Gerald Ford

Legacy of Honor: The Values and Influence of America's Eagle Scouts

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The Best Support of the Boy Scouts I EVER Read!!!
:Must Reading"
Once And Always An Eagle
Superb gift for the new Eagle Scout
Truly Inspirational!

Legacy of Honor: The Values and Influence of America's Eagle Scouts
Alvin Townley
Manufacturer: Thomas Dunne Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0312366531
Release Date: 2006-12-26

Book Description

Over the past century, America's Eagle Scouts have earned a reputation for service, virtue, and leadership that is recognized throughout the world. But few people realize the full extent to which Eagle Scouts have made a mark on American history. They have served as astronauts, soldiers, politicians, and businessmen, but they have also been the fathers, brothers, Scoutmasters, coaches, and other role models who have played an integral part in American life.

Alvin Townley set out across the country to hear the stories of these Eagle Scouts. He spoke with individuals from every region, of every age and every background, some of whom have risen to fame as public figures while others have left a lasting impact outside of the spotlight.

The Eagle Scouts who share their experiences include Bill Gates, Sr., Bill Bradley, J. W. Marriott, Jr., Ross Perot, Michael Bloomberg, Richard Lugar, Michael Dukakis, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, coach Chan Gailey, and Capt. Jim Lovell of Apollo 13. The book also explores the virtues of a Tuskegee Airman, a Vietnam War POW, a September 11 NYPD hero, a crew of Hurricane Katrina relief workers, and a host of others from every walk of life.

During his journey, Alvin discovered stories of character, courage, and inspiration that belong not only to Eagle Scouts but to all Americans. These stories form the heart of Legacy of Honor and offer us a chance to appreciate the profound impact that Eagle Scouts have had on American history and the lasting role they will play in our country's future.

Customer Reviews:

The Best Support of the Boy Scouts I EVER Read!!!.......2007-05-14

It is often that one wonders what makes true heroes. Are they made or born? Then you read a book like this. About Heroes and the common man, and how he started like the average boy in your neighborhood, and just 'went to Scouts every week', and 'had fun' But after six years of energy, leadership and being mentored, many become Eagle Scouts and then they pursue a measure of excellence that leads them to 'paths greater than any imagined' Astronauts, Political Leaders, Firemen, Rescuers, Saviors of Youth, and Military Escellence. 50 stories of folks just like us that become 'the top of the heap', and move others to join the heap, not to step on others less fortunate. Start anywhere, any part of this book, no plot, no difficult passages, just tear jerking reminders of men and boys who would strive to 'achieve' and did as youths and then as adults, with outstanding results. A must read for teachers, clergy, and psychologists who deal with youth who need role models.

:Must Reading".......2007-05-08

This book should be requied reading for all Boy Scout leaders and all Scouts with a goal of attaining the Eagle rank. Both will get a valuable insight into what defines an Eagle Scout. Adults will find themselves more knowledgeable and better able to explain the value of earning the Eagle. Youth will better understand just what attaining the Eagle means and the legacy they are expected to continue once they have earned it.

Once And Always An Eagle.......2007-04-19

What an excellent testimony to the impact of Scouting over the decades.

This book is a must for Eagle Scouts, who almost certainly find themselves in the story. It should also be a part of any Scoutmasters library as it will provide dozens of stories to share during a Scoutmaster's minute or at a campfire.

Superb gift for the new Eagle Scout.......2007-04-04

Excellent book for new Eagle Scouts to learn about some of the distinguished Eagles that have become for them, as well as the words of wisdom and advice these Eagle Scout leaders have for those that follow in their footsteps. We used it as a gift for our new Eagle, and encouraged those attending his Court of Honor to sign in the blank pages that precede and follow the chapters.

Truly Inspirational!.......2007-03-21

The title caught my attention and the content kept my attention. The book is well written and the author has a way of inspiring young minds to reach this lofty goal, and makes those of us who have achieved the rank grateful for the hard work of leaders and parents who helped us. I purchased another copy and am circulating it among my five Eagle Scout sons and two sons-in-law. The stories are real life adventures and I was pleasantly surprised at people I know and respect even more now that I know they are Eagle Scouts. A great book. A greater gift.

