Condi: The life of a steel Magnolia
356103
A "Condi" is a book for all readers.  I found the book inspirational, interesting, and entertaining.  Not only did I learn more about the "black" experience in the south, but I learned about the winning solution to inequalities.  Condi's parents knew this all along, education and hard work.

Every parent that wants their children to turn into wonderful adults should read this book.  Every little girl in America should read this book.  Unlike the female characters of the pop culture world, this is the type of women that I want my girls to emulate. Although, she is beautiful, she carries herself with respect and dignity wherever she goes.  This book has made a wonderful impact on me.  Thank you MB Brown.
3331055
A biography of Huey Long is going to be dominated by one thing: his megalomaniacal desire for power.  It makes for interesting reading in political tactics, but that's really all there was to his life.  White is even-handed in his handling with his treatment of Long's excesses, but his prose is a little clunky and repetitive.  The problem with a biography on Long (or perhaps just this biography on Long) is that there is little to texture the overally picture of a power-hungry man.  There is no underlying complex character to understand.  A recommended read for those seeking to understand the dangers of power to excess or people with a romantic attachment to the state of Louisiana or the 1930s.
4749503
We may wince at the way Judy Garland is presented to us in this book, but are we really surprised? We knew she was troubled. Generations since have understood to a degree the kind of pressures she must have suffered through during her time as one of the world's most revered public figures. I appreciated Ms. Phillip's candor. She didn't even need to keep quasi apologizing for having continued to work for Judy or doing other things she did to have the career she wanted. She was/is a pioneer during a very difficult time to be a woman in business. I'd like to believe that victims of the star system (and themselves) like Judy were ultimately better off because they had people hired solely to look after them. It's an intriguing look into a young career with a bonus of interesting side tales about people like Al Pacino and Robert Redford. I devoured it in one plane ride.
443971
Miss Dowd brings us what she calls a dynasty named Bush, living in a fantastical and determined world called, you guessed it, "Bushworld." She's right about a lot of things here, most particularly, "enter at your own risk."

From her we get short little stories containing euphemisms, colloquial referents and metaphors out the yin yang directed at the wannabe world leader and his astute father, the former President and smarter of the two. She attacks tongue in cheek and keeps the autillery (so to speak) going at a quick pace, questioning the motives and ideals of both Bush fellas and sometimes joking on them in such a way that I could just hear Michael Moore saying, "D'oh! Why didn't I think of that!?!"

To wit, it's fun to ask the whys and withertos concerning a war that pretty much helps no one directly and it's preposterous to remind ourselves of a leader who one day calls himself the "War President" and the next day calls himself the "Peace President." And any question of why a man who never had to work a day in his life, getting over on reality time and time again, leaning on daddy for comfort and security, is the leader of the disabled, the working man, the white collar surgeon, the retired fisherman in Florida, is a complete waste of time, bordering on rhetoric.

Miss Dowd knew this and she made her point known through the written word. For all the good it will do.

Good book. Too cutesy at times. Some columns were a little long, others a little short. But I've seen worse political papers.
4846685
This book was a great book to read because the story of Andrew Johnson's impeachment is a fascinating one. To understand first how he came to the presidency (why Lincoln picked him as VP), then to see how he acted after Lincoln's death, it is without wonder why Congress sought to oppose Johnson and seek his removal. The author makes a pretty clear case against Johnson. While it may be a matter of debate how Lincoln would have handled years of Reconstruction in the South, both Congress and Johnson thought they were upholding Lincoln's legacy. (Johnson wanted quick new state governments open to "all," while Congress wanted carefully rebuilt new state governments free of senior Confederates.)

The case for impeachment was a pretty weak one, but the story of how it unfolded is mind-boggling to imagine in today's context. The president was vetoing every important act of Congress and Congress was meanwhile over-riding nearly every veto. The relationship was hostile, adversarial, and nearly childish. Johnson felt victimized and remained defiant. Meanwhile, Congress passed a law preventing the president from firing his Cabinet secretaries. So when he named a new War Secretary, the old one barricaded himself in his office, refusing to leave office.

