Book Description
An astonishing find-the landmark journal of a woman living though the Russian occupation of Berlin-which has already earned comparisons to diaries by Etty Hillesum and Victor Klemperer For six weeks in 1945, as Berlin fell to the Russian army, a young woman, alone in the city, kept a daily record of her and her neighbors' experiences, determined to describe the common lot of millions.Purged of all self-pity but with laser-sharp observation and bracing humor, the anonymous author conjures up a ravaged apartment building and its little group of residents struggling to get by in the rubble without food, heat, or water. Clear-eyed and unsentimental, she depicts her fellow Berliners in all their humanity as well as their cravenness, corrupted first by hunger and then by the Russians. And with shocking and vivid detail, she tells of the shameful indignities to which women in a conquered city are always subject: the mass rape suffered by all, regardless of age or infirmity. Through this ordeal, she maintains her resilience, decency, and fierce will to come through her city's trial, until normalcy and safety return.At once an essential record and a work of great literature, A Woman in Berlin not only reveals a true heroine, sure to join other enduring figures of the twentieth century, but also gives voice to the rarely heard victims of war: the women.
Customer Reviews:
A subtle reminder..........2007-10-01
Not just a woman in Berlin at the end of WWII, but in any city, at any time, under armed conflict, this book reminds us of the atrocities derived out of human incomprehension, irracionality, ambition, etc. as anonymous as the author is, the actors are too, given the fact, they're all gone today, but not so their legacy... which has stayed with us (and hopefully with future generations). Interestingly, the way the author describes every infamous episody will make you notice the way things have changed too, for even physical abuse under war circumstances had certain brush of "decency" inexistent among today's savagery.
A just in time wake up call you can't afford to miss...
Powerful but Uplifting.......2007-08-08
I read this book together with An Underground Life: Memoirs of a Gay Jew in Nazi Berlin (Living Out: Gay and Lesbian Autobiographies) in anticipation of a trip to Berlin. They are both relatively short reads, and the combination of the two seemed especially powerful.
I thought that "A Woman in Berlin" might be too harrowing to endure (it _is_ a relation of the plight of defenceless women facing a conquering, vengeful, rapacious (yeah, like, RAPE) male army. However the author's determination to survive and to make the best of what quickly becomes her powerfully oppressive circumstances salves the reader. It's an enlightening description of what happens to an advanced western civilization when completely reduced for a time to life and death armed confrontation.
The author has interesting observations on the 'feminization' of Berlin _in extremis_ -- all the able-bodied men were at the fronts. Other than women of all ages, there were only disabled or very old men and children left in Berlin. [Of course there were also a few remaining men of the rapidly crumbling elite ruling class and their camp followers buried in Berlin bunkers who were utterly irrelvant to life in Berlin in April/May 1945.]
A Woman in Berlin confronts female / male sex in the context of armed male oppresssion and a woman's enlightened understanding of how to maximize her limited opportunities under very straightened circumstances.
An Underground Life: Memoirs of a Gay Jew in Nazi Berlin (Living Out: Gay and Lesbian Autobiographies)celebrates male homosexual sex in the context of unimaginable oppression and tragedy. The author's exuberance about his sexual encounters and conquests in the face of this oppression and tragedy lightens what might otherwise be a harrowing read -- this book is part of a series celebrating the lives of gays and lesbians, after all, and so may not have been intended for the general heterosexual reader -- worth it, nevetheless.
I can't put into words the impact on me of reading in close proximity these two stories of "sex in wartime Berlin". I still ponder that impact.
Raw, Ragged Reality.......2007-07-11
Some books appeal to your intellect, others to your heart. This one hits you hard right in the gut. The author's shock, fear, suffering and revulsion are delivered relentlessly through her perceptive eyes, with poetic expressiveness and biting wit.
Along with the horrific experiences she recounts, some of the most searing passages are the reflections of her heart and soul. In the original German, they are particularly touching and thought-provoking. Her character, humanity and indomitable spirit transcend the pages that she wrote.
At the end of the nine-week period covered in the diary, I was struck by this true "Triumph des Willens" - the will to survive.
stepping into her shoes.......2007-07-03
perhaps because this is a diary, it is raw and allows one to step into the shoes of the author. It gives one a first hand look at what life was like for the German citizens living in Berlin immediately prior to and during the Soviet troops occupation. Although hard to read it times, it is as though one is right there. Very true first-hand look. A book one can't put down, and leaves one thinking about the suffering of the masses.
Apologist for Communists?.......2007-06-21
Warning, be prepared to guffaw while reading the Introduction by Antony Beevor. In it he states, "Stalin was merely amused by the idea of the Red Army soldiers having 'some fun' after a hard war. Meanwhile, loyal Communists and commisars were taken aback and embarrassed by the mass rapes." Weren't most of the army who partook in the rapes the very loyal Communists he claims were appalled by rape?!
The book itself was very thoughtful and well written by the anonymous female author.
Average customer rating:
- Loved It!
- great look into WWII era
- A lovely window into the WWII time period
- An okay read but not that great
- Excellent!
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A Woman's Place: A Novel
Lynn Austin
Manufacturer: Bethany House Publishers
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Binding: Paperback
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A Proper Pursuit
ASIN: 0764228900
Release Date: 2006-11-01 |
Book Description
As America rises to meet the challenge of World War II, the call for defense workers unites four women at Seneca Shipyards in Michigan. As their lives intersect, this unlikely gathering of women will encourage, shape, and influence one another as they learn valuable lessons about themselves and about life, love, and faith.