Average customer rating:

My dad liked this gift..
Great Biography for a Great Man
President Gerald Ford
Ford grows with time
good reading

Gerald R. Ford
Douglas Brinkley
Manufacturer: Times Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0805069097
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Book Description

The “accidental” president whose innate decency and steady hand restored the presidency after its greatest crisis

When Gerald R. Ford entered the White House in August 1974, he inherited a presidency tarnished by the Watergate scandal, the economy was in a recession, the Vietnam War was drawing to a close, and he had taken office without having been elected. Most observers gave him little chance of success, especially after he pardoned Richard Nixon just a month into his presidency, an action that outraged many Americans, but which Ford thought was necessary to move the nation forward.
Many people today think of Ford as a man who stumbled a lot--clumsy on his feet and in politics--but acclaimed historian Douglas Brinkley shows him to be a man of independent thought and conscience, who never allowed party loyalty to prevail over his sense of right and wrong. As a young congressman, he stood up to the isolationists in the Republican leadership, promoting a vigorous role for America in the world. Later, as House minority leader and as president, he challenged the right wing of his party, refusing to bend to their vision of confrontation with the Communist world. And after the fall of Saigon, Ford also overruled his advisers by allowing Vietnamese refugees to enter the United States, arguing that to do so was the humane thing to do.
Brinkley draws on exclusive interviews with Ford and on previously unpublished documents (including a remarkable correspondence between Ford and Nixon stretching over four decades), fashioning a masterful reassessment of Gerald R. Ford’s presidency and his underappreciated legacy to the nation.

Customer Reviews:

My dad liked this gift.........2007-05-07

My dad enjoyed Gerald Ford as President because of his honesty, integrity, and rare human quality.

Great Biography for a Great Man.......2007-04-09

The American Presidents Series is a wonderful way to learn about each of the presidents in little time. This bio is very timely after the death of Ford. Brinkley is a great writer and brings the life of Ford to the readers in a flowing narrative. Brinkley also shows what a nice, honest, great man Ford was, as well as shows how Ford's accomplishments are being viewed in a different and better light later in history. Highly recommended

President Gerald Ford .......2007-03-26

Moves like a novel. Very wasy to read. Story told in an interesting way. Text could have one a little more in-depth as the book was rather short.

Ford grows with time.......2007-03-18

The American Presidents series, snapshot biographies of most of our presidents, is a great addition to our knowledge of this small number of men who have been our nation's Chief Executive. With the recent publication of Douglas Brinkley's book on Gerald Ford the series has just gotten even better. The timeliness of the book's release, so soon after President Ford's death, (not to mention the passing of Arthur Schlesinger, general editor of the series) is particularly welcome. Ford's growing popularity, as witnessed not only by Brinkley's offering but also by the former president's funeral, adds to the luster of a president who, during his tenure at the White House, was considered either a buffoon or just simply not up to the job.

Brinkley stresses Gerald Ford's midwestern roots, his service to the country during World War II and his ascension through the Republican ranks in the House of Representatives to become that party's Minority Leader. Politically ambitious, Brinkley recalls that Ford's wish was to become Speaker of the House. How things changed for him almost overnight! When Nixon needed a new Vice President after the disgraced Spiro Agnew resigned, there was really only one man who was acceptable...Jerry Ford.

His 896 days as president had some notable achievements, our extrication from Vietnam and the Helsinki Accords to name just two, but the pardon of Nixon....always the pardon...came around to haunt Ford for years. Fortunately, for those of us who were outraged at Ford for doing so at the time, now see the wisdom of his decision and Brinkley balances this nicely with other aspects of the Ford administration.

The assessment of President Ford's performance in office is far from complete but his personal attributes of honesty and integrity will only help to reinforce a rising look at Gerald Ford as a man and as a president. Douglas Brinkley has done an excellent job of reminding us what a good man President Ford was and how he helped get us through the aftermath of our "long, national nightmare".

good reading.......2007-03-16

This book about Gerry Ford is an easy read. It is well written and strengthens my feelings that President Ford was the last of the "nice" guys in politics!

