The House of Rothschild: Volume 1: Money's Prophets: 1798-1848

The House of Rothschild: Volume 1: Money's Prophets: 1798-1848
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THE PHANTOM ROTHSCHILDS

The author must be an anti-Semite

Great book by Ferguson on monied surrupticious Euro family...

A little too detailed

Much more than a family saga

The House of Rothschild: Volume 1: Money's Prophets: 1798-1848
Niall Ferguson
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Founded in the late 18th century by expatriate German Jews, the London-based House of Rothschild was within decades the largest banking enterprise in the world. Its principals controlled a vast portion of the industrial world's wealth--more so, Oxford historian Niall Ferguson writes, than any family has since--and as a result enjoyed tremendous political influence in the major capitals of Europe, counting as allies such important figures as Metternich and Wellington. That influence would provoke countless anti-Semitic tracts fulminating against Jewish usury and against the power of "Eastern potentates" in the empires of England and France. Although the Rothschilds were well aware of their power and not reluctant to use it, they operated fairly, Ferguson notes. For example, whereas lending rates in the textile industry, in which the Rothschilds got their start, were often 20 percent, the fledgling house charged 5 to 9 percent. Through shrewd, complex negotiations they helped promote peace and the beginnings of economic union throughout Europe.

Ferguson's sprawling history covers much ground and involves a cast of hundreds of players. At the outset he notes that his book was commissioned by the modern descendants of the House of Rothschild; even so, he approaches his task with careful balance and a critical eye, pointing out the Rothschilds' failings as well as successes. The result is a fine, solid contribution to economic history, one that, unlike so many books in the field, is eminently readable. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

The first authoritative and compulsively readable history of the rise of this legendary banking dynasty

In his rich and nuanced portrait of the remark- able, elusive Rothschild family, Oxford scholar and bestselling author Niall Ferguson uncovers the secrets behind the family's phenomenal economic success. He reveals for the first time the details of the family's vast political network, which gave it access to and influence over many of the greatest statesmen of the age. And he tells a family saga, tracing the importance of family unity and the profound role of Judaism in the lives of a dynasty that rose from the confines of the Frankfurt ghetto and later used its influence to assist oppressed Jews throughout Europe. A definitive work of impeccable scholarship with a thoroughly engaging narrative, The House of Rothschild is a biography of the rarest kind, in which mysterious and fascinating historical figures finally spring to life.

"A great biography." --Time magazine

"Absorbing. . . .Their enthralling story has been told before, but never in such authoritative detail." --The New York Times Book Review

"Niall Ferguson's rich and compelling new book . . . is a feast." --The Wall Street Journal

* Chosen by Business Week as one of the Best Business Books of 1998

* A finalist for the National Jewish Book Award

Customer Reviews:

THE PHANTOM ROTHSCHILDS.......2007-07-03

What has Ferguson not told about the Rothschilds in his seemingly exhaustive two volume set?

He all too facilely dismisses Victor Rothschild's being the fifth man in the World War II Soviet spy ring of Blunt, Burgess, et. al. He does not bring up the 1776 Masonic Illuminati order of Adam Weishaupt with alleged connections to Mayer Amschel. And he dosen't discuss the Rothschilds' connection with Freemasonry at the highest level, and their gift to Israel of the Supreme Court building, a New World Order artifact, heavily laden architecturally with Freemasonry symbolism. Likewise, glaringly absent from note are 19th, 20th, and 21st century Illuminati activities, which the family has been widely thought to be involved with. History Professor Ferguson could fill in his blanks on some vital but shady Rothschild history from Henry Makow, a researcher and writer--and a Jew.

According to an article on Ferguson in Harvard Magazine (May/June '07), he is about to take on biographical writing of Henry Kissinger, at Kissinger's request. This should generate caution. Could Kissinger's "papers" be entirely relied on? Kissinger probably saw what sheen Ferguson could put on the Rothschild's archives as raw material, ignoring or minimising important but dark concerns.

Same question on the Warburg's family papers that he is availing himself of. What will Ferguson tell us about Paul Warburg's role in establishing the egregious Federal Reserve, and Max Warburg financing the Bolshevik revolution?

Let's hope that Ferguson can either put this and other allegations to rest once and for all or illuminate them if true--but now that he's shown his colors with the Rothschilds, I doubt that he will, either way.

It seems that sympathetic academic interest in these elitist families and individuals is inevitable in part because that is where the big bucks for research and publishing would be, especially for a scholar who professes to have, as he says in the Harvard Magazine article, "become a thorough philo-Semite".

Is there a whiff of opportunism here at the expense of objectivity?

The author must be an anti-Semite.......2007-04-18

the book had some good pictures, however prof Ferguson not once, but on numerous occasions, claims to refute the story of how Nathan brilliantly deceived the London Stock Exchange players after the battle of Waterloo, earning $40 billion (2007 prices) in one day. A bit jealous I suppose.

Verdict: Ignore the anti-semitic propaganda and the book is worth a look.

Great book by Ferguson on monied surrupticious Euro family..........2006-10-16

[Also see: Fritz Springmeier's Bloodlines of the
Illuminati]. Ferguson, who teaches at a Northea-
stern University in the US, did yeoman work here
on at least defusing some of conspiracy talk about
how fools like Bernard Piper-Collins claim Roths-
childs alledgedly control ALL things.The Rothschilds
never ran the bank of England, the gentile Baring
Bros. did. They are however a very corrupt family.
Author Ferguson did excellent work here.

A little too detailed.......2006-06-23

I have to start out by saying overall I enjoyed the book but I would only rate it as an average book. It is a little too detailed and didn't keep my interest from one chapter to the next. It would have been better if it left out 150 pages or so. I found myself doing a lot of skiming over what I would say was boring filler in the book. You can learn a lot about the type of business that that Rothschilds were in but not a lot of how they went about doing it.

After reading this it seems that the Rothschilds were in the business of making large loans to governments and then packaging these loans as bonds and selling them to the public. They were as much bond and commodity traders as they were bankers, which I found interesting. There are numerous quotes from letters written back and forth between family members that will give you a sense of their personalities. The family history is very detailed so if this is the kind of thing you are interested in then you will probably enjoy the book more then I did.

Much more than a family saga.......2005-11-07

Those who already know Niall Ferguson do not need any praise for the books he writes: a few years ago I chanced to read his excellent "The Cash Nexus" and this led me to "The Pity of War" and finally to "The House of Rothschild".

Ferguson is a scholar who loves challenges: not just challenging arguments, but also challenges in the sheer volume of sources and research, and finally challenges to the reader in presenting controversial theses (I think specially of those advanced brilliantly, and contentiously, in "The Pity of War" - see my review if interested).

This last effort is mainly an attempt to unveil the Rothschild mythology, restoring an historically accurate perspective both of the family saga and of the banking and financial European history from 1798 to 1848.

The book is a masterpiece for many reasons: not just story of a family (circumscribed to the male members), not just story of a great banking institution in the past two centuries, but also comprehensive financial history of the first half of XIX century... "a rich and nuanced portrait" as the book leaflet reads - that reveals and hides, but also creates an appealing and fascinated image of those turbulent years.
So, it can appeal the history buff, and all those readers interested in financial history (and speculative bubbles) as well as those interested in biography and cultural history.

The essay definitely has also - obviously maybe - a literary dimension: because in describing the five brothers Ferguson uses those same "colors" used by contemporaries, a literary dimension that cannot but appeal and enrich the more serious economic investigation: for Nathan the "meteoric" larger than life Napoleon-like image (passion for risk, high stakes on the table and the ruthlessness of a general), for James that richly colored literary portrait (full of mid-tones) we have been used by writers like Balzac, Zola and Stendhal (the mix of secretiveness and candid frankness, detachment and savoir vivre), for the others three brothers the age-old mythologies of Midas and the wandering Jew (specially in the portrait of the German and Austrian branch: they seem consciously prisoners of the Jewish stereotype in their inability to enjoy life and relax).

Every reader interested in the story of the House of Rothschild want to know the why and how a middle class Jewish family confined in the Frankfurt ghetto was able in just one generation to become the richest family in the world.
Ferguson's study is very good in the pars destruens, that is in taking down and unveiling the old mythologies (like the Waterloo myth, or the Hesse Kassel myth), less good in the pars construens that is substituting a coherent explanation. The surviving accounts are of course too tiny to cast light, and the accounting techniques used by the family in the early days too backward to be critically useful.
So the impression is that of an unending race over speed limits, a sheer willingness to accept often uncalculated risks and to play for the highest stakes and at the same time an impressive luck (or God's favor) that stuck contemporaries (always expecting the meteoric rise of Nathan to end like the parallel story of Napoleon).
So was their preeminence produced only by chance?
Yes and no. Chance - according to Ferguson - played a striking role in the early stages - the building up, but consolidation and enlargement were due to specific attitudes of the family: solidarity between brothers, their informative network, their ability in cultivating diplomacy and - not least - to the fact that the family systematically reinvested in the business about 96percent of the net income produced (unlike - say - the Barings brothers, that in 1816 had almost the same size)

The book will be also hugely helpful to readers interested in European history, casting a different - unusual to most readers - light in the inner mechanism of the early XIX century European politics.
As for the nature of the Restoration, often liquidated by historians as a narrow and backward attempt to turn back the clock to pre-revolutionary times, Ferguson shows how different in reality was this period from the Ancien Regime and how the seeds of modernity were well present and working: the sheer preference of the banking institution for financing representative-backed monarchies, the consolidation in Jewish emancipation all over Europe, but also the frailty of arch-conservative governments (not just the case of Spain, but also of the Holy Alliance) compared to more pragmatic approaches.
A rather under-developed theme is the rise of modern anti-Semitism: Ferguson - unlike most scholars - indicates the first traces in France well before the Affaire Dreyfus and hints how the irresistible rise of the Rothschild family (with their devotion to Judaism) was very instrumental in consolidating anti-Jewish mythologies (out of a sense of envy but also perceived in France especially as a alien "evil" power).

As a reader interested also in financial themes, I was truly fascinated by those chapters dedicated to the bond and stock markets, particularly those regarding the default of Spanish and Portuguese consols.
The Rothschild were the first bankers to export the financial facilities, long enjoyed in Great Britain, to Continental Europe and were decisive in creating a retail market for bonds and stocks.
But the most interesting part is the one dealing with financial speculation, bubbles and defaults. Most remarkable is the feeling of a déjà vue: if you substitute Spain and Portugal with Argentina, you will observe striking similarities both in price, negotiations and very likely in the final outcome. Nihil sub sole novi, or at least it seems so.

This is a book I greatly enjoyed.
I cannot but recommend it to every reader interested in serious history.
That is not to say that it is perfect: I was - as many other reviewers - incensed by the lack of bibliography (shame on Penguin), but on the average it is an outstanding achievement.

Likewise, if you happen to be interested in the argument, you may be interested in other works I chanced to read about the same themes:
- Muhlstein, Anhka - "James de Rothschild", this is a book I read long time ago, but it was more a biography in the classical way and as far as I remember, I found it rather inconsequential
- Chancellor, Edward - "The Devil Takes the Hindmost" - a colorful and well-informed essay focusing specially on the XIX century. There are chapters dedicated to defaulting bonds in the XIX century as well as to the railway stocks bubble in the United Kingdom.
- Conor Cruise O'Brien - "The Siege: The Saga of Israel and Zionism". I have many works dedicated to Sionism and Judaism, but this is the most concise and clear exposition of the birth of anti-Semitism in Western Europe in late XIX century.

You are most welcome if you can suggest other readings or just share ideas and comments!
Thanks for reading.

Plutarch's Lives Volume 1 (Modern Library Classics)

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A Timeless Classic By One Of The Best Biographers In History
An Overlooked Classic
A book every man should read
Invaluable source and historical document.
Get this edition.

Plutarch's Lives Volume 1 (Modern Library Classics)
Plutarch
Manufacturer: Modern Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

Plutarch's Lives, written at the beginning of the second century A.D., is a brilliant social history of the ancient world by one of the greatest biographers and moralists of all time. In what is by far his most famous and influential work, Plutarch reveals the character and personality of his subjects and how they led ultimately to tragedy or victory. Richly anecdotal and full of detail, Volume I contains profiles and comparisons of Romulus and Theseus, Numa and Lycurgus, Fabius and Pericles, and many more powerful figures of ancient Greece and Rome.

The present translation, originally published in 1683 in conjunction with a life of Plutarch by John Dryden, was revised in 1864 by the poet and scholar Arthur Hugh Clough, whose notes and preface are also included in this edition.

Customer Reviews:

A Timeless Classic By One Of The Best Biographers In History.......2005-08-10

Plutarch in his "Lives Of The Noble Grecians And Romans" written around 100 C.E., sheds new light on Greek and Roman history from their Bronze Age beginnings, shrouded in myth, down through Alexander and late Republican Rome. Plutarch is the lens that we use today to view the Greco-Roman past; his work has shaped our perceptions of that world for 2,000 years. Plutarch writes of the rise of Roman Empire while Gibbon uses his scholarship to advance the story to write about its decline. He was a proud Greek that was equally effected by Roman culture, a Delphic priest, a leading Platonist, a moralist, educator and philosopher with a deep commitment as a first rate writer. Being a Roman citizen, Plutarch was afforded the opportunity to become an intimate friend to prominent Roman citizens and a member of the literary elite in the court of Emperor Trajan.

Plutarch's influence and enormous popularity during and after the Renaissance is legendary among classicist. Plutarch's "Lives", served as the sourcebook for Shakespeare's Roman Plays "Julius Caesar", "Antony and Cleopatra" and "Coriolanus". By the way Plutarch is even the only contemporary source of all the biographical information on Cleopatra, whom he writes about in his biographies of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony and Octavian. Thomas Jefferson wrote to his nephew that there were three books every gentleman had to have familiarity with; Plutarch's "Lives", Livy's "History of Rome" and Virgil's Aeneid. In fact all the founding fathers of note had read Plutarch and learned much from his fifty biographies of noble men of Greece and Rome. When Hamilton, Jay and Madison write "The Federalist Papers" they use many examples of good and bad leadership traits that they read in Plutarch's work. His biographies are a great study in human character and what motivates leaders to decide and act the way they do, this masterpiece has proven to be still prescient today.

If you are truly interested in a classical education, put this book on the top of your list! I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in political philosophy, and history.

An Overlooked Classic.......2005-03-10

This is one of the most incredible pieces of literature in human history, yet is one of the most often overlooked.
Plutarch is not as much a historian as he is a moralist, and it is his examination of the lives of some of the most important historical figures of the ancient world for their moral roots that is so incredibly engaging.
Oddly enough, I was first introduced to the works of Plutarch through the fictional novels of Louis L'Amour, who often has one charcter encouraging another to read various classical authors.
For a interesting peek at the lives and morals of some of history's most intriguing figures, Plutarch is a great place to begin.

