New York Books

For years I have shared Joe's grief at watching TV Shows and reading books based on the NYPD. It was apparent that the people involved couldn't find NYC on a map!
Joe puts you there...In the front seat of the "RMP," as you speed to the next "Job...", wondering if it will be a DOA or just another "unfounded" radio-run.
Thanks Joe for filling in the blanks..Hope you "civilians" appreciate his hard work!.

Resume patrol.....Mike D. (NYPD HWY 1)

Many books have been written attempting to explain law and police procedure for crime writers; few are written by real cops. This book, written by an 11-year veteran of the NYPD, looks at real police procedures in the Big Apple.

It gives the street addresses, coverage areas and major landmarks for all the precincts in the five boroughs. It describes the various units and other personnel within a precinct, like the Integrity Control Officer, the Anti-Crime Unit, the Borough Task Force, the Emergency Services Unit, the Squad Commander, the Hate Crimes Task Force, and the Organized Crime Control Bureau, among many others. There is now no reason for a writer to put a precinct in the wrong part of the city, or to have a crime investigated by the wrong part of the precinct.

The author then explores what really happens at the scene of a homicide. Rigor mortis is part of practically every murder novel, but is usually done incorrectly. It does not turn a body permanently rigid; after about a day and a half, the body returns to totally flaccid. A reliable way for the medical examiner to determine the time of death is to check the contents of the stomach during the autopsy.

The first patrol officer on the scene will often make or break the case. He or she will establish the crime scene without contaminating it, and detain witnesses and suspects. Everything starts with a clear and accurate description, whether it's of a lost child or a murder suspect.

Other chapters look at police lineups, what the Miranda Warning is all about, courtroom testimony (including how to survive cross-examination), the various types of serial killers, and sex crimes and child abuse cases. There is also a handy glossary of actual police lingo and a list of police acronyms.

This is a very complete book. For writers of crime novels, especially NYPD novels, this book belongs on your reference shelf. For everyone else, read this book and see for yourself just how well, or how badly, TV does the police business. Highly recommended.

All authors are going to take some license when it comes to writing crime fiction, but the key to selling an unlikely scenario (I mean, how many serial killers are there in real life as opposed to in books?) is to make it as believable as possible. That depth of story and vision is a lot easier to achieve if you peruse through WCNYS. Giacalone breaks down the hows and whys of policework, providing lots of insight and useful details without getting bogged down in endless technicalities. The book covers everything from proper police ranks to how to get a suicide jumper off a roof. All the while, this info is told with a minimum of clutter, and more than the occasional laugh (the culmination of his suicide jumper example is worth the price of admission alone!). It's an enjoyable and very educational read.

This book is an insightful, detailed and entertaining resource for all crime and mystery writers, as well as informative for crime show watchers. Learn what really happens from an NYPD perspective about crime and criminal investigations, and spot the "felonies" perpetrated by TV police dramas. A fully researched guide that includes police procedure, definitions and glossary of police lingo. I keep going back to it again and again! A five star book!

This book is filled with an insider's look at NYPD procedures and methods. It explains in laymen's terms what the NYPD does and does not do as well as which group's within the NYPD are responsible for what. A great resource for any crime writing author or for anyone who would like to see the inner workings of the NYPD.

Witty yet useful, the book reads like a novel which is probably a good thing, especially when reading about the dark ages. In fact, this book probably focuses more on the losing years of 1903-1920 and 1965-1975 more then any other writer so this probably the most comprehensive book to date on the Yankees.

This book has lots of text -- that is a good thing! This is not a picture book, but more of a detailed history with some good photos. I enjoyed all the details and seeing some pictures that I had not seen before. Probably one of the "keepers" of the Yankees 100th craze.

As a Giants fan I've never had much love for the Yankees, but I picked up this book for a friend after reading RED SOX CENTURY. I started flipping through it and was totally engrossed -- what Stout has done is give us the full story of this team, not just the same old stuff about their wins, the famous players, and George Steinbrenner, although that's all in here too. And the photos are just great. I'd recommend this one to any Yankees fan, as well as anyone interested in reading a good, multi-layered story about baseball.

