Average customer rating:
- Strongly recommended and powerfully vivid
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Gideon Lincecum's Sword: Civil War Letters from the Texas Home Front
Gideon Lincecum
Manufacturer: University of North Texas Press
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Customer Reviews:
Strongly recommended and powerfully vivid.......2001-04-15
The effects of the Civil War on Civilian life in Texas are powerfully conveyed in the correspondence of Dr. Gideon Lincecum (1793-1874), a natural scientist and philosopher who moved to Texas in 1848 with his family of ten children and settled in Washington County. This body of correspondence, ably edited by the collaborative efforts of Jerry Bryan Lincecum, Edward hake Phillips, and Peggy A. Redshaw, is gathered together in Gideon Lincecum's Sword: Civil War Letters From The Texas Home Front and forms a strongly recommended, powerfully vivid, and informatively welcome addition to Civil War studies reference collections and reading lists.
Customer Reviews:
A marvelous glimpse at "the home front" during WWII.......2006-11-12
Compiling 400 letters, Litoff and Smith give readers a very personal look at what World War II was life for American women at home. Reading them is an almost vouyeristic experience, as these women share their thoughts, struggles, personal victories and tragedies.
The book is divided topcially rather than chronologically, giving the reader an opportunity to focus in on one aspect of the war. For example, "I Took a War Job" focuses exclusively on the liberating and empowering experience women felt in working in the defense industry (and making a man's wages.) The most touching and strongest chapter, "The Price of Victory" dealt with the loss of a loved one - husbands, brothers, lovers. The letters are from all social classes, races and parts of the country, providing a representative view, and speaking to the commonality of experiences. It is a remarkable resource, a fantastic read, and a rich collection of primary documents. For the professioal historian, I highly recommend it. For the lay reader, it is as insightful as it is fascinating. Recommended.
An important resource.......2006-10-30
The letters in this book are divided into categories such as war brides, working women on the homefront, newlyweds separated by war, why we fought, the price of war and having a loved one away for so long, and courtship by mail. There's also one chapter that consists entirely of photos and photocopies of postcards, advertisements for things like V-mail and writing to servicemen overseas, posters, drawings, and newsletters. Although many of the concerns and experiences are similar, no two stories are exactly alike. We get a wide range of people, such as newlywed wives who had to cope with pregnancy and raising young children while husbands were away, wives who lost their husbands and often kept writing because they didn't know of their deaths right away, a family in a Japanese-American internment camp, a couple who went from friendly correspondence to a nationally-known breakup and angry feud to finally lovebirds again and a happily and long-married couple, a Quaker couple dealing with the husband being in prison due to his pacifist beliefs and refusal to serve in the military, wartime shortages on the homefront, and the often hard life many farmers faced during these years. The one thing all of these female letter-writers had in common, though, was that they were dealing with the absence of husbands, sons, brothers, fathers, and male friends.
However, this book didn't pique my interest quite as much as it could have due to there being just so many different excerpts; even with the longer sections, there just wasn't as much opportunity to really draw the reader in and make him or her fully connect with these longago letter-writers, the way there could have been had there been more longer excerpts (even with fewer letter-writers represented overall), with some shorter excerpts mixed in along the way. Although this is a problem with all such anthologies; as great as the material is, one can tend to feel that it's still not the full complete picture, particularly when the editors haven't included all of their letters and have even edited the length of some of them. It makes one wish one could read all of these letters written by these interesting people instead of just these relatively short samples. Still, all things considered, this is a relatively minor complaint, certainly nothing that should dissuade one from reading this fascinating book.
Nice easy read.......2005-07-02
I study all kinds of stuff from the WW2 homefront. I really liked this book. It's an easy read, however, you really get to know what it was like for the women who had to stay home during the war. I learned really early in my studies to NOT just listen to what the propoganda tells you. It was not all USO swing dances, troubles finding nylons and writing letters.
The only thing I didn't like about the book is that the letters are edited. I read the book "war letters" before this one and I was spoiled because the letters in that book are unedited and even includes spelling errors, etc but they are exactly how the soldiers wrote their letters. So when I read "since you went away", I was kinda disappointed that the author only gave you what they thought was important in the letter.
