5 comments about Jackal: Finally, the Complete Story of the Legendary Terrorist, Carlos The Jackal.

1. I really enjoyed this book even though the subject of its study is deplorable. Carlos the Jackal's story is not his alone. It tells of an era in which governments gritted their teeth and negotiated with terrorists despite official pronouncements to never cave in to their demands. Countries like France, and even East Germany, believed that by giving in to evil revolutionaries like those of the Carlos Group, they could buy their own safety and security. They failed to learn the important lessons of Munich; appeasement never works. As a man, Carlos was an adventurer, a philanderer, a spoiled gourmet, and a raconteur. He also seemed to have little political understanding of the causes he served, and regarded them only as a means to an end. Unlike the fundamentalist terrorists of our day, he fought to increase his own status and power which translated into his obtaining more women and luxuries at each step on his way up the status hierarchy. Somewhat surprisingly, the reader may find that it is difficult to summon up the requisite hatred for him as he really was more Goring than Hitler. Carlos could be bought for the right price and often he was. His brand of terrorism is now defunct which, when one compares his corruption to the absolute devotion of his peers, may not be such a good thing; although, it is nice to know that at least one of these villains will spend his life behind bars.



2. Twenty years ago Carlos was widely blamed/implicated for incidents ranging from the 1972 Munich Olympic Massacre of Israeli athletes to bombings throughout France. Back in the 70s -80s Carlos the Jackal became synonomus during the so-called Red-terror campaign by left wing groups in addition to his connections with Palestinian terror groups.
   
   Follain does a good job describing the Marxist upbringing of the young Illych Sanchez Ramierez (the Jackal's real name), his attendence of the KGB guerilla training school in Moscow (he was later kicked out), to the Jackal's affiliation with groups such as the PFLP and the RAF (Baader-Meinhoff Group). Follain describes how the devout Marxist was actually a playboy (he waited to pose for camera men after the 1975 OPEC takeover) and would kill for his own motives (such as French train bombings because his wife was arrested by French authorities).
   
   This is a very succesful attempt at an in-depth analysis of the once illusive Jackal. I would definatley recommend it for those interested.



3. John Follain cannot decide if he wants to be dramatic or expository. So he aims for both - in miserable spurts that completely fog the history of this madman and of modern terrorism itself. Rarely are the Jackal's motivation and vision clear. Even muddier is the larger story of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the U.S.' growing intervention in Mideast politics and the backlash therein. I knew close to nothing about these issues going into the book and I still don't. I confess I gave up half-way through when I could no longer kid myself into thinking this clumsy book was a serious work of non-fiction.



4. Good, good info on Carlos and his Venezuelan roots (I should know, I'm from Venezuela) and a detailed (and sometimes breathtaking) account of his most spectacular actions and capture. But, not being a native speaker, I have a problem with Follain's grammar. I mean, it's sometimes sloppy. I don't know, still and all good book.



5. Among self-described "professional" revolutionaries, few cut a more fascinating figure than Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, a k a Carlos the Jackal. Before he was captured in 1994 and subsequently tried and sentenced to life in prison in France, the Jackal, a terrorist-for-hire whose higher-profile clients included Muammar al-Qaddafi, Saddam Hussein and Fidel Castro claimed to have nixed 83 people; dozens of hijackings, bombings and assassinations were blamed on him following his association, around 1970, with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. And yet, slovenly, feckless, girl-chasing and politically disoriented Carlos, however murderous, is almost too laughable to picture as a terrorist mastermind. Reuters man Follain does a nice job here of tracing, if not demystifying, Carlos' life of crime, from his guerilla training in Cuba as a teen to the bitter, pathetic and at times hilarious end. (When moved between prisons, he made sure to notify the subscription department of Cigar Lover magazine of his change of address.)

2 comments about Forgetta "Bout It / From Mafia to Ministry.

1. This is a great testimony book on how Jesus Christ can totally change a person's life. It is a good tool to use to give to someone in prison or a young person who needs direction in life.



2. Rocco might not be a New York Times best selling author, but his story is powerful. From a button man in the Mafia to a minster in prison---very intersting journey. If you don't see God's hand here, I don't know where you'll ever see it.

