The Power of One (Young Readersý Condensed Edition)

Book Description

In 1939, hatred took root in South Africa, where the seeds of apartheid were newly sown. There a boy called Peekay was born. He spoke the wrong language–English. He was nursed by a woman of the wrong color–black. His childhood was marked by humiliation and abandonment. Yet he vowed to survive–he would become welterweight champion of the world, he would dream heroic dreams.
But his dreams were nothing compared to what awaited him. For he embarked on an epic journey, where he would learn the power of words, the power to transform lives, and the mystical power that would sustain him even when it appeared that villainy would rule the world: The Power of One.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

big can beat small..........2007-10-16

This book really draws you into the story of a little boy that gets inspired to become a boxing champ. The different challenges he faces along the way and people that influence him all bring the story to life, leaving you wanting for more when the story comes to, for me, a rather abrupt end. It is a little cheesy at times but you can forgive that.

Buy two, keep one and give the other to a friend........2007-07-17

My favorite book of all time - and I'm a picky reader. You will become entranced in Peekay's world and never want to leave it. This should be on every person's bookshelf and handed out to every young adult.

Other advice: rent the movie first, then read the novel and you'll be able to appreciate the book more. Also, the sequel "Tandia" is good, but not as powerful as TPOO

The ending will leave you speechless.......2007-06-30

Most five year olds feel insecure and afraid in the world, but take away a child's mother, an apparently absent father, and only a black nanny to take care of the while child in South Africa and what remains will undoubtedly be a child that quickly learns to fend for himself. The question that remains is how successful will that child be? Peekay, with a strong mind and stronger heart, proves that the Power of One can be all the power one needs to succeed.

Peekay, an English child in South Africa at the start of WWII, has everything that he knows turned upside down when he is told that his mother has suffered a nervous breakdown and he must attend boarding school many miles from home. He is the youngest student by two years and is picked on mercilessly by the older children. This physical and mental abuse causes him to wet the bed which, in turn, increases his torment. Peekay uses life's earliest challenges to form the inner strength that he will need to overcome lifelong adversity. Over the years he develops a love for boxing and his goals surround the sport. He also discovers his aptitude for academics and is brought along by friends that are unique in their quirkiness as well as loyalty.

The Power of One is a moving and highly entertaining story of a boy who will not let himself fail. The novel portrays a courage and spirit of youth that defies one's expectations given the obstacles that get in the main character's way. Supporting characters are developed so that they come alive and the reader will be unable to follow Peekay's successes without a sense of pride themselves. The last twenty pages turn the book on it's head and finish with such an unexpected shock that it will leave the reader speechless. But somehow, it is a fitting ending to a thrilling journey that is difficult to put down.

The Great South African Novel.......2007-06-18

This expertly written novel tells the story of a boy whose chance meeting with a boxer leads him to focus his life on becoming the welterweight champion of the world.

The heart of the novel is the inspiring friendships he forms with the richly shaped characters that he encounters as he grows up.

The author's ability to tell a capturing story, and the smooth way he tells it, has produced a classic book well worth reading.

One of my Favorites.......2007-05-25

The Power of One is one of my favorite books of all time! You won't want to put it down until you finish!

South Beach Shakedown: The Diary of Gideon Pike, Library Edition

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South Beach Shakedown: The Diary of Gideon Pike
A Glam Slam for Bruns
Bruns at his best!
A thrill ride!!!
Fun rock-n-roll mystery ride!

South Beach Shakedown: The Diary of Gideon Pike, Library Edition
Don Bruns
Manufacturer: Blackstone Audiobooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 0786149051