Average customer rating:

A Noble, Extraordinary Life

A Time for Reflection: An Autobiography
William E. Simon , Gerald Ford , George P. Shultz , and John M. Caher
Manufacturer: Regnery Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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A Time for Truth
A Time for Action

ASIN: 0895261707

Book Description

Written just before Simon's death, this book is a breathtaking odyssey of his adventures crossing the Arctic Sea in a sailboat; a nearly tragic scuba diving accident with his sons, and his direction of the Federal Energy Administration at the height of the oil embargo.

Customer Reviews:

A Noble, Extraordinary Life.......2004-03-01

William Simon's is an extraordinary lifestory, and reading his memoir, published posthumously this year following his death in 2000, was thoroughly enjoyable. Simon's life had so many incarnations -- prescient Wall Street trader, principled public servant (energy czar and treasury secretary), conservative intellectual, pathbreaking merchant banker, champion of the U.S. Olympic movement, philanthropist, intrepid adventurer, Eucharistic Minister -- that it's hard to fathom one person leading such an eclectic, richly diverse life.

Known for his sharp opinions while in public office, Simon is largely magnanimous in recounting his life experiences. For example, he declines to elaborate on the reasons for his falling out with a longtime colleague and business partner, saying only that he trusted someone he thought was his friend. He pulls no puches, however, in expressing outrage at wrongheaded government decisions, such as the 1989 FIRREA Act (which suddenly made struggling S&Ls insolvent), Pres. Carter's Olympic boycott (which accomplished little other than prompting Soviet retaliation four years later) and foolish government meddling in the oil market (rationing, price controls, etc. which largely created the 1970s energy "crisis").

The memoir offers several colorful, revealing anecdotes. For example, Simon's pointed counsel to Ronald Reagan, urging him to drop former Pres Ford from consideration for the Vice Presidency. (I never heard or read of this before; Lou Cannon makes no mention of it in his new biography of Reagan's pre-presidential years.) Also, Simon's confrontation -- nearly leading to blows -- with an inebriated Vice President Rockefeller. This is fascinating stuff.

Equally fascinating are the chapters on Simon's pioneering role in the use of Leverage Buyouts to restore underperforming companies to sound profitability. Simon eschewed hostile LBOs, preferring to work cooperatively with, and empowering, management, and deftly abandonded the business when it attracted a surfeit of "takeover artist" capital in the late 1980s.

Simon's separation from, and reconcilliation with, his wife of 40 years is particularly poignant, as is his ministry to indigent AIDs patients and other destitute people. The caring and compassion behind a gruff -- sometimes mercurial exterior -- is palpable.

William Simon led an amazing, noble life. Emulating such an extraordinary human being is beyond the reach of most of us. But thanks to this new book, we can at least read about and admire him. Highly recommended.

The Times of My Life
Average customer rating:

BETTER THAN U MIGHT EXPECT

The Times of My Life
Betty Ford
Manufacturer: Harpercollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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A Time to Heal: The Autobiography of Gerald R. Ford

The Presidency of Gerald R. Ford (American Presidency Series)

ASIN: 0060112980

Customer Reviews:

BETTER THAN U MIGHT EXPECT.......1999-06-20

i can remember reading this book years ago and thinking it was so much better than i expected. her insights were valuable and one gets a good look into the life of the white house.

A Time to Heal: The Autobiography of Gerald R. Ford

Average customer rating:

He Was The Real Deal
Stumbling Through History
How a King became a Ford and a non-elected President
Great Book
The Luckiest (or Unluckiest) Guy in American History

A Time to Heal: The Autobiography of Gerald R. Ford
Gerald R. Ford
Manufacturer: Harper & Row / Reader's Digest
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060112972

Customer Reviews:

He Was The Real Deal.......2006-12-31

You know you are doing well when the nutty Right and the kookie Left disdain you. President Ford not only chronicles his date with destiny as the 38th President, but gives in depth information about his time as Commander-in-Chief. In my opinion, that time was all too short.

Had he been elected to a second term he could have completed the excellent work he started. I think he knew that the pardon of President Nixon would torpedo his chances at election in 1976, but he did what was best for the nation-placing the good of the country above his own aspirations. How rare!

Now, we mourn the loss of this great man. And I can honestly say that there was never a vote I cast that I felt better about than the vote I cast for President Ford. He had courage, integrity, fortitude, and vision. He knew how to run this country when it was very close to being torn apart. Now we seem to thrive on seeing how divided, partisan, and nasty politics can be.

Men like Gerald Ford are so rare as individuals, and as politicians, almost unheard of. There will never be another like him. Thank you, President Ford for sharing so much of yourself with us. You truly were the "real deal."

Stumbling Through History.......2006-11-08

Perhaps in the first time in the publishing industry, a former president had to refund a portion of the advance for his memoirs due to its falling short of expectations of the publisher. That is all that needs to be said about A Time To Heal.

Gerald R. Ford stumbled into the presidency in the same way comic Chevy Chase panned him in skits on SNL. Embattled Pres. Richard Nixon needed a mark to make sure he could shuffle out of the Oval Office without the threat of being prosecuted for crimes & misdemeanors, and Ford was the man.

The book is short on detailed facts concerning the issue of the pardon and staggers through the key points of the times - the fall of Saigon and the 1976 Republican primary that basically undid his presidency - like a running back on a soggy field and wearing the wrong cleats for proper traction.

Ford should have had the courage to take a pen in hand and truly write a major piece on the tumolt that defined his brief presidency. The book publisher certainly expected more. But I guess that sketches short on facts are what should have been expected from an individual who truly defined the term, "Beltway Insider."

How a King became a Ford and a non-elected President.......2005-01-28

I have a pet theory that the first vote you cast for the office of President of the United States is key to how you will vote for the rest of your life. In other words, every vote is an extension of or a reaction to that original vote. I case my first vote in 1976 for Gerald R. Ford and the key factor was that here was a man who had not run for president. Selected by Richard Nixon and the Congress of the United States to replaced Spiro Agnew as Vice President, Ford assumed the presidency when Nixon resigned because of the Watergate cover up. Consequently, there has always been part of me that has wanted to disqualify everybody who wants to be president. Granted, it makes it impossible to vote for anybody, but I still think on some level that if you want to be president you should not be allowed to hold the office (However, this is not as far-fetched as it sounds: the current occupant of the White House did not want to be president, but rather Commissioner of Baseball).

Gerald Rudolph Ford, the 38th President of the United States, was actually born Leslie Lynch King, Jr., but his parents separated two weeks after his birth and when his mother married Gerald R. Ford, a paint salesman in Grand Rapids, Michigan, they changed the boy's name and we avoided having a King become President. Ford tells the story of his life in simple and rather unembellished terms. When he was 17 he had a chance meeting with his biological father apparently devoid of sentiment or significance. How he relates the incident is representative of the way that Ford presents his life's story, with restraint and without tooting his own horn. The things for which he has been honored throughout his life, from being an All-American football player at the University of Michigan to being honored by President Jimmy Carter in his inaugural address for all he had done to heal the nation in the wake of Watergate, are taken in stride. Consequently, "A Time to Heal: The Autobiography of Gerald R. Ford" is as much a testament to the man's character as it is a memoir of his life in and out of politics.

Ford covers the major episodes of his life, growing up in Michigan, being an Eagle Scout, playing at Michigan and turning down offers to play professional football to attend Yale Law School instead. During World War II Ford served in the Navy on the U.S.S. Monterey, a light aircraft carrier. After the war he practiced law and then won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1948. It was during that campaign that he married Elizabeth Ann Bloomer Warren. Ford was re-elected to Congress a dozen times, always getting over 60% of the vote. Rejecting opportunities to run for the Senate or the Michigan governorship, Ford's ambition was to become Speaker of the House. He described himself as "a moderate in domestic affairs, an internationalist in foreign affairs, and a conservative in fiscal policy," and was considered a "reform" Republican.

What becomes interesting in looking at Ford's career in Congress is to see the reputation he established with his colleagues as House Minority leader, so that when the scandal plagued Nixon Administration needed someone who was totally clean to become Vice-President, there was no opposition to Ford. I think the biggest mistake in the entire run of "The West Wing" was the notion that the Congress would have not only confirmed but pushed somebody like Bob Russell for Vice President. In selecting Ford to replace Agnew, and then selecting Nelson Rockerfeller to in turn replace Ford, Congress made sure the person a heart beat away from the presidency was qualified, even given the political complications. But even such creative fiction only serves to emphasize the respect his colleagues had for Ford.

In terms of the Ford Presidency this autobiography does focus on the key episodes from the pardon of Nixon (I always thought it was the right thing to do) and the capture of the U.S.S. Mayaguez to the two assassination attempts, his "Whip Inflation Now" policy and the 1976 presidential campaign. After holding off a strong challenge from Ronald Reagan in the Republican primaries, Ford and his running mate Senator Bob Dole succeeded in narrowing the gap on Jimmy Carter, but lost in a close election. One of the key moments in the debates was when Ford was castigated for suggesting that the Poles did not think they were under Soviet domination. Ironically, it was in Poland that the first major cracks in the Communist bloc took place and in retrospect Ford was apparently more right than anybody at the time ever guessed.

Those looking for major revelations and profound insights will not find them here. This is a relatively simple man, laying out the public record more out of a sense of obligation, because history demands such things, than out of a need to justify what he has done (cf. Johnson, Nixon, Clinton). While trying to be open about his personal life, he clearly remains a private man. If you remember how he spoke, both in his speeches and in his conversations, you can "hear" Ford's voice as you read this book. So while this is not the most revealing or insightful of presidential autobiographies, it does provide Ford's side of the story, and you will have the sense that it is one of the most honest. Final Note: Inside the front cover of my first edition copy of "A Time to Heal" I still have the folded up sample ballot for the 1976 general election that I voted on in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Great Book.......2004-04-03

The book is great if you want to know more about Gerald Ford. Ford tells it like it is. He does not let his ego stand in the way of tell his side of the story. It a down to earth, honest book about the same type of man. Too bad that we do not have more people in Congress like Gerald Ford instead of people who are only worried about getting reelected to office.

The Luckiest (or Unluckiest) Guy in American History.......2001-12-23

Because Gerald Ford was a President about whom I knew nothing, I figured I'd do a little reading on the man. For better or worse, I've started with his own memoirs.

Conscious of the fact that all former Presidents use their memoirs to make themselves look like the best leader we've ever had, I have to say that Ford's were the best I've read.

Superficially, his writing style flows very well and he seems to cover all the bases. In terms of content, the book is very well written, although Ford lays out his administration like a laundry list of events and his responses to them. I definitely want to know more about the emotions he must have been feeling when he was named as VP and then as President, during the Nixon pardon crisis, and during his bid for election (I almost wrote reelection!).

What impresses me about Ford is that he considered himself to be just as presidential as any of his predecessors, despite the fact that he had never been elected by the American people as even VP, and, perhaps even worse, he was named VP by Nixon after Spiro Agnew resigned in shame and the Nixon administration itself had begun falling apart.

I think history will look upon Gerald Ford very favorably, for the courage he exercised in pardoning Nixon and in accepting this awesome responsibility in such a bizarre situation.

Customer Reviews:

The Serious Side of Laughter.......2007-01-19

I confess to not being too enamored of Gerald Ford while he was president. After the first month of his presidency (the honeymoon period), he pardoned Nixon, & my initial excitement with his self-professed candor was immediately replaced with a lasting cynacism about ALL matters having to do with US politics (I was then 19, and had barely heeded the Watergate hearings, having lived in Britain while they dragged on: today I would be addicted to them). To my teenaged mind, there seemed nothing honest or sincere about the pardon, or the man responsible for it: I only saw the 'same old, same old', in sum, the mediocre. I would not find politics exciting again, until my early twenties, but from then on, would all but ignore the Ford era, even in retrospect. More towering/frighenting/exciting figures would follow (& had preceded)--figures whose impact would seem to be more lasting.

Then Ford died.

The press commentary on Ford's reasons for the pardon (to rebuild the country's confidence in its institutions, & especially the presidency), and the nicer things said about him upon his passing made me at least reconsider my lack of curiosity about Ford, when I came upon a copy of this book, during a New Year's sale. The book had not been marked up after Ford's passing (an oversight for this shop) & was even at 30% off during the sale. I happpend upon a sound & clean hard cover copy, in an untorn dustjacket, that seemed a reasonable buy, at $4. I just can't resist a bargain, especially if I think it might become an investment.

