Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West

Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West
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Once Upon a Time in the West

Powell's Vision - Ageless and Far-reaching

Powell cries out to today's West through Stegner's voice

A good book by a cranky old guy

Educational but not boring

Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West
Wallace Stegner
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Down the Great Unknown: John Wesley Powell's 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy Through the Grand Canyon

ASIN: 0140159940

Customer Reviews:

Once Upon a Time in the West.......2006-06-30

Once upon a time in the West, a man named William Gilpin was blown westward along with an expedition of John Fremont that took him as far as Walla Walla, Wash. In 1846 he fought in the Mexican War. In 1861 he went to Washington, DC, after Abraham Lincoln was elected. Later he became the first territorial governor of Colorado. Once upon a time, Gilpin saw the land beyond the 100th meridian (which runs through the center of Nebraska and Kansas) through a mystical fervor. The semiarid lands were no desert, but a pastoral Canaan. Agriculture would be effortless. All that was needed was the plow break the soil so that rain would naturally follow.

At the same time that Gilpin was convincing the country that the West was a Biblical Paradise, an exploration party headed by John Wesley Powell was camped a few miles from Cheyenne, Wyoming. It was 1868. At this time Powell was not the pioneer that Gilpin was, and he was 34 compared to Gilpin's 55. Powell's interests were always varied. In 1860 his *mollusk* collection won awards at the Illinois State Agricultural Society fair. In 1861, he volunteered to join the army in the Civil War. Within six months he rose through the ranks to become a captain, an expert on *fortifications*. In April of 1862, Powell lost an arm due to a Minie ball at Shiloh. Powell continued through the war. In 1865, Powell began a professorship in *geology* at Wesleyan.

Powell began his exploration of the Green and Colorado rivers on July 6,1869. On August 30, 1869, only six of nine men and two of four boats managed to go all the way through the Grand Canyon to come out near Yuma, Az. The rest of the Colorado had already been explored. In a few short months, John Wesley Powell had gathered enough data to challenge Gilpin's portrayal of the West. For the rest of his life, he would try to convince Congress of what he had learned about the proper way to treat the land beyond the 100th meridian.

Powell's geological and *ethnological* work and his study of Native American *languages* continue today to form the basis for our understanding of these subjects for southern Utah and northern Arizona.

Powell's Vision - Ageless and Far-reaching .......2006-01-20

I re-read this book and Powell's own "Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons" over the Holidays and have decided that these 2 books are absolutely inseparable. You must read both and I'm glad to see that Amazon offers a special deal for the purchase of these 2 books together. In my opinion, you should read Powell's "Exploration..." first and then read Stegner's book. Stegner's book is very readable but I hesitate to call it an easy read. While you are reading this book, you have to stop now and then to absorb and reflect on the opinions, actions, and counteractions of that particular moment. Everything must be placed in some historical, political, and personal context (3 dimensions which necessitate contemplation by the reader). Stegner does a wonderful job in maintaining the general flow of the text and he supplies an extensive listing of notes for those who want more information and detail. In my opinion, this is a wonderful book about a brilliant man with incredible foresight. Now, it seems that we need a beacon like Powell warning the Easterners about their relentless development of land with no thought or planning on the impact to their water resources and water quality. Most folks in the Eastern U.S. take their water resources for granted. We need a modern day Powell to warn us about the consequences of increased impervious area before its too late.

Powell cries out to today's West through Stegner's voice.......2006-01-04

Almost everything that could be done wrong in the development of the modern American West (and not just the Rockies westward, but the High Plains as well) was warned against by Maj. John Wesley Powell, but done anyway by the federal government and various states.

The result? Water crises, fights over water rights, lying, chicanery and stealing in the name of water rights, corporate farms squeezing out small farmers, urban sprawl and smog in the middle of deserts, dust bowls and more, were either forseen or hinted at by Powell.

The 100th meridian of latitude is the U.S.'s "dry line." Areas to the west, generally, before you get to the Pacific Coast, average less than 20 inches of rain a year. Hence the title, and the basis of Powell's warnings.

