Day of Tears

Book Description

Emma has taken care of the Butler children since Sarah and Frances's mother, Fanny, left. Emma wants to raise the girls to have good hearts, as a rift in morals has ripped the Butler household apart: Sarah and their mother oppose the inhumanity of slavery, while Frances and their father, Pierce, believe in the Southern lifestyle and treatment of blacks.Now, to pay off mounting gambling debts, Pierce decides to cash in his "assets." He hosts the biggest slave auction in American history, at the price of his humanity. During these two days, the skies weep on the proceedings below, for although Butler promises Emma's parents not to sell her: money, desperation, and greed enable him to justify his any misdeed. Through flashbacks and flash-forwards, and shifting first-person points of view, readers will travel with Emma and others through time and place, and come to understand that every decision has its consequences, and final judgment is passed down not by man, but by his maker.

Customer Reviews:

profound and poetic.......2007-08-23

I read this book to understand what my daughter had been assigned to report on. And since I've read it, I am so excited to have discovered a truly gifted author who has many more books I can explore.

Normally, I don't like dark stories about slavery because of how difficult it is to experience the senseless cruelty of it. This story truly illustrated that cruelty. However, the dialog format allows you to get more absorbed in a "conversation" than just experiencing a painful piece of history.

Lester explains that he wrote the book to give voice to those "who did not have an opportunity to tell it for themselves." Because history only tells of this incredibly large slave auction and the details of the white slave owners and sellers, Lester fills in the details of the experiences of the slaves during this incredible event and after.

I loved how he allowed us to peak into the minds, emotions and motives of parties from all sides: the slave owners, the southern people absorbed in the slave culture, the slaves, both old and young, as well as those who disagreed with slavery and how they walked out their beliefs. And just when you were reading an account of a "villain" or a some other character whose views you disagree with, Lester would hit you with a profound, provocative statement that would transcends all social, economic, or others barriers and speak to any human condition, compelling you to take stock of where you really are on your own "road to independence."

This book is no easy read though it is a fast read. It confronts you with the consequences of institutionalized hatred, ignorance and greed. It also forces the reader to search his or her own heart to discover what part they play in their own contemporary environment of backwardness and to open one's eyes to the residual effects of this often "forgotten" institution of slavery.

Confusing and Sad.......2007-07-30

This is NOT what I expected--I expected an actual story of slaves and their experiances but instead it is a book of a Play told in story form, where it gets confusing and frustrating trying to piece together who goes with whom. The author also leaves you hanging in the end--the final chapter starts out as if there is more then suddenly it ends and is over--nothing more. Many threads were left untied and hanging and those that weren't were short and not too sweet--very confusing but great on historical facts aside those which were also short not much to this book and certainly not worth buying--borrow it from the library instead.

Review by Marcus.......2007-05-30

Day Of Tears by Julius Lester is about slavery in the mid 1800s and how slaves felt about getting sold off at a slave auction. The book is also in dialogue. The characters in the book reminisce about their experiences with the slave trade, and what happened on the day of the auction, and also how they are feeling.

The book was very interesting. I think its good enough to read. It really shows how the slaves were feeling about having an owner, for example they didn't like getting sold off to mean owners.

Day of Tears.......2006-12-13

The main character in the book called Day of Tears by Julius Lester is Emma. Emma is a young black woman, and she lives a life as a slave. Emma is faced with very many challenges. She is the nicest person in the book. In this story Emma is a slave for this man that has no name in the book except "master." Emma thinks he would NEVER sell her, so at the slave auction she told all the other slaves that they had nothing to worry about because he wouldn't do that to them. The master's daughter who is nine falls in love with the slaves and treats Emma like her mother. Master doesn't like that because his x-wife was a "slave lover" and he didn't want that for is daughter. Emma tries to run away with others but it doesn't work and they get caught. Master is very upset with Emma, and threatens to sell her. She can't believe her ears. I really like this book. Its non-fiction book and it's great. It was one of my favorite books. I would recommend this book to anyone.

Day of tears.......2006-10-12

This book is called Day of tears by Julius Lester. This book is VERY suspenseful. It is about the largest slave auction in ever held in America. It takes place in Savannah, Georgia. It is a non-fiction book and at some parts it can be really sad. Some of the main characters are Mattie, Will, and Emma. They are a family of slaves that work for a guy named Mr. Butler. Emma, is the daughter of Mattie and Will. She takes care of Mr. Butlers daughters, Sarah and Frances. Their mother, Mrs. Butler, died a few years back, and Mattie's job is to clean the house and greet guests. Will works with other men in the fields and in the stables.

A very unexpected thing happens. Mr. Butler decides to take one of the three people (Mattie, Will, or Emma) with him to the auction. He takes the chosen one not to get sold but to help him with his daughters. I was very scared when this happened because I was afraid because I thought he was taking this person to be sold.

I really liked this book. I could read it a thousand times. If I had to pick my favorite book I would definitely choose this book. I think this book was at a good reading level for me. I am not a great reader but not a bad reader so I think it is a good book for 4th- 7th graders. As long as the 4th graders parents approve. I think that when I am older or an adult I will remember this book and still encourage kids to read it! This book has some parts I know I would easily remember what they were or what they were about. I would encourage every one to read this book and I think every one would enjoy it!

Average customer rating:

Sex, Death, And History! Can't Beat It
Great story but why all the repetition?
Ho-Hum Alternate History
Truly irresistible
Good alternate history of the War of 1812

1812: The Rivers of War
Eric Flint
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0345465687
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Book Description

Eric Flint’s acclaimed 1634: The Galileo Affair was a national bestseller from one of the most talked-about voices in his field. Now, in this extraordinary new alternate history, Flint begins a dramatic saga of the North American continent at a dire turning point, forging its identity and its future in the face of revolt from within, and attack from without.

