Mover Of Men & Mountains

Book Description

Despite early failures, R. G. LeTourneau rose to eminence in the competitive world of manufacturing and construction. Although his competitors thought him insane, history has proved that his inventive genius was decades ahead of its time. His combination of enterprise and Christian commitment led to his sponsoring many works involving missions and education, including LeTourneau College, a Christian liberal arts and technical school in Longview, Texas. Through a lifetime of business ventures, this engineering genius put faith into action and reaped big rewards. (More than 100,000 in print)

Customer Reviews:

can't stop reading!.......2007-03-11

I could not put this book down. What a great book! One reviewer said to buy a second book to give away. I did, but I should have bought several extras! Now I'm buying more. This book has helped me to recognize God's purpose for my life and the incredible gifts He has given to each of us. A great gift for anyone, especially for someone who has ever been in the construction industry.

Fantastic Book!.......2007-01-22

This was one fantastic book that I could hardly put down. It is a great story of a man with dreams that were larger then life. He always said there are no big jobs, only small machines. Mr. LeTourneau had the capacity to envision larger and larger machines to make man more productive.

This book is 290 pages short with 26 untitled chapters which cover most of Mr. LeTourneau's life. From his childhood and quiting school in the 7th grade to his struggles and almost bankruptcy, he does a great job at unfolding his life the way it happened. He tells of how his business grew during the depression and of the great success he had in creating machines to do a job that none had done before. He was laughed at by people who couldn't see the value in some of his gigantic creations which were ahead of their time. But he didn't allow other people's negativity stop him from accomplishing his goal of benefiting man by making him far more productive then he would have been otherwise.

He talks about his relationship with God and how he believed that God was with him to protect him and help him to succeed. LeTourneau lived his beliefs by helping others and starting a school called LeTourneau Collage. He had given 90% of his stock in his business to a foundation he started for the benefit of others. He is not overpowering with this but just lets his beliefs take a natural course through the book.

Overall I think anyone would really enjoy this book. It really was one of the more interesting biographies I have read. His life again proves that it doesn't matter what kind of education you have or where you are financially, the only thing that can stop you from fulfilling your dreams is yourself!

Mover of Men & Mountains.......2007-01-09

A must-read for every Christian, and a great tool for ministry.

Blessings to Amazon!

What an incredible life story!.......2006-05-23

The first time I read Movers of Men and Mountains was when I started my undergrad work at LeTourneau University. I have since purchased probably ten copies because mine keep getting "borrowed". Go ahead and order two while you're ordering so you'll always have one to keep while sharing!

Everyone should read this book. Mr. LeTourneau is such an incredible inspiration to us all. The story is fantastic, the book is witty and interesting, and the message is life-changing.

Great Read.......2005-06-13

As a LeTourneau University Graduate, I felt compelled to read this book so I could learn more about the man who founded my school. I was impressed by the things he accomplished, witnessed, and experienced in his life. The flow of the book was great and I had trouble putting it down. Truly this man is an inspiration to all men of faith who feel they should do more for God in the workplace.

The Spy Who Loved Me (James Bond Novels)

Average customer rating:

Super Reader
Surprisingly great novel
An Unconventional 007 Story
Dan read the Spy Who Loved Me
A minor classic. James Bond with a twist!

The Spy Who Loved Me (James Bond Novels)
Ian Fleming
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0142003263
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-04

The Spy Who Loved Me is very different from the other books, as the story is told from the point of view of a woman, who eventually runs afoul of a couple of gangsters.

A long way into the book Bond turns up and has a confrontation with the crims and gets the girl. With SPECTRE finished, they are still looking for Blofeld.

Surprisingly great novel.......2007-05-15

When I found out that the content of this novel was entirely different from the content of the Moore flick, I decided to read the novel, and boy, am I glad I did. This is a moving, exciting, totally absorbing book, with terrific characterization and surprising tenderness. I couldn't have asked for a better "light" read, and I recommend it to just about anybody.

An Unconventional 007 Story.......2007-03-18

Having recently read Andrew Lycett's excellent biography of 007 creator Ian Fleming, I found rereading "The Spy Who Loved Me," his tenth James Bond novel, a very unconventional story.

James Bond doesn't appear until page 100. The novel is told from the perspective of Vivienne Michel, a Canadian woman traveling across the USA after two devastating relationships. "Viv" is an strong, sympathetic character--considering that her creator was generally the type of cad who broke her heart! She remembers her deflowering (Fleming had lost his virginity the same way) and her career before fleeing to America (like Fleming, she worked for a newspaper).

But she's a tough, resilient woman, just the type of female who would appeal to a secret agent like 007. Drawn into an insurance scam at a remote New England motel and menaced by two repellent thugs, Viv is threatened with rape and murder until a mysterious Englishman gets a flat tire on a nearby road.

"The Spy Who Loved Me" was an interesting experiment in Fleming's writing that didn't pay off for him. He discouraged any reprints and considered destroying all unsold copies. Who knows what other directions and what risks Fleming might have made if "Spy" had succeeded. In fact, when the producers of the Bond films were looking for their next entry in the series, the Fleming estate allowed them to use only the title of this one.

Reading the novel now in 2007, it appealed to me because Viv's painful past relationships and her determination not to be bitter reflect many women I know now--or wish I knew.

It was also fascinating that the unfeeling men in her past resembled the author more than the main characters. Viv was the strong, beautiful woman he wished he had. And James Bond, as usual, was the dashing super stud he wished he was. Just like the rest of us.

Dan read the Spy Who Loved Me.......2007-02-13

I enjoyed the book. However, the end was to open, I would have liked more details about the relationship.

A minor classic. James Bond with a twist!.......2007-01-15

I did not expect to like this novel. It is told in the first person by a woman who encounters James Bond. Not a promising perspective. But actually, this novel works splendidly, and we get an opportunity to get insight into the elusive James Bond character.

Fleming's writing is as crisp as ever in this novel, and if you can forgive a slightly slow start, this piece rewards the reader with what becomes a fast-paced and thoughtful story. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and once I got into it, I could not put it down until I finished it. Highly recommended.

Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains

Average customer rating:

Wanna get high?
Wonderful!
Jon Krakauer at his best
Lay-Z Boy Dreams: Ventures Among Readers and Mts.
Okay but....

Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains
Jon Krakauer
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0385488181
Release Date: 1997-05-19

Amazon.com

No matter what the actual temperature may be, several pages into Eiger Dreams you will begin to shiver. Halfway through you will acquire a new appreciation for your fingers, toes, and the fact that you still have a nose. And by the end of this collection, you'll define some commonly used phrases in an entirely different way. The understated "catch some air" and the whimsical "log some flight time" are climbers' euphemisms for falling, while "crater" refers to what happens when you log some flight time all the way to the ground. "Summiting," the term for reaching the top of a mountain, seems almost colorless in comparison. The various heroes, risk-takers, incompetents, and individualists Krakauer captures are more than colorful, whether they summit or not. The author is more interested in exploring the addiction of risk--the intensity of effort--than mere triumph. There's the mythical minimalist climber, John Gill, whose fame "rests entirely on assents less than thirty feet high," and the Burgess brothers--freewheeling, free-floating English twins who seem to make all the right decisions when it counts, and hence most often fail to reach the top. Of course, they are alive. Over these and other talented climbers hangs a malignant, endlessly creative nature--its foehn winds can make people crazy and its avalanches do far worse. Eiger Dreams is an adrenaline fest for the weary, an overdue examination of a stylish, brave subculture. As one of the heroes Krakauer outlines says of his occupation, "It's sort of like having fun, only different."

Book Description

No one writes about mountaineering and its attendant victories and hardships more brilliantly than Jon Krakauer. In this collection of his finest essays and reporting, Krakauer writes of mountains from the memorable perspective of one who has himself struggled with solo madness to scale Alaska's notorious Devils Thumb.

In Pakistan, the fearsome K2 kills thirteen of the world's most experienced mountain climbers in one horrific summer. In Valdez, Alaska, two men scale a frozen waterfall over a four-hundred-foot drop. In France, a hip international crowd of rock climbers, bungee jumpers, and paragliders figure out new ways to risk their lives on the towering peaks of Mont Blanc. Why do they do it? How do they do it? In this extraordinary book, Krakauer presents an unusual fraternity of daredevils, athletes, and misfits stretching the limits of the possible.

From the paranoid confines of a snowbound tent, to the thunderous, suffocating terror of a white-out on Mount McKinley, Eiger Dreams spins tales of driven lives, sudden deaths, and incredible victories. This is a stirring, vivid book about one of the most compelling and dangerous of all human pursuits.

Customer Reviews:

Wanna get high?.......2007-10-10

In the same form as his "into Thin Air", Mr. Krakauer has brought the mountains to armchair alpinists all over the world, except through a collection of short stories of a variety of experiences, history and people. The book is educational, easy and interesting to read. The fact that the author himself is a climber adds a very real substance to the story that allows him to write intelligently on the subjects without it being unnatural, and how he can brings information to the forefront of what he is writing that he himself finds amazing.

My only problem with it is with all these places and people, photographs would have helped to enhance the stories he is telling.

For anyone into adventure, climbing, outdoors or even survival, this would be a book that should be read. Not for the lessons but more for the information and enjoyment of it.

Wonderful!.......2007-02-13

Being deathly afraid of heights, I'm in awe of anyone who'd put themselves on top of a mountain...especially more than once. I'm grateful for the vivid descriptions Krakauer gives us in this thrills and chills collection of wild adventures. He allows me to expand my horizons without leaving the safety of my couch. These tales of mountain men includes a few twists on the extreme sport. This was the first I'd heard of ice climbing. I gritted my teeth as the author described the dangerous climb up frozen waterfalls! The book also highlights some of the personalities of the men and women who scale enormous structures. I especially loved the chapter on the 'Burgess Boys'. In his final chapter, Krakauer gives us a personal glimpse into a segment of his youth as he journeys back to the early lure of the mountains after his first taste of climbing; how they shaped him and what they mean to him now. I think he best explains his inner debate with mountain climbing in the words he uses to describe his early climb up Devil's Thumb: "It taught me something about what mountains can and can't do, about the limits of dreams. I didn't recognize that at the time, of course, but I'm grateful for it now."

