Globalization and Egalitarian Redistribution

Book Description

Can the welfare state survive in an economically integrated world? Many have argued that globalization has undermined national policies to raise the living standards and enhance the economic opportunities of the poor. This book, by sixteen of the world's leading authorities in international economics and the welfare state, suggests a surprisingly different set of consequences: Globalization does not preclude social insurance and egalitarian redistribution--but it does change the mix of policies that can accomplish these ends.

Globalization and Egalitarian Redistribution demonstrates that the free flow of goods, capital, and labor has increased the inequality or volatility of labor earnings in advanced industrial societies--while constraining governments' ability to tax the winners from globalization to compensate workers for their loss. This flow has meanwhile created opportunities for enhancing the welfare of the less well off in poor and middle-income countries. Comprising eleven essays framed by the editors' introduction and conclusion, this book represents the first systematic look at how globalization affects policies aimed at reducing inequalities.

The contributors are Keith Banting, Pranab Bardhan, Carles Boix, Samuel Bowles, Minsik Choi, Richard Johnston, Covadonga Meseguer Yebra, Karl Ove Moene, Layna Mosley, Claus Offe, Ugo Pagano, Adam Przeworski, Kenneth Scheve, Matthew J. Slaughter, Stuart Soroka, and Michael Wallerstein.

Bardhan, Pranab, Samuel Bowles, and Michael Wallerstein, eds. Globalization and Egalitarian Redistribution.(Book review): An article from: American Journal of Agricultural Economics

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Bardhan, Pranab, Samuel Bowles, and Michael Wallerstein, eds. Globalization and Egalitarian Redistribution.(Book review): An article from: American Journal of Agricultural Economics
Daniel W. Bromley
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000V3905C
Release Date: 2007-08-13

Book Description

This digital document is an article from American Journal of Agricultural Economics, published by Thomson Gale on August 1, 2007. The length of the article is 1755 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Bardhan, Pranab, Samuel Bowles, and Michael Wallerstein, eds. Globalization and Egalitarian Redistribution.(Book review)
Author: Daniel W. Bromley
Publication: American Journal of Agricultural Economics (Magazine/Journal)
Date: August 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 89 Issue: 3 Page: 818(3)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Product Description

A written plan is a valuable personal and professional tool. Unfortunately, many people find planning ahead a waste of time when they could be doing something else. Others figure even the best laid plans often dont workso why bother? RoadMaps: Creating Effective Written Action Plans will teach you the secrets to successful planning. Learn how to write effective action plansplans that help you sidestep problems, avoid mistakes, stop wasting time and achieve your goals. The complete package contains everything you need to facilitate engaging and effective traininga leaders guide, participants guide, video, PowerPoint® presentation, and handouts. Implement the program in your organization and participants will be well on the way to creating and implementing successful plansa skill theyll use throughout their careers and in a variety of different kinds of situations Participants will learn how easy it is to make plans for the futureand how much they enjoy writing them. This program demystifies the process of planning and clearly explains the steps to doing it successfully. Youll learn how to: Define your vision Assess your strengths and needs Create SMART objectives Take action Identify resources Set the schedule Key components of an effective written plan Plan for problems Topics include the 6 Ps of planning, how to break down complex items into steps, people and other resources that can help, determining target dates for completion, contingency planning, and more. Participants will discover how: Good planning is a disciplineinstilled through practice and habit. Good planning is a creative exercise. You must use imagination and be open to ideas and possibilities to create a good plan. Good planning is empowering. By breaking seemingly insurmountable goals into concrete steps and achievable objectives, you can reach higher success than you thought possible. The companion video outlines what a written action plan is, what is needed prior to creating an effective action plan and the steps to creating an effective action plan, and: Illustrates what some people might think about the need for planning, and how those people might go about writing an action plan. Gives brief examples of how written action plans might be used in a variety of situations and organizations. Shows an employee being guided through the process of creating an action plan. Package includes: Leaders Guides Five (5) Participant Guides 19 min. Video PowerPoint® slide presentation