Book Description

From BOOKPAGE "A hearty welcome to musician-turned-novelist Don Bruns, whose South Beach Shakedown offers readers a high-energy romp through the uncomfortably parallel worlds of the pop music industry and the criminal underbelly of Miami. Entertainment journalist Mick Sever owes his career to pop star Gideon Pike. Pike allowed Sever into his inner circle back when Sever was a fledgling reporter, and that entrée put Sever on the map. Fame went to Sever's head (not to mention his liver and his neural synapses) as he lived in the shadow of the pop idol; his excesses cost him his marriage, and very nearly his career as well. Now Gideon Pike is in a jam, and through a mutual acquaintance (Sever's ex-wife, for whom Sever still carries an Olympic-size torch) he has summoned the writer to help bail him out. It will not be easy, though, for when Sever arrives in Miami, he finds that Gideon Pike has disappeared, and that Pike's compadres are dropping like flies. A Korean mobster adds a bit of Asian! spice to the dish, and Sever's ex, Ginny, supplies the sizzling heat. The banter, particularly between Sever and Ginny, is relaxed and believable, just what you'd expect from old lovers who are still friends. With the relentlessly action-packed South Beach Shakedown, Bruns has crafted what may be this season's quintessential suspense read." Someone is about to make a killing in the music industry.

Why would songwriting legend Gideon Pike mysteriously disappear just when he is about to turn his 30-year career into a multi-million dollar profit?

Music columnist Mick Sever is back in Don Bruns' third suspense masterpiece. This time he's looking for answers and his missing friend in the gritty backrooms of South Beach's biggest nightclubs, dodging suicide speedboats and running from sniper fire. What surfaces is how the major players in the music industry are not making the headlines, they're just pulling the strings that create them. Hit it right, and the royalties - even someone else's - can rake in millions for the rest of your life. The key is finding Gideon before Korean mobster Jimmy Shinn does. Jimmy is ready to cash in on the one secret that will bring Gideon to his knees and strip away what's left of his career, his fortune, and his life. Whoever gets to Gideon first will either save him or pull the trigger. The deadly race is on. Tami Brady, TMC Reviews "Gideon Pike goes missing. Nobody knows if the man killed his gay lover and fled, if he's hiding from the real killer, or if he's skipped town on one of his occasional trips that usually happen when Pike owes someone money. "Even after I read this book, I still wasn't sure whether I liked Gideon Pike or not. The guy seemed like such a sleaze at times, had so many secrets, and had layer upon layer of hidden lives that I wasn't really sure if I ever got to see the real man behind all the smoke and mirrors. Moreover, when finally faced with the complex realities and dynamic personality of the man, I wasn't sure how much of the made up situations and fantasies that Pike actually believed. "Despite this, or more likely because of these aspects, I couldn't seem to put this book down. I was so eager to figure out if Pike was still alive, who had committed the murders, and the real truth behind all the deceptions that I had to keep turning the pages." Cathy Yanda for Readers Views "This is not the first time these characters meet in one of Don Bruns' books. You may not have met them before, but it will not take you long to become well acquainted with them. In this adventure, Mick Sever, an entertainment writer, teams up with his ex-wife Ginny (did I mention he is still in love with her?) to solve the disappearance of Gideon Pike in South Miami Beach. While trying to locate the missing music icon, Gideon Pike, Ginny and Mick find themselves in more situations than you would find in a Jackie Chan movie. South Beach Shakedown is lean, fast paced and complex. There are murders, blackmail, dirty deeds, mobsters, near-death misses, speedboats, a cast of interesting people and plenty of scantily-clad women. If this book is not made into a movie, Bruce Willis will have certainly missed a great entertainment opportunity. "If you are looking for a book that will leave you with a great deal more knowledge than you already had, skip this one. However, if you are looking for a book that is absolutely a hoot to read and will leave you laughing and wanting more, you cannot miss with South Beach Shakedown. Once you finish, you will want to check out Don Bruns' other books as well."

Customer Reviews:

South Beach Shakedown: The Diary of Gideon Pike.......2007-07-18

Gideon Pike goes missing. Nobody knows if the man killed his gay lover and fled, if he's hiding from the real killer, or if he's skipped town on one of his occasional trips that usually happen when Pike owes someone money.

Even after I read this book, I still wasn't sure whether I liked Gideon Pike or not. The guy seemed like such a sleaze at times, had so many secrets, and had layer upon layer of hidden lives that I wasn't really sure if I ever got to see the real man behind all the smoke and mirrors. Moreover, when finally faced with the complex realities and dynamic personality of the man, I wasn't sure how much of the made up situations and fantasies that Pike actually believed.

