Reading the Man: A Portrait of Robert E. Lee Through His Private Letters

Book Description

For the 200th anniversary of Robert E. Lee's birth, a new portrait drawing on previously unpublished correspondence

Robert E. Lee's war correspondence is well known, and here and there personal letters have found their way into print, but the great majority of his most intimate messages have never been made public. These letters reveal a far more complex and contradictory man than the one who comes most readily to the imagination, for it is with his family and his friends that Lee is at his most candid, most engaging, and most vulnerable. Over the past several years historian Elizabeth Brown Pryor has uncovered a rich trove of unpublished Lee materials that had been held in both private and public collections.

Her new book, a unique blend of analysis, narrative, and historiography, presents dozens of these letters in their entirety, most by Lee but a few by family members. Each letter becomes a departure point for an essay that shows what the letter uniquely reveals about Lee's time or character. The material covers all aspects of Lee's life—his early years, West Point, his work as an engineer, his relationships with his children and his slaves, his decision to join the South, his thoughts on military strategy, and his disappointments after defeat in the Civil War. The result is perhaps the most intimate picture to date of Lee, one that deftly analyzes the meaning of his actions within the context of his personality, his relationships, and the social tenor of his times.

Customer Reviews:

`The Great General Robert E. Lee - .......2007-09-08

To put to rest the suggestion of "faulty" research, with which Ms. Pryor wrote her book, I found it to be of an impeccable nature as well as being fully noted.

Of all of the Civil War books I have read, "Reading the Man" has certainly had the most impact on this 7th generation Georgian, whose forebears fought and died in this terrible war. I remain a loyal daughter of the South and deplore what our battle flag has come to represent. The house I grew up in was on the site of one of the fiercest battles fought for the City of Atlanta, and only after becoming an adult, I learned that the "alley" behind my Grandmother's house was really a rifle pit used in that battle. Thus, my familiarity has been with the battles fought in this part of the Confederacy and on Sherman's devastation during his march to the sea. Therefore, I began this book with little knowledge of General Lee, the man.

Ms. Pryor's fine book has brought to life a man who "did the best he could", at all things for which he took responsibility. His striving for excellence became both a blessing and a curse as he and his soldiers fought against terrible odds. His loyalty to his beloved home state of Virginia, which caused him to regretfully resign from the US Army and a much enjoyed position in the Army Corp of Engineers and to turn his back on his mentor, General Winfield Scott, was a true measure of the man's unbreakable bond with the places and things he loved more than the offer, coveted by many others,to be the commander of the Union Army.

This loyalty to his state, to his home, to his wife and extended family, and the men he commanded, never wavered throughout all the times of this terrible war.

I was moved to tears when, after Lee's honorable surrender, I read about a group of "Richmond Grandees" watching these tattered men file past them; they "stood at a turnpike intersection and watched ten thousand soldiers file by." In place of the bright eyes and gold braid flashing from every passing parade, "now they saw rags and tags - nothing alike - most garments and arms taken from the enemy - such shoes, such tin pans and pots tied to their waists, bread or bacon stuck on the ends of their bayonets. For many, these tough veterans still represent the greatest army that has ever fought on this continent. Who they were and how they mocked deprivation and danger is a fascinating story."

Ms. Pryor has brought to life the human story of the gallant General Robert E Lee, his family and the thousands of brave Southern boys turned men, who fought to defend their beloved homes and against the invasion of the mighty Army of the North.

With his human shortcomings, at the heart of the man, he was gallant and honorable. I would recommend this book to anyone as a shining example of a man who overcame the terrible reputation of his father, "Lighthorse Harry Lee", and lived his life in the most honorable way possible - in love and loyalty to those he loved and what he believed in. He would be a wonderful example to the men of our times.

Lee the Man.......2007-08-19

Reading The Man is a refreshing analysis of Robert E. Lee the human being. Indeed, this is the central goal of her book in that there is much that needs to be revealed to show the humanness of the man who has often been placed on a pedestal. Her book is well researched as her endnotes and sources cited clearly reveals. There are still many admirable traits to the man, e.g. his innate dignity, his sense of duty, his love of his family as well as his abilities as a general, but he is also revealed to have less admirable traits, such as his domineering tendencies, his inability to admit error on his own part, his views on slavery, and so forth. This is the kind of treatment we need of all figures in history to show that even though they may have possessed unusual abilities and played significant roles in major events, they are still fallible human beings.