And, AND, all of that came after this one-armed Civil War veteran led the first navigation of the entire whitewater section of the Colorado, actually starting on the Green River in Wyoming and running all the way down past the Grand Canyon. (Despite some claims otherwise, it seems pretty clear James White did NOT do this.)

It was this trip, in the name of scientific research, that gave Powell his standing to eventually found the Bureau of Ethnography, do further Western research and make some top-notch recommendations for the development of the west.

The reason I didn't five-star this is that I would like to have seen a little more depth to Powell's post-exploration career. Also, a little more personality profile of Powell's struggle with disappointment over the Newlands Act and other repudiation of his ideas would have been nice.

True, Stegner may not be a professional historian, but it would have been nice to see him incorporate this.

To get an idea of what I mean by the end of this critique, please read Donald Worster's "River Running West." Also, Worster provides a bit of corrective to Stegner's occasional near-hagiographical approach to Powell.

A good book by a cranky old guy.......2005-10-07

This is an excellent biography of John Wesley Powell--exlorer, geologist, scientist, writer, and politician.
Anyone who reads this is sure to increase the amount they know about this historic figure, and about the West in general as the stories of each are inextricably tangled. The book excels at its account of John Wesley Powell's life AFTER his famous trips down the Colorado River, and does a great job of describing Powell's role in the battle against over-populating the West.
If the book has faults though, they lie in that many of Stegner's sources have since been expounded upon or dismissed entirely, and so the facts in this book aren't entirely current. Also, Stegner dismisses too quickly the merits of the story of James White, a man who very possibly went down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon two years before Powell did.
And, it's kind of ridiculous how Stegner criticizes Powell's second expedition's photos as if they were famous works and art: This photo "is marred by too much nondescipt low-water beach in the foreground," and that sort of thing.
This is a great book for anyone interested in John Wesley Powell or the Colorado River. It's possibly Stegner's best nonfiction work, though "Mormon Country" is good as well.
For another great account of John Wesley Powell, read "Down the Great Unknown" by Edward Dolnick.
Or, for a half-decent book about Wallace Stegner's peculiarly white view of the American West, read, "'Why I Can't Read Wallace Stegner' and Other Essays" by Elizabeth Cook-Lynn. That one's kind of interesting.

Educational but not boring.......2003-03-15

I kept waiting for this book to get boring. It has all the potential to be boring. But it's not. It's an excellent introduction to the history of the West. I learned little tidbits about all sorts of varied subjects - Native American tribes, government, the history of the USGS. Stegner does get a little too wrapped up in the details at a couple points, especially when he gets into all the wrangling in Congress over Powell's various ventures, but in general it's an excellent book.

John Wesley (Library of Protestant Thought)

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A Must Have For Studying Wesleyan Theology
Excellent Source book on John Wesley
Immpeccable scholarly material

John Wesley (Library of Protestant Thought)
John Wesley
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Recapturing the Wesleys' Vision: An Introduction to the Faith of John and Charles Wesley
John Wesley's Sermons: An Anthology

ASIN: 0195028104

Book Description

A major figure in eighteenth-century Christianity, John Wesley sought to combine the essential elements of the Catholic and Evangelical traditions and to restore to the laity a vital role in church life. He began one of the most dynamic movements in the history of modern Protestantism, a movement which eventually produced the Methodist churches. This volume offers a representative selection of theological writings by Wesley and includes historically oriented introductions and footnotes which indicate Wesley's Anglican, patristic, and biblical sources.

Customer Reviews:

A Must Have For Studying Wesleyan Theology.......2006-12-26

For those of us who follow in the footsteps of John Wesley in our theological heritage (mine being Arminian), I have grown to love the works of John Wesley. Sadly, much of what comes from the United Methodist Church here in the United States is liberal and very bias against John Wesley. Too often liberal Methodist try to either misrepresent the teachings of Wesley or they deny what he taught such as inerrancy.

That is why you need this book. While this book is a collection of the writings and teachings of Wesley, the book itself is a very indepth analysis of Wesley's teachings. In the book you will not only see his evangelical teachings such as justification by faith but also his Arminian teachings as well against the Calvinist of his day. Wesley's arguments can still be used today against Calvinism.

