Book Description

Whittaker Chambers is the first biography of this complex and enigmatic figure. Drawing on dozens of interviews and on materials from forty archives in the United States and abroad--including still-classified KGB dossiers--Tanenhaus traces the remarkable journey that led Chambers from a sleepy Long Island village to center stage in America's greatest political trial and then, in his last years, to a unique role as the godfather of post-war conservatism. This biography is rich in startling new information about Chambers's days as New York's "hottest literary Bolshevik"; his years as a Communist agent and then defector, hunted by the KGB; his conversion to Quakerism; his secret sexual turmoil; his turbulent decade at Time magazine, where he rose from the obscurity of the book-review page to transform the magazine into an oracle of apocalyptic anti-Communism. But all this was a prelude to the memorable events that began in August 1948, when Chambers testified against Alger Hiss in the spy case that changed America. Whittaker Chambers goes far beyond all previous accounts of the Hiss case, re-creating its improbably twists and turns, and disentangling the motives that propelled a vivid cast of characters in unpredictable directions.

A rare conjunction of exacting scholarship and narrative art, Whittaker Chambers is a vivid tapestry of 20th century history. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Great piece of recent American History
This was quite a compelling saga. I knew very little of either Chambers or the Hiss case prior to reading this book. The author makes the details and players come to life. Quite enlightening to read how Richard Nixon got his career kicked into overdrive via the Hiss Case. As the 1900's come to a close, this book provides a unique way to review some of the key political events of the 20th Century - the rise of the Soviet Union, Communism in America, the New Deal, the McCarthy Hearings. I would recommend this to readers from either side of the political aisle.

A fascinating man who lived in the (fore?)shadows
Mr. Tanenhaus has written a book that simply outstanding...truly hard to put down. Admittedly, I am not of the generation that lived through the Hiss trials, and my knowledge of events of the time suffered from cobwebs before I read this book. But two things in particular struck me: 1) the absolutely fascinating life that Chambers led, and the historic people he met (and impressed) along the way from Columbia to the underground, to Time, to the world of politics; and 2) the way in which the Hiss case presaged modern political scandals, in terms of the role of Congess and ambitious politicians (e.g., Nixon), the role of the media (Meet the Press and the televised 'Confrontation Day'), and the way in which politicians can suspend disbelief to preserve "the cause" (in this case New Deal liberalism) or the class. Finally, viewing the whole Chambers-Hiss encounter from 1948 on as a class conflict makes the whole damn thing mind-boggling...and great reading.

Definitive Assessment of Chambers and the Hiss Case
This is probably the best version of the Whittaker Chambers's life. It is particularly useful as a supplement to Chambers's own story: "Witness."

Tanenhaus's biography of Whittaker Chamber was written with a deliberately neutral stance, although collaborated well with Chambers's own story. It was backed by copious and meticulous research, and filled in more than a few gaps.

The most notable gaps in "Witness" included Chambers's strong [same sex] tendencies and his having engaged in habitual [same sex] acts for a period of time, even though he had made testimonial depositions to that effect. In fact, in "Witness", the reader gets the impression that Chambers regarded his adversaries' insinuation of his [alternative lifestyle] as a baseless attack. Another omission was that Chambers, in his youth, was apprehended for stealing significant number of books from two libraries, and was barred from them. These issues later emerged as a strike against him during the Hiss trials. A third, perhaps most significant "omission" was that Chambers in his own book consistently claimed that the reason he withheld the evidence of espionage was because he wanted to shield Hiss and his family from being prosecuted for a much more serious crime. The truth of the matter was that Chambers was also shielding himself from the same crime. Tanenhaus's book provided these facets, which Chambers would rather not get into.

Tanenhaus's book also gave a much more nuanced version of the proceedings of the Hiss trials, including defense lawyer Stryker's courtroom rhetoric and the sparring on the Woodstock typewriter. As well, there were some interesting facets of Chambers's life after the Hiss trial, in particular the writing and publication of "Witness", his declining health, his support of and eventual distancing from Senator Joseph McCarthy, his friendship with the up-and-coming William Buckley, Jr., and the gradual, mellowing shift of his political thinking in his last years away from the extreme right. Also, Tanenhaus's book added some new material regarding the accusation, which surfaced after the cold war, that tend to put Alger Hiss's guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

Although not as riveting as "Witness", this book more than held its own in terms of style, pace, clarity, completeness, and analytic insight. Tanenhaus also tried hard to maintain a sense of neutrality on a person as complex and controversial as Whittaker Chambers. I am quite willing to regard "Whittaker Chambers" as the definitive portrayal of the person, and definitive assessment of the Hiss Case.

A Wonderful Biography About a Complicated Man
Whittaker Chambers still arouses great passions. He accused Alger Hiss (and others) of spying for the Soviet Union and claims he knew that it was true because he was himself a communist spy and was Hiss's contact. But that story, while a part of this book, isn't the sole focus of this magnificent book. You can read the story of the trials of Alger Hiss, the testimony given, and more about that story in Allen Weinstein's very fine "Perjury" (a book which also arouses strong emotions).

The story of Chambers' life is also told by Chambers himself in his powerful autobiography "Witness". His life is a rather involved tale, and though the spy story is why Chambers became famous (infamous) it isn't reason why he is important. It is hard to recapture the vast esteem in which Stalin and the Soviet Union were held by the "literate" classes in American Society. But it doesn't take too much reading to peel back current revisionist writing that pretends the left rejected Stalin. It wasn't so. They loved Uncle Joe at the time of the Hiss case and made apologies for him even after the horrors of the Gulag were revealed. Even after Hiss' guilt has been proven beyond all but the most determined and self-blinded doubt, you can find those who insist on his innocence.

Whittaker Chambers was a gifted writer and a well regarded editor at Henry Luce's Time magazine. When he admitted his role in spying for the USSR and International Communism it represented the initial break in the dam. In "Witness", Chambers' autobiography, Chambers describes the agony he went through in realizing he had no choice but to take the course of trying to stop Hiss and thereby ruining his own life and irreparably harming his family.

Chambers was pessimistic about the West surviving a mortal struggle with Communism. He is often linked with McCarthy, but he thought McCarthy's recklessness more of a benefit to the other side.

"Witness" was an important best seller and is still in print. In it Chambers pours out his conscience and how his atheism turned to a deep faith and why that turned him against the movement he had embraced and had helped prosper through his gifts as a writer and editor.In this amazing book.

In this wonderful biography, Tanenhaus gives us context for all of this and so much more detail. The author also provides verification (and refutation) of claims made by and about Chambers. This book is beautifully written and carefully researched. The author shows great judgment and insight into all of the issues involved in this rich life at the extremes of human philosophy.

It is wrong to condemn this book and its author because of anger with Chambers. It is beyond all doubt that the thrust of Chambers' story was the truth. In my judgement, it is the truth in all but a few details. Tanenhaus is the reporter of fact and wishes that reality were different cannot change the facts. What is the old saying? You are entitled to your own interpretations, but not your own facts.