Despite this, or more likely because of these aspects, I couldn't seem to put this book down. I was so eager to figure out if Pike was still alive, who had committed the murders, and the real truth behind all the deceptions that I had to keep turning the pages.

A Glam Slam for Bruns.......2006-12-07

The olives are for the pits in this glam slam number by musician turned novelist Don Bruns. Korean born mobster Jimmy Shinn chews green olives and drives an olive Lexus as he puts the squeeze on hapless superstar musician Gideon Pike. When Pike disappears after agreeing to a tell-all book, it's just another of Pike's usual disappearing acts, or so say his lyricist, his lawyer and his business manager. But rock journalist Mick Sever and his stunning ex wife Ginny, fear otherwise, especially after they gain access to Gideon's plush condo and find hints of Pike's anguish in his diaries. It doesn't help matters that Gideon's latest guy friend turns up dead on his yacht and Pike becomes a murder suspect. Mick finds himself on the wrong play list, fending off boats, bullets, bottles and fists. The pursuit of Pike through South Beach bistros, Little Havana and back streets of Coral Gables, Bruns lays Greater Miami bare, likening the sprawl "an aging lady without proper foundation garments." All right! Meanwhile, the hapless Jimmy Shinn, third generation scion of an old school Korean family puts the ultimate squeeze on Pike in a last-ditch effort to please Dad, only to be exposed by one of the little guys he so despises. Bruns serves up each of his novels with a new cocktail; Savor Southbeach Shakedown, I say. Here's a novel that goes down like a cold, sweet drink that fevers the brain while it freezes the gullet.

Bruns at his best!.......2006-11-21

South Beach Shakedown was a really fun mystery book to read. Full of music references and Florida flair, the story flowed easily and kept me guessing from chapter to chapter. The main characters were stimulating and easy to relate to, while the bad guys were terrifying and manipulative enough to hold my interest. Like any good mystery, South Beach Shakedown had a surprise around every corner. The setting was gorgeous, yet sleazy and I liked getting an inside look at Miami's South Beach. All in all, South Beach Shakedown was a well-written, easy to read, exciting and thoroughly entertaining book!

A thrill ride!!!.......2006-11-08

>South Beach Shakedown: The Diary of Gideon Pike is a rock-n-roll ride
>through the seamy underbelly of Miami's luxurious neighborhood of the rich and famous. The third book chronicling the misadventures of Mike Sever, music journalist and amateur detective, South Beach Shakedown delivers a gripping tale of devoted friendship, dark secrets and blackmail plots. When Gideon Pike, musical superstar and close friend of Sever goes missing, Sever is put on the trail by his ex-wife, who has been working on Pike's biography. As his story unfolds and the Severs get closer to finding Pike, they are thrust deeper and deeper into a world of ruthless violence, deceit and murder; a world where they may be the next target. Trusted allies quickly turn in to a long line of suspects that will keep you guessing until the very end of this fast-paced thriller.
>

Fun rock-n-roll mystery ride!.......2006-11-08

I'm a total geek for a good mystery novel. But usually I am let down by either a lack of imagery or an absolute barrage of information that leaves a muddled mess in my mind's eye. Lucky for me, Don Bruns has written an exciting novel in succinct, to-the-point chapters (usually just a few pages long) that also manage to paint vivid pictures of the action and characters involved. Part of it is Bruns usage of actual locations and pop culture references, which really bring the story to life for me. His obvious broad knowledge of the music industry similarly adds to the authenticity of his storytelling. It probably helps that South Beach Shakedown is located in gorgeous Miami, but nonetheless, the story was full of useful details to help me piece the puzzle together, both with clues and images. I really enjoyed this book and am happy to have found the author.

Chile and Argentina: Library Edition (World's Political Hot Spots)

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Chile and Argentina: Library Edition (World's Political Hot Spots)
Mark Szuchman
Manufacturer: Blackstone Audiobooks
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Binding: Audio CD

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American Foreign Relations Since 1600: A Guide to the Literature, Second Edition (Two Vol. Set)

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American Foreign Relations Since 1600: A Guide to the Literature, Second Edition (Two Vol. Set)

Manufacturer: ABC-CLIO
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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ASIN: 1576070808
Release Date: 2003-06-10

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No laughing matter
Not for every reader...
An Odyssey of Dunces
Endlessly quotable
"What a story! What a trip!"

