Book Description
In an attempt to stop the legendary Barbary Pirates of North Africa from hijacking American ships, William Eaton set out on a secret mission to overthrow the government of Tripoli. The operation was sanctioned by President Thomas Jefferson, who at the last moment grew wary of intermeddling in a foreign government and sent Eaton off without proper national support. Short on supplies, given very little money and only a few men, Eaton and his mission seemed doomed from the start. He triumphed against all odds, recruited a band of European mercenaries in Alexandria, and led them on a march across the Libyan Desert. Once in Tripoli, the ragtag army defeated the local troops and successfully captured Derne, laying the groundwork for the demise of the Barbary Pirates. Now, Richard Zacks brings this important story of Americas first overseas covert op to life.
Customer Reviews:
Pirate Coast .......2007-09-21
I Just finished a book titled "The Pirate Coast" by Robert Zacks. A very interesting historical account of how a handful of Marines along with General William Eaton embarked on America's first overseas covert op. They traipsed across the Sahara in an endeavor to free American soldiers that were captured and enslaved by Barbary pirates- Moslems. It's an interesting chronicle of how Moslems enslaved Christians, Americans & Europeans dating as far back as the 1700's.
Even back then we were the only nation with the cajones to stand up to these despicable pirates. It was during a time when many nations were intimidated into paying "tribute' to these Moslem nations in order not to be enslaved/ or unlawfully seized from the waters.
It was during these troubling times when a US Navy vessel(USS Philadelphia) ran aground in the harbor of Tripoli-(now Libya) and was captured along with over 270 American soldiers. The Bey or Pasha of Tripoli - Yusef Karamanli was a ruthless thug that murdered his brother, de-throned his father, & exiled his next older brother, Hamet, while keeping Hamet's wife & children hostage in the castle; as an incentive for him not to return and stake claim to his rightful throne. Yusef enjoyed the notoriety of the first foreign ruler ever to declare war on the U.S.A.
I think you would enjoy it.
From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli....
The Pirate Coast; Thomas Jefferson, The First Marines, and the Secret mission of 1805.......2007-07-19
Courage, adventure, and political intrigue. Accurate historical account of early American foreign policy toward Muslim states. Many parallels to issues facing America today.
"Nother excellent book by Mr. Zacks.......2007-07-09
And "avoid a land war in asia" should be modified to include North Africa. medaling in the affairs of foreign governments has led us to no good outcomes for a very long time. Mr. Zacks makes is abundantly clear that the grounding of the ship Philadelphia was a minor problem compared with its premature abandonment. And that the secret mission of Pres. Thomas Jefferson and his agent Mr. Eaton led us to far more grief than if we had just arrived with the fleet and demanded an end of this open sea piracy.
A great read for all of those who love politics as theater and are interested in sea stories. Reads like a Patric O'Brien novel but has the full truth in it.
The Pirate Coast (Book Review).......2007-06-30
'Small Fonts'
My biggest issue w/ this book is that the font used is kinda tiny, about 8 or 9 pt. size. I noticed this when I started having headaches after reading it, which I didn't used to get when reading other books.
Comparing it to other Trade Paperback Books, the others normally use 10 pt., rather than the 8-9 pt. size used on this one.
Apparently, this is a rather long book, since even w/ the small font size, it is already almost 500 pages long. If they had used the normal 10 pt. font size, the book would've ballooned to 600-700 pages, adding to the costs & perhaps made the book unattractive.
The book could've likely used more careful editing, trimming it down to around 500 pages using the usual 10 pt. font size.
I sort of regretted buying this book, its kinda expensive, & am not sure if I will ever be able to finish it.
Great Telling of an Obscure Story.......2007-05-30
Richard Zacks' "Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, the First Marines, and the Secret Mission of 1805" is an engrossing tale of one of the first US overseas "covert" missions. While also telling the story of the First Barbary War, Zack concentrates on the energetic and ambitious William Eaton, whose audacious plan was to march over 500 miles across the North African desert to attack Tripoli (one of the Barbary States) from land.
