Tag Archives: biography

Joan of Arc

Posted on November 20, 2014 by smellincoffee

Joan of Arc: A Spiritual Biography© 1998 Siobhan Nash-Marshall176 pages In 1429, France in her darkest hour was startled by the sudden appearance of a shining star — a teenage girl from a minor village, wielding a standard and claiming … Continue reading →

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A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Posted on June 29, 2014 by smellincoffee

A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass© 1845 Frederick Douglass144 pages Although modern readers take for granted the idea that slavery is “bad”, its horrors can only be fully appreciated  by the shared experience of those who were subjected … Continue reading →

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American Sphinx

Posted on June 28, 2014 by smellincoffee

American Sphinx: the Character of Thomas Jefferson© 1998 Joseph Ellis464 pages Principle author of the Declaration of Independence, partial broker of the Franco-American alliance,  third president —  there is no denying Thomas Jefferson’s pivotal place within the revolution.  He is … Continue reading →

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The Long Loneliness

Posted on March 28, 2014 by smellincoffee

The Long Loneliness© 1952 Dorothy Day288 pages (Harper Collins, 2009(             Dorothy Day came of age amid the Great War, a child of struggling parents whose labors to make ends meet stayed with her even after they had achieved some … Continue reading →

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Look Homeward, America!

Posted on March 6, 2014 by smellincoffee

Look Homeward, America: In Search of Reactionary Radicals and Front-Porch Anarchists© 2006 Bill Kauffman250 pages “The Little Way. That is what we seek. That — contrary to the ethic of personal parking spaces, of the dollar-sign god — is the … Continue reading →

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Two Sides of the Moon

Posted on September 5, 2013 by smellincoffee

Two Sides of the Moon© 2006 Alexei Leonov and David Scott448 pages Remember the fifties, those fat complacent days when the Future seemed a century away? Then up went Sputnik, gave the world a butt-kick, and made it clear tomorrow … Continue reading →

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His Excellency

Posted on July 6, 2013 by smellincoffee

His Excellency: George Washington © 2005 Joseph Ellis 352 pages Most of the Founding Fathers are exalted, but not quite divine. They are icons not without blemish: John Adams had his temper,   Benjamin Franklin his shameless lechery. But George … Continue reading →

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The Story of My Experiments with Truth

Posted on June 28, 2013 by smellincoffee

The Story of my Experiments with Truth © 1927 Mohandas K. Gandhi480 pages Dover Press cover The Story of my Experiments with Truth is a piecemeal autobiography of Mohandas Gandhi,  who earned acclaim by leading India to independence from the British … Continue reading →

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Alexander Hamilton

Posted on June 25, 2013 by smellincoffee

Alexander Hamilton© 2005 Rob Chernow832 pages Who is  Alexander Hamilton? The greatest founder save George Washington, or the Antichrist?  The latter is the view of Hamilton one may derive from the accounts of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, whereas Rob … Continue reading →

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John Adams

Posted on August 18, 2012 by smellincoffee

John Adams© 2001 David McCullough751 pages The memory of some American presidents looms over the national mind like their monuments tower above the landscape. But John Adams has no monument on the National Mall: his face does not stare down … Continue reading →

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