Wilderness Empire: A Narrative (Eckert, Allan W. Winning of America Series.)

Wilderness Empire: A Narrative (Eckert, Allan W. Winning of America Series.)
Average customer rating:

Great series

A Dangerous Time in Colonial America

History coming alive

Bloody, bloody good

Widerness Empire

Wilderness Empire: A Narrative (Eckert, Allan W. Winning of America Series.)
Allan W. Eckert
Manufacturer: Jesse Stuart Foundation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
French and Indian War | Colonial Period | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | France | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
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The Conquerors (Winning of America Series)

The Frontiersmen: A Narrative

The Wilderness War: A Narrative (Eckert, Allan W. Winning of America Series.)

Twilight of Empire (Eckert, Allan W. Winning of America Series.)

Gateway to Empire (Eckert, Allan W. Winning of America Series.)

ASIN: 1931672024

Book Description

For over two hundred years no Indian force in America was so powerful and feared as the Iroquois League. Throughout two thirds of this continent, the cry of "The Iroquois are coming!" was enough to demoralize entire tribes. But these Iroquois occupied and controlled a vast wilderness empire which beckoned like a precious gem to foreign powers. France and England secured toeholds and suddenly each was claiming as its own this land of the Iroquois. Alliance with the Indians was the key; whichever power controlled them could destroy the other.

Wilderness Empire is the gripping narrative of the eighteenth-century struggle of these two powers to win for themselves the allegiance of the Indians in a war for territorial dominance, yet without letting these Indians know that the prize of the war would be this very Iroquois land. It is the story of English strength hamstrung by incredible incompetence, of French power sapped by devastating corruption. It is the story of the English, Indian and French individuals whose lives intertwine in the greatest territorial struggle in American history--the French and Indian War.

Customer Reviews:

Great series.......2007-07-28

This is one of the weaker books in Eckert's series, but it was still a good read. I'd recommend it for any Eckert fan, or any other American-History fan. You should definately read the other books in the series!!!

A Dangerous Time in Colonial America.......2007-02-26

Wow! What a book! For anyone interested in studying the French and Indian War period, this is a must read. Although it's not a "textbook" account it's still a lot of fun. I would read this book alongside Francis Parkman's "Montcalm and Wolfe" and Anderson's "Crucible of War". Probably Mr. Eckert's best work. It's really great for younger children or anyone who has forgotten about good old-fashioned American folklore. Fantastic!

History coming alive.......2007-02-12

The best book I have ever read on the French and Indian War. It is utterly amazing how Eckert makes characters from the past come so alive. You really get the feeling that you not only learned about events that happened in the past, but that you get to know the people who experienced them.

Bloody, bloody good.......2006-09-08

Though published in 1969, when attitudes toward Native Americans were just beginning to recover after centuries of demonization, "Wilderness Empire" paints a very balanced picture of the complexities of the American frontier during the period of the French and Indian War. Comprising the formative years of George Washington, Ben Franklin and many of other actors on the American historical stage, this often-ignored historical period was the foundation for the Revolutionary War years that immediately followed. What happened in the 1740s and 50s cemented the reputations and formed the attitudes of those who forged America in the 1770s and 80s.

Eckert does a fascinating job of writing a "semi-fictional" work that relies heavily on the letters and other documents of the players themselves. He claims not to have invented conversations, but to have dramatized them based on the evidence in the primary sources. Of course, this cannot extend to Eckert's descriptions of his characters' state of mind, but he seems to take care to add proper emotional expression to the dry facts where appropriate.

Eckert's tale includes hundreds of characters, but he focuses on the exploits of a few notable ones. William Johnson, the young Irish adventurer become military leader, is at the center of the tale. Johnson seems one of only a few Americans who took the Indians seriously and was subsequently adopted by them. His incredible double life - as a white subject of the crown and as the Indian Warraghiyagey - showed him to be a man of intelligence, subtlety, heart and strength. Other characters - the exquisite French Marquis de Montcalm, a young and inexperienced George Washington, the Mohawk Chief Tiyanoga and New Hampshire's Robert Rogers of Ranger fame - are also featured prominently. This is not due to their later fame as much as to the fact that these were men of great valor and valiant action in their day. Eckert does feature women in his tale, but often they are love partners, slaves or victims. One wonders whether he might have made more of them had he written the book ten years later, when feminist scholarship and sensitivity urged writers to take a closer look at female contributions.

In any event, Eckert's tale is very bloody. Indian atrocities -- including scalping, dismemberment, ritual torture and cannibalism -- get more than their fair share of space. Cannonballs cut men in two and musket fire pierces brains and bodies and leaves men screaming in agony. Eckert does not pass judgment on these actions, though his French and especially his English characters do. At least he attempts to see these practices with native eyes, as the just spoils of warfare, as much due to the victors as the powder and food of the vanquished. But for the reader, the burnings, killings and mutilations do seem to pile up after a while. On the positive side, this gives the reader a chance to appreciate the tenuous nature of life on the New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia frontier. There's enough brutality on all sides to make one glad to live in more peaceful times.

I found "Wilderness Empire" to be a fascinating, if slow, read. The vast array of characters, the difficult Indian names and places, and the complex and convoluted nature of the events makes it difficult to read for pleasure. But in the end, the book was well worth the effort. I now feel I have filled a long-standing lacuna in my historical understanding - the period the led to the American Revolution and set the stage for the white expansion across the continent.

Widerness Empire.......2006-07-04

Second time I have read it the first time was over 25 years ago, it is an oustanding narative of the early days of America detailing important events in the early setteling of our country.

The Battle of the Wilderness May 5-6, 1864

Average customer rating:

Excellent military history
The Overland Series
The Wilderness Campaign
Excellent Narrative of a Bloody and Confusing Battle
Maybe The Best Book on the Complicated battle of The Wilderness

The Battle of the Wilderness May 5-6, 1864
Gordon C. Rhea
Manufacturer: Louisiana State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
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To The Gates of Richmond: The Peninsula Campaign
Chancellorsville

ASIN: 0807118737

Book Description

Fought in a tangled forest fringing the south bank of the Rapidan River, the Battle of the Wilderness marked the initial engagement in the climactic months of the Civil War in Virginia, and the first encounter between Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee. In an exciting narrative, Gordon c. Rhea provides the consummate recounting of that conflict of May 5 and 6, 1864, which ended with high casualties on both sides but no clear victor. With its balanced analysis of events and people, command structures and strategies, The Battle of the Wilderness is operational history as it should be written.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent military history.......2007-01-25

I have to be honest, I hadn't read a military history book in a while because many are bland or don't have enough maps or are just confusing. No such problems with this book. Rhea has written a page-turning work about this confusing battle. This ranks amongst the best military history books I've ever read. Rhea's book has many good qualities about it. It has ample amounts of maps. It describes events in detail, but not so minute as to bore the reader. He explains tactics so that a master or novice can understand. The mini-biographies of all the differing players are helpful too. Rhea also does an excellent job of using memoirs, letters, diaries, and other books on the battle to bring everything together into a very readable, easily understood work. I was also glad to see that Rhea explained why he came to certain conclusions (and often times, even explained the other side too so you could make your own mind up) and he was also willing to lay blame where it deserved, even if flung at a popular general, or stick up for others, even if unpopular. All in all, a great work and one of the best military history books I've read. I can't wait to get started on the rest of the series......

The Overland Series.......2006-07-22

The Battle of the Wilderness May 5-6, 1864
Product Details
* Hardcover: 520 pages
* Publisher: Louisiana State University Press (July 1994)
* Language: English
* ISBN: 0807118737

The Battles for Spotsylvania Court House and the Road to Yellow Tavern May 7-12, 1864
Product Details
* Hardcover: 483 pages
* Publisher: Louisiana State University Press (May 1997)
* Language: English
* ISBN: 0807121363

To the North Anna River: Grant and Lee, May 13-25, 1864
Product Details
* Hardcover: 505 pages
* Publisher: Louisiana State University Press (May 2000)
* Language: English
* ISBN: 0807125350

Cold Harbor: Grant and Lee, May 26-June 3, 1864
Product Details
* Hardcover: 552 pages
* Publisher: Louisiana State University Press (September 2002)
* Language: English
* ISBN: 0807128031

I am reviewing the four books a single series although each book is a full stand-alone history. This is a highly detailed military history of Grant's Overland Campaign of 1864. Two of the best generals commanding two of the best armies, in American history, decide the Civil war in the East. Gordon Rhea gives this month the detailed attention it requires and had never received. The 2,000 pages allows for the full story of the campaign, the personalities, failures and success.

