Koncocoo

Best Historical Canadian Biographies

Champlain's Dream
The historical record is unclear on whether Champlain was baptized Protestant or Catholic, but he fought in France's religious wars for the man who would become Henri IV, one of France's greatest kings, and like Henri, he was religiously tolerant in an age of murderous sectarianism. Sailing frequently between France and Canada, he maneuvered through court intrigue in Paris and negotiated among more than a dozen Indian nations in North America to establish New France. Throughout his three decades in North America, Champlain remained committed to a remarkable vision, a Grand Design for France's colony. Fischer, Pulitzer Prize–winner for Washington's Crossing , has produced the definitive biography of Samuel de Champlain (1567–1635): spy, explorer, courtier, soldier, sailor, ethnologist, mapmaker, and founder and governor of New France (today's Quebec), which he founded in 1608. (Oct.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Throughout, the author maintains a professional interest in separating fact from fiction: "Because he is a rigorous historian, not a historical novelist, [Fischer] is always scrupulous about drawing a firm line between facts and inferences," claims the reviewer for the New York Times Book Review .
Reviews
"By uncovering Champlain's life, Fischer teaches us a grand overview of an era of French history, the founding of Canada, and, most importantly, the contrast of Champlain's approach to the New World as compared that of the Spanish, Dutch and English. It caused me to ponder how different the history of the United States might have been had we had more people like Champlain among the founding fathers and framers of the Constitution."
"One of my favorite aspects of the paperback version is all the maps and images included in the text. I'm not sure if this is an Amazon problem or a publisher problem, but the maps need to be very high res for them to be useful to the reader."
"It must be pretty daunting for an author to sit down and start writing a biography of a man whose date of birth is unknown and whose image survives only in artists' and sculptors' imaginings, all of them likely a good deal off the mark."
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The Floor of Heaven: A True Tale of the Last Frontier and the Yukon Gold Rush
In a true-life tale that rivets from the first page, we meet Charlie Siringo, a top-hand sharp-shooting cowboy who becomes one of the Pinkerton Detective Agency’s shrewdest; George Carmack, a California-born American Marine who’s adopted by an Indian tribe, raises a family with a Taglish squaw, and makes the discovery that starts off the Yukon Gold Rush; and Jefferson "Soapy" Smith, a sly and inventive conman who rules a vast criminal empire. The most unusual aspect of Howard Blum’s brilliantly readable new book is that while it’s clearly a non-fiction Western story, it takes place along the border of Canada, not Mexico, and is centered on the Yukon Gold Rush, in Alaska, rather than Texas. To say that it reads like a novel is a cliché of course--people say that about half the non-fiction books published, and it’s mostly not true--but in this case Howard Blum’s narrative skill is such that The Floor of Heaven does read like a novel, and a rich and entertaining one at that. Blum manages to make this exciting reading--the first fifty pages of the book, in which he “sets up” the event and his major characters are so artfully done that one only gradually realizes that these are real people, not fictional characters, and that Blum has in fact done a painstaking job of research, and uncovered a remarkable amount of documentation--in fact his main problem, as he himself notes, is that these people left too much material behind them, not any lack of it. As in Larry McMurtry’s books, the villains and heroes of the West were so busy telling their stories to writers while they were still alive and kicking that it’s a wonder they ever found time to rob a bank. Blum’s chief characters, are a Marine Corps deserter named George Carmack, whose discovery sets off the stampede to the Yukon, a flamboyant western villain named “Soapy” Smith, and a cowboy turned Pinkerton detective named Charlie Siringo, and it would be a disservice to the reader to tell the story of the interaction between them, which is full of suspense, and includes, at the very end, a real-life western gunfight.
Reviews
"I would read this book before or while traveling the inside passage."
"Blum is a history buffs author."
"My son liked this book."
"I'll never travel to Juneau again without thinking about the story told in this book."
"Blum weaves three stories together to paint a vivid picture of a fascinating period of North American life right at the turning point from wild West to settled America."
"A good combination to show many different aspects of the people involved."
"A very long but excellent book."
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Grass Beyond the Mountains: Discovering the Last Great Cattle Frontier on the North American Continent (Canadian Nature Classics)
Three cowhands with a dream of owning a cattle ranch make a heroic pioneer trek across uncharted mountain ranges to open up the frontier grasslands in northern British Columbia during the early 1930s. Richmond P. Hobson Jr. (1907-1966) was born in Washington, DC, where he worked with pack outfits, survey crews, and construction gangs, saving, all the while, to buy a cattle ranch.
Reviews
"The book included a great deal of detail about the geography of British Columbia, the scenery, vegetation and also about the horses, their names, their behavior, trail ride struggles, etc."
"finally a real life settling of the west, this should be mandatory reading by all school age children, these renditions of what can be accomplished through hard work and perseverance could be the ground work of teaching todays young people that there was more to making their lives worth while if you could understand that these hardy pioneers opened up the glorious landscape and left a legacy for todays generations that can be preserved in more ways than pushing buttons on a keyboard."
"This was a riveting and true account of the trials and tribulations surrounding visionaries of the 1930's cattle business in a land so isolated but full of potential."
"This was a fascinating book about cattle ranching in the far north."
"Grass Beyond the Mountains is the story of two American Cowboys who head to northern British Columbia and start cattle ranching."
"outstanding read... shows what people are capable of when they have a goal in mind."
"The reading was easy, the scenery well explained."
"I couldn't put it down--and when I finished Grass Beyond the Mountains, I immediately started to read the next book in the series, Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy."
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Best Canadian Historical Biographies

