Book Description
The first ever biography of New Orleans rock 'n' roll legend Fats Domino by a writer who obtained exclusive access to the reclusive singer
Rock 'n' roll defined the last half of the twentieth century, and while many think of Elvis Presley as the genre's driving force, the truth is that Fats Domino, whose records have sold more than 100 million copies, was the first to put it on the map with such hits as "Ain't That a Shame" and "Blueberry Hill."
In Blue Monday, acclaimed R&B scholar Rick Coleman draws on a multitude of new interviews with Fats Domino and many other early musical legends (among them Lloyd Price, the Clovers, Charles Brown, and members of Buddy Holly's group, the Crickets) to create a definitive biography of not just an extraordinary man but also a unique time and place: New Orleans at the birth of rock 'n' roll. Coleman's groundbreaking research makes for an immense cultural biography, the first to thoroughly explore the black roots of rock 'n' roll and its impact on civil rights in America.
A true music lovers' biography, Blue Monday, includes new revelations about the politics behind the music labels of the 1930s and 1940s, and provides a searing indictment of the great white myths of rock 'n' roll. Coleman also brings the African-American culture of New Orleans to life, and his narrative is passionate, compassionate, and authoritative. Blue Monday is the first biography to convey the full scope of Fats Domino's impact on the popular music of the twentieth century.
Customer Reviews:
We waited...and finally saw..........2007-06-14
I guess if Antoine "Fats" Domino could keep the President and First Lady waiting, then he could keep us waiting for his first biography - this is a Natural Born book about a musical genius, intriquing personality, and unassuming cultural revolutionary.
The author tells his story and includes many entertaining anecdotes about life at home and on the road with several sets of support players - the greatest names of course being Dave Bartholomew, Herb Hardesty, and Lee Allen. We get a strong picture of the smiling, "safe" rock and roller, as the often defiant man's-man. And a complex artist/showman: he could sing The Rooster Song while flashing rings to make Freddie Blassie envious.
A great bunch of previously unpublished black and white photographs from Look magazine, among other handsome prints of lesser known shots really bolster the text.
A serious ommission for the audiophiles: not even a selected discography and no sessionography. [Though there are "Notes" in the back of the book on the mysterious Broadmoor recordings, including personnale and dates!]. Of course the '50s period sessions can be found as a booklet in the Bear Family 8-CD set, and in a European book, "Jazz Records"; also in a fairly recent issue of Goldmine magazine. But Fats Domino ABC-Paramount, Mercury, Broadmoor and Reprise FD session data has never, to my knowledge, appeared in print, and what a fabulous component that would have made.
Speaking of the ABC-Paramount tracks, the author did not mention in the text a very important 4-CD set, "The Paramount Years", which included the *incredibly* rare fourth l.p. for that label, plus the 1980 "If I Get Rich" from another record company!
The idea that "The Fat Man" is the first R & R record also doesn't agree with me. Yes, the elements are there, the upbeat shuffle and bright lead vocal, but that powerful sound (and many others by Fats in that '49 to '54 period) were not *primarily* for the youth. The first discs to be produced for teenage tastes came much later. I wouldn't even include "Tutti Frutti" in that category, as it too, lyrically and instrumentally echoed an earlier, "swingin'" sound. [It was "Ready Teddy" folks which screamed out...Rock and Roll!!!].
Still, this book should be "required reading" for those dedicated followers of those Rock and Roll Hall of Famers.
Stunning research and compelling writing about one of the first great rock stars.......2007-06-07
From his first record in 1949 until his harrowing escape from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Antoine "Fats" Domino has defined New Orleans and its culture. This book puts Fats, his city, and his music into perspective in amazing detail. In the process, Rick Coleman convincingly demonstrates that Fats and his collaborators--especially songwriter/arranger Dave Bartholomew and producer Cosimo Matassa--have as solid a claim as Elvis, Carl, and Jerry Lee with Sam Phillips in Memphis or Wolf, Muddy, and Chuck with the Chess brothers in Chicago as the prime architects of rock 'n' roll. The product of more than 20 years of exhaustive research, this is, surprisingly, the first biography of one of the greatest early rock stars. Coleman had his work cut out for him; Fats is notoriously reclusive. Nevertheless, you come away from this book admiring Fats's talent and drive, and Coleman's exhaustive research and evocative writing. All the other great Louisiana rockers are here--the bayou wild men, backwoods musical savants, and forgotten honkers, shouters, string-benders, and drum-thumpers who helped create the Crescent City sound. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to understand the real, complete history of rock 'n' roll instead of the revisionist pap that passes for such.
