The Real George de Mohrenschildt
596883
The vast majority of writers out there treat George de Mohrenschildt as a tabula rasa to project their various theories about 11/22/1963 onto.  Ignore them.  This is the book you should begin with.  First, it is comprehensive and covers his entire life, not some small slice of it such as Dallas in 1962-1963 or Haiti in the mid-1960s.  Second, it does not rely entirely on formal records published by government agencies, but also includes interviews with a large number of people who either knew the man personally and/or wrote to him in private correspondence.  Third, it is not written with the aim of making some larger point about the death of President Kennedy.  Fourth, it reads well, like a biography should.

There are many little details in this work I wish I had access to while editing George's unpublished manuscript, originally titled "The Harvey Lee Oswald that I Knew" (see p. 707).  I knew from Sam Ballen's memoir that the de Mohrenschildt's had three house servants in Haiti, but here I learn their names, the recipes the cook prepared, and what they were being paid (a paltry 15 cents a day).  The work is very well documented.  Virtually no stone is left unturned and the range of people interviewed is vast, well beyond the names the "assassination researchers" usually focus on.  The reader should be aware the text does occasionally slip in material from George's unpublished manuscript and Warren Commission testimony as part of the narrative without explicitly indicating the source.  It is not something I would criticize - a reader totally familiar with both sources such as myself knows the origin of the material and that it is genuine but a novice might wonder about their origin.  The text is very tough on (and occasionally simply wrong about) Willem Oltmans but there were certainly moments in 1977 where Oltmans made some remarkably bad judgments and said some highly questionable things.  The record on Oltmans has been set straight with the release of the first English translation of his book Reporting on the Kennedy Assassination in 2017.  This was produced by myself in conjunction with the Oltmans Foundation and with a grant from the Dutch Foundation for Literature.  There are a few typos in the Weiford text but in an 800 page work that isn't a drawback.  The absence of any photos was a surprise.  A fair number of photos of George still survive though some can be difficult to access and/or get permission to reproduce.
729602
The book is one of the best on this eminent family. I reveals how the high aristocracy of Europe lived in their snug cocoon of respectability and intense conservatism far removed from the political and artistic culture around them. It is easy to see how Europe eventually plunged itself into the First World War. The great German writer, Thomas Mann, who wrote one of the 20th centuries greatest books, "The Magic Mountain", aptly describes the mentality through the various characters on how this international tragedy came about.

As ever, George.
3743459
I am the nephew of George Lindsay. I was thrilled to help in the production of this book as I was asked to do much to enhance the biographical portion of it. I was always aware of 3 peaks and a domed house pattern that George is most well known. Like many have found, it was difficult to digest George's dense writing style as my father Frank received his brother's regular market letters, I would also try to decipher them. Ed Carlson does this deciphering remarkably well. I'm finally beginning to have a good basic understanding about most of George's major techniques explained in this book and how they integrate together.

The biographical section was originally planned as 3 chapters, but the editors decided to limit it to one. However, if you want to see more biographical information and pictures of George and my family, go to georgelindsay.com. There are also links to Ed Carlson and Seattle Technical Advisors on the site.

I was also pleased that Ed Carlson mentioned the book George wrote, "The Other History." George took the timing techniques he discovered with the stock market and applied them to history. "The Other History" is again explained well by Ed and dealt with relatively short time spans of 40 to 70 years or so. "The Lost Manuscripts" that I mostly have that are mentioned in Ed's book are of time spans of nations histories that could run up to 400 years! Many parts of "The Lost Manuscripts" were very autobiographical and helped Ed further understand George Lindsay as to his total uniqueness and genius.

