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LiteratureArts & Culture

Baseball bio is a real home run

Review by bookpagedev

When baseball’s All-Century Team was chosen in 1999, one of the pitchers picked was Sandy Koufax, a left-hander for the Brooklyn, and later, Los Angeles Dodgers a remarkable selection that was largely based on the strength of a five-year stretch when Koufax dominated the game like no one had before.

What is more remarkable, notes Jane Leavy, author of the new book Sandy Koufax: A Lefty’s Legacy, is that for a good portion of his career he pitched with an arm injury that kept him in constant pain, which he relieved with a mix of painkillers, ice baths and an analgesic balm that was so strong people cried when they were around him. As Leavy points out, Koufax had it all: movie star good looks, a nimble brain and tons of athletic ability. Like Hank Greenberg, a Jewish first baseman for the Detroit Tigers a generation before, Koufax was an icon for Jews across America. He helped belie the myth that Jews were incapable of excelling in physical endeavors.

Success never went to his head. He maintained friendships with his childhood buddies from Brooklyn, and around his teammates he was known for treating everyone the same, regardless of their color or hierarchy as an athlete. Leavy, an award-winning sportswriter and feature writer for the Washington Post, does a sensitive job in portraying him as an outstanding athlete and a thoughtful, complex man.

Baseball fan Ron Kaplan writes from Montclair, New Jersey.

 

When baseball’s All-Century Team was chosen in 1999, one of the pitchers picked was Sandy Koufax, a left-hander for the Brooklyn, and later, Los Angeles Dodgers a remarkable selection that was largely based on the strength of a five-year stretch when Koufax dominated the game like no one had before. What is more remarkable, notes […]
NonfictionHumor

Tackling mission impossible

Review by bookpagedev

Haven’t you always wanted to form your own country? Why not take all the gold from Fort Knox or borrow” the Mona Lisa to pay for your personal sovereign nation? All these unlikely activities and more are detailed in Hunter S. Fulghum’s new book, Don’t Try This At Home: How to Win a Sumo Match, Catch a Great White Shark, Start an Independent Nation and Other Extraordinary Feats (For Ordinary People). Drawing on the success of the Worst-Case Scenario series, Fulghum goes one step further and provides instructions on how to perform the kinds of death-defying action hero stunts that look impossible even on the big screen. While readers are, of course, cautioned not to actually attempt any of these stunts, the instructions provided are surprisingly thorough. Each activity, from smuggling top secret documents to rescuing POWs, is accompanied by a detailed list of what you’ll need, approximately how long the mission will take and step-by-step instructions that guide you through the process.

While impractical, the outlines make for fascinating reading and will most likely increase your respect for anyone who could actually pull off these stunts. For most of us, the opportunity to be a real-life action hero will never come, but at least we can rest assured that, should the day arise, we’ll be prepared.

Haven’t you always wanted to form your own country? Why not take all the gold from Fort Knox or borrow” the Mona Lisa to pay for your personal sovereign nation? All these unlikely activities and more are detailed in Hunter S. Fulghum’s new book, Don’t Try This At Home: How to Win a Sumo Match, […]
LiteratureArts & Culture

The men behind the bomb

Review by bookpagedev

Some of the most influential physicists of the 20th century were deeply involved in the creation of the atomic bomb and the much more destructive thermonuclear hydrogen bomb that followed. Patriotism led them to put their expertise at the service of their country. Now, in an authoritative new book, Brotherhood of the Bomb: The Tangled Lives and Loyalties of Robert Oppenheimer, Ernest Lawrence, and Edward Teller, Gregg Herken re-creates that turbulent period, focusing on three major figures of the era. Drawing on thousands of pages of declassified government documents from the United States and the former U.S.S.R., as well as many personal interviews and private papers, the author gives us fresh portraits of his subjects. Herken is a curator and historian of science at the Smithsonian Institution. His previous books include The Winning Weapon and Counsels of War, both concerned with various aspects of subjects discussed in his new book.

