I was unaware of this book until I came across a reference to it the book;2021-03 – Grandfather’s Chair. Nathaniel Hawthorne (Author) 1840. 104 Pages.
I was unaware of this book until I came across a reference to it the book; “Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places.” by Colin Dickey. I realized that the premise of this book is exactly how I construct my tours for Historic Waynesborough. People walk into a room and see an object … their interest is less in the object than in the story of the object … well not the story of the object itself (as in who built it, what style, materials etc …) but the stories of the people who owned or used the object. As humans … we always find other people to be the most interesting thing in the room. This book is built exactly on the premise using the object of a chair as a portal to look at the early history of New England from Mayflower to just after the American Revolutionary War. Hawthorne mixes in the big names and lesser-known figures to tell his version of the story. Written in the late 1830’s the book has a surprisingly modern feel to it. The sympathy given the story and fate of the indigenous people of New England. the scorn brought on the Puritans for their treatment of the indigenous people … frankly it surprised me. It was not history to valorize but history to understand. The book is well worth reading both for the history it ells and the way it tells that history through the portal of the chair. ...more
2011-11 - Dark Archives: A Librarian's Investigation into the Science and History of Books Bound in Human Skin. Megan Rosenbloom (Author) 2020. 288 Pa2011-11 - Dark Archives: A Librarian's Investigation into the Science and History of Books Bound in Human Skin. Megan Rosenbloom (Author) 2020. 288 Pages.
Nicholle signed us up for a book talk with this author through the Mutter Museum. She thought it was an interesting macabre topic and ordered a signed copy of the book. The book reads very much like an extended and more detailed version of the book talk and subsequent Question and Answer session. This is not bad; it is what we were hoping for. This is the story of a quest to identify books bound with human skin. Not just to find the books and identify the through scientific testing but to also discover their context and history. The history of the person whose skin it is bound in , the person who choose to do this, the person who did it, and the history of the book after it was bound in human skin. Sometimes books are collected for content, sometimes for the visual, other times for sentimental reasons. I had not really thought of book collecting outside of its content or age. Books in the past were routinely re-bound by collectors … added together, other errata added in, or bound for aesthetic reasons. In the process of discovery, the author takes into a tannery that uses traditional vegetation tanning methods of the pre-industrial era. She also looks at allegations of human skin routinely used as leather because of the French Revolution and into the mythology of the Nazi lampshades made of human skin. What may prove to be more interesting is that majority of known anthropodermic books were commissioned by doctors and tend to be medical books themselves. This led to a whole investigation into the history of the human body, dissection, law, and the medical profession. It was a fascinating rabbit hole to enter and discover. The status of a human corpse as neither a human nor property and what that means is something, I have given little thought to before. The author also looks at the issue of preserving tattoos from dead people as a form of artwork. A practice which crosses legal definitions. Throughout this book is the continual societal shifting notion of consent. What is it? Who can give it? What does it mean after it is given? This book has certainly given me pause for thought and given me much to think about. ...more
2020-10 – The Fire Next Time. James Baldwin (Author) 1963. 128 Pages.
In September I had read “No Name in the Street” written in 1972. I opted to read2020-10 – The Fire Next Time. James Baldwin (Author) 1963. 128 Pages.
In September I had read “No Name in the Street” written in 1972. I opted to read this book written ten years earlier. The book opens with a letter to a nephew and then follows with a discussion about the civil rights movement in the US southern states and with a discussion about The Nation of Islam. This is James Baldwin still with energy, verve, and optimism. The travails and grudging realization that changing laws don’t change hearts or conditions had not settled in yet. The writing is buoyant, pithy, and well crafted. The tone dressed with more annoyance than fatigue. A very good read. My reading of it may have suffered with my reading James Baldwin ten years later when his demeanor and tone are much different. ...more
2020-08 – Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man. Mary Trump (Author) 2020. 236 Pages.
This book is in large 2020-08 – Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man. Mary Trump (Author) 2020. 236 Pages.
