New Jersey Books

Gross Anatomy class, in medical school, truly is the gateway to becoming a doctor...just like the book says. Medical Students and medical students only get to take the class.

This book provides a secret glance into the world of gross anatomy. You get to see all the emotional trials and tribulations medical students go through on their way to becomming doctors. It's the closest, most personal, look at gross anatomy that I've ever seen: it's so honest and open to all curious eyes who dare pick it up and read it.

While medical/pre-med students especially will enjoy this book, I encourage ANYONE with enough curiosity for the subject to read it.

The first third of this book is unreadable. I thought the book would be a treat for me, since I love anatomy and dissection. Not so! The author did apparently stick his head into the anatomy lab once, because he noted the prevalent odor. But he made no effort to learn the vocabulary of anatomy. The reader is left to continually make mental corrections of his stupid errors. In fact, even his use of everyday vocabulary and grammer is so erratic it makes reading a struggle which eventually defeated me. His substitution of "equanimity" in a phrase that called for "equality" is just one of an overwhelming number of such distractions. Giegerich does capture the personalities of the living occupants of the anatomy lab, so it's a shame he can't write. The blurb says he is a journalist and journalism teacher: I devoutly hope his field is photojournalism since reading his slapdash writing is so very laborious. I don't know anything about the rest of the book. I'm retired, and I don't have to work this hard anymore. -- Mary, R.N., B.S., CFNP

Body of Knowledge is a clever book; clever in the sense that it interweaves different stories with a common thread -- that being the art and science of Gross Anatomy. The reader is introduced to the students, teachers, staff, and most importantly, the man who would become the specimen, or more fittingly, the body of knowledge. It is certainly replete with several variations of the same theme: the unselfish act of sharing one's body to enrich one's mind. In exploring this theme, it is apparent that the author's aim is to show the reader how the simple act of dissecting flesh and bone can unlock the life history of the deceased. In doing so, the students are reminded that what is now a specimen was once a man who had lived, loved, laughed, cried, celebrated, and suffered...essentially, the man had been resurrected.
However, the theme does grow repetitive and tiresome after the first three chapters, and I often felt as though the author tried too hard to spell out what is inherently obvious to me as the reader. All in all, the book is a nice read, though very dry at times. The writing can be clumsy, and the transition from one story to another often does not flow smoothly. Alas, it's a good starter book for anyone interested in the art and science of death. It's often given as a gift to matriculating medical students by their medical colleges during the illustrious white-coat ceremony. If you can find a med student who has the book, just borrow it from him. Chances are he hasn't read it anyway.

Journalist Steve Giegerich's has achieved a riveting piece of reportage in the "Body of Knowledge." The reporter examines the lives of four Newark University of Medicine students through a semester of Medical Gross and Developmental Anatomy (GA), the hurdle medical students must traverse to become doctors. One will keenly feel the mental, physical and spiritual toll experienced by the medical students dissecting the cadaver. The inclusion of the student's background and the life of the cadaver, known just as No. 3426 to the students, but reveled to be Tom Lewis, a devout Roman Catholic, is an effective addition to the book due to the humane tone gleaming off the page.

Giegerich's journey through the five areas of (GA), head and neck, thorax, abdomen, and upper and lower extremities is a fascinating and enthralling view of our complex body. For the most part, medical jargon does not overwhelm the text. Generally, there are no gratuitous scenes that aim to shock. However, the faint of heart may want to skip certain sections, most notably a vividly described craniotomy.

In short, Giegerich succeeds in bringing the path of would-be doctors alive with detailed, honest writing. After reading "Body of Knowledge," one may feel a deeper appreciation for the medical students who have taken the leap.

Bohdan Kot

Steve Giegerich has written a book about a subject matter not only fascinating and mysterious but for some bordering on the gruesome and macabre. He takes us along with four first year medical students as they journey through the Medical Gross and Developmental Anatomy course and lab at the University of Medicine and Dentistry, Newark.

The book focuses on the four students who work at the same lab table and upon Lewis, the cadaver they have been provided to dissect. Despite the difficulty of learning to identify tissues, organs, veins and nerves, muscles and bones, they must also overcome their innate fear and resistance to dissect a fellow human. To make it easier for them, the identity of the cadaver isn't given to the students. However, readers are introduced to Lewis and learn about his life and personality and the human qualities and characteristics that made him unique and special, more than merely a lab subject. Even though the students don't know the specifics about Lewis, most seem to develop a profound respect for the person who has been so generous by donating his body to science. In fact, by the end of the semester, each student has developed a personal relationship and enduring memories of their experiences with Lewis, culminating in a formalized good-bye to this special person.

