I found the biography of Senator Sam Ervin most interesting considering the similar problems we face today. I remembered Senator Ervin from the WatergI found the biography of Senator Sam Ervin most interesting considering the similar problems we face today. I remembered Senator Ervin from the Watergate hearings but knew little about him except he was a southern democrat against civil rights. I learned from this book that I can thank him for his long fight for individual rights to privacy both related to job applications and to police searches. He also led the fight for limiting consolidating power in one area of government which led to his battles with Nixon and the Army surveillance of American citizens. If I had read this book two decade ago, I would not have learned how Senator Ervin’s battles in the past relate to the current times. It is interesting how looking at information from different viewpoints we can learn so much more. I can remember my great-grandmother say don’t wear blinders you are not a horse.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is fourteen hours and fifty-four minutes. David Stampone does a good job narrating the book.
“Alone at Dawn” by Dan Schilling and Lori LongFritz is advertised as the story of John Chapman, a Combat Controller, who won the Medal of Honor in Afg“Alone at Dawn” by Dan Schilling and Lori LongFritz is advertised as the story of John Chapman, a Combat Controller, who won the Medal of Honor in Afghanistan. It does cover Chapman’s story, but mostly the book is about the history of the combat controller and their role in war and natural disasters. It is a new profession created from the Vietnam War. The book is interesting but does contain a lot of military jargon.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is eleven hours and twenty-three minutes. Kiff VandenHeuvel does good job narrating the book.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I have read everything I can about Chester Nimitz over the years. This book technically is not a biography as I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I have read everything I can about Chester Nimitz over the years. This book technically is not a biography as it only covers one item about Nimitz, his leadership skills.
Nimitz was Commander In-Charge of the Pacific Fleet and the Pacific Ocean Areas from 1941 to 1945. He had a difficult job implementing General George Marshall’s strategic plan for the war on Japan. Adding to his challenges were two difficult men, his boss, Admiral Ernest J. King, and the Army Pacific Theatre Commander, the egocentric General Douglas MacArthur. Nimitz’ leadership skills were on full display in leading his mercurial admirals such as Halsey, McCain, Mitscher, Fletcher and the methodical Spruance.
If you are interested in learning more about Nimitz, I recommend “Nimitz by E. V. Potter, 1976 and “Admiral Nimitz, The Commander of the Pacific Ocean Theatre” by Brayton Harris, 2012.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is fourteen hours and twenty-six hours. L. J. Ganser does an excellent job narrating the book. ...more
I found this biography fascinating. The book is about John Marshall Harlan (1833-1911). Harlan is remembered for three outstanding dissents in the CouI found this biography fascinating. The book is about John Marshall Harlan (1833-1911). Harlan is remembered for three outstanding dissents in the Court’s most disconcerting rulings. He is the lone dissenting vote (8-1) in Plessy V Ferguson in 1896. This is “the separate but equal” doctrine.
I found the sections of the Court battles about income tax and labor laws most interesting and in many ways the arguments have not changed. Particularly the reasons the rich gave for why the rent payments they received should not be taxed or why government had no right to tell them to limit employee’s hours to no more than twelve hours per day. I found it most helpful to pause and see where the Court has been before in controversial discissions.
The author, Peter Canellos, did an excellent job researching information for this book and presenting a fairly unbiased report. If you are looking for a great biography to read this summer, try this book.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is nineteen hours and twenty-three minutes. Arthur Morey does a good job narrating the book. ...more
I found this book “First Friends, The Powerful Unsung People Who Shaped Our Presidents” by Gary Ginsberg refreshing. It provides a different insight iI found this book “First Friends, The Powerful Unsung People Who Shaped Our Presidents” by Gary Ginsberg refreshing. It provides a different insight into a president.
I have read many biographies of presidents. Much of the information in this book appears in the biographies, but this book looks at it from a different viewpoint. I believe that the friend provided more personal information along with information as to the role of a friend to the president. The one I found most interesting is that of Nixon and Bebe Rebozo. If you are looking for something different to read for the summer, give this book a try.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is fifteen hours and twenty-eight minutes. Robert Petkoff does an excellent job narrating the book. ...more
This is an interesting take on an almost forgotten summit meeting in Yalta near the end of WWII.
The book is well written and researched. I learned a fThis is an interesting take on an almost forgotten summit meeting in Yalta near the end of WWII.
The book is well written and researched. I learned a few new items about the meeting in Yalta; but, I also learned something about each of these daughters of Churchill, Roosevelt and Harriman. It was great to obtain a view of each of these famous men through the eyes of their daughters. I read with the benefit of hindsight, therefore, felt Winston Churchill’s frustration even more as he tried to warn Roosevelt about Stalin’s pending power grab and what the fate of Poland and other boarder countries under USSR would be. But no one would listen to Churchill. If you are interested in this period of history, I highly recommend this book.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is fourteen hours and fifty-five minutes. Christine Rendel does a good job narrating the book. Rendel is a British voice-over artist and audiobook narrator.
I have enjoyed Susan Page’s writing over the years. Page chronicles Pelosi’s career in the straight forward way that journalist do. Page is the WashinI have enjoyed Susan Page’s writing over the years. Page chronicles Pelosi’s career in the straight forward way that journalist do. Page is the Washington Bureau Chief for USA Today.
The book is well written and researched. Page interviewed Pelosi many times for the book. Page was primarily unbiased and reported on proven facts. There is not any muck raking in this book. I am sure this was a difficult book to write. The sections about her beginning in politics in San Francisco was a trip down memory lane. In the sections about her career in Washington D.C., I learned a number of things I was unaware of about Pelosi. If you are interested in politics, this book will be worth the read.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is thirteen hours and forty-two minutes. Susan Page does a good job narrating her book. ...more
I remember the 1960 election. I also remember watching the Democratic convention on T. V.
The book is well written and researched. Pietrusza goes into I remember the 1960 election. I also remember watching the Democratic convention on T. V.
The book is well written and researched. Pietrusza goes into great detail about the events leading up to the debates and thereafter. I found the debates the most interesting part. Looking at Nixon from hindsight, I could spot warning signs in his behavior I did not notice at the time. Of course, the author was helpful to point that out. I found it interesting how this one election went on to effect three presidencies.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book was eighteen hours and forty minutes. Jeff Cummings did an excellent job narrating the book. Cummings is an actor and the 2015 Audie Award Winner for audiobook narration. ...more
This book is easy to read and is interesting, but I cannot help feel there is something wrong. The first part of the book is an average biography of EThis book is easy to read and is interesting, but I cannot help feel there is something wrong. The first part of the book is an average biography of Edmund Burke (1729-1797). But, the last half of the book appears to me to be Jesse Norman’s opinions and viewpoints not that of Burke. I maybe wrong, but that is the impression I came away with.
Burke was born in Dublin, Ireland, and graduated from Trinity College, Dublin. He became a member of the British Parliament from 1765 to 1794 and was known for standing up for America during the Revolution.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is nine hours and forty-seven minutes. Anthony Ferguson does a good job narrating the book. Ferguson is a classically trained British actor. He has narrated many audiobooks and has won an Audiofile Magazine Earphone Award for his narration. ...more
I have read some of Carter’s books and most of the biographies about him. I am glad to read a new in-depth biography of Jimmy Carter. He is one of theI have read some of Carter’s books and most of the biographies about him. I am glad to read a new in-depth biography of Jimmy Carter. He is one of the most under-covered former presidents.
The book is well written and meticulously researched. Including access to Carter’s diaries. The book is comprehensive, not overly detailed and, in my opinion, unbiased. It comes across that Alter thinks that Jimmy Carter is the most misunderstood president. At the end of the book, Alter covers Carter’s post presidency. Alter is a journalist. So, the book reads from that prospective rather than of an academic historian/biographer. If you are interested in presidential biographies, I highly recommend this book.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is thirty-one hours and four minutes or 670 pages. Michael Boatman does a good job narrating the book. It is my first experience with listening to Boatman. Boatman is an actor and audiobook narrator. ...more
The book is well written and researched. It was particularly well documented. I found the footnotes, notes and bibliography helpful.
The item that got The book is well written and researched. It was particularly well documented. I found the footnotes, notes and bibliography helpful.
The item that got my attention was in the preface of the book. Loftis said “For many war buffs, the testimony of spies is presumed false until proven true.” Spies never wrote things down or recounted details of their missions. Most of what they did is classified. Loftus took what Aline did and set out to prove what was true and what was false. I found this approach most fascinating. I appreciated the “Dramatis Personal” (a list of people in the story) and “The Rest of the Story” which summarized what happened to the various people. Loftis also included an overview history of Spain and its culture. I highly recommend this book. It is very easy to read.
The book is 349 pages and is to be released in 2021 by Atria Books. I received an Advance Reader’s Edition from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more
A few years ago, I read Lynne Cheney’s book “James Madison: A Life Reconsidered” and was impressed by Cheney’s writing skills. Therefore, I jumped to A few years ago, I read Lynne Cheney’s book “James Madison: A Life Reconsidered” and was impressed by Cheney’s writing skills. Therefore, I jumped to get her new book “The Virginia Dynasty”.
The book is well written and researched. The book is not an academic history book. Cheney’s doctorate degree is in British Literature, not history. That is probably why she picked up on little-known information about Jefferson’s fascination with words and cadence. The book provides an overview of four men: Washington, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe along with some little-known facts about each man. Cheney is a master storyteller so the book reads more like fiction than non-fiction. If you are interested in the early days of our government, you will enjoy this book.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is ten hours and forty minutes. Nan McNamara does an excellent job narrating the book. McNamara is an actress, voice artist and has won the Earphone Award and was Best Narrator of audiobook for 2016. ...more
I have read many books about TR over the years. In this book, Pietrusza focused approximately on the last five years of TR’s life.
The book was well wrI have read many books about TR over the years. In this book, Pietrusza focused approximately on the last five years of TR’s life.
The book was well written and researched. The author covers the battle between Woodrow Wilson and TR over military preparedness for the coming war. He also reviews the loss of sons TR suffered during WWI as well as those that came back wounded. The book was an interesting read.
I read this book as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is thirteen hours and nineteen minutes. Norman Dietz does a good job narrating the book. Dietz is an actor and well-known narrator of audiobooks. ...more
If I had read this book a few years ago, I would have said interesting and moved on; but, in light of the current state of the country and world, thisIf I had read this book a few years ago, I would have said interesting and moved on; but, in light of the current state of the country and world, this book took on a whole new meaning. Much of what is in this book is critical to our current situation and the state of democracy in this country. Eisenhower was our last bipartisan president. Ike had no political party preference and for four years prior to his running for president both political parties attempted to get him on their ticket. When he was commander of NATO forces, he felt that democracy was in trouble in America and felt it was his duty to run for president.
The book is well written and researched. Susan Eisenhower is writing about her grandfather and the man she knew as a child. I am going to present a few points I felt were important for our current time. You will need to read the book to understand the full impact. Before deciding on which party to join, Ike interviewed both Stevenson and Robert Taft. Taft was a far-right wing politician; he believed the country should isolate itself from the world; and he favored Joe McCarthy. Ike felt Taft was accelerating the divide in the country. Ike also felt the Democrats had been in power too long. He felt isolationism was no longer possible in a nuclear world. He chose the Republican Party as he felt it was on the wrong track. He won the presidency. He selected his cabinet and staff by who was best for the job not which party they belonged too. Ike stated: the key role of the president was to unify the country. He was adamite that education was critical for a good democracy. He also pushed for civics to be taught in school. He felt everyone needs to know how government works and their obligation to it. He felt that by building a better middle class it was the best way to correct and deal with social and economic problems. He also set about rebuilding the infrastructure as it was vital for defense and commerce.
What really grabbed my attention was his view of the courts. Ike stated that it was critical for a good democracy to have it courts and judicial system non-political. He stated that it was vital for the courts to have a wide variety of viewpoints. He said the Supreme Court must represent the diverse variety of the country and come from all over the country not just one region. He also said the court much keep touch with the majority of the country. Ike stated that no extreme viewpoint should be appointed such as the far-right or far-left, racist or anti-Semitism. He said if one party or extremist viewpoint controlled the Supreme Court, democracy would lose. Both Truman and Eisenhower appointed people to the Supreme Court of opposite political parties. They chose who they thought would be best and would add a different viewpoint. (could you see that happening today) Even though Ike’s presidency was in the 1950s, what he thought about the threats to democracy is important for today. I think that everyone should read this book.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is twelve hours and forty minutes. Bernadette Dunne does a good job narrating the book.
In my opinion, this is a good biography of JFK, but not a great one. This is the first major biography of JFK in thirty years. Dallek had complete accIn my opinion, this is a good biography of JFK, but not a great one. This is the first major biography of JFK in thirty years. Dallek had complete access to the Kennedy family documents. There is nothing new in the book, except information about an affair with a White House intern.
The book is well written and researched. The book appears to be unbiased. Dallek does mention JFK’s “Womanizing”. But most of the book is on his political career. About half the book is about the presidency. Dallek provides information on his medical conditions. There is very little information about Jackie, the children or his siblings.
The book makes a good review of JFK. I remember his presidency as if it was yesterday. My how time flies!
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is nine hours and fifteen minutes. Richard McGonagle does a good job narrating the book. McGonagle is an actor, voice actor and well-known audiobook narrator particularly of presidential biographies. Note: The audiobook was not marked as an abridged version but it sure appears to be one.
This is a well written and meticulously researched biography of Gerald Ford. Kaufman provides a balanced and insightful review of Ford’s political lifThis is a well written and meticulously researched biography of Gerald Ford. Kaufman provides a balanced and insightful review of Ford’s political life; his personal life is lightly covered.
Kaufman claims three traits emerge in Ford’s life: his ambition, his loyalty to the Republican Party and his political pragmatism. Kaufman covers his naval career, his congressional career and his term as president. To me Ford and Carter were excellent presidents to heal the nation from the turbulent period of Richard Nixon’s presidency. Ford’s key points where he did not lie to the country and he appeared calm and dependable. I recently read another book on Ford by Donald Rumsfeld called “When the Center Held: Gerald Ford and the Rescue of the American Presidency”. That book covered only the presidency. If you are looking for more information, this book is the better choice.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is sixteen hours and twenty-two minutes. Robertson Dean does an excellent job narrating the book. Dean is an actor and voice artist. He has won eight EarPhone Awards, been nominated for several Audie Award and was Audiofile Magazine Best voice of 2010. ...more
This is a biography of a most interesting woman, Elizabeth Muriel Gregory MacGill (1905-1980). She was the first woman to earn an aeronautical engineeThis is a biography of a most interesting woman, Elizabeth Muriel Gregory MacGill (1905-1980). She was the first woman to earn an aeronautical engineering degree and the first women to receive a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in Canada. She graduated from the University of Toronto.
She was born in Vancouver, B. C. Both her parents were attorneys. The women in her family were all feminists. On the personal side, she caught polio in 1929 and spent the rest of her life in a leg brace. She never let her disability hinder her. During WWII she did much to make Canada an aircraft construction & design powerhouse. She became an expert on the mass production of airplanes and published on the subject. She headed the production of Hawker Hurricane fighter planes. I found the life of MacGill fascinating. But what annoyed me about the book was the reading of all the footnotes and descriptions of the photographs. Most audiobooks do not read the footnotes nor describe photos, but listeners are referred to a website where they are available to view. The referral to the site was given in this book.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is twelve hours and six minutes. Dawn Harvey does a good job narrating the book (except reading footnotes; and, I assume that was the producers’ decision).Harvey is a Canadian actress, singer, voice-over artist. She has won an Earphone Award and the SOVAS Award for her audiobook narration. She also has a law degree. ...more
This is a bit different than other books on this topic in that it is a collection of stories about various women pilots, many of them were members of This is a bit different than other books on this topic in that it is a collection of stories about various women pilots, many of them were members of the 99. (The 99 was an organization of the first women pilots established by Amelia Earhart.)
The book is well written and researched. I enjoyed the intimate stories of the various women rather than a board explanation of what the women pilots did in WWII. The first group that was developed was the Women Auxiliary Ferry Squadron (WAFS) organized and lead by Nancy Love. This was a smaller group of highly skilled women pilots with more than 500 hours in the more powerful planes. The other group was led by the famous aviatrix, Jacqueline Cochrane, and named Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). Cochrane recruited not only licensed women pilots but women who wanted to learn to fly and the Army Air Corps trained them. Landdeck told the stories of the experience of fairly famous pilots but also of those who learned to fly in the program. The last section of the book is about their fight to prove they existed and to be recognized as WWII veterans. I am particularly interested in this topic because I have had several friends who were WASPs. Like so many that served in WWII, they have passed on and took their stories with them.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is ten hours and fifty-three minutes. Gabra Zachman does a good job narrating the book. Zachman is an actress and audiobook narrator. ...more
When I was a child, I read the book Robinson Crusoe. That book hooked me on survival stories. This is a non-fiction story about two shipwrecks on AuckWhen I was a child, I read the book Robinson Crusoe. That book hooked me on survival stories. This is a non-fiction story about two shipwrecks on Auckland Island in 1864. One ship was the Grafton with a crew of five; the other was the Invercauld with a crew of twenty-five. These two crews were wrecked on the island at the same time; the Grafton on the southern part of the island and the Invercauld on the North. They never knew each other were on the island.
The book is well written and researched. What I found most interesting was the descriptions of the flora and fauna of the island. The second most interesting was about leadership particularly with what is going on in our world today. The Grafton crew had leadership and worked together to survive and the Invercauld lacked leadership and the crew disintegrated. If you enjoy survival stories ,this is a must read. I highly recommend this book.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is eight hours and thirty-five minutes. David Colacci does an excellent job narrating the book. Colacci is one of my favorite narrators. Colacci has won numerous EarPhone Awards and been nominated for an Audie Award. ...more
This was an interesting story of an American Army soldier, George Mergenthaler. Merg, as he was called, was fluent in German, French and English. He jThis was an interesting story of an American Army soldier, George Mergenthaler. Merg, as he was called, was fluent in German, French and English. He joined the Army after Pearl Harbor and was assigned to the Reconnaissance Troop of the 28th Infantry Division. He fought in France, Belgium and Luxembourg. He fought in the Huentgen Forest. After this horrible battle, they were sent to Eschweiler in Luxembourg for R&R. I found the story interesting in that much of the story was about the people Merg interviewed as part of his recon job. He spoke their language and because of his personality, he became friends with the people and learned about their problems under the German Army. This is less a story of battles and more a story about people. I enjoyed the book. The book is non-fiction.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is five hours and thirty-one minutes. Scott Persson does a good job narrating the book. Persson is an audio actor. ...more
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