Canada
In this instant national bestseller, comedy superstar Mike Myers writes from the (true patriot) heart about his 53-year relationship with his beloved Canada. Mike Myers is a world-renowned actor, director and writer, and the man behind some of the most memorable comic characters of our time. With this, his first book, Mike brings his love for Canada to the fore at a time when the country is once again looking ahead with hope and national pride. This beautifully designed book is illustrated in colour (and not color) throughout, and its visual treasures include personal photographs and Canadiana from the author's own collection. Canada is a memoir that doubles as a celebration of the country, chock full of personal and cultural pictures and artifacts." "A treasure trove of all things Canuck as Myers documents his life and offers humorous and thoughtful reflections on the country—from its history to its pop culture and unique brands." "In this love letter to the Great White North, [Mike Myers] fondly points out the quirks and qualities of our nation. "[Mike Myers] doffs the Wayne Campbell ball cap to wear other hats in the pop-cultural book: historian, linguist, sociologist and fervid Maple Leafs fan. The book focuses on the impact that Canadian culture—from CBC to the Toronto Maple Lears to Expo 67—had on Myers' early life, and the ways it still influences him today. Add references to the all-Canadian traits of good manners, fairness, inclusivity, self-depreciation and mellowness, and you've got Myers' personal picture of Canada."
Reviews
"Mike Myers tells about his life of living in Canada from 1963 to 1983 and some interesting facts about the country. In 1867, Canada got its independence peacefully from Britain through a piece of British legislation called the British North America Act. The Canadian accent has some of its own pronunciations of some words."
"Love it because it all things Canadian."
"This a great book for those who want to understand a bit of what it is like to grow up in Canada or want to understand how Canadian's see the world."
"Very comforting and funny."
"I grew up in Pennsylvania, but Mike Meyer's charming and compelling memoir of Canada left the faint taste of maple syrup in my mouth."
"Excellent book as rated by a fellow Canadian living in the US since 1992."
"Brought back so many memories and things I had forgotten."
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Best History eBooks of Canadian First Nations

