The amount of detail in this account of the 11th Mississippi Civil War Regiment is astounding. As a descendant and a civil war buff I was spellbound and as a genealogist I found it full of new and useful information. Overall I thought Steven Stubbs' book was a monumental achievement.

Jim Harrison
Huntsville, Alabama

This is without a doubt the best account of the day to day activities encountered by our ancestors who served in the Eleventh Mississippi Infantry Regiment. From chapter to chapter, as I read, I feel I am with them. As a genealogist I have found more information about several of my ancestors, most who were members of the "University Greys" Co. A" in this book than I have found after several years research in Libraries and Archives. I commend Col. Stubbs for compiling the greatest account of any Civil War unit I have ever read. I highly reccomend this book not only to Civil War buffs but also to Genealogists. There is priceless information in this great book.

Steven H. Stubbs labor of love which documents not only the 11th Mississippi Infantry Regiment, but also the individuals who comprised it, is everything a regimental history should be. Unjustly overlooked by historians due in large part to the fact the regiment served as a part of two different brigades (the first a very unusal mixed-state command), the 11th Mississippi's combat record in Lee's Army of Northern Virginia is second to none. By the time it was assigned to Brigadier Joseph R. Davis's brigade in early 1863, combat reputations at the brigade level had unfortunately already been established and "carved in stone." As a part of Bee's/Whiting's/Law's hard-hitting "mixed" brigade, the 11th Mississippi, 2nd Mississippi, 4th Alabama and 6th North Carolina comprised one of Lee's premier combat units and played a major role at 1st Manassas, Gaines Mill, 2nd Manassas, South Mountain and Antietam. However, the brigade was broken up in late 1862 and the units reassigned to more traditional "state" commands. The two Mississippi units went on to form the core of Davis's new brigade which came to grief during the Gettysburg Campaign. Although the 11th Mississippi missed the debacle at the Railroad Cut on July 1, it was present for "Pickett's Charge" forming the highly exposed left flank of the Confederate line once Brockenbrough's small Virginia brigade broke to the rear. The remnants of the 11th Mississippi, along with the other units of Davis's Brigade, also suffered in rear-guard actions at Williamsport and Falling Waters. Thus, the outstanding performance subsequently demonstrated by Davis's brigade following the Gettysburg debacle, during the Overland Campaign and the fighting south of Petersburg in the closing months of the war, was largely relegated to brief passages or footnotes in the works of most Civil War historians. Steven Stubbs history of the 11th Mississippi helps correct this serious error of omission. Highly recommended.

Reading this book was a treat. Reading first-hand accounts of incidents will give you a picture of how things really were. Notice the chapter on "A Mob Confronts A Stamp Collector". This made me feel like I was seeing exactly what happened. The book can be read from any chapter all of which are independent of one another. One caveat. Make sure you have a weekend to spare because once you get into the text it's goodbye everything else. Excellent history.

In addition to being a great collection of primary sources, this book is also incredibly entertaining. Only read this book if you want full absorption. The book would be better if the passages were longer, though!

I had the unique opportunity to meet Mr. Colbert while working at a TV show. Much like himself, the book is incredibly insiteful into many of the events that shaped this great land. As a New Yorker, I especially enjoyed the description of a late 19th century deli, you could taste the Corned beef!!! When you finish this book you will see a view of American history that the text books you used in school never tried to show. Only Mr. Colbert brings together the first-hand accounts of the Challenger disaster and Curt Flood's personal battles as well as the thoughts of a witness to President Lincoln slipping away after the shooting in Fords theater. I highly recomend this book to all Americans and I (like Charles Kuralt) have kept it and referenced it in many an undertaking. Keep up the good work David, and I made sure that the cameras were kind to you.

Well worth a look. Magical realism at its best. Not for everyone, as the protagonist is a feminist, strong woman, with opinions. Most enjoyable.