A book every man should read.......2003-11-13

Plutarchs historic portrayals of the lives of the gretest men in BCE western history, is truly inspiring. From the passionate warrior kings Alexander the Great and Julius Ceasar to the Athenean states men Dion and Draco, the list goes on, each text providing an insight to lives that were lived to the fullest potential.

Invaluable source and historical document........2003-05-06

After having read McCullogh's splendid series on Rome, I turned to this fat, dense book with great expectations. I was not disappointed: the stories are endlessly fascinating, from their basic details on ancient history to the bizarre asides that reveal the pre-Christianised mind-set of the author.

Like all great books, this one can be read on innumerable levels. First, there is the moralising philosophy that is perhaps the principal purpose of the author to advance - each life holds lessons on proper conduct of great and notorious leaders alike. You get Caesar, Perikles, and Alcibiades, and scores of others who are compared and contrasted. Second, there is the content. Plutarch is an invaluable source of data for historians and the curious. Third, there is the reflection of religious and other beliefs of the 1C AD: oracles and omens are respected as are the classical gods. For example, while in Greece, Sulla is reported as having found a satyr, which he attempted unsuccesfully to question for its auguring abilities during his miltary campaign in Greece! It is a wonderful window into the mystery of life and human belief systems. That being said, Plutarch is skeptical of these occurances and both questions their relevance and shows how some shrewd leaders, like Sertorious with his white fawn in Spain, used them to great advantage.

Finally, this is a document that was used for nearly 2000 years in schools as a vital part of classical education - the well-bred person knew all these personalities and stories, which intimately informed their vocabulary and literary references until the beginning of the 20C. That in itself is a wonderful view into what was on people's minds and how they conceived things over the ages. As is well known, Plutarch is the principal source of many of Shakespeare's plays, such as Coriolanus and Julius Caesar. But it was also the source of the now obscure fascination with the rivalry of Marius and Sulla, as depicted in paintings and poetry that we still easily encounter if we are at all interested in art. Thus, this is essential reading for aspiring pedants (like me).

Of course, there are plenty of flaws in the work. It assumes an understanding of much historical detail, and the cases in which I lacked it hugely lessened my enjoyment. At over 320 years old, the translation is also dated and the prose somewhat stilted, and so it took me 300 pages to get used to it. Moreover, strictly speaking, there are many inaccuracies, of which the reader must beware.

Warmly recommended as a great and frequently entertaining historical document.

Get this edition........2002-09-29

Plutarch's history isn't always the most accurate -- he clashes with Arrian and Quintus Curtius on Alexander, for example -- but it sure is a lot of fun...Plutarch weaves in lots of interesting little anecdotes and his narrative arcs are always complete without being too long. It's also great for leisurely reading; there are so many Lives, you can pick one up on any rainy afternoon, long car drive, or what have you, and don't even need to know a whole lot of context to get the gist of what's going on. For fans of history and biography, or just stories in general, this is as good as it gets.

I recommend the Modern Library edition because it's complete (with the two volumes, that is) and because the Dryden translation is very colorful even though it's old-school -- you're bound to pick up a lot of cool vocabulary. Also, don't quite know how to put it, but his translation just seems more...classic. It fits, get it.

Orson Welles: Volume 1: The Road to Xanadu
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George Orson Welles

The American

Requiem for a Huckster

The World Was His Xanadu...

A good trip from Kenosha to Kane

Orson Welles: Volume 1: The Road to Xanadu
Simon Callow
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Now in paperback, Callow's vastly entertaining chronicle of Welles's first 26 years seems even finer than it did in 1995. The author's ability to skewer his subject's evasions and lies while retaining critical affection for him is perhaps explained by the fact that Callow, an actor himself, understands the need to mythologize. Welles's innovative theatrical work in the 1930s has never been better described or analyzed. Even such oft-told sagas as the War of the Worlds broadcast and the filming of Citizen Kane gain new dimension from Callow's intelligent treatment.

Book Description

In this first installment of his masterful biography, Simon Callow captures the chameleonic genius of Orson Welles as only an actor/director deeply rooted in the entertainment industry could. Here is Welles's prodigious childhood; his youth in New York, with its fraught partnership with John Houseman and the groundbreaking triumph of his all-black Macbeth; the pioneering radio work that culminated in the notorious 1938 broadcast of War of the Worlds; and finally, his work in Hollywood, including an authoritative account of the making of Citizen Kane. Rich in detail and insight, this is far and away the definitive look at Orson Welles—a figure even more extraordinary than the myths that have surrounded him.

Customer Reviews:

George Orson Welles.......2004-02-14

This is a fantastic, very detailed and rather objective biography of the boy genius of the theatre world. 600 pages about Welles for only the first 26 years of his life is a lot, but definitly worth all the details.

The author basically tells Orson's early life around the plays he directed and that were his life at the time. It is amazing to me how a 14 year old kid was able to succesfully direct Shakespeare plays and even write a book on how to understand Shakerpeare's work.

The book gives great details on every single play he directed, radio shows he produced, the making of citizen Kane and on a broader scale gives a great insight on what broadway was like during the 30s. The account of the war of the world radio broadcast that terrorised the northern US on halloween night 1938 will make you relive the moment as if you were there.

I highly recommend this biography to any fan of Orson Welles or anyone who is interested in the history of broadway or the theatre in general.

The American.......2003-02-04

Simon Callow's thick and detailed biography of Orson Welles is a staggeringly thorough account of the actor/director's life, from his birth up until the release of his most famous picture, CITIZEN KANE. Callow goes to great lengths to separate the man from his inhumanly grandiose reputation. Armed with years of research, his personal interviews, and a keen sense of humor, Callow sets off to discover the real early life of Orson Welles. He finds a man smaller than his gargantuan myth, yet fascinating and brilliant all the same.

Orson Welles is a notoriously difficult man to write about with any great degree of accuracy. This is attributable to the fact that Welles seems to have spent almost as much time publicizing his work as he spent creating. The difficulty arises when one realizes that the majority of what he said wasn't strictly accurate, and yet it's that publicity which has been accepted for many years. Not to say that Welles was lying, or making up facts (at least, not all the time). It would be closer to the truth to say that Welles was prone to exaggerations, sometimes wild ones when it concerned himself. For the sake of his image, and for the sake of his career, he would embellish and overstate what he was doing and what he had done. Some of the more hysterical (and insightful) portions of the book are those where we see Welles describing something that had occurred several chapters previous. The story that gets told later can be almost totally at odds to what the actuality of the situation was. The further on one goes into the book, the farther away from reality these descriptions become. Welles was obsessed with constantly reinventing himself, creating a gigantic legend that became increasingly difficult for any mortal man to live up to.

This is not to say that Simon Callow is merely running down Orson Welles, or making his achievements seem unworthy. Indeed, Callow appears genuinely impressed by what Welles achieved in such a short amount of time. While Welles apparently preferred his fantasy image of himself, the truth was quite remarkable by itself; Welles packed more living into his first twenty-five years than most people do in a lifetime. The respect that he commanded as an actor/director was unprecedented for someone of his young age. But Callow emphasizes with how Welles thought of himself. He sees Welles' drive to continually achieve more. As a fellow actor, Callow understands and relates to the need for constantly promoting oneself for the benefit of one's career. He compares events in Welles' later life to the man's childhood, looking for the reasons for the overriding desire to drive farther and faster.

