5 comments about Chronicles of Wasted Time.

1. I've finally finished Chronicles of Wasted Time by Malcolm Muggeridge.
   
   The autobiography consists of two previously published volumes, The Green Stick and The Infernal Grove, as well as the previously unpublished beginning of a third volume, The Right Eye. The writing is superb. Clean, clear, exhilarating. (Although I did notice more typographical errors in the second volume than in the first.) Muggeridge (1903-1990) often references historical works and personalities, which shouldn't be surprising given that he spent most of his working years as a journalist.
   
   I was intrigued by how (apparently) easily he moved back and forth between journalism and working in the public sector.
   
   One complaint: The chapters are too long, averaging roughly 70 pages each. I assume this is partly why I read the tome slowly.
   
   The book was on my to-read list because it's on the Image Journal list.
   [...]



2. Endearing portrait of an old crank, a devilish view of ruined idealism and fond memories. Thought provoking, yet faith upholding.
   
   Loved it. Read it slowly, not in big bunches.



3. This book is what I call "chewy" - not one to just breeze through in a day or two as you would a bestseller. There is a lot going on here. I think MM had a manic-depressive disorder, and that comes to light in his other autobiographical book (of his diaries) as well. Interesting to read about his
   rocky journey through all the highs and lows, and how he finally finds serenity later in life.



4. It is almost sixteen years since the death of this great writer, broadcaster, actor, soldier-spy and latterly Christian apologist and his voice is greatly missed, particularly at this time with so many major and controversial issues dominating the news agenda. Because love him or loathe him, Muggeridge always had a unique, and often tangental, view to offer on the significant events of the day.
   Without doubt, Chronicles was his greatest work and should be compulsory reading for anyone learning English literature, for it will be found a totally engrossing read, start to finish. Spanning the early part of the twentieth century, Muggeridge was a master in use of the English language and his love of writing comes out on every page, together with his wit and wisdom. The Malcolm Muggeridge Society is bringing more of his work back into print and I'd like to think that it will be read not by existing fans but by a new generation.



5. While I don't claim to have read everything in English, this is the best-written book I've ever read. I remember hoping not to pass on before I'd finished it. Five stars is not enough for this absolutely delightful book, or rather two books. It was originally published in two volumes, "The Green Stick" and "The Infernal Grove", both included here. This is the first edition to include the remnants of the barely-begun third volume, "The Right Eye" (the Chronicles were to have been a trilogy).
   
   Thanks to the efforts of the Malcolm Muggeridge Society in London, here are all three (or two and a bit) books together. What's more, the introduction is by Ian Hunter, who penned his own riveting bio of MM, Malcolm Muggeridge: A Life, as well as assembling short bits and shreds from hither and yon in The Very Best of Malcolm Muggeridge.
   
   To my view, the Chronicles are the very best of MM. Were he to have some place in the literature of the last century, this is the book that would assure it. Not that he would want a place. He considered himself a journalist, not a writer, or as he loved to quote St. Augustine, "a vendor of words". However, as Ian Hunter reveals, he was not simply an observer but a player on the scene of the most tumultuous century in history. As biographer Richard Ingrams has noted, he seemed to know everyone and be everywhere.
   
   In a sense, there was a third book, called Conversion, which appeared instead of The Right Eye. It's the only book he wrote after becoming a Roman Catholic in 1982, and appeared with various subtitles. It's not, as one might think, about becoming an RC, although it does cover that. Oddly enough it's written in the third person, and subject-wise takes up where his book and TV show, A Third Testament, left off, in chronicling his various inspirations. It's best read after the Chronicles, as he retreads some of the same ground, commenting and adding anecdotal reflections.
   
   As much as one would long to read The Right Eye in its entirety, this is all we have. One imagines him reciting that third book somewhere to rollicking applause, for closing this volume one gets the sense that even after a long and prolific life he left us much too soon, and with music still in him.

3 comments about Israel Through My Lens: Sixty Years As a Photojournalist.

1. I am an advanced amateur photographer who has been photographing for almost fifty years. On reading "Israel Through My Lens" there is an immediate connection between Mr. Rubingers experiences and those of any serious photographer/photojournalist. Through his remembrances the reader not only relives the history of Israel and the Middle East in the 20th century but also the very simple joy of being a photographer, getting the good shot. This is a simple story of his life and his relationships that have led to a brilliant career as a photojournalist. I enjoyed the book because I am able to feel his excitement in getting the picture. Rubinger is not a 'god' of photography, he is simply a talented photographer who clearly describes for the rest of us the fun and excitement of photography and photojournalism. All this while telling a wonderful personal story and national history.



