What to include in a Memoir?

What to include in a Memoir?

This is a very complex topic, but I just read a good piece that I want to record and store, here, as well as share with you, my readers.

I follow the RSS Feed of Biff and Nan Barnes at "Stories to Tell" Family History and Memoirs. They provide complete services to writers, but their blog is also so useful.

Today's post: "Selecting Life Stories for a Memoir: The Highlights" written by Biff really struck a chord with me, today.

The quote from Helen Keller I found especially useful: “In order, therefore, not to be tedious I shall try to present in a series of sketches only the episodes that seem to me to be most interesting and important.”

I've been doing this, a bit, over on my Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories blog... on occasional Thursdays and Sundays. Stop by, if you are interested.

Happy Reading, in the meantime.  ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? The Siege of Washington by John Lockwood & Charles Lockwood

It's Monday, What are You Reading? 

The Siege of Washington: The Untold Story of the Twelve Days that Shook the Union

                                                by John Lockwood & Charles Lockwood


This is the thirty-first entry for this meme suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books. [Entries 22-25 in the series were posted at  the Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories]

My wife saw this book and got it for me. My thanks to her, again!  ;-)


From Amazon.com:

Product Description
On April 14, 1861, following the surrender of Fort Sumter, Washington was "put into the condition of a siege," declared Abraham Lincoln. Located sixty miles south of the Mason-Dixon Line, the nation's capital was surrounded by the slave states of Maryland and Virginia. With no fortifications and only a handful of trained soldiers, Washington was an ideal target for the Confederacy. The South echoed with cries of "On to Washington!" and Jefferson Davis's wife sent out cards inviting her friends to a reception at the White House on May 1.

Lincoln issued an emergency proclamation on April 15, calling for 75,000 troops to suppress the rebellion and protect the capital. One question now transfixed the nation: Whose forces would reach Washington first: Northern defenders or Southern attackers?

For 12 days, the city's fate hung in the balance. Washington was entirely isolated from the North--without trains, telegraph, or mail. Sandbags were stacked around major landmarks, and the unfinished Capitol was transformed into a barracks, with volunteer troops camping out in the House and Senate chambers. Meanwhile, Maryland secessionists blocked the passage of Union reinforcements trying to reach Washington, and a rumored force of 20,000 Confederate soldiers lay in wait just across the Potomac River.

Drawing on firsthand accounts, The Siege of Washington tells this story from the perspective of leading officials, residents trapped inside the city, Confederates plotting to seize it, and Union troops racing to save it, capturing with brilliance and immediacy the precarious first days of the Civil War. 

Happy Reading!  ;-)

Writing Memoirs and Biographies

Writing Memoirs and Biographies

As mentioned yesterday, here, I began reading Lions of the West which actually consists of a series of biographies, beginning with Thomas Jefferson - all tied together by the story of the American westward expansion prior to the Civil War era.

Today I came upon an article: "Five Tips on How to Write Biographies," that tied into my reading too closely not to record my thoughts and the connections. I have read, perhaps, a dozen biographies on Thomas Jefferson, large and small, from various viewpoints. Yet, the first 20 pages or so in 'Lions of the West' on Jefferson were filled with detail, most of which I had not seen any but the most cursory mention of previously. What Morgan, the author had done followed two or three of the "Five Tips" to a tee! What a neat connection; and, it confirmed the validity of the "Five Tips."

I am still working at learning the subtle differences between memoirs and biographies. I am working on drafts of two "biographies" of two specific ancestors - though one may be more of a "family history" rather than a biography. See what I am trying to understand? I also believe I have one or more "memoirs" in me, about pieces of my past, to share. What are they, and how do they fit, and how do I best approach them. I will label this post both Memoir Notes and Biography to help keep track.

Comments are welcomed.  ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? Lions of the West by Robert Morgan

It's Monday, What are You Reading? 

                         Lions of the West by Robert Morgan


This is the thirtith entry for this meme suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books. [Entries 22-25 in the series were posted at  the Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories]

Here is the Product Description of the book as presented on Amazon.com:

From Thomas Jefferson’s birth in 1743 to the California Gold rush in 1849, America’s Manifest destiny comes to life in Robert Morgan’s skilled hands. Jefferson, a naturalist and visionary, dreamed that the United States would stretch across the continent from ocean to ocean. The account of how that dream became reality unfolds in the stories of Jefferson and nine other Americans whose adventurous spirits and lust for land pushed the westward boundaries: Andrew Jackson, John “Johnny Appleseed” Chapman, David Crockett, Sam Houston, James K. Polk, Winfield Scott, Kit Carson, Nicholas Trist, and John Quincy Adams. Their tenacity was matched only by that of their enemies—the Mexican army under Santa Anna at the Alamo, the Comanche and Apache Indians, and the forbidding geography itself.

Known also for his powerful fiction (Gap Creek, The Truest Pleasure, Brave Enemies), Morgan uses his skill at characterization to give life to the personalities of these ten Americans without whom the United States might well have ended at the Arkansas border. Their stories—and those of the nameless thousands who risked their lives to settle on the frontier, displacing thousands of Native Americans—form an extraordinary chapter in American history that led directly to the cataclysm of the Civil War.

With illustrations, portraits, maps, battle plans, appendixes, notes, and time lines, Lions of the West is a richly authoritative biography of America as compelling as a grand novel.




Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill  ;-)

Guest Post - Larry Peterson

Guest Post

Larry Peterson

I am pleased today to host a guest post by Larry Peterson, author of the book, "The Priest and the Peaches," from Tribute Books. This post is part of Tribute Books Blog Tour, running from January 2 through March 31, to promote the book.

Guest Post by Larry Peterson:

***

"The Priest and the Peaches" is a sad yet funny story about five kids, living in the Bronx, who, having already lost their mom to leukemia, unexpectedly lose their dad during the Christmas season of 1965. Suddenly confronted with having to plan a funeral, realizing that they have no money and discovering that the rent and utilities are all past due thrusts  them into a world they are unprepared to confront---"grown-up world".

Teddy Peach is 18 and the oldest. He is determined to keep all of them together as a family. His sister is 17 and his brothers are 14, 10 and six years old. Outside forces are already at work determined to get the three younger boys into a "properly supervised environment."

Enter Father Tim Sullivan, the local parish priest. A tough, street-wise man from the "Hell's Kitchen" section of Manhattan, Father Tim also has a kind and gentle way about him and possesses a  simple faith that allows him to see God's love  working even amidst chaos. He uses his faith to help guide the Peach kids on their quest to remain together as a family.

This book shows the value and importance of familial love and how powerful it can be, especially when faced with crisis. It also teaches lessons in taking responsibility, being unselfish, caring about others and "loving your neighbor." Finally, it portrays the manner in which so many priests have stayed true to their faith and vocations by being there for so many in times of need.

***

The book is also available for the Nook, at iBookstore, at Smashwords, and as a PDF.

Happy Reading!  ;-)

It's Monday, What are You Reading? V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton

V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton


This is the twenty-ninth entry for this meme suggested by Sheila@ One Persons Journey Through A World of Books. [Entries 22-25 in the series were posted at  the Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories]

A Christmas gift of my very favorite book series. I've read every one; and always look forward to the next. Kinsey is my favorite PI, ever. And there have been some great ones! ;-)


Here is the Product Description of the book as presented on Amazon.com:

A spiderweb of dangerous relationships lies at the heart of V is for Vengeance, Sue Grafton's daring new Kinsey Millhone novel.

A woman with a murky past who kills herself-or was it murder? A spoiled kid awash in gambling debt who thinks he can beat the system. A lovely woman whose life is about to splinter into a thousand fragments. A professional shoplifting ring working for the Mob, racking up millions from stolen goods. A wandering husband, rich and ruthless. A dirty cop so entrenched on the force he is immune to exposure. A sinister gangster, conscienceless and brutal. A lonely widower mourning the death of his lover, desperate for answers, which may be worse than the pain of his loss. A private detective, Kinsey Millhone, whose thirty-eighth-birthday gift is a punch in the face that leaves her with two black eyes and a busted nose.
And an elegant and powerful businessman whose dealings are definitely outside the law: the magus at the center of the web.
V: Victim. Violence. Vengeance.




Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill  ;-)

Book Review - Civil War: Springfield by Larry Wood

Book Review - Civil War: Springfield by Larry Wood

This is my second review of a book from The History Press. I received the book at no charge in exchange for a fair and honest review, from my point of view. Each book I review for The History Press will be a local history book. This one focuses on Springfield, Missouri.

Civil War: Springfield by Larry Wood is a part of The History Press Civil War Sesquicentennial Series. As noted on the back cover of the book, "With this series of concise books by Civil War scholars, The History Press honors the 150th anniversary of the War Between the States.

I can summarize the book no better than to cite the description in the back cover of the book:

"During the Civil War, Springfield was a frontier community of about 1,500 people, but it was the largest and most important place in southwest Missouri. The Northern and Southern armies vied throughout the early part of the war to occupy its strategic position. The Federal defeat at Wilson's Creek in August 1861 gave the Southern forces possession, but Zagonyi's charge two and a half months later returned Springfield to the Union. The Confederacy came back near Christmas of 1861 before being ousted agin in February 1862. Marmaduke's defeat at the Battle of Springfield in January 1863 ended the contest, placing the Union firmly in control, but Springfield continued to pulse with activity throughout the war. Historian Larry Wood chronicles this epic story."

Wood presents an extremely well researched and easy to read, detailed account of the activities in and around the Springfield community from several years before the war, throughout the war years, and summarized commemorative activities following the war. The book is well researched using local and regional archives and well written in an easy-to-read narrative. Included are many maps, photos and illustrations to provide a 'real-life' texture to reading experience.

I found the early discussion of the pre-war years where "Border Ruffians" and free-soil advocates created "Bleeding Kansas" especially useful and even-handed. Probably my strongest feeling throughout the entire book was the true historian even-handedness applied. This was a period of high tensions between well-meaning and strong partisans on each side. Wood notes how many in southwest Missouri wanted to be neutral because of this strong dual pull from the competing sides. He skillfully describes the feelings of these competing interests and provides meaningful insights into how many of these individuals managed to get through the war years and continue to serve both Springfield and Missouri in future years, regardless of their particular partisan positions during the war years. I strongly recommend this book to readers with an interest in the Springfield community during the Civil War period 150 years ago.

You may also enjoy reading a related article I wrote, based on this book, at: "Civil War: Springfield tells of Christmas 1861 - 150 Years Ago."





Happy Reading!

Dr. Bill  ;-)