The book does tend to take slight detours on its road to CITIZEN KANE's Xanadu. Many of the subjects tangentially related to the main feature are given adequate descriptions. Welles' parents, his hometown of Kenosha, Wisconsin, the state of the American theatre in the 1930s and other assorted topics all benefit from Callow's in-depth research and his wonderful attention to detail. These asides and tangents are vital to understanding Welles in his context, and this biography is much the richer for these additions.

As for the portions of Welles' early life that Callow chooses to focus on, it is Welles' theatre work that receives the lion's share of attention. These sections are remarkably detailed, and I simply cannot imagine the book containing any more information. All of his productions are covered, the bulk of the spotlight being aimed towards those plays that Welles approached as both director and actor. Numerous memorable stories are contained in these sections, one of my favorites being the description of Welles directing a collapsing production by punctuating his screams at the cast with intermittent swigs straight from his omnipresent bottle of bourbon.

Descriptions of Orson Welles' other endeavors can only pale by comparison, though they themselves are also covered meticulously. The portions dealing with his radio career aren't given nearly the same attention, and the chapter involved with his WAR OF THE WORLDS broadcast seems remarkably brief given how big a place it holds in the Welles Legend. On the other hand, Callow is quick to point out how little input Welles had in the writing side of that radio play, so in retrospect it shouldn't really be all that surprising to see it neglected here. Still, even Welles' work as The Shadow is only briefly mentioned; again, probably based on Welles' lack of creative input on that series. However, it would have been interesting to see the same flurry of facts, and anecdotes directed towards the radio and film work as it was towards the stage.

For anyone who is slightly curious as to actor Simon Callow's ability to write, let me put your mind at ease. Not only is Callow a competent writer, but he's a very engaging one. The subject of Orson Welles is not a simple one for any biographer to attempt, yet Callow has put together a superbly researched and diabolically entertaining portrait of a man who surrounded himself with so much misinformation that sorting through it all must have been an exhausting task. Callow himself is never far from his descriptions, injecting his wry sense of humor into numerous observations. His style of writing makes it very clear when he's talking about verifiable facts, or when he is basing something on conjuncture. Further to this, there are twenty-five pages of references, as well as two and a half pages of bibliography. This is both a lively read and a superbly researched book --a rarity, but an extremely welcome one. In the preface, Simon Callow states that this is merely the first book of two and the second will deal with Welles' descent from the peak of his career. That second book has yet to be published, but based on the extraordinary achievement of this volume, it should be well worth the wait.

Requiem for a Huckster.......2002-09-02

In his later years, Welles often complained that he spent more time trying to find money to make films than he did actually making films. And seeing Welles still scrambling for cash in his last days as a commercial pitchman for such products as Dark Tower and Paul Masson Wines ("Where we will sell no wine before it's time"), you know he was right.

This entertaining and exhaustive book by Simon Callow doesn't deal with most of his film career - only covering up to 1941. (We're still waiting on part two to cover the rest. Simon? Simon?). However, what it does do is clear up much of Welles' confusing past (he often told conflicting stories in interviews) and delve into the two main works that set Welles up for stardom...and the fall...in Hollywood - The War of the Worlds radio broadcast and Citizen Kane. And no wonder they were sharpening knives for the boy wonder when Welles publicly put down the Hollywood community, his Kane script bit the hand that feeds him by taking obvious shots at newspaper mogul Randolph Hearst and he was given the kind of directorial freedom veteran directors could only dream of.

Some people may tire of reading about Welles' theatre days with Houseman, anxiously waiting to get to the meat of his film career. But to understand why Welles became a "has-been" at 26 and the long slide to come, this is required reading.

The World Was His Xanadu..........2002-02-10

.... "He wandered it's corridors, looking for money." Simon Callow gifts us with the deep portrait of Orson Welles from a gay man, an actor, and, like Welles, a virtuoso of many fields of endeavor. Like Shakespeare, Orson was comfortable, and indeed dependent upon, those of us who lean toward the familiar in the search for love. (Because, perhaps, of his own stoney heterosexuality). Be that as it may, Mr. Callow's own insights are what add volumes to this biography beyond what all else has already been written. His chronicle of America's Depression-era Federal Theater Project, and Orson's impact upon it, invites us in to the exiting era of the 1930's.

Orson's Road to Xanadu is sad, and it's glorious -- amazing. Read Simon Callow's biography of America's Great Voice -- Orson Welles.

A good trip from Kenosha to Kane.......2000-11-06

Mr. Callow (best known as the funeral in 'Four Wedding and a Funeral') does a fine job detailing Welles' early life, especially his time at the Todd School, and how it formulated his later character. That later character, however, spends an inordinate amount of time in the theatre. It is here that Callow lost me. Although I understand the need for these scenes (and some of them are rip-roaring good yarns), they sometimes come across as addendums to a larger book on the history of theatre that Callow is writing, rather than have any relevance to Orson's life. He tends to get over excited, going into too much detail about the most minor productions of Welles' career. Yes, his modern dress 'Julius Caesar' and the rest of the Mercury Theatre's first season were groundbreaking, but do we really need a whole chapter devoted to 'Shoemaker's Holiday' and 'Heartbreak House'? Those of you with passion for the theatre, its history, and various theories of acting will eat up these sections (comprising a good two thirds of the book), but for those of us anxious to get to the 'Kane' scenes, they are merely delaying the inevitable.

As for those 'Kane' scenes, Callow does yeomen's work debunking the myths that went into the production of that particular masterpiece. Mankiewicz, Toland, Schaefer, and Hearst are all heard from (in one way or another) in a way that makes Welles' contributions to that picture much clearer. My one complaint is that this section didn't dominate the book the way I hoped it would have. I suspect that in the title of his book, Mr. Callow wanted to emphasize "The Road" over "Xanadu"; that is his prerogative, but not my preference.

Overall, Welles comes off as a man whose talents justified the hype surrounding them. Also, he appears to be guided by fate. For as Callow points out time after time, just when things could have stagnated, a figure appears in Welles' life at just the right time to propel him along a fruitful path. From Skipper Hill, to John Houseman, to Gregg Toland, the pattern holds true. Someone, or something, appears to have wanted the prodigy to grow up to direct the world's greatest motion picture. And he did. Callow promises that a second volume is in the works, presumable one that will chronicle Welles' decline into artistic irrelevance and obesity. I am looking forward to it.

P.S. I've debated with myself if this is worth mentioning (which probably means it is), but Callow sometimes throws in out-of-the-blue references to an individual's homosexuality. With regards to Houseman, I can understand these allusions, for Callow infers that he was at once Welles' father figure/lover/brother/advisor/friend/enemy (if not in practice, than at least metaphorically). But there are other such allusions that make little or no sense. In describing Edna Thomas (a player in Welles so-called "Harlem MacBeth"), Callow refers to the actress as "a discreet and rather statuesque lesbian..." Marc Blitzstein, author/composer of 'The Cradle Will Rock', is described as having a "sexual orientation [that] was homosexual with occasional heterosexual lapses..." These are just two examples. I don't understand the necessity in their inclusion, for they are never referenced again, and have little or no bearing on their relationship to Orson. Just a curiosity, I guess.