3 comments about The Everything Mafia Book: True Life Accounts of Legendary Figures, Infamous Crime Families, and Chilling Events (Everything Series).

1. This book is an excellent peripheral examination of organized crime from its beginnings to its current state.

   For beginiers, this book will teach lessons and stories about the tentacles of organized crime and explain the overall themes and issues.

   For mafia experts, this book is nothing more than a regurgitation of issues and theories lacking the supporting facts and details of heavy investigation.




2. alot of Books try to paint a certain Picture about the Mafia but this Book just comes at you directly&doesn't miss a beat.you get the 411 on who did what when&where&How.if you are interested on Mafia Culture&whatnot then this is the Book for you.



3. I was drawn to this book because of its catchy cover with the crime scene tape. I was pleased that the interior lived up to the alluring cover with its compelling and informative narrative. I especially appreciated the author's whimsical touch in chronicling the colorful history of a bunch of hoodlums. He displayed a delightful sense of humor without glorifying the mob, as some of these books do. If you are looking for a single title to give you a fast overview of the shadowy Mafia, I highly recommend this book. In addition to Mafia history, there are get quirky chapters devoted to the "Leadership Lessons of Don Corleone" and "The Mafia on Television." Overall, the book was an enjoyable, edifying read from cover to cover, without getting lost in the sometimes intricate world of organized crime.

2 comments about Quacks and Crusaders: The Fabulous Careers of John Brinkley, Norman Baker, and Harry Hoxsey.

1. This book is all the more shocking when you realize that RIGHT NOW the taxpayer, thanks to credulous politicians like Senator Tom Harkin and Congressman Dan Burton and others, is being made to pay for "medical care" that is every bit as crazy as the things in this book. Someday someone will write a book like this but it will be about *present-day* nonsense, including a National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (the only center in the NIH oriented around the needs of practitioners - CAM practitioners in this case - as opposed to the needs of patients) that pays for psychic power therapy, a White House Commission on CAM headed by a former devotee of the Bhagwan guru whose group launched a biological attack in Oregon, and on and on ...



2. We have had a boom in interest in "alternative health care" recently, but that interest has been with us ever since there has been a medical establishment to which there could be "alternatives." In the American Midwest in the 1930s three alternative healers began a rise to financial, social, and political power. _Quacks & Crusaders: The Fabulous Careers of John Brinkley, Norman Baker, and Harry Hoxsey_ (University Press of Kansas) by Eric S. Juhnke documents the rise and fall of all three medical conmen, and gives a lesson in the dangers of credulousness.
   
   John Brinkley was a licensed doctor, having graduated from a diploma mill. He latched on to the "gland transplant" experiments done on animals, and believed that transplanting animal glands into humans was a key for rejuvenation. "A man is as old as his glands, and his glands are as old as his sex glands," he proclaimed. Male goats were the randiest animals, so they were the tissue donors, but they turned out to be just the thing to boost female fertility and development of the bust, too. He compared himself to Jesus, gave sermons, and demonized the American Medical Association. Norman Baker specialized in cancer cures. He worked as a machinist and in vaudeville before settling down in Muscatine, Iowa. He persuaded city officials to let him start a radio station that would present honest-to-goodness down home programs as opposed to the high-brow fare coming from the cities. Baker called Morris Fishbein, the head of the AMA, the "Jewish dominator of the medical trust of America," and insisted that his clinic was a bastion for personal freedom and against the evils of urban industrialism. Harry Hoxsey proved to have the most staying power. He specialized in herbal cancer cures as well. Not a physician, he was able to enroll renegade physicians into his service, and he was bankrolled by an evangelist minister. In Dallas, he enjoyed poker, nightclubs, and womanizing, and his diatribes against interference by the AMA and the government won him friends from the political right wing.
   