-Mark Hoffman, co-author of "Moanin' at Midnight: The Life and Times of Howlin' Wolf"
IT'S ABOUT TIME FATS GOT HIS DUE.......2007-03-13
Rick Coleman's new book "Blue Monday" is the first full biography of Fats Domino. Many interesting things are therein.
- Fats was the first black rock & roll star. His records made the pop charts before r&r's dawn in 1955.
- Kids did not buy albums in the 50s, but Fats' albums sold, meaning he had an adult following like Louis Armstrong's.
- Fats concerts were often scenes of teenage riots. He may be known for `Blueberry Hill,' but his fierce rolling piano ignited his audience.
- "Blueberry Hill" was the product of a botched session. Engineer Bunny Robyn edited together the best parts of several incomplete takes and simply repeated the chorus.
- The string-laden "Walkin' To New Orleans" was a big breakthrough which traditionalists lamented. But it hit R&B (#2) even higher than pop (#6).
- Roy Brown once ditched a plan to have Fats open for him on tour. Fats never forgot it, and refused to have Brown open shows for him when the tables were turned.
Of the Big Five (EP, FD, CB, JLL, LR), Fats is the least lionized because he was not a "rebel." Historians normally embrace only people with bold lifestyles.
The Fat Man From New Orleans.......2007-02-16
Boy ol Boy, Rick Coleman has written a great book on the TRUE story of Rock & Roll! I know as I was there and if you want to know what it was really like to be on the scene when true rock & roll was called race music on a juke box, Boogie Woogie and the down home blues was taking over the country then get this book and turn others on to it also. No one person was more responsible for the birth of R&R and R&B than the Fat Man! This was long before Elvis, Haley and the hand full of others came on the bandwagon. [...]
The complete Fats Domino story........2007-02-16
This book is so well documented! Rick Coleman did high quality research before writing this wonderful book about the most swinging rock 'n roller of them all.
Customer Reviews:
The Spanish heritage of the Southwest........2003-12-29
This is the second Marrin book I have read. This author does a good job summarizing the important aspects of this history. Along the way, he brings some interesting stories into the overall historical summation. I like his writing style as it can be understood by a teenager or an adult. The overall message in this book was how the Southwest was first lost by the Spaniards, then the Mexicans, and won by the United States. The Southwest is defined as Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and California.
As mentioned, Marrin always brings interesting stories into his narration. You find out the origin of Texas, how Ps and Qs became a phrase, Taylor's reaction to a self important Lietenant, and others. These stories liven up the historical summation. They are a joy to read.
This is a good read for both teenagers and adults. Although the history is not covered in depth, it gives the reader a base from where to go.
Amazon.com
Fire on the Beach is a wonderful book on a forgotten piece of history: The story of an all-black unit of the U.S. Life-Saving Service on North Carolina's "beautiful and unforgiving" Outer Banks. Stationed on Pea Island, near the hazardous "Graveyard of the Atlantic," the men of the segregated Station 17 showed that African Americans were just as capable as their white peers when it came to saving the lives of sailors and passengers whose ships foundered on deadly shoals. Their leader was Richard Etheridge, an inspiring figure born into slavery. He fought during the Civil War and later entered the LSS. Much of the book is a reconstruction of his life, and Civil War buffs will appreciate the extensive treatment given to his military service.
