Social Sciences

By Staff -- Library Journal, 5/1/2007

Biography

Ahnert writes of her relationship with her mother, Ester, as she approaches 99 in an Armenian nursing home in New York, integrating the experience of an adult daughter connecting with her elderly mother into the story of her mother's early years in Armenia. In the pre-World War I Ottoman Empire, Armenians, like other ethnic and religious minorities, lived a stable life defined by family, community, and religious ties. Ester's childhood in a rural town was characterized by hard work and enriched by traditional and seasonal customs and celebrations. That life was destroyed in 1915 when the Ottoman government expelled Armenians from their homes and confiscated their property. Once-friendly Turkish neighbors watched as thousands of Armenians were killed by soldiers or died of exhaustion or starvation during the forced evacuations. Ester survived by "marriage" to a Turk that included harsh treatment and heavy labor. She eventually escaped and emigrated to the United States. This memoir puts the tragic Armenian experience in personal terms and reminds us Americans of one early genocide as we try to respond to repeated global disasters. Recommended for its deft balance between personal story and historic tragedy.—Elizabeth R. Hayford, formerly with Associated Coll. of the Midwest, Evanston, IL

This fifth installment in the "Great Generals" series takes on one of America's best-known yet misunderstood, controversial, and enigmatic military commanders. Frank (Guadalcanal) presents the reader with a fair assessment of both the man and the soldier, covering the failures and triumphs in an assured and dispassionate tone. Born a military brat, MacArthur graduated from West Point first in his class and as Cadet First Captain (a rare achievement) in 1903 and embarked on a career filled with remarkable lows and ultimate highs. One of the most decorated combat officers of World War I, he went on to become the youngest West Point superintendent ever and army chief of staff. Yet his greatest achievements were still to come: commanding the Allied Forces in the Pacific during World War II, then overseeing the intended invasion of Japan but instead serving as the Allied Commander overseeing U.S. control—and democratization—of postwar Japan. A man possessed of a remarkable constitution (he was in his late sixties by the end of World War II), MacArthur had the ability to adapt to a changing environment—which as Frank shows us was perhaps his greatest skill. A good starting point for generalists; highly recommended.—David Lee Poremba, Haines City P.L., FL

Brooke Russell Astor (born 1902) became a significant force in New York City's cultural life (as an Astor, she was already a social force) upon the death of husband Vincent Astor in 1959. At that time, she assumed the presidency of the Vincent Astor Foundation, a position she held until 1997. Kiernan (Seeing Mary Plain: A Life of Mary McCarthy), a former New Yorker editor whose life has intersected with her subject's on both personal and philanthropic levels, does not entirely manage to convince readers that Mrs. Astor deserves a full biography. But, as she admits in her introduction, she allowed herself to be persuaded that there would not be a book if she wrote only about the foundation. Mrs. Astor herself wrote two memoirs, Footprints and Patchwork Child, about her early life, and Kiernan makes use of them while calling their accuracy into question. Vincent was husband number three for Mrs. Astor, and Kiernan claims that his previous wife orchestrated his courtship with her replacement when she herself had grown tired of a difficult husband. These details, as well as the information about Mrs. Astor's self-education as a foundation director and influence upon its programs, recommend the book to all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/07.]—Elaine Machleder, Bronx, NY

Wall Street Journal reporter Lagnado (coauthor, Children of the Flames: Dr. Mengele and the Untold Story of the Twins of Auschwitz) presents an evocative memoir of her wrenching childhood exile from her beloved Cairo birthplace. Eventually settling in the alien environs of New York City in the early 1960s, Lagnado and her formerly wealthy family faced a harsh reality of poverty and cultural conflict as new immigrants. Lagnado's tale starts rather slowly and features an occasionally bewildering cast of characters, but it is enriched by vivid descriptions of exotic Egyptian locales, the fascinating cultural traditions of Cairo's once-vibrant Jewish community, and the political and societal changes that forced her family's exodus. It succeeds especially as a perceptive portrait of her father's complex personality and as a heartfelt elegy to the long-lost Cairo community of her youth. Incorporating themes of generational conflict, religious faith, and family bonds, it will likely appeal to readers interested in the U.S. immigrant experience or the modern history of Jews in the Middle East. With some parallels to André Aciman's Out of Egypt; recommended for larger public libraries.—Ingrid Levin, Salve Regina Univ. Lib., Newport, RI

