AT THE HANDS OF PERSONS UNKNOWN will change your view of American history and race relations.

Mr. Dray's book is awesome. I have read more books on African-American history (Jim Crow, civil rights etc.) than I can count. Mr. Dray's book is simply the best.

Be prepared to be shocked and have your emotions touched. Mr. Dray describes the most horrible shameful acts in graphic details. He destroys the all the popular myths such as:lynchings were isolated acts by fringe elements such as the KKK, lynchings were the result of rapes or murders and that guilty "men" were simply "hanged".

The reality is much more gruesome, to the point that it makes one sick with shame. (Imagine the movie ROSEWOOD, intensified by 10X) Thousands of African-Americans (men, women and children) were tortured, mutilated, burned to death in the most sadistic ways a normal person in 2003 could not imagine. For many decades these lynchings did take place in the shadows by the KKK, but in picnic-like style in town squares in front of men, women and children!

Southern politians defended lynching as a way to "protect the southern way of life" against the "black brutes". AT THE HANDS OF PERSONS UNKNOWN leaves know doubt as to who the real brutes were.

Mr. Dray also includes the stories of many heroes such as Walter White, Ida B Wells and others who fought to expose lynching.

One closing comment- if you are a non-African-American, PLEASE read this book.

Dray notes that he knew very little about lynchings when he began his research for this book; I knew very little about this subject until after I read his book. Perhaps I am not unique in that much of what I think I know and understand about U.S. history has depended to a significant extent on films and television programs. ... Many of the lynchings described in Dray's book would be deemed today as "unsuitable for viewing" by the general public and thus would never be fully portrayed in a film or television program. And yet, for reasons Dray explains, many of the lynchings attracted large and enthusiastic crowds (which included women and small children) and were scheduled to accommodate as many people as possible. Several hangings were preceded by dismemberment and burning.

...

Dray's book is not primarily about such situations, although he traces lynching back to the American Revolution when Charles Lynch literally took the law into his own hands and hanged Tories who had stolen from him. A local court then exonerated his behavior. Dray explains that before the Civil War, more whites than blacks were lynched; that is, hanged without due process. It was only during the decades after the war ended that lynching became inextricably bound with racial strife as blacks were hanged in a progressively greater number and higher percentage than whites. Dray's extensive research of this period (roughly 1865-1900) provides some of the most interesting material in the book and his analysis of it is both rigorous and revealing. In many instances, the identities of those who conducted lynchings were concealed by white sheets or masks. Later, it was common to place a hood over the heads of those executed (after due process) by military, federal, or state officials.

I view Dray as both an historian and an anthropologist. He tries hard to understand (and to help his reader to understand) why human beings throughout U.S. history grabbed a rope and hanged another human being. (For a period of time, multiple hangings were not uncommon.) Obviously, some of the lynchers who ignored due process were absolutely convinced that they were agents of justice; the motives of others are also understandable, perhaps, but nonetheless contemptible. I am grateful to Dray for the extensive research he completed and even more for his analysis of what that research revealed. Some readers may quarrel with some of his conclusions. (I am unqualified to do so.) However, I think almost all readers will view this book as an important contribution to our understanding of a recurrent pattern of behavior which, until now (at least for me), has been neglected, ignored, or worse yet denied.

This book is easily the best book I have read so far this year. Dray explains how otherwise model citizens could murder, in the most brutal manners imaginable, Black (usually) Americans for imagined to minor transgressions (True, doubtless some of the lynched were guilty of the crimes they were accused of....Readers will be tempted to justify mob justice this way. Dray won't let you do this...the retribution is always excessive and driven by hate and fear, and completely devoid of anything resembling civilized justice). Coming from the South, I have taken classes on lynching before, so the pages Dray dedicated to explaining the origins of lynching were not nearly as compelling as his historical and legal analyses. Often one reads history books and still has trouble putting the events into context. Not so with this book. Dray captures the mood and hysteria of the times perfectly.

Dray also does a wonderful job of showing that lynching was not merely an aberration of Southern justice inflicted on Black men. Instead, lynching is described as a national sickness, with Black men, women, and children, White civil rights sympathizers, and Jewish people being the victims of the mob violence, both in the North and the South. Dray shows how the international image of the United States was tarnished during a time when it was supposed to be the vangaurd of democracy, opposed to a German facism that was cruelly mimicked on its own soil. He also pays tribute to the men and women of the NAACP and other like-minded organizations who had the gall to oppose mob murder. The ultimate failure of any federal anti-lynching law is a startling example of how ingrained lynching was in the national (especially the Southern) psyche.

