Wisconsin Books

I read this book, here in Brazil, about 20 years ago.This book was writen by an argetinian and jew, about thirty years ago.This book is against Argetina's government, in late 1970 decade.This book isn't a communist's book, but a book against torture and other bad things.The main problem of this book is that we aren't in 1970 decade.Argentina's processo is over since 1983 and we must remember that in Argentina, there was less than 0.05% of murders that were did in "socialists paradises" such as China or former USSR.

I used this book in my introduction to Latin America course as a supplementary text. The writing is moving and heartfelt while being historically and politically relevant. Most students read this book in one sitting finding it impossible to put down.

One of the most harrowing books I've ever read. An amazing entreaty against violence of both the left and the right, and a heartbreaking analysis of contemporary anti-Semitism. Comparable at some points perhaps to Koestler's Darkness at Noon, except that it deals with torture in a more direct (and horrifying, since it's nonfiction) way. I wish this were requiring reading in schools.

I won't give a synopsis of the book b/c everyone else has already done that for you. What I can say about this book is that it is an impetus. After you read it, you'll most likely be hungry for more information about this brutal time in a seemingly well-developed country. Questions to consider: Why the silence of the press, with the exception of Timerman's newspaper 'La Opinion' and the 'B.A. Herald?' How could someone treated so horribly come out of it okay? Why did this happen after Pinochet's regime and the Nazi regime? This is post WWII, so why? Where was the rest of the world? The book is splendid, the first chapter gut-wrenching and beautiful. You will love it as much as Elie Wiesel's 'Night.'

Este libro es un resumen de un pais de tristeza. Anarchia, luchas, gobiernos coruptos, y la militaria- es lo mismo ahora en este pais bella y riqueza. Los maleducados hay un nivel de estupidez - ellos solo quieren el pavo, el dinero - la renta sin pensar de la gente.

Tienes que leer este libro!

All i can say, it is a great book that everyone should read.thanks, chris.

Signorile, Michelangelo, "Queer in America: Sex, the Media and the Closets of Power", University of Wisconsin Press, 1993.

A Very Important Book

Amos Lassen and Literary Pride

When Michelangelo Signorile's "Queer in America" was first published in 1993, it sent clear shock waves through society, both gay and straight. Now the University of Wisconsin Press has issued an updated the classic study that exposed the hypocrisy and prejudices that has become a way of life in America and that is so pervasive in American institutions. This new edition has a new preface and an added chapter that looks at the way American looks at us as well as how we look at ourselves.
Written 17 years ago, it seems like only yesterday when I read it and was shocked to see the state of queer America of the late 1980's and the early 1990's. A lot of change has happened since then but t is still fascinating to read about the effect that the closets of power affected us--especially those closets in Hollywood and Washington, D.C. The closet was what molded our thoughts and brought about behavior that was completely destructive to our community. Signorile, a journalist was once known for outing closeted men and women and in this book he explains why that is justifiable as well as the history of outing. Whether or not we agree with him, he is convincing in his arguments and approach.
"Queer in America" gives you an understanding of how the media and the power structures of America work and Signorile gives this to you in an in your face approach. He has gone to those people--among them directors, writers, actors, politicians and others--who sit silent as we as a GLBT community take the abuse heaped upon us by the larger society. He holds nothing back and in unapologetic confrontation rubs our faces in facts that astound. He writes logically and with reason that it causes even those opposed to the way he does things to rethink their positions. Even though his arguments are convincing they are not always comfortable.
This is a book that should be read my every member of our community and by everyone else in society at large. Straight people may come to better understand why there is such a thing as the closet, how it works and how it destroys creativity and humanity. He gives us a "gay manifesto" by which he challenges all of us to work together to tear down the closet. Reading it today, it seems to be quite dated--so much has happened since 1993 but it is important to know that there was a time when we hid completely.
Signorile argues that no one has the right to be a closet and that it is the media that is guilty for causing people to pretend to be what they are not, Signorile who is best known as the pioneer of outing really gives nothing new but he writes down things we already knew. This in itself is important because once something is written it becomes available to be read. As Signorile matured from a repressed youth to a provocateur, he began to direct his anger against American power structures who, he claims are responsible for our "marginalization". He blames the religious right, the media, the establishment machine in Washington and the movie industry. He claims that the power base in the nation's capital is filled with "queers" using sex to gain power and that this power base has been gradually shifting to Silicon Valley where many gays have found refuge in technology. This is the new place where war between gays and straights will be waged and he issues "a call to arms" which only brings about new issues.
This book is both detailed and powerful and the conclusion drawn is that gay people, if hey want to live moral lives must leave the closet behind them. In this work, Signorile has by himself changed the political landscape of America.

