Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life, and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt

Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life, and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt Review

Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life, and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt Overview

Mornings on Horseback is the brilliant biography of the young Theodore Roosevelt. Hailed as "a masterpiece" (John A. Gable, Newsday), it is the winner of the Los Angeles Times 1981 Book Prize for Biography and the National Book Award for Biography. Written by David McCullough, the author of Truman, this is the story of a remarkable little boy, seriously handicapped by recurrent and almost fatal asthma attacks, and his struggle to manhood: an amazing metamorphosis seen in the context of the very uncommon household in which he was raised.

The father is the first Theodore Roosevelt, a figure of unbounded energy, enormously attractive and selfless, a god in the eyes of his small, frail namesake. The mother, Mittie Bulloch Roosevelt, is a Southerner and a celebrated beauty, but also considerably more, which the book makes clear as never before. There are sisters Anna and Corinne, brother Elliott (who becomes the father of Eleanor Roosevelt), and the lovely, tragic Alice Lee, TR's first love. All are brought to life to make "a beautifully told story, filled with fresh detail", wrote The New York Times Book Review.

A book to be read on many levels, it is at once an enthralling story, a brilliant social history and a work of important scholarship which does away with several old myths and breaks entirely new ground. It is a book about life intensely lived, about family love and loyalty, about grief and courage, about "blessed" mornings on horseback beneath the wide blue skies of the Badlands.

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Nov 24, 2010 17:43:05

Roots: The Saga of an American Family

Roots: The Saga of an American Family Review

I re-read this book for the first time in over 30 years, and still find it an effective portrayal of the horrible institution of slavery.

The first time I read it, I was a child (5th grade), so some things did hit me differently. I obviously understood the sexual content more. Further, at the end of the book, I had to question Mr. Haley's research. It seemed to come too easily, making me question whether he really found the African from whom he was descended.

I also question his portrayal of how Kunta Kinte was captured. I will do independent reading concerning the slave trade, but I don't see how it would have made sense for toubob to wander through Africa in the hopes that they will be able to nab an individual who wandered outside his village, considering that they had kings and warlords who were willing to do business with them, selling off criminals and POWs.

Mr. Haley admits that, except for the outline provided by his family's oral tradition, much of this book is, out of necessity, fiction. But it will nonetheless move you.

Another controversy about this book is the accusation that Mr. Haley plagiarized material from Harold Courlander's "The African" [ASIN:080503000X The African]. (I have read on the Internet that Mr. Haley had to pay 0,000 in damages; I have no idea if this is true.) I read "The African" right before re-reading "Roots". They cover similar material in part, but I was unable to discern particular passages that seemed to be lifted out of "The African". If someone could clarify where the plagiarized passages are, I'd appreciate it.

Roots: The Saga of an American Family Feature

• ISBN13: 9781593154493
• Condition: New
• Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Roots: The Saga of an American Family Overview

One of the most important books and television series ever to appear, Roots, galvanized the nation, and created an extraordinary political, racial, social and cultural dialogue that hadn’t been seen since the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The book sold over one million copies in the first year, and the miniseries was watched by an astonishing 130 million people. It also won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Roots opened up the minds of Americans of all colors and faiths to one of the darkest and most painful parts of America’s past. 

Over the years, both Roots and Alex Haley have attracted controversy, which comes with the territory for trailblazing, iconic books, particularly on the topic of race. Some of the criticism results from whether Roots is fact or fiction and whether Alex Haley confused these two issues, a subject he addresses directly in the book. There is also the fact that Haley was sued for plagiarism when it was discovered that several dozen paragraphs in Roots were taken directly from a novel, The African, by Harold Courlander, who ultimately received a substantial financial settlement at the end of the case. 

But none of the controversy affects the basic issue. Roots fostered a remarkable dialogue about not just the past, but the then present day 1970s and how America had fared since the days portrayed in Roots. Vanguard Press feels that it is important to publish Roots: The 30th Anniversary Edition to remind the generation that originally read it that there are issues that still need to be discussed and debated, and to introduce to a new and younger generation, a book that will help them understand, perhaps for the first time, the reality of what took place during the time of Roots.
 