This narration forced me to reexamine my own education about lynching. Before college (I'm from Georgia), I had never heard of Leo Frank, the 1906 Atlanta race riots, or Sam Hose. But I certainly had heard more than enough about the Salem witch trials. For these reasons it is required reading for Americans in general, and especially Southerners.

(warning: obviously, some of this book is difficult to read, as recountings of the lynchings are appropriately graphic and monstrous)

Unfortunately, too few people in mainstream America have ever heard of 'Assassins' the darkly-comic musical theatre masterpiece by Stephen Soundheim and John Weidman. While it is sad, the public's apathy toward this ingeniously-written musical actually came in useful to me this past year. A participant in high school Speech, my partner and I were searching for the 'perfect' piece that would give us success, something achieved in past years, but not to the highest levels. Veterans of the Speech circuit, and this being my final year in the program, we were looking for something that would really stand out from the competition. Almost by accident, I came across a copy of 'Assassins' and soon saw its potential. Scene 16 (a seemingly-impossible exchange between Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald and Lincoln killer John Wilkes Booth) is one of the most creative scenes of any play I have ever seen, and after examination by both my partner and I, we knew we had a winner. In addition to its unusual setting (something judges love), it blended the right amount of humor, suspense, and irony to put all other speakers simply out of the race. Thanks to Soundheim and Weidman, Nick Cook and Brad Mariska (that's me!) took home first place trophies at a number of meets during the regular season and advanced through the sub-seciton, section, and state prelims, into the final round of the state speech tournament. While we didn't take home the title, we were crowned as the 5th best speech team in Minnesota, and all audience members there that day certainly agreed (despite the results) that 'Assassins' was the most unusual and interesting piece competing that day. And we couldn't be happier.

This is a fine example of 20th century writing which focuses on issues that most people would rather not think about. How many of us have sat through history class and learned that John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham Lincoln and never even thought about why? What is most surprising about the play (and music) is that you really begin to understand why these people thought they should try to kill the President. Unfortunately this musical will go down as one of the most seldom performed because of it's subject matter and the fact that people will believe it promotes the assasins. Sondheim and Weidman seem to make quite a statement about gun possesion as well as the insanity of the perpetrators. Samuel Byck's monologue alone is enough reason to buy this book and I plan to use it in an audition if given the chance.

Unbelievable -- stunning, tragic, poignant, frightening; Sondheim and Weidman take one of the most bizarre subjects for a musical and make it totally accessible. It's a piece of theatre which doesn't just revolve around assassination, but examines what it is and what it means (or should mean) to be an American. There are moments of high hilarity (the almost vaudevillian comedy teaming of would-be Gerald Ford assassins Sara Jane Moore and "Squeaky" Fromme) as well as moments of heartbreak and pathos (the monologues of Sam Byck, who highjacked a jetliner and attempted to crash it into the White House in order to kill Richard Nixon). Certainly not a piece of musical theatre for all audiences or all tastes, but one which is compelling, innovative, and thought-provoking. A must for all fans of Stephen Sondheim's work, or for deep and complex works of theatre in general.

This book was given to me as a Sunday School prize when I was 10 or 11 years old. I loved it. I recently found another copy which I plan to give my granddaughter. I re-read it and found it is still a good read and I will check out other books by Gladys Malvern. "Behold Your Queen!" may be more myth than reality, and in some aspects is today not quite "politically correct." It is nonetheless a gripping story. I even read the Book of Esther and could see where the author incorporated descriptions of the royal palace into her narrative. I recommend this book which stands the test of years because it is well written and is the type of book which would send a reader off on other quests for knowledge.

Behold Your Queen! is a wonderful retelling of the Book of Esther. Malvern's writing incorporates credible motivations into the story, and adds a rich wealth of detail that make the story come alive with a vivid vitality. I first read this story when I was 8, and did not stop reading it until the (misguided) library withdrew the book from its shelves. If I could find a copy it would be on my shelf today, and eagerly reread. I would love to share this book with a new generation. As a teacher, I know this book has much to offer to young women facing difficult decisions about family, loyalty, honor, faith, personal safety, and love. Hadassah faces difficult choices in dangerous times, and Malvern's tale gives the reader the opportunity to share in the anguish and fear in Hadassah's choice, as well as in her final triumph and affermation. PLEASE REPRINT THIS BOOK!!!