The first book covers the major battle of The Wilderness an area Grant wished to clear and Lee hoped to trap him in as he had Hooker in 1863. Through a series of Union miscalculations and command problems, Lee manages to get in Grant's way. What follows is a confused bloody two-day battle that has been termed "Bush whacking on a grand scale". An excellent series of maps, help the reader stay abreast of the battle and understand the confusion of both sides. Lee loses Longstreet and starts to make the hard decisions about personnel that he has avoided since 1862. Grant while testing his relationship with Meade and Burnside, is trying to learn the AOP's generals too. This process dominates the four books as repeatedly Grant is forced to deal with the problems this creates and Lee takes steps that were unthinkable in 1863.

The second book moves the battle from The Wilderness south to Spotsylvania and Yellow Tavern. Grant refuses to "play the game" and retreat behind the Rappahannock but pushes past Lee and continues south. What follows is a race from defensive point to defensive point, which the AOP concedes to the AoNV. Union commanders hesitate at critical moments while the AoNV reinforces the objective. This allows Lee to stay up or ahead producing one of the bloodiest battles in our history at Spotsylvania. In addition, this book covers the critical cavalry operations, Grant's reasoning, and the price paid in taking Sheridan away from Meade. J.E.B. Stuart's death, is well covered. Both in terms of what it means to the AoNV, to Lee and to the Confederacy.

After one of the hardest weeks in their history, the two exhausted bloodied armies eye each other over their entrenchments. Lee understands that he is being trapped and that defensive war can only end in defeat. Grant is trying not to be stuck in a siege and determined to continue south. What follows is a series of forced marches and small battles as Grant and Lee test each other. Each general wins and loses daily as the armies march, counter march and fight. However, at the end of each day, Grant is always closer to Richmond. Lee produces a brilliant trap, Grant takes the bait but circumstances keep lee from springing it. Almost to late, Grant sees the trap pulls back, changes direction and continues south. Book 3, To the North Anna River covers this brilliant and exciting time in detail. Rhea produces some excellent analysis of both commanders and the developing personnel problems they are facing. Neither man is having an easy time of it and both understand they have never faced an enemy like this.

The last book takes us to Cold Harbor, one of the most controversial battles of the war. The detail history and excellent analysis leads us through this battle and produces some startling conclusions. As always, the author provides full support and justification for them. This might be the most important book of the series and the definitive book on the battle of Cold Harbor.

Each book has a full set of maps and illustrations. The writing is uniform and very readable. While detailed, the actions are understandable and you are seldom lost in a sea of names and/or unit numbers. Each book is a stand-alone history and is readable as such. The books were published from 1994 to 2002 and had to be written that way. This is the best account of the Overland Campaign available. It is both an invaluable reference and a great reading experience.

The Wilderness Campaign.......2005-09-12

Rhea has done an excellent job of sorting out fact from friction in this major civil war campaign. I have read several accounts including Grant's own biographical account of the wilderness battle. This is by far the most complete coverage of the two critical days of the conflict. I especially enjoyed reading the account of the medical treatment associated with the fatal wounding of Union General James S. Wadsworth. Wadsworth was a major land holder and statesmen in the Genesse Valley near Rochester NY were I grow up. I had never heard of the unsusal story of the rebel farmer who went to his aid and eventually claimed the General's remains. This kind of detail makes the author's account of the people in the terrible collision of forces so remarkable. This is a classic narrative of the final wilderness tragedy where so many on both sides lost thier life in early 1864 to end the conflict. The beginning of the end of the rebellion by attrition.

Excellent Narrative of a Bloody and Confusing Battle.......2005-08-04

In my humble opinion, Rhea has written what I believe to be the definitive account of one of the war's most bloody and savage battles. Rhea's writing style is clear and crisp - easy enough for the layperson yet technical enough to challenge the thinking of historians and military professionals.

The author is fair and balanced in his praises and criticisms of Northern and Southern leaders and the many missed opportunities by both sides to deliver a decisive blow. His battle descriptions are clear and interesting, lacking the dry narratives and extremely gory descriptions of other Civil War titles. While Rhea is able to convey the battle's ferocity, he does not get bogged down in numerous decapitations, limbs blown off, etc.

While the maps are of high quality, there could have been at least 5-10 more. I have stated this problem in reviews of other Civil War titles. While deeply interested in the Civil War, I am not a professional historian and believe that having additional maps would have better clarified some of the troop movements and battles. Additionally, most of the maps went down to only the division or brigade-level. Having regimental-level maps would have made it easier to follow the many regimental battle descriptions contained in the title.

Complaint about the maps aside, I heartily recommend Rhea's book as the definitive account of the first encounter between Grant (okay Meade fans, I'll mention him too!)and Lee. The book will be a valuable guide for better understanding the action in the Wilderness on my next battlefield visit. I have a goal to read his other titles and eagerly look forward to reading his book on Spotsylvania.

Read and enjoy!

Maybe The Best Book on the Complicated battle of The Wilderness.......2005-06-25

This is quite possibly the best book on the battle of the Wilderness particularly since this is one of the most difficult battlefields to visualize with an on site visit since the wilderness, barring suburban encroachment, is still hard to see since much of the growth has or was still there. Rhea does a wonderful job providing the reader the plans that each commander had in mind for the campaign particularly Grant's original plan to move south than west to attack Lee, which was obviously upset by Lee's aggressive move forward. Rhea also does Freeman like bios on the key officer corps of both armies including a well detailed discussion of the complex nature of Grant being present and active with the Army of the Potomac and Meade but not yet taking a firm hand in operations while Burnside's 9th Corps is an independent unit commanded by Grant. Rhea provides outstanding maps with several showing the overall plan of the campaign (Xerox the overall geographic layout map and use it as a book mark for later reference) while also providing several timely spaced close up maps of the various battle developments. Rhea also provides excellent detail on the failure of the Union cavalry to detect Ewell's and Hill's forward movements particularly Wilson's inability to provide reconnaissance as he becomes isolated and virtually cut off on the Catherprin Road entangled with ANV Rosser while the ANV infantry move up the Orange Turnpike colliding with the unsuspecting 5th corps entangling Warren and upsetting Meade's move. Rhea provides tremendous detail on the complicated movements and the interplay of commands while providing a wonderful balance of quotes from participants. Some of the highlights are Ewell's strong defensive performance on the turnpike, Warren's forced dilemma in attacking an entrenched foe without proper support, Hancock's suspended movement to support the union right wing, Longstreet's bulldozer attack and flank move, Burnside's difficulties in positioning for a center attack, and Longstreet's long march and his ordered change of march. Rhea also highlights discussion ion on Hill's failure to secure his lines after the first day of battle where his two divisions held back virtually four union divisions, Longstreet's great march of 32 miles in one day yet with one extensive break, Gordon's late flank attack delayed by Ewell and Early, Burnsides almost piercing of the vulnerable center, Lee's desperate attempts to rally Hill's crushed division, the mysterious lack of cavalry participation by Stuart and Sheridan, Grant's gradual assertion of command and Lee's desperate attempt to break through Hancock's line after Longstreet's wounding and great flank attack. The only mild criticism is that some of the officers are somewhat stereo typed and they do not always have their actions judged by face value in the campaign. For example, Ewell is praised throughout the book because of his staunch command of the initial aspects of the battle and his handling of troops yet at the end he seems criticized a little too much for having a delayed initiative that seemed more hamstrung by Early's reluctance (Gettysburg the first Day again?). The author's descriptions of the difficulty of either army to maneuver in the deep scrub growth woods is so well documented that the reader can appreciate how brigades not less divisions became separated and lost sense of direction and often fought separate battles within a battle. And Rhea describes best why a center attack well conceived but fails by Burnside in the entangled woods between Hill and Ewell as the ANV plugs another gap. How good is Rhea's book? I started the next book of his series on Spotsylvania and I will stay the course for the duration of Rhea's overland campaign.