Before I read this book, I was vehemently opposed to the policy of "outing". Signorile wrote both so logically and so well that I was forced to think about this issue in some depth. Moreover, I came to be convinced by his arguments. I'm still not comfortable with this, but I think he's right. The closet destroys far too many people.

This book was written a decade ago, and a final updated chapter was added last year. It is a fascinating look at the state of Queer America in the late 80's and early 1990's. More important, it is a powerful exploration of the devestating effects of the "closet" in the centers of power, especially Washington and Hollywood.

A compelling study of the effect of the closet on people in power and how they are twisted by the closet into actions that are devestating to their own lives and destructive to the GLBT community (can anyone say New Jersey?)

Signorile was instrumental in early Queer journalism, and was, once upon a time, excoriated for "outing" public figures. He explains the history and justification for this approach, and his arguments are more than convincing.

Highly recommended, required reading.

Never before did I have such a strong understanding of how the media and America's major power structures work until I read this book. In his unapoletic confrontational (and even gutsy) style, Signorile has stared down the actors, directors, politicians, writers, etc who'd prefer to sit silent as queers are beaten, taunted,denied housing,equal protection; as queers are denied their right exist. One of the most fascinating sections is the one on the New York power structure (I especially like the chapter explaining how ACT UP was created, from the grassroots up). If theres anything I disliked about this book, it's that too often Signorile contradicts his own beleifs: there are way too many times when instead of exposing gay public figures as gay, he allows them to remain anonymous.

Having once been an Alaskan traveler myself, I found myself slightly skeptical before plucking this tattered book off the shelf. Everything I'd read of modern Alaska seemed wrong, off-key, and too liberal or too commercialized. But after skimming through a few pages, I was hooked. Never before have I found such wonderful, accurate descriptions of the land, its people, and the emotional tracks it leaves on a person. Somehow, I assumed I was alone in my journeys and my memoirs of Alaska, and unable to share them with people. Here is a man who has weaved together a beautiful adventure, honest and simple. I felt as though I was reading a diary of my own excursions in the North. Reading the River is definitely one of the best books I have ever read. I recommend it to anyone who has ever wondered what draws people away from the city, for those living in the city who craves the wild, and to every dreamer, explorer, and 'old-timer'.

I loved this book and enjoyed every page. I've been reading a lot of Alaskan/Northern frontier books and this is definitely one to put at the top of the list. The different people John met on his trip were fascinating. It's told in such a flowing and easy style, that you don't want to put it down. By the end, I envied not being able to take a trip like this myself.

One of the better books I have read over the summer.

A complete surprise. Much more than a travelogue or river guide. Excellent prose from a gifted writer. One of the best books I've read in years.

This book is the story of a motorized canoe trip down most of the Yukon River in the late 1980's. The author had spent some years in Alaska years before and built a cabin in the bush with his then wife. 10 years later, he returned to the North, recently divorced and went from Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory Canada, west across Alaska to the mouth of the Yukon River in the Bering Sea.

This book is not a mile-by-mile description of landscape and campsites. Rather it mostly concerns the current inhabitants of the area and the history of the area. It is well-written and does not contain any "world's greatest" claims. (You know, the claims in many travel books that a certain place is the prettiest, biggest, greenest, or ugliest place in the world.) Such honesty is refreshing.