Eaton's successful attack on the town of Derna was a key element in the peace made to conclude the war. However, upon his return to the United States, Eaton fell into political conflict with President Thomas Jefferson and was never compensated for much of his personal expenses from the expedition - and he eventually died a broken alcoholic.
"Pirate Coast" is not a full telling of the First Barbary War, but Zacks gives enough background that the reader can follow the big picture while also focusing on Eaton's courageous and daring mission. Zacks also brings the many historical characters to life, showing how their personalities impacted the war, the mission, and the aftermath. This is an excellent book for anyone interesting in US history, military history, or who wants to learn more about this forgotten war.
Book Description
In this moving and intimate look at the final days of our most enigmatic president, Andrew Burstein sheds new light on what Thomas Jefferson actually thought about sexuality, race, gender, and politics.
Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, leaving behind a series of mysteries that captured the imaginations of historical investigators-an interest rekindled by the recent revelation that he fathered a child by Sally Hemmings, a woman he legally owned-yet there is still surprisingly little known about him as a man. In Jefferson's Secrets Andrew Burstein focuses on Jefferson's last days to create an emotionally powerful portrait of the uncensored private citizen who was also a giant of a man.
Drawing on sources previous biographers have glossed over or missed entirely, Burstein uncovers, first and foremost, how Jefferson confronted his own mortality; and in doing so, he reveals how he viewed his sexual choices.
Delving into Jefferson's soul, Burstein lays bare the president's thoughts about his own legacy, his predictions for American democracy, and his feelings regarding women and religion. The result is a moving and surprising work of history that sets a new standard, post-DNA, for the next generation's reassessment of the most evocative and provocative of this country's founders.
Customer Reviews:
Having It Both Ways.......2007-07-19
The good stuff in this book is invaluable to anyone with a serious interest in Jefferson. I'd award five stars for such unique scholarship, but I've subtracted two stars as a rebuke to the author and to his editors, if there were any, for perverse self-indulgence. The readability of "Jefferson's Secrets" is damaged by its repetitiousness; Burstein even repeats the same quotations from Jefferson's letters in three and four chapters, without significantly adding to his exegesis. But a more serious flaw is Burstein's rhapsodic admiration of Jefferson's mind at the same time that he protrays the man as a consummate hypocrite and egotist--not only a slave-owner and unreconstructed racist but an exploiter of servants to the point of callously making one his concubine, a Jacobin in rhetoric who lived in the style of an ancien regime aristocrat, a man who gave his daughters a decorous education yet maintained that women had no claim to equality. Burstein's defense seems to be that we should forgive Jefferson's inconsistencies because he was conflicted, and a man of his times. Indeed, the central theme of the book is to demonstrate exactly how Jefferson was a man of his times, whose world-view was shaped by the ideas and particularly the scientific knowledge of the Enlightenment. That's the good stuff, the analysis of what Jefferson himself thought he meant by what he said and wrote, given the "vocabulary" of his time and place. However, in the next breath Burstein proceeds to declare that Jefferson was in some sense the first Modern Man, a harbinger of Romanticism precisely because of his ambiguities, the very same ambiguities that Burstein has just dispelled. Really, Professor Burstein, it seems to be YOU who are conflicted, by your adulation of the "timeless" Jefferson even while you pin the human Jefferson to the cultural matrix of his lifetime!
Extremely disappointing biography of Jefferson.......2007-06-23
There is next to nothing here that caught my interest. I was looking forward very much to this work, and I was extremely disappointed in it. I had just finished an excellent biography of John Adams, which impelled me to try this one. I can only recommend that you don't waste your time. Every moment on this book was, to me, a complete waste of time.
His own way of looking at things...........2007-06-07
Thomas Jefferson was a great and brilliant, but flawed and unconventional man. What can the zillionth book add that hasn't already been said? Quite a lot. It should not be anybody's first book on Jefferson, but it should be everybody's second, or third. Of course, Burstein hasn't got Jefferson "figured out", but neither does anyone else.....