Book Description

Apollo in Perspective: Spaceflight Then and Now takes a retrospective look at the Apollo space program and the technology that was used to land a man on the Moon. Using simple illustrations and school-level mathematics, Jonathan Allday explains the basic physics and technology of spaceflight and conveys the huge technological strides that were made and the dedication of the people working on the program. Physics topics covered include the laws of motion, rocketry, how to maneuver in orbit, and more. Informal and engaging, the book also discusses the designs of the Apollo Command, Service and Lunar modules and how these changed as the plans for the manned mission evolved. Guidance systems, computers, and engines all had to be developed for the first time. With Apollo as background, the book proceeds to look at the space shuttle, the technology being developed for its replacement, the International Space Station, and the possibilities for a manned Mars mission. The book concludes with an exploration of the far future, including Mars colonies and journeys to other stars.

Customer Reviews:

An Interesting Viewpoint On Apollo.......2004-11-28

I have read most common (and many uncommon) books on the Apollo program. "Apollo in Perspective" is totally unique among all those books. The book is written with a historical perspective on the Apollo program that not only discusses the technology, missions, and hardware of Apollo, it also discusses the political underpinnings of Apollo as well. That is all relatively common, though; the thing that sets this book apart is that it also covers the physics of rockets, orbital mechanics, and trajectories in a comprehensible manner that most casual readers have not been exposed to. He also gives excellent summaries of the Apollo 1 fire and the Challenger accident, as well as observations on the shuttle, future planetary exploration, and John Glenn's shuttle ride.

The book is interesting for both aerospace professionals and newly interested readers as well. In the body of the book, for instance, he discusses the basic math behind Newton's laws and required thrust (which accompanies an especially well written section on staging) without resorting to extravagant mathematical proofs, however for the more avid reader he defines the calculus based proofs in the appendix. This writing technique makes the book an excellent choice for an intelligent non-expert to read as an introduction to the Apollo program.

I found this book to be quite accurate, and found his conclusions to be generally very sound. I don't universally agree with every opinion he shares in the concluding part of the book (he essentially contends, for instance, that John Glenn's shuttle flight was apolitical, an opinion I don't share, and in which he is definitely in a tiny minority), but I find his reasoning to be excellent overall. My one critique of the book would be that the last third or so of the book dwells on the shuttle, Mars missions, and other future programs (some of which are very far out.) I am sure that Mr. Allday would say that past is prologue, and that those programs form part of the perspective mentioned in his title. I don't dislike the information; I just found some of it less than germane to the Apollo program.

This is an excellent, accurate, and interesting book, which I highly recommend to any space enthusiast.

A very good read for space buffs.......1999-12-09

"Apollo in Perspective" is a very interesting and inspiring book. I was a star struck kid who avidly followed the space program, spent many happy hours running through simulated Apollo missions with my Saturn V/Apollo model, and watched the moon landing and walk as a 10 year old. This certainly contributed to my desire to eventually become a scientist. The author has a similar background, and it shows in this book - he does a good job of expressing the wonder and joy in the details that those of us who were kids then felt. It's a shame my own kids don't have anything like the moon program to fixate on.

As the title suggests, the Apollo program is covered superbly, with detailed chapters on all the major systems (rockets, command and service modules, and lunar module), and shorter discussions of things like space suits and the computers used on Gemini and Apollo. There is even a short chapter on "The Politics of Apollo".

There is more to this book than simply the Apollo program, however. The physics of how a rocket works and orbital mechanics are intuitively described, with equations presented at a high school algebra level. Calculus derivations of some of the more important equations are presented in an appendix. I've been hearing values quoted for specific impulse at conferences for years, and never had a clear physical understanding of what it meant until reading the author's discussion of it. Additional chapters describe the Space Shuttle, plans and dreams about Mars exploration, and a very down-to-earth discussion of the technology available and required for interstellar travel.

