Kevin Starr has achieved a fast-paced evocation of three Roman Catholic civilizations--Spain; France; and Recusant England--as they explored; evangelized; and settled the North American continent. This book represents the first time this story has been told in one volume. Showing the same narrative verve of Starr's award-winning Americans and the California Dream series; this riveting--but sometimes painful--history should reach a wide readership.Starr begins this work with the exploration and temporary settlement of North America by recently Christianized Scandinavians. He continues with the destruction of Caribbean peoples by New Spain; the struggle against this tragedy by the great Dominican Bartolomé de Las Casas; the Jesuit and Franciscan exploration and settlement of the Spanish Borderlands (Florida; Texas; New Mexico; Arizona; Baja; and Alta California); and the strengths and weaknesses of the mission system.He then turns his attention to New France with its highly developed Catholic and Counter-Reformational cultures of Quebec and Montreal; its encounters with Native American peoples; and its advance southward to New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico. The volume ends with the founding of Maryland as a proprietary colony for Roman Catholic Recusants and Anglicans alike; the rise of Philadelphia and southern Pennsylvania as centers of Catholic life; the Suppression of the Jesuits in 1773; and the return of John Carroll to Maryland the following year.Starr dramatizes the representative personalities and events that illustrate the triumphs and the tragedies; the achievements and the failures; of each of these societies in their explorations; treatment of Native Americans; and translations of religious and social value to new and challenging environments. His history is notable for its honesty and its synoptic success in comparing and contrasting three disparate civilizations; albeit each of them Catholic; with three similar and differing approaches to expansion in the New World."These accounts of a human drama heroic and villainous; saintly and sanguineous; are a feast for the historian and; more importantly; food for our generation starved of the story of its own past. The romantic whose knowledge is airbrushed and the cynic whose knowledge is cobbled together with clichés will jointly be challenged. For everyone; reading this book could be a transforming experience; and a delight as well." Fr. George Rutler ; Author; He Spoke to Us: Discerning God in People and Events Kevin Starr's enthralling Continental Ambitions meticulously narrates the history of Catholicism as North America s first form of Christianity vividly present centuries before the waves of immigration that we typically associate with the formation of the American Catholic community. Charlotte Allen; Author; The Human Christ: The Search for the Historical Jesus To see in one book the history of Catholics in the New World; its glories and its tragedies; is almost like reading a secret history of a lost tribe. Kevin Starr s magisterial narration of European Catholic presence in North America the Norse; the Spanish; the French; the English; plus a few others is a contribution of the first order to our understanding of the whole foundation of this land of the free. James V. Schall; S.J. Professor Emeritus; Georgetown University
#1078399 in Books 2014-11-19 2014-12-03Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x 1.50 x 6.10l; 2.00 #File Name: 161121212X552 pages
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0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A rich and varied account of the battles for PetersburgBy Michael A. KleenIn The Last Citadel: Petersburg; June 1864-April 1865; Noah Andre Trudeau charts Union General Ulysses S. Grant’s Petersburg Campaign; from June 9; 1864; when General Benjamin Butler first attacked defenses around the city; to April 3; 1865; when Federal troops at last captured this vital Virginia railroad hub south of Richmond. The ten-month Siege of Petersburg was the longest and most costly to ever take place on North American soil.Within this non-traditional history; Trudeau brings to life these dramatic events through the words of men and women who were there; including officers; common soldiers; and the residents of Petersburg. What emerges is an epic account rich in human incident and adventure; told through various chapters covering all aspects of the campaign. This revised Sesquicentennial edition includes updated text; redrawn maps; and new material.The Last Citadel is divided into six parts; including a prologue and epilogue. The chapters are arranged into a rough chronology; but this is not strictly a chronological account of the siege. Each chapter uses a different subject to frame the narrative; from the effect of artillery bombardment on soldiers and civilians; the role of newspapers and the press; and even fraternization between opposing armies.This is a unique and interesting way to look at the battle; drawing from a multitude of primary sources including military orders and dispatches; regimental histories; civilian diaries and letters; newspapers; and more. Trudeau organizes his book well; so that various perspectives never become jumbled or distracting. This keeps each chapter fresh and interesting; like reading a collection of articles rather than a weighty historical text.Two incidents stand out: the Beefsteak Raid and Confederate sabotage at City Point. Grant was never able to completely seal off Petersburg or Richmond; and the Confederates looked for ways to exploit that failure. Supplying an army of over 100;000 men required a huge supply of food; including beef. Confederate cavalrymen led by Maj. Gen. Wade Hampton pulled off a daring raid Sept. 14-17; 1864 in which they rode behind Grant’s lines and rustled 2;486 head of cattle; bringing it back over 50 miles to supply their own army.Grant’s headquarters was at City Point; Virginia on the James River. On August 9; 1864; a large explosion ripped apart an ammunition barge; sending wood; cannonballs; bullets; and shell fragments flying. 43 Union soldiers were killed instantly and another 126 wounded. At the time; it was ruled an accident; but after the war it became known as an act of sabotage by Confederate Secret Service agent John Maxwell using a timed explosive (he called it a Horological Torpedo) smuggled aboard the barge. Incidents such as these make the Siege of Petersburg a truly unique event in the annals of the American Civil War.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Yankee BeefBy LesIf you would like a thorough and detailed look at what happened at Petersburg - this is your opportunity. Most know about the crater but few know the intensity of the combat that lasted for nearly a year. Most don't know who ate the best beef at one point during the siege nor how it was acquired - Trudeau unfolds the events with a thrilling conclusion. Don't miss this one.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A good read on the battles foughtBy HInteresting accounts of the siege of Petersburg. A good read on the battles fought.