I really hope market technicians, history buffs and anyone interested in investing will buy this great book.
945321
Henry Picker was a young German officer who knew stenography and took down Hitler's Table Talk for a period of four years during World War II. This book was first published in 1951 and has enjoyed many reprints in the intervening years. This edition is expertly translated and has some revealing footnotes which leads the reader to other sources.
Though Hitler is invariably portrayed as a raving madman in American "docudramas," he could also be a thoroughly charming and intensely charismatic private companion in his off hours. A man capable of seducing 65 million Germans and of his monumental crimes, had to possess an elemental force both inexplicable and fascinating. This book provides some clues to Hitler's personality, though in fairness, his mesmerizing mystique had been dulled by drugs and megalomania by 1941. He was surrounded by sycophants, but there were some perceptive and intelligent people in his milieu, most notably Joseph Goebbels. Hitler's secretaries were also articulate and intelligent ladies. However, his chauffeurs and other aides, such as Linge and Schaub, were hardly junior Einstein's.
Hitler's monologues are faithfully presented here and he emerges as a genius in certain areas (his knowledge of architecture and art was encyclopedic), and as a sexist boor in other realms. His believed himself to be omniscient and believed further that he was a messiah selected by Providence to save the German nation. Anyone harboring such delusions is bound to sound arrogant and insufferable on occasion.
This is a must have book for anyone interested in Hitler, his entourage, or his paralyzing effect upon other people. It's chilling that Hitler casually discussed trivialities while Europe was being torn asunder because of one man's twsited ideology.
4192809
Ogg's scholarly work is a delight to read in part because you can have such confidence in his scholarship. But this book has special relevance to Americans as the nation swings towards a fundamentalist mindset and an ultra-conservative world view. In 1660 when Charles II was recalled to England to re-impose absolute monarchy after the failure of the Puritan experiment in democracy, the fashion of the times was to celebrate the "return of the king." But what actually happened was an imposition of authoritarianism, the abrogation of personal liberty, enormous government deficits and the creation of enormous personal profits by friends of the king. How Charles succeeded in revenging the death of his father, in subduing the desire for self-rule, in taxing the kingdom virtually into oblivion, into fighting three pointless wars with the Dutch, and in enriching himself and his friends at the expense of the country are all detailed in this magnificent work. More to the point, Ogg's work is a salutary tale duplicated almost point for point by the current Republican administration. Only the names have been changed by the times.
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The essence of painter Francis Bacon is not a personal life lived on the sordid side but how he was forced to take in life.  Seen through his central nervous system and eyes, we experience  his world of fragments, like collage pieces of existence.  The only place he could make those fragments whole was in a painting. Otherwise, he was wholly inable to put a fully realized human being, himself, together.  Tellingly, one of his best friends comments that he has done a superb one-on-one job with his lover George in his paintings of George.  However, he has been unable to do that in his actual life lived with George!  That sums up Bacon, his art and his life, in a nutshell.

Bacon is not a person you will like but you will understand him and how the fragments of his existence made for great art.  Yet he is also the most alone person imaginable, something no amount of lovers and sordid excess could allay.  One of the very best films about an artist ever made.  You don't need to see the actual finished paintings since it is the fragments he used to build his paintings in his head that matter here.  If you want to see his paintings, you should be able to find page after page of them online in about a minute, or less, using any visual search engine.

Visit my blog with link given on my profile page here or use this phonetically given URL (livingasseniors dot blogspot dot com). Friday's entry will always be weekend entertainment recs from my 5 star Amazon reviews in film, tv, books and music. These are very heavy on buried treasures and hidden gems. My blogspot is published on Monday, Wednesday & Friday.
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Dr. Nathan Stotzfus' "Resistance of the Heart" is one of the most authentic studies of the persecution of Jews during W.W.II by the younger generation of American scholars. It reminds me of Toland's book on Hitler and the Nazi movement in its insistance on direct sources to come as close to the "reality" of history as possible and to avoid the deplorable illusions of "Hindsight Histiography". See my review on Marchione's "Consensus".
Rainulf A. Stelzmann, Pofessor emeritus, Univ. of South Florida
1544264
Although this book replicates a great deal of the same type of information available in Ouspensky's In Search of the Miraculous, there is very little in the way of journalistic banter. This is a simple book about an extraordinarily complex subject that simply tells the version of Mister Gurdjeff's early teachings with some significant differences, and attributed to Orage, one of the world's great editors of the twentieth century who became Mister Gurdjeff's advocate in New York. Unfortunately shortly thereafter Mister Gurdjeff had a very bad car accident where he intentionally drove his car into a tree and nearly died and especially unfortunate was the fact that Mister Orage continued to add to the teaching vast lists of things to observe in oneself and ridiculous concepts that Gurdjeff himself repudiated in his visit to New York in 19 30 x 19 31 the 2 had split but for those who are serious students of Mister Gurdjeff and of Ouspensky this is a remarkable book which has diagrams and explanations that are significantly different than anything else extant. There are several reasons why does not get 5 stars  1 is that this work has become available for publication without cost, so other than manufacturing costs this is pure profit for them. Secondarily this is not the force of Gurdjeff is much as it is the meddling of Orage although there are diagrams not found elsewhere which have been effaced from photographs for what reason I do not know but these are valuable diagrams that I call the & diagrams, but when it calls vast structures of the book the learning and the boat it veers very far from Mister Gurdjeff's actual teachings and if one were to read this to the exclusion of other multitudinous books about Mister Gurdjeff and his teachings and ideas one would be in a very bad position whatsoever  Mister Gurdjeff and said that this could make one candidate for the lunatic asylum. The last reason is that the author forbade its publication in perpetuity, for the reason that he felt that no one was capable of teaching this "secret learning" as he called it, And although we scouring mice have invaded the archives in a great deal of things to come out of copyright or secret documents in various governments this book was written well before any of that. I cannot recommend it except for those who already know, because they will only and they only will be able to separate the chafe from the meat.
1267137
So convincing is Ms. George's creation of Mrs. Pepys and her journal that one sheds a tear at the book's end. Elizabeth Pepys, about whom apparently little has been written, comes alive in this "journal" and  presents a convincing picture of what it must have been like to live  through the London plague and the great fire of 1666. We witness the trails  of her marriage to the rather difficult Samuel Pepys and learn much about  the daily business of running a house with unreliable servants and an  overly flirtatious husband. Ms. George makes us want to know more about Mrs.  Pepys. And that means we have to go to Pepys's Diary to find out firsthand  what he has to say about his wife and his time.  And so, by her creation,  Ms. George sends us back to read what many consider to be the greatest  diary in the English language.
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Because this was a contemporary account, there is more of the real person and his real inventions than in later, more lurid accounts.
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It's easy to sort of crassly group Napoleon biographers into those that like Napoleon and those that don't. There's no doubt that Andrew Roberts tends toward the former, but to leave it at that would be a gross oversimplification. This is a full portrait of the man. It's virtually impossible, in a single volume, to give equal weight to all the aspects of Napoleon's incredible life, but Roberts pulls it off. Other recent biographies of the Man on Horseback have tended to go with a specific angle (Stephen Englund's wonderful, Napoleon: A Political Life, comes to mind), and while these books fill a great need in their own right, anyone looking for a truly all-encompassing Napoleon biography should go with Roberts. Here no aspect of the man's life gets short shrift: military history enthusiasts will find Robert's description of battles and campaigns as thorough and well written as any, while those preferring the political side of things will find as clear and meticulous an evaluation of Napoleon's political reforms as is available.