David: A Man of Passion & Destiny (Great Lives from God's Word Series: Volume 1)
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WE ALL HAVE OUR LITTLE SAULS' OR SALIERI'S IN LIFE

Well worth the reading

Great As A Teaching Manual!

best of the Swindoll series?

For the most part Swindoll misses the point

David: A Man of Passion & Destiny (Great Lives from God's Word Series: Volume 1)
Charles R. Swindoll
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Joseph Great Lives Series: Volume 3

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ASIN: 0849913829

Book Description

David, unlike any Bible character before him, had the charisma to inspire a great nation. Yet in other ways he was a most ordinary man-often gripped by destructive passion, rocked by personal tragedy, and motivated by political gain. Yet, he is the one character the Bible describes as a "man after God's own heart." In this first volume of the "Great Lives" series Charles Swindoll shows how David proved his love for God many times over in an extraordinary life that left an enduring legacy of faith.

Customer Reviews:

WE ALL HAVE OUR LITTLE SAULS' OR SALIERI'S IN LIFE.......2007-02-23

What I do like about Chuck Swindoll's is that he brings that Old Testament to life for Born Again Christians and makes it relevant to adult lives and problems. This book on David as well as his study guide did give me much food for life when I was having non-legal problems with the government after I had applied for the Federal Civil Service in 1985. I heard on TV that Reagan had to approve in signature even applications for GS-9 position and I was on the list for considerations for such jobs when I was in grad school. I think they just wanted to teach young men like ma a lesson in life the hard way!
David had become a national hero by killing the Philistine Giant Goliath. Then the prophet Samuel had annointed David to be Israel's future king since Saul had committed an act of disobedience against him. Saul became paranoid how David become a military hero where "Saul has slain his thousands; David his ten thousands"! So, Saul in his madness set out to kill David.
What I found so some food for thought was that when David was losing heart about Saul persuing him to kill him and he had to live underground and off the land, that David decided to defect to the pagan Phillistine army-kind of like seeking Political Assylum with the Soviets or the North Koreans! When I was being persecuted on Park Street in North Toledo, I did seek assylum with several foreing nations. But nothing happened. I told myself who is "America's Philistines"-Russia, China, North Korea and Iran. I even sent them all resumes through my shortwave radio hobby. I had a big foreign address book called THE WORLD RADIO TV HANDBOOK! Plenty of people to complain to there!
Other things I liked about David was that he had a thing for the ladies; and I also like pretty girls, but never seem to make it with any of them. David had an entire Harem of seven wives. You cannot find the definition of the word "Harem" in my Bible Dictionary; so sexless and loveless is America's Christianity! He was such an opportunist that he picked up the wife Abagial from a dead enemy Nabal who denied him and his men food when they were on the run from Saul. God stuck Nabal dead with a heart attack for his stinginess. I used to say that my former father in law was liewise a hard man like Nabal-yet God did not strike him dead. And of course David was a Prophet and a Man of God. He wrote about 50 of the Old Testament Psalms, some of which prophesy of Christ;s crucifion on the cross and the coming Millennial Kingdom of God. God had taken David from tending the sheep to becoming Sheperd of Israel! David was a man after God's heart as David did what God had wanted him to do during his reign as King. I found that defining verse in Acts.
I liked the folk guitar in high school and in the Army. I read that David played the small harp, which was a forerunner of the modern folk guitar. Me and David liked music and pretty ladies. I was just thinking the other day that when I die and go to Heaven I will really like to meet this man, as though he was my friend!

Well worth the reading.......2007-01-11

Yet another great book in the series. Well worth the reading and study. I have ordered additional copies to give as gifts.

Great As A Teaching Manual!.......2006-07-27

This is a well written, thought provoking book. I am currently using it as a manual for a Bible study class. It's not one of those "deep theological" biographies, but it speaks to the layman, in a very easy-to-understand style. Recommended for study groups, or anyone, who wants to know more about the "man after God's own heart".

best of the Swindoll series?.......2006-02-24

All the books are good ... this one was great. It hit home for me.

For the most part Swindoll misses the point.......2006-02-19

We used this book for an adult Sunday School class that I taught. I was extremely disappointed by the superficial treatment of the text. I found myself using the Biblical text and other sources. For the most part Dr. Swindoll's book was a distraction rather than a help. For example, 2 Samuel 7 descibes
God's covenant with David that Christ, the True King, would be David's descendant. Swindoll uses this text as to how to react when God says no to our plans. (In this case, it is God's rejection of David as the builder the temple that Solomon eventually built) The covenant IS the point and Dr. Swindoll completely misses it.
If your looking for moralisms that you really already knew this is your book. If you want a serious study of the life of David
you would do well to look elsewhere or try something bold-- a careful reading of the Biblical text.

The Path to Power (The Years of Lyndon Johnson, Volume 1)

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Get The Dirt On Lyndon
Amazing biography
Lyndon Johnson, Part 1
Dissecting The Bunton Strain
Hissstorical

The Path to Power (The Years of Lyndon Johnson, Volume 1)
Robert A. Caro
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Means of Ascent (The Years of Lyndon Johnson, Volume 2)
Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson, (Vintage)
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
Truman
An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963

ASIN: 0679729453
Release Date: 1990-02-17

Book Description

This is the story of the rise to national power of a desperately poor young man from the Texas Hill Country. The Path to Power reveals in extraordinary detail the genesis of the almost superhuman drive, energy, and ambition that set LBJ apart. It follows him from the Hill Country to New Deal Washington, from his boyhood through the years of the Depression to his debut as Congressman, his heartbreaking defeat in his first race for the Senate, and his attainment, nonetheless, at age 31, of the national power for which he hungered. In this book, we are brought as close as we have ever been to a true perception of political genius and the American political process.

Means of Ascent, Book Two of The Years of Lyndon Johnson, was a number one national best seller and, like The Path to Power, received the National Book Critics Circle Award.

Amazon.com

The profound understanding of the uses and abuses of power Robert Caro displayed in his 1974 biography of Robert Moses, The Power Broker, is a scathing achievement the author surpassed with panache in this, his second book. Caro's dogged research and refusal to accept received wisdom results in an eye-opening portrait that unforgettably captures the titanic personality of Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908-1973). Though stronger on Johnson's duplicity and naked self-promotion than his intelligence and charm, Caro nails it all. He chronicles the evolution of an attention-demanding youth from the Texas hill country into a seasoned congressman who would abandon his ardent espousal of the New Deal as soon as it ceased to be expedient. The dirty details begin with college elections that earn young Lyndon a reputation as a crook and a liar; Caro goes on to unravel financial shenanigans of impressive ingenuity. Johnson's consuming desire to get ahead and his political genius "unencumbered by philosophy or ideology" are staggering. The White House, Great Society, and Vietnam lie ahead when the main narrative closes in 1941, but the roots of Johnson's future achievements and tragic failures are laid bare. This biography may well stand as the best book written in the second half of the 20th century about personal ambition inextricably linked with historic change. --Wendy Smith

Customer Reviews:

Get The Dirt On Lyndon.......2007-06-21

Robert Caro combines the skills of muckracker, tabloid journalist, and serious scholar to produce this magnificent volume. I read Means of Ascent 10 years ago and loved it, and Path to Power is even better.

