Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Unbelievable, March 31, 2008
This review is from: Chairman Bill: A Biography of William F. Buckley, Jr. (Paperback)
I say unbelievable in that I find it incredibly difficult to ascertain how anyone could or would rate this "book" at 5 stars. I give this "book" one star because there is no lower rating available to me with which to grade it. Whether you love or hate WFB, whether you are conservative or liberal, this cut and paste FYI of a "book" is nothing more than a badly composed conglomeration of mostly negative information on WFB and his family. If you despise the man and drool over any information that will cast him in a bad light, even you will find this "book" a poor read. Many of Mr. Miller's sources read as follows: "a neighbor in connecticut has said....", "neighbors in Texas have said....", "a neighbor in South Carolina has said....", "It has been said that...." Hardly what one would consider an in depth analyses of a man with a mind as powerful as Mr. Buckley's. Mr. Miller's "book" has not one professional review on its cover. I suspect no one of any reputation, whether they be a journalist, editor, reviewer, publisher or writer would want to have their name associated with such work posing as a biography. I managed to trudge through the first two chapters then skipped to the back pages to investigate whether there was any light whatsoever to be found in this "book", to no avail. I wasted my money on what I hoped would be a biography shining an indepth light on its' subject, only to find a shallow, poorly constructed college paper at best. In the trash bin it goes. On second thought, I think I'll burn it to protect the innocent.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Hate mongering and adolescent scribblings., September 21, 2008
This review is from: Chairman Bill: A Biography of William F. Buckley, Jr. (Paperback)
I admit I have long enjoyed Mr. Buckley's writings. I frequently disagreed with him politically and occasionally found him to be a bit "over the top" in his criticism and sarcasm, but I admired the products of his intellect. Mr. Miller, the author of this self-published "hate manual" is something else again. The book is published by iUniverse, which one can easily find on-line as a vanity press for those who are unable to secure publication for their meanderings elsewhere. I presume they do not offer editing, or perhaps Mr. Miller was in such an emotional torment that he decided to forego any constructive polishing (or even hewing an indistinct form out of rough stone) in his urgency to rush into print. There is a distorted chronology, grammar is lacking, syntax suffers and, in short, it is a very challenging read. One must edit and reread as one goes along. As another reviewer suggested, it seems "cut and paste". Don't hope that it gets better. It doesn't. He offers eleven pages of "Notes" naming the books and articles consulted for his research. By my count there were eleven of those as well. It is a shame that this book was published but we can rightfully applaud the American (and presumably international) publishing community for disdaining to be involved in its publication. But with iUniverse, the opportunity to display one's ignorance and vitriol is available to all. One would do better to read Mr. Miller's "Spanish-language memoir of Elvis Presley". (I kid you not.) If Mr. Buckley were still alive, he would disapprove of my review. Why would anyone waste time and thought on something of so little substance. This book is poorly written, sparcely researched and hate mongering at its worst.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
4 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
All you wanted to know abut Bill Buckley in 4 volumes, December 18, 2006
This review is from: Chairman Bill: A Biography of William F. Buckley, Jr. (Paperback)
Chairman Bill, the first of four volumes, has been thoroughly researched by David Miller, author of several other books such as the JFK Conspiracy, Prelude to Holocaust, and Intellectual Foundations of the Third Reigh as well as a translater from and into Spanish. Miller is fascinated with William Buckley and his role in politics. Reading Chairman Bill brings the reader behind the scenes with many political figures of the day such as Senator Joe McCarthy, Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, HL Hunt, E. Howard Hunt and Charles Lindbergh. The Reader also learns about the history of Yale University, the CIA, and the National Review. And this is only Volume 1. Whether you are a fan of Bill Buckley or not, I recommend Chairman Bill. I can't wait until the other three volumes are published.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