While modern readers will most likely agree that Johnson's actions were immoral or otherwise wrong, the book makes pretty clear that he really broke no laws (other than, arguably, the ignominious Tenure of Office Act). So the case for his impeachment and removal was purely political. Because it is not illegal to pursue bad policies, Congress found it difficult to remove Johnson from office.

While many senators voted against impeachment for good legal and ethical reasons, the book makes clear than many votes were influenced by filthy lucre. Bribes and payoffs were a strong undercurrent to this story. This is also one area where the author's narrative fell flat. Few of the bribes and schemes can today be proven. So the mix of circumstantial evidence and hearsay make for less than convincing plots. Additionally, as with any true corruption scheme, the true story and string of events is convoluted and confusing. While the author tries to "follow the money," the reader is left with their head spinning and not knowing what actually happened. The problem is that the author traces some successful bribes alongside failed ones, and so the reader has to pick out what actually took place from what (though attempted) did not.

Like others, I found the last chapter out of place. While it includes a good summary of events, it is thoroughly editorial. The author comes out strongly in opposition to Johnson, arguing that he should have been removed from office, a conclusion few readers would surely have come to from reading the preceding chapters. While Johnson could be fairly painted as one of our worst presidents, the author himself demonstrates that he never truly met the high standard of "high crimes and misdemeanors" that would prompt his removal.

Overall, this book is worth the read, largely because it is the most contemporary and dedicated book to the subject.
4274381
Grady Jefferys has written a dozen books on various topics relating to politics and issues affecting North Carolinians.  He was one of the first television writers in the early days of television.  He worked as a freelance writer for decades, publishing hundreds, maybe thousands of articles.  He worked as an editor for the News and Observer for many years, and he was a political consultant who wrote hundreds of speeches for governors, senators, and candidates for office.  He published a memoir of his career in writing called "I Never Promised Not To Tell," a series of anecdotes and funny stories about working behind the scenes in politics.  This book amounts a second memoir by Mr. Jefferys in which he divulges a lot of very personal information about his life-long love - Marie.  Both Grady and Marie came of age in the mid-twentieth century and the book describes a simpler time in North Carolina. He was farming his father's land in Garner when he met Marie who was working in Raleigh.  She was from a small town in Eastern North Carolina, Coates.  The book begins with the first time they made love and contains frank admissions of difficult times in their lives, as they raised four children and worked together in a small public relations business.

It's a quick read, but a personal journal filled with the kind of uncomfortable admissions you would expect to be kept secret. It's never boring.
4538328
Although this biography was written as a "sequel" to a movie, it really is a thorough description of this despotic dictator's life style.  I bought the book because it had seemed to me that Donald Trump's behavior is characteristic of Mussolini's, and I wanted some detailed evidence.  My conclusion:  Trump = Mussolini, insofar as behavior is concerned.  Demands absolute loyalty.  Profound philanderer.  Denier of past deeds.  Appearance is paramount.  Gives close family prestigious positions. Loves expensive lodging.  Cozies with country's previous enemy (Hitler & Putin).  Need I say more?
1576063
If you are interested in a Republican "inside" view of national politics from 1970-1984, Conable is a great subject to follow.  He was in the middle of much of it.  This book does a superb job of recounting Conable's congressional career, from Conable's thoughts on the issues of the day to the tactical maneuvering and strategies.