Customer Reviews:
Loved It!.......2007-07-21
This was the first book I have read by Lynn Austin and I loved it. I love books that take place during this era so I guess that's why it was just too good to put down and when it was over I was wishing for a sequel. Now I'm reading Eve's Daughters and I can't put it down either! Ms. Austin is a wonderful author! Any suggestions of other Christian novelists who write stories about WWII?
great look into WWII era.......2007-06-26
I found A Woman's Place to be a great window into the WWII era and how it affected the lives of several women. Though not her best novel, I throughly enjoyed it...enough to stay up till 3am finishing the book!
The book first starts out telling the story of each woman (Rosa, Jean, Virginia, and Helen). Their stories cross paths later on as they meet each other at the factory they work at. The book describes the impact that working at the factory brings to each of them. Virginia longs to be more then a housewife but is afraid to tell her husband she works there. Helen wants to escape the loneliness her silent house brings. Rosa has recently moved in with her strict in-laws and wants to escape their rules. Finally Jean just wants to prove that she can still be a woman and do a "man's job." Each character grows throughout the novel in many ways.
I really like how Lynn Austin did her research and fully described the 1940's in her writing. It really brought the era to life and I could picture it fully in my mind. I look forward to her next book out in September titled "A Proper Pursuit."
A lovely window into the WWII time period.......2007-06-06
Three-time Christy Award winner Lynn Austin pens an engaging novel about four diverse women who become friends while working at a ship-building factory during World War II in the fictional town of Stockton, Michigan. The seemingly simple plot of relationships between women is shot through with the meaty themes of forgiveness, discovering identity, prejudice, gender roles and faith. Each of the four will fight their own battle to change their past and invent a future for themselves.
Virginia "Ginny" Mitchell is a sweet little housewife who has been dominated by her husband Harold for years. She is insecure about her marriage. Is Harold having an affair? When she impulsively joins the WWII workforce, Ginny begins discovering her identity as a woman who is competent and can contribute in more ways than just as mother and wife. In an evangelical Christian story such as this one, Austin successfully walks a fine line between showing the importance of stay-at-home moms and the significant contributions made by working mothers.
Rosa Voorhees is a sultry, gorgeous Italian from New York City who hits the bottle while trying to get along with her churchgoing Dutch in-laws she lives with in Stockton. She is desperately in love with her new husband, Dirk, who is in the military. "Rosa had found what she'd longed for all her life, and she was terrified she would lose it." She strives to overcome a difficult past, create a different future for herself, and overcome obstacles to earn her high school diploma.
Helen is a lonely 50-ish single teacher who fears love and relationships. Her six brothers and sisters all died young, and years ago she was the victim of an unhappy love affair (whose specifics unfold in a surprising plot twist). "If her siblings' brief lives had taught her anything, it was that life was short, happiness fleeting." Helen has lost her faith and fears relationships, but her friendship with the three other women chips away at her cold persona. When the opportunity to teach opens up, she must choose between mentoring her new friends and a secure job. When tragedy strikes the four friends, she regrets ever loving anyone again. Will her heart change?
Jean is caught between her attraction for two men: one movie-star handsome and a long-time love, and another with a good heart but crippled by polio. As she wrestles with a decision of who will win her heart, she fights stereotypes about college and suitable career choices for women.
When a POW camp is set up in Stockton to house German prisoners, readers will find it interesting that Helen is vehemently opposed and prejudiced. Yet she fought her father's disapproval to teach young black students and children of migrant workers. The reason for her violent dislike of the Germans unfolds as the book nears its end.
Austin is a talented writer (CANDLE IN THE DARKNESS, FIRE BY NIGHT, HIDDEN PLACES), and some of her scenes particularly shine. A women's church meeting where the punch is inadvertently spiked provides some hilarious moments (reminiscent of the Andy Griffith episode where Aunt Bee and her friends take too much "tonic.") Seeing the war briefly through Ginny's two young sons' eyes also provides some poignant moments. The African-American character of Thelma King gives Austin a chance to flesh out some of the issues of racial injustice of the time period.
There is some repetition (we hear at least three times where Jean's brothers are stationed). Ginny's use of italicized new vocabulary words is engaging at first, but becomes a bit irritating halfway through the novel. Other than these few quibbles, readers will find A WOMAN'S PLACE a lovely window into the WWII time period, and a nice book club read with its conversation starters about racism, gender roles, overcoming a difficult past, and forgiveness.
--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby
An okay read but not that great .......2007-04-02
Rosa,Ginny,Helen,and Jean four women from different walks of life who meet when they all work at ship building factory. Each woman is at crossroads in thier lives each trying to each out to god to make it though World War 2.
"A Woman's Place" was the first book that I have read by Lynn Austin and while I wanted to like it, I just couldn't. This book just seem drag in places and the ending seem rushed.
Excellent!.......2007-01-28
Prolific author, Lynn Austin, well know for her biblical and American Civil War novels brings to life the early 1940's to tell the story of four woman whose lives are forever changed by the Second World War.
Four women, brought together by America's call for women to aid the war effort, take jobs at the Stockton Shipworks and train in electronics. Newly married Rosa wants to escape the disapproval of her parents-in-law while her husband Dirk fights overseas, Jean, the youngest, dreams of going to college, Helen is all alone after the death of her elderly parents and the wealth left to her is simply not enough and Virginia is desperately afraid she has become nothing more than a "servant" to her husband and sons. Working as a team the women discover that their differences are not enough to stand in the way of friendship. They discover abilities previously untapped and challenges never before experienced. When tragedy strikes and prejudice threatens to separate them these women find strength and hope in eachother and discover that faith and friendship is truly enough to overcome all things.