Wilderness of Mirrors: Intrigue, Deception, and the Secrets that Destroyed Two of the Cold War's Most Important Agents

Average customer rating:

The contagious paranoia of counterintelligence...
Help! The Lunatics Have Taken Over the Asylum!!!
Anti-Angleton

Wilderness of Mirrors: Intrigue, Deception, and the Secrets that Destroyed Two of the Cold War's Most Important Agents
David C. Martin
Manufacturer: The Lyons Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Intelligence & Espionage | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Espionage | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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The Secret History of the CIA

ASIN: 1585748242

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

The contagious paranoia of counterintelligence..........2006-01-01

The term, "wilderness of mirrors," is still used today in counterintelligence circles to denote the feelings of paranoia that sometimes develop in the byzantine business of spyhunting, when one is no longer able to distinguish between what is real and what is illusion. When conjuring up images of this precise phenomenon, no name rings louder than that of James Jesus Angleton, who himself was enveloped and ultimately destroyed by his obsession with uncovering a "mole" within the CIA.

Martin's brief account of the CIA's largely unsuccessful efforts to spy on the Soviet Union during the Cold War alternates between the stories of "Jim" Angleton and "Bill" Harvey, two CIA trailblazers who undoubtedly left their marks in their profession. What's unfortunate is that while they may have scored some early successes, they spent the latter parts of their careers in shambles, with both resigning under hostile circumstances. Especially in Angleton's case, it is tough to objectively determine whether he did more good than bad.

For a more detailed account of the CI fiasco involving Angleton, Golitsin, and Nosenko, check out David Wise's "Molehunt."

Help! The Lunatics Have Taken Over the Asylum!!!.......2005-08-16

This book, which relates the ongoing war between the CIA and the KGB, focuses on the activities of William K. Harvey, a gun-totin' ex-FBI agent (who does not seem to have entirely evolved in a social sense), and James Jesus Angleton, a Yale graduate who lived first in Italy and then in England, where he learned the fine arts of counter-espionage at the knees, as it were, of Kim Philby, and was in charge of counter-espionage at the CIA. The revelation that the latter was a KGB penetration agent in British Intelligence seems to have engendered extreme paranoia in the former, who was ever after on the lookout for moles in the Agency (and was even suspected by some of his colleagues of being one himself).

The tales of covert operations range from the amusing (an agent loitering in a park to make a dead-letter drop being arrested as a potential child molester) to the appalling (the dastardly enticement of the Soviet defector Yuri Nosenko with promises of a salaried job and then keeping him in what was tantamount to a cage for 1277 days (292 of which were devoted to interrogation) [p, 171], all because of the dubious word of Anatoli Golitsin, a previous defector--living high off the hog at taxpayer expense--who warned that the next defector would be a KGB plant.). Angleton placed his faith unstintingly in Golitsin, whose wild scenarios had Averell Harriman, a former United States ambassador to the Soviet Union, cast as a KGB agent. It never seems to have occurred to Angleton that Golitsin may have been the KGB plant, intent on making mischief.

The title, "Wilderness of Mirrors," was apparently coined by Angleton, who was a poet in his spare time. It refers to the labyrinthine world of espionage into which one is "lured deeper and deeper ... pursuing the traces of Soviet plots, both real and imagined, each step taking [one] farther into a bewildering world of intrigue ... [p. 10].

The author notes the justification of the battle between the CIA and the KGB, but he also cites the absurdity of its reality. "The careers of Angleton and Harvey were mired in absurdities, not the least of which was that they habitually violated the democratic freedoms they were sworn to defend . . . Immersed in duplicity and insulated by secrecy, they developed survival mechanisms and behavior patterns that by any rational standard were bizarre. The forced inbreeding of secrecy spawned mutant deeds and thoughts. Loyalty demanded dishonesty, and duty was a thieves' game. The game attracted strange men and slowly twisted them until something snapped. There were no winners or losers in this game, only victims" [p. 226].

Anti-Angleton.......2004-01-06

This is one of the anti-Angleton books. You you want to understand Angelton's approach to counter-intelligence, I would recommend Edward Jay Epstein's "Deception" instead.

The Wilderness War: A Narrative (Eckert, Allan W. Winning of America Series.)

Average customer rating:

Great series!
Well written
The Wilderness War
Gripping historical narration...better than fiction
The series is the most enjoyable reading I've ever done.

The Wilderness War: A Narrative (Eckert, Allan W. Winning of America Series.)
Allan W. Eckert
Manufacturer: Jesse Stuart Foundation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

The Conquerors (Winning of America Series)
Wilderness Empire: A Narrative (Eckert, Allan W. Winning of America Series.)
Twilight of Empire (Eckert, Allan W. Winning of America Series.)
Gateway to Empire (Eckert, Allan W. Winning of America Series.)
The Frontiersmen: A Narrative

ASIN: 1931672148

Book Description

The Wilderness War is the eagerly awaited fourth volume in Allan W. Eckert's acclaimed series of narratives, The Winning of America, the violent and monumental description of the wresting of the North American continent from the Indians.

Two hundred fifty years had elapsed since the Five Nations, the greatest of the Indian tribes, ceased their continual warfare among themselves and banded together for mutual defense. Their union had created the feared and formidable Iroquois League; their empire stretched from Lake Champlain, across New York to Niagara Falls. Theirs was a remarkable form of representative government that presaged our own, and their wealth lay in the vast, beautiful lands abundant with crops. As warriors they were unsurpassed—even the depredations of the recent French and Indian War could not diminish their prowess.

But by 1770 the white men living in their land were fighting among themselves again, and war came once more to the Iroquois land.

The Wilderness War begins in 1763 (where the second book in this series, Wilderness Empire, concluded with the English victory over the French in the French and Indian War) and continues through the American Revolution to 1780, by which time the Iroquois League had been ruptured and the Indians dispossessed of their homelands.

Their defeat and humiliation occurred despite the valor of their famous war chief Thayendanegea, better known as Joseph Brant, who had allied his tribes with the one man the Iroquois loved and trusted, Sir William Johnson, Colonial Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and subsequently with Johnson's son and nephew, leaders of the Tory forces in New York.

Based on an abundance of primary sources: original letters and notes, diaries and journals, deeds, wills, military records, Indian tribal records, logbooks, newspapers and magazines and government reports, and dominated by the compelling character of Chief Joseph Brant, The Wilderness War gives a factual account (sustained with the suspense and pace of first-rate fiction) of the last years of the Iroquois Empire and the first years of the American nation. Allan W. Eckert has molded the raw facts of history into a moving, perceptive and penetrating narrative. It is filled with the pathos and action, humanity and savagery which were all a part of survival on the expanding American frontier.

Customer Reviews:

Great series!.......2007-07-28

Well written.......2007-07-24

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is well written and factually correct to my knowledge. I grew up in the area where many of these events took place and learned about them in my elementary school days in a dry and factual way. This book made the events come to life in an interesting and facinating way for me.

The Wilderness War.......2006-07-18

This is an extremely well written book, that is easy to understand. It gives interesting excerpts about the main characters, not just the cut and dry facts about the Revolutionary War taking place on the Pennsylvania and New York frontier. The author tries to give a fair review of the battles taking place from both sides of the war, but is perhaps a little biased in favor of the American Patriots. The book has several maps throughout that help a great deal in following the battles. My only disappointment is that the book ends when the Sullivan Campaign ends, which was not really the end of the Revolutionary War. Only a paragraph in the epilogue refers to Joseph Brant continuing the warfare, as if he alone battled on after Sullivan's campaign. Yet, what was written to that point was the best I have read, so far on the Frontier battles.

