A provocative; original; and richly entertaining group biography of the Jewish immigrants who were the moving forces behind the creation of America's motion picture industry. The names Harry Cohn; William Fox; Carl Laemmle; Louis B. Mayer; Jack and Harry Warner; and Adolph Zucker are giants in the history of contemporary Hollywood; outsiders who dared to invent their own vision of the American Dream. Even to this day; the American values defined largely by the movies of these émigrés endure in American cinema and culture. Who these men were; how they came to dominate Hollywood; and what they gained and lost in the process is the exhilarating story of An Empire of Their Own.
#1492788 in Books 2001-01-01 2001-01-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x .72 x 5.25l; #File Name: 0380725096288 pagesIn this slim book; Tennessee-born novelist and historian Bowers returns to the source of boyhood memories and family lore to make big claims about the sites of two Tennessee battles in the Civil War. Bowers writes drums-and-powder history; with overmuch attention to generals and tactics and little on men and the meaning of combat. Despite Bowers's assertion that Confederate defeat in Tennessee sealed the South's doom and his absurd speculation that a more favorable result there might have led to a negotiated peace; he provides little context to show how or why the battles might have mattered in the larger strategy and psychology of the war. A few deftly executed vignettes of generals (with Braxton Bragg again getting his comeuppance) redeem an otherwise flat narrative that offers neither sufficient new information nor insight to justify its purchase by any but the most assiduous collector.
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. One of the BestBy Lost in ThawtIn this book;"Chickamauga and Chattanooga" John Bowers has written one of the best Civil War battle books I've ever read; easily comparable with the works of Steven Woodworth; William C. Davis; and the almost incomparable late Bruce Catton. One of the things I liked best about the book was Bowers' completely democratic treatment of the personalities he discussed. R.E. Lee was not presented as a junior god; nor was Grant a bumbling drunk. Braxton Bragg got his nose punched a few times; and deservedly so; but prior to that Mr. Bowers extolled what virtues he was able to find in the man.Bowers narrative is conversational; sprinkled with a bit of humor here and there and eminently easy to read. His descriptions of the two battles that are the subject of his story makes them live again. This one goes on my "read again" shelves.12 of 13 people found the following review helpful. This is a Hoot!By Sherman PeabodyNo one will ever accuse John Bowers of letting historical facts get in the way of telling a good story. Hyperbole? Lively? This is a good overview of the campaign; especially for beginners; but Bowers is really interested in telling dramatic stories about the major figures. But he needs to check his facts. For example; on page 101 he introduces Ambrose Bierce; a lieutenant in the 9th Indiana Infantry; and uses an excerpt from Bierce's post-war short story "Chickamauga" to illustrate the fighting. But on page 146 Bowers calls him Captain Bierce; an officer in an Ohio battery and chronicler of the battle. Although a serious student of the battle will do much better to read Steven Woodworth and Peter Cozzens; many will find Bowers very entertaining. Bowers is from East Tennessee and is the grandson of a Confederate cavalryman who fought in the battle. Bowers' best story in this book is in the Acknowledgements and concerns a Virginia patrician historian at the New York City Civil War Round Table. This alone is worth the cover price!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy markgreat book