In the War of 1812, U.S. troops are battling the British on the Canadian border, even as a fierce fight is being waged against the Creek followers of the Indian leader Tecumseh and his brother, known as The Prophet. In Europe, Napoleon Bonaparte’s war has become a losing proposition, and the British are only months away from unleashing a frightening assault on Washington itself. Fateful choices are being made in the corridors of power and on the American frontier. As Andrew Jackson, backed by Cherokee warriors, leads a fierce attack on the Creek tribes, his young republic will soon need every citizen soldier it can find.

What if–at this critical moment–bonds were forged between men of different races and tribes? What if the Cherokee clans were able to muster an integrated front, and the U.S. government faced a united Indian nation bolstered by escaping slaves, freed men of color, and even influential white allies?

Through the remarkable adventures of men who were really there–men of mixed race, mixed emotions, and a singular purpose–The Rivers of War carries us in this new direction, brilliantly transforming an extraordinary chapter of American history.

With a cast of unforgettable characters–from James Monroe and James Madison to Sam Houston, Francis Scott Key, and Cherokee chiefs John Ross and Major Ridge–The Rivers of War travels from the battle of Horseshoe Bend to the battle of New Orleans, and brings every explosive moment to life. With exquisite attention to detail, an extraordinary grasp of history, and a storyteller’s gift for the dramatic, Flint delivers a bold, thought-provoking epic of enemies and allies, traitors and revolutionaries, and illuminates who we are as a nation, how we got here, and how history itself is made–and remade.

From the Hardcover edition.

Download Description

Advance praise for The Rivers of War

“Eric Flint [drops] his readers into another time and place, where cultures collide, the action is hot and heavy, and we get to experience the best of the human spirit.”
–DAVID WEBER, New York Times bestselling author of the Honor Harrington adventures

“Eric Flint has a genius for taking his passion for history and turning it into powerful, action-packed stories that instantly grab the readers and plunge them into a time and place that might have been.”
–DAVID DRAKE, author of The Far Side of the Stars and Redliners

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Sex, Death, And History! Can't Beat It.......2007-09-15

Eric Flint, according to his afterword, apparently wrote "1812: The Rivers of War" and its sequel, "1824: The Arkansas War" (which I have not read) because somebody challenged him to write an alternate history of the United States in which the Trail of Tears never occurred. This required him to go back considerably before the Trail of Tears (which occurred in the late 1830's) so that the Cherokees could prepare themselves to become a nation in the sense that Europeans and Americans would define a nation in the mid-nineteenth century. Two of my best friends are part Cherokee, so of course I love the idea; but it could easily have been done in an utterly unreadable fashion. Instead, Flint delivers a no-holds-barred, spectacular alternate ending to the War of 1812.

The only complaint I have about this book is the title. No part of it actually takes place in 1812. Even the preface takes place in 1806 to introduce Andrew Jackson, who is far from the most important character in the book and is totally absent from the second act. Then we skip ahead to 1814 to witness the climax of Jackson's war against the Creeks, which was part of the war of 1812. One more minor complaint -- the back side of the book refers to Tecumseh fighting the Americans, but he was killed in 1813 and is only referred to in the text. The "Five Civilized Tribes" are the heart of the reason Flint wrote this book and they were not allied to Tecumseh. In fact, only half or so of the Creeks are allied to the British, but this still leads to a very bloody battle at what became known as the Horsehoe Bend of the Alabama River.

The hero of the book is Irish immigrant and universal soldier Patrick Driscoll, who thinks of the United States as his third nation, Ireland and France having been broken by the British, or "the Sassenach," as he calls them. If this book is ever made into a movie, I want to play Driscoll -- I am too short to play the other major Anglo characters, and I'm also about the right age. He is introduced at the beginning of the second act and is thereafter never absent. His views on religion and politics are about as modern as Flint could possibly make them and he is probably a stand-in for Flint himself. It's not exactly the climax of the book, but one of the two most fun scenes for Flint to write was certainly the scene that ends chapter 29, when Driscoll basically says "a pox on all your houses" because Earth has never contained a scoiety he would really be proud to be a part of.

The other, of course, is the love scene. Tiana Rogers, a sixteen-year-old Cherokee who towers over Driscoll at six feet, is gently pushed by her brothers to marry Driscoll after challenging them to find her a better husband than Sam Houston (in the time of this novel, a 21-year-old junior officer in the U. S. Army). She needs very little coaxing, finding in Driscoll her equal as a fighter and dreamer. Driscoll has been totally geared to fighting and killing the Sassenach for as long as Tiana has been alive, and she helps him turn towards the idea of letting his life be about building and loving.

Books like "The Rivers of War" are the reason I love alternate history. It's so much more hopeful than anything by Harry Turtledove. Whatever your background, if you have any interest in nineteenth-century America, you will love this book. I give it my strongest possible recommendation.

Great story but why all the repetition?.......2007-07-05

I have now read a number of Eric Flint's alternate history books and, while I enjoy the clever variations on history and meaty characters, I cannot understand why a skilled author finds it necessary -- in all his books -- to repeat the same facts over and over again, sometimes just pages apart. In 1812, for example, on page 150 a woman named Tiana thinks about another character named Nancy Ward as a "Ghighua" (in Cherokee), followed by the sentence, "The Cherokee word had several translations into English. 'War Woman' was one of them." The story then goes on to explain how Ward's exploits had earned her that name/title.