This book is in large part a bit of a love letter from the author to her departed father, Fred “Freddy” Trump Jr. It is also a book at the Trump family from the inside by a trained clinical psychologist. The book starts with Fred Trump, the father of POTUS Donald Trump. Fred was a product of his time and environment. His formation, prejudices, and experiences would be manifested directly into his son Donald. In many way Donald ended up being a direct reflection of his father. There is a detailed but not bogged down history of how the Trump family made its money. Not surprisingly given the era of building post WWII, but at odds with the imagery of the self-made man … the Trumps profited immensely from seeking and getting government contracts for building public housing. It is actually a good description of government investment in the lives of Americans … thinking about those who would get an affordable place to live, those worked to build the facilities, service the facilities and by extension. Into this mix of expansion and profit we must not the influence of Norman Vincent Peale. His gospel/philosophy of the power of positive thinking. This tracks straight through into the current Trump administration. The author does an excellent job of laying out how this doctrine was imbibed by the Trumps and how this manifested itself in the Trump worldview of winners and losers. It has created now an administration and by extension a culture of “toxic positivity”. Amen. Toxic positivity is something I have seen increasingly in my own workplace since 2017 and in other parts of society. Once this ground work is explained and traced through familial relations in reference to Freddy. There is a distinct lack of empathy and compassion portrayed in this book. This is a family that does not apologize, never admits its shortcomings or errors, bases its world view on money and what is in it for them. It is an inherently transactional and opportunistic value system. The point the author makes is that if you understand the Trump family’s history you will understand what is playing out on the national and world stage vis-à-vis Donald Trump. I is at times an excellent book and other times a good book and occasionally a saccharine book. Definitely worth a read if you want a below the surface understanding of Trump and Trumpism.. ...more
2020-08 – Capability Brown and His Landscape Gardens. Sarah Rutherford (Author) 2016. 192 Pages.
Nicholle is in a class on the archaeology of gardens a2020-08 – Capability Brown and His Landscape Gardens. Sarah Rutherford (Author) 2016. 192 Pages.
Nicholle is in a class on the archaeology of gardens at the Penn Museum which got me curious if our local library system had any books on “Capability” Brown … the preeminent British Landscape Architect. I love a landscape garden. I am not such a fan of formal gardens. This book was done under the auspices of the National Trust … so it is a quasi-official book. It is the only book on the subject in our library system. The book looks at the man, his career, his clients, his competitors, and his legacy. Throughout it uses sumptuous photographs of parks, gardens, and estates he worked on to emphasize the idea in the text. This book also has lots of wonderful references for further study of aspects or generalities that you found interesting (I already availed myself of one of these!) Whether you read this book (you should) or not …all of us should be familiar with the work and traditions of Capability Brown. All of us should find a landscape to walk through, study or enjoy. It is one of the joys of sauntering through Winterthur in Delaware … it very much was constructed with the ethos of Capability Brown. If you are a fan of Jane Austen novels or other English literature from the mid-18th to the early 19th century or paintings from England in that era you should read this book and familiarize yourself with the work of Capability Brown because it provides the backdrop, context and orientation for much of those books and pieces of art. This book is a very good introduction to all of that. ...more
2020-07 – West from Appomattox: The Reconstruction of America after the Civil War. Heather Cox Richardson (Author) 2007. 413 Pages.
I read the authors 2020-07 – West from Appomattox: The Reconstruction of America after the Civil War. Heather Cox Richardson (Author) 2007. 413 Pages.
I read the authors daily column and enjoy them very much and in May I read her latest book (How the South Won the Civil War: Oligarchy, Democracy, and the Continuing Fight for the Soul of America). This book, “West from Appomattox”, was on a flash sale for kindle on Amazon and Nicholle snapped it up. This book is a fascinating read. It follows well known individuals and lesser known individuals to tell the story of American society and ideology from the end of the US Civil War up until about 1900 … the heart of the Progressive backlash to the excessed of the Gilded Age and the creeping growth from the bottom sectors. This is really how the middle Class and middle class ideology and values were created and entrenched. There is an at odds component in the making of this ideology and this is the notion of “special interests”. There were the special interests of the Freedmen and those at the bottom of the economic system and those oligarchs and trust makers at the top of the economic system. Those at the bottom were viewed in moralistic terms as seeking a hand out and not willing to help themselves. Those at the top were viewed as seeking to use the levers of power for their own enrichment. Ironically the great burgeoning middle class got where it was largely as result of government assistance but it did not see itself as a special interest, instead it viewed itself through the mythology of the west and a culture of rugged individualism. A mythology which has persisted into the 21st century given a greater push by the influences of libertarians and historical revisionism that has ramped up beginning with “movement conservatives” and Reagan. There is a serious disingenuousness with this because there is no acknowledgement of how they are themselves a special interest using government money and assistance to advance their own view of society. They also shamelessly use the levers of power to make the things conform to this view and lash out at others who do not conform as somehow not American. This is an excellent book, very well researched and written. I highlighted many passages and found through the text many references to literature of the period under discussion to follow up with and deepen my own understanding. ...more
2020-07 - The Lincoln Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill America's 16th President--and Why It Failed. Brad Meltzer (Author) Josh Mensch (Author) 20202020-07 - The Lincoln Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill America's 16th President--and Why It Failed. Brad Meltzer (Author) Josh Mensch (Author) 2020. 448 Pages.