We owe Tanenhaus a great deal for putting such wonderful talent and years of hard work in giving us this outstanding book. This book was the subject of a great interview on Booknotes and is still available online. I am glad to see that this book is now part of the Modern Library series. It should be widely read.

Master of Deceit
At first W. Chambers claimed that Alger Hiss and others were secret Communists whose purpose was to influence policy (from 1939 to November 1948). After being sued for slander Chambers produced 69 documents to support his claim of spying. Chambers earlier stated he was a Communist until "1935", or "early 1937", or "the end of 1937", or "the spring of 1937". The documents were dated between January 5 and April 1 of 1938. Chambers then changed his story to leaving on April 15, 1938. You can judge his veracity by this. Note his memory of wallpaper patterns!

The original State Department files were rated "classified" to "secret". Most consisted of trade agreements, which were of commercial, not political, importance. When Chambers learned that Alger Hiss could not type, he then claimed Priscilla did it! (Did writer and translator Chambers ASSUME that other men had this skill?) The most telling fact about these documents is that most had never been routed through sections where either Alger or Donald Hiss had worked! This discrepancy has never been explained. When the contents of the three rolls of microfilm were released in 1975, they were found to be Navy Dept instructions on how to use life rafts, fire extinguishers, and chest parachutes. Where did they come from?

The biggest lie of all is Chamber's claim that the stored documents were a "life preserver". Because they had no value without his testimony to corroborate them! He should have seen a lawyer, made a notarized statement, and left immortal testimony. But then it couldn't be changed to explain new facts. ... Read more

Book Description

A brilliantly witty and intelligent memoir of the adventures, discoveries, rescues, and narrow escapes of Martha Gellhorn, one of America's most important war correspondents and the third wife of Ernest Hemingway.

"Gellhorn is incapable of writing a dull sentence."
-The Times (London)

"Martha Gellhorn was so fearless in a male way, and yet utterly capable of making men melt," writes New Yorker literary editor Bill Buford. As a journalist, Gellhorn covered every military conflict from the Spanish Civil War to Vietnam and Nicaragua. She also bewitched Eleanor Roosevelt's secret love and enraptured Ernest Hemingway with her courage as they dodged shell fire together.

Hemingway is, of course, the unnamed "other" in the title of this tart memoir, first published in 1979, in which Gellhorn describes her globe-spanning adventures, both accompanied and alone. With razor-sharp humor and exceptional insight into place and character, she tells of a tense week spent among dissidents in Moscow; long days whiled away in a disused water tank with hippies clustered at Eilat on the Red Sea; and her journeys by sampan and horse to the interior of China during the Sino-Japanese War.

Now including a foreward by Bill Buford and photographs of Gellhorn with Hemingway, Dorothy Parker, Madame Chiang Kai-shek, Gary Cooper, and others, this new edition rediscovers the voice of an extraordinary woman and brings back into print an irresistibly entertaining classic. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

the best
As a traveller and a reader, this is one of the best books i have read in a very long time.

Excellent!
One of the finest books I have read on the subject of travel, in a class with the best of Theroux and Chatwin. Take on your next trip along with a battered straw hat..!

Traveling with a world class traveler
This wonderful travelogue of "bad trips" to politically important places takes the reader on an incredible range of journeys to many world hot and "cold" war spots. China and a meeting with Communist leaders in hiding during WWII (with the writer's then husband (Ernest Hemingway) looming large but quietly in the background and a poignant trip to an aging Russian writer in the days of Soviet rule transport us through time and space. Martha Gellhorn, as journalist and fiction writer, needs to be "recovered" with the very best of war correspondents of any gender and the adventuresome and unbelievably courageous woman travelers of the 20th century. The section on Gellhorn's travels in Africa, because it is so "honest" and forthright on matters of race, will strike some as politically incorrect, but her descriptions of modes of transport, race, missionaries and the search for exotic animals are among the most vivid anywhere. This book moves the reader -- through time and space, brain and heart. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (34)

French Toast: An American in Paris Celebrates the Maddening
Did you know that in Paris it is quite normal to bang the cars in front and back of you as you maneuver in and out of a parking place? Or that you should fold and not cut the lettuce in your salad and that even fruit is eaten with a knife and fork? Fortunately, for those unacquainted with the finer points of French etiquette, Rochefort's book bridges the culture gap admirably. The Iowa-born author is a freelance journalist married to a Frenchman and has lived in France for over 20 years. Drawing on personal experience, she records her observations about Frenchwomen; French attitudes to food, sex, love, marriage, and money; the French educational system; and the dynamics of living in Paris. Some stereotypes are reinforced, but this chatty, informative book is great fun to read and over too soon. Recommended for public libraries

Interesting, but it should have been longer
French Toast is a memoir rather than a sociological study, so it only looks at the Paris that the author has experienced. For anyone who has read other books about French culture or spent a great deal of time in France, many of the observations will not be new.

If the book had been longer, I think I would have enjoyed it more. I liked her look at French femininity and childrearing and I would have like to have read more about why and how she
decided the stay in Paris, her cross-cultural courtship with her husband, what she loves about Paris, and uniquely French manners.

Personally, unlike several of the other reviewers, I found her discussions of female Parisian behavior interesting. In my 20-something East Coast world, women are often more talkative
and expressive than men, so it was interesting to hear how, in the author's experience French women do not take the lead in discussions. As I am used to a certain solidarity among
American women, it was interesting to read that Parisian women do not share this trait. The author didn't make me think that French women are doormats, merely that their social
behavior differs from than of the American women I know. I didn't find the author to be a militant feminist at all, though perhaps these observations about female behavior are more
interesting to women than men.

I also found that she had nearly as many negative stereotypes about Americans as she did about Parisians. An okay, but not great book about Paris. I would have given it three or
four stars if it had been longer.

Surviving culture shock
This book is a practical guide to understanding cultural differences between the French, especially Parisians, and Americans, intended for Americans taking up long-term residence in France. The author herself has lived in France for 20 years, married to a French man, and has found herself a long way from her small town Iowan origins. The book deals with a range of topics, from food, to family, to sex and education.

The blurb on the cover states that the book is "wise and devastatingly funny". I would agree with the "wise" assessment, but I'm not sure where "devastatingly funny" comes from. The book certainly doesn't come across as "pompously didactic", and there are indeed moments that are humorous, but the book includes a very substantial amount of informed analysis and practical advice. This is not a humor book where readers are brought in as third-hand observers to relive Rochefort's most embarrassing cultural gaffes. Instead, Rochefort examines her experiences as a foreigner who marries into the culture. She states in the very beginning of the book that she has found cultural differences becoming more and more noticeable the longer she lives in France. It makes sense in a way- -the longer you live in a country, the more you think you should understand it. When a cultural difference that has gone unnoticed for years finally raises its head, it can be even more unnerving that if one had met with it right at the very beginning. Rochefort's description of differing expectations experienced in cross-cultural French-American relationships is particularly strong, and anyone in or contemplating starting such a relationship would be well advised to read it. But even those who are not living in France can learn much about French culture in this book. Her last chapter, for example, covering the French educational system starts with nursery school, and progresses through the university and Grande Ecoles (which I thought were glorified high schools until Rochefort straightened me out).

