Rendezvous Reader Review

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(More customer reviews)A good book to keep by the bed to help you fall asleep with images of a time that is gone forever.
Not to be confused with a history book written by any one person, A Rendezvous reader is a collection of selections from journal entries, newspaper articles and books, most only a page or two long, that show the culture and folklore of the mountain men and the beautifully wild world in which they lived. It describes everything from trapping techniques, encounters with grizzlies, descriptions of giant heards of buffalo, bloody fights with blackfeet, common and uncommon sources of food, surgery on the trail, beggers, weapons, river crossings, whisky, everything you might ever want to know about rendevous, why many were motivated to let out for the mountains in the first place and so much more.
The selections in this book offer the sights and sounds, smells and tastes of yonder mountains which makes worthwhile reading.

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The early plans for Mount Rushmore called for blasting heroic likenesses of mountain men--Kit Carson, Jim Bridger, and John Colter-—into the solid mountain granite of South Dakota. Readers of this colorful volume will see the heroics and the brutally rugged individualism that made these fur trappers candidates for legend and infamy. The accounts of the mountain men are spun from the experiences of a nation moving westward: a trapper returns from the dead; hunters feast on buffalo intestines served on a dirty blanket; a missionary woman is astounded by the violence and vulgarity of the trappers' rendezvous. These are just a few of the narratives, tall tales, and just plain lies that make up A Rendezvous Reader. The writers represented in this book include a dyed-in-the wool trappers, adventuring European nobles, upward-gazing eastern missionaries, and just plain hacks who never unsheathed a Green River knife or traveled farther west that the Ohio River. What these writers have in common is that all of them, whether they dealt mostly in fact of entirely in fantasy, helped to create a uniquely American icon: the mountain man. Though A Rendezvous Reader will certainly be of interest to the historian and the historically curious, the true purpose of this anthology is to bring together in one volume the liveliest most readable accounts by and about the mountain men. Whether you sample or devour this anthology of mountain horrors and delights, it is a book guaranteed to entertain as well as inform.

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The Infidel: A Novel Based on the Life of John Newton Review

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(More customer reviews)The Infidel is a sometimes dark but powerfully moving story of one man's struggle to understand and accept God's faithfulness and divine grace. Mr. Musser crafts a vivid and compelling account of the life of John Newton, a British sea captain and the author of the beloved hymn "Amazing Grace." From Newton's lonely childhood through his tumultuous teenage and adult years aboard various military and slave ships, Mr. Musser expertly crafts this adventure. The story tracks Newton's life through his physical and spiritual journey filled with riches and rags, love and loss, hope and sorrow, debauchery and redemption. I thoroughly enjoyed The Infidel and highly recommend this book for its entertainment value, historical perspective and its ultimate message of redemption through God's truly amazing grace.

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A faithless wretch of a man in a vile and violent profession, John Newton stood as the infidel, a life lived in opposition to the gospel.Blinded by ambition, he was lost in a sea of greed, money, and power. But this slave ship captain would have an encounter with a grace so amazing that not only would it change him; it would also bless the world with his writing one of the most endearing and enduring hymns of the Christian faith.

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A Life Wild and Perilous: Mountain Men and the Paths to the Pacific Review