Then I read the book. The first part discusses humor as a part of the First Amendment process, and its value as a check and balance against the High & Mighty & tyrranny in general. It then deals with how certain presidents could or could not craft humor (and could or could not deal with it) and notes how a good sense of humor (& an ablility to be a good sport when one is the butt of it) seems to accompany presidential competence. A president who takes himself too seriously (who cannot see the humor in his foibles) is often poisioned by arrogance (& paranoia), & less likely to be adaptive, in times of crisis. Humor punctures the bubble around the ruler who receives it well. Unfortunately, this was published before we might have seen how Bush I & Clinton took to some of the humor at their expense (1987), but the current Bush (II) certainly takes poorly to any kind of questioning of his authority. There seems to be no way that the bubble that surrounds him might be punctured by humor, or even by an attempt to explain things to him, however simple the terms one might use (see Woodward's State of Denial).

The funny topic matter of this book all but masks the insights one gains through how a president reacts to humor directed at himself and how that reaction might predict/evaluate how well such an idividual might rule. This may even explain how/why some comedians/actors have at least seemed to be good leaders: recognition of good timing, in the pleasing of audiences (especially when such timing is improvised), and the use of it to persuade listeners about more complex ideas, may yet transfer to the kind of talent that enables one to creatitivity & quickwittedly work through and manage more the more cosmic political issues and problems. And ones lack of such talents thereof, may also prove to be a negative harbinger.

My first impression of this book (from its cover and while perusing its pages) was that it, like its author (that is my early impressions of him), might be trite: by the time I finished it (introduction included), I was deeply impressed with its wisdom (& saw that some of those positive things written about Ford, upon his passing, indeed proved true: how he wrote this book & evaluated on his own mistakes & accomplishments showed his mind to be subtle after all). His attitude to the humor directed at him, even at a time when it hurt him more, seemed to mostly be along the lines of, "fair enough" which led me to come away from this book with a sense that he was himself an honest person, & more importantly, if not absolutely brilliant, at least a quick study. So, I now regard Ford as having (post humously & post humorously) taught me something insightful about humor, just rule, and its positive effects upon the world. I now regard the writer (Ford) as not trite at all--certainly sincere, and, in light of an eventful life, most admirable.

An Insider Speaks.......2001-07-29

In this book from 1987, President Ford gives examples from his administration and others of the positive effects of humor. Presidents Kennedy and Reagan are given as the two examples of recent Presidents who knew how to use humor to their advantage. Ford cites examples of how Kennedy took tense situations and neutralized them through humor. Nixon and Carter are listed as Presidents who lacked humor and had difficulty with the press.

This book also has several pages of reproduced cartoons. The modern ones focus on Ford and Reagan.

Various members of the Ford Administration give examples of funny incidents that happened during their time in the White House. President Ford describes his anger at how he sometimes was portrayed by comedians. Members of Ford's staff give examples of how Ford used humor to ease tension with audiences, staff and others. There are also worthwhile stories given here about how hard the Ford White House worked to win the GOP nomination in 1976. Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld are two members of the Ford Administration quoted here. It is interesting that they are now both back in Washington as members of the Bush Administration.

Squeaky: The Life and Times Of Lynette Alice Fromme
Average customer rating:

great book

not interesting

Most grounded book pertaining to the "Manson family" yet

The girl who ran, and ran too far...

Well documented book on Lynette Alice "Squeaky" Fromme

Squeaky: The Life and Times Of Lynette Alice Fromme
Jess Bravin
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0312156634

Customer Reviews:

great book.......2007-01-07

Another great book about the Manson women. Gives insight to the person behind the media stories. Very interesting story. Gives you insight to the person and not the crimes.

not interesting.......2006-08-10

If you're one of those people who went through a phase where you were trying like hell to figure out why humans like Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme helped turn Charles Manson into a cult leader back in the late 1960s, this book will answer none of your questions. Though it received a lot of great reviews by writers from the best newspapers and magazines, I remain utterly dumbfounded as to why.
Anyone who has truly wasted a lot of time digging for any information that can be found on "the family" will find this book hollow. Beyond hollow. It doesn't even have an outward form.

