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The Ghosts of Cannae: Hannibal and the Darkest Hour of the Roman Republic Review

Roman history is an interest of mine, though normally I prefer to read it "from the horse's mouth" -- that is, from the primary sources. That said, I also enjoy a good modern retelling of Roman history, so when I saw Robert O'Connell's The Ghosts of Cannae, I snapped it up. I'm glad that I did.

The book is an enjoyable read, easily approachable for someone who has never heard of the Punic Wars but still satisfying for someone starting out with a good knowledge base. O'Connell makes excellent use of his ancient sources and marshals his information into a coherent and compelling narrative.

The writing flows well and is easily followed, making the book a fairly quick read. I found some of O'Connell's turns of phrase a bit bizarre, though. At one point, he says that republican Romans followed the "Warholian rubric" when it came to turn-over of their government officials. He also describes Hasdrubal Barca's escape from C. Claudius Nero as "a vanishing act worthy of Bugs Bunny," though he goes on to assure us that Nero was no Elmer Fudd! While I assume many folks reading this book will understand what O'Connell is talking about, I somehow doubt references to Andy Warhol will make much sense to someone reading Ghosts of Cannae fifty years from now. Admittedly, I suspect readers even 100 years from now will be familiar with Bugs and Elmer. As 20th century cultural artifacts, Looney Tunes are worlds more potent and long-lived than anything Andy Warhol ever did.

While I am no scholar of republican Rome, I felt that O'Connell's treatment of the history was detailed, well informed, and fair. In only one place did I quibble with one of his claims--that annoying modern assumption that the speeches made by the ancients and recorded in histories were mere whole-cloth fabrications created by ancient historians to make a moral point. Referring specifically to Livy, O'Connell says:

"Ancient history is replete with such speechifying, useful in delineating issues, dramatic, and at times elevating rhetorically, but it is not to be taken literally. There were no voice recorders or stenographers. Most speeches were extemporaneous."

While it may be true that most ancient speeches were extemporaneous, the idea that there were no stenographers is debatable. For example, in later Roman days, there were often reporters who followed around the great homilists (like Saint Augustine and Saint John Chrysostum) writing down what they said--in shorthand. I have trouble faulting O'Connell for this overmuch as he is only reflecting the conventional wisdom among scholars. It is certainly conceivable that Livy's speeches were all fabrications. But I think more caution should be used when making this assumption.

In summary, Ghosts of Cannae is a useful popular history of the Punic Wars. If you have a passing interest in this subject, you will do well to read it.

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The Ghosts of Cannae: Hannibal and the Darkest Hour of the Roman Republic Overview

A stirring account of the most influential battle in history
 
For millennia, Carthage’s triumph over Rome at Cannae in 216 B.C. has inspired reverence and awe. It was the battle that countless armies tried to imitate, most notably in World Wars I and II, the battle that obsessed legendary military minds. Yet no general ever matched Hannibal’s most unexpected, innovative, and brutal military victory—the costliest day of combat for any army in history. Robert L. O’Connell, one of the most admired names in military history, now tells the whole story of Cannae for the first time, giving us a stirring account of this apocalyptic battle of the Second Punic War, and its causes and consequences.

O’Connell shows how a restive Rome amassed a giant army to punish Carthage’s masterful commander, who had dealt them deadly blows at Trebia and Lake Trasimene, and how Hannibal outwitted enemies that outnumbered him. O’Connell describes Hannibal’s strategy of blinding his opponents with sun and dust, enveloping them in a deadly embrace and sealing their escape, before launching a massive knife fight that would kill 48,000 men in close contact. The Ghosts of Cannae then brilliantly conveys how this disastrous pivot point in Rome’s history ultimately led to the republic’s resurgence and the creation of its empire.

Piecing together decayed shreds of ancient reportage, the author paints powerful portraits of the leading players: Hannibal, resolutely sane and uncannily strategic; Varro, Rome’s co-consul who was so scapegoated for the loss; and Scipio Africanus, the surviving (and self-promoting) Roman military tribune who would one day pay back Hannibal at Zama in North Africa. Finally, O’Connell reveals how Cannae’s legend has inspired and haunted military leaders ever since, and the lessons it teaches for our own wars.

Superbly researched and written with wit and erudition, The Ghosts of Cannae is the definitive account of a battle whose history continues to resonate.

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Customer Reviews

Flawed - nordlingen - California
A welcomed addition to the study of the Qarta-Romano Wars but it is deeply flawed - for example mass killing of children by the Carthaginians did not exist and yet it is littered throughout the text. There has been doubt cast upon this propaganda created by the Romans for decades and yet it completely colors the author's perspective.

Additionally, the thesis in general terms is that Scipio became the master over Hannibal and that the disgraced Cannae survivors redeemed themselves. Serious studies on Zama tell a different story - the end result being that the cavalry came and saved the day - not Scipio's supposed tactical acumen. Some of the most recent work on Cannae and Zama has also not been read by the author though that may very well have been unavailable at the time of publication. The majority of the ghosts of Cannae would have been too old to fight as the author states that Hannibal was old by the time of Zama then the majority of survivor too would have been in their late 30s to late 40s and probably only good for the last line if that. After all 14 years had passed so unless every ghost was young... perhaps more credit ought to have been given to the Numidians on Rome's side.

This could have been a better book akin to Goldsworthy's recent efforts and Lazenby's standards but it falls short when read by a skeptic.



Wanted 3.5 stars - Andrew Berschauer - Palo Alto, CA
The story told in Ghosts of Cannae is a good one; the way it's told leaves something to be desired.

