In 1839 Eugene Duflot de Mofras was dispatched by the French government to investigate the commercial possibilities (and political and military realities) of the northwest provinces of Mexico and the British; American; and Russian settlements farther north. Along the way he visited most of the California missions. His report was tremendously influential at the time; and remains one of the best portraits of the Pacific coast before the American occupation.
#1122421 in Books 2006-11-07Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.25 x 1.00 x 5.56l; .95 #File Name: 1586484567432 pages
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. FASCINATINGBy Bev ThompsonI read all the negative reviews before buying the book; so I was prepared for the worst. However; I found those reviews unwarranted. The book is fascinating; and; although we have read so many books on this subject; we learned a lot that we never knew. As the author states in the very back of the book; it "gives us a powerful portrait of [Hitler] and offers a remarkably detailed chronicle of his policies and military actions. . . . The chapter covering the last days in the Fuhrer Bunker is shocking in its depiction of his attempts to spin out his life to the last possible moment." Fascinating stuff here; a must-read.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A INTERESTING INSIGHT INTO HITLER'S WORLD WRITTEN BY STALIN'S STAFFBy Bob F.This book was prepared for Stalin by his own staff; based on intensive interrogation of two of Hitler's close associates;who were captured when Russia marched into Berlin at the end of WW2.Because this was written for Stalin; some elements will come as no surprise to modern day readers.First; the writers freely document a number of Hitler's tirades and outright tantrums;something which only Hitler's close associates would have witnessed;and which must have amused Stalin (and us!) immensely and scored points for the Russian writers.Conversely; the writers completely omit any mention of Stalin's foolish secret agreement with Hitlerregarding the German invasion of Poland; which caused Stalin immense embarrassment later onwhen Hitler (predictably - see Mein Kampf) violated the agreement and invaded Russia.Thus: a fascist propaganda machine documenting another fascist propaganda machine.Even so; it is an interesting look at the Third Reich from those who saw Hitler every day;and probably more revealing than most documentaries.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Worth reading for those who like HistoryBy Edward A. WatkinsThis is a very engaging book. Very much an inside look at Adolph Hitler and his people. However; read with caution. It was written by Russians for Stalin and had to be slanted toward what Stalin believed and what the Russian story about WWII was. You find few referenced to the efforts of the United States and Great Britain in the West; including the massive bombing attacks and; later; the invasion. The Russian "story" was; and may still be; that the Soviet Union made the major contribution to defeating Germany. Another caution: Could the dialog; as presented; have been remembered by those interviewed by Russian investigators? My guess is that much of the dialog was made up. Be sure to read the Foreword and the Afterword. I rated it 4 stars due to the few maps included in my volume.