   Juhnke's tales of these colorful characters are great fun to read, even though the rascals bilked many of their patients of money and sometimes their lives. The eventual success of the AMA against them is not a pure victory; the shortcomings of the AMA at the time are examined here, too. Few people remember these quacks now. The towns that boosted them because they brought in business now view them as an embarrassing part of their histories. It is important that Juhnke has brought them again to our attention. We may no longer have such manifestations as goat gland transplants, but anyone who watches television knows that herbal cures, homeopathy, and healing magnets are still taking money from the gullible. There is still a large group of potential patients who view organized medicine (and governmental regulation of medical treatment) as some sort of conspiracy, and of course there are plenty of faith healers who are glad to have their flocks doubting the efficacy of regular medical treatment. People are finding it harder to pay for physicians, and drug costs are up. Brinkley, Baker, and Hoxsey may have eventually lost their power and their millions, but Juhnke's useful study reminds us that there are always healers ready to take their place.

5 comments about Godfather of the Kremlin: the Life and Times of Boris Berezovsky.

1. This is a great book by a good author with a fantastic approach to the subject at hand.Even with all the warnings about some of the things being to good to be true ( or bad for that matter) the reality has surface just by watching the news about Russia.I like the fact that the author was able to track all the corrupt corporations in countries like Great Britain,Switzerland and USA.The author mentions names,dates and places with accuracy.Also i enjoyed his explanations and the political and economic ramifications that the corruption in Russia has brought.It is very sad to see how Boris Yeltsin drove Russia to the ground while pretending to be a good president.The Book shows how Yeltsin is as guilty as anyone in Russia of its problems.He was just a mummified puppet with a stupid smile.Anyone with interest in recient history of Russia should read this book.



2. I personally witnessed the outcomes of the corrupted rule of the culprits portrayed by late Paul Klebnikov.
   Many Russians believe that the truths revealed in this book were the cause of author's murder.



3. This book tells a powerful story that most Americans are, sadly, unfamiliar with. Mr. Klebnikov outlines in impressive detail the history of Russia during the very turbulent times of the 1990s. The development of gangster capitalism under the Yeltsin regime in an environment of political corruption was a tragic episode in Russian history and an example of an opportunity squandered. This book outlines the rise of the mafia in Russia in the post-glasnost time period and the links they had to the Chechens and to the political leaders of the time.
   
   While I sometimes became a bit lost in all the details and Russian names with which I was unfamiliar, the story came through well as Mr. Klebnikov built, step-by-step, a solid and well-documented case. This story is an important one for Americans who wish to better understand what happened during this time period and how it affected, and still affects, Russia. From political assassinations to presidential elections - the book tells a compelling and sadly disturbing story.
   
   Since I have several Russian friends, I felt I owed it to myself to become more familiar with recent Russian history. And this book did not let me down. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in understanding Russia better and I suspect it will in time become a classic for the detailed description it provides of this time period in Russian history.
   
   Highly recommended!



4. Everybody should read this book - it helps to put the entire Litvinenko killing in perspective ; the dead Russian spy worked for Berezovsky - given Berezovsky long criminal history it would not be surprising at all that he was directly involved in murdering his own employee as part of his long ongoing campaign to overthrow the democratically elected president Putin and thereby illegally regain control of all of Russia's natural resources including in particular Russia's oil and gas wealth.



5. Paul Klebnikov is a modern Russian hero. He was assasinated because he tried to show the world how corrupt Russia had become at the hands of the oligarchs. "The Decline of Russia in the Age of Gangster Capitalism" is well written and organized. It follows not only the "rise" of Berezovsky but also illustrates how the majority of the Duma (Russian Congress) was in fact acting on behalf of the gangsters or were in fact gangsters themselves holding seats in the house.
   It is a reavealing look into the saddest chapter of Russian history. A must read for anyone interested in politics or modern history. It is a shame and loss to us all that Paul was killed. Who knows what other truths he could have recovered had he lived. It is also a shame that in our modern age of information, only a few speak the truth - and if they speak to loudly they are silenced, as was Paul. May he rest in peace.
   If you enjoyed this book, Paul also did an interview called "Theft of the century: Privatization and the looting of Russia." If you google it, you will find it on the net.

4 comments about The "Double Indemnity" Murder: Ruth Snyder, Judd Gray, And New York's Crime of the Century.