But the truth is, Napoleon's military and political story has been written many times before, often quite well. Yes, Roberts convincingly reevaluates much of it, but these reevaluations, if compelling, are not necessarily earth-shattering. What is truly brilliant and original about this book is it's dealings with Napoleon the man. Napoleon's own aloof nature mad him hard to pin down even among contemporaries. Roberts wisely writes off many of these contemporary accounts as blatant lies, which should, but has rarely been, apparent to anyone who takes the time to read them. But even those who were frank in their own time about Bonaparte had trouble describing his personality. Take for example, this quote from Marshal Grouchy, who served under Napoleon for years. When asked if Napoleon inspired friendship in his generals, Grouchy replied, "Not exactly friendship, but that there was a certain attraction in his manners, something which interested-- for a long period one had only seen-- leaders so contemptible that people were charmed to find in the Chief of Government, a brilliant soldier, an excellent mathematician, a man of science-- that he inspired respect." That from someone who actually knew him personally! Robert's deftly sifts through accounts like these, along with thousands of Napoleon's own letters, essays and decrees, to paint the fullest picture yet of what Napoleon was actually like.

After reading this book, you will have a better idea than any reader has before of what it would have been like to sit down with the man himself. That is a remarkable achievement in any biography, and especially so with Napoleon, one of our most important, and most enigmatic, historical figures.
2724718
George Seldes, who died at the age of 104 in the mid-1990s, published "Freedom of the Press" in 1935 after an impressive tenure as a daily newspaper journalist from the teens through the through the 1920s, and just before reporting on the rise of fascism in Europe.
The book demonstrates Seldes' credentials as perhaps the pre-World War II era's foremost media critic, and a pioneer in investigative consumer reporting.
Seldes exposes, in "Freedom of the Press," the connections among big money, political influence, and news coverage. He takes on the pharmaceutical and utilities industries, Big Oil, and Wall Street. He critiques the media of the era and the struggle for journalists to report the kinds of stories Seldes later published in his muckraking newsletter "In Fact," a forerunner of "I.F. Stone's Weekly" and the present day's "CounterPunch" and "Hightower Lowdown."
Honest reporters' struggles with their own working conditions and the relations between organized labor and the media are also among Seldes' important topics. In addition to calling news media owners to account, he includes a "Roll of Honor" noting the models for journalistic integrity.
Readers of "Freedom of the Press" also will want to locate Seldes' other volumes, all of which contain, literally, the stories of a century. In fact (if you'll pardon the pun), one of those other volumes is titled "Witness To A Century," and another of note is "Never Tire of Protesting," in which the story of "In Fact" is told. Reading of Seldes' career is inspirational in any day.
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I consider this book a beautifully crafted valentine to the life and work of Giordano Bruno (1548-1600). Why should you care? Because if we didn't have Giordano Bruno, the scientists of his day might not have investigated to either confirm or enlarge his intuitions, which are still being explored by the scientists of today. If we didn't have Giordano Bruno, we would be less willing to question the accepted scientific and philosophical wisdom of our time in the light of new discoveries. If we didn't have Giordano Bruno, we wouldn't know how far into the future human imagination can reach (at least 400-something years).