Iowa Corn would be a better title . . .
Instead of an enlightening and humorous look at the French culture, this book presents an extremely narrow perspective of a middle-aged American woman who looks back on how shocking the real world in France was 20 years ago and still may be in her small corner of Paris. Indeed, you can pretty much replace the word "Paris" with "New York City" and the anecdotes wouldn't be different.

Ms. Rochefort admits she grew up in a tiny farm town in the southwest corner of Iowa. From her writing it appears that she still thinks she's there (only she's shocked that there are buildings that look like the Tour Eiffel and the Arc de Triomphe).

While some of her anecdoates are the slight bit amusing, most of them meander without a point and tend to be more complaints than observations. Her personal opinions obscure a truly objective view of the French. She claims to balance her perspective by "interviewing" her French husband Phillippe. I can only guess that he is not a typical Frenchman to have married this woman (indeed, it is interesting that she never discusses how they met or what events led up to them deciding to get married).

She reveals such shockers that French women like shoes, shopping (but not for groceries), and cook several course meals for their families. WOW! REALLY? That is so different from women in Peoria, Illinois. She also discloses that the French are not as prudish as we Americans, that they have a passion for food and politics, and that there are etiquette rules in society. I'M FLABBERGASTED!

She spends an inordinate amount of time ridiculing the French because the women are glared at if they shout or guffaw loudly in public (shame on them!), that French women are paid less than French men (this is news?), and that French women intentionally stay out of political discussions at the dinner table. Has Ms. Rochefort visited any other country in the last 30 years? I'd hate to think what she would write about the cultures in most Eastern European or Asian countries.

I am disappointed by this book (and that is putting it mildly) because I expected a more objective, universal view of the French. Not a personal vendetta because the author would rather be sitting in a Starbucks back in Iowa than learning about a country with more than 450 cheeses and wine and history more than 1000 years old. Frankly, I don't care what her mother-in-law does, especially if it is not characteristic of the Provencals, the people of Burgundy, or even of Parisians.

Peter Mayle has much more insightful accounts of the French than Ms. Rochefort. For that matter, so does Bill Bryson. This book is better suited to narrow-minded Americans who never plan on visiting France.

awful
This shallow book made me cringe. The writing is sloppy, the content annecdotal. The whiny tone and SILLY stereotypes of the French totally got on my nerves. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Beautiful chronicle of the WWII Citizen Soldier's sacrafice
This is a compilation of Ernie Pyle's best dispatches from the front lines during World War II. His stories were printed in American newspapers throughout the war, and brought home to the people of those years just what our men (and women) on the front lines had to endure, and how brave they were in doing their duty day after day until the job was done. It's moving to read about the hardships our soldiers went through in order to preserve the freedoms we enjoy today.

We owe a great debt to the generation of Americans who struggled through this period of history. So many Americans, regular people like you and me, lived through hell and many paid the ultimate price. Ernie Pyle's stories bring this sacrafice to life in a very emotional way.

The book also includes a brief biography of Pyle. It's a beautiful, if sometimes tragic, time-capsule of the WWII years, and I strongly recommend it.

A Must Read for anyone interested in the Dog Face!
I have yet to find a better book on the experiences of the average "dog face" in WWII. From North Africa to Sicily to Italy to France; Ernie was there and covered it better than anyone.

OUTSTANDING point of view of the G.I. !
It would be difficult to find a better book on the average G.I. It isn't hard to understand why every dog face loved Ernie Pyle; he lived among them, lived like them, and died like them. This is one of the best prime source reads around. I can't recommend it highly enough. The section on the Italian campaign is a must read. ... Read more

Book Description

Jon Katz, a respected journalist, father, and husband, was turning fifty. His writing career had taken a dubious turn, his wife had a demanding career of her own, his daughter was preparing to leave home for college, and he had become used to a sedentary lifestyle. Wonderfully witty and insightful, Running to the Mountain chronicles Katz's hunger for change and his search for renewed purpose and meaning in his familiar world.

Armed with the writings of Thomas Merton and his two faithful Labradors, Katz trades in his suburban carpool-driving and escapes to the mountains of upstate New York. There, as he restores a dilapidated cabin, learns self-reliance in a lightning storm, shares a bottle of Glenlivet with unexpected ghosts, and helps a friend prepare for fatherhood, he confronts his lifelong questions about spirituality, mortality, and his own self-worth. He ultimately rediscovers a profound appreciation for his work, his family, and the beauty of everyday life--and provides a glorious lesson for us all.
... Read more

Reviews (76)

Living a dream
Running to the Mountain is your basic mid-life crisis story except that Jon Katz -- for all his protestations of financial woes -- managed to afford to do what the rest of us would love to do: buy a little cabin in the woods, fix 'er up, and live the country life, watching the sun set. Sounds wonderful to me and more power to Katz for managing it.

The heart and soul of the book was lacking for me. It wasn't emotional enough. He outlined his concerns regarding his career, marriage and daughter, the changes in the lives of his friends, the lack of acceptance in our society for men who work at home while the wife does the nine-to-five dance, but he laid them out as simple facts. The emotional turmoil and confusion associated with mid-life re-evaluations (I'm in denial about having a "crisis") is not there.

His relationships with the locals was interesting and his observations of Thomas Merton and his writings were excellent.

For all of us who dream of escape, here's one for us! Just fill in the emotional blanks to suit yourself.

A wonderful book for all us aging boomers
I first encountered Jon Katz through his mystery novels about a downsized Wall Street type turned suburban private investigator. I liked his stuff. Then, I discovered the Jon Katz who writes on internet and freedom issues for slashdot.org and the Freedom Forum. I like him even more.

Then I read his latest book, Running to the Mountain. It's about aging and spirituality written around his purchase of a cabin in upstate New York and an attempt to write a book on Thomas Merton while there.

Books on these topics are often more preachy than insightful. Running to the Mountain isn't preachy at all. In fact, it's hysterically funny in places. In between the laughs, it got me to think more than I have in years about parenting and other relationships, where I'm going with the last third of my career, and, of course, the last half of my life.

It is by far the best book I've ever read on spirituality and personal growth and is a must for all us aging boomers.

UNEXPECTED TREAT
I first read A Dog Year (because I have a Border Collie too) and really enjoyed Jon Katz style....so I ordered Running to the Mountain not knowing what to expect. I was more than entertained, enlightened and even "introspected" (if that's a word). I just wish I had read it first, before A Dog Year, as I would have appreciated all the references and time spent at the cabin with the dogs. Can't wait to read his latest.