1. I borrowed this book from the library. This is a well-written account of the Ruth Snyder-Judd Gray murder case in 1927. It held my interest as Landis MacKellar made me feel like an eyewitness to all that has happened. Even the events of the couple's separate final moments are riveting. For example, I envisioned seeing a tearful Ruth Snyder entering the death chamber with a prison matron at her side, the warden in the lead, and her priest reading from his prayer book.
   
   In regard to reading about the couple's separate executions, I was at the hairdresser, under the hair dryer. Again, I tried to place myself in that grim situation as the warm/semi-hot air dried my hair; and partially feeling the heat on my covered neck and shoulders! I was preparing for the Easter holiday. Of course, being under a hot hair dryer is absolutely NO comparison to an actual electrocution. I won't reveal further details, but one can use their imagination when reading this account, as I did.
   
   By now, most readers are pretty familiar with the grim 1928 (sneak) photo of Ruth Snyder being electrocuted. The New York Daily News had recently published an article about the case (and, of course, the execution photo). That was enough to arouse my curiosity to find out more about this case since my books on the 1920's ("Only Yesterday", "Ain't We Got Fun", and "The Jazz Age" [Time-Life Books]) don't elaborate much on it.
   
   On a personal note: I hope, one day, the actual Snyder-Gray case be made into a movie. There have been plays and the 1940's movie "Double Indemnity" based on the case. It's time, now, for Ruth Snyder and Judd Gray to be portrayed onscreen as themselves. Landis MacKellar's book should be the basis for the film.



2. Landis Mackellar is to be commended for writing the most readable, and inclusive, account of the 1927 "Double Indemnity" murders yet published. The book is scholarly, but not dry, and I read it all in one sitting. True, the major points have been covered many times before, but Mr. Mackellar provides enough new supporting detail, drawn from the trial transcripts, other archival sources, and the newspapers, that I, who have read everything published on the Snyder case that I have been able to get my hands on, did not think to myself, "oh great, another rehash" and put it aside for later reading. He is also to be commended for NOT using recreated dialogue, an authors' conceit that usually causes me to view a book with distrust if it purports itself to be a "true account." My only complaint, and it is a minor one, is that given the wealth of photos available of every aspect of the case, the book seems under illustrated. But, I'll gladly do without a photo section if a book on a topic with which I am well versed keeps me interested and does not irritate me with recreated dialgue or speculative 'insights' into the minds of people long dead whom the author never met. Good work, Mr. Mackellar!



3. Landis MacKellar's new book, The Double Indemnity Murder, explores one of the most sensational murders of the 20th century. When Albert Snyder was killed in his bed by his wife Ruth and her lover, Judd Gray, some eighty years ago in March of 1927, Queens Village, New York City, and much of the United States was captivated by the aftermath of this notorious crime. The slaying became a symbol of the jazz/flapper era and resulted in a Broadway pla and a 1940's noir movie, and has gone down in the annals of crime literature.
   
   Ironically, the murder involved little intrigue. Due to excellent police work and an ineffective cover-up from the co-conspirators, Ruth Snyder and Judd Gray were brought to justice with swiftness unheard of in the 21st century.
   
   MacKellar's research for this book was exceptionally thorough. Broken up into three parts - the crime, trial, and last days, with three appendices, the book provides a psychological profile for both killers and the victim, as well as their unfortunate cast of on-lookers. Because the crime was so transparent, Double Indemnity doesn't quite read like a mystery. However, MacKellar's profiling is enough to allow each reader the background to make their own assessment as to the motivation behind this legendary crime.



4. Double Indemnity Murder: Ruth Snyder, Judd Gray and New York's Crime of the Century is just a rehash of other written books on the subject. It offers no new information about this famous murder case. The author just offers the reader the same information using trial transcripts, newspaper arrticles etc that other writers have used.
   For a unique and more realistic version on this real life murder I would recommend Karl Schweizer's Seeds of Evil: The Gray/Snyder Murder Case. Dr. Schweizer incorporates the trial transcripts and newspaper articles as well as reconstructing conversations thus offering a motive to the murder; namely, having to do with the spiritual condition of the murderers. Schweizer's story draws the reader into the inner thoughts of Ruth and Judd and takes the reader through the downward spiral of their actions. His book is much more interesting and engaging than Mackellar's.

