Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District BookBlog

Straphanger by Taras Grescoe

Reviewer: Ray

Review: Reading a review of this new book, I thought I'd put a hold on it and give it a spin. Grescoe, who has quite the knack for the occasional remarkable metaphor (and simile), examines transportation in our cities. He has, since eight years old, a proclivity to advocate less-automotive propulsion which affords, in his estimation, denser, more human cities and suburbs, and our world less filled with concrete/asphalt and carbon in the atmosphere, a better place for our children. In this particular book he gives us first hand exploration of bikes, buses, light-rail, and trains — above ground, below ground, and between cities. And he does this with a sort of friendly travelogue going to places I've been — New York, Vancouver and Montreal — and places I've not (yet) been — Shanghai, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Paris, Copenhagen, Moscow, Tokyo, Bogotá, Portland, and the City of Brotherly love, Philadelphia. It's both a wonderful examination of (mostly) urban (but some suburban) transportation as it has grown and developed (or regressed) in specific places — and his journey is so wonderfully international (he's Canadian). Along the way we also learn how suburbs in America developed after World War II, the impact of 1978's Proposition 13, that 37% of Copenhagen's daily commuters use bicycles, zoning's role in creation sprawl, the origin of the name "Omnibus" and most of all, his final thought, "Sometimes the best way to get to a better place is to make the place you are in just a little bit better." Not a bad thing to contemplate on your next excursion into the city.

Tutankhamen by Joyce Tyldesley

Reviewer: Ray

Review: This 269 pages of text book was written by Joyce Tyldesley, holder of a doctorate from Oxford and senior lecturer at the KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology at Liverpool University. She has completed some sixteen books on ancient Egypt for adults and even several more for children. I picked it up because I'd thought I'd read what she had to say on King Tut. I was very surprised for despite a very practical, interesting style, I find myself thinking with every new page: she very carefully, clearly presents her material. It has the best explanation and description of that notable Egyptian burial ground, The Valley of the Kings, I'd ever read. Likewise she tells the story of the discovery and aftermath exceptionally well, showing what was known and the many things that aren't known. For anyone interested in this area of history, this is an exceptional book and highly recommended. While there are plenty of "pictures books" of Tut and his Treasures around, this text with a few illustrations, makes all the coffee table books much more understandable.

Theodore Roosevelt by Lewis L. Gould

Reviewer: Ray

Review: There is a trend these days towards big, fat, thick biographies, e.g., Steve Jobs. And it isn't necessarily a bad one. I found Ron Chernow's biography of George Washington excellent without a useless, padded page. However when I cruised our New Book shelves I found the new Oxford University Press biography of Theodore Roosevelt clocked in at 73 pages and that seemed just right for a day's read — which is what it turned out to be. Lewis L. Gould, a professor emeritus from the University of Texas, Austin, is an author of a goodly number of books including individual accounts of the presidencies of this Roosevelt, Wm. Howard Taft, and Wm. McKinley. An exceptional swift, clear overview of the life of Teddy Roosevelt, Gould's little gem puts Roosevelt�s life in a sort of clear, powerpoint presentation. It doesn't mean, however, that there aren't nice little pieces of color sprinkled throughout. I enjoyed learning about daughter Alice Roosevelt's pet green snake, Emily Spinach, as well as the line from politico Mark Hanna (especially known for his quote "Now that damn cowboy is President") writing to his protégé William McKinley who had just been elected President (with Theodore as his Vice President): "Your duty to the Country is to live for four years from next March" (so that Roosevelt would not become President). Sadly, for McKinley, he didn't. This is a welcomed speedy refresher course for (or intro) to T.R.

Clark Weber's Rock and Roll Radio by Clark Weber

Reviewer: Ray

Review: While Neil Sedaka's 2-page foreward contains one sentence (18 works) about Clark's 2008 rock, roll and remember book, he hits the nail on the head: this book helps keep the story of rock and roll radio alive. There is a plethora of photos and memorabilia of Clark Weber, other radio personalities and music folk including Sonny & Cher, Steve and Edie, the Beatles, Paul Revere & the Raiders, Connie Stevens and The Monkees. There are also single pages with simply a bold short paragraph which looks artsy but.... As I first flipped through the book, I was fearful that this would be just a picture and text zipalong, but I needn't have worried. The book includes a great history of the beginnings of Rock and Roll Radio (particularly the reasons that it became possible and even necessary). Clark offers a great little history of his career as well as rock radio in (especially) Chicago. Talk about insider information! And as a special attraction there is a compact disc included which carries a lot of jingles and snippets and memories of rock radio in Chicago.

