Product Description
The definitive one-volume biography of the man who oversaw Operation Overlord and D-Day, written by the number 1 bestselling author of BAND OF BROTHERS. 'In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world. I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory! Good luck!' With these words, on 6 June 1944, Supreme Commander General Dwight Eisenhower sent his troops to liberate Nazi-occupied France. Eisenhower was one of outstanding leaders of the twentieth century. As a soldier, he was decisive, disciplined, courageous and popular with his men, thus commanding the victorious D-Day landings. As President, he was a leader who made peace in Korea and kept the peace thereafter, a statesman who safely guided the free world through one of the most dangerous decades of the Cold War. He was the only president of the twentieth century who managed to preside over eight years of peace and prosperity.Drawn from numerous interviews with Eisenhower himself, and peopled with such eminent figures as Roosevelt, Churchill, de Gaulle, Nixon and Khruschev, EISENHOWER: SOLDIER AND PRESIDENT brings to life an incomparable leader. From bestselling historian Stephen E. Ambrose, this is the fullest, richest, most objective rendering yet of the soldier who became president. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A great book of a great man
Stephen E. Ambrose has created an awesome biography about a man that realized his importance and task in a critical part of the history. Dwight Eisenhower was not necessary a great soldier, but a tremendous leader and general. He united the countries that was known as the allies(WWII), a task that was very difficult at that time. With his big smile and a well of energy and straight forwardness he motivated the soldiers to attack the beaches of Normandy with precision and rage. For his greatest military success was "Operation Overlord". The book gives the readers an insight of the life of a person that have to carry the big burden of responsibility, and how he later, at a relatively high age, went for the presidency. It shows how the tide can turn and how destiny brings a man from an average officer into the corridors of power. Stephen E. Ambrose has managed to involve Eisenhowers ups and downs in a good manner. Recommended for people that is interested in leadership. ... Read more

Product Description

In a series of fascinating interviews, today's best and brightest historians weigh in on the crucial moments in American history. American Heritage® Great Minds of American History takes you there, imbuing the past with an immediacy that goes well beyond the scope of formal histories. Roger Mudd's highly knowledgable questions illuminate five truly first-rate minds:

World War II and the Post-War Era

Stephen Ambrose, biographer of Eisenhower and Nixon, bestselling author of Citizen Soldiers and Undaunted Courage, and adviser to Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan offers his expert insight into war and its aftermath.

The American Revolution

Gordon Wood, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Radicalism of the American Revolution, and renowned expert on the colonial era brings to life the birth of the first modern democracy.

America's Forgotten Era: 1865-1914

David McCullough acclaimed historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Truman, offers his stunning perspective on the dawn of The American Century.

The American West

Richard White, MacArthur Genius Award winner and author of groundbreaking books on the American West, offers his challenging views on the winning and the losing of the West.

The Civil War

James McPherson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Battle Cry Of Freedom, and one of the foremost experts on the Civil War offers his compelling insight into our nation's darkest and bloodiest hour. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A MUST for All Americans--not just history buffs
This is the very best audio tape I've ever listened to.While some interviews are better (Stephen Ambrose) than others (Richard White), each one offers important insight and perspective on the most important events of our time. Through the eyes of thesemen, our nation's history is told so clearly and succinctly, and with such passion, that you can't help but be changed and moved by the experience.I guarantee you'll come away with a better grasp of who we are and where we're headed as a nation.

Easy U.S. History on the Ears
This audiobook is an excellent addition to the U.S. history-buff's glove compartment.There are basically four tapes of interviews by Roger Mudd done for the History Channel.Mudd asks questions to the featuredhistorians and they respond with stories and factoids to keep you thinking. I can listen to them many times and still learn things that I didn't catchthe last time around.This is also a great way to brush up on your U.S.history while enriching what you already know. ... Read more

Product Description
In response to James Bacque's controversial Other Losses, this collection of essays attempts to refute charges that Eisenhower deliberately starved to death German POWs and examines conditions in Europe immediately following World War II. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Dealing With Pro-German Revisionists: a Primer
This work examines, and soundly debunks, the claim of James Bacque, who had asserted in his OTHER LOSSES, that the Allies under Eisenhower deliberately starved 800,000--1,000,000 captured German POWs. However, this scholarly work is valuable not only in the refutation of the methodology used by Bacque in his book (and subsequent ones), but also in understanding the fallacious argumentation used by other forms of pro-German revisionism (such as that which insists that 2 million Germans perished during the expulsions from post-WWII Poland).

The revisionists are essentially the same. They selectively cite facts and make non sequiturs out of them, misinterpret or misrepresent data, use faulty mathematics, ignore contrary evidence, and, when all else fails, invoke conspiracy theories to explain away unwelcome evidence.

