New York Books

I became introduced, and subsequently hooked on the Wolfe books through watching the A & E series a few years ago. While I own all of them I have thus far only managed to get through half of them. As I began reading the books I thought to myself if ever a series begged for a cookbook it was this one, and, much to my delight, there was one.

I recieved the cookbook as a present and have thouroughly enjoyed cooking meals from it. I have yet to make some of the more adventurous dishes such as the Starlings, Grouse (raised on fresh huckleberries), and turttle soup; due both to lack of fund$ and lack of supply. However, I have enjoyed making both the melon and crab salads. As well, I highly recomend Wolfe's Onion soup [especially if you have a cold], Cornbread Griddlecakes, Spareribs and Cassoulet all are delicous and finger-licking good. I warn you now the Nero Wolfe Cookbook is not for those who are on a diet Atkins or otherwise, the character of Wolfe is not known for his sveltness and, besides his relatively sedentary lifestyle, his epicurean nature is a clear indication as to why.

Inserted througout the cookbook are but a minutia of the plethora of food references found throughout Stout's, arguably most successful, series. These mouth watering recipes and qoutes make the cook/reader want to go and read more of the books to see what else Wolfe ate which in turn makes you want to go make more of the food because the books are so detailed about what is served. My only reget in reading this book is that Stout did not publish a second volume of Wolfe's dishes since readers of the series are left wanting more of the recipes to Wolfe's great feasts

If you are a fan of Nero Wolfe, then this is the book for you. REAL recipes used in the stories, the recipes that Fritz Brenner and Nero Wolfe cook with and sometimes fight over, while Archie Goodwin just sits down and enjoys it all. With a forward by Fritz, the book has everything from how to make the pie crust (for the many pies)to griddle cakes (which Archie loves). It even has Nero Wolfe's salad dressing!
ENJOY!

"I beg you not to entrust these dishes to your cook unless he is an artist. Cook them yourself, and only for an occasion that is worthy of them. They are items for an epicure, but are neither finicky nor pretentious; you and your guests will find them as satisfying to the appetite as they are pleasing to the palate. None is beyond your abilities if you have the necessary respect for the art of fine cooking -
and are willing to spend the time and care which an excellent dish deserves and must have. Good appetite!"

The above quote from the account one of Nero Wolfe's first investigations ("Too Many Cooks," 1937) serves as one of several introductory notes to this compilation of recipes from Rex Stout's famous mystery series involving the New York epicurean, orchid lover and heavy-weight detective whose exploits have long become as indelible a part of literary history as those of Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and Lord Peter Wimsey. And the quote not only sums up to perfection Wolfe's view of the meals served in his house; it also - consequently - provides a taste of the approach one should adopt in using this cookbook. For unlike many other literature-related recipe collections, "The Nero Wolfe Cookbook" need not rely on a great many third-party sources to determine what the great detective might have consumed; a key part of the mysteries themselves are the descriptions of Wolfe's meals, and Wolfe's (as well as his Swiss chef Fritz Brenner's) attitude towards food in general.

All of the recipes presented here were initially developed by chef Michael S. Romano and tested personally by Rex Stout and "New Yorker" food critic Sheila Hibben. And it's all there, from Eggs au Beurre Noir, griddle cakes, and apricot omelet to Fritz Brenner's various duck, duckling, and pork dishes, Wolfe's "relapses," and even the complete menu served by Fritz on the occasion of the annual Ten for Aristology dinner in "Poison a la Carte:" Blinis with Sour Cream (of course without the fatal dose of arsenic someone had added, to Fritz's eternal horror and shame, to one of the guests' plates!), Green-Turtle Soup, Flounder Poached in White Wine, Mussel and Mushroom Sauce, Roast Pheasant, Suckling Pig, Chestnut Croquettes, Salad with Devil's Rain Dressing and Cheese. As you would expect with cuisine as refined as this (and given that we're talking, after all, about the culinary arts of the early and mid-20th century), not all ingredients are easy to track down or even still available; turtles being the obvious example - and frankly, I don't quite share Wolfe's predilection for such things as starlings and marrow dumplings, either. But even foregoing those recipes, there are plenty of others to try your hand at, and to get a flavor of the culinary delights that fueled Wolfe's and his "legman" and chronicler Archie Goodwin's investigations.

