5 comments about Into the Mirror: The Life of Master Spy Robert P. Hanssen.

1. The Robert Hanssen story is extemely bizarre and that's putting it mildly. Two contradictions stand out. First of all he was a religious zealot who dabbled in amateur pornography. Secondly he was a raging anti-Communist who used his position with the FBI to reveal critically important state secrets to the Soviet Union. Whether or not his hyper-religiosity and/or his adolescent attitude toward sex had anything to do with his treasonous acts may never be determined. One comes away from reading Master Spy by David Schiller believing that Hanssen initially betrayed his country for the money and later for the adrenaline rush associated with risking everything.
   
   This book is a "novelization" of Robert Hanssen's life. A number of liberties are taken with the truth. Many of the conversations that take place have been made up to reflect what certain individuals might have said. A number of important events are either given short shrift or omitted completely. Some of the supporting characters are not real people, rather they are composites assembled from actual Hanssen acquaintances. In short, Master Spy or Into the Mirror as the hardcover edition was originally titled is essentially a work of fiction based on the notorious Bob Hanssen case.
   
   When viewed as a reality based work of fiction, this book works reasonably well. The story is an interesting one, that point cannot be argued. The narrative flows relatively smoothly and gives the reader significant insight into the inner lives of Bob and Bonnie Hanssen and to a certain extent that of Bob's long time friend, Jack. It's a compelling tale, competently told. However, because it is a novelization, rather than a meticulously researched case study, Master Spy can only be a starting point for those readers wanting to know the factual underpinnings of this unique and highly disturbing episode in FBI history.
   
   I have only one major bone to pick with this book. Most of the dialogue Schiller puts in the mouths of his characters is not authentic sounding. Too much of it consists of formalized sentences that do not reflect the way people really talk to each other.



2. This is simply not a serious piece of work. It tries to be non-fiction while writing it within the style of fiction.
   
   It reminded me of those books that come out with a film saying "Based on the screenplay of the film."
   
   The Bureau and the Mole by David Vise was far better and revealed the same information.



3. Every page of this book is surprising and thought provoking. You gotta' read it. Lawrence Schiller's outstanding and concise writing is greatly aided by his research collaboration with Norman Mailer. They found a theme despite the fact that the deepest motivations of Robert P. Hanssen's behavior while turning himself into the spy who created the greatest breach of security in U.S. history--remain buried within himself. Critics of the movie of this book, cry out for a better peek into Hanssen's psyche, but it is unattainable. The book's theme had to be what it is, describe the observable conflict between Hanssen's psychosexual,religious, and political views, match them to chronological events, then put it all in such a way as to invite readers to pick up from there. I guessed that the doors to the Opus Dei group, to which Hanssen and his family were devoted, were barred to Schiller and Mailer. The most that could be written about it was written. (Opus Dei is also a subject of "Godfather III"). Schiller captures Hanssen's Moscow handlers, themselves conflicted between operating procedure and the collapse of the Soviet Union. The book left me thinking and imagining what Hanssen still keeps a secret, or maybe doesn't understand himself.



4. The newspaper and television reports of Robert Hanssen -- the FBI agent who spied for the Soviets in a frightening breach of national security -- were fascinating. But this book by Lawrence Schiller is silly.
   
   Schiller has borrowed heavily from Norman Mailer's screenplay. And this is what spoils it. In a screenplay, you have to invent dialogue for the characters, and you can get away with invented dialogue if people know it is based on a true story. But in a book that is supposed to be factual, such as this one, invented dialogue becomes a barrier to credibility if it is used frequently in private situations.
   
   In The Author's Note at the front of the book, readers are told that neither Hanssen nor his wife could be interviewed for the book because of a plea-bargain agreement they made with the Justice Department. So how the blazes can the author give Hanssen's conversations with himself in his bathroom, private conversations with his wife, and even how Hanssen's dog behaved when Hanssen took it for a walk?
   
   Every few pages of this book talk about things that happened in private -- in Hanssen's office, at his home, in the park. Hanssen is quoted in all these places, even though the author wasn't there, and neither was anyone else who was interviewed for the book. I found this distracting and very unbelievable. Even worse was the author's obsession with sex -- even making up details of what Hanssen allegedly thought and did when no one but Hanssen could possibly know these things.
   