We were scheduled to go see Brad Meltzer talk about this book and get our copies signed … then Queen Corona hit and Fortuna laughed. I managed to watch Brad Meltzer give a talk about this book on C-Span and grew interested in it. So I picked up the copy that Nicholle had gotten signed to me by Brad Meltzer and gave it a read. This book is a crime thriller, a socio-political history of the era and a love letter to Abraham Lincoln. The author admitted this latter aspect in his video author discussion. The tale is told with the ending known beforehand. The book is character driven with each advancing the story in their own area until it intersects with another. Great format and deft writing. Even though you know the outcome it is still a page turning thriller. I developed a new and deeper appreciation for Abraham Lincoln and to my surprise, Alan Pinkerton. There is excellent insight into the politics that made the Civil War inevitable … visceral stuff. A very good book. ...more
2020-04 - Critical essays on Charles Brockden Brown. Bernard Rosenthal (Editor) 1981. 246 Pages.
The third book not a novel of Charles Brockden Brown i2020-04 - Critical essays on Charles Brockden Brown. Bernard Rosenthal (Editor) 1981. 246 Pages.
The third book not a novel of Charles Brockden Brown in my yearlong study of Charles Brockden Brown. Though only 246 pages, this book took a longer amount of time to read through than I anticipated. The book is divided into four parts. The first is an introduction which explains why this book is being put together and provides a brief overview of the author Charles Brockden Brown, his work, and legacy. The second section are essays on the work of Charles Brockden Brown (CBB) written in the 19th century. This was perhaps the most interesting and fascinating section of the entire book. I have never been one to read much if any literary criticism before. But seeing criticism and reviews from the early 1800’s, through the mid and late 1800’s was eye opening. Seeing the same book or books reviewed at different points in a single century … the material was the same but the views of that material reflected more the values and priorities of the time period the reviewer was writing than the material they were reviewing. Literary criticism as a window into the time and culture of the reviewer. It converts a secondary source into a primary source. I have been thinking a lot about using contemporary literature of an era as primary source material in historical research since my seminar at the American Philosophical Society on the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. I think this section of this book confirmed my bias or conception of literature as primary source material for doing historical research. The third section consisted of 20th century essays on the works of CBB. These tended to conform to established schools of approach and be much more specific, academic, and specialized than the criticisms of the previous century. This reflects an increasing specialization not just in academia but across American society in general. The final section is actually a bibliographic essay of sources. Very well organized and done. Listing criticism sources by time period and theme rather than just a mass listing of sources. It makes it easier to sort and find something you want to look for. It is this section that I will probably use going forward in my ongoing study of CBB. This book is pertinent and would be of interest to a wider swathe of people than just CBB scholars or literature students and scholars. Because criticism is often as much an insight into the society of the critic this book has a lot of interesting and pertinent information about historical and cultural context that are valuable and would otherwise be overlooked. It is what I would call the “Octavia Paz Approach” that you can achieve depth of knowledge and understanding by breadth of inquiry rather than narrowed specialization. To quote a Soviet military maxim … quantity has a quality all its own....more
2020-02 - Dress in the Age of Jane Austen: Regency Fashion. Hilary Davidson (Author) 2019. 336 Pages.
Saw this book on a Facebook post by a fellow his2020-02 - Dress in the Age of Jane Austen: Regency Fashion. Hilary Davidson (Author) 2019. 336 Pages.