Even when using archival or other primary sources, one has to be careful. Earlier-written sources are not necessarily more reliable than later-written ones. This owes to the fact that earlier-written sources may be based on incomplete or erroneous information--something which can find rectification in later-written sources. (Rudiger Overmans, p. 169).

The "missing million POWs" is not only a myth. It is impossible. (Overmans, p. 166). The actual number of German dead in Allied hands, during the relevant time period, does not exceed 56,285 at the very most, and is most likely a small fraction of this number. (Cowdrey, pp. 91-92.). In military lingo, "losses" can mean very many things, not only deaths.

Is pro-German revisionism, of the type exemplified by Bacque, something intended to reduce the gravity of Nazi crimes by inventing comparable Allied crimes? Bischof thinks so, as he comments: "For Bacque's treatment of a serious historical issue may ultimately have the far more devious outcome of relativizing the unique German responsibility for the destruction of the Jews by way of constructing a nonexistent American holocaust." (p. 199).

This entire issue is reminiscent of the one raised by Russian revisionists, who fabricated a "counter-Katyn" in the form of tens of thousands of Russian POWs deliberately starved by the Poles during the 1920 Polish-Bolshevik War. To begin with, unlike the Poles later at Katyn, the Russian captives did not have to be in the position in which they found themselves. Also, there is no evidence of deliberate starvation. The mortality rate of Russians in Polish custody was no higher than expected for POWs in that part of the world at that time.

German expellee 's view
My ancestors left Germany in the mid 1700's to settle in eastern parts of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Through wars, Mongol and Turkish attacks we hung on.
In 1945 we were fleeing ahead of the Russian armies as they destroyed everything in their path, until meeting the American armies heading east. Many in our village were shot or hauled off to Siberia as slave labor. As a youngster, I experienced the poverty and lack of food millions of refugees suffered.
Readers should be aware of the inherent bias of both Ambrose and Bischof as they are employees of the Eisenhower Center.In a subsequent book, CRIMES AND MERCIES, Drawing on newly released secret Soviet documents,Bacque refutes many of Bishop and Ambrose's objections.This is a must read as it completes the picture of the destruction and rebuild of Germany. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great sequel
I read With the Old Breed back in 2002 when I was at Camp Courtney, Okinawa.China Marine was part of the original manuscript for With the Old Breed, but was chopped by the publisher since they figured no one would be interested in what happened after the war.In China Marine, Eugene Sledge adresses the period after 1st MarDiv was redeployed from Okinawa in the Fall of 1945 to North China, and ultimately the anticlimactic redeployment home by individuals as their points came up.

I found this book to be fascinating and something I could really relate to.The war didn't just end with everyone going home and living happily ever after, which is the impression given by many books and documentaries about the war era.There was a lot to be done after the war was officially over, and these men were carrying a lot of emotional baggage.I have to admit that after reading these two books, I feel like I know Sledgehammer like a personal friend.His writing style is both engaging and captivating, and this is a relatively short read.

One thing that is rarely addressed in period writings is the problems many of these men had in coming home and adapting to a society that was very detached from much of what happened in the war.Sledge addresses a few chapters to that process, and how he had changed as a person.

I consider this a fantastic book and highly recommend it to anyone who read With the Old Breed and wanted to know what happened next.

Fitting Sequel of the Fighting First!
A great book that tells a story not too many Americans know about. Just as the Army stayed in Europe to occupy and eventually later face off against the Russians years later, the First Marine Division was assigned the task of repatriating the Japanese garrisons in Tientsin and eventually Peiping, smack dab in what can arguably be called the very first face off between the west and communism. Amid the threat of being involved in a shooting war between the Chinese Nationalists and communists, Eugene Sledge (fresh from the horrors of Peleliu and Okinawa), tells the further tales of his wartime service. The occasional mundane garrison duty and sometimes good life on 'China Station' is punctuated with tales of Russian spies, stories of daliances with women of dubious politics and morals, and encounters with not so friendly Communist Chinese Forces (as well as stateside men rotated in who never heard a shot fired in anger). Friendships with a Belgian Priest, houseboys whom he taught English and who tried to teach him Chinese, and his appreciation for the culture in which surrounded him (aided by the Soongs, a well educated Christian Chinese family he befriended) show the beginnings of his struggle to get on with a life touched by the savagery of the Pacific campaigns. In light of this, and for those of you familiar with the writings of John W. Thomason (who based his stories on real events), the similarities of Sledge's time and Thomason's works are there, but Thomason's are arguably more colorful. Still, it is a book with enough sea stories to keep you interested. More than that, it is a book on how one young man, who survived two of the Corp's toughest fights, transitions from a young man toughened by wars cruelty, to a veteran who tries to re-engage in a life struggling to return to peace. Not just the tenuous peace of the world around him, but the tenuous peace in the soul of a survivor of war. China Marine is a fitting sequel to its predecesor, and a fitting tribute to the men who gave more, then returned home after their service.

