Henry Adams was a great Teacher and a Romantic
920633
I was first drawn into the book "The Education of Henry Adams" when Henry Adams wrote how he was led to "... more than once to sit at sunset on the steps of the Church of Santa Maria di Ara Coeli..." (page 91) Adams wanted to teach people how we can teach ourselves. He wanted to say that knowledge devoid of feeling is of little use and meaning. He said, towards the end of the book and towards the end of his life, "All the teacher could hope was to teach it reaction." Despite his willful, self-imposed criticism of his own inadequacies and failures, he succeeded brilliantly in teaching us how to achieve our own personal Annunciation, as he obviously experienced his, at sunset on the steps of the Church of Santa Maria di Ara Coeli.
1798294
I discovered this book by chance at the library, and discovered my education had failed to introduce me to Elizabeth Gaskell.  The book has the graceful language we associate with the period, a lovely romance (my two required ingredients were there in abundance:  longing and restraint), and to my surprise, some  pithy and applicable-to-the-present-day wisdom on free market principles and the perils of government regulation.  I wish our current "progressive" (socialist) government leaders would read it. My 15-year-old daughter found the dialect passages a little slow going, but she, like me, is still enthusiastic about the book.  When I spoke about it to a librarian, she asked urgently, "Have you seen the DVD?" and I was subsequently delighted when I viewed the BBC production.
1163955
I did not go to Hope College but I am appreciative of his sermons and all his course materials I have read.  What a wise man.  I wish I had him as my philosophy professor--to me it seems he was the best.  It would have been a pleasure to be under his tutelage. I have read his book Who Am I? Other sermons and I was deeply spiritually and emotional moved by his sermon, "Who Am I?  What a wonderful man and teacher, I only regret that I never had real-life contact with him, but I am thankful that I can read his writings.
3533105
A very beautiful story it was funny and romantic and had lessons for the couple's. It was like I was there.
1289044
Winter Garden is almost a five star read for me.  It was incredibly passionate and sweetly romantic.

Thomas Blackwood is an amazing hero because is so sensitive and his love for the heroine is evident in so many ways; he is solicitous, courteous and a staunch ally of those he loves. As a British agent he is ever on the case but also intent upon furthering a relationship with Madeline, the French woman who also spies for the British.

Madeline is complex.  She is unmarried at twenty-nine and devoted to her work.  She comes across for the most part as caring and sensitive.  She is beautiful, knows it but is not really vain.  She speaks her mind but always is respectful.

Together, the two agents are investigating a a smuggling ring in the town of Winter Garden, England.  The mystery surrounding it is really the back story because the romance between these two is front and center.

In a role reversal, Madeline is the one who wants a relationship with no strings attached whereas Thomas is looking for something permanent and deep.  At times it is almost painful to feel Thomas's intense longing for a more emotional relationship with Maddie.  Their lovemaking is passionate.  The dialogue flows beautifully between them, the author's word choices throughout their conversations are spot on.

Thomas is also a complex individual with plenty of secrets, however Maddie is more forthright about her past.  She is untroubled by her lack of lasting emotional attachments and this concerns Thomas.

(Spoiler) The story unfolds beautifully and would have received the highest rating except for the second to last chapter where one of the leads becomes insensitive and really enraged toward the other.  This ruined the five star rating but not the whole book.
496604
The small town of Henry Adams is a far cry from the big city TC is used to, but he takes to it almost seamlessly. He is a man of few words, and a huge heart, who is ready and willing to jump in with both feet for anyone who needs him. The drama of life in a small town is ever present in this story, yet the power of Faith rings strong through it all. Ms. Jenkins talents shine in the way she delivers truly heartwarming characters whose story-lines keep you coming back for more.
Lototy
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
[...]
2520229
The aspect of McCullough's biographies that I enjoy most is that McCullough seems to genuinely like the person he is writing about.  John Adams is no exception in this regard.  When we meet someone new, one of the first questions we ask (or are asked) is "What do you do for a living?"  This is not surprising because most people base their identity off what they spend 40 or so hours a week doing.  Furthermore, we base our initial opinions of others based on their jobs.  When we become friends with a person, however, their career becomes secondary to (but not independant of) their personality and values.  When I say that David McCullough treats John Adams as a friend, I mean that he focuses primarily on Adams' values, advice, examples of how he put his values into practice.  Rather than get a lesson on the Declairation of Independence, McCullough tells the reader what John Adams role in the formation of the document was and how his values (anti-slavery sentiment for example)contribute to the result.  And while Adams' career is discussed at length, the most enjoyable aspect of the book comes in the form of advice that John and his "dearest friend" and wife Abigail give to their children and to each other.  In sum, McCullough gives us a well written biography about the life, career and wisdom/values of a man from New England named John Adams.  I highly recommend this book; your opinion of the second president of the United States will be raised as a result and his practical advice will be appreciated.
1525689
This biography was more like an autobiography. With the immense wealth of letters to and from John Adams it seemed as though President Adams were the author and not Mr. McCullough. This biography affected me in surprising ways. I went through a roller coaster of emotions dealing with some of the most important men of our collective American history. Men that in my youth you only extolled as heroes and heroes they were. But in this book you saw them with all their blemishes and human faults. But that didn't take away the esteem that is owed to them.