2. David Rubinger has laid it out as he saw it and lived it. This is a VERY personal book with little if anything held back. From his youth to the present, Rubinger gives a verbal as well as photographic picture of himself and the Sate of Israel growing up, maturing and "getting on". From his time in the British army to the horrific death of a woman he cared for deeply, this book tells it all. It is easy reading yet compelling. I was carried into a very personal environment and felt as if I were at each event, meeting each person, taking part in each "adventure". David Rubinger's life appears to be a string of wonderful and not-so-wonderful experiences. And you are right there. The country comes alive through the eyes and life of this exceptional man. I have read it twice and have given it as gifts to friends. Oh, yes, I highly recommend this book!!



3. As a photographer, I loved this book. As good as the photographs are, the writing is even better. Great stories about working as a Time photographer in the Mid East, growing up in Europe during WWII, and wonderful vignettes about Israeli leaders. Highly recommended.

5 comments about Mr Playboy: Hugh Hefner and the American Dream.

1. If you want to find out why Mr.Playboy is who he is you will love this book. It is like a window into the making of the man that would become an icon.



2. Ever wanted to take a fascinating subject and make it a bore, but didn't know how? Watts shows you how. Hugh Hefner's life has always fascinated me. I can't imagine anyone not being interesting in him male or female. When I saw a dozen of these books at a bookstore on clearance, that should have been a tip off to what I was getting into. However, I choose to buy it anyway because, considering how interesting Hugh's life is, how can you mess this up? This book was written using 2 things. #1: Assumptions and guesses of what Hugh was thinking. Then ramble on for several pages about said guesses. It becomes very evident early on that the author at no time interviewed or spoke to Hef when writing this Biography. Why would he? He had #2. #2: Pepper the book with quotes from hundreds of other articles and books that others got from Hef. No need to interview Hef right? You can just read an interview Rolling Stones magazine and the others did with him, snatch the quotes and stuff them in your book. Then revert back to #1 and begin assuming and guessing. Throw in some filler composed of uninteresting and irrelevant details and bam, you've got a book.
   I wanted to hear about Hef's hardship starting the magazine. Instead, I got several pages of how the Kinsey Report MAY have had some dramatic impact on Hef's life. This very important aspect of his life is glossed over with basic facts surrounded by more theories. The whole starting the magazine is pretty much covered in 3 or 4 pages when you really break it down. Most of the book should have been the early years, but instead we get assumptions and theories on why Hef is the way he is. If you are still thinking of buying this book after these low star reviews, simply take the money you plan on using to buy it, flush it down the toilet, and you will have accomplished your goal. If you are concerned about the hours upon hours of reading this uninteresting drivel about a fascinating man that you had planned on wasting, then purchase some paint, apply to a wall, then assume an uncomfortable position and watch it dry. Rinse and repeat.



3. I was so thoroughly taken with this book. Hef is a very very interesting and unique character in my opinion. If you choose to read this book, I think you'll find it takes much more of a historical perspective on the influence of Hef and Playboy. The author mentions occasionally the mix ups Hef would get into.. but the sex mishaps are light and the focus is on the history of the man. It's unlikely this book will disappoint.



4. I found this a compelling biography as well as a sociological and psychological treatise. In paralleling the life of Hefner and Playboy Enterprises, Watts gives us a tour of five decades where the "American Dream" became essentially synonymous with consumer culture. The psychological sequelae are treated fairly without the hysterical screeching usually heard from the so-called conservative right or the pandering platitudes of the blathering left. Whatever you think of Hefner, he is certainly a person who has lived an amazing life as promoter of sensual pleasure, civil libertarian, and cultural trend-setter.



5. I could have used more fact and less guessing about what goes on inside Hefner's head, as if anyone could really know. A better history of his life can be found inside Gay Talese's book "Thy Neighbor's Wife" which is a great read. Find a copy of that and stay away from this one.

5 comments about Still Waters.

1. This book picked up where Blackbird left off and continued with Jennifer and her brother Bryan's story. There were many sad moments as expected, but she triumphed against all odds in the end. I can't imagine going through what she did and still becoming a happy, healthy person. I especially recommend it to the readers of Blackbird.



2. This is a sequel to the Blackbird story by Jennifer Lauck. It depicts her struggles once she is freed from her terrible step mother and enters when she meets her grandparents. Lauck then lives with an aunt and uncle who treat her as second class. I cried and cheered for Lauck throughout the story and you will too.



