Very interesting look at a little remembered event
586082
The burglary tells the history of the Media break in that stole FBI files and exposed the "secret FBI" that had spied on Americans for decades. A group of catholic peace activists (many of whom had participated in the draft raids) broke into FBI offices in Media Pennsylvania stealing hundreds of files on how the FBI was intimidating and coercing the peace movement.  The break in was expertly planned and the building cased over the course of months.  The burglars swore themselves to secrecy and kept that secret for many years.  J. Edgar Hoover is a constant villain in the book who is hounding the nation and the burglars around every corner.  While the book does aim to expose the flaws and violations that Hoover committed during his time it also strips him of the credit for taking on organized crime and seems to indicate that rather than fight organized crime Hoover spent all his time spying on peace activists and blacks.  The book also covers the reform efforts of the committees that looked into the FBI after it was exposed from the release of the files.

Overall this book is incredibly detailed spanning almost 600 pages and seeks to idolize the burglars as unsung heroes who shed light on the American public to save itself from the "Secret FBI".  The book is very interesting and really tells an inside account of how this amazing feat was planned and executed.  The demonic portrait of Hoover and the Nixon administration is a little over the top at times but does not detract from the story.  Given the recent controversy of the NSA and Snowden this is a fascinating read of American's who committed a similar act only did not get caught.
3799510
Art Garner has put together a very readable and interesting book about the 1964 Indianapolis 500.  The book centers on two drivers, Dave MacDonald and Eddie Sachs who would be killed in the tragic second lap accident. Dave MacDonald came from sports car racing that threatened to upset the traditional Indy driver that came from sprint car racing, that Eddie Sachs represented.

  Garner shows that there was more than drivers from different forms of racing coming to Indy. There were changes in types of race cars, engines, fuel and kinds of tires. The rear engine car was challenging the traditional roadster, and the new Ford racing engine was challenging the time honored Offenhauser  engine. Firestone tire seemed to be always the tire of choice at Indy, but was challenged by Goodyear and Dunlop.

  We follow MacDonald and Sachs and the other drivers and teams through  the month of May leading up the race, the events during the tragic race and its aftermath.

  I truly had a hard time putting the book down since I vividly remember the excitement of the coming race because there were so many changes and innovations. When I was reading about the day of the race, I felt the same emptiness and shock when I was listening to the broadcast of Sid Collins.

  I have one quibble. After viewing the first two laps of the race MacDonald passed Sachs and Rutherford on the back stretch  of the first lap, not at the beginning of the second lap and Dave passed Dick Rathman and Len Sutton on the first turn on the second lapl
1583496
I was a small child during the war and I enjoy reading books on what was going on during those years. My memories are ration stamps and air aides,but it amazes me how our whole population pulled together in those times. I wish that comittment still existed in our world today.
3368008
Excellent piece of history.  I was out there at that time and never knew or heard about the things in the book.  Excellent job and I especially enjoyed the notes, the were indeed another story.  Thanks, Harry for getting some of us home.  It was a long time ago now but the memories are forever.
668504
This book goes through the month of December 1941 day by day, following newspaper articles and daily events of the time.  Many things in the book are not related to the war, but just general life in the USA in 1941.  Reading about things like Eleanor Roosevelt giving a luncheon and the details of FDRs daily events was a treat.  The writing made it easy to visualize life back then and the feelings towards Europe, Japan and other nations as well as the feelings of Americans about the war and about their daily life.  The only down side is that it was wordy in spots.  The idea of going through the time day by day is unique and was easy to follow.

The newspapers used were from around the nation and gave a real feel for life in the USA rather than from a global perspective.  As the month goes on there is a feeling of despair and depression evident in the newspapers as was the feel in the USA at the time.

The perspective is the most unique aspect of this book.  There isn't much about political ideologies.  It is really written to pull the reader into 1941 life, which is the strength here.  Anyone looking for analysis of the war or Pearl Harbor would be better served elsewhere.

I received this book free from booksneeze in return for an unbiased review.
363926
Margaret Peterson  Haddix has done an excellent job at looking at the different sides of many issues  of the times.  She humanizes  through the stories of three young girls.  Two immigrants to America and a  New York girl that has had all the "advantages".  It shows their friendship and how a horrible day in March 25, 1911  impacted forever the lives of these three young girls.  One gets an appreciate for the formation of unions and women fighting to get the vote.  Haddix includes a wonderful author 's note about some of her research for writing and provides additional sources to obtain more information.  You can see how the Trianle Shirtwaist fire has effected history.
1574010
This is a little known event in the Civil War era.  The Sultana was carrying released Union prisoners of war from Vicksburg to Camp Chase in Ohio.  Due to an imcomplete repair of one of the four boilers and the vast over crowding of the steamship, there was a huge explosion a few miles above Memphis on the Mississippi River.  The explosion and sinking resulted in the loss of between one-two thousand people, mostly soldiers.

Potter, who is a lawyer by trade, investigates why there were so many soldiers on board and why the boiler repair was incomplete.  His theory is that the Captain-Mason bribed the Head Quartermaster Hatch so that all the released soldiers were placed on board the Sultana rather than two other steamships.  The Captain also hastened the repairs of the boiler rather than take the ship out of service.  This set the situation up for the accident.  These two factors caused the ship to roll much and the boilers were affected.  When the boilers blew, the resulting fire doomed a great majority of men.