In addition to the recipes, the book is lavishly garnished with quotes and excerpts from Rex Stout's - err, excuse me, Archie Goodwin's - narrations, providing the context in which individual dishes were served, as well as an array of photographs by renowned photo artists such as Norman and Lionel Wurts, Roy Perry, Samuel Gottscho, Andreas Feininger, John Muller, and Bernice Abbot; displaying the New York of the 1930s through the 1950s (by many considered the city's golden years, and the heyday of Wolfe's and Archie Goodwin's career), with brownstones like Wolfe's on West 35th Street and other fashionable residences (seen both from outside and inside), 5th Avenue, the Financial District and Times Square, the Empire State Building, Central Park and other green spots, Madison Square Garden, Fulton and other markets, the Staten Island Ferry, Grand Central and Penn Stations, and New York restaurants of various degrees of elegance and refinement. Thus, this is much more than "just" a cookbook - in fact, it's an introduction to Wolfe's entire world and style of life; tastefully uniting the essence of Archie Goodwin's manifold accounts in a single volume.

"I have not a great hope that many people will eat superior meals because they buy this book and use it," cautions Fritz Brenner in his own foreword. "The facts about food and cooking can be learned and understood by anyone with good sense, but if the feeling of the art of cooking is not in your blood and bones the most you can expect is that what you put on your table will be mangeable. ... But I do not think this book will make your food any the worse. At least it should help with some of the facts." And that, after all, is plenty already, I think. So savor, enjoy, and, in Wolfe's words - good appetite!

Also recommended:
The Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant Complete Seafood Cookbook
The Union Square Cafe Cookbook: 160 Favorite Recipes from New York's Acclaimed Restaurant
Around the World Cookbook
Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home: Fast and Easy Recipes for Any Day
Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant: Ethnic and Regional Recipes from the Cooks at the Legendary Restaurant (Cookery)
Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian: More Than 650 Meatless Recipes from Around the World
On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals (4th Edition) Textbook only
Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition - 2006

A wonderful companion to the Nero Wolfe experience, but the recipes are not for the inexperienced cook. We started with the baked scallops and were delighted, but there are several steps and you can screw up easily if you lack the right equipment or skills.

The excerpts are sly and the pictures are endearing. We wouldn't have minded a few images of the entrees, but the photos of period New York gently blur the line between fiction and reality, as does the whole book itself.

Buy this one if you are Wolfe obsessive, or (much better) if you can cook. But beware! Wolfe's tastes reflect a complete disregard for his health, so butter, eggs, and cream are in every second dish. A few call for ingredients you can't get (turtle meat, for example), but most rely on a short litany of spices and vegetables on top of easily found meats and fishes.

You will never really be able to have Fritz come visit your kitchen, but it's fun to imagine him watching over your shoulder, or peeking into your dining room, as you savor what might have been his own cooking (if you're chef enough, that is).

(Oh, our copy lacked the last page of the index, and it appears to be a printing, rather than binding error. Annoying, but we've given it 5 stars anyway.)

Yes, like the previous two reviews stated, this is a MUST for Rex Stout aficionados, but also for those interested the period. There are very nice photographs showing New York and the various locales mentioned in the books. I particularly enjoyed the pics of the brownstones like the one owned by Nero Wolfe and inhabited by Archie Goodwin, Theodore Horstman, Fritz Brenner and Nero Wolfe.

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Are you showing your out of town or out of country friends around NYC?...

Amaze them with this interactive keepsake.

it recommends truly New York places to see, things to eat and addresses to go...
all the while encouraging the user to keep a sketchy journal of their experiences. This book breathes and it is loaded with fun graphics and only gets better when scribbled and collaged while tooling around NYC.

Amongst the masses of sterile and status conscious books, it is such a relief to see this free spirited, heartfelt blend of chaos and opinion. Only a real NYer with true conviction would give you only ONE choice for the best of everything rather than a watered down list by neighborhood of popular top tens. Absolutely intimidating to use as a notebook as each page is a frameable piece of art. More people should let go this much. A true genius in our time is Laurie Rosenwald.

This is a great new idea, stylishly done.
A quick zip around the kind of shops, services,joints and dives that you would only know about if you lived there.
It's like a cheeky pal on the inside.