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(More customer reviews)In the years between 1804 and 1847, Americans explored the Louisiana Purchase, the Rocky Mountains, took California from Mexico, and colonized Oregon. And the explorers and trappers called mountain men were instrumental in all those events.
Utley starts his account with George Drouillard and the legendary John Colter, both members of the Lewis and Clark expedition, and concludes his main story with Kit Carson's actions in the Mexican-American War. However, this book is not a collection of biographies. Utley does provide sketches for some mountain man, the events they are most famous for, and, sometimes, details of their deaths. He does not provide any real details about their gear or trapping and fighting methods. Utley concerns himself with a broader theme: how the travels of mountain men filled in the maps of the west, expunged certain geographical fantasies from the public mind, and drew people west.
Some of the mountain men here are famous. Besides Colter, we meet Jim Bridger, trapper, Army scout, guide, and establisher of the famous trading post named after him. We also, briefly, meet Hugh Glass who once swore to kill Bridger after he and another trapper left Glass for dead after Glass was mauled by a grizzly. Kit Carson's adventures with John Fremont are discussed.
But Utley also covers less well-known, but important, mountain men. The greatest explorer of all, Jedediah Smith, trapped beaver mainly as a means to subsidize his extensive wanderings. Atypically literate for a mountain man, he kept extensive journals and maps -- most of which vanished after his death. Utley considers another trapper, Joe Walker, the most accomplished of all in the mountain man craft and, as an explorer, second only to Smith. Others had less august reputations. Edward Rose, a trapper who lived for many years with the Crow, was frequently sought as an interpreter but never really trusted. Too often negotiations he was involved with broke down, and he was suspected of mischief for private ends. Old Bill Williams was known as an eccentric mountain man. Jessie Fremont, John's wife, even accused him of cannibalism.
In their quest for beaver pelts, before changing fashion, overtrapping, and substitution of nutria made trapping untenable, the mountain men not only added to geographical knowledge but served as agents, intentionally and unintentionally, for American expansion to the Pacific. They traveled to Spanish California and helped bring it into the Union by their settlements there and their actions in the Mexican-American War. But California was not the only Pacific territory whose national ownership was disputed. American mountain men, and this book is concerned with American citizens or those mountaineers who served American interests, competed with the English Hudson Bay Company in the Columbia River basin. Their knowledge inspired and guided missionaries and, later, settlers into what became the Oregon Territory. British interests there were supplanted, and some mountain men, like Joe Meek and Doc Newell, became important political figures in Oregon's early history.
Besides the broad story of mountaineers as the vanguard of American expansion west, there are other things of interest here. Taos, New Mexico and its importance to fur trading is covered. Utley talks about the little known 1823 punitive expedition against the Arikara. Writer Washington Irving shows up as an important source for this period of history.
Though it is not a main point of the book, Utley does talk some about relations between the mountain men and Indians. The attitudes ranged from racism to toleration to admiration. Some tribes, like the Blackfeet, were constant foes of the mountain men. Others, like the Shoshone and the Nez Perce (at least during the time of this history), were almost always friendly.
Utley uses his last chapter to wrap up the loose ends of some of his subjects' lives and the ultimate nature of their contributions to American development. Cartographer Peter Dana has the final say with an interesting chapter on how the book's extensive topographical maps, detailing the travels of various mountain men and the fur trade in general, were prepared from satellite photos.
Utley organizes the book along geographical lines and accounts of how particular routes of travel were developed. This leads to some confusion since he jumps back and forth in time. However, Utley's clear style and a well-done index help keep things straight. The footnotes are not only extensive but full of useful information.

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The Wanderer: The Last American Slave Ship and the Conspiracy That Set Its Sails Review