5 comments about Lone Wolf: Eric Rudolph: Murder, Myth, and the Pursuit of an American Outlaw.

1. First an introduction: From 1986 - 1992 I was employed as an investigator at the Office of Capital Collateral Representative (CCR) in Tallahassee, Florida, where Scharlette Holdman worked as the supervisor of the investigators from October 1985 - March 1988.
   
   I have known Scharlette since the mid-1970s death penalty debates at Florida State University, including the debate between Professor Richard L. Rubenstein (author of "After Auschwitz", "My Brother Paul", "The Cunning of History: Mass Death and the American Future", "The Age of Triage", "Religion and Eros", and other books) vs. Baptist Minister and Philosopher Will Campbell (the debate was circa 1977).
   
   Her office, the Clearinghouse on Criminal Justice, was in the same wing of the Petroleum Building as my office at Common Cause in Florida (where I was a full-time volunteer during the day and worked at the Brown Derby Restaurant at night from 1981 - 1986).
   
   The Petroleum Building was next to the State Capital, the Florida Supreme Court and the State Archives and Library. When it was torn down, the space and the space for the first CCR office became the Mary Brogan Art and Science Museum and a storm water retaining pond. The Petroleum Building was called by those of us who worked or volunteered there the "Forces of Good" (FOG) Building -- as opposed to FOE -- Forces of Evil, such as Associated Industries, the Chamber and other big business interests in Florida. The FOG building also included (not an exhaustive list) the Clean Water Action Project, the ACLU, NOW, Florida Legal Services, Migrant Farmworker's Organization (directed by Cliff Thaell, who has more recently been a Leon County Commissioner for over ten years), Mike Vasilinda's television news service.
   
   About every two years at CCR there was a Marxist-Leninist-Stalinist-Maoist purge due to the pressures and dysfunctions of the work and the people. I survived two such purges. With the third, I was the first to go in the spring and summer of 1992.
   
   When Scharlette had essentially declared war upon CCR in 1987 and thereafter, some of us decided to investigate her background given some things that we had heard. Low and behold, Scharlette's claim of a PhD in anthropology from the University of Hawaii and a Master's Degree from Memphis State (now University of Memphis) don't exist. A claimed undergraduate degree from Memphis State: I no longer recall if this was confirmed by the university.
   
   We used Scharlette's Social Security number, her maiden name and her married name -- with all this information, both universities had no record of Scharlette having received any degrees from these institutions.
   
   As I understand Scharlette, she needed the "degrees" to confer upon her "credentials" that she really never needed as she is indeed then and now a national expert on capital mitigation, litigation, etc. However Scharlette can be deceptive, as her lack of a PhD and Masters so demonstrates. Even today she claims to have the degrees as when she gives presentations regarding capital cases, she is identified as "Dr." A key word search of her name will bring up some of the presentations that she has made in the past several years with the title "Dr." preceding her name.
   
   If she has received any honorary or other degrees since 1990, that would be new information for me. If anyone can assist in this matter, please contact me at [...]. Thank you.



2. I can't stand it when individuals use the incredibly valuable resource that is Amazon book reviews to make some parochial comment, especially one who thinks what they have to say is so important that they type it all in caps. When that happens I am compelled to offset it with a 5-star review (I read the book and it is a quality work).
   
   BTW, I grew up in NC and the author's description of Asheville is fine in the context it is given. So sorry that it offended an Ashevillian who can't see the forest for the trees...



3. I enjoyed Maryanne Vollers' book entitled Ghosts of Mississippi and thought I'd give her effort on bomber Eric Rudolph a try. I found the book worth my time, but felt disgust for Eric Rudolph's twisted logic. He claims his actions in bombing abortion clinics were consistent with his beliefs. He can't understand why other pro-lifers don't act in a similar way. As an analogy he states Thoreau was imprisoned for abolitionist activities. When Emerson asked him why he was in prison, Thoreau stated for being anti-slavery. "The real question, Emerson, is why aren't you in here with me?" Pro-lifers who don't advocate violence to end abortion would be despised by Eric Rudolph. The time that Rudolph was hiding in the woods he was practically under the noses of the authorities as Rudolph observed them from his post in the hills. I especially enjoyed the section of the book that tried to explain the mind of Eric Rudolph. He currently resides in the supermax prison nicknamed "Alcatraz of the Rockies" in Florence, Colorado, with other notorious characters such as spy Robert Hanssen, "shoe bomber" Richard Reid, terrorist Zacharias Moussaoui, and Ramzi Yousef who planned the first World Trade Center bombing.



4. THE AUTHOR'S DESCRIPTION OF ASHEVILLE NORTH CAROLINA IS NOWHERE NEAR HISTORICALLY CORRECT AND IS MISSING SEVERAL KEY POINTS. THE AUTHOR WRITES, IN HER BOOK, THAT ASHEVILLE IS A TRENDY MOUNTAIN BOOM TOWN WHICH IS CORRECT. HOWEVER, SHE FURTHER WRITES THAT ONLY A GENERATION AGO ASHEVILLE NC WAS NOTHING MORE THAN A BUCOLIC BACKWATER TOWN, BEST KNOWN AS THE SITE OF THE BILTMORE ESTATE AND FORMER PLAYGROUND OF THE VANDERBILT FAMILY AND HOME OF THOMAS WOLF. THE FACT IS THAT ASHEVILLE HAS ALWAYS (AT LEAST SINCE 1895) BEEN A SOPHISTICATED LITTLE CITY AND WAS LABELED "PARIS OF THE SOUTH" IN THE LATE 19TH CENTURY BECAUSE IT WAS SO WELL KNOWN FOR ITS THEATRE, OPERA, AND ELECTRIC STREET CARS. ASHEVILLE WAS THE SECOND CITY IN THE UNITED STATES TO HAVE ITS OWN ELECTRIC STREET CARS, RICHMOND, VA. THE FIRST.
   THE AUTHOR DID NOT DO HER RESEARCH ON ASHEVILLE SO HOW CAN I KNOW THAT THE REST OF HER BOOK IS AUTHENTIC?



5. It is really quite frustrating. After spending the last few days virtually spellbound by the improbable story of Eric Robert Rudolph I come away with the feeling that I really don't understand the man any better than I did before. This is not to fault author Maryanne Vollers. "Lone Wolf" grabbed my attention very early on and just never let go. Here is a man you might enjoy having as your next door neighbor who at the same time has a dark side capable of killing totally innocent people. For reasons still not entirely clear to her, Maryanne Vollers was contacted by Eric Rudolph shortly after his capture. Rudolph had decided that it would be Vollers he would confide in. Make no mistake about it. Eric Rudolph is a pretty smart cookie and he was bound and determined to tell his side of the story. And as you will see in "Lone Wolf" he has lots of fascinating tales to tell.
   Just in case you were living in a cave back in 1996 and 1997, Maryanne Vollers does a credible job of recalling the gruesome events that occured at Centennial Park in Atlanta during the 1996 Summer Olympics. She also describes in vivid detail the explosion that took place just a year later at an abortion clinic in Birmingham. After the Birmingham bombing, Rudolph quickly realized that he had been spotted and was considered the prime suspect. And so it was that Eric Rudolph disappeared into the woods of Western North Carolina. He would survive in these woods for the next five years!!! "Lone Wolf" goes into considerable detail describing Rudolph's lifestyle during these years. You really cannot help but admire the man for his ingenuity and cunning during this extended ordeal. But "Lone Wolf" is not just about Eric Rudolph. Maryanne Vollers spends considerable time portraying the folks from the FBI, ATF and other government agencies involved in the massive manhunt for Eric Rudolph. You will discover the strategies that were being employed and learn about the inevitable tensions that occur when several government agencies are involved in an investigation. You will also be introduced to the members of Eric Rudolph's defense team and discover just how the final resolution of this case came about.
   If you are anything like me, "Lone Wolf" will hold your interest from cover to cover. This is an engaging and superbly written narrative. Just don't expect an answer to the question "Why?" Recommended.

4 comments about Vlad the Impaler: In Search of the Real Dracula.

