Tag: Book Review

The Christmas Kid: And Other Brooklyn Stories By Pete Hamill

The Christmas Kid: And Other Brooklyn Stories By Pete Hamill

Posted on by Jack

I was born in the Bronx in 1950 and moved to the suburbs a few years later. I mention this little bit of personal history because I have read several of Hamill’s books as an adult and it always make me nostalgic for the New York that existed before I did.


In the introduction to The Christmas Kid: And Other Brooklyn Stories, Pete Hamill does identify nostalgia as New York City’s most enduring emotion and I understand that entirely. The city is a very special place but it seems it was always a bit better when our parents or perhaps just a decade or so before we were born.

A New Yorker or even a near New Yorker like me definitely feels the nostalgia. But anyone from anywhere could relate to these stories. Such is the magic of his storytelling. Although the stories are specifically about working-class people in a certain neighborhood, they are really universal.

Pete Hamill is one of my favorite authors so I was pretty sure I was going to like this book. And I liked it even more than I expected. This book is a collection of 36 short stories. Pete Hamill was raised in the tenements of a working-class area of Brooklyn and these stories are set in the Brooklyn of his youth which spanned the Depression and the Korean War. The author is gifted at telling us about the time, place, and characters.

Most of these stories were published in the Sunday Daily News in the early 1980s. The stories vary in length; several are 5 pages or so; some are about 15 pages. Some have happy endings; some don’t; but that’s the way it is.

The nice thing about a collection of short stories like this is that you can enjoy without much commitment. With a longer book, I often find myself in a situation where after reading 50 or even 100 pages that are just OK, I wonder if I really want to spend the time reading hundreds of pages than might be the same or might get better. With short stories the commitment is only a few more pages. By the way, there were no stories in this book that I even considered not finishing.

Definitely add this to your reading list if you like Pete Hamill’s other books. Give it a try if you are not a fan or maybe even never heard of Pete Hamill. Reading a few short stories is not a big investment of time and you may find a new author worth following.

Ratlines by Stuart Neville

Ratlines by Stuart Neville

Posted on by Jack

Based on a little known and disturbing aspect of Irish history and a mix of real and fictional characters, “Ratlines” by Stuart Neville is an intriguing story.

This is clearly a work of fiction. At the beginning he lays out a few historical events. And then tells you:

The rest is just a story

But what a story.

First, the historical events that inspired this story. As I said some facts are given in the beginning of the book and then in the Acknowledgements at the end, the author list a few sources of the history including a documentary you can find on YouTube

Or if you prefer reading about this
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1538969/Ireland-welcomed-Hitlers-henchmen.html


So with a base of real characters, Neville adds fictional characters and fictional events and weaves a complicated tale of intrigue involving Nazis, the IRA, Irish intelligence, a love story, and much more. What makes it more interesting to Americans is that this story mainly takes place during the preparations for President Kennedy’s visit to Ireland.

As would be expected in a story involving Nazis, the IRA, and Stuart Neville, there is violence. But as in his previous books (reviewed here: The Ghosts of Belfast and Collusion), the violence seems to fit into the story which is more about right and wrong (often the lesser of two wrongs) and a complex character dealing with inner conflict.

In this book the complex character is Lieutenant Albert Ryan of Irish Intelligence, who left neutral Ireland to fight the Nazis for the British and now is asked by his government to protect Nazi war criminals in Ireland such as Colonel Otto Skorzeny (formerly an SS officer and now a well-connected resident of Ireland.)

I read the galley from netgalley on my Kindle and the book won’t be released until early January, 2013. I guess my only real disappointment is that the book won’t be available this year for gift giving.

Other reviews:

The book is published by Soho Crime. If you like good books, especially with an international flavor, you might want to check out Soho Press.

Twilight of the Elites: America after Meritocracy by Christopher Hayes

Twilight of the Elites: America after Meritocracy by Christopher Hayes

Posted on by Jack

Twilight of the Elites: America after Meritocracy by Christopher Hayes is a book well-worth your time. Most of us are unhappy to one degree or another with our society. During the past 10 years or so we have seen many failures and that is the starting point of the book. But what is the solution? I still don’t know. To be honest about it, I really didn’t expect one book to have all the answers but this is a good start in identifying some of the problems and suggesting some possible solutions or at least some improvements.
Continue reading “Twilight of the Elites: America after Meritocracy by Christopher Hayes”

The Fallen Angel by Daniel Silva

The Fallen Angel by Daniel Silva

Posted on by Jack

For several years now, I have enjoyed Daniel Silva’s series of novels about Gabriel Allon. Gabriel Allon has a remarkable and unusual set of talents. He is a gifted art restorer as well as a professional spy and assassin.

Daniel Silva also has unusual talents. According to Daniel Silva’s page at Amazon, he “has been called his generation’s finest writer of international intrigue and one of the greatest American spy novelists ever.”

I have been enjoying this series since the late 1990’s and look forward to each new novel. Since I have read most, if not all, I can say with a good degree of confidence that Silva provides enough of a background in each novel that I think it is entirely possible to enter the series anywhere (but there is something to be said for beginning at the beginning). This brief background is certainly not so much that it bores the series enthusiast or bogs down the story in any way. Since only 1 or 2 novels come out each year these backgrounds are helpful to review relevant highlights of story that you might have read several years ago.


The Fallen Angel is the latest addition to the series. Gabriel is retired from Israeli intelligence and is progressing nicely with his restoration a Caravaggio masterpiece in the Vatican. But he is asked to look into a possible murder or suicide in St. Peter’s and quickly uncovers a vast conspiracy, and as he progresses finds great threats to Israel and world peace. As a follower of the series I know that he will get involved with his old job, save Israel and the rest of us, and return to his art restoration.

But how the tale is told is the thing that keeps me coming back. Daniel Silva tells the story well. I hope Gabriel’s retirement is interrupted often in the coming years. All of the books in the series have been wonderful.

Death Benefits by Nelson DeMille

Death Benefits by Nelson DeMille

Posted on by Jack

Nelson DeMille’s Death Benefits is a short story which will be released by itself as a digital short in an e-book. The story has already been published in the anthology edit by Demille, The Rich and the Dead.

The short story opens with an author past his prime. He once wrote best-seller mysteries but his last few books just haven’t done well. (Nelson DeMille is himself a best selling author but certainly not past his prime.)

The writer still lives well but just doesn’t have the money to support the lifestyle he likes and to which he has become accustomed. He is broke. He resents his agent who took 15% in the good times and the writer sure could use that money now. He has an insurance policy on the agent’s life which he took out in the good times. Can he now commit the perfect crime and be a wealthy man again?

Demille tells the story well. It starts well and just gets better until the twist and the surprise ending.


Athough I haven’t read The Rich and the Dead, I have seen reviews and understand it is a fine collection of short stories by a wonderful group of writers. Death Benefits is just one of the stories.

So if you are interested a short mystery, try Death Benefits . It is available as a digital short for those with e-readers such as the Kindle or Nook. According to the latest on the Amazon site this won’t be release until August 1, 2012 but can be ordered now. If you would like to try a group of short mysteries, try The Rich and the Dead . This is available as an e-book as well as an actual physical book.

The Parties Versus the People by Mickey Edwards

The Parties Versus the People by Mickey Edwards

Posted on by Jack

The Parties Versus the People: How to Turn Republicans and Democrats into Americans by Mickey Edwards is an important book. I was lucky enough to read an advanced copy via NetGalley .

The United States political system is dysfunctional. Surprise! Surprise!

We the people are theoretically in charge yet the people we elect to represent us refuse to compromise and so are unable to govern and solve our country’s problems. The obvious conclusion is that there is just too much partisanship. Where Mickey Edward’s book rises above the common political discussion is in proposing solutions.


