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Rating: 
Summary: I had high hopes for this book but...
Review: All I found was endless drivel and redundant focus on themes without bringing anything new to the table. It was difficult getting through the 400 -plus pages. I took heart in the chapter where Peggy paints a picture of the ideal world where every citizen will salute the cross and flag, and then "take heart" in the new Republican revolution, but a lot of it doesn't fly. Especially her ruminations on how GW Bush can twerp the constitution in order to get a 3rd term. I just don't think that'll happen soon. Maybe when Rumsfeld becomes president. He has the brains to do it.
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Summary: Catharsis in print
Review: Having been a Peggy Noonan fan for some time, I was excited to read her collection of essays in the aftermath of 9/11. I was not dissapointed in the least.
Ms. Noonan offers readers her particularly personal and charming perspective on everything from firefighter admiration, to anger, to faith, to the politics of terrorism. In doing so she reminds us why she should be considered among the best essayists of our generation.
In the interest of fairness, there were times when I wished the book was more cohesive. The lack of cohesion is a natural consequence of these writings being stand-alone essays. Still, at times this distracted from her otherwise brilliant writing.
When A Heart, a Cross, and a Flag shines (as it so often does), it is a therpautic and prosaic look at our country's most challenging moment. An excellent choice for like-minded conservatives as well as reasonable patriots of the left.
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Summary: Terrible author, terrible book
Review: Peggy Noonan is a biased commentator and frankly her views are outdated
Rating:
Summary: heart and soul
Review: Peggy Noonan's new book is another harrowing trip into the collective id. Not everybody will agree with her equation of the events of 9/11 and what she calls the "bloody abortion mills of Boston" -- mills that she confesses she visited more than once. Nor will her long chapter on her alcoholism mean much to those who don't watch the Sunday shows (although it is certainly interesting to find out that she "never did a single show sober"). But her frisky memoir of "life with Ronnie" will please everybody (except Nancy!) and her ventures into modern art (making multimedia pieces with a goat's heart, an iron cross and a Nazi flag) are simply fascinating. You go girl!
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Summary: The Way It Really Is Out There
Review: This book was given to me by a very good friend of mine, MaryAnn. On 9/11/01 we sat next to each other in work in New Jersey. We watched and listened in horror as the events of 9/11/01 unfolded and realized from that moment on the world as we know it will never be the same. The following year, we actually picked that specific day to fly on a business trip, 9/11/02, to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11 and to show the terrorists we are not afraid of them. Ms. Noonan actually discusses how people are afraid to fly today in the last chapter. For some people this book will not be politically correct, so be aware of this. Ms. Noonan can not heap enough praise on the firefighters who responded on 9/11 (MaryAnn's brother was one of the brave firefighters who responded on 9/11, a real hero). I enjoyed and re-read over several times the chapters that referred to the 9/11 events. I agree with Ms. Noonan that we are in a war with terrorists, even though there may not be people who realize this. I enjoyed how other subjects were interwoven into the book, the Pope, how life went on after 9/11. Ms. Noonan described how she walked across the Brooklyn Bridge the morning of 9/11/02. Her descriptions and how she captures her feelings are written beautifully, each of us should have tried to capture our own moments. I know some people picking up the book may not want to read about President Bush or the Pope but the descriptions on the weather, how people continued to live their lives after 9/11 were great. If anyone feels as though their civil rights are being violated, just read Chapter 18, "Everybody's Been Shot", even if you are in a bookstore just read it. I've updated this review on 11/30 after I saw on TV people feel as though their rights are violated when they are searched boarding a plane, wake up people remember 9/11 and days afterwards, the shoe bomber, Everyone's been shot, read this section. If nothing else read the poems on pages 23 and 24 (they were tagged for me, thank you) and the poem on page 79, Two Thousand One, Nine Eleven (read these several times). Ms. Noonan describes Brooklyn Heights and beauty (I went to St. Francis College in the Heights). The past two years MaryAnn, other co-workers and myself have gone to Brooklyn Heights to view the Blue Light tribute to 9/11/01. Everyone should see this from Brooklyn Heights and everyone should read this book. Thanks for writing the book Ms. Noonan. This is an awesome gift.
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