The Fascinating Women of the Rothschild Family

 

Starting in extreme poverty, the family became one of the wealthiest in the world. The Rothschilds are often thought of in terms of the men of the dynasty who played major roles in finance and politics. Although not as well know, the women besides being talented hostesses, were active in politics and the arts working for social reform, being astute diplomats, and even advising prime ministers.

I found it fascinating to follow the rise of the family from the Judengrasse outside Frankfort where Jews were confined to the heights of power and society in Britain. This book concentrates on the family of Nathan, one of the five original brothers, who settled in Britain. It was particularly interesting to see how the status of women changed from the days in the ghetto where Gutie, the founding mother, was cut out of her husbands will and thrown on to the generosity of her five sons, to the status of women moving higher and higher as the family rose to prominence.

The book is very long, but I found it easy to read for the most part. There are some sections that drag, but they didn’t ruin the book for me. The scholarship is outstanding. If you’re a history enthusiast, this book is perfect for you. However, it can also be enjoyed as the story of a family of remarkable women.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

Another Gorgeous Kirby Rosanes Coloring Book

 

Every time a new Kirby Rosanes coloring book comes out I think it’s better than the last. I love the intricate imaginative pictures. Each one is a challenge to color. In this edition, the work of several colorists is showcased. The full color pictures are beautiful, but even better is the critique that accompanies each one. I learned a lot by reading them.

The book is solidly constructed with heavy pages so the colors won’t bleed through. I highly recommend this book if you’re a fan of Kirby Rosanes.I think the fantasy pictures are some of his best. If you’re interested in getting started as a colorist, this is a terrific book to pick up.

I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review.

Good Advice in a Short Book

 

Napoleon Hill is best know for his book Think and Grow Rich. This book is a collection of short essays written in the 1930s. Although some of the material is dated, it is still easy to read and offers good advice.

I think the best essays in this collection give advice on finding a fulfilling career. However, the one that I found most relevant dealt with adversity. Most of us of had plenty of adversity in the last few years. His essay helps to put things in perspective and gain some insight into the benefits of adversity.

This is a short book. I takes very little time to read, but the ideas will stick with you, and you can come back to it when times are difficult.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

A Complicated Man of Many Talents

 

Peter Beard was larger than life from his exceptional talent as a photographer, to his love of Africa, and beautiful women. He visited Kenya as a young man and fell in love with Africa, perhaps his most enduring love affair. He married three times, but he couldn’t resist taking many lovers. He was the life of the party, but could never seem to pay his bills and often touched his friends to pick up meals and hotel bills.

There was also a dark side. He took drugs and drank to excess. He may have had an undiagnosed mental illness for many years. However, in his later years it manifested as depression and eventually dementia. His death was almost as iconic as his life, wandering off from his home in Hamptons to die in a forest and not be discovered for days.

The author was the perfect person to write this biography being a friend to Beard for many years. He tells all the amusing and dangerous stories, but he also manages to make Beard come to life as a complex individual. I enjoyed this book. If’s fun to read because of the famous people and incidents, but it also leaves you thinking about the man and how he lived an exceptional life.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

An Immigrant German Family Rose to the Top in Twentieth Century America

 

Lazarus Morganthau arrived penniless in America in 1866 dreaming of remaking the fortune he had left behind in Germany. Although Lazarus died penniless, his descendants rose to the top of American finance and politics. This family history focuses on the most successful Morganthaus: Henry, Henry, Jr., and Robert.

Henry Sr. made money in Manhattan real estate guessing correctly that the value of property near subway stops would skyrocket. He was a strong supporter of Woodrow Wilson and was rewarded for his generous contributions to the campaign with the post of Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. Henry wanted to be Treasury Secretary, but the post of Ambassador gave him an international reputation when he drew attention to the Armenian massacre.

Henry Jr. met FDR when both were gentleman farmers in upstate New York. The friendship was a strong one and led to Henry becoming one of FDRs most trusted advisers during WWII when he was made Secretary of the Treasury.

Robert was a supporter of the Kennedy’s. Robert Kennedy’s death foreclosed Roberts national political ambitions, but he became New York’s longest serving DA instituting high profile investigations of the Mafia.

This is an excellent, well-researched book about an important American family. Although I had heard about the Morganthaus I was unfamiliar with the family history. It was interesting to see the rise of the family in the twentieth century giving a view of the history of that turbulent period. I highly recommend this book.

I received this book from Random House for this review.

FDR and Harry Stimson During WWII

If nothing else, FDR was a very clever politician who knew how to manipulate circumstances to get what he wanted. In the lead up to the US entering WWII many in the country were isolationists. Roosevelt believed that it was necessary to enter the war in Europe, but he knew the fight would be much more difficult if the country remained divided.

Cleverly, Roosevelt used his cabinet appointments to signal bipartisanship. One of the most successful appointments was Harry Stimson as Secretary of War. Stimson worked tirelessly to further the unity of America to prepare for and conduct the war. I found the use of Stimson’s diary in this book very interesting. It gave an intimate perspective of someone close to Roosevelt and at the center of power.

On the positive side, this book is well written and very well researched. I’ve read a lot of WWII history, but this book added additional nuances. I highly recommend the book up until the end of the Epilogue. Here the author airs his own opinions about the current state of the country. I believe that he would like to see more bipartisanship in the government, but I think his point would have been made better without trying to tie the current political situation to FDRs handling of bipartisanship prior to and during WWII.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.