5 comments about Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer (P.S.).

1. The book MANHUNT, the 12 Days of Chasing Lincoln's Killers was fasinating. This book opened my eyes as to how the manhunt for John Wilkes Booth took place and how it was ended. This is a must for any Lincoln reader.



2. Bought this book for my father and he really enjoyed it- he's a big big history buff, generally the only books he prefers so, his outlook on any book is a very high review.



3. Saw this book at the Newsmuseum in DC. This is an excellent reading to any historian and Lincoln buff. Easy reading and hard to put down until the end. Reading this book fits in as a good supplement to Team of Rivals and also stirs interest to those who know the haunts of DC. I've learned a lot of historical facts tha I never heard of before. The price was right from Amazon.com.



4. For everything historians know about Lincoln and that history teachers teach us about the President, seldom is said in the classroom about Booth. This book is amazing and really details the chase of Booth. I really enjoyed it and recommend it highly for anyone who is interested in Lincoln.



5. Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer was published in 2006 by James L. Swanson, and became a bestseller. Not only did it capture the imagination of Abraham Lincoln fans, but that of the general public as well.
   
   Manhunt has been a phenomenal success for its author, James L. Swanson, a practicing attorney in Washington DC and a long time collector of Lincoln memorabilia. In Manhunt he traces the path of John Wilkes Booth, then a well known actor and now the notorious assassin of Abraham Lincoln. The book takes us on a fascinating journey from the final preparations and carrying out of the assassination, through the escape from Washington DC, the travails of moving and hiding on a leg broken in the leap to the stage, and Booth's eventual cornering and killing 12 days later. Swanson writes brilliantly and the book reads like a novel as we see and hear the characters that assisted Booth and his accomplish Herold, from the famous Dr. Mudd to the lesser know Thomas Jones. Excerpts from Booths diary fill in the thoughts of the assassin himself.
   
   I highly recommend it. Watch for the movie to be released in 2011, and a follow up book on the chase for Jefferson Davis coming up April of this year.

5 comments about To Hell on a Fast Horse: Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, and the Epic Chase to Justice in the Old West.

1. Until I read this book I had only read mythological accounts of Billy the Kid, which usually contain nothing of Pat Garrett's life. Books and movies have mythologized Bill they Kid as a Robin Hood type, happy go lucky outlaw and Pat Garrett is demonized as a cowardly man who shot him down in the dark.
   
   This book dispels those myths and gives a fuller account of the lives of both these men in a well written and documented dual biography.
   
   The book walks through the early life of both men, with William Bonney's (Billy the Kid) being much more mysterious and unclear. He documents the Kid's rambling nature and his involvement in the Lincoln's County wars in New Mexico, where he comes off looking not quite as narcissistic and craven as one would think. It is clear that Bonney had little few skills except with his gun, which is the only way he could really make a living. His unbelievable, daring, and bloody escapes are even more dramatic than the movies that portray them. The author does an outstanding job at using what little documentary evidence exists to bring to life, real life, Billy the Kid.
   
   But the book also has done a great service to the ill fated Pat Garrett. I knew absolutely nothing about Garrett before reading this book and the author provides a very vivid, full biography of this misunderstood Western lawman. Far from the cowardly person often portrayed in the movies, he was a man of honor, kept his word (mostly), and was equally the epitome of the fearless, tough lawman as the more famous and renowned Wyatt Earp. He did fall on hard times and was a rather bad business man, which ultimately lead to his downfall and possibly murder. The author does a splendid job of exploring his life and the mysterious events surrounding his death.
   
   I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the history of the American West that is not based on myth.



2. An excellent and very readable narrative of the lives of Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett. Author Mark Gardner manages to capture the essence of both men in one book any reader can handle. I won't repeat the details of other reviewers, but even devotees of the saga can sink their teeth into the book. For those wanting to read more about this moment of wild west history, I highly recommend "The West of Billy the Kid" (or any of Frederick Nolan's books), "Such Men as Billy the Kid" by Joel Jacobsen, and "Billy the Kid" by Jon Tuska. Read and enjoy!



3. Mark Lee Gardner deserves high praise for "To Hell on a Fast Horse." He combines rich scholarship with a gifted storyteller's understanding of how to keep the audience's attention. What is amazing is the extent to which both Garrett and Billy the Kid emerge on the pages as human beings, rather than as one-dimensional heroes or villains. Indeed, the book appropriately ends with a fitting quotation from Walter Noble Burns (as recorded by Sallie Chisum in 1924): "I knew both these men intimately... and each made history in his own way. There was good mixed with the bad in Billy the Kid and bad mixed with the good in Pat Garrett. Both were distinctly human, both remarkable personalities." After reading this compelling book, you will feel as if you gain genuine insight into both men and their times, both the good and evil in it. The account of these violent businessmen and gunmen in multicultural New Mexico is
   
   Gardner's account of Garrett's post-Billy the Kid career also makes for fascinating, if also very sad, reading. For example, the rise and fall of his relationship with Theodore Roosevelt underscored Garrett's difficulty in dealing with his violent past and his personal vices. The book also highlights the role of the aggressively venal lawyer and politician Albert B. Fall as an opponent of Garrett. One wonders whether some of the evil lawyers portrayed in old western movies were based on Fall.
   