This wonderful volume focuses on Mr. Jefferson's later years, and does give us a good view of his thought processes. Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, and Jefferson can be quoted to "prove" ANYTHING. "Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate than that this people are to be free,..." The inscription on the wall of the Jefferson Memorial ends with a period, but look up the rest of the quote. I use the comma deliberately. He who said that "All men are created equal" also had things to say about the orangutang. And he also had sex with his slave, Sally? Well...maybe. In any event, he documented his views on this subject, too, complete with charts. The ongoing arguement with John Marshall gets coverage, too. It has been more completely documented elsewhere, but Burstein does an excellent job. This feud is truly one of the most profound topics in American history. It spanned from their early years till the day Jefferson died, and beyond, going from a rivalry, to disagreement, to blind, unreasoning, hatred after the Aaron Burr treason case of 1807. My own opinion is that the cause of the whole mess was multifaceted, involving familial, personal, political, and philosophical elements. {Not religious; they agreed about that} In this battle of giants, we have the origin of the Civil War, and of much of our political conflict today. An athiest who "swore on the altar of God"? This is covered, too. Jefferson may not have been orthodox, but he was assuradely not an athiest. A slave owner who hated slavery? Not unusual...the same is true of George Washington, Patrick Henry, John Marshall, George Wythe, and Robert E. Lee. {Lee inherited his slaves, and freed them before he had to}. A word of caution; though some of the founding fathers did not believe in slavery, they certainly did not believe in Black equality, either.
Andrew Burstein has produced a superb work. As I said, NOT a first book on the subject, but an essential one. For a first book, see Joseph Ellis, or Fawn Brodie. Dumas Malone is, of course, definitive, but few will mine the gold in those six profound volumes.
The Inner Jefferson.......2006-10-20
Burstein has written an insightful book on the Jefferson, as he says, that has usually been ignored by many other historians, i.e. in the period after his presidency. Specifically, Burstein analyzes the thoughts and attitudes held by Jefferson on life, the role of women and slaves in society, religion, freedom of thought, politics and other topics. The Jefferson that emerges from Burstein's study is a multi-faceted man who both inspires awe for his intelligence and his abilities but also sets him in place as a creature of his time, especially concerning the issue of slavery.
Burstein is especially keen on observing Jefferson's use of words to convey his inner most feelings and thoughts. He is especially observant of the medical terminology that Jefferson uses in discussing many different subjects. As Burstein mentioned, he usually didn't give his correspondent everything he was looking for in terms of revealing his innermost thoughts and secrets. After his presidency, Jefferson preferred a retreat from the public sphere and generally guarded his privacy. But we do get to understand Jefferson's devotion to his family, his sometimes very contradictory statements on human liberty and freedom especially when juxtaposed against the very present institution of slavery, his views on republican government and many other areas that he expounded on.
There are friends, family members, well-known politicians, doctors, thinkers and others who emerge in Burstein's book, mainly through the correspondence that Burstein uses to help bring light to the elusive aspects of Jefferson's attitudes and sensibilities. The controversies surrounding Jefferson and the institution of slavery are discussed, especially concerning the generally accepted sexual relationship with Sally Hemings, with interesting insights by Burstein on Jefferson's attitudes on sexual relationships, racial differences and so forth. Though he would be considered a racist today, he was a creature of his time, with an odd, but seemingly well-thought out view of the nature of the races (not that his view was right).
Burstein really does try to understand the foundations of Jefferson's inner beliefs and sensibilities. Jefferson was a devotee to the rights of man (though this didn't include everyone in his day), his family (he was especially close to his granddaughter Ellen), and the principles of republican government. Interestingly, despite his advocacies, he often turned to others to make the effort to combat his political opponents, we see this in his wanting to combat the histories written by such Federalists as Chief Justice Marshall.
The reader will get to see snippets of the inner Jefferson in this book. Burstein, as he stated he wanted to accomplish, succeeds fairly well in presenting the living Jefferson as opposed to the dying Jefferson, though we do read of the effects of aging and other health issues that gradually took their toll on his physical body. We see the many facets of this highly intelligent human being who was such an influence in his day and through his words, actions and ideals continues to be to the present. The debates go on.