The Floor of Heaven: A True Tale of the Last Frontier and the Yukon Gold Rush
In a true-life tale that rivets from the first page, we meet Charlie Siringo, a top-hand sharp-shooting cowboy who becomes one of the Pinkerton Detective Agency’s shrewdest; George Carmack, a California-born American Marine who’s adopted by an Indian tribe, raises a family with a Taglish squaw, and makes the discovery that starts off the Yukon Gold Rush; and Jefferson "Soapy" Smith, a sly and inventive conman who rules a vast criminal empire. The most unusual aspect of Howard Blum’s brilliantly readable new book is that while it’s clearly a non-fiction Western story, it takes place along the border of Canada, not Mexico, and is centered on the Yukon Gold Rush, in Alaska, rather than Texas. To say that it reads like a novel is a cliché of course--people say that about half the non-fiction books published, and it’s mostly not true--but in this case Howard Blum’s narrative skill is such that The Floor of Heaven does read like a novel, and a rich and entertaining one at that. Blum manages to make this exciting reading--the first fifty pages of the book, in which he “sets up” the event and his major characters are so artfully done that one only gradually realizes that these are real people, not fictional characters, and that Blum has in fact done a painstaking job of research, and uncovered a remarkable amount of documentation--in fact his main problem, as he himself notes, is that these people left too much material behind them, not any lack of it. As in Larry McMurtry’s books, the villains and heroes of the West were so busy telling their stories to writers while they were still alive and kicking that it’s a wonder they ever found time to rob a bank. Blum’s chief characters, are a Marine Corps deserter named George Carmack, whose discovery sets off the stampede to the Yukon, a flamboyant western villain named “Soapy” Smith, and a cowboy turned Pinkerton detective named Charlie Siringo, and it would be a disservice to the reader to tell the story of the interaction between them, which is full of suspense, and includes, at the very end, a real-life western gunfight.
Reviews
"I would read this book before or while traveling the inside passage."
"Blum is a history buffs author."
"My son liked this book."
"I'll never travel to Juneau again without thinking about the story told in this book."
"Blum weaves three stories together to paint a vivid picture of a fascinating period of North American life right at the turning point from wild West to settled America."
"A good combination to show many different aspects of the people involved."
"A very long but excellent book."
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Best Pre-Confederation Canadian History

Champlain's Dream
The historical record is unclear on whether Champlain was baptized Protestant or Catholic, but he fought in France's religious wars for the man who would become Henri IV, one of France's greatest kings, and like Henri, he was religiously tolerant in an age of murderous sectarianism. Sailing frequently between France and Canada, he maneuvered through court intrigue in Paris and negotiated among more than a dozen Indian nations in North America to establish New France. Throughout his three decades in North America, Champlain remained committed to a remarkable vision, a Grand Design for France's colony. Fischer, Pulitzer Prize–winner for Washington's Crossing , has produced the definitive biography of Samuel de Champlain (1567–1635): spy, explorer, courtier, soldier, sailor, ethnologist, mapmaker, and founder and governor of New France (today's Quebec), which he founded in 1608. (Oct.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Throughout, the author maintains a professional interest in separating fact from fiction: "Because he is a rigorous historian, not a historical novelist, [Fischer] is always scrupulous about drawing a firm line between facts and inferences," claims the reviewer for the New York Times Book Review .
Reviews
"By uncovering Champlain's life, Fischer teaches us a grand overview of an era of French history, the founding of Canada, and, most importantly, the contrast of Champlain's approach to the New World as compared that of the Spanish, Dutch and English. It caused me to ponder how different the history of the United States might have been had we had more people like Champlain among the founding fathers and framers of the Constitution."
"One of my favorite aspects of the paperback version is all the maps and images included in the text. I'm not sure if this is an Amazon problem or a publisher problem, but the maps need to be very high res for them to be useful to the reader."
"It must be pretty daunting for an author to sit down and start writing a biography of a man whose date of birth is unknown and whose image survives only in artists' and sculptors' imaginings, all of them likely a good deal off the mark."
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Best Canadian Province & Local History eBooks