BEHOLD YOUR QUEEN! is one of my all-time favorites, right up there on the shelf next to YOUNG BESS. Both books are enchanted windows into past worlds. Malvern's tale of the biblical heroine Esther brings a time long-ago vividly to life. After all these years (I first read this book when I was 10), I still find Malvern's Esther enchanting and her story inspirational. I searched for years to acquire my own copy, and re-read it yearly. I wish someone would reprint it!

I have just read 'Betty Grable.The Girl with the Million Dollar Legs'.The best biography of a Hollywood star that I have ever read. I never had the pleasure of meeting Betty Grable but after reading Tom McGee's wonderful book, I feel as though I know her very well. Congratulations Mr. Mcgee and thankyou for sharing your memories of a legend, the great Betty Grable.

this book is fabulous.betty grable is the most popular female motion picture star in the quigley official motion picture financial poll featuring stars from 1933 - 1999 she sang , danced and tom mcgee features her million dollar legs to great effect a best buy book

Betty Grable was the star whose pinup photograph was the most popular among World War Two servicemen. The vibrant blonde star also set a record that has never come close to being equaled in reigning as Hollywood's female box office champ for an incredible ten years. What made movie fans throughout the world love Betty Grable?

Scottish author Tom McGee supplies the answer to that question in his entertaining biography of the popular film great. A personal friend of Grable's who had the opportunity to interview her at length on many occasions, McGee etches an enduring portrait of a wholesome, caring woman who always put warmth as a human being and loyalties to family and friends above star persona. Ego was never a problem with the popular superstar in an industry often overcome by it. When one sees such a warm and totally unaffected woman emerge in the pages of "The Girl With The Million Dollar Legs" it becomes obvious that people the world over loved Betty Grable because of the vibrance, warmth, and sweetness they saw in her.

McGee's book is also rich in photographs capturing Grable and the luminous era in which she starred. There is also a warmly affecting Foreword by fellow Twentieth Century Fox blonde glamour girl, Alice Faye. Grable and Faye became great friends with no animosity or jealousy ever emerging.

This book is a must for Grable fans and all those who love the exciting cinema era of the forties and fifties. It is so refreshing to read a movie biography devoid of trashy gossip and petty commentary.

Okay, so the title of the book leaves something to be desired, but that is the ONLY part of this book that falls short. Joel Greenblatt has written an excellent book on profiting from special situations. That's fortunate for the rest of us, since so far as I can tell, this is the ONLY book that provides an overview of event-driven investing. Note that I said "overview"--it's by no means definitive, nor does it claim to be. Certainly more rigorous treatments of risk arbitrage exist. However, this is the only book I'm aware of that is dedicated to explaining merger securities, spinoffs, recapitalizations, bankruptcy and yes, risk arbitrage.

The book's format is well thought out: each chapter explains the how and why of investing in one particular corporate event, and then utilizes case studies to ram the point home. The case studies are interesting, reading at times like a novel. The tone is lighthearted and endearing throughout, and the frequent jokes, although usually kitschy, hit the mark nonetheless. (One gem: "There are three types of people in the world--those who can count, and those who can't.")

This book is not for everyone, however. Beginners should first read Peter Lynch, Ben Graham, and Phillip Fisher before tackling this one. Greenblatt assumes a reasonable degree of comfort with financial statements and value investing strategies on the part of the reader. The use of LEAPS and options in special situations is covered, but should be avoided by all save for the most advanced investors (as per the author's advice). Also, professionals working in the field of event-driven investments would probably find little they did not already know. That being said, the book reads quickly, so a pro would be little disadvantaged for reading it.

Finally, it's nice to know that the author can walk the walk as well as talk the talk. Greenblatt publishes his firm's audited returns over a ten-year period at the end of the book, and they are out of this world. We're talking an average annual return of 50% for ten years. This book is not a case of "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach." Greenblatt can, and he does.

Highly recommended.

Joel Greenblatt has written an absolutely incredible investmentbook. He shares secrets that he has used succesfully in his investingcareer. His firm, Gotham Capital is one of the most succesful hedge firms in the world. The book is funny, entertaining, clever, but most importantly, it can really help you make money in the market. Read it now!