   All is all, this is a great book.



4. "To Hell on a Fast Horse" is a great read. While it doesn't offer up much new information it presents the already known in a very gripping, concise way. This is easily the best book since Utley's "Billy the Kid", maybe even surpassing it. Heresy? Maybe, but "To Hell on a Fast Horse" is a vast improvement on Utley's "Just the facts" writing style. The book is extremely fasted paced, sometimes too much so in that he flies through some events so fast that when they are referenced later you have already forgotten that they happened but that is but a quibble Gardner has a great story to tell and he tells it well. In terms of Billy and Pat Garrett, Gardner is very even-handed and if there is a central thesis of the book it is summed up nicely in a quote on the final page describing Billy being a bad man but containing some good and Garrett being a good man but containing some bad and that both men were worth knowing. Billy the Kid is, as always, something of an enigma but it is Pat Garrett who really comes into focus particularly in the final section describing Garrett's life after Billy's death and the near constant disappointments that the old law man had to endure. Billy the Kid is the legend but Pat Garrett is the tragedy- one image in particular is very moving- years after both men died Billy got a brand new monument to mark his much visited grave while Garrett's grave become over-grown with weeds. "To Hell on a Fast Horse" is a great, great read and is a new classic in the field of "Billy the Kid-olgy"(I made up that word but feel free to use it).
   
   Kevin



5. Though not a thoroughgoing newcomer to Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett (who is, thanks to Hollywood and popular culture?), this is the first nonfiction book on them that I've delved into, and I must say it's an engaging introduction to the topic. Gardner is a natural storyteller. Of course, he has some great material to work with, but he presents it ably and vividly. I was mildly disappointed that he chose not to use traditional numbered footnotes, which can make his notes -- which are rich and detailed -- difficult to navigate, especially if you're trying to pin down a specific quotation. I also wish there had been a greater effort to place this story in the big-picture context of the American West in general. But these are minor quibbles in a work that doesn't really aim for that kind of academic treatment. As popular history, this is solid reading.

5 comments about The Man Who Made Vermeers: Unvarnishing the Legend of Master Forger Han van Meegeren.

1. "The Man Who Made Vermeers" examines the forgery career of Han van Meegeren who amassed a fortune by littering the world with fake Old Masters paintings from the 1920s through the end of World War II. It is an amazing tale that has also been chronicled recently in Edward Dolnick's "The Forger's Spell."
   
   The Man Who Painted Vermeers focuses on the forger, his lifestyle, his counterfeiting associates, his pro-fascist activities, and his lengthy career in forgery. This book is an interesting look at a turbulent time in history that allowed strange things to happen in the art world.



2. I could not put it down. The strength of this book is Van Meegeren himself.
   
   The book races by trying to cover as much of the whirlwind as possible; the art, the forgery, the lies, the lifestyle, the marriages, the Nazis and the aftermath. The story of a consummate con artist in every sense. The book does a wonderful job covering certain details of art forgery for that time period (though I should state I am neither an art expert nor an art historian).
   
   I wish the book went greater into depth regarding the wheeling of all the dealing, but perhaps it is lost in history. Names of friends and rivals fly by and money and fake masterpieces change hands and countries eventually lose their governments. You want to know more about these people, but the author feels the need to get it all in.
   
   Even the aftermath is quite a spectacle. The book makes you want to know more about Lt. Joseph Piller and (if records could be found) what the experts really thought when they discovered their own hoodwinking. It is remarkable to see a man like Van Meegeren snake through every danger, coming out some sort of cultural hero, while he left behind him so many ruined reputations.
   
   As the author appropriately recites (from "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance"): When the legend becomes fact, print the legend. The author wrote down the facts too.



3. I thought this book would tell the story of an amiable rogue who fooled the art establishment and even top Nazi Hermann Goering by faking Vermeers. It turned out to be much more than that. It's the tale of a creepy fascist with a specific political agenda who used his fakes to advance a form of art that glorified the Nazi view of the world.
   
   Han van Meegeren seems to have been a puffed up creep from the start. He had some talent, as shown by the illustrations of some of his portraits reproduced in this book, but his conservative bent and limited imagination meant he was never destined for greatness.
   
   Instead, he began painting fake Vermeers. His early efforts were genre interior scenes similar to those of the master himself. But then he hit another vein entirely, manufacturing a new and entirelu false chapter of the artist's career during which Vermeer allegedly devoted himself to painting somber Biblical scenes.
   
   You look at the reproductions of these pictures and you wonder how they fooled anyone at all. They are dull, lifeless, full of lugurious piety of the worst kind, the very antithesis of the glowing work of Vermeer. Yet these crude daubings took in most of the Dutch art establishment of the time. Once he had established the first fake of this kind, it became progressively easier to continue fooling everyone -- since each subsequent painting was clearly the work of the same artist.
   