This book is very well researched. I was able to find only a small number of inconsequential errors. URLs are given for useful resources on the web. There is an interesting "Where are they now?" section that gives a short post-Apollo bio of the crews of Apollo 11-17. Good summaries of the Apollo 1 fire and the Challenger disaster are presented.

Book Description

The essays in this topical volume inquire into one of the most fundamental issues of philosophy and of the cognitive and natural sciences: the riddle of time. The central feature is the tension between the experience and the conceptualization of time, reflecting an apparently unavoidable antinomy of subjective first-person accounts and objective traditional science. Is time based in the physics of inanimate matter, or does it originate in the operation of our minds? Is it essential for the constitution of reality, or is it just an illusion? Issues of time, temporality, and nowness are paradigms for interdisciplinary work in many contemporary fields of research. The authors of this volume discuss profoundly the mutual relationships and inspiring perspectives. They address a general audience.

Science Now: Space Physics (Science Now!)

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Science Now: Space Physics (Science Now!)
E. Fogden , and Edward Fogden
Manufacturer: Hyperion Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology publishes authoritative reviews on the occurrence, effects, and fate of pesticide residues and other environmental contaminants. It will keep you informed of the latest significant issues by providing in-depth information in the areas of analytical chemistry, agricultural microbiology, biochemistry, human and veterinary medicine, toxicology, and food technology.

Customer Reviews:

Easy to Use.......2005-06-24

I have a long shelf full of southwest guidebooks. For the Las Vegas area, Beffort's book is the best choice for people unfamiliar with the desert. It has a good mix of easy and difficult hikes.

My sister and her husband recently visited Vegas while I was out of town. He was at a convention; she wanted to see something other than casinos. I turned her loose with a few suggestions and Beffort's book. She did three of the trips in the Spring Mountains and didn't get lost, uncharacteristic for her. The credit goes to good directions in the book.

Best guide to southern Nevada.......2005-06-03

This is definitely the best guide available for hiking in the southern Nevada region. This book includes a wide variety of hikes with great descriptions of the areas and how to get to them. It has ideas for hikes of various lengths and difficulties and as well as information on conservation and safety. It includes great maps and photos and lists areas not found in most other guides. If you want to explore areas within a 3 hour drive of Las Vegas, this is the most comprehensive book I have found. I highly recommend it!

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Obviously done by a serious language student...

Great refresher or supplement. Portable and self-contained.

Real Japanese, Real good read.

a decent book, but....

wonderful storytelling and a fun study aide

Breaking into Japanese Literature: Seven Modern Classics in Parallel Text
Giles Murray
Manufacturer: Kodansha International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Classics | Comic | Contemporary | Literary
Anthologies | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Japanese | Instruction | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
Reading Skills | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books
General | Reference | Subjects | Books
Poetry & Short Stories | Large Print | Formats | Books
Similar Items:

Read Real Japanese: All You Need to Enjoy Eight Contemporary Writers

Basic Connections: Making Your Japanese Flow (Power Japanese Series) (Kodansha's Children's Classics)

Making Sense of Japanese: What the Textbooks Don't Tell You (Power Japanese Series) (Kodansha's Children's Classics)

Japanese Core Words and Phrases: Things You Can't Find in a Dictionary (Power Japanese Series) (Kodansha's Children's Classics)

All About Particles: A Handbook of Japanese Function Words (Power Japanese Series) (Kodansha's Children's Classics)

ASIN: 4770028997

Book Description

Reading great books in the original should be the culmination of language study, but reading Japanese literature unassisted is a daunting task that can defeat even the most able of students. Breaking into Japanese Literature is specially designed to help you bypass all the frustration and
actually enjoy classics of Japanese literature.

Breaking into Japanese Literature features seven graded stories covering a variety of genres: whether it's the spellbinding surrealism of Natsume Soseki's Ten Nights of Dreams, the humor of Akutagawa Ryunosuke's fable of temple life ("The Nose"), or the excitement of his historic thrillers ("In a
Grove" and "Rashomon"), you are sure to find a story that appeals to you in this collection.

The unique layout-with the original Japanese story in large print, an easy-to-follow English translation and a custom dictionary-was created for maximum clarity and ease of use. There's no need to spend time consulting reference books when everything you need to know is right there in front of your
nose.

To make Japanese literature fun, Breaking into Japanese Literature also has some unique extra features: mini-biographies to tell you about the authors' lives and works, individual story prefaces to alert you to related works of literature or film, and original illustrations to fire your imagination.
Best of all, MP3 sound files of all the stories have been made available for FREE on the Internet.

Breaking into Japanese Literature provides all the backup you need to break through to a new and undiscovered world-the world of great Japanese fiction. All the hard work has been taken care of so you can enjoy the pleasures of the mind. Why not take advantage?

Learn
o 50% of all common-use kanji covered
o Kanji entry numbers given for follow-up study
o Japanese + English translation + custom dictionary on the same page
o Every single kanji word explained

Listen
o Free download of sound files from the Net

Look
o 7 original atmospheric illustrations

Link
o Original stories for Kurosawa's Rashomon and Dreams

All the stories in this book are available on the Internet as MP3 sound files read by professional Japanese actors.

For students who want to consolidate their understanding of kanji, the entry numbers for any of the 2,230 characters in The Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary have been provided when those characters feature in Breaking into Japanese Literature. This makes cross-referencing a matter of
seconds.

Customer Reviews:

Obviously done by a serious language student..........2007-08-06

An excellent resource for intermediate students of Japanese working their way to a more advanced level. The author puts all the necessary learning tools in one convenient location. And the free MP3 files help students fine tune their reading, kanji, and pronunciation skills. I would like to see more products like this. I would buy more products like this.

Great refresher or supplement. Portable and self-contained........2007-07-17

I studied Japanese for three semesters ten years ago and have had no opportunity to practice it since. I'm not exactly a blank slate, but I certainly don't remember very much -- maybe 35 kanji (numbers, sun, moon, etc.) and roughly 85% of the kana.

With what basic knowledge of Japanese sentence structure, common particles, and a few verb-ending constructions (v~te, v~tari, v~nakareba, v~tai are common) I've retained, I can read these stories at about one page per 10 minutes with no other reference material needed.

It's that "no other reference materials needed" that makes this an outstanding book.

The first stories have the same slightly repetitive nature that textbooks use to help one learn kanji or sentence structures, but these are classic stories with a repetitive stylistic element, rather than the mindnumbing textbook equivalent. All the benefits of "I am Smith. Who are you? I am Jones. Are you American? Yes, I am American. Are you American? No, I am Canadian. Is your friend Canadian?..." without the boredom!

Granted, some of the kanji I've learned to recognize are not really the highest priority, in terms of usefulness -- "eyebrows" and a phrase for someone who's blind (now considered too rude to use) are in there -- but I've also learned kanji for several useful nouns and adjectives in painless increments, just while reading.

Best, it's fun and gives me a sense of accomplishment I just don't get from reading, say, a Japanese newspaper at the rate of one sentence per half-hour, surrounded by dictionaries.

Real Japanese, Real good read........2007-07-01

This book is an excellent aid for inforcing knowledge of Japanese grammar. On every page, there is a section that lists almost all the words in the order they first appear, their readings, and their translations. I personally find myself in the habit of always looking at this mini-dictionary whether I know the words or not. The English version of the story is translated to the more fluid side than literal side. I like to see if how they translated each sentence is how I would have, and with every word's meaning right there all that is left is to understand the grammar.