   I rated this book as two stars because I didn't find any spelling mistakes or typographical errors. But as for the believability of the dialogue and private incidents, it doesn't even rate one star.



5. Certainly Robert P. Hanssen was a difficult man to understand but the main problem that I have with this book it is impossible to determine whether you are reading real facts or fiction.
   
   After reading the book, I am not sure whether it was the excitement or the money that was the major cause.
   
   Anyway I was hoping for a study of what Robert P. Hanssen gave away. The effect on security etc. There is little of this.

No comments about Woman of Today.

No comments about The Centre of the Bed.

1 comments about Iris.

1. I only read about 40 some pages--and that was enough for me to decide I had enough. I was very interested to read this memoir, but it let me down. I think this book uses too many big words that I get lost in--that takes away from the author's experiences. It was also hard to follow who the author is speaking about and his relationship to them.

1 comments about An Auctioneer's Lot.

1. This is a light-hearted biography of the career of an auctioneer active in the Worcestershire area of England. The events chronicled are mostly the 1970's and 1980s. The influence of the "All Creatures Great and Small" style of reminiscence is clear. The author focuses on interesting people met along the way. Their stories are told with gentle humour. The book begins with farmstock sales and moves on to antique auctions, but you do not need to be interested in either to enjoy it.

4 comments about Noah Webster: The Life And Times Of An American Patriot.

1. I found this fantastic book on the clearance stack at Border's. I became aware of Webster's importance from references to him in other books on the Founding Fathers. However, it wasn't until I read Unger's work that I fully appreciate how important Webster really was. Soon after graduating from Yale, the Connecticut native embarked on a lifelong dream of improving the educational system of the fledgling country to both unify it and to instill the young with the moral and intellectual virtues necessary to maintain a free republic.
   
   The first step was to have America adopt an agreed upon spelling convention tailored to the US to replace the current chaotic spellings borrowed from Britain. After years of hard work, he succeeded in getting his spelling books adopted in practically all schools within the US. The book later was nicknamed The Blue-Backed Speller and was the standard in American schoolrooms throughout the 19th century. To protect his creation, he successfully petitioned national leaders and all state legislatures to enact America's first copyright protection laws. In the course of his campaign he befriended George Washington, Ben Franklin, James Madison, and John Jay. An ardent nationalist, Webster wrote a widely read political tract in 1785, Sketches, calling for a strong national government to replace the Articles of Confederation. This work would have a powerful impact on the Convention of 1787 as Washington summoned Webster to Philadelphia to meet nightly with him and other attendees to solicit his views on how to craft the new constitution.
   
   In 1793, he returned to the national political scene to take the lead in countering the French representative Citizen Genet, who, on behalf of the revolutionary government, actively attempted to convince the American citizenry to overthrow President Washington in order for the US to support France in its struggle against Britain. (France's malevolent intentions included having the US become a French vassal state. ) Couching his speeches in the ideals of the American revolution, Genet gained quite a bit of popular support. However, Webster exposed the ruse and denounced American supporters for Genet as dupes. He publicly defended Washington and his administration's stand on neutrality against the onslaught of the anti-Federalist press, who sympathized with Genet.
   
   Besides serving in local politics, Webster led scientific inquiries with help from Benjamin Rush to combat infectious diseases (a world first) and to abolish slavery. Toward the end of his life, he embarked on his greatest achievement: a new, comprehensive dictionary of the English language. His endeavor comprised decades of research which included his learning several languages, both old and new, and traveling to the national libraries of France and Britain for etymological histories of words. His achievement won him stunning praise from the world over.
   
   A family man, Webster's indomitable character was forged by his strong Calvinist beliefs. This book traces the life of a most remarkable individual and too sadly neglected Founding Father. The book is written in an easy style and an obvious result of a great deal of research. A must for those seeking to appreciate the reason behind America's success over the last two centuries.



2. This is an outstanding biography of a person who, because he never held high political office, is less well known than he deserves to be. In reading about Webster's life, one also learns much about the political controversies of the early United States--how many know, for example, that George Washington had bitter political enemies while President, or that the War of 1812 was so unpopular in New England that it prompted many there (including Webster) to discuss seceding from the Union? This biography deserves to be widely read.



3. In his preface, the author notes that Noah Webster is so famous for his dictionary that it's overshadowed his many other achievements. Too true! I was amazed to learn of Mr. Webster's achievements in politics and education reform, particularly the influential role he played in shaping the U.S. Constitution. This book is a Must Read for anyone who wants a deeper and more accurate view into early American history.



4. If you're ready for a reprieve from contemporary biographical sleaze, read this fine biography of Noah Webster, a good and moral man who held his family and country in balanced respect. You have lots to learn from this book if all you know about Webster is the dictionary. What surprised me was a life that spanned the years from colonial times to the mid-19th century. This was a man who never held high elective office but was an influential friend of those who did -- Washington, Franklin, John Adams and Madison. He spent months traveling up and down the East coast, espousing his beliefs in the ideals of Federalism. He advocated tirelessly for an American language and literature independent of the British tradition. To protect himself against piracy of his highly popular reader for schoolchildren, he campaigned successfully for copywright legislation. For this reader, whose last course in American History is a blurred memory, the "times" part of this story was as fascinating as the "life." I was reminded of the chaos of the country in the interim between the Revolution and Constitutional Convention, of Shay's Rebellion, of the acrimonious regionalism that nearly tore apart the young country, of the XYZ affair, and the threat to a fragile democracy of the War of 1812. I was made to recall the inadequacies of early American education and the perils of public health before urban sanitation systems. In this carefully-researched portrait, Unger presents Webster sympathetically as an American Renaissance man, curious and informed in fields from law to medicine to philosophy to lexicography. One of Yale University's early graduates, he spent his life educating himself. Because Webster was such an assiduous diarist and letter-writer, the book also provides a rich portrait of his family and private life -- his devotion to his wife and children, his frustration with a ne'er-do-well son, his financial concerns, and his delight in hearth and home. The culmination of the story is the dictionary, the product of a lifelong belief in the necessity of a uniform American language to unify the disparate voices of a young nation. Webster the scholar devoted years of careful research to this project, both at home and in Europe. His efforts secured his mention in history books. Harlow Unger's book fleshes out the man and his times with substance and grace.

No comments about Roger Maris.

5 comments about Learning to Sing.

1. When I read this book I laughed, I cried, and reflected to my own experiences. Clay Aiken has so much wit and is a wonderful story teller.
   I would recommend this book for anyone but especially kids that get picked on at school, as Clay was. His childhood was filled with pain but he chose to rise above it all. From his biological father to his step-father,
   he had always gotten the short end of the stick and wondered what it would take to be loved. Wonderful, inspirational reading.



2. I recently finished his book in just a few hours. Excellent! The book reveals his life as a child, facts about his biological dad and his step dad, and his lovely mother. Many chapters actually moved me to tears. This man is humble, extremely talented and gifted.
   A definite Must Read! You will enjoy the trip down memory lane with Clay.



3. This book is truly a masterpiece! I read this book because I am a Clay Aiken fan, and I thought, 'Hey, a book by Clay Aiken, this should be cool.' I would recommend this book for anyone! Even if you aren't a fan of Clay, this is still an inspiring book. Let's just say: I laughed, I cried, it moved me!" I'm ordering the book and the audio cds. This is one of those books that you read front to back, then open it right back up and read it again!



4. Clay Aiken is one of the few celebrities I look up to. He has devoted fans because people see him as a friend or a brother. He is a very kind, humorous, and generous man. I am glad I read this book.



5. I don't really like to write reviews, but I couldn't resist this one. Let me just start by saying I wasn't a fan of Clay when he was on Idol. I guess I was a bit young to really appreciate his talent. Well I've rediscovered him and have become a HUGE FAN. I can call myself a claymate.
   
   Anyway, this book is great. I finished it in a day. I couldn't put the book down, not even for a minute. From the very beginning Clay opened himself up and showed that he's vulnerable. He says that he wants people to realize what you see is what you get when it pertains to him. You can't help but cry when things are rough, and smile when he sees the light at the end of the tunnel.
   
   This may be a spoiler, but one of the many things that really stood out for me was when he was talking about his stepdad. When his stepdad died, you can tell at that time, Clay felt incomplete, not knowing whether he was loved by him or not. Then he remembered a story his mom told him; his mom said, a friend of his dad had visited him and he was talking about his brother Brett and how he knew he would turn out to be a great man. Then his stepdad said, "my other son is going to be a famous singer one day because he has the most beautiful voice."
   