My only reason for not giving this a five star rating was that a short work such as this can-not cover John Wesley or his teachings. While this work tries to do so, it simply is not a full view of what Arminians, Wesleyans, or John Wesley himself truly believe. However, this is still a must read for every serious theological student.

Excellent Source book on John Wesley.......2006-02-20

This book is very readable and provides great insight into the life and thought of the founder of Methodism, John Wesley. The editor does an excellent job with introductions and footnotes. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Immpeccable scholarly material.......2000-04-04

Outler has a thorough knowledge of Wesley's life, teachings, and impact. He does more than present a summary of that, but he gives insight as well. One of the greatest is of Wesley's grasp of both Protestant and Catholic theologies, that creates something new (or old, i.e. in the 'primitive' church).

Down the Great Unknown: John Wesley Powell's 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy Through the Grand Canyon

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To Be The First Through The Then Unknown Colorado....
Too many digressions ...
Excellent read
Down the Great Unknown
I would much rather read this than John Wesley Powell's actual book.

Down the Great Unknown: John Wesley Powell's 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy Through the Grand Canyon
Edward Dolnick
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060955864
Release Date: 2002-09-17

Amazon.com

Edward Dolnick's Down the Great Unknown depicts the "last epic journey on American soil," John Wesley Powell's exploration of the Grand Canyon and the fulminating, carnivorous Colorado River. The book, a model of precision, clarity, and serene passion, outshines, arguably, its bestselling brother-volume, Stephen Ambrose's Undaunted Courage.

On May 24, 1869, Powell, an ambitious, autocratic, one-armed Civil War veteran and amateur scientist, and a casually recruited crew of nine--without a lick of white water experience--embarked from an obscure railroad stop in the Wyoming Territory to travel through a region "scarcely better known than Atlantis." Ninety-nine days, 1,000 miles and nearly 500 rapids later, six of the men came ashore in Arizona--the first humans to run the waters of the Grand Canyon. Dolnick tells this story of courage, naiveté, hardship, and petty squabbling simply and authoritatively using entries from the men's journals, deft overviews (we always know where we are), and short science, history, and psychology lessons, as well as the prodigious knowledge of present-day river runners and his own first-hand observations. His prose carries the day: Powell looks like a "stick of beef jerky adorned with whiskers," the boats are "walnut shells," which in rapids are little better than "ladybugs caught in a hose's blast" or "drunks trying to negotiate a revolving door," while the river is a "taunting bully," a "colossal mugger," a "sumo wrestler smothering a kitten," and a notable rock formation looks like what might happen if "Edward Gorey had designed the Bat Cave."

Down the Great Unknown brushes against perfection. This is history written as it should be--and too rarely is: enthusiastic, rigorous, painterly, gloriously free of both pedantry and hyperbole. --H. O'Billovitch

Book Description

0n May 24, 1869, a one-armed Civil War veteran named John Wesley Powell and a ragtag band of nine mountain men embarked on the last great quest in the American West. No one had ever explored the fabled Grand Canyon; to adventurers of that era it was a region almost as mysterious as Atlantis -- and as perilous.

The ten men set out down the mighty Colorado River in wooden rowboats. Six survived. Drawing on rarely examined diaries and journals, Down the Great Unknown is the first book to tell the full, true story.

Customer Reviews:

To Be The First Through The Then Unknown Colorado...........2007-08-27

I've "rafted" the upper Colorado.

Of course that was in a motorized raft, led by experienced pilots, with a map and they did all the cooking and if something really bad happened the ranger service could chopper in and get me (Hey, I *did* hike out from Phantom Ranch)

I can't conceive of doing it in an ungainly rowboat, without a steering oar, having little provisions, without a map or even knowledge of the river (what happens if you hit a 100 ft fall and nowhere to portage?), and where a broken ankle would have meant an almost certain death -- and with one arm.

Truthfully, its amazing this exposition survived.

Dolnick weaves in Powell's embellished account with the other expedition journals to craft a balanced account of the expedition, along with correlating the trip with known features of the canyon. Dolnick describes the tensions within the team -- categorizes their moves, good and bad and tracks their trailblazing passage.

Excellent read.