1. Although the book has several chapters about vampirism and Bram Stoker's Dracula, the remaining chapters about Vlad Tepes are very detailed and a good read. Vlad surely was one of the most cruel tyrants ever and his atrocities are described with much detail. Contemporaries wrote about the "untold abuses, sad murders and mutilations by the cruel tyrant Dracula" and the author discusses the sources and their reliability by their level of interest in blackening Vlad. According to Trow, many of Vlad Dracula's acts can be interpreted as efforts to enforce his own moral code upon his country and to strengthen and modernise the central government at the expense of the nobility, because they had repeatedly undermined the power of the Wallachia's rulers (and buried alive his elder brother).
   An interesting section describes the `usual' way of impalement and the most likely way used by Vlad in the case of mass impalements or when a mother was impaled together with her baby.



2. I am no expert on Dracula but my historical sensibilities have been offended by several serious errors in the text. Here are just two examples: on pages 9-10 Mr. Trow writes:

   "...Oliver Cromwell, whose head ... may or may not have been separated from his body..."

   It is a well-known fact that Cromwell's head definitely had been separated from his body, and found its lonely grave only in 1960.

   On page 123 we find the following fragment about Jan Zizka:

   "...he had fought for the Teutonic Order against the Poles...
   Losing an eye at Tannenberg in 1410 fighting for Wenceslas..."

   These two incomplete sentences contain four mistakes. First, Zizka fought FOR the Poles AGAINST the Teutonic Order. Second, he did so at the battle of Tannenberg in 1410, therefore he couldn't fight there for Wenceslas. Third, the unnamed battle from the first sentence and the battle of Tannenberg/Grunwald are one and the same event. Fourth, Zizka lost an eye in his adolescence.

   In short, this book could really benefit from knowledgeable editing.




3. Expertly presented by crime writer and historian M. J. Trow, Vlad The Impaler: In Search Of The Real Dracula is an impressively researched, meticulously detailed, and superbly written study of the life of the ruthless historical figure whose memory and legend became the inspiration for the enduring legend of a blood-drinking, undead fiend. Yet there was a great deal more to this controversial prince (as vicious as he was), than what his legends say - he was, in historical fact, "more sinned against than sinning". Vlad had to contend with avenging the murders of his family, defending his nation-state from brutal enemies who took every pain to destroy his reputation, and who eventually became a defeated martyr, captured by the Hungarian King Corvinus. Vlad The Impaler is very highly recommended reading and a welcome addition to community library biography collections.



4. I was very disappointed in this book. While the history sections are reasonably solid, the author falls into the usual traps whenever he tries to make links between the historical Vlad and the Dracula of Bram Stoker's novel. Numerous times he states speculation as if it were fact. Worse, he makes statements that any reader of the novel "Dracula" would know are ludicrous: for example, that at the end of the story, Count Dracula has a stake driven through his heart; or that Dracula is unable to function during the day. To be fair to the author, I plan to write him directly and elaborate on all the flaws I found in the book. Maybe in a second edition (if there is one) they can be corrected. In the meantime, if you are looking for a reliable book on Vlad without all the nonsense about his being the inspiration for Stoker's novel, stick with "Vlad III Dracula" by Kurt Treptow.

   Dr. Elizabeth Miller
   www.ucs.mun.ca/~emiller [Dracula's homepage]

5 comments about Blackbeard: America's Most Notorious Pirate.

1. This was an interesting book but I found the detail on the sloops and sea adventures dragging at times. The discussion about the conflict between the Virginia Governor and the North Carolina Governor over handling Blackbeard and his men was an interesting backdrop for Blackbeard's ultimate demise.
   
   What was most interesting was the privateering influence on the motivation to become a pirate. When countries at war would hire privateers to conduct state-sponsored piracy at sea, was it any wonder that these men who knew little but privateering would turn to piracy once the wars ended and their letters of marque rescinded?
   
   There were interesting details about the sea and navigating the waters in the early 1700's, but at times the book dragged on in details that made it difficult to keep an interest in the subject. It is obvious that the author did a great deal of research and used his expertise in sailing and sea faring to add to the material in the story.
   
