Henry V: The Practice of Kingship

Book Description

This is the first scholarly reappraisal of the government of Henry V to appear in over fifty years. Traditionally cast as a British national hero whose victory at Agincourt made him the epitome of medieval chivalry, Henry V was also a dedicated and patriotic ruler who set out to restore "good
governance" in the wake of Richard II's tyrannical rule and who brilliantly effected a renewal of national confidence after a generation of political and social conflict. Contributors to the volume include C.T. Allmand, Jeremy Catto, G.L. Harriss, Maurice Keen, and Edward Powell.

Customer Reviews:

Scholarly and valuable.......1999-07-23

Harriss is not only the editor of this book, but a profligate contributor as well. Not exactly a book but rather a collection of scholarly essays and articles that pertain to all facets of King Henry V's reign such as religion, warfare, diplomacy, law etc. Extremely valuable for students of Henry V, medieval England and even medieval Europe. However, it does touch on specific subjects so unless you are interested in medieval diplomacy, religion and the like it would not make for interesting general reading.

Average customer rating:

Henry V: The Practice of Kingship
G. L. Harriss
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OLCECC

Customer Reviews:

Bobby Rahal: The Graceful Champion.......2002-11-13

This is one of the many outstanding books that I have in my collection that were written by Gordon Kirby. Bobby Rahal was a 3 time CART champion and the winner of the 1986 Indianapolis 500, now he is successful businessman and car-owner. Like all of the Gordon Kirby books in my collection, the photography in this book is superb. The forward by Nigel Mansfield shows the respect that Bobby Rahal generated from his fellow race car drivers. This is a must-have book for anyone who collects Indianapolis 500 or CART memorabilia.

Beautiful Book, Great Read.......2002-09-22

Bobby Rahal is one of the greats of motorsports, and Gordon Kirby is one of the greats of motorsports journalism. Put them together, and the result is an engrossing look at the career of one of America's finest champions.

This is not just a listing of races and results. You get the story behind the races, and insight into Rahal's life and career you won't find anywhere else. The great photos (many from Rahal's private collection) make the book visually beautiful.

If you are a fan of auto racing, this book belongs in your collection.

NICE JOB, GK.......2000-01-29

First, a disclaimer: I am a friend and colleague of the author.

With that out of the way, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys racing. It does an excellent job of describing the less-than-glamorous grunt work required to make it to top-level motorsports. Many people know about Rahal's CART championships and Indianapolis 500 victory; few know about his exploits racing all around the world against guys like Gilles Villeneuve, Keke Rosberg and Nelson Piquet.

The text is an excellent balance between Kirby's narrative and Rahal's own words, and the book is attractively laid out with thoughtful photo choices. Some of the Rahal family photos are priceless.

Rahal wasn't always the fastest guy on the track, but he may have been the smartest. He's extremely intelligent and well-read in almost every subject, and this book demonstrates his success as a team owner has not come by accident.

In general, this is one of the best racing books I have read. Get it.

Book Description

Stated Memory: East Germany and the Holocaust investigates communist Germany's attempt to explain the Holocaust within a framework that was at once German and Marxist. The book probes the contradictions and self-deceptions arising from East Germany's official self-understanding as an enlightened, modern society in which Jewishness did not constitute "difference" or otherness. The study examines East German historiography of the Holocaust, including its reflection in schoolbooks; analyzes East German concentration camp memorials; discusses the situation of Jews who remained in East Germany; and surveys East German cinematic and literary responses to the Nazi murder of the Jews. The book shows that regardless of the sincerity of the individuals involved in constructing these various forms of memory, the state attempted to orchestrate Holocaust discourse for its own purposes. Thomas C. Fox is professor of German at the University of Alabama. He has written extensively on East German literature and the Holocaust.

Book Description

Sarah Vowell travels through the American past and, in doing so, investigates the dusty, bumpy roads of her own life. In this insightful and funny collection of personal stories Vowell -- widely hailed for her inimitable stories on public radio's This American Life -- ponders a number of curious questions: Why is she happiest when visiting the sites of bloody struggles like Salem or Gettysburg? Why do people always inappropriately compare themselves to Rosa Parks? Why is a bad life in sunny California so much worse than a bad life anywhere else? What is it about the Zen of foul shots? And, in the title piece, why must doubt and internal arguments haunt the sleepless nights of the true patriot?

Her essays confront a wide range of subjects, themes, icons, and historical moments: Ike, Teddy Roosevelt, and Bill Clinton; Canadian Mounties and German filmmakers; Tom Cruise and Buffy the Vampire Slayer; twins and nerds; the Gettysburg Address, the State of the Union, and George W. Bush's inauguration.

The result is a teeming and engrossing book, capturing Vowell's memorable wit and her keen social commentary.

Customer Reviews:

good job.......2007-09-16

Just because Vowell is unapologetically partisan in her essays throughout The Partly Cloudy Patriot doesn't make her book any less interesting. In fact, it really enhances it. Even though I found myself agreeing with basically all of what she said, I suppose I could understand why some conservatives could get upset at some of the content here. That would be a waste though; Vowell didn't write a political manifesto, she wrote rather eloquent and heartfelt pieces about what it means for her to be an American, full of contradiction and inner-conflict. That for her, being an American necessarily would include some mention of her political views shouldn't be a surprise. And anyway, I doubt the ability of most conservatives to write about what it means to be patriotic and maintain the same level of nuance and, well, thought that Sarah does. I really liked it, and I'll gladly read whatever else she writes.

Informative, insightful, appealing.......2007-07-02

THE PARTLY CLOUDY PATRIOT is a collection of essays and personal stories by Sarah Vowell, who has an interesting resume--she has been a contributor to NPR's "This American Life," has a pretty impressive list of writer pals (Dave Eggers, Nick Hornby and David Sedaris, to begin with), has written some guest editorials for the NY Times and has provided the voice of a character in the animated film "The Incredibles." This is the second of her four books.

Vowell has a "nerd" obsession with American history and civics. Confirming her nerd credentials is a high school experience lacking the usual teenage graces with the concomitant bad gym memories. These themes, especially the civics lessons, absorb most of the essays in this book. Such is her voice, her ability to get to the heart of a matter and finding the heart not exactly where we generally think of it being located in the given matter, and her sheer passion that book is informative, insightful and immensely appealing. My favorites include her exploration of what it is to be a "nerd," a look at how Al Gore's nerdiness not only recommends him as a national leader but also intruded on his success in the media and public image, her tour of Presidential libraries (posed as a letter to Bill Clinton as he was leaving office and building his own), Teddy Roosevelt and the Gettysburg address. Her essays on the 2000 election and 9-11-2001 are also strong and bring fresh perspectives to both topics. She treats the office of President with abiding respect but makes no bones about not appreciating George Bush. Her criticisms and conclusions about him flow from analysis of his leadership and choices. She loves the American way but understands that it is flawed, hence our "partly cloudy" patriot.

The only reason I nick a star off my rating for this book is that having first read the author's most recent book, ASSASSINATION VACATION, this looks by comparison more like the training wheels or practice for that mature achievement. Also, many of the essays are topical and you are left wondering, given more recent events like the 2004 election and the Iraq war, what the author would say today. However, I do recommend this. I think Vowell would be surprised to hear herself called "cool" but that's exactly what she is.

A beginner's guide to love of country........2006-11-17

What I love about this book is that it puts a younger voice on patriotism, tapping into our generation's love of the quirky and random by showing America for many of its quirky, random components--like the underground snack bar in Carlsbad Caverns or how preparing cornbread dressing can make you contemplate death. My favorite essay, "The Nerd Voice", I think perfectly translates that youthful randomness-bordering-on-apathy into an expression of what would be and is appealing in terms of elections and government, and it made me care about voting like I never have before.

Partly Cloudy, Always Wonderful.......2006-11-10

Sarah Vowell is my favorite essayist writing today. Her style is her own - quirky and by turns heartbreaking and laugh-out-loud. The topics in 'Patriot' range all over, unlike my favorite of her books (Assassination Vacation), but this makes it a good introduction to her: you'll probably find at least one piece you agree with.