   The author explains how some of the coded and subliminal messages in these images appealed to something in the air during the 1930s when Nazi ideology loomed larger and larger in Europe. For the first time, he unveils the depth of van Meegeren's Nazi sympathies and decodes his evil messages. The amount of research that went into this book is prodigious -- but the writing is always clear.
   
   Van Meegeren fooled the art experts of his time, he fooled Goering and he fooled his interrogators after the war. He fooled the world press, he fooled the judge and jury during his trial and he fooled the Dutch public. He died unexpectedly without ever paying for his actions. But thanks to this great book, he will not fool posterity.



4. "The Man Who Made Vermeers" is both a brilliant scholarly work and fascinating read. Insightful writing, yet completely accessible. Get this book, you won't be disappointed.



5. This is a fascinating story, and Lopez does a great job in presenting his materials. Plus, the book is clearly informed by a lot of serious research. Definitely worth reading!

5 comments about Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World's Greatest Outlaw.

1. great book, incredible subject.
   My only hang-up is the author's story-telling style. Bowden does a much better job of telling a story in a logical, easier-to-follow timeline in Blackhawk Down, but in this book he jumps all over the place, and doesn't do the best of jobs in keeping the reader aware of the timeline of events. Bowden's fact-finding in regards to covert operations is incredible, he certainly has access to information that no other author has, and for that alone this book is well worth a 5 star rating. But the telling of the story itself in this book is much less than it could be. A good example of an excellently-told story with similar subject matter is the book Inside Delta Force by Eric Haney; Bowden's story-telling skills pale in comparison to Haney's. And for that reason alone I have to give the book 3.5 stars.



2. Killing Pablo, By Mark Bowden, is a compelling story of how the Colombian police and the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) track down the world's most notorious cocaine Kingpin Pablo Escobar. Mark Bowden starts the book off in Medillin, Colombia in the 1970s - 1980s, talking about the drug war in Colombia starting with Pablo's rise as a drug lord. Pablo started his criminal career with petty theft and eventually progressed to carjacking, drug trafficking, and eventually murder. His drug trafficking extended from Colombia to America were he made most of his money. He would have pilots carry 750,000 dollars of cocaine a month. Pablo bombed a plain leaving Colombia as a message that no one would mess with him, and since there were 2 American passengers on the plane the United States considered him a threat. After the United States got into it every thing started to crumble for Pablo. His shipments were being intercepted by the DEA and he was losing money. He was being tracked by Colombian police and the DEA who were listening on his conversations. The Colombian police took his wife and daughter. His fellow Kingpins started to betray him by helping the police and eventually he was found.
   I learned how important it was to find Pablo Escobar in this book. The special operations task force was involved in the manhunt. Pablo killed many innocent people to send a message that he is a force to be reckoned with and will never stop. There were massive raids of his 4 safe houses and every time he got arrested he would be freed. I would recommend this book because it is a book that is interesting and keeps you wanting to know more about Pablo's situation. I recommend this book to people who are interested in man hunts, and drug cartels.



3. Certain people make a huge impact on others, not always for the good. Pablo was hugely influential in his lifetime and had no idea how he was able to impact and influence so many people (aside from the obvious).



4. This book started out slow for me considering the force that was Black Hawk Down. However, after the first 20 pages you can't put it down. Riveting, the writing just demands your attention. I mean, I skipped reading both my NY Times and Wallstreet Journals for 3-days to read this book. By the way, the way events unfolded in Columbia; the drug lords influencing events; inept, flaccid and corrupt government; indiscriminate and unspeakable murder and mayhem on one side being confronted by heroic and unimpeachable citizens does that sound familiar-Mexico. Both sides in the Mexican drug war are using the playbook that originated in Columbia. In the end, the good guys win because good always triumphs over evil..



5. A great read, with about a dozen or so photos, about one of the richest and most notorious criminals in history. The book briefly describes Escobar's rise to power, with the majority of the story focusing on the efforts of both the U.S. and Colombian governments' to track and kill him. Finding him was very difficult, as Pablo had a great deal of money and friends to assist him. But, with persistance and determination from those who were tracking him, he and his cartel were slowly and methodically destroyed. A fascinating story that shows that no matter how rich or feared a person can become, eventually they will have to answer for their actions if and when they overstep certain boundaries of our society. Pablo did this, and the book's front cover graphically shows the price he paid.

5 comments about BMF: The Rise and Fall of Big Meech and the Black Mafia Family.

1. The author does a credible job of crafting the BMF story over the course of 277 pages. The book is at it's best early on and tapers off significantly toward the end. It was apparent that this was a voyeuristic endeavor for the author whose interest in the lifestyle and personalities of the BMF members was apparent throughout. In as much the finite details of the story don't receive nearly the amount of attention they deserve. Had the author done so, she would have found many inconsistencies in regard to the BMF operation and the legend that has emerged.
   