Too many digressions ..........2007-08-20

This is a pretty decent book for the newcomer who has never read anything about Powell. I found it less entertaining than my fellow reviewers though, as it follows the tedium of the daily journals a little too closely. I also found the narrative to be interspersed with too many digressions. These range from opinions of the Green/Colorado river by modern rafting experts to accounts of other early rafting expeditions, and a lengthy 2-chapter segment on the American Civil war and Battle of Shiloh. This latter exercise contributes nothing to the book, by the way! The reader is also left in the dark about the Native American peoples, Mormon settlers, and miners who inhabited this area at the same point in time ... Really, it is as if the expedition were done in a vacuum. Even worse was the lack of information on 9 of the 10 men who took part in the expedition. While there is more than enough about John Wesley Powell, readers get only sketchy details about the lives of the other 9 men. Even the simplest details like where these men were born is left out, nor are we given much about the kinds of lives they lived (careers, families, etc.) prior to the expedition (and precious little afterwards as well). Although 6 of these 9 men were, like Powell, fellow Union veterans of the Civil War, but we get nothing about their wartime experiences! We also have no clue what motivated them to join this expedition. This oversight would not doubt have suited the egotistical Powell, but is a serious oversight for a modern historian.

Excellent read.......2007-08-04

I enjoyed this book very much. So much that I have loaned it to family and friends to enjoy.

Down the Great Unknown.......2006-03-19

This book was informative but not a real "page turner". The author went off on tangents often that took away from the story at hand. It was not a bad book, but it was not full of the adventure that you would have expected the trip to have been.

I would much rather read this than John Wesley Powell's actual book........2005-09-29

"Down the Great Unknown" is a terrific retelling of John Wesley Powell's 1869 expedition down the Colorado River. The book's author brings to life all of the expedition's more minor (and usually overlooked) characters, and gives the reader a great sense of the danger of the river and the grandeur of the canyons.
The author has an excellent sense of history, and does a wonderful job of tying all his sources together. The book also includes a detailed look at how John Wesley Powell lost his arm, and an examination of all the possibilities of what could have happened to the three men who abandoned the expedition.
If I had any objections to this book, it would be that the author dismisses too quickly the real possibility that a man named James White may have gone down the Colorado through the Grand Canyon alone two years before Powell did. (I hope the author has since read "Hell or High Water," a well-researched book on that subject.)
Overall though, this is a great read, and is much better written and much more interesting than even Powell's account. I would recommend it to any fan of adventure writing, and to any fan of the West.

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A Quick, Intense Look at An Extraordinary Christian Man's Life!
John Wesley: A Biography & Mockery
JOHN WESLEY: A BIOGRAPHY

John Wesley: A Biography
Stephen Tomkins
Manufacturer: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0802824994

Book Description

The life and work of John Wesley (1703-1791) have had an enormous influence on modern Christianity, including his role as founding father of the Methodists, now 33 million strong worldwide. In this lively new biography journalist Stephen Tomkins narrates the story of Wesley's colorful and dramatic life for a new generation.

Writing with verve and a light, sure touch, Tomkins follows Wesley from his childhood at Epworth rectory through his schooling and university career at Oxford to his mission to Georgia, his "conversion" in 1738, and finally his life as a religious leader in England. Preaching in numerous villages, towns, and cities, Wesley and his followers faced intense and savage persecution, but their missions were also accompanied by extraordinary phenomena such as convulsions, laughter, and healings. In the course of his compelling narrative Tomkins examines Wesley's relationships with key people in his life, including his powerful and austere mother, Susanna, and his hymn-writing brother, Charles. Tomkins also explores key issues in Wesley's life, such as his renunciation of wealth and his attitude toward women, concluding with an assessment of Wesley's ongoing influence both in his own country and abroad.

Superbly crafted, grounded in thorough research, and published in the 300th year of Wesley's birth, this book will appeal to students of Wesley, people from the Methodist tradition, and general readers interested in church history.

Customer Reviews:

A Quick, Intense Look at An Extraordinary Christian Man's Life!.......2005-09-04

If you need to learn about John Wesley but only have a little time to spare, then this is the biography to read! It is accurate and full of pleasant insights into this great and unforgettable Christian leader. I was only sorry that it wasn't a little longer because the author writes so beautifully!

