Apart from their value in chronicling a common soldier's activities and attitudes during three tumultuous years; these letters offer memorable vignettes of events and famous personalities. Fitzpatrick commented about the Seven Days; Second Manassas; Fredericksburg; Chancellorsville; the Overland campaign; and Petersburg. He described feeling in the ranks toward Robert E. Lee; Stonewall Jackson; and other leaders. He left no doubt of the central role religion played in the lives of countless mid-19th-century Americans; as well as the inestimable importance of home and family. In short; this testimony does more than help us; at a distance of more than a century and a third; understand the day-to-day process by which soldiers went about the business of living and campaigning. It also illuminates the broader context of the world in which the Fitzpatricks and millions of other Civil War-era Americans lived.
#1241712 in Books Wisdom Publications 2002-11 2002-06-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 1.70 x 6.00l; 1.83 #File Name: 086171329X608 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. beautiful volumeBy Customerencyclopedic book on vajrayogini. one of the most important subjects in tibetan buddhism;. the most informative volume ever written on this subject.13 of 22 people found the following review helpful. Rely on the Vajra Mistress Within Us AllBy eurydikeThe Tibetan Buddhist powermongers and fearmongers tell you; 'Bow down to the master; or achieve nothing'.They tell you that only by succumbing to an authoritarian fear-based lineage out of warring Tibet; can you hope to become enlightened. What utter nonsense!LinJi and Hakuin and Nan chuan would laugh uproariously at such presumption; at Tibetan powermongers putting the dharma up for sale; and scaring practititioners who would seek their enlightenment on their own; by peddling fear.You must find your own light; and be; as Shakyamuni Buddha himself proclaimed: "a light unto yourself".What most masters of this lineage teach nowadays is nothing valuable. There are no real masters in the USA for certain; and few in the Dharamsala "Enlightenment for Money" crowd; either.Consider the case of Trungpa; a drunk who appointed as his successor an HIV-positive predator who knowingly infected his own students with AIDS.Or Kalu Rinpoche; who subjected his translator June Campbell; a former Kagyu nun; to an abusive sexual relationship which he told her was tantric spiritual practice.Please embrace this book and enter it with all your Heart. And please ignore the fearmongers that tell you that you will require the services of "a qualified vajra master; i.e. lama" to guide you in a reading of these holy practices. There is only One Holy Practice; and one qualified Vajra Master or Mistress; and they reside in your Heart; and are always available for guidance and counsel. Read this book; live this practice; and trust to the guidance of the Vajra Mistress/Master within you open the Gates of your Heart. Follow your heart; and never fear; or feel compelled to seek the guidance of those who would seek to control you.30 of 32 people found the following review helpful. Great Book! - A must have for Tantric Practice !By VajracharyaI was initiated into Vajrayogini by Sakya Trizen. I recommend anyone that has been initiated into the "Yogini" systems -- Chakrasamvara; Vajrayogini; Hevajra; etc; obtain this book. It is better than any of the other Vajrayogini books that have been printed so far (not mentioning names) -- most of which just re-iterate the Tibetan monastic tradition. Because this book dissects and discusses the original Sanskrit texts --It is essential reading to understand the background of the practices; the nuances of the ritual; and the overal scheme of Buddhist tantra. Whether you believe that Buddhism took over "Saivite rituals" as Ms.English and her Prof Sanderson at Oxford believe; the book goes well beyond the historical backdrop to discuss in detail the ritual "moments". Many well put together graphs and tables break down the deities; correspondences; and practice elements in a helpful and explicative way. She also discusses the elements of sexual yoga in a frank; honest and accurate way throughout the book; something which few Tibetan monastics dare to do. In short; this is not a book that can be missing from your shelf !