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(More customer reviews)Though it is obvious to us that slavery is unfair and immoral, it was, of course, not obvious to those who had practiced it as a tradition. Changing away from slavery in America was not done all at once, but involved various steps away from the practice. One of these steps was that in 1820 the federal government made illegal the importation of slaves from Africa. Slavery continued, but only from the stock already present (and exports of slaves continued to other places, notably to Cuba). But why should Southern slave owners pay any attention to federal rules? Indeed, as animosity towards the North grew, the prospect of flouting the law had attractions of rebellion as well as financial gain. There were successful but illegal imports, and the last one known was in 1858, on the ship the _Wanderer_. It is an almost forgotten episode, but Erik Calonius, a journalist, has brought back its history in _The Wanderer: The Last American Slave Ship and the Conspiracy that Set Its Sails_ (St. Martin's Press). It is an important story, and Calonius has told it vividly, casting light on the slave economy, relations with Britain, and the personalities of the radicals that took the South into war.
As the South's economy flagged, some were eager to improve it by resuming the importation of slaves from Africa. Many were "fire-eaters", the name for extremists who not only hated Yankee domination, but fired by horrific images of the anarchy and rape that would inevitably occur after emancipation of slaves, urged that the South boost its pride and maintain its customs, at least partially by celebrating its traditions of slavery. One of their number was Charles Lamar, a wealthy and well-connected Savannah businessman who openly declared his defiance of the Constitution and his intention to import slaves. His unsuccessful attempts to do so led him to become a partner with William C. Corrie, a like-minded South Carolinian, who arranged to buy the _Wanderer_, a swift 114 foot pleasure boat, and thereby gain entry into the prestigious New York Yacht Club. It was covertly fitted to hold hundreds of slaves and taken to Africa, where the captain entertained the officers of British Navy ships which were supposed to be keeping the slave trade down, before taking on his cargo and evading them. Aboard were 487 slaves, packed with the heartless minimum of space allotted to each. Eighty of the slaves died, and the rest made it to Jekyll Island, Georgia, for further profitable dispersion.
Charles Lamar was used to getting his way by whatever means. He predicted that he could bring the slaves in and suffer no legal consequences, and he was right. Not only were local officials sympathetic to his cause, Lamar used kidnapping, tampering with evidence, and intimidation of witnesses so that neither he nor anyone else in the case was found guilty of the importation. Lamar thought the success of the endeavor was a blow against the union, and he and his fellow fire-eaters were delighted at the prospect of Lincoln being elected president. Lamar said, "We shall have disunion, certain, if Lincoln is elected. I hope Lincoln is elected - I _want dissolution_ - and have, I think, contributed more than any man South for it." Indeed, he and his fellow fire-eaters became pamphleteers and crusaders to the many Southern farmers and merchants who were not slave-holders and who supported the Union. They brandished the scary image of freed slaves plundering the South, and so, shortly after the _Wanderer_'s successful voyage, secession had far more popular support. Calonius cites this as an example of radicals overwhelming the will of a weak, unfocused majority, while restraining himself from drawing contemporary examples. But having brought on the conflagration, the fire-eaters faded; none ascended to power in the Confederacy or in the reconstructed South. This is a troubling episode of American history, no less so for the revelations of how both North and South supported the slave trade in different ways. The lost history of the _Wanderer_ is recalled with exciting storytelling here, with all its implications for North and South and the war this particular slaving voyage helped to start.


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Out of Slavery: The Journey to Amazing Grace Review

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(More customer reviews)Deftly written by Linda Granfield, "Out of Slavery: The Journey to Amazing Grace" is the true story of John Newton, former slave trader and ship's captain who found redemption during a storm in 1748, when his slave ship, the Greyhound, was threatened with destruction. John Newton prayed for salvation and he promised that if spared, he would renounce the lucrative business of slave trade forever. When his prayers were answered he went on to fight slavery, becoming an Abolitionist, and finally, he wrote the beautiful song, "Amazing Grace." "Out of Slavery" is a meticulously researched nonfiction account of an amazing man's experiences during a time of great change and social upheaval. It is tastefully illustrated by the paintings Janet Wilson in full color depicting some of the historical events described. One of the most moving parts of the book comes at the end in quoting his epitaph: "John Newton, Clerk,/ Once an infidel and libertine,/ A servant of slaves in Africa,? Was by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour/ Jesus Christ,/ Preserved, restored, pardoned,/ And appointed to preach the faith he/ Had long laboured to destroy..." "Out of Slavery" is recommended for all ages above 6.

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Wide Ruins: Memories from a Navajo Trading Post Review

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(More customer reviews)"Wide Ruins" is a wonderful reading experience on an interesting topic. Sallie Wagner weaves a personal tale of her experiences as the trader at Wide Ruins, Arizona, in the 1940's. Her story progresses quickly and she seems to provide enough detail of her experiences without lingering too long on any one topic. She vividly describes the role of the trading post and of the traders. The trading post was a general store, a pawn shop, and a safety deposit box. The traders were resourceful businessmen who could conduct business without any actual money trading hands. They were esteemed residents who helped the Navajo people survive a difficult time in America's history.
This memoir is a significant piece of literature because it was written by one who actually lived in a world that few non-Navajos ever get to see. She decribes the Navajo people and the Navajo culture in a way that makes their time and place real. It is not an academic study by a distant scholar of the culture. It is a personal account of a world that no longer exists, and as such, it is a treasure. I would also recommend "Navajo Trader" by Cladwell Richardson in addition to "Wide Ruins".