With room for notes!

I simply love this book. It's a witty mix of ideas, illustrations, photos, and typography. It's unconventional and playful, and every page is a creative and refreshing experience.

A fab guide for fab folk - experience the real NYC and get ahead of the pack. Get your kicks in all the cool spots and get the low-down from a true NY'er. A must-have!

This map was the best thing we took with us on our week-long vacation to New York. Small and pocketable, we could easily stow the map and conveniently pull it out and find our bearings without having to look too much like tourists. The map shows not only streets but theaters, shopping, tourist attractions etc.
However, the one thing the map lacks (and why I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5) is that the subway stops are shown on a separate, smaller map, and it was quite challenging trying to overlap where we were on one map and where a stop was located on the other map--we certainly got our exercise circling a few extra blocks here and there! Also, by the end of the week, the map was showing some signs of wear and tear: one of the perforated folds ripped, and sometimes I'd struggle to get the map to fold back up to its flat size. Regardless, I would definitely recommend this map to anyone headed for New York. And, if you plan on traveling by subway, ask for one of the free (and very large and in-depth) subway maps from any subway station.

A friend got this map for me when I went to New York for the first time and it proved to be invaluable. I studied it before I left on my trip to get an idea of the layout of the land. It was easy to read, folded neatly on it's own, fit in my coat pocket, and it was easy to reference it without having to call attention to myself as a "tourist". The subway map was indispensible at helping me navigate my way around town and it even shows you where the post office and public markets are around town.
This company makes the same types of maps for other major US and European cities so I'm investing in a few before my next trip abroad.

Hi,

I live in NY now. I am about to buy another 6 of these as our visitors keep going home with them because they forget they have them in their pockets! Simply the best maps of NY - I have tried about 5 other types.

These are great, small and detailed

This is surely the best map you could have of Manhattan. I will not go without mine. In fact, I have lost mine several times and always buy a new one before I go. This one has a wonderful layout of the subway system too. But I have used these popout maps in other cities as well. They are so small, convenient, and they show important landmarks/monuments and also hotels. I just bought five different popouts for my trip to Europe this coming summer. I'm sure they are going to be great!

The most annoying thing about maps is having to refold them, and heaven forbid they make you look like a tourist. With the Popout map series, the map is small enough to fit in your pocket and when you open it, it expands on it's own and folds back when you close it. Anytime I go to any major city I've never been to before, I buy a popout map before embarking. Can't say enough about them, just a darn good map! And as if that wasn't enough, Rand Mcnally goes on step further by offering a popout map with a compass and pen on the Deluxe Version.

I was a little disappointed at first in the book only because I thought there would be more of a story of someone in New York City with the song as a basis. Error on my part since the book was the "song". However, my niece age 5 whom the book was for was delighted and loved it. Each picture I read and described to her (I must admit she did a couple of twirls to the CD playing) was enjoying it and found all the pictures very descripitive with the song. As a New Yorker myself I was able to explain it with a little story of her "Aunt Re Re" in the Big Apple who has over the years been to all those illustrated sites.

If you like Billy Joel, you will like this book/CD. I am a big fan of Billy Joel's and have always wanted to visit New York. The book provides some great scenes of New York with labeling of all the featured sites. Makes me want to visit New York even more. It's a little goofy that a little dog is featured on all the pages, but small enough that you can ignore it and silly enough that you can enjoy it. It is a book that my two toddler children and I enjoy every day. They love the colorful pictures, and I love Billy Joel's bluesy, soulful music.

A cd single of the song accompanies musician Billy Joe's book of the same name New York State Of Mind, which receives illustration by Izak and imparts a passion for New York, from the Empire state Building to Central Park. From movie stars to newspapers and ice skating, New York State Of Mind imparts a fun and simple appreciation for the city's many offerings.

Born and raised in New York, this song always pulled on my heartstrings. Since Billy Joel, a master story teller, has put this famous song into print for kids, it has even more special meaning. The illustrations are fantastic, from the details of the lights of Times Square to the majesty of the Empire State Builiding, there is barely a corner of the city that is not captured in a colorful, realistic fashion. The pages are fun to look at (the Broadway theatres boast variations of the actual shows) and any native will appreciate the subtle story each page tells. This is great book to introduce a child to New York City, and a special keepsake for grown ups, whether residents or visitors here.

"New York State of Mind" has always been one of Billy Joel's most passionately-performed pieces. When witnessed live and in person, the song is a glowing tribute to all East Coasters and specifically to New Yorkers, from one of their own. But even the recording on the Turnstiles album is powerful. It pays homage to the concept of "home."

Joel's lyrics transfer nicely onto the pages of this picture book. The main characters, two small dogs, may remind some folks of the pair from "The Lady and the Tramp," another city story. Izak's illustrations portray the metropolis in fall or early winter, with leaves on the ground and ice skaters at Wollman Rink. Each double-page spread visits a specific location in the city, and each are identified by name. Look closely to find the irony in the signage. Theater-goers are standing in line to see "Movin' Out!" on Broadway. And the ice rink banner reads TROMP instead of TRUMP. Play the accompanying CD (containing the Turnstiles version of the song) while reading the captions, and you'll hear the soulful strains of the saxophone just as a sax player appears on the page. A captivating new book for children and adult fans of NYC and/or Billy Joel, particularly poignant in these post-9/11 days.

People--especially the young--who are headed for the first time to the feast New York provides will appreciate the wit and wisdom of David Carroll, 'one time lad, now a druid sage.' He knows the menu! For those who have already partaken of New York, Carroll's poetry is a feast in itself. Marilou Awiakta

People--especially the young--who are headed for the first time to the feast New York provides will appreciate the wit and wisdom of David Carroll, 'one time lad, now a druid sage.' He knows the menu! For those who have already partaken of New York, Carroll's poetry is a feast in itself. Marilou Awiakta

New York: A Feast of Memories weaves a poignant path of poems highlighting the wondrous 20th Century history of the "Big Apple". H. Wm. Card, Jr.

David D. Carroll has captured with sensitivity, insight, and humor the exuberance of a New York of yesterday . E. Blagbrough

A delightful, nostalgic, rollicking remembrance of the wonders of New York, by one who knows it well. In his unique, masterful style of writing, and amazing powers of memory, David Donald Carroll has given us not only unforgettable pictures of New York but also of this remarkable nation. The book is vintage Americana at its best. Dr. J. Moreland

This small novel set in Austria after WWI portrays with vivid poignancy the stifling impact of poverty and the bitter alienation engendered by new wealth as the two face each other amidst the ashes of a great empire's destruction. Written with such feeling that it almost resembles a fairy tale but one with out color, constructed all in shadows of gray on gray.

The setting is economically depressed post World War I Austria, which is a shadow of its former glory as the center of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Christine Hoflehner is the "post office girl" who lives a crushingly routine existence managing a post office and nursing her ailing mother in the rural wine-growing region of Austria. Although her life is mundane, it is settled, and Christine doesn't really question the greyness of small village conformity and poverty.

Her life changes dramatically when she is invited by an American aunt to a luxury hotel in the Egadine region of Switzerland. She is soon caught up in the swirl of post WWI partying and decadence amongst the European idle rich, and she quickly transforms (with the aid of her aunt's wardrobe) from shy, retiring provincial to elegant and seemingly sophisticated "Christine van Boolen."

Her dizzying ascendance to toast of the party is matched by a crashing fall to laughingstock. She leaves the hotel early, destroyed in the knowledge that she has been exposed to an opulent side of life that she will never again realize.

The second half of the book covers Christine's relationship with Ferdinand, a completely hollowed-out and cynical war veteran. The two form a relationship not forged in love but rather in mutual despair. The bleakness of their lives bonds them, and they ultimately craft a desperate plan to escape the torture of their daily struggles.

This wonderful book reminds me of Thomas Hardy's best works, since it deals so eloquently with the drabness of rural life and individuals cast adrift in a seemingly random and cruel world. However, unlike most of Hardy's novels, the ending is surprisingly original and refreshing with an opportunity (however slight) for redemption.

An absorbing story, beautifully written; it captures the bleakness of life in Austria between the wars and depicts the soul of central europeans in a sharp and telling way.

