Indiana Books

Good book, good production values, very specific in interest, not for just postcard collectors perse, more for those interested in the local area. I'm from South Bend lived there for 60 years so early shots were interesting and the bits of history in the captions added value to it.

With today's new developements there might be more (new) interurbans in America, but up to now the South Bend is the last Interurban. This book tells us all we need to know: the (sometimes reallly entangled) history of the CSS&SB, how she was renewed by Mr. Insull; how she survived until today. The book desribes the South Bend's history in depth - and very readably, it includes a wealth of photos. One of the pix I enjoyed most is one of a 1980's Interurban riding thru an Indiana town - beautiful.

It's nice to know someone took the time to write a history of my home town. One of the photos even included me in the crowd. Kind of neat to be "an immortal".

If you live or ever lived in Speedway, this book is one you ought to read, if not own.

Perhaps unfortunately, many of the essays in this fine collection would have to fall under the category of univocal Spielberg-bashing. The director is berated by a chorus of academics for his documentary-style authoritarianism in his approach to representing the story of Oskar Schindler and the Schindler Jews. What merits the movie does have are, by and large, swept under the carpet in the interest of pointing out its glaring faults and moments of irresponsible over-reaching. This robs the debate of a good measure of balance, but the wealth of different critical perspectives brought to bear on the discussion more than makes up for any lack of diplomacy.

The book's greatest stengths are just this sort of breadth--there are essays here by film experts, historians, literary theorists and other academic luminaries, most notably Geoffrey Hartmann and Omer Bartov. Another virtue of Loshitzky's collection is that the reader comes away with a much better grasp of the larger debate over representing the Holocaust. Essays point repeatedly to Claude Lanzmann's interview-style documentary as an ideal form, but the more careful essays admit that this is not the version most viewers would sit through, as it's too long, too slow, etc.

There are some shocking revelations, too, like things Spielberg has said in interviews that should curdle the blood of even his most vociferous supporters. He compares his trials of being rich and famous and recognizable with the suffering of victims of the Holocaust, and one wonders what on earth he could possibly have been thinking.

Those tidbits aside, though, the most useful, convincing and durable essay here is, in my opinion, the balanced assessment by Bartov, a Holocaust historian, who candidly admits that Spielberg's triumphalism and hero-narrative are terribly misplaced in this corner of history. Unlike the other essayists here, though, Bartov challenges critics to focus more on the positive accomplishments of the film, and especially the fact that it has raised overall awareness of the tragedy in extraordinary fashion. This must not be forgotten in a judgment of the film, he argues, since it is likely (and he writes this, of course, before the breakout success of Benigni's "Life is Beautiful") the only Holocaust film most people--and certainly most Americans--will ever care to see.

While certain of the pieces cater more obviously to an academic crowd well versed in the ongoing debate and most current scholarship on the topic of the Holocaust, the book in general is quite accessible to more mainstream audiences who wish to see Spielberg's version of the Shoah challenged in an often very productive way. I highly recommend this book.

Suitable for readers of all ages and backgrounds, Spinning Through Clouds: Tales from an Early Hoosier Aviator is an anthology of aviation vignettes by author Max E. Knight, who began flying in 1936 at the age of ten. Tales from Knight's own experience, the adventures of his fellow aviators, and amazing stories of early state and national aviation history fill the pages of this head-in-the-clouds reflection of how far flying has come. "That white thing up there is called a cloud. It is harmless unless another aircraft is at your level going the opposite direction." Dry yet good-natured wit characterizes this enjoyable glimpse of days yore, enthusiastically recommended for aviation buffs.

Photographer Darryl Jones and author James Alexander Thom teamed together to make a wonderful little book about the natural beauty of the southern Indiana hill country. Thom's text complements Jones' photographs wonderfully.

Being a native Hoosier, I have an appreciation for the subtle beauties of the state. Jones does as well. Most of his pictures are taken in hilly Owen county. He captures every season, as well as forest, field, stream, farm, and town scenes.

Thom's text is part biography and part stories he heard growing up in Owen County. If you are a fan on Thom's other works, this one will be a nice addition. If you've never heard of Thom, this is a great place to get to know him and his motivations as an author.

I give this one an 'A'.

A man Who Thinks and Writes like Gibran Khalil Gibran can not die - his soul is always alive in the world and his home town Bcharre, Lebanon...

As co-editor of the massive Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, John J. Grabowski - and co-editor David D. Van Tassel - set an indelible mark in chronicling the city's history. Sports in Cleveland: An Illustrated History, is an offshoot of the encyclopedia which delves into the history of amateur and pro sports from 1796-1990.

In 145 pages of text that is supplemented by numerous photographs, Grabowski explores the popular sleigh races down Euclid Avenue in the winter months of the 1800s to the plans for the then-named Gateway Stadium project.

There are famous athletes and coaches - Madeline Manning, Harrison Dillard, Jesse Owens, Jim Brown, Larry Doby and John McLendon - the infamous events like Dime Beer Night and gems that may have been forgotten over time - businessman Coburn Haskell invented the modern golf ball in 1899 and a pair of hall of fame tennis players, Martina Navratilova and Bjorn Borg, played for the Nets in World Team Tennis.

The photographs include harness racing at Glenville Track in the early 1900s, a late 1940s "Bowling Institute" instructional seminar at Benedictine High School, roof-top tennis at the Central YWCA in 1956 and a 1980 practice of the Cleveland Brewers of the Women's Professional Football League.

The book truly captures an important richness that must be a part of any city, portaits of motion.

Readers who have read Glassie's other books about Ballymenone will likely find this book adds to an already rich understanding of this remarkable little community. The specific information about the changes in the community from the 1970s and early 80s up to the present is fascinating. It is also interesting, and moving, to discover more complete life histories of the area's stellar storytellers, musicians, and historians. I especially appreciated Glassie's further reflections about what it means to do research within the community. The book combines information from the earlier books, but the presentation is fresh and new. It's great to have a full treatment of mumming within this volume, and I enjoyed reading new stories as well as new presentations of earlier ones that are already in print. What puts the icing on the cake, however, is the wonderful CD that accompanies this volume. The chance to hear the voices of Hugh Nolan, Michael Boyle, Ellen Cutler, Peter Flanagan and other gifted artists keeps their memories come alive and makes this a poignant contribution to an understanding of Irish history, culture, and folklore.

Though I have yet to complete Steel Trails of Hawkeyeland by Don Hofsommer, he certainly has me hooked. I couldn't imagine how he was going to organize the task of Iowa's railroad heritage, but so far he has done an excellent and interesting job. The illustrations he has included are top notch. Anyone with an interest in railroads in Iowa or the Heartland of America should consider this a must.