3. I thought "Still Waters" was boring and self-indulgent. Maybe it would have helped to have first read "Blackbird", but I didn't and had a hard time finding sympathy for the main character. Reading this was a waste of time.



4. At the end of Blackbird, Jennifer Lauk's first memoir, 12 year old Jennifer's wicked stepmother (literally) finally relinquishes custody of her and her brother Bryan and we are left to believe she is finally safe. Unfortunately it was not to be.
   
   This book opens with the police report chronicling Bryan's suicide. We know then that maybe there is no happy ever after. Jennifer is first cared for by her grandparents, slowly settling in. She soon learns it is temporary and that her brother is living with one aunt and uncle, and she is going to live with another. Peggy and Dick Duemore eventually adopt Jennifer, but she is valued more for her Social Security check and housekeeping skills than anything else. She stumbles through her life unloved and barely cared for. Upon finally going to college and freeing herself from her `family' she begins to carve out a new life for herself, eventually finding the courage to face her past and her brother's death.
   Again a deeply sad story and although one can sense the anger in this memoir one is also rewarded with the knowledge that Jennifer Lauck has found some measure of peace and happiness in her life. She has a wonderful writing style and voice that makes you care deeply about her.



5. This book is a sequel to the author's first autobiography, 'Blackbird: A Childhood Lost And Found.'
   
   'Still Waters' affected me even more strongly than the first book, because it more closely mirrored my own childhood and young adulthood. There are millions of kids who are not foster children but what I call shuffled kids, sent from one relative to the next, from one family friend to the next, and back again.
   
   At one point in the book, Lauck writes about staying a few days at a relative's house, where there are no other children, and she is comfortable and happy, and there's more than enough room for her to live there without being in the way. Yet inexplicably that relative sends her off to live with someone else and no real explanation is given.
   
   Despite being shuffled around like a deck of cheap cards, Lauck found the inner strength to grow up intact, and this book affirms the incredible resiliency of children to thrive even under less than ideal circumstances.
   
   This is also a disgraceful and shameful retelling of what happens when relatives turn their back on children who are blood relatives and allow them to be raised by strangers. It is truly a gift and a miracle that Lauck made it to adulthood without becoming a criminal or a drug addict, because her family certainly didn't provide the guidance and nurturing that every child deserves.

3 comments about How to Tell a Story: and Other Essays.

1. Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes (Baby Board Books)
   
   American writer Samuel Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain has given us some literary gems with Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn and his travel adventures in nineteenth-century Europe and to Australia and New Zealand. Here is is discussing telling rather than writing a story.
   
   Humour, he says, is American while comic is English and witty is French. He follows this typically brilliant essay with examples of story telling and some intriguing experiences of mental telegraphy.
   
   Good on you Dodo Press for specialising in rare and out-of-print books.
   
   Mark Twain devotees will want to add this slim volume to their collection.



2. An entertaining read from on of America's treasured voices. I was particularly interested in the "How to Tell a Story" Essay and Mark Twain's lessons are just as relavent today. Kindle version was a welcome convenience and you can't beat the price!!



3. The actual contents of the free and the one dollar Kindle editions include:
   
   How to Tell a Story
   The Wounded Soldier
   The Golden Arm
   Mental Telegraphy Again
   The Invalids Story
   
   "Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offences" and "Traveling With a Reformer" do not appear in this edition, in either the free or the $1.00 edition, despite the editorial comment to the contrary. The wonderful Fenimore Cooper essay is available online several places for free; see the second Comment for a link to UVA's collection. There are at least two Kindle versions for a buck or so:
   
   The Literary Offenses of Fenimore Cooper $1.00.
   
   Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offences $.99
   
   Nonetheless, this is still a very interesting collection, especially if you read aloud to children or adults. Twain has a great gift for explaining how to tell even a poor story.
   
   Despite his disclaimer: "I do not claim that I can tell a story as it ought to be told. I only claim to know how a story ought to be told, for I have been almost daily in the company of the most expert story-tellers for many years."
   
   A joy to read, silently or aloud, and the price is right.
   
   Robert C. Ross 2009

5 comments about Paul Harvey's America: The Life, Art, and Faith of a Man Who Transformed Radio and Inspired a Nation.

1. This book presented Paul Harvey exactly as he was: the standard-bearer for excellence in political journalism. It's an inspiring read, challenging all Americans to consider their politics, their faith, and their civic responsibilities.



