Today only Amazon offer three top-rated American history books from the inimitable historian Stephen E. Ambrose are just $1.99 each.
A biography of Meriwether Lewis that relies heavily on the journals of both Lewis and Clark, this book is also backed up by the author’s personal travels along Lewis and Clark’s route to the Pacific. Ambrose is not content to simply chronicle the events of the “Corps of Discovery” as the explorers called their ventures. He often pauses to assess the military leadership of Lewis and Clark, how they negotiated with various native peoples and what they reported to Jefferson. Though the expedition failed to find Jefferson’s hoped for water route to the Pacific, it fired interest among fur traders and other Americans, changing the face of the West forever.
Review:
Ambrose has written prolifically about men who were larger than life: Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Colonel Custer. Here he takes on half of the two-headed hero of American exploration: Meriwether Lewis. Ambrose, his wife and five children have followed the footsteps of the Lewis and Clark expedition for 20 summers, in the course of which the explorer has become a friend of the Ambrose family; the author’s affection shines through this narrative. Meriwether Lewis, as secretary to Thomas Jefferson and living in the White House for two years, got his education by being apprenticed to a great man. Their friendship is at the center of this account. Jefferson hand-picked Lewis for the great cross-country trek, and Lewis in turn picked William Clark to accompany him. The two men shook hands in Clarksville, Ohio, on October 14, 1803, then launched their expedition. The journals of the expedition, most written by Clark, are one of the treasures of American history. Here we learn that the vital boat is behind schedule; the boat builder is always drunk, but he’s the only one available. Lewis acts as surveyor, builder and temperance officer in his effort to get his boat into the river. Alcohol continues to cause him problems both with the men of his expedition and later, after his triumphant return, in his own life, which ended in suicide at the age of 35. Without adding a great deal to existing accounts, Ambrose uses his skill with detail and atmosphere to dust off an icon and put him back on the trail west. History Book Club main selection; BOMC split selection; QPB alternate; author tour. —-Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Stephen E. Ambrose combines history and journalism to describe how American GIs battled their way to the Rhineland. He focuses on the combat experiences of ordinary soldiers, as opposed to the generals who led them, and offers a series of compelling vignettes that read like an enterprising reporter’s dispatches from the front lines. The book presents just enough contextual material to help readers understand the big picture, and includes memorable accounts of the Battle of the Bulge and other events as seen through the weary eyes of the men who fought in the foxholes. Highly recommended for fans of Ambrose, as well as all readers interested in understanding the life of a 1940s army grunt. A sort of sequel to Ambrose’s bestselling 1994 book D-Day, Citizen Soldiers is more than capable of standing on its own.
Review:
Military historian and author Ambrose offers a sequel to his best seller, D-Day, June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II (LJ 5/1/94). A skillful blending of eyewitness accounts (gathered mostly from the oral history collection at the Univ. of New Orleans’s Eisenhower Center and from personal interviews) gives the reader an intimate feel of what war was like for infantrymen in the European theater of operations?from the beaches of France to victory at the Elbe River. Additional chapters on the air war, medics, and prisoners of war offer firsthand accounts on topics rarely described in traditional histories. The book complements Paul Fussell’s Doing Battle: The Making of a Skeptic (LJ 8/96) and Michael Daubler’s Closing with the Enemy: How G.I.’s Fought the War in Europe, 1944-45 (Univ. of Kansas, 1994). This well-written oral history would also make an excellent general text. Highly recommended for all library collections. —-Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Military historian Ambrose examines the connections between the Indian chief and the cavalry officer who fought at Little Bighorn. —-Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review:
“Movingly told and well written . . . a fine contribution, one that will be read with pleasure and admiration by general reader, student and scholar alike. Ambrose has breathed new life into the familiar facts.”–Library Journal
“An epic and accurate retelling of one of our country’s most tragic periods.”–Baltimore Sun
Product Description
On the sparkling morning of June 25, 1876, 611 men of the United States 7th Cavalry rode toward the banks of the Little Bighorn in the Montana Territory, where 3,000 Indians stood waiting for battle. The lives of two great warriors would soon be forever linked throughout history: Crazy Horse, leader of the Oglala Sioux, and General George Armstrong Custer. Both were men of aggression and supreme courage. Both became leaders in their societies at very early ages; both were stripped of power, in disgrace, and worked to earn back the respect of their people. And to both of them, the unspoiled grandeur of the Great Plains of North America was an irresistible challenge. Their parallel lives would pave the way, in a manner unknown to either, for an inevitable clash between two nations fighting for possession of the open prairie.
