Piper

Engaging

Revisado: 05-19-24

Very informative — obviously a lot of work went into this book. For my taste, I would have preferred a strict adherence to reporting and none of the author’s opinions. The book was written in the 1970’s, from a comfortable, middle class, lifestyle. The author had been involved in World War II, in the Pacific, 30 years earlier. It seems obvious to me, at least, that this experience and the intervening years could not help but color his views.

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Thank you for a great book

Revisado: 02-29-24

Very detailed and intellectually absorbing. Narrator had good diction and pleasant voice, but pronunciation of individual words was strange at times. Overall, well-worth the time invested.

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Objective and Informative

Revisado: 06-02-23

Well researched, narrator a bit aggressive. I’ve been reading about the American Civil War and Abraham Lincoln most of my life. I’ve seen hundreds of documentaries. I’ve heard a few historians try to discredit Abraham Lincoln by stating that he did not do enough to end American slavery. Those people apparently did not have a clear understanding of how our government works or how huge and diverse this country is, or perhaps they could not get past their own prejudices. This is no small accomplishment. We all struggle with this in one way or another. Abraham Lincoln wanted to keep the United States together as a country, but he wanted and needed to figure out how people, and himself, could treat everyone fairly, and with respect. He was insulted and criticized every day, all day. Newspaper editors, military generals, politicians, visitors to the White House — they criticized everything from his physical appearance to the way he dressed, the way he spoke, and what he thought. Yet, he did not return their insults. Two of his children died, his wife went crazy from grief, but he kept going, trying to do a good job. No excuses. Then, when the war was nearly over, a cowardly man, full of hate, sneaked up on Mr. Lincoln while he was sitting and vulnerable, and murdered him by shooting him in the head. The hate came from the fact that the south had lost the war and slavery was finished. Mr. Lincoln was publicly talking about his plans to reconstruct the south, and trying to figure out ways that the federal government could get the individual states to provide education, jobs, voting rights, etc. for former slaves. When Mr. Lincoln died, his vice-president, Andrew Johnson, assumed the presidency. He purposely tried to ruin everything Mr. Lincoln had tried to accomplish concerning reconstruction and “healing the nations wounds“. It’s always been easier to tear something down than to build. I don’t know if Abraham Lincoln could have influenced a huge nation to behave differently than they did. I do know that the man who followed him as president actively cooperated with politicians who were out only for personal gain and power. Those men left a legacy of untold suffering and disregard for civil rights.

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Pleasant Listening

Revisado: 03-23-23

Pleasant narration; nice voice, inflection, and pronunciation. “Pop culture“ approach to psychology, padded with anecdotal material. This book would definitely appeal to members of a very specific population and culture.

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Great Story, Great Narration

Revisado: 03-22-23

Great story about skill, knowledge, courage, and the will to not just survive, but to prevail. Bernard Mayes was a pleasure to listen to.

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Reader Gave Me a Headache

Revisado: 02-26-23

Aggressive reader. Started out reading quickly, but kept increasing speed until listening became obnoxious. I had to quit after a few chapters; not worth getting a headache over.

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Of Historical Interest

Revisado: 01-15-23

Writing style is very “wordy“. Could have benefited from a better narrator. This particular man reads forcefully; in a raspy voice. He adds nothing to interpretation and mispronounces too many words for my taste.

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Thank you, Mr. Greenfield

Revisado: 01-13-23

Dear Mr. Greenfield,
Thank you for finding the time and the courage to write this book. You mentioned several times, and you were so right, that people would not understand, and some would not even believe it happened. Judging by a few of the reviews I read, there are people who do not have the life experience to understand what is recorded here. Some complained about the flow of the work; and some could not understand why there was such a seemingly abrupt change in the storyline. However, there are many more of us who see the work as a unified whole. We have the life experience, the compassion and the education to know how your life events affected you and why you value the things you do. God bless you for your strength of character and your adherence to the values of your ancestors. You are a great man.

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Good Story, Good Performance

Revisado: 12-05-22

Well-written, interesting human interest story: interesting characters. Philosophical and thought-provoking. Recommend for anyone who cares about people.

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Didn’t Hold My Interest

Revisado: 12-11-20

Slow moving and a tad dull. I elected not to invest anymore time in the book after the first hour.

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esto le resultó útil a 3 personas