In this magnificent book there is a truly moving love story between Abigail and John Adams that was deep and true. I was moved to tears by their losses and laughter and joy at their gains. I hope to take some of their life and instill it in my own marriage.

If you've read David McCullough "1776" you'll know the edge of your seat story of the year of the birth of our Nation and all the birthing pains that went with it. This book is a great accompaniment to that great book.

If you love history, romance, action, and stories of war and peace then I would strongly urge you to read this book. Keep it on your bookshelf to take down and wipe the dust off and read again and again. I know I will.
1055261
I have always enjoyed history It seems in this day and time I find myself having little patience for a boring instructor. Mr Givens is the kind of teacher that can make you realize how truly interesting history can be with its unusual and little known facts. In our fast paced life Its wonderful to find a Instructor that can give us the discovered Facts in such a way to make history fun and intriguing! Mr Givens has done a wonderful job. I found this book to be very enjoyable satisfying and Interesting.
2077751
Henry Adams' MONT SAINT MICHEL AND CHARTRES (MSMC) is simply a great book.  Adams' lucid writing style  and his insights are impressive, and this book should be read by every supposedly "educated" individual.  Adams deals with complex topics such as Gothic Architecture, Medieval poetry and mysticsim, and Scholastic Philosophy with clarity and ease.

The early sections of MSMC compare the church of Mont Saint Michel with the Catholic view of St. Michel who was militant and was the perfect example of the Medieval hero defending the Catholic Church against all enemies.  The comparison with this church with that of Chartres which was the examplar of God's mercy via St. Mary is insighful and facinating reading.

Such embellishment of St. Mary or Notre Dame(Our Lady)is further investigated in Adams book by Adams' careful treatment of Medieval Poetry.  Adams's translations of Medieval French and Latin are good and give those who are not familiar with these languages a better understanding of both the poetry and the Medieval devotion to St. Mary.

Much of this peotry was mystical, and Adams demonstrates the attempt of St. Francis and the Franciscans to use such mystical thought in their missionary efforts to help the very poor.  St. Francis' mysticism is revealed in Adams' translation of St. Francis' poem titled BROTHER SUN AND SISTER MOON.

Henry Adams then compares and contrasts Medieveal mysticism, which bordered on Pantheism, with Scholastic Philosophy.  Adams gives the reader an insight to scholastic debate when he summarizes the debate between William of Champaux and Peter Abelard(1079-1142).  Here Adams demonstrates his understanding of how students and masters argued and learned.  He also shows the careful balence the Catholic authorities tried to impose between reasoned debate and heresy.

The last section of the book deals with the Angelic Doctor, St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274).  Adams careful treatment of Aquinas' thought is worth the price of the book.  Adams gives the Angelic Doctor high praise for both his clear thinking and liberality.  Adams also effectively deals with the liberality of the Medieval Catholic authorities who canonized so many men whose views were apparently contradcitory.

Henry Adams' MONT SAINT MICHEL AND CHARTRES is intellectual history at its best.  The book deals with complex ideas and views in an attractive literary style which holds the readers' interest.  This reviewer has read this book numerous times since he first read it in 1968 and has never found the book to be boring.  Readers should also read Thomas Woods HOW THE CATHOLIC CHURCH BUILT WESTERN CIVILIZATION and compare Woods sections on the High Middle Ages with Adams' book.
1426662
I read this book quickly because usually couldn't put it down. After reading th e author's note, I loved it even more. It's a wonderful story about relationships and a great teacher of historical information.
1944889
With a couple of notable exceptions, I agree with most of the reviews of Woody Holton's wonderful biography of Abigail Adams. The other 5 star reviews say it better than I, so I will try not to repeat too much.