An Enthralling Collection.......2000-04-08
I'm very interested in the powerful tapestry of the US homefront during WWII. This book provides a wide variety of first hand accounts of what was happening and more importantly how people felt about these events. The power comes from the fact that the words were written at the time rather than as later rememberances tainted by subsequent experiences. The only selectivity is in the letters people chose to save. But I think the authors have done a good job in trying to mitigate this natural bias by drawing from a wide variety of sources.
AWESOME - EMOTIONAL - REVEALING - INFORMATIONAL - THE BEST.......1997-03-08
This book of letters is so revealing of that period in time.
It lays the emotions of the women left behind during war time right out in the open for all to feel and experience. This book has become a part of my life. I work at a college and when we have a program that needs a reading done I am always called on to read from "my" book of WWII letters from home. I feel like these letters are my children and each one is crying out to be heard and I really do hate to have to pick only a couple to read. This book is that good. I feel that this book should be read by everybody especially young people. I get very good response after my readings and some very emotional responses as well. This is a truly wonderful book and I recommend it to everyone.
Book Description
Frank Schaeffer draws on his relationships with America’s military families to gather a timely and powerful collection of writing from the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Like Keeping Faith and Faith of Our Sons, Voices from the Front bridges the divide between those who are in, or who have family members in the military, and the rest of us who can take that service for granted. It is a book about the intimately emotional and human side of military service. While Faith of Our Sons reflected this war through the homefront struggles of a quietly courageous community of families, Voices From the Front takes us directly to the often invisible front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan: from first deployment to patrols to combat to field hospitals and, in some cases, homecoming. As Schaeffer has written of a group he has come to think of—politics apart—as the next greatest generation, “We need to know the men and women in combat better and to understand what they are going through.” Powerful, moving and undeniable, Voices from the Front tells the story of this war in the voices of the Americans who are living—and dying—in it every day.
Customer Reviews:
In Their Own Words.......2006-05-22
I read this book while my son was serving his first tour in Iraq. He didn't write me any letters although we communicated via IM regularly, but mostly about what was going on back here. So reading these letters in the book, some funny, some serious, some sad, gave me some valuable insight into what he might be dealing with. These are real letters written by real people, and I would sometimes have to put the book aside for awhile and take a deep breath. But mostly I couldn't put the book down at all as I wanted to read more. Some wondered at how I could read such a book while my son was over there, but as his mother, I would have gladly traded places with him so why not learn everything I can about the war he is fighting? Kudos to Frank Schaeffer (and John) for providing us with this type of information.
A deeply serious portrayal of the human side of war.......2004-12-13
Compiled and edited by Frank Schaeffer, Voices From The Front: Letters Home From America's Military Family is an anthology of letters from American soliders, sailors, airmen, and Marines currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. A deeply serious portrayal of the human side of war, including many missives written under stressful or harrowing circumstances, Voices from the Front is an outspoken collection of those who lay their lives on the line for the sake of their country, in their own words. Highly recommended and timely reading, Voices From The Front is a welcome contribution to Military Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.
All Americans Must Read.......2004-10-19
Although I am halfway through, I couldn't wait to post. This is a must read for all Americans especially those who do not truly understand the sacrifice the military makes for our country. The book is powerful, awesome and emotionally overwhelming. My father, my husband and his father and grandfather served in the US military. This book has brought me even greater understanding and appreciation for the job our armed forces do and I am forever grateful for the freedom and security they provide. God bless and keep them.
Thank you to Frank Schaeffer for this important work.
Every American Should Read This Book.......2004-10-05
Voices From the Front is an excellent book to give insight to those who aren't involved in the military and give support to those who are. My husband is in the Air Force and actually has some of his letters published in the book. Three months after his tour in Korea he got sent to Iraq and will be there until January. Though is was difficult to read some of the letters in the book it was also encouraging to know that I am not alone in this situation. I am proud that my husband is serving his country even if it means we have to be apart. I wish that every American would read this book to help them remember that our freedom and the freedom of others comes with a price. Thank you Frank Schaeffer for all your hard work and giving voices to our military men and women and their families.
