THURSDAY, June 21, 2007
Legends, Leaders and Legacies . . . . . . . . . . . by Scott Achelpohl
Legends, Leaders and Legacies is the new book by Susan Vollmer in which she goes over the lives of different people fitting into one or all of the categories called for in the title. The book generates a knowledgeable read that breaks some of the myths seen on television or in a movie, staying true to actual records. The book's bibliography denotes over seventy books used in the research of these stories.
The book is a valuable read showing how people can take it upon themselves to do good things. Another part of the book is in its backdrop. A local hero overcomes some tyranny in most cases to do the right thing which shows (in the background or entwined) in the story, great cruelty. Readers gain more understanding of these countries
and cultures through the eyes of these leaders.
Readers can enjoy stories of William Wallace (Scotland), Joan of Arc (France), José Rizal (Philippines), Edith Cavell (England), Rosa Luxemburg (Poland), Emiliano Zapata (Mexico), Michael Collins (Ireland), Engelbert Dollfuss (Austria), Sophie Scholl (Germany), Raoul Wallenberg (Sweden), Robert Capa (Hungary), Martin Luther King Jr. (U.S.A.), Faisal ibn Abdul Aziz (Saudi Arabia), Stephen Bantu Biko (South Africa), Anwar el-Sadat (Egypt), Indira Gandhi (India), Yitzhak Rabin (Israel), Ahmad Shah Massood (Afghanistan).
This book shows how someone can change society. It shows how someone can alter the world. Both good deeds and bad are very descript in nature and the book shows a darker side to some
legends. The stories also show the greater nature of some of the heroic men and women throughout time. The subjects seem more human and more flawed than might be found in other stories of the same subjects that might portray the subject to be more perfect than they really are.
The honesty entailed in the book is supported by the Indie Excellence 2007 book award in the biography category. The author has a bachelor of journalism degree from the University of Missouri at Columbia. She has worked as a newspaper reporter, publications editor and is currently a manager in international transportation; www.susanv.com is the book's Web site.
(Note: This book review appeared on Page 2A of the print version of the Seneca News-Dispatch.)