John Wesley: A Biography & Mockery.......2005-06-15

This is not the type of Christian biography I generally care for. The facts are all there (I hope), but the author's psycho-analytical comments on Wesley's relationships with women and subtle (and often not-so-subtle) mocking of John Wesley's characteristics, beliefs, choices and friends served to undermine the historical narrative rather than to support it. I hesitated in giving this book a 3-star rating, because it is (sadly) the best biography currently available on John Wesley. To that end, if you are primarily interested in his life and the origins of the Methodist church, then you could consider this a 4 1/2-star book instead. However, if you are interested in Christian biography for the sake of strengthening both your understanding and your spiritual fervor, this may not be the book for you. I'd like to comment briefly on the distinctive areas that comprise (in my opinion) a good Christian biography.

1) Historical Accuracy: As far as I can tell, the book sticks to the facts fairly well. If you have read Dallimore's biography of George Whitefield, you will notice that Tomkins' treatment of figures other than Wesley himself is somewhat lacking, but it is not the facts that cause the lack in this book. History-buffs will find what they are looking for here as long as they can distinguish between 21st century commentary and the true historical account. If anything, no one could accuse this biographer of candy-coating Wesley's life.

2) Spiritual Character Development: Do we get to see into Wesley's heart and glimpse the passion for God that drove him forward? At times you almost feel like the writer has accomplished this, but he quickly follows it up with discouraging, mildly-sarcastic statements that tear that feeling away from you. This is particularly true in his insistence on contrasting Wesley's characteristics in early, mid and late life.
The most disturbing point for me was in the discussion of Wesley's later life. A rather depressive segment from a letter written to his brother Charles is quoted and taken as formative for Wesley's outlook through his entire life. Any student of Christian history knows that most (but not all) great evangelists suffer from some form of depression. Luther, Spurgeon, Lloyd-Jones, etc.--all of these men suffered at times from depressed spirits as a result of the great labor they put forth in declaring the word of God. At this point the author makes you feel as though everything he's reported about Wesley's great evangelistic success and powerful preaching has been a fraud. Overall a very disappointing portion of the book.

3) Theology: The author brings out Wesley's theology and its development with some degree of accuracy. I get the distinct feeling, however, that the lack of flow between Wesley's earlier convictions and later convictions was due to the authors own lack of theological understanding (or perhaps conviction is a better word). He perpetually seems to be condemning Wesley's doctrine of Christian Perfection and at one point agrees with the conclusion that salvation is by faith AND works while deriding Wesley's views on the matter.

4) The Author: I guess, when it comes down to it, this is really where the book falls short. Tomkins doesn't seem to have a firm grasp on Christian theology, much less Wesley's theology. He takes great delight in applying Freudian psycho-analysis to Wesley's varied female relationships, seems overly skeptical of Wesley's conversion, comments sarcastically on many of Wesley's decisions and repeatedly suggests (according to human wisdom and modern psychology) how Wesley might have better managed his life and doctrine.

Only in the chapter on his death and heritage is Wesley given much credit at all. I would recommend this book to history-minded persons, but could not in good conscience recommend it to sincere evangelicals (particularly those of the Calvinist persuasion). John Wesley is more muddled in my mind after reading this book than he was before. I only hope the truth lies other than where Tomkins would allow it to rest.

JOHN WESLEY: A BIOGRAPHY.......2005-01-14

Stephen Tomkins has written a highly engaging and thoroughly informative book that shines a shimmering spotlight on the man who was the founder of Methodism and one of the greatest religious reformers in Western history. Linear, concise, and lively, Tomkins's book takes the reader from Wesley's fiery near-death as a child through his formulation of a stringent code of self-discipline (which, strict as it was, failed to protect Wesley from a string of unfortunate romances) and tireless days and nights of hard riding and preaching through his death and far-reaching influence. The Wesley who emerges is a fascinating individual, flawed as all men inevitably are but one who answered the unique call God had upon his life with an admirable resolve. Tomkins has a clear command of the facts and his analysis is uniformly logical and not without humor. Highly recommended not only to Methodists but to any student of Christian history.

