ERA Reviews

Please note that this book deals only with the internal politics of China. Foreign policy, etc. receive no mention. For example, the Korean War is mentioned, in passing, in one sentence. Taiwan receives perhaps a few paragraphs. The same for India and the USSR. If you are looking to read about China's role in the Cold War world (as I was), you will be disappointed... this is not the book.

Marfarquahr's edited book, The Politics of China, is an expectional one in all aspects. Not only is it informative and descriptive to a full extent, but it shows clear insight of interpretations with a good analysis of China's late era's, especially the Cultural Revolution and the First Five Year Plan.

Berlin is dishonest when he claims to be writing about blacks. About 75% of "free colored" in the antebellum period were visibly mixed-race or whiter. Some "mulattoes" were Indians with no African ancestry at all.

I guess I am not reading the same book as the other guy. I saw this book as well written, well reasearched, relevant and extremely factual. Berlin's entire book is based on nothing but facts, and he has tons of sources that he refered to. He hs a lot of great refrences, old news papers(which are interesting to read), cogress meeting records, the laws of that time, the census, and lots of other great forms of accurate facts. "Slaves Without Masters" exposed a lot about a time period in american life that was very interesting for a "free" African-American. The book is about the free negroes in the antebellem south, which in most southern states were between 60 and 80 percent of the "free" African-American population, this would explain why we hear a lot in this book about Mulattos. THE MAIN BENEFIT OF THIS BOOK IS THAT IN A DOCUMENT PROVEN AND FACTUAL WAY, EVEN "FREE" PEOPLE CAN BE SLAVES.

This area of Ontario name is derived from an Indian Chief. There was only one person so the name can not carry an s. He was a wonderful person and deserves to be honoured. He taught many pioneers how to live in their new home area. Media has sadly slipped into the error of calling the area The Muskokas. It is wrong. Please continue to call it by its correct name. It is Muskoka. Thank you.

This volume explains the colorful history of the steamboat era in the Muskoka region in Ontario from the turn of the century until the last steamboat tied up for the last time in 1958. There are also descriptions and photographs of the many luxury hotels that lined the lake shores and were served by the steamers. The final chapter describes the Segwun, built in 1887 and the lone survivor of the steamboat era, tied up at the Muskoka Wharf in Gravenhurst as a floating museum, rotting away day by day and how, what started out to be only simple repairs just to keep her afloat, turned into a full-fledged restoration project and eventual return to service. Today, she proudly steams on three lakes as the only coal-fired passenger steamer in Canada and the oldest engine-powered vessel in North America. No maritime liberary is complete without this book.

In recent years there has been an extended debate about Enlightenment thought. Though many scholars have concluded that there were several "Enlightenments," some continue to make generalizations about the Enlightenment and some speak about "the Enlightenment agenda." After discussing the cult of the deathbed scene in eighteenth?century Britain and France, the author looks at three currents of Enlightenment thought implicit in the deathbed "projects" of David Hume, Samuel Johnson, and Jean Paul Marat. Although Hume and Johnson hold profoundly different views of religion, their political thinking has much in common. Their reformist thought differs radically from what might be called the transformist thought of Marat, who hoped the French would become disinterested citizens whose civil religion was patriotism.
The book also looks at the response of James Boswell, Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, and Edward Gibbon to the deathbed projects of Hume and Johnson, and it discusses how their political thought differs from Johnson's and Hume's. It also considers the complex relations between reformist and transformist thought in Britain during the last three decades of the century, showing how the views of the two reformist groups and of such transformist writers as Richard Price, Joseph Priestley, and Thomas Paine were affected by a number of political events, from the Wilkes crisis to the French Revolution. Though the book focuses on AngloScottish Enlightenment thought, it often refers to the French Enlightenment, and the chapter on Marat looks at the connection between transformist thought in Britain and France.
The author argues that Enlightenment thought was more varied and?in its reformist currents?less hostile to tradition than many observers have allowed. Enlightenment thought was less a cluster of ideas than a debate about a number of questions, especially the following: how to contain religious and secular fanaticism (or what was called enthusiasm); what are the effects of luxury; and what is the nature of the passions. There was, as J. G. A. Pocock says, "a family of Enlightenments," and "there is room for the recognition of family quarrels..."
Why look at deathbed scenes to chart the currents of Enlightenment thought? Because an interest in deathbed scenes was widespread in eighteenth?century Britain and France. The final days of Hume stirred up a controversy that lasted for at least a decade and the final days of Johnson also attracted a great deal of attention, but Marat's death had the greatest impact of the three. His assassination gave impetus to the Jacobins' attempt to eliminate the influence of the church and greatly expand the influence of the state. Marat's project to transform France failed, but so did the projects of Hume and Johnson. Hume argued that religious belief was based on the foolish fear of death, yet religion remained a strong force in Britain. Johnson hoped for a return to God-fearing religion, yet the educated classes continued to prefer a more benign brand of Christianity in which God's benevolence was stressed far more than his judgment.

