Customer Reviews

Lost Causes: The Romantic Attraction of Defeated Yet Unvanquished Men & Movements

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I came across this book while traveling in Tennessee, doing Civil War research. Perhaps because I had the Civil War on my mind, I was attracted to the book. The subtitle, "The Romantic Attraction of Defeated Yet Unvanquished Men and Movements", also caught my attention. On a personal level, I hoped perhaps I would find inspiration to deal with my own "lost causes".

The book is basically a collection of quotes and biographical essays organized around twelve themes: tradition, work, mercy, honor, chivalry, courage, faith, wisdom, truthfulness, manhood, vision, and domesticity.

Unfortunately, I found it difficult to understand why the authors/compilers of this book chose to place many of the quotes in their respective sections. I really wanted to enjoy and appreciate more of the quotes than I did. Those that meant the most to me were found in the sections on courage and wisdom.

Each biographical essay was selected to illustrate the theme of the section in which it appeared. Like the accompanying quotes, I also had mixed feelings regarding the biographical sketches. Some, such as those on Andrew Lytle (chivalry) and Anna Bowden (courage), were very interesting, but others were too long or too academic, losing me quickly in obscure philosophical territory. The authors chose a distinctly Christian slant with their selection and sketching of biographees; I feel this decision on their part should have been highlighted up front, and even presented on the cover of the book, if this was their intention.

While I did not find the inspiration I desired, this book will find a place on my shelf, and I expect to use some of the quotes I encountered.