Review:This was a good story and put together the narrative of what happened clearly. Unfortunately there was too much detail about each of the persons, which dragged at times. I skimmed through much of it, stopping at the main points of action. I didn't feel I missed anything. Read more

Review:Call me a traditionalist, but I think it is reasonable to assume that a book promising to be about the American Revolution, even one claiming a "fresh approach", should have more than a passing reference to the battle for American independence. Instead, Barbare Tuchman has given us a very scholarly and well-researched discourse on the Dutch and British navies, with an occasional mention of the conflict in the colonies. Ms. Tuchman wants to demonstrate the importance of the Dutch navy, the ... Read more

Review:This book does an excellent job of describing both the hope of a better life and the crushing agony of defeat of the pioneers. The photographs enhance the hopelessness of the people. My only complaint is that the book followed the same script as the PBS series. Having read previous books on the dust bowl, I learned nothing knew. Read more

Review:An excellent, thoughtful tour of Texas' great recent past and troubling current political climate. Also filled with very interesting historical tributes, tid bits and trivia. Should be required reading in every Texas high school senior government class. Read more

Review:Christopher Hitchens is dead, Hillary is retiring, and we have seen the arrival of two presidents who are certainly Clinton's intellectual inferiors. While they may be moral in matters of the bedroom, their politics seem almost as smarmy as the Clintons'. This year's field of Republican candidates does not seem as tainted by scandal as Clinton, but they are likewise untainted by much promise of talent.

Read this for historical interest, and the beauty of Hitchens' writing. Read more

Review:An enjoyable examination of Thomas Jefferson, his life, his foibles and his inconsistencies. If you enjoy Hitch's writing style and acerbic denouements, you'll enjoy this. If not, probably best to steer clear. Also, Hitch was, if nothing else, a well researched fellow who willingly slaughtered sacred cows. If you're coming into this with ideas of a political agenda or that Jefferson was a consistent and affable gentleman... You would do well to examine those beliefs in this book. Read more

Review:The author has great, accessible prose, and that is her primary strength (that and good publicist and production team behind her). So the book is engaging and easy for the average reader to take and interest.

The history side of it all is fuzzier. As other reviewers have stated, this is a standard civil war history with a little bit more of Britain thrown in. No serious Civil War historian or enthusiast is going to find much new here, let alone big revelations, as it relies heavily on ... Read more

Review:An insightful story of a fascinating building! I actually worked with someone who grew up in the Dakota, so I was interested to gain a more detailed knowledge of the stories I'd heard. A fascinating subculture long before John Lenon lived there. Read more

Review:Webb's "The Red Circle" is a excellent reflection on how much individuals can and are willed to sacrifice for their country. They will suffer the loss of comrades, close friends and in Webb's case the own family due to divorce. While the book offers extensive insights into the Navy SEAL training and how Webb became the manager for the Navy Sniper course and how he reinvented the curriculum, the book is a bit short on actual experienes in Afghanistan. Not that book is lacking credibility but some... Read more

Review:I really like seeing the inside complexities of leading our country. And I appreciate the noble efforts to do the right thing in the face of adversity. This was a very historic time and reading this writers perspective is haunting. Read more