Product Description
Letters From the Front Lines is a remarkable account of the lives and experiences of Americans at war in Iraq and Afghanistan. This collection of correspondence preserves for future generations the experiences of men and women in uniform and presents a unique perspective about what is actually going on day-to-day in the tents, on the road, and in the weeds in Iraq and Afghanistan. These letters were written from the heart, and tell the truth about life on the front lines (lonely, hot and dangerous), as well as life on the home front (lonely, anxious and supportive). Handwritten letters which, until the current conflict, were the only source of communication home from the front lines are being replaced by email and web logs or "blogs." This book reminds us how important it is to preserve these more ephemeral records of our nation's history.
Customer Reviews:
Highly recommended........2006-12-05
Rear Admiral Stuart Franklin Platt presents Letters From The Front Lines: Iraq and Afghanistan, a compendium of first-person testimonies of servicepeople that gives an up-close and personal perspective of what is really happening in Iraq and Afghanistan day to day. In a modern era where email and online blogging is fast supplanting the serviceman's handwritten letter, Letters From The Front Lines preserves a piece of history and tradition even as it reveals the harsh conditions under which men and women risk their lives for the sake of their country. Highly recommended.
Understanding those who serve........2006-08-29
Letters from the Front Lines is a compilation of war letters, e-mails, and blogs from soldiers, sailors, marines, and even one civilian mom. Although there are other letter-type books, this one is valuable because each chapter is comprised of one person's letters, e-mails, or blogs from one person's perspective of the war and the events that play out in a combat zone. The book is neither pro nor anti-war; it's simply what it is.
In fairness, I should say that my e-mails make up Chapter 3. I won't review my own chapter and as far as I know, none of the contributors will receive any financial returns from the book. Yes, I do hold a bias; however, I wanted to share my thoughts on the impact of the other contributors and the book as a whole.
Letters from the Front Lines is a valuable read for anybody trying to understand war from the perspective of those who fight it. Letters come from low-ranking enlisted and high-ranking brass alike. E-mails and blogs start early in the "war on terror" and span well past the first Iraq election. Some letters cover detailed political thoughts while others talk about the food and dust storms. Many letters carry a hint of missing life back home, but all understand the importance of service and duty. Not every author is for the war and not everybody is against it. These un-edited letters share the raw emotion found in war, even if they don't share the war itself.
Many different perspectives are shared. Brian Baldrate writes about the same time I was there. He had little hesitation sharing things that may have scared his family back home. I, on the other hand, found it far easier to write about non-war items to let my family know I was safe but not frighten them at the same time. Officers write about the larger perspectives of war while the enlisted, those in the trenches, often talk about duty.
I loved most of this book because as a veteran myself, I could relate to the emotion shared in Letters from the Front Lines. People still ask me about war. My recommendation is that they read this book.
Contributors include SGT Chris McCarthy USMC (Chapter 1: The View From Here), CPT Brian Baldrate US Army (Chapter 2: Law and Order), SSG Bryan Catherman US Army (Chapter 3: The Other Side of the Sandbox), SGT Chris Missick US Army (Chapter 4: A Line in the Sand), CPT John Upperman Texas National Guard (Chapter 5: Who's Your Baghdaddy?), SGT David S. Bateman USMC (Chapter 6 Devil Dog), LTC Dan Hokanson National Security Fellow at Harvard University (Chapter 7: Citizen Soldiers), Karey Keel-Stidham Marine Mother (Chapter 8: Devil Dogma), MAJ Eric Rydbom US Army (Chapter 9: Letters to America), Vice Admiral J.D. McCarthy and CPT Kurt Kunkel USN (Chapter 10: The View From Here), Rear Admiral Robert Conway Jr. USN (Chapter 11: Transformation- Part One), Brigadier General Mike Regner USMC (Chapter 12: Transformation- Part Two), and Major General Kevin Kuklok USMC (Chapter 13: Eight Months in the Palace).
Customer Reviews:
What an inspiring young man!.......2006-08-08
I throughly enjoyed this book. I gave copies to several friends who also enjoyed it. Through his letters home, it is obvious that Morris Redmann was an exceptional young man. I felt that I got to know him through these letters. Beautifully put together.