I was in Joel Greenblatt's class at Columbia and he assigned this book. It is by far the most useful equity investing book I've ever read. You can't argue with the success of Special Situation investing or with his track record. He gives real life examples showing his thought process and by the end of the book you realize there is no "trick." It's just keeping your eyes open to these situations and realizing that in many cases the individual investor has a distinct advantage over the institutions that have size and style constraints regarding their investing.

This book covers the year time period after the Tet offensive during the Vietnam War. Given the title of the book I was prepared for a page after page description of savage combat. What I found was that the book was not just a description of one firefight after another, but a comprehensive account of the Vietnam War effort during this one-year period of time. The author does a great job of describing the experience of American soldiers in the Vietnam War during the year after Tet.

The author provides the reader with a brief, but complete and readable historical background for the war up to 1968. He also gives us very clear and vivid descriptions of the battles and everyday life of the foot solders. We also get a good run down of the South Vietnamese corruption that worked against the American effort to save their country. This was the part that really surprised me the most, it seamed like the South Vietnamese wanted and needed the war to continue to keep the profitable drug trafficking, smuggling and protection rackets going. What made me furious were the details of the United States supplied food, gasoline, and equipment that the South Vietnamese were selling to the North Vietnamese.

The author also spends some time talking about the drug use by the soldiers and the difficult race relations. This section of the book was not as surprising given that was the same environment in the states at that time. Overall, this book is a well-written and informative, but not a rundown of overly descriptive bloody fights. He does a wonderful job in describing the environment, how hot it was the difficulties in moving through the country, the differences in the front line and the support areas. This is a good book and a great way to introduce yourself to the Vietnam War.

This exceptionally comprehensive and readable book is a "page turner." I couldn't put it down! Highlighter in hand, I penned marginal note after note, comparing my own memories and observations as a Navy doctor ashore in I Corps in 1968 and '69 with those of the author. In the introduction Spector asks: "How did we lose the war? Why were we there?" Then he adds: "In a sense we have no real history... instead we have controversy, myth and popular memory." He then proceeds to skillfully weave historical background, Vietnamese and American, with vivid descriptions of battles, skirmishes, debates, intrigues and campaigns... providing vignettes of personal experiences balanced from many viewpoints: the young American draftee, the college OCS-trained officer, the Viet Cong soldier... generals and politicians, presidents and negotiators... Vietnamese and American. "After Tet: The Bloodiest Year in Vietnam" will be placed, along with Frances Fitzgerald's "Fire in the Lake," Neil Sheehan's "Bright Shining Lie," Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried" and Bernard Fall's "Street Without Joy," as an irreplaceable, imminently re-readable reference on the Vietnam War.

Almost thirty years after the withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam, there is still a considerable amount of debate and controversy concerning our failure to win the war. There are no widely accepted answers to this question. Roland Spector makes a valiant attempt at trying to answer this question with his book After Tet.

Spector, who was a U.S. Marine attached to the III Marine Corps Amphibious Force in South Vietnam in 1968-69, offers compelling evidence which indicates that the turning point of the war took place during the nine months in 1968 following the Tet offensive and President Johnson's announcement that he would halt most of the bombing of North Vietnam and would not seek re-election. This was a period of some of the most intense fighting of the war. It was a period of great disarray for the American forces. They were growing increasingly frustrated with their South Vietnamese ally "with all its chronic weakness and corruption, (who) would weather the storm but emerge with its fatal flaws intact and as unchangeable as ever" (25). Spector also paints a vivid picture of the inner turmoil of the U.S. troops, who were not only plagued by growing frustration and discontent on the front but also by strife back home.

Spector deserves to be commended maintaining a considerable amount of emotional distance in his documentation of combat. As a Marine stationed in the northern provinces of South Vietnam, it is highly likely that he either took part in combat or at least witnessed the gruesome aftermath of battle. His accounts are devoid of prejudice or emotion and thoroughly documented. He is able to provide a vivid and realistic portrayal of some brutal battles without resorting to gore or sensationalism. The battles reported are at times quite harrowing, but Spector does not aim to shock the squeamish or titillate the bloodthirsty.