Now in his eighties, Lukacs continues to produce excellent works that reflect his impressive historical mind as well as a deep understanding of the contemporary world; he has a deserved worldwide reputation as one of our major modern historians. With his new study of George Kennan (1904-2005), Lukacs has added a well-crafted and well-written assessment of one of this nation's most famous diplomats, scholars, and thinkers. Kennan, of course, is most famous for his writings on containment, which influenced how the Truman administration approached the Soviet Union during those tense early Cold War years. Lukacs delves into Kennan's personality and family background while emphasizing that Kennan was above all an excellent writer who crafted 17 books; produced dozens and dozens of essays, articles, and public lectures; and carried on an extensive correspondence with numerous government officials, scholars, and friends—including Lukacs. This book is only 200 pages long, but the reader becomes thoroughly acquainted with the life and times of the remarkable Kennan, who lived to be 101. Michael Polley and Walter L. Hixson have written longer biographies, but Lukacs's short book is definitely worth the relatively cheap price. Highly recommended.—Ed Goedeken, Iowa State Univ. Lib., Ames

In the middle of the 19th century, Italian nationalist Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-82) was the best-known revolutionary leader in the Western world (one American biographer called him "the Washington of Italy"). Military success helped. Appearance helped, too: handsome and virile, Garibaldi wore a red flannel shirt to battle; his flowing locks, high forehead, and sunburned skin enchanted his admirers. Garibaldi's image was deliberately crafted by the older revolutionary Mazzini, by followers and sympathizers, and by Garibaldi himself, who was acutely aware of the value of publicity. Italian nationalists faced a daunting challenge: there was no "Italy" in the public mind when they began their campaign for Italian unity. Winning battles thus shared importance with acts of heroism and martyrdom, which awakened a sense of national pride and ownership among countrymen. Unlike later heroes around whom cults were formed, such as Mussolini, Garibaldi rose to prominence with hero worship largely directed from below. Though basically larger than life, Garibaldi helped pave the way for the political instability that plagued Italy following his precipitous withdrawal from Naples in 1860. This book is meticulously researched and its argument exceptionally well presented. Riall (Birkbeck Coll., Univ. of London) writes extensively on the Italian Risorgimento. Recommended for academic collections.—David Keymer, Modesto, CA

Though its own story unknowingly parallels that of the famous Anne Frank and her family, this "other" Frank family has kept quiet until now. A descendant, Sander (Serling: The Rise and Twilight of Television's Last Angry Man) has written a history of his family that tells the "happy ending" denied to over 100,000 other Dutch Jews. The two Frank families both fled from Germany to Holland in the 1930s, lived within the same few blocks in Amsterdam, and became onderduikers ("divers") within days of each other in 1942, with each "diving under" as a family unit rather than splitting up, as most families did (see, e.g., Edith Velmans's Edith's Story). However, here their stories diverge; through fate, luck, cunning, or a bit of all three, Sander's Frank family was able to avoid the fate of most Dutch Jews and survive. Sander relays the details of daily life during the family's over 1000 days in hiding and their journey to new lives in the United States. Though a few readers might be misled by the title to assume a direct connection to Anne Frank's family, this well-written narrative adds considerably to the body of Dutch Holocaust literature. Recommended for public and academic libraries.—Maria C. Bagshaw, Lake Erie Coll., Painesville, OH

Denys Finch Hatton may be best known as the character Robert Redford portrayed in Out of Africa, which was adapted from the book by Finch Hatton's longtime lover Karen Blixen (a.k.a. Isak Dinesen). In this biography, Wheeler (Travels in a Thin Country) aims "to depict a figure in a landscape, to explore the universal themes threaded through his story and to find out why he was an engine of myth." Freedom and danger charged Finch Hatton's life: he left England for South Africa in 1910 and then for the British East Africa outpost (Kenya) in 1911, became a pilot, served during World War I in Kenya and Iraq, and developed his guiding skills as a big-game hunter. Years after he died in a plane crash, many friends—including Prince Edward (later Edward VIII), whom Finch Hatton guided twice on safari—still remembered him as a charming dilettante. Wheeler's striking descriptions of East Africa, including Kenya and the Rift Valley, create a rich sense of place and time. Highly recommended for both public and academic libraries.—Margaret Atwater-Singer, Univ. of Evansville Libs., IN

In his second effort to compile and preserve the experiences of a segment of black America (after Bloods: An Oral History of the Vietnam War by Black Veterans, 1984), Terry profiles notable black journalists whose work recorded some of the country's most turbulent times, including the lynching of Emmett Till, the riots of the summer of 1965, and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Terry includes Ed Bradley and Carole Simpson as well as reporters and broadcasters less well known outside the profession, e.g., Leon Dash of the Washington Post and Barbara Reynolds of the Chicago Tribune. Terry attempts to fill a void in the history of journalism by chronicling seminal events in the careers of these 20 journalists, highlighting several firsts: Ethel Payne, one of the first black women to cover the White House, and Max Robinson, the first black national broadcast news anchor. The subjects' individual voices come through in their stories, and their words convey a sense of perseverance and triumph. Recommended for public and academic libraries.—Regina Beard, Kansas State Libs., Manhattan