The Dog of the South: Library Edition
Charles Portis
Manufacturer: Blackstone Audiobooks
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Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 0786196874

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Charles Portis may be the sneakiest comedian in American letters, not to mention one of the funniest. And there's no better specimen of his double-edged art than The Dog of the South, which Overlook Press has recently rescued from a long, cruel, out-of-print limbo. As usual, the narrator is a down-at-the-heels Southerner with an eye for the homely detail and a mission to accomplish. What Ray Midge means to do is track down his significant other: "My wife Norma had run off with Guy Dupree and I was waiting around for the credit card billings to come in so I could see where they had gone." In another author's hands, this opening sentence might lead straight to a bloody, noir-ish denouement. Here it's merely the excuse for a meandering, semi-pointless quest, during which the fussbudget protagonist is assailed by tropical storms, grifters, hippies, car trouble, and even an assortment of airborne trash: "I had to keep the Buick speed below what I took to be about sixty because at that point the wind came up through the floor hole in such a way that the Heath wrappers were suspended behind my head in a noisy brown vortex."

Hapless, rhetorically challenged Ray Midge would more than fulfill any novel's quota for comic creation. But Portis pairs him with another indelible nutter, Dr. Reo Symes. A font of dubious financial schemes, Symes attaches himself to Ray like a peevish, passive-aggressive Pancho Sanza, and his non-sequitur-studded riffs must be heard to be believed:

I always tried to help Leon and you see the thanks I got. I hired him to drive for me right after his rat died. He was with the Murrell Brothers Shows at that time, exhibiting a fifty-pound rat from the sewers of Paris, France. Of course it didn't really weigh fifty pounds and it wasn't your true rat and it wasn't from Paris, France, either. It was some kind of animal from South America. Anyway, the thing died and I hired Leon to drive for me. I was selling birthstone rings and vibrating jowl straps from door to door and he would let me out at one end of the block and wait on me at the other end.

The vibrating jowl straps are the kicker here, of course. But it's the overall futility of the enterprise that gives Symes his comic potency, and makes him Ray's natural companion in arms. Neither of these guys is going to accomplish anything: they're Beckett clowns in Sansabelt trousers, too enervated by the heat even to agonize. Still, you won't find a more delicious (or less reliable) narrator in contemporary fiction, and Charles Portis's genius for inventing all-American eccentrics is anything but futile. --James Marcus

Customer Reviews:

No laughing matter.......2007-07-19

On the advice of Larry Doyle, quoted in The Week magazine (June 15,2007) as saying, it's "the funniest book ever written", I grabbed The Dog of the South for a good summer laugh. What a disappointment; I think I laughed twice. I shouldn't take it out on the book, because it is a good read, but with a build up like that I sure expected more.

Not for every reader..........2007-03-22

We recently read this book in our men's book club and it appeared that only two of ten really thought this book was funny. Granted, those two were southerners and appreciated the humorous dialogue. I think we know most of the characters, personally. It helps to have a "quirky" sense of humor. I have read "Masters of Atlantis" and thought it was a work of art; I plan to read the rest of his work.

An Odyssey of Dunces.......2004-11-10

The humor in this novel is so dry you do not realize how funny a sentence is until you have already moved on to the next sentence, then the humor comes to you and you absolutely must go back and re-read the previous passage.

The Dog of the South is full of sly, self-deprecating Southern humor, a humor that could offend were it not wielded in a masterful way. What is this novel about? Gosh, who knows, but I swear I see The Odyssey, The Heart of Darkness, and A Confederacy of Dunces all wound together into a tale of silly nonsequiturs that make potent social commentaries akin to Vonnegut.

An enjoyable read.

Endlessly quotable .......2004-10-01

The Dog of the South is simply one of the funniest and best novels ever written, a book about nothing - which is to say, about everything.