Thomas Merton Deserves Better
I read this because I enjoy John Katz's work and also Thomas Merton's [having spent a week at the Abbey at Gethsemani last year]. While the book is entertaining, the idea of it having anything to do with Merton's quest for solitude, contemplation and a soul jouney is misleading. Had Katz ever [even for a week], turned off the computer, telephone, CD, TV, etc. he might have had a chance at interior change. His reasoning that, unlike Merton, he had found inner peace.....was self-serving. He may tell himself that he wanted to take a spiritual jouney with Merton [page 14], but he was never willing to do the "work."

Midlife angst on a mountaintop
Ready to escape from his world -- Manhattan and a well-paid dream job that "lots of people would covet," Katz first escaped to the life of a writer. Approaching fifty, he now finds a house in "a small corner of upstate New York," where he retreats to write and cogitate for several months. Accompanying him are a dead monk and two dogs, as he says. The monk is Thomas Merton, whose presence begins to seem real as Katz carves out a contemporary version of a hermitage.

I found some of the soul-searching a little embarrassing to read. This author, a product of years of psychoanalysis, has no qualms about sharing his thoughts. However, the reflections on midlife are right on. Katz's doubts (yet another comeback?) are real and realistic. Read his thoughts on the "lonely generation:" with no guidance from parents or ancestors, we have to face change.

Worth a read as a role model for those who feel the call of the mountains. ... Read more

Book Description

This highly original book by William Zinsser, author of the classic guide On Writing Well, tells you how to write about the people and places and events in your life that have been important to you—whether you’re writing a memoir, a family history or just a recollection of experiences you’d like to preserve or more fully understand. His method is to take you on a memoir of his own: 13 chapters in which he recalls dramatic, amusing and often inspiring moments in his long and unusually varied life as a writer, editor, teacher and traveler.

It’s a journey full of surprising turns. William Zinsser recalls his school days and influential teachers, his army days in North Africa and Italy, his newspaper days with the legendary the New York Herald Tribune, his teaching days at Yale, his role in a Woody Allen movie, his years as a baseball addict and his late-in-life career playing jazz piano. He also recalls a lifetime of exotic travels through Africa, Asia and the South Seas, evoking a gallery of memorable people—a dance teacher in Bali, a French explorer in Tahiti, a Vietnamese poet in Hanoi—whose stories moved him with their power.

Along the way in these memoirs William Zinsser pauses to explain the technical decisions he made as he wrote them. They are the same decisions you’ll have to make as you write about your own life: matters of selection, condensation, focus, attitude, voice and tone.

Written with elegance, warmth and humor, Writing About Your Life gives you the tools to organize and recover your past and the confidence to believe in your life narrative. It also gives you permission—through the example of a life enriched by change and risk—to make bold life choices of your own. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Zinsser Does It Again!
I've always been a big fan of William Zinsser's books. As a professional biographer/memoirist, however, this one truly hits home. It's not only a perfect example of WHAT to do, but HOW to do it as well. For anyone aspiring to be a professional biographer, or if you're just interested in writing your own biography, all I can say is GET THIS BOOK! -- and get it NOW! ... Read more

Book Description

The Washington Post calls Edna Buchanan "The Queen of Crime." Her dispatches won a Pulitzer Prize. She sets the standard for crime reporting.

NEVER LET THEM SEE YOU CRY picks up where THE CORPSE HAD A FAMILIAR FACE left off. Here are more of the breathtaking, bizarre and totally unforgettable stories that make up life in Miami, America's hottest beat.

Buchanan tells of courage, kindness and humor in the face of adversity. She chronicles the daring and noble deeds of Miami's real-life heroes.

"Fine writing...a ride with Buchanan is worth the fare." (People) ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Sometimes, you can let them see you cry
Although this was Edna's second book about her escapades as police reporter in Miami, it was my first time reading her material. It definitely confirmed for me that investigation and police reporting is what I want to do. I generally agree with Ms. Buchanan's title "Never Let Them SeeYou Cry," because in general, a woman has to be tough in this field.But I've also discovered a softer approach can sometimes elicit just asmuch information. You get really attached to police officers when you're onthe beat (even though, as Buchanan did, I constantly had to write aboutthem getting in trouble) and it's hard to keep objective when officers arehurt. But reporters are human too, and Buchanan and all other reporters canonly make sure we get all sides of an issue and strive to be fair.Buchanan's description of the gruesome and the day-to-day humdrum of anewsroom is very well described in this book. Her descriptions of howpolice departments can cover up incidents for a long time is very accurate,as is her description of police informants to the press.

Sometimes trite, but a compelling account of crime in Miami
Edna Buchanan's "Never Let Them See You Cry" is a fast-paced account of the author's life as a crime reporter at theMiami Herald.Buchanan weaves into her book many compelling anecdotes about her days on the job.Some stories are heartwarming, such as those contained in a chapter on good samaritans who came to the aid of fellow citizens in need.Others are horrifying, making the reader involuntarily shake his or herhead at the inhumanity and senseless loss that occurs every day in this crime-ridden city.Although at times the writing is trite (Buchanan's constant use of certain phrases quickly becomes cliche), the author displays a true passion for her work and packs several concise stories into a fascinating and eye-opening piece of true-crime prose. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (7)

Laughed so hard I damn near cried
This is one of those books that you tell all your friends about. Two things stand out for me: the absolutely manic laughter it elicited and the benefit it gave me.

Murphy's writing style perfectly juxtaposes bawdy humor with an obvious intelligence; and when in doubt, he goes for the laugh. I laughed so hard at this thing that a couple of times it gave me an asthma attack. I think it helps if you have kids, and you recognize how ugly parenting can get.

But there is also a deeper benefit. Like the author, I finished the book with a better "vision," a clearer sense of just how hard, how maddening, and how unending the daily life of a woman is. I think I'm a better husband having read it.

GREAT read!
I read the book after watching Murphy interviewed on the Today Show. The book is just great with many laugh out loud funny moments. HIGHLY recommend! (Make your husband's read it!)

The Trials and Errors Over a 6 Month Experiment
I just couldn't get past the fact that this guy is a professional writer, as is his wife, who thought he might be able to sell some books on this unique subject. It honestly distracted me throughout the entire reading. His was an interesting experiment of a man working around the house for a few months. But hey let's face it, he is now back to his high-profile career of sports writing after having finished with this low profile writing project. Rent the movie "Mr. Mom," it's better.

