Mailbox Monday #88

I have been really collecting books over the last few weeks - mostly not for pleasure reading or reviewing but more for my Research Methods class.  But they are still pertinent for this blog as I am working on a research project on First Ladies and Politics - prior to the Civil War.  So I have made several trips to the library and have been buying from Ebay and Amazon when I can't get them through the library.  Some of these will turn into reviews here.  So here is what I have hauled in the past few weeks:

• Sarah Childress Polk by John Reed Bumgarner - biography of the wife of the 11th President - will be reviewed - purchased
• Parlor Politics: In Which the Ladies of Washington Help Build a City and Government by Catherine Allgor - will be reviewed - purchased
• The Presidential Companion: Readings on the First Ladies edited by Robert P. Watson - possibly reviewed - purchased
• The President's Partner: The First Lady in the Twentieth Century by Myra G Gutin - probably not reviewed - purchased before I decided I wanted to focus on pre-Civil War but will still probably use it as reference
• First Ladies: Political Role and Public Image by Edith P. Mayo - this was a catalog for a Smithsonian show and I was super excited to find a copy of it - won't review it but awesome reference - purchased
• First Ladies by Betty Boyd Caroli - won't review - borrowed from library
• The Presidents' Wives: Reassessing the Office of First Lady by Robert P. Watson - won't review - borrowed from the library but may try an purchase online.  This is a great reference book and probably my top source for my research.
• Rating the First Ladies: The Women Who Influenced the Presidency by John B Roberts II - won't review but am using it for my Rate the First Ladies posts - borrowed from library
• America's First Ladies: Private Lives of the Presidential Wives by Diana Dixon Healy - honestly haven't looked at it yet, probably won't review - borrowed from library
• American First Ladies: Their Lives and Their Legacy edited by Lewis L. Gould - haven't looked at this one yet either, probably won't review - borrowed from library

Hope you all received some interesting things in your mailboxes!

Mailbox Monday is on a monthly blog tour and for the month of November will be hosted at the Mailbox Monday Blog!

Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Suddenly Sunday - A Bit of Everything

Happy Sunday everyone.  For those of you dealing with Daylight Savings Time today - I hope you picked up an hour of sleep.  I didn't, my body still knows what time it is.

This last week has certainly been an interesting one for me.  I had no work on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday due to the weird/massive October snowstorm and widespread power outages.  We never lost power during it but many of my friends are still without power more than a week later.  You would think only 2 days of work would be great - but somehow the short weeks always end up being even crazier.  I had a job interview the day I went back (for a new position within where I work) and we might know the outcome of that by the end of this week.  Then Friday night my boyfriend and I went out with some friends and I went to my first hockey game - our local AHL team.  It was fun, but we lost.  And now today is all about cleaning/grocery shopping/homework ugh.

Anyhow - to run down what was posted on the blog this week (this was sort of an Abraham Lincoln week):

• Review of Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard (I was surprised how much I enjoyed this one)
• A Virtual Visit/Trip Planner to Ford's Theatre
• Ranking Lincoln against other Presidents

Coming up this week we have some more US Presidents and First Ladies - John Adams/Abigail Adams and Dolley Madison.

And finally I have the winner selected for The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent.  And the winner is: Jessica Flinders! Congratulations!  I will be sending an email out for your mailing information.  Thanks to everyone who entered!

Hope you all have a great Sunday!

Suddenly Sunday is hosted by Svea at The Muse in the Fog Book Review.

Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Ranking Lincoln

Ranking the President’s of the United States can be a very complex endeavor – however the Siena Research Institute does it every few years or so. Their most recent results came out in 2010. They typically survey a large number of historians and politicos and ask them to rate the presidents on 20 different categories on a scale of 1 to 5. They then weigh these categories to come up with the overall result and compare.

Lincoln tends to fall near the top every time a survey is given – for 2010 he is overall ranked #3, but let’s take a look at where he fell in each category:

Background (family, education, experience): 28th
Party Leadership: 6th
Communication Ability (speaking, writing): 2nd
Relationship with Congress: 6th
Court Appointments: 4th
Handling of US Economy: 5th
Luck: 13th
Ability to Compromise: 1st
Willing to Take Risks: 2nd
Executive Appointments: 2nd
Overall Ability: 1st
Imagination: 2nd
Domestic Accomplishments: 1st
Integrity: 1st
Executive Ability: 1st
Foreign Policy Accomplishments: 5th
Leadership Ability: 2nd
Intelligence: 3rd
Avoid Crucial Mistakes: 2nd
Your Present Overall View: 1st

Overall Ranking: 3rd

In my opinion – I think he probably should have been further down in the luck category – assassination doesn’t sound too lucky. The background category also seems a little harsh too. I think that ability to compromise, communication ability, and domestic accomplishments are spot on.

