Under a Flaming Sky

Author: Daniel James Brown
Genre: Non-fiction
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2007
Pages: 304
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: On September 1, 1894, two forest fires converged on the town of Hinckley, Minnesota, trapping more than two thousand people. The fire created its own weather, including hurricane-strength winds, bubbles of plasma-like glowing gas, and 200-foot-tall flames. As temperatures reached 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit, the firestorm knocked down buildings and carried flaming debris high into the sky. Two trains—one with every single car on fire—became the only means of escape. In all, more than four hundred people would die, leading to a revolution in forestry management and the birth of federal agencies that monitor and fight wildfires.

A spellbinding account of danger, devastation, and courage, Under a Flaming Sky reveals the dramatic, minute-by-minute story of the tragedy and brings into focus the ordinary citizens whose lives it irrevocably marked.

Review: "Something was afoot that summer - something concealed, not yet revealed." And thus begins Under a Flaming Sky.

I first learned of the Hinckley firestorm in American Canopy, and needed to know more. The author presents the timeline of events in Hinckley on September 1, while at the time same weaving individual stories, facts about wildfires and burn treatments, and an overview of the life and times of Americans in 1894 into an engrossing, and dare I say it, entertaining novel. This book was impossible to book down. Knowing that the author had personal ties to the tragedy made it that much more compelling.

The Secret Rooms

Author: Catherine Bailey
Genre: Historical Biography
Publisher: Viking Penguin, 2013
Pages: 512
Rating: Do Not Recommend

Synopsis: After the Ninth Duke of Rutland, one of the wealthiest men in Britain, died alone in a cramped room in the servants’ quarters of Belvoir Castle on April 21, 1940, his son and heir ordered the room, which contained the Rutland family archives, sealed. Sixty years later, Catherine Bailey became the first historian given access. What she discovered was a mystery: The Duke had painstakingly erased three periods of his life from all family records—but why? As Bailey uncovers the answers, she also provides an intimate portrait of the very top of British society in the turbulent days leading up to World War I.

Review: This novel began with so much promise, just like the cover says, "...a haunted castle, a plotting, duchess, and a family secret."

Then the author began discussing her research in great detail instead of just telling the story. This was interwoven around great,and in some cases, unnecessary, detail about World War I. 

If there's anything good to say about The Secret Rooms it is John Rutland's (Ninth Duke of Rutland) mother, Violet, was quite the character. She provides further proof that fact is stranger than fiction. She was one contradiction after another. Without Violet's machinations, I would have found it even more difficult to finish.

"Tedious" is a worthy adjective to describe The Secret Rooms.

The Petticoat Affair

Author: John F. Marszalek
Genre: Non-Fiction
Publisher: Free Press, 1997
Pages: 320
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: A stubborn man of deep principles, Andrew Jackson always reacted violently to what he saw as political or social injustice. The rumors surrounding the timing of his marriage, which had devastating effects on his wife Rachel - she died after the election and before his inauguration - drove him to distraction. But nothing tested Jackson's resolve - and eventually his presidency - quite so much as the scandals surrounding Margaret "Peggy" Eaton, the brash and unconventional wife of his secretary of war. Branded a "loose woman" and snubbed by Washington society, Margaret lived a public life that was considered inappropriate for any woman: she was combative and outspoken, the daughter of a Washington innkeeper who socialized with her father's guests. Margaret attributed the scandals surrounding her name to the small-minded jealousy of other women. Andrew Jackson, however, saw it as conspiratorially motivated: by defending Margaret's honor he was also defending his choice of John Henry Eaton for secretary of war and, ultimately, defending himself and his presidency. Unfortunately, Jackson's quixotic actions turned a social scandal into an extraordinary political catastrophe. Before it was over, Jackson forced the resignation of his entire Cabinet, duels were threatened, assassinations were alleged, and Vice President John Calhoun's hopes for the White House were dashed. Andrew Jackson's first term was nearly a failure. The Eaton imbroglio was a model scandal, complete with media manipulation, quicksand coalitions, and rumors piled so high that their airy density became crushing. In dramatic detail, John Marszalek recreates every step of this gripping plot, and of an era when even the most powerful politicians ceded to an honor code that could not be broken.