Saw this book on a Facebook post by a fellow history nerd, albeit she writes historical fiction of this era. I loved the book cover and the topic. It fits into the Charles Brockden Brown era I am studying. First I love fashion of this era … an era of transition, the end of extravagance and the beginning of the demure. Yet a demure unlike the Victorian, a demure with style and not heaviness. As a long time watcher of Project Runway and amateur with the needle and thread myself I truly appreciate design and construction. A true tailor, mantua maker, or seamstress is part mechanical engineer, part artist, and 100% anatomist. Designing for a moving human form, knowing how the fabric moves, looks, and works as well as colors etc. These items, and the book is lavishly illustrated with photos pieces, period artwork and swatches were all pre-industrial for the most part. There are few items readymade, almost all of it is bespoke. And done by hand, with scissors, needle, and thread … 50-100 stiches to the inch. The book starts with the intimate and underclothes, such as they were in that era. It then moves out to the house, the village, the province, the city, the nation, the colonies, and the international stage. This from page 23 states it very well; “Human bodies are clothed in culture. Haircuts, sun exposure, marks left by work and leisure, the shaping by clothing and by mental images construct a socio-cultural ‘body’ identifiable in time. Dress lies at the margins of the body and marks the boundary between self and other, individual and society. The boundary is intimate and personal, since our dress forms the visible envelope of the self. Everyone in the Regency got up in the morning and put on garments that reflected their physical and cultural environments, balancing material garments and conceptual aesthetic imaginings to dress both their real and their social bodies. “ This book also talks about the economics of clothing and other aspects, like how hard it is to find examples and imagery of maternity and menstrual clothing. An absolutely well done book complete with a glossary of terms and chronological imagery of dress evolution through te area. Fabulous. ...more
2020-01 - The Romance of Real Life: Charles Brockden Brown and the Origins of American Culture. Steven Watts (Author) 1994. 270 Pages.
My second Charl2020-01 - The Romance of Real Life: Charles Brockden Brown and the Origins of American Culture. Steven Watts (Author) 1994. 270 Pages.
My second Charles Brockden Brown biography. This book originated as an outgrowth of an earlier book (“The Republic Reborn: War and the Making of Liberal America, 1790-1820) the author wrote on the early republic. This is the second biography in quest to become the Charles Brockden Brown scholar that I wanted to talk too. Because this book grew out of a previous book it is not a standard subject focused biography. This book is really about context, anchoring the author in his time period to discern his influences and whom or what he was influencing. The author does an excellent job of discussing contextual aspects of the Early Republic which show up in the writings and thoughts of Charles Brockden Brown. This book is a real gem at not just understanding the author, literature or prose but also offering insights into that period of transition between being a colony of England and then falling into the Victorian cultural backlash against eh forces let loose by the era of Revolutions. My reader’s notes will run 10-12 pages when finished. Much of the material that intrigued me and which I thought would be applicable for addition as material at Historic Waynesborough I have been able to verify through other sources. This book came from The Free Library of Philadelphia. All told this is an excellent biography if you want to understand what shaped and formed the writer, how the writer reflected this, and how the writer contributed to what follows. ...more
2020-01 - Charles Brockden Brown, pioneer voice of America. Clark, David Lee (Author) 1952, 363 Pages.
Outside of the novels of Charles Brockden Brown 2020-01 - Charles Brockden Brown, pioneer voice of America. Clark, David Lee (Author) 1952, 363 Pages.
Outside of the novels of Charles Brockden Brown this biography marks the beginning of my quest to become the Charles Brockden Brown scholar that I wanted to talk too. This is a normal biography, as biographies go. It does though have a point of view rooted in the time of its creation … the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. Allusions to McCarthyism and an attempt to tie events of post-Revolutionary War to the cultural current of post-WWII. The book as biography though is standard fare … gets a little hagiographic while still giving nod to critical voices. I appreciate the inclusion of passages and excerpts from non-novel writings of Charles Brockden Brown. I took about eight pages of reader’s notes. It was a good general introduction. I will be using the bibliography for further study. Interesting note about interlibrary loans in our library system … there was a more recent reprint of this book but it was too new to request so the circulation librarian had to find this older version (which is what I requested). This book came from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. ...more
2019-12 – Cost of Revolution: The Life and Death of an Irish Soldier. Matthew Skic (Author) 2019. 135 Pages.
This is the companion book to the exhibit2019-12 – Cost of Revolution: The Life and Death of an Irish Soldier. Matthew Skic (Author) 2019. 135 Pages.
This is the companion book to the exhibit of the same name at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. The exhibit is deeply moving. I walked out the first time in tears. I have visited it now three times and am still deeply moved with each experience. This book is an excellent companion piece to the exhibit. It highlights and shows all of the artifacts on display and additionally attempts to provide context for them. I think it does a good job at providing context so that the artifacts are not just hanging space or limited to the exhibit. It ties it together in a good narrative. If you cannot get to the exhibit or the one man play that is part of the exhibit this book is surely the next best thing. It has deepened my understanding an appreciation of the story told in the exhibit....more
2019-12 – The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are. (Audiobook) Brene Brown (Author) Lauren Fo2019-12 – The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are. (Audiobook) Brene Brown (Author) Lauren Fortganag (Reader) 2010. 160 Pages.