Yet Fire on the Beach is not a mere biography. It's a fascinating portrait of 19th-century Outer Banks culture, long before these isolated little towns became tourist destinations. Authors David Wright and David Zoby, for instance, describe "wreckers" whose main occupation--a surprisingly profitable one--was combing the beach for the detritus of shipwrecks. The town of Nags Head apparently derives its odd name from this weird heritage: "Many claim that the name Nags Head originated in an era when malicious wreckers would tie a lantern around an old horse's neck and lead it up and down the dunes. From the sea, the rising and falling light would give the impression of a ship safely moored in a harbor, taunting unsuspecting ship captains to sail to their destructions." Even without these manmade deceptions, the seas off the coast of North Carolina were plenty treacherous, giving Etheridge and his men lots of rescue work. Race is a necessary and fundamental theme of the book, and Etheridge knew he would have to defy white skeptics by proving his abilities over and over: "There was no room for error. The continuation of the black station could be compromised by any slipup, no matter how slight. Misjudgment or poor performance could result in his or one of his crewmen's dismissal. Inadequacies, no matter how slight, could lead to the reinstatement of a white keeper and crew. They had to excel if they were to maintain their station." Fire on the Beach ultimately rises above the parochialism of race: It is a gripping story about "a man among the men" and his harrowing exploits. When Wright and Zoby describe Etheridge's role in saving the crew of the schooner E.S. Newman in hurricane conditions, the skin color of Etheridge and his men does not matter at all. Fans of The Perfect Storm and Isaac's Storm--books that mix thrilling sea stories with calamitous weather--are sure to enjoy Fire on the Beach. --John Miller
Book Description
FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, THIS IS THE TRUE-LIFE STORY OF THE ORIGINAL COAST GUARD AND ONE CREW OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN HEROES WHO FOUGHT STORMS AND SAVED LIVES OFF NORTH CAROLINA'S OUTER BANKS.
Fire on the Beach recovers a lost gem of American history. It tells the story of the U.S. Life-Saving Service, formed in 1871 to assure the safe passage of American and international shipping and to save lives and salvage cargo. A century ago, the adventures of the now-forgotten "surfmen" who, in crews of seven, bore the brunt of this dangerous but vital duty filled the pages of popular reading material, from Harper's to the Baltimore Sun and New York Herald. Station 17, located on the desolate beaches of Pea Island, North Carolina, housed one such unit, and Richard Etheridge -- the only black man to lead a lifesaving crew -- was its captain.
A former slave and Civil War veteran, Etheridge recruited and trained a crew of African- Americans, forming the only all-black station in the nation. Although civilian attitudes toward Etheridge and his men ranged from curiosity to outrage, they figured among the most courageous surfmen in the service, performing many daring rescues. From 1880 to the closing of the station in 1947, the Pea Island crew saved scores of men, women, and children who, under other circumstances, would have considered the hands of those reaching out to help them to be of the wrong race. In 1896, when the three-masted schooner E. S. Newman beached during a hurricane, Etheridge and his men accomplished one of the most daring rescues in the annals of the Life-Saving Service. The violent conditions had rendered their equipment useless. Undaunted, the surfmen swam out to the wreck, making nine trips in all, and saved the entire crew. This incredible feat went unrecognized until 1996, when the Coast Guard posthumously awarded the crew the Gold Life-Saving Medal.
The authors depict the lives of Etheridge and his crew against the backdrop of late-nineteenth-century America -- the horrors of the Civil War, the hopefulness of Reconstruction, and the long slide toward Plessy v. Ferguson that followed. Full of exploits and heroics, Fire on the Beach, like the movie Glory, illustrates yet another example of the little-known but outstanding contributions of a remarkable group of African-Americans to our country's history.
Download Description
Fire on the Beach brings a previously undiscovered chapter of American history and maritime adventure to light. It tells the story of the U.S. Life-Saving Service (forerunner of today's Coast Guard) and its "surfmen" who, in crews of seven, shouldered the dangerous work of saving lives along America's coasts. In the 1880s, the men of Pea Island, North Carolina, were one such unit, and Richard Etheridge -- the only black man to lead a lifesaving crew -- was their captain. A former slave and Civil War veteran, Etheridge recruited and trained a crew of African Americans, forming the only all-black station in the organization. Among civilians, attitudes towards Etheridge and his men ranged from curiosity to outrage, but they were some of the most courageous surfmen in the service, leading many sea rescues. When a hurricane hit the coast in the late 1890s, Etheridge and his men managed to save the entire crew of the wrecked E. S. Newman. This incredible feat went unrecognized for a century until 1996 when the Coast Guard posthumously awarded the crew the Gold Life-Saving Medal. Full of exploits and heroics, Fire on the Beach, like the movie Glory before it, depicts yet another example of the outstanding contributions of a remarkable group of African Americans to our country's history.
Customer Reviews:
Great story - not a great book.......2004-09-15
The story of Richard Etheridge is fascinating and inspiring. It is unfortunate that its telling here is tedious and uneven.
