Book Description
Based on remarkable new research, acclaimed historian Alexander Rose brings to life the true story of the spy ring that helped America win the Revolutionary War. For the first time, Rose takes us beyond the battlefront and deep into the shadowy underworld of double agents and triple crosses, covert operations and code breaking, and unmasks the courageous, flawed men who inhabited this wilderness of mirrors—including the spymaster at the heart of it all.
In the summer of 1778, with the war poised to turn in his favor, General George Washington desperately needed to know where the British would strike next. To that end, he unleashed his secret weapon: an unlikely ring of spies in New York charged with discovering the enemy’s battle plans and military strategy.
Washington’s small band included a young Quaker torn between political principle and family loyalty, a swashbuckling sailor addicted to the perils of espionage, a hard-drinking barkeep, a Yale-educated cavalryman and friend of the doomed Nathan Hale, and a peaceful, sickly farmer who begged Washington to let him retire but who always came through in the end. Personally guiding these imperfect everyday heroes was Washington himself. In an era when officers were gentlemen, and gentlemen didn’t spy, he possessed an extraordinary talent for deception—and proved an adept spymaster.
The men he mentored were dubbed the Culper Ring. The British secret service tried to hunt them down, but they escaped by the closest of shaves thanks to their ciphers, dead drops, and invisible ink. Rose’s thrilling narrative tells the unknown story of the Revolution–the murderous intelligence war, gunrunning and kidnapping, defectors and executioners—that has never appeared in the history books. But Washington’s Spies is also a spirited, touching account of friendship and trust, fear and betrayal, amid the dark and silent world of the spy.
Customer Reviews:
Washington's Spy Ring.......2007-07-14
The subject-of this book held great promise that was never realized. It did not capture what must have been exciting and dangerous events. They were described in a flat unemotional way. All sense of the great fear these men worked under to supply Washington with what he considered as vital information was missing. It was written like a text book rather than a vibrant unseen force bravely defeating the British attempts to catch them. These were rank amateurs up against the most powerful army in the world at that time. We could see their footprints in the sand of time, but no living bodies who made them.
New Side of George.......2007-07-12
Thoroughly researched and a fascinating look at a side of Washington that other histories do not show - his attention to detail. Also underscores the military bumbling by Washington (he was many things positive but NOT a great military leader), by the British commanders, and by the first French fleet. A "characters you will meet" reference section and an occasional 'cut-out' box of what was happening in the Revolution (both militarily and politically) would have both been helpful.
Plodding Effort on Little Known Topic.......2007-04-07
What should have been an interesting, illuminating history of a little known aspect of the Rev War becomes a plodding bore here. The author digresses incessantly, and concerns himself with a lot of local history of families, relatives, etc. The actual work of the Culper Spy Ring in New York City during the British occupation seems to get lost in the process. The book suffers from too much excessive detail without a clear annalysis.
The author often repeats information throughout the course of the book. I distinctly recall re-reading passages about Arnold, Andre and others several times during the story. The narrative jumps around a lot and is difficult to follow at times. The author should have organized his information better. As it stands now it seems what he did here was merely expand what was a Master's Thesis of some sort into a full length book. This is ok to do, but the end result should be more coherrent than what we have here. After plodding through 384 pages of rambling history I was left with one essential question: What did the Culper Ring accomplish for Washy and and the Rebel cause?
So much of the book spends time talking about the emotional condition of the main characters, their feelings and the back and forth efforts of communication that much of the actual accomplishment of this so-called first American espionage effort gets lost in the process. The interesting parts of the book are probably the on-going Petit Guerre that occurs on Long Island and parts about. There was a significant amount of this activity especially in the stalmate years of the war after the British consoldiated back into New York in 1778. Still, after a while even this runs a bit dry with constant raids back and forth over the Long Island Sound and nearby areas.
The author should have organized his story better, and given us a clearer idea of what these indivduals actually accomplished. I am a Rev War buff and I found much of this book redundant and tiring with too much local detail and not enough emphasis on how these efforts actually helped Washy's war effort. Those who like local New York history will enjoy it somewhat, but a lot of that info. has already been presented in other books about the city during the war. Those seeking how these early spies might have influenced the military aspects of the war will be disappointed. Perhaps a few souls interested in the development of espionage both in the US and Europe during the 18th century may find this work of some value. The author spends a whole chapter on how codes were made and broken in this period. Perhaps Da Vinci Code people may like that! It did little for me. An interesting topic, but a slow and tedious read.
Quick Read.......2007-04-06
Very quick read as the book flows quickly. Well researched with interesting biographies of the major players.
A great resource for Revolutionary War buffs!.......2007-04-05
I used this book in a graduate class at the University of Rochester and found it extremely interesting and helpful. The stories Rose uncovered of derring-do and the inventions of fairly sophisticated codes and spying techniques made me realize for the first time how true to life Cooper's novel "The Spy" really was. It's a well-written book that tells an often-untold story, but one that is very important for truly understanding the Revolution and the role ordinary men and women (even Quakers!) played in the American victory.
Book Description
Remedial, illiterate, intellectually deficient—these are the stigmas that define America's educationally underprepared. Having grown up poor and been labeled this way, nationally acclaimed educator and author Mike Rose takes us into classrooms and communities to reveal what really lies behind the labels and test scores. With rich detail, Rose demonstrates innovative methods to initiate “problem” students into the world of language, literature, and written expression. This book challenges educators, policymakers, and parents to re-examine their assumptions about the capacities of a wide range of students. Already a classic, Lives on the Boundary offers a truly democratic vision, one that should be heeded by anyone concerned with America's future.
Book Description
Discover the secrets of The Culinary Institute of Americas popular week-long "Boot Camp" course -- five days of dynamic, hands-on instruction in cooking basics that help teach the non-professional cook to think like a chef -- with Julia Child Award-winning cookbook author Martha Rose Shulman. Combining Shulmans entertaining and compelling narrative with a wealth of invaluable culinary information, you'll take a "step up" in the kitchen with this vicarious adventure through basic training at one of the countrys finest professional cooking schools.
DAY 1: "Our 'drill sergeant' comes into the room and writes his name on the board. He wears the CIA staff jacket, a green name badge, and the chef's kerchief around his neck, which he later shows us how to tie. 'YOU ARE MINE!' he says with a sly smile on his face, and we know that he's going to give us the guidance we need. He'll be strict, but kind."
DAY 2: "Until I went to Boot Camp, I was never very comfortable around (or succeessful with) lots of hot oil in a pan. That was all about to change."
DAY 3: "One of the most important terms for dry heat cooking is 'carryover cooking.' Carryover cooking refers to the fact that heat penetrates meat from the outside to the inside, and when you remove it from the oven, the meat will continue to cook. That's why it must rest, during which time the carryover cooking continues, the temperature equalizes, and the juices relax and flow through the meat."