Another Fine Contribution by Andrew Burstein.......2005-11-17
Jefferson has now fallen into the same category as Lincoln: given the zillions of books already written about him, what is there left to add? Burstein's previous book on TJ ("The Inner Jefferson") established that he had quite a lot to contribute to the literature, much of it quite unique in perspective. The same is certainly true of this volume as well.
The focus here is on the retired Jefferson (1809-1826), and much of the author's material is drawn from TJ's private papers after leaving office. One of Burstein's great virtues--perhaps his greatest virtue--is that he looks for unique aspects not generally already addressed by other historians. For example, the impact of "time and mortality" on TJ's thought; his medical concerns and how these concerns are reflected in the unique vocabulary of the 18th Century (e.g., what is the meaning of "sensation"?); and whether there is something to learn about his political views from looking at these issues. Similarly, how did he conceive of "nature"?
Burstein also looks at that perennial issue of TJ and slavery, including an interesting chapter on "sex with a servant" in an effort to probe that relationship. Did TJ's affinity for the ancient Greeks impact on his relationship with Sally Hemmings?--this is the kind of issue that only Burstein would explore. The most fascinating section I found dealt with Jefferson's efforts to get favorable history written so that his record would remain untarnished after his death. I am not quite sure anyone else has dealt with this issue. Finally, the topic is TJ and dying, which ends up focusing upon TJ's religious orientation during this period. Burstein's research is, as usual, prodigious as he searches for evidence to support his interpretations. While a great deal of speculation and imaginative thinking are at work here, Burstein continues to generate scintillating and provocative work that is highly unique and valuable. While one may not always agree with his interpretations, the process of considering them continues to be of substantial value.
Book Description
Running a ring of spies is no mission impossible with this tell-all primer. Find out the secrets of the world's best spies and peep into the real world of a Bangkok madam-turned-secret agent, Aldrich Ames, U.S. Embassy guards, Kim Philby and garden-variety corporate spies. Find out how to get the goods on the bad guys.
Customer Reviews:
Good for life in general........2005-12-31
It is sad to say that many of the techniques in this book REALLY do help out when dealing with evil co-workers and in-laws and such. If you want people to leave you alone, but can't figure out how...try blackmail! It may not be the Christian thing to do, but it works. Just remember to keep your own nose clean, and try to disengage yourself from circumstances that require the use of such tactics.
Remember: Use this information for defensive purposes only! (or else you'll be the evil one who needs to be blackmailed)
Please read before buying.......2005-09-18
I have never read this book but it all seems a little strange to me. Why would a book of proven tradecraft and spycraft be selling on amazon.com. It makes no sense to me. If this was really working tradecraft that the CIA didnt want destributed to the public then why would it be selling for so cheap on this site. If you are really into this stuff then I suggest that you do research on the subject or join a branch of the government that teaches you this stuff FOR FREE.
Great book - simple describes the real world of intelligence.......2004-05-26
If you are realy believes that intelligence done by brave covert agents this book is for You . It's will break many of those myths you are believing in, You will discover that spys are recruited (!) from the target organization or even blackmailed for turning to spys AND NOT "inserted" into target organization by sophisticated covert operations. You will learn how CASE OFFICERS works, how they turn someone into spying, the tricks they use to work and cover they tracks and more more other usefull information. You will still have to find by youself a lot of other sorts of information (like surveillance and avoiding it) after you finish this book .BUT AS YOU WILL SEE YOUR POINT OF VIEW ON INTELLIGENCE GATHERING WILL BE COMPLETLY CHANGED-NOW YOU WILL SEE THING THROW ALMOST PROFFESIONAL EYES. I didn't mean that this book will replace 3 years of training in intelligence agency (like CIA or the Mosad), I mean that after You will finish this book You will discover how those agiences really works , and real word is differnt from the movies. It's good point to start , to open Your eyes after many years watching catoons abouts brave covert agents that spying the bad guys ...