Then on page 163, Sam Houston also thinks about Nancy Ward as "The last -- and some said, the greatest -- of the Cherokee Ghighua. The title was sometimes translated into English as 'Beloved Woman' and sometimes as 'War Woman." and just two pages later the author AGAIN explains how she earned that title!

He did the same thing throughout the 1634 series.

Ho-Hum Alternate History.......2007-05-15

This is not a bad story but neither is it a great one. It is one of those which I enjoyed enough while reading but which I have no great desire to think about or remember afterwards.

The setting is 1812 and the US is at war with Britain. It also has some internal problems such as what to do about Indians who do not wish to give their land up to the whites. Sometimes the Indians act in a savage manner but, more often, it is the whites who break agreements. In this story, there is an alternative to the Trail of Tears. Instead of being forcibly displaced, the powerful Cherokee nation and allied tribes voluntarily head west thinking they will then be able to set themselves up strongly enough to resist American expansion when it gets that far.

To help them along, they have the services of Sam Houston (of Texas fame) who is a hero of the war of 1812. He puts together a patchwork of tribes and black freedmen and convinces the US administration to sign off on the plan.

This entire books seems to be a buildup for things which do not happen. I understand there is at least one sequel. Maybe this is a setup for that one. Its well enough written that I will not mind reading other books but neither am I going to rush out to do so.

Truly irresistible.......2007-05-11

The War of 1812 seems, to most Americans, as a minor war, dry and forgettable. But Mr. Eric Flint uses it as his starting point for his alternate history. He brings it to life, with such colorful characters, but also REAL people, as Andrew Jackson, Sam Houston, Winfield Scott, George Cockburn, Robert Ross and others. From Chippewa to New Orleans he creates a plot that draws you in. It never slows down yet it never goes so fast that you can't keep up. The American Nation, still young and a little rough around the edges, fighting for its rights and beliefs must deal with a NEW Nation being born even as the conflict rages. Mr. Flint brings Indians, freed men of color, escaping slaves and powerful whites together in a cooking pot of power and ideals. Ideals that will be tested, shaped and forced to deal with the judgment of history, the issue of slavery and growing pains of the young United States.

Good alternate history of the War of 1812.......2007-04-14

I think the War of 1812 is one of the most interesting parts of U.S. History. It's little known; not much is written about it. Which is partly why this book was a joy to read.

For the most part, the battles in this book -- the Horseshoe Bend, the Chippewa, the raid on Washington, and New Orleans (all four of them did occur in real life) -- happened more or less as Flint describes them, and mostly end in the same way. Well, there was no valiant stand in the U.S. Capitol, but still this alternate history is subtle. It will take future volumes to see the effects of what happened at Flint's version of the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.

And the characters are so colorful. Especially Patrick "the Troll" Driscol, the angry Irish sergeant in Scott's brigade with an intense hatred of the British (hating them for what they had done in Ireland in 1798). I enjoyed Flint's take on Andrew Jackson, possibly the most fascinating American of his time. Robert Ross was done well, too. All in all it was a good book, and I look forward to reading the next installment.

Tears Before the Rain: An Oral History of the Fall of Vietnam

Average customer rating:

Allowing a broad range of narrators to tell their truth
Interesting, but not surprising.
Just buy it.
Tears of human tragedy. Joys of human triumph.
Yes. Once again, it's a book you must read.

Tears Before the Rain: An Oral History of the Fall of Vietnam
Larry Engelmann
Manufacturer: Da Capo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0306807890

Book Description

CBS camera-man Mike Marriott was on the last plane to escape from Danang before it fell in the spring of 1975. The scene was pure chaos: thousands of panic-stricken Vietnamese storming the airliner, soldiers shooting women and children to get aboard first, refugees being trampled to death. Marriott remembers standing at the door of the aft stairway, which was gaping open as the plane took off. "There were five Vietnamese below me on the steps. As the nose of the aircraft came up, because of the force and speed of the aircraft, the Vietnamese began to fall off. One guy managed to hang on for a while, but at about 600 feet he let go and just floated off--just like a skydiver.... What was going through my head was, I've got to survive this, and at the same time, I've got to capture this on film. This is the start of the fall of a country. This country is gone. This is history, right here and now." In Tears Before the Rain, a stunning oral history of the fall of South Vietnam, Larry Engelmann has gathered together the testimony of seventy eyewitnesses (both American and Vietnamese) who, like Mike Marriott, capture the feel of history "right here and now." We hear the voices of nurses, pilots, television and print media figures, the American Ambassador Graham Martin, the CIA station chief Thomas Polgar, Vietnamese generals, Amerasian children, even Vietcong and North Vietnamese soldiers. Through this extraordinary range of perspectives, we experience first-hand the final weeks before Saigon collapsed, from President Thieu's cataclysmic withdrawal from Pleiku and Kontum, (Colonel Le Khac Ly, put in command of the withdrawal, recalls receiving the order: "I opened my eyes large, large, large. I thought I wasn't hearing clearly") to the last-minute airlift of Americans from the embassy courtyard and roof ("I remember when the bird ascended," says Stuart Herrington, who left on one of the last helicopters, "It banked, and there was the Embassy, the parking lot, the street lights. And the silence"). Touching, heroic, harrowing, and utterly unforgettable, these dramatic narratives illuminate one of the central events of modern history. "It was like being at Waterloo," concludes Ed Bradley of 60 Minutes. "It was so important, so historical. And today it is still very obvious that we Americans have not recovered from Vietnam....Nothing else in my lifetime was as important as that--as important as Vietnam."

Customer Reviews:

Allowing a broad range of narrators to tell their truth.......2004-11-29

Engelmann's Tears Before the Rain is a very well balanced oral history of the fall of South Vietnam. Airline attendants tell frightening stories of commercial jets being mobbed by desperate South Vietnamese trying to escape before the flood of Norht Vietnamese troops overtake Saigon. US Military officers, an ambassador, and CIA field chief give their perspectives from the American point of view. South Vietnamese army officers and soldiers give another account, one of betrayal by the United States. I can certainly understand the perspectives of the South Vietnamese. They feared for their lives and the lives of their families. The North Vietnamese forces controlled large portions of rural South Vietnam and they were ruthless to former South Vietnamese government officials and their families. This book is a very fast read, the narrative statements have been well edited into seemless paragraphs and any prompt questions by Engelmann have been removed. Our entry into the war was a terrible miscalculation. Our leaving the war was a human tragedy for all those South Vietnamese who had grown dependent on the United States. Engelmann's book puts a personal face on these tragic times. Well done and worth 5 stars.

Interesting, but not surprising........2002-12-18

This is a somewhat tedious book that does not really break any new ground in its descripion of people's experiences with the events surrounding the fall of South Vietnam. The tediousness in the book comes from the fact that there is so much similarity in the experiences related: South Vietnam was worth fighting for, America let us down, it was hard to get out of Saigon, Thai pirates preyed on boat people, Americans who'd shed sweat or blood in Vietnam were terribly disappointed with how things turned out, etc. I would have appreciated some more diversity in people's experience (as Studs Terkel did in "The Good War" where we read not only about 18 year old combat soldiers, but also WW II draft dodgers, etc.). I also found myself getting weary of reading that America let the South Vietnamese down. ...

Just buy it........2001-01-14

I've read a fair amount about Vietnam (Fire In the Lake, Karnow's Vietnam, Chickenhawk, etc.), all definitely worth reading, but this book ... the many stories and experiences, is the most memorable. It's rare to find a singular event remembered and retold from so many different perspectives. Well balanced and presented.

Tears of human tragedy. Joys of human triumph........2000-05-04

I shed many tears while reading this beautifully written collection of stories about the fall of Saigon. They are stories of tragedy inflicted by human beings upon each other. They are stories of human spirits surviving, triumphing over the most horrible situations. You will never be able to forget the people, the stories once you read the book. I highly recommend it.

Yes. Once again, it's a book you must read........1999-10-01

Like a Gideon giving away bibles. I read and then gave away 4 copies of this book. I bought 10 more copies. I gave them away. I then bought 20 more copies and gave them away. Yes, this book is that good! You must experience it. Professor Englemann has produced a superb collection of first hand accounts by those who experienced the last 3 months of the Vietnam War. Please buy it and read it. I can't afford to buy it for everybody!

Iron Tears: America's Battle for Freedom, Britain's Quagmire: 1775-1783

Average customer rating:

The British perspective on the American War
"Mrs. Britannia's" Colonial "Quagmire"
Well written with primary sources
Britain's Challenge
An intriguing surprise

Iron Tears: America's Battle for Freedom, Britain's Quagmire: 1775-1783
Stanley Weintraub
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0743226879

Amazon.com

Iron Tears examines the Revolutionary War primarily from the perspective of British politicians, soldiers, citizens, and the royal court of King George III. In this enjoyable and enlightening book, American historian Stanley Weintraub looks at myopic King George and his ambition to hold the colonies at any price, discusses how antiwar opposition in Parliament gradually gained momentum, and studies the sentiments of the general population who were forced to pay heavy taxes to support the conflict, causing resentment and, in 1780, a riot. Despite such rumblings all around him, the insulated king failed to realize how much the situation in far-off America affected domestic issues in England and was shocked enough when he lost America that he considered abdicating his throne. Most British citizens did not take it nearly as hard; many, in fact, welcomed the chance to get back to business with the Americans, feeling that commerce had been interrupted long enough by an expensive and unnecessary war.

Weintraub also covers the battles on the other side of the Atlantic and offers profiles of the major players, particularly George Washington, who became a folk hero in Britain, earning the admiration of even those ardently against the American cause. The consequences of Britain's hiring of thousands of foreign mercenaries, some of which ended up deserting and settling permanently in America, are also discussed, along with the issue of why loyalists in the colonies failed to join the redcoats in significant numbers. Most importantly, in detailing the strategic and tactical mistakes made by Britain, the author highlights the various circumstances that greatly favored the rebellious colonies from the beginning, including the sheer vastness of America and the maddening logistical difficulties involved in sending soldiers, provisions, and messages across the ocean. Weintraub makes a compelling case that the mighty British Empire never really had a chance. --Shawn Carkonen

Book Description

For generations, Americans have been taught to view the Revolutionary War as a heroic tale of resistance, exclusively from the perspective of the Continental army and the Founding Fathers. Now, in Iron Tears, master historian Stanley Weintraub offers the first account that examines the war from three divergent and distinct vantage points: the battlefields; the American leadership under George Washington; and -- most originally -- that of England, embroiled in controversy over the war. Colonial America was England's Vietnam.

Weintraub's multifaceted analysis will forever change and expand our view of the struggle. Although Washington's army, with France's help, won the war, it is equally significant -- both then and now -- that Britain lost it. The British found themselves overwhelmed by the geographic and time constraints that prevented their military from holding on to the eighteen-hundred-mile length of the thirteen colonies, from across three thousand miles of ocean during the cumbersome era of water travel. Many in London realized that American independence was only a matter of time. Yet the British were enveloped in a fantasy world of self-delusion as the war trudged along. The unyielding George III, who ultimately threatened abdication; his lethargic prime minister, Lord North; the First Lord of the Admiralty, the corrupt Earl of Sandwich, better remembered for his paired slices of bread; and the Secretary for America, Lord George Germain, an arrogant ex-general court-martialed for cowardice in an earlier war, formed a quartet that played out of tune. As opposition to and frustration with the failing war gradually increased in parliament, in the press, and in the afflicted

mercantile sector, so did pacifist sentiment for and sympathy with their American cousins.

