Biography Books

One of the best books I have read for someone who has experienced the death of someone dear to them especially for grieving the death of a child. Wolterstorff's honesty and ability to articulate the worst loss is exceptional. His wound is deep but he expresses hope in the faith that he has in God.

The author really captures his feelings in words. He brings spirituality to real life circumstances. My best friends just lost their 16 year old son very unexpectedly and I bought this book for them. Very relatable.

This book is such a comfort for anyone who has lost a loved one. I'd recommend it to anyone grieving and their close friends and relatives. The theology and prayer in this book is uplifting.

I have not lost a child. In fact, I'm not a parent. So, admittedly, much of the power of this book, as expressed by other reviewers, is simply lost on me. I cannot empathize with the author's experience in any way.

However, I am still glad to have read this compact book. Though one reviewer suggests that it is too academic, it is no such thing. Intelligently written? Yes. Academic? No. Instead, it is a strikingly authentic expression of the pain and suffering that the author experienced immediately after and further past the event of losing his 25-year-old son to a mountain climbing accident.

The greatest asset of this book is the author's brutal honesty. All Christians would do well to follow his example of opening our emotional landscape for God and others to see, rather than somehow trying to stuff our most "unChristian" feelings behind some facade of strength. When things hurt, I am confident that God allows His people to hurt. In fact, Wolterstorff suggests that God hurts with us.

This book is not filled with Christians platitudes, so spiritual sounding but ultimately so silly, that we often offer to each other to try to help with despair. Instead, it sits in that grief, analyzes that grief, admits the brokenness, and still reaches for the comforting hand of a loving God. Especially for those who have lost a child but even for any Christian who wants to learn how to honestly grieve, I recommend this book as worthwhile.

This book was recommended to me by a wonderful lady by the name of Mary who owns a bookstore in Sandwich, MA on the Cape. I was curious as to how it would fare due to how thin it was but I began reading it immediately. I could NOT put it down. I read it in one sitting as it's very easy to read due to it's journal style. Nicholas Wolterstorff is a master at writing about all the feelings one goes through after a loss. Feelings that leave you scratching your head and wondering how you arrived at them and yet mange to still function as part of society. Feelings that leave you numb and wounded from the heavy burden and pain. Feelings that if you wanted to capture you would struggle to form concise sentences from the sheer overwhelming nature of them. Nicholas manages all of the above and more. He will touch you with his heart-wrenching understanding of grief. I cried, I nodded my head, I marveled at just how much my pain was not only recognized but acknowledged and validated. My pain is still with me, you will never be rid of it nor should you want to be (a notion mentioned in the book) but I have a feeling of peace more so than before I read it. This peace I think comes from not being alone in my pain. And while I wouldn't wish the loss of a child on anyone, I'm so blessed to have had the chance to read Lament for a Son because it has allowed me to feel part of a community of mourners. A community where I am allowed to suffer and grieve, but also clearly be aware of why I suffer and that is because I LOVE. Sadly in the real world we are made to feel we must 'get over' our loss and as a result are outcast in society. Through his words Nicholas Wolterstorff shows just how much of a force death and grief affect the loved ones left on earth. This book is a gift for those in pain from loss and is also a gift for those who want to help family or friends but don't know what to say. My son was stillborn and while this loss is diffeent from losing a 25 year old child, it is still a loss that has forever changed me. Lament for a Son has helped me in my grief, and I hope it helps your pain too.

I wanted to know the real scoop for years on the Geronimo Pratt case. Although I'm not yet finished reading the book, it is very obvious that Mt. Pratt got screwed, like so many others caught up in the "good old USA" system. Obviously this one is a case of racial prejudice, but it could have just as easily been some other kind of prejudice. It is clear that the concept of "innocent until proven guilty" is just a nice theory that should be strictly adhered to but rarely is. The presumed guilt is clear from the get go on the part of the police. It continues on to the top with lies and deception on the part of the police to get a conviction at any cost, especially with regard to the truth. It's frightening and a relief to know it's not me. But next time it could be me, or anyone who gets targeted by individuals in a position of power, who have no integrity, and don't give a hoot about the constitution of the US.

This is certainly one of the best books I've ever read. Jack Olsen did an outstanding job of weaving together all the facts in a highly readable narrative of one of the most blatant chapters of injustice in 20th century legal history.

I already had considerable knowledge of the case before I read this book. In the early 1990s, the case was being publicized again. I was a reporter for Wave Newspapers in Los Angeles and journeyed with a co-worker to the state prison at Tehachapi where Pratt was then being held and we interviewed him. I then wrote several stories about his situation.

Pratt was imprisoned for 27 years for a crime he clearly did not commit. The prosecution was part of the FBI's notorious COINTELPRO operation-essentially a war against numerous dissenting groups in the 1960s including the Black Panther Party. As Olsen makes clear, in Pratt's case this also involved LAPD and the L.A. County District Attorney's office.

Pratt was convicted of the December 1968 Santa Monica tennis-court murder of school teacher Caroline Olsen. There was considerable doubt about the credibility of key-witness Julius Butler, who had a previous falling out with Pratt, and was later proven to be an informant. (When I was a reporter, I actually contacted Butler. He yelled that he was "tired of this" and hung up on me.) Plus, numerous other Panthers could have confirmed he was at a meeting in Oakland the day of the murder but most wouldn't testify because of a severe split in the ranks.

Appeal after appeal was turned down despite more and more evidence being discovered pointing to Pratt's innocence. In all probability the crime was committed by two low-level Panther members to obtain money for drugs.

That ties in with the only complaint I would make about Olsen's book. He really glossed over the fact that the FBI and police campaign against the Panthers (which I am not defending) was not just because of their militant political rhetoric. They had a lot of criminal types within the group.

Regardless, this is an extraordinary book about another era and the governmental abuses of that time. Johnnie Cochran redeemed himself in my eyes by getting Pratt released. That was after he was involved in a travesty of justice, himself, by getting O.J. Simpson off. But that's another story.

The courage and essential goodness of Geronimo Pratt, in spite of receiving a life sentence for a crime he did not commit, is truly inspiring. This is a wonderful book.

Geronimo Pratt had one of the most honorable and incredible lives I have ever heard of. This book documents his entire life, from is Morgan City childhood to his unjust incarceration for the murder of Caroline Olsen. I literally had trouble putting this book down. It is a great read for anyone interested in the judicial system, the FBI's COINTELPRO, the Black Panther Party, and racism in general. READ THIS BOOK!!!

This book should be mandatory reading for every black person when they turn 15 years old. To read what the gov't put this man through was utterly shocking. After you read this book read "The Judas Factor - The Plot to Kill Malcolm X." You'll be numb after reading these two books back to back.

Lee: The Last Years

This is a wonderful book about a wonderful man. Although Robert E. Lee is most remembered as a General, for most of his adult life, he was an engineer and educator (although in the army). Mr. Lee could have become very wealthy after the war by simply allowing his name to be used commercially. However, he wanted to make a contribution and did so by accepting the position as President of Washington College. He seldom spoke of the war and brought no military flavor to the College.

There is an argument that Robert E. Lee is responsible for more American dead than any other single individual. The difficult part of this book is tying to tie that Robert E. Lee to the man he was in his last five (5) years. He played Santa at Christmas, broke up a lynching, stroked the ego of his horse Traveller, was a good family man, looked out for the under dog and took care of his students, even when they were in trouble. How he handled all these situations, often minor by standards of the war, brings out the essence of the man including his character, values, wit and subtle humor.

I have read/studied history and biography for 40 years. I have spent more time on Robert E. Lee than any other individual and this book someway brings all my study of Mr. Lee together and puts it in perspective. I highly recommend this book to anyone with any interest in American History. Thanks Mr. Flood.

Outstanding biography of the man. Much has been written about the general, this book brings the humble father, husband and Christian man to life.