Pryor traces Lee's entire life's journey, from the influence of his father (Light Horse Harry of Revolutionary War fame) and mother as well as the reputation the family name bestowed on young Robert (both good and bad), his years as a cadet at West Point, his role as husband and father, and through his years in the military, culminating in his leading role as commander of the Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War. I personally enjoyed reading of his friendships, his affectionate letters to his children and family, and his periods of difficulty (which show once again more of the human side of Lee). There is no question that the subject of this book was and led an unusual life with a driven sense of purpose and duty and who consistently displayed the strengths and weaknesses of every human being.

His personality traits came through in many of these letters as well. He was extremely friendly with the ladies, had a conscious sense of his own reputation, was warm in his letters to family (though he certainly could evince the attributes of a stern disciplinarian), enjoyed the camaraderie of the army and so forth. But he could also be self-justifying, fall into bouts of depression, and reveal a bitterness and disappointment, especially in the postwar years. His religious views and experiences are also well discussed in this book and the role various family members played in his life is also valuable.

Without reciting all the events of Lee's life, which most who read this book will be familiar with, it is doubtless the most heartbreaking period to read about during those years during and after the Civil War. Perhaps Lee felt this was his surest form of duty, but his actions can not go without criticisms. His role contributed to the carnage that resulted. His battlefield successes, which could be remarkable, still don't negate the fact that huge casualties were incurred on his own side. In my opinion, slavery played the major factor in that war, and the cry of the defense of states rights implicitly meant that a state could perpetuate the institution that considered other human beings as property. This denied the South the moral high ground in my opinion, and I'm a Southerner. It was partly this same defense of states rights that often showed itself in some of Lee's postwar writings.

Lee is credited with making statements against secession before the war and against the institution of slavery, but his actions certainly seemed to prove the contrary. Yes, Lee was a product of his time, but as Pryor mentioned in this book, he certainly wasn't ahead of his time either; he was no progressive or liberal on the slave issue. In fairness, neither were many Northerners. I have certainly come more around to the view of Lee as a tragic figure, though as Pryor stated, he made his own choices. Lee did much with little in the course of that terrible four year conflict. He possessed many remarkable traits and abilities, yet, as Pryor's book reveals, he was still human.

Robert Lee -- He's Human After All (and Still a Legend).......2007-08-05

Having read a couple of reviews in the "main stream" print media that appeared to celebrate this book's exposure of Robert E. Lee's true sentiments about slavery (e.g., the Philadelphia Inquirer's review focused ad nauseum on the most negative report of Lee's ordered whipping of a captured runaway slave), I relunctantly bought this book (from Amazon, of course), fearful that this would prove to be yet another exercise in political correction by a less-than-objective historian.

Reading it, however, revealed something altogether different -- Lee was a man of his times (high society in the antbellum south, 19th Century) and also a real and very moral man, who focused more on the practical than the theoretical.

That is not to say that the author, Elizabeth Pryor Brown, sought to try prove that Robert E. Lee wasn't the icon that he is held to be, even to this day, in many parts and in many hearts of the South. She dramatized the presence of a whipping post for errant slaves, with little proof that it was ever used. But as is often the case with historians who delve deeply into their subjects, her heart was touched the humanity, grace and character of Lee, through a thorough and scintillating read of private letters that had been locked away in a bank vault for more than a century.

Things I learned in the book: He was a mega-flirt, but never unfaithful to or threatened by his strong-willed, secure and relatively independent wife. He loved the company of others, particularly his fellow soldiers and officers. None of three daughters ever married. He was confident yet humble,loved his family, and had a tireless devotion to duty, both an an engineer and a soldier.

He, not unlike almost anyone who has ever served in the military, expressed his share of frustrations with the military life, and even showed a little jealousy when peers were promoted ahead of him (but also showing that he was not particularly adept at, or fond of, politics). Except, possibly, for his flirtations, apparently done with the full knowledge of Mary Lee, none of this would be a surprise to any devotee or student of the General.

This book is very well written; it is fair and balanced, and gives more time and attention to Lee, the man, than Lee the general or even the soldier. The book was a joy to read and very hard to put down, even for a historical tome, with difficult to understand reprints of entire letters by Lee and members of his family and a bit too much ink on Harry "Light Horse" Lee, Robert's heroic but badly flawed and largely absent father. Her final chapter, and its final words, are wonderfully insightful at answering an important question -- why, after all these years, are we stil fascinated by this lengdary man? This book is a wonderful achievement and a worthy read.