"What a story! What a trip!".......2002-11-18

"My wife Norma had run off with Guy Dupree and I was waiting around for the credit card billings to come in so I could see where they had gone" (p. 3), 28-year-old Ray Midge says in the opening sentences of Charles Portis's 1979 novel. Ray is a Southern Don Quixote, and DOG OF THE SOUTH follows him on a pointless quest from Arkansas through Mexico to Honduras in search of his wife Norma and his Ford Torino. Along the way, Portis's rather obtuse narrator encounters car troubles, tropical storms, and an oddball assortment of hippies and grifters, including Dr. Reo Symes, Ray's Sancho Panza.

I discovered Charles Portis through Anne Lamott, who listed him among her favorite writers during her recent Boulder appearance. In a word, Portis's quirky novel is about restlessness and the American desire to make sense of everything. THE DOG OF THE SOUTH is a fascinating novel that challenges the notion that life is more unpredictable than fiction.

Book Description

Book Description

Amazon.com

The United States and Britain had already negotiated an end to the War of 1812 when their troops met on the Plains of Chalmette near New Orleans in 1815. Word of the peace had not yet reached that far west, so a group of professional British soldiers clashed with a rag-tag band of about 4,000 "frontiersmen, militiamen, regular soldiers, free men of color, Indians, pirates, and townspeople" along the banks of the Mississippi River. These were "citizen-soldiers" in the finest sense, writes Robert V. Remini, the acclaimed biographer of Andrew Jackson, and they were commanded by a man whose military experience had commenced only two years earlier. Yet the battle "was one of the great turning points in American history" because it "produced a President and an enduring belief in the military ability of free people to protect and preserve their society and their way of life." Remini may oversell the battle's importance, but not by much. His enthusiasm is the mark of a historian in love with his subject. The Battle of New Orleans (and the War of 1812 in general) has tended to suffer more from neglect than from too much attention. This concise book, full of workmanlike prose, is a fine introduction to what Remini calls "America's first military victory" (he downplays Saratoga and Yorktown as "simply surrenders, nothing more"). Military history buffs won't want to miss it. --John J. Miller

Book Description

The Battle of New Orleans was the climactic battle of America's "forgotten war" of 1812. Andrew Jackson led his ragtag corps of soldiers against 8,000 disciplined invading British regulars in a battle that delivered the British a humiliating military defeat. The victory solidified America's independence and marked the beginning of Jackson's rise to national prominence. Hailed as "terrifically readable" by the Chicago Sun Times, The Battle of New Orleans is popular American history at its best, bringing to life a landmark battle that helped define the character of the United States.

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"Only Robert Remini--whose ""majestic biography"" (The New Yorker) of Andrew Jackson won the National Book Award--could have brought to life this famous, pivotal, but almost forgotten battle. In 1815, Britain's crack troops, fresh from victories against Napoleon, were stunningly defeated near New Orleans by a rag-tag army of citizen soldiers under the fledgling commander they dubbed ""Old Hickory."" It was this battle that defined the United States as a military power to be reckoned with, and an independent democracy here to stay. A happenstance coalition of Militiamen, regulars, untrained frontiersmen, free blacks, pirates, Indians, and townspeople--marching to ""Yankee Doodle"" and ""La Marseillaise""--pepper The Battle of New Orleans with a rich array of characters and scenes. Swashbuckling Jean Lafitte and his privateers. The proud, reckless British General Pakenham, and his miserable men ferried across a Louisiana lake in a Gulf storm. Partying Creoles who drew the line at blacking out their street lamps. The agile Choctaw and Tennessee ""dirty shirt"" sharpshooters, who made a sport of picking off redcoat sentries by night. And Jackson himself--tall, gaunt, shrewd, by turns gentle and furious, declaring ""I will smash them, so help me God!"" His improbable victory, uniting a rainbow of dissident groups, finally proved the United States' sovereignty to the world. It was a battle that catapulted a once-poor, uneducated, orphan boy into the White House and forged a collection of ex-colonies into a true nation. "

Customer Reviews:

Battle: Its Details and Significance.......2006-09-03

"The Battle Of New Orleans" introduces the reader to this battle and its importance to our nation's early history. The battle is presented in detail without the reader becoming swamped by minutia. The importance of the battle to our nation's development is explained.