. . . and in the lowest deep a lower deep,
Still threatening to devour me, opens wide,
To which the hel l I suffer seems a heaven."
John Milton, Paradise Lost

There are some books that you can finish, put back down on the table and five-minutes later have it virtually erased from your consciousness. Stefan Zweig's "The Post-Office Girl" stayed with me long after I put the book down. It is a brilliantly crafted book that looks at the mind-boggling despair that can crush the soul out of just about anyone. What makes the book memorable is the fact that Zweig does not write with an overwhelming appeal to pathos. No, instead, Zweig is direct and his narrative manages to convey this sense of despair without drowning the reader in rhetorical devices aimed at soliciting sympathy for his characters.

The setting is post World War I Austria in the 1920s. The Austro-Hungarian empire has been dismantled after the Treaty of Versailles and Austria, like her ally Germany, is suffering the `economic consequences of the peace'. The Post-Office Girl is Christine Hoflehner. At the war's outset, Christine and her family enjoyed a comfortable middle-class existence in Vienna. But the war and the economic suffering brought on by the hyper-inflation of the 1920s has booted Christine out of Vienna and her middle class life. She and her mother live at the poverty level in a one-room bed-sitter in a village two hours from Vienna. Christine works as a low-ranking postal official in the town's post office. As the story opens she's in her 20s and merely going through the motions. But her robot-like existence is shattered when she receives a telegram (a big event) from an aunt, her mother's sister, who left Austria before the war and married a rich American businessman. They invite Christine to spend a holiday with them in a Swiss mountain resort. Christine goes grudgingly but is astonished at the life she is exposed too. Her aunt buys her beautiful clothes, feeds her well and all of a sudden Christine is exposed to a life she never knew existed. She takes to it immediately. She relishes her new life and cherishes every minute of it. But no sooner has she found a new life than she is tossed back into the old one. Any despair Christine may have felt before her Swiss trip is now magnified by the fact that she has actually seen how different life can be. She arrives at what she thought was the lowest deep only to discover that there are depths of despair yet to go.

It is at this point that she finds Ferdinand on a day trip to Vienna. For Ferdinand life has been, if anything, more unkind to him than to Christine. Their meeting and their developing relationship takes us through the second half of the book. They know they are soul mates but their existence is such that they each know that love (if you can call their fumbling attempts at personal physical and social intimacy love) is not nearly enough to be of any help to them at all. They face the question posed by Milton in the heading of this review - which way shall they fly? Zweig's resolution is, in this context, perfect.

What Zweig has done so well in my opinion is to use Christine and Ferdinand as a masterful vehicle for looking at Austrian (and Europe generally) society in the aftermath of the Great War. Zweig's characters are well crafted and felt very realistically drawn to me. They were absorbing, warts and all. "The Post-Office Girl" was well worth reading and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in reading a book that lingers with you after you are done. L. Fleisig

I only review a fraction of the number of books I read, so I don't give this compliment lightly.

Summary, no spoilers:

Let me start off by saying that it is difficult to give a good review of this book without slight spoilers - but I will do my best and try to still give a flavor of what makes this such a memorable read.

This *gorgeously* written novel starts off with a brilliant description of a desolate country post office in Austria, in 1926. Working in this depressing bureaucratic hell, is a 28 year old woman named Christine, who has been beaten down by poverty, dullness and tedium in her life.

Christine had a much different childhood; her family had substantial means and lived comfortably, and she grew up a happy and content child. But all changed with the Great War, and they, like so many other Europeans, lost everything. All that remains to Christine is her job with the post office, and taking care of her sick mother in a depressing and decrepit attic room.

She is devoid of hope, and that is part of the key to this fantastic story.

While toiling at the post office, Christine gets a telegraph message from her aunt in America - a woman she's never met. The wealthy aunt offers her a vacation at an expensive and elegant Alpine resort. Christine immediately runs to her mother to find out if this is real, and her mother explains that it is, and that her sister (the aunt) wanted her to go, but that she couldn't because she couldn't travel and that she should take Christine.

Christine, utterly flummoxed by the thought of any change in the dull routine of her life, packs her small straw suitcase, and takes a train to meet her aunt.

The description of Christine's arrival at the hotel are priceless and brilliant. Christine is overwhelmed by the beauty and by the elegance of everything, and she is like Cinderella at the ball. Her aunt (and uncle) are good to her, and dress her in beautiful clothing and have her hair cut in the latest elegant fashion, and have her face made-up. The scene reminded me of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz movie - being primped and taken care of from every angle.