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by Fiona Carnarvon

Reviewer: Ray

Review: Because they knew I liked watching PBS's Downton Abbey, someone pointed out this 2011 book about the "real" Downton Abbey. While the PBS series, created and written by Julian Fellowes, is fabricated — a work of fiction — the house in which it (or at least the first floor) is filmed, really exists and is called Highclere Castle and it is the ancestral home of the Lords Carnarvon. The current "Mrs. Lord Carnarvon", or Fiona, the Countess of Carnarvon, has written a fascinating book about the life and times of Lord Carnarvon (The 5th?) and his family who lived at Highclere during the time during which Downton Abbey takes place — the early 20th century. There are lots of photos which help take us into the story of this family, this estate, and a great deal of the First World War. In addition, something the tv series does not (well, as yet) have is the interest in Egyptology. Lord Carnarvon was the gentleman who bankrolled Howard Carter for some 15 years and was as such the co-discoverer of the jackpot of archaeological endeavors, the intact tomb of King Tut. If you like the series, you should enjoy this account of the lives and times. If you haven't seen the series but are interested in early 20th century history (in England), you should enjoy it as well.

A Natural Woman by Carole King

Reviewer: Ray

Review: In addition to telling about her acting career (sporadic), her concerns for the environment and people (continuing), and personal relationships, Carole King offers a great story of her music career. She is a person who bridges the 1950s ("Brill Building" of songwriters who wrote for "stars") and the 1960s-1970s singer/songwriter tradition. She was a predominant figure in both eras. Her store takes her from Brooklyn where she was born and grew up, to Los Angles and to Idaho where she roughed it for many years. For those who are fans (from "Locomotion" to TAPESTRY and beyond), or those interested in the American music industry, this is a welcomed read. I loved the little story of where her paternal Grandparents were at Ellis Island. The clerk asked them their name. They said Glayman (GLYE-man) and the clerk wrote down Klein. Welcome to America! (Carol Klein eventually changed her name to Carole King).

Voyagers of the Titanic by Richard Davenport-Hines

Reviewer: Ray

Review: Well at last the sinking of RMS Titanic 15 April 1912 is marking its centenary, countless films, books, audio recordings, etc. having been made in the meantime. A new book by Richard Davenport-Hines, a noteworthy British author, has just come out which I selected to read. Of course in the back of my mind I thought "but what could be new?" I had to affirm that this is a fascinating book which while focusing on the people aboard (and those left behind) with an exceptional array of information regarding most aspects of the sinking of the Titanic and the days afterwards. It does not talk about its rediscovery by Ballard in 1985 or mention "debris fields" and the like. Nonetheless it offers an exceptional insight into the stories of passengers of all classes, 1-2-3, and the officers and crew aboard. I learned that the ship's "owner" (actually a corporation IMM), J. Pierpont Morgan, the famous banker, had an uncle, James Pierpont, who wrote "Jingle Bells". We learned of the fate of the iceberg and many other intriguing items. While the details which are a plus sometimes slow the reading down, one could look very far to find a better book to recall this tragic disaster.

More Room in a Broken Heart by Stephen Davis

Reviewer: Ray

Review: While I don't know if there IS more room in a broken heart or if these are the TRUE adventurers of Carly Simon, Stephen Davis did have a lot of insider information (besides going through lots of interviews) as he was college friends with Carly's younger brother, the photographer Peter Simon and a long-time friend of the family. While I've greatly enjoyed some of singer-songwriter Carly Simon�s songs — "You�re So Vain", "Nobody Does It Better", "Let the River Run" — I can't say I'm a noteworthy "fan." Nonetheless this 409-page book ran very smoothly and for me didn't have any dry patches. Instead, there were short chapters and interesting stories. Long ago I learned, surprisingly, that Carly's father was the Simon of Simon & Schuster, the publishing giant and I have to confess the most fascinating part of this story was the creation and development of Simon & Schuster. Mostly, though, this book tells the stories of Carly's life and troubles — nervousness, stuttering, a broken heart because she felt her father didn't love her and from many a broken relationship with the other sex. I thought Davis, almost backhandedly, gives us a good view into the music world — corporate politics, composition, recording, promotion, etc. This is a quick, interesting read, and if you're tempted, go for it!