I like books which broaden my way of looking at things. This book meets this test. I had always wondered if the battle was fought outside of New Orleans because I have never heard of anyone visiting the battle site. In this book, author Robert V. Remini confirmed my belief by giving the story of the battles outside of the city extending over several days. He also explained the British war strategy of dividing the U.S. by marching up the Mississippi to link up with troops coming down from the Great Lakes in a way that I had never understood before.

The aspect of this book which most interested me was the battle's importance in the development of our national pride and self-image. I was surprised to read that, until the Civil War, January 8, the date of the battle, was celebrated as a national holiday, second in significance to July 4. In this book I learned, for the first time, that the Battle of New Orleans was regarded as America's first major military victory. Although there had been some wins during the revolution, such as at the Cowpens, most of the successes were surrenders, such as Ticonderoga and Yorktown. This was the first time that the U. S. had crushed a European army. The most important significance of this battle was the sense of national unity which it demonstrated. The British had expected to be welcomed by the French settlers of New Orleans as liberators from their relatively recently established American overlords. The British were disappointed as the residents uniformly supported the Americans. The army which defended New Orleans was a polyglot of local pirates, U. S. Volunteers from southwestern states and local militia. This disparate army had united to defeat the most feared military machine in the world. National unity had been expressed as it never had before. The Battle of New Orleans demonstrated that the American experiment would continue. This book tells us why.

A good start..........2006-01-24

I re-read this book for the third time on Jan 8 (the anniversary of the battle), not so much because it's that great of a book, but because you can pretty much rip through it in a day or two.

The book is a very good overview of the battle and the events that directly led to it. It is well researched and written, and is very easy to read. As stated before it is short enough to get through in a couple of days, and is written so that really anyone can understand it, even those unfamiliar with the War of 1812 and this battle.

Remini introduces the reader to many of the subplots that impacted the final outcome of the battle (ie: The British attempt to 'buy' the Laffite brothers and use Barataria as a point of invasion, Mullen's failure to lead the 44th forward, the British underestimating the current of the Mississippi.. etc)

Yes the book has its flaws.. Remini absolutely worships Jackson and this book is no exception. As one reviewer points out, after reading this book, you would think that this was America's first and greatest victory.. Remini would almost have you believe that Jackson was the sole reason for the victory, and none of the 'subplots' that I mentioned above had any impact on the battle.

Yes, as General, Jackson deserves the lion's share of the credit, and the city gratefully bestowed it upon him, but as with many battles, if any one of several events had gone the other way, the outcome of the battle might very well have been different.

Of further debate is just how important the victory was. Was it useless slaughter because it was fought after the Treaty of Ghent was signed as some would say, was it important in that it brought America together as Remini contends, or as Charles Patton writes in his book 'Chalmette' (a book I can't really reccommend), was "An American victory on January 8th, 1815 was absolutely crucial for..(America's).. survival and future."

Regardless of what you believe, the Battle of New Orleans is important, if only for the fact that it is part of our History, and in some way, whether very indirectly or very significantly led to the America we have today. That in itself is reason to learn about it.

A must read on the birth of The United States we know today.......2005-08-26

Wow. Cover to cover, I read it as fast as I could, read it at lunch, before and after dinner, and lost a lot of sleep up reading late. What a book. I love American history, and for me, the Battle of New Orleans is where we started thinking as Americans, believing in Liberty and the things we all take for granted today. Buy it, read it, a must have for any history collection. Remini gives excellent quotes complete with consumate sources and background on both the Americans and our invading British enemies of that time. An excellent read.

Andrew Jackson the hero.......2004-09-22

Battle of New Orleans - Robert Remini

This book is about the Battle of New Orleans that took place as the last fight with Britain in the War of 1812. For me, I had to read it at one sitting. Great book.

