The Biography Shelf
I Feel Your Stare: An Autobiography
Cheryl Gillespie
Fingertip Books
9780995005624, $24.75, PB, 242pp
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-feel-your-stare-cheryl-gillespie/1141909= 611
Synopsis: The life story of a woman as told by herself, "I Feel Your Stare:=
An Autobiography" by Cheryl Gillespie is a living example of how with a po= sitive effort and a lot of hard work, life's most beneficial opportunities = can arise from life's most challenging hardships and physical disabilities.=
How when mastering our own lives we can be propelled into a constructive a=
nd successful existence with our selves and with others.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, blending insight and aspiration, "I F= eel Your Stare: An Autobiography" is an inspired and inspiring life story t= hat is at once intensely personal yet universal with respect to the human c= ondition in our time. With a very special appeal to readers with an interes=
t in exceptionally well told life stories with uplifting messages, "I Feel = Your Stare: An Autobiography" is especially and unreservedly recommended fo=
r personal reading lists and community library American Biography/Memoir co= llections. It should be noted that "I Feel Your Stare: An Autobiography" is=
also available in an ebook format (2940166731456, $10.95).
Editorial Note: A childhood diagnosis of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, wit=
h associated blindness, coupled with physical and societal barriers, has pr= oven only to strengthen the resolve of Cheryl Gillespie. Following graduati=
on from Fredericton High School, Cheryl advanced in her private studies thr= ough the Royal Conservatory of Music, attaining First Class Honours in pian=
o, theory and history. Today, well established in her teaching career, she = takes pride in the education of her students, highlighted by a two-time pro= vincial medal winner through Mount Allison's Local Centre Examinations Depa= rtment of Music. Through her active role within the Fredericton Music Teach= ers' Association, Cheryl has built invaluable, longstanding friendships wit=
h her colleagues. In 1993, Cheryl was the recipient of the Stanley B. Cassi=
dy Memorial Award, presented by the Fredericton Music Society, recognizing = her dedication to excellence and personal achievements. She is also the aut= hor of the children's book, "Tigger and Jasper's New Home."
Family Matters
Lance Lee
LWL Books
9798218025397, $34.99 Hardcover/$14.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Family-Matters-couldnt-dysfunctional-Americas/dp/B0B= 9QM992N
"Family Matters: Dreams I Couldn't Share - And How A Dysfunctional Family B= ecame America's Darling" covers several generations of Addams family dysfun= ction and ties from 1865 to 1971, surveying interlaced dreams, failures, an=
d transformations.
The vast stretch under examination allows for a focus that departs from the=
usual family memoir by considering the myths handed down between generatio=
ns and how these perceptions were not only transmitted, but broken. More so=
than most, Lance Lee pinpoints how myth and falsifications "found a perman= ent place in our collective psyche" and transmitted damage from past to fut= ure until its grasp was finally identified and the trajectory altered.
Many words of philosophical and psychological wisdom permeate this account:=
"Truth can't be taken for granted; it can be overexposed. It can require n= urturing. Yet at other times it can strike with the force of revelation and=
we realize it was always there, only waiting for the right time. But there=
aren't any guarantees about there being a right time, are there?"
The appearance of "Family Matters" proves there is a right time, represente=
d by its very incarnation beyond family boundaries and into book form for t=
he reading public to absorb and learn from. What begins as a singular famil=
y experience evolves into precise descriptions of dysfunction, myths, and m= agical thinking that centers on the author's parents and siblings that refl= ect on how these traits and perceptions were handed down and incarnated bet= ween generations.
Illustrative material that might have made the book too weighty or expensiv=
e are provided through an online link that further enhances the story's imp= act. As readers absorb Lee's family dreams and disparate myths, they will b=
e prompted to consider broader questions about public and private personas,=
the promise and lure of new beginnings, and opportunities tinged by past e= xperience.
Lee takes the time to produce bright, flowing descriptions that attract rea= ders to this world and its evolutionary process. From emotional black holes=
of disconnection and their involvement in the popular TV show The Adams Fa= mily to how the show reflected some of the family's dysfunctional operation=
s, the swings between private anguish and public representation are especia= lly well done.