No minds will likely be changed about Lee, whether you're a son of the South or South-hating liberal yankee who will be disappointed that Lee isn't thorough demystified. The careful and thoughtful reader will come away with greater appreciation and respect for the man.

Critics have an agenda. They miss the point........2007-07-16

I have just finished this excellent work and am dumbfounded by the two star reviews left by some readers. Clearly they didn't read the same book I did. Did Fruit Loop actually say it was "shoddily researched?" Did he see the 140 pages of footnotes? The 21 page bibliography? That he should question Ms. Pryor's credibility is laughable considering he makes major flaws in his own information. The slave whipping story did not only appear as an anonymous accusation in the New York Tribune. It appeared many times including one first hand account by one of the slaves who was whipped! Ms. Pryor's so-called "shoddy" research clearly shows this. And Fruit Loop's description of other aspects of Lee's relationship with his father-in-law's slaves is full of errors. GWP Custis's near bankruptcy had nothing to do with slaves emigrating to Liberia. Those that did go, the Burke family, went when Mr. Custis was still alive. Also, Lee had almost nothing to do with educating the slaves. That was done almost entirely by his mother-in-law, wife and even his daughters. He was pretty detached from it.

I think what is at the heart of the criticism of this book is an inability by some to consider that Lee had flaws; that there were unpleasant aspects of his character. Those unpleasant aspects were very common for his time and Ms. Pryor clearly states that Lee was no worse than others but he was no better either. He was very much a man of his time. These defenders of Lee and the Old South need to come to grips with the fact that slavery was bad and slaveowners, while not evil, did something bad by owning other human beings.

That said, Ms. Pryor's book is remarkably evenhanded and forgiving of Lee. She has said that she has a fondness for Lee and she certainly highlights his virtues as much as his vices.

This is a new kind of study of Lee. Finally we can see the whole man. And, for this reader and student of the Civil War, I can say that for the first time we have an explanation of Lee that actually makes sense. Bravo.

Revolutionary and vital. Absolutely indispensable........2007-07-15

I have been a park ranger at Arlington House, The Robert E. Memorial for 17 years now and I can honestly say that I have read at least five biographies, assessments, evaluations or interpretations of Robert E. Lee for each of those years. I am certain that when all the books and articles are added together they number close to a hundred. It's important that I do that. It's my job and my responsibility to have as comprehensive an understanding of Robert E. Lee's life as is possible so that I can honestly and accurately convey it to the people who visit and the students who partake in our education programs. But with all of these books and articles there is a certain consistency, not with interpretation but with information. It is safe to say that since Douglas Southall Freeman wrote his landmark, Pulitzer Prize winning four volume biography in the 1930's the assumption has been that there is nothing new that can be found out about Lee. Freeman's work was so exhaustive, seemingly leaving no stone or document unturned, that, it seems, every biographer of Lee since then has taken the approach that no new research was needed or possible. Instead, it became the fashion for biographers and other historians to simply take what Freeman researched and interpret it in whatever way they wanted. Thomas Connelly chose to psychoanalyze Lee in a groundbreaking and exceptionally flawed work, The Marble Man while Alan Nolan chose a lawyerly approach, constructing the case against Robert E. Lee in his book, Lee Considered, as if Lee had never been considered before. And there have been others, many quite reverential but the problem with all of them is that they've all used the same information. Writing about Lee ceased being about scholarship and instead became bickering op ed pieces. And the greatest crime of it has been that it has made Robert E. Lee uninteresting. How many times can you read the same things, no matter what way they've been spun, and still remain excited? I stopped being interested in reading things about Lee over five years ago. I have forced myself to keep reading but there has been no joy in it.