Gripping historical narration...better than fiction.......2004-12-13

Eckert is a master at narrating and telling history in as gripping and compelling a fashion as you will find. This entire series is so extremely interesting and filled with drama and information you will not learn in school.

This book, Wilderness War, takes the reader from the end of the French Indian War, through the Revolutionary War in America and tells the tale of the Indian involvement. During this time, the Iroquois League is ripped apart and those strong Indian nations dispossessed of their homelands.

Despite the leadership and commitment of the chief Thayendanegea, their war chief (also known as Joseph Brant), and despite the manueverings and alliance with Sir William Johnson, the mighty Iroquois are defeated.

I would recommend Eckert to anyone desiring a more in depth look at the Indian Wars and the overall history of the Eastern United States.

The series is the most enjoyable reading I've ever done........1999-05-25

I bought the series some years ago and have lost one and would like to replace it. I would also like to have my books autographed by Mr. Eckert.

I have recommended this writer to many friends and have bought the soft cover prints for several.

Into the Wilderness: The Long Hunters
Average customer rating:

Great Story, Not so Great Narration

Disappointed

A very poor, uninteresting historical fiction.

romance during the (pre-) French and Indian War

romance during the (pre-) French and Indian War

Into the Wilderness: The Long Hunters
Rosanne Bittner
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Romance | Subjects | Books
Bittner, Rosanne | ( B ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Historical | Romance | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0765340224

Book Description

Rosanne Bittner launches a new romantic/historical series, Westward America!, which will look at the settling of the United States, with each book moving progressively west into a new location and era. Set in 1785, Into The Wilderness depicts the life of those who settled in the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania. The term "long hunters" refers to "Daniel Boone" type men who hunted for settlements and forts, sometimes leaving for months at a time. Florence ("Flo") Matthews is sixteen, and has her world turned upside down when a mysterious long hunter, Clete Barnes, saves her from a bear attack in the middle of the night outside her parents' cabin. Unable to stop thinking about her soft-spoken savior, Flo eventually tells her parents of her wish to marry Clete, but is warned by her mother that long hunters, with their travelling ways, are never truly able to settle down. Flo and Clete persist and are soon married, but true to form, Clete soon feels that he must go on another hunt if he is to keep sane. While he is gone, Flo and their young son are taken captive by Iroquois, and Flo's life is irrevoably changed. Clete eventually finds his wife and son, but whether she will take him back -- and whether the Iroquois man whose son she has borne will let her go -- remains to be seen.

Customer Reviews:

Great Story, Not so Great Narration.......2004-05-19

I found this book in the book store, and , being a huge fan of historical fiction, I snatched it right up. This book is very well researched, and the character development is really good. The problem is that the authors narration just wasn't up to par with such a big story. The diolog was all right, but overall, the whole story felt rushed, and a little stilted. The thing is that the actual premise of this book is very good, so good that I will most likely read the other two books in this series just to see what happens. So, if you want a read with a great background, than this is for you, just know that sometimes the storytelling isn't that great.

Disappointed.......2002-11-30

I purchased this book with anticipation, ready to sacrifice sleep to devour it in one reading as I have with many other books by this author. I was sorely disappointed. The effort was great, the historical detail thoroughly researched as far as I could tell. What bothered me most is the lack of character in both Noah and Jess. Normally Bittner will bring you so in touch with her characters, it feels as though you are breathing for them at times. Neither Noah or Jess did that for me. I feel their "love" was rushed and even the fact that they spent a good part of the story apart from one another wouldn't have been so bad IF they had developed a true relationship at the beginning. And speaking of rushed, I feel the story itself was entirely too short. I understand that there are two other books following this one but another hundred pages or so could have filled the lacking characterization of hero and heroine.

I am giving a rating of 3 stars as I feel the book isn't completely horrible just lacking the usual depth of emotion and character that Bittner normally delivers.

A very poor, uninteresting historical fiction........2002-09-21

"Into the Wilderness: The Long Hunters" could have been an interesting historical fiction, as it takes place during The French & Indian War, a war that isn't written about often, but it seemed to focus more on how men reacted to war, than history. At times, I was confused with the English side and French side, but a historical note would have cleared things up, but there was none. The romance wasn't all that great, and at times interfered with the story. The relationship between Noah and Jessica happened quickly and didn't have that "courtship" romance. It seemed Noah "loved" Jessica because there was a resemblance to his late wife and Jessica "loved" Noah because she was a young, naive girl who needed to be taken care of, and was flattered that an "experienced" man had taken an interest in her. Both stories, The French & Indian War and the romance, didn't mix well and because of it, I really had no interest in finishing the story. There also should have been an epilogue explaining how the war ended and how Noah and Jessica's life turned out together. I do not recommend.

romance during the (pre-) French and Indian War.......2002-09-04

This book is okay as romance, but not so good at depicting colonial life in the 13 colonies around the time of the French and Indian War. I rate it only "okay" as a romance because I find it a little hard to believe that the 2 main characters could fall in love so quickly and so easily without really knowing eachother. In the case of Jess, I think that hero worship or puppy love or even a crush would better describe her feelings for Noah. The only hint we readers get about Noah's feelings for the teenage Jess (there is a 13 year age gap between them) are based on her appearance--she resembles his (murdered) wife to a certain degree. I also find it a little hard to believe that Noah's bloodlust and quest for revenge for the death of his wife could so easily be sated by Jess. As I was reading this novel, I could not help but think that it resembles the 1992 movie "The last of the Mohicans" in many ways. (I thought that the movie was better.)
Although the author tried to make the romance feel more historical by including actual people from the era such as George Washington, Governor Dinwiddie, Chief Pontiac, DuQuesne, et al., it still lacks enough background to understand why the French and their Indian allies and the English and their Indian allies were so intent upon killing eachother, destroying the settlements, taking captives, etc. I also found it a little hard to believe that any character would be thinking about independence from Great Britain at this time. People in the English colonies still thought of themselves as English, subjects of King George III, and the incidents that led some of the colonists to rebel 20 years after the French and Indian War had not yet occurred (namely, the colonists were taxed on sugar, tea, and stamps in order to pay for the high cost of the French and Indian War, which began in 1755. The British sent troops, advisors, supplies, weapons, etc., all of which cost a great deal of money and which the government in London expected the colonists to contribute to covering the cost of defending them against the French. Many of the captives were ransomed, that is, the governments (usually the colonial governments) paid the French in Canada to release the captive English. The French also paid the English for the release of their own captives. Sometimes captives were exchanged--English for French. Given that her timeline is a bit off, I find it a little hard to believe the story here. I am not suggesting an academic treatise on the subject. There are many excellent books on the French and Indian War. But without a little more information, all I am left with are descriptions of massacres. I also think that more character development would help the story and would help the reader care a little more about the characters. I realize that the author cannot do too much with 16-year-old Jess because she is just a teenager, but she could have more fully developed Noah's character. I suppose to make it more interesting she could have made the female protagonist older--maybe in her mid twenties, too. Her idea was a good one, and she selected an interesting period in colonial history. It is too bad that the story fell short.

romance during the (pre-) French and Indian War.......2002-09-04

To the North Anna River: Grant And Lee, May 13-25, 1864 (Jules and Frances Landry Award Series)

Average customer rating:

The Overland Campaign series
More Civil War
Another gem from Rhea
Grant and Lee's Strategic Dance after Spotsylvania and the Great V
Another Excellent Title of the 1864 Overland Campaign

To the North Anna River: Grant And Lee, May 13-25, 1864 (Jules and Frances Landry Award Series)
Gordon C. Rhea
Manufacturer: Louisiana State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

Strategy | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Cold Harbor: Grant and Lee, May 26-June 3, 1864
The Battles For Spotsylvania Court House And The Road To Yellow Tavern, May 7-12, 1864
The Battle Of The Wilderness, May 5-6, 1864
To The Gates of Richmond: The Peninsula Campaign
The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War on the Rappahannock

ASIN: 0807131113

Book Description

With To the North Anna River, the third book in his outstanding five-book series, Gordon C. Rhea continues his spectacular narrative of the initial campaign between Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee in the spring of 1864. May 13 through 25, a phase oddly ignored by historians, was critical in the clash between the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia. During those thirteen days—an interlude bracketed by horrific battles that riveted the public's attention—a game of guile and endurance between Grant and Lee escalated to a suspenseful draw on Virginia's North Anna River.

