NATIONAL BESTSELLERWilliam Tecumseh Sherman was more than just one of our greatest generals. Fierce Patriot is a bold; revisionist portrait of how this iconic and enigmatic figure exerted an outsize impact on the American landscape—and the American character. America’s first “celebrity†general; William Tecumseh Sherman was a man of many faces. Some were exalted in the public eye; others known only to his intimates. In this bold; revisionist portrait; Robert L. O’Connell captures the man in full for the first time. From his early exploits in Florida; through his brilliant but tempestuous generalship during the Civil War; to his postwar career as a key player in the building of the transcontinental railroad; Sherman was; as O’Connell puts it; the “human embodiment of Manifest Destiny.†Here is Sherman the military strategist; a master of logistics with an uncanny grasp of terrain and brilliant sense of timing. Then there is “Uncle Billy;†Sherman’s public persona; a charismatic hero to his troops and quotable catnip to the newspaper writers of his day. Here; too; is the private Sherman; whose appetite for women; parties; and the high life of the New York theater complicated his already turbulent marriage. Warrior; family man; American icon; William Tecumseh Sherman has finally found a biographer worthy of his protean gifts. A masterful character study whose myriad insights are leavened with its author’s trademark wit; Fierce Patriot will stand as the essential book on Sherman for decades to come.Praise for Fierce Patriot “A superb examination of the many facets of the iconic Union general.â€â€”General David Petraeus “Sherman’s standing in American history is formidable. . . . It is hard to imagine any other biography capturing it all in such a concise and enlightening fashion.â€â€”National Review “A sharply drawn and propulsive march through the tortured psyche of the man.â€â€”The Wall Street Journal “[O’Connell’s] narrative of the March to the Sea is perhaps the best I have ever read.â€â€”Jonathan Yardley; The Washington Post “A surprising; clever; wise; and powerful book.â€â€”Evan Thomas; author of Ike’s BluffFrom the Hardcover edition.
#26725 in Books Victoria Finlay 2004 2003-12-30Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.26 x .95 x 5.52l; 1.57 #File Name: 0812971426448 pagesColor A Natural History of the Palette
Review
77 of 78 people found the following review helpful. Defective Kindle Edition (review of Kindle only)By MaeThis review pertains ONLY to the kindle edition. This is cheap but very defective! NO ILLUSTRATIONS. The notes are not linked from the text; and in the Notes section; the numbers are omitted. So figuring out which note goes with which part of the text is your challenge.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Will Make You Rethink the RainbowBy LauraA surprisingly fun read; this is the history of colored paints and dyes. These days; artists buy their paints in tubes from the art supply store; but the old masters had to mix their own. This book talks about finding lapiz lazuli from a single mining town in Afghanistan; and crushing that blue stone to create the most wondrous shade of blue; first found 7;000 years ago on Buddhist statues. Green celadon was a seaweed green porcelain that only Chinese emperors could own. When an ancient temple collapsed in modern China; secret treasure vaults were discovered that yielded the unusual tableware. Finlay describes her many trips to the subcontinent in search of Indian Yellow; supposedly made from the urine of cows that are fed mangoes. And; of course; let's not forget the purple vomit of sea mollusks; the deep red blood of crushed beetles; the demanding work of separating saffron from crocuses; and the many trials and tribulations of those artists who worked with mercury; lead; cobalt and arsenic. This is as much a travelogue as it is a vibrant history of color throughout the ages; and the great lengths that artists would go in search of the perfect color.11 of 12 people found the following review helpful. A personal tale of color; well researched; scholarly; yet written without stuffiness or jargon. Fascinating and easy to read.By TJayAwesome book. Scholarly; yet written in a conversational style. There is nothing dry or textbook-ish about this read. Victoria Finlay manages to trace the history of color in a very personal way; and she takes the reader with her on her journey of discovery. The book is well researched and documented -- with index and bibliography . The footnotes are a fascinating book onto themselves. This was a huge undertaking -- and very successful. If you paint; color; sew; photograph; or just love the brilliance of nature; you need to read this book. If you are curious about the origin of things; the "whys" and "hows" -- and/or you're fascinated by history; this book is for you; too.