I'll have to agree with Book Magazine on this one, which named this book one of the best sports books of 2002. Of all the Yankee books out this year (and there are many), this is clearly the best, combining hundreds of stunning photographs with what is easily the most detailed and comprehensive history of this team ever written. Quite simply, it makes all the other Yankee books out there seem as if they were written for children. That's not to say this is a tough read or anything, but it is a comprehensive book that you can spend days and weeks with, and is critical when it needs to be. I also think it's the only Yankee book in recent memory that contains anything NEW - there are literally dozens of stories in here that don't appear elsewhere, like the story about why Boston sold Ruth (it's no curse SOx fans). It is particularly good with early Yankee history and the last decade, both of which are rarely written about in other books at all. There are also essays by people like Ira Berkow and Paul O'Neill's sister, just enough stats and a huge index that makes it possible to look up just about anything. This book is certain to become the definitive history for the first hundred years of the Yankee dynasty and is a must-have for Yankee fans or anyone interested in baseball history.

I was led to this book by a recent review by Eric Neel on ESPN.com. He wrote, "It says here that 14 percent of Americans root for the Yankees and the other 86 percent root for their demise. No fence sitting ; you're in or you're out with the Yanks.

I'm sure the 14 percent have this book already and that they're reading it aloud to their kids every night before bed, wiping tears from the kids' faces, letting them know how deep and wide the Yankees history is.

If you're the other 86 percent, you ought to be reading it too. First, because there's something devilishly satisfying in reading about the early days, when the team was nearly shut out of Manhattan, playing on a sloppy, cobbled together frield with a sawamp in right. Second, because as you turn the pages you come to realize that from DiMaggio to Mantle, from Bucky Dent to Reggie to Paul O'Neill and El Duque, these guys and the things they've done (sometimes to you, sometimes in spite of you) are part of your history, part of how you remember and imagine your life. An third, because it's insanely thorough, full of details you've forgotten or never knew, and very good looking.

Stout started this series with Red Sox Century in 2000. Dodger Century is in the works. These are rich, dazzling books, standard-setters, fully-realized, complicated portraits of the ways a team and a game weave in and out of politics, history and popular culture.

O'Neill's sister contributes an essay that sums up the series appeal much better than I can: 'In our family we tell stories. We don't really Talk. We let baseball articulate the hopes and fears that we'd never consider telling each other.'"

In this case, I found the review was completely accurate. Of the spate of books out now that claim to tell the history of this team, this book, in almost 500 pages of words and photographs, is the only one up to its subject. If you don't believe me, or ESPN, I suggest you read the excerpt about the birth of the team - even hard core Yankee fans will learn something new.

My daughter received this book as a gift on her first birthday. The illustrations are beautiful, but because she is so young, and we want to preserve the book, we mostly listen to the music with her. My wife holds my daughter and dances around the room to the sweet and happy melodies. When she sets her down my daughter makes the sign for "more more more"! Once the music begins, she laughs and reaches up, wanting to start all over again.

The music is not overly "classical", nor is it annoyingly childish. It is just wonderfully simple and can be enjoyed by anyone at any time.

absolute gem!!! wordless story told in pictures and original musical score- everyone should enjoy this book

A very pleasant book. Great to use on a rainy day with the music. The illustrations give a sense of constant motion and are complemented by the fast tempo music. The pictures have a strong correlation between shape, size, and environment, with everything seeming very deliberate. A great medium and angle to depict the journey to school. All the different umbrellas seem to have their own characteristics and throughout the book you are left to wonder who is under the umbrella and where are they going. Beautifully illustrated!! Should be read with the music.

... so much so that I chose to review it. It is an atypical "counting" book... one in which a certain object, in this case -- umbrellas, is added to each page. But the twist is that a CD comes with this book. The CD has various cuts of original piano music. Each cut wonderfully reflects the setting of the given page. On one page, as the umbrellas cross over a bridge, you can hear the plink-plink of the raindrops on the water below. On another page, you can hear an approaching train as the pianist speeds up his delivery of original music. The artwork is beautiful, with a subdued rainy palette used for backgrounds. Only the umbrellas themselves are vibrantly depicted. It's only at the end of the book in which we actually get a glimpse of the people (children) carrying the umbrellas, and even on that page, one only sees their legs. My two sons enjoyed trying to guess who might be carrying the umbrellas and where they might be going. My 9-year-old said, "Wouldn't it be funny if they turned out to be monsters!" Monsters notwithstanding, the audio-visual combination makes for a wonderful experience just before dropping off to sleep.