DAY 4: "Our dessert was a Warm Dark Chocolate Pudding Cake, and it was served with a glass of Quady Elysium from Madera County, California. They named their black muscat dessert wine Elysium because, in their words, 'Drinking this, you can almost feel you have fallen into a rose garden and been transported to heaven.' And I must say I did. I transported myself to bed instead, thinking what an appropriate meal this had been after our first wine lecture, and about the wines I would serve with my own next dinner party."
DAY 5: "We sampled each team's handiwork, and as we were polishing off this large meal, our chef stood up to congratulate us and hand out our 'certificates of accomplishment.'"
Customer Reviews:
Versatile Culinary Reference .......2007-06-02
Martha Rose Shulman artfully captures her experiences while attending the CIA's five day Culinary Boot Camp in Hyde, NY. This book caters to both beginning & "seasoned" cooks, featuring noteworthy information e.g. mise en place, knife skills, maintaining stocks, soup production, frying techniques, dry & moist heat cooking methods.
Recipes utitlized during the 5 day course are printed in their entirety, often times with helpful commentary by either the author, Chef Hinnerk, or Chef John. Additional recipes are also included, which allow you to practice the skills/techniques introduced in the book.
Excellent organization, phenomenal instruction, and a valuable resource for anyone with an interest in the culinary arts.
Interesting if you are thinking about attending the CIA bootcamp, otherwise .... just okay.......2006-09-07
A passionate home cook that has been honing her cooking skills for the last 25 years, concentrating on Italian cooking for the last 10 years, writes this review. My favorite cookbooks are "The Professional Chef" by the Culinary Institute and "Culinary Artistry". With more than 500 cookbooks in my collection I am usually disappointed in my recent cookbook acquisitions. I purchased this book to see what the Culinary boot camp at the CIA was all about since I was thinking of taking the course. I am glad that I bought the book and didn't spend thousands on the course.
If you are considering the boot camp at Hyde Park the book is informative. However, the book did not encourage me to take the course, it had the opposite effect. The recipes and tips that the author covers were nothing. I felt as though I was reading the experience from the perspective of a kitchen novice. The techniques and methods that are discussed are basic kitchen ideas used by skills home cooks everyday. If you own any good cookbook you will know or have read about all the techniques before. If you are looking for an in depth discussion on cooking techniques buy "The Professional Chef" by the CIA instead. It is a much better book.
This book is subdivided as follows:
Day One: Into the Kitchen: Stocks and Sauces
Day Two: Soup Production and Frying Techniques
Day Three: Dry Heat Cooking Methods
Day Four: Moist Heat Cooking Methods
Day Five: The Final Exam
Mise en Place and Knife Skills
Additional Recipes
The book is 242 pages in length and the "additional recipe" section begins on page 140. The recipes that are included are okay, but nothing to rave about. The only recipe that I found to be exceptional was the Fresh Spinach Spaetzle.
Bottom line, if you are new to cooking or don't own many cookbooks this would be a reasonable choice. If you were thinking about taking the CIA course at Hyde Park purchasing this book would also make sense. However, if you own many cookbooks, or having been seriously cooking for 5 or 10 years then pass on this book. There isn't much that you will learn from this book.
A fast look into the world of culinary bootcamp.......2006-07-06
This book started out as a great resource for some nice info. on how to cook some foods and gave me some insight on a few things. But, the story in general on the whole experience and what actually went on in the kitchen was pretty boring. I like reading stories about people who work in the cooking business because it will help me be prepared for working in an actual resteraunt. But, this story just lacked. And the photographs just bugged me to no end on how poor they were. Ok, yes, I understand that they are moving fast through the kitchen, but the pictures where everyone was sitting down it was blurry. Could have been better quality. Other than that, great recipes, great information on cooking. I would recommend it for those who want to learn a few things on cooking.
Rampant ego, not enough tips in this lackluster cookbook.......2006-06-01
Cookbooks, it seems, has taken a huge chunk of the publishing marketplace. Nearly every day I hear of a new 'hot' chef, or cookbook or trend. Nowadays, it seems that there is great delight in taking ordinary folks, and throwing them into situations where high stress, competition and trying to cram everything possible in a short amount of time and then showing it all happening on either the written page or the television screen for the viewer's delectation.
Most of the time, it's pretty embarassing to watch or read about. Sadly, this exploration of what it's like to be a student at the Culinary Institute of America in upstate New York -- when a chef refers to the CIA, this is what he's talking about -- is more of the author's opinions and incessantly rubbing the nose of the reader in to how she would or not do it. After a while, it gets very annoying, and more than a little smug -- personally, I didn't care how she would do something different, I wanted to learn more about the techniques and tips to be able to turn out a good meal in my own kitchen. Along with about fifteen other students, Martha Rose Shulman -- evidently a cookbook author herself -- entered what is called the CIA's "Boot Camp" -- a five day course that hits the high points of what is usually a six month course at the Institute.
Shulman starts the book off with an introduction, and a mention that she's done this before at the CIA. Then there are five chapters that cover each day, with a different style of cooking covered in each one. Along with an illustrated reacipe and a two page spread showing how to do the technique and putting the dish together. Inserted here and there are little tips and suggestions on how to improve your own cooking, and some truly excellent science as well -- I never knew that the trick to making a great stock was to add the mirepoix and herbs at the end of the cooking process. Along with the main dish, there are also some basic menus that each team put together. Then the teams gathered that evening for dinner at one of the CIA's signature restaurants, and the author talks about her dinner and wines. Finally, the book's second half has a selection of recipes -- several of which look to be very tempting -- and a glossary of cooking terms.
To say that I had very mixed reactions to this book is an understatement. I'm not sorry that I read it, as I've always wanted to take the CIA's Boot Camp, but this particular author was so unpleasant to be around -- an example is when she talks on the phone to her young son, and she tells him that today she had made the perfect french fry, and the little boy says that he wishes that she could bring him one, and then in the next breath states that she will never make french fries at home -- sheesh. To me, that's cruelty, especially when you tell your kid something like that. Too, she makes constant references to vegetarianism, and how she prefers that, in the meantime, she's making chicken, beef and veal dishes. Over all of it is the author's own smug attitude, that she's taking the course again -- this is mentioned close to a dozen times -- and how wonderful her own very own, style of technique is.
To be blunt, it's sickening. She even makes Martha Stewart look humble.
The other big flaw is that there is a presumption that the reader already knows such terms as mirepoix, what reduction is, that they have access to a good fishmonger or butcher that can do fancy cuts and trims, and finally, that the glossary is an afterthought, along with nothing being said about one of the most important aspects of cooking -- mise en place, where everything from ingredients to tools, are measured, prepped and laid out before the cooking starts. Once I had learned that, my cooking improved dramatically, and I was amazed that nothing is given in the book to such basic terms and techniques.