Until now. Elizabeth Brown Pryor and her extraordinary new book, Reading The Man, has single-handedly revived what was hitherto unrevivable. She has made Robert E. Lee come to life in a way that no other writer has ever been able to do and she has done it in a way that should make every other biographer of Lee blush: she has let the man speak for himself and she has done it through new research. Yes, new research. Certainly much of the new material she has uncovered has been locked away in trunks for almost a century so other researchers including Freeman had no access to it. But some of what she's used has been available to researchers for decades they just chose not to look. Intellectual laziness? Or have researchers just been content with what they've had? Fortunately, Elizabeth Pryor was neither lazy nor content and what she has constructed is a masterpiece of biographical examination. The Lee that springs from her pages is dynamic and emotional, conflicted and complex, playful and loving and nothing like he has ever been portrayed before. But the magic of this work, what truly elevates it beyond mere interpretation into what can only be described as revolutionary, is how Ms. Pryor manages to be both critical and sympathetic with her subject. With Lee it has always been you either revere or revile him. There has been no middle ground. Those that simplified him to the point of mere symbolism insured that. He was either the Christ like martyr of the Lost Cause or the white supremacist Benedict Arnold of the Civil War. But Elizabeth Pryor has shown us, has proven beyond reproach, that you can be critical of someone and still like him. You can point out his flaws but empathize with his humanity. You can be honest without defilement. What Ms. Pryor has done for all of us interested in history, the Civil War and Robert E. Lee is incalculable. She has, quite literally, shown us a new way to examine our common history and truly learn from it. We would be fools not to follow her.

Average customer rating:

Could have Been Great !!!
Robert E. Lee AMERICA'S GENERAL
An excellent reference on Lee

Robert E. Lee: A Life Portrait
David J. Eicher
Manufacturer: Taylor Trade Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0878331476

Book Description

This book offers both a succinct biography and the definitive collection of nearly 350 photographs, important paintings, original ingravings, artifacts, and significant documents pertaining to the Confederate general.

Customer Reviews:

Could have Been Great !!!.......2001-07-26

This book certainly had a lot of potential. Unfortunatly there are too many errors. Some very obvious --- Samuel Cooper was not REL's brother in law. He was REL's brother's brother in law by marriage. And the photographs are not always correctly captioned. The dust jacket sleeve mentions over 70 some photos. But Lee was only photographed around 40 times. Some photos he counts twice when in reality they are of a same pose. And some photos could have been larger so the reader could actually see the beauty of the photograph. And some photos that have been discovered many years ago were simply not even in the book. This book could have great but the author did not do enough homework. He needs to go back and try again using better researchers.

Robert E. Lee AMERICA'S GENERAL.......1999-08-21

Robert E. Lee was America's General. He was a great man who'd legacy is to be told forever. He did not support the radical slavery movements of the south but did love his native state. He was a calm and bold gentleman who's gentle face and lovig nature made him a legend in his own right. Lee deserves the honor that is preserved in this book. This book captures the true beauty of AMERICA'S GENERAL.

An excellent reference on Lee.......1997-10-10

This text should be in every Civil War collectors library.

A Commitment To Valor A Unique Portrait Of Robert E. Lee In His Own Words

Average customer rating:

a must read for everybody

A Commitment To Valor A Unique Portrait Of Robert E. Lee In His Own Words
Rod Gragg
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

The Maxims Of Robert E. Lee For Young Gentlemen: Advice, Admonitions, and Anecdotes on Christian Duty and Wisdom from the Life of General Lee

ASIN: 1558538437

Book Description

The character and legend of Robert E. Lee make him one of the most beloved figures in American history, particularly in the South. This attractive gift book captures that character and legend for Southerners, Civil War buffs, and home school students

"Do your duty in all things," Robert E. Lee told his youngest son. "You cannot do more. You should never wish to do less: Robert E. Lee, commander of the Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War, embodied all that is honorable in the tradition of an American soldier. A Commitment to Duty captures the essence of Lee through his most significant quotations and observations.

Customer Reviews:

a must read for everybody.......2004-05-18

this book has many quotes to live by Robert E Lee was a geniouse and should be potrayed as a role model to the masses. This book shows the true side of Lee that the history books don't teach you. The kind loving man who had time for everyone yet lived his life with dignity and honor

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Robert E. Lee, a Portrait 1807 - 1861.
Margaret Sanborn
Manufacturer: J.B. Lippincott Company.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I39OAQ

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Face Of Robert E Lee
Rh Value Publishing
Manufacturer: Random House Value Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Gentle Man of Destiny: A Portrait of Robert E. Lee

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Gentle Man of Destiny: A Portrait of Robert E. Lee
Ellen Earnhardt Morrison
Manufacturer: Morielle Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0962253715

Jackson & Lee: Legends in Gray: The Paintings of Mort Kunstler (Rutledge Hill Press Titles)

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THE EYES HAVE IT ! !
Excellent combination of art and history!