Having spent one summer on the upper Yukon in Canada and parts of other years, I can tell you this book catches the ambience of the area perfectly - from the Indians (now called "first nations" in Canada in PC talk) to the miners to the malcontents trying to get away from it all. I found it wonderfully evocative and representative of the people who live up there. If you've ever read Robert Service's "Spell of the Yukon" you will understand when I say this work is a book-length treatment of the same subject - the strange lure of the North.

I'll close with a couple of excerpts from Service that will give you a sense of the place and the book.

"No, There's the land, Have you seen it?
It's the cussedest land that I know,
From the big, dizzy mountains that screen it
To the deep, deathlike valleys below.
Some say God was tired when he made it -
Some say it's a fine land to shun.
Maybe, but there's some as would trade it
For no land on earth, and I'm one.
It grips you like some kinds of sinning,
It twists you from foe to a friend,
It seems it's been since the beginning,
It seems it will be to the end.

There's a land where the mountains are nameless,
And the rivers all run God knows where.
There are lives that are erring and aimless,
And deaths that just hang by a hair.
There are hardships that nobody reckons,
There are valleys unpeopled and still.
There's a land, oh it beckons and beckons.
And I want to go back and I will"

Read this if you've ever felt the urge to go North and you'll get a feel for it.

After completing Hippocrene's Beginner's Norwegian and Teach Yourself Norwegian, I was in somewhat of a rut for quite a while. There really aren't any readily available intermediate Norwegian courses out there (that I could find). Listening to Norwegian internet radio, reading Norwegian newspapers, and watching Norwegian TV helps, but can be frustrating because it's a BIG jump from the elementary courses. I had a copy of this book lying around, but I assumed that since I'd completed several other Norwegian courses, I wouldn't get anything out of this text.

Boy, was I wrong. I'm about half way through now, and I can say that it is absolutely excellent. There is no vocabulary overload (a problem with most other language courses I have--and I have lots of them!), concepts are introduced and then constantly reviewed as part of later exercises (most books introduce a topic and you don't see it again... and of course, forget about it), and best of all, there are TONS of exercises (most other courses are pathetically skimpy with exercises).

In fact, the approach that this author takes is to give short dialogs and readings for the reader to analyze (containing new topics) and follows them with many, many helpful exercises. You sort of make connections and deductions as you go through the problems. It's a sort of "learning by discovery" approach--a very "active" learning style. It's written entirely in Norwegian (except occasional footnotes) and forces you to think. And like I said, once something is introduced, you are not allowed to forget it. It just keeps coming up. Of course, this approach burns a lot of paper up! The book is nearly 600 pages--most of it exercises. However... GUARANTEED that you'll remember this stuff with this approach! I think one reason that newer texts don't take this "active," exercise-happy, discovery approach is that they are too cheap! ...cut all the exercises out and save a lot of money in publishing cost... or cut it all out and call it an audio-based course :-)

Granted, I don't think this style of teaching will appeal to everyone. But it sure appeals to me. I wish I could find texts written like this one in other languages that I study. Also, I probably wouldn't recommend this book to a complete beginner. I think it might be a bit intimidating at first. But if you've gone through TY Norwegian or Hippocrene's Beginner's Norwegian, and you learn well visually, analytically, and by example, by all means give this book a try! Also, since the book is quite old, the audio is very hard to find. You should have the sound of the language in your head before starting with this book if you can't find the audio. I don't have it, but it's no disadvantage at all since the other courses I've done have quite a lot of audio.

An added benefit is that once you've completed this book, there is another more advanced text that follows (by the same author). Bottom line: for traditional/analytical style learners, this is THE book. You want this book.