From the bloodstained fields of the Mule Shoe to the North Anna River, with Meadow Bridge, Myers Hill, Harris Farm, Jericho Mills, Ox Ford, and Doswell Farm in between, grueling night marches, desperate attacks, and thundering cavalry charges became the norm for both Grant's and Lee's men. But the real story of May 13-25 lay in the two generals' efforts to outfox each other, and Rhea charts their every step and misstep. Realizing that his bludgeoning tactics at the Bloody Angle were ineffective, Grant resorted to a fast-paced assault on Lee's vulnerable points. Lee, outnumbered two to one, abandoned the offensive and concentrated on anticipating Grant's maneuvers and shifting quickly enough to repel them. It was an amazingly equal match of wits that produced a gripping, high-stakes bout of warfare—a test, ultimately, of improvisation for Lee and of perseverance for Grant.

Customer Reviews:

The Overland Campaign series.......2006-07-22

More Civil War.......2006-03-09

I just wrote about the prior volume in this series- Spotsylvaia.
My comments also apply here

Another gem from Rhea.......2006-02-17

Rhea has written the most complete history of Grant's Overland campaign. While many Civil War buffs have read about the most well known Overland campaign battles (the Wilderness, Spotsylvania and Cold Harbor), the time between Spotsylvania and Cold Harbor has often been forgotten. This period, of almost two weeks, is very important to understand if you want to better understand Grant. His insatiable desire to out flank Lee drives him further, and further South. Grant has realized that Richmond is not his target but that the Army of Northern Virginia is. However, Grant has learned, painfully, that frontal assualts on fortified positions spills blood unnecessarily. He must meet Lee on a battlefield of his choice...

Grant and Lee's Strategic Dance after Spotsylvania and the Great V.......2005-09-26

Part three of Rhea's series on the overland campaign, Rhea provides an excellent description from the end of the primary Spotsylvania battle to the real overland maneuvering between Grant and Lee. Supported by a series of maps, Rhea fully describes to the reader the maneuvering that Grant does to try to find a weak spot and out maneuver Lee after the major battles of Spotsylvania are exhausted. As Rhea notes, Lee, without Stuart, tries to guess Grant's next move and guesses well as Grant shifts soldiers back to the Spotsylvania front to attack Lee's left assuming that it has now been weakened as both sides had shifted forces east. But it is held securely by Ewell with well positioned artillery. Rhea describes a horrible maiming of the union attack with bodies from previous fighting still on the field, Ewell's position is virtually a fortress. Rhea also spotlights Lee's audacious maneuver of Ewell way around the Union right to demonstrates against the enemy but Ewell gets snared into a full fledge battle that punishes the 2nd corp. The best part of the book is the highlighting of battles and maneuvers generally lost to the large-scale battles that many authors leave out. An example is the outlining of Grant's move east sending Hancock way out ahead of his army in a vulnerable position, tempting Lee. Lee; however, pulls back down telegraph road south as the Union forces start to follow in two tracks. Rhea also gives great detail on Grant's personal movements along with Meade's, they often seem too far from the front to give appropriate and timely direction. Rhea also addresses the fact that the Army of the Potomac starts to come together, corps commanders seem to improve and Burnside and the 9th finally come under Meade as they should have as opposed to the semi freelance role under Grant. Rhea notes that lacking intelligence, Lee cannot readily comprehend Grant's movements initially along the North Anna and Grant as well does not realize that Lee has not abandoned the North Anna line. All adds to a unique situation with Warren getting across the river west of Lee and Hancock across East of Lee. Lee and his ranking engineer devise the famous inverted V wedge position stopping a central Union crossing leaving both Union wings isolated while the ANV has a extremely strong defensive works. This is the most fascinating aspect of the campaign as Lee has a unique opportunity to strike te isolated union corps but he is stricken with illness and with a weakened command structure, he cannot act timely resulting in Grant making an abrupt withdrawal. I would have liked to see more detail on Lee's health then and its effect on his future command abilities if any. His alternate command options seem limited, Hill often sick, Ewell not performing as he wished at Spotsylvania, Longstreet wounded and Beauregaurd and Bragg all had baggage, perhaps there were no real options. A trying time for the confederates as casualties mount and command is tenuous, it does start the emergence of dynamic future corps leaders. Rhea also provides excellent insight into Grant's role that gradually expands with the Army of the Potomac and he explains the command relationship between Grant and Meade. Rhea also gives a detailed account of the little known battle of Fort Pocahontas where Fitz Lee's attack on African American soldiers on the James goes for naught as these union forces are well fortified and fight very well. After this book, on to Cold Harbor.

Another Excellent Title of the 1864 Overland Campaign.......2005-09-11

In my humble opinion, Gordon Rhea is one of the finest Civil War historians today. His writing style is fair and balanced on the North and South, he compliments and criticizes both sides as he deems appropriate, and battle descriptions are vivid and keep the reader's interest.

To The North Anna River continues Rhea's fine series on the long and bloody 1864 Overland Campaign between Lee and Grant. Admittingly, I knew little of this campaign before reading the book and the title is a great source of information for the often overlooked actions between Wilderness/Spotslyvania and Cold Harbor. I have also not spent much time tramping Civil War battlefields between Fredericksburg and Richmond. Therefore, the book will be invaluable guide should I be able to tour the area sometime in the near future.

The only major complaint I have sounds like a broken record of other Civil War Campaign Studies I have reviewed on amazon.com - the maps. While the maps were of satisfactory quality, there could have been at least 10 more and with more detail.

Still, I heartily recommend the book to anyone interested in the events of mid-late May 1864 between Spotsylvania and Cold Harbor. Read and enjoy! I look forward to readin his title on Cold Harbor and beyond.

Walking It Off: A Veteran's Chronicle of War And Wilderness

Average customer rating:

"Walk on. The feet will inform the soul"
Not what I expected unfortunately
One of the Best!
Vietnam Vet Takes You on a Rugged Journey
A Writer With Integrity

Walking It Off: A Veteran's Chronicle of War And Wilderness
Doug Peacock
Manufacturer: Ewu Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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The Essential Grizzly: The Mingled Fates of Men and Bears
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Postcards from Ed: Dispatches and Salvos from an American Iconoclast
Walking the Big Wild: From Yellowstone to the Yukon on the Grizzly Bears' Trail
On the Wild Edge: In Search of a Natural Life

ASIN: 0910055998

Book Description

When he wrote The Monkey Wrench Gang in 1975, Edward Abbey became the spokesperson for a generation of Americans angered by the unthinking destruction of our natural heritage. Without consultation, Abbey based the central character of eco-guerilla George Washington Hayduke on his friend Doug Peacock. Since then Peacock has become an articulate environmental individualist writing about the West's abundant wildscapes.

Abbey and Peacock had an at times stormy, almost father and son relationship that was peacefully resolved in Abbey's last days before his death in 1989. This rich recollection of their relationship and the dry places they explored are recalled in Peacock's honest and heartfelt style in this poignant memoir.

Customer Reviews:

"Walk on. The feet will inform the soul".......2007-09-07

A warrior's articulations about his war sickness (PTSD) and his fabled relationship with his mentor Ed Abbey. Plenty of recollections about this tumultuous relationship as it unfolds in their hikes and times together. Mostly though, this is a chronicle of one man's struggle to feel peace in his tortured soul by spending as much time as he can in the wilderness.

In many ways, this is a companion volume to "Grizzly Years" (see review).
It is Peacock's further accounts of his life; but it is also about a mellowing, coming-to-terms middle aged warrior who is struggling to transcend much of his war-originated rage by retreats into the Sonoran desert and a return to "The Grizzly Hilton" of his "Grizzly Years" time.

