Remembrance Rock

by Carl Sandburg

Book Overview

This 55 card deck and accompanying booklet captures the essence of what it takes to attract and create a healthy, fulfilling, sustainable relationship through the daily practice of self-inquiry. Using this set, the reader is freed to see beyond the old paradigm of bartering for survival, instead cultivating honesty, compassion, respect, and trust to foster loving relationships as the preferred way of life. The deck is based on thousand year old spiritual...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0151767998
• ISBN13: 9780151767991
• Release Date: January 1948
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt P
• Length: 1067 Pages
• Weight: 2.80 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Remembrance Rock - or, "Why We Fight", the epic novel

Well, you certainly cannot accuse Carl Sandburg of not being ambitious in his one and only novel. Remembrance Rock is nearly 1100 pages, and weighs about 2 pounds (hardcover version). In it, Sandburg attempts to explain to the reader what freedom is (to Americans, anyway). What freedom is... the lengths people will go to get it, and, above all, the grave and sobering fact that freedom is not free; the freedoms that we enjoy as Americans have been won with the blood and suffering of many many of our ancestors - great and small - throught the ages from before our country was born, to the dropping of the atomic bomb. The book explores 3 of these American ages. In the first 'book' Sandburg follows the trials and tribulations of the Pilgrims; not just the well-documented problems that they faced once they got to Plymouth in 1620, but a whole host of problems during the 12 years prior to their leaving! Like I said... Sandburg is nothing but thorough. We follow in particular the Spong family, who try to hold to their religious faith as their little community of Plymouth grows, faces Indians, hordes of uncouth newcomers, and the threatening ideas of Roger Williams. The second book takes place during the Revolutionary War. In the years leading up to the conflict, Loyalist loyalties are tested, reinforced, and cast aside, a small band of printers stirs up trouble, and Marintha Wilming - a seamstress in a Loyalist dress shop - must decide how far her loyalties go with her rebel beau, Robert Winshore. William Pitt and Thomas Payne's ideas lurk in the background while Sam Adams and John Hancock make cameos. The third book deals with - you guessed it - the Civil War. Brother against brother. This part is really the strongest part of Sandburg's book... for a while. Sandburg does a really good job of showing the extent that the Civil War and the question of slavery tore the country apart. He shows the zealots and bigots on both sides, perhaps more so showing the abolishinists as the "inflexible warmongers." On either side of the body of the work are a prologue and epilogue - set in the final days of WW II - sort of the set up and take down for the whole idea, where the main themes of the book are brought forth and expounded upon. And it is here, sadly, where the book falls flat. The prologue sets up the story: a former Supreme Court Justice writes this big ol' book and puts it in a box for his grandson, Ray, (who is back from the war suffering from shell-shock) and his wife (who is trying to drag him out of it). The main themes he tries to hammer home are played out in the epilogue between Ray, Mimah, and several of their friends - other WWII vets in various stages of injury and recovery. I give this book 4 stars... 4.5 for effort and 3.5 for execution. Sandburg gets too tied to his grandiose metaphors and ultimately gets tripped up by them. If I were to edit this book (HA! Like I'm in any position to tell the great Carl Sandburg what to

Remembrance Rock Rocks

Unfortunately, I have not had a chance to read this entire book. An exerpt from it, The Fiery Trial, was published in 1948 along with the full volume, and that is what I read. The 478 page part that I did read, however, was enough to recommend this book. Carl Sandburgs writing style is beautiful, and extremely descriptive. The characters are plentiful, and each one is well written out and adds something to the story. Though this novel, or at least the part that I read, takes place during the Civil War, the book does not focus on the war. It instead focuses on the way people are affected at home or after a battle. The book is totally focused on the characters and that really pulls you in. It also makes you think twice about the real causes behind the war and it lets you see that neither side was wholly innocent. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a lot of characters and is able to keep a full load of information straight in their head. It is not perfect, but it is wonderful, and I'm certain that others will enjoy it as much as I have. It made me stop several times to exclaim, "Wow, this is a really great book!!!"