Of particular fascination to psychology readers who are interested in both = family dynamics and media representations are the astute comments and conne= ctions Lee makes in this area. While the result will attract libraries stro=
ng in psychological profiles of family dysfunction, it also is very highly = recommended for media studies students and libraries interested in the psyc= hological entanglements between creative representation and dysfunction. It=
took a traumatic break to shake the roots of this family tree.
"Family Matters" will ideally earn debate and discussion in book clubs and = psychology groups devoted to family issues and popular culture movie and fi=
lm analysis alike.
Remarkable Women series
TwoDot/Globe Pequot
http://globepequot.com
c/o Rowman & Littlefield
www.rowman.com
Two new editions of titles in the "Remarkable Women" series are top picks f=
or libraries looking for biographical profiles of women who made their mark=
s in different states.
https://www.amazon.com/Remarkable-Utah-Women-Fascinating-Females/dp/1493066= 846
The second edition of Christy Karras's Remarkable Utah Women (9781493066841=
, $19.95) selects seventeen strong women who made a name for themselves in =
a state oddly known for its religious rigidity and women's rights alike. Th=
e women featured here have achieved many things, from Emmeline B. Wells, wh=
o was president of both the Mormon Relief Society and the Women's Suffrage = Association, and Reva Beck Bosone, the state's first female judge. New biog= raphies have been added for this edition to profile activists and historian=
s.
https://www.amazon.com/Remarkable-Arizona-Women-Fascinating-Females/dp/1493= 066862
The third updated edition of Wynne Brown's Remarkable Arizona Women (978149= 3066865, $19.95) selects seventeen women of quite remarkable, diverse backg= rounds, from poets and historians to lady bandits, educators, and activists=
.. Each of these women broke free from social and political restrictions to = change others' lives and make a mark on their state.
Each book provides riveting insights that readers will find perfect for stu= dying the states in general and women's lasting impact in particular, and d= eserves a place in any women's history collection that's strong in biograph= ical inspection.
In the Heart of It All
Richard F. Celeste
The Kent State University Press
1118 Library, P.O. Box 5190, Kent OH 44242
http://www.kentstateuniversitypress.com
9781606354452, $29.95, HC, 350pp
https://www.amazon.com/Heart-All-Unvarnished-Account-Service/dp/1606354450
Synopsis: With the publication of "In the Heart of It All: An Unvarnished A= ccount of My Life in Public Service", former Ohio governor Richard F. Celes=
te recounts his childhood in Lakewood, Ohio, where his politically ambitiou=
s father eventually served as mayor. Awarded a scholarship to attend Yale U= niversity, Celeste studied history and later became a Rhodes Scholar at Oxf= ord; while living overseas, he met and quickly married his first wife, Dagm=
ar Braun. Upon returning from Oxford, Celeste expected to begin a teaching = career but was recruited to serve as a liaison for Peace Corps volunteers i=
n Latin America, and the young couple relocated to Washington, DC, where th=
ey became friendly with Chet and Steb Bowles. When President Kennedy appoin= ted Chet Bowles US ambassador to India, he invited Dick to work as his pers= onal assistant. There, under Bowles's tutelage, Dick began to consider a po= litical career of his own.
Celeste returned to Ohio and successfully ran for the Ohio House of Represe= ntatives as a Democrat in 1970. After serving two terms, he was elected lie= utenant governor in 1974 but lost the 1978 governor's race by a slim margin=
.. Celeste worked in DC as director of the Peace Corps while plotting his ne= xt move, and in 1982, his gubernatorial campaign resulted in a landslide vi= ctory. He served two terms as Ohio's governor, tackling an epic savings and=
loan crisis along with mental health reform and job creation.
Celeste describes candidly why he considered and dismissed a presidential c= ampaign in 1988. He went on to serve as ambassador to India under President=
Clinton, traveling there with his second wife, Jacqueline Lundquist, and b= ringing his career full circle. Shortly after that position ended, Celeste = became president of Colorado College, serving from 2002 to 2011.