My daughters (3 and 5) received the book from their Aunt. The first night we popped the CD in and slowly turned the pages...I watched their eyes as we went page by page and saw smiles come and go throughout the book. The fact that there are no words makes us slow down, mingle music with imagination and every now and then we make up our own words - sprinkled here and there among the raindrops - to take the story in new directions whenever we choose.

Now...the CD player in the car brings the pictures back to the girls as we travel down to Rhode Island to visit family. Fabulous choice - thanks Aunt Betty and Uncle Duck.

Everyone who wants to eat well in NYC needs a Zagat guide. It lists almost every kind of cuisine, price level and restaurant location in the city. The reviewers are people just like you and me, they like to eat and they are willing to share their experiences. If you are visiting NYC for the first time, or for the 20th time, you need this book.

If you are planning to take a trip to New York City, be certain that you have the latest copy of Zagat's with you. It will totally enhance your dining experience. don't leave home without it.

i have been to new york city several times and always consult my zagat guide. it has never let me down! i would not dream of not going without it!

This book is awesome!! If you like to go out to eat and try new things this is the book to help guide you. I get one every year and use it all the time. I recommend this book to anyone who goes out to eat in NYC!

Where would we be without Zagat? I don't always agree with their reviews, but it's somewhere to start. After you read the review you can always check out the web site. If anything the reviews are more critical than they need to be. I have never been disappointed.

I was visiting New York City from Tempe, and I really really was looking forward to seeing where a lot of my favorite films and shows took place. This guide helped me out a whole lot!!! I recommend it to any and all show and film buffs out there!!!!!!!

I heard about this guide on the radio and bought it. I love it, it has most of my favorite movies like Maid in Manhattan and Sleepless in Seattle. There are a couple of other movie guides out there but this has newer movies and is easier to use. My friends who go to New York all ask to borrow my guide.

I came across this book one day and it is so fun. I am a huge film buff and have lived in NYC for years but didn't know anything about these locations except for the obvious ones like the Empire State Building in Sleepless in Seattle. Little did I know that I live down the street from where the Friends characters live...and Friends is my favorite show! Now when people coem to visit I always point out locations that I got from the guide.

I also like that the guide is lightweight and easy to carry around, and the map is not a huge embarrassing pullout so I don't look like a tourist when I whip it out.

I think anyone who loves movies and entertainment (and NYC) should get this guide.

I am obsessed with Sex and the City and this guide has tons of the clubs and restaruants that you see on the show. My girlfriends and I like dressing up and checking these places out on the weekend.

I went to New York this summer and used this guide. It was great. I have been to the city a few times so I was tired of doing the same old touristy things. With this I was able to find places from movies I loved. Plus it's really easy to use.

Excellent book! I have purchased several for visiting friends and family.

Central Park is just a national treasure, and this book does a wonderful job of capturing the park. It's easy to say that it impossible to take a bad picture this breath taking oasis, but as this book shows it does take skill to really capture the essence of the park. I believe even a native New Yorker, who had spent their whole life in the park, could appreciate this book and could get a who new feel for the space. I recommend this book to anyone with a love for things beautiful.

As enjoyable and informative as "Central Park, An American Masterpiece: A Comprehensive History of the Nation's First Urban Park" by Sara Cedar Miller, this book reveals why the great park was known as the "lungs" of New York City. "212 Views of Central Park: Experiencing New York City's Jewel From Every Angle" by D. Sandee and Hartman Brawarsky is gorgeous book, and each of the 212 views are nothing less than breathtaking. It's not only a great coffee table book, but also has very informative text. It is a true glorification of Vaux's and Olmstead's vision and realization of what true civic engineering is capable of, when supported by a responsive government. Of course, there is no substitute for experiencing the park first-hand, but this sure conveys that sense of relief from the city's frenzied pace, and of the park's true beauty. I recommend this book highly.

There are several books of photographs of Central Park on the store shelves. This one stands out. The photos in 212 Views are stunning. You feel as if you are standing right there, you imagine you will feel the fresh air on your face as you turn the page! The text is like a well-informed friend who accompanies you, the reader, through Central Park, sharing select details about the history and design of the Park and adding layers of depth to your immediate sensory appreciation of the Park. Whether you are a frequent user of Central Park, an occasional visitor, or an arm chair stroller, experiencing the park only through the pages of the book, I highly recommend 212 Views. It's a great gift for the holidays, too. (I bought copies for my exercise partner who loves fast-walking in the Park and for my mother!)