Iron Tears renders an unprecedented account of the fight for American independence through British eyes, while dramatically narrating the battles that were waged across the Atlantic from Lexington to Yorktown and beyond. As the general, whom the British snobbishly and demeaningly referred to as "Mr. Washington," rallied to keep his ragged and overmatched Continentals together and create a nation, "iron tears" fell from redcoat muskets and cannons, as well as from the demoralized eyes of the defeated British.

Customer Reviews:

The British perspective on the American War.......2006-12-14

This is a truly fascinating book that takes the American Revolution completely from the British perspective. If you are not well versed in the events of the American Revolution this will be a tough book to get through because it does not spend much time talking about what happens on the American side and you are assumed to know. If you are a true student of the American revolution however this is a must read. To understand the British thinking is somewhat shocking and to see the changes in government and how it impacted the war in America brings a new perspective to the Revolution. Very highly recommend for those who are well versed in the American Revolution.

"Mrs. Britannia's" Colonial "Quagmire".......2006-07-27

In the Preface, Weintraub poses a question to which he then responds within the narrative of his brilliant book: "How did relinquishing America look from the remote European side of the Atlantic?" More specifically, his extensive research focuses on the perspectives of King George III, Lord North and his cabinet, both houses of Parliament, and admirals and generals as well as London's journalists, brokers, bankers, and traders during what became "Britain's Quagmire" (1775-1783). The American Revolutionary War was certainly not popular among a majority of those on both sides of the Atlantic. In fact, only about 40% of those in the colonies favored the war and an even lower percentage supported it in England. Meanwhile, as General Washington struggled to command the dwindling Continental army and "by strength of personality held the fractious colonies together," a peacemaking process was underway in Paris.

With regard to the title of this book, Weintraub explains that Edmund Burke (MP for Bristol and an outspoken critic of colonial policy) had talked of "iron tears" being shed as America "slipped away from imperial grasp." He adds that "'Iron tears' suggests musket shot and cannonballs when fired as much in sadness as in anger. Was the inevitable separation worth a war?" Given the uncertainties in both America and Europe, it is debatable whether or not a colonial victory was "inevitable" but separation certainly was (for all the reasons listed in detail in "The Declaration of Independence") and the question remains valid: Was it worth a war? Weintraub draws upon a wealth of research resources to include responses to that question by a wide and representative variety of the war's observers as well as participants.

Non-scholars such as I will especially appreciate Weintraub's provision of sufficient historical information within which to establish a context for major developments and a frame-of-reference for them during an eight-year period. However, to his credit, he does not overwhelm his non-scholar readers with an excessive number of facts, dates, etc. In this regard, Weinbtraub demonstrates the skills of a master storyteller. I also appreciate his inclusion of sixteen illustrations between pages 238 and 239 (e.g. portraits and engravings of King George, George Washington, Lord North, Lord George Germain, Edmund Burke, Benjamin Franklin, and Charles, Earl Cornwallis) as well as two supplementary sections - "Participants" (pages 332-345) and "Source Notes" (pages 347-361) -- which broaden and deepen the narrative's frame-of-reference even more. Congratulations to Weintraub on a consistently interesting, often entertaining exploration and analysis of certain dimensions of the War for Independence which, for whatever reasons, had previously been neglected.

Those who share my high regard for this volume are urged to check out Terry Golway`s Washington's General: Nathanael Greene and the Triumph of the American Revolution, Richard M. Ketchum `s Victory at Yorktown: The Campaign That Won the Revolution, David McCullough`s 1776, Frank McLynn's 1759: The Year Britain Became Master of the World, and Stacy Schiff's A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America.

Well written with primary sources.......2006-07-06

I won't spend time reviewing what this book covers, since other reviewers have already done that. To support his points, Weintraub makes exclusive use of primary sources. The book is laden with primary sources. As another reviewer stated: informative but not the easiest read.

Britain's Challenge.......2006-07-01

Stanley Weintraub's book Iron Tears is useful in that his study shows those who have studied the American Revolution that it wasn't necessarily miraculous that the Americans won. Weintraub's book focuses mainly on the politics of England during the reign of King George III and the British Parliament under the ministry of Lord North, but with great attention to the American Secretary Lord George Germain. The British military leaders who served in America including the Howe brothers, Clinton, Burgoyne, Cornwallis and so forth are all discussed to show the results of their leadership or lack thereof in trying to win the war in America.

Public opinion in England was not united in support for subduing the rebellion in America. Many Members of Parliament were dubious of England's ability to win a war thousands of miles away in a relatively large geographic area. Weintraub does suggest in the beginning of the book that the British Parliament possessed the legal right to raise revenues from their subjects in America. As Weintraub mentioned, the British themselves had to bear an even greater burden in supporting their Empire. However, Parliament's efforts were often an exercise in futility as it only united the usually divided colonists. Political leadership in the Parliament was also less than remarkable, which didn't help their cause.

Weintraub's book focuses on the debates and troubles the British political leadership faced, as well as the lack of effective military leadership in America, both on land and at sea. The role of the press is also well discussed as it shows the level of dissent in the English ranks, both towards the war and even the king himself. Of course the Parliament was controlled by a large enough majority in support of the crown that even the ineffectual leadership exercised by North and Germain could be sustained in the face of growing doubt that the colonies could be held onto. We do get to see brief glimpses of the battles fought in America and how British strategies often failed or weren't properly exploited after initial victory, such as the Long Island-New York battles.

The British were also quick to pick up on perceived turmoil and dissension in the ranks of Washington's army and the American colonies as proof that their efforts to achieve independence would fail and therefore it was only a matter of time before they would be subdued. Though there were plenty of examples of incompetence or lack of resolve on the part of the British political and military leadership during this conflict, there were issues that legitimately hindered their commitment and focus to the American crisis. The conflicts and competition with other European powers for land and dominance such as France and Spain, the large expanse of the British Empire itself and the expense of having to support that expansive empire were legitimate issues that compromised England's ability to focus on and fully commit to the American War.

Without reciting all the events that transpired in the colonies during the American Revolution, Weintraub covers the campaigns fought up to the surrender of Cornwallis's army at Yorktown and the Signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, formally acknowledging America's independence. This book attempts to show how the results of the American War for Independence wasn't really all that much of a surprise; England had a lot going against it. This is a topic that has merit and shouldn't be overlooked in studying the history of this period. Weintraub's book isn't comprehensive or all inclusive, but compelling nonetheless. I noticed a few errors like the Battle of King's Mountain being fought in North Carolina, but in actuality was just south of the border in South Carolina. I also noticed some typos in giving dates for events and individuals, most noticeable in the last section of the book on Participants.

An intriguing surprise.......2005-08-26

I voraciously read books on the American Revolution and that wonderful, rich pantheon of personalities and talent that the United States was so fortunate in having themcoming together at the same time -- Washington, Jefferson, Adams, the much underestimated and noble Mason, Franklin, Hamilton and the rest. I thought that I knew the field pretty well. This book is a big surprise and a welcome one. As a Brit (who has lived in the US for almost forty years), I knew very little of just how actively so many of the real good guys in Britain opposed the war; it reminded me in many ways of the opposition to the Vietnam War. The Amervcian Revolution is not part of mainstream British learning and very much something to forget or gloss over (as, I regret, the McCarthy era has become in the US). This really is a first-rate book, well-written and convincing. It basically shows that the whole mess was George III's obsessive determination to punish the revolting, ungrateful and unworthy colonial upstarts -- it's a good explanation of why monarchies should be declared a historical dead end. The book is well worth reading just for the way it brings alive the professionals like Clinton, the Howe brothers, and Burgoyne who tend to be faceless and cardboard characters in most world that look at the Revolution entirely from the US perspective. It has a real villain -- Lord Germain -- among the most dangerous of Britain's many dangerous upper-class twits. It adds useful and vivid details about Franklin, who is better known for his work in the French court than for his equally skilled politicing and propogandering in London. It's a shrewd book. I think it is also indispensable for anyone interested in the history of the Revolution. (And, yes, this Brit agrees that the right guys won.

Tears of the Night Sky (Dragonlance Chaos Wars, Vol. 2)

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Tears of the Night Sky
I can't believe it...
Hella Good
Almost worth 4 stars!!
Suprisingly entertaining

Tears of the Night Sky (Dragonlance Chaos Wars, Vol. 2)
Linda Baker , and Nancy Varian Berberick
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0786911859
Release Date: 1998-10-01

Book Description

A journey into peril.

Cyrsania, high priestess of the Temple of Paladine, is blind to the beauty of the world but not to the joy of her faith. Lately, though, her communion with the god of light has become distant. Now a mysterious stone has come into her possession. Its power compels her to undertake a merilous quest, accompanied by a strange band of companions.

Together they endure the burning heat of Kyrnn's most violet summer as they struggle toward their destination: the Temple at Neraka.

If they reach it, their world will be transformed forever.

This novel, set in the time of the Chaos War, brings to life the story of Crysania, a Revered Daughter of Paladine, and Dalamar, the dark elf.

Customer Reviews:

Tears of the Night Sky.......2004-01-20

Serious and religious, this story tells about the Cleric of Paladin Crysania. Crysania is very devoted to her god, so when she find out that he may be in trouble, at the suggestion of Dalamar the Dark Elf, she goes on a quest to find the five dragon stones - magical stones that allow one to communicate with a god (among other things). Two of these stones appeared to Dalamar, and the last three are in a place so terrible it is not in her liking to go there. But this blind Cleric will do almost anything to save her god and bring him back to her.

If you're an avid Dragonlance fan, this is a good read, but otherwise I recommend pursuing better Dragonlance books (anything by M. Weis and T. Hickman, Douglas Niles, D. Perrin, or Michael Williams)

I can't believe it..........2003-12-24

This book is so,well there are no words to describe it but i could say stupid,crappy,dumb....I didn't read the whole thing (and i'm glad because i'm going to return it.) just the ending and its really stupid. Whoever likes Crysania/Raistlin (i'm one of them) DON'T read this book its a real dissapiontment, as for people who don't they'll enjoy it i'm sure.But i think that all dragonlance fans probably do like them so i would reccommed everyone not to read it. When i was buying this book i read a few reviews and some of them said its stupid and that they wasted their money i didn't believe them but now i wholeheartedly agree with them...... I wish i never read the ending and i deeply regret buying it.

Hella Good.......2002-12-22

I have not read the "Legends" or "Chronicles" series, so I was kinda concerned when I picked this one up.
I was not let down. I have read other works by Nancy Berberick, .... So this one had me worried. But I loved it. It really brought out how crysania was blessed by Paladine, and what she was able to see, despite her being blind.

I really liked "Tandar", and the relationship she was able to have with him, though I think the ending was a bit rushed, still, I found this book a page turner, I looked forward to reading it everyday.
I also really got into how much Valin loved Crysania, despite her past, despite her dealings with Dalamar, who before this book I had never heard of, but, now I will be reading Both Legends,and Chronicles. This book took the #2 alltime favorite book spot of mine, In short, Read this book!

