George Howe Colt

The Big House has been part of the Colt family history since it was built by the author's great grandfather, Ned Atkinson in the very early years of the 18th century. Build on Bluff overlooking Cape Cod, it is the epitome of a bygone era, during which time all the old Boston families were building summer homes as an escape from the city. And though large and rambling, one time staffed by a host of maids and boasting a separate cottage to house the chauffeur, like other summer homes of it's show more era it was built to showcase the Puritan spirit that infused Boston at that time - humble, almost shabby, and certainly not a showcase for the family's immense wealth. Over time, the Atkinson family, later the Colts, lost their money and their name ceased to hold the sway it once had, though it was still loved and recognized by those with similarly prestigious pedigrees. The house, like the family, began to fall into disprepair, but despite that the family returned here every summer to fill it with laughter and memories. And that is what this book is, the memories and history of not only the house and family, but the Cape itself, as the George Colt brings his own young family here to spend one last summer before it's sold.

I didn't go into this book expecting much. I mean, how interesting could a book about the history of a summer house be? But it was a loving tribute to a man's life, to his family, and to the place he loved more than any other. It is a nostalgic and bittersweet, and utterly captivating tale of a particular American experience. And though I didn't grow up on the Cape, or even anywhere near the ocean, it made me homesick for days past. It also filled me with a desire to find a way to give my family these kind of memories. We aren't vacationers, and we certainly don't return to the same place year after year, but this book makes me wish we were. I absolutely treasure every word this author wrote and I'm deeply thankful that he wrote down his memories of that last summer, shared his family story - warts and all. show less

Much More Than A Game

Rather than simply recounting, play by play, the 1968 Yale and Harvard football seasons, the author uses the Game as a platform to discuss the major changes that hit American society and the Ivy League in the late 1960s. Football lovers may complain that the actual games don’t get enough coverage, but I found the detours into the change in admissions policies, arrival of co-education, florescence of the SDS movement, early hints of the women’s movement, and impact of show more the Vietnam war to be the highlights of the book. I matriculated at Yale in 1972 and the description of campus life seems very accurate to me, although much had changed even between 1968 and 1972.

The social and political currents discussed in the book are well-illustrated by specific details of the lives and background of the players. A detailed epilogue describing the later lives of the players sets the entire story in a broader context. Very well researched and entertainingly recounted! show less

This took me a very long time to read, in part because of its length and subject matter and in part because I owned a copy and had to give priority to books I'd borrowed from the library and had to give back. I was very impressed with it.

November of the Soul is a comprehensive study of suicide, exploring it from psychological, sociological, medical, historical and legal angles and probably other angles I can't think of at the moment. In addition to being a very fine work of scholarship, with show more extensive notes and bibliography, it was very engagingly written. I felt like I actually knew Justin Spoonhour and all the other people Mr. Colt was writing about, and the chapters were very thought-provoking. I would recommend November of the Soul to any intelligent adult -- one need not be personally acquainted with suicide to appreciate its value. show less

I will admit it. I enjoy a good sports story. It has its heroes. There are successes and failures, and time is always a major player in how the story comes out. I will say that Ivy League football would not have been my first choice, but it wasn't hard for me to grasp the importance and tradition of the annual Harvard-Yale contest. Colt does a great job of introducing you to the stars and the major contributors in a way that makes the story better, rather than getting in its way. Likewise, show more he does not take you through the season in a plodding, game by game approach, but rather touches down in detail or lightly where it makes sense. Regardless, the build-up to the final game of the season is well-done.

What made this story so intriguing though was the time period, the late 60's and everything it brought--the clash of culture changes, the Vietnam War, the passions of college students--all brought together on college campuses. But then there are the traditions of the Harvard and Yale college campuses and how they react and respond to the rapid changes. Perhaps most interesting, however, was the involvement of some of the players in the campus movements and protests, how it affected the outlook on their college and post-college careers and in some cases how it affected their football careers. Although I was too late to the game, I have always intrigued by everything embodied by the 60's. This book was a very enjoyable in-depth, albeit limited-scope experience of that time. show less