Peacock also does his best to debunk the Hayduke mythology that he had thrust upon him via Abbey's only partially true charicature; the eco-warrior that was really a composite of others, and not much of himself.

Overcoming his psychic scars by walking them off, Peacock writes from his guts, his soul, the guts of his soul. He is a highly articulate guy; there is very good use of descriptive language and use of adjectives here.

He also is one tough hombre. Anyone who stalks grizzly bears armed only with a knife; who gets nailed by a rattler in the calf and hobbles 15 miles back out through the desert sands to a waiting Ed Abbey; and who survives internal bleeding in his esophagus (as did Abbey) at high altitudes in the Himalayas - this guy's got to be tough.

This line from the end of "Walking it Off" may be a vague summary: "I needed to get out in order to look back in"

Highly recommended for those who know the value of personal growth through seasons of solitude.

Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts

The Cloud Reckoner

Not what I expected unfortunately.......2007-08-02

"Walking it off" dwells too much on Peacock's feelings for Ed Abbey and tells you very little about his Viet Nam experiences or even himself.
It was a very disappointing read for me.

One of the Best!.......2007-01-11

This is one of the best books I have ever read. I am currently on my 3rd year in Iraq, so I find myself relating to this book very strongly. I have read everything that Edward Abbey has ever written and have a strong fascination with the southwest US. It was with great pleasure and sadness to read about his final days here. This book is one that I will continue to read and re-read for the rest of my life, as I believe it will speak to the reader differently depending on where they are in life at that moment. If you are only going to buy one book, this should be it.

Vietnam Vet Takes You on a Rugged Journey.......2006-11-28

Hayduke... I mean Doug Peacock has a few things he wants to get off his chest in his book "Walking It Off." (I love the title of this book!) And like most deep, emotional scars they take the combination of time and solitude to focus light on. Peacock is drawn - more like pulled - into wild places around the world. His journey is less about protraying the surrounding wilderness, but instead using it like a mirror.

A mirror onto himself - a mirror to reflect on the tradegy of the Vietnam War, the loss of his companion and teacher, Ed Abbey, and the fragments of a broken marriage. Certainly not easy stuff to grapple with, much less commit to the pages of a book. But you sense in this book, that Peacock is a warrior. Not the same warrior he started as, but a transformed sort of warrior. Much of his transformation happened while he got to know Abbey. Peacock shares his memories of Abbey.

I got the sense that Abbey's portrayal of Peacock as the character Hayduke in both The Monkey Wrench Gang and Hayduke Lives proved to be a mixed blessing to the author. On the one hand, there's extreme pride in being the first, Eco-warrior, poster-boy. On the other, the popularity of this take-no-prisoner, accept-no-compromise Hayduke character only served to paint Peacock into a much smaller corner. He wanted to be something more than this inspirational character for the new enivronmental movement. What exactly that "something" is for Peacock, he doesn't always know. But he knows what will get him closer -- shoulder a backpack and start walking.

We see Peacock's image of himself steadily change while he shares his encounters with the forces which shaped his life. It's an honest self-portrait softened by time and contrasted against a wonderful and rugged landscape.

A Writer With Integrity.......2006-10-15

Because I am a HUGE Edward Abbey fan, I really enjoyed this book. It gave some wonderful insights into Abbey's personality, but more importantly, showed me the real person behind Abbey's most famous character--George W. Hayduke.

First, the Abbey stuff was very good. Peacock didn't put lipstick and rouge on the warts--he told it like it was, and for that, he gained a lot of credibility with me. (This is opposed to that other guy, Loeffler, who wrote a similar autobiography that I think Abbey would be ashamed of.) He opens his soul to the reader, which is something that I wouldn't have expected of Hayduke, and for this I am very greatful, as I feel that I understand Abbey much better because of it.

Second, because he opens his soul, we get to compare the gruff and verbally challenged Hayduke to the complicated, highly pensive and articulate Doug Peacock. This vantage point shows how perfectly Abbey nailed him in some regard, and yet how different the paint on the canvass is from the subject. Peacock is definetly disturbed, gruff, stoic, self absorbed (ala Hayduke), but he's also highly intelligent, pensive, and well-travelled.

This is a must read for the Abbey fan, although I'm not sure how much anyone else would get out of it. For this reason, and for Peacock's writing style, which at times became too verbose and poetically strained, I'm giving it only four stars. Besides, there are waaayyyy too many 5 star ratings out there, and I must preserve my integrity, too.

Hayduke Lives!!! And I'm very glad to know it!

Average customer rating:

A universe of the swamp
A Cajun Heart of Darkness?
The Clearing
Thanks For Recommending This Book John!
Like William Gay? Like Jeffrey Lent? You'll love Gautreaux,

The Clearing: A Novel
Tim Gautreaux
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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The Next Step in the Dance : A Novel
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The Long Home

ASIN: 1400030536
Release Date: 2004-05-11

Amazon.com

In Tim Gautreaux's first novel, The Next Step in the Dance, the author staked a literary claim to Louisiana bayou country. In his second novel, The Clearing, he colonizes that claim. The atmosphere of the novel is humid and snake-infested, a swamp alive with mosquitoes and hungry alligators, stinkbugs and stench, flooding and freezing alternately. The setting provides a fitting backdrop for the bare subsistence lives of the people who live there.

The time is 1923, the place a family-owned mill, and the people a motley collection made up of a manager from Pennsylvania, his brother the constable, poor white and black loggers, three women, Sicilians, and polyglot Cajuns. Byron, the constable, a golden boy before the war, eldest son and heir apparent to a timber fortune, returned from France a damaged man, no longer interested in family or future. He drifted away from home and lost contact. When the novel begins, he has been found in this Louisiana backwater and his brother, Randolph, is dispatched to manage the family mill until the cypress forest is cleared and to bring Byron home. What happens to them in this hermetically sealed redoubt is a story of intense and forgiving brotherly love, as Randolph struggles to reclaim Byron and to maintain decency against formidable odds. They must deal with the Sicilians who own the gambling, liquor and women and will do anything to hang onto this franchise; the loggers who work and fight in equal part; and each other, not as the boys they were, but as the men they are.

You might learn more about old-time logging than you ever wanted to know, but the story is as compelling as Cold Mountain or All the Pretty Horses and just as well written. --Valerie Ryan

Book Description

In his critically acclaimed new novel, Tim Gautreaux fashions a classic and unforgettable tale of two brothers struggling in a hostile world.
In a lumber camp in the Louisiana cypress forest, a world of mud and stifling heat where men labor under back-breaking conditions, the Aldridge brothers try to repair a broken bond. Randolph Aldridge is the mill’s manager, sent by his father—the mill owner—to reform both the damaged mill and his damaged older brother. Byron Aldridge is the mill's lawman, a shell-shocked World War I veteran given to stunned silences and sudden explosions of violence that make him a mystery to Randolph and a danger to himself. Deep in the swamp, in this place of water moccasins, whiskey, and wild card games, these brothers become embroiled in a lethal feud with a powerful gangster. In a tale full of raw emotion as supple as a saw blade, The Clearing is a mesmerizing journey into the trials that define men’s souls.

Customer Reviews:

A universe of the swamp.......2007-10-09

This is a novel that is just so big in so many ways. The characters are unforgettable, the hellhole they inhabit is unforgiving and the people they are in conflict with are ruthless. This is a novel with a real plot, but also with vividly drawn, totally believable characters.

Tim Gautreaux is a very talented writer and this is my first exposure to his writing.

A Cajun Heart of Darkness?.......2007-06-20

That Tim Gautreaux is a very talented writer there can be no doubt. He is well known for his short fiction and has even been called by some critics the "voice of Louisiana". Gautreaux understands what makes good fiction and in his short stories he has crafted believable characters and events that are handled in a style that rivals some of the great Southern writers. Some writers excel in the short fiction category but can never quite extend this ability to the novel form; Larry Brown (who does for north Mississippi what Gautreaux does for south Louisiana) is one such example - and I think that this is true for this author. Unshackled from the space restrictions of the short story, often their novels ramble, are overly episodic and the characters, more often than not, come across as half realized and driven by forces that are often exaggerated or untenable.

