudly We Served : The Men of the USS Mason

ASIN: 0446667684

Book Description

NO STOPS FOR THE RED BALL EXPRESS! "The Red Ball Express lived on in the minds of veterans as one of the more enduring legends of World War II, in part, because it fits so well into American folklore. Americans have had a long love affair with the road and the truck. The speeding Red Ball drivers, thumbing their noses at military authority and the enemy to speed supplies to the front and to victory, symbolized American individualism and embodied the spirit of the frontiersmen and cowboys who had tamed the American continent. The Red Ball drivers were the first true road warriors, long before the truckers glorified in the song 'Convoy' that rose to the top of the charts more than a quarter century later." -from THE ROAD TO VICTORY AMERICA'S FIRST ROAD WARRIORS They were a bunch of tough-as-nails drivers who ran the enormous crucial operation known as the "Red Ball Express." Almost all African-Americans, these truckers rushed the fuel and supplies the rapidly advancing American armies desperately needed after D-Day to crush the German Panzers. Now for the first time, and filled with thrilling firsthand accounts, here is the full story of this legendary unit: the attacks they faced from the Germans, the battles they fought with racist G.I.s, the heroism and respect they earned the hard way. Here are the men who helped shorten the war with the great effort that made the final victory possible. As Dwight D. Eisenhower declared, "Without it [Red Ball] the advance across France could not have been made."

Customer Reviews:

Important piece of history; Unfortunately not told completely as sold.......2006-04-09

David Colley's `The Road to Victory' is subtitled "The Untold Story of World War II's Red Ball Express". The subtitle is fairly representative of the book in that no other full-length book has been dedicated to the Red Ball. However, there have been several other works that cover the contributions of the Red Ball within the context of logistical support of the drive across France. Colley's book is also advertised as dealing with "the men of the Red Ball Express [who] often found themselves fighting two wars: one against the Germans and another against racism". As a majority of the Red Ball drivers, mechanics and support staff were in fact African-Americans any story of the Red Ball with heart and humanity should deal with issues common in the US Army of 1944; namely blatant prejudice, segregation and yes racism. Unfortunately, this advertised component of Colley's book fails to live up to its own hype. Very little of `The Road to Victory' actually deals with the social issues inherent in the establishment and operation of the Red Ball Express. Colley uses a smattering of accounts from Red Ball drivers but nearly as many accounts are from white soldiers as from African-American ones, the former often dealing in no way with the humanity of the African-American issues. This reviewer was expecting a story more rich in humanity. This is by far the most disappointing aspect of `The Road to Victory'.

So what does `The Road to Victory' do well? Colley's treatise is really an examination of logistical support in NW Europe that focuses on the successes and shortcomings of the Red Ball Express as it provided such a critical role in the continuation of the drive across France after the breakout in Normandy. In his coverage of logistical issues Colley is quite successful. This is not a trivial task as logistical support is in many ways a numbers story with little `bang em up' to hook the reader. Colley does an admirable but not stellar job in his attempts to bring important logistical events to life with regard to the Red Ball. If in fact Colley had better incorporated the human factor that was so richly connected to the Red Ball given its predominantly African-American complexion, it is likely that this would have been a rare case of a logistical story being engaging as well as informative. Certain chapters of `The Road to Victory' are in fact quite engaging but they tended to be less informative in general. The ideal balance of engagement and information was simply never quite achieved.

With respect to organization of the book, Colley's chaptering (or that of his editor) is a bit chaotic at best. The book does not flow particularly well. This is partially due to the topic at hand; namely logistical support of armies. Having said this it is not clear that Colley could not have reorganized and/or repackaged his prose to construct a more evenly flowing and thus more readable book. Again it is important to point out that some chapters were in fact quite engaging, giving support to the notion that Colley is a talented writer. Moreover, he has dealt with an oft inherently dull topic in a more readable fashion. But altogether the book is choppy and less effective than it could have been.

In the end `The Road to Victory' is a 3.5 star book from the perspective of logistical content and analysis but a 2 star book at best in terms of human story; final score - 3 stars.