Lawrence and Teller had shown little interest in politics until 1940-1941. Oppenheimer, in contrast, was involved with numerous leftist causes and groups and some suspected him of being a Communist. As Herken demonstrates, Oppenheimer was under intense scrutiny, but a careful reading of official reports shows that no proof of disloyalty was ever found. Despite continuing concern, General Leslie Groves, who headed the Manhattan Project, ordered a security clearance for Oppenheimer in 1943, noting that, He is absolutely essential to the project." Oppenheimer’s views remained controversial throughout the early postwar years when he was regarded by many as the scientist of conscience in this country. Those who disagreed with him or suspected him of disloyalty were eventually able to get his security clearance taken away in 1954, one day before it was due to expire.

Herken deftly guides us through the scientific-governmental and political-military thicket, explaining how key decisions were made. He follows his three major figures bright, innovative, even brilliant scientists as they debate and maneuver to gain acceptance for their points of view. But it is not their story alone. Along the way we are made aware of the significant contributions of many others, including Vannevar Bush, James B. Conant, Arthur Compton, Enrico Fermi and Alfred Loomis.

Herken writes that the plot" of this riveting book is taken from The Sorcerer’s Apprentice: [I]t is a cautionary tale of arrogance, betrayal, and unforeseen consequences; of what comes from invoking forces both political and physical that one neither fully understands nor controls."

Nashville bookseller Roger Bishop is a longtime contributor to BookPage.

 

 

Some of the most influential physicists of the 20th century were deeply involved in the creation of the atomic bomb and the much more destructive thermonuclear hydrogen bomb that followed. Patriotism led them to put their expertise at the service of their country. Now, in an authoritative new book, Brotherhood of the Bomb: The Tangled […]
NonfictionEducation

Inside the halls of girls schools

Review by bookpagedev

In the midst of a heated public debate about whether girls do better in school without the distraction and competition of boys comes a perfectly timed book that offers a fascinating peek into the world of single-sex schools.

Author Karen Stabiner, a well-known journalist who has written for Vogue and The New Yorker, spent a year inside the minds of teenage girls at two very different single-sex schools. The uppercrust, private Marlborough prep school in Los Angeles draws girls with Harvard ambitions and the parental support (sometimes pressure) to make it happen. On the other hand, the girls at The Young Women’s Leadership School of East Harlem (TYWLS) come from neighborhoods where they must navigate a minefield of pregnancy, drugs and gangs. College is a distant, some would even say laughable, goal for many of these girls, who face the educational triple whammy of being poor, minority and female.

Stabiner began researching All Girls as a means of deciding the best educational course for her own daughter, and it will serve as a helpful guide for parents. But this is not just another book about educational philosophy. It’s a poignant, powerful investigation into the state of adolescent girls in America.

All Girls will invariably draw comparisons to that other book dissecting the pressure-filled lives of teenage girls, Mary Pipher’s Reviving Ophelia, and rightfully so. The students at both Marlborough and TYWLS feel tremendous weight on their shoulders, because in addition to coping with the natural angst of adolescence, these girls are trailblazers in the battle for equal education. In both cases, they are expected to justify their schools’ existence as all-girls institutions: at Marlborough by getting bids to the nation’s best colleges, and at TYWLS by graduating and perhaps going on to a four-year school.

Stabiner illustrates this struggle by following several girls throughout the school year at TYWLS, the overachieving, almost robotically driven Maryam and naturally gifted but unmotivated Amy; and individualistic Katie and Harvard-obsessed Christina at Marlborough. Stabiner magnificently illuminates the fears, obstacles and triumphs facing these girls, making this book a highly satisfying read for anyone interested in the state of American education or simply a compelling tale of American girls. Amy Scribner writes from Washington, D.C.