2. Paul Harvey was there my whole life (well, till now). While I never actively
   listened to his programs, or even knew when he was on the air, I ALWAYS
   enjoyed hearing him speak whenever I happened upon him on the radio. His
   "rest of the story" is a touchstone for virtually all Americans older than (I'm
   guessing) 30, and his delivery was unmistakable. To repeat ... an American
   Treasure.
   
   So when I ran across this book at the library, I couldn't resist.
   
   I enjoyed learning about the man and his life. Can't say I wholly agree with
   all his "beliefs" (a prime example: I can't agree with one of his quotes that
   seems to be representative of his unbending support of ANY (?)
   business/corporation ... "I am fiercely loyal to those willing to put their
   money where my mouth is"). That said, he certainly seemed to be all about doing
   the "right" thing, and not tearing people down (like so many talk show personalities
   today).
   
   Recommended reading!



3. This book was a little American History and a little Paul Harvey history. I learned things about Paul Harvey I didn't know and also got some insight into world events in the 40's, 50's and 60's.
   Interesting to read how Mr. Harvey got into broadcasting and how his wife was such a big part of his career.
   Paul Harvey=R.I.P.!! I miss his daily broadcasts.



4. I've read most of Stephen Mansfield's stuff before. This did not disappoint.
   
   Filled with the more than the expected tidbits of trivia and biography, the book gives a glimpse into the personal life of Paul Harvey from childhood all the way through his career. I was surprised to learn the extent of involvement his wife and son had in his business.
   
   Even more fascinating were the parallels of Paul's values and experiences with modern American history. It seems he was a legend in his own time because he was a true barometer for the heartland and the people whose love, sweat, and prayers made this nation so great.



5. This is a very interesting book, easy to read. If you listened to Paul Harvey's radio program, you will appreciate the book even more. You will
   glean many wonderful sayings of Paul and will want to keep them in your memory.
   Learn from Paul how wonderful our America really is!!!
   
   I purchased my book from Amazon at a very reasonable price.
   
   This is a book you will want to keep!!
   
   Dottie P hayes

4 comments about Writing Places: The Life Journey of a Writer and Teacher.

1. For me, there is no better teacher on how to write well than William Zinsser. All of his books, whether they are specific books on how to write, about the writing life (like this one), or other topics, are mini-courses on how to write. One can take virtually any sentence in this book and see how Zinsser applies the lessons he teaches in his classic On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction. And, of course, his writing skills result in books that are engaging, memorable and bring the reader to reflect on not only Zinsser's subjects but on the reader's own life.
   
   In Writing Places, Zinsser takes us through his personal journey as a writer, from his beginnings at the New York Herald, his stint as a master at Yale, the genesis and development of On Writing Well, and his challenges as a freelancer. We are the beneficiaries of Zinsser's decision to not follow the path that his father expected him to take into the family business. Instead, Zinsser chose to follow his passion to be a journalist and to write. Who knows how many millions of lives Zinsser has affected through his works? I, for one, am grateful that he chose this alternate path.



2. Writing Places is a very entertaining read. But as with all of Mr. Zinsser's books,
   it reminds you that writing must also be helpful. The book addresses all kinds of helpful ideas. Such as self-evolution. That one's work ( his classic "On Writing Well" in this case) may need re-evaluation and revision over the course of time. His journey describes the complexity of the art of teaching the craft of writing. I didn't think such a thing could be articulated, but he does it. He is William Zinsser after all. He covers helpful ideas including journalistic ethics, history, family, and learning how to learn. Within the notion of helpful writing lies Zinsser's characteristic generosity of spirit. Helping is giving. If you are a writer, give yourself the collection of all of this writer's books. At the very least keep William Zinsser book titles on a list, and give them as gifts to the accomplished and would-be writers in your life.



3. I love to read about writers writing. These writers give you more than than words about writing, they share glimpses of the great stories of their own lives.
   PS I'll read anything Zinsser writes. He never lets you down.



4. William Zinsser gained acclaim as the teacher of non-fiction writing, most notably memoir writing. He is also the teacher of many aspiring writers through his classic tome: On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction
   
   I am a thankful recipient of Mr. Zinsser's wisdom and wit. I'd read "On Writing Well" forwards and backwards. I am working on reading it sideways now.
   
   His lessons on clear and simple writing is exemplified in this, his memoir. The stories herein are clear, concise, words are used tactically but sparingly. He is able to say what he wants to say and tell the stories he wants to tell in the same manner that he has told millions of readers.
   