Lynn Austin has written a beautiful novel that held my interest throughout all of its 446 pages. Each chapter is written from the perspective of one of the characters but this is not a distraction or hard to follow. Despite finding Virginia's timidity irritating in the early chapters she soon developed into a character I understood more as her personality and circumstances were revealed. The remaining three characters were fascinating and believable and while from another era, their hopes, fears and challenges were easy to relate to. The author transports you to the 1940's with relevant detail and obviously impeccable research. The prejudices these women face entering a man's world are explored as well as other issues as relevant today as they were then like racisim, prejudice, bitterness and forgiveness.
A Woman's Place is a tribute to all women who sacrificed so much while their men were sacrificing their lives during the World War II era.
Book Description
Published to acclaim and controversy a decade ago, Sperm Wars is a revolutionary thesis about sex that turned centuries-old biological assumptions on their head.
Evolution has programmed men to conquer and monopolize women while women, without ever knowing they are doing it, seek the best genetic input on offer from potential sexual partners.
In this book, best-selling author Robin Baker reveals these new facts of life: ten percent of children are not fathered by their "fathers;" less than one percent of a man’s sperm is capable of fertilizing anything (the rest is there to fight off all other men’s sperm); "smart" vaginal mucus encourages some sperm but blocks others; and a woman is far more likely to conceive through a casual fling than through sex with her regular partner.
It’s no wonder that Sperm Wars is a classic of popular science writing that will surprise, entertain, and even shock.
Customer Reviews:
A little disappointing, but worthwhile.......2007-07-10
I had high hopes for this book after hearing so many of my friends rave about it. However, I was a little let down. First of all, there are no foot-notes or citations for any of the claims/statistics that Baker writes about. I understand that the book reads easier without them, but it takes a lot of the credibility away from the message. Also, the constant referral to previous/future "scenes" (37 small stories) throughout the book really made it difficult to follow.
I read in a couple other reviews for this book that a lot of the "science" Baker writes about has been proved wrong. One of the reviewers actually posted a link to a scientific article which conducted some experiments contradictory to Baker's research, so if you feel inclined it's on this website somewhere.
Anyway, the book did have a couple (valid) discoveries that were new to me, so all was not lost. Just wish Baker had done a better job of backing up his research!
Probing the mysteries of female sexuality.......2007-05-13
We all marvel at the unpredictable nature of female sexuality, and often wonder why women do the things that they do, and are equaly shocked at the things they DON'T do. Why are women so crazy about teenaged boys that they will risk life and limb to be with them sexualy ( i.e-the current huge runaway phenominon of female teachers having illicit relationships with their male teen students ), while they all but totaly ignore men over 20? Why do women suffer such sexual attention span deficit one day and are at least as sexual as any man the next? Are women truly less attracted to men than men are to women? Why is the realm of female sexuality such a matrix of insanity and seemingly bizzare behaviour? Why can't women explain what they really want?
The answers to these questions will shock you....and are contained within the brilliant, extensively researched pages of this book. It will not only give you more insight into the dynamics of female sexuality, but will give you more understanding of your own male sexual physiology as well. Reproduction is truly EVERYTHING !!!! Sex is life itself, and the importance of this transference of life from one generation to the next is a staggering existence we take totaly for granted. Not after you read this book!!! You will never view reproduction the same again.
Nice theory, but..........2007-01-11
It all makes for a nice sensationalist read, but apart from the author and his colleagues' own research, other research on this subject have proven it to be totally false in regards to human sperm. The "fun" of this book is all the eyebrows it raises by suggesting that women are unfaithful by nature, but really beyond that there are no other selling points. Makes for a good read if you're into that kind of fantasy junk...as for real science, throw this one in the pile with phrenology and whatever else.
Humans as just another animal.......2006-06-26
Among animals, humans seem unusually obsessed with sex and thus a bit separated from the rest of the animal biology, which seems to feature a preponderance of 10-second sex acts. Robin Baker uses a lifetime of university study to try to explain human behavior objectively through case studies and discussions at at rate of one per chapter. It is a mixture of illumination, rationalization and sadly some repetition as the explanations seem to cycle through in the ~33 chapters. Most of the time, he hits his points, but sometimes he seems to miss obvious ones; for instance in the "rough sex" chapter, the woman's reproductive advantage in marrying a mate is discussed but the male perspective in such mate exploration is not. Mate selection by physical endowment is essentially entirely neglected, yet in human societies it is the norm that most people have multiple partners over a lifetime. In fact, in this book sperm wars really alludes to instances in which multiple matings occur in a short enough time span that sperm of different mates are selected in the woman's reproductive tract--a topic of a number of chapters. Practically every sexual combination is presented and explained, even when it is a bit stretched, as for instance the explanation as to why homo- or bisexuality, lesbian or gay behavior may contribute to reproductive success. In his role, the author is largely amoral--an observing biologist trying to explain a role for behavior in reproductive success rather than judging its societal context--though sometimes outcome of the occasional case study seem to bear moral shadings. For those who want to learn about the biology underlying human sexual behavior, this book has some interesting ideas. As a biologist, I found the absence of direct citation of experimental evidence was distracting, as I would prefer seeing whether conjectures withstand scientific analysis, but that is not what this book is about. The current book looks and feels a lot like a second edition of his best-selling book "Sperm Wars" of a decade before, but I do not know that to be the case; I am looking forward to seeing what readers of both volumes say on that point.