Conable was elected to Congress in 1964, strongly supported Nixon in 1968, and was an up-and-coming Republican leader in the House by 1970.  Having been labeled as one of the two most loyal Congressman to Nixon, his public announcement that the Watergate's June 23, 1972 tapes represented a "smoking gun" were widely repeated.  With the election of Carter in 1976, he became the ranking Republican member on the powerful House and Ways Committee, responsible for playing defense and slowing down the Democratic agenda.  With the election of Reagan in 1980, his leadership on the Ways and Means meant his role somewhat reversed.  He was critical in passing Reagan's tax cuts and other economic policies.  His most enduring legacy may be his service as one of the 15 members of the National Commission on Social Security Reform (or the "Greenspan Commission") which led to the compromise we live under today.
2676851
Crisis of Character: A White House Secret Service Officer Discloses His Firsthand Experience with Hillary, Bill, and How They Operate is the stunner it was advertised to be. I devoured the book in less than a day. It is an easy read. Although there have been a library full of books written about Hillary I must admit this is the first one I have read about either Hillary or Bill. I also want to confess I am not thrilled when employees or aids write about their charges.
That said, Secret Service Officer Gary J. Byrne (a 29-year veteran of the military and federal law enforcement) wrote the book about the numerous trials of serving on the Clinton detail. Hillary is portrayed as a Jekyll and Hyde temperament type who had to be treated with kid gloves by all around her. Its no wonder given the many other women in the Presidents life.
Byrne gained credibility when he writes he was subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury concerning Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. I found it fascinating that his initial response to hearing of The Drudge Reports report of the Lewinsky affair was to vomit. He became physically ill knowing the impact the affair would have on all including himself.
Byrne also writes of other affairs which he or his fellow agents walked in on or cleaned up after. The book is full of first hand claims. First hand greatly adds to the credibility.
Toward the end of the book, Byrne deals with terrorism. He reveals precisely why the Underwear and the Shoe Bomber failed to blow up the aircraft they had successfully boarded.
The book is sad. Sad because of the state of the dysfunctional state of Hillary and Bill. Governing seemed to be a non-issue.
4054462
Bill's "From the Left" is a fascinating look at one of the most unique career paths in Washingtonone that took him from the seminary to Bernie Sanders's kitchen cabinet, with plenty of high-profile stops along the way. Readers can draw a clear line from Bill's childhood experiences growing up in a conservative neighborhood in Delaware to the values that guide him during his political career. For anyone looking to learn about the man behind the microphone, this is a great read.
150076
Author Michael Lind, a 5th generation Texan, provides a dual biography of a President and the state of Texas.  This is what makes it so interesting.  Many authors have recently published books regarding Bush 43's personality and policies, specifically, in response to September, 2001.  In this book however, Lind analyses and examines George W. Bush's policies and links them to the influential continuum of the cultural and political forces of Texas: the Deep South, Southern Protestants, and the Neo-conservative foundations that were solidified by his father's, administration.  In short, what he's doing today according to Lind is not solely or even significantly as a result of September '01.  Obviously as for any policy-maker, Bush 43's current policy-making in general is derived from himself, and his convictions are the result of his primary influences, past and present.  Therefore the question is, what is this spectrum that influences him the most?
Texas
Lind expands more on his home-state of Texas.  The state of Texas is often seen misappropriately, as culturally Western, but in fact it's clearly Southern, and Deeply Southern.  This has always been apparent to those who've lived in and/or studied the South and Texas.
There are two camps in Texas: One is the "Texas modernists," of which Bush 43 is not.  Lind categorizes Bush 43 as one of the "Texas traditionalists."  These are proponents of militarism and an economic base focusing on commodity exports and oil exploration.  This southern economic model which George W. advocates, Lind claims, will continue to push for free-trade agreements which send U.S. jobs oversees, and entice out-of-state companies to move to southern states because of lower wages.
These are but a few examples and insights Lind provides.  He's not a fan of George W. but this isn't over-bearing in the book.  If one wants to understand the rational and philosophy behind Bush's domestic and foreign economic, military, and diplomatic policies this book provides a wealth of information.  It also explains the interests, cultural, sociological, and political forces of Texas, and its' major components.  Those interested in national electoral politics such as the next Presidential election for example, can take much of this information and ask them self: who in 2004 can appeal to the southern block, which still is obviously instrumental in winning a Presidential election.
538366
This is a very personal and interesting life story of a good earner in the Mafia for years.  He ended up changing his criminal ways  after a stint in the federal lock up.  It's a page turner.
1366339
Corso spins a great tale of the inside life of New York mobsters with flair and style.  The story doesn't glorify or whitewash the actions of these men, it merely portrays the reality of what they do.  Some glimpses of the contradictions of men who can resort to such levels of brutality (running over a unconscious man's legs, twice!) and then sit down to dinner with family and friends permeate the novel.

