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21+ oeuvres 121 utilisateurs 13 critiques

A propos de l'auteur

Award-winning author John Hallwas sketches memorable figures like pioneer storyteller Quintus Walker, Macomb newspaper editor W.H. Hainline, and Bushnell poet Marian Stearns Curry, and he depicts beloved, legendary, and sometimes mysterious places like Vishnu Springs, Gin Ridge, Ragtown, and afficher plus Scott's neighborhood. Along the way, he portrays the racehorse and Civil War hero Chickamauga, the frightening Gooseneck Ghost, and the long-forgotten Crooked Creek Terror. afficher moins

Comprend les noms: John Hallwas, John E. Hallwas

Œuvres de John Hallwas

Cultures in Conflict; A Documentary History of the Mormon War in Illinois (1995) — Directeur de publication — 20 exemplaires
Kingdom on the Mississippi Revisited: NAUVOO IN MORMON HISTORY (1996) — Directeur de publication; Contributeur — 12 exemplaires
Studies in Illinois Poetry (1989) 4 exemplaires
McDonough County heritage (1984) 2 exemplaires
Tales from Two Rivers IV (1988) 2 exemplaires
Tales from Two Rivers V (1991) 1 exemplaire

Oeuvres associées

Journal of Mormon History - Volume 16 (1990) (1990) — Contributeur — 1 exemplaire

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Title is a little misleading: this book is mostly a history of Colchester, Illinois, during the first few decades of the 20th Century. The bootlegger referenced in the title forms a small but symbolically significant part of this history.
½
 
Signalé
gtross | Jul 15, 2013 |
Cette critique a été écrite dans le cadre des Critiques en avant-première de LibraryThing.
Are you a history nut for the American Wild West? This book is for you! It chronicles the lives and exploits of the the Maxwell Brothers - Desperadoes of the 1870's Mid-West.

This is NOT a quick read for those of you looking for a series of stories telling of the daring deeds of outlaws. What this is, is a historical and sociological reflection of the social mores in which people in that time period and place lived in.

The story of Ed and Lon Maxwell, at the time well known and chronicled outlaws, are used as the centerpiece of this book. The first third of the book explains the world these men were brought up in. Children of parents who were hard working tenant farmers, moving often in an attempt to "better" themselves so they could own their own land and "become" respectable members of society. The boys were raised in a world in which it was believed that with hard work any dream could be achieved. They saw differently and due to their status in society - a very low status - they were frustrated and willing to redefine themselves. And they did just that: they became the most famous outlaws of the day.
The book details the justice system of the time as the brothers are "brought to justice".

I was impressed with the description of the time period. Newspaper articles and interviews of people who were around at the time are presented. Pictures of the principles as well as places in which the history takes place are provided; maps help the reader to follow the movement of the brothers and their pursuers.
This is a scholarly book (309 footnotes) for a lover of the why's of history. I thought I knew about this time period but my eyes were opened as to the social hardships the people faced - which in many ways seem much more daunting than the physical.

This is recommended to anyone who would like to learn not only about a interesting couple of wild west desperadoes, but also about the world in which they were formed.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.
… (plus d'informations)
½
 
Signalé
PallanDavid | 10 autres critiques | Jan 18, 2010 |
Cette critique a été écrite dans le cadre des Critiques en avant-première de LibraryThing.
This book is a well researched narrative of the Maxwell brothers who became well known in Illinois and Wisconsin for their lawless deeds. While the book wasn't exactly riveting it held my attention well and the author seems to be extremely knowledgable of the historical period and general area where they committed their crimes. My only quibble was the frequent attempts at psychoanalysis of the brothers. Using only newspaper articles and interviews (which can be historically inaccurate) can lead to faulty conclusions and don't make a good basis for psychological analysis. I understand that this may be the author's attempt to reconcile our society's change in attitude toward crime and lawbreakers, but it wasn't entirely successful. As mentioned by a earlier reviewers a straight narrative of events with an epilogue for author conclusions would have been more effective.
I did like the use of first hand articles and interviews and the pictures of characters involved in the events.
… (plus d'informations)
 
Signalé
Kirconnell | 10 autres critiques | Sep 5, 2009 |
Cette critique a été écrite dans le cadre des Critiques en avant-première de LibraryThing.
I really wanted to like this book, I really did. And the first few chapters were pretty good, detailing the early life of the brothers and the family moving west. But as others have pointed out, the author devolves into too mush psychology and psychoanalysis. I enjoyed the history aspects of life on the frontier and respect the author for the amount research he accomplished. 3 Stars.
 
Signalé
clif_hiker | 10 autres critiques | Jul 23, 2009 |

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Statistiques

Œuvres
21
Aussi par
1
Membres
121
Popularité
#164,307
Évaluation
½ 3.3
Critiques
13
ISBN
29

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