Aside from the casual reference to elephants crossing the Alps one hears from time to time, the last I heard of Hannibal was in 10th Grade World History, 20-X years ago. What I remember of him was not much more than his taking elephants for a mountain stroll. Enter Robert O'Connell.

Ghosts of Cannae was a fresh start with a character who 10th Grade World History didn't really give me an appreciation for. You'd think that as I read more, bits and pieces of my studies so many years ago would slowly come back to me - nothin'. I never learned what a badass Hannibal was. The guy was basically untouchable for the better part of 2 decades. Mr O'Connell also introduces us to more badasses in Scipio Africanus, and, to a lesser degree of badness, Quintus Fabius.

The exploits of these ancient leaders are fascinating, but Mr O'Connell's presentation made the read tougher than it should have been for this casual reader of history. Some reviewers here want new scholarship - it's all new when the depths of your memory stops at elephants & Alps. Some reviewers criticize the modern metaphors - the anachronism didn't bother me the way it bothered others, although they did come across as failed attempts to be cute and/or humorous. My criticism is that I too often found myself battling my eyelids - I liked the characters and portrayals, but it was tough to stay focussed through sometimes tortured prose.

All said, Ghosts of Cannae is worth the effort, and the read is not effortless. Some things are worth working for, I guess. In addition to having a newfound appreciation for the Punic Wars in general and Hannibal & Scipio specifically, an immediate payoff of my efforts here was understanding the reference to Quintus Fabius made on this season's premiere of 30 Rock.



Hard to put down - John K Johnson - MISSOURI CITY, TX, US
I didn't quite know what to expect when I purchased this book for my Kindle. I am more than a casual reader of Roman history and had a working knowledge of Cannae--but the title and basic description intrigued me. Low and behold, this book, which indeed reads like a novel in some parts, is one of the most informative and enjoyable historical military pieces I have ever read.
The author is superb in his use of language to paint a detailed, yet easy to understand description of the politics, motivations, values and actions of both sides. This is a great book!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 25, 2010 23:15:05

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The God of Small Things Review

This book won the Booker Prize for Literature. And "in my book," it's also a world-class (as well as world-lit) winner, heartbreaking, haunting, and wise.

The main action takes place in India in 1969, but it jumps around in time. As the author put it, the story "begins at the end and ends in the middle." So we know from the beginning that there has been a terrible tragedy that permanently affected the lives of fraternal twins Estha (boy) and Rahel (girl.) The book is about finding out exactly what it was that happened; and how and why it happened.

I guessed most of the answer pretty early on, but I think that was the intent of the author. The book is more about the process than the solution, and she gives the reader plenty of hints, respecting the reader's intelligence and gently guiding him or her to figure out the answer for himself or herself. It's not so much a novel of mystery or suspense as it is one of psychology (of both personality and relationships) and social commentary. Ms. Roy shows enormous insight into her characters and their situation, and while the writing is deceptively lovely and easy to read, The God of Small Things has a great deal of depth.

Some of her insight comes from writing about what she knows. Parts of the story are autobiographical. Arundhati Roy grew up in the same rural town in India where the book is set, and her grandmother really did own and run a pickle factory. A recipe for Banana Jam is included which not only sounds delicious, but also easily doable for the average American cook. (I'm totally fascinated by how the banana puree turns scarlet red as it cooks. I've got to try that!)

Since the reader has already mostly figured out what happened, in a way the big "reveal" scene in which the full tragedy is described in detail, is anti-climactic; and again I feel certain that this is deliberate. It is as if Ms. Roy wants us to focus on the characters - why they each behaved as they did, and how they were affected, rather than the actual events. There are still a couple of surprises coming, though. Yet even with those, one feels less surprise than might be expected. There's a sense of, "Of course - I should have seen that coming." Because although the author hasn't given us any hints about those particular surprises, she has set up a certain subtle and carefully-crafted atmosphere in which such surprising/shocking/awful things become the natural or logical cause (in one case) or consequence (in the other case.) And this ability of hers to hit us with a big surprise while making it seem not all that surprising, is part of Ms. Roy's genius.

The ending is also anti-climactic, and yet again this is clearly the author's intent. Partly this is because the book ends, as she says, in the middle. I think that, after all the tragedy and loss of the the story, she wanted us to leave the book on a note of gentleness, love, and hope.

Social commentary is a strong theme throughout this work. (Arundhati Roy became a social activist after it was published to such acclaim that she was able to wield considerable influence.) As an adjunct to that, the breaking of taboos and the consequences of that are two major story lines. In one, the consequences are terrible. Yet later, an even more pervasive (across many cultures) and powerful taboo is broken without any noticeable consequence. In fact, Roy has prepared the reader so well that the taboo act comes across as natural, appropriate, and even a positive thing for the characters involved. It is a brilliant and thought-provoking juxtaposition.

I was totally charmed by the way this author plays with the English language. She thinks out of the box: breaks the rules in such a way that it makes sense, rather than causing chaos and confusion. She capitalizes certain words against the rules of grammar, as a very successful way of emphasizing them (". . . life was full of Beginnings and no Ends, and Everything was Forever . . . "). She makes up words, often by combining one or more words ("a viable die-able age" "sicksweet", "a Furrywhirring and a Sariflapping", "dullthudding") or by deliberate misspellings ("Infinnate"). The result is a sense of non-native-English-speakers' minds, a foreign perspective and way of thinking; or perhaps the perspective of a child. Either way, that is so fitting for the setting of the book.