   Ignorant and naive, are the most appropriate terms to describe the behavior of BMF's co-founder Demetrius "Meechie" Flenory throughout the story. At least this is the impression one gets from the author. The story opens with an interview session where a jailed Meech reminisces over all that he has lost. The cars, the money, the notoriety are all listed by the author but it is apparent what he seeks is validation. For all that he has lost, the most precious of all "freedom," isn't mentioned. It's a curious omission from a man facing the remainder of his natural life behind bars.
   
   It's sad because it demonstrates the mentality and mindset of so many men and women, "some young and some more experienced," who are sure to pick up this title and relate or adopt Flenory's irrational manner of thinking themselves. The author falls into the trap of trying to justify the actions of the group by employing the over-used excuse "if it wasn't the Flenory brothers...some else would-perhaps someone not so willing to give back.
   
   Give back? Give back to what, where and to whom? The truth of the matter is BMF spent whatever earnings they made in the clubs of Buckhead, Vegas and Miami! What benefit did this provide to the sections of Atlanta, Detroit, St. Louis or any of the other cities where the product they sold settled? Not a single Buckhead club was owned or controlled by BMF, Miami's south beach is an area notorious for its Jim Crow era policies in regard to black club and business ownership as is the case with the Vegas strip.
   
   Little "if any," of the alleged $270 million in earnings generated by BMF was invested or applied toward the betterment of the communities victimized during their reign. The sad fact of the matter is BMF's "absurd" spending habits and promotion of a highly fictionalized lifestyle masked the continued assault upon black communities through the promotion of the high consumption lifestyle and fatalistic behaviors that have robbed more than 2 million black males of their futures due to incarceration. Our communities are suffering and one of the primary causes for this suffering is the combination of ignorance and apathy.
   
   Far to many of us remain ignorant to the fact that there is no future in selling drugs, Jay-Z's puffery be damned! I've witnessed far to many fall victim to the temptation of fast money who learn far to late that there is no such thing as easy money and the only thing fast about it is the rate at which it disappears. The BMF story is sad because as the judge in the BMF trial pointed out "Flenory is his own worst enemy" as well as an enemy to the reputation and well being of a healthy black image.
   
   Despite this book, multiple DVD's and countless magazine articles, the truth has continued to be ignored. The fact of the matter is the details as contained in the BMF indictment from October 2005 is not nearly as glamorous as we are led to believe. 30 people lost their freedom, and for what 632 kilos, $5.3 million in currency and $5.7 million in assets. Though a considerable sum, it is a far cry from $270 million most often attributed to the operation. So was it worth 40 years behind bars? Well according to Flenory it was. Well someone check back with him in 10 years when his exploits are a faded memory and the magazine editors and struggling authors loose interest.



2. I couldn't put this down - (I had to at some points to go to work), it reads like a non fiction, certainly as exciting as the godfather series, an updated version. I loved learning the details of how BMF and Sin City pulled off their dealings and also interesting to hear how the investigators connected the dots.
   
   Great book! I can't wait for the movie.



3. I am born and raised in the "A". I knew these guys were a force, but didnt know to this extent. A lot of events I remember that happened in the early 2000 involved this crew. Very good book, bravo, cant wait till the movie!!



4. I could not book this book down. If you are from ATL the names, places and recency of events make you feel like you are right there with Big Meech.



5. The book provided very good insight to the BMF rise in the south. Very detailed descripted writing about this story. Easy to follow and I wouldn't be suprised if this book is used as the basis for a future screen play. You iwll not be disappointed.

5 comments about Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art.

1. Solidly written and thoroughly researched, "Provenance" offers an insightful look at the ins and outs of art fraud, showing both the technical and logistical hurdles involved in introducing fakes into the market. It also paints a sympathetic portrait of the forger Myatt (a somewhat sad character, truth be told) and an equally credible, if understandably much less positive, picture of the conman Drewe. On the whole, a terrific book, which I wholeheartedly recommend.
   
   Jonathan Lopez, author of "The Man Who Made Vermeers"



2. I very much enjoyed this book. I learned quite a lot about how the "art world" works. The story is a compelling one, the research seems solid, the writing is fluent and engaging, and the book is a remarkably easy read when you consider how much technical material is covered in it. The authors have a real knack for descriptive writing, making things that the reader cannot see real and solid in the mind's eye.
   
   However, there were three things that I found frustrating about the book. First, the lack of illustrations -- it seems as if the book would have been stronger if there had been images to help the non-expert understand the ways in which the forged pieces were good and the ways in which they fell short. Second, I was left with real curiosity about what Drewe had been doing prior to this scheme. I wish that the authors had managed to uncover this information. it seems odd to me that where they are willing to make educated guesses (always identified as such!) about other things, they had no theories to advance about this particular point. And finally, I find myself wondering where the painting Myatt says he did not do came from.
   