Nevertheless, the stories of combat will arouse many emotions from even the most remotely patriotic reader. One can't help but feel frustrated and fearful for these overwhelmingly young troops campaigning in "temperatures (that) could often exceed 100 degrees" or braving the torrential wind and rain of the monsoons(47). Not only did they were they forced to face an enemy that could be incredibly difficult to identify, but they were thrust into an environment that was incredibly hostile. Not only did they have to worry about the heat or the monsoon, but "mosquitoes, leeches, and red ants ... seemed to thrive everywhere in Vietnam" (48). There were also high numbers of poisonous snakes and hungry rats. Last but not least, there was the elephant grass "eight to fifteen feet high, so thick as to cut visibility to one yard, possessing razor sharp edges. Then try to imagine walking through it while men all around you are possessing automatic weapons and trying to kill you" (47). Spector never forces the reader to accept a "you are there" scenario, but I couldn't help but be drawn in with his vivid descriptions of the environment.

Spector effectively conjures up a vivid portrayal of the South Vietnamese government, exposing many of their faults and shortcomings. But he never points an accusatory finger at the South Vietnamese, who were "by 1965 ... openly and directly moving towards a military dictatorship" (95). Instead, he cites a wealth of sources who overwhelmingly agree that a vast majority of the high ranking officials in South Vietnam were incompetent, nepotistic and driven more by the prospect of graft rather than defense of their own country. They "did not want the war to end - not while it was protected by half a million troops and a golden flow of money"(299). All of these factors led to the festering frustration of the troops. They were trapped in a miserable tropical environment, fighting an enemy whose unorthodox methods were a perfect counter to their own command's strict adherence to convention, supporting an ally who "had learned ... too little about how to fight" and were troubled by the clashes back home (116). For the first time in the war, many soldiers began to question the war's motives. Cracks were bound to surface.

It is well documented that "out in field blacks and whites got along a whole lot better than in the units that was way back" and "that the greater the degree of danger and discomfort for the combatants, the greater the racial harmony and solidarity" (259). "The closer life in the rear approximated life in the United States, the more likely it was to mirror stateside racial tensions as well" (257). Racism was not the ugly aspect of life abroad that surfaced due to the culmination of fear, boredom, frustration and loneliness. "More and more GIs were turning to drugs" such as marijuana and heroin (276). Spector shows several surveys taken, which claim incidents of drug abuse ranging from 30-75 % of the troops. Spector is neither scornful nor sympathetic towards this dilemma, forcing the reader to draw his own conclusions on this and many other issues.

Even though Spector was himself a combatant during the time documented, he is able to do a masterful job at remaining dispassionate with his text. He is ableto provide a well-crafted history and does not cloud or distort the text with personal feelings. Instead of using personal experiences to add shadow and light to the work, he employs a wealth of resources. The finished text is able to provide a fine source that provides an accurate reflection of our vets' hopes, fears and struggles.

I suppose my only complaint is that Spector only gives a cursory acknowledgment or fails to mention the thousands of servicemen in Thailand, the troops secretly inserted in Laos and Cambodia and the sailors stationed in the East China Sea during this period. All of these men were in harm's way and all deserve mention. Nevertheless, this was a very enjoyable and informative read.

About Face puts into perspective much of what I have experienced first-hand living in Taiwan and China for the past 20 years. Although no administration comes out with its reputation intact, clearly China, not afraid to use brinkmanship, has been more effective in bending US policy to its advantage. Mr. Mann's objective reporting show that China has come to understand the workings of America's political system, while the US remains ineffective in dealing with China's rulers who continue to mock American ideals of human rights and democracy while at the same time convincing the US to assist in modernizing its armed forces and investing billions of dollars in its economy. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to make sense out of US-China relations since Henry Kissinger or concerned about the developing US-China relations. This book will give a better foundation for understanding upcoming WTO and Taiwan arms sales issues, as well as China's bid to host the 2008 Summer Olympics.

If you want to know what is wrong with American policy towards China, there is no better place to start than James Mann's superb "About Face: A History of America's Curious Relationship with China, From Nixon to Clinton."

As a skilled journalist, Mann writes clearly and to the point. But this book is more than a journalistic tour de force. Mann has been following the China story since he was posted by the Los Angeles Times to Beijing in 1984 and his experience has produced a depth of knowledge unmatched by any academic China watcher I have read. That knowledge not only shines through in the main text but it is testified to in a notes section full of sources and corroborating detail.

What I particularly like about this book is its uncommon commonsense. Mann refuses to be swept off his feet by the "romance of China" -- a romance that repeatedly over the last century has discombobulated the thinking of American policy-makers, business executive, scholars and journalists. Stolidly eyeing the authoritarian reality behind all the fine words and sumptuous banquets that Beijing bestows on influential visitors, Mann constantly reminds us how sorry has been China's record on human rights in recent decades -- and how cravenly Washington has sought to sweep that record under the carpet.