Choppy language
Okay, I must confess... I really did enjoy this book. The story was wity, and as another reviewer said, the narrator was very likable. HOWEVER, I get the feeling that after he wrote his first draft, he and his wife sat down with a thesarus and made it a point to change at least two words in every sentence. This completely breaks off the flow of the book. You can't really write casually and then throw in words that are not necessarily a part of everyday language. Example: "I then dim the dining room lights - ostensibly to create ambience...". I'm a college educated woman who can certainly handle it, but the unevenness of the language in the book really became annoying after awhile. But again, the story was great and very entertaining. Just look past the choppy words.

much funnier than I expected
This sounded pretty predictable and I expected sitcom humor, maybe a few laughs but familiar ones. But Murphy (whose work you may know from SI) is much better than that. He's wry without being too sarcastic, and he's never mean-spirited. He's a likeable narrator and this is a surprisingly sharp and funny book. A great father's day gift. ... Read more

Book Description

The #1 Los Angeles Times bestseller from the host of NPR's Weekend Edition -- "absolutely spectacular-wise and intimate, often funny, always touching" (Scott Turow) -- now in paperback.

In a beautifully written narrative that runs from childhood to adulthood through times of war and peace, Scott Simon movingly tracing his life as a fan -- of sports, theater, politics, and the people and things he holds dear.

Sports Illustrated columnist Ron Fimrite says of Home and Away, "Rarely do you find in books of this genre a clearer look into mysteries and confusions of childhood . . . moving and often amusing portraits . . . insights into the complex and often corrupt world of Chicago politics, the city being this book's true protagonist. There are compelling scenes from Simon's years as a war correspondent, roving reporter, and political operative . . . There is also an emotional account of Michael Jordan's last championship season with the Bulls that is a book within a book . . .

"The writing is uniformly superb. This is, in fact, a memoir of such breadth and reach it compares favorably with another book that is allegedly about the nature of sports allegiance, Frederick Exley's A Fan's Notes. And that, believe me, is saying something." ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A gem!
I'm not a sports fan and I absolutely LOVED this book. I've been an avid listener of Scott Simon's Weekend Edition for many years and have always enjoyed his view of the world. When I heard he had a book coming out, I trotted out to buy it (locally, not on Amazon where I could have saved some money - groan!) and read it on a beach vacation. I couldn't put it down. I so thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was a delight to read. (Hey - when I was in Chicago last week for business, I called up an old college friend and convinced him to go with me to a Chicago Cubs game - and had a blast!) Thanks, Scott, for the book, and hurry up and write more!

Fabulous, lives up to the hype and more!
The reviews are starting to come in now and I don't want to hyperbolize. I picked up Home and Away because I had heard some good things about it and liked the few pages I read in the bookstore. I'm in a big baseball reading mode right now and Home and Away seemed to be definitely up my alley. After finishing it last night, I can say without hesitation that this is the best book I've read in a long time. Yes, it is a memoir of a fan but much much more. Simon is a gifted writer and his stories: the heartbreak of the Cubs, decline, ascension and decline of the Bears and the once in a lifetime experience of rooting for the Michael Jordan Bulls are all beautifully crafted - Simon puts you there, at Wrigley, Comiskey, Soldier Field, Chicago Stadium and the United Center, but he does so much more. He tells about the many setbacks suffered as boy, living in a loving but dysfunctional family, he brings the misery of Sarajevo and Grenada home through his experiences as a reporter in the same vivid detail as he describes the many games he has seen. He also writes about his transformation from 60s radical to 80s and 90s war correspondent. But he also, without gushing, illustrates how/why sports play such a seminal part in his and our lives. We meet fascinating people - Jack Brickhouse, Leo Durocher, Luc Longley, Mike Ditka, etc. Additionally, this book is great for its uniqueness. Somehow Simon brings all of these diverse elements together in a way where everything is connected. I'm not a Chicagoan but imaginine how moved one is when sharing Simon's memories. Above all, one does not have to be a sports fan to derive great pleasure - it is truly a human story without the cliche. We will be hearing a lot more about this book.

Great Narration, Bad Facts
Any sports fan (especially from the Chicago area) will definitely enjoy this story of growing up as a fan in Chicago. The only thing that keeps me from giving this book 4 stars is the inaccuracies. In several instances, Simon gives incorrect scores, dates and places. You would think it would be easy for someone in his position to have the correct info, so this unfortunately distracted me from an otherwise fine read.

For any sports fan!
I admit, as a transplanted Chicagoan and die-hard sports fan, its hard to be objective about this book. Scott Simon cleverly weaves his own personal remembrances of growing up in Chicago, into an historic timeline of sports and politics, which amounts to must read for anyone who wants a true glimpse into the soul of 'the city with big shoulders'.
I laughed hard and often at the family anecdotes, its easy to see where Simon gets his sense of humor, thrilled at reliving the Cub season of '69 and saddened, once again, at Brian Piccolo's courageous battle with cancer.
After finishing 'Home and Away', I was compelled to send copies to a few of my sports buddies...less fortunate souls having grown up in cities of less character.
I am a fan of the city, its teams (except the Sox...go Cubbies), and this writer ,who embodies it all so well in this book.
Bravo.

Starts Superbly, Oozing with Sap by the End
I picked up Home and Away because I like to read books on sports by sophisticated minds. And initially, I wasn't disappointed. Scott Simon delivers a vivid depiction of his childhood and his childhood love for sports, offering touching and revealing personal moments in the process. When he discusses his father and stepfather, we see the fan in a context larger than just the game, which I appreciated and admired.

But after the stepfather's criminal conviction, the narrative transitions into the story of the recent Bulls dynasty. Here is where book's self-indulgent love for Chicago turns to insufferable, sentimental cheese. In addition to slathering extra layers of sentimental goo on the Bulls--more than Simon previously appropriated for either Butkus's or Ditka's Bears--Simon covers ground already covered expertly and thoroughly by David Halberstam in Playing for Keeps. Only unlike Halberstam, Simon all but kisses Michael Jordan's behind, assessing no blame and even offering excuses for the star's occasional bad behavior. To me, the blatant sycophancy (is that a word?) on the part of the author makes me wonder if he willfully compromised his journalistic integrity or if that occurrence was inadvertant. Either way, I was thoroughly disappointed and had to stop reading. As do most Chicagoans, Simon simply got unBearably self-indulgent in his love for his city. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Science, human nature, war reporting --- it's all here
A collection of pieces loosely based on the author's obsession, inspired by his biologist brother's studies, with literally running down a deer, as some say primitive men once did. In between the attempts to corraborate stories of Indian tribes who do this and trying to catch pronghorns in Wyoming, Carrier intersperses essays about his divorce, his attempts to produce radio segments on the road, his adventures in hitchhiking, and stories from global hot spots that he did for Esquire. None of these digressions in unwelcome, especially the latter, which are superb stories of the best and worst in human nature, of death and survival. Whether he's interviewing a Cambodian woman whose greatest relief is that she no longer has to spend her day making poison sticks to keep out the militia, or an Indian commander is Kashmir who says the daily carnage is only "friendly fire," Carrier knows how to get the quotes and anecdotes that stick with his readers for a long time.

Desert Amerika
Scott Carrier runs to the edge of a high, dry place and observes: "Here it is, Reality; but the reality of what?" The answer comes back as the echo of laughter in the hills. Haunting and wonderful.