Chrissy K. McVay
Author of 'Souls of the North Wind'

Jon Krakauer at his best.......2006-12-14

When it comes to talking story, about the wilderness, few people have more interesting stories than serious mountaineers, more than once in this book, youll find yourself reading "I thought this is what its really like to die" more than once, in some form or another.

Jon Krakuaer has the gift of gab in spades and this is his writting at its best, in my opinion. I do not climb at all but have logged enough vicarious flight hours in Jon Krakauers books living vicariously through the many colorful characters that populate the climbing world.

My favorites parts were Eiger Dreams, Canyoneering, and On Choosing a Tentmate.

Lay-Z Boy Dreams: Ventures Among Readers and Mts........2006-08-22

Too timid (or wise!) to try mountain climbing? Look no further, because Krakauer's "Eiger Dreams" is every armchair mountaineer's dream: 12 classic climbing adventures detailing the author's assaults upon this planet's most harrowing miles of vertical rock and snow. Of these previously-printed Krakauer articles, not one failed to pull me into the excitement of moment, whether it was Jon dangling from various cliff faces the world round or merely scrambling along some forgotten canyon floor.

For matchless, pulse-pounding adventure, shadow the footsteps of Krakauer as he traverses the globe. Turn up the lights, crack out the bifocals, and let Jon do the rest. Just be careful not to fall out of your chair.

Enjoy!

ps Other great Krakauer reads: Into Thin Air, Into the Wild.

Okay but...........2006-03-19

I loved Into Thin Air by Krakauer, so I purchased several of his other books, including this one. While the stories were interesting, it lacked the depth I enjoy from a book (likely because it appears to be reprints of magazine articles). It also seems that most (if not all) of these articles are 20+ years old. For the same price as this book I would been better off with a years subscription to Adventure magazine.

Average customer rating:

I remember reading this book in junior high.
Mind Enslavement
Patrick Micheal Dawson's Book Reveiw
The White Mountains
The White Mountains

The White Mountains
John Christopher
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0689856725

Book Description

35th Anniversary Editon with new Text and a New Preface by the Author!

Long ago, the Tripods -- huge, three-legged machines -- descended upon Earth and took control. Now people unquestioningly accept the Tripods' power. They have no control over their thoughts or their lives.

But for a brief time in each persson's life -- in childhood -- he is not a slave. For Will his time of freedom is about to end -- unless he can escape to the White Mountains, where the possibility of freedom still exists.

Customer Reviews:

I remember reading this book in junior high........2007-09-07

I'm very happy to see that this entire "White Mountains" trilogy is still in print. I remember reading this in my early teen years, and how much I enjoyed it. Even then, I knew it was inspired by The War of the Worlds, but it creates an entirely different narrative around the "tripod" invasion and take-over of Earth. I enjoyed the entire trilogy. A great choice for the young sci-fi fan.

Mind Enslavement.......2007-08-02

You're only free to think and feel the way you like until you're 14 and ready for adulthood. Then you must be "capped" (and controlled) by the ruling, mysterious, and god-like Tripods. This is the story of Will, Henry and Beanpole in their dangerous and desperate adventure to escape the enslavement of capping. A gripping story. A Non-Workbook, Non-Textbook Approach to Teaching Language Arts: Grades 4 Through 8 and Up

[Science fiction suitable for the intermediate and junior high grades, if not beyond.]

Patrick Micheal Dawson's Book Reveiw.......2006-10-25

This story is about a kid named William who starts a journey to find the White Mountains a place were men are free from the tripods, a unknown species of giant three leged metal creatures that have taken over the world! When he tries to sneak out he is caught by his curios cousin (who's mom has just died). His cousin decides to go with him ,so they travle to the ocean where they meat Captin Curtis who takes them across the ocean. There they meat up with a boy named Zahn Phole, but they nick name him Bean Pole. Then they start there dangerous journey across the world to the White Mountains!
Will they ever make it?
Find out by purchising this book!

The White Mountains.......2006-10-24

(Science Fiction)

The White Mountains is about three boys who know the secret of being Capped. When you're Capped, aliens known as Tripods take you on your thirteenth birthday and shave your head to then apply a wiry mesh of metal that is welded deeply through all the layers of your skin and then through your skull to just gently reach the brain. What this does is let the Tripods control their minds and ultimately make the humans their slaves. So you can't ask a Capped what it's like to be Capped because the Tripods will make them say "it's just wonderful!" And now one knows this all of this except three boys and a village hidden from all the quiet chaos: The White Mountains, where all is free and no one is Capped. Join Will, Henry and Jean-Paul during their amazing journey to the White Mountains.

What I loved about John Christopher's writing was that there was never a dull moment. The boys were always doing something worth the reader's attention let it be stealing food from locals or escaping encounters with Tripods and risking everything. This was definitely a great book and a page-turner.