Witty, uplifting, and educational collection of essays from a proud American citizen.......2006-10-13

Sarah Vowell is a patriot. She might be left-leaning in her political views and voting trends, but first and foremost, she's a history buff and a lover of America. Her essay collection focuses on the political and cultural issues surround the end of the Clinton presidency and the first years of George W. Bush's tenure in office. She explores a wide range of topics, but without any anger or vituperation against people on the opposite end of the political spectrum.

The shining star in this collection is her ruminations on presidential libraries. Vowell writes an open letter to President Clinton about the her ideas for his presidential library. She sets out to visit the Kennedy, Eisenhower, Nixon, and Johnson libraries to examine their treatment each man. Johnson directed his curator that no one had managed to save his reputation in the last twenty years, so there was no need to sweep any of his presidential controversies under the rug. Nixon, on the other hand, used his library to present his side of political scandals and the dark side of political witch hunts. Eisenhower's library focuses almost entirely on his military career, while the JFK library shows videos, home videos, and pictures of the cultural icon. Vowell recommends that Clinton celebrate his charisma like JFK, openly address issues like Johnson, and remember that presidential adversaries will seek out scandal wherever they can find it.

Vowell also gives the reader (or listener, if you pick this up in its outstanding, musically accompanied audiobook form) an inside look at a serious media misquote of presidential candidate Al Gore. While speaking at Concord High School, Al Gore told students that about environmental hearings he held on sites like Love Canal. A Washington Post reporter left out a key word and the context of his statement, and soon Gore was lambasted in the media for claiming to discover Love Canal. The students were outraged at this mistrial in the press. Their teacher was dismayed that a formative day for many students was tainted by controversy and late-night television jokes. Vowell, a liberal, explores the issue fully, and is willing to grant the harried report a pass for a small mis-quote during her 20-hour day. Vowell also ponders our propensity to report only on negatives and controversy; no one writes about the powerful and moving statements that get made in speeches and debates.

Other essays include a visit to the underground lunchroom in Carlsbad Caverns, ruminations on Canada's "modestly spectacular" rise to sovereignty from the British, a visit to the theme park that is Salem, MA, explorations of great moments in American history, and personal pieces about family, tourism, outdoorsiness, and Montana. This is a funny, uplifting, and educational collection of essays from a proud American citizen.

Average customer rating:

PARTLY CLOUDY PATRIOT
SARAH VOWELL
Manufacturer: SIMON & SCHUSTER
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KV5SBK

Average customer rating:

Partly Cloudy Patriot
Sarah Vowell
Manufacturer: SIMON & SCHUSTER @ TRADE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SIHP0M

Average customer rating:

Don't Get Too Comfortable

Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ANE77E

Product Description

The title of this collection of humorous essays could also serve as a warning label for its readers. They'll want to stay on guard as GQ writer-at-large Rakoff (Fraud) skewers everything and everyone he encounters. His writing is at its best when trained on the pompous and ostentatious: flying on the Concorde or visiting an exclusive, $1,300-a-night resort off Belize. While attending the Paris couture shows, Rakoff reveals the silliness of the whole enterprise with quips about Karl Lagerfeld's preweight loss "large doughy rump" and the "dry spaghetti" of one model's hair. In another piece, a prominent Beverly Hills plastic surgeon tells Rakoff, "this is the Dark Ages" for cosmetic surgery (meaning that future generations will be amazed by the inevitable advances) before taking him into an examination room. While Rakoff's sardonic wit is clearly his greatest asset, it is sometimes his undoing; the same dry humor that works so well when aimed at the rich and decadent seems mean-spirited when applied to less prominent targets, like "Wildman" Steve Brill, who forages for food in New York City's parks. Still, Rakoff is generally a knowing observer of "first world problems," and his devilishly uncomfortable commentaries are generally quite funny.

Customer Reviews:

Good Tips for Managing People.......2000-07-14

The book was the main text book in one of my MBA classes. The class taught how to deal with people in a variety of situations. The book is best used in this setting. A majority of the pages describe several role playing situations and there's also feedback forms on how you did. So it's nice to have someone to do the role plays with you. If you are just going to read the book, it gives a short synopsis of what you need to foucs on in each "tip".