What do you think of these rankings – agree/disagree?


Data obtained from the 2010 Siena Research Institute's 5th Presidential Expert Poll. 2010.



Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Take a Visit to Ford's Theatre

If you are looking for the Abraham Lincoln experience you cannot miss making a stop at Ford’s Theatre, the fateful place where Lincoln would be assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. I remember going to Ford’s as an 8th grade student, but I think I would enjoy it much more as an adult (all I really remember was the gum tree outside!). Here are some of the things you can do at and around Ford’s Theatre.

Rent a headset and take an audio guided tour of Ford’s Theatre. Available in both youth and adult versions. Click here for audio samples.

Take a self-guided tour of the Ford’s Theatre Museum where you can explore Lincoln’s election, presidency, assassination and legacy. See such artifacts as the gun used by Booth on display.

Listen to a talk by a National Park Ranger inside Ford’s Theatre.

During the spring and summer watch a one act play, One Destiny. This is a play with two actors representing Henry Hawk (the actor on stage during the assassination) and Harry Ford (the proprietor of Ford’s). It’s a 35 minute play focusing on what happened on the night of April 14, 1865. You can check out dates/times and reserve tickets here.

As Ford’s is still an operating theatre, consider staying to watch an evening production. Experience what it is like to sit in the historic theatre and see a great production. Shows for 2011-2012 season include: Parade, A Christmas Carol, Necessary Sacrifices (about the Lincoln/Douglas Debates), and 1776.

Included in your ticket to tour Ford’s Theatre is admission to the Petersen House – the boarding house across the street from the Theatre when Lincoln was taken to spend his last hours. Here you can learn about Lincoln’s last hours and those that attended him.

Opening in February 2012 you can visit the brand new Center for Education and Leadership (also included in your admission to Ford’s). Here you can explore, among other things, the hunt for Booth following the assassination.

And finally, if you are interested in taking a walking tour of the area you can try Investigation: Detective McDevitt – which gives you a look at the Assassination Conspiracy. This is about a 2 hour tour that covers about 1.5 miles spanning from Ford’s to the White House.

Or if you are looking for a private tour you can try A Free Black Woman: Elizabeth Keckley – a confidante to Mrs. Lincoln. Explore Lincoln’s impact on history and learn social details of the time. This is approximately a 90 minute tour covering 1.5 miles.

Both tours are hosted by costumed actors.

And, if you can’t get to D.C. – check out this virtual tour of Ford’s Theatre.

I hope if you get the chance to go to D.C. and are a Lincoln fan you will check out some of these great historical activities that Ford’s has to offer. I know if I get there I want to take one of the walking tours! If you have been to any of these places I would love to hear about it!





Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Audiobook Review: Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard

Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever

by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard

Unabridged, 7 hr. 49 min.

Macmillan Audio

Bill O’Reilly (Narrator)

September 27, 2011

★★★★☆

Genre: Non-Fiction, President

Source: Received for review from publisher as part of Audiobook Jukebox Solid Gold Reviewer Program

"The anchor of The O'Reilly Factor recounts one of the most dramatic stories in American history—how one gunshot changed the country forever. In the spring of 1865, the bloody saga of America's Civil War finally comes to an end after a series of increasingly harrowing battles. President Abraham Lincoln's generous terms for Robert E. Lee's surrender are devised to fulfill Lincoln's dream of healing a divided nation, with the former Confederates allowed to reintegrate into American society. But one man and his band of murderous accomplices, perhaps reaching into the highest ranks of the U.S. government, are not appeased. 

In the midst of the patriotic celebrations in Washington D.C., John Wilkes Booth—charismatic ladies' man and impenitent racist—murders Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre. A furious manhunt ensues and Booth immediately becomes the country's most wanted fugitive. Lafayette C. Baker, a smart but shifty New York detective and former Union spy, unravels the string of clues leading to Booth, while federal forces track his accomplices. The thrilling chase ends in a fiery shootout and a series of court-ordered executions—including that of the first woman ever executed by the U.S. government, Mary Surratt. Featuring some of history's most remarkable figures, vivid detail, and page-turning action, Killing Lincoln is history that reads like a thriller.”

