Book Description
In 1863 Horace Porter, then a captain, met Ulysses S. Grant as Grant commenced the campaign that would break the Confederate siege at Chattanooga. After a brief stint in Washington, Porter rejoined Grant, who was now in command of all Union forces, and served with him as a staff aide until the end of the war. Porter was at Appomattox as a brevet brigadier general, and this work, written from notes taken in the field, is his eyewitness account of the great struggle between Lee and Grant that led to the defeat of the Confederacy.
As a close-up observer of Grant in the field, Porter was also able to draw a finely detailed, fully realized portrait of this American military hero—his daily acts, his personal traits and habits, and the motives that inspired him in important crises—rendered in the language that Grant used at the time. Porter intended to bring readers into such intimate contact with the Union commander that they could know him as well as those who served by his side. He acquits himself admirably in this undertaking, giving us a moving human document and a remarkable perspective on a crucial chapter of American history.
Customer Reviews:
Superb; And Not At All What I Expected.......2005-02-10
I'm in the middle of this right now. It's a long book, over
500 pages, and yet there is nothing tiring or tedious about it.
Somehow it flows on in a way few other books have for me.
I credit Porter's writing.
When this book was first handed to me, I set it aside, having
little taste for the carnage I had read of before. But this
book is about *people*, not about death. Its as a study of
humanity that this book excells.
Yes, there is a heavy Union partisanship - Porter is human.
But he also writes about the near-insanity of waging this war
across the American map. He knows how deep he and everyone
around him has descended into the pit.
The greatness of the book is that Porter's humanity and his
keen study of the human natures around him grow greater in
these monsterous circumstances.
And there are hints here of a history that I've read very little
of. A terrible shadow of despair behind Lincoln and Grant, a
feeling that Grant is the Union's last chance. Porter paints a
group portrait of the Union leadership on the verge of tearing
itself apart. Teetering on the edge of a wave of duels. A war
of personalities in the Union which reflects the Civil War
itself. The very concept of human society put to the test on
all scales.
And what is Porter's opinion of Grant? Calm. Utterly fearless.
An executive genius. Utterly respectful of other human beings
*except* those who mistreat the people and animals entrusted
to them. A man who engenders iron loyalty. As Porter says at one
point, Grant was given the most appalling task in the history
of the nation, and he accomplished it. A man with a genius for
stabilizing personalities, for keeping them socialized, for
bringing out the very best in them. A man with absolute faith
in the human spirit, and the force of will to bring out the
best in people.
One last note: somehow I grew up with the idea that Lincoln
was this slow-moving man, and a stodgy speaker. Porter describes
the exact opposite, a Lincoln still angular, almost freakish,
but swift-handed in greeting his friends. And a Lincoln who's
verbal fluency is as swift as his anecdotes are wise.
This is a marvelous window into our past.
The Place to Start in a Study on Grant.......2004-06-17
The personal anecdotes are truly amazing. This was written by one of Grant's closest aides during the Eastern Theatre campaign. This book shows and disputes the old arguments of Grant as a Butcher. An Important read for those who want to find the real Grant!
Engrossing........2004-01-15
These are the personal reminiscences of Horace Porter, Aide-de-Camp to General Grant. He joined Grant April 4, 1864 and served with him for 9 years, 1864-1872. So by definition expect Federal bias and a father like depiction of Grant. That said, this is a very good Civil War learning tool, insightful as only the reflections of someone who was privy to the highest councils of Union command could be.
From his promotion to General-in-Chief until the end of the war, Grant had to make many tough decisions. Porter reports a number of these in his book. Most importantly, however, he reports on Grant, General of the Armies. My comments to come are not intended to denigrate Robert E. Lee in any way. Let's face it, Lee's performance was awesome. However, Grant's performance was much better, if for no other reason than Grant's authority was greater than Lee's. Until the very last days of the war, Jeff Davis acted as his own General-in-Chief. For all but 4-5 weeks, Lee only commanded the Army of Northern Virginia. Grant, however, commanded all Federal armies. Thus, as biased as Porter's work necessarily is, Porter does give us the first and best look at a true modern general. Grant's political awareness, his understanding of logistics, close coordination with the navy, handling multiple armies, ability to improvise, understand and forge new methods of warfare such as Sherman's march, "mark him as the exceptional general of the nineteenth century". He really was.
Porter's book gives us a unique view of how Grant's abilities evolved. Equally important we get in-depth reviews of a variety of Union participants, everyone from Lincoln, to Hancock, Dana, Meade, Sherman and Sheridan just to mention a few. These personal reflections are quite worthwhile.
