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Pete Kelly's Blues / Jack Webb / Sammy Cahn / Ray Heindorf / 1955 / sheet music ... Read more

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Leigh Davis was raised as the son General Alexander Davis never had and always wanted. When the war hit, she found a way to serve by taking supplies and food to the camp at nearby HarperÂ’s Ferry, while her father went off to be a personal aide to President Lincoln. Clad in her normal buckskins, her long blonde locks tucked under her cap, the men in camp heard her refer to her father. Thinking she was his son, they joked about her being as bossy as General Lee. And so, they called her General Leigh.

Grant Sinclair, a spy for the South, kept bumping into General Leigh, until one day he was wounded and she took it on as her responsibility to nurse him back to health. This was the relationship between Leigh and Grant.

Could their differences, as great as those that existed between the other Lee and Grant, survive despite all the obstacles of the war?

Packed with both emotion and hilarity, And They Called Her General Leigh, is a fresh take on the Civil War, and the brave men and women who served during this trying time.

Customer Reviews (7)

How About a Light, Historical, Romantic Novel?
And They Called Her General Leigh is a sweet, historical romance written by Janet Elaine Smith. Unlike most Civil War novels, this book focuses on the emotional impact and the characters. The war actually takes second place, or perhaps even third place when compared to the characters.

Mrs. Smith's writing qualities are suited especially for tales to be read aloud. The flow is not typical for a historical either, being more like a story for the whole family to read aloud while sipping hot cocoa on a cold winter evening or icy lemonade on a humid summer afternoon. While there are some 'adult' references, the book is written in such a way that pre teens could read it without a problem. Mrs. Smith has obviously taken great care in creating this tale. She shows both sides and the emotions of the characters. My only regret is that the book was not longer and that she was not able to spend more time with each of the characters. It is a book that catches your heart at once.

Leigh, who reminds me of a Northern Calamity Jane with her tomboy ways, makes a powerful character, who runs the full range gauntlet of feminine emotions. And Grant (not Ulysses S. Grant, there's a number of clever play on words and names throughout this tale) is a hero faced with many problems. After all, how's a Confederate spy supposed to deal with a handful like Leigh Davis? It's a difficult book to describe because it embraces so much. The Christian faith woven seamlessly throughout. The grief Northerners and Southerners felt as they lost homes, family, and businesses. And not a single character who appears and is mentioned, nor any of the details, are superfluous. Rest assured that they will all tie in at the end.

In my opinion And They Called Her General Leigh is a good book for historical romance readers who are just looking for another take on the Civil War. For that matter, a good book for all who enjoy reading and like a bit of romance, humor, and history.

Pretty Good read
This is my first Janet Elaine Smith read. It was very enjoyable. Janet's combination of both humor and history weave an unforgettable and enjoyable tale. She used just the right amount of both elements to keep this reader turning the pages.I hated to see it end.
Her characters were not only believable, but lovable. If you want to enjoy a light hearted romp through the Civil War, read this book.

A Very Refreshing Love-and-War Story!
I immensely enjoyed this book.It had a lot of humor but most of all it had a lot of heart.You fall in love with all of the characters - not just the 2 main characters (Grant & Leigh).One of the most significant aspects of the book is the way it portrays the Civil War.Of course, it shows it as one of the most horrendous wars in American history but it also shows the people involved (on both sides) as having hearts that desperately wanted to do the "right" thing.
I highly recommend this book.It is a very fast page-turner - I read it in 2 days.

Try to keep a straight face...
Begins in Maryland, the beginning of the Civil War. General Alexander Davis and his wife, Mercy, never had sons. They did have a daughter, Leigh. General Davis went to Washington to serve with President Lincoln. Being female, Leigh could not serve in the war as a solder. However, the general had raised Leigh to be the son he never had. She could read, write, run the farm, track prey, hunt, and so much more!

Wanting to do her part for the war, Leigh would dress as a man and ride to the Union camp near Harper's Ferry and deliver much needed food. The men, thinking she was General Davis's son, called her General Lee. (Only a couple of the men in camp knew Leigh was female.)

