The Spirit of West Point: Celebrating 200 Years

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Summary: The Spirit of West Point Is Alive and Well
Review: As the U.S. Military Academy celebrates its 200th Anniversary (Bicentennial) there has been a renewed interest in examining the contributions of this venerable institution in American society, both from within and outside the military. In The Spirit of West Point, the authors and illustrator uniquely capture, in word, photographs, and sketches, the underlying fabric of West Point. Using a geographic context, both physical and cultural, the authors describe and illustrate the lasting imprint of the Academy on the surrounding Hudson Valley landscape through its evolving land use and architecture. They also capture the "heart and soul" of the institution as exemplified by the cadets, faculty and families who live there and call it their "rockbound Highlands home". To the thousands of cadets who have walked the Plain (the parade ground)as part of the Long Gray Line, and to their families, friends, colleagues and the millions of visitors who have toured the Academy grounds since 1802, this book will remind them, that indeed, the Spirit of West Point is alive and well today, as it has been for 200 years. BEAT NAVY !

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Summary: From Patton to Peas.
Review: I was smiling almost the minute I opened this book. It starts out showing a lot of maps of where buildings used to be, and then has a three or four chapters showing old photos of cadets in class, training, and doing sports. Then it talks about famous grads, but also has pictures of other famous people at West Point, like JFK and Bob Hope. There's a great chapter on the architecture of the buildings. The last chapter has old advertisements from companies that used West Point to sell their products, like dress gloves and peas, and a few cartoons that cadets made to lampoon the officers. It's clear that the authors love West Point and the book layout, all in black and white, is beautiful. I guess overall I like the fact that it doesn't just go decade by decade like a history book, but yet manages to tell West Point's story.

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Summary: Cool Old Pix
Review: If you enjoy the atmosphere of being at West Point, I think you'll like this book. It really grabs the mystique of being up there on a football Saturday watching a parade. I really liked the old, behind-the-scenes pictures of cadet life. I also had never seen some of the pix of old buildings that were later torn down.

Rating:
Summary: Cool Old Pix
Review: This is a fun book. A lot of pictures and a not so serious attitude. (...) It has a lot more of the cadet perspective than most of the other books and even pokes fun here and there. (...) it clearly says that all royalties are going to West Point's alumni association. I will agree if you want a text-heavy history of West Point this is not it, or a long-winded treatise on West Point's philosophy, but this is a great gift or souvenir book, and there's nothing wrong with that during West Point's Bicentennial celebration. I liked it a lot.

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Summary: This book is great!
Review: This work is what it says. Thought, word and deed coincide in one powerful witness of the soul of our nation and the leadership of our world, the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York.