Christine is so excited, and so astounded at her ability to feel anything but sadness and tedium, that she cannot sleep for the first night. She feels like her eyes have been opened to the beauty of the world, and she wants to take it all in.

This is all from Part One, of this two part novel. If you want absolutely no spoilers, don't read on (and don't read the back cover of the novel) - although I recommend that you do and that it won't take away from your enjoyment of this novel. For me, knowing a little bit in advance only enhanced my reading experience.

Part Two is a far different story, although it takes place immediately afterwards. Christine, like Cinderella, has been returned to the hovel, but now it all becomes unbearable because she has experienced and seen the other side.

Christine befriends a man named Ferdinand, a bitter war veteran, who shares her world-view and despondency. They try to see each other and have a relationship, but this is not easy in post-war Austria, when one doesn't have any money or means. But they make plans...

There are so many things to love about this book - number one being that it's just so beautifully written. There are paragraphs that I read over and over again, just because of Zweig's ability to string words together to get across a feeling or an idea or a description are just so perfect. And yet this is a translation, to boot! It makes me want to learn German, just so I could read this in its native language.

Secondly, this is an astute novel about what it's like to live without hope, and what happens when someone who has nothing is given this chance to see what the good life is like, and then have it taken away from them. Is it better not to have been given this chance at all?

Needless to say, this novel is highly recommended. I also highly recommend another NYRB Classic release, "Beware of Pity", Zweig's first novel released under this label. He is fast becoming my favorite author, and I hope that all of his books and stories become available in English. Sadly, he and his wife committed suicide in 1942 in Brazil, haunted by what was happening in his native Austria and Germany.

The book is the account of the anarchist Alexander's Berkman's experiences in prison after his botched attempt to assassinate the industrialist Henry Clay Frick, the monster who "legally" slaughtered workers during the Homestead strike of 1892. Although Berkman never abandons his anarchist principles, he does soften his moral repugnance for criminals whose crimes were not motivated by political or humanitarian aims. If anything his friendships with prisoners deepen his anarchist insights about how exploitation and poverty are the principal causes of criminal behavior. Like his lover Emma Goldman, he spends his prison years advocating for the needs of his fellow inmates, often being punished for his advocacy. Berkman details the brutality, graft and corruption of the prison establishment.

Anticipating Victor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning, Berkman shows that those who view their punishment as a part of a larger purpose are best equipped to survive the inhuman treatment and conditions of prison life. The book is not all seriousness, however. It often has lighter moments, as when Berkman describes the quixotic attempt by his friends to tunnel into the prison to free him. Berkman's sub rosa argument, made to Goldman, that Leon Czologosz's assassination of President McKinley lacked redeeming social value, unlike his (Berkman's) attempt to assassinate Frick, while though interesting fails to be convincing. Those interested in the relationship of these remarkable people (Goldman and Berkman) will especially want to read that section.

The book is worth reading not merely for its historical value but for its literary qualities as well. It is intelligently written and difficult to put down. Although it is 518 pages, I read it all in three days. It is just that riveting.

In 1892, Alexander Berkman burst into the office of Henry Frick, an overseer at Carnegie's steelworks, and attempted to gun him down to foment a revolutionary uprising. Frick survived. Berkman went to jail. Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist is Berkman's account, not only of the revolutionary ardor which drove him to assault Frick, but also of the horrors of incarceration and the transformation of his own thinking while behind bars.

We get plenty of revolutionary and anarchist theory from Berkman. He opens a door into the thoughts and feelings of people struggling for economic and social justice 100 years ago. More than that, he opens a door into the mindset of a fanatic, one which may help us understand the motivations of those who flew their planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on 9/11/2001:

"Could anything be nobler than to die for a grand, a sublime Cause? Why, the very life of a true revolutionist has no other purpose, no significance whatever, save to sacrifice it on the altar of the beloved People." (p. 12)

"My own individuality is entirely in the background; aye, I am not conscious of any personality in matters pertaining to the Cause. I am simply a revolutionist; a terrorist by conviction, an instrument for furthering the cause of humanity." (p. 13)