   Overall, a 3-star rating is my review of an interesting book that does point out how short-lived the pirate times were in the early 18th century.



2. Blackbeard: America's Most Notorious Pirate is a great book on Edward Teach, he certainly was the most fright-inducing pirate that ever lived... bar none! This is a great pirate book!



3. Honestly I'm shocked that such a renowned author would write so little about the subject in the book's title. This was a book about piracy in general but the exploits of Blackbeard appear in maybe half the book with nothing particularly new to learn.
   
   But what bothered me most was when the crew of Blackbeard was to be tried and hung for piracy. Mr. Konstam constantly referred to the four black pirates of the crew as "African-American". This is certainly premature as the USA (which is the American part of African-American) wouldn't even come into existence for another 60+ years! These black pirates were African not African-American. I HATE political correctness!
   AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!



4. Konstam does a nice job of summarizing the place of pirates in naval history. The age of piracy existed for only a very short time in the early 1700s. Blackbeard as a pirate existed only for a little over two years. Pirates plundered ships of their wealth and most often let their prey go after taking anything of ready value. They did not make the crew walk the plank. In fact, merchant seaman often joined them from the ships that were plundered.
   
   The author does a nice job of detailing the life of pirates and trying to piece together the life of Edmund Teach (Blackbeard). However his long explanations and detailed analysis did not lend itself to the flow of the book. I found the reading somewhat difficult going through. The book obviously lacked some flow. I give the author high marks for the thorough research on his subject.
   
   This is an OK read. There are several books about pirates on the library shelf, and all lend themselves to an explanation of the age of piracy.



5. This is an outstanding book on Blackbeard.Follows his life from start as a privateer to his life as a pirate. A must for anyone interested in Blackbeard and the pirates who served with him.

4 comments about Dynamite Fiend : The Chilling Tale of a Confederate Spy, Con Artist, and Mass Murderer.

1. Ann Larabee has written a fascinating portrait of a Victorian villain as coldblooded as any killer today. Unfortunately some small defects may distract the reader.
   
   On page 40 she writes that in the 19th century "no CIA or Interpol existed, and bored diplomats were the principal international spymasters." Interpol has nothing to do with spying, and while diplomats have always been responsible for reporting to their governments what is going on abroad, that makes them neither spies nor spymasters.
   
   Page 47: "Ice...was desperately needed as the only truly effective remedy for yellow fever." Ice was not effective, nor did anyone think so.
   
   Page 48: The author translates the Latin motto on the Confederate seal, Deo Vindice, as "God will vindicate." The two nouns, in the ablative case, mean "With God as avenger."
   
   Page 115: The town of Bodenbach (Decin, today) is up, not down, the River Elbe from Dresden.
   
   Page 119: Professor Larabee says that in the 1870s "well over 10,000 ships sank every year, mostly small boats...." Ships and boats are different things.
   
   Pages 127-128: The Washington paper published by the bomber's fellow passenger, Donn Piatt, was The Capital and not the Washington Capitol. Nor was Piatt, as she says, ambassador to France. We had no ambassadors abroad in his time, only ministers heading legations. Piatt was secretary of legation at Paris, the minister's deputy.
   
   Professor Larabee calls her book narrative nonfiction and says she has taken few liberties with the historical record. One could have hoped, however, that she would cite more sources for her narrative. She thanks her editor, who "reigned in some of my narrative excesses." Whatever the reign, the reins should have been tighter, including a spell and grammar check.



2. Why would anyone want to read a novel when they can spend time with this true-life thriller? The author has unearthed the real story of a despicable but fascinating character. The book is thoroughly researched and informative, as well as nicely written. This is a page-turner for anyone interested in true crime and/or the American Civil War.



3. Ann Larabee tells an engrossing story. A well structured, well written narrative. Meticulously researched. An enjoyable read.



4. Wow! What a read: I couldn't put it down once I started it! It's obviously well-researched, but it read like a novel. I never knew what historical figure I would meet on the next page, Keith crossed so many paths.
   
   Larabee has done an excellent job bringing to light little-known aspects of wanton terrorism, with its roots in the U.S. Civil War and extending to the Continent.