In the midst of a heated public debate about whether girls do better in school without the distraction and competition of boys comes a perfectly timed book that offers a fascinating peek into the world of single-sex schools. Author Karen Stabiner, a well-known journalist who has written for Vogue and The New Yorker, spent a […]
LiteratureArts & Culture

Beetle mania rolls on

Review by bookpagedev

The international automotive industry has foisted many products on this car-crazy world, yet nothing has ever registered as vividly or as memorably in the public’s imagination as the Volkswagen Beetle. Yes, it was small and funny-looking (some would say downright ugly), you could hardly see out the back window and traveling in a crosswind was always an adventure. But what the Beetle (or Bug") did best was run. And run. And run. Efficiency was its main selling point, followed closely by its rock-bottom price tag. The story of the Volkwagen’s birth and development is a fascinating one, and veteran television reporter and New York Times writer Phil Patton does a super job of telling it in his new book Bug. Patton digs deeply into the Bug’s origins in the 1930s, when, as the proletariat dream-car brainchild of Adolf Hitler and Germany’s Third Reich, no less a designer than the renowned Ferdinand Porsche (of stylish race-car fame) set to work bringing the Fuhrer’s vision to reality. There were snags, of course primarily World War II.

It wasn’t until the postwar era that the Volkswagen idea was brought to fruition, and the Bug became a symbol of Germany’s economic and industrial renewal. Then the worldwide Bug infestation began.

America went Beetle-happy in the late ’50s and early ’60s, spurred on by perhaps the most famous advertising campaign in history. The Doyle Dane Bernbach agency developed print and television spots that made buying a VW absolutely de rigueur for eggheads, unassuming idealists or anyone with an iconoclastic or countercultural streak (or a wobbly bank account). By the time the Beetle ceased production in the late 1970s, it had become the best-selling car of all time. Patton relates all of these episodes with authority and style, offering interesting glimpses into the personalities, creativity and philosophies of the principal players. He also provides an account of the late ’90s rejuvenation of the Bug, whose pedigree as a product of the global economy is a far cry from the utilitarian, Cold War-era atmosphere from which its legendary forebear sprung. This first-rate blend of business and social history should hit a chord of nostalgia with many readers.

Martin Brady writes from Nashville.

 

 

 

The international automotive industry has foisted many products on this car-crazy world, yet nothing has ever registered as vividly or as memorably in the public’s imagination as the Volkswagen Beetle. Yes, it was small and funny-looking (some would say downright ugly), you could hardly see out the back window and traveling in a crosswind was […]
NonfictionHumor

A cowboy’s wry poke at the West

Review by bookpagedev

<B>A cowboy’s wry poke at the West</B> Many are familiar with Baxter Black’s homespun humor from his frequent commentary on National Public Radio, where he’s billed as a cowboy poet and former large animal veterinarian." Now Black’s funny, folksy anecdotes can be enjoyed in his new book, <B>Horseshoes, Cowsocks ∧ Duckfeet.</B> This collection of columns from NPR and print sources lampoons and celebrates rural life with dry, understated humor. Among the many yarns Black spins are comical accounts of rodeo mishaps, amusing efforts to wake a tranquilized bull before an auction and the bemused reaction of cowboys to Western catalogs aimed at urban dwellers. In fact, the culture clash between urban folk and rugged range riders is a subject Black visits more than once. He also celebrates good dogs, good dances and good doctors, and wonders if the West is vanishing.

In the tradition of great American humorists like Mark Twain and Will Rogers, Black writes with great intelligence and warm wit, choosing his words tenderly, yet efficiently. He may poke fun at economists and impulsive cowhands, but his satire is gentle, not at all harsh. Still, all is not laughter like many essayists, Black turns sober attention to the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, finding comfort in the fact that American farmers were feeding Afghanistan even as our troops were missing Christmas due to the fighting.

If some of the stories ring a bell, the reader can consult a handy reference of NPR air dates in the back. Black also thoughtfully includes a glossary of cowhand terms. The text is sprinkled with illustrations that complement his descriptions of unruly horses and dignified farmers.