Though The Title is a bit stodgy, the read is excellent. It is filled with precise history ,concise observation, and thoughtful analysis.The subject of the "heroic" deathbed scene,on canvas,on stage,in poetry and literature is both enthralling and thought provoking. The treatment of the Age of Enlightenment, when viewed through the prism of the deaths/ deathbed scenes of Hume , Johnson and Marat, is wonderful. Brain Candy!

This book is a very good ECONOMIC history of Colonial America, focusing on the Chesapeake Bay region. The "down-side" is that it reduces all the colorful, interesting, tragic events of that period (pirates, revolution, famine, slavery) down to their impact upon the economy (imports, exports, balance of trade, etc.) and could be very "dry" reading. The book tends to focus on maritime issues, simply because that was the major transportation mode at that time. If you are interested in Colonial America, particularly the Chesapeake Bay region, I recommend reading this book simply to give you an understanding of the economic forces that had so great a role in shaping this region.

This is one of the best books on the eastern seaboard from the earliest of times. Easy to read and terrific research. If you are writing anything about this time and place, this book is a necessity.

This is a relatively short but cohesive social history of the progressive era. Diner's primary aim is to decipt of the attempts of many sectors of American to adapt the demands of industrial capitalism. This book is written well and a nice complement to other histories oriented towards politics and legislation. Diner also does well to review the efforts of groups not typically covered in conventional histories of the period, such as managers and professionals. An insightful and useful book.

This book offers personal stories of those involved in the changing times of the Progressive Era. Diner drives home the point of the competition between Americans at this time. The competition for jobs, leisure time, consumer goods, etc. Someone who already is familiar with the Progressive Era would be bored, but for those just starting it is a good book.

Stanley Harrold's well-written work is an important contribution to antislavery historiography. Taking to task those historians who see antislavery as primarily a movement to reform Northern society, Harrold demonstrates that Northern and Southern abolitionists were active in the South up until the Civil War. Furthermore, Harrold makes a convincing case that the very real abolitionist presence in the Upper South was a "precipitative cause of secession and the Civil War." For Harrold, the Southern response to the abolitionist threat was neither irrational or exaggerated. I commend Harrold's work to any student of antislavery or the antebellum South.

This book very well depicts the ways in which Lewis and Clark explored the West. I would reccomend it to anyone who needs straightforward information for a report.

Cashman explores rhelms where few dare to dread. While most survey type books cover only the accomplishments of presidents, Cashman uncovers the feats by inventors, women, minorites,etc. This book would make an excellent undergraduate text to give one a broad understanding of the turn of the century.

This book should have been written pre-1960's so that the Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson administrations could have pulled out of Vietnam before history had a chance to repeat itself. The Spanish-American War and the Philippines War are two glowing examples of how politicians, businessmen, and other characters with hidden agendas can convince and cajole a nation into conducting a costly, unnecessary war. While reading this book I was continually amazed and ashamed of the actions of our military and goverment. Started by Randolph Hearst and a host of other jounalists the war cries were spurred on by the idea of "Manifest Destiny" and American colonialism. The sinking of the Maine supplied the final straw. Off went the soldiers with bands and parades to cheer them on. But in war, although people sometimes forget, men die and soon they did. A bumbling, criminally inept military, and a host of jungle diseases nearly wiped out these unfortunate troops. But wait, there is the "Heroic" Teddy Roosevelt to pull our stones out of the fire(What a crock we have been fed). The Philippines War, an extension and forgotten episode of the Spanish-American War, illustrates how sometimes a David can slay a Goliath. Fighting with outdated guns, knives, rocks, and sticks, An "uncivilized" army nearly overcame superior firepower to gain their long sought after freedom. Sound familiar? This was a prelude to Vietnam. The book was well written. Mr. Tebbel writes as if the events are taking place as you read, a sort of "you are there" feeling. He introduces a long cast of characters and includes background info on the more important people. The first part of the book deals with our war in Cuba which saw alot of coverage by jounalists. Some of the adventures of these newspaper men (Stephen Crane et. al.) would make a great movie. The second part deals with the Philippine War which is really why I bought the book. I was disapointed more pages were not devoted to this area(About 100 pages of a 300 page book for a time period that was 5 times longer). I was also disapointed that there were no maps. Not a one. I would recommend this to any reader with an interest in American history. Mr. Tebbel did not load the book down with military jargon so the casual reader will enjoy. I think this book is a good intro into a forgotten time period, for a more in depth military account other books have to be supplemented.