Come Along for the Ride..........2005-03-30

A very readable paperback on the structure and importance of the Red Ball Express -which operated for 81 days in the European Theater of Operations during WWII. While I agree with the other reviewer's criticisms on flow and organization of book, the author's presentation of first hand accounts of life (and combat) on the Red Ball Express, discussions of trucking/supply logistics, and other facets make for an interesting read. However, I will say that this book is a "drill-down" piece- meaning that if one doesn't like to probe too deeply into the WWII experience, you probably won't like its selective focus. Also, the content is fairly interesting, but the writing style doesn't soar-like that of HW Brands and other authors.

Long Overdue.......2003-09-09

This book tells a story that has remained untold for too many generations. Most Americans are vaguely aware or totally ignorant of the fact that the U.S. Armed Forces remained racially segregated by unit until after the Second World War. Over the decades, Hollywood has generally reinforced this willful ignorance with story after story showing black and white American soldiers fighting shoulder-to-shoulder against the evil, racist Nazis. Even 1952's "Red Ball Express" featuring a 25-year-old Sydney Poiter, is a fanciful piece of fiction focused on an integrated platoon.

The fact is that African-American troops in Europe constantly had to fight not only the enemy, but the bigotry of their own fellow Americans. My father, Lt. Colonel Jack Harrison, was privileged to serve as executive officer of the 543rd HQ Battalion, which was part of the Red Ball and similar operations on the continent. As was the case with most "colored units" in the American Army, all of the enlisted men and about half the junior officers in the 543rd were African American. The senior officers were all white and mostly from the south. Apparently, the pervasive philosophy among the Army brass was that southern whites somehow had more experience and expertise dealing with African Americans, who were generally regarded by our government as second class soldiers unfit for combat duty.

This book struck a deeply personal note with me. Many of the actual anecdotes and soldierýs tales in the book reminded me of the few war stories that I was ever able to coax out of Dad. Beyond that, however, this book is a solid and well-researched piece of history that should simultaneously inspire both shame and pride in the heart of any real American, black or white. In recent years, African-American combat units, like the Tuskegee Airmen, have begun to receive their just recognition. With this book, David Colley finally paints a true picture of the African American service troops whose valor, dedication and courage made the Allied victory possible.

Fascinating Story, Flawed Presentation.......2002-12-11

This book is a solid first treatment of a subject that is *way* overdue for serious attention from WWII historians: logistics in general and the Red Ball Express in particular. It also, along the way, helps to do for support troops what Ernie Pyle (then) and Stephen Ambrose (lately) did for combat troops . . . record and pass on their stories of "what it was like." The fact that many of the soldiers whose stories are told in RTV are African-American addds a third valuable dimension to the book.

So why only three stars? Well . . .

David Colley writes like an experienced, and very talented, magazine writer who hasn't developed a feel for how to structure a book-length story. RTV is a mosaic of brief, topical chapters that are complete in themselves but add up (more or less) to a complete picture of life on the Red Ball. It *feels* like an extended series of magazine articles rather than a unified book. I often had the sense that, if I reshuffled the chapters in random order, it would read just as smoothly. I can accept that in a reference book, but a straight-ahead work of history needs more shape.

What I missed, throughout the book, was any sense that Colley had digested all the (fascinating) information he presents. So much of the material was new to me that I kept waiting for him to draw conclusions that were equally new and fascinating. Instead, Colley told me things that I already knew: Mechanized transport was crucial to the Allied victory in Europe, Americans have a talent for improvisation, and overt racism was less prominent in Europe than in the 1940s USA.

This book is well worth buying and well worth reading, but the definitive history of the Red Ball has yet to be written. Any WWII historians out there looking for a great project?

Trucks! Keep On Rollin'!!.......2002-04-07

"The Road to Victory" is not an old Bob Hope/Dorothy Lamour movie. Instead, RV tells the tale of World War 2 in Europe during the climactic months after the Normandy invasion of June 1944. It does not dwell on heroics or bravery in combat. Instead it is concerned with other heroics- the sheer logistical day by day avalanche of men and materiel that was required to supply the quickly advancing Allied Armies. Author Colley actually succeeds in shedding the crunching tonnage of Army Supply into a readable novel. From this Army veteran, that is high praise! Key to it all was the Red Ball Express. These were large truck convoys that raced across France from the Channel ports through Luxembourg and Belgium to the borders of Germany. The majority of convoy drivers were African American, doing critical work for a segregated, often unappreciative and sometimes even hostile U.S. Army. This contrasts sharply with the more liberal Europeans they came in contact with. The author weaves interesting combinations: human interest in the hard working Black drivers, the difficulties and dangers they faced on the road, the military "foul-ups" (for lack of a stronger word), and enough statistics and numbers to warm the heart of any QMC or TC man. True, RV is a bit dry, but not to any detrimental effect. This reviewer has read many military works and it's always gratifying to read one that explores a new story, a different angle or a fresh approach. RV is such a book. Once it appears in paperback, military history fans should pounce. Civil Rights students should ignore the military jargon and strongly consider RV too.