   It is an interesting yet spare telling of his life. He covers all the different kinds of writing jobs that he has had and he gets to the point about what he likes and dislikes about each of the jobs. The anecdotes are interesting and yet still serve to make his point and move the narrative along.
   
   It is astonishing just how many writing jobs can be had by one man, moving from being a journalist, teacher, editor, reviewer, free lance writer, humorist, and conscience. The book is short and its tone is informative - as he had encouraged his readers to be; never pedantic - as he strove to never to be; and informative, as his books always are.
   
   The story of how he came to write his most famous book is enlightening and evokes great respect and gratitude from this reader. The section on his Yale years brings the readers to a place where few tread. And his reminiscence of the newspaper trade in the heyday of newspapers makes on wish to return to that particular era.
   
   It was, a lovely read, an entertaining read, and most importantly, a well written read.

5 comments about Why My Wife Thinks I'm an Idiot: The Life and Times of a Sportscaster Dad.

1. I've been listening to Greenie and Golic for years so I know the whole schtick. I guess when I bought this book though, I was expecting more insight about the radio program or about Mike's past experiences as a sports journalist. I definitely wasn't expecting a recap of his diary that he wrote on his psychiatrist's instructions. He came across as rich, pompous, and arrogant. It's certainly a different feel from the guy I listen to every weekday.



2. I frequently listen to Mike and Mike in the morning and generally love reading sports autobiographies. However, this was not anything like what I was expecting. Granted, you get what you pay for as the title really says it all: "the life of a sportscaster dad...." It was not meant to be a novel about sports or even his journey in the sports media world, but simply the life of one of America's favorite radio co-hosts.
   Personally, it felt like a way for Mike Greenberg to roll in some more cash. I did not enjoy reading about the specific designer brands of clothes he wears or how "hard" life is as a father with a nanny and a job the rest of the sports fanatics in this country would kill for. I would probably have enjoyed a novel more about his career in the sports industry with a few amusing anecdotes of his family and home life. Unfortunately, this was nothing of the sort. I would not recommend this book who currently views Mike Greenberg in a positive light and wishes to continue enjoying his radio show with that same state of mind.



3. Mike Greenberg's opinionated on-air persona gets poorly translated to the page in this book filled with lots of bragging and annoying rants about his family life.
   
   The book is supposedly written as a journal suggested by his therapist. It sounds like a fake gimmick and although he writes well it comes across like the poor man's Seinfeld commenting on meaningless life events. Many of the stories seem either made up or exaggerated to the point that after the first few pages you won't know whether to believe anything he writes.
   
   He proclaims himself a metrosexual and seems to love to talk about clothes (even though he wears a mismatched tie on the cover of the book!) almost as much as he likes to tell the reader how great he is. He rambles on about meeting famous athletes without really giving enough details to make the book interesting for guys wanting to read about sports.
   
   There is way, way too much about his wife getting pregnant and too much bathroom "humor" (changing diapers is a fact of life--get over it!). He creates a caricaturization of his wife that makes her sound like an intelligent shrew. The more he complains about her, the better she sounds and the worse he looks. In the end he paints himself as being very similar to the Ray Romano character on Everybody Loves Raymond--a sports journalist who is pained by having to put up with his wife, parents and kids. Only here it's not that funny.
   
   The fact that he is the son of a successful New York lawyer makes sense because his ego is huge, his lifestyle is a bit elitist and he pushes his opinions on the reader as if they were facts. It's not an entertaining read unless you enjoy self-absorbed jerks that mix sports fanaticism with fashion and fatherhood.



4. I absolutely love this book. It is one of my favorites and it is definilty a book you can read again. Very happy i got the book. I would recommend it to anyone, whether you are a fan or mike and mike in the morning or not.



5. Like many of the buyers of this book, I'm an ESPN addict. I was hoping for a glib ESPN-related read here and didn't get that. Instead, I got an enjoyable but quirky book by and about a truly complex/weird sports broadcasting figure. Overall, this is a quick and entertaining read. Mike Greenberg does come across as a whiner at times and in my opinion is far too obsessed with clothes and being Mr. GQ. His wife also comes across as a really unreasonable monster. Throughout the book, Mike details many catch 22 situations he manages to find himself entrapped in. Invariably, he makes the wrong choice much to his wife's chagrin. Maybe that's the way his wife is, but I doubt it. Yet again, Mike also presents himself as the kind of guy who might well let himself be pushed around by an ultra-bossy woman. His kids come out of this book much better and his gambling aunt is great as a minor character. But where is Mike Golic? If you want the inside story behind the ESPN crew, you won't find it here.