Most grounded book pertaining to the "Manson family" yet.......2004-06-02

I've always thought you have to take anything thats been written about the so called "Manson family", whether pro or anti Manson, with a huge grain of salt. This book requires less salt than anything I've read pertaining to the "Manson family" to date.

The author paints a very sympathetic picture of Fromme. I think the angle he is getting at is Manson was able to influence Fromme because she was looking for a Father figure type because her dad was emotionally abusive, neglectful and he strongly implies that Squeaky was sexually abused by him. (which Fromme has denied is true) He also does a lot to show and explain the environmental/ecological activism and theories of the "Manson family", which I found interesting and a lot more well grounded than Bugliosi's screwy "helter skelter" theory. The environmental issues were the main focus and obsession of the "Manson family", not "helter skelter" in my own personal opinion.

I'm giving this book 4 stars, I'm leaning toward giving it 5 but some the stuff on her trial for attempted murder on former President Gerald Ford drags a little, although some of Frommes wacky courtroom behaviour during the trial is amusing. I personally do not believe she had any intention on shooting Ford either, she was just was trying to draw attention to the environmental issues she was obsessed with.

The girl who ran, and ran too far..........2004-05-13

This is a compelling and very informative portrait of one of the more vocal female members of the Manson family, would-be presidential assassin Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme. In late 1969, when Charles Manson and four others were imprisoned for the brutal murders of nine people, Squeaky Fromme became the leader of the Manson clan in Charlie's absence and took to the streets, holding daily vigils outside the courthouse with the other family members who weren't imprisoned. In 1975, while living in Sacramento and preaching about the destruction of the environment with friend Sandra Good, Squeaky aimed a gun at then-president Gerald Ford. In prison for life, this novel details her early life as a dancer with the Westchester Lariats in Redondo Beach, California, her notable High School days, and finally how and when she met Manson and was seduced by his off-the-wall ideologies. It gives an incredible day-by-day account of her highly-publicized trial in which it was to be decided whether or not she actually meant to kill the president. Although not for everyone, this book is a must for true-crime fans and those who want to know what made this fascinating woman tick.

Well documented book on Lynette Alice "Squeaky" Fromme.......2002-07-09

This book chronicles the life of Lynette Alice "Squeaky" Fromme from her childhood years, her time with Manson, her attempted assissination attempt of Pres. Ford, and her subsequent trial.

The updated version of the book has a "section" from Squeaky herself. The majority of the book, though, was written without her cooperation. Some "members" of the family gave input into this book as well, including Sandra Good, and RuthAnn Morehouse.

A great book to read not only if you want to learn more about Lynette Fromme, but also to get a grasp on the turbulant times of the 60's and 70's.

State Of The Union Addresses
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State Of The Union Addresses
Gerald R. Ford
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1419149113

Book Description

Now, I want to speak very bluntly. I've got bad news, and I don't expect much, if any, applause. The American people want action, and it will take both the Congress and the President to give them what they want. Progress and solutions can be achieved, and they will be achieved.

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Betty: A Glad Awakening
Elaine Ford
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 038523502X
Release Date: 1987-02-06

31 Days: The Crisis That Gave Us the Government We Have Today

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A Man For the Times
Rare Look At Ford
The transition from bad to good.
Interesting look into Richard Nixon's pardon
Fantastic account of historical events and future impact

31 Days: The Crisis That Gave Us the Government We Have Today
Barry Werth
Manufacturer: Nan A. Talese
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0385513801
Release Date: 2006-04-11

Book Description

In 31 Days, Barry Werth takes readers inside the White House during the tumultuous days following Nixon’s resignation and the swearing-in of America’s “accidental president,” Gerald Ford. The congressional hearings, Nixon’s increasing paranoia, and, finally, the devastating revelations of the White House tapes had torn the country apart. Within the White House and the Republican Party, Nixon’s resignation produced new fissures and battle lines—and new opportunities for political advancement.