A Unique, American Voice
Scott Carrier's collection of essays, Running After Antelope alternates sections about travel's to Cambodia, time spent interviewing the mentally ill, and beatnik hitchhiking adventures with brief, intercalary chapters, indexed by year, which describe his passion for animal of the title. Carrier is consumed by the idea of being able to run with these creatures, to track them and perhaps outrun them eventually. On several occasions we meet Scott's brother, a scientist who studies the respiratory systems of mammals. Their relationship is often engaging, as is Scott's relationship to the antelope themselves. Indeed, the author's voice, so easy to read along with after hearing it so many times on NPR, dominates the landscape to such a degree that the reader never really gets a clear view of the vistas, natural and metaphorical, that he attempts to exposit in these brief essay. As individual works, the essays are like existential snapshots of a hell always just below the surface. The best essay in the collection, The Test, describes Carrier's time as a field interviewer for the mentally ill. He meets several, decidedly disturbed individuals - a man who tells Carrier that he can read his mind with the help of a crystal he carries, a woman who was put on medication because she claims sex with angels, and an eighty year old man who responds to every question with a plaintive "I can't remember". Carrier's job plunges further into the heart of darkness when he decides to take the test himself, only to discover, half way through, that the results aren't going to be good. As starling, even heartbreaking, as this essay is, the fact that it is followed later on by a rather lighthearted, Charles Kuraltesque piece about hitching a ride across country with an aspiring art dealer - who incidentally, believes his brother to be a genius of the art world; I wonder if Carrier considered making a stronger parallel with his own brother - and then by two pieces of travel journalism in which Carrier, promisingly enough, rents a motorcycle to transverse the countryside, and then, after getting lost on his way back to the palatial hotel, promptly returns it. The rudiments of Carrier's dark vision of things not quite in their proper place (especially the author himself) do make themselves known from time to time, event these weaker essays. The problem is that the reader's focus is split between the narrator's neurosis (and it is a fascinating one) and the decidedly journalistic intent in many of these essays. The divide never seems to converge at any point, despite the contextual format which leads the reader to believe otherwise. The lack of tonal cohesion between the various pieces, though distracting, should not dissuade a good, long sitting with Carrier's book, however. The precision of his prose style, which sometimes boarders on the baroque, has been honed by years freelancing for public radio. As such, the writing is meant to stimulate the mind's eye. In an early essay, Carrier describes the quite, natural splendor of his Utah:

There are little birds in the trees, and big birds on the rock walls of the canyon - red rock walls in the shadow of the afternoon sun. A dirt road comes around and down and crosses over the stream, and in the pool below road a pale snake slides silent into the water and swims to the other side, holding something rather large in its mouth.

Assonance aside, these sorts of passages, brief and almost haiku-like, crop up throughout the book and provide the necessary calm and elegance to counter Carrier's dark and often morbid musings. It is strange that Scott Carrier, the brooding, almost transient voice so often heard amongst the wacky and the cranky on This American Life, should become a representative belle letterist for this new century. However, the hodgepodge of modes that make up Running After Antelope - memoir, travel essay, nature writing - seems a perfect fit for the era of the translucent computer and gourmet fast-food. Appetites change and morph throughout even a single sitting of reading. To this end, Scott Carrier's short collection of flawed but very often beautiful and haunting essays should provoke even the most distracted of readers.

FH grows up
I have always liked Scott Carrier the most of all of the producers on "This American Life". Something about his voice, writing style, and introspection. I found this book to be a non-fiction Jesus' Son, maybe lacking the manic moments that Denis Johnson pens but the sadness, naiveté, and poetic prose is all there.

"Running to Stay Alive"
Scott Carrier's theme in "Running After Antelope" is a description of his life, of my life, of everyman's life. Intercalated between short essays of his adventures are recurrent descriptions of Scott and his brother's hypothesis that they (humans) can outrun a pronghorn antelope. This metaphor fits a thinking man's quest in life. We all must keep running to really stay alive. This is some sort of by-product of consciousness I suppose. I predict that Scott will never succeed, but he must keep running. Most of us loose sight of what we should run after. This book gently reminds us without the usual prostelitizing. The sparkling essays are crystals without too much said. This is a soothing book, despite the horrors that are depicted. I plan to give it to everyone I know capable of introspection. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In 1980, a drunk driver collided with French journalist Geneviève Jurgensen's brother-in-law's car and killed her two young daughters almost instantly. Since then, she has been a principled and able campaigner for road-safety awareness. The Disappearance is a book of letters to a friend, written, or apparently written, over an extended period, in which Jurgensen discusses different aspects of her bereavement--the useless regrets at having let the girls go on that particular outing, the lost hours during which she could have just breathed in their presence, the counting off each year of what her daughters would have been doing and how old they would have been had they lived. It is the nature of grief to repeat itself, and Jurgensen finds ways to acknowledge this without boring her readers. This is a book that deals with pain in a controlled fashion, combining the raw honesty of its American equivalents with the solidly balanced craft of the French epistolary novel. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

After September 11, 2001....
On Friday, September 21, as I was driving listening to Ira Glass's This American Life on National Public Radio, a lengthy portion of this book was read. I had to pull over to the side of the road, unable to continue until it was finished. For those of us so far away from the site of last week's horror, connected only through television, radio, and print, it has been hard to move from the numbers to the names to the lives of all those lost. Our prayers have been frequent and our thoughts constant but we have still been removed. This helped me and I hope it will help us all.

Simple and beautiful
A lovely and valuable book. In the glimpses of her children that Ms. Jurgensen gives us in an effort to have us know what was lost, anyone who has ever loved a child must see and feel that child -the little chubby hand in yours, the legs wrapped tight around your waist. This book also gave me much to think about on the subject of compassion - for those you care about as well as those you see in passing and will likely never see again.

This book looks a parent's worst nightmare full in the face, so is not for everyone. But your openness to the wrenching pain of this story will reward you with the realization that, woven throughout this nightmare of sadness and loss is hope, survival, love, connection and happiness. Nightmare though it is, it's a beautiful thing.

'Tears In Heaven ..."
Twelve years after her two young children, Mathilde and Elise, were mercilessly slain at the hands of a drunk driver, Genevieve Jurgensen continued to complete the process of healing through her writing.

Initially, she was overwhelmed, unable even to view their bodies and send them on their way ... "Wherever they went, they went alone." Would she ever, ever come to life again? Genevieve gives us a glimpse into her many hopes, fears and anguish through her letters.

After the passage of many years and the addition of two more children she appears to have brought her life full circle only to discover the happiness once again that was always there.

'Time can bring you down, bring you what you need, Time can break your heart, make you beg and plead' (Eric Clapton) Time has enabled us the opportunity for Genevieve Jurgensen to share with us her most personal thoughts, feelings and grief.

devastatingly beautiful
Jurgenson writes of something most of us hope never to experience -- the death of not one, but both of her children. Not a topic that ordinarily beckons for one's enthusiastic attention, this book caught mine when I heard one of her letters (the book is comprised of letters written to a friend, telling this story more than 10 years after the accident) read on the public radio show, This American Life. Jurgenson writes to this friend with terrible honesty about the entire emotional spectrum, reflects philosophically on the pain of existence, and demonstrates throughout it all that, somehow, one figures out how to carry on. And it all comes packaged in the most beautiful, provocative prose -- a translation, yes, but a very good one, I think.

It strikes me as a "must read" for anyone seeking greater understanding of the difficult inner dynamics of such a loss, whether personal or otherwise. Really, though, anyone interested in literary self-portraiture, psychology, or simply the human condition would likely find this book fascinating, riveting, and heart-rending. Highly recommended.

Painful to read, but worth the effort
After hearing this author read her own work on NPR I was hooked-I had to read it. Tightly woven within this brutally honest portrayal of just how a mother copes after losing her two children was the painful realization that one simply has no choice. While it was at times very difficult to take in just how much the death of a child must affect a parent, I could not put this book down.

I found myself thinking what a good mother this woman must be to the two children she now has. Indeed she has made no attempt to hide the fact that the ones she lost through tragic circumstance existed and she aptly illustrates the importance of keeping the memory of loved ones alive by continuing to make your life with them a part of the present.

Any empathetic person who wishes to try to grasp the pain of another's grief would benefit from this book. The knowledge gained this mother's excruciating experience can surely help someone out there.... ... Read more

Book Description

For eighteen years, Pulitzer Prize-winner Edna Buchanan had one of the most exciting, frightening, and heartbreaking jobs a newspaperwoman could have -- working the police beat for the Miami Herald. Having covered more crimes than most cops, Buchanan garnered a reputation as a savvy, gritty writer with a unique point of view and inimitable style. Now, back in print after many years, The Corpse Had a Familiar Face is her classic collection of true stories, as witnessed and reported by Buchanan herself. From cold-blooded murder, to violence in the heat of passion, to the everyday insanity of the city streets, Edna Buchanan reveals it all in her own trademark blend of compassionate reporting, hard-nosed investigation, and wry humor that has made her a legend in the world of journalism. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Fascinating!
This book is a gem. Once I picked it up, I could not put it down. I even had to rush to the bookstore to pick up Never Let Them See You Cry. This woman has a refreshing tell-it-like-is tone. A truly wonderful book about one of America's most colorful cities.

Best of the Best
This is my all-time favorite book. It inspires and enthralls. I am glad to see that Amazon carries it. Edna Buchanan truly is a great talent of our time.

Great Introduction to an Exciting City
If you really want to get a feeling for Miami, read this true crime book along with a standard tour guide. Edna Buchanan is as good as anybody in this genre; her love of the city, warts and all, shines through everyone of these gripping pages.

Hot, hot, hot
This was my second introduction to Edna Buchanan's great reporting skill and her method of explaining the journalism field in a way almost anyone could understand. As a journalist, I was already leaning toward police coverage, but Buchanan's books really made me hunger for more. I've always been fascinated about human evil and, as Buchanan puts it, how in humans, "the person most likely to kill you sits across the breakfast table from you." Domestic violence is such a killer, and too often ignored or seen as a small crime. But police officers, as Buchanan points out, often lose their lives the most at these calls. Excellent reporting and story-telling!

A eye-opening look into real detective work!
Nobody says it better! Edna took one of the most famous cities in America and gave the world a veiw into its infamous crime scenes without leaving out the beauty and intrigue. The excellent work of a true woman. Waiting for "Familiar Face II"!! Loved this and "Never Let Them See You Cry." Please give us more Edna! ... Read more

Book Description

The eXile is the controversial biweekly tabloid founded by Americans Mark Ames and Matt Taibbi that Rolling Stone has called "cruel, caustic, and funny" and "a must-read." In the tradition of gonzo journalists like Hunter S. Thompson, Ames and Taibbi cover everything from decadent club scenes to the nation's collapsing political and economic systems - no person or institution is spared from their razor sharp satiric viewpoint. They take you beneath the surface of the Russia that most Western journalists cover, bringing to life the metropolis that Ames describes as "manic, nihilistic, grotesque, horrible; and yet, in its own way, far superior to any city on Earth.

Featuring artwork and articles from their groundbreaking newspaper, The eXile is the inside story of how the tabloid came to be and how Ames and Taibbi broke their biggest stories - all the while playing hysterically vicious practical jokes, racking up innumerable death threats, and ingesting a motherlode of speed. It's a darkly funny, up-close profile of the sordid underbelly of the New World Order that you will never forget. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Schmoozing with the Enemy
As a former Moscow resident, I was in many a run-in with authors Ames and Taibbi, and not always on friendliest of terms. Indeed, no small amount of the titular libel in "the eXile: Sex, Drugs, and Libel in the New Russia," their tell-all book about the decadent glory days of mid-90s Moscow, is directed toward yours truly and the boys' longstanding feud with myself -- so it seems they're still earning points at my expense! Even if most of what they say about me is exagerated, if not falsehood, I hold no grudges. For in spite of all their showy spleen and venting of frivolous personal vendettas, Ames and Taibbi can't help but write about the Moscow they love with a warmth and glow that is unmatched anywhere. From the get-rich-quick schemes, to the shady deals, to the fast living and fancy cars and, yes, the prostitutes, this book describes it all to a T -- with wit, compassion, and honesty. Of course, if you were there in Moscow in the mid-to-late 1990s you probably don't need to read the book -- you lived the dream. But for all others, this book is as close as you'll probably come to having been there in the flesh. My Moscow gone by... I miss it so.

Not For Middlebrows
I never write reviews of books but this one deserves it after all the middlebrows have come out to attack it lately (first reviews were all glowing, later reviews all horrified). It's always a sign of a great book and courageous author (or authors in this case) when you have people either loving or hating a book, as they do this one. These days journalists and academics are all looking like Eddie Bauer catalogue models, and trying to live those safe lives. That's probably why some people hate this book, in which the authors/journalists get into the filth of corrupt Russia and corrupt journalism and don't try to make themselves out to be decent regular fellas but rather tell it like it is. Not for the faint-of-heart... If your idea of courageous intellectual pursuit is proving that Satan doesn't exist or that we live in a world where everyone respects each other, stay away from The Exile. If you want to read journalism as it should be done, diving head-first into the filth in order to get closer to the truth (like Dostoevsky taught), then take a chance. I know more than a few aspiring journalists and writers who said that this book changed their lives. Ok, most were male, but males have rights too!

Brilliant
Pants-splittingly funny... Ames is a whiny, infuriating misanthrope who happens to be really, really funny. People who voted for Bush, content suburbanites, and feminists will loathe this book equally. The eXile web site remains the only thing worth reading on the web.