Plan to keep this book on your bedside table instead of the shelf.
First, a brief note about the binding: I've worn out too many paperbacks to ever believe them to be suitable for long use. This is a book which is best bought in the hardback version. The reader will want to keep a copy forever to re-read, underline and make marginal notes so it is worth the extra price to have this sturdier edition. The few extra dollars for this hardcover edition will be worth it in just a few years of reading.

---

China Marine impresses me as being the more moving of Sledge's two autobiographies. With The Old Breed speaks of the power of War but this book speaks of the power of Man. I realize that with the HBO miniseries coming out With the Old Breed will continue to be more popular but China Marine has points in its favor. Certainly one should read both if they ever expect to understand the subject.

As a second book "China Marine" is more readable and I'm not sure that is because he is more experienced in writing or he is not having to stop every few lines to explain to naive civilians the exact color of the mud of war, sound of heavy bombardment and grief of watching his friends being chewed apart. "With the Old Breed" ends with him half starved, abused to the point of exhaustion and with the stench of death in his nostrils but "China Marine" shows him to build on US Marine traditions and support of family and friends to create a new life after the purgatory of battle. Particularly the book shows his depth of character better, since he gives himself time to describe not just his observations but to show the mind and heart behind them. And as one of his former students I can vouch that he had a very big heart.

Hemingway would like this book
E. B. Sledge's "With the Old Breed" is by common consent one of the finest -- if not the finest -- account of the life of a combat infantryman in World War II. At Pelieu and Okinawa, Sledge was one of only 10 men in his Marine company of 240 to escape being wounded or killed. "China Marine" is the follow-up to "With the Old Breed," a lesser work but one that tells of what happened to Sledge after the war.

With Sledge's experience, one would have thought that he would have been among the first among the military to be demobilized after the end of the war with Japan -- but no, he and his colleagues were sent to China to disarm the Japanese soldiers there and to maintain order in several northern Chinese cities. This is Sledge's account of the six months he spent in China. His view is that of a Private First Class -- but an educated and sophisticated PFC, the son of a medical doctor from Mobile, Alabama, and an outstanding writer. He delighted in Peking, fresh food, a clean bunk, light duties, and friendship with the sophisticated Soong family -- but the danger from attack by communist armies was always there.

Sledge goes on to tell of the trauma of his discharge from the Marines and homecoming to Mobile and, very briefly, his long years of struggle with what we call today Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It's a brief book, only 160 pages, and am interesting, beautifully written, account of the decompression of a combat soldier and his return home.

Sledge died in 2001 but he was often quoted in Ken Burn's recent PBS series on World War II. Sledge is a true American hero.

Smallchief

Outstanding book
I just finished this book...once I picked it up I couldnt put it down. I really dont think there is enough written out there about this subject and what these guys went thru there. ... Read more

Product Description
D-Day is one of the significant turning points in wartime history and was the largest single military operation ever launched. In Our Finest Day, best-selling author Mark Bowden reveals the human faces behind this brutal battle, using reproductions of original documents. Included in these pages are personal letters and poignant journal entries from soldiers, secret dispatches and pages from code books, and strategic battle plans and maps. These removable artifacts-from the collection of the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans-allow readers to hold a piece of history in their hands. Imagine holding a replica of the last letter written home by a soldier as he waited nervously for the attack to begin, or the message sent to Allied headquarters in England informing them that the beaches had been taken. From the commanders of Operation Overlord to the airborne troopers and resistance fighters, Our Finest Day introduces readers to the brave men who risked their lives and triumphed over Hitler’s Germany. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Our Finest Day: D-Day, June 6, 1944
Our Finest Day: D-Day, June 6, 1944

A friend lent me a copy of this rather short book before I decided to order two copies, one for another friend and one for myself.It's unique, as it includes reproductions of letters, a map, The New York Times front page announcing the invasion, directions for arming (or disarming!) a hand grenade, etc. I'm pleased I have it.The seller packaging was very good, as was the condition of the book.

Brief but Revealing
Despite its brevity, this book is both informative and revealing. Bowden gives a good overview of what preceded and led up to D-Day. He describes Operation Overlord and the German defenses on the French coast, as well as the air and land assault plans.

Especially interesting are the authentic photos and artifacts from the collection of the D-Day Museum in New Orleans, founded by the late Stephen Ambrose. These artifacts include a soldiers' diary, the front page of the New York Times, a letter from Roosevelt, and an inspirational message from Eisenhower. All are able to be pulled out and looked at by the reader.