In each position, Celeste has used his grandmothers' wisdom to guide his de= cision making, putting the needs of his various constituents - Ohio citizen=
s, Peace Corps volunteers, diplomatic colleagues, and college students - ab= ove his ego and popularity ratings, and, as he poignantly reflects, sometim=
es even before his family. In the Heart of It All offers a remarkably frank=
and expansive account of Celeste's personal and professional life, includi=
ng his disappointing defeats and thrilling victories.
Critique: Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, "In the Hear=
t of It All: An Unvarnished Account of My Life in Public Service" will have=
a very special appeal to readers with an interest in political biographies=
and memoirs. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital = book format (Kindle, $22.49), "In the Heart of It All: An Unvarnished Accou=
nt of My Life in Public Service" will prove a welcome and highly recommende=
d addition to personal, professional, community, college, and university li= brary American Biography & Memoir collections.
Editorial Note: Richard F. Celeste (
https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Richar= d_F._Celeste) was the governor of Ohio from 1983 to 1991. He has held a var= iety of positions in government and public service, most recently serving a=
s president of Colorado College. He is currently a trustee of the Gates Fam= ily Foundation and Global Communities. The father of seven children, Celest=
e resides in Colorado with his wife, Jacqueline, and is involved with numer= ous charities.
At First Light
Walt Larimore
Knox Press
https://permutedpress.com/knox-press
Recorded Books
8400 Corporate Drive, Landover, MD 20785
https://rbmediaglobal.com/audio-brands
9781642939590, $35.00, HC, 480pp
https://www.amazon.com/At-First-Light-Bravery-Amazing/dp/1642939595
Synopsis: Growing up in the 1930s in Memphis, Tennessee, Phil Larimore was = the ultimate Boy Scout -- able to read maps, put a compass to good use, and=
traverse wild swamps and desolate canyons. His other great skill was ridin=
g horses.
Phil does poorly in school, however, leading his parents send to him to a m= ilitary academy. After Pearl Harbor, Phil realizes he is destined for war. = Three weeks before his eighteenth birthday, he becomes the youngest candida=
te to ever graduate from Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Fort Benning, Ge= orgia.
Landing on the Anzio beachhead in February 1944, Phil is put in charge of a=
n Ammunition Pioneer Platoon in the 3rd Infantry Division. Their job: deliv=
er ammunition to the frontline foxholes - a dangerous assignment involving = regular forays into No Man's Land.
As Phil fights his way up the Italian boot, into Southern France and across=
the Rhine River into Germany, he is caught up in some of the most intense = combat ever. But it's what happens in the final stages of the war and his h= omecoming that makes Phil's story incredibly special and heartwarming.
Critique: An impressive and memorable story of genuine courage, daring, and=
heroism, "At First Light: A True World War II Story of a Hero, His Bravery=
, and an Amazing Horse" is especially and unreservedly recommended for comm= unity and academic library World War II History & Memoir collections. It sh= ould be noted for personal reading lists that "At First Light" is also avai= lable in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabr= idged audio book (Recorded Books, 9798212050531, $41.95, CD).
Number One Is Walking
Steve Martin, author
Harry Bliss, illustrator
Celadon Books
120 Broadway, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10271
https://celadonbooks.com
9781250815293, $30.00, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Number-One-Walking-Movies-Diversions/dp/1250815290
Synopsis: Steve Martin has never written about his career in the movies bef= ore. With the publication of "Number One Is Walking: My Life in the Movies = and Other Diversions", he shares anecdotes from the sets of his beloved fil=
ms (Father of the Bride, Roxanne, The Jerk, Three Amigos, and many more) br= inging his readers directly into his world.
He also shares charming tales of antics, moments of inspiration, and exploi=
ts with the likes of Paul McCartney, Diane Keaton, Robin Williams, and Chev=
y Chase. Martin details his forty years in the movie biz, as well as his st= and-up comedy, banjo playing, writing, and cartooning, all with his unparal= leled wit.
With gorgeously illustrated cartoons and single-panel "diversions" combinin=
g the talents of entertainer Steve Martin and artist/illustrator Harry Blis=
s, "Number One Is Walking" is a compendium of the everyday moments that mak=
e up a movie star's life, capturing Steve Martin's singular humor and accla= imed career in film.