Eisenhower: A Biography (Great Generals)

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Keep Today's Politics Out Of It
Drop the forward.
Concise and Clear
Brief, but quite good
Good Introduction

Eisenhower: A Biography (Great Generals)
John Wukovits
Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1403971374
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Book Description

In the third installment of the Great Generals series, WWII expert John Wukovits explores Dwight D. Eisenhower's contributions to American warfare. American general and 34th president of the United States, Eisenhower led the assault on the French coast at Normandy and held together the Allied units through the European campaign that followed. The book reveals Eisenhower's advocacy in the pre-war years of the tank, his friendships with George Patton and Fox Conner, his service in the Philippines with Douglas MacArthur, and his culminating role as supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe. Wukovits skillfully demonstrates how Eisenhower's evolution as a commander, his military doctrine, and his diplomatic skills are of extreme importance in understanding modern warfare.

Customer Reviews:

Keep Today's Politics Out Of It.......2007-09-24

Though a nice and mostly complete overview of Ike's life until assuming the Presidency, the author does not hesitate to inject his own personal bias in a work that should be a review of historical records. When discussing military preparedness, he adds a comment about the supposedly underarmored HUMVEEs in Iraq. When discussing the identity of the enemy, he says that Eisenhower's job was somewhat easier than today, for the enemy was clearly identified, as opposed to today's "insurgents fighting for their country" and "religious zealots fighting for their freedom." He even manages to take a swipe at todays military, commenting on Abu Ghraib. In fact, by the time of the description of the Normandy invasion, there are at least 5 references to Iraq and Afghanistan. This type of editorializing in what should be a historic work goes far to undermine the objectivity of the author. One feels that he has an agenda, and is using this book to promote it.

Tell us the story of Ike, leave your opinions on US policy today outside the dustjacket. Commentaries such as the ones I mentioned reduce the credibility of the author and make one question the rest of his work.

Drop the forward........2007-05-07

Interesting book. But Wesley Clarke -- who wrote the forward --is an airhead and a sychophant par excellence.

Concise and Clear.......2007-01-19

This should especially be a must read for students. The book is concise and to the point without a lot of extraneous words. Having just recently rented a film about Eisenhower at a local store, I'm shocked that the student-age employee neither knew who Eisenhower was or how to spell his name. Do we call this a dumbed-down nation?
A good combination with this book would be to first have the students read it and then show the film Ike: A Countdown to D-Day which was a made-for-TV film starring Tom Selleck.
More books of this ilk would help EDUCATE!

Brief, but quite good.......2006-11-23

I just finished this book, and found it a very enjoyable read. I learned a number things about Eisenhower's earlier years that were new to me--for instance, I never knew he had served in Panama, or been offered more lucrative business opportunities, but had elected to stay in the army. or that because of his abilities as a staff officer he had been denied the chance to have his own command except for a very brief period.

In terms of Eisenhower's WWII experiences, the focus is on getting into Eisenhower's thoughts and feelings and his relationships with other generals, particularly Patton and Montgomery, though the author also points out that Eisenhower tried to meet with all ranks of soldiers when time allowed. I was somewhat surprised that Eisenhower's alleged relationship with Kay Summersby is completely unmentioned, though the author does quote four times from her book.

Also, this is not the book to go to if you want an operational description of the battles Eisenhower oversaw--even the situation on Omaha is covered in only a couple of sentences. Similarly for Market-Garden, but here the author states this operation should never have happened, one of his few (though here only implied) negative statements about Eisenhower.

Eisenhower's life after the army and his presidency are briefly covered, with all the major events highlighted, but not discussed in detail.

I strongly recommend this book for an introduction to Eisenhower.

Good Introduction.......2006-11-02

This book is a good introduction for someone who has always wanted to read a biography of IKE the General but never could find the time for the heftier 500 page treatments of the General. The book is well-written, fast paced and interesting.