One of the artifacts, "A Pocket Guide to France" was given to the military and is included in this book as a pull out. It was simple and patriotic as it explained the military mission in France, the history of the conflict, and told the soldiers how to behave while in France.

Bowden also writes of the possible pitfalls in the plan, including dropping soldiers at night and the unpredictability of the weather. He concisely relates the events of D-Day, the airborne efforts, the invasion of Utah Beach, and the action of the armada, all interspersed with the words of those who were there.

Following this is a section about the Allied advance through France and into Germany...and less than a year later, the Reich was in ruins and Hitler was dead.

I liked this book most of all for its simplicity and authenticity.

D-Day Militaria Book
This short 30 page account of the D-Day invasion with first hand
narrative is unique in that it contains reproductions of various items associated with the invasion.There are personal items such as notebooks and Bibles and operational items such as orders
and after-action reports.All in all this is an interesting look into the history of D-Day made more so by the inclusion of historical artifacts.I recommend it to you, inspite of its brevity and price. ... Read more

Product Description
4 Books together; Published by Reader's Digest. ... Read more

Product Description
This New York Times best-seller is a breathtaking account of what faced the U.S. Army after the Normandy invasion of World War II. Told largely through personal accounts, Citizen Soldiers captures the stunning reality of the citizens who summoned the courage to become soldiers and save the world. ... Read more

Product Description
Hailed as "one of the finest memoirs to emerge from any war" by acclaimed author Paul Fussell, With the Old Breed remains the most powerful and moving account of the U.S. Marines in World War II. Now, with his long-awaited sequel, China Marine, E. B. Sledge continues his story where With the Old Breed left off and recounts the compelling conclusion of his Marine career.After Japan's surrender in 1945, Sledge and his company were sent to China to maintain order and to calm the seething cauldron of political and ideological unrest created by opposing factions. His regiment was the first Marine unit to return to the ancient city of Peiping (now Beijing) where they witnessed the last of old China and the rise of the Communist state. Sledge also recounts the difficulty of returning to his hometown of Mobile, Alabama, and resuming civilian life while haunted by shadows of close combat. Through the discipline of writing and the study of biology, Sledge shows how he came to terms with the terrifying memories that had plagued him for years. Poignant and compelling, China Marine provides a frank depiction of the real costs of war, emotional and psychological as well as physical, and reveals the enduring bond that develops between men who face the horrors of war. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

China Marines after WW2
This book is small, barely over 160 pages, but I have read a lot of books with even less pages that go into a lot of details just as E.B. Sledge does. I had the honor of purchasing his last book, "With the Old Breed", and had NO IDEA that "China Marine" was in fact a sequel of that book, so when I got the news, I didn't hesitate to order the book right away, and it came sooner than I expected. Little is known about the occupation of American troops in China after the war, and some of our men were even fired upon by Communist troops. I read some of the reviews that describe that Sledge's details of garrison life in China was "boring", but garrison life isn't that bad to read about if you are a former veteran of the military and are used to such details. This book is excellent and was well worth the wait!

A man who made history
China Marine is the first person account of a WWII Marine veteran who lived through the hell of combat only to be sent to China after the war to help in a time other history books skip and the collective memory of society has forgotten.This book is a vehicle to increase understanding of this vital and volatile time in our history, and to increase appreciation for the guys like "Sledgehammer" who did their duty and lived (or died) in hell.This book may not be a great literary work, but it is well told in provides insight into the psyche of those who have earned the right to be understood.

Great Finish
Finally getting to read Eugene Sledge's account on what went on after the abrupt ending to "With the Old Breed" was well worth the wait.I wished I had read them both back to back though.Sledgehammer's writing style was still quite clear and evident and it was easy to tell the effect of the duty in China as well as the personal relationships made there had a great impact on him.Definitely a must read if you've read "With the Old Breed.

WONDERFUL FOLLOW UP ACCOUNT OF A MAN'S LIFE.
I put off reading this work by E.B. Sledge for a number of years.I had read "With the Old Breed" a number of years ago and gave it a reread more recently.In my opinion, and the opinion of many, many others, `Old Breed" is the best firsthand account of combat experience by an enlisted man ever written.It deals with the battle at Pelieu and Okinawa; both battles of which the author survived...one 10 that made it out of 240.I will admit though that Sledge's first book was a traumatic reading experience.On one hand I did not want to put myself through that again, but on the other hand, I was fascinated that a man could survive this ordeal and, to be quite frank, ever be whole again.I actually worried about this very, very brave man and what became of him.

This work, China Marine, begins where "Old Breed" stops.After Japan surrendered, E.B. Sledge was sent to Northern China in order to keep the peace there during the transition after the long Japanese occupation.The majority of the book covers this period of his life; records his experiences and observations and tells how he begins the healing process.A goodly portion of the book gives his account of his returning to civilian life; its adjustments and the mental process he went through.