Effective for building soft skills.......2000-05-02

This book ensures group interaction and discussions in any training situation. I first used this book in a business graduate course and I found the role plays very helpful. Unlike many other books I have used, these role plays are effective and don't make the students feel silly. Each chapter begins with a self-assessment exercise and end with a concise quiz and summary.

Training In InterPersonal Skills ; Tips For Managing People At Work

Average customer rating:

Training In InterPersonal Skills ; Tips For Managing People At Work
Stephen P. Robbins
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall College Div
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OIZXAA

Average customer rating:

Training in Interpersonal Skills : TIPS for Managing People at Work
Stephen P.; Hunsaker, Phillip L. Robbins
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OIK094

Training In Interpersonal Skills : Tips for Managing People at Work (4th Edition)

Average customer rating:

Training In Interpersonal Skills : Tips for Managing People at Work (4th Edition)
Phillip L. Hunsaker Stephen P. Robbins
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OIMCKE

Customer Reviews:

A Fine Biography of The Greatest American Choreographer That Ever Lived.......2006-08-14

Bob Fosse, in this reader's opinion, is, besides the greatest director\choreography of musicals, the greatest choreographer that ever lived. His brilliant, simplistic style has entertained millions and has shown an inpact in current pop culture.
Mr. Fosse himself was a fascinating man. A slightly short, mumbling chainsmoker, his many demons included alcohol, drugs, paranoia, sex and women. Mr. Gottfried lets us know about those demons. However, he gives interesting accounts of all of Fosse's work for stage and screen.
This book is excellent, but to truly learn about the genius that was Bob Fosse, this reader recommends Mr. Fosse's autobiographical film "All That Jazz."

Fascinating Guy, Fascinating Book.......2003-05-07

I'll tell you right off the top, I'm not a huge fan of Broadway musicals. Mostly I'm a fan of Fosse because of his films, which rank among my favorites. But regardless of any of that, Fosse's personality and his life make him a fascinating subject for biographical study.

Gottfried's book is heavily detailed, describing the events of Fosse's life, exploring his work and his personal realtionships, and really getting inside the man's head, all the while maintaining a very readable, and appropriately jazzy style. There's also enough quoted dialogue to keep the book flowing almost like a work of fiction.

A great read and an informative one. Highly recommended to fans of Fosse and his work, or those simply interested in one of the most intriguing of showbiz lives.

Pure Fun.......2002-08-14

Maybe I'm biased: I'm a shrink. I lived in New York in the early 80's. I knew some of the people mentioned in the book. But this was the most fun I've had reading since Letters from a Nut. Full of tidbits about a raft of celebrities. Another reviewer complained about the lack of pictures. Why stop there? We need all the films, too. Must watch All That Jazz again ASAP, AND try to get my hands on Sweet Charity and Cabaret. A great ride!

Jazzed out!.......2001-05-02

The book is very thorough and does give a very accurate blow by blow description of every moment in Bob Fosse's life. If you love the man and want to relive his life for him, read this book. On the other hand, if you are trying to do a paper, you might want to start reading this about 6 months before your paper is due. It is very hard to weigh through the many, colorful words and facts in this book in any small amount of time. I will someday read this book for pleasure but right now, after only reading three chapters (though be very interesting), I am totally jazzed out! phew!

Neither Hero Nor Villain.......1998-12-15

"All His Jazz" is compelling for the blow-by-blow account that it gives of Bob Fosse's unparalled career. It is probably one of the more comprehensive and insightful books about show business that has been written. The main problem with the book lies in his subject matter, which one would think would be untenable for a biography. Bob Fosse and those around him (with the exception of very few) come across as arrogant, self-centered, and certainly self-destructive. Hey, let's face it. Truth certainly can be stranger than fiction, but it kept me from really getting into the book on a personal level. I ended up angry more than sympathetic and incredulous more than intrigued. The other problem I had with the book is a noble one, but exposes the flaws all the same. There really are not enough photos to supplement the narrative. The only reason I say this is because so much attention is spent on the details of Fosse's career, that it is a shame there are so few photos representing his amazing stage career. We can all go rent the movies if we want to see what they are about, and it might not be a bad idea to watch "All That Jazz" (which, by the way, is one of my all time favorites) before picking up a copy of this book.