Ever wanted to own your own shop? If so, this book can show you how to let out that inner entrepreneur. Finell has combined her 20 years of experience running niche apparel shops with her love of shopping to create a primer on opening a specialty store. She covers all the basics, from planning the business to financing, marketing, and even staging the grand opening. Lots of anecdotes and examples make for pleasant and worthwhile reading, with fewer business slogans and page-hogging graphics than many books of this type. Each chapter is fairly in-depth, so you'll find quite a bit of information here. Finell stresses practicality, including facts on the failure rates of small businesses and explaining how to deal with taxes and licensing, develop a return policy, and figure out where and how to advertise. Each chapter concludes with several success stories. Three appendixes provide information on trade shows, e-commerce sites, and contact data for the actual stores featured in the book. Overall, this is recommended as a useful purchase as materials on small-business enterprise are in demand.—Susan Hurst, Miami Univ. of Ohio, Oxford

Grim reminders of how sudden wealth can be a curse as well as a blessing, these two new books on African oil exploration show how petrodollars have been squandered or misappropriated by corrupt African politicians while their native economies atrophy and Western oil executives look the other way. Ghazvinian, a historian and professional journalist, takes a scholarly approach, providing historical contexts for the evolution of these African countries (e.g., Nigeria, Angola, Gabon, and equatorial Guinea) into such profitable oil zones. He suggests that the appeal of African oil is twofold: the light quality of the oil makes it cheaper to refine than Middle Eastern crude, and the geographic location allows easier delivery to Western markets. Ghazvinian's analysis of the largest African oil producer, Nigeria, is so revealing it could serve as a case study on how sudden petroleum revenues can ruin a country's economy.

Journalist Shaxson points out that the United States is currently importing more of its oil from sub-Saharan Africa than from Saudi Arabia, surmising that this relationship will continue to grow. He uncovers instances of possible money laundering that reach into this country, arguably causing the downfall of the historic Riggs Bank in Washington, DC. Both authors document genuine horror stories as well as tales of well-intentioned economic measures gone dreadfully wrong. Unfortunately, Shaxson loses impact by haranguing the reader in the same alarmist tone throughout and fails to integrate his material into a coherent text. Ghavzinian successfully depicts the harsh realities faced by these countries while refraining from offering simplistic remedies. His is the preferred work on this subject and is highly recommended for public and academic libraries.—Richard Drezen, Washington Post/New York City Bureau of Education

It is difficult to understand varieties of cultural experience and response without good stories. For each of these two books, 15 students—Asian American and Latino—were given the assignment to examine themselves through the dual lenses of their family backgrounds and their lives as students in the United States. The editors, Garrod (education, Dartmouth Coll.; coeditor, First Person, First Peoples: Native American College Graduates Tell Their Life Stories) and Kilkenny (clinical assoc., Sch. of Social Work, Simmons Coll.; coeditor, Adolescent Portraits) guided the contributors through the process of drafting, revising, and polishing their stories. More than in Balancing, the formulaic structure to the stories in Mi Voz, Mi Vida makes the hand of the editors awkwardly evident, but the structure does assure that each story covers similar themes, giving the reader a sense of the family influences as well as the writers' personal reflections on their racial identities as formative elements in their lives. Some of the stories contain shocking honesty; all read as earnest attempts to respond to an assignment designed to elicit a deep revelation of oneself, certainly as an individual but also as a person identified as Latino or Asian American. These are insightful college student papers, potentially useful for professors seeking models for a similar assignment, or for anyone interested in the perceptions of students about their heritage and coming of age in this country in the early 21st century. Recommended as optional for academic or public libraries.—Jean Caspers, Linfield Coll., McMinnville, OR

Ackerman (Boss Tweed) recounts the aggrandizing role that J. Edgar Hoover played regarding the Palmer raids against suspected Communists and Socialists thought to be the source of various domestic bomb attacks after World War I. As Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer's assistant and chief of the new General Intelligence Division at the Department of Justice, Hoover demonstrated his talent for gathering and filing information on private individuals, over 10,000 of whom were later arrested and charged with treason. Initially, the Palmer raids proved popular with the public, but press accounts of prisoner abuse (and some resulting suicides) brought public criticism. Clarence Darrow's unsuccessful defense of 21 members of the Communist Labor Party in 1920 turned debate to the topic of free speech. By then, Hoover had successfully distanced himself from Palmer. Ackerman's account draws on archival sources, government reports, and period press pieces as well as secondary sources. Although these events occurred nearly 90 years ago, they resonate today, as Ackerman makes clear. The young Hoover has some responsibility for the survival of this kind of political treatment of suspected enemies of the state. Recommended for all libraries.—Stephen Hupp, West Virginia Univ. Lib., Parkersburg