Mark/Matt: difference of styles
Although I agree with one of the reviewers here in that Taibbi and Ames differ in the style of writing, I don't think that Ames's writing is in any way inferior to Taibbi's.

Taibbi tends to cover more "serious" topics in the book - things like corruption, crime and the hypocrisy of the governments involved in many "economic assistance programs" of the 1990's, while Ames gives us a more "personal" take on the whole thing, focusing more on the storyline (the creation of eXile), as well as "sex and drugs" promised in the title. Ames's style in this book is somewhat close to Edward Limonov's "It's Me Eddie" and, for the right reader, will definitely be a more entertaining and personal read. I found myself laughing more while reading Mark's chapters.

Since both of these "perspectives" are packaged in the same volume, you'll know pretty much everything you need to know about modern Russia after reading it.

Life in a Northern Town Book Club selection![....]
As the subtitle might indicate, this is not a book for the faint of heart, nor is it a straight-up history, though the portrait it paints of post-Soviet Russia from the early '90s to 1998 is pretty vivid in all its pornographic, bloody, vomitous, sexist glory, making it a pretty damned good history anyway.

The book is divided into eight chapters, four written by Ames and four by Taibbi. Many readers have complained that Ames' sections of the book are Waholianly dull, too petty, personal, splenous, what have you, while praising Taibbi's sections for their directness, adherence to and expressed admiration for basic journalistic principles and (false, false, false) relative modesty. But I will go on the record as admiring both.

Ames... poor Ames. A lot of his stuff will make readers cringe, but for every one of his self-pitying narratives about scabies or his girlfriend or his dependence on speed whenever left to get an issue of the eXile out by himself, there are still gems of hilarious realism like the following:

"What people forget in every article ever written about drugs is one simple, basic fact. PEOPLE TAKE DRUGS BECAUSE THEY'RE FUN. That's it. There's no mystery to the drug thing. Peiople drink water to quench their thirst, they have sex because it feels good; and they do drugs because they're fun...

Even Hunter S. and William Burroughs couldn't stait it that plainly;: they elevated drugs to the mythical level, keeping mum on the single most obvious, dangerous fact. So I'll repeat: PEOPLE DO DRUGS BECAUSE THEY'RE FUN. It's no different from alcohol or roller coasters except that drugs are A LOT BETTER."

Co-author Taibbi observes later in this book, after a brief reflection on his childhood growing up in the newsrooms of Boston and New York, that "If, as a consumer, you want good newspapers, you're not going to get them if the reporters are people who only reluctantly tell you the truth. Ideally, you have a bunch of people who are outcasts, even sociopaths, who get off on telling people the whole truth because that's the point: The other parts of society - government, business, etc. - have to be able to function while trusting the public to know the worst."

In these two quotes we can find the eXile, and this book, in a nutshell. Ames and Taibbi are two people who get off on telling the truth, and make no bones about the fact that they do get off on it. Hence their infamous "Death Porn" section, their version of a police blotter, in which the goriest crimes they could find in Russia that week are recounted with mocking slapstick horror, in true tabloid fashion, complete with cartoons illustrating basic, recurring story elements, i.e. a little Thanksgiving turkey to indicate the victim was "carved up like a turkey", a piece of Swiss cheese to indicate "riddled with bullets," a hamburger bun with a human haand sticking out of it to indicate cannibalism (quite prevalent out in the provinces where people, still waiting lo these many years for the goverment to pay their back wages, have little to do but hack each other to pieces and eat each other) and, my favorite, a squad cap next to a vodka bottle to indicate an "investigation ongoing."

But Death Porn and little drug and scabies excursi notwithstanding, why should you read this book? Because it also tells the story of a newspaper that has been a huge pain [...] to an expatriate community in Moscow that has done little to actually help convert Russia to a free-market economy or to prepare its citizenry to live in such an economy. Those whom Ames and Taibbi have skewered over the years in their paper have been both highly-placed Russian oligarchs who have taken state corruption to unbelievable new levels (I would refer readers especially to Taibbi's in-depth look at Anatoly Chubais and his loans-for-shares program which should have been a global scandal but was deemed "too complicated" to cover in the western press), and American and British consultants who lived the high life spending foreign aid money on luxuries for themselves, investing it with each other's mutual funds, and creating scandals like the Investor Protection Fund, meant to bail out poor Russians whose first forays into private investing led to their being defrauded (to date the IPF has not paid out one rouble to any bilked investors - but it made one mutual fund manager a lot of money for many years!).

But this book is not to be read as an exercise in schadenfreude: most of the worst villains in the eXile's hall of shame are Americans, and it is a theme throughout the book that once Americans are in any way freed from the usual constraints on their behavior, they are the most corrupt, scaly lizard-beasts one can find anywhere. Even an ordinary suburbanite, once she lands in Russia, winds up threatening gangland hits on the authors [...].

And it could happen here, if we ever cease to keep an eye on each other, on our elected officials,and on our press. For, as Taibbi notes with dismay, the age of those outcast sociopaths is gone; today's "reporters," at least in the western press in Moscow, have become "a bunch of corrupt, cheerleading patsies," largely because there is no longer any competition between papers, magazines, networks, what have you, and thus there's no one paying attention to the accuracy, fairness, or relevance of what is coming out of those Moscow bureaus - and thus no reason for western journalists in Moscow to work very hard at all.

The authors leave open the question of whether this might not be true in other parts of the world or back home, but it does make me wonder about what I'm reading about what's going on in Kabul, in Israel, and in Cheyenne.

I know too many reporters to be able, truthfully, to say that nothing like that can happen or has happened here. I've done it myself, run stories without double-checking facts, accepted sources' words as gospel because of my personal fondness or respect for those sources, left out story elements I didn't think my readers would understand... I just never got called on it.

I fervently wish that there could be more papers like the eXile in the world, while knowing that there can't be: it is only Ames and Taibbi's unique position - out of the reach of American libel laws and unread by the officials whose corruption they expose in Russia because they print in English - that makes the eXile possible.

But in a perfect world, there would be an eXile in every city, Death Porn, pornographic club reviews and all. [...]. ... Read more

Book Description

The eminent journalist began his book-publishing career in 1935 with this exciting account of the adventurous 2,250-mile canoe trip he and a friend made as teenagers from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

canoeing with the cree
I thought that this book was a great wiild life adventure. It's about two boys going aginst their odds in a canoeing trip from St. Paul Minneapolis all the way to the Hudson Bay. Nobody thinks that they will make it. The two young boys come close to death many times. They almost get lost and find their way thanks to many kind people that help them overcome the impossible and they make it. They encounter Indians and some very nice people, and this makes their trip much easier even though they really struggle through all those miles. That's why I think this book was a good book.

Youthful Adventure
A great book about the power of youth and inexperience. More about adventure than canoeing itself, Sevareid preserves through this amazing experience the intangible confidence (maybe brashness)of youth. Adult leaders of youth should read it. Teenagers who want to challenge anything unknown would be inspired by it.