About a year ago Mickey Edwards expressed these ideas in the Atlantic. Mickey Edwards had been a congressman and then a professor of government so he knows what he is talking about.

Yale University Press gave him a platform on which to expand his ideas into a book.

The overriding theme is that we have given up too much of our control to the 2 major political parties. This is done on several levels. Parties limit our choices to a few candidates. Once one of these candidates is “in”, he or she is then beholden to the party for both current power in office (example, committee assignments in Congress) and the chance to be re-elected. Every 10 years the party in power (in most states) gets to redraw the electoral map for its own advantage and usually to the detriment of any real community representation.

At times the book may seem a bit repetitive but that is only because there are so many problems and so many solutions, all related by the common theme – too much power to the parties at the expense of the people. To make it more complicated the rules vary from state to state. And the power of parties to restrict access to those of their choosing and redraw districts is at the state level.

This book is not a diatribe against parties. It is natural to have a diversity of opinions in any large group. It is also natural that people with similar opinions would associate and even sometimes form groups like our political parties. These associations can be useful.

The author is objecting to our current system which is party-driven. He gives many examples of the resulting problems and suggests ways to reduce the power of parties and so enhance the power of politicians to work together for the common good. The book is well worth reading. It won’t be out until late August so you can pre-order now and read the Atlantic article in the meanwhile.

J. D. Salinger: A Life” by Kenneth Slawenski

J. D. Salinger: A Life” by Kenneth Slawenski

Posted on by Jack

“J. D. Salinger: A Life” by Kenneth Slawenski is a good book. I had read “Catcher in the Rye” when in high school and re-read it as an adult. I had also read several books of his short stories. And then I followed his reclusive life in an occasional article. So I had an interest but fairly large gaps in my knowledge of Jerome David Salinger.

I had asked for this book as a Christmas present but I had asked for several books and it took me a few months before I tackled this one. The book was both more and less than I expected.

The less is no fault of the author. Since Salinger was a recluse for much of his life, there is much less biographical material than you would expect for someone of his stature. The more is discussed below.

Slawenski has devoted himself to the study of Salinger as both a man and an author. This biography is not just a biography of what was an interesting and unusual life but a study of the relationship between Salinger’s literary works and life.

As someone with knowledge of just some of Salinger’s works and the bare outline of his life I must admit the biographical aspects of this work interested me more. I found the coverage of his wartime experiences especially fascinating. I enjoyed some of the discussion of the relationship between life events and his literature but I must confess I read through these parts faster.

This book seems to me to be a very good biography, well written by an expert. I was less interested in the literary critique but I do agree with the author’s position that the life is not separate from the literature. I think the book does a wonderful job for those like me with a limited knowledge of Salinger’s life and works. I would think an expert would also find the literary analysis and biography fascinating.

So to put in in a sentence, the book is very good for someone like me but detailed enough to also satisfy the expert.

Here are a few blogs with additional reviews. These links open in new browser window (or a new tab in some browsers):

Sacrilege by S.J. Parris An historical thriller

Sacrilege by S.J. Parris An historical thriller

Posted on by Jack

Escape from the current political mess and ads with a trip to England in the 16th century. Do it inexpensively and enjoyably with Sacrilege (An historical thriller).

Once again S.J. Parris has presented us with a fine mystery featuring Giordano Bruno, a renagade Italian monk who fled to England to avoid the wrath of The Inquisition. Bruno earns his living working for Sir Francis Walsingham, spymaster for Queen Elizabeth.

I had read the first book in this series (Heresy) which introduced me to Bruno. He was a free-thinker and philosopher and the Pope wanted him burned at the stake as a heretic. Much to my surprise I later learned that Giordano Bruno was a real person.

The second (Prophecy) continued this story. Here are my reviews of Heresy and Prophecy
.


In Sacrilege, Bruno is working in London for the French ambassador (and spying for Walsingham of course) when he runs across Sophia Underhill, a young lady that Bruno fell in love with in Heresy. She asks his help in solving the murder of her husband in Canterbury in which she is accused. He talks Walsingham into sending him to Canterbury where he uncovers a plot which threatens Queen Elizabeth’s realm. But Bruno himself is accused of murder. The mystery is complex and has several twists including one that totally surprised me.

I thoroughly enjoyed this series of 3 historical novels/thrillers based on this character. As mentioned at the beginning of the review, the author does a wonderful job of setting the stage and transporting you back to the time period. Although this novel could be read alone, I think it would be best to read the whole series in order.

Other Reviews:

The Philosophical Practitioner by Larry Abrams

The Philosophical Practitioner by Larry Abrams

Posted on by Jack

I thoroughly enjoyed The Philosophical Practitioner by Larry Abrams . It is an unusual book, a thought-provoking philosophy lesson wrapped in a compelling story with romance and mystery. The story grabbed me at the beginining and made it hard to put the book down. But since I read it on my Kindle, it might be more accurate to say that it was, hard to put my Kindle down.

So what is the mystery? A potential client seems to be seeking his help in deciding on whether she should kill a man. It turns out that the target is the philosophical practitioner. Is she serious? If so, why him? When, where and how add a bit more to the mystery.

The romance progresses as does the practice. Eric, the philosophical practitioner, consults with people with a variety of problems. This consultation is not unlike that of a psychologist but the emphasis of the philosopical practitioner is on getting the client to use reason to find out what is important in each situation. It is interesting to listen to Eric present his reasoned philosophical arguments to his clients. And to think about how you might handle a similar situation.

So this is both a learning experience as well as a good read. The book is available as both a paperback and Kindle edition. The Kindle edition is a fraction of the price so that might be a consideration for you.

So, what is the meaning of life? What is important to us? Whether you agree with Eric or have another philosophy, you are going to learn something about yourself here.

Harmattan by Gavin Weston

Harmattan by Gavin Weston

Posted on by Jack

About a month ago, I get an email. Gavin tells me he is an Irishman who has written a book from the point of view of a 12 year girl old growing up in Niger, West Africa. And that he has a website, http://www.gavinwestonbooks.com/ , which has further details on his book including an extract, reviews, an interview, and more.

I looked at the website and it did look interesting. I was 12 a long time ago but I never was a girl. And I have never lived in Niger. But the Irishman writing as a 12 year old girl from Niger sounded convincing to me in the short excerpt on the website. But I wasn’t sure if he could pull it off for the whole book. I think he did it. I decided to try the book and I’m glad I did. I enjoyed the book and learned quite a bit.

Several years back I read a novel about a culture that was foreign to me. It was written by a journalist who was asked in an interview why a novel rather than the reporting of facts. The answer was that sometimes the best way to convey the truth is a novel. This novel conveys a reality in ways that facts never could .

How many Nigeriens are poor, how poor are they, do they have access to adequate medical care or nutrition???? These questions and more can be answered and they are on the UNICEF fact sheet. The answers are that many are poor, so poor that over 60% get by on less than 1 US Dollar per day. Medical care is inadequate for many. One in 5 children die before their 5th birthday. Many of those who survive are malnourished. Almost half do not have access to clean water. But you still are missing the reality associated that faces people living with these facts.

Gavin Weston, the author of Harmattan, is working with FORWARD UK on the problem of child marriages . The facts are available there. You can also look at the UNICEF fact sheet cited above and see that over a third of the girls in Niger are married before they are 15. UNICEF-USA ups the number to 1 in 2 and says the Niger has the highest rate of child and forced marriages in the world. Maybe they used a slightly difference source of data or maybe they just rounded differently but the point is that we are talking about a very large number.

Harmattan puts a face on these numbers. It is a book well worth reading. I found myself drawn into the story quickly. My guess is that good writing may have played a role. The story seems to slow down a bit toward the middle (at least it seemed that way to me.) But if it slows down for you at this or other points, it is well worth finishing.