   These are minor quibbles, and should in no way stop anyone with an interest in art, in confidence games, or in interesting well-told stories from picking this book up and getting a great deal of enjoyment out of it.



3. An expertly written, carefully researched and exciting story of the pathological mastermind John Drewe who meticuously created extensive faked provenance to support his sales of hundreds of modern paintings forged by his accomplace artist John Myatt. The single criticism I have is that, although this book has lengthy descriptions of numerous faked Giacomettis, Nicholsons, Bissières and Sutherlands, there is not included a single photograph of any of the forgeries or of any genuine works to compare them with, nor are there any photographs of the forged provenance documents. And, although Drewe and Myatt's appearances are described in great detail, not a single photograph of either is included. Anyone reading this book would want, and expect, to see exactly what these paintings looked like and exactly how closely they resemble the genuine ones, and the verbal descriptions are excellent, but they are no substitute for photographs. It is inexplicable why none are included. Fortunately, a Google Image search for "John Drewe" or "John Myatt" provides a number of examples of the faked paintings, as well as photographs of Drewe and Myatt (Myatt looks more distinguished to me, and Drewe less, than suggested by the book) and even some of the faked documents supporting the forgeries.



4. "Provenance" is the account of one of the greatest cons in the history of art. About 240 forged paintings were produced, many selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars, and netting overall about 2 million pounds over nine years. Many are still considered genuine and hang in prominent places. The authors reveal that museums not only display art, but also assemble and maintain a chain of ownership for the works of the authors they display; funding this effort, however, is difficult and became key to the fraud detailed in the book.
   
   The action begins with a museum reception for Dr. John Drewe, professor of nuclear physics and art connoisseur, who has just donated two 'valuable decades-old' paintings to the museum. Dr. Drewe is accompanied by his 'research assistant' John Myatt, who is shocked to realize that he had just finished painting the valuable donated paintings. Myatt strongly protests to Drewe that the subterfuge will certainly be discovered by the museum's curators, and gets Drewe to withdraw the donation on the grounds that he'd just learned of potential problems with their documentation. Dr. Drewe instead substitutes a $20,000 donation, with promises of another $500,000 later for the museum's provenance work. The point of Dr. Drewe's generosity was to gain access to the museum's records.
   
   Dr. Drewe and Myatt had met four years prior when Drewe responded to Myatt's ad for reproductions. Myatt had just been abandoned by his wife, along with with two babies in diapers, and was short of money. Dr. Drewe commissioned a copy, and their relationship grew over time. Meanwhile, world art prices began soaring. Myatt, in turn, switched from making copies to creating original paintings in the style of the more valued artists he was mimicking; doing so, he carefully researched the style and peculiarities of the artists he was emulating. At first he was unaware that Drewe was selling his reproductions and creations as authentic.
   
   Buyers became increasingly demanding of proof of authenticity as prices increased. Fortunately for the con artists, Drewe was now well-positioned to comply - both creating fake entries within the museum records (loose-leaf binders were used) for Myatt's heretofore non-existent paintings, and also using the records to compile credible-looking receipts and other records - again, from both real and invented collectors. Dr. Drewe used computers, old typewriters, and a scanner to revise old photographic records. (Museum security focused on people taking things out; it was especially lax regarding donors.)
   
   Dr. Drewe's cons, however, are not limited to art - he also attempts to con his common-law wife (Batsheva Goudsmit) out of her real estate holdings, has her declared insane (she loses her job as a pediatric eye specialist), and takes custody of the two children. Myatt, on the other hand, eventually concluded that Dr. Drewe was insane (outlandish stories, dealing with guns) and cheating him, and Myatt then refuses to have anything more to do with Drewe.
   
   In the middle of all this a strange fire and death occurs at an apartment owned by Drewe's common-law wife. Investigators meet with Batsheva and she tells them the dead person was probably blackmailing Dr. Drewe - 'something to do with art forgeries,' and later gives investigators Drewe's briefcase, loaded with strange receipts, clippings, art books, etc. Eventually Dr. Drewe is arrested for art fraud and exposed as never having gone past high school. Between Drewe's faking illnesses and fleeing, it took 18 months before he was brought to trial. The trial took another 6 months, he was found guilty in 5 hours, and sentenced to 6 years. Myatt received a one year sentence, served 4 months, and resolved to never paint again. His arresting officer, however, persuaded Myatt that 'he had a gift' and commissioned him to create a painting of the officer's family. Myatt returned to painting, and has done well since - making explicitly clear that his works are not authentic.
   
   My main complaint about "Provenance" is that the suspicious fire and death issues were never resolved - the topic is just left hanging. I'm also at a loss to understand how 'Dr. Drewe' sustained himself prior to meeting Myatt (the book and other sources say that almost no records exist - still, his Batsheva and Drewe's parents provide potential sources), and why his financial situation deteriorated prior to being arrested.