A gripping tale of courage and bravery........2003-09-23
Faced with several days of enforced inactivity as Hurricane Isabel bore down upon Baltimore, what I needed was a good book with which to pass the hours. There on my shelf was Fire on the Beach, purchased several months ago but set aside for just such a circumstance. As the wind howled around my apartment and rain slashed at my windows, I settled in to read.
Authors Wright and Zoby have written a thrilling account about the American Life Saving Service (ALSS), predecessor to the U.S. Coast Guard. Their focus is on the life of Richard Etheridge, born into slavery, a soldier in the Union Army during the Civil War, and later, leader of a courageous crew of lifesavers at Pea Island's Station 17 on the Outer Banks.
Richard Etheridge, probably the son of a white "Banker," raised and educated as part of his family, obtained his freedom fighting with the North Carolina Colored Volunteers (NCCV), under infamous Colonel Edward A. Wild. After the war, the scandel-ridden ALSS was reorganized and Etheridge was appointed Keeper of the station at Pea Island; the only black man to command a station up to that point. Etheridge was, indeed, a "man among men," risking his life time and again, driving his 6-member crew of surfmen to rescue sailors and passengers off unfortunate ships driven ashore by storms at least as furious as the one threatening Maryland on this day.
Here is a tale of daring exploits during an obscure time in American history; of courageous men of color fighting steep breakers and raging surf over shallow shoals while saving stranded survivors of doomed vessels before the deadly sea could claim them.
A fascinating account. Some might say it's black history. But it's more than that. It's about raw courage; about bravery against a treacherous enemy - the sea at its worst. Etheridge and his crew were black, but first and foremost, they were real men who willingly risked their lives daily for others.
I heartily recommend this work as an eye-opening account of a time along the Outer Banks before storms were tracked with high-tech equipment, and as a gripping tale guaranteed to hold your interest.
suberbly written, well researched.......2002-10-03
This history of the Pea Island Lifesavers is beautifully written so that the story captivates from start to finish. In fact, I wasn't sure that this was my kind of book, but the early, vivid description of the dangerous coast and the duties of the men who walked the Outer Banks looking for shipwrecks hour after hour convinced me that I had to read the whole book. Clearly well researched, this book taught me a great deal about the Civil War and U.S. maritime history but, more importantly, explored the humanity in our country's history. It takes saavy authors to recognize that the real beginning of the Pea Island Lifesaving Station begins not with its inception but with the lives of the men, namely Richard Etheridge, who served there. Because of the emphasis on people and place, the book reads quite like a novel and, therefore, can be appreciated by a wide audience. Fire on the Beach deserves to be read, for it demonstrates that history must be revealed and retold with all its contradictions, complications, and individuals.
Should be" Wild's African Brigade Revised".......2002-07-20
The book purports to tell the story of Richard Etheridge but the first third is about "Wilds African Brigade," a black brigade that committed murder, arson, looting and the hostage taking of white women in Tidewater North Carolina and Virginia in October and December 1863.
On its return to base in Portsmouth Virginia Brigadier General Wild was relieved of command and the brigade disbanded.
Entertaining History!.......2002-01-07
I am admittedly not a history buff. I do however treasure the three years I was lucky enough to live on North Carolina's Outer Banks. "Fire on the Beach" was recommended to me & now I would like to pass that gift on to anyone who reads these reviews. This book tells a fantastic tale of a man & a period of time that are both truly inspiring. It does not read like a "historical text", but more like a well plotted out novel. If you have any interest in Post Civil War South, Turn of the century maritime history, North Carolina's Outer Banks, or the US Coast Guard, do not pass this book up!
Book Description
Black Gold: The Lost Archives of Jimi Hendrix is the first comprehensive biography to authenticate the lost sessions, previously unknown recorded collaborations, and rare film/video documents of one of the most innovative and influential rock guitarists in music history. Hendrix's life is celebrated through exclusive interviews with people who knew him well, including his father, Al Hendrix, musicians Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin, his lover and close companion Kathy Etchingham, and many others. Author Steven Roby sifts through a wealth of unreleased and commercially unavailable studio, live, and home recordings to chronicle every stage of Jimi Hendrix's legendary career. In each instance, he tells the reader whether the event was documented and if it is available. In several tragic instances, the recordings are lost forever. Black Gold is the first book to offer a comprehensive analysis of Hendrix's unfinished album, First Ray of the New Rising Sun. Three attempts have been made so far to "finish" it, and the author explains why none have succeeded. The book also explores Hendrix's journeys into jazz with Miles Davis, John McLaughlin, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk; his excursions into blues with B. B. King, Johnny Winter, and Buddy Guy; and his backing of early rap pioneers The Last Poets. Black Gold features a foreword by Noel Redding, Hendrix's bass player from 1966 to 1969, as well as 45 photos, including several rare and never-before-published shots.