While I do urge anyone with the time, money and desire to try the cooking courses at the CIA, I don't suggest this book as a way to get there. The best way to use this book is to skim through it, find the techniques and recipes that interest you, and copy them down. The text in and of itself, is only interesting when the author isn't blaring on about herself. The photography is stock, with nothing particularly interesting except for some great beauty shots of some of the completed dishes and the various restaurants within the CIA.
It's a lovely book to flip through, and it has some truly tempting recipes to try, but overall, it's a grim disappointment and certainly not worth the hefty price of nearly thirty dollars. I give it about three stars, but that's all.
Superb insights into cooking like a professsional. Buy it now!.......2006-05-04
`Culinary Boot Camp' by The Culinary Institute of America and culinary writer, Martha Rose Shulman is a must buy and must read for anyone who is starting out with cooking as a hobby, avocation, or simply as a necessary chore they take seriously.
Unlike Michael Ruhlman's journalistic memoir, `The Making of a Chef', which covers the full two year associates degree program, this textbook with stories covers only the five day crash course given to both culinary professionals and hobbyist cooks. It is also much less journalistic and much more about the lessons learned. It has some sense of being a `Gourmet Cooking Techniques for Dummies', in that it is a sized down presentation of a lot of material in the `big book', `The New Professional Chef'.
Martha Rose Shulman, the voice in the foreground, took the `boot camp' course twice, from two different instructors. She supplies the narrative of how the classes were conducted. The CIA provides the sidebars and recipes.
The value of this book is in inverse proportion to your current state of culinary sophistication. If you have done nothing more than cook from simple recipes, without ever making your own sauces, stocks, or soups, and if you own no good cooking texts, such as `The New Making of a Cook', this book will be a revelation. Here, the high priests of French cuisine training in the United States are essentially teaching techniques to wean you away from depending on printed recipes. This is an interesting and attractive premise when put out by good popular cookbook authors such as Pam Anderson or even by English home cooking guru Nigel Slater. But, to see the same objective raised by people who cook the same dishes as you find in three to five page recipes in Julia Child's `Mastering the Art of French Cooking', you really sit up and take notice. And, this is not an idle point. The concept that recipes, by their very nature, simply never tell you everything you need to know about preparing a particular dish, runs through the whole book. For example, the recipe will not know how much fat there is on your meat, how big your pan is or of what material it is made, or how hot your burners are running. This is absolutely the best confirmation I have ever read of my `first law of quick cooking' that you simply cannot cook quickly unless you have sound basic cooking skills which allow you to read beyond the printed page.
For the more experienced cook, it will be obvious that this 242-page book cannot possibly contain all the material you probably already have in your library, which has at least one and probably several excellent cooking textbooks. On the other hand, I have all these books, but I find this little book to encapsulate some really important culinary wisdom and present it as well or better than, for example, any other CIA book I have read or other important manuals. I have read and reviewed two excellent books on sauces, and yet this little book's chapter on stocks and sauces is more than enough to fill you in on the subject, unless you wish to take up those subjects on their own.
Another refreshing point of view we find in the book is the notion that while science will go far to explain why ingredients and techniques work in a certain way, cooking is still a craft and not a science. One can do quite well in the kitchen, thank you, without reading a word of Shirley Corriher or Harold McGee or watching a single episode of Alton Brown's `Good Eats'. That is not to say the CIA profs are out of touch with modern cooking knowledge. When the chestnut of whether searing meat is done to `seal in the juices', every student agreed, but the instructor stated that this is a false belief.
I have read many books on cooking tips, and all suffer from something this book avoids. By giving us tutorials on some very specific techniques, the instructors, through Shulman's telling, wrap a lot of wisdom up into a complete lesson. When sauteeing, for example, I have heard it said that you heat the pan before adding the oil, so that the pan comes up to searing temperature without bringing the oil to its smoke point. Tie this in with using the right kind of pan and a big enough pan, and the sensual endpoints to look for, and you get a complete picture of the saute.
While this book may be the very best I have seen from the CIA other than their big textbook, it's size still leaves a lot out. Sometimes, those omissions are mysterious. In the technique on roux, the procedure states that the fat is usually butter, and it follows this section with a technique for making clarified butter, it does not say that a roux is best made with clarified butter, per sauce expert David Paul Larousse in `The Sauce Bible'. And, while it has much to say about knife skills, the treatment is brief, and you will get much better detailed instruction from Jacques Pepin's `Complete Techniques'.
All in all, this book would make a superb textbook for a community college short course on cooking or even as a text for a private tutor with a class of one to five students. It will offer an invaluable point of view on cooking skills for just about everyone except an accomplished professional.
Book Description
From its beginnings in hip hop culture, the dense rhythms and aggressive lyrics of rap music have made it a provocative fixture on the American cultural landscape. In Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America, Tricia Rose, described by the New York Times as a "hip hop theorist," takes a comprehensive look at the lyrics, music, cultures, themes, and styles of this highly rhythmic, rhymed storytelling and grapples with the most salient issues and debates that surround it.
Assistant Professor of Africana Studies and History at New York University, Tricia Rose sorts through rap's multiple voices by exploring its underlying urban cultural politics, particularly the influential New York City rap scene, and discusses rap as a unique musical form in which traditional African-based oral traditions fuse with cutting-edge music technologies. Next she takes up rap's racial politics, its sharp criticisms of the police and the government, and the responses of those institutions. Finally, she explores the complex sexual politics of rap, including questions of misogyny, sexual domination, and female rappers' critiques of men.
But these debates do not overshadow rappers' own words and thoughts. Rose also closely examines the lyrics and videos for songs by artists such as Public Enemy, KRS-One, Salt N' Pepa, MC Lyte, and L. L. Cool J. and draws on candid interviews with Queen Latifah, music producer Eric "Vietnam" Sadler, dancer Crazy Legs, and others to paint the full range of rap's political and aesthetic spectrum. In the end, Rose observes, rap music remains a vibrant force with its own aesthetic, "a noisy and powerful element of contemporary American popular culture which continues to draw a great deal of attention to itself."
Customer Reviews:
Thorough.......2003-03-26
Hip Hop is founded on the valorization--rather than villification--of recontextualization, revision, and redaction. In a examplary work of musical and cultural studies scholarship, Rose traces the ways prior black musical/oral traditions, technological advances, and sexism undergird the discourse (just to mention a couple of the lens through which she takes on rap). The work highly accessible to hip hoppers non hip hoppers alike, furthermore. Finally, it is to Rose's benefit that she comes from an "insider's" vantage point, giving the text a genuine concern for where the music comes from, finds itself, and is indefatigably headed towards.
