The Biography Shelf

Grant at 200
Chris Mackowski, editor
Frank J. Scaturro, editor
Savas Beatie
PO Box 4527, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
www.savasbeatie.com
9781611216141, $32.95, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Grant-200-Reconsidering-Legacy-Ulysses/dp/1611216141

Synopsis: Ulysses S. Grant (April 27, 1822 - July 23, 1885) stood at the ce= nter of the American Civil War maelstrom. The Ohio native answered his nati= on's call to service and finished the war as a lieutenant general in comman=
d of the U.S. Army. Four years later, he ascended to the presidency to bett=
er secure the peace he had helped win on the battlefield. Despite his major=
achievements in war and peace, political and sectional enemies battered hi=
s reputation. For nearly a century, his military and political career remai= ned deeply misunderstood.

Since the Civil War centennial, however, Grant's reputation has blossomed i= nto a full renaissance. His military record garners new respect and, more r= ecently, an appreciation for his political career (particularly his strong = advocacy for equal rights) is quickly catching up.

Throughout these decades, his personal memoirs marking him as a significant=
American "Man of Letters" have never gone out of print. Collaboratively co= mpiled and co-edited by Chris Mackowski and Frank J. Scaturro, "Grant at 20=
0: Reconsidering the Life and Legacy of Ulysses S. Grant" celebrates the bi= centennial of the birth of a man whose towering impact on American history = has often been overshadowed and, in many cases, ignored. This collection of=
essays by some of today's leading Grant scholars offers fresh perspectives=
on Grant's military career and presidency, as well as underexplored person=
al topics such as his faith and family life.

Critique: Featuring a complete listing of the contributors and their creden= tials, "Grant at 200: Reconsidering the Life and Legacy of Ulysses S. Grant=
" is an extraordinarily informed and informative work of collective scholar= ship and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, an=
d academic library 19th Century American Biography collections and suppleme= ntal curriculum Civil War History studies lists. It should be noted for stu= dents, academia, Civil War history buffs, and non-specialist general reader=
s with an interest in the subject that "Grant at 200" is also readily avail= able in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.49).

Editorial Note #1: The author or co-author more than a dozen books on the C= ivil War, Chris Mackowski is the editor in chief of Emerging Civil War. He =
is also a writing professor in the Jandoli School of Communication at St. B= onaventure University as well as the historian-in-residence at Stevenson Ri= dge, a historic property on the Spotsylvania battlefield. (authored or coau= thored more than a dozen books on the Civil War)

Editorial Note #2: Frank Scaturro (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Scat= urro) is an attorney and author. His previous writings include President Gr= ant Reconsidered (1998) and The Supreme Court's Retreat from Reconstruction=
(2000). He is also the president of the Grant Monument Association, which =
is dedicated to the preservation of Grant's Tomb. Frank served as Counsel f=
or the Constitution for the Senate Judiciary Committee and as special couns=
el to the House Select Investigative Panel. He currently serves as vice-pre= sident and senior counsel of the Judicial Crisis Network.

Anne Boleyn, An Illustrated Life of Henry VIII's Queen
Roland Hui
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399087575, $34.95, HC, 216pp

https://www.amazon.com/Boleyn-Illustrated-Henry-VIIIs-Queen/dp/1399087576

Synopsis: 'If you remember my love in your prayers as strongly as I adore y= ou, I shall hardly be forgotten, for I am yours,' - Henry Rex, forever

This was written by King Henry VIII to his sweetheart, the seductive and vi= vacious Anne Boleyn, his passion for her would be so great that Henry would=
make Anne his queen, launch the Protestant church in Britain, and change t=
he course of English history.

But the woman whom Henry had promised to love for all time would go from pa= lace to prison, charged with heinous crimes. Her life ended on a bloody sca= ffold in the Tower of London.

Critique: The subject of numerous movies and a basic story found in many a = novel and academic study, with the publication of "Anne Boleyn, An Illustra= ted Life of Henry VIII's Queen", historian Roland Hui brings a new perspect= ive to this the dramatic story romance and tragedy that was the life and ti= mes of Anne Boleyn -- arguably the most famous and controversial of Henry V= III's six wives. While a welcome and recommended addition to personal, comm= unity, college, and university library British Royal Biographies, it should=
be noted that this exciting and profusely illustrated account of her life = told in both words and pictures is also available in a digital book format = (Kindle, $12.99).