All His Jazz: The Life & Death of Bob Fosse

Average customer rating:

All His Jazz: The Life & Death of Bob Fosse
Martin Gottfried
Manufacturer: Da Capo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OSX6SQ

Average customer rating:

All His Jazz: the Life & Death of Bob Fosse
Martin Gottfried
Manufacturer: Da Capo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N6CT8M

Customer Reviews:

Exceptionally well written.......2001-05-23

Mr. Hinebaugh displays a refreshing blend of literary brilliance and technical understanding. His crystal clear descriptions of his experiences deliver what an aviator is looking for . . . a complex read of operating aircraft in extreme conditions. I would rank this work along with Antoine De Saint Exupery's, `Wind, Sand and Stars' as one of the best aviation books available.

Poorly informed pilot presents one-sided view?.......2000-01-04

This book is a great read as a story of adventure. But as a scientist - and one with colleagues who have worked in Antarctica, including on one of the experiments touched on in this book - I found mis-statments in the narrative and footnotes suggesting that the author was not well-informed about the science he was "supporting". He certainly supported the science logistically, but he comes across as very unsupportive of the scientific enterprise in general. A pity then that an otherwise enjoyable book should be marred by a poor attitude towards the scientific research that provided the reason for the author to be in Antarctica in the first place.

Very well written! Descriptions that will make you shiver!.......1999-05-16

Love this very well written book. Took me awhile to read but this was due to my 13 year old son grabbing it to read before I was finished. He was very into this and his remarks "Cool book!" sums it up rather well. The Shaman of the weather guessers really makes me wonder how these guys kept their tempers in check at times. Description of the lands and the changing conditions along with the flying difficulties of all the unique situations that come up makes this a very enjoyable and easily read book. Thanks Mark for giving me and my son something to talk about for quite awhile!

Outstanding! Now I know what its like being in the coldest.......1999-04-06

place on the planet as only an incredibly brave Naval Pilot could. Thanks Mark for getting us there and bringing us back home again safely!

A spendid read.......1999-03-01

Very few pilots are great writers. Here's one of the exceptions. Hinebaugh (then an Air Force pilot, now flying commercially) salts his narrative with deceptively beautiful lines, along with gutsy tales of flying under almost impossible conditions. Great nuggets also: did you know that planes at the South Pole can spew out contrails while still on the ground, thereby creating such a fog that they can't take off? Don't be put off by the silly title. It's a splendid book.

Book Description

Available in paperback for the first time, these three volumes represent the definitive biography of Andrew Jackson. Volume One covers the role Jackson played in America's territorial expansion, bringing to life a complex character who has often been seen simply as a rough-hewn country general. Volume Two traces Jackson's senatorial career, his presidential campaigns, and his first administration as President. The third volume covers Jackson's reelection to the presidency and the weighty issues with which he was faced: the nullification crisis, the tragic removal of the Indians beyond the Mississippi River, the mounting violence throughout the country over slavery, and the tortuous efforts to win the annexation of Texas.

Customer Reviews:

Setting The Record Straight: Remini, Jackson and the Spoils System.......2006-03-14

Few Americans have won the mythical status enjoyed by Andrew Jackson. Often portrayed, in his day and since, as the champion of the common man, Jackson came to Washington as an outsider, the first President born outside the thirteen original states, indeed the first president born neither in Virginia nor Massachusetts. Throughout Jackson historiography, Jackson via his policy of `rotation' in office has been accused of instituting the spoils system in American politics. This criticism highlights how Whig myths have come to permeate the historical writing on this subject.

