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The Civil War – and more
Paul O’Connor observes that even if it shouldn’t be judged by its cover, this book is good reading nonetheless. Reviewed by Paul T. O’Connor THE WAR THAT FORGED A NATION: WHY THE CIVIL WAR STILL MATTERS. By James McPherson. Read by Grover Gardner. Audible.com. 7 hours and 29 minutes. $19.95. You have to be careful…
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Mystery, poetry and mountains
Reviewed by Robert P. Moyer The North Carolina mountains have produced and inspired several fine writers over the years. Bob Moyer takes a look at the last book by one of them, published last September and not to be missed. ABOVE THE WATERFALL. By Ron Rash. Ecco. 252 pages. In his latest novel, Ron Rash…
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Before Castro, there was the U.S. mob
With Cuba about to be much in the news, Paul O’Connor reviews a 2008 book that should help put the coverage and discussions into accurate perspective. Reviewed by Paul T. O’Connor HAVANA NOCTURNE: HOW THE MOB OWNED CUBA AND THEN LOST IT TO THE REVOLUTION. By T.J. English. Read by Mel Foster. Audible.com. 13 hours…
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One terrible mistake
Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson THE GUEST ROOM. By Chris Bohjalian. Doubleday. 318 pages. $25.95. When I tried to tell a friend about the novel I was reading – a story about a man who offers his home for his younger brother’s bachelor party, only to find himself embroiled in a horror involving two murders,…
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East side, west side, all around the town
Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson BROOKLYN ON FIRE. By Lawrence H. Levy. Read by Cassandra Campbell. Books on Tape. 10 hours; 9 CDs. Mary Handley was the first woman to work as a detective with the Brooklyn Police Department. Her success there gained her quite a bit of fame, or maybe notoriety. She’s not giving…
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The swans and their darling
Reviewed by Linda C. Brinson THE SWANS OF FIFTH AVENUE. By Melanie Benjamin. Delacorte Press. 341 pages. $28. Think of Truman Capote not as he was in his later years: dissipated, bloated, outrageous, abusing drugs and alcohol, given to public breakdowns, unable to complete a novel. Think of him instead as slight, blond and young,…
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A sense of duty, a desire to win
Amid the sound and fury of the presidential campaign, Paul O’Connor finds that the new biography of George H.W. Bush presents a thought-provoking contrast. Reviewed by Paul T. O’Connor DESTINY AND POWER: THE AMERICAN ODYSSEY OF GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH. By Jon Meacham. Penguin Random House Audio. Read by Paul Michael. 25 hours. 20 CDs.…