New York residents and visitors will treasure these vivid photos and charming essays infused by a love of the city and its showcase park. "Views" will entertain and educate readers, and encourage their explorations. Enjoy!

6 Sick Hipsters is a wild ride into the underworld of hip that takes more daring, shocking, bloody turns than Pulp Fiction. Rayo Casablanca pulls no punches. Oh, but you'll take 'em... and love every jolt.
---Kemble Scott, author of the bestselling novel SOMA.

What a fun book. Great and wild ride for a weekend. I wish I was a hipster with a tamed Baboon.

They stalk on spiderlike legs wearing jeans tighter than an old woman's wrinkled shoes. As they are the scourge of Starbucks baristas, so also Hipsters are the bones of this novel, but don't for a minute assume they're the flesh of it. Rayo Casablanca's debut is as dark as it is hilarious, as encapsulating as it is clever. He leads us by the hand so charmingly through places so noir their bars sell bourbon on tap and we're left smiling deftly with two toddler steps after each of his morbid strides. From Paleontological pornography to a gangster called "Tank the Niggatron", 6 Sick Hipsters leaves no stone unturned and when you're not laughing out loud you're silently nodding with a half-shameful envy.

Aside from the vinyl and drainpipes the novel stipulates pop-culture trivia like monastic creed and at a swollen and malformed range accepted only by the vicious trend setters themselves. From Thomas Pynchon to The Sisters of Mercy, 6 Sick Hipsters swells with allusions, but ultimately the novel's charm comes from the juxtaposition of iniquitous comedy, sly satire and a subculture fetish, and by his good graces does he do it well. All in all a funny, dark and clever debut.

(this review originally appeared at Dogmatika [dot] com)

Someone is killing the Williamsburg, Brooklyn hipster elite, leaving clues only the most sub-culturally attuned can find and decipher. The police don't seem interested in these seemingly random killings, so it is up to the Whole Sick Crew to find the killer before they become one of his next victims. Set amid the mainstream-eschewing world of hipsters, 6 Sick Hipsters is a conspiracy novel more rounded than most, delivering beautiful pacing and a well-defined ensemble cast told in an often self-depreciating style that perfectly compliments the uber-cool mentality of its characters.

This, Rayo Casablanca's first novel, is filled with obscure and pop references alike along with intelligent slacker character forms reminiscent of Douglas Coupland's Generation X, though Casablanca's characters are grounded by plot rather than the social criticism. Though Casablanca does dip into witty satire and deep social commentary, he displays more prominently the gun power and buckets of blood consistent with the conspiracy thriller genre. The novel is more apt to develop a beautifully grotesque description of a head being shot:

"Cooper's head had been there, all bright teeth and receding hair, and then a nanosecond later--just a jump cut--it was a million bits of corpus colossum and eyeball juice. It was like is smile got so wide and bright that it evaporated the face around it. Poof!" [pg. 168]

than to expound upon the contagion of cultural memes:

"You have to understand this battle [...] You're not up against a monolithic entity, a bear running at you from the forest. You're fighting for survival against a wave of fads..." [pg. 237]

though both do exist, and deliver beautifully.

The novel culminates to a revelation of a "trend-war" fought on the battle grounds of consumerism, a topic that could easily suffer the ramblings of nihilist angst and anti-capitalism critiques. These moments do appear, but the reader is never bogged down by tales of cultural woe. Instead we are allowed fresh insight into the buyer/seller mentality. I refer specifically to an especially engaging exchange between the novel's villain and hero toward the end of the story. I won't give it away, but not surprisingly the passage comes during another one of the conspiracy-thriller genre's defining aspects: there's always time for a speech before dying/pulling a trigger.

6 Sick Hipsters carries the rogue camaraderie of Joey Goebel's The Anomalies--punk attitude and hipster lifestyles included--along with a less passive social critique found in Coupland's Generation X. Fans of slick conspiracies and vinyl records rejoice.

This book starts with a JOLT and ends just like you thought it would EXCEPT totally different. Chocked full of action, 6 Sick Hipsters uses analytical dialogue to keep you guessing while radically misguided but ultra hip intellects search for the answers, sort of like your favorite Scooby Doo episode on acid. This book will make you LOL, ponder the power of pop culture, and could possibly give you nightmares. Super fun read.

I thought this book was terrific. I love Georgia O'Keefe and I've traveled to Lake George a couple of times, and it proved fascinating for me personally. But it's also a great read for anyone looking for a smart mystery. The main character has lots of wit. I can't wait for the next one.