And it's much the same as the way she breaks the rules of structure (i.e., rules of chronology, de-emphasizing the climax, letting us guess the answer to the mystery early on, etc.) in ways that work, that beautifully and creatively accomplish what she is trying to do with the book. She's an ultimate example of how someone with a thorough knowledge of the rules can know when and how to break them.

The God of Small Things is an outstanding work of fiction, one that I think fully deserves its award and acclaim. So far it is Ms. Roy's only novel, as she has been occupied in the decade since its publication with social activism. However, the Kindle edition that I read included an interview with the author in which she says that she is now writing a new book. I hope that it is finished and published soon. I would love to read more of her work.


Quotes from The God of Small Things:

"Occasionally, when Ammu listened to songs that she loved on the radio, something stirred inside her. A liquid ache spread under her skin, and she walked out of the world like a witch, to a better, happier place. On days like this there was something restless and untamed about her. As though she had temporarily set aside the morality of motherhood and divorcée-hood. Even her walk changed from a safe mother-walk to another wilder sort of walk. She wore flowers in her hair and carried magic secrets in her eyes. She spoke to no one. She spent hours on the riverbank with her little plastic transistor shaped like a tangerine. She smoked cigarettes and had midnight swims.
What was it that gave Ammu this Unsafe Edge? This air of unpredictability? It was what she had battling inside her. An unmixable mix. The infinite tenderness of motherhood and the reckless rage of the suice bomber."

"He trembled his own body like a man with malaria."

"It is after all so easy to shatter a story. To break a chain of thought. To ruin a fragment of a dream being carried around carefully like a piece of porcelain.
To let it be, to travel with it, as Velutha did, is much the harder thing to do."

"It's true. Things can change in a day."

(321 pages)

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Customer Reviews

Journey to India! - Kevin Glavin - Irvine, CA USA
I have been to India twice. The first thing I noticed, or rather felt, while reading
Roy's novel was the sensation of being catapulted back there--to the smells, to the places, to the images of the streets and the people and the small things--like red betel juice on someone's tongue.

Roy captures much of India, which can be very elusive to convey. Much of the flavor she creates and picture she paints I think goes unappreciated by people who have not had the pleasure of having been there. I very much enjoyed this aspect of Roy's work.

I also noticed some similarities between Roy and James Joyce. I do not know if Roy read Joyce, but let me point out a few common elements:

The creative use of the language of the conqueror (English) to demonstrate control over the conqueror. In Roy's case, this is obviously India/England. For Joyce, Ireland/England.

There is a stream of consciousness to much of the writing, and much of it is from the point of view of a child. In addition, there is a strong theme of innocence and experience, and the focus on the small things, the details, the grains of sand, so to speak, that make up the most important aspects of life. To understand the macrocosm through the microcosm... Roy even mentions Ulysses (although Homer, not Joyce).

Although Roy's prose does not have the depth of Joyce's, lacking his sophistication and control, and infinite layers of allusions, it does eloquently make use of symbolism, making profound connections to big ideas.

Both authors were also charged with obscenity.

Despite all these similarities, I found Roy's book to fall just a bit short. Despite all the accolades awarded to Roy, and despite my appreciation for her writing, I found the first 230 pages or so slow-going. I was bored. I kept thinking it would get more entertaining, but I became frustrated with the repetition. I know Roy had a point with these recursive flashbacks, but it still did not make me want to turn the page. Then suddenly, in the chapter of the Optimist and the Pessimist, the pace picked up and carried through with energy until the end.

I realize Roy has a non-linear structure, and a complex one at that, almost like a spider spiraling its web. I would like to go back again and reread the book to fully appreciate the patterns and chronology. Still, if an author bores a reader, he/she hasn't completely fulfilled her obligation.

Still, The God of Small Things is definitely worth the journey to India! And if you haven't been there, you should definitely make plans to go!

Kevin Glavin

Rock Star's Rainbow




It's like if Marquez wrote "Lady Chatterly's Lover" - A Reviewer - Oregon, USA
If that doesn't sound appealing to you, this book probably won't be. I've read a number of both the positive and negative reviews on this site and most of them describe the book accurately: Flowery prose, fragmented sentences, non-linear treatment of time, unusual metaphors. If you want to read a book for "information" (as some negative reviewers have implied that they do), then you should read Hemingway instead.

That said, I could hardly put this book down. I almost reread it as soon as I was finished. The author creates a unique new language and lens through which to view the world. While others found the metaphors forced, I found them wonderfully colorful and original and appreciated the opportunity to hear a story told in words I wouldn't have come up with in my own head. I usually prefer more lighthearted stories (when I read fiction at all), but this tragedy is possibly my favorite book I've ever read.

I would summarize by saying that this is a truly great work of literature that definitely has its own distinct character. Readers who enjoy magical realism will probably enjoy it. Readers who prefer a more straightforward or literal read, or who are bothered by solecisms or other violation of literary convention, probably will not. Different strokes.



A masterpiece of literature - D. Malik -
I bought this book a little over two weeks ago and it is, without a doubt, one of THE best books I've ever read. This is a story of betrayal, love, and the lengths that some people are willing to go to. Richly detailed in a style thoroughly unconventional, ricocheting back and forth between 1960's India and the 1990's, it tells the story of "two-egg-twins" separated from childhood due to one woman's pride, only to spend one day together after 20 years of longing for each other.

Rahel and Estha are characters unlike any others, forced from a young age to feel the harsher realities of life, starting with Estha's sex abuse, then the Sophie Mol's death, the murder of their friend and their mother's lover, Velutha and their eventual parting of paths, Estha's silence and Rahel's empty eyes unwittingly reflect this harsh chain of event.

I originally planned on getting "The Satanic Verses" by Salman Rushdie and bought this instead. It's certainly one mistake I don't regret. This fairly recent novel presents previously unseen perspectives of life hidden by the utmost fantasy-ish books of romantics and sugary endings. A true work of art.



This was a chore to read. - Taonga Leslie - GAINESVILLE, FL, US
I really truly tried with this book but the rhythm is totally non-existent. She goes on for pages describing moments that do not propel the plot forward at all and worse- do not provide easy to follow descriptions. I thought the descriptions were very tedious because Roy went out of her way to describe things in an overly-cute way. The emotional passages relied way too much on shock value in my opinion and the long periods of no hope just seem grotesque. Worst of all there are no characters to identify with. Terrible terrible read.

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Check Out Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt for $3.85

Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt Review

David McCullough's writing style, paired with his decision to feature Roosevelt's early years, gives a fresh approach to a much-written-about subject. Mornings on Horseback takes us through TR's childhood, first marriage, and foray into politics. A lot of things I thought I knew about Theodore Roosevelt went out the window as his life is explained through fascinating letters and contemporary commentary. Anyone who is in love with this part of American history or Theodore Roosevelt will want to read and reread this book. Thank you, David McCullough!

Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt Feature

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Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt Overview

Mornings on Horseback is the brilliant biography of the young Theodore Roosevelt. Hailed as "a masterpiece" (John A. Gable, Newsday), it is the winner of the Los Angeles Times 1981 Book Prize for Biography and the National Book Award for Biography. Written by David McCullough, the author of Truman, this is the story of a remarkable little boy, seriously handicapped by recurrent and almost fatal asthma attacks, and his struggle to manhood: an amazing metamorphosis seen in the context of the very uncommon household in which he was raised.

The father is the first Theodore Roosevelt, a figure of unbounded energy, enormously attractive and selfless, a god in the eyes of his small, frail namesake. The mother, Mittie Bulloch Roosevelt, is a Southerner and a celebrated beauty, but also considerably more, which the book makes clear as never before. There are sisters Anna and Corinne, brother Elliott (who becomes the father of Eleanor Roosevelt), and the lovely, tragic Alice Lee, TR's first love. All are brought to life to make "a beautifully told story, filled with fresh detail", wrote The New York Times Book Review.

A book to be read on many levels, it is at once an enthralling story, a brilliant social history and a work of important scholarship which does away with several old myths and breaks entirely new ground. It is a book about life intensely lived, about family love and loyalty, about grief and courage, about "blessed" mornings on horseback beneath the wide blue skies of the Badlands.

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Customer Reviews

Great Read - TonyB -
This biography gives a fresh perspective on how Theodore Roosevelt developed into the person that become president. The level of detail of his family and the influence of his experiences is enlightening. Anyone interested in gaining knowledge of the man before his presidency must read this book.

I was already a fan of Teddy Roosevelt. This book gave me a deeper level of understanding, respect and awe!



very well written - porkrind276 -
Couldn't put it down. Also read "truman" by same author. He has a very good writing style.



Misinformation and Myth - Rhode Island Reader - Rhode Island
This book is one of the worst political biographies - of the type that purport to be scholarly - I have ever read. Its continuing appeal is a mystery to me. It is truly a piece of misinformation of the worst kind. It is unfortunate that it is still in print.
McCullough misuses Roosevelt's asthma as a vehicle to interpret his personal characterics and political ethos. Due to his poor research and dependence on obsolete stereotypes of asthma and pop psychology, McCullough labels Roosevelt's asthma attacks as mainly psychosomatic in nature, rather than physical manifestations of asthma. In particular, McCullough portrays young Roosevelt's asthma attacks as calls for attention. McCullough should have asked asthma specialists, rather than a psychologist, about the nature of young TR's symptoms. If he had, it would have forced him to change his thesis.... Even when he wrote the book nearly 30 years ago, McCullough's characterizations of asthma did not reflect contemporary medical standards. As described in McCullough's book, young TR often had asthma attacks after or during large family meals. This is hardly psychosomatic. A Victorian-era meal in an affluent household of the time could easily be responsible for an asthma attack. It is now understood that reflux disease (GERD) and asthma work in tandem. The massive amount of food - we know that they had multiple meal courses - and the fat content used in preparation (butter or lard), would be a sure prescription for a severe episode of GERD. It is understood today by most asthma specialists that the acid from a GERD attack is drawn into an asthmatic's upper respiratory system, causing inflammation and asthma attacks. Overeating has also triggered asthma attacks from constrictions of the airway. This is a physical symptom, not a psychosomatic cry for attention. Young TR's asthma attacks during heavy family meals have a sound medical explanation. That he had fewer asthma attacks later in life was probably attributable to being able to choose what he ate and the size of the serving. TR also grew up in a big city where heating was from wood and coal burning - a direct contributor to poor respiratory health.
This book not only does a disservice to TR, but misinforms people about asthma. Using misinformation about a disease as a basis for political biography makes this book obsolete.






*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 20, 2010 19:30:05

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The Diary of a Young Girl Review

The words and thoughts of Anne, are quite unique...inspiring, heart felt , open, spontaneous, down to earth. you can actually invision and feel a-lot about her personal thoughts and struggles, as she was recounting her childhood and then the experiences she was going through in hiding. she had many mixed feelings and hopes for the future, as she tells them, and at times there are funny parts in the book. she was several years ahead of her time and very perceptive and was able to express her thoughts very well. after checking the book out from the library I then had to find this definative edition for my own. if you are a sentimental type, and appreciate truly down to earth reading, annes pen as well, in some parts of the book was actually poetic as well. this is a collectors edition.