I needed a new audiobook to listen to and I picked up three at the library. This was one of the three. I had read another book by this author a few years ago after watching her TED Talk on vulnerability. This book also fit the listening timeframe I has available. The writer is a shame researcher … or at least that was her primary occupation at the time of this books authorship. The book itself is a weaving of themes with stories from the authors experience to highlight those themes. It is a proven technique of opening up and exposing self-vulnerabilities in order to give permission for the listener or reader to do the same in their own life. It is a therapist’s technique and one I used as an interrogator. I wish the author would have stuck with this and not added the action questions at the end of each section. I found those sermon like. Actually I found the spiritual/religious references peppered throughout this text to be off putting. She made a point of using the word spiritual or belief in a higher power but 95% of the time it was a monotheistic construct and reference that was being used. Granted that is her own experience and she is exposing herself to get you to open up and do self-examination … I found the insistence on it as off putting for me personally. Otherwise there is some excellent material in this book especially regarding the blame society and the demands of perfection. A good book to loosen up the walls of resistance to self-examination. Not as good as her vulnerability material ... but this may be more about me and where I am, than the author and her methodology. ...more
2019-12 - Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of the Water Lilies (Audiobook) Ross King (Author) Joel Richards (Reader) 2016. 416 Pages.
In2019-12 - Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of the Water Lilies (Audiobook) Ross King (Author) Joel Richards (Reader) 2016. 416 Pages.
In our house I am not the Claude Monet or Impressionist art fan. But, I like his work enough to be curious enough to have given this book a go. This is not a complete biography of Claude Monet, nor is just about Claude Monet. I actually found the parts about his relationship to Georges Clemenceau to be the most interesting parts. The book focuses on the work at the end of Monet’s life when following his disgust with France over the Dreyfuss Affair he swore off painting anything distinctly or glorifying France. Though he did commit to painting the ruins of a war ravaged cathedral. His narrowing of focus to water lilies and his own garden is really at the heart of this book. It is a tale of privilege, weariness, self-criticism, and single minded focus. But just as a door is not a house, this book opens up to a discussion about French culture, identity, and change in the period before, during, and after The Great War of 1914-1918. What I thought interesting was that soon after his death and donation he was mostly forgotten or considered passé in France. Taste moves on. His popularity though in Japan and I particular the United States of America remained in the fore. His rediscovery by the French in the mid to late 20th century was largely the result of ex US Servicemen flocking to France to study art and culture on the GI Bill. This is a good book, it provides insights and material for thought. This is not straight biography. This is not a snobbish art book. ...more
2019-08 – The White Darkness. David Grann. 2018. 160 Pages.
Nicholle picked this up at the library because of my known love of Polar Exploration and t2019-08 – The White Darkness. David Grann. 2018. 160 Pages.
Nicholle picked this up at the library because of my known love of Polar Exploration and that this author was going to be presenting and signing this book at the National Book Festival this year. I did not get to the presentation, and I did not buy a copy of this book to be signed. However, I did read this book. I enjoyed an earlier book he wrote called “The Lost City of Z”. This book … “The White Darkness” is an extended version of a magazine article he written a few years ago about a modern Antarctic explorer who as a descendent of one of Shackleton’s original expedition members. This book chronicles this modern explorer’s life in the British Army, his infatuation with “The Boss’ (Ernest Shackleton) and ultimately his emulation of him. An emulation which lead to three Antarctic expeditions. The book is full of wonderful snippets of wisdom and insight into Shackleton’s mindset, Arctic conditions, and the modern efforts in Antarctica as prelude to Space Exploration. A good book with excellent photographs. Sometimes it is hard for the casual reader to understand what polar conditions are like unless you have existed for days outdoors in subzero temperatures, lived on a glacier or been to the artic (I have done the first two). This book does a better job than most of bridging that experience gap. ...more
2019-07 - David Bowie (Little People, BIG DREAMS). Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara (Author) 2019. 32 Pages.
Octavia checked this out of the library for he2019-07 - David Bowie (Little People, BIG DREAMS). Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara (Author) 2019. 32 Pages.
Octavia checked this out of the library for her and I to read … we are both fans of the David Bowie persona “Ziggy Stardust”. This is a good introduction in to the ethos and motivation of David Bowie throughout his life. Great illustrations and succinct text. Sometimes children’s books are well worth a read....more
2019-05 – Robert Adam : the creative mind : from the sketch to the finished drawing. A.A. Tait (Author) 1996. 48 Pages.
