2 comments about Anthony Boucher: A Biobibliography.

1. One is grateful for the many facts presented in this extensively researched book. I deduct two stars for three reasons. (1) The author is incapable or unwilling to render intelligible the dominant role that Boucher's faith played in his life. (2) The proofreading is abominable. (3) Some of the précis of Boucher's stories contain errors so absurd that one is left in doubt whether Mr. Marks had ever read them.
   
   To take just Boucher's first novel, "The Case of the Seven of Calvary," we are told (p. 32) that Ryder is the Sanskrit translation of Ashwin. The text says the opposite. On the same page we are told that Ashwin exclaimed. "My dear Martin, this isn't a detective novel etc., etc." It was Paul Lennox who did the exclaiming, AND that exclamation is listed by Ashwin as one of the seven (or eight) crucial events that suggest the true solution of the crimes. (Chapter X, p. 247 in the first edition).
   
   Again, Mr. Marks tells us that in the short mystery story "Death of a Patriarch" the accused but innocent victim of the murdered man is kidnapped by communists. Boucher was a thirties and forties liberal for whom the communists were admirable folk. In the real story the young man is kidnapped by ANTI-communists (who are naturally called "fascists")



2. Anthony Boucher has been a hero of mine since I first "met" him through his mystery reviews in the New York Times.
   After that I've read most of his mystery novels and short stories. I discovered with Mr. Mark's book, that there is more to read.
   Boucher was a true Renaissance man who could have produced more had it not been for his poor health.
   He was certainly a man to admire. The largest of the mystery cons, Bouchercon, was named in his honor.
   I learned more about this extraordinary man, the history of mystery writing in the 20th century and much about Boucher's reviewing standards and ethics.
   Jeff Marks has done the mystery community a great favor and done it well.
   Recommended for the true mystery aficionado.

No comments about More Than a Muckraker: Ida Tarbell's Lifetime in Journalism.

No comments about Red: A Biography of Red Smith.

4 comments about Full Swing: Hits, Runs and Errors in a Writer's Life.

1. This is a book that many high school students will be able to indentify with. Ira Berkow floundered as he tried to decide what to do with his life when he graduated from high school. He, like others, had people who helped him out in various ways. His father bought him a book entitled "30 Days to A Powerful Vocabulary" when he was in high school. This gift which was initially not readily appreciated became a powerful influence in expanding Ira's vocabulary when he became interested in writing. The noted sportswriter Red Smith took time to constructively criticize some of Ira's writing when requested. Most young people drift into a career, and Ira Berkow is a good example for those of high school and college age to read about whether they plan on becomming a writer or not. Another thing I liked about the book is the numerous anecdotes of people such as Muhammad Ali, Hank Sauer, Michael Jordan and others that I have not read in other books. Here is one I will pass on about our present President, George Bush. When Bush was part owner of the Texas Rangers he and his team partners threatened to move the team from the Dallas-Fort Worth area unless the residents of Texas paid for a new ballpark. A tax was set that was shared by both the rich and poor. Since there were more poor people in the area than rich, the tax was a burden mainly by those who couldn't afford to pay it. With this money, a new ballpark was built and the owners sold the team which was now worth more due to having a new stadium. When the team was sold Bush became rich with his share coming to $14 million. This from a conservative who supposedly tries to save taxpayers money. This book is a treat. It is not a rehash of stories found in other books. You will not be disappointed.



2. I read a lot of it but didn't finish it. Couldn't. I was looking for stuff about sports figures from the author's era. Interesting stuff. Instead, I received mostly stuff about the author, about how he made it in life and the newspaper world, with a few bumps along the way. Not interesting, to be honest. I should get my money back.



3. When you finish reading "Full Swing," including the funny and touching final two chapters of this conversational memoir, you will feel that you know Ira Berkow well. The author, a prolific writer (17 books and many articles) and a sports columnist for the New York Times for over 25 years, has produced an honest, seamless, conversational memoir which pulls the reader into the heart of a richly led life. Anecdotes abound, many about the sports, entertainment and political figures he has known and interviewed. Berkow pulls no punches in describing his own stuttering development as a writer, growing up on the West Side of Chicago, his early career as a reporter in Minneapolis, and his later move to New York City, where he worked first for a newspaper syndicate and later as the by-liner of the "Sports of the Times" column.
   
