Yankee from Olympus: Justice Holmes and His Family

This book was a major best-seller in its day, but that was in its day. I really had grave objections to the format here, which is more historical re-creation than it is straight biography. Yes, there are footnotes and sources and such, but there's a lot of conversational/story-telling style here that raises hackles with me. Which is too bad, since Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. had a rich and varied life, and is deserving of a proper biography, not this kind of quasi-fictionalized nonsense. Not recommended.

Hagiography, which is a shame.

154. Yankee From Olympus Justice Holmes and His Family, by Catherine Drinker Bowen (read 9 Jun 1944) When I started reading this book on May 29, 1944 I said: "I like it. It's the most readable, if not the most interesting biography I've ever read." On May 30 I said: "Reading in Yankee. Very good. Justice Holmes is 16 now." On May 31 I said; "Read about O. W. Holmes, Jr., in the Civil War. This war (World War II) is terrible, but at least it's organized. Then relatives went to the battlefield to bring home their wounded! The book is inspiring and excellent. Historical," On June 3 I said: "Been reading in Yankee a lot. Holmes is on the Supreme Court now. I like it."