Bought 2 more copies.......2003-07-20
This book does contain the real secrets beind how the spy trade works. On the news you often hear that a piece of information can't be declassified because it would give away the ways & means used to collect intellgence by the agency. This book contains those ways & means. Fear, lust and greed, exploiting human nature. How to find someones thumb screws and force him or her to become a spy for you. Spying is a dirty, dirty business; someone you've known for 20 years can turn out to be your worst enemy. As the old saying goes "Your worst enemy is always a friend."The author of this book also has another one titled HOW TO RUN A SAFE HOUSE. Again, packed with great information.These books do contain dangerous information if looked at from the right perspective. The 911 hijackers used the exact information contained in these books to set up shop, plan the job, operate safe houses, etc. all right under the noses of the FBI.Remember, a terrorist doesn't see himself as a terrorist. He sees himself as a secret agent. I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn the spy-craft tricks-of-the-trade.
A good book for the uninitiated........1999-08-16
This is a good book for learning how to recruit, run and handle spies. It's wise, but in my case it just summarized what I already knew.
Book Description
What is invisible resistance to tyranny? It is an underground movement of secret freedom fighters, each acting individually and independently to ignore, evade, resist and thwart the increasingly heavy hand of government power. Invisible resisters do not join protest groups, stand on street corners making speeches or run with a mob throwing rocks at police vehicles. Rather, they make up a collective silent insurgency that tyrants won't be able to put down because they won't be able to find it. Government enforcers will fruitlessly look for organizations with no members, commanders who aren't there, secret headquarters that don't exist and couriers that carry no messages. Invisible Resistance to Tyranny is both a manifesto and manual for everyday citizens who are alarmed by the never-ending encroachment upon the individual freedoms recognized by the Bill of Rights and who want to do something about it now before it comes down to a choice between violent revolution and total submission. It outlines a progressive program of resistance that anyone can undertake without having to protest in the streets, go on hunger strikes or take up arms. It tells how to: • be a "bad" citizen while still being a good neighbor. • identify and nurture sympathizers and build a network of invisible resisters. • confront and convert "government supremacists" to your side. • disrespect politicians and bureaucrats without drawing attention to yourself. • actively resist within today's system through such avenues as taxes, guns, juries and schools. It then provides ideas for the many paths of invisible resistance to tyranny - intelligence collection and dissemination, propaganda, support for active operations and, if it should ever come down to it, direct operations against a totalitarian regime.
Customer Reviews:
Ridiculous Nonsense.......2007-08-04
There is never anything wrong with questioning something, but this book is laid out to make a person supposedly feel like they are someone doing something rebellious while staying within the lines. Please, do not apply the word "insurgent" to someone walking a picket line or fighting the IRS paper trail, that is truly ridiculous nonsense.
Invisible Resistance to Tyranny.......2007-03-12
Intriquing title, but one that lets you down. While the author has a good grasp on the 'increasingly Unfree World' his solution is to continue to do nothing so no one will notice that you're doing something. The book offers few positive active suggestions for dealing with the cultural problem that he so clearly identifies. The book needs more develpment. It's like reading a recipe full of the correct ingredients for making a cakes only to find that the master chef tells you not to put it together or bake it lest you be noticed close to the ovens.
Outstanding, practical advice.......2006-02-03
Be a Bad Citizen! Jefferson explains how the mindset of the "bad citizen" is infinitely preferable to that of the sheeplike "Good citizen" who obeys his masters without question but never seems to gain from it. Bad Citizens are much better friends and neighbors, that's for certain. Spend the money and study this book --it won't take that long and you'll have a fairly concrete yardstick by which to measure yourself: Am I a free citizen or am I a government apologist?
Disappointing.......2004-07-17
This was a recommended companion to Enemies Foreign and Domestic by Matthew Bracken. Unfortunately, it falls amazingly short. For those already trying to fight the growing monstrosity that is our government, it contains little of any value and some bits that are actually counterproductive. For those who are not yet on board, it is written in such a way that it is very unlikely to get through to any of them. It is a repetitious and puerile mix of common sense and poor advice.
Excellent update of a classic.......2002-12-11
This book is largely an update of the author's earlier classic, _Secret Freedom Fighter: How To Fight Tyranny Without Terrorizing The Innocent._ Outdated information has been removed, and there is now references to things that happened since the first edition came out. I was one of those lobbying for the original to be reprinted, but this is better than a straight reprint would be.