Jackson & Lee: Legends in Gray: The Paintings of Mort Kunstler (Rutledge Hill Press Titles)
James I. Robertson , and Mort Kunstler
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1558533338

Amazon.com

This grand collection of paintings by the accomplished historical artist Mort Kunstler makes the past come alive on canvas. Generals Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee appear in most of the paintings, but not all of them. Union colonel Joshua Chamberlain's glorious charge down Little Round Top on the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg is included, for example, as are portraits of General Ulysses S. Grant and others. What's more, Jackson & Lee isn't just a picture book, although it would be a worthwhile investment for that element alone. The text, written by acclaimed Jackson biographer James I. Robertson Jr., provides an interesting narrative about Jackson and Lee and their relationship.

Book Description

This spectacular collection of seventy-nine works of art by America's premier historical artist is a stunning visual portrait of the two legendary Civil War Confederate generals. Text is by an acclaimed historian.

Customer Reviews:

THE EYES HAVE IT ! !.......2003-09-02

I have read and "studied" several of Mr.Kunstler's books and enjoyed them all.I particularly enjoy the artists comments as to why he does some of the things the way he does.This book is different in that his art is not accompanied by his explanations but by another writer's text.This text is very good and really brings out the personalities of these great characters.As one who believes that it is important to understand the personalities of the people involved if one is to understand why things happened the way they did;this is very well done.
As to the title of my review;I find eyes fascinating.The first thing I look at in Mr.Kunstler's paintings is the eyes.Let me point out Confederate Sunset on pg.56 both Lee's and Jackson's eyes are very beady and staring resulting in them looking like figures in a wax museum;giving the painting a posed and unnatural feeling.Other examples are of Jackson on pages 38and 40.Note the difference in Jackson's eyes on page44.Another thing I like to study is how some paintings look very stiff,posed almost like a diorama in a museum,eg.The Return of Stuart on pg.126.Compare this to The Last Council on pg.102 which is so realistic. Am I alone in seeing this aspect of Mr.Kunstler's work?

Excellent combination of art and history!.......1998-10-20

Outstanding compilation of information, and the best images of primiere Civil War artist Mort Kunstler. A "must have" for all serious students of the American Civil War.

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The last meeting's lost cause
Estill Curtis Pennington
Manufacturer: R.M. Hicklin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0006EQ4XC

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robert e. lee a portrait.
sankorn margert
Manufacturer: j.b. lippincott comp. copyright 1966 ist edition.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000N2QCSY

Robert E. Lee A Portrait: 1807-1861 and The Complete Man: 1861-1870 2 Volume Set in Slipcase

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Robert E. Lee A Portrait: 1807-1861 and The Complete Man: 1861-1870 2 Volume Set in Slipcase
Margaret Sanborn
Manufacturer: J. B. Lippincott
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000N5YXQO

Book Description

With all of his amazing talent--and scandalous exploits--it's surprising that the name of John Decker isn't more familiar today. In Bohemian Rogue: The Life of Hollywood Artist John Decker, author Stephen C. Jordan seeks to resurrect this forgotten figure of 20th century art. Jordan delves into the mystery of a man who overcame a difficult childhood and notorious apprenticeship to become a respected artist (and outrageous party-giver) in Hollywood. Bohemian Rogue chronicles the relatively brief--but eccentric--life of this neglected painter, caricaturist, and sculptor.

Customer Reviews:

New views on Decker.......2007-07-16

I'd been hemming and hawing about getting this book since it was released in hardback a few years ago. With the new version, the price tag is even more prohibitive, but the subject matter is so engrossing to me that I paid up and went for it.
Previously, Decker (and his more famous circle of friends) have only been accessible through Gene Fowler's riotous work, The Minutes Of The Last Meeting or to a lesser degree through his Barrymore biography Goodnight, Sweet Prince but it seems that the "Bundy Drive Boys" are due for an encore with this and the upcoming September Feral House release, Heroes With Hangovers.
Bohemian Rogue is extremely well researched and contains substantial new information on Decker, as well as a bounty of new yarns and legends of from the "Golden Age" of Hollywood. Decker's fame by association makes for stories worthy of Kenneth Anger's Hollywood Babylon and author, Jordan, delivers in spades. While the book is extremely entertaining, it seems to suffer from lack of a greater structure and premise. While all of the anecdotes are well researched and entertaining, they appear to be only that, a series of fantastic tales illuminating how Decker's art bares examination beyond his illustrious friends and their equally fantastic exploits. I love Decker's work and would wholly agree that the artist is due for a thorough reexamination. It just seems the piece needs a little more backbone and direction.
I stand by this book though. It's a study in the fine art of eating, drinking, smoking, and carrying on with substance before style, but still more style than any of today's plastic celebrities could do on their best day. These were self destructive geniuses with a capital G and the stories in this book befit them. Decker was a visionary and an original. If you're a art connoisseur and think that the collision of highbrow and lowbrow began with Juxtapoz, Mark Ryden, et al, nab this book. You'll be part of the growing throngs that are spiking this long forgotten works to greater and greater price tags.

An Artist, not a Painter.......2005-08-23

Artist, hard-drinker, writer,philosopher. John Decker was all of these, and a little bit more. Almost forgotten today, Decker was a colorful caricaturist/painter of the 1930's and 1940's in Southern California. And what parties he gave! Stephen Jordan's biography, "Bohemian Rogue", is John Decker's rambling, but stimulating life-story. John Decker's early life was sad at best. Born in Germany in 1895, Decker's young parents soon moved to London. Challenged by finances, the marriage failed. Decker's mother deserted him when he was only 13. Shortly, his father did as well. Stranded, Decker became a child-painter. He found some success. He managed to forge some brilliant art-work, selling it to a German dealer. Too bad. He was arrested as a Nazi spy, and hauled-off to prison on the Isle of Man. 2 gloomy years passed. A compassionate sequence in the book relates the story of a fellow inmate; an old man who worships his young son. To his wild surprise, his son joins them in the prison. The father is elated! But joy turns to dispair, as the father discovers that his son blames him for his arrest, and sudden bad luck. Sadly, the father throws himself against an electrified fence...Decker is finally released, and makes his way to New York, then California, and finally to Los Angeles. Returning to painting, he literally sells his work door-to-door in the then pastoral Beverly Hills. His home at 419 N. Bundy Drive is still there today(It is owned by television writer Michael Leighton). John Decker becomes a celebrity portrait-artist, acquainting himself with numerous Hollywood stars. His ranch-style studio is soon guest to Errol Flynn, W.C. Fields, John Barrymore, and other assorted, colorful characters. "Bohemian Rogue" reports of young actor Anthony Quinn being used for emergency blood transfusions at the Bundy Drive home(when Barrymore is inebriated). This is, of course, pure sophistry. Many of the book's incidents are tied to un-dated newspaper and magazine articles(with page numbers and writer's names not available!). Some of the tales are relatives' family stories handed down from someone else. Hardly a chronicle. Nevertheless, "Bohemian Rogue" is a pleasant package of jokes, stories, and anecdotes. Vincent van Gogh spent time in asylums. He drank too much, and was even linked to madness. The analogy between van Gogh and Decker is thoughtfully presented here. Artists. Madness. Self-destruction. Sometimes, they all arrive together. A wonderful quote from W.C. Fields perhaps best sums up the book: "Exercise! I'm improving the health and life expectancy of each one of you. Back in my rummy days, I would tremble and shake for hours upon rising. It was the only exercise I got".

The Moral Center: How We Can Reclaim Our Country from Die-Hard Extremists, Rogue Corporations, Hollywood Hacks, and Pretend Patriots

Average customer rating:

about time!
Dissapointing Traditional Liberalism
A new vision and strategy is needed
Not Compelling (2.5*s)
"A liberal with a new emphasis on old values."

The Moral Center: How We Can Reclaim Our Country from Die-Hard Extremists, Rogue Corporations, Hollywood Hacks, and Pretend Patriots
David Callahan
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0151011516

Book Description

Nothing’s the matter with Kansas: Americans voting their values are responding to a real moral crisis. And in this forceful follow-up to The Cheating Culture, David Callahan argues that the problems for most Americans are not abortion and gay marriage but rather issues that neither party is addressing—the selfishness that is careening out of control, the effect of our violent and consumerist culture on children, and our lack of a greater purpose. As Republicans veer into zealotry, liberals can find common ground with the moderate majority. But to alleviate the moral anxieties that drove GOP electoral victories they need a powerful new vision.