Customer Reviews:
For Hendrix Completists.......2007-06-07
Hendrix left behind thousands of reels of tape containing hundreds of hours of music, much of it never made widely available. This book details all that mass of material and exposes just how much more Hendrix exists than his handful of commercial releases. Little, it appears, ever went unrecorded, though the author chronicles those lost items with great regret. Hendrix is now mythological, and this book only increases his legend by whetting the appetite for more 'new' Jimi that will surely come sooner or later, now that the estate of Hendrix is in charge of his music. Had he lived, it seems likely that Hendrix would have entered a jazz period. If he were alive today, who knows what he'd be playing? Most likely, he'd be more like the drug addled Sly Stone than the lifelong creative artist that Miles Davis was until he died. Still, in his brief 27 years, Hendrix changed music, as this book makes clear.
Excellent balance of facts and history.......2006-12-20
Admittedly, this book will appeal to the Hendrix-ophile more than the casual reader. However, Roby weaves a good thread of history and minutiae that will capture the interest of the casual Hendrix listener as well. Since the book was published, a lot of the "lost" material has been officially released. However, there is a wealth of video and audio that even the most ardent collectors have not seen or heard. (Experience Hendrix possesses some but not all of this un-bootlegged material and will probably release it in dribs and drabs for the next decade or so, consider this: a large armored truck was used in the 70's to transport all of the hundreds of reels of Hendrix material) Roby does neglect covering the Douglas/Hendrix period with the same level of archivists detail. What about all the sessions set up with Tony Williams, Mother Hen/Dave Holland, the apartment jam w/Miles Davis? There is still much entombed in vaults and will be for decades to come. Roby's book scratches the surface but I think as time passes more and more evidence will confirm the importance of Hendrix to pop music and music in general.
Excellent for the music-lover.......2005-09-24
Maybe 'Electric Gypsy' from Glebbeek is the ultimate biography , this however is more into Jimi's MUSICAL legacy.Full of detail and if you pick this up , you won't regret it...
Getting to the Heart of the Matter.......2003-09-08
Steven Roby has written a masterful account of Jimi Hendrix's recorded legacy. Black Gold is an essential resource for the dedicated Hendrix collector, and is also a great read that would interest anyone who loves Jimi's music. It is the difinitive history of one of rock's leading legends, delving deeply into the recordings he made, and into the man himself. By including quotes made by Jimi and his peers, Roby's unique perspective has illuminated aspects of Jimi's musical life that had previously been shrouded in darkness and shadow.
Roby presented himself with a nearly impossible task, which required talking to musicians, associates, friends and family about the past, then attempting to separate myth from fact when discrepancies arose. It may not be possible to uncover the whole truth, but Black Gold cuts two or three layers deeper into Hendrix's recordings and claims about it, than any previous account.
an essential Jimi read.......2002-10-03
Ever wonder who jammed with who? This book helps you to find out. This book both a comprehensive list of all recordings of Jimi and his band, as well as an intimate look at the lifestyle of one of America's greatest musicians. I skipped over a lot of the lists and dove into the narratives that told stories of Jimi jamming with Janis Joplin, Eric Clapton (Jimi is supposedly the only guitarist to ever play Clapton off-stage), The Who and many other greats. What I enjoyed most about the book was the details about Jimi learning to play the guitar and his first gigs. Jimi is a musician that stayed true to his roots and his own unique style.
I only gave this book 3 stars because, unless you know absolutely nothing about Jimi Hendrix or some of the other musicians in the book, much of what you read you are likely to already know. Redding included many well known anecdotes as filler for his archival list, which is admirably constructed and researched. The only problem is, is that much of what is on the list is unavailable to the public.
Still, if you're a Jimi fan, you have to read it. After all, it's a book about Jimi.