Essential! Rich!.......2000-07-25
Tricia Rose details the Hip-Hop Culture - and its beauty and depth - in this book I call "essential for Hip-Hoppers". For example: I'm writing 'bout Brazilian hip-hop and "Black Noise" cleared many doubts I had on hystoric, artistic, and politic aspects of the 'Culture of Streetz'. Another contribution that elevates this 'Bible of Hip-Hop' is the way Tricia Rose writes. The words flow natural, with many rich informations reduced in a very agradable text. If you don't like this book, you'll never understand the 'Black Noise' of this new millenium! Peace!
powerful topic: execution?.......2000-04-03
I read this book as a compulsory action for the 'Poetry of Rap' course in which I am currently enrolled at a major university. As a narrative and dialectic of black culture, or rather a single faction of black culture, this book is powerful and informative, providing analysis of many, many social thinkers of the Black Arts and later movements as well as Rose's perspective(s) on the developments of the culture. However, the execution of this text, ostensibly an academic account, is weakened by a diffuse structure, imprecise diction (beyond that necessitated by dealing with a topic heretofore untreated in academic circles with any rigor) and atrocious editing. I highly recommend the text, but by the same token recommend it with a disclaimer: hear why she says, and not what she says.
Very interesting (but "brilliant"???).......1999-06-03
This is an impressive interpretation of Black musical culture, with loads of interesting information and pertinent feminist content. I've read several books with somewhat similar subject matter, from Dick Hebdige's broad and helpful survey to the rather pretentious book by Russell Potter; but none of them captured my interest as much as this one.
"more brilliant than the sun".......1999-02-08
brilliant, exhausting and informative... provides a feminist point of view from the inside for all important aspects... read it and love it...
Book Description
Table of Contents
I.
Epistle
The Gift
Persimmons
The Weight Of Sweetness
From Blossoms
Dreaming Of Hair
Early In The Morning
Water
Falling: The Code
Nocturne
My Indigo
Irises
Eating Alone
II.
Always A Rose
III.
Eating Together
I Ask My Mother To Sing
Ash, Snow, Or Moonlight
The Life
The Weepers
Braiding
Rain Diary
My Sleeping Loved Ones
Mnemonic
Between Seasons
Visions And Interpretations
Customer Reviews:
and to think he works in a warehouse.......2006-04-13
li young lee has the most phenominal approach to poetry..he will have you riveted from page one...buy this book...
Father as Muse.......2006-03-23
Very rarely does the inspiration for a book of poems make itself so clearly felt throughout. In this case, the shadow of the poet's father is cast clearly across nearly every page. Part I is the homage, Part II is the eulogy and Part III is the aftermath. Every section is cooled by this shadow of loss which doesn't dissipate, even in poems that at first seem to be about something else. Still, I was taken by how powerful & beautiful & even uplifting this book is. It has a working unity that is often missing in other collections.
The ever-present father figure is one key to this unity but so is the recurrence of certain images; particularly, growing things: persimmons, peaches, ivy, apples, roses, hair. His lover is a vegetable for harvest. Persimmons are a metaphor for knowledge. In "Eating Alone," the poem that closes Part I, Lee writes: "I've pulled the last of the year's young onions./The garden is bare now. The ground is cold..." Which brings us again to the poet's father and pears, but now the fruit is dead. The poet and his father walk "among the windfall pears" and his father bends "to lift and hold to my/eye a rotten pear." The poem concludes with the poet left with "my own loneliness./What more could I, a young man, want." A statement, not a question. These memories are the poet's muse, sad but necessary.
Part II is the title poem, Rose, which works as an extended eulogy. At first, it seems like it will free us from the father figure as we move into Part III, where the survivors, like the poet and his mother, take on more influence. Still, Lee never really shakes his father's influence. "The Weepers," for example, reminds us of the continuing presence of grief.
And yet, despite the melancholy that hangs over the book, it is a wonderful read. I have yet to read a collection of poems where every poem is great but this one works towards it. Maybe because the whole thing feels like a single, extended poem rather than individual one. In any case, I highly recommend this book.
Absolutely Gorgeous!.......2004-02-28
Kafka said... "We ought to only read books that stab us."
Li-Young Lee has stabbed me with "Rose." In these beautifully crafted poems, he has interlaced the past and the present, his Chinese heritage, mother, father, wife...but Oh, his father is so very present.
Reading Lee's poetry is like soaking in a warm bath, having a lovely dream, remembering something beautiful. The language dripped inside my ears and at times moved me to tears...
His memories about hair...
'The scent of it, hair falling against his face, his skin, brushing it,combing it, braiding it,unbraiding it, hair spilling over, her autumn hair, and finally, caught in his
mother's hair.
I love these imagages. I love Li-Young Lee for stabbing me in the heart and making me feel.
"In my dream I fly
past summers and moths,
to the thistle
caught in my mother's hair, the purple one
I touched and bled for,
to myself at three, sleeping
beside her, waking with her hair in my mouth." -Li-Young Lee-
Always fresh.......2003-11-25
"Rose" came to me through a friend and served as an acquaintance with modern American poetry. After reading only a few poems I was done discovering Li-Young Lee as a modern poet and soon he began emerging more as a wise man, an undisguised human, a feeler from the soul and writer of essence.
To captivate me, Li-Young Lee only needs to be ingenuous and precise; he does not distract with stray color and ornament. The display of balance between logic and supposition, desire and pain, abstract and concrete makes Lee a sort of a scientist in his own way. In "Rose" he illuminates the ways of his world from the most unsuspected angles, producing most genuine perceptions for my indulgence.
Even though I understand that the sad events in his life inspire him best, I'm only selfish when I wish his poetry acknowledged them as elements that he's made of and cherished more the brighter side of what he has become despite/because of them. Hmm, I'll ask my friend...
lee is one of the contemporary greats.......2002-03-12
This is the first collection of one of contemporary poetry's great poets, Li-Young Lee. He does not disappoint. The poems have great images and a wonderful use of language. There are some beautiful passages in this collection. The rose is prominent throughout (and the long poem in the second section is about roses) both in the traditional meaning, but more in a different way to look at it. The other prominent figure is the father. The collection seems to be working through the myth, the reality of the hero-figure that is the father. Great work here that you can return to time and again and find something new.
Customer Reviews:
roses meltin pot.......2007-06-12
Over the past 300 years, America's table has been enhanced by countless immigrant cultures as well as her regional cooks. In her latest book, Rose Levy Beranbaum, perhaps the most gifted cooking teacher in America, adapts many of these dishes for the American Kitchen. As always, with Rose's books, this one draws on her years of experience in teaching to explain in the clearest and simplist language how to make the most delectable and delightful foods with ease.
CHAPTERS INCLUDE: Soups and appetizers, bread, main courses, side dishes, vinegarettes, sauces, stocks, brunch, desserts, beverages.
In the kitchen and at dinner with Rose!.......2000-07-12
It's quite amazing how incredibly talented Rose truly is. She has been such an inspiration to me, sharing her wisdom and her words; I am myself on my way to a wonderful life of culinary adventures, beginning with an education at the Culinary Institute of America! "Rose's Melting Pot" walks the reader through extraordinary new territories in the world of food. She carefully chose the most interesting, comforting, exciting, and delicious dishes that totally tantalize one's taste buds! I have already dabbled with a few of the recipes and, just as always, her descriptions were most exacting and her recipes consistently precise. I always feel like I have Rose right in the kitchen with me when preparing any dish- whether right from her pages or the creation of anyone else. And this book continues right on that path! ...My favorites, so far, are the Trellis Roasted Garlic Soup, Walnut Fougasse, Japanese Chirashi Sushi, Endive & Walnut Salad w/ Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette, Mexican Killer Kahlua Chiffon Cake (YuMMy! ).. To anyone, I HIGHLY recommend this magnificent book to anybody who enjoys trying international favorites.. Bon appetit!