<B>Horseshoes, Cowsocks ∧ Duckfeet</B> is a book that all readers will enjoy, whether city dweller or ranch hand. Black’s collection of wry anecdotes, essays and verse is thought-provoking, heartwarming and thoroughly entertaining. <I>Gregory Harris is a writer, editor and technology consultant in Indianapolis.</I>

<B>A cowboy’s wry poke at the West</B> Many are familiar with Baxter Black’s homespun humor from his frequent commentary on National Public Radio, where he’s billed as a cowboy poet and former large animal veterinarian." Now Black’s funny, folksy anecdotes can be enjoyed in his new book, <B>Horseshoes, Cowsocks ∧ Duckfeet.</B> This collection of columns […]
History

The birth of an enduring document

Review by bookpagedev

In A Brilliant Solution: Inventing the American Constitution, author Carol Berkin recalls the period following the end of the Revolutionary War when the Articles of Confederation were in force as the governing code for the new United States. Designed with an eye toward decentralizing power, the Articles worked so well that the young nation soon found itself without any significant power. Its army was small and inconsequential; its credit was ruined; and the 13 states tended to conduct themselves as wholly independent political units.

Against this backdrop, Berkin, conveys the desperation and passion of the men who met in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to design America’s new constitution. They were men of wealth and comfort,” she says, landowners, slaveholders, lawyers, merchants, land and securities speculators, and an occasional doctor or clergyman,” who were crafty enough to know that premature leaks could scuttle their proposed ship of state. Consequently, they agreed to keep the details of their discussions secret from the public.

Although the universally revered George Washington and Ben Franklin were both active in the convention, they were less assertive than such younger colleagues as James Madison and Alexander Hamilton. From May 25, when the ground rules were laid down, until September 17, the day the document was signed, the debates surged this way and that, often creating the least expected of political allies. Relying on first-hand accounts and doling out the events as they actually occurred, Berkin adds drama and color to what might have been little more than an annotated set of minutes.

The author, a professor of American history at the City University of New York, rounds out her story with an account of the document’s ratification and of Washington’s inauguration as president. Appended to her engaging narrative are copies of the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution as initially approved, as well as thumbnail biographies of all the representatives to the convention.

In A Brilliant Solution: Inventing the American Constitution, author Carol Berkin recalls the period following the end of the Revolutionary War when the Articles of Confederation were in force as the governing code for the new United States. Designed with an eye toward decentralizing power, the Articles worked so well that the young nation soon […]

Reflections on the world’s oldest sport

Review by bookpagedev

<B>Reflections on the world’s oldest sport</B> When Walt Harrington first took to the woods with his father-in-law to hunt rabbits, it wasn’t by choice. A <I>Washington Post</I> reporter at the time, Harrington was a city slicker with a taste for expensive wines, tailored suits and original art. Tramping through frosty fields at dawn in blood-stained overalls was not his idea of a good time, but he felt duty-bound to try out his new shotgun, a gift from his wife’s father.

Harrington viewed hunting as an archaic pastime, if not downright barbaric. Why hunt animals, he thought, when hunting is no longer necessary for survival? In his new book, <B>The Everlasting Stream: A True Story of Rabbits, Guns, Friendship, and Family</B>, Harrington tackles this question and others in an attempt to make sense of the age-old activity and life in general. He succeeds in writing a graceful, introspective memoir that takes a candid look at the ritual of modern-day hunting and the moral minefields that surround it. With well-researched points about hunting woven through stories of his childhood and career, Harrington debates the morality of killing animals for sport. For more than a decade, Harrington has spent every Thanksgiving holiday in the fields of rural Kentucky with his father-in-law’s tight-knit group of hunting buddies blue-collar African-American men who grew up dirt poor. In time, the award-winning white journalist finds that he has a lot to learn from these rough-edged men, some of whom have been hunting together for half a century. With a straightforward style and a practiced eye for detail, Harrington describes how hunting evolves into a life-affirming activity for him a way to experience nature, companionship and heightened acuity." <B>Everlasting Stream</B> is sure to give even the most devout anti-hunting advocates and workaholics some compelling ideas to ponder. Part memoir, part essay, the book is more than a treatise on hunting. It’s a moving tribute to four unassuming men and a stirring commentary on life. <I>Rebecca Denton is a copy editor and freelance writer in Nashville.</I>