Grant Sinclair was a spy for the Confederacy. He had been watching the Union camp for some time and was determined to learn the secrets surrounding "General Leigh". But Grant was noticed, shot twice, and left for dead. General Leigh and very young Private Jackson found him. Leigh took Grant home to nurse him back to health. Jackson went back to camp. Jackson also found "Special Order No. 191" telling of General Robert E. Lee's upcoming attack on his camp.

**** A very funny and delightful story! Just think of it, General Leigh and Grant in love. Generals Lee and Grant at war. Private Jackson on the North's side and Stonewall Jackson on the South's. There is a lot of play on words and names. Taken together, it is almost impossible to keep a straight face as you read. Recommended! ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Try to keep a straight face...
Begins in Maryland, the beginning of the Civil War. General Alexander Davis and his wife, Mercy, never had sons. They did have a daughter, Leigh. General Davis went to Washington to serve with President Lincoln. Being female, Leigh could not serve in the war as a solder. However, the general had raised Leigh to be the son he never had. She could read, write, run the farm, track prey, hunt, and so much more!

Wanting to do her part for the war, Leigh would dress as a man and ride to the Union camp near Harper's Ferry and deliver much needed food. The men, thinking she was General Davis's son, called her General Lee. (Only a couple of the men in camp knew Leigh was female.)

Grant Sinclair was a spy for the Confederacy. He had been watching the Union camp for some time and was determined to learn the secrets surrounding "General Leigh". But Grant was noticed, shot twice, and left for dead. General Leigh and very young Private Jackson found him. Leigh took Grant home to nurse him back to health. Jackson went back to camp. Jackson also found "Special Order No. 191" telling of General Robert E. Lee's upcoming attack on his camp.

**** A very funny and delightful story! Just think of it, General Leigh and Grant in love. Generals Lee and Grant at war. Private Jackson on the North's side and Stonewall Jackson on the South's. There is a lot of play on words and names. Taken together, it is almost impossible to keep a straight face as you read. Recommended! ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews. ... Read more

Product Description
Leigh Davis was raised as the son General Alexander Davis never had and always wanted. When the war hit, she found a way to serve by taking supplies and food to the camp at nearby Harper's Ferry, while her father went off to be a personal aide to President Lincoln. Clad in her normal buckskins, her long blonde locks tucked under her cap, the men in camp heard her refer to her father. Thinking she was his son, they joked about her being as bossy as General Lee. And so, they called her "General Leigh."Grant Sinclair, a spy for the South, kept bumping into General Leigh, until one day he was wounded and she took it on as her responsibility to nurse him back to health. Could their differences, as vast as those that existed between the other Lee and Grant, survive despite all the obstacles of the war? Packed with both emotion and hilarity, And We'll Call Her General Leigh is a fresh take on the Civil War, and the brave men and women who served during this trying time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Warm, well-written, and funny; but moving, also.
Leigh Davis has been raised by her father, General Alexander Davis, to be the son he wanted but never had. When war between North and South looms, General Davis refuses the plea of his cousin - Jefferson Davis - to serve the Confederacy. Alexander Davis remains loyal to the Union and to President Lincoln, despite his family ties and despite his friendship with former West Point classmate Robert E. Lee (for whom Leigh is named). With General Davis off to the war, Leigh decides she must do something more as her contribution than staying at home and helping her mother run the family's Maryland farm. Dressed in her usual boyish garb, with her golden curls concealed by a cap, she begins taking fresh food supplies to a nearby Union Army camp. Impressed by her forceful personality, and believing that she's the son of General Davis - not his daughter - the men of that camp soon nickname her "General" Leigh.

Hiding near the camp Leigh visits so often is a Confederate Army spy, Grant Sinclair. The young officer watches the "boy" come and go, and one day he learns her secret. As the battles move closer, and even civilian lives are put in peril, love blossoms between Leigh and Grant. Is it a doomed love? Or one that can conquer anything, including a war whose opposite sides are led by generals bearing the same names as this unlikely pair?