5. Provenance becomes a fast read as you quickly turn the pages to find out how this outrageous scam scheme was pulled off. The characters are wonderful and what a bird's eye view into the world of art, galleries and museums! Even if you do not have alot of interest in these areas the book will hold your attention as the mystery unravels. I have both lent my book to friends and ordered copies for presents.

5 comments about The King of Oil: The Secret Lives of Marc Rich.

1. This book tells, in plain language the incredible story of Marc Rich. Author Daniel Ammann takes very complicated business and legal issues and makes them clear and interesting. The story flows nicely. It is a "can't put it down" book.
   
   When you're finished, you sympathize with Rich. Marc Rich (speaking through Ammann's text) is convincing in his contention that he's been over-prosecuted and demonized beyond his alleged crimes. Many believe he is the ultimate international demon, but the reasons for his notoriety are not clear to the general public. After he paid his company's back taxes plus fees, US prosecutors, who were building name recognition to go on to more powerful or lucrative careers, pressed for a criminal conviction. Significant resources were used in building this case and hunting him down. Bill Clinton could certainly sympathize with the harassment factor.
   
   Rich is less convincing in justifying his dealing with the world's most oppressive governments. While saying these deals are merely business, he claims that in bringing commerce to these sad and poor countries he has made life better there. Like the Nicholas Cage character in Lord of War [Blu-ray], he believes "This is not our war." I believe he made life better for the dictators and their henchmen at the top, thereby retarding the development of better societies.
   
   Rich showed confidence in his story by giving Ammann unprededented access to people and records and ceding him full editorial and content control. Ammann uses his access well and covers Rich's family, his rise, his methods and lifestyle. Rich's terse answers in the interview at the end show wisdom and experience. To me, his flaw is that he believes that everything legal is moral.
   
   I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in this person and topic.



2. I'm a proud Kindle user and live in Italy.
   I believe it's ridiculous that the kindle version of this book is not available for customers living in Europe.
   Why should I buy a physical book and pay more for it, pay for extra shipping cost and wait several days, when I could easily download it in one minute?
   The fact that I'm not allowed to do it simply because I live in Europe is just unbelievable.
   When will this author and his publishing company realize we live in the third millennium and this kind of stupid limitations don't make sense anymore?
   Can somebody explain this to me?



3. In the "King of Oil," Rich relates at length his private life, including his expensive divorce from his wife, as well as his grief at not being able to be with his younger daughter dying of cancer, nor visit her grave because of U.S. criminal charges. Rich, a billionaire oil trader and former fugitive, discusses as well his invention of the spot oil market which made his fortune and changed the world economy. One is also given details of Rich's unpublicized dealings with, among others, Fidel Castro's Cuba, war-torn Angola, and apartheid South Africa.
   
   This book explores the attempts by U.S. officials to kidnap Rich from Switzerland. Rich, the most controversial international businessman of all time, shows his secret cooperation with the Israeli and U.S. governments while being indicted by Rudy Giuliani for fraud and placed on the FBI's most wanted list.
   
   Reviewed by Claude Ury



4. Ammann has relayed a thorough story of the real Marc Rich through unprecedented access to the man himself and the far reaching history behind him. A great page turner that shows Rich from a different angle than that of the popular media during his legal troubles. A must read for anyone interested or involved in trade and business.



5. This was one of my favourite books of 2009. At last someone could meet Marc Rich and get more than monosyllables out of him. This book is very well researched and I congratulate the author for his tenacity in explaining to other people what oil trading is all about. Not only that, we learn that Marc Rich's ex-wife was perhaps not, as previously widely reported, the sole individual who helped gain a last-minute pardon from Bill Clinton. Some Israeli friends seemed to have helped a lot too.
   
   I'm still not sure whether Marc Rich is a saint or a sinner. But, after reading this book, you have to admit, he's a very clever man and extremely astute when it comes to business.
   
   As for Bill Clinton, I can imagine that last-minute pardon still seems a mystery to most people.
   
   Marc Rich says he will never return to the United States for a visit, just in case he's arrested, for example, for a minor parking offence. Does that mean he doesn't really believe too much in that presidential pardon?
   
   You have written a very entertaining book, Daniel Ammann.

5 comments about The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession.

1. The majority of people who are intrigued by this title probably love books, therefore, read it to satisfy your curiostiy. However, I found the writing to be adequate but uninspired, the personality of the author drab and prissy and the guy who loves books not all that interesting. The thing I most disliked was the plethora of banal connections made presented as cosmic ironies (for instance, between the title of a book and the thief's situation). Also, the author repeats herself A LOT. What I liked most was gaining insight into the world of book collecting.



2. Good, quick read exposing the underside of the rare book world. A few glaring errors made me wonder if they were intentionally included to increase the eventual value of a first edition...? (See p. 102, where the phrase, "most of them do not cross the line between coveting and stealing" appears twice in three sentences. See also pp. 253-254, where the word "Renaissance" inexplicably appears twice in a row.) If you read Ann Rule's book, "The Stranger Beside Me," and were bothered by the extent to which the author inserted herself into the gripping story of Ted Bundy, you will find the same irritation with this book. (Personally, I don't like to be aware of the author of a book, but prefer the illusion that the book contains a world belonging only to me, the reader.) That said, there is much to learn and much to enjoy here. It is definitely worth reading.