Not surprisingly, the first part of the novel has the feel of a short story with its tightly wrought introduction to the scene of the action and the principle characters. The description of the journey of Randolph Aldridge from Pittsburgh to the deep recesses of a Louisiana cypress swamp is excellent, and the section describing the river boat portion of that trip brought back remembrances of Conrad's Heart of Darkness. The book centers around the two Aldridge brothers, Randloph and his Kurtz-like elder brother, Byron. Byron Aldridge is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder acquired during his experiences in World War I, and has removed himself from family and friends. He is now working as a lawman in Nimbus, Louisiana, a lumber mill deep in the swamps, and has become immune to any moral restrictions on killing and maiming. When he is not dispensing justice in his back water jurisdiction, he drinks and listens to maudlin recordings on his Victrola. In a bit too contrived plot setup, the brothers' wealthy father has bought the mill in order that Randolph would have an excuse to try to bring his elder brother back to the family and life that he knew before the war.

Once he has brought the two brothers together, Gautreaux seems a little lost as how to proceed and the novel dissolves into a very convoluted tale of cypress lumbering, drunken bar room fights, moccasins and alligators, murder and revenge, late night involuntary trysts with a sexy housekeeper (you'll have to read the book) and the Sicilian mafia. Any attentive reader knows exactly what is going to happen as the peace loving younger brother is thrown into this "gumbo of confusion" (as Gautreaux nicely puts it), and is slowly immunized from the violence around him. That this immunization becomes overly dramatic, as well as overly scripted, underscores the weakness of the book. Although the majority of the characters never really come to life, the old Cajun marshall, Merville, is a brilliantly developed character but, unfortunately, plays only a peripheral role in the story. And there is one particularly brilliant scene which ends the novel, in which the two brothers, having cut every standing cypress within miles, abandons, in a most cowardly way, the old blind horse at the sawmill: a fitting metaphor for the greed and recklesslness of their lumbring venture. Because his plot is so over the top and the author really never gets control, he falls back on his literary talent for coming up with inventive similes and metaphors: "A pair of eyes opened, boiled eggs floating in a Tabasco of pain"; the blind horse has "eyes the color of a sun-clouded beer bottle"; Randolph "rose to wakefulness the way a Louisiana coffin pushes up out of the mud after a week-long rain." This is all very fine, but a good novel needs more than finely written metaphors.

The Clearing.......2007-05-12

very much like Conrad's _Heart of Darkness_ and equally difficult to read... is this what you call a men's novel?

Thanks For Recommending This Book John!.......2006-06-16

This is a beautifully written novel set in the Louisiana Backwoods Bayou Country. Randolph Aldridge is a quest to save his brother in the mean world of alligators, swamps and hard working and hard drinking men who live for their next paycheck and the next shot of hard liquor.Upon his arrival he has to deal with primitive attitudes and a way of life that seems alien to most people who live in big cities. As far as I am concerned John Steinbeck owns Monterey and the Salinas Valley but Louissiana belongs to Tim Gautreaux.

Like William Gay? Like Jeffrey Lent? You'll love Gautreaux,.......2006-04-05

With Jeffrey Lent, William Gay and Kent Haruf jostling for room on the cover, so as to offer blurbs of admiration, you know exactly where Tim Gautreaux's novel is coming from. Set in his native Louisiana just after the First World War, The Clearing is one of those rich southern tales of a community trying to establish itself in the face of lawlessness and harsh unforgiving elements.
As Randolph Aldridge travels south from Pennsylvania by train and boat watching the wilderness unfold and the violence increase, I pictured William Blake making the same kind of journey in Jim Jarmusch's film, Dead Man.
Randolph goes to take charge of a sawmill at the end of the line - a marshland where the workers take it in turns to watch the night for the gleam of hungry alligators' yellow eyes - but is really there to track down his long lost brother, Byron, who, after returning from the Great War, has sought refuge in the wasteland where he deals out rough justice with a spade to the brutes that drink themselves stupid after their toil and sweat in the mill.
Like Gay, Gautreaux is a master of using elemental description to create thick atmosphere: "A hard steady wind kicked up from the south, pushing a tide that crept into the mill yard like pooling blood." "He got up and dressed, walking blindly out into the street, stumbling around a broad puddle lying like a filthy mirror, the moon imbedded in it like a vandal's rock."
The workers' only relief comes from the Sicilian owned saloon with gambling, whores and liquor. Inside is "a burled fog of hand-rolled smoke that stuck in the room like back-lit cotton".
Examining these uneducated men and women who struggle in the inhospitable swamps trying to make sense of life Gautreaux explores the foundations of modern civilisation. The men are "leftovers of the great killing". Not lucky enough for a quick death they remained to endure "the slower mortality of hate, which they would pass on to their children and grand children like crooked teeth and club feet".
Although the story revels in the reality of such a hostile and unsympathetic environment and time, it is a tale of transition. The coming of the "copper wire" means an end to this way of life. "Like a vein, it would soon run head to foot through the body of the world." So that "anyone who witnesses wrongdoing could call for a policeman or a newspaperman. People would know everything, because the phones weren't just ears and voices but eyes as well."
Byron embodies the innocence scarred by the war but forced to finally confront the tragedy and move on. His longing for the unburdened past is wonderfully realised through his wallowing nostalgia in old records.
Randolph is also touched by the force of music. "He pulled the accordion against him like a lover, his fingers wandering for the melody, and the way a hand finds a doorknob in a midnight hallway, he found the song, playing his way into it, hoping the missing words would come and ride the notes against the silence."
Even the landscape, so real you can feel the dirt under your fingernails, is something to be mourned. Randolph, standing in the ruins of the cleared woods, sees a blind horse left behind. "The animal had listened to everything coming apart and knew what was happening, that the human world was a temporary thing, a piece of junk that used up the earth and then was consumed itself by the world it tried to destroy. When Randolph understood what the animal knew, a bottomless sadness crawled over him like a winter fog come out of the swamp at night. He thought of the cottages and shutters made out of this woods and of the money in his Pennsylvania bank account, but looking at the horse he could see no worth in any of it."
This is a mesmerising and magical evocation of a past that informs modern America. It is deeply sad and tragic. Pour a whisky, stick on a bluegrass record, and enjoy the tense climax that comes as inevitably as a train on a downhill slope with no brakes.

Through the Howling Wilderness: The 1864 Red River Campaign and Union Failure in the West

Average customer rating:

GREAT FOLLOW-UP
Great Book on Civil War at the western front.
Excellent book on a little known piece of Civil War history
The Story of the Civil War Battles Up the Red River
Great Complement For "One Damn Blunder"

Through the Howling Wilderness: The 1864 Red River Campaign and Union Failure in the West
Gary D. Joiner
Manufacturer: Univ Tennessee Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

Strategy | Military | History | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

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Little to Eat and Thin Mud to Drink: Letters, Diaries, and Memoirs from the Red River Campaigns, 1863-1864 (Voices of the Civil War Series.)

ASIN: 1572335440

Customer Reviews:

GREAT FOLLOW-UP.......2007-08-31

Having previously read "One Damn Blunder," I wasn't too sure whether I would get much additional information from this effort. However, I was pleasantly surprised! The book was very informative, easy to read and follow, yet still had a scholarly approach in the presentation. This will definitely be a "keeper" in my library on the Red River Campaign.

Great Book on Civil War at the western front........2007-08-06

Very little has been written on this subject, the war in Louisiana, and why Texas was never really invaded by the armies of the northern aggression (a little humor here). This book is very readable the author knows his subject and has a passion for it. He covers tactical facts along side of the strategic. The ingenuity of Americans at war is shown by measures and countermeasures each side took in this tragic war of brothers. This is a small book with a lot of information. My great grandfather only four generations removed was a private in the 4th (7th) Louisiana Calvary(Bush's) who was a participate and POW during this fighting but this book will hold the attention of anyone interested in the history of The war for southern independence (the American Civil War for you yamn dankees ,a little more of that humor). A really good read.