I have never been a person who enjoyed reading about the Civil War or really imagined reading a book about Lincoln, however when I saw this audiobook I figured that I would take a chance on it. I didn’t know what to expect going into reading it – it is co-authored by Bill O’Reilly and I know that he is known for his impassioned political commentary and I’m not typically his biggest fan. I was quite surprised by how well written this book was and even more so by how much I enjoyed it.

The book, although a work of non-fiction, reads like a thriller (a style of writing that I do enjoy). While sticking to the facts of what happened in the 14 days prior to Lincoln’s assassination and the roundup of the suspects afterward the narrative style sucks you in. There is not a moment where it feels like you are reading a stuffy, dry history text. This would be a great book for someone who doesn’t read history because of the tendency to be tedious. I really didn’t want to put the book down.

All of the well known historical characters come to vivid life in the pages of this book. They become real – not just historical caricatures of good and bad. Through the writing you “get” why John Wilkes Booth did what he did, you feel the resignation of Lincoln that he will at some point be assassinated, and you get the general frenzy of Unionists and Confederates as the great Civil War draws to a close. Booth and Lincoln are given fair treatments in this book. Contrary to my concerns, the political views of the author/narrator do not affect the text.

The only part that I thought was a little overdone was the portion of the book dedicated to the last few days of the Civil War and the movements of Generals Grant and Lee. This constituted approximately ¼ of the book and I felt like it took away from the “killing Lincoln” feel. I understand that it was used to set up what was to come, but maybe a little less would have ultimately been more. It still kept me riveted though.

Overall, I would absolutely recommend this book. If you are unfamiliar with the time period and want something to whet your appetite this would be the book. From that point you can delve into deeper, heavier fare.

★★★★½☆

The book is narrated by the author, Bill O’Reilly, who I thought was an excellent choice for narrator. His tone of voice lent to the feel of the thriller as well as to a news commentary of the days. It sort of felt like you were hearing an account of what happened. He had great pacing and enunciation which really contributed to the overall feel.

You can check out this audio sample below to get a taste of the narration:

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Seaside Book Corner
• Sarah’s Book Shelves

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard:

Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot
[My Review]

Killing Jesus

Killing Patton: The Strange Death of World War II’s Most Audacious General

Killing Reagan: The Violent Assault that Changed a Presidency

Killing the Rising Sun: How America Vanquished World War II Japan

Find Bill O’Reilly: Website

 
Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Suddenly Sunday - Snow in October

Good Morning everyone!  Man this has been quite the weekend.  The snow has FINALLY stopped falling and we were hit good!  At least 6 1/2 inches in our town but parts of the state got over a foot!

Somehow we are also one of the few places in town that still has power too - about 80% of the town is without power since sometime early last night.  Trees and branches are down everywhere.  We shattered snow records for October with this storm - I think the previous snow fall measure was just around an inch in 1979 or so.  Hopefully with tomorrow supposed to be in the 50's (!) it will all melt fast.

You would think with all this free time I would have accomplished a lot - but really I didn't accomplish ANYTHING!  I had all of the grandiose plans of reading/catching up on reviews/researching for my class and none of those things happen.  I really have no idea what I actually did for 12 hours yesterday.  But oh well - these things happen sometimes.  So here's to getting some stuff done today.


Happy Halloween!

Suddenly Sunday is hosted by Svea at The Muse in the Fog Book Reviews



Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Going to See Philippa Gregory - Not!

Well this morning is quite depressing.  I'm not going to see Philippa Gregory today after all because the massive snowstorm headed right toward me doesn't understand it needs to hold off until tomorrow so that I can go see her!  Sadly, the event has been cancelled.  Hopefully it will be rescheduled and I will still be able to go.  I didn't really want to drive in the snow, but I did want to see my mom and go to the event.  Oh well - hunkering down here for the potential 8-12 inches of October snow!




Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Going to See Philippa Gregory

I am excited that I am going to go see Philippa Gregory this Saturday, October 29th!  When I heard that she was going to be doing a book tour, I figured that she would possibly come to Boston, seeing as she hits mostly big cities.  Boy was I ever surprised to see that she was coming to my favorite Indie book store in tiny Madison, CT - R.J. Julia.  This is the book store I have always went to for my author events, and they have brought in big name people before, I was just super surprised.

So you can bet I jumped on that one!  Bought tickets for myself and my mom (totally dragging her along with me because quite honestly my boyfriend is tired of going to these things with me), ordered my book, and blocked off that day to spend with my mom.  It will be a girls day - lunch and then out for a literary event.  Very cool!

I will be sure to tell you all about it come Sunday.  If you live in the area and are interested in going head on over to the RJ Julia website to purchase you ticket ($10 for just a ticket, $32.99 for the book to get signed and the ticket).  If you ever have the chance, stop by RJ Julia for an event - they have one almost every day and really are a great little store!




Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Dolley Madison...At Work

FYI – I should point out that this is going to be a very eclectic post!

So, it’s no secret that I am a huge Dolley Madison fan – and that goes for at work too. Over the last couple weeks I have been talking with a few of my coworkers about her (mostly because I was just reading A Perfect Union by Catherine Allgor at that time). One of them mentioned Dolly Madison Bakery (conveniently spelled wrong I instantly pointed out) and this turned into an entirely ridiculous conversation about whether the First Lady was actually a baker or not, compete with a Photoshop-ed version of the formal portrait with Mrs. Madison holding one of her Zingers!

Well, I guess I’m too young to ever remember the height of Dolly Madison Bakery fame (it has since been merged with Hostess), but here are some of their commercials for your first time viewing pleasure or for a trip down memory road!

Zingers!

Pies!

One of my other coworkers sent me this recipe that I am going to share with you for Dolly Madison Cookies. I haven’t made these before, but let me know if you do how they are.

Ingredients:
1 pkg. graham crackers
1 stick butter
6 oz. Nestles chocolate chips
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1 can condensed milk

Directions:
1. Place graham crackers in blender to make crumbs.
2. Melt stick of butter and pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Press in graham cracker crumbs to make the crust.
3. Top with chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans.
4. Pour condensed milk over the entire dish.
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 350° F for 30 minutes. Cool and cut into squares. Makes approximately 2 dozen

From what I have just described you would wonder if we get any work done – the answer is somehow, mysteriously, YES! But we have a little fun too. Hope you enjoy!





Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Mailbox Monday #87

This week I received one book in my mailbox-

I received Poison: A Novel of the Renaissance from PaperbackSwap (using my last credit).  I have noticed that many people around the blogosphere have read the book and I have been dying to get it.  Now at least it will be on my book shelf when I get some time.

Did anything awesome arrive in your mailbox this week?




Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Giveaway! The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent

With Halloween fast approaching, I thought I would offer a giveaway for something Halloween related.  I am offering up my gently used copy of The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent.  Here is the blurb:

Martha Carrier was one of the first women to be accused, tried and hanged as a witch in Salem, Massachusetts. Like her mother, young Sarah Carrier is bright and willful, openly challenging the small, brutal world in which they live. Often at odds with one another, mother and daughter are forced to stand together against the escalating hysteria of the trials and the superstitious tyranny that led to the torture and imprisonment of more than 200 people accused of witchcraft. This is the story of Martha's courageous defiance and ultimate death, as told by the daughter who survived. 

Kathleen Kent is a tenth generation descendent of Martha Carrier. She paints a haunting portrait, not just of Puritan New England, but also of one family's deep and abiding love in the face of fear and persecution.

Here are some additional details for the giveaway:

• Only open to residents of the USA
• Last day to enter is November 4th
• Please fill out the form below to enter
• Good Luck!

Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Audiobook Review: The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell

The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell
Book 1 of The Saxon Stories series
Abridged, 5 hr. 30 min.

Harper Audio

Jamie Glover (Narrator)

January 31, 2005

★★★★☆

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: Downloaded audio from my local library

“’I had been given a perfect childhood, perfect, at least, to the ideas of a boy. I was raised among men, I was free, I ran wild, was encumbered by no laws, was troubled by no priests and was encouraged to violence.' Uhtred is an English boy, born into the aristocracy of 9th Century Northumbria, but orphaned at ten, adopted by a Dane and taught the Viking ways. Yet Uhtred's fate is indissolubly bound up with Alfred, King of Wessex, who rules over the last English kingdom when the Danes have overrun Northumbria, Mercia and East Anglia.”

I have read a standalone Cornwell book in the past and really enjoyed it but this was my first of his books within a series. The Last Kingdom is the first book in his currently ongoing Saxon Stories series. As the story is told from the first person perspective, we get right into the thick of things with Uhtred as he bounces back and forth between being a Dane and being a Saxon.

I enjoyed this start to the series because I haven’t really read anything about this period in history. There is a plethora of battles that we are privy to and with Uhtred changing sides so often we really get to see how both the Saxons and Danes looked at this endeavor. Usually I try to avoid books which are primarily focused on wars and battles, but I have come to love Cornwell’s interpretations and depictions. Cornwell also does a great job at helping the reader to understand a culture that they have probably not had any experience with before.

I did have some minor issues with the novel though – thus giving it my 4 stars. The main character, Uhtred, is the epitome of a flip-flopper. One minute he is a Saxon, then a Dane, and then a Saxon, etc and no one seems to call him on this. It made it hard for me to connect with him because I wasn’t sure who he was going to be from one minute to the next. I also wish that the women in his life were more developed. We hear mention of his wife, but we don’t really meet her. We hear about his implied care and concern for her, but don’t actually feel it. He also has a friend from childhood who we see a little bit and get the allusion that there might have been something between them, but that is where it stops. I would have just liked to have a little bit more details about them.

I am eager to read book two in the series because the ending was so very abrupt. I actually thought that my iPod had died but then realized that the story had actually ended. It didn’t feel like a cliff hanger or make you feel like it had ended – it just stopped.

★★★★☆

As always when I read a book set in a place or time that I am very unfamiliar with, I am very glad for audio versions because they pronounce the words for me and I learn something from it. Believe me, I would sit in my car and repeat some of the words over and over just to get the sound of it – I would love to be a fly on the wall sometimes! The narrator’s voice was very fitting to the novel and he would evoke emotions when necessary – such as yelling in a battle scene. The way he would read would suck you into the action – picking up speed when at the heart of an event and slowing down at necessary points too.


You can listen to a sample of the audiobook below:

You can also take a more in depth look at the book below:

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Royal Reviews
• The Nature of Things

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Bernard Cornwell:

The other books in this series include:

The Pale Horseman (Book 2)

Lords of the North (Book 3)

Sword Song (Book 4)

The Burning Land (Book 5)

Death of Kings (Book 6)

The Pagan Lord (Book 7)

The Empty Throne (Book 8)

Warriors of the Storm (Book 9)

The Flame Bearer (Book 10)

Other books by this author I have reviewed:

• Agincourt
  

Find Bernard Cornwell: Website | Facebook | Twitter

 
Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Movie Review: Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood

Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood

Douglas Fairbanks Pictures

127 mins.

October 18, 1922

Rated: PG

This was my first experience with a silent film and was very much what I expected.

This film stars Douglas Fairbanks as the titular character in a story that is quite familiar to movie fans. This treatment of Robin Hood takes us on Crusade with King Richard and back to Nottingham to rescue to poor from the evil machinations of Prince John as he plays “king”. The only unique plot line I saw was that Lord Huntingdon (the future Robin) was afraid of the attention of women – I always pictured him as a lady’s man and that is how he is typically portrayed.

One prominent feature of a silent movie is the descriptive text and dialogue that appears on the screen to help the viewer to know what is going on. This was one area that I was apprehensive about because when text is displayed on the screen in modern movies it is frequently in small print and not left up long enough to read all of it. Here, the text was of appropriate reading size and left up for just the right length of time. The acting was overly dramatic, but appropriate because without dialogue you need to be engaged to the character and entertained. The image of this Robin and Marian is what I have always thought of when I envisioned them in my head.

One aspect I wasn’t thrilled with was the musical score – it felt too synthesized to belong to the era of time being depicted or to the time the film was made. I’m not sure if this was the original score or if it was redone (as the film had been lost for years and the music is not integrated into the film). It really reminded me of a video game – how it repeats the same thread of music over and over as well as the synthesized nature of it (honesty I was reminded of the original Zelda game for the Nintendo).

Overall, if you are an old film fan, Robin Hood fan, or want to check out a silent film, this would be a great choice. A well produced film.

Check out this video clip from one of the fight scenes:

Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court