A galaxy of legendary figures from the annals of Western historyIn this enlightening and entertaining work; Paul Johnson; the bestselling author of Intellectuals and Creators; approaches the subject of heroism with stirring examples of men and women from every age; walk of life; and corner of the planet who have inspired and transformed not only their own cultures but the entire world as well. Heroes includes: Samson; Judith; and Deborah • Henry V and Joan of Arc • Elizabeth I and Walter Raleigh • George Washington; the Duke of Wellington; and Lord Nelson • Emily Dickinson • Abraham Lincoln and Robert E. Lee • Mae West and Marilyn Monroe • Ronald Reagan; Margaret Thatcher; and Pope John Paul II
#472159 in Books 2008-01-22 2008-01-22Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x .58 x 5.31l; .45 #File Name: 0061129801256 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A boring review of the Civil War; that happens to mention telegraphsBy Zachary LittrellA drab exercise in making one of the most fascinating instances in US and military history into a unrelenting snoozefest. There is nothing more disheartening than realizing about 25% into a book that it is bad and it will probably continue to be bad.An interesting thesis and a fun intersection of technology; communication; and the Civil War is let down by a tremendously mediocre writer. It has the structure of an uninspired high school history paper; complete with unrelenting repetition -- did Wheeler need to hit some magical word count? I didn't even really bother to read the last chapter that in-depth; because it was literally a rehashing conclusion paragraph stretched out.Worst; it's really hardly about the telegraph's role in the Civil War. It reads much more as a general outline of the Civil War that just happens to shoehorn how the telegraph figures into it. Many key telegrams are either paraphrased or omitted altogether -- his notes and bibliography are quite admirably thorough; but some in-text citations and quotes would've been much more appreciated than repeating a dozen times lines like "Lincoln devoured dispatches."Wheeler also doesn't keep his opinions from shading figures in history. If your name isn't Lincoln; you probably had some critical character flaw that makes you let down your nation; while Lincoln is always doing right (even if his decisions do have some questionable outcome). I would've been ok with such heavy-handedness if it was any good.Now; how to rate this mess? Did I learn some stuff -- yes! Does it talk about the telegraph's role in the Civil War and Lincoln's presidency -- yes! Is it worth your time? No.. Go find a proper book about the Civil War if you're interested in the war in general; and look up articles and papers if you want to learn about contemporary telegrams. I managed to pick this up on sale for a dollar; and I feel like I wasted a dollar and a week of reading.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. OUTSTANDING CIVIL WAR HISTORY!By Carolina BookhoundAnyone who has studied the U.S. Civil War knows about the significance of the railroad and telegraph to that conflict. These two inventions truly made it the first modern war. When Abraham Lincoln entered the White House; aside from a brief stint in the Black Hawk War; he had virtually no military experience. He learned on the job! Perhaps the most significant thing that he learned was how to use the telegraph to his advantage at many levels. This fascinating book traces how his education in that respect evolved. It offers fresh insights to the character and leadership skills of this great man. It is a heretofore unexplored dimension of Civil War history. I have studied the life and career of Abraham Lincoln since I was in the third grade and I came away with some new perspectives. Tom Wheeler has created a masterpiece!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A Unique Perspective on Lincoln's Skill as a CommunicatorBy Donna L. HalperI was preparing to teach my Senior Seminar in Media Studies; and going through some books I've used in the past; when I came upon this one. I suddenly remembered how I've long meant to write a review of it-- so; better late than never! No; Tom Wheeler's book is not new-- in fact; it was written circa 2006; and didn't get much attention back then; but that's a shame; because this is a fascinating study of how President Abraham Lincoln embraced a new technology (the telegraph); and used it to his advantage.Interestingly; my being late with the review turned out okay: "Mr. Lincoln's T-Mails" is more relevant now than ever; since we are living in a world where our new president loves to Tweet. In Lincoln's day; it was about sending telegrams to the newspapers and magazines; calling attention to what the president wanted them to know (and cover). Mr. Wheeler's readable and informative book explains how no matter what age you live in; being the master of the media of your day can help you to control the messaging and thus influence the news. I learned a lot from reading "Mr. Lincoln's T-Mails;" and if history and media studies interest you as much as they interest me; you'll be glad you found this book. It's well worth buying and well worth reading!