The White Mountains.......2006-10-24

Running to the Mountain: A Midlife Adventure

Average customer rating:

Garbage and dishonest writing
I really enjoyed this book
Part of me Liked It, Part of Me Not So Much
A Place to Self Evaluation
Risking it on the mountains

Running to the Mountain: A Midlife Adventure
Jon Katz
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0767904982
Release Date: 2000-03-01

Amazon.com

Jon Katz couldn't afford a country house--his wife didn't want him to buy it; his career looked like it was going off track; and his daughter was about to leave home for college. But when he saw the view from a decrepit little cabin in the mountains, near Cambridge, New York, he knew he had to have the place. So, against all rational impulses, he bought the cabin and used it as a summer retreat. He read Thomas Merton, helped his best friend prepare to be a father, deepened his relationship with his dog, and wrote a book about the spiritual wisdom that came to him in everyday life. Running to the Mountain: A Journey of Faith and Change includes some particularly elegant and urgent readings of Merton, whose central concerns Katz summarizes as well as anyone has:

Merton was obsessed with a central issue for our time--figuring out how to live, trying to forge a life of balance, purpose and meaning. I've grown to share his obsession, his belief that life demands a lot of tinkering, and requires people to give birth to themselves not just once, but over and over.

--Michael Joseph Gross

Book Description

Jon Katz, a respected journalist, father, and husband, was turning fifty. His writing career had taken a dubious turn, his wife had a demanding career of her own, his daughter was preparing to leave home for college, and he had become used to a sedentary lifestyle. Wonderfully witty and insightful, Running to the Mountain chronicles Katz's hunger for change and his search for renewed purpose and meaning in his familiar world.

Armed with the writings of Thomas Merton and his two faithful Labradors, Katz trades in his suburban carpool-driving and escapes to the mountains of upstate New York. There, as he restores a dilapidated cabin, learns self-reliance in a lightning storm, shares a bottle of Glenlivet with unexpected ghosts, and helps a friend prepare for fatherhood, he confronts his lifelong questions about spirituality, mortality, and his own self-worth. He ultimately rediscovers a profound appreciation for his work, his family, and the beauty of everyday life--and provides a glorious lesson for us all.

Customer Reviews:

Garbage and dishonest writing.......2007-02-12

This author is becoming well known for his dishonest and insincere tugging at the heart strings of dog owners and dog book buyers. Don't buy it and don't read it. The way I see it, he owes me a refund.

I really enjoyed this book.......2006-05-03

I really enjoyed this book! I read it in less than 24 hours---so obviously it held my attention. I think some of the Amazon reviewers are a bit too hard on Katz. His experience is his experience after all---and who are we to judge if he is too "urban" or if he still doesn't understand what the rural experience is all about. While I do understand that as a writer Katz is always looking for another book topic---I think he found one here that was worthy of his great writing style. He's a self-deprecating guy who is easy to like. He allowed us, his readers, to enter his world and enjoy ourselves. That's a feat in itself. I say---keep writing memoirs Jon---you have a lot to offer.

Part of me Liked It, Part of Me Not So Much.......2005-04-26

I liked the book, got weary of the more "spiritual" portions, comparing his adventure into solitude with Merton's. Some of it I had to read twice just to get what he was talking about. I guess you would say it is "deep stuff." I would've enjoyed the book more if it was written simply about his trip to the mountain. I enjoyed reading about his buying the cabin and all the work it took to fix it, and the people he met. He wrote a lot about his family and portions of his life. I would rather read about life on the mountain with his new cabin, his dogs, the people...more adventure like in his other books. But this book is not necessarily about an adventure to a mountain, it's about his life and facing the future, and trying to figure it all out; it's about Jon Katz doing some soul searching, trying to escape the monotony of his life and find peace and happiness. Although I feel indifferent to his "spiritual" journey, most people feel like they need to escape from the monotony of busy everyday life and find peace, so it was easy for me to empathize with him this way. I too look for ways to make life newer and better, to face change and embrace it. His musings weren't all too deep for me. I could relate to some of them. Overall I liked the book.

A Place to Self Evaluation.......2005-03-05

During a change of life as he reaches the empty nest era, Katz shares his thoughts and reasons for acquiring his mountain get-away. After he and his wife raise their daughter, Katz decides to find a relaxing haven, to spend some time alone, to read the philosophy of Merton and play with his dogs. This account of his rehabilitating a run-down mountain cottage was fun to read. It is a story that many of us wish to echo as we approach our post-midlife (despite the title) years...finding and enjoying a summer get-away. To reward one's self of the work conducted through life is an admirable goal, even though Katz's goal, in part, was to find material to write about (he is an author by the way). I thank Jon Katz for sharing his adventure with us. It was fun to read and I, no doubt, will re-read this as my time comes to find my reward some day. There simply is something tranquil about having a place to go to where one doesn't need a clock, where the beauty of nature and seclusion are paramount. I feel there is a deep feeling within all of us to have such a paradise to go to. I can picture myself now sitting on the porch, overlooking a beautiful valley between mountains, with a good book in hand while man's best friend lies at my feet.

Take this book for what it is, a fun account of one man's experiences of finding that one summer place to spend some alone time (and time with the family)--to contemplate his life while enjoying it with his four-legged friends. It sounds like a beer commercial, it just doesn't get any better than this. A very good read. Similar books: David Brill, A Separate Place; Mark Phillips, My Father's Cabin; Elizabeth Gilbert, The Last American Man; and, of course, the classic, Thoreau's Walden.

If you know of any similar books, please drop me a line John@delbridge.net.