I Have My Doubts.......2006-04-28
An interesting book, but I have my doubts about the basic premise. If women are always shopping around for men with the very best genes, then why is the world filled with ugly, stupid people? (Let's be honest. It is.) And why is it that something like 13 million Asian men are the descendents of a murderous psychopath like Attila the Hun? According to studies, that many men bear the same Y-chromosome, probably a result of Attila's marauding across the countryside centuries ago. Did the women who had the misfortune to encounter Attila say, "Wow! What great genes! Go ahead and kill my husband/father/brother/son. It's worth it to get those superior genes." I doubt it. My other problem with the book centers around the author's idea that a successful human is one who reproduces abundantly, whose genes are present in the generations to come. We, however, are not worms, or monkeys, or race horses. Perhaps the most successful humans are those whose ideas (memes not genes) are present in future generations - such as Einstein, Newton, Edison, Darwin, Buddha.
Book Description
This is the true story of a young American missionary woman courage and triump of faith in the jungles of New Guinea and her four years in a notorious Japanese prison camp. Never to see her husband again, she was forced to sign a confession to a crime she did not commit and face the executioner's sword, only to be miraculously spared.
Customer Reviews:
Missionary Biography.......2007-09-17
This is the best missionary story of God's faithfulness that I've ever read. I recommend it to everyone.
Evidence Not Seen is Must Reading.......2007-09-15
This book tells the story of Darlene Deibler's incredible survival during almost four years in a World War 2 Japanese prison camp. But more than that, it tells the story of incredible faith that blossomed and bloomed under the most horrendous conditions. When faced with pain, illness and even the death of her husband, Darlene sensed the Presence of God in a way that enabled her to go on and to survive without bitterness for her captors or for God.
I loved the drama of how Darlene at first spurned the attention of the man who fell in love with her and felt sure she was destined to become his wife and missionary partner. It didn't take long for her to return the feelings, and off they went, expecting a long and fruitful ministry in the East Indies. They landed in Java on their first wedding anniversary.
But I hated how the tentacles of war ripped the Deiblers apart and landed them in different camps. Darlene, who served as a barracks leader and nurse, suffered herself and nursed the wounds of others who were abused. Many, Darlene included, were left weak and thin by beriberi, malaria and dysentery. However, as she cared for fellow prisoners physically, Darlene inspired them spiritually by establishing a daily time in the barracks to read the Bible and pray. And no matter what daily heartaches she endured, God whispered encouragement to her heart through memorized scripture and hymns.
Evidence Not Seen will bolster your faith and assure you that God is real and present in every experience of life.
The transforming power of God.......2007-08-29
Evidence Not Seen: A Woman's Miraculous Faith in the Jungles of World War II - by Darlene Deibler Rose. Published by HarperSanFrancisco in 1988
This is the most powerful Christian book I have ever read. My introduction came in a friend's letter. She mentioned this "inspiring and challenging" book and said about it; "Oh, to love Jesus like that!" I ordered a copy immediately and have ordered many more to give to friends.
Four years spent in a POW camp in the jungles of Indonesia don't make for comfortable reading. After you lend it or recommend it you hope that the other person can stand to read the awful details of deprivations and hardships endured in such a location. Food was always scarce and insufficient, but somehow they coped.
Darlene Deibler only had a few years of married life before she and her husband were separated and confined in different camps. Russell Deibler did not survive. Darlene became a very young widow. She had been gifted with such a cheerful spirit and leadership qualities that she was chosen to be the leader of one of the women's barracks at the camp. Her enthusiastic Christian spirit brought solace to many around her.
So this is the kind of book which could change your life. Certainly life will never be quite the same.
Before war interfered that small group of missionaries, were preparing, some of them, to bring the Good News to the primitive tribes in the vast interior of New Guinea. This would have been only 70 years since earlier missionaries had discovered that the people they were planning to work amongst had a culture of cannibalism. This was "hardship" missions in every way: isolated territory, no medical resources, difficult terrain and climate. Their faith had to be strong. The prison camp experience was a traumatic testing ground of that faith.
You sense the gift of love for those New Guinea tribesmen. After the war the mission work resumed and Darlene returned as Darlene Deibler Rose. You may ask if this kind of mission work had any noticeable results. Consider this news story which came to our attention just as I was preparing this review.
The Papua New Guinea tribesmen wanted to apologize publicly for their ancestors having cannibalized Methodist missionaries 129 years ago. What a thrill then to read: "Thousands of villagers attended the apology ceremony in East New Britain province and listened to words of praise for the English missionary who had brought the Gospel to their region. The apologetic Papuans, led by the Governor General of Papua New Guinea, offered their apologies to the High Commissioner of Fiji. Four Fijian missionaries, under the command of Rev. George Brown of the London-based Wesleyan Missionary Society, had been slain and eaten in 1878 by Tolai tribesmen, directed by their warrior chief Taleli. "We at this juncture are deeply touched and wish you the greatest joy of forgiveness as we finally end this record disagreement," Fijian High Commissioner Ratu Isoa Tikoca told the apologetic tribesmen at the August ceremony. Fiji itself had practiced cannibalism but gave up their meal habits under the influence of earlier missionary efforts.
The power of God so evident in Darlene's life story is evident on a larger scale in the new nation of New Guinea.
Read Darlene's story and let the Lord work in your life.
Great Book!!!.......2007-08-09
Great book. I wanted this book after hearing about it on an online radio broadcast of this woman's story. Fantastic. Great book, I could hardly put it down.
My Favorite Book about Missions.......2007-08-01
I've read this book a number of times. I love that it is a women's perspective on missions and the real struggles a women has. It has been so inspiring to me as a youth and now as an adult. I highly recommend this book.