Average customer rating:
- Annoying
- Excellent way to experience an outstanding book!
|
Jefferson's Secrets: Death and Desire at Monticello
Manufacturer: Tantor Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
 General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Historical
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Presidents & Heads of State
| Leaders & Notable People
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Antebellum
| 19th Century
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Biographies & Memoirs
| Books on CD
| Audiobooks
| Formats
| Books
United States
| History
| Books on CD
| Audiobooks
| Formats
| Books
General
| Books on CD
| Audiobooks
| Formats
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War
ASIN: 1400101484 |
Book Description
In this moving and intimate look at the final days of our most enigmatic president, Andrew Burstein sheds new light on what Thomas Jefferson actually thought about sexuality, race, gender, and politics.
Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, leaving behind a series of mysteries that captured the imaginations of historical investigators-an interest rekindled by the recent revelation that he fathered a child by Sally Hemmings, a woman he legally owned-yet there is still surprisingly little known about him as a man. In Jefferson's Secrets Andrew Burstein focuses on Jefferson's last days to create an emotionally powerful portrait of the uncensored private citizen who was also a giant of a man.
Drawing on sources previous biographers have glossed over or missed entirely, Burstein uncovers, first and foremost, how Jefferson confronted his own mortality; and in doing so, he reveals how he viewed his sexual choices.
Delving into Jefferson's soul, Burstein lays bare the president's thoughts about his own legacy, his predictions for American democracy, and his feelings regarding women and religion. The result is a moving and surprising work of history that sets a new standard, post-DNA, for the next generation's reassessment of the most evocative and provocative of this country's founders.
Customer Reviews:
Annoying.......2006-08-26
The narrator's voice is almost as annoying as his continual mispronunciation of Monticello. As to the 'book' itself, the prologue is endless and serves only as a monument to the author's colossal ego. I've read perhaps fifty Jefferson books yet have never before found one that attempts so much and delivers so little. Skip this one.
Excellent way to experience an outstanding book!.......2005-07-06
I got the audio CD edition of "Jefferson's Secrets" for a recent cross-country drive. It made the journey much more enjoyable and rewarding -- even the endless landscape of Texas passed by in no time!
ABOUT THE CD PRODUCTION QUALITIES:
The narrator, Simon Vance, does a superlative job. His voice is very easy on the ear, and his pacing and enunciation are ideal. The only minor niggle is that he pronounces the name of Jefferson's home as "montisello" instead of "montichello". (Dictionaries endorse both pronunciations, but Jefferson's correspondence suggests that he used the Italian version.)
The book lends itself to aural consumption very well -- I found myself listening in "page-turning mode" in some sections, and in others, I was pausing the CD frequently to take notes and reflect. It makes for very comfortable and efficient absorption.
ABOUT THE CD CONTENTS:
Unlike other reviewers, I don't believe that "Secrets" requires extensive familiarity with Jefferson and his politics. My rudimentary knowledge of American history (I'm an immigrant) did not hinder my comprehension or enjoyment of the book at all. On the contrary, I think "Secrets" makes an excellent Jefferson primer because it covers those aspects of the man that he deemed most important himself (according to his epitaph.)
"Jefferson's Secrets" is an immensely satisfying book -- one that leaves you wishing for equally thorough and insightful works on other prominent figures. Alas, few people have made their souls as accessible as Jefferson did. Indeed, it appears that most of his words and deeds were intended with a view to his legacy. By bringing Jefferson's later writings to light, Burstein is therefore fulfilling the founder's fervent wish that his contributions and convictions be properly understood.
The book has a very effective structure. The first two chapters serve as a prelude, presenting a miscellany of information about Jefferson: his decidedly physiological view of life, his activities and afflictions, his relationships with family and friends, his highly rational and scientific mindset, his voracious reading and writing habits, etc. There is also much information about Jefferson's times, including the prevailing medical and scientific knowledge, attitudes, conditions, personalities, and language usage.
This groundwork places the reader squarely inside Jefferson's head, which helps a great deal in understanding his views on slavery, race, gender, sex, politics, literature, and religion. In subsequent chapters, Burstein explores each of these topics thoroughly and unflinchingly. His well-founded conclusions answered my questions in full. Having finished the book, I feel I know Jefferson as well as might a family member or a close friend. I am now better able to appreciate his virtues, and I have a clearer understanding of his shortcomings.