...to describe how this book made me feel. It is poignant, it is bittersweet, it is joyful, and it is more. The descriptions in this book were exquisite, the characters were well-drawn, the lessons were apropos to any society at any time but even more so to today's American society -- and the book was filled with cats, which is always a plus in my eyes. If you've ever felt like an outsider, I think you will appreciate this book, and I hope you will love it as much as I did. And if you've never felt like an outsider, then, in my opinion, you definitely need to read this book. It will open your eyes. I recommend this book to absolutely everyone. And their cats. :-)

This is an incredible book on love, life and the unfairness and stupidity of history. And cats fascination with tuna. I don't often get emotional when reading a book, although a good movie can bring me to tears if well done. This book made me cry with happiness, with anger and it made me laugh out loud and smile one heckuva lot. I cannot recommend this book enough. Although this is the only book I have ever read by Ms. Dexter, I truly enjoyed it and look forward to other books by her. If this is the best she has ever done, well, that's fine, because this book is masterful.

Before I read this book, I knew a little about Elia Kazan. For example, I knew that he had been a successful Hollywood film director in the late forties and early fifties. Indeed, I had seen some of his films: East Of Eden, in particular, came to mind. I had also read somewhere that he had also been a prominent and successful theatre director on Broadway; that he had given the likes of Marlon Brando and James Dean their first starts; that he was one of the influential people behind the advent of the Method Acting style; and finally, that he had been a 'friendly' witness-that means naming names, of course--at the HUAC hearings in the early fifties: what a snake, I thought!

But hey, I've now read the book, and I know the real story and the real Elia Kazan. The book is an 800+ page epic. And an epic in every sense of the word. Kazan's autobiography is a long, brooding, and fascinating recall of his eventful life. He has, as he acknowledges in the later pages, lived a variegated and full life, he has no regrets about any of it, and he realises that he has been fortunate to have led such an interesting life. And 'interesting' it certainly is. The book, though, is no glamorous odyssey of a life lived in Broadway and Hollywood; neither is it a chronicle of the great and the good of America's creative talent. Yes, there are valuable insights and vivid portraits of people like Harold Clurman, Lee Strasberg, Clifford Odets, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando and John Steinbeck. You will also meet some of Hollywood's movie moguls, particularly Darryl Zanuck at Fox. Yes, those stories are told, but all in the context of the main enterprise: the laying down for posterity of the intimate detail of the life of one of America's most celebrated creative talents of the middle of the twentieth century. Kazan unashamedly reveals his inner thoughts, his recollections, reasons, reminiscences and experiences-whether they show him in a good, bad or indifferent light. The book is brutally frank and you can only admire the author's unstinting honesty-possibly a cathartic aspect to the work aided Kazan along the way.

Remarkable for a book of this size, there is never a hint of unevenness or flagging. It's an enthralling, engrossing book from start to finish. Much of life's rich tapestry, to use the euphemistic cliché, is explored here. Kazan is clearly an astute and perceptive observer of life. Life essentially means human beings, of course, and this brings us to the essence of the book, human nature, particularly the behaviour between man and woman. Manipulation, expediency, lust, deceit, hurt, love, the passion and the platonic: it's all here in a very stark black and white. Yet still the book continually sparkles, even when the reader faces some genuinely sad and pitiful moments, particularly relating to Kazan's fiercely supportive and loyal first wife, Molly. There is no cherry-picking of 'the good times' in this book: highs and lows, triumph and disaster, they all co-exist side by side. Kazan doesn't shirk from revealing his overwhelming determination at the time to have his cake and eat it ie. a loving wife at home and a passionate mistress outside.

Apart from the inherent problems that male/female relationships spawn, if you forgive the pun, Kazan also talks extensively about his rather frustrating and unfulfilling time at college; his less-than-perfect relationship with his father; reflections on the life of a Greek immigrant family trying to make their way in the 'new world', in this case, New York; more reflections on Greeks, this time those living in another 'foreign' country, Turkey (where Kazan's parents had emigrated from), and the altered behaviour necessary to survive amongst 'the enemy'; and, of course, he describes the whys and wherefores of his 'friendly' HUAC testimony, and the subsequent vitriol directed against him as a consequence from many quarters, including so-called 'friends'; we learn of the unsavoury modus operandi of both the Communist Party in America and the HUAC authorities in the late forties and early fifties; and Kazan's single-mindedness and determination as, post-HUAC, he persevered and produced his best work as a film director; also, an interesting account of how Kazan's second wife, Barbara, and her confused but brave struggle against cancer; and so on.

The book is a courageous and brutally honest self-expose, if you like, of a man who has remained largely silent over the years. He doesn't gloss over his extra-marital activities, and the hard-heartedness and guile required on his part to maintain his passionate love for his mistress and, at the same time, his more platonic love for his first wife. This reflects the 'insoluble' (Kazan's word) nature of man's relationship with the opposite sex.

The book is beautifully-written-quality throughout--and the prose intimate, inviting and lucid. The honesty and intimacy of Kazan's words, as he describes his thoughts, feelings and rationale at the time, ensure that you live his life with him, and by the end of the book, you also feel you've been through one hell of a life.

Over a year ago, I read an excellent book called A Child Of The Century, Ben Hecht's autobiography, published in the fifties. I never thought I'd read another autobiography to match or surpass it. I have, and it's called A Life, by Elia Kazan. Waste no more time and buy this book. Alternatively borrow it or steal it, but whatever you do, read it!!

This book is perhaps one of the greatest autobiographies of the modern Theatre. Kazan pulls no punches in depicting his epic journey from Greek immigrant to one of the greatest theatre and film directors of all time. His life parallels the crucial artistic movements and conflicts of the Twentieth Century: The Group Theatre, The HUAC hearings, The height and fall of the Hollywood Studio System, the founding of the Actor's Studio, and the development of the American Theatre. Kazan, along with Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams played a crucial role in creating a strong and vibrant American Theatre. All throughout this amazing journey are insights into the craft of acting as well as the trials and tribulations of a man struggling for personal identity. This book demands to be on the shelf of any student, practitioner or fan of the Theatre. Five out of five stars

I have read this book four times. I can't recall an autobiography of any century that is more candid, and is written with such extraordinary brio.

I find the book to be very practical, and extremely helpful to entrepreneurs who are in the process of starting companies. I highly recommend this book to first-time entrepreneurs...

Any person beginning a new start-up should pick this up before they get much further than an idea. Though geared towards the major legal issues involved in starting a company, this book covers many of the essentials of beginning and structuring a business far better than most of the other books on financing or building start-ups. I've at least looked through a dozen books on the subject and none has had better, more explicit guidance on dividing founder's equity, options, funding relationship and so much more. I cannot recommend this book highly enough; you'll be at a disadvantage without it. You can view other reviews of entrepreneur books via my reviewer profile.

highly readable and informative primer on basic business law principles and their application within the context of early stage and maturing companies (from day one of the business to ipo). its use of examples is also excellent. chapter 13 (Human Resources) was particularly helpful -- the information on employment issues and the sample work agreement forms are enormously helpful.

i recommend reading this book before quiting your corporate job and starting your own company -- the 2nd chapter of the book, "Leaving Your Employer," highlights certain legal restrictions that may save the entrepreneur from potential headaches in the future involving their former employer.

I felt the book was well written, but, I have always wondered why some relevant information was left out. I only hope that Mr. Tobin and his editor will contact me. My Grandfather was Captain Myron T. Hess one of the officers Mr. pyle was with that day he was killed. My Grandfather and his 1st Sargeant were responsible for killing the Sniper which took Mr. Pyle's life. I have for years had the literature which substantiates this claim. As a proud Grandson, I have always wished that My Grandfather and his 1st Sargeant were given some text. But I have yet to find it in published books or film.

The author, James Tobin, recounts Ernie Pyle's life from his childhood in Indiana to his 1945 death in the Pacific Theatre. The text notes "Sadness verging on bitterness always colored Ernie Pyle's memories of his early years," and relates that his adult personal life also was basically unhappy. In 1928 while working for the Washington Daily News, Pyle began writing an aviation column that ultimately was carried by all Scripps-Howard newspapers. Foreshadowing his WWII reporting style, Pyle' favorite subjects were the anonymous airmail pilots telling "tales of the pilot's feats of bravery and improvisation."