For the reader, this unique book provides insight into the rigors of medical school and creates a different perspective on the meaning of "donating your body to science". It also traces the origins and history of dissection and of the illustrations used in the ATLAS OF HUMAN ANATOMY and GRANT'S DISSECTOR. Most importantly, BODY OF KNOWLEDGE helps the reader gain an understanding and respect for the generous people who donate their bodies so others can learn. For those reasons this book is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I feel so many emotions when I think of this book, I mean talk about a onion with its dozens of layers and you start to understand my love of this book. If you can't get it, that this book to me is an emotional plea from deep within her soul, well then you might as well stick to the bestsellers list.

Let's be clear: this isn't some sob-story autobiography about some chick blaming her infertility on the power plant next door. Antonetta has written a gorgeous, unsettling book that pushes the boundaries of literary memoir.

Written in muscular, skilled prose, the "environment" of Antonetta's memoir points to the sludge-filled and strangely seductive New Jersey Pine Barrens of her childhood; it refers equally to the toxic world created by her impenetrable, neurotic immigrant family. Antonetta tells hallucinatory, poetic stories that float between the two environments while never misstepping into the sentimental.

Indeed, it is a rare pleasure for me to read a woman's story--especially one intimately engaged with problems of fertility and the body--that is so devoid of cliche and self-pity. Antonetta has plenty of honest anguish, but it is balanced with a damning dry humor, and a sharply raw perception of herself, her family, their history and the history of the land upon which the story unfolds.

Quite an accurate portrayal of the abysmal state of New Jersey. If America was a person then New Jersey would be its rectum, just slightly south of the tingling loins of New York. It is the wretched, malodorous, poison hole that is the repository for everything wrong with America. IROC's, unabashed italian stereotypes, gold medallions, the mafia, Aquanet and most abhorrent is the diaspora of foul mouthed New Jersey citizens out to destroy other states as they have destroyed their own. New Jersey "Go Home"!!!

Body Toxic, the memoir of a poet, is a great book. Instead
of having us laying in her hospital bed taking her medications
and reliving her miscarriages in detail on every page, Antonetta
almost dances around her illnesses in order to bring awareness
of the contamination to earth that is killing everyone.
Michael Klein said "Poets write the best memoirs." Three years
ago I questioned that statement; after reading Body Toxix, I agree.

I recall reading the New York Times' smug review of this book when it originally came out. How they must have loved another opportunity to slander the state of New Jersey through misinformation, distortions, and gross exaggerations. The perfect example of how well this propaganda works is the individual from Wisconsin who claims how sad it is that the Pine Barrens have been "ravaged." I wonder how someone from Wisconsin who has probably never been to New Jersey, let alone the Pine Barrens, would think they have the right to make such a comment. Just like other rural areas around the country, the Pine Barrens have been victimized by immigration-driven population growth, yet the region is still beautiful. I have no doubt the author of this book has the medical ailments she claims, yet perhaps they have more to do with her lifetime of drug abuse than with living in New Jersey. My father grew up in the industrial badlands of Bayonne, New Jersey; he is 61 and has no major medical problems. In fact, my family is entirely from Jersey City and Bayonne, two cities that are far more industrialized than Ocean County, yet nobody in my family has ever had cancer. This book is another example of junk science giddily peddled by leftist Manhattanite editors who probably haven't been outside of Manhattan in years.

As usual, the masses gobble up such pablum.

Glory Days was smart, believable, and funny with a splash of drama and suspense thrown in. I really enjoyed the book. Anyone from Jersey will catch all the inside jokes and recognize the setting easily. You might even smell the salt water of Asbury or the stench of the Turnpike. :-)I finished the book with a smile on my face, glad for a nice, neat, and happy ending.

Glory Days by Irene Peterson was a amazing buy. This is mystery romance novel that is not for faint of heart. John Preshin is ex FBI agnet and now is a private dick who has two women come into his life - both with secrets. I loved so much about this book - buy it and enjoy!

Since he got shot in a botched bust, ex-FBI agent John Preshin has worked as a private eye, finding people who have money coming, staking out people who don't want to be found, and finding and forgetting women. But when a cop shows up with a kid claiming he's her father, John's life is turned upside down. Not that he could possibly be her father--although his name is on the list she brought from the convent where she's lived all her life. But the other guys on the list aren't much to hope for--one priest, one dying ex-cop, one bartender in an S&M club, one wanna-be-hood, and one overworked refinery employee. None would be great fathers--and their wives are worse.

Still, John can't exactly turn Carly down--and she has nowhere else to go. He takes the case.

Beautiful redhead Liz Atwater is back home in New Jersey after finally escaping a horrible marriage and a horrible tragedy. When she discovers her grandmother's tenant, naked, in the diner her grandmother runs, Flo suspects he's a criminal and grabs a knife. And what's with that "Z" tattooed to his chest? When it turns out that her grandmother knows the guy--that he's a trustworthy ex-FBI type, Liz relaxes a little. But there is the little matter of just about every woman John runs into calling him Bourbon John and slapping him in the face.