This book is important too for its worldly wisdom in repeatedly showing the ease with which the Chinese system can manipulate America's money-driven and short-sighted political system. None of this is particularly surprising to those of us who have been watching U.S.-Japan relations in recent decades -- but it is rare for China experts (and still rarer for Japan experts) to highlight how the East runs rings around our Western democratic institutions.

Essentially this book is characterized throughout by a show-me attitude to the American intellectual community's vapid determinism on East Asia. As Mann repeatedly points out, China is far from being "bound" to converge towards Western values. Quite the reverse, thanks to the comprehensive mismanagement of American trade policy in the last fifteen years, China is now in a stronger position than ever to flaunt its rejection of those values.

First published in 1998, this book has already been around for a while. Don't be put off. "About Face" has no sell-by date. It is a modern classic.

-- Eamonn Fingleton, author of "In Praise of Hard Industries: Why Manufacturing, Not the Information Economy, Is the Key to Future Prosperity ."

The discipline of history is in need of the ethos of the good journalist: objectivity. That is what Mann brings to the history of US/China relations. His account demonstrates a repeating pattern of instability in US China policy. Mann uncovers its cause: the competition between diplomatic institutions and the covert-personal diplomacy of individuals (such as Kissinger and Brzezinski). He also brings to light the positive contribution of individual "team players" (such as James Lilley) that should not be overlooked but often do. This book is well written. On a train ride from Hong Kong to Beijing, I could not put it down.

if you smoke food, or want to smoke food this is the book for you traces the history and culture of barbecue, and shares incredible recipes from the various bbq regions of the US a steal at this price

This book is so much more than your average cookbook. It includes reviews of barbecue contests across the country as well as numerous tantalizing recipes and mouth-watering photos. The book is chock full of hilarious anecdotes and tips for the beginner to the most experienced barbecuer. Jack Bettridge, the author of the book (Rick Browne is the photographer) is a n absolute genius. He is the newest icon for the millenium. His use of words is informative as well as entertaining. This book is a must have for any family or bachelor with a grill. And if you don't have a grill go out and buy one right away! You don't want to miss this.

I've never stayed up half the night reading a recipe book---until Barbecue America. The book drips with salivating recipes, photos and writing---an unbeatable combination plate for anybody who loves to barbecue----or read!

June 6, 1944 has been written about extensively by American authors almost from the moment it happened. The invasion to free western Europe has filled perhaps more pages than any other event in history. Beyond books, D-Day has been the subject of more movies than one can count. Among the most famous films about D-Day was The Longest Day and a generation later Saving Private Ryan. What else can be said about the invasion of Europe?

Somehow, the story of the young men from Beford, Virginia has been overlooked. When you read the book you'll ask the same question I did....Why didn't Stephen Spielberg make his movie about WWII using this story instead of the fictional story of Private Ryan. When you read the Bedford Boys by Alex Kershaw you'll ask the same question.

Bedford, Virginia is a small blue ridge mountain town of 3000. Before WWII jobs were scarce. Most of the men of the town joined the national guard unit to augment their meager incomes. Most earned a dollar a day for the days they trained. When the war started their unit became part of the 116th Infantry, one of the most battered units in Europe. On D-Day twenty-one of Bedford's sons would die on the beaches of Normandy. No other town of any size would suffer such a devastating loss. Twenty-one sons, brothers, fathers, boyfriends all lost; lost as completely as anyone can be lost....erased with the sweep of an hour hand. It boggles the mind even today nearly 60 years later.

Alex Kershaw does a wonderful job of bringing these young men to life. These young soldiers aren't just characters on the stage of history. As you learn about them, wome in more detail than the others, they become real people. The book follows them from prewar Bedford, through training, and on the a blood stained beach in France. The book is brutal. The book is poetic. You won't soon forget it.

The Bedford Boys is well researched. While Kershaw's coverage of the landings is strong on details it is never the less accurate. He uses the narratives of the few survivors to great effect.

If your a student of history you'll most assuredly want to read this book. It is a landmark story.