Amazon.com
Unwise Passions traces the trajectory of aristocrat Nancy Randolph's tempestuous life, beginning with her privileged birth in 1774, continuing through a series of scandals that eventually sent her North, and concluding with her death in 1837. But this engaging, accessible biography also serves as group portrait of the Virginia aristocracy--and of its declining fortunes, as the colonial oligarchy was supplanted by an unrulier democracy. When she was only 18, Nancy was accused of having borne a child to her own sister's husband, Richard Randolph, who then allegedly murdered the newborn. Defended by Revolutionary legend Patrick Henry, Richard and Nancy were acquitted, and she returned to live with him and her sister. But the rumors persisted, and Richard's sudden death in 1796 only made them uglier. Many of the ugliest rumors were voiced by Richard's younger brother, Jack; Nancy's former suitor. Jack improved the debt-riddled family estates while he pursued a political career as a fiery states-rights congressman (a career that gets nearly as much of the author's attention as Nancy's life). Virginia-based journalist Alan Pell Crawford doesn't conclude definitively whether or not Jack actually believed Nancy had murdered his brother and had sexual relations with a slave, but the congressman certainly hated her enough to throw her off the family farm and repeat those stories later to her husband. At age 34, reduced to poverty and living in New York, the long-suffering Nancy married Gouverneur Morris, another wealthy veteran of the Revolutionary generation. Their happy union produced one child and endured until his death. Crawford, also the author of Thunder on the Right, pens a lively narrative that vividly evokes his characters: kindhearted, rather frivolous Nancy; urbane, unshockable Morris; irascible, overwrought Jack; and a host of cousins who are scattered throughout America's inbred, gossipy high society. Good fun and good history, to boot. --Wendy Smith
Book Description
In the spring of 1793, eighteen-year-old Nancy Randolph, the fetching daughter of one of the greatest of the great Virginia tobacco planters, was accused, along with her brother-in-law, of killing her newborn infant. Once one of the loveliest and most sought-after young women in Virginia society, she was immediately denounced as a ruined Jezebel, and the great orator Patrick Henry and future Supreme Court justice John Marshall were retained to defend her in her sensational trial.
In the tradition of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Alan Pell Crawford brings to life this gripping account of murder, infanticide, and prostitution charges, and of unimaginable treachery, moral decline, and great heroism played out in the intimate lives of this nation's Founding Fathers. It is the true story of the privileged and pampered children of the new country's aristocratic families as they struggle to find their place in an increasingly democratic America, where their values and position in society are under siege. Above all, it is the story of the indomitable Nancy Randolph, who is hounded out of Virginia by a scandal that will haunt her and everyone she loves for the rest of their lives.
In the early 1790s, after Nancy goes to live with her sister Judith and handsome brother-in-law Richard at their remote plantation, called Bizarre, rumors fly throughout Virginia that Nancy has given birth and Richard, knowing the child to be his, has killed it. After an inquest, Nancy is ordered off the plantation by her cousin John Randolph and, reduced to poverty, she must find her way in a new and forbidding world.
Eventually she flees to New York where she forms an unlikely alliance with the immensely rich Gouverneur Morris, a signatory of the Declaration of Independence. Meanwhile John Randolph, a protégé of Thomas Jefferson who becomes a notorious wit and controversial member of Congress, a duelist and a drug addict, spends most of his life campaigning against her. After Morris's death, Nancy must fight for her honor once again -- Morris's relatives are eager to have a piece of his estate and to see her disinherited.
American history at its richest, with a cast of characters including not only the haughty Randolphs, but Jefferson, Henry, Morris, and Marshall, Unwise Passions is as riveting and revealing as any current scandal -- in or out of Washington.
Customer Reviews:
Pretty good.......2006-08-27
I read a lot of biography and historical fiction and I was intrigued by the reviews of this book so I bought it. The print is large, there are many reproductions of paintings, and it's a rather quick read, but it's "pretty good" as far as historical biography goes. It was interesting to read a thumbnail sketch of the rise and fall of the Virginia tobacco farmers, and it was also a fun task to try and keep track of all of the Randalph's as they inter-married! The main problem that keeps the book from being truly wonderful is that the scandal and the main characters aren't very compelling to begin with and the author doesn't do much to infuse the story with any urgency. There a few points where I found myself wondering what would happen next, but for the most part I was simply mildly entertained and when I was finished I felt I'd read a decent book that further illuminated a period in American history for a me and also educated me about Nancy Randolph and her kinsmen.
Less engaging than a history textbook...from high school........2006-01-15
I enjoy historical fiction and historical fact, but I found this book to be quite dull. The writing was not engaging, as the style seemed antiquated to me. I think I was expecting more of a modern interpretation of the story. Instead, this book reads like a Victorian gossip column. In short, neither the story nor the "scandal" was intriguing to me, not even as simple history. Apparently enjoyable by some, but it just wasn't what I expected.
Great Biography...Not So Much Scandal.......2006-01-02
The title is a little misleading, but this is still a great biography of Anne Cary Morris. The "scandal" is dealt with in several chapters and the remaining story tells of the disfunctional family of which she was a part of. It left me looking for more information about the remaining "cast of characters."
Historical Reality Check of early Americans.......2005-11-16
I got the book at my local library and just completed it. Mr. Crawford is good writer. I like that the chapters are short and the story line keeps moving.
I see that he has a new book coming out on Jefferson's last years. The research from this book probably helped on the new one since the Randolph and Jefferson familes were related (cousins married cousins) and Jefferson's son-in-laws were also politicians. I really appreciated the family tree even though the larger family lines aren't complete.
The main story line was not really resolved for me unless we are to believe Nancy's response to Jack in their later years. Did Nancy deliberately abort with her cousin's "medicine" or did she really miscarry? Was Nancy really pregnant by Theodorick who died before she delivered and not his brother Richard? How could Nancy go about in society as she "increased" without any censorship and why didn't any of her relatives, especially her sister who lived in the same house, know about the pregnancy?
Some characters appear for only a few paragraphs yet interest me to find out more about them in other biographies or histories. I was surprised to see that President Adams was not liked and Jefferson was extremely political. Crawford shows the political parties switched platforms over time so current parties cannot claim ownership of ideas. I will be interested in reading more books about the early founders, politicians and other Americans. This taste of early years in congress was very interesting.
Great book about my ancestors!!.......2005-06-25
This is a totally awesome book. With a twisted tale and a ton of history you can't beat it. Plus reading about Nancy who is a distant cousin of mine, is very exsiting. I think anyone of any age will love this book. If you like colonial history and excitment you will really enjoy this one! :o)
Customer Reviews:
A wonderful read.......2007-01-11
Agate Nesaule has captured the horror of war and its aftermath on the life of a young woman who was there.
She writes with the authority of one who has experienced the horrible effects of war on the psyche of one who is young and impressionable. Her realism is so that we feel the suffering that she experiences.
Although a story of trauma and sadness it does have a hopeful conclusion.
A fine story, well written, and intriguing.
Compelling.......2002-12-31
Others have argued the authenticity of Ms. Nesaule's account of life in the concentration camps; indeed, the author herself voices her own uncertainty of her story, confessing to much she has forgotten. Still, it is a story worth reading. American born, I've never found myself, or even thought to imagine myself, in a situation where I have feared for my life and the lives of my family.
Ms. Nesaule's account, which she manages to relate with frank detachment, is disturbing. Who among us, in America, can understand how it feels to be kept in a basement, never knowing when it might be our turn to be taken behind the partition to be raped, or taken outside to be lined up to be shot? To be cuffed or threatened for whispering to a sibling?
During her ordeal, the young Agate learns the futility of prayer, that what doesn't kill you doesn't make you stronger, and that wounds such as those she endured never heal; although by the end of the book, after a failed long-term marriage left her the victim, she finds a semblance of peace.
Despite its obvious flaws-among others, Ms. Nesaule's son Boris is virtually non-existent and her portrayal of her husband Joe is far too one-dimensional... his dialogue is stilted and comprised of only a few phrases, which she uses time and time again (perhaps these are all she recalls after two decades of emotional abuse-A Woman In Amber is a compelling read. Whether more fiction than fact is immaterial. Ms. Nesaule's simple message is this: her suffering, as is the suffering of all men and women since the dawn of civilization, is but a single page in the history of mankind. How sad that man cannot get along with himself, sadder still that he keeps making the same mistakes over and over again and never learns.
Recommended.
Woman in Amber.......2002-08-04
The families of both of my parents fled Latvia and the invading Russians when my parents were young. This book actually is what got my mother and me talking about her childhood in Latvia and in the DP camps, so in that sense, it is a very important book. Everyone I've ever talked to, though, has had the same general opinion of Ms. Nesaule's book -- she exaggerates a bit. She makes things up. She does say this in the introduction: "I have forgotten some things..." This book leaves a good -impression- of what life was like, but it should not be read as Gospel.
One Woman's War - Transcends All Borders.......2002-07-23
Being of Latvian heritage myself, perhaps it is impossible for me to read Nesaule's book as anyone else of a different heritage might. I have grown up on stories that are but variations on a theme to this one. My first language was Latvian, my first book was Latvian, my own first efforts in creative writing were in the Latvian language. Indeed, I have just participated in a literary reading of Latvian authors at the 11th Latvian Song Festival in Chicago, Illinois, where I had the honor of sharing the podium with Agate Nesaule. Is it possible for me to turn the pages of "Woman in Amber" without a deeply ingrained bias? Perhaps not. But I can say that these pages, these words, these memories, resonated profoundly with me. The war experience in many ways, however, is a suffering and a horror that crosses all lines of ethnicity, all borders of nationality. For this reason, I believe this is an important account for a far larger audience than just the Latvian reader; I am thrilled that this book was written first in English, then translated into, I believe, seven other languages.
Latvia is a tiny but beautiful country on the coast of the Baltic Sea. The Latvian language is one of the oldest still in existence. The country's history is one of the most war-torn and ravaged of any country anywhere - although it has existed for many, many centuries, Latvia has been independent, free of occupation by other armies, for only a wink in time. If this nation can be proud of anything, it can be proud of its ability to survive even the cruelest and most oppressive conditions. This memoir, "Woman in Amber," opens a small window of light shed on how such a people survive. Even more precisely, it gives an account of how a very young girl can survive - losing her home, losing her family, conditions of hunger, rape, pillage, exile, and the terrifying experience of being a stranger in an immense and completely alien country where the culture and language are all new and strange. Most memoirs of war and battlefields are written by men. It is particularly interesting to read a different kind of account, from the perspective of a woman. If soldiers on a battlefield suffer, there is a quieter, less evident suffering that happens behind the front lines, and this memoir reveals, painfully and movingly, the no less violent and scarring battles that happen there.
Agate Nesaule's memoir is a couragous sharing of the experiences she endured - not just during World War II, but for many years following the war. Long after the sounds of war have died down, the wounds are still bloodied and pulsating with pain. Healing can often take a lifetime. My respect to this author for sharing her experience, and my hope that it has offered her healing. This is a book I am proud to recommend to both my Latvian friends as well as my non-Latvian friends.