A Voice from the past.......2006-07-14
Anyone enjoying reading memoirs of veterans from WWII will find this work compelling. The only difference is this is a memoir from the grave - the thoughts, actions, hopes and dreams of a very young man who died at nineteen in the frozen Ardennes in 1945. He was in law school at eighteen. I had the pleasure to write the forward for this work, and Morris Redmann was indeed special: faithful, humorous, poetic, and patriotic; a man we would all have loved to have known. He left us his letters to do just that.
Ronald J. Drez
Heart-warming glimpse of the All American Boy.......2006-02-07
This book is a labor of love. A younger child's devotion to an older sibling. Morris B. Redmann, Jr. was the eldest of 10 children. He once said that it is a "Noble Obligation to serve one's country..." This book is a compilation of his letters home (V-mail) that were steadfastly kept by his Father and preserved for all time by my Father the author. It was the infamous shoebox full of letters that Uncle Morris wrote home that my Dad kept in the attic and always said he would write a book about them one day. Well, he did! And what we have is a heart-warming glimpse into a young American Boy's life. One that he sacrificed gladly for his country and for the Liberty that we all enjoy. Although he is laid to rest in the Luxembourg American Military Cemetary, his spirit lives on in his siblings and now for posterity, in the words and writing of his little brother, Kerry P. Redmann! Consummatum est!
Product Description
As a teenager in Nazi-occupied Ukraine the author had one aim in his life, "I had a dream: to survive until our guys got back, become a soldier myself, get a submachine gun, and head westward with them. Our forces weren't moving westward, however. They were still busy retreating, somewhere there, on the Volga, in the Caucasus. It was a vague promise I had made to myself to 'sometime, someday'. . . ." Written as a journal of his experiences while a teenager during the German occupation and later, as a memoir of his Red Army service, Victims, Victors describes the confusion and agony of the conquered, and, ultimately, the triumph over those who invaded his homeland and murdered its citizens. Victims, Victors is, however, much more than a common chronicle of wartime experiences. Victims, Victors provides inside detail and views that could not be found in Russian books printed during the Soviet era.
Customer Reviews:
important warhistory.......2007-09-29
This book represents a very important contribution to the literature of World War II in several ways. Kravchenko's use of both a diary and his memories gives us a unique picture of a teenager experiences with the cruelty of war. He describes to us the life in Kremenets during the German occupation but manages also to describe and give a comment on the war on the Eastern front. We also get valuable information on the treatment of Soviet Prisoners of War, the mobilization of the Forced workers from Ukraine to Germany and the partisan movement. The book is in addition to this a very good source to the history of the Red Army and its soldiers.
The killing and deportation of the Jews of Kremenets is a history of horror and human suffering. Kravchenko writes that he feels awful and ashamed when his Jewish friend Frida is taken away to the prison by the Germans in august 1942. He describes how she is standing on the truck, proudly with her head held high. This occurrence gives us a brief insight in the strong emotions connected to a meaningless loss of a good friend. Kravchenko gives us a very close description of frightful experiences according to the massacre of the Jews of Kremenets. Being an eye-witness to the Germans brutal conduct in Kremenets the diary represents so much more than a ordinary journal of wartime experiences.
Kravchenko's years as a sergeant in post-war Germany provides the reader a different picture on how the Red Army soldiers behaved when they got to Germany. He writes that he never came across or even heard of any orders in the red Army to sack cities and to rape. Nor did he see evidence of Soviet atrocities of the scale suggested by other writers. This simply does not match with his personal experiences as a soldier in the Red Army.
"Victims, Victors: From Nazi Occupation to the Conquest of Germany as seen by a Red Army Soldier" reveals the human suffering during World War II on the Eastern front and it represent a necessary contribution to military history. This is a very important book for those who seek knowledge about and understanding of the Soviet struggle against the German occupiers.