As John investigates Carly's possible fathers, he realizes the poor kid doesn't have a lot of good options. What if it's the priest? Can he ask the man to give up his vocation to stay with a sixteen-year-old girl. As for the hood, he's as likely to abuse the child as he is to take care of her. Meanwhile, John has to fight the attraction he feels for Liz. Unlike just about every other woman, who's forgotten by the next morning, Liz stays on his mind even when she's not around. Getting her into his bed once doesn't cure him--in fact, it makes her want more. But John has a secret--and an oath. He's going to get his revenge on the man who killed his friend in that bad bust--and there can't be a happily ever after for him.

Author Irene Peterson delivers a compelling story filled with the atmosphere of a decaying New Jersey beach town, a hero and heroine who are so badly damaged that they are the only hope of each other's repair, and a sixteen-year-old girl who is just cranky enough not to be perfect. The story is as much that of finding the right father for Carly as it is finding matches for Liz and John. Although the answer to that question is clear from the start, getting there is definitely more than half the fun.

GLORY DAYS was very good. It had good description, uncomplicated intrigue, acceptable characters, and author Irene Peterson held me right to the end.

In their glorious youth, six friends spent one golden summer doing whatever and whomever. Sixteen years later, New Jersey PI, John Preshin opens his door to find Miss Carly Snow standing there, holding a list of six men - her "father" list - his name is at the top! John Preshin is a good man, he is a man of his word, and she is a good kid with a wonderful future ahead of her. As John begins his search for the truth, he wonders if he should just let sleeping dogs lie.

Ms. Liz Atwater was another complication in John's pathetic life. She was uptight and puzzling. Nevertheless, she was drawing him in and slowly creeping into his soul. They were two of a kind, two miserable creatures trying to forget. John knew he was getting in too deep. He was not some avenging angel. He was a man who usually hid inside a bourbon bottle or behind a protective wall of indifference.

Liz Atwater felt the loneliness begin to drain away the minute John Preshin smiled. His smile could heat the room. His kindness could destroy the anger. His arms could take away the hurt. Giving into him was easy - far too easy. Yet, he could help her forget the pain. Finally, she would be free from all the haunting memories.

With hardly a dull moment, Irene Peterson's GLORY DAYS marvellously clipped along. The author created charming characters and made good use of a gentle suspense theme. However, Peterson kept most of the romance on the back burner. Yet, even with this romance deficiency, GLORY DAYS was a very satisfying read.
Grade: A-

MaryGrace Meloche.

The blurb on the the back is exceedingly misleading - this isn't really a romance in the traditional sense. Everyone in this book has an actual *gasp* job, and the characters are multi-faceted to the point where their skeletons in the closet all peek out at random intervals. Even Ms. Peterson's minor characters are three dimensional. In fact, most of them were kooky enough to have stepped out of the pages of a Stephanie Plum novel. (What is it about Jersey, anyway?) That being said, I thought that the writing style of the book was rather strange. I found myself wishing that the author would foreshadow to greater effect. At several points in the book, things are alluded to, but since only the author has the full picture, the glimpses the reader receives are frustratingly devoid of any real information. It's only when a character chooses to "spill his/her guts" that things become clear. There was also one other aspect of the book that wasn't to my taste: While I am willing to accept a certain amount of internal dialogue when a book is written in the first person, I find it dischordant in a story written in the third person, especially when it is undistinguishable from the surrounding story. Last but not least, while language doesn't bother me, especially when used to good effect, this book is lightly peppered with swear words. If that offends you, you may want to steer clear. If you enjoy this book, or the choice of venue in it, I would recommend reading the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich.

Valerie Wilson Wesley is one of my favorite authors and I just love her Tamara Hayle mysteries. Of Blood and Sorrow was such a juicy page turner that I finished it in 1 day. In Of Blood and Sorrow we meet up again with tall, dark and handsome men from the past, another blast from the past (from Jamaica) and so many new "characters". As the mystery unfolds you will be completely surprised at who gets knocked off and who the murderer is. A great read!

OF BLOOD AND SORROW by Valerie Wilson Wesley brings back Tamara Hayle to solve another mystery. Lilah Love comes to her office wanting her to find her missing baby. Lilah knows that her younger sister has taken her baby and she wants Tamara to get her back. Tamara is less than thrilled because she remembers her from years ago and tells Lilah she won't do it. Then, the most important businessman in Newark wants her to help him get the baby because his son had been briefly married to Lilah and he feels she is not a good mother. In the midst of this turmoil, Tamara's former lover, Basil, shows up, throwing another wrench into the program. She is now with Larry who is kind and considerate and although she wishes he had a better relationship with her son Jamal, she is quite happy with him. Then Lilah Love turns up dead in the trunk of a car and Tamara's son, Jamal, was the last person to see her. She knows she must find out who killed Lilah in order to protect her son.

Once again, Valerie Wilson Wesley has written a marvelous mystery that catches your attention and doesn't let you put the book down until you find out who did it. The characters were well-developed, including the murdered woman. It's not hard to believe that someone would want to hurt Lilah, but who? Tamara's quandary about her two lovers puts some heat into the action and I found myself wondering which man she would choose. For mystery lovers, it's an excellent story.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

Ms. Wesley.....please keep the Tamara Hayle Mystery Books coming. I have enjoyed each and everyone of them.

Since I am a tremendous fan of the Tamara Hayle series, this much anticipated book seems to have taken much too long to write. As usual, Valerie Wilson Wesley interweaves personal and professional storylines in a seemingly effortless manner. A lady from the past brings Tamara's present into a custody battle, and in the process, endangers her almost grown son, Jamal. I felt Tamara's anguish at her son's choices which put him smack dab in the middle of her investigation. I felt her anger at her ex husband's seeming lack of understanding about the seriousness of Jamal's situation. And then there is Basil Dupre--always mysterious, but seemingly ready to give up living on the wrong side of the law to settle down with Tamara. Maybe. If you like the series, you'll enjoy this edition.

This was my first and last Tamara Hayle mystery. Not enough mystery/suspense and no thriller (I found it in the Thriller section of the bookstore). This was a fiction. I've never know a PI that didn't carry a piece 24x7 and didn't have better security of her home and car. The plot was flat and the outcome was disappointing.

Tamara Hayle is an ex-cop PI on vacation in Jamaica when she meets three people who invite her out for drinks. After the man sitting across from her gets stabbed to death in the heart, all hell breaks loose. Drug money, Jamaican gangsters, a love interest, and a cast of intriguing characters bring this romantic mystery to life. Valerie Wilson Wesley has a way with prose that is all her own, and it will keep you turning pages.

I think this book is EXCELLENT! At the end of each chapter I couldn't stop reading. The characters were well described and the emotions were well thought out. This is the second Tamara Hayle mystery I read and I can't wait to read the others. I would also like to compliment the illustrator because the cover is what caught my attention to buy the book. I can easily say that this book is Something Special.

I think this book is EXCELLENT! At the end of each chapter I couldn't stop reading. The characters were well described and the emotions were well thought out. This is the second Tamara Hayle mystery I read and I can't wait to read the others. I would also like to compliment the illustrator because the cover is what caught my attention to buy the book. I can easily say that this book is Something Special.

This is the first I've read of Mrs Wesley's books and I must say I was slightly disappointed. The ending was weak and we never heard about the killer until the end (he wasn't mentioned much throughout the story except for in the club scene so I'd never thought he'd be the killer). But I guess that's where the "mystery" comes in. Plus, it would have been good to know whatever happened between her and Basil. The ending just left me hanging.

WHERE EVIL SLEEPS wasn't as fast-paced as the last two Tamara Hayle mysteries, but it still had a good storyline that was filled with interesting characters and enough action and mystery to keep me reading. It had it's moments of filler space, still, keep reading. A good third novel in this series. Mrs. Wilson-Weseley, keep the ball rolling!

Like most drama, not everything is accurate in this book, I believe the Campisi family was shown in a much more negative light than they should have been. Just because you read something, does not mean it is 100% true. Facts were twisted, stories fluffed, etc. While the Campisi's were involved in some illegal activities; this book makes them out to be cold-blooded murderers, not caring about anything or anyone except money.
Do NOT believe all of this hype and mis-factuated material.

This is a tru-to-life situation crime -drama.It has 320 pages of the true story of a new jersey mafia hit man,Ira Peznick.Their are many pictures of some graphic true story happennings.Although black and white,you will get the whole picture,reading this book.The hardcover and binding are flawless,clean.If you are from,or had been in jersey in the early years......you will HAVE to own this book

a very well written book i know because i lived in the neighborhood where everything took place i also happen to know most if not all of the characters involved you had to live it to understand it anyone who lived in newark new jersey in the 60s and 70s should find a copy i assure you that you wont put it down until its finished

I grew up in Irvington and went to school with the daughter of one of the top men of this family. We had no idea what her family's secret life was until it hit the newspapers in the 70's. We were all shocked. We were in this person's home and in the home of her cousin in Vailsburg and spent countless hours together sleeping over each other's houses. I didn't read this book until I was an adult and the book had been out for a year or so. Certainly, none of the graphic details of this book made it into the Irvington Herald or the Newark Star Ledger. Yes, it's graphic and I find the person a complete coward for spilling his guts in order to go into the witness protection program. He is a cold blooded murderer and should have been given no lenience whatsoever. He made the papers some time ago for supposedly attempting to run for some type of government office where he lived. Not only did I know this family, but the two men with the same first name but different color last names were acquaintances of my father. I never knew this until I was an adult with children of my own. He told me stories that made the hairs on my neck stand up. My sympathies go to my friend who went through terrible scrutiny for something she had nothing to do with. She was an innocent child and teenager. After she divorced, she kept her married name because she did not want to face the embarrassment of carrying a name that had such horrid memories. This book is extremely graphic and shows you exactly the type ruthless, cold blooded people they truly are. Anyone who glorifies organized crime should read this book.

I grew up in Irvington, NJ and knew most of the people in this book. Everyone was related to someone back then. Even my mom's hairdresser is the wife of one of the men. This book, although upsetting, brings back memories....good, bad and indifferent. I have read this book 4 times at different stages of my life and STILL find it fascinating. Ira Peznick, the man who tells the story (the one who rats them out) did it all for his OWN profit. He was a murderer just the same as those he squealed on yet he gets protection!! Go figure!! The book is True, the people are REAL, the places are CORRECT, the memories still HAUNT. The families still feel SHAME....I KNOW!! The stories have been passed down over the years and the men involved, (if not dead already) still feel remorse. All those from NEWARK, IRVINGTON, BELLEVILLE, THE ORANGES, and NEW JERSEY IN GENERAL SHOULD READ THIS BOOK!!

My fiance and I have started hiking to get in shape for our wedding, and we found this great book as the best-reviewed NJ hiking book out there. Even though we don't have kids, we're really enjoying the details about the hikes, the new routes we never knew existed, and we're taking great nature photographs -- we've seen some really gorgeous scenery out there! Highly recommend this book!

This product was sent in a timely manner and in described condition- would do service with again!

As an experienced hiker, I've scratched my head over the value of this guide book; I have a good collection of New Jersey guide books, and generally would pass this one by and recommend a guide with a greater range of trails from easy to moderate to difficult. Parents would then have a resource to meet a varieties of needs, depending on the age of their kids.

But, last summer I found a neat way to use this book. I took one of my rent-a-kids on a hike in the Ramapo Reserve in Oakland. He had a great time, and I gave him the guide for his very own.

His mother wrote a very nice thank you note, and I've found that kids have invariably enjoyed their own copies after finishing a hike. Eventually, I'm sure, they'll graduate to guides with a range of more challenging hikes, and maybe even become a member of a hiking organization.

Robert C. Ross 2008

Who knew that New Jersey could have so many places to enjoy the great outdoors? Growing up in Montana, I hiked in my backyard. Now with my own children I drive for thirty minutes and can find an age-appropriate hike and enjoy New Jersey nature.

Zatz also includes things to watch for on the hikes (animals, flowers, etc.)

I love this book. I just got it a few weeks ago and we have hiked each week since I got it. I find it easy to use. I love that it ranks the difficulty of the hike. I have a 5 yr old and a 7 year old. This book makes it easy for planning an afternoon trip vs an all day adventure. It also tells you things like if the trail is "bugy" in the summer or if you need to wear long pants because it is a "thorny" hike. Lots of great & useful tools.

This 3rd edition (2001) of Cruising the Chesapeake: A Gunkholer's Guide is a good guide to out of the way places, but a bit dated related to shore facilities. This, however, is not an issue if you are looking for remote anchorages so worth having aboard. An updated 4th edition would definitely be a worthwhile endeavor and an excellent resource.

I bought this book because I wanted a complete description of the Chesapeak area to help us in a planned visit of the area. It has met or exceeded my expectations with excellent maps and complete descriptions of the navigable areas. It provides detailed navigation advice along with an overall description of what to see, facilities, history, etc...

Not to be trite, but this book is an absolute must for anyone who seriously cruises Chesapeake Bay including its approaches. Superb detail and illustrations compliment a clear, carefully worded text. I have and use two other cruising guides for additional information but always start and end with this book.

We have a power boat but found this book to be very informative & helpful. We are planning our trip, have not been to the Chesapeake in about 25 years, and have found this book the best yet in our preparations. We like to anchor out and this book is informative not specifically focusing jumping from marina to marina like many guides do.

I have two copies of the 2001 edition: one aboard my sailboat in Annapolis and the second in my office. Most of my use of the book has been in the middle Chesapeake. In crawling up and down the Magothy, Severn, South, West, Rhode, Chester, Wye, and Tred Avon Rivers this book has provided helpful insight into what I would find. This book and the Maptech chart book are all you need to find your way to and through the backwaters of the Chesapeake.

The Detonators, by Chad Millman

In 1916 terrorists set off a great explosion on the railroad docks of Jersey City ("Black Tom"). These agents of Imperial Germany attacked the shipping and manufacturing in America that produced munitions for Britain, France, and Imperial Russia. The propaganda machine generated a frenzy of hatred towards anything "German"; frankfurters were renamed "hot dogs" (implying they were made from dog meat, which tastes like pork). Wall Street depended on an Allied victory, and the President followed their instructions. German sympathies provoked "Americanization" programs in schools (p.3). In 1914 New York Harbor was the biggest in the world (p.7). Every German ship in America had been interned, and they crowded the harbor. In November 1914 the German military attaché was ordered to sabotage ships, then war factories (p.14). A chemist created a time-delayed incendiary device. Soon mysterious fires and explosions broke out (p.24). Investigations led to the recall of German military attachés by December 1915. But their network of saboteurs remained (Chapter 4). Besides incendiary devices, German spies spread anthrax and glanders among the horses and mules shipped to the British and French in Europe (p.70).

Just after midnight the German saboteurs planted their incendiary devices on the barges and railroad cars on Black Tom. Soon a fire broke out, and the first explosion was after 2 AM on July 30, 1916. Windows were broken in Jersey City and in New York city across the Hudson. Chapter 7 describes the extensive property damage; only 5 lives were lost (p.94). The fires and explosions were not attributed to saboteurs (p.97). Chapter 8 tells of the differences between New York and Philadelphia (p.103). The Treaty of Berlin ended the war with the US in 1921. The US took possession of all German property seized during the war (p.117). Within a few years most claims were settled. The one big item was the claim for the destruction of Black Tom and the Kingsland munitions plant. Michael Kristoff had been arrested on 9/31/1916 on suspicion, but released for lack of proof (p.125). A former Secret Service agent claimed German saboteurs did it. Amos Peaslee, the lawyer for the Lehigh Valley Railroad, searched Washington to find lost files about German activities (p.129). The German government had ordered the destruction of munitions, but they chose to fight the suit for political reasons (p.131).

Peaslee was able to obtain the decoded German messages that mentioned their sabotage in the USA (p.137). Without a settlement, the case was turned over to the Mixed Claims Commission (p.139). Chapter 11 begins the case against Germany. Bonynge said the Germans destroyed the records. Von Lewinski replied this was done to prevent the Bolsheviks from getting them (p.157)! Bonynge sums up the case for Germany's involvement on page 186. There was a problem with the handwriting experts (p.216, p.223), The final settlement of the Black Tom claims was due to a promise of improved trade relations (pp.245-246). An old memo destroyed Germany's case (p.265)! The plaintiffs won (p.273). "Transistors" (p.280)?

This book concentrates on the legal side of the events. Henry Landau's "The Enemy Within" gives a more complete account to German sabotage in 1916 America. There is no description of each chapter in the table of contents. The number of photographs are sparse. There is nothing about the San Francisco Preparedness Day bombing! Curt Gentry's "Frame-Up" isn't even mentioned.

I grew up in Jersey City, and my entire family hailed from that town, having emigrated there in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Never once did any member of the family mention the Black Tom explosion except when I inquired about it.

It was quickly forgotten at the time because the damage was limited principally to some broken windows--not the total destruction of Jersey City and lower Manhattan that Millman claims in his reading from and discussion of the book on C-Span2.

It's sensationalism of the worst sort, with Millman trying to make it read like an earlier-time 9/11.

In 1916 World War I was going full strength in Europe but America was not involved. Or to be more accurate America was willing to sell anything (such as arms and ammunition) to anyone and everyone.

Because of the blockade imposed on Germany by England and France, this effectively meant that nothing could be sold to Germany but England and France could get anything they wanted. Germany was not pleased by this state of affairs.

On July 30, 1916 there was an estimated two million pounds of explosives and ammunition in storage on Black Tom Island in New York harbor. German agents were able to blow it up.

Strangely enough there seemed to be little investigation of the incident until many years later when three lawyers outside of the Government uncovered the facts. This book is the story of the German plot and the subsequent investigations. This incident is so little known that this is a very welcome book.

How no one thought to write this book until now is extraordinary. Millman found a chapter in U.S. history that eerily foreshadows the events of 9/11 and beyond, and he had the writerly discipline to avoid hitting readers over the head with it. Instead, he tells a dramtaic story of espionage and legal intrigue, in prose that's fast-paced and easily accessible without being simple or condescending. Perfect summer reading. Fall, Winter and Spring, too.