The reader should note that if he or she is looking for a blood and guts combat account, then they should look elsewhere.That is not the purpose of this work.No, this is the personal story of a man whose entire world was changed and who lived through an ordeal that was with him through the rest of his life.It is a rather sensitive story and a story that most certainly should have been told.

Two years ago a dear friend of mine died.He too survived Pelieu, where he was wounded but went on to fight in Okinawa where he received very grave wounds and was eventually evacuated.I knew my friend well; knew him for many years.He was one of the finest men I ever known.We talked of many things and were quite close.Still and all there were doors that he would never open.I honestly feel that it was not a lack of wanting to talk, but rather a complete inability to do so.His wife has told me many times that his experiences on those two islands were with him everyday of his life until the day he died.This is quite typical and many, many men were like my friend.I am so grateful that we have people like E.B. Sledge who were able to give voice for so many.

Professor Sledge died in 2001.He was indeed a rare breed; an old breed and we owe him and his comrades so very, very much.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

A good ending
This book satisfies many unanswered questions left hanging at the end of Sid Philips first memoirs. It offers a little known insite into what life was like for occupation Marines in post-war China. Well written. Worth the read. ... Read more

Product Description

In a story muscled with truth and imagination, Stephen E. Ambrose (1936-2002) recounts the epoch-making 1803 expedition of Lewis and Clark through the words of a young man. Finding foes and friends among Natives, surviving sickness and hunger, choosing between a woman and the life he left behind, George Shannon grows up as the corps forges a way west.

Drawing on his encyclopedic knowledge of the subject, Ambrose creates the fictional diary of nineteen-year-old George Shannon, who was in fact the youngest member of Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery. He conjures the journey west with stunning clarity, calling on the bravery of Daniel Boone, the pragmatic courage of Sacajawea, the overarching, relentless vision of Meriwether Lewis.

This is a book for young readers as well as for those who are looking for new insights into the Northwest Passage. Ambrose's vivid characters, his page-turning account, and the map that charts the explorers' route manifest the spirit of one nation and her indelible destiny.Amazon.com Review
Renowned historian Stephen Ambrose vividly brings to life Lewis and Clark’s famous westward expedition (1803-1806) through the fictionalized diary of George Shannon--the youngest member of the famous explorers’ team. This Vast Land is filled with colorful examples of life on the trail, (baiting grizzly bears for sport, chasing after stolen horses, etc.), and Ambrose creates a credible teenage character in George Shannon. Shannon starts out as a complete "greenhorn" who must beg and plead with Captain Lewis to take him along. He learns quickly and develops into an accomplished hunter and tracker, but when tempers flare and he gets into a fistfight, he becomes worried: "I fear...I am becoming as wild as this river...this is not right." Shannon matures on the journey, taking an Indian wife, fathering a son, even learning that he is capable of taking human life. At the end of his life, Shannon finds himself offering advice to a young cadet named Robert E. Lee: I learned...never to give up, even when you are lost without your balls." Rifle balls, that is.

This Vast Land was Ambrose’s last book, edited and published by family after his death in 2002. Full of expertly wrought historical detail and earthy humor, the novel is a lively addition to the award-winning writer’s significant body of work . (Ages 13 and older)--Jennifer Hubert ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Totally inappropriate
I bought several copies of this book to store away for Christmas presents for my grandchildren and other young friends....ages 7-12.
The book, in diary form, starts off well and is, actually, delightful reading.
Why the author(s)(I think Ambrose's family contributed to the final copy) decided to throw in totally inappropriate sexual scenes is beyond me.
The young man who is the protagonist of the story loses his virginity and impregnates a young Indian girl by the 4th or 5th chapter. The description of his sexual debut is frank and tasteless.
Now all I have to do is try to figure out what to do with 10 useless copies of what could have been a wonderful opportunity to learn American history in an interesting format.

a good read that cripples itself
I enjoyed this book as an inspiring look at the Lewis and Clark expedition and a good exploration of the savage versus civilized theme, but the sexual content detracts from the book in two ways.

First, ~This Vast Land~ seems aimed at young teens.It would have been ideal for this audience (I was hoping to assign it in class), but the sexual content makes it an inappropriate choice.I wouldn't stop my own children from reading it, but many parents would.

This is unfortunate because the sex seems entirely out of place.I would be surprised to find that any 18 year old in the turn of the 19th century would be comfortable writing in such detail about the motions and pleasures of his "member."Also, the book is written as Shannon's journal, which the character later writes he intends for his children.Even if we ignore historical sensibilities, who wants to give the kids a play-by-play about how dad and mom lost their virginity together?

So the inclusion of such frank sexual content is an odd choice that ultimately detracts from the book by forcing the reader out of the historical context and forcing the book out of its young-adult genre.