This is one interesting book, written by a well positioned observer. It is a book that adds greatly to understanding the workings of the Union high command during the final year of the Civil War.
Engrossing........2004-01-15
These are the personal reminiscences of Horace Porter, Aide-de-Camp to General Grant. He joined Grant April 4, 1864 and served with him for 9 years, 1864-1872. So by definition expect Federal bias and a father like depiction of Grant. That said, this is a very good Civil War learning tool, insightful as only the reflections of someone who was privy to the highest councils of Union command could be.
From his promotion to General-in-Chief until the end of the war, Grant had to make many tough decisions. Porter reports a number of these in this book. But he also reports on Grant, General of the Armies. My comments to come are not intended to in any way denigrate Robert E. Lee. Let's face it, Lee's performance was awesome. However, Grant's performance was much better, if for no other reason than Grant's authority was greater than Lee's. Until the very last days of the war, Jeff Davis acted as his own General-in-Chief. For all but 3 weeks, Lee only commanded the Army of Northern Virginia. Grant, however, commanded all Federal armies. Thus, as biased as Porter's work necessarily is, Porter does give us the first and best look at a true modern general. Grant's political awareness, his understanding of logistics, close coordination with the navy, handling multiple armies, ability to improvise, understand and forge new methods of warfare such as Sherman's march, "mark him as the exceptional general of the nineteenth century".
Porter book gives us a unique view of how Grant's abilities evolved. Equally important we get in-depth reviews of a variety of Union participants everyone from Lincoln, to Hancock, Dana, Meade, Sherman and Sheridan just to mention a few. These personal reflections are quite worthwhile.
This is one interesting book, written by a well positioned observer. It is a book that adds greatly to understanding the Union participants of the Civil War.
Partisan writing shrouds the truth.......2002-10-17
Porter writes as if the North was never wrong, its commanders never fooled or mistaken, its armies never disspirited, and that the Union campaigns always succeeded. We all should know better. According to Porter, every time the Confederates didn't hold a field they were "repulsed handsomely." Every time the Union didn't hold the field, they were merely "compelled to retire." You will see these gross aberrations throughout this stale and shoddy work. His characterizations add nothing fresh about the famous personages surrounding him, and certainly his military perspective offers less in quality of insight than the diary of any Union private. There are many great books on the Civil War by the figures who fought it: this one can wait until you've exhausted everything else.
Product Description
"What happened in the Civil War changes every year. I should know: I was there"
Average customer rating:
|
Campaigning with Grant
Manufacturer: The Century Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000I8Y942 |
Average customer rating:
- A decent overview, but...
- Very well written, this book has it all.
|
20th-Century Arms and Armor
Stephen Bull , and
Harry G. Summers
Manufacturer: Checkmark Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| World
| History
| Subjects
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Military Science
| History
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General
| Conventional
| Weapons & Warfare
| Military
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History of Technology
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Military Engineering
| Special Topics
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ASIN: 0816033498 |
Customer Reviews:
A decent overview, but..........1999-10-29
... some of the captions are wrong. For instance: Page 116, a picture that they claim are Isreali troops firing Galil rifles -- they aren't Galils, they're Stoners. And in the "Law, Crime, and Terror" section are photos of Police Officers from the Salem Police Department -- except they're from Salem Oregon NOT Salem Massachusetts as the captions claim. Beyond the caption errors, it's a pretty good overview and introduction to modern weapons, with plenty of pictures of the weapons in use around the world and through history -- from WWI to the Persian Gulf War and modern Yugoslavia. It's not perfect, and it doesn't have a lot of technical detail -- for that, I'd suggest some of the works of Ian Hogg, Edward Ezell, and others.
Very well written, this book has it all........1999-06-12
If you ever wanted a book about infantry weapons of the 20th century, this is *the* book for you. It has everything, from the first world war all the way to the nineties.
Sections cover the main wars, and every main weapon of the era is extensively discussed. Great pictures (apart from one 2-page black-and-white pic where you can see the computer missing a line... :) Anyway - it has it all. even *armor*!
One bad thing: the last few chapters, about guns in the police, and sport rifles. Who needs these? I mean, the police I can understand. It's even quite interesting. But the sporting weapons are absolutely not needed in a book like this - i always skip it anyway.
Product Description
Wonderfully illustrated collection of the armies, fighting ships and aircrafts of the military around the world. Large book with great color pictures and illustrations.