This is a wonderful read - interesting, relevant and timely, and better than fiction. Millman has struck an excellent balance, weaving facts into a captivating narrative that is a perfect book for relaxed reading. Books like THE DETONATORS should be part of curricula in high school and college history courses because it brings history alive. Impressive that a sports guy can turn such an excellent page-turner.

I was looking to buy the definitive book on this crime and found, via the "Acute Observer" analytical commentary, that the only way to get the whole story is to buy both the Kuntsler and Tomlinson accounts. That way, whatever one has missed or mixed up, the other has it covered!

However just by reading the massive New York Times' stories and other newspaper accounts of the time, along with modern-day forensics and profiling, I think that I have the answer. Mrs. Hall had the motive, means, and opportunity. Her much-younger "toy-boy" trysting with a tender and lusty "golddigger"? In public, clowning her in front of her peeps? Oh, hell, naw!! She got her possé (2 brothers and a male cousin) together and rode out after her man who was meeting his lover under the crab apple tree 'round midnight.

Mrs. Hall didn't pull the trigger but she sure as hell cut out the young woman's tongue and covered her husband's face after he took one to the head. Text book behavioral traits of a passion killing. Add in the overkill (3 shots to drop Girlfriend), along with the inability to look at the face of your lover. Then the final posing of the bodies was the coup de grâce. In spite of the police failing to secure the integrity of the crime scene, a prosecutor today could have still made a good circumstantial case and won a Murder 2 conviction against all charged. (Yes, we know it was with malice aforethought, but many a case is lost when the defendant is overcharged.) But, this is now and that was then - a whole different way of looking at society crimes existed then. Who could ever imagine the delicate (although very unattractive and dowdy) wife of a clergyman conspiring and carrying out such a premeditated and gruesome act? And, of course, the others were wealthy "gentlemen" of good breeding who would never compromise their values and integrity by involving themselves in such a low deed, even to avenge their sister's honor. That kind of behavior was reserved for the poor and low-born - people of quality would never get their kid gloves dirty - it just wasn't done!!! But WE know that the player-hating rich wife did the dastardly deed. She, nor her brothers, were going to allow the cheating preacher-man to get his hands on their hard-stolen money and then spend it on the lovely and trim Mrs. Mills, who cared nothing of her reputation and was straight dissin' her hubby. (Where was he anyway? Cavorting with the downstairs maid?) Mrs. Mills obviously had an agenda here. I ain't saying she's a golddigger......

Anyway, thanks to many of these excellent reviews and analyses here, I'm going to buy BOTH books to get the real down-low on the preacher-playa and wicked singin' woman! I must know more about Mrs. Jane "The Pig Woman" Gibson, her claim of gunshots, and allegedly hearing a woman exclaim the phrase "Oh, Henry!" in the vicinity of the now infamous crab apple tree. Was it the name of Mrs. Hall's brother, Henry (a retired marksman) who allegedly accompanied his sister to the scene or was someone enjoying the newly-introduced chocolate, nuts and nougat candy bar by the same name? Was the poor doomed Mrs. Mills calling out because she was shocked to see "Ol' Henry" with the .32 caliber pistol that the other brother, Willie, was known to own? (Willie, who was said to have been a "wild & crazy guy" had to have the firing mechanism on his gat filed down so that he wouldn't hurt himself - later, at trial, that screwed up the ballistics tests on the weapon. How convenient!)

With this cast of characters, two books has definitely got to be better than one!

...have very different meanings. William Kunstler was a hero to me; that's an awful thing for a conservative Republican Nixon supporter to say. I seldom agreed with the causes Kunstler fought for, but I sure respected the way he fought for them...the man had guts, and he had Style, with a capital S. A friend from Church had to try a case against him once...Dave was very glad all the facts were on his side. And at that, Kunstler got his client off with a very light sentence. I bought this book after reading about it in a Nero Wolfe novel ["A Right to Die"]....Wolfe may, or may not, have been real, but the books that Rex Stout had him read were....

On the morning of Saturday September 16, 1922, the Reverend Edward Wheeler Hall and Mrs. Eleanor Mills, the lead singer in his Church choir, were found dead in a field in northern New Jersey after being missing for about 36 hours; they had been shot, and their throats cut. Reverend Hall and Mrs. Mills had been having a rather public affair; Mrs. Mills' husband Jim was a pathetic dunce who probably couldn't see the signs, but Mrs. Hall was far from dull.....After an investigation, the incompetence of which would have made the OJ case look textbook perfect, the police and prosecuters of Middlesex County, where the victims lived, and Somerset County, where the bodies were found, got in a jurisdictional tug-of-war that assured that nothing would be solved.....