In The Moral Center, Callahan articulates that vision and offers an escape from the dead-end culture war. With insights garnered from in-depth research and interviews, he examines some of our most polarized conflicts and presents unexpected solutions that lay out a new road map to the American center.

Customer Reviews:

about time!.......2007-08-28

I mean of course I have not read this book yet since it has not been released. But I greatly look forward to having SOMEONE point out to the world that for most reasonable peole in our culture, the greatest moral crises in this country are NOT about abortion and gay marriage but rather concern deeper issues such as our overly profit-oriented and inadequate healthcare system, the devastating effects of abject materialism, political and corporate dishonesty and the ethics of war. It is about time someone point this out and I am pre-ordering this book now.

Dissapointing Traditional Liberalism.......2006-12-05

If you want a list of all of the traditional ways liberals want to spend money, go ahead and read this book. Callahan offers some well developed reasons for making these investments, but none are new or bold. And the jabs at the conservatives, Bush 43, and Regan, we've heard them all before. I didn't notice a mention of even one liberal program that didn't work, and that should be cut (I guess Callahan thinks we're batting 1000). This book fails because it doesn't offer anything but the same arguments from the extremes that has done nothing for America (except to let the religious fundamentalists take over).

The book's title might tempt that part of the electorate hoping to dethrone the religious fundamentalists into picking up the book. But Callahan's argument falls flat, leaving me with a picture of the sleek shark of fundamentalism with the little remora of liberalism hanging on for dear life.

From a technical perspective, the book had quite a few typographical errors, where the first letter of a word was wrong (town vs. down), as if it were dictated, and nobody proofread. That took it down from a "2" to a "1" in my rating.

The book cover, with it's red on the left, and blue on the right, signifies what it is: the old, tired "us versus them" with no new ideas. Another book with red on the TOP and blue on the bottom does have some bold ideas for real change in American politics. It's not what you think. It's written by a gay catholic philosopher (Andrew Sullivan). Although I'm politically in the center, I have read both books from the right and left that claim to have an idea for getting US politics out of the ditch. Sullivan's boldness holds promise, whereas Callahan's stale ideas fall flat.

A new vision and strategy is needed.......2006-11-06

THE MORAL CENTER: HOW WE CAN RECLAIM OUR COUNTRY FROM DIE-HARD EXTREMISTS, ROGUE CORPORATIONS, HOLLYWOOD HACKS, AND PRETEND PATRIOTS argues that underlying concerns such as eroding values, and the rise of greed, are the real problems neither party is addressing in political campaigns. A new vision and strategy is needed based on acknowledgment of this underlying erosion: one provided in THE MORAL CENTER, which argues for change in the face of polarized differences which paralyze both parties and reduce effective strategies.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Not Compelling (2.5*s).......2006-09-21

The title of this book is definitely overly ambitious. It is quite a stretch to claim that there is a moral center in the US. If anything, there is a lot of inflated, contradictory, hypocritical, cynical, and ignorant thought concerning a fundamental moral center. Actually most of the recent buzz in America concerning values is part of an immense propaganda campaign that panders to susceptible groups by constructing a specious and sinister social reality geared to manipulate behavior. The author makes a stab at detailing some of these contradictions, but does not really address the pairing of ignorance and propaganda that makes the continuation on the current course almost inevitable.

The author looks at the areas of family, sex, media, crime, work, poverty, and patriotism with considerable overlap to locate moral discontinuities and concerns. The biggest disconnect in American thinking in these areas is the notion that morality can survive the zealous drive to turn all areas of life into profit-making centers. The laissez-faire, free-market capitalism that is the current rage absolutely has no conscience, crushing social bonds and moral considerations in its path. Extremist individualism scarcely acknowledges social connections, morality, or values. The author is unwilling to really confront the American version of corporate capitalism other than to mildly chide it.

The following examples of the author serve to show the power of profits to overwhelm a culture, while simultaneously hiding their true impact. Cultural conservatives bemoan the prevalence of sex in the media but prefer to blame cultural elitists (liberals), while failing to see the immense profits of huge media companies. To not be working or to be impoverished is viewed by conservatives as an absence of personal character - again a complete failure to understand power dynamics of capitalism, where the welfare of individuals, families, and communities is irrelevant. There are no concerns for family values. Patriotism was once a shared value for all citizens, now it has become profits for the wealthy and duty and loss of life for the average citizen. Except for a very few high profile cases, corporate crime goes largely unpunished, while petty street criminals and drug users get prison sentences. Any concerns with this disparity are quickly labeled as coddling of criminals.

