The Long Gray Line

*****
Rick Atkinson
Such and interesting book and story. This has to be one of the best peeks into the US Army ever, all the way from West Point '66 to Grenada. By following a number of key individuals all the way from '66 to '87 or so Atkinson was able to put together a story as wide and sweeping as the era, doing justice to the men, the times, and the Army as institution. The stories are so human and gripping, the characters truly diverse and human, that you come away very moved by what the Vietnam war did to that class of boys, to the army, and to the nation.

Alexis de Tocqueville: A Life

****
It's been about a month since I finished this, so it's a little hazy now. Hugh Brogan has done a good job of presenting a complete life, which I'm sure is very valuable for the academics who read the book. It was for me a little tedious at times, the major part of the text being of more interest to scholars of French history and politics than political philosophy and American history/culture. That being said, his coverage of Tocqueville and Beaumont's travels in America were very complete and well done. For the first time I felt I had a good sense of where they did and did not go and for how long. Other than that Brogan tries to take on Tocqueville to no real avail. But the life he presents seems honest and true and is very useful for understanding more about the man and how his experience and station may have influenced his thought.