One other criticisms.The ending of the book contains an abrupt shift in tone from triumphant to melancholy that seems too contrived.Putting my two criticisms together, it seems that Ambrose was trying so hard to make his book more "serious" than genre fiction that he caused it to fail as genre fiction.

do not buy
We threw this book away and would not recommend this book to any young man due to too much sexual content.

Some Mature Content
As an adult, I would first like to mention that this book has some brief sexual content that some parents may not find suitable for children.Overall, however, it is an engaging and informative glimpse into the Lewis and Clark expedition that left me wanting to know more, and wanting to travel the path myself.I found the diary style of storytelling an interesting one that led authenticity to the story as well as made it easier to read than some straightforward history texts.Of course, this is a fictionalized account, but I think it gives the reader a good idea of the conditions and feelings likely experienced by the Corps of Discovery.The language and even spelling and grammar are consistent with the time period and the education level of the narrator.I found this to be an exciting book that made you wonder what lay ahead, what the next discovery or encounter would bring.I do think this is a valuable book for younger readers, but it should be read with parental guidance due to the sexual content.I also think adult readers looking for an easier portal into the world of Lewis and Clark would enjoy this book as well. ... Read more

Product Description
Written during his days as a ranchman in the Dakota Bad Lands, these two wilderness tales by Theodore Roosevelt endure today as part of the classic folklore of the West. The narratives provide vivid portraits of the land as well as the people and animals that inhabited it, underscoring Roosevelt's abiding concerns as a naturalist.

Originally published in 1885, Hunting Trips of a Ranchman chronicles Roosevelt's adventures tracking a twelve-hundred-pound grizzly bear in the pine forests of the Bighorn Mountains.Yet some of the best sections are those in which Roosevelt muses on the beauty of the Bad Lands and the simple pleasures of ranch life.The British Spectator said the book "could claim an honorable place on the same shelf as Walton's Compleat Angler."The Wilderness Hunter, which came out in 1893, remains perhaps the most detailed account of the grizzly bear ever recorded. Introduction by Stephen E. Ambrose. Amazon.com Review
It's no secret that America's most bully president was alsoits most bully outdoorsman and conservationist; what's often forgottenwas how beautifully and authoritatively he wrote about the wildernessand his considerable experiences there. These two pre-White Housenarratives--Ranchman was originally published in 1885,Wilderness Hunter eight years later--are rich and vivid. Theformer chronicles Roosevelt's sojourns in the Dakota Badlands; thelatter is an extended love letter to the pleasures and challenges ofoutdoor life. So what if some of his 19th-century ideas seempolitically incorrect by the standards of the nextcentury--magnificent prose is still magnificent prose. "Nowhere,not even at sea," writes the future First Hunter in one hauntingpassage, "does a man feel more lonely than when riding over thefar-reaching seemingly never-ending plains ... [but] after a man haslived a little while on or near them, their very vastness andloneliness and their melancholy monotony have a strong fascination forhim." By comparison, the isolation and weight of the Oval Officemust have seemed like an afternoon stroll in the park. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

TR's Brilliant Descriptions of Hunting in the Plains
My wife bought me this book for my birthday since I am starting to get interested in hunting. I heard that it was good, and was eager to read it since the author is one of our Presidents. I was not disappointed at all by the book. It is quite the page turner as Teddy Roosevelt describes his adventures hunting near the ranch he purchased after the death of his wife.

The biggest surprise from the book is how well the former President writes. I knew that TR was quite an active man, full of energy and adventure. But, I did not appreciate the fact that we wrote very well. In this book he describes hunting several different types of animals - deer, buffalo, goats, elk to name a few. You practically feel like you are in the saddle with him on these numerous hunting trips. Although TR wrote this book over a hundred years ago, it still contains content that is relevant today.

If you appreciate a good hunting book, and have not read this one, then I recommend you do. It will make you want to pick up your rifle and go out for an outdoor adventure soon.

His love of nature shines through
A hunter I am not, but these two writings by Teddy Roosevelt are a wonderful read for those who love the outdoors, nature and the remoteness of wild areas that are dwindling at such a rapid pace if not already gone in most places.

T.R. was a keen observer of his surroundings and the animals which inhabited these lands.His writing style is highly contagious.The reader is with him every step of the way whether it is in the prairie, up the mountain, in the valleys or deserts chasing deer, antelope, elk, bear, and cougar or simply gallivanting in the countryside during the 1880's.

Adventures were many in the Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana and all points west.Broken bones and bruises were commonplace to our future twenty-sixth president but the man was as tough as nails.Although he mostly hunted for food, he did occasionally hunt for trophy game.
The man absolutely admired the wilderness and it shows when he put pen to paper.His conservation efforts are still with us today.