Almost worth 4 stars!!.......2002-10-08

While this book is mainly about Crysania, Dalamar steals the spotlight. Their light sparring is intriguing & fun. There other characters are interesting too. I just feel there was that missing something that could've made it better.

Suprisingly entertaining.......2002-05-19

I wasn't too sure about this book when I first started it. I wasnt going to read it cause it got some bad reviews on here and on other pages. I even thought this book would be sort of a "chick flick", if you will excuse the cliche. But as I read this book, I actually found myself liking it, and not being able to put it down.

The book starts out a little slow. It takes place during the War against Chaos, during the same time as "Dragons of Summer Flame" was set. Crysania decides to embark on a quest to find out why the gods are so distant lately. She must find some powerful artifacts in order to do this. She is accompanied by a group of adventurers that pledge to keep her safe on her journey. Also, Dalamar plays a part in this story. He is the one that shows Crysania what must be done in order for her to reach her goals. He also has his hands in other things in this story, but I won't spoil it. Read and find out.

While some of the chapters in this book might not have been neccessary. This books maintains a smooth and easy read all the way though. The thing that I found most entertaining was the way the authors brought together actual dialogue from "Dragons of Summer Flame" and fit them into this book just so you would know where it takes place in respect to that book. I also like the way the authors brought in Crysania's white tiger, Tandar. We learn about how she came to know the tiger, and how the tiger affects her day to day life.

The story itself is a little cheesy. But the authors do a good job explaining Crysania's fears with the coming of the War of Chaos. They also do a good job explaining what a sightless person feels and the way they interact with day to day life. The characters aren't very well rounded, and the story seems a little rushed, but all in all this book is pretty good. It is definately worth the read if you want to learn a little more about Crysania after her appearence in the "Legends Trilogy". While this book doesn't have as much action as some other Dragonlance books, I still feel that it is worth the read.

Average customer rating:

Offers a wealth of details and insight

In Bitterness and in Tears: Andrew Jackson's Destruction of the Creeks and Seminoles
Sean Michael O'Brien
Manufacturer: The Lyons Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Native American | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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Old Hickory's War: Andrew Jackson and the Quest for Empire

Andrew Jackson and His Indian Wars

Creeks and Seminoles: The Destruction and Regeneration of the Muscogulge People (Indians of the Southeast)

History of the Second Seminole War, 1835-1842

The Seminole Wars: America's Longest Indian Conflict (The Florida History and Culture Series)

ASIN: 159228681X

Book Description

A gripping account of the Creek War of 1813, the Seminole War of 1818, and the tragic displacement by the U.S. Army of the defeated Creeks and other Native Americans to marginal lands west of the Mississippi.

Customer Reviews:

Offers a wealth of details and insight.......2003-12-13

In Bitterness And In Tears: Andrew Jackson's Destruction Of The Creeks And Seminoles by historian Sean Michael O'Brien is a definitive study of the Creek War of 1813-1814 and the First Seminole War of 1818. Closely examining history from both American and Native points of view, In Bitterness And In Tears examines in turn the civil war between Muscogee (Creek) factions that initiated the conflict; Red Sticks' massacre of over 250 whites and mixed-bloods at Fort Mims (the worst frontier massacre in U.S. history); the lethal defeat of Red Sticks seven months later; and the long-term consequences that allowed white settlers to entrench slavery and cotton farming the South while southeastern Native Americans were forcibly relocated to the West. Very highly recommended reading which offers a wealth of details and insight, In Bitterness And In Tears is an impressive contribution to American History and Native American Studies reading lists and academic reference collections.

Cheers and Tears: A Marine's Story of Combat in Peace and War

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marine insight
A true patriot and warrior

Cheers and Tears: A Marine's Story of Combat in Peace and War
Lieutenant General Charles G. Cooper U.S. Marine Corps (Retired) , and Richard E. Goodspeed
Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1553698827
Release Date: 2006-07-06

Product Description

Cheers and Tears the memoirs of Lieutenant General Charles G. Cooper U.S. Marine Corps (Retired), details one man's amazing rise in the armed forces, a man who witnessed the genesis of the Vietnam War from where it started.

Customer Reviews:

marine insight.......2007-01-30

very well written with meticulous detail to time lines, places and names. A great overview of one marine's life. The opening prologue is what originally attracted me to the book. I hope some day that this writer expands on that opening statement.

A true patriot and warrior.......2007-01-10

Charlie Cooper is a classmate of mine from the Naval Academy, Class of 1950. He was on the varsity football team at Navy. After graduation he was badly wounded in Korea as a platoon commander, served with honor in Vietnam, and had many interesting tours of duty, including the command of the Marine Barracks in Washington, DC. Charlie retired as a Lieutenant General in charge of the Fleet Marine Force, Pacific. He tells the great story of his career in a straightforward and honest manner.

Blood, Tears and Folly: An Objective Look at World War II

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Great read
Another example of why the Brits do great History
An Interesting Perspective
Best First Book on WWII
An enlightening book about the "Dark Side" of war

Blood, Tears and Folly: An Objective Look at World War II
Len Deighton
Manufacturer: Book Sales
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0785811141

Book Description

Despite the volumes written about World War II, many questions remain un-answered. In this balanced and thoughtful chronicle, historian and World War II expert Len Deighton dares to explore intriguing questions, including why the British weren't more prepared for the Blitz and why Hitler failed to thoroughly support his U-boat program. He also warns that we haven't yet learned the lessons of World War II, as ethnic cleansing, Middle East violence, and the widening gap between rich and poor still plague the world.