Risking it on the mountains.......2005-01-12

With a fine sense of humor, Jon Katz reveals his most innermost feelings when he explores the purchase of a crumbling, dilapidated mountain top cabin in upstate New York. Jon, an author, is not a talented handy man around the home. It appears he can barely screw in a light bulb, not to mention his weak skills balancing a check book. Obviously catered and emotionally indulged by his wife, it is a strong reflection of his love for her that he takes on the job of becoming not only responsible financially, but challenging and accomplishing simple things like scrubbing a toilet and cooking dinner. Later, he takes on tougher skills of gardening and basic home maintainance.

His emotional torture is the realization that the couple can barely afford the luxury (?) of a second home, especially one with significant needs. His prolonged assault of ponderous concerns weigh heavily on him as he goes through the decision of actual purchase and facing the extensive renovations ahead of him. He perceives the purchase as an escape for which he can write his novels, articles and self-exploratory memoirs yet the sacrifice he is inflicting on his wife and daughter disturbs his decision making processes. But his love for the home and the mountain lure him and with excessive reflection of his motives and writings of Thomas Merton, he bites the bullet and signs on the doted line.

Central to his development are his extraordinary blond labradors and their day to day activities. A black lab owner myself, I found this the most charming aspect of his life style. There is something so deeply penetrating in one's love for their dog, and it was quite palpable in the experiences they shared together. Special kudos to his patient and loving wife, Paula who understood when to let go and trust in her man. Their daughter, Emma, friends Jeff and Michele, and the incredible townsfolk round out a very lovely story of growth and achievement. Jon's writing skills truly made me feel as if I too, was sitting in his front yard, sipping scotch and watching the mountains looming in the distance. He just may tug of few of you out of your hum drums, and provoke you as well to purchase your little cabin in the mountains.

Incident at Big Sky: The True Story of Sheriff Johnny France and the Capture of the Mountain Men

Average customer rating:

A riveting tale of desperate outlaws on the run.

Incident at Big Sky: The True Story of Sheriff Johnny France and the Capture of the Mountain Men
Johnny France , and Malcolm McConnell
Manufacturer: W W Norton & Co Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0393023346

Customer Reviews:

A riveting tale of desperate outlaws on the run........1999-10-10

Beneath some of Montana's grandest mountain peaks lurked a preditor. Caught in the crosshairs of Don Nichols twisted logic was Kari Swenson. The idea of a mountain bride, stolen from a remote wooded trail. Most amazing is how the Nichols' not only managed to elude the persistance of Johnny France, but stayed one step ahead certain death in the Montana winter of 1984 with just the packs on thier backs. You wont be able to put this one down!

Men to Match My Mountains: The Opening of the Far West, 1840-1900

Average customer rating:

Great writing. Fascinating Info
Men to Match My Mountains The Opening of the Far West, 1840-1900
A Page Turner with More Adventure and History than in any Text Book
Wonderfully Entertaining
match mountains

Men to Match My Mountains: The Opening of the Far West, 1840-1900
Irving Stone
Manufacturer: Book Sales
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0785813470

Book Description

Stone has created an interwoven pageant of stories of the great westward drive which, in a few rousing decades, settled a continent and gave the United States dimensions of which its founders hardly dreamed.

Customer Reviews:

Great writing. Fascinating Info.......2007-06-27

Everyone I know that has read this book has loved it. If you are interested in learning about settling of the west, take a chance on this book.

Men to Match My Mountains The Opening of the Far West, 1840-1900.......2007-05-12

A Great book, that really informs the reader. Hard to put down.

A Page Turner with More Adventure and History than in any Text Book.......2007-04-03

First, this is not my normal genre, but came as a highly recommended book. If one wants to learn about the immigration and exploration of the west, then one can not go wrong by reading and enjoying this wonderful history lesson in story form. As the title of the book indicates, it took a special stock of men (and women) to overcome the many obstacles that the mountains (and desert) requires of one. The book takes you on this journey from the viewpoint of the true early explorers, and adventures, to just people trying to make a better life, or escaping religious persecution. Either group provides the struggles required of all and the high adventures to get where they eventually landed.

It is hard to imagine that prior to year of 1830, that there were probably less than 5,000 non-Native Indians living in the far west. Even more so that most Americans, Canadians, Mexicans, Russians, (and others) that thought the far west presented far too much danger to even attempt the crossing, and once there, not much to reward your effort. This was based on some facts as the story unfolds from the Donner Party tragedy, and Indian attacks, to continued religious persecution, and vigilante groups of early settlements. All told though, there is only greed or great opportunity that can overcome a rational repugnance of such hardships to justify the costs which to overcome man's avoidance of living in such extremes. That greed comes in the form of gold and silver for many that ultimately made the effort to expand the far west.

All in, this is a page turner with both drama, color, and interwoven events to keep the story (i.e. immigration) moving along to the far west that we know today. A wonderful and educational story indeed.

Wonderfully Entertaining.......2006-12-15

What a great read--fantastic story-telling of Western history. It captures the sense of adventure, danger, and especially, perseverance on the part of great men like Sutter down to the individuals rushing to the gold. It provides good lessons for all of us in what it took to build the American West. I highly recommend it!

match mountains.......2006-11-10

I bought this book as a gift for a fellow aficianado of Western U.S. history. It's one of the best ever published, as Mr. Stone delivers historical facts in a prose that makes it come alive. The concurrent time periods of each area's development is easy to follow, and mentally keep track of, as one enjoys the stories. It reminds the reader of just about every western movie he's ever seen!