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The Diary of a Young Girl Overview

More than fifty years after its first publication, Doubleday's definitive edition of Anne Frank's famous diary generated an extraordinary amount of excitement when it was published in early 1995. Enthusiastically received by critics and readers alike, it reigned for nine weeks on The New York Times bestseller list and will remain for all time the version that millions of readers will cherish.In a handsome package with flaps, rough front, and printed endpapers, this Anchor trade paperback will be the perfect gift for anyone who seeks insight into the indestructible nature of the human spirit.

The Diary of a Young Girl Specifications

Anne Frank's diaries have always been among the most moving and eloquent documents of the Holocaust. This new edition restores diary entries omitted from the original edition, revealing a new depth to Anne's dreams, irritations, hardships, and passions. Anne emerges as more real, more human, and more vital than ever. If you've never read this remarkable autobiography, do so. If you have read it, you owe it to yourself to read it again.

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Customer Reviews

great book - Nelson Josã Olarte Prieto - Bogotá, Colombia
Got it used and looks almost new, the only one thing that reveals it is used is its smell, it smells like an old book, which I love!!!



Anne Frank - Kathy E. Sharp - Frankton, Indiana United States
A wonderful book for young adults and adults......filled with information on how the people lived and made it thru this terrible time. Especially the young Anne Frank what courage she had.



Anne Frank: The diary of a young girl-The definitive edition - Ramsfan79 -
This is not your middle school edition.She really explores how it is becoming a teenager.I'm in awe of her writing skills.I would challenge today's teenagers to write so eloquent. A somber read knowing the outcome.

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The Ruling Class: How They Corrupted America and What We Can Do About It Review

The 22 page version of this sold out locally when it hit the newsstands in the July/August issue of The American Spectator. Codevilla puts his finger on the pulse of how most Americans feel concerning our career politicians. The Ruling Class for too long has been running the show; one can't tell much difference between career Democrats or Republicans. It's Democrat or "Democrat Lite," the GOP. This problem has led to the rise of the unruly Tea Party; those Americans who are beginning to refuse to submit to the dictates of the Ruling Class and its enablers.
Tea Party people couldn't care less about being cool and hip, but are deeply concerned about the future, and this is where Codevilla takes us. This is a guide to the Ruling Class and how to counter it. This is the guidebook for those of us that don't like where we have ended up after being led for years by this subspecies of human being. Codevilla includes the Declaration of Independence, as well as the Constitution in his book. Even those who consider themselves well educated on issues have read the original article that Codevilla wrote and have been astounded by his insight. This book takes it further. I would recommend this book, as well as Goldberg's "Bias," and Hayek's "The Road to Serfdom" as must reads for those who are looking for insight. Codevilla's book on Switzerland during WWII and the extortion by politicians, those connected to them, and corrupt judges of over one-billion dollars from Swiss banks is a good read also(Between the Alps and a Hard Place).

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The Ruling Class: How They Corrupted America and What We Can Do About It Overview

In this profound and incisive work, Angelo M. Codevilla introduces readers to the Ruling Class, the group of bipartisan political elites who run America. This Ruling Class, educated at prestigious universities and convinced of its own superiority, has everything to gain by raising taxes and expanding the reach of government. This class maintains that it knows what is best and continually increases its power over every facet of American life, from family and marriage to the environment, guns, and God.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that this Ruling Class does not represent the interests of the majority of Americans, who value self-rule and the freedom on whose promise America was founded. Millions of Americans are now reasserting our right to obey the Constitution, not the Ruling Class. This desire transcends all organizations and joins independents, Republicans, and Democrats into The Country Party, whose members embody the ideas and habits that made America great. The majority of Americans feel that the Ruling Class is demeaning us, impoverishing us, demoralizing us, and want to be rid of it.

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Customer Reviews

Clear statement of the trouble we are in - T. Meeker -
It is not the GOP vs. the White House and the Congress. It is the White House and the Congress vs. American people. The ruling class wants to reshape you, your family, and your community. A clear statement of the problem we face today with no workable solution offered. A must read! The solution to this political mess we are in lies with the readers of this book.



Great reading for liberty-oriented people - M. Nusair - Cincinnati, OH USA
A great book that puts into words what we probably knew, deep down, all along. What is the defining feature of "the elites", for example? What do Chris Matthews and John Kerry have in common? (One is fairly smart and the other being a pompous ass, but they get along so well, and both are wrong almost all the time.)

Angelo Codevilla describes the "Ruling Class" so well, and the only disappointing aspect of the book is the realization that I could never be a member of that class, regardless of my income or achievements! If you care about why this country has slid into the government-centered mess that we are now in, you must read this book. If you like it, subscribe to "American Spectator", which brought us the article on this subject that started this ball rolling.

Rush Limbaugh, on reading the Spectator article, spent some time extolling it's virtues. His take was that being a member of the "Ruling Class" was akin to sitting at the cool table in high school, a status that is hard to define but you'll know it when you see it. Those of us who didn't sit at the cool table always realized that we didn't really want to, but so many of us were envious anyway! Rush is right: many people never really left high school.



Beyond Right and Left - Henry Oliner - Macon, GA United States
Codevilla offers an analysis of our political quagmire that gets beyond left and right, red and blue, Republican and Democrat, and other simplistic and shallow descriptions.

He offers an intellectual substantiation for the tea party movement not unlike Thomas Paine's Common Sense was for the original revolution. The Elites, the Ruling Class includes most Democrats, much of Wall Street (as opposed to Main Street) and some of the Republicans vs the Country Class- those who work for a living, volunteer, value family and are more likely to value religious belief of some sort.

The problem is that the Ruling Class which is a minority of the population is cohesive while the Country Class is dispersed, tending to subject their political support to various litmus tests. The Tea Party is an effort to find some cohesiveness for the majority.

The Ruling Class is a short and clear must read for a clearer understanding of our political climate.






*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 18, 2010 13:15:06

Great Price for

Fated to Be Free Review

Fated to Be Free Overview

"Excerpt from the book..."
When authors attempt to explain such of their works as should explain
themselves, it makes the case no better that they can say they do it on
express invitation. And yet, though I think so, I am about to give some
little account of two stories of mine which are connected
together,--"Off the Skelligs," and "Fated to be Free."

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Customer Reviews

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 16, 2010 04:45:05

Check Out No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II for $9.57

No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II Review

For those who say a man must be a good father and husband in order to be a good leader, I recommend this book to you. Authored by one of America's most famous female historians, this book follows the lives of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt thru their 2nd, 3rd and 4th terms in the White House. The book looks at their personal and public lives, and how they influenced each other, and the history of the world. Written in chronological order, the book covers war planning, domestic politics, the race issue, labor relations, the public growth of Eleanor Roosevelt, along with the lives of numerous residents and visitors to the White House such as Winston Churchill, the Roosevelt children and friends, and the many attractive women who intrigued FDR, some of whom were possible mistresses. What comes across is their respective abilities with people. There is Franklin's ability to communicate with people in person or en masse, and to steer them towards a common goal, which is the essence of leadership. Then there is Eleanor's ability to empathize with people, to understand their wants and needs and to work to help them. What also comes across is the story of Washington's first true power couple, both of whom are so occupied with longer horizons that neither can make the concessions needed to create a happy family. It is clear that FDR cheated on his wife, with multiple women most likely. And the book suggests that Eleanor in turn cheated on FDR, though of a less sexual nature. This failure in marital relations was passed onto their children. The 4 sons went thru 18 marriages between them, and their one daughter also went thru a divorce. The book clearly illustrates how sacrifices for public service often include a ruined family life. So overall, a very insightful and important book about American history, and how history is made by people making decisions on a daily basis often under less than perfect circumstances.

No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II Overview

From the bestselling author of The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedysand Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream comes a compelling chronicle of a nation and its leaders during the period when modern America was created. Presenting an aspect of American history that has never been fully told, Doris Kearns Goodwin describes how the isolationist and divided United States of 1940 was unified under the extraordinary leadership of Franklin Roosevelt to become, only five years later, the preeminent economic and military power in the world.

Using diaries, interviews, and White House records of the president's and first lady's comings and goings, Goodwin paints a detailed, intimate portrait not only of the daily conduct of the presidency during wartime but of the Roosevelts themselves and their extraordinary constellation of friends, advisers, and family, many of whom lived with them in the White House.

Bringing to bear the tools of both history and biography, No Ordinary Time relates the unique story of how Franklin Roosevelt led the nation to victory against seemingly insurmountable odds and, with Eleanor's essential help, forever changed the fabric of American society.

No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II Specifications

A compelling chronicle of a nation and its leaders during the period when modern America was created. With an uncanny feel for detail and a novelist's grasp of drama and depth, Doris Kearns Goodwin brilliantly narrates the interrelationship between the inner workings of the Roosevelt White House and the destiny of the United States. Goodwin paints a comprehensive, intimate portrait that fills in a historical gap in the story of our nation under the Roosevelts.

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Customer Reviews

Goodwin's reserve, alows her book to become essential reading - D. Gaston - Chicago, IL
Goodwin tells the inside story of the FDR's White House during World War II. To her credit, Goodwin delivers a solid, scholarly review exploring the personal motivations and complex interaction between Franklyn, Eleanor and their colorful inner circle. Goodwin could have easily cooked this book into a scandal rag. For example, both Franklyn and Eleanor carried on hushed (but by no means secret) love affairs within the White House walls. However, because of Goodwin's reserve, her book should become essential reading if you wish to fully understand FDR's White House. At the book's core is a unique couple who both first rise above their family pedigree and then overcome their personal fears and handicaps to achieve something extraordinary (i.e. the title, "No Ordinary Time"). Eleanor conquers her social shyness to champion the poor, instigating a number of new domestic programs and policies. Franklyn's personal stamina negates his hidden paralysis. His iron will is even more impressive as he defies his own party and strategically delays America's troop deployment into the battlefields of WWII. I recently tried reading (but failed to finish) Gore Vidal's "The Golden Age." It is historical fcition covering the exact same subject matter. Strangely, I found the fictional account to be stiff and the historical account to be heartfelt. Why settle for fiction when the facts are so fascinating?



No Ordinary Time - mary -
Like all Doris Goodwin's books, this was beautifully written and easy to read.
I recommend this book on FDR as one of the best.



No Ordinary Time - Claire -
This book was recommended to me. We were traveling to the Hudson River Valley and were going to stop at Hyde Park. Began the book before we reached FDR's house and am still reading it two weeks later. Yes, it's long, but so well written and so full of fascinating information about two exceptional people. Today's politics is disgusting and irreverent and it's helped me to learn that things haven't changed that much since FDR's days. I have come to admire Eleanor greatly through this read and feel I now have a true picture of their relationship and their contributions to history during what was "No Ordinary Time".