American Egyptologist by Jeffrey Abt

Reviewer: Ray

Review: Last year, while learning more about library history at the Winnetka Historical Society, I came across an article in an April 1917 copy of The Messenger which noted the forthcoming lecture on the 5th of May by Dr. James H. Breasted, "leading Egyptologist of the world" , to be given at the Community House on some phases of the early history of Egypt and his talk would be illustrated by lantern slides, pictures taken in Egypt by Dr. Breasted himself. I was excited that he had come to Winnetka because I was very familiar with Dr. Breated and his career. Born in Rockford, Illinois, a few months after the close of the Civil War, he was schooled initially in Northern Illinois (including Downers Grove) and Chicago, working in a drug store and later studying for the ministry. He had an amazing facility for learning languages and it was while studying Hebrew under soon to be first president of the University of Chicago, William Rainey Harper, that he began to more in the unanticipated direction of becoming America's first Egyptologist. He studied under European scholars in Berlin (where he met and married his American-born wife ,Frances Hart) and after a "working" honeymoon down the Nile, came to work under Harper at the University of Chicago where he transformed the Haskell Oriental Museum into the Oriental Institute, a key university organization which fostered (and fosters!) discovery, research and teaching of the Egypt and the Ancient Near East. Fostered by the friendship and finances of John D. Rockefeller and his Foundation, Breasted and company accomplished amazing things, recording hieroglyphics, uncovering tombs, exploring lost cities. Is it any wonder that in the fictional world that Henry "Indiana" Jones studied archeology at Chicago? A quite favorable review in the Wall Street Journal prompted two patrons to ask the library to obtain a copy of the new biography of Breasted — American Egyptologist by Jeffrey Abt, published quite appropriately by the University of Chicago Press. Not only has Abt presented a scholarly but very readable account of both Breasted and his Oriental Institute, but has presented the work in a fine volume copiously illustrated by b/w images of the time offering such a clear picture of Dr. Breasted's work and adventures. Highly recommended story of a local boy made good!

Island of Vice by Richard Zacks

Reviewer: Ray

Review: This is a pretty interesting slice of two years in the life of New York Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt. While it is questionable what was the ultimate result of his crusade for morality (the corrupt followed after him and undid much of what he tried to do), he made a "bully" effort and certainly shook things up. Zack gives us a wonderful picture into the world of New York City in the 1890s, how things "worked" and how people lived, both rich and poor. His description of a heat wave in the city is exceedingly memorable. The shortness of the window of time allows for a detailed examination of life at the time and I think this book is well worth the checking out.

The Jesus Discovery by James D. Tabor

Reviewer: Ray

Review: Simcha Jacobovici is a filmaker and author whose films have been seen on the Discovery Channel. James D. Tabor is chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. His books include The Jesus Dynasty (The Hidden History of Jesus) as well as Paul and Jesus. In 1980-1981 two buried tombs were discovered in the Talpiot neighborhood of Jerusalem and were shortly thereafter covered again. This new book by the joint team of authors recounts their rediscovery (a condo had been built on top of them) and exploration via camera through a hole. It really is fascinating and to dig in old tombs in Israel one is faced with an almost insurmountable set of obstacles from the Government antiques department through very conservative Jewish group which more or less forbids disturbances of any ancient burial sites. Well these tombs have (or had in some cases) bones and especially stone sarcophagi with extremely interesting inscriptions and artwork. Tabor's study believes that they are the burial places, these tombs, of Joseph of Arimathea, Mary Magdalene, Jesus, and his family. And that the Jonah and whale drawings on some of the stone indicates a very early belief in the resurrection of Jesus. His study of the New Testament and other sources indicates that he believes the resurrection of Jesus (and sometime all of us) is the spirit in a new heavenly body. And thus the bones of those in the Scriptures remain and he believes he may have found at least where some were entombed. His studies are archaeological and historical but he affirms that "good history is never the enemy of informed faith." His book, he believes, offers a significant glimpse into the faith of Jesus' first followers. An exciting read and a thought provoking analysis. Recommended even if you don't accept his arguments.