Amazing biography.......2007-05-10

Robert Caro's biography is one of the great series ever written. This first book looks at the things that shaped LBJ's early life. The first part is focused on the parents and grandparents of LBJ. The times growing up in Texas were very interesting to read about and while I was afraid this book would not be interesting I was proven wrong quickly. The hill country is a fascinating place and you can see the poverty that Texas experienced even before the depression. Most striking is Lyndon Johnson's childhood where he was an almost constant terror to his parents who loved him anyway. He would runaway constantly. After running away to California he came back and was involved in a series of local gangs and street races. His parents were finally able to talk some sense into him and he went to college
Lyndon Johnson continued his pompous attitude at college and was notable for creating the political scene at Southwest Texas teachers college. He was constantly in debt during his college years but played the political game well becoming friends with the president of the university and other top students. Although leaving college several times hew as able to thrive there. He was able to gain a job in Washington DC as a congressman's aide afterwards and built his power base.
Lyndon Johnson was an expert at the political game and he played it well in DC. This book categorizes his rise from congressman's aide to congressman in the 10th district. It shows how he built his network, worked with and against Sam Rayburn, FDR and his wife Lady Bird. Through it all he truly is shown as a manipulator and an expert political operator. He is morally reprehensible as a person throughout the entire book which was not something I expected to find. For a book about LBJ's early years this is absolutely amazing. It is so well written and you cannot wait to read what is in store next. I cannot wait to read the next three books in the series!

Lyndon Johnson, Part 1.......2007-02-04

This is the second book by Robert Caro I've read, the other being Master of the Senate. Caro's work I'm sure is probably considered the most thorough and all-encompassing study on the life and career of Lyndon Johnson. Path to Power starts with the Bunton and Johnson families who moved to the Texas Hill Country. Caro's description of this region is impressive and very effective. Establishing this setting and its nature and its isolation, we get to learn about the early years of Lyndon Johnson. This book takes us up through 1941 when Johnson first ran (and lost) a race for the U.S. Senate.

It's the Hill Country that receives a lot of attention in the first part of the book, what the land was like, how people's hopes and fortunes could be broken by it, and so forth. The nature of the Bunton and Johnson family lines, i.e. their habits, their ambitions and how they lived off the land. Anyway, these early years of Lyndon Johnson and his family, with special focus on his father who was a well-respected public servant in the Texas Legislature, are all detailed.

The Lyndon Johnson that emerges from this book is nothing short of an attention seeking, power grabbing individual who would stop at nothing to achieve his goal. His way of courting and winning favor with older people, his political savvy that came into being at the Teachers' College at San Marcos, and so forth served as indicators of the sort of man that was developing. If his father was respected and known for his principles, the son would be known for his do and say anything approach to achieve power at a higher level. This is Caro's Johnson, maybe it's a bit rough and maybe too critical at times (though his interpretation could be head-on), but that's what you'll see in this book.

To mention some of the periods in Johnson's journey to position and power, we read of his years as a teacher and debate coach, his years as a Congressional secretary, Johnson's role in the New Deal years as state coordinator of the National Youth Administration, his run for and election to Congress, his money ties to influential businessmen and lobbyists and others who would provide huge sums of money (at that time) for Johnson's political ambitions and on and on. His political skills in cultivating relations with people in power was certainly notable and his knowledge and use of political tactics and maneuvering are amazing to read about.

The book culminates with his first run for a Texas U.S. Senate seat in 1941 upon the death of one of that state's sitting senators. This section of the book is utterly captivating in terms of the unfolding nature of the primary campaign, the characters involved, the voting fraud and its aftermath. Caro's work on the career and character study of Lyndon Johnson is an impressive body of work. His assessment of Johnson in this book is not flattering, though we do see the immense political skills possessed by this remarkably ambitious man who would indeed one day achieve the highest office.

Dissecting The Bunton Strain .......2006-11-14

It's no accident that the first two books by Robert A. Caro have the word "Power" in the title. Power is what interests him, and in Lyndon Johnson, Caro has the perfect figure for analyzing how power is amassed and used within a democracy.

The first in a published trilogy extending to Johnson's election as Vice President in 1960, "Path To Power" presents Johnson as a skilled amasser and user of power for its own sake. No ideology bound him, no loyalty for God or man. He courted women based on their wealth and social standing, picked his associates by virtue of their acquiescence, and focused all his energy on personal glory.

There was something inside him, Caro explains, that made him hard, beyond his simple and needy upbringing in the Texas Hill Country. It had something to do with a family on his father's side named the Buntons, people so cold that when Lyndon was born, his grandmother, a Bunton, tried to dissuade her husband from visiting their grandchild, believing, as Caro puts it, that "charity begins at home."

Perhaps there was more to Johnson than such self-interest. If so, Caro doesn't say. Perhaps it comes out in later volumes, but it's clear here that Caro, for all his stellar, admiring prose of Johnson's rise, doesn't like the man. Fortunately, this wasn't so clear before the publication of "Path Of Power" in 1982, meaning that many of Johnson's closest friends and associates (including his widow Lady Bird) were willing to share honest insights about LBJ, who would have still been in his 60s at the time Caro began his research, just a year after the resignation of Johnson's successor as president.

Caro does write pointedly about Johnson, but not without a sense of dramatic purpose. In fact, there's a kind of grudging admiration in Caro's narrative for a man who toughed out every day of his life in such an uncompromising manner. Like many readers here, I was struck by how like Shakespeare's Richard III LBJ is portrayed, not only that he's so amoral but presented so that we half-root for him to get away with such tricks as masking himself as a New Deal liberal to get Franklin Roosevelt's ear and playing up to the paternal instincts of House Speaker Sam Rayburn, whom he then knifes.

Writing about his days at San Marcos Teachers College, where he transformed himself into a shadow leader with the help of a secret society, Caro writes: "He had won believing in nothing - without a reform he wanted to make, without a principle or issue about which he truly cared." Caro makes clear this didn't change at all when Johnson became a U.S. congressman, preferring to exercise his slick tongue in the cloakrooms and hallways rather than the House chamber itself, where entire years went by without him addressing his fellow Members from the floor.

Caro's take on Johnson makes "Path Of Power" entertaining, but it's his broader view of the times LBJ lived that makes the book so compelling beyond the bounds of traditional biography. There are so many layers in Caro's narrative, such as the hard lives women led in central Texas during the Depression, various colorful Texas politicians LBJ aligned himself with or against, and the often underhanded way business and politics came together in the early 20th century.

Is it unfair? Caro does dwell on the negative, and ignores at least in this volume the possibility Johnson had some redeeming qualities beyond his professional abilities. But that may have been a function of Johnson's growing as life went on; it's clear that he was a sneaky, ruthless, miserable character in his early days chronicled here. A couple of his underlings, though still devoted, have to excuse themselves to regain their composure as they recount their boss's hard ways.

There are bios that connect the dots but bore you silly, others that use lives as platforms for wowing you with the author's eloquence. Caro writes masterfully but keeps your focus securely on the story and the real-life history behind it, making you feel like a passenger on Johnson's amazing journey. Even the footnotes are captivating. You will be surprised how quick a read 800 pages can be.

Hissstorical.......2006-11-10

Very comprehensive, informative and historical read. Although I was looking for a book that got right into the life of LBJ, this book historically sets you up for the fashioning of the larger than life persona-- LBJ. You will also need to set aside time to digest, not a quick read, albeit engaging.

My Life and Ethiopia's Progress: The Autobiography of Emperor Haile Sellassie I (Volume 1) (My Life and Ethiopia's Progress)

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A Beautiful Story about a Beautiful Man and Nation
It is an inspirationl and legendary for the New Generation.