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Nov 03, 2010 11:55:04

CLEO: The Cat Who Mended a Family

CLEO: The Cat Who Mended a Family Review

I loved this book so much that I decided to post a review on Amazon.

I came across Cleo while browsing in an airport bookstore. The black cat portrayed on its cover resembled my own beloved cat, so that's what first drew me in. However, what kept me hooked to this story was Helen's honest portrayal of the her family as they reacted to unimaginable loss, and how she rebuilt her life --in part thanks to her wise and at times impish cat, Cleo. This book is not just about a remarkable cat, but it's about life's struggles and how one survives the hard times with pluck, humor, and resolve.

Once I started this book, it was so good that I could not put it down. I finished it in 3 days. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

CLEO: The Cat Who Mended a Family Feature

• ISBN13: 9780806533032
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

CLEO: The Cat Who Mended a Family Overview

"We're just going to." Helen Brown had no intention of adopting a pet when she brought her sons, Sam and Rob, to visit a friend's new kittens. But the runt of the litter was irresistible, with her overlarge ears and dainty chin.

When Cleo was delivered weeks later, she had no way of knowing that her new family had just been hit by a tragedy. Helen was sure she couldn't keep her-until she saw something she thought had vanished from the earth forever: her son's smile The reckless, rambunctious kitten stayed.

Through happiness and heartbreak, changes and new beginnings, Cleo turned out to be the unlikely glue the affectionately held Helen's family together. Rich in wisdom, wit, heart, and healing, here is the story of a cat with an extraordinary gift for knowing just where she was needed the most.

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 25, 2010 22:46:04

North by Northwestern: A Seafaring Family on Deadly Alaskan Waters

North by Northwestern: A Seafaring Family on Deadly Alaskan Waters Review

I purchased the eBook version for my reader, and was pleasantly surprised when I started to read. So surprised that I stayed up late to read it all in one sitting! This book is much, much more than just an accessory to the TV show. It is more than a must-read for fans of "Deadliest Catch."

It also covers much, much more than that. There is an insider's view of the Norwegian immigration to the United States, in particular Washington state in the early 1900's. There is a detailed history of the evolution of crab fishing and the Marco crab boat's evolution to supremacy. I was fascinated by the attention to historical details, such as the use of surplus Army cots to build the first crab pots. The wisdom of a seasoned fisherman peppers the book - discussing why certain boat designs work better than others, why a tank full of solid ballast is better than tanks full of mobile crab, and why navigation at sea is not as simple as going in a straight line from Point A to Point B.

Encircling all these historical details are the stories of the Hansen family in the USA. His father's boats. Moving up, moving down and out. The evolution of a skipper/captain.

This book will satisfy the fans. It covers the ground that fans will want to know about - close calls out at sea, pranks between the crew members, embarrassing growing-up stories among the Hansen brothers, and how the Northwestern came to be on TV. It also tells the story of how the first coveted F/V Northwestern jackets came to be!

The digital version of this book had some minor issues. There are many, many words which had been spliced - there is a space in the middle of the word or a dash in the middle of the word inappropriately. The best feature of the digital version, however, was the click-able index. Next to the word in the index was a hyperlink that you could click, which would take you right to the reference.

North by Northwestern: A Seafaring Family on Deadly Alaskan Waters Feature

• ISBN13: 9780312591144
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

North by Northwestern: A Seafaring Family on Deadly Alaskan Waters Overview

NOW A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

In the tradition of Sebastian Junger and Linda Greenlaw comes Captain Sig Hansen’s rags-to-riches epic of his immigrant family’s struggle against deadly Alaskan seas, freezing shipwrecks, and dangerously brutal conditions to achieve the American Dream

Sig Hansen has been a star of the Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch from the pilot to the present. Seen in over 150 countries, the show attracts more than 49 million viewers per season, making it one of the most successful series in the history of cable TV. With its daredevil camera work, unpredictably dangerous weather, and a setting as unforgivable and unforgettable as the frigid Bering Sea, The Deadliest Catch is unlike anything else on television.