The battle took place in January 1815, with 2 more attempts by the British, to defeat the Americans after their defeat on the fields of Chalmette.
The book includes 3 maps to support some of the writing as to where the battle was fought and who was where. However, the author goes into a lot of detail explaining which unit was where on the battlefield, and no maps are shown for the kind of detail written.
The book details events before and after the battle.
He notes that a group of states in the Northeast had met in Hartford Ct, and had drafted a proposal to secede from the U.S. The war was going badly, and we had been defeated everywhere, except at Baltimore.
The British had reason to believe they could just brush the Americans off the field of battle, as they had done this in several previous battles, including Washington, which they burned, and Hampton, Virginia, where they raped the women.
New Orleans was the key to the Mississippi, and the British were sending an army south from Canada, and this army was to go north. The armies would meet, and then they would march east to the Atlantic ocean, shredding the American military in its way.
They were the best of the British army, fresh from defeating Napoleon. 15,000 of them vs. 5,000 Americans.
New Orleans was bulging with goods, having been cut off from shipping due to the war. Only the Barataria pirates dared to venture into the Gulf. The British army knew that New Orleans had plenty of booty to share when they won the battle, and lots of women to rape, so they were very much in favor of the battle.
The British endured much to get to the battlefield, but the men thought it worth the prize.

The Brits though, had to deal with Andrew Jackson. He fought the Creeks, allies of the Brits and defeated them before the British army arrived. Had they not been defeated, it is likely that the combination of the Indians and the British army would have defeated Jackson.
Jackson attacked the Indians in Alabama and Spanish Florida, and defeated the Spanish and Indians at Pensacola. The Brits had a fort at Pensacola too, and blew it up when Jackson defeated the Spanish at the 2 Spanish forts defending Pensacola from a land attack. I have read accounts indicating that Jackson was insubordinate, disobeying orders from Washington not to attack the Spanish. Jackson did not get orders not to attack until after the battles were over.
Frustrating a British attack on New Orleans starting from Pensacola, the Brits attacked Mobile.
Jackson's men defeated them there too, successfully defending a fort defending Mobile bay.
This defeat meant that the British could not attack New Orleans over land, the easy way.
They had to attack from the east, in the swamps.
This they did, attacking from lake Borgne.
Having lived in New Orleans, and having seen several movies about the battle, this book corrects some myths.
Jackson had steel gray hair, not the white hair Charleston Heston wig of white hair. Jackson was 47 at the time of the battle. The people of New Orleans rallied around Jackson and his men, and fought bravely. Jackson's men did not defend a bunch of Cajun wimps. There were 3 Lafitte brothers. I did not know that Dominique You was one of them. He has always been portrayed as a former Napoleon artillery gunner.
The author makes no mention of any of the brothers fighting for Napoleon. It is true that the Lafitte pirates were pivotal in the battle, furnishing supplies, and artillery and knowledge of the land expertise. Jean Lafitte became one of Jackson aides.
In spite of this being the best of the British army, the officers made several blunders which cost them the battle, over and over.
1.When they initially got to the battlefield, on December 23, the Brits had enough troops to take New Orleans, and General Keane was urged by his officers to attack then and there with the men he had. Jackson was not aware that they were there. Keane waited for the rest of the army, so the opportunity was lost.

2. The plan on the day of the major battle , January 8, was to attack from both sides of the river. Unfortunately, a dumb Scot officer delayed the boats taking the troops across the river by several hours, thus the attack on the West bank was delayed several hours. The west bank attack was successful, but occurred after the major battle on the east bank, so thanks to the Americans spiking the artillery on the West bank, meant nothing when the Americans were defeated. General Packenham attacked even though he knew his troops were not placed correctly. He was impatient, and had no respect for the Americans.

3. Even after the battle on Jan 8, the Brits tried again to sail upriver and attack New Orleans from the river. Had they been able to get past Ft. St. Phillip, they could have still won. The Americans held Ft. St Phillip, and again New Orleans was saved. This battle is never shown in the movies.

4. The Brits then tried again at Mobile, to make an overland attack from there. This time they took the fort at Mobile. Unfortunately, the message that the Treaty of Ghent had been signed a month earlier arrived, so further attack was called off.