Four years passed, and "something had to be done"....Mrs. Hall, her two brothers and her cousin were arrested on little or no evidence. After a circus trial, they were acquitted, and the case joined the ranks of the eternally unsolved.

William Kunstler could not only try a case, he could write...this is an excellent, well written, account of stupidity and futility. There is even comic relief; the pathetic witness "Pig Woman" and Mrs. Hall's eccentric [dimwitted?] brother Willie Stevens provided some humorous moments. But, Kunstler is a good enough writer to let us smile at two pretty sad characters without poking fun at them.

I could have easily given this fine book five stars, but Kunstler messes that up with a final chapter providing a "solution". The KKK did it? Please. No evidence, no names, just speculation about an orginization. A great lawyer should have known better, but he was young at the time. Reverend Hall and Mrs. Mills are dead; God rest their souls. I have no idea who killed them, or why, and Kunstler didn't either. Despite a dud of a last chapter, I can still heartily recommend this book.

This well-written book lacks an index, but lists the people involved. Part I tells about the events of 1922. After the murders no indictments occurred! Part II tells of the events in 1926. A divorce action against the former Hall's maid alleged a pay-off to keep quiet. The NY Daily Mirror publicized this, and NJ Governor Moore ordered a new investigation. Four indictments followed. Part III tells of the five weeks of trial; all were found not guilty. The murders were never solved. In Part IV Kunstler fantasizes about it being a Klan killing. No proof is given, he only argues by analogy. No group of men were seen there. I wonder if this is part of a whitewash? There is no mention of public opinion from these times.

The Reverend Hall married Frances Stevens, 37 years old, a few years before she inherited millions (with her brothers). Around this time Mrs. Eleanor Mills became active in church affairs. Married at 17, perhaps to escape an unhappy home life, she soon had two children. She sought the mirage of happiness in closeness to her minister. But this minister married for money; love was a secondary concern. Their meetings were not secret from their close associates.

On Thursday September 14, 1922 Mrs. Mills read an article justifying divorce for a minister. She cut it out and called Reverend Hall for a meeting; he soon left to meet her. Mrs. Mills boarded a trolley then walked to De Russey's Lane. Reverend Hall left his house by 7:30PM and was seen walking to this location. They were never seen alive again. Saturday morning 9-16-1922 a young couple went for a walk down De Russey's Lane and turned into a grassy path. They found two bodies near a crabapple tree, then ran to Easton Ave to call the police. The missing couple was found.

Four people who lived nearby heard shots or screams around midnight Thursday (p.31). The affair between the minister and the choir singer became public knowledge. Next month they learned of the testimony of the "Pig Woman". While riding a mule to follow a suspected thief, she saw two men and two women arguing near a crabapple tree. There was a shot, and someone fell to the ground. She heard a woman scream, then more shots (p.70). She had tried to tell her story earlier, but was put off (p.72). Detectives accompanied her reconstruction; it checked out.

I believe that Frances, Henry, and Willie went looking for the missing minister, and found them together. Frances asked Edward to kneel and promise to sin no more. Willie, covering him with his pistol, touched it off. They then chose to finish the job (p.29). Future events would tell of witnesses paid to vanish or forget. Who was paid to kill the investigation in 1922? [If they were to find the missing gold watch buried in the Hall's garden we would know the truth.]

Kunstler wildly speculative conclusion: the Klan committed the murders. No evidence for this at all, but he doesn't want that to get in the way of blaming the vast right wing conspiracy. It all comes off as a very ideologically driven for Kintsler. Pretty bizarre.

BUT its a decent read (even if his writing style is strained and melodramatic). The case has an intrinsic interest to it. Kuntsler does provide lots of good details.

Read one of the other books on the case -- it was the wife's brother.

What was the cause of those murders? Why did it occur then, when the affair was going on for years? I have a suggested solution.

It happened a few days after the Halls came back from their New England vacation in the mountains. I think something happened there, where Mrs Hall had a narrow escape from a fatal accident while with the Reverend. She thought about it, and realized that if she had an accident, Reverend Ed would inherit her fortune, and be free to seek another rich wife. Eleanor would be dropped like yesterday's newspaper. Mrs Hall discussed this with her brothers, and they decided to confront the Reverend while he was with Eleanor, so he could not deny the affair, and would be forced to end it. The emotional interaction escalated beyond reason, and the deaths occurred. The best laid plans of mice and men still go astray.

The case was not solved so justice would triumph over the law. The Reverend Ed messed up his own marriage, and destroyed the Mills' marriage. Alive, he would break up another marriage. It was all for the best. When someone poor falls in love with a rich person, the poor person often comes to an unhappy ending. The rich have many resources to accomplish their ends. This is the moral of "Love Story", that love does not triumph over material facts. No matter how hard you wish it were different. Love conquers all? Forget about it!