Ford had to reassure the nation and the world that he would attend to the pressing issues of the day, from resolving the legal questions surrounding Nixon’s role in Watergate, to dealing with the wind down of the Vietnam War, the precarious state of détente with the Soviet Union, and the ongoing attempts to stabilize the Middle East. Within hours of Nixon’s departure from Washington, Ford began the all-important task of forming an inner circle of trusted advisers.

In richly detailed scenes, Werth describes the often vicious sparring among two mutually distrustful staffs—Nixon’s and Ford’s vice presidential holdovers—and a transition team that included Donald Rumsfeld (then Nixon’s ambassador to NATO) and Rumsfeld’s former deputy, the thirty-three-year-old coolly efficient Richard Cheney. The first detailed account of the ruthless maneuvering and day-to-day politicking behind everything from the pardon of Nixon to why George H. W. Bush was passed over for the vice presidency, to the rise of a new cadre of Republican movers and shakers, 31 Days offers a compelling perspective on a fascinating but relatively unexamined period in American history and its impact on the present.</p>

Customer Reviews:

A Man For the Times.......2007-03-09

Gerald Ford was a man for the times as he became President of the United States. Truly, the political times we have now are outlined in what we had then.

The pardon was a necessity at the time, and he paid for it, but history has now understood. What history will not understand is how we did not getit then and ended up with Jimmy Carter. History will not improve the malaise we had with him.

A good book for those interested in Ford or the post-Watergate era. Also a good book for those who want to understand some of the inside workings of a White House or the workings of those who are hungry for power and how they work to manipulate things in their own personal favor. Ford did not put up with much of that but it was all around him.

A good read.

stb.

Rare Look At Ford.......2006-11-09

Barry Werth's 31 Days is an intriguing look at the first 31 days of Gerald Ford's presidency. The book intertwines a look at Richard Nixon, Watergate and how staffers such as Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney would go on to help shape the political climate of today. Mr. Rumsfeld & Mr. Cheney are a very small part of the book (Cheney isn't really looked at all), but the overall tone foresees the Bush White House. Mr. Werth provides a short bio on Mr. Ford and how his decision to pardon Mr. Nixon essentially destroyed his re-election bid. Mr. Ford was the accidental president never being elected in a general election, but the ramifications of his short presidency set the stage for Reagan and the two Bushes.

The transition from bad to good........2006-09-25

Nixon falls and we escalate Ford into the Presidency, after Agnew was knocked out of the picture as well. The brillance of our goverment and this book is that there were no tanks, no soldiers, no havoc. There was confusion and this book details how our goverment functioned during the most internal strife in the history of the Presidency that was not Assasination related. The author portrays Ford's intent to be a moral and strong leader very effectively. The book could have benefitted with some pictures from that period in time.

Interesting look into Richard Nixon's pardon.......2006-08-13

This is a fantastic book and I really enjoyed learning about how big a deal Watergate really was. As a person born after Watergate, I really don't know as much as I should about it and its impact on our government. Also, I've always assumed that Gerald Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon was shady at best; however, after reading the book, I have a new found respect for Gerald Ford and the difficulties he faced in office - pardoning Nixon was no easy decision.

Fantastic account of historical events and future impact.......2006-06-13

31 Days provides an in-depth account of the first thirty-one days of Gerald Ford's presidency, from the delivery of Richard Nixon's resignation letter to Henry Kissinger to Ford's controversial pardon of the former President. The book provides an insider's perspective on the developments in the White House and at Nixon's residence in San Clemente during this time, and concludes with a fascinating epilogue which traces the progress of key players in the Ford administration through the Reagan, Bush Sr., and Bush Jr. administrations right up to the present-day controversies surrounding the war in Iraq.

I found the book to be engaging for several reasons. First, the day-by-day presentation (thirty-one chapters, one for each day of the period covered) is an imaginative means of communicating the significant events during this time. Additionally, the "behind closed doors" dialogue of individuals whose interests were sometimes aligned and sometimes in conflict constructs a detailed picture of the challenges and uncertainties driving the actions of the major players in power at the time. Finally, the book's development of the political paths not only of Ford and Nixon, but of Reagan, Bush Sr., Rumsfeld, and Cheney generates an intriguing connection between today's political landscape and events which happened over thirty years ago.

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