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Summary: It's a chance to hear Professor Ambrose lecture...
Review: ...which is different, I think, than reading a work of (objectively told) history. In his final work, Mr. Ambrose expounds on all manner of things (mostly) American, even on those that are quite personal (such as his 1st wife's suicide), in a rambling, storyteller fashion. A fair amount of space is devoted to "setting the record straight", as it were, on his own opinions, some of which having changed markedly from those he espoused for many years. He takes a more generous view of TR and a less critical view of how Native Americans were dealt with by the U.S., but continues his hard-line criticism of the Viet Nam debacle. To tell you more would be to deprive you of the privilege of hearing his "last few lectures", ones given without concern of rebuttal. You may not agree with him on many issues, but it's from the heart of a patriot and worth considering. [I would add here, if I may, that we owe Mr. Ambrose a debt of gratitude for his central role in bringing the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans to us all]
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Summary: His Final Lecture - Read and Appreciate
Review: A summary of events and important people in American history from the beginning of our independence to the present century, Stephen E. Ambrose takes us on a journey of enlightenment from his perspective, allowing us to form our own opinions while eagerly reading his.Part autobiographical, he shares his personal history and the love and support from his wife and five children. They researched together, spent vacations in the west exploring the Lewis and Clark trail, and respected one another. How refreshing. As the title aptly reads, Personal Reflections of an Historian, the reader is captivated by his unique stories which include his long association with Dwight Eisenhower whom he reveres as the brightest and wisest leader of the past century; his part in establishing a World War II National D Day Museum in New Orleans; his encounter with a German officer; a thrilling description of the Battle of New Orleans; his research on Richard Nixon; the war in Vietnam, and many many more insightful
chapters on various subjects. Every chapter of this book for Americans is worthy of our reading time so that we too, can form our own opinions concerning each subject. It should be required reading as an overview of our country with its movers and shakers, heroes and villians, mistakes and progress, for all our leaders - the president included! I was impressed by the fact that this worthy historian is unashamed to admit his own bias in some cases and how he eventually changes his thinking as he makes new discoveries. He compares a number of presidents and their leadership, as well as taking us to the battlefields with America's brave fighting men. Thanks to this author and his numerous books, and to Tom Brokaw, we will not be allowed to forget the price paid by the veterans in all our wars. Wonderful stories, interesting reflections from a well-educated professor and historian, and a great book for a discussion group. Read and enjoy!
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Summary: WOW!
Review: A wonderful book, truely tells both sides of every story, a very interesting book focusing on the major topics in American history still talked about today
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Summary: Outstanding
Review: Ambrose does a magnificant job in this effort. He outlines his career as a historian, in doing so portrays the development of the United States. His greatest achievement in this book is providing different understandings of his various topics. This is an excellent tool for any history teacher, or anyone who enjoys the American story.
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Summary: He should not have published the second half of the book
Review: Ambrose was at his best as a historian, not so good as a polician and cheerleader. In the first half of the book, he was doing what he should, talking about history. The writing was excellent and the comments insightful. After the WWII part, the book lost its focus and became a hybrid of anecdotes, memoir and political cheerleading.
By the way, it's ironic to see the typo in the book's title while the author is considered a serious scholar. But it perhaps is not his fault.
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Summary: The Last Word
Review: As a lover of history and of Professor Ambrose's books, I was sad to learn, first of his illness, and more recently, of his death. He will be greatly missed. You have to take seriously any book written when the author knows he is dying. This series of essays seems to be Ambrose's last testament to us all. He writes about various events is history, correcting some errors he feels he made along the way, and also helping us understand his perspective on why these events are important to us as indviduals and as a nation.
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Summary: Not his greatest - I liked him less afterward
Review: As a reader of many of Stephen Ambrose's books I find it painful to speak negatively about his work in this one, however I would be less than honest to say this is a great book. Much of the first part of the book is taken up with historian Ambrose talking about historical figures he used to be more critical of, but now in his more enlighted stage of life he is willing to overlook their warts and see the good they did or at least tried to do. This type of thinking is common perhaps more common at the end of life when we try to place a more charitable spin on other's actions, but what a shame he felt not the need to soften and reasses his first wife's life and death by suicide. Instead he barely mentions her death and dismisses it by saying she was depressive. He shares his personal views, views in some cases markedly out of character with the men whose valor and principles he has become a household name writing about. I felt a vauge sense of disappointment that he was not cut out of the same cloth and was instead self-absorbed, disrespectful and callow. His facts are not always straight and his personal forthrightness highly questionable. He engages in Clintonian type non-denial-denials such as asserting I was not fired and then allowing although the univerisity let it be known they would be much happier if I would find other employment. Technically it is true, but when presented as a non-firing becomes a lie. When your employer tells you to leave you are fired even if the words are not used, and half truths are the very worst trait a historian can possess. I am sorry I read this book not because it is bad, indeed much is good and enlightening especiall the section on Nixion. No I am sorry I read it for what it told me about the writer. Sorry I like the author less. Most of all sorry he didn't quit while he was ahead.