Fine account of a forgotten battle and war.......2004-01-07

"In 1814, we took a little trip, along with Colonel Jackson down the Mighty Mississipp"... whoops! I may have been channeling the spirit of Johnny Horton there, but remembering that song causes one to remember the battle it commemorates and the all-too-forgotten war in was a part of. All that most people know of the War of 1812 was that it was the second time we fought and defeated the British. Some may know that that was the war when our great national anthem "The Star Spangled Banner" was penned (though most think it was written during the Revolution or Civil War). Few realize or understand just how important the War of 1812 was to the future of the United States, or just how close this fledgling country came to having its livelihood destroyed. Even those who know a little more about the war may view the Battle of New Orleans as an unnecessary skirmish coming well after the signing of the peace treaty between Britain and America. Fortunately, Robert Remini's book, "The Battle of New Orleans", puts the war into its proper perspective and shows us how important military victory the Battle of New Orleans was.

For those not familiar, the War of 1812 began because the British would not recognize the sovereignty of the United States and kept conscripting its sailors to assist in Britain's war with France. In addition, Britain, along with all other European nations, did not respect the United States in general. The U.S. government believed it needed to take action to secure the safety of its own ships while also sending a loud statement to Europe that this was not a country to be trifled with. So, they declared war on Britain. Aside from a few skirmishes, though, the war was not much of note before the parties met to negotiate a peace treaty. The most notable happenings were the failed U.S. invasion of Canada (still a British colony), the British invasion and burning of Washington D.C., and the famed bombardment of Fort McHenry where the fort's resiliency caused Francis Scott Key to pen our anthem. While the terms of peace were be negotiated, though, the British forces sensed and opportunity to strike a crippling blow the United States by attempting to capture New Orleans, which would give them control of the Mississippi and essentially end all of the U.S. expansion hopes and keep this nation at only a third of its current size and likely would have slowly choked it to death. The U.S., recognizing this threat, sent a ragtag force commanded by General (not Colonel, as from the song) Andrew Jackson to fortify and defend the city against British aggression.

It is Remini's assertion that the ensuing conflict, which at one point included a skirmish where over 1000 British soldiers were killed to only 8 for the U.S., was the first true military victory for this young nation. He contends that the key battles of Saratoga and Yorktown during the Revolution were more surrenders than decisive military victories and, for that reason, Britain still did not respect the United States because they did feel that they had truly lost. Even most of the War 1812 was devoid of any decisive engagements. While Remini's opinion of those last battles of the Revolution are highly debatable, there is no doubting his claim that the resounding victory at the Battle of New Orleans was landmark achievement in the development of United States as a legitimate nation and a fledgling world power. Remini does a fine job setting up the battle and chronicling all the dramatic twists and turns that took place. Reading this book is essential to understanding the importance of the Battle of New Orleans and, on a greater scale, the War of 1812. At just 240 pages, it is a quick read. Yet, it gives the reader a wealth of detail regarding that battle. It's a definite must for any history buff.

Dreams of Amazonia: Revised Edition (Penguin Travel Library)

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Dreams of Amazonia: Revised Edition (Penguin Travel Library)
Roger D. Stone
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
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Binding: Paperback

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Early Civilizations in the Americas Reference Library Edition 1.

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Early Civilizations in the Americas Reference Library Edition 1.
Sonia Benson
Manufacturer: U·X·L
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ASIN: 0787676780

Book Description

The three-volume Early Civilizations in the Americas Reference Library provides a comprehensive overview of the history of the regions of the American continents in which two of the world's first civilizations developed: Mesoamerica (the name for the lands in which ancient civilizations arose in Central America and Mexico) and the Andes Mountains region of South America (in present-day Peru and parts of Bolivia, northern Argentina, and Ecuador). In both regions, the history of civilization goes back thousands of years.

Early Civilizations in the Americas: Almanac presents the story of the development of early American civilizations from the earliest known societies to the Spanish conquest---the dates, locations, sites, history, arts and sciences, religions, economies, governments, and eventual declines of the great ancient American civilizations. Volume 1 features an overview of ancient civilization in general and a brief summary of modern theories about the earliest immigrants and early life in the Americas. The remainder of the volume focuses on the rise of the Andean civilization from the early urban centers to the Inca empire. Volume 2 focuses on the rise of the Mesoamerican civilizations from the Olmecs through the Aztecs.

For table of contents, sample pages or other volume specific information see the entry for the Almanac or Biographies and Primary Sources.

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