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Man Versus the Welfare State

Exposing the welfare state for the sham it is

Excellent Introduction On The Philosophy Of Welfare Rights

Persuasive and Insightful

Great argument for classical liberty rights.

A Life of One's Own: Individual Rights and the Welfare State
David Kelley
Manufacturer: Cato Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Social Services & Welfare | Poverty | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 188257771X

Book Description

The welfare state rests on the assumption that people have rights to food, shelter, health care, retirement income, and other goods provided by the government. David Kelley examines the historical origins of that assumption, and the rationale used to support it today.

Customer Reviews:

Man Versus the Welfare State.......2003-11-06

David Kelley is an Objectivist philosopher who, although in general agreement with the thought of Ayn Rand, is not aligned with Official Objectivism. (You can read more about his split with Official Objectivism in his book TRUTH AND TOLERATION.)

A LIFE OF ONE'S OWN is a compact, well-argued book that takes on the welfare state. In addition to a discussion of the morality of the welfare state, Kelley provides an excellent background of how it began, the extensive system of private charity that was in place before it, and a critique of the arguments used to justify welfare "rights."

Kelley is persuasive in his critique of the augments in favor of welfare rights, but skates over some of the broader cultural issues. The acceptance of the welfare state is at least partly due to the individualism fostered by Randians and their ilk. As the family declines and people become more rootless (which happens when individualism increases), the need for welfare increases instead of decreases. This was argued by Nisbett years ago in THE QUEST FOR COMMUNITY. While one can certainly make a case against excessive altruism, Kelley largely ignores the central question of what individuals owe each other. It simply doesn't do, as Rand once suggested, that the response to those who ask about the needs of the deserving poor: "If you want to help them, nothing is stopping you." To say that it is morally praiseworthy (and perhaps even a moral obligation) for wealthier people to help the deserving poor does not itself justify sacrificing humanity on the altar of Big Government.

This book is certainly a cut above the normal Objectivist discussion. Rand is only mentioned twice, and we are spared the usual snide Objectivist attacks on religion. (The parable of the Good Samaritan is even held up as an example of non-coercive charity).

Exposing the welfare state for the sham it is.......2002-11-08

The goal of 'A Life of One's Own' by David Kelley is to argue against the premises responsible for the formation and the persistence of the welfare state. He provides a well-reasoned case for the claim that the welfare state is both without a moral foundation and without a practical justification in the actual results it achieves. At the end of Kelley's analysis the welfare state is seen to be a sham that violates the rights of producers for the sake of non-producers.

In order to justify the transfer of wealth from producers to welfare recipients the welfare state must appeal to the notion that a need somehow translates into a right. A need to eat, have medical care, or have a job is viewed as somehow being a claim upon those who produce these things. The concept of 'welfare rights' rests upon the notion that one's life is not completely one's own; there is held to be some sense in which one's life, one's productive effort, is the property of the society of which one is part, and the welfare state can distribute this property to recipients as it sees fit. This contradicts the traditional rights of life, liberty and property, although welfare 'rights' disguise themselves as being rights within the tradition of classic liberty rights. Such 'positive rights' violate the basis of rights themselves: to be free to act, and to keep and use the product of one's productive effort as one sees fit.

From the beginning (from the time that capitalism created enough wealth for poverty to be identified as a problem) private charities have shown themselves to be superior to state-funded ones, and they are in fact the only moral charities. The welfare state attempts to institutionalize the process of giving to the needy, but it is a contradiction to believe that one can be forced into giving out of charity. Kelley provides a convincing case for the idea that private charities, and privately run insurance, are actually the most effective way of dealing with the needy. The concept of state-run economics has been taken to the graveyard of economic theory, and it is only a matter of time before welfare programs meet the same fate, either through their privatization or their inevitable collapse.

David Kelley's cogent arguments make this book required reading for those on both sides of this issue. Anyone who wishes to discuss the welfare state intelligibly has much to gain from this book.