I've long considered myself a student of Southern history and the Civil War. Heck, I've been a historian at museums so I think I have a pretty good knowledge of the Civil War era. Furthermore, I live in Virginia and have been to the campus of Washington and Lee University. However, nearly every page of Charles Bracelen Flood's work on Robert E. Lee's post-war years is full of information I've never heard about. Flood has used many differing sources to pull together a wonderful, highly readable account of Lee's years after the war, how he came to be President of Washington College, and his role in the reconstruction of this country. What jumps out off the pages is that for as much as Lee has been studied and idolized for his exploits on the battlefield, his postwar years as President of the college should get just as much press. While Lee did not think defending his native state was wrong, he did wish for both North and South to reconcile as quickly as possible. After reading the book, I still do not think Lee is the god that some people hold him up to be, but he does stand out as a good man who wanted to bring the nation back together while also helping his fellow Southerners get back on their feet. While Flood's writing can be unimaginative at times and I thought he threw in little stories and vignettes that he didn't need too, the book is excellent overall and should be a must read for anyone interested in Lee. However, the book is such an easy, good read that I think almost anyone should pick it up.

Bracelen Flood clearly does extensive research in order to render this intimate and engrossing portrayal of Lee.

Lee: The Last Years was well worth reading. A must for anyone who wants to know a little more of the Rest of The Story about a fine American, though much misunderstood.

I couldn't put this book down. It is an awesome love story between parents and their daughter.
Dianna Wells Shire, author "The Ordinary Life of a Military Woman"

Journalist Neely Tucker doesn't sugar coat anything about his experiences working in an African orphanage and the gut wrenching, heart rending story of how he (a white American)and his wife (African American) struggle to adopt Chipo (a black African infant girl)in a country not keen on Americans or journalists. This book is a study in contrasts of race, culture, gender, nationality, and personality how they all affect Tucker's family. Wonderful story told from the heart but not sappy or sentimental. This is gritty but inspiring reading.

This was fantastic! I was routing for them the entire book. Moving & emotional - I felt like I was experiencing their pain and frustration and then joy - what an experience!

Fabulous from the start. So much intermingles in this book - history, politics, personal struggle, life in Africa, bi-racial familes, adoption - that to narrow it down to a memoir wouldn't be doing it justice.
Following the writer as he pushes you through each page, you find yourself involved in the world through the eyes of this family. It's one of those books that you rush to get through and then you regret what you've done once you see there's only a few pages left.
When I find an author of this caliber, I stick with them. And Neely Tucker sure can write.

This memoir goes to show on how faith and love can conquer all odds. It has opened my eyes on the issue of AIDS and the politically unstable country of Zimbawiae. A very touching love story of father and daughter.

This book is a treasure. I have used it many times to check the lyrics of a song. Dylan is a favorite poet of mine.

The book is beautifully produced, but badly out of date (getting more so with each new album) and suffers from a certain lack of attention to the lyrics as the man sings them. Even so, ya gotta have it.

This book is a must for anyone who loves Bob Dylans lyrics. If a course were taught on Bob, this would be the textbook, and any fans will gets endless hours of enjoyment out of it.

I love this book. Dylan's output covering a 23-year span is right there in front of you. Whether you read the lyrics as they are or read while listening, any Dylan fan will soak up this wonderful book.

Interestingly enough, I have loaned this book to people who can't stand Dylan, but appreciate him as a writer. Their appreciation for the man and his talent always increases as a result. Sometimes this leads them to buy the discs, and they're forever hooked.

As much as I love the book, it is badly in need of an new edition covering Dylan's work since 1985, which includes at least 12 discs worth of work. But taken as it is, this book is priceless. Buy it.

A friend and I were out shopping a few weeks ago and we both picked up Bob Dylan's "No Direction Home: The Soundtrack" CD, which is the 7th volume in Dylan's archival Bootleg Series, and also the soundtrack for Martin Scorsese's excellent PBS documentary of the same title. The album is outstanding and now that my shopping pal's birthday is coming up, Halloween actually, I decided that Dylan's "Lyrics, 1962-1985" would be a near perfect gift. She is a major Dylan fan, as am I, and we have been for almost forty years. Time flies!

One of the deciding factors for making this purchase is that the hardcover volume edition makes an excellent, elegant presentation. The cover is laminated and each poem is printed singly on large, cream-stock pages with colored headers. Arranged by album, the book is a compilation of all of Dylan's writings and drawings, ('62 - '85), some wonderful pen sketches ranging in topic from roadside scenes to the romantic, plus 120 new compositions and an Index of song titles. "Lyrics, 1962-1985" is an extraordinary celebration of the artist's/composer's work.

"Highway 61 Revisited," "Blonde on Blonde," Tangled Up In Blue," "Masters of War," "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright," "With God On Our Side," "It Ain't Me Babe," "My Back Pages," "Subterranean Homesick Blues," "Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again," "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go," "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You," "This Wheel's On Fire," "Shelter From The Storm," etc., and hundreds of others - they're all here! Dylan's liner notes and stream-of-consciousness short prose pieces really enhance the text.

Bob Dylan is a songwriter, musician and poet - an artistic genius and innovator whose tremendous body of work has had a major impact on over 40 years of American music, from the oldest anonymous folk ballads through blues and country into rock-and-roll. He expanded popular music by including politics, social commentary and philosophy into its vocabulary. He told more folks what was happening than the politicians and news reporters combined...and the counterculture loved him! We still do! While exploring and creating musical styles, Dylan did remain true to his roots in traditional American song.

I am so sorry that the book is out of print. Fortunately, I was able to purchase it, "New," from an Amazon marketplace seller at a very reasonable price. Highly recommended!
JANA

After the Magnifecent Seven's wonderful performance at the '96 Olympic Games, I decided to read this book to find out more about these talented young women. I thought it was terrific! There are biographies of each of the seven members along with really cool pictures. This book was awesome. These seven are really magnificint and it shows!

The book was pretty good for writing a book. Gave good information but it was a hard book to just sit down and read but I would for sure buy the book!

A must read with lots of good pictures. Gives good info. on all the athletes, with quotes.

This book is what really got me interested in gymnastics.

I had gotten introduced to gymnastics through a book about Mary Lou Retton I had picked up at a thrift store, but I didn't become too interested until I saw a picture of Kim Zmeskal in an Encyclopedia Annual. I looked her up on the Internet, and the rest they say is history.

Through the Internet I discovered the Magnificent Seven, and I found this book at our library. I couldn't have been more satisfied!

The Magnificent Seven was a team of US girls that consisted of Amanda Borden, Amy Chow, Jaycie Phelps, Shannon Miller, Dominique Dawes, Dominique Moceanu and Kerri Strug. These talented gymnasts won the very first Olympic Gold team medal in US. Gymnastic history.

This book has very informative biographies about each girl, complete with full color photos. It is very well written, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about the Magnificent Seven, or just want to see some great pictures about them.

If you like gymnastics you'll love this book! It tells about the lives of the seven gymnasts on the 1996 gold medal winning U.S. Olympic gymnastics team, Shannon Miller, Dominique Moceanu, Kerri Strug, Dominque Dawes, Jaycie Phelps, Amanda Borden, and Amy Chow. There are pictures of each girl from their very young life to the 1996 Olympics.

Ever wonder what it's like to be a Broadway performer? Well here's your chance...told through the mouths of over a hundred performers, you'll get the chance to laugh, cry and survive with these performers.

Many don't understand the heart-ache and sacrifices made by a performer. Many even think that Broadway is easy...but with each story you'll learn that is far from the truth.

If you want to be a Broadway performer or just explore the life of one this book is for you....

This book was recommended to me by a very good friend. Not only is it a humorous read, but an eye-opening one. This book brilliantly deals with the reality of professional theater right from the mouths of professional actors. If you are in the business, this book exposes you to so many things that aren't taught in school. It's a must read. If you are a theatergoer, this book offers a rare look into the lives of performers. This book is such a great reality check that manages to also be inspiring.

i love this book so much. i read it over and over again, because it always inspires me and just gets me so excited thinking about what my future could possibly hold! This book has so many great stories, and some are so hilarious I am constantly laughing out loud while reading this book! Honestly!!
I read the book because it makes me feel comforted when I get an audition rejection...and it gives me a lot of hope. i love it so much, and it is a big book with a great number of stories...so definitely get this one! i wish they would publish a second book!!

This book is very good and meets all my expectations.

Whether you are a theatre novice or Broadway veteran, this ambitous work is insightful, educational and fun.
On some nights, the theatre life is full of passion and wonder. However, many nights are spent in the hope of simply finding a job or landing a decent audition. Warts and all, this book is a must for anyone who loves a play or story. Enjoy and learn.

While my 11 year old daughter would have been able to read the original book Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World's Worst Dog, some parts were not age appropriate for her. Luckily this version was written for kids to read on their own and retains all the humor of the original. It is a fun read for any kid who loves dogs and loves to laugh! This book is guaranteed to leave you laughing out loud, and reading passages to everyone nearby.

My 13 yr old son really enjoyed this book, and I am glad this version is available. Unfortunately they have not included all the footnotes that were in the adult version, I felt they added closure to the story.

You don't have to be a kid 9-12 years old to giggle, shake your head in disbelief, and cry while you read this book--an adaptation of MARLEY AND ME. This is a testament to author Grogan's writing skill.

Grogan never underestimates his readers' vocabulary and comprehension of complex ideas. He doesn't "sugar coat" anything; kids and adults appreciate that. He relates his story through a full range of emotions--frustration over Marley's destructive behavior, worry when Marley is sick, and awe every time Marely does the un-doable.

I challenge newbie juvenile writers to craft their books as well as Grogan has.

Note: If you don't have time to read the longer MARLEY AND ME, read MARLEY: A DOG LIKE NO OTHER instead. You'll be glad you did.

Marley is a great book about a dog. He is crazy but still very cute. He is not obedient at all and when he's in public he is very naughty. This book goes from the beginning of Marley's life to when he gets really old. Marley is a golden retriever. He is so big that everyone is scared of him. When anyone walks into the house Marley dashes up to them and jumps up on them. This book is so good I couldn't put it down. These are some of the reasons I liked the book:

1. The book has to do with animals being treated fairly and I like that.
2. It taught me how much a dog can connect with its owner. It was touching.
3. The book was thick but I couldn't get enough!

There is just one thing that made me sad. I won't tell you what it was but I will say that it was so sad I actually cried. I hope this review helps you decide if this book is for you or not.

(Review written by Tysha)

This book is excellent for dog lovers. It spans the gambit from laughter to tears. A MUST READ!

Well, even in the tenth revision, it is one of the classics one photographer needs to have in his bookshelf.

It is not "how-to" (albeit it is how-to) but to get the idea of having that image created in your mind and then banned on chip of film.

Galen Rowell writes clear and deep essays about what his heart touches.
It does help if the reader has a broader knowledge about art, painting, and especially "construction techniques" to frame a picture with your camera.

Highly recommended!

Galen's images are inspiring, but the real value of this book is the wealth of topics, inspiration, and creative thinking presented in the articles.
This is NOT a coffee-table book. It is one you should take the time to read and digest. If you're an outdoor photographer you will appreciate the energizing effect of Galen's writing. A rare gem among countless other "pretty pictures but not much substance" offerings.

This is a must read for anyone who likes to shoot landscape photography. This book doesn't go into a lot of technical details, and the author assumes the readers have a basic knowledge of how SLRs operate, but rather it deals more with the "why" of photography and "when", which I found to be very interesting and thought provoking. Galen Rowell shares his insights about mountain light and how his mind works when he is out with a camera along with what photography meant for him, and it changed my approach to landscape photography. He also shares his unsuccessful stories, which is not very usual for these types of books, and it's good to see that even for photographers of his level things have never come easy. Luck is a big part of it all, and he has a great essay there on how to be in a better position for its appearance. In addition, this book is full of his outstanding landscape art, and that alone is worth whatever the price you will pay for it.

It's a great book ! you'll find all you need about photographing up in the mountains ! Galan Rowell was a great person ! A book worth reading by anybody who enjoys photography at high altitude.

This is a book about making meaningful landscape photographs. This is not a book about which f/stop to use or how to adjust your depth of field or exposure. There are a ton of those types of books on the market. This book is about vision, learning to see and connecting personally with your images.

If you're comfortable with the mechanical aspects of your camera and are struggling with "technically well executed but lifeless images" this is your guide.

I highly recommend it.

In our household, we were "bread and buttered" listening to the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. The 33-1/3 rpm Columbia records were scratched and worn from overuse. We would play the records on family occasions and holidays. We would play favorite songs in the mornings during breakfast and as we made ready for school. In hindsight, I am surprised that the neighbors never complained or called the police.

Tommy Makem died last summer. The two eldest members of the quartet, Tom and Pat Clancy predeceased him. Liam Clancy is the sole surviving member of the recording group. This book is a sketchy and incomplete attempt at an autobiography, but it is as good as we are likely to get from this Clancy. Its strengths far outweigh its deficiencies. Readers should count themselves fortunate that Liam remembered anything at all after so many long nights and sexual misadventures. Perhaps, Tommy Makem, who abstained from drinking for most of his life, should have been taking notes for him (Makem wrote some wonderful essays, but I do not know if he ever published a full length book).

Liam Clancy was the youngest of eleven children. One of his problems when the recording group was formed in the USA was that his two much older brothers scarcely knew their youngest sibling at all. They had to introduce themselves to him when he arrived in New York. The Irish ballads and rebel songs (the Irish rebellions always seemed more successful in song than in reality) that the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem performed proved to be immensely popular. In addition the Irish diaspora, the authentic songs gained wide acceptance among fans of the Greenwich Village Folk Music scene. Liam Clancy became a fast friend of Bob Dylan.

There is a lovely story of how Clancy dropped his given Christian name while working as an actor in an Irish theatre company. A fellow actor chided him for answering to Willie, telling him that it was an "English" sounding name. He adopted the Gaelicized form and has been "Liam" ever since.

Pour yourself a drink and enjoy this book. Be thankful that the next generation of Clancy and Makem family members have taken up the songs that their fathers helped popularize internationally. Imagine how quiet our homes would have been if Clancy had kept up his father's plans and became an insurance agent!

Liam Clancy's has great literary talent. His bio is a tribute to his family and to his native land. Catholic schools greatly contributed to his native talent for the stage----I am not sure why he makes a critical remark of the Church.

The Clancy Brothers albums opened by ears to traditional celtic music in the 60s, so it was a treat for me to read Liam Clancy's account of how the group evolved. The family background and his personal development as an student, actor and musician were very enjoyable reading.
If you liked Angela's Ashes, this will certainly appeal.

First of all,there are 17 other reviews;most of them excellent and all deserve to be read.I read a fair bit of modern Irish Writing.The McCourts,Roddy Doyle,Brendan Behan,Morgan Llywelyn,Brendan O'Carroll,just to name a few.What I really like about these writers is their magical use of language.Although I have been a fan of Tommy Makem and the Clancy Brothers for at least 30 years,I have never read anything about them.I had no idea of how much they were involved in acting;let alone that any of them had such gifted writing skills.What a surprise;Liam's skills are as good as his musical talents.
Though not a Clancy,I heard Tommy Makem perform here in Toronto at an intimate club a few months ago.He did "Oh, me name is Dick Darby,I'm a cobbler.";mentioned on page 102.That had to be the best recitation I ever witnessed.
I would like to quote something Liam wrote about his experience in North Carolina in 1956 and he was writing about it nearly 50 years after the fact.
From page 170....
"South Carolina in the spring was seductive with scents of growing things,of magnolias and hibiscus,the air heavy with noontime heat and the swampy buzz of katydids and flying critters.The nights there belonged to the frogs and bats and flying beetles and the countless mingled smells of a land at rest after a burgeoning day's work fermenting life." Imagine the thoughts of a 21 year old,written 50 years later.
I also had no idea of Clancy's involvment with the people like Oscar Brand,Bob Dylan,Woody Guthrie,Pete Seeger,Odetta,Barbara Streisand,Lenny Bruce,Jean Ritchie,Ramblin' Jack Elliot,Brendan Behan,Diane (Guggenheim),Josh White,Alan Lomax,Mary O'Hara and on and on.
Liam gives a great insight into the world of acting and folk music of the 50's and the 60's. Now that I have read the book,I am looking forward to listening to the tape.
I also have no idea if Liam has a second book planned to cover the last 40 years.I am sure it would be a great follow up.How about it Liam,you're only 70 ,and you must still have lots to tell us.
Thanks.

I never heard Liam Clancy sing until a couple of months ago, when I found a copy of an album called "The Lark in the Morning" that looked interesting, given its cover and its date of the mid-50s. Growing up, The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem were heard of but not heard by me--I associated them with Aran knit sweaters, hearty shour-an'-begorra singalongs,novelty tunes, and the kind of kitsch that the previous generation had listened to complacently before the revival in the 70s of a tougher trad scene out of Ireland shook it all up again.

Well, I heard the tracks on "Lark" in the car without knowing who was who since I could not see the CD case listings. But when I finished it, I noticed that the songs that had stood out from the rest were all by Liam C. Impressed, I read the liner notes about one Diane Hamilton, who I had never heard of, and Tradition Records, the label for which "Lark" was the debut issue. But the whole story was not clear, given the brief notes, until I read "Women of the Mountain."

From the title, I expected a tale of lusty drunken couplings and riotuous escapades from the "Folksmen"/"Kingston Trio" era. Instead, an evocative tale of growing up eating mortar and chalk for nutrition during WWII, poverty, clerical abuse, and hardscrabble small-town life in Waterford's Carrick-on-Suir unfolded smoothly and eloquently. Sure, the blarney sometimes is laid on a bit too thick for less glib me, but the stage Irishman tendencies are kept mercifully in check by realism: the death of a sibling, the estrangement from mother and Church, the entanglement with Diane H. (who turns out to be a Guggenheim nearly as neurotic as her relative Peggy G. did for Beckett!), and the adventures on the road, in theatre, and on stage.

One surprise and a reason for four stars is the lopsided nature of the book: the singing takes decididly second fiddle to the stage in the dramatic sense. This was fascinating for me, but it misleads the reader perhaps who by the back photo of the group harmonizing might expect far more about Clancy's musical experience. He mentions, for example, as if offhandedly that he learned the tin whistle. Yes, but how? As a musician, did he find it easy after the guitar? How did it help his reportoire? Did he learn it so the group could expand its range? How does it sound to him? How does he play it? Here, music as enacted comes rather late in the book, in not a lot of detail, and seems rather superficially treated as opposed to other incidents and events.

I do commend Clancy on his delicacy with relating his own romantic and emotional engagements with women and men--he reminds us of the fragility we all possess and the need to recognize humanity in each other. And he makes his point after having earned the right to say so after his own checkered past. He comes off wise without sounding pious, intelligent without acting snobbish, and flawed without playing it up as maudlin. He handles people and places with stamina and wit, and his own coming-of-age here, while cut off while he's not even thirty yet, needs however fuller exposition than is given here. The New York Greenwich Village years deserve more depth than they're given here; the book's unbalanced in favoring much more from his pre-NYC years (nothing wrong with that) and again this may mislead misinformed readers as to its actual coverage of many more early situations predating the group's rise to fame. I also got little sense of how he got along with his fellow group members--granted that two are his brothers--but how the three Clancys got along with Makem who was from Keady in the north and from a different region, musical tradition, and political regime seemed like the sort of detail that could have enriched the book.

I guess a sequel is in the works. Like recent Irish memoirs by Frank McCourt and Hugo Hamilton, the autobiographical account stops suddently, at the height of a self-realization by the author in his formative years. I do not know if this book would have been published if McCourt had not led the way, but resilient Clancy's tale too deserves a wide readership for dispelling (as do McC and HH in their accounts--also see John McGahern's memoir) the myths of recent Irish life, while advocating a return to the more durable and more feminine myths that inspired Yeats, Behan, Synge, Joyce, and the Slieve-na-mBan/Sleivenamon that gives its rounded breasted mountain shape to the landscape that rose above Clancy's hometown.