Honest memoir of suffering makes painful reading.......2002-05-30
Suffering is not good for the soul, no matter what anyone tells you. There is nothing redemptive about it. The pain continues long after the actual experience is over. You do not become a better person because you have endured much, though perhaps your patience increases. No, we don't learn lessons from reading about others' suffering, even from such a well-written book as Nesaule's. Her life is not an example to anybody. Certainly not an inspiration. If you keep your eyes and ears open in life, and don't watch too much TV, you cannot but become aware of a huge amount of suffering and pain in the world. Whether abroad---during World War II, in Korea or Vietnam, or in the myriad wars and dictatorships of the late 20th century-or at home thanks to racism, poverty, substance abuse or simple human cruelty, we should be no strangers to the tragedy of life on earth.
A WOMAN IN AMBER describes a life broken by war, dislocation and brutality. Darkness surrounded Agate Nesaule at an early age, a gray cloud that did not begin to dissipate for nearly forty years. After early childhood happiness in Latvia, her homeland was occupied by Russians, then Germans, then Russians again. Obviously fearing the Russians more, when Soviet forces loomed on the horizon in 1944, the family fled to Germany, a refugee camp where Jews and Gypsies were sought out and taken away. Then came the raping, thieving Soviet forces, a dramatic escape to the British-occupied zone of Berlin, and five years of life in the DP camps. In 1950, the whole family, still miraculously together, emigrated to Indianapolis to begin the hard process of rebuilding a life in America. Life in the slums, little income, sub-standard housing, but at least the chance for education followed. Nesaule made a disastrous marriage to a repulsive, manipulative slob of an American, perhaps the worst choice possible, and stayed with him for over twenty years. Through everything, she longed for a close, open relationship with others, especially her mother, but could not achieve it, thanks to her own unfortunate choices. At last, divorced, she reached some peace thanks to an understanding psychiatrist and a decent, loving man. For years, the writer could not distinguish normal authority and everyday forms of social control from stark, cruel, and arbitrary forms found in squalid refugee camps, under foreign military regimes, or in the hearts of parents in the most extreme situations. At times, Nesaule seems to take a perverse pleasure in her pain, but I felt that this emerges due to her extreme honesty, her attempt to plumb the depths of her feeling in order to arrange it on paper, and remove from her psyche all those feelings warped and twisted by war, by the desperation of her childhood.
The question a reader must ask, as does the author, is how many more Agates are there out there? In Bosnia, Kosovo, Palestine, Chechnya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Angola, Congo, Liberia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Timor, Colombia, Nicaragua, and dozens of other places ? A WOMAN IN AMBER is the moving story of a sensitive personality crushed by hardship and brutality, skewed to accept ruinous relationships because all self-confidence had been lost. The use of dreams to further self-understanding is extremely effective. As a Jew, whose extended family in the Baltic area was totally annihilated by the Germans (and their local minions) during WW II, I was not inclined to be sympathetic at first to a Latvian woman whose family, after all, must have lived comfortably through that same time, but I soon relented as I read on because self-pity is entirely absent. Suffering is universal, even if human brotherhood, of which we dream, is nowhere in sight. Perhaps sharing that suffering is, indeed, the very brotherhood we seek. Bleak conclusion. Read this book, you can't fail to be moved by the honesty and lack of nationalistic drivel.
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Healing the Gender Wars: Therapy With Men and Couples
Samuel Slipp
Manufacturer: Jason Aronson
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ASIN: 1568217730 |
Customer Reviews:
Healing the Gender Wars.......2007-01-27
For most men, the transition into the new world of women's equal rights has not been easy. In the modern family, women expect to be genuine partners. They feel emboldened to express desires and expect satisfaction of emotional and sexual needs. Many men feel conflicted about sharing responsibilities with women, and may be frightened by women's assertiveness and more open sexuality. Some men even feel like wimps if they follow - rather than ignite - their partner's desires. A kind of gender war often develops in which neither partner feels heard or satisfied. With many compelling examples and the lens of contemporary object relations theory, Dr. Samuel Slipp shows readers how individual and couples therapy can lead to happier lives for men and the women thay love.
--- from book's bakc cover
Customer Reviews:
Not bad for a short read........2007-08-11
Parts of this book were better than others. I think I liked the personal aspect of Ann Carl's life more than the adventures in flight. I just felt her book contained too many details and aeronautical jargon that would not hold a great deal of interest to those of us that have little or no knowledge of aviation. Having said that, though, I believe I will read some other books on these amazing and brave women known as the
WASP'S.
A WASP among eagles: The story of an exceptional woman living during difficult times........2006-03-13
I enjoyed reading the story of Ann Baumgartner Carl, an aviatrix that challenged the bigotry and mysoginy of the 1940s United States in order to serve her country. The book, as it was, was interesting and enjoyable. Its problem is that it is too short and sometimes only brushes subjects that a reader may wish to know more about. I would have liked in particular to learn more about the personalities of a few people described in the book and who played important roles in the aviation career of the author. This book is still a good bet however to pass some quiet time at home or during a trip.
There is no such thing as a bad aviation book this one is A+.......2002-09-30
Ann Carl's book tells what most male pilots know.
That is that the laws of physics apply equally to both genders.
During WW II special women took the challenge during special
times. Prior to WW II special women, such as Aline Rhonie
Hofheimer of Warren, NJ. tested various Luscombe models after
investing in the company. But during WW II the rigors
of testing became extreme. I think that no child can
say that they had a good education without knowing about these women who gave not excuses only their all. When you look at
all of the superficial celebrities in Hollywood.. all of them
would not add up to one of these women pilot of WW II.