5 comments about Are You Somebody?: The Accidental Memoir of a Dublin Woman.

1. Many of her observations are painfully accurate. Our mothers did endure what Nuola describes.They witnessed battles against all the odds for even a token gesture of recognition. Though not fully relating to their struggles their daughters most certainly absorbed their sense of helplessness. I was particularily moved by the account of an incident which occured in her young sisters life. This young child was beaten and shamed in the classroom by her teacher "an embittered woman". The incident was not an isolated one inflicted upon one ostracized individual. It was a common daily occurance inflicted upon all of Irish children,at random, by that demonic woman. Compassion, sympathy, kindness or decency had no place in that classroom. The sad reality was that many lived in an Ireland that allowed such things to happen. . Nuala O Faolin has told it just as it was.



2. What I loved about this book, despite it's ongoing fairly grim story, was that O'Faolain never descends into self-pity. Her prose is glorious, and I often stopped and reread passages just for the sheer beauty of them - and I must tell you her descriptions of Ireland make me want to move there and keep animals. The story of a disadvantaged upbringing and her subsequent success is warmed by the author's apparent gobsmackedness of having it all happen to her. She tells of meeting famous writers, of being part of world shattering events, while realizing her main focus was what her heart was doing and with whom. How many of us live our lives that way, letting the world wash over us without comment, seeing far less than we really should?
   And yet, what she does see is shattering. I'll never forget this book, and I've run out to get all her other writings. She can write sadness and isolation without ever mentioning the words better than many a poet.
   A good read, but you have to have lived a bit before you can appreciate it. And warning: you will want to get a pussycat or a dog.



3. I found this book to be really boring. I initially really enjoyed the first few pages, but the author jumped around so much, I found the book confusing. She would start talking about something from her past, switch to some other point in time, and than jump back. It was only a little over 200 pages, but felt like it was 800 pages. By the end of this memoir I found the author downright irritating in her lack of self-esteem. I wanted to yell at her to get a hobby & stop whining. I realize she has been through some very very hard times in a dysfunctional family, and there are moments of clarity where I found the writing style quite fluid and beautiful. However, this book couldn't end soon enough for me.



4. Nuala O'Faolain's book is elegantly written, but sometimes it got so depressing that I wondered if I wanted to keep reading.
   
   Her emotional life seems to be a never-ending train wreck, as she hopelessly pursues one man after another.
   
   I wondered if she was any better off than the mother she so pitied, neglected by her husband, looking after ten kids, and sitting at home all day reading and drinking.



5. After being completely charmed by 'Are you Somebody?" I was expecting at least a well-written decent read. Instead this book was disjointed, rambling, went into highly irrelevant personal details, and didn't seem to have much of a point.

2 comments about Royko in Love: Mike's Letters to Carol.

1. You don't have to love Royko to love 'Royko in Love.' You don't even even have to know who he was. That's the beauty of Royko's words and the beauty of this terrific book. It's a great read from start to finish. It's a love story from Mike to Carol and from their son right back to his parents. These are vibrant, heartbreaking, funny, funny letters written by one of our nation's finest writers. Nobody tells a story like Royko. What a rare treat to read him telling the toughest, and softest, story of all -- his own.



2. A couple of months after his first wife's death, columnist Mike Royko wrote a piece that commemorated her birthday. It was heartbreaking and moving in its simplicity and provided a small window into their relationship. This collection of letters from Mike (or Mick as he was then known) to Carol provides greater insite into their relationship as Mike (then an airman stationed in Blaine WA) begins his distant courtship of Carol in earnest through letters.
   They were an unlikely couple. Carol was movie star beautiful with many suitors and Mike was an ordinary guy who loved her from afar from the time he was nine and she was six. The letters represented a slice of life from the perspective of Mike's military career and a snapshot of the '50's mixed with words of love that were so tender that they must have worked. Within a year, Mike and Carol were married and he received a transfer to the Chicago area and they hegan their married life together.
   Their son assembled this collection and with mimimal narrative that serves as a point of reference lets this collection speak for itself. It was an interesting and affectionate read from a modern day Cyrano to his beloved it. I loved it because it was real chick stuff, but any faithful Royko reader would enjoy it as it gives the reader a look at Royko unedited.