Starts with the simplest sentences, in Norwegian, and then progresses using hardly any English. No vocabulary overload, teaches grammer systematically and at exactly the right time in the student's development--not at all like the high school and college texts in German, etc, from which you got only confusion and stress. I took three courses using this book at age 42 (taught by visiting Norwegian women through The Norwegian Society of Texas, fantastic teachers all!) and within a year spoke Norsk as my second language (did 2-3 hours of homework each week, absolutely essential but requires 'motivation'). My German wife later erased all my answers (I wasn't happy!) and taught herself Norwegian as well over several years during our summer months in Norway. It helped to go there every summer for some months (for research and hiking). The book's weakness: colloquial speech is left out altogether. For that, see Sverre Kloumann's Learn Norwegian. We bought the three tapes for that book and my wife later used them extensively. One has the advantage that many Norwegian words are recognizable from English and/or German, but the grammer is extremely simple, like English (but more systematic), in contrast with Russian, old Norwegian, and German. Like the later three, though, the language is phonetic. Neither text teaches dialect words, a disadvantage, given that there are 28 major dialects and far more local ones, but the situation is not much worse in that respect than with German. For dictionary, buy Einar Haugen's Norsk-Engelsk Ordbok.

My mother bought this book at a major university bookstore. So... it must be well thought of... academically speaking. It teaches you vocabulary concurrently with grammar concepts and provides drills and examples to help you remember. The only way to begin learning norwegian. You will learn norwegian with this book. I recommend doing one chapter every two days. The only fault is that it should have word definitions in the back of each chapter. However, it does provide a glossary in the back of the book. For pronunciation, get some tapes. ....

The information on the web is misleading. This is not a textbook. This is a teacher's manual. I made the same mistake-- ordered it as the textbook.

There are (apparently) three separate books under this title. There is a text book (hardback), a teacher's manual, and a student workbook. I (foolishly) ordered the $25 version thinking it was the paperback version of the textbook - wrong. It was the teacher's manual.

We read outloud the first Caddie Woodlawn book, and were so excited about it, we went online and bought the second one. It, too, has been a delight to read at night as our family time together. The stories are entertaining as well as historically informative. The Woodlawn books are a treasure we will always cherish.

While "Magical Melons" is not as good as its predecessor, it's a charming collection of stories that get into the lives of the other siblings and some friends of the Woodlawns. Although Caddie is still present, Clara, Tom, Warren, Hetty, and others get a little story as well.

The book is interesting to a reader of more modern children's literature in its terminology, especially concerning Native Americans. But its heart is in the right place, and those who express negative opinions about the native people are shown to be wrong. The book is also somewhat religious, but not in a specific sense. Religion is just another part of the Woodlawns' lives, and the morals in the stories don't pound you on the head.

I remember riding my bike 4 miles to another library to check this out when I was younger, and I still enjoy the stories today. Recommended reading for anyone that enjoyed "Caddie Woodlawn."

This is an advisory to anyone thinking of buying this book--it's "Magical Melons" with a new title. It's a wonderful book, so if you've never read "Magical Melons," you will enjoy it. Just be aware it's the same book.

Caddie Woodlawn is a hyper pre-teen, 10, who is a tom-boy and loves to do unlady-like things. The great and unbeilievable thing about this book is true. Normally the girls back then were very proper. This is a great book and i highly encourage people to read it. This book was better than Caddie Woodlawn.

Caddie Woodlawn's Family (originally titled "Magical Melons") was written several years after the award-winning best-selling original "Caddie Woodlawn". This is a more loosely connected selection of stories about Caddie and her family which covers a wider span than the original book and even overlaps a bit. Although it sounds a little funny, it works (and even makes sense) since these are true stories written down by Caddie's granddaughter.

The stories are simple, but delightful. Not only do they give readers a glimpse into a different era (and in a way that isn't overly sanitized or modernized), but the stories are delightful in and of themselves. They are so real in illustrating the way children are and the way life is. And the icing on the cake is that they really happened.

If you liked Caddie Woodlawn even a little, you certainly won't want to miss these gems.