Spectacular fall foliage and the beauty of the Queen of American lakes (Lake George) serve as the back-drop for an entertaining murder mystery involving the theft of previously unknown paintings by Georgia O'Keefe. O'Keefe fans in particular will enjoy the historical background that leads to the "discovery" of lost art. A great beach book.

Anne White has spent her life as a writer, editor and librarian. She has had short stories published in several magazines, including McCall's, Career World, Lake George Arts Project Literary Review, and Glen Falls Post Star. She holds degrees in English and Library and Information Studies. Affinity for Murder is her first novel. She lives in Glen Falls, NY.

Ellen Davies is occupying her uncle's old house in Lake George. Georgia O'Keeffe is one of Lake George's most notable figures, during the summers she spent in Lake George with her husband. Ellen is set to interview an art expert acquaintance of her new friend Diane's who is staying at her and her estranged husband's bungalow when they discover smoke, a fire in the bungalow...and a dead body:

"The partially burned body of a man lay on his side facing away from me. The handle of a long, thin knife or letter opener protruded from his back. Blood had puddled up around the wound and formed a grotesque strawberry mark on the man's tweed sport coat. The smell coming from the body and from the singed hair was sickening enough but it was the face, when I leaned sideways to look at it, that really started my stomach churning."

Anne White has written a thorough entertaining tale with punch lines galore, masterful description, and a plot intricate enough to pull the reader along until the final exciting denouement. Using Georgia O'Keeffe as a backdrop, her story has a "what if" and "it could happen" air about it that is compelling. Ms. White knows her O'Keeffe, and the stories and descriptions of her painting and life alone are enough to make this a great mystery. But, not content to rest on her laurels, Ms. White proceeds to write just about the perfect mystery.

An Affinity for Murder has it all...great characterization, action, eloquent writing, a heroine who is fun to follow, and a crackerjack plot line. She hides the culprit until the very end, and adds a witty twist just for fun. Excellently done, Ms. White! We would all love to keep following Ellen Davies! She is devilishly independent, intelligent, and savvy.

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer

This mystery put all five of my senses right back in the beautiful Adirondacks where I was born and raised and lived untill I was 19. I could smell the wet leaves on the tall trees alongside Bolton Road and see their beautiful array of colors cluster after cluster. I could hear the wakes of the lake smashing against the docks at times and feel the smack of the cold Lake George air on my exposed face on a late October night. I could taste that freezing rain on my tongue during one of the most thrilling nights of the story. I am still thinking about all the characters, weeks after finishing the book,and hoping that Ellen and her friends return in a sequel. And yes, I have this feeling that if Georgia O'Keeffe and Anne White had had the opportunity to meet one another, they would have been best of friends.

Anne White's cozy small town mystery AN AFFINITY FOR MURDER delights by continuing her Lake George mystery series with a different sleuth, a journalist pursuing a story. Georgia O'Keefe's painting take center stage in this mystery.

Ellen Davies plans a feature story on the artist Georgia O'Keefe who spent her summers at Lake George. When she goes to visit an art critic Edward Maranville for background material, she discovers a fire and a body burned beyond recognition and a knife stuck in his back. As Ellen pursues the story, a group of paintings hidden in a locked closet vanish. Only the painting of the black iris remains behind but even that painting might become a dangerous possession. As Ellen researches her Georgia O'Keefe story, danger lurks in unexpected places as a murderer follows her path.

Anne White's AN AFFINITY FOR MURDER is a wonderful mystery read with a small town atmosphere. The reader sees another dimension to Lake George itself with her historical research as Anne White turns her focus on new characters as they explore part of the town's history and small town rumors. With the exploration of Georgia O'Keefe's work and her history in Lake George, Anne White adds a richness to this mystery through her sensuous descriptions of Georgia O'Keefe's flower paintings as well as discussions of the artist's technique, her relationship with the famous photographer Alfred Steiglitz and other corners of the art world. AN AFFINITY FOR MURDER is unforgettable --- a delight for mystery and art fans! As Anne White turns her vision to the art history of the Lake George town, the series grows organically, giving both newness and familiarity as the reader re-enters the wonderful community of Lake George.

There are some books that are just so informative that no library should be without them. There are some books that are written so well that it is a positive joy to read the text. There are some people who have such a way of looking at the world that you feel comfort hearing them speak. There are people who have seen so much that their opinion is something you seek.