This book has the delight of translations by the author, of portions of many of Bruno's writings, attempts in a wide variety of literary forms to describe and explain the things he saw in his mind's eye, an infinite universe of intelligent life consistent with God's nature and character.

This book is not exactly a hagiography, as it shows the errors Bruno made that got him in trouble with various authorities. He was oblivious from time to time as to the consequences of things he said to certain people. Worse, he had an acerbic attitude toward people who had an attachment toward more traditional views, whether they be church leaders, philosophers or scientists. However, it would be reasonable to say that the book considers Bruno to be a remarkable, underappreciated individual of his time. The statue in honor of Bruno on the cover is a good indication of what lies within.

I appreciate that Professor Rowland took a relatively nuanced approach to Bruno's trial before the Inquisitions of Venice and Rome. The historical context provided strikes the tone that Bruno's trial, imprisonment and execution was the result of a series of less-than-best moments by a number of otherwise well-meaning individuals, such as (now Saint) Robert Cardinal Bellarmine and Pope (but not Saint) Clement VIII. If there is a villain in this rendering of the story, it would be Giovanni Mocenigo, whose accusation of Bruno was based on private conversations, and may have been motivated by unrelated business issues. Rowland points out that Bruno's execution may have led to the later end of execution as a remedy for heresy by the Catholic church.

The world of Giordano Bruno was a world where everything was open to question: the wisdom of Aristotle, the wisdom of the Catholic church, the motion of the stars and planets, and the nature of the universe. Hmm...a little bit like our world.
117302
This is a fascinating look inside the personality of George Washington. It seems well researched and authentic. The point of view, that of an aide, allows the author to meld the life experiences of multiple people into one. The author manages to portray GW's strengths and flaws, while allowing the uncertainty that any honest person would have trying to interpret emotions and thoughts from observed actions. Young people who want to learn more than the dismissive (just another rich guy preserving his privileges) or the simplistic heroic tale, should read and think about this book. I have long felt that America was fortunate to have had Washington as commander in chief during the revolution.  How easy it would have been for either a dictatorship to arise, or for the country to descend into chaos and fragment into pieces that could be swept up by a European power. I strongly recommend this book.
861393
This is my fourth book I've completely read from Author Margaret George; The Autobiography of Henry VIII,  Mary, Queen of Scots, Elizabeth I, and finally the Confessions of Young Nero.  I must tell you that I was not expecting too much due to the overwhelming number of books purporting to tell his story.  What could she tell us that was different.
 I am happy to say that Ms, George has done it again, giving us a "revised standard" version of this Roman Emperor.  Revised because it shows the human side of the young boy growing up in the shadowed and sheltered Imperial family.  A lot off the things he was accused of were actually done by so-called advisors or family members. This is a must read that you will find interesting and it will shed light on a much maligned ruler of the Roman Empire.  I'm giving four stars because I want to read the next book which will complete this story. Then give my final ratings
1148055
Carlos B. Carreiro's book appears to be a true labor of love. With a concise and easy prose he takes the reader through the life and explorations of Henry the Navigator.

When I received this book as part of the Dorrance review team, I literally had no expectations, but after I began reading I found it fascinating. I didn't know much about Henry the Navigator but after reading Carreiro's book, I feel that I have learned as much as I could about the subject.

I found it to be an interesting and informative biography in which Carreiro seems to leave no stone unturned. He explains, for instance, how and why figures like Henry and his father Pedro received their monikers. The book includes a rather large "Selected Bibliography" and even includes a listing of the years and latitudes of places visited by Henry. The book lacks an index.

I received a complimentary copy of Portugal's Golden Years: The Life and Times of Prince Henry "The Navigator" as a member of the Dorrance Publishing Book Review Team. Visit dorrancebookstore to learn how you can become a member of the Book Review Team.
576973
Beautifully done! A great tribute to a very special person who lived a life we can only imagine. I'm not a star-struck person but rather someone who choses to admire only those deserving of it. I research everything about The Beatles I can find and sift through the ever-present misconcpetions. I know of their hypocracy (e.g., While not as hypocritical as Paul or John, George writes of living in the material world and tells us we should limit our possessions lest they possess us... writing such things while sitting in one of the rooms of his castle). I'm realistic enough to accept these things, look past them, and listen to George, the man. I have always admired him for his honesty, his humor, and for his wonderful ability to truly not care what anyone else thinks of him. You'll see a lot of that in the video, along with some great historical photos and films which are very factual. You'll definitely learn something about him. I'm not a fan of his later music, and the video contains a lot of that. However, it does show his devotion to his beliefs. Of course, his greatest music is also included as are interviews with his close friends such as Eric Clapton.