I bought this book to gain information and recipes for lefse, but ended up with a wonderful book with stories and memories that I could laugh, cry and remember with. Though I was a "city kid", I spent a lot of time on my uncle's farm, and grew up with my dad's stories of growing up on a farm, so I could relate to Leann's stories. It was very fun to reminisce along with her. By the way, the lefse turned out fabulous!! It's now the only recipe I use.

This book was truly delightful. I am a Canadian and was raised in a small rural town. Leann's stories reminded me so much of my own childhood in spite of the obvious differences, I really couldn't put the book down! Well done! I will certainly look forward to reading some more of her writings.

Christmas in Dairyland is a collection of short, true stories about a little girl growing up on a small dairy farm in Wisconsin in the early 1960s. The book tells of life for a young girl and her family-her father, who did the farming; her mother who, despite being disabled by polio, took care of the house and cooking; and a much older brother and sister, both of whom worked and contributed their incomes to the family.

The stories recall preparations for Christmas at home, school, and church, how LeAnn learned about her Norwegian heritage and, most important, the love that pervaded this close-knit mid-20th century American family. As a bonus, Christmas in Dairyland includes tried and true recipes for many of the Norwegian heritage foods featured in the stories, including lefse (wafer-thin potato bread), Julekake (a rich Christmas bread), fattigman (a deep-fried sweet cookie), and a variety of traditional Christmas cookies. For the more adventurous, there is a recipe for lutefisk (cod that has been preserved in lye). Finally, the book includes instructions for making colorful candles using old crayons, paraffin, ice cubes, and milk cartons.

About the Book
This is a heartwarming book about a vanishing way of life. Small dairy farms, with around 30 milking cows, were plentiful when the author was growing up and they provided a warm and loving home for hundreds of thousands of families back then. There are few left today, as small farms have been abandoned, sold for development, or gobbled up by industrial-scale farming operations. Small dairy farms can no longer provide for a family's financial needs. Even then it was a real struggle. But, though such families were often well below the poverty level in strictly financial terms, they were usually wealthy in love and family relationships, as these stories show.

One or more members of the family-the wife, a son, or daughter-usually had an outside job that contributed to the family income. And the farm usually provided sustenance-milk, beef, pork, chicken, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, and other produce, while mothers and daughters sewed and knitted to supplement clothing needs.. Most important, farm life developed close-knit, loving families that were strong on self-reliance, responsibility, and respect for hard work. My own wife grew up on such a farm and I have often heard her stories about the joys and difficulties-mostly joys-of growing up that way.

LeAnn R. Ralph's stories tell of the excitement of making ornaments and decorating the Christmas tree in her school room each year (another bygone era) and at home. The annual expedition with her father to select the "just right" tree from the stand of red pine on their farm was one of many experiences that built a strong bond between father and daughter. Then there was the year that she and her older sister climbed a large pine to cut off the very top for their tree because all the other pines had grown so much.

LeAnn learned to make lefse from her mother and tells of the mouth-watering aroma of the freshly made, thin Norwegian bread as she came home from school. "By itself, lefse didn't really taste like much, but once it was spread with butter, sprinkled with sugar and rolled into a log, I would have happily eaten nothing but lefse for breakfast, dinner and supper." It made my mouth water just to read about it and I was happy to find LeAnn's recipe for lefse (and other goodies) at the end of the book.
This is a good book for all ages, from pre-teens through octogenarian. The writing is clear, simple, and direct, easily read by young children, but not so simple as to put off adult readers. Children will connect with

LeAnn's description of a young girl's life on the farm, helping Dad with the chores, helping Mom wrap Christmas presents, yearning for a toboggan, and being surprised by her brother's purchase of a saddle for her pony, Dusty. They'll understand her attempts to get out of wearing boots, heavy coats, and mittens on warm winter days, "just because it might get cold." And some will relate to LeAnn's stark fear of having to stand up in front of all the people at church to sing a solo-memorized in Norwegian-of an old-country Christmas carol. Older folks will feast on the nostalgia, and may get tears in their eyes as they learn how that Norwegian carol affected one old woman in the congregation. People from all generations will enjoy the depiction of a close, loving family as it prepares for and enjoys Christmas in Dairyland.