I didn't know quite what to expect from a book described by its author as a Civil War romantic comedy. Well, that's exactly what it is, all right! It had me in stitches at times, but it also has some powerful passages as Leigh and Grant (and their young friend Jackson, another general's namesake) learn what war really costs. This warm, well-written tale has a lot of fun at history's expense, and its heroine is memorable indeed as she learns another great lesson: that those who truly love you accept you just the way you are.

... Read more

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Tired of being nagged by his parents about his messy hair, ten-year-old Kenny Wild makes a wish for really wild hair--a wish he soon comes to regret. ... Read more

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"Be forewarned, reading Once Upon a Threesome will leave you with a permanent afterglow." --Love Romance Passion (5 stars)Historical threesomes - who imagined how hot this subject could be?In this delightfully wicked anthology, you'll find threesomes of all types from a range of historical time periods and settings. Hot M/F/M cowboy menage? It's here. Wild M/M/M medieval threesome? Check. From hot vintage Hollywood to a triple lesbian story right out of "Mad Men," Once Upon a Threesome has a story for everyone. ... Read more

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Josie Tyrell, art model, teen runaway, and denizen of LA's 1980 punk rock scene, finds a chance at real love with art student Michael Faraday. A Harvard dropout and son of a renowned pianist, Michael introduces her to his spiritual quest and a world of sophistication she had never dreamed existed. But when she receives a call from the Los Angeles County Coroner, asking her to identify her lover?s dead body, her bright dreams all turn to black.


As Josie searches for the key to understanding his death, she finds herself both repelled and attracted to Michael's pianist mother, Meredith, who holds Josie responsible for her son's torment. Soon, the two women find themselves drawn into a twisted relationship reflecting equal parts distrust and blind need.
Passionate, wounded, fiercely alive, Josie Tyrell walks the brink of her own destruction as she fights to discover the meaning of Michael's death. With the luxurious prose and emotional intensity that are her hallmarks, Janet Fitch has written a spellbinding new novel about love, betrayal, and the possibility of transcendence.Amazon.com Review
Following the huge success of White Oleander, where Janet Fitch portrayed the coming-of-age of Astrid, a young girl placed in foster care after her mother murders a former lover and goes to prison for life, she has once again created an indelible portrait of a young woman in Paint it Black. Josie Tyrell is a teenage runaway, an artist's model, and an habitué of the '80s LA punk rock scene.She is a white trash escapee from Bakersfield, having left a going nowhere life there.Now, sex, drugs and rock n' roll inform her days and nights.Paint it Black is the perfect title choice because Josie's lover is never coming back, as the song says.

Josie meets Michael Faraday, son of concert pianist Meredith Loewy and writer Calvin Faraday, long divorced.He is everything that she is not: refined, wealthy, well-traveled, brilliant by fits and starts.He is also a Harvard dropout, leaving school so he can paint; his new obsession.He refuses help from his mother, who is furious about his decision to leave school,but it doesn't bother him to have Josie working three jobs to support them.He is given to black moods, frozen in amber by his perfectionism, contemptuous of those who do not agree with him about art and life.Josie adores him.One day much like any other, he leaves their house, saying that he is going to his mother's so that he can paint in solitude.Instead, he goes to a motel in 29 Palms and shoots himself in the head.

What follows is days of watching Josie in a near fugue state from grief, drugs, booze, and going over and over her love for Michael, trying to grasp how he could do what he did.After all, didn't they share the "true world," Michael's characterization of their cocoon of love and exclusivity?

Meredith calls her and says, "Why are you alive?What is the excuse for Josie Tyrell?I ask you."Ultimately, they form a tenuous relationship, because all that is left of Michael lives in the two women.Josie even lives with Meredith for a while.When Meredith is ready to go on tour again, she asks Josie to go to Europe with her.Before she can do that, she must go to 29 Palms and try to understand, finally, why Michael's depression pushed him over the edge.That puzzle is not solved, nor can it be, but the end of the story is a hopeful, upbeat, new beginning.Janet Fitch has beaten the curse of the sophomore slump with this dynamite second novel.--Valerie Ryan ... Read more

Customer Reviews (148)

Paint It Black Mesmerizes the Reader
Paint It Black by Janet Fitch is a gripping examination of the depths of grief, the hopeful moments in life that are lost, and the path self-destructive tendencies tend to take.Josie Tyrell struggles to come to terms with her grief over teh death of her lover, Michael Faraday, leading to an unhealthy relationship based on need and suspicion with Michael's mother, Meredith.Filled with artistic, talented, and tormented characters, Paint It Black engrosses the reader to the last page with a superb use of language and intense storytelling.