A first-hand, insider's account.......2001-02-18
Ann Carl was a female military test pilot in World War II. A Wasp Among Eagles is her story of her experiences and adventures. She first learned to fly in 1940 and in 1943 found herself assigned to Wright Field. She underscores how women, because of the wartime shortages and pressures, were vital in performing jobs that were once the exclusive domain of men. A Wasp Among Eagles is an impressive, informative, first-hand, insider's account and an invaluable contribution to military studies, and highly recommended reading for women's twentieth-century history studies as well.
Impressive contribution to WWI military history studies........2001-01-04
Ann Carl was a female military test pilot in World War II. A Wasp Among Eagles is her story of her experiences and adventures. She first learned to fly in 1940 and in 1943 found herself assigned to Wright Field. She underscores how women, because of the wartime shortages and pressures, were vital in performing jobs that were once the exclusive domain of men. A Wasp Among Eagles is an impressive, informative, first-hand, insider's account and an invaluable contribution to military studies, and highly recommended reading for women's twentieth-century history studies as well.
Customer Reviews:
Not as good as previous editions..........2007-05-13
I am pretty sure earlier versions of this book featured images. This one does not... Other than having no images, it is the same as earlier versions.
Informative book, but beware of Echo version.......2007-04-09
On browsing this book, it appears very informative for those interested in Victorian households and how the prominent Beechers advised women to manage their homes. However, I purchased the version of the book published by Echo Library, unaware that this version does NOT include the illustrations that appeared in the original book. The Beecher authors refer to at least 77 figures in their writing, but since none are included in Echo's version, it was difficult for me to follow the text or completely understand what it was saying. I feel quite cheated and am thus returning the book. But I think a version that includes the illustrations would be a great reference book for Victorian historians!
Moral housekeeping and healthly living - 1869.......2000-05-29
Catherine Beecher's famous sister, Harriet, may have sparked some of the ideas presented, but did not actually contribute to the work of writing this book. Catherine was a childless, unmarried, middle-class woman, whose great tragedy was that her fiance was lost at sea before they were married.
She was an intellectual who lived in a time when women were severely constrained by domestic drudgery. Catherine Beecher strived to ennoble women's traditional role through education:
"It is the aim of this volume to elevate both the honor and the remuneration of all employments that sustain the many difficult and varied duties of the family state, and thus to render each department of woman's profession as much desired and respected as are the most honored professions of men."
There is a great deal of moralizing in this book, about lifestyle, Christian charity, care of children and servants, and so forth. In this, Catharine Beecher was a product of her century. Yet some of the observations are surprisingly astute, even for today's readers. For instance, there is a humorous passage about cooking with butter that will have you smiling about rancid butter in every dish. In so many ways, the modern homemaker has less to worry about. We can purchase conveniences that were undreamt of 130 years ago.
This is a self-consciously "American" perspective on keeping a middle class house. Yet the French are looked to as having perfected cooking and many other things, and this sort of repetitious praise can grate on the American reader. Beecher was addressing the American woman during the Civil War and post-Abolition time period, during a great influx of European immigrants and when the population was actively expanding westward. She had it in mind to influence the young woman of a certain generation, and in many ways, her ideas were both more advanced and more orderly than what had gone before.
This book is a *must read* for students of Women's History as it pertains to women in the home. If you are interested in the 19th century lifestyle, you will find many domestic details here.
How to life comfortably post "HydroCarbon Man"........1998-05-22
The Beecher sisters and Mark Twain were comfortable neighbors in 1869, living the good life on Hartford's elm lined streets. Mark wrote humorously about world travel or of his adopted home town, what was to become the "Insurance Capital of the World" while Harriet Beecher Stowe could claim authorship of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Catherine Beecher wrote a very practical "how to" book, the American Woman's Home, with a little help from her famous sister. The life they lived had not yet been saturated with the influence of petroleum....that would take some time to get up to speed.
Book Description
An unprecedented look at the life of cultural icon Marlene Dietrich that brings together firsthand accounts, remembrances, and anecdotes with pictorial and historical documentation.
Customer Reviews:
Marlene Is Eternal!.......2007-03-12
This is a tremendous book on the great Marlene Dietrich. I did see her perform several times and she was unforgettable. This book is a great tribute to her war work and her entire life and career. We will not see her like again and her grandson does her proud in this beautiful volume.
Books:
- About Face 2.0: The Essentials of Interaction Design
- Absent Fathers, Lost Sons: The Search for Masculine Identity
- Across the Dark Islands: The War in the Pacific
- Advances in Behavioral Finance, Volume II (The Roundtable Series in Behavioral Economics)
- Albert Sidney Johnston: Soldier of Three Republics
- Almost Heaven
- American Mourning: The Intimate Story of Two Families Joined by War, Torn by Beliefs
- Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army
- Bring Me That Horizon: (Welcome Book)
- Brother Odd (Odd Thomas Novels)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Birth of Venus: A Novel
- Killer Elite: The Inside Story of America's Most Secret Special Operations Team
- Digital Economics: How Information Technology Has Transformed Business Thinking
- Fortress America: The American Military and the Consequences of Peace
- History: Fiction or Science
- History: Fiction or Science
- Essential Business Tactics for the Net, 2nd Edition
- Softwar: An Intimate Portrait of Larry Ellison and Oracle
- Interest Rate Risk Modeling : The Fixed Income Valuation Course
- The Queen's Man: A Medieval Mystery
Suite Francaise
A Writer at War: A Soviet Journalist with the Red Army, 1941-1945
Memoirs of a 1000-Year-Old Woman: Berlin 1925 to 1945
Armageddon: The Battle for Germany, 1944-1945
Ivan's War: Life and Death in the Red Army, 1939-1945