Critique: An absolute 'must' for the legions of Steve Martin fans, "Number = One Is Walking: My Life in the Movies and Other Diversions" will also intro= duce readers to the whimsical cartooning style of Harry Bliss as he gives a=
visual emphasis to Martin's wit, wisdom and life story. Simply stated, "Nu= mber One Is Walking: My Life in the Movies and Other Diversions" is especia= lly and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community/a= cademic library American Biography/Memoir/Humor collections.
Editorial Note #1: Steve Martin (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Martin=
) is one of the most well-known talents in entertainment. His work has earn=
ed him an Academy Award , five Grammy awards, an Emmy, the Mark Twain Award=
, and the Kennedy Center Honors. As an author, Martin's work includes the n= ovel An Object of Beauty, the play Picasso at the Lapin Agile, a collection=
of comic pieces, Pure Drivel, a bestselling novella, Shopgirl, and his mem= oir Born Standing Up. Martin's films include The Jerk, Planes, Trains & Aut= omobiles, Roxanne, Parenthood, L.A. Story, Father of the Bride, and Bowfing= er.
Editorial Note #2: Harry Bliss (
https://store.harrybliss.com) is a cartooni=
st and cover artist for the New Yorker magazine. His syndicated single-pane=
l comic 'Bliss' appears in newspapers internationally. He has written and i= llustrated over 20 books for children and is the founder of the Cornish CCS=
Fellowship for Graphic Novelists in Cornish, New Hampshire.
The Scandalous Hamiltons
Bill Shaffer
Citadel Press
c/o Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street, Floor 21, New York, NY 10018-2522
www.kensingtonbooks.com
9780806542256, $26.00, HC, 320pp
https://www.amazon.com/Scandalous-Hamiltons-Disgraced-Descendant-Journalism= /dp/080654225X
Synopsis: With the publication of "The Scandalous Hamiltons: A Gilded Age G= rifter, a Founding Fathers Disgraced Descendant, and a Trial at the Dawn of=
Tabloid Journalism", author Bill Shaffer presents a historical story of tr=
ue crime that almost too tawdry to be true -- a con woman prostitute who me=
t the descendant of a Founding Father in a brothel, duped him into marriage=
using an infant purchased from a baby farm, then went to prison for stabbi=
ng the couple's baby nurse -- all while in a common-law marriage with anoth=
er man.
The scandal surrounding Evangeline and Robert Ray Hamilton, though little k= nown today, was one of the sensations of the Gilded Age, a sordid, gripping=
tale involving bigamy, bribery, sex, and violence.
When the salacious Hamilton story emerged in during Eva's trial for the Aug= ust 1889 stabbing, it commanded unprecedented national and international ne= wspaper coverage thanks to the telegraph and the recently founded Associate=
d Press. For the New York dailies, eager to capture readers through provoca= tive headlines, Ray and Eva were a godsend.
As lurid details emerged, the public's fascination grew -- how did a man of=
Hamilton's stature become entangled with such an adventuress? Nellie Bly, = the world-famous investigative reporter, finagled an exclusive interview wi=
th Eva after her conviction. Hamilton's death under mysterious circumstance=
s, a year after the stabbing, added to the intrigue.
Through personal correspondence, court records, and sensational newspaper a= ccounts, "The Scandalous Hamiltons" explores not only the full, riveting sa=
ga of ill-fated Ray and Eva, but the rise of tabloid journalism and celebri=
ty in a story that is both a fascinating slice of pop culture history and a=
timeless tale of ambition, greed, and obsession.
Critique: An exceptionally well written and riveting read -- and with an ex= traordinary appeal to dedicated fans of historical true crime stories, "The=
Scandalous Hamiltons: A Gilded Age Grifter, a Founding Fathers Disgraced D= escendant, and a Trial at the Dawn of Tabloid Journalism" is a highly recom= mended addition to personal, community, and academic library 19th Century A= merican History & Biography and American 'Yellow Journalism' history collec= tions. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all true crime = fans that "The Scandalous Hamiltons" is also available in a digital book fo= rmat (Kindle, $1.99).