Review: American Lion talks in length about Peggy Eaton and the ramifications of her "loose" ways, and it was, by 2014 standards, entertaining enough that when I found this book by accident, how could I pass it up? A whole book dedicated to wanton ways of a woman. 

By far the most intriguing part of this book is the last two chapters. Marszalek discusses what happens to the Eaton's after John Eaton resigns from Jackson's cabinet. Their lives are no less interesting as they spend time in Florida and Spain. Eventually John Eaton passes away, and Margaret remarries and eventually divorces her third husband. Sometime after the divorce her ex-husband runs away with Margaret's 17 year old granddaughter. From beginning to end Margaret Eaton led and interesting and unconventional life. 

I'm glad I read American Lion first as it was an in-depth look at the Andrew Jackson presidency as a whole. The Petticoat Affair focused on Margaret Eaton's role in Washington and the impact she had on Jackson's presidency. It helped to know some thing(s) about Jackson, his family, his presidency, and the times in general.

Disaster!

Author: Dan Kurzman
Genre: Non-fiction
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2001
Pages: 296
Rating: Do Not Recommend

Synopsis: On the morning of April 18, 1906, the citizens of San Francisco woke to find their world literally crumbling, as an earthquake measuring 8.3 on the Richter scale turned their homes to rubble and ignited fires that nearly consumed what was left of the city. Up to 10,000 people—a figure unreported until now—died in the catastrophe.

Dan Kurzman presents a terrifying, page-turning glimpse into the surreal world of San Francisco during the disaster, told through the impeccably researched stories of its survivors. From the city's demolished tenements and charred mansions to the merciless and little-known military dictatorship installed in the midst of the chaos, Disaster! brings to life this unparalleled event and its lingering effects.

Review: Here I am back in my favorite genre, disaster non-fiction. But, this wasn't that great. Good, not great. There are plenty of better options out there.

The book jacket describes this as a "...breathtaking, magnificently composed pastiche of personal tragedies." That's a fancy way of saying it's a hodgepodge of stories collected and bound under one title. 

Disaster brings out the best, and worst, in people. I just hope the San Andreas Fault behaves itself during my honeymoon to California later this year.

American Lion

Author: Jon Meacham
Genre: Biography
Publisher: Random House Publishing, 2008
Pages: 512
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Andrew Jackson, his intimate circle of friends, and his tumultuous times are at the heart of this remarkable book about the man who rose from nothing to create the modern presidency. Beloved and hated, venerated and reviled, Andrew Jackson was an orphan who fought his way to the pinnacle of power, bending the nation to his will in the cause of democracy. Jackson’s election in 1828 ushered in a new and lasting era in which the people, not distant elites, were the guiding force in American politics. Democracy made its stand in the Jackson years, and he gave voice to the hopes and the fears of a restless, changing nation facing challenging times at home and threats abroad. To tell the saga of Jackson’s presidency, acclaimed author Jon Meacham goes inside the Jackson White House. Drawing on newly discovered family letters and papers, he details the human drama–the family, the women, and the inner circle of advisers–that shaped Jackson’s private world through years of storm and victory.

One of our most significant yet dimly recalled presidents, Jackson was a battle-hardened warrior, the founder of the Democratic Party, and the architect of the presidency as we know it. His story is one of violence, sex, courage, and tragedy. With his powerful persona, his evident bravery, and his mystical connection to the people, Jackson moved the White House from the periphery of government to the center of national action, articulating a vision of change that challenged entrenched interests to heed the popular will–or face his formidable wrath. The greatest of the presidents who have followed Jackson in the White House–from Lincoln to Theodore Roosevelt to FDR to Truman–have found inspiration in his example, and virtue in his vision.