The spying game just goes on and on. Two years ago we read Victor Cherkashin's Spy Handler: Memoir of a KGB Officer, his account (with Gregory Feifer) of how Robert Hanssen and Aldrich Ames were recruited by the Soviets in the final years of the Cold War. Now Bagley, who was himself a CIA counterspy for over two decades and ended his career as CIA head of Soviet-bloc counter intelligence, tells the oft-told—but never completely understood—tale of Yuri Nosenko's 1964 defection to the United States. Bagley provides plenty of details about the Nosenko case, since he was one of the agents to debrief the Soviet defector. The details in this candid account can sometimes be overwhelming, but Bagley tells his story with an authority that can only come from living the life of a spook for years and years. Was Nosenko a true defector or a KGB "plant"? Bagley comes down on the side of the latter opinion, but his story has enough twists and turns that the real truth may never be known. And that is what makes this book especially intriguing. For most collections.—Ed Goedeken, Iowa State Univ. Lib., Ames

The protagonist of New York Times best-selling author Bascomb's (The Perfect Mile) account of the 1905 mutiny that inspired the Russian Revolution did not seem to have revolutionary tendencies before being drafted into the Russian navy in 1900. Yet Afanasy Matyushenko learned early as a member of the peasantry to resent being treated as ignorant chattel. A weapons machinist in the Black Sea Fleet aboard the tsars' newest battleship, the Potemkin, he was treated poorly and forced to work under dangerous conditions. With the help of several comrades, he engineered the takeover of the Potemkin, which ended up crisscrossing the Black Sea for 11 days with the tsar's navy in pursuit. Eventually, the mutinous crew surrendered. Given asylum, Matyushenko traveled abroad but was in the end hanged in his homeland. His legacy, according to Bascomb, was his having been a major force in ending the war with Japan and weakening Tsar Nicholas II's hold on his empire. Bascomb's accurate and very readable history of a subject about which little has recently been written will satisfy many among the lay audience it addresses. Recommended for public and academic libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/15/07.]—Harry Willems, Park City P.L., KS

Cook-Lynn (Native American studies, emerita, Eastern Washington Univ.; Anti-Indianism in Modern America), a member of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, has produced a series of interrelated essays that call for a complete reframing of both the discipline of Native American studies and the way that native peoples are portrayed in U.S. history. She argues that in their zeal to get the Native American experience into the history books, native scholars have settled for the inclusion of only those Native Americans who helped Europeans and their descendents commit genocide on native peoples. These "accommodationists" were also complicit in the theft of all the land in the Americas. She pins the blame for the misrepresentation of the Native American experience on the field of Native American studies, which she argues has had to conform to the dictates of academia. To present the history of Native America accurately and to help native peoples chart their own future, Cook-Lynn urges her fellow scholars to create their own pedagogy and methodology. This passionately argued polemic should be read alongside Peter Nabokov's A Forest of Time: American Indian Ways of History. Both works are recommended for academic libraries supporting programs in Native American studies or U.S. history.—John Burch, Campbellsville Univ. Lib., KY

Darvill (archaeology, Bournemouth Univ., UK), who has been involved with Stonehenge and its management for over 20 years, dedicates his book to Colin Renfrew and Arthur ApSimon, archaeologists who have influenced his work. While acknowledging the wealth of material published on Stonehenge over the past three centuries, he aims to go "beyond the history of individual sites and structures to unfold a more holistic view of a landscape that is, in a very real sense, a living, breathing creature with its own peculiar biography." Darvill considers how this World Heritage Site, which receives over a million visitors a year, has been understood in the past, how it has developed through time and across space from the Ice Age to the present, and how it will fare in the future. He therefore presents an enormous amount of research in his well-organized and clearly written book and even touches on practical matters such as road improvement and visitor access. His excellent bibliography includes over 700 sources. With regard to archaeological interpretation, Darvill establishes that the bluestones employed at Stonehenge were extracted from the Preseli Hills of Wales, and he suggests that Stonehenge may have been a site for healing, attracting pilgrims from distant places. For archaeology, history, and British local history collections.—Joan W. Gartland, Detroit PL

The 400th anniversary of England's first permanent settlement in America has inspired a deluge of new works on a topic already well covered by academics and novelists alike, not to mention Disney filmmakers. Here are two more. What distinguishes Woolley's comprehensive history is its remarkably heavy reliance on primary sources from many key players in the successes and failures of Jamestown. Much of the book consists of quotes, making for a wildly disjointed, challenging, yet ultimately highly rewarding read. Woolley's meticulous research provides new insights into the dysfunctional relationships within Jamestown as well as the political, religious, and financial machinations in England that led to, and almost destroyed, the struggling settlement. Encounters with the Native Americans are examined in fascinating and sometimes gory detail. Throughout this highly informative narrative, Woolley remains a neutral recorder of facts, never offering comment, analysis, or perspective. It is an impressive work of scholarship and a worthy addition to any academic and large public library's early American history collection.

