A good read of a too little-known story
584866
I first learned about Elizabeth Van Lew when I wrote a high school paper about the Civil War's female spies.  This novel fleshed out her story and I enjoyed learning more about Van Lew and the network of Union supporters in Richmond.  I'm always glad when a book leaves me wanting to know more about the subject and this one did.  Jakober's storytelling kept my interest and I will seek out her other stories.
530195
A workable true adventure about a little-known chapter in WW2. Well-told and easy to read. WW2 seems to have an unlimited number of stories like this to keep historians busy indefinitely. Not a masterpiece, but definitely worth the read.
3234268
Why does this appear to be important today.  Maybe there are some people who don't know the story.  The historical  figures made the story real and noteworthy.
3847461
Enjoyed reading about this true historical event that few of us know about and could be part of our ancestry.
3059299
This is an amazing story, with details little known even in Nevada.
The writing could be better, but it's still worth reading.
3326935
Good story well written, but nothing really new. The narrative is a good read about a truly remarkable subject, but hardly lives up to the hype. In fact, the "Afterword" and footnotes are far more informative and interesting than the primary text. "Killing Lincoln" was excellent; "Killing Jesus" pretty good; "Killing Kennedy" a bomb. "Patton" ranks between "Jesus" and "Kennedy". For readers with little or no knowledge of the battles of WWII, this is a good primer, but as for "uncovering" some heretofore unknown sinister plot, not even close.
1226751
In this little-known short novel, Gore Vidal revisits the legend of King Richard the Lion-Heart and his troubadour Blondel. As fans of Robin Hood or Ivanhoe will recall, Richard was imprisoned by a duke of Austria on his return from the Third Crusade and held for ransom. In his absence, the King's younger brother John siezed the throne, intending to keep it.

  The legend (and this novel) recount how Richard's companion minstrel Blondel continued to search for the King throughout Europe when others abandoned him. Vidal has taken a relatively straightforward narrative here. Anyone hoping for salacious details of Richard's sexuality or scandalous stories of medieval monks will be disappointed. This short novel follows the old legend, and not speculative history. There are werewolves, a giant, a dragon and other mythical beasts, but not in the manner one might always expect. For although the book is not unsuitable for younger readers, there is not much in the way of whimsy in this tale.

  As Blondel looks for his friend and patron, he undergoes a type of existential crisis. His search defines him and limits him at the same time. Vidal is a skilled enough craftsman to make this apparent to the older reader without coming across as a Freudian analyst, but the internal monolauges and grim reflections of Blondel (especially late in the book) often make this storybook fable more modern than one would expect.

  All in all, I recommend this novel with the proviso that it is neither reliably historical (unlike the author's better known "Julian" or "Lincoln" or a "boy's adventure" in the tradition of Harry Potter or a boy's King Arthur. Those with the willingness to appreciate it's unique approach will be rewarded.
4875276
Good story. If you haven't heard much about the Lincoln assassination, this is a "must learn" part of the backstory. It is told in a sympathetic manner towards her (which I believe), but it is still very interesting in showing the attitude of people at the time of the assassination and shortly thereafter.
4026567
This is a very interesting history of a little-known subject.  It is generally well-written and pleasant to read.  It is definitely worth the time if you are interested in this general subject.
1836271
While there might be some understandable suspitions of bias due to the fact that the author was a direct decendent of the owner of the house where Lincoln died, the book does surve to show that so many people were effected by the shooting that are never spoken about.  The kindness described towards the Peterson family by Mary Lincoln is something that has not been revealed. It is an interesting story.
1867335
This quite a book. It addresses a little known and strategically not so important part of World War I. The cast of this drama--those actually involved--is composed largely of little known figures. Forces involved were not like the horde of troops on the Western front.

But is a fascinating tale nonetheless. The stand by Germans in German East Africa does not seem like much. But their aim was to absorb the attention of those fighting against the German-Austro-Hungarian nexus and divert troops to fight the German force. The British Empire was the major antagonist--featuring troops from throughout the Empire--South Africa, India, Great Britain itself, for instance. Opposing them? A handful of Germans and Africans from the colony. This force was referred to as the Schutztruppe. A key difference for this military force (never very large) was the ability of Africans and Europeans to work together in a positive manner.

And a key to the German effort? Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck. He had talented German officers and troops and fierce allies from Africans in German East Africa. von Lettow-Vorbeck did not have enough troops to fight major pitched battles, except on a rare handful of occasions. The force engaged in lightning strikes and guerilla tactics for the most part. They scarcely ever lost a battle and drew many British forces to the desolate arena who otherwise could have been assigned to the Western Front. The latter part of the book focuses on the conflict.

While the key actors in battle were normally little known (outside of individuals such as South African General Jan Smuts), other familiar names were involved to one degree or another--most at a distance: Winston Churchill, Isak Dinesen, Smuts, Herman Goering's father, and so on. There were also some interesting facets to the struggle, such as a zeppelin traveling an enormous distance to try to assist the German force.

Overall, a fascinating analysis of a little known conflict during World War I.
815502
I happen to know the author, and pilots mentioned in the book.  While there is a considerable amount of history about the purchase and life of the aircraft, I was looking forward to reading more of the exploits of SDA and her pilots.  I know there are many more stories out there.  A good and easy read nevertheless.
935971
I had never heard anything about this story in the news at the time it happened.  I found the movie to be informative without a lot of unnecessary graphical detail.  However, it is rated R for a reason.
1943530
This is a well written nice ittle book about a legendary figure in history but most do not know the whole story. Also, it gives an amazing and interesting accounts about real life castaways and their often surprising fate.
2505313
This is a lesser known story of Katherine of Aragon's life.  It is the story of her parents and siblings and her eventual marriage to Henry VIII.  Intertwined is also the story of one of her sisters, Juana.  It is a look at royalty -- good and bad -- which affected both Katherine and Juana's lives.  Documented by letters and correspondence written by contemporaries of the both sisters, it puts one into the minds of the participants.  Easy to read, this account of English and Spanish history brings new insight to the tragic lives of two prominent women,
216637
While this book has a bit of a fairy tale flow, I still found it to be a deep read with a good insight into little known history.
1587692
This tells a little known and forgotten story of Australian was history. This story needed to be told and has been in a very sensitive way.