From 1935 to 1942 he roamed the western hemisphere where he wrote a column on his wanderings for the News and developed into a consummate craftsman of short prose and as Tobin noted "...in the process created "Ernie Pyle." Reflecting what would be his wartime style the author notes, "...he studied unknown people doing extraordinary things." The text relates Pyle's activities as a war correspondence in Tunsia where he shared the dangers and discomforts of the infantrymen at the front, and developed a bond with the American infantryman where his "writing transcended propaganda; it was richer, more heartfelt." At home Pyle's editors were delighted with the rapid growth of his popular column. After Tunisia, he followed the troops in the invasion of Sicily and later into Italy.

In Italy, he completed construction of his mythical hero, the long-suffering G.I. The text notes that the "inescapable force of Pyle's war writings is to establish an unwritten covenant between the soldier at the front and the civilian back home." Tobin also notes "Soldiers could see an image of themselves that they liked in his heroic depiction of the war...The G.I. myth worked for them too." However, as Pyle was becoming the "Number-One Correspondent" he became troubled because he had been "credited with having written the truth...He had told as much of what he saw as people could read without vomiting. It was the part that would make them vomit that bothered him..."

Pyle covered the Normandy landing in June 1944. In contrast to today's instant TV battlefront coverage, Pyle admitted to readers "Indeed it will be some time before we have a really clear picture of what has happened or what is happening at the moment." Pyle followed the infantry into France. The book notes, "The hedgerow country of Normandy was a killing field such as Ernie had never seen, and as the weeks passed, the constant presence of 'too much death' whittled down his will to persist." Once again the G.I.'s affection for him had risen after they saw Pyle force himself to share their dangers, which sometime made him, scream in his sleep. Those with today's anti-French attitude would agree with Pyle when he wrote that in Paris he felt as "though I were living in a whorehouse-not physically but spiritually."

Ernie Pyle returned to the United States in mid-September 1944. After a much needed rest, in January 1945 Pyle left for the Pacific Theatre. Here Pyle was in a different environment. He couldn't relate to the hot food and warm beds aboard Navy ships, the comfortable living conditions of airmen stationed on Pacific islands and the generally pleasant environment on Pacific islands. He wrote, "It was such a contrast to what I'd known for so long in Europe that I felt almost ashamed.... They're...safe and living like kings and don't know it." Even when relaxing with an aunt's grandson, a B-29 pilot who tried to relate the real combat conditions in the Pacific, Ernie just didn't understand the Pacific Theatre.

With the Army's 77th Division, "He went ashore" on a small island north of Okinawa "on the 17th of April 1945, talked with infantrymen during the afternoon and spent the night near the beach in a Japanese ammunition-storage bunker." The next morning he hitched a ride when at ten o'clock the jeep he was riding in came under Japanese machine gun fire. After jumping into a ditch with the jeep's other riders, Pyle raised his head and was killed instantly. Far from home, Ernie Pyle died among his beloved infantrymen.

In closing James Tobin writes "Ernie and his G.I.'s made America look good. The Common Man Triumphant, the warrior-with-a-heart-of-gold-this was the self-image America carried into the post-war era."

While the technology of war reporting has changed greatly since WWII, the author is correct when he observes, "As a practitioner of the craft of journalism, Pyle was perhaps without peer. After him, no war correspondent could pretend to have gotten the real story without having moved extensively among the front-line soldiers who actually fought."

The book ends with a nice touch, an Appendix that contains a potpourri of Pyle's articles.

I first became aware of Ernie Pyle as a young lad when I ran across a dusty old paperback in my grandparents attic. I voraciously devoured each page only to be saddened when I realized he never made it home from the war.

Here is a wonderful tribute to Ernie and his easy going manner mirrored with his elequent style of writing. From the absense of life, back through his lifes struggles, this work is a journey into Ernie's life. It will bring back floods of memories from older readers and give new readers insight into a great journalist who was taken from us in the prime of his career.