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Newlyweds Sallie Wagner and Bill Lippincott came to the Navajo Reservation in 1938. Before they knew it, they owned a trading post at Wide Ruins, Arizona. The years they spent there were the best of their lives, and this lively, honest memoir recalls them in detail. Trading post life combined business with the kinds of experiences generally associated with anthropological field work. Like many traders, Sallie Wagner influenced the weavers whose rugs she purchased. She was one of the traders who persuaded weavers to use vegetal dyes, leaving a permanent legacy in Navajo weaving. Tourists discovered Indian reservations in the 1930s, and the Lippincotts were visited often by friends and strangers alike, many unable to navigate reservation roads.
"This story is a must read for those interested in the Navajo people in the early days. Sallie Wagner has managed to catch and retain the essence of what it meant to be white in a Navajo world that was unbelievably different."--Edward T. Hall

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Wall Street Lingo: Thousands of Investment Terms Explained Simply Review

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(More customer reviews)I found the title of this book deceiving in the best way possible. Wall Street Lingo is more a guided tour of Wall Street and its inner workings than a simple glossary of investment terms and lingo. Any novice to intermediate investor will benefit from Peterson's backstage pass to one of the world's most lucrative investment forums.
Peterson keeps an otherwise dry and heavy read manageable with her extremely user-friendly format; on top of dividing the over 1000 defined investment terms into logical chapters, a full index at the back of the book makes for quick referencing. At first glance, the sheer number of topics covered seems intimidating to the financially untrained eye. However, the step-by-step approach demystifies every aspect of investment, from the basics of exchange operations to interpreting financial statements to paying the tax man. Charts, tables and explanations of key strategies interspersed throughout the definitions in each chapter help to drive home important points. Those in need of extra investment help will find plenty of additional resources tucked into the back of the book, with lists of acronym definitions, investor resources and relevant publications.
Wall Street Lingo delivered all that it promised and more. The up to date instruction and information is sure to benefit any potential or practicing investor wise enough to develop their investment knowledge before hitting the market. The way the information is presented is the icing on the cake, as even a beginner can navigate the guide and come out confident in their financial prowess in the end.


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Finally, a finance dictionary compiled with the individual investor in mind. Wall Street Lingo does more than define the terms your stockbroker, the Wall Street Journal and CNBC pitch at you, it explains them in a way that traditional dictionaries can not. Where other dictionaries start at A and end at Z, Wall Street Lingo is organized in chapters, by subject. It begins where you begin with a topic that has piqued your curiosity and ends only when your curiosity has been satisfied. Have you ever wondered about the difference between CPI and PPI? In other dictionaries, you ll find the definitions 200 pages apart. Wall Street Lingo brings them together in the chapter Economics for Investors. EBITDA. Gross Profit. Net Profit. Shareholders Equity. You could waste precious time searching for explanations to help you analyze a company s financial condition. Or you can open Wall Street Lingo to the chapter Decoding Financial Statements. If you think technical analysis is only for the pros, flip to the chapter Technically Speaking for dozens of plain English translation to stock chart terms like Bollinger bands, MACD, Elliott wave theory and Bearish Divergence. It might change your mind. Whether you re an experienced investor or are exploring the market for the first time, you ll appreciate the easy-reading style and unique structure of this innovative investment tool. - Over 1,000 terms individual investors need to know and understand for profitable investing - Definitions organized by topic - Fully indexed and cross-referenced - Exhaustive list of commonly used acronyms - Helpful resources, complete with websites Wall Street Lingo is an essential reference that translates the jargon used on Wall Street into direct, easy to understand, Main Street language and organizes it the way you use it.

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