Customer Reviews:

Great read.......2005-11-10

How did I miss this book when it was first published (in 1993)? An excellent book on the subject by an amateur historian. This is not an exhaustive, chronological study.Deighton looks at major themes and doesn't hesitate to reach back as far as he needs to for causes or amplifying details. One to keep on the bookshelf for continued reference.

Another example of why the Brits do great History.......2005-06-07

A good solid effort on a 1 volume book about the British War effort during War II. It has a lot of the Kitchen details that make for very interesting read. I liked it a lot and commend it toward you for your consideration.

An Interesting Perspective.......2004-02-12

Perhaps Deighton realized while writing this book that he had bitten off more than he could chew. He devotes six roughly equal sections to various components of the war. As a Yank, I must give him a little slack for focusing the subject of the book on the European war, and in fact I think that the section on the Pacific/Japanese war would better have been left out of the mix (and perhaps replaced with an additional section on Europe).

As I was reading the book, it really struck me how much Deighton was going out of his way to expose the manner in which the Axis lost the war, rather than the way in which the Allies won it. A thorough examination of mistakes and miscalculations by the senior leadership provides some good insight into why lady luck always seemed to be with the Brits.

Overall, I would recommend this book thoroughly, especially the section on the battle of the Atlantic, in which Deighton gives some startling figures as to the number of ships sunk and men lost over the course of the war in keeping the British and Russians supplied.

Interestingly enough, there are many myths that Deighton makes great effort to dispell, and these do provide some additional interest for the book. I suppose that this makes it somewhat novel, and provides a bit more of an objective view of the war and how it was fought than is traditionally presented. Even so, when I read book after book that provides conflict with Deighton, I ask myself if he was right. At least he made me think about it.

Worth reading, and oddly enough a fairly brisk read despite its length.

Best First Book on WWII.......2003-08-27

I wish I had read this book first before I launched into reading about WWII history. It provides a wonderful perspective missing from all the other, more pedantic histories - especially Churchill's history of WWII.

An enlightening book about the "Dark Side" of war.......2003-05-04

(by E.M. Singer, author of "Mother Flies Hurricanes")A book about the "Dark Side" of war seems kinda weird, but Deighton does it up in spectacular style. As Adolph Hitler said, "This war will be won by the side that makes the fewest mistakes" (or words to that effect), and fortunately Adolph's side made the most. (Did you know that the Bismark was sunk because of an over-protective parent?) But the Allies also pulled off some real howlers, and Deighton deftly skewers the good, the bad, and the ugly...

We Wept Without Tears: Testimonies of the Jewish Sonderkommando from Auschwitz

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Incredible Interviews

We Wept Without Tears: Testimonies of the Jewish Sonderkommando from Auschwitz
Gideon Greif
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0300106513

Book Description

The Sonderkommando of Auschwitz-Birkenau consisted primarily of Jewish prisoners forced by the Germans to facilitate the mass extermination. Though never involved in the killing itself, they were compelled to be “members of staff” of the Nazi death-factory. This book, translated for the first time into English from its original Hebrew, consists of interviews with the very few surviving men who witnessed at first hand the unparalleled horror of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. Some of these men had never spoken of their experiences before.
Over a period of years, Gideon Greif interviewed intensively all Sonderkommando survivors living in Israel. They describe not only the details of the German-Nazi killing program but also the moral and human challenges they faced. The book provides direct testimony about the “Final Solution of the Jewish Problem,” but it is also a unique document on the boundless cruelty and deceit practiced by the Germans. It documents the helplessness and powerlessness of the one-and-a-half million people, 90 percent of them Jews, who were brutally murdered in the gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Customer Reviews:

Incredible Interviews.......2006-01-17

A great addition to the literature out there on the holocaust. I cannot commend the author enough for his work and diligence in trying to present the Sonderkommando prisoners for who they really were; men thrown into a role they neither wanted or expected by the Germans who let them do all the 'dirty work' in their 'Final Solution' to the Jewish problem. Many historians, as is presented in the book, have misunderstood what these men did and why they did it. Their influence at times was to survive and tell what they had witnessed, but at other times they couldn't take it and took their own lives. One memorable story is when a son meets his mother, in the end instead of sending her to the gas chambers he goes with her. They did not choose to help the Germans in their mass murder campaign but were rather choosen by the Germans due to their health and availablility at the time. You could say they were 'at the right place at the right time' and even so these men were the ones who started an uprising and destroyed a crematorium. They lived through hell, they left their emotions with their past lives and accepted what they were handed out. They did as they were told and survived to tell their stories, regrets, and messages for present and future generations.

Bitter Tears: Missouri Women and Civil War Their Stories

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Bitter Tears: Missouri Women and Civil War Their Stories
Carolyn M Bartels
Manufacturer: Two Trails Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Book Description

We can think of no better way to acquaint our readers with the Civil War and the women of Missouri than to use a quote from one of stories to be found herein of the true grit displayed by these women thru four long years.

"Much has been written of the valor and heroism and the many triumphant victories achieved by our soldiers on the field of battle, and I would not pluck one laurel from their brow, but, there is another about whom little has been written who was equally patriotic and loyal to the cause...the wife, the mother, the sweetheart all bid adieu to their loved ones, cheering them on with words of love and encouragement, then, turning to their sad and lonely homes, took up the work which had been the task of the stronger.

They shouldered the burdens, met the responsibilities, endured the privations, while hoping and praying for those loved ones at the battle front.

These women, many of whom had been reared in wealth and luxury, soon learned to card, spin, and weave, knit, sew, and cook and do all kinds of housework. Many of them went to the fields and labored there to help support those dependent upon them.

Words are inadequate to describe or express the trials, hardships and tribulations, these women endured, always true and loyal.

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