Editorial Note: Bill Shaffer (
https://www.billshafferbooks.com) is the auth=
or of Emotion In Motion: 55 Baranger Displays (Vitra Design Museum 2021). H=
e has been published on www.designobserver.com and the online site of Coope=
r Hewitt National Design Museum, where he was a Smithsonian Fellow. Shaffer=
also holds an M.A., History of Design and Curatorial Studies from Parsons,=
The New School.
Save the Last Bullet: Memoir of a Boy Soldier in Hitler's Army
Wilhelm Langbein, author
Heidi Langbein-Allen, author
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399072397, $32.95, HC, 224pp
https://www.amazon.com/Save-Last-Bullet-Soldier-Hitlers/dp/1399072390
Synopsis: Willi Langbein was just thirteen when the Nazis took him away fro=
m his parents under the pretense of protecting him. Their real reason was t=
o turn him into cannon-fodder for use against Hitler's enemies. Deployed to=
the collapsing Eastern Front in the last days of the war, Willi, now aged = fourteen, and his schoolmates were ordered to stave off the relentless Russ= ian advance. None were expected to return alive from the final battles of t=
he Third Reich.
Yet, against all odds, Willi did survive but his ordeal was far from over. =
He returns home to find everything he knows destroyed. Numb and confused, h=
e is mandated to serve one year of forced farm labor. After his release, he=
gradually realizes that all he was taught to believe in was a lie and he s= inks into depression. Eventually, thanks to his friendship with a kind Brit= ish soldier, he begins to heal. It begins to dawn on him that he can play a=
part to ensure that the evil he witnessed is never repeated. Ultimately, h=
e succeeds by earning the Medal of European Merit in 1979 for his contribut= ion to the advancement of European democracy.
Willi's graphic and moving story, told from a Nazi child soldier's perspect= ive, is an inspiring memoir of lost innocence and despair, but also of dete= rmination and hope restored.
Critique: Given the current rise in anti-democratic influences in Europe (a=
nd America), "Save the Last Bullet: Memoir of a Boy Soldier in Hitler's Arm=
y" is a timely and timeless expose of what happens (especially to children)=
when democracy gives way to authoritarianism. A riveting personal memoir o=
f Willhelm Langbein's daughter, Heidi Langbein-Allen drawing upon her fathe= r's records and accounts, "Save the Last Bullet: Memoir of a Boy Soldier in=
Hitler's Army" is a highly recommended and valued addition to personal, pr= ofessional, community, and academic library World War II History/Biography/= Memoir collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Sav=
e the Last Bullet: Memoir of a Boy Soldier in Hitler's Army" is also availa= ble in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.49).
Editorial Note #1: Having lost two school years as a child soldier in Hitle= r's Army, Wilhelm Langbein graduated from high school in 1951, aged 21. In = 1959, he married his Spanish pen pal, Teresa Vives. They had two daughters,=
Heidi and Graziella. After gaining a degree in law and philology from the = University of Cologne, he joined the German Department of Defense in 1962. =
In 1979, he was awarded the medal of European Merit for his contribution to=
the advancement of democracy in Europe. He spent his final assignment as h= ead of the Legal Division of the NATO EFA Development, Production and Logis= tic Management Agency before retiring in 1992. He passed away in 2018.
Editorial Note #2: Heidi Langbein-Allen was raised in Germany, France and S= pain and lives in the USA with her husband, a retired US Navy veteran. She = wrote her Father's memoirs from his taped recollections and records of inte= rviews. An excerpt aired in the top-rated World War Two podcast fightingthr= oughpodcast.co.uk in May 2021 and a chapter appeared in the San Diego Write= r's Association 2021 Anthology A Year In Ink.