Starting with James Parton in 1860, anti-Jackson historians have followed this criticism, blaming Jackson for replacing a supposed merit system with a partisanship that corrupted the civil service for generations. Despite further research since Jackson's time, many historians have uncritically repeated these accusations without examining the actual record of appointments during the presidency unhappily described by some as "The Reign of Andrew Jackson".

There have been essentially four cycles of studies into the life and Presidency of Andrew Jackson. The first cycle began soon after the death of Jackson with the "liberal patrician" or "Whig" school, who were generally unfavourable towards the policy of rotation. Most familiar is James Parton's classic The "Life of Andrew Jackson". So critical of rotation was Parton that he stated "this single feature of his administration would suffice to render it deplorable rather than admirable." Other members of the "Whig" school include Sumner, Schouler and Von Holst, all very critical of Jackson's policy of rotation. Parton's biography was the standard source on the Jacksonian era, until the second cycle represented by the Progressive Historians, such as John Spencer Bassett's "The Life of Andrew Jackson (1911), which cast Jackson in somewhat of a different light. Bassett reduces the amount of blame put on Jackson for rotation by suggesting that his democratic views made him oblivious to unintentional dangers from partisan appointments. However, the Progressives shared with the Whigs the view that Jackson had brought a spoils system to national politics and that its effects were negative.

Historians in the third cycle of Jacksonian studies, of which Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.'s "The Age of Jackson" (1945) served as a pivotal work, shifted attention away from Jackson himself towards larger forces in his era. Historians of the third cycle, such as Hofstadter and Hammond, debated the effects of class and culture in determining party differences while showing little interest in evaluating Jackson's rotation policy, though tending to criticise it briefly. No biographies of Jackson discussed the policy of rotation in depth during the next thirty years.

The appearance of Robert V. Remini's three-volume biography of Jackson marked the start of the fourth cycle of interpretation. Based on modern scholarship, Remini covers all aspects of Jackson's life and career, demonstrating his contribution to the great developments of nineteenth century America, particularly empire, freedom and democracy. By returning to first hand sources, Remini shows that the policy of rotation in office has been exaggerated and misunderstood. However, having set himself the remarkable task of producing a thorough study of the life and Presidency of Jackson, Remini did not have the scope for a detailed re-interpretation and re-evaluation of rotation. Since Remini's work there have been many scholarly works on Jackson, but none offer an in-depth reassessment of rotation as touched upon by Remini.

Remini states that Jackson has received a disproportionate share of the blame for the spoils system and that there is a need to disprove the Whig myths, which have come to permeate the historical writings of historians over the generations. Remini was not the first to stress the need for such a revision; in fact a similar plea was expressed by J.R. Poinsett in the "Oration on the life and character of Andrew Jackson, delivered July 4, 1845" when he stated about Jackson, "His instinctive love of justice... gave a high tone to his government and exalted the honor of his country. His hatred of corruption rendered his administration pure.... I will content myself with expressing my belief that in future time the impartial historian will justify both his motives and his conduct on this trying occasion.

Remini offers the reader a great insight into the pioneering mind of one of America's greatest Presidents.

[The above Review is taken in part from 'Andrew Jackson's policy of 'Rotation in Office' by Alexander Rayden. © Copyright 2005 Alexander Rayden, All Rights Reserved].

Jackson Part 3.......2003-04-10

The final volume in Robert Remini's definitive biography of Andrew Jackson follows the life of the seventh president from the beginning of his second term through the end of his life. In it, we see many of the things that made Jackson one of our most important presidents despite his significant flaws.

Prior to Jackson's presidency, the executive office was much weaker. The designers of the Constitution, with their fears of strong central figures, had intended Congress to be the most powerful of the supposedly co-equal branches. Jackson, however, viewed himself as the sole representative of the people - the only person elected by a nation, not a region - and through various measures such as an expansion of the use of the veto, was able to shift the balance of power. Although the following presidents would be weaker, the presidency as an office had been redefined.

As the book begins, Jackson's second term was beginning and he needed to deal with South Carolina and the Nullification Crisis. Essentially successful with this problem, he also dealt with other issues, including his war with the Bank of the United States and bad relations with France. By many measures, his presidency was a success, but there were a number of negatives as well, in particular his treatment of Indians and his disregard of slavery issues. His appointment of Taney to Chief Justice would eventually lead to the Dred Scott decision. Remini finds more positives than negatives with Jackson, but he doesn't disregard the black marks.