About the reviewer: Boyd Sutton is president of Northwest Regional Writers and a member of the Yarnspinners critique group. He served for 11 years in the U.S. Army Infantry and Intelligence and wrote professionally as an analyst and manager with CIA for 27 years. He enjoys writing essays, fiction, and humor and has been published in local papers and magazines. Boyd won the Wisconsin Regional Writers' Assoc. Florence Lindemann Humor Contest in 2003. He is working on a spy novel and a nonfiction book addressing how Christian denominational doctrine ("Churchianity") sometimes interferes with Christianity.

This book is delightful! The stories are heartwarming, and ring true. I like how she describes her home life, and there are good authentic recipes in there too. A wonderful, gentle book for anyone you know!

Christmas In Dairyland: True Stories From A Wisconsin Farm by LeAnn R. Ralph is a heartwarming anthology of true anecdotes of rural life on a Wisconsin dairy farm. Even though Wisconsin is still known as America's Dairyland, life on a family homestead is fast being replaced by corporate agribusiness, and the memories treasured in Christmas In Dairyland are quickly becoming unique milestones of an era needing to be preserved in thought and print for the sake of future generations. Christmas In Dairyland is simply wonderful reading and is a "must" for all Wisconsin public library collections.

I'm reading the full Little House series to my 6-year-old, and my 3-year-old felt very left out. This book is perfect for her. It gives some of the sense of Little House, giving an entry to talking about the era and how it differs from now. And she really likes it.
But it doesn't draw you in much -- you don't get any sense of the characters and it misses the beautiful details of the full Little House books.

It's almost magic, the way my daughter is fascinated by these First Little House books ...all of them, all the time. The illustrations are a delight, and prompt her to pointing, and naming the different kinds of animals, as well as "Pa," "Ma," and "Jack" the bulldog. The text is simple, but holds up under repeated readings, and keeps my two-year old captivated. DANCE AT GRANDPA'S, is a nice example of this picture book series, which captures the spirit of Wilder's chapter books in a way that can delight a very young audience. This book, and all we've read from the series, is well worth having on the shelf.

These are great little books (there are several in the series). These are adaptations of the Little House books, formatted as picture books with full color illutrations that are inspired by Garth Williams original Little House artwork. Dance at Grandpa's is an abbreviated excerpt from the Ingalls Wilder novel Little House in the Big Wood. The fun pictures and straitforward text present the incident of a dance and celebration at Grandpa Ingalls' cabin - quite a story as presented in the original novel and adapted well here. The essential elements are presented here with perfectly matched illustrations. One of those books that you hope your kids will choose for you to read at bedtime

I have to admit that my daughter loves these books. But I think they are much less than they could have been. The illustrations are attractive but have no dramatic power and no personality. All the people look the same. The stories reveal no individuality in the characters. Everyone gets along and behaves well, and no desires conflict. I think the idyllic quality is part of what appeals to my daughter, but I think she also enjoys seeing some details of how people lived in a very different time.

My 2-year-old daughter loves this series (My First Little House Books). Dance at Grandpa's was her first and still her favorite. At 2, she is already fascinated by Laura, Mary, Pa, and Ma and their lives...just as I was by reading the Little House series when I was older. Dance at Grandpa's is a wonderful story with beautiful illustrations. I highly recommend it (and the other books) to all parents!

Nancy C. Unger's "Fighting Bob La Follette - The Righteous Reformer" makes a timely and valuable contribution to the biographical record of one of America's greatest Senators and Statesmen. Unger's work easily stands on its own among other great biographies of Senator La Follette, including Belle Case and Fola La Follette's two-volume "Robert M. La Follette" and David Thelen's "The Early Life of Robert M. La Follette 1855 - 1884," among others. A refreshing reminder of what is possible when a politician becomes a Statesman and fights for what is right for all Americans. The book also provides a valid and insightful analysis of the strong influence La Follette's mother, extended family, and wife had on the development of his character, and on the values and motivation which compelled La Follette to an extraordinarily effective and selfless career in public service. America is long overdue for another such beneficent "shaper of democracy," and this book will provide effective food for thought for any true patriot willing to lay down his life for the good of his country. An important book, inspiring, and enjoyable.

