[PDF] Gothic Cathedrals: A Guide to the History; Places; Art; and Symbolism by Karen Ralls in Arts-Photography

Review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A Definitive Biography of the Man Responsible for the Building D.C.s Post-Civil War InfrastructureBy JDMOne might expect this impeccably researched and elegantly written biography of Alexander Robey Shepherd to have been perhaps the work of a scholar holding an endowed chair at an Ivy League university. Wrong. This book is the culmination of a decades-long endeavor by a retired intelligence officer with the U.S. government who is also an exceptional historian. John Richardson mined numerous archives;libraries;and conducted interviews with surviving distant relatives of "Boss Shepherd." Richardson even traveled to a remote and potentially dangerous part of rural Mexico to see first hand the remote mining town where Shepherd spent the last years of his life trying to rehabilitate his reputation. The intriguing Shepherd was a difficult target - his deeds on one hand were a matter of public record as an official in Washington responsible for "modernizing" the capital; but his motivations and intent were not always clear in an the dawning era of the Gilded Age. Richardson carefully examines Shepherds life; accomplishments;and the whiff of corruption and scandal that surrounded him in Washington. The fascinating account of Shepherd and his familys years in exile in Mexico is illuminating and suggests that perhaps Shepherd has been judged too harshly in the past.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A Teddy Roosevelt like characterBy Steve LearnedAnyone who is interested in Washington; D.C.; history will enjoy this book; a scholarly yet thoroughly readable biography of Alexander Shepherd. Shepherd typifies the can-do attitude of Nineteenth Century public-spirited men; who were often devoted family men as well. Reading this book made me think of Teddy Roosevelt. Roosevelt would have admired Shepherds tenacity and vision of Washington; and he would have surely understood Shepherds silver mining venture in Mexico and the work and dedication he applied to it. As Richardson points out; in Washington it was man against man. In Mexico; it was man against nature. A great story; wonderfully researched and written by first time author John Richardson. Steve Learned3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Jonathan L. SperlingFantastic piece of history reflecting extensive research. Must reading for anyone interested in the history of the nations capital.