My Life and Ethiopia's Progress: The Autobiography of Emperor Haile Sellassie I (Volume 1) (My Life and Ethiopia's Progress)
Haile I. Sellassie
Manufacturer: Frontline Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0948390409

Book Description

The first Autobiography of Emperor Haile Sellassie is detailed with information on the little giant of a man who many peoples from all of life consider to be the returned Christ, the Messiah, or Defender of the Faith. Indeed, a remarkable and outstanding world leader. Got to read it. First time ever in paperback.

Customer Reviews:

A Beautiful Story about a Beautiful Man and Nation.......2005-05-16

This is a book that should be read and studied by all believers in God. It should also be studied by people who are interested in a career in political science or people who eventually want to become a prime minister. And, it should be read by national leaders who still believe that Plato's 'philosopher king' can lead the people of a democratic nation. As President Putin of Russia continues to say correctly that there are many different forms of democracy that will work properly.

This book showed me that Germany's Hitler and Italy's Mussolini were very ugly and inhumane. It also shows that religions can be ungodly when they force a religion onto free people. It shows the origin of today's terrorism.

Emperor Haile Sellassie I was a great developer of the human spirit and Nature's resources. Everything he did was for the benefit of the people of Ethiopia and those nations that joined the League of Nations. His work to unify science and theology was new and should become a 'development' model for all nations today.

It is an inspirationl and legendary for the New Generation........1999-07-24

The whole work of the book is very inspirational, historically it is educational and legendary. The new generations of Ethiopian or the Eritrean will learn from it what they have not been told correctly. History never chnages. The book has it all. It is compiled very well, charismatic and the writer is to be admired for his great work. Everyone must read this book for self uplifting or for your edification.

The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume 1: Family Letters, 1905-1931

Average customer rating:

We Don't Write Letters Anymore...
Extremely interesting in parts, rather boring in others
Intermittently interesting.

The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume 1: Family Letters, 1905-1931
C. S. Lewis
Manufacturer: HarperOne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume 2 (Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis)
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All My Road Before Me: The Diary of C. S. Lewis, 1922-1927
C.S. Lewis: A Complete Guide to His Life & Works
On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature

ASIN: 0060727632
Release Date: 2004-06-29

Book Description

The first of a three volume collection of the letters of C.S. Lewis, this volume contains letters from Lewis’s boyhood, his army days in World War I and his early academic life at Oxford. From his declared atheism at age 16 to his budding friendship with Tolkein during his days at Oxford, these letters set the stage for the Lewis’s influential life and writings.

Customer Reviews:

We Don't Write Letters Anymore..........2006-12-10

I should begin this review with an important stipulation: I haven't finished the book yet. I am slightly over halfway done -- about 600 pages into it.

That said, I think I have a pretty good grasp of the course this first volume is taking. And it's a good one. I am thoroughly enjoying this detailed romp through C.S. Lewis's early life, though I must join with a previous reviewer in saying that I do feel a bit guilty reading through his personal papers.

You have to attack this book with the right mindset. It's not a novel, an action adventure story or even a biography. It's simply the unedited, honest ramblings of a man growing up in the early 20th century.

This first volume does contain a lot of excruciating details that one might call mundane. In many of the letters, Lewis is doing nothing more than asking his father for money, describing the binding of a new book he has recently purchased or apologizing for taking so long to write.

But at the same time, the anthology is chock full of minute details that shed infinite light on what life was like at the dawn of the 20th century. The very idea that people would write so many (and so lengthy) letters at all seems foreign to us now in the age of e-mails and instant messages. Imagine growing up in a time when you were expected, not only to learn Greek and Latin, but also to speak and read it fluently. I used to think I was an intellectual for having read The Iliad and The Odyssey in their English translations. Lewis (and likely his contemporaries) seemed to scoff at anyone who would read anything other than the Greek versions. It was a different time.

The other reason this book is appealing is that it enables you to trace a seismic shift in Lewis's worldview. Smattered among the grocery lists, the book reviews and the complaints about his father are honest observations about the universe itself. These doses of philosophy come from Lewis unedited and unexpected -- a sentence or paragraph in between the requests for new socks and a comment on the weather.

By the time he entered his teenage years, Lewis was a staunch athiest. In fact, he sometimes chides his childhood compatriot Arthur Greeves for his belief in Christianity. On several occasions he mockingly calls down the anger of God upon himself and blasts Christianity in favor of the older religions, such as Greek mythology.

But slowly, we see Lewis's atheism whittled down until, by the end of Volume One, he has converted to Christianity. Being a believer myself, I am always amazed to see the contrast between a person before and after they accept Christ. This collection of Lewis's letters provide a window into the "before". Volumes Two and Three will no doubt give us the "after".

Extremely interesting in parts, rather boring in others.......2006-03-06

My opinion of this book is rather similar to the previous reviewer's. This book provides an extraordinary glimpse into the pre-Christian life of the giant of the faith, C. S. Lewis. There are many, many letters which are extremely interesting, and you can see Lewis' thought developing as the years pass in the book. On the other hand, there are also many letters which have no relevance to Lewis' thought at all and are, as far as I can tell, completely useless to anyone who is not some kind of Lewis fanatic or something (who really wants to read a letter about what groceries Lewis needs that week?). Hooper could really have done a better job at choosing what to weed out, and some of the letters he chose to retain are doing nothing but taking up space in the book and frustrating readers who are looking for gems in this book.

One of the best parts of the book is that in a good portion of his letters Lewis writes about books that he is reading at the time. I loved reading about what Lewis thought of the books he was reading, and seeing the vast number of books that Lewis was reading was what inspired me to start reading the classics myself, so I owe a great debt to this book (as well as the 2nd volume, which I read at the same time).

As to the previous reviewers question about how to read through this book, I just read sraight through. It was tough, but I wanted to see Lewis' thoughts develop, which is hard to do if you take the "island hopping" approach. It may be a tough read, but it is definitely worth it.

Overall grade: A-

Intermittently interesting. .......2005-01-02

I feel a bit guilty reading this book. Since I "discovered" Lewis thirty years ago in a friend's basement in Alaska, his ideas, stories, logic, and humor have more than influenced me, they have become part of the furniture of my mind. Anyone who knows Lewis well, knows how little he would have liked having his mail read by snoopy Americans. Oh, well, where he is now, they can afford to be forgiving.

This volume is put together well. Walter Hooper is both thorough and judicious in his editing; the notes he adds at the bottom of the page are often helpful. I find myself wondering how in the world he tracked down some of these sources. The book is also physically attractive, as Lewis would have appreciated.

Most of the letters in this first volume are to one of three people: Arthur Greeves, Lewis' "first friend," his father, and his brother Warren. Especially with Arthur, who seems to get the most, the topic is usually books and the ideas contained in them, romance (in the literary sense, not sex, which is treated with a detached voyerism), philosophy, art and music, natural beauty. The "real world" also intrudes (school, war, college, a job) from time to time. Not all of this is interesting to me; often he's talking about subjects I know nothing about, in a way that sheds little light on them.

But from an early age, Lewis has already become a precise and perceptive writer, with wide-ranging curiosity. So while the material is not equally interesting, and some could have been excluded -- are the sexual fantasies of two post-adolescents really our business? -- I am finding it intermittently interesting to look behind the screen, and grapple with this new motherload of unsifted Lewisiana. But I wouldn't recommend volume one to anyone who doesn't (a) have a strong interest in Lewis AND (b) love Western literature. Volume two is broader in scope and correspondents.

