Xpress Reviews—First Look at New Books
-- Library Journal, 10/16/2009 1:21:00 PM
The week ending Oct. 16, 2009
Fiction | Nonfiction
Fiction
Baldacci, David. True Blue. Grand Central. Oct. 2009. c.464p. ISBN 978-0-446-19551-5. $27.99. F
Only true cops bleed blue. Baldacci’s latest (after First Family) begins with ex-D.C. cop Mace Perry being released from jail after serving two years for a crime she did not knowingly commit. When her police chief sister unwillingly takes Mace to the crime scene of a dead lawyer found stuffed in a refrigerator, Mace begins to plot a path to reclaiming her job and reputation. Mace and her unofficial partner, lawyer Roy Kingman, track down clues, but the killers always seem to be one step ahead. As the duo close in on the mastermind behind this murder, they may end up as the next victims.
Verdict Fans of Baldacci’s Camel Club series will relish this novel—and especially its rebel-with-a-cause heroine. Highly recommended for readers who love fast-paced thrillers and rooting for an underdog. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 7/09.]—Susan O. Moritz, Montgomery Cty. P.L.s, MD
Bullington, Jesse. The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart. Orbit: Hachette. Nov. 2009. c.400p. bibliog. ISBN 978-0-316-04934-4. pap. $14.99. FANTASY
Hegel and Manfried Grossbart, two brothers in medieval Europe, are ugly, cruel, stupid, filthy, heartless, and murderous. Despite all this, they have a certain moral code, unbounded fortitude, and a blundering sense of adventure, which leads them into a series of encounters with various witches, demons, and other nonhumans, each more bizarre and hideous than the last. This debut novel is kind of like the unexpurgated versions of Grimm’s fairy tales, as imagined by Chuck Palahniuk on some seriously bad drugs. Bullington clearly has a great appreciation for the rich history of folklore, and his viscerally evocative writing is excellent. On the other hand, he has also clearly gone out of his way to be as disgusting as possible. There are certainly people who will enjoy this book but probably not a lot of them. Verdict A zestfully grotesque adventure; not for the squeamish or faint of heart.—Jenne Bergstrom, San Diego Cty. Lib.
Gabaldon, Diana. An Echo in the Bone. Delacorte. 2009. 832p. ISBN 978-0-385-34245-2. $30. F
The seventh installment of Gabaldon’s popular Outlanderseries will not disappoint her fans, who’ve been chomping at the bit since A Breath of Snow and Ashes (2005). Highlander Jamie Fraser and his time-traveling wife, Claire, find themselves in the midst of the American Revolution. Jamie is fighting on the winning side—but he fears facing in battle his illegitimate son, William, a lieutenant in the British army. Meanwhile, in the 20th century, daughter Brianna and family have settled at the Fraser ancestral home, where they face their own perils.
Verdict Readers anticipating a lengthy visit with Jamie and Claire may be vexed to find that a goodly chunk of the story is devoted to William; but his adventures include all the thrilling elements Outlander addicts have come to crave. Relish this book—it might be a long stretch until the next fix. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/09.]—Jeanne Bogino, New Lebanon Lib., New York
Judson, Daniel. The Violet Hour. Minotaur: St. Martin’s. Oct. 2009. c.352p. ISBN 978-0-312-38357-2. $25.99. F
Judson’s latest Hamptons thriller (after The Water’s Edge and The Darkest Place) features Bridgehampton, NY, car mechanic Caleb Rakowski, who finds himself surrounded by intrigue and mayhem. In shielding a pregnant friend from her abusive husband, Carl becomes entangled in a violent domestic relationship, and at the same time he begins discovering new and disturbing things about his friend, employer and landlord Eric.