Corso has a feel for the life. By weaving in actual incidents of mob warfare and those involved such as Gallo, Profaci, and Gambino for example he adds the ring of authenticity. He doesn't try to make them sympathetic characters or justify their actions, but he does make his characters human.

The writing isn't perfect, some of the phrasings could be improved, but it doesn't detract from the story. By telling the story from the point of view of a reminiscing old man that was there, makes it more human and appealing.

I would highly recommend this to fans of the mob genre in particular those that enjoy stories of the New York families.
4415536
This compilation of narrative essays was not what I expected.  Given the title and the cookies (I think) on the front cover of my copy, I expected a rather shallow, cutesy rendition of southern girl moving to the Big Apple.  Not so.  Jane Borden is an intelligent, ultra observant chronicler of transition.

Jane Borden, youngest of three sisters, from a staid, traditional North Carolina family, moves to New York after college.  Her older sisters paved the way with their own New York short residencies, making it a less frightening adventure for her and her parents.  Jane remains in New York eleven years, long enough assuredly, to live in at least eight over-priced apartments in scary neighborhoods and find some good jobs.  In those eleven years, she captured the gist of New York life and above all, she overcame the shock of  living in a heterogeneous city coming from her homogenous Southern quiet town.  I am not sure why she remained in New York for so many years; she must have been adequately successful to avoid overwhelming homesickness, deplorable living conditions and dangerous neighbors.  Bars on the windows are commonplace.

Ms. Borden treats us to comical situations especially those of her early days in the city.  She was reared as a polite, genteel Southern Belle who was accustomed to smiling at everyone and offering courtesy. She learned quickly and we were lucky observers of Jane's metamorphism into late nights, constant drinking and solitary decisions.  We are introduced to Jane's Aunt Jane, who represents the typical Southern woman with her literal list of etiquette rules.  They adore and trust each other, which, I believe, is the author's final revelation.  Family is the foundation and it cannot be replicated in different venue.

Jane Borden writes well, she makes her fellow Southern authors proud with her comedic writing and vivid observations.  This is not a superficial memoir.  Enjoy.
1313914
A terrific biography of Bill Cosby and a book that was hard to put down.  Whitaker is an excellent writer although i have to say that the enormous number of tiny details (did we really need to know exactly how the ball games of Cosby's youth were played?) kept me from giving it five stars.

I loved watching I SPY when I was in college and loved seeing the Cos at a college concert a few years later so I've been a fan of years.  What was best about this book is that Whitaker recounted the background details of  the things I knew - what was involved with being on the road for college concerts?  how he put together THE COSBY SHOW  and how he created the plots?  what was going on behind-the-scenes when he got so political in recent years?  My favorite part was learning about all the philanthropy, large and (especially) small, that he has performed.  Wow.  A man who has always put his money where his heart and mind are - extraordinary.  Too bad that more wealthy Hollywood folks don't do the same.

It is May 2015 and I need to update this review.  While I am usually reluctant to forego the innocent until proven guilty standard, It is clear from the stories that have come out from so many women that something was going on.  Is Cos guilty of all these allegations?  I don't know.  However, unless every one of these women is telling a copycat story (which is possible but seems unlikely), there must have been rumors around Hollywood about what Cosby had been doing.  My question is why didn't mark Whittaker uncover this information and put it into the book, even with caveats?  I need to take two stars off and correct my fulsome praise for Cos.