While volume two is easier to read right through, I'm not sure I have found the right way to do the first volume yet. Straight reading would be like hacking a road through the Peruvian jungle. I have tried the "island hopping" method of General McCarthur, and the "pick up and read" method of Augustine . . . Compared to volume 2, this one may get more shelf time. But I am glad to have it, and will leaf through it from time to time. The paperbacks and garage sale hand-me-downs on my shelf seem flattered by such gentile company; though perhaps they worry that property taxes will now go up.

Outlaws, Mobsters & Crooks - Volumes 1-5: From the Old West to the Internet (Outlaws, Mobsters & Crooks)

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Outlaws, Mobsters & Crooks - Volumes 1-5: From the Old West to the Internet (Outlaws, Mobsters & Crooks)
Marie J. MacNee
Manufacturer: U·X·L
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1414404816

Book Description

History is laden with outlaws and criminals who have committed terrible crimes and then paid the price.Outlaws, Mobsters & Crooks details these individuals, often with the law officers who challenged them. Students will see what they did, why they did it and what happened as a result.

Outlaws, Mobsters & Crooks is organized by category of criminal, such as robbers, spies, terrorists and pirates; includes black-and-white illustrations - a photo or portrait of the person as well as other photos; sidebars that identify fictional crooks; and related media adaptations and books.

Run to the Mountain: The Story of a VocationThe Journal of Thomas Merton, Volume 1: 1939-1941 (The Journals of Thomas Merton, V. 1)
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the hatching of a heart

Run to the Seven Storey Mountain

An account of the first steps of a spiritual journey

Run to the Mountain: The Story of a VocationThe Journal of Thomas Merton, Volume 1: 1939-1941 (The Journals of Thomas Merton, V. 1)
Thomas Merton
Manufacturer: HarperOne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Entering the Silence: Becoming a Monk and a Writer (The Journals of Thomas Merton, V. 2)

A Search for Solitude: Pursuing the Monk's True LifeThe Journals of Thomas Merton, Volume 3: 1952-1960 (Merton, Thomas//Journal of Thomas Merton)

Turning Toward the World: The Pivotal Years (Merton, Thomas//Journal of Thomas Merton)

The Other Side of the Mountain: The End of the Journey (Merton, Thomas//Journal of Thomas Merton)

Learning to Love: Exploring Solitude and Freedom (Merton, Thomas//Journal of Thomas Merton)

ASIN: 0060654759

Book Description

Krishnamurti is a leading spiritual teacher of our century. In The First and Last Freedom he cuts away symbols and false associations in the search for pure truth and perfect freedom. Through discussions on suffering, fear, gossip, sex and other topics, Krishnamurti's quest becomes the readers, an undertaking of tremendous significance.

Customer Reviews:

the hatching of a heart.......2002-02-21

A good friend of mine sent me all seven volumes of Merton's journals. It was a gift of immeasurable worth and value. I will no doubt still be reading through these wonderful books for years to come.

Having just finished the first volume, "Run to the Mountain," I stand in awe of the sheer depth and scope of the life we've each been given. The life presented here, that of Thomas Merton, is remarkable in many ways. "Run to the Mountain" is the chronicle of the years when he started instructing English in college up to his entry at the Trappist monastery in Gethsemani Kentucky.

Beyond the external events of his times (the late thirties and forties) lies the bigger story of Merton's eternal destiny. Not since my own salvation have I encountered a story which so clearly illustrates God's pursuing love and grace. The reader can palpably feel Merton being called by God in these pages.

It is quite tempting to imagine what might have become of Merton had he not heeded his call. These pages (and most of his later works) make clear his incredible power as a writer. It is not hard to imagine that he would have become at least as, if not more famous than Jack Kerouac, his fellow student at Columbia. It is one of the great "what ifs" (and there are several) of Merton's life.

It is a great thing to be able to read about Thomas Merton's journey--to see him be changed and opened. It is an even greater privilege to take his thoughts and words with me on my own journey. This is one gift I am trully grateful for. Get this book. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Run to the Seven Storey Mountain.......2001-06-29

This is Thomas Merton's journal covering his years teaching literature at St. Bonaventure's college in New York. It concludes as Merton is on the cusp of making a decision to enter the Trappist Order.

As for the contents of the journal, you will need to be a bit patient. Because this is a journal, even though abridged, you will have to slog through a lot of Merton's thoughts on certain poets, writers etc.

The interesting thing is that it gives some insight on Merton as an intellectual. But at this stage in his life, he doesn't seem comfortable in that skin. In fact, he often laments his arrogance and wonders whether any of these things (i.e., book reviews, articles in the Times) are really all that worth discussing in the first place.

A great deal of the material, particularly towards the end, is material that you will find repeated in Seven Storey Mountain. It would appear to me that Merton took a good read through his journal when he sat down to write Seven Storey Mountain. Of course, the journal is not polished, but it is every bit as fascinating as Seven Storey Mountain.

I also found Merton's thoughts on WWII, as it ravaged Europe, quite fascinating. A significant portion of this journal involves thoughts on war and what it means to be in a war; whether we should fight wars.

In sum, this journal is largely a reflection on literature, coversion, and war. If you are a fan of Merton, read this immediately. If you haven't really been exposed to Merton, read Seven Storey Mountain first and then return to the journal.

As for me, I give it four stars!

An account of the first steps of a spiritual journey.......1998-09-07

An outstanding account of the beginning of a vocation. From the first stirrings of spirituality to the full fleged desire to enter a monastery, Fr. Merton records his faith and doubts, his triumphs and disasters, his hopes and fears. His writing is eloquent yet simple. And his style becomes more free and prayerful as he comes closer to entering the Trappist monastery at Gethsemani. A wonderful book to feed and encourage the soul of anyone on a spiritual journey.

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This book puts it all together
Sondheim's Masterpieces

All Sondheim, Volume 1
Stephen Sondheim
Manufacturer: Alfred Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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All Sondheim, Volume 2 (Essential Box Sets)
All Sondheim, Volume 3 (All Sondheim)
All Sondheim, Volume 4
The Jason Robert Brown Collection: 24 Selections from Shows and Albums
Singer's Musical Theatre Anthology - Volume 4: Soprano Book Only (Singer's Musical Theatre Anthology (Songbooks))

ASIN: 1576235432

Book Description

Titles include: Send in the Clowns * Another Hundred People * Being Alive * You Must Meet My Wife * One More Kiss * Losing My Mind * Could I Leave You? * Pretty Lady * Anyone Can Whistle * The Ballad of Sweeney Todd * By the Sea * Comedy Tonight * I Remember and more.

Customer Reviews:

This book puts it all together.......2001-03-15

This book and others of the series bring together Sondheim's greatest works. It includes hard to find music like "I Remember" (from Evening Primrose) which makes this book a wonderful addition to any singer's collection. I recommend it to anyone and everyone!

Sondheim's Masterpieces.......2000-04-06

As a fanatical Sondheim lover and singer, this book was awonderful addition to my collection. Among some of his best earlytitles, this book includes songs like "I Remember", "Losing My Mind", and "Another Hundred People". These are wonderfully written pieces which deserve many books like this one. They are a joy to listen to and even more to play, and I hope everyone will enjoy this book as much as I do.

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