Average customer rating:
- Wow
- The Book Behind the Musical
- GYPSY ROSE LEE: TANTALIZING STYLE OF BURLESQUE, WRITTEN WITH A WONDERFUL SENSE OF HUMOUR AND A TOUCH OF CLASS.
- Great Life...
- Exciting, but Leaves 'em Wanting More
|
Gypsy: Memoirs of America's Most Celebrated Stripper
Gypsy Lee
Manufacturer: Frog, Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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My G-String Mother: At Home and Backstage with Gypsy Rose Lee
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Gypsy
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Gypsy
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Gypsy: A Musical
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More Havoc
ASIN: 1883319951
Release Date: 1999-07-15 |
Book Description
The touching, hilarious memoir of legendary stripper Gypsy Rose Lee reveals her childhood trouping across 1920s America as the rear end of a cow in vaudeville. Her rise to stardom as The Queen of Burlesque in 1930s New York occurred when gin came in bathtubs, gangsters were celebrities and Walter Winchell was king.
Filled with an outrageous cast of characters, including Broadway's funny girl, Fanny Brice, who taught Gypsy how to be a star; gangster Waxy Gordon, who fixed her teeth; and her indomitable mother, Rose, who lived by her own version of the Golden Rule: "Do unto others... before they do you."
Customer Reviews:
Wow.......2007-03-08
If you're a fan of the musical Gypsy, like me, you'll read this book. I've read from various websites, that the book is not entirely factual and that you need to read Gypsy's sister June's book, early Havoc, to get a clearer picture of what life on the road was like. But, entirely accurate or not, it's highly fascinating and an excellent look at the theatre of the time.
The book bears small resemblances to the show: There really was a monkey named Gigalo, Louise was given farm animals as pets for her birthday, there is a man that Rose links up with for several years who manages the troup, they did eat Chinese food constantly, make coats out of blankets, and a cow really talked to Rose in a dream.
There are major differences between the show and the book: The switch from Vaudeville to Burlesque was less dramatic in the book than the show -almost natural. "Herbie", Rose's companion and manager, left long before the act went Burlesque. And one very 'big' difference: you'll notice in the show that Grandpa calls Louise "Plug" but we dont' really know why. The little girl playing Louise was too adorable for words and grew up to be the stunning Natalie Wood. But, Gypsy got the name plug because she was a large child. And she grew up large. It wasn't until a couple years in Burlesque that she became more svelte. This is also a major point in the books, detailing the diets she was on and how it destroyed her self-esteem as a child.
Gypsy, the movie, is a fun-filled version of life on the road for a vaudeville troupe. Yes, there are hard times, but nothing so bad. Gypsy the memoir describes eviction, near starvation, nights of sleeping in the cars, almost frozen, con artists - real life struggle.
It's a quick read that is terribly fascinating. I highly recommend it.
The Book Behind the Musical.......2007-01-12
"Gypsy" is an autobiography by one of the most famous pair of sisters of the 1940's: Gypsy Rose Lee, born Louise Hovick, the stripper, actor, and eventual talk show host; sister to June Havoc, the actor, born June Hovick. In it, Lee covers some of the same material as does Havoc in her two-book autobiography: Their vaudeville childhood on the road with their monstrous stage mother Rose,and their adult struggles to continue their showbiz careers, and to deal with their mother. This book, furthermore, is the basis for the brilliant stage musical and movie, "Gypsy."
Perhaps because she was the elder sister, perhaps because she was more business-minded, Lee's book provides a much fuller, more accurate picture of their vaudeville years than do Havoc's. She cites actual contracts, salaries, and the logistics of their never-ending trouping, from Vancouver, Canada to Tiajuana, Mexico; from San Francisco, California, to Portland, Maine. She names the many animals that trouped along with them, including numerous dogs and guinea pigs, a cat or two; Gussie the goose; Waupie the lamb; Gigolo the monkey; and Porky the pig.
She gives more complete versions of incidents than June does, such as the time "Roxy" Rothfels, an influential New York theater owner-impresario, wished to buy June's contract to see that she got training in singing and dancing equal to her talents; he was repulsed by a hysterical Rose. (June's recounting of the story is so sketchy that it's puzzling.) Gypsy, moreover, seems to have monopolized the few pictures of their earliest years for her book; June's books are scantily illustrated.
Gypsy tells us about meeting the handsome young manager of a Detroit bookstore, George Davis. (It's beyond the scope of this book, but Davis was eventually to invite her to that famous literary boarding house in New York's Brooklyn Heights' Middagh Street, where she was to live with W.H. Auden, Carson McCullers, Jane and Paul Bowles, and Benjamin Britten, almost everyone of them alcoholic and gay, though she was not. She was to bring the money and the cook that kept the enterprise going a few years more, and Davis, a highly-talented editor, was to midwife her phenomenal first book, "The G-String Murders.")
The author does tell us of the day she became Gypsy Rose Lee (Gypsy, a traveling entertainer;Rose, Mom's name; and Lee for Louise) on the marquee, and a burlesque star. She was fifteen years old. She talks about working with Fanny Brice, her years with the Minsky Brothers, and in Florenze Ziegfeld's "Follies." She mentions her frequent arrests, and the inspired publicity stunts that kept her in the public eye for many a year. She closes her book with the call to Hollywood. The attempt to extend her career to films was not ultimately successful, but her career as an entertainer was to last for quite a while yet.
GYPSY ROSE LEE: TANTALIZING STYLE OF BURLESQUE, WRITTEN WITH A WONDERFUL SENSE OF HUMOUR AND A TOUCH OF CLASS........2006-05-23
Rose Louise Hovick is known to the whole world as Gypsy Rose Lee a highly respected top paid burlesque queen of her day. In the 1930's Gypsy turned stripping from sleaze into an art form, this was done with the main use of tease, quick wit and intelligence all done with her tongue in cheek style, quoting well known Literature phases even in French. This book is bewitchingly colourful; it keeps you engaged throughout each chapter with Gypsy's smart, comic storytelling.
This book takes you back to Vaudeville those wonderful days of the family oriented shows in there heyday. Gypsy describes what it was like to be part of the Orpheum circuit on stage and behind the scenes. Gypsy Rose Lee wants us to remember Rose Louise Hovick little miss nobody the talentless one. A girl with the bad teeth who played one of the boys in the back row of her little sister's show, Dainty June And Company.