One of the Essentials of Eastern Front Military History!.......2007-09-18
Victims, Victors clearly fills a gaping chasm in the history of the Eastern Front by offering us the perspective of a young Russian boy who survives German occupation and later becomes a decorated Red Army infantryman. The historiographical record of Red Army soldier memoirs in English is truly sparse; in fact, I can count on one hand how many I have read. Although those previous accounts have been critical in their own right, Roman Kravchenko's personal odyssey is both unique and compelling because it chronicles the psychological angst of a young man who must first live among his enemy (the German Army) before taking up arms to fight that very same nemesis and push him back to his own borders. The immediacy and accuracy of Kravchenko's narrative resonates deeply because he bases much of it on a secret diary he kept during the German occupation -- a document that later became a piece of evidence during the post-war Nuremburg trials. Mixing both diary entries and memory, Kravchenko takes us on a physical and psychological journey of life on the Eastern Front and reveals to us the emotions, feelings, and hopes of the average Russian who is thrust into extraordinary circumstances and must find ways to survive and bear witness to the horrors of war. Kravchenko's account is a primary-source document of the highest caliber that strips away some of the mythos surrounding the Red Army and its soldiers. He gives life and dimension to characters like his company's senior sergeant, the starshina, who mentors the awkward youngster and in turn reflects a level of soldierly professionalism that easily matches that of the German, British, or American armies of the time. No more do we see mindless Russian hordes who nihilistically throw themselves into the Wehrmacht's meat grinder time after time. We see fellow human beings who value life, who see life's potential, and who want to live to fulfill their own dreams and aspirations. The sensitive and insightful Kravchenko is therefore the Red Army's best chronicler of these important facts, and his book stands as an important addition to the continued study of the Eastern Front and the clash of titans that occurred in that bloody part of the world from 1941 to 1945. True historians of World War II cannot fail to include this critical book in their libraries of 'must-have' tomes.
Must have!.......2007-04-24
No matter how many times I think I've read it all when it comes to the Eastern Front of the Second World War, there comes a book which again proves to me that there is always something new to discover. In the end this book is much more than a simple memoir about the Eastern Front.
The author was under German occupation in his hometown of Kremenets, which had been in an area that before WWI belonged to Russia, then after the Russian Civil War and all the border changes became a part of Poland. In 1939 after Poland was invaded, conquered, and split up amongst the USSR and Germany, it became a part of the Soviet Union, then when Germany invaded it became part of German-controlled Ukraine. After WWII it returned again to the Soviet Union and after the breakup of the USSR it became a part of Ukraine. This long and winding process of moving borders sets the stage for the authors impressions during the occupation period by both the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.
The author's father was in the Russian Army during the First World War and finished it as a Captain. He was very proud of his services to Russia and was even a recipient of the Cross of St. George as well as the Order of St. Anne with Swords. This would eventually get him in trouble with Soviet authorities when Poland was invaded in September of 1939. The reason this book presents such a surprising read is because the author kept a diary during his occupation years. For around three years whatever he witnessed he wrote down, in between these entries the author also puts in other snapshots, as he calls them, of memory that fill in the picture further with events that he might not have deemed important to write in his diary or information he feared might implicate others if his diary was ever found.
The reader is presented with the author's traumatic experiences with Poles before the war began: he was abused because he was a Russian living in Poland. Then when the Soviets came his father was taken away to prison because of his past. Later still his father returned and the Soviets had to retreat as the Germans invaded the Soviet Union. It is this event that the majority of the book is based on. Kremenets is situated in Western Ukraine which means within its population you can find Ukrainians, Poles, Russians, and Jews amongst others. Throughout the occupation the reader will be interested to find out how these various peoples responded to the Germans and their occupational policies. But aside from the different nationalities there were also different political motivations and of course religion as always played a large role.
The author tragically recounts his last view of a Jewish girl whom he befriended and developed feelings for as she was taken away in a truck to be executed. Another girl who he was friends with was killed during the first few days of the German invasion of Poland during a bombing. Partisans run wild in the countryside and villages are burned to the ground on a daily basis as retaliation. What started off as accounts told again and again about these acts turns to a mundane acceptance of the fact that people are dying and their homes are being systematically destroyed. The Jews of Kremenets numbering around 10,000 were massacred and aside from some what might think, the town knew all of what was happening. Burglars ran into the now empty ghetto that had been set up for the Jews and looted what they could, inadvertently causing fires to spread throughout the ghetto because they had to use candles to see in the dark when robbing the dead.