Average customer rating:
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Armies Of World War 3
Rh Value Publishing
Manufacturer: Crescent
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0517425017
Release Date: 1984-10-17 |
Average customer rating:
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The Arms and Armour of Arabia in the 18Th-19th and 20th Centuries
Robert Elgood
Manufacturer: Scolar Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Weapons & Warfare
| Military
| History
| Subjects
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| Biological & Chemical
| Control
| Conventional
| Nuclear
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
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Military Science
| History
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Social History
| Historical Study
| History
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Cultural
| Anthropology
| Social Sciences
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History of Technology
| Technology
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ASIN: 0859679721 |
Average customer rating:
- An Excellent refrence for modern military Land, Sea, and Air
|
High Tech Warfare
Doug Richardson
Manufacturer: Crescent
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Bargain Books
| Stores
| Books
| Arts & Photography
| Audiobooks
| Biography
| Business & Investing
| Calendars
| Children
| Computers & Internet
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Film
| Greeting Cards & Accessories
| Health, Mind & Body
| History
| Home & Garden
| Humor, Comics & Pop Culture
| Literature & Fiction
| Mysteries & Thrillers
| Nonfiction
| Parenting & Families
| Reference
| Religion & Spirituality
| Romance
| Science & Nature
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Sports
| Teens
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ASIN: 0517066734
Release Date: 1991-07-01 |
Customer Reviews:
An Excellent refrence for modern military Land, Sea, and Air.......1998-06-14
In this amazing book, there are color photos of hundreds of diffrent kinds of modern technolagy. If you are looking for technical details, armerment, or history of almost any known modern military vehicle, this is the book you want. This book has photos of these wepons of war in action. From Iowa Class battleships to hind helicopters to M1 tanks. A must get.
Average customer rating:
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Governor Alexander Martin: Biography of a North Carolina Revolutionary War Statesman
Charles D. Rodenbough
Manufacturer: McFarland & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
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General
| Historical
| Biographies & Memoirs
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Political
| Leaders & Notable People
| Biographies & Memoirs
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General
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North Carolina
| State & Local
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| Americas
| History
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All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
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ASIN: 078641684X |
Book Description
Governor Alexander Martin of North Carolina was one of the most important figures in the colonial and early state history of North Carolina. A 1756 graduate of Princeton, he was the first president of the Board of Trustees of the University of North Carolina. He served longer as governor of the state than any other person until the election of Luther Hodges in the 20th century. He was conferred an honorary doctorate by Princeton and elected to membership in the American Philosophical Society while he was a U.S. senator. While in the Senate, he fought successfully to open the Senate to the public. He was one of five North Carolina delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. He was a friend and protector of the Moravians and other non-conformists. He was the most powerful and effective leader from the frontier region of North Carolina for a quarter of a century.
The first chapters of this biography discuss Martin's parents and their high regard for education, his time at Princeton, and his arrival in North Carolina in 1760. The next chapters explore Martin's and Rev. David Caldwell's effort to prevent bloodshed during Governor Tryon's confrontation with the Regulators that led up to the Battle of Alamance, Martin's experiences in the war as second in command of the North Carolina Regiment, his election as senator from Guilford County to the General Assembly in 1777, and his much-celebrated election as governor in 1781. The final three chapters of the book include information about his years in the U.S. Senate, his retirement at his home "Danbury" in Rockingham, North Carolina, his relationship with his family and his very detailed last will and testament. His home, "Danbury," later gave its name to Danbury, North Carolina, in Stokes County, which his nephews helped found about 1848, long after his death.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Journal of Southern History, published by Southern Historical Association on May 1, 2005. The length of the article is 511 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Governor Alexander Martin: Biography of a North Carolina Revolutionary War Statesman.(Book Review)
Author: Carole Watterson Troxler
Publication:
Journal of Southern History (Refereed)
Date: May 1, 2005
Publisher: Southern Historical Association
Volume: 71
Issue: 2
Page: 431(2)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
Zora Arkus-Duntov: The Legend Behind Corvette tells the story of how a gifted engineer brought up by Russian Revolutionary parents became the guiding force behind the legendary American sports car, and in the process attained the elite status of American legend himself.
Zora's engineering gifts were remarkable, although not always fully appreciated at GM. Though he never stopped rebelling against the culture at GM, Zora remained tirelessly focused for over twenty years on improving the Corvette and making it a legitimate sports car capable of winning races. Burton's book brings us inside the walls of GM and inside the mind of this automotive engineering genius to understand the motivations behind this classic David and Goliath struggle.