Up, Up, and Away: The Kid, the Hawk, Rock, Vladi, Pedro, le Grand Orange, Youppi!, the CrazyBusiness of Baseball, and the Ill-fated but Unforgettable Montreal Expos
The author of the New York Times baseball bestseller The Extra 2% (Ballantine/ESPN Books), Keri is one of the new generation of high-profile sports writers equally facile with sabermetrics and traditional baseball reporting. He has interviewed everyone for this book (EVERYONE: including the ownership that allowed the team to be moved), and fans can expect to hear from just about every player and personality from the Expos' unforgettable 35 years in baseball. He has previously contributed to ESPN.com, SI.com, Baseball Prospectus , the New York Times , the Wall Street Journal , and wrote the flagship stock market column for Investor's Business Daily .
Reviews
"Good but not great."
"I think my favorite story is this though (about a player, despite my being a Yankee fan, that I deeply admire) on pages 379-380: After winning the World Series in 2004, a microphone was thrust in Pedro Martinez's face. The baseball strike was probably the crippling blow to the Expos franchise, but a few other things also did them in: (1) a number of major Canadian businesses moved out of Montreal after the 1980 and 1995 failed votes to separate Quebec from Canada -- this took away a number of financial backers, advertisers and ticket buyers. (2) the Toronto Blue Jays took over radio and broadcast rights in Ontario and much of Canada, reducing the Expos from being the Canadian team to just a regional team. (3) the mass sell-off of players in 94 (Wetteland, Grissom, Hill and allowing Walker to leave as a free agent). (4) the trade of Pedro Martinez after 1997. (5) Olympic Stadium was not a good baseball venue for the non-hardcore fans and it was somewhat inaccessible and in a barren area. (6) Jeff Loria - it was interesting that Keri did not savage Loria. Loria did nothing to engender the people of Montreal to him and he made a number of questionable financial deals and short-sighted business moves. I am an ardent Tim Raines supporter and did not need the book to inform me how deserving of a HOF plague he is."
"Especially as the Expos attendance fell dramatically and single A teams were outdrawing a major league club."
"Good, long enjoyable read that really draws you into the history of a forgotten team."
"The author laments the loss of the Expos in Montreal which have now become the Washington Nationals.but holds out a slim hope that Montreal may once again become a major league team."
"But a very fun, and well-written book nonetheless."
"The story of the Expos tells us much about baseball, Canadian politics, and the business side of sports."
"If you have a special connection with the team I'd imagine it's a must read."
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Best Historical Asian Biographies

Elephant Company: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him SaveLives in World War II
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK The remarkable story of James Howard “Billy” Williams, whose uncanny rapport with the world’s largest land animals transformed him from a carefree young man into the charismatic war hero known as Elephant Bill. Billy Williams came to colonial Burma in 1920, fresh from service in World War I, to a job as a “forest man” for a British teak company. In a Hollywood-worthy climax, Elephant Company, cornered by the enemy, attempted a desperate escape: a risky trek over the mountainous border to India, with a bedraggled group of refugees in tow. Elephant Bill’s exploits would earn him top military honors and the praise of famed Field Marshal Sir William Slim. Blending biography, history, and wildlife biology, [Vicki Constantine] Croke’s story is an often moving account of [Billy] Williams, who earned the sobriquet ‘Elephant Bill,’ and his unusual bond with the largest land mammals on earth.” —The Boston Globe “Some of the biggest heroes of World War II were even bigger than you thought. Billy Williams is an extraordinary character, a real-life reverse Tarzan raised in civilization who finds wisdom and his true self living among jungle beasts. Vicki Constantine Croke delivers an exciting tale of this elephant whisperer–cum–war hero, while beautifully reminding us of the enduring bonds between animals and humans.” —Mitchell Zuckoff, author of Lost in Shangri-La and Frozen in Time. But as soon as I began to read Elephant Company, I realized that not only was my heart safe, but that this book is about far more than just the war, or even elephants. Elephant Company is nothing less than a sweeping tale, masterfully written.” —Sara Gruen, The New York Times Book Review “Splendid . Blending biography, history, and wildlife biology, [Vicki Constantine] Croke’s story is an often moving account of [Billy] Williams, who earned the sobriquet ‘Elephant Bill,’ and his unusual bond with the largest land mammals on earth.” —The Boston Globe “Some of the biggest heroes of World War II were even bigger than you thought. “ Elephant Company is as powerful and big-hearted as the animals of its title. Vicki Constantine Croke delivers an exciting tale of this elephant whisperer–cum–war hero, while beautifully reminding us of the enduring bonds between animals and humans.” —Mitchell Zuckoff, author of Lost in Shangri-La and Frozen in Time “The true-life heroics of Elephant Company during World War II highlight how animals and humans together can achieve extraordinary things. This is a wonderful read.” —Elizabeth Letts, author of The Eighty-Dollar Champion “A spellbinding, true story of elephantine and human courage, set in one of the Earth’s most exotic jungles during the Second World War, Elephant Company is a triumph that will make you cheer!” —Sy Montgomery, author of The Good Good Pig and Journey of the Pink Dolphins.
Reviews
"The author certainly gives you a clear picture of the time and place."
"This book is a must if you have any interest in elephants, history, conflict and people."
"I love elephants, so I loved this book."
"I am just sick that poachers are killing elephants off in such large numbers thst they may soon be extinct."
"It is the story of animal-lover James Howard Williams, his wife, and also a remarkable bull elephant called Bandoola."
"This book does not have much information about WW II in Burma (actually the middle section of the book describing war strategy in some detail is probably the least interesting part)."
"This book takes the reader on a most unusual adventure and it is NON FICTION."
"I loved this book, the man, the elephants. I have heard an interview of the author of another book about elephants, claim to have discovered. all sort of things about elephants."
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Best Historical African Biographies

Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela is one of the great moral and political leaders of our time: an international hero whose lifelong dedication to the fight against racial oppression in South Africa won him the Nobel Peace Prize and the presidency of his country. Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and the first democratically elected president of South Africa, Mandela began his autobiography during the course of his 27 years in prison.
Reviews
"The book was probably the fastest/easiest read I have had because it was so easy to just keep on reading."
"This is an excellent read."
"Most of the time I picked that up through the name or context, but occasionally I read for several chapters before discovering that a trusted person was white. This book should be read slowly, over several months, in order to absorb a multitude of facts, and the growth of the man who wrote it."
"AThis is a stunning book."
"I think this a must read for those you need insight the importance of undertaking the struggle to gain freedom and independence for a deprived and discriminated majority."
"I am planning to visit south Africa it has been my dream for years , what a great man he was chosen by God I will always have respect for him."
"His personal freedom and rights were curtailed and he saw it happening to all his people."
"I knew the basics of Mandela's life--his exceptional intelligence, his fight against apartheid, his long incarceration, his Nobel Prize for Peace. He studied the philosophical underpinnings of all sorts of governments, particularly those of the National Party that ruled South Africa during his years of prison."
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Best Historical European Biographies

Man's Search for Meaning
At the time of Frankl's death in 1997, Man's Search for Meaning had sold more than 10 million copies in twenty-four languages. The book begins with a lengthy, austere, and deeply moving personal essay about Frankl's imprisonment in Auschwitz and other concentration camps for five years, and his struggle during this time to find reasons to live. The second part of the book, called "Logotherapy in a Nutshell," describes the psychotherapeutic method that Frankl pioneered as a result of his experiences in the concentration camps.
Reviews
"Read this book, read this book."
"Those that had developed purpose and meaning to the harsh conditions got out of bed every morning to face another unbearable day."
"Frankl is able to find meaning in a concentration camp."
"One of the best works you can take in."
"Life would have been easier if I had read this book sooner in life."
"A little twist of ideas as to why some people survive the worst and why others don't survive medium bad."
"If you're a student of any religion or ideology trying to figure out how to reach a point where you can take control of your own experience of life, and truly see the world from your internal perspective rather than from your external perspective this is an invaluable text for you to read through."
"The second part of the book is an analysis of logotherapy and a description of Frankl's studies on the subject."
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Best Historical U.S. Biographies