"True, the Cause often calls upon the revolutionist to commit an unpleasant act; but it is the test of a true revolutionist-nay, more, his pride-to sacrifice all merely human feeling at the call of the People's Cause." (p. 12)

Berkman, the purist, disdains his fellow prisoners. He sees himself as better than they are, a Servant of Humanity, not a petty criminal, a predator on the poor. But, life in prison, although it does not shake his revolutionary and anarchist convictions, does bring him down from his ivory tower. Berkman begins to see that:

"The individual, in certain cases, is of more direct and immediate consequence than humanity. What is the latter but the aggregate of individual existences-and shall these, the best of them, forever be sacrificed for the metaphysical collectivity?" (p. 403)

His revolutionary understanding also shifts. He begins to differentiate between the autocratic despotism of Europe and the despotism of republican institutions:

"The despotism of republican institutions is far deeper, more insidious, because it rests on the popular delusion of self-government and independence. That is the subtle source of democratic tyranny, and, as such, it cannot be reached with a bullet. In modern capitalism, exploitation rather than oppression is the real enemy of the people ... the battle is to be waged in the economic rather than the political field." (p. 424)

This is not, however, a political manifesto (for that, one can read Berkman's ABCs of Anarchism). Berkman reveals his inner processes during fourteen years of incarceration. We discover, not only the horrors and corruption of the prison system, but also wander intimately through Berkman's mind. We visit his childhood, soften at unexpected gentlenesses behind bars, and begin to appreciate something as simple as the sunrise.

Although Berkman did not write the memoir until after he left prison, it has a sense of surreal immediacy. He wrote in the present tense, but that alone does not account for the way his text grips, and drags the reader into the maelstrom of his experience. We run with him through childhood memories, daily brutality, fantasies of escape and suicide, and the ideals that keep him sane. His longing for Emma Goldman shines through the text. He enthrones her almost as the guardian of his sanity through the years. Little can compare with the poignancy of his fantasy of mailing himself to his beloved Emma, escaping prison and finding himself with her again. (p. 135-137)

Five stars. Absolutely brilliant work, as relevant today as it was nearly 100 years ago. In her autobiography, Living my Life, Emma Goldman recounted how Berkman saved his sanity and his life by writing this memoir. The deep introspection, the flights of fancy, the accounting of prison life-all deeply illumine the best and the worst of human nature. This book is required reading for anybody who wishes to understand the fanatical, terrorist mindset, for Berkman describes that aptly. Far more importantly, he shares the experience of survival and transformation. He, who entered prison a fanatic, left those iron gates more committed than ever to his cause, but no longer a fanatic. His story tells of graduating from terrorist to humanist, from monomaniacal fanatic to a deeply committed human being. If you read nothing else this year, read this book.

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Everyone should read this book. It was written at the begining of the 19th century, but everything is still important today. I ordered this book for a friend in prison and he loved it, and passed it around to other prisoners. If you know anyone in jail or prison, please send them this book. It was my husband's favorite book before he was killed on a freight train. It's very well written and comes highly recommended.

This is one of the best memoirs I have ever read. Berkman, as you probably know, tried to kill Henry Frick in an ill fated (and stupid) solidarity action with a group of strikers. He went to jail for it, and his immature poltics underwent an amazing transistion.

But instead of coming out of jail reformed, he came out with a more complex sense of who he was and what he had to do and returned immediately to his poltical work. Berkman's writing style changes as he changes as a person, starting out ultra doctrinare and ending up a more well rounded and likeable human being. Highly recommened, even if you aren't interested in the politics.

"Is there anything higher in life than to be a true revolutionist...?" - From Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist

This is an incredibly moving and detailed account of an activist's experiences in early industrial America. As an Anarchist, Alexander Berkman recounts his observations of the era's struggle for decent living standards and fair treatment from fat cat industrialists. In prison for attempted assasination of a steel magnate who was responsible for firing and killing striking steel workers, Berkman eloquently describes his reasons for acting on behalf of the working poor and exploited. His experiences in prison are gut wrenching and very human. Not much fluffy language - very straighforward observations, which are emotionally piercing in their social significance and human truth. An exceptional read for anyone interested in the American history that is usually left out of school text books. Berkman's experiences are painful but very motivating and inspiring as they illustrate human love, the will to survive and continue to work for an ideal under the most horrendous conditions. This book is an extraordinary powerful testament to human goodness and strength.