Yes, Jefferson's legacy is clouded because he was not able to rise above his times to become the emancipator of Blacks and women. Yes, he was uncharacteristically close-minded about race and surprisingly vindictive towards his political enemies. And yes, he was fiscally irresponsible in living way beyond his means (the quintessential American!)
However, the salient image that emerges from the book is that of a man who was indeed "a mindful practitioner of the art of living life." He provided the mantra for the nascent republic, and his vision and awareness guided it during its early vulnerability. He was understated, principled, caring, curious, industrious, resourceful, optimistic, and reasonable. In a more enlightened time, I have no doubt that he would have written "all people are created equal".
I am awed and inspired by all that Jefferson was able to achieve -- has there ever been a better manager of time? On the other hand, I am saddened to think that one of this country's greatest presidents would have no chance of being elected today (a non-religious widower would be a nonstarter.)
"Secrets" is a positive and uplifting work. In a world of sound bites, it's a pleasure discovering research as comprehensive, even-handed, and well-written as this. Highly recommended!
Average customer rating:
|
Beyond the Wall: Memoirs of an East and West German Spy (Intelligence and National Security Series)
Werner Stiller , and
Jefferson Adams
Manufacturer: Brassey's Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Intelligence & Espionage
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Germany
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Relations
| International
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Espionage
| True Accounts
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Intelligence Agencies
| Levels of Government
| Political Science
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0028810074 |
Product Description
Multiple books shipped as one item. Save on Shipping/Handling charges.
Book Description
This unique collection of wit, wisdom, bar recipes, and trivia was created by Bob Sciascia, the genial barman on the ferry that crosses Long Island Sound between Port Jefferson Long Island and Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Customer Reviews:
Subsatnce Abuse.......2007-06-03
This book is essentially a compilation of testimonials and witicisms written by the patrons of the Port Jefferson Ferry, most of whom are treated rudely by the obnoxious ferry staff. Bob was an exception. However, the book is more style than substance. You can't even really call this a book. There are very few insights into the life of a ferry bartender nor are there any comments on the people who left their thoughts. You can read it in fifteen minutes. On a positive note there are quite a few drink recipes from Bob. Use it as a reference for making cocktails. Cheers!
Workmanlike and pedestrian.......2005-05-13
The workaday ramblings of a blue collar Piano-Man-wannabe Long Island ferry bartender. While not as awful as any Amy Fisher or Joey Buttafucco drivel, it doesn't really excite. I was reminded of the sheer tedium of these ferry rides from my read. I was disappointed by the lack of mention of the bartender's having served and talked to Jeffery Dahmer on one trip, which was mentioned in his website. Including this anecdote might have added 2x the level of excitement to the stories.
Books:
- The Reign of Napoleon Bonaparte
- The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: Democracy, the Internet, and the Overthrow of Everything
- The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey
- The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey
- The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey
- The Rose of Martinique: A Life of Napoleon's Josephine
- The Ultimate Sales Letter: Attract New Customers. Boost Your Sales (Ultimate Sales Letter)
- The Unexpected George Washington: His Private Life
- The Vanished Man (A Lincoln Rhyme Novel)
- Ultimate Sacrifice: John and Robert Kennedy, the Plan for a Coup in Cuba, and the Murder of JFK
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Adobe Camera Raw for Digital Photographers Only
- Rabbit Handbook, The
- Exploring the Invisible: Art, Science, and the Spiritual
- History: Fiction or Science
- Mistakes Were Made
- Poincare and the Three Body Problem
- Quantitative Ecology and the Brown Trout
- Doing Business With North America
- From Making a Living to Having a Life
- The Oregon Notary Law Primer
PIRATE HUNTER, THE: THE TRUE STORY OF CAPTAIN KIDD
The Pirates Laffite: The Treacherous World of the Corsairs of the Gulf
The Pirate Wars
The Barbary Wars: American Independence in the Atlantic World
Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates
