It used to be virtually unquestioned that history belonged to the successful. Individuals and movements deemed "failures" were usually disregarded or entirely forgotten.Communitarians of the 1840s set forth a variety of radical critiques of contemporary American society; based both on their own experiences and on their visions of a better world. Their attempts to realize these visions met with strong opposition and practical obstacles. Even as they began to retreat; they were cast by their opponents as insignificant or as fanatics; and those views have influenced most subsequent historical accounts of them. This book joins other recent studies that have sought to reevaluate the efforts of communitarians on their own terms; to locate them in their social and political contexts; and to understand the dilemmas that they faced. The Northampton Association provides an ideal opportunity for a study of this kind. It is easily the most obscure of the main New England utopian communities of the 1840s; so its story remains unfamiliar even to many specialist scholars. In his book; Clark aims not to celebrate the men and women of the Northampton community; but to understand them better; to trace how their vision was formed; and how it came to fade again into something less radical; less ambitious; and more forgettable.
#530720 in Books 2000-06-09Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.04 x .67 x 6.05l; .74 #File Name: 1557502285198 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. One hell of a story.By Lars PeaveyI have been privileged to be friends with two Pacific destroyer veterans; both now deceased.One was a longtime family friend and served as a rating aboard USS Murray. He shared many of his wartime stories with me; but there were some memories that he could not bear to bring forward.I had the honor of meeting retired Capt. Frank G. Gould; former exec and commanding officer of USS Sterett; at his stately; rambling home in Deland; FL in the late 80's. I mentioned that I had read extensively about the naval battles around Guadalcanal. He immediately invited me to sit at the dining room table. Over a couple of generous tots of whiskey; we spent the next several hours going through his own texts and reports from his involvement in these actions. He very graciously shared a priceless firsthand account of how the ships maneuvered and the battles developed.What he seemed to take most personal pride in; though; was this: As he showed me a framed 8x10 picture of the Sterett; taken as it came along side one of the capital ships to refuel (a copy of this photo can be seen in the book); he swelled visibly as he described how the senior captain signaled him a commendation for his execution of a "three bell maneuver" (Navy vets; please forgive if I've mis-remembered the term) which placed the destroyer perfectly in position alongside the larger ship with no wasted movement.He did not mention; nor did I learn until years later; that he had been awarded the nation's second highest honor for valor for his service. A true professional; in all regards.I searched for a copy of "Tin Can Sailor" for several years after I learned it had been published. When I finally secured my Kindle copy; it did not disappoint. Thank you; Mr. Calhoun; for bringing the story of these most worthy men and their special ship to life for our generation.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. An excellent bookBy Toe TagThis book is an excellent account of an American destroyer in action during World War Two. The ship and crew served in both the Atlantic and the Pacific during the war with support to the English and Canadian Navy and later in battle with the Japanese.One of the greatest aspects of this book is the detailed information about the sea battle of Guadacananal and the resupply of the soldiers and marines. But; I also enjoyed the details regarding ship-to-ship combat against the Japanese. Especially the very fast and brutal battle where the ship managed to put two torpedoes in the side of Japanese battleship.There are some sections of this book that are hard to read. In particular; the ship’s surgeon must have been a man of steel. With limited supplies and time he managed to do as much as he could to save as many men as he could; but sadly not all survived. The resulting burial at sea is both a touching moment I’ve not read about in other history books and stands a memorial to good men who died to soon.Over all I enjoyed this book. It’s very well written and easy to read. The author collects from his own logs and notes as well as many other shipmates to provide an accounting of the USS Sterett. It was really a wonderful book to read.If you enjoyed this book I would strongly recommend reading the other side of the conflict with Japanese Destroyer Captain by Tameichi Hara. For additional perspectives on American involvement in the Pacific wi would also recommend South Pacific Destroyer: The battle of the Solomon from Savo Island to Vella Gulf by Russel Crenshaw.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Tin Can SailorBy Joe T.One of the best concise histories of WW2 naval warfare in the Pacific Theater. The author does an excellent job of telling not only the day to day story of a destroyer at war but also of the men who served aboard her. Another must read for the WW2 naval history student.