OK, I've just reconsidered and will give it five stars (in spite of some verbosity by the author) because it was a privilege to get to know this icon so well.  I'll be recommending this one to many people.
3730269
This is a well-written book, most of which details JC's long and impressive career. The book homes in on Donald Trump on p. 211 of its 277 pages, but there is no doubt that the specter of Trump looms over the entire text. Consider the dedication to the Department of Justice and the FBI before the book even begins: their commitment to truth "keeps our country great."
As the book builds toward JC's interactions with Trump, vignettes from Comey's life foreshadow his analysis of Trump. Comey was bullied as a child and became a bully himself, so he knows about that. As assistant US Attorney in NY, he investigated and prosecuted the Mob, so he knew about that and was able to draw his now famous portrait of the Trump presidency as a political version of Mafia culture; the Martha Stewart case foreshadows a lying president.
I wasn't as put off by his description of Trump's physical features as others have been. I noticed that he painted mental pictures of many of the individuals who parade through his life and book. They're bald, short, have salt-and-pepper hair, etc. Comey mentions his uncommon height several times, even noting twice that his knees brushed up against the big desk in the Oval Office. What was a bit off-putting were the several references (four? five?) to the "fully-armored black Suburban" that JC rode in.
It was interesting to be reminded of law enforcement cases that Comey was intimately involved in before entering into the public gaze as director of the FBI: the Mafia investigations; the Martha Stewart case, the clandestine Stellar Wind intelligence gathering program; the John Ashcroft hospital drama; the Bush 2 torture program, etc.
As I read all this, the suspicion slowly grew on me that the book really wants to make two points. The more obvious one is to unmask the Trump presidency for what it is. The second is more subtle and is only revealed, literally, in the book's final words. In the Acknowledgments at the end, JC thanks various folk "for the joy and the journey, which isn't over yet." What could that mean? What it means is that JC has political aspirations and that his book is a kind of campaign biography. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he is running for higher office at some point.
Every reader will also come away from the book with some idea of James Comey the man. On the whole, he struck me as intelligent, hardworking, honest, and a dedicated patriot. There was also something else that struck a chord. His mother (who is never named; you have to look for her under "mother" in the index and not earlier under "C" where seven other Comeys are listed) kept in her dresser drawer for 50 years a note the young James wrote to her after some transgression. "I am sorry. I will be a great man someday." This is what his mother expected to hear. "Starting when I was a little boy, she told me how much was expected of me." What a burden to carry. More than a few times in his career, Comey regretted not saying or doing what he later thought he should have said or done. On these occasions he seemed emotionally hamstrung, afraid to take a step that might be a stumble on the way to an impossible goal. In other instances, he did act boldly, but perhaps not wisely, to validate his greatness. When some of Hillary Clinton's emails were found on Anthony Weiner's laptop, JC pondered what to do days before the 2016 presidential election. He writes that he had two choices, two doors, one marked "Speak," the other marked "Conceal." He had to be a man of action, he had to make a choice. As he mulled his choices, he missed seeing the third door, the one marked "Wait." Temporizing, stifling the urge to be great in a difficult historical moment, and honoring FBI custom in the run-up to the election might not be the hallmark of a great man of action, but it would have been the best choice and, in light of what was found on the laptop, ultimately the right choice.
There's a bit of the tragic figure in JC.
4783337
This well written and thoroughly documented memoir provides a wonderful insight into what a Secretary of Defense does, the many leaders in the military, the military culture, and the administrations of George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Gates is highly respectful of both Presidents, although he was pretty negative about some of those surrounding Obama. Gates, a Republican, also has high praise for Hillary Clinton, with whom he worked closely, and it is quite clear that she was highly qualified to become President.

As Secretary of Defense, Gates organized strong and rapid military support for citizens of Haiti after their disastrous earthquake. On an island not all that far from Puerto Rico, lots of resources were there within 30 hours of the event, and even that wasn't fast enough for President Obama. The contrast with our nation's response to Puerto Rico's destruction by Maria is beyond striking.

Never a political partisan, Gates was the first to recommend Leon Panetta, a Democrat with who he had worked for decades, as his replacement. One of the great messages of this book (and of many others I've read about those who have strived to "do the right thing" for our country) is the importance of personal relationships on both the national and international stage. Panetta, Barney Frank, and Al Franken, whose memoirs I've recently read, all had that same message.