Potter also describes life in the Confederate prisoner of war camps and what it was like for those who had to live a life in one.  These soldiers were indeed weakened to the point where they could not muster much energy to save themselves when the steamship was sinking.  When they went into the water, most drowned.

This is a great short read on a little known event of the Civil War.  Potter did a great job writing a very informative history of a little known tragedy.
1784620
A name comes up from our past and memories surround our thoughts with images and recollections that have long been forgotten.  This is how the book starts and hence the reader begins to recall the60's and  their own memories of the history of these same events and more.

Wonderful first person interviews, with verbatim quotes, done with the colorful icons of San Francisco of the time, who not only colored the time, but changed the world in which we live in today.

As time goes on, sadly some these real characters are no longer with us, but some of their last published thoughts are contained in this book.

A great gift for those who lived in the times but those who are visiting San Francisco.  It is an  interesting, factual book giving diversified glimpses of what was going on in the city at a very volatile and revolutionary time in America.

I received an advanced copy of this book.
4422578
I love history and with the anniversary of this tragic event I was compelled to read more.  This is an easy read and the first hand accounts provide a different insight often not included in television documentaries.  It does however bring many questions to the readers mind as many first hand accounts were disregarded by the authorities at the time and even in many of todays publications.  An important read to get the whole picture.
936954
How quicky we forget how scandalous this was - it almost seems tame by today's standards.

This book tells the story of a world so different to now, and it brought back so many memories.  For those who did not live through the time, it may not be so easy to read, but defintiely worth the effort.
3656327
Like Wintner, I remember the the summer of '69 well (or parts of it, anyway). Many have threatened to write about it, a few actually did (Hunter S. Thompson never got past it). This is a good book, full of adventures that may have been true (or he might have never left his room; that's what Purple Barrels did to you, folks). I like the nostalgia and I like remembering how much happened in such a short period of time. Excellent writing on a subject I know something about (or I remember where I left my shoes, one or the other).
2595987
I very much enjoyed reading a Jubilee of Watching, especially about the cities and small towns (`shtetlach') of Eastern Europe as they existed before WWII. I was a young child of eight years when I heard stories about Vilna, Grodna, Minsk, Slonim and many other towns that I heard about from my father and mother.
The author portrayed the Jews of those towns very realistically. Upon reading, one felt the author's sense of the joy and sorrow of shtetel life, both the material poverty and the richness of the communal life. Reading about the life and history of that time, the reader becomes immersed in the experiences of the people in the shtetel. One feels surrounded by the individuals, almost becoming part of that life.
Reading the book brought back the memory of mothers who managed to raise children in the most difficult circumstances. When reading about the poverty, I was reminded that my mother had no special tablecloth for Passover. Before the holiday she took out the year-round tablecloth and opened the seams to make sure that there were no bread crumbs. She was so joyful that she had a clean tablecloth for Passover. It all made me wonder whether they were perhaps happier in the simplicity of life in the shtetl, more than they would be with  life today, confronted by the reality of present living. Would someone choose that type of life rather than the benefits of the tremendous progress since then?  This book may individually respond to that profound question.
4034201
I lived some of the experiences in Chuck's book but still found it fascinating with the detail in which he recounts these and other events. Reading about the place I grew up in, rekindled a desire in me to reconnect with others of my generation and location. As of the date I write this, there are close to 700 collective souls who freely reminisce about the "good old days", when it was a simpler time to grow up without the worries of "the future". A time, sadly, that our children have missed out on but we maybe can reconstruct for our "grand kids". I highly suggest reading this book, whether or not you're from this area, or even this time for that matter because at the end you'll feel liked you lived it!
499450
This book compiles events and photographs from the personal histories of many of the men who served in the 86 FBG. The result is a rich timeline that describes a unique form of warfare from the perspective of the men who experienced it in the air and on the ground. My Father was an A-36 pilot in the 525th Fighter-Bomber Squadron in Sicily and Italy in 1943. I was humbled to find a photograph of him in this book that I had never seen before. Even without this personal tie, I can recommend this book as an excellent record of a little-known part of the Second World War.
969847
Very interesting book.  I was interested in reading this as I still remember this incident as if it happened yesterday.  We used to live in Gaylord where the one family was from.  My husband was teaching in Culver, Indiana, the state in which this accident happened at the time it happened so we remember it well.  It was well written.  What wonderful families.
1665590
Really liked the book,I think this event will be remembered for thousands of years and has been so overlooked.  Exciting fantastic experience and I never knew a damn thing about it till now. My brother was a gunner on one of the LST's and he never understood  what really happened till now. We owe these men a great deal for what they went thru and for the ones that lost it all I give a prayer for them and their families. I can not help but wonder if in the storms off of Leyte the ghost of Evan's is not seen on the fantail of his destroyer .
857005
Very interesting glimpse of life at that time in history, especially details that normally escape the traditional historical writings.  Day-to-day things like how they dressed, what they ate, what was amusing to them, etc.; it shows how in many ways, we are more similar than different to the people from that era.  I only wish there were more such writings for other eras.