Probably only Washington was as universally adored in his time as Jackson was, and unlike Washington, Jackson was a true man of the people, a populist who courteously met with rich and poor alike. Even after his retirement, his popularity guaranteed his continued political clout, and few Democrats defied his wishes while he was alive.

The three volumes in this biography are around 1300 pages (plus notes and indexes), but Remini is such a good writer that this is far from a burdensome read. There may be shorter biographies of Jackson, but there aren't better. Remini knows this era well (he also has written excellent biographies of Clay and Webster) and he brings it to life.

The final volume in a standard of American history........2002-04-21

If you have read my reviews of the first two volumes in this biography you already know my opinion of Remini and of his subject. Suffice it to say that if you are serious about learning about American history these volumes are for you. Not only are they an excellent introduction to many of the political and social issues of the era but they also allow the reader to wrestle with our national proclivity toward uncritical hero worship. Our past leaders were every bit as complex, as flawed and as human as our current crop .... What follows is a small portion of what I have learned from Remini's hard and honest labors.
Jackson's accomplishments were extraordinary by any standards and some of them are quite ironic. He very much believed in states rights yet he probably did more to strengthen and expand the executive part of the federal government than any President until Franklin Roosevelt. Consider the following (all discussed in Remini's volume):
1. He was the first President to use the pocket veto. He was the first to use the veto power for nonconstitutional reasons. We are so used to our Presidents using the veto because of policy disagreements with legislation that we forget how much of a shift this was in the balance of power as envisioned by the original generation.
2. He reformed every department of the federal government and greatly expanded the bureaucracy as a result. He eliminated much of the graft that was rampant at the time and (at least, gave the impression of) greatly democratizing the civil service by making it more of a meritocracy. All this inevitably led to more people working for the government. A lot more people.
3. Jackson changed the relationship of the various Cabinet members to the President. He was the first to fire a Cabinet member because of a disagreement over policy. Up until then Cabinet officers and ambassadors, because their appointments had to be approved by the Senate, were regarded as being accountable more to Congress than to the President.
This is only a partial list of the ways that Jackson's Presidency changed the stature of the Executive branch of the government.
Jackson's ideology (as I see it) comes from him trying to work out the tensions between his state's rights philosophy with his military experience, which taught him the necessity of a clear uncontested chain of command with his love of and trust in the people. I will comment on only one portion of that dynamic. Like so many of our leaders, the tensions in Jackson's ideology led him into conspiracy theories. He believed in and trusted the American people to always make the right decisions (the ones he would have made) and almost always credited any electoral reverses to cabals acting to befuddle and delude the populace.
As a result, he became one of ablest early advocates of putting a good spin on the issues. Early on in his first term he helped to establish a newspaper that served as the official organ of the administration. Altogether, Jackson was a fascinating and maddening character.
I find myself greatly in the debt of Remini. Jackson has always repulsed me by his blatant racism and his paternalism. Remini has humanized Jackson quite a bit for me. I am more appreciative of Jackson's great accomplishments and I have learned quite a bit of the politics of the time. I will be reading Remini's book on Van Buren next along with Seller's biography of Polk. One of the ways that I evaluate the work of a historian is by how much they increase my interest in further reading on their subject and on the period in question. By this standard, Remini belongs to my first rank of American historians.

Third Volume of a Great Biography.......2002-04-09

Robert Remini completes his biography of Andrew Jackson in an excellent third volume. This biography is very well written and a pleasure to read. Remini is so well versed on his subject and really makes Jackson come to life as one of the major figures in U.S. History. This is as honest account of an individual that I have ever read and have come away with a new found respect for Andrew Jackson.
Remini does not shy away from Jacksons many faults nor does he make excuses for them and he also shows how tender and loyal Jackson can be to those that were family and friends. Remini makes the case that Jackson was the most influential person in shaping the Presidency and government to the modern democracy it is today and I am inclined to agree with him. Jackson had certain convictions on government and policy and would not bow under pressure and reshaped the role of the Presidency despite pressure from Congress. I would definitely recommend this biography to everyone interested in Andrew Jackson as well as those interest in the evolution of our government.