Many people think the openness of the west is nothing but desolate, empty nothingness.It's all in how you perceive "nothing" to better appreciate the value of space.

Hunting Trips of a Ranchman & The Wilderness Hunter
The prose of TR takes me back to a time in America, a time before my own, but a time that I so wish I could have experienced in the saddle alongside TR. While the prose may be somewhat dated, as an avid reader and author I find it refreshing and relaxing. I use the present tense of the verb because I never seem to tire of reading and reading TR's sagas of life on the plains and the pursuit of big game. Today such pursuit is mostly for sport and I am but one of many who enjoy this great adventure, even to its fullest. Life on his ranch in the Badlands however required such pursuit for sustinence and as such required patience and persistance in far greater excess than many of us today possess. Many who choose to pursue elk, mule deer or antelope could do far worse than to read and absorb the lessons of one of the great plainsmen of history.

Wonderful Read
I felt strongly enough to review this book from actually reading and owning the two original books which comprise this one collection.
Teddy Roosevelt came west after his first wife died to heal and in the plains he found the spirit which made the gentleman who would become a world leader.
Hunting Trips of a Ranchman is an early work of Roosevelt finding his way in writing. It is a wonderful historic work of the showing of the sportsman over the market hunter in America with all big game species detailed on his hunts, and, how Roosevelt felt that the virtue of freedom was based in Americans learning to experience stalking game, living in the wilds all to create the citizen soldier.
The Wilderness Hunter is my favorite for in this Teddy touches upon the prose of his soul and is the best work I have found so far in crafting a beautiful stories in the experience of hunting.
I have read this book twice and it is still the one I reach for to carry along in times to keep me company.

Wonderful Collection of Short Stories
This collection of Roosevelt's hunting trips and adventures puts you right out there with him, on the wild plains. The clarity of his descriptions and the easy way he takes you through his experiences has made this one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read. If you enjoy the wilderness, stories about the old west or just relaxing with a good book, this is a great choice. ... Read more

Product Description
War Stories chronicles 53 personal testimonies of virtually every major event from World War II by residents of New Orleans-from a Polish army officer who was defending his homeland the day of the German invasion to a member of the honor guard aboard the U.S.S. Missouri the day the Japanese signed the surrender papers. This one-of-a-kind memorial represents journalist Elizabeth Mullener's 12-year dedication to preserving eyewitness accounts of the most devastating conflict in human history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

More soldier stories than survivor stories
I probably should have researched this book a bit more before purchasing because I was expecting more Holocaust survivor stories than the soldier accounts.Overall, it was still an entertaining read.

Great for WWII history readers.
Excellent, absorbing book for anyone who wants real-life experiences of those who lived through WWII.Slightly disappointed that a brief update on the participants was not given in all cases (family information and careers after the war). I wanted to read so much more and wish the writer could choose people from other cities in the United States (large and small). Highly recommend it.

One of the best WWII books I've ever read
War Stories: Remembering World War II

This is an excellent book.One of the best WWII books I've ever read, and I've read a lot of them!Each chapter is the story of an individual (real) person from New Orleans... each chapter provides a brief recollection of the impact of the war on that individual.The stories range from the memories of an artillery soldier recalling storming the beaches on D-Day to a Jewish child ousted from their farmhouse in rural Poland forced into hiding.War impacts us all, even those not on the front lines... this books tells those stories.A book about bravery, camaraderie, patriotism, and human nature.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Excellent
This collection of eyewitness accounts of the years between 1939 and 1945 manages to personalize the years between 1939 and 1945 war as no history book could. Using experiences of people from all walks of life (most of whom were teenagers or in their twenties during the war), the author has managed to skillfully craft a very readable and poignant collection. Recurring themes of courage, resilience, love and family carry the reader through the war from start to finish. ... Read more

Product Description
The Washington Monument dominates not only the skyline of the nation's capital but also the iconography of the country itself. From its conception (the result of a Continental Congress that wanted to honor a reluctant general) to its completion after nearly a century of stop-and-go planning and construction, the story of the Monument involves virtually every major political figure of America's first century. Since the Monument's dedication, its grounds have become a national font yard on which a host of historical events have unfolded--a place where soldiers have assembled since the Civil War, where Vietnam War protesters gathered in the 1960s, and where the nation celebrates its independence each Fourth of July.

The Washington Monument: It Stands for All offers a unique look at the Washington Monument, the worlds tallest freestanding masonry structure. It takes readers where visitors cannot go, depicting the 193 memorial stones that grace its internal walls and using cutaway drawings to explain its construction. From the political intrigue surrounding its construction to the dramatic events that have taken place in its shadow, no stone is left unturned in this comprehensive tribute to our national icon. ... Read more

Product Description
From the author of Our Natural History: The Lessons ofLewis and Clark, and with an introduction from Stephen E. Ambrose,author of the New York Times bestseller, UndauntedCourage Afterward by Robert Redford, and an Afterward by RobertRedford.