Book Description
One of the most important figures of the American civil rights movement, Bayard Rustin taught Martin Luther King Jr. the methods of Gandhi, spearheaded the 1963 March on Washington, and helped bring the struggle of African Americans to the forefront of a nation's consciousness. But despite his incontrovertibly integral role in the movement, the openly gay Rustin is not the household name that many of his activist contemporaries are. In exploring history's Lost Prophet, acclaimed historian John D'Emilio explains why Rustin's influence was minimized by his peers and why his brilliant strategies were not followed, or were followed by those he never meant to help.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Reading! Dr. King Wasn't The Total Mastermind!.......2006-12-19
I just finished reading this book for my class on The Civil Rights Movement. I have say this book was very good. It gave me much insight into how the movement was more complex than what I was taught in grade school. If you're one of the people like I was who thought Dr. King was the total force behind the movement, you must read this book. You will become far more educated on how much of an impact this man was not only to the Civl Rights Movement, but other endeavors as well. It is sad how easily Rustin has been tossed aside because of prejudice of all things. But this is why it is important to have books like this one that educates and informs.
Excellent biography.......2005-08-05
Rustin's story is a curious one -- how is it that a militant Quaker pacifist, a man who chose to go to prison during World War II, is found defending Lyndon Johnson's Presidency in 1968? The answer lies in the various tragedies of the '60's: the vestiges of the Cold War that shaped American policies; Johnson's ability to commit to progressive domestic policies but inability to shake free of the worst of the Cold War mentality; the triumphs and the tragic splintering of the American Civil Rights movement; and perhaps in Rustin's personal tragedy, that of a gay, black pacifist whose biggest political obstacle was not found in the radicalism of his ideas but in his attempt to live his personal life as a gay man.
D'Emilo appears to capture all those elements of Rustin, and suggests both how Rustin shaped those political movements in which he involved himself and how they served to shape him.
My students generally all are familiar with Dr. King's speech at the 1963 March on Washington. With few exceptions, however, they have never heard of the two men who planned the March: labor leader A.P. Randolph and Rustin. D'Emilo's book serves to remind us of just how much an injustice it is that Rustin's role in the Civil Rights movement has been so much forgotten.
Anything ahead of the times has a hard time in its own time.......2004-12-09
Like many other people, I had not learned that 1963 March on Washington organizer Bayard Rustin was also homosexual. Because Rustin lived in a time when homosexuality was stigmatized (and march organizers had believed public recognition of his homosexuality was not 'respectable' Rustin had to keep this portion of his life hidden in order to have impact at this event.
Rustin complied with the now-unthinkable directive because social justice had always been a passion.
Rustin's Quaker upbringing influenced his passion for social justice. In college, he became an organizer for the Young Communist League; he later quit when they advocated World War II participation. Rustin's strong sense of morality would not allow him to enlist in World War II, he believed that a sentence in the federal prison system was the only moral option.
Rustin began freedom riding with the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) as early as the 1940's. Although these people were ahead of their time on many issues, they could not accept his sexuality. Rustin later found employment with the War Resisters League (which in that era at least stayed neutral on the issue) but the experience undoubtedly stayed with him.
Fortunately, Rustin was able to later come out in the 1970's. Until his death he was open about his identity as a gay man. Discrimination was the problem, not his sexuality.
Today, we continue to see inadvertent consequences from the earlier decision to minimize Rustin's identity as a gay man. The allegedly liberal mass media has largely persisted in portraying GLBT issues as universally white, and gave substantial airtime to Alveda King, a niece of the late Martin Luther King who denounces homosexuality.
The mass media tellingly elects to ignore the public GLBT rights support of Jesse Jackson and Coretta Scott King, who recognize there are many more blacks like Rustin. We cannot work towards the world he had envisioned without acknowlleging his whole self.
A name restored.......2004-03-15
This biography is dedicated to the notion that Bayard Rustin deserves to be rememebered. John D'Emilio is persuasive in that regard. This is a scholarly work and it's well-written. The author does an excellent job of placing Rustin's life in context, showing where he fits in as a 20th century organizer and civil rights activist. It's a satisfying work.
A great historical document.......2003-12-06
An exhaustive biography of the often overlooked archtect of the civil rights movement. An espouser of Gandhian non-violence and a mentor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Rustin was a man of fierce convictions, openly gay in a time when to be so jeopardized even his basic freedoms.