The Reign Of Emperor Antoninus Pius
John S. McHugh
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781526773982, $36.95. HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Fortress-Kingdom-Aethelflaed-Edward-899-927/dp/13990= 10611
Synopsis: The reign of Emperor Antoninus Pius is widely seen as the apogee =
of the Roman Empire yet, due to gaps in the historical sources, his reign h=
as been overlooked by modern historians. He is considered one of the five g= ood emperors of the Antonine dynasty under whom the pax Romana enabled the = empire to prosper, trade to flourish and culture to thrive. His reign is co= nsidered a Golden Age but this was partly an image created by imperial prop= aganda. There were serious conflicts in North Africa and Dacia, as well as =
a major revolt in Britain. On his death the empire stood on the cusp of the=
catastrophic invasions and rebellions that marked the reign of his success=
or Marcus Aurelius.
Antoninus Pius became emperor through the hand of fate, being adopted by Ha= drian only after the death of his intended heir, Lucius Aelius Caesar. His = rule was a balancing act between securing his own safety, securing the succ= ession of his adopted heir, and denying opportunities for conspiracy and re= bellion. 'Equanimity' was the last password he issued to his guards as he l=
ay on his death bed. In the face of the threats and challenges he remained = calm and composed, providing twenty-three years of stability; a calm before=
the storms that gathered both within and beyond Rome's borders.
Critique: A fascinating, informative, and detailed biography that is also a= vailable in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99), "The Reign of Emperor A= ntoninus Pius, AD 138 - 161" by John S. McHugh is an extraordinary and welc= ome contribution to the growing library of Ancient Roman Histories & Biogra= phies. Informatively enhanced with the inclusion of a section of b/w plates=
, maps, a timeline, an Appendix (Thye Ancient Sources Historical and Biogra= phical Works), twenty-eight pages of Notes, a nine page Bibliography, and a=
five page Index, "The Reign of Emperor Antoninus Pius, AD 138 - 161" must =
be considered a core addition to personal, professional, community, and aca= demic library second century A.D. Roman Empire History & Biography collecti= ons.
Editorial Note: John S. McHugh has a BA and MA in Ancient History. He is cu= rrently an Assistant Headmaster at a secondary school in Bolton. He is the = co-author of a text book on Boltons connections with the slave trade and is=
currently assisting Bolton Museum with a project to record the oral histor=
y of the local populace with the aim of promoting understanding between peo= ple of different generations or ethnic and social backgrounds.
Robert the Bruce: Scotland's True Braveheart
Phil Carradice
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399002608, $34.95, HC, 200pp
https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Bruce-Scotlands-True-Braveheart/dp/1399002600
Synopsis: With the publication of "Robert the Bruce: Scotland's True Braveh= eart", historian Phil Carradice provides readers with a detailed account of=
the life and times of the Scottish hero and monarch. This impressive biogr= aphy covers his life from childhood to death, as well as the political, soc= ial and military life of Scotland before, during and after the time of Robe=
rt the Bruce.
"Robert the Bruce: Scotland's True Braveheart" also looks at the relationsh=
ip between The Bruce and people like Edward I and Edward II of England, Wil= liam Wallace and the other contenders for the Scottish crown. The main thru=
st of this biography is a chronological account of how The Bruce clawed his=
way to power, his struggles and battles and his eventual victory which gav=
e Scotland independence and freedom from an acquisitive and warlike neighbo=
r. It looks in detail at the murder of John Comyn, of which The Bruce stood=
accused, and the political ramifications of the killing.
Robert the Bruce was no saint. He was a ruthless, cunning warrior, a man of=
his times, dedicated to what he saw as his mission in life. Flawed he may = have been, he was also a great King, a worthy warrior and a man who deserve=
s to emerge from the shadow of William Wallace -- a position to which he ha=
s been relegated ever since the film Braveheart.
Critique: A fascinating, documented, and informative historical/biographica=
l study, historian Phil Carradice's "Robert the Bruce: Scotland's True Brav= eheart" also features four pages of Endnotes, a two page Bibliography, and =
a three page Index. While available for the personal reading lists of stude= nts, academia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the s= ubject, "Robert the Bruce: Scotland's True Braveheart" is an impressively a=
nd highly recommended addition to both community and academic library Scott= ish History, Military & Biography collections and supplemental curriculum s= yllabus.