Dainty June and co. was run by Mama Rose the famous of all show biz mothers. Mama Rose real name Rose Thompson married John Hovick, Rose was age fifteen she had her two girls then divorced him. A very shrewd woman who had an intoxicating and intimidating personality. Con artists, awkward jealous stars and gangsters would not get in the way of her plans, being a star that's what mattered. Vaudeville had been fading for sometime the talkies were taking off, although Mama Rose thought Vaudeville was just going through a bad patch much worst happened Dainty June runs away from her all consuming mother at thirteen and gets married. Mama Rose decides this is just a hiccup in the mean time it was all about making money; Rose Louise Hovick is now the money maker but how! They still had to find her talent. Determination, Mama Rose was unstoppable lies and deceit she would succeed however rough it gets, seedy hotels, living in a tent, where there was a will there was a way. Through the eyes of a young girl, silently watching, learning, waiting, waiting and waiting all Rose Louise needed was a chance, a chance to shine and it came in an expected way.
An array of real life comedy characters shine through in this book. None larger than life Mama Rose herself, tricks up every sleeve and woe betide anyone to cross her path. Grandpa and Big Lady (Grandma) always on hand to bail them out. June Horvick Sister to Gypsy (Was Dainty June became a Film Star in her own right without Mama Rose intervention) Fanny Brice famous stage star/Baby Snooks gave Gypsy her first acting role as a child (Barbra Streisand portrayed Fanny Brice in the film Funny Girl) Billy Minsky ran burlesque theatre shows in New York and gave Gypsy her break as a big star. Rags Ragland (John Lee Morgan Beauregard Ragland) had been a boxer, then a burlesque comedian, broadway performer, then Hollywood, Good Friend to Gypsy in her early days. Florenz Ziegfeld, Ziegfeld Follies took on Gypsy. Waxey Gordon, bootlegger racketeer, gangster helped get her teeth fixed. Lastly and let me not forget those wonderful comedy animals that performed and travelled with them around the country one by one they lost their lives in a tragic way but bless them all.
This book is sheer Entertainment, In the prologue Gypsy mentions that although her memory of things are sharp and clear for the trivia; her memory of names and dates escape her in certain places but you can deduce from historic events what year you are actually in. Maybe for yourself as a reader you may find this irritating especially with the lack of dates but after reading the whole story you begin to understand, date juggling became part of life when Gypsy was a child.
Example: Gypsy birth date changed frequently depending on what town and theatre they worked that month or week and they were endlessly trouping around. Gypsy was constantly underage (Mama Rose went to great lengths to change documentaion when need be). Newspapers were only read for reviews of their performances of their shows. Dates on a day to day basis were not necessary or a requirement to gypsy as a child she was to busy trying to remember her new date of birth and different details to keep the authorities at bay.
A few other pointers the publication of this book was back in 1957 taboo's were still out there, this book is based on Gypsy's early days. Relationships with men therefore were few and only briefly covered.
Gypsy only son Erik Lee Preminger although was introduced in the Prologue was still only young at the time of publication and out of respect for him absent details in certain places may have been for that reason. Another reason may have been for Gypsy's own privacy and precautions of those times. Take all this into account when reading.
Even though I have mentioned the above points this does not take anything away from the book, it's completely fascinating to read what shines through was Gypsy Rose Lee's incredible Zest for life and her intelligence. It's Irresistible.
Great Life..........2004-10-08
Many people don't knwo who Gypsy Rose Lee was, if you don't she was one of the most highly respescted highly, highly paid strip teasers in the business. What made her different though was the class with which she did it. There was nothing leude, or vulgar about her acts, which was what made her a star. If you like reading about lives you normally wouldn't, like a burlesque queen. Then this is definately for you. She had an amazing life, and anyone can learn alot about how to face life through this book. It is not that long and is fast paced, filled with comedic interludes. All I can say is enjoy the show...
Exciting, but Leaves 'em Wanting More.......2004-03-31
Much like the style of her burlesque, Gypsy Rose Lee's memoir offers just a tantalizing glimpse of the real Louise Rose Hovick.
Breathlessly relating her childhood spent in the popular, family-oriented entertainment of the early 1900s vaudeville variety show circuit with her star younger sister, "Dainty" June, and their shrewd stage manager and mother, Rose, Lee easily engages readers. Pages fly by, from skits in front of local lodge brothers to shows before burgeoning audiences in lavish theaters across the country as they tirelessly shop their ever-polished singing, dancing and comedy act. A faint picture slowly emerges of Lee as a bright, introverted young girl yearning for more attention. Despite the rough road life and her own disappointment, not much self-pity shows.
What does show clearly is Lee's budding business savvy. After her sister leaves the act, Lee turns the tragedy into opportunity with a little peroxide and PR. Cleverly, she also leaves her hair dark, creating a distinguishing detail out of a common hair color. As vaudeville dries up and she transitions to burlesque, she again demonstrates uncanny sense in choosing her famous stage name. A shorter portion of the book details her rise to the top of the burlesque world, a story peppered with desperate scam artists, benevolent gangsters and jealous stars.
Disappointing is the absence of some relevant detail. Dates are rarely specified, which might otherwise allow readers to more easily trace Lee's story and place it in context with other historical events. No discussion is offered about burlesque and the law, or Lee's thoughts about it. Famous vaudevillians such as Abbott and Costello are mentioned, but only in passing. Significant details are also conspicuously absent. Despite mention of her son, Erik, no mention is made of his father, and hardly any of her relationships are discussed. Privacy, timing and taboo may account for these latter absences, however.
Perhaps, in not telling all, Gypsy Rose Lee suggests her greatest talent, grace.
Book Description
February House is the uncovered story of an extraordinary experiment in communal living, one involving young but already iconic writers -- and the country's best-known burlesque performer -- in a house at 7 Middagh Street in Brooklyn during 1940 and 1941. It was a fevered year-long party fueled by the appetites of youth and by the shared sense of urgency to take action as artists in the months before America entered the war. In spite of the sheer intensity of life at 7 Middagh, the house was for its residents a creative crucible. Carson McCullers's two masterpieces, The Member of the Wedding and The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, were born, bibulously, in Brooklyn. Gypsy Rose Lee, workman-like by day, party girl by night, wrote her book The G-String Murders in her Middagh Street bedroom. Auden -- who along with Britten was being excoriated at home in England for absenting himself from the war -- presided over the house like a peevish auntie, collecting rent money and dispensing romantic advice. And yet all the while he was composing some of the most important work of his career. Sherill Tippins's February House, enlivened by primary sources and an unforgettable story, masterfully recreates daily life at the most fertile and improbable live-in salon of the twentieth century.
Customer Reviews:
What a great read!!!.......2007-07-18
A friend just recommended this book to me and it's fabulous!!! I live in an artist bldg and it's nothing compared to the energy of Middagh Street. The book is a great read and the research is most impressive. I cannot wait to read the one she's writing about the Chelsea Hotel!
That House on Middagh Street.......2006-09-03
Thomas Wolf once famously said "only the dead know Brooklyn." There might be some truth in that, but some of us know Brooklyn, N.Y.,U.S.A., pretty well,and are still very much alive. Quite a few people are aware of Brooklyn's brownstone belt, that swath of historic houses stretching from the East River to Prospect Park and beyond. Many of these people would declare Brooklyn Heights the ultimate Brooklyn brownstone neighborhood. It's beautiful, and gets scenic views of Manhattan. It's got history galore--an important Revolutionary War battle was fought here;and it's been, and still is,home to a lot of well-known important people.
One little-known fact is that a number of celebrated people shared a house on Middagh Street, in 1940-41, right in the middle of the Second World War. That house, which came to be known as February House-- a number of its residents had February birthdays-- has long since been torn down to make room for the Promenade that provides storied views of Manhattan. But among occupants of February House were poet W.H.Auden, writer Carson McCullers, writers Jane and Paul Bowles,composer Benjamin Britten, and stripper Gypsy Rose Lee.
Writer Sherill Tippens has produced an interesting, pleasantly gossipy book about the house's residents and their accomplishments. Jane Bowles began "Two Serious Ladies," her only completed novel here. The young lesbian Carson McCullers had just tasted, at the age of 23, great success with her novel "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter." She began two other great successes, "The Member of the Wedding," and "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe," between drinking bouts, right here on Middagh Street.
Auden and Britten, both homosexual, but not involved with each other, were being raked over the coals at the time by the British press for choosing to sit out World War II in the U.S. But they were working: they collaborated on the opera "Paul Bunyan,"not critically well-received. Auden who continued to live in the Heights, on his own, to pursue his lifelong, unrequited love for the young American Chester Kallman, was working hard in the interstices of his personal soap opera: He produced "The Double Man" in February House. Britten produced "Peter Grimes;"considered one of the great masterpieces of 20th century opera. Meanwhile, he pursued his own personal soap opera: many critics believe this opera echoes developments with his partner, tenor Peter Pears, at the time.
The most unexpected resident of February House would have to be Gypsy Rose Lee, burlesque artiste. She was talked into joining the fun by George Davis, homosexual himself, fiction editor of "Harpers Bazaar" magazine, whose idea February House was, and who worked hard to keep it alive. Davis had published some of his own writing, but he was best known for the talented writers he kept on discovering.
In Gypsy Lee's case, she brought some money, a lot of common sense,and a cook to Middagh Street. The house's residents needed all the above. Her reward for her support: George Davis, great editor, midwifed her book, "The G-String Murders," a publishing sensation for many years.
George Davis continued to live at 7 Middaagh Street after its time as an artistic commune had passed. After Kurt Weill's death, Davis married his widow, Lotte Lenya, and devoted his life to introducing America to Weill's great works,such as "Three Penny Opera,"from which we get "Mack the Knife."
There are some informative photographs, extensive notes and acknowledgements in February House. Tippins evidently did a lot of primary research, but she managed to organize the voluminous results in a very readable style. February House well rewards the reader.
The bump and grind of a literary bawdy house.......2005-10-14
Sherill Tippins has done an amazing job of finding the significant narrative threads in the chaotic convergence of creative lives that occurred in the months before Pearl Harbor when Harper's Bazaar editor George Davis and British expatriate poet W.H. Auden rented a brownstone on 7 Middagh Street in Brooklyn Heights and actively recruited other creative artists to live with them. Among the co-renters were Carson McCullers who had recently published her highly acclaimed first novel, "The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter," soon-to-be famous British composer Benjamin Britten and his parnter, singer Peter Pears, unpublished novelists Paul and Jane Bowles, Broadway set designer Oliver Smith, writer Richard Wright and his wife, and burlesque sensation Gypsy Rose Lee, who it turns out was the most reliable in the rent-paying department and joined the little "creative commune" on the condition that she could bring her own cook and maid. Her fiscal reliability and drive along with Auden's willingness to take on the unpleasant role of house disciplinarian (collecting rent and other "dues" and establishing and enforcing many house rules) are probably sufficient explanation for why this menage managed to last the two or three years it did.
Tippins wisely focuses her attention on the leading figures (without neglecting to name the many others who partied but did not reside at 7 Middagh--Salvador and Gala Dali, Lincoln Kirstein, George Balanchine, Erika Mann and her brothers Klaus and Golo, to name a few). One passer-through, Anais Nin, christened the dwelling "February House" because so many of the residents had February birthdays. Tippins has a good knowledge of the works of these creative people and is able to see how one of the artists intentionally or inadvertantly influenced a subsequent work of one of his or her co-residents. For example, McCullers was struggling with the novel that would later become "The Member of the Wedding" when she was able to appropriate an experience from Chester Kallman's childhood to explain her heroine's profound sense of alienation and abandonment (Kallman was Auden's lover).
Tippins other great achievement here was her ability to slice through history and palpably recreate the political atmosphere in pre-war New York and to do so in a way that reflects on both British and US perspectives. She takes a good hard look at the criticism expatriates like Auden, Christopher Isherwood, Britten, and Pears faced from the British press and fellow artists who chose to remain in Great Britian during the war. She is similarly insightful in her analysis of the role the Mann family had in trying to get an apathetic America to respond to the European crisis. A lesser writer might not have bothered with these issues and chosen to report only the salacious and saleable anecdotes about the goings-on of the February House residents.
I highly recommend this book to anyone even passingly interested in one of the artists who lived at 7 Middagh Street (you're sure to learn something new), to anyone who ever wondered how great works of art come about, or to anyone interested in knowing how history and art intersect. I'm sure I'm going to use Tippins's Selecte Bibliography as a basis for future Amazon.com purchases.
Timely and beautifully written.......2005-09-08
Sherill Tippins' volume fills a tantalizing gap that fans of Auden, McCullers, Britten, and Gypsy Rose Lee have long wished could be filled. Most overdue is Tippins' portrait of George Davis: failed literary wunderkind; editor extraordinaire (who "discovered" McCullers and got much-needed writing jobs for her and W. H. Auden in the lean months before Pearl Harbor); husband to Lotte Lenya and the catalyst that re-invented her for American audiences in Marc Blitzstein's staging of Weill's "Threepenny Opera"--the list goes on and on. Davis and Auden are central to Tippins' account and to the amazing colony of artists who called 7 Middagh Street in Brooklyn Heights their home in 1940-41. But Tippins gives everyone in that circle his/her due. Her depictions of Auden's rocky romance with Chester Kallman, of Benjamin Britten's coming to terms with his artistic destiny in England, not America, and Gypsy Rose Lee's ability to charm and disarm everyone she met are more than engaging--they are extremely moving.
Tippins' research is exhaustive and impeccable, and she lets her characters speak naturally and eloquently. I could not put this book down and practically read it at one sitting. I was hungry for the kind of information Tippins delivered, and I finished the book with the deepest satisfaction. Gracefully written, carefully organized and researched, and extremely relevant: this book wins on all counts.