Alexander Hamilton
“To repudiate his legacy,” Chernow writes, “is, in many ways, to repudiate the modern world.” Chernow here recounts Hamilton’s turbulent life: an illegitimate, largely self-taught orphan from the Caribbean, he came out of nowhere to take America by storm, rising to become George Washington’s aide-de-camp in the Continental Army, coauthoring The Federalist Papers, founding the Bank of New York, leading the Federalist Party, and becoming the first Treasury Secretary of the United States.Historians have long told the story of America’s birth as the triumph of Jefferson’s democratic ideals over the aristocratic intentions of Hamilton. His is a Hamilton far more human than we’ve encountered before—from his shame about his birth to his fiery aspirations, from his intimate relationships with childhood friends to his titanic feuds with Jefferson, Madison, Adams, Monroe, and Burr, and from his highly public affair with Maria Reynolds to his loving marriage to his loyal wife Eliza. Building on biographies by Richard Brookhiser and Willard Sterne Randall , Ron Chernow’s Alexander Hamilton provides what may be the most comprehensive modern examination of the often overlooked Founding Father. From the start, Chernow argues that Hamilton’s premature death at age 49 left his record to be reinterpreted and even re-written by his more long-lived enemies, among them: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Monroe. Chernow delves into the almost 22,000 pages of letters, manuscripts, and articles that make up Hamilton’s legacy to reveal a man with a sophisticated intellect, a romantic spirit, and a late-blooming religiosity. Chernow argues that in contrast to Jefferson and Washington’s now outmoded agrarian idealism, Hamilton was "the prophet of the capitalist revolution" and the true forebear of modern America.
Reviews
"Jefferson and, to a somewhat lesser extent, Madison and Adams, are portrayed as deeply flawed individuals who happened to have a few good points. If one were to count the negatively loaded adjectives and verbs accorded to Hamilton’s three main opponents, they would vastly outnumber any positive linguistic connotations. Jefferson’s and Madison’s hypocrisy and the foibles of John Adam’s personality notwithstanding, the concerns expressed were often genuine ones at that time about what kind of country the United States would be and how the Constitution should be interpreted. The possibility that the Jeffersonians may have had a point gets lost in Chernow’s constant barrage of claims about duplicity, hypocrisy and malevolent intentions."
"Ron Chernow makes up for the lack of attention Alexander Hamilton has received in the past by offering us an epic and detailed account of his life and work. Chernow informs readers at the beginning that he has taken liberties to update some of the language and spelling in these primary sources. He was a prolific writer, drowning his enemies in a deluge of words – but on many occasions that meant writing when he should have kept silent. We could all learn much from Alexander Hamilton, in both his triumphs and his failures, and Chernow makes him marvelously accessible to us."
"Alexander Hamilton is an action packed historical adventure (800+ pages worth) retelling of an ambitious career with personal struggle, numerous political achievements, constitution building documents, love life, family history all extensively researched by author Ron Chernow."
"What a biography."
"The book was interesting, but I decided it was not exactly what I consider "light" reading."
"The author provides detailed information about Washington and Hamilton and the bond that grew between them, about their tenacity and determination to build a lasting foundation on which the US would develop, and about the stark differences in opinion between the two parties that existed from the very beginning."
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Best Historical Latin American Biographies

Clouds of Glory: The Life and Legend of Robert E. Lee
In Clouds of Glory: The Life and Legend of Robert E. Lee , Michael Korda, the New York Times bestselling biographer of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ulysses S. Grant, and T. E. Lawrence, has written the first major biography of Lee in nearly twenty years, bringing to life one of America's greatest, most iconic heroes. One hundred and forty-four years after his death, Lee is still widely revered in both North and South for his tactical military brilliance and his personal qualities of courage, honor, and kindness. Korda, the former editor-in-chief of Simon & Schuster and an acclaimed biographer, has no intention of knocking Lee off his pedestal in this excellent and generally laudatory biography. Korda stresses Lee’s accomplishments even before the Civil War as a brilliant, visionary engineer and an expert at military maneuvers.
Reviews
"He was a very highly educated man , with a great family and family ties to George Washington."
"Very informative."
"Very sympathetic portrayal of Lee."
"Superbly written."
"Excellent historical review of the life of Robert E Lee."
"Great book, well written."
"Well done book based upon life of Robert E. Lee and contemporaries."
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Best Historical Middle Eastern Biographies

Remember Us: My Journey from the Shtetl through the Holocaust
Remember Us is a look back at the lost world of the shtetl: a wise Zayde offering prophetic and profound words to his grandson, the rich experience of Shabbos, and the treasure of a loving family. “. [T]his terse immediate memoir of a Polish Jew is a gripping read, with the haunting personal detail of what Small witnessed and what he escaped....the narrative as a whole, based on talks to audiences across the country and to coauthor Shayne before Small’s recent death at age 91, is unforgettable, particularly the account of meeting with the American who saved Small in Mauthausen, when he weighed less than 70 pounds.
Reviews
"It was a very captivating story."
"And daily, remember that it can, and will, happen again when we turn our faces away from the incipient signs of organised intolerance and prejudice of any kind...when we surround ourselves with the tissue paper comfort blanket of "but it could never happen here.""
"I have learned so much from reading book."
"This book is heartbreaking and uplifting."
"Thank God Mr. Small was able to rebuild his life."
"Considering world events the last couple years, it's imperative that we educate ourselves about how the Holocaust came to be, and what happened."
"While this book is not written like an epic novel it is a real life account by a survivor of the worse atrocities ever inflicted on human kind."
"Quite a tribute to perseverance."
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Best Military & War Biographies