Editorial Note: Phil Carradice (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Carradic=
e) is a well-known poet, story teller, and historian with over 60 books to = his credit. He is a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio and TV, presents the B=
BC Wales History program The Past Master and is widely regarded as one of t=
he finest creative writing tutors in Wales.
Baldur von Schirach: Nazi Leader and Head of the Hitler Youth
Oliver Rathkolb, author
John Heath, translator
Frontline Books
c/o Pen & Sword Books
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
9781399020954, $42.95, HC, 256pp
https://www.amazon.com/Baldur-von-Schirach-Leader-Hitler/dp/1399020951
Synopsis: Though three of his four grandparents were from America and the f= irst language he learned at home was English, Baldur von Schirach became on=
e of the Third Reich's most influential individuals. He joined the Nazi Par=
ty as early as 1925 at the age of eighteen and three years later became a m= ember of its National Leadership. He also married Henriette, the daughter o=
f Hitler's personal photographer, Heinrich Hoffmann.
Von Schirach continued to rise through the ranks of the Nazi Party, reachin=
g the rank of SA-Gruppenfuhrer. It was as the leader of the Hitler Youth or= ganization, however, for which von Schirach is best remembered, becoming Re= ichsfuhrer of the Hitler Youth on 16 June 1932, and the following year was = given responsibility for all youth organizations in Germany. He also became=
a member of the Reichstag as a representative of the Party.
Despite his influential position, he was called up for military service and=
served in the French campaign of 1940. Following this he became Reich Gove= rnor and the Nazi's Gauleiter Reichsstatthalter in Vienna -- powerful posit= ions he retained until the final collapse of the Third Reich in May 1945. H=
is responsibilities as Gauleiter and Reichsstatthalter included overseeing = the deportation of Vienna's Jews to ghettos and concentration camps in occu= pied Poland. Though a confirmed anti-Semite, later in the war he pleaded fo=
r a moderate treatment of the eastern European peoples and criticized the c= onditions in which Jews were being deported. This caused a breach with Hitl=
er and the Nazi leadership, though he managed to retain his position in Vie= nna.
Following his capture by US troops, von Schirach was among the major war cr= iminals put on trial at Nuremburg. Found guilty of crimes against humanity =
on 1 October 1946, von Schirach was sentenced to twenty years imprisonment.=
He served out his time in the company of Rudolf Hess and Albert Speer in S= pandau prison. He admitted his crimes and his role in the deportations and =
in his autobiography, "I Believed in Hitler", he explained how he was drawn=
into the world of the Nazis. He also said that his aim was destroy any bel= ief in the rebirth of Nazism as well as blaming himself for not having done=
more to prevent the concentration camps.
With the publication of "Baldur von Schirach: Nazi Leader and Head of the H= itler Youth" author Oliver Rathkobl provides detailed and balanced analysis=
of Baldur von Schirach that reveals the true and ambivalent nature of a co= mplex and fascinating individual who played a key role in the events leadin=
g up to, and during, the Second World War.
Critique: A fascinating and impressively informative biography by Oliver Ra= thkolb, "Baldur von Schirach: Nazi Leader and Head of the Hitler Youth" is = ably translated into English by John Heath. Also featuring a seven page Sel= ect Bibliography, twenty-nine pages of Notes, and a six page Index, "Baldur=
von Schirach: Nazi Leader and Head of the Hitler Youth" is a welcome and h= ighly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academ=
ic library World War II Biography/Memoir collections. It should be noted fo=
r the personal reading lists of students, academia, and non-specialist gene= ral readers with an interest in the subject that "Baldur von Schirach: Nazi=
Leader and Head of the Hitler Youth" is also available in a digital book f= ormat (Kindle, $18.99).
Editorial Note: Professor Oliver Rathkolb (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ol= iver_Rathkolb) is the head of the Institute for Contemporary History at the=
University of Vienna. The author of numerous publications on Austrian and = international contemporary, cultural and music history, Professor Rathkolb = has also been the editor of the journal Zeitgeschichte since 2002 and is ch= airman of the scientific advisory board of the House of Austrian History.
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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
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