D'Emilio records Rustin's life warts and all. He documents his numerous arrests for acts of civil disobedience, for being a conscientious objector, as well as on a morals charge.
However, it is the triumphs that are most exhilerating to read about. The March on Washington, as one would expect, is a highlight. Finally, and definitively, the credit for coordinating this event is attributed to Rustin. In the face of extreme opposition from the likes of Strom Thurmond and J. Edgar Hoover, Rustin staged an event of epic porportion and historic significance.
Rustin was one of the great unsung heroes of the last century. John D'Emilio's biography, with a cast of characters that reads like a who's who of the twentieth century, is a tribute to Rustin and a model of its kind.
Book Description
The heart of Lost Railroads of New England is a complete, annotated directory of rail abandonments in New England from 1848-1994, including segments and dates abandoned, railroads that operated them, dates they opened, and key historical facts. The book opens with a clear, informative overview of New England rail history. Illustrated with maps of abandonments in all six New England states and black & white photographs of abandoned lines, it is a great resource for railfans and historians as well as hikers and bikers who use the old rail rights of way.
Customer Reviews:
Read it from cover to cover.......1999-05-09
I was a bit skeptical when I got the book due to its price. I was pleasantly surprised with the level of detail that went into the book. I remember watching the trains cross a grade near my house when I was a kid, and I always wondered how long it had been there, whose it was, and what happened to it. This book was able to answer those questions for me. I also gave me additional resources to check out.
A must for anyone interested in New England's railroads.......1998-03-16
This very informative book opens a door to the past, and thoroughly explains about the rise and fall of New England's once massive railrod system. Ronald Dale Carr also includes detailed summaries of each separate railraod abandonment as well as providing detailed maps showing were each railraod went as well as all the stops along the routes
Book Description
Based on exhaustive archival research, this study spans the history of newspapers in the Southwest's Mexicano communities from the arrival of the press in New Mexico to the last edition of Santa Fe's El Nuevo Mexicano.
Part I details the education and formation of a generation of Spanish-language journalists instrumental in creating a culture of print in nativo communities. Part II offers in-depth analyses of the texts produced by los periodiqueros, establishing them thematically as precursors to the Chicano literary and political movements of the 1960s and 1970s.
Moving beyond reinscribing Nuevomexicanos into history, Melendez's insights on print discourse, orality, and literacy provide a new theoretical framework. He sees newspapers as cultural production and the work of the editors as an organized movement against cultural erasure and toward adaptation amid the massive influx of easterners to the new Southwest.
Customer Reviews:
A thorough historical review of early Spanish language press.......1999-10-30
Not only does this book provide a complete historical perspective, it also highlights (through quotes and themes) the social issues facing early Hispano-American settlers. Ironically, these issues continue to have present-day relevance to those impacted by cultural and societal differences.
Average customer rating:
|
Lost Heritage
Manufacturer: Harlequin romance
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0373022611 |
Product Description
Happy as she had been with her adaptive parents, Charlotte couldn't resist an opportunity after their death to find out about her real mother and father. And so she found herself in France working for the wealthy and influential Menais family - the name on her baby bracelet. But handsome, domineering Raoul Menais already suspected her reasons for taking the job. Charlotte felt sure he would throw her out if he thought the facts surrounding her birth might bring scandal to the family name.
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- Beyond Boundaries: Reflections of Indian and U.S. Scholars
- A New Owner's Guide to Australian Cattle Dogs
- Three Men in a Boat and Three Men on the Bummel
- The Truth About Muhammad: Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion
- The Right Thing To Do: Basic Readings in Moral Philosophy
- A Course in Modern Mathematical Physics: Groups, Hilbert Space and Differential Geometry
- Wilderness Empire: A Narrative
- LA Isla Del Doctor Castro: LA Transicion Secuestrada
- Time Management, Planning, and Prioritization for Librarians
- James B. Hunt: A North Carolina Progressive
Rhythm & Blues
| Composers & Musicians
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Lonely Avenue: The Unlikely Life and Times of Doc Pomus
Big Boss Man: The Life and Music of Bluesman Jimmy Reed
![Live from Austin, Texas [Region 2]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000G7PO7G.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
Live from Austin, Texas [Region 2]
Always Magic in the Air : The Bomp and Brilliance of the Brill Building Era
Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke