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Summary: What a Rough Draft Reads Like
Review: As hard as it is for authors to get into print in the first place, you really can't fault them for riding on their reputation once they've finally made it. So it is with this, a disappointing effort, which mixes "Greatest Hits" excerpted form his other books, a semi-biography, and some personal opinions. It reads like first draft, highly disorganized, with clunky prose. The "borrowing" issues of Ambrose's career are not addressed, but for an interesting experience, read his chapter on the Battle of New Orleans in conjunction with Theordore Roosevelt's account. Very sloppy editing and fact-checking. Two major boners that jumped right out: US soldiers did not carry BARs in Kosovo, and the MacArthurs, Arthur and Doug, were the first father and son to win the Medal of Honor.
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Summary: A hodge podge of wonderful tidbits..........
Review: First of all this book is somewhat of a ramble. Ambrose jumps from one subject to the next and interweaves personal narrative throughout. His not shying from letting his opinion be known makes 'To America' so appealing. Stephen Ambrose certainly had a gift. It was the gift of story telling. Perhaps more accurate description would be story "re-telling". That is, he was a superior listener who had a knack for asking the right questions. In my opinion his greatest books were the ones were he was able to interview eyewitnesses to the accounts - it is here that he shined the brightest. Ambrose lets it be known that he has is a proud American. His pride is not arrogance, but is a contentment in the ideals which make America great. (work ethic, freedom, power to the people, honesty, justice...) However, he is also a writer who is quick to point out flaws as well. This type of personal judgment is refreshing in contrast to writers who stay far from their subjects - ending is writing that is dry and detached. Ambrose's love of history and his passion for stories will be sorely missed and this book reminds us of why that is true.
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Summary: Lovely Final Effort By America's Most Prolific Historian!
Review: For a wildly prolific academic historian who, by the end of his illustrious career, had become a kind of one-man cottage industry by pumping out a steady stream of excellent historical works on World War Two, Lewis and Clark, and a number of other important subjects, his declaration early on in this poignant memoir that he is a storyteller is a magnificent understatement by a man not known for his modesty or introversion. Stephen Ambrose may or may not have been the best American historian and biographer of the last decade, but he certainly was, hands-down, the single most prolific of his generation. His catalogue of World War Two histories and biographies alone is breath taking in its breadth and content, and he loved to tackle other important historical issues, as well, as his best-selling portrait of the Lewis and Clark expedition so wonderfully illustrates. Yet, while I have often been a fan of the works he pushed out with almost monotonous regularity during the 1990s, I have to admit to having been a bit put out by the man himself, who I never found to be particularly erudite academically, and who was found sometimes notoriously ungracious to others within his profession. But the true measure of historian's contribution must be located in the welter of his works, rather than in his personal habits, character, or foibles, and therein lies what must be considered a most remarkable corpus of work that will continue to be read, studied, and appreciated for decades to come. This is a short and intensely personal book. I read it over the last weekend, my swollen right ankle propped up on a pillow on the leather couch after slipping down the ice-covered stone stairway on the deck of the house. Yet the throbbing pain in my ankle seemed suddenly less important and less real as I was swept away by this fellow historian who clearly has such a wonderful gift for story telling. The vignettes and situations he describes came alive for me, and I found myself wishing he had written more of this sort of thing along the way now that he has vanished from our presence, likely striding over the battlefields of Valhalla and laughing, smoking one his omni-present cigarettes and laughing that hoarse southern cackle of his. Stephen Ambrose will long be remembered for this work, and likely by the parade of memorable students he had who are now among the ranks of professional historians themselves. His body of work and his sense of dedication to telling the human stories so important (and so often neglected) in history will stand in singular relief as a testament to important academic work done in a quite distinctive and most memorable way. His own ability to recognize the importance of locating the acting individual in the context of his existential, social, and political situation while telling the single solitary person's story will offer those of us still standing a remarkable standard to hold up in order to measure our own burgeoning efforts. This, then, is a wistful, emotional, and memorable book, and one I can recommend for anyone wanting a more personal glimpse at a man who gave much and who will always remain in our collective memories. Enjoy!
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