Jackson was the most contradictory of men. The architect of the removal of Indians from their native lands, he was warmly sentimental and risked everything to give more power to ordinary citizens. He was, in short, a lot like his country: alternately kind and vicious, brilliant and blind; and a man who fought a lifelong war to keep the republic safe–no matter what it took. 

Jon Meacham in American Lion has delivered the definitive human portrait of a pivotal president who forever changed the American presidency–and America itself.

Review: "The Hermitage," has long been on my list of places to see, and we plan to do that this summer. As a result, when I saw this book on the shelf at the library, I took a chance.

Andrew Jackson was was mentioned in my college history courses of course, but references to him were also glossed over. It's hard to take someone with 20th and 21st century experiences and imagine life in the early 1800s. He displaced tribes of Native Americans, ignored treaty after treaty, and was pro-slavery. He also expanded the federal government. My 21st century self would never have voted for him. But, he did have the populist vote at the time, and he managed to keep the union together for the time being. Clearly this was a different time and place, and in hindsight, all we can do here in 2014, is learn from the mistakes of the past.

I am bursting with curiosity to see how the staff at "The Hermitage" portray him.

My Fathers' Houses

Author: Steven V. Roberts
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2006
Pages: 288
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: From Steven V. Roberts comes My Fathers' Houses, a memoir of growing up in Bayonne, New Jersey, an immigrant community in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty, and the story of how his father and his grandfather's dreams–and their own passion for writing and ideas–influenced Steven's future, and inspired him to seek his fortune in New York City, the media capital of the world.

This is a story of a town and a time and a boy who grew up there, a boy who became a New York Times correspondent, TV and radio personality, and best–selling author. The town was Bayonne, New Jersey, a European village so close to New York that Steve could see the Statue of Liberty from his bedroom window. The time was the forties and fifties, when children of immigrants were striving to become American and find a place in a booming post–war world. The core of Steve's world was one block, where he lived in a house his grandfather, Harry Schanbam, had built with his own hands.

Review: From the first few pages, I was drawn into life in Bayonne. This is an intriguing memoir, and well-written (as one should expect). 

Roberts weaves family tales and memories into a narrative in a way that made me wanting more after each chapter. A gifted writer, he fleshes out stories from simple anecdotes and simple memories. This memoir is not fueled by anger, contempt, or discord. Instead it's everyday life, everyday pleasures, and everyday challenges in an everyday family. My Fathers' Houses, while a fun read for the masses, is a treasure for future generations of this family.

Sometimes we need to read for pure enjoyment, and I certainly enjoyed this. 

12 Years a Slave

Author: Solomon Northrup
Editor: Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Genre: Biography, Movie Tie-In Edition
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2013
Pages: 288
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: Perhaps the best written of all the slave narratives, 12 Years a Slave is a harrowing memoir about one of the darkest periods in American history. It recounts how Solomon Northup, born a free man in New York, was lured to Washington, D.C., in 1841 with the promise of fast money, then drugged and beaten and sold into slavery. He spent the next twelve years of his life in captivity on a Louisiana cotton plantation.
 
After his rescue, Northup published this exceptionally vivid and detailed account of slave life. It became an immediate bestseller and today is recognized for its unusual insight and eloquence as one of the very few portraits of American slavery produced by someone as educated as Solomon Northup, or by someone with the dual perspective of having been both a free man and a slave.

Review: It's impossible to "enjoy" a book about so horrible a subject, but once I got into the rhythm of the language and narrative, I didn't want to put this book down. 

There is no way that in the 1850s, Solomon Northrup could have known his experiences and writings would still be relevant in 2014; let alone that his words would inspire a movie. Steve McQueen wrote that "I could not believe that I had never heard of this book. It felt as relevant as Anne Frank's diary." I absolutely agree. As a history major who studied the Civil War in depth, I feel I should have read this sooner. 

My final thoughts? Read, ponder, digest.