<B>Reflections on the world’s oldest sport</B> When Walt Harrington first took to the woods with his father-in-law to hunt rabbits, it wasn’t by choice. A <I>Washington Post</I> reporter at the time, Harrington was a city slicker with a taste for expensive wines, tailored suits and original art. Tramping through frosty fields at dawn in blood-stained […]
History

The rebellious roots of Jesse James

Review by bookpagedev

In Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War, writer/historian T.J. Stiles has produced what must be considered the definitive James biography of this generation. Unlike previous authors who emphasized James as the daring train and bank robber, Stiles seeks to understand the world of rural western Missouri, into which Jesse Woodson James was born in 1847. His family lived in a section of the state later dubbed Little Dixie” where slaves constituted fully 25 percent of the population. At age three Jesse suffered the loss of his father, a Baptist preacher who died in California during the Gold Rush. Jesse’s widowed mother, the six-foot-tall Zerelda Cole James, imbued in her sons, Jesse and his brother Frank, a passionate devotion to slavery, the Southern cause and, eventually, secession.

When war came in 1861, Frank James, 18 years of age, volunteered to fight for the Confederacy. Because he was only 15, Jesse was prevented from joining his brother. As Stiles makes clear, a turning point in the life of the James family occurred in 1863, when pro-Union state militiamen, in search of Frank, stormed the family farm, took Zerelda into custody and forced her to sign an oath of loyalty to the United States. An enraged Jesse immediately joined other Confederate bushwhackers in guerrilla actions against their pro-Union neighbors. In short order they looted stores, killed an abolitionist minister and wreaked terror and mayhem in Clay County and beyond.

Outraged by such Union atrocities” as the Emancipation Proclamation, James and his comrades refused to surrender and acknowledge Confederate defeat in 1865. Chaos continued to ravage Missouri in the postwar years, when retribution hung in the air,” and neighbors persisted in settling scores with neighbors. War had torn apart the state’s political landscape, and new factions and parties sought favor. As Stiles demonstrates, Jesse James was among those who attempted to influence the course of state politics. Although ever the outlaw, robbing banks and railroads from Iowa to Kentucky, James was motivated by politics, as well as plunder. He sent intensely partisan and articulate letters to newspapers in which he condemned Republicans and deplored the Radical Reconstruction of the South. All the while, the American public devoured stories of James’ narrow escapes and epic adventures. By 1882, when he was gunned down in St. Joseph, Missouri, he was a figure as publicized as the president.” As gracefully written as a novel, and convincingly argued throughout, this is biography at its finest. Dr. Thomas Appleton is professor of history and associate director of the Center for Kentucky History and Politics at Eastern Kentucky University.

In Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War, writer/historian T.J. Stiles has produced what must be considered the definitive James biography of this generation. Unlike previous authors who emphasized James as the daring train and bank robber, Stiles seeks to understand the world of rural western Missouri, into which Jesse Woodson James was born […]
Science Fiction & FantasyFantasy

The hope of a new world

Review by bookpagedev

In the future depicted in Kelley Eskridge’s new novel, Solitaire, people grow up in a peer group known as a web. Those born on the cusp of a certain new year are known as hopes. When the hopes turn 23, they take their place in the EarthGov, symbolically leading the world into the bright and wonderful future. Jackal is the hope of Ko, a corporation that has almost achieved statehood. For the first 22 years of her life, Jackal has been aware of the thousands of people watching her, aware of their expectations; she is their hope.