Ernie's manner of writing was a joy to read and Tobin has done a superb job in relaying his stories in regards to the common man, and the private soldier.

A great book. Give it to someone special! They WILL thank you.

My 9 year old grandson raised with little Judaism, and 70 year old Orthodox brother enjoyed these stories, which they read together, in equal measure. It provided thought provoking insights into the extraordinary nature of everyday life in stories short enough for children raised on TV segments, and seniors with little time and patience for labored phliosophy.

Steven Leder's book, The Extraordinary Nature of Ordinary Things, is undoubtedly the best book I've ever read. He is realistic, optimistic and has a keen insight on how real life is. A must read for anyone of any age, Jew or non-Jew!

I had the pleasure of visiting with Raymond last week in Montana,and hearing him tell some of the stories that were not in the book was an interesting evening.

Even though I have lived in La. all of my life so many of the stories in the book I had never heard!Raymond brought them all to life.

Books about politics by insiders get most of the business right, but only Ray Strother tells you what it is really like to work in national politics in plain, unhyped prose.

Ray Strother's chronicle of the industry that brings us our leaders is fascinating. His story is also an "American Success Story". From the giants of the U.S. Senate includingRussell Long (recently passed) and Lloyd Bentsen to today's leaders in the Senate - Mary Landrieu, Blanche Lincoln and Zell Miller - Strother has woven a tapestry of stories that enthral and make us consider our democracy.

This is a first-rate, fast-read of an industry that is seldom discussed but that brings us world leaders. Ad agency execs marvel at their brilliance but at the end of the day they sell sugar water to children. Strother has given an insight to a world seldom seen, but of importance to all of us.

Get the book - read it and pass it around. This is one of those books that flys below the radar but could become a movie.

happy reading

This beautiful picture book biography recounts the life and career of jazz musician, Edward Kennedy Ellington -- better known to all as the Duke.

When the Duke's parents enrolled him in piano lessons for the very first time, he flat out did not want to go. At that time he had visions of playing baseball; but his parents insisted that he learn to play the piano. The music lessons were slow and not a lot of fun. It wasn't long before he quit taking lessons altogether and kissed the piano goodbye. Little did he know then that the melodious rhythms of Ragtime would draw him back to this instrument again and lead to his success as a great musician, composer, and orchestra leader!

Andrea Davis Pinkney does an outstanding job sharing the Duke's story with young readers. Her husband, Brian Pinkney, matches her wonderful text with vibrate illustrations, which translate the Duke's music into a series of bold colored spirals, waves, curls, and swirls that literally leap off of the pages of the book! Without a doubt, this husband and wife collaboration will guide readers in appreciating the rhythm and beat of the Duke's life and music. This book is truly a musician's delight!

I just finished reading the Pinkney's "Duke Ellington" to a first grade class in our predominantly white rural school northeast of Seattle. Being trained as a musician, but now working as a librarian, I loved the way this text really swings. When I noticed much of the slang was going over the heads of the children, I'd ask them if they knew what certain words meant. Interestingly, the one African-American girl in the class was hip to most of the jive.

Sure some of the terminology went right past these kids, but they got into the groove, which is carried along soulfully by the vibrant illustrations. Like another reviewer here, when I was done reading this to the kids, I wanted to hear "Take the 'A' Train." Fortunately I had a CD of "Duke Ellington's 16 Most Requested Songs" sitting in my library, so I popped it in, and these kids were a-hoppin' and a-boppin'.

I think next time, I'll play the CD first. Hopefully, I'll be able to settle 'em down afterwards to hear this jazzy biography.

"Duke Ellington" is a biography of the legendary composer. The book is directed towards younger readers. Andrea Davis Pinkney's text is well complemented by the rich, colorful illustrations by her husband and collaborator, Brian Pinkney.

The book begins with Ellington's childhood, and describes his early interest in music and the beginning of his career. The Pinkneys portray his triumph at the Cotton Club, his musical partnership with Billy Strayhorn, and other aspects of his life and career. The book concludes with the triumphant premiere of Ellington's great composition "Black, Brown, and Beige" at Carnegie Hall in New York.

One of the aspects of the book that I like best is Andrea Pinkney's use of hip slang that recalls the era being portrayed. Example: "Yeah, those solos were kickin'. Hot-buttered bop, with lots of sassy-cool tones." And Brian Pinkney's illustrations combine vibrant color with an appealing "antiqued" look. Overall, an excellent educational book for young readers.

No longer do I have to put store bought food in a piece of Pyrex and take it to a family reunion. I am happy to say that I can make all the delicious food from 'down home". The biscuits, gravy, pies, chicken and dumplings, the list goes on and on, all are easy to make with a short list of ingredients. Now, if I could learn to talk southern...

Back home in Georgia, we'd get together and eat. Sometimes, we'd eat each other, but mostly we ate Momma's fried chicken, some of Gladis's potato salad, and a mess of Mother Burnside's turnip greens. . .We'd eat until we was about to bust. . .then we'd have homemade ice-cream and watermelon cooled in the stream. . .then we'd sit on the porch and just talk. . .

Ms. Flagg's cookbook calls back those days, when the parson would stop by for Sunday Dinner, and us kids would be jealous and angry because the reverend would ask us a bible study question, and the child that got it right would get that last runner < a chicken leg for you Yankee readers>. . . and if we missed, that leg went to the parson, and we went just a little bit hungry.

Ms. Flagg's recipes are "comfort food." Read as "Southern Comfort Food." Need a snack? Sipsey's "Fried Green Tomatoes" will lift you to realms unknown. Depressed? Try the "Chicken 'N' Dumplings." Go to taste heaven you never dreamed existed! And you think you know bar-be-que? You don't know jack, sailor. . .In the south, it's bar-b-q. . . And bar-be-que starts with half a hog. . .Yankess don't have hogs, they have "pigs," and there, as Shakespeare observed, "lies all the diference."

Buy this book. . .Eat some "good eatin'"

You yankees come down, ya hear. . .you'll go home fatter, happier, and a li'll bit fatter. . .but that boild stuff y'all eat. . .never gonna taste good again. . .

Y'all just remember. . ."Secret's in the Sauce!"

bookworm

Lots of folk have read "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe," by Fannie Flagg. Even more have seen the movie, "Fried Green Tomatoes" . I read Ms. Flagg's cookbook with delight, anticipation, more than a few hunger pangs, and a profound sense of relief that somebody, somewhere had the good sense to preserve these fine old dishes of the deep South and pass them on. Her recipe for "Chicken'n'Dumplings" matches the faded 3x5 card version I inherited from my mother almost to a tee. Her "Fried Chicken" is enough to send the health-conscious into a coma! Well, y'all. Welcome south. We fry things down here, but at least the food has some flavor and texture. Take "Fried Green Tomatoes," as one example. You can't "boil" green tomatoes; nor can they be broiled, roasted, or baked. Honey, they gots to be FRIED. But one bite, and your taste buds done boarded the glory train to paradise, 'specially if you wash it down with the "house wine of the south" , a big tall glass of homemade ice-tea.
Miss Flagg's cookbook brought back a comforting time of nostalgia, when momma's Sunday dinners were a treat looked for all week long, and us kids hated it when the preacher came by of a Sunday evening. It also brought back several dishes I thought had perished when the Interstate Highway system destroyed the back byways and unimproved roads that lead to the "old home place" throughout the South. The ham and "red-eye" gravy recipe alone is worth the cost of the book, and even a Yankee girl can make it if she takes her time and doesn't try to "fix" it.
Salt abounds. Calories flourish. Fats lurk everywhere. And cholesterol and other nefarious substances are omnipresent. But the things that'll come out of your kitchen will amaze you, content your spouse, make your children smarter and more obedient, and fill your house with the smells associated with happier simpler times, when meals were shared by the family, enjoyed by all, and digested sitting on the porch with an old AM radio tuned to the only clear channel, and the night creeping up out of the ground.
Thank you, Ms. Flagg.