Excellent book on a little known piece of Civil War history.......2006-12-03

The purpose of the Red River Campaign had little to do with the Confederacy itself. Northern textile mills were not doing so well without a steady supply of raw material, and the Union had designs on what they thought was a large supply of cotton just waiting for them in Texas and Louisiana. Also, the French had just recently installed their own puppet emperor, Maximillian, on the throne of Mexico. The Union wanted to make sure that France did not decide to use the Civil War as an opportunity to expand its dominance even further.

The Louisiana Department fought in the Jacksonian fashion with insufficient troops. The Confederates eventually had no choice but to retreat, and all of the Louisiana territory they left in their wake fell under Union control. The Union forces reached the Natchitoches area, remained there a few days, and then took a road to Mansfield toward Shreveport. On April 8, 1864 the Union forces were stretched out over a wide area when they encountered a concentrated Confederate force just outside of Mansfield. The Confederates attacked, and the Union, even with the arrival of reinforcements, was routed. This was a humiliating loss for the Union resulting in the death of 700 men and 1,500 more being taken prisoner. The Confederates also captured quite a stash of artillery, wagons, and horses from the Union forces. Thus the Union managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. However, the Confederate victory was not complete, thus this really didn't change the slow road to defeat that the Confederacy was on at the time.

This book examines all of this, including what might have been and the mistakes that were made on both sides, concerning this lesser known campaign of the Civil War. I found it particularly fascinating, being a native Texan, that Texas actually attracted the Union's military attention. Many Texans fought and died during the Civil War, but the vast majority did so on battlefields far from home in Virginia, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania.

The Story of the Civil War Battles Up the Red River.......2006-12-03

The battles in the Trans-Mississippi section of the Confederacy have been generally ignored by historians more concerned with battles in places like Vicksburg, Atlanta, and Gettysberg.

This book seems destined to become the standard book on the Red River campaign. It covers in great detail the cooperation between the Union Army and Navy in preparing for and in carrying out the campaign. It also covers the Confederate responses to the invasion.

After reading virtually nothing about the Trans-Mississippi, I find it strange that this year two books came out covering this aspect of the war. The other book, which I also highly recomment is Michael J. Martin's 'A History of the 4th Wisconsin Infantry and Cavalry in the Civil War.' The 4th Winconson was also a part of Banks army but presents the story from an entirely different light.

Great Complement For "One Damn Blunder".......2006-11-29

What a joy to finally have another book from Gary Joiner! I've thoroughly enjoyed every one of his outings, and he does not disapoint again. I am a little perplexed, however by the first reviewer's one star assesment of this book. I'm not sure he was reading the same book the rest of us were. This book does not in any way shape or form repeat any information from Joiner's last book, "One Damn Blunder", but complements it. In fact, having read "One Damn Blunder" made "Through the Howling Wilderness" an even more enjoyable read.

My suggestion-- order both. You will not be dissapointed.

The Night Is for Hunting (Tomorrow Series)

Average customer rating:

The Night Is For Hunting
Book 6 of 7 in Tomorrow Series
The greatest war story/ comming of age tail ever told
Very good, as always
The best read in the world

The Night Is for Hunting (Tomorrow Series)
John Marsden
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Adventure & Thrillers | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books

General | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books

Other Side Of Dawn (Tomorrow)
Burning For Revenge (Tomorrow)
Darkness Be My Friend (Tomorrow)
Killing Frost (Tomorrow)
Tomorrow #2: The Dead Of Night (Tomorrow)

ASIN: 0618070265

Book Description

Hell's a big place, but it gets crowded when Ellie and her friends take an uncooperative crew of orphans under their wing and into their hidden refuge. It's not easy to keep four young children busy and happy in the bush, and things only get worse when Ellie and Homer find evidence that mysterious visitors have discovered their sanctuary. Could it be a patrol of enemy soldiers sent on a search and destroy mission? They find out all too soon.
In a time and place where war robs your identity, makes you forget your past and fear your future, it seems impossible for Ellie to make sense of a world that is quickly falling apart. And after a peaceful food raid turns into a nightmarish fight for survival, escape back to Hell seems hopeless.
Ellie, Fi, Homer, Lee, and Kevin brave the worst in this electrifying continuation of their battle to stay alive and sane in a war zone that was once their home.
The Night Is for Hunting is the sixth book in the Tomorrow When the War Began series.

Customer Reviews:

The Night Is For Hunting.......2006-12-21

The book The Night is for Hunting is a sequel and an excellent, well-written book

by John Marshen. It is about a group of teenagers who are caught up in a war. The group

comes upon a Circle of friends that are starving, dirty kids who mug them. When enemy

soldiers envied the bombed city, they head for there hideout, hell. The kids that journey

to hell only to find it have been overrun with enemy soldiers. After the solders are

supposedly gone, the kids disappear. With one of them dead and the rest with gashes and

broken bones, there is no hope for them. Whale the teenagers are gun fighting with

Themselves and the remaining, growing treat of the enemy soldiers. With another kid

dead, they decide to find there back to hell. When they get back, they find bodies

in addition, one teenager dead. Together the teenagers and the kids team up and fight off

the enemy. Only ending in disaster for them. With little ammunition and even less hope,

they attempt to rob a food truck for food, but only getting them arrested. Now they

decided they have to break out. Will they survive? After all life is like a car chase, fast

and unpredictable.

I strongly recommend this book to those who thirsts for adventure. The Night is

For hunting is a truly awesome book.

Book 6 of 7 in Tomorrow Series.......2005-11-11

This may be the weakest volume in the Tomorrow series. It is still a non-stop page turner, but it didn't have the action you'd expect after reading the first 5 volumes. The story is mostly about dealing with a band of feral orphans of the war. They cause constant trouble and frustration for Ellie, and the others. This is the only book in the series that leaves a cliffhanger at the end to get you crying for the finale...which I will start to read as soon as I finish this review.

The greatest war story/ comming of age tail ever told.......2002-06-30

I was first introduced to this serioes at school, we were assigned to read it for English, before this book all books assigned to us in school were all garbage and I expected the same, as did most the other students in my class, most wouldnt bother to read it, so the teacher read it aloud in class, for most of it upuntil the half way mark I ignored most of it, until it dawned on me that this book was actualy sounding o.k. When I got home i got my copy from the bookshelf and actualy started to read it, and I read at any chance I had, and when I finished I read the second and third and then had to wait while the rest were written and released
The amazing story starts off with a group of teenagers going camping, and when they return the find the Australia has been taken over by another country, they go to the bush again to hide, but can't just sit back and do nothing and decide to fight back in what ever way they can, although unconventional, when all is said and done and the series is over they made a huge impact on the war, sometimes planned, sometimes fluked, of coarse not all survive and with every loss you can not help but feel the emotional pain of the others, it is the best comming of age story I have read, and although it is listed as a young adult series, it will be unforgetable to all ages and you will develop a bond with Ellie, Homer, Kevin and the rest of the gang, I have never fell in love with any fictional charactors the way I did with these guys, not even in T.V series
A story like this comes along once in a life time, do not, and I mean do not missss this book

Very good, as always.......2002-04-20

The Tomorrow series may be the best seven books I've ever read. John Marsden is an excellent writer, and he almost make me think that this war is real.
But this book probably is the worst of the seven. It wasn't such a thrill reading it as the others, as this book's just made to build up the tension for the grand finale in "The Other Side of Dawn". The only thing that really happens is that they run a daycare center for some feral kids, and that they get aware of soldiers lurking outside Hell.
Luckily, Marsden can with his spell-binding writing still capture the reader in this book.

The best read in the world.......2002-01-23

This is the story of the century. This is a definite must read. This is part of one of the most phenominal series of this century. This gripping story will have you guessing. The details will set a scene all its own. With a cliffhanger, it will leave you begging for the next book.

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