A Parchment of Leaves (Ballantine Reader's Circle)

Average customer rating:

Wonderfully written sensory experience
A Parchment of Leaves by Silas House
Wonderful...
Beautiful
Beautifully written

A Parchment of Leaves (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
Silas House
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0345464974
Release Date: 2003-08-26

Book Description

It is the early 1900s in rural Kentucky, and young Saul Sullivan is heading up to Redbud Camp to look for work. He is wary but unafraid of the Cherokee girl there whose beauty is said to cause the death of all men who see her. But the minute Saul lays eyes on Vine, he knows she is meant to be his wife. Vine’s mother disapproves of the mixed marriage; Saul’s mother, Esme, has always been ill at ease around the Cherokee people. But once Vine walks into God’s Creek, Saul’s mother and brother Aaron take to her immediately. It quickly becomes clear to Vine, though, that Aaron is obsessed with her. And when Saul leaves God’s Creek for a year to work in another county, the wife he leaves behind will never be the same again. The violence that lies ahead for Vine, will not only test her spirit, but also her ability to forgive—both others and herself. . . .

Customer Reviews:

Wonderfully written sensory experience.......2007-05-25

Silas House has written a beautiful book that is so descriptive that you'd swear you could smell the wet leaves as the characters walk through the woods after a spring rain. This love story between Irish Saul Sullivan and Cherokee Vine is not to be missed. Wonderfully drawn characters, (my favorite is Serena, the wild midwife who befriends Vine), and lyrical, evocative writing make this a story not to be missed. If you enjoy this as much as I did, read House's The Coal Tattoo next, followed by Clay's Quilt. This will follow the whole family's saga from start to finish. All of these are wonderful stories, but this is the best of the batch, followed closely by Clay's Quilt.

A Parchment of Leaves by Silas House .......2007-02-24

Silas House writes beautiful novels. He teaches rich American History many of us would never learn if not for his books. I love to read about the Appalachians.

Wonderful..........2006-08-23

This is a beautifully written, beautifully told story of Vine, a young Cherokee woman in Kentucky of the early 1900's. Vine is a three dimensional character, well-defined and very real.

While the story is slowly paced, it does not lag in any way. House does a great job of describing what "Holler" life was like during that period of time, and especially what life was like for Native Americans. Esme, Aidia and Serena are also well written characters and add a great dynamic to the story.

I did find that the characters of Saul and Aaron needed a little bit more defining for me. Why did Aaron become the type of person that he did? Other than Saul being described as a man of few words, I never got a good sense of him. I'm not sure it was an entirely good idea to have written him out of so much of the book. I would have liked to have read more about the relationship between him and Vine. Regardless, this is still a great book that I highly recommend.

Beautiful.......2006-03-15

One of the best novels I have ever read. This book has everything a good read should: characters that become real to the reader, a wonderful sense of place, a sense of history and knowledge. Not only do you get completely wrapped up in the world of Vine Sullivan, but you also learn more about yourself in the process. A truly beautiful book that I can't recommend highly enough. I've bought a copy for everyone I love.

Beautifully written.......2006-02-27

I read this book during a rainy weekend and loved it. House's familiarity with Kentucky and his love for the hills and the heritage of the area resound in this tale. I was amazed that a male writer could get into the hearts and souls of the female characters he created. Bravo!

Clay's Quilt (Ballantine Reader's Circle)

Average customer rating:

Somewhat disappointing...
Truth and honesty???
Outstanding - Clay and Alma are great character in fiction
Long live House!
A Welcome New Voice in Southern Fiction

Clay's Quilt (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
Silas House
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0345450698
Release Date: 2002-02-26

Book Description

“A YOUNG WRITER OF IMMENSE GIFTS . . . One of the best books I have ever read about contemporary life in the mountains of southern Appalachia. . . . I could see and feel Free Creek, and the mountain above it.”
–LEE SMITH

After his mother is killed, four-year-old Clay Sizemore finds himself alone in a small Appalachian mining town. At first, unsure of Free Creek, he slowly learns to lean on its residents as family. There’s Aunt Easter, who is always filled with a sense of foreboding, bound to her faith above all; quiltmaking Uncle Paul; untamable Evangeline; and Alma, the fiddler whose song wends it way into Clay’s heart. Together, they help Clay fashion a quilt of a life from what treasured pieces surround him. . . .

“A long love poem to the hills of Kentucky. It flows with Appalachian music, religion, and that certain knowledge that your people will always hold you close. . . . Like the finely stitched quilts that Clay’s Uncle Paul labors over, the author sews a flawless seam of folks who love their home and each other.”
–Southern Living

“Unpretentious and clear-eyed . . . A tale whose joys are as legitimate as its sorrows.”
–The Roanoke Times

Customer Reviews:

Somewhat disappointing..........2006-10-27

I read both A PARCHMENT OF LEAVES and COAL TATTOO prior to reading this one, and while I liked CLAY'S QUILT, I felt it was lacking some of the beauty and charm of the other two books.

I found it a bit difficult to like some of the characters (Cake and Evangeline were a bit to cliché for me) and I felt there could have been more written about Dreama and Darry's situation. I also found some of the story predictable - I could see the bar brawl and the confrontation between Clay and Denzel coming down the road a mile away.

I was also a little confused on what I was supposed to surmise about the relationship between Clay and Cake. A couple of times while I was reading this book, I though for sure I was going to start reading some scene from BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN.

Also, having read A PARCHMENT OF LEAVES and COAL TATTOO prior to this one, I became very aware of some inconsistencies in the three stories. For example, in COAL TATTOO, Easter and Anneth refer to both of their grandmothers by their first names, Selena and Vine. In this book, there are references made about "Granny" - I don't recall the two grandmothers ever being referred to as Granny in COAL TATTOO. Also, the character of Marguerite seemed to just pop up out of nowhere. She did not exist in COAL TATTOO.

I thought that the last 50 pages of this book were well worth reading the entire story, but if you have not done so, please read the other two books in this trilogy.

Truth and honesty???.......2006-10-02

This book (and other's by Silas House) celebrates too many negative aspects of life in Kentucky's Eastern Appalachian Mountains. First, Clay is an undereducated coal miner who drinks and does pot and spends his free time in bars. Second, the other characters are equally undereducated, one a teenage mother, and almost all are in abusive relationships. Third, Clay falls in love with another man's wife and the two fight it out in a drunken brawl at a local bar (which is apparently the only entertainment around).

Moreover, the overall theme of House's work is that of "celebrating one's heritage". While this may be a good thing for many people, Clay's family never encourages him to better himself. He doesn't go to college, and while Clay does briefly leave home, he later returns and builds a house right in Aunt Easter's yard. Having come from a large family in Eastern Kentucky, I know that this is one of the problems in the area, no one wants their children to leave, and thus people rarely reach their full potential.

Clay's Aunt Easter doesn't leave her own home very much either (Easter behaves similarly in the Coal Tattoo), and she condemns Clay's mother for trying to "live a little". Clay's mother equally fails at leaving home and comes back to Eastern Kentucky in The Coal Tattoo. It would be one thing to celebrate the families and communities if they were strong, but they are not. The Eastern Kentucky region is fraught with issues of poverty, under or no education, unemployment, drop outs, drug abuse, and a large amount of people on government assistance (Clay's cousin in the novel is on WIC). While other areas of America have the same issues as Eastern Kentucky, I wish that some writers would have enough courage to honestly write about them. And I wish House's novels had explored these issues more instead of adopting the attitude of acceptance and celebration. While Eastern Kentucky is an area rich with its own language and culture, people who are endearing and pioneering, and people who are agrarians at heart, the area does have many problems that cannot continue to be brushed under the rug. Many Eastern Kentuckians do not have proper educational opportunities (or do not take advantage of those offered), are slow to accept change, and most do not want their children to leave the area.

Of course there are other major issues in all three of House's novels that he addresses very well. In particular the issues of big coal companies taking over the land, taking advantage of the undereducated, and reeking havoc on the land and the environment. The coal companies and timber companies are in direct conflict with the agrarianism that many of the older generation of Eastern Kentuckians have held onto. In addition, House adequately explores the dangers of the coal mining and timber mining industry in his novels. However, I was left wanting more truth and honesty from House's work, but I suppose the literary world will have to wait for such a writer.

Outstanding - Clay and Alma are great character in fiction.......2006-07-23

Silas House's trilogy on the lives of people in Kentucky coal country is one of the best-written series of novels I have seen in many a year. The writing is not only superb in structure but gripping and evocative without seeming forced, as so many modern novelists seem to be. His characters are not always likeable but are always interesting: they are real characters, as opposed to "types," and that makes all the difference in the world between a light read and something deeper.

"Clay's Quilt," the third and last book in the series, focuses around the maturity and life of Anneth Sizemore's son, who is only four years old when his mother is murdered by the stepfather he never knew and doesn't remember. Haunted by her image and wanting resolution, he spends the bulk of his young adulthood searching for pieces of her to put together like the crazy quilts his granduncle Paul makes. Raised equally by his kindly aunt Easter and his wilder but equally kindly uncle Gabe, Clay matures into a deeply sensitive young man, inheriting that side of his mother without even realizing it.

One of the best aspects of this book is the character of Alma, the estranged fiddler daughter of a powerful Baptist preacher who leaves her abusive, cocaine-snorting husband to live a life of relative freedom with her even wilder sister Evangeline, a singer in a honky-tonk. Alma's deep connection to music is as mysterious and unexplained as Clay's connection to his family and the area in which he was raised, and lives. Descriptions abound in the book of the way Alma's deep, intense focus on creating and/or performing music remove her completely from the physical plane and put her in the realm of pure spirit. Though Anneth and Easter both responded to the folk, pop and country music they heard in "Coal Tattoo" in an intense way, Alma's connection as both composer and performer kept me spellbound. This is as close as music comes to theism, and Silas House explains it in a way that is both logical and completely understandable, at least for her.

Highly recommended.

Long live House!.......2006-05-21

I had the privelege of reading this book years ago, and immediately sat down to write its creator; little did I know that he would write me back (spending the time to scratch out his thoughts on a post card no less) and express how truly down to Earth that he was.
I have read all three of his books, and was lucky enough to meet him in person when he came to Birmingham. Even though, "A Parchment of Leaves" remains to be my favorite, I still love anything he writes. I can't tell enough people about this writer who not only celebrates life, but through his novels, urges others to do the same. While Clay's Quilt is tacitly connected to the 'trilogy' about Anneth and Easter, Clay's mother and aunt, it can still be read on its own.
I never have been to Kentucky, but when one reads a Silas House novel, you will not be able to say you haven't experienced the spirit of Appalachia anymore. Stunning, lyrical, and absolutely heartbreaking. I can't recommend it enough.
Although this review is a nod toward the author more than his work, I assure you once you read one of his books you will be an instant fan, as I was.

A Welcome New Voice in Southern Fiction.......2006-03-26

There's a great new voice in Southern fiction, and it belongs to Kentucky novelist Silas House. Two years ago, I had the privilege of reading "The Coal Tattoo," his third novel, and was haunted by its depiction of how land, religion and family simultaneously freed and circumscribed an unforgettable Appalachian family. So when someone in my book club suggested we read "Clay's Quilt," House's first novel (which addresses a later generation in the same mountain family), it was my top choice.

The novel has everything: passion, family, faith, violence, and did I mention passion? One recurrent theme is the idea that there exists only a razor-thin separation between life-making zeal -- for God, for music, for family -- and life-destroying violence. The same characters are capable of both extremes, even Clay, the gentle young miner at the heart of the story. House uses a quilt as a metaphor for Clay piecing together his family hstory (and yes, this has been done before; quilt-as-metaphor is certainly familiar literary territory, but I can't think of anyone who's done it better than House). When his own unspeakable act of violence causes him to remember the details of his mother's tragic death, Clay stands at the brink of the abyss, pulled from self-loathing and depression only by the grip of his family's love.

I loved the literary symbolism in this novel, particularly the red birds, who flit in and out at key moments, and Anneth dancing in the snow in her red coat. But House uses these not merely to impress the critics but to emphasize the characters' unbreakable ties to the land where they live. The birds, the flowers, the trees (which House describes at one point as "burning" with God's presence) are extensions of the family and their love for each other. The people are inseparable from nature.

I think that Silas House ranks up there with Wendell Berry and Barbara Kingsolver as the holy trinity of Kentucky writers. I'm going to read "A Parchment of Leaves" next, which takes the Sizemore family back yet another generation.

-- A longer version of this review was posted on March 17, 2006 at The Review Revolution (janariess.typepad.com).

Tales of the Mountain Men: Seventeen Stories of Survival, Exploration, and Outdoor Craft

Average customer rating:

Great insight into a lost world

Tales of the Mountain Men: Seventeen Stories of Survival, Exploration, and Outdoor Craft

Manufacturer: The Lyons Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 159228423X

Book Description

Long the dominant icon embodying the spirit of America's frontier past, the image of the cowboy no longer stands alone as the ultimate symbol of independence and self-reliance. The great canvas of the western landscape-in art, books, film-is today shared by the figures called "Mountain Men." They were the trappers of the Rocky Mountain fur trade in the years following Lewis and Clark's Expedition of 1804-1806. With their bold journeys peaking, during the period of 1830-1840, they were the first white men to enter the vast wilderness reaches of the Rockies in search of beaver "plews," as the skins were called. They feasted on the abundant buffalo, elk and other game, while living the ultimate free-spirited wilderness life. Often they paid the ultimate price for their ventures under the arrows, tomahawks, and knives of those native Americans whose lands they had entered.

Tales of the Mountain Men, presents in one book many of the most engaging and revealing portraits of mountain men ever written. Ranging from nonfiction classics like Bernard DeVoto's Across the Wide Missouri through fiction from such acclaimed novels as A. B. Guthrie Jr.'s The Big Sky, this collection is destined to be well appreciated by the huge and dedicated audience fascinated by mountain man lore and legend. These readers include many who today participate in reenactments of the mountain man "Rendezvous," with colorful costumes and competitions of traditional skills with authentic guns, knives, and tools.
No book exists today with such a diverse and engaging collection of mountain man literature. For an already-large and still-growing audience, Tales of the Mountain Men will be a valued extension of their interest in the mountain man as a compelling and uniquely American figure.

Customer Reviews:

Great insight into a lost world.......2006-06-23

Tales of the Mountain Men is a collection of writings about the first white men to intrude on the world of the Native Americans in the mountainous west. The writings are from diverse sources and are in greatly varied styles. To Mr. Underwood's credit, he did not clean up the writings, so some are written in a vernacular that is difficult for 21st century eyes to understand. But that simply makes the writing more genuine.

The culture that is portrayed is one that preceded the cowboy culture and was overwhelmingly male. The hardships and dangers that were taken for granted by the mountain men are unbelievable, but they are very real too. The portrayal of Native Americans is very negative and cruel.

I gave this book 4 stars because I found its organization difficult. The excerpts are in many cases too short and, in spite of introductory paragraphs, difficult to place. But the writings are fascinating and opened my eyes to a new society that is discussed in a realistic and unromanticized way.

If you are interested in either history of the west or early 19th century culture, this book is highly recommended.

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