   That part of the book really touched me bc I felt like he got his closure and he knows his stepdad really loved him.
   
   Anyway, I don't mean to go on and on, but this is a great book and is a page turner. You can't help but love Clay more and I'm sure people who read this book can relate to him in so many levels.

5 comments about The Lives of the Great Artists (Biography).

1. A good introduction to Medieval, Renaissance, and Mannerist artists written by someone who lived around their time and had actual contact with some of the artists, as well as personal painting experience. He is, however, colored by his personal relationships with the artists, hyperbolic, and constrained by the Zeitgeist of the era. In exploring the relationships of artist and patron he is able to shed light on their social situation and the constant struggle of the elevation of the art of painting among the liberal arts. In English, some of the grandeur of his writing is lost, and it lacks the poetic ease of the Italian original. If you want a fuller version, I suggest (especially for bilingual speakers) a translation with the Italian original on the other side of the page.



2. No artist, or aspiring artist, should go without this book. While it is sometimes exhausting to read through the author's detailed coverage of the works of each featured artist, it should be considered mandatory reading for artists and art historians -- so that all can see the pillars of art on which civilization is built. The author covers both the works and the private lives of the artists, although I would have personally prefered more emphasis on the personal lives. It would also be very nice to have pictures of the specific works in each bio, so I guess that might be a future book purchase here at Amazon(!) -- a visual reference to Renaissance Art. In spite of those two drawbacks, I highly recommend the purchase of this book.



3. My daughter took Art History and loved this book. She kept it and insisted I buy her a copy so her teacher could have the new ones.



4. This book was a text for a grad school seminar I had. After nearly 500 years, Vasari remains the best "eyewitness" to the lives and works of his contemporary artists. Although he does take some liberties, such as trying to fit many artists into the traditional hero mold of child prodigy/discovered by master/quickly surpasses master, he also gives us a glimpse into the glorious time that shaped so many artistic geniuses.



5. "Do you admire a beautiful tower resounding with sacred sound?
   By my design this tower also reached for the stars.
   But I am Giotto, why cite such deeds?
   My name alone is worth a lengthy ode."
   [From the Live of Giotto di Bondone]
   Classic masterpiece containing selection of lives of famous Italian masters of art, written by their (almost) conterporary. This work is tedious and difficult to read at times (Vasari is describing at length all importatnt works of old masters). But still, this account is valuable for particular details about techniques used by old masters or condidtions under which their masterpieces were created... Kind regards, Mario.

2 comments about James Mason: Odd Man Out.

1. This is a reasonably good, though dry, effort at examining the life of the mellifluous-voiced British actor, James Mason. The book is paced well and there is a fair amount of information on most of his movies. However, there is a lack of information on Mason's personal life, especially regarding his unusual first marriage to the ascerbic Pamela Mason.

   Though Pamela Mason was a loud-mouthed and shrewish adulteress, she was also extremely witty and interesting in her own right. Anyone who recalls her appearences on L.A. TV shows from the 60's and 70's will still chuckle at her endless tirades, usually ending with the predictable sentence, "James was so dull."

   This book actually provides convincing evidence that James *was* boring. Mason comes off as depressed, rigid, indecisive and inrodinately unhappy. He makes many poor choices and instead of getting over them and getting on with his life, he broods about the negative consequences of his actions. For example, he moves to Hollywood and instantly detests California and American life, yet he inexplicably continues to live in the States for another 15 years. Hello, James... what was the problem?

   It is never explained why James stayed with Pamela for so many years, even when he was miserable in her presence and unhappy living in America. When he finally does divorce her, he ends up shilling out millions in alimony and making a succession of wretched movies in order to pay off Pamela.

   Ultimately, the real tragedy is that a man as intelligent, urbane and handsome as James Mason (not to mention his stupendous voice!) handled his career in such a haphazard way. He was a marvelous screen actor, but wasted his talent in many potboilers. This book doesn't really explain these poor choices and doesn't reveal enough about Mason's private life.




2. I really enjoyed this biography by Sheridan Morley on James Mason. It is really good, and tells much about his life, but more about his career. It's a very good read though, and you will learn about him from it. It's well written and really is an interesting read for any fan of James Mason.