An excellent third volume........2001-09-30

Excellent finish to an excellent 3-volume biography; the first volume took us from Jackson's birth through his tenure as governor of Florida; the second took us from there through the end of his first term as president and his successful bid for re-election. This volume takes us from the beginning of his second term to his death.

As with both previous volumes, the marvellous thing about this book is that Remini provides the reader with sufficient information that it is possible, with nothing more than the information he provides, to disagree with his evaluation of his subject. Clearly, on balance he is much more taken with Andrew Jackson than I am, although there are a few instances in which I actually think that he is too harsh in his judgement. But the marvellous thing is, he gives me sufficient information to make that judgement, an invaluable characteristic in a biographer.

Anyone interested in reading a detailed, in-depth biography of the first truly populist president (whether one considers that a good or a bad thing to say about the man says a lot about one's personality) and the president who appointed Roger Taney, the chief justice responsible for the Dred Scott Decision, to his post as Justice of the Supreme Court, needs to read all three volumes of this set.

Average customer rating:
Andrew Jackson Volume Three the Course of American Democracy, 1833 - 1845
Robert V. Remini
Manufacturer: History Book Club
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000X99I10

Average customer rating:
Andrew Jackson, Volume Three: The Course of American Democracy, 1833-1845

Manufacturer: History Book Club
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GWV37G

Average customer rating:
Andrew Jackson [THREE VOLUMES] Vol. One: The Course of American Empire 1767-1821; Volume Two: The Course of American Freedom 1822-1832; Vol.Three: The Course of American Democracy 1833-1845
Robert V. Remini
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JL8YJO

Average customer rating:
ANDREW JACKSON AND THE COURSE OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY, 1833-1845. VOL. III.
Robert V. Remini
Manufacturer: Harper & Row,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000N7EUBU

Average customer rating:
Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Democracy, 1833-1845 Volume III
Robert V. Remini
Manufacturer: Harper and Row
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J5LDKC

Average customer rating:
Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Empire 1767-1821, Freedom 1922-1832, Democracy 1833-1845. Set of Three Books.
Robert V. Remini
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000V0EA1E

Product Description

Foremost Jacksonian scholar lends his talents to reconstructing this age. Master storyteller.

Book Description

In the urgently expanding field of environmental history, two trends are emerging. Research has internationalized, crossing political and historical borders. And urban spaces are increasingly seen as part of, not apart from, the global environment. In this book, Jeffry Diefendorf and Kurk Dorsey have gathered much of the important work pushing the field in new directions. Eleven essays by prominent and regionally diverse scholars address how human and natural forces collaborate in the creation of cities, the countryside, and empires.

The Cities section features essays that examine pollution and its aftermath in Pittsburgh, the Ruhr Valley (Germany), and Los Angeles. These urban areas are far apart on the globe but closely linked in their histories of how human decision making has affected the environment.
Changing rural and suburban spaces are the focus of Countryside. Elizabeth Blackmar "follows the money" in order to understand why the financing of suburban mall developments makes local resistance difficult. Studies of the fractious history of the creation of a wildlife refuge in Oregon and the ongoing impact of hydraulic mining in the early California goldmining era emphasize the misuse of technology in rural spaces.
Such misuse is a central idea of Empires. In "When Stalin Learned to Fish," Paul R. Josephson tells the story of Soviet fishing technology designed to "harness fish to the engine of socialism." Other essays explore the failures of Western agricultural technology in Africa and the relationship between such technology and disease in European attempts to conquer the Caribbean. In a stirring, wide-ranging consideration of the neo-European colonies (the United States, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand), Thomas R. Dunlap observes the ongoing, unsettled interaction of lands and dreams. An afterword by Alfred W. Crosby, an eminent scholar of environmental history, closes the book with a broad and insightful synthesis of the history and future of this critical field.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books