All of these traits are combined in this volume that only Foote's Civil War trilogy can compare with. The small stories that are routinely missed (such as the origin of "the real McCoy) and the relevence of these ordinary people making extrodinary things happen are coupled with the tales of the extraordinary people who had their ordinary vices. (Franklin's advice to take an older mistress because they are both more discreet and more grateful) Both named and unnamed he tells their tale as it fits in the piece of this puzzle of America

Unlike much of history which seems to have an agenda, Cooke's masterpiece is classical, telling a story of grandur without fawning and of warts without lambasting. It is a grand overview rather than a list of presidents, wars and laws. He captures the essense of what is importnat. It is as if he wished to give a consice guide to his compatriots in England of what facinates him about this land that he eventually settled as did many in his story.

It captures what America and Americans are very well and would be an excellent guide to any person who wants to understand us. With so many Americans ignorant of their own history it would be an even better guide to todays college or high school students to make them understand this land of their birth and how it came to be what it is.

This book is 30 years old as I write this (July 4th 2003) at the time he wrote this Cooke was in his 27th year of his Letter from America Broadcast for the BBC. When you finish this book you will find yourself wanting more. Have no fear Mr Cooke is now in his 57th year of his broadcasts telling the story of America 15 minutes at a time continues. Lets hope he dictates a sequel filling in these 30 years.

Besides being a beautifully written, poetic portrait of America's history, the author's British background provides for a totally different perspective. This viewpoint provides a different insight on people and events that an American writer might not have grasped and that I found very interesting and refreshing.

No stiff upper lip Brit here, not at all. As a transplanted British journalist Alistair Cooke who studied in America's Ivy League universities and then returned to America as a BBC correspondent seems to have been deeply affected and impressed by what he saw here. He stayed here and became a citizen. If the little man and his small cracker-barrel anecdotes represented the collective spirit of the country Alistair Cooke's fascination of the common man's philosophy captured that spirit simply and eloquently in his writings. This simple eloquent approach addressed and exposed the heart and feeling of the people that drove the great country for higher aspirations of the human experience. This is what he wrote about. His observations and examination of the Civil War capture the fervent feelings that Americans held be they morally right or wrong. Yet at the end of this struggle the common purpose of the people did not deter them to find their destiny in this land. The spirit never died and that is what Cooke seems to capture, explore and explain in such eloquent words.

Alistair Cooke, who died very recently, was a Briton who first came to America during the dark days of the Great Depression as a very young BBC correspondent. The venerated justice Oliver Wendell Holmes was one of the very first people whom he met - and he writes eloquently of that encounter in the Civil War chapter of this book. Finding our spirit and our optimism contagious, Cooke spent much, if not most of his life here for the next seven decades, getting the know the best and the brightest, the celebrity and the common man on the street, learned about our history with an appreciation that very few - even many Americans - have for this country.

The result is "Alistair Cooke's America" first published as a loving tribute to this country at its Bicentennial in 1976, with a revised forward in 2002, though with no mention of the tumultous events of September 11, 2001. Cooke writes movingly of our history and of the spirit of the American people, the fight for Liberty during the American Revolution, the move westward, that "firebell in the night" (to quote Thomas Jefferson) as the country tore itself apart over the question of Slavery. He writes of the Civil War, interestingly considering Antietam to be a much more significant battle than Gettysburg. His views on Abraham Lincoln are also surprising, in his view that President Lincoln was venerated in great part due to his death, and being the leader of the winning side.

Cooke also spends much more writing space on Woodrow Wilson, whom he clearly admires for his domestic and foreign policies, but either ignores or just wasn't aware of Wilson's Racist policies. By contrast, Theodore Roosevelt, whose Presidency bridged the gap between the Civil War years and America becoming a major power, gets barely two pages.

Cooke's chapter on the "Arsenal of Democracy" is a revelatory look at how America's policy of "Lend Lease" and our subsequent entry into World War II did save the world from Hitlerism, especially when France had fallen and Britain was on the ropes.

Despite some of his views, or perhaps because of them - This well-written and profusely illustrated book deserves the five-star review because Alistair Cooke wrote a history that belongs on every thoughtful American's bookshelf alongside Stephen Ambrose's "To America". The things we take for granted about how great this country is were never missed by this great British writer.