Editorial Note: Roland Hui (https://www.tudorsociety.com/roland-hui-tudor-s= ociety) received his degree in Art History from Concordia University in Can= ada. After completing his studies, he went on to work for California State = Parks, The U.S. Forest Service, and The National Park Service in interpreti=
ve media. Roland is also the author of "The Turbulent Crown: The Story of t=
he Tudor Queens" (2017) and is the co-creator of "The Mary Queen of Scots c= oloring Book" (2019). He blogs about Tudor art and personalities at Tudor F= aces: https://tudorfaces.blogspot.ca

Memoirs of an Ordinary Guy
Daniel Stuart Olmes
Post Hill Press
www.posthillpress.com
9781637587317, $17.99, PB, 272pp

https://www.amazon.com/Memoirs-Ordinary-Guy-Everyday-Experiences/dp/1637587= 317

Synopsis: By most measures, Daniel Olmes is an ordinary guy -- but he's lea= rned how to live an extraordinary life. With the publication of "Memoirs of=
an Ordinary Guy: The Everyday Experiences that Changed My Life", Daniel as= serts that we are all capable of being extraordinary and redefines what it = means to be just another ordinary person. He is living proof that extraordi= nary is there for all of us.

It doesn't mean being rich or famous. It doesn't even mean to be better tha=
n others. To Daniel, "extraordinary" means grateful, honest, happy, loving,=
fearless, and faithful. Doing extraordinary things is not what makes us ex= traordinary. Being extraordinary is having an extraordinary perspective on = our lives and the things that happen to us. Daniel's narrative will inspire=
everyone to view their lives differently, remind us of the stories that we=
all share, and spark a renewed curiosity about a world that's anything but=
ordinary.

Critique: With a very special and valued appeal to readers with an interest=
in Spiritual Self-Help, this extraordinary life story of Daniel Stuart Olm=
es is an exceptionally well written and inherently fascinating memoir that =
is particularly recommended for community library American Biography/Memoir=
collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Memoirs o=
f an Ordinary Guy: The Everyday Experiences that Changed My Life" is also r= eadily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Daniel Stuart Olmes is a husband, father of twins, entrepre= neur, and Aerospace and Defense executive residing outside of Washington, D= ..C., in the Northern Virginia suburbs. He is currently the president and ch= ief operating officer of a mid-sized government contractor and is an avid r= eader, runner, and volunteer, spending most of his time on the baseball fie=
ld as a Little League coach. He has founded two companies: Middleburg Capit=
al being a commercial real estate investment firm, and Hellen Systems, a te= chnology company focused on a national security initiative to create a grou= nd-based back-up for the Global Positioning System (GPS).

Everything That Rises: A Climate Change Memoir
Brianna Craft
https://briannacraft.com
Lawrence Hill Press
c/o Chicago Review Press
814 North Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
www.chicagoreviewpress.com
9781641608602, $28.99, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Everything-That-Rises-Climate-Change/dp/1641608609

Synopsis: Nineteen-year-old Brianna Craft is having a panic attack. A profe= ssor's matter-of-fact explanation of the phenomenon known as "climate chang=
e" has her white-knuckling the table in her first environmental studies lec= ture.

This moment changed everything for Brianna. For her first internship, she j= umped at the chance to assist the Least Developed Countries Group at the Un= ited Nations' negotiations meant to produce a new climate treaty. While wor= king for those most ignored yet most impacted by the climate crisis, she gr= appled with the negligent indifference of those who hold the most power. Th=
is dynamic painfully reminded her of growing up in a house where the loudes=
t voice always won and violence silenced those in need.

Four years later, Brianna witnessed the adoption of the first universal cli= mate treaty, the Paris Agreement. With the publication of "Everything That = Rises: A Climate Change Memoir", Brianna deftly blends the political with t=
he personal as she relates from her life experiences just what it means to = advocate for the future, and for the people and places you love, all while = ensuring your own voice doesn't get lost in the process.

Critique: A fascinating, engaging, and impressively presented life story, "= Everything That Rises: A Climate Change Memoir" will have a very special ap= peal to readers with an interest in the subjects of Climate Change and Envi= ronmental Science. While "Everything That Rises" is unreservedly recommende=
d for community and academic library Contemporary American Biography/Memoir=
collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that it is also=
readily available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kin= dle, $11.49).

Editorial Note: Brianna Craft (https://briannacraft.com) is a senior resear= cher at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).=
Craft works to further equity in the United Nations' climate change negoti= ations for the world's poorest countries, which have done the least to caus=
e the climate crisis but are the most vulnerable to its impacts. Based in L= ondon, she researches climate diplomacy, taking specific interest in the Pa= ris Agreement and provisions to develop and transfer technology. Craft hold=
s a master's degree in environmental studies from Brown University in addit= ion to a bachelor's degree in architectural studies and minors in urban des= ign and planning, and environmental studies from the University of Washingt= on.

Harvard, Hollywood, Hitmen, and Holy Men
Paul W. Williams
The University Press of Kentucky
663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40508-4008
www.kentuckypress.com
9780813196671, $27.95, HC, 312pp

https://www.amazon.com/Harvard-Hollywood-Hitmen-Holy-Men/dp/0813196671

Synopsis: Paul Williams [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Williams_(direc= tor)] is an American director, writer, producer, and actor whose true life = experiences form a unique and often wild constellation of encounters with s= tar power, political power, and spiritual power -- a life cycle that led to=
fame and fortune and to integrity and anonymity.

In a mad childhood created by an autocratic English teacher father and an i= nfantilizing mother, he develops a precocious visual acuity to avoid wallop=
s and a writing ability that mollified his father. This skill set wins him =
a scholarship to Harvard, where he needs to learn how the Wisemen think. He=
seeks out tutors who reveal themselves: Kissinger, Skinner, Galbraith, Eri= kson, Alpert, Leary, the Hubleys and Jean Renoir. Howard Gardner is his roo= mmate and Michael Crichton is an editor friend on the college daily, The Cr= imson. After months, his lover reveals she is the heiress of a great Americ=
an fortune.

A member of the inner circle of the "Movie Brats" who led the charge of Ame= rican New Wave cinema in the 1970s, Williams' idiosyncrasies make him a dar= ling of the era. His stories about his pals (Scorsese, Voight, Christie, De= Palma, Coppola, Dreyfuss, Spielberg, De Niro, Lucas) shed new light on a wo= rld bursting with creativity and possibility. He helps Terrence Malick make=
his first film, tries to adjust to the tyranny of the fabulously wealthy, = and turns down the offer to direct the smash hits Animal House and Stepford=
Wives, and to partner on a new Parisian restaurant -- The Hard Rock Cafe; = and turns down Lorne Michaels' offer to help him create Saturday Night Live=
..

With amazing honesty, Williams also recounts the unexpected details of maki=
ng his own seminal cult classics, Out of It (1969), The Revolutionary (1970=
) and Dealing (1972). And his adventures with Black Panther Eldridge Cleave=
r in Algiers, Fidel Castro in Havana, Huey P. Newton in Oakland, and Pope J= ohn Paul II in Vatican City.

A seemingly larger than life, experimental, fearlessly audacious and ultima= tely self-knowing life story,"Harvard, Hollywood, Hitmen, and Holy Men: A M= emoir" is the extraordinary account of a genuine odyssey. Through his anecd= otes, shocking and delightful in their humor and authenticity, Williams tak=
es readers on his unique journey to answer life's big questions -- with aid=
es Mescalito (the Peyote guide), Ichazo (the Gurdjieffian Sufi master), and=
Dilgo Khyentse (the current Dalai Lama's principal teacher), and finally, = Vivian (a transcendent love).

Critique: An inherently fascinating, impressively informative, exceptionall=
y well written, and amazingly candid memoir that will have a very special a= ppeal to readers with an interest in Cinematic History/Criticism and Movie = Director/Actor Biographies/Memoirs, "Harvard, Hollywood, Hitmen, and Holy M= en: A Memoir" is a welcome and unreservedly recommended addition to persona=
l, professional, community, and academic library American Biography and Ame= rican Cinematic History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lis= ts. It should be noted that "Harvard, Hollywood, Hitmen, and Holy Men: A Me= moir" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $20.99) from the = University of Kentucky Press.

Lady of the Army: The Life of Mrs. George S. Patton
Stefanie Van Steelandt
Minnegate Press
www.minnegatepress.com
https://thecerealreader.com
9798986928005, $34.00, HC, 498pp

https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Army-Life-George-Patton/dp/B0BLFZPGBM

Synopsis: General George Patton once remarked that World War II undoubtedly=
would have lasted a lot longer were it not for his soldiers and his wife. = Those who knew the Pattons were aware of the vital role Beatrice Patton pla= yed in his reaching his destiny, but few others understood the singular imp= act of this remarkable woman whom people described as having "a personality=
which radiates like a brilliant gem".

The arduous army life was alien to Beatrice growing up on Boston's Commonwe= alth Avenue, but her adventurous spirit and insatiable curiosity allowed he=
r to adapt quickly. She became an immediate asset to her husband's career a=
nd continuously fanned the flames of his burning ambition, walking beside h=
im on his path to glory while maintaining her own identity. As comfortable =
on the back of a magnificent steed as at the helm of a great schooner, she = became an authority on Hawaiian legends while stationed on the islands twic=
e.

Critique: A masterpiece of seminal research, "Lady of the Army: The Life of=
Mrs. George S. Patton" is an extraordinary, detailed, and unique biography=
of a remarkable woman married to a now legendary American military leader =
in both World War I and World War II. This exceptionally well written, orga= nized and presented biography is informatively enhanced for the reader with=
the inclusion of a four page Family Tree, forty-four pages of Notes, a six=
page Bibliography, and an eight page Index. While available for personal r= eading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), "Lady of the Army: T=
he Life of Mrs. George S. Patton" is an especially and unreservedly recomme= nded addition to community, college, and university library 20th Century Am= erican Biography and World War II History collections.

Editorial Note: An independent scholar and blogger who spent the last twent=
y years studying biography, Stefanie Van Steelandt grew up near Belgium's L= iberty Road, which General Patton and his Third Army followed during WWII.

Butterfly of Hope: Finding My Wings
JoAnn Santore Dickson
Independently Published
9798844093654, $15.95

https://www.amazon.com/Butterfly-Hope-Finding-My-Wings/dp/B0BJH64512

Butterfly of Hope: Finding My Wings is a memoir about facing illness and sp= iritual roots, and listening to life-changing messages in adversity that pu=
sh author JoAnn Santore Dickson's life into new directions. It addresses a = variety of topics as it moves through Dickson's life, from loss and self-he= aling to not only getting life back, but delving into the past to consider = better choices for the future.

Dickson's goal was to accept herself unconditionally and embrace new facets=
of spiritual realization that helped form a different personality and pers= pective on life. This is achieved both in her actions and reactions to her = experiences and upon publication of her book, which points the way for othe=
rs on the same path of self-discovery. As Dickson moves from her Christian = Science upbringing that led her to resist going to the doctor after a car a= ccident delivers alarming symptoms weeks later, to a state in which she pay=
s more attention to her body and soul, readers will appreciate her progress= ion. Especially strongly described is her relationship with family, which s= teeps the story with additional conversations about relationship ideals, sp= iritual realizations, and a life complicated by health challenges on all si= des.

As Dickson learns how to stay strong for others as well as herself, she mov=
es into training programs that help her better achieve her emotional, spiri= tual, and physical goals. By writing her memoir, Dickson does more than exp= lore the process of emergence. She gives wings to her readers, who in turn = can use her experiences and lessons to tackle their own possibilities of gr= owth and flight. She offers insights into not just accepting change, but ho=
w to run and fly with it.

Libraries looking for memoirs steeped in spiritual and healing processes wi=
ll find much to like in Butterfly of Hope: Finding My Wings, which is spice=
d with journal entries that reflect the author's progressive realizations a= bout her life and her approach to it.

Good Morning, Hope
Argita and Detina Zalli
https://www.thezallitwins.com
Sandra Jonas Publishing
www.sandrajonaspublishing.com
9781954861060, $14.95 Paperback/$26.95 Hardcover/$6.99 Ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Good-Morning-Hope-Refugee-Heartbreak/dp/1954861060

Good Morning, Hope: A True Story of Refugee Twin Sisters and Their Triumph = over War, Poverty, and Heartbreak belongs in any library interested in stor= ies of refugee experience in general and Albanian history in particular. It=
is also about family, strength, and the bond between twins, it's likewise = for any reader interested in stories of growing up struggling and fighting = for a better life. It chronicles the efforts of an Albanian family to flee = the financial meltdown in their country in 1997, but it doesn't end with th= eir successful escape to England. In some ways the story is just beginning =
at that point because the twins and their parents then move into a social m= ilieu nearly as challenging as the environment they fled.

As the story evolves, from mystery helpers who assist the family's flight t=
o circumstances that threaten to separate the family at numerous junctures,=
Argita and Detina Zalli present the emotional tension both outside and wit= hin the family as they confront the pressures of their choices.

Another thought-provoking component to their story is the prejudice against=
immigrants and refugees, which the children experience in a land that took=
so much effort to reach and initially showed so much promise.

As events unfold, these ongoing struggles challenge the family to adopt new=
methods of handling their vastly changed world. The Zalli twins powerfully=
detail the emotional tides and revelations that force disparate individual=
s to come together: "I had been a good actress so far, but how could I pret= end that the past didn't exist? How could I pretend that we would work well=
together with two girls who hated us and had caused us so much suffering? = How could I forgive them without their asking for forgiveness?"

The result will move beyond readers interested in Albanian experiences and = into general audiences attracted to stories of refugee survival, prejudice,=
and integration processes. This is a book for libraries and readers seekin=
g vivid first-person chronicles that embrace family, a sense of place, and = alien territory. Good Morning, Hope is a study in adaptation and courage th=
at chronicles growth against all odds, documenting how one family blossoms = even in the midst of social, political, and psychological storms.

Where Yellow Flowers Bloom
Kim Cantin
https://kimcantin.com
Precocity Press
B0BVC7HY42, $9.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Where-Yellow-Flowers-Bloom-Unimaginable-ebook/dp/B0B= VC7HY42

Where Yellow Flowers Bloom: A True Story of Hope Through Unimaginable Loss =
is a mother's memoir of the gripping tragedy that resulted in the loss of h=
er home and the positive life she had built. It opens with a vivid experien=
ce that occurred when the family was buried in their home by a landslide. A=
s Kim Cantin documents events from 2017 onward that involved struggles with=
fire and the products of California's changing weather, readers gain a sen=
se of what it means to survive not just one, but a series of life-altering = environmental events. These reach from the crazy weather events of 2017 to = the pouring rains of 2018 that produced avalanches that ran through their h= ome at 35 miles per hour.

Where Yellow Flowers Bloom cultivates a "you are here" experience as it nar= rates the blows Cantin's family endured.

Kim Cantin believed her entire family would die that night. Her house total=
ly destroyed and her loved ones missing, she barely survived, herself. One =
of the strengths of her story, which lends to its vivid appeal, lies in dau= ghter Lauren's notes about her experiences, juxtaposing with her mother Kim=
's reflections about being survivors against all odds.

David and Jack Canton, as well as dog Chester, were lost. Jack was not foun=
d for three years. The search Kim was to undertake involved the community a=
nd brought together strangers who helped: "I witnessed some of the best of = human kindness." This joint effort to save her family resulted in compellin=
g examples of kindness and concern from strangers that was to set the cours=
e for recovery and the rest of their lives.

Where Yellow Flowers Bloom is more than a portrait of family disaster. It's=
a riveting account of surviving personal achievement, love, and perseveran=
ce that carries a mother and daughter into a new life where kindness become=
s intrinsically entwined with survival. The lessons Kim receives are given = back in different ways; one of which is the publication of this memoir: "It=
reminds me to accept my life's changes, and to work to thrive and move for= ward. I know for sure that this is what my husband and son would want for u=
s. And, maybe, just maybe, they helped this coincidence to happen."

As hope and goodness emerge from inconceivable circumstance and loss, reade=
rs gain a sense of how hope and faith become tied to community response and=
supportive efforts. They also receive a diverse portrait of kindness in ac= tion from all types of community members.

Libraries looking for memoirs of tragedy, adversity, grief, and, ultimately=
, hope will find that Where Yellow Flowers Bloom is an especially powerful = portrait - one that should join any other true stories about surviving the = impossible.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promo= ting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no fund=
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for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview=
(dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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