Kearny's March by Winston Groom

Reviewer: Ray

Review: Cruising the new book shelf, I came upon Kearny's March: The Epic Creation of the American West, 1846-1847. Well I knew a little bit about my misspelled namesake but it wasn't very clear, so I thought, "Why not?" However I was a little leery. Sometimes accounts of long journeys can be...well, tedious and boring. Thought comes to mind of the abridged version of Scott's Last Expedition we were required to read in high school. However I needn't have worried. This is a wonderful book. It turns out the author has written many fiction and nonfiction books and is most noted for his novel turned into film of Forest Gump. Winston Groom weaves together several stories of events which took place in the same time and that had an impact upon one another including the War with Mexico, the Mormon Battalion's march to California , the ill-fated movement of the Donner party (from Springfield, Illinois, to their eponymous pass), the adventures of "the Pathfinder" John C. Frémont, and of course, the march of Stephen Watts Kearny at the head of a military expedition from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas to California, and back again, taking 14 months in 1846-1847. Groom writes very entertainingly. I can't recall a single glazed look coming from my eyes and definitely not a single "Are we there yet?" which when reading means a look forward to see how many pages are left and I find myself doing that frequently with some books. He gives a great account of the Mexican War, President Polk, the life and times of the abovementioned Pathfinder, Kit Carson, the American Conquest of Mexico, something of the Mormons, life on the trail — back then it was a very brutish undertaking and between storms, buffalo, wild cattle, countless Indian tribes, cold, draught, and murder, not everyone made it — particularly, of course, in the Donner-Reed party. Groom has a wonderful introduction of how he likes to choose topics somehow related to himself (even by very tenuous threads) and concludes the book with an interesting "what happened to" just about all the central players. This is the tale of how America came to be "from sea to shining sea" and is very much recommended.

The World of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes

Reviewer: Ray

Review: This is a "companion" book to the critically acclaimed and highly popular Downton Abbey series [Seasons 1 and 2 very popularly held at the library] which was made in England and shown worldwide, including here in America. Created and written by Julian Fellowes, it is filmed in Ealing Studios (below stairs and a couple bedrooms) and at Highclere Castle which portrays Downton Abbey, the house. Jessica Fellowes, Julian's niece, presents a wonderfully readable and extremely informative book on the life and times, as it were, of the age, with examples from real people as well as the characters from the tv series. The book is LAVISHLY illustrated with images from both the times and the series (including stills and "behind the scenes" shots). Whether you are hoping to understand the era or the series (or both!), this book is highly recommended and a very swift read. Interestingly, I learned that the character of Lady Grantham, Cora Crowley (played by Evanston's own Elizabeth McGovern) was inspired by American "buccaneer" (you know those American heiresses of the late 19th century who went to England to find a titled [and usually financially strapped] lord) Mary Leitner, whose father, Levi, was a long-time partner with Marshall Field. On the library's Historical Chicago Tribune database are some wonderful articles on her, especially a very comprehensive one written at the time of her untimely death in 1906. Five stars (above and below stairs)!

Sweet Judy Blue Eyes by Judy Collins

Reviewer: Jill

Review: Sweet Judy Blue Eyes: My Life in Music by Judy Collins begins with early family memories in the 1950s. She writes of her blind, alcoholic father and frequently depressed mother. The book drags a bit as she discusses her early career and her first marriage which ends in divorce followed by an almost endless custody battle over her only child. The story really picks up when she writes about her life in the 1960s: her music, other musicians and music industry people that she meets along the way including Joni Mitchell, Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. This really is the best part of the book. She covers her many love affairs and her own extensive problems with depression and alcoholism. Judy Collins gives us her life, warts and all. For fans of the singer or anyone nostalgic for the sixties.

Then Again by Diane Keaton

Reviewer: Jill

Review: Then Again by Diane Keaton is not your typical celebrity bio. It gives only tantalizing glimpses of her relationships with famous men such as Woody Allen, Al Pacino and Warren Beatty. The book is really about her family and early formative years in California. She writes extensively about her mother's thwarted career as an artist and includes so many entries from her mother's voluminous journals that it almost becomes a dual biography. In the end, it is the story of a woman's complicated relationship with her complex mother and comes full circle when Keaton becomes a mother to two adopted children fairly late in life. Written in a warm, conversational tone, the book is funny, sad and ultimately, joyful.