   The book is a walk through Berkow's life, often retracing his steps, making frequent, leisurely stops to explore people, places, ideas, successes, regrets, loves both lost and found, yet managing in the course of his peregrination to tie it all together such that the reader comes to understand the inner self of this talented, introspective, honest and thoroughly unpretentious writer, and ultimately wishes he could spend more time with him.
   
   The major press book reviews have cited anecdotes and quotes from various sources, including Red Smith, the sports writer whom Berkow succeeded at the Times, Richard Nixon, Groucho Marx, and numerous others such as Willie Mays, Eddie Waitkus, Hank Sauer, Al Kaline, Pete Rose, Phil Jackson and Mohammed Ali. But it is really the stories about the non-sports personalities from his past, including those in his own family, that best describe and define Berkow as a person. One such story about his cousin, a lawyer whose career ranged from a public defender to a federal judge, and who dealt with "the most monumental and noble of causes," is central to Berkow's exploration of the significance of one's own contributions, whether they are made in the public or private sphere.
   
   "Full Swing" will appeal especially to those readers who, despite a slightly guilty conscience, always turn first to the sports pages.



4. Ira Berkow's FULL SWING could also have been featured in our Sports section - but it'd be a shame to limit its audience to sports enthusiasts alone. Berkow is a sports columnist and feature writer for the New York Times, but his journey to that point was long and hard - and is chronicled here in FULL SWING: HITS, RUNS, AND ERRORS IN A WRITER'S LIFE. From his early years as a poor student who flunked out of college in his first semester to his later passion for writing and determination to become a writer, FULL SWING charts a course through the literary and sports world which will engage and delight fans of Berkow. From his early inspirations to his tales of life at the Times, FULL SWING is a lively survey of a literary life and many achievements.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

No comments about Too Old, Too Ugly, and Not Deferential to Men.

5 comments about Will This Do?.

1. I enjoyed the book a great deal. It is a series of interconnected vignettes, which almost encourages the reader to open the book on any page and start reading (certainly my preferred technique for reading this book). Funny, yet with a lingering sadness, written in a prose style that is precise while being still extraordinarily natural and carefree. I am not sure everyone will like the book, but those who do will tend to love it.



2. Waugh was not only the best journalist of his generation, but also the funniest to boot. This book is a glorious romp through a life which added greatly to the gaiety of a nation.



3. There's something almost irresistible about the memoirs of a child of Evelyn Waugh, and there's much pleasure to be had in the first half of the autobiography. Auberon Waugh's dealings with his splenetic, conservative father--among the posh country houses of his family and their relatives--makes the stuff of a fine story, and Waugh brings great ironic humor to the table. Unfortunately, Auberon's own literary career is much less interesting, and concerns mainly petty squabbles and encounters with figures who are only of passing interest today: it's hard to get very worked up one way or the other, for instance, about Claire Tomalin's libel suit against him.

   Waugh's humor (like his father's) is not to everyone's tastes, but if you find his snobbish summaries and appreciations for the bizarre droll (as I do), you'll enjoy yourself very much. He is very much aware of his snobbism, as well as his father's, and his self-deprecating awareness of both men's failing is greatly appreciated, and makes the entire matter much easier to take.




4. .

   The death of Auberon Waugh in January 2001 marks the end of an era. Auberon and his father Evelyn were masters of the English language. Together they perfected the use of ironic wit.

   "Will this Do?" is much more than an autobiography. It is an encapsulation of an era and a culture. His work covers that incredible period of British history (1960 - 1980) where the "old order" Establishment, with its upper class "born to rule" social structures were overthrown.

   In that period political satire became part of popular culture. Witness the rise of "smart" young men like David Frost and the circle of comedians that arose from the Cambridge Footlights. The weekly newspaper "Private Eye" was one of the most influential outlets for Auberon Waugh where he wrote a column for many years. The "Eye" did more for exposing political and social scandal in Britain than any other forum.