Holton's "Abigail Adams" was immensely readable as well as thought-provoking: for example, it made me wonder how many other women of that era felt the same as she did about women's rights, or the lack thereof? AA might not have been an anomaly, were we able to ever know. The obvious fact is, her letters to her husband and other family members were preserved because the Adams family was famous. It's interesting just to wonder, since it can never be discovered, how many other women felt exactly the same way, especially about the lack of education, legal rights (especially regarding abuse), and the inability to own anything in their own right? Her sisters obviously felt the same way, and it stands to reason that other women did too. However, some might not have had the type of husband or families that would even "permit" a discussion of these rights, much less "allow" her to handle monetary transactions and advise others as well. (Witness the one or two star reviews by people who even now feel threatened by the "feminist" from over two-hundred years ago). I would think that it would have taken a lot of courage to express those kind of beliefs during a time when women were little more than slaves. AA had a loving and mostly supportive husband, but others could have risked their lives for saying and doing the same things. It also makes me wonder if any of her direct descendants, male or female, were especially inspired enough by her ideas to try to change anything?

Finally, I learned so much history of the lives of real people from reading her letters. This book, however, was not just the letters; I've read other bios of AA, and I particularly liked the way Prof Holton interpreted and explained them. I'm a lifelong history lover/reader and I agree with another reviewer that it's books like this one that should be assigned EARLY in school history classes (middle school, at least?) so that people will grow up wanting to learn about the history of our country and world! It is so interesting and exciting, everyone should read this book and others like it. Thank you Professor Holton!
3637284
I enjoyed "The Paris Wife" very much.  Some reviews had made me hesitant to read it, but I am very glad I took a chance.  I have read extensively about this era...the era Woody Allen just celebrated in his film "Midnight in Paris".  From a distance, it seems so romantic...artists in garrets, drinking absinthe, being wildly in love in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.  But McLain makes sure that we see the entire picture.  When she writes about how deeply in love Hadley and Hemingway are the reader feels it is true.  When Hadley makes a terrible mistake we are heartbroken for her.  Hemingway, in this book, and in most books I have read about him, does not really acknowledge any mistakes of his own.  He is blessed with talent, strength, good looks, sex appeal, and a wonderful wife and son.  We know that he tosses Hadley aside, and most American readers know that he never was able to find true happiness again.  We root for Hadley throughout the book.  McClain makes her a person of value.
2827298
This is a very well done adaptation of McCullough's opus on John Adams.  Adams often gets lost between the great american icons Washington and Jefferson, but he has been fortunite in his admirors of late.  I thoroughly enjoyed this Miniseries, Giamatti is excellent as Adams and Linney is his equal as Abigail.  Adams was just as important as Jefferson in his own way, he just had the unfortunite luck of following the greatest American ever in Washington and being hounded by the skillful pragmatist Jefferson.  This miniseries explores Adams in full right up until his July 4th demise.  The realistic sets add much to this series, especially the White House in the middle of nowhere, you really get a feel for what the Adams must have felt in this isolated setting, cut off from the real power in Philadelphia.  Adams should be reveared as a great statesman, one who put the country above his own popularity, a man who defined the word Patriot, I for one am grateful for the this series and the book for which it was derived.
1519912
From the opening lines, Withey had me in her spell. I fell in love with Abigail Adams and find her wonderfully human with all her contradictions. Her full and uncompromising love of her husband, who could be a hard man to love sometimes; her equally strong love of her children; her great courage and faith; and her passionate belief in the colonies' fight for independence won my heart. I read McCullough's book on John Adams several years ago and loved it; then I read this book and loved it. The day after I finished Dearest Friend, I watched the HBO movie "John Adams."  More than I ever had, the books and movie made me feel deeply grateful and in awe of our founding fathers and mothers, most especially dear Abigail. They truly lived in the best of times and the worst of times.
2304185
From my friends I have learned to kiss not only precious people but precious objects, and holy ones. This is a book to read, to love and to kiss. It contains some sayings of St. Silouan the Athonite, a twentieth-century Russian Orthodox Christian monk living on Mt. Athos, compiled by his disciple Archimandrite Sophrony.
St. Silouan never tires of praising the Holy Spirit, who enlightens us and gives us the grace to love God and our brothers and sisters. He exhorts us to live in humility and love, and teaches what is meant by God's command to "Keep thy mind in hell, and despair not."
St. Silouan is one of the great Orthodox saints of the 20th century--in which the Eastern Church suffered so much--because of his insistence on Christ's command to love one's enemies. This short, rich, inexpensive book contains much of his best teaching. It is worth the money and the time.[....]
1889846
I received this book to review courtesy Bethany House Publishing. This was my first read from Klassen and I was impressed. I was excited to that Klassen is a Jane Austen fan which was also a persuasion in my reading the book. I really don't think she missed anything in this book of romance, adventure, intrigue, history, and suspense. I loved the endearing relationship between Adam, Henry, and Emma. The fact that Henry stood up to his mother and brothers for love was amazing and admirable to me. Klassen has a great website to visit with description and photos of her various books locations. I have heard wonderful things about Milkweed Manor and the Silent Governess and look forward to reading them. (less)