The author explains how he used to listen to the radio and write down in shorthand all the information he could so as to know where the front was moving and what was going on in other parts of the world. Rumors were spreading through the town (marked by the phrase 'they say that'), some accurate, others false. He had a few encounters with the Germans throughout the occupation but none turned violent or deadly. In the end, after liberation, he decided to enlist in the Red Army. To a large degree he wanted to make his father proud and he wanted to make a contribution and prove his worth to his land and people.
The author's career in the army isn't as well documented and covered because he did not keep a diary since it wasn't allowed nor did he have time to write one. Despite this a few interesting episodes are recounted and make for interesting reading.
One episode which stood out to me was how he mentions that the Red Army fought to liberate territory, not occupy it. Specifically on page 213:
"I will never again be in those parts and visit those graves [speaking of Latvia and those who Red Army men who died there]: I'm not that strong anymore. State borders separate us now, with all the different visas and invitations required. Why will invite me there since the latvians now see Soviets as 'occupiers'? I thought we were the liberators. Those, resting in the mass graves, who are they?"
I don't think I could have said it any better, these men did not fight to occupy and enslave, they fought to free and liberate!
As much as some like to think that the Red Army was a barbaric 'horde' encouraged from Moscow to plunder and rape the Germans, that popular image does not match with the author's experience. The author did see Soviet vandalism but also witnessed an execution of a Red Army man charged with looting. He also describes how he translated for a German woman who stated that she had been gang raped. The author is certain that she indeed was raped by soldiers of his own army, but he cannot testify about a rape spree. He does not dispute such a spree outright. He simply can't provide any personal evidence to support that image.
As with other incidents like looting, rapes occurred sporadically and at an individual's initiative, not as part of any Red Army policy. One has to keep in mind that war is war and no one involved in a war comes out with clean hands. While this doesn't justify what the Red Army did, and nothing should, it does put it into perspective and into context. One should recall that everyone was drafted, from the boys that just turned 17 to hardened criminals who were being given a second chance.
There are many more stories and episodes which are related in the book and that will hold the reader's imagination and attention for a long time to come. As I mentioned, having read a great deal of literature on this time period and event I was surprised to see information here that I knew little to nothing about and for that I thank the author. It is a great addition to the literature on both the Holocaust and the war on the Eastern Front.
must read.......2007-04-23
I read Russian version of his memoirs published in 1998, and it was very impressive in many respects: presentation of historic events, details of personal history and writing style. I hope that this new one will be even better.
Product Description
Considering that much of his life was spent in poverty and ill health, it is something of a miracle that in only forty-six years George Orwell managed to publish ten books and two collections of essays. Here, in four fat volumes, is the best selection of his non-fiction available, a trove of letters, essays, reviews, and journalism that is breathtaking in its scope and eclectic passions. Orwell had something to say about just about everyone and everything. His letters to such luminaries as Julian Symons, Anthony Powell, Arthur Koestler, and Cyril Connolly are poignant and personal. His essays, covering everything from "English Cooking" to "Literature and Totalitarianism," are memorable, and his books reviews (Hitler's Mein Kampf, Mumford's Herman Melville, Miller's Black Spring, Goldsmith's The Vicar of Wakefield to name just a few) are among the most lucid and intelligent ever written. From 1943 to l945, he wrote a regular column for the Tribune, a left wing weekly, entitled "As I Please." His observations about life in Britain during the war embraced everything from anti-American sentiment to the history of domestic appliances.
Customer Reviews:
Orwell As a Knowledgeable Man and a Master of Good Prose and Clear Thinking.......2007-09-10
The late James J. Martin stated that one could learn great prose from reading George Orwell. Orwell's anthology titled IN FRONT OF YOUR NOSE is a good book to learn political insight and excellent writing. Orwell was not only knowledgeable, but he expressed some of the political tragedies and problems of the 20 th. century in this book. Readers should note this book is the fourth volume of essays of Orwell's essays literary criticism, political protest, etc.