Author Jerry Burton, editorial director of Corvette Quarterly, has written the first comprehensive biography of Zora-Arkus Duntov, and illustrated it with hundreds of unpublished photos, blueprints, and archival documents-the majority taken from the Duntovs' personal collection. Burton's research is exhaustive, based on scores of interviews with Zora's friends and colleagues, as well as his widow. In the words of Elfi Duntov, "this book brings back in vivid detail the incredible life that Zora and I lived together."
Anyone who has ever had an interest in Corvettes, automotive engineering, Duntov, or the pursuit of the American dream will find Zora Arkus-Duntov: The Legend Behind Corvette an enlightening and riveting read.
Customer Reviews:
An Automotive Renegade.......2005-05-01
You don't have to be a Corvette enthusiast to enjoy this book. Duntov's life was so colorful that it reads like a novel. This book is full of characters that make it a page-turner. He never became a true executive of GM but his influence was greater to the corporation's image than any of the people on the top floor. You will be surprised at his achievements thoughout the automotive industry.
Zora Arkus-Duntov.....an outstanding biography!.......2003-12-01
Visit a book store with an automotive section or, look right here at Amazon.com. You'll find many books about Corvettes: engine building, racing, restoration, facts-and-figures, service manuals, coffee-table picture books, parts books, assembly manuals, collections of reprinted magazine articles and a variety of other titles. Like I said...there are lots of Corvette books.
As for great Corvette books?
Well...those are pretty darn rare. Karl Lugvigsen's classic, "Corvette: America's Star-Spangled Sports Car", is one. The late Jim Schefter's, "All Corvettes are Red", is another. Noland Adam's pair of Corvette Restoration and Technical Manuals are two more.
The newest member of truly outstanding Corvette literature is Jerry Burton's biography, "Zora Arkus-Duntov: the Legend Behind the Corvette". Finely-detailed, yet easy-reading, it's a spellbinding life's story of a man who became one of the automotive engineering giants of the 20th Century.
Corvette enthusiasts know Duntov as the guy who snatched Corvette from death at the hands of short-sighted General Motors executives in the early 1950s, then, improved its engineering, performance and image such that it went from a product Chevrolet dealers couldn't sell to the most successful high-performance sports car on earth. A good part of how Corvette became one of the rare automobiles to attain American Icon status is attributable directly to Zora Duntov's vision, personality and hard work.
This book also tells of Duntov's growing up in St. Petersburg during the Russian Revolution when young Zora was a street-wise, risk-taker who sometimes carried a pistol and more than once used it to defend himself. It also tells of newly-married Zora and Elfe's Duntov's frantic escape across southern France just ahead of the Nazi juggernaut in the early days of World War II? You'll read about Duntov's arrival in New York City, just before the U.S. entered WW2, where, inside of three weeks, he borrowed money, started a business and, within months was a runaway success as a defense contractor? The book explains Duntov's initial success in the car business came as a manufacturer of parts for Ford V8 engines? It tells about how he raced Porsches at Le Mans while he engineered Corvettes at GM? You'll learn that Zora was quite the "chick-magnet" jet-setter who hung-out with the high-society, political, entertainment and international motorsports personalities that made news in the 1950s and 1960s? All this and more of Duntov's amazing life is in Burton's book.
Not only was Zora a wonderfully talented and visionary engineer but he had his limitations, too. He cheated on his wife, partied too much, drove too fast and pissed-off half the executives at GM right up to the CEO. He loved the Corvette, worked hard to make it better and strived to promote it, not only to the public, but, also, to the company that was making it because, in the car's early years, half the time, GM didn't know what to do with Corvettes and the rest of the time it didn't want them at all.
Through painstaking research and a affable style, Burton weaves all these colorful aspects of Zora Arkus-Duntov's life into a highly-captivating story. The book is decidedly non-technical, one of its major strong points. Each chapter is a short-story in itself, encompassing a particular period or aspect of Zora's life. The book is remarkably unbiased, covering Duntov's strengths and his weaknesses but expressing few opinions. It's smooth writing style and easy reading make it outstanding entertainment as well as an excellent work of biography.
Even casual students of the history of the American automobile industry must have "Zora Arkus-Duntov" in their library.
If you love Corvettes, this is about the Father of Corvettes.......2003-03-01
Very very interesting book on the Father (but not creator) of the Corvette. The book brings the legend to life. If you have already put Zora on a Pedestal, then you may not want to read this book as it shows his human side (but does not tarnish it). On the other hand if you want to know the inside story on someone who had a tremendous influence on automotive history, then read this book. If you want to learn about how the Corvette happened and grew, then this book is for you.
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