Fl customer
arrived as described but I was disappointed with the book as compared to other ones by this author

Kept thinking "Is this going anywhere?" and "I don't care!"
I thought White Oleander was a great book. In fact, I thought it almost had too much going on and was amazed at how much story was packed into one book. Paint it Black is complete opposite. I never fully understood what the point of the story was. It felt like it was never really going anywhere. I'll admit that I didn't finish the last 100 pages because I just didn't care anymore.

Ummmm...
I read White Oleander after I saw the film and fell in love with it. I adored Janet Fitch's ability to turn the English language into something more fluid. She made it an art of taking simple words and making them flow together. Not only that, but she had a great story to tell, something that had never been done before. I expected the same thing to happen in Paint It Black. I was somewhat disappointed. Her writing style remains the same,however, where White Oleander had action, dialogue, and great interactions between the characters, Paint It Black focused on a woman's depression. I lost interest towards the end, and it was mainly for one reason: I had no connection to the dead boyfriend. It's really difficult to write a novel based on a character's feelings for someone who has passed. Novels such as these consist mostly of flash backs, or begin the story while that character is still alive. The reader did not know Michael, the reader did not care about Michael. In fact, I disliked him. Most of the flashbacks showed that he was cruel to Josie and ignored her for periods of time. A key factor in telling a good story is to show not tell. Yes, the reader knew that Josie loved Michael, but why? All Fitch showed the reader were flashbacks of Michael giving Josie the cold shoulder. The only time the romance between Josie and Michael were mentioned were in Josie's musings which is TELLING the reader what happened. FItch would have been better off if she simply cut out the meredith and josie bonding time and began the story earlier. Had she shown Michael and Josie together, happy, and then showed his slow descent into depression, then the suicide, and then the aftermath, without the horridly boring dribble on Jeremy's film and Meredith's crankiness, this would have been an amazing novel. But you cannot write a novel on the aftermath of a death, when the reader has no connection, and does not care, about the deceased character.

Sophmore Slump
"Paint it Black" sadly falls into the sophmore novel slump. It appears Fitch was trying to out-do "The White Oleander," and while her prose are still beautiful, the work itself is repetitive (and the themes repetitive of "Oleander"), and the main character is so annoying that it is hard to find any sympathy for her. This was an issue in "Oleander" as well, but the rest of the story was strong enough to support it. "Paint it Black" is not. Hopefully Fitch will get back on track with her next novel. ... Read more

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Mark Twain once famously said "there was but one solitary thing about the past worth remembering, and that was the fact that it is past and can't be restored."Ê Well, over recent years, The British Library, working with Microsoft has embarked on an ambitious programme to digitise its collection of 19th century books.

There are now 65,000Ê titles availableÊ (that's an incredible 25 million pages) of material ranging from works by famous names such asÊ Dickens, Trollope and Hardy as well as many forgotten literary gems , all of which can now be printed on demand and purchased right here on Amazon.

Further information on The British Library and its digitisation programme can be found on The British Library website. ... Read more

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As the 1960s dawned Alfred Hitchcock was riding high ... hit movies, hit TV show, books, magazines and his face printed on it all. He was about to release his most successful film and embark on a roller coaster ride of a decade as he found the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. He was an icon and he would spend the remainder of his life trying to live up to expectations. Now, upon the 50th anniversary of the release of 'Psycho', rediscover the hits and uncover new details behind the unfinished films and the struggles of Hollywood's most famous director. WIth insights from the stars who worked with him, like Janet Leigh, Tippi Hedren, Paul Newman, Julie Andrews, Bruce Dern and more, rediscover the art of Hollywood's Master of Suspense. Includes many rare photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Honoring Hitch
The book aims to honor the master of suspense without a lot of heavy-handed introspection that some Hitchcock biographies layer on. Often Hitchcock books try to delve so deeply into the psyche of the director that the miss the fun and joy of his filmmaking. His later years show him using all the tricks he learned but plagued by the difficulty of competing against himself and all his successes.