Wow. As an avid reader of World War II history, this book stands out with the likes of "Band of Brothers" and "Flags of Our Fathers" as one of the greats. This book appealed to me on several levels. First and foremost, I'm a living historian with the 29th Infantry Division re-enactment group and therefore have special feelings for that particular units sacrifice on D-Day. Also, I used to go to college twenty miles from Bedford, so I could relate to things like climbing Sharp Top mountain and strolling through the town. Other than that, the story pretty much sells itself. It's hard not to fall in love with the Bedford boys with all of the anecdotes and intimate stories that Kershaw tells in the book. The writing is crisp and sucks you in to the point where you really feel like you're there, struggling with them. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I still gasped a few times. In short, if you're a World War II buff or just someone who appreciates the cost of freedom, you should definitely grab this book. It's well-written, factually correct, and tugs at the heart -- just the way a good history book should. 29th, Let's Go!

June 6, 1944. Many books have appeared about this famous date in history. However, none quite like this one. It details the town of Bedford Virginia and the lose of 22 of its young men in Normandy. No other town in America gave as much as Bedford.

The book starts in pre-war Bedford and follows the yong men from training through battle to coming home. Sadly, most never saw Bedford again. The research that went into the battle chapters is impressive. It is some of the best battle writing I have read.

Having grown up in a town like Bedford, I could understand the small town feeling the boys grew up in. I highly recommend this book. You will not soon forget it.

First of all, let me say that this is one of the only Billie The Kid/Lincoln County books I have found that actually explain the confusing circumstances around the Lincoln County War understandably. That coverage is excellent, and alone makes this a great book.
Besides that, it is still a pretty good book, one of the better ones, and it gets the truth straight, not filling it up with made-up stories of Billy's heroics (See: "Authentic Life of Billie the Kid"). What it does fill up with, though, is lots of unnecessary background info, which is interesting but makes for very slow reading. Robert is good at going into Billy's mind and personality. I like espcially the way he writes seemingly without bias: you can't tell if he leans towards the Billy-as-hero side or Billy-as-killer side, which is -so- refreshing.
It's slow moving, but Robert gives you the straight story and forgets nothing, leaving no rock unturned. Great for beginning William Bonney enthusiasts.

Fast moving, action packed, superbly researched and easy to read. A standard bearer for all future books based upon the life of Billy the Kid. Robert M. Utley has been uncomprimising in his efforts to convey the true exploits of the 'Kid'. The author displays an extensive knowledge in this field, and it is hard to fault the texts contents. Plenty of other sources are cited and scrutinized by the author, for further reading and information in closely related topics ie. the Lincoln County War.

Clearly, one of Robert M. Utley's strengths is how well he argues the evidence, an ability he exerts throughout this truly enthralling biography. This only adds to the enjoyment of the book. To be fair there are several areas that could be expanded upon, such as 'the Kid's' earlier relationship with Pat Garrett, but there is no evidence to suggest that this work was to be completely exhaustive. But certainly this book is an exceptional building block for further research and any emerging new evidence. If you are interested in the life of Billy the Kid, and you've not read this book...READ IT! You will not be disappointed.

Robert Utley writes an excellent history of a young man virtually parentless (a surviving but perhaps neglectful father) that becomes involved with petty crimes and eventually winds up with a gang of semi-outlaws in Lincoln County, New Mexico. Fascinating descriptive of life in this county where cattle rustling and other related crimes did not seem to have the mark of a criminal as they would in our day. Utley documents how young William graduates to a member of one of two cowboy armies in Lincoln, each supporting rival businessman in the Lincoln County war where control of rival business interests involve murder, gun battles and massaging of the legal authorities in the State. Billy earns his nickname the Kid during his benefators losing battle with the other business rival resulting in the death of his benefactors plus Billy's involvement of the killings of several men including a well liked Sheriff. Utley chronicles the story of the Civil War, the causes, the Armies feigned attempt at neutrality that actually defeated the Kids forces, Billy's testimony at a trial, chance for a pardon from Governor Lew Wallace, his continued participation in crime, arrest and bloody jail break and his refusal to leave the State after being declared an outlaw. Utley tells an amazing story of an apparently likable young, man who was popular with the senioritis and in spite of the legal authorities attempts to apprehend him he continued to live almost openly in a neighboring town only to be caught by Pat Garrett an acquaintance of his. Utley writes a real story of the west where a not so innocent youth gets caught in a social Civil War and with an opportunity to leave it all behind, stubbornly or playfully decides to continue to live in his home neighborhood which cost him his life. Utley's book leaves you thinking that at 21 years of age, the Kid was truly too immature to know when it was time to move on and actually grow up. Utley's description makes you wonder if with the right mentor other than gunman, the likeable kid would have been a popular citizen with a family if he every developed something of an honest vocation.