   Waugh's membership of both the "upper" class and influential, activist intellectual circles put he him in a unique position to observe and comment on the quirks and absurdities of his Britain.

   Occasionally he was overtly a political activist. The most prominent example was his very public support of the Biafran cause in the Nigerian Civil War in the early 1970s. This put him at loggerheads with the British government.

   In Waugh's biography his ironic tone is pervasive. Even those readers who know his work well, will at times struggle to figure out whether he is joking, serious or merely "going over the top".

   Auberon's humour didn't travel too well across the Atlantic. He found American's far "too earnest", who take his words too literally. However the gulf in styles of humour between the Anglo and the American world must have been closed to some degree thanks to Waugh's writing.

   Waugh's influence on the world of wine was huge. For many years he wrote a wine column in the English "Spectator". In the early 1980's he "discovered" New World (Australian and Californian) wine. Although the Spectator at that time had a subscription base of only 14,000, it was hugely influential. The cellars of the House of Lords were probably restocked on the advice of Waugh. When you look at the exponential growth of New World wine exports since that time we may have a perfect example of viral marketing, thanks to one man's words in an obscure journal.

   Many people who are not familiar with the style and wit of Waugh may find his writing pompous and haughty. It is well worth persisting though. He was probably the first writer to do a demolition job on Political Correctness. His favourite targets were the self-righteous. If they happened to be humourless as well (a strong correlation?) they would get both barrels from Waugh.

   The influence of both Evelyn and Auberon Waugh will be felt for many years. Any body who loves the English language should read Auberon's autobiography. His work is the ideal example of that old aphorism " The Pen is Mightier than the Sword".




5. If you have ever lived amongst the literary or monied class of England, this book is a bittersweet retrospective, a tattle-tale, and an apology all in one. If you haven't, then it seems to be a pompous, overblown biography of a rather ordinary life of a rather unordinary aristocrat. Waugh tells tales of his youth, adolescence, and adult life as best as sees fits, which is to say he writes what he wants you to know, and HOW he wants you to know it. It is, at every turn, witty and funny, and worthy of reading for those reasons alone. For those of you who don't know, Waugh edits the Literary Review magazine, which is available in most English speaking countries, including better parts of the United States.

No comments about Newspaperwoman.

4 comments about Do Me Twice: My Life After Islam.

1. I truly enjoyed reading Sonsyrea's memoir. What I loved most about this book is how she tells her story with candor and honesty. The transformation she makes from a young girl raised in Islam, questioning her very existence and everything she's been taught, to a young woman finding her own way in life is incredible. I would definitely recommend this book.



2. DO ME TWICE: My Life After Islam is not a generic book about the highs and lows of being a member of the Nation of Islam. From her days in Muslim School to her guilt-trip marriage and her exit from Islam, Sonsyrea Tate reveals a poignant personal history unlike any "coming of age" or "coming to religion" story ever told.
   
   Tate unveils the dark secrets that controlled her childhood, yet strangely liberate her as an adult. As she becomes comfortable with her own sensuality, she realizes just how much her sexual identity has defined many of the dramatic periods of her life and the life decisions she's made. Against the backdrop of colorful, dysfunctional family and the author's lyrical style peppered with raw realism, DO ME TWICE is a hands down keeper.
   
   Reviewed by Cxandra
   for The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers



3. As a child, Sonsyrea Tate, affectionately known as "Ray-Ray," has no idea of the trials and tribulations awaiting her in adulthood - but she sure gets plenty of indicators: her father's devolution into a drug-dealing transient, her mother's overbearing animosity, her extended family members' overall dysfunction...the growing cloud of unhappiness in her life often leads her to imagine sunnier times and places not too far away (or so she hopes).
   
   On top of everything else, her beloved Uncle Hussein, a cherished role model and mentor, is slowly degenerating into a veritable shell of his former self. His body ravaged by the grueling onset of Multiple Sclerosis; the protection of his gentle, loving spirit long gone from Ray-Ray's life. Watching him suffer, she finds herself racked with questions and doubts about the benevolent, fair nature of God, and - seeing the righteous so afflicted - she begins to wonder what the point is of serving Him at all.
   