Excellent Introduction On The Philosophy Of Welfare Rights.......2002-04-11

In "A Life Of One's Own," philosophy professor David Kelley critiques the notion of a right to welfare on moral grounds. He explains how the concept of rights was altered over time to suit the interests of those who favored a centrally planned economy. His argument addresses the definition of rights and how efforts to shift their focus from preserving individual freedom and responsibility to forcing individuals to provide for others had an adverse impact on people's willingness to support voluntary philanthropy.

Kelley's thesis is that, when the concept of rights is extended to the provision of social welfare, the inevitable result is empowering those who demand benefits from the state over those who provide goods and services in an economy. Over the decades since the New Deal was enacted, a spirit of entitlement arose from the legal framework of the Great Society and permeates much of our contemporary discourse on politics. It flies in the face of the Founders' legal conception of the state - which is based on the protection of rights to life, liberty, and property.

The author argues that the transformation of the concept of rights did not occur spontaneously. Instead, it was marketed by a group of historians, intellectuals, and political activists who understood that it is impossible to alter political or legal institutions without changing people's beliefs about morality. Because they understood this, they were able to wage a successful war against the traditional concept of rights.

During the Great Depression, the leaders of the progressive movement were able to sell the public on their ideas by comparing industrial entrepreneurs to the political tyrants who led the... brigade. They claimed the financial power wielded by businessmen was indistinguishable from political power backed by force. Thus, it was up to the state to counteract the "coercive" power of the industrialists. This led to unprecedented growth in the state's ability to control individuals' economic freedoms through the use of taxes and regulations.

In such a system, it is left up to government officials to decide which rights to protect and how to protect them. When individuals are only given rights to whichever goods and services the state chooses to allocate them, the fundamental concept of what rights consist of is completely transformed. The Founders' conception - that rights exist to protect individuals from coercion by their peers - is changed into a notion of privilege. There is a fundamental difference between the two. As Kelley observes: "A right is not a privilege that depends on the will of others but a claim that they are obliged to respect."

According to Kelley, the function of rights is to enable people to conduct their own lives without becoming dependent upon one another. Although people may have different goals, the rules that underlie their system of rights must be assembled to enable all of them to accomplish their goals without resorting to conflict. This is why economies that exist in societies based on contractual relationships work so much better than those governed by political fiat.

Basing our notion of rights on a desire to utilize the state to eradicate poverty is not a demand for freedom itself, but for freedom from the reality that economic consumption requires production. Thus, coercion is the inevitable result of welfare rights - regardless of what proponents of those rights believe about owners of firms under capitalism. In the long run, coercion cannot create or sustain the production of goods and services or the formation of meaningful relationships among human beings.

Although the book is short, Kelley accomplishes his goal of making a moral case against coercive redistribution of wealth. As many of the perverse incentives inherent in the modern welfare state become more visible, his arguments should be increasingly taken to heart. It is only a matter of time before people realize that only voluntary initiative can solve the poverty problem. Coercion only adds to it.

Persuasive and Insightful.......2000-10-14

This book stands with Charles Murray's classic LOSING GROUND as offering the best analysis of the American welfare state. The data Kelley uses to help make his case against government-directed welfare assistance are relevant, clear, and convincing. And his argument is tight, compelling, and beautifully written.

Kelley is surely correct when he says that "The concept of welfare rights does not represent a historic advance in moral development, as its advocates often assert. It represents a reversion to a primitive moral code." For a solid explanation of the truth of this insight, and for other key insights into the nature of the welfare state, read this marvelous book.

Great argument for classical liberty rights........2000-09-09

I agree wholeheartedly with all of the previous, positive reviews, with the following contribution: This books has one of the clearest, best presented arguments for individual rights I have read anywhere.

