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Mr. Baruch
Bernard Baruch gave this Pulitzer Prize author free access to the vast collection of papers covering his career, making this book his definitive biography.
- GenresBiography
698 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
About the author
Margaret L. Coit
11 books3 followersMargaret Louise Coit ( Margaret Louise Elwell) (May 30, 1919 in Norwich, Connecticut - March 15, 2003 in Amesbury, Massachusetts)as an American historian who wrote on American history for both adults and children.
Coit was born in Connecticut to Archa Willoughby Coit, a stockbroker, and Grace Coit (née Trow), the principal of a private day school. Two years later, Margaret's sister Grace was born with Down Syndrome; caring for Grace would take up much of Coit's adult life.
(wikipedia)
Coit was born in Connecticut to Archa Willoughby Coit, a stockbroker, and Grace Coit (née Trow), the principal of a private day school. Two years later, Margaret's sister Grace was born with Down Syndrome; caring for Grace would take up much of Coit's adult life.
(wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 27, 2011
I lack two pages of finishing this book, which I will do tonight. Meanwhile, having a few minutes of slack time, I'll get my review up.
I'm reading a first printing of the book, 1957, which I found among 2100 books when I cleaned out my dad's house. I was familiar with the name Bernard Baruch, and knew he had something to do with WW2, but didn't know anything else. I read a few pages of the Introduction and decided it should go in my reading pile. Finally, in January of this year, it came to the top of the pile. Life's busyness required me to set it aside for many months, but I came back to it in September. I'm glad I did.
It turns out Baruch was more closely associated with WW1 as an active participate. By the time WW2 came along he was considered an elder statesman, and aided FRD then Truman as an outside advisor rather than as a member of the government.
Margaret Coit does a good job of making a scholarly work accessible. Most of the time I flew through the book with good understanding. She has many footnotes, all of which are documentation of sources rather than explanatory additions to the main text. On occasion she mentions something I don't know—maybe a person or a government board or a corporation—for which an explanation would have been useful.
What keeps me from making this a 5 star review? Probably that it was just a little long. Never in it's descriptions of Baruch's life, but in tangential issues, such as senators Baruch dealt with and how their offices were decorated. Who cares about that?
This is a good read for anyone who wants to know how a Jewish boy born into the Reconstruction era in South Carolina can become a multi-millionaire and influence government at the highest levels without ever holding or seeking public office.
I'm reading a first printing of the book, 1957, which I found among 2100 books when I cleaned out my dad's house. I was familiar with the name Bernard Baruch, and knew he had something to do with WW2, but didn't know anything else. I read a few pages of the Introduction and decided it should go in my reading pile. Finally, in January of this year, it came to the top of the pile. Life's busyness required me to set it aside for many months, but I came back to it in September. I'm glad I did.
It turns out Baruch was more closely associated with WW1 as an active participate. By the time WW2 came along he was considered an elder statesman, and aided FRD then Truman as an outside advisor rather than as a member of the government.
Margaret Coit does a good job of making a scholarly work accessible. Most of the time I flew through the book with good understanding. She has many footnotes, all of which are documentation of sources rather than explanatory additions to the main text. On occasion she mentions something I don't know—maybe a person or a government board or a corporation—for which an explanation would have been useful.
What keeps me from making this a 5 star review? Probably that it was just a little long. Never in it's descriptions of Baruch's life, but in tangential issues, such as senators Baruch dealt with and how their offices were decorated. Who cares about that?
This is a good read for anyone who wants to know how a Jewish boy born into the Reconstruction era in South Carolina can become a multi-millionaire and influence government at the highest levels without ever holding or seeking public office.
April 26, 2015
The most voluminous book I read this year (until now), I started thinking about my review while still reading and after I finnished the book yesterday I had to ponder over it over a good night's sleep. What makes reviewing this book quite difficult for me is the fact that I'm not unhappy with it, nor am I satisfied but I can't really grasp my feeling about it.
Let's start with some fundamentals: As I read the reprint of 2000, the book is/was brand new. The publisher unfortunatelly chose the wrong paper as it reflects the light and this makes reading in the evenings quite uncomfortable.
Another main objection also concerncs the fact of the book being a reprint. There are numerous endnots in the text. However, somehow they got lost, meaning there's no 'Notes-Section' at the end of the book. So if you are the kind of reader who looks up citations from time to time you better use the original.
And as all good things come in threes: As has already been said here, the book is a bit too unreflected for my taste. Criticism of Mr. Baruch and/or his actions is quite rare. One has to notice that the book was kind of a remittance work of Baruch himself.
To close this review with a positive aspect: If you are interested in World War history and want some backround information on the Versaille Conference (WW I) or mobilization in the US, in Coit's book you'll find some very interesting parts.
Let's start with some fundamentals: As I read the reprint of 2000, the book is/was brand new. The publisher unfortunatelly chose the wrong paper as it reflects the light and this makes reading in the evenings quite uncomfortable.
Another main objection also concerncs the fact of the book being a reprint. There are numerous endnots in the text. However, somehow they got lost, meaning there's no 'Notes-Section' at the end of the book. So if you are the kind of reader who looks up citations from time to time you better use the original.
And as all good things come in threes: As has already been said here, the book is a bit too unreflected for my taste. Criticism of Mr. Baruch and/or his actions is quite rare. One has to notice that the book was kind of a remittance work of Baruch himself.
To close this review with a positive aspect: If you are interested in World War history and want some backround information on the Versaille Conference (WW I) or mobilization in the US, in Coit's book you'll find some very interesting parts.
September 15, 2014
I never heard of or at least do not remember of ever reading of Bernard m. Baruch. I have read many books on the two world wars and that time period but they all centered on the military side of it. This book centered on the financial side of the times. Rather long but could not put it down. Not sure about how honest everything is in it as its writing was suggested by Mr. Baruch while he still lived. He comes off as MR PERFECT IN ALL AND EVERYGTHING IN EVERYWAY. AND SO HUMBLE. LOL
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews