Truman Books

This book is a dissappointment, mainly because it fails to deliver. It is more about what a reporter did in Iraq than what the soldiers did. It has very few details about the actual fighting, and is in the end pretty boring.

In the book Boots On The Ground the author tells about his month with the 82 Airborne. The author uses vivid examples about his experience in Iraq.
One of his experiences he tells about how he finds a half blown up kid on the ground. He tells a lot about the kid and how they brought him to safety. The author does a great job writing the story.

Boots on the Ground is a terrible book about the war in Iraq. The book is very short (although in this case it is a blessing) and offers no real insight into the war in Iraq. I found the book to be poorly written and it fails to capture the essence of these wonderful troops going to war. The author spends a lot of time complaining about the conditions he is suffering through and not enough time capturing what the soldiers experience. The 82nd Airborne is an elite army unit but he reduces them into cartoon characters instead of letting us relate to them as people. His continual attacks on the left were also a distraction, save that for another book. This book was obviously rushed to be printed instead of focusing on the quality of the story. Bottom line there are much better books out about the war in Iraq. Save your money and get Devil Dogs, or the March Up. Get anything, just not this book.

Kenyon Grand
Book Review
Boots on the Ground
A Journal by: Karl Zinsmeister



Boots on the Ground is a great journal/ novel to read. It is written by Karl Zinsmeister who is a journalist who is sent to Iraq for a month to document the life of the 82nd Airborne in the Battle for Iraq. He lives in Madison County, New York. Karl has made many trips around the world for news stories but hadn't been to the war in Iraq yet. Now he has an opportunity to go for an interview with the 82nd Airborne division. He couldn't pass up the offer and was confident he'd return with a compelling story.

When Karl gets to Iraq everything is different than the way that he pictured it would be. His first task was to obtain a military uniform and armor in order to go into combat. He has to buy his equipment at some Iraqi stores. Karl went to the stores and bargained the best that he could in order to get his equipment. He got everything except for NOG (night vision goggles). Karl thought that he wouldn't need the night vision anyways, but he was wrong.

Karl gets into many small conflicts with the enemy and writes in his journal any time that he gets a chance to. He notices that after a while in Iraq, you just adapt to the way a soldier lives. It is difficult at first, but after a couple of weeks he gets the hang of things. Karl is always cautious about what he is going to do but he tries not to show it because others might make fun of him. Some reporters won't go on combat missions so he offers to take their places not knowing what serious situations lie ahead.

Karl is determined to get an awesome story. He wants to prove that he is a phenomenal reporter and show that he has the guts to take any assignment. Karl thinks that this will just be like all the other stories he has reported but he is extremely wrong. His first days of combat are terrible and nerve wracking. In this book Karl tells how the 82nd Airborne is fighting to keep the United States safe. He tells the courage and patriotism of these soldiers and how they are sacrificing their lives in order to protect us.

Boots on the Ground is a great book that tells about the heroes that are in Iraq. It is full of action and suspense. It shows what the men in Iraq are fighting for and why they are in the war. It shows the courage and honor that these men have for doing this for us. This book shows what life is like inside the battle zone. It is a book of patriotism and honor that keeps our men in Iraq fighting to keep us safe. It opens the doors to tell us why we are in Iraq and allows us to give respect to those in Iraq fighting for us. After you read this book, maybe you too will be able to recognize those brave men that are sacrificing themselves for us with their boots on the ground.

When I first picked up this book I was beyond excited to read it. However, from almost the first page I was disappointed. Mr. Zinsmeister did an aweful job writing this book. Instead of focusing almost exclusively on the soldiers he decided to spend most of the book either discussing himself or his political views. I might have been willing to overlook his obvious conservative bias if he had bothered to accurately portray the otherside when he decided to debate how his view was correct. This whole book wasn't worth the paper it was written on.

I don't recall when or where I learned about this book but I read it after I finished Machiavelli's "The Prince". I wanted to get inside the mind of today's neo-conservative thinker to try and get a better understanding of the neo-conservative mentality. In this book Ledeen attempts to persuade the reader that the "Machiavellian" mentality is how we should approach leadership roles in all aspects of life. However, Ledeen, like other neo-conservatives, misses Machiavelli's point entirely.

Machiavelli's message in The Prince was this: Adapt or fall. In every chapter he explores what is necessary for a ruler to maintain control over a principality. However, he gives no hard and fast rules and implores that an aspiring ruler would have to base his actions on the current situation.

The necessity of adaptation in all aspects of life is true enough. But we don't remember that about Machiavelli and that message is not the concept that Ledeen draws on. What we all remember from Machiavelli's writings, what Ledeen draws on and what we used to term the coin "Machiavellian" was the set of rules that the players of Machiavelli's time operated under:

1. The ends justify the means.
2. The end goal is personal glory and power.
3. The means are the destruction of the opposition at all cost.

In The Prince, Machiavelli made these rules very apparent as he gave many examples from recent and ancient history. The times were very violent and the people often paid the price for the ascension of tyrant after tyrant. Ledeen states that it is necessary to step into this evil mindset to ensure the "greater good". He stretches quite a few ideas to try to make his point, especially in regard to business. There is quite a bit of circular logic, contradiction and historical omission in the context.

What Ledeen forgets is that the rules changed when we decided it was time for a "great experiment". We decided individual liberty, free markets and small government worked as opposed to fascism, communism and the tyrannies of the past. We proved that we didn't need to cut each others throats to pursue happiness.

I gave this book two stars not because I thought it was a good read, accurate or relevant, but that I was able to gleam some of the perspective I sought in it. The neo-conservative mindset that is derived from this "ends justify the means" mentality has put much of the world in great jeopardy in the nine years since this book was written. Don't fret if that bothers you...one of the six chapters in this book is used to make the excuse that bad luck can thwart the best of planning.

~Machiavelli on Modern Leadership: Why Machiavelli's Iron Rules Are As Timely And Important Today As Five Centuries Ago~ represents the neocon disciples of Leo Strauss attempt to adopt Machiavelli as their political sage. Author Michael Ledeen is a student of power politics and is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and a contributing editor to National Review. He studied in fascism in Italy. In this book, he lionizes the political thought of Machiavelli. So, that means lies, ruthless power plays, and all the other good stuff are a part of the neocon play book. To quote Machiavelli: "A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise." Ledeen even appeals to Lenin's example of purging the Czar's family as the kind of ruthless power play that a Machiavellian would sanction.

Ledeen encapsulated the neocon foreign policy with this Machiavellian maxim: "Every ten years or so, the United States needs to pick up some small crappy little country and throw it against the wall, just to show the world we mean business." It should not be a surprise that Ledeen is a dyed-in-the-wool disciple of Niccolò Machiavelli. Rep. Ron Paul objected that this book was being distributed amongst Republican members of Congress and celebrated as a warrior's guide to politics. Machiavelli separated morality from politics, and established the idea that a political leader should care more about holding his political power than serving morality, truth or the people. Mussolini's maxim, "Everything inside the state, nothing outside of the state," could fairly describe the political thought of his fellow Italian Machiavelli and his hagiographic biographer Michael Ledeen.

I FOUND THE BOOK ENTERTAINING AND INTERESTING. i WENT ON TO READ THE ORGINAL "PRINCE" WHICH IN IT'S TIME ALSO MADE REFERENCE TO PAST EVENTS. THIS DOES THE SAME -- OF COURSE SOME OF THE REVIEWERS TAKE ISSUE WITH SOME OF THE FACTS -- THEY MAY BE CORRECT BUT THAT IS BESIDE THE POINT, IN THAT I USED THE BOOK AS AN INTRODUCTION TO THE MUCH MALIGNED MACHIAVELLI.

Much has been hyped of the neocon propensity for Straussian deception and omission -- the kind supposedly justified by a transcendent moral calculus -- and the parallels between this imperative, its rationales, and Machiavelli's logic all bear a "family resemblance". Nevertheless, Mike Ledeen has rarely come across as diabolical, not even when covering a genius famous for his explication of the darker side of statecraft.

Instead, Ledeen comes across as mildly senile, and disappointingly arrogant. This book, while being a peaen to Machiavelli, attempts to draw glorious parallels between Machiavelli and big egos in the American pantheon of not-so-profound men, like Bill Gates, just one of the "figurines" Ledeen holds aloft like a boy playing with a superman doll.

In the section 'How to Rule,' on page 117, Ledeen writes "Since it is the highest good, the defense of the country is one of those extreme situations in which a leader is justified in commiting evil" -- the book is filled with passages like these, reminiscent of Strauss's maxim of "the noble lie", then interwoven with factual innacuracies (such as Ledeen's claim that Gates "invented" the Basic programming language).

I remember the fiasco around another book Ledeen wrote back in the eighties, one that claimed to uncover a vast world-wide global conspiracy by the Soviet Union. In the book, Ledeen claimed to have evidence that every terrorist group around the world was actually controlled by the USSR: so Abu Nidal and the IRA both collected their paychecks from the same paymaster, etc. As it turned out, the book fooled everyone for a while, including William Casey and Ronald Reagan, until the CIA black ops guys who had been planting these stories in European publications since the sixties finally admitted that they created that myth as part of a black-propaganda campaign.

This would have been funny if Ledeen had not been working in government at the time. Coincidentally, Ledeen was also working in Doug Feith's Office of Special plans -- the DoD project that fabricated Bush's case for war -- before we invaded Iraq in 2003. Whether intentional or accidental, this guy's innacuracies are just scary.

Read this is you like to study these men, but avoid this book if your interest is in Machiavelli as a historical figure.

I've been well aware of Mr. Ledeen and his international criminal endeavors for years now. But only recently did I decide to take a look into the mind of this madman.
Honestly, this is just a terrible read overall. Even forgetting the factual errors already listed, it's clear that Mr. Ledeen (who has never worn a military uniform that I'm aware of) is a naturally born arm chair general. When he takes time to mock Bill Clinton for looking to avoid large military casualties on his watch, I find myself both amused and horrified at the same time. Additionally, his analogy of a football coach telling his players to try not to get hurt is ludicrous.
Most troubling of all is Mr. Ledeen's rant towards the Bush 1 administration on page 28. Here Ledeen lauds the former President and Colin Powell (never mentioning then Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney) for not going straight to Baghdad in the first Gulf War. Taking into account that this was written in the late 90's, it's hard not to scratch your head when he writes off notions of The US being "mired in a Vietnamlike swamp," had we invaded on a massive level in 1991. For those of you keeping score at home, that's exactly what DID happen. Just substitute swamp with urban warfare.
This is a great read for those who still blindly support the war in Iraq and wish to generate some factually challanged talking points. However, if you're more rooted in reality, you'll find very little to cling to in these pages.

I initially chose this book because I was interested in the story. Unfortunately, I was unable to finish reading it. I was amazed at the poor writing and lack of editing. The authors switched from past to present tense and back again not only within paragraphs, but within sentences. They also focused on minute details of the backgrounds of minor characters, which did not move the plot forward. The poor writing made this book impossible to read. I STRONGLY encourage you to spend your money on something that is more professionally written and edited.

Hunter does a good job covering a relatively unknown historical event. The writing style (constantly bouncing around) was tiresome after awhile.

In addition to learning the details and characters behind this assasination attempt, the reader gains some insight into revolutionary movements, the use of sleeper cells, law enforcement training in the post-WWII era, stress reaction in a gunfight, etc...

Not the usual Stephen Hunter. This reads more like a history text than an
action novel....but then, it is history, and presumably accurate history.
Earl Swagger would have had a field day with these clowns.

This has everything you want in a good book. A great story, history, drama, and pathos. I am a history teacher and was impressed by both the depth of research and the quality of the writing.
This is about 2 Puerto Rican Nationalists who, compelled by their fervent beliefs, tried to assassinate President Harry Truman in 1950. Most people do not realize how close they came to succeeding.
The story alternates between historical background and a moment to moment account of the gun fight that occurred on that day.
This book kept me enthralled the entire time I was reading it. I can't think of anyone who would not thoroughly enjoy this book.

Authors Stephen Hunter and John Bainbridge provide the reader with minute details on the assassination attempt by Puerto Rican Nationalists on President Harry Truman outside Blair House on November 1, 1950. Many of the details provided are those they perceive to be in the mind of each of the assassins and those they are attacking during the gunfight. These details are interesting and perhaps correct. I feel it makes for a more interesting book. To me, the main drawback of the book is its disjointedness. Whenever a character is introduced into the story we are provided with a chapter delving into their background from years before. Due to this method of writing the book loses its continuity. The authors make a convincing case that the attempt may have been a part of a wider conspiracy. Security for presidents tightened significantly following the attempt on Truman's life. Truman did not run for reelection in 1952, and the attempt on his life may very well have been a factor in his decision. I have to admit to being one of those the authors refer to as those who weren't aware of this attempt on the life of President Truman, but confuse it with an incident in 1954 when four Puerto Rican Nationalists had a shootout in Congress. The book educated me, but I did not like getting sidetracked with chapters introducing the characters when they entered the story.

"Answered Prayers" is the infamous unfinished novel by Truman Capote that only exists in three finished chapters. It is the tale of a hustler/masseur/drifter/writer named P.B. Jones. I bought "Answered Prayers" to see what Capote's take was on the infamous Woodward murder scandal of the 1955. Although he fictionalized the events and changed the names, the chapter titled "Le Cote Basque, 1965" was a not-so-thinly veiled account of Ann Woodward killing her husband. The real shooting was an accident; Capote turned it into calculated murder. The resurfacing of this tale 20 years after the original event supposedly drove the real Ann Woodward to suicide and caused Capote to be ostracized by the very people he garnished his acidic anecdotes from.

"Answered Prayers" had me hooked immediately; Capote's main character, P.B. Jones could have become a literary classic. Of course, the operative word is "could." This unfinished novel only survives in 3 finished chapters; rumors have flown about chapters that are hidden, however as time continues to pass, the likelihood of them ever resurfacing get slimmer. Although the three chapters are rich in characterization and storytelling, they are ultimately unsatisfying as there are so many threads left unwoven. One wonders that happened with P.B. and Kate McCloud.

In the end, instead of having a fascinating narrative, the book in its unfinished state is a jumble of acid-tattling. Capote seemed to have many grudges and did his best to vomit them in just these three chapters. The overblown promises made by Capote before he died about what the book would be will never be fulfilled and it is too bad; in some ways, the publicity and myth that surrounds the book is probably greater than what the result would have been.

I am usually an enraptured fan of Capote's work. Unfortunately, I have to agree with most of his critics and former friends on this one. He plays around with a work that can be either a confessional or a gossip column or an introspection of fringe society. I was disappointed that his beautiful and haunting words were affected by his alcoholic and drug-induced ramblings. His talent for invoking tragic images without being crass was lost here.

Although "Answered Prayers" can be read as dated since most of it's "characters" live in the 1960's and 1970's, there is still marvelous prose and stories that pique the interest. Capote had promised to complete several short stories for this tome, but this collection contains only three. All of them are marvels to read, but the last, "La Cote Basque", is a stinging expose of the New York Socialite clique. Not only does Capote mention real celebrities, but he also exposes the deepest and darkest secrets of high society with a thin veil. It's no wonder he was ostracized from this egregious group. Some of the events he describes are beyond scandalous, yet witty and viciously funny. He somehow manages to bring the `so-called' social deviants to the same level as the most respected socialites, making it clear that money is the only difference.

The Editor's Note is the most intriguing part of the book, as it describes how Capote managed to promise to produce these stories for years without delivering and obtained millions from the publishers, enabling him to live with a high level of social activity. He was a celebrity as well as an author and a clever, if not conniving man. The biggest tragedy is that so many stories will never be read due to his early alcoholic induced death. Still, these three stories are inspired gems.

To read this odd book is to get a real look at Truman Capote at the end of his life. Capote was vain, bitchy, narcissistic, but alas the profoundly weird old queen was fascinating. He was truely unique, he made himself a superstar, he willed it so, this man was nakedly ambitious, he makes Trump look like a piker. This book ruined him and probably led to increased alcoholism, that ultimatly caused his death at sixty. When he wrote an excert of this book in a top magazine of the day, he became persona non grata among the brahman class of New York. This was Capote's own personal hell. It shows his arrogance and narcissism that he did not see that a book like this would make these people close ranks and ostracize him, he was stunned that they stopped taking his calls and dropped him from their party lists, they broke his heart and frankly I'm sure the parties were considerable less amusing with Truman gone. In this book you see in Capote a really unhappy man, that relished in the misfortune of others, but having said that I do find his dish very interesting, what does that say about me, lol. I believe that after he became a sensation after the great In Cold Blood, he really was paralized, he knew people expected another book of singular greatness, I think this absolutely destroyed him and he was so desperate that he conceived this ill advised book, it makes you understand why Harper Lee and J.D. Salinger never published a book after their masterpieces, Truman should have looked to his childhood friend Lee as an example, but he could not resist the spotlight and he wanted that feeling of adulation again. I recommend this book, it is not Capote's best work, of course, but it is something of a memoir and you get an unflinching look at this complex man.

Oh My GOD! This is by far one of the most disturbing, amazingly tragic books that I have ever read. Buy this book and feel the pain and suffering that only Truman Capote can emote in the written word. Damn him for not finishing it, and pity us for being denied the finished work.

Pros - Brings 1948 Michigan to colorful life. In terms of "historical fiction", it succeeds in painting a nice backdrop.

Cons - Horribly boring first fifty pages or so, I almost stopped reading. I think the author even knew that, as he threw in random Pres. Ford references and other more current references to keep the reader interested. The ending is also disappointing. The characters really don't do anything, and they really don't seem to be contemplating that much either - the female protagonist doesn't really seem to be thinking either, even though she is a book store clerk.

So there you go. It's worth reading, and those who adore small town midwestern life will adore this book (look at the other reviews). But far from the perfect novel.

The summer of 1948 was an exciting one as far as presidential campaigns go. Thomas E. Dewey was highly favored to win against Harry Truman. The Democrats were so badly split they didn't think Truman had a chance against Dewey. Although there was little money available, Truman's whistle stop campaigns drew crowds of farmers and small town folks shouting the now famous, "Give 'em Hell, Harry." But Dewey was the front runner all the way to the polls in November.

For the people of Owosso, Michigan, Dewey's hometown, it is one of the most extraordinary moments in the town's history - their native son is most likely going to become President of the United States. They discuss the prospects for newfound fame as well as political issues throughout the book. Although Dewey drops into the story a time or two, this is not a novel about the elections or the candidates. The hullabaloo does provide a wonderful backdrop for this humorous, nostalgic novel about the citizens of Owosso and a love triangle, in particular. The local love story mirrors the national election contest and, almost wistfully, captures a period in American history and culture that is gone forever. Author Thomas Mallon also weaves strands of Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream," with a Midwestern accent, into his tale.

Anne MacMurray, a recent college graduate, book store clerk and aspiring writer is being courted by Jack Riley, a passionate UAW organizer and Peter Cox, an up-and-coming Republican politician with an enormous ego. As election day draws near and voters must make their choice at the polls, Anne too must make a decision about her future.

Mallons gentle comedic narrative and eye for detail make this such a worthwhile read. He captures the period effortlessly and accurately and imbues his characters with a humanity that makes it difficult not to care about them.
JANA

Thomas Mallon has become one of my favorite authors. He is a master at bringing history to life by telling the stories of ordinary people caught up in extraordinary times. I've never been to Michigan but now I feel like I've walked the streets of Owosso. But this is a story about a time as well as a place and the choices that had to be made during that time. As the nation tries to decide between Harry Truman and Owosso native son Thomas Dewey other Owossoans have to make choices about romance, life and death. Each of the characters is a treat, the type of person you'd like to meet at the diner to chat over a cup of coffee. Even when it seems their choices are as clear as black and white Mallon paints in lots of gray. Sometimes we make the right choices for the wrong reasons and others the wrong choices for the right reasons. The only reason I didn't give this book five stars is because I'm still chewing over the ending. Because we've come to know the characters so well, some of their choices don't seem to make sense to me. But then that must be the way Owossoans felt when they woke up on Nov. 3rd 1948 and found out Dewey had lost. It still makes for a very enjoyable story.

The description of the town was so detailed and I identified strongly with the characters even though I had never heard of Owosso and the story took place 20 years before I was born.

Owosso was located only 1-1/2 hours from our home in Detroit, so we decided to check it out. We drove into town and I immediately fell in love with the whole area (which hasn't actually changed much). We moved her three years ago and I have no regrets.

Two things in particular set this novel apart. One is Thomas Mallon's acute eye for detail -- both in terms of conveying a very particular milieu and in finding behavioral nuances that reveal so much about the characters.

The second is the author's genrosity of spirit and humaneness. He has created richly-detailed people in this book, all of whom are recognizable and utterly believable. Despite their flaws, these are characters we truly do care about. Mallon's tone is one of wry, non-judgmental sagaciousness. A lovely novel, highly recommended.

This is the same guy who was a member of a group which beat the drum for war in Iraq--and then denied he had anything to to with pushing that war (on National Review Online, 11/4/2006). Now he's doing the same thing with Iran--"world's greatest sponsor of international terrorism"--and so on, blah, blah, blah.

He doesn't know what he is talking about. He's building up a straw man in Iran, but it's a tired ploy. We fell for it in Iraq, and that war has been a disaster in every way. The Middle East is in far worse condition today than before the invasion of Iraq. We are hated by every Muslim there.

For a balanced view of the problems of the Middle East today, read THE SEARCH FOR AL QAEDA by Bruce Reidel. He served in the CIA for thirty years and was an adviser to various governments. He puts it all in perspective. The big problem in the Middle East is the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Al Qaeda's response to it. That's it. In his view, Iran isn't even on the radar screen.

The Iranian Time Bomb - reveals disgustingly inefficaciousness political bluders when dealing with Iran. No democratic government can deal or trust an Islamic country. Iran, Islamism, Hezbollah, Hamas, are not open minded, conservative, freedom loving leaders. The ruling Islamic mullahs have the intent, will and power to take over countries by terror acts, and they will continue to do so until they have conquered the world, and they believe the U.S. is next to fall. There should be no dealings, even oil shipments, with Islamic countries. Islam is not a religion, but a pretense. It is an evil political feudal fascism disguised as a religion. Americans and free people everywhere needs to be alerted and educated to this serious threat on our freedoms. We cannot simply accept Islam as just another peaceful religion, never. This book should be required reading in every high school, college and university, and by the public.

Those who are not yet aware of the existential threat from Iran's powerful must read this important book. It's not going to be the "light entertainment" that so many crave, but without this knowledge a person is lacking in a basic understanding of the most important and most dangerous political forces in the world today. Read the book and pass it around to all of your friends!

Concise, well-written, well-organized so that the situation in the M.E./Iran and its neighbors becomes quite clear. The author has done great research and a complete job. Has sparked my interest in foreign policy. Great job.

Ladeen's credibility is shattered beyond repair after his lies and deception about Iraq. This is another source of his unfounded and delusional imagination which does not worth the paper it is written on.

This is my first encounter with Margaret Truman and am left wondering why she's always had such good reviews. However, from reading other reviews I'll give her 1 more chance.
However, the problems in this book were legion. Each character is defined in terms of his or her (mostly her) love life. Ms. Truman seems to have felt that page after page after page of pheromone-laced banter somehow gives us insights into characters. After finally getting back into the story line it's hard to remember about the "mystery" (of which there is little).
The book begins with a corpse who seems to exist only to follow a pattern of Washington corpses (at least, judging from her other titles). The story is not compelling, in fact a third of the way through I found myself jumping to the end to see if I even wanted to find out how they got there. The answer turned out to be yes, but barely, and I did end up skipping sections.
It's a poorly defined story and didn't seem to match the time period. I kept wondering why in what was obviously the nineties no one had a cell phone. I even checked original publication date and was shocked to find it was 2000. I know she was quite elderly at the time but really....
I know I won't have nearly as much patience when I try 1 more of her titles.

Margaret Truman's books have always been hard for me to put down. I've very much liked them, until now. This one has far too many characters, and is not on a par with her earlier books, as far as the plot or holding one's interest. Sort of a jumble, really.

Murder in the park across from the Lombard Hotel seems to be a case of a Canadian victim. Joe Potamos is a reporter for the WASHINGTON POST and Peter Langruth is a police officer. Max Pauling, divorced father, pilot of a small aircraft, CIA, has been relegated to filling a desk job unhappily. A small commercial airliner traveling from Westchester County, NY to Washington DC crashes. Pauling's boss wants him at work right away. Another commuter flight crashes near Boise. A third accident happens in San Jose.

The murdered man is identified as Jeremy Wilcox. He is attached to the Canadian Embassy, a trade specialist. In New York and California witnesses come forward, having seen missiles down the planes. CNN gets the nuews about the missile sightings. Max Pauling is ordered to go to Moscow.

In the past Potamus covered the State Department. He was demoted to general assignment reporter after punching a columnist. Diplomatic niceties are no longer part of his world. Languth, the police officer, and Potamus both mistrust people. Pauling, in Russia, tries to buy information. It seems the missiles came through a group in Plattsburgh via Canada. Max is sent to Langley, the Puzzle Palace, when he delivers unwelcome news.

As events unspool, the reader is carried along to the exciting end.

another great book by Margaret Truman. The beginning was a bang and the ending a climax.

Margaret Truman's mysteries are always fun to read. They are low-key, have a minimum of gory details, and have twists to keep things interesting. This time, we have the murder of a Canadian diplomat and destruction of three commuter planes in flight, killing passengers and crew. We watch the investigation of the crimes through the eyes of a Washington Post reporter, a CIA operative, and several FBI agents. Simultaneous destruction of three planes points to terrorists, but which terrorists? When the CIA man and the reporter find the answer, the story shifts into high gear during the last 100 pages for a breathtaking ending. All in all, it's an enjoyable book for relaxation.

There are few people who would find the Gilded Age a fascinating time to read about but if you are one of them this biography is perfect. If you are curious about the only honest politician during that era then this is the book for you. Although elected to two terms (non consecutively) see how this democrat filled in the shoes of a largely republican era. This is by far the best biography of Cleveland in print and while some may be turned off by his politicking at the time they fail to realize it was simply the way of things. Cleveland played the political game as honestly as he could and did an excellent job in doing so. Fascinating story about an interesting time in our political history.

There have been two recent biographies of Cleveland taking the same tack: he was a man and a president who shames the recent incombents of the White House. The other is An Honest President: Library Edition by H. P. Jeffers. I thought that this one focused a little more on the issues and Jeffers a little more on the person, although it may be simply that having read this second, the historical details made more of an impression. Despite this generalism, Frances Cleveland is more vividly portrayed in this book. Certainly I thought that Brodsky did a better job of explaining the issues, although Jeffers was a bit more readable.

My history courses in school rarely made it past the Civil War in any detail. We once expended an entire WEEK on the 20th century. Consequently, the last half of the 19th is a particularly vague time for me of robber barons, dollar princesses and nonentity presidents in the East, taking a back seat to the Indian Wars in the West. Cleveland to me was the one who's terms weren't consecutive. I am very pleased to have made his acquaintance in these two books.

Both Brodsky and Jeffers use Cleveland's life to bash recent presidents, a tactic which I don't really approve of, although I must admit to chortling in this case. Jeffers primarily goes after Clinton, which does get a bit repetitious. Brodsky is bipartisan in his complaints, although anything of the sort dates the book rapidly. In a few decades, a new edition would need footnotes explaining the peccadillos to which the authors allude. Of course, it could be argued that books become dated anyway. The readers should consider their own taste.

Brodsky certainly thinks highly of Cleveland, but he is not uncritical, even characterizing him as foolish or self-defeating at times. Brodsky includes appendixes on Cleveland's views on Black Americans and Chinese immigrants and visitors. He concludes that by our standards, he doesn't look good in either case. Brodsky thinks that although he was no better than he should be on these subjects, he did at least have a lack of malice and a sense of fair play even towards people he regarded as inferior. I would have liked a bit more about the Native Americans.

Brodsky's style is occasionally a bit quaint, as though he has picked up the speaking and writing patterns of the time. At other times it is informal, as he throws in various maxims. I mean neither to praise or blame here: it's just how he writes.

Reading this has convinced me that the Republican and Democratic parties are more historically consistent than I thought, despite the swings between what is considered to be liberal and what conservative. This isn't necessarily the good news.

The other current biographies that I am aware of are from series on all the presidents.

I am very glad, and somewhat more optimistic for making Cleveland's acquaintance. Of course, now I suppose we need the debunking bio. Still, I find Cleveland well worth learning about, and I am glad to have more history about a period that I understand too little.

Alyn Brodsky's relentlessly upbeat review of Grover Cleveland should draw a fair amount of critique and interesting argument from historians. The author's point is generally well presented and forcefully argued.

However, as noted in other reviews, Mr. Brodsky makes utterly incorrect, incoherent and useless comparisons assuming the reader of his book on Grover Cleveland is aching to have Brodsky's subject compared (favorably, of course)to modern presidents. It detracts terribly from what, otherwise, is a compelling narrative.

I have not read other reviewers make this point, but I was also perplexed by the vocabulary choices of Mr. Brodsky. I am a reasonably well-read (for goodness sake, I have now read biographies of presidents 1-22/24) person who on occaision will need to look up a word, or learn it in context.

However, at a rate of approximately twice per short chapter, Mr. Brodsky uses words that I don't believe I have ever read before and am certain not a soul has uttered out loud in my presence. This was a 500-page SAT review lesson, but given that I took the SAT about 20 years ago, I could go without.

The flaws in the book are a shame since they are so detracting from an informative, thorough and aggressively argued book.

The author seems to have two primary purposes for the book: 1. To justify everything that Cleveland did throughout his political career (Cleveland could do no wrong); and 2. To use Cleveland as a vehicle to editoralize on how bad of persons and presidents that Nixon, Reagan, and Bush (first) were.

It is a work that will prove to be disappointing to anyone seeking an objective account of an important president who had strengths and weaknesses as expected for any true leader.

Cleveland's story itself is very interesting, but unfortunately this author butchers the concept of biography so badly that it interferes with the story. This is an excellent example of several things to not do when writing a biography, and serves as a great reminder for why we should appreciate the great ones when they come along. The author excessively editorializes (and very simplistically so at that), inserts his own self into the book too frequently (why at all, I ask?), and often contradicts his own interjected opinions with evidence that a few pages later proves the exact opposite. It gets so muddled on occasion that it is hard to understand how the author came to hold such strong opinions (that for some reason he felt were necessary to include) in the first place. My advice: look elsewhere...I do NOT recommend this book.

Casa de Seville, a museum, is located in Miami. It has a painting of Christopher Columbus with the Book of Privileges. Reina, a maintenance man, is a snow-bird, a term for a cocaine user. Of course he is a weak link. Mac Smith, a Truman series regular, husband of Annabel and professor of law at George Washington, needs to repair his meniscus, his knee. Annabel has traveled to Florida with the United States Senator from Florida in order to write for the Library of Congress a commentary for its publication. Her subject matter is Las Casas, an associate of Columbus.

Annabel is given space for two months at the Library of Congress to pursue her research. An art theft and murder at the Casa de Seville in Miami drive a correspondant from a CNN-like network to seek interviews with Annabel and a reknown Las Casas scholar at the Hispanic section of the LC. A second death, this actually taking place at the Library of Congress, raises the level of anxiety among the employees and researchers there. The library is interested in obtaining Las Casas material and there is competition for it. Frank Nastasi, a police officer in other Truman mysteries, is back in this one.

Research interests, bequests to the library, scholarly and romantic jealousy are elements fueling this competently written story.

I know this about Ms. Truman. She's 83 years old and lives in New York. She was an accomplished pianist who played for crowned heads in Europe and Knot heads in Washington. She's a fine mystery writer who manages in M A T L O C to involve us in a murder at the library which is linked to the heist of a Spanish painting from a museum in Miami and to a killing in Mexico. She also ties in a cryptic diary of Columbus's voyages, written 500 years ago. This is a huge load to stuff in one book-but she does it and does it well.
Her writing and organizational skills lead me to believe that this woman should run for President of the U.S. Now I know that Ms. Truman was not married to a former president, so she doesn't have much of a resume. But that name Truman does sound familiar. Even if she wasn't wed to a Chief Executive- I think she has potential. Vote Margaret Truman. I am giving her my vote. FIVE STARS OF FIVE
william russo 17 nov 2007

This book is an Annabel Smith murder mystery. Annabel, a curator of a museum of pre-Columbian art, has for some reason been asked to write a feature article about Christopher Columbus for a special issue of "Civilization," the magazine of the Library of Congress. When she shows up at the Hispanic section of the library to start her 2 months of research for the article, she meets a cast of characters, some nice, and some not-so-nice. Meanwhile, a second-rate painting of Columbus is stolen from an art museum in Miami. Is there a connection from the heist to the Library? There must be, or else this story would be dead in the water. Clues like a fellow researcher at the Library turning up dead draw Annabel into the investigation.

This is the kind of mystery in which the author lets us know the whereabouts and thoughts of everyone, including the bad guys, as we go along. She tells us up front 80%-90% of who is involved in the suspicious activities, so the real suspense is in waiting to see if Annabel will solve the mystery before it's too late, and in seeing how the pieces of the plot-line are finally all tied together. Though the story is told coherently, the details are far from realistic. It's hard to picture librarians and researchers with the personalities that Truman describes. Yes, academics can be a motley bunch of interesting people, but I've never met any who act like this. Truman has the Library intern working on a long-term project of cataloging 15 Cuban newspapers, hardly the work of an intern. The researchers, Annabel included, go about their work like journalists rather than academics, for instance, starting their projects with interviews with other researchers, in which they hope to catch a great quote. A big deal is made of some computer disks which Annabel discovers, and spends all night reading on her computer screen-whereas any experienced computer user, especially a former lawyer, would immediately hit "Print" upon finding such material, or at the very least, make a copy to the hard drive (which Annabel's laptop apparently didn't have, back in 1997 when the story is set). Overall, I found the plot weak and predictable, the dialogue inane, and the plausibility very low. Nevertheless, the story at least hangs together and can keep one's interest for a short while.

One of the best parts about a Margaret Truman mystery is the insight into the Washington DC institutions that are featured in her books. Murder in the Library of Congress is no exception, and we get a fascinating look inside this venerable but widely overlooked treasure.

Former lawyer and current art gallery owner, Annabel Reed-Smith, takes a two month sabbatical from her gallery to write an article that will appear in the Library of Congress magazine, Civilization. The article will be about Columbus' friend and colleague, Bartolome' Las Casas. Reed-Smith plans to spend two months in the Library of Congress doing research for this article. Many experts believe that Las Casas kept diaries and even a treasure map from the three voyages he made with Columbus. But many people searching for these diaries have met with tragic fates. Almost as soon as Annabel arrives at the library, she discovers the body of the number one Las Casas expert in the world. Unfortunately, he's been murdered. Also, 8 years prior to this, another Las Casas expert (who also worked at the library) vanished without a trace. Annabel quickly becomes immersed in trying to solve these mysteries.

While the premise of the plot is plausible, how Annabel seems to always be at the center of things is not. She is consulted by the police, asked to examine possible clues, and kept up to date on the investigation. This is the Washington DC Metro Police, not Mayberry RFD. Also, Annabel's perfect life is just a little too nauseating.

Still, the star of this book is the Library of Congress. She gives both a thumbnail sketch of its history, as well as procedures of operation today. After reading Murder in the Library of Congress, I'll definitely put it on my list of places to visit during my next trip to Washington.

Murder at the Library of Congress by Margaret Truman is one of the Capital Crimes novel series. Annabel Lee, an ex-lawyer and a new art gallery owner, is invited to do an article over the long-lost Las Casas diaries in a magazine. Annabel, deciding to do the article, goes to the Library of Congress where she meets with Consuela, head of the Hispanic and Portuguese division, to find all the materials she needs to write the article. In between researching, she meets and interviews Michele Paul, a rude historian who has been trying to find the Las Casas diaries for years. His murder later that night puts a bump in Annabel Lee's plan to interview him some more and creates a whole new oppurtunity to investigate Paul's murder.

Truman's mystery novel is not one of mystery, as the plot shows indirectly who the murderer is and why this person murdered Michele Paul. Although not surprising, it is a let down at the end of the book when you find out that the person you were expecting murdered Michele Paul, really did murder him. Another thing that was destroyed in this book was word play. Whenever Truman used a popular saying that virtually everybody knows, she added either after or before the character said it "As the saying goes." Although not important, it makes the story a little less real and choppier as well. One good thing, however, is that the characters Truman used may not be like regular people, but are interesting and they keep you reading to see what happens to them in the end. The concept of the whole story is thrilling as well.

Truman made some mistakes that were costly to the book's storyline and appeal, but that was fixed with interesting and complex characters. As a whole the book was good, but not one to be remembered as a classic.

I'm largely writing to add some stars to the rating for this book. Fascinating to see how Capote started off his writing career. The characters and story stem from a youthful perspective, yet are rich and mature in their depth, complexity and subtlety.

If you are a Capote reader, this will not disappoint and will add a fascinating dimension to your sense of the author.

It's short and wonderful summer read - pick it up!

Consider this my thank you to the universe that Truman Capote didn't leave behind a 300 page manuscript called "Summer Crossing." The best thing about this book is its length, 126 pages. I don't know that I would have been able to finish it if it had gone on even fifty pages longer.

Apple and Grady (who knew Capote would foreshadow modern name trends?) are well-to-do sisters whose parents sail to Europe one summer. Apple is married and Grady is flitting between three suitors, a married man in Greenwich, a seemingly gay confidante, and her intended, whom she ends up marrying. None of these characters have any depth. It's impossible to root for any of the couples because they're mere sketches that hint to something far greater Capote had in mind. There isn't a particularly strong message in this book; it picaresque and lacking in insight.

I struggled to stay alert reading this. Really boring, slow, and unimportant. [...]

Clearly unfinished and yet offers a timeless view of the coming of age saga. Desperate to differentiate herself in a world of appearances and debutante balls, Grady McNeil struggles with the responsibilities of her life versus her own expectations. These of course are hidden from her family and friends, even her best friend and fellow upper-crust outcast, Peter. The reoccurring themes of individual's secret struggles and eventual consequences are foreboding and ring true with modern readers.

While not comparable to Capote's true masterpieces, this is not a work to discount. At times, the plot is thin; however, Capote's true story is and always will be with his characters. We are revealed enough to sate and stir our curiosity, simultaneously, while reviving one's own disappointments and all left unsaid.

I didn't get very excited over this novel, didn't have enough time for that - it was over too soon. Still, it definitely creates an atmosphere and gets one involved. I loved the picture on the cover, a great match to the protoganist, in my opinion.

In his owns words, Truman Capote never intended to publish "Summer Crossing". He felt it to be unfinished and below his standard of his writing as it was written before his publication career blossomed. Yet the estate of Capote recently decided to publish the book with a few minor changes that were said to be mostly cosmetic. "Summer Crossing" is certainly a flawed draft of a story which seems to show significance in that it demonstrates perhaps the greatest American writer developing his craft.

Grady McNeil, who bears a resemblance to Holly Golightly of "Breakfast at Tiffany's", is noted for a flippant attitude in her young age. Frequently a concern of her mother and sister Apple, the concern becomes justified when Grady engages in relationship with Clyde. Below her in the social ladder, Clyde is an exciting risk for Grady. As the summer passes, Grady's inhibitions erode, leaving her in a seemingly unresolvable situation.

While the title "Summer Crossing" is derived from the mother's summer trip to Europe, the title can also be interpreted as a season crossing of personal borders. Just as the title is ambiguous, the story is an ambiguous reflection of Capote's talents. Capote's ability to find the perfect word or phrase in any situation is quite rough. With Capote's greatest talent in its primitive stages, the writer fails to shine.