Verdict Set around Halloween, this well-written and compelling noir will appeal to fans of J.A. Jance, Martha Powers, and Peter Abrahams.—Nicole A. Cooke, Montclair State Univ. Lib., NJ
Aykroyd, Peter & Angela Narth. A History of Ghosts: The True Story of Seances, Mediums, Ghosts, and Ghostbusters. Rodale. Oct. 2009. c.256p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-1-60529-875-7. $25.99. PARAPSYCH
Séances were all the rage in the mid-19th to 20th century, and Aykroyd’s family (Peter is the brother of actor/comedian Dan of Ghostbusters fame) was in the thick of it. Into this history of the paranormal going back to upstate New York circa 1848, the author interweaves family anecdotes and excerpts of his grandfather’s diaries and correspondence. Aykroyd would have done better to give more weight to these sections, especially because there are far superior general histories of spiritualism available, including Ruth Brandon’s Spiritualists and Ronald Pearsall’s Table Rappers.
Verdict A nicely crafted book that readers intrigued by mediums and séances will find well worth their time despite its flaws.—Mary E. Jones, Los Angeles P.L.
Bozza, Anthony. Why AC/DC Matters. Morrow. Oct. 2009. c.160p. illus. bibliog. ISBN 978-0-06-180460-1. $16.66. MUSIC
Fans know why AC/DC matters—they are a quintessential hard rock band who never compromised for the sake of record sales and have no apologies. Former Rolling Stone writer Bozza, coauthor of several music autobiographies (e.g., Slash, Tommyland with Tommy Lee, and Whatever You Say I Am with Eminem), has crafted a colorful summary of the band’s story. Even if this isn’t the most detailed book in a crowded field of AC/DC biographies, it will nonetheless attract fans with its enjoyable tales of the band’s youth in Australia and the tragic story of original lead singer Bon Scott’s death in 1980. Unlike other biographies, it addresses the band’s 2008 exclusive, multimillion-dollar deal with Wal-Mart to sell its most recent CD, Black Ice.
Verdict While sometimes slipping into fandom, this book is still recommended for anyone who loves AC/DC. (Photographs not seen.)—Todd Spires, Bradley Univ. Lib., Peoria, IL
Dee, Tim. A Year on the Wing: My Four Seasons with Birds on Land, Sea, and Sky. Free Pr: S. & S. Oct. 2009. c.256p. ISBN 978-1-4165-5933-7. $24. NAT HIST
In this poetic and literate memoir, BBC radio producer Dee (coeditor, The Poetry of Birds) follows birds over the course of a year from June through May. He covers much ground in Britain but also travels to Los Angeles, Zambia, Moscow, and Gibraltar. Even more wide-ranging is his purview of Western cultures with dozens of anecdotes and quotes showing how birds influenced such writers, artists, and musicians as Dante, Yeats, Aeschylus, Coleridge, Kafka, Rimbaud, and Bob Dylan. In this regard, Dee’s book shares common ground with Jeremy Mynott’s Birdscapes.
Verdict Dee is a captivating writer—almost every sentence contains surprises and flourishes. A rich book by a skillful, contemplative wordsmith that will appeal to readers who enjoy nature and literature. Highly recommended.—Henry T. Armistead, Free Lib. of Philadelphia (retired)
Goldhagen, Daniel Jonah. Worse Than War: Genocide, Eliminationism, and the Ongoing Assault on Humanity. PublicAffairs: Perseus. Oct. 2009. c.672p. photogs. ISBN 978-1-58648-769-0. $29.95. HIST
Goldhagen, famous for his groundbreaking Hitler’s Willing Executioners, offers a brilliant investigation of eliminationism, of which genocide is only one type. He explores examples of genocides over the past 100 years in, e.g., Tibet, Yugoslavia, Iraq, Rwanda, and Armenia—even making a case that President Harry Truman was a mass murderer for ordering the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Goldhagen concludes with a call for the creation of an international watchdog organization empowered to put a quick halt to such slaughters as they become evident.