*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 13, 2010 21:00:06

Check Out On the Duty of Civil Disobedience

On the Duty of Civil Disobedience Review

Henry David Thoreau's "Resistance to Civil Government" - or "Civil Disobedience," as it became known - is an essential part of American literature, culture, and history. Even more remarkably, it is undeniable proof that great literature can have a real effect on the world even long after it is written and ignored. The essay is world famous as the founding text of civil disobedience, i.e., non-violent protest, and its effect on such luminaries as Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King was profound, thus sealing its immortality. This alone makes it essential for all.

However, it is easy to forget that the essay is a masterpiece in itself. Essentially Thoreau's highly individual expression of his mentor Emerson's self-reliance doctrine applied to government, it has a wealth of depth and nuance despite its brevity. The words are few but the implications endless; it has enough food for proverbial thought to last a lifetime. The gist is very clear, but the implications have spoken very differently to many different people. The work's nature - and Thoreau's generally - is such that it and he are championed by everyone from neocons to libertarians to liberals, and the truly notable thing is that all are justified. This underscores the importance of reading the essay for ourselves.

Its main query is "What does the individual owe the state?," the answer being a resounding "Nothing." Thoreau takes the maxim that the government that governs least governs best to its logical conclusion by wishing for one that governs not at all - a brave wish very few have seriously dared to make or even conceive. He makes a highly principled stand for individual rights and autonomy, arguing very persuasively that people should be able to go about their business without interference. This of course sounds very much like current libertarians, and their position has indeed hardly ever been better argued. Many related and implied issues - protests against taxation, conscription, etc. - also seem to support them. However, it is important to remember that the essay's crux and most famous section - Thoreau's account of a night spent in jail for refusing to pay a poll tax because he did not want to support war or slavery - was and is immensely liberal. Few issues can be more central to current liberalism than an anti-war stance, and slavery was the era's great liberal cause. All this must be kept firmly in mind amid the many attempts to reduce Thoreau to a current party platform. He was at once too simple and too complex for this and would not have suffered himself to be thus reduced; nor does the essay justify it.

Integral as all this is, the work's core point is arguably a new self-reliance argument above and beyond immediate practical considerations. Thoreau certainly had a practical, political streak, especially compared to relative idealists like Emerson, but he thought individuality more sacred than anything. He articulated this more fully elsewhere, but it is very present here. His work is thus in many ways the best kind of self-help material - and, unlike the mass of current self-help tripe littering bookshelves, is intellectually and even aesthetically pleasing. Thoreau was the most thoroughly local writer that can be imagined, but his willingness to look deep inside himself for the eternal truths present in all people has made him an inspiration to millions and millions of people from across the political spectrum and indeed the world. This essay is a major part of his legacy and thus one of the very few works that literally everyone should read. Few can be the same afterward, and it will change many lives; it is nothing less than one of the most important documents ever written, and its value simply cannot be exaggerated. It is an excellent primer for those new to Thoreau, and those who have not already done so should open their minds to him immediately - and once done, they will never be closed again.

On the Duty of Civil Disobedience Overview

I heartily accept the motto, "That government is best which governs least"; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe—"That government is best which governs not at all"; and when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which they will have. Government is at best but an expedient; but most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, inexpedient.

- Henry David Thoreau

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Customer Reviews

Thoreau would be shocked by today's government - Jeffrey Van Wagoner - Gilbert, AZ USA
It seems to be a great truth that the most profound points are made in very short works. This is a very influential work by Thoreau that is the foundation of civil disobedience. Gandhi and Martin Luther King were greatly influenced by this work.

A famous quote from this work is "That government is best which governs least". Today's bloated government would literally drive him mad. I've also read "Walden" and it expresses similar sentiments.

This short pamphlet should be read by everyone. I would personally love to see less government and agree that civil disobedience is a very good way to encourage change. It sounds like politicians back then were similar to what we have today. Some things never change.

These kindle freebies have given me a great and easy way to review several items I have wanted to read for years.






When the State is Unjust - Dr B Leland Baker - Colorado Springs, CO
Civil Disobedience (Original Title: Resistance to Civil Government) by Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

This essay was written at a time when slavery was still legal and the United States military had invaded Mexico, serving as a catalyst for Thoreau's dissent against an unjust government. His focus is on the primacy of the individual - and he disagrees that the individual should "serve" the State, especially when the state is unjust.
Some of his memorable quotes include:
-- The mass of men serve the State thus, not as men mainly, but as machines, with their bodies.
-- (The state) is not armed with superior wit or honesty, but with superior physical strength. I was not born to be forced.
-- When I meet a government which says to me, "Your money or your life," why should I be in haste to give it my money?

Ironic as it seems, what was written by Thoreau about the Congress in 1849 is still true today:

"Our legislators have not yet learned the comparative value of free trade and of freed, of union, and of rectitude, to a nation. They have no genius or talent for comparatively humble questions of taxation and finance, commerce and manufactures and agriculture. If we were left solely to the wordy wit of legislators in Congress for our guidance, uncorrected by the seasonable experience and the effectual complaints of the people, America would not long retain her rank among the nations."

Thoreau concludes that "there will never be a free and enlightened State until the State comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its own power and authority are derived, and treats him accordingly."

This could serve as a primer for the Tea Party Movement!