His prose depicting the American people throughout our nation's historical record are eloquent and shear poetry to read. His endearing objectivity and love of this land through his insightful words are stirring and heartwarming. You do not come across this type of writing with genuine devotion, respect and love for what comprised the greatness of the American spirit.

I read this as a child and gave mine to my daughter to read when she was 8. Now my granddaughter is loving all of the books in this series - alas we lost mine along the way with moving but was able to find them in reprint thanks to Amazon.

This is a book I remember from my childhood. I loved it then--love it now. The book is in great condition, and the service was quick and easy.

This series, which follows the adventures of five young Jewish sisters in early 20th century New York, focuses here upon the girls' younger years, as well as the babyhood of little brother Charlie. Despite poverty and potentially dismal city living, the family's warmth, love and religious faith make every day an adventure.

With the exception of certain extending themes, such as the girls' new friend Guido, most chapters in this book may stand alone as vignettes told from various sisters' perspectives. Readers may tackle the book straight through, or select certain stories; this also makes the book an excellent choice for teachers and others reading aloud.

Chapters include:

1 - "Charlotte Catches the Stove" - On her morning to dress by the stove, Charlotte is intrigued by the glowing coals, deciding to pull a few out onto her dress with disatrous results.
2 - "One Stop After Another" - Stopping by Papa's junk shop, the sisters meet a mysterious Italian boy.
3 - "Christmas Stockings" - Seeing the beautiful doll her friend got for Christmas from a local charity, Henny schemes to get the same for her younger sisters.
4 - "Street Scene" - The girls encounter the mysterious Italian boy, Guido, as he's being accused of stealing from a street vendor.
5 - "Purim Jester" - Eldest sister Ella wants to play the queen in the annual Hebrew School pageant, but winds up the jester instead.
6 - "Business of the Bath" - All five sisters vie for the priviledge of bathing their baby brother; but true chaos ensues when Henny invites five of her girlfriends to "help" as well.
7 - "Ella Lends a Helping Hand" - Ella runs into Guido on the street and offers to help him on an errand. Their return trip to his home shows Ella just how sick his mother really is.
8 - "The Wrong Side of the Bed" - Henny has such a bad day, she decides to run away from home.
9 - "Hijinks at the Settlement" - The sisters visit Guido at the settlement house, where he is staying with a nurse, and do their best to cheer him up.
10 - "Guests for Supper" - Guido and nurse Miss Carey visit the family for supper, learning about Miss Carey's tragic past.
11 - "Sarah is Sewed Up" - Sarah is excited to get pierced ears for her tenth birthday...until she's determined to use the money toward a worthier cause.
12 - "Simchas Torah" - The family prepares for the weeklong Succos celebration.
13 - "A Thanksgiving to Remember" - The family celebrates a joyous holiday, and learn of Miss Carey's and Guido's future plans.

Although certain aspects of the girls' early 20th century life may be foreign to today's young readers, the overall plots and themes certainly won't be overlooked. Whether today or a hundred years ago, children are guaranteed to enjoy reading about the sisters' adventures, their warm and loving home, and the things they dream about and strive toward.

Although this is the 4th book of the series, it actually takes place between All-of-a-Kind Family and More All-of-a-Kind Family. This story is part of the continuing tale of a Jewish family living in New York's lower East Side in the early 1900's. Although they are poor, they are rich in their love of each other and their friends. Now there is a new baby in the house and talented Ella, mischevious Henny, studious Sarah, dreamy Charlotte, and little Gertie help Mama with the baby and find friends along the way. In this book, we meet Guido, a poor Italian boy who is trying to care for his sick mother and Miss Carey, a nurse who works at the Settlement House. Through the eyes of these characters, we understand what it must have been like growing up in the lower East Side before World War I. We learn about their sorrows and their joy over the little things in life. A highly recommended book.

I have read All-of-a-Kind Family. It's about five little girls. Their names are Ella, Henny, Sara, Charlotte, and Gertie. This book has so much detail it feels real. One time Sara lost her library bok . She was so upset when she had to tell the library lady about it. The library lady was so nice that she said she could take out more books, but she still had to pay for the book she lost. I thought I was Sara. At the end of the book, their mother has a baby. Its name is Charley. Everyone was expecting a girl, but it was a boy. Gertie used to be the baby and did not want to be a big sister. When she sees the baby she bounces up and down because of him. Everyone was happy, Now that's an all-of-a-kind family! I Like this book a lot. It has lots of adventures. Read one page and you can't stop.