The book states that these versions of the stories were chosen for their moden Kanji use. I have come across several words using different kanji than I am used, and even some words using Kanji that I never knew had Kanji. Luckily I have a friend and teacher to ask questions. Often he tells me that those Kanji could be used that way but that they rarely are. Sometimes he is suprised by the use of Kanji altogether.

If nothing else, these are classic Japanese stories, in actual Japanese writings, with downloadable readings by a native speaker. And they are interesting, good reads. I only give the book 4 stars instead of 5 due to: uncommon Kanji use, artistic licence with the English, convenient current meanings in the dictionary, and the occasional forgotten word from the mini-dictionary.

a decent book, but...........2007-06-30

I bought this book thinking it would help my reading. I am at a pre-intermediate level, after learning around 400 kanji. I found this book too hard for my level, and as for the translation, I found it to have much literary license. I would prefer to have had the translation more exactly what was written.

wonderful storytelling and a fun study aide.......2007-02-24

Ive studied Nihongo for 2 months and only know 175 kanji but bought this anyway to motivate myself. As expected, it's beyond my reading level, but I was able to recognize some kanji and get a feel for how "real" Japanese differs from the exercises in my Genki text. I'll read the easiest story again in 6 months and again in 1 year to check my progress.

The MP3 file for Soseki's "First Night" is a treat for the ears and while I only understand the 1st sentence ("I had a dream") I have a better grasp of proper Japanese pronunciation and pace --- unlike Pimsleur CDS which are artificially slow by necessity. In short, even if you're a rank beginner like me, I highly recommend buying this.

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Lincoln Assassination ReDux

The Book That Reads Like A Movie

interesting and informative

Sic Semper

A wonderful, thoroughly readable book.

American Brutus: John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln Conspiracies
Michael W. Kauffman
Manufacturer: Random House Trade Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Presidents & Heads of State | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | Civil War | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
Conspiracy Theories | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer (P.S.)

Blood on the Moon: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln's Assassins: Their Trial and Execution

Lincoln's Last Night: Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth, and the Last Thirty-Six Hours Before the Assassination

We Saw Lincoln Shot: One Hundred Eyewitness Accounts

ASIN: 0375759743
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Book Description

It is a tale as familiar as our history primers: A deranged actor, John Wilkes Booth, killed Abraham Lincoln in Ford’s Theatre, escaped on foot, and eluded capture for twelve days until he met his fiery end in a Virginia tobacco barn. In the national hysteria that followed, eight others were arrested and tried; four of those were executed, four imprisoned. Therein lie all the classic elements of a great thriller. But the untold tale is even more fascinating.

Now, in American Brutus, Michael W. Kauffman, one of the foremost Lincoln assassination authorities, takes familiar history to a deeper level, offering an unprecedented, authoritative account of the Lincoln murder conspiracy. Working from a staggering array of archival sources and new research, Kauffman sheds new light on the background and motives of John Wilkes Booth, the mechanics of his plot to topple the Union government, and the trials and fates of the conspirators.

Piece by piece, Kauffman explains and corrects common misperceptions and analyzes the political motivation behind Booth’s plan to unseat Lincoln, in whom the assassin saw a treacherous autocrat, “an American Caesar.” In preparing his study, Kauffman spared no effort getting at the truth: He even lived in Booth’s house, and re-created key parts of Booth’s escape. Thanks to Kauffman’s discoveries, readers will have a new understanding of this defining event in our nation’s history, and they will come to see how public sentiment about Booth at the time of the assassination and ever since has made an accurate account of his actions and motives next to impossible–until now.

In nearly 140 years there has been an overwhelming body of literature on the Lincoln assassination, much of it incomplete and oftentimes contradictory. In American Brutus, Kauffman finally makes sense of an incident whose causes and effects reverberate to this day. Provocative, absorbing, utterly cogent, at times controversial, this will become the definitive text on a watershed event in American history.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Lincoln Assassination ReDux.......2007-04-17

A brilliant and fast read. For once the anti-Lincoln feel that permeated parts of the North gets mentioned. John Wilkes Booth emerges from the depths of insanity to quite a clever player according to the author. Bravo. Great work of history.

The Book That Reads Like A Movie.......2007-03-08

First of all let me say I don't get to read often, as I usually don't have the time. However, I started to read this book and could not put it down. It holds you from the very beginning, the setting is Fords Theater and you are in the audience. The scene is perfectly described; as if you are actually there, noting who is sitting next to you and who can be seen in the balcony. The book then takes you back, after the chaotic night of the assassination, into Booth's boyhood and earlier life, bringing you right back up to the night of April 14th 1865.

The chase of Booth continues the story and then of course his death and trial of the conspirators. Previous reviews state the book slows during the trial; however I found it to be very interesting. Kauffman goes to great length to explain the law of the time and how different it is than that of today, including arguments over the years about the governments' handlings of the trail.

To me, this book truly reads like a movie, making it easy to picture the story as it unfolds and if you imagine Johnny Depp (a handsome and well loved actor) in the part of John Wilkes Booth one can easily see why this would translate well onto the big screen. Kaufman describes things that are happening, through all the ciaos the night of the assassination to each individual meeting Booth had with his conspirators, with great detail.

History does not paint a pretty picture of Booth, however I believe this book helps to tell the real story of a man who thought he was doing a justice for his country (the South) and not just the normal story your taught in school about a crazy man that shot Lincoln.

interesting and informative.......2006-11-03

this was an interesting, well written account of john wilkes booth and the lincoln assasination. it provided the reader with a very accurate image of the era and political climate at the time without being a boring political analysis. the characters were very well laid out, as was the terrain covered in the escape. you could almost feel that you were there. it differed in opinion here and there with "manhunt", but not in any significant way. it was so inspiring to me that i booked the "john wilkes booth tour" through the surratt museum out of clinton, md. the tour was expensive ($60 per person, plus food and lodging and a 4 hour drive)and a great disappointment and i would not recommend it, but i would highly recommend the book to anyone interested in this topic.

Sic Semper .......2006-10-29

Hundreds imprisoned in American jails with no expectation of probable cause, including a third of the Maryland state legislature. Prisoners shrouded in hoods. Citizens having to sign "loyalty statements" before they vote. Some kind of scenario dreamt up for a modern movie mimicking the current US regime? Nope. It's a description of the wartime policies of the first Republican administration, Abraham Lincoln's. And according to Michael W. Kauffman's brilliantly lain out narrative of Lincoln's assasination and its aftermath, the tension these policies led to in Maryland, especially, was quite palpable.

Since Maryland was a border state....Union, but Southern by culture and values (some in Maryland had slaves), many had mixed feelings about the war and about any support for the Union cause. Enter John Booth, son of famous stage actor Junius Brutus Booth, and soon to become an even greater star. John Booth seethed with anger throughout the war, even as he built his acting career, until he began to hatch the plot that took place at Ford's theater on the night of April 14, 1865. Part of what motivated him, however, was the praise and cheers he thought he'd get from over the country after his deed was done. And much of his story plays out as a twisted version of Shakespeare's "Julius Ceasar" (one in which John and his brothers had often starred), where the assasin Brutus, instead of being honored as in the play, is hunted down, injured, and finally killed as he hides in a burning barn.

Though we may know the "facts" of the story from junior high school history (Ford's theater, "Our American Cousin", "Sic semper tyranis!",), here is a book that not only fleshes out that terrible night, but takes us into the investigation much like Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" did for the Cutter murders of the 1950s. Plunging into Booth's history through the use of eyewitness accounts, letters, archives, and a good knack for putting two and two together, Kauffman shows how some earlier accounts missed or inadvertantly added things to the story (a good example is the alleged guilt of Dr. Mudd, the doctor who treated Booth's broken leg after the fall from the President's box to the stage).

This is great historical reading. It reads easily, brings out information not yet considered, and provides good analysis of that information, both from a psychological and historical viewpoint. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would very much recommend it.

A wonderful, thoroughly readable book........2006-10-21

American Brutus is one of the best books on the assassination of Abramham Lincoln that I've read so far. I've only taken an interest in the Civil War era in the past four or five years, and the definitive event of that period is the murder of the president by a southern sympathizer with little understanding of the consequences of his actions to anyone but himself.

The book is as effective as a stage drama, partially because Lincoln, other than as the object of Booth's ire, plays little role other than that of victim. Although it begins with a graphic description of the assassination and a gripping death watch before it goes on to fill in the whole story, it is not really about Lincoln the man at all but one about a time period that divided families as well as the country. Even Robert E. Lee's son died fighting on the Union side. For such tremendous disunion and violence to reach even the level of the individual within a family, major moral issues had to ignite feelings that overrode those of family loyalty.

For many who learn about the War in high school or college American history, the entire event seems to be about slavery. It seems so incredible observed in these terms to even contemplate a southern point of view as justified in any way. The decision that Lee, the quintesential Southern gentleman and solid citizen, makes to return to fight for the Confederate cause seems to make no sense at all. Certainly considering our beloved icon Lincoln as a "villain" and a "tyrant," as Booth did and as many in both North and South did, seems incredible.

In fact however, and as this book makes much clearer, the war was actually about states' rights vs federal jurisdiction, and there were many even in foreign countries that also considered Lincoln in this negative light. Even newspapers in Great Britain felt he had overthrown the government of the people and condemned his actions, and this a mere 84 years after the American Revolution gave the English themselves a major headache. The founding fathers had designed a government that they felt would avoid anything like a king, dividing power among congress, the justice department and the president. States were admitted to the union, and at an early stage of US history were a loose federation of independent states--or so many in the South believed. The Civil War was the test of that assumption, and put "paid" to the notion that any state could abandon the Union. The self-same founders pointedly avoided the issue of slavery, however distasteful they may have felt it to be, because in their opinion it would have devided the union early in its inception, leaving the individual states prey to either the English or the French colonial ambitions. (As Benjamin Franklin put it in another context, they would all have to hang together; because if they didn't, they would all almost certainly hang separately!)

In analyzing Booth's actions, the author makes the public sentiment of the time much clearer. Booth, a melodramatic personality anyway, ultimately saw himself as a martyr to the cause of "justice" and "freedom," which today seems ironic, given that he stood for slavery and the southern lifestyle. Unfortunately for Booth, his lack of understanding of political realities--let alone of the fickleness of popular movements--left him the villain of the piece and Lincoln the martyr, and so they have remained to this day. Furthermore, by killing Lincoln, whose policy toward the defeated South would have been more conciliatory than punitive, he paved the way for the Reconstruction debacle that an administration change under these circumstances produced. This reality did not escape the more astute among the Southern politicians, who immediately realized that their situation had changed for the worse. This made Booth's actions very unpopular among Southerners. Where he had expected to be hailed as a hero, he found himself reviled as a coward and murderer.

I was really surprised at the amount of data that the author provided. I had no idea that so much was known, not only about Booth personally, but about his family, his theatrical peers, and his movements both before and after the assassination. The documentation of the pursuit of the assassins and the trial of the condemned was truly remarkable. Of particular interest is the extensive footnotes at the back of the book which clarify details without breaking into the flow of the narrative and which provide information regarding source material as well. The Coda to the work is also a satisfying thing, in that it provides information about many of the individuals who were part of the ongoing drama of the assassination, a drama that really didn't come to a conclusion until many of these people were themselves buried. This feature of the narrative ties up loose ends that make the story more polished and complete. It was interesting to realize that the emotional effects of the death of the president left lasting impressions on the lives of the witnesses to it.

A wonderful, thoroughly readable book.

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