Readers seeking a more vivid but less scholarly account of some of the exciting and melodramatic aspects of Jamestown's story might be better served by Doherty's effort. Doherty mixes primary sources with his own assumptions, providing a novelistic account of select episodes in the story, most notably the doomed 1609 voyage of the eponymous ship, which was to have delivered manpower and supplies to the beleaguered colony after a devastating winter, and the Virginia Company's inept leadership throughout the ordeal. Unfortunately and inexplicably, however, he spends much of his work on Pocahontas and her relationships with John Smith and John Rolfe, sinking into melodrama and speculation at the expense of scholarship. Admittedly fascinating, riveting, and well told, Doherty's work nonetheless fails to provide any new insight into any aspect of the Jamestown story. It could be interesting reading for the general public, but scholars and informed lay readers will prefer Woolley's intense, impeccably researched effort.—Douglas King, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia

The 400th anniversary of England's first permanent settlement in America has inspired a deluge of new works on a topic already well covered by academics and novelists alike, not to mention Disney filmmakers. Here are two more. What distinguishes Woolley's comprehensive history is its remarkably heavy reliance on primary sources from many key players in the successes and failures of Jamestown. Much of the book consists of quotes, making for a wildly disjointed, challenging, yet ultimately highly rewarding read. Woolley's meticulous research provides new insights into the dysfunctional relationships within Jamestown as well as the political, religious, and financial machinations in England that led to, and almost destroyed, the struggling settlement. Encounters with the Native Americans are examined in fascinating and sometimes gory detail. Throughout this highly informative narrative, Woolley remains a neutral recorder of facts, never offering comment, analysis, or perspective. It is an impressive work of scholarship and a worthy addition to any academic and large public library's early American history collection.

Readers seeking a more vivid but less scholarly account of some of the exciting and melodramatic aspects of Jamestown's story might be better served by Doherty's effort. Doherty mixes primary sources with his own assumptions, providing a novelistic account of select episodes in the story, most notably the doomed 1609 voyage of the eponymous ship, which was to have delivered manpower and supplies to the beleaguered colony after a devastating winter, and the Virginia Company's inept leadership throughout the ordeal. Unfortunately and inexplicably, however, he spends much of his work on Pocahontas and her relationships with John Smith and John Rolfe, sinking into melodrama and speculation at the expense of scholarship. Admittedly fascinating, riveting, and well told, Doherty's work nonetheless fails to provide any new insight into any aspect of the Jamestown story. It could be interesting reading for the general public, but scholars and informed lay readers will prefer Woolley's intense, impeccably researched effort.—Douglas King, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia

Dunn (humanities, Williams Coll.; Sister Revolutions: French Lightning, American Light) examines the period from the Revolution to the Civil War in Virginia, or the Old Dominion, as it is still nicknamed. Much of her book dwells on how Virginia exemplified the South, which during this period lagged behind the North in its industry, transportation, and education and was, needless to say, distinctive in its approach to social issues such as slavery and politics. Dunn's initial chapters focus on each of these issues and how they were intimately related to the actions and lifestyles of the Founding Fathers, many of whom were Virginians. The book concludes with a close examination of how the second generation of Virginia leaders broke their state from the Union, with the consequence that Virginia itself split into two states (West Virginia staying loyal to the North). Overall, this book offers an interesting glimpse into a less-examined time period in Virginia's rich but troublesome history. Recommended for academic libraries and public libraries collecting comprehensively on the region and era.—Jenny Emanuel, Univ. of Central Missouri, Warrensburg

Ferling (history, emeritus, Univ. of West Georgia; Adams vs. Jefferson: The Tumultuous Election of 1800), a prolific historian of Colonial and Revolutionary America, provides a traditional diplomatic and military history of the Revolutionary War. He focuses on how tightly matched the conflict was, emphasizing the importance of the choices and decisions the commanders made as well as the war's ensuing turning points. Ferling's passion for the topic is obvious. His prose is generally solid, despite some minor annoyances. For example, his repeated references to Washington's "Fabian tactics" get tiresome. His book's primary value is as a modern, accessible survey that incorporates the findings of many scholarly texts from the last few decades. Though the book is marketed as the first authoritative military history of the war in 40 years, Don Higginbotham's The War of American Independence and Robert Middlekauff's The Glorious Cause remain the standards. Recommended for public and academic libraries seeking to expand collections on the American Revolution.—Matthew J. Wayman, Pennsylvania State Univ. Lib., Abington

Johnson (English, Univ. of Kansas; New Westers: The West in Contemporary American Culture) has not only "seen the elephant" of the American West but also gives us a complete description of its history as a wild place populated with wild beasts and characters and its symbolic role in the construct of the collective American psyche. This collection of heavily footnoted essays is in fact a personal encyclopedia of Western history and culture, a tour de force that draws upon and synthesizes the works of major historians, scientists, writers, and artists to interpret just what is meant by a "Wild West" and what that concept means to ranchers and rural communities, American Indians, land developers, and postmodern urban telecommuters. The wide-ranging essays include discussions of early Spanish explorations, the controlling of wild places and managing of wild animals, McWildernesses, urban sprawl, gay rodeos, modern Native American identity and New Age spiritualists, Roswell alien sightings, and how the Wild West is represented in films and nature writings. Strongly recommended for academic and public libraries interested in the wildness of the American West.—Nathan E. Bender, Univ. of Idaho, Moscow

In September 1943 Adolf Hitler sent SS Gen. Karl Wolff into Rome to round up 8000 Jews and ship them off to the death camps. In the event of papal outcry, Wolff was to kidnap Pope Pius XII and send him north under "German protection." Wolff and several other Nazi officials proved to be reluctant minions when it came to carrying out Hitler's draconian measures. Through procrastination and subterfuge, they managed to circumvent their orders; fewer than 1000 Roman Jews were sent to concentration camps, and the pope remained safe in the Vatican. Through the skillful use of interviews, memoirs, and available archival records, Kurzman (No Greater Glory) does a superb job of unraveling a complex web of intrigue that involved Nazi officials, Jewish leaders, and Pius XII. In the process, he reveals fissures in the Nazi hierarchy and evokes the profound complexities of the Vatican's response to the Final Solution. The papacy's tepid response to the Holocaust has drawn the wrath of such authors as John Cornwell (Hitler's Pope), but Kurzman maintains that Pius XII struggled mightily behind the scenes to save as many Jews as possible while sustaining the neutrality of the Vatican—a contention that should ignite further debate. This is a compelling read and belongs in every comprehensive World War II collection.—Jim Doyle, Rome, GA

Offley (military reporter, News Herald, Panama City, FL) has put together an astoundingly detailed picture of the last cruise of a nuclear attack submarine. The USS Scorpion, with a crew of 99, was reported lost on May 27, 1968; after an immense search, the wreckage was located in a deep part of the eastern Atlantic, over 11,000 feet down. An official inquiry suggested several possible causes for the loss but in the end found too little data to be certain. Offley followed the story, off and on, for over 25 years and eventually put together a completely different story—facts that the inquiry was designed to obscure. His conclusion is that the Scorpion was torpedoed by a Soviet sub, possibly in retaliation for the loss—ten weeks earlier in the Pacific—of the Soviet missile sub K-129, which may have sunk after a collision with an American submarine. The Walker spy ring probably provided the tools that allowed the Soviets to anticipate the Scorpion. The two navies covered up both incidents to prevent a general war at sea. Offley provides 42 pages of notes and a 13-page bibliography. Highly recommended for naval collections.—Edwin B. Burgess, U.S. Army Combined Arms Research Lib., Fort Leavenworth, KS

Like Taylor's Dresden: Tuesday, February 13, 1945, this book provides fast-paced narratives focusing on individuals caught up in the defining moments of World War II and its aftermath. British independent scholar Taylor begins with the founding of Berlin and its emergence as the capital of Germany. The main actors in the drama—Honecker, Khruschev, Willy Brandt, and others—are introduced in the earlier 20th century before they became world figures. This personalized approach highlights human-interest stories, as the reader is led through the division of Germany after World War II, the origins of the Cold War, the flight of refugees to the West, the contrast in living conditions in East and West Germany, vivid description of the construction of the Wall, and its demise for reasons that were also personal and social. The stories give a new life to a once-vital chapter in history that has since been superseded. Taylor clearly disapproves of East Germany's politics, and general readers interested in a more nuanced eyewitness account of this era might enjoy Victor Klemperer's eloquent The Lesser Evil: The Diaries of Victor Klemperer, 1945–1959. Nevertheless, Taylor's work is recommended for all libraries supporting history buffs, especially large public and academic libraries.—Barbara Walden, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison

Waller has written another book to delight British history students, teachers, and fans, continuing a string of hits that includes Ungrateful Daughters: The Stuart Princesses Who Stole Their Father's Crown, 1700: Scenes from London Life, and London 1945: Life in the Debris of War. In an interesting synthesis of all these outstanding works, Waller considers those special monarchs, the British queens regnant—women who, in their own right, wore the crown (as opposed to the queens consort). The list comprises Mary I, Elizabeth I, Mary II, Anne, Victoria, and Elizabeth II. Only the unfortunate Mary I neither gave her name to an age nor presided over a great era of British history. Each mini biography shows off excellent scholarship and research while giving readers the feeling that they are getting not just the facts but the "downstairs" take on what really happened. Highly recommended. [Library marketing planned; reading-group guide available at www.readinggroupgold.com.—Ed.]—Suzanne Lay, Perry H.S. Lib., GA

This book is the product of a Knight Foundation grant to study news media coverage of "governing" as opposed to coverage of campaigning, the latter being what the editors—both of the American Enterprise Institute, which copublished this book—feel too often gets the media's attention. Its six essays about the second term of George W. Bush include the editors' introduction, which analyzes second terms generally, a summary of the Bush second term to date by Dan Balz (Washington Post), an analysis of the President's leadership style by Fred I. Greenstein (politics, Princeton Univ.), a review of his foreign policy by David E. Sanger (New York Times), an analysis of the vision informing that policy by the Times's Carla Anne Robbins, and a study of the Bush executive style by Charles O. Jones (political science, emeritus, Univ. of Wisconsin). While the book has the right pedigree, distance from the topic is difficult to achieve when the second term is far from over, and these essays, with Greenstein's the primary exception, too often do not rise above ordinary journalistic summary. Optional for larger academic libraries.—Bob Nardini, Coutts Information Svcs., Concord, NH

This work by poet and writing instructor Wooldridge(California Poets in the Schools Prog.; Poemcrazy: Freeing Your Life with Words) suffers from an identity crisis. Its introduction states that it is "about being yourself, alone...the journey toward being your own star and drawing from encounters and findings along the way." However, it is more memoir than self-help. Each chapter contains Wooldridge's reflections about an event in her own life—diverse subjects ranging from her encounter with a blue heron named Hank to her father's death. Her anecdotes are enjoyable and meaningful, but she gives the briefest glimpse of what might have been a deeply moving, poignant story, then cuts herself short in order to give the reader advice. The interruptions make it seem as though the advice is unsolicited. Wooldridge would have been better off sticking to memoir and letting us draw our own conclusions. There are many better books available to help spark the creative process, including Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way and Carolyn See's Making a Literary Life. Not recommended.—Renee Axtell, Independence, MO

A prolific author (e.g., Feet on the Street: Rambles Around New Orleans), NPR panelist (Wait Wait… Don't Tell Me), and Atlantic Monthly contributing editor, Blount has pulled together his first collection of essays in over a decade. Some of the essays have been previously published, but about a dozen are new. Blount is a self-proclaimed Southern liberal who now lives in western Massachusetts, and he sees this book as addressing neither the North nor the South but both regions together. His wry sense of humor makes for prose that's bracing and distinct, and his views are as fresh as his writing. For instance, in "Can't I Be the Most Sophisticated Something Else?" Blount describes serving on a panel where he was introduced as the "world's most sophisticated redneck" and then explores that derogatory term, which he argues is carelessly thrown around in both regions. Other essays range from music, politics, and how to cook chicken to childrearing and the English language itself. This delightful collection is not only fun and funny but insightful as well. Highly recommended for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/07.]—Lisa A. Ennis, Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham Lib., Lister Hill

Of these three takes on modern feminism, Siegel's Sisterhood Interrupted is the most serious and the most satisfying. Siegel (fellow, Woodhull Inst. for Ethical Leadership; coeditor, Only Child), a thirtysomething writer who is also on the staff of the National Council for Research on Women, offers young feminists a brief history of second-wave feminism and the older generation an interpretation of third-wave feminism. She hopes to overcome the divide afflicting the modern women's movement: second-wavers feeling slighted by young feminists unwilling simply to follow their lead, third-wavers resentful of criticism coming from women who act like mother-surrogates when not actually their mothers. The conflict arises in part from the in-your-face sexuality of some young feminists, supposedly anathema to second-wavers. Part of Siegel's mission is to demonstrate that internal conflict among feminists is not new and can inspire rather than impede progress.

Valenti, is a third-wave feminist reacting, in her book, to the reluctance of young women to identify themselves as feminists. She wants to persuade them that feminism is "needed and relevant, but also…so damn cool." A feminist blogger, Valenti addresses many issues of consequence to young women: sex, birth control, abortion, sexual harassment, employment discrimination, beauty, and consumption. Her patois, however, will not appeal to every reader: Change your last name to your new husband's? "Hyphenate, bitch!" Feeling sexually confused? Feminism will counter those "fucked-up messages about sex."

Journalist and self-identified second-wave feminist Maushart tackles the problem that feminism has not made women happy. In a smart-alecky, unsourced, contradictory meditation that pays little heed to those women faced with daily struggles for survival, Maushart, who now lives in Australia (where her book was first published in 2005), concludes that "what women want next is the courage to choose fearlessly, and the wisdom to choose well." "Women now have . . . the power to shape their own destinies," she asserts. "Living well . . . really is the best revenge." These are lessons we already know; little in this book will prove useful to most women. Most public libraries will want the Siegel book; a few may want Valenti's.—Cynthia Harrison, George Washington Univ., Washington, DC

Of these three takes on modern feminism, Siegel's Sisterhood Interrupted is the most serious and the most satisfying. Siegel (fellow, Woodhull Inst. for Ethical Leadership; coeditor, Only Child), a thirtysomething writer who is also on the staff of the National Council for Research on Women, offers young feminists a brief history of second-wave feminism and the older generation an interpretation of third-wave feminism. She hopes to overcome the divide afflicting the modern women's movement: second-wavers feeling slighted by young feminists unwilling simply to follow their lead, third-wavers resentful of criticism coming from women who act like mother-surrogates when not actually their mothers. The conflict arises in part from the in-your-face sexuality of some young feminists, supposedly anathema to second-wavers. Part of Siegel's mission is to demonstrate that internal conflict among feminists is not new and can inspire rather than impede progress.

Valenti, is a third-wave feminist reacting, in her book, to the reluctance of young women to identify themselves as feminists. She wants to persuade them that feminism is "needed and relevant, but also…so damn cool." A feminist blogger, Valenti addresses many issues of consequence to young women: sex, birth control, abortion, sexual harassment, employment discrimination, beauty, and consumption. Her patois, however, will not appeal to every reader: Change your last name to your new husband's? "Hyphenate, bitch!" Feeling sexually confused? Feminism will counter those "fucked-up messages about sex."

Journalist and self-identified second-wave feminist Maushart tackles the problem that feminism has not made women happy. In a smart-alecky, unsourced, contradictory meditation that pays little heed to those women faced with daily struggles for survival, Maushart, who now lives in Australia (where her book was first published in 2005), concludes that "what women want next is the courage to choose fearlessly, and the wisdom to choose well." "Women now have . . . the power to shape their own destinies," she asserts. "Living well . . . really is the best revenge." These are lessons we already know; little in this book will prove useful to most women. Most public libraries will want the Siegel book; a few may want Valenti's.—Cynthia Harrison, George Washington Univ., Washington, DC

Bennett (A Land of Two Halves: An Accidental Tour of New Zealand), now a full-time New Zealand writer, revisits his native land of the subtitle. The result is this UK publication, with a U.S. distributor: one of its many joys is its disregard for the niceties of language that would have rendered it fully accessible to an American market. You're getting the real deal here, unfiltered, not one of those time-spent-in-a-humble-village-learning-the-joys-of-pressing-olives-while-making-a-fortune-in-paperback-reprint-rights. Bennett is one of us (well, no, he's not a librarian), figuring he'll hitch his way around England, much as he'd done in his youth in the 1970s. He decides to use as his "standard of comparison" (not overstressed) the route from which H.V. Morton wrote his once-famous In Search of England (1927). Bennett's hitching is a no-go, and the trains keep him from life in the by-ways. So he borrows a car—a fancy Audi—and travels more or less from pub to pub, around England's perimeter, richly describing everything from the shouts of players in a football game ("as meaningless and repetitive as a Latin mass") to a signpost pointing to a town named Pityme. Bennett is a master of rhythmic, enlightening description and self-honesty. This unvarnished yet somehow delicate take on 21st-century England is a charmer; any travel collection that seeks depth and authenticity should get it.—Margaret Heilbrun, Library Journal

Why does the Midwest seem to have more colorful characters than the rest of the country? Emmy Award-winning correspondent and commentator Geist (Little League Confidential) profiles the unique characters, animals, and pastimes of small-town America. Some of the stories will be familiar to fans of his segments on CBS News Sunday Morning, but others are new and definitely of the laugh-out-loud variety. Join Geist as he interviews an entrepreneur who has a successful business vacuuming prairie dogs out of the ground with a used sewer-cleaning truck; discover what happens at a festival dedicated to a headless chicken; and tag along as he searches for new dining pleasures: "In rural Kansas, I asked our motel desk clerk for the name of the best restaurant in the area. After mulling it over, he answered: 'I'd have to say the Texaco, 'cuz the Shell don't have no microwave.'" Geist genuinely delights in his finds, and readers will, too. Recommended for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/15/07.]—Susan Belsky, Oshkosh P.L., WI