Master of the Macabre
The impetus for author John William Law's book about Alfred Hitchcock is the 50th anniversary of the release of the movie //Psycho//.Right up front, in the introduction, Law advises the reader that his book is not meant to be yet another biography of Alfred Hitchcock--widely acknowledged as one of the motion picture industry's most talented directors.Rather, it is a careful examination of the circumstances and events that took place during the time when Hitchcock ascended to the status of an icon.This status was guaranteed by a full spectrum of creative endeavors encompassing movies filmed in Great Britain and the United States, the wildly popular television series //Alfred Hitchcock Presents// and numerous publications featuring Hitchcock's macabre sense of humor wrapped in tales of horror.

The most engaging aspects of this survey are the accounts of projects that Hitchcock failed to complete and the impact on the careers of the actors and actresses who played the unforgettable roles as his victims, such as Janet Leigh in //Psycho// and Tipi Hedren in //The Birds//.Fans of Hitchcock will appreciate the numerous back stories that provide new details about the making of these films.


Reviewed by Ruta Arellano ... Read more

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Tt’s a rainy night and you can hardly see the road ahead. You’re tired, hungry and just want a place to rest your eyes. Up ahead, the light catches your eye. It’s a motel. A bit dreary, dark and lonely,
but it looks like it at least has a hot shower.

Check in at the Bates Motel and uncover life behind the scenes of Alfred Hitchcock’s most famous motion picture. From the true story that led to the book and the movie, to the making of the film, and
the results that followed. Then, try your hand at the trivia challenge - a true test of any fan’s knowledge and love of Psycho. Questions like how often Norman changed the sheets, to who helped managed the
motel while Norman was locked away will challenge fans and bring back memories of one of Hollywood’s best known and best loved motion pictures.

Come on in - Cabin One awaits you! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good Basic Primer
This is pretty much the first of the Dorothy L. Sayers biographies, having been controversially published long before the 50th anniversary of Sayers's death.*A great many of Sayers's family and friends refused to be interviewed by Janet Hitchman and there is an understandable lack of real substance to this book. Later biographies have shown many of the book's central assertions to be incorrect - most notably in relation to the paternity of John Anthony, Sayers's son.

Hitchman admits to being qualified only to discuss the Wimsey books and it is fair to say that Sayers's later accomplishments (such as the translation of Dante and the religious works) are given a sketchy treatment. This is unlikely to worry too many readers since Wimsey is key to their love of the author. Later biographers, however, have pointed out the significance of the later work in understanding Sayers's life and soul and those whose interest in Sayers extends beyond Wimsey will find little of substance.

In terms of her treatment of the Wimsey books, Hitchman does a functional job (with one or two errors in discussing plot). Her own biases do cloud her judgement though, as seen in her scathing criticism of 'Gaudy Night' and her endless attempts to psychoanalyse Sayers through the Wimsey books. Later biographers who have had full access to her correspondence and to her acquaintances support some of Hitchman's thoughts on Sayers's state of mind when writing the books but she is also shown to have gone badly awry in many places so her assessments have to be taken rather lightly.

I do recommend this book to Sayers fans, though, if only because she manages to portray Sayers as a passionate, funny, clever, obsessive and complex women in a way that eludes the more cerebral treatments.This book is a decent primer to Dorothy L. Sayers and her life but I'd recommend that buyers supplement it with Dr Barbara Reynolds's excellent book, 'Dorothy L.Sayers: Her Life and Soul.' The latter is a much more intelligent, substantial and knowledgeable book written by an academic who was also a friend of Sayers.

*DLS is repute to have requested that no biography be written until fifty years had elapsed from her death. ... Read more