Grant
His business ventures had ended dismally, and despite distinguished service in the Mexican War he ended up resigning from the army in disgrace amid recurring accusations of drunkenness. More important, he sought freedom and justice for black Americans, working to crush the Ku Klux Klan and earning the admiration of Frederick Douglass, who called him “the vigilant, firm, impartial, and wise protector of my race.” After his presidency, he was again brought low by a dashing young swindler on Wall Street, only to resuscitate his image by working with Mark Twain to publish his memoirs, which are recognized as a masterpiece of the genre. “This is a good time for Ron Chernow’s fine biography of Ulysses S. Grant to appear… As history, it is remarkable, full of fascinating details sure to make it interesting both to those with the most cursory knowledge of Grant’s life and to those who have read his memoirs or any of several previous biographies… For all its scholarly and literary strengths, this book’s greatest service is to remind us of Grant’s significant achievements at the end of the war and after, which have too long been overlooked and are too important today to be left in the dark… As Americans continue the struggle to defend justice and equality in our tumultuous and divisive era, we need to know what Grant did when our country’s very existence hung in the balance. Just as he did with George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, Chernow brings Ulysses S. Grant to life. Grant now lands in the middle, thanks to his extraordinarily progressive work on race relations….Ron Chernow’s 1,100-page biography may crown Grant’s restoration….Mr. Chernow argues persuasively that Grant has been badly misunderstood.”— The Economist “Chernow writes definitive biography of Ulysses S. Grant… [An] essential read… restores Grant to the pantheon of great Americans.”— Newsday “A landmark work….Chernow impressively examines Grant’s sensitivities and complexities and helps us to better understand an underappreciated man and underrated president who served his country extraordinarily well…. “Full of personal and professional insights into a president and military leader that readers will find simultaneously flawed, relatable, and inspiring.” — Money Magazine “Reading Ron Chernow's new biography, a truly mammoth examination of the life of Ulysses S. Grant, one is struck by the humanity - both the pitiful frailty and the incredible strength - of its subject.”— Philadelphia Inquirer. “Masterful and often poignant .… Chernow's gracefully written biography, which promises to be the definitive work on Grant for years to come, is fully equal to the man's remarkable story.”— Minneapolis Star Tribune “Reading this compelling book, it’s hard to imagine that we’ll continue to define Grant by these scandals rather than all he accomplished in winning the war and doing his best to make peace, on inclusive terms that would be fair to all.” — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Chernow’s biography is replete with fascinating details and insight­ful political analysis, a combination that brings Grant and his time to life….
Reviews
"Chernow does away with rumor, gossip, mystery, and myth to give us Grant the boy, the youth, the young lieutenant, the general, the president, the seer, and finally the greatest American memoir writer of the 19th Century."
"Chernow reminds us of the personal connections of the generals of both the North and South- Grant attended West Point and fought in the Mexican War alongside William T. Sherman, Robert E Lee, and a veritable who's who of later Civil War leaders. While Lincoln is remembered in American history as the President who ended slavery, readers of Grant will see that President U.S. Grant should be remembered as a tireless proponent of civil rights and militant enemy of the Ku Klux Klan. Chernow doesn't turn away from Grant's failures in civilian life: his poverty before rejoining the army for the Civil War, his constant struggle with alcoholism, or Grant's repeated mistakes in trusting the wrong people in matters of finance- and occasionally in government."
"I have always been a history buff, having read most of Mr Chernow’s previous books and many more, but this book changed my mind on a number of issues and convinced me that I had not given Mr Grant the acclaim he is due. The appropriate analogy, I believe,is that if Mr Lincoln was the engineer driving the ship of state during the war, Mr Grant was certainly the train plugging through and getting the work done."
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