Solitaire is the first novel from Eskridge, who has produced a series of sharp, well-thought-out short stories during the last decade. Her writing is sure and well-crafted, never letting the reader become complacent as the tale unfolds.

Despite Jackal’s advanced training in government work, she senses that something is wrong and her future is in jeopardy. When trouble finally comes, it is an order of magnitude higher than anything she imagined. Framed for a crime, she is sentenced to 40 years in prison and then offered a last-minute deal. There is a new form of punishment: virtual confinement. Prisoners are trapped in a virtual reality prison inside their own heads where time passes faster than in the outside world. Instead of 40 years in prison, Jackal can spend eight years in virtual confinement which will take only 10 months of real time. Not surprisingly, she accepts the deal and is stuck inside her own head for a very long time.

This is where Eskridge’s story takes off. What could have been a retread of every prison memoir, novel and film, is instead the emotional center of the book. In solitude, there is nowhere to hide, and Jackal is forced to face herself again and again, exploring her connections to the world, her family and friends.

Solitaire is a novel of our time: a story of dashed expectations and corporate manipulations. Eskridge explores what it means to really see ourselves, and what we are ultimately capable of. Jackal, a slight adolescent, matures into an adult capable of living well, no matter what her circumstances. She is a worthy role model for any reader. Gavin J. Grant reads, writes and publishes speculative fiction in Brooklyn, New York.

In the future depicted in Kelley Eskridge’s new novel, Solitaire, people grow up in a peer group known as a web. Those born on the cusp of a certain new year are known as hopes. When the hopes turn 23, they take their place in the EarthGov, symbolically leading the world into the bright and […]
Mystery & SuspenseMystery

Sketching a stylish debut thriller

Review by bookpagedev

Former policewoman Kate McKinnon is the central character in Jonathan Santlofer’s debut thriller, The Death Artist. Ten years ago, she traded her badge, homicide cases and ill-fitting uniform for a sexy husband, a New York penthouse and a career in art history. It was a good trade. Successfully making the transition from cop to cashmere-clad socialite, Kate fills her days hosting a television art series, planning fund-raisers and sponsoring budding artists. Then the murders begin.

When one of her proteges is murdered, Kate discovers that her past and present are about to collide. A serial killer is on the loose, and before each crime, the killer sends Kate a cryptic clue. Constantly smoking, frequently cursing and occasionally wise-cracking, Kate is an independent and intelligent protagonist. Santlofer also conjures a large ensemble of supporting characters that are sharply drawn and distinctive. The author hits his stride, however, in creating escalating suspense as Kate mentally spars with the crafty killer. An internationally recognized painter, Santlofer turned to writing after a fire in an art gallery destroyed five years of his work. He skillfully uses his considerable knowledge to give readers an intriguing tour of museums, performance art, galleries and artists’ studios in New York. In The Death Artist, Santlofer has produced an engrossing debut filled with plenty of simmering secrets and a multitude of motives for murder.

Former policewoman Kate McKinnon is the central character in Jonathan Santlofer’s debut thriller, The Death Artist. Ten years ago, she traded her badge, homicide cases and ill-fitting uniform for a sexy husband, a New York penthouse and a career in art history. It was a good trade. Successfully making the transition from cop to cashmere-clad […]
Fiction

Nick Tosches’ Middle Age rant

Review by bookpagedev

<B>Nick Tosches’ Middle Age rant</B> Nick Tosches’ new novel arrives amid a bit of a stir. There’s apparently some concern that <B>In the Hand of Dante</B> might be too profane or sordid (or confusing) for many readers.

While the novel is profane, it isn’t overly so. And, it does require forbearance especially given its author’s seeming faith in mysteries. The flaws lie elsewhere. Although Tosches may strive for honesty and a lack of affectation, he just can’t help showing off.