There are several books named Harmattan or that have Harmattan in the title. That surprised me since I had not even heard the word a month ago. But my point is not that I have a limited vocabulary. I just wanted to warn you so you get the right book. Look for the author’s name when you buy or better yet buy though my website (link above) or Gavin’s. The book is now available in the Kindle version and the physical book should be out soon.

The Last Storyteller: A Novel of Ireland by Frank Delaney

The Last Storyteller: A Novel of Ireland by Frank Delaney

Posted on by Jack

The Last Storyteller: A Novel of Ireland starts slowly but it builds and does that well until you are totally engrossed in the story and never quite sure where it is going.

When I first started reading this, I was not impressed. After 10 pages or so I looked toward the end and figured I had another 300+ pages to go and really thought I might want to just give up at that point. But I decided to try a few more pages and then a few more and soon I was sure I wanted to read it all. Now that I’m done, I’m glad I gave this book a chance.

A well-told story has a certain quality. This book does not seem similar at all to the book I earlier reviewed about the French philosopher and essayist (see Montaigne: How to Live ) but the Montaigne book came to mind when I started this review. But when you think about it good stories are like Montaigne’s essays in that they are about “how to live”. A good story is entertaining but has a larger point.

Frank Delaney is a master storyteller. And this is a story about a storyteller. A group of stories within a story or perhaps a story next to other stories. Maybe both. At any rate, a good story. The story takes place in the Ireland of the middle 1950s, a time of great change. The narrator Ben MacCarthy of the Irish Folklore Commission is trying to record the old culture before it disappears. An important part of that culture was the seanchai or traveling storyteller.

The story is complex. It includes Delaney’s retelling of several traditional Irish stories through characters in his book. These tales are well told and are a very enjoyable part of the book. The story is also a love story. You see, Ben lost his wife to a rather vile character many years back and his quest involves not only storytelling but recovering this lost love. And getting to know his children born after he lost his wife. It is a long story and Delaney tells it much better than I could, so I’ll leave it there.

Give “The Last Storyteller” a chance; I think you’ll not regret that.

The Irish Americans: A History by Jay P. Dolan

The Irish Americans: A History by Jay P. Dolan

Posted on by Jack

The Irish Americans is one of those books that although written for the general reader is detailed enough and sufficiently referenced to be useful to those seeking more depth. I think over the years I have read quite a bit of Irish history and the history of Irish Americans because of my interest in Irish-American genealogy to be somewhat knowledgeable on the subjects. Yet I was not bored at all and found the book very interesting and informative.

My family came from Ireland to New York. So I was particularly interested in the discussion of New York Irish. There was much I had read before but here is was put in the context of the larger Irish American experience. That is, I was more interested in the discussion of Irish American politics and so forth in New York but reading about the similarities and differences in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and other cities was valuable in putting it all in perspective.

Dr. Dolan is a scholar in the fields of Irish Americans and American Catholicism. He is a Professor Emeritus of History at Notre Dame. This book clearly benefits from his years of scholarship on immigration and ethnic studies (including 18 years teaching Irish American history).

This is a complicated story and Jay P. Dolan tells it well. The big Irish migration came with The Famine in Ireland and after. Most of these were Catholic and so the author’s background studying American Catholicism is extremely helpful in explaining how these immigrants fit into American society. The authors does not ignore non-Catholics or those who came before the great influx but discusses similarities and differences and the uneasy relationships among various groups. In a few generations the Irish have moved from one of the lowest rungs of the social ladder to move upward considerably.

Black Echo by Michael Connelly or When Harry met Eleanor

Black Echo by Michael Connelly or When Harry met Eleanor

Posted on by Jack

I’ve long been a fan of Michael Connelly’s books. I decided to read or re-read The Black Echo by Michael Connelly because it was the first of the Harry Bosch series which I have enjoyed over the years. It has been so long since I may have read it that I wasn’t sure if I read it or not, but after a few pages I knew that I had. I did not remember it well enough that I knew what was coming so I was surprised by most of the twists in the plot but at least parts of the story were familiar. I totally enjoyed this mystery and as a bonus Harry worked with Eleanor Wish who will feature in other books of the Harry Bosch series.

I do not wish to say too much about the plot or specifics about characters as I don’t want to spoil the surprises for that rare reader who has not yet discovered this series. But, in short, both Harry and Eleanor are very interesting characters and the story is well-told with a number of surprising twists. For me, it was a re-read and a very enjoyable experience. For someone new to the series, it may be a bit different but I can’t imagine not enjoying it. I think this would be a great introduction to the characters as well as a great story. If I was thinking about trying a Harry Bosch book because so many people love the series, I would probably start at the beginning with The Black Echo .

I would guess that the new reader would be fine jumping into the series with any book that sounds interesting to him or her. Michael Connelly does work enough background of the characters into each book that I’ve read that the new reader should be able to enjoy the stories. But it is interesting to start at the beginning and watch a character develop and age. In The Black Echo Harry is close to 40 but in the later books he is at an age when lots of us are retired.

Michael Connelly has written quite a few books and I have enjoyed all of those I’ve read. If you are interested in learning more about this author you might want to check out Michael Connelly’s Amazon page.

On an unrelated note, I just wanted to add that I started reading this book on my Kindle. I had borrowed it from the county library and I’m not quite sure how borrowing ebooks works. But when it was ready (and there was a waiting list), it was sent to my Kindle by Wi-Fi and through my Amazon account. I did enjoy reading the book on the Kindle and my only gripe was that the loan period was one week which included Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Since I hadn’t finished by the end of the week and the book on my Kindle disappeared, I borrowed the actual book from the library to finish the story.

“Your Medical Mind: How to Decide What Is Right for You” reposted

“Your Medical Mind: How to Decide What Is Right for You” reposted

Posted on by Jack

I am reposting this review because I think this would make an ideal present. Just about everyone will face medical choices and this is a valuable guide to deciding what a good choice for the individual. I have this on my bookshelf and think many of us would benefit from this one.

We are all different. Modern medicine gives us many choices and many are based on probabilities of desired or undesired outcomes. And there is often an abundance of information and/or conflicting information. So, the question is “how do we decide?”

Drs. Groopman and Hartzband take on this question in “Your Medical Mind: How to Decide What Is Right for You” in a very interesting and informative manner. They interview a wide variety of patients dealing with various medical issues ranging from high cholesterol to cancer to end of life. They discuss various biases and how statistics and various narratives (stories of other patients) can either be used to mislead or educate.

Quite often there is no one best choice for everyone and no one best doctor for everyone. This very helpful guide to find the right choices for you . This book is full of good advice for both those facing a medical problem and thinking about their choices in doctors.

I liked this book a lot. I bought it to keep on my bookshelf as I am sure I will face some of the issues they discuss here over the coming years. I particularly liked the extensive notes and bibliography. I highly recommend this book.

Destiny of the Republic By Candice Millard

Destiny of the Republic By Candice Millard

Posted on by Jack

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President
By Candice Millard

I had read a book about President Cleveland and in a discussion of medical care, the shoddy medical care of President Garfield which resulted in his death was mentioned. By chance I ran across a favorable review of Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard and figured I would like to learn more about this. So I requested the book for my local library and waited. (If you are looking for a new book it is much quicker to just buy it.)

Other than a brief mention of President Garfield in high school history and the book mentioned above, I knew little about this President. Millard’s book was wonderful way to fill in that gap. Millard tell the fascinating story of his rise from abject poverty to the presidency, his assassination by a mad man, and the medical care that killed him.

This is not a complete biography of James Garfield. His life before his brief presidency is well told. It is clear that he was an extraordinary man and his assassination only a few months after inauguration was a great loss to the country. The assassin Charles Guiteau is vividly portrayed as he gets closer to the President. As in River of Doubt , you know how this story is going to end but Millard adds considerable suspense while telling this story.

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard is a fascinating account of that era and the sadly short presidency of James Garfield.