The 1804-1806 Missouri River journey of Lewis andClark in search of an all-water route to the Pacific Ocean was themost important expedition in American history. When it was finished,the country and the world were forever changed.

Now,renowned biologist and author Daniel B. Botkin retraces the MissouriRiver passage of that historic journey in the modern world byfollowing the route of Lewis and Clark, guiding readers to nearly 50legendary sites of historical and environmental importance--withdriving directions all the way from the river banks of St. Louis tothe river's headwaters in Montana--in a lively, compelling book thatbrings this voyage of discovery to life.

* Illustratedthroughout.Amazon.com Review
Undertaken from 1804 to 1806, Meriwether Lewis and WilliamClark's transcontinental journey of exploration remains one of themilestones of natural history. Mandated by President Thomas Jefferson,who instructed Lewis and Clark to keep careful scientific notes onwhat they found along the Missouri River and to send specimens ofanimal and plant life back to Washington at every opportunity, theexpedition afforded Americans a glimpse of such exotic creatures asbison, coyotes, and prairie dogs; it also gave them a glimpse of thenation's future at the dawn of westward expansion.

In this guidebook, Daniel Botkin retraces the Lewis and Clark voyageof discovery along the Missouri, inviting his readers to do thesame--for, he writes,

In this information age, we rarely obtain the informationwe need most about ourselves, our civilization, and oursurroundings. Over and over again I have discovered that Lewis andClark, two centuries ago, put a yardstick or sextant to things that weno longer seek to pace or measure.

Along the way he visits the great prehistoric Indian mounds ofIllinois, near the expedition's starting point; the Platte River, "oneof the few major rivers of America that has not been greatly alteredby channelization and dams; Yellowstone National Park; and nationalwildlife refuges in Nebraska, Montana, and other Westernstates. Botkin's guidebook suffers at times from encyclopedic dryness,but it remains a useful glove-compartment companion for anyone seekingto follow Lewis and Clark's passage. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A Waterlogged Trip up the Missouri
This book is not meant as a precise historical account of the journeys of Lewis & Clark, but a study of the Missouri River and its surrounding areas as the explorers saw them, vs. how these areas have changed since then. Also, the portion of the Lewis & Clark journey west of the Rockies is not included, as the book sticks to the Missouri River. The most blatant changes in these ecosystems are the straightening and channelization of the river itself, which has led to massive environmental (and economic) damage for a pathetically small amount of barge traffic; plus the conversion of vast prairies to farmland which has led to serious losses of native flora and fauna. The book becomes a messy mixture of travelogue, as Botkin describes how to reach key areas of the river, and musings on the environmental health of these areas. While Botkin has had well-deserved success in environmentalist circles, his attempts to draw up naturalist ethics and morality significantly weaken this book. A lack of focus and the squishy writing of a college freshman are also damaging. Botkin is prone to god-awful metaphors, starting the main narrative awkwardly with "Rocks are nature's books; minerals are its words" and populating the rest of the book with more groaners like "Rocks Tell Stories and Soils are Nature's Braille" (subtitle of chapter 25). His attempts to wax philosophical on mankind's modern lack of connection with nature, while correct in spirit, are also unsuccessful in the writing department. See the awkward comparison of a pelican's spiraling flight path to society's shifting concerns for the environment in chapter 6, or the predictable comparison of prairie dog towns with an ideal human society in chapter 32. This book had the potential to be a real winner as both a travelogue with a historical twist and as a treatise on environmental philosophy. Unfortunately it merely flirts with those two strengths without really nailing them, and is sunk overall by weak writing.

Fantastic travel book!!
This is a fantastic book for anyone visiting the Missouri river.

Book has handy maps, illustrations and reference points for the person making a modern day trip. Notes by Stephen Ambrose and Robert Redford at beginning and end of book commend book as well!

If you are only mildly interested in Lewis and Clark before reading this book - afterwards you'll be completely astounded by their feats!!

Very readable and informative!
Nothing is as constant as change on the unfettered Missouri River. Few stretches of the Missouri remain as Lewis & Clark observed them. The river, as Botkin observes, is "nature's landscape painter". Thecanvas is continually changing in response to the forces of a riverdraining one-sixth of the U.S.

Botkin presents us with the story of thefirst navigation of the river by Lewis and Clarke, through the river'schannalization by the Army Corp of Engineers, to present efforts to restoreand interpret the river.

But, this book is more than an inventory offacts and issues. It contains vivid illustrations of nature'sinterrelationships and wry observations on the irony of man"improving" nature.

This is a very practical, pragmatic, yetpoetic book. ... Read more