One of the novel’s two stories is set in the Middle Ages, focusing on a spiritual quest by the poet Dante. The other not as lofty occurs in the present and follows the personal travails of the aptly named Nick Tosches," a writer (and thief). Tosches joins a Mob scheme to steal and sell the reputed original manuscript of <I>The Divine Comedy.</I> These two tales alternate and, obviously, are meant to enhance one another. This they do, occasionally. Still, some sections, focusing especially on Dante or his wife, Gemma, are too remote to be accessible; reading them is like enduring a classroom lecture.

The present-day plot eventually involves murder, thefts and dishonor among thieves. Dante’s story amounts more to talk than action, as he engages in frequent dialogues with an elderly mystic. As Dante’s tutelage burrows deeper into the terrain of religious issues (including, say, the meanings of certain numbers or an explication of symbols), Tosches displays his gift for research. Readers should know these pages are replete with foreign phrases in Latin, Italian, Arabic, Hebrew and Greek. Be aware, too, that there’s little context, and no source notes, for guidance.

Nick Tosches known for acclaimed biographies of Dean Martin and Jerry Lee Lewis appears to be a writer who, ironically, distrusts writing ( artful whoredom") <I>and</I> publishing (which he denounces here at length). He insists this work is <I>not</I> a book, but a testament." Simplicity is his creed.

In his latest book, unfortunately, Tosches’ ambition has seemingly gotten the better of him. His grand design glosses over a surprisingly unfulfilling narrative, and his prose polished but dense sometimes leaves the reader more confused than enlightened. <I>Harold Parker writes from Gallatin, Tennessee.</I>

<B>Nick Tosches’ Middle Age rant</B> Nick Tosches’ new novel arrives amid a bit of a stir. There’s apparently some concern that <B>In the Hand of Dante</B> might be too profane or sordid (or confusing) for many readers. While the novel is profane, it isn’t overly so. And, it does require forbearance especially given its author’s […]
Fiction

Now you see it, now you don’t

Review by bookpagedev

<B>Now you see it, now you don’t</B> Thomas Moran, a former investigative journalist who now focuses on writing fiction, received critical acclaim for his first three novels. In particular, he has been praised for his ability to create memorable and effective characters. With his latest novel, Moran triumphs once again, giving readers a host of likable personalities and focusing on a problem that everyone faces: the need to put things in perspective.

<B>What Harry Saw</B> is set in Sydney, Australia, and its title character is a child delinquent-turned-newspaperman who considers himself emotionally scarred from various past experiences including losing his mother at an early age, dealing with an alcoholic father and suffering serious wounds in Vietnam. Harry struggles to come to terms with being left by his longtime girlfriend, Lucy, at the same time he faces caring for a father whose health is rapidly declining. An inherently selfish but incredibly likable man’s man," Harry loses Lucy mainly because of his inability to express his true emotions. Moran expertly exposes Harry’s shortcomings without making the narrator himself aware of them. Harry has his good qualities, but he also has two kinds of flaws: those he recognizes and those he doesn’t.

<B>What Harry Saw</B> is all about the differences between reality and our view of it. The book begins with a hard-hitting rant about blindness. If you were blind, Harry questions, Could you ever be truly sure you were anywhere real at all?" After getting to know the character, the reader is led to wonder how much Harry and the rest of us really use the sight with which we have been blessed. Harry, almost completely unable to see perspectives other than his own, misses out on much that life offers.

In Harry, Moran has created an anti-hero whose easy-going outward personality clashes with the inner turmoil he experiences. Well written and cohesive themes of sight, memory and lack thereof run throughout the novel <B>What Harry Saw</B> is another winner for Thomas Moran and a treat for any book lover. <I>Emily Zibart is a student at Columbia University, where Thomas Moran earned his master’s degree in journalism.</I>

<B>Now you see it, now you don’t</B> Thomas Moran, a former investigative journalist who now focuses on writing fiction, received critical acclaim for his first three novels. In particular, he has been praised for his ability to create memorable and effective characters. With his latest novel, Moran triumphs once again, giving readers a host of […]

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