3. Allison Hoover Bartlett took the risk (as did her publisher) of spending significant time and effort writing about a man whom many would rather easily dismiss as a mere "klepto." Instead, John Gilkey, apparently, defined himself to himself and to others through the books he purloined from rare book shops. A mere shoplifter would not have used the Modern Library "Top 100" as his guide to stealing. Gilkey, however, appears to have let his love of books if not literature invent a world where the "have nots" are perfectly justified in taking from the "haves," in this case book dealers who had dedicated their lives to buying and selling valuable books and building important collections at very little profit.
   Bartlett's honesty in approaching her subject, both bibliomania in general and Gilkey in particular, is refreshing. She enters the foray not as an expert but as a student of book collecting and perhaps more importantly human nature. Ken Sanders, her pilot through the early part of her investigation, figures largely in the story as initially a one man crusade to corral and incarcerate book thieves. Using an unwished for promotion to head of security for the ABAA, Sanders launches a network of electronic communication that allowed members of the organization to alert each other to Gilkey's movements. By the end of the book, Sanders has relinquished his post and slowly disappears from the stage while Bartlett follows Gilkey from one prison term to another, questioning her own involvement and objectivity in the story.
   
   If you have ever felt an unreasonable or unhealthy appetite for books, you might enjoy this book as a participant, if not in the stealing perhaps in the fervor. Those who are not avid book collectors or bibliophiles but who have felt driven to collect something may still understand the almost psychotic drive to own and possess one thing, and then another, and another, without ever being able to say "I am satisfied, no more."
   
   In this age of drug wars and blood lust, a book about a book thief might sound anticlimactic. My best advice is, buy the book, enjoy the story, and thank Allison for seeing it through.



4. While the title seemed intriguing, I found the book to be uninspired.
   
   In my opinion, the thief, who is the inspiration for the book, lacked complexity and quirks that I would have expected in story about rare book theft. He was uninteresting to me nearly from the outset, and brought no drama to the story. He's just a guy who doesn't have that 'moral' gene.
   
   The detective (bibliodick) Ken Sanders was an interesting character, and I'd definitely have written the book with Ken as the centerpiece, just following his life in counterculture, his lifelong love of books and finally his career as a rare book dealer.
   
   I'm sorry to say it, but I wouldn't recommend this book.



5. This book is a sterling reminder of just how much I love books. Bartlett's writing was so evocative that I could picture in my mind's eye the bookshops and libraries she described, and it made me want to wander around them for hours. Her descriptions of rare books and their charms are so vivid that I can't see how any book lover could possibly fail to respond to them. As I read, I repeatedly found myself telling my husband just how amazing I thought this book was. He agreed with me. He read it first and told me how much he thought I'd like it.
   
   What is easy to understand about this story is how a book lover could respond to the lure of a beautiful, old book. When I was in college, I had the good fortunate to take a Renaissance literature class taught by a professor who took us to see the rare books at the university library during one of our first classes. I'll never forget wearing white gloves and paging carefully through those gorgeously painted illuminated pages. It was truly an awe-inspiring experience for a bibliophile like me, and I could easily understand the charm of owning such a volume myself. Bartlett coveys how books are more than just paper and ink, they're a viable, physical link to the past. They are objects of memory, symbols of the things that we love and of the people with whom we've enjoyed them. Given this, it's easy to see how a thief could be tempted.
   
   Equally interesting was the story of Gilkey. I agreed with Bartlett in that it was difficult to decide if the man was amoral or suffering from some sort of mental disorder. His obvious disconnection from reality is startling. Were I in Bartlett's shoes while interviewing him for this book, I think I would have been too shocked by him for any sort of coherent speech. It was unfathomable that he could view his crimes as being victimless, that he could fail to understand how his books thefts impacted those who, like him, have a high regard for books but, unlike him, obtain them in legal and ethical ways. Gilkey is an interesting criminal and also an alarming one. While his crimes may not be violent, I found it disturbing to think that a criminal with so little conscience could exist. He's the antihero who fancies himself the hero.
   
   It was also disturbing to me to realize just how little publicity book thefts get. Why is it that when art goes missing, it's a top story, but when invaluable books like this are lost, there's hardly a peep? That books have power is obvious, as made plain by Bartlett's comments about past and current attempts at banning and burning "subversive" literature. I was baffled by how law enforcement can treat the theft of a $5,000 book so casually, when the theft of a TV of the same value would clearly not be something treated with so little concern. What an odd contradiction.
   
   This is a book that I will be sure to recommend to my fellow book lovers. I was utterly fascinated by it from the first page until the very last.

5 comments about In the Sanctuary of Outcasts: A Memoir.

1. I really enjoyed the book. The subject matter was fascinating and kept my interest. We read it for our book club and I can't wait to discuss it in a group to get other opinions. Hopefully the author will be in attendance as well.



2. I almost hate to call this, or see it called, a "memoir" because I am notorious among my reading friends for having no patience with this genre. But this one is different and (mostly) believable to me. White does not "recall" large portions of his childhood with exact quotes (from when he was 4 years old!)
   
   I found White's story to be realistic (imprisoned for bank fraud) and surreal (sent to a federal prison that is also a leper colony, the last one in the United States). I had read Moloka'i last year so I was somewhat familiar with leprosy. In Hawaii these people were isolated whereas in Carville, they were expected to co-exist with prisoners.
   
   I do think that White misled readers when he stated and implied that the patients had to stay in Carville (he used the word quarantined) when, in reality, they could leave at any time. I also never really felt the link he had with Ella because he never really thoroughly explained or elaborated on this relationship.
   
   White does a good job of character development in this book, with prisoners and patients alike. The cast of characters is far-ranging and interesting.
   
   I must say that I did come to feel uncomfortable at times while reading this book - with the underlying feeling that the author thought he was so special and so different, and not really remorseful. Was it a "spin job"? Too slick? Maybe.
   
   I would like to know more about how he rehabilitated himself after leaving prison, how he put his life back together. There was a short explanation at the end that left me wanting to know more....



3. So very well written, a great story, interesting from start to finish. Read it in 2 days.



4. 'In the Sanctuary of Outcasts' is a must-read. It is absolutely amazing. I did not want to put this book down and cried when I finished it. I cried for Ella - and Link - and Doc - but I cried, too, because the book ended. I wished that I could keep reading. Neil White is an extraordinary person and author. His characters are equally as extraordinary. I hope that this memoir is made into a motion picture. Buy this book and read it! It will change your life.



5. I enjoyed this book a great deal, I found that Whites experience, while sad in a way was told in such a colorful fashion that the book was hard to put down. It reminded me a great deal of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. These are people you can't make up, they are too unusual to be fiction.
   
   Though the outcome is pretty much figured out it is worth the journey the book takes to get there.. an interesting story to say the least!

5 comments about Wiseguy.

1. I actually watched and enjoy the movie goodfellas before I decided to pick up this book. Hands down, the book was far better than the movie. This was a very well written book about the life of Henry Hill and how he became one of the most famous mob rats in history. It details how he got start with the mafia family, how he ran 20 different money making schemes at a time, how the mafia had used to pay off cops, politicians, judges, state worker, etc. Great book if you find MOB life fascinating. The Author, Nicholas Pileggi, was a crime scene reporter that tracked mob life very very close. He did a great job with this book. five stars



2. Henry Hill was a criminal, snitch, con artist, drug addict and betrayer of people that were more or less family to him so you have to take a lot of what he says in this book with a grain of salt. If you have seen the movie Goodfellas then this is the book that film was based on. The only difference I noticed between the two was the book goes into how they were running a points shaving/gambling scam with Boston College basketball players. As untrustworthy as Hill is the book itself is a fascinating/entertaining read and I don't doubt that the overwhelming majority of this book is true.



3. I thought this book was [...] The movie takes so many quotes and literal scenes from the book that it feels like your watching a movie when reading the book.



4. This book is very interesting in that it is a true story of a man who chose a criminal career purposely - and was not coerced into it by economic circumstances or ethnic background, i.e., he was not of Italian descent. The man's name is Henry Hill - unfortunately for him, later in life (beyond the time frame of the book), he had big troubles. The book explains how the 'mob' (Cosa Nostra) functioned. A particularly interesting character was Jimmy Burke, of Irish background, who was a 'hit man for the 'mob' - and also a clever and successful thief. Burke died in prison just a few years ago. All in all, the book is a good read and gives insights into the strange mentality of the criminal mind.



5. Wiseguy by Nicolas Pileggi tells us about the life of former mob associate Henry Hill (he was an ASSOCIATE, not a MADE MAN). Henry talks talks about living life on the edge and being in the company of murderers, hustlers and thieves, and the events that led to his downfall and him becoming a witness against his former criminal colleagues. Even though violence in the Mafia was a way of life, the principal moneymakers were major thefts, hijacking and racketeering (the robberies at JFK Airport, the Lufthansa heist and the dozen murders connected to it, and the fixing of a college basketball game in Boston). Forget all that stuff you have seen in the Godfather (my favorite mob film of all time); this is the down and dirty street level view of organized crime from a perspective of a guy who once thought it was good to be a crook, and hard work and honest living was for suckers. However, he learned otherwise over the course of 30 plus years. One would learn that as a mobster the people you were close with in that lifestyle were never really your friends, and that all the money gotten through fraud or theft would be lost as fast as one was making it (gambling, boozing and women); a vicious cycle that one could really get no percentage from- just a lot of overdressed bums messing over good people as well each other over (not to mention cutting throats)! If anyone could learn a lesson from this book, there is no such thing as easy money.