The author, like so many recent commentators, seems to think that pointing out these contradictions in a book will gain some traction with the public. But if Americans were inclined to analyze the cynical use of values and personal responsibility that is a part of the examples above, the US would not now be in its current state. Corporate capitalism now so permeates our entire society that it is ridiculous to suggest that a little information infused into this hegemonic situation will reverse our course. The wealthy, the wannabes, and all of those who have been so propagandized as to totally believe that liberals are destroying their way of life seemed to have formed a significant majority that is unlikely to diminish in the near future. The author's suggestion that liberals be more receptive to the American Dream, or the supposed opportunity to become rich, simply reaffirms the values of the selfish society.

There has been quite a spate of books in the last few years that purport to discuss American values and then suggest that liberals must adopt or recapture the meaning of conservative rhetoric. How this is supposed to happen, no one addresses. Just how is it that the media, educational institutions, and churches will be transformed from being propagandists for corporations into purveyors of knowledge and information for the benefit of all people. They just ignore that huge hurdle. There seems to be the belief that there are substantial numbers of untainted people just waiting to reject the current direction of society. Well, what have they been waiting for? Read the book if you want a quick rehash of the values clash - that's about it.

"A liberal with a new emphasis on old values.".......2006-09-18

The author addresses a difficult theme, couched as it is in the entrenched rhetoric of today's politics, Conservative, Democrat, right and left. Yet at the heart of this argument is a call to return to the traditional values that are inclusive rather than exclusive. While the right champions a return to religion and family values, the left is mired in a definition that fails to bring them into the conversation. And at the heart of all is the free market, the cornerstone of personal liberty, the success of which depends upon the pursuit of self-interest. The question posed: are traditional values a match for unfettered capitalism?
Liberals have morphed into the ubiquitous "me generation" and social responsibility, although an intended consequence of the equation, is left languishing by the road in a rush of consumerism. The result is a proliferation of Care-Not's (as opposed to Cares), the Cares unable to make themselves heard, suffering a pervasive moral anxiety that has no apparent remedy.

Repeatedly offering a narrow interpretation of the problem, Democrats struggle to articulate a moral solution. As middle class insecurity grows with international competition, technology and corporations siphoning off the future, the economy must be dire for people to respond to this threat. At the same time, purchasing items at incredibly low prices has become pervasive, even though these prices are the result of global economics. We come to the premise of the book: Democrats or a new Third party can submit a moral agenda to restore America's values and politics. To this end, the following chapters address family, sex, media, crime, work, poverty and patriotism, establishing "a workable balance between freedom and responsibility."

The dynamic of the culture wars, tradition vs. modernism, misses the point in the current debate, where the real culprit is the free market. Any change in this culture that confronts the pertinent issues must be synonymous with real values for Americans, those we readily embrace, rather than the pandering of extreme ideologies. In essence, the author is asking us to put aside our differences, responding to the current divisiveness with an appreciation for the spirit of change for the better good. Neither party comes off well, the Democrats inarticulate, stuck in past decades of grandeur, the Republicans riding a wave of popularity with the marriage of evangelical fervor and a free market unhindered by social responsibility. A fine idea and well put, but not likely to be heard by either party in the current climate. Luan Gaines/ 2006.

Romanoff-Prince of Rogues: The Life and Times of a Hollywood Icon

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Romanoff-Prince of Rogues: The Life and Times of a Hollywood Icon
Jane Pejsa
Manufacturer: Kenwood Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

Take an incorrigible child out of Russian Lithuania, ship him on an orphan train to heartland America, watch him evolve into New York's favorite enfant terrible and finally emerge as Prince Michael Romanoff, restaurateur and confidant to Hollywood's greatest stars, among them Marilyn Monroe, Peter Lawford, Humphrey Bogart, Mia Farrow and Frank Sinatra.

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Hollywood Rogues
Michael Munn
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0312069952

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Hollywood Rogues
Michael Munn
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTDPL8

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Hollywood Rogues
Micharl Munn
Manufacturer: St Martins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O6AT0Q

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