Tag Archives: biography

American Terrorist

Posted on June 19, 2020 by

American Terrorist: Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Bombing ©  2001, 2015 Lou Michel & Dan Herberck 426 pages   During a recreation period one day, a prisoner in an adjoining cage poured his heart out to McVeigh, telling him … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Uncle Tungsten

Posted on May 26, 2020 by

Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood © 2001 Oliver Sacks 352 pages No future scientist was ever better primed for the life than Oliver Sacks.   You may know him as a neurologist and the author of numerous books … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

An English shield-maiden and England’s army

Posted on April 20, 2020 by

Time for two mini-reviews! First up, The Making of the British Army.   Retired brigadier Allan Mallinson  traces the history of Britain’s army to the creation of the New Model Army during the English civil war. Unlike armies of old, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

His Way

Posted on February 18, 2020 by

His Way: The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra © 1986 Kitty Kelley 576 pages His Way is a gossipy biography of Frank Sinatra,  one full of drama and interest, but more tabloid-like than serious.    Most biographies of Sinatra follow the same course:  … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Love, sand cranes, and civil rights

Posted on February 14, 2020 by

This has….not been a good week for utilities in my neck of the woods. Because of heavy rains, flooding, and thunderstormy-drama,  I’ve been without phone and DSL service since Tuesday, and the library has had to close for one day … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The Education of Henry Adams

Posted on August 23, 2019 by

The Education of Henry Adams © 1918 Henry Adams 324 pages   Who is Henry Adams, and why would anyone read about his education?    Personally, I discovered this book through a personal interest in his family; Henry’s great-grandfather was John … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

The Thinking Man’s Gangster

Posted on June 28, 2019 by

Meyer Lansky: The Thinking Man’s GangsterRevised and expanded reprint of Little Man: The Gangster Life of Meyer Lanksy 457 pages© 2019 Robert Lacey There’s no such thing as a lucky gambler. There’s only winners and losers, and the winners are the … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

A Forest in the Clouds

Posted on March 11, 2019 by

A Forest in the Clouds © 2018 John Fowler336 pages John Fowler’s A Forest in the Clouds is his account of studying gorillas alongside famous naturalist Dian Fossey.   Although I picked it up for the gorillas (as one would), the … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Rebel Without a Green Card

Posted on February 22, 2019 by

Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card288 pages© 2018 Ssara Saedi Sara Saedi and her older sister Samira were both born in Iran, but following the revolution their parents fled to America by way of Italy.  Although Sara had virtually no … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Ghost in the Wires

Posted on February 9, 2019 by

Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World’s Most Wanted Hacker© 2011 Kevin Mitnick, William Simon. Forward by The Woz.393 pages CYBERPUNK introduced me to the story of Kevin Mitnick, a teenage phone phreaker turned celebrity hacker,  who boasted that … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments