This ain't your grandpa's private eye
591806
I was wondering how Milton Grasle was going to pull this off -- a tough, hard-nosed private investigator character so much like the gumshoe PI's of the thirties and forties, yet in a modern-day setting.  Oh, I knew Gasle could do it.  I'm very familiar with this author's work.  He's an excellent writer.  The HOW was the question.  And the answer is: perfectly.  Mike Falco may be tough, like those old-time private eyes, but he's no dinosaur.  He has a sensitive side.  He's not afraid to fall in love.  Nor is he technologically illiterate.  He is adaptable.  So when strange, even otherworldly things start to happen, he rolls with the punches, absorbs a few hard knocks along the way, and saves the people he comes to care for.  Yeah, that's my definition of a hero.  Can't wait for the next book in the series.
277578
Clearly, this is not a pure Tom Clancy thriller, with its baroque twists and turns. In some ways, Mark Greaney has made this a more intimate character study of who Jack Sr. was and who Jack Jr. is. The ending is touching, and leaves enough open for more sequels, though this reader feels that the story is well told as it is. RIP Tom Clancy.
1620314
This book is worth reading. It reminded me of the times I had with my own grandpa and all the stories he would tell me. I just wish I could remember them all. I'll admit this was an impulse buy but once I started reading I found that I couldn't put it down. This was an easy and entertaining read. The chapters were well written and funny (I loved the train gang). I highly recommend this book and I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy it as well. Trust me, buy this book and read it. Then, if your lucky to still have your grandpa around, give him a call or better yet go visit him.
75666
There's a little-known story about the Valerie Plame Wilson affair that has gone almost unmentioned in its aftermath.  I have seen this story mentioned once, during congressional testimony on the part of one of her co-workers.  The testimony never made it to the public outside of C-SPAN.

Here's how it works.  A former covert agent is outed.  Immediately, intelligence services in other countries go to work to identify all of the people they can who can be proven to have had contact with the outed agent, going back as far as possible and covering every possible contact, including everyone they can include.  The list, which will be huge, is now slowly and patiently shaken down, and people who were formerly "trusted" are now considered "dirty" until proven otherwise.  Twenty-year-old survillance photos are pulled from files and re-examined.  Field operatives are pulled in for questioning.  Possible double agents are identified, trapped and used to reveal more information.

Often when a single agent's cover is blown, even a non-active one, people die for years afterward and entire intelligence networks, networks that often cost many millions of dollars to create and involve years of work on the part of many dedicated people, are destroyed.  A blown cover is like a large rock hitting a pool of calm water; the ripples last for a very long time.

There is no doubt that the outing of Wilson's wife caused mayhem at the very least and at the worst, many deaths.  This fact goes unmentioned in news coverage, not out of conspiracy but out of ignorance.  Most people just don't know.

Whether you are politically on the right or on the left, if you believe in our Republic and wish to preserve it, you should read this book and gain some insight into the mechanisms of politics.  The GWB administration has been willing to go farther past traditional limits than any other in history to discredit its enemies and hit back hard, and truth is not (at all) a requirement.  It's a Karl Rove tactic, and it has worked well to win elections against not one but three decorated war veterans.

If you are at all interested in the future of the United States, you should read this frank and well-written book, and then look for these tactics in future elections and congressional battles.
4801291
What Philip McQuillan does here is more than pay tribute (in a touching and wonderfully descriptive way) to a man who seems to define "the greatest generation."  He also gives the rest of us the inspiration to pay our own tributes to our own  "grandfather's uncles."  Because, as Philip's touching writing conveys, there are more important reasons to remember people who have touched our lives than if they were a "celebrity" or a historical figure.  Our grandfather's uncles and aunts were the celebrities of our own worlds- the real world.  These good, honorable people deserve to be remembered and their  wisdom, values and joyful anecdotes should be shared widely.  This society can use inspiration and modeling from these good souls- even if in memorandum.
1710015
Adair Lara's new book, about bravely facing up to grandparenthood, would appeal to any reader who is curious about entering this new phase of life. How do you deal with the fact that your own child, whom you still think of as your little girl or boy, is about to become a parent?
Devoted readers of Adair's columns in the San Francisco Chronicle will expect her comments to be thoughtful, poignant and humorous, and they will not be disappointed. She writes with an intimate, personal style, an objective point of view, and a sense of humor that is subtle and bewitching. Don't be surprised if you read this book in one sitting, even if you are not a grandparent; in fact, it's a great read for anyone, of any age. If you don't know Adair Lara's writing, you are missing something priceless. - Grandpa in California
1744855
THIS IS NOT MY TYPE OF BOOKS.  IT DOES NOT MEAN OTHERS WOULD NOT LIKE IT.
3183480
Very telling tale from an outsider close to the source.
4904155
Not what I expected, but a good read none the less.  It is mostly about films that you likely have never watched or heard of, and even if you wanted to watch--you probably could not find.  The behind the scenes look at some of the stars who you will recognize is a fun look back, but its not a book I will be sorry i am finished with.
3432577
This book is a wonderful example of the behind the scenes look at one millennial's life. What we think on the surface of a generation or group of people may not actually reflect the truth of their existence. In this case it is the tale of a young college educated man who should have the world at his finger tips. Growing up in a privileged middle class town, having a family that loved him and plenty of opportunity in life. Yet behind that there are deep scars of loss and sadness that perpetuate self destructive behavior that from an outsiders glance seem out of place and self centered. Yet it proves you do not know the burdens a person carries, from insecurities to loss we all have our crosses and we can not presume to know someone at a glance. A really thoughtful read.
2869679
This book is not for the faint of heart. It breaks rules that we thought we knew.
2851489
It is quite a feat to tackle writing a book about your parents and grandparents without succumbing to sentimentality, or in some people's case, bitterness. Thai Jones succeeds in keeping an even-handed, slightly amused tone to his family story, and some family it is. His parents, Jeff Jones and Eleanor Raskin, were two members of the Weather Underground, and the author was himself born on the run, so to speak. His first memory is of the FBI hauling his parents away when they were finally busted and he was age four. I don't envy him that memory.

And prior to Jeff and Eleanor were their respective parents, radicals of the Old Left, with their own strong opinions, which didn't necessarily match up with those of their offspring. That inherent tension gives the story some of its punch.

Of course, the most dramatic part of the book is the tromp through the New Left, SDS, and Weatherman (later, the Weather Underground). Jones draws on family memories, other participants, and reliable sources, but there may not be a whole lot new here for anyone who has read other memoirs such as Bill Ayers' or seen the Weather Underground documentary. Still, he provides yet another perspective which helps us triangulate on that over-heated era.

My main cavel about the book is its scattershot time-line, which bounces back and forth between different family members and different years. No doubt, some of this is done for dramatic effect, but it undercuts one's ability to get a clear picture of the linear order of events. And the confusion is made worse by Jones' almost exclusive use of first names for the main family members. A little journalistic insertion of last names, now and then, might have kept me better on track.

When all is said and done, I couldn't shake the feeling, from Jones' account, that both of his parents had a screw loose in the judgment department. The author's mother succumbs to the more revolutionary than thou guilt-tripping of the Weatherpersons, and leaves her first husband and abandons her law degree. At the time, I'm sure, it seemed like the right thing to do, but when you get right down to it, she flipped and joined a cult.

Jones' father, one of the most macho gun-wavers of the Weatherman leadership, can't keep from buying stand-out-in-a-crowd used cars, all while living "underground" and trying to remain inconspicuous, of course. This recklessness is topped off by his growing dope plants on an apartment fire escape in Hoboken, apparently to make a little cash while on the lam. This, needless to say, catches the eyes of the authorities and they're on the run again.

All in all, A Radical Line is an entertaining read. Slight flaws and family quirks aside, it provides a compelling portrait of two and a half generations of rebels.
3813585
Some of these types of books have got to be written by the dumbest self-described "Private Detectives" who don't even know what GED stands for; who watch more TV than your drunken ex-father-in-law. Not this one.
Well-written, with information that is not obvious but incredibly valuable. The author knows what he is talking about. You won't regret buying this book.
4660386
for those who have not read an illustrated book before about post WWII and the aftermath of the Holocaust, such a work really adds a whole new dimension to understanding those events. a grandmother and granddaughter from Israel travel to Poland ostensibly to investigate a property matter but really the past left behind while fleeing the Nazis. as you can see from the cover, many local Polish sites are visited and that one is of the cemetery. the story is called the property because the grandmother has rights in an apartment building in Poland.  But this apartment building has many other aspects to it including the grandmother's old love.  an excellent story and beautifully drawn and told.

Visit my blog with link given on my profile page here or use this phonetically given URL (livingasseniors dot blogspot dot com). Friday's entry will always be weekend entertainment recs from my 5 star Amazon reviews in film, tv, books and music. These are very heavy on buried treasures and hidden gems. My blogspot is published on Monday, Wednesday & Friday.
3326449
I listened to this twice about 6 weeks ago- and it lingers- as an influential friend.  Although I am a generation older, the feelings expressed here were genuine and worth re- exploring.  Yes, these heros represents a tiny segment of priviledged- taking an international assignments that lead up to future promotions-part of the checklist that only a tiny segment achieves in our corporate hierarchies. Taking a Mommy Track- after a long time in a position of trust is complicated as this story illuminates. This is an extra special listen/read
858606
Martin Davidson was born and grew up in the UK, the son of a Scottish father and a German mother.  Although he grew up knowing that his somewhat mysterious maternal grandfather (Bruno), a former dentist, had fought for Germany in the Second World War, it was never discussed and he had no sense of what his grandfather's role in the war had been.  It was only after Bruno's death that he discovered that Bruno had in fact been a captain in the SS.  This is the story of his investigation to find out more about his grandfather's role in the war and to attempt to understand what motivated him to act in the way that he had.  While Bruno was never more than a mid level Nazi, he was a fervent supporter of the party from its earliest days right through until the conclusion of the war.  Davidson terms him the "perfect Nazi" because his commitment appeared never to have wavered and even after the war, his belief in many of the Nazi ideals appeared undimmed.

Despite the fact that records from this time are not always easy to locate, Davidson has been able to piece together a good sense of Bruno's career progression and to credibly intuit his motivations.  He discovers for example that Bruno was one of the early Party members, that he attended several party rallies in Nuremberg and that he appropriated a Jewish dental surgery after the previous owner committed suicide.  While there is no direct evidence that Bruno was involved in violent attacks on Jews, Davidson is forced to admit that it is highly likely that he was and to come to terms with that realization.

Where Davidson succeeds is in helping us to understand Bruno and the countless other Germans like him.  He doesn't defend Bruno in any way - quite the opposite - but he does explain his motivations and portrays his career against the broader backdrop of the time.  He also gives a sense of how his mother was affected by her father's actions and the way that she chose to turn a blind eye to them for the rest of his life.  The investigation was clearly not always easy for Davidson and his family, but he doesn't flinch from this story of "the harm even little men can achieve in times of historical madness".
2839359
This movie shows what the real world is like & how important respect & values make a person who they are. Also knowing the roots of one's lineage. Richard Creanna tried to show his spoiled grandson what life is all about & the impotance of personal integrity & concern for his fellow men. The grandson learned the hard way & his grandfather was able to instill in him the imortance of family & self respect for himself. His grandfather is a WW II war hero & wanted his grandson to love his country like he did. In the end the grandson got to know his grandfather, and undestood the importance of keeping your word & show respect to the Flag & what it represence.