But the weatherworn fishermen of the fishing vessel Northwestern have stories that don’t come through on TV. For Sig Hansen and his brothers, commercial fishing is as much a part of their Norwegian heritage as their names. Descendents of the Vikings who roamed and ruled the northern seas for centuries, the Hansens’ connection to the sea stretches from Alaska to Seattle and all the way to Norway. And after twenty years as a skipper on the commercial fishing vessel the Northwestern--which was his father’s before him--Sig has lived to tell the tales.

 

To be a successful fisherman, you need to be a mechanic, navigator, welder, painter, carpenter, and sometimes, a firefighter. To be a successful fisherman year after year, you need to be a survivor.

This is the story of a family of survivors; part memoir and part adventure tale, North By Northwestern brings readers on deck, into the dockside bars and into the history of a family with a common destiny. Built around a gripping tale of a deadly shipwreck like The Perfect Storm, North By Northwestern is the multi-generational tale of the Hansen family, a clan of tough Norwegian-American fishermen who, through the popularity of The Deadliest Catch, have become modern folk-heroes.

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 24, 2010 16:45:04

Katie Up and Down the Hall: The True Story of How One Dog Turned Five Neighbors into a Family

Katie Up and Down the Hall: The True Story of How One Dog Turned Five Neighbors into a Family Review

I just finished read the book "Katie Up and Down the Hall" by Glenn Plaskin. I am an animal person and I couldn't wait to read this book. And also let me tell you after reading it I can honestly say, I LOVED IT!!!!!

Glenn had been contemplating getting a dog for many years when he finally took the plunge and got one. He found a breeder of cocker spaniels. In the building Glenn lived in he had a friend named Joe who owned a cocker spaniel himself. Joe gave him advice on how to raise a dog and introduced Glenn to an elderly couple (Arthur & Pearl) who lived just next door and who recently had lost their dog. The dog Glenn found was not what someone who liked to show dogs would want, skinny, not proportion well. They had named her Twiggy, but after Glenn got her he changed her name it Katie. Little did he know his life was changed forever.

Katie bonded Glenn with Arthur & Pearl deeply. In fact Katie created close bonds between Glenn and a few people he met in his life. These bonds he made is more then some of us could even dream of. For 15 years memories were created, they went though 9/11 together and even visited many celebrities together(Glenn is a writer and took Katie on many interviews). Then the memories they had together sitting at Pearls table, bonding with new friends and loving.

The book broke my heart at the end and I cried for a good 20 minutes trying to finish the book. And although my heart was sad my heart was also filled with joy. Joy for a group of people who found each other all because of a dog named Katie and the love that they shared.

If you are up for a fun loving, emotional book, this is the one for you. In fact I am planning on reading it again. I felt like Katie, Glenn, Pearl, Arthur and the gang where my family too. And I went on the roller-coaster with them. I was actually sad to see the book end.

Thank you Glenn Plaskin for sharing a deep part of your life with us. This book has made me look around my life and see who I fill it with and to spend as much time with them as I can. Each day with the ones you love is like gold, don't waste it.

Katie Up and Down the Hall: The True Story of How One Dog Turned Five Neighbors into a Family Overview

A personal memoir by bestselling author and celebrity journalist Glenn Plaskin, KATIEis a moving story about a man who discovers the true meaning of family after adopting a cocker spaniel puppy. Through the magnetic personality of his mischievous dog, the author soon makes powerful connections with several of his down-the-hall neighbors in a high-rise located in the unique Battery Park City neighborhood of Lower Manhattan. First, Katie trots into the lives of Pearl and Arthur, a warm-hearted elderly couple just a few doors down from Glenn. Later, John, a single Dad, and his rambunctious young son, Ryan, also move in and are seduced by Katie's charms.

All of their lives are profoundly changed as they are transformed from neighbors to friends to family, with Pearl as matriarch. The motherless boy finds a "Granny"; his Dad inherits a mother, Glenn discovers a confidante. Set in New York City, we witness nearly sixteen years of antics and family adventures spanning Hollywood high times, bad health, accidents, blustery winters, even the terrors of 9/11. Through it all, the family clings to each other, sharing a deep bond that give each comfort, support and security.

Based upon a widely-read article in Family Circle, here is an unforgettable story about the love that makes a family-one that transcends the hard realities of time, tragedy, and inevitable loss.

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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 27, 2010 22:12:05