From the Publisher
On the sparkling morning of June 25, 1876, 611 men of the United States 7th Cavalry rode toward the banks of the Little Bighorn in the Montana Territory, where 3,000 Indians stood waiting for battle. The lives of two great warriors would soon be forever linked throughout history: Crazy Horse, leader of the Oglala Sioux, and General George Armstrong Custer. Both were men of aggression and supreme courage. Both became leaders in their societies at very early ages; both were stripped of power, in disgrace, and worked to earn back the respect of their people. And to both of them, the unspoiled grandeur of the Great Plains of North America was an irresistible challenge. Their parallel lives would pave the way, in a manner unknown to either, for an inevitable clash between two nations fighting for possession of the open prairie. “Movingly told and well written . . . a fine contribution, one that will be read with pleasure and admiration by general reader, student and scholar alike. Ambrose has breathed new life into the familiar facts.”–Library Journal
“An epic and accurate retelling of one of our country’s most tragic periods.”–Baltimore Sun
From the Inside Flap
On the sparkling morning of June 25, 1876, 611 men of the United States 7th Cavalry rode toward the banks of the Little Bighorn in the Montana Territory, where 3,000 Indians stood waiting for battle. The lives of two great warriors would soon be forever linked throughout history: Crazy Horse, leader of the Oglala Sioux, and General George Armstrong Custer. Both were men of aggression and supreme courage. Both became leaders in their societies at very early ages; both were stripped of power, in disgrace, and worked to earn back the respect of their people. And to both of them, the unspoiled grandeur of the Great Plains of North America was an irresistible challenge. Their parallel lives would pave the way, in a manner unknown to either, for an inevitable clash between two nations fighting for possession of the open prairie.From the Back Cover
“Movingly told and well written . . . a fine contribution, one that will be read with pleasure and admiration by general reader, student and scholar alike. Ambrose has breathed new life into the familiar facts.”–Library Journal
“An epic and accurate retelling of one of our country’s most tragic periods.”–Baltimore Sun
About the Author
Stephen E. Ambrose, leading World War II historian, was the author of numerous books on history including the Number 1 bestselling BAND OF BROTHERS, D-DAY (on which SAVING PRIVATE RYAN was based) PEGASUS BRIDGE and WILD BLUE. He is founder of the Eisenhower Center and the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans. He died in 2002.
Mahjong Solitaire is the Classic Mahjong Strategy Puzzle Game
Immerse yourself in the classic puzzle game of Mahjong Solitaire. Challenge yourself to clear the board as fast as possible and see if you can resist the addictive lure to play again and again.
Mahjong Matching Madness
Mahjong Solitaire is a matching game played with 144 Mahjong tiles arranged in layered patterns. Mahjong Solitaire – Classic Mahjong Strategy Puzzle Game includes more than 20 levels of complexity and five levels of difficulty: Easy, Medium, Hard, Crazy, and Insane.
Your goal is to clear all the tiles from the board as quickly as possible. To clear tiles, tap the first tile in the pair you want to remove and then tap the second tile. If the pair is a match, it will be cleared from the board. Only tiles that are not covered by other tiles and are free on either side can be cleared. Each successful match awards you 25 points. You can see your score, time, and moves left as you play.
Shuffles, Undos, and Stars
If no matching pairs are available, the board is automatically shuffled. If you make a mistake, simply tap the Undo button. Every shuffle and every undo will lower your score by 50 points.
In Career mode, try to get three stars by completing boards quickly and without using any shuffles or undos. The faster you clear a board, the more likely you are to be awarded the coveted three stars.
Wild Tiles: Seasons and Flowers
Season and flower tiles (four each) are unique in that they do not require an exact match; rather, they can be matched with any other tile of their same type. In other words, season tiles can be matched with season tiles and flower tiles with flower tiles. You can see what these tiles look like in the app’s Help section.
Mahjong Solitaire – Classic Mahjong Strategy Puzzle Game provides hours of challenging entertainment for the whole family.