This is an exhibit catalog boo2019-05 – Robert Adam : the creative mind : from the sketch to the finished drawing. A.A. Tait (Author) 1996. 48 Pages.
This is an exhibit catalog book from an exhibit at The Frick Collection in 1997-1998. I am a big fan of Robert Adam. The man was a genius. This book is about work sketches done throughout the career of Robert Adam, from his sketching as a student to near the end of his life. The images are ably discussed in the text and the sampling of images demonstrates breadth and development. I wish the images had been larger, but that would have not probably been practical with this format. A good book for fans seeking insight. ...more
2019-05 - Pops: Fatherhood in Pieces. Michael Chabon (Author) 2018. 144 Pages
This is a collection of previously published essays collected into a sin2019-05 - Pops: Fatherhood in Pieces. Michael Chabon (Author) 2018. 144 Pages
This is a collection of previously published essays collected into a singular thin tome. If you enjoy Chabon’s writings, you will enjoy this collection. If you are unfamiliar with his voice and point of view it will come across as ho-hum, except for the essay on his son and fashion … that is pure gold! Well crafted, written, and insightful. The book is a good evening or lazy afternoon read.
2019-01 – American Dialogue: The Founders and Us (Audiobook) Joseph Ellis (Author) Arthur Morey (Reader) 2018. 304 Pages.
I saw the author talk about t2019-01 – American Dialogue: The Founders and Us (Audiobook) Joseph Ellis (Author) Arthur Morey (Reader) 2018. 304 Pages.
I saw the author talk about this book on Book – TV. The book talk was interesting and captivating. The author presented it as an ongoing discussion between several of the Founding Fathers and ourselves. The four Founding Fathers in this dialogue are: Thomas Jefferson on Race, John Adams on Equality, James Madison on Rule of Law, and George Washington on Foreign Policy. The author states that intertwined are the two great American stains …slavery and actions against Native Americans. Each of these sections is divided into a Then and Now. I enjoyed the format, and I enjoyed the book while I was reading it. It has not lingered with me though. I think this has more to do with a familiarity with the topics and material before I encountered this book. Nothing, or very little was new to me, had I not been as read in the founders as I am this book would have been startling. The author does a good job of offering correction of the common views of Jefferson. The author focuses on the split between the expressed thoughts of Jefferson and his actual deeds. The most interesting aspect of the chapter dealing with George Washington and foreign policy is that the views expressed by Washington in totality … his farewell address and all of his other known letters and actions indicate that Washington knew the Young Republic needed space and time to grow ... that it was struggling just to contend with the conflicts between the Native Americans and his own citizenry … much less any hope of victory against a determined foreign foe ... two which (Spain and England) still lingered along the edges of the Republic. Washington meant his words not to cover all time but until the nation could defend and exert herself on par with other powers. This is a theme throughout. That the founders knew we needed to stabilize and grow. The US Constitution was meant to be a document capable of growing and evolving with the nation … not static words, thoughts, or dictum. A good book for serious students and a great book for those who have not encountered the founding era since secondary school. ...more
2018-11 - Unlikely General: "Mad" Anthony Wayne and the Battle for America. Mary Stockwell (Author) 2018. 376 Pages.
Someone mentioned to me that there2018-11 - Unlikely General: "Mad" Anthony Wayne and the Battle for America. Mary Stockwell (Author) 2018. 376 Pages.
Someone mentioned to me that there was a new (2018) biography of local hero Anthony Wayne. As a tour guide and director of education at his house there I thought I should give it a read. I am glad I did. There are about four or five older standard biographies of Anthony Wayne. Those older biographies all sort of read the same … they seem like hagiographic literary clones. This new biography covers much of the same ground but in a different manor and has additional material from new research. To that end it is refreshing. The Anthony Wayne in this book is shown as more human than earlier books. A man with a temper, with doubts, fears, and proclivities. Yet each of these departures from past books is well documented and provides a better fuller picture of the man. The book uses his final campaign into the wilderness culminating in The Battle of Fallen Timbers and The Treaty of Greenville. This latter part of his life typically gets shorter shrift in past biographies which focused more heavily on the eight years of the American Revolution. It is these later accomplishments that actually had far greater impact on the nation then his many exploits during the American Revolution. I am glad the author focused on this. His whole life story is told during periods of reflection during the final campaign. It was a very effective method. This book is well researched, well written, and a most welcome book about an important American figure … of the 67 different names for counties in the US, Wayne is ranked 12th ... though almost all are east of the Mississippi River. This will become the standard overview reference text on Anthony Wayne for at least a generation. ...more
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