Classic Returns: Reprints, Updates & Bargains

Greetings, book nerds (it takes one to know one). The theme for this month is duo. We have a superduper cool Stephen King duo, a lit duo from a modern master, a labor history duo, and a Civil War history that actually combines three brief volumes into a single compact unit—neato!

FICTION

King, Stephen. Riding the Bullet. Mick Garris. Riding the Bullet: A Screenplay. Lonely Road. Oct. 2010. 225p. illus. ISBN 978-0-9840745-0-1. $75. HORROR/FILM
Uncle Stevie’s 2000 novella—originally released online, it crashed servers everywhere—gets the red-carpet treatment in this deluxe double illustrated hardcover slipcased edition. First, you get King’s spook story about a hitchhiker who thumbs a ride from a dead man while desperately trying to reach his hospitalized mother. When you reach King’s plot-twisting end, you flip the book over and can then read Garris’s screenplay adaptation. Along with the script, this includes Garris’s director’s notebook sporting story boards, production schedules, and set photos, plus a gallery of wicked concept art by no less than Bernie Wrightson—not too shabby! Note that Wrightson’s drawings contain some nudity, so this isn’t for the kiddies. The stiff price, alas, is the library tripping point. A glorious package if you can afford it.

Roth, Philip. Novels 1993–1995. Library of America. Sept. 2010. 842p. ISBN 978-1-59853-078-0. $35. LIT
Roth has the distinction of being the only living writer included in the venerable Library of America series. This sixth installment of his collected works features two novels: 1993’s Operation Shylock and 1995’s Sabbath’s Theater. Shylock is most unusual in that Roth uses himself as both the antagonist and the protagonist—a man impersonating Roth is touring Israel, and the real Roth goes after him. The comic Sabbath’s Theater is more straightforward. This double edition is being released to coincide with the publication of his forthcoming novel, NEMESIS. Your hardcovers should be shot by now, so replace them with this single volume and save a couple of fazools.

NONFICTION

Bernstein, Irving. The Lean Years: A History of the American Worker, 1920–1933. 577p. ISBN 978-1608460-63-2. $25.
Bernstein, Irving. The Turbulent Years: A History of the American Worker, 1933–1940. 873p. ISBN 978-1608460-64-9. $28.
ea. vol: Haymarket. 2010. index. pap. HIST
Released in 1960 and 1969, respectively, these volumes by Bernstein, the late labor historian and professor, received kudos from critics and readers alike for their sweeping scope and superb writing. Bernstein put human faces on his subject, focusing on regular working Joes—or non-working Joes, as the case too often was during these times. Bernstein also didn’t flinch when discussing the many levels of inequality among the citizenry and the struggles of average hardworking Americans who were ignored and often exploited by industry and the government. These reissues sport new intros by social historian Frances Fox Piven. Considering the current anemic job market, Bernstein, no doubt, still has lessons to teach.

Boynton, Henry V. The Battles of Chickamauga and Chattanooga and the Organizations Engaged. Univ. of Tennessee Pr. 2010. c.112p. ed. by Timothy B. Smith. photogs. maps. index. ISBN 978-1-57233-694-0. $34.95. HIST
Boynton, a professor and journalist, commanded the 35th Ohio Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War battles of Chickamauga and Chattanooga, so he saw bullets fly and blood flow. He wrote several volumes about the fights based on his first-hand experiences. Editor and Civil War expert Smith here combines into this single volume several of Boynton’s titles, which for years were the standard histories of these notable engagements. Smith also supplies a new introduction on the author and his work, buttressed with period photos. Though more for academic libraries, this work has as its focus a subject of such huge interest that publics may also wish to consider. Note that the publisher’s website is offering maps and other extras related to this volume for free.