Orwell was one of the very few who realized what a disaster W.W. II was for both Europeans and Asians. His essays on the forced repatriation of millions to the Soviet Union to miserable die in concentration camps were among the first to publicize this tragedy. Orwell's essays were blunt in stating that the only real winner from W.W. II was Big Communism especially in lieu of the rapid disintegration of the British Empire.
Orwell gave a good description of the inconsistent thinking of the British people. The British wanted total victory at any cost, and found themselves in bad economic shape. Many British complained about the immigration of Polish refugees to mine coal in Great Britain. Yet, the British public also complained (whined) about coal shortages. Orwell indicated the inconsistency of these remarks and commented that the British failed to see the logic between acts and consequences. Orwell Presented a clear picture of what was to occur with the British Empire which disintegrated rapidly after "victory" during W.W. II.
Orwell's essay on Gandhi is an interesting case study of Orwell's honest assessment of political leaders. Orwell is clear that he could not live like Gandhi, and Orwell admitted that he probably could be friends with the Hindu leader. Yet,Orwell highly praised Gandhi's courage, policy of nonviolent resistence to the British rules, and Gandhi's honesty. Orwell gave Gandhi praise for being honest and a decent man among political rogues, hypocrites, and cowards. Whether one agrees with Gandhi, he was indeed a brave, honest man. Among poltical figures these are rare traits indeed.
This reviewer disagrees with part of Orwell's criticism of James Burnham. Orwell correctly shows Burnham's errors in predicting the outcome of W.W.II. However, Orwell should have recognized Burnham's book THE MANAGERIAL REVOLUTION was a solid account that political and economic affairs were to be controlled by managers and "experts" rather than a market economy and by traditional political processes.
Orwell's anthology has interesting essays of literary criticism and correspondence. Orwell was suprisingly well versed with continental European poltical leaders and literary figures. There is an interesting letter that Orwell wrote to Arther Koestler, author of DARKNESS AT NOON,in which Orwell favorably compares this book with Orwell's own 1984.
Orwell also has some disturbing remarks regarding "allied" abuse and torture of defeated German prisoners of war. Orwell reflected that he remembered British and U.S. propaganda against the Germans before and during W.W. II. Yet, right in front of his nose, the "allies" were acting in the same beastial manner against those caught on the wrong side of the war. This was quite disturbing to Orwell, or any thoughtful person.
This reviewer has always been very impressed with Orwell's work. Any thoughtful individual who is not afraid of clear writing, honesty, and truth would enjoy Orwell. Unfortunately, the number of such people is small. As Orwell wrote one time, propaganda and lying do not decieve people. Propaganda and lying only help people who want to be deceived.
Like a refreshing river--read it!.......1999-04-18
Essays and journalism and very good footnotes deal with starvation in Europe, prevention of literature, Gandhi, an attempt to form an organization which would deal with issues like expelling people from their homes, people forced back to Soviet Russia, and much more including civil liberities for anarchists.
Average customer rating:
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The Civil War (Letters from the Home Front)
Virginia Schomp
Manufacturer: Benchmark Books (NY)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
General
| United States
| History & Historical Fiction
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
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ASIN: 0761410953 |
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Letters From the Front: A Love Story
Irma Fleck and Capt. Henry Fleck
Manufacturer: BookSurge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1591099471
Release Date: 2003-11-24 |
Book Description
A story of a military doctor and his pregnant wife who were separated during WW II.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting Slice of the Civil War.......1999-03-23
"On the Altar of Freedom" was an interesting book in that it compiled the letters sent to a newspaper by Corporal James Gooding of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry (the "Glory" outfit). By reading the letters (ie the book), one can get a view of Civil War life from the view of a black Union soldier. The major drawback to the work is that Gooding was sending the letters to the newspaper for the express purpose of them being published. What would have been more interesting would have been to see his private (if any) correspondence. That way the reader would have been able to see the private man. This book is also an interesting read because of the mention of unapolgetic black CSA sharpshooters being captured by Union forces outside Fort Wagner.
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