Wukovits' doesn't offer anything new to people already familiar with IKE the General. Much of what Wukovits writes has been hashed over in hundreds of books. This does not mean, however, that the book is not a contribution. In a brief bio of the general, Wukovits has no choice but to include much that many already know. The contribution comes in the analysis of IKE's leadership style- and his honesty, integrity, empathy all figure largely in Wukovits story. At times Wukovits appears to be writing an idealizing hagiographic biography and skims over the IKE's poor decisions. IKE dreaded sending men to battle and in many instances poor decisions by IKE made under political influence got men killed. (Omaha Beach, Market Garden, etc)- Certainly, we can criticise IKE for these decisions (Wukovits is very light on criticism) while also realizing no man could have done better.

It's hard for me to think of IKE as anything other than the greatest wartime leader this country has ever had. Wukovits has written a nice book. So far all three of THE GREAT GENERALS volumes have been quite good. See my reviews.

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Deep Throat and self-examination
Fine work on John Dean's life post watergate

Lost Honor
John W. Dean
Manufacturer: Stratford Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Rehnquist Choice: The Untold Story of the Nixon Appointment That Redefined the Supreme Court
Conservatives Without Conscience
Abuse of Power: The New Nixon Tapes
The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court

ASIN: 0936906154

Book Description

Released from prison in January 1975, John Dean thought that the nightmare was over, that Watergate was behind him. He was wrong, because even as he tried to move away from the events of Watergate, he felt compelled to look deeper into the one remaining mystery of that era: the motives and identity of the man who had come to be known as "Deep Throat." The impact of Dean's ultimate conclusion goes far beyond what once had seemed a harmless piece of trivia. Dean's conclusion shakes our confidence in the concept of trust itself, and raises almost as many questions as it answers.

"A must read about the quest for a new beginning from one of the best known Watergate figures." (B-O-T Editorial Review Board)

Customer Reviews:

Deep Throat and self-examination.......2002-02-05

John Dean's follow-on to Blind Ambition is an interesting self-examination punctuated with commentary on Dean's suspicions regarding the true identity of Bob Woodward's source Deep Throat. The latter is the reason the book sold (if it did) while the former obviously was Dean's motivation for writing the book.

I listened to rather than read the book. The recording was well done, and the topic lends itself to the book on tape approach. Dean's tone is conversational, although the material may be a bit impenetrable unless one has a basic working knowledge of Watergate and its players.

Dean's self-examination is illuminating not only of his own feelings but also of our media culture, which presumably has only gotten worse since this book was published 20 years ago. Dean's predictions about presidential scandals of the future and the media's handling of it were prescient. I would like to see a book by Dean on Monicagate.

Dean's analysis of the Deep Throat question is incisive. He starts with the obvious, but he also examines the obscure, behind the scenes players who may have had the information necessary to be Deep Throat. His commentary on the shoddiness of the Washington Post's reporting is a bit self-serving; he prefers to see himself as the one who broke the story. That said, it is a thoughtful and seemingly fair rebuttal of the conventional wisdom that "Woodstein" brought down the president.

All in all, a satisfying trip to an earlier time.

Fine work on John Dean's life post watergate.......1998-06-13

It has been several years since I read this book, however it was a very good follow up to John Dean's book on the Watergate affair and his role in it.

I have found that many times over the years after I read a book, and become intrigued with the main character's life, hoping for a sequel. This book filled that need for me.

Book Description

Analyzes for the first time, on the basis of the extant texts, the historical and literary relationships between the two theologians.

John Wesley Powell: Explorer of Grand Canyon (Historical American Biographies)

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John Wesley Powell: Explorer of Grand Canyon (Historical American Biographies)
Roger A. Bruns
Manufacturer: Enslow Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Exploration & Discovery | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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Look Inside Children's Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

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ASIN: 0894907832

Reasonable Enthusiast: John Wesley and the Rise of Methodism

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THE biography of John Wesley for the next 100 years

Reasonable Enthusiast: John Wesley and the Rise of Methodism
Henry D. Rack
Manufacturer: Epworth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Religious | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

History | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Wesley and the People Called Methodists
Methodism: Empire of the Spirit
Responsible Grace: John Wesley's Practical Theology (Kingswood Series)
The Expansion of Evangelicalism: The Age of Wilberforce, More, Chalmers and Finney (A History of Evangelicalism)
The New Creation: John Wesley's Theology Today