If you're in a relationship...read this book. If you're looking for a relationship...read this book. Rich Gilmore was on point with this one. There has to be a sequel. A Star Is Born!

Never heard of Rich Gilmore, but after reading this book...hehas earned another fan!

Great character development, great plot, all with a greater message... This book was unusually empowering for a sexy urban novel. I look forward to more Rich Gilmore novels...I'm officially a FAN!!! I hope he keeps it up

The cover does the book no justice. The book was deep and full of substance. I read it cover to cover in one day. Rich gets 5 Stars for this one. I can't wait for the sequel or movie

Rich Gilmore is the next biggest thing. I love his books, especially this one. I learned all about the "lust game" from reading. A MUST READ!

This is the book that put Leslie Charteris on the map and made best-sellers of all the previous Saint books in retrospect.

Set shortly after the repeal of Prohibition, this tale of revenge is one of the grimmest, and the certainly the most violent, of all the Saint stories, so that when it was filmed, it was considerably toned down (and all hint of corruption in the New York judiciary removed, of course).

Nevertheless, most Saint fans, including myself, seem to regard it as one of the best (as witness the other reviews). To take just one example: as a synopsis of all the previous Saint books -- vital, if new readers are to understand the story -- the prologue (which takes the form of a letter to the NYPD from Simon's old adversary Chief Inspector Teal of Scotland Yard) is one of the most original ideas I've seen.

Charteris knew New York well, along with its denizens and their culture and language. The characters are drawn with great verve, especially Inspector John Fernack, the various members of the gangland hierarchy, and the mysterious Fay Edwards, who falls in love with Simon at the same time as she is helping him to kill just about everyone she knows.

Above all, Charteris shows himself once again a first-rate story-teller. Gripping from start to finish.

P.S. For a list of -- and discussion of -- all Charteris's Saint books, see my So You'd Like To... Guide.

If you only ever read one saint story ,you will be missing out on some great stuff, but THE SAINT IN NEW YORK would be the one to try . The saint at his best reckless as ever ,but coming very close to getting a set of wings to go with his halo . His way of expression ,english wit to hardend new york thugs is very amusing.Dont confuse this guy with the later tv saint, in this he bumps off the ungodly as quick as they would him ,with the help of gun ,knife and a mysterious female,beautiful but deadly.Trying to free the city from the clutchers of nicely sewn up crime ring,the saint works his way through some of the smaller fish,and gets dangerously closer to the sharp and powerfull jaws of the big fella,but who is the big fella ? GREAT STUFF .

If you only ever read one saint story ,you will be missing out on some great stuff, but THE SAINT IN NEW YORK would be the one to try . The saint at his best reckless as ever ,but coming very close to getting a set of wings to go with his halo . His way of expression ,english wit to hardend new york thugs is very amusing.Dont confuse this guy with the later tv saint, in this he bumps off the ungodly as quick as they would him ,with the help of gun ,knife and a mysterious female,beautiful but deadly.Trying to free the city from the clutchers of nicely sewn up crime ring,the saint works his way through some of the smaller fish,and gets dangerously closer to the sharp and powerfull jaws of the big fella,but who is the big fella ? GREAT STUFF .

When Simon Templar, alias the Saint, is hired to avenge the murder af a millionair's son, he comes to New York to find a totally corrupt system. With impudence only he has, he cheerfully takes on the task of single-handedly cleaning up the City. We see the colder side of his personality when he swears to be completely ruthless after witnessing the mob's impersonal fatal "rides." This book is fast paced with a completely unexpected ending, with no dull spots anywhere. I would recommend it to anybody, even if you are not a Saint fan.

As the other reviewers wrote, the Saint was unusually cold and merciless in this book. Because the enemy was so big, so strong and so merciless; even the Saint was severely cornered several times. But I was glad because he still held his characteristics that made him so charming; impudence, recklessness, sense of humor and sense of justice. I also enjoyed the story very much; well-plotted, fast-paced and thrilling. And the climax was so dramatic! It will be one of the best Saint novels. Highly recommended.