   As her life proceeds, she endures abortion, infidelity, a tumultuous marriage (even multiple instances of marital rape), and eventually the incarceration of her husband, Ron. With Ron gone, little Ray-Ray finally has the freedom of time and space to evaluate her life on her own terms and begin her transformation into the full-grown Sonsyrea. Enrolling in college, Sonsyrea then sets out on a new path, one that challenges her previous long-held beliefs and alters her vision of how her own future should take shape. The journey proves to be difficult, but one she remains determined to make for none other than the preservation of her own sanity and peace of mind.
   
   Do Me Twice is an excellent treatise on the power of self-discovery. Much like Siddartha, Dust Tracks On A Road, and Jonathan Livingston Seagull before it, Tate's story of emotional & intellectual awakening does a commendable job of confronting the misguided teachings that typically shape our youth with the learned truth and experience of our later years. Regardless of our personal religious or philosophical leanings, it cannot be argued that we are raised to follow particular doctrines designed to guide/control our behavior and bias our thinking processes. In her narrative, Tate tells of her admirable journey in combating those very doctrines time and again as they are espoused by family, friends, and even strangers committed to challenging her newfound independence. Refusing to return to the "sleepwalking state" of her past, she bravely defends her right to think for herself - and her life becomes that much more rewarding for it.
   
   Tate's emigration from the often confusing rigors of Islam may be a sensitive topic in the global political climate of our times, but the symbolism of her spiritual quest is an invaluable lesson for the ages. With a critical, yet open mind, by her personal example she successfully encourages the reader to be not afraid in coming to individual conclusions regarding all matters great and small. Highly recommended.



4. Sonsyrea Tate was raised in a ten children, devout Muslim family. Sonsyrea's mother thought that it was a woman's duty to take care of her family and that having ten children was a blessing from Allah. As Sonsyrea aged, she began to question the wisdom of having children that you can barely afford to take care of. In their household, it was the oldest daughter's duty to help with the other children and as Sonsyrea grew older this caused problems between she and her mother. As the family struggled to survive, she thought that it was unwise for her mother to not step up to the plate and get a job to help with the expenses of living; this caused their personalities to clash. Sonsyrea was determined to go to college and have a career and not have a house full of children, as did her mother. Not only was Sonsyrea dealing with the problems between her mother and herself, but Sonsyrea's favorite uncle was dying and to make matters worse her father was arrested for dealing drugs, causing the family even more financial problems. Just as most religions teach that fornication is wrong so does Islam. Dealing with her sexuality became a major problem . In order to have guilt-free sex, Sonsyrea married at a young age. She un-wisely married a man in constant trouble with the law.
   
   I admire Sonsyrea because she did not let past mistakes ruin her life and went on to get the career that she wanted. The problem that I had with this offering was that it seemed to be written out of sequence. And she could have put in a little more excitement; this did not stop me from receiving the point of view that she was making. This book was an uncorrected proof so if she gets the chapters in better order it will be an enjoyable read.
   
   
   
   
   
   Reviewed by Margaret Ball
   
   
   
   APOOO BookClub

1 comments about The Washakie Letters of Willie Ottogary, Northwestern Shoshone Journalist and Leader, 1906-1929.

1. A wonderful collection of early 20th century Native American interpretations of Western American History. Ottogary's fascinating career as a journalist is brought to life in this edition. This book is a must read for any one interested in the history of the American West.

5 comments about Storm Over Morocco.

1. Even though the book is a bit self absorbing I did find it to be
   a intriqing look into one man's personal quest for a realtionship found in Islam with a dose of reality thrown in. I didnt since any hostility
   toward any group although he certainly would have that right after the
   experience he had. It was a very personal and eyeopening adventure and the author does a good job of explaining all of the emotions that were
   felt.



2. I totally enjoyed this thrilling yet soul-searching book. What Frank Romano went through in trying to find a universal, peace-loving religion and ending up a prisoner is unbelievable! How he managed to escape from his captors and not end up brainwashed is nothing short of amazing. This is a definite must-read - I thoroughly enjoyed sharing Romano's life journey, and all the suspense surrounding the escape was a bonus along the way. Great book - so much knowledge and detail - I gained a whole lot from this novel.



3. Reviewed by Jen Cardwell for Reader Views (6/08)
   
   Frank Romano tells the story of his youth and his attempts to find himself in "Storm Over Morocco." For quite a while I wondered why exactly he chose to write this book and tell this story, what precisely he was trying to say or accomplish. I have finally decided that telling this story is his attempt to cleanse his soul and lift his burdens, along the lines of Jeannette Walls or Julie Gregory writing memoirs of their childhood and their messed up parents.
   
   Although this book is the story of Romano's disastrous trip to Morocco, I felt he could have quite easily written about his messed up childhood, since, and I don't mean to get into too much pop psychology, he clearly had one. Romano's entire trip seemed to be characterized by dramatic swings between desperately needing love and affection and being completely distrustful and paranoid about everyone he encountered. I became repeatedly distracted from the story he was actually telling to wonder about the story he wasn't telling, about how he came to be both so needy and so distrustful.
   
   Romano writes well, and definitely infuses his words with his feelings. The first five chapters or so, even before he left on his journey, were written with such intensity that I was only able to read a chapter or two at a time. It took me a while to truly get into this book, but by the end I was caught up in the story.
   
   Although I did eventually get caught up in the story, it was hard for me to truly enjoy it. As I stated earlier, what I would really have liked to have read is the story of Romano's childhood in order to figure out how he ended up as he did. In addition, I was too busy yelling at the book, "No! Don't do THAT! That's a terrible idea! Listen to your friends!," etc. I don't do well with people who do really dumb things, which Romano did in spades in his trip. However, I did like the book for its semi-insider's view of Moroccan culture in the 1970s. If you're the kind of person who can watch people do stupid things in books or in movies without yelling at them, then "Storm Over Morocco" could be very interesting.



4. A poorly planned (unplanned?) search for "universal religion" leads the author into a cult-like conservative religious community in Morocco. But if you saw the words "fanatics" and "fundamentalism" and are expecting references to Osama bin Laden, Iran, or burning American flags, be aware: you will not find them here.
   
   This is a travel narrative. But what's most disturbing to me about Romano's trip is that this guy apparently had no clue what he might be getting into, and didn't bother doing ANY homework about the country or culture to find out before leaving. He just wanders off to North Africa, expecting mystical desert experiences, I guess. His narrative comes off as 'new age'-y and self-absorbed. An unprepared solo traveler, Romano misunderstands basic aspects of Muslim religion and Moroccan culture (such as sacrificing a lamb to roast for the feast of Eid al-Kabir) and feels increasingly alienated as a result. Out of his comfort zone and vulnerable, he gets mixed up in a super-conservative religious crowd whose members believe that he wants to convert. Finally, having managed to get himself into pretty hot water with them (quite an accomplishment in the desert) he drifts in and out of paranoia as he attempts to 'get out' and back to France.
   
   The subtitle of this book is "Finding God in the Midst of Fanatics." It should have been "How NOT to Travel." It's worth reading for that reason only. Do the exact opposite of what Romano did, and you should have a great time.



5. What were the rest of us doing while Frank Romano was on his own pursuing a personal quest for faith and understanding in Morocco during the 1970s ? This was an intriguing and intimate glimpse at one man's personal relationship with Islam. Frank Romano, an accomplished attorney and scholar, shares with the reader his almost naive embracement of life and religion in stark contrast with the sands of Muslim beliefs.
   
   In the current world of distrust in which we now live, the author seeks to enlighten the reader to basic concepts of the requisites of Islam as seen through his own impressionable eyes. It neither negates nor substantiates the fundamentals of the religion, but seeks to inform and educate the reader.
   
   The encounters challenging Frank throughout his time in Morocco imparts to the reader to stay up late at night just to finish the next chapter. It is without a doubt, worth the read for the adventure and the message Frank Romano is sending to us. He sought solace in the Islam religion, did not find it there, but in turn, successfully communicated his diverse spirituality into the establishment of global interfaith conferences.
   
   Read Storm Over Morocco, you will finish the book knowing that Frank Romano is truly an amazing man.