ASIN: 0716205521

Customer Reviews:

THE biography of John Wesley for the next 100 years.......1998-01-12

Most people who know John Wesley at all, not regarding if they like or dislike him, will know at least about his "conversion" in 1738 as the lift-off of the Methodist movement. But research within the last ten to fifteen years has corrected this image totally. One of the scholars who are to earn merits for this surely is Henry D. Rack. His biography of John Wesley and the rise of Methodism in 18th century is one of the most skilful works on the subject I know. For he avoids all hagiographic tendencys which dominated nearly all biographies of Wesley and still do in popular writings. Therefore he provides a fresh image of Wesley and his companions as well as his counterparts freed from traditional presuppositions. For instance, he considers Wesleys development throughout the whole of his long lasting life where traditional Wesley- hagiographies will always put stress on the 1738 Aldergate experience of "conversion" and are not able to discuss his later development. Also, Rack considers not only Methodist communites of the Wesleyan circuit but embeds Wesley and his followers within the whole Movement of Methodism which had a lot of different aspects and leading figures (e.g. George Whitefield). After all, Wesley apears as a man like you and me, his movement as an often troublesome gathering of people like you and me. Nevertheless Rack shows the historical place and merit of John Wesley and his legacy not only to Methodism but to the English society without exaggeration. "Reasonable Enthusiast" provides not only (as the title hints) a lively image of an in many ways contradictuary man but also of his world which has vanished since a long time. (Reader, please apologize for my teutonic English)

Average customer rating:

Excellent Book
Leon Metz paints a very believable picture.
Leon Metz's "John Wesley Hardin - Dark Angel Of Texas"
Best book on Hardin
John Wesley Hardin--he does look like Randy Quaid!

John Wesley Hardin: Dark Angel of Texas
Leon Claire Metz
Manufacturer: Mangan Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

The Life of John Wesley Hardin As Written by Himself
The Shooters
Bat Masterson: The Man and the Legend
Draw: The Greatest Gunfights of the American West
They Called Him Wild Bill

ASIN: 0930208358

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Book.......2007-06-08

The most detailed account of Hardin I ever read. A real page turner filled with excellent photos. I have no respect or admiration for Hardin but I like to read about the "bad" guys. Metz is an excellent writer and I highly recomend his other books.

Leon Metz paints a very believable picture........2006-06-26

What I like most about the writtings of Mr. Leon Metz is how he tells of what is said to have happened, what may possibly have happened and what probably did happen. As any old west buff knows, truth was not always a top priority and many stories were blown so out of proportion that the truth may never be known. Mr. Metz uses research along with common sense and comes up with truely believable aspects of this notorious outlaw who was clearly the greatest gunfighter of his time. This is an excellent book by an excellent author about the old west's most dangerous man.

Leon Metz's "John Wesley Hardin - Dark Angel Of Texas".......2006-02-25

Leon Metz is a meticulous researcher who adds human interest information to his biography of John Wesley Hardin. He writes well and his narrative flows.

I learned much from Mr. Metz's novel and thoroughly enjoyed his writing style. I highly recommed this book.

Best book on Hardin.......2005-11-03

Leon C. Metz has written a wonderful account of the life and crimes of John Wesley Hardin. It is filled with many photo's, maps and illustrations. Metz has recorded all his documentation and resources for writing this book. I would highly recommend reading; "John Wesley Hardin: Dark Angel of Texas." Hardin was the worst killer of the "American West" by far. I have this one in my collection and you should too!

Mike Koch, Author of "The Kimes Gang."

John Wesley Hardin--he does look like Randy Quaid!.......2004-08-15

Dark Angel Of Texas is a decent book, very middle-of-the-road, pretty short. The writing is servicable, flows easily, but certainly won't get the adrenaline pumping like Shelby Foote or Robert A. Caro can, following the same pattern as most histories of this nature: early life, romance, the first taste of outlawism, and then death. It's been done before, many times before, and Metz seems content with doing the bare minimum, not putting any flourish or signature to it, making this something you'll bang out in a day or two and never pick up again.

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