I found Dr. Unger's book on Bob LaFollette to be insightful and thorough. In a provocative way, the author challenges some of the common beliefs about LaFollette, and creates a new awareness of his contributions to political history.

As a public library director with a special interest in the Progressive era, I found Fighting Bob LaFollette by Unger exactly what I seek in history writing. It has the strengths of all solid history in its sources but the author draws on other fields, in particular medicine, to broaden our understanding.

More than a century ago, LaFollette said "We are one people" and recognized the importance of minority groups shaping their own future. Before the mass media and big money took over political campaigns, Progressive reformers focused on the needs of average people. In three-hour speeches, LaFollette fought for what was needed and was the right thing for the nation to do. The author's direct and clear prose brings the reformer and the times to life. We can learn much from the book for our time.

Nancy Unger has written an outstanding and insightful biography of one of turn-of-the-century America's most influential political figures. Indeed, it is the first full-scale biography of Robert M. La Follette of Wisconsin. For anyone seeking to understand the Progressive Era this book is a must read, for Unger's subject was at the center of the defining reform struggles of the age - from women's rights and corporate regulation, to labor and political reform. Drawing upon a vast collection of private papers and primary sources, Unger brings to life not only the public persona of "Fighting Bob" but also the private La Follette that few people know about. We learn, for example, how his early life struggles shaped his personality (for good and for ill), as well as how much he relied upon his wife, suffragist and reformer Belle Case La Follette, for advice and strength. Written in a lively yet balanced style, this book greatly adds to our knowledge of a complex and fascinating man and era.

This is an excellent biography of a most worthy subject. Nancy Unger provides readers with a vivid and often entertaining account of one of the most important American political figures of the early twentieth century. Crucial to Unger's effectiveness is her dedication to balanced histocial writing. Her portrayal of La Follette is multifacted. It is political and personal. La Follette comes to life for the reader, not only enroute to his many political successes but also amid his failures and personal shortcomings. Unger's lauditory praise of her subject is deserving and her sharp criticisms are valid and substantiated. La Follette was an influential and flawed champion of democacy and social equity, and interested readers will thoroughly enjoy this insightful retelling of his life story.

Hank Berlin has come back to Pinery Falls, Wisconsin from Canada, where he went to escape Viet Nam. He's a P.I. now, one among several in this town. So he's a little shaken when his old high school flame, Liz Drucker, asks him to find out who killed her husband Jack, and why.

The trio were very close in high school, but parted ways in college, when Jack was gung-ho to go to Viet Nam and Hank chose not to. Liz had already made her choice by then, but used Hank as a sounding board when her life got rough. Hank hasn't spoken to Liz or to Jack in probably twenty years, but he has lots of memories.

Jack Drucker was killed on the side of the road, in his hot little Corvette. The neighbors either weren't home or didn't see anything. So Hank shifts his focus to Jack's career; Jack was the investigative reporter for the Pinery Falls Torrent, which is owned by his father, Wes Drucker.

Jack's recent stories have dealt with a variety of topics. There is the city council's voting division on some new development; corruption is hinted at but not directly addressed. There is the story on the son of a downstate Mob connection, and his relocation to the area. Why has Wes Drucker gagged the staff at the Torrent; the coverage of the case is minimal at best.

Kronenwetter is a skilled wordsmith. He manages to convey the interconnectedness of small-town life without getting cutesy. He lets the reader see Hank's qualms and trepidations without making Hank a lesser person. He bounces from the present to the past and back again without jolting the reader, as easily as we can slip in and out of our memories. His portrayal of Hank's personal life, and how that interacts with his professional life, underscores how real a person Hank becomes to the reader.