Verdict This is an extremely important book on a serious topic. The text may be a bit difficult for general readers, but for scholars and others interested in the subject, this is essential reading.—Ed Goedeken, Iowa State Univ. Lib., Ames
Harris, Larry with Curt Gooch & Jeff Suhs. And Party Every Day: The Inside Story of Casablanca Records. Backbeat: Hal Leonard. Oct. 2009. c.310p. photogs. discog. ISBN 978-0-87930-982-4. $24.99. MUSIC
Casablanca Records, whose roster included Donna Summer and the Village People, symbolized the excesses of the era better than any other label. Harris, cofounder of Casablanca, with Gooch and Suhs (coauthors, Kiss Alive Forever), tells the insider’s story of Casablanca, from its 1973 founding through corporate struggles (and lots of sex and drugs) to its 1980s disintegration under the conglomerate PolyGram. Harris details the early career and the breakthrough of Kiss as well as Parliament Funkadelic. He also corrects the story of Casablanca as told in Fredric Dannen’s Hit Men.
Verdict While the graphic details may make even adult readers uncomfortable; anyone open to finding out what the disco era at Casablanca was really like will love this.—James E. Perone, Mount Union Coll., Alliance, OH
Jack, Albert (text) & Lara Carlini (illus.). Pop Goes the Weasel: The Secret Meanings of Nursery Rhymes. Perigee: Putnam. Nov. 2009. c.272p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-399-53555-0. pap. $12.95. LIT
Jack (Red Herrings and White Elephants: The Origins of the Phrases We Use Every Day) offers possible origins of a slew of nursery rhymes (organized alphabetically by the common name of the rhyme), plus a few traditional songs and anthems. His tone is conversational; this is not a scholarly work—although a limited list of sources and further reading is provided—but the written equivalent of a friendly talk full of jovial speculation.
Verdict This is a fun read, but several rhymes may be unfamiliar to American readers, and—as is to be expected—the provenance of the British rhymes draws heavily on British history. Good for Anglophiles.—Audrey Snowden, Cleveland P.L.
Katz, Harry & others. Baseball Americana: Treasures from the Library of Congress. Smithsonian: HarperCollins. Oct. 2009. 256p. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-06-162545-9. $29.99. SPORTS
This story of baseball in America from the 1870s to the 1970s as told through pictures, artifacts, and rare memorabilia from the Library of Congress (LOC). The images—ranging from baseball cards, photographs, and comics to magazine covers and artistic renderings—capture the essence of the game and how baseball and America have grown up together. Katz and Wilson McBee, formerly with the LOC—writing with Frank Ceresi (coauthor, Baseball in Washington, D.C.) and Phil Michel and Susan Reyburn, also affiliated with the LOC—take a historical perspective, connecting major historical events to baseball.
Verdict While many images are available on the LOC web site, juxtaposing baseball’s history and the artifacts creates a rich reading experience.—Theresa Kelly Darr, Loyola Blakefield H.S., Towson, MD
Kirby, David. Little Richard: The Birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Continuum. Nov. 2009. c.224p. index. ISBN 978-0-8264-2965-0. $19.95. MUSIC
Little Richard refers to himself as the originator, the emancipator, and the architect of rock ’n’ roll—but he hasn’t been allotted his due in the literature about rock ’n’ roll. Working from secondary sources and a few interviews, poet Kirby (English, Florida State Univ.; The House on Boulevard St.) doesn’t provide a biography as much as he evokes the environment that transformed Richard Penniman into Little Richard.
Verdict Biographical material is scant. Little Richard fans should instead seek out Charles White’s The Life and Times of Little Richard.—Brian Sherman, McNeese State Univ. Lib., Lake Charles, LA
Lacey, Robert. Inside the Kingdom: Kings, Clerics, Modernists, Terrorists, and the Struggle for Saudi Arabia. Viking. Oct. 2009. c.432p. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-670-02118-5. $27.95. INT AFFAIRS
Lacey’s (Monarch: The Life and Reign of Elizabeth II) second study of Saudi Arabia acts as an antecedent to his portrait of the Saudi dynasty in The Kingdom. Here, he examines the tension between conservative religious players and the secular pressures from abroad and within the country over the past 25 years. Through extensive interviews and a broad reading of more specialized works, Lacey brings together colorful anecdotes, vivid narrative, and character sketches to create a lively picture of Saudi society, its authoritarian and benevolent monarchy, and its complex international role.
Verdict Lacey skillfully interweaves major political issues and social practices that will interest and inform general readers.—Elizabeth R. Hayford, Associated Coll. of the Midwest, Evanston, IL
Reynolds, David. America, Empire of Liberty: A New History of the United States. Basic: Perseus. Nov. 2009. c.640p. index. ISBN 978-0-465-01500-9. $35. HIST
Reynolds (international history, Cambridge Univ.; Summits: Six Meetings That Shaped the Twentieth Century) frames America’s history from 1492 to 2009 as an unresolved conflict between the ideal of freedom and its unachieved reality. He demonstrates—using principally secondary sources and primary documents via web sites rather than physical archives—that this secular state with an ardent religious bent, despite its ideological commitments, has prospered from slavery, the subjugation of Native Americans, and the support of foreign dictatorships. In this personal interpretation of liberty, empire, and faith, Reynolds examines American history through its people, famous and obscure, instead of socioeconomic forces.
Verdict Useful for undergraduates and appealing for general readers, especially considering the inclusion of cultural history (e.g., sports, entertainment).—Frederick J. Augustyn Jr., Library of Congress
Spitz, Marc. Bowie: A Biography. Crown. Nov. 2009. c.448p. photogs. bibliog. ISBN 978-0-307-39396-8. $26.99. MUSIC
From folkie to Ziggy to the Thin White Duke, David Bowie has sown a career of ch-ch-changes. Spitz (Nobody Likes You: Inside the Turbulent Life, Times, and Music of Green Day) has written a captivating biography of a deliberately evasive musical icon. The author, a devoted fan who is surprisingly capable of providing an objective viewpoint, offers intelligent analysis, both biographical and critical, supported by 100 interviews with members of Bowie’s inner circle. Spitz’s disarming self-awareness only adds to the warmth of his writing. Figuring Bowie out may be a bit like nailing jello to the wall, and Spitz concludes, "There is no getting Bowie right, really. It’s like getting religion right." A fascinating man and a fascinating book.
Verdict: An engaging exploration of a chameleon, this Bowie bio takes a prominent place in a crowded field. Recommended for anyone interested in popular music and contemporary culture.—Bill Baars, Lake Oswego P.L., OR
Weston, Chris. Animals on the Edge: Reporting from the Frontline of Extinction. Thames & Hudson, dist. by Norton. Oct. 2009. 224p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-0-500-54382-5. $29.95. NAT HIST
In 2008, British wildlife photographer Weston set out to document endangered animals in their native habitats around the world. His odyssey yielded these spectacular photographs of 60 mammals classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Accompanying captions describe each animal’s habitat range, behavior, and population trends, although most of this information can be accessed for free on IUCN’s web site. Weston’s poignant sidebar narratives explain—in heartbreaking detail—the link between endangered species and human poverty.
Verdict Required reading for environmentalists and fans of wildlife photography, this book also offers eye-opening information for general readers, students, and even young children. Highly recommended.—Kelsy Peterson, Johnson Cty. Community Coll. Lib., Overland Park, KS
Zuckoff, Mitchell. Robert Altman: The Oral Biography. Knopf. Oct. 2009. c.592p. illus. filmog. index. ISBN 978-0-307-26768-9. $35. FILM
Robert Altman was father, husband, womanizer, dog-tattoo expert, raconteur, and prodigious filmmaking genius. Although repetitious and often plodding, Zuckoff’s (Ponzi’s Scheme: The True Story of a Financial Legend) oral biography captures, through the words of Altman’s family and friends, his brilliance and his visionary character. Malcolm McDowell, of The Company, sums up Altman, remembering him as "a maverick and as such a complete individual who marched to his own beat."
Verdict While this may not be the definitive biography of Altman, it’s a love letter from the fans to one of our greatest talents. Zuckoff presents a fitting tribute to the tremendous effect Altman had on filmmaking in America.—Henry L. Carrigan Jr., Evanston, IL
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