A Life of One's Own: Individual Rights and the Welfare State-

Average customer rating:

A Life of One's Own: Individual Rights and the Welfare State-
David Kelley-
Manufacturer: Cato Institute Publishing-
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OMG7TW

Average customer rating:

Wonderful animal stories

Strongly recommended for all animal lovers

A Lovely Read

Couldn't Put It Down

Through Animals' Eyes: True Stories from a Wildlife Sanctuary
Lynn Marie Cuny
Manufacturer: University of North Texas Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Rural Life | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Animals | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
Wildlife | Animals | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Zoology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
Nature Writing | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1574411306

Book Description

In 1977 Cuny founded a wildlife sanctuary near San Antonio, Texas, to provide rescue, rehabilitation, and release of orphaned, injured, and displaced wildlife. Her brief stories are often touching, such as when she describes a young raccoon, rescued from a fire, self-medicating its burned paws with aloe vera plants; or two crab-eating macaques, confined inside a research facility for eighteen years, experiencing the outdoors for the first time. Natural History , Bookshelf, March 1999.

Heartwarming tales of rescued creatures are presented in this collection of vignettes from a large wildlife rehabilitation center in Texas. Over the last 20 years, Cuny has run Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation, which she founded to rescue orphaned, injured, and displaced wildlife. The center also provides permanent homes for animals too disabled to be released, as well as nonnative wildlife rescued from the exotic pet trade. The center takes in more than 5,000 animals each year. The history of each animal--from a tiny newborn field mouse to a black bear--is told in a few pages and illustrated with photos. . . .Cuny's love for her charges shines through in her stories. The large audience for animal tales of this sort makes this a recommended title, and maybe readers will be sensitized to the problems our species creates for other animals. --Booklist, Nancy Bent, February 15, 1999.

"The day we met she was feeding five beautiful yearlings intravenously, who surely would have died from dehydration, while she simultaneously supervised the feeding of skunks, possums, squirrels--you name it. She is selfless and dauntless in her battle to rescue and rehabilitate animals. I feel privileged to know her and serve on her board. There are few better qualified to look through the eyes of an animal. It is a beautiful, touching book." --Loretta Swit, actress

"Through Animals' Eyes not only entertains the reader with some amazing stories, but reminds us that human compassion can and should turn outward to embrace the animal world. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. Lynn Cuny's work has made a difference; her stories will too." --Max Oelschlaeger, McAllister Chair in Community Culture and Environment, Northern Arizona University, author of The Idea of Wilderness

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful animal stories.......2007-02-26

Lynn Cuny has a gift for portraying the animals in her stories both as worthy of our care as well as needing respect for their needs as animals. Unlike some writers of animal stories, she always makes it clear that wild creatures are usually better off being left wild. While her stories often contain humor, they are always touching.

Strongly recommended for all animal lovers.......2001-08-09

Through Animals' Eyes: True Stories From A Wildlife Sanctuary is an anthology about the creatures cared for by Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation (WRR). Founded by the author in 1977, WRR provides sanctuary for orphaned, injured, or displaced wildlife, rehabilitating them for eventual release - or providing them with permanent care in large natural habitats if they are deemed nonreleasable. WWR also gives permanent care to exotic wild animals that have suffered from the pet trade, roadside zoos, or research facilities. From the raccoon with burned feet who perseveres to survive, to an abandoned emu who makes friends with a one-winged vulture in a game of pick-up sticks, these tales put one in the skin, fur, or feathers of the creatures who have paid the price of man's expansion. Through Animals' Eyes is strongly recommended for all animal lovers.

A Lovely Read.......2001-04-12

This charming vignette of stories will leave you with a new and wonderful perspective of wildlife, as well as a great deal of respect for the people at Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation in Boerne, TX. This book is a must read for anyone with a love for the wildlife of these United States.

Couldn't Put It Down.......2000-02-11

This book was given to me as a gift and I couldn't put it down. This heartwarming book takes you into the emotions and thoughts of wild animals. They come alive and you see them as the caring, loving and intelligent beings they are. This book will make you never able to look at a wild animal as a "dumb" animal or expendable resource again.

Through Animal's Eyes: True Stories from a Wildlife Sanctuary

Average customer rating:

Through Animal's Eyes: True Stories from a Wildlife Sanctuary
Lynn Marie Cuny
Manufacturer: University of North Texas
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J0S9X6

THROUGH ANIMALS' EYES. TRUE STORIES FROM A WILDLIFE SANCTUARY [B4]

Average customer rating:

THROUGH ANIMALS' EYES. TRUE STORIES FROM A WILDLIFE SANCTUARY [B4]
L. Cuny
Manufacturer: University of North Texas Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000WQ3Q2G

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Through Animals' Eyes; True Stories from a Wildlife Sanctuary

Manufacturer: Univ. of North Texas Pr.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I2UK5U

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