I found FIRST KILL to be a highly enjoyable book, both in the quality of the writing and in the story itself. I think we can expect to see good things from Kronenwetter in the future, and I look forward to that very much. I have only one beef with FIRST KILL, and I hope that this isn't a major spoiler. If you've read TONIGHT I SAID GOODBYE, the last chapters of FIRST KILL will seem familiar. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, just something that struck me as I was reading. Don't let it stop you from reading FIRST KILL. It will be time well spent.

Private detective Hank Berlin is trying to be a good father when his high-school girlfriend approaches him. Her husband Jack, once Hank's best friend, has been murdered and the police are getting nowhere. Can he take the case?

Hank is conflicted. He still feels desire for Liz, and avoided both her and star reporter Jack ever since returning from Canada where he sought refuge during Viet Nam (Jack went). But he's gotten on with his life, has a girlfriend and a child. Still, he's drawn to the case.

His investigation begins with a look at a major construction project. Where there's construction and city funds, there is the possibility of corruption and one of Jack's recent articles pointed the finger at this project. Then there's the son of a Mafia kingpin living in the neighborhood--a man about whom Jack had recently written an article. Whatever might have motivated the killer, Jack had told his drinking buddy that he was working on a story that would bring down the town's elite--and that certainly provides a motive.

Author Michael Kronenwetter has created a compelling and powerful mystery in FIRST KILL. Private eye Hank comes alive as a father, detective, ex-draft dodger, and drinker. His investigation turns up the usual lot of red herrings, with a sweet twist at the end, but Kronenwetter's story is more about the people, about relationships, about growth and change than it is about a straight murder.

I am happy to recommend FIRST KILL and will certainly be looking for more novels by Kronenwetter.

This is the novel that won the 2004 PWA/SMP Best Private Eye Novel contest. I'm not surprised it won.

Michael Kronenwetter has done a great job on this book. The plot is briskly paced, and there are enough twists in the story to keep the reader on edge. I really liked the protagonist in the book -- he's not a macho superhuman type, but he's not a dysfunctional wimp either. He's just a normal, realistic human being. This makes him, in my book, the most likable PI I've seen in a long time. I hope for more books featuring this character.

This book, for whatever reason, has largely been ignored by the mainstream press. I think it's easily one of the best mystery debuts in 2005 and I hope that it's nominated for an Edgar and a Shamus award for best first novel. It's that good.

Michael Kronenwetter's first novel left me hoping for a second novel. And I really don't read much fiction. I just read it in about 4 sittings over the holidays. It moves fast and actually got me to turn off my TV.

Hank Berlin is a terrific "unlikely hero" character with which we can all identify. He is the ordinary man confronting extraordinary circumstances, but in a believable way. He's a gutsy, hard-working detective, but also more than that. He's struggling to be a good father, struggling to make sense of a failed marriage, and really looking forward to his next beer.

I'm from northcentral Wisconsin, and I can also add that Kronenwetter's depiction of the fictional "Pinery Falls" is dead-on authentic without ever descending into caricature. "First Kill" is not set in a desolate countryside or a metropolis, but in a typical American small city struggling to save its old downtown. It's the type of setting that's perfect for Berlin--he can find anyone in town within a few minutes, but can also go unnoticed thanks to his ordinary looks and his unremarkable Nissan Sentra.

The novel's Vietnam subtext makes it especially thought-provoking. Kronenwetter doesn't engage in a political discussion about Vietnam. Instead, he explores how the Vietnam era forever changed those who lived through it. Whether you experienced those years or not, "First Kill" will illuminate for you the many ways in which Vietnam still affects American communities.

Can't wait for the next installment!

Hank isn't your stereotypical PI; he's a normal guy trying to do his best with his business, son and life. Even Harry, Hank's six-year-old son seemed realistic. The plot was interesting, took some great twists. I did not see the end coming and was reminded a bit of Lehane. The events and impact of Vietnam was effective yet didn't overwhelm the story. This is a very enjoyable debut and I look forward to Kronenwetter's next book.