A Marvelous trip down memory lane or, rather, Middagh Street.......2005-06-06
7 Middagh Street literally doesn't exist any longer. It was torn down to make way for an Expressway. During the last decade of his life the poet Frank O'Hara lived in four different apartments in Manhattan and at least one of them has a commemorative plague. If 7 Middagh Street were still standing the entire building would have to be bronzed. George Davis, the fiction editior for "Harper's Bizaar," rented and renovated the house with the assistance of friends W. H. Auden and Carson McCullers. Together they sought to create a kind of year round Yaddo - a boarding house for artists. They were joined by Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears, Jane and Paul Bowles, Gypsy Rose Lee, Oliver Smith and Klaus Mann (among others). This is their story. As you can imagine, life at 7 Middagh Street was anything but boring.
This is the kind of biographical history I most enjoy reading. It focuses on a very specific period of time, communicating brilliantly the personal and professional triumphs and failures, as well as the ravaging effects of current world events these artists were dealing with while living together. It provides just the right balance of background material on each resident without ever becoming bogged down in trivial details that interrupt the natural progression of the story. Yes, there is a certain amount of "dirt." The spats between Auden and Paul Bowles are well documented, and the endless parade of sailors, the parties that lasted until dawn, the battling McCullers. Most of the residents, even those who were married, were either homosexual or bisexual. The book, and this history, is simply fascinating. If you care at all about 20th century art - literature and music especially - this is a book you shouldn't miss.
Book Description
Spanish and Mexican California is generally depicted through the journals of sea captains and other visitors. This groundbreaking collection offers another perspective: early California seen through the eyes of those who explored it, colonized it, and settled it in the age before the gold rush. Over sixty selections from letters, journals, official reports and proclamations, interrogations, and interviews--many presented in English for the first time--lay before us a surprisingly varied and dynamic portrait of an era generally dismissed as static, pastoral, or backward. Conflicts between missionaries and soldiers, Indians and non-Indians, Hispanic settlers and Anglo newcomers, friends and neighbors, spill out of the pages, bringing the ferment of daily life into sharp focus. Here we find not sleepy towns, quaint missions, or comic opera military outposts, but rather an ever-shifting world of struggle and opportunity, aspiration and tragedy, pride and loss.
The first-person accounts are tied together with extensive introductions and commentaries by two well-known scholars, giving us an intimate portrait and placing the exploration and settlement of Alta California within the history of Baja California and the conquest of the New World.
This ambitious and accessible book, with more than thirty illustrations, maps, and paintings, will influence greatly how we envision the history and legacy of Hispanic California and is sure to become the cornerstone for a new generation of early California studies.
Customer Reviews:
Fascinating & Unique.......2007-06-27
Stashed away in the Bancroft Library in Berkeley, in the Huntington Library in San Marino, and in a dozen other places are the original letters, diaries, reports, articles, and other accounts of Spanish and Mexican California. Such primary documents are simply inaccessible to the lay reader.
However, what Rose Marie Bebe and Robert Senkewicz -- both professors at Santa Clara University -- have done is to select various primary materials, draw excerpts, translate them to English, and then add introductory commentary to set each item in its historical context. The result provides a direct view into California's Spanish and Mexican heritage through the words of those who lived those times.
While each selection covers no more than a few pages, here are passages from Colombus, de las Casas, Cortes, Cabrillo, Vizcaino, Portola, Serra, Fages, Osio, Pico and many others whose names may be familiar from general surveys of California history. Also included, where possible, are accounts from the indigenous people and a selection from the Russians who hunted for furs along the northern coast. Of particular interest is "1785: Trials of a Frontier Woman" which contains a petition from Dona Callis in protest against her husband.
The compact disposition of each document allows for two advantages: the text never drags and the book is able to cover a comprehensive range of topics (more than seventy original documents are presented). This is a marvelous reader of carefully edited materials. The authors have done the hard work; their scholarship is for us to enjoy.
Good introduction to early California history.......2002-07-02
This book covers the era when California (also known as Alta California) was a possession of Spain and Mexico. It is essentially a collection of first hand accounts from various people of this era.
Since most, if not all, of these accounts were originally in Spanish, they require translation, and that is the book's one weakness: almost all the accounts read like they were written by the same person; some of the character of the individual writers is lost.
Nonetheless, this is a good book, both readable and fast-moving. It is interesting that while we know a lot about the Revolutionary era and the founding of the United States, the topics in this book - which take place on the same continent at around the same time - are almost unknown. That, in itself, makes this book a good read.
Book Description
The Color of Guilt and Innocence: Racial Profiling and Police Practices in America is the only book of its kind to receive national acclaim by scholars, special interest groups, and law enforcement organizations as the most comprehensive book ever written on the subject of racial profiling by police. The book is unique in that it objectively explores this controversial subject from the perspective of victims, civil rights advocates, and law enforcement officers.
Customer Reviews:
Takes an urgent and serious topic head-on .......2004-10-30
The Color Of Guilt & Innocence: Racial Profiling And Police Practices In America by law enforcement veteran Steve Holbert and attorney Lisa Rose is a highly readable discussion of the all too common practice of racial profiling in America. Discussing data collection and analysis programs used to help determine whether racial profiling takes place, issues of civil liberty, police reaction to accusations, and much more, The Color Of Guilt & Innocence takes an urgent and serious topic head-on without losing itself in excessively confusing terminology or philosophy. Highly recommended.
Finally somebody gets it.......2004-09-08
I have been a cop for 17 years. I was skeptical of another book on racial profiling that bashes cops. A friend of mine gave me this book to read for training, and i was very surprised that someone finally got it. There is so much about this topic that the public does not know. This book finally gives a cops perspective and tells why, in most cases, cops are not racist. Every person in America racially profiles, and this book explains why. I was fascinated by the in depth discussion in one chapter that explains racism. The book also opened by eyes to the harm the victims suffer at the hands of some cops. I think everyone has something to learn from this book. The book finally sheds some light on data collection and why it will not work. Instead of re-hashing the same old "solutions," the book actually explores some innovative new ideas that should be implemented by law enforcement. Thanks for covering this subject in a whole new light!!
Incredible and comprehensive work on this subject.......2004-09-08
I am an avid reader on the subjects of civil rights and racial profiling. This book, simply put, is incredible. I thought I had a firm opinion on the subject, but after reading this book, I really see that there are two sides to this complicated issue. All is not always what you see. This book covers every possible aspect of this subject, and delves into areas that I have not seen covered before. I had never before considered the side of law enforcement, nor did I understand what was really going on behind the scenes. I also never really viewed this subject outside of the "black and white" issue. The authors reminded me that racial profiling effects every one of us. Now I can more effectively become involved in the fight towards racial justice with a more focused understanding of why racial profiling occurs and what can be done to stop this practice. I highly recommend this book.
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