Dr. B Leland Baker, author of Tea Party Revival, The Conscience of a Conservative Reborn

Tea Party Revival - The Conscience of a Conservative Reborn: The Tea Party Revolt Against Unconstrained Spending and Growth of the Federal Government




A testament to American Individualism - Bagels - Los Angeles, CA
This is a thoroughly American view on political theory given the emphasis on the individual coupled with the call for civil disobedience. Definitely not for the faint hearted, go into this with a grasp of the events of the day and a willingness to read the entire essay at least twice to fully appreciate Thoreau's points.

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 11, 2010 13:45:05

Check Out Kindle Bible (KJV) (best navigation with Direct Verse Jump; paragraphed)

Kindle Bible (KJV) (best navigation with Direct Verse Jump; paragraphed) Review

I love this bible. It is so easy to jump directly to any verse in the bible. The text-to-speech doesn't work very well because it's constantly reading numbers -- however OSNOVA has solved that problem by creating a version of this bible without any of the verses, navigation, etc. However, I don't think I will purchase it until Amazon updates their firmware to incorporate a way for Kindle developers to skip over notations, add pauses, etc so works of this nature can be enjoyed audibly and have the great navigational functionality.

The only problem: I just got this bible, so I haven't memorized all of the books. While some of them are obvious, not all of them are. So, I made a cheat sheet with all of the books plus their short codes that's just a tad larger than 4x6 when printed. As long as all of OSNOVA's bibles use the same short codes, you can use it for any of them. You can download it for free here: [...]

Kindle Bible (KJV) (best navigation with Direct Verse Jump; paragraphed) Overview

Kindle 3 owners, read the note at the very bottom.

Features of this version of the KJV Bible that has the same text as your paper copy:

– Direct Verse Jump, a revolutionary new method to open the exact verse you need in mere seconds (see below)
– two other ways to navigate between books and chapters: (i) using a hyperlinked table of contents; and (ii) pressing the joystick right or left to move between books of the Bible. Once you learn all of the three navigation methods, you will be able to open any verse in your Kindle Bible as fast as (or even faster than) in your paper copy
– The text of this electronic edition is painstakingly verified to be true to the KJV paper editions (no typos, no OCR errors)
– correctly formatted (i.e., true formatting of the original KJV – italics, small caps in LORD, etc.)
– includes original KJV translators’ notes
– original text, notes, book titles carefully preserved (for example, see the notes at the end of the Paul's epistles, which are found in the original KJV, look at Ps. 119)
– easy to determine where you are in the Bible
– Jesus’ words are in bold
– the text is broken into paragraphs for cohesion of the text (if you prefer the traditional verse-per-line format please purchase the KJV publication B002TG4P8Q from OSNOVA)
– as any Kindle book, the KJV Bible is searchable; however, when you first install the file please wait for the Kindle to index the whole Bible (about 10 minutes). The file is large and it takes a long time to index. For this reason, the DVJ navigation method will be available only after the book has been indexed

Direct Verse Jump: new navigation method using the search functionality:

In this version, all you need to do is type an abbreviated book name (see the table of contents for the complete list), then period, then chapter number, period again, and then verse number and finally press “find” twice (you need not wait for the Kindle to display the search results) and you will be looking at that particular verse in seconds. If you just need to open the first verse of any chapter then the verse number is not necessary. Do not forget periods and use only the abbreviations that are listed in the table of contents.

For example, if you wish to select chapter 3 of Genesis, you would:
1. type the standard abbreviation for Genesis (see the table of contents for a complete list), then period, and finally number "3" in other words: ge.3
2. click “find” twice and you are there.

For John 3:16, you type "jn.3.16" and double click “find”.

Note that you should put the chapter number even for books that have only one chapter. For example, the Epistle from Jude verse 5 would translate to "jud.1.5" and a double click.

Please note that this edition is not TTS(text-to-speech)-friendly due to the way TTS works on the Kindle. If you would like a TTS-friendly edition of the KJV, please purchase another KJV publication from OSNOVA ASIN B0032JSL84.

For other publications by OSNOVA, please visit the OSNOVA Press website at http://osnovapress.wordpress.com/


Note: DVJ works differently on the Kindle 3. You may enter the abbreviation without periods (for example, "jn316"), press enter once and choose the right passage.

If you have any questions or concerns at all about this (or any other of my publications), please email me at osnova@gmail.com

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Customer Reviews

Not what I expected - Kathleen A. Cronin - boston
I purchased this because of the reviews on its navigation, but what I found for myself that I do not like is that it navigates only to the verse you are looking for. It will not show the context or let you read preceding or following verses! I could not find this out from the sample either, I had to buy it.



Top Kindle Bible. I love it!! Easy to use. - Bythesquare -
This one is great. I had downloaded a few others, but none of them made it easy to get to a verse. With this one you just type jn.3.16 and you are sent right to John 3:16. So when you are in Church and your Pastor is quoting scripture, you can easily find it without having to fumble through the bible trying to find the one certain spot. It allows me to listen more and have what I need right in front of me. Also the "my clippings" is great for highlighting those special passages. I would recommend this to everyone. I'm all about free books, but this one is worth paying for. You won't regret it.



Not for the IPad - Patspath -
The Navigation with Direct Verse Jump does not work with the IPad. That really Is a huge dissapointment. The only way to navigate is to go to the front table of contents & look up Book, Chapter & Verse, then touch to go there. slow & cumberson. If I had known I would not have bought, but with iTunes, it is hard to get customer service. I written several e-mails, & the answer I got was that it did not work with the IPad.. That's it, no options, no apologies, no compensation, just it doesn't work with IPad. It's nice to have the bible on my iPad, but I sure wish it had a search




*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 02, 2010 16:15:05